Week 9 of the NFL season featured a Super Bowl favorite finally getting over .500, some magic from Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders and a bounce-back performance from an MVP candidate.
asserted
favorite → feature → candidate
Here’s everything you need to know from Sunday.
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you → ’ → Sunday
Garrett, the reigning defensive player of the year whom the Los Angeles Rams traded for in the offseason, returned from a knee injury that had sidelined him for seven games and made his presence felt immediately in a 20-13 win over Washington (2-5-1).
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presence → reign → Washington
All three of his tackles ended in sacks, and his first sack also forced a fumble to help the Rams (5-4) climb above .500 for the first time.
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Rams → end → time
In eight previous games, the Rams had 12 sacks combined.
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Rams → have → sacks
It was the first game Garrett played alongside Aaron Donald, the superstar defensive tackle who came out of retirement to create an all-world defensive line.
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who → play → line
The Rams might not be able to celebrate for long.
uncertain
Rams → celebrate → long
On their final play of the game, star receiver Puka Nacua suffered a reported knee injury that will require more imaging Monday to determine its severity.
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that → suffer → severity
Nacua was targeted 19 times, and he finished with 14 receptions for 150 yards and a touchdown.
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he → target → yards
He did not discuss his injury with reporters after the game, and he was visibly in a good mood.
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he → discuss → mood
Another Commanders game ended with a head-scratching final play.
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game → end → play
With the ball on the Rams’ 31-yard line, Washington threw a short pass, then tried an unsuccessful lateral until the clock ran out.
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clock → throw → lateral
Coach Dan Quinn said Washington called in two plays — one a deep ball and the other a short completion and lateral option if the Rams blitzed hard.
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Rams → say → plays
“Didn’t love our execution at the end,” he said.
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he → love → end
Bears survive five turnovers
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Bears → survive → turnovers
The worst record in the NFC North belongs to 6-3 Green Bay.
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record → belong → Bay
In a division that difficult, a team’s margin for error to make the playoffs is razor thin, which is why the Chicago Bears (7-2) must be one of the most relieved teams in the league after Week 9.
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Bears → make → Week
After having led Tampa Bay 14-0, Chicago proceeded to turn the ball over five times — four interceptions by Caleb Williams and a fumble inside its own 20-yard line by receiver Luther Burden III with 3:48 to play and Tampa Bay (3-6) trailing by eight.
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Bay → lead → eight
The Buccaneers would score a touchdown and a 2-point conversion for a tie.
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Buccaneers → score → tie
Yet for all of Williams’ erratic play, his 38-yard completion in the final minute all but sealed the win by putting Chicago within range of a 38-yard field goal that Cairo Santos drilled for a walk-off 27-24 victory.
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Santos → seal → victory
Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield added two interceptions.
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Mayfield → add → interceptions
The six interceptions were the most combined by two quarterbacks in a game this season.
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interceptions → combine → game
Chicago is the first team to win a game while turning the ball over five-plus times since 2006.
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Chicago → win → 2006
The Chiefs end their two-game losing streak
For years, as Patrick Mahomes played, so went Kansas City.
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City → end → years
But it might be more accurate this season to say running back Kenneth Walker III is the barometer for the Chiefs’ offense.
uncertain
III → say → offense
Kansas City (6-2) ended its two-game losing streak in a 35-12 rout of the New York Jets (2-7) in which Walker bounced back with 102 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground and 41 yards with two touchdown catches through the air.
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Walker → end → air
He had been held to just 3.0 yards per carry in his previous two games, both Chiefs losses.
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He → hold → games
Walker averaged nearly double that (5.6 yards) Sunday.
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Walker → average → that
Mahomes looked like he would be leaving the game in the second quarter after his arm bent awkwardly when he was sandwiched by multiple defenders.
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he → look → defenders
Instead, he finished with 242 yards and two touchdowns.
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he → finish → yards
Shedeur Sanders runs out of magic in overtime
Sanders led two comeback drives in the first start of his sophomore season, but he couldn’t lead the Browns all the way to a win against the New Orleans Saints.
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he → run → Saints
Cleveland lost 23-22, but Sanders had some encouraging moments.
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Sanders → lose → moments
He completed 19 of 31 passes for 297 yards, the second-highest passing total of his career.
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He → complete → career
With the Browns trailing 16-13 in the fourth quarter, Sanders calmly led a game-tying drive for a field goal despite getting the ball with under a minute to go.
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Sanders → trail → minute
After a long drive by the Saints to start overtime, Sanders responded by leading an eight-play, 67-yard touchdown drive.
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Sanders → start → drive
But the Browns went for 2 and the win after the score, and the attempt failed, dropping Cleveland to 5-4.
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attempt → go → 5
The Giants keep finding a way, remain atop the NFC East
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Giants → find → East
After the Giants lost quarterback Jaxson Dart in Week 2, New York’s season looked to be in major trouble.
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season → lose → trouble
But head coach John Harbaugh has kept the team afloat in his first year at the helm, and the Giants improved to 5-2-1 with a win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
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Giants → keep → Sunday
On Sunday, starter J.J. McCarthy had to leave the game briefly with an injury, but he returned to close out the Giants’ first win in Philly since 2013.
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he → have → 2013
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
