SUNDAY NIGHT PRESEASON NFL: FIVE GAMES

BY ADAM GREENE

What we lacked in broadcast coverage Friday and Saturday in the final week of the NFL preseason, we more than make up for Sunday. Every single game on the schedule will be performed in front of a live national audience.

The NFL Network will show the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Dallas Cowboys at 1 p.m., followed by the Las Vegas Raiders at the San Francisco 49ers at 4 p.m. and then the New England Patriots at New York Giants at 6 p.m. I presume picking it up already in progress.

CBS will show the Miami Dolphins at the Cincinnati Bengals at 4 p.m. and NBC will wrap up the night with the Cleveland Browns at the Atlanta Falcons at 8 p.m.

Here’s our Sunday slate of games:

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT DALLAS COWBOYS (+3.5, O/U: 36.5)

It’s official. The Jaguars have named No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence their Week One starter to the surprise of no one, except for maybe backup Gardner Minshew II who received the news by shotgunning a Natural Light then cutting the legs of his jeans into some Daisy Dukes.

Dallas had no quarterback quandary. Their problem was Dak Prescott’s shoulder and before that it was Prescott’s ankle and before that it was hiring Mike McCarthy, and, no, I’m not dropping it.

Both these teams are in danger of going winless in the preseason, if it means anything. And it used to, believe it or not. An 0-4 team in the exhibition games rarely made the playoffs until the Buffalo Bills broke the jinx in the 1990s. I’m not sure it matters anymore, other than to let a team know they have real depth and back up quarterback issues. I like Minshew and I think Jacksonville is looking to trade him so he’ll get to play a lot. That’s why I’m rolling with them here. Jaguars 17, Cowboys 13

MIAMI DOLPHINS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (-2, O/U: 35.5)

For the first time we’ll finally get that Tua Tagovailoa vs Joe Burrow match up in the NFL as JoeBurr is set to make his 2021 debut in the preseason finale. How much will each man play? There’s no way to tell. If I could guess, I’d say Tua will go a quarter for the Dolphins and Burrow might do the same, depending on what Bengals head coach Zac Taylor sees from his offensive line.

Tags, as only I call him, has to be feeling pretty sharp after his last game. He went 16 of 23 against the Atlanta Falcons for 183 yards and a touchdown in a 37-17 win. It was a good night all the way around for Miami’s quarterbacks as Jacoby Brissett and Reid Sinnett finished a perfect 10 for 10 for 106 yards and two TDs.

The Bengals back ups weren’t nearly as sharp and the drop off after Burrow trots to the sideline will be significant. As such, I’m feeling Miami will wrap up their preseason with the dub. Dolphins 23, Bengals 16

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (-3.5, O/U: 35.5)

The highly touted rookie quarterbacks have added excitement to the preseason. Like Justin Fields, Trey Lance of the 49ers has been relegated to a back up to begin the season, but that just means he can take it out on the Raiders. Lance and Fields are having similar preseasons in which they aren’t lighting it up with their completion percentages, but making exciting highlight chunk plays. Last week, Lance went 8 of 14 for 102 yards and two touchdowns in a 15-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

You know who no one is excited about? The Raiders who have gone 2-0 in the preseason playing Nathan Peterman at quarterback to save Derek Carr for the regular season and, I presume, keeping Marcus Mariota healthy enough to trade. Regardless, they’ve been boring and effective and while that might be enough in exhibition games, it won’t do much in the AFC West in the regular season.

I expect to see more Peterman in this one and plenty of Lance. As such, I’m going with the kid. 49ers 27, Raiders 17

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT NEW YORK GIANTS (+3.5, O/U: 36)

Here’s a fun fact: the two highest graded quarterbacks of the NFL preseason according to Pro Football Focus are Cam Newton with an 88.9 and Mac Jones with an 88.9. While I would have told you, even a week ago, that Newton probably still has this job locked down, the fact that he’s sitting in the COVID-19 protocol unvaxxed has opened the door. If Jones strolls through it and sends Cam to the bench in between monthly bouts of COVID, it’ll be the former MVP’s own fault. Champions get vaccinated.

There’s no such excitement on the Giants’ sideline. They’re 0-2 in the preseason and haven’t looked great. Daniel Jones will get his first preseason action Sunday and will reportedly play a half.

The Pats, even without Newton, have the better QB room even though, and I can’t believe I’m writing this, Mike Glennon actually looked decent last week in New York’s 17-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns. It doesn’t change my pick. Patriots 27, Giants 19

CLEVELAND BROWNS AT ATLANTA FALCONS (+6, O/U: 36)

Speaking of the Browns, their new defensive end Jadeveon Clowney created a stir on social media this week claiming that offensive guards are poor athletes and he loves lining up against them. Twitter responded, as they often do, by highlighting all the times Clowney has been washed by offensive guards and the rogue tackling dummy. On offense, Baker Mayfield will see his first preseason action and I’m guessing he’ll last a quarter or so.

The big Falcons news this week was the signing of Josh Rosen, easily a no-brainer type move for Atlanta. Rosen has gotten a raw deal in the NFL and Atlanta is the perfect spot for him to sit, learn and practice behind Matt Ryan, the guy everyone compared him to when he came out of UCLA.

As for the pick? Cleveland is just better than Atlanta all the way down the roster. As fun as it might be to see Rosen do anything, Case Keenum coming in for the Brownies in the second will probably lock this one up. Browns 34, Falcons 23

Last week

Straight up: 12-4

Against the spread: 6-10

Preseason

Straight up: 19-14

Against the spread: 12-22

The NFL season begins on Thursday, Sep. 9 and the Week 1 Schedule is already up and taking bets at BetOnline.AG.

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