By Mitchell Stafford, Rapid City Post Sports
Week 9 shook the NFL landscape with big upsets, rivalry results, and shift-driven playoff implications. Here’s what happened and what it means heading into Week 10.
Key Games & Scores
- Bills 28, Chiefs 21 — Buffalo held off Kansas City in another chapter of one of the league’s premier rivalries. Josh Allen was nearly flawless, and the Bills’ defense disrupted Patrick Mahomes all afternoon.
- Steelers 27, Colts 20 — Pittsburgh stunned Indianapolis, forcing six turnovers and dominating inside the red zone. The Colts dropped a top-seeded spot they held coming in.
- Panthers 16, Packers 13 — Carolina went into Green Bay and pulled off a road upset, relying on stellar special teams and a 130-yard rushing performance from Rico Dowdle.
- Bears 47, Bengals 42 — A wild shootout in Cincinnati ended with Chicago hitting a 58-yard touchdown in the final minute to steal a win.
- Vikings 27, Lions 24 — Minnesota edged Detroit on the road behind clutch quarterback play and a late drive that sealed the deal.
- Ravens 28, Dolphins 6 — Baltimore thoroughly handled Miami, with Lamar Jackson back and the defense dominating from start to finish.
- 49ers 34, Giants 24 — San Francisco got back on track with a solid win in New York, showing both offensive balance and defensive consistency.
Storylines & Takeaways
- Playoff brackets re-drawn. With the Bills’ win over the Chiefs and the Steelers knocking off the Colts, the postseason picture in both conferences is shaking out differently than expected.
- Turnovers + momentum = wins. Pittsburgh’s win hinged on six Colts turnovers. Carolina’s road upset came via high-impact plays and a clutch late field goal. Big plays are still the deciding factor.
- Rivalries still matter. Bills-Chiefs isn’t just another game — it’s a statement. Buffalo’s win here reinforces that when these two meet, everything is on the line.
- Depth showing up under pressure. Carolina at Green Bay, Minnesota at Detroit — road wins like these expose teams that don’t perform under pressure.
- Defense is back in style. Buffalo’s defensive performance vs. Kansas City, and Baltimore’s dominant outing vs. Miami, remind us that elite defense still wins games.