The most anticipated week of the NFL season — featuring four heavyweight showdowns — delivered early on its promise. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills played one of the most entertaining games of the year, and that was before Broncos-Chiefs, Seahawks-Rams and Eagles-Lions kicked off.
Here is what to know.
Josh Allen went Josh Allen
The Bills’ loss last week to the Miami Dolphins was stunning but not alarming. They were playing a divisional opponent on the road in a divergent climate, the kind of game that can be explained away as a disappointing anomaly. For much of Sunday, Buffalo gave a performance that bordered on alarming — until Allen, as he so often does, came to the rescue.
In a 44-32 victory over the Buccaneers that included nine lead changes, the Bills required Allen to play at a superhuman level. And he did. Allen passed for 317 yards, ran for 40 and accounted for six touchdowns — three passing, three rushing. When Allen plowed into the end zone from nine yards out late in the fourth quarter, he sealed both a wild victory and one of his greatest performances.
Allen’s brilliance concealed cracks that Buffalo needs to patch if it wants to finally break through in January. The Bills seemed like they had repaired their run defense when they held the Kansas City Chiefs to 79 rushing yards two weeks ago. But they yielded 197 to Miami last week and 202 to Tampa Bay, which began the day ranked 23rd in yards per rush. Buffalo is allowing 5.4 yards per rush, the second-worst mark among all teams since 2000, according to TruMedia.
On offense, Allen makes irrelevant a lack of star skill players outside of running back James Cook. The Bills made wideout Keon Coleman a healthy scratch after he showed up late for a Friday team meeting. Allen spread the ball to nine different receivers, led by 91 yards from unheralded Tyrell Shavers. Buffalo did little to support Allen, but he made certain it didn’t matter.
The Falcons’ season is a disaster
It’s possible that no team has suffered a worse day all season than the Atlanta Falcons did Sunday. They led the Carolina Panthers by two touchdowns late in the first half. By the end of their 30-27 overtime loss, the Falcons had lost their quarterback as well as their best player to injury and dropped to 3-7, a record that threatens to turn a misguided trade into a nightmare.
Atlanta entered this season with expectations to contend around quarterback Michael Penix Jr., whom it selected eighth overall in the 2024 draft despite signing Kirk Cousins in free agency. The Falcons’ lost season would be salvaged if Penix emerged, but he has not cemented himself as a quarterback capable of carrying a franchise. His 88.5 quarterback rating ranks 23rd. He left Sunday’s loss with a knee injury and did not return.
Wideout Drake London, who had another seven catches for 119 yards, was ruled out after he suffered a knee injury late in the fourth quarter. London has carried Atlanta’s offense, and without him its record should only get worse — which won’t even help the team in draft position.
To move up from the second round and take pass rusher James Pearce Jr. 26th overall in April, the Falcons traded their 2026 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams. Right now, that pick would be in the top 10. It was a clear overpay at the time. By the end of a spiraling season, it could look like a franchise-shifting mistake.
Coach Raheem Morris is widely respected, but he faces serious questions. He’s 11-16 since taking over in Atlanta last year. His defense just gave up 448 passing yards to Bryce Young, and on a late go-ahead touchdown, the Falcons had linebacker Kaden Elliss covering Panthers No. 1 wideout Tetairoa McMillan.
The Vikings made a doomed quarterback calculation
When J.J. McCarthy took the field late in the fourth quarter trailing by six points, he had completed 10 of 24 passes for 74 yards with two interceptions. He had been booed by his home fans and prompted displays of frustration from teammates. If nothing else, then, McCarthy deserves credit for resilience and calm — he led the Minnesota Vikings on a go-ahead touchdown drive by completing six of eight passes for 76 yards.
But McCarthy’s performance had held back the Vikings all day, and ultimately they could not overcome it. Devin Duvernay returned the following kickoff 56 yards, and Cairo Santos booted a 48-yard field goal to give the Chicago Bears a 19-17 victory, their seventh win — five of which have come by one score — in eight games.
For most of a loss that dropped Minnesota to 4-6, McCarthy regressed in a season that had been a struggle to begin with. After one misfired incompletion, superstar wideout Justin Jefferson took off his helmet and shook his head walking to the sideline. Vikings defenders, who held the Bears to 320 total yards, had reason to be frustrated, too.
McCarthy is only 22, in his second season after missing his entire rookie year with an injury. He’s started just five games, and Minnesota won two. Not every game should be a referendum on McCarthy. But his performance is a referendum on the Vikings’ handling of their quarterback position.
Minnesota entered 2025 with playoff aspirations after a 14-win regular season. The team didn’t choose McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in 2024, over Sam Darnold because it wanted a prospect. McCarthy’s struggles are not just bumps in his development. They are signs of profound franchise miscalculation. Despite his tremendous final drive, Sunday surfaced the queasy notion that the Vikings botched their quarterback situation for this season and maybe years into the future, too.
Aaron Rodgers’s status is uncertain
The Pittsburgh Steelers stayed in first place in the AFC North with a 34-12 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, but Aaron Rodgers may not be around to keep them in the playoff race. Rodgers left the game with a left (nonthrowing) hand injury and did not return. Coach Mike Tomlin said only that Rodgers would be evaluated Monday.
Despite a dismal performance last week in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Rodgers has been a steady presence at age 41. If backup Mason Rudolph has to play, he provides familiarity and experience but a hard ceiling.
The Steelers also have to wonder about the status of defensive back Jalen Ramsey, who was ejected after a scuffle in which he punched Ja’Marr Chase. Speaking to reporters afterward, Ramsey accused Chase of spitting on him. The league will surely look into the matter. It’s worth noting that Washington Commanders defensive lineman Daron Payne received a one-game suspension last week after punching an opponent.
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