The Touchdown Three: Week 9

Well we did it folks, perfection was reached in Week Eight! Big thanks to Gardiner Minshew, Zac Taylor and Aaron Rodgers for making it happen. However, this isn’t the time for resting on laurels, this is the time to prove it wasn’t a fluke and do it again, and not just do it again, but in back to back weeks. Let’s take a look at what we can find in our Week 9 NFL picks.

Week 8: 3-0

Overall Record: 14-9-1

Browns -3 @ Broncos

So let us all be honest here, the Browns stink. They are ill-disciplined, seem poorly coached and their passing offense is a mess. They are 2-5 and struggling, but the good news for them is the schedule. It is pretty easy and includes 2 games against the Bengals, the Cardinals, the Dolphins and the game this week. Are they as good as we expected? No, but I think the record will be ok at the end of the year.

How bad are the Broncos right now? Let’s let Mark Schlereth explain (Tweet Below)

Not only does Mark live in Denver but he was on John Elway’s offensive line when they won 2 Super Bowls! The organisation is in a mess right now and ownership need to make a very difficult decision in relation to the franchises greatest ever player, if things are to improve.

The Broncos are starting Brandon Allen this week, who they picked up off the waiver wire a few weeks ago. This is not ideal, and due to this and the running game Cleveland have going right now, I am taking the Browns.

 

Patriots @ Ravens +3.5

NFL Picks Week 9

What is left to say about the New England Patriots that isn’t already said? So far this season they have played 8 games and if their offense would not have showed up and we only included points from their Defense they would have only lost 4 of those games, that is right 4! Ok, the offense has not been great, but it has been good enough, and are you honestly telling me you don’t expect the Pats to figure it out so they get 30 points every playoff game? Given the past 20 years you have to trust Bill and Tom otherwise you are insane (or a Jets fan)

The Ravens are fun to watch, and I don’t think I have said that ever about that franchise. It isn’t orthodox on offense but it is working spectacularly well, and Lamar Jackson is proving many doubters (including me) very wrong right now. I am not sure the offense they are running is sustainable, but I think it can last the season and that means an AFC North title and a home playoff game, which is much more than most expected this season.

I can’t believe I am about to do this, but here goes. The Browns ran all over the Pats and I think the Ravens can do the same. I don’t think the Pats go 17-0 and I have a weird feeling that one of the losses will be here. I am going to take the Ravens, and I think they will win.

Cowboys -7 @ Giants

After a big win against the Eagles in their last game, the Cowboys are in the driving seat in the NFC East. In that game the Cowboys big players on offense delivered, and the defense stopped the Eagles in their tracks. Going forward the Cowboys need to continue with this formula if they want to win the division and make any noise in January.

At the start of the season myself and Dave Gettleman had a difference of opinion. Dave thought he had a roster that could make the playoffs, I thought it was hot trash. Great news for me is that I was right, this isn’t such good news for the Giants and their fans. Daniel Jones has come in, and after the initial spark the offense now seems very similar to the one with Eli at the helm. A long way to go before we make decision on Jones, but right now I think we may be looking at someone who struggles to be elite, especially if the Giants don’t get more talent around him.

It maybe an NFC East showdown, but I don’t expect it to be close in any way. Take the Cowboys to crush the Giants on Monday Night this week.

NFL Picks Week 9

If you do like the ideas from this column and decide to use some of your hard earned cash to try and make some money, please remember that thetouchdown.co.uk takes no responsibility if you lose. Also please do gamble responsibly.

Paul Mainwaring

NFL Analyst

A former UKEndzone writer, Paul has been dragged out of an enforced retirement to give his thoughts on the NFL and anything else  he can slide past the editorial team.

Paul is most famous (infamous?) as Mainz one half of Waxing Lyrical. alongside his Partner in Crime Neil ‘Dutts’ Dutton.

Find him @Mainzey7 where all manner of sports are on the menu.

Image credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports, Matthew Emmons USA Today Sport & AP Photo/Matt Ludtke