WEEK 3 NFL INFO

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NFL BREAKDOWN: : Redskins ripe prey for Lions

NFL BREAKDOWN: : Redskins ripe prey for Lions

NFL BREAKDOWN: : Redskins ripe prey for Lions

Detroit should cover, could end 19-game slide


An NFL team plagued by poor quarterback play gets booed by the home fans and the coach finds himself on the hot seat. For a change, that's not a description of the Detroit Lions, only because coach Jim Schwartz is too new to the job.

The situation with the Washington Redskins might be more unsettled. Fans are fed up with coach Jim Zorn and past the point of impatience with quarterback Jason Campbell -- and the Redskins actually won last week.

Will this be the week the Lions, losers of 19 in a row, finally break through with a win? handicapper says it could be so, and he's siding with Detroit as a 61/2-point home underdog against the Redskins.

Schwartz is 0-2 with the Lions, who have lost to Minnesota and New Orleans, two of the NFC's top teams. Washington seems closer to being among the league's worst.

"This is a new Detroit team with a new coaching staff. Just 20 of the 53 players on the Week 1 roster were on the team last season," Franco said. "One edge for the Lions is that Schwartz should outcoach the hapless Zorn, and another edge is the Lions are the more physical team.

"I'm calling for a Detroit cover and a possible outright win. My feeling is the motivated Lions will play at a high level."

Detroit will need rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford to mature in a hurry. Stafford has one touchdown pass, five interceptions and a league-low rating of 40.5. He can lean on one of the league's top receivers, Calvin Johnson, if he can connect with him.

"I'm looking for improvement from Stafford. I believe he can make some big plays in his third start,"

Campbell also has only one touchdown pass in two games.

"The Redskins' dysfunctional offense could not score a touchdown last week at home against the lowly St. Louis Rams," Franco said. "Campbell will never be a guy who can lead a team, and Zorn's play-calling is abysmal."

He used Detroit, Atlanta, Baltimore, Houston and Minnesota as his top five plays.

His analysis of the rest of today's Week 3 schedule:

? Tennessee at N.Y. Jets (-21/2): Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez will get another big test against the Titans. Will the Jets' defense continue to play so well? I'm not sure. Tennessee, 13-3 last season, is still searching for its first win, and coach Jeff Fisher is 17-7 against the spread as an underdog since 2006. I don't have a strong opinion on this one.

? Jacksonville at Houston (-31/2): The Jaguars looked bad last week in a home loss to the Cardinals, and I don't see it getting much better here against a potentially explosive Texans offense. My only concern is Houston not being able to stop Maurice Jones-Drew and the Jacksonville running attack. Houston has covered three straight and five of six in this series. I like the Texans to win and cover.

? Kansas City at Philadelphia (-81/2): The Eagles are coming off a blowout loss to New Orleans. They will be without quarterback Donovan McNabb again, and have a few other key injuries. We will see Michael Vick at some point in the game, but who knows how effective he will be. The Chiefs let a win get away versus Oakland, and they need to run the ball to be effective against the Eagles. I don't like either side here with all the injuries Philadelphia is dealing with, so I'll pass.

? Cleveland at Baltimore (-131/2): Not much has changed in Cleveland as its offense is still the worst in the NFL, scoring one touchdown in two weeks. Going against one of the best defenses the AFC has to offer will not help. The reason this has blowout written all over it is the new offensive firepower Joe Flacco and the Ravens are showing. There is no doubt Baltimore is far ahead of the Browns on both sides of the ball.

I am willing to lay the big chalk here as the Browns are 0-4 ATS in their past four as double-digit underdogs, and Baltimore is 8-1 ATS as a favorite in its past nine. The Ravens won and covered both games last season. Lay the points.

? N.Y. Giants (-61/2) at Tampa Bay: The Giants allowed big rushing plays last week and still came away with a win because of Dallas turnovers. Tampa Bay fought hard after falling behind at Buffalo.

The past 10 meetings between these teams have gone under the total, including a 24-14 Giants win in the 2007 playoffs. Both teams want to run the ball, which will favor the Giants. The under is 6-1 in the Buccaneers' past seven games at home against an opponent with a winning record.

Eli Manning and the Giants' passing game could give the depleted Tampa Bay secondary problems. The Buccaneers will win a few games, but this happens to be a poor matchup for them. The Giants could be in a little bit of a flat spot and they have some major injuries now. Under the total (451/2) is the way to go.

? Green Bay (-61/2) at St. Louis: The Packers played a poor second half last week, and it cost them. The Rams were in the game at Washington, and they could slow down the Packers' offense. If Marc Bulger is able to make the right reads and get the ball out in time to his receivers, St. Louis can stay in it. I'm not willing to lay the points with the Packers on the road, so this is a slight lean to the Rams.

? San Francisco at Minnesota (-7): In a battle of undefeated teams, one of the keys will be the progress of Brett Favre and the ability of the Vikings' offense to show more than the running game. When you have the best in the business in Adrian Peterson, you don't have to do much more, but I think the Vikings let it loose this week.

The 49ers will not be able to run on one of the best fronts in the league, so I don't see Shaun Hill making many big passing plays. Frank Gore had two monster runs last week to pad his stats, but Minnesota will make it a point to shut down Gore. Minnesota wins and covers in Favre's first home game.

? Atlanta at New England (-41/2): There are several intriguing matchups on the schedule, but none juicier than Matt Ryan and the Falcons traveling to take on Tom Brady and the Patriots. Brady has looked average the past two weeks, and New England cannot run the ball. Brady continued to overthrow his receivers last week, and the Falcons will bring pressure just like the Jets did.

The Patriots have not lost back-to-back games since 2006, a string of 41 games, but coach Bill Belichick is 3-11 ATS in his past 14 at home. I like the road 'dog with a possible outright win for Atlanta.

? Chicago (-21/2) at Seattle: The Seahawks are banged up with quarterback Matt Hasselbeck likely out, but backup Seneca Wallace is capable. He started eight games last season and played well at home. The Bears came back to beat Pittsburgh last week but now are on a rare West Coast trip. Chicago's Jay Cutler has 17 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions on the road in his young career. I like the home 'dog that should be a small favorite.

? New Orleans (-6) at Buffalo: The Saints are no question the best offensive team in the league, but the eye-opener for me is the way new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has turned around that unit. The Bills' offense is improving and they should have some success moving the ball. New Orleans is 7-1 ATS as a road favorite since 2006. This is a tough one to call, but we should see a high-scoring game, and the Saints are on a 17-6 run over the total. The total of 52 is the highest on the board.

? Miami at San Diego (-51/2): The Dolphins are off their Monday night choke job against the Colts, a game in which Miami dominated the clock. The Chargers have some defensive injuries and it's showing, and running back LaDainian Tomlinson is out again. I have no opinion on the side, but look for both offenses to produce and for this to hit near the total of 44.

? Pittsburgh (-31/2) at Cincinnati: The Steelers can't run the ball and it's not going to get better here against the Bengals, who are coming off a victory at Green Bay. Willie Parker has had some nice rushing games versus the Cincinnati defense, but count on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to make the difference for the Steelers once again. I'll take a look under the total (37).

? Denver (-11/2) at Oakland: The Broncos, off to a surprising 2-0 start, won 41-10 in Oakland last year. This line has moved with money coming in on Denver. I was one of many who thought the Broncos would not be a good team, but I have to side with them and quarterback Kyle Orton over the Raiders' erratic JaMarcus Russell, who despite having a strong arm is one of the worst passers in the league. New coordinator Mike Nolan has made a difference for the Denver defense. I'm backing the Broncos.

? Indianapolis at Arizona (-21/2): The problem for the Colts is stopping the run, and we know the Cardinals are a passing team first and foremost. Kurt Warner had a great game last week and will be looking to throw a lot against the Indianapolis secondary. I see both offenses clicking, so look over the total (481/2).

 

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Broncos proving worthy

Broncos proving worthy

Broncos proving worthy

Denver 'D' points to 'under' at Oakland


The predictions of a poor season for the Denver Broncos might ultimately prove true, but after two weeks and as many wins, they are headed toward becoming one of the NFL's surprise teams.

New coach Josh McDaniels took heat for trading quarterback Jay Cutler, but credit McDaniels for another move -- hiring Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator.

Nolan is using Elvis Dumervil as a pass-rushing threat, and safety Brian Dawkins, a free-agent signee, has solidified the secondary. It's early, but Denver's defense ranks No. 1 in the league in scoring, allowing a total of 13 points, and No. 2 in yards allowed.

The Gold Sheet handicapper Bruce Marshall is 2-0 with recommended plays on the Broncos under the total. Denver is a 11/2-point favorite at Oakland today, and Marshall is backing the Broncos and under 361/2.

"The real revelation in Denver has been the defense, which bears no resemblance whatsoever to last year's stop unit that blew assignments at an alarming rate and was schematically out of sorts," Marshall said. "Credit Nolan for changing the formula, installing a 3-4 look better suited to the Broncos' talent. The new Denver stop unit is for real."

The Broncos are burning the clock offensively, using Kyle Orton's short passing and an improving ground threat with rookie Knowshon Moreno alongside workhorse Correll Buckhalter.

"As long as turnovers don't distort (the game) and result in quick touchdowns, expect another low-scoring 'under' with the Broncos probably (winning)," said Marshall, who outlines other Week 3 games:

? Kansas City at Philadelphia: The Eagles were 6-2 against the spread as a home favorite last year, and 3-1 laying at least 7 points. Edge: Eagles.

? Cleveland at Baltimore: Surprisingly, this series went over the total in the past three games and 4-0-1 in the past five. Ravens coach John Harbaugh is 7-2 ATS at home and 15-5 overall. The Browns have no covers in their past six games. Edge: Ravens, over.

? Green Bay at St. Louis: The Rams are on a 7-14 ATS slide. The Packers are 17-7 ATS on the road for coach Mike McCarthy since 2006. Edge: Packers.

? Atlanta at New England: Patriots coach Bill Belichick is just 3-11 ATS in the past 14 at Gillette Stadium. But the Falcons were 4-5 ATS away a year ago. Edge: Falcons.

 

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Russell, Gannon address inaccuracy

Russell, Gannon address inaccuracy

Russell, Gannon address inaccuracy
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 at 1:46 pm in Oakland Raiders.

Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell, quizzed about his accuracy problems in his weekly meeting with the media Wednesday, said timing has been a problem with his young receivers.

Through two games, Russell is 19-for-54, a league-low 35.2 percent. No other NFL starter is below 50 percent _ a figure Russell would need 16 consecutive completions to reach.

?On my behalf, sometimes extra-hitching it, the drop-step, when you?re expecting a guy to be a certaind depth,? Russell said. ?Things like that happen. Just move on from it and look forward to the next game.?

Asked about the youth in the offense, Russell said, ?That?s a part of it. Most of them are learning on the move. Most of them learning every day, the things we do with them. We try to get everybody on the same page.?

Russell described the issues of the passing game as not one thing but a lot of little things that will ?get that ball going different ways.? He said he?s not always sure where receivers are going to be depending on the route.

?I know where the guys are going to be, but at the same time, once you look there, they?re not quite there yet,? Russell said. ?Things sort of? you know? we worked on that, things that they should know and I should know . . . sometimes you have a guy get in your way so you?re not going to make your next step.?

That?s a word-for-word transcription, by the way, exhibiting that sometimes it?s as hard to see where Russell is going with an answer as where his pass is going on any given play.

Russell downplayed having a ?breakout? game, saying, ?I just see a complete game coming. I wouldn?t know what you want to call a breakout. But something we can go in there and just continue to do it on a consistent basis.?

Then there?s the loss of a wide receiver Russell trusted in Chaz Schilens.

?Chaz, he?s a big guy that you can miss at times,? Russell said. ?He started off, was making some big plays. The guy can go up and attack the ball. He?s one that we can say that we miss. But at the same time, that?s why we have guys to step up in that spot for. Just work those guys.

?Don?t know when Chaz will be back. Hopefully he?ll be back soon. It is a guy that we miss out there.?

It could be all the function of having a great punter. When it doubt, throw it out of bounds and let Shane Lechler do his job.

?With the punter we have, you know, all-world Shane Lechler, go to the sideline, look at again, come back out again, let?s do it again,? Russell said.

Gannon on Russell

During his show on Sirius Satellite Radio, Gannon gave a thorough breakdown of Russell?s game as only he can. Gannon will be the color analyst Sunday in Oakland.

Among his observations:

? ?I?ve talked to personnel people around the league. I?ve talked to people who have been at the games and there?s a lot of concern right now about JaMarcus Russell and his accuracy, his completion percentage. So I went back and did a study. I looked at his 21 starts, he?s completing just over 51 percent of his passes. And then this season, you look at his first two weeks, he?s completing around 35 percent of his passes. That obviously is not very good. I just think he?s missing too many opportunities and he?s holding back this offense right now.

?So what I did was I broke down every pass attempt from the first two weeks. I looked at whether he was under center or in the shotgun. I looked at the personnel on the field. I looked at whether it was a three-step drop, a five step drop, a seven-step drop, whether it was play action, whether he was rolling, and I really tried to break it down.?

? ?There?s a number of things that you need to take into consideration. First and foremost, he?s had a number of different coaches, a number of different play-callers, a number of different coordinators, different QB coaches, in just his three short years in the league. That, I think, has had an impact on him, a negative impact. The second thing is the inexperience and lack of production at the wide receiver position has hurt him as well. Finally, after looking at all the film, I am convinced that all the things that he is struggling with can be corrected. So that?s a positive.?

? ?A couple of things are very glaring. I think, you see a lot of times he falls away from throws. He seems to bail. I think a rush up inside bothers him. He needs to get more bend in his knees when he throws. He?s very upright and not a lot of bend in his knees. It may have something to do with his weight. He seems to be more comfortable operating out of shotgun than he does under center. He doesn?t do a very good job seeing out in front of throws and I think that comes with experience, really understanding and anticipating coverages. So that?s not something he does. When you look at the offensive game plan, the passing game, I think they?ve condensed the plan. It?s not very complicated. Fundamentally, right now, he is not very sound. His mechanics, his footwork, it?s inconsistent.?

? ?He is much better, his completion percentage is much better, when he?s throwing to the tight end in that offense. Clearly, there?s a comfort level there with Zach Miller.?

? ?I think sometimes he predetermines where he?s going to go with the ball. You can see that he makes up his mind very early in his drop. And the other thing is he misses a number of throws, almost a majority of his throws if you go back and look at it, they?re high which tells you that more of that weight is not on the front foot, that he?s leaning back, he?s throwing off of his back foot. These are some things that really jump out at me.?

? ?Let me say this in terms of the coaching. He may have the premier (quarterbacks) coach in the National Football League when it comes to footwork, when it comes to preparing a quarterback in terms of the mechanics. Paul Hackett was my QB coach in Kansas City and was one of the big reasons why I was able to go on and have success in Oakland. He is a phenomenal coach. He coached Joe Montana. He?s coached a lot of great players in this league. I know he?s got a good coach there in Paul Hackett, his quarterbacks coach, a guy that I have the utmost respect for, and I know these are not the types of things, when I look at (Russell?s) footwork, that he?s coaching.?

 

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It was Gannon all along

By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Friday, September 25th, 2009 at 6:36 pm in Oakland Raiders.
So we finally know what has been wrong with the Raiders all these years.

It was Rich Gannon, of course.
The same Gannon who led the Raiders to three consecutive AFC West titles and a conference championship.
As reported by David White of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Raiders responded to Gannon?s brutal honesty regarding his former team by attempting to ban him from a Saturday production meeting with players and coaches.
UPDATE: The Associated Press is reporting the Raiders have backed off on the attempt to ban Gannon from the production meeting.
And when we say the Raiders, we mean one Raider.
Senior executive John Herrera was the source quoted in the story, but this was an Al Davis move. Herrera doesn?t have the authority to do this on his own, and Davis, whose old school code of loyalty is everything, surely feels Gannon is a traitor. I talked to Herrera and he stood behind all the quotes in the Chronicle story added that Gannon had been critical as recently as two weeks ago on a local radio station.
(Here is a link to a transcription of an interview Gannon did with KTHK in Sacramento on Sept. 8).
?Everything he said was negative, even saying that he liked coming out here but it was hard to watch,? Herrera said. ?He was a journeyman quarterback when he came here, we gave him an opportunity, then he retires and all he does is attack us.?
He said Gannon has talked of ?blowing up the building? and starting over and considered the quotes ?incendiary? in a post-9/11 world.
Personally, I can?t recall Gannon saying anything like that, but Herrera assured me they exist and have been ?documented.? Without even getting in to the paranoia that goes in to having someone keep a running file of all the mean things said about the organization, I?m speechless at the notion that if Gannon did say these things, that they were taken literally.
I asked Herrera if his comments were coming straight from Davis and his response was, ?I think we?re done here.?
Production meetings are often on Friday, but there was no sign of Gannon at the facility today.
After Tom Cable wrapped up his press briefing today he asked me if I?d seen Gannon. I wonder if he even knew Gannon had been silver and blacklisted. May have even wanted to thank Gannon for saying what a great job he was doing as head coach.
That?s right. Included in Gannon?s most recent assessment on the Raiders was an endorsement of Cable.
Here was Gannon?s take his Sirius Satellite radio show on the job Cable is doing with the Raiders:
?I give Tom Cable a lot of credit, not a little bit of credit, a lot of credit. He knows exactly what he has in terms of his personnel and he is not going to try to beat you throwing the ball 35 or 40 times. He understands the strength of that football team right now, and last year as well, without question is not the play of the quarterback, it?s the three running backs he has in Darren McFadden, Justin Fargas and Michael Bush.
?And that, combined with the fact that they have an offensive line that was really bad a year ago in terms of pass protection, and with a young quarterback and with inexperience at the wide receivers, he?d be crazy not to run the football.
So I tip my hat to Tom Cable and what he?s been able to accomplish the first two weeks of the season. They are a better football team defensively, they can run the ball, and that has to be the M.O. as they head down the road the next six or eight weeks until JaMarcus can come along, until their young receivers can develop.
?But I think guys like Greg Ellis and Richard Seymour, their ability to stop the run, something they didn?t do a very good job of a year ago, that has to be the strength of this football team. Tom Cable knows what he has and he?s done a good job the first two weeks in making sure that?s a point of emphasis.?
Take a look at Gannon?s breakdown of Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell, as well as the one by passing game coordinator Ted Tollner, and both men make a lot of the same points.
Herrera repeated the belief that Gannon was trying to deflect blame from his poor Super Bowl, when he threw five interceptions.
That would indicate the blame for the Super Bowl loss rests squarely with Gannon, coming during a week where the Raiders have maintained the failures of the Oakland passing game are a collective effort, and not simply the fault of Russell.
Years ago, Jon Gruden told a reporter a story about how Gannon, angered that he couldn?t get in the building early enough to get started on the day?s work, would throw pebbles at his window so he could get in the building early.
Looks like he?ll need more than a pebble this time around.

 

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Major line movements often due to overreaction

Major line movements often due to overreaction

Major line movements often due to overreaction

Last week's results not always a harbinger of what's coming this week


It's becoming a typical NFL season in Las Vegas, where long-term memory sometimes is overwhelmed by what was witnessed most recently.

When lines steam based on a team's good or poor result the previous week, it's a common occurrence. After the fact, bettors are sometimes left shaking their heads, bemoaning the fact they overreacted to a recent development.

Several games today have featured major line moves. Are the strong opinions well-founded or misguided? Let's try to figure it out.

New Orleans opened as a 31/2-point favorite for its visit to Buffalo, and the number has ballooned in support of the Saints, who are now minus-61/2 at some sports books.

There's no denying quarterback Drew Brees and the Saints have been impressive in their first two wins. New Orleans blew out Detroit and walked into Philadelphia and lit up a depleted Eagles team. It was pretty to watch, but are they being given too much credit?

"The Saints are certainly the buzz team at the moment," Las Vegas Sports Consultants odds director Tony Sinisi said. "They're an offense that's clicking on all cylinders, with a quarterback at the top of his game. More often than not, teams will have to outscore them, because you're not going to stop them."

Added LVSC oddsmaker Mike Seba: "Its fast-break football with a great head coach running the show."

Does that necessarily mean the Saints are the play today?

Buffalo gave the opener away at New England and followed that up with a solid home victory over Tampa Bay. The Bills couldn't gain a yard in the preseason, but the late change to Alex Van Pelt as offensive coordinator has actually reaped immediate rewards for the no-huddle offense that is stretching the field with long passes.

Don't be surprised if Buffalo hangs in with a shot to win.

Can so many people really be jumping off the Patriots' bandwagon after only two weeks?

There has been a line move against New England, which is about a 41/2-point home favorite over Atlanta. The line opened as high as 61/2. The Falcons (2-0) clearly are a different team at home and this is their first road game. It stands to reason that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will settle back into his rhythm after missing last year.

MGM Mirage sports book director Jay Rood said he could understand a slight downgrade of New England, but a drastic downgrade so early in the season is a bit puzzling.

"The Patriots are not collecting Social Security checks just yet, and Bill Belichick didn't become a stupid coach overnight," Rood said. "The loss of Wes Welker hurt them last week against the Jets. He is Brady's security blanket."

Another line that's intriguing has the Chicago Bears as 21/2-point favorites at Seattle.

How quickly we forget. So quarterback Matt Hasselbeck got hurt, and San Francisco's Frank Gore ripped off monster runs against the Seahawks' defense last week. Seneca Wallace came in for Hasselbeck and didn't save the day. How many times have we seen backups jump into the fray and look horrible, but given a full week's worth of reps with the first team, they become completely different quarterbacks the following week?

This is not to claim that Wallace will slice the Bears apart, but he will play better, and that might be good enough to get the job done today. LVSC's Ken White said Wallace has an opportunity to be the difference.

"Last year, in three starts at home against the Eagles, Patriots and Jets, Wallace protected the ball well, throwing five touchdowns and no interceptions," White said. "They went 1-2 in those games. He's a much better quarterback at home, and (coach) Jim Mora will be developing a game plan that best suits his abilities."

Among the 0-2 teams facing virtual must-win situations early in the season are Tennessee and Miami, both AFC playoff participants from last season. Both teams face difficult road tests.

Money has surfaced on both winless teams during the week. The Titans are 21/2-point underdogs against the New York Jets, and the Dolphins are 6-point underdogs at San Diego.

"The plight of these teams has been taken into account," Seba said. "The numbers don't lie. Regardless of how good they may actually be, teams that start 0-3 face a daunting task the remainder of the season to battle back and make the playoffs."

 

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Celebrity/media NFL picks Week Three

Celebrity/media NFL picks Week Three

Celebrity/media NFL picks Week Three
Stats told the (fictional) story in Raiders? victory over Chiefs

Whoever said statistics don?t lie should really take a good look at a couple of games from last week.

Let?s start with those tricky Oakland Raiders, who last week somehow parlayed a 243-yard deficit in yards gained from scrimmage and 17 fewer minutes of possession time into a 13-10 victory at Kansas City. Chiefs fans must be scratching their scalped heads wondering how they could have amassed 409 yards and scored only 10 points in the process.

Well, one way is to use up nine minutes and 25 seconds on a 17-play drive, and settle for a field goal. That?s what Kansas City did to take an early lead in the first quarter. Another is to blow a huge opportunity right before halftime. With the score tied 3-3, Kansas City was at Oakland?s 9-yard line with 14 seconds remaining, with no timeouts. Matt Cassel threw a pass toward the sideline, but Dantrell Savage was unable to get out of bounds. Despite the Chiefs? frantic efforts to line up and spike the ball, time ran out. Cinderella managed the clock better than that.

Still, when Kansas City scored on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Cassel to Dwayne Bowe ? more yards than Oakland gained on any play in the game -- with 2:45 left to take a 10-6 lead, the Chiefs seemed to be in control. The Raiders had precisely 100 total yards of offense at that point and the 69 yards separating Oakland from the end zone after the ensuing kickoff seemed unattainable. But the Raiders marched downfield and scored the game-winning touchdown.

How anemic was Oakland? They became the second team since 1997 to win a game with a quarterback who threw 20 or more passes, yet completed less than 30 percent of those tosses (Reputed quarterback JaMarcus Russell had some control issues ? he was off-target on his first five throws and eventually missed on 17 of his 24 passes). It was also the first time in the 50-year history of the proud franchise that they were outgained by more than 200 yards but still managed to just win, baby.

Then, on Monday night, the Indianapolis Colts pulled a similar illusionary act. Despite controlling the ball for less than one quarter, Peyton Manning and company rallied to beat the Miami Dolphins 27-23.

Miami played keep-away for most of the game, chewing up the clock with 239 rushing yards and the effective short passing game of Chad Pennington. But unlike the Raiders, when the Colts did get the ball, they had little trouble moving it ? and quickly. The opening play of the game was a precursor ? an 80-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Dallas Clark.

Manning?s 48-yard touchdown to Pierre Garcon with 3:29 left capped a time-consuming 32-play drive to win the game. Indianapolis? possession time of 14 minutes, 53 seconds was the least by any team to win an NFL game since 1977 ? I?m not sure, but I think that was before the shot clock was implemented.

Regardless of how they got it done, the Colts and Raiders will surely tell you there?s really only one stat that counts ? whether you win or lose.

Sal?s picks: Of course, in Vegas, it?s not about whether you win or lose, but whether you cover the point spread. A 2-1 week for me at least puts a few games in the W column. The season mark of 2-4 is still ugly, but we?ll see if we can improve on it this week with the Patriots-Falcons over 44?, the Bears -2 at the Seahawks and the Saints-Bills over 52?.

****

The media/celebrity picks:

Lance Burton, Monte Carlo master magician (3-3)

Dolphins +6 at Chargers

Cowboys -9? vs. Panthers

Jets -2? vs. Titans

****

Anthony Crivello, star of "Phantom -- Las Vegas Spectacular" (4-2)

Lions +6? vs. Redskins

Saints -6 at Bills

Colts +2 at Cardinals

****

Carrot Top, Luxor headliner (4-2)

Saints -6 at Bills

Bears -2 at Seahawks

Cowboys -9? vs. Panthers

****

Terry Fator, Mirage headliner (2-4)

Jets-Titans over 37

Steelers-Bengals over 37

Vikings -7 vs. 49ers

****

Oscar Goodman, mayor of Las Vegas (3-3)

Jets -2? vs. Titans

Giants -7 at Buccaneers

Saints -6 at Bills

****

Ryan Greene, Las Vegas Sun sports writer (1-5)

Bears -2 at Seahawks

Saints -6 at Bills

Raiders -1? vs. Broncos

****

Alicia Jacobs, KVBC entertainment reporter (4-2)

Jaguars +4 at Texans

Colts +2 at Cardinals

Titans +2? at Jets

****

Kevin Janison, KVBC meteorologist (2-4)

Bears -2 at Seahawks

Saints -6 at Bills

Broncos-Raiders under 36

****

Christine Killimayer, 702.tv Sports Anchor (4-2)

Lions +6? vs. Redskins

Browns +13? at Ravens

Cowboys-Panthers over 46

****

Wayne Newton, "Mr. Las Vegas" (4-2)

Cowboys -9? vs. Panthers

Seahawks +2 vs. Bears

Vikings-49ers under 40 ?

****

Frank Caliendo?s Fantasy Studs of the Week

Aaron Rodgers, Packers; Andre Johnson, Texans and Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars

?The Rams have fewer prime-time quality performers than even NBC. Go with Aaron Rodgers. And in a game featuring less defense than a Swiss cabinet meeting, Andre Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew will light it up!?

Last week?s rating: FIELD GOAL! Frank chose two players last week, and Peyton Manning?s 303-yard performance with two touchdowns was solid, but Clinton Portis only tallied a pedestrian 79 yards rushing and nine receiving without a score.

 

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Total Talk - Week 3

Total Talk - Week 3

Total Talk - Week 3
Week 2 Recap

After watching the totals go 8-8 in the opening week of the season, the ?over? came back with a 9-7 mark in Week 2. What?s unusual about the 16 games played last week is that all of the results were pretty clear after the first 30 minutes. Almost every game that went ?under? in the first half also went ?under? in the game and vice versa with the nine ?over? tickets. The only game out of the 16 that didn?t follow this was the Seattle-San Francisco matchup, which saw 23 posted in the first half and just 10 in the final 30 minutes. The combined 33 points fell ?under? the closing number of 39 ?.

Nifty Fifty

It only took two games but the oddsmakers have quickly adjusted to the Saints and their juggernaut of an offense. New Orleans routed Philadelphia 48-22 last Sunday and quarterback Drew Brees looked unstoppable, completing 25-of-34 passes for 311 yards and three scores. The offense put up points on seven of their 11 possessions and they only had to punt three times. And, Brees was intercepted in Eagles? territory as well.





The attack is averaging a league-best 468 YPG and it?s not all Brees and the passing attack. The ground game has posted an average of 145 in the first two contests, which is ranked eighth in the league. Their leading rusher, Mike Bell (229 yards), has been listed as ?out? for this week but the unit does get running back Pierre Thomas back in the lineup.

New Orleans? defense has given up 24.5 PPG and 347 YPG in its two victories, which is nothing to boast about but the team has recorded six interceptions, which is tied for the most in the league.

In Week 3, the Saints will play their second straight road game when they travel to Buffalo. The Bills have also seen the ?over? cash in each of their first two games. The opening total came out at 52 and jumped up to 53. Keep an eye on the WEATHER for this one, with some rain storms expected for Sunday.

The Bills are a tough team to read right now, since the defense has given up 397 YPG in the first two battles and the offense was helped with a defensive touchdown in each game. Trent Edwards (21-of-31, 230 yards) looked better in Buffalo?s 33-20 win last Sunday against Tampa Bay but four short field goals makes you blame the signal caller for not converting when it matters.

30-Something

In Week 2, four totals had numbers listed in the thirties and all four of the games went ?under? the total, rather easily too. This Sunday, we have six games that are listed at 38 ? or less. Let?s take a closer look in order of rotation.

Titans at Jets (37): I don?t think many people predicted the Jets? defense to not allow any touchdowns in their first two games against Houston and New England. New York is playing with confidence and faces a Tennessee that put up 10 points in Week 1 but 31 last week. The Jets? offense has been vanilla with their rookie QB, which might make you lean toward the ?under? here.

Browns at Ravens (38.5): Baltimore has posted 34 and 31 points in its first two weeks and they?ve given up 24 and 26. Then why is the number less than 40 in this spot? All signs point to a Browns? offense (234 YPG, 13 PPG) that lacks any explosion. If Cleveland (+13.5) has any shot of winning this game, head coach Eric Mangini will need to control the clock, which seems impossible considering the offense is converting a league-low 23.1% on third downs this year.

Redskins at Lions (38.5): I?ve said many times that I believe Washington?s skill positions are better than most, which makes me believe that QB Jason Campbell isn?t the answer and neither is head coach Jim Zorn. Last year, the Redskins beat the Lions 25-17 at Ford Field and the offense hasn?t come close to that number since then. Detroit?s defense is still suspect but the offense has no identity at all. It seems like the Lions want to pound the ball and often handcuff the aerial attack of Stafford and Williams. The game-changing weapons are evident on both teams but the gameplans could hinder those explosions ? again.


Pittsburgh has had trouble scoring this year, averaging 13.5 PPG in two games.


Bears at Seahawks (37): The Windy City?s addition of QB Jay Cutler hasn?t provided dividends yet, with the Bears posting 15 and 17 points in their first two contests. Chicago's running game has been obsolete, which has put even more pressure on Cutler. Fortunately, the defense has been good despite major injuries. The Seahawks? Matt Hasselbeck (ribs) was injured last week and his status is up in the air. Seneca Wallace isn?t on his level, but he?s good enough to move the chains every now and then. These two teams don?t meet annually, but the last three encounters have gone ?over? the number.

Steelers at Bengals (37): The Super Bowl champs have looked flat in their first two games, especially on offense. The missing ground game (70.5 YPG) hasn?t stopped QB Ben Roethlisberger (71.8%, 584 yards) from putting up big numbers. However, he?s been intercepted three times and sacked six times. Cincinnati could easily be 2-0 and its defense looked great last week. The unit leads the league with nine sacks and has done well against the run. The ?over? went 2-0 in the two games between these two last year. It should be noted that the Steelers have scored 20-plus in the last nine meetings against the Bengals. If you could catch Pitt?s team total at 20 or less, the 'over' might be a good look.

Broncos at Raiders (35.5): Is the Denver defense (253 YPG, 6.5 PPG) that good or did the schedule makers help them out early by starting the year against the Bengals and Browns? The Broncos get a little more help this weekend when they face Oakland and the JaMarcus Russell-led offense. The Raiders can?t do much on offense except run the football and their defense is pretty sound. The ?over/under? has gone 4-4 in the last eight battles. The number is low for a reason folks!




The Saints are poised to put up "Greatest Show on Turf" like offensive numbers as they have multiple weapons to support Drew Brees. The total tops the 50-point plateau this week, and that might be the standard for a while. Key games against the Jets and Giants will be a better barometer for this attack in the next two weeks.
The Jets and 49ers will see their numbers adjusted to the low side given their outstanding defensive play in the first two weeks.
Oakland takes on the Broncos at home in what is the lowest number on the board, largely due to the poor showing by JaMarcus Russell.
The Colts performed very efficiently on offense against the sad sack Dolphins last Monday after looking like anything but a well oiled machine in their opening win over the Jags. I?m still a little skeptical of the Colts? offense given their lack of depth at the WR position and their lackluster running game.

Monday Night Football

In the 2008 season, the ?over? went 13-3-1 on Monday Night Football. Nothing has changed this year, with the ?over? starting off the season 3-0 but you could make a case that all three of the games could?ve went ?under? the number.

Last week, the Colts beat the Dolphins 27-23 and the combined 50 points jumped ?over? the closing number of 41 points. Yet, the two teams put up 24 points in the fourth quarter, which was the third straight MNF game that saw 20-plus points post in the final 15 minutes.

Dallas and Carolina will try to keep the ?over? streak going in Week 3. The Cowboys and Panthers have both seen the ?over? go 2-0 in their first two games and the public is expecting a 3-0 mark to be had. The line has already jumped from 45 to 47 according to bookmaker Randy Scott at betED.com.

Fearless Predictions

It?s a long season folks, 17 weeks to be exact. Even though I went 0-2 last week and the three-team teaser wouldn?t have cashed with 20 points, I?m still confident. As always ? press, pass or fade me!

Best Over ? Packers/Rams (41)

I?m sure this pick will get a few laughs but can the Rams play any worse? Seven points in two games is embarrassing but that has to improve at home, right? We?re expecting coach Spags to loosen up a little bit and take some shots, which we hope leads to points. Plus, the Packers? offense hasn?t played well at all and this could be the week they come out firing. Even though Green Bay has been inconsistent, they still put up 24 and 21 points, with the help of its defense. I would recommend a team total wager on the Packers 'over' at 23.5 or less as well.

Best Under ? Dolphins/Chargers (44)

San Diego?s defense hasn?t been sharp in the first two weeks, especially against the run. Since Miami is on a short week after playing on MNF and traveling out West, I would expect the focus to be on the defensive side of the ball against the Chargers. Miami has proven that they can control the clock, just a matter of stopping big plays on defense. The last eight meetings between these non-divisional teams have gone ?under? the total and we expect another one to hit on Sunday.

Three-Team Total Teaser (9-Point, +100)

Green Bay-St. Louis Over 32
Dallas-Carolina Over 38
Miami-San Diego Under 53

 

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Where the action is: NFL Week 3 line moves

Where the action is: NFL Week 3 line moves

Where the action is: NFL Week 3 line moves

Tennessee Titans at New York Jets (-2, 37)

Opening Line: -2, 37
Where the early action is: 75 percent ? Titans

Comments: The 0-2 Titans are basically in a must win situation and are expected to play accordingly. They are a better team than their current winless record indicates. The Jets have looked really good (2-0) and have exceeded expectations, but they are not getting too many backers in this one. The early line movement saw the Jets go all the way up to -3 from -2 and now back to original line. We give this match coin toss odds to go either way, but it?s hard not to give the Jets the home-field edge. Fact: Tennessee has the lowest-ranked pass defense in the NFL after two games.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans (-3.5, 47.5)

Opening Line: -3.5, 47
Where the early action is: 95 percent - Texans

Comments: Houston found its scoring power on the road in Tennessee and they seem to be poised to put on a good performance at home this week. We give the Texans very good odds to cover and will look to move this line to -4 very soon. Fact: RB Steve Slaton had one of his best games against the Jaguars last season when they played in Houston. He carried 21 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns.

Kansas City Chiefs at Philadelphia Eagles (-9, 38.5)

Opening Line: -8, 39.5
Where the early action is: 78 percent - Chiefs

Comments: This line came out late due to the status of both Eagles QB McNabb (doubtful) and RB Westbrook (questionable to probable). Since Westbrook?s probable status and QB Michael Vick "will be up," according to coach Andy Reid, the line has moved up to -9. Philly?s defense got hammered last week, allowing 48 points to the unstoppable Saints offense. We think the Eagles defense was Andy Reid?s focus this week and we expect the Eagles defense to blitz QB Matt Cassel into the ground. This line should go to -10 by game time. Fact: Chiefs QB Matt Cassel, was sacked a league-high 47 times last year with the Patriots.

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (-13.5, 38.5)

Opening Line: -13, 39
Wise action: Under 39
Where the early action is: 69 percent ? Ravens

Comments: This game was hit with a bit of wise action on the under. Every Ravens game this year has seen wise action under the total. Jamal Lewis is doubtful due to a hamstring injury, but still the sharps bet the under, so use caution following that play. It?s a big number to cover; the Browns really don?t have anything as far as offense. But still it will have to be a one-sided affair for the entire game for the Ravens to cover -13.5. Fact: 41-7 is the scoring differential between opponents and the Browns in the second half this season.

New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+6.5, 46)

Opening Line: -7, 44
Wise action: Over 43.5
Where the early action is: 76 percent Giants

Comments: The Giants are considered by many as the best team in the NFL. The Buccaneers are considered one of the worst. The line opened at -7 and the offshore market dropped it to -6.5. We don?t agree with that and will look to bump that line back up to -7 or more soon. Big line move on the total, loads of wise stuff on the over. When the total moves this much, we recommend coat-tailing the bet as close as you can. We give the Giants huge odds to win and cover this one. Fact: The only thing that will beat the Giants this week versus the Buccs is the Giants.


Washington Redskins at Detroit Lions (+6.5, 38.5)

Opening Line: -6, 38.5
Where the early action is: 52 percent ? Lions

Comments: The 0-2 Lions have been the doormat of the NFL forever, they have no where to go but up. We like the Lions in this one to cover and give them coin-toss odds to come up with their first win of the season. Look for the line to drop in favor of the home team. Fact: It?s been 19 consecutive losses for the Lions, tying two teams for the second-worst losing streak in NFL history.

Green Bay Packers at St. Louis Rams (+6.5, 41)

Opening Line: -6.5, 41.5
Where the early action is: 98 percent ? Packers

Comments: Big home loss for the Packers last week against the Bengals, which makes this a big-time bounce back game for them. The line hasn?t budged since opening at -6.5. We are taking all Packers money so far and we don?t expect that to change versus the Rams. No one is betting the Rams these days. We like most teams against the Rams too. The Packers defense will no doubt make a Rams win near impossible. Fact: The Rams have won a total of two home games over the last two seasons.

San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings (-7, 39)

Opening Line: -6, 38.5
Wise action: Vikings -6
Where the early action is: 68 percent ? Vikings

Comments: Wise action on the Vikings when Frank Gore?s status was questionable (ankle). His status has since improved to probable. The Vikings have been one of, if not the most popular team to bet on this year. Now the wise guys have jumped on them. We agree, and although the 49ers are a good team, we think the Vikings will eventually run away with this game. Look for this line to move up even more. Fact: The Vikings beat Cleveland and Detroit by convincing margins on the road, but in both cases they had to rally from first-half deficits.

Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots (-4.5, 46.5)

Opening Line: -4, 44.5
Where the early action is: 72 percent ? Falcons

Comments: The Patriots should be 0-2. With that being said, they have a very big test ahead of them. Almost a must-win game. The Falcons are 2-0 and look every bit as good as their record says. The line has moved up a bit and the total has jumped a whole two points. That?s a significant total move and suggests handicappers see plenty of passing and scoring by both teams. We give the Patriots only moderate odds to win, but give the Falcons big odds to cover the spread. The Falcons are considered a live dog in this one. Fact: The Patriots have won 15 consecutive games against NFC teams dating back to a 2005

Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks (+2, 37)

Opening Line: -1.5, 37
Where the early action is: 98 percent ? Bears

Comments: The Bears are on the road for the first time this season after going 1-1 at home. Beating the defending Champs has to be a huge boost for them. However, playing in Seattle is never easy, even if the Seahawks are without QB Hasselbeck (Ribs). We give this game true coin-toss odds to the winner. It won?t be an easy time for Bears QB Jay Cutler. Fact: The Seahawks rank second in the league in pass defense after finishing last in the league in pass defense in 2008.

New Orleans Saints at Buffalo Bills (+6, 51.5)

Opening Line: -5, 52.5
Where the early action is: 88 percent - Saints

Comments: The Saints offense is the talk of the league, they don?t need a defense with the numbers they put on the board. This line went from -5 to -6 in a flash. Everyone is back on the Saints this week. The total and line don?t properly reflect how many points the Bills will indeed score. Expect the Saints to own the lion?s share of the total points ? like 38 of them. We give the Saints very big odds to start the season 3-0. Drew Brees Factor: The Saints have a total 145.0 Rushing yards per game in their first two outings this season.

Miami Dolphins at San Diego Chargers (-5.5, 44)

Opening Line: -7, 43
Wise action: Dolphins +7
Where the early action is: 77 percent Dolphins

Comments: No LaDainian Tomlinson again this week for San Diego and the wise action is on Miami. We?re not sure about that play. The lower the line drops the more we like the Chargers. Don?t expect this line to drop even further than it already has. This game should be close, but we give the home team the big edge to win and cover -5.5. Fact: Darren Sproles has gained 524 yards in two games.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals (+3.5, 37)

Opening Line: -4.5, 37
Where the early action is: 60 percent - Bengals

Comments: The defending Champs head to Cincinnati for a bounce back game after losing to the Bears last week. This won?t be easy for the Steelers and it looks like the Bengals have their scoring back. The Bengals shocked the NFL last week by beating the Packers in Green Bay. But we know the Bengals all too well and we aren?t sure who?s going to show up in this one. You can bet the Steelers will. We think this will finish with a field goal, and who better to put their team in a last minute position to do so than Ben Roethlisberger. Fact: Ben Roethlisberger's record as a pro in his native Ohio is 6-0 in Cincinnati, 5-0 in Cleveland.

Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders (+2.5, 37)

Opening Line: Oak -1.5, 36
Wise action: Under 37
Where the early action is: 78 percent - Broncos

Comments: This line has flipped from Oakland being the favorite to now Denver as the favorite. The Broncos are 2-0 and see an opportunity to start the season 3-0. That?s a big deal to young head coach Josh McDaniels, who is still trying to prove him self. We think McDaniels is lucky to have defensive coordinator Mike Nolan running the defense because the Broncos now have one of the best in the league. We agree with the favorite switch here and will look to move the line up and total down closer to game time. There is a bit of wise stuff on the under, that number is still good to follow ? for now. Fact: The Broncos have had only one head coach in history to start the team 3-0 - 1977 Red Miller

Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals (-2.5, 48.5)

Opening Line: -1.5, 48
Where the early action is: 59 percent - Cardinals

Comments: Arizona QB Kurt Warner will play Sunday after sustaining a slight shoulder injury last week. It looks like he?s back playing excellent football. This is a big home game for the Cardinals; they haven?t played well yet in front of their own fans. While the Colts pulled off and impressive win last week in Miami, some might think this line should favor Colts. We don?t think so and agree with the Cards being the favorite. Hopefully, it?s an entertaining high-flying aerial attack game. Fact: Colts QB Peyton Manning has never played in the University of Phoenix Stadium.

 

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Sunday's must-know NFL mismatches

Sunday's must-know NFL mismatches

Sunday's must-know NFL mismatches

The following provides an overview of some of the more significant statistical mismatches on Sunday?s schedule.

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (-13.5, 38.5)

Baltimore rush defense vs. Cleveland rush offense

This mismatch grew considerably larger when it was revealed Browns? starting tailback Jamal Lewis was unlikely to play because of an injured hamstring suffered in the loss to Denver last week. To add insult to injury, both of the Browns starting guards were listed as doubtful because of leg injuries.

They?ll be facing a Ravens defense that is doing what it?s been doing for the last decade -dominating the line of scrimmage. The Ravens sit atop the NFL in rushing defense, having given up just 41 yards a game on the ground in their wins over Kansas City and San Diego.

The Browns are averaging 71 yards a game on the ground to rank 27th in rushing offense. Expected to fill the void are James Davis, a rookie; and fourth-year back Jerome Harrison, who ran for a career-best 246 yards last season.

Ray Lewis and Co. figure to be salivating over this one.

Baltimore rush offense vs. Cleveland rush defense

Things aren?t much better for the Browns on this side of the ball either. Cleveland comes in with the second-worse rush defense in the league having given up 205.5 yards a game on the ground, while the Ravens 164 yards rushing a game is good for fourth in the NFL.

The Browns front seven has yet to show any life. After being ripped by Adrian Peterson and the Vikings for 225 yards in the opener, Cleveland allowed 186 yards to the Broncos. Now it will have to deal with Baltimore?s Ray Rice and a rejuvenated Willis McGahee, who as a pair are averaging just over five yards a carry.

New Orleans Saints at Buffalo Bills (-6, 51.5)

Drew Brees vs. Buffalo pass defense

The Saints own the league?s second-best pass offense while the Bills possess the second-worst pass defense. Mismatch anyone?

The offensive juggernaut from New Orleans has averaged 323 yards a game through the air and Brees, who has been virtually flawless this season, has thrown nine touchdowns. The Bills are giving up 332 passing yards a game. They could have veteran cornerback Drayton Florence available for the first time this season which should help, but a pair of other defensive backs- Terrence McGee and Leodis McKelvin- are nursing injuries and are listed as questionable.

Perhaps the weather will help slow down the Saints. The forecast calls for it to be windy and wet in Buffalo.

Miami Dolphins at San Diego Chargers (-6, 44)

Miami?s third-down offense vs. San Diego?s third-down defense

A strong running game and veteran quarterback have allowed the Dolphins to convert on 59.4 percent of their third-downs, which includes a 15-for-21 effort in their agonizing loss to the Colts Monday night. The Dolphins? third-down success, which tops the league, allowed them to control the ball for more than 45 minutes.

The Chargers defense has allowed 44 percent (11-for-25) of third-downs to be converted in their two games (a win vs. Oakland and loss to Baltimore). A major culprit for the Chargers has been their poor rush defense.

Miami rush offense vs. San Diego rush defense

A once-proud Chargers? run defense has been turned into a paper tiger by their opponents and is now facing one of the top running teams in the league. A season-ending injury to nose tackle Jamal Williams has left a huge void in the middle of the San Diego front seven.

Defensive coordinator Ron Rivera said another major culprit for the Chargers? ineptitude has been over-pursuit and individuals not playing their assignments. That has been a major point of emphasis this week as Rivera said the ?Wildcat? formation is especially adept at taking advantage of such miscues.

The Dolphins are averaging 167 yards a game on 37 carries on the ground.

Tennessee Titans at New York Jets (-3, 37)

Jets offensive line vs. Tennessee pass rush

When Albert Haynesworth was signed away from Tennessee this offseason the conventional wisdom was that it would have a most severe effect on the Titans run defense. That hasn?t been the case. Instead it?s been the pass rush.

The Titans failed to register a sack last week and their opponents are completing 70.7 percent of their passes and getting 339 yards a game, which ranks last in the NFL. They are sorely lacking Haynesworth?s ability to collapse the pocket.

The Jets offensive line has done an excellent job protecting quarterback Mark Sanchez through two games. Sanchez has been sacked just twice while proving he can make the right decision when he has time.

 

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Winning in Week 3 a daunting task for NFL bettors

Winning in Week 3 a daunting task for NFL bettors

Winning in Week 3 a daunting task for NFL bettors

Week 3 of the National Football League season is a tough one for Football Betting fans, with a number of close matchups and lots of line movement.

But a few games standout, including the Tennessee Titans' trip to New York City on Sunday, where they'll face the Jets (1 pm ET, CBS).

New York is a 2.5-point favorite in NFL Betting Lines at betED.com.

What makes this tilt noteworthy is that the once-mighty Titans are winless in 2009, and the Jets are, somewhat surprisingly, unbeaten.

The Titans will also be looking for payback, as they got thumped 34-13 by the Jets as 5.5-point home favorites last season.

Last week, the Titans were upset by the Houston Texans 34-31. The Titans had been a 7-point favorite. The score went over the over/under total of 40.5.

The Jets beat the New England Patriots 16-9 as a 3.5-point underdog in Week 2. The score fell under the total of 45.

Tennessee is 0-2 SU and 1-1 ATS while New York is 2-0 SU and 2-0 ATS.

Another matchup that stands out is the San Francisco 49ers visiting Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings in a clash of unbeaten teams.

The Vikings are a near-perfect 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS the last five teams they've hosted the 49ers. The teams haven't squared off since Dec. 9, 2007, when the Vikings had little trouble downing the 49ers 27-7 as 8.5-point road favorites. The score in that game went under the total of 39.

In their last game, the 49ers beat division rival Seattle Seahawks 23-10 as a 1-point home favorite in Week 2, while the Vikings defeated division rival Detroit Lions 27-13 as a 10-point favorite in Week 2.

San Francisco is 2-0 SU and ATS and Minnesota is also 2-0 SU and ATS.

And another game of note is the Chicago Bears taking on the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field.

The Bears and Seahawks play each other very evenly, as Seattle has a slight 3-2 SU edge over the past five while Chicago has a 3-2 ATS edge over that span.

The teams last met in the NFL Playoffs on Jan. 14, 2007, when Seattle won 30-23 as 5.5-point home favorites.

Chicago is 1-1 SU and 1-1 ATS and Chicago is also 1-1 SU and 1-1 ATS.

 

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Colts at Cardinals

Colts at Cardinals

Colts at Cardinals

NFL: INDIANAPOLIS at ARIZONA

Arizona got back on the winning track at Jacksonville and now will square off with another AFC South foe when it hosts Indianapolis in Week 3?s Sunday night football feature. This will be the second straight prime time game for the Colts, after winning at Miami last Monday night despite not even possessing the ball for a full quarter?s time. Clearly both teams face early questions, making this contest all the more important. The Cardinals were a 2.5-point favorite at last check and backed by over 60% of bettors at Sportsbook.com.

Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner bounced back from his brutal opening game performance to set an NFL record for pass completion percentage in a game by going 24 for 26 for 243 yards in the win over the Jaguars. The decision pushed the Cardinals? record vs. the AFC to 8-2 ATS in the Ken Whisenhunt era. They will head into the off week after this showdown with the Colts, and bring a 5-0-1 OVER record in their L6 pre-bye week games. Arizona is also 4-1 SU & ATS as a home dog in the last 2-plus seasons.

Indy opened as a 2-point favorite, but has since moved to a more sizeable underdog. The Colts will look to improve on a 1-3 ATS record last year vs. the NFC and 0-3 ATS stretch vs. Arizona.

Don?t stray too far from the tube on Sunday night or you might miss a touchdown or two in this rare matchup between a pair of Super Bowl MVPs. Not including playoffs, Indianapolis? Peyton Manning and Arizona?s Kurt Warner combined to throw for 8,585 yards and 57 touchdowns in 2008, and they?re never shy to let it fly. Thus, this could be a game to take advantage of the scoring and in-game props available at Sportsbook.com.

The Cardinals had the NFL?s top passing offense last season and there?s no reason to get too caught up establishing balance when you?ve got Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston split wide. But head coach Ken Whisenhunt does want the running game to come alive. Warner passed for 288 yards in a Week 1 loss to San Francisco and 243 yards and two scores in last Sunday?s win in Jacksonville, while second-year running back Tim Hightower has 15 receptions and a touchdown through two games.

The Cardinals and Colts were the only teams to average fewer than 80 yards rushing per game in 2008, and Indianapolis had a league-worst 3.4 yards per-carry average. After back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns to being his career, Joseph Addai dipped to 544 while missing four games due to injury. The offense needs a bounce-back season out of him.

PREDICTION

This is the second of five scheduled games under the lights for the Colts, but just their second trip all-time to Arizona, where the Cardinals went 8-2 a year ago, including thrilling playoff victories over Atlanta and Philadelphia. Both defenses will get beat. It?s just a matter of whether Warner or Manning wins the quarterback competition.

ARIZONA 30, INDIANAPOLIS 27

 

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Titans look for win in New York

Titans look for win in New York

Titans look for win in New York

Date: Sunday September 26th

Time: 01:00 PM ET

TV: CBS (DirecTV CH 707)

Line: Jets -2

Total: 37

Times have definitely changed in a year. In 2008 it was the Tennessee Titans who were the talk of the NFL. They started the season 10-0, and their fan-base was asking could this finally be the year? In Tennessee?s attempt to go 11-0, the one-time New York Titans came to Nashville and upset a team that would finish 13-3 and lose to the Ravens in their first playoff game.

A season later the story lines have reversed. The Tennessee Titans are off to a disappointing 0-2 start and the New York Jets, with rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez are the talk of the league.

Sanchez has revitalized the Jets franchise, with a week one win on the road against the Houston Texans and at home against future Hall of Famers, Randy Moss, Tom Brady and the always powerful New England Patriots.

The Titans on the other hand had hoped 2009 was the year that they would take steps towards their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history but instead they?ve lost two games they easily could have won.

Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher is in damage control mode, on how and why their team lost to the Texans on Sunday.

Fisher defended the game plan and scheme, saying he would go in with the same sort of game plan again under first-year defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil.

"When a player gets beat one-on-one, it has nothing to do with the game plan or the call. That's not an issue," Fisher said.

"Let me set the record straight here. When you're a good football team, and you start off the season 0-2, there's gonna be frustration. And the only way you get out of it is you avoid pointing fingers at anybody," Fisher said. "Everybody accepts the blame and you move on. There were adjustments made on the sideline for each and everything that we saw. There was an adjustment made for that last big pass they made on the sideline. It was made. I heard it. The players alluding to the fact that we're having trouble making adjustments, the players need to pay closer attention to what's being said on the sideline. That's just football. It happens week after week."

Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub ripped through the Titans secondary for 357 yards and four touchdowns; the second straight week Tennessee has allowed a 300-yard passing game.

When it was over, cornerback Nick Harper especially was upset at the proceedings. He had three pass interference calls (two of which were declined), but said the Titans didn't change up what they were doing effectively enough to stop the Texans.

"We came in with a certain game plan in mind, and they had other things in mind. I guess their game plan was better than the one we had. (Expletive), it's the NFL and if you don't make adjustments, there's no way you can win," Harper said after the game.

The veteran cornerback said coverage issues were a problem all day. The Texans had four plays of at least 29 yards against Tennessee's pass defense.

"It was mix-ups in coverages, busted coverages, and quarterbacks are going to find that open guy in busted coverages. There were some guys running Scott-free because we didn't have people where they needed to be," Harper said. "If we would have been where we should have been, then there is no way we would have had those deep balls, but like I said, [with] busted coverages, that's what's supposed to happen."

The Jets defense has caused problems for both the Texans and Patriots in weeks one and two of the season and at times has used six or seven men to rush the passer and was effective enough to throw the Patriots offense off its game. The Jets hurried Brady 15 times and knocked him down another five times. When your defense can shut down your opponent?s offense, it makes it easier for the Jets offense. The Jets defense is ranked first in total yards and second in points allowed.

Outside of Sanchez, the Titans? defense will have to focus on stopping RB Thomas Jones and WR Jerricho Cotchery. Thomas Jones has two TD?s with 161 yards rushing, while WR Jerricho Cotchery has 10 catches for 177 yards in two games.

Betting Trends:

The Titans are 7-2 ATS in their last nine road games

The Titans are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 games

The Jets are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games

The UNDERDOG is 5-0 in the last five between the two teams

The UNDER is 4-0 in the Jets last four games

 

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NFL Bettors face tough test

NFL Bettors face tough test

NFL Bettors face tough test

Winning in Week 3 a Daunting Task for NFL Bettors

Week 3 of the National Football League season is a tough one for Football Betting fans, with a number of close matchups and lots of line movement.

But a few games standout, including the Tennessee Titans' trip to New York City on Sunday, where they'll face the Jets (1 pm ET, CBS).

New York is a 2.5-point favorite in NFL Betting Lines at betED.com.

What makes this tilt noteworthy is that the once-mighty Titans are winless in 2009, and the Jets are, somewhat surprisingly, unbeaten.

The Titans will also be looking for payback, as they got thumped 34-13 by the Jets as 5.5-point home favorites last season.

Last week, the Titans were upset by the Houston Texans 34-31. The Titans had been a 7-point favorite. The score went over the over/under total of 40.5.

The Jets beat the New England Patriots 16-9 as a 3.5-point underdog in Week 2. The score fell under the total of 45.

Tennessee is 0-2 SU and 1-1 ATS while New York is 2-0 SU and 2-0 ATS.

Another matchup that stands out is the San Francisco 49ers visiting Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings in a clash of unbeaten teams.

The Vikings are a near-perfect 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS the last five teams they've hosted the 49ers. The teams haven't squared off since Dec. 9, 2007, when the Vikings had little trouble downing the 49ers 27-7 as 8.5-point road favorites. The score in that game went under the total of 39.

In their last game, the 49ers beat division rival Seattle Seahawks 23-10 as a 1-point home favorite in Week 2, while the Vikings defeated division rival Detroit Lions 27-13 as a 10-point favorite in Week 2.

San Francisco is 2-0 SU and ATS and Minnesota is also 2-0 SU and ATS.

And another game of note is the Chicago Bears taking on the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field.

The Bears and Seahawks play each other very evenly, as Seattle has a slight 3-2 SU edge over the past five while Chicago has a 3-2 ATS edge over that span.

The teams last met in the NFL Playoffs on Jan. 14, 2007, when Seattle won 30-23 as 5.5-point home favorites.

Chicago is 1-1 SU and 1-1 ATS and Chicago is also 1-1 SU and 1-1 ATS.

 

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Betting football's blind dates

Betting football's blind dates

Betting football's blind dates


Wagering on games featuring injured quarterbacks is a lot like going on a blind date.

Yeah, all the measurements sound good, the stats add up and all you hear are great things.

But you still have little faith in what might be sitting across the table for the next few hours. That?s why you have to ask yourself this question before Week 3 kicks off: Are you prepared to wine and dine Kevin Kolb?

BetED.com, for one, would like a little more time before deciding to pick up the check. As of Thursday afternoon, the sportsbook hadn?t posted a line for the Eagles-Chiefs tilt Sunday, waiting to get more updated information on injured Eagles Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook.

?When it comes to the starting QB being injured in a game and the status is definitely not playing the following week, it's big news and is covered thoroughly,? Randy Scott, sportsbook manager for betED.com, said. ?When the totals come out, the key injury is already taken into consideration and a lower than normal over/under is released.?

Last weekend, the Saints defense punished the former Houston star, who started in place of the injured McNabb, forcing three interceptions en route to a 48-22 win - well over the total of 46. Kolb, however, wasn?t the only backup to get substantial snaps Sunday.

Seattle second-string signal caller Seneca Wallace was forced into action when starter Matt Hasselbeck suffered a broken rib late in the second quarter. Wallace finished 15-of-23 for 127 yards with a score and a pick. But the Seahawks couldn?t get on the board in the second half and fell in San Francisco, 23-10. The game fell well under the 38.5-point total and leaves bettors scratching their heads what to make of Seattle?s offense.

And rounding out our trio of players to trade a clipboard and hat for a football and helmet was Kansas City wunderkind Matt Cassel. The former USC benchwarmer showed he still had it on the sidelines against the Ravens in Week 1, and when his bulky knee enabled him to return in a 13-10 loss to the Raiders Sunday, he proved doubters right that he was just good enough to put up decent numbers and lose.

Cassel completed 24-of-39 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown and two interceptions in his debut in Kansas City, putting his initial performance somewhere between ?left wanting more? and ?disappointing.? Not to mention Cassel?s inability to lead the team to points left the game plummeting well below the total of 40.

So what do we make of these three quarterbacks?

Well, most casual bettors play the under or stay away entirely when dealing with injured quarterbacks. Cassel and Kolb both figure to start and Wallace has been taking all the first-team reps this week and likely will get the nod. Kansas City coach Todd Haley also added that if Cassel aggravates the injury or is ineffective, he won?t hesitate to pull him for backup Brody Croyle.

So remain patient and continue to watch the news wire ? it?ll pay off Sunday.

?One trend that stands out to me is the over adjustment by the books because of a quarterback injury,? Scott said. ?Sharp bettors love to come in and bet the over in situations like that - and usually only minutes before kickoff. That's a big tip when a player is looking for value.?

So everyone should have learned two lessons this week: don?t commit early to a team with a dicey QB situation or a blind date with a ?great personality?.

Kansas City Chiefs at Philadelphia Eagles

Philly can score points and the Chiefs have shown the ability to move the football.

The Eagles let Kolb sling the ball 51 times last week and Cassel, even though he was hurt, threw for 241 yards. Philadelphia has the edge on defense, but showed it is susceptible to big plays and an aggressive passing game last week. The over has hit 17 times in 32 games so far this season, and should see one more in Pennsylvania Sunday.

Take: Over 42

Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks

Even if Hasselbeck finds a way to play in place of Wallace, this game is almost a lock to become a low-scoring affair.

Six of the Bear?s eight road games last year went under the total and so did their first away tilt this season. Jay Cutler hasn?t been the offensive sparkplug that Chicago thought he was, but even with a healthy Hasselbeck, the Seahawks had a meager 28 points in their opener against the Rams.

The under was also 4-3-1 in Seattle?s home games last year and with 12 injured players, the hosts figure to play into Chicago?s low-scoring style.

Take: Under 37

Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders

Quick, name a player on Denver?s defense. OK, name someone besides Brian Dawkins. And Champ Bailey.

The Raiders aren?t going to light up the scoreboard against Denver, but should do better than what the Bengals or Browns did the first two weeks. Oakland is getting solid play from quarterback JaMarcus Russell, and the team?s ground game is coming together.

The Oakland defense also has given up just 34 points in two games and has proven it too is becoming respectable. Denver will have to score to win this game and expect to see some unexpected points put up on the West Coast.

Take: Over 36.5

 

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Falcons vs. Patriots

Falcons vs. Patriots

Falcons vs. Patriots

The Atlanta Falcons, the Patriots of the South, come to New England this Sunday in a matchup that will highlight a burgeoning marquee battle at the QB spot. Golden boy (and three-time Super Bowl champ) Tom Brady will compete against the up-and-comer Matt Ryan in what should be one of the better games of Week 3 NFL betting action.

The Falcons GM Tom Dimitroff was a former director of college scouting for the Patriots. He saw close-up how important it is to have a star quarterback to produce a winning team. In his first year as GM, he hit the ball out of the park with the hiring of coach Mike Smith and drafting Ryan. The Falcons went to the playoffs in Ryan?s first year with an 11-5 record. They are off to a 2-0 start and have a very balanced offensive attack with Michael Turner leading a solid ground game.

Ryan?s looked good as well when he has gone to the air, sporting a very impressive passer rating of 108.5. Brady?well, not so much. He?s actually struggled out of the gate, sitting with a rating of 76.8 after a pair of games. He has thrown 19 more balls than any other QB in the league. That will wear your arm out if you?re knee doesn?t go first.

The Jets hit Brady 23 times and harassed him all game. He didn?t look comfortable all game and obviously was pissed about 1) losing to the Jets, and 2) being outperformed by the new toast of the town and young hotshot QB Mark Sanchez.

But that could spell trouble for the Falcons, who could be caught in the old ?wrong place at the wrong time?, as Brady and the team will be bent on making amends for that loss last week. He will be determined to prove the naysayers that he still has plenty of game and is still one of the two top quarterbacks in the league. The Patriots are all about the passing game and getting dynamic Wes Welker back is a huge benefit to Brady. Look for Welker?s replacement Julian Edelman to have some plays this week, as he looked decent vs. the Jets.

For young Matt Ryan it will be a homecoming as he starred for Boston College. Ryan has all the tools to be the next Tom Brady and he will be out to demonstrate just how good he and the Falcons are and why they might be the key to the next NFL dynasty.

The Falcons a dynasty ? go figure.

Online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com is reporting pretty even betting action on this one, with 53% favoring the underdog Falcons. Shows you how far the Pats have fallen in a short time and how far the Falcons have come.