AFC North Outlook

May 8, 2013

The NFL draft steals most of the attention in April and May but the recent release of the NFL schedules is more telling factor in the potential results this season. Take a look at the four teams in the AFC North in this schedule preview. This has been a competitive 3-team race in recent years and the North could again be a very competitive division with the Ravens, Bengals, and Steelers still standing out ahead of the Browns. The difference between making the playoffs and not making the playoffs could be very thin in this division and the schedules will play a pivotal role.

Baltimore Ravens: The defending Super Bowl champions will face a tough slate in 2013 drawing Houston and Denver outside of the division and also having to battle all four NFC North teams. The AFC East draw softens the slate a bit potentially but the Ravens have the fifth toughest schedule in the NFL based on the 2012 win percentage of its opponents and by far the toughest slate in the AFC North by that measure. The season opens with a huge Thursday night game in Denver in a rematch of the epic playoff game from last season and the Ravens have several big games early in the season, with games against the Broncos, Browns, Texans, Packers, and Steelers in the first seven weeks. Baltimore only plays two games outside of the Eastern Time zone and the travel overall is pretty reasonable relative to the rest of the league. While there are some tough games late in the season four of the final six games of the season are at home and the Ravens will only play one road games outside of the division against a team that made the playoffs last season.

In the NFC draw the two NFC North playoff teams (Packers Vikings) from last season will both visit Baltimore and the Ravens also get to host New England in the AFC East draw as those pairings worked out favorably. The Ravens were just 10-6 last season despite the championship run so this was not a team that dominated in the regular season and with this slate a similar record is more likely than a record that would propel the Ravens to the top of the AFC. A fall to outside of the playoff picture is also possible if the Steelers rebound for a better season and the Bengals remain a very tough foe in the division.

Baltimore went 4-2 in division games last season and it will be tough to do better than that given the strong rivalries and home fields in this group as the AFC North was one of just two divisions that did not feature a team with a losing home record last year. Cincinnati and Pittsburgh could make up some ground on the Ravens and a letdown season after the championship is certainly possible. Baltimore does benefit from having most of the toughest games at home however, unlike the situation for Pittsburgh.

Baltimore Ravens 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .535
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 7 (five home, two away)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 5,553
Back-to-Back road game sets: 1
Primetime Games: 4 (two Thursday, one Sunday night, one Monday)

Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals have busted into the playoffs the past two seasons though they have not picked up a playoff win since 1991 and Boomer Esiason was still under center. Cincinnati appears to be headed towards being a consistent playoff contender however after being a consistent doormat for many years with a great young nucleus of talent. Cincinnati actually had the best point differential in this division last season, better than the eventual Super Bowl champion Ravens and sights on a division title are realistic. The schedule for the Bengals this season lines up most of the toughest games at home but it may be a slate that is more difficult than it looks at first glance.

The challenge for Cincinnati this season will be surviving the first month of the season as the early season schedule is very tough. The Bengals open at Chicago and while the Bears are in a transition season with a new head coach, expectations are high and the Bears have a lot to prove. The next two games are at home but the Bengals host Pittsburgh and Green Bay. In Week 4 the Bengals are at Cleveland in a big rivalry game and then in Week 5 the Bengals host New England. That could be a five-game set that derails the goals for the season or brings the Bengals to the forefront of the AFC. Cincinnati plays non-playoff teams in five of six games in the middle of the season and will get three of the final four at home to close the year.

Five of eight home games for the Bengals are against 2012 playoff teams and the road schedule may be more difficult than the numbers imply as the Bears, Steelers, and Chargers should be viewed as playoff caliber teams even though they missed the postseason last year. Cincinnati won five games by seven or fewer points last season and it may be a season of close calls again this year with the line between being back in the playoffs and missing out being a thin one in a very competitive division.

Cincinnati Bengals 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .508
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 6 (five home, one away)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 5,446
Back-to-Back road game sets: 2
Primetime Games: 3 (one Thursday, one Sunday night, one Monday)

Cleveland Browns: In this division it will be tough for the Browns to move up and the 2013 schedule does not offer Cleveland great opportunities. Cleveland has gone 1-7 on the road each of the past two seasons and the Browns line up an incredibly difficult road schedule this season, facing five 2012 playoff teams. Two of the road games against non-playoff teams will come in the second of back-to-back road games and another 1-7 road season is certainly a possibility. The Browns are the only team in the division to draw Kansas City and Jacksonville which is certainly an advantage but the Chiefs could be a candidate for quick improvement and that matchup will also be a second straight road game for the Browns.

Cleveland will travel very few miles this season which could boost the chances of improving the season road record as the Browns won’t play a game outside of the Central or Eastern Time zones. Another edge the Browns may have in the schedule is that there is an opportunity for Cleveland to get off to a strong start this season with four of the first six games at home and three of those home games coming against fellow losing teams from 2012. A strong start could build some confidence for this team and the Browns won the home meetings with both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati last season as they may be able to take another step towards closing the gap in the division with the top three teams.

The Browns were just 5-11 last season but they were only outscored by just over four points per game on average for the season and the defense was respectable allowing 23 points per game. Cleveland has such a tough road schedule this season that major improvement seems unlikely but the Browns could produce a strong record at home with most of the favorable matchups coming in Cleveland. Getting into playoff position seems like a long shot but the Browns could be a team that sees a slight improvement and could even flirt with a .500 record should things fall favorably with the schedule being a factor in the improvement.

Cleveland Browns 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .492
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 7 (two home, five away)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 3,990
Back-to-Back road game sets: 3
Primetime Games: 1 (one Thursday)

Pittsburgh Steelers: After a disappointing and injury filled 2012 season the Steelers seem like an appealing candidate for a bounce back season. Pittsburgh had one of the best defensive teams in the NFL last season but managed to go just 8-8 on the season, missing the playoffs and sliding into the third place slot in this division. Getting to play Tennessee and Oakland in the 3rd place draw is favorable and the Steelers will only play seven true road games with a trip to London in Week 4. Pittsburgh will play most of its toughest games on the road with a home schedule that only features two playoff teams, the two teams that made the postseason from the AFC North last season. Pittsburgh faces a slate that features the same 2012 winning percentage as Cleveland’s 4th place schedule which could make Pittsburgh a candidate to rise to the top of this division. Pittsburgh did lose three times at home last season but this is also a team that historically has been able to win on the road with some success as well.

Pittsburgh will have several very tough road matchups and the road games at New England and at Baltimore will both come in the second of back-to-back road games. Pittsburgh does close with three of the final four games of the season at home which could help a late playoff push if needed though a challenging
Week 16 game at Green Bay is ahead and that game follows up a possible Sunday night tilt with the Bengals. The road game at Baltimore is not only the second of back-to-back road games it comes on the heels of a division game with the Browns and will be on a short week with a Thursday night time slot so the Steelers might have a hard time improving on their 3-3 division mark from last season as several division games come in difficult spots on the schedule.

Pittsburgh is a team that could make a rise in the standings with improved health but there are some pieces missing from the great Steelers teams of years past. Another season teetering right on the edge of the playoffs either way is likely the result in 2013 again with the challenging road schedule ahead although this could again be a division where 10-6 is good enough to take the top spot.

Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .492
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 7 (two home, four away, one neutral)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 8,585 (Includes 3,725 to London)
Back-to-Back road game sets: 2
Primetime Games: 4 (one Thursday, two Sunday night, one Monday)

NFC North Outlook

April 27, 2013


The NFL draft gets all the attention this week, but the recent release of the 2013 schedule can be a more telling factor in how a team will fare next season. Take a look at the four teams in the NFC North in this schedule preview. The Minnesota Vikings made a big splash in the first round of the draft, but a daunting travel schedule is ahead for Minnesota this season. The Bears may have the most favorable schedule in the group, but a team in transition may not be able to take advantage. The schedule should point to a rise for the Lions and perhaps a small drop for the Packers in the NFC North, but time will tell if there will be enough of an impact to shake up the standings.

Chicago Bears: The Bears were 10-6 last season, but with another late-season collapse a bold coaching change was made. 57-year old CFL veteran Marc Trestman was certainly not a hire that many fell in love with and while he will inherit a team that can compete right away, there also will be elevated expectations for a first-year coach and a first-time NFL head coach, especially one that has been away from the NFL for almost a decade. Few 10-win teams get a 3rd-place schedule the following year, so the opportunity for the Bears to have early success is there. The 3rd-place games bring the Saints and the Rams and those are games Chicago will probably need to take if the playoffs are to be a reality as the NFC North draws the NFC East and AFC North teams for a rather difficult overall slate ahead.

Chicago will play four of the first six games at home, which could be very helpful for a team in transition. They will host 2012 playoff teams in the first two weeks, but Cincinnati and Minnesota are not as fearsome as some of the other playoff caliber teams in the league. The Bears are saddled with three separate sets of back-to-back road games this season, but compared with the rest of the division, Chicago has a favorable slate of road games with only one game outside of the division against a team that made the playoffs last season. Chicago also gets to play its Monday night game with Green Bay coming off a bye week and with a favorable late-season slate, another collapse is not likely this season. Chicago closes the season hosting Green Bay, but has Dallas, Cleveland, and Philadelphia in the three weeks prior to the finale. Chicago will not play a single game outside of the Eastern and Central time zones as the travel miles are among the lowest in the league. Overall, the Bears have the most favorable schedule in the NFC North and while repeating a double-digit win season in a coaching transition is a difficult task, Chicago has a good shot to move back into a playoff position this year if they can get off to another strong start.

Chicago Bears 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .502
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 7 (four home, three away)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 3,476
Back-to-Back road game sets: 3
Primetime Games: 3 (one Thursday, two Mondays)

Detroit Lions: With three 10-win teams from 2012 in the NFC North, the Lions are facing one of the toughest schedules in the league based strictly on last year’s results. After breaking into the playoffs in 2011, the Lions suffered a huge decline last season with a 4-12 record including losing each of the final eight games of the season. Despite being 4-12, the Lions were only outscored by an average of just four points per game and this is a talented team that could be a strong candidate for a rebound season. Given the climate in the locker room and the general sense of immaturity on the roster and starting with head coach Jim Schwartz, a scenario on the other end of the spectrum is certainly a possibility as well. Detroit failed to win a single game within the division last season, so that will be an obvious area where the Lions need to improve. Ford Field also saw the Lions go just 2-6 in home games despite an offense that was very productive, scoring over 23 points per game on average.

By finishing fourth in the division last year, the Lions are the only NFC North team that has Arizona and Tampa Bay on its schedule and that is certainly an advantage given the overall depth of the NFC and the teams that the rest of the division has to face in those match-ups. Detroit does have three sets of consecutive road games on the schedule this year and the Lions could know early how the season will turn out having to play four of the first six games of the season on the road. The late-season schedule is challenging with the Ravens, Giants, and Vikings in the final three weeks, but the Lions do get a bye week before their road meeting with the Bears and the three division home games come in relatively favorable spots on the schedule. Both of the big primetime games for the Lions will also be at home. The Lions certainly look like a team that should improve on last season’s ugly record, but whether they will improve enough to buy this coaching staff another season remains questionable in a very tough division.

Detroit Lions 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .539
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 7 (four home, three away)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 5,125
Back-to-Back road game sets: 3
Primetime Games: 2 (one Thanksgiving, one Monday)

Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings bolstered their roster with three first round picks and coming off a surprising 10-6 season and a trip to the playoffs, Minnesota might look like a team on the rise. The Vikings will be dealt one of the tougher schedules in the NFL, as they will play just seven home games by virtue of facing Pittsburgh in London. The road schedule is truly difficult as after the opening game at Detroit, Minnesota’s remaining seven road games will all be against teams that finished 8-8 or better last season. In the AFC North, draw the Vikings have road games against Baltimore and Cincinnati, the top two teams from that division last season and they will also have to play at Seattle in the second place NFC draw. There are winnable home games outside of the division with Cleveland, Carolina, and Philadelphia all visiting the Metrodome, but an early Week 5 bye could add to a challenging second half of the season schedule. Minnesota also plays its two biggest division road games, at Chicago, and at Green Bay in the second of back-to-back road games this season.

The Vikings open up with back-to-back road games in the division at Detroit and at Chicago and in late November, they have a brutal set of road games at Seattle and at Green Bay in back-to-back weeks. The home meeting with Green Bay will be a big Sunday night game for the Vikings, but it comes on the heels of a Monday night game in New York, giving the Vikings long travel and a short week for one of the biggest games of the season, while the Packers get to host the Browns leading up to that game. Minnesota went 4-2 in the NFC North last season and it will likely take a similar mark for Minnesota to flirt with the postseason again. With Chicago in a coaching transition and Detroit coming off a dreadful season, it is possible for Minnesota to maintain its place but the Vikings were a team that snuck out several narrow wins last season to sneak into the playoffs and a step-back season is probably a more likely scenario with this slate.

Minnesota Vikings 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .516
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 6 (two home, four away)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 11,365 (includes 4,280 to London)
Back-to-Back road game sets: 2
Primetime Games: 3 (one Thursday, one Sunday night, one Monday)

Green Bay Packers: The Packers will be the favorites to win the NFC North for the third straight season this year and Green Bay will likely be one of the popular picks to win the Super Bowl again. The Packers stumbled to an 11-5 finish last season and ending up in the #3 spot in the NFC playoff picture proved to be too difficult as Green Bay saw an early playoff exit for the second year in a row. Green Bay was the highest-scoring team in this division last season but in the playoffs the defense showed glaring concerns with an embarrassing loss at San Francisco to end the season. Green Bay will open the season where they left off with a Week 1 match-up at Candlestick Park, a contest they lost in during the opening week last season as well. Having to play San Francisco as well as Atlanta with the first-place schedule is certainly a challenge for the Packers and overall it is not an easy slate for the green and gold. The first four road games of the season will all be against 2012 playoff teams and Green Bay will only play one road game against a team that had a losing record last season, the division game at Detroit in early December.

In the AFC North draw, the Packers get road games against the Super Bowl champion Ravens as well as the Bengals and the Packers will also have to play a road game against another recent nemesis, the New York Giants. The Packers have gone 15-1 at home the last two seasons and that is a run that could continue with a relatively favorable home slate, though there are just four games against losing teams from 2012 on the schedule the whole season. Green Bay will not have to play consecutive road games at any point in the season which is a favorable break in the schedule, especially compared with the rest of the division but the closing schedule is tough with a gauntlet of big national games with Atlanta, Dallas, Pittsburgh, and Chicago as the final four opponents. The Packers also will play four road games in the Eastern Time zone as well as the opener in the Pacific Time zone for some lengthy trips. Green Bay will have its work cut out for it this season and the door may be open for a surprise in the NFC North, although none of the other three teams appear poised to make that leap.

Green Bay Packers 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .533
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 7 (three home, four away)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 6,785
Back-to-Back road game sets: 0
Primetime Games: 5 (one Thanksgiving, three Sunday night, one Monday)

AFC East Outlook

May 1, 2013


The NFL draft gets all the attention in the spring, but the recent release of the 2013 schedule can be a more telling factor in how a team will fare next season. Take a look at the four teams in the AFC East in this schedule preview. This certainly looks like New England’s division to lose, but the Dolphins look capable of a step forward season that could make the race more competitive. The Bills and Jets have many question marks, but could have opportunities ahead as the schedule ratings for this division are manageable.

Buffalo Bills: The Bills were a team that many expected to break into the playoff picture last season with a favorable schedule, but it was another losing season and big changes were made in Buffalo. The Bills have taken some heat for its draft class with E.J. Manuel being considered a reach by many in the middle of the first round, but the Bills will snag a fourth-place schedule in 2013 and could exceed expectations that are grounded with the transition to head coach Doug Marrone. Buffalo will only play five games all season against 2012 playoff teams and only the season finale at New England is on the road among those five games. Buffalo does surrender a home game to play a game in Toronto and that will be an early December match-up with Atlanta this season. While the Bills do not face any west coast travel and will play seven of eight road games in the Eastern Time zone, there are a lot of miles ahead for this team.

The Bills will make three separate trips to Florida to face all three franchises in the Sunshine State and also face a long trip to New Orleans. The Bills have to travel to Miami and New Orleans in back-to-back road games and then will have a set of three games in a row away from home in December, going from the Toronto game to back-to-back games in Florida at Tampa Bay and at Jacksonville. The Bills get to play four of the first six games of the season at home, but those will be against very tough opposition, facing New England, Carolina, Baltimore, and Cincinnati in those home contests. None of the first seven road opponents featured a winning record last season, as six of the eight road opponents this season had a losing record in 2012. Looking strictly at win percentage from last season, the Bills have by far the easiest schedule in this division but they are also the only team with a coaching change to deal with. The long travel and challenging home slate will likely make it tough for the Bills to improve on last season’s 6-10 mark in this transition season.

Buffalo Bills 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .473
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 5 (three home, one neutral, one away)
Miles Traveled for 9 road/neutral games: 6,394
Back-to-Back road game sets: 2
Primetime Games: 1 (one Thursday)

Miami Dolphins: Miami has certainly made some noteworthy moves and the fan base should be optimistic for the 2013 season. Ryan Tannehill certainly showed enough promise last season to expect good things in the future and the Dolphins finished the year as one of the best defensive teams in the AFC, allowing less than 20 points per game. By finishing 7-9 last season, the Dolphins moved ahead of the Jets and the Bills in the division and a second-place schedule is waiting, getting games with San Diego and Indianapolis. Strictly by win percentage from last season, Miami has the eighth-toughest schedule in the NFL and by a substantial margin the toughest schedule in the AFC East. The Dolphins will face three of the first four games of the season on the road and as usual the Dolphins will accumulate a great deal of travel miles this season.

Seven of eight road games will be at least 800 miles away for the Dolphins. Miami will also play four of its six division games in the final five weeks of the season including both meetings with the Jets coming in December. Miami will only play two road games against teams that had winning records last year as most of the toughest games will be at home including visits from Atlanta and Baltimore for the first two home games of the season. Miami might be favored in the opening week at Cleveland, but the Dolphins should be an underdog in the next four games before an early Week 6 bye, so it will be important for the Dolphins to be ready for a difficult first month of the season. Miami could have its best results late in the season as seven of the final eight games will be against teams that did not make the playoffs last season with the lone exception being the home date with the Patriots. The first few weeks could tell the story for the Dolphins as a slow start could spell trouble but a few early upsets could propel this team to playoff contention.

Miami Dolphins 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .520
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 6 (four home, two away)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 8,977
Back-to-Back road game sets: 2
Primetime Games: 3 (one Thursday, two Monday)

New England Patriots: Until the rest of the division improves, New England will continue to get relatively favorable schedule paths each season, despite typically finishing as a first-place team. Being the only team in the AFC East that has to play both Denver and Houston is a big disadvantage, but the Patriots do not have to play themselves twice like the Bills, Dolphins, and Jets have to, basically canceling out the first-place schedule disadvantage. New England only has to play five games against teams that made the playoffs last season, but four of those games will be on the road this year for the Patriots for a tougher wrinkle in the slate. Two of those games will come in the second of back-to-back road games with substantial travel involved as well.

While the home slate for New England is favorable, there are several marquee games, hosting New Orleans, Pittsburgh, and Denver for a tougher home schedule than the win percentage numbers might indicate. The Patriots certainly deserve to remain the overwhelming favorites in this division through this schedule, but the path ahead for New England to be a top seed in the AFC might be tougher than it first appears. There is substantial travel ahead and several difficult road games that come in less than ideal spots on the schedule, having to play road games against Atlanta and Cincinnati in back-to-back weeks as well as having tough road games at Carolina and at Houston sandwiched around the huge home game with Denver. New England’s AFC championship game rematch with Baltimore will come in Week 16 and it will the second of back-to-back road games after a long trip to Miami. The key for New England will be maintaining its dominance in the division as going 6-0 in the AFC East games again would likely keep the Patriots in the hunt for a bye in the playoffs.

New England Patriots 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .508
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 5 (one home, four away)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 7,128
Back-to-Back road game sets: 2
Primetime Games: 5 (one Thursday, three Sunday night, one Monday)

New York Jets: Coming off distraction-filled and very disappointing season, the Jets will face tremendous pressure again in 2013, with employment with the team likely on the line for Rex Ryan and quarterback Mark Sanchez, assuming Sanchez remains the starter over rookie Geno Smith or other candidates. The Jets will face a difficult first half schedule with three road games against 2012 playoff teams and big marquee home games with the Steelers, Patriots, and Saints. The five-game stretch from early October to a Week 10 bye week will be especially tough and this team will certainly be a candidate to have imploded already by that time. If the Jets can get through the first nine weeks with a respectable record, there could be a chance to make a run in the second half however. The Jets only play one 2012 playoff team in the final seven weeks of the season and there will be several winnable home games on the schedule late in the season including hosting two warm weather teams in December which could be a big advantage.

While the Jets travel the fewest miles in this division, the road slate is very difficult with four games against 2012 playoff teams, and not just playoff teams, three of those teams were in the conference championship games last season. The Jets will need a hot start to have a chance and that could be difficult given the fragile quarterback situation and a lot of new personnel likely in key roles. New York opens at home against Tampa Bay in what could be a critical game for both teams to define what direction the season will go. In Week 2, the Jets face a short week with a Thursday game in Foxboro and then will have winnable games with Buffalo and Tennessee in Weeks 3 and 4. The Jets might need a 3-1 start to have a chance to be close to .500 after the October gauntlet and that first few weeks could dictate the season in New York.

New York Jets 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .496
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 5 (one home, four away)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 5,121
Back-to-Back road game sets: 2
Primetime Games: 2 (one Thursday, one Monday)

NFL Opening Numbers

May 7, 2013


Cantor Gaming in Las Vegas has released point-spreads for the first 16 weeks of the 2013-14 NFL regular season.

Week 1 starts on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013.


Week 1
Away Home
Baltimore Ravens Denver Broncos (-7, -120)
New England Patriots (-7) Buffalo Bills
Tennessee Titans Pittsburgh Steelers (-7)
Atlanta Falcons New Orleans Saints (-1.5)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1.5) New York Jets
Kansas City Chiefs (-3) Jacksonville Jaguars
Cincinnati Bengals Chicago Bears (-3, -115)
Miami Dolphins (-1.5) Cleveland Browns
Seattle Seahawks (-3.5) Carolina Panthers
Minnesota Vikings Detroit Lions (-2.5)
Oakland Raiders Indianapolis Colts (-7, -105)
Arizona Cardinals St. Louis Rams (-4.5)
Green Bay Packers San Francisco 49ers (-4)
New York Giants Dallas Cowboys (-2.5)
Philadelphia Eagles Washington Redskins (-4.5)
Houston Texans (-3) San Diego Chargers


Week 2
Away Home
New York Jets New England Patriots (-8)
St. Louis Rams Atlanta Falcons (-7)
Carolina Panthers (-1) Buffalo Bills
Minnesota Vikings Chicago Bears (-2.5)
Washington Redskins Green Bay Packers (-4.5)
Miami Dolphins Indianapolis Colts (PK)
Dallas Cowboys (-1.5) Kansas City Chiefs
Cleveland Browns Baltimore Ravens (-7.5)
Tennessee Titans Houston Texans (-7.5)
San Diego Chargers Philadelphia Eagles (-2.5)
Detroit Lions (-2.5) Arizona Cardinals
New Orleans Saints (-1.5, -115) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jacksonville Jaguars Oakland Raiders (-3)
Denver Broncos (-1) New York Giants
San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks (-2.5)
Pittsburgh Steelers Cincinnati Bengals (-1)


Week 3
Away Home
Kansas City Chiefs Philadelphia Eagles (-3)
Green Bay Packers Cincinnati Bengals (PK)
St. Louis Rams Dallas Cowboys (-4.5)
San Diego Chargers (-2.5) Tennessee Titans
Cleveland Browns Minnesota Vikings (-6.5)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers New England Patriots (-7.5)
Arizona Cardinals New Orleans Saints (-7.5, -115)
Detroit Lions Washington Redskins (-2.5)
New York Giants (-1) Carolina Panthers
Houston Texans Baltimore Ravens (-3.5)
Atlanta Falcons (-1) Miami Dolphins
Buffalo Bills New York Jets (-3.5)
Indianapolis Colts San Francisco 49ers (-7.5)
Jacksonville Jaguars Seattle Seahawks (-14)
Chicago Bears Pittsburgh Steelers (-2.5)
Oakland Raiders Denver Broncos (-13.5)


Week 4
Away Home
San Francisco 49ers (-4) St. Louis Rams
Baltimore Ravens (-4) Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals (-3) Cleveland Browns
Chicago Bears Detroit Lions (-1)
New York Giants (-1.5) Kansas City Chiefs
** Pittsburgh Steelers (-1.5) Minnesota Vikings
Arizona Cardinals Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4.5)
Indianapolis Colts (-3.5) Jacksonville Jaguars
Seattle Seahawks (-1) Houston Texans
New York Jets (-1, -105) Tennessee Titans
Philadelphia Eagles Denver Broncos (-7.5)
Dallas Cowboys San Diego Chargers (-1)
Washington Redskins (-4) Oakland Raiders
New England Patriots Atlanta Falcons (PK)
Miami Dolphins New Orleans Saints (-4.5, -115)
** Game Played at London, England


Week 5
Away Home
Buffalo Bills Cleveland Browns (-1.5)
New Orleans Saints Chicago Bears (-1)
New England Patriots (-1.5) Cincinnati Bengals
Jacksonville Jaguars St. Louis Rams (-6.5)
Baltimore Ravens (-1) Miami Dolphins
Philadelphia Eagles New York Giants (-4)
Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers (-4.5, -115)
Kansas City Chiefs Tennessee Titans (PK)
Seattle Seahawks (-4) Indianapolis Colts
Carolina Panthers (-1.5) Arizona Cardinals
Denver Broncos (-2.5) Dallas Cowboys
San Diego Chargers (-2.5, -115) Oakland Raiders
Houston Texans San Francisco 49ers (-5.5)
New York Jets Atlanta Falcons (-7, -105)


Week 6
Away Home
New York Giants Chicago Bears (-2.5)
Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5) Buffalo Bills
Detroit Lions (-1) Cleveland Browns
Oakland Raiders Kansas City Chiefs (-4.5)
Carolina Panthers Minnesota Vikings (-2.5, -115)
Philadelphia Eagles Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1.5, -115)
Green Bay Packers Baltimore Ravens (-1)
St. Louis Rams Houston Texans (-4.5)
Pittsburgh Steelers (-1.5, -115) New York Jets
Jacksonville Jaguars Denver Broncos (-14, -105)
Tennessee Titans Seattle Seahawks (-11)
New Orleans Saints New England Patriots (-4, -115)
Arizona Cardinals San Francisco 49ers (-10)
Washington Redskins Dallas Cowboys (-1.5, -115)
Indianapolis Colts San Diego Chargers (-2.5)


Week 7
Away Home
Seattle Seahawks (-6) Arizona Cardinals
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Atlanta Falcons (-6)
Cincinnati Bengals Detroit Lions (-1.5)
Houston Texans (-2.5) Kansas City Chiefs
Buffalo Bills Miami Dolphins (-4)
New England Patriots (-4) New York Jets
Dallas Cowboys Philadelphia Eagles (PK)
Chicago Bears Washington Redskins (-1.5)
St. Louis Rams Carolina Panthers (-3.5)
San Diego Chargers (-3.5) Jacksonville Jaguars
San Francisco 49ers (-7) Tennessee Titans
Baltimore Ravens Pittsburgh Steelers (-1.5)
Cleveland Browns Green Bay Packers (-7.5)
Denver Broncos (-3.5) Indianapolis Colts
Minnesota Vikings New York Giants (-3)


Week 8
Away Home
Carolina Panthers Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1.5)
Dallas Cowboys Detroit Lions (-1)
Cleveland Browns Kansas City Chiefs (-2.5)
Miami Dolphins New England Patriots (-7)
Buffalo Bills New Orleans Saints (-6.5)
** San Francisco 49ers (-10.5) Jacksonville Jaguars
New York Giants Philadelphia Eagles (PK)
Pittsburgh Steelers (-4.5) Oakland Raiders
New York Jets Cincinnati Bengals (-4.5)
Washington Redskins Denver Broncos (-6)
Atlanta Falcons (-4) Arizona Cardinals
Green Bay Packers (-1) Minnesota Vikings
Seattle Seahawks (-4) St. Louis Rams
** Game Played at London, England

Week 9
Away Home
Cincinnati Bengals Miami Dolphins (-1)
Kansas City Chiefs Buffalo Bills (-1.5)
San Diego Chargers Washington Redskins (-3.5)
Atlanta Falcons (-1) Carolina Panthers
Minnesota Vikings Dallas Cowboys (-1.5)
Tennessee Titans St. Louis Rams (-4.5)
New Orleans Saints (-1.5) New York Jets
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Seattle Seahawks (-7)
Philadelphia Eagles (-1.5) Oakland Raiders
Pittsburgh Steelers New England Patriots (-4)
Baltimore Ravens (-3.5) Cleveland Browns
Indianapolis Colts Houston Texans (-4.5)
Chicago Bears Green Bay Packers (-4)


Week 10
Away Home
Washington Redskins Minnesota Vikings (-1.5)
Seattle Seahawks Atlanta Falcons (PK)
Detroit Lions Chicago Bears (-3)
Philadelphia Eagles Green Bay Packers (-7, -105)
Jacksonville Jaguars Tennessee Titans (-3.5)
St. Louis Rams Indianapolis Colts (-2.5)
Oakland Raiders New York Giants (-9)
Buffalo Bills Pittsburgh Steelers (-7)
Cincinnati Bengals Baltimore Ravens (-3)
Carolina Panthers San Francisco 49ers (-6)
Denver Broncos (-3) San Diego Chargers
Houston Texans (-3) Arizona Cardinals
Dallas Cowboys New Orleans Saints (-4)
Miami Dolphins Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1.5)


Week 11
Away Home
Indianapolis Colts (-1) Tennessee Titans
New York Jets Buffalo Bills (-1.5)
Baltimore Ravens Chicago Bears (PK)
Cleveland Browns Cincinnati Bengals (-6)
Atlanta Falcons (-1) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Arizona Cardinals Jacksonville Jaguars (PK)
Oakland Raiders Houston Texans (-7.5)
San Diego Chargers Miami Dolphins (-3)
Washington Redskins Philadelphia Eagles (PK)
Detroit Lions Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.5)
Kansas City Chiefs Denver Broncos (-7.5)
Minnesota Vikings Seattle Seahawks (-6)
San Francisco 49ers New Orleans Saints (PK)
Green Bay Packers New York Giants (PK)
New England Patriots (-3) Carolina Panthers


Week 12
Away Home
New Orleans Saints Atlanta Falcons (-2.5, -115)
Pittsburgh Steelers (-3) Cleveland Browns
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Detroit Lions (-3.5)
Minnesota Vikings Green Bay Packers (-4.5)
San Diego Chargers Kansas City Chiefs (-1)
Chicago Bears (-1) St. Louis Rams
Carolina Panthers Miami Dolphins (-1.5)
New York Jets Baltimore Ravens (-6)
Jacksonville Jaguars Houston Texans (-10)
Indianapolis Colts Arizona Cardinals (PK)
Tennessee Titans Oakland Raiders (-1)
Dallas Cowboys New York Giants (-2.5, -115)
Denver Broncos New England Patriots (-1.5)
San Francisco 49ers (-1.5) Washington Redskins


Week 13
Away Home
Green Bay Packers (-1.5) Detroit Lions
Oakland Raiders Dallas Cowboys (-7)
Pittsburgh Steelers Baltimore Ravens (-2.5)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Carolina Panthers (-3)
Jacksonville Jaguars Cleveland Browns (-4.5)
Tennessee Titans Indianapolis Colts (-4.5)
Denver Broncos (-4) Kansas City Chiefs
Chicago Bears Minnesota Vikings (-1.5)
Miami Dolphins New York Jets (-1)
Arizona Cardinals Philadelphia Eagles (-4)
**Atlanta Falcons (-3) Buffalo Bills
St. Louis Rams San Francisco 49ers (-7.5)
New England Patriots Houston Texans (PK)
Cincinnati Bengals San Diego Chargers (PK)
New York Giants Washington Redskins (-1.5)
New Orleans Saints Seattle Seahawks (-3.5)
** Game Played at Toronto, Ontario


Week 14
Away Home
Houston Texans (-4.5) Jacksonville Jaguars
Indianapolis Colts Cincinnati Bengals (-4.5)
Buffalo Bills Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3)
Kansas City Chiefs Washington Redskins (-4.5)
Minnesota Vikings Baltimore Ravens (-3.5)
Cleveland Browns New England Patriots (-8.5)
Carolina Panthers New Orleans Saints (-3.5)
Oakland Raiders New York Jets (-6)
Detroit Lions Philadelphia Eagles (-1)
Miami Dolphins Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.5)
Tennessee Titans Denver Broncos (-10)
New York Giants San Diego Chargers (PK)
Seattle Seahawks San Francisco 49ers (-2.5)
St. Louis Rams Arizona Cardinals (PK)
Atlanta Falcons Green Bay Packers (-3)
Dallas Cowboys Chicago Bears (-3)


Week 15
Away Home
San Diego Chargers Denver Broncos (-6.5)
Washington Redskins Atlanta Falcons (-3)
Chicago Bears (-1.5) Cleveland Browns
Arizona Cardinals Tennessee Titans (-1)
Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts (PK)
New Orleans Saints (-1.5) St. Louis Rams
New England Patriots (-2) Miami Dolphins
Philadelphia Eagles Minnesota Vikings (-3.5)
Seattle Seahawks (-1) New York Giants
Buffalo Bills (-1) Jacksonville Jaguars
San Francisco 49ers (-3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
New York Jets Carolina Panthers (-3)
Kansas City Chiefs Oakland Raiders (PK)
Green Bay Packers (-1) Dallas Cowboys
Cincinnati Bengals Pittsburgh Steelers (-2.5)
Baltimore Ravens Detroit Lions (PK)


Week 16
Away Home
Miami Dolphins Buffalo Bills (PK)
Minnesota Vikings Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5)
Indianapolis Colts Kansas City Chiefs (-1)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers St. Louis Rams (-1)
Cleveland Browns New York Jets (-3)
Chicago Bears Philadelphia Eagles (PK)
Dallas Cowboys Washington Redskins (-2.5)
New Orleans Saints Carolina Panthers (PK)
Tennessee Titans Jacksonville Jaguars (PK)
Denver Broncos Houston Texans (PK)
Arizona Cardinals Seattle Seahawks (-8.5)
New York Giants Detroit Lions (-1.5)
Pittsburgh Steelers Green Bay Packers (-3)
Oakland Raiders San Diego Chargers (-4.5)
New England Patriots Baltimore Ravens (PK)
Atlanta Falcons San Francisco 49ers (-3.5)

Atlantis Casino first book to release 2013 NFL season win totals

The Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno, Nevada is the first sportsbook to release 2013 NFL season win totals, setting the over/under on victories for all 32 teams Thursday.

Atlantis sportsbook director Steve Mikkelson, renowned for being the first to release MLB season win totals each year, crunched the NFL numbers on his day off Wednesday and sat down with Covers to discuss some of the most interesting win totals on the board before they went live Thursday afternoon.

Toughest win totals to set – Kansas City Chiefs (6.5), Philadelphia Eagles (7.5) and Detroit Lions (7.5)

“For me, the toughest win totals to set were the Chiefs, Eagles and Lions because they all underachieved last year,” Mikkelson told Covers. “The Chiefs and Eagles have new coaches, with Andy Reid and Chip Kelly, so you’d like to think that would make a difference. But it’s an unknown.”

Biggest difference from last year – Seattle Seahawks (11)

“The Seahawks were 7.5 wins last year and now we have them at 11. We have some teams going up by three, like Denver and Indianapolis, but the Seahawks are the biggest jump. That defense is dominating and Russell Wilson played so well in his first year. Some people think they’re the best team in the NFL. Even though (the NFC West is) a tough division, you have to think of them as one of the best and we weren’t saying that last year.”

Highest season win total – Denver Broncos (12)

“It’s not really a case of me thinking they’re the absolute best team in football, but you look at that schedule and (the AFC West) division and I don’t know where they’re going to get those losses from. As long as (Peyton) Manning stays healthy, I don’t see a whole lot of losses for this team.”

Lowest season win total – Jacksonville Jaguars (4.5)

“Not really a surprise. It’s just a case of them not having a lot going for them,” says Mikkelson. “I’m not sold on the quarterback situation and I’m not sure if Blaine Gabbert can play. They had a nice draft, but is that really going transition them into being a strong team? Maurice Jones-Drew is back but how healthy is he going to be? They’re just a bad team and it’s tough to give them wins. I could have easily went with four but everyone likes to bet the low totals up and the high ones down.”

Here are the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa's 2013 NFL season win totals (limits $500 per wager):

Arizona Cardinals

Over 6 -110
Under 6 -120

Atlanta Falcons

Over 10 -135
Under 10 +105

Baltimore Ravens

Over 9.5 -120
Under 9.5 -110

Buffalo Bills

Over 5 -135
Under 5 +105

Carolina Panthers

Over 6.5 -130
Under 6.5 EVEN

Chicago Bears

Over 8.5 -145
Under +115

Cincinnati Bengals

Over 9 -115
Under 9 -115

Cleveland Browns

Over 5 +120
Under 5 -150

Dallas Cowboys

Over 8.5 -150
Under 8.5 +120

Denver Broncos

Over 12 -130
Under 12 EVEN

Detroit Lions

Over 7 -115
Under 7 -115

Green Bay Packers

Over 12 -115
Under 12 -115

Houston Texans

Over 11 -150
Under 11 +110

Indianapolis Colts

Over 8 -150
Under 8 +120

Jacksonville Jaguars

Over 4.5 -140
Under 4.5 +110

Kansas City Chiefs

Over 6.5 -130
Under 6.5 EVEN

Miami Dolphins

Over 7.5 -115
Under 7.5 -115

Minnesota Vikings

Over 7.5 -115
Under 7.5 -115

New England Patriots

Over 11.5 -140
Under 11.5 -140

New Orleans Saints

Over 9.5 -115
Under 9.5 -115

New York Giants

Over 9 -120
Under 9 -110

New York Jets

Over 7 -120
Under 7 -110

Oakland Raiders

Over 5.5 -115
Under 5.5 -115

Philadelphia Eagles

Over 6.5 -150
Under 6.5 +120

Pittsburgh Steelers

Over 10 -130
Under EVEN

San Diego Chargers

Over 7 EVEN
Under 7 -130

San Francisco 49ers

Over 11.5 -140
Under +110

Seattle Seahawks

Over 11 -140
Under 11 +110

St. Louis Rams

Over 8 -115
Under 8 -115

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Over 6.5 -115
Under 6.5 -115

Tennessee Titans

Over 6.5 +110
Under 6.5 -140

Washington Redskins

Over 9 -110
Under 9 -120
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Smith gives himself 'F' for 1st Jets practice

May 10, 2013



FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) - Geno Smith was surrounded by a throng of reporters, a crowded scene usually more appropriate for a No. 1 draft pick than a second-rounder.

But Smith, of course, isn't your ordinary No. 39 selection. And, the New York Jets are certainly used to their quarterbacks - and backup quarterbacks, for that matter - getting this type of attention.

``I just come out,'' Smith said Friday, ``and be my natural self.''

Who that is exactly has been open to some debate in recent weeks as Smith has taken lots of criticism for his abilities on the field - despite a record-breaking career at West Virginia - and his attitude off it. Various published reports painted Smith as an immature diva who didn't always take football seriously enough.

``Maybe I don't know what the diva behavior looks like,'' coach Rex Ryan said. ``I never saw that at all.''

Smith's free fall from potential top-10 pick, and his reported decision - and later, change of heart - to leave New York rather than return to the draft site at Radio City Music Hall added to the perception. As did Smith firing his two agents shortly after the draft.

He's done with all that. Still without an agent, Smith is ready to move on to football again.

``I think it's been a more eventful few weeks for the media,'' Smith said. ``My only job is to focus on what I have here and get better.''

And there's plenty to do, if you ask Smith, who said all the right things after his first practice of rookie minicamp.

``I'm going to be tough on myself,'' Smith said. ``I'll let the coaches do the grading, but if I say it, it's an F because I want to be an A-plus.

``Hey man, that's just the way I do things.''

Despite the tough self-evaluation, the quarterback looked pretty good during practice. Smith appeared to have a solid working knowledge of the playbook, and zipped many of his passes - mostly in short yardage - around the field.

He also worked under center most of the time, something he wasn't used to doing during his time at West Virginia. Smith hesitated a few times on some throws, and was even yelled at by offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg for failing to pull off a play-action bootleg pass.

Rookie jitters? Smith won't go there.

``There are no excuses here,'' Smith said. ``We've all got to study our playbooks and be prepared for practice. If he felt like I needed to pick things up, then he'll get on me, which he did. I'm receptive to that, and I did what he asked of me.''

Yes, the man some anonymously labeled as not very coachable said all the right things after practice, appearing humble and clear of his role on the team.

While many assume that will be to someday become the Jets' starting quarterback, Smith refused to look too far ahead.

``I have a job to do as of right now, and that's to come in and compete,'' he said. ``Right now, there's a long ways to go in that process. This is only Step 1, Day 1, but it was fun to get out here on the practice field and enjoy my teammates and coaches.''

The plan is to have Smith compete for the starting job this summer with Mark Sanchez and David Garrard, as well as Greg McElroy and Matt Simms - although those two likely have no realistic shot at winning it. Smith said he was told that Sanchez will get ``the majority of the reps'' in training camp.

``I know Mark is a competitor, and I understand Mark wants to win the job,'' Smith said. ``We all do. But at the same time, I'm going to learn from him and David and Greg.''

Rams and Saints will surprise, but don't believe Dolphins hype

For the most part, the NFL can be a pretty tricky league to try to figure out. Widespread parity and a competitive fiscal system instituted to subsidize the needy and underperforming tends to make for a product that can be unpredictable.

But, then again, a year ago the AFC playoff picture was almost identical to what we saw in 2011, save for the upstart Colts crashing the party. And this season, particularly in that conference again, I have a feeling it's more of the same. I just don't see too many new, true challengers arising despite some of the hype surrounding the Chiefs and Dolphins, for instance (they'll be featured here). In the NFC, however, I suspect things will be a little more wide open.

Many of the rising star quarterbacks -- particularly the hyper-mobile ones -- are in the NFC and there isn't the same old guard of teams like New England, Baltimore and Houston with a stern grip on their respective divisions. So, with that in mind, here are three teams I believe will defy expectations, for better or worse:
Surprise Teams

St. Louis Rams: They don't get much love or attention and I get the sense most people think this is the same sad-sack franchise that was limping around the bottom of the standings for years before Jeff Fisher and Les Snead arrived. Well, it isn't, and, coming off a strong offseason and a draft I continue to rave about, this team is primed to make moves. Of course, they're overshadowed by the Seahawks and 49ers -- sexy Super Bowl picks -- and I get all of that. But we've seen three teams from one division reach the postseason before, and I would not be surprised at all to see three teams come from the West this year.

The defense is already legit, and will only get more brawny with another year of Fisher's mentoring. They have playmakers over there, they are well-equipped to deal with the read-option schemes they see, and they will turn teams over and get after the quarterback. The issues are on offense -- pass protection, developing quarterback Sam Bradford, all that stuff. But it says here that with some continuity in the staff and a revamped offensive line and with rookie receiver Tavon Austin in the fold, Bradford will take a major lead this season and begin to fulfill his first-overall promise. And if he does, look out for the Rams.

New Orleans Saints: The Bountygate debacle is over, finally, and no longer hanging over them (and excuse me if I am still completely hazy about what exactly allegedly went on there and why this franchise deserved the unprecedented penalties). That alone is a huge lift. Sean Payton is back, and thus standards will be raised and all of the uncertainty and distractions from 2012 are behind them (who will be suspended? Can Vilma play this week? What latest appeal was filed? Remember all of that crap?)

Payton's presence alone will get Drew Brees back to his MVP form and away from the interception-happy ways that helped doom New Orleans. Payton is the best playcaller in the game, and this team will be a monster on offense. And losing their left tackle won't be a big deal; Brees is so good and so quick getting rid of the ball that he can bolster the line.

The issues in this case are on defense, where the team was historically bad a year ago. Mere continuity will help here -- no more position coaches shuffling to head coach -- and while I am not a huge Rob Ryan guy, there is nowhere to go but up for this group. They'll manufacture a pass rush and scheme a few things up and this team is poised to be a factor again. Remember, they have Brees and Payton extended, long-term, which is massive.

Dallas Cowboys: In general, I'm skeptical of any Cowboys hype. I don't buy the chemistry there, wonder about leadership and a winning culture and don't think they've found the blueprint for long-term success. But teams pop up from time to time and while I can't see Dallas having any deep playoff run -- postseason hoopla will continue to elude them -- they have the talent and the schedule to make a little noise. They're due to be something besides .500, and I say they just might end up topping the NFC East.

If they can take care of business against the AFC West and NFC North -- and by and large I believe they will -- then Dallas will be poised to have their final two games, against Washington and Philadelphia, matter. Tony Romo got paid like a big boy quarterback, and while I am sure there will still be a crippling turnover or two along the way, I'm looking for the re-emergence of Miles Austin to give the attack a jolt and the return of linebacker Sean Lee will be huge, too. So while I'm not projecting huge things for this outfit, I do believe they will be better than many expect.
Disappointments

Miami Dolphins: No team has been flashier since the start of free agency in March, loading up on free agents, throwing cash around and then making a bold trade up to the third overall pick in draft to nab Dion Jordan. I'm just not sure how much better they're going to be. Questions remain at left tackle and in the secondary and in the running game, to name a few. Suddenly there is a buzz about this being a team on the rise and ready to enter the playoff equation.

I just don't see it right now.

Usually, when you bring in this much outside talent, it either doesn't take at all, or it takes more than a year to click. We'll see how Ryan Tannehill progresses in his second season as their quarterback and if there is a leadership void with guys like Karlos Dansby no longer around. I still don't see them being any real threat to the Patriots in the AFC East, and with teams like the Colts and Bengals still likely in the wild card scene, I don't see Miami unseating anyone being much more than an 8-8 team at best. Not sure there is enough bite on defense surrounding Cameron Wake, and not sure this team will be able to grind out wins down the stretch.

Minnesota Vikings: No one saw their run to the playoffs coming last season, but the larger the sample size the more difficult it is to sustain winning ways. Even with another MVP season from Adrian Peterson, who will only get better, it won't be enough to see this group back into the postseason in the very competitive NFC. Christian Ponder regressed, badly, through last season after a strong start, and losing Percy Harvin will hurt an already limited offense. GM Rick Spielman was heralded by some for his draft, but I thought he gave up way too much to trade back into the first round to take receiver Cordarelle Patterson, who might never pick up the pro game and likely could have been had in the second round. Losing Antoine Winfield is a big blow to that locker room, and that situation should have been handled much more adroitly. If you don't have a quarterback and you can't spread the field, you are in trouble in this era of football. And Matt Cassel as the back-up quarterback is a problem in and of itself.

Kansas City Chiefs: Every year it seems Kansas City is the hot pick to be that team that makes a huge leap up and shocks the league and finally makes good on all its talent. And every year I remain very skeptical and I am still decidedly in that camp. The arrival of Andy Reid is huge and should reap rewards over time, but I don't see that transition being entirely seamless and I don't see a major jump up in Year 1.

Alex Smith, to me, is not a dynamic quarterback or someone you can build your team around. And after giving up too much to land him from the 49ers, the pressure is on him and Reid to be very good right away. Yes, he has some weapons, and the offensive line should be better, but the Chiefs didn't really want Branden Albert at left tackle and that's where he is.

Reid, you would think, would feature running back Jamaal Charles more, even with his pass-happy tendencies, and there are playmakers on defense. So, sure, this team won't be the debacle it was a year ago, but I'm still not sure they won't continue to lose some games they should win and I anticipate the gains are more of a move to .500 than a surge to the postseason.

An easy early schedule will raise expectations even more, but I believe they will struggle after a late bye, facing Denver twice late, with three road division games in the final seven weeks as well as a trip to Washington. I don't think defenses will be fearing Smith, even with Reid behind him. I smell 8-8, which would actually be the worse case for the Chiefs, as they would then owe San Francisco another second-round pick for Smith, rather than a third.

thanks

Your welcome wildcat...hope the information here helps ..........

Pro handicappers take aim at 2013 NFL season win totals


NFL season win totals hit the betting market when the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno, Nevada released their over/under odds on each teams’ victories for the 2013 schedule Thursday.

Since opening, plenty of NFL bettors have voiced their opinions on Atlantis’ totals, giving their favorite over and under bets. Now it’s time for the pros to take a stab.

We tossed the 2013 NFL season win totals to our Covers Experts handicappers and asked them to identify the best value on the board.

Detroit Lions – Under 7 wins (-115)

“Detroit plays in a very tough division obviously, and I don't think things get any easier in 2013,” says Covers Expert Art Aronson. “A win against the Vikes in Week 1 is a possibility, but certainly nothing is guaranteed. More questions than answers for this team in all three phases of the game this year, so I'm going to lean to the under in this one.”

Indianapolis Colts – Under 8 wins (+120)

"Indy ran into all sorts of good 'Luck' last season winning nine of their 11 games by a touchdown or less, including seven victories by four or less points," says pro handicapper Marc Lawrence. "A nine-game improvement from a two-win team in 2011 far exceeded expectations. Expect a combination of sophomore blues by Andrew Luck and a serious bounce to leave the Colts losers in 2013."

Chicago Bears - Over 8.5 wins (-145)

"It's always a provisional vote with the Bears, since keeping Jay Cutler in one piece has proven a chore in the past. And all bets are off if "Midway Jay" goes down for an extended period," says professional handicapper Bruce Marshall. "But the Bears have their first offense-minded head coach in memory after hiring Marc Trestman from the CFL and expect a more streamlined offense. A dropoff from last year's 10 wins is hardly a certainty, especially if Cutler stays healthy and Trestman upgrades the offense as expected."

Green Bay Packers - Under 12 wins (-115)

"They have a tough out-of-division schedule, an overrated defense and a suspect offensive line,” says an NFL handicapper for Doc’s Sports. “I do not feel that they will go 6-0 in the NFC North and that would be a must in order for them to accomplish this feat. I think 10 or 11 wins is the ceiling for this team, so I will be betting on the under here.”

Buffalo Bills – Over 5 wins (-135)

“It seems as though every year Buffalo is a sleeper pick to make a move in the AFC and every year it disappoints,” says Covers Expert Matt Fargo. “This year could finally be that year, though, as a new coaching staff coupled with new schemes and personnel will make Buffalo a better team. Yet we are catching a win total of less than what the Bills won a season ago. An opening home win against the Patriots could set the tone.”

Atlanta Falcons - Under 10 wins (+105)

"On the surface, it might seem like a low total for an Atlanta squad that has won 10-plus games each of the past three seasons," says Covers Expert Steve Merril. "This is a team that continues to get out-stated on a regular basis and if the turnover margin starts to go against them, or if a key injury hits, the Falcons could struggle more than expected. Atlanta is also in a very competitive division as the Saints, Panthers, and Buccaneers are all capable of winning games."

Pittsburgh Steelers – Under 10 wins (EVEN)

“We've seen plenty of personnel changes in Pittsburgh over the last couple of years, and I'm not sure the shakeup has or will serve them well. At least not in the short-term,” says Covers Expert Sean Murphy. “Ben Roethlisberger is injury prone and, even when healthy, he’s no longer a truly elite quarterback capable of leading this team to double-digit victories, even with the AFC North likely to take a step back.”

Seattle Seahawks – Under 11 wins (+110)

“I think the Seahawks may be a little overpriced. They could easily suffer a couple of divisional losses, potentially a few,” says Covers Expert Ben Burns. “Games against the 49ers will be tough. The Rams aren't slouches. The Cards figure to be angry after last year's 58-0 drubbing. Wilson was fantastic last year. It’s possible that he takes a step back, though, and he also plays a style which could easily cause him to miss a few games. Getting plus money on the under 11 is worth a look.”

Kansas City Chiefs - Over 6.5 wins (-130)

The Chiefs over is a near auto-play for me," says pro handicapper Teddy Covers. "A team with the worst turnover differential in the NFL last year (-24), a lame duck head coach and a QB situation that was nothing short of disastrous. Andy Reid and Alex Smith are massive upgrades. The AFC West has Oakland and San Diego in clear rebuilding mode. And the Chiefs Over 6.5 (-130) will be seven or higher by August."

Cleveland Browns – Over 5 wins (+120)

“In 2011, the Browns finished 4-12 for last place in the AFC North. In 2012, they finished 5-11,” notes Aronson. “Cleveland has a relatively easy schedule in 2013 and, with the improvements it's made in the offseason, I believe the table is set for six victories or more this year.”

Washington Redskins – Under 9 wins (-120)

“Like the Seahawks, the Redskins improved a full five games behind a rookie quarterback last season," says Lawrence. "The main difference, though, is Robert Griffin III’s knee is a major question mark and the Hogs haven't had back-to-back winning seasons since 1991-92. And down goes another sophomore QB from last year's heralded class."

Arizona Cardinals - Under 6 wins (-120)

"It's a tough season to be in rebuild mode in the NFC West, with the 49ers and Seahawks established contenders and the Rams on the ascent," says Marshall. "Arizona has turned its operation inside out with a clean sweep of the coaching staff and front office. Though the Ken Whisenhunt regime went stale, is Bruce Arians really an upgrade? And have the Cardinals made enough improvements to the offensive line through the draft and free agency to better protect new - and very immobile - QB Carson Palmer? Whisenhunt might have done well to get the Cards to five wins last season."

New Orleans Saints – Over 9.5 wins (-115)

“Last year was a huge disappointment for the Saints but many saw it coming after head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entire season,” says Fargo. “It showed how important good head coaches are and we will see a rebound this season. New Orleans surpassed this win total in each of the last three seasons prior to 2012 and we will see that again against a pretty soft schedule.”

Carolina Panthers – Over 6.5 wins (-130)

“The 2012 season was a disastrous campaign for the Panthers, as they won only seven games and were the third-worst scoring team in the NFC,” says Murphy. “The expectations aren't nearly as high leading into 2013. That should help relieve some of the pressure and allow this team to overachieve. Another seven-win season is all we need to cash this ticket and that's a bargain in my opinion.”

Titus Young's father: Son has brain disorder, needs help


Titus Young was in good spirits Friday morning.

His father, Richard, said he took Titus out for coffee, and Titus was laughing and looked happy.

But later that day, when Young told his parents he was going to his car to grab his phone, the former Lions wide receiver drove off instead.

"We knew that something had happened to him or he was locked up again," Richard Young told The Detroit News on Monday. "His mind is not capable enough to go out and deal with society because of this situation."

Young's father was right. Titus Young was arrested late Friday night for the third time in less than a week. Orange County authorities allege Young broke into a home in San Clemente, Calif., tried to flee, but he was caught and charged with burglary, assault on a police officer and resisting arrest.

San Clemente is more than 60 miles away from the Young's home in Los Angeles, where Titus had been living.

Richard Young said his son suffers from a disorder caused by his brain being compressed into the front of his skull, but he couldn't remember the disorder's name Monday. The father said his son's disposition changed after he suffered a concussion during his rookie season, although the Lions never listed that as an injury.

Although Titus Young has medication for the issue, his father said he hasn't been taking it as prescribed.

And, while Richard Young said his son has sought help for the issue, Titus Young hasn't been dedicated to his treatment, which doctors told the father could take six months or less.

"He's not dealing with it the way he should be," Richard Young said. "If the judge gives him a court order, then maybe he'll get the help he needs."

Based on Titus Young's behavior leading up to the arrest, that will be a possibility unless he ends up in prison.

Before the arrest, Young allegedly was "passed out" in his car in someone's driveway and seen peering into parked cars in San Clemente, Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino said.

"The first call came in at 6 p.m.," Amormino said. "A resident called and said there was a black Mustang convertible in the driveway of their home. A person was inside the car, but the informant didn't know if they were sleeping, drunk or had a medical issue."

When a fire truck pulled up to the home, the man raced off and nearly hit the truck, Amormino said. Authorities determined the man was Young after running the license plates, but never found him.

Multiple witnesses called police again around 8 p.m. to report a man looking into parked cars, Amormino said. Even with assistance of a helicopter, police couldn't find Young, but found and towed his car.

Then, at 11:57 p.m., a resident called police and reported a man was in his home. When police arrived, the man — determined to be Young — allegedly was hiding in shrubs outside the home and tried to flee on foot.

"He was fast, but the deputy was faster," Amormino said.

Young tried to fight the officers, but they subdued him without suffering any injuries.

Young was arrested twice in less than 15 hours May 5 in Moreno Valley, Calif., first on suspicion of driving under the influence then for burglary after he allegedly tried to jump the fence at an impound lot to find his car.

"The felony charges are certainly mounting up," Amormino said. "Those are serious charges that could do some serious state prison time."

Amormino, however, said Young's behavior "certainly warrants a psychological evaluation."

"He's always been temperamental," Richard Young said. "But he's changed. It's different now."

Since the Lions cut Titus Young in February, his father said he has been working out and "trying to get himself together."

And although Titus Young has immense talent, his football future isn't on his father's radar.

"I'm thinking about my son," Richard Young said. "He needs to get help and get better."

In his second season with the Lions, Young was sent home three times, including once for punching teammate Louis Delmas. He also requested the Lions release him via Twitter in January.

"When he's around us, his mind comes and goes," Richard Young said. "He can't really defend himself, and I don't want ya'll thinking he's a bad person."

Cantor releases lines, win totals

May 14, 2013


Week 1-16 Lines · 2013 Season Win Totals

LVH provided gamblers with Week 1 NFL lines in mid-April and now Cantor Gaming in Las Vegas has released numbers for every game of the 2013 season and season win totals.

Let’s start with the New England Patriots, who are favored in every game with the exception of three pick ‘em situations at Atlanta, at Baltimore and at Houston. The Patriots have a win total of 11 ‘over’ (-115).

Bill Belichick’s club remains the hands-down favorite in an AFC East that looks weak on paper. The Pats lost WR Wes Welker, but they acquired Danny Amendola via free agency and drafted a pair of wideouts in Marshall’s Aaron Dobson and TCU’s Josh Boyce.

In addition to the three pick ‘em road games previously mentioned, New England (-1.5) also has a tough assignment at Cincinnati in Week 5. This is an even more challenging spot since Belichick’s bunch will be coming off a big game at Atlanta the previous week. Also, the Pats host the Steelers and Saints as four-point home favorites and are 1.5-point ‘chalk’ vs. Denver in Foxboro.

Speaking of the Broncos, they are favored in every game with the exception of the trip to New England and a pick ‘em spot at Houston. Welker landed with Peyton Manning and Co. and the Broncos also bolstered the offense by selecting Wisconsin RB Montee Ball in the second round.

Denver, which has a win tally of 11 ‘over’ (-120) at Cantor, opens the season at home on a Thursday night vs. Baltimore in a rematch of last year’s epic double-overtime road win by the Ravens en route to winning the Super Bowl. This number is seven (-120) with the Broncos as home favorites.

That number seems a little rich, especially considering the work GM Ozzie Newsome has done for the defending champs during the offseason. I believe the Ravens found an ideal replacement for Ed Reed in first-round pick Matt Elam, a head-hunting safety out of Florida.

Baltimore’s defensive ends are two of the NFL’s best in Terrell Suggs and newly acquired Elvis Dumervil, who was signed away from the Broncos in free agency. Other key moves by Newsome include the drafting of LB Arthur Brown (2nd round, Kansas St.), the re-signings of OT Bryant McKinnie and TE Dennis Pitta, in addition to the under-the-radar acquisitions of center A.Q. Shipley and DE Marcus Spears.

Of course, Joe Flacco is back following his incredible performances in last year’s postseason. Remember, he clearly outplayed Manning in the Mile High City five months ago. The Ravens have a win total of nine flat (-110 either way).

Along with Denver and New England, San Francisco shares the highest season win total at 11 ‘over’ (-125). Cantor has the 49ers as underdogs just once, as they are catching 2.5 points at Seattle in Week 2. They are 3.5-point home favorites vs. Atlanta in a Week 16 rematch of last year’s NFC title game.

The Falcons have a win total of 10 ‘over’ (-115). GM Thomas Dimitroff made a pair of key signings in free agency by inking RB Steven Jackson (Rams) and DE Osi Umenyiora (Giants). Perhaps most important, Atlanta talked TE Tony Gonzalez into returning for one more season.

With the loss of CBs Brent Grimes and Dunta Robinson, Dimitroff addressed the position by trading up into the first round to get Desmond Trufant from out of Washington. With the team’s second draft pick, Atlanta took CB Robert Alford and then traded up again in the middle rounds to take DE Stansly Maponga out of TCU.

Seattle has a win total of 10 ‘over’ (-120) after coming seconds away from getting to the NFC title game last season. The Seahawks will get another shot at Atlanta in a pick ‘em game in Week 10. They are underdogs only once as 2.5-point ‘dogs at San Francisco in Week 14.

In Week 15, Seattle could be in its toughest situation when it travels to the Meadowlands to face the Giants after playing arch-rival San Francisco on the road. The Seahawks might have made the best offseason move of any franchise with their trade for Percy Harvin, who is an all-purpose yardage machine who should work well with rising star QB Russell Wilson.

New Orleans will get one of the NFL’s premier head coaches in Sean Payton back after a one-year suspension. The Saints have a win total of nine ‘over’ (-115). They are short underdogs four times -- +1 at Chicago (Week 5), +4 at New England (Week 6), +2.5 at Atlanta (Week 12) and at Seattle (+3.5).

The spots at New England and at Seattle will be especially difficult due to the travel circumstances, not to mention the competition, in the games the previous weeks.

We know the Saints will put up points with Payton calling the plays and Brees under center, but that won’t matter if they can’t improve a defense that was the worst in NFL history last year. Former Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will take over this beleaguered unit.

New Orleans added new defensive pieces in the draft with No. 15 selection Kenny Vaccaro, a safety from Mack Brown’s Texas program. Also, nose tackle John Jenkins (Georgia) is a major space-eater with his 346 pounds. The Saints also added veteran safety Jim Leonhard.

The NFC East is wide open again, as evidenced by the similar season win totals: Giants 9 ‘over’ (-120), Dallas 8.5 flat (-110 either way), Washington 8 flat and Philadelphia 7 ‘over’ (-120).

Jerry Jones demonstrated his faith in Tony Romo, the owner of one career postseason win in seven years as the starting QB, by signing him to a long-term extension through 2019. As for Washington’s QB situation, it is hoping Robert Griffin III will be ready by Week 1.

According to multiple reports, RG3 is making remarkable strides in his recovery from knee surgery. Whatever the case, Kirk Cousins proved he can play as a rookie last year and he’ll be able to hold down the fort until RG3 is 100 percent.

With new head coach Chip Kelly, the Philadelphia QB position is up for grabs with three contenders in Michael Vick, Nick Foles and rookie fourth-round pick Matt Barkley.

The lowest win totals belong to Jacksonville (5 ‘over’ -120), Arizona (5.5 ‘under’ -120), Oakland (5.5 flat) and Cleveland (5.5 flat). The Jaguars are underdogs in every game with a pair of exceptions in pick ‘em spots at home vs. Arizona and Tennessee.

I find it audacious and incomprehensible that Jacksonville is going into another season with Blaine Gabbert as its starting QB, assuming he beats out Chad Henne. I’m bullish on ‘under’ five wins for this team that has no shot at success with such a horrible situation at QB.

Josh Cribbs signs with Oakland Raiders:

Remembering his record-setting kick returns with the Cleveland Browns

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Josh Cribbs has made quite an impact on not only the Cleveland Browns, but also on the NFL as one of the league's all-time best kick returners.

If anyone anticipated what kind of pro player Cribbs would be, it apparently wasn't any of the NFL talent scouts in 2005 when Cribbs, Kent State's four-year starting quarterback, went undrafted.

Now, he is signing with the Oakland Raiders as a free agent, as he Tweeted this afternoon:

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

Odds to win the 2013 Heisman Trophy:

3-1 Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M-- Defending champ is a soph.

6-1 Braxton Miller, Ohio State-- Meyer coaches other people's recruits better than anyone.

10-1 Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina-- Dominant defender.

10-1 AJ McCarron, Alabama-- Going for third straight national title.

10-1 Aaron Murray, Georgia-- Four of top five guys from the SEC.

12-1 Marqise Lee, USC-- Who is going to throw him the ball?


*****

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Random thoughts on a spring day.....

13) Tulane was improved on the basketball court this past winter, but when their move to the Big East fell apart, they had mass defections this spring. Green Wave’s best player, 6-8 Josh Davis (16 ppg, 11 rpg), has transferred to San Diego State and will be eligible to play this fall.

Good for Steve Fisher; not sure its good for college basketball.

12) In Stephen Strasburg’s eight starts, Nationals scored more than three runs once. Strasburg played college ball at San Diego State, is pitching at Petco tonight.

11) Tennessee poached the punter from Wyoming; Australian kid has to sit out a year, but he was #4 in MWC, #27 in country in punting LY and will help the Vols, who are rebuilding under yet another new coach, Butch Jones.

10) Harrison Barnes is first player in NBA history to score 25+ points in consecutive playoff games, when he had never scored 25+ in a regular season game. He's been better in the NBA than he ever was in college.

9) In six games since he got suspended during the Celtic series, JR Smith is shooting 27.2% (25-92) from the floor.

8) Eldrick Woods earned $7.8M on the golf course LY, $33M off it. Phil Mickelson actually earned more ($36M) than Woods off the course LY.

7) Long day in Baltimore Saturday; the first race at Pimlico is 10:45am; Preakness Stakes goes off around 6:20pm.

6) Bad news for the Rays: David Price left his start last night with a triceps issue; team started Wednesday wth a six-game win streak, ended it with a crisis on its hands. .

5) 38-year old Jamey Wright replaced Price; he has gone to spring training as a non-roster invitee the last six years, and made the major league roster all six times, which is really hard to do.

4) Jets brought David Garrard in to be one of their QBs this season, so of course he retired, because the Jets are dysfunctional. This pretty much guarantees that Mark Sanchez stays with the Jets and creates a controversy as to when rookie Geno Smith gets his shot at running their offense.

3) Home teams are 3-0 in second round of NHL playoffs after Chicago beat the Red Wings 4-1. Last second round series gets underway tonight with the Rangers visiting Boston.

2) Grizzlies dumped Oklahoma City out of the NBA playoffs with an 88-84 win, ending the series in five games, and turning the James Harden trade into a disaster for the Thunder. Once Russell Westbrook went down, OC was lost for a consistent second scoring option.

1) What does the NBA have against Seattle? League moved the Sonics out of there, because they wouldn't build a new arena (they had a perfectly fine 15-year old arena, didn't need a new one) and now the NBA won't let the Sacramento Kings move to Seattle. Doesn't make a lot of sense.
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AFC South Outlook

May 18, 2013


AFC East · AFC North · AFC South · AFC West
NFC East · NFC North · NFC North · NFC West

The NFL draft is still the focus this time of the year but the recently released 2013 schedule can be a more telling factor in how a team will fare next season. Take a look at the four teams in the AFC South this season. This division will likely be considered the weakest in the NFL by many but with fairly favorable schedules all around the records may not reflect that. These teams will all face a lot of travel miles which could take a toll on the results as Houston looks for a third straight division title.

Houston Texans:Based on win percentage from last season the Texans have the sixth weakest schedule in the NFL and the second weakest of any division champion from 2012. Houston faces long travel with every road game being at least 795 miles away but that is a problem for Houston every year given how far spread out this division is. Houston will play all three division road games in the final four weeks of the season and the final two home games are hosting New England and Denver for a very tough finish to the season. Houston will also have a tough start to the season with a brutal early set of games with Baltimore, Seattle, and San Francisco consecutively starting in week 3. Houston will play seven games against teams that won at least 10 games last season as the overall strength of schedule is brought down with two games against Jacksonville, a team that went 2-14 last season. Houston also draws all four AFC West teams along with the rest of the division. Houston will play two games in the Pacific Time zone and four games in the Eastern Time zone so there are some challenges with this slate and the travel. While there are several games where the Texans will play as heavy favorites it will likely be a more difficult slate than the team faced last season even with the division as a whole looking like one of the lighter groups in the league. Houston still should be considered the favorite in this division and they have a schedule that is very similar to what Indianapolis faces but the difference between those two teams last season was much greater than the one-game difference in the standings indicated. Houston was 115 points superior in point-differential compared with the Colts last season and the Texans were 6-2 in road games, a record they could certainly repeat with this year's road slate, even with some tough games early in the year.

Houston Texans 2013 Schedule Numbers: 2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .473 Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 7 (four home, three away) Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 9,654 Back-to-Back road game sets: 1 Primetime Games: 4 (one Thursday, Two Sunday night, One Monday)

Indianapolis Colts: After the Colts went 11-5 last season for a great turnaround behind rookie quarterback Andrew Luck, there will be many projecting a division championship this season. By 2012 winning percentage the Colts have the third weakest schedule in the NFL and there are only six games against 2012 playoff teams. There is some significant travel on this slate however with three road trips to the western part of the country in addition to long trips to Jacksonville and Houston. The AFC South plays the AFC West teams which is certainly an advantage and the Colts draw Denver at home in what will obviously be a game that captures the nation's attention with Peyton Manning returning. The second place schedule brings tougher than they might sound games with Miami and Cincinnati however, compared with the fourth place slate the Colts dealt with last season in the turnaround. The coaching staff also loses Bruce Arians who led Indianapolis for most of last season while Chuck Pagano battled leukemia. That storyline certainly helped to bring the team together last season and not having that focus could be a possibility this year. Indianapolis was 11-5 despite being -30 in point differential last season as this was a team that won nine games by seven points or less and this was not a particularly impressive statistical team. Luck was asked to do a lot last season and while he delivered in some big 4th quarter moments his overall numbers were not efficient and he could face a sophomore slump with the league having a whole off-season to break down his film. This division draws the very tough set of NFC West teams and the Colts will have a tough time going 7-1 at home again having to host teams like Seattle and Denver just in the first half of the season. The Colts are a good candidate to start strong however with home games the first two weeks and losing teams from 2012 in three of the first four games. The schedule in the middle of the season looks daunting and a slight step backward is likely in 2013 as this team was fortunate to win 11 games last year.

Indianapolis Colts 2013 Schedule Numbers: 2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .461 Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 6 (three home, three away) Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 8,977 Back-to-Back road game sets: 2 Primetime Games: 4 (one Thursday, two Sunday night, one Monday)

Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars will certainly be spending some time in the air this season with several incredibly long trips adding to the challenges for a team with a new coaching staff, an unsettled quarterback situation, and coming off an ugly 2-14 season. Jacksonville opens the season with four of the first six games on the road with three of those six games in the western part of the country and all four games as a part of two back-to-back road trips. Jacksonville has winnable games in the first two weeks with Kansas City and then a trip to Oakland but it will be a great challenge in the next six games leading up to a week 9 bye. Jacksonville gives up a home game to play in London where they will face the 49ers and the only break in that scheduling is that San Francisco must make significantly further travel. There are some opportunities in the second half of the schedule, playing Tennessee twice, as well as games with Arizona, Cleveland, and Buffalo. Even with the loss of the home game and the long travel this is a schedule that a contending team would envy with nine games against teams that had a losing record last season. Three of the final four games of the season are also at home and while the Jaguars are not expected to be in the playoff mix this is a team that could finish with some positive momentum. If the Jaguars fail to win in the first two weeks however things could get very ugly for this squad and by midseason placing a call to the Tim Tebow camp to sell some tickets might be a reasonable idea. It would not be a surprise if the Jaguars improve by several games this season however as there are a lot of games where Jacksonville should feel like they can win even for a team in transition.

Jacksonville Jaguars 2013 Schedule Numbers: 2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .508 Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 7 (two home, four away, one neutral) Miles Traveled for 9 road/neutral games: 15,748 (includes 3,996 miles to London) Back-to-Back road game sets: 3 Primetime Games: 1 (one Thursday)

Tennessee Titans: The Titans started out last season 1-4 to finish up 6-10 overall with no wins over teams that made the playoffs. This will be a critical third year for head coach Mike Munchak as well as quarterback Jake Locker as this team needs a rebound season. This is a division where a quick turnaround is possible as the Colts proved last year and Tennessee may be a candidate to take a positive step this season. The Titans do have a tough start to the season with back-to-back road games in Pittsburgh and Houston to open the year but then there are three straight home games against losing teams from 2012. Long trips to Seattle, Oakland, and Denver will be on this slate and the Titans have to play three straight road games late in the year with two of those games out west. The Titans have five home games against losing teams from 2012 and getting to play four games against teams that made a coaching change could also provide opportunities. Having to play the Steelers and the Jets as part of the third place draw is less favorable than most years but overall this is a slate where the Titans can have some success. Improving in the division will likely make of break the team however after Tennessee went 1-5 in division games last season. The Titans will likely need to find a way to at least split with the Texans and Colts to have a shot at making a move upward this season. The early stretch of home games will be critical for the Titans as they host the Chargers, Jets, and Chiefs in succession starting in week 3. They need to win those games to offset very tough games in the rest of the first half schedule to make sure that the season does not turn into a disastrous one.

Tennessee Titans 2013 Schedule Numbers: 2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .488 Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 7 (three home, four away) Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 8,477 Back-to-Back road game sets: 3 (including a back-to-back-to-back set) Primetime Games: 1 (one Thursday)

Chargers, Freeney agree to 2-year deal

May 18, 2013


SAN DIEGO (AP) - The San Diego Chargers agreed Saturday to a two-year deal with aging star pass rusher Dwight Freeney that could be worth $13.35 million.

The deal to bring Freeney to the Chargers came four days after outside linebacker Melvin Ingram tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in a padless practice.

The addition of Freeney also helps cushion the loss of outside linebackers Antwan Barnes and Shaun Phillips to free agency.

``It's great to add a solid veteran who brings valuable experience to our defense,'' Chargers coach Mike McCoy said in the release announcing the deal. ``His proven pass-rush ability is a perfect fit for our defense.''

Freeney is 33 and entering his 12th season. He will make $5.25 million this season.

He was Indianapolis' career sacks leader with 107 1/2 but the Colts decided not to re-sign him in the offseason. After recording 13 1/2 sacks in 2009, his totals declined each of the past three years. He had five in 2012.

Freeney, a seven-time Pro Bowler, never seemed comfortable after moving from a 4-3 defensive end, where he spent his first 10 NFL seasons, to a 3-4 outside linebacker. The Chargers run a 3-4 defense.

Freeney was the 11th overall selection in the 2002 draft. During his time with the Colts, he combined with Robert Mathis to form one of the most fearsome pass-rush tandems in the league. His 44 forced fumbles are the most by any NFL player since 2002 and he was one of 13 players in Colts' history to participate in more than 100 victories.

Freeney led the NFL with 16 sacks in 2004.

Chargers rookie general manager Tom Telesco was with the Colts before being hired by San Diego in January.

AFC North Outlook

May 8, 2013


AFC East · AFC North · AFC South · AFC West
NFC East · NFC North · NFC North · NFC West

The NFL draft steals most of the attention in April and May but the recent release of the NFL schedules is more telling factor in the potential results this season. Take a look at the four teams in the AFC North in this schedule preview. This has been a competitive 3-team race in recent years and the North could again be a very competitive division with the Ravens, Bengals, and Steelers still standing out ahead of the Browns. The difference between making the playoffs and not making the playoffs could be very thin in this division and the schedules will play a pivotal role.

Baltimore Ravens: The defending Super Bowl champions will face a tough slate in 2013 drawing Houston and Denver outside of the division and also having to battle all four NFC North teams. The AFC East draw softens the slate a bit potentially but the Ravens have the fifth toughest schedule in the NFL based on the 2012 win percentage of its opponents and by far the toughest slate in the AFC North by that measure. The season opens with a huge Thursday night game in Denver in a rematch of the epic playoff game from last season and the Ravens have several big games early in the season, with games against the Broncos, Browns, Texans, Packers, and Steelers in the first seven weeks. Baltimore only plays two games outside of the Eastern Time zone and the travel overall is pretty reasonable relative to the rest of the league. While there are some tough games late in the season four of the final six games of the season are at home and the Ravens will only play one road games outside of the division against a team that made the playoffs last season.

In the NFC draw the two NFC North playoff teams (Packers Vikings) from last season will both visit Baltimore and the Ravens also get to host New England in the AFC East draw as those pairings worked out favorably. The Ravens were just 10-6 last season despite the championship run so this was not a team that dominated in the regular season and with this slate a similar record is more likely than a record that would propel the Ravens to the top of the AFC. A fall to outside of the playoff picture is also possible if the Steelers rebound for a better season and the Bengals remain a very tough foe in the division.

Baltimore went 4-2 in division games last season and it will be tough to do better than that given the strong rivalries and home fields in this group as the AFC North was one of just two divisions that did not feature a team with a losing home record last year. Cincinnati and Pittsburgh could make up some ground on the Ravens and a letdown season after the championship is certainly possible. Baltimore does benefit from having most of the toughest games at home however, unlike the situation for Pittsburgh.

Baltimore Ravens 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .535
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 7 (five home, two away)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 5,553
Back-to-Back road game sets: 1
Primetime Games: 4 (two Thursday, one Sunday night, one Monday)

Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals have busted into the playoffs the past two seasons though they have not picked up a playoff win since 1991 and Boomer Esiason was still under center. Cincinnati appears to be headed towards being a consistent playoff contender however after being a consistent doormat for many years with a great young nucleus of talent. Cincinnati actually had the best point differential in this division last season, better than the eventual Super Bowl champion Ravens and sights on a division title are realistic. The schedule for the Bengals this season lines up most of the toughest games at home but it may be a slate that is more difficult than it looks at first glance.

The challenge for Cincinnati this season will be surviving the first month of the season as the early season schedule is very tough. The Bengals open at Chicago and while the Bears are in a transition season with a new head coach, expectations are high and the Bears have a lot to prove. The next two games are at home but the Bengals host Pittsburgh and Green Bay. In Week 4 the Bengals are at Cleveland in a big rivalry game and then in Week 5 the Bengals host New England. That could be a five-game set that derails the goals for the season or brings the Bengals to the forefront of the AFC. Cincinnati plays non-playoff teams in five of six games in the middle of the season and will get three of the final four at home to close the year.

Five of eight home games for the Bengals are against 2012 playoff teams and the road schedule may be more difficult than the numbers imply as the Bears, Steelers, and Chargers should be viewed as playoff caliber teams even though they missed the postseason last year. Cincinnati won five games by seven or fewer points last season and it may be a season of close calls again this year with the line between being back in the playoffs and missing out being a thin one in a very competitive division.

Cincinnati Bengals 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .508
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 6 (five home, one away)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 5,446
Back-to-Back road game sets: 2
Primetime Games: 3 (one Thursday, one Sunday night, one Monday)

Cleveland Browns: In this division it will be tough for the Browns to move up and the 2013 schedule does not offer Cleveland great opportunities. Cleveland has gone 1-7 on the road each of the past two seasons and the Browns line up an incredibly difficult road schedule this season, facing five 2012 playoff teams. Two of the road games against non-playoff teams will come in the second of back-to-back road games and another 1-7 road season is certainly a possibility. The Browns are the only team in the division to draw Kansas City and Jacksonville which is certainly an advantage but the Chiefs could be a candidate for quick improvement and that matchup will also be a second straight road game for the Browns.

Cleveland will travel very few miles this season which could boost the chances of improving the season road record as the Browns won’t play a game outside of the Central or Eastern Time zones. Another edge the Browns may have in the schedule is that there is an opportunity for Cleveland to get off to a strong start this season with four of the first six games at home and three of those home games coming against fellow losing teams from 2012. A strong start could build some confidence for this team and the Browns won the home meetings with both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati last season as they may be able to take another step towards closing the gap in the division with the top three teams.

The Browns were just 5-11 last season but they were only outscored by just over four points per game on average for the season and the defense was respectable allowing 23 points per game. Cleveland has such a tough road schedule this season that major improvement seems unlikely but the Browns could produce a strong record at home with most of the favorable matchups coming in Cleveland. Getting into playoff position seems like a long shot but the Browns could be a team that sees a slight improvement and could even flirt with a .500 record should things fall favorably with the schedule being a factor in the improvement.

Cleveland Browns 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .492
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 7 (two home, five away)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 3,990
Back-to-Back road game sets: 3
Primetime Games: 1 (one Thursday)

Pittsburgh Steelers: After a disappointing and injury filled 2012 season the Steelers seem like an appealing candidate for a bounce back season. Pittsburgh had one of the best defensive teams in the NFL last season but managed to go just 8-8 on the season, missing the playoffs and sliding into the third place slot in this division. Getting to play Tennessee and Oakland in the 3rd place draw is favorable and the Steelers will only play seven true road games with a trip to London in Week 4. Pittsburgh will play most of its toughest games on the road with a home schedule that only features two playoff teams, the two teams that made the postseason from the AFC North last season. Pittsburgh faces a slate that features the same 2012 winning percentage as Cleveland’s 4th place schedule which could make Pittsburgh a candidate to rise to the top of this division. Pittsburgh did lose three times at home last season but this is also a team that historically has been able to win on the road with some success as well.

Pittsburgh will have several very tough road matchups and the road games at New England and at Baltimore will both come in the second of back-to-back road games. Pittsburgh does close with three of the final four games of the season at home which could help a late playoff push if needed though a challenging
Week 16 game at Green Bay is ahead and that game follows up a possible Sunday night tilt with the Bengals. The road game at Baltimore is not only the second of back-to-back road games it comes on the heels of a division game with the Browns and will be on a short week with a Thursday night time slot so the Steelers might have a hard time improving on their 3-3 division mark from last season as several division games come in difficult spots on the schedule.

Pittsburgh is a team that could make a rise in the standings with improved health but there are some pieces missing from the great Steelers teams of years past. Another season teetering right on the edge of the playoffs either way is likely the result in 2013 again with the challenging road schedule ahead although this could again be a division where 10-6 is good enough to take the top spot.

Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .492
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 7 (two home, four away, one neutral)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 8,585 (Includes 3,725 to London)
Back-to-Back road game sets: 2
Primetime Games: 4 (one Thursday, two Sunday night, one Monday)

NFC East Outlook

May 14, 2013


NFC East · NFC North
AFC East · AFC North · AFC South · AFC West

The NFL draft gets all the attention in the spring, but the recent release of the 2013 schedule can be a more telling factor in how a team will fare next season. Take a look at the four teams in the NFC East this season. This group of teams will be featured heavily in primetime games as usual and another tight division race could be in store. This division has seen all four teams win a division title in the last four years and another change at the top is likely this year.

Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys have not had a winning season since winning the NFC East in 2009 and after back-to-back 8-8 seasons in the first two years under Jason Garrett, the stakes will be high this season. Dallas will face long travel as usual this season, playing in a division with no nearby geographical rivals, but overall the Cowboys have to like how the slate has lined up this season. The East teams will have to play a strong group of NFC North squads, but drawing the AFC West should be an advantage compared with the rest of the conference. Based on win percentage from last season, Dallas will actually draw the weakest schedule in the NFC East, but none of the four teams will play a slate that collectively features a winning record from 2012. Dallas only plays three teams outside of the division that made the playoffs last season and all three of those games will be at home.

Only once will the Cowboys have to play back-to-back road games and Dallas gets a late-season bye week which could help with some of the tougher games in the final weeks. Dallas has a bye week prior to a huge game with the Giants, while New York will play Sunday night with the Packers to set up a favorable situation for the Cowboys for that game and most of the divisional match-ups will line up somewhat favorably. There are certainly some tough games ahead, but there are many winnable road games although there is a bit of an advantage to the third-place slate with St. Louis and New Orleans on the schedule. Dallas has the slate it needs to break through with a winning season, but like last year, this division could be tightly contested and it will be difficult for a Wild Card to emerge from this group. Dallas was just 4-4 at home last season and that is a mark that needs to improve for the 2013 season to go better than the past two years.

Dallas Cowboys 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .480
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 5 (four home, one away)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 9,060
Back-to-Back road game sets: 1
Primetime Games: 5 (one Thanksgiving, Three Sunday Night, one Monday)

New York Giants: The Giants went from Super Bowl champions to missing out on the playoffs with a very inconsistent 2012 season. At times, New York looked like one of the elite teams in the NFL, but the Giants lost to several marginal opponents as well. New York finished +85 in point differential last season for by far the best mark in this division and New York will be a candidate for a rebound season. Finishing second in this division instead of first leaves Atlanta and San Francisco off the schedule and the games with Seattle, Green Bay, Denver, and Minnesota will all be at home. The Giants play six games against 2012 playoff teams, but only the division game at Washington is away from home as all of the toughest games will be at the Meadowlands. Given the recent track record with the Giants often performing better away from home, that may not be a great thing, but New York was 6-2 in home games last season and just 3-5 on the road.

New York opens the season with three of the first four games on the road and this team will feature some late night travel with three Sunday night games lined up. The Giants will log some miles with a notable game out in San Diego late in the season that might be taxing as it will be a second straight road game, but New York also catches some breaks, getting Minnesota on a Monday night after playing the previous Thursday, essentially getting almost a second bye week in that situation. This is a Giants team that scored at least 35 points six times last season and the scoring potential of this squad is near the top of the league. New York was 8-4 against NFC teams last season as the Giants struggled playing the AFC North last season and getting games with the AFC West is a break this year, especially with the Denver meeting coming at home. While New York took a lot of heat for its defense last season, the Giants allowed the fewest points in this division last season and this is a team that was not far away from the playoffs and will be a threat to rise back to an elite level this year.

New York Giants 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .480
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 6 (five home, one away)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 7,999
Back-to-Back road game sets: 2
Primetime Games: 5 (one Thursday, three Sunday night, one Monday)

Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles are coming off a 4-12 season, but with Chip Kelly moving to the NFL, Philadelphia will be an intriguing team to watch this season. This has been among the most disappointing teams in the NFL the past two seasons, but there is talent on this squad and there will be opportunities to improve on an ugly 2-10 record in NFC games and a 1-5 mark in division games. Despite being the fourth place team in this division, the Eagles will be saddled with one of the tougher slates based on getting most of the toughest games on the road. Philadelphia opens with four of the first six games of the season away from home and they will have to play a dreaded set of three straight road games early in the year. Travel to Denver and Tampa Bay is involved in that set with a short trip to New York in the middle. The benefit of having a tough road schedule is that the Eagles will only play one home game all season against a team that made the playoffs the previous year and with the fourth place slate drawing Arizona and Tampa Bay is certainly better than the alternatives.

The Eagles do have to play in Oakland and Green Bay in back-to-back weeks for more long travel, but four of the final six games of the season will be at home. The bye week is in Week 12 comes in the last possible week and a late bye week may not be favorable for a team in transition. The Eagles also will play all three divisional home games in the span of five weeks in the middle of the season, which could be a challenging emotional stretch of games. Philadelphia also has a very tough early season schedule and for a team with a new offensive scheme and a lot of new players in key spots that could lead to another rough start to the season. The Eagles certainly are capable of improving on the 4-12 mark from last season, but a big jump to playoff contention is probably a reach with a schedule that is challenging. There are no easy road games on this slate and this is an Eagles team that went just 2-6 at home last season.

Philadelphia Eagles 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .496
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 5 (one home, four away)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 9,564
Back-to-Back road game sets: 3 (including one back-to-back-to-back set)
Primetime Games: 2 (one Thursday, one Monday)

Washington Redskins: The Redskins were a great story last season led by Robert Griffin III, who as a rookie took this team to playoffs with a division title. Washington paid a price for the success, however, with Griffin needing major surgery and his health is certainly a question mark entering the season. Washington was only +48 in point differential last season despite being 10-6 and the Redskins have to play a first place schedule which means games with Atlanta and San Francisco in addition to the tough draw with the NFC North. Washington has to play the two NFC North playoff teams from last season on the road as well as traveling to Atlanta. Washington has two western trips going to Oakland and Denver this season and overall there is a lot of travel involved on this slate. Washington does get to play the Eagles in Week 1, which might be in advantage with Philadelphia in a transitional year, but a tough early game at Green Bay waits in Week 2. Washington will have an early Week 5 bye, which may not be ideal for a team that was feeling the wear and tear of the season by the time the playoffs came around last year. Washington is drawing five primetime games this season and two Monday night games will create short weeks before critical home games with Chicago and New York.

The Redskins also close the season with two very tough road games with games at Atlanta and at New York in the final three weeks. Washington has some opportunities on the schedule early in the year with five of the first six games of the season against teams that did not make the playoffs last year, but Washington draws a road game at Denver in the AFC West draw and overall this looks like the toughest slate in this division. While Washington made great strides last season, this is a team that could be in line for a fall back to the pack after winning several close games last year and benefiting from a fourth place schedule to make that jump. If Griffin has trouble staying on the field it could even turn into a severe fall for the Redskins.

Washington Redskins 2013 Schedule Numbers:
2013 Opponents Win Percentage in 2012: .498
Games vs. 2012 Playoff Teams: 5 (one home, four away)
Miles Traveled for 8 road/neutral games: 8,888
Back-to-Back road game sets: 1
Primetime Games: 5 (one Thursday, two Sunday night, two Monday)

Why bettors should care about the NFL Top 100 players list


CBS Sports’ senior NFL columnist Pete Prisco recently ranked the Top 100 NFL players heading into the 2013 season, and football bettors can’t help but find a correlation between elite talent and winning wagers on Sundays.

The six teams with at least five players ranked in the Top 100 – San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Atlanta, Baltimore and Tampa Bay - posted a collective 55-38-3 ATS (against the spread) count, covering the spread in 59 percent of their games last year.

The Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens were the only ones in that group to finish below .500 ATS in the regular season but went a perfect 4-0 ATS in the postseason – three of those as underdogs.

On the other end of the scale, the six teams with just one player or none ranked among the NFL elite – San Diego, Philadelphia, Tennessee, Oakland, St. Louis and Jacksonville - combined for a dismal 39-56-1 ATS record last season (41 percent ATS success).

The biggest anomaly among that group is the St. Louis Rams, who failed to have one player ranked among Prisco’s 100 best but still managed to finish 11-5 ATS in the regular season.

Prisco gave top honors to Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers but had only one more Cheesehead among the Top 100, No. 18 LB Clay Matthews. Green Bay, which went 9-7 ATS in 2012, is roped in with the likes of the Jets, Browns, Vikings and Colts as franchises with just two players in the Top 100.

Could this be a forerunner for a fall from the Packers this season? Early action on their season win total has sided with the under and has dropped that number from as high as 12 wins to 10.5 at some markets.

The best NFL bet last year, the Seattle Seahawks, boasted six players among the Top 100 – CB Richard Sherman, S Earl Thomas, QB Russell Wilson, T Russell Okung, RB Marshawn Lynch – and finished with an 11-5 ATS mark in the regular season and covered in both postseason appearances.

The team with the most players on Prisco’s list is the San Francisco 49ers, who feature eight Top-100 talents: LB Patrick Willis, LB Aldon Smith, DE Justin Smith, LB NaVorro Bowman, T Joe Staley, G Mike Iupati, QB Colin Kaepernick, WR Michael Crabtree. The Niners finished the regular season with a 9-7 ATS record and went 2-1 ATS in the playoffs.

Among the other teams with the most players ranked are the Denver Broncos (6), Baltimore Ravens (5), and Atlanta Falcons (5). Perhaps the biggest surprise is the five players placed among the Top 100 that play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Bucs, who went a profitable 10-5-1 ATS (7-9 SU) in 2012, have a roster highlighted by DT Gerald McCoy, CB Darrelle Revis (not with team last year), G Carl Nicks, WR Vincent Jackson, LB Lavonte David, who all ranked between No. 30 and No. 98.

Could this surplus of outstanding talent make Tampa Bay the team to watch in 2013? Oddsmakers have the Buccaneers’ season win total set at 6.5 (Over/Under -115) and they’re underdogs in nine of their first 15 games, according to the early NFL pointspreads.

Here’s how the NFL teams ranked in terms of Top-100 talents and their ATS records from the 2012 regular season:

San Francisco 49ers (8) – 9-7 ATS
Denver Broncos (6) – 10-6 ATS
Seattle Seahawks (6) – 11-5 ATS
Baltimore Ravens (5) – 6-9-1 ATS
Atlanta Falcons (5) – 9-6-1 ATS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5) – 10-5-1 ATS
Houston Texans (4) – 9-7 ATS
New England Patriots (4) – 9-7 ATS
Dallas Cowboys (4) – 6-10 ATS
Arizona Cardinals (4) – 7-8-1 ATS
Chicago Bears (4) – 7-9 ATS
Kansas City Chiefs (4) – 5-11 ATS
Detroit Lions (3) – 6-10 ATS
Cincinnati Bengals (3) -9-6-1 ATS
New Orleans Saints (3) – 8-8 ATS
Miami Dolphins (3) – 8-8 ATS
New York Giants (3) – 7-8-1 ATS
Pittsburgh Steelers (3) – 6-9-1 ATS
Washington Redskins (3) – 11-5 ATS
Carolina Panthers (3) – 9-7 ATS
Buffalo Bills (3) – 7-9 ATS
Green Bay Packers (2) – 9-7 ATS
Minnesota Vikings (2) – 8-7-1 ATS
Cleveland Browns (2) – 8-7-1 ATS
New York Jets (2) – 7-9 ATS
Indianapolis Colts (2) – 11-5 ATS
San Diego Chargers (1) – 7-9 ATS
Philadelphia Eagles (1) – 3-12-1 ATS
Tennessee Titans (1) – 6-10 ATS
Oakland Raiders (1) – 5-11 ATS
Jacksonville Jaguars (0) – 7-9 ATS
St. Louis Rams (0) – 11-5 ATS