Week 9 Picks
Lots of great games on the docket this week with Manning vs. Brady XVI, Cardinals-Cowboys, Ravens-Steelers and the Bengals take on the Jaguars.
Okay, three of aforementioned should be great games. Manning and Brady are past their prime, so don't expect much from those two.
I joke of course, if anything Manning and Brady seem to get better with age and they both have their teams poised for another Super Bowl run.
Who will win the 16th meeting between the two and can the Bengals get by the Jaguars? Check out my picks below to find out.
Week 9 Picks (Home team in CAPS)
New Orleans over CAROLINA: Who is going to win the NFC South? Your guess is as good as mine. The combined record of the four teams in the division through Week 8 are 9-20-1. Ouch. Somebody has to win the division, which I think will be New Orleans since I took them to win the Super Bowl -- looks like I deserve a "C'mon Man" for that one. Carolina currently leads the division by percentage points over New Orleans, but both teams are below .500. The Saints have yet to win a road game this season (0-4) and these Thursday night games usually favor the home team, but I like New Orleans in this one. Too much Drew Brees will plague a terrible Carolina defense.
CLEVELAND over Tampa Bay: Defeat the winless Jaguars, failed. Defeat the winless Raiders, check. Defeat the 1-6 Buccaneers, to be determined. The Browns had three very winnable game the last three weeks and they have gone 1-1 with this week's game against the abysmal Buccaneers still to be played. This was a great chance for Cleveland to get some wins and make some noise in the competitive AFC North. 3-0 was the goal, but beating Tampa on Sunday will put the Browns at 5-3 and right in the heart of the division battle going into a Thursday night game at Cincinnati next week. Tampa is well rested, but I like the Browns at home.
Arizona over DALLAS: I almost took the Cowboys here, but when I looked at this matchup, there were three reasons that swayed me towards taking the Cardinals. First, it's a short week for Dallas after losing Monday night to Washington. Second, quarterback Tony Romo is questionable with a back injury. Romo missed part of last week's game after taking a shot to the back, but he eventually would return. Romo is a game time decision and even if he does play you have to wonder how effective he'll be. Finally, Arizona ranks third in the NFL when it comes to stopping the run and Dallas comes into this game with the best rushing attack in the NFL. It would not surprise me at all if Arizona loads the box to stop the run and blitzes Tony Romo repeatedly to test his back. I expect a close game and I like the Cardinals.
Philadelphia over HOUSTON: Tough loss last week on the road in Arizona for the Eagles, giving up a 75-yard touchdown pass to rookie John Brown to give the Cardinals the lead for good late in the fourth quarter. I expect the Eagles to bounce back even though playing on the road in Houston against J.J. Watt will not be easy. I expect the Texans to give the Eagles a game, but I like Philly to get the win.
KANSAS CITY over NY Jets: Last week Jets quarterback Geno Smith was 2 of 8 for 5-yards with three interceptions in the first quarter! Not surprisingly, he was benched for Michael Vick who managed to turn the ball over three more times. The Jets are a mess and with the way they are playing, may not win another game this season.
San Diego over MIAMI: This is a tough game to pick. Everyone was really high on the Chargers during their five game winning streak -- where they beat less than stellar competition in the NY Jets, Jaguars, Bill, Raiders and a Seahawks who may not make the playoffs -- but since then San Diego has lost two straight division games to the Chiefs and Broncos. Miami on the other hand has won two straight road games albeit against the dreadful Jaguars and the dysfunctional Bears, but they're wins nonetheless. These one o'clock kickoffs on the East Coast usually don't favor West Coast teams, but I think the Chargers, despite their losses the last two weeks, are the more talented team and will win a close game.
MINNESOTA over Washington: Both teams are 3-5, both will most likely be cellar dwellers at the end of the season, both won in overtime last week and both are not very good. The Vikings needed a fumble return from linebacker Anthony Barr in overtime to beat the Buccaneers last week and the Redskins forced a turnover on downs after kicking a field goal to beat the Cowboys. With that being said, neither team is what you would call a juggernaut and with the Vikings being at home, I think they will win. But it would not surprise me at all if quarterback Robert Griffin III -- who will start after missing the last six games due to an ankle injury -- leads the Redskins to a second straight win.
SAN FRANCISCO over St. Louis: A well rested 49ers team at home does not bode well for Rams who already lost to San Francisco, 31-17, in Week 6.
Denver over NEW ENGLAND: Game of the Week (yet again, when is Brady vs. Manning not the Game of the Week). One of the best games every NFL season is when Peyton Manning goes up against Tom Brady. Manning and Brady will meet for the 16th time on Sunday with Brady leading the all-time series 10-5, Both quarterbacks and their teams coming into this game very hot with the Patriots winning four straight since that debacle on Monday night and the Broncos have also won four in a row since losing in overtime to Seattle.
October was very kind to the 38 year old, Manning, and 37 year old Brady as the stats from Peter King's MMQB indicate below. Manning and Brady in October went a combined 8-0, threw for a combined 2,588-yards and 28 touchdowns with only two interceptions. Brady and Manning may be past their so called "prime," but both of them are playing MVP caliber football this season. I think Denver has the more complete team and will get the win on the road, but it should be one of the best games of the year.
SEATTLE over Oakland: It has been a struggle for the Seahawks the last three weeks, losing two games and barely getting by Carolina last week. Seattle sits at 4-3 in the NFC West, tied with San Francisco for second place behind 6-1 Arizona. It's going to be a tough battle in the division the rest of the way and Seattle needs a win a Sunday against the dreadful Raiders, which I think they will get.
PITTSBURGH over Baltimore: Ravens vs. Steelers are always one of the toughest and hardest hitting games in the NFL each season. Baltimore won first meeting between these two back in Week 2, 26-6, but the last two weeks the Steelers have been clicking offensively. Pittsburgh has put up 81 points (51 last week against the Colts) and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has thrown for 787-yards, eight touchdowns and zero interceptions in the last two games. With the hot play of the offense and the Steelers being at home, I think Pittsburgh will get the win Sunday night.
Indianapolis over NY GIANTS: The Colts had won five in a row before they gave up a blistering 51 points and 639-yards of offense to Ben Roethlisberger last week. I still think Indianapolis is one of the better teams in the AFC and should contend for a first round bye come playoff time. The Giants have been Jekyll and Hyde all year and even though they are rested coming off of a bye, I like Andrew Luck to lead the Colts to a win.
BENGALS over Jaguars: Some may call it luck, but getting a win in the NFL is never easy and the Bengals win last week against the Ravens was anything but easy.
Cincinnati had opportunities to put Baltimore away, but they needed a goal line sneak from Andy Dalton to regain the lead and a offensive pass interference flag on a Steve Smith touchdown to get the win.
It wasn't pretty, but as a fan I will take any type of win, good, ugly or lucky.
Next up for the Bengals, the 1-7 Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars have struggled mightily this season and this should be an "easy" win for the Bengals. Cincinnati needs to get pressure on quarterback Blake Bortles and force him to make mistakes, which the rookie out of UCF is prone to do. Bortles has thrown 12 interceptions in six games this season.
If the Bengals can take care of the football -- I mainly mean Andy Dalton when I say that -- get the running game going with Jeremy Hill (Gio Bernard is out with a hip/shoulder injury) and force a few turnovers on defense, they'll win. And I think they will. Bengals 30, Jaguars 17.
Bye: Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Tennessee
Last Week: 11-4
Overall: 83-37-1
Okay, three of aforementioned should be great games. Manning and Brady are past their prime, so don't expect much from those two.
I joke of course, if anything Manning and Brady seem to get better with age and they both have their teams poised for another Super Bowl run.
Who will win the 16th meeting between the two and can the Bengals get by the Jaguars? Check out my picks below to find out.
Week 9 Picks (Home team in CAPS)
New Orleans over CAROLINA: Who is going to win the NFC South? Your guess is as good as mine. The combined record of the four teams in the division through Week 8 are 9-20-1. Ouch. Somebody has to win the division, which I think will be New Orleans since I took them to win the Super Bowl -- looks like I deserve a "C'mon Man" for that one. Carolina currently leads the division by percentage points over New Orleans, but both teams are below .500. The Saints have yet to win a road game this season (0-4) and these Thursday night games usually favor the home team, but I like New Orleans in this one. Too much Drew Brees will plague a terrible Carolina defense.
CLEVELAND over Tampa Bay: Defeat the winless Jaguars, failed. Defeat the winless Raiders, check. Defeat the 1-6 Buccaneers, to be determined. The Browns had three very winnable game the last three weeks and they have gone 1-1 with this week's game against the abysmal Buccaneers still to be played. This was a great chance for Cleveland to get some wins and make some noise in the competitive AFC North. 3-0 was the goal, but beating Tampa on Sunday will put the Browns at 5-3 and right in the heart of the division battle going into a Thursday night game at Cincinnati next week. Tampa is well rested, but I like the Browns at home.
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| Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray is on pace to rush for 2,108-yards this season, three more yards than the single-season record set by Eric Dickerson in 1984. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America) |
Philadelphia over HOUSTON: Tough loss last week on the road in Arizona for the Eagles, giving up a 75-yard touchdown pass to rookie John Brown to give the Cardinals the lead for good late in the fourth quarter. I expect the Eagles to bounce back even though playing on the road in Houston against J.J. Watt will not be easy. I expect the Texans to give the Eagles a game, but I like Philly to get the win.
KANSAS CITY over NY Jets: Last week Jets quarterback Geno Smith was 2 of 8 for 5-yards with three interceptions in the first quarter! Not surprisingly, he was benched for Michael Vick who managed to turn the ball over three more times. The Jets are a mess and with the way they are playing, may not win another game this season.
San Diego over MIAMI: This is a tough game to pick. Everyone was really high on the Chargers during their five game winning streak -- where they beat less than stellar competition in the NY Jets, Jaguars, Bill, Raiders and a Seahawks who may not make the playoffs -- but since then San Diego has lost two straight division games to the Chiefs and Broncos. Miami on the other hand has won two straight road games albeit against the dreadful Jaguars and the dysfunctional Bears, but they're wins nonetheless. These one o'clock kickoffs on the East Coast usually don't favor West Coast teams, but I think the Chargers, despite their losses the last two weeks, are the more talented team and will win a close game.
MINNESOTA over Washington: Both teams are 3-5, both will most likely be cellar dwellers at the end of the season, both won in overtime last week and both are not very good. The Vikings needed a fumble return from linebacker Anthony Barr in overtime to beat the Buccaneers last week and the Redskins forced a turnover on downs after kicking a field goal to beat the Cowboys. With that being said, neither team is what you would call a juggernaut and with the Vikings being at home, I think they will win. But it would not surprise me at all if quarterback Robert Griffin III -- who will start after missing the last six games due to an ankle injury -- leads the Redskins to a second straight win.
SAN FRANCISCO over St. Louis: A well rested 49ers team at home does not bode well for Rams who already lost to San Francisco, 31-17, in Week 6.
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| Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning. The best rivalry in the NFL. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) |
October was very kind to the 38 year old, Manning, and 37 year old Brady as the stats from Peter King's MMQB indicate below. Manning and Brady in October went a combined 8-0, threw for a combined 2,588-yards and 28 touchdowns with only two interceptions. Brady and Manning may be past their so called "prime," but both of them are playing MVP caliber football this season. I think Denver has the more complete team and will get the win on the road, but it should be one of the best games of the year.
| Player | Age | W-L | Comp-Att. (Pct.) | Yards | TD | Int | Rating |
| Brady | 37 | 4-0 | 100-134 (.746) | 1,268 | 14 | 0 | 138.5 |
| Manning | 38 | 4-0 | 100-141 (.709) | 1,320 | 14 | 2 | 127.4 |
SEATTLE over Oakland: It has been a struggle for the Seahawks the last three weeks, losing two games and barely getting by Carolina last week. Seattle sits at 4-3 in the NFC West, tied with San Francisco for second place behind 6-1 Arizona. It's going to be a tough battle in the division the rest of the way and Seattle needs a win a Sunday against the dreadful Raiders, which I think they will get.
PITTSBURGH over Baltimore: Ravens vs. Steelers are always one of the toughest and hardest hitting games in the NFL each season. Baltimore won first meeting between these two back in Week 2, 26-6, but the last two weeks the Steelers have been clicking offensively. Pittsburgh has put up 81 points (51 last week against the Colts) and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has thrown for 787-yards, eight touchdowns and zero interceptions in the last two games. With the hot play of the offense and the Steelers being at home, I think Pittsburgh will get the win Sunday night.
Indianapolis over NY GIANTS: The Colts had won five in a row before they gave up a blistering 51 points and 639-yards of offense to Ben Roethlisberger last week. I still think Indianapolis is one of the better teams in the AFC and should contend for a first round bye come playoff time. The Giants have been Jekyll and Hyde all year and even though they are rested coming off of a bye, I like Andrew Luck to lead the Colts to a win.
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| Andy Dalton's goal line sneak with 57 seconds left gave the Bengals the lead en route to their fourth victory of the season. (The Cincinnati Enquirer/Gary Landers) |
Cincinnati had opportunities to put Baltimore away, but they needed a goal line sneak from Andy Dalton to regain the lead and a offensive pass interference flag on a Steve Smith touchdown to get the win.
It wasn't pretty, but as a fan I will take any type of win, good, ugly or lucky.
Next up for the Bengals, the 1-7 Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars have struggled mightily this season and this should be an "easy" win for the Bengals. Cincinnati needs to get pressure on quarterback Blake Bortles and force him to make mistakes, which the rookie out of UCF is prone to do. Bortles has thrown 12 interceptions in six games this season.
If the Bengals can take care of the football -- I mainly mean Andy Dalton when I say that -- get the running game going with Jeremy Hill (Gio Bernard is out with a hip/shoulder injury) and force a few turnovers on defense, they'll win. And I think they will. Bengals 30, Jaguars 17.
Bye: Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Tennessee
Last Week: 11-4
Overall: 83-37-1
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