Dec 24, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) pumps his fist as he acknowledges the cheers from the 49ers' fans after leading his team to a 22-21 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Highlights around the NFL from Week 9

In preparation for the Monday Night Football matchup between NFC North rivals Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, here are some highlights from Week 9 around the NFL:

Close finishes

Falcons vs. Panthers

The Falcons nearly completed a fourth-quarter comeback. Entering the quarter, the Falcons trailed 20-10. With just over 8 minutes left and the ball on the 39 yard line, Julio Jones found himself wide open behind the Panthers secondary. Matt Ryan spotted his receiver and threw him a pin-point pass in the end zone. To everyone’s disbelief, Jones dropped the ball.

The Falcons would get redemption with 3:25 remaining on the clock with a Tevin Coleman touchdown off of a screen pass.

Although the Falcons would get another chance with the ball, the Panthers defense forced a turnover on downs to seal a 20-17 victory.

Ravens vs. Titans

The Ravens left it too little, too late to come back from 10 points down with under a minute remaining. With 46 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Flacco threw a 1-yard touchdown to Mike Wallace to make the score 23-20.

The Ravens then attempted an onside kick, but the ball didn’t travel far enough for a Ravens player to recover it. The Titans ran out the clock, and the game finished 23-20.

Redskins vs. Seahawks

The Seahawks struggled to score for the entirety of the game until the fourth quarter. Twelve of their 14 points came in the last quarter of play, with two points coming from a safety in the first quarter.

The Seahawks, however, led the Redskins with about 1:20 remaining on the clock; then stepped up wide receiver Josh Doctson with a highlight reel of a grab.

Doctson’s catch set up Robert Kelley for his second rushing touchdown of the game to seal the game, 17-14.

Raiders vs. Dolphins

Unlike the other games that finished close during Week 9, the Raiders and Dolphins were done scoring after three quarters of play. In a game with several eye-catching plays, the play of the game belonged to DeVante Parker with a ridiculous one-handed grab; one that was originally ruled incomplete, but later overturned.

In the end, neither Parker’s wonder catch nor Cutler’s three touchdowns on 34-42 passing could save the Dolphins. Oakland’s offense were too difficult to stop, and the game ended 27-24.

Breaking news

Colin Kaepernick

The Houston Texans are reportedly interested in signing Colin Kaepernick. After losing Deshaun Watson to an ACL tear, the Texans only have Tom Savage to rely on for the quarterback position. Kaepernick would add more depth and more quality to the squad and would give Bill O’Brien more options for the offense.

Jameis Winston

Winston is set to miss the next few weeks after reaggravating a shoulder injury in Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints. Winston first suffered the injury, an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, in Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Teddy Bridgewater

The Vikings are going to have another option at quarterback this week. Teddy Bridgewater is set to return to the active squad after recovering from a serious knee injury that has kept him out of action since Jan. 10, 2016. The Vikings are likely going to stick with Case Keenum for now, as Bridgewater is going to need additional time to readjust back to playing in the NFL.

Looking forward

Next on Monday Night Football, the 3-4 Detroit Lions and the 4-3 Green Bay Packers face off in an NFC North rivalry game. The Packers are struggling to adjust to life without Rodgers at the helm. The game will kick off at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.

About Joseph Erickson

Sports writer. Passionate about Premier League soccer, specifically Tottenham Hotspur.

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