NFL Week 9 winners and losers

Week 9 winners

Ben Roethlisberger: No quarterback in the NFL is hotter — his 12 TD passes over a two-game span are a league record. Big Ben also stood tall, per usual, against a brutal Ravens pass rush Sunday night.

Cardinals defense: It hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher all season, and the victims now include Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray, who managed just 79 yards on the ground after topping the century mark eight consecutive times, a record to start a season.

Beast Mode: Marshawn Lynch was the Seahawks' leading rusher (67 yards) and receiver (76 yards) and scored twice in a 30-24 victory against the Raiders. Whether he's gearing up for a playoff surge, ratcheting up his value if Seattle decides to cut him loose after the season or both, Lynch definitely looks like a player with plenty left to prove.

Foxborough, Mass.: There's a reason Peyton Manning bellows "Omaha" instead of "Foxborough" when he audibles. The five-time MVP is now 2-11 in the home of the Patriots, struggling whether he's pitted against Tom Brady or Drew Bledsoe or playing at either Gillette Stadium or old Foxboro Stadium.

Patriots defense: Naturally, there's a reason Manning can't muster his MVP best in New England. The Patriots denied the Broncos eight times on 11 third-down attempts and turned Denver away all four times it went for it on fourth down. Manning was picked off twice, and the running game managed all of 43 yards. Not nearly good enough with Brady hanging four TD passes on a supposedly improved Denver secondary.

Jeremy Maclin: Pay him. The Eagles wideout has 18 catches for 343 yards and four scores over the past two games. Coming off ACL reconstruction, he's playing on a one-year, prove-it deal. Seems he's answered all the questions about his knee and ability to be a No. 1 receiver in Chip Kelly's offense. Now the meter is running.

Justin Houston: Pay him, too. The Chiefs linebacker added two more sacks Sunday and tops the NFL charts with 12 (his previous career high was 11). The longer he keeps this up and continues to play without an extension, the closer the price tag for his next contract will approach nine figures.

St. Louis defense: The Rams and their vaunted D-line entered Sunday's game with just six sacks. But they dropped 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick eight times — he also fumbled twice, including a decisive mistake on third-and-goal from the Rams' 1-yard line with 2 seconds to go — and limited San Francisco to a season-low 263 yards in a 13-10 upset that may resonate as a mortal blow to the playoff hopes of the Niners, who dropped to 4-4.

Jeremy Hill: Without the rookie running back's 154 rushing yards and pair of TDs — he was the featured back in place of injured Giovani Bernard — the Bengals probably don't overcome a game Jacksonville team on a day when QB Andy Dalton struggled.

Matt Asiata: The third-year Vikings tailback has nine career rushing TDs, clustering three apiece in three separate games. The latest trio came against Washington — and Asiata only ran for 26 yards — and Minnesota needed all three while squeaking by 29-26.

VIDEO: Week 9 around the NFL

Week 9 losers

NFC East's top guns: The division seemed headed for a juicy finish with the Eagles and Cowboys both apparent playoff contenders. But circumstances are growing increasingly murky with backup QBs Mark Sanchez (Philadelphia) and Brandon Weeden (Dallas) at the controls for the immediate future. Sanchez played well enough in relief of injured Nick Foles to lead the Eagles into first place but did throw two more interceptions. However Weeden looked ineffective enough that the Cowboys are flying Tony Romo and his busted back with them to London this week, apparently prepared to start him against the 1-8 Jags.

Cowboys depth chart: Jerry Jones and Co. look remiss for not finding a way to keep former backup QB Kyle Orton, who's 3-1 for the Bills this season, rather than relying on Weeden, whose record as a starter dipped to 5-16 after Sunday's loss.

Terrell Suggs: Diving into the back of LeGarrette Blount's legs when his progress is stopped, and he's engaged by multiple Ravens defenders? Not a good look for your brand, Sizzle. But neither was Baltimore's defensive showing as a whole.

Jets offense: No team is more inept passing the ball, so the Jets would probably take a mulligan on their decision to cut Sanchez if given the option. Instead, they watched Michael Vick guide the offense nowhere in his first start for New York (Geno Smith was in street clothes), and the Jets now possess an eight-game losing streak.

Jay Gruden: The coach provided ammo to critics who contended the Redskins should stick with hot QB Colt McCoy rather than start rusty Robert Griffin III before a bye week. RG3 was OK (251 pass yards) considering he hadn't played in nearly two months. But his recovering ankle didn't help him evade five sacks, and 10 of his 28 passes fell incomplete, including an ugly one-hopper to open Pierre Garcon on fourth-and-6 as Washington was driving for a potential game-tying field goal in the fourth quarter. In the previous two games, McCoy had connected on 36 of 42 throws (85.7%).

Philip Rivers' MVP bid: Three weeks ago, he was riding high, posting a passer rating above 120 in a record five consecutive starts (all San Diego wins). Since? Rivers and the Bolts have been in the gutter, going 0-3 after a 37-0 debacle in Miami where he committed four turnovers (3 INTs, fumble) and was sacked three times. Rivers has been picked off six times in the ongoing losing streak, and the Chargers (5-4) are now outside the AFC playoff field.

Raiders: They're officially halfway to the NFL's second 0-16 season. The only team currently on the remainder of Oakland's schedule that sits below .500 is the Rams (3-5), who will host the Raiders in four weeks.