The legalization, and normalization, of sports betting has converted footnotes into headlines. For better or worse.
On Sunday, the natural headline is that Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis blocked a last-second Rams field goal, preserving Philly’s stunning 20-point run that wiped out a 26-7 third-quarter deficit. The gambling-related headline is that, instead of falling on the loose ball and ending the game, Davis scooped it up and rumbled 61 yards to paydirt — turning the final score into a spread-covering margin of 33-26.
The smart football play would have been to dive on the ball or, once Davis had possession of it, to fall down. If a Rams player had managed to catch him and rip the ball free, it could have been returned (in theory) by the Rams for a game-winning score. Or, if the Rams player had been tackled during the return, a foul on the Eagles (e.g., facemask) would have given the Rams 15 yards and an untimed down. Which could have resulted in another potential game-winning field goal try.
Davis surely wasn’t thinking about that. He was caught up in the moment. And it worked. Still, despite the small risk of the Davis return going haywire, the right tactical move would have been to go down and preserve the win.
The moment underscores the impact of legalized and normalized betting on how many now view the games. It’s not just about team wins or losses.
It’s the latest tangible example of the impact of sports betting on sports. For some, it was the thrill of financial victory. For others, it was the agony of bad beat.
Standing alone, nothing about that play cries out for oversight or change. It falls squarely in the “shit happens” category. But it’s a reminder that, in some circumstances, the spur-of-the-moment decisions made by one player can shift millions of dollars.
It’s also a reminder that an NFL gambling scandal is lurking, somewhere. So far (and as far as we know), pro football hasn’t had a controversy arising from player (or coach) efforts to manipulate game wagers or prop bets. It would be naive to think that will never happen.
With each passing year, more incoming football players will have come of age in an era of relentless betting commercials. For many of them, the competitive thrill that comes from playing sports will trickle over to the apps on their phones. They’ll view gambling far differently than their predecessors ever did.
It’s a ticking clock that eventually will strike Threat Level: Midnight. Even if the NFL does everything it possibly can to keep that from happening, it seems inevitable that it will.
Rams Clips
There was a lot for the Rams to like about the first 31 minutes of Sunday’s game in Philadelphia.
After giving up an early touchdown, the Rams scored on six straight possessions to take a 26-7 lead with 14 minutes left in the third quarter. The rest of the game followed a very different script, however.
The Eagles scored two touchdowns before the quarter was over to make things more interesting and then blocked a field goal in the fourth quarter to set up a touchdown catch by DeVonta Smith with 1:48 left to play. Quarterback Matthew Stafford drove the Rams for a game-winning field goal attempt on the final play, but Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis blocked the kick and returned it for a touchdown that put a celebratory capper on the 33-26 win.
It was a rather brutal collapse for the Rams, but Stafford told reporters that he’s not worried about the Rams bouncing back from how things played out.
“I got no questions or no concerns about how we’ll respond,” Stafford said. “Bunch of guys that care about each other, care about doing the stuff the right way. Trust that process that we have week in and week out going to work. Come in with the same mindset whether we won this game or lost this game.”
The 3-0 Colts will be visiting the Rams next weekend and that will give Stafford and company a chance to show that there’s no lingering effects from how things went off the rails on Sunday.
Before the late-game craziness erupted in Philly, with a game-winning field goal for the Rams becoming a spread-covering touchdown for the Eagles, a curious moment unfolded late in the third quarter.
Rams receiver Puka Nacua made a critical third-down catch. The Fox broadcast crew said that replay assist had overturned the catch.
Here are the two key remarks made after the play ended, and before a commercial break began: (1) “now replay assist gets involved"; and (2) “replay assist has gotten involved and they overruled that.”
After the break: “This is overturned and called an incomplete pass. The Rams challenge it, and it’s turned back into a completion and a first down for L.A.”
The audience was left with a clear and obvious impression. The initial ruling of a catch was overturned by replay assist, and the review process initiated by the Rams resulted in a ruling of a catch.
If so, it would represent an obvious misapplication of replay assist. It’s used, in theory, only when the mistake is instantly obvious. If anything, there have been multiple instances already this season when it should have been used, but wasn’t. (Most recently, a sideline bobble by Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill was clearly not a catch, with Hill getting only one foot down after he secured possession. Replay assist did not get involved, and the Dolphins did not challenge the play.)
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the league’s position as to the Nacua catch is that replay assist was never involved — and that the Fox broadcast crew was incorrect.
It’s unclear how that happened. If that’s what happened. As far as the league is concerned, that’s what happened.
The situation adds to the generally vague and ambiguous utilization of replay assist. There’s no consistent, or transparent, procedure that activates it. It’s either used or it isn’t, and sometimes it isn’t when it seemingly should be.
On Sunday, Fox believed it was when, as far as the league is concerned, it wasn’t.
Last week, the Eagles started early on multiple tush push plays. No flags were thrown. In response, the league told the game officials to “officiate it tight.”
This week, the Eagles started early on multiple tush push plays. And, of course, no flags were thrown.
As one source explained it on Sunday night, the play is “extremely difficult to officiate.” The officials looking down the line of scrimmage in real time have a hard time seeing when linemen get a split-second head start. And, obviously, the game officials don’t have the benefit of seeing slow-motion replays from multiple camera angles that reveal an uncalled false start.
But that’s the reality of continuing to keep the play on the books. As the same source said, “This is what the membership voted for.”
Specifically, 10 teams did. Twenty-two did not. And if the league can convince two of the 10 teams to move to the other column, the Eagles’ signature play will go the way of the dodo bird.
You never know what you’re going to see when you turn on a game.
On Sunday, the Eagles were trailing 26-7 early in the third quarter after the Rams turned a Jalen Hurts strip-sack into a 10-yard touchdown.
But after that it was all Philadelphia.
The Eagles blocked a pair of Joshua Karty field goals, including a 44-yard attempt to end the game, before returning the ball 61 yards for a touchdown.
The Eagles could’ve — and maybe should’ve — won 27-26. Instead, Jordan Davis’ block and game-ending touchdown made the score 33-26.
Los Angeles dominated the first half of the matchup, but had trouble scoring all day in the red zone. The team’s defense allowed just 33 yards in the first half, allowing the offense to build a 19-7 lead.
The Rams’ defense started the second half well, too, with Jared Verse bringing down Hurts for a sack/fumble on the second play from scrimmage.
But after Matthew Stafford turned that extra opportunity into a 10-yard touchdown pass, the Rams didn’t score again.
Hurts got the passing game going with a 33-yard touchdown to Dallas Goedert. Then he tossed a 9-yard touchdown to A.J. Brown, making the score 26-21.
The Rams tried to make it an eight-point game with a 36-yard field goal with 8:46 left in the contest, but that’s when Carter picked up a the first field goal block.
Philadelphia then turned in a 17-play, 91-yard drive, with DeVonta Smith catching the go-ahead touchdown from Hurts on fourth-and-goal from the 4.
Still, the Rams got into position to win it with Stafford and company getting the ball to Philadelphia’s 33-yard line.
But then Davis put his paw up to block the field goal, picked up the loose ball, and returned it 61 yards to put the exclamation point on the victory.
The Eagles finished the game with 288 total yards, 19 first downs, and 5-of-14 on third down. The club had been 0-of-6 in the latter category in the first half.
Hurts finished 21-of-32 for 226 yards with three touchdowns and a lost fumble. Brown had six receptions for 109 yards with a TD — all in the second half. Saquon Barkley was limited to just 46 yards on 18 carries.
On the other side, the Rams will lament squandering a huge lead and several red zone opportunities after playing quite well in the first half. Stafford was 19-of-33 for 196 yards with two touchdowns and a pick. Kyren Williams had 94 yards on 20 carries with Blake Corum also netting 53 yards on eight rushes.
Puka Nacua caught 11 passes for 112 yards.
Now at 3-0, the defending champion Eagles will be on the road to face the Bucs in Week 4.
The 2-1 Rams will come home to face the 3-0 Colts.
Philadelphia’s comeback might be on.
The Eagles have scored two touchdowns in the third quarter, narrowing the Rams’ lead to 26-21 with 2:16 left in the period.
Jalen Hurts threw his first touchdown of the season early in the period, a 33-yard strike to Dallas Goedert to make the score 26-14.
Then after forcing a Rams punt, the Eagles used a methodical 13-play, 87-yard drive to cut Los Angeles’ advantage to five. A.J. Brown caught his first score of the season on a 9-yard pass from Hurts.
After netting just 33 total yards in the first half, the Eagles have 161 in the third quarter alone. Hurts is now 14-of-20 passing for 148 yards with two TDs. Brown has four catches for 61 yards with a touchdown.
The Rams are rolling in Philadelphia.
Edge rusher Jared Verse strip-sacked quarterback Jalen Hurts on the Eagles’ second play from scrimmage in the second half and it didn’t take long for Los Angeles to fully capitalize on the opportunity with a touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford.
The Rams now lead the Eagles 26-7 early in the third quarter.
On second-and-7 from the Philadelphia 13, Verse came in from Hurts’ right and strip-sacked the quarterback with a hard hit. Linebacker Nate Landman picked up the loose ball at Philadelphia’s 10-yard line to give the Rams an extra possession.
On the first play of that next drive, Stafford rolled to his right and hit an open Kyren Williams for a 10-yard score.
Stafford is now 9-of-18 for 107 yards with two touchdowns and a pick.
That was also Verse’s first sack of the season.
The Rams are up 19-7 over the Eagles at halftime, but Los Angeles arguably should be up by more.
Los Angeles’ defense has been dominant, limiting Philadelphia to just 33 total yards and four first downs in the first two quarters. Jalen Hurts is 4-of-8 for just 17 yards, with Saquon Barkley totaling 13 yards rushing on seven carries.
A.J. Brown was targeted just one time in the first half and does not have a catch.
But on the other side, the Rams have squandered some opportunities deep in Philadelphia territory. Joshua Karty has hit all four of his field goals from 51, 28, 33, and 46-yards out. Quarterback Matthew Stafford tossed a 44-yard touchdown to Davante Adams late in the first quarter.
But the Rams are 0-of-4 on third down, which has limited the team’s opportunities. Stafford has missed a couple of third-down passes to Adams and Puka Nacua on third-and-short that would have extended drives.
In fact, there has not been a third-down conversion so far in the game, as Philadelphia is 0-of-6 in the category.
The Rams’ ground game has been dominant, with Kyren Williams rushing for 69 yards on 13 carries and Blake Corum netting 40 yards on six attempts.
But the Rams are 0-of-2 in red-zone efficiency, which is why the club has not gotten as much separation.
On the injury front, Philadelphia right tackle Lane Johnson is questionable to return with a neck injury. He’s been on the bench since being examined in the medical tent early in the first half but has not returned.
Davante Adams and Matthew Stafford are starting to heat up.
Adams got loose in the Eagles secondary and Stafford hit him for a 44-yard touchdown, giving Los Angeles a 10-7 lead over Philadelphia late in the first quarter.
It’s Adams’ second touchdown reception in the last two weeks.
After Stafford tossed an interception to prematurely end Los Angeles’ first drive, the Rams have scored on a 51-yard field goal and a long touchdown to Adams to take a three-point lead in Philadelphia.
The Eagles have an injury concern along their offensive line.
Philadelphia announced right tackle Lane Johnson is questionable to return with a neck injury.
Johnson was being examined in the sideline medical tent during the first quarter. He was not on the field for Philadelphia’s second possession in the team’s matchup against Los Angeles.
Matt Pryor has entered the game at right tackle for the Eagles, who lead the Rams 7-3 late in the first quarter.
