Struggles for Ravens and Bengals Owners
Picture yourself as Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti or Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown, watching the San Francisco 49ers clinch a stunning victory against the Los Angeles Rams last Thursday night. The 49ers, despite missing several key players including their quarterback and leading receiver, surprised everyone with their grit and effective coaching.
Coaching Under Pressure
Just a few days later, Bisciotti and Brown witnessed their own teams falter yet again. Both the Ravens and Bengals are without their starting quarterbacks, and the Ravens are missing multiple defensive starters. However, they displayed little resilience, suffering a heavy loss at home to a Texans team that struggled offensively. This raises the question: are Ravens coach John Harbaugh and Bengals coach Zac Taylor’s jobs on the line? With each team on a three-game losing streak, they can’t solely blame the absence of Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow for their decline from contenders to pretenders.
Teams in Crisis
The number of struggling teams is at an all-time high, with nine teams posting a point differential of -7 or worse per game, up from six last year. The Bengals are the most challenged at -14.2, followed closely by the Ravens at -7.2. Other familiar underperformers include the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns, and New York Jets among others.
Desperate Moves on the Trade Front
The Bengals have resorted to acquiring a quarterback, trading for Joe Flacco, while the Ravens sought reinforcement in the secondary, with Harbaugh turning to his brother for a trade that brought Alohi Gilman from the Chargers for Odafe Oweh. Their mother would be pleased with the family collaboration.
Analysis of Last Week’s Predictions
Last week saw my picks falter, with several teams overcoming double-digit deficits, marking the first occurrence of this since 2013. This misfortune means that my cousin’s chicken, Nugget, will now be making the picks for this week alongside my own for laughs.
Upcoming Matchups
Among this week’s matchups, the Philadelphia Eagles are favored against the New York Giants, while the Denver Broncos clash with the New York Jets in London. The Los Angeles Rams take on the Ravens, and the Cowboys face off against the Panthers. We also have exciting games involving the Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns, and Los Angeles Chargers where I predict notable outcomes based on current performance metrics.
Best Bets and Upset Specials
In terms of best bets, I am counting on the Rams and Packers to dominate the Ravens and Bengals. I also foresee the Chargers and Raiders bouncing back to cover the spread against the Dolphins and Titans respectively. For an upset, I’m betting on the Saints, who now stand a solid chance against the Patriots at home.
