Author: Staff (Page 69 of 144)

      Can Broncos avenge heartbreaking loss to Ravens tonight?

      September 5, 2013 /

      As a Cleveland fan, I have very little sympathy for Broncos fans after watching John Elway in the 1980s. But any fan can appreciate the agony of losing the way the Broncos did last year in the playoffs to the Baltimore Ravens. With less than a minute left in regulation time Joe Flacco threw a bomb to Jacoby Jones to score the tying touchdown. Inexplicably the Denver defenders let him get behind them. Then John Fox went into Marty Schottenheimer mode and got ultra-conservative, not letting Peyton Manning take a shot to drive for a winning field goal. It’s one of those games that will haunt Broncos fans forever.

      Now we have a new season, and fans will be anxious to get back in the action tonight when the Ravens return to Denver for the rematch. You can enjoy NFL betting at TopBet.eu Sportsbook and other sites around the web. The Broncos opened as big favorites with spreads up to 9.5 points, but money has clearly come in on the Ravens as the spread has come back to 7.5. It’s understandable that the Broncos are favored, as Peyton Manning has a new weapon in Wes Welker and the Ravens had to completely rebuild their defense. There might be more talent on this year’s Ravens defense, but they have not played together in a real game and the leadership of Ray Lewis is gone.

      But there are question marks with both teams. For the Broncos, Champ Bailey is out with a foot injury and Von Miller is suspended for six games. The Miller loss is huge while Bailey is getting old so I’m not sure he’s much of a loss. Then we have Elvis Dumervil, who now plays for the Ravens and helped mitigate the loss of some of their defensive players from last year like Paul Krueger. So for the Broncos young players like Derek Wolfe, Robert Ayers and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will need to play well.

      For the Ravens, their losses aren’t just on defense. While Jacoby Jones was the hero last year, Anquan Boldin as the true stud of that offense. Can the Ravens keep things going on offense without him? They have talent, but now there will be more pressure on Joe Flacco, especially after the loss of tight end Dennis Pitta.

      It should be a great game, and now the spread seems more in line with reality. It looks like a tough pick.

      NFL, Odds

      Jets, Bills and Raiders stumbling into NFL season

      August 26, 2013 /

      Rex Ryan is frustrated, and you can hardly blame him. He watched rookie Geno Smith toss three interceptions in the last preseason game, and then he watched Mark Sanchez hurt his shoulder in preseason garbage time.

      The Buffalo Bills have their own issues, with Kevin Kolb suffering another concussion that could keep him out for the season or possibly threaten his career. Meanwhile top draft pick EJ Manuel may not be ready for the opener against the Patriots as he heels from a knee injury. If he can’t play, then the Bills will have to start Washington State undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel.

      The Raiders look like a complete mess, and they’re so desperate that they’re considering having Terrelle Pryor start week one. Pryor hasn’t looked terrible but he still a very raw passer. Matt Flynn has a sore elbow, which doesn’t help a guy who has had another mediocre preseason.

      The NFL is very hard to predict, and often you’ll see teams suddenly turn things on in week one. But you have to be skeptical with these three teams, and when we look at the odds for week one, you have to consider picking their opponents, even considering the larger spreads.

      Buffalo is currently a ten-point underdog at home against the Patriots. Considering the problems at the quarterback position and that cornerback Stephon Gilmore has been lost with a broken left wrist, things look pretty bad for the Bills. The question is whether you want to lay ten points with the Bills playing at home.

      The Raiders are on the road against Andrew Luck and the Colts as a 9-point underdog, and this one seems like a gift. I suspect the line might move even more in Indy’s favor, as Andrew Luck looks like he’s getting even better as he enters his second year. I love the Colts here.

      The Jets are a home underdog as Tampa Bay is giving them three points. I would wait to see what happens at quarterback here. If Sanchez is healthy I would avoid it, but if Geno Smith has to start, then Tampa might be an interesting bet.

      NFL

      Jack Clark vs Albert Pujols

      August 11, 2013 /

      The video above shows a clip of former MLB All Star Jack Clark ripping Mark McGwire and other steroids users. Clark was a power in the era preceding the baseball era, and it really bugs him to see what these guys did to the integrity of the game.

      Now he’s in a new feud with Albert Pujols and it’s getting ugly. Clark had a new radio show in St. Louis but he lost that gig after Pujols said he would sue Clark and the station over comments Clark made:

      At least twice in the first week of a program that made its debut Aug. 1, Clark said that former Pujols trainer Chris Mihlfeld told him in 2000 that he “shot him up’’ with steroids. Both were working in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ organization at the time. Clark also has made other steroids allegations about Pujols, attributing them to comments Mihlfeld had made to him more than a decade ago.

      Pujols has vehemently denied the allegations, but that’s common practice in today’s world. Mihlfeld has also denied the story.

      This is what we all have to deal with in the context of people like A-Rod who were hell bent on using PEDs. But as Jeremy Schaap pointed out today on ESPN, no ballplayer in today’s world, even Albert Pujols is beyond suspicion.

      MLB

      Rooting for Vince Young

      August 6, 2013 /

      Vince Young parlayed that incredible performance in the Rose Bowl into a first round draft pick and a monster contract. He’s one of the greatest quarterbacks in college football history, but he really wasn’t worth that high of a draft pick. He also proved to be quite a knucklehead at times, and he managed to blow most of his money like too many young athletes these days.

      Still, I’m happy that the Green Bay Packers signed him and that he’ll be getting another shot. He claims he’s learned from his mistakes, and he has a real shot at having a long career as an NFL backup, which would be a huge upgrade from the hole he dug himself into.

      The backup QB situation is a mess, so I think it makes sense for them to bring in a guy with Young’s talent and experience. Hopefully Young will take advantage of playing behind a future Hall of Famer, and he should be able to help the Packers learn how to play defense against a mobile quarterback. They can’t get any worse.

      So I’m hoping this all works out for Vince Young.

      College Football, NFL

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