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Superbowl Champion Saints Drop Preseason Opener To Pats
Sep 17th
The New England Patriots opened up a 17-7 halftime lead but needed a Stephen Gostkowski field goal in the final minute to beat the New Orleans Saints 27-24 in the first preseason game for both teams. The Super Bowl Champions looked listless and their starting offense sputtered, but got back in the game behind their reserves in the late 3rd and early 4th quarters. New Orleans would tie the game on a Garrett Hartley field goal which would set up Gostokwski’s game winning strike with :53 seconds remaining.
NFL betting enthusiasts that backed the Patriots as -2 home favorites managed to eke out a win. The 51 points scored sailed OVER the posted total of 35. New England has been a good bet as a preseason favorite since 1990 posting a 22-15 ATS mark. The Pats have shown a tendency to come out firing at the start of the preseason, and have now covered 7 of their last 8 Week 1 preseason games. New Orleans has a solid record as a preseason underdog at 29-19 ATS but its important to remember that was compiled during the team’s long run of NFL futility.
Saints’ coach Sean Payton knows there’s a lot of work to do:
“Too many sloppy things we’ve got to get corrected. I know it’s the first week of preseason; still, a lot of things are disturbing. … I think we’ll put the tape in and we’ll see it wasn’t just young players.”
The Saints know that they can’t rest on their laurels as Superbowl champs, and according to linebacker Jonathan Vilma must commit themselves all over again:
“That’s been our mindset from the start. We’ve got to prove ourselves all over again. We’ve got to keep working and improve on the little things.”
The Patriots, meanwhile, are trying to put the past behind them. Their last game was a 33-14 blowout loss at home to the Baltimore Ravens that eliminated them from the playoffs. Coach Bill Belichick says that’s no longer a concern:
“It’s a new year. We’ve had 20 practices. Whatever happened last year was last year.”
The Saints will host Houston next Saturday night in their home preseason debut, while New England plays at Atlanta on Thursday. New Orleans will open the regular season on Thursday, September 6th at home against the Minnesota Vikings. The Saints are a -6 point NFL betting favorite in this game, with the total set at 48′. New England will also start the regular season campaign at home, hosting Cincinnati on Sunday. The Patriots are a -4′ point home favorite with the total set at 43.
Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and highly respected authority on price per head. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and pay per head sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.
Big Ben To Play In NFL Exhibition Games
Oct 13th
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback rotation is in fairly good shape, but their preseason preparation has become a mess due to the suspension facing starter Ben Roethlisberger. He is, however, allowed to practice with the team and play in preseason action. Roethlisberger didn’t see any playing time in Pittsburgh’s 23-7 win over Detroit this past weekend but is expected to see action in the Steelers’ next game on Saturday against the New York Giants.
For now, Dennis Dixon and Byron Leftwich are battling for the backup quarterback job, which means they’ll be the starter for a good chunk of the season while Roethlisberger serves his suspension. Dixon has performed well, but Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator Bruce Arians isn’t pleased with his tendency to run when he has open receivers to pass to:
“If he’s your starter, you’re not going to expose him to running the football, because they’re going to break him up. That stuff, you can forget about that if he’s the starter. He wouldn’t last two ballgames.”
Despite this admonishment, Arians says that he’s designed an offensive package specifically for Dixon that leverages his superior speed and athleticism:
“And it’s not necessarily with the twos [second unit] or the threes [third unit], it’s a special package. When you play without Ben, you’re going to utilize all the players you have. He’ll have a package, and how he plays within that package will determine how much he plays.”
At this point, however, the more experienced though less mobile Leftwich is #2 on the depth chart. Receiver Hines Ward said that the competition is good for the team:
“We have a healthy competition at quarterback. And competition brings out the best in everyone. Dennis, he brings an added dimension to the game than Byron doesn’t. Byron’s a pure pocket guy. Dennis, the one knock on him is he doesn’t have the experience. The two are different but it’s hard to compare two guys when their games are so different.”
Although every indication is that Roethlisberger will see action in the Steelers’ game against the Giants this weekend, neither OC Arians or head coach Mike Tomlin were willing to give any specifics of when or how long they’d have their starter in the game.
Ross Everett is a world famous sports writer and an authority on sports betting and harness racing. He contributes NFL football betting free picks for a number of websites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a retired racing wombat.
NFL’s Richard Seymour No-Shows After Trade To Raiders
Oct 5th
While NFL players may not always be happy with a trade to a new team, more often than not they willingly accept their new assignment and try to make the best of it. That’s apparently not the case with the Oakland Raiders newly acquired defensive end Richard Seymour. Seymour was acquired by the Raiders on Sunday and as of yet has not reported to his new team.
The trade surprised NFL observers, with the Patriots sending Seymour to Oakland for a 2011 first round draft pick. There is some speculation that hes doing a de facto hold out in hopes of getting the Raiders to re-work his contract but this hasn’t been confirmed by anyone involved.
For the time being, Raiders coach Tom Cable is being vague about the situation. He informed the media that hed spoken to Seymour earlier in the week then added:
I really have nothing to report on that. Nothing has changed at this point.”
He also declined to comment on questions about a potential new contract:
“I don’t want to comment about anything of that until we have something that’s done and concrete.
Seymours former coach in New England, Bill Belichick also gave his version of a no comment but praised him as a player:
“Because we don’t have rights to Richard, there really isn’t anything I can say about him or his situation. So I’ll have to pass on those questions at this time. There’s a lot of things that Richard did well but that’s the way it is and we’re moving forward and our team’s moving forward.”
Pats defensive coordinator Dean Pees also had no comment:
“This is not going to be an interview about Richard. It’s really about Buffalo and whoever we have here to face the Bills.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello likewise declined to comment on the situation:
“Any comment at this time would have to come from the teams.
Most NFL observers think that the Patriots made the move in order to free up money to negotiate with defensive lineman Vince Wilfork. That may be the case, but there is also concern that New Englands defense has quickly become very young and more problematically without a strong leader on that side of the ball. Belichick isnt concerned:
“We have a lot of good leaders on our team and especially on the defensive side of the ball. No doubt about it, it’s different, but I think it’s good.”
The Patriots open their 2009 NFL regular season on Monday night at home against the Buffalo Bills. The Raiders will also kick off their campaign on Monday night as they host their hated rivals the San Diego Chargers. Regardless of how the Seymour situation shakes out, its unlikely that anything will be resolved in time for him to play in the Raiders’ season opener.
Ross Everett is a respected freelance writer specializing in travel, poker and NFL football handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, fencing and deep sea diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.
Broncos Avoid Winless Preseason With Win Over Cards
Oct 5th
The Arizona Cardinals haven’t looked anything like a Superbowl team in the NFL preseason. They entered their final exhibition contest against the Denver Broncos looking for their first win. The Broncos controlled the contest on both sides of the ball en route to a 19-0 shutout victory over the struggling Cards. Denver managed to improve their preseason record to 1-3, while Arizona ended the exhibition campaign winless at 0-4.
Arizona was installed as -3 road favorites, but NFL preseason bettors who backed Denver ended up collecting the money with the outright win. The 19 points also went UNDER the posted total of 36.
Denvers biggest issue has been injuries, with their starting QB Kyle Orton and backup Chris Simms both out of action. Orton is suffering from a cut and dislocated finger on his throwing hand, while Simms is recovering from a sprained ankle. That provided a great opportunity for rookie Tom Brandstater, and he may find himself playing next Sunday for real. Afterwards, Broncos coach Josh McDaniels was full of praise for his young signal caller:
“For a rookie quarterback, and I’ve had a chance to coach a number of them, he’s really done a nice job. It’s not too big for him, the game’s not too big for him, the huddle’s not too big for him. He operated with that first unit pretty good.”
Brandstater is keeping it all in perspective:
“Things happen — just last week alone with the Kyle injury. That’s a pretty freak accident that no one can predict at all. I’m glad I got my shot and hopefully I did some good with it. I’m trying to make this team. I still haven’t guaranteed myself a spot in this team and I’m trying to do everything I can to make it just like every guy on the team is.”
Cards head coach Ken Whisenhunt tried to put a positive spin on a dismal preseason:
“We’ll clean it up. I still feel good about our football team and the way we’ve been working.
Kurt Warner, meanwhile, was just looking forward to starting the regular season:
“I never really felt like I got into a rhythm today for whatever reason. I’m looking forward to game-planning a team, putting in some plays and some things we’ve done in the past that we really haven’t done in preseason. I’m looking forward to all of that. But you still don’t leave preseason extremely excited about what we’ve accomplished.”
Arizona will try to put their dismal preseason behind them when they kick off the 2009 NFL campaign at home against the San Francisco 49ers. Arizona will play the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road in week two, while Denver will play host to the Cleveland Browns
Ross Everett is a well known freelance writer who covers travel, casino gambling and NFL football handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, fencing and scuba diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.
Chicago Bears Dominate NY Giants In NFL Preseason Tilt
Sep 19th
The New York Giants weren’t the only losers in their NFL preseason game against the Chicago Bears. The Denver Broncos and their fans had to watch as their former franchise QB Jay Cutler carved up the Giants defense and think of what might have been. After a rough opening week, Cutler looked to be in regular season form and the Chicago Bears went on to win 17-3. Both teams are now 1-1 in NFL preseason action.
Cutler led drives of 80 and 92 yards and passed for a touchdown. After the game, he tried to maintain some perspective after hearing the criticism last week:
“It’s preseason. Everyone got a little excited last week when we didn’t produce but we looked OK tonight. There’s still room for improvement, so we’re going to go back to work. We’re coming together as an offense. We’re not quite there yet.”
“We’re kind of coming together, myself and the line, you know, with how I can move in the pocket, and when I can step up, when I can take off. It doesn’t happen overnight. We’ve got some new linemen, new receivers, a new quarterback. We’re all trying to figure it out.
Chicago’s new starting QB badly outplayed the Giants Eli Manning, who dismissed suggestions that the Giants struggled due to their short practice week:
“That’s no excuse. We were prepared and we looked at everything. We just didn’t execute. Too many negative plays.
The Bears have long prided themselves on their tenacious defense, and this game was no exception. Afterwards New York coach Tom Coughlin wasnt in the mood for serious analysis:
“We got beat. We have no excuses.”
The value of a solid passing game in Chicago should be obvious to any NFL fan”with the long absent passing threat, opposing defenses can no longer put 8 or 9 men in the box to stop the Bears productive rushing attack. This opens opportunities for the run game, and as any football strategist knows a productive rushing attack opens the field up for the passing attack. The addition of Cutler transforms the Bears offense from predictable and one dimensional to perfectly balance and extremely dangerous.
New York begins the NFL regular season traveling to play the Washington Redskins on September 13th, while the Bears also start their schedule on the road playing against traditional rivals Green Bay.
Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on baseball betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Northern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.
NY Giants Beat Carolina On Last Second Fumble Return For TD
Sep 19th
The NFL couldn’t have scripted a better ending to their first nationally televised Monday Night Football contest of the year. New York Giants rookie Tommie Hill returned a fumble 18 yards for a touchdown with 0:00 on the clock to break open a tie game and give his team a 24-17 victory over the Carolina Panthers in NFL preseason action .
Carolina’s fourth string QB Hunter Cantwell fumbled the football after his arm was hit on a pass attempt as time expired. Hill grabbed the loose ball and headed to the endzone for the shockingly bizarre finish and a Giants victory.
Tommie Hill was in shock as he spoke about his game winning touchdown return:
“I’ve never seen a game end like that, not that way. I’m just a rookie trying to make the team. Anything like that that helps the team win in turn helps me. It was just a fortunate situation and I made the most of it.”
Hill, an undrafted rookie out of Colorado State had already become a favorite of Giants fans due to his tenacious, high impact playmaking. His touchdown will no doubt bolster his efforts to make the NFL roster.
Carolina coach John Fox sounded more bemused than dejected at his teams unusual loss:
“Kind of an interesting ending. Both sides have a lot of work, but we have time. We have three weeks to do it
Giants QB Eli Manning played only two series before the backups took over. Still, he put a positive spin on his short night of work:
“We ran the ball really well, hit a couple passes and we got a touchdown. That is always the goal. We did a nice job with it, so I thought we were effective as the first group.”
Carolina will travel to Miami for a game next Saturday against the Dolphins. The Giants will head to Chicago to face Jay Cutler and the Bears.
Ross Everett is a widely published widely published freelance sports writer and highly respected 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 energy secretary Donald Hodell.
Pittsburgh Beats Arizona To Open NFL Preseason
Sep 18th
The Pittsburgh Steelers used a 17 point fourth quarter outburst to break open a close game and send the Arizona Cardinals to defeat by a 20-10 score in a NFL preseason rematch of this years Superbowl. The two teams traded first half field goals and played a scoreless third quarter before Pittsburgh turned up the offense late in the game.
NFL bettors who favored the defending Superbowl champions in this matchup cashed their tickets as the Steelers covered as -3 home favorites. The combined 30 points scored stayed UNDER the posted total of 33.
The big catalyst for the Steelers offense was undrafted rookie Issac Redman out of Bowie State. The big short yardage back had already impressed the Pittsburgh coaching staff in practice, but he knew that he had to take advantage of the opportunities to demonstrate his skills in a game situation:
“This team prides itself on being able to find those free agents that are capable of playing. Hopefully I can be that next free agent. I knew I had to make an impression, or I might not even make it to the first preseason game.”
Both teams played their starting quarterbacks for only two offensive series. The Steelers Ben Roethlisberger was generally happy about his performance:
“Overall, without looking at film, I think it was OK. I think we had a couple of plays with a few breakdowns, but it just felt good to go against somebody other than your own guys.”
Arizonas Kurt Warner was happy with his performance, but noted that the first preseason game had come up on him quickly:
“I felt like we moved the ball and did what we wanted to. It seems like this game came pretty quick. When we were in the locker room, we were thinking, `Man, it is here already.’ ”
The star receivers for each team also saw limited playing time, with Arizonas Larry Fitzgerald and Pittsburghs Superbowl MVP Santonio Holmes each catching a single pass.
Arizona will take on the San Diego Chargers at home next Saturday night, while the Steelers will travel to Washington, DC to play the Redskins. Pittsburgh will open the NFL regular season on Thursday, September 10th as they host the Tennessee Titans. Arizona will kick of their campaign on Sunday, September 13th at home against the San Francisco 49ers.
Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted authority on soccer 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.
Bengals Upset Packers On The Road
Sep 17th
The Cincinnati Bengals were able to withstand a last minute Green Bay Packers comeback bid, and held on to win their first game of the NFL regular season 31-24. The Packers last drive stalled on the Bengals ten yard line, the victim of a false start penalty in the waning seconds. Both Cincinnati and Denver evened their 2009 record at 1-1. Wide receiver Chad Ochocinco scored the eventual game winning points on a 13 yard pass from Carson Palmer.
NFL football betting devotees who took the Bengals as +9 road underdogs easily cashed their ticket with the outright victory. Both teams are now 1-1 against the spread on the 2009 NFL season. The 55 combined points scored easily went OVER the posted total of 41.
After the game, Ochocinco talked about his Lambeau Leap:
“It was fun. I had a little indecision on where to jump at first. I didn’t want to disrespect their tradition, so I was asking as I went along the line. I saw some Bengals fans that said it was OK.”
While the Packers late game penalty sealed the victory, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis insisted that his team deserved it due to their performance:
“We didn’t do enough to win the game last week and you get what you deserve. Today, we were able to make one or two more plays and win the football game and that’s what counts. I think our football team understands that.”
Cedric Benson rushed for 141 yards on the day, and afterwards suggested that the Packers might have been a bit overconfident:
“Maybe a little, but you can’t blame them. They beat a very stout Bears team last week at home and I think they were feeling pretty good. But we’re men on this side of the football as well.”
Bengals QB Palmer gave the defense credit for the victory due to their performance on the last drive of the game:
“I kind of felt like it couldn’t happen again. It wasn’t a feeling of ‘here we go again’ at all. I know our defense is too good. They have too much pride and weren’t going to let that happen again.”
The Packers take to the road for their next two games, beginning this Sunday in St. Louis against the Rams. Green Bay is a -6 road favorite in the contest, with the total set at 41. Theyll face the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night the following week, and then enjoy a bye week. The Bengals now face a rough scheduling stretch, beginning with the Pittsburgh Steelers at home on Sunday. The Bengals are a +4 home underdog against the Steelers, with the total set at 37. Theyll then head across state to face the Cleveland Browns in their traditional rivalry the following week before heading to Baltimore for a game against the Ravens on October 11th.
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 sports news 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.
New Orleans Beats Houston In NFL Preseason Blowout
Sep 3rd
Backup Mike Bell made the most of his opportunity, starting in place of Reggie Bush and helping the New Orleans Saints romp to a 38-14 road victory over the Houston Texans. Bush was held out of the game with a strained calf, and Bell filled in admirably rushing for 100 yards in the easy victory.
Bell is a former Denver Broncos starter who has produced only 45 yards rushing in the past two seasons. He doubled that performance, and has the inside track to lock up the third running back roster spot. After the game, he talked about his big afternoon:
“I just wanted to show the team that I could come here and be a consistent running back. This kind of game was great because it reminds me that I can still play running back. Just to get the carries, and to make the most of this opportunity, that was a real confidence builder.”
Saints coach John Payton commended the effort, but said that it wasn’t a surprise:
“He really has done a really good job. I was encouraged again to see him playing so well.”
Houston head coach Gary Kubiak put the loss into perspective:
“It’s a humbling game. You can walk out of the stadium one week and feel good about yourself, and then walk out the next week and wonder what the heck is going on. We got pushed around. We have to play better than that up front in order to be successful.”
Linebacker DeMeco Ryan concurred:
“We take too much pride in what we do to go out and perform the way we did today. That’s not who we are.”
For the Saints, Drew Brees split time at QB with Mark Brunell. Brees was 9 of 14 for 87 yards and a touchdown, while Brunell was 5 of 6 for 96 yards. Brees had missed three days of practice last week to attend his mother’s funeral. P.J. Hill also got some reps at running back for the Saints, carrying the ball 8 times for 26 yards. Talent isn’t the problem for the Saints; mistakes, however, are.
New Orleans will continue their NFL preseason run next Saturday against the Raiders at Oakland. Houston will host the Minnesota Vikings next Monday night. The Saints will get the NFL regular season underway on Sunday, September 13th as they host the Detroit Lions. Houston will start their schedule at home on the same day, hosting the New York Jets.
Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on baseball betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.
Browns Use Big First Quarter To Beat Lions In NFL Preseason Play
Sep 1st
The good news for the Cleveland Browns was that their offense came out swinging on Saturday night, scoring 20 points in the first quarter en route to victory. The bad news–it was against the NFL’s worst team and their struggling rookie QB. Browns QB Derek Anderson played well, while the Detroit Lions rookie signal caller Matt Stafford struggled mightily as the Browns easily took a 27-10 decision in NFL preseason action.
Anderson led the Browns to their first offensive touchdown in seven games, and left the Cleveland QB battle between himself and Brady Quinn a tossup. Anderson finished 8 of 11 for 130 yards and one interception, and gave a fairly positive assessment of his play in postgame interviews:
“I thought things went well. I played all right. I made some good throws and a couple I wish I could have back. It was an opportunity and I was happy to go out there and play well while I was in.”
After the game, Browns coach Eric Mangini deflected comments on which signal caller had the upper hand for the starting job:
“I’m really not going to assess it that way now. We’ll keep rolling along and move into next week and see where it goes.”
The NFLs first overall draft pick, Lions QB Matt Stafford tried to maintain an upbeat tone in his postgame comments:
“That’s what football is. You’ll play good some weeks and bad some weeks. The tough part about preseason is you get your allotted amount of plays. You can have a bad 25 plays and not get a chance to come back and fix it and make it right in the second half.”
Lions coach Jim Schwartz has the unenviable task of trying to turn around a team that went 0-16 last season, were that not bad enough he had to deal with the fallout of a fight during warm-ups between his own players. Carson Butler and Dewayne White went at it before the game. Schwartz sounded relatively unfazed by the bizarre turn of events:
“I’ve never seen that before.The thing I like about it is they were competitive and going hard. I came in and said, ‘Some of y’all thought the game started at 7 o’clock instead of 7:30.’ Obviously that’s something that shouldn’t happen and it’s already been addressed.”
Providing a good example of the lack of chemistry on a losing football franchise, White is still holding a grudge :
“We’ll probably have to go at it one more time when we’re not playing a game — next week sometime. There’s going to be bad blood between us.”
The Lions will continue their NFL preseason slate next Saturday night as they welcome the Indianapolis Colts to Ford Field. Cleveland will also play at home, with the Tennessee Titans providing the opposition. Both teams will open the NFL regular season on Sunday, September 13th with Cleveland hosting the Minnesota Vikings and the Lions traveling to New Orleans to take on the Saints.
Ross Everett is a freelance 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 Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.
