Jets Wire breaks down why Darryl Roberts’ return to the field against the Bengals shouldn’t mean his return to the starting lineup.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
That’s the approach defensive coordinator Gregg Williams should take when deciding Darryl Roberts’ role against the Bengals in Week 13.
Roberts is set to return to the field against Cincinnati after missing New York’s last three games with a calf injury. As Roberts sat out, rookie Bless Austin and Arthur Maulet stepped up and established themselves as a formidable cornerback duo, bringing stability to a unit that has struggled mightily in 2019.
Now, Williams has a decision to make. Does he insert Roberts back into the starting lineup? Or, does he ride the hot hand and leave both Austin and Maulet in prominent roles?
Frankly, this shouldn’t be too tough of a call for the veteran defensive coordinator. Austin and Maulet have been producing at prolific levels. Austin limited his assignment to only three catches for 32 yards against the Raiders last weekend. Maulet kept everything in front of him, allowing six receptions for a mere 32 yards. Granted, the competition hasn’t been great, but there’s no reason to shake things up and disrupt a duo that has been nothing but solid the past three weeks.
Making this an even easier decision for Williams is how poorly Roberts has played this season. The Jets gave the converted safety a three-year, $18 million contract this offseason to keep him in the Big Apple. All the 29-year-old has done in return is prove why he didn’t start his career as a cornerback, getting burned by opposing wideouts with regularity. His antics haven’t helped his standing with the fanbase, either.
Roberts is on his way to becoming a salary cap casualty in the offseason. Austin and Maulet are trending toward being key pieces in the secondary moving forward. Why would Williams not only go away from what’s working for his defense, but pull a player with the potential to be a contributor for the long run in favor of one who is likely to get cut in a couple of months?
Williams’ decision on Roberts shouldn’t focus on whether or not he should return to the starting lineup. It should focus on whether he deserves any sort of playing time at all. There’s really no sense in playing a cornerback who gets cooked more often than not, especially in favor of players who do their job and help New York’s defense thrive.
The numbers don’t help his cause, but despite low production, Le’Veon Bell believes he’s playing the best football of his career.
Le’Veon Bell’s first season with the Jets isn’t exactly up to the All-Pro standard that he set for himself in Pittsburgh, but the running back feels like he’s playing at a similar level.
“I feel like I’ve been running hard, breaking a lot of tackles, and I haven’t dropped a ball all year,” Bell said Friday before the Jets traveled to Cincinnati. “I’ve been doing great in blitz pickups and pass protection. I haven’t been making a lot of mental mistakes and any time they call upon me, I make a play. This is some of the best football I’ve played in my whole career. I don’t care what the stats say.”
There’s a lot of evidence that would point to this season not being up to par with Bell’s career numbers. He has 557 yards rushing, which ranks 19th in the NFL. In his first 11 games in green and white, Bell is averaging a career-low 3.2 yards per carry and 50.6 yards per game on the ground. His longest run of the season is for only 19 yards.
While Bell has yet to rush for over 70 yards this season, the Jets are doing a good job of utilizing his versatility as a gifted weapon in the backfield. Although, his 33.5 receiving yards per game is nearly 14 yards less than he averaged his final two seasons in Pittsburgh.
Over the last four games, Bell has averaged 97.3 yards from scrimmage compared to 63 yards per game in Weeks 5-8. With the Jets turning a corner on their season, it’s no coincidence that Bell is playing some of his best football of the season.
In the last two games, Bell has been used increasingly in the slot. Bell lining up as a receiver hadn’t been a viable option for the Jets due to the consistent struggles of the offensive line and Adam Gase needing to deploy Bell at the line to chip edge rushers.
Last Sunday against the Raiders, Bell had five receptions for 59 yards, three yards shy of his one-game season high. Bell said he and Gase envisioned using him more out wide at the beginning of the season and he hopes his role will expand in the final five games.
“Now, we have more flow, so [Gase] is able to move me around a little more because he knows I have a better understanding of the offense and I’ve been putting good football on tape,” Bell said. “He’s been finding different ways to utilize me other than the running game, so hopefully we continue to grow with that.”
“Us moving around as many guys [on the offensive line], I think that didn’t make it easy on anybody,” Gase said. “Just trying to get some kind of rhythm, just trying to find different ways to use him. I think the last couple weeks, we’ve gotten him out, got him some space and got him the ball and let him go do his thing and I think that’s worked out well.”
Previewing Sunday’s New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals sports betting odds and lines, with Week 13 NFL betting picks, tips and best bets.
The New York Jets (4-7) and Cincinnati Bengals (0-11) meet at 1 p.m. ET Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium. We analyze the Jets-Bengals sports betting odds and lines, with NFL betting picks and tips for the Week 13 matchup.
Jets at Bengals: Week 13 preview, betting trends and notes
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The Bengals turned back to QB Andy Dalton under center after ‘evaluating’ QB Ryan Finley over the past three games. The offense averaged 11.0points per game under Finley, while posting 18.0 PPG with Dalton under center.
Cincinnati has hit the Under in five of the past six games, and seven of the past nine.
The Bengals are a dismal 2-5 against the spread in the past seven games against losing teams and 1-7 ATS in the past eight at home vs. teams with a losing road mark.
The Over cashed in four of the past five for the Jets while going 4-1 in the past five overall and 4-0 in their past four against losing teams.
The Under is 5-1 in Cincinnati’s past six overall and 33-16-2 its past 51 vs. AFC teams.
The Jets rank 31st in the NFL in total yards per game (262.1), passing yards per game (188.5) and rushing yards per game (73.5), but they have scored exactly 34 points in each of the past three outings.
Jets at Bengals: Key injuries
Jets: WR Demaryius Thomas (hamstring) is questionable.
Bengals: WR A.J. Green (ankle) remains out.
Jets at Bengals: Odds, betting lines and prediction
The JETS (-167) are expected to add to the misery of the Bengals (+135) and keep them with a goose egg in the win column. The way QB Sam Darnold and the offense have been operating lately, there’s no reason to believe they can’t top these winless Bengals.
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the moneyline returns a $6.00 profit with an N.Y. Jets victory.
The JETS (-3.5, +105) opened a little higher, but the public has been all over the Bengals (+3.5, -125). Perhaps they like the fact Dalton is back, perhaps they’re just going on percentages that the Bengals have to win sooner or later. Either way, take the Jets. It’s always pleasing to go against the public.
Pass. The projected total of 41.5 (-115) is perfect for this game. If Darnold and the offense do what they have the past few weeks, this is an easy Over play. But when do the Jets ever do what they’re supposed to do and live up to their potential?
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Here’s the final injury report for Jets vs. Bengals.
As expected, A.J. Green will miss another game for the Cincinnati Bengals, this time the team’s Week 13 encounter with a recently strong New York Jets team.
It turns out Green didn’t get anything at all this week, which could mean next week is unlikely too.
Elsewhere on the injury front, second-round rookie Drew Sample didn’t practice Friday and will miss more time. Fellow tight end Cethan Carter is still dealing with a concussion and missed practice.
The Bengals ended up listing linebacker Nick Vigil as questionable after he had a boot on his foot earlier in the week. But it sounds like he’ll be able to suit up.
In a rather surprising turn of events, a small percentage of experts have decided to side with the Cincinnati Bengals over the New York Jets when the teams meet in Week 13.
A week ago every expert went against the Bengals before their eventual loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Not this time. At NFL Pick Watch, 13 percent of experts went with the Bengals over the Jets.
The Bengals turning back to Andy Dalton under center might have something to do with the slight shift. He was 0-8 and in the middle of his worst year as a pro before he got benched, but things managed to get worse with rookie Ryan Finley under center.
It helps the Bengals have shown some signs of life in recent weeks via a defense that keeps hanging in there and a running game that has started to come alive.
Even so, the Jets are on a roll. They’ve won three consecutive games while scoring 30-plus points in each. The defense is the best in the league against the run and star safety Jamal Adams happens to remind Dalton of Troy Polamalu.
While it isn’t a terrible time to consider the underdog Bengals, it isn’t hard to see why most experts still prefer the opposition.
Jets running back Le’Veon Bell should be able to run rampant against the Bengals defense in Week 13.
The Jets offense should continue to roll in Week 13 as New York takes on the winless Bengals in Cinncinati. Sam Darnold just put up 27 points in a blowout win over the Raiders a week ago, and the young quarterback has thrown for 838 yards and seven touchdowns with only one turnover during the Jets’ three-game winning streak.
There isn’t a lot to be worried about against the Bengals defense but that doesn’t mean the Jets can sleepwalk through this game. Remember Week 9 in Miami? The Jets looked atrocious against the Dolphins and delivered them their first win of the season. Similarly to how they played in the previous three weeks, Adam Gase and the Jets should pour it on with their offense and light up one of the worst defenses in the league.
Here are four keys to the Jets offense against the Bengals.
Sam Darnold was placed on Wednesday’s injury report with a knee issue, but he’s expected to practice fully on Turkey Day.
Sam Darnold was placed on Wednesday’s injury report with a knee issue, but he’s expected to practice fully on Turkey Day.
That’s obviously something Gang Green should be thankful for. The same goes for Brandon Copeland, who is also back to practicing fully after being limited Wednesday with hip and thumb injuries.
In other injury news, Darryl Roberts (calf) and Kelvin Beachum (ankles) will be limited, while Chuma Edoga (knee) won’t practice. It would be a surprise if Edgoa played this weekend against the Bengals, while Roberts could find himself on the sideline regardless of health due to the recent strong play of Arthur Maulet and Bless Austin at cornerback.
Adam Gase said he’ll let Jets players out after practice tomorrow so they can get to Thanksgiving dinner.
Adam Gase appears to be in the holiday spirit.
The head coach said he’ll let his players out after practice early Thursday so that they can get to Thanksgiving dinner. Instead of eating turkey and stuffing, however, Gase plans on consuming Cincinnati Bengals game film.
Adam Gase said he’ll let players out after practice tomorrow so they can get to Thanksgiving dinner.
It’s unclear if Gase will get home himself. Said it depends how much work he gets done. #Jets
Gase won’t let himself out early if he doesn’t finish prepping. He has to see how much work he gets done ahead of the Bengals game on Sunday.
This wouldn’t be the first time Gase put football first. Prior to the season, a story circulated of him meeting with Peyton Manning just a couple of hours after his wife gave birth to their second child. That was when he was the Denver Broncos offensive coordinator.
In any event, the Jets deserve some time off to spend with their families after three consecutive wins. Hopefully, Gase allows some for himself as well.
The Baltimore Ravens can keep rolling towards the playoffs but the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns will be the matchup to watch
It’s Week 13 in the NFL and the season is coming down to the wire. Though players might be tired and beat up, this is where the league’s best teams really start to pull away. And with the playoffs looming on the horizon, it’s when those teams on the fence start scrambling to get into the postseason.
That’s the case with most of the AFC North in Week 13. The Ravens are aiming to continue their dominant winning streak over another tough opponent while the Steelers and Browns fight it out (hopefully not literally this time) for likely the final wild-card spot.
It’s a pivotal week in the AFC North, so let’s take a closer look at each game in Week 13 to see what we’ll be getting.
San Francisco 49ers (10-1) at Baltimore Ravens (9-2)
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Another week and another instance I can write, “this is the Ravens’ toughest test of the season.” Going up against the 49ers this week, this is actually Baltimore’s biggest test and likely the only opponent left on the schedule that poses much threat to stop their run.
For San Francisco, it’s easily their toughest game of the season and arguably their first real test. The 49ers have had a fairly easy schedule thus far and come into this week with the confidence that brings them. But they’ve yet to see an offense as capable or defense as aggressive as what the Ravens bring to the table.
If San Francisco can play tough football and either keep it close or win outright, we could be looking at an early preview of Super Bowl LIV.
Click on the next pages for the rest of the AFC North’s games.
Top-ranked DFS PRO Jason Mezrahi, founder and CEO of WinDailySports.com, breaks down his favorite Daily Fantasy Football plays at various salary ranges for Week 13 of the NFL. Find out who Jason will be locking in his lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Top-ranked DFS PRO Jason Mezrahi, founder and CEO of WinDailySports.com, breaks down his favorite Daily Fantasy Football plays at various salary ranges for Week 13 of the NFL. Find out who Jason will be locking in his lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.
QUARTERBACKS
PATRICK MAHOMES- $7400 DRAFTKINGS, $8600 FANDUEL
Patrick Mahomes is a stud and if you can find the way to pay up for him I think you should. He has the highest upside of the slate and is consistently averaging 24 points per game this season. Now he’s presented with a home matchup versus the Raiders who rank 25th against opposing quarterbacks. Couple that with the fact Vegas has this game projected to be a shootout with an over/under of 51.5 points and Mahomes is safe for both cash games and tournaments.
NICK FOLES- $5700 DRAFTKINGS, $7500 FANDUEL
Nick Foles is coming off 2 solid games that were against stingy defenses. Now he gets a dream matchup versus the Buccaneers who rank 31st against opposing quarterbacks. His price is discounted due to the fact he has been out for most of the season with the injury so I advise you to take advantage of the low price tag. Foles is a strong value versus terrible pass defense and will exceed value in Week 13.
RUNNING BACKS
CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY- $10500 DRAFTKINGS, $1100 FANDUEL
Christian McCaffrey is having one of the best seasons I have seen while playing fantasy football. The man is a lock and is averaging a whopping 32 points per game. He gets points in good and bad matchups, he scores when his team is winning or trailing in games. As long as he is healthy he is on the field accumulating fantasy points. McCaffrey will torch them on the ground and the air. If you have followed this column all season I have written him up in 80% of them and the trend will continue. Play if safe and pay up for McCaffrey and get different in other spots of your lineup.
JOSH JACOBS- $6900 DRAFTKINGS, $7700 FANDUEL
Josh Jacobs is in the highest projected scoring game by Vegas in Week 13. Jacobs is averaging 16 points per game and is the focal point of this Raiders offense. He is the featured running back and he is involved in the passing game as well. The Chiefs rank 32nd against the run and Jacobs should find the endzone at least once in this matchup. Jacobs has high upside and provides a nice floor at a nice price to provide some value.
WIDE RECEIVERS
DJ CHARK JR- $6600 DRAFTKINGS, $86900 FANDUEL
DJ Chark Jr. has been somewhat of a boom or bust play each week. I think Chark brings the boom versus the Buccaneers in Week 13. He is averaging 18 points per game and he has two 30 point games this season. I think the third 30 point game could come in Week 13. The Buccaneers rank 32nd against opposing wide receivers and have allowed 289 passing yards per game. It’s the best matchup on the board and I will be pairing Foles with Chark in both tournaments and cash games this week.
DJ MOORE- $6800 DRAFTKINGS, $6800 FANDUEL
DJ Moore is quietly having one of the best seasons at the wide receiver position. He should eclipse the 1000 yard marker this week and is averaging 17 points per game. He is coming off four consecutive big games and I see a fifth one coming. The Redskins defense is suspect and Moore should put up points. Take the value he provides and lock in a consistent player with the upside for tournaments.
TIGHT ENDS
TRAVIS KELCE- $7200 DRAFTKINGS, $7100 FANDUEL
Travis Kelce should be in line for a big week against the Raiders. In Week 2 Kelce hauled in 7 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown on the road in Oakland. Now he gets a matchup at home with a hobbled receiving core around him. I think Kelce is as safe as it gets at the tight end position with Kittle and Andrews in tough matchups this week. Kelce is averaging 15 points per game and has eclipsed 20 points in the last 2 games. I will take a repeat performance from Kelce and he will be mixed into my cash games and tournament lineups.
JACK DOYLE- $3300 DRAFTKINGS, $5000 FANDUEL
Jack Doyle should see an uptick in targets and receptions with Eric Ebron put on injured reserve. I like Kelce, Ertz, and Waller at higher price tags but if you need to pay down Doyle is one of the best value tight ends of the slate. Doyle should be the number two target on this offense this week and the Titans struggle to cover the tight end. They rank 15th against opposing tight ends and allow 255 yards passing per game. I see Doyle with at least 5 receptions for 55 yards and if he can find his way into the endzone we should be looking pretty. Lock Doyle in for the best value tight end of the slate.
DEFENSES
NEW YORK JETS- $3700 DRAFTKINGS, $4900 FANDUEL
The Jets have been better defensively the last couple of weeks and now gets a matchup versus the banged up Cincinnati Bengals. They have sacked the quarterback 17 times in the past 4 games and creating turnovers. A matchup versus the Bengals should continue the trend and the Jets come in with one of the safest floors in Week 13.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES- $3600 DRAFTKINGS, $5000 FANDUEL
There are a lot of interesting defenses this week with good to great matchups. I like the Browns, Eagles, and Panthers but the Ravens present the best value at the price. The Ravens are looking like true Super Bowl contenders with the way Lamar Jackson is playing. They are controlling the clock and playing with the lead in most of their games. Their defense is much improved after the trade acquisitions they made and have been dominating teams as of late. A matchup versus the 49ers could go either way but I think their defense makes sense at the value price they present.
Jason Mezrahi has been a professional, top-ranked Daily Fantasy Player on FanDuel and DraftKings for more than seven years. He has won FanDuel’s $155,555 King of the Diamond competition and placed second in DraftKings’ Fantasy Basketball World Championship, earning him $300,000. He owns and operates WinDailySports.com, which supports the DFS and Sports Betting community with resources such as tools, projection models, in-depth written analysis and podcasts, plus much more.
