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11/18/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Heading into their game at Atlanta last week, the notion of the Denver Broncos scoring only 24 points would have likely been met with jubilation by Falcons fans.
The way Denver had played defense this season, there was great reason to believe that a young but dangerous Falcons offense would do whatever it wished in Week 11, and that limiting Jay Cutler and the powerful Broncos attack to 24 might just mean a double-digit victory for the home team.
When Mike Shanahan's club opened the game without All-Pro cornerback Champ Bailey and minus 100 percent of its opening day starting linebacker corps, fantasy owners of Falcons stars like Roddy White and Michael Turner had to be licking their chops, too.
But something funny happened on the way to an Atlanta runaway. The Broncos actually played some defense.
Three Falcons running backs combined for just 96 yards on 30 carries (3.2 yards per attempt), with a makeshift Denver linebacking corps consisting of rookie Spencer Larsen in the middle and Wesley Woodyard and Jamie Winborn on the outside making a number of big tackles and consistently guarding against the game-changing big play.
Against the pass, the Broncos didn't have a sack and allowed White to go over 100 yards, but also kept quarterback Matt Ryan from throwing a touchdown strike and got a big interception from cornerback Dre' Bly in the second half.
In all, not a performance being edited down into celluloid history by the folks at NFL Films, but given their depleted defensive state and less-than- sterling reputation on that side of the ball, the Broncos' 24-20 win might as well have been engineered by the Pittsburgh's vaunted Steel Curtain.
"A lot of people say that we're not a good defense because of numbers, but any smart mathematician would know that after three or four high-number games, the numbers aren't going to look good," said rookie cornerback Josh Bell, who opened opposite Bly for his first career start and made five tackles. "But the past three weeks, we've stopped the run -- Ronnie Brown, Jamal Lewis, Michael Turner. [Turner] had his good play -- every good player in the NFL is going to get his -- but we played a complete game today."
Clearly, the defense gave the Broncos a chance to win on a day in which the offense was not at full strength or optimum efficiency.
One week after throwing for 447 yards in a 34-30 win at Cleveland, Jay Cutler went for a more modest 216 yards and a touchdown on 19-of-27 passing.
Meanwhile, a running game that had been beset by injuries in recent weeks received a group effort from three players who probably never envisioned playing such a significant role when the calendar flipped to November.
Converted rookie fullback Peyton Hillis scored two of the Broncos' three touchdowns and rushed for 44 yards on 10 carries. Practice squad promotee P.J. Pope made his four carries count for 35 yards, and prodigal son Tatum Bell - who looked like he might never wear an NFL uniform again following a bizarre teammate-theft story after being cut from the Lions in early September - carried seven times for 34 yards just days after being re-signed to the team.
Yes, it was an all-around effort, one that the Broncos didn't previously seem capable of given their injuries and recent play.
In addition to moving the team to 6-4, now two full games up on the San Diego Chargers in the AFC West, the game showed that Denver is something more than a one-trick pony, a fact that will likely do wonders for team morale.
"It means a lot for confidence," said Woodyard, another rookie proving his mettle as an unlikely starter. "We just came off a three-game losing streak, and now we're on a two-game winning streak. We've got to continue to keep that momentum going and just come back every week -- continue to play hard."
"We feel good about it, but we know we have a job to do," said Winborn. "We're on to the next team right now -- we've got Oakland coming into our house, and I'm pretty sure they want to get a win real bad. We're going to wipe this out and we know we've got to bring our A-game if we want to win next week."
CHARGERS: At least the San Diego Chargers are talking a good game.
At 4-6 with six games to play, Norv Turner's team is well aware that time is running out if it wishes to win the moribund AFC West and avoid joining the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, and Seattle Seahawks on a short list of the NFL's most disappointing teams in 2008.
The recovery has to start this week, when the Bolts open a three-game homestand against the Indianapolis Colts (6-4), who are on a three-game win streak and harbor postseason aspirations of their own. Following that tilt are contests against the Falcons (6-4) and a Thursday nighter against the Raiders (4-6).
"We're continually backing ourselves into a corner, and we're probably facing the corner now," said Chargers linebacker Matt Wilhelm following the 11-10 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday. "Speaking for myself, we're excited to play three games at home. We feel there's a great opportunity with a very good Colts team coming to town."
Added tight end Antonio Gates, "You continue to grind. We said from day one that this is a marathon. You just continue to play one game at a time. Our whole focus has definitely switched to the Colts. We're going to have a chance...to make some corrections offensively, and move forward. That's all we can do."
Despite Sunday's defeat, Turner saw things he found encouraging
"We've been in must-win mode. This group of guys, there's no quit in this group. This group fought as hard tonight, that was a physical football game and that's a very physical football team we're playing against. Every guy was in it on every play and guys being helped off and someone going in and fighting for them. That's the way we're going to play next week and that's the way we're going to play every week. That's what this group is about."
"The mindset is keep on playing," said linebacker Shaun Phillips. "You can't roll over. We have too many high-character guys to lie down. That's just not going to happen."
CHIEFS: A Chiefs team that has counted depth as a serious issue this season actually got a tad deeper on Sunday, as running back Larry Johnson returned from a four-game absence in Kansas City's 30-20 home loss to the Saints.
Johnson missed four games for disciplinary reasons stemming from a series of off-the-field incidents, with the team piling a de facto three-game suspension on top of the league's one-game slap on the wrist.
In his return, the former Pro Bowler rushed 19 times for 67 yards but failed to score a touchdown on several chances inside the 5-yard line. The Chiefs had to settle for field goals of 20 and 21 yards on two separate drives, helping to seal their 18th loss in 19 games dating back to last year.
Still, Johnson, who also caught a 20-yard pass out of the backfield, received high marks from at least one of his teammates.
"I think he ran tough today," said Chiefs guard Brian Waters. "I think he ran physical and I think that the little offensive wrinkle that we showed today gives us the ability to do both things (power run and spread) we want to do. We just have to do a better job executing."
RAIDERS: With yet another season heading nowhere, fans of the Oakland Raiders are now left to speculate about who the next coach to try to turn salvage this sunken ship will be.
A great number of coaches, including a selection of the best available candidates, will want nothing to do with the Raiders as long as owner Al Davis is pulling the puppet strings. Apparently, that group does not include former Giants head man Jim Fassel, who reportedly sent a letter to Davis expressing interest in the job.
In comments made on Sirius NFL Radio on Tuesday, Fassel did not deny the existence of the letter, or his interest in taking over the head coaching reins in Oakland. Fassel previously worked for the Raiders as the team's quarterbacks coach in 1995.
"I can honestly say this, and I mean this with all sincerity," said Fassel. "I know Al Davis. I've talked to him at different times and I've worked for him and I can honestly say...the year I was there we were doing good now, we were lighting it up pretty good on offense until we lost [quarterback Jeff] Hostetler, [Davis] never interfered with me one time. I think he called me a couple of times and asked me a couple of things and said, 'Well, if you need anything just let me know. Other than that, just keep on doing what we're doing, I guess.' He didn't interfere at all. He treated me great. He paid me really good money and we did this. So I don't have the same problem that maybe other people do."
Fassel, who last worked in the NFL in 2006, when he was fired as Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator at midseason, served as head coach of the New York Giants from 1997 through 2003. Fassel, who will turn 60 next August, was 60-56-1 (.517) overall (regular season and playoffs), and led the Giants to the playoffs three times including a Super Bowl in 2000.
In terms of his candidacy for the Oakland job, the Raiders could do a lot worse (and have).
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Union
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Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.
NFL Betting
After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.
American Idol Betting Odds: Season 6
The online gambling websites are in the process of deciphering each American Idol contestant and his or her chances of winning Season 6 to come up with the early American Idol betting lines.
Tim Dalton of MySportsbook.com has been locked away in a soundproof room coming up with all the latest tallies, we are told. "American Idol has become one of the most significant betting events of the year," claims Jack Black of MySportsbook.com. "Last year, millions were bet during the season across the globe, not just in America.It's tough early on since we really do not have a glimpse as to how well each of these individuals will perform solo on a week-to-week basis. It's like Week 1 of the NFL. Pre-season means nada!
We do know the 24 finalists however.
Sanjaya Malakar is the young man whose sister failed to make it into the Top 24. He's very low key but - unless he totally flubs - will probably win over the young girlie vote for a few weeks anyway. He's too young to go all the way, according to Payton O'Brien.
Brandon Rogers - Who?
Phil Stacy is the military guy who missed his daughter's birth because of the Memphis audition. He should go a good distance.
Chris Sligh - He's got the humor and in many ways he's the Anti-American Idol much like last year's winner Taylor Hicks was. And this is why he'll probably get pretty far in this competition. He's chubby, white with a big curly afro....but more importantly, a great voice! People love "real", not "real cute" to go all the way.
"Blake Lewis should go far because of his uniqueness and looks. He's the boy next store with a twist - he beat boxes. But on top of this, he's a great singer, and I adore him," Payton O'Brien relayed.
A talented beat-boxer Blake Lewis was a hit during the group sing in Hollywood but Simon explained that this is a singing contest just before he told him he was “in.”
Paul Kim has caught our own roving reporter, Jenny Woo's eyes.
"I love the fact that there is a Korean American on the show and he is bound to get more Asians tuning into the show," Woo said from her Miami Beach estate. "There has never been a major presence of Asian-Americans on American Idol in the past. He's a hottie with a nice voice so that should help to take him far. Expect heavy betting action from the Asian community."
Sundance Head - He's not perfect, but he's got the personality that will take him through a few weeks, plus he's got the lineage (son of Roy Head - whose 1965 single, "Treat Her Right," hit No. 5 in the charts)
And the others:
Rudy Cardinas
AJ Tabaldo - the 5th time is the charm
Nicolas Pedro
Chris Richardson
Jared Cotter
The girls
"Melinda Doolittle has one of the best voices," says MySportsbook.com Reporter and an acclaimed dancer in her own right, Destiney Lewis. "It is great to see a back up singer step out like she has. The girl needs to gain more confidence but that can also be a positive. I think she will go far."
Alena Alexander - Those tears (she never seems to stop bawling) should get her far.
"Single mom Lakisha Jones I suspect will be a pretty big favorite entering Week 1 of the competition," says Destiny Williams. Jones is an excellent singer and down to earth. "She'll have a wide appeal," echoed O'Brien.
Nicole Trellis - Seems to exert confidence.
Amy Krebs - a powerful singer.
Antonella Barba
Gina Glocksen
Hailey Scanardo
Jordan Sparks
Stephanie Edwards
Leslie Hunt
Sabrina Sloan
MySportsbook.com is offering a 20% signup bonus with an initial deposit (i.e. open your American Idol betting account with $300, receive another $60 in which to bet with).
Last two contestants will be?
1 Male/1 Female +100 (a $10 bet pays $10 plus your initial $10)
2 Males +170 (a $10 bet pays $17 plus your initial $17)
2 Females +130 (a $10 bet pays $13 plus your initial $10)
MySportsbook.com is an online sportsbook accepts Visa Credit Cards and online sportsbook accepts Mastercard Credit Cards for easy American Idol betting lines.
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