STRAIGHT PICK-EM NFL (WEEK 9)

LAST WEEK’S RECORD (11-4)

Week 8 highlight is Cheese-heads losing yet again.

THURSDAY NIGHT GAME

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT HOUSTON TEXANS

This may be the easiest game on the week 9 schedule. Eagles are 7-0 and Texans are 1-5-1 says it all. The Texans can’t cheat like the baseball team they share the town of Houston with.

OUR PREDICTION: EAGLES

BUFFALO BILLS AT NEW YORK JETS

The Jets were flying as high as the new Top Gun movie, Maverick. Until they ran into a buzzsaw when the New England Patriots defense brought the Jets down in a burning wreck. This is Buffalo’s only second division game of the season as their only loss came from the Dolphins inside the division. Bills are 12-2 in their last 14 division games. Jets are a young team and will have too much to handle with the Bills offense which are one of top units in the league. Jets quarterback Zach Wilson could face more interceptions like last week versus the Patriots from that Bills defense that ranks high in many categories and the team just activated their star corner back, Tre’Davious White.

The Jets are a young and exciting team, but the Bills are in another world compared to this youth group.

OUR PREDICTION: BILLS

CAROLINA PANTHERS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS

Did someone tell the Panthers they were supposed to close up shop for the season as they are in another rebuild? Bengals’ roller coaster season continues up and down. This is a game during which the Bengals should get back on track from their embarrassing Monday night loss to the Dawg pound. The Panthers, you are seeing P.J. Walker stepping up his game to be a future starter in this league it may not be in Carolina. Walker, a former XFL Houston Roughneck, will make the Bengals sweat in this one. Bengals don’t look like the same team as last year even though Joe Burrow leads the league in passing yardage. Bengals are still giving up too many sacks. In this one, Bengals get back on track in a close one.

OUR PREDICTION: BENGALS

GREEN BAY PACKERS AT DETROIT LIONS

The Lions have lost their King of the Jungle card. Here we go again because Lions are talking about a new head coach. Lions even traded their tight end T.J. Hockenson to the division rival Vikings. Packers could not find any receiver help on the trade market. Packers come in losing 4 in a row while Lions have lost 5. Aaron Rodgers is 18-6 all-time versus the Lions. All Rodgers needs to do in this one is hand the ball off to his two headed monster in the back field to break the Packers losing streak. Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon should run wild over the Lions defense.

OUR PREDICTION: PACKERS

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

The Colts have fallen on hard times. Patriots rebounded after a bad loss from the Bears. Colts will be without their star running back, Jonathan Taylor, during his second stint on the injured list this season. Who’s behind center in New England? Bailey Zappe, the Patriot faithful want to see, but Bill Belichick will elect to go with Mac Jones who has thrown an interception in six straight games. Colts offense have been averaging 16.1 points a game and are turning over the ball at high rate. Patriots defense has done a nice job forcing turnovers this season and Bill Belichick versus rookie quarterbacks is off the charts. Look for a Belichick plot to confuse Sam Ehlinger of the Colts.

OUR PREDICTION: PATRIOTS

LA CHARGERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS

The Just Ducky match-up features two former quackers from the University of Oregon. Marcus Mariota versus Justin Herbert. Falcons are in first place in the NFC South and activate their Swiss Army Knife running back, Cordarrelle Patterson. Chargers are coming off their bye week. Both the Chargers and Falcons offense should be able to generate points off each other’s defenses. Chargers can’t stop the run. The Falcons have problems defending the deep ball. I think Patterson will give the Falcons a boost. They are a team that has played very well without him. Chargers are hurting at the wide receiver position that makes lean harder for the home team Falcons.

OUR PICK: FALCONS

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Raiders big victory versus the Texans was erased last week when the Saints shut them out. The Jaguars have lost 5 straight. Raiders have problems winning on the road this season. Trevor Lawrence continues to shoot himself in the foot every week with sloppy turnovers in his second year in the NFL. Jaguars are in almost every game they played in, but they always find ways to lose them. Raiders defense has only generated 9 sacks this season which is hard to believe with the talent they have on the defensive front. Trevor Lawrence should have time to make his passes. This game is a coin flip. Josh Daniels, a stooge from that Belichick coaching tree, shows you when he gets his hands on a playoff team like the Raiders last year. Look at them now fizzling out at the halfway point of the season. Meanwhile Jaguars are making a savvy move acquiring a future piece from the Falcons in wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who is suspended this season. I feel the Jaguars defense will be the difference in this one.

OUR PREDICTION: JAGUARS

MIAMI DOLPHINS AT CHICAGO BEARS

Both teams were making deals at the trade deadline. Bears are collecting draft picks & trading away defensive players. However, Bears made a savvy move getting Justin Fields a weapon from Pittsburgh in Chase Claypool. Dolphins add a huge defensive piece in Bradley Chubb from the Broncos and find a running back from the 49ers in Jeff Wilson Jr. Dolphins are finding ways to protect Tua Tagovailoa lately. Cowboys scored 49 points off the Bears defense last week. This is the Dolphins’ second straight game on the road versus NFC North team. Bears offense is a different animal as they lead the league in NFL rushing averaging 188.4 yards per contest as a team. Fields can run and he has some good running backs behind him. Bears offense has gotten three straight games of piling up over 200 rushing yards. I think Bears make this a close game. Bears defense will be the liability.

OUR PICK: DOLPHINS

MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

The Vikings have won 5 straight games which is a new career high for Kirk Cousins behind center. The Commanders are making some noise in the NFL winning three games in a row. Will the Washington fan base welcome their old quarterback with cheers or jeers?

Kirk Cousins’ ole stomping grounds have him making his first trip back to the nation’s capital for the first time in a Viking uniform. Taylor Heinicke is 7-3 as the starting quarterback dating back to last season. Heinicke has done a very nice job filling in for the injured Carson Wentz. I felt like Cousins would stumble in a game like this. It’s not a prime-time game. I think the Commanders offense will not be able to keep up with the points the Vikings can score. Viking offense should be able to score even against an improved defensive unit the Commanders have had during their winning streak.

OUR PREDICTION: VIKINGS

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS

Most of the year I have picked wrong on almost every match-up the Cardinals and the Seahawks have been in. It’s like they’ve been pecking my eyeballs out every Sunday. Recently I have jumped on the Seahawks band wagon where the Cardinals continue not to do what I predict even winning the game. The Cardinals are 0-5 versus NFC West opponents within their own division that goes back to last post-season. Seahawks have won the last 4 out of 5 versus the Cardinals. Kyle Murray is rejuvenated with DeAndre Hopkins back from his suspension, and they have not missed a beat. Geno Smith has been electric behind center as one of the top quarterbacks in the league all year. Smith throwing to top targets like T.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett with rookie sensation running back Kenneth Walker III running the ball. Seahawks have one of the best offenses in the NFC. I can see the Seahawks defense able to contain the Cardinals offense longer than Arizona stopping Seattle’s attack.

OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS

LA RAMS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Once upon a time ago, these two teams the Buccaneers and Rams were the two power houses of the NFC. Both teams have won a Superbowl in recent years. Tom Brady’s divorce is getting messy as the airing of dirty laundry is out there.

Matthew Stafford is very close to setting the pick six record in the NFL. A Brady-led team could lose 4 straight with a loss this weekend by the Rams. I think the Rams are doing better all-around in more things football-wise than the Buccaneers who look like a team in shambles. All Brady’s past like his arrogant altered-ego seems to be coming back to haunt him this year as the Football God’s are out to get him. I see the Rams exploiting that shaky rickety Buccaneer offensive line to make Brady uncomfortable. Sean McVay seems like a cat with nine lives and will trade one in for a big Rams win on the road.

OUR PICK: RAMS

THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

TENNESSEE TITANS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Chiefs are coming off their bye week. Head coach Andy Reid’s team record coming off bye weeks since 2013 is 7-2. The Titans starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill is a game time decision dealing with an ankle injury. If Tannehill can’t go, the Titans are not going to win like they did last Sunday versus the Texans’ running back Derrick Henry and are becoming a one-dimensional offense. The Chiefs will be able to score on the Titans’ sketchy defense. Chiefs defense has done better versus the run than previous years. Chiefs at home and Patrick Mahomes in a prime-time game mean I have to go Chiefs in this one.

OUR PREDICTION: CHIEFS

BALTIMORE RAVENS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Ravens added a piece to their defense, snagging linebacker Roquan Smith from the Bears. The Saints defense showed up last week and shut out a talented Raiders team who put up 38 points a week before that game. Ravens are feeling comfortable & I feel some disappointment coming their way with Lamar Jackson and company. The Saints offense led by Andy Dalton has been solid the last few weeks if the Red Rifle can limit some mistakes and clean up his game. They have a chance at home. It’s tough to go into New Orleans and win a game. I think Saints feel they have a chance to catch the Falcons in the division especially with the Buccaneers struggling. Both units show up to play for the Saints while Ravens have another close loss added to their record.

OUR PICK: SAINTS