2019 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 9

Cleveland Browns (2-5) at Denver Broncos (2-6)

Sunday, November 3, 4:25PM ET

At this point, I’ve lost most of my faith in this Cleveland Browns team. While I wasn’t completely on the bandwagon like many were coming into the season, I definitely thought they’d be way better than they have been. Still, there’s a sliver of hope remaining for this cursed franchise.

It comes in the form of the Denver Broncos, who have had a similarly miserable 2019 campaign. Even then, they entered the year without nearly as high of expectations. So the fact that they’re sitting at 2-6 coming into Week 9 is actually a surprise — I had them pegged for a worse start.

Regardless, I see this as an opportunity for the Browns to pull their heads out. They’ve limped out of the gates, and things haven’t gotten better as the season has progressed. If they have any hopes of scrounging together a playoff run, they need to start winning now. Playing against the Broncos and their third-string quarterback seems like the right situation for that to happen.

Brandon Allen is going to be overwhelmed in his first NFL action, while Baker Mayfield does just enough to keep from completing blowing the game. The Denver defense makes things difficult, but the offensive talent Cleveland boasts gets them to the finish line out in front.

Prediction: Browns win 16-14