Running back Michael Turner was unstoppable in his limited playing time, churning out 65 yards in the Falcons opening drive. After the game, he confirmed that the Falcons offense had placed a priority on flawless execution:

“We wanted to come out and execute. They were preaching that all week and we wanted to show that on game day. We’re way better than we were last year at this time.”

Quarterback Matt Ryan was 7 of 8 for 81 yards and a touchdown pass before he called it a night. Tony Gonzalez caught Ryans TD pass and after the game was effusive in his praise for the young signal caller:

“He’s a great quarterback. It’s obvious he’s figuring things out. He has a great arm, talent, and knows how to play with poise.”

It was a disappointing home debut for new Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo, who saw his team blown away from the opening whistle before a half empty stadium. Still, he tried to frame the loss as a learning experience:

“Just like I said to the team, we’d have liked to have started out a little better. You’ve got to come out and take it to them.”

Rams safety O.J. Atogwe concurred:

“This was a fabulous game for us. That’s the reason you play the preseason. Going against a team like Atlanta, a top-caliber team, it allows us to reassess what we’ve been doing.”

Falcons coach Mike Smith, meanwhile, was more enthused about the improved play of his rushing defense than the offensive firepower:

“We were much improved against the run. It’s something we have to continue to get better at. We still had some missteps.”

The Falcons will continue NFL preseason play next Friday night as they host the San Diego Chargers at the Georgia Dome. The Rams will play the Bengals at Cincinnati next Thursday night. Atlanta will get the NFL regular season underway on Sunday, September 13th as they host the Miami Dolphins while the Rams will head to the Pacific Northwest for a game against the Seahawks in Seattle.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and highly respected authority on football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Northern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

The Bengals easily covered as a -3 home favorite, evening their NFL preseason record against the spread at 2-2. The Colts ATS mark also matched their SU record, dropping to 1-3 on the exhibition season. The combined 45 points went OVER the posted total of 36.

Peyton Mannings backup, Jim Sorgi, put up a solid performance in limited playing time after missing much of the preseason with a hamstring injury. Sorgi threw for 119 yards on 11 for 19 passing and a touchdown and gave an upbeat assessment of his play:

“I thought it was pretty solid. I got a little winded out there but all in all, I thought I saw everything real good and got us into the right plays. The hamstring responded pretty well tonight.”

The Colts first year head coach Jim Caldwell agreed:

“He hasn’t had much playing time. I thought he found his way out there. He put a pretty good game together and showed some flashes of what he can do.”

Despite the game being a sloppy battle of reserves, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis was still happy with getting the win:

“You can’t control who you play against. It was good to let our guys break a sweat and get out there and go.”

Bengals starting QB Carson Palmer, who has sat out much of the preseason with an ankle sprain, said that hes anxious to get back in the game. Palmer will enter his regular season without much preparation, having thrown only 11 passes in exhibition play He clearly is ready to go:

“It’s a tease. It’s just good to know that I’m that much closer. It’s a week away. I’m excited.”

Indianapolis will start their NFL regular season schedule on Sunday, September 13th as they host the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium. Theyll head out on the road for their next contest, playing the Miami Dolphins in south Florida on Monday, September 21. The Bengals will host the Denver Broncos in their 2009 NFL season opener, with a road game on tap for week #2 as they head to Green Bay for a game against the Packers on Sunday, September 20.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

Houston took the money as +3′ road underdogs with the outright win, and both teams are now 3-3 on the season against the NFL pointspread. The 45 points just managed to stay UNDER the posted total of 46. The Texans have gone UNDER in 4 of 6 this season while the Bengals evened their NFL totals record at 3-3.

After the victory, Schaub said that his team knew of Houston’s penchant for late game comebacks and that ‘putting them away’ would be a priority:

“Every game went down to the wire for them. Credit goes to them because they were able to find ways to win those games. So it was a matter of putting the game away.”

The Texans’ stoic head coach Gary Kubiak would only offer that:

“Matt continues to put up exceptional numbers on the road.”

The defense did a stellar job as well, shutting out the Bengals in the second half. In the third quarter, Houston only allowed six yards on nine plays for a franchise record. Cornerback Dunta Robininson talked about the defensive corps mindset:

“It was swarm tackling. Everybody has a job to do, and today we made this team a one-dimensional team. Overall as a defense, we played well.”

In the losing locker room, wide receiver Chad Ochocinco admitted that his team knew that they couldn’t rely on last minute heroics to win games:

“That’s our fault. We’ve been saying that we can’t keep winning with the way we’ve been playing. We’ve got to be consistent for all four quarters.”

The Bengals will play their next two games at home, starting with a contest against the Chicago Bears this Sunday. Cincinnati is a -1 home favorite with the total set at 42. They’ll host the Baltimore Ravens the following Sunday before traveling to Pittsburgh for a game against the Steelers on November 15. The Texans host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, with Houston a -3 home favorite and the total set at 44.

Ross Everett is a widely published widely published freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

NFL preseason betting enthusiasts who took the Giants as +3 point underdogs were rewarded with the outright victory. The Jets improved to 2-1 against the pointspread, while the Giants dropped to 1-2 against the money as they dropped their second straight ATS verdict. The combined 52 points went well OVER the posted total of 36. The Jets have gone OVER in all three of their exhibition games, while the Giants have exceeded the total in two of three.

Sanchez finished with 149 yards on 13 of 20 passing and a touchdown pass to former University of South Carolina standout Chansi Stuckey. After the game, he said things were different now that he was the starting QB:

“You get a little more confidence when you know your coach believes in you and has named you the starter. It was similar to that at SC. Once you’re the guy, you talk a little different, you walk a little different and you act a little different.”

Giants defender Mathias Kiwanuka thought he had a sack but Sanchez evaded him and another lineman to make the play. He had to be impressed with Sanchezs touchdown effort:

“I thought we had him. It was a great play. You have to give him credit for seeing down the field with two guys in his face.”

Sanchez remembered it thusly:

“It was one of those plays where you get hit throwing it and you don’t really see what’s going on. You kind of listen. I knew if it was a big roar, it was probably a big play by the Giants, maybe an interception and I’d have to get up quick. But I heard a quiet roar and I said: ‘Oh boy, I think he caught it.’”

Winning coach Ryan was pleased with his young QBs effort:

“He was poised. He is what we thought he was.”

Giants QB Eli Manning had something of an off game, finishing a touchdown and interception. He had receiver Steve Smith drop a perfect wide open pass that would have been a 50 yard touchdown play. Afterwards, he had no hard feelings:

“Sometimes it’s good to get those out of the way now. I know Steve feels bad about that. He hasn’t done that all training camp. I know he won’t drop it next time.”

The Giants will get the NFL regular season started with a big game against their divisional rivals as they host the Washington Redskins on Sunday, September 13th. The Jets will start the season on the road as they travel to Houston for a game against the Texans.

Ross Everett is a well known freelance writer who covers travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, falconry and deep sea diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.

Boller did withstand a hard hit from linebacker Keith Rivers that knocked his helmet off his head. Rather than leave the game, he calmly picked up his helmet and finished the drive. After the game, he talked about the play:

“I could have slid a little earlier. It is what it is. My chin strap hit just above my eyes. It was a good scramble, but maybe if I can get down a little sooner, the coaches would like that.”

Rivers also commented on the play, insisting that the hard hit wasnt intentional:

“I was just trying to get to the ball. It wasn’t anything intentional.”

Boller had struggled last week but played well this week. Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo gave him credit in his postgame comments:

“He moved the team. He drove us down there after the bad start. When you score on a drive, the quarterback deserves the credit.”

Bengals second string QB J.T. O’Sullivan didnt have it quite so easy”he was sacked three times, lost a fumble and had two passes deflected by linemen. The lost fumble added to the Bengals NFL preseason turnover woes”theyve lost five fumbles and thrown three interceptions for eight turnovers in three games. He spoke of his performance and the need to minimize turnovers afterwards:

“We’ve just got to find a way to eliminate it. It puts you in such a disadvantage any time you turn the ball over. That’s one of the things that has to change immediately.”

Head coach Marvin Lewis agreed with this assessment:

“When you turn the football over, you have a difficult time winning, whether you’re playing in the regular season, the preseason, junior high, sixth grade, whatever it is.

The Bengals conclude their NFL preseason slate next Thursday as they host the Indianapolis Colts. The Rams play at home on the same night, welcoming the Kansas City Chiefs to the Edward Jones Dome.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and highly respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and World Cup betting sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

Lewis has only been out of retirement and with the team for two weeks, and has spent this week trying to ingest a crash course on the Redskins’ offensive schemes. While he was learning on the job, head coach Zorn was trying to put the best spin possible on what can only be seen as a de facto demotion:

“I need to have composure. I need to understand what the reality of the situation is, and I think our players expect me to rise up. We expect them to play under adverse conditions. We expect them to risk it all. … I’m conscious of what’s going on. I’m not naive about what’s going on, and yet I have to just hold back on any feelings and make the decisions.”

Quarterback Campbell is more concerned about the convoluted system of getting plays from Lewis to him:

“There’ll probably be a couple of plays I have in my head just in case if some reason it doesn’t get in on time.”

Here’s how things are supposed to work-Lewis will sit in the coaches’ box above the field and read the plays off a sheet. While Lewis has years of experience working in the so called ‘West Coast Offense’, Zorn left doubt that he really knows what he’s doing at this point stressing that Lewis “doesn’t know the protections” and “doesn’t know the blitz schemes.” Nevertheless, he’ll be running the offense when the Redskins take on Philadelphia this Monday night.

Once Lewis figures out what to call, that’s when it really gets tricky. He’ll relay the plays via headset not to Zorn but to offensive coordinator Sherman Smith. Smith will then inform the quarterback what to run. Zorn is left in the role of a passive bystander on offense, though he will listen in to the playcalling on his headset.

Backup quarterback Todd Collins also shared his concern with the new arrangement:

“It is unsettling. I’ve never gone through this before. I’ve never had a play caller get changed in the middle of the season.”

Lewis didn’t exactly evoke a lot of confidence upon his hiring, where he revealed that he’d been calling bingo games at a seniors’ center to kill time since his retirement in 2004. Still, Collins gave him a guarded vote of confidence;

“I know he’s been studying last year’s game against the Eagles and seems to have a pretty good idea how he wants to call the game this week. It’s the same plays. He might coach them a little differently or highlight some different areas, but the offense hasn’t gone under an overhaul or anything like that.”

The Redskins haven’t scored more than 17 points in a game this season, so maybe the thinking is that things can’t get any worse.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

NFL sports bettors were faced with a choice between two teams with dismal ATS records in this game, and those who had the guts to take a 1-3 team as a -3 road favorite were rewarded with the cover. It was Carolina’s first NFL pointspread cover of the season and left them with a 1-4 record against the number. Tampa Bay has covered one of their six games this year. The 49 points scored went OVER the total of 40′.

Delhomme attempted only seven passes in the second half, but the way Williams and Stewart were running there was no reason to put the ball in the air. Williams said that even though Tampa Bay knew what was coming they couldn’t stop the Panthers’ running game:

“I’m sure everybody in the stadium knew what we were going to do. There were times they had nine in the box and we were still getting 7 or 8 yards.”

There’s been little impatience locally with Bucs’ rookie head coach Raheem Morris, but his weekly habit of explaining the obvious to rationalize yet another loss is starting to wear thin:

“We got overpowered at the end, and really throughout the game.”

Carolina safety Dante Wesley was ejected after clobbering Bucs’ return man Clifton Smith after a fair catch call. After the game, Wesley gave this defense for his actions:

“I was just trying to make a play. You can check my record. I’ve never really tried to hurt anybody. I’ve never tried to take a cheap shot on anybody.”

Wesley could face a possible fine or suspension from the NFL but, in all fairness, it did appear to be a momentary mental lapse as he was trying to make a big play and not a deliberate attempt to injure Smith.

Tampa’s schedule has the look of them going from ‘the frying pan into the fire’ as they host the New England Patriots next Sunday-fresh off of their 57 point drubbing of Tennessee. The Bucs are +14 home underdogs to the Patriots with the total set at 45. They’ll get a week off after that contest and return to action on November 8 as they host the Green Bay Packers. Carolina has an easier draw, hosting the Buffalo Bills next Sunday. The game is currently off the board pending the status of Bills’ QB Trent Edwards who suffered a concussion in Sunday’s win over the New York Jets. The Panthers will then play on the road the following two Sundays, traveling to Arizona and New Orleans.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and noted authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

NFL sports betting enthusiasts who took the Jaguars as +6 road underdogs were rewarded with the pointspread cover. Indianapolis dropped to 11-16 ATS over the past three years when favored. The 26 combined points went well UNDER the posted total of 45. Despite their reputation as an offensive juggernaut, the Colts have actually trended to the UNDER over the past three seasons, with 19 UNDERs in their past 35 lined games.

After the contest, Manning displayed his characteristic humility when asked about tying the franchise mark for wins and particularly comparisons to the iconic Unitas:

“I’ve never felt comfortable with comparisons with him. I think he’s kind of in his own category. But I am proud of those wins.”

Manning was more concerned about the welfare of receiver Anthony Gonzalez who lefthe game with an injury:

“I asked Rashean Matthis what happened and he said, ‘I didn’t even touch him . He has worked so hard in the offseason, I just hope it’s not a season-ending injury.”

Colts coach Jim Caldwell won his first game at the helm of an NFL team, and was pleased with the effort of the defense:

“Obviously, the defense played well and came up big at the end. We thought it would be a grind, and it was. I think our team certainly played tough, played hard, played with a lot of energy.”

Jacksonville wasnt overly discouraged after the contest either. Maurice Jones-Drew gave props to the Indy defense after the game:

“They just did a great job in the red zone stifling our offense. My hat’s off to them. But we have to learn how to finish.”

Quarterback David Garrard also paid respect to his opponent’s pass rush:

“I thought, ‘Here we go again, we have a great chance. You love to be in that situation. We were trying to get the ball to Maurice, but you’ve got to slow those pass rushers down. We did what we could do.”

The Jaguars will open their 2009 NFL home slate on Sunday as they host the Arizona Cardinals. The Colts will head to south Florida for a game against the Miami Dolphins on Monday night. Theyll return to Indy for a date with the Arizona Cardinals on the following Sunday.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer who covers travel, casino gambling and college football handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, falconry and scuba diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.

After playing in eight consecutive regular season games last year, the superstar running back has missed three of the Chargers last four games. Most significant was last January, when a groin injury kept LT out of the Chargers AFC playoff loss to the eventual Superbowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

When asked about his injury, Tomlinson refused comment:

“I don’t have a comment about it. It is what it is.”

Until his recent bouts with injury, Tomlinson had been one of the most durable running backs in the league. Prior to last season, the only start hed missed in his career was the season finale in 2004 when then-coach Marty Schottenheimer rested Tomlinson and other starters in advance of the NFL playoffs.

Chargers’ coach Norv Turner spoke about ‘LT’s’ injury:

“It’s hard because you’d like to have all your guys. It’s crazy, because on Sept. 1, when people were asking me what I thought about camp, I said it was great that we were healthy and had all our guys, because that’s something we haven’t had in a while.

“I think we’re doing the right thing with L.T. Obviously he couldn’t play this week, you know, but he’s getting better and hopefully he’ll be able to go next week. if not, he’ll be ready to go when the bye’s over.”

The Chargers also have a half dozen players listed as questionable due to flu like symptoms. Turner spoke about their prognosis:

“I think we’re beyond the guys who had it. I obviously have a concern that they’re not too drained, but I think we have a couple days to get them back. My concern is what’s going to pop up tomorrow morning or Sunday morning because obviously it’s going through the building.”

Darren Sproles started in LTs place last week, and has performed well this season. Sproles, who also returns kickoffs and punts, had 524 all purpose yards in two games this season. Hes not as powerful a back as Tomlinson, but is a heady player who uses his speed and elusiveness to pick up yardage.

The Chargers are a -6 home favorite against the Miami Dolphins this Sunday, with the total set at 44. The first half line on the game is San Diego -3 with the total set at 21. San Diego will travel to the Steel City of Pittsburgh next Sunday to face the Superbowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, and then enjoy a much needed bye week. Theyll return to action on Monday, November 19th hosting the Denver Broncos.

Ross Everett is a respected freelance writer who covers travel, poker and college football handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, flower arranging and scuba diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.

NFL sports betting enthusiasts who took the Bills as -4 home favorites cashed their tickets with the pointspread cover. Despite a 1-1 straight up record, Buffalo improved to 2-0 against the spread. Tampa Bay has lost both of their 2009 NFL games straight up and against the number for a 0-2 mark in both categories. The combined 53 points put on the scoreboard went OVER the posted total of 41. Both teams have gone OVER in two games this so far this season.

Terrell Owens capped the game with a long touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Trent Edwards expressed his excitement and seeing T.O show some of his ability to be a deep threat for the team:

I was excited and he was excited. I don’t really recall what was said, but I’m honestly hoping that that continues to happen. I think that’s why we have him.”

“We learned our lesson from last week and it’s a valuable lesson we’re going to need throughout the season. We have to finish games and that’s what we did today.”

Lee Evans also caught a touchdown pass from Edwards, and after the game praised his quarterback:

“It comes down to opportunities. I think Trent wasn’t afraid to take any chances. You always have to have that threat of the deep play. I think we put it on the table today that we would.”

A team long known for its suffocating defenses, Tampa Bay has struggled to stop opposing offenses in the first two NFL regular season games under new head coach Raheem Morris. The Bucs allowed over 900 yards of offense this season, a fact that defensive stalwart Ronde Barber stressed was unacceptable:

“They dialed up some things on us that we should have stopped but we didn’t. Ask the coaches that. I’m not willing to make a statement on that. It’s really unacceptable. Good defenses are good tackling defenses.”

Morris, meanwhile, tried to project an aura of calm:

“I’m not worried about their confidence but these guys got to play better.”

The Bills now host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, with Buffalo installed as +6 home underdogs. The total for the game has been set at 52. Buffalo will travel to Miami the following Sunday to play the Dolphins before returning home on 10/11 to take on the Cleveland Browns. Tampa Bay faces three tough NFC East opponents in the coming weeks, beginning with a Sunday home game against the New York Giants. The Bucs are +6 home underdogs in that game with the total set at 44.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer specializing in travel, casino gambling and college football handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, falconry and deep sea diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.