Written by: Tyler Deakin
Week 8 of the NFL season was incredible, with 11 out of 15 games decided by 2 scores or less. There were plenty of surprises from around the league such as the Jets upset win over the No. 1 seed Bengals, the Patriots triumph over the Chargers, & the Saints beating the Buccaneers despite losing QB Jameis Winston to injury. This was a nice rebound from Week 7, which lacked the drama & excitement factor in almost every game. What exciting new adventures await football fans this week? Here is my list of the best upcoming games on the Week 9 NFL docket.
Tennessee Titans at Los Angeles Rams (Sunday Night Football)
Fans who enjoy NFL history will surely remember “The Tackle” from Super Bowl XXXIV played between these two teams. This is one of the greatest defensive plays in NFL history where the Rams defense stopped the Titans offense inches short of the goal line to win the game. Anyhow, these two teams share some history with the Rams leading the all-time series 8-5 heading into SNF, including a 27-23 Rams win back in 2017. The Rams acquired DE Von Miller from the Broncos ahead of the trade deadline this week, and he is questionable to play against the Titans. Meanwhile, RB Adrian Peterson will make his Titans debut this week after the team lost RB Derrick Henry to injury. It’s hard to understate just how important this game is for both teams, with massive playoff implications for both conferences hanging in the balance.
Chicago Bears at Pittsburgh Steelers (Monday Night Football)
Two storied franchises built on historic defenses such as the Steel Curtain & Monsters of the Midway battle it out in primetime this week. I get the sense that this will be a defensive slugfest given the identities of these teams & their lack of offensive firepower. The Steelers are built to play football this way, as evidenced by their 15-10 win over the Browns last week. They are also 19-0 in Monday Night Football games since 1991. Despite the factors working against them, the Bears are desperate enough to make me believe that this game comes down to the wire.
New England Patriots at Carolina Panthers
A couple of 4-4 teams take the stage in this rare intraconference matchup on Sunday afternoon. Panthers head coach Matt Rhule seemed envious of Patriots rookie QB Mac Jones when he recently told reporters, “I knew he was going to be a longtime pro, because he just has all the right qualities and all the right things that are essential to being a great player.” The irony here is that the Panthers had the opportunity to draft Jones & instead stuck with Sam Darnold, who is now injured & likely to miss this contest. None of this matters to the Patriots, who are quite happy with their rookie QB after last week’s stunning upset win over the Chargers. A win here could go a long way for either team in establishing themselves as playoff contenders.
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals
Another divisional game for the Browns this week after last week’s disappointing 15-10 loss to the Steelers. Fortunately for them, the Bengals are also coming off their own upset loss to the Jets last week. It’s desperation time for the Browns, with head coach Kevin Stefanski recently telling reporters, "I think a win would galvanize this team." They are certainly motivated to put the Odell Beckham Jr. drama to rest this week by beating the Bengals on the road. This is also a chance for the Bengals to get right & win a home divisional game after last week’s clunker. Losing a close game to the Jets is surely a season lowlight for the Bengals this year. I believe this will be a high scoring contest that will feature plenty of lead changes throughout.
Minnesota Vikings at Baltimore Ravens
This upcoming battle features two groups of grown men wearing different shades of purple uniforms. Football is pretty weird when it’s put in this context, isn’t it? Regardless, this is an important game for both teams as they attempt to separate themselves from the pack. The Vikings season is on the line in this one as they are already 3-4 & in need of help to secure a playoff berth. Unfortunately for them, the Ravens are fresh coming into this tilt as they are coming off their bye week. Which purple team emerges victorious in this hotly contested affair?