As the leaves continue to fall and the weather turns distinctly colder, our attention starts to drift towards the NFL play-offs

As the leaves continue to fall and the weather turns distinctly colder, our attention starts to drift towards the NFL play-offs run as we dream of our team making it to the post-season dance. Miami Marlins Store . If your team is in the middle of the pack at the moment, fear not - they could make a run at the right time of the year and reach the play-offs. This time last year, Washington, Kansas City, Houston, Pittsburgh and Seattle did not have winning records yet all of them made the play-offs.Which leads me to the first of the six headlines that caught my eye in NFL Week 9. Expect the unexpectedIf the 2016 NFL season has taught us anything through its first nine weeks, it would be to expect the unexpected. Just look at how the fortunes of several teams have fluctuated over the first half of this season. A collection of fails, funnies and odd moments from Week Nine Minnesota were the darlings of the league at 5-0 but have since lost three in a row, New Orleans started 0-3 but have evened up their record at 4-4, the New York Giants have won three in a row, Miami have fought back from 1-4 to 4-4 with three consecutive victories and Pittsburgh, who were once in control of the AFC North at 4-1, are now tied at the top with Baltimore at 4-4 after dropping their last three.There are plenty of other examples of teams either turning things around or hitting the skids. Philadelphia have lost four of their last five, Detroit are back in the division race in the NFC North with a 5-4 mark - and can we rule Carolina out after they improved to 3-5 with a win in Los Angeles on Sunday night?Super Stafford does the businessThe Detroit Lions have trailed in the fourth quarter of every game this season yet they have a winning record of 5-4 and quarterback Matthew Stafford is a big reason for their dramatic successes this term. Highlights of the Detroit Lions win over the Minnesota Vikings And they dont come much more dramatic than Sundays 22-16 overtime win over Minnesota. Stafford just never knows when he is beaten and was undaunted when the Vikings took a 16-13 lead with 23 seconds left, even though the Lions were without a time-out.Stafford hit Andre Roberts on a 27-yard connection and raced to the line to spike the ball and stop the clock with two seconds remaining. Matt Prater kicked a monster 58-yard field goal that would have been good from 68 and Stafford fired the overtime winner 28 yards to Golden Tate to secure an improbable victory.But improbable victories are nothing new for Stafford and when a quarterback performs like that, the belief is infectious. You can see how the Lions, like their offensive leader, never quite know when they are done and certainly dont have any quit in them.Jay rumbles onA third straight 200-yard rushing day at the office was unlikely for British-born running back Jay Ajayi given that the Miami Dolphins were facing the leagues top-ranked run defence in the New York Jets. Highlights of the Miami Dolphins win over the New York Jets But Jay - who was born in London and also lived in Essex before moving to the United States - more than played his part once again as Miami recorded a 27-23 win. Ajayi rushed for 111 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries and the Dolphins seem intent on building their attack around him.The powerhouse rusher gives his team an emotional and energetic jolt every time he touches the football and his late first down runs allowed Miami to ice a hard-fought contest and escape with the win.Eagles miss their chanceThere is a fine line between winning and losing in the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles discovered that in painful fashion on Sunday as they fell to a 28-23 defeat against the New York Giants.Eagles head coach Doug Pederson twice rolled the dice and went for it on fourth-and-short when field goals were available. The issue I have is not with going for it as Pederson did, but in the plays he called in those crucial moments. Highlights of the New York Giants win over the Philadelphia Eagles The first failure saw quarterback Carson Wentz trapped in the backfield on a read-option run and the second saw a run into the line on fourth-and-one from arguably the smallest player on the field in Darren Sproles.That failure was especially painful for the Eagles as it came just moments after Sproles was inches away from a huge punt return touchdown. He was pushed out of bounds in desperate fashion by the diving Keenan Robinson, saving seven points for the Giants.The Eagles also had a field goal blocked and still almost won the game late on, which was remarkable when you consider how many points they left on the field in a close contest.Niners embarrass themselvesThe San Francisco 49ers squad continues to tarnish the good name of one of the most successful franchises in NFL history.Colin Kaepernick threw for close to 400 yards but dont be fooled into thinking he is the heir apparent to Joe Montana and Steve Young - he still threw some terrible passes, including an ill-advised interception that set up one of several touchdowns in a 41-23 victory for New Orleans. Highlights of the New Orleans Saints win over the San Francisco 49ers But dont be fooled into thinking Kaepernick is the main problem in San Francisco. He is not, and although he is inconsistent and frustrating at times, it looks like he can do enough to get this team competitive, providing he has help from the defence.Unfortunately, this 49ers defence couldnt tackle a crossword and is truly terrible. The Niners came into this game allowing an NFL-worst 185 rushing yards per game and the Saints rumbled all over them to the tune of 248 yards on the ground. Mark Ingram rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown, becoming the seventh 100-yard rusher to face the 49ers in as many games.Raiders for realIm going to ignore my own warning at the top of this column about how quickly things can change in the NFL by telling you that I think the Oakland Raiders are for real and ready to last the course of the season in the AFC.That was a statement win on Sunday Night Football as the silver and black recorded a 30-20 victory over the Denver Broncos in a fight for top spot in the AFC West. What I liked most about the win was that the previously pass-happy Raiders got physical with the best defence in the game. Highlights of the Oakland Raiders win over the Denver Broncos Latavius Murray ran hard and effectively behind one of the better offensive lines in the NFL, which featured another Brit in right tackle Menelik Watson. Murrays 114-yard, three-touchdown display showed there is more to this team than an MVP candidate at quarterback in Derek Carr.With that kind of performance available on the ground, an outstanding quarterback at the helm and a 5-0 record on the road thus far, the Raiders could travel anywhere in the play-offs and be considered genuine contenders. For now! Also See: NFL week nine highlights RESULT: Week 10 game choice WATCH: Sunday Blitz Latest standings Wholesale Marlins Jerseys .com) - A chant of Zeke reverberated around AT&T Stadium before Ezekiel Elliott powered into the end zone for his fourth and final touchdown. Stitched Marlins Jerseys . Pierre last November, only to watch St. Pierre leave the UFC octagon with his welterweight title belt and a split-decision victory. https://www.cheapmarlinsjerseys.us/ . - Nikita Jevpalovs scored 6:22 into the second overtime as the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada edged the visiting Rimouski Oceanic 2-1 on Tuesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff action.TSN.ca presents its latest weekly power rankings for the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League staff. Rankings were weighted evenly between separate lists made by TSN Radio host and soccer analyst Gareth Wheeler as well as TSN.cas soccer editors. 1. Manchester United (LW-2, 0-0 draw with Chelsea) Despite starting three offensive threats, United was not able to crack Chelsea in a scoreless home draw. Wayne Rooney was one of those starters and though he didnt find the net, was great in passing and movement. They were not pressed into defence very often during the game but were solid when they had to make a play. 2. Chelsea (LW-3, 0-0 draw with Manchester United) Without a striker on the pitch it wasnt hard to see Jose Mourinhos plan heading into Old Trafford. He played for a point and Chelsea left Manchester with a scoreless draw. Oscar did create a few chances, but they were not converted into goals. Fernando Torres eventually entered the game but was not able to change the outcome or liven up the contest. 3. Tottenham (LW-4, 1-0 win over Swansea City) One goal was enough for Spurs to defeat Swansea and earn six points in their first two contests. Roberto Soldado once again took care of the scoring for the North London side, when he fired home from the penalty spot. No Gareth Bale again for Tottenham, but they were able to control the action without him for a second week in a row. 4. Liverpool (LW-5, 1-0 win over Aston Villa) Amazing to think, six points from two games is Liverpools best start since 2008. For the second successive match, Daniel Sturridge led his side to a 1-0 victory, this time over Aston Villa. Simon Mignolet was sharp once again in the goal for Liverpool. 5. Manchester City (LW-1, 3-2 loss to Cardiff City) With captain Vincent Kompany on the sideline with an injury, Citys defence fell apart defending corners in the second half as they lost 3-2 to Cardiff City. Keeper Joe Hart made a crucial mistake on the first of two goals by Fraizer Campbell. Sergio Aguero especially had a quiet game going forward, as did most of Manchester Citys offensive threats. 6. Southampton (LW-8, 1-1 draw with Sunderland) The Saints were headed to their first loss of the season at the hands of Sunderland when Jose Fonte changed the script in the 88th minute earning his side a 1-1 draw. In a back and forth battle, the late equalizer was a fair result for Southampton. 7. Arsenal (LW-15, 3-1 win over Fulham) The Gunners made a statement of intent in their 3-1 victory over Fulham. Lukas Podolski scored twice and Olivier Giroud added another as Arsenal looked as good this week as they did bad last week. Outside of the goal scorers, Arsenal showed good push from their entire lineup as well as looked solid on defence. 8. West Ham (LW-6, 0-0 draw with Newcastle)Two clean sheets to open the season for the Hammers as they earned a scoreless draw on the road against Newcastle. Keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen was almost beaten with one of the final kicks of the game, but a ball off the post and then over the net meant that West Ham left with a point for their efforts. 9. Aston Villa (LW-7, 1-0 loss to Liverpool) After opening with a big win over Arsenal, Villa has been pegged back to reality by Chelsea and now Liverpool, as they fell 1-0. Despite not finding the mark, Christian Benteke was strong once again for Aston Villa who have faced a very tough opening schedule. 10. Everton (LW-9, 0-0 draw with West Bromwich Albion) Two draws from two games for Everton, as they once again dominated in a game they were not able to win. Marouane Fellaini came the closest late, as he rang one off the post. Steven Pienaar also had anotherr great game, but the frustration continues for Roberto Martinez, as he waits for his first victory at his new club. Fake Marlins Jerseys. 11. Fulham (LW-10, 3-1 loss to Arsenal) Darren Bent scored for this sixth Premier League club when he fired home for Fulham. That was the highlight of an otherwise tough day at Craven Cottage. Offensively they did force saves out of Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny and ask questions of the defence. Unfortunately, Arsenal had all the answers. 12. Stoke City (LW-12, 2-1 win over Crystal Palace) Mark Hughes earned his first victory at the helm of Stoke after Charlie Adam and Ryan Shawcross fired home within four minutes, to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace. Stoke had more of the play and the chances and in the end were deserving winners. 13. Cardiff City (LW-20, 3-2 win over Manchester City) What an occasion it was at Cardiff City Stadium as the Welsh side shocked Manchester City 3-2, earning the best win of the early season. Fraizer Campbell wrote his name into the legend with two second half goals to secure the victory. Cardiff was up for the occasion and deserved the victory they worked so hard to earn. 14. Norwich City (LW-11, 1-0 loss to Hull City) Despite playing 63 minutes with a man advantage, Norwich was not able to find an equalizer against Hull in a 1-0 defeat. Prior to the red card, Michael Turner committed a foul that give a penalty opportunity to Hull which they converted for the games only goal. 15. West Bromwich Albion (LW-13, 0-0 draw with Everton) Ben Foster was solid in the goal for West Brom, but was injured and replaced by Luke Daniels for the final 12 minutes of the game. The Baggies have yet to score a goal this season, though Shane Long had a great chance saved late in the contest. Nicolas Anelka was supposed to provide goals but he has left the club and might retire rather than return. 16. Hull City (LW-19, 1-0 win over Norwich City) The Tigers earned their first win since being promoted to the Premier League, 1-0 over Norwich. After scoring a penalty, that would turn out to be the winner, Hull was reduced to 10-men after a red card to Yannick Sagbo. They played for over an hour down a man but held on for the three points. 17. Swansea City (LW-14, 1-0 loss to Tottenham) No points from two games, finds the Swans at the bottom of the table. They were dominated by Tottenham in a 1-0 loss where keeper Michel Vorm was probably their best player on the pitch. Michu needs to find the form he arrived to the BPL with last season to get this squad going in the right direction. 18. Sunderland (LW-16, 1-1 draw with Southampton) Two minutes, plus added time, from their first victory of the season, Sunderland conceded the tying goal to Southampton in a game they had led for 85 minutes. Kieren Westwood was strong in goal for Sunderland who had chances but could not put the game away, in the end were forced to settle for their first point of the campaign. 19. Newcastle United (LW-18, 0-0 draw with West Ham) A second poor effort for the Magpies led to a scoreless draw with West Ham and increased the pressure on manager Alan Pardew. Yohan Cabaye has yet to play for Newcastle and at this point they need either his skill or monetary value to be added to this squad. 20. Crystal Palace (LW-17, 2-1 loss to Stoke City) Newly promoted and starting to fall behind the eight-ball, Palace are now one of two teams in the BPL yet to earn a point this season. Marouane Chamakhs opening marker was not enough as they fell 2-1 to Stoke City. Dwight Gayle had two late chances to produce a goal but could not rescue the point for his side. ' ' '