Madrid becomes NFL's world capital: Burrow in front of over 78,000 fans, while Mahomes overcomes injury to lead Chiefs

The NFL made history this Sunday in Madrid, where the Santiago Bernabéu stadium hosted the league's second regular-season game in Spain, with Cincinnati defeating Atlanta 34–17.

While Joe Burrow shone in front of more than 78,000 spectators in the Spanish capital, Patrick Mahomes overcame an elbow injury to lead Kansas City to a crucial victory over the Jets, on a day that cemented the league's growing international influence.

Madrid, the new capital of football

The Santiago Bernabéu, home of Real Madrid, became the epicenter of the global football scene this Sunday by hosting the second NFL regular-season game ever played in Spain. Cincinnati defeated Atlanta 34–17 in front of 78,000 spectators, in an event that cemented Madrid's status as one of the new international capitals of the league.

Joe Burrow was the star of the night, completing 24 of 29 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to scoring another on the ground. The Bengals' quarterback, who leads the NFL with 23 touchdowns, guided Cincinnati to its fourth consecutive victory and improved the team's record to 6-2, tying Pittsburgh for first place in the AFC North.

"The sky's the limit when we play like this. This is how we need to approach every game from here on out," said wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who caught 10 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown. "A huge impact," Burrow said of Chase. "It was incredible."

Mahomes overcomes injury to lead Chiefs

While Madrid celebrated football, Patrick Mahomes shook off an injury scare in Kansas City to lead the Chiefs to a 35-12 victory over the Jets. The quarterback, a three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time NFL MVP, suffered an injury to his right elbow and fumbled the ball in the second quarter after being sacked by rookie David Bailey, but managed to recover and lead his team to victory.

Mahomes completed 23 of 31 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns, leading 60-, 82-, and 57-yard scoring drives in the second half. "My elbow is fine. It's part of playing football. You get hit, you have to bounce back, and we were able to loosen it up and get back in the game," Mahomes said after the game. Kenneth Walker contributed 102 rushing yards and a touchdown, along with four receptions for 41 yards and two touchdowns, bringing the Chiefs' record to 6-2.

Other notable results from the day

The day also produced other notable results. The San Francisco 49ers improved to 7-1, the best record in the NFL, with a 38-17 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, while the Chicago Bears reached 7-2 after defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27–24 on a 38-yard field goal by Cairo Santos on the final play. The Green Bay Packers, with Jordan Love throwing for 372 yards and three touchdowns, defeated the New England Patriots 45–27, and the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Indianapolis Colts 27-23 on a game-winning touchdown by Javonte Williams with 68 seconds left.

The Denver Broncos improved to 7-2 with their fifth consecutive victory, defeating the Carolina Panthers 26–21 thanks to 237 yards and two touchdowns by Bo Nix. The New Orleans Saints defeated the Cleveland Browns 23–22 in overtime, The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Washington Commanders 20–13, the Detroit Lions improved to 6-2 by defeating the Miami Dolphins 19–9, and the Houston Texans crushed the Los Angeles Chargers 44–22 with five touchdowns by C.J. Stroud. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Arizona Cardinals 17–3, while the Philadelphia Eagles suffered their seventh consecutive loss to the New York Giants.