NFL Week 9 bold predictions: Broncos' Bo Nix tosses four TDs against Texans, Steelers defense struggles again

Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season kicked off Thursday without any surprises with quarterback Lamar Jackson powering his Baltimore Ravens past the Miami Dolphins in emphatic fashion, 28-6, in his return from a three-game absence because of a hamstring injury.

Jackson threw for 204 yards and four touchdowns on 18 of 23 passing to run his ledger against his hometown Dolphins to 18 passing touchdowns and just one interception for a 142.9 passer rating against Miami. That's the most passing touchdowns in a player's first five starts vs. one team since 1950 and the highest passer rating against one team all-time, minimum five starts, per CBS Sports Research. Jackson has more passing touchdowns (nine) than incompletions (eight) in his last two games against the Dolphins.

Jackson going off versus Miami, wasn't bold or surprising. Let's get your Week 9 weekend slate of NFL play going the right way with five bold predictions courtesy of yours truly. Happy Halloween!

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Falcons' Bijan Robinson becomes first RB to go over 50 rush yards vs. Patriots by going off for 100-plus on the ground

The Atlanta Falcons were absolutely embarrassed the last time they took the field in Week 8, losing at home 34-10 to the now-2-6 Miami Dolphins. They produced the fewest total yards (213) and rush yards (45) in any game since 2023 with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and wide receiver Drake London sidelined. Running back Bijan Robinson also produced his fewest scrimmage yards (48) in any game since 2023. That's how down and out Atlanta was in Week 8. That's how rough of an outing it was. 

That's bad news ahead of a Week 9 matchup against the AFC East-leading New England Patriots: the 2025 Patriots are the first team since 1950 to now allow 50 or more yards rushing to any opposing running back through eight games. Despite averaging just 70.0 scrimmage yards per game in the last two games after a whopping 164.4 scrimmage yards per game across his first five games, Robinson will become the first running back to not only run for over 50 yards on the Patriots this season. 

Prisco's Week 9 NFL picks: Bills cool off red-hot Chiefs in classic shootout, Texans upset Broncos

Pete Prisco

He'll be the first to go for 100 yards on them this season. Robinson leads the NFL in yards per touch (6.9) and tackles avoided (46) this season, and he's just the fifth player since 1950 with 500-plus rushing yards and 400-plus receiving yards through seven team games played. Robinson will overcome Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel's stout defense to deliver a monster, 100-yard performance for Atlanta. 

Bears QB Caleb Williams throws multiple TD, no INT and doesn't get sacked at Bengals

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, the 2024 NFL Draft's first overall pick, is still developing in his second NFL season in 2025. He leads the league in off-target rate (16%) and longest average time to throw (3.21 seconds). He's also had consecutive games with no touchdown passes and an interception, and those games weren't against heavyweight defenses. They were against the New Orleans Saints, the NFL's ninth-worst scoring defense (26.1 points per game), and the Baltimore Ravens, the NFL's third-worst scoring defense (30.0 points per game allowed).

However, Williams will throw for multiple touchdowns, no interceptions and not be sacked for just the second game in his career on Sunday. The other such game he accomplished this feat in was Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys and his former head coach Matt Eberflus, who is now the Cowboys' defensive coordinator. How will he accomplish this in Week 9? Fortunately for Williams, the Bengals are the NFL's worst scoring defense (31.6 points per game allowed), and they've allowed at least 27 points in a franchise record seven consecutive games. He'll have one of the best two games of his career on Sunday against the Bengals despite his rough start to 2025. 

Broncos QB Bo Nix torches Texans No. 1 defense

The Houston Texans lead the NFL in scoring defense (14.7 points per game allowed) and total defense (266.9 total yards allowed) this season, and both figures are each the fewest through the first seven games of season in franchise history. 

However, Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix will tie his single-game, career-high with four passing touchdowns against Houston's No. 1 defense on Sunday. Between the fourth quarter of the Broncos' 33-32 Week 7 victory vs. the New York Giants and the entirety of Denver's 44-24 Week 8 win over the Dallas Cowboys, Nix became the first quarterback six or more passing touchdowns multiple rushing touchdowns in a five-quarter span since Charley Johnson in 1962.

Yes, the Texans have two Pro Bowl edge rushers in Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, but the Broncos can counter them with the best pass-blocking offensive line in football: Denver allowed the lowest quarterback pressure rate (25.6%) and the fewest amount of sacks (8). Nix and his offensive line win that battle en route to another big day for the second-year sensation. 

Giants win third consecutive home game for first time since 2022 with upset victory over 49ers

The New York Giants are 2-6, and they're now without both star rookie running back Cam Skattebo (ankle) and Pro Bowl wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) because of season-ending injuries. However, first-round rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart will lead New York to their third consecutive home win, a Giants' first since 2022, with an upset victory over the San Francisco 49ers despite his depleted supporting cast. Dart's eight passing touchdowns in his first five career starts are the most by a Giants quarterback in their first five starts since 1950.

He'll be able to continue his fast and furious production thanks to facing a 49ers pass rush that ranks fourth-worst in the NFL in quarterback pressure rate (26.7%) since Week 4, their first game after All-Pro edge rusher Nick Bosa tore his ACL. On a related note, San Francisco's nine team sacks, which are tied for the third-fewest in the NFL this season, are the third-fewest for the 49ers through eight games since 1975. 

No Skattebo and no Nabers? No problem for Dart in a Week 9 upset victory. 

Steelers allow 33 or more points in three consecutive games for first time since 1968

The Pittsburgh Steelers have traditionally been known for their defense, but that's not the case in 2025. They've allowed 33 or more points in consecutive games. That's probably a key driver in them trading for former New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger on Tuesday. Pittsburgh hasn't allowed 33 points in three consecutive games since 1968, before "The Steel Curtain" defenses of the 1970s. 

That's going to happen on Sunday despite the defensive upgrade with Dugger because they're facing the AFC's top seed, the 7-1 Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are the league's No. 1 scoring offense, averaging 33.8 points per game, and their 3.46 points per drive average is the highest in the NFL by any team since 2000's. Quarterback Daniel Jones is playing like a top-five passer, and running back Jonathan Taylor leads the league in rushing yards (850). Pittsburgh's defense will do something it hasn't done since the late 1960s and surrender 33 or more points for the third game in a row.