Saints at Vikings (+2½)
Former Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton was wowed by Joshua Dobbs’ performance last Sunday, saying what the replacement QB did was “impossible.” Tarkenton’s a bit of an expert on things “impossible” from his days trying in vain to win Super Bowls.
Pick: Vikings by 3

Jets at Raiders (+1½)
Injured Aaron Rodgers was in full backtrack mode after saying on the field Monday night that he’d be back quarterbacking the Jets in “several weeks.: He quickly amended that to “several fortnights,” then admitted he’s going to spend the next several months playing only Fortnite.
Pick: Raiders by 3

Broncos at Bills (-6½)
Former Bills star O.J. Simpson, looking like the frail 76-year-old he is, was seen shuffling down the street in Las Vegas. Despite his hobbled state, he was recently turned down by Visiting Angels when he tried to hire them to take over his search for The Real Killers.
Pick: Bills by 11

Falcons at Cardinals (+1½)
Kyler Murray is expected to return as Arizona’s QB. That means last week’s starter, Clayton Tune, has probably started his last NFL game, giving him something in common with the Vikings’ Jaren Hall.
Pick: Falcons by 7

Lions at Chargers (+1½)
The Chargers finally looked playoff worthy by routing the New York Jets on Monday Night Football. The game was so bad that it was almost as unwatchable as the Manningcast with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s donkey.
Pick: Chargers by 3

Giants at Cowboys (-16½)
The Giants have made it clear that last-string Tommy Devito will quarterback the rest of the season, making them a strong bet to finish with the NFL’s worst record. That news caused New York fans to shudder and USC’s Caleb Williams to collapse weeping in his mother’s arms.
Pick: Cowboys by 24

Titans at Buccaneers (+1½)
Tennessee has named rookie Will Levis the starting quarterback after just two games leading the Titans’ offense. Levis obviously surpassed the ridiculously low bar of being better than Ryan Tannehill.
Pick: Titans by 3

49ers at Jaguars (+2½)
The 49ers raised eyebrows by trading at the deadline to get Washington pass rushing star Chase Young. It’s a surprisingly astute move for a franchise that just traded away a king’s ransom for the likes of Trey Lance.
Pick: 49ers by 3

Texans at Bengals (-6½)
Houston backup running back Dare Ogunbowale made headlines by kicking a go-ahead field goal last Sunday after the Texans’ kicker was injured .He’s the brother of WNBA star Arike Ogunbowale of the Dallas Wings who, it turns out, have as much chance of winning a Super Bowl as the Houston Texans.
Pick: Bengals by 8

Packers at Steelers (-3½)
Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin dismissed tensions with his malcontent receiver, saying Geroge Pickens is “a pebble in my shoes.” The stress is nothing compared to Tomlin’s many years of Antonio Brown being a porcupine in an unmentionable place.
Pick: Steelers by 7

Other games

Colts vs Patriots (+2½):
Pick: Colts by 3

Browns at Ravens (-5½): .
Pick: Ravens by 3

Commanders at Seahawks (-6½):
Pick: Seahawks by 7

Bye weeks

Chiefs, Dolphins, Rams, Eagles

Record

Week 9
9-5 straight up
7-7 vs. spread

Season
84-52 straight up (.618)
70-66 vs. spread (.515)

You can hear Kevin Cusick on Wednesdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on Twitter — @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.

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