There weren’t a lot of potential “Bad Beats” to choose from with Week 4’s NFL action, but the one we got more than made up for the lack of options overall. This Bad Beat for Week 4 could stand the test of time and win the “Worst Beat” of the year award and the 2018 season is only a month old.
There’s no reason for a lot of preamble here, let’s get right to the heartbreak:
Cincinnati Bengals 37, Atlanta Falcons 36
Spread: Falcons -4
This one was an absolute dagger to bettors who took the Falcons. There were plenty of reasons to do that. First, a four-point spread for a home team with Atlanta’s offense isn’t ridiculous by any means. Second, the Falcons were coming in off a tough loss where their offense played extremely well. Their red zone issues look like they’re long behind them and Matt Ryan just threw for 375 yards and five touchdowns. It was in a 43-37 loss, but that stat line wins 99 percent of the time.
After this game, we’ll have to drop that to 98 percent. Ryan again was unstoppable throwing the ball, finishing 29-of-39 for 419 yards and three touchdowns. The problem is, the Atlanta defense that played ole’ against the Saints in Week 3, showed up again in Week 4. Andy Dalton was 29-of-41 for 337 yards and three touchdowns too.
Since 1940, teams scoring 36+ points at home with 0 turnovers are 402-4.
The Atlanta Falcons are 0-2 since last week when doing that.
Half of the losses are Atlanta now.
— Scott Kacsmar (@ScottKacsmar) September 30, 2018
But what makes this a bad beat is how it ended. Cincinnati had cut the Falcons’ lead to 33-31 after hitting a field goal with 8:19 to go in the game. All Atlanta needed to do was drive down for a field goal of its own and you’re golden. There’s your four points with one to spare and wouldn’t you know, they did it. With 4:15 remaining, Matt Bryant nails a 32-yarder, to put the Dirty Birds up by five, and, since a field goal would still lose it, the Bengals would have to score a touchdown. And they had to do it without one of their best offensive weapons, tight end Tyler Eifert, who’s leg was nearly twisted off earlier in the game, ending his season.
How many times have the Falcons scored 36+ points the last 2-weeks…. and lost…. pic.twitter.com/La49IQIvYo
— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) September 30, 2018
Only it wasn’t. Because the Atlanta defense was just folding aces all the way down the field until the one moment that should have ended the game. Falcons pass rusher Vic Beasley blasted around the edge, nailed Dalton and forced a fumble. Beasley recovered it and that’s your ballgame, ladies and gentlemen. Your bet was safe and you could just start picking out whatever you’re want to spend that cash on.
Falcons offense: We're back to putting up 35+ points.
Falcons defense: Hold my beer..
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) September 30, 2018
Except, the replay official had a different idea and the fumble was ruled an incomplete pass. Cincinnati returned from the dead and drove all the way down to the 20 yard line with 15 seconds to go, but was once again behind the eight-ball.
It was fourth-and-six. This would be the last play of the game, right? Right?
Nope. Tyler Boyd caught a 13-yard pass to put Cincy at the Falcons’ seven. They used their last time out and had at least three shots at the end zone. They only needed two as Dalton hit A.J. Green in the right corner for a spectacular touchdown catch that beat the spread perfectly.
ARE YOU SERIOUS, @ajgreen_18?!?!?!#CINvsATL #SeizeTheDEY pic.twitter.com/jHVAaoUWdr
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 30, 2018
With just seven seconds left on the clock, all the Falcons could do is toss the ball downfield a couple of times before time expired. It was a pitiful ending. And it cost a lot of people plenty of money.
A.J. Green yelling "this is my city!" as he runs off. (Lives in Atlanta in the offseason). #Bengals
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) September 30, 2018
