Buffalo Offense Key In Win Over Tampa Bay

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.

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.

Terrell Owens capped the game with a long touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Trent Edwards expressed his excitement and seeing his team\’s new deep threat:

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.\”

A team long known for its suffocating defenses, 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 respected freelance writer experienced in travel, poker and college football handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free 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.

Miami Tops Tampa Bay In NFL Preseason Florida Battle

Success in the NFL mandates that even when teams aren\’t playing their best they need to find a way to win. After spotting the Bucs a 6-0 lead, Miami used a late first half field goal and scored the only touchdown of the second half to comeback for the 10-6 win. The victory improved Miamis preseason NFL record to a perfect 3-0 while Tampa Bay dropped to 1-2.

A starting QB battle in Tampa was the biggest storyline of the game and veteran Byron Leftwich appears to have gained the edge over Luke McCown. Bucs coach Raheem Morris has indicated that hell be making a decision soon, though he gave little indication as to his preference in postgame comments:

\”Obviously you want somebody to jump up and take it. We\’ll find out when we go back, look at the tape and evaluate this thing.\”

McCown had a rough night, with two sacks and no points scored. He gained 38 yards on 5 for 11 passing and after the game gave a verbose no comment on his status as starter:

\”It\’s not for me to say. … My part in it is preparing every day, being the best I can be and getting better from my mistakes. As long as I feel like I\’m doing that, then I\’m OK.\”

Leftwich, meanwhile, was 9 of 17 for 100 yards and came up big on several third down completions. He had very little to say after the game:

\”Hopefully, I\’m the guy. I felt good. I missed a few, but I hit a few also. Luckily for me on the ones I missed, I made plays on the following play to get those first downs.\”

Bucs running back Cadillac Williams returned to action after major knee surgery seven months ago. Hes been limited in the last three seasons due to injuries, but looked solid in picking up 54 yards on eight carries:

\”The knee is not an issue to me. … I feel great. I\’m just loving what I do.\”

Dolphins QB Chad Pennington said that its hard to take much away from a strange game like this one. The game had several delays due to rain and lightening, the longest a 45 minute stoppage:

\”It was a very odd game for us, as far as the rain delay, a lot of stoppages of play and things like that We were able to come out get a score before halftime and get a score after the half. We\’ll build on that. We\’ll be critical of ourselves and make sure we don\’t let a win overshadow what we need to do to get better.\”

The Dolphins will conclude their NFL preseason play next Thursday against the Saints at New Orleans. Tampa Bay will host Houston next Friday in their final preseason contest. Miami will get the NFL regular season underway against the Atlanta Falcons at The Georgia Dome on Sunday, September 13. Tampa Bay will welcome the Dallas Cowboys to The Cigar City on the same day to kick off their 2009 campaign.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer who covers 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, falconry and scuba diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.

Chargers\’ Running Back Tomlinson To Miss Second Straight Game

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 as the Chargers host the Miami Dolphins. Tomlinson was hurt in the San Diego Chargers season opening victory over the Oakland Raiders and didn\’t play last week.

After playing in eight consecutive regular season games last year, the superstar running back has missed three of the Chargers last four games including 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. 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. Theyll return to action on Monday, November 19th hosting the Denver Broncos.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer experienced in travel, casino gambling and college football handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, flower arranging and scuba diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.

Indy Nips Jacksonville As NFL Season Gets Underway

The Indianapolis Colts, finding their offense shut down by a relentless Jacksonville Jaguars attack, fought back in kind. The often maligned Indy stop unit matched the ferocity of their Jaguars counterparts play for play, and one touchdown pass from Peyton Manning proved to be enough to earn victory by a 14-12 margin in the NFL season opener for both teams. The victory was Manning\’s 118th in a Colts uniform, tying the legendary Johnny Unitas for the franchise lead.

NFL sports betting enthusiasts who took the Jaguars as +6 road underdogs were rewarded with the pointspread cover. Indianapolis dropped to 11-16 ATS over the past three years when favored. The 26 combined points went well UNDER the posted total of 45. Despite their reputation as an offensive juggernaut, the Colts have actually trended to the UNDER over the past three seasons, with 19 UNDERs in their past 35 lined games. The Jaguars, conversely, have a slight edge to the OVER in that span with a 19-14 mark over the past three years.

After the contest, Manning displayed his characteristic humility when asked about tying the mark held by the Colts\’ hall of famer Unitas:

\”I\’ve never felt comfortable with comparisons with him. I think he\’s kind of in his own category. But I am proud of those wins.\”

Manning was more concerned about the welfare of receiver Anthony Gonzalez who left late in the first quarter with an injury:

\”I asked Rashean Matthis what happened and he said, \’I didn\’t even touch him . He has worked so hard in the offseason, I just hope it\’s not a season-ending injury.\”

Colts coach Jim Caldwell won his first game at the helm of an NFL team, and was pleased with the effort of the defense:

\”Obviously, the defense played well and came up big at the end. We thought it would be a grind, and it was. I think our team certainly played tough, played hard, played with a lot of energy.\”

Jacksonville wasnt overly discouraged after the contest either, pleased with the intensity and their effectiveness in shutting down one of the NFLs best offenses. Maurice Jones-Drew gave props to the Indy defense after the game:

\”They just did a great job in the red zone stifling our offense. My hat\’s off to them. But we have to learn how to finish.\”

Quarterback David Garrard also gave credit to the tenacity of the Indy pass rush:

\”I thought, \’Here we go again, we have a great chance. You love to be in that situation. We were trying to get the ball to Maurice, but you\’ve got to slow those pass rushers down. We did what we could do.\”

The Jaguars will open their 2009 NFL home slate on Sunday as they host the Arizona Cardinals. The Colts will head to south Florida for a game against the Miami Dolphins on Monday night. Theyll return to Indy for a date with the Arizona Cardinals on the following Sunday.

Ross Everett is a respected freelance writer who covers travel, casino gambling and college football handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free 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.

Colts\’ Owner Irsay Says Team Will Break Bank To Retain Peyton Manning

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. The decision was made before the Colts\’ Superbowl loss to the New Orleans Saints.

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:

\”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 staff handicapper for Anatta Sports and one of the world\’s foremost experts on NFL football handicapping. He is a widely published freelance writer specializing in soccer, falconry, auto racing and fantasy role playing games. He provides daily free sports picks to a number of broadcast media outlets. Ross lives in Las Vegas with an Asian houseboy, three dogs and a retired racing wombat.

Next Page »