Jacksonville Jaguars (-4) @ San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers 44 Jacksonville Jaguars 33
Against the number one defense in the NFL, Jimmy Jesus and the 49ers came to play. Garoppolo had three total touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 102.4. The Niners, led by Matt Breida and Carlos Hyde, ran for 131 yards on Jacksonville. Amazingly, San Francisco went 10-15 on third down conversions. Their defense held Jacksonville to just 92 total rushing yards. Leonard Fournette managed just 48 yards on 18 carries. San Francisco also picked off Blake Bortles three times. Bortles looks to have finally come back down to Earth after playing really good football for the last few weeks.
(USA Today)
Jimmy Garoppolo has won his first four games in San Francisco and looks like the real deal. Don’t be surprised if San Francisco makes the playoffs next year. This guy already looks like a top-10 quarterback in this league for years to come.
Seattle Seahawks (+4.5) @ Dallas Cowboys
Seattle Seahawks 21 Dallas Cowboys 12
The Seahawks were extra motivated because Eric Dickerson, Pro Football Hall of Fame running back, leaked the story of Ezekiel Elliott telling him he was going to run for 200 yards when he plays Seattle. Elliott had a solid game, rushing for 97 yards, but unfortunately, his quarterback continues to regress. Dak Prescott threw for just 181 yards, and a pair of interceptions.
The Seahawks forced three total turnovers, which ended up being the reason for victory. Seattle rushed for just 76 yards and had only 136 total yards, but a win is a win. If they wish to continue their season, Seattle needs to cut down on the penalties, as they had 11, which cost them 142 yards. The Seahawks can clinch a wild-card berth with a win over the Cardinals and a Falcons loss to the Panthers.
Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints (-6)
New Orleans Saints 23 Atlanta Falcons 13
New Orleans’ defense proved to be the difference maker in this one. They forced two turnovers and held the Falcons to just 67 rushing yards. Matt Ryan and the Atlanta offense went a pitiful 2-13 on third down conversions. On the other side, Drew Brees continued to be insanely efficient, as he completed 75 percent of his throws and had a quarterback rating of 97.2. Alvin Kamara looks to be the run-away candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year, as the former Tennessee standout ran for only 32 yards, but caught seven passes for 58 more yards.
Right now, Atlanta is the sixth seed in the NFC. If the season ended today, they would face the Rams in the wild-card round. To qualify for the playoffs, Atlanta needs to beat Carolina. However, even if they lose, the Falcons will move on if the Seahawks fall to the Cardinals.
Washington Redskins (-3) @ New York Giants
PICK: REDSKINS TO COVER
Davis Webb will be in uniform so you have to imagine he will get some reps at some point in this meaningless game. If Webb plays, a Redskins win is almost a guarantee. Anyways, the Redskins are up against a Giants team that ranks 31st in points per game, 30th in third down conversion percentage, and 23rd in yards per game. Not much to worry about here.
(CNBC.com)
Washington is pretty average on offense, ranking 14th in points per game, 13th in yards per play, and 15th in yards per game. Luckily, they are up against one of the worst defenses in the league. New York ranks 29th in opposing points per game, 32nd in opposing yards per game, and 26th in opposing third down conversion percentage. The Giants cannot move the chains on offense, and have a hard time getting off the field on defense. This team has already thrown in the towel, so look for Washington to win easy.
Kansas City Chiefs (+4) @ Denver Broncos
PICK: CHIEFS TO COVER
Patrick Mahomes will be making his first NFL start, so it is hard to not bet on this kid. Michael Kopech, baseball’s No. 10 prospect according to MLB.com and former high school rival of Mahomes, says, of the Kansas City QB, “He was just a bulldog. To be honest, I think anyone who ever played with or against Patrick would’ve assumed he would’ve been a pro in any sport he played.” If you’re wondering about Mahomes as a baseball player, well, he was scouted by teams as both a pitcher and an outfielder. Mahomes was considered a third or fourth round pick as a pitcher out of high school.
This kid is the ultimate competitor and I fully expect him to light it up on Sunday. He will be up against a Denver defense that ranks 22nd in opposing points per game, and 26th in opposing red zone opportunities ending in a touchdown.
Jacksonville Jaguars (+2.5) @ Tennessee Titans
PICK: JAGUARS TO COVER
If the Titans win, they will secure a wild-card spot. If they happen to lose, they need the Bills and Chargers to lose in order to keep playing. Since the Jaguars played so poorly last week against the 49ers, look for Jacksonville to get some momentum back and stomp all over the Titans.
The Jaguars have rushed for over 135 yards in all but four of their contests. When the Titans allow over 100 yards on the ground, they are 0-5. The Titans also allow the 20th most points per game, and rank 25th in opposing passing yards per game. Look for Blake Bortles to get back on track in this one.
Featured image by ESPN.com
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