NFL WEEK 9: Here Are Our Official Predictions For Who Wins This Weekend

I DVR sports, and you should too.

Last Sunday, I went for a hike with my wife, then we got lunch, then I played a round of golf. By the time that was all over, it was 5:30, and the sun was getting ready to set.

I could have been sitting inside watching football, but instead I DVR'd the Eagles-Cardinals game, which started at 4:00.

After playing golf, I came home, took a shower, did some other stuff, then settled in to watch the game.

I was able to blast through all the commercials, the half-time break, and the many, many penalties. I didn't miss a minute of the action.

To avoid any spoilers, or information about the game, I didn't look at Twitter.

This wasn't the first time I DVR'd sports. I do it all the time for golf. I DVR the Masters, the PGA, the Ryder Cup, etc. With those events, I don't check Twitter, and I will often ignore email and texts since friends will want to talk about what's happening.

It's a little nerve wracking to not look at email, but it's also liberating. I'm forced to unplug.

Sports are one of the last bastions of must-see, live, in real-time television.

Most TV shows are time-shifted now. That just means they're DVR'd or they're viewed on demand. It's increasingly rare for millions of people to tune in all at the same time to watch the same show.

Sports are the exception. As a result, they can charge more to advertisers. It's hard to skip ads when the game is live! (Most people just look at their phones.)

But, it's not going to last forever. The games are too slow, too loaded with ads. There are better ways to spend your time.

I'm DVRing sports whenever I can, and you should too.

Now, let's make some NFL picks! Last week I was perfectly consistent. I went 0-5, not getting a single game right. That drags my record to 21-26-1 for the season. Let's hope I can do better this week.

All lines come from Vegas Insider.

The Philadelphia Eagles are two-point favorites on the road against the Houston Texans.

Philadelphia fans are panicked about Nick Foles.

On the Monday after their loss to the Cardinals, one fan called into Philly sports radio and said that Foles was going to drive Chip Kelly out of the league. This caller's rationale: Foles is just good enough to win a few games, but not good enough to win a Super Bowl. The Eagles will be trapped in a state of mediocrity, unable to be so bad that they get a high draft pick for a quarterback, but not so good that they're dominant.

This seems a little extreme. But, there is real reason for concern. Foles has bad footwork, so he ends up throwing passes off the back of his feet, which leads to interceptions.

This week the Eagles are playing the Houston Texans, who have one of the great defensive lines. This will be a test for Foles and the Eagles. The Eagles' offensive line is a bit of a mess.

However, the Eagles should win this game. They are the better team. If they lose, Philly fans will be calling for Mark Sanchez to start.

The pick: Eagles -2

The Dallas Cowboys are 4-point favorites at home against the Arizona Cardinals.

Nobody, including myself, believes in the Cardinals. They feel fraudulent. And yet... they just keep on winning. After watching them play the Eagles, I don't have much faith in the Cardinals. Their run defense wasn't great. They were able to win thanks to bad passes by Nick Foles.

The Cowboys should be able to run all over the Cardinals. And Romo should be better at moving around to avoid the rush. But, Romo was hurt last week. And the Cardinals are supposed to be good at run defense.

Ultimately, I like the points here. I think this is a 3 point game, and I'll take the Cardinals.

The pick: Cardinals +4

The Denver Broncos are 3-point favorites on the road against the New England Patriots.

This game is going to be awesome. The Brady-Manning Bowl is a fantastic annual tradition. Other than Seahawks-49ers, it's the only real rivalry that matters in the NFL.

The Broncos are a significantly better team than the Patriots. They are the no-brainer pick here. The only reason to hesitate is that Brady is 10-5 against Manning. I don't think that matters though. History is nice, but only up to a point.

The Broncos are the best team in the league by a mile. They will win the Super Bowl, and they will win this game.

The pick: Broncos -3

The Oakland Raiders are 15-point favorites at home against the Seattle Seahawks.

This is a dumb pick, but I'm going to take the Raiders and all those points. I'm sure the Seahawks will win by double digit points, but 15? Two touchdowns and a point? Seems like a lot to me.

The pick: Raiders +15

The Colts are 3-point favorites on the road against the New York Giants.

The Giants are coming off a bye. The Colts are coming off a game where they got smoked by Ben Roethlisberger. The last time we saw the Giants they were getting demolished by the Eagles.

I'm going to roll with the Colts here, but I don't feel great about it. I just think Andrew Luck won't let his team lose two games in a row.

The pick: Colts -3