The fourth week of the NFL season was filled with upsets and baffling performances. Raise your hand if you had the Tampa Bay Bucs hanging 55 points on the Los Angeles Rams in LA. The Rams had only allowed 49 points in their first three games combined! How about the previously 1-2 Philadelphia Eagles waltzing into Green Bay and knocking off the then undefeated Packers? Even the hapless Denver Broncos lost at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Oh wait, that’s not surprising at all.
Our dwindling bankroll took another hit amidst the madness of a 5-10 week against the spread. That drops our season total to 25 wins and 37 losses. We can’t even afford $2 steak and eggs at this point.
Bad Beat of the Week: There wasn’t much to complain about this week with very few lines coming down to the final minutes of action. I guess Donkey backers could be disappointed that their side couldn’t hold a 17-3 advantage in the first half, only needing to cover a field goal. Of course, even that is pretty far down the list of things Denver fans have to complain about.
Rams @ SEAHAWKS -1
Seattle has been a house of horrors for visiting teams since Pete Carroll took over nearly a decade ago. That challenge gets even tougher on a short week. The Rams are trying to rebound from last week’s stunning letdown against the Bucs. I’m worried the Rams bounce back but my heart won’t let me go in that direction. Seahawks win 30-27
Cardinals @ BENGALS -3
I have no clue who is going to win the football game and neither does anyone else reading this column. Both of these trainwrecks are awful and should be seriously considered for contraction. Hard to think the Desert Bats can win a road game. When in doubt side with the home team, that’s the play. Bengals win 27-20
Bills @ TITANS -3
The Bills will likely be without starting QB Josh Allen after he suffered a vicious hit to the head last Sunday. Allen is bad at passing a football, it’s uncertain if his absence will hurt or help the Bills. Tennessee has been a hard team to figure out through four weeks. The Titans have a pair of impressive wins over the Browns and Falcons sandwiching two uninspiring efforts. Titans win 19-13
BEARS @ Raiders +5
The Bears defense is incredible, if Chicago can field a competent offense, they’ll be a tough out in January. That offense improved last week thanks to starting QB Mitchell Trubisky’s injury. His replacement, Chase Daniel is better, and is reportedly playing this week. This game is being played in London, England. That nugget may or may not matter. Bears win 20-7
BUCS @ Saints -3.5
I’m siding with the team that just dropped 55 points on the LA Rams. If the Bucs can manage half that total on the Bayou it should be enough to cover the spread. The Saints have been incredibly impressive without star QB Drew Brees the last two weeks. New Orleans knocked off the Seahawks in Seattle prior to beating the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday. Are the Saints due for a letdown? Bucs win 31-20
Vikings @ GIANTS +5.5
What a difference a change at quarterback makes! The Giants were abysmal in the opening two weeks with Eli Manning’s archaic arm leading the way. Enter rookie passer Daniel Jones and the Giants are suddenly a team on the rise. The Norwegians appear lost at sea with Kirk Cousins captaining the ship. The Vikes win a close one but fail to cover the number. Vikings win 23-20
Jets @ EAGLES -13.5
I don’t even know who the Jets QB is anymore? The one dude contracted mono, not sure if he’s back or not. The next guy got hurt. I’m sure they have someone that is capable of throwing the ball forward still, but that skill alone won’t be enough to keep pace with a resurgent Eagles team in Philly. Eagles win 35-13
RAVENS @ Steelers +3
Things can change quickly in the NFL. The Ravens were the darling of the NFL after two weeks, but consecutive defeats have left Edgar Allen Poe fans scratching their collective heads. The Steelers started the season with three straight losses, before Monday’s taming of the Bengals. A victory over Baltimore this Sunday would leave both rivals at 2-3. Ravens win 24-19
PATRIOTS @ Redskins +15.5
Washington drafted Ohio State Buckeye QB Dwayne Haskins in the first round of last year’s NFL draft. You may wonder if they’re regretting that decision now. Haskins replaced an also ineffective Case Keenum last Sunday and the results were less than impressive. Fortunately, for DC fans, the Redskins have kept pace for the number one selection in next year’s draft by losing every game they’ve played. It’s “Tank for Tua” time in the Capital. Patriots win 38-7
JAGUARS @ Panthers -3.5
Anytime you have a chance to side with Minshew Magic, and receive more than a field goal in points, you have to take it. Summoning passing powers from the strength of his mustache, Minshew has led Jacksonville to back-to-back victories and enabled a vagabond fanbase to dream of glory once again. Until that stache is clipped you’d be a fool to bet against the Jags. Jaguars win 27-20
Falcons @ TEXANS -5.5
If the Falcons continue their slide, coach Dan Quinn may not make survive the winter. The Dirty Birds are 1-3 after a puzzling home loss to the Tennessee Titans last week and can’t afford a fourth defeat in five games. The Texans need to get star receiver DeAndre Hopkins the ball. His lack of production has been killing my fantasy team the last three weeks. Texans win 30-24
BRONCOS @ Chargers -6.5
The Donkey’s have yet to win a game, but two of those defeats have been the result of last-second field goals. The play here is that Denver still has a little fight left in them. San Diego is fighting to keep pace with the undefeated Chiefs in the AFC West. A third loss could possibly leave the Chargers, a team with Super Bowl aspirations, scrambling for a wild card bid. Chargers win 20-12
Packers @ COWBOYS -3.5
The Fighting Jerry’s dropped their first game of the year in New Orleans last Sunday night. After three weeks of brilliant offensive play the Cowboys barely reached double digits against the Saints. Can the Packers find a way to repeat that performance? In what should be a close game, Packers star QB Aaron Rodgers has seemingly lost some of his fourth quarter magic in recent seasons. Cowboys win 26-19
COLTS @ Chiefs -11
The Chiefs have continued their winning ways but have failed to cover the number in recent weeks. The problem with having Patrick Mahomes on your roster is your almost always going to need to cover large spreads. The Horses blew a great chance to reach 3-1 by losing a home game to the lowly Oakland Raiders last Sunday. Chiefs win 30-20
BROWNS @ 49ers -3.5
Cleveland impressed dominating the Ravens in Baltimore a few days ago. Can the Dawg Pound head out west to wine country and repeat history? The 49ers aren’t an undefeated team in the NFL. They just aren’t that good. The smart money sides with a Keystone drinking Baker Mayfield, not the Pinot Grigio sipping Jimmy Garoppolo. Browns win 27-20
By Nolan Rose
For the Peninsula Clarion
