The Chicago Bears capped the NFL's Week 9 slate with a 27-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night, somehow surviving five turnovers. Caleb Williams threw a career-high four interceptions, and Luther Burden III lost a fumble late in the fourth quarter of what became a tie game, but moments after that final giveaway the Bears walked it off with a field goal. Tampa Bay failed to capitalize despite forcing at least four takeaways for a third consecutive outing, a failure that earned the Buccaneers a C grade on CBS Sports' Week 9 report card.
With the NFL trade deadline arriving Tuesday, several prominent names are expected to stay put. The Colts, already in selling mode, reportedly informed quarterback Daniel Jones he will not be dealt, the Raiders received no calls about Kirk Cousins and are said to want to keep him, Derrick Henry is expected to remain with the Ravens, and the winless Chargers reportedly have no interest in parting with Khalil Mack. Colts running back Jonathan Taylor could still be on the move after saying a preemptive goodbye to Indianapolis, and Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said he wants to trade for a wide receiver.
Wide receiver play headlined the rest of Week 9, with Ja'Marr Chase, Matthew Golden and Christian Watson combining for nearly 500 yards and three touchdowns. Chase posted eight catches for 142 yards in the first half alone of Cincinnati's 34-17 win over the Falcons in Madrid, while Golden and Watson became the first pair of Packers teammates with 150 yards and a touchdown apiece in the same game since 1942.
In Cleveland, Shedeur Sanders delivered some of the best football of his career in his first start of the season, even in a losing effort, completing three passes of 30-plus yards downfield, something Deshaun Watson has done only once all year. 'In this writer's eyes, Sanders should keep the job,' wrote CBS Sports' Zach Pereles.
Injuries also mounted across the league on Sunday. Puka Nacua will undergo an MRI after hurting his knee on the final snap of the Rams' win, Drew Lock suffered an oblique injury that could lead the Seahawks to start Jalen Milroe, and Josh Jacobs broke his finger. J.J. McCarthy returned from a hip issue, and Patrick Mahomes avoided significant damage after a scare to his throwing elbow.
College football's loaded Week 10 slate reshaped the postseason race. Georgia's resounding blowout of Ole Miss, paired with Miami's loss, put the Bulldogs back atop the AP Top 25 and in position to be the No. 1 team in the eyes of the College Football Playoff selection committee. Ohio State's home loss to Oregon triggered a major drop in the Coaches Poll and renewed pressure on coach Ryan Day, and analyst Damien Harris argued star receiver Jeremiah Smith should sit out the rest of the season with the Buckeyes' playoff chances slim.
Utah stayed undefeated with a 28-20 win over BYU in a riveting top 10 rivalry game, earning a first-round bye in the projected playoff bracket. Notre Dame emerged as the week's biggest winner, beating Miami, the team that reached last year's playoff field over the Irish, behind 319 yards and three touchdowns from Heisman contender CJ Carr. 'Notre Dame effectively punched its ticket to the College Football Playoff,' wrote CBS Sports' Shehan Jeyarajah. In the SEC, LSU fell to Alabama to drop to 0-3 against ranked opponents, leaving coach Lane Kiffin 0-6 against the Crimson Tide as a head coach.
NC State is bringing home a program legend, as Philip Rivers is set to become the Wolfpack's head football coach, the first hire of the coaching carousel. The former star Wolfpack quarterback has been a successful high school coach since 2021 but has never held a college job. No head coaches were fired after Week 10, though Nebraska dismissed offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen during a four-game losing streak and Michigan parted with Jason Beck following a rivalry loss to Michigan State.
On the hardwood, college basketball's opening week closed with No. 2 UConn beating No. 16 Michigan in a rematch of last season's national championship game, giving the Huskies their first marquee win of the new campaign. The weekend's biggest stunner came from Valparaiso, which shocked Purdue at the buzzer in double overtime to send the Boilermakers to their first 0-2 start since 1976.
