This is one of those weeks where the Bad Beats stacked up in neat, easy to understand packages. There were two that just killed you in Week 7 if you bet the wrong way. It legitimately took freak occurrences and once-in-a career moments to cost you money this week. Needless to say, that has to still sting a little here a day later.
Here are your two Worst Bad Beats of Week 7:
New Orleans Saints 24, Baltimore Ravens 23
Spread: Ravens -2.5
On a day full of blow outs and easy victories, this was one of the few good games from beginning to end. And that ending … ouch. Let me set it up for you.
The Saints had just gone ahead 24-17 on a 39-yard field goal from Will Lutz with two minutes to go in the game. The Ravens got the ball with plenty of time to tie the game and send it into overtime and they were facing one of the poorer defenses in the league.
It went exactly as you would expect. Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco, facing a lackluster defensive unit playing not to give up a big play, carved up chunks of yards. With 24 seconds to go, Flacco hit John Brown in the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown. All the Ravens needed was Justin Tucker to hit an extra point and the game was going into the extra period.
Related: NFL Betting Guide
Once there, if you bet on the Ravens, you have to feel good. You’ll likely just need a field goal to win and you’ve got Justin Tucker. That guy just never misses. In fact, in 222 career extra point attempts he’d hit every one of them. He was just chalk. Baltimore can forget about it and start picking out their go-to overtime plays. You, the Ravens bettor, can head over the Ebay and start bidding on that 1979 Bandit Trans Am you’ve wanted since you were seven years old.
Only that didn’t happen this time. Tucker missed the extra point, the first in his NFL life, and after a failed onside kick, the Saints took a knee in victory formation. There will be no Trans Am for you. Not even one of those crappy Knight Rider mid 80s versions.
Justin Tucker had never missed an extra point in his NFL career (222-222).
24-23 with 24 seconds left – his first miss … WOW 😳
📺: FOX #NOvsBALpic.twitter.com/tiHCBUDXWT— ESPN (@espn) October 21, 2018
Washington Redskins 20, Dallas Cowboys 17
Spread: Redskins -1
Again, this one all rides on the foot of a kicker with overtime at stake, but we got there in a completely different way.
First off, the Cowboys had averted a complete disaster. Down 13-10 with six minutes to go in the game, Dallas took over at their own 14 with plenty of time to put together a game-winning or tying drive. On third and four, quarterback Dak Prescott hit Cole Beasley for a 16-yard gain that would have put the ball near midfield, but it was negated by a holding penalty.
At their own 10-yard line, Prescott was sacked by Washington’s Ryan Kerrigan and fumbled. The ball was recovered in the end zone by the Redskins for touchdown. Now, instead of being down by three, Dallas was down by 10 with less than five minutes to go. The deck was stacked against them.
Only, it didn’t matter. With another chance on offense, Prescott delivered, and three minutes later found tight end Blake Jarwin for a 16-yard pass down to the one. Prescott took it in himself for the touchdown with 1:37 to go in the game. Not a lot of time, but enough because the Cowboys still had all three of their time outs.
After forcing a three-and-out from the Redskins, Dallas forced a punt with 1:09 left on the clock. An 18-yard pass to Beasley, a nine-yard pass to Beasley then a six-yard pass to Beasley put the Cowboys on the Washington 31. With the field goal team ready to go, Ezekiel Elliott pushed the ball up the field two yards closer to set up 47-yard field goal after the Cowboys called their final time out.
Up to this point, Brett Maher hadn’t missed a kick this season. Only he never got a chance to kick the 47-yarder since Dallas had a false start and had to back up five yards. Now, it was a 52-yarder. Still, Maher has been great from this distance too. In fact, coming into Sunday he was 3-for-3 from behind the 50.
After banking the kick off the left upright, he’s now 3-for-4. Those five yards the penalty cost Dallas would have put the ball right inside the left goalpost and the game to overtime.
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