NFL Bold Predictions Week 9
Tyreek Hill Has 150+ Yards And 2 TDs Against The Cowboys
Hill has had an inconsistent year, truly defining the term “boom or bust.” He has not had two “bad” games in a row.
On the season, Hill has mustered 553 yards and 4 total touchdowns through 8 games. The trend I’m conveying is that every other game Hill has a sub-par performance, especially by his standards. For example, in his games against Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh, and Denver, he has totaled 160 yards and 0 touchdowns. In his other four games, he totaled 393 yards and four touchdowns. Some would look at his matchups and expect him to do bad. The Redskins and Eagles secondary are very underwhelming and shouldn’t be expected to shut down a star like Hill. Coming into a good matchup, Hill is approaching his predictive explosive week against the Cowboys secondary, which has given up the 5th most points to receivers.
Hill will have a massive speed advantage, whether he’s facing Orlando Scandrick or Nolan Carroll. The strength of the Cowboys is their pass rush, but the Chiefs’ offensive line will be a counter (they enable 378 YPG average). The Cowboys are allowing 218 passing yards per game.
The Chiefs have to throw the ball somewhere, and aside from Travis Kelce, Hill should be the beneficiary of this horrid defense. I expect Hill to catch at least one deep ball and be targeted eight or more times, along with a few rushing attempts. With this said, I still expect the Cowboys to win the game 33-30.
The 49ers Get Their First Win Against The Cardinals
The 49ers have been a horror show this season. That might be what casual fans are saying, but the 49ers have actually been somewhat competitive this season. Following their week 1 bashing against Carolina, the Niners managed to lose there next 5 games by a combined 13 points. They have most recently come up against the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, both of whom beat them by an average 26.5 points. So why is there a silver lining? Why are they going to win now? They have been blessed by a dream matchup, and are getting an ideal opportunity to win the game on the defensive side of the ball. The 49ers will face Drew Stanton.
The Arizona Cardinals have looked pedestrian at best all season. The Cardinals have had an effective passing game so far this season, but following the loss of Carson Palmer, their offensive game has been crippled. They are a team that is 27th in the NFL in PPG only averaging 17 points. This number will inevitably go down with the struggling Drew Stanton taking snaps. They have the worst rushing game in the NFL, averaging 65 rush yards per game. This offense is such a mess, even the 49ers should be able to contain them. The final factor to winning this game will be home field advantage. With the offensive struggles looming, expect this to be a low scoring game and the Niners to finally break the seal with 13 – 10 win.
Aaron Jones Goes For 140 Total Yards Against The Lions
Remember prior to the season starting all the conversations about Jamal Williams being the number one back on the Packers? Funny how things change so quickly. For Packer fans, the emergence of Jones as the lead back has been a saving grace, especially since Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone. Since taking over as the lead back, the rookie out of UTEP has amassed 346 yards on 62 carries and 3 total touchdowns. Jones has ostensibly become the Packers primary offensive weapon (sorry Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams). Although Brett Hundley has had an extra week of practice with the starting lineup, I think Mike McCarthy is still going to try the safer approach of handing the ball off to Jones.
On the opposite side of the ball, the Lions have been getting torched on the ground. Le’Veon Bell and the Saints Tandem have racked up 261 yards in the past two weeks; that’s a ridiculous average 130.5 YPG! Although the Lions’ defense has been alright (they’re currently ranked 21st in total defense). However, they’re weakest link is their ground defense. Darius Slay and the rest of the secondary will do their jobs and keep the Packers’ receivers at bay. Ziggy Ansah will pressure Brett like no other. The Packers will have one choice, run the ball or throw short dump-offs to Jones! With at least 26 total touches, the rookie racks up over 130 total yards and guides the Packers to a 17 – 10 victory!
Jaguars Hold The Bengals To Less Than 10 Points
There have been many surprises this season, but amongst them all, the Jaguars’ stout defense ranks as one of the most shocking. They rank 6th overall but dominate in many statistical categories. Through 8 games, they’ve put up an insane 33 sacks, 10 interceptions, and 6 fumble recoveries! And let’s not forget that they’ve also scored 4 touchdowns off these defensive disruptions. Led by Calais Campbell and Jalen Ramsey, the Jaguars’ defensive has them squarely in playoff contention for the first time in a long time.
This Sunday, the Jags face off against a lackluster Bengals offense. They’re 30th in rushing, 22nd in passing, and 30th in overall offense. With the exception of A.J. Green, every member of this unit has underperformed. And although things have gotten better since changing their offensive coordinator, the Bengals still struggle to consistently move the ball.
The Jaguars’ secondary is going to commit to shutting down Green, which with Ramsey and some over the top help, will be very doable. This shadow coverage will force Andy Dalton to hold the ball and look elsewhere for a passing outlet. Unfortunately for Dalton, he’ll be hanging on to the ball just long enough for Campbell and the rest of the D-line to land a handful of sacks, and a pair of turnovers. The Jaguars win at home 27 – 7.