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The ‘new look’ Washington Redskins offense under Sherm Lewis looked much like the old offense under Jim Zorn, and the Philadelphia Eagles had little trouble as they opened a 27-10 halftime lead en route to a 27-17 victory on Monday Night Football. DeSean Jackson scored a long touchdown both rushing and receiving, and Donovan McNabb threw for 156 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions in the victory. The Eagles improved to 4-2 on the season, while the Redskins dropped to 2-5.

The Eagles also rewarded NFL betting enthusiasts with the pointspread cover as -8′ road favorites. Philadelphia is now 4-2 against the number while the Redskins continued their struggles against the NFL pointspread dropping to 1-6. The 44 combined points went OVER the posted total of 38.

Jackson’s only complaint after the game was that a sore ankle undermined the artistry of his post touchdown tap dance:

“I was out there having fun, man, honestly. My ankle was kind of hurting. I really didn’t feel it, but it did kind of affect my dance a little bit. I could put it to perfection a little bit better than that.”

Redskins’ defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth suggested that this team has to learn to play as a unit:

“You can say but so much. You’ve got to actually want to. So once we get to that point — where we want to do something — then we’ll do something. But if we just keep going our separate ways, then we’ll just keep getting slaughtered like we have.”

Jim Zorn was apparently more interested in playing ‘gotcha’ with the management that replaced him as the Redskins’ offensive play caller than in analyzing the game:

“Well, the result was the same. We got 17 points. It was difficult for me. It was difficult to stand and watch. The hard part is to keep your mouth shut.”

Washington running back Rock Cartwright expressed Washington’s struggles in a philosophical light:

“You have to take the bitter with the sweet. And right now we’re at a bitter moment.”

The Eagles will host the New York Giants this Sunday, with the game currently ‘pick’em’ and the total posted at 44. The Redskins have a much needed bye week before they travel south to play the Atlanta Falcons on November 8. They’ll host the Denver Broncos the following Sunday before playing on the road against the Dallas Cowboys on November 22.

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

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The Dallas Cowboys are settling into their new $1.15 billion dollar home stadium, but much of the talk in the NFL preseason has been about the massive video screen hanging directly over the field of play. There’s been a bit of a controversy about the height of the video screen, with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones rebuffing suggestions that the board was hung too low.

On Friday, the NFL Rules Committee sided with Cowboys owner Jones, indicating that the board was of adequate height. It also clarified the procedure for kicks that hit the board during play, and will revisit the issue in the off-season based on what happens during the 2009 campaign.

Jones has maintained that much of the concern is due to the sheer size of the board, which was hung 90 feet off the field of play”5 feet higher than NFL mandated guidelines. Hes also suggested that Tennessee punters were intentionally trying to hit the board, requiring an effort to kick the ball almost straight up.

The NFL has ruled that if a ball hit the display during play, the clock will be reset and down will be replayed. The replay official and the coaches will be able to challenge a play involving the video screen.

In a statement announcing the rules interpretation, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell commented on the situation:

“We will continue to address the particular circumstances in Dallas, giving full consideration to the competitive, safety and fan experience issues involved. The Cowboys have been fully cooperative as we have addressed this subject, and we will continue to work closely with the club on a longer term resolution.”

On his weekly radio show, Cowboys owner Jones commented on the NFLs ruling:

“I don’t see it as ultimately an issue. You can anticipate the ball hitting the board from time to time. There’s no reason why this can’t be something for punters to deal with very similar to the way you’d deal with the wind in your face or with elements; rain, sleet or snow.”

Former Cowboys coach Jimmie Johnson also weighed in on the video board issue:

“If there’s anything wrong, it’s that people are going to watch the video board and not the game. It is so dominating, but I think it’s so cool. I think it’s great.”

The Cowboys play their final preseason game at the new stadium this Saturday as they host the San Francisco 49ers. Dallas will make their regular season debut at the venue on Sunday, September 20th as the New York Giants provide the opposition.

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

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Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings are undefeated no more. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ used a couple of big plays from their defense in the fourth quarter to break open a close game and defeat the Vikings by a final score of 27-17. Favre put up decent yardage in the loss, throwing for 334 yards but had no touchdowns and an interception. The defending Superbowl Champion Steelers improved to 5-2, while the Vikings are now 6-1.

NFL pointspread players who backed the Steelers as -6 home favorites were rewarded with the cover. Pittsburgh had only covered one of their first six games heading into the contest, and the win improved their record against the number to 2-5. Minnesota dropped to 4-3 against the spread with the setback.

The Steelers largely shut down Minnesota’s rushing game, holding Adrian Peterson to 69 yards. Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark underscored his team’s dominance against the run:

“That’s the biggest point of the game. You have the best running back in the world and you don’t give it to him. They’re saying they can’t beat us running, and that’s a major statement when you have the guy they have back there.”

Favre gave a mealy mouthed justification for the loss in his postgame interview:

“There were a lot of what ifs, a lot of reasons we didn’t win. The red zone was one of them. They’re physical, and they were as good as we thought they’d be. … When I came here and looked at our schedule and saw the Steelers game, I went, ‘Oh-h-h.’ ”

Favre has only thrown three interceptions in a Vikings’ uniform, but #3 was a costly one as it was returned by Steelers’ Keyaron Fox for a touchdown to put the game out of reach as Minnesota was driving for a potential game tying field goal. Afterwards, Fox recalled the play:

“Brett tried to force it in there and the running back bobbled it and slipped out of his hands and it fell into my lap. I had just run across the field after Peterson and I was winded, so it felt like it was 100-plus yards.”

The Vikings now face another big game next week as they head to Favre’s old stomping grounds in Green Bay for a battle with the Packers. It’ll be Favre’s first appearance at his old home in an enemy uniform. The Vikings are a +3 road underdog with the total set at 48. The Vikings will then have a bye weekend before hosting the lowly Detroit Lions on November 15. Pittsburgh will enjoy a bye week this week before returning to action on Monday, November 9th facing the Denver Broncos on the road.

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

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The Atlanta Falcons are off to a fast start this season, and on Sunday used a potent offensive attack to top the Carolina Panthers 28-20 at the Georgia Dome. QB Matt Ryan threw a career high three touchdown passes, including one to his new favorite receiver Tony Gonzalez. Beleaguered Carolina QB Jake Delhomme threw another interception for ten in his previous three games (including last years playoff loss to Arizona) but was otherwise much more effective passing for 308 yards and a touchdown.

NFL football betting devotees who invested in the Falcons as -6 home favorites were rewarded with the pointspread cover. The Falcons have won and covered both games this season for a 2-0 record both straight up and against the spread. The Panthers, meanwhile, have dropped both of their 2009 contests straight up and to the number.

The offseason acquisition of Gonzalez has worked to a benefit of both so far. In his first two games in a Falcons uniform the future Hall of Famer has 12 catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Gonzalez wanted out of Kansas City to play for a contender, and hes found just that on a talented young Falcons team.

Gonzalez admitted that he was happy with how things have transpired thus far:

“Not a bad start at all. It’s just great to be part of a team like this.”

Gonzalezs biggest fan may be the guy charged with getting him the ball on Sundays. Quarterback Matt Ryan was full of compliments for his tight end in his postgame comments:

“He’s one of the greatest tight ends of all time. That was a huge pickup for us. He makes big plays for us in different situations when we need him. I’ve enjoyed playing with him thus far.”

Despite the loss, Carolinas Jake Delhomme was relieved to put the horrible performance of the opening week behind him:

“It couldn’t be any worse than last week. I felt good out there today. Last week, I put too much pressure on myself. This week, I got back to being just plain Jake.”

The Panthers will head to Dallas for a game against the Cowboys next Monday night. Theyll enjoy a bye week before returning to action at home against the Washington Redskins on October 11th. Atlanta has a pair of tough road games on the docket, beginning this weekend against the New England Patriots at Foxboro, Massachusetts. Theyll have a week off before a game that doesnt look quite so easy any more, heading cross country to play the resurgent San Francisco 49ers on October 11th.

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

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Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo has been plagued by inconsistency over the past two seasons, but on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons he was in top form. Romo threw for 311 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions as Dallas ripped the visiting Falcons by a final score of 37-21. Backup receiver Miles Austin had another solid game in place of injured starter Roy Williams, with 171 yards receiving and two touchdown grabs. Both teams are now 4-2 on the NFL season.

NFL betting enthusiasts who backed Dallas as -5′ home favorite were rewarded with a pointspread victory. The Cowboys evened their mark against the NFL pointspread at 3-3, while Atlanta slipped to 4-2 against the number. The 58 points scored went OVER the posted total of 48.

In his postgame comments to the media, Romo gave props to the undrafted Austin for making the best of his opportunity:

“He’s definitely a big part of this offense. I’m glad to see all his hard work and effort is paying off.”

Dallas owner Jerry Jones commended Romo on his big game:

“I think that you’ve got a wiser and you’ve got a more experienced Tony Romo than of old, and I think you see he’s still got some of that instinctive thing that he can make plays and make winning plays.”

The Cowboys’ defense pestered the Falcons’ Matt Ryan into two interceptions, and 34 year old Keith Brooking was a big part of that. Based on his comments after the game, there may be some ‘sour grapes’ after he was cut loose by the Falcons after 11 seasons in an Atlanta uniform:

“The last thing I was told by one of the coaches is this is a young man’s game. I guess an old man can still play in this league.”

Patrick Crayton returned a punt for a touchdown and caught a Romo pass for another. Cowboys’ coach Wade Phillips had this praise for him:

“Crayton is the kind of guy you want on your football team. He’s going to make plays when he has opportunities.”

Losing quarterback Matt Ryan had little to say about the defeat:

“It’s frustrating because we feel we can play better.”

Atlanta has a difficult road challenge ahead as they travel south to face the red hot New Orleans Saints next Monday night. The Falcons have been installed as +10 road underdogs with the total set at 54. They’ll host the struggling Washington Redskins the following Sunday before traveling to Charlotte, NC to face the Carolina Panthers on November 15. Dallas will host the Seattle Seahawks this weekend, with the Cowboys a -9′ home favorite and the total set at 45. They’ll play on the road the following two Sundays against the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers.

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

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