Top NFL Week 9 storylines: Lions-Packers, Broncos-Ravens and Joe Flacco to the rescue

As the NFL wraps up the first half of the season this week, the intensity has turned up a few notches.

Teams with championship aspirations are burning their phones looking for another crucial roster member before Tuesday's trade deadline. Teams mired in disappointment have begun shedding talent with an eye toward offseason rebuilding. Meanwhile, others who had a slow start are grasping at quickly fading glimmers of hope.

This week's action began on Thursday when the host New York Jets defeated the Houston Texans 21-13 after Aaron Rodgers took a second-half lead and Garrett Wilson made a miraculous touchdown catch.

Sunday has eight games at 1 p.m. ET, four more at 4 p.m., and then the Indianapolis Colts vs. Minnesota Vikings in prime time. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs on Monday evening.

Here are five of the most intriguing storylines around the league in Week 9. (See the full schedule here.)

1. Desperation is rising among the Bengals, Browns and others

Time may be running out for a handful of scheduled contenders whose early-season woes have spilled into the second quarter of the schedule, now putting these teams in holes from which there may soon be no escape.

After showing a burst of life and winning two games to rebound from a 1-4 start, the Cincinnati Bengals were beaten at home by the Philadelphia Eagles last week. At 3-5, they're hoping a date with the hapless Las Vegas Raiders will allow them to take a step back in the right direction. Joe Burrow just can't seem to get the support of a healthy arsenal or a strong defense when he needs it most. Luckily for the Bengals, who trail the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North, the Raiders are in even worse shape.

Meanwhile, division rival Cleveland is also in “live or die” mode. At 2-6, a change of season and a push into the playoffs seems like a long way off. However, Jameis Winston has taken over the quarterback position and caused a surprise at Baltimore last week. He'll try again Sunday when the Browns host the Los Angeles Chargers while seeking their first two-game winning streak of the season.

In the AFC East, Buffalo, 6-2, hosts Miami, looking to take another step toward closing out the division before the regular season even reaches its final month. However, the Dolphins have their man Tua Tagovailoa back at quarterback and they'll be hoping he can build on last week's promising performance in a heartbreaking 28-27 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Looking ahead to the 2021 season, in which the Dolphins rebounded from 1-7 to 9-8, Tagovailoa and his teammates don't want to give up hope. They believe they can position themselves for a return to the playoffs with a strong second half of the season. But without a surprise from the host Bills on Sunday, such an endeavor will prove nearly impossible.

And then there is Dallas. With a score of 3:4, the Cowboys are certainly not out of trouble mathematically. But their flaws abound, and solutions to their underperforming offense don't seem to be readily available. Their defense could get reinforcements soon, but Micah Parsons doesn't appear to be healthy enough to return this week. This week's road trip to Atlanta, where the 5-3 Falcons look to extend their lead in the NFC South, could prove to be Dallas' biggest challenge. Another loss could put Mike McCarthy's team too far behind Washington and Philadelphia in the NFC East. (All games on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.)

2. Another NFC North rumble

The best league in football gives us another high-risk duel: The Green Bay Packers host the red-hot Detroit Lions. The 6-1 Lions enter this game on an NFC-best five-game winning streak, while the 6-2 Packers have rattled off four straight wins. Detroit's high-powered offense will be a big test for Green Bay's defense, which has looked tough at times while struggling in other games. And then there's the Packers' offense, which has to keep up with Detroit's offense, which leads the NFL with 33.4 points per game. Green Bay is averaging 27.0 points per contest. However, it remains unclear whether the Packers will have Jordan Love (groin) at center or whether Matt LaFleur will have to roll with Malik Willis instead. A win here will have division and conference implications. (Lions at Packers, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET.)

3. Ravens reaction after loss

The Ravens are considered one of the best teams in the NFL, but last week they struggled against the previously defeated Browns, losing 29-24 on the road. Meanwhile, the Steelers won their third straight game and remained in first place in the AFC North, and the Chiefs improved to 7-0 and remained comfortably atop the AFC.

The Ravens need a strong rebound this week as they host an intriguing Denver Broncos team that has exceeded expectations for the first half of the season at 5-3. Baltimore is at its best when it is able to establish a strong running game and then break through in the passing attack. This season, the Ravens are 4-0 when NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry surpasses 100 yards and 1-3 when he doesn't. Denver's defense ranks seventh in the NFL against the run, holding teams to 106.4 rushing yards per game. It's also stingy against the pass, holding teams to 176.4 air yards per game (fourth-best). So the Ravens, who lead the NFL in total yards (452.1), will be tested on both fronts. Lamar Jackson and Co. rank fifth in passing (252.1), but could soon reach another level with the addition of wide receiver Diontae Johnson, whom they acquired in a trade from Carolina this week. (Broncos at Ravens, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET.)

4. Rams weighed

Don't look now, but the Los Angeles Rams — once so battered and broken that they seemed destined for a season full of disappointment — are finally bouncing back, rattling off two straight wins to improve to 3-4.

When Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua were back on the field against Minnesota last week, LA looked like a different team. Matthew Stafford tallied 279 passing yards and four touchdowns and his unit blasted Minnesota's normally dominant defense, scoring a season-high 30 points. Suddenly, the Rams have hope for a turnaround, although Nacua is questionable for Sunday after hurting his knee in practice on Thursday.

On Sunday, the Rams will be in Seattle (4:4) for the decisive NFC West showdown. Arizona (hosts Chicago) leads the NFC West with a record of 4-4. San Francisco (also 4-4) has a bye. With a win, the Rams could put themselves right in the middle of this race with nine weeks to go.

However, Seattle comes into this game with great motivation. After a tumultuous first half of the season – a three-game winning streak followed by a three-game losing streak, one win and one loss – the Seahawks remain in search of their first win in the division and would like to end their farewell with a victorious one take grade. (Rams at Seahawks, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET.)

A year after saving the Browns, Joe Flacco faces the same task with the Colts. (Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

The Colts decided to put the Anthony Richardson experiment on hold and have turned to Joe Flacco in hopes that the 39-year-old former Super Bowl MVP can help them get to the playoffs. Task No. 1: Lead 4-4 against Indianapolis and 5-2 against Minnesota on the road Sunday night.

Flacco has been in this situation before. Last season, the Browns signed him off the couch after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Flacco shook off the rust and went 4-1 as a starter while helping the Browns reach the postseason. This year, he was Richardson's backup and led the Colts to wins in two of the three games he played in (two starts) during a brief injury layoff until the fourth pick in 2023.

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The Colts believe winning now is more valuable than Anthony Richardson's future. You better win

Colts coaches and officials believe they have a roster capable of competing, but Richardson struggled greatly as a passer, completing just 44.4 percent of his passes. The Indianapolis offense had two of its better outings with Flacco as the starter, and after another poor performance from Richardson (and that controversial tap-out), coach Shane Steichen decided it was time for a change for his team A difficult stretch begins, which includes games against Minnesota, Buffalo and Detroit in three of the next four weeks.

The Colts are preparing to face a Vikings team that opened the season 5-0 before losing to the Lions and Rams in the last two weeks. Minnesota wants to get back on track and compete with Detroit and Green Bay in the NFC North. Indianapolis trails Houston in the AFC South, but if Flacco is able to withstand Minnesota's blitz-heavy defense, the Colts believe they can muster some momentum to make a similar push in the second half as the Browns did in the last season. (Colts at Vikings, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET.)

(Top photo by Josh Jacobs: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)