Case of the Mondays: Giants Continue to Throw Away NFC East

by Ricky Dimon - 11/30/2015

What the South is to the AFC, the East is to the NFC. The difference, however, is that at least three teams in the AFC South were expected to be mediocre at best. In the NFC East, more than a couple of squads had high hopes for a Super Bowl berth. But it's looking more and more like the East division champion will limp into the playoffs at something like 8-8 and be a sitting duck for more formidable wild-card team. Against all odds, that champion could be the Redskins after they extended the Giants' woes on Sunday.

All odds provided by BetOnline Sportsbook.

New York Giants . With even a little bit of luck or a modest dose of clutch play, New York would already be running away with the division. After all, the Cowboys have been and will continue to be without Tony Romo, the Eagles are a Chip Kelly-orchestrated disaster, and the Redskins are the Redskins. But four of the Giants' first five losses came by a combined nine points, and they dropped another one-possession game to Washington on Sunday. Eli Manning threw three interceptions, and his team did not score a single point through the first three quarters. New York mounted a brief charge but could not get the ball back in time for one more touchdown in a 20-14 road setback. Both clubs are now 5-6 and the 'Skins are officially in the NFC East lead as owners of the tiebreaker. The Giants are +1 home underdogs against the Jets in Week 13.

Jimmy Graham . Graham's first season in Seattle is over as the star tight end suffered a torn patellar tendon during a Week 12 win over Pittsburgh. He went down early in the fourth quarter nearing the end of one of his better games of the 2015 campaign. Graham had four catches for 75 yards at the time. Overall, it was a tough year for the former Saint as he struggled to gel with his new team. Graham had 48 receptions for 605 yards and two scores. All of those were his lowest 11-game totals since his rookie season in 2010. The Seahawks are +1600 to win the Super Bowl.

Mark Richt . After 15 seasons, Rich is out at the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs' long-time head coach stepped down against his will as he was given the ultimatum on Sunday to either leave or be fired. Richt, who admitted that he wanted to stay, led UGA to a pair of SEC titles (2002, 2005). The Dawgs also went to the SEC Championship on three other occasions during his tenure. But they had high expectations each of the last three seasons and failed to get the job done in a wide-open East Division. Richt, who will coach the team's bowl game, is 9-3 so far in 2015 with losses to Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida. Alabama is a -17 favorite over the Gators in this week's SEC Championship.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish . As head coach Brian Kelly noted, the Irish are two plays away from being undefeated and heading to the College Football Playoff. But their second loss, which came in thrilling fashion to Stanford this past weekend, brought an end to any championship hopes. Notre Dame, whose previous setback had come to undefeated and current No. 1 Clemson, fell 38-36 to the Cardinal on a last-second field goal. The Irish had taken a 36-35 lead on a DeShone Kizer touchdown run with 30 seconds remaining. Stanford is a -4.5 home favorite over USC this weekend.

Jahlil Okafor . It can't get much worse than playing for a team with a 0-18 record-unless you're Jahlil Okafor. The No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft has been involved in several heckling incidents this season. In October a heckler pointed a gun in Okafor's direction during a verbal exchange at a Philadelphia bar. Early last Thursday morning the former Duke Blue Devil was allegedly involved in a fight outside a Boston nightclub. Three weeks ago Okafor was stopped for going 108 mph on the Ben Franklin Bridge between Philadelphia and Camden, N.J. Driving more than 40 mph on the bridge is considered reckless. The 76ers are even money to win their first game of the season at home against the Lakers on Tuesday.

Edmonton Oilers . The Oilers have already been without Connor McDavid, the No. 1 overall pick in 2015, for a month because of a broken collarbone. Now fellow forward Nail Yakupov will be sidelined for 2-4 weeks due to a sprained ankle. It happened in a freak accident during which Yakupov got tangled up with an official after a faceoff. Yakupov, who was the top overall selection in the 2012 draft, has two goals and 10 assists in 22 games this season. Edmonton is the worst team in the NHL (tied with Calgary) at 18 points. The Oilers are 8-14-2 and have lost six of their last eight games. They have won in regulation only once in their last 11 contests. Edmonton is a +101 underdog at Toronto on Tuesday night.

Arsenal . The Gunners squandered a chance to stay atop the English Premier League table by tying Norwich City 1-1 on Sunday. They picked up a 1-0 advantage early before giving up an equalizing goal just prior to halftime. Arsenal is also dealing with all kinds of physical problems. Its list reads like a Denver Broncos' injury report back when Mike Shanahan coached the team. Mikel Arteta, Francis Coquelin, Theo Walcott, Danny Welbeck, Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky, and Kieran Gibbs were already out and Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla, and Laurent Koscielny got injured against Norwich City. The Gunners are now two points back of Manchester City and Leicester City. Man City is a -110 favorite to win the Premier League title.

Start:	November 23, 2024 @ 10:07 PM
Expert:	Vernon Croy
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