Saturday NFL reaction: Raiders deservedly eliminated on ugly day of football

Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Miami Dolphins
Photo of Ricky Dimon

Ricky Dimon

NFL

Show Bio

Since graduating from Davidson (The College That Stephen Curry Built), I have been writing about sports -- just about any and all you can think of! -- and coaching tennis in Atlanta, GA. Beyond the four major sports, I am an avid tennis fan and cover the ATP Tour on a daily basis. If I'm not busy writing, you can generally find me on a tennis court or traveling the world wherever a sporting event takes me. For Ricky Dimon media enquiries, please email contact@pickswise.com.

Christmas Day in the NBA: fun throughout. Boxing Day in the NFL: fun at the very end.

To be honest I would rather have had two more games on an already full Sunday slate than the first two of three stand-alone contests we witnessed on a rare NFL Saturday. It started with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 47-7 rout of the Detroit Lion that was over by…well, just about right after the opening kickoff. That was followed by the playoff hopeful Arizona Cardinals laying an egg throughout a 20-12 loss as the hands of a San Francisco 49ers squad that has already been eliminated from postseason contention. The nightcap saved the day, even though it needed a absolutely wild finish to make amends for what was also a bad football game for three quarters. In the end, the Miami Dolphins enhanced their playoff chances and eliminated the Las Vegas Raiders with a 26-25 victory.

Raiders down and out

Needing a win to stay in mathematical contention, the Raiders somehow found a way to lose despite leading three different times in the fourth quarter. They blew lead after lead after lead to a team that had no idea what it was doing at quarterback. Granted Miami’s decision to bench Tua Tagovailoa for Ryan Fitzpatrick in the fourth quarter paid off big-time, but it was still a curious one. Whatever the case, the Raiders took a 25-23 advantage with 19 seconds left to seemingly put the game away since their opponents had to timeouts left. Instead, they gave up 49 yards on the first play of the Dolphins’ final drive—34 on a pass and 15 for a roughing the passer penalty. Jason Sanders promptly booted the game-winning field goal for Miami. Keep in mind that it should have been a tying field goal, but Las Vegas kicker Daniel Carlson had missed an extra point earlier in the fourth quarter.


Congratulations to the ‘Fins, I guess. But unless “Fitzmagic” strikes again and does so in even more improbable fashion than it did on Saturday, they will either miss the playoffs or find themselves quickly eliminated after making it.

Destiny no longer in Cardinals’ hands

The Cardinals were not the worst of the six NFL teams in action on Saturday, but they suffered the costliest loss (it’s pretty obvious that Las Vegas was going to miss the playoffs anyway). As a result of their 20-12 setback against visiting San Francisco, the Cards no longer control their own destiny in the NFC playoff race. Adding insult to injury, they find themselves at the mercy of the Bears. You know things aren’t going well when you need help from the Bears in order to qualify for the postseason.

Chicago is suddenly -278 to make the playoffs, while Arizona’s odds have ballooned to +163. Even at plus money, I’m not touching the Cardinals after that performance; not when they still have to face the Rams next week, and also not when the Bears get to play Jacksonville and then a Green Bay team that will perhaps have already locked up the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

The Bucs aren’t stopping here

Overreaction Monday (or in this case Saturday/Sunday) should not include bold statements regarding the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl chances. After all, the opponents we are talking about here are the Detroit Lions. They stink. They are currently No. 26 in our power rankings…and that’s probably too high. The only reason they aren’t lower are because there are just so many awful teams in this football league. And the Lions are even worse when Chase Daniel is playing quarterback and when basically a third of their coaching staff is sidelined because of COVID-19.

Yes, the Buccaneers are good. Yes, they are going to the playoffs. Yes, Tom Brady just set the franchise record with 36 touchdown passes in a single season. But let’s not wander too far into the forest to see the trees. There are better teams in this league, better teams in their own conference, and a better team in their own division. Although +500 odds to win the NFC aren’t terrible, they also aren’t great.

Pickswise is the home of free NFL picks. Check out the latest NFL props and NFL parlays as well as expert underdog predictions and computer picks.

Virginia Bonuses

See All
FanDuel Sportsbook
Bet $5+ and Receive $200 in Bonus Bets!

Sign up for a new FanDuel Sportsbook account

Bet $5 on any sporting event

Receive $200 in Bonus Bets

Must be 21+. First online real money wager only. $10 first deposit required. Bonus issued as non-withdrawable free bets that expire 14 days after receipt. See full terms at fanduel.com/sportsbook. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 21+
bet365
Bet $1 and Get $365 in Bonus Bets!

Register for a new bet365 account

Place qualifying bets of $1 or more

Get $365 in bonus bets - no matter if your bet wins or loses

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 21+. Physically present in OH, CO, NJ, VA, IA. Eligibility restrictions apply. Subject to regulatory licensing requirements. Opt-in req. Valid 1 per customer.
DraftKings
Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets Instantly + Up to $150 in No Sweat Bets!

Sign up for a new account with DraftKings Sportsbook and make your first deposit

Bet $5+ on any sports market and get $200 in bonus bets instantly

Plus up to $150 back in bonus bets if your team loses!

Gambling Problem? Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (CO/IL/IN/LA/MD/MI/NJ/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA(select parishes)/MD/MI/NJ/NY/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Void in OH/ONT. Eligibility restrictions apply. Valid 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. Min. $5 bet. $200 issued as bonus bets that expire 7 days (168 hours) after being awarded. See terms at sportsbook.draftkings.com.
Caesars Sportsbook
$1,000 First Bet on Caesars!

Sign up for a new Caesars Sportsbook account and Place your 1st wager of $10 or more

Place your first wager of $50 or more and get $50 bonus bet upon settlement of your first wager

You will receive an additional $50 bonus bet each subsequent Monday

21+. New users and first wager only. Must register with eligible promo code. Bet amount of qualifying wager returned only if wager is settled as a loss. Min. bet $50; must be used within 14 days of receipt. See Caesars.com/promos for full terms. Void where prohibited. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
BetMGM
Get $1,500 Paid Back in Bonus Bets if you Don't Win Your First Bet!

Register for a new BetMGM account & deposit

Place your first bet up to $1,500!

Get refunded up to $1,500 in bonus bets if you don't win

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER CO, IL, IN, LA, MD, MS, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, MA 21+ to wager. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI). Visit BetMGM.com for Terms & Conditions. US promotional offers not available in DC, Nevada, New York or Ontario
Betfred
Bet $50, Get $111 in Fred Bets + Up To $1,000 Back!

Sign up for a new account with Betfred Sports and make your first deposit

Place a $50 wager on any sport

Get $111 in Fred Bets + Up To $1,000 Back in Losses over 5 Week!

Must be 21+. T&Cs apply. Wagers only accepted in CO, AZ, IA, OH, VA, MD. Full terms available from Betfred Sports.
PointsBet
Get Up To $1,000 in Second Chance Bets!

Sign up for a new PointsBet account

If any of your first 10 cash bets lose (first bet per day for 10 days)

You will receive Bonus Bet(s) in the amount of the losing wager(s), up to $100 each.

Must be 21+. Full terms are available at PointsBet. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 21+. Physically present in. Eligibility restrictions apply. Subject to regulatory licensing requirements. Opt-in req. Valid 1 per customer.
Underdog Fantasy
First deposit is 100% matched up to $500 with Underdog Fantasy!

Sign up for a new account with Underdog Fantasy

Make your first deposit

Every dollar (up to $500) will be matched! Deposit $25, get $50; deposit $100, get $200, etc

Must be 21+ to play. Terms & conditions apply
Pickswise
*
By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy