Week 9 of the 2026 NFL season opens Thursday night in Baltimore and stretches into a Monday-night matchup in Minneapolis that pits two 6-1 teams against each other. It’s a slate packed with interconference games - eight of the week’s 15 contests - while only two divisional matchups are on the board.
One of those division games comes in the Pacific Northwest, where Arizona and Seattle meet again after Mike Macdonald’s team took the first meeting in Week 2 in the desert. That kind of rematch has already shown a pattern: last Sunday, all three divisional rematches went to the team that had lost the first meeting.
The week starts with Jacksonville visiting Baltimore on Thursday, Nov. 5.
The Ravens will be without Lamar Jackson again after he injured his thumb at Buffalo last Sunday, and rookie free agent Joe Fagnano is set to start. Jacksonville, meanwhile, has been piling up points early, outscoring opponents 110-40 in first halves this season.
Sunday’s schedule begins with Cincinnati and Atlanta meeting in Madrid. The Bengals are still dealing with a shaky defense, but Joe Burrow and the offense have topped 31 points in each game during their three-game winning streak. Atlanta arrives after becoming the first team shut out this season in last Sunday’s loss at Tampa Bay.
Kansas City hosts the Jets in a matchup that sends New York to Arrowhead Stadium for the first time since 2020. The Jets are trying to stop their second three-game skid of the season, while Andy Reid’s team has slipped into second place in the AFC West after back-to-back Sunday losses.
Cleveland heads to New Orleans with Deshaun Watson’s status in question after he was sacked eight times in the loss to Pittsburgh and placed in concussion protocol on Wednesday. The Saints were off last week, but the start under Kellen Moore has been rough: they are 8-16 under him and have turned it over 37 times in 24 games.
Denver visits Carolina after moving into first place in the AFC West with a win over Kansas City last week. The Panthers are coming off a Thursday night loss at Green Bay, and Carolina has already fired defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. At home, the Panthers are 1-2 and have given up 128 points in those three games.
Dallas travels to Indianapolis with both teams looking to steady themselves. The Cowboys have reached 30 points in five of eight games, but that has only produced two losses. The Colts have dropped four straight, and their season has featured as many offensive touchdowns as turnovers - 15 scores and 12 giveaways by Daniel Jones.
Detroit heads to Miami after both teams hosted division opponents last week. The Lions beat the Vikings for Minnesota’s first loss of the season, while the Dolphins blew a 13-3 lead against New England. Jahmyr Gibbs has been a force for Detroit, piling up 1,058 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns in seven games.
The Giants go to Philadelphia having already matched last season’s win total and topped their 2024 mark. They are still chasing their first road win in Philadelphia since 2013. The Eagles have lost six straight and are facing an NFC East opponent for the third week in a row.
The Rams visit Washington looking to climb above .500 for the first time this season. Los Angeles has won two straight, while Dan Quinn’s Commanders remain one of three teams in the league with an NFL-best plus-seven turnover differential.
Las Vegas goes to San Francisco after snapping a four-game losing streak against the Jets. Even so, the Raiders have still allowed 30 or more points in five straight games. The 49ers, sitting atop the NFC West, had extra time to recover from their first loss of 2026 and are 4-0 at home.
Houston travels to the Chargers in a matchup of two 2025 playoff teams that have had very different kinds of disappointment. The Texans were off last week and are dealing with unexpected defensive problems. The Chargers, meanwhile, are struggling across the board and are off to their worst start since opening 0-11 in 2000.
Arizona returns to Seattle for a rematch of the Week 2 game in which Drew Lock threw for 235 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-7 Seahawks win. That was Seattle’s 10th straight victory in the series. This time, Gardner Minshew starts for Mike LaFleur’s team against a struggling Seahawks group that will turn back to Lock.
Green Bay and New England close the Sunday afternoon window in Foxborough in what looks like one of the week’s best quarterback matchups. Jordan Love leads the NFL with 2,246 passing yards and ranks fourth with 16 touchdown passes. Drake Maye has been just as sharp lately, throwing 14 touchdowns and only two interceptions over his last five games.
Sunday night brings Tampa Bay to Chicago in a matchup of the league’s top two rushing attacks. The Buccaneers are averaging 168.6 rushing yards per game and have won three of their last four after starting 0-4. The Bears, meanwhile, are off to their best start since opening 7-1 in 2012 and are running for 150.8 yards per game.
Pittsburgh and Tennessee are off this week. Monday, Nov. 9, closes the schedule with that 6-1 showdown in Minneapolis.
In Other News...
Seahawks Just Sent A Clear Message About Their QB Depth
With Sam Darnold and Drew Lock both dealing with injuries, the Seahawks moved quickly to shore up the quarterback room by signing Adrian Martinez to the practice squad. Martinez had recently been with the San Francisco 49ers and also built momentum with his play in the UFL, giving Seattle another arm on hand as it tries to keep its depth chart intact through a tricky stretch.
Seattle also re-signed Jamie Sheriff to the practice squad while making room by releasing wide receiver Malick Meiga and linebacker Jimmy Ciarlo. The roster shuffle underscores how much the Seahawks are trying to protect themselves at quarterback, especially with Lock working back from an elbow injury and the team needing a reliable fallback if the situation gets any tighter. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Face One Huge Deadline Call After Quenton Nelson Move
The Seahawks have already made one bold move to reshape their offense by landing guard Quenton Nelson, and the ripple effect has been immediate. With the interior of the line suddenly upgraded, attention has shifted to the backfield, where Seattle is reportedly among the teams exploring a trade for Colts running back Jonathan Taylor to give the rushing attack a much-needed boost.
Taylors production has again made him one of the most intriguing names on the market, with 587 rushing yards and eight touchdowns through seven games this season. Indianapolis is said to be open to offers, and Seattles interest fits the moment: after investing in protection up front, the next question is whether the Seahawks are ready to pay the price to pair that line with a proven difference-maker in the run game. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Could Get Jaxon Smith-Njigba Help From An Unlikely Rival Source
Brandon Aiyuk is expected to report to the San Francisco 49ers practice soon after spending time on the reserve/left squad list, and his status now hangs over the rest of the NFC West. The 49ers still have a few paths they could take with the veteran receiver, including keeping him, trading him, or moving on entirely, with a release viewed as the likeliest outcome.
If that door opens, the Seahawks could find themselves in an unusual spot: eyeing help for Jaxon Smith-Njigba from a division rival. Seattle has been looking to strengthen its wide receiver group, and a player of Aiyuks caliber becoming available would give the team a chance to explore a move that would have seemed far-fetched not long ago. [Read more 🡒]