If you felt as if Week 9 wasn’t as jam-packed with action as usual, that was because there were 6 teams on a bye week. But even with New England, Arizona, Chicago, Cincinnati, Houston, and Washington taking the week off, there was plenty of excitement on the field. Nine games were decided by only one possession this week.

After a 5-0 start, the Minnesota Vikings continue to struggle, dropping their third game in a row. This time, it was a 22-16 overtime loss against the Detroit Lions. Matthew Stafford kept his team in the game against a very powerful Vikings defense with 219 yards and two touchdowns. In an exciting Monday night game, Seattle defeated the Buffalo Bills, 31-25, with Russell Wilson throwing for 282 yards and two TDs.

There were a couple of teams that had to win this week if they wanted to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Carolina Panthers, who were 2-5 going into this week, held out to win against the Los Angeles Rams, 13-10. The Indianapolis Colts, with a 3-5 record, defeated the Green Bay Packers, 31-26. The New Orleans Saints, who have been an offensive powerhouse but lacking on defense, had a crucial game in which they destroyed the San Francisco 49ers, 41-23. Saints RB Mark Ingram rushed for 158 yards and two TDs.

In addition to Ingram, players that helped their team (or maybe helped your fantasy team) this week included Chargers RB Melvin Gordon, who rushed for 196 yards and caught for 65 yards and a TD in their 43-35 win over the Titans. Falcons QB Matt Ryan threw for 344 yards and four TDs in a 43-28 win against the Buccaneers. Latavius Murray, Raiders RB, helped his team gain complete control over itsdivision by rushing for 114 yards and three TDs.