Week 9 Predictions

NYJ 17, Buffalo 21 - Hopefully Buffalo can turn it around after an embarrassing loss to the Dolphins in Miami in week 8. Both teams are coming off of games which exposed glaring weaknesses in the offense- the Bills have offensive line problems while the Jets need to fix Brett Favre's interception problem.

Detroit 20, Chicago 31- The Lions had a passable showing against the Redskins before faltering late in the game. A rested Bears defense should have a field day at home after crushing the Lions 34-7 in Detroit.

Jacksonville 27, Cincinnati 13- After last week's trap game loss to the Browns, the Jaguars shouldn't have similar problems for the Bengals who basically play without a defense. A team that is bad against the run won't fare well against Jacksonville against MJD, Fred Taylor, and David Garrard who apparently is being tagged as a big Randall Cunningham. With 3 teams in the AFC South sitting at 3-4, second place is still up for grabs...

Baltimore 20, Cleveland 17 - The Baltimore defense was all over the Raiders, who regressed from the home win over the Jets. Both teams look to build off of their week 8 wins, and with division leader Pittsburgh entering into the toughest part of their schedule the Ravens could make a run at the division lead.

Tampa Bay 21, Kansas City 24 - If Tyler Thigpen can repeat his performance against the Jets, the Chiefs actually have a chance. Arrowhead is a hard place to win on the road (just ask Mike Shanahan) and the low-powered Bucs offense should be manageable for even the Chiefs...

Houston 27, Minnesota 28 - It's pretty much a trend that a team will do really well for a couple weeks and then come crashing down to Earth. While Andre Johnson is arguably the best wide receiver in the league, the Texans are due for a loss. Against the Viking's run game and a defense that, despite a 48-point non-showing against Chicago, is usually stout, this one should be a Minnesota victory.

Arizona 34, St. Louis 27 - The Cardinals usually can't win on the road, but it's only the Rams. This should be a shootout, as neither team can stop anything through the air. Luckily for St. Louis the Cardinals don't have much of a ground game, and Kurt Warner is probably good for an interception or two to keep the game close.

Green Bay 17, Tennessee 20 - A beat up Packers team won't be a match for a healthy Titans defense. Despite the short week of rest, the defense should be stifling while Kerry Collins hands it off to Chris Johnson (who is already starting over Lendale White).

Miami 24, Denver 31 - Ok, the Broncos defense is horrible, but Mike Shanahan has had a week to prepare for Ronnie Brown and company. The Broncos are tough to beat at home under any circumstances, and teams are finally figuring out the Wildcat. This game is pretty much strength on weakness for both sides; the Dolphins run game vs. an atrocious run defense and the Broncos' passing game vs. a secondary that can't cover anything. Anyone want to place bets on how many carries Andre Hall gets this week?

Dallas 17, NYG 28 - I kind of hope Brad Johnson starts this one just so we can see how far the Cowboys' star has fallen. On the road against one of the elite defenses in the league, the Cowboys don't have many ways to win. Bump TO at the line and he's out of the play. Jason Witten has broken ribs. Marion Barber is still a great running back, but there's only so much he can do. Meanwhile the Giants just put the Steelers back in their place and are playing like defending Super Bowl Champions.

Atlanta 30, Oakland 21 - Michael Turner vs. the Raiders rush defense. Hmmm...

Philadelphia 27, Seattle 14 - Seattle beat the 49ers last week with short passes that turned into long gains. Don't count on that working against the Eagles.

New England 24, Indianapolis 27 - The Colts offense finally showed signs of life against the Titans, while the offensive line didn't give up a sack. Both teams play their best on national TV, so it should be a good game.

Pittsburgh 26, Washington 24 - The Redskins will have trouble putting pressure on Ben Roethlisberger, which was the main reason he made so many mistakes last week against the Giants. I think he bounces back and has a good game against the Redskins.