The Dallas Cowboys crushed the New York Giants, 35-17, in the season-opener. Now, with Dallas visiting New York for Monday Night Football, the Cowboys look like one of the top NFL survivor picks for Week 9. The first-place Cowboys are coming off a bye, while the Giants are 2-6 after dropping their fourth straight. But should you take Dak Prescott and company with your Week 9 NFL knockout picks? Another NFC East doormat, Washington, visits an angry Bills team that could bounce back at home. Are the Bills among the top NFL knockout pool plays for Week 9? Or should you perhaps ride Seattle for its home date with 2-5 Tampa Bay? SportsLine's proven computer model, which simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times, has generated the optimal NFL picks and survivor strategy.

This model went 11-2 straight-up in Week 8 and has ranked in the Top 10 on NFLPickWatch for three years running on straight-up NFL picks. Additionally, it beat over 96 percent of CBS Sports office pool players last season. 

For NFL Week 9, we can tell you the model is not going with the Bills, even though they're winning more than 70 percent of simulations against the visiting Redskins. Buffalo has failed its only two real tests of the season, losing at home to New England and Philadelphia. More alarming, the Bills trailed the winless Dolphins into the fourth quarter two weeks ago before salvaging the win.

Second-year Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen has fumbled seven times, and that problem isn't likely to go away given how often he runs. In last week's 31-13 loss to the Eagles, Allen fumbled three times, was sacked three times and completed less than half his throws. Plus, the Redskins bring a feisty defense that's allowed just 28 total points over the past two weeks to NFL powerhouses Minnesota and San Francisco.

There's another team winning just as often that the model loves for your NFL knockout picks this week. Picking this team also sets you up for the rest of the season. You need to see who it is before locking in any NFL survivor picks. 

So which team is a must-back in your Week 9 survivor pool? Visit SportsLine now to see which team carries you to victory in Week 9, all from the proven computer model that's ranked in the top 10 in straight-up picks three years running.