NFL Week 9 overreactions: Joe Burrow for MVP? Shedeur Sanders deserves to remain starter?

Nov 8, 2026 at 6:38 pm ET • 6 min read

There are lots of ways to break down an NFL game, but sometimes, it's as simple as "my guy is better than your guy." The Jimmys and the Joes matter more than the X's and the O's.

Or, rather, the Ja'Marrs and the Joes (and the Tees). The Bengals went to Spain and thumped the Falcons, 34-17, behind four total touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) by Joe Burrow. Ja'Marr Chase had 10 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown, and Tee Higgins had five catches for 47 yards and two scores.

Chase and Higgins are so, so good. CBS Sports NFL writer Jared Dubin had an excellent piece earlier this week about Higgins' breakout, but Sunday, Chase reminded everyone why he's either the best receiver or, at worst, one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. In the first half alone, Chase had eight catches for 142 yards and a score. He does it every which way: deep, intermediate, short. Over the middle or along the sideline. Open or contested catch. Yards after catch or before. Doesn't matter. This is receiving at its best.

Chase and Higgins are the best wide receiver duo in the NFL -- it's not close --and, halfway through the year, they have us leading our overreactions and reality checks with ...

Joe Burrow is the first-half MVP

Overreaction or reality check: Reality

Here's Burrow's start to the season:

• 74% completion percentage (1st in NFL)
• 2,386 passing yards (1st in NFL)
• 23 passing touchdowns (1st in NFL)
• 26 touchdowns accounted for (1st in NFL)

According to CBS Sports research, Burrow is the first player ever with a 70% completion percentage and four total touchdowns in four straight games. Not coincidentally, the Bengals have won four straight.

Burrow has great wide receivers, but that should not take away too much from his candidacy, especially when you consider how bad the running game is and how inconsistent the defense has been.

There are a few things holding me back from declaring Burrow the MVP winner -- in terms of odds, he's currently right next to Josh Allen as the favorite (+210 at DraftKings, but that could move around depending on when you're reading this). There's a long way to go; the weather will turn, and Burrow's checkered health history is worth noting. But if we had to name an MVP right now, it'd be Burrow, who has been truly excellent.

The Browns should stick with Shedeur Sanders as starter

Overreaction or reality check: Reality

Many times, the box score lies. Not so for Shedeur Sanders. You just have to make sure to read all of it:

• 19-for-31 (fine)
• 297 yards (good!)
• 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions (very good!)
• 9.6 yards per attempt (also good!)
• 5 sacks for 37 yards (bad!)
• 10 carries for 28 yards (not great)

The 23-22 loss to the Saints will leave a bad taste in the mouth after what was otherwise a solid performance, especially given the circumstances. Cleveland's offensive line was abysmal, as has been the case much of the year, and the run game didn't help at all. There were also multiple drops.

But there were several things Sanders delivered that Deshaun Watson simply doesn't. How about three completions on throws 30+ yards downfield? Watson has one ... all year!

Sanders also did excellently in several moments navigating the pressure. Was he great? No. The sacks are a major issue, and he invites some of the pressure on himself with how he holds onto the ball. But he also had an 11-yard scramble on a third-and-6 and, later, a 5-yard scramble on third-and-4.

Furthermore, let's remember this was his first start of the year in a new system. After a very poor start, Sanders threw for 259 yards after halftime.

Coaches rarely bench players due to injury, so I wouldn't be surprised if Watson returns to the lineup. Todd Monken refused to talk about it postgame. But in this writer's eyes, Sanders should keep the job.

The 'Dream Team' Rams are being held back by Matthew Stafford

Overreaction or reality check: Reality

The Rams are above .500 for the first time this year after outlasting the Commanders, 20-13. The Rams force-fed Puka Nacua (19 targets for 14 catches, 150 yards and a touchdown) and got just enough for the run game. Myles Garrett came back in full force with three sacks and a forced fumble. At 5-4 and winners of three straight -- and with the Cardinals up next -- Los Angeles should feel OK.

But Matthew Stafford just does not look good. Plain and simple. He threw an awful interception after locking in on Nacua, with no chance of completion.

He's throwing an awful interception seemingly every week. He has nine picks through nine games. This was last week's.

Stafford missed a ton of throws he made routinely during his 2025 MVP campaign. Sunday alone, he missed an open Tyler Higbee on an out-breaking route; he missed Tutu Atwell twice -- once low, once high -- and missed Nacua once low, too.

Last year, Stafford completed 43% of his throws 20+ yards downfield and had a 10-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio on those throws. This year: 24% completion rate and a 1-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

The Rams can still be a good team. The defense looks excellent, and Garrett makes the pass rush truly terrifying. The Rams have found a physical run game during this winning streak, too. But at some point, they will need Stafford to play like his 2025 self, and it just doesn't look like he has that anymore.

The Eagles should fire Nick Sirianni

Overreaction or reality check: Overreaction

The Eagles lost their seventh straight game Sunday, dropping an 19-11 eyesore to the Giants. It's Philadelphia's second-longest losing streak this century, and Nick Sirianni's bunch now sits at 2-7 on this dreadful year.

The Eagles used their third different starting quarterback (Joe Milton) of the season, and he looked like ... well ... a third-string quarterback who didn't even start the year with the team, which is exactly what he is. He completed 18 of 34 passes for 169 yards and ran for 64 yards, balancing out some fun moments with several frustrating ones. The defense had a much better day overall, especially considering the poor efforts it had put forth the previous few weeks.

Listen, everything has gone wrong for the Eagles. Jalen Hurts is done for the year. The offensive line has been in upheaval ever since Week 1. DeVonta Smith and Saquon Barkley have been hurt. And that's precisely why the Eagles shouldn't fire Nick Sirianni, now or at any point this season. Philadelphia has a first-year offensive coordinator, Sean Mannion, who would be best served by a stable environment. Same with Milton, who should continue to start all year. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio does not want to be a head coach again at this point in his career.

It's ok to have worst-case-scenario years and not make it worse, especially as you're just playing out the string. Maybe Sirianni gets fired after the year, but the team hasn't given up, and it needs what little stability it has.

The NFC East race is over

Overreaction or reality check: Overreaction

The Giants' win puts them at 5-2-1 on the season, a truly remarkable start. J.J. McCarthy wasn't good, but he didn't have any huge mistakes, and that's enough against a team like the Eagles.

The Cowboys avoided a DEFCON 1-level loss, surviving a mistake-riddled game to beat the Colts 27-23. Dallas lost a pair of fumbles in awful moments, had several terrible penalties and seemingly spent half the game trying to give it away. But it won and is now 4-5. Yes, that's 2.5 games back of New York, but it's not impossible.

Should the Cowboys buy at the deadline? Probably not. But that hasn't stopped Jerry Jones before. More defensive help could be on the way. Could Dallas dangle George Pickens as a trade option to acquire some much-needed help on defense via a player-for-player trade? Joey Porter Jr. will get healthy, as will others. (That includes Pickens, if he stays.)

I don't think the Cowboys are very good, but they might not need to be very good to win this division. A Week 17 showdown between the two teams still looms large, even if Dallas underwhelmed very much (again) in Week 9.