The Cincinnati Bengals dominated the Atlanta Falcons 34-17 in Madrid behind four total touchdowns from Joe Burrow, who completed 74% of his passes with 23 passing touchdowns and 26 total touchdowns through the first half of the season. Ja'Marr Chase added 10 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown, while Tee Higgins caught five passes for 47 yards and two scores. Burrow's historic start — the first player ever with a 70% completion rate and four total touchdowns in four straight games — makes him a leading MVP candidate alongside Green Bay's Jordan Love, who leads the NFL with 2,618 passing yards and 40 completions of 20-plus yards.
Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders delivered a strong first start, going 19-for-31 for 297 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 9.6-yard-per-attempt average despite five sacks. His ability to navigate pressure and throw deep — three completions of 30-plus yards — suggests he should remain the starter over Deshaun Watson.
The Los Angeles Rams improved to 5-4 with a 20-13 win over Washington, but Matthew Stafford continues to struggle with nine interceptions through nine games and a deep-ball completion rate that has dropped from 43% to 24% year over year. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles fell to 2-7 after a seventh straight loss, but firing coach Nick Sirianni now would destabilize a team already dealing with quarterback injuries and a first-year offensive coordinator.
The NFC East remains competitive: the New York Giants sit at 5-2-1, the Dallas Cowboys are 4-5, and a Week 17 matchup could decide the division. The Carolina Panthers, despite a 3-5 record, stay in the NFC South hunt where no team is above .500. Houston Texans receiver Nico Collins produced a catch-of-the-year candidate touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Ahead of the trade deadline, suggested moves include the Kansas City Chiefs acquiring wide receiver George Pickens and offensive lineman Andrew Wylie, the Minnesota Vikings trading for running back Jonathan Taylor, the Jacksonville Jaguars adding defensive tackle Grover Stewart, and the Detroit Lions pursuing cornerback Tariq Woolen.
