NFL Week 9: The Ultimate Guide to Sunday's Action

Brady vs. Manning...let's go.

There's no doubt what Week 9's best game is. In fact, it's not even close. Yet what's great about this week is that it's just the fantastic crowning jewel to an already impressive roster of games.

In any other week, a matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers would be the star of the show. Thankfully, it's still appointment viewing as Sunday Night Football. Earlier in the day, games like Philadelphia vs. Houston, Arizona vs. Dallas and San Diego vs. Miami could all be fantastic matchups that both intrigue and entertain. 

Storylines, check. 

Narratives, check. 

Actual, honest-to-goodness good football, double-check. 

It'll be a fantastic week of football, and here is everything you need to prepare for the entire slate of Sunday games.

Biggest Questions

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Broncos LB Von Miller

Can Tom Brady Keep Up His High Level of Play Against a Potent Denver Broncos Defense?

Since a loss at Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this season, the Patriots quarterback has seriously picked up the pace, and the team has been much better for it. Yet the Broncos have one of the best rushing defenses in the league and one of the most potent pass rushes. Things could revert back to the old pre-Arrowhead days in a hurry. 

Can the Arizona Cardinals Do Anything to Slow Down the Dallas Cowboys' Passing Attack?

Many thought the Cardinals rushing defense would suffer in 2014, especially with linebacker Daryl Washington's suspension. Instead, the vaunted pass defense hasn't kept up its end of the bargain. 

I understand, theoretically, how one might believe Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson could man up with Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant. On the field this season, however, there's absolutely zero evidence to point to something like that happening. 

Will the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers Have Things Figured Out After the Bye?

Both the Giants (who play Monday) and the 49ers have been a little frenetic this season and need to solidify what they do right and clean up much of what they do wrong. One would be hard-pressed to find a pair of more well-regarded coaches in the NFL than Jim Harbaugh and Tom Coughlin. 

Focusing on the 49ers for the purposes of this column: One has to hope that quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the offensive staff and the weapons around the young passer are all on the same page. The St. Louis Rams are a pretty good tuneup opponent, but they also tend to play rather close in NFC West matchups. 

Which Baltimore Ravens Team Shows Up?

At their best, the Ravens are led by a tremendous physicality up front on the offensive line. Though, this year, they've acquired the ability to score big points, the Ravens also have the unique ability to look truly dominant even when the score is kept low. Usually, this is done simply by throwing opposing defenders around like rag dolls. 

But that team has only shown up a handful of times this season. One of those times was against the Steelers, but one could legitimately argue that this is a much different Steelers team and almost certainly won't be as much of a pushover.

Odds and Ends

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Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell

• To find out which games are available in your area, check out these NFL coverage maps, via 506 Sports.
• Who's calling your game of choice Sunday? Here are announcer pairings for CBS and Fox, via B-FLO 360.
• Football Zebras provides a look at which referees are working each game so you can tailor your insults accordingly.
• Can't make it to a TV? SiriusXM covers every single game. Here's the lineup.
• If you don't have satellite radio, check to see if Westwood One has a game playing in your area.
• Even if you can watch your favorite team, make sure you have the Bleacher Report Team Stream app for the latest in news, fantasy football updates and highlights.

Important Stats and Trends to Know

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Patriots QB Tom Brady

The History of Brady vs. Manning By the Numbers

In the last 10 meetings between the Patriots and Broncos, the home team is 9-1. That's on top of the Patriots' already-stellar (and usually underrated) home-field advantage—they're 26-2 in their last 28 home games. Brady is also 10-5 against Manning in his career. 

Legion of...?

One of the more informative ways of looking at teams is asking whether they're able to do what they're supposed to do. That is: Rather than harping on known and accepted weaknesses, ask yourself are their building blocks holding up their end of the bargain. 

In the Seattle Seahawks' case, the defensive backs are not. 

One look over at Pro Football Focus shows a pretty clear issue (subscription required), as cornerback Richard Sherman and safety Earl Thomas are both having OK years but down by their standards. Meanwhile, safety Kam Chancellor has been picked on a few times this season which is completely out of character for him. 

Strength on Strength

Through his first eight games, Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray has rushed for 1,054 yards. In that time, he's faced two top-10 rushing defenses (Seattle and San Francisco) and put up 115 and 118 yards in those contests. 

Arizona will be the toughest defense he has faced all season. The second-ranked rushing defense hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher this season. and the longest rush it's allowed is only 20 yards. 

Rookie-Passer Update

Currently, the top rookie passer is Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. He's got a total QBR of 48.8, which is better than veteran Buffalo Bills quarterback Kyle Orton and just below Houston Texans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. 

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Blake Bortles is last on the list with only 24.8. A huge part of that is the 12 interceptions he's thrown already in his limited time this season. 

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is in the middle with 36.7, and it's unlikely he'll have any chances to improve that against a touch Washington pass defense. 

For even more stats and trends, check out Nick Kostos' Ultimate Bettor's Guide.

Game of the Day

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Broncos QB Peyton Manning

Who: Denver Broncos at New England Patriots 

When: 4:25 p.m. EST

Where: Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA 

• Broncos preview from Featured Columnist Cecil Lammey
• Patriots preview from Featured Columnist James Christensen

Forget Brady vs. Manning for a second...

Just for a second; I promise. 

If the two quarterbacks are a wash, this game suddenly becomes a lot less interesting. Right now, the Broncos have one of the more feared defenses in the entire league. Their pass rush is going up against an offensive line that has struggled (at times) to protect Tom Brady. However, it's been getting better. 

Bleacher Report's Lead AFC East Writer, Erik Frenz, took a look at how the Patriots offensive line has been better: 

"

Why has the offensive line been so much better in the past four games than it was in the first four?

Part of it certainly has to do with the settling down of the rotation, but the Patriots wouldn't stick five men on the field if they weren't confident in those guys to get the job done.

One item of note: The Patriots' interior line is comprised entirely of centers and former centers. Connolly, Stork and Ryan Wendell have all played center at one point or another in their careers.

The ability of those three to identify blocking assignments is beneficial not only to Stork—who is only just beginning to cut his teeth in the NFL—but to the line as a whole, which lacked cohesion early in the season.

"

That improvement along the Patriots offensive line mimics their total improvement as a team over the past few weeks. In fact, if this game were being played in Week 2 or Week 3, this may have been a Broncos blowout. Instead, the Patriots are playing about as well as anyone at the moment, and that's what sets this up as such a slobberknocker. 

Weapons? 

Manning has more than anybody with tight end Julius and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Wes Welker, et al. It's an embarrassment of riches, while Brady has tight end Rob Gronkowski, running back Shane Vereen and whichever receiver decides to show up. 

Quarterbacks aside, this contest tilts heavily in Denver's favor. 

With the quarterbacks on the field, though, even as good as Manning is, Brady pulls this game a heckuva lot closer. Throw in home-field advantage and a dose of Bill Belichickian savvy and the Patriots just might win this one. 

Either way, take the over.

Rest of the Slate ('Sunday Night Football')

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Ravens WR Steve Smith

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers (8:30 p.m. EST)

The last time these two teams played, the Steelers were beaten so badly by the Ravens offensive line, that the end of the game was marked by long Ravens runs and Steelers puking on the field. It was embarrassing. However, the Ravens haven't consistently continued to be that dominant team (largely thanks to injuries on the offensive line), and the Steelers seem to have gotten their act together. 

I'm most intrigued as to what happens when the Steelers have the ball. The Ravens defense is playing lights-out right now, but Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Antonio Brown are playing even better. While the Ravens have the horses to get to Big Ben, they'll need to be on the top of their game at all three levels just to slow this Steelers offense down. 

Outspoken outside linebacker Terrell Suggs didn't have much to say on the topic of Roethlisberger's recent hot streak, but what he did have to say just about sums up the task at hand for the Ravens and how they're preparing for it (per Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun):

"Congratulations to him — whatever. They have to line up on Sunday and so do we."

When the Ravens have the ball, look for the run game to feature prominently. Yes, there will be shots to wide receivers Steve and Torrey Smith, but they're not going to hang quarterback Joe Flacco out to dry against the Steelers' pass rush. No, they'll look to dominate like they did last time and test whether the Steelers' front seven has any more pride this time around.

Rest of the Slate (Fox)

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Cowboys QB Tony Romo

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cleveland Browns (1 p.m. EST)

No offense, but in such a great slate of games, it might be easy to yawn and say: "Who cares about this matchup?" I would contend, however, that it would be a mistake.

These two teams match up well together, and it would not surprise me to see the Buccaneers get their second win here. Pay special attention to the Bucs' big wide receivers against the Browns secondary. 

Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys (1 p.m. EST)

In any other week, this might be my favorite game to watch, as I've been impressed by the toughness of both of these teams this season. I've focused on when Dallas has the ball in a couple of other slides, so consider the Cardinals offense. 

Has it really gotten any better since quarterback Carson Palmer has gotten back? They've got plenty of talent; that's not the issue. My biggest qualm is how consistent they can be. This could be a big game for Dallas' "no-name" defense. 

Philadelphia Eagles at Houston Texans (1 p.m. EST)

How Houston is able to slow down the Eagles offense is only the secondary storyline here. Yes, we know about defensive end J.J. Watt and Co. who get a bunch of big plays and turnovers. We know they're fearsome and will put the fear of Watt into Eagles quarterback Nick Foles. 

But, what about the Eagles defense? This unit is playing better than a lot of people expected too, and it's up against a so-so Texans offense. Statistically, the Eagles defense is the better unit in this matchup, and that could show on the field. 

Washington at Minnesota Vikings (1 p.m. EST)

This is Robert Griffin III's comeback party, and we're all invited. 

The Vikings defense probably wouldn't have had too terrible a time with Washington backups Kirk Cousins or Colt McCoy, but Griffin has the potential (at least) to be a thorn in its side. The Vikings can win some matchups in the front seven and with one of the league's best safeties in Harrison Smith, but Griffin's speed could give them fits. 

Overall, though, this game could be settled on how well the Vikings' run game is able to get traction against Washington's defense. If not, it will be a long afternoon for the team in purple. 

St. Louis Rams at San Francisco (4:05 p.m. EST)

This is likely a buzz-saw game for the Rams (as in, that's what they're running into) as the 49ers feel underappreciated, underestimated and are coming off a bye week's worth of stewing on it.

Look for the 49ers defense to press the issue with blitzes against an immature Rams' passing attack and get quarterback Colin Kaepernick out in space as much as it can to better utilize some of the weapons it brought to town in the offseason.

Rest of the Slate (CBS)

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Chargers QB Philip Rivers

New York Jets vs. Kansas City Chiefs (1 p.m. EST)

The Jets...at Arrowhead Stadium...against this Chiefs passing defense?

*Gulp.*

The Chiefs offense may not be much to write home about, and it has to go against the tough Jets front seven (at least on paper), but its pass coverage has been some of the best in football this season, and New York can hardly go a possession without doing something stupid with the football. 

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cincinnati Bengals (1 p.m. EST)

On paper, this looks like a blowout game, and our friends at Odds Shark have the line currently sitting at -11.5 in favor of the Bengals. Yet the Bengals have been an incredibly uneven team this season, while the Jaguars are steadily getting better—especially with running back Denard Robinson turning things on as of late. 

Bengals still win this one, but don't be surprised if it's a lot closer than you might think. 

San Diego Chargers vs. Miami Dolphins (1 p.m. EST)

On paper, the Chargers are the much better team. 

The Dolphins have won some incredible games this season and played close in some of their losses against good competition, but the Chargers have been playing like one of the best teams in football (for the most part) in 2014. Quarterback Philip Rivers is a fringe MVP candidate, and the defense is surprising a lot of people. 

Regardless, this game is going to be played in Miami, and that's a big long trip for the Chargers. That alone starts to even out this matchup, where it wouldn't be surprising in the slightest if a Dolphins defense led by defensive end Cameron Wake steals the show here. 

Oakland Raiders vs. Seattle Seahawks (4:25 p.m. EST) 

Like 49ers-Rams on the last slide, this is another one of those buzz-saw games. The Seahawks are at their best when they have a chip on their shoulder, and the media attention and losses have certainly started to grate on them. While the Raiders have played better under interim coach Tony Sparano, they don't have anywhere near the talent to go against the reigning NFL champs. 

This could get ugly.

Key Matchups

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Buccaneers DT Gerald McCoy

Darrelle Revis (CB Patriots) vs. Demaryius Thomas (WR Broncos)

Revis likely won't follow Thomas around the field, but this strength-on-strength matchup is too juicy to ignore. Much will depend on how well Revis can press Thomas off the line. It's a huge task, but someone has to do it. Secondly, if Revis allows a number of catches, but stops Thomas in his tracks after the catch, that's still (largely) a win for the Patriots defense.  

J.J. Watt (DE Texans) vs. Lane Johnson (OT Eagles)

Since coming back from his suspension, Johnson has been one of the best offensive tackles in all of football. Watt is a pretty huge order for anyone (period), but Johnson is a pretty fantastic athlete in his right and is playing at a high enough level to make this interesting. 

Gerald McCoy (DT Buccaneers) vs. Cleveland Browns Interior Line

Since Browns center Alex Mack went down, interior blocking has been a bit of a horror show (Halloween reference!). This week, McCoy is going to feast on that matchup, and it could almost single-handedly change the shape of this game. 

Jared Cook (TE Rams) vs. 49ers "Back Eight"

The 49ers use a varied approach to defending tight ends, and it has been effective this season, as they've only allowed 306 yards and three touchdowns to opposing tight ends—even effectively slowing down Broncos tight end Julius Thomas . 

Cook has been important for the Rams this season, even though he hasn't found the end zone. He leads the team in targets and has 17 catches for first downs. 

For an X's-and-O's look at even more matchups, take a seat in Matt Bowen's film study.

Notable Injuries

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Broncos RB Ronnie Hillman

Ronnie Hillman (RB Broncos)—Probable, Shoulder

Manning doesn't need a running game to be successful, but the Patriots have a knack for shutting down one-dimensional teams. Not saying the Patriots can shut down the Broncos, but let's just say the whole thing will be a lot better off if Hillman is both 100 percent healthy and can get rolling. 

Tony Romo (QB Cowboys)—Questionable, Back

We've talked how the Cowboys run game and Cardinals defense is strength-on-strength. So, Romo's back becomes a bit of an X-factor here. If he's healthy and effective, the Cowboys should roll with a high-flying passing attack. If not, the Cardinals passing defense could have its best day of the season against either a hobbled Romo or Brandon Weeden. 

Brian Cushing (LB Texans)—Questionable, Knee

Cushing has played terribly this season, but the Texans will want their full complement of defenders against an Eagles team that is going to test not only their talent, but also their rotation. If Cushing sits or isn't at his best (which, again, hasn't been that great in 2014), it could give the Eagles that much extra room in the run game. 

Ike Taylor (CB Steelers)—Out, Arm

Taylor has been on the steady decline in recent years, but he has been much more dependable this season than his battery-mate, Cortez Allen. With Taylor out, it makes picking on the Steelers pass defense that much easier, which may not be how the Ravens earn their bread and butter in this game, but it could be easy yardage when they drop back to pass. 

Other Notable Injuries:

• Brandon Flowers (CB Chargers)—Probable, Concussion
• Ryan Clark (S Washington)—Probable, Ankle/Shoulder
• Owen Daniels (TE Ravens)—Questionable, Knee
• Jordan Camerson (TE Browns)—Out, Concussion

To check out how even more injuries might affect your team and your fantasy squad, make sure to read Eric Mack's Ultimate Fantasy Guide.

Bleacher Report Expert Projections

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Eagles RB LeSean McCoy

Bleacher Report's Week 8 Awards

Week 9 Expert Consensus Picks

NFL Predictions Week 9: Expert Consensus Projections 

B/R's Midseason All-Pro Team

Fantasy Football Sleepers for Week 9

To follow how the B/R writers stack up against writers from across the web, check out Pickwatch.com.

Michael Schottey is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Find more of his stuff on his archive page and follow him on Twitter.