Weird NFL happenings in Week 2
After Patriots’ loss Justbet now offering $7.50 to win Super Bowl with LA Rams
THE 2018/19 NFL season is only two weeks old but has already provided enough storylines to fill a whole season. The usual thrills and spills were observed in Week 2 but there was also an unprecedented event that has befuddled the NFL community.
Buffalo Bills cornerback Vontae Davis entered the locker room at half-time with his team trailing 28-3 to the LA Chargers. Nothing unusual there since they lost 47-3 to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1 and very little was expected from the Bills in this game. However, after playing for one half this season (Davis was inactive in Week 1), he decided he didn’t want to play anymore, took off his gear, donned his street clothes and left the stadium.
The Bills lost 31-20 on Sunday and are now 0-2 for the season. They don’t have a team that can compete but, after signing Davis to a one-year, $5-m contract, they deserved more than one-half of football from him. They certainly didn’t need the humiliation of a player quitting the team at half-time.
On another surprising note, there were 19 field goals missed in Week 2. Most notably, Minnesota Vikings kicker Daniel Carlson went 0-for-3 in the 29-29 overtime tie with the Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns kicker Zane Gonzalez turned in an even worse performance missing two field goals and two extra points (8 points in total) in a 21-18 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
On a startling but positive note, Tampa Bay Buccaneers back-up QB Ryan Fitzpatrick continued his stunning play in Week 2. The 35-year-old veteran impressed and led the Bucs to another upset win. He passed for 402 yards and four touchdowns in the 27-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles which followed up the 417 yards and four touchdowns over the New Orleans Saints in Week 1. Fitzpatrick sports a near-perfect 151.5 passer rating for the season and starting QB Jameis Winston may find his position in question when he returns from suspension in Week 4 – a QB controversy may be brewing.
The look and feel of each team have been exposed making the contenders and pretenders more visible. Seven teams have started 0-2 this season and history has not been in their favour. Since 2007, 91 teams have started 0-2. Only 10 (10.9 per cent) of them improved to make the play-offs. The New Orleans Saints last season, the Miami Dolphins in 2016, the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks in 2015, the Indianapolis Colts in 2014, the 2013 Carolina Panthers, the Dolphins, San Diego Chargers and Minnesota Vikings in 2008 and the 2007 New York Giants (won the Super Bowl). On the other hand, a 2-0 start is not a guarantee. Since 2013, teams that have opened with that record have made the playoffs 23 times but 17 others have gone on to miss the postseason.
Based on the results over the first two week, Justbet has made some movement in the odds being offered for the Super Bowl winner. After struggling to beat the Houston Texans in Week 1 and a surprising loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2, the New England Patriots now share the favourite spot with the impressive LA Rams ($7.50) while the Minnesota Vikings ($9.00) sit alone in the second spot. The Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers now share the third-favourite position at odds of $12.00.
The Justbet suite of betting options on NFL games continues to offer very attractive odds from the very basic win or draw to the more exotic margin of victory. Visit one of the over 100 locations and place your bets on the prediction of your choice for maximum winnings…… Get in the game!
The full schedule of games for Week 3 is provided and should see a weekend full of excitement.