Posted on: November 12, 2022, 01:10h.
Last updated on: November 12, 2022, 01:10h.
Three starting quarterbacks might not play in Week 10 due to injuries including Matthew Stafford (concussion) from the Los Angeles Rams, Kyler Murray (hamstring) from the Arizona Cardinals, and Josh Allen (elbow) from the Buffalo Bills.
The Los Angeles Rams (3-5) and Arizona Cardinals (3-6) square off in an NFC West battle. The loser will occupy last place, and the winner still keeps their postseason hopes alive. Both teams could start backup quarterbacks in this game. With the future of the starters unknown, the Rams are -3 favorites at home against the Cardinals.
The Rams are 2-5-1 against the spread and only the Tamps Bay Bucs have a worse ATS record. The Cardinals are slightly better, but still have a losing record against the spread at 4-5.
The Rams average 16.4 points per game as the fourth-lowest scoring team in the NFL. Betting the points total under in Rams’ games this season has been profitable with a 6-2 clip.
The Cardinals have the second-worst scoring defense in the NFL allowing 26.8 points per game. This bodes well for the Rams, who struggle to put points on the board.
Matthew Stafford in Concussion Protocol
A banged-up Stafford entered this season with an elbow injury, which clearly impacted his passing and the Rams offense. Stafford tossed 41 touchdowns last season and led the Rams to a Super Bowl victory. In eight games this season, Stafford tossed only eight touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Stafford suffered a concussion sometime during Week 9’s loss against the Tampa Bay Bucs. Stafford completed only 48.2% of his passes for one touchdown, but got sacked four times.
When the Rams returned to Los Angeles, the training staff sent Stafford into concussion protocol.
Matt’s making good progress,” head coach Sean McVay told the L.A. Times. “It would be silly of me to rule him out when you’re talking about our quarterback, a guy that means so much to us. If there’s a possibility, while not being able to risk him, that’s where we are with that.”
If Stafford is not ready on Sunday, McVay will rely on backup quarterback John Wofford to start. Wofford barely saw any action as a backup the last three seasons, and did not play a single snap in 2022. In just four career games, Wofford completed 54.8% of his passes for 236 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Kyler Murray Admits Hamstring Injury on Hard Knocks
The Arizona Cardinals are the subject of an in-season version of HBO’s popular reality series Hard Knocks. In the debut episode this week, Murray indicated that tweaked his hamstring during a loss against the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday.
I felt my s—!” Murray said on the field against the Seahawks, which was captured by the camera crew.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said that Murray will be a game-time decision on Sunday against the Rams. Murray is currently listed as questionable on the injury report.
The hamstring injury is a huge concern because running is a huge aspect of Murray’s game. He’s able to extend plays with his ability to elude the pass rush and scramble. When plays completely break down, Murray often bails out the Cardinals by scampering for a first down. In four seasons with the Cardinals, Murray rushed373 times for 2,145 yards and 22 touchdowns. He’s averaging 6.1 yards per carry this season, including two touchdowns.
Colt McCoy is the current backup quarterback behind Murray, and will get the start if Murray is unable to suit up on Sunday. McCoy is a journeyman backup who spent stints with the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Commanders, New York Giants, and Cardinals. Over his career, McCoy completed 61.9% of his passes for 7,195 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 29 interceptions.
Bills Mafia Freaking Out Over Josh Allen’s Elbow Injury
The New York Jets upset the Buffalo Bills in Week 9, but might’ve derailed the Bills’ quest of winning their first Super Bowl. Allen suffered an elbow injury of his throwing arm during a strip sack late in the fourth quarter. Allen was diagnosed with a strained ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) on his right arm. He’s currently listed as questionable on the injury report.
If it were up to Allen, he would play through the pain. However, the Bills have to look at the bigger picture and want to keep Allen as healthy as possible for a deep playoff run. That’s why all signs point toward head coach Sean McDermott keeping Allen out of the lineup on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings, with a 7-1 record, are one of the surprise teams out of the NFC this season. Fans are eager to see how the Vikings stack up against the Bills’ tough defense.
The Bills opened as a favorite against the Vikings by more than a touchdown, but the line dropped to -3 on the assumption that Allen does not play.
Case Keenum is the current backup quarterback on the roster and will start for the Bills if Allen sits against the Vikings. During his ten-year career, Keenum started 64 games for various teams. He completed 62.3% of his passes for 14,884 yards with 78 touchdowns and 48 interceptions.
