Jets keep hope alive in Minnesota
Football Betting Lines
12/20/2006 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - "Just when I thought that I was out, they pull me back in."
There is not much to like, or remember, about Godfather III, but Michael Corleone's signature line in that movie pretty much sums up my feelings towards the New York Jets.
The Jets were left for dead last week with regard to the playoff picture in the AFC after giving a half-hearted effort in a home loss to the Buffalo Bills. But with their season on the line and their backs against the wall, the Jets, as they have done all year under first year head coach Eric Mangini, bounced back on the road and defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 26-13, at the Metrodome.
"I was very proud of the way our team prepared this week," said New York head coach Eric Mangini. "I was proud of the approach they took and the energy level we had going into the game. To come out and have the early strip-sack and get the early touchdown, we really put that adversity behind us and played pretty good football from there on in."
As bad as New York quarterback Chad Pennington was in the loss to Buffalo, he was that good on Sunday against the Vikings. The oft-criticized signal caller completed 29-of-39 passes for a career-high 339 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
"Kudos to our team for really bonding together and coming together this week after a tough loss last week," said Pennington, who had fumbled on the second play from scrimmage. "We put together a winning effort, and that's what it's all about. This game is such a team game and it takes everyone involved. This win started on Wednesday with a really good day of practice, and then we kept practicing better and better throughout the week. The guys were really honed on what we needed to do to get a win."
Now, if the Jets win their final two games, they should get into the playoffs. Of course they could win out and still miss out on the postseason, but a lot of other things would have to happen for that to occur.
New York, which is 5-2 this season on the road, will finish its season with a stop in Miami on Christmas night and a home tilt with the hapless Oakland Raiders on New Year's Eve.
NO COLES IN PRO BOWL?
Laveranues Coles continued to make his case to be on the field in Hawaii on February 10, as he hauled in a career-best 12 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings. Nonetheless, Coles was not on the AFC roster when the Pro Bowl teams were announced on Tuesday.
"I thought Laveranues' performance was outstanding, Mangini said of Sunday's game. "It's very typical Laveranues; he comes out and plays incredible. Each week he makes tough catches - that's what you love about the guy."
Coles, who is seven catches away from breaking Al Toon's mark for a single season, is now second in the AFC with 87 catches, and his 1,065 yards are sixth best in the conference.
Another Jet who was snubbed for Pro Bowl honors was rookie center Nick Mangold, who has been absolutely tremendous this season and could realistically get some consideration for AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Mangold, though, suffered a scare on the play that Pennington fumbled, as his leg twisted awkwardly and had to be helped from the field. He was fine and did not miss a play.
Return man Justin Miller was the only Jet to be named to the AFC roster, though more New York players, including perhaps Coles and Mangold, could end up in the game as others around the league drop out due to injury.
NUGENT GETTING HIS KICKS IN
Jets' kicker Mike Nugent has put his early-season struggles behind him. In Sunday's win, Nugent matched a career-best with four field goals, including one from 52 yards out that looked like it could have been good from at least 60.
Nugent, who missed two field goals and an extra point in his team's first game of the year, has now made 13 straight field goals and has connected on 18 of his last 19 attempts. He is also good on 2-of-3 from 50 yards or more this season.
QUICK HITS
-Coles and Jerricho Cotchery (6 catches, 56 yards) combined for 18 receptions for 200 yards versus Minnesota. On the season, they now have 158 catches combined, tied for the highest single-season total for a tandem in Jets history. Keyshawn Johnson and Wayne Chrebet combined for 158 in 1998
Coles now has 502 career receptions and 320 as a Jet, which is eighth on the team's all-time list.
-Jonathan Vilma was credited with three tackles, giving him 100 on the season. He is the first Jets LB since Kyle Clifton (1984-86) with at least 100 tackles in his first three seasons.
-In four career games in domed stadiums, Pennington is 85-for-115 for 968 yards with 9 TD, 2 INT and a 117.6 passer rating. He also started his 14th game of the season, which is a career-best.
-The Jets have now won three straight road games for the first time since ripping off five in a row away from home to begin the 2001 season.
-Mangini improved to 4-0 against fellow rookie head coaches this season.
UP NEXT
The Jets' push for the postseason continues on Christmas night when they head to South Beach for a crucial AFC East battle with the Miami Dolphins. The Jets hold a 42-38-1 lead in their all-time series with Miami, including a 20-17 home victory when the teams met in Week 6. New York has now won four of the last five in the series, with the Dolphins' only win over that stretch coming at home (24-20) last season. The Jets' most recent win in Miami occurred in 2004.
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(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arizona's Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler of Denver will
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N
NFL Football Betting
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
Teams that should be in: Stanford
Oregon and USC get their tickets punched after taking care of business this weekend. Yes, the Trojans' computer numbers aren't great, but there's no way the third-place team in this league is getting nixed. Grudgingly, I added Arizona after consultation with our Bracketologist. I don't know that Arizona will lose its last three (including a Pac-10 quarterfinal game), and even if the Cats do, I still can't see how they'd be left out, given the overall profile. That said, it bears watching, as three more L's would leave them at 18-12 (9-9) and on a 6-11 skid entering the Dance. It would be nice to see the Wildcats get at least one W in the Bay Area next week, as Cincinnati (albeit without Armein Kirkland and with a worse profile) was axed after a similar slide last season. I just couldn't rationalize having some of the other teams as locks and not having Arizona in that category -- there just aren't enough good teams behind the Cats to threaten their spot, it seems. Stanford has its fate in its own hands with the Arizona schools coming to the Farm to close out the regular season next weekend.
Should be in:
Stanford [17-10 (9-7), RPI: 40, SOS: 21] No shame in not getting a win in L.A., but that makes the home game against Arizona State a must-win ahead of what could be an intriguing meeting with Arizona should the Cats lose at Cal. Getting to 11 Pac-10 wins would make Selection Sunday much more comfortable, but 10's probably more than enough this season. The Cardinal have nonconference wins over Texas Tech and at Virginia to lean on, although they also lost badly to Air Force and Santa Clara at home.
| Southeastern Conference odds | |
Work left to do: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State It looks more and more possible that no one from the SEC West will make the NCAAs. How weird is that? Tennessee and Vandy move into the locks category after more good work this weekend. Kentucky stays there, although it would be smart for the Cats to handle Georgia at home Wednesday ahead of a trip to the Swamp. Could a disaster scenario (two more L's and a first-round SEC tourney exit) somehow dislodge the Cats despite their incredible computer numbers? Still unlikely, but not worth chancing it.
Work left to do: Alabama [19-9 (6-8), RPI: 43, SOS: 47] The tough L at Tennessee was understandable, and even created some hope. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed by a home loss to Auburn, which leaves the Tide in some real trouble. There's still no signature win on the profile (no, Kentucky doesn't count), and the computer profile is weakening rapidly. The Tide conceivably could beat Ole Miss and win at Miss. State to get to 8-8 and clinch at least a share of the West crown, but that's probably not enough right now. The Tide will need to do some work in the SEC tourney. Georgia [16-10 (8-6), RPI: 52, SOS: 23] This is the team with the best chance to make it from this section right now. The Bulldogs rebounded from a terrible performance at Ole Miss to beat down Miss. State. Now they are at Kentucky (king of the RPI 51-100 win) and home to Tennessee. That would be worth a lot of computer points to get both (which is doable), as both teams are in the top 11 in RPI. Finishing at least 9-7 is an absolute must, and I would feel much better about the Dawgs' chances if they got both to get to 10 SEC wins. They also beat Gonzaga, but lost to ACC bubblers Georgia Tech and Clemson. Mississippi [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 63, SOS: 79] Like everyone else in this division, Ole Miss gacked up a chance to stake a claim, losing by double figures at South Carolina. Even 9-7 likely is not nearly enough with a nonconference profile devoid of anything notable. Mississippi State [16-11 (7-7), RPI: 66, SOS: 37] With a chance to get in the mix, these Bulldogs were leashed by their Georgia counterparts. Could they get to 9-7? I guess -- although winning at Arkansas, then beating Alabama is no lock -- but would that mean all that much for a team with this overall profile? Probably not. There's nothing of note (on the good side) in the nonconference profile. |
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