Wow. Already halfway through the 2020 season. That is obviously the biggest news of this week in the US. Ok, maybe not, but there are still games to pick! And Week 9’s slate is filled with some great matchups. In Week 8, I went 10-4, bringing my season total to 57-29-1. It was pretty good week, but there’s always room to improve. Let’s get away from the craziness of politics and pick this week’s games, shall we?
Packers 27-17 49ers 
San Francisco is an absolute mess right now, and I’m finding it hard to come up with a scenario in which they win this game. After they were seemingly starting to get healthy once again, the injury bug came right back to bite them in a huge way. QB Jimmy Garoppolo is now out indefinitely after re-inuring his ankle, and superstar TE George Kittle is likely out for the remainder of the season with a foot injury. In addition, several key players tested positive for COVID-19 this week. They will be very thin as they welcome the Packers into town. Green Bay didn’t look good last week against the Vikings, but I do not expect to see that out of them in back to back weeks. This team is still very good and will win this game handily against a 49ers squad that is being held together by bandaids right now.
Falcons 31-24 Broncos 
This is a slightly intriguing matchup between two somewhat bad teams that picked up nice wins last week. The Falcons are the home team and had a longer week. That combined with the Broncos having to travel out east and play a 1pm game makes this a pretty easy pick. Atlanta is also a better team, and WR Julio Jones is finally finding his stride in 2020 after a very lackluster start to the year. The Broncos were the beneficiary of the Chargers being the Chargers last week, and they luckily get to face the other notorious choking team of the NFL on Sunday, but I don’t see them getting away with it again. It wouldn’t shock me if they do, but the Falcons have too much going for them for me to pick against them in this game.
Seahawks 28-27 Bills 
This is a great matchup on paper between two 6-win teams, but they have taken very different roads to get here. The Bills started 2020 red hot, but are 2-2 in their last four games with those two wins being very narrow ones against the Jets and Patriots, two teams that cannot move the ball offensively to save their lives. Their offense itself has also mellowed out completely, and they don’t appear to have the same passing prowess as they did in September. Luckily for them, they play the worst defense in the league in Seattle, so they can definitely get back on track in that department. Despite their horrid defense, the Seahawks are still winning games in droves thanks to stellar play from their MVP-to-be QB Russell Wilson. Their offense has looked like one of the league’s best, and they are not slowing down. I expect this game to be back and forth and relatively high scoring, and like I always do, I like Russ to lead his team to victory as he almost always does. I also trust the Seahawks far more than I trust the Bills in big spots, as Seattle very often passes those tests and Buffalo very often fails them.
Titans 24-20 Bears 
Expect a defensive battle in this one. Whatever the under is, take it. Both of these teams are coming off of losses in games that I’m sure they wish they had back. Tennessee has lost back to back games after starting the year 5-0, and they are dying to get back on track. Chicago has also lost back to back games, but for some reason, they don’t strike me as a team that has what it takes to bounce back. It might be because the QB play of Nick Foles doesn’t inspire anyone or anything. Foles has an INT in each of his last 6 games, a ridiculous stretch that leads the NFL. As long as he is their QB, I don’t like this team’s chances. I’m not saying that Mitchell Trubisky is a better option, but Foles has lost me. I do expect the Titans to bounce back because they do have what it takes to do so. This team is remarkably talented and too well-coached to lose a game like this. It’s safe to say one thing: the loser of this game will have a long road back to where they want to be as their division and conference races are heating up.
Colts 27-21 Ravens 
Another interesting matchup between two 5-2 teams. Last week, these teams had two very similar, but also different games. Both teams pretty much dominated their opponents, but whereas the Colts won big, the Ravens lost a huge game against the Steelers thanks to a load of mistakes and turnovers by their offense. It’s safe to say that this is a must-win game for both parties. Both of their division races are heating up, and both teams are fighting for a first place spot. A loss would derail them both for a few weeks. This is a huge game, and in a game like this, I like the team that is better on paper to come out with a win. In my opinion, that is the Ravens. However, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has proven time and time again that he cannot step up in big games. He has held this team back in several games, and he was the reason they lost last week when they had no business losing. The Colts are very talented and are getting things done in multiple ways, and their defense is still shutting down teams. I think HC Frank Reich can win a coaching battle against any coach in this league. While I think the Ravens are the better team and should win this game, I cannot trust Lamar until he gives me a reason to trust him in a big spot. For that, I will take Indy in the upset.
Chiefs 38-24 Panthers 
There isn’t much to get into here. The Chiefs are clearly the best team in football. The Panthers, despite their talent, have lost 3 games in a row. Carolina RB Christian McCaffrey is likely returning to the lineup, but even he can’t salvage a game against Kansas City. They are the league’s biggest wrecking ball and they are going town to town across America to wreck your team. QB Patrick Mahomes has had himself an absolutely stellar 2020 campaign thus far, and I don’t see him slowing down anytime soon. Like I said, there isn’t much to say because these teams speak for themselves. The Chiefs will win this game and they will win it big.
Vikings 26-24 Lions 
This could be fun. These two teams are pretty bad and still trying to figure out where they stand in 2020, which means that their matchup will likely be entertaining to watch. I really have no idea what to make of either of these teams, but the Vikings looked much better than the Lions did last week, and their win in Green Bay was miles better than any of Detroit’s wins this season. I also think that they are more talented, especially considering Lions star WR Kenny Golladay is facing an injury. The Vikings are finding their groove on the ground as RB Dalvin Cook is having himself big game after big game. I don’t trust QB Kirk Cousins, but I do think the Vikes are the better team in this game, so I’ll take them.
Washington 21-20 Giants 
NFC East battles in 2020. Either the best or worst entertainment in sports television. I personally don’t think this one will be bad. It’ll actually be quite good. Both of these teams, despite their records and struggles in 2020, have had a few good weeks of football and have been fairly competitive. Their Week 6 matchup was a fairly good game only decided by 1 point, so why not run it back with the same thing? Although this time, I like Washington to come out on top. My reasoning is fairly simple: Washington is coming off a bye, and the Giants just played on Monday Night Football. The WFT had 8 more days of rest and preparation for this game, and if there’s anything HC Ron Rivera has preached, it’s that he wants to win every single game. This team looked very determined two weeks ago against the Cowboys, and I imagine they’ll keep that momentum rolling this week. The Giants have been very competitive and they have been in almost every single game this season. But, for whatever reason, they can’t seem to get a win (except for their earlier matchup against Washington). I think this game is a complete toss-up, but I’ll take the team with the rest and momentum on their side. It should be fun and it should be close, and I’m actually looking forward to how it plays out.
Texans 31-27 Jaguars 
Nobody wants to watch this game, but I don’t think anyone will doubt that it will be quite entertaining. These teams are awful, but they do have good offenses, and I expect to see a lot of points in this game. Both of these teams had last week off, so I don’t see that being a factor in this game. I’ll just take the team that I think is better, and that’s Houston. Jacksonville has virtually no redeeming qualities outside of a few good pieces on offense, and when this game is hanging in the balance, they’ll likely blow it. Moreover, they were run out of the building in their first meeting with the Texans this season. I simply don’t see Jacksonville winning this game.
Raiders 34-28 Chargers 
This one will be fun. Two exciting, fun, young AFC West teams with some high-powered offenses. I can’t wait to see it. I’d love to put faith in the Chargers but they have lost me completely. 4 straight weeks with blown leads of at least 16 points is enough to render even the most devout fans hopeless. I just can’t trust them to win games anymore. But moreover, the Raiders have looked very nice this season. They have picked up some great wins against teams like New Orleans, Kansas City, and Cleveland, and they are playing some good football. I still have some questions about their defense, but I think that HC Jon Gruden can tighten that up. If they can’t beat a team like the Chargers, I’d be a little concerned, but I don’t think that’s a situation they’ll have to face.
Steelers 34-6 Cowboys 
This will be ugly with a capital U-G-L-Y. Not a lot more needs to be said. A team that some would argue is the best in the league against a team that some would argue is the worst. With a 3rd string QB at the helm, the Cowboys can’t win a game even if they were paid to do so. Apparently Dallas is considering playing some guy named Cooper Rush at QB on Sunday. At this point, I think they need Jesus Christ at QB. Even that might not be enough to salvage the mess that is the 2020 Dallas Cowboys. No need to overthink the room on this one. The Steelers will win this game with their eyes closed.
Cardinals 26-21 Dolphins 
This is a really interesting matchup in the desert. Two young teams that are seemingly in the midst of successful rebuilds led by two legendary college QBs that are still just getting their NFL careers started. The last time Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa faced off, it was in the College Football Playoff. Now, they’re at the helm of two proud NFL franchises. Tua won his first start in Miami, but was quite frankly bailed out by the rest of his team putting on a spectacular performance in all 3 phases of the game. Both of these teams have won 3 games in a row and are some of football’s hottest teams. The parallels are very apparent. So, who comes out on top? I like the Cardinals for a few reasons. We’ve seen more of who they truly are with Kyler at QB, whereas we still know nothing about Tua. They’re also coming off of a bye and don’t have to travel, which is huge in my eyes. And I think that they’re simply better overall. The Dolphins are a good team, but I simply don’t know what to make of them right now with Tua. They won’t have a game like last Sunday’s again, so it’s time for the rook to step up. Is he ready? We’ll find out soon enough.
Buccaneers 28-24 Saints 
This is the Game of the Week on paper, and thankfully, it’s on SNF. I don’t expect the Bucs to come out as lethargic as they did in their Week 1 contest in New Orleans. They have found their stride and risen to the top as one of the best teams in the NFL. The Saints have quietly strung together some wins, but they haven’t looked like anything special. Perhaps they will once they get healthy, as they have been faced with injury after injury, especially at the WR position. Still, wins are wins, and they have been winning. That being said, I don’t see that continuing on Sunday night in Tampa. The Buccaneers did have a short week, but there is no doubt in my mind that they are a better team. They will not make the same mistakes they made 8 weeks ago. They are too good for that now. Yes, they didn’t look great on Monday night, but it’s probably because they were looking ahead and underestimated the Giants. These teams match up pretty well with another, but with the uncertainty in New Orleans with injuries, I don’t have it in me to pick them. Even if they were healthy I wouldn’t pick them. I think there isn’t a single thing that they do better than Tampa Bay. A storyline to not forget about on Sunday night is the return of WR Antonio Brown. I don’t know if he’ll play, and if he does, I doubt he’ll be effective, but it is still something to watch. In any case, this game should be a blast, and I’m very excited to see it unfold.
Patriots 21-13 Jets 
I don’t want to watch this game. I don’t want to talk about this game. These teams suck. The Patriots suck less. That is all. Please put better games on Monday Night Football. We deserve it. Snooze.
All stats taken from ESPN.
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