NFL Week 9 winners, losers: Joe Flacco shows Colts botched QB call

We’re already at the halfway point of the NFL season.

And if there’s one takeaway from Week 9, it’s that the clear favorite in the NFC has emerged.

The Detroit Lions went into a rainy Lambeau Field and dismantled the Green Bay Packers to retain their (slim) hold on the No. 1 seed in the conference. Detroit’s offense is playing efficiently, its defense is clamping down on third downs and in the red zone and the Lions are playing with intensity and physicality.

Elsewhere in the league, the Baltimore Ravens bounced back, the Los Angeles Rams are surging, the New Orleans Saints are in free fall and Jim Harbaugh has built a winning culture with the Los Angeles Chargers – with one caveat.

Here are the winners and losers from Sunday of Week 9.

WINNERS

Lions establish themselves as team to beat in NFC

Detroit left no doubt. As the San Francisco 49ers have sputtered at times this year, this total takedown of the Green Bay Packers (6-3) – a 24-14 win – established the Lions as the clear team to beat in the NFC. Yes, the Washington Commanders (7-2) have been a revelation and a nice story. Yes, the Atlanta Falcons (6-3), Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) and Minnesota Vikings (6-2) are lingering. But no team has been more complete, more balanced – and that goes for the entire NFL, including the Kansas City Chiefs (7-0) – than the Lions (7-1).

Over the last six games, Jared Goff has thrown only 22 incompletions – a staggering mark of efficiency (he also has 106 completions and 13 touchdowns in that span). Detroit also runs the ball exceptionally well. Its defense limited the Packers to 3-of-12 (25%) conversions on third downs and 1-of-4 in the red zone. One year after a trip to the NFC championship game, Detroit looks like a team with sights on the Super Bowl.

Rams work their way up the playoff picture

Four weeks ago, the Rams were 1-4, their top two receivers were banged up and their season appeared on the brink. Health changes things. Cooper Kupp and Puka Pacua have infused playmaking back into the offense and the Rams (4-4) have won three in a row after escaping the Seattle Seahawks with a 26-20 overtime victory.

Most importantly, Los Angeles is sitting in the No. 10 seed in the NFC playoff picture. After Week 5, the Rams were No. 15, above only the Carolina Panthers. In their win against the Seahawks, the Rams outscored Seattle 23-7 in the second half and overtime. The defense forced Geno Smith into three interceptions. This also felt like a turning point for an underrated defensive front that sacked Smith seven times. They may be a bit of an underdog, but with Matthew Stafford, the consistently steady Kyren Williams, Nacua (ejected Sunday for throwing a punch), Kupp and a young defense, the Rams could fly under the radar in the second half of the season.

Ravens bounce back, return to form

A disappointing loss last week against the Cleveland Browns didn’t compound into negative momentum for Baltimore, which returned to its identity: efficiency in the passing game and dominance on the ground.

Against Cleveland, quarterback Lamar Jackson dropped back 43 times and Baltimore recorded just 21 carries. In Sunday's 41-10 blowout of the Denver Broncos, Jackson had 22 dropbacks and the Ravens ran it 34 times. Jackson had as many incompletions (three) as passing touchdowns and posted a perfect passing rating of 158.3. The Ravens (6-3) also had their best defensive game since a Week 4 win against the Buffalo Bills, limiting the Broncos to conversions on only one of four red zone trips. Perhaps most promising for Baltimore is that it closed the game with authority, an issue the team has had in the past; the Ravens scored the game’s final 24 points.

Jim Harbaugh has turned the Chargers around

You would’ve never guessed that Jim Harbaugh had been out of the NFL for nine seasons. Harbaugh, after winning a national championship with the Michigan Wolverines, has immediately installed the physicality and toughness – particularly along the lines of scrimmage – he has been known to prioritize.

It must’ve given Harbaugh unfiltered joy to see running back J.K. Dobbins close out a 27-10 win over the Browns on the second-to-last possession with four carries that led to a 7-yard touchdown. Still, there are plenty of questions surrounding Los Angeles (5-3). Namely, the quality of its victories casts doubt about whether L.A. can compete with the elite teams in the AFC; the combined record of teams the Chargers have beaten is 13-32 (.289), which is sixth-worst in the NFL. In fact, four of the five victories have come against teams currently 2-7.

LOSERS

Stale Saints self-destruct

The Saints' season started with so much optimism. They destroyed a rebuilding Panthers team and then a Dallas Cowboys squad thought to be a contender in the NFC.

New Orleans has since lost seven consecutive games, the most recent against those Panthers, who entered Sunday with just one victory before emerging with a 23-22 win. Quarterback Derek Carr (oblique) returned, but New Orleans struggled in situational football; the Saints (2-7) converted just two of four red zone trips despite coming into the game tied for fifth in efficiency. Both failed red zone attempts happened on the first two possessions, negating New Orleans’ chance for a fast start. Ten enforced penalties for 109 yards led to further self-destruction. The Saints responded Monday by firing coach Dennis Allen, who finished18-25 (.419) in two and a half seasons.

As season slips away, Dolphins have only themselves to blame

In a tie game with 54 seconds left, the Miami Dolphins had the Bills facing a third-and-9 from Buffalo’s own 31-yard line. Josh Allen heaved a low-percentage deep toss down the left sideline. It was well covered and broken up. But, as Miami has done all season, an epic blunder – in this case the most unnecessary helmet-to-helmet personal foul by Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer – gave its opponent new life.

Seven plays later, the Bills kicked a game-winning 61-yard field goal and the Dolphins fell to 2-6. You can also point to a third-quarter Raheem Mostert fumble – his sixth in the last 16 games. It happened when the Dolphins were driving and up four points ,and the mistake led to a Bills touchdown. The Dolphins are sloppy and undisciplined. They lack physicality and toughness. Coach Mike McDaniel’s play calling is often predictable, especially in short-yardage situations. This season is nothing more than a waste of talent.

Jordan Love

He is still a young talent with immense promise. It’s still his second season as Green Bay’s starter. But, by this point, Jordan Love absolutely needs to be better about protecting the ball and decisions he makes.

Love, 26, is tied for the league lead with nine interceptions; Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield, the two quarterbacks who play Monday night, also have nine. His lone pick against the Lions was particularly devastating. Facing a seven-point deficit with 41 seconds left in the first half, deep in the Packers' own territory, Love was flushed right on a second-and-1 and tried to soft-toss a checkdown; it was intercepted and returned for a touchdown, an ultimate gift. Detroit also got the ball to start the third quarter. That drive went for a touchdown. Green Bay (6-3) went from down 10-3 to down 24-3. Love regularly makes spectacular plays. He must eliminate the dreadful ones.

The Colts have bungled their quarterback situation

When a coach benches a young quarterback 10 starts into his NFL career and says the veteran backup gives the team “the best chance to win,” games like Sunday night’s loss against the Minnesota Vikings erode trust and confidence in that coach. Shane Steichen, frankly, will have to account for how poorly the Indianapolis Colts' offense looked with Joe Flacco – albeit against a very good Vikings defense.

Flacco was inaccurate and passed up checkdowns in favor of lower-percentage throws down the field. His lack of mobility handcuffed the Colts offense, while Anthony Richardson would have been able to escape and create outside of the pocket. Flacco is 39. The reality is the Colts don’t have a roster capable of contending for a conference title, and this feels like a massive waste of time.

This story has been updated with new information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL winners, losers of Week 9: Joe Flacco proves Colts botched QB call