The Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons will participate in the second NFL regular-season matchup in Madrid, with kickoff scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The Bengals (5-2) sit in second place in the AFC North as quarterback Joe Burrow continues to play at an MVP level. However, after nearly beating them in overtime by the Tennessee Titans in Week 8, the Bengals have a lot of cleaning up to do. Burrow threw five touchdown passes, but added three picks to the mix, all three going to safety Amani Hooker. The Falcons are sitting on the wrong side of .500 at 3-5, following a disastrous performance from Michael Penix Jr. He threw a career-high four interceptions, completing just 33.3% of pass attempts for 125 yards and no touchdowns in a 16-0 shutout loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8. Atlanta may also not find as much relief as it would like against the Bengals in Week 8. Week 9; Cincinnati’s defense has been productive in the turnover department this year, forcing a turnover on 14.7% of opposing drives, fifth-best in the NFL. Follow Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more as the Bengals and Falcons kick off Week 9 on Sunday in Madrid, airing on NFL Network. silenced for a long time. In. On the drive after the team’s first punt of the day, the Bengals found the end zone once again. It was a repeat of an earlier score when Joe Burrow found Tee Higgins in the back of the end zone on a short score. The touchdown put the Bengals up two points. And if things weren’t worrying enough for the Falcons, the Bengals managed to improve their running game a bit going forward. That’s not a good sign as Cincinnati looks to close this one out. Sunday, November 08, 2026 04:35 pm UTCChris Cwik It remains an encouraging start for the Atlanta Falcons in the second half. After forcing a three-pointer to start the third quarter, the Falcons responded with a touchdown to cut into the Cincinnati Bengals’ lead. Bijan Robinson burst into the end zone on a 1-yard run after a pass interference call kept the Falcons alive. CwikThe Falcons got what they needed to start the third quarter. The team managed to force a three-pointer on the Bengals’ first drive. It was the first time all game that Cincinnati was forced to punt. The stop couldn’t have come at a better time for the Falcons, who trail by two scores. The team will look to close that gap in its next offensive drive. With 13:20 left in the third quarter, the Bengals lead 24-10. Sunday, November 8, 2026 04:20 pm UTCChris Cwik Here we go! After an exciting first half, the Bengals will start with the ball in the second half by winning two points. Cincinnati looks to keep the momentum going. The team has scored points on all four drives so far and will look to reach five at the end of halftime. Meanwhile, the Falcons need to find a way to limit the Bengals’ run. Otherwise, this could get out of hand quickly in the third quarter. Sun, Nov 08, 2026 04:03 pm UTC Kate Magdziuk Sun, Nov 08, 2026 03:59 pm UTC Kate Magdziuk Joe Burrow continues to shine in this game, extending this play with excellent pocket navigation, finding wide receiver Dohnte Meyers for a 42-yard gain before the half. 08, 2026 03:57 PM UTCKate Magdziuk The Falcons got the ball back with just four minutes left in the first half after another Bengals touchdown, but the drive went nowhere quickly. Bijan Robinson started the drive with consecutive runs for a combined seven rushing yards to set up third-and-3, but another penalty put them back to third-and-13. Although they were able to convert for the first down thanks to a screen to Bijan Robinson for a 15-yard gain, it didn’t come much later, and the Falcons ended up punting from their own 45-yard line with just over a minute left. The Bengals remain with a 21-10 lead (and will also get the ball after halftime). unstoppable in Week 9. The team scored its third touchdown of the first half, with Tee Higgins getting the honors this time. Higgins made a great catch with his hands on a quick 4-yard drive to extend the Bengals’ lead. He and Ja’Marr Chase have completely dominated the Falcons secondary so far. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow also took advantage of that and already has three touchdowns on the day. With four minutes left before halftime, the Bengals lead 21-10. Sunday, November 08, 2026 03:31 pm UTCChris Cwik It’s still early in the second quarter, but Ja’Marr Chase has already surpassed 100 yards. Chase reached the milestone on a short reception that went upfield. He gained 31 total yards on the play. After an early 47-yard score, Chase was already in the middle of a fantastic day. You still have plenty of time to add more. Sunday, November 8, 2026 03:26 pm UTCChris Cwik In a game that has so far been exclusively offensive, the Bengals managed to force a punt. Atlanta couldn’t get anything going offensively on their final drive, as three passes and a penalty forced them to punt the ball away. That will give the Bengals the ball with a chance to go up two points. The Bengals have looked strong offensively so far and will now look to increase their lead in the second quarter. With more than 10 minutes left in the half, the Bengals lead 14-10. Sunday, November 8, 2026 03:19 pm UTCChris Cwik With the Bengals at the 1-yard line, Joe Burrow dialed his own number. The quarterback darted into the end zone on a sneak play, putting the Bengals up 14-10 in the second quarter. It was another strong Bengals offense, which was helped by some excellent receptions from Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. Running back Chase Brown also got into action, with a strong run to bring the team closer. But after failing to convert a run at the goal line, his quarterback stole a touchdown from Brown. Given how the game has gone so far, Brown should have another chance to score later in this one. not beyond his wide receivers. Both Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase made unreal catches on the team’s second drive. Higgins struck first with a hotly contested grab on third down. Somehow, he held on. Chase was next, making a one-handed hurdle to keep the Bengals moving. The team is hoping for another scoring drive after falling behind 10-7 to the Falcons. Bengals. It’s been an encouraging game so far for the offense, as the first three drives have resulted in points. The Bengals will look to make it a fourth in a row when the team takes the field for their second series. Sunday, November 8, 2026 02:51 pm UTCChris Cwik You can’t stop Joe Burrow in 2026. You can only hope to contain him. Burrow struck early in Week 9, finding Ja’Marr Chase on a 47-yard score to tie things up. The Bengals blew almost every play on the first drive, perhaps a sign of their strategy against the Falcons in Week 9. From the start, there were a lot of points. We’ll see if that continues with things now tied 7-7. Sunday, November 08, 2026 02:45 pm UTCChris Cwik Well, the Falcons appear to have overcome what ailed them in Week 8. The team charged down the field on their first drive on Sunday, scoring an early touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. Michael Penix found tight end Charlie Woerner for a 1-yard score. The extra point was good. Bijan Robinson’s fantasy managers may be upset about that, but Falcons fans are certainly happy to see the team back on the board after a rough Week 8. Michael Penix threw four interceptions in that contest, which was played in horrible weather. He’ll need to rebound and score points if the Falcons hope to get a win against the speedy Bengals. Sunday, November 8, 2026 02:15 pm UTC Kate Magdziuk Here’s a look at the latest NFL MVP odds, via FanDuel Sportsbook: Bengals QB Joe Burrow +45049ers QB Brock Purdy +550 Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence +600 Bears QB Caleb Williams +850 The non-quarterback with the lowest odds to win NFL MVP is running back of the Lions Jahmyr Gibbs, who leads the league in yards from scrimmage (1,058), touchdowns from scrimmage (10) and rushing yards per game (110.4). 02:00 pm UTC Kate Magdziuk Point Spread: Bengals -3 Moneyline Odds: Bengals -166, Falcons +140 Total Points: Over/Under 52.5 Sunday, November 08, 2026 01:40 pm UTC Kate Magdziuk Wondering how Joe Burrow’s 2026 campaign compares to his other NFL seasons? Here’s a look at where his numbers stand this season. his seven seasons in the league: 7.9 yards per attempt: 2nd 111.6 NFL passer rating: 1st 302.1 passing yards per game: 1st So, yeah…he’s having a pretty exceptional season. Sunday, November 8, 2026 01:20 pm UTCMatt Harmon
