NFL Week 9: What's at Stake for Teams, Players This Weekend?

The NFL landscape is ever-evolving on a weekly basis. How your team is viewed is directly tied to the previous week. That puts a big emphasis on what’s at stake for teams and players every game.

Some games are decided directly by particular matchups. The better, more talented team doesn’t always win because of the importance of style and the ability to adjust. But that is often overlooked because winning is really what matters in the big picture.

For teams that have started slowly out of the gate, there’s not much time to turn things around. Unless, of course, if the entire division has struggled. The AFC South and NFC East come to mind immediately, but those teams need the wheels to start turning, or else they won’t peak at the right time of the season.

We’ve highlighted six key storylines on the following slides that will determine whether or not these teams will be successful in Week 9. Several critical divisional matchups could put certain franchises at great risk of being eliminated from the playoffs earlier than imagined. That doesn’t mean Week 9’s results will end a season, but they could set up particular teams for a big hill to climb.

Carolina Panthers: Stand Your Ground Against a Top Opponent

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There’s no doubt that the Carolina Panthers are one of the best surprises of the 2015 season. Going back to 2014, Carolina has now won 11 straight games. The team's patience with head coach Ron Rivera and his staff has paid off.

Although quarterback Cam Newton has pedestrian statistics, he’s been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL this season. He’s been more consistent and timely with his big plays. He’s also been maximized a group of below-average playmakers as much as one player can.

Week 9 brings their toughest foe yet. The Green Bay Packers come to Carolina as a team struggling on offense. If the Panthers defense can suffocate the Packers offense, they’ll be right in this game and possibly win.

If the Panthers move to 8-0, the NFL will officially be on notice that they are for real.

Rex Ryan: Losing Is Not an Option

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Winning at home against divisional opponents is a main ingredient featured in a playoff push recipe. The Buffalo Bills must execute this week against the Miami Dolphins, or they’ll lose their tiebreaker advantage over Miami. Head coach Rex Ryan’s honeymoon period is over in Buffalo, and this fanbase expects results.

Buffalo’s defense has fallen off in recent weeks. Be assured this team feels the need to atone for its failures the last two games played. The Bills allowed 34 points in each of their last two games.

Coming off the bye week, Buffalo should be sharp and play to its strengths. Miami is also going to be desperate since it's 3-4 on the season. Buffalo must make a statement and stay relevant, which will take a win and nothing less.

Todd Gurley: Prove He’s the Best Back on the Field

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In case you needed a reminder that Todd Gurley is already a great player, look no farther than this next sentence. Gurley has amassed the fifth-most rushing yards of any back, but it’s taken him just 94 carries. His 6.1 yards-per-carry average leads the NFL.

His impact on the Rams cannot be overstated. He’s immediately boosted an offense that is struggling to find quality play from its quarterback. The Rams are 4-3 right now in large part to Gurley’s emergence.

The man who many compared Gurley to will be on the same field on Sunday afternoon. Adrian Peterson is still among the NFL’s finest, but Gurley must be the better back this week. While Gurley must bear the burden of his offense, the Vikings have a stud quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater to complement Peterson.

How each back fares will be fascinating. Each defense is stout up front and will challenge its opponent with athleticism. This will be a battle won in the trenches.

Oakland Raiders: Don’t Lose the Wild Card

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Don’t look now, but the Oakland Raiders are in line to make the playoffs. After years of slowly building and tinkering, this Raiders roster looks legitimate. Their offense has seen a dramatic improvement under Bill Musgrave.

Musgrave has maximized quarterback Derek Carr and his weapons. Instead of going vertical, Musgrave has Carr getting the ball into his playmakers' hands. This has tremendously helped this offense move the chains and increase scoring.

At 4-3, the Raiders are in prime wild-card territory. A win against the Pittsburgh Steelers is crucial, though. The Steelers are 4-4, but they're also getting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger healthy.

The more separation from Pittsburgh, the harder it’ll be for any other team to catch up. Watch for the Raiders to pin their ears back and hit the Steelers hard and fast.

Andrew Luck: Prove You’re Healthy

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Coming off another ugly performance, the Indianapolis Colts say that Andrew Luck is fully participating in practice. Luck threw three interceptions last week. More importantly, Luck was laboring on every throw, often throwing behind and high when he missed.

The Colts’ struggles are not all on Luck. Their offensive line is poor, and their receivers have disappointed. Still, all eyes will be watching how Luck looks, even if he is far from the only reason this Colts team is reeling. 

The firing of offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton will be an interesting storyline, too. Hamilton's game plans and situational personnel usage were certainly head-scratching. We'll see if Rob Chudzinski fares any better. 

There’s no better time than now to heal up. The 7-0 Broncos enter town to continue their win streak. If Luck is healthy, the Colts have a good chance of winning. If not, it’ll be a long second half of the season for this franchise as it could fall to 3-6.

Peyton Manning: Is He Coming Back to Form?

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Maybe we just had to wake Peyton Manning up when October ended. The questions about his future and talent level had been a hot topic, but they proved irrelevant in Week 8. Manning threw for 21 completions, 340 yards and an impressive 11.72 yards-per-completion average.

If this is the Manning we will see the rest of the season, watch out. He’s struggled mightily with his weak arm, but he was able to overcome his physical limitations with his mind against the Packers. If he can once more play well, this time against the Colts, the narrative will start to change.

Even an above-average version of Manning will scare other teams. The Broncos have an elite defense and a deep group of offensive playmakers. It’s also clear this team is pushing to win now by its recent trade activity.

What we’re looking for is a repeat performance, at least in terms of presence and consistency. Manning doesn’t need to be the elite quarterback he once was, but his experience would help.

All stats used are from Sports-Reference.com.

Ian Wharton is an NFL Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. 

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