Bengals seek first foreign win as Falcons look to end 0-2 international streak
Cincinnati enters the Bernabeu with a three-game winning streak, while Atlanta hopes to improve to 2-3 in games played outside the United States.
By Tunde Bailey ·
The Bernabeu stadium in Madrid will host two NFL teams on Sunday, Nov. 8, for the first time in the season. The Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons will meet in a Week 9 contest that marks the league's return to international play after a week off.
The Bengals are chasing a first victory in their franchise history for a game played outside of the United States. They are currently 0-1-1 in their previous two overseas attempts. Their most recent international game took place in 2019. The Falcons are 2-3 in games played abroad. They lost their final international matchup in Berlin last season.
Cincinnati arrives in Spain riding a three-game winning streak. The team scored at least 31 points in each of those victories. Two of those opponents were considered bottom-tier competition. Atlanta has lost two of its last three games. The Falcons went scoreless in their most recent outing.
Both teams remain in contention for their respective division leads. The Falcons sit half a game behind first place in the NFC South. No team in that division currently holds a winning record. The Bengals are also half a game back from the lead in the AFC North. Three teams in that division own winning records.
Bijan Robinson leads the league in rushing with 780 yards. Drake London ranks sixth in receiving with 624 yards. The Falcons will face a Cincinnati defense that recently allowed the Tennessee Titans to score 36 points. Atlanta's offense was shut down in Week 8 partly due to weather conditions.
Tee Higgins has matched Ja'Marr Chase with 61 targets and 43 catches over the first seven games. Higgins has been more efficient, leading the league in receiving yards with 726. Only Jaxon Smith-Njigba has more receiving yards. Higgins is on pace for historic production levels.
James Pearce Jr. will make his season debut after serving an eight-game suspension. He was reinstated following a violation of the personal conduct policy. Pearce logged 10.5 sacks as a rookie despite starting only three games. His return could boost a defense that ranks sixth in quarterback pressure rate.
Joe Burrow has thrown 20 touchdowns, the most in the NFL. He sits 0.1 points behind the league leader in passer rating at 111.6. Only Josh Allen and Brock Purdy have shorter odds to win MVP according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Burrow has missed 16 games over the last three seasons due to injuries.
The game will air at 9:30 a.m. ET on NFL Network and stream on fubo. The Bengals are favored by three points with an over/under of 52.5. Fans in Madrid will watch a matchup between two high-powered offenses. The Bengals are averaging 36.3 points per game since Oct. 11.
