Broncos-Colts and Week 9 Picks

The Broncos played their best game of the season last year in a dominating victory over the previously undefeated Packers. Now, Denver takes it 7-0 record on the road to Indianapolis to take on the dysfunctional Colts. Indy comes in at 3-5, and they just fired offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton. Andrew Luck is not playing well at this point in the season, and it is a combination of a shaky offensive line and the fact that Luck is clearly banged up and playing hurt. With all that being said, why does this game scare me as a Broncos fan? First, the Broncos played their "A" game last week, so you always have to watch out for a let down the following week. Secondly, the Colts are so desperate at this point in their season. They need a win badly and they have struggled at home this year. If they lose this week, there is a feeling that head coach Chuck Pagano is next to lose his job. In the Broncos favor is the fact that Peyton Manning would really like to put the Colts on the brink of disaster and win in Indy-especially since this looks like it will be Manning's last season. Could Denver absolutely bury the Colts and win this game in a blowout? Yes, they certainly can, but the NFL is not that easy. I expect a very close game, and I expect Luck and the Colts to throw everything they have at the Broncos. It might be just enough.

INDY (+5) over Denver
Final Score: Colts-26 Broncos-20

Last Week's Record: 5-7-2
Overall Record: 55-60-4
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

PITTSBURGH (-3) over Oakland: Are the Raiders for real? I would have to say they are after getting to a 4-3 start and hammering the Jets last week. The Steelers come in at 4-4, but Ben Roethlisberger is back. This is a great early game on CBS. It is definitely a "measuring stick" game for the Raiders, but I would expect the Steelers to get back on track at home.

NY JETS (-6) over Jacksonville: The Jets are reeling after losing their last two games and standing at 4-3. They get a gift in the sense that the Jaguars are coming to town this week, and it gives them a chance to stop the bleeding. It looks like Ryan Fitzpatrick will start at QB, so that should give the Jets a real boost. How is Gus Bradley have the most secure job status of all the AFC South coaches? He is 9-30 as Jaguars head coach. That is just awful. He is about to become 9-31.

St. Louis (+3) over MINNESOTA: My two sleeper teams in the NFC wild card chase battle in a very interesting matchup. The Vikings are 5-2 and the Rams come in at 4-3. This game could go a long way in deciding a wild card berth. I think the Vikings are due for a loss this week, and I just love that Rams defense-even in this spot on the road.

BUFFALO (-2) over Miami: Where do I go with this one? Both teams come in at 3-4, so this game is equally important. The Bills get Tyrod Taylor back, and they need him because they weren't the same team with E.J. Manuel at the helm. The Dolphins came back to Earth last week with a thrashing at the hands of the Patriots. I'm going to go with the Bills because they are at home, and they are getting Taylor back, but I'm not confident at all. This game could go either way.

NEW ORLEANS (-7) over Tennessee: The Titans fired head coach Ken Whisenhunt and now they turn to Mike Mularkey as their interim coach. I was surprised by Whisenhunt's firing only because I figured they would give him some time to work with rookie QB Marcus Mariota. I just can't see the Titans playing well enough to cover in New Orleans. The Saints have turned around their season and they stand at 4-4 after last week's wild 52-49 win over the Giants. I see the Saints getting to 5-4 with a resounding home win.

NEW ENGLAND (-13) over Washington: I'm not going against the Patriots at this point, so I'll take them although I hate the high spread. You would figure that the Pats won't mess around in this one and put the Skins out of their misery early. By the way, can we please stop with the idea that the Patriots are going to go undefeated like 2007? They will lose at least 2 games this year. It is just a matter of which ones they lose and at what point. They won't lose this one though.

Green Bay (-3) over CAROLINA: How about this monster game in the NFC? The 7-0 Panthers host the 6-1 Packers. All week I liked the Panthers, but I am still not convinced that they are an elite team in the NFC. I think Green Bay was embarrassed by their performance in Denver last week, and I think they will take out their frustration out this week and play their best game of the season.

Atlanta (-6) over SAN FRANCISCO: The Falcons are 6-2, but they haven't been impressive the last few weeks. They lost a game at home to the Bucs last week, but I think they will rebound nicely this week. Their gift to get them back on track? Blaine Gabbert gets the start for the 49ers as Colin Kaepernick heads to the bench. Dan Quinn has to be licking his chops.

TAMPA BAY (+3) over New York Giants: Tough game to call, but I think this will be a tricky one for the Giants in Tampa. I like what I see out of Jameis Winston, and I don't like the inconsistent play of the G-Men. Take the Bucs in an upset.

Philly (-3) over DALLAS: Ugh, what a crappy Sunday Night Football Game on NBC. Although the 3-4 Eagles and the 2-5 Cowboys (without Tony Romo) is not a great matchup in Week9, it will stay on SNF because of the big-market and big-name capabilities of these two NFC East rivals. It is annoying because I would love to see Green Bay-Carolina or even the Vikings-Rams flexed into this spot, but that won't happen with the appeal and attention of the Cowboys and Eagles . Until Tony Romo comes back, I just can't pick the Cowboys.

Chicago (+3) over SAN DIEGO: Another dud game on primetime this week as we get the 2-6 Chargers hosting the 2-5 Bears. As a Broncos fan, why the hell would want to watch this game? We get the long awaited duel between Jay Cutler and Phillip Rivers with bad blood stemming from a 2007 game when Cutler was a Bronco. Maybe Bears head coach John Fox and Chargers head coach Mike McCoy can meet during the pregame and discuss how awful they botched the end of the 2012 Divisional Playoff game that Denver lost to the Ravens? This game could go either way, and I need to pick more underdogs for this week's games, so I'll take the Bears in what should amount to a very one-sided Chicago crowd in San Diego on Monday night.