The Ravens, Chiefs and Panthers all lost to what was thought to be inferior competition
If you stepped out for a day of apple picking and pumpkin patches, well, you probably were stunned to see some of the NFL box scores after the Week 7 early games.
There were a number of head-scratching results before the 4 p.m. ET matchups even kicked off.
The Cincinnati Bengals, a six-point road underdog, completely dominated the Baltimore Ravens by a 41-17 verdict. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 416 yards on 23 completions with three touchdowns — 201 yards going to wideout Ja’Marr Chase, who caught eight passes with one touchdown.
The Tennessee Titans, a 5.5-point home underdog, absolutely creamed Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs 27-3. Mahomes, who left the game due to injury, threw for a mere 206 yards while completing 20 of his 35 passes and taking four sacks. Ryan Tannehill (21-for-27 for 270 yards) and A.J. Brown, meanwhile, connected eight times for 133 yards and a touchdown.
The New England Patriots, a six-plus point home favorite, put up 50-plus on the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium in a 54-13 victory. The Over easily cashed on the total of 42.5, too. Patriots signal-caller Mac Jones threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns while Damien Harris ran for 106 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns.
The New York Giants, playing without almost every offensive skill player, took care of the Carolina Panthers with a 25-3 win at MetLife Stadium. Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold was benched for back-up P.J. Walker after completing 16 of his 25 passes for 111 yards and one interception.
And, perhaps on a lesser level than the others given the fact both teams stink, the Atlanta Falcons pulled out a 30-28 win over the Miami Dolphins on a 36-yard field goal from Younghoe Koo.
Let’s hope the NFL madness continues with a pair of teams — Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals — that were favored by more than 12 points entering their respective contests.