The Bengals play their third international game in franchise history on Sunday when they take on the Atlanta Falcons at Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, Spain. The game kicks off at 9:30 a.m. ET (3:30 p.m. local time), and will be broadcast on NFL Network while also available on WLWT (Cincinnati’s channel 5). Here is what to watch for:

Burrow Looks to Continue Hot Streak

Joe Burrow enters Sunday's game as the NFL leader in completion percentage (73.0), passing touchdowns (20) and passing yards per game (302.1). He has thrown at least four scoring passes in each of the past three games, and is coming off a season-high six total touchdowns (five passing) and 482 yards in the Week 8 overtime win against Tennessee.

Burrow has a chance to become the fourth player in NFL history with at least four touchdown passes in four consecutive regular-season games. The previous quarterbacks to accomplish that feat were Peyton Manning (record five straight games in 2004), Dan Marino (four straight in 1984) and Tom Brady (four straight spanning 2020-21 seasons).

Burrow also has 177 touchdown passes in his career, which are the eighth-most in a player's first seven seasons in NFL history and four shy of tying former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (181) for seventh.

Atlanta's defense has yet to give up four touchdown passes in a game this season, with its most allowed being three by Carolina in Week 2. Falcons opponents have thrown for just two scores over the past three games.

Lawrence Leads Effort to Slow Down Robinson

Dexter Lawrence II made it known how he views Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson this week, telling reporters that he is going up against "probably the best back in the league." Robinson leads the NFL this season with 780 rushing yards and averages 5.2 yards per carry (fourth-most). He has been kept relatively in check as of late, however, as he was held to under 80 yards in each of the Falcons' past three games.

The Bengals' defense are giving up 122.3 yards on the ground per contest this year, with 158 allowed last week versus Tennessee. The prior week, Cincinnati kept Baltimore to just 83 rushing yards, including a season-low 45 by Derrick Henry.

Lawrence has eight tackles for loss so far in his Bengals tenure (tied for seventh in NFL), with four being run stuffs against opposing running backs. Him getting into the backfield and potentially getting Robinson on the ground could go a long way toward keeping the Falcons' offense behind schedule.

While Robinson's ability to take over the game will be an obvious focus for the Bengals, head coach Zac Taylor also pointed out how the Falcons are able to utilize him to create an unpredictable offensive attack.

"Obviously, their running back is as dangerous as it gets in this league," said Taylor. "They're able to focus a lot of things around that, which is stuff Kevin (Stefanski) has always done a great job of, along with (offensive line coach) Bill Callahan and all the guys they've got with the run game, the play-action, the naked (bootlegs) and screens."

Gesicki Nears History

Mike Gesicki has caught a touchdown pass in each of the last five games dating to Week 3 at Pittsburgh. It is the longest streak of his career, the longest by a tight end in Bengals history and the fifth-longest by any player in franchise history.

With another scoring catch on Sunday, Gesicki would tie for the most consecutive games with a touchdown reception by a tight end in NFL history. The only other tight ends to score in six straight games within a single season were Rob Gronkowski in 2011 and Mark Andrews in 2024.

Gesicki also has a chance to set a new career high for touchdowns in a single season. He has already matched his career high of six, which he originally set in 2020 while playing for Miami. This year, he is the third tight end in league history with a touchdown catch in six of his team's first seven games, joining San Diego's Antonio Gates in 2010 and Denver's Julius Thomas in 2013.

Tee Aims For 50th TD

Tee Higgins heads into Sunday with 49 career receiving touchdowns. It is the sixth-most in team history, four shy of tying Isaac Curtis (53) for fifth, and it also is tied for the fifth-most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2020.

With a touchdown this week in what will be his 93rd regular-season game, Higgins would become the fourth player in Bengals history to register 50 scoring catches in under 100 games. The others to accomplish that feat are Ja’Marr Chase (68 games), Carl Pickens (80) and A.J. Green (89).

Higgins is coming off his first career AFC Offensive Player of the Week award for his performance against the Titans, when he had two touchdown grabs to go along with 10 total receptions for 155 yards. He currently ranks second in the NFL in receiving yards (726) and receiving yards per game (103.7), and he is the league's only player to record 140+ receiving yards in three games this season.

Extra Points

• Guard Dalton Risner is slated to make his 100th career regular-season start. Risner has started 99 out of 108 career games played, including a streak of 14 consecutive starts for Cincinnati.
• Wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase has 60 career receiving TDs, three shy of Pickens (63) for third in franchise history.
• Defensive end Boye Mafe has recorded at least one sack in each of his last four games and leads the Bengals on the season with 5.5 total sacks.
• Sunday will be the second regular-season matchup between twin brothers Chase and Sydney Brown. Chase currently leads the Bengals this season with 340 rushing yards, while Sydney has logged 23 tackles in eight games played as a defensive back for the Falcons.

Check out the Bengals 2026 Schedule.