It’s adding up to quite a show

Not all eyes are on the New England-Indianapolis showdown. In New Orleans, the Saints have spawned fresh hope. In Cincinnati, the play-not-to-lose coach is losing his fan support. And in Minneapolis, the Vikings are serving up another quarterback du jour.

Ten things to watch in Week 9 of the NFL:

Indy 500

1. OK, so the Patriots and Colts won’t score that many points when they meet Sunday at the RCA Dome, but this battle of the unbeatens promises to be a wild one. New England (8-0), which has scored at least 30 points in every game, has already tallied 331 -- 104 points more than Dallas, which is No. 2 in that category. Indianapolis is third with 224.

Idle hands

2. The Colts are defending Super Bowl champions and playing at home, but oddsmakers have them as four-point underdogs. Key for Indianapolis is the availability of All-Pro receiver Marvin Harrison. He suffered a bruised left knee Sept. 30 against Denver, missed the next week’s game against Tampa Bay, then played sparingly against Jacksonville. He sat out Sunday’s blowout at Carolina, presumably so he’ll be ready for the Patriots.

Lions and Browns and Bills, oh my!

3. Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo, an irrelevant triangle in recent seasons, have given fans reason to cheer. The Lions, who play host to Denver, are 5-2 for the first time since 2000. The Browns (4-3) have won consecutive games for the first time in four years. And the Bills (3-4), although buried beneath the Patriots in the AFC East, are coming off their third victory in four games.

Brand-New Orleans

4. After losing their first four games, the Saints have come roaring back by winning three in a row. Reaching .500 won’t be easy; they play host to Jacksonville on Sunday, and the Jaguars’ defense is coming off an impressive performance against Tampa Bay.

QB crunch

5. The season isn’t half over, yet the quarterback carousel is spinning at a dizzying clip. Sunday, teams used a dozen quarterbacks who were holding clipboards in the openers -- among them Jacksonville’s Quinn Gray, Houston’s Sage Rosenfels and Kellen Clemens of the New York Jets. The situation is especially dire in Minnesota, where the Vikings have cycled through Tavaris Jackson and Kelly Holcomb, and probably will start Brooks Bollinger against San Diego.

No-fly zone

6. The NFL’s worst four-letter word? J-E-T-S. Just nine months removed from their promising trip to the playoffs, Eric Mangini’s crew has absolutely bombed. The Jets (1-7) have lost five in a row, and -- with New England lapping the field in the division -- are already on the verge of mathematical elimination. It’s their worst start since 1996, back in the hide-your-eyes Rich Kotite era.

Marvinball

7. Not so long ago, Coach Marvin Lewis could have been elected mayor of Cincinnati. Well, cruddy days are here again. Fans are calling Lewis gutless for his conservative play-calling, and the team has gone 7-13 since last season’s 3-0 start. Next up, the Bengals travel to Buffalo to face the improved Bills.

Just wince, baby

8. Was it just two weeks ago that the Raiders headed to San Diego in first place in the AFC West with a clicking offense and one of the best one-season scoring improvements in NFL history? Now, they’re racking up more penalties than points. Good news for them: They can get healthy against Houston. Everyone else does.

Quite a catch

9. New England and Indianapolis are clearly the class of the league, but San Diego isn’t far behind. With their bumpy start behind them, the Chargers are starting to score the way they did last season. They finally have a marquee receiver, too, having traded for Miami’s Chris Chambers, who scored on a 14-yard reception Sunday. He should help stretch a Vikings defense that, at times, has been very good.

Good-bye

10. It isn’t just the Colts and Patriots still on track for a perfect season. The Dolphins and Rams are, uh, unblemished in the win column. Both are 0-8. Neither team will lose in Week 9, however, and you can take that prediction to the bank.

They both get the week off.

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sam.farmer@latimes.com