Losses and Pushes: Bad Beats From NFL Week 4

Another week in the books and another week of broken hearts recorded. Some of you dog lovers had to have felt pretty good early this week, especially if you are a Los Angeles Chargers fan. There aren’t any in Los Angeles but there must be some somewhere. Let’s start with that game.

Chargers Moneyline +290 (Up 17 in the first half)

This is of course nowhere near an unheard of comeback, especially by a Tom Brady-led team but the man is 43 years old, it will stop happening eventually. Most likely after he retires. While rookie Justin Hebert looks like the real deal early in his career, the Goat gave him a pretty good kick in this game.

The Chargers jumped out to a 24-7 first-half lead before Brady finally got serious about the whole situation. He hit Mike Evans for his second touchdown toss of the first half with 0:28 to go to bring the Bucs within 10 at the break. Of course, the Chargers manage just 7 second-half points. Their three possessions in the third quarter were Punt-Missed Field Goal-Touchdown.

Brady also got to work in the second half. His two first-half scoring throws were nice but not as nice as the trio he tossed in the final two quarters. His five touchdown throws were his most in a game since 2017. The Chargers had just two possessions in the fourth quarter that totaled five plays, Brady does the Brady thing, Bucs win but don’t cover. If you took the rook to cover you might be happy with (-115) but not nearly as happy as you almost were with your (+290) play.

Then again, there is zero value in a losing wager.

The Washington Football Team Forces a Push: Ravens -14 (-110)

There is only one way to seemingly ever describe the Baltimore Ravens’ defense: stifling. With the Birds coming off of a disappointing performance against the Super Bowl Champion Chiefs, you figured they would take some frustration out on the lowly Washington Football Team. While (-14) is a big number it seemed a likely outcome given the talent disparity and the motivation.

This felt like a virtual lock until with 4:24 to go in the fourth John Harbaugh trots out…Robert Griffith III. Two J.K. Dobbins runs for -1 yards lead to a 3rd and long in which RG3…of course…throws a pick. On the very next play, Dwayne Haskins hits Terry McLaurin for 39 yards because of course he does and gets the WFT down to the three-yard line. A few plays later, Haskins runs it in, you’re of course not lucky enough for Dustin Hopkins to miss an extra point (he has missed one this season already), and there you have it, just what you always wanted, a push. Don’t spend it all in one place.

Buffalo vs Las Vegas: Under 52.5 (-110)

It is not a big secret that Jon Gruden isn’t a huge Derek Carr fan. Why would he be, really? In Carr’s defense, he didn’t play terribly in this game but he also wasn’t as good as the box score might suggest, especially early on in the game, or late in the game, ok he didn’t really play well at all. Until of course, it was time to crush your dreams of hitting the under.

The Bills defense held the Raiders to just 3 second-half points and had the game firmly in their grasp with under four minutes to go.

When the game is out of reach, that is when it’s David Carr’s time to shine, baby. Of course, by shine I mean it’s his time to be the beneficiary of a 46-yard pass interference call and then not complete a pass over 8 yards for the rest of the drive and throw a touchdown to Mr. Hands himself, Nelson Agholar to bring the total to 52. The extra point makes it 53, onside kick recovered by the Bills. Raiders burn their final timeout. Singletary runs for 11 yards followed by a Josh Allen victory formation kneel and just like that, the NFL has snatched a little bit more of Junior’s college fund from your coffers.

See you in week 5!