Pat Higgins
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Here are notes and analysis from doing a deep dive into the box scores of 7 Week 1 games:
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Eagles 32
Redskins 27….Redskins cover +10 on a meaningless touchdown with :06
Redskins jumped out to an early 17-0 lead and carved up the Eagles’ secondary, but the Eagles settled in and fed DeSean Jackson the ball and scored 25 unanswered points in second half.
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Rams 30
Panthers 27….Rams cover -2
Rams led this game from the beginning and did not look at all like a team suffering from Super Bowl hangover. Panthers hung with them and kept it close. Every time Carolina looked like they would tie the game or take the lead, the Rams made a stop and moved the chains with big runs or Goff making sharp passes rolling out of the pocket. RB Malcolm Brown looked very good for the Rams and picked up some key first downs. I like them at home to cover the number against a Bucs team that will continue to suffer from Jameis’ inability to protect the ball.
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Chiefs 40
Jags 26….Chiefs cover -3.5
On the road, against a defense that was supposed to and still could return to its 2017 form re-energized by a new QB, Chiefs still shredded on offense. I do not expect them to suffer from having a year on tape for opposing DC’s. Nick Foles broke his collarbone and backup QB Gardner Minshew came into the game. After a bad preseason, Minshew finished 22/25 with 275 yards 2TDs/1 INT
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Ravens 59
Dolphins 10….Ravens cover -7
I’m a big believer in Lamar going into this year, not as a reaction to this game. The Dolphins look like they should be relegated to a lower league and multiple players in Miami requested trades because they don’t want to be part of a team deliberately tanking. This game was reminiscent of Alabama’s football game against the Citadel last year.
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Vikings 28
Falcons 12…Vikings cover -4
The Vikings said all offseason that they were going to commit to being a heavy running team, and they underlined that stance on Sunday at home against Atlanta. They rushed 38 times for 172 yards, while Kirk Cousins attempted only 10 passes. 28-12 loss may cause concerns for Atlanta but they moved the ball effectively, just turned the ball over at crucial times and did not move the chains effectively on 3rd down.
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49ers 31
Bucs 17 ….49ers cover +1
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Titans 43
Browns 13….Titans cover +5.5
The Browns looked like an overhyped, immature team that read their own press clippings all offseason and has inexperienced and potentially poor coaching. The Titans looked much more buttoned up and executed their gameplan.
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