NFL: Week 9 Predictions
As we move into the second half of the NFL’s regular season, some things are clear, like how the Chiefs are terrible, or how Tony Romo will never change.
But other things are as clear as mud.
So many teams are sat on 3-4, 4-4 or 4-3 (14 to be precise) and still have their seasons ahead of them, and with the unpredictable nature of the league this year, who knows how the league will pan out.
It just so happens that it’s my job to predict it, so here goes with week 9…
Friday 12:20am
Kansas City Chiefs 13-20 San Diego Chargers
When you give away 4 turnovers on average every game, you’re not going to win matches in the NFL. Even though the Chargers are nothing special, and worries about Philip Rivers’ play are beginning to surface, their defense is a decent unit, and should be enough to win this game against a Brady Quinn led offense.
Sunday 5:00pm
Arizona Cardinals 16-27 Green Bay Packers
Arizona started 4-0. Would you believe that after the last 4 weeks? They have looked absolutely toothless on offense despite having Larry Fitzgerald out there running routes, and that has to be down to poor QB play. This team cannot win with John Skelton, and against the improving Packers, they will have to play some excellent defense just to stay in touch, despite the injuries Green Bay currently have. The Cards should have some more success throwing the football, and expect Fitz to have a decent statistical day, but also expect more mistakes and miscues that the Packer defense should pounce on.
Detroit Lions 29-13 Jacksonville Jaguars
Last week’s defeat of the Seahawks was absolutely huge for Detroit, and should give them lots of confidence going into this game against the banged up, struggling Jaguars. While Blaine Gabbert could have a decent day with the Lions’ poor secondary, I have a feeling that he could spend most of his time on the run from the Detroit front 4, which is why I have predicted a safety in this one. Calvin Johnson should finally break out of his shackles and have a good day, as without MJD, Jacksonville are half a team.
Chicago Bears 31-17 Tennessee Titans
After two consecutive steps forward, last week’s loss to Indianapolis was a huge step back for Tennessee, and they will have to do more than just bounce back to win this one. Even though the Bears struggled at times against Carolina, the game will have showed them that their best chance to win is by using Matt Forte a LOT. The Titans haven’t been great at stopping the run or the pass, so I’m thinking 120+ combined yards and 2TD’s for Forte and 80 yards and a TD for Brandon Marshall should be enough to get the job done away from home.
Denver Broncos 34-23 Cincinnati Bengals
Peyton Manning is killing it right now, and coming up against a Bengals’ D that has struggled in every part of the game, I would expect him to continue in his rich vein of form. But as in last week’s win, Willis McGahee could have the more stand-out day against one of the NFL’s worst run defenses. The Bengals should score some points through AJ Green and Jermaine Gresham, but I don’t think it will be enough.
Carolina Panthers 24-27 Washington Redskins
As Cam Newton threw that late interception to Tim Jennings last week, I felt a kind of desperate resignation from the Panthers that while they are close to being a decent team, they can’t get over the line just yet. This Washington defense will provide the perfect opportunity to do that for Cam, but the question is whether his own team’s defense can deal with RGIII and his talents. I can see another heartbreaking loss for Carolina here, with Griffin running riot.
Baltimore Ravens 20-13 Cleveland Browns
Joe Flacco away from home against a half decent defense has meant trouble for Baltimore this season, and against a rapidly improving Cleveland team, there is a high possibility that this trend will carry on. The Browns’ defeat of San Diego showed the leaps and bounds that the team has come on, and they are learning to lean on Trent Richardson the right amount, which should lead to another decent day here. However, he may not be able to outdo Ray Rice, who could make the difference here.
Miami Dolphins 20-16 Indianapolis Colts
That Dolphins defense looks to really be something. They hammered the Jets last week due to confusing the hell out of Mark Sanchez and they have become quite proficient at run-stopping. It will take all of Andrew Luck and Reggie Wayne’s skill to get Indy a win in this one, especially considering Reggie Bush should have a good day against Indianapolis’ average defense. Who’d have thought Miami would be 5-3?
Buffalo Bills 9-30 Houston Texans
No brainer here, the Texans will pound the rock with Foster and Tate, while taking their shots against a poor defense. The Bills will struggle against the Texans’ revved up D, especially when they’re at home, and expect turnovers.
Sunday 8:05pm
Minnesota Vikings 10-13 Seattle Seahawks
I can’t see there being a lot of points in Seattle come Sunday evening, and it could come down to the two running backs, Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch. The worry for the Vikes is the way that Doug Martin exploded against them in Minnesota, and if it happens again, home advantage won’t be needed. But if the Seahawks find themselves in a tight game, this crowd is worth 3 points.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-27 Oakland Raiders
While the Bucs were impressive last week against the Vikings, they have lost their starting corners and Carson Palmer is beginning to find a real rapport with his receivers Denarius Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey. Defensively, both these teams give up loads of yardage through the air, but the Bucs have a better run defense, which could make the difference in this one, as Darren McFadden’s ability to run the ball often corresponds directly with the Raiders’ results. Definitely expect some points in this one.
Sunday 8:25pm
Pittsburgh Steelers 27-30 New York Giants
This is a very interesting matchup. Both teams have explosive offenses, both teams have issues on defense and both teams are experienced and successful. But the stat that could swing this one is on the ground. The Giants held Dallas to 19 yards on the ground last week, and if the Steelers can’t run the ball effectively, it could become a difficult afternoon against Eli Manning and his aerial weapons.
Monday 12:20am
Dallas Cowboys 23-27 Atlanta Falcons
The only perfect franchise left in the NFL welcomes the circus that is the Dallas Cowboys. If Dallas could play a solid game of football each week, they would have a decent chance of winning a lot of football matches, but Tony Romo, Dez Bryant and Jason Garrett seem dead set on throwing away chances to become a really good football team. You can never confidently pick against the Cowboys, especially with their impressive, improving defense, but you can’t trust them to win games either, so I’ll side with the offense that took apart the Eagles’ talented defense last week, and pick the Falcons to go 8-0.
Tuesday 12:30am
Philadelphia Eagles 34-24 New Orleans Saints
While the Eagles are still an unpredictable confusing team, you know what you’ll get from the Saints. Big offense and a leaky D. If the Eagles finally realise that letting LeSean McCoy run the ball more than 25 times in a game equals a big chance of a win, then they might be a much more successful team. He should get the rock a lot here against the NFL’s worst run defense, and that should be more than enough for the Eagles to keep ahead of the Saints’ offense.
