NFL Week 7 Monday Morning Moneyback: Chalk talk, sack records and LA shutouts

After last Sunday's underdog performance of 10-2 ATS, favorites came back strong this Sunday to post an 8-3-2 ATS record; the Chargers (+1) and Bears (+3) were the only two teams to win outright as underdogs.

Home teams fared well ATS in Week 7 at a 7-4-2 clip, and under bettors also had a nice day as eight of the 13 games played yesterday went under the total.

Overall, we experienced a very boring day of football with a 13.8 point average margin of victory, almost a touchdown greater than last Sunday. Only three of the 13 games played were decided by seven points or less.

The Falcons finally scored in the fourth quarter on Sunday night to avoid a shutout. However, we did see three other shutouts on Sunday, which hasn't happened on the same day since Week 15 of 2012. The two Los Angeles franchises pitched two of the three shutouts, which Dodgers fans hope is a sign of things to come in the World Series. The only two teams that hadn't been shutout since 2000, the Colts and Broncos, were both shut out yesterday. The Saints now hold the current record for the longest shutout drought (2001).

As of this morning, the Rams (+74) and Jaguars (+73) lead the NFL in point differential, which I'm sure everyone saw coming.

The Lions and Texans had the only byes this week; the Cardinals,Packers, Jaguars, Giants, Rams and Titans all have byes next week.

Key Injuries on Sunday:

49ers T Trent Brown – Concussion (?)
49ers CB Rashard Robinson – Abs (?)
49ers CB Dontae Johnson – Arm (?)
49ers LB Reuben Foster – Ribs (?)
Bengals LB Kevin Minter – Elbow (?)
Bills CB E.J. Gaines – Hamstring (?)
Browns T Joe Thomas – Triceps (OUT)
Cardinals LB Karlos Dansby – Hand (?)
Cardinals QB Carson Palmer – Arm (OUT)
Chargers C Matt Slauson – Bicep (?)
Colts LB John Simon – Stinger (?)
Colts C Ryan Kelly – Hamstring (?)
Colts S Malik Hooker – ACL (OUT)
Cowboys K Dan Bailey – Groin (?)
Dolphins QB Jay Cutler – Ribs (OUT)
Dolphins T Larry Tunsil – Knee (?)
Dolphins DE Andre Branch – Groin (?)
Falcons LB Duke Riley – Knee (?)
Giants LB B.J. Goodson – Ankle (?)
Giants G Justin Pugh – Back (?)
Jaguars T Cam Robinson – Ankle (?)
Jets T Brandon Shell – Neck (?)
Ravens WR Mike Wallace – Concussion (?)
Panthers C Ryan Kalil – Neck (?)
Panthers G Trai Turner – Knee (?)
Patriots LB Dont'a Hightower – Shoulder (?)
Rams C John Sullivan – Knee (?)
Titans TE Delanie Walker – Ankle (?)
Vikings T Riley Reiff – Knee (?)

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Panthers at Bears (+3)

• The Bears won by two touchdowns on Sunday with only four total completions and 68 yards rushing. Chicago, who continues to flourish as a home underdog, became the first team since 2000 to win a home game with four or fewer completions.
• Bears rookie defensive back Eddie Jackson returned a fumble and an interception for a touchdown. Jackson, who had only two fewer yards than the entire Bears offense, became only the sixth player in NFL history with 150-plus defensive return yards in a game. The Bears defense held their second straight opponent out of the endzone.
• The Panthers lost star center Ryan Kalil and star guard Trai Turner to injuries; keep an eye on both going forward since the Panthers simply can't move the ball without both of them on the field.
• Carolina, who dominated the box score, netted -11 points on six trips into Chicago territory. There is not much more to say other than that.

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Ravens at Vikings (-5)

• The Vikings defeated the Ravens in a field goal kicking contest by a score of 24-16 on Sunday in Minnesota. Under 39.5 bettors, like myself, experienced the moose of the day in the NFL, as Joe Flacco connected with Chris Moore on 4th and 11 as time expired to put the game over by a half point.
• The Ravens entered Sunday without a number of starting receivers, tight ends and running backs. After Mike Wallace left the game early with a concussion, Chris Moore and Griff Whalen became Joe Flacco's primary targets. The results were as ugly as you would expect; Baltimore only had 160 total yards of offense and three Justin Tucker field goals prior to their final drive in garbage time.
• The Vikings' offense didn't do much through the air, but Latavius Murray ran the ball 18 times for 113 yards and a touchdown.
• Kai Forbath was the star of the Vikings' offense on Sunday. The Minnesota kicker made all six field goal attempts, including two from 50-plus yards.
• The Vikings improved to 19-1 in the last 20 games they have scored at least 21 points.

Untouched. @AnthonyBarr comes up with the sack on 3rd down. #BALvsMINpic.twitter.com/w3oVOxDcCg

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 22, 2017

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Titans at Browns (+6)

• The Titans prevailed by a score of 12-9 in one of the most boring overtime games ever played. Pat yourself on the back if you bet the under 42, since you never had to sweat. This game featured seven field goals and zero touchdowns.
• Cleveland actually outgained Tennessee 284-269 but could not secure their first win of the season. Penalties (12 for 81) and turnovers (three interceptions) continue to plague the winless Browns, who finished the game with Cody Kessler under center.
• The Browns' run defense continues to dominate, as they held DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry to a combined 72 yards rushing on 31 carries.
• Ryan Succop kicked the game-winning field goal from 47 yards out in overtime, which extended his NFL record streak of consecutive field goals made from inside 50 yards to 55.
• Titans' safety Kevin Byard became the first player with three interceptions in a game since Kurt Coleman picked off Rex Grossman three times in 2011.
• As if anything else could go wrong for the winless Browns, Joe Thomas left the game with what appears to be a serious triceps injury, ending his ludicrous 10,363 consecutive snap streak over the span of 11 seasons. To put this streak into perspective, Jabrill Peppers, the Browns' 2017 first-round draft pick, missed today's game with a toe bruise. Hat tip to Joe.

Sorry @Browns! Titans win 12-9! #TENvsCLEpic.twitter.com/5rrhrUcnMb

— Chat Sports (@ChatSports) October 22, 2017

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Saints (-4) at Packers

• The Saints, winners of four straight, picked up a huge road win in Lambeau on Sunday by a final score of 26-17. Under 45.5 backers cashed their tickets after Kenny Vaccaro picked off Brett Hundley on the Packers' final drive.
• Green Bay, who actually led 14-7 at the half, won the turnover battle at home but were simply outclassed in the second half. The Packers simply could not get anything going through the air in Brett Hundley's first start; the rookie finished with only 87 yards passing. Aaron Jones, one of the few bright spots on the Green Bay offense, rushed 17 times for 131 yards.
• Mark Ingram, who rushed for over 100 yards, and Alvin Kamara combined for 218 all-purpose yards for New Orleans, who also benefited from a 300-plus yard passing day from Drew Brees. The Saints find themselves in first place after seeing every other team in their division go winless over the last two weeks.
• How good is this Saints defense? Marshon Lattimore, who spent most of the day covering Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, allowed zero receptions on only three targets in 28 coverage snaps. PFF gave Lattimore a grade of 93.6 for his stellar performance and now has him ranked as the No. 1 corner in the League. Additionally, PFF ranks the Saints' other corner, Ken Crawley, as the seventh best corner in the league. Cam Jordan also grades out as the No. 1 edge rusher in the NFL so far this season.

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Jets at Dolphins (PUSH)

• Over 39 backers cruised in Miami on Sunday, as the Dolphins (-3) defeated the Jets 31-28 on a last-second Cody Parkey field goal. For the second consecutive weekend, Miami erased a two-touchdown deficit in a win and New York blew a two-touchdown lead in a loss.
• Jay Cutler, who left the game with a rib injury, and Matt Moore each threw two touchdowns and one interception on Sunday. The Dolphins could not get their rushing attack going (25 carries for 53 yards), but they did throw for over 300 yards. Kenny Stills caught two of the four Miami passing touchdowns.
• The Dolphins won their 12th consecutive one-possession game.
• Josh McCown finished 17-27 for 209 yards and three touchdowns (plus a rushing touchdown) before making a fatal decision deep in Jets territory in the final minute, which ultimately cost the Jets the game.

Former Memphis Tiger Bobby McCain coming up big for the Dolphins. #ProTigers (?:@MiamiDolphins) pic.twitter.com/lqFg2rlatv

— Devin Walker (@Devin_Walker5) October 22, 2017

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Jaguars (-3) at Colts

• The Jaguars, over .500 heading into a bye for the first time in 10 years, shut out the Colts 27-0 on Sunday in Indianapolis. The under 41 was never really in doubt in a game that saw the Colts get shut out for the first time since 1993.
• No Leonard Fournette, no problem. T.J. Yeldon ran for 122 yards and a touchdown on just nine carries; Chris Ivory also added a rushing touchdown and 47 yards on the ground.
• Sacksonville recorded 10 sacks against Indianapolis, which makes them only the third team in NFL history to produce multiple 10-plus sack games in a single season (it is Week 7). The Jaguars are now on pace for 75 sacks in 2017, which would break the 1984 Bears' all-time record of 72 sacks. Calais Campbell, who recorded two more sacks on Sunday, is now on pace for to break Michael Strahan's NFL record of 22.5 sacks in a season.

Blake Bortles, who enjoyed one of his best career starts, threw for 330 yards on 18-26 passing with no interceptions; the oft-criticized quarterback threw for 282 yards in the first half alone.

• Nothing really went well for the Colts, who appeared to lose safety Malik Hooker for the year. Even after the game, T.Y. Hilton put the blame on the offensive line. Things are a mess in Indianapolis.

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Bucs at Bills (PUSH)

• Buffalo defeated Tampa Bay by a final score of 30-27 on Sunday in one of the easiest over (46.5) games of the day.
• The Bucs actually took a 27-20 lead with three minutes remaining after Jameis Winston hooked up with Mike Evans for a touchdown. However, the Bills quickly answered back with a three-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to tie the game back up. On the first play of the next drive, Adam Humphries lost a fumble at the Bucs 33-yard line, which eventually set up a Steven Hauschka game-winning 30-yard field goal in the final seconds.
• Tyrod Taylor, who had over 320 yards of offense without a turnover, threw a touchdown pass to Logan Thomas, who backed him up at quarterback in college at Virginia Tech.
• Jameis Winston lit up the Bills secondary for 384 yards and three touchdowns on 32-44 passing, but it wasn't enough for a very one-dimensional Bucs offense that only rushed for 69 yards. Bucs tight end O.J. Howard caught six balls for 98 yards and two touchdowns.

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Cowboys (-6) at 49ers

• The Cowboys smothered the 49ers in San Francisco by a final score of 40-10. Things got so out of hand that Cooper Rush got some playing time under center for Dallas.
• Dallas, who played almost a perfect game, finished with over 500 yards of total offense on Sunday. Dak Prescott completed 16 of his 25 pass attempts for 234 yards and three touchdowns. Ezekiel Elliott ate all day long against the 49ers' defense; Zeke ran for a buck fifty and two touchdowns, and added a dazzling 72-yard touchdown reception on a screen.
• Dez Bryant caught his 71st career touchdown with the Cowboys, which tied him with Bob Hayes for the Cowboys franchise record.
• Dan Bailey did leave the game with an injury, which is really the only thing that didn't go the Cowboys' way on Sunday. Dallas safety Jeff Heath took over kicking duties and actually made two of three extra points, becoming the first position player to make multiple extra points in a game since Ted Thompson in 1980.
• Nothing seemed to go right for C.J. Beathard in his first career start, as the 49ers lost three fumbles on the day. However, the rookie quarterback did throw the ball 38 times for 235 yards without an interception and added a rushing touchdown.
• Keep an eye on the 49ers' injury report this week, especially on the defensive side of the ball; Reuben Foster and both starting cornerbacks left with injuries during Sunday's game.

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Cardinals vs Rams (-3)

• The Rams bloodied the Cardinals 33-0 in London on Sunday. Los Angeles outgained Arizona by 236 total yards (425-189) in a game in which the Rams almost doubled the Cardinals in time of possession (38:51-20:59). Under 46 backers were big fans of the Cardinals' offensive output.
• Carson Palmer, who left the game with a broken arm, and Drew Stanton combined to throw for only 184 yards and two interceptions on 15-32 passing. Additionally, Arizona only rushed the ball 12 times for 25 yards.
• The Rams built a 23-0 halftime lead and then simply cruised to the finish line. Todd Gurley, who had over 150 yards of offense, scored another touchdown, and Greg Zuerlein was a perfect 4-4 on field goals for the day. The Rams finished the day 13-19 on third downs.

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Bengals at Steelers (-3.5)

• The Steelers dominated the Bengals in the second half of this AFC North battle in Pittsburgh on Sunday. This game was actually tied 14-14 late in the fourth quarter, but then Chris Boswell finished the game on a personal 15-0 run with five made field goals to secure a 29-14 victory.
• The Bengals' rotating tackles did not work out well on Sunday, as Andy Dalton couldn't buy any time to throw in a collapsing pocket, especially in the second half. For some reason, Cincy abandoned their running game in the second half after Joe Mixon had success running the ball in the first half. When asked about some of the play calling at his press conference, Marvin Lewis stormed off; his days may be numbered in Cincinnati.
• Le'Veon Bell carried the Pittsburgh offense once again; the star back finished with 193 yards from scrimmage. Ben Roethlisberger added 224 yards passing with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Antonio Brown actually had a pretty average day by his standards, but did get into the endzone.

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Broncos at Chargers (+1)

• The Chargers smacked the Broncos by a final score of 21-0 on Sunday in Los Angeles. Denver was shut out for the first time in their last 395 games; their last shutout occurred in 1992 with Tommy Maddox under center. Congrats on a great call if you invested in the under 41 here.
• The 1992 Chargers are the only team in NFL history to make the playoffs after an 0-4 start. The 2017 Chargers will look to repeat the feat 25 years later on the back of Philip Rivers and a very underrated defense. A win against New England in Foxborough next weekend will go a long way into making that dream possible.
• Travis Benjamin scored two touchdowns on Sunday, one via punt return to open up the scoring, and the other via reception to put the game away.
• Trevor Siemian looked poor for a second consecutive week, but he shouldn't shoulder all of the blame, as the situation for Denver at right tackle is an absolute mess. Joey Bosa, who recorded two sacks, lived in the backfield all day long.

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Seahawks (-4) at Giants

• The Seahawks defeated the Giants 24-7 on Sunday, which one could argue is a misleading final due to a controversial call on a fourth quarter Seahawks touchdown. However, Seattle dominated this game, outgaining the Giants by 250 total yards (425-174). Under 39 backers got to the window without much stress.
• The Seahawks, winners of three straight overall, improved their record in MetLife Stadium to 5-0, and their record in the Eastern time zone to 12-5 since 2012.
• Seattle couldn't get much going on the ground, but Russell Wilson played flawlessly, completing 27 of 39 passes for 334 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
• The Giants didn't do much on offense, but their rookie tight end, Evan Engram, who looks like a future star, caught six balls for 60 yards and a touchdown.

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Falcons at Patriots (-3)

• On a foggy Sunday night in Gillette Stadium, New England defeated Atlanta by a final score of 23-7, preventing the Falcons from getting their Super Bowl revenge. The under 55.5 cashed with ease.
• The Falcons certainly had their chances to make this a competitive game. They had a field goal blocked, missed a 37-yard field goal attempt and turned it over on downs inside the Patriots 1-yard line. However, the most questionable decision came at the end of the first half, when Dan Quinn decided to go for it on fourth down at midfield down 10-0 with only two minutes remaining in the half. The Falcons did not convert, and the Patriots ended up scoring a touchdown on a short field to end the half, increasing their lead to 17-0. This decision simply made no sense, especially considering how difficult it would be to recover from a large deficit in the dense fog that had rolled in.
• Julio Jones, who became the second fastest player in NFL history to reach 8,000 receiving yards, scored the only Falcons' points on Sunday on a meaningless fourth quarter drive.
• The Falcons are now 0-3 against the AFC East and 3-0 against the rest of the NFL. They travel to New York to face the Jets next week, needing to finally beat an AFC East team in order to avoid a fourth consecutive loss.

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