Critic Al’s Football Week 9 Pick ‘Em
Game of the Week: Baltimore (-3) at Cincinnati
Wait, the Bengals in a big game? Are we sure about this? Well, the Bengals-Ravens game might not catch the Steelers, but it’s certainly a big one. In fact, it’s the most important football game for Bengals fans since the team’s playoff game four seasons ago.
You remember that one, right? Carson Palmer got his knee mangled early in the game, the Steelers went on to win the Super Bowl and the Bengals descended into three years of darkness?
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Ravens at Bengals
Well, Cincy has finally come back into the light, and you can bet they’ll make the most of this opportunity. What I really like about this game is how well they match up with the Ravens.
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The difference between the two is Baltimore’s defense has been established for nearly a decade, while the Bengals are just now becoming legitimate in areas besides throwing it downfield. Likewise, the Ravens are putting together some offensive punch after years of Kyle Boller-led ineptitude. That’s a promising sign for Ravens fans.
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So even though all of Cincinnati will be amped up for this one, I’m going with the Ravens purely because they’re better balanced for the time being. They’ve also been in big games like this 2-3 times a year, so I think the Ravens’ experience wins this game for them..
Arizona at Chicago (-3)
We’re halfway through the season, and I think it’s safe to say that the Bears aren’t great. And hey, neither are the Cardinals. Kurt Warner is throwing a lot of picks, taking a lot of hits and not completing many passes downfield. Like I said, the Bears are far from great, but they can win this one at home.
Washington at Atlanta (-10)
Like Arizona, Atlanta seems like it’s taken a step back this season. Matt Ryan hasn’t exactly been Matty Ice lately, more like Matty Mediocre. I don’t care what the score said on Monday, Atlanta hung around with New Orleans because Drew Brees kept turning the ball over. But luckily for the Falcons, they play a team with even bigger problems, which makes me think they’ll beat the Redskins.
Green Bay (-9.5) at Tampa Bay
Green Bay and Chicago will be battling down the stretch for the No. 2 spot in the NFC North. But unlike the race between Baltimore and Cincinnati, the Chicago-Green Bay chase isn’t exactly thrilling. And even though Aaron Rodgers is taking sacks at a David Carr-like rate, the Packers are far from terrible. I can’t say the same for Tampa Bay, because they stink to high heaven. Packers win this one.
Miami at New England (-10.5)
I still don’t get why New England can’t figure out Miami’s Wildcat formation. If Ronnie Brown is behind center, then shouldn’t they know it’s coming? I can’t believe the Dolphins have had so much success against the Patriots with such a simple formation. Ah forget it, New England doesn’t lose at home much, and they’ll get it done this week, even if the Dolphins run 25 Wildcat plays.
Kansas City at Jacksonville (-6.5)
Let’s not be fooled, both of these teams are mediocre. But they’re different kinds of mediocre. Kansas City has very little going well for it, but the Jaguars have a mediocre team surrounding a great running back in Maurice Jones-Drew. That one guy can erase a lot of the mediocrity, so based on that, I’ll go with Jacksonville.
Houston at Indianapolis (-9)
I like the Texans. They do a lot of things well. But for them to become an elite team, they need to win games like this. And while Matt Schaub is putting up great numbers, he isn’t showing a consistent ability to win big games. It doesn’t help that his counterpart in the game excels at it. Houston might make it competitive, but Colts win here.
Carolina at New Orleans (-13)
You know, New Orleans could be playing the 1972 Dolphins or the 1992 Cowboys, and I’d hesitate before picking against the Saints at the Superdome. They seem invincible in that place. I certainly don’t think the 2009 Saints are one of the best teams ever, nor do I think they’ll run the table. But you can’t go against the Saints at home, especially if Jake Delhomme starts throwing interceptions left and right.
Detroit at Seattle (-10)
Detroit certainly isn’t as bad as last year, but I’m not ready to pick them as a winner on the road just yet. Seattle isn’t great either, in fact, I think Matt Hasselbeck is being held together with tape right now, but the Seahawks can get it done against Detroit. They don’t need a miraculous game to win here.
Tennessee at San Francisco (-4)
So the Titans finally won a game, how much should we read into it? Well, Vince Young came out of quarterback purgatory to manage last week’s game just fine, but it was certainly Chris Johnson who won it. The bigger issue is whether the Titans can get their swagger back on defense. That just might happen this week, because San Francisco’s offense certainly poses a challenge. Titans win this one, and while that won’t mean they’re serious contenders again, we’ll finally be able to stop laughing at them.
San Diego at New York Giants (-5)
Neither of these teams have proven that they’re elite. But I like this match up because of the tension between Eli Manning and Philip Rivers. Forget about that stuff from their draft day, I’m sure Rivers hates that he’ll always be compared to Eli, just like they probably both hate living in Ben Roethlisberger’s shadow. I’ll go with the Giants in this one, but I expect it to be close.
Dallas at Philadelphia (-3)
Now this is a tough one. Dallas is playing its best ball of the season, and Miles Austin is giving DeSean Jackson a run for his money as a deep threat receiver. Still, it’s hard to know which Philly will show up every week, the one that put a beating on the Giants or the team that lost to the Oakland Raiders. I’ll go with the latter in a Philly win.
Pittsburgh (-3) at Denver
I like Denver, but I don’t know how they’ll bounce back from a loss. That’ll be a big tell on their new coach. And if I’ve learned one thing, it’s that you don’t want a bounce-back game against the Steelers, because they’ll destroy you. Denver can certainly come out stronger this week, but I don’t think it’ll be enough. Steelers win.
Last week: 8-5
Season: 72-43 (.626)
Past Predictions: Week 2 / Week 3 / Week 4 / Week 5 / Week 6 / Week 7 / Week 8
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