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We are already halfway through the NFL season.

And if there's one thing to take away from Week 9, it's that they've emerged as the clear favorite in the NFC.

The Detroit Lions went into a rainy Lambeau Field and dismantled the Green Bay Packers to maintain their (slim) lead over the conference's No. 1 seed. Detroit's offense plays efficiently, its defense plays hard on third downs and in the red zone, and the Lions play with intensity and physicality.

Elsewhere around the league, the Baltimore Ravens are rebounding, the Los Angeles Rams are recovering, 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.

WINNER

The Lions are establishing themselves as a team to beat in the NFC

Detroit left no doubt. With the San Francisco 49ers faltering at times this year, this total victory over the Green Bay Packers (6-3) – a 24-14 victory – established the Lions as a clear team to beat in the NFC applies. Yes, the Washington Commanders (7-2) were a revelation and a beautiful story. Yes, the Atlanta Falcons (6-3), Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) and Minnesota Vikings (6-2) remain. But no team was more complete and balanced – and that's true across the NFL, including the Kansas City Chiefs (7-0) – than the Lions (7-1).

Over the last six games, Jared Goff has thrown just 22 incompletions, an astonishing feat (he also has 106 completions and 13 touchdowns in that span). Detroit also runs the ball exceptionally well. His defense limited the Packers to 3 of 12 (25%) conversions on third downs and 1 of 4 in the red zone. A year after a trip to the NFC championship game, Detroit looks like a team with its sights set on the Super Bowl.

The Rams are working their way up in the playoffs

Four weeks ago, the Rams were 1-4, their top two receivers were ailing and their season seemed in jeopardy. Health changes things. Cooper Kupp and Puka Pacua brought the playmaking back to the offense and the Rams (4-4) have won three straight after edging out the Seattle Seahawks with a 26-20 overtime victory.

Most importantly, Los Angeles is ranked 10th in the NFC playoff picture. After Week 5, the Rams were No. 15, ahead of only the Carolina Panthers. In their win over 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 ever-steady Kyren Williams, Nacua (who was ejected from the field on Sunday for a punch), Kupp and a young defense, the Rams could stay under the radar in the second half of the season.

The Ravens are recovering and getting back to form

A disappointing loss last week to the Cleveland Browns didn't result in negative momentum for Baltimore, which has returned to its identity: efficiency in the passing game and dominance on the floor.

Against Cleveland, quarterback Lamar Jackson fell 43 times and Baltimore scored just 21 runs. In Sunday's 41-10 win over the Denver Broncos, Jackson had 22 dropbacks and the Ravens made it 34 times. Jackson had as many incompletions (three) as passing touchdowns and posted a perfect pass rating of 158.3. The Ravens (6-3) also had their best defensive game since a Week 4 win over the Buffalo Bills, limiting the Broncos to conversions on just one of four red zone trips. Perhaps most promising for Baltimore is that it finished the game confidently, a problem the team has had in the past; The Ravens scored the final 24 points of the game.

Jim Harbaugh has turned his back on the Chargers

You never would have guessed that Jim Harbaugh was out of the NFL for nine seasons. After winning a national championship with the Michigan Wolverines, Harbaugh immediately displayed the physicality and toughness – particularly from scrimmage – that he is known to prioritize.

It must have brought Harbaugh unfiltered joy to see running back JK Dobbins cap off a 27-10 victory over the Browns on the second-to-last possession with four runs that led to a 7-yard touchdown. Still, there are many questions surrounding Los Angeles (5-3). The quality of its wins raises doubts about whether LA can keep up with the AFC's elite teams; The combined record of the teams that have beaten the Chargers is 13-32 (.289), which is sixth-worst in the NFL. In fact, four of the five wins have come against teams that are currently 2-7.

LOSER

Stale saints destroy themselves

The Saints season began with so much optimism. They destroyed a rebuilding Panthers team and then a Dallas Cowboys squad that was thought to be an NFC contender.

Since then, New Orleans has lost seven straight games, most recently against the Panthers, who came into Sunday's game with just one win before winning 23-22. Quarterback Derek Carr (oblique) returned, but New Orleans struggled with situational football; The Saints (2-7) converted just two of four red zone trips despite entering the game tied for fifth in efficiency. Both failed attempts in the red zone occurred on the first two possessions, ruining New Orleans' chance of a fast start. Ten penalties called for 109 yards led to further self-destruction. The Saints responded Monday by firing coach Dennis Allen, who finished 18-25 (.419) in two and a half seasons.

As the season winds down, the Dolphins have only themselves to blame

In a tie game with 54 seconds left, the Miami Dolphins faced the Bills on a third-and-9 from Buffalo's own 31-yard line. Josh Allen hit a low-percentage throw down the left sideline. It was well covered and broken up. But as has been the case in Miami all season, an epic fumble – in this case the most unnecessary helmet-to-helmet foul by Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer – gave his 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 error by Raheem Mostert — his sixth in the last 16 games. It happened when the Dolphins had a four-point lead 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 great potential. This is still his second season as Green Bay's starter. But at this point, Jordan Love absolutely needs to be better at protecting the ball and making his decisions.

The 26-year-old Love is tied for the lead with nine interceptions; Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield, the two quarterbacks playing Monday night, also have nine. His one pick against the Lions was particularly devastating. Facing a seven-point deficit with 41 seconds left in the first half, Love was deep in the Packers' own territory when he was blown up on a second-and-1 and attempted a checkdown achieve. it was intercepted and returned for a touchdown, the ultimate gift. Detroit also got the ball at the start of the third quarter. This drive ended with a touchdown. Green Bay (6-3) fell from 10-3 to 24-3. Love regularly makes spectacular plays. He must eliminate the terrible ones.

The Colts screwed up their quarterback situation

When a coach benches a young quarterback early in his NFL career and says the veteran backup gives the team “the best chance to win,” games like Sunday night's loss to the Minnesota Vikings undermine confidence in that coach. Frankly, Shane Steichen has to deal with how bad the Indianapolis Colts offense looked with Joe Flacco – albeit against a very good Vikings defense.

Flacco was inaccurate and foregone checkdowns in favor of lower field percentage throws. His lack of mobility limited the Colts' offense, while Anthony Richardson would have been able to escape and create outside the pocket. Flacco is 39. The reality is that the Colts don't have a roster capable of contending for a conference title, and that feels like a huge waste of time.

This story has been updated with new information.

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