TNF: CARDINALS
The Broncos have lost four in a row SU and failed to cover their two road games, in Baltimore and at the Jets, losing each by double digits. The Broncos thrive with a reliable rush attack, but haven’t produced a leading rusher with over 69 yards during their four-game losing streak and their top two running backs failed to combine for 100 yards in three of those losses. Instead, they’ve relied more on quarterback Case Keenum who has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns. He’s attempted at least 40 passes in Denver’s last two losses—a backdoor cover against the Rams and a beatdown in New York.
On the flip side, Denver’s rush defense has been non-existent. It allowed over 200 yards on the ground on Sunday to Todd Gurley and even to Isaiah Crowell the week before. Denver ranks dead-last in rush yards per game allowed. Arizona is playing with a rookie quarterback, Josh Rosen, who’s growing increasingly comfortable, averaging more yards per pass attempt in every game. A strong running game is a quarterback’s best friend. Arizona will run away to victory in the desert.
SNF; BENGALS
I can’t trust a team to cover a decent-sized spread without a defense. Kansas City ranks 27th in opposing rush yards per game and 31st in opposing pass yards per game. The player quality is already questionable without injuries to safety Eric Berry and linebacker Justin Houston dealing further blows. The Chiefs have been vulnerable to teams who can gash them on the ground, which is why their only recent blowout came against a moronic Jacksonville team that refused to run the ball, but couldn’t pass-block, either. The Bengals won’t make this mistake with a healthy Joe Mixon, who has improved in his second year by averaging 4.7 yards per carry, .1 fewer than Rams superstar Todd Gurley.
If a team can withstand KC’s pass rush, then KC’s pass defense is also vulnerable. The Chiefs rank 15th in opposing passer rating. The Bengals don’t allow many sacks—three in 42 drop-backs on Sunday to a sack-heavy Steelers defense, for instance. Andy Dalton has a pair of formidable weapons in AJ Green and Tyler Boyd. The Bengals will keep up with Kansas City.
CARDINALS: Broncos have given up 200+ yards rushing in consecutive weeks. David Johnson can finally get going for Arizona and help out rookie quarterback. Denver has been a disaster in every road game.
TITANS: London game. Chargers being overvalued. Titans’ retooled secondary that ranks eighth in opposing passer rating will limit Rivers. Chargers pass rush won’t do the damage that Baltimore did.
BEARS: Bears’ defense was gassed in the second half by the Miami heat, will play with chip on shoulder, very physical. The defense can plague NE in way historic Ravens, Giants, and Jaguars defenses have.
BILLS: Bills’ D has been playing so well, almost all the points that it’s allowed in the past few weeks have resulted from miscues on O. Colts’ O is limited by injury, won’t score enough to cover.
DOLPHINS: Cold-weather team Detroit will have to deal with the South Florida heat. Lions are a pass-first team, but Dolphins rank fifth in opposing passer rating and will be Stafford’s toughest test by far.
JETS: Vikings pass defense has been injured and disappointing, ranks 27th in opposing passer rating. Darnold has succeeded against other low-ranking pass defenses, he can keep Jets in this game.
PANTHERS: Eagles looked great against the Giants who are a mess of a team. But Panthers’ D is much stingier, ranks ninth in opposing passer rating. CMC will bounce back against Eagles’ D (13th in opp. YPC).
BROWNS: Browns were bullied by LA’s pass rush, but Bucs have no such thing. Baker can finally have a good day against bottom-ranked secondary. Bucs pass-first, but Browns’ D second in opposing passer rating.
TEXANS: Mariota, Mahomes, Prescott: mobile quarterbacks are giving Jags’ D trouble. Overall, Jags’ D has looked very vulnerable lately, while the offense is inept with Bortles and without Fournette.
RAVENS: Saints rank 31st in opposing passer-rating, so pass-first Ravens should score plenty here. Saints will face a very competent defense this time, they’re in for a dog fight, especially outside Dome.
RAMS: Beathard played game of his life on MNF, will come back down to Earth. 49ers defense has little resistance to offer stacked Rams’ attack that was limited in tough Denver climate, but will bounce back.
REDSKINS: Home-field advantage. Since debacle vs Indy, Skins have played well at home, beating Packers then Panthers. Conversely, Dallas has scored 45 points in three road games and lost all of them.
BENGALS: Chiefs won’t bring enough defense or healthy defenders to cover large spread. Andy Dalton has been playing well in primetime. Joe Mixon is back and healthy, will gash Chiefs’ bottom-ranked run D.
GIANTS: Falcons injury-ridden D is perfect opportunity for Giants’ O to succeed like against Carolina. Success can heal internal turmoil. Falcons have nearly allowed 35+ points in four straight contests.
The Broncos have lost four in a row SU and failed to cover their two road games, in Baltimore and at the Jets, losing each by double digits. The Broncos thrive with a reliable rush attack, but haven’t produced a leading rusher with over 69 yards during their four-game losing streak and their top two running backs failed to combine for 100 yards in three of those losses. Instead, they’ve relied more on quarterback Case Keenum who has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns. He’s attempted at least 40 passes in Denver’s last two losses—a backdoor cover against the Rams and a beatdown in New York.
On the flip side, Denver’s rush defense has been non-existent. It allowed over 200 yards on the ground on Sunday to Todd Gurley and even to Isaiah Crowell the week before. Denver ranks dead-last in rush yards per game allowed. Arizona is playing with a rookie quarterback, Josh Rosen, who’s growing increasingly comfortable, averaging more yards per pass attempt in every game. A strong running game is a quarterback’s best friend. Arizona will run away to victory in the desert.
SNF; BENGALS
I can’t trust a team to cover a decent-sized spread without a defense. Kansas City ranks 27th in opposing rush yards per game and 31st in opposing pass yards per game. The player quality is already questionable without injuries to safety Eric Berry and linebacker Justin Houston dealing further blows. The Chiefs have been vulnerable to teams who can gash them on the ground, which is why their only recent blowout came against a moronic Jacksonville team that refused to run the ball, but couldn’t pass-block, either. The Bengals won’t make this mistake with a healthy Joe Mixon, who has improved in his second year by averaging 4.7 yards per carry, .1 fewer than Rams superstar Todd Gurley.
If a team can withstand KC’s pass rush, then KC’s pass defense is also vulnerable. The Chiefs rank 15th in opposing passer rating. The Bengals don’t allow many sacks—three in 42 drop-backs on Sunday to a sack-heavy Steelers defense, for instance. Andy Dalton has a pair of formidable weapons in AJ Green and Tyler Boyd. The Bengals will keep up with Kansas City.
CARDINALS: Broncos have given up 200+ yards rushing in consecutive weeks. David Johnson can finally get going for Arizona and help out rookie quarterback. Denver has been a disaster in every road game.
TITANS: London game. Chargers being overvalued. Titans’ retooled secondary that ranks eighth in opposing passer rating will limit Rivers. Chargers pass rush won’t do the damage that Baltimore did.
BEARS: Bears’ defense was gassed in the second half by the Miami heat, will play with chip on shoulder, very physical. The defense can plague NE in way historic Ravens, Giants, and Jaguars defenses have.
BILLS: Bills’ D has been playing so well, almost all the points that it’s allowed in the past few weeks have resulted from miscues on O. Colts’ O is limited by injury, won’t score enough to cover.
DOLPHINS: Cold-weather team Detroit will have to deal with the South Florida heat. Lions are a pass-first team, but Dolphins rank fifth in opposing passer rating and will be Stafford’s toughest test by far.
JETS: Vikings pass defense has been injured and disappointing, ranks 27th in opposing passer rating. Darnold has succeeded against other low-ranking pass defenses, he can keep Jets in this game.
PANTHERS: Eagles looked great against the Giants who are a mess of a team. But Panthers’ D is much stingier, ranks ninth in opposing passer rating. CMC will bounce back against Eagles’ D (13th in opp. YPC).
BROWNS: Browns were bullied by LA’s pass rush, but Bucs have no such thing. Baker can finally have a good day against bottom-ranked secondary. Bucs pass-first, but Browns’ D second in opposing passer rating.
TEXANS: Mariota, Mahomes, Prescott: mobile quarterbacks are giving Jags’ D trouble. Overall, Jags’ D has looked very vulnerable lately, while the offense is inept with Bortles and without Fournette.
RAVENS: Saints rank 31st in opposing passer-rating, so pass-first Ravens should score plenty here. Saints will face a very competent defense this time, they’re in for a dog fight, especially outside Dome.
RAMS: Beathard played game of his life on MNF, will come back down to Earth. 49ers defense has little resistance to offer stacked Rams’ attack that was limited in tough Denver climate, but will bounce back.
REDSKINS: Home-field advantage. Since debacle vs Indy, Skins have played well at home, beating Packers then Panthers. Conversely, Dallas has scored 45 points in three road games and lost all of them.
BENGALS: Chiefs won’t bring enough defense or healthy defenders to cover large spread. Andy Dalton has been playing well in primetime. Joe Mixon is back and healthy, will gash Chiefs’ bottom-ranked run D.
GIANTS: Falcons injury-ridden D is perfect opportunity for Giants’ O to succeed like against Carolina. Success can heal internal turmoil. Falcons have nearly allowed 35+ points in four straight contests.
