Week nine in the NFL had some great games with incredibly exciting finishes. There were also some games that weren’t as competitive due to poor performances and sloppy play. Here is the report card grade for every AFC team that played Sunday in week nine, based on how they played, combined with what their expectations were and who their opponents were.
AFC East:
Buffalo Bills: A
Although they let the Chiefs crawl back into the game late, the Bills handled their business at home against one of their biggest rivals in the Josh Allen era. This win not only keeps them within striking distance of the division and the top record in the AFC, but it also shows that their struggles before the bye are a thing of the past.
New England Patriots: B+
Drake Maye committed one horribly timed turnover in this game, but otherwise was fantastic. The Patriots defense did a great job against Bijan Robinson, but struggled against Drake London. They played well, but nearly blew their lead at home. Stefon Diggs had a big touchdown.
New York Jets: Bye Week
Miami Dolphins: Loss on TNF
AFC South:
Houston Texans: A-
The Texans get a good grade this week because not only did their defense stand tall against one of the hottest offenses in the league, but they also competed with one of the best teams overall in the league, even after losing Stroud in the 2nd quarter.
Tennessee Titans: B
The Titans defense and special teams scored two touchdowns in this game, and it gave them a chance at an upset of one of the better teams in the AFC. Although they lost, it was a solid effort overall.
Indianapolis Colts: C-
The Colts defense really let them down, and both Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor had arguably their worst games of the season. They should bounce back from the loss, but it was not a good showing.
Jacksonville Jaguars: B-
They got the win, and that’s all that really matters, but they needed overtime to do it against one of the worst teams in football. Trevor Lawrence had a solid game, so did Travis Etienne, but the defense struggled and didn’t make the big plays we have gotten accustomed to seeing this season.
AFC North:
Pittsburgh Steelers: A
The Steelers offense was good, led by Aaron Rodgers. But this week, it was their defense that stood tall and got them the win against one of the top scoring units in the league. The defense had been struggling and really needed to step up. Big win.
Cincinnati Bengals: B
The offense was A+, but the defense gets an F. This is basically the story every week for the Bengals. They score a ton of points but their defense just cannot get a stop when they need it most.
Baltimore Ravens: Win on TNF
Cleveland Browns: Bye Week
AFC West:
Denver Broncos: A-
Despite playing from behind nearly the entire game, the Broncos found a way to win, which has been the case for a lot of their season. The defense kept them in the game long enough for the offense to make the plays that they needed in order to win late in the game.
Los Angeles Chargers: B
The Chargers offense was good, their defense was good, but two horrible plays allowed the Titans to stick around. They say a “win is a win”, but in this case, the Chargers should have won handily, not in a dog fight until the very end.
Kansas City Chiefs: B-
The Chiefs defense struggled to slow down Josh Allen and the Bills, and the offense really struggled until late in the game. Patrick Mahomes completed under 50% of his passes, and they won’t win many games when that happens.
Las Vegas Raiders: C
It was an excellent effort to come back and force overtime in this game, but the Raiders played poorly for most of the day. It was good to see Jeanty find the endzone and to see Geno Smith not turn the ball over 100 times.
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