Week 9 got kicked off with a battle between a couple of two-win teams on Thursday night, but now it’s time to dive into the weekend slate. We have some incredible matchups on deck for Sunday and Monday, which means there are a ton of questions yet to be answered.

Today, I’m going to go through each and every game this weekend and ask one big question I want to have answered.

Bears at Bengals

Who can avoid falling out of playoff contention?

Both of these teams are in an awkward spot in the playoff picture. The Cincinnati Bengals are 3-5 and on the outside looking in, but there’s some hope their offense can keep them afloat until Joe Burrow returns. The Chicago Bears are very much in playoff contention, but the NFC is loaded, and five, if not six, of the seven spots seem to be pretty locked up already.

So my question is, who can avoid falling way outside the playoff picture? The loser is likely going to be at least two games out of the playoff picture (the Bears might be one game out depending on other results), so winning this game is critical for both teams. I think this game is more of a coin flip than people think, but if Joe Flacco is out, the Bengals might be in a lot of trouble.

Vikings at Lions

Will J.J. McCarthy keep the Vikings from making a move at QB?

There have been some rumors about Kirk Cousins potentially making a return to Minnesota, especially now that Carson Wentz is out for the season. However, a lot of people are forgetting about J.J. McCarthy, who was their first-round pick a year ago.

McCarthy has been injured for basically his entire professional career, but he’s set to return to the field this week. If he can have a good game and keep this one competitive, the Vikings should not entertain any sort of a move at QB. I already don’t think they should, but with some tension in the building, Kevin O’Connell’s seat is warming up ever so slightly, and he could be enticed to make a move if McCarthy doesn’t play well.

Panthers at Packers

Can Bryce Young bring the mojo back, or are the Panthers complete frauds?

The Carolina Panthers were 4-3 entering last week, but with Bryce Young out, they got destroyed by the Buffalo Bills, 40-9. Everyone knew they were a bit fraudulent, but nobody expected that sort of butt whooping. With Young slated to return this week, I need to know if they looked so bad because he was out, or if they’re truly complete frauds.

I don’t expect Young and the Panthers to win this game, but if they can keep it close, then I’ll chop last week’s performance up to Young being out. Young doesn’t play defense, though, so I’m out on the Panthers until they prove I shouldn’t be.

Chargers at Titans

Do I actually need to watch this game?

I’m being serious. I can already tell you exactly what’s going to happen in this game. The Tennessee Titans will look like they might have some life early. Maybe they’ll score a touchdown or force a couple of punts, but then it’s going to be all Los Angeles. Justin Herbert’s going to have a big game through the air, and their defense is going to make Cam Ward’s life harder than it needs to be.

They always say expect the unexpected…but not when your opponent’s the Titans.

Falcons at Patriots

Are the Patriots ever going to come back down to Earth?

The New England Patriots are one of the hottest teams in the league right now, and it doesn’t seem like they’re going to cool down anytime soon. Outside of a bout against Tampa next week, their schedule for the next few weeks is very easy, so these next two games are going to tell us a lot about this team.

Drake Maye is playing out of his mind right now, but the Atlanta Falcons have a pretty decent defense. If anyone is going to stop him in the next few weeks, it’s going to be the Falcons. If he continues to play at a high level and rolls through Atlanta, we might have a top-five quarterback in the league residing in New England.

49ers at Giants

Is the 49ers run over?

The San Francisco 49ers were a fun team at the start of the year. Despite all their injuries, they just kept on winning, but after dropping two of their last three, the fun might be over.

Mac Jones just hasn’t looked the same in recent weeks, and their defense is just flat out not playing well ever since they lost Fred Warner. They just have too many injuries, and if they lose this week, I’m officially out on the 49ers until they get healthy.

Colts at Steelers

Can anybody stop Jonathan Taylor?

Jonathan Taylor is on pace to rush for 1,806 yards and 26 touchdowns while adding 438 yards and four more through the air. That’s 2,244 yards from scrimmage and 30 total touchdowns. Right now, absolutely nobody can stop him, and I’m not quite sure the Pittsburgh Steelers can either.

The Steelers defense this year is not what we’re accustomed to seeing. They’re struggling to stop the pass, and they’re pretty average against the run. Now they have to face the best running back and offensive line in football? Good luck stopping JT this week (or any week, for that matter).

Broncos at Texans

Will more than 30 points be scored in this game?

There is absolutely no reason this game should have more than 35-40 total points. These are the two best defenses in football, and both teams have offenses that have been very inconsistent at times. Everything on paper says this game should be in the 14-10 range, and I’m absolutely ready for it.

In today’s world, we see too much offense. With the new kick off rules and all the penalties we’ve been seeing, pretty much anybody can score 20 on any given day. I want to see offenses have to work hard for their points, and that’s what we should see this weekend. If this game doesn’t interest you, you don’t actually like football.

Now that I’m saying all of this, watch this be a 30-28 shootout…

Jaguars at Raiders

Can Brian Thomas Jr. and Trevor Lawrence get on the same page?

With Travis Hunter heading to IR, Brian Thomas Jr. and Trevor Lawrence are going to need to get on the same page if the Jags want to make a run at the postseason. Right now, there’s a disconnect between the two, and it’s resulted in Thomas having a very disappointing sophomore season.

The Jags’ offense has been very inconsistent at times this year, and it’s because of their lack of a WR1. Thomas was great when Lawrence went out with an injury at the end of last season. He’s got the talent, there’s just something that isn’t clicking between the two.

With Hunter out for at least four weeks, Thomas and Lawrence need to get on the same page. If they can’t, their offense is going to continue to struggle with consistency, and their defense isn’t good enough to make up for that. Luckily, they have a very good matchup this week, so if they’re going to figure it out, this is a great week to do it.

Saints at Rams

What can Tyler Shough do in his first NFL start?

The New Orleans Saints are handing the keys to second-round rookie Tyler Shough. He’s making his first NFL start this week, and I (as a Saints fan) am excited to see what he can do.

Shough is big, very accurate, and is mobile, but he really struggles when he’s put under pressure. He’s suffered multiple season-ending injuries, so he’s a bit hesitant when someone’s breathing down his neck, and it forces him into some mistakes. I want to see how he handles this Rams pass rush, which is one of the best in the league. If he manages it well, the Saints might be able to win some more games, but if not, a top-three pick is on the way.

Chiefs at Bills

Another all-time classic?

Every time the Chiefs and Bills meet, it’s an instant classic. Five of their last six meetings have been decided by one score, and both teams are 3-3 over that span. There’s no reason to believe this year’s matchup will be any different than their predecessors, so we should be treated to an absolute thriller on Sunday afternoon.

Patrick Mahomes is playing like an MVP candidate, and Josh Allen has started to get some of his mojo back after a couple of poor performances. I know the Chiefs’ defense is much better than the Bills’, but for a matchup like this, you’ve got to just throw statistics out the window. This is about two of the league’s best quarterbacks going toe-to-toe and seeing who can outscore the other.

I can’t wait for this game. Should be absolutely cinema.

Seahawks at Commanders

Are the Washington Commanders officially one-year wonders?

I think it’s safe to say the Washington Commanders are nowhere near as good as they were last year, but I’m not completely ready to write them off yet. They’ve been dealing with a ton of injuries, and still are, but Jayden Daniels is set to return this week, and hopefully, this time he can stay healthy for an extended period of time.

Right now, the Commanders are 3-5, but this is the perfect chance for them to turn things around. Daniels is bac,k and they’re hosting a team that’s traveling across the entire country on primetime. This is their chance to announce that they’re still a playoff team, but if they don’t show up, they’re officially one-year wonders.

Cardinals at Cowboys

How many points will Dallas give up this week?

The Dallas Cowboys’ defense is a dumpster fire. Matt Eberflus has done a horrible job coaching this team, but you also have to put some blame on the players. They just aren’t playing well enough, and it sucks because if they were just average (or even slightly below average), this would be a playoff team.

This week, they face the Arizona Cardinals, who don’t have a great offense, but they’ll probably look pretty great on Monday night. If the Cowboys can hold them under 3,0 they’ll have a shot, but honestly, I just don’t see that happening.