With the NFL season reaching its midpoint, Week 9 brings intriguing matchups including the Jacksonville Jaguars visiting the Baltimore Ravens, the Cincinnati Bengals facing the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid, and the Green Bay Packers traveling to New England where Tom Brady returns to Foxborough as a broadcaster.
Jaguars at Ravens
The Ravens are dealing with a quarterback crisis: Lamar Jackson is headed to injured reserve with a thumb injury, and backup Tyler Huntley is unlikely to play due to a toe injury. Undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano may start, but he also has an ankle injury. The Jaguars, under head coach Liam Coen, are 10-1 when rushing for at least 110 yards and ran for a season-high 183 yards in a 42-7 win over the Colts in Week 8. Trevor Lawrence threw for 210 yards and three touchdowns on just 10 completions, achieving a 153.3 passer rating. Pick: Jaguars 30-13.
Bengals vs. Falcons in Madrid
Both teams arrive Tuesday for the NFL's second game in Spain. The Falcons' defense struggles against the run, but the Bengals' defense has allowed 621 yards to tight ends, second-most in the league, setting up Kyle Pitts. Atlanta's Bijan Robinson averages 5.2 yards per carry against a Bengals defense allowing 4.8 yards per carry. However, Joe Burrow has thrown at least four touchdowns with a 70% completion rate in three straight games, a first in NFL history. Pick: Bengals 34-31.
Packers at Patriots
Tom Brady returns to Gillette Stadium as a Fox broadcaster, and Rob Gronkowski enters the Patriots Hall of Fame. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has three touchdowns in five straight games, the second-longest streak in franchise history behind Brady's 2007 run. But Maye has six touchdowns and eight interceptions against winning teams. The Packers defense has been strong even without Micah Parsons. Pick: Packers 23-20.
Buccaneers at Bears
Tampa Bay has won its last two games while completing only seven total passes, embracing a run-heavy approach reminiscent of the 1930s. They rushed for 324 yards with zero completions against the Falcons, the first such game since 1945. Chicago boasts the league's second-best rushing attack at 150.8 yards per game. Pick: Bears 23-20.
Bills at Vikings
Minnesota's defense is elite, but the offense struggles with Kyler Murray questionable due to hamstring tightness. Justin Jefferson has only 28 catches, ranking outside the top 50. Buffalo's defense allows 254.7 passing yards per game, third-worst in the NFL. Pick: Bills 24-17.
Other Week 9 straight-up picks: Cowboys over Colts, Chiefs over Jets, Lions over Dolphins, Giants over Eagles, Rams over Commanders, Broncos over Panthers, Texans over Chargers, Browns over Saints, 49ers over Raiders, Seahawks over Cardinals. Byes: Titans, Steelers.
