The 2026 NFL season is heating up as we enter Week 9. The playoff picture is beginning to take shape, and several teams desperately need victories to keep their postseason hopes alive. My Week 8 predictions were much better than previous weeks after finishing 11-3. My overall record jumps to 74-44. The winning percentage goes from 60.6 to 62.7%. The Arizona Cardinals going to Dallas and beating them in overtime was my first loss. Tampa Bay running all over the Atlanta Falcons became my second defeat. My third and final loss occurred on Monday Night as the Bears took down the Seahawks.

Last week gave us some surprising results. The Denver Broncos knocked off the Kansas City Chiefs, the Detroit Lions handed the Minnesota Vikings their first loss, and the Philadelphia Eagles continued their disappointing season with another defeat against the Washington Commanders.

Now the Eagles return home to face the New York Giants, the Chiefs look to rebound against the Jets, and the Bills prepare for a Monday Night Football showdown with Minnesota.

There are 15 games on the Week 9 schedule, with the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers enjoying their bye weeks. Here are my predictions for every matchup.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Baltimore Ravens- Thursday Night Football

The Jaguars are coming off an impressive 42-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Jacksonville has been playing confident football, while Baltimore suffered a rough loss against Buffalo and now faces significant uncertainty at quarterback. Lamar Jackson injured his thumb that’ll require surgery on the first play of last week’s game. Jackson has been put on IR, and many are questioning his future in Baltimore.

The Ravens will have home-field advantage, but Jacksonville appears to have the momentum. I expect the Jaguars to take advantage of Baltimore’s offensive struggles. Prediction: Jaguars Win

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Atlanta Falcons- Madrid, Spain | 9:30 a.m. ET

The Bengals head overseas after an exciting overtime victory against Tennessee. Joe Burrow threw five touchdown passes in that game, and Cincinnati’s offense has the potential to put up points quickly.

Atlanta, meanwhile, is coming off a shutout loss against Tampa Bay. The Falcons need a much better offensive performance, but I don’t see them keeping up with Cincinnati. If Atlanta can get Bijan Robinson off to the races early, the Falcons have a shot. On defense, they must pressure Burrow, but Cincinnati is looking like one of the best in the AFC. Prediction: Bengals Win

Dallas Cowboys at Indianapolis Colts

Dallas has been inconsistent this season, and its defense has struggled to stop opposing offenses. However, Indianapolis has problems of its own after being blown out by Jacksonville. It feels like the Colts will be heading into rebuild mode. With the trade deadline being in a few days, will Jonathan Taylor get traded?

Dak Prescott should have opportunities to move the ball against the Colts. If Dallas avoids turnovers, the Cowboys should leave Indianapolis with a victory. Prediction: Cowboys Win

Los Angeles Rams at Washington Commanders

Washington pulled off an impressive victory over Philadelphia last week, but the Rams present a different challenge. Myles Garrett finally returned to practice, but his status for the game is up in the air.

Los Angeles has the offensive weapons to create mismatches, and I expect Matthew Stafford to make enough plays to keep Washington’s defense uncomfortable. Jayden Daniels will need a lot of protection if they have a shot at the win.

The Commanders should make this competitive, but I’m going with the Rams on the road. Prediction: Rams Win

Cleveland Browns at New Orleans Saints

Cleveland struggled offensively against Pittsburgh last week, managing just six points. New Orleans hasn’t been consistent either, making this one of the more difficult games to predict. Deshaun Watson is currently in concussion protocol, and Shedeur Sanders could start.

The Saints have home-field advantage, and I believe their defense can make enough stops to pull out a close victory. Prediction: Saints Win

New York Jets at Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City is coming off a disappointing loss to Denver, and Patrick Mahomes will be looking to get the Chiefs back on track.

The Jets have struggled defensively, which could be a major problem against Kansas City’s passing attack.

I expect the Chiefs to come out aggressive and put this game away before the fourth quarter. Prediction: Chiefs Win

Detroit Lions at Miami Dolphins

Detroit made a statement last week by handing Minnesota its first defeat of the season. The Lions have the offensive balance and physicality to give Miami plenty of problems.

The Dolphins could create some explosive plays, but Detroit’s ability to control the line of scrimmage should make the difference. Prediction: Lions Win

Denver Broncos at Carolina Panthers

Denver’s victory over Kansas City was one of the biggest results of Week 8. The Broncos are gaining momentum and have shown they can compete with the AFC’s top teams.

Carolina will have to establish its running game and protect the football to have a chance. The Panthers have looked awful over the last couple of games. They fired their defensive coordinator, but will it make a difference?

I expect Denver’s defense to control this matchup. Prediction: Broncos Win

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles

This is a must-win game for Philadelphia.

The Eagles have lost six consecutive games and sit at 2-6 following their defeat against Washington. Their offense hasn’t found the consistency needed to compete, and the defense has struggled in critical situations.

The Giants already have the confidence of beating competitive opponents, and Philadelphia cannot afford another disappointing performance at home.

I believe the Eagles will finally respond with a better effort. Joe Milton will take over at quarterback after Tanner McKee was benched. The injuries on the offensive side of the ball are still too much to overcome for the Eagles. I’m picking the first-place New York Giants to leave with the win. Prediction: Giants Win

Houston Texans at Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers are still searching for their first victory after falling to 0-7. Justin Herbert has the talent to make plays, but Los Angeles hasn’t been able to put together complete performances.

Houston should have opportunities to pressure Herbert and create turnovers.

I expect the Texans to capitalize on the Chargers’ struggles. Prediction: Texans Win

Las Vegas Raiders at San Francisco 49ers

The Raiders picked up a much-needed victory over the Jets last week, but facing San Francisco is a much tougher assignment.

The 49ers have the talent on both sides of the football to control this game. If they establish their running attack early, Las Vegas could find itself playing from behind. Prediction: 49ers Win

Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots

This could be one of the better games of the weekend.

Green Bay has a talented offense led by Jordan Love, while New England has been finding ways to win close games.

The Patriots will have the home crowd behind them, but I trust Green Bay’s ability to make explosive plays when necessary. This could turn into a high-scoring game between these two. I’m picking the home team to find a way to win in the end. Prediction: Patriots Win

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks

Arizona is coming off an overtime victory against Dallas, while Seattle suffered a disappointing loss against Chicago. Sam Darnold will miss this game with an oblique injury. Drew Lock is more than capable of carrying the offense. Arizona is turning to Gardner Minshew II after he relieved Brissett last week in their win over Dallas. Brissett was traded to Baltimore after Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley went down with injuries.

The Seahawks should be motivated to respond at home. Their defense will need to improve, but I believe Seattle has enough talent to win this NFC West matchup. Prediction: Seahawks Win

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears- Sunday Night Football

Chicago is coming off an impressive 34-17 victory over Seattle, while Tampa Bay shut out Atlanta last week.

This should be a physical matchup between two teams looking to continue their momentum.

The Bears have home-field advantage, and I like their ability to make enough plays in the fourth quarter. Prediction: Bears Win

Buffalo Bills at Minnesota Vikings- Monday Night Football

Week 9 concludes with one of the most intriguing matchups on the schedule.

Buffalo dominated Baltimore last week, while Minnesota suffered its first loss against Detroit.

Josh Allen gives the Bills an advantage whenever a game turns into a shootout, but Minnesota’s defense can create problems for even the best quarterbacks.

I expect a competitive game with both teams trading scores. Ultimately, I’m trusting Allen to make the difference late. Prediction: Bills Win

My Biggest Week 9 Predictions

Game of the Week: Buffalo Bills at Minnesota Vikings

Two talented teams battling in prime time should provide an exciting finish to Week 9.

Potential Blowout: Kansas City Chiefs over New York Jets

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs should have plenty of motivation after losing to Denver.

Player to Watch: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

After throwing five touchdown passes against Tennessee, Burrow has another opportunity to deliver a big performance against Atlanta.

Final Thoughts on Week 9

Week 9 should provide plenty of excitement, with several important divisional games and teams fighting to remain in the playoff picture.

I’m particularly interested in seeing whether Philadelphia can finally turn its season around. At 2-6, the Eagles are running out of opportunities to make a serious postseason push.

The Chiefs, Vikings, and Seahawks are also looking to bounce back from disappointing defeats.

For teams like Buffalo, Denver, Detroit, and Jacksonville, this is another opportunity to prove they belong among the league’s best.

Those are my picks for Week 9 of the 2026 NFL season. Which teams do you think will win? Do you see any major upsets coming? Check out my top 5 AFC and NFC teams entering Week 9 of the NFL season.

My Top 5 AFC Teams

1. Buffalo Bills
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. Denver Broncos
4. Cincinnati Bengals
5. Kansas City Chiefs

My Top 5 NFC Teams

1. San Francisco 49ers
2. Minnesota Vikings
3. Chicago Bears
4. Detroit Lions
5. Green Bay Packers