Falcons vs. Bengals: Cincinnati seeks first international win as division contenders travel to Madrid

Following a week without an international game, the NFL heads back overseas in Week 9 when it sends the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals to Spain. The Bernabéu will play host to American football for the second time in as many years as two divisional contenders descend upon Madrid.

The Bengals are in search of their first win away from American soil in franchise history after going 0-1-1 in their previous two opportunities (the most recent contest dating back to 2019), while the Falcons seek to improve to .500 in games abroad. Atlanta is 2-3 away from the United States and last season lost in Berlin.

This contest pits one of the league's hottest teams against a squad that aims to reestablish positive momentum. Cincinnati rides a three-game win streak into the Madrid Game and scored no fewer than 31 points in any of those triumphs, albeit with two of the matchups coming against bottom-tier competition. Atlanta, on the other hand, lost in two of its last three outings and went scoreless in its most recent showing.

Both sides are alive and well in their respective divisions, but the context between the two differs greatly. The Falcons are just a half game back of first place in the NFC South, which may be the weakest division in football with no teams at or above .500 through the season's first two months. The Bengals' position at half a game out of the AFC North lead is the superior standing considering three teams own winning records.

Where to watch Falcons vs. Bengals live

Date: Sunday, Nov. 8 | Time: 9:30 a.m. ET

Location: Bernabéu (Madrid)

TV: NFL Network, stream on fubo

Follow: CBS Sports App

Odds: Bengals -3, O/U 52.5 via DraftKings Sportsbook

Falcons vs. Bengals key storylines

Bijan Robinson and Drake London see bounce-back opportunity: It is no small feat to keep one of the NFL's top running back-wide receiver tandems in check, but how much credit do the Tampa Bay Buccaneers deserve for doing so in Week 8? With due respect to a formidable defense, the weather in that shutout might have had more to do with the Falcons going scoreless than anything else. A major one-week swing could be in store for this duo as it squares off against a Cincinnati unit that just allowed the Tennessee Titans to rack up 36 points. Robinson remains the league's rushing leader with 780 yards on the year, and London stands sixth in receiving yards at 624. If the Bengals could not keep the Titans in check, they will have their hands even more full with these two stars.

Tee Higgins reaches new echelon: Higgins has long played second fiddle to Ja'Marr Chase in the otherworldly Bengals passing attack but is now on level ground with his superstar teammate. Both saw exactly 61 targets across their first seven games, and both grabbed 43 catches on those opportunities. But Higgins has been the far more efficient receiver of the two with 726 yards. That ranks second in the NFL, only to potential repeat Offensive Player of the Year winner Jaxon Smith-Njigba. This is the best version of Higgins the league has seen, and it is on pace for historic production.

James Pearce Jr. to make season debut: The NFL reinstated Pearce after he served an eight-game suspension for a violation of the league's personal conduct policy, which makes him eligible to play for the first time this season in Week 9. Atlanta has been surprisingly disruptive on the defensive front without the second-year pass rusher, who faced felony charges this offseason following a domestic dispute but is on track to have those charges dropped. A unit that ranks sixth in quarterback pressure rate may climb even closer to the top of the leaderboard and perhaps improve its sack totals upon Pearce's insertion into the lineup, because he logged 10.5 sacks as a rookie despite starting only three games.

Joe Burrow on MVP pace: Only two quarterbacks (Josh Allen and Brock Purdy) have shorter odds, via DraftKings Sportsbook, to win the NFL's top individual award. Burrow leads both of them in touchdowns with a league-best 20, and he is a mere 0.1 points away from the NFL lead in passer rating at 111.6. This is so far the most efficient season of Burrow's stellar career, which is a pleasant development of an offense that missed him dearly when he missed a combined 16 games over the last three seasons due to injuries. The Falcons kept Purdy in check when they upset him and the San Francisco 49ers two weeks ago, but Burrow presents an even greater challenge and has a healthier supporting cast than the one Purdy brought into the Week 7 contest.

Falcons vs. Bengals prediction

Fans of American football in Spain are in for a treat, because this game has all the makings of a shootout. There is not an offense in the NFL that is clicking quite like the Bengals over the last three weeks, and between Burrow, Chase, Higgins, London and Robinson, five of the biggest names in football will be in action in a star-studded battle. Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. should bounce back from last week's dreadful 8-for-24 showing in the rain, so Atlanta ought to have enough juice to keep pace with a team that is averaging 36.3 points per game since Oct. 11.

In a matchup where points will be aplenty, the team with the better defense holds the edge. It is not as though Atlanta is vastly superior on that side of the ball, but it is much more reliable and is about to insert one of its projected top producers into the lineup for the first time this season. There is not a more opportune time for a disruptive pass rusher like Pearce to make his first appearance than against arguably the best quarterback in the NFL. That alone could be the difference in a high-variance matchup like this one. Pick: Falcons 34, Bengals 30