Week 9 NFL Preview & Picks

Sunday, Nov. 7

N.Y. Jets 5-1* at Buffalo 2-5

Kickoff: Noon

Series: Buffalo leads 47-40.

Stats & Stuff: Doug Brien's 38-yard field goal with 58 seconds left gave Jets a 16-14 win over Buffalo in Week 5. Bills' Willis McGahee ran for the first two touchdowns of his NFL career on Sunday.

Game Day: Jets hadn't allowed more than 14 points in their last four games leading up to Monday night, and they won't let Buffalo do any better than that.

Pick: Jets 20, Bills 14.

Oakland 2-6 at Carolina 1-6

Kickoff: Noon

Series: Tied 1-1.

Stats & Stuff: Raiders have lost five straight and 13 consecutive games on the road. Carolina has dropped five straight games.

Game Day: Turnovers are killing the Raiders - they're at a league-low minus-14. At least one of these teams will get a win in a disappointing season for both.

Pick: Panthers 23, Raiders 15.

Dallas 3-4 at Cincinnati 2-5

Kickoff: Noon

Series: Dallas leads 5-3.

Stats & Stuff: Cowboys ended three-game losing skid in Week 8. Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer was sacked four times on Sunday.

Game Day: After a letdown at Tennessee, Bengals should get back on track.

Pick: Bengals 27, Cowboys 23.

Washington 2-5 at Detroit 4-3

Kickoff: Noon

Series: Washington leads 24-10.

Stats & Stuff: Washington has No. 1 defense, allowing 252.3 yards per game. Lions are tied for league-lead in turnover differential with plus-12.

Game Day: Once again, Redskins will fall short offensively.

Pick: Lions 23, Redskins 17.

Arizona 2-5 at Miami 1-6*

Kickoff: Noon

Series: Miami leads 8-0.

Stats & Stuff: Cardinals have not scored more than 16 points in four games played at Miami since 1972. Miami came into Monday night's game with NFL's lowest rushing total per game: 76.3.

Game Day: Arizona has lost 17 straight on the road and will extend the league's worst current streak.

Pick: Dolphins 19, Cardinals 13.

Philadelphia 7-0 at Pittsburgh 6-1

Kickoff: Noon

Series: Philadelphia leads 45-26-3.

Stats & Stuff: Eagles are 7-0 for first time in franchise history. Pittsburgh has won five straight games. The last two meetings between the teams have been decided by a field goal in each, both won by the Eagles.

Game Day: After ending New England's 21-game winning streak, the Steelers take on the only undefeated team left, but they won't be able to pull it off two weeks in a row.

Pick: Eagles 21, Steelers 17.

Kansas City 3-4 at Tampa Bay 2-5

Kickoff: Noon

Series: Kansas City leads 5-3.

Stats & Stuff: Kansas City has scored 101 points in its last two games. Buccaneers' defense in ranked second in the NFL.

Game Day: Chiefs rolled up 590 yards of offense against Colts in Week 8, but might be slowed down a bit against Bucs' stronger defense. However, they'll reach .500 and get back in the playoff picture.

Pick: Chiefs 27, Buccaneers 20.

Chicago 2-5 at N.Y. Giants 5-2

Kickoff: 3:05 p.m.

Series: Chicago leads 25-17-2.

Stats & Stuff: Three rookies played a part in Bears' two TDs in Sunday night's win over San Francisco. Giants won their third straight at Minnesota on Sunday.

Game Day: Giants have to avoid a letdown at home such as the one against Detroit in Week 7. Craig Krenzel makes second career start at QB for Bears.

Pick: Giants 24, Bears 13.

New Orleans 3-4 at San Diego 5-3

Kickoff: 3:05 p.m.

Series: San Diego leads 6-2.

Stats & Stuff: Saints rank 31st in total defense, allowing 416.7 yards per game. Drew Brees threw for a career-high five TD passes in Chargers' Week 8 win over Raiders.

Game Day: If Brees and the Chargers offense doesn't trip, San Diego will win its third straight and fifth of last six games.

Pick: Chargers 35, Saints 23.

Seattle 4-3 at San Francisco 1-6

Kickoff: 3:05 p.m.

Series: San Francisco leads 6-5.

Stats & Stuff: In last meeting on Sept. 26, San Francisco was shut out for the first time in 27 years and Seahawks won third straight before three-game losing streak.

Game Day: Seattle woke up and got back into the win column in Week 8. They'll do it again against a 49ers team that totaled just 162 total yards against Chicago.

Pick: Seahawks 31, 49ers 10.

Houston 4-3 at Denver 5-3

Kickoff: 3:15 p.m.

Series: 0-0, first meeting.

Stats & Stuff: Houston has won four of its last five games. Broncos' quarterback Jake Plummer passed for a team and career record 499 yards in loss to Atlanta on Sunday.

Game Day: Are the Texans for real and are the Broncos a bust? Denver has upper hand playing at home.

Pick: Broncos 24, Texans 17.

New England 6-1 at St. Louis 4-3

Kickoff: 3:15 p.m.

Series: St. Louis leads 5-3.

Stats & Stuff: New England's 21-game winning streak came to a crashing halt at Pittsburgh. Rams have won last four regular-season meetings against Patriots.

Game Day: The last time these teams played was in Super Bowl XXXVI, won 20-17 by New England. Patriots try to avoid back-to-back losses for first time since Dec. 22, 2002.

Pick: Patriots 23, Rams 20.

Cleveland 3-4 at Baltimore 4-3

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.

Series: Baltimore leads 7-3.

Stats & Stuff: Browns won the season opener over Baltimore 20-3, holding Jamal Lewis to just 57 yards. Baltimore's No. 30 offense is totaling just 259.9 yards per game.

Game Day: Ravens' middle linebacker Ray Lewis is steamed after getting mocked by the Eagles' Terrell Owens, and Lewis returns from suspension to get a little revenge against the Browns.

Pick: Ravens 16, Browns 14.

Monday Nov. 8

Minnesota 5-2 at Indianapolis 4-3

Kickoff: 8 p.m.

Series: Indianapolis leads 12-7-1.

Stats & Stuff: Minnesota quarterback Daunte Culpepper has 20 TD passes, 5 INTs. Colts' QB Peyton Manning has 22 TD passes, 4 INTs.

Game Day: If Vikings receiver Randy Moss is fully recovered from his hamstring injury, this will be a shootout. If not, Indianapolis might hand Vikings their second embarrassing defeat in a row.

Pick: Colts 37, Vikings 34.

Bye week: Atlanta, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Tennessee

- Bob Hurst was 9-4 last week and is 74-41 on the season, not including Monday night's game.