FRIDAY AFTERNOON QUARTERBACK: NFL WEEK 7

BY ADAM GREENE

It would be easy to talk about Thursday night’s game and make the gag that the Cleveland Browns now have a quarterback controversy considering Case Keenum stopped their two-game skid with a 17-14 win over the Denver Broncos. But the fact is, the offense that Kevin Stefanski has created, and the running backs he keeps on the roster, doesn’t need elite QB play.

Mayfield is certainly better than Keenum, but the Browns need to keep this performance in mind when it comes time to iron out that second Mayfield contract.

The real surprise was third year running back D’Ernest Johnson, who got the start thanks to both Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb being hurt. Johnson had a total of 40 career carries coming into Thursday night’s game. He had 22 against Denver alone, picking up 146 yards and a touchdown in the process.

What he also did was put the team on his back, both teams really, as he drug Broncos defenders down the field in Cleveland’s final possession to ice the win and likely put Denver head coach Vic Fangio firmly atop the hot seat.

It was an ugly loss for Fangio and the Broncos, looking every bit like the wrap on Fangio’s head coaching tenure it should be. This is his third season at the helm in Denver and this is easily the best team he’s fielded. They’ll probably be lucky to get to eight wins. If they can’t match up against a Browns team with nearly every offensive skill starter out or limited, that’s reason enough to scrap it, shove Fangio overboard, and start over. There are too many good potential head coaching prospects entering the market in 2022 to screw around anymore.

If you play fantasy football, this week is kind of a disaster as some of the best performers available are sitting out with byes. Josh Allen, Dak Prescott, Kirk Cousins and Justin Herbert alone have likely stacked up fantasy football victories for their managers this season. Let’s hope those managers, for their sake if they have something embarrassing they have to do if they finish last in their leagues, have a deep bench. No one wants to wear a sandwich board proclaiming their fantasy football ineptitude in Victoria’s Secret lingerie during the winter in a pandemic.

Byes: Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars

CINCINNATI BENGALS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (-6.5, O/U: 46.5)

Alright, here are some no fun stats if you’re rooting for Cincinnati. Lamar Jackson is 5-0 against the Bengals lifetime and, with him at QB, has outscored Cincy 84-19 over their last three meetings. Cincinnati is significantly better this year, maybe a playoff team, but Baltimore might be the best team in the AFC. Ravens 33, Bengals 24

CAROLINA PANTHERS AT NEW YORK GIANTS (+3. O/U: O/U: 43.5)

This game is so bad I can’t believe they didn’t accidentally ship it over to London. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will just have to do without as the hapless Panthers take on the helpless Giants in a game Scott Hanson is already prepping apologies for queuing up on NFL RedZone. New York head coach Joe Judge publicly said Thursday that the team’s poor start is all on him, stating, “the fish stinks from the head down.” That’s an odd analogy to make, because fish stink is pretty pervasive all over and I’ve never heard of anyone specifically shoving the head of a mackerel toward their nose. It’s a cod, not a casaba melon. Anyway, he’s right. His team is terrible and he should be fired. Panthers 21, Giants 17

WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (-7.5, O/U: 49)

This line has dropped a little as apparently bettors were liking WFT at -8.5, I did not. At all. And probably would have picked Green Bay to cover at -10 considering that Aaron Rodgers is finishing up his final season with the Pack claiming paternity over every lackluster franchise the in the league. Washington has given up over 30 points a game over their last five and that won’t change Sunday. Packers 33, WFT 16

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT TENNESSEE TITANS (+4.5, O/U: 57.5)

This is probably the best game of the week. The Chiefs haven’t stopped a good team from scoring all season and the Titans, most weeks, look halfway decent. Derrick Henry is a human cheat code and Kansas City has the sixth worst rushing defense in the league. If there’s an issue, it’s Ryan Tannehill who’s been compared to Patrick Mahomes since he took over in Tennessee. It was for good reason, but this year Tannehill’s looked more like Jackson Mahomes. Julio Jones probably won’t play because that’s his thing now and A.J. Brown has been sick this week. More than that, I can’t see Tennessee pulling off two monster upsets in a row. Not if any part of this game falls on Tannehill’s shoulders. Chiefs 38, Titans 30

ATLANTA FALCONS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (+2.5, O/U: 47.5)

The Falcons are coming into this game off a bye and the Dolphins probably wish they had one as they’re in heated negotiations to add Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson to the roster and ship former first round pick Tua Tagovailoa out of town. It’s not the best atmosphere to start a game. It’s a huge distraction and if they were playing any team other than Atlanta, it would spell blowout doom. I’m still picking the Falcons, but I’m like that sweatshirt you put on this morning by noontime, not comfortable. Falcons 23, Dolphins 20

NEW YORK JETS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (-7, O/U: 42.5)

Both of New England’s wins this season came against teams starting rookie quarterbacks and one of them was against these same Jets. I see no reason for that to change. Mac Jones is statistically having a decent season, but he’s got a significant coaching advantage over Zach Wilson. And, also an experience advantage since Jones is used to throwing to NFL receivers at Alabama and everyone Wilson tossed balls to in college is currently wrapping up their Subway Sandwich Artist certifications. Patriots 24, Jets 13

DETROIT LIONS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS (-16.5, O/U: 50.5)

I’m writing this on Thursday night and this line jumped a point and a half since I started the column. Jared Goff makes his not so triumphant return to SoFi Stadium to take on his former team and a coach that knows all his weaknesses so well he spent two first round picks and a third to ship him to Detroit for Matthew Stafford. That probably explains the line and while it might be higher than this by the time this article runs. Rams 45, Lions 16

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (-3, O/U: 49)

I saw an interesting quote Thursday from Las Vegas running back Josh Jacobs discussing last week’s win over the Denver Broncos. Jacobs said, “Man, the sideline was so, it was like, it wasn’t no anxiety. It was weird. It was like everybody was clam. You didn’t have somebody cussing at you or going crazy at the refs. None of that. Something bad happened it (was) like, ‘Ok, next play.” Jon Gruden was a cancer and that cancer has been removed. I think Las Vegas will keep playing like it. Raiders 37, Eagles 23

CHICAGO BEARS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (-12.5, O/U: 47)

We come to our second college football line of the week as Justin Fields gets his first shot at Tom Brady and Brady gets the opportunity to add one more QB’s head to the wall of his trophy room. Tampa has only covered twice this season, but both times have been at home. It’s a safe bet it will happen again here. Bucs 34, Bears 20

HOUSTON TEXANS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (-17.5, O/U: 47)

As funny as it was to see the Lions at Rams line jump in less than an hour, I’m not shocked to see this one sit there unmoved. The Texans are abysmal, battling for the No. 1 overall pick (and likely stockpiling plenty more draft selections after the proposed Watson trade with the Dolphins) and Arizona is playing like a franchise on a mission. One side note to this game, this will be the first time Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt has faced his old team and probably the only time it’ll happen since they don’t play often and are very unlikely to meet up in the Super Bowl before Watt retires or the Sun burns out, taking the solar system with it to finish out eternity as a faint white dwarf star, shinning its pale light on whatever planet remnants still encircle it that weren’t consumed by its red giant expansion phase. Anyway, Cardinals 45, Texans 10

Last week

Straight up: 10-4

Against the spread: 10-4

Season

Straight up: 63-31

Against the spread: 50-44

The NFL season is rolling along and the Week 7 Schedule is up and taking bets at BetOnline.AG.

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