NFL whip-around: What we're watching Week 9

CLEVELAND – The grumblings that Joe Thomas heard around Cleveland this week was the best criticism he's ever heard.

For once, Browns fans were complaining about wins and not losses.

"It was fun last week, we beat the Raiders and everyone was complaining in the city that we didn't do it with enough style points, that we didn't do it well enough, which is great, because that means the expectations have changed for the Cleveland Browns," Thomas told Paste BN Sports. "To me, that's exciting, because I've never had that here before."

Indeed, few Browns can appreciate what it means to be at 4-3 right now, with meaningful games coming in November, more than Thomas, who hasn't been on a team that has won more than five games in a season since his rookie year in 2007, when the Browns won 10 games but failed to make the playoffs.

These Browns aren't talking postseason yet, but they are encouraged to be right in the hunt in the AFC North, a division that right now is as competitive as any in the NFL. All four teams currently have a winning record, and first-place Cincinnati, at 4-2-1, has a winning percentage of .643, less than 0.1 ahead of last-place Cleveland.

That makes this week critical for the Browns, who can tie their best record in years with a win Sunday against Tampa Bay, before getting their first shot at Cincinnati at Paul Brown Stadium on Thursday night. The Browns have already split their two games against Pittsburgh, and have one game left against Baltimore.

"Our division right now, its right there [to win]," Thomas said.

Now on to the NFL whip-around, your game day guide to Week 9's biggest stories:

What about Romo?

Need to know: After not practicing all week because of a back contusion suffered Monday night against Washington, Tony Romo has been officially listed as questionable for Dallas' home game against Arizona. The Cowboys said earlier in the week that Romo hadn't suffered any structural damage, and Romo's status would be a pain-management issue, but on Saturday evening, ESPN reported that Romo had two small fractures in his back – not a long-term issue, but certainly more serious than the Cowboys were publicly stating.

What to expect: It is very rare for a quarterback who did not practice all week to start on Sunday, but a veteran like Romo is the type of player who would want do it. But even if Romo believes he can play – and it would be out of character for him to want to sit – playing against the Cardinals could be disastrous, given the risk of further injury. Romo struggled against the Washington blitz last week, and Arizona will bring even more heat. It's not an ideal situation for backup Brandon Weeden either, but if the Cowboys are thinking long-term, they should make Romo rest.

The AFC arms race

Need to know: Yes, this is the 16th edition of Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning. But just as intriguing as another classic battle between this generation's greatest quarterbacks is how both teams have waged offseason battles against each other. It's basically been an arms race between Bill Belichick and John Elway over the last two years. It started when the Broncos snagged Wes Welker, and the Patriots responded by signing Danny Amendola. Then this year, the Broncos signed cornerback Aqib Talib, a move the Patriots quickly matched by signing Darrelle Revis. So who has built his quarterback a better supporting cast--Belichick in New England, or Elway in Denver?

What to expect: The Broncos appear to have the better roster, but crazy things happen to Broncos teams in Foxborough. In fact, the last Denver team to win there was quarterbacked by Jake Plummer in 2006. Jay Cutler lost there, as did Tim Tebow, and Manning has lost their twice since signing with the Broncos. Of the offseason additions caught up in the arms race, the big two to watch will be Talib and Revis, and which corner can better handle the other teams' best receiving threat. Talib could have trouble if the Broncos choose to match him on tight end Rob Gronkowski, while Revis vs. Demaryius Thomas could be a classic man-on-man battle.

Vick and the Jets

Need to know: Can Michael Vick rescue the New York Jets from their tailspin? The switch from Geno Smith to veteran Michael Vick as the Jets prepare to play the Kansas City Chiefs (and Vick's old coach Andy Reid, no less) isn't a long-term solution, but perhaps it can serve to steady a Jets' offense that was a disaster last week in a home loss to Buffalo, when both Smith and Vick each committed three turnovers apiece. The Jets' offensive issues are bigger than just the quarterback, but Rex Ryan had to make a move here before things got even worse for Smith

What to expect: Jets' wide receiver has a history of huge games at Arrowhead Stadium from his tenure with the Denver Broncos, and maybe Decker can help Jets' fans forget about the Twitter war his wife started this week with another big day. Still, this is a tough matchup for the Jets' offense, with the Chiefs' best defensive back, safety Eric Berry, returning this week, and a strong pass rush duo in Tamba Hali and Justin Houston. If the Jets' offense falters early, it could get ugly.

Game time decision: Cincinnati Bengals receiver A.J. Green is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Jacksonville, but after practicing throughout this week, the expectation is he will return, barring a setback on Sunday morning. His return should be a serious boost for a Bengals' offense that will be without running back Gio Bernard this week.

Fantasy Watch: Fantasy players who own Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III have quite a decision to make this week: Do you dare play him in his first game back from a dislocated ankle? Griffin is expected to play Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, and with him, the Washington offense should be far more explosive. He should enhance the value of receiver DeSean Jackson and tight end Jordan Reed, but the question is: Do you trust that Griffin is actually healthy, and that he'll make it through the whole game?

For Entertainment Purposes only: What a weird week for the betting lines, with six teams listed by vegasinsiders.com as a road favorites. The biggest favorite among them? The Denver Broncos, a four-point favorite against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The Broncos were the favorites when they went in to New England last November as well, but lost that game. Other road favorites include Philadelphia (at Houston), Baltimore (at Pittsburgh) and Indianapolis (at the Giants on Monday).