Colts vs Vikings Preview + NFL Week 9 Picks!
Source: EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – JANUARY 08: A detail of the official National Football League NFL logo is seen painted on the turf as the New York Giants host the Atlanta Falcons during their NFC Wild Card Playoff game at MetLife Stadium on January 8, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
It’s been a tumultuous week for the Indianapolis Colts.
Anthony Richardson, the 4th-overall-pick in 2023 and the man who was supposed to be the quarterback of the future, has been sent to the bench, to be replaced by 39-year-old Joe Flacco. The Colts claim they aren’t giving up on Richardson, but the optics of the move, coupled with head coach Shane Steichen’s comments to the media on Wednesday, don’t bode well for the 22-year-old. He’s still an athletic marvel with a cannon of an arm, but there isn’t a long history of former 1st-round quarterbacks coming back to start for their team after they’ve been benched. If he does still end up being the Colts franchise guy, it will be almost unprecedented.
In the meantime, Flacco will give the Colts a more consistent option under center. His accuracy and quick decision making were on full display during his time under center earlier this season, and the Colts offense should look more under control with him running the operation. He is not nearly as athletic as Richardson, so the designed quarterback runs will be put on the shelf (though not as if the Colts were using them a ton anyway, but that’s an entirely different issue), but he is still plenty capable of getting the ball where it needs to go. Will it make any difference against a formidable Vikings team? We’ll find out on Sunday.
Here are JMV and betting analyst Brent Holverson’s picks for Week 9 of the NFL season!
| Thursday | JMV | | BRENT |
| Houston Texans @ New York Jets | NYJ –2.5 | | NYJ –2.5 |
| Sunday | JMV | | BRENT |
| Dallas Cowboys @ Atlanta Falcons | ATL –2.5 | | ATL-2.5 |
| Denver Broncos @ Baltimore Ravens | DEN +9 | | DEN +9 |
| Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills | BUF –6 | | BUF -6 |
| New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers | CAR +7 | | CAR +7 |
| Las Vegas Raiders @ Cincinati Bengals | CIN –7 | | CIN –7 |
| Los Angeles Chargers @ Cleveland Browns | CLE +1.5 | | CLE +1.5 |
| Washington Commanders @ New York Giants | WAS –4 | | WAS -4 |
| New England Patriots @ Tennessee Titans | NE +3.5 | | TEN –3.5 |
| Chicago Bears @ Arizona Cardinals | AZ –1.5 | | AZ –1.5 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars @ Philidelphia Eagles | PHI –7.5 | | PHI –7.5 |
| Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers | GB +3 | | GB +3 |
| Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle Seahawks | SEA –1 | | SEA -1 |
| Indianapolis Colts @ Minnesota Vikings | MIN –5 | | MIN -5 |
| Monday | JMV | | BRENT |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Kansas City Chiefs | KC -8.5 | | TB +8.5 |
Listen to JMV and Brent make their picks below, and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
Colts vs Vikings Preview + NFL Week 9 Picks! was originally published on 1075thefan.com
