The NFL's international schedule is back on in Week 9. Cincinnati and Atlanta will do battle in Spain in a game that could deliver plenty of fireworks for fans. The NFL sent two incredible offensive teams to Madrid that could put up plenty of points. After all, exciting games like this one can really expand the league's footprint on the international stage.
Both teams have quite a lot in common. They are both in extremely tight division races where just one win could propel them into first place. However, the difference between the AFC North and the NFC South is absolutely massive.
Still, the Falcons have looked impressive at times throughout the season. Meanwhile, the Bengals have been fairly consistent now that their defense is finally looking solid. Though they did not look good against the Titans last week. Regardless, both teams are hungry for a win and have all the offensive weapons needed to get it done.
So which team will come out on top in this one? And will this game become an offensive shootout or a defensive struggle?
Here are three bold predictions ahead of this huge international clash between the Bengals and Falcons in Madrid.
Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)Joe Burrow has a repeat of his Week 8 offensive explosion against the Falcons
The Bengals looked like a vintage version of the team in Week 8 against the Dolphins.
Yes, Cincinnati did get the win. But it was shocking how much they needed to lean on Burrow to get the job done. Fortunately, Burrow is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and passed that tough test with flying colors.
Burrow finished 38-of-48 for 462 passing yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. He also had one rushing touchdown. The veteran quarterback simply put the team on his back and willed them to victory.
Now Burrow and friends must face an average Falcons defense that's allowed 223.4 passing yards per game this season. Keep in mind that the best opponent Atlanta has faced this season is Chicago. In that game, Caleb Williams shredded their secondary for 305 passing yards. Beyond that game, the Falcons have not been tested very much through the air this season.
So just how much damage could Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins do against the Falcons?
Burrow will have a repeat performance from last week, going over 400 passing yards and throwing at least three touchdown passes. Cincinnati has to throw the ball to win right now, so they'll be comfortable going guns blazing.
To make this even bolder, both Higgins and Chase will each go over 100 receiving yards and score a touchdown.
Bijan Robinson will have twice as many rushing yards as the Bengals
The disparity between Atlanta and Cincinnati's running game is absolutely massive.
Cincinnati has one of the worst rushing attacks in the entire league. In fact, they only average 80.3 rushing yards per game so far this season. That average is quite concerning since they've already played in seven games, so a few bad performances aren't dragging it down. Chase Brown and company just aren't getting the job done.
Atlanta is the exact opposite, with their Bijan Robinson-led rushing attack as one of the best in the NFL. They've averaged 134.8 rushing yards per game this year. Only the Buccaneers, Bears, and Bills have a better average.
Robinson is the main reason why the Falcons have such a huge advantage on the ground. Just how good will he do in comparison to the Bengals in Madrid?
Bijan is averaging 100.6 rushing yards per game in 2026. He is single-handedly outperforming the Bengals on the ground despite failing to break 100 rushing yards in four consecutive games.
The Falcons know that they need Robinson to pop off if they want a chance to win this game. They'll design a game plan to do exactly that, and it has a great chance to work.
Bijan won't just have more rushing yards than the Bengals, he'll double them up. All it would take is an elite game by Robinson and a pass-happy attack from Cincinnati's offense.
Falcons, Bengals combine for at least 80 points in an exciting shootout in Madrid
This game has all the necessary ingredients of an offensive shootout.
Burrow and friends should have no problem scoring at will in this game. Bijan and the Falcons have a huge advantage running the ball. That should keep their offense consistent throughout this game, even if the Bengals start running up the score.
Make no mistake, the Bengals have a solid defense that is both frisky and opportunistic. They won't be playing to their strengths when going up against Bijan on the ground. But once the offense gets established, Cincinnati could start to pull away. They should come away with the victory as long as nothing too fluky happens.
The Bengals will come out on top thanks to their high-powered offense than can score at the drop of a hat. If they need points late in this game, they will make it happen. The same is not true for the Falcons.