Week 9 brought another slate of compelling NFL games, with standout individual performances and several teams revealing more about their strengths and weaknesses. Jordan Love continued to put up remarkable numbers for Green Bay, while Baker Mayfield’s struggles raised questions about Tampa Bay’s offense. The New York Giants’ defense showed promise, Miami made life difficult for Detroit on the ground, and Denver quarterback Bo Nix found a little more rhythm.
## Jordan Love’s standout performance
Jordan Love is playing at an exceptional level. Green Bay has leaned heavily on its passing game, and Love has responded by leading the league in passing yards and in deep attempts of at least 20 yards downfield. He has 64 such attempts—20 more than the next-closest quarterback, Houston’s C.J. Stroud.
The Packers rank 27th in how often they run the ball, making their offense heavily dependent on deep-drop passing. Yet Love’s production is not built around scrambling and creating plays after leaving the pocket. He has scrambled only twice all season, the lowest rate in the league. Instead, Green Bay’s success comes from its designed concepts and Love’s ability to execute them.
The offense also benefits from the speed of Christian Watson and Matthew Golden. Love gets the ball out quickly, averaging a 2.4-second time to throw, even as pressure arrives in an average of 2.36 seconds. Despite limited help from the offensive line, he ranks second in average depth of target at 9.71 yards. His arm angles and ability to deliver accurate passes while moving backward give Green Bay options few quarterbacks can match.
Many of the Packers’ deep concepts send Watson and Golden downfield while the other receivers stay within five yards. Head coach Matt LaFleur often uses heavier formations under center, then builds play-action designs around those two deep routes. The approach places a lot of responsibility on Love, particularly when pressure comes quickly. Green Bay ranks seventh in expected points added (EPA) per dropback on deep passes under pressure and leads the league with 32 pressured dropbacks on passes traveling at least 20 air yards.
The Packers still have issues to address, but Love is not one of them. His play has been at an MVP level and has helped keep Green Bay competitive.
## Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay’s offensive concerns
A defense forcing five turnovers would normally put a team in a strong position to win. Tampa Bay, however, has not been able to turn its defensive work into consistently effective offense.
Mayfield has struggled. Among quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks, he ranks in the bottom three in EPA per play, success rate, passing EPA, EPA per pass, and passing success percentage. Of the 35 quarterbacks who meet that playing-time threshold, Tanner McKee, Jalon Daniels, and Daniel Jones have better season statistics.
Mayfield has also had significant difficulty against the blitz, posting an EPA per pass of -0.83. His problems were present even before his injury. The concern for Tampa Bay is not simply Mayfield’s $55 million commitment; it is that the team has a strong defense and a top-10 rushing offense, but its passing attack has looked disjointed.
Against Chicago, Mayfield had open receivers but missed opportunities. He failed to complete a throw to Tez Johnson on an out route, then stared down an inside-breaking route that Cam Lewis was able to jump. Mayfield can still make strong throws, as shown by a 58-yard gain to Johnson, but the offense needs more consistent execution.
Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson will need to help Mayfield settle into the offense and avoid relying on big plays so often. If Tampa Bay can improve its passing numbers from the bottom five toward the middle of the league, it could become a more complete team. One possible adjustment is to make greater use of the run game with Bucky Irving.
The Buccaneers rank 15th in their use of 12 personnel and seventh in 11 personnel. Mayfield has attempted only 20 passes from 12 personnel, ranking 30th in the league in that category. Rookie tight end Bauer Sharp has shown promise, which could give Tampa Bay reason to use more heavier formations. With a bye week available, the team has time to reassess its offensive approach.
## The Giants’ defense is making plays
Deonte Banks has put together a strong season in New York, with 10 passes defended, the fourth-highest total in the league. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson has made effective use of his personnel. The Giants play man coverage at the third-highest rate, leaving Banks and Greg Newsome II in challenging one-on-one situations. Both have responded well.
Even with season-ending injuries to Brian Burns and Tremaine Edmunds, New York ranks third in overall success rate allowed. Burns’ absence affects the pass rush, and Abdul Carter has attracted plenty of attention from opposing offenses. Wilson has responded by blitzing at the fifth-highest rate in the league and using rookie Arvell Reese in pressure packages.
Reese’s athleticism and technique have stood out. He recorded three sacks against Philadelphia, including one after going unblocked off the edge and another when he lined up over the B gap and beat Landon Dickerson with a rip move. Reese uses his length effectively, showing the ability to strike offensive linemen and shed blocks. He ranks second among NFL linebackers in solo tackles.
The main weakness is the run defense. New York has relied on veterans such as Shelby Harris and D.J. Reader, and it uses a heavy box at the second-highest rate in the league. Even so, the Giants rank 24th in EPA per rush allowed. The unit has clear limitations, but its coverage and pass-rush efforts have made it an entertaining group to watch.
## Miami’s run defense deserves recognition
Before Week 9, Detroit ranked among the top five teams in rushing success rate. Against Miami, the Lions recorded their worst performance of the season in that category, with a 32.1% rushing success rate. Detroit has relied primarily on zone runs, but those plays were ineffective: 14 zone carries produced just 26 yards.
Miami did not need an unusual game plan or a series of elaborate run blitzes. The Dolphins matched Detroit’s personnel and played with energy. They used base defense frequently and had a heavy box roughly 35% of the time, both consistent with their tendencies throughout the season.
Zeek Biggers, Jacob Rodriguez, Jordyn Brooks, and Kenneth Grant all contributed to Miami’s effort against the run. Detroit eventually created separation through its passing-game play-calling and a toss concept to Jahmyr Gibbs, but the Dolphins still put up a determined performance against a strong offense.
Miami ranks eighth in EPA per rush allowed. Malik Willis has been fun to watch, but he is not viewed as the team’s long-term answer at quarterback. The Dolphins’ defensive performance nevertheless offered another reason for optimism about the roster.
## Bo Nix finds some rhythm
Bo Nix had one of his better games of the season against Carolina, recording 0.17 EPA per dropback and a 50% success rate. Denver’s running game produced only 82 yards and a 33.3% success rate, so Nix had to do more through the air.
After Carolina’s loss to Green Bay, the team dismissed defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and named Todd Wash interim coordinator for the rest of the season. Against Denver, Carolina played Cover 3 on 57.9% of its defensive snaps, its third-highest rate of the season. Nix completed 17 of 22 passes for 161 yards against that coverage.
Nix made effective throws outside the numbers and found opportunities to attack the seams as the game progressed. Still, his overall performance was not without concerns. Denver used a number of screens and rollouts, and Nix continues to throw relatively few passes into the intermediate middle of the field. He ranks 24th in intermediate attempts.
With a bye week ahead, Denver has an opportunity to clarify its offensive identity. The Broncos may need to determine whether they want to emphasize the run, target receivers outside the numbers more often, or create more opportunities for Dig routes. Nix’s improved rhythm is a useful starting point for him and head coach Sean Payton as they work out the next steps.
