LaDanian Tomlinson is still not fully recovered from a sprained right ankle, and as a result hell miss his second consecutive NFL regular season game this Sunday. Tomlinson was hurt in the San Diego Chargers season opening victory over the Oakland Raiders and didn’t play last week. The Chargers are slated to host the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon.

After playing in eight consecutive regular season games last year, the superstar running back has missed three of the Chargers last four games. Most significant was last January, when a groin injury kept LT out of the Chargers AFC playoff loss to the eventual Superbowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

When asked about his injury, Tomlinson refused comment:

“I don’t have a comment about it. It is what it is.”

Until his recent bouts with injury, Tomlinson had been one of the most durable running backs in the league. Prior to last season, the only start hed missed in his career was the season finale in 2004 when then-coach Marty Schottenheimer rested Tomlinson and other starters in advance of the NFL playoffs.

While Tomlinson himself was tight lipped, his coach Norv Turner spoke about his injury:

“It’s hard because you’d like to have all your guys. It’s crazy, because on Sept. 1, when people were asking me what I thought about camp, I said it was great that we were healthy and had all our guys, because that’s something we haven’t had in a while.

“I think we’re doing the right thing with L.T. Obviously he couldn’t play this week, you know, but he’s getting better and hopefully he’ll be able to go next week. if not, he’ll be ready to go when the bye’s over.”

The Chargers also have a half dozen players listed as questionable due to flu like symptoms. Turner spoke about their prognosis:

“I think we’re beyond the guys who had it. I obviously have a concern that they’re not too drained, but I think we have a couple days to get them back. My concern is what’s going to pop up tomorrow morning or Sunday morning because obviously it’s going through the building.”

Darren Sproles started in LTs place last week, and has performed well this season. Sproles, who also returns kickoffs and punts, had 524 all purpose yards in two games this season. Hes not as powerful a back as Tomlinson, but is a heady player who uses his speed and elusiveness to pick up yardage.

The Chargers are a -6 home favorite against the Miami Dolphins this Sunday, with the total set at 44. The first half line on the game is San Diego -3 with the total set at 21. San Diego will travel to the Steel City of Pittsburgh next Sunday to face the Superbowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, and then enjoy a much needed bye week.

Ross Everett is a freelance writer and noted authority on price per head. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and bookmaking software sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

Widely considered to be the best running back and wide receiver to ever play in the league, Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice were inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame on Saturday night in Canton, Ohio. Smith and Rice headlined a group of seven inductees that also included John Randle, Dick LeBeau, Rickey Jackson, Russ Grimm and Floyd Little.

Former Dallas Cowboy great Emmitt Smith entered the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. During his career he rushed for 18,355 yards with 164 touchdowns and had 11 seasons with 1,000 or more yards on the ground. He won three Superbowl championships during his career and was named the game’s MVP in 1994. Smith gave these comments in his induction speech:

“Most people only dream. I not only had my childhood dream, I did everything I could to fulfill it. “You know what, I am now the all-time leading rusher. Wow. What an honor.”

“When I go into the hall today, I am not going in alone. I am carrying my grandfather, I’m carrying my father and I’m carrying my son along with me because I bear all their names. Now I can say to my dad and my son, EJ, our name will be forever enshrined in the history of football.”

Jerry Rice, who played most of his career with the San Francisco 49ers, is the owner of every significant receiving record. During his 20 year career he caught 1,549 passes. He gained 22,895 yards, which is 7,600 yards ahead of second place. He scored 208 touchdowns, another all time best for a wide receiver. He also made receptions in an almost-unimaginable 274 consecutive games, a mark that may never be broken. Rice was known as one of the hardest workers in sports, but ironically he said in his induction speech that was his only regret:

“My single regret about my career is I never took the time to enjoy it. I was always working.”

“I was afraid to fail. The fear of failure is the engine that has driven me my entire life. The reason they never caught me from behind is because I ran scared. People always are surprised how insecure I was. The doubts, the struggles, is who I am. I wonder if I would have been as successful without them.”

Rice moved from the low profile of Mississippi Valley State College to win three Super Bowls and redefine the role of the wide receiver in the modern game. He won three Superbowls with the San Francisco 49ers.

Ross Everett is a freelance writer and noted authority on price per head. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and bookie software sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

While its unwise to put too much importance on NFL preseason performances, its hard not to be impressed with the New Orleans Saints offense. In particular, its impossible to not be impressed with the play of starting QB Drew Brees. Brees played only three series against the Oakland Raiders on Saturday night, but that was enough–by the time he left the Saints led 21-0 en route to a 45-7 thrashing on their hosts.

All Brees did in only three series was roll up 179 yards on 14 of 17 passing and three touchdowns. After the game, he was pleased with the performance of his offense:

“I just felt like we accomplished what we wanted to there with regards to playing with our tempo and our intensity. We were able to get into a rhythm. When you walk away with three touchdowns on three possessions, that’s what you want to do.”

Brees was aided by the return of last years leading receiver, Lance Moore. Moore had shoulder surgery in the offseason and was glad to be back in game conditions:

“I felt great. I felt like I hadn’t missed a lot. It was great being out there, getting hit and having fun in the game.”

Tight end Jeremy Shockey was pleased with the effort, and said that the team was in Northern California to play football and not due to enjoy the wine:

“It looked good on the scoreboard but let’s look at it in the film room. We came all the way to California not for the wine but to get some good work in.

In the Oakland locker room, the mood was somber. Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell was particularly shaken by the setback:

“Everything that could have possibly went wrong, went wrong today. It was very embarrassing today. It was disrespectful to our fans, ourselves and our family to go out and perform that way.”

While the Saints scored almost at will against the Raiders porous defense, tight end Zach Miller was more concerned with the sputtering offense:

“I’ve never felt so lousy after a game, period. The way our offense played was embarrassing so we’re going to fix it.”

Oakland will get the regular season underway on Monday night, September 14th against their hated rivals the San Diego Chargers. New Orleans will host the Detroit Lions the following day in their regular season opener.

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Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel missed the first game of the NFL regular season, and his status remains questionable for the teams second game of the year against the Oakland Raiders. Although he appeared to be running more briskly and favoring his knee less in practice this week, Chiefs coach Todd Haley maintains that hes still a game time decision. The Chiefs offense has looked pitiful ever since preseason and their ineptitude cost coordinator Chan Gailey his job. In addition to playing without their starting quarterback, Kansas City is woefully lacking in playmaking wide receivers.

The bright spot in all of his misery was the play of Brodie Croyle in the opening week loss to Baltimore. Croyle completed 16 of 24 passes for 177 yards and two TDs against the fearsome Ravens defense. Still, Haley is anxious to get his #1 quarterback in the lineup and says that Cassel is working hard to make that a reality:

“Matt is doing everything he can to be ready. I would hope I would know a little sooner this week, although right now I can’t give a definitive answer. But the player’s doing everything he can to be ready, which generally helps speed the healing process.”

Haley also spoke of the teams struggles to find answers at the wide receiver position:

“We’re looking and digging all the time. If there’s somebody out there we think makes us better, we’re going to do what’s necessary to get that done. I’m looking for guys that do it the way we want it done. Talent is the great separator. There may be some guys who are doing everything the way we want it done, but maybe they’re just not good enough. Then there’s some guys who potentially can be really good, but they’re not doing it the way we want it done.

“I want physical receivers just like I want physical players at every other position and guys that help block in the run game and are football players, not just pass-catchers.”

That comment was a thinly veiled reference to the teams top receiver, Dwayne Bowe, who was demoted to third string in the preseason after demonstrating questionable work habits.

Cassel, who has improved over the course of the week, commended his backup on his performance:

“I think Brodie played the type of game he had to play to give us a chance to win.

After facing the Raiders on Sunday, the Chiefs face a pair of tough NFC East opponents as they take on the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles in successive weeks. Several reports suggest that Haley is now weighing his options and trying to decide whether Cassel would benefit more from an extra week of rehab or getting a game under his belt against a less formidable opponent.

Ross Everett is a freelance writer and noted authority on bookmaking software. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and price per head sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

In a matchup between two of the worst offenses in the NFL, someone had to win. Despite producing only 9 first downs and’3 yards of total offense, the Cleveland Browns got a late game field goal from Billy Cundiff to defeat the Buffalo Bills 6-3 and win their first game of the season. The Bills had the more productive afternoon statistically, with- first downs and 288 yards of offense but were undone by three costly turnovers. Both teams are now 1-4 on the 2009 NFL season.

To successfully bet on the NFL, one needs to find opportunities to play underdogs”this is particularly true in games where neither team is expected to put many points on the board. Such was the case here, as Cleveland easily covered the pointspread as +6 road underdogs. Both teams are now 2-3 against the number on the season. The Browns have now won and covered the last three head to head matchups between the teams.

It was a game without many highlights. The Browns got on the board first with a 24 yard Cundiff field goal in the second quarter, and took that 3-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. Buffalo would tie the score in third on a Rian Lindell 36 yard field goal. That would set the stage for Cundiff to nail the game winner from’ yards out with: 23 left to play. Despite todays victory, Cleveland is averaging a woeful 11 points per game this season. Buffalo’s PPG numbers are slightly better thanks to decent scoring output in their first two games of the season–theyre averaging just over 15 points per contest. In the Bills last three games, however, theyre averaging a meager 6.6 points per game.

The real loser in Sundays contest may have been Buffalo head coach Dick Jauron. Many were surprised that he was retained after the Bills third straight 7-9 season last year and things have gone from bad to worse so far in the 2009 NFL season. Buffalo has lost to winless teams in back to back weeks, part of a three game losing streak. Overall, the Bills have wound up losers in 12 of their last 15 games. Not that Cleveland has done much better–the win today ended a 10 game losing streak, one short of the all time franchise record. There are at least a few signs of hope in Cleveland, the same can’t be said for Buffalo.

Cleveland will have a tough road assignment next Sunday, heading to Pittsburgh to face the World Champion Steelers. Theyll return home for a game against the Green Bay Packers on October 25th before playing the Chicago Bears in The Windy City the following week. Buffalo will play the next two on the road, heading to the Meadowlands next Sunday for a game against the New York Jets followed by a trip to Charlotte, NC to take on the Carolina Panthers. Theyll return home on November 1st to face the Houston Texans.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted authority on hockey betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

After a horrible NFL preseason, the Denver Broncos have actually looked pretty good since starting the 2009 regular season campaign. On Sunday, the Broncos used a tough defense and QB Kyle Ortons efficient and mistake free play to top the Cleveland Browns 27-6. The Broncos also had a productive running game, and outgained the Browns by a margin of 449 yards to 200.

Individuals with an interest in playing a bet on NFL football were rewarded by backing Denver as -3 home favorites, and the Broncos easily covered the pointspread. The Broncos are now 2-0 both straight up and to the number, while the Browns dropped to 0-2 straight up and against the spread. The 33 combined points went UNDER the total of 39. Denver has played UNDER in both of their 2009 NFL regular season games, while Cleveland has split their O/U verdicts at 1-1.

Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil led the effort with four sacks in one half, tying a Denver franchise record. Veteran linebacker Andrea Davis marveled at his dubiously named teammates performance:

“Man, that was amazing. You don’t see a guy get four sacks in one half. He really turned it on.”

Dumervil maintained that hes still not 100% comfortable in the Broncos new 3-4 defensive scheme:

“Yeah, I guess I’m a linebacker now. It’s fun, though. I get to play linebacker and I still get to do what I love — rush the passer. I’ve found my niche. … It makes me a complete player.”

Denver coach Josh McDaniels added his praise for Dumervil:

“You are reaching for him but he can get his hands on you first and he’s got leverage and he can get underneath you and just push you back to the quarterback. His skills set is pretty much alone in this league.”

Browns coach Eric Mangini dismissed suggestions that hed consider benching QB Brady Quinn, saying that he was looking for improvement throughout the entire team:

What I’m looking to do is play better across the board. The offense had nothing to do with the two long defensive plays. That’s a risk you take when you blitz.”

The Browns have scored only one touchdown in their last 33 quarters of football, while Denver has allowed only one touchdown so far this season.

Cleveland will face another tough defense on the road this weekend, heading to Baltimore for a game against the Ravens. The Browns are a +13 road underdog in that contest, with the total set at 38. Theyll return home to play in-state rival Cincinnati the following Sunday before traveling to upstate New York to face the Buffalo Bills on October 11th. Denver will play at Oakland this week, with the Broncos installed as -1 road favorites and the total set at 36.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance writer specializing in travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, fencing and scuba diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.

Peyton Manning threw three touchdown passes as the Indianapolis Colts rallied from an eleven point first half deficit to beat the New York Jets and advance to the Superbowl for the second time in four years. New York held their own in the early going but had no answer for Manning and company in the second half as the Colts scored 17 unanswered points to take the 30-17 victory. It’s the fourth trip to the big game in franchise history and, ironically, all four previous appearances have also been in Miami.

The Colts also rewarded NFL football betting enthusiasts who had laid the -7′ points with the pointspread victory. Including the playoffs, Indianapolis has covered 12 of their 18 games this season. The Jets finished their campaign with an 11-8 record against the NFL pointspread. The 47 combined points scored went OVER the posted total of 40.

Manning and the Colts didn’t have much to say in the week prior to their confrontation with the Jets, which the four time NFL MVP insisted was by design:

“I thought we just kept our mouths shut and went to work this week. We talked about being patient against these guys. We knew it would be a four-quarter game.”

Linebacker Gary Brackett added these thoughts:

“We’ve been here before, we had seven comeback wins this year. I think the guys were a little rattled at first, I think we took their best shot, but we came back. I think we did a great job of being the hunters and imposing our will today.”

Indy head coach Jim Caldwell was pleased with his team’s resolve despite their slow start:

“The guys have always been a very confident bunch and they do a great job of hanging in there. Peyton had just an outstanding game. He’s one of those guys that can adjust to different situations. … A real champion.”

Jets’ coach Rex Ryan sounded a philosophical note in defeat:

“Today wasn’t our day. There’s no question. You have to give credit to the Colts. Obviously they’re the cream of the crop right now.

Ross Everett is an specializing in sports handicapping, auto racing, fencing, falconry and fantasy role playing games. He is a staff handicapper for Oddsbay and is responsible for providing free sports picks to a variety of broadcast media outlets. He lives in Southern Nevada with three dogs and a retired racing wombat.

In a NFL preseason game characterized by rainy weather, sloppy field conditions and a quick exit for both teams starters, the Miami Dolphins outlasted their in-state rivals the Jacksonville Jaguars by a 12-9 score. Only one touchdown was scored in the game, which was a battle of field goal kickers until the third quarter.

Miami’s Ernest Wilford recently converted to tight end from wide receiver, and gave the football an emphatic spike after his game winning touchdown reception. Afterwards, he spoke to reporters about the game winning score:

“There’s a sense of urgency for me. I want to play well this year. It’s a good start. That was a lot of frustration right there. I didn’t play that much last year, so I had to let it out.”

Dolphins QB Henne was pleased with his first effort of the NFL preseason:

“Overall I thought I played pretty well. I got some points on the board and had us moving.”

Jacksonville QB David Garrard gave a noncommittal assessment of his teams opening game performance:

“We have to get better at some of the protection issues. I have to make sure I get everybody lined up in the right spots.”

Jaguars wide receiver Tory Holt, acquired as a free agent in the off season, was happy with his only reception of the game:

“I had been anticipating this day for a long time. I enjoyed it and it was a lot of fun. I am looking forward to many more.”

Despite the loss, Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio was generally upbeat about his teams effort:

“We are going to be physical up front. I liked what we did up front.”

The most heated battle for a starting spot was between the Dolphins placekickers. Current PK Dan Carpenter made a 48 yard fieldgoal and a PAT, while his challenger Connor Barth hit a 28 yard FG.

Jacksonville will host their other NFL rival from the state of Florida on Saturday as they welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to town. Miami will remain at home as they take on the Carolina Panthers. The Dolphins will begin the NFL regular season on Sunday, September 13th against the Falcons at Atlanta, while Jacksonville will play the Colts at Indianapolis.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted authority on NFL football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

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Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo has been plagued by inconsistency over the past two seasons, but on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons he was in top form. Romo threw for 311 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions as Dallas ripped the visiting Falcons by a final score of 37-21. Backup receiver Miles Austin had another solid game in place of injured starter Roy Williams, with 171 yards receiving and two touchdown grabs. Both teams are now 4-2 on the NFL season.

NFL betting enthusiasts who backed Dallas as -5′ home favorite were rewarded with a pointspread victory. The Cowboys evened their mark against the NFL pointspread at 3-3, while Atlanta slipped to 4-2 against the number. The 58 points scored went OVER the posted total of 48. Dallas has gone OVER in 4 of 6 games while Atlanta has an even 3-3 record against the NFL total.

In his postgame comments to the media, Romo gave props to the undrafted Austin for making the best of his opportunity:

“He’s definitely a big part of this offense. I’m glad to see all his hard work and effort is paying off.”

Dallas owner Jerry Jones commended Romo on his big game:

“I think that you’ve got a wiser and you’ve got a more experienced Tony Romo than of old, and I think you see he’s still got some of that instinctive thing that he can make plays and make winning plays.”

The Cowboys’ defense pestered the Falcons’ Matt Ryan into two interceptions, and 34 year old Keith Brooking was a big part of that. Based on his comments after the game, there may be some ‘sour grapes’ after he was cut loose by the Falcons after 11 seasons in an Atlanta uniform:

“The last thing I was told by one of the coaches is this is a young man’s game. I guess an old man can still play in this league.”

Patrick Crayton returned a punt for a touchdown and caught a Romo pass for another. Cowboys’ coach Wade Phillips had this praise for him:

“Crayton is the kind of guy you want on your football team. He’s going to make plays when he has opportunities.”

Losing quarterback Matt Ryan had little to say about the defeat:

“It’s frustrating because we feel we can play better.”

Atlanta has a difficult road challenge ahead as they travel south to face the red hot New Orleans Saints next Monday night. The Falcons have been installed as +10 road underdogs with the total set at 54. They’ll host the struggling Washington Redskins the following Sunday before traveling to Charlotte, NC to face the Carolina Panthers on November 15. Dallas will host the Seattle Seahawks this weekend, with the Cowboys a -9′ home favorite and the total set at 45.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and World Cup betting sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings are undefeated no more. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ used a couple of big plays from their defense in the fourth quarter to break open a close game and defeat the Vikings by a final score of 27-17. Favre put up decent yardage in the loss, throwing for 334 yards but had no touchdowns and an interception. The defending Superbowl Champion Steelers improved to 5-2, while the Vikings are now 6-1.

NFL pointspread players who backed the Steelers as -6 home favorites were rewarded with the cover. Pittsburgh had only covered one of their first six games heading into the contest, and the win improved their record against the number to 2-5. Minnesota dropped to 4-3 against the spread with the setback. The 44 points scored went UNDER the posted total of 46′.

The Steelers largely shut down Minnesota’s rushing game, holding Adrian Peterson to 69 yards. Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark underscored his team’s dominance against the run:

“That’s the biggest point of the game. You have the best running back in the world and you don’t give it to him. They’re saying they can’t beat us running, and that’s a major statement when you have the guy they have back there.”

Favre gave a mealy mouthed justification for the loss in his postgame interview:

“There were a lot of what ifs, a lot of reasons we didn’t win. The red zone was one of them. They’re physical, and they were as good as we thought they’d be. … When I came here and looked at our schedule and saw the Steelers game, I went, ‘Oh-h-h.’ ”

Favre has only thrown three interceptions in a Vikings’ uniform, but #3 was a costly one as it was returned by Steelers’ Keyaron Fox for a touchdown to put the game out of reach as Minnesota was driving for a potential game tying field goal. Afterwards, Fox recalled the play:

“Brett tried to force it in there and the running back bobbled it and slipped out of his hands and it fell into my lap. I had just run across the field after Peterson and I was winded, so it felt like it was 100-plus yards.”

The Vikings now face another big game next week as they head to Favre’s old stomping grounds in Green Bay for a battle with the Packers. It’ll be Favre’s first appearance at his old home in an enemy uniform. The Vikings are a +3 road underdog with the total set at 48. The Vikings will then have a bye weekend before hosting the lowly Detroit Lions on November 15. Pittsburgh will enjoy a bye week this week before returning to action on Monday, November 9th facing the Denver Broncos on the road.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted authority on baseball betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

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Despite dominating the winless St. Louis Ram on the stat sheet, the Jacksonville Jaguars needed overtime to eke out a 23-20 home field victory over arguably the worst team in the NFL. Based on their statistical superiority, the Jags should have made mincemeat out of the hapless Rams-they had 33 first downs to 13 for St. Louis, held a 492-262 overall yardage edge and had possession of the ball for 42:12 compared to 24:48 for the Rams. Jacksonville evened their record at 3-3 while the Rams dropped to 0-6.

Those who bet on NFL football would argue, however, that while Jacksonville may have ‘won the battle’ the Rams won the financial ‘war’ as St. Louis easily covered as +9′ road underdogs. It was only the Rams second NFL pointspread cover of the season (2-4 ATS) while Jacksonville evened their record against the money at 3-3. The 43 points put on the board just managed to go OVER the posted total of 42.

The catalyst behind the Jags offense was running back Marcus Jones-Drew who churned out 133 yards and three touchdowns. He’d gone public the week before saying that the Jags needed to run more and he explained the motives behind the comments after the game:

“I just wanted to show people my frustration of losing/ I feel we are on the verge of being great, but we just have to feel the same way about frustration. I lashed out a little bit. I think I went overboard, but the coaches understood after I talked to them and told them what it was about.”

Jags’ QB David Garrard said that the win was a confidence boost:

“This offense can battle even when the situation looks kind of bleak. To have that composure, that poise … that was huge for us. That was a good test for us to be able to move forward.”

There was immediate second guessing of Rams’ coach Steve Spagnuolo’s decision to go for the tie with the team had the ball on the nine yard line with seven seconds remaining. Some suggested that a team with a 0-6 mark should have gone for the win at this point. Spagnuolo responded all but saying that this team wasn’t playing to win but ‘playing not to lose’:

“It was too close. We never wanted something bad to happen and we just couldn’t take the chance. I think it was the right thing to do.”

The Rams won’t have an easy task earning their first victory next weekend as they host the Indianapolis Colts. The Rams are a +13 home underdog with the total set at 45′. They’ll play another one of the NFL’s bottom feeders on the road the next week, facing the Detroit Lions before a bye week. Jacksonville will now have a bye week before returning to action on the road against the Tennessee Titans on November 1st.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and highly respected authority on football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

The Detroit Lions nineteen game losing streak is over. On Sunday afternoon at Ford Field in Detroit the Lions held on for a 19-14 win over the Washington Redskins. The Lions hadn’t won a game since December 23, 2007 and had already tied the second longest losing streak in NFL history. Their run of futility included a 0-16 mark in 2008, the first winless season since the NFL expanded its schedule to sixteen games.

If you were going to bet on a NFL football game this past weekend, the Lions may not have been the most attractive position. Sports betting enthusiasts who took Detroit as a +6 home favorite were rewarded with the outright victory. It was the Lions first pointspread cover of the 2009 NFL season, while the Redskins have yet to get the money for their backers this year. The 33 points went UNDER the posted total of 39.

Lions owner William Clay Ford said in postgame comments that he hopes the end of the streak signals a new winning tradition for his team:

“We not only got the monkey off our back, we got King Kong off our back. I’m hoping that this gets us over that hump and gives us a winning attitude.”

Longtime Lion Dominic Raiola has played in Detroit for his entire nine year career, and he too expressed his relief that the streak had come to an end:

“I’ve always watched, but I’ve never been in this situation before. No team has been in this situation before. No one has gone 0-16 and then had to try to win a game the next year.”

Rookie QB Matthew Stafford had the best game of his young career, throwing for 241 yards on 21 of 36 passing with a touchdown and no interceptions. He gave his thoughts on his performance and the late game anticipation that preceded Detroit finally putting one in the win column:

“I’m having fun. It’s a great game we get to play. I figured I’d just let the crowd noise tell me what happened. When it got really quiet, I couldn’t take it, so I looked up, and saw them running, and then the tackle, and then I saw the clock was at zero.”

Detroit will try to start an actual winning streak next weekend as they take on the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The Bears are 11 point favorites in that contest. Detroit will host the Pittsburgh Steelers the following weekend before a road trip to Green Bay and game against the Packers on October 18th. Washington will host Tampa Bay next Sunday, with the Redskins a -7 home favorite. They’ll play at Carolina on October 11th and then return home for a game against Kansas City the following weekend.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on NFL football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

In a victory for the highlight reels, Brett Favre completed a 32 yard touchdown pass to Greg Lewis with 2 seconds remaining in the game to lift the Minnesota Vikings to a dramatic 27-24 come from behind victory over the San Francisco 49ers. It was the 43rd time in his career that The Gunslinger had pulled out a victory when his team is tied or trailing in the fourth quarter. The rapidly improving 49ers dropped their first game of the year in heartbreaking fashion, while the Vikings remained undefeated at 3-0.

While the Vikings may have won the game on the scoreboard, the Niners took the decision where it really matters. San Francisco rewarded NFL betting devotees with their third pointspread cover in three games this season, cashing tickets as +6 road underdogs. It was the Vikings first setback to the spread against two victories this season. The 51 combined points scored went OVER the posted total of 39. It was the 49ers first OVER of the year against two UNDER verdicts, while the Packers went OVER for the second time in three games.

Favre talked about the win after the game:

“It’s hard to even recall all of ‘em. This one was pretty special.

The game winning touchdown pass was upheld by video review. Niners cornerback Nate Clemens said this was a hard setback to take:

“I’ve had some hard losses. This is just another one for the list. We just have to keep chopping away.”

Greg Lewis, who caught Favres game winning touchdown pass, said that the entire offense was fired up on the final drive:

“The offensive line was fired up. Adrian was fired up, and the receivers were fired up. And Brett fell right in. He was fired up, too, like: ‘We’re going to get this done And that’s the attitude that we took out there on the field.”

In his postgame comments, Vikings coach Greg Childress praised the poise of his veteran quarterback:

“He’s been in many, many, many, many situations like that so it never hurts you to have a veteran like him going down the field.”

In the Niners locker room, coach Mike Singletary could be overheard giving his team a tough love pep talk:

“You have nothing to be looking at the floor for! You didn’t steal anything! You didn’t do anything wrong! OK? We’re going to get better! We’re going to get there! We will see them again in the playoffs, all right? You hold your head up!”

The 49ers will return home to host the St. Louis Rams next Sunday. That game is currently off the board due to the questionable status of Niners running back Frank Gore who left the game with an ankle injury. Theyll host the Atlanta Falcons the following week before a bye week. Minnesota will host the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football next week. The Vikings are a -3 home favorite in that contest. Theyll play at St. Louis the following weekend before returning home to host the Baltimore Ravens on 10/18.

Ross Everett is a freelance writer and noted authority on soccer betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

After an erratic start to the 2009 NFL regular season, the New England Patriots have finally found some balance to their offense. Tom Brady had carried all of the weight in the Pats first two regular season games due to their one dimensional offense, but on Sunday he received some long overdue help from running back Fred Taylor who ran for 105 yards. As a result, the Patriots dominated the time of possession battle holding onto the ball for nearly 40 minutes en route to a 26-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

NFL betting enthusiasts who backed the Patriots as -4 home favorites cashed their tickets with the 16 point victory. It was New England’s first ATS triumph of the season, while Atlanta lost to the money for the first time in the 2009 campaign. The 36 combined points scored went UNDER the total of 45.

Rushing star Taylor talked about the importance of a balanced offense:

“You want to be balanced going into games, but some situations don’t allow for it. You want to establish that momentum and look over across the ball and see the frustration in the defensive guys’ eyes.”

New England was also very effective on defense, holding the Falcons Tony Gonzalez to one catch early in the fourth quarter. An obviously frustrated Gonzalez talked about the Patriots defensive scheme after the game:

“They did the same thing they always do to me, ‘bracket coverage. If I get single coverage I am going to make them pay for it eventually.”

New England safety Brandon McGowan joked that the plan was to hold Gonzalez without any catches:

“The plan was for him to not have any catches and he had one so obviously the plan failed.”

Patriots running back Sammy Morris said it was simply a matter of making plays:

“We were making plays in the second half we weren’t making in the previous weeks. It was directly related to making the third-and-shorts and fourth-and-shorts. The offense is able to stay on the field and you’re able to get more things accomplished.”

The Falcons will enjoy a bye weekend before returning to action on the road against the San Francisco 49ers on October 11th. Theyll host the Chicago Bears the following Sunday before playing the Cowboys at Dallas. New England will host the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday. New England will play at Denver the following weekend before returning home to take on the Tennessee Titans.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on soccer betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

The New York Giants jumped out to a 17-0 lead against their NFC East rivals from Washington, and were never threatened as they went on to beat the Redskins by a final score of 23-17. Defensive stalwart Osi Umenyiora returned from a serious knee injury and scored a touchdown on a fumble return, while the Giants offense controlled the ball well and completely dominated the time of possession. The Giants held a lopsided edge of 36:08 to 23:52 in that department, which helped them overcome a couple of turnovers. Eli Manning played well, throwing for 259 yards and a touchdown to counteract one interception.

NFL sports betting enthusiasts who took the Redskins as +5 road underdogs were likely not heartened by the near miss on a backdoor cover. The Redskins scored a touchdown with 1:30 left to get within a ” point of the spread but the Giants still got the cover by the slimmest of margins. The Skins dropped to 13-17 ATS over the past three years with the setback, while New York improved their pointspread mark to an impressive 27-11 against the number. NFL totals players also witnessed a late game change of fortune due to the Skins touchdown, with the 7 points pushing the point total OVER the posted 37. New York evened their O/U record at 19-19 over the past three seasons, while Washington made a dent in their lopsided UNDER biased record. The Skins have gone UNDER in 21 of their last 33 lined contests.

None of the Giants players were as elated with the victory as defensive end Umenyiora. Hed missed the entire 2008 season due to a knee injury, and was happy to be back contributing to a victory:

“It was unbelievable and now all that is in the past. I can’t even explain it to you, when something like that is taken away from you. Last year I missed it. I was happy I was able to come back in there.”

His touchdown return came in the second quarter, when he knocked the ball away from Redskins QB Jason Campbell and headed for the endzone:

“To be honest, I don’t know what happened. That’s the way most plays are made. You just go out there and sometimes good things happen. They always get on me about knocking the ball out and not picking it up. When I saw it, I just picked it up.”

Campbell chalked it up to a simple mental lapse:

“Osi made a great play on the ball. It’s something you have to understand as a quarterback you have to feel it more or slide up in the pocket.”

Umenyiora couldnt have had a better return to the NFL:

“Not only was it a W, but it was against an NFC East opponent. It was a great game.”

The Redskins will have a great opportunity to cash in their first win of the season this week as they step down in class to host the lowly St. Louis Rams. The Skins are a -10 home favorite with the total set at 36. Theyll continue feasting on the NFLs bottom feeders the following week as they travel to Detroit to play the hapless Lions before returning home for a game against the Tampa Bay Bucs on October 4th. The Giants have another big game on Sunday as they head to Dallas to face the Cowboys in the first regular season game in the new Cowboys Stadium. The Giants are a +3 road dog with the total set at 44. New York will carry a couple of amazing ATS runs into the game”the Giants are 12-3 against the spread as an underdog over the past three years, and have a 15-3 mark on the road. Theyll remain on the road for the following two weeks, facing Kansas City and Tampa Bay.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.