Every once in a while, a gambler takes what they call a bad beat. In sports gambling, a bad beat entails a freak play that causes what you bet on to not come true.
Let’s just say, my first column last week turned out to be a bad beat. Two of the three things I talked about in length were proven wrong.
Despite what I consider one of the worst statistical games in NFL history, Derek Anderson “guided” the Cleveland Browns to victory on Sunday after I said they could go winless this season.
I use the term guided loosely, as Anderson finished 2 of 17 for 23 yards and an interception in the win. Take a moment to reflect and read that again. That was the stat line of the winning quarterback.
There’s nothing in the world that could possibly be more freakish than that line for a game-winning quarterback.
I also said Denver would “plummet to earth” against New England. Well, after a game in which Kyle Orton outplayed Tom Brady and the receiver tandem of Wes Welker and Randy Moss caught only as many passes as Eddie Royal himself, the Broncos remain sky high.
The Broncos won the overtime coin flip, which, correct me if I’m wrong, means they just call the game over and go home? (On a related note, when are they going to change this outdated overtime rule to something more fair?)
So the bad beat I took during the Denver game was that the Patriots’ captain didn’t realize that tails never fails.
On to some other thoughts of the week that was.
Vegas oddsmakers aren’t watching the games
While the aforementioned were some bad beats, Vegas made it a little easier for the hardcore sports gambler to recoup some lost coin with two of the other games last weekend.
As of Saturday afternoon, the Rams were 10 point underdogs at home to Minnesota. This is a Rams team that may not score 10 points the rest of the season, and they’re given just 10 points to the score-happy Vikings?
Minnesota averaged just fewer than 30 points a game coming in. So according to oddsmakers, they thought the Rams would score 20 points in this game? Here’s a tip for next time, St. Louis had scored 24 points total coming into the game and been shut out twice.
The Vikings easily covered, winning by four touchdowns.
While that line may have raised some eyebrows, I think a lot of the more hardcore audience probably shied away from taking New York, a 15 1/2-point favorite at home against Oakland.
Not me my friends, because I have absolute faith in how terrible the Raiders are right now.
I don’t know what Oakland coach Tom Cable should be more worried about: losing his job, or going to jail on felony assault charges.
Coming off an injury, Eli Manning racked up 50 more passing yards in one half than Oakland had net yards in the entire game.
After the first play of the second quarter, New York led 21-0 and had covered.
It was so bad that even backup quarterback David Carr, the record holder for most times sacked in a season, avoided a sure sack and ran 12 yards for a touchdown.
Calm before the storm
San Francisco head coach Mike Singletary was suspiciously calm at the postgame press conference after his team got blown out by Atlanta.
He was so calm, that he reminded me of one of those stone-faced killers you see in movies. This is the same man that dropped his pants to prove a point during halftime of hisfirst game as coach. The 49ers were trailing 20-3. On Sunday they lost 45-10. That’s double the whooping.
Samurai Mike doesn’t take these things well.
All I’m saying, is that if Dre Bly, who intercepted a pass then promptly fumbled while showboating (down 35-10 at this point I might add), doesn’t show up to practice for the next few days and is ultimately discovered to be sleeping with the fishes, I think I might have a suspect.
What a win for Atlanta though, the Falcons are making at least 53 new believers each week. Maybe someday even the general public will realize they’re a legitimate contender.
Coming soon: The Garrett era
We were on the verge of history Sunday when the Kansas City Chiefs scored in the final minute to take the Dallas Cowboys into overtime.
Cowboys owner and de facto head coach Jerry Jones was probably microseconds away from firing Wade Phillips and commencing the Jason Garrett era in Dallas.
Garrett, who makes $3 million a year as an assistant head coach, has been waiting in the wings for over a year now. Phillips probably sees Garrett in his sleep.
While Garrett may be on Jones’ good side now, the grass is always greener on the other side. As soon as he takes over for Phillips and they struggle, he’ll become just another expendable item for Jones’ checkbook to write off.
Luckily for Phillips, little-known wide receiver Miles Austin saved his job by catching a 60-yard touchdown in overtime to seal the win for Dallas.
Opportunity Knocking
Cleveland Browns running back James Davis is out for the season after he participated in what ESPN’s Adam Schefter said the team referred to as an “opportunity period.”
What is that you wonder?
Apparently it’s a drill in which a padded linebacker takes on an unpadded running back. Imagine Cal Poly head coach Tim Walsh telling 5-foot-7, 170-pound Jono Grayson,
“Hey bud, take off your pads. You’re going heads up with Marty Mohamed. We’re going to give Mohamed an ‘opportunity’ to end your career.”
Is that hard for you to imagine also?
If Schefter’s report turns out to be true, the Browns organization needs to be punished heavily. Draft picks should be taken away, and whoever came up with this idiotic drill should be fired, whether it’s Eric Mangini or one of his coordinators.