Week 8 was my worst week to date. Both with my picks, and as a 49ers fan. Crushed is probably the best way to describe my current state of mind, but forever faithful will always live in my heart. So, in Week 9, we're picking up the pieces and making the best of a bad situation. Onto the picks.
Season Record: 66-53
49ers Picks Record: 3-5
Best & Worst Picks of Week 8
My Best Pick: Dolphins 27 - Rams 17
Final Score: Dolphins 28 - Rams 17
My Worst Pick: 49ers 41 - Seahawks 27
Final Score: Seahawks 37 - 49ers 27
Week 9 Picks
Seattle Seahawks at Buffalo Bills (+2.5) - Josh Allen roasts a poor Seahawks defense Bills 43 - Seahawks 37
Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons (-4) - Broncos ride a big win from Week 8, win easy here Broncos 24 - Falcons 10
Chicago Bears at Tennessee Titans (-5.5) - Titans defense gets back on track Titans 26 - Bears 13
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings (-4) - A real toss-up. This one ends in dramatic fashion in OT Vikings 31 - Lions 28
Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts (+3) - Colts pull off a mini-upset by shutting down Jackson Colts 24 - Ravens 20
Carolina Panthers at Kansas City Chiefs (-10.5) - Boring Teddy B can't match Mahomes Chiefs 27 - Panthers 15
Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars (+6.5) - More-talented Texans get the W Texans 27 - Jaguars 20
New York Giants at Washington Football Team (-3) - Giants offense shows up big Giants 34 - WFT 23
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers (-1.5) - Bet on this one, Raiders win big Raiders 30 - Chargers 13
Pittsburgh Steelers at Dallas Cowboys (no odds given) - A bloody massacre Steelers 37 - Cowboys 3
Miami Dolphins at Arizona Cardinals (-6) - Surging Dolphins continue to roll Dolphins 23 - Cardinals 20
Buccaneers at Saints (+4.5) - Bucs show the Saints who's the new king of the South Bucs 41 - Saints 17
Packers at 49ers (+5.5)
Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Why SF Wins: It may be difficult to imagine the 49ers winning with such a short-handed roster, but it isn't impossible. Head coach Kyle Shanahan owned the Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine twice last season with two huge blowout wins. The NFC Championship Game consisted of a non-stop barrage of run plays that decimated the Packers defense and kept Aaron Rodgers at bay. Expect Shanahan to employ many of the same tactics used from that match-up to duplicate the results. The 49ers offensive line struggled last week, but that was mostly in pass protection. The 49ers line is still excellent in the run game, which Shanahan will have to ride with starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo unavailable. Nick Mullens is capable of making big plays, and being aided by a dominant run-game will help Mullens find that success once again. Defensively, the 49ers have played very well aside from 2 nightmare games against Seattle and Miami. If the 49ers defense can put together a strong performance and the offense executes at a high level, the 49ers can ride these factors and a short-week home game to victory #5.
Why SF Loses: The 49ers are completely decimated by injuries. With the majority of starters missing from both sides of the ball, it's a tall task to ask backups to step up in prime-time and beat a 5-2 Aaron Rodgers-led Packers squad. There is a simple blueprint to beating the 49ers that revolves around getting pressure on the QB. Green Bay brings the better roster into this game, and if the Packers can play clean and pressure the QB, they will leave San Francisco with a big win.
Prediction: It may seem like the sky is falling in Santa Clara, and it is, generally, but that doesn't mean this team is going to pack in the season and become the West Coast Jets. No, QB Nick Mullens is a heck of a backup and has performed well for the 49ers in the past. He is 4-6 in 10 career starts, and even though he looked miserable in his last start vs. Philadelphia in Week 4, he has the tools to win this football game. Kyle Shanahan will be pleasantly surprised by his defense's performance against Aaron Rodgers (a player the 49ers often get the best of) and his familiarity with DC Mike Pettine and head coach Matt LaFluer will help the 49ers get the best of the Green Bay Packers. 49ers 26 - Packers 24