Overreacting to NFL Week 9: Who dat? My Super Bowl picks are ...

We might very well end up remembering Week 9 as a Separation Sunday in the NFC, a week when a series of contending teams established themselves as legitimate threats to advance in a deep and dangerous confidence. The marquee game in the afternoon featured the Saints and Rams battling it out in New Orleans, with Drew Brees and Co. knocking off the NFL's last undefeated team in convincing fashion.

You can read more about the Saints' own statement win right here, but now, let's look at the second tier of NFC contenders who stepped up and made some statements about their interest in contending this week. 

Minnesota Vikings

The situation: Coming off a brutal loss to the Saints, Minnesota hosting the Lions in a critical division matchup, while trying to ease star players on both sides of the ball back into the game.

How they handled it: The Vikings ran well, passed pretty well and snuffed out Detroit's offense to win 24-9. 

Biggest strength: A defense loaded with talent that's been struggling during the first half of the season and now appears ready to take off down the stretch run thanks to the return of Everson Griffen. Danielle Hunterhas been outstanding the last few weeks. The Vikings are getting a bye week at the right time too. The Vikings might be the most complete team in the NFL when they're playing well on both sides of the ball, and they showed it on Sunday. 

Biggest weakness: Minnesota's offensive line is not up to snuff yet, but there should be hope about the run game improving after seeing Dalvin Cook come in and pile up over 100 total yards on 14 touches, including a nifty 70-yard run. It's not out of the question to expect him healthy after the bye. 

At 5-3-1, Minnesota is going to get a break and then hit a rough stretch of games -- three of their next four are on the road, including Week 11 at Chicago, Week 13 at New England and Week 14 at Seattle. The home respite? Week 12 at against a Packers team that might be playing for its playoff life. That stretch might decide the season, although sweeping the Bears would put them in good shape.

Carolina Panthers

The Situation: Major letdown spot for the Panthers, who smashed the Ravens last week and stayed at home against a questionable Buccaneers team with a terrible defense and a lively offense on its 12th quarterback switch of the season. Panthers get the Steelers on the road this coming Thursday as well, so it was a lookahead spot of sorts too.

How they handled it: The Panthers came out and stomped the Bucs early before eventually holding on to 42-28 and moving to 6-2. 

Biggest strengths: Right now it's Cam Newton. The MVP candidate is dealing, completing 75 percent of his passes for the second straight week en route to a 19-for-25 performance with 247 yards and two touchdowns. He's got what Greg Olsenrightfully called the best group of weapons Newton's had since the tight end arrived in Carolina.

Biggest weakness: Oddly enough, the defense has been a problem for the Panthers, although they're starting to round back into shape. Tampa's offense is legit and put up points -- Carolina has to generate more pressure up front if it wants to hang with teams like the Saints and Rams. 

Carolina has four of its next five games on the road, including this Thursday in Pittsburgh. After that they get the Saints twice in a three-week span. 

Chicago Bears

The situation: Mitchell Trubisky laying 10 points and going to play a top-10 defense on the road in a game the Bears had to win in order to keep pace in the division and having to do so without Khalil Mack on defense.

How they handled it: The Bears dropped a 40 burger on the Bills and were never remotely close to not winning or not covering. 

Biggest strength: Mack, who has transformed Vic Fangio's defense into one of the best in the NFL. The Bears' one concern with that defense, which has been extremely good this season, is the depth. But they made Nathan Peterman pass 49 times (!) on Sunday, which is obviously not an ideal recipe for success. The defense scored twice in the first half, which would have been enough to win on its own. 

Biggest weakness: Trubisky, who still has his moments where he looks completely off and takes off running. Maybe he's able to keep developing as the season goes along. This game might not be a perfect way to look at Trubisky: it was on the road, against a dangerous defense, in a situation where the Bears wanted to pile up points and get out of Dodge.

The Bears just went 2-2 against the AFC East (you take that, even though it should have been 3-1) and now get three straight division games, with the Lions and Vikings visiting Soldier Field. Big three-game stretch but they're fortunate to catch the Lions a little wounded twice in three games now. 

Atlanta Falcons

The situation: Off the bye, going to a dangerous Washington defense, needing a win to get to .500 and to keep the hope of a playoff run alive. 

How they handled it: The Falcons went up top on the Redskins, with Matt Ryanthrowing for 350 yards and four touchdown passes.

Biggest strength: Ryan, who is on a better pace than his MVP season at this point. Atlanta is going to have to win with offense, because their defense has suffered too many injuries to really be the dominant unit we thought it could be this season. Credit Dan Quinn for not giving up when things went south -- Atlanta is very much back in the playoff hunt now.

Biggest weakness: That defense can give up points to explosive teams, and everyone else in the NFC South is extremely explosive. The Redskins do not appear to be very explosive. 

The Falcons need to win the next two weeks (Browns, Cowboys), because they have the Saints, Ravens, Packers and Panthers remaining on the schedule. 

We're not mentioning Washington (lost), Philly (on a bye) or Dallas (Monday night) here, but obviously those three teams are worthy of our attention too. 

Sound the Horn

Millennials won't remember this, but there was a stretch of time in the early 2000's when the explosion of diva wide receivers created this unbelievable run of touchdown celebrations. Terrell Owens and my guy Chad Ochocinco were the leaders in on-field insanity, but plenty of other receivers got in on it. The tipping point for the NFL cracking down on celebrations may have been Saints receiver Joe Horn stashing a cell phone in the goal post padding and pulling it out after scoring a touchdown. It was a shoot your shot moment no one watching would ever forget. 

Current Saints receiver Michael Thomas had a celebration dialed up on Sunday to pay homage to Horn, stashing an old-school flip phone of his own in the goal post and pulling it out after crossing 200 yards on a 72-yard touchdown that gave the Saints a 10-point lead.