The NEO Sports Insiders Staff Picks The Week Nine NFL Games

Matt Williamson
Last Week 8-6
Season 76-43

Bengals over Browns
Bills over Dolphins
Packers over Panthers
Jets over Jags
Vikings over Rams
Patriots over Redskins
Saints over Titans
Steelers over Raiders
Giants over Bucs
Falcons over 9ers
Broncos over Colts
Eagles over Cowboys
Bears over Chargers

Ryan Kaczmarski
Last Week 9-5/strong
Season 72-47

Steelers over Raiders
Jets over Jaguars
Vikings over Rams
Bills over Dolphins
Saints over Titans
Patriots over Redskins
Packers over Panthers
Falcons over 49ers
Buccaneers over Giants
Broncos over Colts
Eagles over Cowboys
Chargers over Bears

Cincinnati 49 Cleveland 13 – What else needs to be said? Cincinnati is one of the best teams in the NFL right now. The Bengals have a high-powered offense, while the browns secondary is sitting on the sideline with sweats on. Johnny Manziel does a little better than the horrific loss at Cincy last year, but not enough to win this one.

Matt Loede
Last Week 9-5
Season 73-46/strong

Steelers over Raiders
Jets over Jaguars
Rams over Vikings
Dolphins over Bills
Saints over Titans
Patriots over Redskins
Panthers over Packers
Falcons over 49ers
Giants over Buccaneers
Broncos over Colts
Eagles over Cowboys
Chargers over Bears

Bengals 44 Browns 13 – Get use to scores like this for the remainder of the season. The Browns will put up a fight for about 15 minutes, then wilt as the Bengals go back in the memory banks to last season when they were embarrassed at home by the Browns on a Thursday night. What a difference a year makes.

Scott Piker
Last week 10-4
Season 76-43

Green Bay @ Carolina – Green Bay
Washington @ New England – New England
Tennessee @ New Orleans – New Orleans
Miami @ Buffalo – Miami
St. Louis @ Minnesota – St. Louis
Jacksonville @ New York Jets – New York Jets
Oakland @ Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh
New York Giants @ Tampa Bay – New York Giants
Atlanta @ San Francisco – Atlanta
Denver @ Indianapolis – Denver
Philadelphia @ Dallas – Philadelphia
Chicago @ San Diego – San Diego

Bengals 31 Browns 10 – Thank goodness this game isn’t on CBS, it won’t be like last years prime time meeting along the banks of the Ohio river.

Eddy Jensen
Last Week 7-7
Season 72-47

Cincinnati over Cleveland
Miami over Buffalo
St.Louis over Minnesota
NE over Washington
New Orleans over Tennessee
Jets over Jaguars
Pittsburgh over Oakland
Green Bay over Carolina
Atlanta over 49ers
Giants over Tampa Bay
Denver over Indy
Dallas over Philly
San Diego over Chicago

Cincinnati 28 Cleveland 13 – Browns bring out red carpet for national TV… just to give the Bengals a place to walk

Steve Dimatteo
Last Week 9-5
Season 73-46

Cincinnati over Cleveland
Miami over Buffalo
Minnesota over St. Louis
NE over Washington
New Orleans over Tennessee
Jets over Jaguars
Oakland over Pittsburgh
Green Bay over Carolina
Atlanta over 49ers
Giants over Tampa Bay
Denver over Indy
Philly over Dallas
San Diego over Chicago

Adrienne Goehler
Last Week 10-4
Season 74-45

GB over CAR
NE over WSH
NO over TEN
BUF over MIA
MIN over STL
NYJ over JAX
PIT over OAK
NYG over TB
ATL over SF
DEN over IND
PHI over DAL
SD over CHI

CIN over CLE 31-20 – Johnny Manziel is getting the start on a short week against the team that routed him 30-0 last year at home when he was under center. I don’t expect him to fare much better this time, unless the defense and O-line can hold up.

Spencer Davies
Last Week 9-5
Season 70-48

GB > CAR
NE > WAS
NO > TEN
BUF > MIA
STL > MIN
NYJ > JAX
OAK > PIT
TB > NYG
ATL > SF
DEN > IND
PHI > DAL
SD > CHI

Browns 27 Bengals 24 – The problems for the Browns go way past quarterback, and Josh McCown was most definitely not the problem—but Johnny Manziel hasn’t forgotten the pounding the Browns took in his starting debut in Cleveland last year.

Also, the Browns almost always seemingly show up for primetime. Regardless of Cleveland’s injuries, look for a repeat of last year to once again send Cincinnati into an ultimate state of panic after their tremendous start to the season.

Vince Miller
Last Week 8-6
Season 75-44

MIA over BUF
STL over MIN
NE over WAS
NO over TEN
JAX over NYJ
OAK over PIT
CAR over GB
ATL over SF
NYG over TB
DEN over IND
PHI over DAL
CHI over SD

Bengals 31 Browns 9 – Incredibly hard to go with the injury plagued, back-up quarterback-led Browns this Thursday night against a nearly flawless Cincinnati Bengals team — their record, of course, sits untouchable at 7-0. This game may not be pretty but I doubt we will see a mirroring 20-0 performance, such as last year’s attempt to play football against the Bengals with Johnny Manziel at quarterback.

Mike Perry
Last Week 10-4
Season 63-24

Steelers over Raiders
Jets over Jaguars
Vikings over Rams
Bills over Dolphins
Saints over Titans
Patriots over Redskins
Panthers over Packers
Falcons over 49ers
Giants over Buccaneers
Broncos over Colts
Eagles over Cowboys
Chargers over Bears

Bengals 56, Browns 24: The Bengals could make this very, very ugly if they want to…but will take the foot off the gas early in the second half because you probably should never humiliate a division rival. Cincinnati has so many offensive weapons and will move the ball at will over a banged-up, overrated Cleveland defense. The Bengals have a talented, attacking defense that forces turnovers, pressures the quarterback and takes away the opposing team’s strength. The biggest problem the Cincinnati defense might run into will be trying to figure out exactly what the Browns’ offensive strength is. Johnny Manziel will be blitzed and bullied and it would not be surprising if Browns fans get their first regular-season look at Austin Davis. A short week to prepare for a team that is exponentially better than you is not a recipe for success. Hold on to your hats, folks…this is going to be a bumpy ride.

Brandon Urasek
Last Week 9-5
Season 61-26

MIA over BUF
GB over CAR
NO over TEN
PIT over OAK
MIN over STL
NE over WAS
JAC over NYJ
ATL over SF
NYG over TB
DEN over IND
PHI over DAL
SD over CHI

Cincinnati 30 Cleveland 10 – The Browns are stuck throwing Manziel in during a short week however the biggest problem for the Browns is the amount of concussions. The Browns are likely out Haden, Whitner, Hawkins, and Hartline. That’s going to be a lot for them to overcome figuring they are down to Benjamin, Gabriel, Moore, and Bowe at receiver, can’t run the ball, can’t stop the run, and now lose two secondary starters against some really big and athletic receivers. This should be ugly.

Dan Gilles
Last Week 8-6
Season 66-37

Green Bay over Carolina
Jacksonville over N.Y. Jets
Miami over Buffalo
Oakland over Pittsburgh
Minnesota over St. Louis
New Orleans over Tennessee
New England over Washington
Atlanta over San Francisco
N.Y. Giants over Tampa Bay
Denver over Indianapolis
Philadelphia over Dallas
San Diego over Chicago

Bengals over Browns – The downward spiral continues for the Browns on a short week. The last time Johnny Manziel started against the Bengals, they gave him — and the team — a big dose of reality. The recent trade rumors certainly won’t help morale, and injuries continue to pile up, making an already thin team even thinner.

Matt Medley
Last Week 7-7
Season 55-32

Packers over Panthers
Patriots over Redskins
Saints over Titans
Bills over Dolphins
Vikings over Rams
Jets over Jaguars
Raiders over Steelers
Giants over Bucs
Falcons over 49ers
Broncos over Colts
Eagles over Cowboys
Chargers over Bears

Bengals 28 Browns 17 – The Browns defense continues to struggle. Manziel plays better than his first go round with Cincy, but not enough to get the win.