Chargers rally for win, but Seahawks clinch division
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12/25/2006 - Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philip Rivers did it again, rebounding from a horrid start to lead the Chargers to a comeback victory, 20-17, over Seattle.
Despite the defeat, the Seahawks clinched their third straight NFC West title by virtue of San Francisco's 26-20 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Rivers completed only 10-of-30 passes for 181 yards with two TDs, but he found Vincent Jackson for a 37-yard score with 29 seconds left that gave the Chargers the win, and kept San Diego (13-2) in line for home field advantage throughout the playoffs with their ninth straight win.
The Chargers are a game ahead of the 12-3 Ravens for the AFC's top seed, and can clinch home field with either a win next week against Arizona, or a Ravens loss to Buffalo. The Ravens hold the tiebreaker over the Chargers thanks to a 16-13 win in week four.
Jackson inexplicably broke wide open down the deep middle in the game's final minute, and Rivers hit him in stride in the end zone for the game-winning score. The reception capped a five-catch, 97-yard game for Jackson, who also had a touchdown catch in the second quarter.
"As soon as the defense made the stop we came back on the field we just said let's go and score," said Jackson.
San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson had another stellar game on the ground, gaining 123 yards on 22 carries, but failed to add to his NFL-record 31 touchdowns.
Matt Hasselbeck completed 17-of-37 passes for 189 yards, and threw two costly interceptions, both in San Diego territory. Shaun Alexander had 31 rushes for 140 yards and two scores, but Seattle (8-7) fell for the third straight week. Bobby Engram had four catches for 65 yards. and Deion Branch caught five balls for 61 yards in the loss for the Seahawks, who head to Tampa Bay next Sunday to conclude the regular season.
"They (the Chargers) were strong, fast, and big. They played with a lot of intensity," said Alexander, who added, "It's always nice to win your division."
Jackson's game-winner capped a 59-yard drive that only took 1:31, and left Seattle with little time on offense. A Shawne Merriman sack and three Hasselbeck incompletions sealed the win for the Chargers.
Merriman had three sacks on the day, giving him 15 1/2 on the season.
Seattle moved the ball well on its second drive, driving to the San Diego 34- yard line. The Seahawks couldn't capitalize, though, as Hasselbeck was intercepted by Clinton Hart at the San Diego 23.
Neither team managed much on offense for the rest of the first half, until Tomlinson broke through to set up the game's first score. Taking over at the San Diego 14-yard line, the MVP-candidate burst through the right side and streaked 62 yards down the field to the Seattle 24-yard line. Five plays later Rivers found Jackson for a nine-yard touchdown pass, giving the Chargers a 7-0 lead with 3:18 left in the first half.
The Seahawks appeared poised to answer on the ensuing possession, again driving into San Diego territory, moving to the 26-yard line with just over one minute left in the first half. Hasselbeck overthrew Engram deep over the middle, though, and Engram deflected the ball, which Hart was able to dive and haul in at the six-yard line for his second interception of the game.
A Nate Kaeding 46-yard field goal put the Chargers up 10-0 with 12:12 left in the third quarter.
Nate Burleson electrified the crowd with a 96-yard return of the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown that could have made it 10-7 early in the third quarter, but the play was called back on a hold by Bennie Joppru.
Starting at their own 48-yard line after pinning the Chargers deep in their own territory, the Seahawks were able to move the ball to the San Diego 33- yard line. The left side of the Seattle line blew open a gaping hole on the next play, and Alexander sprinted 33-yards virtually untouched for the touchdown, pulling Seattle to within 10-7 with 6:10 left in the third quarter.
A 40-yard field goal by Kaeding padded San Diego's lead to 13-7 with 2:24 left in the third.
San Diego punter Mike Scifres shanked a 30-yard punt on the first play of the fourth quarter, setting the Seahawks up at their own 45. Alexander busted through the middle for a nine-yard score, giving the Seahawks their first lead of the game, 14-13, with 12:58 left in the game.
Seattle extended to a 17-13 lead on a 33-yard field goal by Josh Brown with 5:07 left, capping a 12-play, 47-yard drive that drained 6:09 off of the clock.
Game Notes
Seattle cornerback Marcus Trufant was helped off of the field early in the third quarter with an injured right ankle. He was taken to the locker room for X-rays and did not return...This was the first time that Tomlinson could not find the end zone since week five against Pittsburgh, a 10-game streak...Hasselbeck was sacked six times.
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SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting
NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.
That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.
A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."
It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.
The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.
So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."
Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.
Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.
Seriously.
The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.
The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.
Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."
The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.
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The NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason.
New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall).
The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. online football betting Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years.
Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason.
Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes.
The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher.
Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer.
The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick.
Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards.
However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed).
The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense.
Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style.
In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record.
Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme.
Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack.
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