Tag: Bets

The Maple Leafs started the season the way they ended every playoffs, by melting down

Usually, the Leafs choke in the playoffs, not the regular season!

At this point, a devastating Maple Leafs’ loss in some shape or form should probably be expected. With one of the more talented cores in the NHL, Toronto has basically made it a time-honored tradition to waste that talent come the spring when the playoffs roll around.

On Wednesday night, during their season opener against the Canadiens (+200), the Leafs pivoted somewhat and started the year with a meltdown.

In a back-and-forth battle, Toronto seemingly couldn’t shake Montreal, taking the lead twice and surrendering it … twice in the second period. When the closing stanza came around, the Canadiens took the advantage with a 3-2 lead before the Leafs would tie it up in the final few minutes.

It seemed like we’d be heading for overtime until a Josh Anderson shot found the back of the net, on new goal Matt Murray no less, with roughly 17 seconds on the clock:

How glorious and painful, at the same time, to lose to Montreal 4-3 in such a fashion. The Leafs couldn’t even contain themselves enough not to blow a potential win one game into their season. If this is how the Toronto 2022-2023 campaign begins, it might be another eventual agonizing year for the Leafs.

Robert Lewandowski said ‘not today,’ made Champions League history with stunning last-second tying goal

“There is only one thing we say to elimination: Not today,” Lewandowski probably

Wednesday was an eventful day in the Champions League group stage.

Already on the brink in Group C behind Bayern Munich and Inter, Barcelona entered Wednesday’s matchup with, ironically, Inter (+575) needing at least a tie to stave off an unfortunate (and probably unforeseen) relegation to the Europa League. And after roughly 63 minutes of play, matters weren’t looking promising for the “Blaugrana.”

With Barcelona fighting for its life, Inter got off to what seemed like a commanding 2-1 lead following goals from Nicola Barella and Lautaro Martinez. A relegation seemed all but inevitable for Xavi’s talented and a little bit flawed bunch.

But then, in the 82nd minute … my goodness, that’s Robert Lewandowski’s music!

What a strike and what a moment for Barcelona. While a win would certainly make things easier on it as it would still control its own destiny, it’d still take hanging on for the tie in the final few minutes.

That’s when Robin Gosens buried the apparent dagger in the 89th minute to give Inter a 3-2 lead:

Oh, man. What a brutal way to be relegated.

(Holds hand to earpiece)

Is that the prolific Lewandowski again?

What a pass, and what an even better finish from one of the greatest goal-scorers in the history of soccer. With his heroic two-goal effort to (temporarily) keep Barcelona from being relegated, Lewandowski also made some Champions League history.

He officially joined Cristiano Ronaldo (140) and Lionel Messi (127) as the only players to ever 90 at least goals in the Champions League:

Unfortunately for Lewandowski, his individual prowess probably only staved off Barcelona’s inevitable relegation. If Inter defeats Viktoria Plzen at home later this month, Barcelona will officially step down to the Europa League.

For now, Lewandowski played hero and once again reminded everyone he’s one of the all-time best in the goal box.

NFL fans were livid after a Chris Jones strip-sack was wiped out by an awful roughing-the-passer call

Jones literally had the ball in his hands!!!

Things weren’t going the Chiefs’ way for much of the first half against the Raiders (+7.5) on Monday. Though, after falling behind 17-0, Kansas City started to rally. That tension would come to a head on a key play involving Chiefs’ pass rusher Chris Jones and Las Vegas’ Derek Carr.

With Kansas City trying to steal one last possession before the end of the half, Jones got on his horse and blew by the Las Vegas’ offensive line to hit Carr for a sack. Jones’ rush and play were so good that he even stripped Carr of the football and had it in his hands, ready to run the other way.

So it was Kansas City football, right?

Wrong. The NFL would call a roughing-the-passer penalty on Jones for “using his full body weight,” extending a Raiders’ possession that would end in a field goal.

And yes, it’s very much as bad of a call as it sounds:

In case you were wondering, I’m pretty certain Jones might be the first player in NFL history to be called for roughing-the-passer … while holding the ball in his hands. Because, you know, the quarterback isn’t a passer anymore if they don’t have the ball in their hands. And Jones, with the ball in his hands, is now officially a runner.

Ah, well, at least Jones can just stop running full speed (?) and not throw his full weight (?) into Carr when simply trying to do his job. With Jones’ play being the second terrible roughing-the-passer call in as many days, it’s a good reminder about the NFL rule book: It makes zero sense!

The Bears were who we thought they were after ruining their own epic comeback vs. the Vikings

The Bears almost had a day for the ages until they shot themselves in the foot. Twice.

For much of the afternoon against the Vikings (-7.5), the Bears looked lost. That might even be an understatement. After Chicago fell behind 21-3 late in the first half, it didn’t seem like much would go right for this rag-tag group.

On offense, Justin Fields and Co. couldn’t muster up much of any consistent positivity or churn. Chicago’s mission to make a simple forward pass look like solving a Rubik’s cube continued. On defense, Kirk Cousins started 17-of-17, and the Bears seemed to somehow forget about covering All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson downfield … or anywhere on the field.

But then, this game flipped in an instant.

On the Bears’ final drive of the first half, Darnell Mooney made one of (or the best?) catch of the year:

From there, the Bears would start cooking. They were putting themselves in position of completing the largest comeback in franchise history since a famous rant by former Cardinals head coach Dennis Green:

The unfortunate spin here is that the Bears probably should’ve finished the rally after scoring 19 unanswered points to take a 22-21 lead in the fourth quarter. In fact, when Justin Fields found a late seam around the edge on a would-be touchdown, it seemed like they did.

Bad news — Ihmir Smith-Marsette would be called for a block in the back that negated Fields’ electric run:

Speaking of Fields’ clutch play, despite a horrendous supporting cast, he more than came through when the Bears needed him:

Later, after the Vikings orchestrated a masterful drive to take a late 29-22 lead, the Bears looked like they’d at least push Minnesota to the very end on their final possession. A valiant fight to the end.

Unfortunately, another tough extra push — ironically from Smith-Marsette again — would doom the Bears after the receiver fumbled the ball on their gotta-have-it, two-minute drill:

Oof. The rare instance where pushing forward a little harder as a football player comes back to bite you in the worst possible way.

And so, despite an impressive rally from Fields and some heart shown by the Bears in an almost astonishing comeback, they unsurprisingly shot themselves in the foot, ruining any chance for victory.

In the end, in the words of the immortal Mr. Dennis Green: The [Bears] are who we thought they were.

The Bills’ Josh Allen and Gabe Davis connected on a bonkers 98-yard TD from the shadow of their own end zone

Sometimes all you need is ONE play!

Aside from one tiny misstep in Miami, the Bills have mostly been unassailable this season. Buffalo and Josh Allen have been thrashing and shocking just about everyone in the conference as one of the AFC’s true juggernauts. Allen and Co. had a unique way to humble the Steelers (+14) early on Sunday, with Pittsburgh on deck as the Bills’ latest victim.

But it didn’t look that way at first.

On their first offensive possession, Allen and the Bills were backed up in their own end zone on a third and long. Rather than try to keep the chains moving or take a safe play that avoids potential back-of-end chaos, Allen went for it all on a deep shot to Gabriel Davis.

It worked out … quite well. To the tune of a 98-yard touchdown (!):

Holy cow. That’s one way to get the chains moving and the ball rolling.

The wild 98-yard touchdown for Davis is the longest in the Bills’ history and the longest touchdown the Steelers have surrendered since 1966.

Oh yeah, this is a special and fun group in Buffalo.

Richard Sherman had a fiery response to a Russell Wilson pick on a slant in the end zone

“I wish I had Marshawn up here.”

Given some of the past potential tension in their relationship, many thought that Richard Sherman would have even more to say about Russell Wilson on Thursday night. With Sherman working as a studio analyst for Amazon Prime’s broadcast of Wilson’s Broncos (-3.5) and their matchup with the Colts, the potential for Sherman to say something controversial about his former Seahawks teammate seemed high.

But, for the most part, amidst a football game of particularly awful proportions, we didn’t hear much from Sherman — at least in regards to Wilson’s play. That is until Wilson threw a late fourth-quarter pick, on a slant near the goal line, to Indianapolis’ Stephon Gilmore:

Hmm, while the stakes are certainly much lower, the general dynamic and set-up of that play — a Wilson interception on a late fourth-quarter slant — seems very familiar? (Note: The Colts would go on to win this game 12-9 in overtime.)

Oh, right, I remember this kind of famous Wilson play for the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX … that also involved the Patriots’ Malcolm Butler:

Ah, but see, that’s just a happy coincidence that a similar play happened for the Wilson Broncos.

Well, it didn’t be to such a happy coincidence for Sherman, who shared his thoughts on the play quite succinctly:

Sherman even recalled his initial heartbreaking reaction to that famous Super Bowl play:

On the post-game, Sherman would say he was “triggered” and seemed upset when he didn’t appreciate that Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett didn’t do a very specific thing with the football:

Uh, moving on. Sherman would follow this emotional sequence with a reference to the Denver defense playing well and that to win a Super Bowl this year, they would need to be “historic.”

Oh wait, is Sherman referring to the Butler play and Seattle and … oh that makes so much sense.

If Sherman has more things to say about Wilson, specifically, I don’t know that this necessarily means displeasure with his former quarterback. It could simply be that Sherman is still just really, really, really heartbroken over that loss. Though, I don’t think anyone outside of this pair’s thought process will take Sherman’s reaction that way. Not even close.

NFL fans learned to appreciate the awful Broncos-Colts TNF game with Bears-Commanders next

Be thankful for the awful football you have because it can always get worse.

Just a quarter into their Thursday night matchup, NFL fans couldn’t believe that the Broncos (-3.5) and Colts were actually selected for a primetime game against one another.

After one quarter, the two teams — with Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan at quarterback, mind you — combined for 88 total yards, six punts on seven possessions, five three-and-outs, and just one third-down conversion. If that sounds terrible just reading from afar, it was even worse to see play out live and in real-time.

Of course, as it often does with poorly-played pro football, it can always get worse. And if you thought the Broncos and Colts setting offense back decades was terrible, the horrific mess also known as Bears-Commanders — scheduled for next Thursday night’s game — truly might be even worse.

That upcoming terrible (and worse) game between Chicago and Washington is how NFL fans made themselves feel better about Denver and Indianapolis “playing” football.

Russell Wilson’s Broncos are an overhyped mess, and they don’t have the horses to fix it

There are too many issues in Denver to consider the Broncos a contender.

Quarterbacks like Russell Wilson don’t simply get traded. It’s not every day a nine-time Pro Bowl signal caller will find themselves on a new team when they’re only 33 years old. Naturally, that kind of profile means said quarterback will have high expectations while wearing their new uniform.

Unfortunately for Wilson and the Denver Broncos — after a blockbuster offseason trade from Seattle that essentially amounts to an entire draft’s worth of picks — they don’t appear capable of living up to the hype. And as Wilson and Denver get set to try and build some momentum against the Colts tonight, it’s fair to wonder whether they can even fix their fatal flaws.

Through four snoozer games in 2022, Russell Wilson has one (1!) multi-touchdown game in the timeless orange crush jersey. On an offense with weapons like Courtland Sutton and the talented-if-not-up-and-down Jerry Jeudy, Wilson has just one game with over 300 yards passing — an ironic (and undoubtedly humiliating) homecoming defeat against the Seahawks.

In other glaring knocks, the veteran:

  • Is 16th in the NFL in passing
  • Has just a 91.1 passer rating (in 2022 pro football, this is not good, to be clear)
  • Has thrown for only four touchdowns (Note: Patrick Mahomes, who Wilson’s Broncos were supposed to upend this season, is coming off a virtuoso three-score performance against the Bucs — what was the NFL’s top defense)

Wilson’s struggles have permeated to the rest of the Broncos’ offense. It’s an attack that doesn’t have any discernible identity … four weeks into the season. Most contenders, like, say, the Chiefs, have a clear niche they like to lean on on offense. Kansas City uses Travis Kelce as a safety valve. Josh Allen has a quarterback power sweep in Buffalo. The Bengals throw the ball up in Ja’Marr Chase’s general vicinity, but it’s assuredly by design. In Baltimore, Lamar Jackson has his own off-tackle run, or he’s gunning it down the seam to Mark Andrews.

By contrast, what does Denver do well? Have Wilson throw a prayer in the middle of the field and hope someone with a Broncos helmet falls under the ball? Well, that’s not working:

Give Sutton 35 targets through four games (tied for 20th in the league)?

I’ve got terrible news! Throwing to a bona fide No. 1 all the time usually only works when you’ve got other downfield options. If that player is the only person defenses have to worry about, you’re just giving a good talent volume for production. It’s not moving the needle. Most everyone the Broncos are chasing in the AFC has other threats. Denver, as constructed, with a struggling Jeudy and a Melvin Gordon who seems determined to fumble every significant carry (four fumbles, two lost, in four games) — does not.

What has to be most alarming for the Broncos isn’t necessarily that Wilson is playing poorly. Any quarterback, no matter how established or talented, is bound for an awful stretch of play. It’s how utterly listless the offense sometimes looks with him at the helm. An early-30s, second-wind Geno Smith should not be running a more coherent attack in Seattle than Wilson in his new digs. But he is.

We’re rapidly approaching the point where we can and should at least broach the subject: Is Wilson washed up? Because this is what a steep decline resembles: A less-mobile quarterback who’s lost a step or two and can’t rip it anymore. Let Russ cook? What kind of meal are we talking about? A Salisbury steak TV dinner with partially frozen gravy and pasty potatoes, or a lemon chicken with roasted potatoes and a divine Sauvignon Blanc? There’s a stark difference between what Wilson and his respective “cooking team” are capable of making palatable.

Poor Nathaniel Hackett, too. The Broncos likely hired him as Aaron Rodgers Bait. When that failed, they brought in Wilson instead. And Hackett is certainly not equipped to help the worse quarterback with beneficial coaching or mentoring. Unless he wants to settle for 60-plus yard field goals on the rare occasion Wilson may put Denver in a position to win. Hackett’s got that aspect down pat.

Many uncomfortable conversations might happen in Denver over the next few months. The more time passes, and the more inept Wilson and the Broncos’ offense look by the week, the more a potential Mile High circus seems inevitable.

The pick: Broncos 21, Colts 13

We’re back to the old standard of Thursday night NFL games. Both of these teams are bad, and both of these teams have quarterbacks on the downswing of their careers. And neither should be on national television at any point through the rest of the season.

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NFL fans were astonished by Deebo Samuel’s sheer sorcery in the open field on an electric 57-yard TD

Oh, yeah. Deebo is BACK!

Amidst the 49ers’ slow 1-2 start to the season, 2021 First-Team All-Pro Deebo Samuel was still chugging. Now, granted, Samuel wasn’t playing at his usual high-level/versatile self. That’s probably no longer a concern for San Francisco.

With the 49ers looking to pad a late first-half 7-3 lead in their Monday night matchup with the Rams (-1.5), Jimmy Garoppolo — who’s returned as the starter with more questions than answers — decided to give Samuel a chance on a 50-50 ball. After the ensuing incredible result, it’s obvious the quarterback made an incredible decision to simply give the electric Samuel an opportunity to make a big play.

And yes, Samuel did all the hard work:

How Samuel turns a contested pass and how he weaves through seemingly the entire Rams defense, breaking tackle after tackle, is anyone’s best guess. That’s why he’s one of the best in the game and why the 49ers gave him everything he wanted in the offseason.

NFL fans absolutely loved ESPN’s ‘Only Injuries in the Building’ animated graphic for the 49ers

The 49ers have to solve the injury mystery of The Arconia.

The 49ers entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations. A year after making their second NFC title game appearance in three seasons, many thought San Francisco was capable of such play. Unfortunately, injuries have already started to sink some of those ambitions.

Four games into their 2022 campaign, the 49ers have lost their starting quarterback in Trey Lance (ankle; for the season), the NFL’s arguable best tackle in Trent Williams (ankle), and starting running back Elijah Mitchell. It’s a brutal scenario for a team in the conversation for the top roster in football.

It’s also an injury situation that ESPN decided to make light of before the 49ers took the Rams (-1.5) on Monday Night Football with an incredible graphic referencing the Hulu show Only Murders in the Building:

Oh … my goodness? Whoever decided to greenlight “Only Injuries in the Building” in a way that has 300-plus pound Trent Williams in a spooky tall New York apartment building — kudos to you. I hope you get everything you dream of in life, including creating more references to delightful shows on streaming services.