Jeremy Bergman’s takeaways:

Cincy’s stars sizzle in España. Few teams have had better 10-quarter stretches than the Bengals over the past three weeks. Since being shut out in the first half against Baltimore in Week 7, Cincinnati has responded with 112 points over two-and-a-half games. Leading the way is Joe Burrow, staking a strong claim in the MVP race. Burrow was lethal again on Sunday in the first half, leading Cincy’s offense to four scoring drives on 9.3 yards per play and completing 82% of his passes for 239 yards. Eight of those completions went to Ja’Marr Chase, who set a career high with 142 yards in the first half (finishing with 155 and a score on 10 catches), showcasing his dynamic ability on an international stage for the first time. Tee Higgins boxed out C.J. Henderson and Atlanta’s defensive backs for two TDs. Even Chase Brown (season-high 6.3 YPC) and Cincinnati’s anemic run game (season-best 123 yards) showed some explosion. After Sunday’s romp, Cincinnati has now won four straight games with at least 30 points scored for the first time in franchise history. If the Bengals are capable of this type of production weekly, do they even need to swing big for a piece, possibly at running back, at the trade deadline? That’s a question for Tuesday. Maybe Atlanta will have an answer for Cincy’s offensive onslaught by then.
Another big Bijan day undone by Atlanta errors. A week after losing to a Tampa team that didn’t complete a pass, the Falcons found a more traditional way to fall Sunday morning: play leaky defense, commit penalties, repeat. In pristine, climate-controlled conditions inside Madrid’s Bernabéu, there were no excuses for Atlanta’s performance. First, the positives. Michael Penix Jr. threw three fewer interceptions than he did a week prior and scrambled for a career-high 50 yards, looking svelte and nimble on the Spanish pitch. Bijan Robinson, who loves an exclusive window, rushed for 100 again, totaling 147 yards from scrimmage and one TD on the day. The elusive dynamo was right at home at the home of Real Madrid’s galácticos. But Jeff Ulbrich’s defense was a sieve against the NFL’s hottest attack, allowing 7.1 yards per play and forcing just two punts on the day. Atlanta also committed 12 accepted penalties for 88 yards, repeatedly setting back the offense. The Falcons O-line committed two fouls in the red zone on their second drive, leading to the first field goal of a touchdown fight. Its most critical error, though, came at the start of the fourth quarter, when down two TDs at the Bengals’ 10-yard line, Atlanta was called for offensive holding on a third-and-2 incompletion. Cincy accepted the penalty and forced a fourth-and-12. Settling for cutting a two-score lead to a … two-score lead, Nick Folk instead shanked a 38-yard field goal, and the Bengals’ lead held at 14. The Falcons never got closer.
A tale of two divisions. Despite the result, Cincinnati and Atlanta both might return to the States tied in the win column for leads in their respective divisions. The Bengals’ victory moved them into a 6-2 tie atop the AFC North with the Steelers, setting up a critical “Sunday Night Football” showdown on the banks of the Ohio River in Week 10. Having already lost this season to Pittsburgh, the Bengals need a home win against Aaron Rodgers and Co. to improve their division record and ensure no favor in the head-to-head tiebreaker. Down in the cursed NFC South, the Falcons, at 3-6, are nowhere near out of it but are at risk of falling behind hotter clubs. Entering the rest of Sunday’s slate, Atlanta is two games behind Carolina in the loss column and one behind Tampa Bay. Last-place New Orleans is still alive, as well. A needed bye awaits for the Falcons after a Week 10 matchup with Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Bengals-Falcons (via NFL Pro): Joe Burrow was pressured on nine of 32 dropbacks (28.1%) against the Falcons, completing 20 of 23 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns when kept clean. His time to pressure of 3.26 seconds was the longest of his career, and the Falcons defense had just one quick pressure in the game.

NFL Research: Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase connected for their 19th touchdown of at least 40 yards in Sunday’s win, tied with Joe Montana and Jerry Rice for the third-most by any QB-receiver duo since 1980. The only duos with more are Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison (21 TDs) and Steve Young and Jerry Rice (20 TDs). Their first-quarter touchdown was the 58th score by the duo overall (including playoffs), which passed Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss for secnd-most by any QB-receiver duo before age 30, trailing only Dan Marino and Mark Clayton (68 TDs).