Week 9 was a bit of a mixed bag, but it’s really my own fault for not being able to get off of a couple of teams that I can’t seem to quit even though I have said they suck all season long. Still, it was an overall solid week but I did lose some ground.
| Nick W | Nick L | Nick T | ATS W | ATS L | ATS P | O/U W | O/U L | O/U P | Christen W | Christen L | Christen T | Rids W | Rids L | Rids T |
| 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| Previous | Previous | Previous | Previous | Previous | Previous | Previous | Previous | Previous | Previous | Previous | Previous | Previous | Previous | Previous |
| 77 | 45 | 1 | 63 | 58 | 2 | 54 | 67 | 2 | 68 | 53 | 1 | 65 | 57 | 1 |
| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall |
| 86 | 49 | 1 | 68 | 64 | 4 | 62 | 72 | 2 | 76 | 58 | 1 | 72 | 63 | 1 |
I ended up 9-4 on straight picks, so I was able to win my household as Christen was 8-5 and Ridley was 7-6, but I had a terrible 5-6-2 week against the spread. On the bright side, I gained some ground on my eternal nemesis, the over/under, with an 8-5 week.
Things could have looked much better if I could just stop picking the Packers and the Raiders. I have made it clear that I think both teams suck right now, but I still pick them way too much because I’m still in disbelief as to how bad they are. Beyond that, I think I am holding out hope that they’ll both get some momentum and I don’t want to miss out on the start of that but, at this point, it’s a sickness.
Green Bay scored 9 points in their loss to the Lions and Aaron Rodgers looked worse than ever. He threw 3 terrible interceptions against one of the league’s worst statistical defenses and quite possibly ended their season. While I get tremendous schadenfreude from watching Rodgers collapse under the weight of his own hubris and his GOAT argument disintegrating before our eyes, this was a game they were supposed to win.
The Raiders are connected to the Packers at the hip but it’s even worse for them as they blew a 17-0 lead to the Jags. Vegas didn’t score in the second half despite a monster game from Davante Adams. Credit to the Jags for hanging tough, but it’s probably time to fire Josh McDaniels whose main success as a head coach came from cheating. Vegas should have kept Rich Bisaccia after he maneuvered them into the playoffs last season.
Monday Night Football was kind of a dud as the Ravens dominated the whole way. It felt closer than it was because of the limited possessions early, but it was one-sided. Roquan Smith looked good in the middle of the Baltimore defense as they cruised 27-13. Juwan Johnson is a garbage time god though and he recorded another long, meaningless TD at the end of the game. It’s like they should get him involved sooner.
How Travis Kelce can rip a defender’s helmet off with illegal hands to the face yet still get the refs to call the penalty against the defender is beyond me, but I guess you get the benefit of the doubt. That Sunday night game wasn’t supposed to be competitive but the Titans know how to play the Chiefs. Most fans outside of KC would say the Chiefs got the yellow carpet treatment but it’s not a terrible loss for the Titans with their backup QB in overtime, 20-17.
Tom Brady and the Bucs finally managed to get a win in one of these games where they had the ball needing a TD on their final possession. The Rams didn’t do much beyond a big Cooper Kupp TD and Tampa wasn’t that much better. It was, of course, Cade Otton who I’d finally given up on that had the best game of his season and the game-winning TD. Go figure.
Seattle downed the Cardinals once again, this time in Arizona, 31-21. The Hawks are pretty good and I’m glad because I was on their train before the season, but I didn’t peg them as division winners. The Cards are still figuring it out but that Kyler Murray contract is looking worse with each passing week.
Minnesota improved to 7-1 with a comeback win over the Commanders. People haven’t elevated them to the elite yet, myself included because their only win against a winning team was against the Dolphins on their 3rd string QB. The Vikings can’t control that and deserve their props. It’s the best they’ve been with Kirk Cousins and winning the games you are supposed to win isn’t always the easiest.
The Bills learned that the hard way once again in a 20-17 loss to the Jets. The Jets are solid and I figured they would be a challenge, but that game surprised me too. Give the Jets their props because they are a very resilient bunch but didn’t quit when down 14-3.
Elsewhere in the AFC East, Miami won a wild shootout with the Bears 35-32. I had Miami to win and the Bears to cover 4.5 points so I am happy, but what we’re seeing is Chicago finally figuring out how to utilize Justin Fields. They may not get to the playoffs this year with that defense, but they are going to be hard to play every week.
The Patriots whooped up an abysmal Colts team, 26-3. That was an easy pick and one of only two games where I hit the trifecta, but it’s sad to see the Colts in this spot. The front office clearly quit on them less than two months into the season and then fired their coach Frank Reich after handcuffing him to the 3rd string QB. It’s what you call a shit show.
Joe Mixon had a full-on nuclear meltdown, scoring 5 TDs to lead the Bengals against the pitiful Panthers. I figured Carolina would be a bit more competitive but it looks like the PJ Walker experiment has ended. Baker Mayfield got some run in garbage time but that’s a dumpster fire of its own.
My upset pick of the week was the Falcons beating the Chargers and they totally had it. Atlanta forced a key fumble with 46 seconds left in regulation of a tie game, recovered it, and ran it all the way to midfield but Ta’Quon Graham who recovered the ball also fumbled on his return and gave it right back to the Chargers. A couple of quick gains and they were right back in game-winning FG range and won it 20-17. Sorry if you trusted me there, but my logic was sound. I also picked Seattle as the underdogs if that helped you
Philly stays on top while the Vikings earn the No. 2 spot in the Sheist Power Rankings.
| 1. Eagles 8-0 (=) |
| 2. Vikings 7-1 (+3) |
| 3. Bills 6-2 (-1) |
| 4. Chiefs 6-2 (-1) |
| 5. Cowboys 6-2 (-1) |
| 6. Giants 6-2 (=) |
| 7. Dolphins 6-3 (+1) |
| 8. Seahawks 6-3 (+1) |
| 9. Jets 6-3 (+2) |
| 10. Ravens 5-3 (=) |
| 11. Titans 5-3 (-4) |
| 12. Chargers 5-3 (=) |
| 13. Bengals 5-4 (=) |
| 14. Patriots 5-4 (+3) |
| 15. 49ers 4-4 (=) |
| 16. Buccaneers 4-5 (+4) |
| 17. Falcons 4-5 (-3) |
| 18. Commanders 4-5 (-2) |
| 19. Rams 3-5 (-1) |
| 20. Cardinals 3-6 (+1) |
| 21. Saints 3-6 (+1) |
| 22. Browns 3-5 (+1) |
| 23. Colts 3-5-1 (-9) |
| 24. Broncos 3-5 (+1) |
| 25. Bears 3-6 (+1) |
| 26. Jaguars 3-6 (+1) |
| 27. Packers 3-6 (-3) |
| 28. Steelers 2-6 (=) |
| 29. Lions 2-6 (+3) |
| 30. Raiders 2-6 (-1) |
| 31. Panthers 2-7 (-1) |
| 32. Texans 1-6-1 (-1) |
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