Cincinnati
Bengals
5-2
23
FINAL
16
Atlanta
Falcons
4-4
AI Recap
AI RECAPThe Cincinnati Bengals secured a hard-fought victory over the Atlanta Falcons, finishing the game with a final score of 23-16 in Week 9 of the 2026 season. With playoff implications hanging in the balance, both teams showcased their strengths, but it was the Bengals who ultimately came out on top.
Cincinnati's offense was powered by a strong performance from running back Chase Brown, who rushed for 103 yards, providing a crucial lift on the ground. Quarterback performance was highlighted by Michael Penix Jr. of the Falcons, who threw for 318 yards and a touchdown, but it was not enough to overcome the Bengals’ balanced attack. The receiving game saw Atlanta's Drake London shine with 107 receiving yards, but the Bengals' ability to control the clock proved decisive.
Defensively, the Bengals made key plays that turned the tide in their favor. Dax Hill's interception was a pivotal moment in the game, allowing Cincinnati to regain momentum at a critical juncture. The Falcons' Divine Deablo led the charge with 12 tackles, while James Pearce Jr. added two sacks, but ultimately, it was the Bengals' opportunistic defense that sealed the victory as they held off Atlanta's late-game efforts.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 45 | 27 | 60% | 318 | 1 | 1 | 79.6 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 34 | 20 | 59% | 232 | 0 | 0 | 79.5 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 17 | 103 | 6.1 | 53 | 2 | 25 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 16 | 62 | 3.9 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 6 | 38 | 6.3 | 26 | 0 | 31 | 1 |
| Brian Robinson Jr | HB | 4 | 17 | 4.3 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyreek Hill | WR | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake London | WR | 9 | 107 | 11.9 | 49 | 1 | 29 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 8 | 95 | 11.9 | 21 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 4 | 70 | 17.5 | 15 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 4 | 57 | 14.3 | 12 | 0 | 27 | 1 |
| Tyreek Hill | WR | 3 | 51 | 17.0 | 9 | 0 | 28 | 1 |
| Austin Hooper | TE | 4 | 33 | 8.3 | 16 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 3 | 28 | 9.3 | 16 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 3 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 1 | 22 | 22.0 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Jahan Dotson | WR | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Will Dissly | TE | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Jack Westover | FB | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Brian Robinson Jr | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divine Deablo | MIKE | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pearce Jr | REDG | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevin Wallace | MIKE | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Avieon Terrell | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Dorlus | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Walker | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Xavier Watts | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendal Daniels | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Joe Giles-Harris | SAM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jessie Bates III | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Terrell Jr | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Jones | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Harris | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gervon Dexter Sr | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Myles Murphy | LEDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Folk | K | 3 | 4 | 1 | 41 |
| Evan McPherson | K | 3 | 3 | 2 | 41 |

