Super Bowl Sunday Open Thread
There are a million ways to gamble on the Super Bowl. Well, maybe not a million, but there are thousands upon thousands. Today, DBB is keeping it simple with these three options to get rich quick. (As always, lines courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.) These are not expected results. These are logical results, with solid odds.
Ja’Marr Chase Under 5.5 Receptions (+120)
Chase is one of the best receivers in the league but in his last eight games he’s only eclipsed five catches in half of them. (And when he does, he essentially wrecks the game.) It would be hard to see the Rams not sitting Jalen Ramsey on him for the duration and forcing the combination of Higgins and Boyd to beat them. If so, it’s easy to see Chase with a 4-70-1 stat line.
Joe Burrow Over 10.5 Rushing Yards (-120)
For all of you who believe offensive lines are the key to playing offense, I urge you to watch something else Sunday. Because the Bengals are in the Super Bowl, and they might have one of the three worst offensive lines in the league.
Burrow is going to be under pressure, constantly. He’s also one of the sport’s true gamers. With a championship on the line, Burrow is going to get every yard possible with his legs. Wouldn’t be surprised if he approaches this number in the first quarter.
Cooper Kupp to Score a TD & Rams Win (+105)
If you think the Rams are going to win Sunday – and I do – the only way to bet that is by parlaying the money line with an in-game prop. Cooper Kupp scoring a touchdown seems a pretty reliable prop, doesn’t it?
Kupp was every bit the MVP candidate Jonathan Taylor was, while receiving little of the press. (It’s a Colts thing.) Without him, this team isn’t even flirting with a Super Bowl. Don’t be surprised if he’s the MVP of the game,
We’re finally talking about football. Two teams playing. Someone keeping score. Results that matter.
This season, the Thursday space will be occupied by a simple concept: how the Bears beat their opponent that week. Friday will fill out the game preview, including off-topic stuff and a prediction. But Thursday will be specific to mapping out a potential journey to victory for the boys from Chicago.
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93.6%.
Victory is highly unlikely.
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What Must the Bears Do on Offense:
Where did this premise come from?
“No, Jeff, you can’t start Justin Fields in the opener because the opener is against the Rams on the road. And the Rams are very good.”
It’s not the landing spot that is soft. It is this mode of thinking from fans and media. What kind of a message would that send to the kid? “Hey Justin, we think you’re ready to be our quarterback but we’re going to wait until the bad teams. We don’t think you’re ready for the good ones yet.”
Rookie quarterbacks struggle. Aaron Rodgers was a mechanical nightmare. John Elway tried to take a snap from his guard. Terry Bradshaw got benched. Troy Aikman went 0-11. Peyton Manning threw 28 picks. Josh Allen looked like he was destined for the CFL.
You’re not going to prevent a rookie quarterback from struggling by cherry-picking his opponents. The Lions are just as capable as the Rams of showing Fields a coverage disguise he hasn’t seen before. Rookie quarterbacks struggle. And that’s okay.
Deshaun Watson has been one of the most productive quarterbacks in the league the last three seasons. In those three seasons he was sacked 62, 44 and 49 times. He’s had one thousand-yard rusher. The only thing that’s made Houston’s rushing attack seem productive is Watson himself. His team mortgaged their entire future to attain…an offensive lineman.
Russell Wilson has been complaining about his offensive line, and rightfully so, for five years. Josh Allen is often running for his life (and making plays on the run) in Buffalo. They were two of the five best quarterbacks in the league last year.
Why?
Because they’re great. And the great ones produce. The great ones make the players around them better. And if the Bears are going to wait for their offensive line to be at full strength before handing the reins over to Fields, there’s no telling how long that wait might be. This is the NFL. People are injured constantly.
If Fields is the guy, make him the guy. Let him learn how to throw it away under pressure. Let him learn when to take off with his legs and when to sit in the pocket and absorb contact. Let him learn how to release the football quickly when the offensive line is struggling to stay healthy.
The Bears need to see the imperfections of this situation not as impediments to development, but as teaching tools.
Nothing Andy Dalton does this summer should have ANY influence on the team’s decision at quarterback.
