The NFL travels back overseas for Week 9 as the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals face off at the Bernabéu in Madrid. Both teams remain squarely in contention within their respective divisions as American football returns to the Spanish capital for a second consecutive year.
Chasing International Milestones
Cincinnati heads across the Atlantic pursuing the first international victory in franchise history, having posted an 0-1-1 record in two prior games abroad, with the most recent appearance taking place in 2019. Atlanta aims to balance its overseas record at .500, currently standing at 2-3 after falling in Berlin last season.
The two sides enter the matchup on contrasting trajectories. The Bengals have secured three straight wins while posting at least 31 points in each game during that run. Conversely, the Falcons have dropped two of their previous three games and were held scoreless in their most recent outing.
Despite those diverging streaks, both clubs sit just half a game behind their division leaders. Atlanta stays within striking distance in an NFC South where every team sits below .500 through the opening two months of the campaign. Cincinnati remains right behind the AFC North summit in a much tighter race featuring three teams with winning records.
Key Matchups and Returning Starters
Atlanta’s primary offensive weapons seek a rebound after being blanked in adverse weather against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Running back Bijan Robinson currently paces the league on the ground with 780 rushing yards, while wide receiver Drake London ranks sixth across the NFL with 624 receiving yards. They face a Cincinnati defense that surrendered 36 points to the Tennessee Titans in its previous outing.
On the opposite sideline, Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has produced high-level numbers alongside Ja’Marr Chase. Higgins has hauled in 43 of his 61 targets for 726 receiving yards, placing him second in the NFL behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Directing that aerial attack is quarterback Joe Burrow, who holds a league-leading 20 touchdown passes and a 111.6 passer rating to position himself among the top candidates for the league’s Most Valuable Player award.
Defensively, Atlanta receives a boost as pass rusher James Pearce Jr. returns to the field for his season debut. The NFL cleared Pearce after he served an eight-game suspension under the league’s personal conduct policy following an offseason domestic dispute in which felony charges are expected to be dropped. Pearce recorded 10.5 sacks during his rookie campaign despite starting only three games, and joins an Atlanta defense that already sits sixth in quarterback pressure rate.
According to CBS Sports, which projected a 34-30 victory for the Falcons, Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has an opportunity to reset after completing 8 of 24 throws last week, with the game kicking off at 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 8.
