Coach T’s NFL Sunday School

The NFL’s Week 9 Sunday schedule was packed full of exciting NFL betting action. Eight of the 12 Sunday games were one-score games. The home team finished the day with a 5-7 record. Five underdogs won and three more dogs covered the spread.

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AFC Dominates the NFC in Week 9 of the NFL Season

Sunday held five divisional matchups and six games that pitted AFC vs NFC. The AFC was dominant on Sunday going 5-1 against their NFC opponents. Four of the six home teams won the opposing conference matchups. Some of the outcomes were a bit surprising but the AFC seems to be the better overall conference this season.

• One of Sunday’s biggest stories was Josh Allen and the (7-2) Bills defending home turf by knocking off MVP front-man Russell Wilson and the (6-2) Seahawks.
• The (8-1) Chiefs escaped the return of Christian McCaffrey at Arrowhead with a narrow 33-31 victory over the (3-6) Panthers.
• The (6-2) Titans ended their two-game losing streak with a 24-17 win at home over the (5-4) Bears.
• On the road, the (8-0) Steelers pulled off an ugly 24-19 come-from-behind victory over the (2-7) Cowboys.
• And last but certainly not least was QB Tua Tagovailoa of the (5-3) Dolphins out-dueling Kyler Murray on his home turf for a 34-31 upset of the (5-3) Cardinals.
• The only NFC team to beat an AFC team this week was the (3-6) Falcons who finally were able to hold onto a lead in a 34-27 victory over the (3-5) Broncos.

Let’s take a closer look at a few of these key matchups from Week 9 to help you as the sports better to understand what took place this past Sunday.

Buffalo Bills 44, Seattle Seahawks 34

The (7-2) Bills’ QB, Josh Allen, reminded everyone why he was an early MVP favorite with one of his best performances of his career against the Seahawks. Allen tied a career-high of 415 passing yards and three TDs, while rushing for another TD. It was not all smooth sailing for Allen, as he was sacked a career-high seven times. The Bills uncharacteristically abandoned the run and attacked the Seahawks league-worst pass defense all game. Allen helped catapult the Bills legitimacy with this statement win.

The (6-2) Seahawks loss to the Bills was a reminder that Seattle needs to continue to improve defensively if they want to capture the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The 44 points was the most points a coach Pete Carroll led Seahawks team has ever given up. It was not all the defense’s fault, as QB Russell Wilson accounted for four turnovers in one of the worst performances of his career. Wilson was under duress all game as the Bills’ defense recorded 16 QB knock-downs, which was the most of any QB in the NFL this year.

My Take

I do not want to overreact to the outcome of this game. What the Bills showed the rest of the league is that you can force Russell Wilson into some mistakes. Buffalo also showed the NFL that they do not need to rely on the run to win football games. Josh Allen is taking real strides in his third year and the Bills coaching staff is keeping their team a step ahead. The loss by the Seahawks opened the door for many NFC teams to take over the top spot.

Week 10 Pick: Take the points Seahawks +1½ at Rams

Miami Dolphins 34, Arizona Cardinals 31

The (5-3) Dolphins are one of the NFL’s hottest teams right now, as they are on a four-game winning streak and have won five out of the last six games. Rookie-phenom quarterback Tua Tagovailoa won his second start in as many games, throwing for 248 yards and two TDs on 20-of-28 passing. Tagovailoa was named the starter during Miami’s Week 7 bye week with the team sitting with a record of (3-3). Many people thought Miami’s front office wanted to give Tagovailoa a tryout before next year’s draft as the Dolphins continued to build for the future. Now at (5-3), the Dolphins would be the 7th seed in the AFC playoffs if the season ended this week.

💪 15 consecutive games with a takeaway 💪

👀 Second-longest active streak in the @NFL 👀 pic.twitter.com/XbhDeJxQ52

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 9, 2020

The (5-3) Cardinals’ second-year QB Kyler Murray put together another impressive performance by throwing for 283 yards and three TDs and running for 106 yards and one more TD. The Cardinals’ defense, who did not record a takeaway, struggled again to get off the field on third downs as the Dolphins were 4-8 on third-down conversions. As Arizona battles for a NFC playoff position their coach Kliff Kingsbury needs to find ways to get more production out of his offensive players not named Kyler Murray.

My Take

The Dolphins look like they are a year ahead of schedule with back-to-back wins over NFC West playoff contenders in the Rams and Cardinals. The Dolphins could be on a seven-game winning streak before their Week 13 matchup with the Chiefs, as they have three very winnable games against the Chargers, Broncos and Jets in the upcoming weeks. I love Miami’s man-to-man get-after the QB approach, (because it reminds me of my playing days) which has helped them score a defensive TD in each of the last two weeks.

Week 10 pick: I like the points. Bills +2 at Cardinals

Divisional Play

The Week 9 divisional games saw the road teams go 4-1 on the day. Four of the five winners covered the spread. The Texans were the only team to not cover with their narrow two-point victory over the Jaguars.

• The game that has everyone talking was Sunday Night Football’s 38-3 beat down of the (6-3) Buccaneers by the (6-2) Saints in Tampa Bay.
• The (3-5) Vikings were driven by RB Dalvin Cook’s huge day on their turf (206 rushing yards, 46 receiving yards and two rushing TDs), defeating the (3-5) Lions 34-20.
• The (2-7) Giants held-on to an early lead in a 23-20 win over the (2-6) Football Team in Washington.
• The (1-7) Jaguars were a failed 2-point conversion away from forcing overtime at home against the (2-6) Texans as the game ended 25-23 in the Texans’ favor.
• The (2-6) Chargers thought they won in L.A. on a last second touchdown, but they were sadly disappointed when it was overturned to grant the (5-3) Raiders a 31-26 victory.

Saints 38, Buccaneers 3

The (6-2) Saints were healthy and ready to rock against their division rivals. Led by DT David Onyemata, the Saints defense shut down Tom Brady and the Bucs. Onyemata contributed with four QB hits and one of Brady’s three interceptions. The return of WRs Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders made the Saints offense seem nearly unstoppable. Having his top guys back allowed Brees to find the opening in the defense, completing passes to 12 different receivers. Five different Saints’ players found the end-zone and Brees ended the game with a 135.2 rating. Right now I like Brees’s +4000 odds to win NFL MVP as his Saints look primed to win the NFC.

The (6-3) Buccaneers gave up 31 points in the first half and did not score a single point until just under six minutes left in the fourth. Tampa Bay ran the ball a total of five times and failed to eclipse the 200 total yard mark. It was the worst loss of Tom Brady’s career (22-38, 209 yards, 0 TDs/3 INTs), and to make it worse, it was at the hands of Brees and their division rival Saints. The Sunday Night Beatdown as I am calling it, completes the sweep for the Saints over the Bucs this season. The Bucs need to regroup before they travel to Carolina to take on a (3-6) Panthers team that just gave the Chiefs a scare.

My Take

The Saints were my preseason pick to win the NFC South and after the halfway point I am feeling good about that. On prime-time TV the Saints showed the nation who they can be when they are healthy. I love how the Saints’ coaching staff is using Taysom Hill in a multitude of ways. New Orleans is on a four-game winning streak and has benefited by not having two of their top pass-catchers because they had to get creative and find ways to win without them. The Saints look primed and ready to tear through their next five opponents (49ers, Falcons twice, Broncos, and Eagles) before their Week 15 contest with the Chiefs.

Week 10 pick: Safe -400 moneyline on the Saints at home vs the 49ers

Jameis ate a W after the Saints beat the Bucs 38-3 😂 pic.twitter.com/ldbApV6WH2

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 9, 2020

Interconference Play

The only game this week that was between the same conference but different divisions took place between two of the AFC’s best.

• The (6-2) Ravens went into Indianapolis and put together a comeback 24-10 victory over the (5-3) Colts.

Baltimore Ravens 24, Indianapolis Colts 10

The (6-2) Ravens finally showed they can overcome some adversity as they overcame a half-time deficit for the first time since 2016. The Raven’s defense shut out Philip Rivers and the Colts offense in the second half, as Lamar Jackson led the Ravens’ attack to 17 unanswered points. A week after committing four turnovers against the Steelers, Jackson took better care of the ball by committing zero turnovers against the Colts. The Ravens’ defense delivered with two takeaways of their own while only allowing the Colts to convert on 2-of-12 third-down tries.

Most Consecutive 20-Point Games – NFL History:

2018-20 Ravens 31 (Active streak)
2012-14 Broncos 30
1999-2000 Rams 28
1983-85 Dolphins 26 pic.twitter.com/O0fv6x4VSj

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) November 8, 2020

The (5-3) Colts outgained the Ravens 339 to 266 in total yards but struggled on third downs. The Colts defense played well but could not overcome the turnovers committed on offense. No surprise another Philip Rivers’ team is a constant roller coaster. The Colts need to learn quickly what their identity on offense is because they look lost after their most recent defeat. They have to travel to Tennessee to take on their division foes, the (6-2) Titans next week.

My Take

The Ravens are two games behind the undefeated Steelers in the AFC North but there is no reason to panic. They are right on track to make a run at the playoffs. The Ravens understand it is a long season and they need to be firing once the playoffs roll around.

The Colts on the other hand should be a little worried. Their next three weeks have two games against the Titans and the Packers coming to town in between. With the AFC heating up the Colts need to make sure to at least get one win in those three weeks.

Here is a look at the latest Super Bowl Odds.