Patriots-Raiders Produce NFL Week 6’s Bad Beat and a Worse Game
New England Outdoes Las Vegas in Bad Ways
Pats Continue to Fail and Backers Should Fail With ‘em
“Told ya so,” just can’t quite capture what New England Patriots backers need to hear following that nonsense on Sunday. And Las Vegas Raiders bettors won’t get off the hook. The Patriots were 3.5-point underdogs and had a chance to not just cover but win despite being behind for most of the game. But of course, the Pats blew it in the final possession, which is the topic of NFL Week 6’s Bad Beat.
Raiders Steal the Spread From Underneath the Pats
We’ll dial back on making fun of Patriots backers. Hindsight is 20/20 and Las Vegas is a good team to fade. But in the end, the Raiders’ defense proved to be “legit” as they came up with the clinching safety against Mac Jones. Thus, Las Vegas edged New England 21-17 and the +3.5 NFL spread for New England evaporated.
Las Vegas was ahead 19-17 when New England had possession with 2:23 left in the game. What followed was a disastrous showing from the Pats. A controversial penalty forced them back to their own 15. Then, wide receiver Davante Parker dropped a perfect deep pass from Jones. Had the receiver hauled it in, the Pats may have just won the game. Alas.
“Just [a] tough, tough play. If it goes one way, we might go down there and win. If it goes the other way, we don’t. It’s just tough.” said Jones about the play during the post-game press conference.
You think? Pats backers could only scream in agony as the Raiders’ bettors continued to sweat another game on the NFL schedule. But it gets better. The following play, the Patriots commit another penalty and thus get pushed further back into their eight-yard line. And the next play is when the fireworks happen.
“Jones, five yards deep and… it’s a safety! The safety by Crosby” cried CBS commentator Jim Nantz. The edge rusher combined with Bilal Nichols to force Jones down on his endzone, which gave Las Vegas the extra two points and the ball back. The rest was an easy kneel-down for Brian Hoyer as Las Vegas got away with one.
The Patriots’ Spread Was Doomed, To Begin With
This may be NFL Week 6’s Bad Beat. But the football gods played with the Patriots’ backers emotions. With New England down 13-3 at the half, Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo had to exit due to an injury. The former Patriot was 14-of-22 for 162 yards and a touchdown. He was sticking it to his old team.
So in came Brian Hoyer and he did Brian Hoyer things: going 6-of-10 for 102 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions. The Raiders never scored a touchdown in the second half and were getting outscored 14-6 until that safety.
On top of that, the Raiders went 1-of-6 in the red zone. Jones, who already threw an interception, almost threw another one that would have been a “pick six”. And the Patriots’ touchdown drive to cut the deficit to two came off of a “roughing the passer” penalty against Crosby.
The Patriots choked when it mattered and it resulted in NFL Week 6’s Bad Beat. But this team could not deliver when the Raiders kept tripping over their own feet. It’s why it is 1-5 with Bill Belichick facing realistic odds of getting fired.
Bye Bye, Bill?
What seemed like an impossibility just a few weeks ago now seems like it could happen. Bill Belichick could be the first NFL head coach to lose his job. This sounds crazy just typing it as the longtime Patriots coach was 100-1 on the NFL odds just before the season. But now, at +400, he’s behind only Chicago’s Matt Eberflus.
The Patriots are a sorry team and then face the Bills and Dolphins next in their NFL game schedule. This team is likely headed toward a 1-7 start, which would be its worst since 1992. Crazier things have happened so consider Belichick on the hot seat.
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