The trade deadline is fast approaching and so we are at a time in the season when teams have to decide whether they genuinely believe they can reach the Playoffs or not. Some will be thinking to next season and others will still feel that a positive run can move them into a position to play Football deep into January, although the internal thoughts of each team will become clearer at the trade deadline.
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are still waiting to crack the champagne for being the only unbeaten team in NFL history with the Kansas City Chiefs at 7-0, but surprisingly there are only six others teams in the AFC that have a winning record.
On the flip-side, only five teams in the NFC have a losing record as we move into the halfway mark of the season and so there is still a feeling that all is to play for as we approach November.
Eight weeks are in the books and seven of those have returned a profit after the 4-2 mark last week.
I had fortune- the Chicago Bears must still be wondering how they are were beaten by the Washington Commanders after one of the most ridiculous of Hail Mary's was completed. That ensured a 4-2 record for the Week 8 Picks rather than a 3-3 mark, but it is very unlikely that we are going to have that kind of luck every week.
Jordan Love's injury prevented Green Bay from covering when in a strong position against the Jacksonville Jaguars so maybe that bit of fortune was deserved. However, it will be all the better if selections made can produce winning marks without having to go through another Hail Mary play and keeping the winning mark going is the only ambition for these pages.
Thursday Night Football looks an interesting one in Week 9 before some big games to be played over the weekend as the clock turns to November. Picks will be added to this thread in the coming days, but there is a selection from the first game of Week 9 and that will open up this thread.
Houston Texans @ New York Jets Pick: Fans of the New York Jets (2-6) were expecting vast improvements now they finally could look at their Quarter Back with a much higher degree of success than some of the others that have tried to make that position their own. Last season could be excused after Aaron Rodgers play just four snaps, but even the most pessimistic of Jets fans could not have anticipated that the first half of the 2024 season will have gone as poorly as it has.
Even a Head Coaching change has not prevented the Jets from losing for a fifth time in a row and there is plenty of criticism to go around.
Some of the wounds have been self-inflicted- the Jets lost by a point to the Denver Broncos, missed multiple Field Goals in a 3 point loss to the Buffalo Bills and gave up a late Touchdown to lose to the New England Patriots in Week 8. That doesn't mean that things are going to turn around quickly, but the Jets will feel their record could look a lot stronger than it does currently.
On a short week, the Jets host the Houston Texans (6-2) who have taken a big grip of the AFC South having beaten the Indianapolis Colts for a second time this season.
That is the positive news, but the negative is that Stefon Diggs suffered a season-ending injury in that win and Houston will also be without Nico Collins for this game. CJ Stroud looks like one of the best young Quarter Backs making his way through the NFL, but it is no surprise that his passing numbers are down with the absences in the Receiver position.
It may be more of the same for Stroud in Week 9 against this New York Jets team that have a Secondary capable of making some big plays. They can perhaps chase CJ Stroud out of the pocket and force mistakes in the passing game, especially from lesser experienced Receivers, although it may make the game plan a little easier for the Houston Texans.
Joe Mixon has played well since arriving in Houston and he should be able to get something going on the ground against the Jets Defensive Line. That could be important in what may be a game that is about field position more than Touchdowns and will give Houston a chance.
However, the short week and the fact that Houston have taken complete control of their own Division may also be a factor to consider. This Texans team may be thinking about how they are going to replace Stefon Diggs rather than worrying about the struggling New York Jets and that could give Aaron Rodgers and company an opportunity.
Allan Lazard is missing for the Jets, but the overall Receiving corps look in decent shape, although there is a real pressure on Aaron Rodgers.
Much like the Texans, New York could lean on the Offensive Line and look to establish the run to put Rodgers in a good position to keep the chains moving. It will also be key to just slow down the Houston pass rush, which can be a highly disruptive force, and that may just give the Jets Quarter Back an opportunity to begin turning this season around.
Passing against this Secondary has not been easy and partly down the pass rush pressure that the Texans have put together, but that could be different for the Jets if they are running the ball well.
Even then, it is not easy to trust a New York team finding ways to lose games.
The spot looks a decent one for them and the injuries suffered by Houston may mean they may struggle on a short week and especially after taking control of their own Division. Aaron Rodgers is clearly not the player he once was, but he may be able to lean on the run and make enough plays to the likes of Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson to help the Jets come away with a victory on Thursday Night Football and keep post-season hopes alive.
Washington Commanders @ New York Giants Pick: Backing the Washington Commanders (6-2) in Week 8 proved to be hugely fortunate as they converted a Hail Mary with time ticking off the clock to beat the Chicago Bears. In reality the Bears blew the assignment, but the Commanders will not care one bit as they continue to lead the NFC East.
They have recorded one win over the New York Giants (2-6) in 2024 and the sweep will keep some momentum behind the Commanders before heading into a tough stretch of games. The likes of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Dallas are on deck so it is very important to avoid dropping a game to a struggling Divisional rival playing on a short week.
New York did not play badly on Monday Night Football and it was a competitive loss, which is an improvement on the previous two blowouts. Despite that, it was a loss and this is a team that is spiralling again and likely going to be making big changes once the 2024 season comes to a close.
Motivation can be found in trying to play spoiler for teams within the Division so the players should be ready, even on the short week.
It helps the struggling Giants Offensive unit that they are facing a Washington team besieged by injury on the Defensive side of the ball. Problems along the Defensive Line have been evident all season and the Commanders have not really gotten a grip with slowing down the run, which is hugely important for Daniel Jones and the Giants.
The Quarter Back has the ability to tuck the ball and make plays with his legs and the Giants have been able to find some solid gains on the ground even without Saquon Barkley. However, the problem has been when games get out of hand and they have to become a little one-dimensional with their play-calling, which has left Daniel Jones in a tough position to make plays down the field.
His Receiving options are back at full strength, but Jones has been constantly harassed when he has stepped back to allow routes to develop. In recent games, the Commanders have found a decent pass rush, which in turn has helped elevate the play of the Secondary and also forced turnovers that could be critical to the outcome of the game.
Having a dual-threat Quarter Back of their own has really propelled this Washington Offensive unit and Jayden Daniels will be bouncing after the fortune of last week. He is grounded enough to know the whole team will need to be better if they are going to achieve something special this season, but Daniels can lead the way on the ground to make things easier for himself in the passing game.
After what we have seen in recent games, the Giants Defensive Line may not be able to deal with Jayden Daniels, Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler and it should mean Washington are playing in third and manageable spots for much of the afternoon. Jayden Daniels has shown his qualities as a passer too, but the reliance will be on the ground game to just ease the powerful New York pass rush and open things up against a Secondary that have actually played pretty well at times.
The big play will open up if Washington are pounding the rock as expected and it may lead to a solid win for the Commanders on the road.
Prior to the meeting in Week 2, Washington had not won any of four games against the Giants and has lost three in a row. They has over 100 more Offensive yards in the first meeting between the teams and the Commanders can back that up with a wider margin of victory than they achieved at home, while pushing the Giants that much further towards the top of the next Draft order.
Denver Broncos @ Baltimore Ravens Pick: Two AFC teams with the same record meet in Week 9 of the NFL season when the Baltimore Ravens (5-3) host the Denver Broncos (5-3). The Broncos have won two in a row, while the Baltimore Ravens had won five in a row before losing in Week 8 to the Cleveland Browns, although the Ravens are huge favourites to win this one.
For the second game in a row, the Ravens will be facing a tough Defensive unit and arguably one that is stronger than the Cleveland Browns unit they faced last time out.
Everything begins with the running game as far as Baltimore go Offensively, and there is no doubting the ability of both Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry when it comes to pounding the rock. They have continued to pile up the yards on the ground, although they did surprisingly move away from those plays in the loss to the Cleveland Browns even when the game was competitive.
Moving the ball on the ground against the Denver Defensive Line is a different challenge and the battle on the Line of Scrimmage is going to be huge. In recent games, the Broncos have held opponents to less than 100 yards per game on the ground, although it has to be pointed out that Denver have faced nothing like the tandem that will be in front of them in Week 9.
It is important for Baltimore to run the ball if only to make sure Jackson is playing Quarter Back from third and manageable and to make sure the Denver pass rush is not breaking things up.
If he is given time, Lamar Jackson could make a few big plays into the Denver Secondary, but this Broncos team have to be confident in at least keeping things close on this side of the ball. This has been the game plan for Sean Payton and his team in compiling their winning record and they will not want rookie Bo Nix to have to have a huge day in a tough road environment.
Instead the key will be making sure Bo Nix knows he does not have to push the boat out in order to give his team the best chance to win. Keeping the scoreboard manageable is important to that end, especially as Denver may not be able to rely on their Offensive Line as much as they have in recent games.
Running the ball against the Baltimore Ravens is a huge challenge for any team and so Bo Nix may be forced to have to make a few big plays in the passing game to keep this one competitive. The Secondary is struggling with injuries so there is a chance that Nix can have some success, although the Quarter Back will have to be careful when it comes to turnovers.
If he can avoid those, Denver can keep this one closer than expected and avoid the blowout loss.
Opposing Baltimore proved to be a rough situation a couple of weeks ago when they crushed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the Broncos Defensive unit perhaps have a better chance of stalling some drives. This should at least give Sean Payton a chance to create some Offensive plans to help his rookie Quarter Back make enough plays through the air to help the Broncos remain competitive throughout.
Dallas Cowboys @ Atlanta Falcons Pick: The loss out of the Bye Week at the San Francisco 49ers has dropped the Dallas Cowboys (3-5) behind the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders in the NFC East and a couple of games below 0.500 for the season. There is still time to turn things around, but the Cowboys need to change their fortunes pretty quickly and some of the players are showing their frustration to the media.
They will head to the Atlanta Falcons (5-3) who have taken control of the NFC South after sweeping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kirk Cousins has played well at times, but the Falcons will know that the veteran Quarter Back may need to improve if they are going to reach the post-season and then have a big impact in the Playoffs.
This should be a game in which the whole Falcons Offensive unit can find a very strong balance with their play-calling and that should keep drives moving forward. The Offensive Line should help establish the run against this struggling Cowboys Defensive Line and that should mean Kirk Cousins is able to drop back and make his plays to his big time Receivers.
Running the ball should also mean Cousins is playing from third and manageable spots, while keeping the pocket cleaner by needing less time for routes to develop. The Dallas Cowboys Secondary have had their own problems and Atlanta should be able to keep the chains moving and put up plenty of points.
However, there is every chance that Dallas can at least keep up for a while.
In previous seasons, Dallas might have dominated behind the Offensive Line, but running the ball has been much more challenging in 2024 and that has perhaps been a bigger reason the record is where it stands. Becoming one-dimensional Offensively is never a good thing and Dallas have perhaps been too reliant on the Dak Prescott arm.
The Cowboys could have a few more running lanes against this Falcons team, but they are not easy to trust to take advantage considering the issues. Ezekiel Elliot has been ruled out, which does not help, and so it will be up to Prescott to do what he can from the Quarter Back position.
Dak Prescott may benefit from throwing out of a cleaner pocket than he has been used to in recent starts, especially against this Falcons Secondary that has not made enough plays. Over the course of the season there has been better signs from the Atlanta Secondary, but this could become a shoot out and Dallas can certainly play their part.
Teams have been able to throw against Atlanta, but they have not been having it all of their own way- the Falcons have been capable of turning the ball over and Interceptions have been an issue for Dak Prescott, which is where this game could be won or lost.
If the Falcons can turn the ball over, those extra possessions may be key to determining this spread and Atlanta can do enough to cover. They are not that easy to trust with inconsistent performances through eight games, while Atlanta are just 2-3 at home.
However, this looks a good opportunity for the Falcons to just use their Offensive balance to eventually get the better of the Cowboys with a late Interception perhaps the difference on the day.
Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills Pick: We are almost halfway through the season, but it is already feeling pretty comfortable to use a marker, rather than a pencil, when placing the Buffalo Bills (6-2) in the NFL Playoffs. The nearest rivals in the Division have just three wins and the Bills can keep their foot down on the other three teams by beating the Miami Dolphins (2-5) for the second time this season.
The first game will be remembered for the big concussion suffered by Tua Tagovailoa, one that had some thinking that the Quarter Back should think about retirement. Instead he returned last week after several weeks in recovery, but Tagovailoa was not able to inspire the Miami Dolphins as they were down by a Field Goal in the dying embers of the Fourth Quarter.
Time is running out already for the Miami Dolphins as far as the 2024 season is concerned, and that could lead to big changes in the off-season. One win could quickly turn things around, and that could be even bigger if the Dolphins can get the better of the Buffalo Bills, who have dominated this series in recent seasons.
Buffalo have won three in a row overall and they have beaten Miami five times in a row, even when the Dolphins looked on course to win the AFC East last year.
Josh Allen is an impressive Quarter Back and he should have an impact on this game with both his legs and arm, while the dominance of the Dolphins since arriving in Buffalo is very hard to ignore. He should be able to lean on this Offensive Line and Allen and James Cook are expected to pound the ball with plenty of success through the course of this game.
Time in the pocket will make things that much more comfortable for Josh Allen and he has a new weapon in Amari Cooper that could open things up for the other collection of Receivers in Buffalo. The Bills have looked strong in their three game winning run as they have beaten up on bad teams, and that may feel the case again in Week 9 even with Tua Tagovailoa back behind Center for Miami.
Having the Quarter Back that they started the season will help Miami, but they will have a test in finding the right balance in this one against a team that has regularly gotten the better of them. The Dolphins Offensive Line have been helping to establish the run in recent games, although this time they are up against a Buffalo team that have looked much more effective at clamping down on the run of late.
Winning at the Line of Scrimmage is huge for the Miami Dolphins if only to keep Tua Tagovailoa ahead of the chains and see if that the run can open up the passing lanes. The likes of Jayden Waddle and Tyreek Hill are capable of breaking open any possession, and there have been times where the Buffalo Secondary have just made a mistake or two.
This should give Miami an opportunity, but they will just have to be aware of the Buffalo pass rush and especially with the concerns around Tua Tagovailoa.
It does feel like a game in which Miami will have some success, but they have not enjoyed playing in Buffalo in recent times and this is going to be cold. The Dolphins will not appreciate the conditions and the last three games against Buffalo have ended in blowout losses to the Bills.
A backdoor cover is a danger with the Miami Offensive unit being led by a Quarter Back with another week of recovery and practice behind him. However, Tua Tagovailoa has not matched up well against Buffalo at his best, and Josh Allen has enjoyed playing Miami and has regularly helped his team pull clear against them.
This is a considerable spread considering the Offensive firepower the visitors bring, but the Bills are capable of securing a win and cover.
MY PICKS: New York Jets - 2 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)
Washington Commanders - 3.5 Points @ 1.91 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
Denver Broncos + 9.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Atlanta Falcons - 3 Points @ 1.91 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
Buffalo Bills - 6.5 Points @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Week 8: 4-2, + 1.72 Units (6 Units Staked, + 28.67% Yield)
Week 7: 4-3, + 0.73 Units (7 Units Staked, + 10.43% Yield)
Week 6: 4-2, + 1.67 Units (6 Units Staked, + 27.83% Yield)
Week 5: 4-2, + 1.64 Units (6 Units Staked, + 27.33% Yield)
Week 4: 6-2, + 3.45 Units (8 Units Staked, + 43.13% Yield)
Week 3: 3-3, - 0.23 Units (6 Units Staked, - 3.83% Yield)
Week 2: 4-2, + 1.62 Units (6 Units Staked, + 27% Yield)
Week 1: 5-2, + 2.67 Units (7 Units Staked, + 38.14% Yield)
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