NFL Week Nine has concluded, and a few teams jumped out. The Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals have more in common than people might realize, while the Minnesota Vikings may have made a move that saves its season. Let’s dive deep into these three teams.
Packers = Bengals
The Packers and Bengals have more in common than most people realize. They both have six wins and play in the North Division. Both the AFC and NFC North have teams without a losing record.
Now, let’s break down Green Bay and Cincinnati by personnel. Both teams have an awful run game. The Packers rank 30th in yards per carry, while the Bengals rank dead last in that category.
Both teams have underrated defenses that have made strides from last year. In 2025, Green Bay allowed 27.5 points per game after Micah Parsons went down with an ACL injury. Cincinnati was ranked 30th in points per game allowed with 28.9.
This year, both defenses have made major leaps. The Packers, who still don’t have Parsons, allow just 21.2 PPG, which is 11th. The Bengals allow 21.9 PPG, which is 14th.
Finally, the engines for both teams are their star quarterbacks and elite wide receiver duos. Bengals’ Joe Burrow leads the league with 23 touchdowns, while Packers’ Jordan Love is third in the league with 19. They are both also the top two in passing yards per game.
Green Bay’s wide receiver duo of Christian Watson and Matthew Golden has combined for 1662 yards and 12 touchdowns. Cincy’s duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins has combined for 1405 yards and 13 touchdowns. Those rank among the best in the league in terms of duos.
Both teams have the offensive firepower to compete with anyone, but their postseason ceilings may ultimately depend on whether their improved defenses can consistently deliver.
My first NFL Week Nine takeaway.
The Vikings May Have Saved Their Season
On Monday Night, the Vikings lost to the Buffalo Bills at home 23-6. They held Josh Allen to 234 yards with one touchdown and one turnover with an 87.3 passer rating. Any team that is capable of doing that has a great chance of beating the Bills.
Minnesota, unfortunately, couldn’t take advantage because of the poor quarterback play. With Kyler Murray sidelined due to injury, Carson Wentz took the field. He finished the game 8/25, 81 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions with an 8.9 passer rating. It was an abysmal performance.
What made it even more alarming was the competition Wentz did it against. The Bills’ defense has struggled to start the season. They are currently 29th in the league in pass yards allowed at 238.8. Before this game, they were even lower in the ranks.
After starting 6-2, the Vikings knew they had to make a move at quarterback. They couldn’t afford to waste arguably the best defense in the league. The team, as a result, went out and brought back a former player: Kirk Cousins.
This is a huge step up from what Minnesota currently has. Cousins has started hot with the Las Vegas Raiders. He has the second-most passing touchdowns in the league with 20 and is fifth in yards with 2,340, with a good 97.1 passer rating.
All this team needs is adequate quarterback play, and Cousins has shown he can provide more than that. It also helps that he already has chemistry with wide receiver Justin Jefferson, so the offense should pick up steam quickly. With how poorly Murray and Wentz played, the Vikings were staring down the barrel of 6-4 with the Packers and San Francisco 49ers next.
Now, the team and fanbase feel like Minnesota has a real chance in these next two games. Had they not traded for Cousins, the vibes would have remained low. He isn’t guaranteed to save the season, but he gives Minnesota a much better chance than it had heading into Monday night.
This was my second and final takeaway from NFL Week Nine.
End Of My NFL Week Nine Rant
NFL Week Nine has me giving my undivided attention to the Packers and Bengals. These are two teams that can absolutely win the Super Bowl. Their path is getting elite QB play and feeding their dynamic WR duos while the defense comes through in key moments. A Super Bowl between those two teams would be very entertaining.
For the Vikings side of things, it feels like they made a season-saving move. They began the season 6-0 due to great defense despite bad QB play. Against tougher opponents like the Lions and Bills, the QB play proved to be costly as they averaged just 11.5 points per game in those games.
Then, the two opponents after that were the Packers and the 49ers. 6-0 could have quickly become 6-4. Now with Cousins, that doesn’t feel inevitable. He gives Minnesota a legitimate opportunity to stabilize the offense and compete in two difficult upcoming games. Whether he can deliver remains to be seen, but the Vikings have given themselves a much better chance.
What’s your biggest NFL Week Nine takeaway?
