some candy for week 2 of "pre"

[ACE-ACE]

Thursday, August 14
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PITTSBURGH (1 - 0) at BUFFALO (0 - 1) - 8/14/2008, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) in home games against AFC North division opponents since 1993.

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

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CAROLINA (1 - 0) at PHILADELPHIA (0 - 1) - 8/14/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) against conference opponents since 1993.
PHILADELPHIA is 9-21 ATS (-14.1 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 since 1993.

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

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Friday, August 15
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OAKLAND (1 - 0) at TENNESSEE (1 - 0) - 8/15/2008, 8:00 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.

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Saturday, August 16
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WASHINGTON (2 - 0) at NY JETS (1 - 0) - 8/16/2008, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY JETS are 23-10 ATS (+12.0 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 since 1993.
NY JETS are 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) against NFC East division opponents since 1993.

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

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MINNESOTA (0 - 1) at BALTIMORE (1 - 0) - 8/16/2008, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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MIAMI (0 - 1) at JACKSONVILLE (1 - 0) - 8/16/2008, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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INDIANAPOLIS (0 - 2) at ATLANTA (0 - 1) - 8/16/2008, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 26-13 ATS (+11.7 Units) in games played on turf since 1993.

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

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SAN DIEGO (1 - 0) at ST LOUIS (0 - 1) - 8/16/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) when playing on a Saturday since 1993.
ST LOUIS is 12-25 ATS (-15.5 Units) in non-conference games since 1993.

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

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HOUSTON (1 - 0) at NEW ORLEANS (1 - 0) - 8/16/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1993.
NEW ORLEANS is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in home games in dome games since 1993.
NEW ORLEANS is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in home games in games played on turf since 1993.
NEW ORLEANS is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points since 1993.
NEW ORLEANS is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in home games since 1993.
NEW ORLEANS is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in home lined games since 1993.

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

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ARIZONA (0 - 1) at KANSAS CITY (1 - 0) - 8/16/2008, 8:00 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.

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GREEN BAY (0 - 1) at SAN FRANCISCO (0 - 1) - 8/16/2008, 9:00 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.

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DALLAS (0 - 1) at DENVER (0 - 1) - 8/16/2008, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 11-32 ATS (-24.2 Units) in all games where the total is between 35.5 and 42 points since 1993.
DENVER is 22-7 ATS (+14.3 Units) when playing on a Saturday since 1993.
DENVER is 30-16 ATS (+12.4 Units) in non-conference games since 1993.

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

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CHICAGO (0 - 1) at SEATTLE (1 - 0) - 8/16/2008, 9:00 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.

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Sunday, August 17
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DETROIT (1 - 0) at CINCINNATI (1 - 0) - 8/17/2008, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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NEW ENGLAND (0 - 1) at TAMPA BAY (1 - 0) - 8/17/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ENGLAND is 32-17 ATS (+13.3 Units) in non-conference games since 1993.

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

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Monday, August 18
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CLEVELAND (0 - 1) at NY GIANTS (0 - 1) - 8/18/2008, 8:00 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.

 

[ACE-ACE]

Short Sheet
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Thursday, August 14th

Pittsburgh vs. Buffalo, 7:30 ET (at Toronto)
Pittsburgh: 9-1 Under L10 Preseason games
Buffalo: 0-7 ATS at home vs. AFC North

Carolina at Philadelphia, 8:00 ET FOX
Carolina: 12-3 ATS vs. conference opponents
Philadelphia: 9-21 ATS the line is +3 to -3


Friday, August 15th

Oakland at Tennessee, 8:00 ET FOX
Oakland: 14-4 Under off home win
Tennessee: 15-5 ATS off SU win


Saturday, August 16th

Washington at NY Jets, 7:00 ET
Washington: 0-4 ATS off ATS loss
NY Jets: 23-10 ATS the line is +3 to -3

Minnesota at Baltimore, 7:30 ET
Minnesota: 3-0 ATS off SU loss
Baltimore: 6-1 Under as favorite

Miami at Jacksonville, 7:30 ET
Miami: 3-0 Under as road underdog
Jacksonville: 10-3 ATS vs. conference opponents

Indianapolis at Atlanta, 7:30 ET
Indianapolis: 23-7 Over Away in August
Atlanta: 13-4 ATS off road loss

San Diego at St. Louis, 8:00 ET
San Diego: 21-8 ATS off home game
St. Louis: 12-25 ATS vs. AFC

Houston at New Orleans, 8:00 ET
Houston: 6-0 Over on Saturdays
New Orleans: 8-19 ATS at home in preseason

Arizona at Kansas City, 8:00 ET
Arizona: 3-6 ATS L9 preseason games
Kansas City: 5-1 Under when the line is +3 to -3

Green Bay at San Francisco, 9:00 ET
Green Bay: 7-2 ATS vs. NFC West
San Francisco: 5-1 Under after a game with a turnover margin of -3 or worse

Dallas at Denver, 9:00 ET
Dallas: 10-23 ATS off Over
Denver: 30-16 ATS vs. NFC

Chicago at Seattle, 9:00 ET
Chicago: 6-1 Over after playing a Thursday game
Seattle: 3-10 ATS off road win


Sunday, August 17th

Detroit at Cincinnati, 7:30 ET
Detroit: 3-0 Over vs. AFC North
Cincinnati: 4-0 ATS off SU win

New England at Tampa Bay, 8:00 ET NFL
New England: 8-0 ATS off home loss
Tampa Bay: 20-8 Under as home favorite


Monday, August 18th

Cleveland at NY Giants, 8:00 ET ESPN
Cleveland: 4-0 Over on Monday Night
NY Giants: 4-13 ATS as home favorite

 

[ACE-ACE]

THURSDAY'S GAMES 8/14/08

Note: Steelers/Bills game is in Toronto, Canada.

Pittsburgh Steelers - QB Rotation: Ben Roethlisberger (1st Q), Byron Leftwich (2nd Q), rookie Dennis Dixon (3rd Q), rookie Mike Potts.

Roethlisberger and the first-team offense will likely play at least a quarter against the Bills. Mike Tomlin said backup QB Byron Leftwich will replace Roethlisberger, and that rookie Dennis Dixon is also "scheduled" to play. Tomlin said quarterback Mike Potts, a rookie free-agent, will play only "if we have enough snaps."

The Steelers signed Byron Leftwich this week. QB Charlie Batch broke his right collarbone against the Eagles. Batch will have surgery to repair the damage and insert a plate in his clavicle and is expected to be out six weeks.

Pro Bowl strong safety Troy Polamalu remains on the PUP list because of the pulled hamstring.

Justin Hartwig, signed during the offseason by the Steelers as a free agent to help correct some of the problems in the offensive line, gets his first chance to start at center against the Bills.

Tomlin said cornerback Deshea Townsend (groin) is among the players who will not play against the Bills. He will be replaced in the starting lineup by Bryant McFadden.

The Steelers will swap some of the roles of their return men against the Bills, letting Willie Reid return punts and Eddie Drummond return kickoffs. Tomlin said rookie No.1 Rashard Mendenhall will returns kicks and running back Mewelde Moore will return punts, just as they did in the preseason opener.

Buffalo Bills - QB Rotation: Trent Edwards, J.P. Losman, Gilbran Hamdan, Matt Baker.

Turk Schonert is the new offensive coordinator.

The revamped defense includes defensive tackles Marcus Stroud and Spencer Johnson and linebacker Kawika Mitchell. Middle linebacker Paul Posluszny and free safety Ko Simpson also return after missing most of last season with injuries.

Offensive line thin. Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters remains absent in a new contract battle. The Bills have been bitten by the injury bug at the tackle position this week. Two backup candidates, Matt Murphy and Patrick Estes, went down in Monday night's practice and the Bills will go into Thursday's preseason game at Rogers Centre with just three healthy tackles: starters Langston Walker and Kirk Chambers, plus rookie Demetrius Bell.

In Tuesday's practice, starting right guard Brad Butler took reps at tackle just in case he's needed in an emergency. "We only have three on the roster and Brad has played out there some before in college at Virginia, so we want to make sure if he has to, he's had at least a couple snaps out there," said coach Dick Jauron.

The Bills will play one regular-season game per year through 2012 (starting Dec. 7, when they "host" Miami) at the Rogers Centre and preseason games in 2008, 2010 and 2012.

Carolina Panthers - QB Rotation: Jake Delhomme, Matt Moore, Brett Basanez, Lester Ricard.

It won't be until the third exhibition, Aug.23 at home against Washington, that the first-teamers will see sustained action.

WR Steve Smith missed Monday's practices with a concussion. It's unlikely Smith will play Thursday at Philadelphia.

Revamped Panthers offensive line: The coaches urged the guards and tackles to get bigger during the offseason.

Philadelphia Eagles - QB Rotation: Donovan McNabb (1st half), A.J. Feeley, Kevin Kolb.

Eagles coach Andy Reid told reporters he expects to play his starters the entire first half Thursday night.

RB Brian Westbrook is battling a viral infection. RB Correll Buckhalter is working with the first team. The addition of Lorenzo Booker to back Westbrook means former Penn State star Tony Hunt is fighting for a roster spot.

CB Asante Samuel, who returned to workouts on Sunday from a hamstring injury, will start and will play the first half, if he experiences no further problems, with Sheldon Brown on the right side and Lito Sheppard playing nickel.

The Eagles hope to get their five projected starting offensive linemen on the field at the same time, but it hasn't happened in camp yet or in the first game. 2-time Pro Bowl G Shane Andrews has not worked at all in this training camp, Scott Young replaced Herremans at left guard, while Todd Herremans has slid from left guard to left tackle.


INFORMATION COURTESY OF WWW.JIMFEIST.COM


FRIDAY'S GAME 8/15/08

Oakland Raiders - QB Rotation: JaMarcus Russell, Andrew Walter, Marques Tuiasosopo, rookie Sam Keller.

Offensive line concerns: New left tackle Kwame Harris is still learning the new blocking scheme; Returning right tackle Cornell Grzeen struggled to contain edge rusher Derrick Burgess in practice, while second-year tackle Mario Henderson remains a work in progress.

Nose tackle hurting: NT Gerard Warren (thigh) and backup Terdell Sands (knee) ailing.

The Raiders signed veteran strong safety Adam Archuleta on Monday and promptly moved him to strongside linebacker, where he will compete for the starting job over the next month.

Kicker Sebastian Janikowski is doubtful for Friday's exhibition game at Tennessee. He "tweaked" his left hamstring.

Tennessee Titans - QB Rotation: Vince Young, Kerry Collins, Ingle Martin, Paul Thompson.

Offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger returns to Tennessee after a two-year hiatus in Denver, replacing Norm Chow.

The Titans would like to see RB Chris Johnson play earlier in preseason games, and Jeff Fisher left open the possibility of the rookie starting Friday's game against the Raiders. Most of Johnson's playing time against the Rams came in the second quarter.

Secondary thin. Cornerback Nick Harper (concussion) and cornerback Cary Williams (knee) ailing.


INFORMATION COURTESY OF WWW.JIMFEIST.COM


SATURDAY'S GAMES 8/16/08

Washington Redskins - QB Rotation: Jason Campbell, rookie Colt Brennan, Todd Collins, rookie Sam Hollenbach.

This is the third game for the Redskins, after playing in the Hall of Fame Game (8/3).

Jim Zorn is the new head coach.

Coach Jim Zorn expects several players to return for Saturday's game against the Jets, such as WR Devin Thomas (hamstring). WR Devin Thomas might get in for a few plays Saturday. Thomas is coming back from nearly a 2 1/2-week absence because of a hamstring problem.

Reserve tackles Todd Wade and Stephon Heyer will each miss at least two weeks with injuries.

Starting free safety LaRon Landry (hamstring) is likely to miss Saturday's exhibition.

Injuries have mounted since camp began. Defensive ends Phillip Daniels and Alex Buzbee suffered season-ending injuries on the first day. Linebackers H.B. Blades and Rian Wallace and starting defensive tackle Anthony Montgomery also have had surgery.

Wide receivers Anthony Mix (ribs) and Malcolm Kelly (knee), linebacker H.B. Blades (knee), and offensive linemen Todd Wade (ankle) and Stephon Heyer (knee) are not practicing and likely to miss at least this week.

Greg Blache is the new defensive coordinator, while Sherman Smith is offensive coordinator after OC Al Saunders left. Smith previously served as assistant head coach-running backs with the Tennessee Titans for 13 seasons.

NY Jets - QB Rotation: Brett Favre (will start), Kellen Clemens, rookie Erik Ainge, Brett Ratliff.

The Jets added QB Brett Favre last week. Eric Mangini named Favre as the Jets' starter against Washington.

QB Ratliff has performed so well that speculation has arisen that he's pushing Kellen Clemens for the No. 2 QB spot. He finished 14-of-20 for 252 yards and the two TDs, and has been impressive in practices. He will get significant playing time against the Redskins.

The offense is in the third year of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer's high-tech scheme that features an array of shifts and motions.

Minnesota Vikings - QB Rotation: Tarvaris Jackson, Gus Frerotte, John David Booty, Brooks Bollinger.

Lots of passing: Vikings coach Brad Childress tried something different when the offense ran 10 consecutive passing plays in the opener. No doubt Childress was preparing his team for the seven-and eight-man fronts they faced last year and will again this year as opponents try to stop running back Adrian Peterson.

The Vikings spent Sunday looking to add help at defensive end after learning Jayme Mitchell will miss the season because of a knee injury. With backup right end Brian Robison expected to miss at least another week after having surgery, the Vikings are extremely thin at the end spot.

Safety Madieu Williams could six weeks because of a neck injury. It's a setback for a pass defense that finished last in the NFL in 2007 and was counting on having a top-notch cover safety in Williams, a big free agent signing, for all 16 games. Rookie safety Tyrell Johnson will be called on to fill in for him.

Childress has dramatically altered his approach with this team. Rather than overwork his players with day after day of hitting, Childress has allowed his team to practice in shorts and shoulder pads early in camp, unlike the last two years.

Baltimore Ravens - QB Rotation: Troy Smith, Kyle Boller, rookie Joe Flacco.

QB Smith has looked good in camp and will start this game. Flacco is still up and down.

John Harbaugh is the new head coach, the former Philadelphia Eagles secondary coach. Harbaugh has never been a head coach during his 24 seasons.

Harbaugh said no one has taken the lead in the team's quarterback race. Throughout training camp, Kyle Boller, Troy Smith and Joe Flacco have rotated with the starting offense.

Harbaugh has been running the players hard, a physical practice. One team official estimated that Harbaugh has had more full-contact plays in his first week than Billick had in his entire camp last year.

Miami Dolphins - QB Rotation: Josh McCown, John Beck, rookie Chad Henne, Chad Pennington.

Newly acquired QB Chad Pennington practice for the first time Monday and coach Tony Soparano said that he will manage his four quarterbacks based on feel. Pennington and Henne took the most snaps Monday.

The offensive line will certainly see its share of shake-ups, which likely will cause some considerable changes to the depth chart throughout the preseason. Justin Smiley is currently listed as the starter at left guard, and Trey Darilek is listed at right guard. Given Smiley's recent struggles on the left side and Donald Thomas' recent emergence on the right side, there's likely to be some different combinations used before anything is settled at that position, too.

Linebackers thin. Dolphins LB Kelvin Smith is out and might miss the season. They hope LB Joey Porter will return to practice this week after tweaking his back last week.

Tony Sparano is the new head coach, a former assistant with Bill Parcells in Dallas. He is a proponent of a balanced offense.

Jacksonville Jaguars - QB Rotation: David Garrard, Cleo Lemon, Todd Bauman.

Coach Jack Del Rio indicated there's no competition for the backup quarterback job. He said Cleo Lemon is the backup, and Todd Bouman is No. 3.

Jacksonville has a new defensive coordinator in Gregg Williams, who was with the Redskins last fall under Joe Gibbs.

Wide receiver position still isn't fixed. There are injuries to Jerry Porter (hamstring), Reggie Williams (knee), so Troy Williamson and Dennis Northcutt are listed as starters. Troy Williamson is practicing, but he's not going full speed.

Offensive line is a weakness. The Jaguars will be without center Brad Meester for eight to 10 weeks.

Indianapolis Colts - QB Rotation: Peyton Manning, Jim Sorgi (will start), Jared Lorenzen, Quinn Gray, Adam Tafarlis.

This is the third game for the Colts, after playing in the Hall of Fame Game (8/3).

Manning won't play, having minor bursa knee surgery in July. The recovery time is 4-6 weeks, so he is out of the preseason action.

QB Peyton Manning, safety Bob Sanders, defensive end Dwight Freeney and left guard Ryan Lilja are expected to be healthy by Indy's Sept. 7 season opener against Chicago.

Defensive line thin with the retirement of Quinn Pitcock, creating a void at defensive tackle. Raheem Brock, a 27-game starter at tackle the past two seasons, has been moved to left end in the base defense and apparently will remain there even with Pitcock's decision.

LBs thin. They added LB Dedrick Harrington this week. Harrington's addition followed that of Brandon Archer's last week, and again was out of necessity. Injuries continue to deplete the position.

Atlanta Falcons - QB Rotation: Chris Redman, Joey Harrington, Matt Ryan, D.J. Shockley.

Rookie QB Matt Ryan should get extended playing time. With Atlanta wanting to see how he handles NFL pressure, it wouldn't be shocking to see him play early and for a prolonged period.

The Falcons have spent a lot of time re-tooling the running game. Tailbacks Thomas Brown and Jason Snelling should have a battle for the No. 3 job.

The new head coach is Mike Smith, with Mike Mularkey taking over as offensive coordinator. Smith was the defensive coordinator of the Jaguars and faces his old team here.

A young secondary: The Falcons could start Chris Houston (second year) and Brent Grimes (second year) and use Chevis Jackson (rookie) as the nickel back.

Centers thin. Alex Stepanovich, the Falcons' backup center, suffered a back injury at practice Monday and was taken off the field on a cart. Stepanovich started the exhibition season opener against Jacksonville Saturday in place of center Todd McClure, who has been out with a lower-back injury since July 28.

San Diego Chargers - QB Rotation: Philip Rivers, Billy Volek, Charlie Whitehurst, Casey Bramlet.

Norv Turner said QB Philip Rivers was not the only player he will limit Saturday in St. Louis after playing many starters the bulk of the first half against Dallas. "I want to continue to evaluate our young guys," Turner said. "Normally in the preseason you play the starters a quarter in the first game and a half the second. I am flipping it a little bit."

Defensive line thin, with Luis Castillo (back), Shawne Merriman (knee) and Jamal Williams (knees) not 100%.

St. Louis Rams - QB Rotation: Marc Bulger, Trent Green, Brock Berlin, Bruce Gradkowski.

The Rams have a new offensive coordinator in Al Saunders, who ran high scoring offenses in K.C. under Dick Vermeil.

After seeing his troops pummeled 34-13 by the Titans, coach Scott Linehan is placing considerable importance on the outcome. Enough so that he plans to "play a significant amount with our starting unit." "I don't know what that means; when we're done, we're done," Linehan said. "But we want to play a great game on Saturday." Emerging victorious in St. Louis, where ticket sales are lagging, "is very important," Linehan added. "I don't discount the importance of any game, preseason or not. There's not a whole lot of good that comes out of losing a game."

RB depth a concern with star Stephen Jackson holding out. Backups Antonio Pittman and Brian Leonard already have gotten enough reps to last a couple of training camps. Pittman's workload tonight might be limited by a thigh injury.

Upgrading the O-line is a key: Ram QBs were sacked 48 times last season and the running game was 25th.

RG Richie Incognito is in a three-way tussle with Brett Romberg and Mark Setterstrom for two starting slots: center and right guard. Romberg (center) and Setterstrom (right guard) opened camp as first-teamers, but both have missed time. When Romberg had a sore hand and couldn't snap the ball for several days, Incognito put in time at center. And with Setterstrom out now with a strained muscle near his knee, and Romberg back at center, Incognito is back at right guard.


INFORMATION COURTESY OF WWW.JIMFEIST.COM


Houston Texans - QB Rotation: Matt Schaub, Sage Rosenfels, Shane Boyd, rookie Alex Brink.

Coach Gary Kubiak is still working closely with backup QBs Shane Boyd and Alex Brink, and one of the two likely will be selected as the team's third-stringer this season. Kubiak typically carries only two QBs on the roster, but because of the injuries suffered by Schaub last season, the Texans will likely carry three this year.

The new offensive coordinator is Kyle Shanahan, as 2007 offensive coordinator Mike Sherman is the new head coach at Texas A&M.

RB depth a concern. Newly acquired RB Mike Bell continues to nurse a hamstring. Gary Kubiak didn't want to push RB Chris Brown Monday in his first practice back after almost a week. Ahman Green will get some carries against the Broncos.

Veteran cornerback Jimmy Williams is getting a scope done on his knee, and coach Gary Kubiak said he likely will be out for a significant amount of time.

New Orleans Saints - QB Rotation: Drew Brees, Mark Brunell, Tyler Palko.

To help the defense, the Saints paid particular offseason attention to the line, adding free-agent defensive end Bobby McCray and drafting defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis with the seventh overall pick. They also added cornerback Randall Gay via free agency.

Offense has new looks, with a healthy RB Deuce McAllister, new TE Jeremy Shockey, and speedy WR Robert Meachem, who was inactive for all 16 games last season.

Arizona Cardinals - QB Rotation: Matt Leinart, Kurt Warner, Brian St. Pierre, rookie Anthony Morelli.

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt is handing off most of the offensive play-calling duties for the upcoming season to coordinator Todd Haley.

WRs thin. WR Anquan Boldin (hamstring) is not 100% and WR Early Doucet (hamstring) is ailing.

O-line concerns: Cardinals starting center Al Johnson underwent surgery on his left knee last week, and the team is hoping he can return by the first or second game of the season. The Cardinals have taken two serious hits at center. Third-team center Scott Peters suffered a severe knee injury and is out for the season.

Backup Lyle Sendlein is a capable starter, but there isn't much depth. Coaches discussed the possibility of moving guard Elton Brown to center but decided Brown is young and needs the work at guard.

Secondary thin. CB Antrel Rolle (left-ankle sprain) missed a third consecutive day of practice. CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (left-ankle sprain) in not 100%.

K.C. Chiefs - QB Rotation: Brodie Croyle, Tyler Thigpen, Damon Huard.

Coach Herm Edwards said that Brodie Croyle's job is safe and that he will enter training camp as the starter. "It's his team now," Edwards said.

Last year's starter Damon Huard is now the No. 3 quarterback, behind second-year passer Tyler Thigpen.

Rookie defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, the centerpiece of their rebuilding effort, injured his left knee in practice. Dorsey didn't play last week but HC Edwards said he was hopeful Dorsey could play in the against Arizona on Aug. 16.

LBs thin. Injuries have prevented Donnie Edwards and Napoleon Harris from practicing for several days, and neither will play in Saturday's game against Arizona. Starting MLB Pat Thomas was mostly a bystander in practice because of a sore finger. That left eight healthy linebackers and one, Aden Durde, is with the Chiefs as a special European exemption because he was assigned by the NFL.

The Chiefs spent the offseason overhauling the line, but with rookie left tackle Branden Albert likely out for the preseason because of a sprained foot, the team won.5?t be able to build the continuity coach Herm Edwards wants. With Albert out, veteran guard Brian Waters has to hold down the left side.

Green Bay Packers - QB Rotation: Aaron Rodgers, rookie Brian Brohm, Matt Flynn.

Green Bay is reshuffling the offensive line.

Defensive line health is a concern. Nose tackle Daniel Muir was the latest defensive tackle to go down, leaving the team pretty thin. There are four defensive tackles out and two defensive ends. The tackles are Muir, Ryan Pickett (hamstring), Johnny Jolly (hip flexor) and Justin Harrell (back). The ends are Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (knee) and Jeremy Thompson (neck stinger).

This Green Bay camp has been heavy on blitzing and it will be interesting to see whether defensive coordinator Bob Sanders will turn loose his squad right away. If he's going to blitz more this season, he's going to have to practice it a lot because timing and execution are so important.

San Fran 49ers - QB Rotation: J.T. O'Sullivan, Alex Smith, Shaun Hill, Drew Olsen.

For the third straight practice, Shaun Hill was a bystander as the mystery of who will be the 49ers' starting quarterback continued. HC Mike Nolan stuck to his mantra that it's a three-man race between Hill, 2005 top pick Alex Smith and J.T. O'Sullivan. Mike Martz added that O'Sullivan's and Hill's biggest issue is game management.

Mike Martz is the new offensive coordinator. Martz is intent on making TE Vernon Davis a focal point of the offense.

QB J.T. O'Sullivan looks like the most game-ready QB, thanks to the head start he had from working as a backup in Mike Martz's offense last year in Detroit.

WRs thin: Arnaz Battle strained his hamstring in practice Tuesday. WR Bryant Johnson is still out with a right hamstring. WR Ashley Lelie (calf) and Jason Hill (groin) are both nicked up, and Isaac Bruce is still pacing himself into playing shape. Youngsters Hill, Morgan, Cam Colvin and Dominique Zeigler saw a lot of action.

With the retirement of defensive tackle Bryant Young and with defensive tackle Marques Douglas signing as a free agent with the Buccaneers, the 49ers have looked to Justin Smith and rookie Kentwan Balmer, who was the team's first-round pick out of North Carolina, to shore up the defensive line.

Dallas Cowboys - QB Rotation: Tony Romo, Brad Johnson, Richard Bartel.

WR depth thin.

Secondary thin. With Terence Newman out with a torn groin muscle, rookie Mike Jenkins will start at left cornerback.

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips is calling this "Camp Marshmallow." It's been the school of soft knocks in training camp when it comes to hitting, but Phillips wanted it that way. He didn't want to overwork his team or get players hurt. He feels he got the needed work and has a fresh team steadily building toward the Sept. 7 opener at Cleveland. Phillips believes the team accomplished the mission in camp without full contact or wearing full pads very often.

Denver Broncos - QB Rotation: Jay Cutler, Patrick Ramsey, Darrell Hackney.

LBs thin.

Center Tom Nalen missed his fifth consecutive day with pain in his left knee.

For the Broncos, LB Boss Bailey (ankle), center Tom Nalen (knee), and LB Louis Green (neck) will not play in Saturday's preseason game. Cornerback Champ Bailey (hamstring) may be limited.

Chicago Bears - QB Rotation: Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton, Caleb Hanie.

Grossman gets the starting nod this week, with Orton following.

O-line concerns: Rookie 1st round pick left tackle Chris Williams has a back problem and is probably out. His continued absence threatens to alter the Bears' plans for him this season.

Williams was drafted No. 14 overall in the belief he would step right in at left tackle, with John Tait shifting to the right side. John St. Clair has been working with the first team at left tackle, but odds were he'd start the season at left guard instead of Terrence Metcalf.

Injuries have hampered the offensive line from the start of camp. Center Olin Kreutz missed some time with a sore Achilles' tendon. Then Williams went down.

Seattle Seahawks - QB Rotation: Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, Charlie Frye, Dalton Bell.

QB Matt Hasselbeck missed Sunday and Monday practics with a stiff back. "He tweaked it a little bit," Mike Holmgren said. "He's taking it easy, taking a couple of days." When asked if Hasselbeck might miss Saturday's preseason game against Chicago, the coach said, "I suppose there's a chance, but we haven't even talked about it yet."

The team is trying to find a halfback rotation with Maurice Morris and new additions Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett. The passing game is looking for someone to fill the flanker role while Deion Branch is recovering from a knee injury. Rookie John Carlson is trying to work his way into being a factor at tight end.

The offensive line has been reshuffled with the addition of Mike Wahle and a back injury to Chris Spencer has the team turning to Steve Vallos, a college tackle in 2006, to play center.

Secondary dinged up. CB DeMichael Dizer tore an ACL and will need surgery.

WR concerns: WR Bobby Engram will miss six to eight weeks with a cracked bone in his right shoulder. WR Deion Branch is six months into what is typically a nine-month rehabilitation following reconstructive knee surgery. He likely will not be ready for the season opener.


INFORMATION COURTESY OF WWW.JIMFEIST.COM


SUNDAY'S GAMES 8/17/08

Detroit Lions - QB Rotation: Jon Kitna, Drew Stanton, Dan Orlovsky.

QB Drew Stanton has been the No. 3 quarterback since camp opened and has struggled at times.

The Lions are committed to the running game. There were 24 pass attempts and 35 running plays in the opener. The Lions ranked 31st last year and had the fewest running plays of any team.

WRs thin.

The defense is beginning its third year in the Tampa Two system, and it's the second year under coordinator Joe Barry, while Jim Colletto is the new offensive coordinator.

New offensive coordinator Jim Colletto promises a more balanced attack. That starts with the fierce backfield competition between Tatum Bell and rookie Kevin Smith.

Defensive coordinator Joe Barry wants his defense to be aggressive and create turnovers.

Cincinnati Bengals - QB Rotation: Carson Palmer, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jeff Rowe, Jordan Palmer.

New defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer takes over and said the team will stay with a four-lineman base.

Under new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, the Bengals are playing a lot of man-to-man with their cornerbacks.

Secondary young: CB Leon Hall, starting free safety Marvin White, backup strong safety Chinedum Ndukwe and CB David Jones are starting their second NFL seasons. Jonathon Joseph is beginning his third, as are potential backup safeties Herana-Daze Jones and John Busing. Former Canadian League star Kyries Hebert, 27, is a first-year NFL player.

New England Patriots - QB Rotation: Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, Matt Gutierrez, rookie Kevin O'Connell.

Cassel, Gutierrez and rookie Kevin O'Connell are all battling for the No. 2 QB job. The three combined to complete 17 of 33 passes for 144 yards with three interceptions in the opener.

Offensive line thin. The Patriots' signing of veteran free-agent offensive lineman John Welbourn is an indication that the team's decision-makers have concerns with the depth along the line. They have 11 linemen, meaning only two layers of a depth chart could be filled (three layers would be ideal).

Tackle is the specific trouble spot, with Matt Light, Ryan O'Callaghan and Oliver Ross (PUP) all sidelined -- and Anthony Clement placed on injured reserve Saturday. Guard Stephen Neal is also on PUP. The second line is comprised of Barry Stokes, Dan Connolly, Russ Hochstein, Pete McMahon and Jimmy Martin and rookie free agent Ryan Wendell.

Tampa Bay Bucs - QB Rotation: Jeff Garcia, Luke McCown, Brian Griese, Chris Simms, rookie Josh Johnson.

Jeff Garcia returned to practice Monday, in a limited capacity, for the first time since sustaining a calf strain. Garcia, 38, has failed to fully participate in 10 of Tampa Bay's 14 practices.

Jon Gruden clearly is frustrated with McCown's inconsistency, but admits that is to be expected from a young quarterback.

WRs thin. With WR Joey Galloway out, Maurice Stovall and Antonio Bryant have been splitting the reps at first-team split end. The Bucs have also worked Micheal Spurlock and rookie Dexter Jackson at that spot.


INFORMATION COURTESY OF WWW.JIMFEIST.COM


MONDAY'S GAME 8/18/08

Cleveland Browns - QB Rotation: Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, Ken Dorsey.

The change Browns have made a change in defensive coordinators from Todd Grantham to Mel Tucker.

Wrs thin: Pro Bowl WR Braylon Edwards (foot) is out for two exhibition games. WR Joe Jurevicius is out until November with an infected knee, while offensive lineman Ryan Tucker is expected back later this month after June hip surgery.

4-year LB David McMillan -- and not rookie Alex Hall -- gets first crack at replacing injured Antwan Peek as the strong (left) side pass rusher in nickel defenses. McMillan had been working behind the starters at strong and weak outside linebacker until Peek had arthroscopic knee surgery last week. Peek will miss the entire preseason.

NY Giants - QB Rotation: Eli Manning, Anthony Wright, David Carr, rookie Andre Woodson.

HC Coughlin is concerned with a number of minor but nagging injuries that have cut into the Giants' depth. The newest injury is starting right guard Chris Snee, who sat out with a sore shoulder and will have an MRI to see why he's experiencing discomfort. Kevin Booth replaced Snee with the first unit.

 

[michaelj]

ace ace who do you like in thursday games?

 

[ACE-ACE]

ace ace who do you like in thursday games?

Its always in my "win money or loses the bank-roll tread

http://www.therxforum.com/showthread.php?p=5648790#post5648790

pitt under 33...write up there

 

[ACE-ACE]

Thursday, August 14








-- Steelers-Bills should have good mix of both teams' fans; Bills lost their last five preseason home games. Steelers are 5-1 under Tomlin in preseason, but with Batch breaking collarbone a week ago, Leftwich is either going to get crash course in offense, or it will be mobile Oregon rookie Dixon getting lot of time here.


-- Eagles have quality backup QBs in Kolb/Feeley, but they lost five of last six summer games. Carolina has decent backup QB in Matt Moore- they won four of last five summer road games. Last week, neither team scored in second half, but Panthers won 23-20 in OT at home vs Colts-- Eagles lost 16-10 at Pittsburgh.






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What bettors need to know: Steelers at Bills




By RYAN STETSON








Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills




Canadian content

This game marks the first of an eight-game deal that will have Buffalo playing in Toronto?s Rogers Centre over the next five years. Don?t expect a full house though. Word has it that only the cheapest seats (at 70 bucks a pop) are sold out.


Quarterback corner

Nobody?s getting carried away talking about another quarterback controversy just yet, but Trent Edwards had a tough time in his first preseason start, going just 1-for-5 for 15 yards against the Redskins. J.P. Losman stepped in and was 7-for-9 with a touchdown and a two-point conversion.

Newly-signed Byron Leftwich will make his Steelers debut less than a week after Ben Roethlisberger?s former backup, Charlie Batch, broke his collarbone. But if you?re looking for a rep count for the offensive starters, don?t bother. So far Mike Tomlin?s keeping quiet.

If you?re looking for a rep count for the starters, don?t bother Mike Tomlin. So far all he has said is that his first stringers will play more than the one or two series they played in Week 1.

"We're going to play our first-unit some more than we played in the last game," Tomlin said. "Byron is scheduled to play, and Dennis (Dixon) is scheduled to play, and if we have enough snaps maybe we'll play (Mike) Potts."

Bills head coach Dick Jauron is handling the playing time issue with the media the same way, says his starting offense won?t play much more than the nine plays it was on the field for in last week.


Tackled tackles

With Pro-Bowler Jason Peters still holding out, Buffalo is down to just three healthy tackles after Patrick Estes and second-string left tackle Matt Murphy were hurt Monday. That means the Bills will be relying on fill-ins Langston Walker and Kirk Chambers, as well as seventh-round pick Demetrius Bell for Thursday?s game. The Bills may pull Brad Butler over from right guard to help out at left tackle.


Center of attention

Mike Tomlin wants to settle on a starting center pronto. Justin Hartwing is challenging last season?s starter first-stringer Sean Mahan for the spot.

I'd like to have it solved yesterday," Tomlin said of the battle at center on Tuesday. "But you don't always get what you want. We'll have clarity, certainly, when we do make that decision."










Notable no-shows




Pittsburgh:


Troy Polamalu (hamstring)

Deshea Townsend (groin)





Buffalo:


Left tackle (see above)

Josh Reed (lower back)

Roscoe Parrish (knee)





Recent meetings

Pittsburgh has won five of its six preseason games against the Bills. The last time the two clubs hooked up back in 2001, the Steelers blanked Buffalo 20-0. Mike Tomlin?s boys also beat the Bills 26-3 in regular season play last year.







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











What bettors need to know: Panthers at Eagles




By RYAN STETSON








Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles




Quarterback corner


Jake Delhomme didn?t test his surgically repaired throwing arm much last week in two series of work, attempting just one pass in a 23-20 overtime win over the Colts. He?s expected to give it more of a workout Thursday as he attempts to be one of the few NFL quarterbacks to successfully recover from Tommy John surgery. Still, backup Matt Moore will see extensive action along with Brett Basanez and possibly Lester Richard.

Donovan McNabb was sharp in his first outing of the year last week, going 10-of-13 for 95 yards and a major. He already looks more trim and nimble than he was last season, his first after major knee surgery.


Cranky cats

Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith is already suspended for the first two games of the year after he popped teammate Ken Lucas in the beak last week, breaking the hard-hitting safety?s nose. Now Lucas is still out and Smith probably won?t play Thursday either after suffering a concussion against the Colts.


Philly stars make preseason debuts

Corner back Asante Samuel and Brian Westbrook will likely make their first starts of the preseason Thursday. Samuel had been battling a hamstring issue and Westbrook was held out of last week?s game against the Steelers for precautionary reasons.


Playing time

Andy Reid says his starters will play the first half, then let the second and third-stringers take it from there. Reid also mentioned that backup quarterback Kevin Kolb could play as much as the entire second half after McNabb comes out.

No definitive word on Carolina?s starters, but the word around camp is that John Fox wants to get Delhomme some solid work with the offense, while being careful with his both his offensive and defensive starters. They can?t handle many more injuries at this point.







Notable no-shows



Carolina:


Steve Smith (concussion)

Ken Lucas (broken nose)

Ian Scott (knee)

D.J. Hackett (toe)

Chris Harris (groin)

Chris Gamble (hamstring)







Philadelphia:


Tra Thomas (calf)

Montae Reagor (knee)

Victor Abiamiri (wrist)

Chris Clemons (calf)