Let's make some serious cash with FantasySP's Week 9 edition of NFL best bets!
Week 9 started with a bang as Jonathan Taylor and Carson Wentz led the Indianapolis Colts to a convincing 45-30 victory over the injury-riddled New York Jets. The standings are beginning to shape up across the NFL and no team in the AFC has pulled away. The 4-5 Colts are very much still in the picture, although the 2-6 Jets should begin thinking about next season. As the postseason picture begins to become more clear, it's time to gear up for this week's edition of NFL best bets. It takes a lot of energy and research to have success over the course of a season when it comes to sports betting. Over the last three weeks, we are 9-6 with our picks. Let's make some real money in Week 9. Here at FantasySP, we are committed to helping you cash. Remember, if you win 55% of your bets, you are a really good gambler. We are looking at some eye-opening odds this week and will help you decipher the best games to place your money on, whether it's moneylines, over-unders, or prop bets. With that, let's dive in.
WEEK 9 NFL BEST BETS
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints (-6)
Although the Saints lost Jameis Winston for the season, third-stringer Trevor Siemian filled in admirably during last week's upset victory over Tom Brady and the reigning Super Bowl champs. Despite the fact that Taysom Hill is expected to suit up this week after dealing with concussion symptoms, Sean Payton has named Siemian the starter. Still, Hill is expected to see some snaps and will be rotated in depending on the game flow. New Orleans' strength isn't their passing game anyway, so the starting quarterback doesn't make an enormous difference to me. Siemian proved that he can manage a game enough to get a victory. The Saints' strengths are the running game, featuring Alvin Kamara and the newly acquired Mark Ingram, as well as their defense. Marcus Lattimore is going to shut down whoever he lines up against. But it won't be Calvin Ridley.
The Atlanta Falcons will be without their superstar wideout, who has stepped away from the game to focus on personal problems. The Falcons have been pretty atrocious on both sides of the football, but I do expect this game to be closer than one might expect given each team's respective records. Nonetheless, I'm comfortable placing my money on the Saints in this clash of NFC South rivals. The Saints play very well on their home field and the Falcons are 4-6 as underdogs against the spread over their last 10 contests. The Saints should have no problem covering the six-point spread.
The Pick: Saints (-6)
Prediction: 24-14 Saints
Denver Broncos at Dallas Cowboys (-10)
This game's spread has sky-rocketed since opening at 4.5 points. Dallas is coming off an impressive primetime victory over the Minnesota Vikings with Cooper Rush under center. Now, they get superstar quarterback Dak Prescott back into a loaded offense featuring Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, and CeeDee Lamb. Plus, Dallas should expect Michael Gallup back from Injured Reserve after a several-week absence.
On the other side of the ball, the Denver Broncos may have given up on their season by trading away pass rusher Von Miller. And even though Denver has Jerry Jeudy back in the lineup, second-year tight end Noah Fant will be inactive after testing positive for COVID-19. It's hard to imagine Denver's dink-and-dump offense keeping up with the high-powered Cowboys. Although the spread if a bit loft, Dallas should have no problem taking care of business in Jerry World. They are 9-1 in their last 10 contests against the spread.
The Pick: Cowboys (-10)
Prediction: 37-24 Cowboys
New England Patriots at Carolina Panthers (+3.5)
This game's spread has been changing throughout the week due to the uncertainty of Sam Darnold's availability for the Panthers. Darnold is highly questionable due to a shoulder injury and concussion symptoms. Even if he is able to play, he has been on a massive downward spiral since Carolina's miraculous 3-0 start to the season. The Panthers have lost four of their last five games and even though they might get Christian McCaffrey back, it's doubtful that CMC will be at full strength. And nobody wants to see P.J. Walker starting at quarterback for the Panthers if Darnold is unable to suit up.
Meanwhile, the Patriots have been playing quite well despite the fact that rookie quarterback Mac Jones is coming off his worst performance of the season. After eclipsing 300 yards and tossing two touchdowns without turning the ball over in Week 7 against the Jets, Jones only managed 218 scoreless passing yards against the Chargers last week. Although it was ugly, New England escaped with their second consecutive victory and have salvaged their season. This is a must-win for both teams and it's hard to envision Bill Belichick not finding a way to defeat the undermanned Panthers.
The Pick: Patriots -3.5
Prediction: 26-20 Patriots
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Las Vegas Raiders at New York Giants (+3)
The G-Men have played well this season despite their 2-6 record. They were an offsides penalty away from upsetting the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football last week. They also have very close losses to Washington and Philly this season. Daniel Jones has played well despite the lack of Saquon Barkley and Kenny Golladay for much of the season. The G-Men will again be without Barkley, who is on the COVID-19 list, and Sterling Shepard will also be out, but the Giants will get Golladay back, and rookie Kadarius Toney has emerged as a significant threat whenever he touches the ball. Plus, this is a revenge game for Devontae Booker. With Barkley inactive, Booker will be the featured back and should do some damage in both the running and passing game.
The Raiders are probably the weakest 5-2 team in the National Football League. Emotions have to be high after the recent news regarding Henry Ruggs. Derek Carr's top wideout won't be on the field so it will be up to Darren Waller, Hunter Renfrow, and Bryan Edwards to carry the Vegas pass catchers. Vegas is only 4-6 against the spread as favorites and I don't think they are nearly as good as their record suggests. Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham did an excellent job slowing down Patrick Mahomes in Week 8, and I think he'll do the same against Carr in Week 9. However, I think the Raiders will narrowly avoid the upset loss. But they won't cover the spread.
The Pick: Giants +3
Prediction: 28-26 Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers at Philadelphia Eagles (+1.5)
After suffering a backbreaking defeat to New England last week, now is the time to place your wagers on Justin Herbert and the Chargers. Yes, the Chargers have not looked quite as dominant as of late and the Eagles are coming off a 44-6 thrashing of the winless Detroit Lions. However, you aren't going to get many opportunities to bet on the superior team while laying less than a field goal. I'm placing multiple units on this one. I think the Chargers emerge victorious fairly easily in this one.
The Pick: Chargers (-1.5)
Prediction: 31-23 Chargers
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Will the Green Bay Packers cover the spread against Washington? Will Aaron Rodgers hit the over on his passing yardage prop?
Week 7 kicked off as the Cleveland Browns somehow escaped a matchup with the Denver Broncos with a 17-14 victory despite the absence of Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, and Kareem Hunt.
I truly thought the Broncos' defense would stymie backup quarterback Case Keenum, but Keenum held his own as the Brown moved to 4-2 on the season.
As we approach the weekend, it's time to prepare for this week's edition of NFL best bets.
It takes a lot of energy and research to have success over the course of a season when it comes to sports betting. We went 4-1 in Week 5 but struggled in Week 6, converting just two of five picks. Let's do better in Week 7. Here at FantasySP, we are committed to helping you cash. Remember, if you win 55% of your bets, you are a really good gambler. We are looking at some eye-opening odds this week and will help you decipher the best games to place your money on, whether it's money lines, over-unders, or prop bets. With that, let's dive in.
WEEK 7 NFL BEST BETS 2021
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens (-6.5)
Heading into their Week 8 bye, the Ravens get their third consecutive home game after looking absolutely unstoppable in their 34-6 drubbing of the Los Angeles Chargers last week. Lamar Jackson barely had to throw the ball because Baltimore has such a commanding lead. In fact, the Ravens ran the ball a whopping 36 times and all three veteran running backs found the end zone: Devonta Freeman, Le'Veon Bell, and Latavius Murray. It's not going to be quite as easy this week against a division rival that is trending in the right direction. Cincinnati has one of the best trios of receivers in the game and Joe Burrow's chemistry with Ja'Marr Chase is undeniable. That said, Baltimore should have no problem winning this game by a touchdown.
The Pick: Ravens -6.5
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Washington Football Team at Green Bay Packers (-7.5)
Just like the 5-1 Ravens, Green Bay is another team that nobody wants to play right now. The Packers looked absolutely atrocious in their Week 1 loss to the New Orleans Saints, but since then, they have dominated each and every contest. Aaron Rodgers is performing like an MVP, Davante Adams looks like the best receiver in the league, and Aaron Jones continues to shine in this backfield. This group has won five in a row and Rodgers should be able to feast on a Washington defense that is proving itself to be nowhere close to what we saw last season. Considering this game is at home at Lambeau Field, I think Rodgers has no problem throwing for 300 yards and three touchdowns. I'm expecting a blowout as Taylor Heinicke and Terry McLaurin struggled to put up points against the subpar Chiefs defense in Week 6.
The Pick: Packers -7.5
Kansas City Chiefs at Tennessee Titans (+4.5)
As mentioned above, Washington was unable to score points against Kansas City's bottom-third defense in Week 6, but the Tennessee Titans have a lot more weapons than Washington. Ryan Tannehill got A.J. Brown and Julio Jones back from injuries and the Titans are coming off an emotional win in which they defeated Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills as time expired on a fourth-down stop. Despite the fact that Tannehill will surely have success with Brown and Jones, the Titans' offense obviously runs through MVP frontrunner Derrick Henry. In fact, Henry's MVP odds are currently +4000 at DraftKings. If you are into future bets, I would lock that in.
Henry has eclipsed 100 yards in five consecutive games. Over that span, he is averaging 145 rushing yards per game and five yards per carry with a whopping 10 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Kansas City's defense is yielding 5.2 yards per carry and more than one rushing touchdown per game. The Chiefs rank dead last in rushing defense, which means Henry could very well go off in Week 7. In his last regular-season matchup with the Chiefs, King Henry capitalized, producing 8.2 yards per carry.
All that said, the Titans have been almost as bad as the Chiefs on the defensive side of the ball. They rank 27th in total DVOA defense and are allowing the sixth-most yards per catch and 28.8 points per game. Considering the Chiefs have the most high-powered offense in the league, nobody would be shocked if Kansas City put a 40 burger on the scoreboard. Tennessee has allowed a league-high 10 receiving touchdowns to wideouts and the Titans' secondary has no chance at stopping Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman due to their speed. Plus, you've got to watch out for Travis Kelce over the middle of the field. 2020 MVP Patrick Mahomes is averaging 335.7 passing yards per game and is completing 74.9% of his passes despite a 3-3 record. Not to mention, Kansas City is converting third downs at a 63.6% clip on the road this season.
This game has all the makings for an absolute shootout. If you are playing Daily Fantasy Sports, this is the game to double and triple stack.
The Pick: Over 56.5 points
Carolina Panthers at New York Giants (+3)
Big Blue has been incredibly unlucky this season. Their offensive skill players have been absolutely decimated by injuries. Saquon Barkley is unlikely to suit up after twisting his ankle in Week 5 after stepping on a Cowboys defender's foot. Plus, Kenny Golladay and rookie sensation Kadarius Toney have already been ruled out. It looks like Sterling Shepard will play but Darius Slayton is looking like a true game-time decision. Daniel Jones was atrocious last week with so few offensive weapons at his disposal as he committed four turnovers (he only had one interception prior to Week 6, which was the biggest knock on him from critics prior to the season). Carolina ranks second in the NFL in DVOA pass defense and second in total DVOA defense, so it's going to be tough for the Giants to find the end zone. Kicker Graham Gano could be their high scorer!
On the other side of the ball, the Panthers are also shorthanded as Christian McCaffrey will not be back. Chubba Hubbard has filled in admirably, but he is definitely not CMC. Hubbard is averaging 4.5 yards per carry on the road this season and former New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold has exceeded expectations in his first season in Carolina. Darnold is averaging 302.5 passing yards per game, as the Panthers have averaged 26 points per game on the road. After a tough overtime loss to the Vikings in Week 6, look for the Panthers to win this game fairly easily. It also doesn't help that Giants fans have been booing their home squad every chance they get. You can confidently place your money on the Panthers in this one.
The Pick: Panthers -3
Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Rams (-14.5)
We've got a revenge narrative here as Matthew Stafford was traded for Jared Goff during the offseason. Clearly, things have not panned out for the Lions, who are 0-6 heading into this tough matchup. Something tells me that Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd are not going to take it easy on their former quarterback. The Detroit Lions have already allowed 14 sacks this season and are only averaging 16 points per game on the road. In fact, they were shut out through three quarters last Sunday and kicked a late field goal just to avoid a bagel.
Meanwhile, Matthew Stafford has been playing lights out and Cooper Kupp is looking like one of the best receivers in the NFL. Yes, this is a very large spread but I wouldn't be surprised if the Rams won this game by 20+ points.
The Pick: Rams -14.5
MY TWO FAVORITE WEEK 7 PROP BETS
Aaron Rodgers Over 251.5 Passing Yards:
Rodgers is averaging 260.6 passing YPG with 12 TDs and 1 pick over his last 5 games and has a 122.7 passer rating in 2 home games this season. He'll face a Washington team that is posting a disappointing 5.8% adjusted sack rate and ranks 28th in DVOA pass defense. Washington is yielding the second-most total YPG (431) and the most passing YPG (309.5) this year, so this is an extremely low prop for one of the best QBs in the game. As long as Taylor Heinicke keeps this contest moderately close – and he should be able to with Jaire Alexander (shoulder) out – Rodgers should top 260 passing yards easily.
Derrick Henry Under 126.5 Rushing Yards:
This is a bold call given how historically awful the Chiefs have been in rush defense this season. Yet the number is so high for Henry that he could fall well short of this total through no fault of his own if the Titans fall behind early. Tennessee's defense is equally terrible and this could be treated as a playoff game for a desperate KC squad. The Chiefs held Henry to 69 rushing yards and -8 receiving yards in the 2020 AFC Championship. They will have Chris Jones back to set the edge and should sell out to stop Henry.
Check out our Start / Sit tool to see which players to start in Week 7 at FantasySP!
The NFL's all-time leader in receiving yardage per game is looking for a new home.
Five time all-pro, Julio Jones, stated on FS1's Undisputed earlier this week that he was "out" of Atlanta and that his only focus on where he wants to play next year includes winning. This corroborates with reports back in April as Ian Rapoport indicated the Falcons were receiving calls for their star receiver prior to the NFL Draft.
It's no surprise that Jones wants out considering the Falcons have only made the playoffs once since their Super Bowl appearance in 2016. Jones is 32 now and coming off a season where nagging injuries kept him off the field for all but nine games in 2020. In those games Jones caught 51 balls for 771 yards while adding three touchdowns. Having only reached double-digit touchdowns once in his career in 2012, the volume and yardage have always been Julio's strengths. A lack of availability would certainly hurt his chances to be a major contributor for any title-contender.
According to SportsLine, the teams with the best odds to land Jones are as follows as of May 28, 2021.
- Patriots +200
- 49ers +300
- Titans +400
- Raiders +600
- Ravens +700
- Chargers +900
- Colts +1000
- Packers +1200
- Dolphins +1400
- Jaguars +1500
- Cowboys +2000
The theoretical talk about where Julio will go has been fun. But as we approach June 1 the situation is going to get real, and most experts believe we'll see a trade sooner than later. If it weren't for the fact that Atlanta is in such a bad salary cap situation, the organization and GM Terry Fontenot, may have tried to salvage the relationship as we're seeing the Packers attempting to do with Aaron Rodgers. But as it stands Atlanta isn't going to be able to sign their own draft class to contracts as they only have around $340K in available cap.
The Atlanta Falcons have discussed several trade offers for Julio Jones, including an offer for a future first roun… https://t.co/wkaP9RPs2O— Dianna Russini (@Dianna Russini) 1622122213.0
By trading Jones after June 1 the Falcons will only take on a dead cap hit of $7.75 million, saving them $15.3 million if dealt before that date. The Patriots (+200) have jumped up the oddsmaker's list and are now sitting as the favorites to land Julio. The check all the boxes you would want checked if you're the Falcons front office.
They have a first round pick they can send, which is something the Falcons have made clear is an important piece. They are coming off a season where it doesn't appear giving them Jones in a trade would be enough to push them to winning the Super Bowl. Finally they're in the AFC, and teams rarely like to trade stars within their own conference.
When Atlanta says no to Julio Jones for N’Keal Harry and two 6th round picks https://t.co/EAN8caa731— Boston Diehards (@Boston Diehards) 1621973206.0
The Patriots are in pseudo-rebuild mode. They're doing a lot of things to set a new foundation for the future (Mac Jones) but have aggressively spent money in free agency this offseason and bringing back Cam Newton means that Bill Belichick saw enough that he liked to run it back. Bringing in Julio to line up outside with Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry in double tight end sets allows the Pats to continue to let Cam take off on designed run calls. Now that I'm thinking this out, maybe trading Julio to the Patriots does make them a Super Bowl contender.
Another great landing spot for Jones would be in San Fran and they have the second best odds (+300) to do so. The selection of Trey Lance indicates the team is ready to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo and they can save $25 million by simply cutting him after June 1. That would mean it would be very easy for them to take on Jones' salary, but the question is whether the Falcons would want to send their disgruntled star to an NFC power house.
Give Julio Jones back to Kyle Shanahan https://t.co/6DWAchs1SZ— PFF (@PFF) 1621954860.0
Although the Ravens (+700) aren't one of the favorites to trade for Julio, they should be making calls to Atlanta. Baltimore drafted Rashod Bateman and Tylan Wallace in the draft to help bolster the group and Sammy Watkins signed with the team in the offseason. Hollywood Brown is an okay B-level Tyreek Hill.
But the team is going to have to pay Lamar Jackson and their championship window on his rookie deal runs out after this season. The fifth year option has already been exercised and while that means that Lamar will still be a Raven in 2022, the $1.8 million cap hit in 2021 jumps to just over $23 million next year. That makes the Ravens cap situation for bringing in Jones murky taking into consideration Lamar's contract increase.
The last team that is just fun to consider before that June date is if the Packers front office actually did something good, and figured out a way to get Julio Jones to Green Bay (+1,200). Now this situation is not only highly unlikely, it's virtually impossible. GM Brian Gutekunst has put the team in a very unfavorable cap situation for next season, and they only boast around $5 million in available cap now while still needing to sign draft picks.
But it's about the only way I see Aaron Rodgers willingly playing football for the Packers next season. It would be pretty tough to walk away from a duo of Davante Adams and Julio Jones, even though it may mean they would be losing an important defensive piece or Aaron Jones in an attempt to match up contracts in a potential deal with Atlanta.
The image of Julio donning the Falcons helmet with the jet black visor will always be the way I'll remember him, but it's apparent that it won't be how we'll see him ending his career. We should have a better idea of who the serious bidders are for the receiver's services by mid next week.
While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have come away with the Lombardi, there was so much greatness displayed in 2020, we believe the players with the flyest kicks, the smoothest flow and the craftiest Twitter fingers deserve shout-outs as well.
So to honor the 2020 NFL season, the FindBet staff came together to develop, nominate and elect the biggest winners from the NFL season in twelve distinct categories.
Categories
People's Champion: Deshaun Watson, Larry Fitzgerald, Ryan Fitzpatrick
There are some men who transcend fanning the flames of rivalry, enjoying an elite status known to few athletes: a player who is beloved by every fan. We believe that Larry Fitzgerald, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Deshaun Watson are fan faves not just in their cities, but in all the NFL kingdom, which is what makes them champions of the people.
Winner: Deshaun Watson
Despite covering the Seahawks and Raiders respectively, Aryanna and Ashmere have professed their admiration for Watson's talent and tenacity time and time again on Findbet broadcasts.
The rest of the staff agrees: for a historic campaign as the best losing quarterback we've ever seen, Deshaun Watson is a fantastic guy with a can-do attitude that brought this team to the playoffs before and is sure to do it again, no matter who it's with.
Best Kick Game: Jarvis Landry "Black Panther", Adam Thielen "Alex Trebek", Alvin Kamara Christmas, Cam Jordan "Merry New Year"
Whether it's a charitable #MyCauseMyCleats design, a festive yuletide treat, or a tribute to a fallen hero, NFL players love lacing up fancy cleats to the beat of their own drum. The kick game offers a place for player creativity to shine on-field, making this category rather competitive amongst meticulous, fashionable athletes.
Winner: Jarvis Landry "Black Panther"
The swift, relentless losses felt in 2020 echoed throughout the NFL all season.
While Kobe & Gianna's' deaths shocked and shook us to our cores, there was another cultural icon lost last year: Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman.
That's why this year's winner of Best Cleats goes to Jarvis Landry's touching tribute to Boseman. The high-quality artwork captured the real-life Black superhero who inspired a generation.
Best Flow: Cam Newton, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jamie Gillan
Aura, swag, flow—whatever you call it, some players possess a certain je ne sais quoi that amplifies their confidence. Whether it's Cam's riveting red carpet look or that iconic outfit that defined an era of Fitzmagic, here are three guys who've got a flow that swept up the league this year.
Winner: Jamie Gillan
While Fitz and Cam are well-known for their off-field flow, Browns punter Jamie Gillan was our dark horse because he deserves to be known for those luscious locks.
What adds to Gillan's coolness is the fact that the native Scotsman and former rugby player is known as "The Scottish Hammer," reinvigorating the allure of athlete nicknames.
While punters often remain unknown, Gillan's Braveheart vibes didn't go unnoticed.
The Golden Thumbs: Quandre Diggs, Stefon Diggs, Tom Brady
Everyone's got a Twitter these days, but some do it better than others. From Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs speaking his truth or Tom Brady making self-deprecating memes, the Twittersphere had a lot of gold to work with in this category, allowing us to forge a crown worthy of any Twitter king.
Winner: Tom Brady
TB12 is the GOAT squared: the Greatest Of All Time is also The Greatest Of All Twitter.
To be fair, Tom doesn't exactly run his own Twitter: the branding king has an entire creative team develop content for him.
It's actually pretty cool: Shadow Lion was founded in 2017 to support Tom Brady's off-field media efforts. Since then, they've built an impressive NFL clientele, including Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Ramsey and others.
So if you see Tom's perfectly-manicured content, now you know who's behind it, and why everyone is jumping on the Brady social bandwagon.
Baby Yoda Award: Justin Herbert, Justin Jefferson, Chase Young
The Yoda/Baby Yoda Super Bowl meme created a perfect analogy to the rookie stunners in the league: learning how to wield "The Force", these young twentysomethings broke league records and changed their franchises for the better. For that, we honor them with the Baby Yoda moniker.
Winner: Justin Jefferson
While Chase Young and Justin Herbert were visibly recognized for their spectacular rookie campaigns, we believed that record-holder Justin Jefferson deserved our Baby Yoda award for becoming the closest thing the Vikings have had to Randy Moss since… Randy Moss.
His inaugural 1,400-yard season set the record for most yards in a rookie season, meaning Jefferson has made history months after setting foot in US Bank Stadium.
As OG Yoda might say, "From this one, great things we expect."
Best TD Celly: Aaron Rodgers "Key & Peele", Colts "Soul Train", Melvin Gordon "Drumline", Kirk Cousins "Griddy"
You don't have to be a football fan to appreciate the beauty of the touchdown dance. While choreographed team-centric celebrations have taken the league by storm, so have dance trends like The Griddy. Whatever the celebration, it's clear that these nominees could easily grace Dancing With The Stars like Von and Antonio did.
Still proud that The Griddy originated in @aryannaprasad’s home state of Louisiana, and still laughing at Kirk Cous… https://t.co/2wA1LmYFc3— FindBet.com (@FindBet.com) 1615071760.0
Winner: Kirk Cousins "Griddy"
This was our most disputed category this year—it's hard to pick a favorite amongst the hand sanitizing, the Soul Trains, and the Key & Peele double-pump. Here's a hint as to who won: our Baby Yoda was a part of it!This year's Best TD Celly had to go to the biggest trend sweeping NFL locker rooms, all the way from a New Orleans high school: this year was the year of the Gritty. The Gritty traveled from New Orleans to LSU all the way up to Minnesota, where Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and Kirk Cousins had their own iterations. While Southerners did it best, Cousins had the most memorable when he tried—and failed—to get off his Gritty.
Butt Fumble Lifetime Achievement Award: Daniel Jones, Todd Gurley
Getting posterized isn't just in basketball—there are plenty of embarrassing moments that live in infamy amongst NFL fans (just as Mark "Butt Fumble" Sanchez). A few images that stuck with us this season include Todd Gurley's accidental roll into the endzone, eventually resulting in another Falcons loss, and Daniel Jones' self-induced trip that reminds us he is truly Eli's successor.
Winner: Todd Gurley
It's hard to follow up Mark Sanchez' iconic blunder, but the Falcons have had their fair share of Butt Fumble moments since, ironically, the best offensive season we've ever seen.
In their Week 7 matchup against the Detroit Lions, the Falcons were in the red zone with 1:04 minutes to spare. All they had to do was run down the clock, kick a field goal, and the game was over.
But then Todd Gurley accidentally scored a touchdown. Oops.
With one minute left, a criminally underrated Matt Stafford answered with a touchdown of their own, giving this win to the Lions and another shameful moment in Falcons history.
Best Beef: Vrabel vs. Harbaugh, Tate vs. Ramsey
A gritty battle of brawn, sometimes the heat between NFL enemies escalates from chippy shoulder shoves to a full-out brawl. Whether it's coaches screaming about logos or players fighting over family honor, the contenders for Best Beef was the stuff of reality tv legend.
Winner: Golden Tate & Jalen Ramsey, Week 4
What's beef?
Beef is when helmets clash in the streets
Beef is when flying fists start to meet
Beef is when I see you
Guaranteed to be in I-C-U
The lyrics may be modified, but Biggie's classic "Life After Death" diss track explains it perfectly: beef is when the feud follows you wherever you go.
That's exactly what happened to the winners of this year's Best Beef, Golden Tate and Jalen Ramsey. Their fisticuffs dust-up during—and after—a Week 4 matchup between the Rams and the Giants was a family affair, but not in the way you might expect.
You see, Ramsey used to date Tate's younger sister, Breanna. But when Breanna became pregnant with Ramsey's child, he left her high and dry... right in the middle of her pregnancy.
Golden didn't take kindly to that, so when he had the chance to pummel Ramsey, he did.
The two might win Best Beef, but Aryanna thinks Golden deserves a Brother Of The Year award as well. And while we're at it, maybe we'll give Ramsey Worst Boyfriend Of The Century.
Big Man On Campus (BMOC) Award: Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen
In the Merriam Webster dictionary, a "big man on campus" is defined as an old-fashioned way of describing "an important and well-known person, especially at a school." The example sentence illustrates why our three BMOC, or MVP, nominees are QBs: "The quarterback of the football team is a real big man on campus." Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen all stunned the league in different ways this year, illustrating that they were truly Big MOCs in the NFL game.
Winner: Aaron Rodgers
Another MVP season, a whirlwind romance with Shailene Woodley: it seems like Aaron Rodgers definitely had a better 2020 than the rest of us.
But strictly speaking football, the esteemed Packers QB had the most consistently great quarterback season in the league. Building a rapport with Adams and bringing his team to a dominant 13-3, Rodgers stunned us once more with deep aerial shots launched from a cannon of an arm. Sorry Mahomes and Allen—this pasture of GOATs isn't quite finished grazing the field yet.
Excellence In Breakdowns: Falcons/Cowboys game, Raiders loss to Dolphins, Chargers for 4 straight losses
If there's anything you don't want to excel in as a professional athlete, it's losing. And while everyone eventually loses (we still haven't seen an undefeated SuperBowl team!), some teams are better at blowing a lead than others. From the notorious Falcons franchise to four straight losses for the still-cursed Chargers, here are a few teams that are frustratingly excellent at letting go in crunch time.
Winner: Atlanta Falcons vs. Dallas Cowboys, Week 2
Ever since that blown 28-3 Super Bowl, the Falcons have perfected the art of blowing the lead.
While there were some excellent contenders this year, the Falcons' 39-40 loss to the Cowboys in Week 2 won out as most dysfunctional.
To put it in perspective, the Falcons ended the first quarter with a 20-point lead. Yeah, it was that bad of a breakdown.
Fantasy MVP Award: Dalvin Cook, Derrick Henry, Davante Adams
While football is a team sport, it's important to acknowledge the individual successes of remarkable players who had record numbers—especially when they played for your fantasy football team. From Derrick Henry's 2,000-yard season to a Davante Adams/Aaron Rodgers rapport that Rodgers believes merits a HOF nod, here are the MVP candidates of your fantasy football league.
Winner: Davante Adams
Alongside the BMOC is a guy you either hate because you didn't have him or love because you did: it's fantasy football destroyer Davante Adams.
If fantasy was a game of Battleship, Adams would find all of your opponents and blow up their spot with his unrivaled receiving stats. With 115 catches for over 1,300 yards and 18 touchdowns, Adams either saved or sank your season, and he certainly helped Rodgers reach the NFC Championship.
Mr. Miagi Award: Kevin Stefanski, Sean McDermott, Brian Flores
A ubiquitous pop culture reference, any "Mr. Miagi" is a wise teacher that guides an underdog to powerful victory. For the Browns, Bills and Dolphins, they have recent head coaches to thank for markedly increased success in recent years, making Stefanski, McDermott and Flores all likely candidates as the NFL's latest Mr. Miagi.
Winner: Sean McDermott
Sean McDermott brought one of the NFL's biggest underdogs all the way to the AFC Championship in just 3 years. That alone deserves a trophy, but it's been a steady ascent for the Bills since McDermott joined them in 2017.
The way that McDermott has been able to build a threatening pass attack with Josh Allen, Stephon Diggs and an underrated Cole Beasley is difficult to put into words, but the cheers from Bill's Mafia this offseason captured it perfectly: finally, a 25-year drought has been put to rest.
That's all we have for this year's awards, but we'd like to thank you for sharing your NFL season with us at Findbet—it's truly been an honor.
Be sure to tune into our awards broadcast as well as our Awards Show Afterparty live on Saturday, March 6th at 7pm EST on Findbet and Popdust channels.