Sometimes a big menu can be overwhelming.

The Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears realized that simple is better, limiting their part of the Week 9 menu to only offense. Plenty of points and yards were available in the buffet as the two Midwest teams battled for a much-needed win.

Chicago ultimately walked away with the 47-42 victory, which included a few last-second lead changes. Cincinnati scored a pair of touchdowns with an onside kick recovery in between, totaling 15 points in the final two minutes.

Instead, it was the rookie tight end, Colston Loveland, who got the last laugh for the visitors, scoring the 58-yard touchdown with 17 seconds left.

On a day that included seven lead changes and some gaudy numbers on offense, we’ll do our best to piece together this Week 9 contest. Here’s a look at the Bengals and Bears showdown, by the numbers.

Bengals-Bears by the numbers

1,071

The combined total yards between Cincinnati and Chicago on Sunday. It is about half the amount of total yards gained by the Tennessee Titans (2,196 in nine games), Cleveland Browns (2,108 in eight games) and Arizona Cardinals (2,172 in seven games).

576

…represents the most total yards in a game this season. Chicago’s 576 surpassed the Denver Broncos’ 512 yards that they notched in Week 4 against these same Bengals.

15

Missed tackles. Per NextGenStats, Cincinnati entered Week 9 with a league-high 94 missed tackles for 645 additional yards and managed to add 15 more for 133 yards, including one on Loveland’s game-winning touchdown.

21.78

The top speed that Charlie Jones hit on his kick return touchdown the open the game. It puts the returner into the top 10 of fastest ball carriers during the 2025 season. It represents the seventh-fastest speed entering Week 9.

38

…points are apparently not enough to win. The Bengals scored at least 38 points in back-to-back weeks but lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Jets and the Bears. They are the first team since the 1966 Giants to score at least 38 points in back-to-back games and lose, per ESPN Insights.

The Bengals are also the first team in the Super Bowl era to allow more than 500 total yards, more than 38 points, and have zero takeaways in consecutive games, according to NFL researcher Dante Koplowitz-Fleming.

1961

The last time a Bears rookie tight end finished with at least 100 receiving yards in a game. Loveland joined Mike Ditka in that exclusive club after his 118 yards in Week 9, per NFL researcher Dante Koplowitz-Fleming.

Rookie Dylan Harper left the San Antonio Spurs’ game on Sunday, Nov. 2 against the Phoenix Suns due to an injury.

Harper suffered a calf injury while defending Nick Richards’ dunk attempt during the second quarter.

Harper was ruled out by the team at halftime as a result of the injury.

The rookie guard was seen wincing in pain after initially suffering the injury and later went to the locker room.

The 19-year-old Harper — the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 draft — had scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting in just 11 minutes of play on Sunday. He’s averaging 14.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in five games this season.

Falcons wide receiver Drake London had a career-best three touchdowns in the loss.
London recorded nine catches for 118 yards, with his scores coming on contested jump-balls.
A missed extra point by Falcons kicker Parker Romo was the deciding factor in the game.

FOXBOROUGH, MA – It was a battle between two Drakes. The scoreboard Nov. 2, with the New England Patriots defeating the Atlanta Falcons 24-23, said Maye bested London. 

But London, the Falcons’ wideout, had one of the most productive games of his career with three touchdowns and nine catches (14 targets) for 118 yards. Only four times has he had more catches and never had he recorded three scores in a game. His three scores were all of the “50-50, jump-ball” variety in the end zone. The third and final one, with 4:44 left in the game, was a one-handed toe-tapper that should have tied the game at 24. But Falcons kicker Parker Romo missed the extra point wide right and Atlanta came out on the wrong side of the result. 

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said the team’s meeting Nov. 1 focused on “uncommon effort.” 

“What he did today was come out and play with uncommon effort,” Morris said. “It wasn’t just Drake, there were some men across the board that played that way trying to give us a win versus a very good football team.”

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. exploited the matchup with London – 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds – lined up across Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones in the slot. Jones, 5-foot-8, had no chance despite draping himself all over London. It wasn’t for lack of effort. Any NFL cornerback would have struggled against No. 5 on Sunday. 

“He’s just being the same person he’s been since I got here – the guy that’s going to make big-time plays in big-time moments,” Penix said. “He did that (Sunday). It was big props to him.”

London also exhibited his route-running skills and showed off his contested-catch prowess – this time outside of the end zone – by rising up with Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez and wrestling the ball away for a 40-yard gain. 

London has now racked up more than 110 yards in three of his last four games and has five touchdowns over that stretch. 

“That’s just him,” Penix said. “He’s going to go out there and ball out every time he steps on the field. He’s a special player, special person. He does special things each and every week. It’s exciting to see and I’m happy that he’s on our team.” 

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft was injured early in the third quarter of his team’s 16-13 defeat against the Carolina Panthers in Week 9.

Kraft’s injury occurred when he was coming across the field to make a block ahead of Josh Jacobs run. Packers guard Sean Rhyan was pushed back by a Panthers defender on the play, which caused Kraft to take a shot to the right knee.

Kraft immediately reached for his knee and remained down after the field. The 24-year-old tight end was able to get to his feet after receiving treatment from the Packers’ medical staff, but he required assistance walking off the field.

Kraft spent time receiving additional treatment in the blue medical tent on the sideline but was eventually carted to the locker room.

Kraft had two catches for 20 yards before exiting the game.

Tucker Kraft injury update

After the Week 9 game, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters that Kraft’s knee injury ‘does not look good.’

ESPN reporter Rob Demovsky speculated that LaFleur’s statement could indicate that Kraft’s injury is season-ending. He also wrote that Kraft will get more tests on his knee on Nov. 3.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Packers fear Kraft tore his ACL, which would end his season early.

During the game, the Packers announced that Kraft had been ruled out for the remainder of their Week 9 matchup against the Panthers due to a knee injury he suffered in the third quarter. Initially, the third-year tight end had been deemed ‘questionable’ to return because of the injury.

Who is Tucker Kraft’s backup?

Luke Musgrave is listed as the top backup tight end on Green Bay’s roster. The 25-year-old was actually selected ahead of Kraft in the 2023 NFL Draft but has played second-fiddle to the South Dakota State product during his career.

Musgrave entered Week 9 having recorded six catches for 54 yards during the 2025 NFL season. He had played 133 offensive snaps compared to Kraft’s 407 and third-string tight end John FitzPatrick’s 111.

Packers TE depth chart

The Packers have three tight ends on their 53-man roster. Below is a look at the pecking order within that unit.

Tucker Kraft
Luke Musgrave
John FitzPatrick

Green Bay also has Josh Whyle on its practice squad. He could be called up to the game-day roster if Kraft ends up missing time because of his injury.

(This story will be updated as more information becomes available.)

Auburn fired football coach Hugh Freeze after a 15-19 record over parts of three seasons.
Auburn is expected to seek an offensive-minded coach to replace Freeze.
Potential candidates include South Florida’s Alex Golesh, Georgia Tech’s Brent Key, and SMU’s Rhett Lashlee.

Auburn fired football coach Hugh Freeze on Sunday one day after a 10-3 loss to Kentucky dropped the Tigers to 4-5 this season and 15-19 since Freeze returned to the SEC in 2023.

The partnership between the Tigers and the former Mississippi and Liberty coach seemed almost foolproof thanks in no small part to his SEC experience. Having won in Oxford, the thinking went, Freeze would do the same with Auburn, only on an even bigger scale. Not quite.

At no point in his tenure did the Tigers resemble the best team in the state, let alone the SEC. Despite his track record on offense, Auburn failed to score more than 17 points in five of six SEC games this season and scored more than 31 points in regulation in conference play just twice over his three seasons.

Look for Auburn’s next coach to have a background on offense to keep pace with Kalen DeBoer, Lane Kiffin, Josh Heupel and the top programs in the SEC. Here are the early names to watch:

Alex Golesh, South Florida

Golesh spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Tennessee before getting hired at South Florida, where he posted back-to-back seven-win seasons before putting the Bulls on the national map with a win this September against Florida. That he has only three years of experience as a head coach, all in the Group of Five, is a drawback the Auburn decision-makers would have to weigh to bring in one of the fastest-rising names in the profession.

Brent Key, Georgia Tech

Key is in an enviable situation at Georgia Tech, with immense job security, deep ties to the program and on-field success the program hasn’t matched in nearly 50 years. In other words, the former Tech offensive lineman may not be going anywhere. But Key did spend three years at Alabama on Nick Saban’s staff, so he knows the state, and would bring a high degree of professionalism at a crucial moment for the program.

Rhett Lashlee, SMU

While Lashlee is a stronger contender for the opening at Arkansas, his long connection with former Auburn coach Gus Malzahn might be an asset given how Malzahn is looked at more fondly after Bryan Harsin and Freeze flopped in his wake. Lashlee is a young, offense-minded coach, like Golesh, but with Power Four experience and a College Football Playoff berth on his resumé. He signed an extension with the Mustangs last week, but that might not dissuade the Tigers if they decide he is the guy.

Manny Diaz, Duke

His defensive background makes Diaz a wild card in this search and a strong second-tier option if Auburn misses on a few of the trendier names in the mix. Diaz has spent five seasons as a Power Four head coach in addition to his lengthy run of success as a defensive coordinator across the Bowl Subdivision. The work he’s done so far at Duke should make Diaz a legitimate candidate, though he’s more likely to land somewhere outside of the SEC if he does leave the Blue Devils.

Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State

Dillingham could be pulled away from Tempe for the right opportunity. That spot might be Auburn, where he’s still remembered for his one year as offensive coordinator in 2019 — the Tigers averaged 33.2 points per game and haven’t sniffed that number in the years since. Like Lashlee, he has a direct link to Malzahn and a secondary connection through Malzahn disciple Mike Norvell, who hired Dillingham to his first full-time position as an assistant at Memphis in 2017. Dillingham later served as offensive coordinator at Florida State and Oregon before landing his current job at his alma mater.

Dan Mullen, UNLV

Mullen might not find a better reentry point to the SEC unless he waits for the Mississippi State job to reopen, though that wouldn’t be until after next season at the earliest. He’s off to a good start in his first season at UNLV, and Auburn would have to overlook how Mullen was unable to achieve liftoff during his tenure at Florida. But he’s deeply experienced, knows exactly how the SEC operates and might be the highest-floor candidate on the Tigers’ early list.

Jon Sumrall, Tulane

Sumrall is going to be a head coach in the SEC, and probably as soon as the 2026 season. While Kentucky is seen as the likeliest destination should Mark Stoops retire, Sumrall would take a hard look at the Tigers’ deeper pool of resources and quicker path toward College Football Playoff contention. While he played for Kentucky and coached there from 2019-21, Sumrall is smart enough to realize Auburn is a much better position overall.

James Franklin

Disgruntled Auburn fans might point to Franklin’s poor record against ranked teams, the fact he never truly developed an elite quarterback or offense and the way the Nittany Lions disintegrated in his final season. These are valid points. Then again, Franklin won 24 games over three years at Vanderbilt. If he can deliver a coherent plan for how to maximize Auburn’s NIL offerings, Franklin would be a smash-hit hire for a program that needs a steady hand.

Urban Meyer

If you can hire Meyer — if you can sell it, stomach it, grin and bear it — then you should. The drawbacks are obvious; so are the results. Meyer has shown no legitimate interest in getting back into coaching and left the profession several years before NIL and the House settlement transformed the sport. But it can’t hurt Auburn to make a phone call.

Keep up with the latest news and analysis from college football’s top two conferences: Check out our Big Ten Hub and our SEC Hub to get school-by-school coverage from across the USA TODAY Network.

Auburn football has fired football coach Hugh Freeze following Saturday’s 10-3 loss to Kentucky, a game in which disgruntled Tigers fans booed the third-year Tigers coach and chanted ‘Fire Hugh’ as he walked off the field.

Freeze ends his tenure with the Tigers with a 15-19 record in his two-plus seasons. The team has lost its last five of its last six games after opening the season with an impressive road win against Baylor and followed it up with defeats of Ball State and South Alabama, both Group of Five opponents.

However, the Tigers have won just one of their six SEC games, dropping a close contest at Oklahoma before losses against Texas A&M and Georgia. In the loss to Missouri, Auburn led in the fourth quarter before allowing a late score by the Tigers. Auburn’s only win in conference play was vs. Arkansas (another team with an interim coach in Bobby Petrino, who is winless in the SEC).

Auburn’s decision to part ways with Freeze is another significant opening to the coaching carousel that has gotten off to a fast start in the 2025 season. Some of the bigger jobs to open up just this season include Penn State, Florida and LSU, who have fired James Franklin, Billy Napier and Brian Kelly, respectively.

“I have informed Coach Freeze of my decision to make a change in leadership with the Auburn Football program,’ Auburn athletics director John Cohen said in a news release. ‘Coach Freeze is a man of integrity, and we are appreciative of his investment in Auburn and his relentless work over the last three years in bolstering our roster. Our expectations for Auburn football are to annually compete for championships and the search for the next leader of Auburn Football begins immediately.”

Defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin will serve as interim coach for the rest of the season, per Auburn’s news release. Here’s what to know about why Auburn parted ways with Freeze after three seasons of leading the program:

Why did Auburn fire Hugh Freeze?

Freeze was seen as a positive hire for Auburn, not only for his past success at Mississippi and his 34-15 record in four seasons at Liberty, but also because he was one of a select few coaches to have beaten Alabama’s Nick Saban more than once (he won consecutive games in 2014 and 2015 against the Crimson Tide).

However, the Tigers never found their footing under Freeze.

The Tigers have regressed each season of his tenure after he led them to a 6-7 season in 2023, including a loss in the Music City Bowl. The Tigers followed that with a 5-7 season in 2024 and, through 10 weeks this year, a 4-5 record in 2025.

With games left against Vanderbilt, Mercer and Alabama, the Tigers need to close the season with a 2-1 record over their last three games to avoid missing a bowl for the third time in four seasons.

Auburn’s last winning season came in 2020 under Gus Malzahn, who led the team to a 6-4 start. Auburn fired him after the regular season, and interim coach Kevin Steele led the Tigers in their Citrus Bowl loss. Malzahn was fired after eight seasons despite a 68-35 record and 3-5 mark against Saban in the Iron Bowl.

Hugh Freeze buyout

Auburn will owe Freeze a buyout of roughly $15.4 million if he is fired without cause, according to a copy of Freeze’s contract, obtained by the USA TODAY Network. The university owes him 75% of the remaining payments of his contract, which was set to run through Jan. 31, 2029.

The first monthly installment is due and payable on the first regularly scheduled university payroll date following his firing. Per his contract, there is no mitigation requirement by Freeze, and Auburn would not have any right to offset any such payments.

Hugh Freeze record at Auburn

Freeze ends his Auburn tenure with a 15-19 overall record, 6-16 record in SEC play, 0-1 bowl record and, perhaps most notably, an 0-2 record in the Iron Bowl. Below is a year-by-year rundown of Freeze’s record at Auburn, including conference results and, if applicable, bowl results:

2023: 6-7 (3-5 SEC) (Music City Bowl loss)
2024: 5-7 (2-6 SEC)
2025: 4-5 (1-5 SEC)

Keep up with the latest news and analysis from college football’s top two conferences: Check out our Big Ten Hub and our SEC Hub to get school-by-school coverage from across the USA TODAY Network.

The Washington Commanders finally pivoted from the franchise’s longtime racist nickname in 2020, landing on their new identity in 2022 after playing two seasons as the Washington Football Team. But on Sunday, they’re going to look an awful lot like the dominant squads from the Joe Gibbs glory years.

Washington will debut its new ‘Super Bowl Era’ throwbacks on ‘Sunday Night Football’ against the Seattle Seahawks, who will also don a classic look.

Marketed as ‘Fit for Old D.C.’ − a nod to the team’s fight song, which urges the team to ‘fight for Old D.C.’ − when the new/old uniforms were announced over the summer, the Commanders are set to wear what is basically the same look the team had while reaching four Super Bowls between the 1982 and ’91 seasons, winning the Lombardi Trophy three times during that span.

The burgundy pants, white jersey and burgundy helmet with three stripes down the center will certainly evoke memories of Gibbs, John Riggins, Joe Theismann, Doug Williams and many others. What’s missing will be the team’s former Native American head logo, replaced by the Commanders’ ‘W’ sigil.

“We are excited to celebrate Washington’s incredible history with these iconic, Super Bowl Era uniforms this season,” team president Mark Clouse said in a statement in July.

“Ever since Josh Harris and our ownership group acquired the team back in 2023, they’ve placed great value in finding ways to connect the past and present and honor those that made the burgundy and gold what it is today. These uniforms recognize the most successful era of our franchise – one that reflects a culture of excellence and encompasses many historical moments and special memories amongst our fanbase. Our coaches, players and the entire organization could not be more excited to celebrate our team’s legacy while creating new memories in these uniforms this season.”

The team’s other recent alternate features black jerseys and pants with the club’s signature burgundy and gold serving as trim, including for the District of Columbia’s flag (normally red and white) featured on the sleeve. The black helmet is also distinctive, with the gold “W” on the forehead and stars and bars of the D.C. flag in gold at the back. Each player’s jersey number was placed on the side of the helmet where the primary insignia usually goes.

While some embraced this darker version, other fans have complained the black motif made the club look too similar to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Washington most recently wore them during its Week 6 loss to the Chicago Bears.

The new alternate becomes the franchise’s eighth different uniform (not including various jersey-pants combinations) since 2020, when the murder of George Floyd compelled the team to drop its former nickname, which is defined by Merriam-Webster as an “insulting and contemptuous term for an American Indian.” Prior to 2020, many Native American groups and others had lobbied the team to scrap the name, but former owner Daniel Snyder told USA TODAY Sports in 2013 that, “We’ll never change the name. It’s that simple. NEVER – you can use caps.’However Snyder, a highly controversial and widely despised figure for nearly the entirety of his 24-year stint as owner, ultimately relented before selling the team under pressure to a group led by Harris two years ago for more than $6 billion.

Local reception to the Commanders nickname, which is meant to tie in with the region’s vast military community, has been lukewarm, many fans still wearing gear with the former logo or even the interim WFT garb instead. But the arrival of quarterback Jayden Daniels and head coach Dan Quinn in 2024 began a long-needed revitalization of the brand and organization, which will host the 2027 NFL draft on the National Mall.

When will the Commanders wear their throwbacks?

Nov. 2 vs. the Seattle Seahawks

Nov. 30 vs. the Denver Broncos

Dec. 25 vs. the Dallas Cowboys

Will Commanders’ throwbacks become Washington’s permanent uniform?

A broader reboot of the Commanders’ uniforms has been rumored, but it won’t happen soon. Special circumstances aside, the NFL requires teams to stick with uniform overhauls for five seasons − meaning the Commanders’ current look will likely remain through at least the 2026 campaign.

Harris definitively stated earlier this year that the club’s former name − many fans (and President Trump) prefer it even if it is a slur − won’t return. Quinn sparked a brief sensation last year by wearing a T-shirt featuring the contemporary W logo sprouting a feather similar to the one on the old emblem.

But Commanders will remain the nickname.

‘Now, in this building, the Commanders means something. It’s about players who love football, are great at football, hit hard, are mentally tough and great teammates,’ Harris said in February. ‘It’s really meaningful. That name is growing in meaning.

‘As far as rebranding and bringing our past – which obviously I grew up with, and all the Super Bowl championships – and our future together, you’re going to see us move back toward honoring our past and bringing it together with our future.’

What uniforms are the Seahawks wearing vs. Commanders?

In one of the better uniform pairings in a season full of them, Seattle is wearing blue throwback jerseys with silver pants and helmets − adorned with the franchise’s original logo − that it basically sported from 1983 to 2001.

The Jacksonville Jaguars kicker booted a 68-yard field goal just before halftime against the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 2, breaking the record for the longest converted attempt in NFL history.

Little broke former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker’s record of 66 yards, which was set in September 2021 against the Detroit Lions.

Little had displayed his extended range this preseason, when he converted a 70-yard attempt against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Given that the kick came in an exhibition setting, it did not count toward the record.

A sixth-round pick in 2024 out of Arkansas, Little has struggled at times throughout his second pro season. Entering Sunday, he had hit on just 10 of his 14 field-goal attempts for the season.

Longest field goals in NFL history

1. 68 yards – Cam Little, Jacksonville Jaguars, 2025

2. 66 yards – Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens, 2021

3t. 65 yards – Brandon Aubrey, Dallas Cowboys, 2024; Chase McLaughlin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2025

5t. 64 yards – Brandon Aubrey, Dallas Cowboys, 2025; Matt Prater, Denver Broncos, 2013

Somewhere, Hingle McCringleberry is certainly outraged.

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle celebrated his second touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field with a few pumps − but only two, which, uh, by rule, should be copacetic.

Not so.

Dowdle was flagged 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct, which has been emphasized league-wide throughout this season, and Carolina kicker Ryan Fitzgerald missed the subsequently impacted extra-point try.

Dowdle’s score gave the Panthers a 13-6 lead, though his infraction made it easier on the Pack − they tied the game 13-13 shortly thereafter. However Fitzgerald saved Dowdle an embarrassing plane ride home by winning the game at the gun with a 49-yard field goal.

There is actually no two-pump rule that Dowdle violated, though popular culture might have fooled viewers − and apparently the sixth-year running back − into thinking as much, Dowdle holding up two fingers to officials as he left the field after being penalized.

“From my understanding and everything I’ve learned, we go over stuff like this every week in the meeting room. I definitely think you’re supposed to get two pumps,’ Dowdle said following the game. ‘Hopefully, I don’t get a fine.”

He helped make up for the gaffe with a 19-yard run on the final drive that got Fitzgerald into position for the decisive kick.

McCringleberry, a fictional football player portrayed by comedian Keegan-Michael Key, violated the two-pump rule during a famous ‘Key & Peele’ skit that mocked over-legislated NFL celebrations.

Dowdle learned the hard way Sunday that two pumps may be two too many nowadays.

“I missed it. I am not going to touch on that,’ Panthers quarterback Bryce Young said.

‘We won, so I am grateful for that.”

The upper portion of the US LBM Coaches Poll didn’t change much after the weekend’s results. There are, however, some significant developments in the back half of the top 10.

The teams ranked No. 1 through No. 7 stay put this week, with Big Ten leaders Ohio State and Indiana continuing to lead the field. The Buckeyes received 60 of 64 first-place votes after a smothering of Penn State, while the Hoosiers claimed a No.-1 vote after rolling past Maryland. Texas A&M, off this week, hangs on to the No. 3 spot with the remaining three first-place nods. Alabama, Georgia, Oregon and Mississippi also retain their positions.

Brigham Young moves up a couple of places to No.8, with fellow Big 12 representative Texas Tech also back in the top 10 at No. 9. Those two are set to square off next week. No. 10 Notre Dame continues its slow climb back from a 0-2 start. The Fighting Irish are up two spots after its sixth win in row.

TOP 25: Complete US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 10

Virginia now leads the ACC contingent in the poll at No. 11 after surviving its long road trip to California. A couple other league members playing away from home weren’t as fortunate. Georgia Tech falls six places to No. 14 after its first loss of the campaign at North Carolina State, and Miami (Fla.) dropped a second league contest to SMU to tumble nine positions to No. 18. Oklahoma and Texas each move up six places to No. 12 and 13 respectively after taking down ranked SEC opponents.

Southern California rejoins the poll at No. 21, and Iowa moves in at No. 24 on the eve of an important home date with Oregon. Cincinnati holds on at No. 25 after a rough night at No. 19 Utah.

Houston and Navy are the week’s dropouts.

This story was updated to change a video.