The Baltimore Ravens played so well that quarterback Lamar Jackson spent the fourth quarter on the bench.
That’s because their defense dominated, and Keaton Mitchell, an undrafted free agent from East Carolina, ran wild.
The Ravens limited the Seattle Seahawks to six first downs and 151 yards. The Seahawks punted seven times and turned it over on downs once. They committed two turnovers.
Related: Why Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson should be the NFL MVP right now
Geno Smith passed for 157 yards with an interception. The Seahawks rushed 15 times for just 28 yards. It’s the fourth time Baltimore has held an opponent to fewer than 100 yards.
Mitchell carried the ball for the first time this season on Sunday, and he responded with 138 yards and a 40-yard touchdown.
“When I’m on the sideline just looking at everybody else, seeing how they play, seeing the O-line was just giving us the holes that we needed and opportunities,” Mitchell said after the game. “When I came in, I just took advantage.”
Jackson, 18-1 against NFC teams, played efficiently. He completed 21 of 26 for 187 yards and ran for 60 yards. He did not produce a touchdown, but the Ravens gained 515 yards and gave Seattle its worst loss since a 42-7 loss to the Rams in 2017.
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The Ravens led 17-3 at halftime and 30-3 entering the fourth quarter.
Here’s the rest of the NFL Week 9 recap.
NFL Week 9 recap, including the Miami Dolphins coming up small in Germany
Jalen Hurts helps Philadelphia Eagles seize control of NFC East
Jalen Hurts, 10-0 in the regular season against teams with winning records, beat the Dallas Cowboys despite a bum left knee to seize control of the NFC East.
Hurts passed for 207 yards and two touchdowns as the Philadelphia Eagles built an 11-point second-half lead and held on to beat the Cowboys, 28-23, and take a 2.5-game lead in the NFC East.
The Eagles are off next week before a five-game gauntlet against Kansas City, Buffalo, San Francisco, Dallas, and Seattle.
Hurts, already hobbled with a sore left knee that’s caused him to wear a brace, took a direct hit on the knee late in the first half while being sacked.
“I’d do anything for my city, my teammates,” Hurts told reporters. “It takes what it takes.”
Hurts scored his seventh rushing touchdown of the season, including six on the tush push. He also set an Eagles QB rushing record with his 33rd career touchdown.
“As long as he can do it, and it’s safe to go back out there, there ain’t nothing that’s going to keep him off the field,” center Jason Kelce said after the game.
Miami Dolphins strike out again vs. another top team
Miami’s offense has faced three high-quality teams this season. It has yet to win either of the games or score more than 20 points.
Yikes.
Kansas City is the latest team to shut down the Dolphins’ alleged high-scoring offense featuring quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and receiver Tyreek Hill.
Chiefs 21, Dolphins 14.
“We knew going into the game that if we’re going to lose what the narrative will be, and that’s fair,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. “We shouldn’t feel entitled to high opinions from the masses. We have to earn that confidence.
“As long as you continue to get better, ultimately, that narrative will subside,” he said. “That’s on us collectively, from coaches and players alike. If you want the narrative to change, change the narrative.”
The Dolphins lead the NFL in total yards (435.3), yards per play (7.08), passing yards (287.4), and points (31.7).
But Kansas City held the Dolphins to 292 yards and 5.0 yards per play. Tagovailoa passed for just 193 yards, and the offense produced just 14 points. Miami was shut out in the first half for the first time since Week 2 of the 2021 season.
Hill, who averaged 126.7 yards per game, caught eight passes for 62 yards.
“It’s our job to come out here and win these games, especially the way that our defense played today,” said Hill. “If we want to say that we’re the No. 1 offense in the league, we’ve got to be able to make plays when it counts.”
Travis Kelce slowed but Kansas City Chiefs still find path to win
Maybe teams have finally figured out the Chiefs receivers are so pedestrian, there’s no reason ever to let tight end Travis Kelce beat them.
Noah Gray led the Chiefs with three catchers for 34 yards. Skyy Moore caught two passes for 33 yards.
Kelce? Three catches for 14 yards, and with a long of seven.
Related: Patrick Mahomes and Taylor Swifts boyfriend has Kansas City Chiefs rolling toward a repeat
“They were aware of him,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after the game. “We always try to get him the ball, and we try to do it quickly. There wasn’t a lot of space there for him, breaking in or out.”
The Chiefs scored two touchdowns – the defense added a third – and Mahomes did his best. He passed for 185 yards and two touchdowns, his lowest regular-season yardage total since he passed for 166 yards in a 13-7 win over Green Bay in November 2021.
Newcomer Josh Dobbs comes to the rescue for Minnesota Vikings
Josh Dobbs arrived in Minnesota on Wednesday after they traded for him. He helped the Vikings beat Atlanta on Sunday.
That was not the plan.
Still, Dobbs completed 20 of 30 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns. He ran seven times for 66 yards and a touchdown.
“People don’t really care about your circumstance,” Dobbs said. “They just want to see you succeed given the circumstance you’re given.”
Related: NFL insider offers worrisome update on a delay in Justin Jeffersons Minnesota Vikings return
Dobbs, 28, started the first eight games for the Arizona Cardinals as a fill-in while Kyler Murray recovers from a knee injury. Murray’s impending return made Dobbs available for a trade. Plus, the Vikings needed another quarterback after Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles.
Jaren Hall started for Minnesota but suffered a concussion in the first quarter.
Dobbs threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Powell with 22 seconds left.
Houston Texans a clear winner with C.J. Stroud
C.J. Stroud is that dude.
Carolina can say whatever it wants; Indianapolis, too. It’s clear now that Stroud was the best quarterback in the draft — not No. 1 pick Bryce Young or No. 4 pick Anthony Richardson.
Young threw two interceptions returned for touchdowns in a loss to the Colts on Sunday. Richardson is on the injured reserve.
All Stroud did was throw for 470 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Houston Texans to a 39-37 come-from-behind win over Tampa Bay. Stroud eclipsed the previous mark of 433 from Andrew Luck on Nov. 11, 2012.
Trailing 37-33 with 46 seconds left, Stroud led Houston on a six-play, 75-yard drive. He completed each of his five pass attempts on the drive, including the 14-yard game-winner to Tank Dell with six seconds left.
“C.J. Stroud doesn’t look like a rookie to me,” Bucs QB Baker Mayfield said. “He’s so impressive, looks like a polished NFL quarterback. So, hats off to him. He played extremely, extremely well today.”
The Texans have already eclipsed their win total from last season, and they’re in the midst of the playoff race because Stroud’s development has been so quick.
Stroud is completing 62 percent of his passes with 14 touchdowns and one interception. He’s averaging 283.7 yards per game, and he’s already had three 300-yard games.
“That connection and that bond that Tank and C.J. have — it’s real,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said after the game. “You see it off the field, on the field, they have a true bond, and it’s fun to watch those guys work together.”
Jean-Jacques Taylor is the NFL Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter. He’s the author of Coach Prime: Deion Sanders and the Making of Men.