Now We Go: The worst beat of the 2024 NFL Season

There’s two ways to look at 99.9 per cent of sports bets once the games are said and done. 

1. Good process, bad result 

Sometimes you make the complete right read on a game/event and end up on the wrong side. An example of this would be losing a 175-1 Brian Harman Players Championship ticket to Scottie Scheffler. Harman tied for second and lost to Scheffler by one shot. Considering the price, it’s a loss some (myself) could make peace with at the time knowing we were trending in the right direction.

2. Bad process, good result 

Sometimes you’re dead wrong and somehow win. An example of this would be cashing an over for a basketball game while needing triple overtime to do so. While the win is nice, your read was clearly wrong, considering the game would’ve fallen well short of the number if it weren’t for an extra 15 minutes of action. 

But for anyone who bet the over on Tua Tagovailoa’s passing yards total on Sunday, they have fallen into that 0.01 per cent. 

3. Good process, good result, still a loser 

Let’s take a look at how Tagovailoa backers lost in the most grotesque way possible on Sunday, in what some are calling the worst beat of the 2024 NFL season. 

What was Tua Tagovailoa’s passing prop Sunday vs. the Buffalo Bills?

Tagovailoa entered Sunday with a passing yards over/under of 241.5 yards on FanDuel. 

With just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Tagovailoa connected with Jaylen Waddle for 18 yards, bringing his total on the day to 247. 

For backers who took the over it was a green checkmark. For those who took his alternate line of 250+, some more work was needed. 

Fortunately for those 250+ backers, a seven-yard touchdown pass to Waddle brought Tagovailoa’s total to 254. 

Suddenly, the idea of 275+ and 300+ were still on the table as the game was all square and overtime loomed. 

It was over until it was over and then it was over 

What happened next is the kind of thing that if it happened in a movie you’d walk out and think, “Hmm, good movie but I could see the twist coming from a mile away.” 

Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass nailed a career-best 61-yard field goal to give the Bills a three-point lead with just five seconds remaining. 

The Dolphins fair caught the ensuing kickoff and sent the offence out for one last play. 

It was pitchy-pitchy woo-woo time. 

As someone in the stadium I had no idea how what Tua’s pass prop was, but I did know that I had Dolphins +6 and was prepared to lose the most painful way possible – that of course being a failed lateral leading to a scoop and score as the whole stadium erupts and I go home a loser. 

Tagovailoa dumped a pass to De’Von Achane at the line of scrimmage. He took the ball three yards up field before lateraling it to Waddle. 

Waddle, surrounded by defenders, tried to make a play and ran the ball nearly 25 yards the wrong way before being tackled by Greg Rousseau. 

The loss of 23 yards on the play resulted in Tagovailoa’s passing total for the day falling from 255 to 231. 

And just like that, a great read and a winning bet *poof* is gone and suddenly every Tua over bettor was a loser. 

You can’t make it up. And I know it’s reactionary, but I can’t think of a worse beat in the 2024 NFL Season. 

Do you have any that come to mind? Let us know on X @TSN_Edge.