We’re already at the halfway point of the NFL season.

And if there’s one takeaway from Week 9, it’s that the clear favorite in the NFC has emerged.

The Detroit Lions went into a rainy Lambeau Field and dismantled the Green Bay Packers to retain their (slim) hold on the No. 1 seed in the conference. Detroit’s offense is playing efficiently, its defense is clamping down on third downs and in the red zone and the Lions are playing with intensity and physicality.

Elsewhere in the league, the Baltimore Ravens bounced back, the Los Angeles Rams are surging, 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.

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WINNERS

Lions establish themselves as team to beat in NFC

Detroit left no doubt. As the San Francisco 49ers have sputtered at times this year, this total takedown of the Green Bay Packers (6-3) – a 24-14 win – established the Lions as the clear team to beat in the NFC. Yes, the Washington Commanders (7-2) have been a revelation and a nice story. Yes, the Atlanta Falcons (6-3), Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) and Minnesota Vikings (6-2) are lingering. But no team has been more complete, more balanced – and that goes for the entire NFL, including the Kansas City Chiefs (7-0) – than the Lions (7-1).

Over the last six games, Jared Goff has thrown only 22 incompletions – a staggering mark of efficiency (he also has 106 completions and 13 touchdowns in that span). Detroit also runs the ball exceptionally well. Its defense limited the Packers to 3-of-12 (25%) conversions on third downs and 1-of-4 in the red zone. One year after a trip to the NFC championship game, Detroit looks like a team with sights on the Super Bowl.

Rams work their way up the playoff picture

Four weeks ago, the Rams were 1-4, their top two receivers were banged up and their season appeared on the brink. Health changes things. Cooper Kupp and Puka Pacua have infused playmaking back into the offense and the Rams (4-4) have won three in a row after escaping the Seattle Seahawks with a 26-20 overtime victory.

Most importantly, Los Angeles is sitting in the No. 10 seed in the NFC playoff picture. After Week 5, the Rams were No. 15, above only the Carolina Panthers. In their win against 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 consistently steady Kyren Williams, Nacua (ejected Sunday for throwing a punch), Kupp and a young defense, the Rams could fly under the radar in the second half of the season.

Ravens bounce back, return to form

A disappointing loss last week against the Cleveland Browns didn’t compound into negative momentum for Baltimore, which returned to its identity: efficiency in the passing game and dominance on the ground.

Against Cleveland, quarterback Lamar Jackson dropped back 43 times and Baltimore recorded just 21 carries. In Sunday’s 41-10 blowout of the Denver Broncos, Jackson had 22 dropbacks and the Ravens ran it 34 times. Jackson had as many incompletions (three) as passing touchdowns and posted a perfect passing rating of 158.3. The Ravens (6-3) also had their best defensive game since a Week 4 win against the Buffalo Bills, limiting the Broncos to conversions on only one of four red zone trips. Perhaps most promising for Baltimore is that it closed the game with authority, an issue the team has had in the past; the Ravens scored the game’s final 24 points.

Jim Harbaugh has turned the Chargers around

You would’ve never guessed that Jim Harbaugh had been out of the NFL for nine seasons. Harbaugh, after winning a national championship with the Michigan Wolverines, has immediately installed the physicality and toughness – particularly along the lines of scrimmage – he has been known to prioritize.

It must’ve given Harbaugh unfiltered joy to see running back J.K. Dobbins close out a 27-10 win over the Browns on the second-to-last possession with four carries that led to a 7-yard touchdown. Still, there are plenty of questions surrounding Los Angeles (5-3). Namely, the quality of its victories casts doubt about whether L.A. can compete with the elite teams in the AFC; the combined record of teams the Chargers have beaten is 13-32 (.289), which is sixth-worst in the NFL. In fact, four of the five victories have come against teams currently 2-7.

LOSERS

Stale Saints self-destruct

The Saints’ season started with so much optimism. They destroyed a rebuilding Panthers team and then a Dallas Cowboys squad thought to be a contender in the NFC.

New Orleans has since lost seven consecutive games, the most recent against those Panthers, who entered Sunday with just one victory before emerging with a 23-22 win. Quarterback Derek Carr (oblique) returned, but New Orleans struggled in situational football; the Saints (2-7) converted just two of four red zone trips despite coming into the game tied for fifth in efficiency. Both failed red zone attempts happened on the first two possessions, negating New Orleans’ chance for a fast start. Ten enforced penalties for 109 yards led to further self-destruction. The Saints responded Monday by firing coach Dennis Allen, who finished18-25 (.419) in two and a half seasons.

As season slips away, Dolphins have only themselves to blame

In a tie game with 54 seconds left, the Miami Dolphins had the Bills facing a third-and-9 from Buffalo’s own 31-yard line. Josh Allen heaved a low-percentage deep toss down the left sideline. It was well covered and broken up. But, as Miami has done all season, an epic blunder – in this case the most unnecessary helmet-to-helmet personal foul by Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer – gave its 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 Raheem Mostert fumble – his sixth in the last 16 games. It happened when the Dolphins were driving and up four points ,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 immense promise. It’s still his second season as Green Bay’s starter. But, by this point, Jordan Love absolutely needs to be better about protecting the ball and decisions he makes.

Love, 26, is tied for the league lead with nine interceptions; Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield, the two quarterbacks who play Monday night, also have nine. His lone pick against the Lions was particularly devastating. Facing a seven-point deficit with 41 seconds left in the first half, deep in the Packers’ own territory, Love was flushed right on a second-and-1 and tried to soft-toss a checkdown; it was intercepted and returned for a touchdown, an ultimate gift. Detroit also got the ball to start the third quarter. That drive went for a touchdown. Green Bay (6-3) went from down 10-3 to down 24-3. Love regularly makes spectacular plays. He must eliminate the dreadful ones.

The Colts have bungled their quarterback situation

When a coach benches a young quarterback 10 starts into his NFL career and says the veteran backup gives the team “the best chance to win,” games like Sunday night’s loss against the Minnesota Vikings erode trust and confidence in that coach. Shane Steichen, frankly, will have to account for how poorly the Indianapolis Colts’ offense looked with Joe Flacco – albeit against a very good Vikings defense.

Flacco was inaccurate and passed up checkdowns in favor of lower-percentage throws down the field. His lack of mobility handcuffed the Colts offense, while Anthony Richardson would have been able to escape and create outside of the pocket. Flacco is 39. The reality is the Colts don’t have a roster capable of contending for a conference title, and this feels like a massive waste of time.

This story has been updated with new information.

San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Mitch Johnson will assume interim coaching duties indefinitely, as coach Gregg Popovich recovers from an undisclosed health issue suffered Saturday before a 113-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

‘He’s not feeling well,’ Johnson said of Popovich before the Timberwolves game. ‘This has happened before. I think everybody’s just always got to be ready for the next man up. We’ve had it with injuries and sometimes people get sick or don’t feel well or things come up in life. He’s just not feeling well.’

Johnson will serve as interim for at least the next two games.

Here’s everything you need to know about Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson:

Who is Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson?

Mitch Johnson, 39, has served under Popovich since 2019, when he joined the Spurs staff as an assistant, and is considered one of the NBA’s top young assistant coaches.

All things Spurs: Latest San Antonio Spurs news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

This will mark the third time Johnson steps in as San Antonio’s interim coach. The first came in May 2021, when Popovich attended the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction of former Spurs great Tim Duncan; Johnson and San Antonio lost that game, 140-103. The second time was in March 2023 when Popovich missed one game with a non-COVID-19 illness; Johnson earned his first career coaching victory then, 110-99, over the Pacers. Popovich returned the following game.

Previously, Johnson had been with the organization’s G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs; from 2016 through 2019, he was an assistant under coaches Ken McDonald and Blake Ahearn.

Johnson played four seasons of D-I basketball at Stanford from 2005 through 2009, averaging 5.3 points, 4.1 assists and 3 rebounds per game. Johnson helped lead the Cardinal to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2008. After his college playing career, Johnson had a brief stint in the G League with the Tulsa 66ers.

Johnson is the son of former two-time NBA All-Star John Johnson.

How long will Gregg Popovich be out for the Spurs?

That remains unclear. The Spurs said Popovich will be out at least for San Antonio’s two-game road trip that starts Monday with a game in Los Angeles against the Clippers and ends Wednesday at the Houston Rockets.

Popovich, 75, missed Saturday’s game against the Timberwolves because of an undisclosed illness. ESPN reported that Popovich suffered a health issue prior to the game.

Popovich is the NBA’s all-time winningest coach with 1,391 victories. He has also won five NBA Finals.

What will Mitch Johnson need to do while interim coach of the Spurs?

Essentially, Johnson will try to maintain the system and culture Popovich has built over his nearly three decades as the Spurs coach. The Spurs, sitting at 3-3, remain a young roster with phenom Victor Wembanyama as the centerpiece. In his second season, Wembanyama is averaging 18 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3 blocks per game. Continuing to develop Wembanyama is the priority.

Veteran point guard Chris Paul has brought stability and play making to the position, and forwards Jeremy Sochan, 21, and Keldon Johnson, 25, have become bright spots on the roster.

What have the Spurs said about Mitch Johnson?

After San Antonio’s victory over Minnesota, Paul complimented the job Johnson did as interim coach.

‘Mitch did a great job, man,’ Paul said. ‘I think our whole coaching staff did. Things happen in this league all the time, and just like with the players, it’s next man up. So, shoutout to Mitch; he did a great job tonight.”

Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid, out with an ankle injury, took part in an optional skate Monday one week after he was hurt on his first shift of a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

‘It feels pretty good,’ he told reporters. ‘Not really too much limiting me on the ice.’

McDavid was tripped on an uncalled penalty during the first period as he entered the Blue Jackets’ zone in a 6-1 loss and slid into the boards. McDavid got up and skated slowly to the Oilers’ bench, holding up his left leg.

The Oilers said Wednesday that he would be out two to three weeks. McDavid said he considers himself day-to-day.

McDavid is a three-time league MVP and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after the Oilers lost to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

He has 10 points in 10 games this season.

How long will Connor McDavid be out?

The team’s initial prognosis was McDavid would miss two to three weeks. He indicated he was taking it day by day and would see how the ankle reacts to the skating he did on Monday.

‘I’m always wanting to play,’ he said. ‘I’ve always wanted to be out there with the guys.’

Coach Kris Knoblauch said of McDavid’s status: ‘Hopefully, it’s sooner after we originally thought, but tonight, no. Day-to-day, maybe a week. We’ll see.’

The Oilers also have games this week on Wednesday and Saturday.

How have the Oilers fared without Connor McDavid?

The Oilers lost 6-1 to the Blue Jackets but have won their last two games. After a slow start to the season, the Oilers sit in a wild-card spot and are one game above .500 heading into Monday’s game against the New Jersey Devils.

Leon Draisaitl has totaled three goals and six points in those two games.

‘He’s such a great player and he doesn’t get enough credit,’ McDavid said of his teammate.

This story has been updated with new information.

The New Orleans Saints are making a substantial move after losing their second straight game.

The team is firing head coach Dennis Allen after an NFL-worst seven-game losing streak sent the team to a 2-7 start.

Assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi was named the interim head coach.

‘DA has never offered excuses, he fought each day for this organization and this team and that is what makes today disappointing,’ Loomis said in a statement. ‘Dennis has been an integral part of this organization’s success for the better part of twenty years. He will be missed.’

All things Saints: Latest New Orleans Saints news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Allen becomes the second NFL coach to be fired during the season after the New York Jets dismissed Robert Saleh in October.

Allen, who was in his third year with the Saints, finishes with an 18-25 record with the organization. He is 26-53 overall in his career after leading the then-Oakland Raiders in 2012-14.

After serving as a defensive assistant for the organization for 12 years over the course of two separate stints, Allen took over the Saints’ top job in 2022 following longtime coach Sean Payton’s departure. While the team missed the playoffs in his first two seasons, the front office remained committed to keeping the core of the roster in place, pushing salary-cap issues down the road to hold onto key veterans.

After scoring a combined 91 points under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak en route to a 2-0 opening, New Orleans was sent reeling with its ongoing skid. On Sunday, the Saints fell 23-22 to the Carolina Panthers, who previously had just one win and lost to New Orleans in 47-10 in the opener.

This story has been updated with new information.

James Franklin’s brand is quite established at this point in his career, and part of that brand is Penn State turtling up vs. Ohio State.
Big 12 becomes more in danger of qualifying only one team for CFP bracket.
Oregon, Ohio State battle for frontrunner status while Georgia wobbles.

Never change, James Franklin.

He won’t.

Penn State’s coach lost for the 10th time in 11 tries against Ohio State on Saturday courtesy of another Franklin offense that turtled up in the pressure moments. As Franklin exited the field in Happy Valley after a 20-13 loss, he got into a brief verbal spat with a heckling fan.

All in all, very on brand.

Speaking of on brand, Florida blew another winnable game, and the Big 12 somersaulted through another turbulent Saturday in which no team seems safe.

Here’s what lingers on my mind after Week 10, as we prepare for the first College Football Playoff rankings:

Has James Franklin hit his ceiling at Penn State?

Sure seems like it.

Franklin’s Nittany Lions were left with another shoulda, woulda, coulda loss to Ohio State after twice failing to score on possessions that penetrated the 5-yard line.

Could Penn State beat the Buckeyes in a rematch? It’s possible, but unlikely. If you can’t get it done in front of a home crowd of 110,030, you probably just can’t get it done. That’s a familiar refrain for Franklin, who’s pitiful in big games.

Penn State probably will qualify for the CFP for the first time in the Franklin era, but that’s not a sign of program growth. It’s a sign of playoff expansion.

Penn State padlocked its wagon to Franklin. His buyout tops $56 million.

“All on me,” Franklin said, while accepting responsibility for the loss.

If that quote sounds familiar, it’s because Franklin offered the same line multiple times over the years after losses to the Buckeyes.

Franklin hired a new offensive coordinator, Andy Kotelnicki, before the season in hopes of sprucing up the offense to penetrate the Buckeyes. The result: Penn State didn’t muster a single offensive touchdown.

With No. 1 Oregon humming, Penn State seems resigned to a fate of being no better than the third-best team in the Big Ten in any given year.

Being the B1G’s bronze medalist would be enough to make the expanded playoff in most years, but Franklin shows no significant progress toward a national championship in his 11th season.

CALM DOWN: The five biggest Week 10 overreactions assess the playoff

Can the Big 12 qualify multiple teams for CFP bracket?

That quest got a lot harder.

The Big 12’s chance to qualify two playoff teams absorbed some punishing body blows when Iowa State and Kansas State suffered losses Saturday to unranked opponents.

Two-loss Kansas State now would need to win the Big 12 to qualify for the playoff. That’s probably also true of one-loss Iowa State, which suffers from one of the weakest strength of schedule ratings among contending teams.

Brigham Young enjoys Big 12 front-runner status. The Cougars play no ranked opponents between now and the conference championship game. If they lost in the Big 12 title game, that might unlock a second bid for the conference. BYU’s win at SMU and against Kansas State could be enough of a résumé ace to push the Cougars into the playoff as a 12-1 conference runner-up.

But, if BYU wins the conference, the Big 12 would be in danger of qualifying just one team, unless top contenders in the Big Ten and SEC endure upset losses.

Oregon or Ohio State as national championship front-runner?

Poll voters and oddsmakers might disagree on this subject.

Oregon ran away with the No. 1 ranking in the US LBM Coaches Poll after handling Michigan without issue, while No. 2 Georgia bumbled and stumbled its way to a sloppy victory against Florida.

It’s puzzling that poll voters ranked Georgia, and not No. 3 Ohio State, at No. 2 considering the Buckeyes just beat Penn State, and their only loss remains a one-point defeat at Oregon.

Oddsmakers see it differently. The Buckeyes are the odds-on favorite to win the national championship, edging Georgia, Oregon and Texas for that betting favorite status.

Nobody is outperforming the Ducks. They logged three consecutive blowout wins since beating Ohio State, and quarterback Dillon Gabriel established his Heisman Trophy candidacy.

Oregon’s defense found its stride, too.

Either Oregon or Ohio State has more than enough talent to win the national championship. I’d give Oregon a slight edge, because of its superior quarterback play.

Might the Big Ten have a third national championship contender? Indiana has run roughshod through its schedule.

Who’s the CFP contender being overlooked?

No. 12 Mississippi.

The Rebels fell out of focus after suffering their second loss, to LSU, on Oct. 12, but they just delivered one of their best performances of the season in a rout of Arkansas.

Their season comes down to a Saturday home game against Georgia, which suddenly looks vulnerable again. If the Rebels upset the Bulldogs, they should shift to the qualifying side of the playoff bubble. If they lose, they’re out.

Lane Kiffin assembled the best defense he’s had in Oxford, and that gives Ole Miss a chance against a Georgia team that piles up turnovers. If injured Georgia running back Trevor Etienne can’t play, an Ole Miss upset becomes more plausible.

Ole Miss’ final two games are against Florida and Mississippi State, so if it topples Georgia, it’s in good shape for a 10-2 finish, and then the committee must give it serious consideration for an at-large bid.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.

Ohio State replaces Georgia, Penn State drops and Indiana, Brigham Young and SMU continue to move up in this week’s USA TODAY Sports NCAA Re-Rank 1-134.

The Buckeyes climb to No. 2 after beating Penn State 20-13. That dumps Georgia one spot to No. 3 after a tougher-than-expected dogfight against Florida that wasn’t settled until the final minutes.

Penn State is down two to No. 5, though the Nittany Lions stay ahead of fellow one-loss Power Four teams in No. 6 Texas and No. 7 Tennessee. Also in the Big Ten, Indiana is up four to No. 9 after spotting Michigan State a 10-0 lead and then rolling 47 unanswered points. The Hoosiers stay ahead of No. 10 Brigham Young, which didn’t play on Saturday.

SMU is up six spots to No. 11 after a great Saturday. The Mustangs beat the heck out of Pittsburgh, handing the Panthers their first loss, and Clemson lost at home to Louisville. That leaves SMU and No. 4 Miami as the only teams still unbeaten in ACC play.

UPS AND DOWNS: Ohio State leads winners and losers from Week 10

MISERY INDEX: Nebraska top Week 10 after start of another November fade

Clemson takes an 11-spot dip to No. 18 after falling to the Cardinals. Also dropping in the re-rank are No. 12 Iowa State, No. 16 Kansas State, No. 33 Navy, No. 38 Memphis and No. 51 Nebraska.