[/center]Not a whole lot of upsets from me once again this week. Here are my picks (gonna tally up week 9 points shortly):
GAME OF THE WEEK - Carolina Panthers (5-3) at San Francisco 49ers (6-2), SF by 6 - The Panthers have come roaring back into the NFC playoff picture, and now they face their toughest test of the season so far on the road against a 49ers team that has also hit midseason form. Going to be really interested to see how the 49ers offense and Panthers defense match up. I think this should be a pretty darn close game, but the 49ers have homefield advantage and a significant coaching edge. I'll give it to them in a close one. 49ers 27, Panthers 23
Washington Redskins (3-5) at Minnesota Vikings (1-7), WAS by 2 - Vikings can't even get favored at home against this pitiful Redskins defense. At this point for the Vikings, it's all about wondering who they're going to take with a top five pick in the 2014 draft. The Redskins, as hard as it is to believe, still have a chance of taking the NFC East, but have been absolutely pathetic on defense. It's a tossup, so I'll go with the home team. UPSET! - Vikings 34, Redskins 30
Jacksonville Jaguars (0-8) at Tennessee Titans (4-4), TEN by 13 - As much as I want to pick the Jaguars in an upset here, they're just a historically bad team. The Titans aren't flashy by any means, but they're a solid enough club that's in the fight for a wild card berth. They've got a lot to play for. Titans 24, Jaguars 16
Philadelphia Eagles (3-5) at Green Bay Packers (5-3), GB by 2.5 - Aaron Rodgers is likely out for several weeks with the Packers (at the time of writing this, all that's known is he's not playing against the Eagles), which means that anything could happen. However, if the Packers' defense can get back to playing the way it was before the Bears game, there's no reason to think that they can't grind out a win, especially with the running game playing the way it has been. I know lots of people are going to pick the Eagles in this one, but I trust McCarthy to get Seneca Wallace prepared enough to be an adequate fill-in for this week. Packers 24, Eagles 21
Buffalo Bills (3-6) at Pittsburgh Steelers (2-6), PIT by 3.5 - EJ Manuel has been cleared to play, and the Bills have been competitive all year long with teams. But Pittsburgh's not out of it yet, and I think they get the win. Steelers 27, Bills 20
Oakland Raiders (3-5) at New York Giants (2-6), NYG by 7 - So what exactly happened to the Raiders against the Eagles last week? They'd been playing some solid defense but got absolutely shredded by an average at best quarterback for one of the greatest passing performances in NFL history. The Giants are coming off a bye week and have had plenty of time to prepare for this team. Have they turned the corner after a horrible start? Probably not, but I still think they can eke out a victory. Giants 24, Raiders 17
St. Louis Rams (3-5) at Indianapolis Colts (6-2), IND by 10 - No Sam Bradford, no victory. The Colts have prevailed in some pretty fascinating finishes this season, and a win here against the Rams would go a long way toward securing their first AFC South title in the post-Peyton era. Colts 34, Rams 13
Seattle Seahawks (8-1) at Atlanta Falcons (2-6), SEA by 6.5 - A rematch of last year's Divisional Playoff game finds these two teams going in complete opposite directions since that exciting duel. Atlanta has completely bottomed out this season, despite expectations that they'd challenge as Super Bowl contenders. The Seahawks, meanwhile, have the NFC's best record despite some pretty lackluster football in recent weeks. Sooner or later the Seahawks are going to go up against a team that's going to surprise them. But is it the Falcons? Doubt it. These guys just look like they've given up on the season. Seahawks 34, Falcons 10
Cincinnati Bengals (5-3) at Baltimore Ravens (3-5), CIN by 1.5 - Things are looking real bad for Baltimore. They just lost to the Browns for the first time in six years, and they're two games under .500 at the halfway mark of the season. They can't lose more than one more game this season if they want a realistic shot at even having a chance to defend their title. The Bengals may have lost Geno Atkins for the season, but they've still got a significant amount of firepower. So does that add up to a Bengals win? Hard to say. Both of these teams should be itching to prove themselves after disappointing losses in week 9. The Ravens are playing at home, but they haven't been able to control the clock at all and that offensive line has been putrid. I'll go with Cincy to keep a tenuous hold on the division, although the Browns (yes, the Browns) are lurking in the shadows. Bengals 28, Ravens 17
Detroit Lions (5-3) at Chicago Bears (5-3), DET by 2.5 - Extremely important game here. The winner is guaranteed at least a share of the NFC North and some huge leverage on their opponent in the NFC North/wild card race. The Bears have been playing some great offense, but that defense has been pathetic and there's no denying that they got a significant boost by not having to play against Aaron Rodgers. Calvin Johnson should murder that secondary. Lions 33, Bears 21
Houston Texans (2-6) at Arizona Cardinals (4-4), ARZ by 2.5 - Houston looked like it was on the way to upsetting the Colts last week, but the collapse of Gary Kubiak really put them out of sorts. Hard to say how they'll perform now that they have no hope for a playoff shot and a substitute head coach. In normal circumstances I'd pick the Texans for the upset, but these aren't normal circumstances. The Cardinals have put together a solid defense and an offense quietly capable of scoring some points. Cardinals 27, Texans 17
Denver Broncos (7-1) at San Diego Chargers (4-4), DEN by 7 - This game could be a test for the Broncos. John Fox will not be on the sidelines, and the Chargers have shown some tenacity this season when many people thought they'd be pushovers. You never know whether the good or bad chargers will show up, though, and I've got a feeling that Peyton Manning can more than make up for the lack of the head coach. Broncos 41, Chargers 24
Dallas Cowboys (5-4) at New Orleans Saints (6-2), NO by 7 - The Cowboys have been up and down all season long. They've got some talent and are probably heading to the playoffs, but I'd be quite surprised to see them beat the Saints at home. Saints 34, Cowboys 27
Miami Dolphins (4-4) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-8), MIA by 3 - In this battle of beleaguered Florida teams with bullies (Richie Incognito, Greg Schiano) only one can come out on top! The Dolphins can stake their claim to the drivers' seat for the 6th seed in the AFC with a victory, whereas the Bucs are basically playing to avoid the embarrassment of an 0-16 season at this point. I like Philbin's crew to follow up on a long week after a nice victory over the Bengals. Dolphins 23, Buccaneers 10
BYES: Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, New York Jets
