Biggest Stories and Best Highlights from NFL Week 9

The ninth week of the NFL regular season got off to a devastating start when Houston Texans rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson, who accounted for 21 touchdowns in just six-and-a-half games, suffered a torn ACL in practice Thursday.

Injuries to key players have been an unfortunate NFL storyline, as the list of those lost for the season includes Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, New York Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr. and Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, among many others.

Sunday's games kept the unorthodox storylines coming, as two games featured notable fights and ejections from unexpected stars and lopsided blowouts as parity once again flexed its muscles across the league.

Here's a look at the biggest stories and best highlights of Week 9.

Plays of the Day

Known for explosive plays, Kansas City Chiefs wideout Tyreek Hill made this jaw-dropping play to end the first half look easy, hesitating before picking his moment to strike:

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara took a short pass from quarterback Drew Brees and used some great blocking and elusive moves for a 33-yard score, one of his two touchdowns on the day:

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Robert Woods converted a 3rd-and-33 after catching a screen pass from quarterback Jared Goff and taking it to the house for a 52-yard touchdown against the New York Giants:

Scott Kacsmar of Football Outsiders provided this remarkable statistic: "1999 Vikings converted a 3rd-and-37 vs. Broncos. Leroy Hoard with a 53-yard run."

Even without star tight end Zach Ertz, the Philadelphia Eagles offense dominated in the first half against the Denver Broncos.

Backup tight end Trey Burton filled in for Ertz and caught a 27-yard touchdown pass down the sideline. Burton used his legs to help control the ball before landing out of bounds:

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton did his best Superman impersonation as he dove for the goal line on a nine-yard touchdown run:

Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys had a similar play with the same result: 

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton had a monster day, which included this 80-yard touchdown catch:

The score went to an official review to determine whether Hilton was touched by a Houston Texans defender after falling down, but the referees stuck with the ruling on the field.

Star Jacksonville Jaguars Running Back Leonard Fournette Out Due to Rules Violation

The Jacksonville Jaguars offense took a big hit Sunday morning when head coach Doug Marrone revealed that running back Leonard Fournette would not be playing against the Cincinnati Bengals due to an undisclosed rules violation:

Field Yates of ESPN reported some further details:

The rookie running back has rushed for 99.3 yards per game this season, which leads the NFL. 

Chris Ivory started in Fournette's place.

Fights Take Place in Several Games

Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green and Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey got into a fight in the second quarter, leading to both being ejected from the game:

"

After Jalen Ramsey shoves A.J. Green, Green puts him in a chokehold and punches him in the helmet. Both tossed. pic.twitter.com/tGBGg1t8Fg

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 5, 2017"

The Saints and Buccaneers were involved in a fight in the third quarter. Mike Triplett of ESPN.com provided the details:

No player was ejected after the scuffle.

Another fight broke out in the fourth quarter of an NFC West rivalry game between the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers when the latter was subjected to a late hit and the team retaliated. Carlos Hyde of the 49ers was ejected, as were Haason Reddick and Frostee Rucker of the Cardinals. 

Notable Player Performances

New Orleans Saints rookie running back Alvin Kamara helped fans forget about the brief Adrian Peterson era by rushing 16 times for 77 yards and a score and adding six catches for 84 yards and a score in a 30-10 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

In a quarterback battle between young and old, second-year Los Angeles Rams signal-caller Jared Goff got the better of veteran Giant Eli Manning, as he tossed four touchdowns in a Rams blowout. Manning threw two touchdown passes in the loss in addition to becoming the seventh quarterback in NFL history to reach 50,000 passing yards. 

Speaking of big games from quarterbacks, Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles tossed four scores in a 51-23 rout of the Denver Broncos. 

Perhaps the biggest non-quarterback outburst of the early kickoffs went to Indianapolis Colts wideout T.Y. Hilton, who reeled in five of his nine targets for 175 yards and two touchdowns. 

In the late games, Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald shined while catching five passes for 70 yards, moving him into sixth place on the all-time receiving yards list. Teammate Adrian Peterson racked up 159 yards on 37 carries (a career high), moving him into 15th place on the all-time rushing list. 

Elsewhere, Seattle Seahawks wideout Doug Baldwin put up 108 yards on seven catches, reeling in the go-ahead touchdown against the Washington Redskins with less than two minutes left. It looked to be the game-winning score before the Redskins drove 70 yards in 35 seconds to stun the home crowd.

Game of the Week

Two offensive juggernauts clashed in Texas when the Kansas City Chiefs headed south to face the Dallas Cowboys and came up lame in a 28-17 Dallas win. 

The Chiefs entered the game ranked second in both pass and run offense, per Football Outsiders, and they were first in points scored (236). The unit had trouble living up to the hype, totaling 323 yards and managing just two touchdown passes from Alex Smith. 

Dallas turned it on when it mattered most, scoring its final three touchdowns on 82-, 75- and 87-yard drives. Dak Prescott threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns while Ezekiel Elliott bruised his way to 93 yards and a score. 

With the win, the Cowboys move to 5-3 after three straight victories. The two would-be contenders are heading in opposite directions entering Week 10, as the Chiefs fall to 6-3, losers of three of their last four. 

Injury Report

Buccaneers defensive lineman William Gholston suffered a frightening injury in the third quarter of his game against the Saints and had to be immobilized and carted off the field.

The Bucs confirmed that it was a neck injury, per Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times:

Thankfully, Gholston was able to move his extremities as medical personnel helped him off the field.

Jameis Winston, who has been dealing with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder, left his game with the Saints due to injury, per Adam Schefter of ESPN:

Still to Come

The Sunday Night Football matchup will be between the Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins, two teams that made the playoffs last year but face an uphill climb to return to the postseason.

The Dolphins get starting quarterback Jay Cutler and wide receiver DeVante Parker back from injuries, but the Raiders will be missing three cornerbacks.