Coming off the first 16-game slate in about a month, a slate that featured plenty of surprises, we're now set for an exciting Week 9, which officially marks the halfway point of this 2023 NFL season.
While the Week 9 schedule features plenty of great games, including the first of two showdowns between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys, four teams are on a bye. And while three of those teams may not want to take it at this point, given the momentum they've got, the fourth is likely thrilled to take the week off to regroup.
And we're betting you know who we're talking about there.
Here's a quick look at the teams with Week 9 byes.
NFL Week 9 byes
- Denver Broncos (3-5)
- Detroit Lions (6-2)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2)
- San Francisco 49ers (5-3)
After losing five of their first six games, the Denver Broncos hit their Week 9 bye on a two-game winning streak.
A week after defeating the Green Bay Packers, the Broncos finally ended a 16-game losing streak to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8, dominating the defending Super Bowl champs in a 24-9 victory. Russell Wilson & Co. return to action in Week 10 with another high-profile matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football.
In Week 7, the Detroit Lions were embarrassed by the Baltimore Ravens, taking a lopsided 38-6 loss. But Dan Campbell's crew bounced back nicely with an easy 26-14 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders to close out Week 8 this past Monday night.
At 6-2, the Lions are the only team in the NFC North with a winning record and will return to action in Week 10 with a road matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The longest current winning streak in the NFL belongs to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who won their fifth straight this past Sunday with a 20-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As it is with the Lions, the Jaguars are the only team in their division with a winning record and are in firm control of the AFC South at 6-2. Trevor Lawrence & Co. will go for six in a row in Week 10 when they square off with the San Francisco 49ers.
And speaking of the Niners, they're easily the team that needs this Week 9 bye the most.
After kicking off the 2023 campaign with five straight wins, the 49ers have now dropped three straight after taking a 31-17 defeat in Week 8 at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals, a loss that knocked them out of first place in the NFC West.
Kyle Shanahan's squad will look to regroup with the week off and get back to their winning ways against the Jags in Week 10.