The NFL trade deadline arrives Nov. 10, leaving contenders less than a week to gear up for the stretch run. Even if the biggest move is already complete, this deadline will be remembered as significant, because the Chicago Bears proved in Week 8 how one star can flip a season. Jeffery Simmons, acquired from the Tennessee Titans in last week's blockbuster trade, instantly elevated Chicago's defense, and the Bears now own the third-shortest Super Bowl odds at +780 via DraftKings, behind only the 49ers (+580) and Bills (+600). The Jaguars (+950) and Chiefs (+1000) round out the top five.
Simmons dominated Monday's 34-17 road win over Seattle, a result that looked like a passing of the torch from last year's champions. The three-time All-Pro defensive tackle made his first tackle as a Bear on the opening play from scrimmage, notched his first sack on the following series, and added a tackle for loss and a pass breakup in the fourth quarter.
His arrival gives coordinator Dennis Allen the freedom to blitz less often and still generate pressure, a major shift for a defense that previously blitzed at one of the league's highest rates, and it should mask the secondary, the roster's lone clear weakness. Ben Johnson's offense could finish as the highest-scoring unit in the league, Caleb Williams is on an MVP trajectory, Luther Burden III is breaking out and D'Andre Swift headlines a prolific ground game. Chicago now boasts the NFC North's second-best offense and second-best defense, and even the conference's No. 1 seed is in play.
The Baltimore Ravens moved in the opposite direction. Lamar Jackson is set to miss extended time with a thumb injury that requires surgery, his second injury of the year, and backup Tyler Huntley is done for the season with turf toe. Jackson has played only two full seasons since 2021, and Baltimore's poor record without him suggests this year could follow the same path as 2021, 2022 and 2025.
Undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano, a UConn product pressed into the first action of his career during the Week 8 loss to Buffalo, is tasked with keeping the offense afloat Thursday night against Jacksonville. A trade for Arizona's Jacoby Brissett raises the floor considerably, but he was benched by the Cardinals last week. Baltimore also signed Kedon Slovis off the Packers' practice squad and added Austin Reed to its own. The Ravens' title odds have plummeted to +10000, and unless Jackson's injured reserve stint lasts roughly four games, this shapes up as a lost season.
The chaos in the AFC North has cleared a path for the Pittsburgh Steelers, this week's featured long shot at +5000. Pittsburgh claimed sole possession of first place with a 27-6 win over Cleveland, its largest margin of victory and fewest points allowed this season, and will face the Bengals, whom it already beat once, after a Week 9 bye. Aaron Rodgers' reunion with coach Mike McCarthy has sparked the offense, Jaylen Warren leads a run game ranked third in EPA per rush, and first-year coordinator Patrick Graham's defense holds top-eight rankings in scoring, total, run, third-down and red-zone defense plus takeaways.
Week 9 is light on showdowns between top-tier contenders, but a few games could reshape the race. On Sunday, Denver visits Carolina with the Broncos riding a four-game win streak and a 15-0 record in one-score games dating to the middle of last season, while the Panthers have dropped two straight by a combined 38 points as opponents have solved Bryce Young's early-season breakout. Later that afternoon, the Packers and Patriots meet in the week's best quarterback duel: Drake Maye and Jordan Love have combined for just over 4,200 yards and 31 touchdowns, and their teams carry identical records with four wins in the last five weeks.
The week closes Monday night with the Bills visiting the Vikings. Minnesota's league-leading defense held the NFL's top offense to 19 points last week and limited Detroit to two touchdowns, and now draws the second-best unit with Josh Allen coming to town. The bigger question is whether Kevin O'Connell's sputtering offense, possibly guided by a banged-up Kyler Murray nursing a hamstring injury, can take advantage against Buffalo's imperfect defense.
