Halloween is nigh, and it’s a scary time for quite a few NFL teams. Week 9 could be a last act of desperation for many squads attempting to escape a season-killing defeat.

Start with the New York Jets, who host the Houston Texans on All Hallows’ Eve and could have their nightmare of a season officially staked in prime time.

But other clubs will also harbor fears as the calendar reaches November. The Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins all entered the 2024 season with, at minimum, playoff expectations – and those are in jeopardy of going up in a poof of smoke for any of them Sunday.

Two teams that do seem likely to stick around for a while are the NFC North rival Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, who will share the most anticipated stage of Week 9 – which will be at Lambeau Field, long a house of horrors for the Lions but now a building they’re hoping to leave with a three-game winning streak. Whoever prevails will sit alone atop the division.

Our panel of NFL warlocks gaze into their crystal balls to forecast the future …

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Houston Texans at New York Jets
Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons
Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills
New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers
Las Vegas Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals
Los Angeles Chargers at Cleveland Browns
Washington Commanders at New York Giants
New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans
Chicago Bears at Arizona Cardinals
Jacksonville Jaguars at Philadelphia Eagles
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks
Indianapolis Colts at Minnesota Vikings
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Kansas City Chiefs

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