NFL- Midpoint of the 2010 Season (Week 9)

This is the middle ground of the 2010 NFL Season with Week 9 being this weekend. The season is almost halfway finished. 13 NFL Games take over our television screens this weekend, closing the week with the Monday Night showdown in Cincinnati as the Bengals host AFC North rival Pittsburgh.

CBS has the Doubleheader this weekend.

BYE WEEK: Denver Broncos (2-6), Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4), San Francisco 49ers (2-6), St. Louis Rams (4-4), Tennessee Titans (5-3), Washington Redskins (4-4)

GAME OF THE WEEK: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons (both 5-2)- Sunday at 1PM on Fox; Georgia Dome, Atlanta
Who would have thought that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be 5-2 prior to the start of the season? Only die-hard fans. In fact, nobody thought that Tampa Bay would be in the drivers seat right now at the midway point of the season. Same goes for the Atlanta Falcons, who are also 5-2. After a 39-32 win over the Bengals, in which the Falcons led 24-3 at halftime, and were outscored 22-0 in the 3rd quarter, before coming back to win, Matt Ryan and Roddy White were unstoppable by the Bengal secondary. Ryan and White could have almost that big of a day, but not quite. Last week, Tampa Bay ignited under its defense and young quarterback Josh Freeman in a 38-35 win over Arizona, where the defense scored three touchdowns.
Pick: Atlanta 20-17 (OT)

SUNDAY AFTERNOON GAMES:
New York Jets (5-2) at Detroit Lions (2-5)- Ford Field; Detroit- 1PM on CBS
Last week, Detroit came back and topped the Redskins, winning four of the last eight meetings against Washington, after losing 18 straight meetings in a 30-year span (1968-1997). Also last week, the Jets' five-game winning streak was snapped, as the Jets were the first NFL team to be blanked this year in a 9-0 loss to Green Bay, in which kicker Nick Folk missed two field goal tries. Can the Jets regroup in a battle of two of this year's three Thanksgiving Day hosts?
Pick: NY Jets 20-10

Miami Dolphins (4-3) at Baltimore Ravens (5-2)- M&T Bank Stadium; Baltimore- 1PM on CBS
Fast fact: Miami is 4-0 on the road and 0-3 at home, their best start in road games since 2003. The Fins take their perfect road record on the road to Baltimore, where their offense finds theirselves a brick wall in the Ravens defense, led by such all-pro vets as Terrell Suggs, Ed Reed, and Ray Lewis. All good things must come to an end, and for Miami's perfect road record, the streak will end on Sunday in Baltimore.
Pick: Baltimore 27-10

New England Patriots (6-1) at Cleveland Browns (2-5)- Cleveland Browns Stadium; Cleveland, OH- 1PM on CBS
The Patriots are the NFL's best team approaching the midway point of the season. The Patriots take their best record to the shores of Lake Erie to play the Jekyll & Hyde Cleveland Clowns, whose last win was against the defending Super Bowl Champs, the Saints, in which Browns LB David Bowens returned two picks for scores. What trickery will the Browns use in this game to try to upset the NFL's best team? We will find out, but no trick play will stop the Patriots as Bill Belichick will return to Cleveland victorious.
Pick: New England 31-13

Arizona Cardinals (3-4) at Minnesota Vikings (2-5)- Mall of American Field; Minneapolis, 1PM on Fox
Could this be (Brad) Childress's Last Stand? According to Fox Sports, it could be, if the Vikings lose this game. Minnesota, favored to win the NFC North this year, is lagging behind right now at 2-5, and Vikes Owner Zygi Wilf is chomping at the bit right now, because not only is Minnesota struggling with turnovers and injuries (Brett Favre), on Monday, the Vikings waived wide receiver Randy Moss, after a 28-18 loss to New England. Derek Anderson sparked Arizona's offense in a 38-35 losing effort last week to Tampa Bay. As of Thursday, Brett Favre is still questionable after suffering a jaw injury in last week's loss to the Patriots. Favre's 292-game streak of starting games could end if he is out. And if Arizona wins, Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress too, could be out.
Pick: Arizona 27-14

Chicago Bears (4-3) at Buffalo Bills (0-7)- Rogers Centre; Toronto, 1PM on Fox
O Canada...the Bills host the Monsters of the Midway in their home away from home, north of the border in Toronto. Will the Bills finally win one? The last two weeks, the Bills lost back-to-back overtime games to Baltimore and Kansas City, and the Bills are desperately seeking victory to avoid being the second NFL team in the last three years to go 0-16.
Pick: Chicago 19-16

San Diego Chargers (3-5) at Houston Texans (4-3)- Reliant Stadium; Houston, 1PM on CBS
Houston needs a win to get its playoff hopes back on track. San Diego needs a win to salvage a season that has been wrecked by miscues (many of them on special teams). Can the Texans get it done against San Diego after a short week of practice, or will the San Diego Super Chargers win one on the road?
Pick: Houston 28-21

New Orleans Saints (5-3) at Carolina Panthers (1-6)- Bank of America Stadium; Charlotte, 1PM on Fox
John Fox's job is on the line, but the Saints don't care, because the Saints will come marching into Carolina and take care of business against the hapless Panthers.
Pick: New Orleans 30-10

New York Giants (5-2) at Seattle Seahawks (4-3)- Qwest Field; Seattle, 4PM on Fox
Who would think that this would be a battle of two division leaders when the schedule was announced in April? Nobody. But, that is why you play the game. Historically, the Giants are 6-15 following a bye week, and 3-3 under Tom Coughlin after a bye. The Giants travel to Seattle to play a Seahawks team that plays well at home, and not too great on the road, as evidenced by last week's 33-3 spanking in Oakland. Look for the G-Men to have a long afternoon in Seattle.
Pick: Seattle 27-20

Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) at Oakland Raiders (4-4)- Oakland Coliseum; Oakland, 4:15PM on CBS
This game was not on the radar of any NFL predictor- amateur or professional, when the season began two months ago. Kansas City was the last undefeated team standing, before falling to Indianapolis in Week 5, while Oakland has reeled off back-to-back wins, outscoring their opponents 92-17 in their last two games. Can the Raiders make it three in a row?
Pick: Oakland 23-19

Indianapolis Colts (5-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (4-3)- Lincoln Financial Field; Philadelphia, 4:15PM on CBS
The Colts are on a stampede. This is usually expected at this point of the football season, as Indianapolis heads to the city of Brotherly Love to play the Eagles, who are still in a quarterback carousel as Michael Vick is expected to start for the Eagles for the first time since his rib injury in last month's loss to Washington. In 13 years, you can't really stop Peyton Manning. Your defense can only hope to contain him.
Pick: Indianapolis 35-17

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
Dallas Cowboys (1-6) at Green Bay Packers (5-3)- Lambeau Field; Green Bay, WI; 8:20PM on NBC
Last week, the Pack pitched the NFL's first shutout of the 2010 season in an ugly 9-0 win over the J-E-T-S, Jets, where kicked Mason Crosby accounted for 100 percent of the game's points, with three field goals. Dallas, whose dreams of being the first Super Bowl host to play in the big game, are pretty much over with quarterback Tony Romo out for perhaps the remainder of the season. Look for America's Team to drown in a sea of Cheddar.
Pick: Green Bay 28-3

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-5)- Paul Brown Stadium; Cincinnati, 8:30PM on ESPN
The Cincinnati Bengals have problems finishing games. In their last three games, the Bengals had the lead in the second half, and lost the lead all three times. The Bengals have lost all four games in their four-game losing streak by three (23-20 to the Cleveland Clowns), three (24-21 to Tampa Bay), seven (39-32 to Atlanta after trailing 24-3 at halftime), and eight points (22-14 at Miami), respectively. The Steelers are coming off a Sunday night loss to defending Super Bowl champs New Orleans, and are looking for a big win. Last year, the Bengals swept the Steelers for the first time since 1998, en route to a 6-0 record in the AFC North. This year, the Bengals are a loose cannon, from Carson Palmer missing his targets, to the banged up secondary, to Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco's reality show. This is the first Monday Night matchup between these bitter rivals since 1992, a 20-0 Steeler win, when Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis was the linebackers coach for the Steelers. Roethlisberger has lost two of his last three games in his native state of Ohio, could it be three out of four?
Pick: Pittsburgh 27-7

SPORTS CORNER TOP EIGHT & BOTTOM FOUR (Week 9):
(Bottom Four)
32) Buffalo (0-7)
T-30) Dallas (1-6)
T-30) Carolina (1-6)
T-28) Cincinnati (2-5)
T-28) Denver (2-6)

(Top Eight)
1) New England (6-1)
2) NY Giants (5-2)
3) Tampa Bay (5-2)
4) Atlanta (5-2)
5) Indianapolis (5-2)
6) Pittsburgh (5-2)
7) NY Jets (5-2)
T-8) Kansas City (5-2)
T-8) Green Bay (5-3)