Every Sunday, we cut through the noise to spotlight the NFL's most important developments and break down why they matter moving forward.
Shedeur, Browns come up a play short
It was a great day for second-year New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, who was a slippery target for the Cleveland Browns' defense. He racked up 51 rushing yards to go with his 265 passing yards. But the strong performance for Shough was nearly overshadowed by the Browns' bevy of young offensive weapons.
With Deshaun Watson out due to a concussion, Shedeur Sanders finished his first start of the year with 297 yards, two touchdowns, and a 114.6 passer rating. Rookie receiver Denzel Boston made a spectacular catch down the right sideline for a 60-yard gain and fellow rookie receiver KC Concepcion recorded the first touchdown of his career when he caught a deep bomb and reversed field for a 64-yard score. Those two highlights paled in comparison to second-year tight end Harold Fannin bulldozing through two Saints defenders for a 39-yard touchdown in overtime.
It didn't end up mattering, though. The Browns' two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete and would've been nullified by a holding penalty even if it was caught. Regardless of the heartbreaking 23-22 loss, the future is looking awfully bright for Cleveland's young offense.
Downs wins 2nd brother battle of the day
Sunday started with an NFL game in Madrid, where Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown got bragging rights against his twin brother, Atlanta Falcons cornerback Sydney Brown, with a 34-17 win. Dallas Cowboys defensive back Caleb Downs had an even more emphatic sibling victory when he had a stellar day in Indianapolis later on the day.
Downs frequently lined up against his older brother, Colts wide receiver Josh Downs, and played a huge part in holding the wideout to just three receptions for 24 yards. Caleb Downs also recorded his second career sack and a game-sealing fourth-quarter interception in the final minute of a 27-23 victory.
Denver has a knack for clutch plays in big moments
It hasn't always been pretty for the Broncos this season, but they're 7-2 after picking up a fifth consecutive win Sunday. Like almost all of their victories, Week 9 against the Carolina Panthers came down to the wire.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young had a strong performance versus the tough Denver defense, finishing with 276 yards and three touchdowns. But when Young had a chance to steal a Carolina win in the final minutes, Nik Bonitto slammed the door shut with a strip sack and fumble recovery that put the game on ice.
Six of the Broncos' seven wins have been decided by seven points or fewer. Their plus-12 point differential is nowhere near the Jacksonville Jaguars' NFL-high plus-108. But Denver keeps finding ways to win.
Garrett makes the most in return to action
The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year made his Los Angeles Rams debut in Week 1, but it was an underwhelming performance followed by a stint on injured reserve for Garrett. His Week 9 return to action looked a lot more like the Garrett everyone expected to see in L.A.
Garrett finished his day against the Washington Commanders with three sacks, including a forced fumble that turned into the first turnover of the year for quarterback Jayden Daniels.
It still wasn't an easy day for the Rams.
They have issues on offense and very much miss Davante Adams complementing Puka Nacua, who caught more than half of Matthew Stafford's completions during Sunday's 20-13 triumph. Still, Los Angeles looks more formidable with Garrett finally wreaking havoc on defense. The team is now above .500 for the first time this campaign.
Mahomes' injury scare
The Kansas City Chiefs bounced back from back-to-back losses with a comfy-ish 35-12 win against the Jets. New York made four field goals in the loss, but the Chiefs cashed in five touchdowns, including three for running back Kenneth Walker.
The victory didn't come without some heart palpitations for Chiefs Kingdom, though.
Late in the second quarter, Jets rookie pass-rusher David Bailey forced a fumble with a sack of Mahomes that torqued the star quarterback's throwing arm into an awkward position. Mahomes walked off the field in pain and clutching his limp right arm.
Fortunately for Kansas City, backup quarterback Justin Fields never had to make an appearance. Mahomes returned to action on K.C.'s following offensive drive and finished with 242 yards and two touchdowns. He was able to lean heavily on the run game in the second half to help the club improve to 6-2.
A wild day for punters
Punters don't get much love, but three played big parts during the early slate Sunday.
With the Philadelphia Eagles inside their 10-yard line, Braden Mann shut down any chance of the New York Giants getting points before halftime when he uncorked an 86-yard punt that pinned New York inside its own 10. It was the longest NFL punt in the last quarter-century.
Yet Mann finished his day with a punt average below 50 yards because he had a negative-2-yard punt in the fourth quarter when a ball slipped through his fingers, which forced him to scoop it up and hurriedly boot it out of bounds.
In Miami, the Detroit Lions' Jack Fox and the Dolphins' Bradley Pinion stole a bit of the spotlight with a successful fake punt each.
Fox completed an 11-yard pass to Tay Martin that extended a Detroit drive early in the matchup, but he was one-upped by Pinion's pass to Kaytron Allen that turned into a 46-yard gain, the longest play for either team in the game. It was an ugly 19-9 victory for Detroit in Week 9.
Eagles, Giants batter each other's QBs
New York kept its hold on first place in the NFC East by beating Philadelphia in a 19-11 slugfest, with the division rivals recording one touchdown each. The Eagles started Joe Milton at quarterback - their third different QB this season - but he didn't find much success. Milton finished with 134 yards and was sacked three times by Giants rookie Arvell Reese, including a ferocious hit in the second quarter that forced a fumble.
The Eagles' defensive front wasn't friendly either. J.J. McCarthy was sacked five times and was forced to exit the game for a bit when he was blasted by linebacker Zach Baun. Backup Jameis Winston completed six passes and was sacked once before McCarthy re-entered the game.
Chase, Higgins put on a show in Madrid
Joe Burrow is deservedly in the conversation for MVP this season.
He entered Sunday as the league leader in completion percentage and touchdown passes, and cushioned those stats with a 24-for-29, three-touchdown performance in a 34-17 win over the Falcons. Boy, does it help that he has a wide receiver duo like Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
By halftime of the Bengals' win, Chase already had eight receptions for 142 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown. Higgins didn't have the big plays downfield that Chase did in Spain, but he caught two TD passes for the second time in as many weeks.
Chase and Higgins are the NFL's clear-cut top receiving tandem this season, and Burrow is taking full advantage of their abilities.
Adam Stites is a contributing writer for theScore.
