- New trade acquisitions against stars: Sauce Gardner and Jordan Phillips both have tremendous individual showdowns in their team debuts this week.
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What made NFL Week 9 so exciting is true of every fresh slate of action: Watching individual star matchups. The ability to analyze some of the NFL’s brightest and most burgeoning stars clash with one another nearly every snap shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Indeed, while one play can alter an entire game flow, the victor of Week 8’s top individual wars swayed the arrow of victory in their team’s direction. Consider Alex Highsmith’s three pressures and two sacks vs. Bernhard Raimann.
Below are 10 head-to-head collisions to circle as you determine which games to prioritize watching and/or following this weekend.
Green Bay Packers EDGE Micah Parsons vs. Philadelphia Eagles T Jordan Mailata
It’s hard to ask for much more in a regular-season showdown than what we’ll be afforded in Eagles-Packers. That applies to the player matchups, too, starting with this collision between two of the best at their positions.
Parsons’ first year in Green Bay hasn’t looked much different than his tenure with the Cowboys. His 92.0 overall PFF grade is second among edge rushers, while his 92.6 PFF pass-rushing grade is tied for second.
Likewise, Mailata has remained one of the premier tackles in football, with his 80.2 overall grade seventh among qualifiers. The All-Pro is one of just five tackles with a 74.6-plus grade in both pass- and run-blocking, and has surrendered only one sack this season.
Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley likes to align Parsons all over the yard, including stacking him over nose tackles on third downs. Still, he’s primarily aligned over the offense’s left tackle this season (48.6% of snaps). Expect regular battles between two of football’s elite players on Monday night.
Atlanta Falcons WR Drake London vs. Indianapolis Colts CB Sauce Gardner
Falcons-Colts is a sneakily intriguing game in Berlin, with Atlanta hoping to salvage its season and snap its three-game skid against the current top team in the AFC standings. It just so happens that this showdown also pits a star receiver against a new lockdown face.
After a slower start, London has caught fire in recent weeks. Indeed, his 91.5 PFF receiving grade is third among receivers with 20 or more targets since Week 4. In that stretch, he’s averaged a gaudy 3.01 yards per route run.
Gardner’s first action with the Colts (assuming he’ll play) will come with much fanfare, particularly considering he hasn’t been quite as marvelous in his last two seasons. Indeed, Gardner’s PFF coverage grade is only at a 74.4 mark since 2024 compared to 92.1 from 2022-23. Still, Gardner has given up only 170 yards into his coverage this year, and his 20.9 snaps per reception is the best figure among qualifiers.
Gardner regularly aligned with the opposition’s No. 1 receiver this season with the Jets. Time will tell if Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo assumes the same philosophy — but if so, that means he and London could incur at least 15 matchups in this standalone game.
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Los Angeles Rams EDGE Jared Verse vs. San Francisco 49ers T Trent Williams
Any Rams-49ers matchup should always be cherished, especially as this year’s first contest demonstrated. That’s particularly because of the battle between Verse and Williams in the trenches.
There’s been zero sophomore slump for Verse, who’s recorded an 84.4 PFF pass-rushing grade with 40 pressures already in 2025. More specifically, Verse slots ninth among edge defenders in PFF’s Wins Above Replacement metric.
Similarly, Williams has still played like one of the NFL’s better tackles, even at 37. The All-Pro’s 84.6 overall PFF grade is third among qualifiers, placing in the top 15 in both pass- and run-blocking grades.
Across 26 pass-rushing matchups in Week 5, Verse generated three pressures against Williams, but didn’t win any of their 11 run-game duels. Expect a similarly even matchup five weeks later.
New England Patriots WR Stefon Diggs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers CB Jamel Dean
Patriots-Buccaneers shapes up as the most fascinating game on the Sunday slate, pitting two division leaders against one another. New England’s upstart offense will have a litmus test against a good Buccaneers defense, and that includes this individual contest.
Diggs has offered exactly what the Patriots coveted when they paid him $63.5 million this offseason. The veteran has secured a team-high 79.2 PFF receiving grade with 2.29 yards per route run and a 103.5 passer rating when targeted. Moreover, Diggs has only dropped one of his 53 targets.
Tampa Bay slots ninth in team PFF coverage grade, and Dean is a significant reason why. His 90.7 overall PFF grade and 84.7 PFF coverage grade are each the best among qualifiers. For further reference, quarterbacks have just a 30.2 passer rating when targeting Dean, which is worse than just spiking the ball every play.
Where Diggs may have an upper hand is if quarterback Drake Maye attempts contested targets. Diggs has secured all seven of his contested targets, the only player to do so with 55 or more total targets. However, Dean has relinquished a catch on four of his seven contested attempts this season.
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New York Giants Dl Dexter Lawrence vs. Chicago Bears G Joe Thuney
Giants-Bears doesn’t profile as a tremendous head-to-head matchup, but it does pit the Giants’ talented defensive line against the Bears’ upstart offensive line. In particular, pay attention to this battle on the interior between two stars.
Despite some mild trade speculation, Lawrence remained with Big Blue — and his play is hard to deal away. His 84.8 PFF pass-rushing grade ranks third among qualified interior defenders, and his 14.2% pass-rush win rate sits ninth.
On the other side lurks Thuney, who’s been a near seamless fit in his first year in Chicago. Thuney’s 85.6 PFF pass-blocking grade is No. 1 among qualified guards, having surrendered just six pressures and zero sacks this season.
In 2025, Lawrence has played 47.6% of his snaps aligned in either the Right A or B gap — which parallels the offense’s left guard. That means we should be treated to multiple showdowns between these two studs.
Minnesota Vikings EDGE Jonathan Greenard vs. Baltimore Ravens T Ronnie Stanley
After some disappointment to start the season on each side, both the Ravens and Vikings appear to be rounding into form past the midway point of the 2025 season. Lamar Jackson and Baltimore’s offense looks to stay hot, although whoever prevails along the left side of the line of scrimmage could dictate that.
Since joining Minnesota before last season, Greenard has become one of the very best edge rushers in the league. Over the last two years, his 81.7 PFF pass-rushing grade is 16th at the position, and his 15.9% pressure rate is ninth.
Meanwhile, Stanley has long been a stalwart at left tackle for the Ravens. This year, he’s allowed only 11 pressures on 161 opportunities, although three of those have been converted into sacks.
In 2025, nearly half (49.9%) of Greenard’s snaps have been played in front of the offense’s left tackle. He and Stanley should duke it out for 60 minutes in Minneapolis on Sunday.
Indianapolis Colts EDGE Laiatu Latu vs. Atlanta Falcons T Jake Matthews
As it turns out, there are more matchups to analyze when the Falcons’ offense has the ball in Berlin.
Despite multiple losses along its offensive line, Atlanta still ranks ninth in PFF pass-blocking grade. A major linchpin in that operation has been Matthews, whose 86.8 pass-blocking mark is the second-best among tackles. The 33-year-old is also 28th among 51 qualified tackles in pressure rate (6.1%).
Standing across from Matthews will be a young star in Laiatu. Last year’s second-round pick has been one of the breakout defenders across football this year, placing sixth in overall PFF grade (90.2) among qualified edge rushers. Latu has generated a 76.3-plus grade as both a pass rusher and a run defender.
While these two dynamos are both great in the pass game, Latu may have an edge on the ground considering Matthews’ 55.5 PFF run-blocking grade. Either way, this is an underratedly great matchup between two excellent players.
Philadelphia Eagles EDGE Jaelan Phillips vs. Green Bay Packers T Zach Tom
It shouldn’t come as a shock that Eagles-Packers would appear again on this list given how star-studded of an affair the game is. In fact, the newest Eagle will be a prominent part of the team’s defensive attack.
Miami’s defense fell apart this season, but Phillips was still a force to be reckoned with. His 19.3% pass-rush win rate is 10th among qualified edge defenders, and his 10.2 pass-rushing productivity score is 11th in that group.
This season has been an injury-riddled one for Tom, but he’s been effective when on the field. The offseason extension recipient has played to an 81.1 overall PFF grade this season, including a 73.0 PFF pass-blocking mark with a 97.9 pass-blocking efficiency rating.
It remains to be seen just how much defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will integrate Phillips in his first week with the team, especially with Nolan Smith potentially set to return off of injured reserve. Nevertheless, Philadelphia could certainly utilize more off the edge, as the Eagles rank 20th in pass-rush win rate this year. Working mostly off of the defense’s left side, Phillips could provide that hastily.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers EDGE Yaya Diaby vs. New England Patriots T Will Campbell
The No. 8 offense in EPA per play vs. the No. 4 defense in that same metric is compelling not just out wide, but also in the trenches.
Although Buccaneers edge rushers haven’t been magnificent this year, Diaby is quietly enjoying another solid season. His 69.6 PFF pass-rushing grade ranks 35th out of 63 qualifiers, and his 15.6% pass-rush win rate sits in the 73rd percentile.
Campbell has quickly proven to be an anchor along the Patriots’ much better offensive line. His 74.2 PFF pass-blocking grade is 18th among qualified tackles, not to mention the highest among any rookie offensive lineman. Over his last six contests, Campbell has yielded just 12 pressures.
Considering that 67.5% of Diaby’s snaps have been aligned in the defense’s Right C gap or outward, he and Campbell will become quite familiar by the end of Sunday afternoon’s marquee showdown.
Miami Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle vs. Buffalo Bills CB Maxwell Hairston
The Bills are expected to keep rolling against a woeful Dolphins team on Sunday, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a high-level chess match to watch.
Miami decided to retain Waddle at Tuesday’s trade deadline, and it’s understandable why the organization’s asking price was so lofty. Among qualified receivers this season, Waddle ranks sixth in PFF receiving grade (85.0), 12th in yards per route run (2.21) and ninth in both passer rating when targeted (111.7) and first downs accrued (30).
Hairston has been a revelation for a Buffalo defense that’s craved more at cornerback. In his first two weeks of NFL action, the first-rounder has produced an elite 90.9 PFF coverage grade, giving up only one catch for 18 yards on four targets.
The sample size is admittedly a small 57 snaps for Hairston, which is why Sunday’s matchup with a star in Waddle will be a strong test for the Kentucky product — and the first installment of what looks to be a biannual clash.
