Case of the Mondays: Eli, Giants Go from Bad to Worse in Week 6 Loss

by Ricky Dimon - 10/15/2018

Saquon Barkley is good; damn good. But that is just about where the good news ends for the New York Giants, who are 1-5 and tied for having the worst record in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Oakland Raiders. The end may come sooner rather than later for Eli Manning, who has thrown just six touchdown passes and has been sacked 20 times through six games.

Odds provided by MyBookie.ag unless otherwise indicated.

New York Giants . Manning was even worse than the numbers suggest in last Thursday's 34-13 home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and the numbers were already bad: 24-for-43, 281 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, and four sacks. The 37-year-old has been picked off three times in the last three weeks and has an equal number of TDs and INTS (three each) during New York's three-game losing streak. During the second half of the 21-point blowout, Odell Beckham Jr. went on a sideline tirade in which he headbutted a cooling fan. "I was just trying to get myself going," Beckham explained. "I felt like some of those plays where I was getting myself going was some of my best stuff; so I was just trying to get myself fired up. I did that and it helped me." The Eagles, meanwhile, are +800 to win the NFC Championship.

Marcus Mariota . Speaking of sacks, the Tennessee Titans quarterback endured a whole lot of them this past Sunday-11, to be exact. Mariota actually took more sacks than the number of passes he completed (10) during a 21-0 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Tennessee somehow owns a respectable 3-3 record, but Mariota is in the midst of a disastrous season. The former No. 2 overall pick has more interceptions (four) than total touchdowns (three; two passing) and in four of his give games he has been held without a single TD pass. In the Titans' current two-game losing, Mariota has no touchdowns, one interception, and a mere 246 total passing yards. Tennessee is a +6.5 underdog against the Los Angeles Chargers in London this coming weekend.

Penn State . Unless you're in the SEC and fall to opponents like Alabama, Georgia, or LSU, two losses are one too many for a team with College Football Playoff aspirations. That means Penn State will have to reassess its 2018 goals, as championship hopes have evaporated with back-to-back losses at the hands of Ohio State and Michigan State. After blowing a 12-point lead over the Buckeyes in the final seven minutes, the Nittany Lions watched a 17-14 advantage evaporate last Saturday when the Spartans scored on a 25-yard touchdown pass with 19 seconds remaining. Penn State is a +200 favorite to be former Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant's transfer destination.

Jake Fromm . Fromm took over for injured starter Jacob Eason early last season and led Georgia to the SEC Championship and the final of the College Football Playoff. Now a sophomore, the script could be flipped on Fromm. Following a 36-16 loss at LSU in which the Warner Robins, Ga. native went 16-of-34 for 208 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, the pressure is on head coach Kirby Smart to give prized freshman Justin Fields more playing time under center. "It's easy to sit back and second guess and say this and that, but at the end of the day we have to make good decisions," Smart commented. "We've got to play the guy who gives us the best chance to win. And we'll continue to do that. Both of those guys are going to continue to get better; they are good football players." The Bulldogs are +1000 to win the National Championship.

Chris Sale . The Boston Red Sox evened up their ALCS against the Houston Astros with a 7-5 win in Game 2 on Sunday. But all is not well in Boston, as Sale left after just 4.0 innings of a 7-2 loss in the series opener. The left-hander allowed two runs on one hit and an uncharacteristic four walks. Adding insult to injury, Sale spent Sunday night at a hospital because of a stomach illness. Manager Alex Cora is "worried" but expects his ace to be okay and to eventually join the team in Houston. The Red Sox are +290 to win the World Series.

Jimmy Butler . Whether he likes it or not, it looks like Butler will start the regular season as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Trade talks have stalled with the Miami Heat, and no other team looks poised to pull the trigger. "They want me to go out here and hoop to the best of my abilities,'' Butler said of the T-Wolves. "(I need to) make sure I'm healthy, compete…because that's what I love to do-and do it for the guys in the same jerseys as me.'' Minnesota, which cancelled a practice last week one day after its disgruntled star guard went off on just about everyone in the organization, begins its 2018-19 campaign at San Antonio on Wednesday. The over/under for games Butler plays with the Timberwolves this season is 27.5. ( Bovada Sportsbook )

Arizona Coyotes . Arizona was the third-worst team in the NHL last season, and only the Buffalo Sabres scored fewer goals. Things appear to be getting even worse for the Coyotes before they get better. Through four contests in 2018-19, they have already been shut out three times. Arizona has not yet won in regulation, with its lone victory coming via a 3-2 shootout victory over the Anaheim Ducks last Wednesday. That was preceded by-you guessed it-a 1-0 shutout loss to Anaheim four days earlier. The Coyotes are saddled with the third-longest odds at +12000 to win the Stanley Cup; the Toronto Maple Leafs are +550 favorites.

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Case of the Mondays: Eli, Giants Go from Bad to Worse in Week 6 Loss

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