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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 franchise mark for wins and particularly comparisons to the iconic 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 askedRashean 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 gave credit to his 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 praised the tenacious 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 paid respect 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. Theyll travel to Houston for a game against the Texans the following week. The Colts will head to south Florida for a game against the Miami Dolphins on Monday night.

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

Hall of Fame QB Brett Favre may get all of the headlines for the Minnesota Vikings, but NFL insiders are well aware that running back Adrian Peterson is the key to the teams offensive success. Peterson’s threat alone is enough to open up options for the passing game. After winning the NFL rushing title last year hes already off to a great start with 272 yards and four touchdowns in only two games.

There’s been a good deal of concern this week in the Twin Cities media about Peterson’s health. Specifically, there are questions about the severity of a back injury suffered last weekend. Peterson has been limited in his practice activities all week as a precaution, though both he and QB Favre as listed as probable on the NFLs official injury report.

The NFLs leading rusher tried to downplay the significance of his injury in comments to reporters:

“God willing, I will be out there playing. Not a big deal at all.”

He turned to deadpan humor when asked for details on the injury. Asked when the injury occurred, Peterson quipped:

“It happened, like, a week back. But that’s all behind me now.”

Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell didnt sound too concerned, but he wasnt playing a comedian either:

“I’m comfortable with where he’s at. I know he’s been working hard to rehab. … Right now, I think he’s going to be OK, but we have to continue to go throughout the week with that.”

Peterson ran for 92 yards and a touchdown against the Detroit Lions last weekend. His presence alone makes things much easier for the Vikings passing attack”opposing teams often put 8 or 9 men along the line of scrimmage to try and stop him, giving QB Brett Favre a great opportunity to get the ball downfield to his receivers in single coverage. Without him in the lineup, defenses have an easier time rushing Favre and covering receivers downfield.

The Vikings host the San Francisco 49ers come to town. The Vikings are a 6 point home favorite with the total set at 39. The line for the first half is Vikings -3, with a total of 20. Theyll remain at home the following week as the Green Bay Packers pay a visit for a game on Monday Night Football. A road game will follow, as the Vikings will head to St. Louis to face the lowly Rams on October 11th.

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 Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

Even when the games don’t count and the starters play little, if at all, the Baltimore Ravens hate to lose. Despite the Atlanta Falcons starting QB Matt Ryan playing only one series and with the Ravens third string signal caller John Beck playing the entire game it was apparent that Baltimore wanted the victory more. The former BYU standout threw for 232 yards and a pair of touchdown passes as the Ravens easily beat the Atlanta Falcons 20-3 at the Georgia Dome.

Sports enthusiasts who bet on NFL preseason action were rewarded for their investment in the Ravens, as Baltimore won outright as +3 road underdogs. Baltimore also finished the NFL preseason with a perfect 4-0 mark against the spread, while Atlanta finished 2-1-1 against the number. The 23 combined points went UNDER the posted total of 35. It was the Ravens third UNDER in four preseason games, while the Falcons split their O/U results at 2-2.

Ravens QB Beck hasnt had much playing time in the NFL since his ill fated rookie year in Miami in 2007. After the game, he expressed how pleased he was to showcase his skills for the entire game:

“He (coach John Harbaugh) told me a few days ago that I would play the whole game. It was very exciting to get to play the whole game.”

Beck made the most of his opportunity, finishing with 232 yards on 16 of 28 passing and a pair of touchdowns with no interceptions. The Ravens defense held the Falcons to just 175 yards of total offense.

Despite the lackluster effort, Falcons coach Mike Smith was nonplussed:

“You’ve got to understand in these games, you’re going to call things defensively and offensively to put players in certain situations to evaluate them. You’re not game-planning in a game like this. You’re going to put players in certain situations to see how they handle certain techniques and coverages.”

Falcon cornerback Chris Houston was a little more concerned:

“We’ve got to work on everybody getting to the ball. We’ve got to try to be more aggressive in our techniques. We made some plays tonight, but other than that, we still have a lot to work on as a defense.”

The Ravens will get the 2009 NFL regular season underway at home, hosting the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, September 13th. The Falcons, meanwhile, will welcome the Miami Dolphins to the Georgia Dome to get their campaign started. Baltimore will head west to San Diego for a game against the Chargers in week 2, while Atlanta will remain at home for a key NFC South matchup against the Carolina Panthers.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted 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.

One of the biggest men in college football last year, Terrence Cody, at 6 foot 4 inches tall & 350 lbs, has altered how colleges look at bigger players. A remarkable run stopper makes a world of difference for college football squads hoping to free up their linebackers.

I do believe that increasingly more we will see big players, basically , like Terrence Cody, arriving onto the landscape in college football. A massive fella at that magnitude in the middle of the defense playing nosetackle or middle guard is a very precious tool.

Now don’t get me wrong, individuals the size of Terrence Cody with his quickness do not come around all the time. The NFL football team, the Baltimore Ravens discovered excellent potential in this big man’s actual physical abilities, size, and quickness enough to draft him at number 57 in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft.

It’s not only size that makes the difference in a fellow like this,it is also the speed. The fast first step from the line, when coupled with the leveraging of the bodyweight, it is pure physics of mass times acceleration equals momentum… and momentum he does have!

The Baltimore Ravens observed a significant drop-off in it’s run defense the very first time this last year, 2009. Cedric Benson of the Cincinnati Bengals ran for the first hundred yard game versus the vaulted Ravens defense in over 39 games. Part of the reason is the soft middle of the defensive front. In 2010,Raven’s coaches understood that they needed the big man up the middle of their defense to totally free things up and so they selected big “Mount Cody”.

Look for big things (no pun intended) out of Mount Cody in the NFL, in addition to some other massive guys doing more in college football. Recruiting will get hot for these kinds of players because it proved successful for the Alabama Crimson Tide in capturing a 2009 national championship.

So the next time you think about excellent defense, see if you can find a nearby mountain and take a look at it. Your most beloved college football team will almost certainly be searching for the same thing but only a little more human!

Read related articles on the fan site of Alabama Football! More also on Terrence Cody Baltimore Ravens news.

When the biggest play of a NFL football game is an extra point, there’s a good chance it was a dull contest. The big play of the game? A point after touchdown by the Bengals backup kicker, none other than wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. Ochocinco’s PAT would prove to be the margin of victory as Cincinnati beat New England 7-6.

After the game, the always entertaining Chad Ochocinco was in rare form talking about his love for European soccer:

“‘Esteban’ Ochocinco is back, the most interesting footballer in the world. Everyone has to remember, I’ve always said that soccer is my No. 1 sport. I think Ronaldinho would be proud of me right now.”

To punctuate his fondness for the sport known as football in the rest of the world, Ochocinco whipped out his iPhone to display a picture of him with former England captain David Beckham. He then continued his comedy routine:

“Soccer’s my first love, Kicking’s easy … like riding a bike. I can kick them from 50, 60 yards, left or right hash mark. … I kicked all through high school.”

Ochocinco was pressed into service as a placekicker when Shane Graham complained of a sore groin in pregame warm-ups. Rather than take any chances, head coach Marvin Lewis let Ochocinco take his place. Ochocinco also played a few series at his usual position, catching three passes for 69 yards.

Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker, who was pressed into emergency service as a placekicker while with the Miami Dolphins, wasnt buying Ochocincos talk about kicking being easy:

“It’s not easy. To kick that is something, and he got real good height on it.”

The Patriots could only manage two FGs, while Cincinnati scored their only touchdown on JT OSullivans 24 yard pass to Chris Henry. That set up Ochocincos picture perfect extra point. OSullivan was also amused, but emphasized that his receivers athletic versatility is no joke:

“Nothing surprises me. All joking aside, he still kicked the ball through the uprights and it ended up winning the game. Some people might think its funny, but it’s important.”

Cincinnati will kick off their NFL regular season schedule on Sunday, September 13th as they host the Denver Broncos. The Patriots will get their campaign underway on Monday, September 14th as they play the Buffalo Bills at home.

Ross Everett is a respected freelance writer specializing 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 deep sea diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.

Kansas City fans have cheered on their Chiefs for nearly half a century now. The team had its origins in Dallas where it was first called the Texans, but that three year tenure ended when it moved to its present location in 1963. Although they were one of the original teams in the old AFL, they are now a proud member of the American Football Conference in the NFL, and are located in the Leagues AFC West. Fans of the Chiefs know that their team has seen its share of superstar players since it first arrived in the city. They also know that Lenny Dawson will always be remembered as one of the absolute greatest of all.

As a collegiate star

As the signal caller for the Boilermakers, Len seemed a natural fit. The truth is that he almost went to Ohio State instead, only choosing Purdue because of his affinity for the team’s coach and his dislike of the Ohio State split-T. The Boilermakers’ moving pocket offense would prove to be perfect for the mobile Dawson, which makes his decision to attend the school seem to be nothing short of genius. As he led the Boilermakers for his three seasons as a starter, he dominated the passing categories in the Big Ten by amassing in excess of three thousand total yards through the air.

Slow start in the NFL

Dawson’s entry into the NFL was much-heralded. Despite that fact, his experience with the Steelers was less than satisfactory, and even after being traded to Cleveland he found himself unable to acquire the starting job at quarterback. In truth, he had very stiff competition at both locations. In 1962, he signed with the then-Dallas Texans and began to find his stride. His first season with the team resulted in him being the touchdown and yard per attempt leader, as well as the MVP of the AFL. When the team moved in 1963 to Kansas City, Dawson went with them.

Chief of Chiefs

As a Chief, Len got his old accuracy back. This was important, because the Chiefs were using that same mobile pocket system that he had experienced in college. He soon became the AFL’s perennial passing leader, with his 1966 season being so successful that his team was invited to participate in the AFL-NFL matchup that s now known as Super Bowl I. Against the then-dynasty of Lombardi, Starr, and the rest of the Packers, there was little that the upstart Chiefs could do to stop the Packers from winning the game going away. Nevertheless, Dawson was still in competent form during a losing effort, as he compiled more than 200 yards passing and one touchdown.

Winning it all

Three years later, Dawson once again took his team all the way to the AFL title and into Super Bowl IV. This time, there was no Bart Starr or Green Bay Packers to stop him and he instead led the Chiefs to a victory over the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. It would be the Chiefs’ one and only Super Bowl trophy. Dawson retired from the game in 1975, and was formally inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1987. To Chiefs fans everywhere, he will always be remembered as one of the first men to show the world that the AFL could compete on the same stage with the NFL and win.

Freddie Brister is a huge fan of all sports and recommends checking out his Kansas City Chiefs Bedding and Kansas City Royals blanket at his shop.

Kyle Boller filled in for an injured Mark Bulger, and the St. Louis Rams improved to 2-1 on the NFL preseason with a 24-21 victory over the host Cincinnati Bengals. The Rams led 24-14 heading into the fourth quarter, but a Bengals TD early in the frame made for some drama down the stretch. The Bengals couldn’t close the deal, however, and dropped to 1-2 on the NFL preseason.

Boller did withstand a hard hit from linebacker Keith Rivers that knocked his helmet off his head. Despite the hit, he Rams #2 QB was 14 of 20 for 96 yards. After the game, he talked about the play:

“I could have slid a little earlier. It is what it is. My chin strap hit just above my eyes. It was a good scramble, but maybe if I can get down a little sooner, the coaches would like that.”

Rivers also commented on the play:

“I was just trying to get to the ball. It wasn’t anything intentional.”

Boller had struggled last week after starting QB Bulger was forced to leave the game with a broken pinkie finger but played well this week. Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo gave him credit in his postgame media comments:

“He moved the team. He drove us down there after the bad start. When you score on a drive, the quarterback deserves the credit.”

Bengals second string QB J.T. O’Sullivan didnt have it quite so easy”he was sacked three times, lost a fumble and had two passes deflected by linemen. The lost fumble added to the Bengals NFL preseason turnover woes”theyve lost five fumbles and thrown three interceptions for eight turnovers in three games. O’Sullivan talked about the problem after the game:

“We’ve just got to find a way to eliminate it. It puts you in such a disadvantage any time you turn the ball over. That’s one of the things that has to change immediately.”

Head coach Marvin Lewis agreed with this assessment:

“When you turn the football over, you have a difficult time winning, whether you’re playing in the regular season, the preseason, junior high, sixth grade, whatever it is.

St. Louis will get the NFL regular season underway on Sunday, September 13th as they travel to the Pacific Northwest to face the Seattle Seahawks. The Bengals open the NFL regular season at home against the Denver Broncos.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news 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 energy secretary Donald Hodell.

The Washington Redskins are a mess right now. Head coach Jim Zorn has a tenuous hold on his job at best and after Sunday’s—6 loss to Kansas City was stripped of his offensive play calling duties. Management installed newly hired ‘offensive consultant’ Sherman Lewis as the new offensive play caller and the team has set up an awkward arrangement for him to get the plays to the quarterbacks. For that reason, starting QB Jason Campbell has some serious misgivings about the efficacy of the setup.

Lewis has only been out of retirement and with the team for two weeks, and has spent this week trying to ingest a crash course on the Redskins’ offensive schemes. While he was learning on the job, head coach Zorn was trying to put the best spin possible on what can only be seen as a de facto demotion and vote of ‘no confidence’:

“I need to have composure. I need to understand what the reality of the situation is, and I think our players expect me to rise up. We expect them to play under adverse conditions. We expect them to risk it all. … I’m conscious of what’s going on. I’m not naive about what’s going on, and yet I have to just hold back on any feelings and make the decisions.”

Quarterback Campbell is more concerned about the convoluted system of getting plays from Lewis to him:

“There’ll probably be a couple of plays I have in my head just in case if some reason it doesn’t get in on time.”

Here’s how things are supposed to work-Lewis will sit in the coaches’ box above the field and read the plays off a sheet. While Lewis has years of experience working in the so called ‘West Coast Offense’, Zorn left doubt that he really knows what he’s doing at this point stressing that Lewis “doesn’t know the protections” and “doesn’t know the blitz schemes.” Nevertheless, he’ll be running the offense when the Redskins take on Philadelphia this Monday night.

Once Lewis figures out what to call, that’s when it really gets tricky. He’ll relay the plays via headset not to Zorn but to offensive coordinator Sherman Smith. Smith will then inform the quarterback what to run. Zorn is left in the role of a passive bystander on offense, though he will listen in to the playcalling on his headset.

Backup quarterback Todd Collins also shared his concern with the new arrangement:

“It is unsettling. I’ve never gone through this before. I’ve never had a play caller get changed in the middle of the season.”

Lewis didn’t exactly evoke a lot of confidence upon his hiring, where he revealed that he’d been calling bingo games at a seniors’ center to kill time since his retirement in 2004. Still, Collins gave him a guarded vote of confidence;

“I know he’s been studying last year’s game against the Eagles and seems to have a pretty good idea how he wants to call the game this week. It’s the same plays. He might coach them a little differently or highlight some different areas, but the offense hasn’t gone under an overhaul or anything like that.”

The Redskins haven’t scored more than 17 points in a game this season, so maybe the thinking is that things can’t get any worse.

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