Week Nine -- A Look Ahead

Last week was our moment in the sun -- playing Favre and the Vikings -- and we got burnt. This week, by contrast, we'll be far removed from the NFL spotlight. Week 9 features a number of good match-ups, and ours is not one of them.

The Packers travel to Tampa to play the Buccaneers. The winless Buccaneers, I should say, for they are the lone remaining monument to futility in the 2009 NFL. There are quite a few bottom-feeders in this year's league (Browns, Raiders, Lions, Chiefs, to name a few), but record-wise the Bucs are the worst of them all.

I don't actually think they are the worst team, mind you. But at 0-7, they are a team we should beat. Indeed, they very much fit the profile of the kind of team that Green Bay has feasted on this year, so it should be an enjoyable Sunday.

Now, the Bucs are coming off their bye, and you have to believe that they will be playing with the resolve of a team determined to shake their undesirable claim to fame. Nevertheless, they shouldn't be a match for us -- and if they DO beat us, then there are some real coaching issues in Green Bay.

A much more compelling match-up is the Cardinals' trip to Chicago. These are a couple of Jekyll-and-Hyde teams, and it's just a matter of which team shows up on each side of the ball. There's no telling from week to week whether either will be dominant or embarrassing. Obviously, our loyalties are with the Cardinals.

Elsewhere in our Division, the Lions travel to Seattle in a game that matters to no one outside of Michigan or Washington.

Around the league, meanwhile, there are several very interesting match-ups this weekend...

The Giants and Chargers both really need a win. The Giants perhaps somewhat moreso, and they are the home team this weekend.

The Ravens-Bengals tilt is an important AFC North showdown, Cincy having already beaten Baltimore on the road earlier this season.

The Sunday Night game is a classic rivalry -- Cowboys at Eagles -- and it has the added benefit of being an important game in the standings right now. Both teams have looked pretty hot in recent weeks. When push comes to shove, though, I like Philly in this one. (Also, Philadelphia sports fans need some good cheer right now.)

And, finally, the Steelers travel to Denver to play the Broncos, who had been the undefeated, surprise team of the year up until last week. It's an important AFC battle, and it's on Monday Night Football.


Bottom line? A good week for Green Bay as the Packers win, the Bears lose, and the Vikings don't play. The Colts and Saints stay undefeated, and the Bucs stay winless.