This Week in NFL Betting News

It’s insane how much has happened in the NFL over the past week. Unfortunately, not a lot of it was all that positive. Nevertheless, let’s recap everything that went down in over the past week and get you ready for Week 14.

The Tape Doesn’t Lie

Sadly, the biggest headlines of the past week came from the Kansas City Chiefs releasing running back Kareem Hunt after TMZ released video of him shoving and kicking a woman in the halls of his Cleveland residence last February. The Chiefs were quick to send him packing, stating that Hunt had lied to them when they asked about the incident in February. Hunt is currently on the commissioner’s exempt list while they investigate the incident further, something that wasn’t done right after it happened. There are also reports that Hunt was involved in a bar fight in Kansas City last January.

Hunt, of course, led the NFL in rushing as a rookie last season and has been a huge part of Kansas City’s near-unstoppable offense this season. If the situation with Ray Rice is any indication, Hunt could have a difficult time getting another NFL team to give him a chance. On Monday, Hunt officially cleared waivers, so at least for now, no team has interest in him. Meanwhile, the Chiefs have re-signed Charcandrick West to give them some depth behind Spencer Ware in their backfield.

A Long Time Coming

Just hours after the Packers lost to the Cardinals on Sunday, they fired head coach Mike McCarthy. Green Bay has spiraled the second half of the season, losing five of their last six games to drop to 4-7-1. Overall, McCarthy had a great run with the Packers, including a Super Bowl win. But it’s been a struggle this year, as his relationship with Aaron Rodgers appears strained. Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin will be the interim coach. However, even winning their four remaining games may not be enough to get the Packers to the playoffs this year. Meanwhile, there is already speculation linking McCarthy to the coaching vacancy in Cleveland.

Another Bad Break

Not only did the Redskins lose to the Eagles on Monday night, but they also lost Colt McCoy to a broken leg. The injury comes just a couple of weeks after Washington lost Alex Smith for the rest of the season to a gruesome leg injury. Mark Sanchez replaced McCoy and will presumably Washington’s starter the rest of the season. Of course, he was only signed after Smith got hurt. After Monday’s loss, the Redskins are a game behind the Cowboys in the NFC East and a half-game back in the wild-card standings. However, things are looking awfully bleak.

A Good Old-Fashioned Shakeup

Speaking of spiraling teams, the Panthers have now lost four games in a row. Carolina was once 6-2 and looked like a legitimate contender in the NFC. However, they are now 6-6 and will be fighting for their playoff lives for the next four weeks. In response to those losses, Ron Rivera announced Monday that he will be taking over play-calling duties on defense. Two assistant coaches were also let go, including defensive line coach Brady Hoke. Defensive coordinator Eric Washington will remain on staff as the front-7 coach.

It’s All Over

Speaking of teams that have lost four games in a row, the Cincinnati Bengals also fall into that category. The Bengals are now 5-7 and two full games out of a playoff spot. They would also need to leapfrog five teams to get there. To make matters worse, A.J. Green is set to undergo season-ending surgery to repair the torn ligaments in his toe. Green tried to play on Sunday after missing a few weeks but ended up re-aggravating the injury and being carted off the field.

Coming Back?

The Ravens continue to inch closer to a quarterback controversy. Joe Flacco is still not medically cleared to return from the hip injury that has caused him to miss the last three games. At the moment, Flacco is able to practice, and the team is planning to ramp up his practice this week in hopes he’ll be cleared. If that happens, John Harbaugh will have to decide between Flacco and rookie Lamar Jackson. The Ravens have won three in a row with Jackson, although turnovers have been an issue during that span, so it won’t be an easy decision.