As the calendar flips to November, we here at SB Nation are turning a page as well.
Because let’s face it: With the holiday season now looming, your Sundays are about to get a little busier. You might not have time to keep tabs on every NFL game, let alone the key plays, injuries, and more.
Each week from now through the Super Bowl, we will cover it all for you in one handy place, so you can get caught up faster than it takes to get those holiday decorations up.
Chicago Bears 47, Cincinnati Bengals 42, Final
Without question the wildest game of the early slate took place in Cincinnati.
The Bears seemed on track for an epic collapse on par with their loss to Washington a year ago, when the Bengals recovered an onside kick and scored on a Joe Flacco touchdown pass to Andrei Iosivas to give Cincinnati a 42-41 lead with under a minute remaining. But that’s when Colston Loveland, who caught his first NFL touchdown earlier in the game, hauled in a throw from Caleb Williams and rumbled into the end zone from 58 yards out to deliver a dramatic 47-42 victory.
Minnesota Vikings 27, Detroit Lions 24, Final
The return of J.J. McCarthy provided a spark for the Minnesota Vikings, as the second-year quarterback threw for a pair of touchdowns and ran for another as the Vikings moved to 4-4 with a 27-24 win.
While Jared Goff threw a pair of touchdowns, Detroit converted just 5-of-17 third downs on the afternoon, as the Lions slipped to 5-3 on the season.
Carolina Panthers 16, Green Bay Packers 13, Final
In perhaps the biggest surprise of the early window, the Carolina Panthers went into Lambeau Field and knocked the Green Bay Packers off the top spot in the NFC with a 16-13 win. Running back Rico Dowdle remained the hot hand for the Panthers, as he gained 130 yards on 25 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns.
Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald converted a 49-yard field goal as time expired to deliver the win, as the Panthers are a surprising 5-4 on the year.
Los Angeles Chargers 27, Tennessee Titans 20, Final
Justin Herbert threw a pick-six early to gift the Titans a 7-0 lead, but 13 points in the second quarter propelled the Chargers to a 20-17 lead at halftime. Following a scoreless third quarter, a one-yard touchdown plunge from Herbert capped off a 15-play, 99-yard drive to give the Chargers a 27-17 lead, and from there Los Angeles held on to improve to 6-3.
New England Patriots 24, Atlanta Falcons 23, Final
The New England Patriots won their sixth consecutive game to improve to 7-2 on the year, but head coach Mike Vrabel will have a lot of coaching points over the next few days of practice.
The Patriots held a 21-7 lead with under two minutes left in the first half, and were driving for more, when a strip-sack of Drake Maye gifted the Atlanta Falcons incredible field position. Atlanta scored a touchdown on a short throw from Michael Penix Jr. to Drake London to cut New England’s lead to 21-14 at the break.
New England managed just a field goal over the final 30 minutes, and London’s third touchdown catch of the game cut the score to 24-23 late. But a missed extra point from kicker Parker Romo was the difference as the Patriots held on to win.
San Francisco 49ers 34, New York Giants 24, Final
The New York Giants scored on the opening drive of the game to take a 7-0 lead, but after that, the 49ers broke the game open with 20 unanswered points to take a 20-7 lead.
The teams traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter, leading to the 34-24 final score.
Mac Jones threw a pair of touchdowns in the win, as the 49ers improved to 6-3 on the season.
Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Indianapolis Colts 20, Final
If you were skeptical of the Indianapolis Colts’ 7-1 record, this is the game you were waiting for.
Daniel Jones threw three interceptions and lost a pair of fumbles as the much-maligned Pittsburgh defense frustrated the Colts offense all afternoon. While Indianapolis closed the gap late, it was not enough and the Colts fell to 7-2 on the year.
The Steelers offense did enough on the afternoon, as Aaron Rodgers threw for a touchdown and Jaylen Warren added a pair of touchdown runs.
Denver Broncos 18, Houston Texans 15, Final
It was not pretty, but Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos found a way to win Sunday in Houston.
That has been the story for Denver in recent weeks.
The Texans lost C.J. Stroud early as the quarterback was knocked out of the game with a concussion, but the Houston defense frustrated Denver’s offense. But Nix led a game-winning drive in the closing second, as Will Lutz converted a field goal as time expired for the win.
Denver scored 11 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, mirroring what they did two weeks ago in their stunning comeback win over the Giants.
What happened in the late window
The late-afternoon window has three games, including one of the most-anticipated games of the 2025 season.
Jacksonville Jaguars 30, Las Vegas Raiders 29, Final
Los Angeles Rams 34, New Orleans Saints 10, Final
Buffalo Bills 28, Kansas City Chiefs 21, Final
Key plays and moments from Week 9
Green Bay Packers rocking the 1923 throwbacks
We’re really not sure how to feel about these. The helmets are cool but …
Charlies Jones returns the opening kickoff for a TD in Cincinnati
This is how you want to start a football game on special teams:
Sam LaPorta bullies his way into the end zone
Despite the initial contact coming at the ten-yard line, Lions TE Sam LaPorta bullied his way through multiple Vikings defenders, and into the end zone to open the scoring in Detroit:
Josh McDaniels dials up a beauty to open the scoring
This is a great design from New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels:
The Patriots put rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson into the slot on the right, leaving wide receiver Pop Douglas in the backfield next to Drake Maye. That gets Douglas isolated on rookie linebacker Jalon Walker on the receiver’s wheel route, and Maye drops in a perfect throw for six.
Vikings quarterback J.J McCarthy returned to the starting lineup this week for Minnesota and found the end zone early:
Throwing to Justin Jefferson is never a bad idea.
DJ Moore to Caleb Williams for six
Ben Johnson dipping into his bag of tricks for a Bears’ touchdown:
How windy is it in Green Bay today?
Justin Herbert to Quentin Johnston is a thing of beauty
Talk about putting a throw exactly where you need to.
On this touchdown pass from Justin Herbert to Quentin Johnston, the Chargers passer puts this corner route into a shoebox, navigating a pair of defenders as well as the sideline:
Joe Flacco connects with Tee Higgins on an incredible deep shot
Veteran QB Joe Flacco found Tee Higgins on a go route just before halftime against the Bears:
Payton Wilson generates another Pittsburgh turnover
Linebacker Payton Wilson has been everywhere for the Steelers defense today. He stepped in front of a Daniel Jones pass for an interception in the first half, and helped create this interception late in the third quarter:
Drake London completes the hat trick
Falcons WR Drake London pulls in the one-handed catch for his third touchdown of the day:
Atlanta missed the ensuing extra point, but they are hanging right with the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
The dramatic ending to Bears-Bengals
If you have not seen how the Bears-Bengals game ended, these two minutes are worth your time:
Brock Bowers is back on the field, and in the end zone
Welcome back Brock Bowers:
Jaguars kicker Cam Little just made history, kicking a 68-yard field goal against the Raiders:
C.J. Stroud went to the locker room in the first half of Broncos-Texans after taking a hard hit on a run:
Davis Mills entered the game for Houston on the next possession. According to the Texans, Stroud was being evaluated for a concussion.
Stroud was then ruled out for the rest of the game early in the third quarter.
Chargers offensive tackle Joe Alt was taken off the field on a cart after getting rolled up on in the pocket:
Alt was listed as questionable to return.
Packers tight end Tucker Kraft was helped off the field, then taken to the locker room on a cart, after this play:
The Packers listed Kraft as questionable to return with a knee injury. Reports emerged after the game that the Packers fear he may have torn his ACL.
New England Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte exited the game against the Falcons with a hamstring injury, and was later ruled out for the rest of the afternoon.
Waiting all day for Sunday night
Don’t forget, we have more football coming your way tonight. Jayden Daniels returns to the lineup as the Washington Commanders host the Seattle Seahawks.
