What we know -- and don't know -- off NFL Week 9: Our reporters answer big questions on every game

Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season kicked off Thursday with the Ravens defeating the Dolphins. Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson delivered four touchdown passes in his return from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games.

In the early window Sunday, the 49ers got back on track with a commanding win over the Giants. San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey led the way with two touchdowns. The Patriots squeaked by the Falcons after kicker Parker Romo missed a game-tying extra point in the fourth quarter.

Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything else you need to know for every team. Let's get to it.

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LAC-TEN | ATL-NE
SF-NYG | BAL-MIA

L.A. Chargers 27, Tennessee 20

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Chargers

If offensive tackle Joe Alt misses time after exiting the game with an ankle injury, how much does that change expectations? The Chargers are 4-0 this season when Alt plays the entire game, and 2-3 when he doesn't. Quarterback Justin Herbert has a QBR of 80 with Alt on the field, and a QBR of 56 without him. So, the simple answer is yes. Alt is perhaps this team's most important player not named Herbert. If Alt does miss significant time with his ankle injury, the ceiling of this team lowers significantly.

What to make of the QB performance: Herbert's interceptions are becoming a concern. He threw his eighth interception of the season on the Chargers' first drive, which was returned for a touchdown by Titans linebacker Cody Barton. Herbert's eight interceptions are the most since 2022 (when he had 10). Sunday's interception marked his fourth against the blitz this season -- a new career high in just nine games. -- Kris Rhim

Next game: vs. Steelers (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)

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Cody Barton snags a pass from Justin Herbert for a pick-six

Cody Barton takes an interception to the house to put the Titans ahead 7-0.

Titans

Is the Titans' offense the worst in the NFL? Entering Week 9, the offense ranked last in points per game (13.8), yards per game (248.8) and rushing yards per game (80.4). The passing attack was also second to last at 168.4 yards per game. Sunday's performance was even worse. Tennessee got 14 points from Barton's interception and Chimere Dike's punt return -- the first punt returned for a touchdown for the Titans since 2012. Yet, they only managed 20 points. Tennessee's offense converted just 10 first downs and gained 206 yards of total offense.

Turning point: The Titans forced a three-and-out on the first series of the second half, followed by a 71-yard drive from the offense that stalled at the Chargers' 1-yard line when running back Tony Pollard's attempt to punch it in and take a 24-20 lead fell short. Instead, Los Angeles got the ball and drove 99 yards in over nine minutes to take a 10-point lead. -- Turron Davenport

Next game: vs. Texans (Nov. 16, 1 p.m. ET)

New England 24, Atlanta 23

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Patriots

How much of a concern is the growing number of hits on quarterback Drake Maye? Maye was sacked six times for 38 yards, one week after being sacked six times for 37 yards. Some of that is a result of blocking in front of him, but Maye has acknowledged that he can do more to protect himself at times (and also protect the ball by keeping two hands on it, which he didn't do on a lost fumble late in the second quarter). Since 2000, Maye is the third Patriots quarterback to be sacked five or more times in back-to-back games, joining Jacoby Brissett (2024) and Drew Bledsoe (2000).

Stat to know: After holding Bijan Robinson to 45 rushing yards, the Patriots are now the only team since 1950 to hold opposing running backs to under 50 yards in the first nine games of the season, per ESPN Research. No other team had accomplished that feat in the first eight games of the season. -- Mike Reiss

Next game: at Buccaneers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

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Michael Penix Jr., Drake London link up for 2nd TD connection of game

Michael Penix Jr. cuts into the Patriots' lead with a touchdown pass to Drake London.

Falcons

What can the Falcons do to get Robinson going? The Falcons are 3-0 when their star running back gets 75 or more yards on the ground. When Robinson doesn't hit that mark, they're now 0-5 after he rushed for only 45 yards Sunday. The Falcons coaching staff would say they want to be a run-first team, but have a hard time committing to their ground game, especially when playing from behind. Robinson had only 12 carries Sunday. Atlanta needs to figure out a way to get him back into a rhythm, because he's a game-changing player.

What to make of the QB performance: Michael Penix Jr. was inconsistent despite throwing three touchdown passes to wide receiver Drake London, going 22-of-37 for 222 yards. But he did lead the Falcons on what should have been a game-tying drive that was marred by kicker Parker Romo's extra-point miss. On that drive, Penix had a 40-yard pass to London and two fourth-down conversions to the receiver, one of which was a one-handed, 8-yard touchdown. -- Marc Raimondi

Next game: vs. Colts in Berlin (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET)

San Francisco 34, N.Y. Giants 24

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

49ers

The 49ers are in the thick of the race, but how aggressive should they be at Tuesday's trade deadline? Sunday's win probably shouldn't change the 49ers' prudence when it comes to the trade deadline, but that doesn't mean they should sit it out. Even before significant injuries to linebacker Fred Warner (ankle) and defensive end Nick Bosa (ACL), they would gladly have taken a 6-3 start. So they owe it to themselves to make another move or two, especially after rookie defensive end Mykel Williams departed Sunday's game with an apparent lower body injury. It probably won't be splashy, but another quality player or two could help the defense stay afloat as the offense gets healthier.

Stat to know: Running back Christian McCaffrey continues to do most of the heavy lifting and etch his name further in NFL record books. With 164 scrimmage yards, McCaffrey surpassed 500 rushing and 500 receiving yards through nine games. He's the second player in the past decade to do that (Saquon Barkley, 2018), and the second Niner to achieve it (Roger Craig, 1985). McCaffrey also is up to 16 career games with at least one rushing and one receiving touchdown, passing Marshall Faulk for the most of all time. -- Nick Wagoner

Next game: vs. Rams (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)

Giants

What is going on with the Giants defense? All those edge rushers and they can't stop anyone. Sunday was the third straight game the Giants allowed at least 30 points. The defense can't stop the run (especially to the edges) and barely provide any resistance with their injury-ravaged secondary. 49ers quarterback Mac Jones completed his first 14 passes. The pass rush isn't effective enough when opponents can make easy completions and run at will. Christian McCaffrey had over 150 yards and two touchdowns, while San Francisco finished with almost 400 yards of total offense.

Trend to watch: Tight end Theo Johnson has dropped a pass in three straight games. Johnson now has five drops this season, which is among the top 10 leaguewide. To compound the problem, three of the five have been on third down. This week, Johnson's drop came late in the second quarter and ruined a potential Giants drive when the ball clanked off his hands and shoulder pads. He caught a touchdown pass earlier in the game (his fifth of the season), but the drops are becoming a serious problem. -- Jordan Raanan

Next game: at Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Baltimore 28, Miami 6

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Ravens

Has Lamar Jackson reentered the NFL MVP conversation? Definitely, because he underscored his value this past month. In his return from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games, Jackson immediately had Baltimore humming again, completing 78% of his attempts (18-of-23) and throwing four touchdown passes. He puts stress on a defense because of his playmaking ability. Teammates say Jackson also adds confidence because they know he will get them the ball when they're open. Jackson is the ultimate difference-maker. In the three games that he missed, Baltimore averaged 14.3 points. With Jackson this season, the Ravens are averaging 31.8 points.

Trend to watch: The Ravens held a team to 17 points or fewer in three straight games, tying the longest streak by any team this season. This is quite a turnaround for a defense that had been heavily criticized after allowing an NFL-worst 35.4 points per game in the first five weeks. With two forced fumbles and an interception against the Dolphins, the Ravens recorded their most turnovers since three in their last meeting with the Dolphins in 2023. -- Jamison Hensley

Next game: at Vikings (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Dolphins

At 2-7, will the Dolphins trade away players at the deadline? In the weeks leading up to Thursday's loss, Dolphins team sources said there was no plan to make any sweeping roster changes -- but there's a feeling around the league that one or more of their players could be available with the season becoming insurmountable. Linebacker Jaelan Phillips said it's his preference to stay in Miami, while linebacker Bradley Chubb said that decision is out of his hands. Coach Mike McDaniel told reporters after the game that it'd be "irresponsible" to comment on any potential trades and that the team is focused on "dictating the terms" ahead of the Bills matchup. The team will have to manage Tuesday's trade deadline without general manager Chris Grier, who was let go on Friday.

Stat to know: On pass attempts within 2.5 seconds of snapping the ball, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed 18 of 25 passes for 209 yards. On attempts that took longer than 2.5 seconds, he completed 7 of 14 passes for 52 yards and an interception with a minus-16.8 completion percentage over expectation. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

Next game: vs. Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)