Sportsnaut
We’re roughly halfway through the NFL’s regular season schedule. Next up, is NFL Week 9, where there are 14 football games to preview, with only four teams on a bye.
Below, we make a bold prediction for each game on the Week 9 NFL schedule, from Thursday to Monday.
Related: NFL Power Rankings 2025: Week-by-Week NFL Evaluations of All 32 Teams
Both the Ravens and Dolphins have fallen well short of expectations this season. Their defenses have been among the worst in the NFL. Yet, their offenses have explosive potential to score 30 or more on any given Sunday. Perhaps this is the game we see both teams run out of fireworks.
J.J. McCarthy’s return to the lineup comes against agreat Lions team that ranks ninth in yards allowed and sixth in interceptions. It’s a tough matchup, but you can bet coach Kevin O’Connell will have a gameplan that fits McCarthy’s skillset and will likely pepper a lot of targets toward Justin Jefferson. With a strong day through the air and some open rushing lanes, a 300-yard day from McCarthy could give the Vikings their biggest win of the season.
Trey Hendrickson re-aggravated his hip injury in last week’s loss. He’s labeled as day-to-day, which lends us to believe he’ll play in another pivotal Bengals game. After leading the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024, Hendrickson has recorded just four through seven games. A big three-sack game against a young Caleb Williams would him back on track, and help keep Cincinnati’s playoff hopes alive for another week.
The Panthers have finally developed an offensive identity under Dave Canales, averaging 136 rushing yards per game. We’ve even seen them top the 200-yard barrier twice this season. Meanwhile, the Packers have one of the NFL’s best rushing defenses (third in yards allowed). Only the Cowboys crossed the 100-yard rushing mark against Green Bay this season, but the best way for Carolina to win is trying to establish the rush anyway.
The Titans haven’t been able to do anything right on offense, ranking last in points, and turning the ball over 1.6 times per game. With a recent coaching shift to interim Mike McCoy, things are still in flux in Tennessee, which could lead to more ugly moments before things improve for good. Meanwhile, the Chargers have been battling injuries, but have a chance to take out their frustration on a bad Titans team. Last week LA won by 27, expect an even bigger margin of victory this time around.
A former No. 4 overall pick, Pitts still hasn’t quite lived up to his full potential, but we’ve seen plenty of flashes. He hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since...
