The 2026 NFL season's Week 9 opened with a stunning Thursday night result as the Baltimore Ravens' defense, which had not allowed a 50-yard play in 12 games, surrendered two in the first half of a 33-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Running back Derrick Henry rushed for under 60 yards for a fourth straight game but passed LaDainian Tomlinson and Jerome Bettis for seventh on the all-time rushing list. The Ravens have scored 14 or fewer points in four consecutive games for the first time in franchise history. Here are five bold predictions for the remaining Week 9 games.
Joe Milton III leads Eagles past first-place Giants
The New York Giants (4-2-1) are 3.5-point road favorites over the Philadelphia Eagles (2-6), marking the first time they are favored over the back-to-back NFC East champions since 2016. Philadelphia has lost six straight, but new starting quarterback Joe Milton III, acquired from the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad, is expected to snap the streak. Milton completed 29 of 43 passes (67.4%) for 378 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in the 2026 preseason, earning a 118.2 passer rating. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer compared his arm strength to Brett Favre.
Vikings sack Josh Allen more than five times
Minnesota's defense, coordinated by Brian Flores, leads the NFL in scoring defense (13.3 points per game), red zone defense (25% touchdown rate allowed), and blitz rate (73.6%, highest in the 21st century). Facing a Buffalo Bills offensive line allowing a 38% quarterback pressure rate, Josh Allen — who took a career-high eight sacks in a 2025 Thursday night game — could see a similar onslaught on Monday Night Football. The Vikings are predicted to sack Allen over five times, a feat that has occurred only four times in his nine-season career.
Cowboys hold Colts under 20 points
Dallas has allowed 20-plus points in 15 consecutive games since trading Micah Parsons, the longest active streak in the NFL. However, the Indianapolis Colts (2-6) have scored 10 or fewer points in back-to-back games, and quarterback Daniel Jones owns the league's worst passer rating (68.7). The Cowboys are forecast to break their drought and limit Indianapolis to under 20 points for the first time since Week 11 of the 2025 season.
Braelon Allen extends 100-yard scrimmage streak
Since Breece Hall's quadriceps injury in Week 3, Jets rookie Braelon Allen has rushed for 504 yards over five games, second only to Bucky Irving's 548. Despite the Kansas City Chiefs allowing the eighth-fewest rushing yards per game (96.3), Allen is projected to surpass 100 scrimmage yards for a fifth consecutive game, becoming the first Jet to do so since Thomas Jones in 2008.
Dolphins contain Jared Goff under 200 passing yards
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff averages 280.6 passing yards per game with 15 touchdowns and one interception, joining Tom Brady, Alex Smith, and Patrick Mahomes as the only quarterbacks with such numbers through seven games. The Miami Dolphins (1-6), led by edge rusher Chop Robinson (league-high 20.6% pressure rate), are predicted to hold Goff below 200 yards, a mark only the Vikings have achieved against him in 2026.
