Alex V’s NFL Week 9 Picks
NYJ 4-3 at BUF 5-2
If Brett Favre can cut down on his mistakes for at least one week he can put his team in great position to perhaps win the AFC East. But the Buffalo Bills have shown more consistency and are better all around than the Jets. For this, the Bills should win at home.
DET 0-7 at CHI 4-3
The last time these two teams met was in week five when Kyle Orton torched the Lions for 334 yards and two TDs with no turnovers. Expect to see more of the same. Bears move to 5-3.
JAC 3-4 at CIN 0-8
The Bengals are a team in absolute despair. They may very well be worse than the 0-7 Lions as they are 32nd in scoring with 13 points per game (while the Lions are 28th with 16.3 per game). However, Carson Palmer returns and I’m feeling that the inconsistent Jaguars, who have shown over the years a propensity to play down to the level of their opponent, will be the prime candidate for this team to get its first win against. Bengals win.
BAL 4-3 at CLE 3-5
This is a tough one. Joe Flacco is improving and the Baltimore defense is playing as good as ever minus their 31-3 loss to the Colts. Meanwhile, the Browns have picked up their defense and Derek Anderson has been getting closer to what he looked like last year. I will take the Browns at home in a close game.
T.B. 5-3 at K.C. 1-6
Tampa Bay has a great opportunity to get back in the win column versus the lowly Chiefs. As long as Jeff Garcia can protect the ball, the Bucs should win this one. I’ll take Tampa Bay.
HOU 3-4 at MIN 3-4
Even though Minnesota is coming off a bye and playing at home, I am taking the Texans in this matchup. The Vikings can’t keep a streak going, while the Texans seem to be getting things back together as they are the second hottest team after the 7-0 Titans.
ARI 4-3 at STL 2-5
The Cardinals have been unable to solve their road woes where they have only won when they played the lowly 49ers in San Francisco back in week one. However, they weren’t far off last week losing 23-27 and owning the lead for the better part of the game against Carolina. The Rams have been more competitive with Jim Haslett at the helm, but I’m picking the Cards to snag the “W.”
G.B. 4-3 at TEN 7-0
The 31-21 win the Titans earned against Indy last Monday night was huge. They are looking like one of the strongest teams in the league. But Green Bay did a number on the Colts as well in week 7 winning 34-14 and forcing two pics by Manning just like the Titans on Monday. Although the Titans have better defense (1st in pts per game), the Packers make up for the yardage they give up ranking 16th in points with sacks and INTs. I’ll take the play of Aaron Rodgers over Kerry Collins to win this game for Green Bay.
MIA 3-5 at DEN 4-3
Get ready for the problems in Denver to unfold even further when they blow it against the strong ground game and 100.5 QB rating and 69.3% completion percentage that Chad Pennington is sporting thus far. Dolphins win big in Denver.
DAL 5-3 at NYG 6-1
The moment in the NFC East that we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived. Too bad it won’t truly show who the better team is if Brad Johnson is playing as Tony Romo looks to be a potential game-time decision… but just potentially. What’s worse is that Dallas’ three top corners are out as well, and no name rookie Orlando Scandrick will be called upon to pick up the slack which is great news for Eli Manning. Even if Romo comes in, he’ll still be favoring his right pinkie. Giants win.
ATL 4-3 at OAK 2-5
Atlanta looked sloppy in their loss to the Eagles last week, but they looked “rookie quarterback” sloppy. All Matt Ryan has to do to get his team a win against the sometimes feisty Raiders is keep his mistakes to a minimum. But even that might not be enough as I feel the Raiders will pull it out.
PHI 4-3 at SEA 2-5
Don’t look now, but Seattle with a 2-5 record is second in its division behind 4-3 Arizona. The Eagles have been somewhat inconsistent this season and a win against a young Atlanta team last week cannot really be taken as proof that they have solved their issues. Expect a tough battle out of both teams with the Eagles pulling out a close one.
N.E. 5-2 at IND 3-4
Who would have thought that with Brady gone that the Patriots would have a better record than the Colts this far into the season? Make that a records that is two more wins and two less losses better! This is a tough game to call. Matt Cassel may have led his team to victory last weekend and first place in the AFC East, but he still tossed two pics. But on the other end, the Colts’ offense seems out of sync as Manning tossed two pics as well. Both team’s starting running backs are out, Laurence Maroney for New England, and Joseph Addai for Indy, and both defenses have been questionable. Bottom line, until Cassel shows some more consistency I have to go with Peyton Manning and his team in this one.
PIT 5-2 at WAS 6-2
This is the game where the Redskins get to prove they’re no fluke. They may have beaten Dallas and Philly, but as the season has progressed, those two wins don’t look like such a surprise anymore. The Steelers are reeling after a mistake-filled, give-the-game-away performance to the Giants last weekend. But… I expect the mistakes to mount for the Steelers which derive mainly from an O-line that can’t block and gets called for penalties, while the Redskins will do what they’ve been doing thus far this season… rise to the occasion against another team that is perceived to be a contender.
