Week 9 results could influence whether teams become buyers or sellers ahead of the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline.
The 7-1 Indianapolis Colts, led by Jonathan Taylor, boast the league’s top offense and will face the struggling Steelers defense.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will face Josh Allen and the Bills, with Mahomes holding a 1-4 regular-season record against Buffalo.
Quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy of the Vikings and Jayden Daniels of the Commanders are expected to return from injuries this week.
Week 9 is upon us, and the NFL’s Nov. 4 trade deadline is just days away.
This week’s slate of games could determine which teams are buyers and sellers with Tuesday’s trade deadline on the horizon.
Thirteen teams have earned at least five wins this season, the third-most through Week 8 since 1970, according to NFL Research. And there are no more winless clubs in the NFL after the New York Jets overcame a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter to notch their first victory of the season.
With the trade deadline around the corner, USA TODAY Sports examines things to watch in Week 9:
Cowboys among teams to watch ahead of NFL trade deadline
It’s going to be interesting to see how teams and players navigate the NFL’s looming trade deadline.
There have already been multiple trades this week alone, and more are expected to come. Will results from Week 9 persuade teams to be buyers or sellers before Tuesday’s deadline?
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones claimed last week’s loss won’t impact his team’s decision-making process, but he went on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday and described the type of player the Cowboys would go after if a trade were to happen.
‘One that loves football. Loves football. That seems trite. Why wouldn’t they be out there playing? Some do more than others,’ Jones said, per the Cowboys official website. ‘And so you’re looking for guys that just are from within, self-motivators, miserable when they don’t play well and they exude that around their teammates. That’s just a little thing called makeup right there. Now obviously you want to get a player that is in the top percentile of the kind of players that you’d like to go forward with. That has a price tag.’
Colts’ red-hot offense faces reeling Steelers defense
The 7-1 Colts are off to their best record since 2009. The Colts rank first in the NFL in total offense (385.3 yards per game), touchdowns (32) and points per game (33.8).
Daniel Jones is having a career renaissance in his first year in Indy. He ranks top five in the league in passing yards, but Jonathan Taylor is the engine to the Colts offense. He’s on pace for the running back triple crown. Taylor leads the NFL in scrimmage yards (1,056), rushing yards (850), scrimmage touchdowns (14) and rushing touchdowns (12).
T.J. Watt and the Steelers defense have underperformed this season. Pittsburgh ranks 30th in total defense, has the NFL’s worst pass defense and ranks 18th against the run.
If the Steelers don’t shore up their defense in a hurry, it’s going to be a long game for Mike Tomlin’s team at Acrisure Stadium.
“We make no excuses about how or why we fall short. Our job is to perform and perform at a high level and we haven’t done that. I’m excited about getting back to it,” Tomlin said this week. “Seven games or whatever doesn’t make a season. We certainly got more in front of us and more opportunities to write our story, whether it’s individuals, a component of our team, whether it’s our team in general. I think that’s our general mindset.”
Patrick Mahomes 1-4 against Bills in regular season
The regular season hasn’t been kind to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs against the Bills. Buffalo has won the past four regular-season meetings against Kansas City. Mahomes has a 1-4 regular season record against Josh Allen and company.
However, Mahomes is 4-0 against Buffalo in the postseason.
“Every single game comes down to like one play here or there that someone has to make, if that’s offense, defense (or) whatever it is,” Mahomes said of previous matchups against the Bills. “I think it comes down to players making plays in big moments and that’s worked out for us in the playoffs and worked out for them in other times.”
Mahomes enters Week 9 as a midseason MVP candidate. Mahomes’ 17 touchdown passes are tied for first in the league and his 2,099 passing yards rank second.
The Bills and Chiefs both enter Sunday’s marquee matchup with top-five offenses. Defensively, Buffalo and Kansas City rank second and third in pass defense, respectively.
The Chiefs have the NFL’s No. 2 scoring defense. Buffalo ranks second in the NFL in both pass block and run block win rate, per ESPN.
While Mahomes and Allen will garner most of the headlines, whichever defense has the better performance could be the deciding factor.
J.J. McCarthy returns for Minnesota
Is McCarthy the answer in Minnesota? The sample size isn’t large enough to accurately answer the question.
McCarthy has only played in two games since the Vikings drafted him in 2024 due to injuries. The second-year quarterback is expected to return this week from high right ankle sprain.
‘I’m ready to go,’ McCarthy told reporters this week. ‘I feel like myself again. I feel like I have those mobility things that I was concerned about going into last week and the prior weeks. So yeah, ready to go.’
The Vikings need McCarthy to stay healthy the remainder of the season to get a thorough evaluation of the QB, and because veteran Carson Wentz is out for the remainder of the year with a shoulder injury.
McCarthy has just a 58.5% completion percentage and averaged 150.5 passing yards per game, statistics well below the league average.
The Lions have won five consecutive games against their NFC North rival. Minnesota hasn’t defeated Detroit since Sept. 25, 2022.
Jayden Daniels slated to be back under center
The Washington Commanders have lost three straight games and desperately need Daniels to return from a hamstring injury. Daniels has missed three starts this year due to knee and hamstring injuries. Washington is 1-2 without its star quarterback.
“I’m good. If I’m out there I’m not even thinking about it,” Daniels said of his injuries this season. “If I was worried about something I wouldn’t even be playing. If I’m out there on the field, I’m gonna be confident in myself and my abilities to go out there and execute and play football.”
The Commanders won’t have Terry McLaurin (quad) on Sunday.
Washington has struggled to defend the pass this year and ranks 26th in the league in pass defense. That doesn’t bode well as the Commanders face a Seahawks team featuring wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba who tops the NFL with 819 receiving yards. Smith-Njigba tallied at least eight receptions, 100 receiving yards and a touchdown catch in each of his past three contests.
Since 2024, the Seahawks are 10-1 (.909 winning percentage) on the road under coach Mike Macdonald, the highest road winning percentage in the league, per NFL Research.
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