Jets’ Sanchez Should Play Despite Minor Knee Pain
June 29, 2010 | Leave a Comment
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. Based on comments from the quarterback and team officials, the prognosis sounds more optimistic than that.
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 didnt appear to be any sort of effort to prepare Kellen Clemens to assume the starting role. Clemens took his usual snaps with the team, though not any additional work that would indicate a concern that Sanchez wouldn’t be able to start.
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.
The Jets are less optimistic about the condition of cornerback Donald Strickland, who is suffering from a sprained right ankle. Ryan didnt offer much basis for hope 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. New York has been installed as a -1 home favorite, with the total set at 37. 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 highly respected authority on soccer 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.
Chiefs End NFL Preseason Winless After Loss To Rams
April 18, 2010 | Leave a Comment
The Kansas City Chiefs have had an awful preseason, primarily due to their inability to put points on the board. St. Louis scored an offensive touchdown late in the first half and used a third quarter interception return for a score to beat Kansas City 17-9. The Chiefs finished the NFL preseason with a winless 0-4 record, while St. Louis posted a 3-1 mark.
NFL preseason betting aficionados who took a flyer on the Rams were rewarded by their outright victory in the pickem game. Kansas City also finished 0-4 against the spread, while St. Louis finished 3-1 to the number. The combined 26 points put on the board went well UNDER the posted total of 36.
Despite his teams continued offensive struggles, Haley tried to put a positive spin on his playcalling debut:
“I made a few mistakes out there but overall it felt good. Obviously, there were a couple of plays I would like to have back. After I got the feel a little bit, I didn’t feel too out of sync with the game and what was going on. I thought our defense gave us a chance to win. Running the football is something we can feel good about.”
The Chiefs moved the ball well, generating 406 yards of total offense but had trouble converting in the red zone. They also turned the ball over three times, the most costly a third quarter interception thrown by reserve QB Tyler Thigpen and returned for a touchdown. Afterwards, the Rams Quincy Butler suggested that his team has a new mindset:
“Every time the ball’s in the air, we all think ‘It’s my ball. We all go and get it.”
The Rams have 12 takeaways in the 2009 preseason under new head coach Steve Spagnuolo. Spagnuolo was generally pleased with his teams effort in the victory:
“It was good to get those guys back in the swing. Now we’ve just got to get Marc (Bulger) cranked up.”
Bulger has missed most of the preseason with a broken pinkie but is expected to start in the Rams regular season opener. Spagnuolo wasnt too concerned about all of the yardage his team gave up:
“The silver lining is the defense held them and got them to kick a field goal. So there’s some good and bad always.”
St. Louis will head to the Pacific Northwest next Sunday as they open their regular season against the Seattle Seahawks. The Chiefs will also open the NFL 2009 campaign on the road, heading to Baltimore to take on the Ravens. The Rams will remain on the road for week #2, playing at Washington while the Chiefs will host the Oakland Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium.
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.
Jets Top Giants In Preseason Meadowlands Battle
April 9, 2010 | Leave a Comment
A week after being named the New York Jets starting quarterback, Mark Sanchez rewarded his first year NFL coach with a victory. Rex Ryan got his first win at the helm of the Jets as his team held off a 4th quarter comeback to nip the crosstown rival New York Giants 27-25. Both teams are now 1-2 in NFL preseason play.
NFL preseason betting enthusiasts who took the Giants as +3 point underdogs were rewarded with the outright victory. The Jets improved to 2-1 against the pointspread, while the Giants dropped to 1-2 against the money as they dropped their second straight ATS verdict. The combined 52 points went well OVER the posted total of 36. The Jets have gone OVER in all three of their exhibition games, while the Giants have exceeded the total in two of three.
Sanchez finished with 149 yards on 13 of 20 passing and a touchdown pass to former University of South Carolina standout Chansi Stuckey. After the game, he said things were different now that he was the starting QB:
“You get a little more confidence when you know your coach believes in you and has named you the starter. It was similar to that at SC. Once you’re the guy, you talk a little different, you walk a little different and you act a little different.”
Giants defender Mathias Kiwanuka was even impressed with Sanchezs touchdown play, which came with two defenders right in his face:
“I thought we had him. It was a great play. You have to give him credit for seeing down the field with two guys in his face.”
Sanchez remembered it thusly:
“It was one of those plays where you get hit throwing it and you don’t really see what’s going on. You kind of listen. I knew if it was a big roar, it was probably a big play by the Giants, maybe an interception and I’d have to get up quick. But I heard a quiet roar and I said: ‘Oh boy, I think he caught it.’”
Winning coach Ryan commended Sanchez’s play:
“He was poised. He is what we thought he was.”
Giants QB Eli Manning had something of an off game, finishing a touchdown and interception. He had receiver Steve Smith drop a perfect wide open pass that would have been a 50 yard touchdown play. Afterwards, he had no hard feelings:
“Sometimes it’s good to get those out of the way now. I know Steve feels bad about that. He hasn’t done that all training camp. I know he won’t drop it next time.”
The Giants will get the NFL regular season started with a big game against their divisional rivals as they host the Washington Redskins on Sunday, September 13th. The Jets will start the season on the road as they travel to Houston for a game against the Texans.
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, fencing and scuba diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.
San Diego Thumps Arizona In NFL Preseason Play
April 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
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. On Saturday night the visiting San Diego Chargers added to their offensive woes en route to a 17-6 victory. The Chargers evened their record at 1-1, while the Cards slumped to 0-2.
The Chargers cornerbacks performed admirably against Arizona, and Antonio Cromartie said scoring defense has 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 lack of productivity 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 concurred:
“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 said that he’s benefited from preseason play:
“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.
Ross Everett is a widely published 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 Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.
Seahawks Blitz Broncos To Remain Perfect On The NFL Preseason
April 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Seattle’s Matt Hasselbeck and Denver’s Kyle Orton both played fairly well in the first half, but the Seahawks reserves pulled away in the second half. The Seahawks improved to 2-0 on the NFL preseason with a 27-13 win while the Broncos dropped to 0-2 in their exhibition contests.
Hasselbeck completed 16 passes in 23 attempts including two touchdowns, though he was sacked three times. That was a big concern as he missed considerable time last season due to a back injury, but appeared to suffer no ill effects here:
“It’s just like I remembered- no fun. … I forgot how hard people hit in here. It’s just like a car accident. It’s part of the game … and it was probably good that it happened.”
After a rough opening weekend as the Denver Broncos starting QB, Kyle Orton recovered to post decent numbers. He completed 16 of his first 19 pass attempts including a touchdown before finishing 18 of 26 for 182 yards with a touchdown and an interception:
“I’ve got an awful lot of confidence right now, I really do. This is the best offense I’ve ever played with. This is the best talent around me that I’ve ever had. I just feel that my game right now is as good as it has ever been.
Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels was more low key in his assessment:
“I think he acquitted himself fairly well. He played, you know, fairly well. There’s still obviously room for improvement. But he did what we feel he is capable of doing.
It would have been hard for Orton to have played worse than he did in the Broncos opening NFL preseason contest against the San Francisco 49ers last week, with three interceptions in his first three drives.
The Seahawks will continue their NFL preseason slate next Saturday against the Chiefs in Kansas City. Denver, meanwhile, will host Ortons old team”the Chicago Bears”and face their former starting QB Jay Cutler for the first time. Seattle will get the NFL regular season off and running on Sunday, September 13th as they host the St. Louis Rams. The Broncos will travel to Cincinnati for a game against the Bengals on the opening Sunday of the regular season.
Ross Everett is a widely published 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 interior secretary James Watt.
Bengals Rip Colts To Finish NFL Preseason Schedule
April 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
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 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. The combined 45 points went OVER the posted total of 36. Both teams also evened their preseason O/U mark at 2-2.
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 head coach Jim Caldwell agreed:
“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.”
Despite the game being a battle of reserve players, 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. Palmer will enter his regular season without much preparation, having thrown only 11 passes in exhibition play He clearly is ready to go:
“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. Theyll head out on the road for their next contest, playing the Miami Dolphins in south Florida on Monday, September 21. 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 widely published freelance sports writer and highly 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 an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.
Ravens Top Jets In NFL Preseason Action
April 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
NY Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez struggled early, though recovered to throw a TD before he left the game for the night. Despite the score, the Baltimore Ravens held on to defeat the Jets 24-23. Baltimore improved to 2-0 on the NFL preseason while the Jets dropped to 0-2.
Sanchez, who is trying to win the Jets starting QB job threw an errant pass that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown on his first drive. After the game, he spoke of the play:
“Not obviously the way you want to start. I thought I was doing the right thing; I felt Ray come free on the right side from the protection. I was checking it down to the flat, perfect. Haloti just jumped right in front of the ball and made a really athletic play.”
Ravens defensive leader Ray Lewis said they took advantage of the young QBs inexperience:
“You put a young guy like Sanchez in there and you see our defense, it can be difficult. You saw his eyes get big, and he was jumping around in the pocket. Bottom line: We gave a lot of looks and disguises and we confused him a little bit.”
Sanchez agreed that it was tough adjusting to real world game conditions:
“Oh, they were flying. They were flying around. You practice for it and you see it on film. These guys were doing it. You’re trying to keep one eye on Ed Reed and one eye on Ray Lewis and a D-lineman gets you.”
Jets head coach Rex Ryan was proud of how Sanchez faced up to the pressure:
“I’m proud of the way he responded. It ain’t going to be perfect; sometimes you have these type of nights. You’ve got to give credit where credit is due, and most of that goes to their defense.”
The Jets will continue their preseason slate as they take on their local rivals the New York Giants next Saturday night. Baltimore will travel to Carolina for a game against the Panthers.
Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and highly 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.
Baltimore Beats Atlanta To Complete Undefeated NFL Preseason
April 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
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 get the opportunity 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. The Ravens defensive reserves did their part by holding 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 against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Falcons will welcome the Miami Dolphins to the Georgia Dome to get their campaign started.
Ross Everett is a 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 with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.
Cleveland Browns Won’t Name Starting QB Until Game Day
March 8, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Most NFL head coaches place a priority on naming a starting QB before the regular season begins. The idea is that it helps the chemistry on the team, as well as helping the quarterback define himself as a team leader. Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini hasn’t named his starting QB yet. Nor will he, at least not publicly. Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson will find out if they’re the starting QB in the next couple of days, but the coach won’t divulge that information to the public until game day.
Mangini stressed that he’d already made his choice, and that hell meet with both Quinn and Anderson individually to inform them of his decision:
“In terms of announcing it publicly, that’s not something I plan to do. It will be internal. I understand everybody has a different opinion on it. I respect that. I understand the excitement in relationship to that and I respect that as well. But that will be something that will be internal.”
As of Sunday, both quarterbacks were still up in the air and not saying much. Derek Anderson said he didnt have a clue:
“I know as much as you guys know.
While Quinn suggested that it wasnt a big concern for him:
“I’m not worried about it. You guys are more worried about it than I am.”
Mangini may be trying to gain a strategic advantage over the Browns opponents in their opening game:
“It is more difficult to plan for two quarterbacks than it is to plan for one. I’m not saying that’s going to be the difference or not the difference, but I know that there is time allotted to that and you can’t put the same amount of time into focusing on one player.”
Vikings coach Brad Childress said that it really didnt make a difference in how hed approach his preparation for the contest:
“Just schematically, you’re going to go back and look at tape and see what you’ve seen. And then I know, as do our guys, that there will be unscouted looks. They certainly haven’t showed their whole hand, offensively and defensively. So you’re just going back and looking at formation-wise where they’re putting people and what kind of players they are. It will be more about us deploying to what they do.”
The Browns coach emphasized that regardless of who is eventually named the starting QB that hes happy with the play of both:
“I have been happy with the progress that both guys made. I’m happy with the way they’ve worked. I’m happy with the way they approached this competition, and it’s not always easy to approach a competition in a team fashion, and I respect the way they’ve handled it.”
After hosting the Vikings in their opening game of the 2009 NFL regular season, Cleveland will hit the road for their second game as they take on the Broncos at Denver.
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 Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.
Chiefs’ QB Cassel Remains Questionable For Week 2 Action
March 8, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel missed the first game of the NFL regular season, and his status remains questionable for the teams second game of the year against the Oakland Raiders. Although he appeared to be running more briskly and favoring his knee less in practice this week, Chiefs coach Todd Haley maintains that hes still a game time decision. In addition to playing without their starting quarterback, Kansas City is woefully lacking in playmaking wide receivers.
The bright spot in all of his misery was the play of Brodie Croyle in the opening week loss to Baltimore. Croyle completed 16 of 24 passes for 177 yards and two TDs. Still, Haley is anxious to get his #1 quarterback in the lineup and says that Cassel is working hard to make that a reality:
“Matt is doing everything he can to be ready. I would hope I would know a little sooner this week, although right now I can’t give a definitive answer. But the player’s doing everything he can to be ready, which generally helps speed the healing process.”
Haley also spoke of the teams struggles to find dependable wide receivers:
“We’re looking and digging all the time. If there’s somebody out there we think makes us better, we’re going to do what’s necessary to get that done. I’m looking for guys that do it the way we want it done. Talent is the great separator. There may be some guys who are doing everything the way we want it done, but maybe they’re just not good enough. Then there’s some guys who potentially can be really good, but they’re not doing it the way we want it done.
“I want physical receivers just like I want physical players at every other position and guys that help block in the run game and are football players, not just pass-catchers.”
That comment was a thinly veiled reference to the teams top receiver, Dwayne Bowe, who was demoted to third string in the preseason after demonstrating questionable work habits.
Cassel, who has improved from limping slightly to looking relatively steady on his injured knee over the course of the week, commended his backup on his performance:
“I think Brodie played the type of game he had to play to give us a chance to win.
After facing the Raiders on Sunday, the Chiefs face a pair of tough NFC East opponents as they take on the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles in successive weeks. Several reports suggest that Haley is now weighing his options and trying to decide whether Cassel would benefit more from an extra week of rehab or getting a game under his belt against a less formidable opponent.
Ross Everett is a well known freelance writer who covers travel, casino gambling and NFL football handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, flower arranging and deep sea diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.