​Another week of football, another week filled to the brim with stunning moments. Some teams basked in the wonder of glory, while others were left wondering where their season has gone and some teams, well, the frustration of things not going their way, boiled over into sheer anger on the field. Regardless of how your team did, you and your friends were no doubt talking about the incredible stories that came about from this wonderful slate of games. So, without further ado, let’s discuss it all a little bit more as we break down what we learned from Week 9 in the NFL.
 
Where do the Houston Texans go from here?
It really is amazing how one player can make a difference on a team and for proof, look no further than the Houston Texans who became an inspired squad once Deshaun Watson took over for Tom Savage at quarterback. His dynamic skill set kept the Texans alive in every single game and now that he’s out for the season, it’s clear the inspiration is gone from this team now. They looked downright awful on offense on Sunday and well…where the Texans go from here is difficult to say the least. There’s only seven weeks left in the season, Tom Savage is not the answer at QB and really, if Houston wants to finish strong, they need someone special under center, and with discussions apparently occurring behind the scenes to sign Colin Kaepernick, I hope the Texans follow through with it to show their fans and the football world that they are indeed committed to winning.
 
The Denver Broncos are a Mile High Disaster.
Von Miller said in his press conference on Sunday that the Broncos ‘are not a good football team right now’ and it’s about damn time someone in the organization spoke the truth. They’re simply awful and at this point, some serious changes need to happen when it comes to how the coaches handle their business on game day. While Brock Osweiler was able to finally get Denver into the end zone late in the game on Sunday, predictable and bad play calling, along with some stupid penalties, stymied the O and the Eagles figured out the Denver defense to a tee. So, it’s not only time for the players to dig deep and focus on their fundamentals, but the coaches need to adjust their game plans and actually cater to the team’s talents over scheme. This is especially important on offense, since Mike McCoy was brought here to mold an offense scheme around his players and if he refuses to do that, expect the Broncos to part ways with him at the end of the season…or sooner.
 
The Atlanta Falcons are in a free fall right now.
Yes, I fully understand the fact that the Falcons are the defending NFC Champions. But seeing as to how they are 4-4 and have dropped three of their last four in rough fashion, it’s obvious now that Atlanta needs to do a little soul searching. They’re having trouble finishing plays on offense, the run defense is as weak as can be and at this point, it feels more like their issues are more psychological than anything else since we’ve seen them play at a high level before. That means once again, the coaches are the key here, they’ve got to refocus this group of men and get their season back on track and if Dan Quinn and his staff can’t reach their players and remind them of how good they really are, this ugly free fall that they are currently in will continue.
 
The Rams once again reminded us how great they are this season.
In many ways, it feels as though the Rams are an afterthought this season. Yes, they’re playing well, and yes, they’re winning but let’s be honest. People really aren’t talking about them a heck of a whole lot right now and that simply needs to change, because they really are a damn good football team. Not only have they delivered some big time wins this year. They’re competitive on offense and defense week in and week out and ironically enough, they also dropped a fifty burger on their opponent this week, so really let’s give them the respect that they deserve because we’re going to be hearing a lot more about this team as time goes on.
 
The Redskins still have a little bit of fight left in them.
Normally when football fans see a team just a smidge under .500, we tend to write them off and understandably so. That’s a mark that denotes a losing season, so why take that team seriously, and often times we are correct in that thinking. But sometimes, a team in that position finds a way to surprise us all, like the Washington Redskins did this Sunday. Because they were 3-4 heading into that game, and it truly seemed like the red-hot Seahawks had the win in hand and then…the Redskins surprised us all with a beautiful game winning drive and stout defense when the team needed the D to stand tall and it just goes to remind all of us to expect the unexpected on Sundays, especially when a team truly wants to win.  

​There’s definitely a special kind of electricity in the air when it comes to Week 9 in the NFL and the reason for that is simple, the playoff race is about to get underway. This is where the best of the best pad their record for a postseason run, or where other teams come to discover just how tough they really are as they fight to change the course of their season. Regardless of where your team stands this year, I think we can all agree that tomorrow will feature some thrilling and competitive games as everyone in the NFL looks to control their fate and that’s exactly what we are going to be looking at today, games that feature teams that are ready to seize the moment or are desperate to change their fortunes as the playoffs draw near…

​On paper, this game looks like a waste of time, but in reality, it’s going to be quite an interesting matchup for several reasons. First and foremost, Denver’s defense is stellar and should give the Philly offense all kinds of trouble when they take the field but let’s be honest, we’re all curious as to how the Denver offense is going to look with Brock Osweiler at the helm and all the man has to do for this game to be a success for Denver, is put some points on the board and don’t turn the ball over. In the end however, I don’t expect the Broncos to win this one simply because the Eagles are so damn good, but they could surprise if Philadelphia underestimates a team that is desperate for a win. 

​This is another game that based on records alone, should probably be avoided, and quite frankly…I have no interest in seeing what Indy does in this game simply because their season is essentially over. No, what makes this game so intriguing is the sheer fact that this matchup allows for us to see exactly what the Texans are made of. They’ve lost J.J. Watt, and now Deshaun Watson is out for the season with a torn ACL, and their defense is struggling. So, if this team is truly as special as they appear to be, they have to go out there and wow the football world with a big time win over the Colts.

​What’s fascinating about this game is that it features two teams that on paper appear to be elite, but everyone is questioning whether or not they can play at a high level. The Falcons are of course, the defending NFC Champions, yet they’ve managed to blow another big lead this season and endure an embarrassing loss to the Patriots and as for the Panthers, while at times they have shown flashes of brilliance on the field, they’ve suffered some ugly losses to the Bears and the Saints. Which means there’s a fair chance that this game is going be a high scoring affair as both of these teams attempt to silence all of their critics and prove to everyone they are indeed elite. 

​Despite all the amazing storylines presenting themselves on Sunday, if there’s one game that looks like it is going to be a good old-fashioned football brawl, it’s this one. Both K.C. and Dallas have proven themselves to be formidable on offense by both land and air, and both of their defenses seem to subscribe to the ‘bend but don’t break’ edict that can drive fans mad. So really, I would say the winner of this game will be whichever team limits their turnovers and plays stout defense, but in between all of that, I think we’re in for quite the treat as both Alex Smith and Dak Prescott light up the scoreboard with touchdown after touchdown. 

​Here we go ladies and gentlemen, the back half of the NFL is more or less upon us and already we’re seeing a sense of urgency from teams around the league. Some made a few surprising trades in the hopes of bolstering their playoff chances and others, are making drastic changes to improve their fortunes period and all of these moves will no doubt lead to some fascinating storylines in Week 9, so without further ado, here are the top stories we will be keeping an eye upon this weekend.

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Will Brock Osweiler fix the Denver Broncos offensive woes?
Well, it finally happened in the Mile High City, after weeks of poor performances under center, the Broncos benched Trevor Siemian in favor of Brock Osweiler and really, everyone is wondering, is this the magical fix Denver has so desperately needed on offense, and the answer to that question is…maybe? Because really, newfound success for this team will only come about if two key things happen. First, the offensive line still has to protect the QB because if Osweiler spends all day on the turf then the team still isn’t scoring points and second, Denver’s success also depends on which Osweiler shows up. If it’s the solid game manager that took over for Peyton Manning in 2015, the Broncos are in great shape, but if it’s the #17 from 2016…well then, it’s business as usual in Denver. Either way, at least the Broncos are making a long overdue change and considering how bad the season has gone, they have nowhere to go but up, right?
 
Is this the week where the San Francisco 49ers finally win a game?
One would have to imagine that the mood is far more upbeat in San Francisco this week. After all, they have a brand-new quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo and one has to wonder if his addition to the team means that at long last this team can start winning and well, it honestly depends on whether or not a few things happen. First and foremost, they have to start Jimmy. As of press time the team hasn’t announced if he will be under center come Sunday and second to that, Jimmy has to command the playbook on the field. They didn’t just bring him in here to execute plays at a higher level than his cohorts, they want him to be able to read a defense and adjust accordingly, so if he’s not up to speed on the playbook, he may not deliver a stunning performance. Either way, he’s still quite the upgrade and his leadership alone might help will this team to victory, provided he gets the nod on Sunday.
 
Where does the Houston Texans defense go from here?
The Texans secondary has been in dire need of an upgrade all season long, and it seemed as though the trade with the Seahawks helped bolster that part of the defense. But sadly, Jeremy Lane failed his physical and was sent back to Seattle, leaving Houston with a better draft pick in exchange for Duane Brown, but really, they need help now so what do they do on Sunday? Well, now it comes down to the coaching for this team. In order to get the secondary rolling, the defensive coaches have to put their players in a position to succeed. That means play calling that is catered to their talents, and they need to push these guys a little bit harder to evoke a sense of pride. Of course, these aren’t exactly some earth-shattering ideas, but if they can get a couple of the players to buy in and get fired up, they may achieve wonders when they take the field against the Colts.
 
How will the Dallas Cowboys respond on the field to the turmoil surrounding Ezekiel Elliott?
Football coaches hate distractions. After all, they want their team focused on football and football alone. But in Dallas, it cannot be easy for this team to be locked in on the Chiefs game when it comes to the whole matter surrounding Ezekiel Elliott and really, how on earth will the Cowboys handle this mess? Well, truthfully speaking, any future success with or without Zeke on the field is going to come down to the players. Prescott and other leaders on this squad need to keep their teammates focused on the ‘next man up’ mentality in case Zeke is out on Sunday and honestly, this is the kind of unity they need to put together period. Because regardless of who is at tailback, this team has been in need of a tighter focus on the game all season long as is, so if Zeke is out on Sunday and Dallas still goes out there and looks great, we’ll know their heads are finally in the right place.  
 
How will the Cleveland locker room handle this week’s unfortunate turn of events?
Normally, I don’t discuss teams on a bye week in this feature simply because hey, they’re not playing on Sunday. But the Browns deserve a moment of our time because holy cow, this was a bad week for them. Not only did they lose again on Sunday, a trade for QB A.J. McCarron fell through due to gross incompetence and really, that locker room has to be in turmoil right now. I’m fairly certain the players don’t feel like they matter and that this franchise has zero direction or understanding of how to succeed and while they’re right, that’s a dangerous place for their minds to go. Because if this team is concerned that the Browns don’t care about them, they will take care of themselves, shattering any hopes of this unit playing together as a team. So really, while the locker room is likely a jittery mess right now, it’s up to Head Coach Hue Jackson and quite frankly, someone, anyone in the front office with a spine to talk to this group of men about staying together and finding a way to win as a team, otherwise, they will lose this team entirely…