The Steelers' bye week offers an opportunity for a little advanced scouting prior to their next game on Nov. 15 at Cincinnati.
But you'll have to get up early.
The Bengals are taking on the Falcons in Spain.
Following is a capsule look at that matchup and a couple of other Week 9 meetings that intrigue for a variety of reasons:
**BENGALS (5-2) vs. FALCONS (3-5), 9:30 a.m., Madrid, NFLN**
**Cincinnati:** The Bengals are second in the NFL with an average of 29.4 points per game and have converted 52.9 percent of their third downs, the best success rate in the NFL in that category since the 2011 Saints (56.7) … Quarterback Joe Burrow has completed an NFL-leading 73.0 percent of his passes. Burrow also leads the league in passing yards per game (302.1) and touchdown passes (20) … Wide receiver Tee Higgins is averaging a career-high 103.7 receiving yards per game and a career-high 16.9 yards per reception. Burrow's passer rating when targeting Higgins is 132.3.
**Atlanta:** Running back Bijan Robinson leads the NFL in rushing yards with 780, ranks fourth in yards from scrimmage with 983 and third in average yards per touch (minimum 75 touches) at 5.6 … The Falcons averaged 40.0 points per game and won their first two games in which Michael Penix Jr. started at quarterback but have lost three of their last four … Atlanta became the first team to get shut out in 2026 when it lost last Sunday at Tampa Bay, 16-0. It was Kevin Stefanski's first shutout loss as an NFL head coach.