Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season saw several teams solidify their positions, while others struggled amid key injuries and numerous bye weeks. The week was marked by a notable reunion as Aaron Rodgers faced his former team on “Sunday Night Football.” However, the outcome may not have met his expectations, as his successor completed 20 consecutive passes for 360 yards.
Jonathan Taylor continued to build a strong case for Most Valuable Player, helping the Colts maintain an offense that has scored more than 20 points in every game this season. The Lions and other top-ranked teams had their bye week, resulting in little movement at the top of the rankings.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers secured a decisive victory over the New Orleans Saints. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots extended their winning streak to five games and are emerging as one of the hottest teams in football outside of Indianapolis.
The Denver Broncos achieved what some considered their best performance since Week 5 with a win against Dallas. After two straight losses before their bye week, Buffalo responded with a dominant win over Carolina.
Green Bay’s recent victory over Pittsburgh brought back memories of past matchups between Bart Starr and Terry Bradshaw. Los Angeles Chargers made it into this week’s ranking partially due to a change in uniform rather than on-field performance.
San Francisco dropped seven spots after losing to Houston—a move that might be seen as excessive by some observers. Kansas City maintained its reputation for being tough to beat at home during prime-time games.
For Atlanta Falcons fans, there was little good news; the team failed to capitalize against Miami, prompting questions about both squads’ directions. Chicago lost to Baltimore despite Lamar Jackson’s absence—a feat last experienced by Atlanta in 2022.
Houston celebrated a major win behind C.J. Stroud and continued defensive dominance, allowing fewest points through seven games this year. Minnesota’s Thursday night performance did not inspire much confidence but was still deemed better than Atlanta’s showing this week.
The New York Jets broke their losing streak with their first win of the season—an outcome possibly watched closely by Saints fans hoping for favorable draft positioning in 2026.
Other notable outcomes included Tennessee falling to the league’s top-ranked team and Cincinnati suffering defeat at the hands of previously winless opposition. Looking ahead, Cleveland will face off against New York following its upcoming bye week—a matchup highlighted as one to watch in Week 10.
