The NFL returns to international play with Falcons vs Bengals in Madrid on Sunday at the Bernabéu, a game that pairs one of the league’s most efficient offenses against a defense about to add a fresh pass-rushing threat. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET on NFL Network.
Two teams, two different trajectories
Cincinnati enters on a three-game winning streak, having scored at least 31 points in each victory, though two of those came against struggling opponents. Atlanta has dropped two of its last three and was shut out in its most recent outing.
The Bengals are still chasing a franchise-first win on foreign soil after an 0-1-1 mark in previous international appearances, the last coming in 2019. The Falcons are 2-3 outside the U.S. and lost in Berlin last season.
Both clubs remain in their division races, but the contexts differ. Atlanta sits a half-game behind first place in the NFC South, a division without a team at or above .500. Cincinnati is also a half-game out in the AFC North, where three teams currently have winning records.
Bijan Robinson and Drake London get a favorable bounce-back spot
Tampa Bay held Atlanta’s top running back-receiver duo in check during a weather-marred Week 8 shutout, but the matchup in Madrid looks far less daunting. The Bengals just surrendered 36 points to Tennessee.
Robinson leads the NFL with 780 rushing yards, while London ranks sixth in receiving yards at 624. If Cincinnati could not contain the Titans, slowing these two presents an even greater challenge.
Tee Higgins has closed the gap on Ja'Marr Chase
Higgins has long been the second option in Cincinnati’s passing game, but through seven games he and Chase have identical target (61) and catch (43) totals. Higgins has been the more productive of the two with 726 yards, second in the league behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
It is the most efficient stretch of Higgins’ career and puts him on a historic pace.
James Pearce Jr. set for season debut
The NFL reinstated Pearce after an eight-game suspension for a personal conduct policy violation, making him eligible for the first time this season. He faced felony charges following a domestic dispute this offseason but is on track to have those charges dropped.
Atlanta ranks sixth in quarterback pressure rate without him. Pearce recorded 10.5 sacks as a rookie despite starting only three games, so his return could push the unit higher in both pressure and sack totals.
Joe Burrow is playing at an MVP level
Only Josh Allen and Brock Purdy have shorter MVP odds than Burrow, who leads the league with 20 touchdown passes and sits 0.1 points off the passer-rating lead at 111.6. It is the most efficient season of his career.
Atlanta upset Purdy and San Francisco two weeks ago, but Burrow poses a bigger test and has a healthier supporting cast than Purdy had in Week 7.
What to expect
With Burrow, Chase, Higgins, London and Robinson all on the field, the game has the look of a shootout. Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. should improve on his 8-for-24 showing in the rain last week, giving Atlanta enough to keep pace with a Cincinnati offense averaging 36.3 points since Oct. 11.
In a high-scoring matchup, the more reliable defense could decide it. Atlanta is not dramatically better on that side, but Pearce’s arrival gives the Falcons a disruptive presence against one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks.
Prediction: Falcons 34, Bengals 30
