FRIDAY AFTERNOON QUARTERBACK: NFL WEEK 8

BY ADAM GREENE

For the worst week of games in recent NFL history, it sure started out with a bang. The Arizona Cardinals took their first loss of the season thanks to a last-second interception in the red zone by Kyler Murray. The Green Bay Packers got the win on the road 24-21 and might have hurt Murray in the process.

As for the losing play, I’ll need Sherlock Holmes to explain to me what happened. Murray tossed a ball to AJ Green, who was one on one against Green Bay’s Rasul Douglas and Green never turned around or looked for the ball. Douglas did, got a hand on it and tapped it to himself to wrap it up.

While one loss isn’t bad, considering all the other best teams in the league are sitting on the same record, it’s the fact that Murray might have hurt himself on the play before that should be the real concern. Murray ran a quick end around QB keeper that picked up a first down, but gave the MVP frontrunner a noticeable limp for the rest of the game.

The Packers got it done without their defensive coordinator Joe Barry and Devante Adams (as well as Allen Lazard) all on the COVID-19 protocols. It was a great game and if there’s anyone that should feel bad at the end it’s the Cardinals fans, who let Green Bay’s fandom take over their stadium Thursday night and make it a defacto home game for the Packers. That was a damn shame.

It also sets the stage for a real Sunday let down as we have an absolute garbage gyre of games ahead to the point where NFL Red Zone’s Scott Hanson will run out of apologies by the second quarter of the 1 p.m. slate. We have a total of one (yes, ONE) game between two teams coming into the week with winning records. We have five games between teams with .500 records or worse.

And we can’t blame the bye this time because just two teams are taking the week off.

Byes: Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens

MIAMI DOLPHINS AT BUFFALO BILLS (-14, O/U: 48.5)

Tua Tagovailoa, when asked if he feels wanted by the Dolphins, replied that he doesn’t “not feel wanted.” He should though, because Miami is all up in the Houston Texans’ DMs to add Deshaun Watson. The good news for Tua is, there should be a market of halfway decent teams that need a QB. He could play his cards right and end up somewhere like Denver or Washington and probably be alright. The bad news is, this game is a hard loss to a Buffalo team coming off a bye. Bills 41, Dolphins 19

CAROLINA PANTHERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS (-3, O/U: 46.5)

Both these teams have three wins, but they’re on vastly different trajectories. Carolina has lost four straight with Sam Darnold handing out interceptions like ski ball tickets. Meanwhile, Atlanta has put a couple of wins together against bad teams that probably should impress no one other than the Panthers, who are also a bad team. Falcons 27, Panthers 16

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT DETROIT LIONS (+3.5, O/U: 48)

I’m actively rooting for Detroit to go 0-17, but I don’t think they have the gumption to do it. There’s just too much knee bite in this team. As for Philadelphia, they’re loaded with first round picks and the worse they finish the better. I think it’s time for Jared Goff to get that first non Sean McVay win. Because if it doesn’t happen here, it might not happen at all. Lions 24, Eagles 23

TENNESSEE TITANS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (-2.5, O/U: 51)

Don’t let the records on this game fool you. Indianapolis is getting more dangerous the healthier Carson Wentz gets. Tennessee is coming off back to back monster wins, but it would be just like them to drop a division game against their arch rival after knocking off the Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. Colts 24, Titans 20

LOS ANGELES RAMS AT HOUSTON TEXANS (+14.5, O/U: 47.5)

The biggest mismatch of the week has the biggest, scariest spread just in time for Halloween. Los Angeles is undefeated on the road and should stay that way. The only question is if they can win by 15 or more to a team that’s scored in the double digits just one time since Davis Mills took the reigns. Tyrod Taylor has practiced this week and that should make some difference in the final margin if he can start. But not nearly enough. Cooper Kupp has nine touchdowns through the first seven weeks of the season for LA and is on pace to break the NFL’s singe season receiving record of 1,964 yards set by Calvin Johnson in 2012. Johnson’s QB that year was… checks notes… Matthew Stafford. Rams 38, Texans 19

CINCINNATI BENGALS AT NEW YORK JETS (+10.5, O/U: 43)

Cincinnati comes into this game after putting up 41 points on the Baltimore Ravens. New York will show up without their rookie starting quarterback Zach Wilson, Mike White makes his first NFL start with Joe Flacco just now entering the building after a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. This game was probably going to be a blowout with the Jets at full strength. Now they might not score a point. Cincy QB Joe Burrow is riding a streak of seven games with two or more TD passes. I think he’ll make it eight Sunday. Bengals 31, Jets 3

PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (-3.5, O/U: 42)

Baker Mayfield is slated to start even though he doesn’t have a working left arm. Being right handed, this might be a manageable issue if not for TJ Watt barreling down on him every single play. Pittsburgh is battling to stay relevant and get over .500 for the first time since Week 1. Cleveland is just hoping to stay in the mix with nearly every player on the team sitting on the injury report. Fun fact: Before Mayfield passed him up last season, Ben Roethlisberger was the winningest quarterback in the history of FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland. Steelers 27, Browns 24

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT CHICAGO BEARS (+4, O/U: 39.5)

The Jimmy Garoppolo farewell tour comes to his hometown of Chicago as the former Super Bowl quarterback (soon to replaced by Trey Lance for good) likely wraps up his tenure with the team. Fans and the media are once again calling for Chicago head coach Matt Nagy to be fired and, if recent history shows us anything, that’s usually when he can pull of a win. Bears 20, 49ers 17

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (-3.5, O/U: 44)

What I’m about to do makes no sense. Urban Meyer should be fired at the end of this season and, honestly, the sooner owner Shad Khan can hit the ejector seat on Meyer the better. But he’s bringing Trevor Lawrence, who’s been looking better and better every week, to a Seattle team led by Geno Smith that has lost three straight games and three consecutive home games. Smith has had the ball in his hands with plenty of time on the clock in those three straight losses and each time soiled the sheets. Jaguars 26, Seahawks 23

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (-5, O/U: 49)

New England has yet to beat a team not starting a rookie QB and they’ll be facing one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Justin Herbert. LA is rested up off their bye and probably still pretty hot about dropping their last game before the off week. I think they’ll take it out on the Pats. Chargers 33, Patriots 17

WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM AT DENVER BRONCOS (-3, O/U: 44)

This game might not look interesting on paper, but it also doesn’t look interesting on a PC, MAC or smartphone screen either. The only thing that stands out about either of these teams is that they should both hit up Miami to trade for Tua Tagovailoa the second Deshaun Watson lands in South Beach. Broncos 20, WFT 16

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (+5.5, O/U: 50)

This is it, the only game between teams with winning records on Sunday. Tampa Bay, of course, is one of the league’s elite squads and holds a 6-1 mark. New Orleans is 4-2 and while that doesn’t surprise me, the fact that they’ve struggled to get there has. Ironically, last season the Saints swept Tampa in the regular season only to get knocked out of the playoffs by the Bucs in the NFC’s Divisional round. I don’t think this year will play out the same way. Buccaneers 31, Saints 23

Last week

Straight up: 8-5

Against the spread: 8-5

Season

Straight up: 71-36

Against the spread: 58-49

The NFL season is rolling along and the Week 8 Schedule is up and taking bets at BetOnline.AG.

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