Jump to a matchupDallas Cowboys (3–4) at Atlanta Falcons (5–3)Denver Broncos (5–3) at Baltimore Ravens (5–3)Chicago Bears (4–3) at Arizona Cardinals (4–4)Detroit Lions (6–1) at Green Bay Packers (6–2)Indianapolis Colts (4–4) at Minnesota Vikings (5–2)
Many view the NFL regular season as short because there are only 17 games, but the current standings say it’s more of a marathon than a sprint.
The Arizona Cardinals lead the NFC West to start November. Not many saw that coming in a division with the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks, who started the season 3–0. The Cardinals will need to get by the Chicago Bears in Week 9 to continue leading the division.
As for another strange but true observation, the Denver Broncos are the fifth seed in the AFC playoff standings, one spot ahead of the Baltimore Ravens.
Just last week many viewed the Ravens as the one contender who can keep pace with the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs, but they’re now trailing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North standings because of the costly upset loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 8. On Sunday, the Ravens host the Broncos, who have won five of their past six games after an 0–2 start.
There’s nothing surprising about the Detroit Lions’ 6–1 start, but they could lose their first-place status if they fall to the Green Bay Packers, who would control the NFC North with a win Sunday.
The NFL standings could look very different after Week 9 with those three aforementioned games. We’re also keeping tabs on Joe Flacco and the Indianapolis Colts, because the team benched Anthony Richardson ahead of Sunday night’s showdown against the Minnesota Vikings. As for another intriguing game, the Dallas Cowboys will aim to get their season back on track when they face the Atlanta Falcons, the first place team in the NFC South.
Here’s everything you need to know about the five best games of Week 9, including Gilberto Manzano’s key matchups, Matt Verderame’s key stats, Michael Fabiano’s who to start and who to sit in fantasy, Iain MacMillan’s best bets and Conor Orr’s prediction for each game.
Start ’em/Sit ’em | MMQB Staff Picks | NFL Betting Picks
SundayDallas Cowboys (3–4) at Atlanta Falcons (5–3)
When/TV: 1 p.m. ET, Fox
Spread: Falcons -2.5 (over/under: 51.5)
Matchup to watch: Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs vs. Falcons TE Kyle Pitts. Last week, Diggs wasn’t happy with a reporter who criticized him about how he defended a lengthy reception from George Kittle. Diggs can prove the reporter wrong by containing Pitts, who had a dominant performance in last week’s win against the Buccaneers, recording four catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns. —
Key stat: Dak Prescott likes to take his shots downfield. Through eight weeks, Prescott averages 8.3 intended air yards per pass, seventh-highest in the NFL. Meanwhile, Atlanta’s defense has permitted 962 air yards, 11th-most in the league. —
Start ’em/sit ’em: Kirk Cousins has been inconsistent this season, but he is coming off a 28.6-point performance in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also has a great matchup in Week 9, facing a bad Cowboys defense. Dallas has allowed four different quarterbacks to beat them for 21-plus points, including 26 from Brock Purdy last week. —
Best bet: Cowboys +2.5. The Cowboys have gotten off to a disastrous start to their season, but this could be a spot where they pull an upset. The Falcons defense has a ton of issues, ranking 23rd in opponent EPA per play and 26th in opponent success rate. They also rank 30th in opponent third down conversion rate. The Cowboys have too talented a roster to be playing this poorly and a matchup against a bad Atlanta defense is a perfect spot for a bounce-back performance. —
SI’s pick:I’m picking the Falcons until the Cowboys prove they’re able to handle a team on an upward trajectory. Atlanta’s defense has holes, but I would imagine Cousins can pick apart a defensive coordinator he knows intimately. Cousins and Mike Zimmer spent many a long hour together and both are likely familiar with each other’s tendencies. —
