NFL Week 9 Picks: Picking Winners and Losers for Every Game on the Schedule

Oh, how time flies when you're having fun: It's already Week 9 in the NFL, when it feels like kickoff weekend was only yesterday.

We've now entered the part of the season when upsets don't seem as shocking, and the true dominant teams start to emerge. So, let's examine this week's slate of games while I deliver my picks of the week. Winners are in all caps, for your convenience.

Miami Dolphins at KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

We're now at four wins in a row for coach Todd Haley's Chiefs, and with the winless Dolphins coming to town in Week 9, it's looking likely that the streak will extend to five.

While the Chiefs' many issues on offense have yet to be ironed out, they've found a way to do just enough to gain and maintain a lead, while the defense has stepped up to take some of the pressure off of quarterback Matt Cassel and company.

The Dolphins squandered away yet another lead in Week 8, handing the New York Giants a win. The Chiefs have momentum, a loud stadium and a much better squad to their advantage this week. Miami will lose yet another game.

ATLANTA FALCONS at Indianapolis Colts

Another winless squad, another lopsided matchup and another loss for the Colts are all in the cards when the Atlanta Falcons travel to Indianapolis this week.

The Falcons have had some struggles getting their passing game going, but those struggles should seem like a distant memory once they face the bottom-ranking Colts defense.

That defense also portends a great day for Falcons running back Michael Turner, while Atlanta's defense should terrorize Colts quarterback Curtis Painter every time he gets the ball. Picking the Falcons is a no-brainer; this game won't even be close.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

It's believable that the Buccaneers have closely studied how the St. Louis Rams were able to pressure Saints quarterback Drew Brees so heavily last week that it resulted in the surprise victory.

But the fact that Tampa has already beaten the Saints once and that the Saints aren't likely to drop two games in a row ultimately doesn't bode well for Tampa's chances to win this Sunday.

Despite last week's performance, the Saints still boast one of the most powerful passing offenses, while defending the pass is anything but the Bucs' strongest suit. As long as New Orleans' defense holds and the offensive line isn't as tortured as last week, the Saints should get the home win.

New York Jets at BUFFALO BILLS

I think there's a level of danger to the Jets this week, coming off of the bye week as third in the AFC East, but I don't think that danger will translate itself to a win over the surging Bills this Sunday.

The type of high-octane offense that Buffalo fields will allow them to gain an early lead, forcing Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez to start passing the ball, which sets him up for the kind of drive-killing, game-losing mistakes he's become synonymous with.

Yes, the Jets field a good defense, and they will have their fair share of successes on Sunday, but when time is up it will be the Bills with yet another victory.

Seattle Seahawks at DALLAS COWBOYS

The Cowboys were hesitant to either pound the ball on the ground or test the passing game last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the 34-7 loss is a testament to their playing it safe.

Against a far less formidable foe, the Seattle Seahawks this week, quarterback Tony Romo should feel a lot more comfortable airing it out. At the same time, Dallas' defense is sure to step up against the Seahawks' 29th-ranked offense.

While this win won't guarantee the Cowboys are back on track, it should do wonders for team morale, at least for one week.

Cleveland Browns at HOUSTON TEXANS

The Browns just don't have enough going on on either offense or defense, to be much of a match for the Texans this Sunday.

From Colt McCoy's struggles to have the time to throw a deep pass, to a running game that's underperforming week after week, to a defense that—while solid—can't do enough to keep their team in the game, they're going to be entirely overwhelmed by the multifaceted Texans' attack on Sunday.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS at Washington Redskins

Much like the Browns, the Redskins are doing whatever the opposite is of "firing on all cylinders," with a confused run game that's suffering from head coach Mike Shanahan's indecisiveness as much as it is from the loss of Tim Hightower.

Quarterback John Beck hasn't panned out as a better option than the benched Rex Grossman, and the Niners' excellent defense should have a field day against him.

At the same time, San Francisco's ground attack is one of the best in the league, thanks to a healthy Frank Gore. Considering the amount of trouble that Washington had in stopping the Bills' Fred Jackson last week, it's not looking good for their chances against the 6-1 Niners this week.

CINCINNATI BENGALS at Tennessee Titans

This is one of the more intriguing matchups of the week, as I see the Bengals and Titans as two sides of the same coin, though Cincinnati's side is considerably more shiny. 

Cedric Benson is looking more like Chris Johnson than Johnson is these days, while rookie quarterback-wide receiver combo Andy Dalton and A.J. Green are becoming one of the most explosive tandems in the league.

This game will hinge more on the team's respective defenses than anything, and to that end, I see a close, lower-scoring game, with the Bengals emerging with the victory.

Denver Broncos at OAKLAND RAIDERS

Whatever issues the Raiders have—a new, veteran quarterback and his old receiver joining him on their roster, an injured star running back—all of that matters little when it comes to their contest this week against the terrible Denver Broncos and their struggling quarterback, Tim Tebow.

Even if Palmer falters in his second game with his new team, the Oakland defense will be able to dispatch the Broncos with little fanfare. It's a good way for the team's new additions to get their feet wet without too much risk.

New York Giants at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Yes, the Giants boast a good defense, and yes, New York quarterback Eli Manning is more than capable of engaging in a shootout with the Patriots against their terrible secondary.

But the Patriots just don't lose two games in a row, and they don't lose that second game at home. Whatever resourcefulness the Patriots can muster on defense, they will, and their offense will return to its usual, explosive self.

The Giants aren't the Steelers, remember, and that's why they'll be yet another team steamrolled by Tom Brady and his many weapons.

St. Louis Rams at ARIZONA CARDINALS

While the Rams proved that they do have a good defense buried somewhere within those six losses, as made clear last week when they grabbed their lone win over the New Orleans Saints, that doesn't mean the Cardinals don't have what it takes to exploit their considerable weaknesses.

It's obvious that a team can both run and pass on the Rams, and if Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb can stay upright, his cadre of receivers (led by Larry Fitzgerald) should manage to torment the team all late-afternoon long.

If the Cardinals can contain St. Louis running back Stephen Jackson, then the sorry squad should at least manage their second win of the season.

GREEN BAY PACKERS at San Diego Chargers

Generally, one would have to take the trip out west into account when it comes to the team visiting the San Diego Chargers, but when that team is the undefeated Green Bay Packers, fresh off the bye, that piece of information can generally go ignored.

The Chargers are a good team playing well below their talent level, while the Packers are a highly-talented squad taking full advantage of their many assets.

There's a clear shot for the Chargers to threaten the Packers in this contest, but stifling Green Bay's impressive offense will be too much for the San Diego defense, bringing the team yet another loss.

Baltimore Ravens at PITTSBURGH STEELERS

The Ravens decimated the Steelers in Week 1, but since that time, both teams have changed so much that it's hard to see that kind of beating repeating itself this Sunday night in Pittsburgh.

Surely, the Steelers are going to be playing with a great deal of emotion—as are the Ravens—but the momentum has turned in Pittsburgh's favor, and while they may not crush Baltimore, they will pick up the win.

While Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been lighting up the scoreboard and putting up major yards in recent weeks, he should have a more modest but still respectable showing against Baltimore's brutal defense.

Indeed, this could easily be yet another low-scoring, hard-hitting Steelers vs. Ravens night game, and this favors the Steelers at this point in the season.

Chicago Bears at PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Both the Bears and the Eagles are prone to comedies of errors and ugly games, with all kinds of outcomes springing forth from them. The Eagles were in an ugly game of their own last week, but they were the lucky ones, coming out on top over the Dallas Cowboys, 34-7.

Chicago is just as inconsistent, however, and the fact that both teams have been so up and so down throughout the season makes this a hard contest to pick.

I am going with the Eagles simply because they are the home team in a night game, but yes, this is a game that confounds me more than any of the others in Week 9.