NFL Survivor Pool: Week 9

As we reach the midway point of the 2021 NFL season, several teams are starting to make their presence felt and dominating each week while others are starting to lose traction and starting to free fall down the standings. If you still are in your respective Survivor pool, bravo to you because last week another good chunk of Survivor players went home early for the holidays. Probably one of the season's biggest upsets transpired in Week 8 when Michael White led the Jets to beat the red hot Bengals in Cincinnati. That must have felt like a gut punch for anyone that picked them last week. Let’s see if we can get through Week 9.    

Who to pick for Week 9

Well, now it was tough to pick the Bills last week against my Dolphins. Even though it was a close game heading into halftime, the Bills showed the Dolphins that they are the kingpin of the division in the second half and got me through the week. Here are the teams that are no longer options for me moving forward: Rams, Packers, Broncos, Bengals, Ravens, Colts, Patriots, and Bills. Now let’s set our sights for Week 9 and see what options we have.

NFL Week 9 Schedule

Jets at Colts               Colts -10.5

Texans at Dolphins      Dolphins -6.5

Broncos at Cowboys    Cowboys -7.5

Vikings at Ravens        Ravens -5.5

Patriots at Panthers     Patriots -3

Bills at Jaguars            Bills -14

Browns at Bengals       Bengals -2.5

Raiders at Giants         Raiders -3

Falcons at Saints          Saints -5.5

Chargers at Eagles       Chargers -2.5

Packers at Chiefs          Chiefs -7

Cardinals at 49ers        Cardinals -2.5

Titans at Rams             Rams -6.5

Bears at Steelers          Steelers -6.5

Bye: Lions, Seahawks, Buccaneers, and Washington Football Team

Week 9 has four games that have a team favored by at least seven points, those may be options for us; the Colts at home on Thursday Night Football favored by -10.5 over the Jets, the Chiefs at home favored by -7.5 over the Packers, the Cowboys at home favored by -7.5 over the Broncos, and the Bills on the road favored by -14 over the Jaguars.

Jets at Colts

After their stunning upset of the Bengals last week, the Jets are looking to make it two in a row. Time will tell if Michael White has another win in his bag of tricks. The Colts are sitting at 3-5 for the season. All three of their wins have come against teams under .500, making this pick an interesting one to think about. If you still have the Colts as an option they are a team to consider, but you may want to shy away from them if you can.

Packers at Chiefs

With the breaking news that Aaron Rodgers tested posted for COVID-19, the game that opened in Vegas with the Packers favored by -7 on the road, now has the Chiefs favored by -7. That’s a 14 point turn around. Which is pretty jaw-dropping if you ask me. Jordan Love has already been named the starter for the contest which should lead the Chiefs defense to tee-off on Love. The Chiefs finally looked decent on offense last week against the Giants. This may be the right time to use the Chiefs if you still have them available.

Broncos at Cowboys

Although the Broncos finally got Jerry Jeudy back from injured reserve, they have not been lighting up the work on fire just yet. They do have potential but it may be a case of let’s see it first. This week they face a Cowboys defense that has been top-shelf so far this season. They were able to hand the Vikings a loss last week even without Dak Prescott who was nursing a calf injury. With all signs pointing to Prescott returning to the starting line-up this week, look for the Cowboys to get the job done in big “D”, but this one could be a close shoot-out. 

Bills at Jaguars

After disposing of one Florida team in Orchard Park, the Bills are heading down south to take care of another Sunshine state team this week. The Urban Meyer experience has not been a pleasant one for the Jaguars this season. Other than their win in London over the lowly Dolphins, the Jaguars have not had much to cheer about so far in 2021. Josh Allen and the Bills are ready to open a case of whoop-ass on the Jaguars this week and are a fine option if you still have them available.

This week after debating my options I will be going with the Chiefs against the Rodger-less Packers.

If you would like to further discuss this or have any questions you may reach me on Twitter @smooth1074.