If you were wondering when the AFC would right itself, mark down Sunday, Oct. 14 (aka Week 6 of the NFL season) as that day. The Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2-1) and New England Patriots (4-2) emerged as the class of the conference after early stumbles in September. Still, as impressive as their wins were, neither could count as a Bad Beat. Nope, to pick the worst Bad Beats of the week, we must head over to the NFC side of the bracket. While it’s much more predictable as far as wins, losses and good teams, it didn’t make the way some of you out there lost money Sunday any easier to take.
Here are my picks for your two worst Bad Beats for Week 6:
Los Angeles Rams 23, Denver Broncos 20
Spread: Rams -7
The Rams (6-0) are now the only undefeated team left in the NFL and while that’s likely all they care about, it’s not all we care about. Los Angeles opened as a touchdown favorite and looked like they’d cover from the opening kick off. There was little Denver’s defense could do to stop them between the 20s, but a couple of red zone stalls kept the Rams from really putting the game away.
Related: NFL Betting Guide | Week 7 Odds
Still, leading 13-3 at the half and looking like they were in complete control, you had to feel good if you’d laid some cash of Sean McVay’s troops.
You probably felt even better when they went up 20-3 in the third quarter. Here’s the problem with a score like that and a game like this. The Rams are a warm-weather team and they were playing in 20 degree weather. Once the game was in hand, they were going to ratchet it down and just get out of Mile High. They’d dodged a couple of huge injury bullets with Cooper Kupp, Michael Brockers and Roger Saffold. They were ready to hit the sim button and go home.
So, of course, that means the Broncos (2-4) were set up not to win the game, but to beat the spread. Still, you had to like your chances if you backed the Rams with Case Keenum. And you would have been fine, if not for two pass interference calls against the Rams defense that kept the garbage-time drive alive right into the end zone.
Toe Drag Swag!@DemaryiusT is in for the @Broncos TD. #BroncosCountry #LARvsDEN
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/3jH19ryw7z
— NFL (@NFL) October 14, 2018
Atlanta Falcons 34, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 29
Spread: Falcons -3
Atlanta has been the victim of the worst Bad Beat of the year so far, so it’s only fair they survived an attempt at what would have been one of the most epic Bad Beats of all time. If you just look at the box score, you might not understand why it made the cut. If you watched the final two minutes, you already know why it earned it’s selection.
If you took the Falcons, the ending of this one probably looked familiar. Atlanta’s Matt Bryant booted a 57-yard field goal with 1:10 to go to take a 34-29 lead, covering the spread. All the Falcons had to do was keep the Buccaneers out of the end zone for 70 seconds. We all know what happened with the Cincinnati Bengals the last time Atlanta was in this situation, but what were the chances it could happen twice in the same season?
Pretty good actually. If you tossed your money on the Bucs, you watched Jameis Winston work his team down to the Atlanta 21 with seven seconds to go. There was time for just one more play and, well, here’s what happened.
This wild final play ALMOST worked. 😱#TBvsATL pic.twitter.com/LCdGtVfR0K
— NFL (@NFL) October 14, 2018
Yep. If DeSean Jackson fields that ball, he walks into the end zone, not only beating the spread, but giving Tampa Bay the much-needed victory. Just the hope Bucs bettors had to feel for that split second, only to see it dribble between Jackson’s legs like a NBA bounce pass, had to be excruciating.
