NFL Week 9 Picks: Middling Teams That Will Earn Key Victories on Sunday

Although there is clearly a top tier of teams in the NFL, there are plenty of playoff positions available. A number of squads will make pushes for these spots with a big showing in Week 9.

Parity is arguably the best part of football, as any team is capable of going from worst to first from one season to the next. The Kansas City Chiefs are proving that theory this season with their 8-0 start.

However, the truth is, a franchise can turn things around during a year, even after a terrible start. The New York Giants began 0-6 but are now in decent shape to compete in the NFC East.

A few other teams will make up for mediocre starts with important victories this week.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings

The Cowboys continue to lose close games, most recently on a late comeback by Matt Stafford and the Detroit Lions. However, this should not be an issue against the Vikings, since this game should never be close.

Tony Romo should have a field day against Minnesota's 29th-ranked pass defense, which means big games for both Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams. On the other side, the Vikings do not have anyone who can take advantage of the poor pass defense possessed by the Cowboys.

It remains unknown who will play quarterback for the Vikings, but it is clear that none of the three options are good ones. Matt Cassel, Christian Ponder and Josh Freeman are all mistake-prone, and it has not allowed the team to take advantage of the other weapons on the field, namely Adrian Peterson.

Dallas can get back over .500 with this win and take a solid lead in the division race.

Oakland Raiders vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Terrelle Pryor announced a few weeks ago that the Raiders would make the playoffs this season. Everyone thought he was crazy, but it is starting to seem a lot more possible.

Oakland might not make every game look pretty, but the squad is winning games it should. Pryor's only losses as a starter this year are on the road to teams with a combined 20-3 record.

The young quarterback is dynamic on the field, and he motivates everyone else to play better around him.

Meanwhile, the Eagles have looked awful recently, scoring only three offensive points in the last two games combined. Chip Kelly's high-paced offense does not look as good when it just means a much quicker three and out.

Oakland will be able to get some big plays and will do enough to get the victory and remain in the playoff picture.

Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns

The defending Super Bowl champions certainly have not looked the part so far this season, struggling to a 3-4 record heading into Week 9. In fact, the Ravens could fall into last place in the AFC North with a loss in this game if the Pittsburgh Steelers also win.

However, there is reason to believe a turnaround is coming. Most importantly, the squad is getting healthy in key areas:

Once the run game starts to improve, it will lead to more success in the passing game. Joe Flacco cannot succeed when throwing the ball over 40 times a game, but a run-based attack will lower the pressure and open things up down the field.

On the other side, Cleveland has lost three in a row and are on their third quarterback. While Jason Campbell played well last game, he is not good enough to carry an otherwise poor offense with no real run game.

The Ravens should be able to shut down this unit while scoring enough points to get back on track for the season. 

Away	Home	Pick
Cincinnati Bengals	Miami Dolphins	Bengals
Atlanta Falcons	Carolina Panthers	Panthers
Minnesota Vikings	Dallas Cowboys	Cowboys
New Orleans Saints	New York Jets	Saints
Tennessee Titans	St. Louis Rams	Titans
Kansas City Chiefs	Buffalo Bills	Chiefs
San Diego Chargers	Washington Redskins	Redskins
Philadelphia Eagles	Oakland Raiders	Raiders
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Seattle Seahawks	Seahawks
Baltimore Ravens	Cleveland Browns	Ravens
Pittsburgh Steelers	New England Patriots	Patriots
Indianapolis Colts	Houston Texans	Colts
Chicago Bears	Green Bay Packers	Packers

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