Cnotes 2017 NFL Trends/Stats/News/Picks Thru The Super Bowl

[CNOTES]

Packers Notebook: Bennett supports brother
September 11, 2017


GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers' defense was sieve-like in 2016 and the biggest reason the Packers didn't reach the Super Bowl. On Sunday, though, Green Bay's defense looked like a strength, not a weakness.


Sunday marked the first time since Oct. 4, 2015, that Green Bay held a team without a touchdown. The last time that happened came during a 17-3 win over San Francisco.


And Sunday was the fewest number of points Green Bay allowed in a season opener since 2001, when they defeated Detroit, 20-6.


"Everybody from the D-line to the 'backers to the secondary, I think we collectively put a full game together from start to finish," Packers outside linebacker Nick Perry said. "Obviously, there's things we need to improve on, but at the end of the day, I think we had a good first step today and we're going to continue to stack our successes off of this one."


Green Bay finished 22nd in total defense last year and No. 31 against the pass. The Packers also allowed 44 points in their loss to Atlanta in the NFC Championship Game.


But the 2017 Packers look much different - at least after one game.


"Personally, I don't pay any attention to outside noise outside of this locker room," Packers safety Morgan Burnett said. "Each year, you've got to find a way to come in and get better. That's our job.


"At the end of the day, nobody goes out there individually. We go out there together, so we have each other's back. This is the first game for the 2017 Packers to show everybody what we have in front of our home crowd. We're off to a good start, but it's just one game. There's some things we can clean up and we're going to do that."


--Right tackle Bryan Bulaga missed the game against Seattle with a sprained ankle that's lingered for nearly three weeks. That marked the 33rd game Bulaga has missed in a career that started in 2010.


In his stead, the Packers turned to second-year man Kyle Murphy, who was active just three games a year ago. And while Murphy had his share of trouble against the elite Seahawks' defense, he held up well in Green Bay's huge early-season win.


"It's his first start, but he doesn't blink," Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said of Murphy. "His personality is perfect for this situation. So, we went five-man protection a bunch. So, it isn't like we parked someone behind him all day in there. He had to play and he played big today."


Murphy was at least partially responsible for two of the four first-half sacks allowed to quarterback Aaron Rodgers. But Murphy, a former sixth-round draft choice, seemed to get better as the game went on and helped the Packers' offense get rolling after a scoreless first half.


"I thought Kyle did a really nice job at right tackle," Rodgers said. "This is a good building block for us moving forward."


--Tight end Martellus Bennett had an eventful day, and most of his action didn't even involve pass-catching.


First, Bennett raised his fist during the national anthem. Why exactly, he was asked?


"That's a sign of unity with my brother," Bennett said, referring to his brother Michael, a defensive end who plays for Seattle. "That's something I've done in the past, when I was with the Patriots last year. For me, it's a sign of unity to let the world know that I see what's going on and it's not going unnoticed.


"I'm doing what I can to help too, just letting people know that hey, I'm behind you, I'm behind my brother. There's a lot of stuff going on in the world and the community and that I do support and I am working things to make it better. Not much more than that, just a statement to say, hey I'm with you."


Late in the game, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers scrambled for a first down, dived head first, and Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright went low and hit Rodgers in the back on the tackle attempt.


Bennett didn't like how Wright tried hitting his quarterback, and shoved an unsuspecting Wright to the ground. Bennett was then given a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness.


"I think this early in the season, it kind of sets the tone," Bennett said of the penalty. "It lets guys know this is what we've got, this is who we are. Other people around the league will see it and we've got to set the tone.


"You take shots on my quarterback, we'll take shots on you. It's the same thing if someone takes a shot on Ty (Montgomery) or Tae (Davante Adams) or Randall (Cobb). All those guys are my boys, my brothers. A lot of my teammates came and said we'll take that one every single time. That made me feel good."

Roster notes:


--OLB Ahmad Brooks, signed on Aug. 30, left the game with a concussion. Brooks will enter the concussion protocol and his availability for the Packers' game at Atlanta Sunday won't be known until later this week.


--QB Aaron Rodgers appeared to be limping at times against Seattle. It was nothing serious, though, as Rodgers had both feet stepped on and was kicked in the shins.


"The adult soccer players who don't wear shin guards can probably relate," Rodgers said. "It's very painful. You kind of forget about those things when you don't play a whole lot in preseason. But, yeah, it was mostly that - just kicked a couple times, stepped on a couple times."


--WR Jordy Nelson eclipsed 500 career receptions, becoming just the fourth Packers player in team history to do so. Nelson, who now has 504 career catches, joined Donald Driver, Sterling Sharpe and James Lofton in that exclusive club.

REPORT CARD VS. SEAHAWKS


--PASSING OFFENSE: C - Aaron Rodgers threw for 311 yards and a touchdown against arguably the best passing defense in the NFL. Rodgers did have his streak of consecutive passing attempts without an interception snapped at 251. That was the second-longest streak in franchise history, behind Bart Starr's 294 in 1964-65. Rodgers was also just 1-for-8 with a 40.6 passer rating when under duress.


--RUSHING OFFENSE: C-plus - Ty Montgomery's 2.8 yards per carry certainly won't wow anybody. But Montgomery ran extremely hard against the Seahawks' sensational defensive front. And Montgomery's 6-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter gave Green Bay a lead it wouldn't relinquish.

--PASS DEFENSE: A - Green Bay ranked 31st in the NFL a year ago in pass defense. But the Packers held Seattle's Russell Wilson to just 158 passing yards and a passer rating of 69.7.

--RUSH DEFENSE: A-minus - The Seahawks missed running back Thomas Rawls (ankle) and the drop to backups Eddie Lacy and Chris Carson was noticeable. Seattle had 90 rushing yards, but Wilson accounted for 40 of those on two scrambles. The running backs combined for just 50 yards on 16 carries (3.1).


--SPECIAL TEAMS: B-minus - Seattle has one of the NFL's most dangerous return men in Tyler Lockett. But aside from one 43-yard kickoff return, the Packers largely held Lockett in check. Packers rookie punter Justin Vogel had a solid debut, with a net average of 42.4.


--COACHING: B - Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers was the star of this game, outdueling Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy found a play-calling rhythm in the second half. But McCarthy's decision to use timeouts late in the first half was a boost for Seattle's offense and led to a Seahawks field goal.

 

[CNOTES]

NFL notebook: Cardinals RB Johnson likely headed to IR
September 11, 2017


Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson has a dislocated wrist and is likely headed to injured reserve, coach Bruce Arians said Monday.


Johnson's injury could require surgery, Arians said.


The coach added that the initial prognosis for Johnson is the same as it was for rookie running back T.J. Logan, who was expected to miss 12 weeks after suffering a dislocated wrist in early August.


If the 25-year-old Johnson goes on injured reserve, he would be required to miss eight weeks.


Johnson exited Sunday's 35-23 loss at the Detroit Lions in the third quarter and underwent an X-ray. He was diagnosed with a sprained wrist and underwent further testing Monday.

--Ezekiel Elliott and the NFL are not finished fighting over his six-game suspension.


The NFL filed an appeal of the Fifth Circuit Court injunction of Elliott's suspension that permitted Elliott to take the field Sunday night for the Dallas Cowboys. The running back was found to be in violation of the personal conduct policy by the NFL and his appeal through league arbitration channels was denied by Harold Henderson.


But just over 48 hours before kickoff, Elliott and the NFLPA scored a temporary victory when a Fifth Circuit judge in Texas granted a temporary injunction.


The NFL quickly indicated it would review all legal options, and officially filed the appeal.


--Structural engineers are expected to inspect the Miami Dolphins' stadium after a possible tornado was reported in the area during Hurricane Irma, the Miami Herald reported.


"All we have is a visual inspection by camera right now," a team source told the newspaper. "We think the stadium may have experienced some tornado activity based on radar tracking."


The stadium recently underwent a $500 million renovation and a brand new canopy was added to withstand a Category 4 storm. Irma was not considered a Category 4 when it reached South Florida.


Tornados did reach the area, and the Herald reported that Marlins Park appears to have sustained some exterior damage from the storm.

--Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was ruled out for Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals, coach Chuck Pagano announced.


Luck has been sidelined while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. He was placed on the physically unable to perform list in July and missed all of training camp.


Although he was removed from the PUP list on Sept. 2, Scott Tolzien started in Sunday's 46-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Tolzien completed 9 of 18 passes for 128 yards and two interceptions before being benched in favor of Jacoby Brissett.


Pagano said Monday that the team is still evaluating its immediate options at the quarterback position moving forward. The first overall pick in the 2012 draft, Luck threw for 4,240 yards and 31 touchdowns last season.


--The NFL announced that a decision on where Sunday's game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans will be played is pending after Hurricane Irma hit Jacksonville, Fla., over the weekend.


The game is scheduled to be played at EverBank Field but, according to reports, the city is dealing with "record storm surge and immense flooding." Additionally, many downtown areas, including streets near the stadium, are under feet of water.


After Sunday's 29-7 win over the Houston Texans, the Jaguars remained in Houston and worked out at a local YMCA on Monday.


On Monday afternoon, the Jaguars announced they are returning to Jacksonville on Tuesday morning.


--New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said the three extra days off made it worse for the defending Super Bowl champions to get over their season-opening loss.


Brady said it was harder to move on after last Thursday night's 42-27 setback to the Kansas City Chiefs to kick off the NFL season at Gillette Stadium.


"It's probably easier when you're getting right back to work," Brady said during his weekly interview on sports radio WEEI in Boston. "It actually kind of (stunk) having three extra days to think about it and rewatch the game.


--Dallas Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick suffered a broken hand in Sunday night's 19-3 win against the New York Giants.


Scandrick will have a plate put in his left hand to stabilize a broken third metacarpal, according to ESPN.


Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said after the game that he is optimistic Scandrick can return "sooner rather than later" but will not play in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos.


--A broken collarbone for Kevin White is leading to a broken-record feeling for the Chicago Bears.


Bears head coach John Fox said that White is headed to injured reserve with a fractured scapula.


White is likely to miss three months and could be sidelined the rest of the 2017. White, projected to be the No. 1 receiver in a new-look offense that subtracted Alshon Jeffery, would be victim of a staggering third season-ending injury in three seasons since he was drafted seventh overall in 2015 out of West Virginia.


--Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby dislocated his right ankle in Sunday's season opener but reportedly will not require surgery.


A team source confirmed the news to ESPN's Chris Mortensen after an MRI exam. Surgery would have cost Darby the rest of the season.


Darby, 23, avoided major ligament damage but will miss four to six weeks, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.


--Detroit Lions punter Kasey Redfern suffered three torn ligaments in his knee in Sunday's win over the Arizona Cardinals, according to multiple reports.


Redfern was carted to the locker room late in the first quarter of the 35-23 win when he tried scrambling for a first down after dropping a punt in his own end zone.


The 25-year-old Redfern was diagnosed Monday with a torn ACL and MCL, a partial tear of the patellar tendon and a bone bruise, according to the Detroit Free Press.


--Philadelphia Eagles kicker Caleb Sturgis suffered a strained quadriceps in his plant leg in Sunday's win over the Washington Redskins and is expected to miss several weeks, according to the NFL Network.


Sturgis was injured early in Sunday's 30-17 win over the Washington Redskins but was able to stay in the game.


After the game, coach Doug Pederson said it was why the Eagles went for a two-point conversion following their last touchdown.


--Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt is considered week-to-week with a biceps injury, according to a report by the NFL Network.


Tuitt signed a five-year, $60 million extension Saturday and was injured in Pittsburgh's 21-18 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.


The Steelers did not announce how long Tuitt will be out, but it's possible he might miss the next two games against the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears.


-- Denver Broncos kicker Brandon McManus agreed to a three-year, $11.2 million deal before the season kicks off Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers.


Team president and general manager John Elway broke the news on the Broncos' Twitter feed.


McManus becomes the fourth-highest paid kicker in the NFL.


--The Houston Texans may be without five players for Thursday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals because they are in the concussion protocol.


Following Sunday's 29-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, inside linebacker Brian Cushing, wide receiver Bruce Ellington and all three tight ends on the active roster -- C.J. Fiedorowicz, Ryan Griffin and Stephen Anderson -- were getting examined for possible concussions.


Texans coach Bill O'Brien acknowledged it would tough for those players to play because of the short turnaround.


--The Arizona Cardinals re-signed veteran linebacker Philip Wheeler.


The Cardinals originally signed Wheeler to a one-year contract on July 27, but he was released Friday.


Wheeler's original contract called for his $695,000 salary to be guaranteed if he made Arizona's opening day roster. If he stays on the team for the rest of the season, the Cardinals would only pay him for the weeks he is on the roster.

 

[CNOTES]

Dolphins make home in California, for now
September 11, 2017


OXNARD, Calif. -- The Miami Dolphins are awaiting arrival of their players as the team prepares for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers in what has become the Dolphins' season opener.


The Dolphins will use the Dallas Cowboys' training camp facility in Oxnard, Calif.


Hurricane Irma postponed Sunday's scheduled game against Tampa Bay at Hard Rock Stadium to Nov. 19, the bye week for both teams.


Dolphins owner Steve Ross flew a group of players, coaches, staff and their families to Southern California on Friday to escape the hurricane. He flew another group out on Saturday.


The families will return home, at Ross' expense, when it's deemed safe.


Many players left for destinations all around the nation, with the team's permission, after the Tampa Bay game was postponed.


They'll use all available airports -- Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, Orange County, etc. -- to get back in time for Tuesday's 10 a.m. team meeting and Wednesday's practice.


The Dolphins hoped all players would arrive by Monday night.


The Los Angeles Rams also offered their facility to the Dolphins.


--Miami is awaiting a post Hurricane Irma inspection of Hard Rock Stadium and its training facility in Davie, Fla., to determine whether either sustained damage.


Hard Rock Stadium recently completed the last phase of a $500 million renovation project and was built to withstand a category 4 hurricane. The Dolphins' next home game is scheduled for Oct. 8 against Tennessee.


If the Dolphins have damage to their training facility, they have a plan to practice next week at The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia in preparation for their Sept. 24 game at the New York Jets.


NOTES: QB Jay Cutler is coming off a good preseason, but must keep his turnovers under control. He lost a fumble on a strip-sack during preseason. Other than that, the strong-armed Cutler appears ready. His knack for finding WR DeVante Parker on deep routes should be something to watch. ... K Cody Parkey, who was 20 of 25 on field goals last season for Cleveland, was 0 of 3 against Miami in an early-season game at Hard Rock Stadium. That could be good or bad. Parkey was 20 of 22 for the rest of the season, but he struggled at Hard Rock Stadium, his new home. ... MLB Rey Maualuga had an extra week to lose weight and get in shape with the postponement of the Tampa Bay game. Maualuga said last week he was ready to play a full game, but head coach Adam Gase wasn't so sure. ... C Mike Pouncey, who has been managing a hip injury, could be affected by not having a bye week. Pouncey, who likely will only practice once a week, might have needed the bye more than anyone. But that possibility is gone because last week's opener against Tampa Bay has been rescheduled for Nov. 19, previously the bye week. It will be interesting to see if Pouncey is on a snap count, at least early in the season. ... WR Jarvis Landry remains in a holding pattern regarding possible disciplinary action from the league in relation to his domestic violence allegation. The Broward County (Fort Lauderdale) State's Attorney office is deciding whether to file charges against Landry for an incident earlier this year. But the NFL is also looking into the matter.

 

[CNOTES]

Opening Line Report - Week 2
September 11, 2017

We saw some impressive performances in Week 1 of the 2017 NFL season (Rams, Lions, Jags, Chiefs, even the Bears in a loss), and we saw some ugly ones, too (Bengals, Texans, Colts, Cardinals, Patriots). But what are we to make of just one game? Should we write it off as too small a sample, or should we expect more of the same from these teams?


We asked a pair of prominent Las Vegas bookmakers – the Las Vegas Westgate SuperBook’s Ed Salmons and the Wynn’s John Avello – for their thoughts on what they saw in Week1, as well as on the week ahead.


Lines below are from the Westgate as of about 2 p.m. ET on Monday, with early moves and differences among books noted.


Thursday, Sept. 14


Houston at Cincinnati (-3.5, 38.5)


This matchup of two of Week 1’s most disappointing teams saw the line move in the home favorite’s direction from its opening number of Cincy -3 at the Westgate.


The Bengals were blanked at home by Baltimore, 20-0, thanks largely to Andy Dalton’s five turnovers. Salmons isn’t necessarily high on Cincy this season, but he’s hesitant to put too much stock into Sunday’s performance.


“They’re not as bad as they showed,” Salmons said. “To me, they’re a .500 team. They obviously played atrociously.”


The Texans suffered their own embarrassment at home, losing to Jacksonville, 29-7.


“I don’t know what they are on offense, other than not very good,” Salmons said of the Texans.


Perhaps a move from Tom Savage to Deshaun Watson can help change that.


Sunday, Sept. 17


Tennessee (-1.5, 43.5) at Jacksonville

The wiseguys may finally get paid off on the Jaguars.


“Their season wins (6.5) is a battle of public vs. sharps. Sharps like them ‘over’, the public was pounding them ‘under,’” Salmons said of the Jags.


With Jacksonville’s win on the road Sunday, those ‘over’ bets are off to a good start.


The win didn’t surprise Salmons, who’s become a believer in the Jags.

“For years now they’ve been drafting high in the first round and drafting a ton of SEC-type players,” Salmons said. “…. I said early (in Sunday’s game), ‘Houston’s got no chance, Jacksonville’s just killing them everywhere on defense.’


“And with (Doug) Marrone coaching the team now, it’s essentially like a Tom Coughlin-coached team that’s going to run the ball, ball control and let their defense win games and not turn the ball over, and that’s exactly what they did (Sunday). Jacksonville I buy into. They’re going to have a chance at winning that division (AFC South) this year.”


Despite the Jags winning and the Titans losing at home to Oakland, Tennessee was bet up from -1 to -1.5 in early wagering.


Said Salmons, “Tennessee is the most talented team in the division, but the coach (Mike Mularkey) is really bad. I don’t like the Tennessee coach at all.”

Cleveland at Baltimore (-7.5, 41)


Browns rookie QB Deshone Kizer was solid at home against the Steelers on Sunday, but gets his first test on the road next week. While the point spread stayed put from the Westgate’s opening number through the first 18 hours of wagering, the Wynn is dealing Baltimore -8.

Buffalo at Carolina (-7.5, 42.5)


The slightest of moves toward the dog on this inter-conference affair from the Westgate’s opening number of Carolina -8.

New England (-4.5, 53.5) at New Orleans


Early action went against the Patriots, who opened -4.5 at the Westgate, after their uninspiring opening week performance against the Chiefs.


“It’s probably one of the worst game I’ve seen them play since they lost that Monday night game in Kansas City (41-14 in Week 4 of the 2014 season) when everyone wrote them off,” Salmons said of the Pats.


(The Pats, of course, went on to win the Super Bowl that season.)


“I’d never write the Patriots off,” Salmons added. “I would expect them to bounce back, but it’s always tough to play in New Orleans, so if they were to lose that game it wouldn’t surprise me. But I still think they’ll bounce back and win that division (AFC East). That division is just so bad.”

Arizona (-7.5, 44) at Indianapolis


This line jumped past the key number from the Westgate’s opener of Arizona -6.5.


Neither team looked good in Week 1 – the Cards losing 35-23 at Detroit, the Colts getting rolled 46-9 at the Rams.


Both teams have fundamental issues working against them – for Indy, it’s coach and quarterback; for Arizona, it’s age.


“I can’t understand the Colts bringing (coach Chuck) Pagano back for another year. It just doesn’t make sense,” Salmons said. “And going with (Scott) Tolzien (in place of the injured Andrew Luck), who proved last year he can’t play – it’s just a disaster. If Luck doesn’t play, you’re looking at a team that’s in Jets territory.”


Perhaps Jacoby Brissett, who replaced Tolzien in the fourth quarter in L.A., will get a chance next week to prove that statement wrong.


As for the Cardinals, Salmons said, “Carson Palmer is getting old and older and older, and David Johnson got hurt. ... There’s a lot of people who thought the Cardinals would bounce back this year, but they sure looked like an old team (Sunday).”

Philadelphia at Kansas City (-4.5, 48)


The Westgate opened K.C. -4, the Wynn posted -5.5, and the line settled somewhere in the middle, between -4.5 and -5, after early bets were booked.


Ironically, our conversation with Salmons turned to the Chiefs’ suddenly-potent offense that features weapons like Tyreek Hill and rookie Kareem Hunt.


“Kansas City’s got some pretty good speed and could give any team troubles the way they can stretch the field,” Salmons said. “They present some problems.”


But they have a problem of their own.


“Losing (Eric) Berry is a killer – you’re talking about one of the best safeties in the game,” Salmons said. “I think Kansas City can still win that division (AFC West). I think their defense is better than the Raiders defense, but you just don’t know how much of loss (Berry) is going to be.”’


Minnesota at Pittsburgh (-7, 45)


This line stuck at a touchdown during the first few days of wagering, as the betting market waited to see what the Vikes look like Monday night.

Chicago at Tampa Bay (-6.5, 43)


While the Bucs were adjusted from -6 to -6.5 Monday at the Westgate, Salmons expects the Bears to take a step forward under John Fox this season.


Chicago nearly beat the defending NFC champion Falcons on Sunday, but, down 23-17 in the closing minute, failed to get into the endzone with four chances from the 5-yard line.


“The Bears I buy,” Salmons said. “I think they’re going to be dramatically improved this year. You can see how strong they were on both the offensive and defensive lines (Sunday).”


Miami at Chargers (-4, 44.5)


LAC -3.5 was posted on the Statosphere’s board Sunday night but was snapped up quickly, and the book joined the rest of the crowd at -4.


Jets at Oakland (-14, 43.5)


The Westgate removed the hook from its opener of Raiders -14.5 less than an hour after posting Week 2 lines. The Wynn was dealing -13.5.

Washington at Rams (-2.5, 46)


Some shops are dealing Rams -3 (even).


Salmons expects the Rams to improve under first-year coach Sean McVay but cautions against buying too much into them until they start to proving themselves against better teams. With an Andrew Luck-less Colts team followed by the Redskins – both at home – there’s only so much to be gleaned from the first two weeks of the season.


“The Rams are going to be better this year. We thought that going in, just with the coaching change,” Salmons said. “Jeff Fisher was so outdated it was a joke, and how he lasted as long as he did was mind-boggling.”


But, he added, “It’s hard to judge the Rams until they play someone we think is a playoff team.”


Dallas (-2.5) at Denver

While the Westgate has held steady at Dallas -2.5, some shops are dealing -2, and the line at CG Technology has been as low as -1.


San Francisco at Seattle (-12.5, 43.5)


The Niners were available on Monday for +13.5 for those interested in the dog here.


The Wynn’s Avello sees a dropoff in Seattle, but thinks the Seahawks will still win their division.


“The Seahawk defense, on a scale from 1 to 10, they’re still an 8, but they’re not a 10 like they once were,” Avello said. “But they’re going to win their share of games.”


Green Bay at Atlanta (-2.5, 53.5)

Some shops are dealing Atlanta -3 (even), but based on the number for last season’s NFC Championship game, the Falcons price looks cheap in this spot. As 6.5-point faves, the Falcons trounced the Packers 44-21 last January.


Next week’s Sunday nighter marks the Falcons’ regular-season debut in their new digs, Mercedes-Benz Stadium.


Monday, Sept. 18


Detroit at Giants (-5.5)


Sunday night was one to forget for Giants fans, as they watched their team gain a paltry 233 yards in a 19-3 loss at Dallas.


“Eli Manning can look as bad as he can look good,” Avello said. “Not having Odell Beckham certainly hurts, but I expected the Giants defensive line to shut down the run game, which they didn’t, so it was just a bad game for the Giants all around.”


The Lions, meanwhile, were resilient in their win at home against Arizona, but Salmons is reserving judgement.


“We’ve seen this from Detroit in the past, that they can rise up and play well at home against not the top teams but the borderline playoff teams,” Salmons said. “But whenever they play Green Bay or any of the really good teams, they never seem to be able to play up with those teams. Until I see Detroit can beat the top-flight teams, I think nothing more of Detroit than what I thought before the year.”


We’re not sure the Giants provide the sort of benchmark Salmons is looking for.

 

[CNOTES]

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


NO at MIN 07:10 PM


NO +3.0


O 47.5


LAC at DEN 10:20 PM


LAC +3.0


O 42.0

 

[CNOTES]

Vikings cruise past Saints 29-19 in opener
September 11, 2017


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Sam Bradford set the NFL record for completion percentage for Minnesota last season, his accuracy aided by the volume of short passes under heavy pressure.


With protection from the rush, he showed Monday night he can throw the ball down the field with the best of them.


Bradford started his second year with Minnesota in style, passing for 346 yards and three touchdowns to help the Vikings beat New Orleans 29-19 and spoil Adrian Peterson's first game with the Saints.


''When I've got time to sit back there and kind of evaluate things, I've got all the confidence in the world that our guys outside are going to win,'' Bradford said.


Stefon Diggs had seven receptions for 93 yards, two for scores and all in the first half, and Adam Thielen racked up 157 yards on nine catches as Bradford carved up a Saints defense that looked again like one of the worst in the league despite a major renovation. Rookie Dalvin Cook rushed for 127 yards on 22 carries in the formal takeover from Peterson.


Peterson was limited to 18 yards on six carries, in a time share with Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara and an afterthought once the Saints fell behind. Drew Brees was quiet, too, with 291 yards on 27-for-37 passing padded by the late push to catch up.


''We didn't do anything different or try to out-trick them,'' Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr said. ''You know, line up and play, do your job.''


Coby Fleener caught the only touchdown toss, after the 2-minute warning. Will Lutz made four field goals, three under 25 yards.


''The bottom line,'' Brees said, ''is you've got to score touchdowns.''


Brees and Bradford are both in the final year of their contracts, with the same agent, Tom Condon, who is sure to cash in on both clients. Brees has by far the better resume, nine seasons further into his career, but Bradford stole the show on this prime-time stage.


Behind mostly clean pockets created by a remade offensive line, Bradford completed 27 of 32 passes without a turnover. With three rookies and three free agents in the starting lineup, the Saints tried hard to better a defense that has held Brees and company back since the Super Bowl title eight years ago. The first performance left a lot to be desired, with Diggs and Thielen consistently finding favorable matchups underneath and along the sideline.


''I just try to run a route, catch the pass, but Sam, you know, he's a slinger,'' Diggs said.


FLAGS FLY


The Saints had three unnecessary roughness calls in the first half. Two of the personal fouls extended a drive that ended with one of three field goals by Kai Forbath. The other 15-yarder was on safety Kenny Vaccaro for head-hunting Diggs during an acrobatic catch in the closing seconds of the first half. Diggs came right back with another highlight-reel grab to give the Vikings a 16-6 lead at the break after a 10-play, 95-yard drive.


Cameron Jordan and A.J. Klein each had their hands on a tipped pass in the end zone that fluttered off Cook's hands, missing a critical opportunity to thwart that drive and keep the deficit at four points.

DECENT DEBUT

Cook became the first Vikings running back to start a season opener since Michael Bennett in 2001. Despite trouble hanging onto a couple of passes thrown his way, he helped salt away the game in the second half. Bradford and Cook were the primary beneficiaries of the work done by an offensive line with four new starters and plenty of old external skepticism after a lackluster 2016 performance.


''In the building, we felt great about those guys,'' Bradford said. ''We've seen what we're capable of doing.''

BACK AGAIN


Ten years and two days after Peterson made his NFL debut in purple with 103 yards rushing and a 60-yard touchdown reception on this same block of downtown Minneapolis, albeit in a different stadium, he returned in black, white and gold as a part-time player for the pass-first Saints.


The crowd was really fired up for the reunion with another former Vikings great. Former wide receiver Randy Moss, already on site as an analyst for ESPN, became the 22nd member of the team's Ring of Honor in a halftime ceremony punctuated by a passionate speech and shout-out to the fans.


TACKLE TROUBLE


With Terron Armstead still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, rookie Ryan Ramczyk started at left tackle for the Saints. Then right tackle Zach Strief injured his left leg in the second quarter, forcing Senio Kelemete into action. Vikings defensive ends Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter caused havoc.

UP NEXT


The Saints play Sunday against New England, their only home game in the season's first five weeks.


The Vikings visit Pittsburgh on Sunday, their only road game over the first four weeks of the schedule.

 

[CNOTES]

Saints' Peterson plays sparingly in return to Minnesota
September 12, 2017


MINNEAPOLIS -- Adrian Peterson envisioned a triumphant return to Minnesota. The four-time All-Pro and 2012 NFL Most Valuable Player always pictures the most optimistic view possible.


In his first season with the New Orleans Saints, Peterson made his debut Monday against his former team, the Vikings. He is Minnesota's career rushing leader with 11,747 yards, and he scored 102 touchdowns in 10 seasons.


The proud Peterson might have hoped for a hero's welcome but would have been satisfied with an opening-night win for his new team.


His New Orleans debut did not go the way Anderson or the Saints hoped.


Peterson was held to 18 yards on six carries in the Vikings' 29-19 victory.


"It was a little different, but once I got out there, it was more fun," Peterson said. "I wish I could have gotten more snaps, but it was and interesting going up against those guys."


He took the field for the opening snap to a strong chorus of boos from the Minnesota faithful. Peterson then proceeded to rip off a 9-yard run on his first carry, pushing the pile forward with perhaps a little more force behind his churning legs.


Peterson got a carry on the second play, too, and picked up just enough for a first down. He received just four carries and gained just 8 yards the rest of the way.


"We stopped him and didn't let him get going," said Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen, who spent seven seasons going up against Peterson in practice.


Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes talked during the week about his eagerness to line up against Peterson, but he was more complimentary of the former face of Minnesota's franchise.


"It's a game, you have fun with it," Rhodes said. "We love Adrian and still love him to death. He's done a lot for Minnesota, so we still have respect for him."


Peterson split rushing duties with Mark Ingram and rookie Alvin Kamara as was expected. However, New Orleans averaged just 2.9 yards per carry. Kamara led the way with seven carries for just 18 yards. Ingram ran the ball six times for 17 yards.


"Of course it's tough," Peterson said about losing and getting just six attempts. "I'm an ultimate competitor. It's tough. I knew the type of situation I was coming into. At the end of the day, we have to figure out how we can do better.


"With that being said, three of the first four drives ended up in the red zone. The red-zone efficiency wasn't good."


Peterson was even off the field a few times in the red zone. The frustration might have set in as cameras saw him walking after coach Sean Payton and saying something to Payton with a stern look on his face. Both of them said there was no issue.


"Listen, I'd tell you if we were in a heated exchange, so why don't you ask him," Payton responded. "I think he was into it. We were all into it. There was not one (exchange) that I could recall, and I'm being honest."


Peterson said he advised Payton they should run some inside zone at one point, but he couldn't recall the instance caught on TV. He said he just as easily could have said, "I love you."


"There's no conflict," Peterson said. "Let's not try and spin it. There's no conflict. I have a lot of respect for Coach Payton and his offense. He's a great mind."


Meanwhile, Peterson's replacement was enjoying his NFL debut. Dalvin Cook, who was drafted out of Florida State in the second round, had 22 carries for 127 yards.


"He just told me to keep balling, and I told him that I'm just following the GOAT's footsteps," Cook said of his chat with Peterson after the game. "That's what I'm doing. I'm learning, but there's a lot to learn and there's a lot to learn from him. He did some great things with this organization that he put on tape that I like to watch."


Peterson likely will return one day to Minnesota to receive the welcome he deserves, possibly with a spot in the team's Ring of Honor that former receiver Randy Moss joined on Monday night. Peterson didn't get that warm welcome on Monday.

 

[CNOTES]

NFL Record For Sept......


09/11/2017.............2-1-1..............66.67%...........+450


09/10/2017.............14-10-0...........58.33%..........+1500


09/07/2017.............2-0-0..............100.00%.........+1000




Totals...................18 - 11 - 1...........62.06%.........+2950








Best Bets or POD....Will be Denoted as *****




None

 

[CNOTES]

Broncos block late FG, top Chargers 24-21 in Joseph's debut
September 11, 2017


DENVER (AP) Shelby Harris got a hand on Younghoe Koo's 44-yard field goal attempt with a second left, and the Broncos began the Vance Joseph era with a 24-21 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night.


Koo nailed the kick moments earlier, but Joseph had called a timeout to ice the kicker.


''I had two timeouts and I wasn't going to leave with those in my pocket,'' Joseph said. ''So, just ice the kid and see how he reacted.''


On the re-do, Harris - who made the team largely because of a rash of injuries along the D-line - sliced through and got his right hand on the kick.


It was reminiscent of last year's opener, when the Broncos escaped with a 21-20 win over the Carolina Panthers when Graham Gano missed a 50-yard field goal with 4 seconds left.


Denver took a 24-7 lead into the fourth quarter but had two turnovers that were converted into touchdowns, a missed field goal and a punt.


''The game was in firm control for about three quarters there and we felt good but you turn the ball over twice on the short side of the 50, it's going to be a problem with Philip Rivers,'' Joseph said.


Von Miller presented Joseph with a game ball in the jubilant locker room.


''It wasn't clean, but it's good to win,'' Joseph said. ''It's a hard league. Every week is going to be a challenge, so a win's a win. We'll take it.''


Before those fourth-quarter foibles, Trevor Siemian threw two TD passes to Bennie Fowler and ran for another score.


The Broncos held Philip Rivers to 115 yards passing through three quarters but let him engineer a comeback when Siemian threw an interception and Jamaal Charles fumbled on plays that were upheld despite video evidence that had the crowd of 76,324 convinced they should have been overturned.


Safety Adrian Phillips intercepted a pass that went off cornerback Desmond King's leg as King was tackling Fowler while the ball was still in the air. A review upheld the turnover and L.A. pulled to 24-14 on Keenan Allen's 5-yard TD catch with eight minutes left.


Less than a minute later, Charles fumbled - although replays showed his left elbow was down before the ball was ripped away by Korey Toomer. Cornerback Casey Hayward recovered. One play later, Rivers hit Travis Benjamin for a 38-yard touchdown that made it 24-21 and safety Darian Stewart hobbled off with a strained groin.


Back-to-back sacks of Siemian set up a 50-yard field goal try that McManus pushed wide right, giving L.A. the ball at its 40-yard line.


But Koo's miss loomed larger in the final seconds.


The Broncos led 14-7 at halftime after Siemian threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Fowler and scored on a 1-yard keeper .


Los Angeles' only touchdown drive was aided by a 40-yard pass interference call on cornerback Bradley Roby before Rivers hit running back Melvin Gordon for an 11-yard touchdown toss. Safety Justin Simmons hit Gordon at the 2, but he just somersaulted across the goal line.


Rivers stayed away from the All-Pro tandem of Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr., instead targeting Roby and safeties Stewart and Simmons.


Roby atoned for his crucial penalty with an interception in the third quarter on a pass intended for Allen. That led to Siemian's 6-yard TD toss to Fowler that made it 21-7.


McManus kicked a 20-yard field goal on the last play of the third quarter, capping a 78-yard drive that ate up 8 minutes, 16 seconds.


The game presented landmarks on the football field , along the sidelines and in the broadcast booth .


Not since 1960 had the Chargers represented L.A., where they played their inaugural season before bolting to San Diego.


Beth Mowins became the first woman to call an NFL regular season game since NBC's Gayle Sierens in 1987 when she handled play-by-play on the doubleheader nightcap alongside Rex Ryan, who made his debut as an ESPN analyst.


With Anthony Lynn also making his head coaching debut, this marked the first time two black head coaches worked their first NFL game against each other in the same game.


Lynn burned one of his timeouts with a curious throw of his red flag to challenge a rather inconsequential incompletion in the first quarter.


MCMANUS'S MILLIONS : McManus was the last restricted free agent to sign his tender this summer, waiting until June 15 to put his signature on a one-year, $2.75 million deal after making $600,000 last season. He did it in hopes of getting a long-term deal, which he finally got Monday just hours before kickoff when he agreed to a three-year extension worth $11.25 million.


A first-time team captain, McManus approached coach Joseph before the final preseason game and talked him into allowing the special teams players to participate in pregame introductions: ''First time at any level, high school, college or NFL,'' explained McManus. ''It's a huge dream of mine to come out to 70,000 fans cheering.''


BEEFY BRONCOS : The Broncos beefed up their depleted defensive line before kickoff by promoting rookie nose tackle Tyrique ''Pot Roast Jr.'' Jarrett to their active roster and waiving Kyle Peko.


The undrafted pro from the University of Pittsburgh is generously listed as packing 335 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame. His teammates gave him his nickname because he reminds them of former Broncos run-stuffer Terrance ''Pot Roast'' Knighton.


INJURY UPDATES: Chargers backup SS Rayshawn Jenkins left in the second half with a concussion. So did Broncos starting right guard Ronald Leary, who was replaced by second-year pro Connor McGovern. Leary will be in concussion protocol during the week as the Broncos prepare to face his former team, the Dallas Cowboys. Broncos rookie CB Brandon Langley left in the fourth quarter with a knee injury.


UP NEXT: The Chargers host the Miami Dolphins, whose opener was scrubbed by Hurricane Irma. The Broncos are home again to take on the Cowboys.

 

[CNOTES]

Tuesday’s six-pack


— Missouri fired its defensive coordinator….two games into the season.


— Cardinals’ RB David Johnson dislocated his wrist, needs an operation.


— FIU/Indiana, Georgia Tech/UCF football games for Saturday were called off.


— Indians 11, Tigers 0— Cleveland has now won 19 games in a row.


— Rams signed P Johnny Hekker to a contract thru 2022.


— Random fact: In terms of area, Jacksonville is the biggest city in the continental 48 states.


**********************


Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but………


13) Watching these news stations put reporters in harm’s way during these storms, it bugs me. Why it is so important to put a human being out there in dangerous storms?


We know it is horrible weather; showing some poor soul trying to brave the elements to try and enhance their career is just plain stupid. Safety should matter for reporters, too.


12) Last baseball team to go thru a 1-12 stretch and win the World Series that year? The 1914 Boston Braves, whose 1-12 skid was from April 24-May 16.


Dodgers are 1-15 in their last 16 games.


11) Washington State’s quarterbacks Saturday:
— Luke Falk was 24-34 for 194 yards
— Tyler Hilinski was 25-33 for 240 yards and three TD’s.


That has to be the first time a team had two QB’s throw 30+ passes in the same game.


10) Georgia’s game in South Bend Saturday was the furthest north they’ve played since a game at Michigan in 1965. Georgia fans travelled; Doug Flutie said on TV that the crowd was 50-50 split between Georgia fans and the home team.


9) Friday night’s game with Milwaukee was first Cubs’ Friday home game ever played at nite.


8) Indians’ winning streak has vaulted them ahead of Houston for top seed in the American League; if playoffs started today, Cleveland would play the Wild Card winner, Astros-Red Sox would be the other AL playoff series.


7) Stephen Strasburg has now thrown 34 consecutive scoreless innings; I watched his start on Tuesday— looked like something was bothering him physically, but no one can score on him, and he gutted out his start and helped Washington win.


6) For whatever reason, a high school football team from Miami played at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas this past Friday night, but they couldn’t get home because of the storm. Now they’re stuck in Las Vegas, which is a good place to be stuck. Bishop Gorman helped out with getting them a place to stay until they can go home.


5) Kent State football coach Paul Haynes is back this week from medical leave he had taken to deal with prostate cancer. Hope he is feeling better.


4) People on social media were going nuts because Beth Mowins was doing play-by-play of the Chargers’ game. So what? She’s been doing games on ESPN for years, usually the noon college game on ESPN2. She does a fine job, nothing surprising about it.


3) Vikings 29, Saints 19— New Orleans was poor in the red zone; they kicked three FG’s that were shorter than 25 yards. Saints started the last three seasons 0-2/0-3/0-3— now they’re 0-1 and they’re playing New England on a short week Sunday.


2) Broncos 24, Chargers 21— Chargers roared back from 24-7 deficit, but missed FG on last play of game that would’ve sent game to OT. Rex Ryan was disappointing as an ESPN analyst.


Philip Rivers hasn’t missed a game since 2006, which means that he is on the downside of his career. If the Chargers aren’t any good with him, what will they be like when he leaves? There is no decent young QB on the Charger roster. You say Cardale Jones? I say Buffalo didn’t want him, which immediately makes him a suspect.


1) I’d much prefer having a Monday night NFL doubleheader every week to having a Thursday night game every week. Football wasn’t meant to be played on three days’ rest.

 

[CNOTES]

Wednesday’s six-pack


NFL trends for Week 2:


— Houston is 1-8 in last nine games as a non-divisional road dog.


— Indianapolis covered 10 of last 12 tries as a home underdog.


— Cleveland is 6-19 vs spread in last 25 games as an underdog.


— Arizona is 3-9 vs spread in its last 12 games.


— Falcons are 4-13 vs spread in last 17 games as a home favorite.


— Detroit is 4-9 in last 13 games as a non-divisional road dog.


****************************

Wednesday’s List of 13: Mid-week musings…….


13) Baseball is cool because odd things sometimes happen; Monday night/Tuesday morning’s Dodger-Giant game was nothing if not odd.


There was a 42-minute rain delay at the start, then the game began, the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter struck out and then the rains came again, forcing a rain delay of 2:52.


The game resumed at about 1:55am here in the east; it ended around 5am. Thats 5 in the morning.


12) Pablo Sandoval was in a 1 for 47 slump when he singled to left in the 6th inning very late Monday night, or at roughly 4am Tuesday morning here in the east.


11) Indians were -$500 against Detroit Tuesday; I’ve never seen a baseball line that high.


10) Only nine out of over 2,000 people went 5-0 in the first week of the SuperContest at the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas. Denver was -3 in the contest, so anyone who had that game got a push.


9) Charger-Bronco game Monday night was only Week 1 NFL game where no points were scored in the last 2:00 of either half.


8) All four NFC North teams covered the spread in Week 1, only division that can say that.


7) Dolphins are practicing in Oxnard, CA at the Cowboys’ training camp facility this week, as they prepare to play the Chargers Sunday. Has to be a very strange week for them.


6) Yasiel Puig’s platoon splits this year:
vs lefty pitchers: .162, one HR, 8 RBI, 105 AB
vs righty pitchers: .286, 24 HR, 58 RBI, 343 AB


Very odd for a right-handed hitter like Puig.


5) Tennessee started their game Sunday by trying an onside kick, the first team to try that since the Vikings in 2009. Neither onside kick worked.


4) 2018 baseball schedules were released Tuesday. Opening Day is Thursday, March 29— for the first time since 1968, every team will play on Opening Day.


3) A’s play the White Sox at home on April 17; the game is free for all fans— it marks the 50th anniversary of the A’s first game in Oakland, after they moved from Kansas City.


2) Milwaukee Brewers will find out early next season if they’re going to contend; they play 14 games in April against the Cubs/Cardinals.


1) Seattle Mariners play 18 road games next April; their schedule is usually more cumbersome because of their being in the Pacific Northwest, but 18 road games in April is tough.

 

[CNOTES]

Close Calls - Week 1
September 12, 2017


Glancing at the scoreboard won’t tell you the whole story in most games. Here are some of the games that went down to the wire relative to the spread in the fourth quarter last week in Week 1 of the NFL regular season.


Buffalo Bills (-7) 21, New York Jets 12 (42): This AFC East opener featured limited offense as expected but the underdog Jets hung around, actually a failed two-point conversion away from tying the game late in the third quarter after a 75-yard drive was capped off with a Josh McCown rush. The Bills answered with their own touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter to lead by nine, past the spread though +9 was momentarily available on the Jets during the week. New York had four more drives in the final 12 minutes but wound up with a pair of punts and a pair of interceptions as the Bills held on.


Atlanta Falcons (-6½) 23, Chicago Bears 17 (48): The Falcons and Bears were tied at halftime but Atlanta connected for an 88-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to go up 20-10. The Bears managed to answer with a touchdown to get back to within three and then held the Falcons to a short field goal to put the margin at six, enough for most Chicago backers to cover although the spread did sit at -6 for a few stretches. A fumble on the kickoff return was a near disaster but the Bears retained possession and Mike Glennon led a drive to the red zone however they reached 1st and goal from the 5-yard-line with no timeouts left and only 21 seconds to go. On 1st and 2nd down Glennon’s targets let him down with catchable balls near the goal line but another incomplete pass followed and on 4th down Glennon was sacked to end the game, leaving the margin right at six.

Philadelphia Eagles (-2) 30, Washington Redskins 17 (49): The spread on this game bounced around tremendously over the course of the week and through three quarters the margin matched the closing spread with a 19-17 edge for the Eagles with only two field goals in the third quarter after 30 points in the first half. Early in the final frame Kirk Cousins was intercepted near the goal line for a huge turn of events for both the spread and total results and after trading punts the Eagles were in position to add points. Facing 4th-and-1 at the Washington 20-yard-line Doug Pederson took a timeout to deliberate but eventually kicked the field goal to put the Eagles up by five, past the spread but still at risk. On 2nd down on Washington’s possession just after the two-minute-warning the ball was hit out of the hand of Kirk Cousins in an attempted pass and recovered for a touchdown return. Replay made a strong case for an incomplete pass ruling but the fumble return stood as called. The Eagles added a two-point conversion for a 13-point final margin with the game staying just barely ‘under’ the total.


Detroit Lions (+2) 35, Arizona Cardinals 23 (48½): Arizona led 17-9 late in the third quarter but a David Johnson fumble handed the Lions the ball at the Arizona 10-yard line. Detroit capitalized with a touchdown but the two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete. Detroit’s defense held while Matthew Stafford’s late game heroics from last season carried over to the 2017 opener with back-to-back touchdown drives. That put Detroit comfortably past the slight underdog spread up by 11 with about four minutes to go while also sitting just past the common total. Miles Killebrew would return a Carson Palmer interception for a touchdown on Arizona’s next offensive play for the Lions to seal the game in a fourth quarter that featured 26 points.

Pittsburgh Steelers (-10) 21, Cleveland Browns 18 (47½): The Steelers scored early on a blocked punt return and led 21-10 through three quarters despite limited offensive production. A Browns drive into Pittsburgh territory ended up with DeShone Kizer’s first interception on the 17-yard-line but the Steelers couldn’t put the game away as Ben Roethlisberger was picked off near the end zone as well in a big boost to the chances for the ‘under’. After a pair of fourth quarter punts Cleveland hit a few big pass plays and scored a touchdown with just over three minutes to go, also netting the two-point-conversion to make it a three-point game while also bringing overtime into the realm of realistic possibilities. Pittsburgh managed to pick up a few first downs to burn the remaining clock but the Browns wound up with the underdog cover.

Minnesota Vikings (-3) 29, New Orleans Saints 19 (47½): The Vikings were in relative command after scoring two touchdowns in the final five minutes of the first half. The ‘under’ pace held with two third quarter field goals for only 28 points entering the fourth quarter. The Vikings put the game away with a field goal with four minutes to go for a 29-12 lead but the Saints pushed the total just ‘over’ with a touchdown just after the two-minute warning, though 48 was a common number before a Monday afternoon slide to 47½.

Denver Broncos (-3) 24, Los Angeles Chargers 21 (41½): Denver took control in the second half leading 24-7 at the end of the third quarter. As has been the case in the past, the Chargers made a great late rally sparked by an interception. With good field position the Chargers drove 43 yards for a score to get within 10 and the Broncos had a fumble two plays later to give Los Angeles another great opportunity. On first down Philip Rivers hit Travis Benjamin for a 38-yard touchdown to push the total ‘over’ and sit the Denver lead right on the closing spread. The Broncos missed a 50-yard field goal but the Chargers failed to take advantage and punted. Denver was pinned deep and couldn’t pick up a first down. Getting the ball back at the 38-yard line the Chargers had a great opportunity and they drove to field goal range in the final seconds. Icing the kicker with a timeout worked as Younghoe Koo’s 44-yard attempt to force overtime was blocked.

 

[CNOTES]

Tech Trends - Week 2
September 12, 2017

THURSDAY, SEP. 14
NFL Matchups NFL Matchups
HOUSTON at CINCINNATI (NFL, 8:30 p.m. ET)
Last four “under” in series including 2012 playoffs. Texans just 6-11 vs. line away past two seasons, and Houston 2-7 as dog in 2016. But Marvin Lewis just 5-13-1 vs. line last 18 in reg season. Bengals “under” 20-8 last 28 since mid 2015.
Tech Edge: “Under,” based on “totals” trends.

SUNDAY, SEP. 17
NFL Matchups NFL Matchups
TENNESSEE at JACKSONVILLE (CBS, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Jags “over” 15-8 since late 2015. Both vs. Titans “over” LY. Jags “over” 10-4 last 14 at home. Jags have won and covered last three at home vs. Titans. Tennessee "under" in opener but “over” 13-6-1 since late 2015.
Tech Edge: “Over,” based on “totals” trends.


NFL Matchups NFL Matchups
CLEVELAND at BALTIMORE (CBS, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Edge lately to Ravens, though not as overwhelming as it would seem (covered last 3 and 4 of last 6). Cleveland covered opener but 10-22-1 vs. line since 2015, 6-10 on road.
Tech Edge: Slight to Ravens, based on series trends.


NFL Matchups NFL Matchups
BUFFALO at CAROLINA (CBS, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Bills were “over” 12-4 last season. Panthers 3-7-1 as chalk LY.
Tech Edge: Slight to “over” and Bills, based on “totals” and team trends.


NFL Matchups NFL Matchups
NEW ENGLAND at NEW ORLEANS (CBS, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Saints 9-2 last 11 as dog and are 5-0 as home dog since 2015. Also “over” 11-5 at Superdome since 2015. Pats 6-1 as road chalk LY but things broke well; Belichick was 4-12 in role previous three years. NE 9-2 vs. line after last 11 reg.-season losses, though just 3-2 last five.
Tech Edge: Saints and “over,” based on team and “totals” trends.


NFL Matchups NFL Matchups
ARIZONA at INDIANAPOLIS (FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Arians was 17-7 vs. line away his first three seasons with Cards but 3-6 since LY. Arizona “over” last 7 since 2016 and “over” last nine away LY.
Tech Edge: Cards and “over,” based on team and “totals” trends.


NFL Matchups NFL Matchups
PHILADELPHIA at KANSAS CITY (FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Birds only 2-6 vs. line away LY, and dropped both vs. line in second of back-to-backs away. Reid only 6-10 as Arrowhead chalk past two seasons, also “under” 8-16 last three seasons at home.
Tech Edge: Slight to “under,” based on team trends.


NFL Matchups NFL Matchups
MINNESOTA at PITTSBURGH (FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Vikes were 1-5 vs. line last six away LY, also dipped to 3-3 as dog after 7-1 mark in role previous year. Tomlin 23-16 as chalk since 2014. Steel “over” 6-4 last 10 at home.
Tech Edge: Slight to Steelers and “over,” based on team and “totals” trends.

NFL Matchups NFL Matchups
CHICAGO at TAMPA BAY (FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Bears 2-6 vs. line away LY after 5-2-1 for Fox in 2015, though Fox only 6-9-1 vs. line each of past two seasons. Bucs only 6-10 vs. line at home since 2015 and 2-8 as Raymond James chalk since 2014.
Tech Edge: Slight to Bears, based on extended Buc home chalk woes.


NFL Matchups NFL Matchups
MIAMI at L.A. CHARGERS (CBS, 4:05 p.m. ET)
At Qualcomm, Bolts were just 8-16 vs. spread past three seasons and lost at home vs. Dolphins LY, 31-24. If Bolts chalk note 7-12 mark in role since 2014. Miami closed reg. season on 7-3-1 spread run for Gase LY, when Dolphins also “over” 12-4.
Tech Edge: Dolphins, and “over,” based on team and “totals” trends.


NFL Matchups NFL Matchups
N.Y. JETS at OAKLAND (CBS, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Jets 4-8-2 vs. spread last 13 away. Also “under” 10-2 last 11 away.
Tech Edge: Raiders and "under," based on team and "totals" trends.


NFL Matchups NFL Matchups
WASHINGTON at L.A. RAMS (FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Skins 9-2 vs. line last 11 on road, also “over” 17-4 last 21 since late 2015. Rams 1-10-1 last 12 vs. line to close 2016, but opened big TY with romp past Colts.
Tech Edge: Redskins and “over,” based on team and “totals” trends.

NFL Matchups NFL Matchups
DALLAS at DENVER (FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Dallas “under” 6-2 away LY and “under” 16-8-1 last 25 reg.-season games.
Tech Edge: “Under,” based on “totals” trends.


NFL Matchups NFL Matchups
SAN FRANCISCO at SEATTLE (FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Seattle has won last seven SU in series (6-1 vs. line) and has won and covered six straight at home vs. Niners. SF “over” 7-2 last nine away.
Tech Edge: Seahawks and “over,” based on series and “totals” trends.

NFL Matchups NFL Matchups
GREEN BAY at ATLANTA (NBC, 8:30 p.m. ET)
Pack 4-2 as dog LY but just 1-8 in role previous three years. Falcs only 2-5 as reg season home chalk LY (2-0 in playoffs) but Atlanta now 6-16 as home chalk in reg season since 2013. Falcs also “over’ 16-3 LY including both games vs. Pack!
Tech Edge: “Over” and slight to Pack, based on “totals” and team trends.


MONDAY, SEP. 18
NFL Matchups NFL Matchups
DETROIT at N.Y. GIANTS (ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET)
Eli 8-3 vs. line last 11 in 2016, though lost opener, and Giants now “under” 13-4 in reg season since LY (5-3 at home LY). G-Men, however, just 2-9-1 vs. line in game immediately following Dallas.
Tech Edge: “Under,” based on “totals” trends.

 

[CNOTES]

NFL notebook: Bucs-Bears to play Sunday in Tampa
September 12, 2017


Officials approved Raymond James Stadium for Week 2 and the NFL agreed the game between the Buccaneers and Chicago Bears will be played as scheduled Sunday in Tampa, Fla.


The Bucs were still working through a bunch of logistical problems Monday.


First, they had to wait to see what damage to the infrastructure was done in Tampa by Hurricane Irma. However, it appears much of the area avoided what could have been a worse wallop.


"We have been working tirelessly with the Tampa Sports Authority, as well as the NFL league office, to ensure that Raymond James Stadium would be available to host our season opener against the Chicago Bears this Sunday." Buccaneers chief operating officer Brian Ford said.


"Hosting the game is important to us, as Tampa Bay has been through a lot over the past few days. We look forward to providing our fans and the entire region an opportunity to come together this Sunday to kick off our 2017 season."

-- Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson will have surgery on his left wrist and is expected to be sidelined two to three months, multiple outlets reported on Tuesday.


The Cardinals placed Johnson on injured reserve, but with a chance to return this season.


Johnson sought a second opinion after an early prognosis that he sustained a dislocated wrist in Sunday's 35-23 loss to the Detroit Lions.


The 25-year-old Johnson was initially injured while making a 24-yard reception in the third quarter, coach Bruce Arians said. Johnson returned on Arizona's next possession but fumbled on his next carry, which was recovered by the Lions.


The Cardinals re-signed Chris Johnson to help fill the void just 10 days after releasing him.

-- Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt isn't going to let a little thing like a finger injury slow him down, even if that injury reportedly dealt with a bone breaking through the skin.


When asked about his condition, Watt told the team's website on Tuesday that he was fine.


"It's inside my body, so it's still attached," the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year said.

-- The Los Angeles Rams signed punter Johnny Hekker to a two-year contract extension, the team announced.


Hekker, who initially signed a six-year extension in 2014, will remain with the team through the 2022 season. The deal gives the 27-year-old $10 million guaranteed, the most ever for a punter, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.


Hekker has led the league in punting yards the last two seasons, and his average of 46.9 yards per punt ranks third all-time in NFL history. He has been named a first-team All-Pro in three of the last four seasons.

-- New Orleans right tackle Zach Strief is expected to be sidelined a few weeks after sustaining an MCL sprain in his left knee during Monday's 29-19 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, according to multiple reports.


An MCL sprain typically is a four-week injury, which means Strief could be sidelined through the team's Week 5 bye.


Backup Senio Kelemete replaced Strief on Monday for New Orleans, which struggled to ignite its offense versus Minnesota. The 33-year-old Strief had missed just two games since 2013.


--The Philadelphia Eagles will sign rookie Jake Elliott off the Cincinnati Bengals' practice squad to replace fellow kicker Caleb Sturgis, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport on Tuesday.


Rapoport reported that Sturgis will be placed on injured reserve/designation to return after the kicker sustained a hip flexor injury in Philadelphia's season-opening 30-17 victory over the Washington Redskins on Sunday.


Elliott, who lost a competition to Randy Bullock this summer, was selected by Cincinnati with a fifth-round pick in the 2017 draft. He made 21 of 26 field goal attempts last season with Memphis, including two of three from outside of 50 yards.


--The Detroit Lions signed Jeff Locke on Tuesday to replace fellow punter Kasey Redfern, who was placed on injured reserve.


Locke averaged 43.2 yards per punt during four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings before being signed to a two-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts in the offseason. The Colts, however, released Locke last month.


Locke took part in workouts with the Lions on Monday after Redfern tore his ACL, MCL and part of the patellar tendon in his kicking leg in Sunday's season-opening 35-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

 

[CNOTES]

Watson reportedly will start Thursday
September 13, 2017


HOUSTON -- Houston Texans rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson is expected to start his first NFL game Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals, according to The Houston Chronicle.


The Chronicle reported that Watson's injured right ankle held up fine during practice Tuesday, removing the only potential obstacle to having the first-round draft pick make his starting debut at Paul Brown Stadium as the replacement for veteran Tom Savage.


During the portion of practice open to reporters, Watson took every snap.


The Texans are going with Watson for multiple reasons, including his superior mobility and elusiveness while operating behind a porous offensive line.


Although Watson was sacked four times during a 29-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and experienced some rough fundamental moments where he threw off his back foot, he did throw one touchdown pass and displayed an ability to escape pursuit.


Although the 0-1 AFC South franchise is poised to launch the Watson era, Texans head coach Bill O'Brien played it close to the vest Tuesday and declined to make it official and name a starting quarterback.


"I don't think there's a rule that says I have to publicly announce it," O'Brien said when asked if this was a potential game-time decision.


Unless Watson suffers a setback between now and kickoff, he's scheduled to start his first game since manufacturing a BCS national championship victory over Alabama with a game-winning touchdown pass.


"The health of any player is the first determinant in whether they play or not," O'Brien said of Watson, who didn't speak with reporters Tuesday.


After replacing Savage at halftime Sunday, Watson completed 12 of 23 passes for 102 yards, one touchdown and one interception for a 60.4 passer rating.


Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis is already convinced his defense will be competing against Watson.


"We're kind of planning on it being Deshaun," Lewis said during a conference call with Houston reporters. "Because if they made the change like they did at halftime, I would imagine it would be him coming forward here, at least this week."


The first-round draft pick, consensus All-America and national championship game-winner from Clemson completed 52.2 percent of his throws against Jacksonville and had a second interception nullified by a penalty. He rushed for 12 yards on two carries.


"He's a playmaker with good instincts and he's young," Texans quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan said. "He's going to make some mistakes, and it's on us to keep working with him and minimize his mistakes and get rid of them, not repeat them, and keep moving forward with him."


The Texans have started Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Mallett, T.J. Yates, Case Keenum, Brian Hoyer, Brandon Weeden, Brock Osweiler and Savage in O'Brien's time as head coach. Watson becomes the ninth different starting quarterback over the past four seasons.


O'Brien is hoping he won't continue to have a revolving door under center.


"I can tell you that we're pretty close to making a decision as to who's going to play," O'Brien said. "In this case, a lot of different factors go into it that aren't really in our control, maybe. I think that we'll make a good decision for the team.


"I try not to look too far into the future. It's definitely, obviously, for Thursday, but you're also saying you're going to try your best to stick with the decision."

 

[CNOTES]

NFL opening line report: NFC Championship rematch highlights Week 2


We’ve got a pair of “Monday Night Football” games this evening to finish off Week 1, but it’s already time to look ahead to Week 2. We check in on the opening lines for four noteworthy games, with insights from Scott Cooley, odds consultant for offshore sportsbook Bookmaker.eu.


Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs (-4.5)


Kansas City is arguably the biggest surprise team to emerge from Week 1, even though Andy Reid’s squad went 12-4 SU and was in the playoffs last year. The Chiefs traveled to New England for the Thursday nighter, hung tough with the Patriots through three quarters, then scored the last 21 points of the game in a 42-27 victory as a healthy 8-point underdog.


Philadelphia also started on the right foot on the road, dropping Washington 30-17 as a 2-point favorite Sunday. In the second half, the Eagles allowed only a field goal late in the third quarter.


“Bettors didn’t really like K.C. in the season opener, so we’ll see if they continue to pile on Philly like they did in Week 1,” Cooley said. “However, early sharp action has come in on the Chiefs. Both teams greatly exceeded expectations, so this opening number was dead for a reason.”


That early sharp action pushed the Chiefs to -5.


New England Patriots at New Orleans Saints (no line)


Perhaps New England is the biggest surprise team of Week 1, getting pantsed in the fourth quarter on its home field. The Patriots, coming off the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history as they beat Atlanta, fell flat late in a 42-27 loss to Kansas City as an 8-point home favorite.


Meanwhile, New Orleans is among the four teams who have some Monday night work to do in Week 1 at Minnesota, before beginning prep for Week 2. The Saints, for years a perennial NFC contender, haven’t made the playoffs the last three years.


“We’ll wait to post a line for this game until the Saints complete their Monday nighter,” Cooley said. “If everything goes accordingly, the Pats will likely surface as 4- to 5-point road chalk. You know they’ll be chomping at the bit to erase that ugly opener, and the public won’t hesitate to lay an awkward digit.”


Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos (no line)


Dallas didn’t light it up on offense, but had more than enough thanks to a stout defensive performance in the Sunday night game. The Cowboys gave up only a field goal to the NFC East rival New York Giants en route to a 19-3 home win laying 6 points.


Like New Orleans, Denver gets underway tonight, at home against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Broncos sent Peyton Manning into the sunset with a Super Bowl victory after the 2015 season, but last year went 9-7 SU and ATS, missing the playoffs.


With Dallas going late Sunday and Denver playing tonight, Bookmaker.eu is holding off on the opening line.


“We’ll likely open the road team as a 1-point favorite,” Cooley said. “There are certainly a lot of questions surrounding Denver, and hopefully some of those will be answered for everyone Monday night.”


Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons (-3)


It’s a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship Game, though not in the same venue, as Atlanta moves into its new digs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium under the Sunday night lights. The Falcons opened the season on the road, fending off Chicago 23-17 as a 6.5-point fave.


Green Bay, which lost that NFC title tilt 44-21 catching 6.5 points, got this season off to a solid start with a 17-9 victory over Seattle giving 2.5 points at home.


“A big early showdown in Hotlanta that should yield a huge ‘Sunday Night Football’ handle,” Cooley said. “Our power ratings have these two teams on a pretty even playing field, so we basically accounted for the home-field advantage. We’re expecting Packers money through and through.”

 

[CNOTES]

Will lowest scoring NFL Week 1 in years lead to more Unders in Week 2?


The Houston Texans allowed 10 sacks and turned the ball over four times against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.


The NFL is back with Week 1 in the books and thank goodness it’s behind us. Outside of a few games, Week 1 was a painful watch. Few games were competitive in the fourth quarter and many offenses looked uglier than Jason Whitlock’s fedora collection.


Low scoring is the story of the weekend with the Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants and the Indianapolis Colts all failing to put double digits on the scoreboard.


Last season, the St. Louis Rams – a squad with a historically horrendous offense – averaged a league-worst 262 yards per game. Eight teams tallied fewer than 250 yards of total offense in Week 1.


It’s no surprise that the Under was the best betting trend of the first weekend of the NFL season. The Under went 2-10 on Sunday and finished 5-10 for the week. The average points scored per game is 40.4 after the first 15 contests. The average points scored per game in Week 1 last season was about 4.5 points higher at 44.8.


The data tells us oddsmakers were hitting it out of the park with their Over/Under lines in Week 1 from 2013 to 2016. The differential between the average total and the average game score was less than a point in each year and the Over/Under record was never more than a game off an 8-8 mark.


We can also see that scoring in Week 1 is on a three-year decline and there’s a gulf of 8.5 points between the high year of the sample in 2012 when the average points scored per game was 49.4 and this season.


Bettors will be asking themselves if the low scoring will continue into Week 2. Oddsmakers adjusted to the Week 1 results by setting the lowest average game totals in Week 2 since 2011.


Despite Vegas’ re-calibration, sharp bettors still think there are opportunities moving forward betting the Under on the league’s worst offenses.


Ted Sevransky says he has concerns about the offensive production from the six teams held under 10 points in the first week.


“All six teams had significant offensive line concerns coming into the season, and all six of them failed their first test pretty badly,” Sevransky says. “I have already bet Unders on several of their matchups this week [Week 2] and may still bet more.”


Let’s review each of these offensively-challenged sides and where they play in Week 2.


Cincinnati Bengals


Quarterback Andy Dalton turned the ball over five times in what, very well, could have been his worst career outing as a pro player. The Bengals put up a goose egg on the scoreboard marking the first time they’ve been shut out since Week 7 in 2014.


After the game Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said, “I don’t know if I’ve ever been in such a disappointing football game.”


Dating back to last year, the Under is now 8-1 in Cincy’s last nine regular season games. The Bengals have had a middle of the pack offense for the last three years. It’s safe to assume they’ll finish with around the 15th best offense again this season.


The lowest total (38.5) on the board is Thursday night’s game between the Texans and Bengals.


Houston Texans


Houston allowed 10 sacks and turned the ball over four times against Jacksonville on Sunday. Texans coach Bill O’Brien benched his starting quarterback after the first two quarters of the season.


We don’t know yet if the Texans will stick with rookie DeShaun Watson under center or if they’ll go back to Tom Savage on Thursday against Cincinnati.


The offensive line is a major concern and it sure would help if the team could come to terms with their best lineman. Left tackle Duane Brown, a three-time Pro Bowler, is still holding out for a new contract.


Five of the Jags’ 10 sacks on Sunday came when they rushed just four defenders.


Indianapolis Colts


Quarterback Andrew Luck is ruled out against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2 which means bettors are likely to see another week with Scott Tolzien under center for the Colts. Without Luck, there’s a good argument to be made that Indy is the least talented team in the league.


The total for the Cards-Colts game opened at 44.5.

New York Giants


The G-Men are another case of a club that was missing its best player in Week 1. Receiver Odell Beckham Jr. didn’t play because of an ankle sprain, although the Giants lack of scoring punch isn’t a one-game problem.


New York hasn’t scored more than 20 points in a game since Week 12 of last season and that game was against the Cleveland Browns. The Under is now 8-1 in the Giants’ last nine regular season games.


The line on this game has yet to be released as oddsmakers wait to hear on the availability of Beckham Jr.


Seattle Seahawks


The offensive line continues to be a problem for the Seahawks. Their starting left tackle went on the IR in preseason and there was no real effort made at replacing him besides looking at their own depth chart.


Seattle’s offense used to be run-orientated but last year the club finished 25th in rushing yards per game. There’s still a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball and Green Bay’s defense may prove to be an above average unit as the season progresses.


Seattle hosts its division rival San Fran on Sunday and the total is set at 43.5.


San Francisco 49ers


Speaking of those Niners – they’re coming off a game which they failed to find the end zone once. The Niners abandoned the run game after the Panthers scored on their first possession in the second half to make it 20-0.


A 70-30 pass/run ratio isn’t going to lead to many wins or scores for the 49ers considering Brian Hoyer is their starting quarterback and Pierre Garcon projects to be their best receiver.

 

[CNOTES]

NFL
Long Sheet


Week 2


Thursday, September 14


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


HOUSTON (0 - 1) at CINCINNATI (0 - 1) - 9/14/2017, 8:25 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 1-1 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 2-0 straight up against CINCINNATI over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Sunday, September 17


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TENNESSEE (0 - 1) at JACKSONVILLE (1 - 0) - 9/17/2017, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TENNESSEE is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
TENNESSEE is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in road games versus division opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
JACKSONVILLE is 2-1 against the spread versus TENNESSEE over the last 3 seasons
JACKSONVILLE is 2-2 straight up against TENNESSEE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CLEVELAND (0 - 1) at BALTIMORE (1 - 0) - 9/17/2017, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) versus division opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 3-1 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
BALTIMORE is 3-1 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BUFFALO (1 - 0) at CAROLINA (1 - 0) - 9/17/2017, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 79-55 ATS (+18.5 Units) in all games where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW ENGLAND (0 - 1) at NEW ORLEANS (0 - 1) - 9/17/2017, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 21-8 ATS (+12.2 Units) against AFC East division opponents since 1992.
NEW ENGLAND is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ENGLAND is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ENGLAND is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ENGLAND is 35-19 ATS (+14.1 Units) in all games where the total is greater than or equal to 49.5 since 1992.
NEW ENGLAND is 108-77 ATS (+23.3 Units) in games played on turf since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ARIZONA (0 - 1) at INDIANAPOLIS (0 - 1) - 9/17/2017, 1:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PHILADELPHIA (1 - 0) at KANSAS CITY (1 - 0) - 9/17/2017, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 31-16 ATS (+13.4 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MINNESOTA (1 - 0) at PITTSBURGH (1 - 0) - 9/17/2017, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 100-71 ATS (+21.9 Units) as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1992.
PITTSBURGH is 49-29 ATS (+17.1 Units) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points since 1992.
PITTSBURGH is 88-62 ATS (+19.8 Units) in home games when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1992.
MINNESOTA is 24-10 ATS (+13.0 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 24-10 ATS (+13.0 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 18-6 ATS (+11.4 Units) in all games where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHICAGO (0 - 1) at TAMPA BAY (0-0) - 9/17/2017, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 46-71 ATS (-32.1 Units) in all games where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 1-1 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 1-1 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MIAMI (0-0) at LA CHARGERS (0 - 1) - 9/17/2017, 4:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CHARGERS is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) off a division game over the last 3 seasons.
LA CHARGERS is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) off a loss against a division rival over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 40-17 ATS (+21.3 Units) against AFC West division opponents since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CHARGERS is 1-1 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
LA CHARGERS is 1-1 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NY JETS (0 - 1) at OAKLAND (1 - 0) - 9/17/2017, 4:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 73-101 ATS (-38.1 Units) in home games since 1992.
OAKLAND is 73-101 ATS (-38.1 Units) in home lined games since 1992.
OAKLAND is 57-81 ATS (-32.1 Units) in home games when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1992.
OAKLAND is 73-101 ATS (-38.1 Units) in home games in games played on a grass field since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 1-0 against the spread versus NY JETS over the last 3 seasons
OAKLAND is 1-0 straight up against NY JETS over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WASHINGTON (0 - 1) at LA RAMS (1 - 0) - 9/17/2017, 4:25 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.
LA RAMS is 176-224 ATS (-70.4 Units) in all games since 1992.
LA RAMS is 176-224 ATS (-70.4 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
LA RAMS is 80-114 ATS (-45.4 Units) in all games where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points since 1992.
LA RAMS is 126-176 ATS (-67.6 Units) against conference opponents since 1992.
LA RAMS is 137-176 ATS (-56.6 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1992.
LA RAMS is 18-35 ATS (-20.5 Units) against NFC East division opponents since 1992.
LA RAMS is 58-90 ATS (-41.0 Units) in games played on a grass field since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 1-0 against the spread versus LA RAMS over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 1-0 straight up against LA RAMS over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DALLAS (1 - 0) at DENVER (1 - 0) - 9/17/2017, 4:25 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in September games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SAN FRANCISCO (0 - 1) at SEATTLE (0 - 1) - 9/17/2017, 4:25 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 3-1 against the spread versus SAN FRANCISCO over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE is 4-0 straight up against SAN FRANCISCO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GREEN BAY (1 - 0) at ATLANTA (1 - 0) - 9/17/2017, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GREEN BAY is 232-189 ATS (+24.1 Units) in all games since 1992.
GREEN BAY is 232-189 ATS (+24.1 Units) in all lined games since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 1-1 against the spread versus GREEN BAY over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 2-0 straight up against GREEN BAY over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Monday, September 18


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DETROIT (1 - 0) at NY GIANTS (0 - 1) - 9/18/2017, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 84-113 ATS (-40.3 Units) in road games since 1992.
DETROIT is 84-113 ATS (-40.3 Units) in road lined games since 1992.
DETROIT is 63-90 ATS (-36.0 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY GIANTS is 1-0 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
NY GIANTS is 1-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[CNOTES]

NFL


Week 2


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Thursday, September 14


9:25 PM
HOUSTON vs. CINCINNATI
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Houston is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Cincinnati is 3-6-1 SU in its last 10 games ,
Cincinnati is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home




Sunday, September 17

2:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Kansas City's last 8 games at home
Kansas City is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games at home

2:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. TAMPA BAY
Chicago is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Chicago is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games
Tampa Bay is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games

2:00 PM
ARIZONA vs. INDIANAPOLIS
Arizona is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indianapolis
Arizona is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Indianapolis is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Arizona
Indianapolis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Arizona

2:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
Pittsburgh is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games

2:00 PM
TENNESSEE vs. JACKSONVILLE
Tennessee is 1-5-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Jacksonville
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tennessee's last 5 games
Jacksonville is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Jacksonville is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games

2:00 PM
NEW ENGLAND vs. NEW ORLEANS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New England's last 5 games
New England is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
New Orleans is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
New Orleans is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing New England

2:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. BALTIMORE
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland's last 9 games
Cleveland is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Baltimore
Baltimore is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Baltimore is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Cleveland

2:00 PM
BUFFALO vs. CAROLINA
Buffalo is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Buffalo's last 6 games on the road
Carolina is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Buffalo
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Carolina's last 7 games at home

5:05 PM
MIAMI vs. LOS ANGELES
Miami is 8-3-1 ATS in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Miami's last 9 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
Los Angeles is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing Miami
Los Angeles is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

5:05 PM
NY JETS vs. OAKLAND
NY Jets are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the NY Jets last 5 games when playing on the road against Oakland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oakland's last 5 games at home
Oakland is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games

5:25 PM
DALLAS vs. DENVER
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 7 games
Dallas is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Denver's last 7 games when playing Dallas

5:25 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone OVER in 7 of San Francisco's last 9 games on the road
San Francisco is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Seattle is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Seattle is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home

5:25 PM
WASHINGTON vs. LOS ANGELES
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Washington's last 11 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Los Angeles's last 11 games when playing Washington
Los Angeles is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Washington

9:30 PM
GREEN BAY vs. ATLANTA
Green Bay is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Green Bay is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing at home against Green Bay
Atlanta is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games




Sunday, September 18

9:30 PM
DETROIT vs. NY GIANTS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Detroit's last 7 games on the road
Detroit is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Giants last 5 games at home
NY Giants are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games at home

 

[CNOTES]

NFL Week 2 lines that make you go hmmm...
Peter Korner


If you like the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2, you might just want to come back on the weekend and see where the line sits.


Longtime Las Vegas oddsmaker Peter Korner sizes up this week’s NFL schedule and picks out some of the lines making him go “hmmm...” in Week 2, including a curious opening number put up by one sportsbook for the Vikings-Steelers game that may end up being a better number than their re-post.


Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals (-5, 38.5)


NFL week two kicks off a Thursday night game which pits two teams that clearly under achieved in their respective openers.


Houston visits Cincinnati and questions outweigh answers for each team involved in this contest. The Texans will be entering practice week with the full understanding that QB Deshaun Watson will be starting. Though he didn’t embarrass himself in his debut, it will take more than the limited time he had under center to truly master the position at the professional level.


There’s always a tendency when a back-up player enters the action and performs well to have a letdown of sorts the next time out. That’s because the energy and spontaneity is short lived and the pack catches up to the leader - that will likely be the case with Watson.


In the case of the Bengals, they are counting on QB Andy Dalton‘s return to form after his disastrous opener. A little ying-yang for both quarterbacks.


This line opened a very questionable -3 on the home favorites and was quickly unmasked as a horrible starting point. As of Tuesday, the general consensus was already tipping it to -5. I say, this is still too low and think the line will be at -6 to -6.5 by kickoff.


What appears to be more of a must-win game for the Bengals is translating into heavy wood on Cincinnati early in the week, and most likely all the way through Sunday. If there’s going to be any Houston action, you can bet on it coming very late when underdog backers see the line has stalled.


Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-7, 43)


Chicago visits Tampa Bay and I agree with the knee-jerk reaction of the early money on Tampa Bay.


This opened at -6.5 and by Tuesday was a universal -7. The advantage for chalk players in this game is that it will take a monumental amount of money to get off the key -7, so there’s no need to rush in on this game early in the week.


A huge advantage for Tampa Bay in having their opener canceled is that the Buccaneers don’t have any tape to give to the Bears to dissect. Tampa Bay torched this team last year in Florida and the circumstances seem right for the results to mirror that game. You always like to be on the side of the team that has the incentive and energy, and with this game being possibly the first major event since the horrific weather in the south, the unity of the team and its fans may peak perfectly for the home town Bucs. Emotion is a big factor for almost anything in life.


At -7, you might think the wise guys take the dog. I say let them. This line won’t get any higher. It’s the typical game that will be teased down to PK for most parlay players. Call this a gut feeling, but this game gets out of hand for Chicago and the white towel is raised early.


Minnesota Vikings at Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5, 45)


Minnesota is at Pittsburgh in a game that’s been slow to be exposed by bookmakers early in the week.


In a curious sequence of events, Pinnacle sported a -4 on the home favorites and within a minute, took down the game and reposted at -7. My feeling was that the original -4 was good. Those bookmakers who like to copy the line and hang whatever is out there, posted -7’s and have already been hit on the dog and are resting at –6.5.


At this point, I definitely see more money being drawn to the underdog after a solid performance by the Vikings in Week 1. I know the public has a short memory, me being in that group as well, but seeing the Steelers struggle with the Browns and Minnesota’s sharp play, I have to think this line will be closer to the original -4 than -7 by kickoff.


So, with that being said, the value on Minnesota is to grab the line early in the week. If you like the Steelers, you might just want to come back on the weekend and see where the line sits and benefit from the over-reactionaries. My feeling is that this game is way closer than the spread indicates.


Pinnacle will realize that their first opinion was their best in this game. They, like the rest of the sportsbooks, will probably need Pittsburgh by the time this game closes.