Which players and teams will turn heads?

NFL teams — or at least the 30 that don’t have a bye — have one last chance to make a major statement before the season reaches its halfway point.

The completion of Week 9 could lead to some eye-opening revelations in the competition. Of The league’s trade deadline approaches on Tuesdayfront offices and coaching staffs will have to make a final decision on whether to welcome major personnel moves or try to shake things up, either by signing a key veteran or sending one away in an effort to increase or help their draft capital with their long-term cap prospects.

With that in mind, here are the bold Week 9 predictions from USA TODAY Sports’ NFL staff:

Jameis Winston becomes the first quarterback this season to put the Chargers over 300 yards

With Deshaun Watson out for the season (again) after tearing an Achilles tendon, the Cleveland Browns offense is taking on a new kind of life with Jameis Winston at quarterback. In his debut last weekend, Winston earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors alone by throwing for 334 yards and 3 TDs without a pick (115.3 passer rating) to lead the way in an upset of the high-flying Baltimore Ravens. And suddenly there are shadows of last season, when another veteran quarterback, Joe Flacco, came off the bench and led the Browns to the playoffs. It’s a bit much to expect Winston to take Cleveland to the playoffs, but it’s possible with a serious hot streak. And his presence, as was the case with Flacco in 2023, is such a contrast. Last season, Flacco went 4-1 as a substitute, passing for 300 yards in each of his last four games. Now Winston is starting what could be another 300-yard streak. It’s also worth noting that while the Browns are 5-1 against Flacco or Winston, they were 1-6 in Watson’s starts since the start of the ’23 season. And not only did Watson fail to crack 300; he couldn’t even reach 200 in a meet this season. Passing 300 meters against LA will not be easy for Famous Jameis. The Chargers, ranked eighth in the NFL in yards allowed, lead the league in scoring defense (13.0 points per game) and have not allowed a single passer for 300 yards. Yet.

—Jarrett Bell

Doug Pederson shot after another Jaguars loss

The Jaguars are gloomy enough to activate a midseason prime-time flexas their game against the Philadelphia Eagles was supposed to take place on “Sunday Night Football” before being replaced by the Colts-Vikings tilt. But taking on the Birds in the late afternoon won’t postpone a fate that will likely bring a seventh loss of the season for Doug Pederson’s team.

Owner Shad Khan’s patience may not last Sunday night or Monday morning, and with Pederson occupying the top coaching position in the league, his services may no longer be needed. Of course, Khan can always opt to let Pederson and his staff play out the season, but if the battle against the Eagles becomes lopsided, Pederson’s final opponent as head coach of the Jaguars could be the team that gave him his first lead. coaching job in the NFL.

For good measure (and real change in Jacksonville), general manager Trent Baalke should be right behind Pederson through the exit door.

– Chris Bumbaca

Chargers will trade for the No. 1 wide receiver regardless of the Week 9 outcome

The Chargers parted ways with their top two wide receivers from last season and then decided to draft Joe Alt fifth overall in a receiver-rich draft class. Alt is as advertised. The right tackle allowed no pressure on any of his 38 pass-blocking snaps against the Saints in Week 8, tying for the most snaps without pressure allowed by a rookie tackle over the past three seasons, according to Next Gen Stats. However, the Chargers’ receiving corps leaves a lot to be desired. Second-round pick Ladd McConkey leads the team with 30 catches and 376 receiving yards. But the Chargers lack a legitimate X-wide receiver who can be the number one option, a big reason why the team ranks in the bottom half of the NFL in passing offense and red zone efficiency. I predict the Chargers will strengthen their midseason playoff hopes by trading for a wide receiver. Jets wide receiver Mike Williams, whom the Chargers released this offseason after seven seasons, is one wideout the Chargers could reunite with before the NFL’s Nov. 5 trade deadline.

– Tyler Dragon

Falcons rush for over 200 yards to punt Cowboys

Atlanta nearly eclipsed that mark two weeks ago, when it ran for 198 yards and three touchdowns on 38 carries in a 38-20 win over Carolina. And what’s the only defense that can match the Panthers in how often it cuts on the ground? That would be the Cowboys, who are also giving up 154.6 rushing yards per game. Even with Christian McCaffrey still sidelined and backup Jordan Mason leaving the game, the San Francisco 49ers racked up 223 yards on 36 carries against Mike Zimmer’s group last week.

The game doesn’t get any easier on Sunday, with Falcons running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier finishing in seventh and fifth place respectively, which is a rushing success rate so far this season. Pro Bowl forward Chris Lindstrom’s status is worth watching after he missed practice Wednesday due to a knee injury. But even if he sits out, Dallas is outmatched at the line of scrimmage to keep this one competitive, especially since Kirk Cousins is more than capable of keeping the Cowboys on their toes by taking advantage of the favorable looks that Drake London, Darnell Mooney and Kyle Pitts in the passing game.

– Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz