5 Games to Watch : Week 9 NFL

Week 9 in the NFL features some very intriguing games that could show a lot about some teams and their playoff chances. This week could prove which teams are pretenders, and which teams are for real. Will the Chiefs lose their third straight game at Arrowhead, a place known for making it extremely tough on opponents? What can we expect when two star veteran quarterbacks ( Rodgers / Rivers ) go head to head for only the third time? And most importantly, will New England’s dominant yet unproven defense hold up against the Ravens and their quarterback, Lamar Jackson, notoriously hard to defend. Here are the Top 5 games in Week 9 and what to watch for.

 

Jaguars (4-4) @ Texans ( 5-3 ) London  9:30, NFL Network

While the Jaguars have familiarity with playing in London ( 7 straight seasons) and won’t have to play J.J. Watt, they still have to go against Deshaun Watson and a tough Houston Texans team. Houston, coming off back-to-back wins over the Chiefs and Raiders, still have more than enough talent to beat Gardner Minshew, who got sacked four  times when the two teams met in September.

Prediction : Texans 28, Jaguars 21

Vikings (6-2) @ Chiefs (5-3) 12:00, FOX

Kansas City, usually dominant at Arrowhead Stadium, is 1-3 this season  and is in danger of losing their third straight at their home field with a dangerous Minnesota defense coming to town. With Patrick Mahomes likely out for the second straight week, Matt Moore has to play well for the Chiefs to win. He did enough to give himself a chance to win last week, but facing a Vikings defense ranked 5th in total defense will be challenging. A depleted KC defensive line going against NFL leading rusher Dalvin Cook poses even more of a problem.

Prediction : Vikings 31, Chiefs 21

Bears (3-4) @ Eagles (4-4) 12:00, FOX

The Eagles well known secondary problems shouldn’t be much of a problem against Mitch Tribusky, who could be benched if he doesn’t perform. The Eagles have the clear upperhand on offense, with Desean Jackson and Darren Sproles practicing this week. Look for Jordan Howard to have a big day running the ball against  his former team, especially since Chicago’s run defense is not as good without Akiem Hicks.

Prediction : Eagles 24 Bears 17

 

Packers (7-1)  @ Chargers (3-5) 3:25 FOX

After gutting out a road win last week, the Packers look to get back to dominating. If it wasn’t for a shanked 41-yard fielgoal by Eddie Pineiro the Chargers would be on a three game losing streak. In order for the Chargers to make it a game, their defense has to figure out how to rupture the Rodgers-to-Jones connection. Green Bay’s defense also has to limit the big plays.

Prediction : Packers 35 Chargers 21

 

 

Patriots (8-0) @ Ravens (5-2) 7:20 NBC 

New England finally faces a tough test : a sneaky Lamar Jackson led Ravens team on the road. While many consider the Patriots defense the best in recent years – and rightfully agreeable with only 7.6 points allowed per game – they haven’t faced hardly any competition. Lets put it this way, the best team the Pats have played are the Bills, who they handled with ease. On the other side, Lamar Jackson has been incredible for Baltimore. He continues to put up Michael Vick like rushing numbers, all while blossoming into a pure passer in the pocket. If he stays away from the risky plays and doesn’t turn the ball over, the Ravens could make this a game.

Prediction : Patriots 29 Ravens 23

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