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.
At the moment Ben Roethlisberger was carted off the field with yet another injury, bettors on the Pittsburgh Steelers should have expected the worst. Roethlisberger’s health was not the concern. The point-spread cover was in critical condition.
It’s too soon to label the season a fiasco in Philadelphia, because it’s only the halfway point and a bad division is up for grabs. Still, the spotlight on coach Chip Kelly is getting intense, and he’s overweight and sweating.
Debates are great for college football, like them or not. It will be two months before the heated debates over who’s No. 1 are decided. One thing that is certain now is Leonard Fournette’s status as the nation’s top running back.
It has been more than a month since the Dallas Cowboys won a game. In the meantime, there has been no shortage of drama and discontent, and no sign of injured quarterback Tony Romo returning.
No longer is it hip to praise Peyton Manning. He looks much older now, even elderly at times, trotting onto the field as if limping with a broken hip.
Even before the trick-play debacle, Chuck Pagano’s job was in jeopardy. Under his leadership, which now appears clumsy at best, the Indianapolis Colts are getting as stale as month-old bread.
Whether gambling or coaching football, never apologize for getting lucky. Luck turns two ways, and what goes around usually comes around. Without a doubt, Mark Dantonio is the luckiest coach in the world this week.
A so-called perfect world does not exist in the NFL. If everything is going right, you can bet something is about to go wrong. And everything is going right for Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals.
