Biggest Surprises from NFL Week 9

Week 9 has brought about plenty of interesting happenings around the NFL. A number of games came down to the wire, there were a few upsets, and some big-time individual performances from unlikely candidates.

Now that the season is past the midway point, the true colors of teams and players are beginning to appear. As the postseason creeps into the picture, the competition will surely continue to intensify.

As we all know, anything can happen on any given Sunday, and Week 9 was no exception. Let's take a look around the league and highlight some unexpected results. 

The Return of CJ2K?

Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Johnson's 2,004-yard performance in 2009 seems like ancient history. Although the running back has posted 1,000-plus-yard seasons over the past three years, he has seemed to lack the spark he once had.

On Sunday, Johnson appeared to be in top form. He put his team on his back and rushed 23 times for 150 yards while averaging 6.5 yards per carry and scoring twice. Johnson added three receptions for 20 yards on top of those impressive totals.

Johnson looked to have the bounce in his step that many fans and pundits thought was long gone.

The 4-4 Titans are certainly in the mix for a playoff berth after defeating the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. This could be a team that is very relevant come January if Johnson can keep it up on the ground.

Jets Bring Down the Saints

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY

After a demoralizing 49-9 defeat at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals just one week ago, the New York Jets were able to right the ship in a big way. Geno Smith and Co. were able to take down Drew Brees and the high-flying New Orleans Saints by a score of 26-20 on Sunday.

The most impressive aspect of this victory is that it was a complete team effort. Smith was not asked to do much, as the Jets were able to dominate on the ground. However, the rookie quarterback did not turn the ball over at all throughout the contest—something he has struggled with this season.

Speaking of the ground attack, former Saint Chris Ivory led the way with 18 carries for 139 yards—an impressive yard-per-carry average of 7.7—and one touchdown.

The Jets defense was able to pick off Brees twice over the contest and provided enough of a pass rush to hinder the quarterback's level of efficiency.

If New York can continue in this fashion and prove that last week was a fluke, this 5-4 team could find themselves playing after the regular season ends.

Will the Real Nick Foles Please Stand Up?

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Foles has shown flashes of his ability in the past—just not of this magnitude. Foles completed 22 of 28 passes for 406 yards and seven touchdowns, which ties the NFL single-game record, for a perfect 158.3 passer rating. His seven touchdowns allowed the Philadelphia Eagles to rout the Oakland Raiders to the tune of 49-20.

What a performance.

Granted, the Raiders don't exactly provide the stiffest competition; however, this type of performance does not come around often.

Against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 7, Foles had a terrible performance. During that game, he completed just 11 of 29 passes for 80 yards and zero scores. This type of up-and-down play from Foles certainly shows that he has the talent; he just needs to become more consistent.

All of this leads to one question: Which Nick Foles will we see next week?

Who Is Mike James?

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

There hasn't been too much to be excited about for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season. Head coach Greg Schiano appears to have begun to lose the locker room, there was a changing of the guard at the quarterback position, and running back Doug Martin remains hampered by injury.

Enter Mike James.

Tampa Bay decided to take a stab at James and took him in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL draft. As it turns out, that may end up being one of the best moves they made after James' performance on Sunday.

The rookie rushed 28 times for 158 yards and caught two passes for eight yards on the day. James even completed a two-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tom Crabtree. It looks as though this 22-year-old can do it all.

Tampa Bay looked to have a much more balanced offensive attack with James on the field. His great performance on Sunday could warrant a timeshare in the backfield once Martin returns from injury.

Seahawks Looking a Bit Shaky

Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

The 8-1 Seattle Seahawks are still a top-tier team—they had high expectations coming into the 2013 season, and their record validates that they are very much on the right track. However, the quality of their wins have significantly dropped off lately.

After squeaking out a victory against the 3-6 Rams in Week 8, the Seahawks continued to play less-than-inspiring football in Week 9 against the Buccaneers.

Seattle did manage to get another win; however, the 0-8 Buccaneers were able to take them into overtime. Being that this game was also played in Seattle, that type of nail-biter was completely unexpected.

The Seahawks defense was unable to contain two rookies leading the Buccaneers offense. Quarterback Mike Glennon finished the game with a 123.1 passer rating, and running back Mike James rushed for 158 yards.

Seattle must buckle down and avoid losing to weaker competition going forward, or their hopes of gaining home-field advantage throughout the playoffs could go up in smoke.

Falcons Look Lost as Matt Ryan Throws Three Picks

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

This is quickly becoming a season to forget for the Atlanta Falcons. This injury-plagued team has taken a nosedive this season and now holds a dismal 2-6 record. On Sunday, Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers gashed the Falcons by a score of 34-10.

The Falcons' defensive struggles have been well documented this season; however, it is now the offense that is contributing to their losses.

Matt Ryan had another miserable performance on Sunday, as he completed 20 of his 27 attempts for for 219 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions for a passer rating of 70.4. Ryan has now thrown seven interceptions over the past two weeks. 

Missing star wide receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones did not help Ryan's cause, but the struggles of the Falcons continue to come in dramatic and unexpected proportions each week.

Marquise Goodwin Continues to Shine

Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Spor

Rookie wide receiver Marquise Goodwin has been given a chance in Buffalo and is living up to his expectations as a 2013 third-round selection.

The Buffalo Bills don't have much hope with rookie quarterback Jeff Tuel at the helm. Tuel continues to falter and finished Sunday's performance against the Kansas City Chiefs with a 52.2 passer rating. Despite Tuel's struggles, Goodwin has still been able to take advantage.

Goodwin caught two passes for 64 yards and a touchdown against a very good Chiefs secondary on Sunday. A 59-yard touchdown reception was easily the highlight of the game for this Bills team. Goodwin now has 50-plus receiving yards in three of the five games he played in this season.

Even though the present looks bleak for Buffalo, there is enough young talent on this team to warrant the thought of a very bright future.

Cleveland Upsets Baltimore on Arm of Jason Campbell

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Browns now hold a 4-5 record and have claimed the second spot in the AFC North after defeating the 3-5 Baltimore Ravens by a score of 24-18 on Sunday. The Browns have come on strong over the past several weeks and have been one of the most surprising stories in the NFL this season.

The Browns continued their surprising trend in Week 9, mainly due to the impressive play of quarterback Jason Campbell.

Campbell was very efficient and completed 23 of 35 passing attempts for 262 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions for a passer rating of 116.6. He also rushed three times for 20 yards.

Easily the best option at the quarterback position going forward, Campbell has delivered two straight performances in which he tallied a 100-plus passer rating. If he keeps up this fantastic play, these types of performances from Campbell will no longer be viewed as surprising in the near future.

Case Keenum Impresses

Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

Second-year quarterback Case Keenum may have been the biggest surprise of the week. He fared well in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs; however, his monster performance against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night was purely impressive.

In just his second-career start, Keenum started off with a bang. He completed touchdown passes of 62 and 41 yards to wide receiver Andre Johnson in the first quarter alone. Keenum ended up throwing three touchdowns to Johnson on the game.

Keenum remained consistent and composed throughout the contest and relied on his precision passes and good decisions to play smart football and avoid turnovers. He finished the game completing 20 of his 34 pass attempts for 350 yards and three touchdowns for a passer rating of 123.4.

Despite ultimately losing the game, Keenum's performance should certainly solidify him as the starter for the foreseeable future.

It appears as though the Case Keenum era has begun.