FRIDAY AFTERNOON QUARTERBACK: NFL WEEK 4

BY ADAM GREENE

Thursday night, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor faced his Jeff Fisher moment. What’s a “Jeff Fisher moment?” It’s simple. You’ve got, at worst, a decent team. You’re coming off a huge win that should propel you to somewhere in the season. In Fisher’s case, it was usually a win over the Seattle Seahawks or the Bruce Arians era Arizona Cardinals. For Taylor, it was knocking off the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-10.

In 2015, Fisher led the Rams to a season opening 34-31 overtime win over the Seahawks. He followed that up with back to back losses on the way to a 7-9 season. In 2016, Fisher got the Rams off to a 3-1 start in their first year in LA, knocking off the Seahawks and the Cardinals in the process. They would lose their next four games and by Christmas, Fisher was fired.

Taylor faced that moment, down 14-0 the Jacksonville Jaguars at halftime thanks to a tremendous goal line stand from his defense that kept it from being a three touchdown deficit and led his team back, with Joe Burrow, and won the game. It won’t look great on paper a month from now, a 24-21 victory over a Jaguars team that will probably win 2-3 games this season. But right now, for a team that hasn’t had a winning season in half a decade and won a playoff game in 31 years, it was huge.

On the other side of the field, Trevor Lawrence looked like an NFL quarterback. This is going to be a long season for him and that was never in doubt when he was selected No. 1 by the Jags. He played well, good enough to win. The rest of the team just isn’t there and won’t be this year. But if you’re a Jacksonville fan, you have to like your QB situation after a rough start.

It was a tremendous start to Week 4, but we’ve got a full slate of mid Sunday games that could top it.

WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM AT ATLANTA FALCONS (+1.5, O/U: 47.5)

So far the Falcons have spent the early part of the season ruining parlays and survivor pools with impudence. It’s time they started ruining young seasons to for teams that had illusions of being a contender. I still like Taylor Heinicke for the WFT, but Atlanta is better than what they’ve put on the field so far this season. Last week’s last second win might wake them up a little. Falcons 23, WFT 20

DETROIT LIONS AT CHICAGO BEARS (-2.5, O/U: 41.5)

There’s a good chance Matt Nagy’s coaching for his job here according to reports. NFL punditry, en masse, has already decided he should be loaded up in the trebuchet. Nagy has responded by threatening to start Andy Dalton or Nick Foles over Justin Fields. Even putting that out there is reason enough to consider firing him. Here’s a fun fact; Jared Goff has never won a football game not coached my Sean McVay. After last week’s historically crazy loss to the Ravens, he’s 0-10 without the wunderkind coach. I think 0-11 is on the table. Bears 20, Lions 16

TENNESSEE TITANS AT NEW YORK JETS (+7, O/U: 44.5)

The idea that the Titans, after running over the Seahawks and Colts are rolling into New York, the worst team in the league, should get every bettor in America excited looking at just seven points. Not to mention fantasy football managers starting Derrick Henry. I have a feeling plenty of Daily Fantasy players will be looking hard at this one too. Titans 38, Jets 13

CLEVELAND BROWNS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (+2, O/U: 51)

Kirk Cousins is quietly having an excellent start to his season, probably because no one can hear him behind the Tupperware container he’s been forced to live behind since he’s refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Coming into this game, Cousins has completed 73.9 percent of his passes for 918 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions. That last stat will probably change in this one. If Cleveland is the team everyone thinks they are, this is a game they should win. Browns 24, Vikings 21

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (-1.5, O/U: 42.5)

The Dolphins are starting their back up quarterback, Jacoby Brissett. The Colts should be, as the only reason Carson Wentz is playing with two bad ankles is that he wasn’t born with three. If Jacob Eason can’t spot start as the Colts’ No. 2 QB, then why in the hell is he their No. 2 QB? You knew Wentz could get hurt this season because the dude gets hurt every season. It’s his most dominant NFL stat. If Eason isn’t the guy, this is something you should have fixed in August. Dolphins 23, Colts 20

CAROLINA PANTHERS AT DALLAS COWBOYS (-4.5, O/U: 52)

Here it is, the chance for the 3-0 Panthers to prove they’re the real deal by defeating a team that looks like a serious playoff contender thus far. All that’s working against them is Dak Prescott unreeling an MVP campaign and all but sealing up the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award. What’s working for them? Mike McCarthy is still in charge on the Dallas sideline, managing the game and the clock while trying not to get distracted by a Cheesecake Factory menu he stole from the team dinner the night before. Cowboys 31, Panthers 23

NEW YORK GIANTS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-7.5, O/U: 42)

The good news for Daniel Jones is, he’s looking a lot like an NFL quarterback this year. His problem is that he’s currently not playing for an NFL team. All isn’t lost, however. All he has to do to see his future is look across to the other sideline and see Jameis Winston playing QB for Sean Payton. He’ll get plenty of chances to see it Sunday. Saints 27, Giants 16

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (+7.5, O/U: 54.5)

Before this season, Patrick Mahomes had not lost a game in September. He’s now lost two in a row. He’d also not thrown an interception in September. He threw three. But it’s no longer September and Halloween is about to come early for a Philadelphia team that probably needs to get Houston on the phone for Deshaun Watson stat. Chiefs 38, Eagles 17

HOUSTON TEXANS AT BUFFALO BILLS (-16.5, O/U: 47)

In the preseason, I could see a scenario where Houston did not win a game. It turns out they did win one. They won’t win this one. The only thing scary about this match up is the line, but with Davis Mills making his second start, we’re probably safe. Bills 38, Texans 10

ARIZONA CARDINALS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS (-4.5, O/U: 55)

For the second week in a row, the Rams not only play an undefeated team, but maybe one they’ll meet in the postseason. The difference here is with Arizona, they’ll have to hook up again in the regular season first. With the 49ers and Seahawks facing each other, the winner of this one will have a nice early cushion in the NFC West. Rams 37, Cardinals 24

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (-2.5, O/U: 52)

Here’s a few more fun facts for you. Russell Wilson is 15-4 in his career against San Francisco, regardless of their coach, their QB or how good the Niners are. Since they hired Kyle Shanahan, Wilson is 6-2 against the 49ers. It’s not an exaggeration to think that Seattle’s season is on the line here and a third loss in a row, in the NFC, could be too big a hole to dig out of with five more NFC West games still on the schedule as well. I’m thinking upset is what I’m saying. Seahawks 30, 49ers 27

BALTIMORE RAVENS AT DENVER BRONCOS (+1, O/U: 45)

Baltimore is three freak plays, a last minute Kansas City fumble, converting a 4^th and 19 deep in their own territory and an NFL record 66 yard field goal from Justin Tucker, from being 0-3. Vic Fangio has a defense that can stop them, especially with Lamar Jackson not at 100 percent. Broncos 24, Ravens 20

PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (-7, O/U: 45.5)

People have written Pittsburgh’s eulogy before, but if my memory serves, Ben Roethlisberger has been good for one or two of these bed sheet destroying losses a season for a while. I’m not ready to bench the future Pro Football Hall of Famer just yet, but I can’t see them knocking off Green Bay after the miracle they pulled off last week with their own first ballot guy, Aaron Rodgers. Packers 27, Steelers 17

Last week

Straight up: 11-5

Against the spread: 10-6

Season

Straight up: 32-16

Against the spread: 26-22

The NFL season is underway and the Week 4 Schedule is up and taking bets at BetOnline.AG.

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