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The Green Bay Packers used 21 second quarter points and three Aaron Rodgers touchdown passes to easily dispatch the punchless Cleveland Browns 31-3 on Sunday. Rodgers threw two of his three touchdowns during the second quarter onslaught, adding a fourth quarter tally for good measure. Ryan Grant added–8 yards of rushing and a touchdown in the victory, in which the Packers dominated the statistical battle. Green Bay improved their 2009 NFL record to 4-2, while Cleveland slumped to 1-6.

NFL football betting enthusiasts who laid the -8′ with Green Bay as road favorites cashed their tickets with the lopsided victory. Green Bay improved to 4-2 against the NFL pointspread while the Browns dropped to 3-4 against the number. The 34 points scored went UNDER the posted total of 41′. Cleveland has gone UNDER in four of seven this season, while Green Bay evened their NFL totals record at 3-3.

The Packers upped their intensity early in the game, after quarterback Aaron Rodgers was punched in the face during a scrum. He recounts what happened next:

“One of the linemen came over and said, ‘Who was it? We got your back. That means a lot to me and that means a lot to our team.”

David Bowens was the perpetrator, though he insisted he was simply playing hard:

“I was just trying to grab anything I had. It wasn’t malicious, I was just trying to get a stop. I apologized to him for it. He can call it what he wants to call it, but the refs didn’t call it. I’d treat him different if he was passing the ball, that’s different. But if he’s running the ball, he’s a running back. It’s called football.”

Browns’ quarterback Derek Anderson lamented his team’s struggles in postgame comments:

“We aren’t good right now. That’s it. Period. We haven’t executed. We haven’t done the right things to win ballgames. We haven’t run the ball effectively, thrown it where we needed to. We haven’t protected up front like we need to and caught it when we need to.”

Head coach Eric Mangini sounded a similar tone:

“It’s a very disappointing performance across the board. I don’t think we played very well. I don’t think we coached very well. I thought we were making progress in a lot of areas. I don’t think we showed that today — at all.”

The Packers now face a big game next Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings which will feature Brett Favre’s first return to Green Bay in a visiting uniform. They’ll face the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following week before hosting the Dallas Cowboys on November 15. Cleveland will travel to Chicago for a game against the Bears next week. They’ll have a bye the following week before returning to action at home against Baltimore on Monday, November 16.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted 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 an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

New York Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez has been a crucial factor in the teams 2-0 start, showing a poise and head for the game very rare for NFL newcomers. Still, there wasn’t much worry at the revelation that hes suffering from tendinitis in his right knee. The Jets announced Sanchez’s injury on Thursday, and hes listed as probable on the official NFL injury report. Every indication from Sanchez and the Jets’ staff suggests that he’ll be able to play.

Sanchez practiced on Thursday, and though he was seen stopping to stretch and rub his right knee on a few occasions didn’t seem to suffer any impairment in his mobility. He participated in the entire practice, and there didn’t appear to be any sort of effort to prepare Kellen Clemens to assume the starting role.

After practice, Jets head coach Rex Ryan confirmed the injury while downplaying its significance:

“It’s not that big a deal. He has something. I don’t know how to describe it than just to say its a little tendinitis. But, he’s fine. I mean, he fully participated and moved around great, I thought.”

New York offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was even more emphatic in his statement:

“Mark’s totally fine.”

Ryan then added a sarcastic note that brought laughs from the assembled media: “Make sure he’s on that list. I don’t mean anything by that.”

Ryan was referring to the Jets receiving a fine from the NFL for not properly disclosing injuries to then-QB Brett Favre late last season. Favre was suffering from a torn biceps tendon, though the team didnt list him on the official NFL injury report. The team was fined $75,000 while GM Mike Tannenbaum and former coach Eric Mangini were each fined $25,000 each. While he wasn’t with the team at the time of the incident, Ryan has expressed his displeasure with the fine.

The Jets are less optimistic about the condition of cornerback Donald Strickland, who is suffering from a sprained right ankle. Ryan didnt offer much positive indication that hed be able to see action on Sunday:

“I don’t think he’s going to be able to play this week. I’m not declaring him out right now, but I don’t think there’s any way he’s playing this week.”

The Jets host the Tennessee Titans at the Meadowlands this Sunday afternoon. After that, the Jets will take to the road for their next two games. Theyll play the New Orleans Saints on October 4th before heading to south Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins the following Monday night.

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 with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

New York Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez tracked down NFL legend Joe Namath before the game looking for a pep talk and some pointers. He didn’t exactly get what he’d bargained for from Broadway Joe, but what the NFL Hall of Famer told him may have had a more beneficial effect. More importantly, the Jets easily beat the host Houston Texans 24-7.

NFL sports betting enthusiasts who took the Jets as +4 road underdogs cashed their tickets with the outright win. New York improved to 10-8 ATS as an underdog over the past three NFL seasons.

After the game, Sanchez recounted what Namath had told him in their pregame conversation:

“What a pep talk. That was Joe Namath, just taking all the credit from himself and throwing it back to me and just saying, ‘Good luck.’ To hear that from a legend like that, it just kind of gives you the chills. It was something special to be a part of, an emotional start, an emotional little pep talk.”

For his part, Namath said he wasnt surprised:

“No, I was hopeful and I’m satisfied more than I thought I’d be. His offensive line did a hell of a job, but he did a great job of finding time with his feet, just to move subtly … I don’t doubt even a little bit that he doesn’t have poise at this stage.”

The Jets defense also had a great afternoon. New York outgained Houston 462-183, and the Texans made it past midfield only once in the first three quarters. The Jets run defense was particularly stifling, holding Steve Slaton to just 17 yards on the ground. Afterwards, Slaton couldnt believe what had just happened:

“It’s just insane. You work for six months leading up to this first game. You have all offseason to prepare for this game and then to come out and play like that is upsetting.”

Texans coach Gary Kubiak took the blame for his teams substandard showing:

“The offensive football team gave us no chance and that starts with me. There’s nobody that can feel anything good coming out of this football game.”

Houston will start from scratch on Sunday as they travel to Nashville to face the Tennessee Titans. The Titans are a -6 home favorite with the total set at 40. The Texans will return home for games the following two weeks against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders. The Jets will play their next two games at home, beginning this weekend against the New England Patriots. New York is +4 home underdog to the Pats, with the total set at 47. Theyll welcome the Tennessee Titans to the Meadowlands the following week.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on baseball 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.

Its been a rough NFL preseason for last years Superbowl runner up. The Arizona Cardinals have only scored one touchdown in two games as they’ve stumbled to a 0-2 record. Things didn’t get any better on Saturday night, as the visiting San Diego Chargers added to their offensive woes en route to a 17-6 victory.

The Chargers cornerbacks performed admirably against Arizona, and Antonio Cromartie–who intercepted Kurt Warner in the endzone to perpetuate the Cardinals scoring futility”said that’s been a focus for the team during the preseason:

“That’s one of our biggest focuses. Do whatever you’ve got to to keep them out of the end zone. We did that.”

Despite the teams struggles Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt wasn’t particularly concerned:

“I’m disappointed that we haven’t had more touchdowns, obviously but I will say this, we haven’t game planned in the red zone. A lot of times when we game plan in the red zone we’re one of the best teams in the NFL, because we put our players in a position to best give them a chance to win.’

QB Warner agreed with his coach:

“It is disappointing because we had some opportunities we didn’t capitalize on like we wanted to but there is going to be a lot of stuff we can learn from tonight. We will get better and be all right in a couple of weeks.”

The Chargers offense hasn’t lit up the scoreboard either, and their pass protection has been particularly weak. San Diego coach Norv Turner indicated that this was a problem:

“The things we take a lot of pride in around here. Tonight our guys saw we have some work to do.”

LaDanian Tomlinson saw limited action”his first in the preseason since 2005:

“I think it was just good to get in there and start to get a rhythm.

Arizona will host Green Bay on Friday night, while San Diego will continue their NFL preseason slate in Atlanta as they play the Falcons at the Georgia Dome on Saturday night. The Cardinals will open the NFL regular season on Sunday, September 13 as they host the San Francisco 49ers while the Chargers will start the 2009 campaign on Monday, September 14th as they travel to Oakland for a game against the Raiders.

Ross Everett is a widely published widely published freelance sports writer and noted authority on NFL football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and online 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.

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.

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.

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 that resulted in him holding onto the ball too long:

“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. 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. Theyll remain on the road for the following two weeks, facing Kansas City and Tampa Bay.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted 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 an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

The ‘new look’ Washington Redskins offense under Sherm Lewis looked much like the old offense under Jim Zorn, and the Philadelphia Eagles had little trouble as they opened a 27-10 halftime lead en route to a 27-17 victory on Monday Night Football. DeSean Jackson scored a long touchdown both rushing and receiving, and Donovan McNabb threw for 156 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions in the victory. The Eagles improved to 4-2 on the season, while the Redskins dropped to 2-5.

The Eagles also rewarded NFL betting enthusiasts with the pointspread cover as -8′ road favorites. Philadelphia is now 4-2 against the number while the Redskins continued their struggles against the NFL pointspread dropping to 1-6. The 44 combined points went OVER the posted total of 38. The Eagles have gone OVER the total in five of six, while this was only the second OVER of the year for the Redskins with 5 games UNDER.

Jackson’s only complaint after the game was that a sore ankle undermined the artistry of his post touchdown tap dance:

“I was out there having fun, man, honestly. My ankle was kind of hurting. I really didn’t feel it, but it did kind of affect my dance a little bit. I could put it to perfection a little bit better than that.”

Redskins’ defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth suggested that this team has to learn to play as a unit:

“You can say but so much. You’ve got to actually want to. So once we get to that point — where we want to do something — then we’ll do something. But if we just keep going our separate ways, then we’ll just keep getting slaughtered like we have.”

Jim Zorn was apparently more interested in playing ‘gotcha’ with the management that replaced him as the Redskins’ offensive play caller than in analyzing the game:

“Well, the result was the same. We got 17 points. It was difficult for me. It was difficult to stand and watch. The hard part is to keep your mouth shut.”

Washington running back Rock Cartwright expressed Washington’s struggles in a philosophical light:

“You have to take the bitter with the sweet. And right now we’re at a bitter moment.”

The Eagles will host the New York Giants this Sunday, with the game currently ‘pick’em’ and the total posted at 44. They’ll host the Dallas Cowboys the following Sunday before hitting the road to play the San Diego Chargers on November 15. The Redskins have a much needed bye week before they travel south to play the Atlanta Falcons on November 8. They’ll host the Denver Broncos the following Sunday before playing on the road against the Dallas Cowboys on November 22.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer who covers travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, falconry and deep sea diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.

Matthew Stafford has yet to play a regular season NFL game and hes already the Detroit Lions starting quarterback. First year coach Jim Schwartz named Stafford as his starter for as the NFL regular season gets underway. Stafford beat out veteran Daunte Culpepper for the spot, though Schwartz went out of his way to stress that the rookie won the job as opposed to Culpepper losing it.

Schwartz made clear that hes very confident with his personnel at the position including third stringer Drew Stanton:

“I’ve had a lot of very tough decisions in the last few days — guys making the 53-man roster or not making it — but none more difficult than at quarterback. We announced to our team this morning that Matt Stafford is going to be our starting quarterback.”

“I’m very, very comfortable with the quarterback position here, not just one and two, but also three. What made this decision difficult was that I think we can win with Daunte Culpepper, I think we can with Matt Stafford, and I think we can win with Drew Stanton.

Stafford indicated that while hes always been confident that he’d get the nod there was still a lot of uncertainty up to the time Schwartz made the announcement:

“I definitely thought I was going to be the guy, but as competitive as Daunte is, I’m sure he thought he was going to be the guy, too. Coach Schwartz called me in this morning and told me, and I went out and practiced with the first team. That was exciting.”

Despite the Lions dismal 0-16 record a year ago, Stafford stressed that hes not just happy to be in the NFL”he wants to win:

“I’m going to try to win football games. I think, just like everyone else on this team, that we can go out on Sunday and be competitive against the Saints and give ourselves a chance to win the game. That’s our job.”

Schwartz said that he plans to give his quarterback the opportunity to learn to play QB in the NFL on the job:

“This isn’t an internship. This isn’t a trial basis. He’s our starting quarterback. We said that, to win the job, he had to be ready, and he had to be our best quarterback, and that’s what he has shown.”

He also praised Culpepper:

“Daunte Culpepper is back — there’s no doubt in my mind and there’s no doubt around this league. He’s going to be back as a starting quarterback in this league, and with a high level of success.”

Culpepper didnt speak to the media, but that wasnt a surprise since he never speaks to the media. Stafford had some props for his backup:

“I’m sure it is tough for him, but Daunte’s been great for me and he will continue to be. I can’t think of a better guy to learn from and to have in my corner.”

The Lions will start the NFL regular season at New Orleans on Sunday. Theyll play the following two games at home, hosting the Minnesota Vikings in week #2 and the Washington Redskins on Sunday, September 27.

Ross Everett is a well known freelance writer who covers 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.

Trades are a fact of life for NFL players. Most players 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. He had been expected to report on Monday, but was a no-show. When he failed to report again on Tuesday, it became something of a major story in the NFL sports media. 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 hasnt been confirmed by anyone involved.

For the time being, Raiders coach Tom Cable is being vague about the situation:

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, which makes it more likely that money is likely the sticking point:

“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 gave a ‘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 had nothing to add either:

“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. Seymour is very unlikely to play in Oakland’s NFL opener.

Ross Everett is a experienced 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, falconry and deep sea diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.

The Baltimore defense shut down the Carolina attack, and QB Joe Flacco played a virtually mistake free game as the Ravens built a 14-3 halftime lead before going on to beat the Panthers 17-13. The banged up Panthers scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to make the final score respectable, but were never really in the game.

Both teams played their starters well into the third quarter, and the Ravens held a 17-3 lead when they left the game. Second year QB Joe Flacco looked sharp, throwing for 247 yards and a touchdown on 23 of 28 passing. After the game, Flacco commented simply:

We were in a groove.

Tight end Todd Heap was the recipient of Flacco’s TD pass and noted:

“Everybody was making plays, and I feel like we’re heading right where we want to be.

Both sides of the ball were in top form, which pleased the Ravens defensive leader Ray Lewis:

“That’s what’s most exciting, the way we are clicking both offensively and defensively. The bottom line is everyone is lining up and playing fast. We’re all playing well right now.

The Panthers played without their starting running back tandem of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, both sidelined with injuries. QB Jake Delhomme had a decent game, throwing for 180 yards on 11 of 16 passing. After the contest, Delhomme gave a mixed assessment of his team’s performance:

“We did some decent things but still they’re a very good defense.

Linebacker Jon Beason got to watch the game from the sidelines while nursing a sore knee, and wasnt pleased with what he saw from the Panthers usually formidable defensive corps:

“Tackling was horrible tonight. I think we’ve got to do a better job in our man-to-man coverage.”

Improving the teams scoring defense is a top priority for Carolina this season. The Panthers allowed 30 or more points in five of their final seven games last year.

The Ravens will open the NFL regular season on Sunday, September 13th as they welcome the Kansas City Chiefs to Charm City. Carolina will get their slate underway at home against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer who covers travel, casino gambling 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, flower arranging and scuba diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.

Popular talk radio host Rush Limbaugh has long been one of the United States most polarizing media figures. He may soon become one of the National Football Leagues most controversial owners. On Tuesday, Limbaugh announced that he is teaming up with St. Louis Blues owner David Checketts to make a bid to purchase the struggling NFL team.

Limbaugh issued a statement that was short on details due to various confidentiality agreements, but made clear his intention to purchase the football team:

“Dave Checketts and I have made a bid to buy the Rams and we are continuing the process.”

The statement didnt place a value on the Limbaugh/Checketts bid, nor did it specify any other individuals whod be involved in the bid. He did specify that he and Checketts would be responsible for the operation of the team. Forbes Magazine has estimated the value of the franchise at just over $900 million.

The team is currently owned by the estate of Georgia Frontiere, specifically her children Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez who inherited 60% of the team upon her death in 2008. The remaining 40% is owned by Stan Kroenke, a Missouri billionaire.

A statement issued by the Frontiere estate to coincide was the Limbaugh statement revealed very little additional information:

“Our strategic review of our ownership of the Rams continues. We will make an announcement upon the completion of the process.”

The other parties to the negotiations–Checketts and the National Football League–both declined comment.

Limbaugh is a native of Cape Girardeau, Missouri and an avid sports fan. He once worked in a sales capacity for the Kansas City Royals baseball team, and had a short stint as a studio analyst on Monday Night Football.

The rumor of the sale has raised concern in St. Louis. The city has already lost one NFL team, when the Cardinals moved to Tempe, Arizona in 1987. The NFL passed over St. Louis for an expansion franchise in 1993, awarding it instead to Jacksonville, Florida. In 1995, Frontiere”a St. Louis native”was persuaded to move the team back to her hometown. There is a clause in the Rams lease that would allow the team to relocate without penalty as soon as 2014 if their current home at the Edward Jones Dome is not deemed to be one of the top 25% of NFL stadiums.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and noted 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 with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

The Green Bay Packers entered the NFL playoffs as one of the league’s hottest teams, and mounted a 21 point second half comeback to force overtime against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Things looked good when Green Bay won the toss, but only moments later their season was over after an Aaron Rodgers fumble that Karlos Dansby returned 17 yards for the game winning score. It was a strange ending to a classic offensive display.

Arizona sent much of the NFL football betting public home unhappy as well with their 6 point outright victory. The Cardinals had opened as -2′ home favorites but public sentiment favoring Green Bay had moved the line so significantly that Arizona was a +2′ home underdog by kickoff. With the victory, the Cardinals improved to 5-4 both SU and against the NFL pointspread at home this season. Obviously, the 96 points the two teams put on the board went well OVER the posted total of 48′.

Cardinals’ quarterback Kurt Warner improved his postseason record to 9-3 SU with one of the most impressive performances in league history. Warner finished with 379 yards passing and 5 touchdowns with no interceptions. Amazingly, Warner had more TD passes (5) than incomplete passes (4). After the game, he reflected on his performance:

“We knew how tough it was going to be on our defense with all the weapons they have offensively and how they’ve been playing. It was just one of those games where I felt great. I loved our playing. I felt like I was seeing everything well and it accumulates to 51 points.”

Packers’ QB Aaron Rodgers might be remembered more for the game ending fumble than his own impressive performance, but he matched Warner play for play in what will certainly go down as one of the best quarterback duels in NFL playoff history. Rodgers finished with 422 yards and four touchdowns against one interception. Not surprisingly, the entire Packers’ team along with head coach Mike McCarthy took the loss hard:

“It’s clearly one of the toughest losses I’ve been a part of. I’m very proud of our football team and fight. This is a hard game to swallow.”

Quarterback Rodgers was in no mood to reflect on his excellent numbers, but was instead focused on reliving the decisive final play:

“I was trying to unload it. I should have held on to the ball. I was looking at the front side for Driv [Donald Driver]. It looked like he was getting grabbed a bit. Then I was looking for James [Jones] and they were driving in on him as he was running a little in cut, so I kind of pulled the ball back and someone hit my arm.”

Arizona will head to New Orleans to face the Saints at the Superdome next Saturday afternoon. The Cardinals are a +7 road underdog with the total set at 57. Oddly, Arizona posted better numbers on the road this season than at home, finishing 6-2 SU/4-3-1 ATS. The two teams haven’t met since 2007, a game won by the Saints 31-24 on their home field.

Ross Everett is a experienced 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 free 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.

With three NFL preseason wins under their belt there was every reason to think that the San Francisco 49ers would phone in their final exhibition game against the San Diego Chargers. And thats exactly what they did”the Chargers scored at least six points in every quarter against the Niners reserves en route to a 26-7 home victory. San Francisco would settle for a 3-1 mark in NFL preseason play, while the Chargers wrapped up their exhibition slate with a 2-2 record.

San Diego’s 19 point margin of victory allowed them to easily cover the pointspread as -3 home favorites. The 33 combined points the two teams put on the board went UNDER the posted total of 36.

The game was such an exercise in irrelevance that Chargers coach Norv Turner called for an onside kick to open the contest in order that his team could practice the situation in real world game conditions. San Diego would recover the kick, and then score on a 39 yard touchdown pass from Billy Volek to Kassim Osgood. Afterwards, Turner explained the unusual play call:

“It’s something we may need in a game. It’s something you’ve got to practice. I would hate for a critical situation to be the first time we did it in the regular season. We got a chance to work on it.”

The Niners starting offense”including QB Shaun Hill”got to play for one series before turning things over to the backups. Hill said that even the minimal bit of playing time was important:

“We moved the ball a little bit. We weren’t able to get any points, but it was good to at least get out there and run some plays and get things started out there. I was happy that I got the opportunity and I think the whole offense felt that way. We think it was important to get some work tonight. We’ve got a long weekend off, so we were excited about it.”

The backup offense score the Niners only points of the game, as third string QB Nate Davis hit Jason Hill for a 21 yard touchdown pass right before halftime. In addition to their opening drive score, the Chargers got a late game touchdown pass from third string Charlie Whitehurst to go with four field goals.

The Chargers will start their regular season next Monday night on the road against their hated rivals the Oakland Raiders. San Diego has opened a -9 road favorite in that game, with the total set at 43. The Niners will get their 2009 season underway on the road against the Arizona Cardinals. The Niners are a +6 road underdog in that contest, with the total set at 46.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer experienced in travel, casino gambling and sports handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, falconry and scuba diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.

It wasn’t a game for the ages by the Buffalo Bills, as they blew much of a 17 point lead to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Still, they did what they had to do and put some offense on the board en route to a 33-20 National Football League victory. The Bills shot out to a 17-0 first quarter lead before Tampa Bay answered with 14 of their own in the second quarter. After a scoreless third quarter they outscored Tampa 13-6 in the final stanza to seal the win.

NFL sports betting enthusiasts who took the Bills as -4 home favorites cashed their tickets with the pointspread cover. Despite a 1-1 straight up record, Buffalo improved to 2-0 against the spread. Tampa Bay has lost both of their 2009 NFL games straight up and against the number for a 0-2 mark in both categories. The combined 53 points put on the scoreboard went OVER the posted total of 41. Both teams have gone OVER in two games this so far this season.

Quarterback Trent Edwards expressed his excitement and seeing T.O show some of his ability to be a deep threat for the team:

I was excited and he was excited. I don’t really recall what was said, but I’m honestly hoping that that continues to happen. I think that’s why we have him.”

“We learned our lesson from last week and it’s a valuable lesson we’re going to need throughout the season. We have to finish games and that’s what we did today.”

Lee Evans also caught a touchdown pass from Edwards, and after the game praised his quarterback:

“It comes down to opportunities. I think Trent wasn’t afraid to take any chances. You always have to have that threat of the deep play. I think we put it on the table today that we would.”

Tampa Bay has struggled to stop opposing offenses in the first two NFL regular season games under new head coach Raheem Morris. The Bucs allowed over 900 yards of offense this season, a fact that defensive stalwart Ronde Barber stressed was unacceptable:

“They dialed up some things on us that we should have stopped but we didn’t. Ask the coaches that. I’m not willing to make a statement on that. It’s really unacceptable. Good defenses are good tackling defenses.”

Morris, meanwhile, tried to project an aura of calm:

“I’m not worried about their confidence but these guys got to play better.”

The Bills now host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, with Buffalo installed as +6 home underdogs. The total for the game has been set at 52. Buffalo will travel to Miami the following Sunday to play the Dolphins before returning home on 10/11 to take on the Cleveland Browns. Tampa Bay faces three tough NFC East opponents in the coming weeks, beginning with a Sunday home game against the New York Giants. The Bucs are +6 home underdogs in that game with the total set at 44.

Ross Everett is a widely published widely published freelance sports writer and noted authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and World Cup betting 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.

In what has to be one of the least difficult front office personnel decisions in sports history, Indianapolis Colts’ owner Jim Irsay has confirmed that the team will sign quarterback Peyton Manning to a contract extension that could make him the highest paid player in NFL history. Manning’s current deal will expire after the end of the 2010 season, with the final two years having been voided due to his meeting a number of performance based criteria.

You can tell that an owner is adamant about resigning a player when he tells the media that he wants to make him the highest paid player in league history, and Irsay did just that at the NFL’s Superbowl media day on Monday:

“You know it’s going to get done. I think it’s clear, and we’ll start on it this summer. That’s been the way we do things [to hammer out an extension when a player is entering the final year of his contract]. And it’ll be the biggest [contract] in history; there’s not much doubt about that.”

Not exactly the most advantageous negotiating position to make public that you’re committed to breaking the bank to resign a player. Then again, it’s not like Manning is a quarterback that can easily be replaced as Irsay emphasized:

“It simply comes to one question, and that’s replaceability. Everything is based on the replaceability factor. You make decisions based on who you can afford to target and keep. … Other guys you really want to [re-sign] you might have trouble doing it, because of what it costs you, and how much attention they’re getting [from other teams in free agency]. We don’t have that luxury and we’ve had to work hard.”

Manning’s agent, Tom Condon, has already had preliminary discussions with the Colts’ management about a new deal. Condon also represent’s Peyton’s brother Eli Manning, and negotiated a $97.5 million contract extension from the New York Giants for him last year. Peyton’s contract will almost certainly exceed those figures, with some speculating that he could receive $20 million per year with a $50 million signing bonus up front.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and highly 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 a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

Sunday’s game between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers was played in an unusual venue, but produced the expected result. In the NFL’s third regular season game in London, England the Patriots showed the Wembley Stadium crowd why they’re among the league’s best as they methodically dismantled the Bucs en route to a 35-7 victory. Oddly, it took a trans-Atlantic trip for the Pats to get their first road win of the season-the Bucs were ‘officially’ the home team in the contest. New England QB Tom Brady threw for 308 yards and 3 touchdowns, though was picked off twice in the workmanlike victory. Tampa Bay remained winless, slipping to 0-7 while New England improved to 5-2.

The Patriots easily covered the pointspread as -15′ ‘road’ favorites, and improved their record against the number to 4-3 on the season. The Bucs have struggled almost as badly against the NFL pointspread as they have straight up, and slipped to 1-6 versus the money. The 42 combined points scored went UNDER the posted total of 44′.

Afterwards, Pats’ QB Brady said that he’s enjoying the trip to England-as well as the victory:

“I’m feeling great. I keep rolling. That’s two wins in a row. We went out there and put two touchdowns on the board there in the second half. We had plenty of distractions coming over here, but everybody was really energized. To get the win and fly home and have a bye week off is just great.”

NFL football is still a big deal in soccer mad England, and over 80,000 fans jammed the stadium for the game. League commissioner Roger Goodell has stated that he’d like to see multiple regular season games held in London, with a possibility of the city eventually receiving an NFL franchise. Even a superstar like Tom Brady wasn’t quite used to the rock star like treatment he received in England:

“All the flashbulbs were going off there before the kickoff. They went on for about 10 minutes, which you don’t see in the States too often. I think it’s a privilege to come over here and get to enjoy this type of experience. It will probably never happen again for us, so we’ll retire 1-0 internationally.”

Even the usually solemn coach Bill Belichick was pleased with the experience:

“It’s a great way to end this week. It’s been an enjoyable couple days here and glad we could end it on a positive note.”

And even in Europe, Bucs’ first year coach Raheem Morris continued to sound like a man in over his head as he made his weekly excuse filled post game comments:

“Tom, he’s the guy that changed the game. He’s the guy you worry about constantly. When you have a great quarterback like that, that’s what he does and that’s what he will do for you.”

The Bucs have now lost 11 straight games, their longest losing streak since a NFL record 26 game losing run in’76-77. As Brady noted, New England will have a bye next week as will Tampa Bay.

Ross Everett is a freelance writer and noted authority on World Cup 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 an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers managed to escape with a win at Jacksonville on Saturday night, but by the narrowest of margins. The Jags gave up the opportunity to tie the game after a last minute touchdown, and decided to go for a 2 point conversion and the win. The attempt failed, and the Bucs survived to win by a 24-23 final score. The victory evened Tampa’s NFL preseason mark at 1-1, while Jacksonville slumped to 0-2.

A quarterback battle may be brewing in Tampa, as starter Byron Leftwich was outplayed by backup Luke McCown. Leftwich moved the team into Jacksonville territory on three occasions, but came away with only a field goal. He was upbeat as he evaluated his play after the game:

“We did some good things. I didn’t play great, but I played OK. We wanted to look better. We wanted to understand situations better.”

McCown was 6 of 9 for 51 yards, but cashed in two touchdown passes. Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris indicated that he’d look to name a starter later this week:

“Everything plays a big part of this decision — OTAs, mini-camp, the games. These games count for a little bit more. We’ll evaluate the leadership and everything about the QB play. I can’t ask for a better competition and can’t ask for a better group and can’t ask for better results. Got to make the decision now.”

A bright spot for the Jaguars was the play of wide receiver Troy Williamson. Williamson was a disappointment after he was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings out of the University of South Carolina, but has given the Jags a much needed deep threat. After the game, he said that hes just trying to work hard:

“I am just out there working I’m doing more and more stuff to get my confidence back up. I feel good and comfortable with the offense.”

Tampa Bay will host Miami next Thursday night, while Jacksonville will look to get their first win of the NFL preseason as they travel to Philadelphia.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance writer and respected authority on World Cup 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.

While everyone within the organization of the NFLs Minnesota Vikings is putting on a grin and bear it face and trying to maintain the party line that there’s much rejoicing over Brett Favre being their QB this season, one former Viking great isn’t playing that game. On the Sirius Satellite Radio NFL program The Opening Drive Fran Tarkenton pulled no punches with his criticism of The Gunslinger, describing the whole scene surrounding his signing by the Vikings as a circus.

Tarkenton started his rant by suggesting that The Gunslinger had forever tarnished his legacy with his diva-like behavior:

“I really have no interest in what Brett Favre does. He kind of lost me a few years ago by retiring and unretiring and here and there. I asked a few friends here, maybe 10 or 12 people we were out with last night. I said, ‘What do you think about Brett Favre going back to the Vikings?’ You know who cared? Nobody. It’s good news for you guys. It’s good news for television and so forth but the last time I heard … football was a team sport, isn’t it? It’s not just about the quarterback.”

He stood by his comments on ESPN:

“We have responsibilities we’re just not athletes that are in it all for ourself, football, is it not a team game? Isn’t it all about team … and here comes Brett Favre riding in on his white horse, doesn’t go to training camp, doesn’t come to offseason workouts and he’s gonna come on his white horse and bond with all these players.”

Tarkenton continued his criticism on a local radio station:

“I think he has been a great flamboyant quarterback, but he has made more stupid plays than any great quarterback that I’ve ever seen. Look at his final game in a Packers uniform. He blew that game NFC championship against the Giants.

“I really think the whole Brett Favre saga of retiring, unretiring, three weeks ago saying ‘I can’t play,’ the Vikings said, ‘We’re moving on,’ it’s a circus. It’s an absolute circus, and it takes away from all the other things that are going on with the Vikings, with the NFL. We’re getting ready for a football season and this is a circus and I just have no interest in it.

“Wouldn’t you be upset if you’re a Packer fan? I think you’re going to have Packer fans burning the No. 4 Favre Green Bay jersey. I think the Packer fans have every right to be outraged.”

ESPN, in particular has turned on Favre, fomenting this sort of criticism after being the biggest perpetrator of the interminable will he retire or wont he talk starting last season.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and noted authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and World Cup betting sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

Despite the fact that neither their starting QB Carson Palmer nor his Indy counterpart Peyton Manning saw action, the Cincinnati Bengals will take their wins however and whenever they can get them. For that reason, they had to be heartened by their NFL preseason ending 38-7 home rout of the Indianapolis Colts. The Bengals rushing game put 296 yards on the board and Cincinnati trounced Indianapolis in every significant offense statistical category. The Bengals evened their NFL preseason record at 2-2, while the Colts dropped to 1-3.

The Bengals easily covered as a -3 home favorite, evening their NFL preseason record against the spread at 2-2. The Colts ATS mark also matched their SU record, dropping to 1-3 on the exhibition season.

Peyton Mannings backup, Jim Sorgi, put up a solid performance in limited playing time after missing much of the preseason with a hamstring injury. Sorgi threw for 119 yards on 11 for 19 passing and a touchdown and gave an upbeat assessment of his play:

“I thought it was pretty solid. I got a little winded out there but all in all, I thought I saw everything real good and got us into the right plays. The hamstring responded pretty well tonight.”

The Colts first year coach Jim Caldwell concurred:

“He hasn’t had much playing time. I thought he found his way out there. He put a pretty good game together and showed some flashes of what he can do.”

While only two Indy starters played in the game, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis was still happy with getting the win:

“You can’t control who you play against. It was good to let our guys break a sweat and get out there and go.”

Bengals starting QB Carson Palmer, who has sat out much of the preseason with an ankle sprain, said that hes anxious to get back in the game:

“It’s a tease. It’s just good to know that I’m that much closer. It’s a week away. I’m excited.”

Indianapolis will start their NFL regular season schedule on Sunday, September 13th as they host the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Bengals will host the Denver Broncos in their 2009 NFL season opener, with a road game on tap for week #2 as they head to Green Bay for a game against the Packers on Sunday, September 20.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on World Cup 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 a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

It was the sort of sloppy NFL preseason game that made the coaches more interested in escaping with as few injuries as possible than with winning or evaluating talent. In a driving rainstorm at Arrowhead Stadium the Houston Texans outlasted the Kansas City Chiefs to take a 16-10 NFL exhibition victory.

Texans coach Gary Kubiak summed up the mindset in such miserable weather conditions:

“It was a very sloppy night weather-wise and whoever plays the best defense and whoever doesn’t put it on the ground usually finds a way to win in this league. I was glad we did, but we paid a price. We have some guys banged up and that usually happens when you get out there in a mess like that.”

The biggest name to suffer an injury was Houston backup QB Rex Grossman. Kubiak gave an early assessment of his prognosis after the game:

“It looks like he has a pretty good hamstring. The first play when he went in he booted and said he felt his hamstring pull or pop, or whatever. So we’ll have to wait and see.”

Texans running back Ryan Moats had 52 yards on 10 carries, and was happy about just having some actual opposition:

“It felt good to finally hit somebody else for a change and not worry about hurting anybody else.”

Texans starting QB Matt Schaub was generally pleased with his performance:

“We ran the ball effectively down in the red zone and we were able to finish that drive 95 yards for a touchdown. That’s the way you want to finish off your day.”

Kansas Citys head coach Todd Haley made his NFL coaching debut, and was nonplussed about it being a loss:

“It’s your first game as head coach and I know it’s just preseason, but it was an exciting, exciting moment for me. If you tell me the first real one’s a win, I’ll take this loss any day of the week. It’s a special feeling when it’s your team and a lot of responsibility comes with that and I didn’t live up to my end of that. That’s the part that’s got to change.”

Houstons NFL preseason campaign continues on Saturday as they host the New Orleans Saints. Kansas City will play against the Vikings at Minnesota on Friday night. Houston will start the NFL regular season at home against the New York Jets on Sunday, September 13th while Kansas City will play the Ravens at Baltimore.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on World Cup 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.

The Dallas Cowboys received a solid effort from QB Tony Romo in his first action of the NFL preseason, but ultimately went down in defeat to the host Oakland Raiders by a 31-10 final score. Romo went three and out in his first series, but orchestrated a nice drive on his second go-round culminating in an eight yard touchdown pass to Jason Witten. Oakland’s first team struggled, but their reserves badly outplayed their Dallas counterparts in securing the win.

Romo did receive some criticism for hooking up with his longtime favorite target Witten rather than involve the rest of the offense. There’s been a lot of concern about the need to develop more long yardage passing threats after the departure of Terrell Owens. After the game, he brushed aside this talk:

“I don’t think it means anything. If one guy caught six straight balls and then we scored, that’s fine, too. It’s just about whatever the defense allows us on that specific play.”

Receiver Roy Williams caught one pass on the evening, and after the game sounded his vote of confidence with the Cowboys offense:

“If we execute like that, any team is going to have trouble. But we’re going to have our adversity and have our hard times where we can’t get open or the quarterback gets sacked or a bad throw. But tonight it all fell into place.”

Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell didnt do much in only two series of action, but Oakland coach Bruce Cable still gave him props for a good effort:

“I thought he was very aggressive with the ball, made good decisions. That’s what I’m talking about with him. When he plays the game at a fast enough speed, it allows him to be on time and he showed that tonight.”

The story of the rest of the game was the mistake filled play of the Cowboys reserves and the opportunistic effort of the Raiders second stringers. Cowboys coach Wade Phillips chalked the loss up to a learning experience:

“Our second group and our young guys, they made a lot of mistakes. You could see them out there. Those things shouldn’t happen but they did. Our guys will learn from those things.”

The Cowboys will continue their NFL preseason play hosting the Tennessee Titans on Friday night. Oakland, meanwhile travel across the bay to play their local rivals the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday. Dallas begins the NFL regular season on Sunday, September 13th at Tampa Bay. Oakland will start their 2009 NFL campaign at home against the San Diego Chargers on Monday, September 14th.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on World Cup 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 an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.