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Five things we learned from Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season

Five things we learned from Week 9 of the 2024 NFL seasonGetty

Highlight-reel plays and yet another Kansas City Chiefs victory dominated the headlines as Week 9 delivered the goods.

With the second half of the season immediately upon us, let's take a quick look back at the weekend that was in the NFL.

Here are a few of the things from the weekend's games that may (or may not) have slid under the radar.

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The Chiefs may never lose again

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The Kansas City Chiefs are 8-0 to start the season, and have actually won 14 games in a row going back to the previous campaign.

It's no doubt now that they are the favourites to three-peat as Super Bowl champions as they continue to find ways to win despite injuries to key players, others not producing at expected levels, and the very massive target they wear on their backs each and every week as the NFL's current flagship franchise.

In Week 9, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers thought they had the Chiefs on the ropes as they tied the game up with under 30 seconds in regulation time, but it was no problem for the champs as they engineered a game-winning touchdown drive in OT to remain undefeated.

Athleticism on display

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Saquon Barkley continues to impress as a new member of the Philadelphia Eagles, but in Week 9 the running back went viral with the incredible backwards hurdle pictured above.

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But while Barkley was going viral, some may have missed an equally impressive display of athleticism by Garret Wilson, who invoked Michael Jordan's trademark leap while scoring the game-winning touchdown for the New York Jets.

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Here come the Cardinals

Kyler Murray Arizona Cardinals NFL

Don't look now, but the Arizona Cardinals are first in the NFC West after defeating the Chicago Bears over the weekend. The victory extends Arizona's winning streak to three games, making the Cardinals one of the hottest teams in the entire league after a slow start to the campaign.

With their division wide open, why shouldn't the Cardinals see themselves as contenders for the crown?

The Pick-6 remains the most exciting play in football

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The photo above shows Los Angeles Rams safety Kamren Kinchens intercepting Geno Smith's pass well inside his own end zone. Look at the body positioning — this does not look like someone who's about to return the INT 103 yards for a touchdown, but that's exactly what Kinchens did in the fourth quarter of his team's 26-20 victory at Seattle.

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We explain why the pick-6 is so thrilling here, but seeing it in action only reinforces why it's one of the most highlight-worthy plays in all of sports.

The Ravens are the most unpredictable team in the NFL

Lamar Jackson Ravens_21102024Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

Will the real Baltimore Ravens please stand up? A consensus contender before the season began, the Ravens have spent much of the 2024 campaign on a rollercoaster as they can look utterly dominant in one game and completely hapless in another.

Week 9's 41-10 destruction of the Denver Broncos is what most expected of the Ravens this year, and they are still very much in the hunt for the AFC North title. However, for every dominant win over the Buffalo Bills, Washington Commanders or Broncos, there's a humiliating loss to the Las Vegas Raiders or Cleveland Browns as a counterbalance.

Baltimore will need to find consistency over the second half of the season or it could be another "what if?" postseason for Lamar Jackson and Co.

 

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