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[CNOTES]

Bengals beat Buccaneers, 23-12
August 11, 2017


CINCINNATI (AP) Ryan Fitzpatrick made a good initial impression with Tampa Bay.


The rest was so-so.


Fitzpatrick completed his first series with a 6-yard touchdown run before the Cincinnati Bengals pulled away to a 23-12 victory over the Buccaneers on Friday night.


The 34-year-old quarterback signed a one-year deal for a chance to back up Jameis Winston . Fitzpatrick had mixed results after his TD, going 6 of 13 overall with an interception. He also scrambled twice for 15 yards. Fitzpatrick lost the ball while trying to throw, but recovered his fumble.


''It's nice to get into a game situation just figuring out how they set the tempo and pace,'' Fitzpatrick said. ''It's something I've had to work on.''


Ryan Griffin - Tampa Bay's third-string quarterback the past two seasons - left in the fourth quarter after someone landed on his passing shoulder. There was no estimate how long he'll be sidelined.


''It's all a process now,'' said Griffin, who was 4 of 9 for 57 yards. ''I haven't been hurt before, so we'll see how it goes.''


Tampa Bay opened the game with a 14-play, 92-yard drive, but had to settle for a field goal after Adam ''Pacman'' Jones broke up a pair of Winston's passes in the end zone. Jones is suspended by the NFL for the season opener because of his offseason arrest.


Bengals coach Marvin Lewis was on the sideline after missing a practice last week because of a knee problem.


Andy Dalton had his full complement of receivers - A.J. Green and tight end Tyler Eifert have returned from significant injuries last season - and moved the offense smoothly on Cincinnati's opening drive before making a bad decision. Vernon Hargreaves III anticipated Dalton's sideline throw and picked off a pass at the 1-yard line .


Dalton had plenty of time to throw behind Cincinnati's reconfigured line.


''I just wish I could have that last play back,'' said Dalton, who was 4 of 5 for 38 yards on his only drive.


Green, who missed the last half of last season with a hamstring injury, had a pair of catches for 21 yards.


Both teams have kicker competitions that were in the spotlight in their preseason opener.


Roberto Aguayo made a 20-yard field goal on Tampa Bay's opening possession, but he was wide right on a 47-yard try and hit the right upright on the extra-point attempt. Nick Folk was good from 45 yards on his only chance.


The Bengals' kickers were perfect. Randy Bullock made field goals of 54 and 49 yards and his extra-point try. Jake Elliott, who was drafted in the fifth round, connected from 45 yards and also made an extra point.


''We both had a good night tonight,'' Elliott said. ''We put all of them through, which is what you want.''

INJURIES


Buccaneers: CB Brent Grimes (leg) and C Ali Marpet (ankle) sat out. RB Russell Hansbrough left in the fourth quarter to be evaluated for a concussion.


Bengals: RB Giovani Bernard was held out along with first-round pick WR John Ross, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Bernard has fully practiced in camp while recovering from ACL surgery midway through last season.

ROOKIE WATCH


Buccaneers: TE O.J. Howard, the 19th overall pick, didn't have a catch, with only one pass thrown his way. WR Chris Godwin had one catch for 14 yards.


Bengals: RB Joe Mixon had several nice runs, avoiding tacklers to get extra yards. He carried six times for 31 yards and turned his only reception into an 11-yard gain by slipping through a pair of attempted tackles. He's competing with Jeremy Hill for playing time.


''Once I got that first carry and got the first-game jitters out of the way, I adjusted,'' Mixon said. ''It was just playing football.''


SORTING OUT THE RBs


Tampa Bay will miss Doug Martin for the first three games as he serves a suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance enhancing substances. Martin carried four times for 11 yards. Jacquizz Rodgers, who is expected to be the featured back while he's gone, also carried four times for 11 yards.

QUOTABLE


After his touchdown, Fitzpatrick simply flipped the ball to an official instead of celebrating. Nobody touched him after he took off for the end zone.


''I went left and there was nothing in front of me,'' he said. ''I was so surprised. I had no celebration planned. I didn't know what to do.''

UP NEXT


Buccaneers: Play at Jacksonville on Thursday.


Bengals: Host Kansas City next Saturday.

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday’s six-pack


— 96 major leaguers have been on the DL more than once this season.


— White Sox 6, Royals 3- KC has followed 9-game win streak with a 2-10 skid.


— Mets 7, Phillies 6— Amed Rosario’s first MLB homer was the game-winner.


— Marlins 6, Rockies 3— Giancarlo Stanton hit his 40th home run.


— Dolphins’ QB Ryan Tannehill will have knee surgery, is done for the season.
— DL happenings:


Cubs’ C Willson Contreras (hamstring) is expected to be out 4-6 weeks.


New York P CC Sabathia (knee) goes on the 10-day DL.


Seattle P James Paxton (pectoral) goes on the 10-day DL


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


Saturday’s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here……..


13) Buffalo Bills had an active Friday; they traded WR Sammy Watkins and a 2018 6th-round pick to the Rams, getting CB E.J. Gaines and an ’18 2nd-round pick in return.


They also traded CB Ronald Darby to the Eagles for WR Jordan Matthews and a 2018 3rd-round pick. Buffalo now has six picks in the first three rounds of the 2018 draft.


In 2014, Bills traded two first-round draft picks to move up and acquire Watkins ahead of Mike Evans, Odell Beckham, Jr. Oy.


12) Dallas Cowboys’ RB Ezekiel Elliott was suspended by the NFL for six games; Dallas has a Week 6 bye, so Elliott can return for the Week 8 game with the Redskins.


11) Indians @ Rays Thursday night; attendance was 9,533
Indians @ Rays Friday night; attendance was 16,794


When the Rays move to Canada and become the Montreal Expos, this is why…….


10) Eagles’ backup QB Matt McGloin was 28-42 passing in Green Bay Thursday; lot of passes for a third-string QB to throw in an exhibition game.


9) Chicago Bears have a veteran QB trying to hold off a first-round draft pick, with a head coach on the hot seat. Sound familiar?


The 2016 Rams had a veteran QB (Case Keenum) trying to hold off a first-round draft pick (Jared Goff), with a head coach on the hot seat (Jeff Fisher).


Hope this season works out better for Coach Fox than last year did for Jeff Fisher.


8) Didn’t help Chicago’s new QB Mike Glennon when he threw a pick-6 0:48 into the Bears’ first preseason game, Thursday vs Denver. People are not patient in today’s world.


7) One of the prettiest plays of the weekend was Miami backup QB David Fales throwing a 99-yard TD to Damore’ea Stringfellow, an undrafted free agent from Ole Miss.


6) Golfer Patrick Cantlay eagled the 7th hole at the PGA Thursday and Friday. Hard to do.


5) Dodgers started this season 10-12; they’re 71-21 since. LA was 9-11 when they called Cody Bellinger up to the big leagues on April 25- you do the math.


4) Houston Astros were 58-27 in their first 85 games, with a 3.91 team ERA.
Since then, they’re 13-16, with a 5.20 team ERA.


3) Cardinals’ pitcher Lance Lynn got drilled in the top of his head by a line drive hit by Lorenzo Cain Thursday night, but he stayed in the game and pitched six innings. St Louis swept four games from Kansas City- they hit grand slams in consecutive games Wednesday/Thursday for the first time in six years.


2) Jeffrey Loria has apparently sold the Miami Marlins for $1.25B, thats billion, with a B, to a group of 16 investors, most famous of which is Derek Jeter, who will run the baseball side. Fans in Miami are better off without Loria.


1) Over the last seven years, A’s/Nationals have made ten separate trades; it is almost like your local fantasy league, where certain people only trade with certain other people.


But in a business where teams are worth $1B or so, or more, do teams really do each other favors when one team is in contention and the other isn’t?


On July 16, the A’s sent Sean Doolittle/Ryan Madson to bullpen-starved Washington- the Nationals also added Brandon Kintzler from the Twins. Problem solved for Washington.


When the A’s needed a catcher in 2013, all of a sudden Kurt Suzuki fell into their lap, a gift from the Nationals. It helps to have friends.

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday's Best Bet
August 11, 2017


Saturday NFL Best Bet
Oakland Raiders vs. Arizona Cardinals


Week 1 of the NFL preseason is nearing a close and for football bettors everywhere it means we are one more week closer to games actually meaning something.


However, there is still plenty of money to be made on preseason betting odds, especially when certain situations pop up that favor one team over the other. This week's Oakland/Arizona definitely fits that latter category, as this is the 2nd preseason game for Arizona after losing in the HOF game a week ago.

BetDSI.eu Odds: Arizona (-3); Total set at 39.5


Although many of Arizona's starters sat on the sidelines in street clothes during last weeks' 20-18 loss in the HOF game, the fact that this is the second preseason tilt for the rest of the squad is a good thing from a betting perspective. Guys like backup QB Blaine Gabbert – who was 11-for-14 – have already established some sort of rhythm, and when they get on the field this week for the Cardinals after the starters get their one or two series' things could start to turn Arizona's way.


From 2013 through 2015 (there was no HOF game in 2016), NFL teams that got that extra game early on in the preseason ended up going 4-2 ATS (4-2 O/U) during “Week 1” of the preseason the following week. So while the level of play in the HOF game may never be spectacular, it does suggest that the extra time on the field helps those two teams against the spread the next week.


Arizona fits that bill in this one, and with VegasInsider.com's betting percentages showing plenty of support (75%+) for the underdogs from Oakland, there may actually be quite a bit of value in laying the points here.


All of that Oakland loves stems in large part to the high expectations many have for the Raiders this year, but a common mistake bettors make during the preseason is projecting regular season expectations on those same teams in games that mean next to nothing. Oakland should be one of those teams that we see get plenty of support from bettors all year long, but it looks like many are seeing the three points they are getting with Oakland here and jumping all over it.


Public underdogs are typically bankroll killers in NFL betting (regular season or not), and with history on the side of the Cardinals with this being their second game, those of you considering grabbing the points with Oakland as many already have may want to reconsider.


With Arizona's starters likely to see some time on the field, and possibly even backup QB Drew Stanton getting significant reps before we see Gabbert again, the depth advantage has to lie with the Cardinals in this spot.


With that being the case and Arizona being a favorite that's getting next to nothing in terms of betting support, I've got to lay the points here and hopefully it will add a bit more money to my bankroll for those regular season bets on the Raiders that many have been clamouring for all summer long.


Odds per - BetDSI.eu


Best Bet: Arizona (-3)

 

[CNOTES]

Rookie QBs to Watch
August 11, 2017


Which Rookie Quarterbacks Will Start in 2017?


There are truthfully two guys who have really good shots at starting in the 2017 NFL season, and both are the ones that everyone’s talking about right now. But there’s a third who may sneak in. Let’s take a look at the rookie quarterback class of 2017 and see who’s most likely to be moved up on the depth chart to QB1.


Mitchell Trubisky (Chicago Bears – 2nd Pick)
Breaking news! Mike Glennon isn’t very good! Everyone in Tampa Bay could’ve told you that. The Bears signed the former backup to a $45M deal over three-years which is looking more and more like a one-year deal for $18.5M. There’s a built in out for Chicago to dump him with a dead cap hit of just $4.5M after this season.


Glennon went just 2-for-8 and 20 yards and a pick in a brutal performance against one of the best defences in the NFL. Then in came Trubisky, the second overall pick who whizzed 18-of-23 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown to Victor Cruz.


Trubisky didn’t have to face the top end talent of the Broncos by the time he entered, but he far outclassed Glennon. Chicago is starving for a good quarterback after years of Jay Cutler and they have probably found the right guy.


The truth is that Trubisky needs a lot more time to develop, which is why it was always going to be worth it to start Glennon. The problem is that the NFL world doesn’t have much patience for terrible quarterback play when there’s a potential franchise guy on the sidelines. Chicago is an especially boisterous fanbase and they could propel Trubisky in to the starting lineup if the Bears realize that Glennon is nothing more than the backup he’s always been.

Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans – 12th Pick)
Everyone is buzzing about Watson after he dazzled against the backup units of the Carolina Panthers. Listen, Watson is great and we all know this. Watson completed 15-of-25 for 179 yards while also rushing for 24 yards and a pretty easy walk-in touchdown.


What stood out about Watson was how well he read the second unit of Carolina,. He was as poised and collected as he was when he beat the Alabama Crimson Tide not too long ago.


Tom Savage is a totally fine quarterback, but he has never felt like a franchise quarterback. The Texans have had a long standing history of bad quarterbacks, but they might have hit the nail perfectly in drafting Watson.


Pocket passers usually struggle as rookie starters which is why Watson’s playmaking ability as a runner might sneak him in as the first rookie quarterback to start in the 2017 NFL season.


If he remotely lives up to the hype that he’s generated this week, the value on the Texans to win the AFC South at +190 jumps up dramatically.


DeShone Kizer (Cleveland Browns – 52nd Overall Pick)
The former Notre Dame standout looked brilliant in an 11-for-18 performance that produced 184 yards. Brock Osweiler is close to playing his smug face out of yet another job after being absolutely brutal, but there’s a catch here when it comes to the idea that Kizer could start in 2017. And his name is Cody Kessler.


As a third-round pick in 2016, Kessler was decent in his rookie season with a 65.6 completion percentage, 1,380 yards and 6 touchdowns against 2 picks. This might come as a bit of a surprise, but Kessler actually outperformed the second overall pick from his own draft in Carson Wentz, who put up dodgy numbers. Wentz ended the year with an 79.3 quarterback rating. Kessler managed a 92.3 rating.


Don’t be surprised if the Browns smartly keep Kizer studying the playbook and the NFL game while Kessler takes his lumps throughout 2017.


Nathan Peterman (Buffalo Bills – 171st Pick)
Who? The Buffalo Bills are obviously hitting the reset button on their personnel after pulling off a trade that shipped out Sammy Watkins and brought in some great draft picks. If they want to move up the 2018 NFL Draft board, they already have a guy who can help them sink to the bottom of the rankings in Tyrod Taylor.


Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs – 10th Pick)
Davis Webb (New York Giants – 87th Pick)
Joshua Dobbs (Pittsburgh Steelers – 135th Pick)
Brad Kaaya (Detroit Lions – 215th Pick)


Sorry guys, you’re playing behind established and very well paid franchise quarterbacks. Even Mahomes, who was the second quarterback taken in the draft, knows what the deal is. Kansas City went 12-4 SU ad 9-7 ATS while clowning the division last year with a perfect 6-0 SU record.


C.J. Beathard (San Francisco 49ers – 104th Pick)
Yup, when you’re the San Francisco 49ers anything is possible. Beathard was a third round pick so it’s not like he’s a scrub, and the only guys he has to beat are Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley. The former was signed on to carry a franchise that can’t figure out how to win, while the latter is so barely wanted by any franchise looking towards the future.


If San Francisco plummets in to the toilet this year, as they’re projected to with a Regular Season Win Total of just 5.5 games, it wouldn’t be unlikely for Beathard to get the call. We’re talking about a guy that Kyle Shanahan reached for in the draft. The man knows what he wants and there’s certainty around San Francisco’s training camp that Shanahan really likes the former Iowa starter.

Chad Kelly (Denver Broncos – 253rd Pick)
There is little to no chance that Chad Kelly plays in 2017 but that’s largely because he is recovering from an assortment of serious injuries. The former Ole’ Miss Rebel tore his ACL in November 2016 and is still recovering. He also hurt his wrist and is simply unable to participate in practice. We can maybe chat about him going in to 2018 when Trevor Siemian has watched his career turned to ashes, but until then there’s no point in getting all hot and bothered about Kelly supplanting anyone in Denver.

 

[CNOTES]

SATURDAY, AUGUST 12


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


TEN at NYJ 07:30 PM


TEN -3.0


O 36.5


DAL at LAR 09:00 PM


LAR +3.0


O 37.5


OAK at ARI 10:00 PM


OAK +3.0


U 40.0

 

[CNOTES]

Mariota returns; Jets top Titans 7-3 in preseason opener
August 12, 2017


EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) Marcus Mariota got out on the field, ran a handful of plays and then watched the rest of the game from the sideline.


It was a nice, simple night for the franchise quarterback.


Mariota played in his first game since breaking his right leg late last season, easily the most important development for the Tennessee Titans in their 7-3 loss to the New York Jets on Saturday in the exhibition opener for each team.


''I enjoyed the moment,'' he said. ''You kind of create those moments when you're going through the rehab process. You keep telling yourself `This is what you're working for' and that's the way I approached it.''


Mariota, who had 3,426 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2016 before his injury on Dec. 24, played two series in the first quarter.


''The recovery process was a long one,'' Mariota said. ''To be able to be out there today with the guys, I enjoyed it.''


On his first attempt, he scrambled to his right and completed a 15-yard pass to Rishard Matthews . He finished 2 of 3 for 15 yards.


''Instincts kind of took over,'' he said. ''It felt good to get out of the pocket and make a play.''


Unlike the Titans, the Jets' quarterback situation is more muddled. Well-traveled veteran Josh McCown got the start for New York. He was 3 of 4 for 72 yards and a touchdown in his one series, which was enough for the win because the Jets defense had eight sacks and was dominant throughout.


Christian Hackenberg, a second-round pick in 2016, took over for McCown and played until late in the third quarter. Hackenberg was 18 of 25 for 127 yards.


''He has some things to build off,'' Jets coach Todd Bowles said of Hackenberg. ''He has some positives that we can look at and he can build from. He's got some negatives that we've got to correct. That's to be expected in the first game.''


Bryce Petty, a fourth-round pick in 2015, finished up and was 2 of 6 for 16 yards.


Robby Anderson, an undrafted free agent who was trying to make the team a year ago, is the Jets' No. 1 receiver after Quincy Enunwa was lost for the season to a neck injury. He had three receptions for 71 yards.


Anderson made a nice 53-yard catch on the opening drive, which ended with McCown's 4-yard TD pass Charone Peake .


''It felt great to get in there with the guys,'' McCown said. ''The O-line was excellent. Robby made a heckuva play. And we finished it off. Peake made a great catch.''


Titans rookie receiver Taywan Taylor made a leaping a 42-yard catch in the third quarter. The drive ended with Ryan Succop's 36-yard field goal.


Titans running back Derrick Henry, the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner, had eight carries for 29 yards.


Alex Tanney replaced Mariota and was sacked by linebacker Julian Stanford on his first play and briefly left the game. He returned for the next series. Tanney was 10 of 26 for 128 yards with an interception and lost a fumble on a sack.


Former Jets wide receiver Eric Decker had no catches in his return to the Meadowlands. Decker was signed by the Titans in June after he was cut by the Jets in their salary purge.


N.Y. SACK EXCHANGE


Devon Still, Anthony Johnson, Josh Martin, Jordan Jenkins, Bruce Carter, Leonard Williams, Patrick Gamble and Stanford had sacks for the Jets. Martin also had a fumble recovery.

GETTING A LEG UP


Chandler Catanzaro and Ross Martin are competing for the Jets' kicking job. Catanzaro made a PAT, but was wide left on a 55-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter.


QUOTEABLE


''Well, that was not the way we wanted to start the preseason, obviously,'' Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. ''But there were some good things defensively. Not offensively, even though we still had opportunities to win the game at the end.''

OUT OF THE LINEUP


Titans: Running back DeMarco Murray (hamstring), wide receivers Corey Davis (hamstring) and Mekale McKay, cornerback Demontre Hurst, defensive lineman Karl Klug (ankle) all sat out.


Jets: Running backs Matt Forte (hamstring), Bilal Powell (neck) and linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin did not play.


UP NEXT


Titans: Host Carolina on Saturday.


Jets: At Detroit on Saturday.

 

[CNOTES]

Goff leads early TD drive, LA Rams hold off Cowboys 13-10
August 12, 2017


LOS ANGELES (AP) Jared Goff led the Rams on a touchdown drive in the opening minutes, and backup kicker Travis Coons made a tiebreaking 36-yard field goal with 6:11 left in Los Angeles' 13-10 preseason victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night.


Goff completed three of four passes for 34 yards while playing eight snaps in the opener for the Rams, who need the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft to take a big step forward this fall.


The Rams punted after Goff's first three plays, but Josh Forrest recovered the Cowboys' muffed return. Robert Woods then caught Goff's pass and fumbled near the goal line moments later, but rookie Cooper Kupp recovered for a score.


Dak Prescott, Dez Bryant and Ezekiel Elliott were among several starters sitting out for the Cowboys, who didn't manage a first down until the second quarter.


Rookie Cooper Rush threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Rico Gathers in the third quarter while completing his first eight passes for the Cowboys. Gathers scored in his second straight game.


Sean Mannion went 18 of 25 for 144 yards while playing most of the game. The Rams' offense put up 271 yards in Sean McVay's first day on the sideline as the youngest head coach in modern NFL history.


Kellen Moore went 8 for 17 in the first half for the Cowboys, but the offense perked up for Rush, the four-year starter at Central Michigan. Rush also caught the eye of Dallas coach Jason Garrett during the Hall of Fame Game last week, and his exceptional touch on the TD throw to Gathers was undeniably impressive.


Rush went 9 of 11 for 104 yards.


BUTTERFINGERS: The Rams hung in despite alarming ball security. Los Angeles fumbled six times, but recovered its own fumble four times before losing the last two. Rookie running back Justin Davis looked good while running for 70 yards in his college stadium, but he also fumbled twice.

SPECTATORS: Elliott and Prescott worked out on the Coliseum field before the game and then watched from the sideline in uniform. Elliott was given a six-game suspension by the NFL on Friday for injuring his girlfriend in July 2016.


BIG HIT: Dallas rookie Taco Charlton got his first sack, downing Mannion in the first quarter. The Michigan product took a bit of light criticism after a quiet debut in the Hall of Fame Game. ''It looked like he was making some strides,'' Garrett said.


NEW GUY: Rams receiver Sammy Watkins watched from the sideline in sweats after arriving in LA earlier in the day. The Rams traded a second-round pick and cornerback E.J. Gaines to Buffalo for the playmaking wideout. Watkins got a big ovation when he appeared on the scoreboard.

COOOOOP: Kupp was busy in his first professional game, making two early catches for 35 yards and scoring LA's only touchdown while lining up all over McVay's formations. The Rams chose the prolific Eastern Washington product in the third round, hoping to add playmakers to the NFL's worst offense.

 

[CNOTES]

Sunday’s six-pack


— Blue Jays 7, Pirates 2— West Point graduate Chris Rowley wins his MLB debut.


— Mets traded 2B Neil Walker to the sliding Brewers, who need another bat.


— Boston 10, New York 5— Andrew Benitendi homered twice for the Red Sox.


— Indians 3, Tampa Bay 0— Rays were shut out in five of last eight games.


— On-track handle at Saratoga thoroughbred meet is up 8.6% from this time last year.


— DL happenings:


New York puts P Masahiro Tanaka (shoulder) on DL


Red Sox put 2B Dustin Pedroia (knee) on the DL


Blue Jays put C Russell Martin on the DL


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


Sunday’s List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind…….


13) There is only one cut in the NFL this summer, from 90 to 53 players on Labor Day weekend, which means that 1,184 guys will hit the streets all at once, and lesser teams will scurry around and try to improve their roster by adding guys the better teams release.


12) I’m thinking it hurts HBO’s Hard Knocks some that there is one less cut date; that is the best part of the program, watching coaches tell guys they didn’t make the team. Sad for the player but compelling TV— lot of times those players move on and play for other teams anyway.


11) St Louis Cardinals are first team to score 8+ runs in six straight wins since ’06 Braves.


10) Cardinals-Pirates are playing a game in Williamsport, PA next weekend, five miles from where the Little League World Series takes place.


Williamsport has a team in the Class A NY-Penn League, so there is a stadium in place there, unlike last year, when Marlins-Braves played a game on a military base in South Carolina, where a stadium was basically built for that game.


9) Tampa Bay Bucs traded up to draft Florida State kicker Roberto Aguayo in the 2016 Draft, but he’s been a disappointment and been beaten out by Nick Folk. Aguayo missed an extra point and a 47-year old FG Friday night— he got cut Saturday, which should make for an interesting scene on Hard Knocks Tuesday night.


8) If you’re not contending for a Wild Card spot in the American League, your team stinks, because some of the contending teams aren’t very good.


7) Pat O’Hara is a QB coach for the Houston Texans; he was in the terrific football movie Any Given Sunday, playing Dennis Quaid’s backup QB who also gets hurt, which forces Jamie Foxx’s (#3 QB) character into the game, where he becomes a star.


In real life, O’Hara was mostly a backup QB at USC; he played for seven different Arena League teams and has had a very interesting career. NFL Films should do a feature on him.


6) Total plays run from scrimmage in last February’s Super Bowl: Patriots 93, Falcons 46.


5) Cincinnati Bengal fans should be slow to criticize coach Marvin Lewis, who is 118-110-3 in 14 years as the Bengals’ coach, From 1984-2002, before Lewis took over, Cincy went 116-192 under four different head coaches. Be careful what you ask for……..


4) Denver Broncos have only one road game in the first six weeks this season; they have a bye and four home games, then play on road in Weeks 7-9, with a Week 8 Monday night game, then a Week 9 game in Philly six days later. Unusual schedule; Denver has a new head coach and very little experience at quarterback.


3) Consider the career of former NFL QB Tony Banks:
— From 1996-98, Banks went 14-29 as QB of the Rams. When they cut him loose after 1998, they won the Super Bowl in ’99 behind Kurt Warner, who backed up Banks in ’98.


— In 2000, Banks started the first eight games for the Ravens, going 5-3, but Games 7-8 were 10-3/14-6 losses, so Banks was replaced by Trent Dilfer……and the Ravens won the Super Bowl.


I’ll leave the facts there and let you make your own judgments.


2) Gregg Williams is the new defensive coordinator in Cleveland; he has his son Blake back on the coaching staff this year. Blake Williams was on the Rams’ coaching staff as linebackers’ coach in 2012, the year Gregg Williams was suspended by the NFL because of Bountygate, but apparently the other coaches couldn’t stand young Williams and he was shown the door.


1) If I was an NFL head coach (a frightening thought), my team would go for it on 4th down a lot and go for 2 after every TD in exhibition games. Games don’t matter; it is a good chance to get more plays to evaluate your players. Thats what these exhibition games and mainly for….that and ripping off fans who pay regular season prices to watch games that don’t matter.

 

[CNOTES]

Sunday, August 13, 2017


Time (ET) Away Home


1:30 PM Detroit Lions Indianapolis Colts


8:00 PM Seattle Seahawks Los Angeles Chargers




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


Sunday's Best Bet
August 11, 2017

Sunday NFL Best Bet
Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Chargers


Sportsbetting.ag Odds: Seattle (+1.5), L.A. Chargers (-1.5); Total set at 37.5


With their unceremonious departure from San Diego this spring now in the rear-view mirror, the Chargers era in L.A. officially begins on Sunday night with their first home preseason game. It will be the second straight night that football fans in L.A. will get to see NFL action (the Rams host Dallas on Saturday), as the battle for football supremacy in the City of Angels can officially begin.


After all, we've already heard about the fights that have happened this week with the two L.A. teams sharing a training camp, so it will be interesting to see what type of loyalties the L.A. football fans have to their two new squads this year.


But for our purposes, it's all about the Chargers and Seahawks here, with both teams opening up their preseason slate and having strong expectations for what 2017 may bring. On paper, Seattle is the much better team and are heavy favorites to win the NFC West, but the Seahawks aren't nearly as deep as they once were a few years ago at nearly every position on the field, and that can be a little problematic for Week 1 of the preseason.


Seattle has always put a big more priority on preseason results during the Pete Carroll era then most other teams do. Pete Carroll has a 30-14-1 ATS record over his last 45 preseason games and Seattle has gone 28-16 SU in those contests. While at first glance that might not support a bet on the Chargers this week, but much of that damage has been done by Seattle teams that were so much deeper across the board than the 2017 edition of the Seahawks.


Seattle's window of dominance in the NFC West is definitely getting closer and closer to being shut, and with depth being more of an issue these days (thanks to salary cap concerns as well), it means that Seattle's starters are likely going to see less and less time on the field in the preseason to avoid needlessly getting hurt.


Enter a Chargers team who is hoping to make a drastic improvement from their 5-11 SU season a year ago. The Chargers also know that even with it just being the preseason, making a strong, positive statement in their new home will go a long way. It's no secret that L.A. sports fans love a “winner” and with the Chargers coming over to L.A. from a rival city (in other sports) like San Diego, it's likely going to take some time for the Chargers to establish a die-hard fanbase.


L.A. fans already got a taste of NFL football a year ago with the Rams in town, and that year head start doesn't do the Chargers any favors either. But coming out in Week 1 of the preseason and establishing some credibility on the field will go a long way towards fans (and bettors) believing in them when the season starts.


The Chargers are also a hungrier team in terms of their depth chart with many starting positions still open to competition. That may not be a plus in the regular season, but preseason NFL bettors know that it's a good thing in August because you've got guys doing everything they can to get some good tape out there. A 5-11 SU season creates plenty of change on the field, and the Chargers will be out to put their best foot forward here.


Finally, it would be sloppy of me to not consider the current betting percentages on this game, and as of this writing it's about a 75/25 split in favor of the Seahawks. To me that reeks of NFL fans getting overly anxious for the season to start and projecting regular season potential onto early preseason games. That's typically not going to get your bankroll very far in August, especially when you consider that regarding this game specifically, there are other sportsbooks who have moved up to -2 for L.A. despite Seattle getting the bulk of the support.


That tells me all I need to know here, as I expect the L.A. Chargers to put their best foot forward in their new city.


Odds per - Sportsbetting.ag


Best Bet: L.A. Chargers (-1.5)

 

[CNOTES]

SUNDAY, AUGUST 13


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


DET at IND 01:30 PM


IND +1.0


U 36.0


SEA at LAC 08:00 PM


SEA +2.0


O 37.5

 

[jakebickle]

Good luck!

 

[CNOTES]

Rudock helps Lions top Luck-less Colts
August 13, 2017


INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Jake Rudock showed the Detroit Lions he could fill in for Matthew Stafford - if needed.


The Indianapolis Colts, meanwhile, are still looking for an answer behind Andrew Luck.


Rudock took advantage of the injury-depleted Colts by throwing two touchdown passes to Kenny Golladay, driving the Lions to a short field goal and leading them to a 24-10 victory in the preseason opener on Sunday.


''You can see the difference between last year and this year at this time,'' Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. ''He has a better grasp of things around him. He's in command.''


The second-year quarterback played most of the first 2 1/2 quarters and wound up 13 of 21 for 142 yards. Stafford played one series, going 2 of 3 for 36 yards and left after throwing an interception.


All the Lions needed against the injury-depleted Colts was Rudock's 23-yard TD strike to Golladay in the first quarter.


But Rudock also threw a 15-yarder to Golladay in the second and set up Matt Prater for a 28-yard field goal to make it 17-3 at the half. Detroit closed out its scoring with a 15-yard TD pass from Brad Kaaya to Dontez Ford.


With Luck still on the physically unable to perform list following offseason surgery on a partially torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, the Colts sputtered.


Indy finished with 230 total yards - 90 on its final drive - and 14 first downs. Their only points came from Adam Vinatieri's 42-yard field goal in the first half and a 1-yard TD plunge from Troymaine Pope as time ran out.

DEJA VU


For the second consecutive year, the Colts arrived for their preseason opener with a stadium in need of a little touch-up paint. But instead of having to cancel the game, like last year's Hall of Fame game, the field crew cordoned off two areas with the words ''NFL Play Football'' and fixed them. Team officials said the paint was too thick. A little less than two hours later, the kickoff was right on time.


SITTING OUT


In addition to Luck missing the game, Indy also played without center Ryan Kelly (foot), left guard Joe Haeg and running back Frank Gore. Among the Lions sitting out were left tackle Taylor Decker and defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, who are on PUP, and right guard T.J. Lang.

ROOKIE WATCH


Lions: Golladay, a third-round draft pick, made a good first impression with three catches for 53 yards, including two nifty scores. Teez Tabor wasn't bad, finishing with three tackles.


Colts: The knock on first-round draft pick Malik Hooker was that he missed too many tackles in college. Not Sunday. Hooker finished with four tackles in limited work and made a touchdown-saving shoestring tackle in the second quarter.


QB COMPARISON


Lions: Stafford was solid in his brief appearance, and Rudock impressed. Kaaya played well, too, going 8 of 11 with 71 yards with the TD.


Colts: Scott Tolzien was 2 of 5 for 24 yards and picked up only one first down in three series. Walker, an undrafted rookie from Temple, showed flashes while finishing 9 of 20 for 86 yards. Stephen Morris, who spent most of the past two years on Indy's practice squad, didn't enter until the fourth quarter and was 13 of 20 with 94 yards.


INJURY UPDATE


Lions: Defensive end Kerry Hyder Jr. did not return after being carted off the field with a lower left leg injury in the first quarter. Afterward, Caldwell said it looked like a ''significant'' Achilles tendon injury. The Lions also lost defensive end Brandon Copeland (shoulder) in the second half.


Colts: Linebackers Sean Spence and Deiontrez Mount both left with injured hamstrings and did not return.


QUOTABLE


Lions: ''It makes you sick to your stomach when you see a guy like that go down,'' Golladay said when asked about Hyder. ''I hope the kid's all right.''


Colts: ''There are a lot of things to clean up,'' Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. ''We're going to grind it. We've got to make corrections.''


UP NEXT


Lions: Host New York Jets on Saturday.


Colts: Visit Dallas on Saturday.

 

[CNOTES]

Seahawks win 48-17 in Chargers' debut game at StubHub Center
August 13, 2017


CARSON, Calif. (AP) Philip Rivers threw a touchdown pass to Antonio Gates on the opening drive of the Los Angeles Chargers' first preseason game since relocation, but the Seahawks' backups dominated the rest of the preseason opener in Seattle's 48-17 victory Sunday night.


Rivers and his first-team offense were excellent, marching 75 yards in 13 plays to begin the Chargers' three-year residency at 27,000-seat StubHub Center. The Chargers moved 111 miles north from San Diego into a stadium built for soccer, but providing an undeniably intimate NFL experience for fans.


The LA Chargers' first touchdown was a San Diego classic: Rivers threw over the middle to Gates for a 5-yard score, making the next big play in the veteran stars' 12-year partnership.


The Chargers' revamped defense clearly has work to do under new coordinator Gus Bradley after giving up 459 yards to the Seahawks, whose reserves mostly got off to a stellar start.


Russell Wilson led the Seahawks to a field goal in his only drive with Seattle's first-team offense despite consistent pressure from Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, the Chargers' dynamic pass-rushing duo.


The rest of Seattle's 34-point first half was a showcase for its backup defense, which forced three turnovers, and a solid second-team offense led by Trevone Boykin, who passed for 189 yards.


Terence Garvin returned a tipped interception 37 yards for a Seattle TD, and Chris Carson cashed in a 1-yard TD run after LA's Kellen Clemens fumbled a handoff with Andre Williams.


Clemens threw a 74-yard TD strike to speedy Travis Benjamin, but Rivers' backup also had two interceptions on deflected passes.


COZY CONFINES: A year after the Los Angeles Rams drew 89,140 to the Coliseum for their homecoming preseason game at the cavernous Coliseum, the Chargers had 21,054 in their tidy new home.


But StubHub Center appears to fulfill the Chargers' promise to provide a unique place to watch football. The smallest stadium in the NFL has exceptional sight lines and remarkable closeness to the field - and the Chargers Cannon is really loud when the home team scores.


''From a player's perspective, you want to have that home-field advantage type of feel,'' said LaDainian Tomlinson, the Chargers Hall of Famer and a special assistant to owner Dean Spanos. ''The kind of Seattle feeling that they have, the 12th Man, trying to feel something similar for this place, I think it would be a success for everyone if that could happen.''

BENNETT SITS: Pro Bowl defensive lineman Michael Bennett remained seated on the Seahawks' bench with a towel on his head during the national anthem.


INJURIES


Chargers: Linebacker Denzel Perryman left the field on a cart after Los Angeles' first defensive series with a left ankle injury. The Chargers were crushed by injuries in each of the past two seasons, and Perryman is expected to call the plays as their starting middle linebacker this fall. He returned to the sideline in the second half on crutches with his foot in a walking boot.


Seahawks: Safety Jordan Simone hurt his left knee on a kickoff return. Receiver Paul Richardson injured his shoulder.

 

[CNOTES]

WEEK 2


Thursday, August 17, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
7:00 PM Baltimore Ravens Miami Dolphins
7:00 PM Buffalo Bills Philadelphia Eagles
8:00 PM Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jacksonville Jaguars

Friday, August 18, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
10:00 PM Minnesota Vikings Seattle Seahawks


Saturday, August 19, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
3:00 PM Carolina Panthers Tennessee Titans
7:00 PM Kansas City Chiefs Cincinnati Bengals
7:00 PM Indianapolis Colts Dallas Cowboys
7:30 PM New York Jets Detroit Lions
7:30 PM Green Bay Packers Washington Redskins
8:00 PM New England Patriots Houston Texans
10:00 PM Chicago Bears Arizona Cardinals
10:00 PM Denver Broncos San Francisco 49ers
10:00 PM Los Angeles Rams Oakland Raiders

Sunday, August 20, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
4:00 PM Atlanta Falcons Pittsburgh Steelers
8:00 PM New Orleans Saints Los Angeles Chargers

Monday, August 21, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
8:00 PM New York Giants Cleveland Browns




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


PRESEASON RECORD:


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


08/13/2017 3-1-0 75.00% +950

08/12/2017 2-4-0 33.33% -1200

08/11/2017 1-5-0 16.67% -2250

08/10/2017 6-8-0 42.86% -1400

08/09/2017 0-2-0 0.00% -1100

08/03/2017 0-1-1 0.00% -550

 

[CNOTES]

Monday’s six-pack


— Bryce Harper has a bad bone bruise but no ligament damage; he is on the DL.


— Padres extended manager Andy Green’s contract thru 2021.


— Nationals 6, Giants 2– Washington salvages a twinbill split with Howie Kendrick hitting a walk-off homer.


— San Diego State’s football team has had an outbreak of chicken pox this week.


— Alex Mack of the Falcons lost 12 pounds during a practice this weekend. Oy.


— DL happenings:


Milwaukee put P Brent Suter (shoulder) on DL


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


Monday’s Den: Notes on NFC teams…….


Random notes on NFC teams:

Arizona— Carson Palmer turns 38 on Dec 27; only 27 NFL QB’s have thrown 200+ passes at age 38 or older— 13 of those 17 are or will be in the Hall of Fame. Arizona had the oldest offense in the NFL last year; their time to win a Super Bowl is this year, or else. Over is 13-3 in Arizona road games the last two years; since 2014, under is 14-9-1 in Cardinal home games.


Atlanta— Blew a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl, fired their DC, lost their OC, have a new stadium this year. Falcons scored 58 TD’s last year, punted 48 times with only 11 turnovers— they were only the third team since 1996 to score a TD on more than 33.3% of their drives. Now what? Underdogs are 13-3 vs spread in Falcon home games, since Quinn has been coach.


Carolina— How is Cam Newton’s shoulder? That is Question #1. Panthers were -2 in turnovers LY (6-10), after being +20/+3/+11 the three years before that (15-1/7-8-1/12-4). Over last four years, Carolina is 4-10-1 vs spread as a road favorite- their front office had in-fighting this winter— the GM got fired— will that affect the players?


Chicago— QB Mike Glennon played QB at NC State after Russell Wilson bolted for Wisconsin; then he went 5-13 over two years as a starter in Tampa Bay before they drafted Jameis Winston. He’s thrown 11 passes the last two years, is now renting the Bears’ #1 job until they decide that #1 pick Mitch Trubisky is ready to be the starter. Awkward situation.


Dallas— Dak Prescott makes $540K this year, $630K next year, which bails Dallas out of a lot of its salary cap quandries. Cowboys ran the ball 59.4% of time on 1st down LY, averaged 5.1 yds/rush on those runs, and averaged 8.9 yds/pass on play action passes. As a result, Cowboys faced 3rd-lowest number of 3rd downs in NFL. Will Prescott fight the sophomore jinx this year?


Detroit— As a Ram fan, I was frustrated by how bad OT Greg Robinson was for the Rams the last few years; now he is a Lion and is the LT, protecting Matthew Stafford’s blind side. Detroit’s backup QB’s are Jake Rudock/Brad Kaaya. Lions have lost nine playoff games in a row- their last playoff win was in 1991. If Detroit makes the playoffs this year, I’ll be very surprised.


Green Bay— Since 1992, Packers have had Favre/Rodgers at QB, two first-ballot Hall of Famers. They won Super Bowl in ’96 and ’10, lost in ’97- should they be winning more than they have? Pack made playoffs last 7 years and 14 of last 20 years, but are just 13-13 in playoff games since Favre won his Super Bowl. Last three years, Green Bay is 14-7-2 vs spread as a home favorite.


LA Rams— 31-year old Sean McVay was hired to develop Jared Goff as a QB, but before that, they have to put together an offensive line that can protect him. 35-year old Andrew Whitwroth was brought in from Cincinnati to play LT and fortify the line. Rams were 4-5 LY, led Miami 10-0 with 5:00 to go in Goff’s debut in Game #10— had they won that game, Jeff Fisher would likely still be the Rams’ coach.


Minnesota— Vikings went 8-8 with a +11 turnover ratio; no bueno; they had 54 third-and-1’s last year, converted 11-15 (73.3%) times when they threw the ball, 25-39 (64.1%) when they ran it. Sam Bradford is 32-45-1 as an NFL starter, 14-15 since leaving the Rams. Minnesota hasn’t won a playoff game since 2009; since ’05, they’re 1-4 in playoff games. Vikings have had eight #1 QB’s over the last 12 years. Bridgewater’s knee injury last summer was incredibly bad luck.


NJ Giants— Giants have had one #1 QB since 2005; Eli Manning has played all 192 games, and that is his greatest strength— he shows up to work every week. Giants won Super Bowl after 2007/2011 seasons, going 4-0 in playoffs both years; other than those two years, since 2001, Big Blue is 0-5 in playoff games. Have been in playoffs twice in last eight years, are 1-5 in Week 1 the last six years- they open vs Dallas this year for 5th time in last six years.


New Orleans— Does signing Adrian Peterson mean Saints will run ball more to protect a poor defense and a 38-year old QB? NO scored 400+ points the last six years, but made playoffs only once in last five years, going 7-9 in other four. Last three years, Saints are 5-13-1 vs spread as a home favorite, 5-0 as home dogs- they’re 3-8 in last 11 tries as a road favorite. Over is 16-8 in Superdome games the last three years; over is 13-11 in NO road games during that time.


Philadelphia— Eagles missed playoffs five of last six years; their last playoff win was in 2008, but they had to be happy with rookie QB Wentz LY. This will be first time since 2012 that Iggles had same #1 QB as year before (Michael Vick). Philly was 4-1 vs spread as a home underdog LY, after being 1-10 in that role from 2007-15. Eagles were favored in only two of their eight home games LY; the last five years, they’re 5-9-1 vs spread in home games vs divisional rivals.


San Francisco— Four head coaches in four years is never good; they’re 7-25 since Jim Harbaugh took his act to Ann Arbor. Over last five years, 49ers have averaged 3.96 starts per draft pick, which is poor, so John Lynch runs franchise now; smart guy, but he’s never done this before. As of June 3, 51 of 90 players on roster were acquired since Lynch took over- they let 27 of 31 free agents walk. Kyle Shanahan is the new coach, after helping Falcons win NFC title last season.


Seattle— Seahawks are 56-23-1 the last five years; they’ve won at least one playoff game in 8 of last 10 seasons, but throwing that INT on goal line at end of Super Bowl will haunt them until they win another Super Bowl. Russell Wilson is 8-4 in playoff games; he was a 3rd-round pick, just like Joe Montana, who was 16-7 in playoff games. Seattle is 6-10 vs spread as a road favorite the last three years; under Carroll, they’re 26-11 vs spread as a home favorite.


Tampa Bay— Bucs haven’t made playoffs since 2007; their last playoff win was the Super Bowl 15 years ago- they were 9-7 LY, their first winning season since ’10. Adding DeSean Jackson will give Jameis Winston another explosive option; listening to the first episode of Hard Knocks, this is a confident team that expects to make the playoffs, but they’ll need to play better at home. Last three years, Tampa Bay is 8-16 vs spread at home, 2-6 in divisional home games.


Washington— Sean McVay is in LA; they fired their DC, so two new coordinators this season for Jay Gruden, who goes back to calling plays. Skins were 17-14-1 the last two years; since 2006, they are 0-3 in playoff games. Last time Washington was a playoff game, Joe Gibbs was coach. Gruden is 4-8 vs spread as a home favorite; last two years, Washington is 9-4 vs spread coming off a loss. Last five years, over is 25-14-1 in Redskin road games.

 

[CNOTES]

NFC South Outlook
August 13, 2017


Atlanta Falcons
-- 2016 record (11-5) – 1st in NFC South
-- Off YPG – 415.8 (2nd) – Def YPG – 371.2 (25th)
-- Points scored 33.8 (1st) – Points allowed 25.4 (27th)


2017 ASA prediction – Play UNDER 9.5 Wins for the Atlanta Falcons


Atlanta was in the Super Bowl last year yet the oddsmakers have set this number at just 9.5 wins? They are begging you to take the OVER in our opinion and we’ll go against most and grab the UNDER here. Let’s not forget the Falcons had three straight .500 or worse seasons entering last year’s Super Bowl run. The offense made a gigantic jump last year going from 21 PPG on 374 YPG in 2016 to 34 PPG on 416 YPG. It will be awfully tough to duplicate those numbers and we expect a drop off.


QB Matt Ryan had a year with career highs in QBR, YPG, TD’s, completion percentage, and fewest interceptions. Again, very tough to duplicate that. Let’s also remember that while the offense was very good, the defense was not. They ranked near the bottom of the NFL in both YPG & PPG allowed.


Also it’s not as if this team was dominant last year. They were 11-5 and made a strong push in the playoffs. The way the lost the Super Bowl will be tough to bounce back after blowing a big lead against New England. They have a rough spot schedule wise with 3 straight road games from late October into November and then back to back road games again in mid December. We think the NFC South will be tougher this year with improvements from both Carolina & New Orleans so we’re taking Atlanta to win less than 9.5 games.


Betting Records – 10-6 ATS record / 13 Overs, 2 Unders, 1 Tie


-- In 2015 the Falcons had just 3 OVERS & 13 UNDERS during the regular season. Last year they did a complete 180 with 13 OVERS, 2 UNDERS, and 1 TIE.
-- The Birds were 5-1 ATS as an underdog (regular ssn) last year. They have now covered the number 20 of the last 27 times they’ve been tabbed an underdog (74%). They have won 13 of those 27 games outright.
-- The Birds are just 8-18 ATS as a favorite the last 3 seasons. That includes a 5-5 spread mark in that role last season.
-- Despite last year’s offensive explosion, the Falcons are the 5th worst OVER team since 2003 with 108 OVERS, 121 UNDERS, and 5 ties.


Carolina Panthers
-- 2016 record (6-10) – 4th in NFC South
-- Off YPG – 343.7 (19th) – Def YPG – 359.8 (21st)
-- Points scored 23.1 (15th) – Points allowed 25.1 (26th)


2017 ASA prediction – Play OVER 8.5 Wins for Carolina Panthers


After making it to the Super Bowl two years ago, the Panthers won only 6 games last season. We think they bounce back with a solid 2017 season. We have Panthers as a pick’em or favored in 10 of their 16 games heading into the season. In their 6 games as an underdog, only New England & Atlanta would currently be favored by more than a FG vs Carolina. These numbers obviously change as the season progresses but prior to the start of the season, Carolina looks in decent shape to get to 9 wins or more.


While they did lose 10 games last season, let’s keep in mind that six of those losses came by a field goal or less. On the other hand, four of their six wins came by at least 10 points. There were drastic drop offs both offensively (31 PPG to 23 PPG) and defensively (19 PPG allowed to 25 PPG allowed) and a return to somewhere in between at the very least can be expected. After throwing 35 TD’s and 10 picks in his Super Bowl season, Cam Newton went for just 19 & 14 last year. Expect him to rebound as well. A 9-7 record (or better) is more than reasonable for this team in 2017.


Betting Records – 6-9-1 ATS record / 7 Overs, 8 Unders, 1 Tie


-- When the Panthers are tabbed as a home favorite, you may want to look at playing the UNDER. Carolina is 34-18-1 to the UNDER in that role since 2008.
-- The direct opposite is true when the Cats are a road underdog. In that spot they are an OVER team playing 29-19-1 to the OVER.
-- Since 2011, the Panthers have the 2nd best record in the NFL as a home favorite at 22-13-1 ATS (63%).
-- The Panthers are 19-6-1 ATS the last 26 times they’ve been a favorite of -7 or more.

New Orleans Saints
-- 2016 record (7-9) – 3rd in NFC South
-- Off YPG – 426 (1st) – Def YPG – 375.4 (27th)
-- Points scored 29.3 (2nd) – Points allowed 28.4 (31st)


2017 ASA prediction – Play OVER 8 Wins for the New Orleans Saints


The Saints can obviously score points but can they stop anybody? Despite their poor defense, a quick look at the key stats reveals that this team probably should have been at least .500 or better. They were 3rd in the NFL in yards per game differential at +50! That was better than 11 of the 12 teams that made the playoffs last season. The Saints also had a positive point differential. Throw in one of the top QB’s in the NFL and we think the bottom for this team is 8-8 with a chance for much better. This offense put up 30+ points in 9 of their 16 games so just a slight improvement from the defense will do wonders.


Six of their nine losses a year ago were vs playoff teams and only one of their losses was vs a team with worse than a 9-7 record. This year they face only 6 playoff teams from last season and they have only 7 true road games due to their game in England vs Miami. We see a potential run of wins from October 29th through December 3rd where they play 6 straight teams that failed to make the playoffs last year. Don’t be shocked if New Orleans is a surprise team this year.


Betting Records – 11-5 ATS record / 9 Overs, 7 Unders


-- Since Drew Brees took over as the Saints starting QB in 2006, this has been an OVER team. In fact, New Orleans has an OVER mark of 103-81-2 since 2006.
-- We stick with that Brees time frame and see that since 2006, the Saints are 44-27 ATS (62%) the game following an outright loss.
-- Brees & company are 18-8 ATS as a home favorite off an outright loss the previous week. Those numbers are from 2008 through 2016.
-- New Orleans has been tabbed a home dog only 10 times since October of 2006. In those 10 games, they have gone OVER the total 8 times.


Tampa Bay Buccaneers
-- 2016 record (9-7) – 2nd in NFC South
-- Off YPG – 346.4 (18th) – Def YPG – 367.9 (23rd)
-- Points scored 22.1 (19th) – Points allowed 23.1 (15th)


2017 ASA prediction – Play UNDER 8.5 Wins for Tampa Bay Buccaneers


If you simply look at the key numbers, the Bucs were very fortunate to have a winning season in 2016. They finished with a 9-7 record but were outscored AND outgained on the season. The Bucs point differential of -15 was the fifth worst in the NFC with only the Rams, Niners, Bears, and Panthers falling lower than Tampa in that category. Those 4 teams all had losing records and combined for an overall record of just 15-49! After 5 consecutive losing seasons, Tampa quite possible “snuck up” on teams last year in route to their 9 win season. They were just 3-5 over the first half of the season before catching a few teams by surprise down the stretch.


Only 3 of Tampa’s 9 wins last season came vs teams that ended the season above .500. Jameis Winston did improve, however he remains turnover prone with 33 interceptions in just 2 seasons. This team ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in both total offense and total defense and a retreat to an 8-8 or worse record is most likely in store.


Betting Records – 9-7 ATS record / 7 Overs, 8 Unders, 1 Tie


-- The Bucs are just 8-16 ATS as a home favorite since 2011. Worse yet, they have lost 14 of those 24 games outright.
-- Since 1980, TB has been a favorite 215 times. In those games the UNDER has hit 124 times and the OVER just 90 times (with 1 tie).
-- Probably should tread lightly if considering the Bucs as a home underdog. They are just 12-24 ATS and 8-28 SU in that spot since 2007.
-- Tampa has the 2nd worst home spread record in the NFL since 2008 going just 25-46-1 ATS at Raymond James Stadium.

 

[CNOTES]

NFL notebook: Seahawks' Bennett explains sitting out anthem
August 14, 2017


Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett refused to stand during the national anthem on Sunday -- a gesture he said was to raise awareness to racism and intolerance -- before the Seahawks' preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.


Bennett said the violence in Charlottesville, Va., was a catalyst for his actions after white nationalists, neo-Nazis and Ku Klux Klan members holding a rally over the weekend clashed with counterprotesters in the streets and a car plowed into crowds, leaving a woman dead and more than 30 injured.


Bennett's position came a day after his former teammate, running back Marshawn Lynch, remained seated during the national anthem before the Oakland Raiders' preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday.


The 31-year-old Bennett told reporters after the Seahawks' 48-17 win over the Chargers that he intends to continue to sit during the national anthem.


--Less than a week after becoming the NFL's highest-paid running back, Devonta Freeman of the Atlanta Falcons was placed in the league's concussion protocol.


Falcons coach Dan Quinn told reporters Monday that Freeman will not be available for Sunday's preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.


Freeman, who signed a five-year contract extension worth a reported $41.25 million last Wednesday, was forced to leave Sunday's practice. Quinn initially thought the running back was dealing with a heat-related issue.


"After taking him inside yesterday where we thought he had heat related (issues), he reported that he had some concussion symptoms," Quinn said Monday per the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "So we put him in the protocol for that. He'll be out this week. He may start practicing, but we are going to rule him out now."


--Newly acquired Buffalo Bills wide receiver Jordan Matthews suffered a chip fracture in his sternum during his first practice, the team announced.


Matthews, who is considered week to week, suffered the injury Sunday, just two days after the Bills acquired him in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. On Friday, the Bills traded cornerback Ronald Darby to the Eagles for Matthews and a 2018 third-round pick.


The injury happened when Matthews went to the ground hard after competing with a defensive back for a pass. He was able to finish practice but afterward underwent examination for discomfort in his chest and the chip fracture was discovered.


Matthews took reps with the first and second teams Sunday in his first work with quarterback Tyrod Taylor.


--Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman is expected to miss at least a month because of an ankle injury suffered in the team's preseason opener.


Perryman was hurt in Sunday's 48-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and will be sidelined four to six weeks, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.


The 24-year-old Perryman was carted to the locker room after he was injured in the first quarter. He returned to the sideline on crutches and wearing a walking boot on his left foot.


Perryman started 11 of 12 games for the Chargers last season, registering 72 tackles with two sacks and an interception. He had 72 tackles and two sacks as a rookie in 2015, appearing in 14 games and starting nine, after he was drafted in the second round out of Miami.


--Detroit Lions defensive end Kerry Hyder will miss the 2017 season after sustaining a torn Achilles during Sunday's preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.


Lions coach Jim Caldwell labeled the injury "significant" after Sunday's game, and NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport confirmed its severity the following day.


Hyder was rushing Colts quarterback Scott Tolzien before his left leg appeared to give way, leaving the 26-year-old laying near the goal line. Hyder was carted off the field and replaced by undrafted rookie Jeremiah Valoaga.


An undrafted free agent, Hyder collected 36 tackles, a team-best eight sacks and a pass breakup in 16 games during his rookie season.


--Denver Broncos defensive end Jared Crick was carted off the field at practice after suffering an apparent back injury.


Broncos coach Vance Joseph said Crick initially had back spasms but was undergoing further testing.


It was the second time in as many practices the Broncos had a defensive end carted off the field. Derek Wolfe exited Saturday's practice with a sprained ankle. Denver also lost defensive end Billy Winn to a torn ACL in Thursday's preseason game.


The 6-foot-4, 285-pound Crick started 15 of 16 games for the Broncos last season, registering 53 tackles with three sacks and two forced fumbles.


--Chicago Bears left guard Kyle Long was ejected from practice after he was involved in multiple skirmishes.


"There's a certain standard we have and it's something we weren't very pleased with," Bears coach John Fox said, per ESPN. "I haven't had a chance to visit with him yet, but it's something that we'll handle it internally."


Long, 28, took issue with teammates in both team and individual drills before being told to leave the practice field in Bourbonnais, Ill.


A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Long is working his way back from surgery on his right ankle.


--The Baltimore Ravens signed journeyman Thad Lewis and waived fellow quarterback Dustin Vaughan.


Lewis is the latest quarterback to be signed by Baltimore since the team said it was considering controversial free agent Colin Kaepernick.


The 29-year-old Lewis has played for seven teams in as many seasons. The former Duke quarterback has registered a 2-4 mark as a starter with the Rams, Browns (twice), Lions, Bills, Texans, Eagles, and 49ers.


Lewis hasn't thrown a pass in a regular-season game since 2013 and will serve as the team's third quarterback behind injured starter Joe Flacco and backup Ryan Mallett.


--The San Francisco 49ers bolstered both lines of scrimmage by signing Leger Douzable and Andrew Gardner to one-year contracts, the team announced.


Douzable, a veteran defensive lineman, is joining his sixth NFL team, excluding stints on the practice squads of the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants.


Gardner, 31, started the 2016 regular-season finale for San Francisco at left guard. He has appeared in 28 games, making 12 starts, with four teams since 2009.


The 49ers also waived injured safety Chanceller James. If James is not claimed, he will revert back to the team's injured reserve list.


--The New York Giants signed wide receiver Andrew Turzilli and linebacker Chris Casher to the 90-man roster.


The newest additions take the place of wide receiver Kevin Norwood, who was waived with a hip injury, and tight end Colin Thompson, who was waived with a non-football injury (appendectomy).


The 6-foot-4, 197-pound Turzilli played in three games for the Tennessee Titans in 2015, catching two passes for 25 yards. He signed with the Titans that year as a rookie from Rutgers.


The 6-4, 260-pound Casher was with the Oakland Raiders from May 8 to Aug. 4 as an undrafted rookie. He began his collegiate career at Florida State, where in 2013 he played for a Seminoles team that won the national championship. He played his senior season in 2016 at Faulkner University in Alabama, where in 10 games he had 60 tackles and 8.5 sacks.

 

[CNOTES]

AP source: Dolphins add Trey Griffey, son of Ken Griffey Jr.
August 14, 2017


MIAMI (AP) A person familiar with the deal says the Miami Dolphins have signed undrafted free agent receiver Trey Griffey, the son of Hall of Fame baseball player Ken Griffey Jr.


The person confirmed the agreement to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the Dolphins had not announced the signing or contract terms.


Griffey had 79 catches for 1,241 yards and six touchdowns in four seasons at Arizona. A center fielder in baseball, he was drafted in the 24th round of the 2016 draft by the Seattle Mariners but opted to stay with football.


The Indianapolis Colts signed Griffey after the April draft, but he was waived-injured in June.


At least five Dolphins receivers - none of them starters - have been slowed by injuries during training camp.

 

[CNOTES]

Kaepernick to return?
August 14, 2017


Most of the time we use sports as a way to distract ourselves from the real world. Then there are times when a sportsbook like BetOnline.ag puts up a special market called “Politics vs. Sports” where you can bet on things happening on the field compared to drama unfolding in the White House.


One of the most interesting bets you can make in this marketplace is whether or not Colin Kaepernick will be signed before the next Trump cabinet member is removed. This includes a cabinet member leaving under any circumstance – fired, resigned or whatever.


The reason I like this bet is because the odds are comically close to one another. Kaepernick on an active roster has a line of +165 leaned against a Trump Cabinet member leaving their post at -205. You read that right. The oddsmakers at BetOnline.ag think that a politician is going to leave the cabinet prior to Kaepernick being signed.


SPORTS VS. POLITICS SPECIAL PROP MARKET at BetOnline.ag
Colin Kaepernick on Active Roster +165
Next Trump Cabinet Member Leaves Post -205

It’s been about two weeks since Anthony “The Mooch” Scaramucci left office shortly after it was announced that Sean “Spicey” Spicer would be removed from his position as press secretary. Scaramucci replaced Michael Dubke more specifically.


The revolving door at the White House has been spinning out of control. Michael Flynn, Sally Yates, James Comey, Preet Bharara, Katie Walsh, Walter Shaub Jr. and Reince Priebus have all been shown the door or walked through it on their own volition since Trump took power.


In political terms, this is madness. By no means is it unnatural for a president to insert his own people in to pivotal positions in the White House but the rate at which this is happening to Trump’s own selections is…well, it’s unusual.


Whether or not you voted for Trump is inconsequential to the reality of what’s happening in the White House and if you think that there’s a chance that another member of the cabinet is released to the wind soon, then those odds are pretty great.


However, it also feels like Colin Kaepernick is inching towards employment. Fans have launched a petition that has reached over 150,000 supporters at Change.org. The NFLPA has also increased their support of Kaepernick because of social outrage and their own vested interest in the welfare of the players’ union.


It goes without saying that Kaepernick is better than most backup quarterbacks if not all of them. Everyone who doesn’t like Kaepernick for what he did on or off the field has created some justification for why it’s ok that owners aren’t signing him.


To say that he is a “distraction” is to suggest that athletes fighting for the civil rights and freedoms of others is wrong.


Preaching that he’s not a “typical pocket passer” and “hasn’t succeeded in the NFL” ignores the fact that HE STARTED IN THE SUPER BOWL and that he’s way better than a ton of the backups who would fit that traditional mold for a quarterback. Kaepernick is a very effective starter.


The fact that Kaepernick hasn’t signed with any team lends credence to the idea that the owners are indeed blackballing him.


Eventually, however, public opinion and fan support gets too loud. The likelihood of Kaepernick signing with an NFL team largely depends on injuries at this point, but as we saw with Ryan Tannehill, anything can happen in an instant. Eventually some owner, coach or general manager is going to need to save their season by signing Colin Kaepernick.


Betting on Kaepernick getting hired, or a Trump Cabinet Member being fired, doesn’t mean that you support one or the other. It just means that you believe the madness will end with Kaepernick, or continue in the every-changing White House.

 

[CNOTES]

NFL notebook: NFLPA appeals Elliott's suspension
August 15, 2017


The NFL Players Association on Tuesday officially appealed the six-game suspension handed to Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott.


Elliott was suspended six games by the NFL on Friday for violating the league's personal conduct policy after multiple domestic violence incidents.


"Our union has appealed the NFL's six-game suspension of Ezekiel Elliott," the NFLPA said in a statement. "We will represent Ezekiel, as we do all players, to ensure that the NFL is held to its obligation of adhering to principles of industrial due process under the collective bargaining agreement."


Elliott, 22, who was not arrested or charged in the case, has maintained his innocence all along. He was not arrested nor charged in the case. Elliott was accused by former girlfriend Tiffany Thompson of five domestic assault incidents in July 2016 in Columbus, Ohio, and has been under NFL investigation, although the city attorney's office already announced he will not face criminal charges.


NFL officials said in a statement that it investigated Elliott's case thoroughly and determined that he violated the personal conduct policy. The league examined text messages, interviewed more than a dozen witnesses -- including Elliott and the accuser -- and retained medical and legal experts to help (commissioner Roger) Goodell reach his decision.


--Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi is no longer in the NFL's concussion protocol, coach Adam Gase announced.


Ajayi sustained the concussion on July 31 and returned to practice on Sunday. The 24-year-old is eligible for full-contact work and could be ready to play in Thursday's preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens.


After failing to accompany the team for its season opener, Ajayi led Miami with 1,272 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games last season to earn his first Pro Bowl selection. The 6-foot, 223-pound Ajayi also caught 27 passes for 151 yards.


A 2015 fifth-round pick from Boise State, Ajayi ranked ninth in carries last season with 260. Only Dallas' Ezekiel Elliott (322) had more than 300 carries, but three others were close to that total -- then-New England star LeGarrette Blount (299), Tennessee's DeMarco Murray (293) and Arizona's David Johnson (293).


--Running back Ryan Mathews was released by the Philadelphia Eagles, shortly after being medically cleared to practice.


Mathews has missed the entire offseason while recovering from neck surgery. He sustained a herniated disk in his neck during a 24-19 win over the New York Giants on Dec. 22.


Mathews was entering the final season of a three-year contract he signed with the Eagles. The 29-year-old was scheduled to make a base salary of $4 million in 2017.


He rushed 155 times for 661 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games in 2016 for the Eagles, who signed LeGarrette Blount in the offseason. Blount set career highs in carries (299), rushing yards (1,161) and rushing touchdowns (18) last season with the New England Patriots.


--The Carolina Panthers signed veteran linebacker Thomas Davis to a one-year contract extension, the team announced.


The deal for Davis, a first-round draft pick of the Panthers in 2006, runs through the 2018 season. The Charlotte Observer, citing a source, said the one-year deal is worth $6.75 million, with $3 million of it guaranteed over the next two seasons.


Davis, 34, registered a team-high 132 tackles in 2016 and became the franchise's all-time leader in that category with 1,086 tackles while earning his second straight Pro Bowl appearance.


After he was limited to nine games over a three-year span (2009-11), Davis returned from a third torn ACL in the same knee to register more than 100 tackles in each of the past five seasons. He's also had 10 interceptions in that span.


--Miami Dolphins coach Adam Gase inched closer to declaring that quarterback Jay Cutler will make his debut in the team's upcoming preseason game.


"Right now, everything looks like Jay is going to go," Gase said, two days ahead of the Dolphins' preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday.


Signed to a reported one-year, $10 million contract plus incentives, the 34-year-old Cutler was talked out of retirement by Gase shortly after Ryan Tannehill sustained a left knee injury that will sideline him for the rest of the season.


Gase served as Cutler's offensive coordinator with the Chicago Bears in 2015. Cutler had 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a career-best 92.3 passer rating in his only season under his now head coach.


--Miami Dolphins cornerback Tony Lippett tore his Achilles and will have season-ending surgery, coach Adam Gase said.


Lippett, who sustained the injury during Monday's practice, made 13 starts last season and collected 67 tackles and a team-high four interceptions.


The 25-year-old played in 75 percent of Miami's defensive snaps in 2016 and was expected to be a backup this season behind starters Byron Maxwell and Xavien Howard.


The Dolphins selected rookie Cordrea Tankersley in the third round of the 2017 draft and also signed fellow cornerback Alterraun Verner.


--Buffalo Bills left tackle Cordy Glenn is considered week-to-week after receiving an injection to treat his sore left foot, the team announced.


Sean McDermott said that Glenn traveled to Wisconsin to visit specialist Dr. Robert Anderson, but the coach did not disclose the nature of the injury or the injection.


Glenn has missed five of Buffalo's last eight practices as well as the preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings last Thursday. The 27-year-old is not expected to play in Thursday's preseason contest versus the Philadelphia Eagles.


Glenn, has started 72 games since his rookie season in 2012, during which he was selected by Buffalo with a second-round pick. He signed a five-year, $65 million extension in May 2016.


--Washington Redskins safety Su'a Cravens is expected to be ready for the season opener despite being slated to undergo a meniscus trim, multiple outlets reported.


Cravens injured his knee during the preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday.


The 22-year-old has worked as a starter throughout training camp, although he spent his first NFL season at linebacker in 2016. Cravens, a second-round selection, recorded 33 tackles and one interception last season.


Deshazor Everett, who switched from cornerback to safety during the 2016 offseason, is expected to see additional time in the absence of Cravens.


--Jacksonville Jaguars rookie running back Leonard Fournette and wide receiver Marqise Lee have been ruled out of the team's upcoming preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coach Doug Marrone said Tuesday.


Fournette, who is the fourth overall pick of the 2017 draft, is nursing a nagging foot while Lee sustained an ankle injury on Sunday. The Jaguars face the Buccaneers on Thursday.


"We're just being smart on it," Marrone said of Fournette's injury, per ESPN. "Obviously we're going to be smart with him and Marqise, so we'll probably hold those guys out for at least until after the game."


Fournette made an impact both with his play and words in Jacksonville's preseason game against the New England Patriots on Thursday. The 22-year-old rushed nine times for 31 yards and a touchdown before telling reporters that he thought the NFL was "easy."


--The second day of joint workouts between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars resulted in a number of scuffles.


Bucs left tackle Donovan Smith and Jags defensive end Yannick Ngakoue got into a heated discussion during a pass-rush drill. Smith shoved Ngakoue, who countered by hitting him in the facemask. Then, centers Joe Hawley and Ali Marpet joined in, with Hawley losing his helmet.


"We talked (expletive) to everybody," said Bucs defensive end Noah Spence. "We talk to each other. Maybe a little fighting, but it's all love for the game."


In another team period, former Bucs receiver Arrelious Benn and rookie cornerback Maurice Fleming engaged in an altercation, with Fleming ending up holding Benn's helmet.