The Texans hit the road for the second time in three weeks when they take on Aaron Rodgers and the Jets on Thursday Night Football on Halloween night. Let’s hope the ghouls and goblins don’t get the Texans.
A year ago, Houston lost to the Jets 30-6 as starting QB C.J. Stroud left the came with a concussion and the Texans offense never got untracked. This time around, the secondyear signal caller should be available and Texans fans are hoping for a better result this time around.
They’d better hope Stroud and his teammates aren’t in the giving mood this Halloween and that the offensive line plays better than it did two weeks ago in their 24-22 loss at Green Bay. The O-line gave up four sacks and Stroud had his poorest passing performance of the season as the Packers defense limited him to 86 yards.
Texans fans hope the offensive line will have the kinks worked out when they head to The Meadowlands to take on a struggling Jets team that despite the addition of Rodger’s favorite receiver when the two played in Green Bay, Davante Adams, fell to 2-5 two weeks ago after their 37-15 loss at Pittsburgh.
While the Texans and Jets open Week 9 on Thursday Night Football, the struggling Cowboys head to Atlanta on Sunday to take on a Falcons team that has been up and down this year. Ironically, the Cowboys have played better on the road (all three of their wins heading into last Sunday’s game at San Francisco) have come on the road, while they have lost all three of their home games. The Falcons are also having trouble winning at home as they’ve dropped three home games thus far this season. The latest came two weeks ago when they were blown out at home by Seattle, 34-14.
The Game of the Week takes place in Green Bay when the Packers host the Lions in a key NFC North contest. Two weeks ago, Dan Campbell’s Lions brought an end to the Vikings undefeated season with a 31-29 road win. The Packers improved to 5-2 win their win over the Texans. The NFC North is the best division in the league, as all four teams have winning records. This should be a good one at Lambeau Field on Sunday.
Jacksonville visits Philadelphia on Sunday Night Football and Week 9 concludes on Monday Night Football with Tampa Bay visiting the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs in what should be an interesting contest.
The biggest game on the college schedule pits No. 4 Ohio State visiting No. 3-ranked Penn State in what should be a prime time contest. Oregon took the No. 1 spot away from Texas after the Longhorns’ 30-15 home loss to Georgia on Oct. 19. The topranked Ducks have a tough road contest against a Michigan team that lost its third game of the season two weeks ago at Illinois. The Wolverines are struggling this year after winning the national title a year ago and they would like nothing more than to pull off the upset on Saturday.
No. 14-ranked Texas A&M has a tough road contest as well when they play at South Carolina against a Gamecocks team that dominated OU in Norman two weeks ago, 35-9.
The District 14-6A season enters its next-to-last week with Davis, Eisenhower and Nimitz still in the playoff hunt. Nimitz has a big game against Spring on Thursday night, while MacArthur hosts Dekaney on Friday night and Davis takes on league leader Westfield also on Friday. On Saturday, Eisenhower and Aldine meet at Thorne Stadium. Entering Week five of league play, Westfield lead the district with a 4-0 record, followed by Davis and Dekaney at 3-1 and Nimitz and Spring stood at 2-2. Nimitz closes the league season against Dekaney on Nov. 7, while Davis finishes with MacArthur on Nov. 7. Spring faces Aldine on Nov. 8 and Westfield and Eisenhower meet also on Nov. 8.
Before we take a look at this weekend’s games, let’s unfortunately, review last week’s record. A 5-7 record brought the season record to 55-29 (65%). Now, onto this weekend’s game.
HIGH SCHOOL
Spring at Nimitz–Cornelius Harmon’s Cougars host the Spring Lions on Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Thorne Stadium. Two weeks ago, the Cougars dropped their second straight game when they fell to Davis in an offensive shootout, 47-42. Nimitz will need a big night from QB Albert Brown (1,810 yards, 21 TDs) and wide receivers Ke’Lyn Washom (27 receptions, 535 yards, 5 TDs) and Malachi Augustus (29 receptions, 517 yards, 9 TDs). Time for the Cougars to get back on track. My pick, Nimitz 33, Spring 21
Dekaney at MacArthur–Blake Ware’s Generals host Dekaney on Friday night at 7 p.m. at Thorne Stadium. The Generals will look for a big night from dual threat QB Lance Nero (553 passing yards, 3 TDs/445 rushing yards, 3 TDs). Dekaney is led by QB David Edmondson (637 yards, 7 TDs). My pick, Dekaney 26, MacArthur 18
Davis at Westfield–Kelvin Chatman’s Falcons face a tall task on Friday night when they take on the Westfield Mustangs at Planet Ford Stadium in Spring. Davis picked up a huge win two weeks ago with a 47-42 win over Nimitz to vault them into second place in District 14-6A, one game behind Westfield. Davis is led by QB Ander Salazar (884 yards, 6 TDs) and running back Nick Tramble (648 yards, 5 TDs). Westfield’s potent offense is led by dual threat QB Miles Dent (1,031 passing yards, 10 TDs/ 652 rushing yards, 5 TDs) and running back Damonte Ford (535 yards, 17 TDs). My pick, Westfield 31, Davis 26
Eisenhower vs. Aldine–Odell James’s Eagles take on Cirilo Ojeda’s Mustangs on Saturday at Thorne Stadium. The Eagles will look for a big game from running back Elijah Dixon (571 yards, 8 TDs) to keep them in the playoff hunt. The Mustangs have had a rough go of it in league play and things won’t get any easier on Saturday against the Eagles. My pick, Eisenhower 26, Aldine 13
NCAA
Oregon at Michigan–No. 1- ranked Oregon heads to Ann Arbor to take on the defending national champs in the Big House. The Ducks are rolling towards a berth in the College Football Playoffs, while the Wolverines are struggling to get bowl eligible. Michigan dropped its third game of the season two weeks ago at Illinois when its inept offense could muster just 7 points. The Wolverines are struggling at QB, as evidenced by just six TD passes thrown by the trio of Davis Warren, Jack Tuttle and Alex Orji. Michigan can run the ball with Kalel Mullings (676 yards, 7 TDs), but Oregon can run it and throw it behind QB Dillon Gabriel (2,080 yards, 15 TDs), running back Jordan James (717 yards, 6 TDs) and wide receiver Tez Johnson (57 receptions, 536 yards, 7 TDs). Look for the Wolverines to come out fired up for this one, but Oregon’s the much better team and will provide it on Saturday. My pick, Oregon 31, Michigan 18
Texas A&M at South Carolina–No. 14-ranked Texas A&M has a tough road test at South Carolina on Saturday. The Aggies will be coming off an emotional game the week prior against LSU, so they may be emotionally and physically worn out. But first-year head coach Mike Elko has done a very good job of having his team well prepared week-by-week. This will be a big test for him and his team on Saturday. Two weeks ago, the Gamecocks dominated Oklahoma in Norman and left with a 35-9 win. SC has a decent QB in LaNorris Sellers (968 passing yards, 5 TDs/247 rushing yards, 3 TDs), a solid running back in Raheim Sanders (426 yards, 6 TDs) and big-play wide receiver in Mazeo Bennett (19 receptions, 276 yards, 3 TDs). The Aggies have a stout defense and opportunistic offense led by QB Conner Weigman (718 yards, 6 TDs), running back Le’Veon Moss (674 yards, 8 TDs) and wide receiver Noah Thomas (21 receptions, 289 yards, 3 TDs). Look for the A&M defense to step up and be the difference maker in this one as the Aggies magical season continues. My pick, Texas A&M 30, South Carolina 23
Ohio State at Penn State–The Game of the Week is set for Saturday evening in State College, PA when the No. 4- ranked Buckeyes visit the No. 3- ranked Nittany Lions in a key game for both team’s CFP and Big 10 title hopes. Ohio State already has one loss on the season (32-31 to Oregon on Oct. 12). Ryan Day’s team might be able to lose one more game and still make the playoffs, but the Buckeyes probably don’t want to take any chances. OSU has a potent offense that can make plays on the ground and through the air. The Buckeyes are led by QB Will Howard (1,574 yards, 14 TDs), running backs Quinshon Judkins (491 yards, 6 TDs) and TreVeyon Henderson (424 yards, 4 TDs) and wide receivers Jeremiah Smith (32 receptions, 553 yards, 7 TDs) and Emeka Egbuka (40 receptions, 526 yards, 6 TDs). Penn State isn’t fancy on offense. The Nittany Lions take what teams will give them and QB Drew Allar (1,492 yards, 11 TDs) is a veteran signal caller who has played in a lot of big games over the last two years. He has a strong running game with Nicholas Singleton (434 yards, 3 TDs) and Kaytron Allen (423 yards, 3 TDs) and a big-play tight end in Tyler Warren (40 receptions, 513 yards, 4 TDs). Penn State has the better defense, but something tells me Howard and Co. will rise to the occasion and lead the Buckeyes to a big road victory on Saturday night. My pick, Ohio State 31, Penn State 29
NFL
Houston at New York Jets–The Texans and Jets kickoff Week 9 on Thursday Night Football with the Texans looking to avenge last year’s 30-6 loss at the hands of the Jets. The Texans need to shore up things in the offensive line after allowing Stroud to be sacked four times two weeks ago in their 24-22 loss to Green Bay. The Jets struggled at Pittsburgh and fell, 37-15. It appears the Aaron Rodgers (1,663 yards, 10 TDS) experiment isn’t working out. The Jets have weapons on offense with running back Breece Hall (348 yards, 3 TDs) and wide receivers Garrett Wilson (46 receptions, 460 yards, 3 TDs) and Davante Adams, Rodgers buddy from their years in Green Bay. But the offensive line is an issue. Look for Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter to get after Rodgers early in this one and force a turnover or two, while Stroud (1,663 yards, 10 TDs) will look to running back Joe Mixon (401 yards, 5 TDs) to get things going in the running game. That should allow Stroud to make some plays downfield to Stefon Diggs (42 receptions, 415 yards, 3 TDs). The Texans pick up a big road win on Thursday night. My pick, Houston 26, New York Jets 18
Dallas at Atlanta–The Cowboys hit the road for the second straight week, which might be a good thing, when they take on the Falcons on Sunday in Atlanta. As bad as the Cowboys have played thus far, they’ve actually played decently on the road (three road wins). Dallas needs for QB Dak Prescott (1,602 yards, 8 TDs) to get things going with wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (32 receptions, 467 yards, 2 TDs) because the Cowboys have no running game. The Falcons do with second-year running back Bijan Robinson (483 yards, 4 TDs). QB Kirk Cousins (1,830 yards, 10 TDs/7 interceptions) was brought in to lead the Falcons to the promise land and he’s been up and down thus far. He has two solid receivers in Drake London (44 receptions, 491 yards, 5 TDs) and Darnell Mooney (32 receptions, 414 yards, 3 TDs). The Cowboy secondary has been an issue this year, so look for Cousins to attack that unit early and often as the Falcons send the Cowboys home with another loss. My pick, Atlanta 31, Dallas 24
Detroit at Green Bay–This is probably the best game on the Week 9 schedule and it’s also a big one in the NFC North, the best division in what appears to be the best division in the NFL this year. Two weeks ago, the Lions picked up a huge road win with their 31-29 upset of previously undefeated Minnesota. While the Lions were taking care of the Vikings, the Packers beat the Texans on a lastsecond field goal. This game matches two of the top QBs in the league in Detroit’s Jared Goff (1,610 yards, 10 TDs) and GB’s Jordan Love (1,351 yards, 15 TDs). Both teams have strong running games as the Lions are led by Jahmyr Gibbs (464 yards, 5 TDs) and David Montgomery (382 yards, 6 TDs) and the Pack is led by Josh Jacobs (540 yards, 2 TDs). Both teams have quality wideouts as the Lions are led by Amon-Ra St. Brown (39 receptions, 401 yards, 4 TDs) and the Packers are getting production in the passing game from Jayden Reed (29 receptions, 452 yards, 3 TDs) and Romeo Doubs (23 receptions, 312 yards, 2 TDs). This could be an offensive shootout, but look for the ball hawking Green Bay defense to force a mistake or two from Goff late to lead the Packers to victory. My pick, Green Bay 34, Detroit 30
Jacksonville at Philadelphia–The Jaguars head to Philly to take on the Eagles on Sunday Night Football. Two weeks ago, the Jags picked up their second win of the year with a 32-16 thumping of New England in London, while the Eagles dominated the Giants, 28-3, in New Jersey. Jacksonville will need a big game from QB Trevor Lawrence (1,527 yards, 9 TDs), running back Tank Bigsby (415 yards, 4 TDs) and rookie wideout Brian Thomas Jr. (30 receptions, 513 yards, 4 TDs). The Eagles are loaded on offense with QB Jalen Hurts (1,308 passing yards, 7 TDs/218 rushing yards, 4 TDS), running back Saquon Barkley (658 yards, 5 TDs) and wideouts DeVanta Smith (25 receptions, 301 yards, 2 TDs) and A.J. Brown (16 receptions, 324 yards, 3 TDs). Look for the Philly offense to put on a show in prime time on Sunday night. My pick, Philadelphia 36, Jacksonville 20
Tampa Bay at Kansa City–Week 9 concludes on Monday Night Football when the beat up Buccaneers visit the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs. Two weeks ago in their 41-31 loss at home to Baltimore, TB lost starting wide receiver Chris Godwin to a dislocated ankle and Mike Evans (26 receptions, 335 yards, 6 TDs) to a pulled hamstring. Godwin should be out for a long period of time, while Evans appears to be day-to-day. If both are out, that will make things difficult for QB Baker Mayfield (1,859 yards, 18 TDs) as he will be going up against a Kansas City defense that has been one of the top defenses in the league this year. That’s good news for the Chiefs because QB Patrick Mahomes (1,389 yards, 6 TDs/8 interceptions). The KC offense has been decimated by injuries, especially its receiving corps. It’s time for tight end Travis Kelce (28 receptions, 245 yards) and rookie wideout Xavier Worthy (15 receptions, 198 yards, 3 total TDs) to pick up their games. The Chiefs have gotten nice production from running back Kareem Hunt (249 yards, 3 TDs), who was signed after starter Isiah Pacheco was injured early in the season. Look for Mahomes to get things going in prime time, while the KC defense will be its usual stifling self and shut down Mayfield and Co. My pick, Kansas City 30, Tampa Bay 13
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