Week 3 in the NFL had plenty of winners and losers as the games answered a lot of questions for bettors. We learned Kansas City is for real while the Los Angeles Rams are not, and that Seattle’s Russell Wilson has some competition for MVP.
We also discovered players for the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons are in a race to see who can get their head coach fired first. Chicago quarterback Mitch Trubisky lost his job, and Washington’s Dwayne Haskins might be on the bench soon.
Winners
Kansas City
The Chiefs showed Baltimore they are still the top dog in the NFL, defeating the Ravens 34-20 on Monday night. The Chiefs were 4.5-point underdogs in Baltimore, but cruised to a 14-point victory. Kansas City was also +150 on the moneyline.
Baltimore head coach Jon Harbaugh, who has lost three straight to the Chiefs, told reporters after the game that Kansas City is impressive.
“Well obviously we haven’t beaten them,†Harbaugh said. “They out-executed us, out planned us, they just beat us. They are obviously a better football team as of right now.â€
Green Bay Packers
For all the whispers that quarterback Aaron Rodgers was unhappy with the organization, he sure can’t seem to stop smiling. A 3-0 record will do that to a player.
The Packers were +150 to win the NFC North, just slightly better than Minnesota, who was at +170. Those two teams have gone in opposite directions. While the Packers are undefeated, the Vikings are winless, and the dissension is in Minnesota, not Wisconsin.
Josh Allen
Allen was listed at 40/1 to win the MVP when the odds were released back in February. Entering Week 2, Allen was at 50/1. Last weekend, he was at 25/1. After leading his team to a 3-0 record on Sunday, he is now at 12/1.
One bettor at the Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey, put down $25,000 at 25/1 odds. Another bettor at Bet MGM made an identical wager.
Allen has become the first player in NFL history with at least 10 passing touchdowns and two rushing TDs through his team’s first three games of the season.
Losers
Mitch Trubisky
Chicago’s third-year quarterback was benched in the third quarter after an interception, and very well could have thrown his last pass for the Bears.
His replacement, Nick Foles came in and led the team to a comeback win over Atlanta. Matt Nagy told reporters Monday that Foles is the new starter.
The team already declined the fifth-year option on Trubisky, and he could be moved before the end of the season if the Bears can find anyone that wants him.
Dan Quinn
It was thought that Adam Gase of the New York Jets was a shoo-in to be the first NFL head coach fired, but Atlanta’s Quinn might get fired before him. Quinn’s team had their third forgettable game on Sunday, losing to Chicago, 30-26.
The team blew another big lead, and the calls for Quinn’s ouster are getting louder. The team is 0-3 for the first time since 2007.
Running back Todd Gurley, who signed with the team before the season, defended Quinn.
“We know what he means to us,” Gurley said. “We did not finish for him, we did not finish for each other, and we did not finish for the Falcons. This has nothing to do with him.”
That support hasn’t helped Quinn with sportsbooks. He entered the season at 6/1 to be the first coach fired, but is now at 2/1, just behind Gase, who is still the favorite at 3/2.