Week 9 NFL Picks

Last Week: 6-7-0

Season: 57-52-7

I’ll look to bounce back from a sub .500 performance with a week highlighted by a rematch of Super Bowl XLII. Will the Colts or Dolphins pick up their first wins of the 2011 season? Can Drew Brees and the Saints bounce back from a bad loss in St. Louis last week? Will the Eagles continue with their recent strong performance and shut down Matt Forte and the Bears? As always, home teams in CAPITALS.

Falcons (-7) over COLTS
Atlanta is coming off of their bye and will look to build momentum on their win over Detroit from two weeks ago. The Colts continue to look like a defeated team and I don’t expect that to change on Sunday.

SAINTS (-9) over Buccaneers
I think that New Orleans bounces back in a big way from their subpar performance against the Rams one week ago. The Buccaneers have been a jekyll and hyde type of team this season and I’m not sure that their offense can be counted on to keep up with the Saints in the Superdome on Sunday.

Browns (+10.5) over TEXANS
I have an odd feeling that Cleveland plays just well enough on Sunday to keep this game somewhat close. Watch… the Texans will now end up blowing them out.

Jets (+2.5) over BILLS
Buffalo has the definite home field advantage but I’ll go with the better defense in this matchup. One of these weeks Mark Sanchez is going to have a game in which he actually looks like a good quarterback. It could happen this week against Buffalo’s defense.

CHIEFS (-4) over Dolphins
Miami has played a couple of close games recently but their still arguably the worst team in the NFL. Kansas City could be in for a classic letdown performance following their big Monday Night win against San Diego, but I think they do just enough to pull this one out. Proceed with caution…

49ers (-4.5) over REDSKINS
I refuse to pick John Beck and the Redskins until they prove they can actually perform on offense. Things shouldn’t get any easier against a stout San Francisco defense.

COWBOYS (-11) over Seahawks
Dallas is coming off of an embarrassing loss to the Eagles and will look to take out their frustration on the Seahawks. I expect the Cowboys defense to tee off on Seattle’s offense and win this game in convincing fashion.

RAIDERS (-7.5) over Broncos
I’m not confident in this pick but I have to think Carson Palmer and the Raiders offense will look better after two weeks of practice. Until Tim Tebow proves he can be a competent NFL quarterback, I can’t pick the Broncos.

TITANS (-3) over Bengals
This is a tough game to pick as well but I have a feeling that the Titans do just enough at home to move to 5-3 on the season and remain in the playoff hunt. Andy Dalton and the Bengals are due for a down week at some point.

Rams (+3) over CARDINALS
With Kevin Kolb’s status uncertain due to a turf toe injury, I’ll pick the Rams on the road. St. Louis could be in for a letdown performance after their big home win last week but I’m not sure that the Cardinals are talented enough to take advantage.

Giants (+9) over PATRIOTS
I think New England wins this game but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Giants keep it within single digits. Eli Manning should have success throwing the ball on the Patriots suspect defense.

Packers (-6) over CHARGERS
Green Bay has been on a roll all season and their strong play should continue in San Diego on Sunday. The Chargers are coming off of a bad Monday Night loss and have injuries across the board. Phillip Rivers has not been himself all season. Green Bay wins by at least a touchdown in this game.

STEELERS (-3.5) over Ravens
Pittsburgh will be looking for revenge after being embarrassed in their Week 1 matchup against the Ravens. Joe Flacco and the Baltimore offense has been an absolute mess recently. Their challenge doesn’t get any easier against the Steelers defense.

EAGLES (-7.5) over Bears
The Eagles seem to be on the upswing and can amazingly get back to .500 with a win over the Bears on Monday night. Philadelphia’s pass rush should be able to tee off on Jay Cutler and if the Eagles can control Matt Forte, they should be able to win convincingly.