NFL teams – or at least the 30 not on a bye – have one last chance to make a major statement before the season reaches its midway point.
The completion of Week 9 can prompt some eye-opening revelations around the league. With the league’s trade deadline looming on Tuesday, front offices and coaching staffs will need to make a final call on whether to stand pat on any major personnel moves or try to shake things up, either by bringing on a key veteran or shipping one off in an effort to boost their draft capital or assist with their long-term cap outlook.
With that in mind, here are the bold predictions for Week 9 from USA TODAY Sports’ NFL staff:
Jameis Winston will become the first quarterback this season to sting the Chargers for 300 yards
With Deshaun Watson out for the season (again) after tearing an Achilles tendon, the Cleveland Browns offense has a new kind of life with Jameis Winston at quarterback. In his debut start last weekend, Winston only earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors by throwing for 334 yards and 3 TDs without a pick (115.3 passer rating) to lead the way to an upset of the high-flying Baltimore Ravens. And suddenly, there are shades of last season, when another veteran quarterback, Joe Flacco, came off the bench and led the Browns to the playoffs. It’s a bit much to expect Winston will take Cleveland to the playoffs, but it’s possible with a serious hot streak. And his presence, as was the case with Flacco in 2023, is such a contrast. Last season, Flacco went 4-1 as the fill-in starter and passed for 300 yards in each of his final four games. Now Winston starts what could be another 300-yard streak. It’s also worth noting that while the Browns are 5-1 with Flacco or Winston, they were 1-6 in Watson’s starts since the beginning of the ’23 season. And not only did Watson fail to crack 300; he didn’t even pass for 200 in a game this season. Passing for 300 yards against L.A. won’t be easy for Famous Jameis. The Chargers, ranked eighth in the NFL for yards allowed, lead the league in scoring defense (13.0 points per game) and haven’t allowed a single 300-yard passer. Yet.
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— Jarrett Bell
Doug Pederson fired after another Jaguars loss
The Jaguars are dismal enough to trigger a midseason prime-time schedule flex, as their matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles was scheduled to take place on “Sunday Night Football” before being replaced by the Colts-Vikings tilt. But taking on the Birds in the late afternoon won’t delay a fate that likely includes a seventh loss of the season for Doug Pederson’s team.
Owner Shad Khan’s patience might not be able to make it through Sunday night or Monday morning, and with Pederson occupying the hottest coaching seat in the league, his services may no longer be required. Of course, Khan could always opt to let Pederson and his staff play out the string on the season, but if the contest against the Eagles becomes lopsided, Pederson’s final opponent as the Jaguars head coach could be the team that gave him his first head-coaching job in the NFL.
For good measure (and real change in Jacksonville), general manager Trent Baalke should be right behind Pederson through the exit door.
— Chris Bumbaca
Chargers trade for No. 1 wide receiver regardless of Week 9 outcome
The Chargers parted ways with their best two wide receivers from last season and then decided to draft tackle Joe Alt fifth overall in a receiver-rich draft class. Alt has been as advertised. The right tackle didn’t allow a pressure on any of his 38 pass blocking snaps against the Saints in Week 8, tied for the most snaps without a pressure allowed by a rookie tackle over the last three seasons, per Next Gen Stats. However, the Chargers’ receiving corps leaves a lot to be desired. Second-round pick Ladd McConkey leads the team with 30 catches and 376 receiving yards. But the Chargers lack a legitimate X wide receiver who can be the number one option, a major reason why the team ranks in the bottom half of the NFL in passing offense and red zone efficiency. I predict the Chargers bolster their midseason playoff push by trading for a wide receiver. Jets wide receiver Mike Williams, who the Chargers released over the offseason after seven seasons, is a wideout the Chargers could look to reunite with before the NFL’s Nov. 5 trade deadline.
— Tyler Dragon
Falcons rush for 200-plus yards in trampling of Cowboys
Atlanta almost eclipsed this mark two weeks ago, when it ran for 198 yards and three touchdowns on 38 carries in a 38-20 win over Carolina. And what’s the only defense that can match the Panthers in how frequently it has been gashed on the ground? That would be the Cowboys, who also are giving up 154.6 rushing yards per game. Even with Christian McCaffrey still sidelined and backup Jordan Mason leaving the game, the San Francisco 49ers racked up 223 yards on 36 carries last week against Mike Zimmer’s group.
The matchup doesn’t get any easier Sunday, with Falcons running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier ranking seventh and fifth, respectively, in rushing success rate so far this season. Pro Bowl offensive guard Chris Lindstrom’s status is worth watching after he missed practice Wednesday due to a knee injury. But even if he sits out, Dallas is too overmatched at the line of scrimmage to keep this competitive, especially with Kirk Cousins more than capable of keeping the Cowboys on their toes by taking advantage of any favorable looks afforded to Drake London, Darnell Mooney and Kyle Pitts in the passing game.
— Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz
