Daniel Jones gave a lot of fans the ability to say they could do something a professional athlete can do on Thursday night versus the Eagles
Bill Streicher/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
Week 6 Vibe Check (2-3) This past week offered us a worthy entry into the Bad Beat Hall of Losers.
A brutal 22 point fourth quarter by the Eagles killed an easy -7.5 point cover by the Ravens, who haven't quite looked as dominant as we expected them to heading into this season. Meanwhile, the Panthers and Packers decided to make my big sweeping proclamations that Carolina's good and the Tampa Bay Bucs are bad look very silly.
As for my two wins, they were decent nail biters, too. The Titans, thanks to some creative coaching, managed to secure us a cover with a King Henry wildcat TD and the Chiefs showed us all a different dimension they have to crush people, their running game. This kept the game a little closer than most would've liked, but imagine adding Le'Veon Bell to this team. Yeah, start checking Super Bowl futures.
<h4>Speaking of the future, let's get a look at Week 7…</h4><p>To be honest, there aren't a ton of games that I love on this slate. Seems like oddsmakers have this week dialed in and a lot of these match ups just seem a little off. However, the games that do call out to me all have one thing in common. </p><p><strong><u>Road Favorites for the Win</u></strong></p><p><strong>Packers -3.5 over Texans</strong></p><p>The Packers are coming off a brutal road loss, in which their offense got full on exposed by Todd Bowles and the Bucs. What's the best medicine for an offense still nursing their pride and trying to rebound? Playing against a <a href="https://texanswire.usatoday.com/2020/10/19/texans-must-be-consistent-defense/" target="_blank">defense</a> allowing 5.4 yards per carry and having Aaron Jones on your team is a good start. The line on this should be higher, but the Texans playing a home drops the spread by a couple points. I expect and hope everyone will take advantage here. Heck, double up and bet Aaron Jones overs on yards, TDs, and anything else you can find! </p><p><br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cdb906836b32703b443cc5f06008781b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="4c97b" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://findbet.com/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDU2ODg5NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0ODU2Njc2N30.-qNwBXIjRDXguM9MZxtH6jTYEE9rmb3waGi3Q4tEJSU/image.jpg?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Aaron Rodgers will look to bounce back from a tough loss in Tampa Bay.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)</small></p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Browns -3 over Bengals</strong></p><p>The Browns are coming off a brutal road loss, in which their offense got full on exposed by Keith Butler and the Steelers. What's the best medicine for an offense still nursing their pride and trying to rebound? Playing a <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/news/bengals-defense-indianapolis" target="_blank">defense</a> allowing 5.1 yards per carry and having Kareem Hunt on your team is a good start. Whoa. So, that's what Deja vu feels like. The only way this could be better for the Dawg Pound was if Nick Chubb was healthy. On the flip side, the Cleveland D has been porous, at times, but against the rookie Joe Burrow and a struggling Cincy offense, whom they've already handled once this year with ease, they'll have a chance to get right. </p><p><strong>Seahawks -3 over Cardinals</strong></p><p>Russell Wilson has cemented himself as <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/nfl-mvp-odds-russell-wilson-s-mvp-odds-have-moved-so-much-he-s-favored-over-the-field/ar-BB1akIrp" target="_blank">the odds-on favorite for MVP</a> on the strength of his glorious arm and ability to extend plays behind his middling offensive line. The Cardinals and Kyler Murray, the briefest of MVP candidates, have shown flashes, but thrown some duds in for equal measure. However, the biggest concern is their strength of opponent. In the past four weeks, they've lost to the Lions and Panthers, while beating up on the Darnold-less Jets and Dak-less Cowboys. The Seahawks are, by far, the best opponent this young and inconsistent team has faced and it's time for the real contender to do away with the pretender.</p><p><strong>D'Andre Swift to Score a TD (+135)</strong> </p><p>The Georgia stud and rookie running back is coming off of his best game as a professional against the Jacksonville Jaguars. This feels like the moment he takes <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/detroit-lions-adrian-peterson-d-andre-swift-has-already-taken-tremendous-steps/ar-BB1ajeJc" target="_blank">the leap</a> towards being a consistent fantasy play and genuine offensive threat. He put up 116 yards on 14 carries for a gaudy 8.2 average with two touchdowns to boot. He's about to face another weak bottom half of the league rushing D, one who's let up the second most receptions to backs. Swift got four of those last week, so he's just as likely to punch one in via the air as the ground. For a little (lot of) extra value, you can always bet him to score the first TD at +1100.</p><p><br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="56d0fef6d91b49790c512a63c6063682" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="b878a" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://findbet.com/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDU3MDM5Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzODM4NzA4M30.BnIhkLf_nmbFix8yd0WF5XlGAtB5Ruk4yLDoVIIRC9A/image.jpg?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Jimmy Garoppolo receiving some hands on coaching from Bill Belichick, his former mentor and current opponent. </small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</small></p><p><br/></p><p><strong>San Francisco vs New England over 43.5</strong></p><h3></h3><p>The 49ers and Patriots are both having themselves some odd seasons. Cam Newton looked like his former self in the early going, but a COVID diagnosis derailed any momentum he or the team had before getting the Chiefs, an early bye, and the Broncos. Belichick isn't taking a three game losing streak without a fight, and will be working overtime to return his offense to their early season success. Not to mention, the mastermind is going up against his former backup, who he's <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/patriots/bill-belichick-reflects-jimmy-garoppolo-trade-patriots-49ers-nears" target="_blank">definitely sick of having to talk about trading</a>. Meanwhile, the 49ers have been ravaged by injuries, having the most guys on IR this season. This rash of bad luck included their starting QB, RB, WR, TE, CB, DE, and LB all missing time. It culminated in an ugly loss to the Dolphins, which seemed to be the wake up call the team needed to bounce back to beat the Rams. I could easily see this game scoring up into the high 20's with a pair of highly motivated offenses going against defenses, which haven't reached the heights of last season's former glory. </p>
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Tommy Gilligan/USA Today Sports
Fall is in the air—so are a hell of a lot of changes in the NFL.
Le'Veon went from worst to first, Dan Quinn is out of job, and like college athletes, sports journalists apparently aren't allowed to make money from sponsorships. Meanwhile, coronavirus is running in the background, taking out teams before opponents even get the chance.
Here are the oofs and ahhs in this week's edition of Shots Taken.
<h2>The NFL Is Done With The Rona, But The Rona Isn't Done With The NFL </h2><p>Coronavirus has been a headline for the entire year, and it's still making NFL headlines in a season that's chugging along despite an outbreak that may have officially killed the Patriots dynasty. </p><p>Meanwhile, the Colts are <a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2020/10/16/nfl-and-coronavirus-breakdown-covid-19-testing-schedule-changes/3676575001/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>coping with four false positives</u></a>, rushing to reopen their facility before their Sunday game against the Bengals. But with false positives and confirmed cases, the Rona is on the brink of a full-on takeover.</p><p>In <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30030523/line-nfl-covid-19-outbreak-how-positive-tests-led-postponed-games" target="_blank"><u>a matter of weeks</u></a>, the coronavirus has knocked out half of the Titans roster, it's taken out the Patriots' best players on offense and defense, and it's switched around <em>nine</em> bye weeks and <em>seven</em> weeks of scheduling. Sure, infected players are being sidelined as teams move forward, but there's going to be more cases, and there is only so much rescheduling teams can do. What happens, for example, if the Patriots see even more cases, or the Steelers experience an outbreak and need another bye week?</p><p><br/></p>
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<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Moving the Chains with Ashmere | COVID in the NFL</small>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KCul-UUzBs" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
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<p><br/></p><p><span></span>While discussions of a bubble seem unrealistic for the NFL, perhaps they'll be a two-week hiatus that allows everyone to quarantine. Maybe players will have to shuffle into a controlled hotel environment for the second half of the season. Whatever they decide to do, coronavirus will be running in the background like the virus that took over your Windows computer.</p><p><br/></p><h2>The Bell Now Tolls For Kansas City</h2><p>If you're not first, you're last. </p><p>While there is some truth in Ricky Bobby's wisdom, it's still early in the season, and we don't quite know who's taking home the Lombardi this year. But we do know who isn't taking it home (the Jets) and who did last year (the Chiefs). We also know that in a matter of days, Le'Veon Bell just jumped from last to first by <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30120515/rb-leveon-bell-expected-sign-kansas-city-chiefs" target="_blank"><u>getting cut by the Jets, then signing with the Chiefs</u></a>. </p><p><br/></p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7986f3be71038283d6647c546b9c24c5" id="50db9"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1316882234155147264"><div style="margin:1em 0">Kansas City, #ChiefsKingdom, thank you for the opportunity 🙏🏾 let’s go! https://t.co/6aEY9GaoA7</div> — Le'Veon Bell (@Le'Veon Bell)<a href="https://twitter.com/LeVeonBell/statuses/1316882234155147264">1602804165.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p><br/></p><p><span></span>It almost seems like there should be a rule against the Chiefs accumulating so much talent, but no, the Jets may have ruined everyone's postseason chances by letting them snag the former Steelers star. While Bell's woes began over <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2019/3/14/18263979/leveon-bell-pittsburgh-steelers-offer-jets-guaranteed" target="_blank"><u>contract negotiations</u></a>, he's slated to <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30128258/leveon-bell-1-year-deal-kansas-city-chiefs-worth-169m" target="_blank"><u>only make $690,000 with the Chiefs with the opportunity to make up to $1.69 million</u></a>.</p><p>The best part of it all? Bell is being treated to a revenge game opportunity against the Jets in Week 8. Here's to hoping Bell can rebuild his reputation by swerving, stiff arming and straight-up shaming the Jets defense. </p><p><br/></p><h2>After Quinn's Departure, Will The Falcons Finally Take Flight? </h2><p>The only surprising thing about Dan Quinn's dismissal from the Falcons is that it took this long to execute. Liz Roscher of Yahoo Sports summarized Quinn's tenure as "<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/fired-falcons-coach-dan-quinn-thanks-atlanta-in-heartfelt-letter-165334761.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>six years on the job, two winning seasons and one memorably painful Super Bowl appearance</u></a>", the worst part being that his team hasn't had a winning season since 2017.</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1725231dcb2cdd075b345e98a315d85e" id="f3fc1"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1316408469826699265"><div style="margin:1em 0">A letter from Dan Quinn to the city of Atlanta. https://t.co/2QSoHtbDxI</div> — Atlanta Falcons (@Atlanta Falcons)<a href="https://twitter.com/AtlantaFalcons/statuses/1316408469826699265">1602691211.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The Falcons lost that Patriots Super Bowl, they lost Kyle Shanahan to the 49ers, and they haven't been the same since. After an eerily-similar repeat of their Super Bowl loss in Week 2 against the Cowboys, the calls to fire Quinn were louder than ever, yet Quinn and GM Tom Dimitroff were given three more weeks to redeem themselves. With Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Todd Gurley and Calvin Ridley, there's no reason that the Falcons couldn't have won one game—well, besides coaching.<br/></p><p>If players win games and coaches lose them, then perhaps the Falcons still have a chance to salvage their season without Quinn leading the charge. </p><p><br/></p><h2>Ian Rapoport Gets Cut Down For Endorsing Manscaping </h2><p>In some football-adjacent news, prominent NFL reporter Ian Rapoport has been suspended by NFL Network until October 22nd for something racy he shared on his Instagram… an ad for Manscaped. </p><p><a href="https://www.manscaped.com/" target="_blank"><u>Manscaped</u></a>, which specializes in <em>full</em>-body hair trimming options for men, has employed a highly-effective viral marketing model by getting celebrity endorsements in the spaces men typically frequent—on podcasts, social media and in the sports world. Rapoport was one of these celebrities, but apparently he didn't get clearance from the network to share the endorsement on his social channels, thereby violating network guidelines.</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b03e9fadf97ce5a521fc6672b39e6e16" id="ffeda"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1314764808122773504"><div style="margin:1em 0">https://t.co/jdN1GceONW</div> — Ian Rapoport (@Ian Rapoport)<a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/statuses/1314764808122773504">1602299332.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p><br/></p><h3></h3><p><span></span>While Rapoport said he respects and understands the network's decision and is "deeply sorry for his mistake", it brings about an interesting discussion about how sports journalists, like athletes, may be limited in the ways they can make money through their celebrity. <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/20/u-s-newsroom-employment-has-dropped-by-a-quarter-since-2008/" target="_blank"><u>Already-shrinking newsrooms</u></a> have been <a href="https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2020/here-are-the-newsroom-layoffs-furloughs-and-closures-caused-by-the-coronavirus/" target="_blank"><u>slashed by COVID cuts</u></a>, and though Rapoport likely isn't affected by this, there shouldn't be anything wrong with trying to earn a side hustle in an impoverished journalistic landscape—even if that means Rapoport breaks the news on the best way to, uh, mow the lawn.</p>
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Derrick Henry throws Josh Norman, who's listed at 6 foot and 200 pounds, like he's a bag of beans.
NFL
Week 5 Vibe Check - Apologies for my Apple repair-induced vacation last week. For those curious, my offline picks kept me afloat at 3-2, while waiting to hear exactly how much a new keyboard for a MacBook costs.
The Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Arizona Cardinals all chipped in for me, but the Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars nearly cost me letters "Q" through "T."
What did we figure out this last week? Well, Tom Brady's favorite number is four and like I've been saying all year, "THE BUCS AREN'T THAT GOOD." Meanwhile, down in Atlanta, the Panthers once again showed us that they ARE a competitive football team by smacking down the Falcons so mercilessly that Dan Quinn got the ax. You could've gotten pretty good odds on his firing. Or if you're like me, you lost money for the second time that Adam Gase hasn't cleaned out his office yet.
<p>Moving onto new business…</p><p><strong>Titans -3.5 over Texans</strong></p><p>The Ryan Tannehill experience keeps on rolling from town to town, even if a couple performances had to be delayed. The Titans wiped out an undefeated Bills team on the second ever Tuesday Night Football game on the strength of their passing game, which finally had its young, talented receiver, <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/a-j-brown-catches-td-on-first-pass-back-from-injury-to-give-titans-an-early-lead-over-bills/" target="_blank">AJ Brown back in fighting shape</a> and Jonnu Smith mid-breakout. This allowed them to leave Derrick Henry, Ford F-150 with a Ferrari engine, in the garage most of the night, tallying a season low in carries, two TDs, and one of the nastiest stiff arms in recorded history. The Texans may have managed to beat up a flailing Jaguar team, but they'll have a lot more trouble handling a surging offense, even if Deshaun Watson will be able to do some damage against a subpar pass rush. </p><p><strong>Panthers -1.5 over Bears</strong></p><p>THE! PANTHERS! ARE! GOOD! I've been trying to say it all year. Matt Rhule gets it. Joe Brady gets it. Teddy Bridgewater gets it. They've looked competent in every game this season and <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/panthers/news/robby-anderson-key-unlocked-panthers-offense" target="_blank">the offense keeps improving with each start</a>, seemingly not missing a beat without McCaffrey. (Imagine what happens when he gets back). Meanwhile, the Bears are statistically one of the worst 4-1 teams in NFL history. They've lucked into a Charmin soft schedule that still required multiple collapses, a Foles' comeback, and a Brady blunder to get to where they are, which isn't that impressive.</p><p><br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="81bd07da8ff9a6ae68199ab2b7c6fac4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="c9977" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://findbet.com/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUyMjA3Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMDAyMjYzMX0.OgHqB65cZI6Xe6wJCjLkrhorW-9TKN_9JaqjSCPcE18/image.jpg?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Mike Davis has taken up the torch for his injured teammate and looked like a star in his own right. </small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">AP Photo/John Bazemore</small></p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Ravens -7.5 over Eagles</strong></p><p>The Eagles have proven themselves to be a bit frisky, having found a gem in Travis Fulgram and benefited from the health of Miles Sanders. However, everything still hinges on Carson Wentz and his protection, currently averaging just a shade under four sacks let up a game. Bad news: the Ravens are coming off a <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/ravens-film-study-how-the-pass-rush-made-life-miserable-for-bengals-qb-joe-burrow/ar-BB1a1lmC" target="_blank">seven sack performance against the Bengals</a>. As for their offense, Lamar Jackson's run production has dropped this season, and with it, the overall effectiveness of their offense, which currently ranks 17th in DVOA. That's a ranking for a team whose victory has come by at least two scores. If this is a team who hasn't hit anything close to their stride, watch out. </p><p><strong>Packers -1 over Buccaneers</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/hall-of-fame-battle-brady-vs-rodgers-in-sundays-marquee-matchup/ar-BB1a4r3A" target="_blank">This is QB matchup everyone's been talking about</a>. Aaron Rodgers is a man on a no holds barred, take no prisoners, scorched earth mission to assert his dominance. Tom Brady is a man on the edge of a fall down, flat out, faltering 43 year old's breakdown. Rodgers has continued to elevate playmakers like Allen Lazard and Robert Tonyan well above their ceilings. Brady has continued on without playmakers like Chris Godwin or Mike Evans from week to week and looked more human with each passing possession. The Bucs are destined to go 8-8 and you can hang this one up in loss column towards that unavoidable reality. </p><p><br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2a709bf9458ac011cfef293dff031723" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="2a8c5" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://findbet.com/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUyMjA2OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0ODI4MDQ2N30._Uew6K2kjYuaaIFpV661ATQeBR_IRBZaQ09gumc36d8/image.jpg?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Aaron Rodgers has looked ten years younger orchestrating his offense this season. </small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">The Associated Press</small></p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Chiefs -4 over Bills</strong></p><h3></h3><p>Patrick Mahomes has only lost back-to-back games in his career twice, once in 2018 and 2019. I wouldn't bet on this being the third. The Bills were left reeling after that thorough shellacking, while the Chiefs got caught trading punches with a scrappier Raiders team than anyone expected, leading to the largest loss in Mahomes' career. If the Bills couldn't keep the Titans under wraps, watch out for a motivated Chiefs offense that's talking about going back to basics and refocusing their play around the fundamentals. The star quarterback himself said that he can't rely on his scrambling and <a href="https://www.kansas.com/sports/article246481245.html" target="_blank">broken-plays-turned-good</a> to win games. Do you hear that? It's the sound of 31 NFL defensive coordinators slamming their heads against the wall of their office in concert. The only interesting competition in this game should be who has the bigger arm. </p>
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Tom Brady at the mercy of an embarrassing Bears loss Thursday night.
Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
Sacked coaches, benched quarterbacks, coronavirus outbreaks and Tom Brady pulling a JR Smith...
It's been a wild and unpredictable week in the NFL, and we're here to take shots at the biggest headlines in this week's collection of Intentional Fouls.
<h4>Tom has a deflating loss to the Bears</h4><p>Last night's ugly matchup between the <strong>Bears</strong> and <strong>Bucs</strong> came out with an unexpected loss for the Bucs—mostly because Tom Brady forgot it was fourth down. </p><!-- Ezoic - mid_content - mid_content -->
<div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-104"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - mid_content - mid_content --><p>As expected, the Internet showed up Friday morning ready to clown the best quarterback of all time, speculating as to whether the 43-year-old is still (mentally) in it to win it. Has Father Time come for Father Tom? </p><p>Honestly, probably not. Brady's one of the <a href="https://www.buccaneers.com/news/next-gen-stats-tom-brady-among-best-deep-throwers-in-2019" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>best deep throwers of 2020</u></a>, and that's <em>with</em> an offense that still hasn't clicked like New England clockwork. With <strong>Chris Godwin</strong> sidelined, <strong>Mike Evans</strong> nursing an injured ankle and injuries dotting the offensive roster, the Bucs are struggling when they have the talent to be a leading NFL team. </p><p>But none of that excuses Tom's faux pas on that crucial fourth down—how the <em>hell</em> did he not know what was going on? It's impossible to imagine not knowing the down on a game-changing play, and especially for someone who's been playing the game almost <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/tom-brady-five-tds-justin-herbert-buccaneers-chargers/kqgt1dqsyapx1erzeyzul0g4p" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>as long as <strong>Justin Herbert</strong>'s lifespan</u></a>. Maybe he was too caught up in the moment, or maybe he was trying to get one over on the refs to compensate for the 100+ yards lost from penalties.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-proxy-image">
<a href="https://streamable.com/0r7f11" target="_blank"><img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0e04f41a6d49af6d6e2404ae4887571a" id="70ce5" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.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.8PNy376Ir_RMfdGpMXq9mpBMH9P9kTjwdPt3ninyDM4/img.jpg"/></a>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Streamable Video</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://streamable.com/0r7f11" target="_blank">streamable.com</a></small>
</p><p>While Tom didn't deny his forgetfulness and opted for the usual "we've got to execute better" in his postgame presser, <strong>Bruce Arians</strong> straight-up lied and said that Tom knew it was fourth down. Everyone knew that if anyone can do it in 1:30, it was Tom—but <a href="https://www.buccaneers.com/video/ronald-jones-chicago-bears-loss-tom-brady-press-conference" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>in the words of <strong>RoJo</strong></u></a>, the Bucs beat themselves.</p><h4>Belichick is deliciously evil, but is he capable of biowarfare?</h4><p><strong></strong>The NFL COVID Outbreak has finally arrived, and it came straight for the jugular of the team you love to hate: the <strong>New England Patriots</strong>.</p><p>Before anyone yells out, "Cheaters!", the fates are actually conspiring <em>against</em> the dynastic team this time: quarterback <strong>Cam Newton</strong> missed a key <strong>Chiefs</strong> matchup due to COVID, and now shutdown corner <strong>Stephon Gilmore</strong> tested positive for the debilitating illness. </p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="26922f2998eeca1711a740a1836db475" id="06e99"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1313905733981949954"><div style="margin:1em 0">https://t.co/CLrVeCzqPD</div> — The Gilly Lock (@The Gilly Lock)<a href="https://twitter.com/BumpNrunGilm0re/statuses/1313905733981949954">1602094512.0</a></blockquote></div><p>In one week, the Patriots have lost the best players on their offense and defense, and it was clear on Monday that the Patriots could have easily won that Chiefs game if Newton was healthy. </p><p>But before Gilmore left the field and discovered his diagnosis, he hugged <strong>Patrick </strong><strong>Mahomes</strong> after the game, which begs the question: Did <strong>Bill Belichick</strong> do this on purpose to wipe out the unstoppable Mahomes for a few weeks? </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6db97e0ebef307d2edcb66d80efa6532" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="39b15" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://findbet.com/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUwMzQ3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzOTIzNjg3MX0.VCB3UxgfNYPX1yw0QyiyDZQ2Hs97OGEUdV0kgvvdAyg/image.jpg?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Via <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/" target="_blank">NFLReddit</a></small></p><p><br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c5cf5a4b3ef76b79d70bb1614b1ff142" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="12558" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://findbet.com/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUwMzQ3Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NjkyNDA1Nn0.YtrEG83rLNgz_1maNvH3pimBGu1cMP7T_JxYs8ou8fE/image.jpg?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Via <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/" target="_blank">NFLReddit</a></small></p><p>Of course not, but it's hilarious to think that Belichick could do something this evil...or, at least, the NFL could try to punish him for doing this "intentionally."</p><p>Meanwhile, there's a full-on outbreak on the <strong>Titans</strong>, where nearly half their roster has tested positive so far at 23. Apparently, the Titans haven't been exactly <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/oct/08/tennessee-titans-coronavirus-outbreak-discipline" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>following COVID protocol</u></a>, which could result in severe punishments by the league in order to set an example.</p><p>Despite Gilmore's recently positive test, there are <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/titans-patriots-have-no-new-positive-covid-tests-on-track-to-play-week-5-games/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>no new tests reported for the Titans or Patriots</u></a>, and both teams are scheduled to play their Week 5 matchups. But if this coronavirus/injury trend continues, few teams will have all 22 active players standing by the end of the season—not even Bill can outsmart his way out of that.</p><h4>Bill O'Brien finally sacked for the dumpster fire that is the Houston Texans</h4><p>Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Just as power-hungry <strong>Bill O'Brien</strong> sought to slurp up play calling duties on an 0-4 <strong>Texans</strong>, he was finally fired this week, meaning that someone thought he was worse than <strong>Dan Quinn</strong> and <strong>Adam Gase</strong>. <br/><br/>But O'Brien is worse than Quinn or Gase, if for nothing other than his secret plot to take over the entire Texans organization. That's right: O'Brien proclaimed that the offensive coordinator would be calling plays for the first three games of the season, which is a weird thing for the head coach to state because… of course the OC calls the plays. The whole point of his statement was so that when the Texans lost back-to-back to three of the NFL's toughest teams, O'Brien could swoop in and pick up the play calling duties as well, knowing full well that no one could survive those games after he traded away their most valuable passing asset, <strong>Deandre Hopkins</strong>, in March. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b9f827e48fd3b2b0efb36dfdb45c901d" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" type="lazy-iframe" scrolling="no" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/faJvQQIob4M?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Texans Trade DeAndre Hopkins</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faJvQQIob4M" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p><p>It gets worse: apparently <strong>JJ Watt</strong> called out BOB for his coaching ability and <em>started a player revolution</em> that ended up <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uuXHqN13no" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>getting the head coach fired</u></a>.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fbd4bfec6f716dae6deb41eeab16f06c" id="04b20"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1313885351845470209"><div style="margin:1em 0">A source tells me that JJ Watt and Bill O’Brien had a heated exchange on the practice field the week of the Steeler… https://t.co/wDH1avNqLS</div> — John Granato (@John Granato)<a href="https://twitter.com/johngranato/statuses/1313885351845470209">1602089653.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Bill tried to emulate his former boss, Bill Belichick, but if we've learned anything over twenty years, it's this: no one can be Bill Belichick, not even a Bill that's frequented the playoffs. As former Patriots defensive coordinator <strong>Romeo Crennel</strong> steps up and becomes <a href="https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/10/05/romeo-crennel-becomes-oldest-head-coach-in-nfl-history/" target="_blank">the new oldest head coach in NFL history</a>, Week 5 will offer a glimpse into how the once-lofty Texans will hobble through the rest of the year.</p><h4>The Washington Team is doing the most in 2020</h4><p>It's been a whirlwind few months for the <strong>Washington Football Team</strong>, an NFL franchise that is doing its best to salvage a reputation that went up in flames when their <a href="https://au.sports.yahoo.com/nfl-2020-washington-redskins-sexual-harassment-employees-013235651.html" target="_blank">creepy, illegally-taken cheerleader footage scandal</a> leaked. </p><p>The next thing they're doing to salvage their reputation? Sending <strong>Dwayne Haskins</strong> to the back ahead of Week 5 as they promote former <strong>Panthers</strong> QB <strong>Kyle Allen</strong> to starter. </p><p>What has Dwayne done to deserve this? Well, <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/washingtonfootball/news/haskins-didnt-work-hard-enough" target="_blank">everything</a>, but also <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/10/09/dwayne-haskins-unfairly-benched/" target="_blank">nothing</a>. </p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="faae2762e5d4da681484e2a618f078f8" id="2d8c1"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1313834886562754561"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Dwayne Haskins Experience:
🔸 Get drafted 15th overall by a HC on the hot seat
🔸 Play for three HCs in 13 games… https://t.co/Ew41uOLvd9</div> — Kimberley A. Martin (@Kimberley A. Martin)<a href="https://twitter.com/ByKimberleyA/statuses/1313834886562754561">1602077621.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Haskins hasn't been the best QB by any means, but he's also on an incredibly dysfunctional team that's still in flux—not to mention he stands behind a bottom five offensive line unit while taking orders from a new offensive coordinator.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4f73a2fcca87c25a21ac9547d7e74dc5" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" type="lazy-iframe" scrolling="no" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KBflfv6oyH4?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Pat McAfee Reacts To Dwayne Haskins Being Benched By The Washington Football Team</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBflfv6oyH4" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p><p>If you don't think that a team can make the difference for a quarterback's career, just look at <strong>Andrew Luck</strong>'s tragically short run due to <a href="https://thewolfuwg.com/why-andrew-lucks-retirement-shows-importance-in-offensive-line/" target="_blank"><u>a lacking offensive line</u></a>, the brilliant <strong>Tony Romo</strong>'s shortened career due to <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1442131-why-cowboys-tony-romo-should-be-labeled-an-elite-nfl-qb" target="_blank"><u>the exact same issue</u></a>, or how <strong>Sam Darnold</strong> is now <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLc7I9h4RA8" target="_blank"><u>tripping over himself</u></a> the way <strong>Mark Sanchez</strong> used to run into butts.<br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6348ecf795dda04edbb1e47619542a8e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="0d0c5" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://findbet.com/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUwMzUzMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNDY5OTc2N30.0dbacPTRIKHR4hDbUHgwN5EuipSiHIFC9Od42nIAAr8/image.jpg?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">NFL: Denver Broncos at New York Jets</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
</small>
</p><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8c0c64387fce963c2852ce3635620a71" id="7cdab"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1311863048647438336"><div style="margin:1em 0">Well guys it’s all come full circle for my guy Sam Darnold... last year he saw Ghost & this year he got sacked by o… https://t.co/6IO7mYHmDw</div> — Ryan Clark (@Ryan Clark)<a href="https://twitter.com/Realrclark25/statuses/1311863048647438336">1601607498.0</a></blockquote></div><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="14df3d0827f6495b4b9c36f4eaac5e33" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="442bb" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://findbet.com/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUwMzQ5NS9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NDIzMjU1NH0.eZGcgbtTAS8dpsIHnw7QTSO5tLY50C3YDQ_Kivm6Ono/image.gif?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Via <a href="https://tenor.com/view/butt-fumble-ass-gif-5085979" target="_blank">Tenor</a></small></p><p>Maybe Haskins isn't it, but it's equally possible that he's a young quarterback that hasn't been developed properly and had a chance to thrive in Washington. Whether Haskins stays on this Football Team or joins another, here's to hoping that the quarterback is able to keep his NFL dreams alive and show his true capabilities, whatever they may be.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5febd2ac677575271c01008c264ce1f5" id="bd340"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1314680066480238594"><div style="margin:1em 0">Sometimes I hate it here https://t.co/3ggfriITG1</div> — Joe cardoso 📝🎙🗣 (@Joe cardoso 📝🎙🗣)<a href="https://twitter.com/JoeCardoso301/statuses/1314680066480238594">1602279128.0</a></blockquote></div><h3></h3><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5febd2ac677575271c01008c264ce1f5" id="bd340"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1314680066480238594"><div style="margin:1em 0">Sometimes I hate it here https://t.co/3ggfriITG1</div> — Joe cardoso 📝🎙🗣 (@Joe cardoso 📝🎙🗣)<a href="https://twitter.com/JoeCardoso301/statuses/1314680066480238594">1602279128.0</a></blockquote></div>
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