Instead of ripping the losing coach, pause for a moment to praise the winning quarterback. Deshaun Watson did not get much pregame hype from the media and was quickly dismissed by most bettors, yet he directed a dominant performance by Clemson.
Sports Columns
Even a genius is capable of a dumb decision. Bill Belichick is normally the sharpest gambler walking NFL sidelines, and the math usually supports his rolls of the dice, but he owns this rare blunder.
If anyone wonders why NFL wagering is so popular, Ben Roethlisberger is one reason. If he’s on the field, he’s never out of a game. When the Pittsburgh Steelers are down, only a fool counts them out.
If this is the end, it’s sad. What appears to be the Chargers’ final season in San Diego is coming to a forgettable conclusion. Philip Rivers has spent his 12-year NFL career as the quarterback for one team.
It never has been easier to reach a bowl game, which is not a good thing.
Never is it easy to call for a coach’s job, especially when he’s a two-time Super Bowl winner. Tom Coughlin has put himself and the New York Giants in a tough spot, however, and there’s no doubt his job is on the line.
When the Philadelphia Eagles are winning, coach Chip Kelly is a genius and an innovator. When the losses pile up, he’s an arrogant egomaniac who annoys everyone with his fast talking and micromanaging.
At the risk of sounding grumpy and old, Cam Newton’s celebrations and dance routines are getting old. But like him or not, he deserves a lot of credit, and so do the Carolina Panthers.
For so many years, the Oakland Raiders’ puzzle was a jumbled mess with several missing pieces. Most of the pieces were missing, in fact. But things seem to finally be changing, and now Derek Carr is developing into a legitimate franchise quarterback.
Not so long ago, Kirk Ferentz had seemingly worn out his welcome at Iowa. A run of mediocrity put the dean of Big Ten football coaches on the hot seat. And now, he’s probably the most popular guy in the state.
With four touchdown passes in his pocket, Russell Wilson was not done dealing. Whether sitting at the poker table or standing in a dark corner of the sports book, never count your money until the dealing is done.
Adversity and Urban Meyer cross paths about as often as it snows in the desert. This is one of those rare weeks. Meyer is coming off an ugly loss, and the chill in the air makes Las Vegas feel like Big Ten country.
This is not a time for Aaron Rodgers to show off his spelling bee skills and cooly advise fans of the Green Bay Packers to R-E-L-A-X. A four-game losing streak would be reason to slam a fist on the panic button.
If you wager on the NFL, your handicapping usually starts with the quarterbacks. Beer-drinking gamblers and brain surgeons can agree that Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers rank as the most valuable. Below are our rankings of all 32 of the NFL’s regular starting QBs.
Even the worst NFL franchises get it right once in a while, and the Tennessee Titans got it right when it counted most. Marcus Mariota provides hope and a future, two things the team lacked at the end of last season.