Source: EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – JANUARY 08: A detail of the official National Football League NFL logo is seen painted on the turf as the New York Giants host the Atlanta Falcons during their NFC Wild Card Playoff game at MetLife Stadium on January 8, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
Week 9 of the NFL season has seen the first coaching domino fall.
The Las Vegas Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels, as well as their GM and offensive coordinator. They have promoted linebackers coach Antonio Pierce to the role of interim head coach, and benched Jimmy Garoppolo for former Boilermaker Aidan O’Connell. Reports from Vegas indicate that McDaniels had completely lost the team, with morale at a low in his last few days. Will his firing breathe new life into the Raiders? Against a bad Giants team, it’s possible.
For Colts fans, they get a game against their former head coach Frank Reich and the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers are coming off of their first win of the season but have otherwise been fairly uninspiring on offense. Carolina may be motivated to win one for their head coach considering how the Colts handled his departure, and Indy’s defense has given up 35+ in the last 3 games each. It would be a major low point for the Colts to lose to their former coach and the 1-win Panthers, and while I do think the Colts will win, it’s not a guaranteed victory. As Colts fans have seen, there seems to be no better cure for an offense that’s stuck in the mud than the Colts secondary.
The highlight of the NFL weekend will be the NFC East showdown between the league-leading Philadelphia Eagles and their hated rival, the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys, who dominated the Rams last week, are hoping to establish themselves as legitimate contenders, while the Eagles are trying to maintain first place in the division. Don’t be surprised if this is the first of 3 games between these teams.
Here are my picks for Week 9 of the NFL season.
THURSDAY
(3-4) Tennessee Titans @ (4-3) Pittsburgh Steelers: 20-17 Titans
SUNDAY
(6-2) Miami Dolphins @ (6-2) Kansas City Chiefs: 31-17 Dolphins
(4-4) Minnesota Vikings @ (4-4) Atlanta Falcons: 21-18 Falcons
(5-2) Seattle Seahawks @ (6-2) Baltimore Ravens: 24-21 Ravens
(1-7) Arizona Cardinals @ (4-3) Cleveland Browns: 21-10 Browns
(3-5) Los Angeles Rams @ (2-5) Green Bay Packers: 17-13 Rams
(3-4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ (3-4) Houston Texans: 20-17 Buccaneers
(3-5) Washington Commanders @ (2-6) New England Patriots: 17-14 Patriots
(2-6) Chicago Bears @ (4-4) New Orleans Saints: 24-10 Saints
(3-5) Indianapolis Colts @ (1-6) Carolina Panthers: 21-17 Colts
(2-6) New York Giants @ (3-5) Las Vegas Raiders: 17-16 Raiders
(5-2) Dallas Cowboys @ (7-1) Philadelphia Eagles: 28-25 Eagles
(5-3) Buffalo Bills @ (4-3) Cincinnati Bengals: 31-30 Bengals
MONDAY
(3-4) Los Angeles Chargers @ (4-3) New York Jets: 20-17 Jets
Listen to JMV and betting analyst Brent Holverson’s picks for Week 9 down below, and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
