Matt Ryan Given Best Odds to Lead NFL in Passing After Mahomes Injury; Chiefs QB Listed at +550

• Patrick Mahomes missed last week’s game but still leads the NFL in passing yards
• Matt Ryan is favored but the Falcons’ situation could lead to him getting shut down late in the season
• Is there value with the much-maligned Jared Goff at +1500?

Reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes has already missed a game due to a knee injury, but he still leads the league in passing yards. That’s going to change as he misses what’s expected to be another couple of games.

Mahomes was an even-money favorite to lead the league in passing yards prior to his injury. Now Matt Ryan takes over the front-runner mantle. Is he the best bet here?

2019 NFL Passing Yardage Leader Odds

Odds as of Oct. 23.

How Long Will Mahomes Be Out?

Mahomes is such a prolific passer that he leads the league despite missing most of Week 7. That’s what makes it intriguing to think about him still finishing as the league’s leading passer – if he comes back in time.

me trying to talk about the NFL at work this week if Mahomes is seriously injured pic.twitter.com/rmeXIbheMJ

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) October 18, 2019

The challenge right now is we don’t know how long he’ll be out. ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported that he’s expected to miss at least three games. Even if he only misses two more, he’s likely out of the race. However, if he’s back this week or next, he’s still in play.

As Falcons Have Struggled, Ryan Has Impressed

Although the Atlanta Falcons had Super Bowl aspirations heading into the season, they are just 1-6 and are in the midst of a collapse. This is a team that’s crumbled, especially on defense, allowing 124 points over their last three games.

Ryan has 2,170 passing yards, which puts him second in the NFL. There are two big reasons why he’s piled up so many yards (a) he’s always playing from behind and (b) his team has no semblance of a running game. They’re ranked 29th in rush offense with just 68.4 rushing yards per game.

Matt Ryan Speaks about why Falcons been Losing Every Game ???????? pic.twitter.com/z4svBQJiy4

— Druskiiiiiii ? (@Druski2Funny) October 15, 2019

My concern with Ryan is they’re asking too much of him. He’s taking punishment on a weekly basis. He’s been sacked 19 times and sprained his ankle in last week’s game. He’s questionable for Week 8 and that’s not a good sign for his longterm prospects.

Atlanta could end up shutting him down early as there’s no point in trotting him out in Weeks 15, 16 and 17 with nothing on the line. In fact, if Atlanta is in play for a top-three draft pick, it would make more sense to tank.

Value With Jared Goff

I think there’s value with a number of guys down the board like Philip Rivers, Deshaun Watson and Jared Goff. Goff has one awful 78-yard game this season (Week 6 vs San Francisco) but outside of that, he’s averaged 319.5 passing yards per game. He’s been much-maligned in the media but QBR and interceptions don’t matter for this prop.

The Rams still have a quality offense with excellent weapons for Goff to work with. On top of that, there are some clear-cut issues with Todd Gurley and the running game, which is averaging just 97.1 rushing yards per game (23rd in the NFL).

WHO LET JARED GOFF TAKE ANKLES LIKE THIS?? pic.twitter.com/T4nimYrcg9

— NFL Insiders? (@The_Out_Route) October 20, 2019

Goff has a lot of soft defenses left on the schedule, including a pair of games against Arizona, a visit from the Seattle Seahawks, and the Cincinnati Bengals in London this week.

At +1500, I’d take a shot with him to finish with the most passing yards, even though he’s been so heavily criticized this season.