NFL Week 9 schedule 2026: Kickoff times, matchup previews and expert picks

We’re nearly halfway through the 2026 NFL season with Week 9 set to kick off this Thursday with the Baltimore Ravens hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars to kick things off. Week 8 had a bit of everything, and there’s sure to be more intrigue across Week 9. 

Ahead of what’s certain to be a busy and eventful week of football, we’ve got the full NFL Week 9 schedule here, and we’re also going to highlight five of the top games of the week while sharing our picks and predictions for those matchups.

2026 NFL Week 9 schedule

Here's the complete NFL Week 9 schedule, with all kickoff times listed in Eastern Time.

Teams on bye: Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans.

Expert predictions for NFL Week 9’s biggest games 

From a desperation spot for the defending Super Bowl champs to a fascinating matchup between two of the best units in the league, several games stand out on the Week 9 schedule.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Baltimore Ravens

This matchup lost some shine on Sunday. The Jaguars handled their business and then some with a 42-7 rout of the Colts, but the Ravens left Buffalo in shambles. 

Not only did Baltimore fall 36-10 in a one-sided affair, but the Ravens lost star quarterback Lamar Jackson to a right thumb injury on the first drive of the game after he’d missed time with an ankle injury. Jackson is on injured reserve and could very well miss the rest of the year. But to make matters worse, the Ravens lost backup Tyler Huntley to a turf toe injury, pushing undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano into action. 

Whether it’s Fagnano or another player at quarterback for the Ravens on Thursday remains to be seen, but Baltimore is suddenly in dire straits after the loss to Buffalo pushed the team to 4-4. This matchup with the Jaguars is massive, and the Ravens are now playing without a full deck of cards given the uncertainty at quarterback. 

The Ravens can’t afford to lose much more ground otherwise the team may be forced to play it safe and have Jackson sit out the rest of the year. But a matchup with Jacksonville is hardly what the doctor ordered. Liam Coen’s Jags are 5-2 and are top five in both scoring offense and defense this year as they’re cruising to a second straight AFC South title. 

Thursday Night Football has tended to skew towards underdogs and upsets this year, but don’t count on one here. This is a dangerous and well-balanced Jaguars team that should be licking its chops heading into Week 9.

Pick: Jaguars 27, Ravens 13

Denver Broncos at Carolina Panthers

This is a matchup of teams entering the week in very different situations. The Broncos are riding a four-game winning streak and just got a huge win over AFC West rival Kansas City. The Panthers are 3-4, and while they’re still atop the NFC South due to the division’s ineptitude, they’re losers of two straight, getting blown out by the Buccaneers in Week 7 before falling 27-19 to the Packers last Thursday in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score may suggest. 

This matchup intrigues me for a few reasons. First, I am a big fan of the Panthers’ offense. Bryce Young has taken a big step forward, and Chuba Hubbard and Tetairoa McMillan give him some elite playmakers to utilize. They face a Broncos defense that’s one of the best in the game and can make life difficult for any offense. 

On the flip side, the Panthers’ defense is a mess, particularly against the run. Can the Broncos’ committee approach take advantage, or will Bo Nix be tasked with airing it out? What makes that aspect of this game extra interesting is the Panthers fired longtime defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero after the Green Bay loss and named defensive line coach Todd Wash as the interim coordinator. That change plus the Panthers having a “mini bye” having played last Thursday gives this game a potential surprise factor that few other matchups on the schedule can match. 

I think this game has more of an upset factor at hand than many may expect. That’s not enough to get me to pick the Panthers, but I was debating it more than you may expect. The Broncos are rolling, though, and are finding ways to win. I also think the Panthers are more prone to make mistakes than Denver’s risk-averse offense, and that may be the deciding factor here. 

Pick: Broncos 23, Panthers 20

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks

This is suddenly a must-win game for the Seahawks. They were beat down by the Bears on Monday Night Football last week and now face the Cardinals on a short week. Seattle is 4-4 and tied for second in the NFC West and Arizona is close behind at 3-5. The Cards are coming off a comeback win over the Cowboys in overtime. 

This is the second and final matchup between these teams this season. The Seahawks won 31-7 in Week 2 with Lock starting. Lock tossed three touchdowns – all to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Arizona had 151 total yards, with Jacoby Brissett finishing with under 100 yards passing. 

But Brissett won’t be starting this weekend. Instead, Gardner Minshew will be under center after orchestrating a comeback win over Dallas. Minshew completed 17 of 23 passes for three touchdowns in relief of Brissett. Something to monitor, though, is receiver Michael Wilson, who was dealing with a rib injury and aggravated it on a touchdown reception last weekend. 

The Seahawks will need better play from Sam Darnold, who completed just 50% of his passes for 188 yards and had a costly interception in the 34-17 loss to Chicago. The Seahawks again struggled to run the ball, compiling just 81 rushing yards. 

It’d be surprising if the Seahawks came out with another dud, but this 4-4 team is also not nearly as competent as last year’s Super Bowl-winning squad. I think Arizona will keep this closer than Week 2, but the Seahawks will ultimately pull away. 

Pick: Seahawks 27, Cardinals 16

Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots

This matchup of 5-3 teams could be one of the best games of the week. 

Back in September, it looked like the Packers and Patriots were on track to be among the most disappointing teams in the NFL after each started 1-2. But both teams have rebounded and won four of their last five games. 

Starting with the Patriots, the answer for why they’ve rebounded is simple – Drake Maye. After tossing one touchdown to six interceptions across the first three weeks of the year, Maye has thrown 14 touchdowns to two picks over his last five games while also rushing for three touchdowns. After the sky was falling in early September, Maye has righted the ship and looks like the MVP candidate he was a year ago. Additionally, New England’s defense is top 10 in yards and points allowed. 

Green Bay has been an interesting team to follow. The run game has been nonexistent, and even with Josh Jacobs back, that hasn’t changed. But Jordan Love has played brilliantly this year and, quite frankly, should be on the shortlist of early MVP candidates. With no run game to speak of, Love has had to air it out, and for the most part, it’s worked. Love has 16 touchdowns to six interceptions and is averaging 280.75 passing yards per game. The Packers’ defense also deserves its flowers as it ranks in the top 10 in yards and points allowed as well despite losing a top-end coordinator in Jeff Hafley to the Miami head coaching position this offseason. 

I overall like how the Packers have played between Love’s performance and an underrated defense, but the lack of a run game is just too large to ignore. At 60.6 yards per game on the ground, Green Bay has the worst rushing attack in football by roughly 17 yards. Maye has taken care of the ball of late and has been excellent overall while the defense is a tough one to crack. Add in that the Pats are in Foxboro and this should be another win for the AFC East giants. 

Pick: Patriots 24, Packers 20

Buffalo Bills at Minnesota Vikings

Week 9 wraps up with a very intriguing matchup with the Vikings hosting the Bills on Monday Night Football. Each side enters the week at 6-1, though the Bills and Vikings are in much different spirits. 

Buffalo returned from its bye with a 36-10 drubbing of the Ravens, who, as noted earlier, were dealt a bad hand when it comes to the quarterback department in what was a highly-anticipated matchup. Regardless, the Bills’ offense showed why it’s the best in football, scoring at least 33 points for the fifth time in seven games behind another strong outing from star quarterback Josh Allen, who had three total touchdowns. 

The Vikings, on the other hand, can barely sniff the end zone. They were dealt a tough 19-15 loss to the Detroit Lions for their first defeat of the year. While Minnesota’s defense has been elite, allowing 16 or fewer points in every game since Week 2, the offense is a mess. Kyler Murray has not been the answer Kevin O’Connell and Co. have been looking for, and the run game isn’t particularly well off either. The Vikings are 27th in points per game this year. 

The must-watch element here is how Buffalo’s electric offense handles Minnesota’s dominant defense. The Vikings are a blitz factory and attack you from all angles, which will force Allen to have to make fast – and smart – decisions all game long. On the other side, can the Vikings’ poor offense score enough against a Bills defensive unit that’s 24th in points allowed per game? 

You’ll get strength-on-strength for half the game and weakness-on-weakness for the other half. That’s not super common. But I think the Bills’ defense will make enough plays against what’s been a disastrous Vikings attack, and it’s hard to count out Allen. The Vikings’ D will get their share of big plays here, but Allen will score enough to get Buffalo its seventh win. 

Pick: Bills 23, Vikings 13