NFL Week 9: Preview

Potential Game Of The Week - Green Bay Packers vs New England Patriots

The question is often asked who would you pick as a quarterback to lead a team. Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers? We will leave the answer for another day, but today we know that this is the game everyone will be watching this Sunday.

The Green Bay Packers are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Rams where the recently traded Ty Montgomery cost them the game. The offence seems to be coming together well. Week after week the Packers seem to be getting better on both sides of the ball.

This week again the Packers face another stellar offence in the New England Patriots led by some will say the greatest quarterback ever in Tom Brady. The Packers defence is without Ha Ha Clinton Dix who was traded on deadline day. The rest of this defensive group will have to be at their best against the Patriots offence.

The Packers offence should be able to exploit the secondary of the Patriots, Rodgers should be able to pick apart the defence. The question will come from their run game. The run game leads to better passing options. Every week we don't know whom the Packers will go with, but this week will be necessary to both Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones to be at their best and make life a little easier on A-Rod.

The New England Patriots once again are dominating the AFC. The only team that had beaten the Kansas City Chiefs and knocked out the Buffalo Bills last week when they finally decided to show up.

Brady is getting more comfortable with Josh Gordon and is likely to use him more and more as the weeks go on. Brady wants receivers whom he trusts, that trust he has built already with Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman to name a few, but he will also have that same trust in Gordon soon. This trust is probably why Brandin Cooks did not fit the Patriot way and was sent away, and they got Gordon.

The defence of the Patriots will have to be on their game if they want to stop the great Rodgers. If they can play physical with the receivers and pressure Rodgers all game, they will triumph. The Patriots can't entirely stop Rodgers, but just enough for their team to win it.

This game is the game of the week, easily could be the game of the year. I know I will be watching these two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks try to lead their team to victory this week.

Potential Upset Of The Week - Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Carolina Panthers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Cincinnati Bengals

There is something about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that we all love to cheer. This last week I realised what it was. It's the Fitzmagic that we all crave to see. The gunslinger has been a revelation every time he plays quarterback over his career. This week again will we see Fitzmagic and might see another win by the Buccaneers that they have no chance.

Don't get me wrong, the Carolina Panthers looked equally impressive in their last two victories where they dominated the opponents. Cam Newton seems to be playing better, Christian McCaffrey looks like the running back we all thought he was. D.J. Moore looks like he will finally start looking like that stud that he was.

The Panthers defence looks better as well led by the heart and soul of the defence in Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis.

Something is intriguing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The receivers all start playing better when Fitzpatrick is at the helm. Jameis Winston has let down the Buccaneers offence often getting sacked and making ill timely throws that lead to interceptions. This week we all hope for some Fitzmagic. That defence also plays better when they have Fitzpatrick at quarterback.

This game is what I call a trap game.

The Panthers are on a short week and play on Thursday in week ten against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Carolina might be thinking about the next game instead of the game against Tampa Bay. This gap happened to the Minnesota Vikings against the Buffalo Bills, and I see it happening again. Fitzmagic will be back for some time in Tampa.

Key Battles

New England Patriots v Buffalo Bills

Tom Brady vs Aaron Rodgers

This game is the matchup of the week. Many fans have this game circled as the game to watch all weekend. I want to apologise to Drew Brees and Peyton Manning because they are always left out of the conversation when it comes to who is the best quarterback of their generation.

When it comes to down to talk about the best quarterbacks, its always still between Brady and Rodgers. Brady is coming off a less than a spectacular win against the Bills. While Rodgers probably can't stop thinking of the heartbreak loss to the Rams.

Both of these players have the utmost respect for each other, but they both hate losing. They will be pushing each other hard all game long to outdo the other one. This game will be fun!

Demaryius Thomas vs Courtland Sutton

Not everytime do you get traded before the week of practice starts and you end up playing against your former team that week. Well, Demaryius Thomas is lucky, because after he got traded from the Denver Broncos to the Houston Texans, he realised it wouldn't take him long to show his former team they were wrong to trade him. Thomas gets to go against the Broncos this week.

The Denver Broncos realised that the master had trained his young padawan (Star Wars reference) well and its okay to move on from the master. That young padawan is Courtland Sutton, and he will be looked upon to replace the production that Thomas has left. Its a big assignment to replace the former Super Bowl Champion, but we will get to see if the Denver made the right choice!

Drew Brees vs Los Angeles Rams Defence

This game can easily be the other game of the week. Often regarded as the "other" great quarterback, Drew Brees still puts up phenomenal numbers at his 39 years of age. This week, Brees will have the task of trying to beat one of the best defences in the league. The Los Angeles Rams already played one of the greats last week (Rodgers) and squeaked out a win. This match will be the same test for the Rams, and we will see if they can squeak out another win against a great!

Fantasy Football Starters

The Baltimore Ravens defence has been quite weak against the run these last two weeks. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been ruling the running game led by John Conner. This game spells a massive match for John Conner as the Pittsburgh Steelers look to take revenge for an earlier in the season loss against the Ravens.

Pittsburgh Steelers v Cincinnati Bengals

RB John Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens

QB Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings vs Detriot Lions

WR Sammy Watkins, Kansas City Chiefs vs Cleveland Browns

TE Trey Burton, Chicago Bears vs Buffalo Bills

Sleeper Amari Cooper WR, Dallas Cowboys vs Tennessee Titans

Fantasy Football Bench

The Joe Flacco-led Baltimore Ravens have been on a losing free fall and this weeks matchup against the rising Pittsburgh Steelers does not help. Look for the Steelers pressuring Flacco all game resulting in Flacco's worst week this year.

Baltimore Ravens v Carolina Panthers

RB Kenyan Drake, Miami Dolphins vs New York Jets

QB Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers

WR Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos vs Houston Texans

TE Antonio Gates, Los Angeles Chargers vs Seattle Seahawks

Beware LeSean McCoy RB, Buffalo Bills vs Chicago Bears