If you are one of the lucky few still alive in week 9 of your survival pool, take a moment and smell the roses. Hopefully you have been following my weekly survivor pool articles where I have a 100% success rate on my Top Lock for the week. Now this isn’t time to get complacent because you have a good shot at winning the whole thing. Every week from here on out you will be going up against people who really know their stuff so it is imperative that you listen to these predictions and plan your strategy accordingly. That being said, here is a recap of my picks from last week:
Pick #1: San Francisco 49ers over Jacksonville Jaguars (42-10) Won
Pick #2: Denver Broncos over Washington Redskins (45-21) Won
Pick #3: New Orleans Saints over Buffalo Bills (35-17) Won
Pick #4: Seattle Seahawks over St. Louis Rams (14-9) Won
Sleeper Pick #1: Dallas Cowboys over Detroit Lions (30-31) Lost
Sleeper Pick #2: Oakland Raiders over Pittsburgh Steelers (21-18) Won
Survivor Pool Week 8 NFL Picks
I gave you an extra Top Lock and Sleeper Pick last week, but unfortunately had to settle for 5 out of 6 correct picks due to a heroic last second comeback drive from Lions’ QB Matt Stafford (CLOCK IT!!!) against the Cowboys. I will be able to sleep well knowing I successfully picked the Raiders to beat the Steelers even though they were considered the underdog. Most of my picks played out true to form except for the Seahawks struggling to put away the Rams on Monday Night (who saw that coming?). Another week means another chance at perfection. This week I plan on picking…
Top 3 Locks for Week 9
As I mentioned earlier, the Seahawks (7-1) are coming off an ugly Monday night win against a St. Louis Rams (3-5) team that was without starting QB Sam Bradford (out with an ACL Injury). The one saving grace for the Seahawks was their defense led by All-Pro CB Robert Sherman who was able to oppose his will against an inexperienced QB in Kellen Clemens. If you have been watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7) recently, you know that QB Mike Glennon is very inexperienced and prone to making some questionable throws despite being 6’7” and having a cannon arm. The Seahawks dominate at home and will have no problem putting this game away by halftime. Pick the ‘hawks and move on to the next round.
My Monday Night special will not disappoint. Despite a rash of injuries to their top wide receivers (Cobb, Jones, Finley), the Green Bay Packers (5-2) keep finding a way to come out on top. Coming off a gutsy win on the road against the Minnesota Vikings (1-6), the Pack proved that they are capable of putting up big points on the board no matter who QB Aaron Rodgers is throwing to (In this case, WR Jarrett Boykin). This week, Green Bay will play at home against a Chicago Bears (4-3) defense that is ranked 28th against the pass and an offense that is starting journeyman QB Josh McCown. If you haven’t used Green Bay yet, this is the perfect time to take a Lambeau leap of faith.
The underachieving Dallas Cowboys (4-4) and QB Tony Romo are coming off a disappointing last second loss to the Detroit Lions (5-3) and will have a huge chip on their shoulder playing at home against the Minnesota Vikings (1-6). After last week’s shouting match with his teammates, I predict WR Dez Bryant to have a big game as he tries to prove to everyone that he is just as good as Megatron (or should I say Johnson?). Even if he doesn’t, the Vikings and their QB situation (Freeman or Ponder? It’s a wash…) should be no match for this high octane Cowboy offense.
Sleeper Pick for Week 9
Cleveland Browns over Baltimore Ravens
I like to save my riskier teams for my sleeper pick, so make sure if you decide to go with prediction then proceed with caution. The Cleveland Browns (3-5) are coming off a close road loss to the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs (8-0) and are due for a victory at home against a Baltimore Ravens (3-4) team that is coming off a bye week. The Ravens have had trouble putting points on the board this season and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. I predict the Browns will utilize their young and talented duo of WR Josh Gordon and TE Jordan Cameron to propel them to a narrow win in front of their home crowd.
That’s all my picks for Week 9. Stay tuned next week so that you can be the last man standing while watching your competition drop like flies as the season goes along. Feel free to ask me questions about your survivor pool picks on Twitter @MikeMital.
