At the moment the only three games that are iPad and iPhone ready are “Jack Hammer Slots”, “Gonzo’s Quest” and a real money blackjack game but according to the good people over at Net Entertainment they are hoping to add more games to this range during 2012.

This is great news for those of us who are looking for iPad gambling games since we haven’t exactly been spoiled with great graphics and a superior gaming experience on the iPad or iPhone so far.

While in London for the ICE Conference the GamblingNerd.com team also visited the LAC Conference where we tried to find out what online casinos are currently offering these iPad and iPhone friendly games but it seems like all of the casinos that are using the NetEnt software are still waiting for these games to be added to their lineup of games.

If you are looking for a real money casino that offer their games on iPad and iPhone the best place to play right now is Slotland.com as they have non flash based slots games and even though the graphics are far from good they are still very much playable and as an added bonus you get to play with a trusted brand like Slotland where you know you will get paid when you win. But if you are not impressed by these games and would rather hold out for “the real deal” we strongly suggest you check back here in the GamblingNerd casino news section where we will let you know as soon as a trusted online casino launched these amazing iPad games from NetEnt.

Only eight players from that near perfect 2007 team are still on the Patriots, and it’s only the retired players from that 2007 squad that are talking revenge. (Although, if you choked, you really need to revenge yourself not the team that was lucky enough to be there when you choked.)

Still, we get this from former Patriots defensive back turned NBC analyst Rodney Harrison. “You still have key members of that team still there,” explained Harrison. “Logan Mankins, Matt Light, Tom Brady, Vince Wilfork, Wes Welker, so it’s a lot of guys that mean a lot — that core group of guys. So when you take away what the Giants took away, which inevitably could have been the greatest season in the history of the NFL, yes, it matters.”

As for Patriots coach Bill Belichick, he lost no time trying to say as many nice things as possible about the Giants:

We know how good they are. They’re well coached. It starts at the top. They’ve got great ownership from John Mara and family…. [Giants coach] Tom [Coughlin] and his staff have done a great job of pulling the schemes together and putting their players in productive positions where they can excel, and they’ve done that on both sides of the ball and the kicking game. … They’ve played some of their best football when they’ve had to when it’s counted the most. … They’ve done that and it’s a great credit to their organization, their coaching staff and their team. We know this is the best team we’ve played. This is going to take our best game and that’s the way it should be.

Because of these fears, ticket sales for the Danish team’s games haven’t been selling very well. There are 10,000 tickets available in Denmark for supporters, but just 10 per cent of them, 1,000 tickets have been sold so far for the country’s three group stage games, as reported to GamblingNerd.com.

The Danish Football association said it doesn’t think all of the available tickets will be sold, and isn’t really sure how many fans will end up going to support their team. When Denmark qualifies for a major football tournament there’s usually a lot of interest in the country. The football association said because of this, they have held an emergency meeting to try and figure out how to drum up some more interest in Euro 2012.

Denmark’s three group games are all scheduled to take place in Ukraine, in the cities of Kharkiv and Lviv, which are about 540 miles away from each other. The association said some of the prices that have been quoted in Ukraine are pretty outrageous because people are jacking up their prices to ridiculous heights. They said people with a couple of extra beds are trying to become millionaires by over charging visitors.

The Copenhagen Post did a bit of investigating and found that a hostel in the city of Lviv was charging 2,000 kroner a night for a room that usually costs just 275 kroner during the summer. The football association said it’s going to publish a travel brochure that will be given out to fans. This brochure will focus on all of the positive aspects that Ukraine has to offer and how much they should be paying for things.

Racist threats have leaked out of Ukraine via the press which have said hooligans don’t want any Asian and black people in their country during the tournament which runs between June 8 and July. However, it’s expected that security will be quite high during the event. But perhaps the Danish Football Association is putting too much thought into the whole ticket-sales issue. Did they ever stop to think that the reason many fans aren’t bothered making the trip is because Denmark is in Group B, known as the group of death, with Holland, Germany, and Portugal?

Genoa is also coming off a 3-2 win this past weekend against the Northern Italian team Udinese, and they hope to continue their momentum into the match versus Inter. Genoa came back from being two points down to score all three points and take the win. Genoa’s manager Pasquale Marino has stated that if his team can play at the same level against Inter as they did over the weekend playing Udinese, than they are likely to advance in the Coppa Italia to the quarterfinals.

Both teams are without some of their starting players though. Inter midfielders Coutinho and Stankovic are both on the bench due to injuries, and several players will be rested as well because of an approaching league game with Lazio in a couple of days. The players that are most likely to get a rest are goalkeeper Julio Cesar, defender Walter Samuel, and attacker Giamaolo Pazzini. Inter’s manager Claudio Ranieri is expecting to play Diego Milito and Forlan up front with support for the two strikers being provided in the midfield by Wesley Sneijder. Genoa will be without some of their defenders; Kaladze, Dainelli, and Bovoall are all going to miss the upcoming match.

Victor Chandler is often referred to as Gentleman Bookmaker because it’s one of the world’s small family-run gaming and sportsbook companies that have made the big time. The roots of the firm go all the way back to 1925. This was the year that William, Victor’s grandfather, opened the Walthamstow Greyhound Stadium up for business.

Victor eventually took the company over about 50 years later and expanded it by adding more options for online casino players and sports bettors. Victor Chandler was also one of the first gaming companies to delve into the world of online gambling and wagering. The name change from Victor Chandler to BetVictor will likely have many gaming enthusiasts noting its similarity with BetFred.

It will take a while to see if the move to change names has been a good one or not. It seems to have gotten off to a good start with a new website on show at Betvictor.com. The site is quite attractive and easy to navigate and should be able to attract and keep online players and bettors whether they play casino or sports. In addition, you can also access the company’s old website from the new one as there’s a link to the classic site from betvictor.com.

Victor Chandler said he wants to assure customers that they will get the same excellent service that they have been accustomed to. He said that the company is always moving forward, expanding, and coming up with innovations to keep its customers happy. He added that it just makes sense that the company uses the same brand name in all of the territories across the globe in which it operates.

Chandler promised that all of its sports betting options will remain the same. In addition, he said the new website has been designed to provide users with a more engaging and cleaner online experience, especially when it comes to the site’s live casino.

Saturday 14th January

Manchester United v Bolton

Manchester United restored some pride with a hard-fought 3-2 victory of rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup last weekend. The win was a much-needed boost for United who have seen their title aspirations dented by successive defeats at the hands of Blackburn and Newcastle in recent weeks. They will now be desperate to get their bid back on track with a victory over struggling Bolton at Old Trafford.

United have hardly been out of the headlines recently with rumours surrounding Wayne Rooney and the recall of Paul Scholes out of retirement ahead of the City game. Bolton meanwhile grabbed a vital win at Everton, courtesy of a winning goal by Cahill in the 78th minute. That looks likely to have been Cahill’s last contribution for Wanderers with a move to Chelsea being imminent.

William Hill offer 7-1 against a 2-0 win for United. Rooney looked to be back to his best against City and is 11-4 to break the deadlock.

Also: Aston Villa v Everton, Blackburn Rovers v Fulham, Chelsea v Sunderland, Liverpool v Stoke City, Tottenham Hotspur v Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion v Norwich City

Sunday 15th January

Newcastle v QPR Live on Skysports HD1

This match has suddenly taken on greater significance following the shock sacking of Rangers’ boss Neil Warnock last weekend. The club have moved quickly to replace him with Mark Hughes and there have been confident noises coming out of Loftus Road this week. With Newcastle fresh from their victory over United and a Cup win over Blackburn, it could be a baptism of fire for the new Rangers boss.

Newcastle are taken to win by two clear goals which is a general 4-1 shot. Cabaye could be worth a bet at 11-1 to open the scoring for the Magpies.

Swansea v Arsenal Live on Skysports HD1

Swansea have been battling hard for their points all season and put up one of their best displays of the season in beating Aston Villa in the New Year. They pushed Tottenham all the way and grabbed a 1-1 draw against the league’s most in-form team previously so will be no pushover for Arsenal. The Gunners were stunned by Fulham’s late fight back and went down to a controversial 2-1 defeat in their last Premiership game.

The general 11-4 offered for the draw could be worth taking. 13-2 is the best price on offer for a 1-1 scoreline.

Monday 16th January

Wigan v Manchester City Live on Skysports HD1

Premiership leaders Manchester City suffered only their second defeat of the season at Sunderland prior to their Cup exit and travel to Wigan on Monday in search of a confidence boosting win. City responded well to their shock defeat with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Liverpool but then slumped to a 1-0 home defeat against the same opposition in their first leg Carling Cup tie in midweek. Mancini’s men seem to be losing the early swagger they had at the start of the season and Wigan will fancy their chances a lot more than they would have done a few weeks ago.

City will probably have too much for Wigan and a 1-0 victory is available at 8-1. Balotelli may be the man to unlock the Wigan defence and can be supported at 4-1.

Early lines have the Saints as 3.5-point road favorites against the 49ers, and I’m already on record predicting a big win for New Orleans. About the only factor I can find in San Francisco’s favor is that the Saints as a franchise are 0-4 all-time in road playoff games. Two of those losses came under current quarterback Drew Brees: last year’s embarrassing first-round flop at the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks, and a 39-14 NFC Championship Game loss in Chicago to a Rex Grossman-led Bears squad. (The other two losses came with Aaron Brooks and John Fourcade at QB.)

Fresh off setting the NFL record for most passing yards in a season, Drew Brees set the record for most yards passing in a regulation playoff game with 466 yards against the Lions. The Saints offense had a total of 626 yards in the game, another playoff record, and their 35 second-half points were the most in a playoff game since 1940.

Even during the regular season though, the Saints were a somewhat different team away from the Super Dome where they haven’t lost all season. New Orleans was just 5-3 on the road, including two losses on natural grass, which is what they’ll be playing on at Candlestick Park on Saturday. The Saints lost on grass in Week 1 to the Packers at historic Lambeau Field, and then in Week 6 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Saturday 7th January

Birmingham City v Wolves Live on ESPN

The Premier League takes a break after the busy Christmas and New Year schedule and the attention switches to the 3rd round of the FA Cup. After such a frantic run of games there is no doubt that many Premiership sides will be looking to rest key players this weekend which could leave them vulnerable to some embarrassing defeats.

Wolves suffered the agony of letting in a late goal at home to Chelsea this week, which leaves them just 2 points clear of the relegation zone. Mick McCarthy courted controversy last season when fielding a weakened side at Old Trafford, being accused of surrendering the points to save his players for easier games. If he applies that mindset to the FA Cup, and particularly to a trip to local rivals Birmingham, he could be asking for trouble.

Birmingham have not exactly set the world alight in the championship this season and their shock Carling Cup win will be the inspiration for attempting another glorious cup run. They could have just enough passion to sneak past Wolves here and a 2-1 scoreline is offered at 9-1 by Ladbrokes. Marlon King could be the man to unlock the Wolves defence and is offered at 6-1.

Swindon v Wigan Live on Setanta Ireland

Wigan are proving impossible to predict in recent weeks with good performances followed by totally inept displays such as their midweek 4-1 home defeat against Sunderland. Swindon are sitting in fourth place in League 2 and will certainly fancy their chances of taking down a Premiership side with the home support behind them. Wigan may just do enough to scrape through and you can get 8-1 generally about a 2-1 win for the Premiership side.

Bristol Rovers v Aston Villa Live on ESPN

Aston Villa are drifting in no-mans land in the Premiership this season. Nowhere near good enough to challenge for the top places but just about holding their own in mid-table. A 3-1 win at Chelsea was followed by a lethargic effort as they slumped to a home defeat against Swansea.

Bristol Rovers are languishing towards the bottom of League 2 but will start out in the belief that they can upset Premiership opposition. You would expect even an under-strength Villa side to have too many guns for Rovers and 3-0 to Villa could be worth an investment with Corals.

Sunday 8th January

Manchester City v Manchester United Live on ITV1

Undoubtedly the clash of the round has to be the Manchester derby. Last year City defeated their Manchester rivals before going on to win the Cup, ending their trophy drought in the process. Having hit United for six earlier in the season, City will fancy their chances of eliminating United but they will face a far more resilient reds than at Old Trafford last year. Odds of 9-4 about a draw seem fair, although it is a result that neither side will want. Berbatov looks a fair bet at 8-1 to open the scoring.

Peterborough v Sunderland Live on ITV1

Sunderland are resurgent under Martin O’Neill and put struggling Wigan to the sword in midweek, romping to a 4-1 win. Peterborough, although well down the table in the championship, have been putting in some improved performances in recent weeks and are expected to put up a bold challenge. Nonetheless, Sunderland’s confidence will be sky high and they will want to keep the momentum going here. A 3-1 win for Martin O’Neill’s side is available at 16-1.

Monday 9th January

Arsenal v Leeds Live on ESPN

Arsenal were stunned by Fulham this week but remain in the challenging positions for a champions league place. They are still in the Champions League so will not be going all-out for the FA Cup in the early rounds, almost certainly taking the opportunity to blood some of their youngsters. Leeds ended a run of three straight defeats with a late winner against Burnley. Some faltering performances from the likes of Southampton and West Ham have closed up the promotion battle in the championship and Leeds are still fighting. Oxlade-Chamberlain needs to make the most of his opportunities and can be backed at 8-1 to open the scoring with the Gunners confidently expected to go on to victory. A 4-0 home win is on offer at 12-1 at most internet sportsbooks.

FA Cup outright betting

Betting on the competition outright shows Chelsea as 6-1 favourites ahead of Manchester City and Tottenham. With the Manchester clubs clashing this early in the competition and the three big London clubs involved in a scrap with Liverpool for the champions league places it is unlikely that the FA Cup will receive their full attention unless they reach the latter stages.

It may pay to look slightly lower down the table for clubs who need a good Cup run and there could be some value in the 40-1 offered by Paddy Power for Newcastle United. Their north-east rivals Sunderland are also an interesting proposition at 50-1 whilst Everton have an easy home draw to kick of their challenge and are competitively priced at 20-1.

Less than 24 hours after the Giants defeated the Dallas Cowboys to win the NFC East and the right to host the Falcons, Tuck had plenty to say about the Falcons offensive line and their reputation for dirty play. “Most people would call them dirt bags,” said Tuck. “But it is what it is. We got to make sure we do our job, and, if we are doing our job well, then they will be upset and they will be trying to do things to get us off our game. … We know that they have that quote-unquote reputation. But in a way it is kind of exciting …  you got to protect yourself, and hopefully the referees have 20-20 vision this week.”

Tuck also offered that the Giants would be tough to beat at home, especially with the momentum gained from Sunday’s do-or-die win over the Cowboys. “I think us playing like we played tonight and we played the last two weeks, it’s going to be a tough road to beat us,” explained the Giants lineman.

Early lines have the 9-5 Giants as three-point favorites to beat the 10-6 Falcons on Sunday.

“You don’t make excuses,” said Romo, who put up impressive stats this season but suffered through another disappointing December and January as Dallas lost four of its last five games. “You’re in this position. You either win or go home. You have to give them credit. They [did] what needed to be done and we didn’t.”

The stakes on Sunday are as big as they get: the winner hosts a playoff game next week, the loser has only next season to think about, so it would probably take an awful lot to keep Romo out. And the quarterback insists he’s making progress even though he hasn’t taken a snap from center all week. “Everything’s coming together like we thought, just each day it’s getting a little bit better,” said Romo. “We’ll be good to go this weekend.”

Romo injured his hand on the first series of last week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and sat the rest of that game. On Thursday, the wrap he wore left his fingers and thumb free as he did some soft toss during the part of practice that was open to the media.

Romo downplayed the idea that Giants defenders might take a few extra shots at his wounded throwing hand, and said playing through pain was no big deal. “I mean every game the defensive line or whoever is going to try to hit the quarterback,” explained the Dallas quarterback. Romo added that playing hurt is “just a normal part of playing football.”

Humphries seems to be embracing his role as NBA baddie and daring opposing fans to boo him more. “To me, it’s motivation,” Humphries explained after New Jersey’s season-opening 90-84 win in Washington. “People are yelling at you, you know you have to go and perform, go and play hard.”

Humphries also noted that the boos he heard in Washington every time he touched the ball were nothing compared to what he got from Knicks fans at a preseason game at Madison Square Garden last week. “This was nothing compared to New York,” said Humphries of the Wizards faithful at Verizon Center. “This was a walk in the park. I love going on the road, people are screaming at you. It’s all good.”

Nets coach Avery Johnson is amused and befuddled by the reaction his big forward is getting. I’m trying to figure out, what did he do?” asked Johnson. “I’m serious. Maybe because I don’t follow reality TV, I don’t know all the ins and outs of it but it’s pretty hilarious to me. I don’t know if they even know why they’re booing him.”

Humphries finished the game with 21 points and 16 rebounds, so he might actually hear some cheers from Nets fans.

Edwards announced his release through Twitter, and the team later confirmed the move. “I was released today by the 49ers due to my injury that required more time to rehab and hasn’t allowed me to re-sync with the offense,” tweeted Edwards on Tuesday. “I wish the 49ers organization the best of luck during the Playoffs. I will be working hard this off season to strengthen my knee and prepare for the 2012 season. Thanks for your continued support and for being such loyal fans.”

Edwards tore the miniscus in his knee in Week 2, then missed four games, and two games later suffered a shoulder injury. Just over a week ago, he was a healthy scratch in San Francisco’s big Monday night win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh said Edwards was kept out of the Steelers game “just based on the practices and the games.”

The 49ers can clinch a first-round bye with a win Sunday over the 2-13 St. Louis Rams in their regular season finale, or if the New Orleans Saints lose or tie on Sunday.

After the shoulder injury, Edwards described this season as a struggle. “I’m playing through a football season,” said the wide receiver. “No one is ever going to be fully healthy, but just fighting every day. Injury means you can’t play, but I do have a shoulder ailment, I’ll say. Little bit of AC joint. Nothing super serious, but at the same time, it’s nagging. It bothers me.”

“It’s not really going to heal,” said Kobe of his latest injury — a torn lunotriquetral ligament, which stabilizes two small bones on the outer part of the wrist, sustained when he tried to break his fall. “The ligament is gone. So there’s nothing I can do about it. But I’ve dealt with so many hand injuries. It should be all right … It’s always been in my nature to try to figure out a way to play. The injuries that I’ve had, I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to play through them because I haven’t had injuries where they could get worse the more I played on them.”

Any Kobe even added some good news after Thursday’s practice: “It feels OK. It feels a little better today than it did yesterday.”

If Kobe did need surgery, it would keep him out for about four months. After about two minutes of questions about the wrist, Kobe seemed to lose patience, telling reporters, “Last damn hand question.”

Oddsmakers have the Bulls-Lakers game as nearly deadly even: one site has it Even, one has the Lakers as three-point home favorites, and another has the Bulls favored by two.

That never really came up when Tebow was winning awards and national titles at the University of Florida, and gameday highs on Saturday are expected to be near freezing when Tebow and the Broncos are 1.5- to three-point road favorites against the Buffalo Bills. Tebow is already going into uncharted territory for him as he prepares to deal with the frigid temperatures: covering his golden arms. “I’ve never worn sleeves, but I’ve been wearing sleeves in practice this week to try to get used to that,” explained Denver’s spiritual leader.

Less of a concern on Sunday are Tebow’s opponents. The Bills have lost seven straight games after a surprising 5-2 start, and have allowed an average of 32 points per game during their slide.

If Tebow can master the cold and the lowly Bills the rewards could be great. A win in Buffalo coupled with the Kansas City Chiefs beating or tying the Oakland Raiders on Saturday, and Tebow and the Broncos will clinch a trip to the NFL’s promised land, the postseason.

Lamar was reportedly hurt that the Lakers had included him in a deal for New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul that the NBA later rejected, so it seems like he may have wanted out. The Lakers in turn may use the trade exemption to try to land Dwight Howard, who is eager to get the hell out of Orlando.  But the trade was still pretty emotional for Lamar’s reality star wife, who’s family is based in Los Angeles, and Kobe, who won his last two championships playing with Lamar.

“We are all sad but positive energy gets you farther then negative,” Khloe tweeted. “I have no doubt about it! I am excited I know this is for a reason.” Her sister Kim briefly dated Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin, and another sister, Kourtney, spent two years living in Dallas while going to school at SMU.

“To be honest with you, I don’t like it,” said Kobe. “It’s tough to lose Lamar. Pau [Gasol, who was also included in the nixed Paul deal]  is still here, and we’re all thankful for that. It’s hard when you’ve been through so many battles with players to just see them go somewhere else. It’s tough.”

Wednesday 14th December

Group E

Besiktas v Stoke City Live on ESPN

Stoke secured qualification into the last 32 of the Europa League with a hard-earned point against Dynamo Kiev and are unlikely to be at their strongest for the trip to Besiktas, especially so soon after their excellent league win over Spurs on Sunday. Besiktas have won their last four matches and Ricardo Quaresma struck an injury time winner in their last game that sets them up needing a win here to join Stoke in qualifying. Even money does not look unrealistic about Besiktas getting the victory against a weakened Stoke side. It could be worth taking the 11-1 offered by Paddy Power that Quaresma opens the scoring for the home side with a 2-0 home victory available at 17-2 with Bet365.

Group K

Fulham v OB Odense Live on Channel 5

Fulham going into this match knowing that a win will guarantee progression into the final 32. They are unlucky to be still battling to qualify and should make no mistake against a poor Odense side. The bookmakers are not taking any chances with very short odds on a Fulham victory. There may still be a little value in the 15-8 offered for Fulham to win by 3 or more goals with a 3-0 scoreline freely available at odds of 13-2.

Thursday 15th December

Group A

Shamrock Rovers v Tottenham Hotspur Live on ITV4

Tottenham’s chances of remaining in the competition are hanging by a thread after their 2-1 defeat against PAOK Salonika. They need to win by at least five goals here and hope that Salonika can beat Rubin Kazan in the other match. Harry Redknapp will have little time to ponder on his team selection following his side’s 2-1 defeat at Stoke on Sunday. Shamrock were far from disgraced on their visit to White Hart Lane and could deny Spurs the goalfest they need. Pavlyuchenko looks one of the few names guaranteed a place in the lineup and the 6-5 offered by Paddy Power for him to score at any time looks fair. The same firm offer 9-2 about him opening the scoring and William Hill offer 11-1 for a 3-1 Spurs win.

Group H

Birmingham City v Maribor Live on ITV4

Birmingham’s fate in the competition may also hinge on the other match in the group as a draw between Brugge and Braga would see them eliminated irrespective of what they do against Maribor. Birmingham should be able to do just enough and are generally priced at 5-2 to win by a single goal with 7-1 the best price about a 2-1 scoreline.

Group I

Udinese v Celtic Live on ESPN

A 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid has put Celtic in the tricky position of having to beat Udinese on their own ground to progress to the final 32 of the competition. Celtic have struggled in Europe this season and Udinese could prove too strong. William Hill offer 14-1 about a 3-1 win for the home side who are reasonable value at 7-2 to win by 2 goals.

Much like his first win this season, Tebow was pretty awful for three quarters, his team was getting shut out late in the fourth quarter, and yet he led them to two late scores in regulation and then won the game in overtime. This week, Tebow got some help when Bears running back Marion Barber, playing in place of injured starter Matt Forte, ran out of bounds giving Tebow about 40 extra seconds to work with. “I might have thanked the Lord when he did that,” admitted Tebow, who’s rarely shy about crediting Jesus for influencing football games. Tebow, starting at his own 20 with no timeouts and under a minute left in regulation, calmly led his team down the field for the game-tying field goal. Then Barber fumbled in overtime when the Bears looked to be in field goal range, and Tebow cashed in again.

Through three quarters, Tebow had completed only three of his 16 passes for 45 yards and one interception, and a 13.5 quarterback rating. But that never seems to matter if his defense can keep him close. This season, Tebow has a 110.2 QB rating in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Broncos coach John Fox can’t quite explain how Tebow and the team seem to be able to flip a switch in the fourth quarter, but he’s not complaining … much. “We’ll take it,” said Fox, who’s gotten into the coach of the year conversation for his decision to dumb down his offense to cater to Tebow’s strenghts. “I don’t know if they kind of wait and then think, ‘Oh man, we’re gonna lose this game,’ or what. I know this is aging me quickly.”

Next week Tebow will face his toughest test yet as the Broncos host Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

Bears star running back Matt Forte went down in the first quarter after a hit to his right knee, and could miss two to four weeks. Forte had been seeking a big new contract, thinking five years at $8 million per year with $20 million guaranteed, but the Bears weren’t willing to go higher than $6 million annually with $14 to $15 million guaranteed. “I feel bad for Matt, especially with everything he’s going through,” said Hester. “This is like a big slap in the face.”

Hanie has thrown three interceptions in each of his first two games, and racked up an abysmal 23.8 rating in Sunday’s 10-3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, themselves quarterbacked by previously winless backup Tyler Palko. McNabb hasn’t been much better than that the past two season with the Vikings and Washington Redskins, but he’s a Chicago guy and their have been reports the Bears might be interested.

That would be a big mistake says Hester. It’s going to tough right now to add a quarterback that hasn’t played in a Mike Martz offense,” explained the star return man. “It’s one of the more difficult offense to run. So to get a quarterback that hasn’t been in that offense, right now it’s going to be a waste of time. I guess we’ll stick with the guys we have right now and hope we get better with those guys.”

Green Bay escaped New Jersey with a 38-35 win and a 12-0 record, and clinched the NFC North championship after the Detroit Lions lost to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday night. Rodgers enjoyed the close call. “We’ve had a number of games we won by a couple scores,” said Rodgers, who completed 28 of 46 passes for 369 yards and four touchdowns. “You get the ball on the 20, under a minute, and we get it down there for a chip-shot field goal, it’s very rewarding. It probably [ranks] right at the top.”

The Giants have now lost four straight after starting the season 6-2 and they weren’t all looking at the close loss against the defending Super Bowl champions as a symbolic victory. “What do you want me to say?” said Giants backup defensive lineman Dave Tollefson. “We can compete with the good teams? Competing doesn’t get you wins … He’s a great quarterback, but I expect more out of us on defense. You know, it’s not like Jesus in cleats. He’s Aaron Rodgers. He’s a great quarterback, but we have to do a better job of finishing on defense.”

Despite the four-game losing streak, Giants quarterback Eli Manning is still talking about winning four straight to end the regular season. “If we handle our business and win out, we’ll be in the playoffs,” said an optimistic Eli. “It’s a playoff atmosphere now.”

The Dallas Cowboys have been surrounded by negative criticism over the last few years with the media being all over this team due to Tony Romo and company failing to live up to expectations every single season. With so much talent of this team on both sides of the football, the Cowboys have had a pressure to win and win consistently while contending for a Super Bowl title.

Despite all the high expectations year in and year out, the Cowboys have never really been able to satisfy their critics or their fans, but this season things have started to look up for America’s Team as they now have a potent ground game with up-and-coming running back DeMarco Murray. With Murray playing like a Pro Bowler out of the Dallas backfield, Tony Romo has been able to quickly turn into the quarterback that everyone thought he would be and as a result has led the Cowboys to four straight wins.

In Week 13, the Dallas Cowboys will go on the road to face off against the Arizona Cardinals. Even though the Cardinals had an impressive outings last week with running back Beanie Wells rushing for over 200 yards, Arizona has been one of the worst teams in the league this season and destined to lose against Dallas on Sunday.

Picks for Cowboys vs Cardinals

As of right now, the Dallas Cowboys are the favorites to come out on top in Week 13 with a -5 point spread.

Take the Cowboys at -5.

The one team in the NFL that is in more trouble than any other of getting dominated in Week 13 is without a doubt the St. Louis Rams. With the San Francisco 49ers losing a close game against the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving Day, head coach Jim Harbaugh had a long week to get his talented football team back to form and you better believe he was able to do just that.

Bet on the Rams v 49ers game at Oddsmaker!

Coming into Week 13, the San Francisco 49ers will edge closer to clinching the NFC West division title. With the 49ers being without a doubt the best team in the division with the best record, it will only be a matter of time before San Francisco is crowned the division champion and make their way back into the playoffs for the first time in quite some time.

The St. Louis Rams could be a very good team in the near future with some talented young players on both sides of the football, but this season Sam Bradford and company have been a disappointment to say the least and will finish the season failing to live up to expectations. The Rams might be able to give the 49ers a run for their money in the first half of this NFC West division battle, but ultimately they will fall and fall hard to one of the best all-around teams in the NFL this season.

As of right now, the San Francisco 49ers has been given the edge with a -14 point spread. That spread is high, but something that the 49ers should be able to cover.

Take the 49ers at -14.

With the AFC North division title within their grasp, the Baltimore Ravens are flying high right now as they seem to be playoff bound once again. After the win over the San Francisco 49ers on Thanksgiving Day, the Ravens proved that they could continue to be a lockdown defense without one of their best defensive players in perennial Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis.

In Week 13, the Baltimore Ravens will try to keep up their winning ways as they will face off against the lowly division rival Cleveland Browns. Even though the Browns were considered to be a team on the rise to start this season with Pro Bowl running back Peyton Hillis and up-and-coming quarterback Colt McCoy leading the way, Cleveland has been a disappointment once again this season with a 4-7 record and a last place standing in the AFC North division.

There are some people that believe that the Cleveland Browns will be blown up before next season with Mike Holmgren pulling the strings for this struggling NFL franchise, but in the meantime they will be shooting for their fifth win of the season over the division rival Ravens.

Baltimore Ravens vs Cleveland Browns Predictions

As of right now, the Baltimore Ravens are favored to get their ninth win of the season with a -7 point spread in our NFL betting. The Browns might be able to surprise Baltimore this weekend if Peyton Hillis can get going in the ground game, but it would be wise to take the Ravens in this one.

Take the Ravens at -7.

The Eagles don’t have much reason to rush Vick back since they’re 1-1 with Young starting and their playoff hopes look dim. Plus, Eagles coach Andy Reid’s job seems safe despite the debacle this season has been because he has two more years on his contract worth around $10 million. Blaming injuries might also help Reid’s case as the Eagles will also definitely be without wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and running back LeSean McCoy and cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha are both questionable for Thursday’s game.

Even without Vick, the Eagles are three-point road favorites against the Seahawks, who are coming off a 23-17 home loss to Rex Grossman and the Washington Redskins.

Young has put up decent numbers in his two starts for the Eagles. In his first start, the Eagles beat the Giants while Young completed 23 of 36 passes for 258 yards, with two touchdowns and three interceptions. In last Sunday’s home blowout loss to the Patriots, Young went 26-for-48 for 400 yards, with one TD and one pick.

In the final match of group play, Ferrer plays Tomas Berdych. Ferrer is already guaranteed a spot in the semis, but if he beats Berdych, Djokovic would advance. But with a victory over Ferrer, Berdych would take the final spot in the semis and Djokovich’s season would be over.

On Wednesday, Ferrer beat Djokovich 6-3, 6-1, tying the worst loss by a World Number one since 1983. On Friday, Djokovich lost 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to fellow Serb Janko Tipsarevic, who has no chance to advance to the semis and was just an injury replacement for Andy Murray.

Djokovich said after Friday’s loss that he just has very little left in the tank after his incredible year. “What is missing … is that freshness,” said the 24-year-old. “The will to win, just being on the court, giving a hundred percent. I’m not able to do that now because I just have very little left. … I look forward to go for a much needed rest.”

Tipsarevic conceded that he didn’t beat Djokovich at his best but was still proud to be able to say he beat the world’s best player. “Not trying to undermine my performance or my victory, but I can freely say this was not Novak Djokovic from the US Open or Wimbledon,” said Tipsarevic, who is ranked No. 9 in the world. “Still, I managed to beat the world number one and no-one can take that away from me.”

The Eagles are already without Pro Bowl cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who is out with an ankle injury, so being without Asomugha as they face Tom Brady and the high-powered Patriots offense would be extremely challenging. If the Eagles do have to play without Asomugha, who signed a $60 million deal this past offseason to come to the Eagles, veteran Joselio Hanson would likely start in his place, with 2009 fifth-round pick Brandon Hughes and 2011 third-round pick Curtis Marsh seeing action in nickle and dime packages. Hanson has been in the league since 2003, but has only made 18 career starts.

Eagles strong safety Kurt Coleman said his squad would miss Asomugha if he can’t play, but they’ll still try to find a way to contain the Patriots offense. “Nnamdi’s definitely a big piece of what we do on defense, but we have guys we can rotate in, guys who can do similar things,” said Coleman. “Everybody has to step up their game if he can’t go.”

Hughes is confident he can step in and contribute if need be. “I’ve been here since preseason, been working in, just waiting for an opportunity,” said Hughes, who was signed by the Eagles last season after a stint on the Giants practice squad. “That’s kind of the nature of the business … Just gotta go out there and compete … [Philadelphia's coaches] expect us to do our job the same way they expect Nnamdi, [starting cornerback] Asante [Samuel] or whoever’s in to do their job.”

That, of course, leaves their parents in a tough spot, but father Jack and mother Jackie have a plan. They’ll go to the stadium to get a photo with both their sons, then they’re leaving well before kickoff to go watch the game in private. “If we were in the stands, it would distract from the game and the teams,” Jack explained. “We’re going to a quiet place where Jackie and I can watch the game by ourselves and try and get as far out of the way as we can.”

Jackie is proud her sons will meet for the first time as opposing NFL coaches on Thanksgiving. “It’s really appropriate in a way for our family to have this on Thanksgiving Day, because we all have a lot to be thankful for, the family and individually,” said Jackie. “They’ve conducted their lives in such a way that they’ve accomplished what they’ve accomplished, and they also have been caring individuals. … It’s a special way to give thanks.”

John’s Ravens are three-point home favorites against Jim’s 49ers.

The deal reunites 33-year-old Barmes with manager Cliff Hurdle, who managed Barmes with the Rockies from 2003 to 2009. That and the two year deal were the main reasons Barmes wanted to come to the Pirates who haven’t had a winning record in nearly two decades. “I’m pleased to be back with Clint Hurdle and to play with him again,” said Barmes. “That’s why we made the deal when we did … The deal that the Pirates were offering — the guaranteed two years at shortstop — it was hard to pass up.”

What turned things around for the Eagles on Sunday night? Their backs so firmly against the wall? With Vick in, do they just sit on their hands and wait for the superstar to carry them? Or was it just another crap performance from the Giants, who have lost two straight since their big upset of the Patriots and seem to fade in the second half year after year?

Giants coach Tom Coughlin certainly wasn’t pleased with his team’s performance. “We have no first downs to show, no yardage to show, we have no rushing average with 29 yards, which is about as pathetic as it can get,” said Coughlin. “This is as big a disappointment as we have had around here in a long time.”

Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who fumbled on New York’s last possession, echoed his coach’s sentiments. “I feel like their defense outplayed us and I feel like we weren’t as physical,” said Eli. “It wasn’t a good game. We didn’t have our best effort out there.”

The Giants are now tied for first place in the NFC East with the Dallas Cowboys, with the Eagles two games back with six to play.

Federer won the season-ending event last year by beating longtime rival Rafael Nadal in the final, and tied Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras as five-time winners. “It’s nice to be part of such an elite group, something so rare,” said Federer. “It’s a motivation. That I’ve been able to reach some of these incredible milestones has been amazing and it’s definitely been an extra motivation for me trying to equal them or trying to do something like they did.”

The tournament starts Sunday in London and features the top eight players in the rankings. Federer will start against France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and if he wins he’ll face the winner of the match between American Mardy Fish and Nadal. The other side of the draw includes World Number One Novak Djokovic, Tomas Berdych, Andy Murray and David Ferrer.

Federer sounds like he can already taste victory. “It would be amazing to win for the sixth time,” said Federer. “There’s always pressure as defending champion but I’m used to it. I’ve done it so many times.”

The 37-year-old leader of the Ravens has started 57 straight games dating back to December 2007, and Ravens coach John Harbaugh refused to definitively rule Lewis out for Sunday and said the injury wasn’t all that serious:

You can’t count Ray out. We’ll find out on Sunday, really. Ray has had shoulders dislocated and he’s done 35 push-ups on the sidelines to prove that he can go. He’s had hamstrings that have torn off the bone because he went ahead when he should have been gone. … The injury is not any kind of serious, serious thing,. I think I saw a report that it was career-threatening this morning. No, it’s not. Ray may not go, he may go. The Bengals will have to prepare for him either way, so it really don’t matter. It’s something that he could play with possibly, but we are very confident in our linebackers and we’re very confident in our defense.

If Lewis can’t go, he’ll likely be replaced by undrafted free agent Dannell Ellerbe, who has four career NFL starts. The 6-3 Ravens are seven- to 7.5-point favorites against the 6-3 Bengals.

The Jets contained the Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady for the first 28 minutes or so of the game and led 9-6 late in the first half. Then Brady led a 71-second, 80-yard touchdown drive to take the lead before halftime and never looked back in the second half. Jets coach Rex Ryan was especially pissed that his quarterback Mark Sanchez, stopped the clock with 1:24 left in the half with a timeout, giving Brady extra time to work his two-minute drill magic, calling the timeout the “stupidest play in NFL history.”

The Patriots also beat the Jets 30-21 earlier in the season, so they now essentially have a two-game lead on the Jets with seven games left to play. Making things tougher on the Jets, the Patriots have only one team left on their schedule with a winning record, the 5-4 Buffalo Bills. Rex admitted his squad’s chances of a division title don’t look good. “It looks doubtful right now,” said Rex. “What am I going to say? Maybe I should guarantee the fact that we’re out of it. The last time I did that, we made the playoffs. Yeah, we don’t have a chance.”

Patriots coach Bill Belichick was in a much better mood after the big win. “I’m proud of our team,” said Belichick. “We had a lot of players step up. … We had a good week of practice, the preparation was good…. The credit needs to go to the players.”

The Patriots have lost two straight games and after throwing just four interceptions all of last season, Brady has already thrown 10 picks through eight games this season. Brady has never thrown more than 14 in any season.

Still, Jets superstar cornerback Darrelle Revis calls Brady “an unbelievable quarterback,” and Jets coach Rex Ryan was quick to put Tom Brady on a pedestal. “Clearly without [injured Colts quarterback] Peyton [Manning] playing, I’d say he’s the best quarterback in the league right now,” said Ryan.

And yet, Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine says he sees a weakness in the Patriots field general that he hopes to exploit in their second and final regular season meeting. Pettine explains:

I think losing the center [Dan Koppen] has affected him. It seems to me that he gets a little more anxious at times, where before you would see him sit in that pocket and not move and scan the field … we got him off his spot a couple of times [the first time the Jets played this Patriots this season], but it wasn’t enough. I think some of the teams that have stepped up and were able to do it, certainly Pittsburgh, they got him on the move a little bit, and the Giants, especially that front four, was able to get after him.

Some lines have the game even, others have the Jets as one-point home favorites.

Through eight games, Rodgers has a quarterback rating of 129.1, which if he can keep it up the rest of the season would break the NFL record of 121 set by Peyton Manning in 2004. Rodgers is completing 72.5% of his passes, which is also on pace for an NFL record.

Rodgers also has 2,619 passing yards, which would be on pace to break Dan Marino’s single-season record of 5,084 yards, but Rodgers also trails Drew Brees (3,004 yards) and Tom Brady (2,703). Brees is second in the NFL this season in completion percentage (71.0) and QB rating (100.6). Brady is third in both categories (66.0% and 100.0).

Rodgers isn’t ruling out setting any records. ”I’d like to think I can keep it up,” said the Packers leader. Perhaps his most impressive stat is that Rodgers has thrown for 24 touchdowns (not quite on a record pace) and just three interceptions. Considering Brady’s Patriots and Brees’s Saints have both lost three games already, it’s hard to see who could realistically challenge Rodgers for the MVP this season.

Rodgers and the Packers will try for 9-0 on Monday Night Football as two-touchdown favorites against the 2-6 Vikings.

The Jets, Bills and Patriots are all 5-3 after New England lost for the second week in a row, this time at home to the New York Giants. The Jets have now won three straight games after losing three straight, and are feeling like the momentum in the division might finally be swinging their way. “It’s right there in front of us,” said veteran Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson. “If this is our time to take over and win the AFC East, this is the time to do it.”

After completing 20 of 28 passes for 230 yards in the win at Buffalo, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez wasn’t shy about building up the Patriots game next week. “This is the championship game and we need to win that thing,” Sanchez said.

How have the Jets turned things around after their 2-3 start? “It’s totally attitude,” says Jets nose tackle Sione Pouha. “It’s ’Jetstitude,’ the way we look at it. … I think today just kind of displayed what Jet football is all about. … Our whole attitude, is don’t tell us what we can’t do.” There’ll be more than a few people saying the Jets can’t beat the Patriots next week, that New England is too good to lose three straight.

San Francisco 49ers @ Washington Redskins Sun. Nov. 6, 2011 1 p.m. EST

The San Francisco 49ers are perhaps the biggest surprise team of the season as they have transformed from a perennial bottom feeder in the NFC Conference into a legitimate playoff contender with Super Bowl aspirations. Not only are the 49ers drastically improved from last season, but they seem to have a new attitude in the Bay Area with new head coach Jim Harbaugh at the helm.

In Week 9, the 49ers will look to keep their inspired run going as they attempt to get their sixth win in a row against the Washington Redskins. Even though this game will be played on the road, the 49ers have been flawless away from the Bay Area this season with a 3-0 record.

As for the Washington Redskins, Mike Shanahan and company are looking to get back on track after losing three straight to the division rival Philadelphia Eagles (20-13), Cam Newton’s Carolina Panthers (33-20) and the up-and-coming Buffalo Bills (23-0). The Redskins might be capable of pulling off the upset in Week 9 over the 49ers with Jim Harbaugh and company not taking this game seriously, but San Francisco is just too good a team this season to take any team for granted.

As of right now, the San Francisco 49ers has been favored to get the win in Week 9 with a -4 point spread. This is as close as it gets to a lock in Week 9 as the 49ers should make easy work of the struggling Redskins.

Take the 49ers at -4.

New York Jets seemingly back on track right now after they were able to get the best of the San Diego Chargers before a much-needed bye week, Rex Ryan and company are still in the hunt for the AFC East division title, but in Week 9 they will have their work cut out for them once again against the up-and-coming Buffalo Bills.

With the Jets’ defense firing on all cylinders with three interceptions in two games for lockdown corner Darrelle Revis, New York appears to be back to form, but the offense has also gotten back on track with quarterback Mark Sanchez hooking up with his new favorite target in veteran wide receiver Plaxico Burress for three touchdowns against the Chargers.

Coming into Week 9, the Buffalo Bills are in first place in the AFC East division and will be going into this game with a must-win attitude. The Bills have proven time and time again this season that they are no fluke as they have only lost two games on the year, but they will have to keep things going against the Jets because this game has some division and playoff implications.

As of right now, the Buffalo Bills have been given the edge in this AFC East showdown between playoff contenders with a -2 point spread. Even though the New York Jets seem to be back on track with the win over the San Diego Chargers, I believe the Bills are the better team right now and are ready to prove that fact.

Predictions for Jets vs Bills

Take the Bills at -2.

It’s been four weeks since Johnson had minor surgery for a right hamstring injury. He practiced on Monday, but then felt sore and the Texans naturally don’t want to rush one of their best offensive players back too soon.

“We gave him a day of rest,” said Kubiak. “We’ll see where we’re at tomorrow. We’re still in a day-to-day process, but I think every day it tells us something. If he feels good, then we come and we get going again. If he doesn’t, then hey, hold on. It’s not ready yet. We’re just going to continue to listen, but everything’s still positive. We just gave him a day off.”

The Texans are 5-3 and in first place in the AFC south by half a game over the Tennessee Titans, who they blew out two weeks ago. Houston is 2-2 in the four games that Johnson has missed, but certainly appear to have the inside track on their first division title and playoff appearance in franchise history, so I’d only expect Johnson to play on Sunday if he was just about 100%.

Tuesday 1st November – Arsenal v Marseille live on Skysports HD2

Arsenal have turned their season around since their narrow defeat to Tottenham and go into this game having won 5 consecutive matches. Their narrow, but well-deserved 1-0 win at Marseille suggests they should be capable of defeating the French side a shade more comfortably with home advantage. Odds of 4-1 against Arsenal winning by 2 clear goals look worth a punt.

Tuesday 1st November – Genk v Chelsea live on Skysports HD4

Chelsea have impressed in the Champions League so far this season and this should provide a welcome distraction from two shocking domestic defeats. They simply outclassed Genk at Stamford Bridge, eventually running out 5-0 winners when double-figures looked a possibility at one stage.

With Chelsea scoring freely but appearing weak defensively the best bet could be the 13-8 offered about there being 3 or more goals in the game.

This column correctly forecast Valencia 1 Chelsea 1 at odds of 6-1 and followed up by recommending a bet at Even money that more than 3 goals would be scored in the Chelsea v Genk reverse fixture.

Wednesday 2nd November – Manchester United v Otelul Galati live on Skysports HD2

United appear to have quickly pulled themselves together following their 6-1 humiliation against their Manchester rivals and a confidence boosting win at Everton sends them into this home game full of confidence. Otelul Galati put up a fair display when losing 2-0 in the reverse fixture but must be fearing the worst at Old Trafford.

Ferguson will be keen to rotate his squad to keep the likes of Berbatov and Owen happy and whoever he picks to lead the attack will be keen to make the most of the opportunity.

Bet365 are offering a very generous 6-5 against there being 3 or more goals and that looks a standout bet.

Wednesday 2nd November – Villarreal v Manchester City live on ITV1

Manchester City have gone from strength to strength this season and have now opened up a 5 point lead in the Premiership. They were fortunate to grab an injury time winner when these two teams met two weeks ago and can expect another tough European assignment. The bookmakers have understandably made City odds-on favourites but Villarreal will have taken encouragement from their previous meeting and could be good enough to earn a draw. Odds of 11-4 are available on the draw with 7-1 offered about a 1-1 scoreline.

As arguably one of the biggest surprise teams of this NFL regular season, the San Francisco 49ers have been very impressive in their first six games of the season with just one loss to the Dallas Cowboys keeping them from a flawless record heading into their showdown with the Cleveland Browns in Week 8.

One thing that has really gotten this team on track this season has been the guidance of new head coach Jim Harbaugh who is as passionate a head coach as the 49ers have ever had. Not only have Harbaugh been able to single-handedly turn around this struggling storied NFL franchise, but he has been able to correct the flawed offense in the Bay Area while keeping quarterback Alex Smith under center.

There are a lot of people around the league wondering how Jim Harbaugh was able to keep Alex Smith as his number one quarterback and be this successful on offense, but San Francisco 49ers fans aren’t asking any questions as this team has proven that they are the real deal this year and could be on their way to playoff berth along with a NFC West division title.

The Cleveland Browns on the other hand haven’t been as lucky as they continue to struggle on both sides of the football and are in the middle of a contract dispute with arguably their best player in Pro Bowl running back Peyton Hillis. With the ongoing turmoil in Cleveland and inability to get back on the right track, the San Francisco 49ers should cruise to victory over the Browns in Week 8.

Bet on the Browns vs 49ers game

As of right now, the San Francisco 49ers has been given the edge in this matchup with a -9 point spread.

Take the 49ers at -9.

The Buffalo Bills have been one of the most surprising teams on this NFL regular season as they have been able to come up from depths of the AFC Conference and transform into a legitimate playoff contender. Whether or not the recently re-signed Ryan Fitzpatrick and company can keep up this kind of momentum remains to be seen, but they have definitely made teams around the league second guess how to defend this surprisingly potent offense in Buffalo.

Coming into Week 8, the Buffalo Bills still have a chance to contend for the AFC East division title due to the fact that they were able to get the best of the division rival New England Patriots earlier in the season and have been able to continue winning football games since then. Fortunately, the competition will get a bit easier for the Bills coming into this week as they are set to face off against the Washington Redskins who have hit a rough patch as of late.

It would be hard to argue that the Buffalo Bills aren’t the better all-around football team in comparison to Mike Shanahan’s Redskins, but Washington has shown signs of promise this season and might be able to give the surging Bills a run for their money in Week 8.

As of right now, the Buffalo Bills are favored to get the win this weekend on their home field with a -6 point spread. This spread is pretty solid in my opinion as the Bills should get the win and cover with relative ease.

So what about the final score for betting? Take the Bills at -6.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have had a rough start to this NFL regular season as they have struggled to get back to form with rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert now the new main man under center. Despite Gabbert going through normal rookie struggles thus far, the Jaguars have been able to get some momentum going after an impressive win over the Baltimore Ravens last week on Monday Night Football.

This week the Jacksonville Jaguars will face another tough team in the division rival Houston Texans.
This game will be much more important than last week as it will have division and playoff implications. The Texans are a very good team this season and seem to be playoff bound, but even though Houston is on top in the AFC South division with a 4-3 record, this game will be a must-win situation.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars being just two games out of first place, the Houston Texans will have to bring their “A” game in Week 8. The one disadvantage that the Texans will have coming into this AFC South division showdown will be the fact that superstar wide receiver Andre Johnson will be out once again. Despite not having Johnson in the lineup, Pro Bowl running back Arian Foster has stepped up in his place and become the team’s best offensive option once again.

As of right now, the Houston Texans have been given the edge in this matchup with a -10 point spread. This spread is higher than I would like, but still a safe bet considering how well the Texans have been playing on offense.

Let’s bet some NFL now…GamblingNerd.com’s predictions: Take the Texans at -10.

The Carolina Panthers have won just two games this season, but they have quickly turned into one of the most entertaining teams in the NFL. With rookie quarterback Cam Newton leading the way, the Panthers have some light of the end of the tunnel and might be able to contend for a playoff spot in the NFC Conference in the near future.

Even though the Panthers are definitely a team on the rise in the NFL, Carolina is basically out of the running for the NFC South division title and are only playing games at this point in time to see the potential of the team with Cam Newton under center. Despite the fact that the playoffs are a stretch right now, the Panthers will come into Week 8 against the Minnesota Vikings as the favorites.

Last week the Minnesota Vikings made a big change by benching veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb and starting rookie Christian Ponder in his place. This move was questionable considering that the Vikings were playing against arguably the best team in the league in the undefeated Green Bay Packers, but Ponder played much better than anticipated and appears to be the future face of the franchise.

As of right now, the Carolina Panthers have been given the edge in this matchup with a -4 point spread. This spread is right on the money in my opinion as I believe Cam Newton will have a big day against the Vikings defense.

Our picks? Take the Panthers at -4.

Coming into Week 8, the Miami Dolphins are arguably the worst team in the Football League as they have been able to record one win all season long and just seem helpless against every single team they have faced thus far. Last week the Dolphins did have a chance to get their first win of the season as they were on the verge of taking down the Denver Broncos, but then Tim Tebow put on a show in the fourth quarter and led the Broncos to their second win of the year.

This week things won’t get any easier for the lowly Miami Dolphins as they will go on the road to face the New York Giants. Even though the Giants have been somewhat of a streaky football team this season, Eli Manning and company are still considered to be amongst the best teams in the NFC Conference with a legitimate shot of making the playoffs.

Recently, the Dolphins star receiver Brandon Marshall came out and said that Miami will get their first win of the season this week over the Giants which have led some people to believe that the Dolphins might be coming into this game with a different attitude, but Marshall has been all talk this season and shouldn’t really be taken seriously.

As of right now, the New York Giants are heavily favored to get the win at home this weekend with a -10 point spread. This spread is high and the Giants are a streaky team, but this is still a solid spread in my opinion.

Take the Giants at -10.

NFL teams were invited to come out and watch the 37-year-old wide receiver’s workout, but none showed. T.O.’s agent Drew Rosenhaus is sure some were watching coverage of the workout on NFL Network and ESPN, and said he’ll send copies of the tapes to every team.

“I definitely feel there are some teams out there that are interested,”  said Owens. “I only need one team. I only need one chance. …  I probably feel better than I did before when I got hurt.”

Possible landing spots for T.O. could be the Raiders, Titans, Redskins, Texans or a return trip to the 49ers. Rosenhaus said even if no team signs his client this season, T.O. will still try to play in the NFL in 2012.

Owens said he wasn’t worried that no teams showed and went into more depth about how he was feeling physically:

I think this should open some eyes and we’ll see where it goes from there … This is actually shorter than what I’ve been going the last couple weeks, so I feel good. It’s been challenging from a physical standpoint to get my knee back to where it needs to be for me to have the confidence to go out here to run and cut. …  This is what I’ve been training for. I’m not worried about the naysayers saying I’m wasting my time — I think what I showed today speaks for itself.

After practicing Tuesday and Wednesday, the NFL mandates that Raiders players take four days off, so coach Hue Jackson and his staff won’t be around as Palmer tries to get in some extra work with his new teammates. “We know we need to be here, and we’re going to be here,” said receiver Derek Hagan. “For us to get on the same page and get this thing clicking again, it’s obviously going to take more of an effort from us to put more time in.”

Palmer made his debut in the second half of last Sunday’s 28-0 home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and it certainly looked like he hadn’t played competitive football in over nine months. His final stats: 8 for 21 passing, 116 yards, three interceptions and a 17.3 passer rating.

Coach Jackson thought the work was necessary and even beneficial. “That was kind of like a preseason game for him,” said the first-year Raiders coach. “To get him in there, get to 21 throws, have him feel the rush, be able to move around, be able to communicate with his teammates in a competitive environment against a different team is what you do in preseason football games … I think it was very beneficial and will serve us well as we continue to move forward.”

Is two weeks enough time to get things together? Palmer says it is. “Two weeks is enough time to be where I need to be, and I’m going to get everything I can out of these guys,” said the two-time Pro Bowler. “I understand that it’s a bye week for these young receivers, and it’s time to get away a little bit, just let your mind go somewhere else because hopefully there’s a long road ahead of us. But it’s also time to get some work done, get that timing and rhythm and get going.”

Wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey may host a cookout for Palmer to try to recreate the atmosphere of offseason dinners the Raiders receiving corps had with quarterback Jason Campbell, who broke his collarbone two weeks ago.

Over the past few years, the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints going head-to-head would be considered an epic matchup between two of the league’s elite quarterback. With four-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning and former Super Bowl champion Drew Brees battling it out, the Colts and Saints are always must-see TV, but that won’t be the case this year with Manning only watching from the sidelines.

Since Peyton Manning was a rookie have the Indianapolis Colts been as bad as they are this season. As one of the three teams left winless heading into Week 7 (St. Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins), the Colts are arguably the worst team in the league will little or no hope for turning their season around and making a push for the playoffs.

The New Orleans Saints on the other hand will be using this game as a tune-up opportunity after they fell to the division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week. With Drew Brees coming off his worst week of the season (3 INTs vs. Bucs), the Saints will look to get back on track and put up a big number against the lowly Colts in Week 7.

As of right now, the New Orleans Saints are heavily favored to get the win in Week 7 with a -14 point spread. That is a huge spread that means the Saints have to win by at least two touchdowns, but I believe they will do just that as the Colts don’t stand a chance. Take the Saints at -14.

The Oakland Raiders have been in the news a lot this season and mostly for good reasons as they seem to be a team on the rise in the NFL, but besides the death of longtime owner Al Davis, the Raiders made headlines this past week for acquiring a very good quarterback in Carson Palmer.

With starting quarterback Jason Campbell going down with a broken collarbone in last week’s win over the Cleveland Browns, the Raiders had to look for a new quarterback to fill the void, but no one expected them to bring in Carson Palmer who could be the quarterback of the future in Oakland.

At this point in time, new head coach Hue Jackson has yet to name the starting quarterback for Sunday’s AFC West battle against the Kansas City Chiefs, but most people believe that Palmer will get the nod on gameday. If Palmer does end up sitting, the Raiders will go with Kyle Boller as their starting gunslinger, but regardless of who they have under center, Oakland should get the win.

As of right now, the Oakland Raiders have been given the edge in this AFC West division showdown with a -4 point spread. This spread could change if Carson Palmer is named the starter before Saturday, but it shouldn’t change too much. Read more NFL betting tips here.

So, what about predictions for this game? Take the Raiders at -4.

After a surprisingly slow start to the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been able to rebound as of late with four wins in the last five games. Besides the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1, the Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t really faced any tough teams this season and Week 7 will be no different as they will face off against the lowly Arizona Cardinals who have lost four straight.

There is no question that the Arizona Cardinals have the potential to be a very good football team with talented players on both sides of the football, but this season they just haven’t been able to get anything going in the right direction as new starting quarterback Kevin Kolb has struggled. In a year or two, the Cardinals could become a legitimate force to be reckoned with once again, but this season they seem headed for disaster with another season on the outside looking in on the playoffs.

If the Arizona Cardinals can get some going offensively in Week 7 then they will have a chance to get the best of Pittsburgh Steelers, but I really can’t see that happening as the Cardinals seem to be headed into a downward spiral while the Steelers are doing the complete opposite.

Our Picks for Steelers at Cardinals

As of right now, the Pittsburgh Steelers favored to get the win in Week 7 with a -3.5 point spread. This is a lock in my opinion as Arizona will struggle all day long against the lockdown Pittsburgh defense.
Take the Steelers at -3.5.

One of the most anticipated games of Week 7 will no doubt be the San Diego Chargers going on the road to face the New York Jets. Over the past few years, the Jets and the Chargers have been two of the best all-around teams in the AFC Conference and a serious threat to contend for a Super Bowl title. This year both the Jets and the Chargers still have a shot of contending for a Super Bowl appearance, but San Diego is sitting in a much better position with a first place standing in the AFC West and a 4-1 record.

The New York Jets on the other hand have struggled in the first six weeks of the season and are currently sitting in third place in the AFC East division behind the New England Patriots (5-1) and Buffalo Bills (4-2). With the AFC East division title almost out of reach, the Jets will be aiming for an AFC Wild Card berth to make their way back into the playoffs, but they will have to keep up their winning ways and will have to get past the Chargers in Week 7.

As of right now, the San Diego Chargers have been given the slight edge in this Week 7 showdown between AFC Conference heavyweights with a -2 point spread. This spread is on the money in my opinion as this game should be close, but the Chargers should get the win while covering the spread.

Picks for Chargers vs Jets

Take the Chargers at -2, that’s our best value bet.

Talk about getting thrown into the fire — oddsmakers don’t expect much from Ponder as the Vikings are nine- to 10-point underdogs (+350 to +375 on the money line). But the Florida State product, who was the 12th pick overall in this year’s draft, is setting the bar high for himself. “I’m going into this thing to try to be successful and try to win this game,” Ponder said. “I have high expectations for myself and I prepare myself for success. When things don’t go my way, I make sure that they do. I am a perfectionist and I am going to do everything I can and reach my expectations.”

History isn’t necessarily on Ponder’s side, before Max Hall of last year’s Cardinals won his debut against the Saints, no rookie QB had ever beaten the defending champs in his first start.

Any nerves about facing the Packers? “I’ll probably definitely have some butterflies come gameday, but no, I’m more excited than anything,” said the rookie. “I think they’re going to throw the whole kitchen sink at me and this offense, probably bring a lot of pressures. They’re a 3-4 base defense. I don’t know. I expect a bunch of different, multiple looks. I expect them to be eight in the box the whole time, single safety, but I think they’re going to do their best to confuse me.”

So what’s Ponder’s game plan? “I’m kind of a patient guy, where I’ll take what they give me,” he said. “Whether that’s short passes and eventually work up to a big play or hand it off to Adrian, I don’t care.”

Beck replaced Rex Grossman, who started the first five games of the season, in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and led the team on an 80-yard touchdown drive. Beck will be making his first NFL start since he was a rookie with the Miami Dolphins in 2007. Beck completed 8 of 15 passes for 117 yards in his relief appearance.

Grossman had a 110.5 quarterback rating in Washington’s season-opening win, but after last week’s loss his rating for the season is down to 66.5, which ranks 32nd among NFL quarterbacks (ahead of only Colts quarterback Kerry Collins). Grossman has also thrown nine interceptions this season, tied with Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton for the most in the league.

“I believe in Rex, and I believe in John Beck,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said on Monday before announcing the switch. “I told you that from Day 1. Both guys, I’m hoping, are going to be here for a long time. … I’ve been around quarterbacks in the National Football League for a long time, and I know these guys have got what it takes.”

Kyle Boller took over Campbell and was barely adequate, with the Raiders scoring touchdowns on a 101-yard kickoff return by Jacoby Ford and a pass from punter Shane Lechler on a fake field goal. Boller completed only five of his first 11 passes for 55 yards before completing his final three passes for another 45 yards.

Raiders coach Hue Jackson doesn’t sound sure if Boller is Mr. Right or just Mr. Right Now. “Right now I am [comfortable with Boller as his starting QB for the rest of the year],” said Jackson. “There’s nothing else I have on the horizon. Kyle Boller is the quarterback. … I think he played like a guy who hadn’t have a lot of practice. He kept battling and kept fighting. …  He did just what he needed to do. He came in and helped this team win.”

With rookie Terrelle Pryor as Boller’s only backup, there are already rumors swirling over who the Raiders will pick up. Former Jaguars quarterback David Garrard is one possibility, as is trying to trade for semi-retired Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer. Trent Edwards, who the Raiders cut at the end of the preseason, is another option.

The Raiders face the Chiefs next week, then have their bye, so a new quarterback would have some time to get situated. Meanwhile the Raiders can celebrate that they won back-to-back games for only the second time since December 2008. Coach Jackson is confident that his team can keep rolling even without Campbell. “Jason is one of the huge leaders on this football team,” said the first-year Raiders coach. “Everybody else has to step up. This team will not blink. I promise you that.“

The Cam Newton show continues in Week 6 as the rookie phenom will lead his Carolina Panthers into hostile territory against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. This will be yet another tough challenge for the rookie quarterback to endure this week with the Atlanta Falcons looking to get a bounce back win after falling to the Green Bay Packers last week at home.

Even though the Atlanta Falcons were one of the best all-around teams in the league last season, this year Matt Ryan and company have struggled and are trying to get back to form. The Falcons schedule has by no means been easy in the first five weeks, but this game against the Panthers will be a true test to see if Atlanta is a contender or a fluke this season.

Cam Newton will be the Atlanta Falcons main focus on defense this week because if they can contain the explosive rookie, the Carolina Panthers will have little chance of coming out on top in this NFC South division showdown in Week 6.

As of right now, the Atlanta Falcons have been favored to get the win over the Cam Newton and company in Week 6 with a -4 point spread. This spread is definitely reflecting the Falcons season, but it is still a spread Atlanta should cover with relative ease this Sunday on their home field at the Georgia Dome.

My Picks: Take the Falcons at -4

This season has been an absolute nightmare for the Indianapolis Colts thus far as they just haven’t been able to get back on track without their superstar quarterback Peyton Manning under center. Even though Manning has said that he hopes to play at some point this season, the fact remains that the Colts could be headed for their worst season since before the Manning era in Indianapolis.

In Week 6, the Indianapolis Colts will try to record their first win of the season when they travel to Ohio to take on the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite this season being dubbed a “rebuilding year” for the Bengals, rookie quarterback Andy Dalton and rookie wide receiver A.J. Green have played much better than anticipated this year and could turn out to be one of the best quarterback/wide receiver duos in the game in the near future.

Coming into Week 6, the Cincinnati Bengals will be sporting a 3-2 record and will have their sights set on getting their fourth win of the season in order to try and catch up to the division-leading (AFC North) Baltimore Ravens (3-1). With the Ravens playing as well as they have to start the season with some impressive win over very good football teams, the Bengals will have their work cut out for them to compete for the division title, but they will get one step closer with a much-needed win over the Colts in Week 6.

As of right now, the Cincinnati Bengals are the favorites to come out on top in this one with a -7 point spread. A bit high for a young team still working on their chemistry, but still a safe bet in my opinion.

My Pick: Take the Bengals at -7

If it weren’t for the Detroit Lions emergence as one of the best all-around teams in the NFL this season (5-0 record), the Buffalo Bills would be the talk of the NFL as they have exceeded their expectations so far this season with some big wins over teams like the division New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. Even though the win over the Eagles isn’t saying much at this point with the way Michael Vick and company have been playing, the Bills are still the real deal and threat to win the AFC East division title this season.

In Week 6, the Buffalo Bills will try to keep up their winning ways as they will face another NFC East opponent in the New York Giants. Despite the Giants coming on strong as of late, the Bills are still arguably the better team coming into this matchup on both sides of the football.

This game definitely has the potential to be one of the best of the week with a battle between great quarterbacks and improving defenses. Even though the New York Giants have been favored to win this NFL Week 6 showdown with Buffalo, I believe the Bills are just the better team right now and should prove it by pulling off the slight upset and getting their fifth win of the season.

As of right now, the Giants have the edge with a -3 point spread.

My Pick: Take the Bills at +3

The defending Super Bowl champions will come into Week 6 of their title defense with a perfect 5-0 record and heavily favored to improve their record to 6-0. Not only are the Packers without a doubt the best all-around team in the NFL this season with a great chance of repeating as Super Bowl champions, but superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers seems to continue to improve with every passing game as no opposing offense has been able to figure out how to contain the reigning Super Bowl MVP.

Fortunately, this season has been fairly easy on the Green Bay Packers thus far as they have only really faced two teams that were able to give them a run for their money in the form of the New Orleans Saints in the season opener and the Atlanta Falcons last week. Despite the challenges they have faced, the Packers have emerged victorious and unless a serious injury happens in Week 6, the defending champions should cruise to victory over the winless St. Louis Rams (0-4).

Even though second-year quarterback Sam Bradford seems to have a bright future in this league under center in St. Louis, this season is pretty finished for the Rams as they can’t get anything going on either side of the football. This week will most likely be a week to forget for the Rams as they stand no chance of competing with a team as talented as the undefeated Packers.

As of right now, the Packers are favored with a -16 point spread. That spread is huge and a risky one no matter who is playing, but Green Bay have been unstoppable and worth the risk.

My Pick: Take the Packers at -16

All season long the defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers have been put under the microscope and criticized for their poor start to the season. Along with being dubbed an old football team and no longer an elite team in the NFL, the Steelers have had to deal with injuries to big-name players like James Harrison and two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

In Week 6, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have a great opportunity to quite their critics for the second straight week as they will be taking on the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars in a game they should win with relative ease. Not only are the Jaguars a team struggling to find their identity in the Blaine Gabbert era, but they just won’t stand much of a chance against a hungry Pittsburgh Steelers team that will be looking to blowout every team on their schedule from here on out.

As of right now, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been heavily favored to get the win in Week 6 over the Jacksonville Jaguars with a -13 point spread. Even though the Steelers are more than capable of pulling off a huge win over a struggling Jaguars squad, the -13 point spread is entirely too high and too risky.

With that being said, I believe taking the Jacksonville Jaguars to in this situation would be the smart move considering how unpredictable the Pittsburgh Steelers have been this season.

My Pick: Take the Jaguars at +13

The NFC East division has been literally flipped upside down this season with what was thought to be the two best teams struggling and the two worst teams playing much better than expected. Before the season began, this Week 6 matchup between bitter rivals would have been an easy one to predict with the Philadelphia Eagles cruising to victory over the lowly Washington Redskins, but that is no longer the case as Philly has one win on the year and the Redskins continue to impress week after week.

Coming into Week 6, Michael Vick and the “Dream Team” Philadelphia Eagles have lost four games in a row and are on the verge of making some drastic changes as a result. With head coach Andy Reid’s job potentially on the line for the rest of the season, the Eagles are in desperation mode as they need just one win over a formidable opponent like the Redskins to take the heat off.

The Washington Redskins on the other hand are in prime position to make a run for the NFC East division title this season with the Philadelphia Eagles struggling, the Dallas Cowboys dealing with quarterback issues and the New York Giants coming off a loss to the Seattle Seahawks which puts the Redskins in the driver’s seat.

As of right now, the Philadelphia Eagles have been given the edge to go into the nation’s capital and come out on top with a -2 point spread. With the Eagles being as unpredictable as they have been, the safe bet in my opinion would be to go with the Redskins.

My Pick: Take the Redskins at +2

Last year a matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions would have been arguably the worst and least anticipated game of the week, but in Week 6 of this season it could turn out to be the game of the week.

It is no secret that the Detroit Lions are having a breakout year as they are just one of two undefeated teams left coming into Week 6, but the San Francisco 49ers are flying somewhat under the radar this year as they have gotten out to an impressive 4-1 record beating teams like the Philadelphia Eagles (24-23) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (48-3) in consecutive weeks.

Coming into Week 6, Jim Harbaugh and company will be facing their toughest test of the season against a very good Detroit Lions team. Not only are the Lions an extremely talented team on offense this season with quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson leading the way, but they are vastly improved on defense with Ndamukong Suh and rookie Nick Fairly bulking up the Detroit pass rush.

With those two defensive beasts running at quarterback Alex Smith on every down, I believe the San Francisco 49ers should lose their second game of the season as the Detroit Lions are just too good on defense and incredibly hard to stop on offense. This will be guaranteed to be a barn-burner, but the Lions should stay perfect.

My Pick: Take the Lions at -5

On Wednesday, the Lions announced that the game would be the team’s eighth consecutive sellout. That doesn’t intimidate 49ers left tackle Joe Staley. “We’re really anticipating it to be a Seattle atmosphere [in Detroit],” said Staley. “We play at Seattle every single year, so our guys are no strangers to really loud crowd noise.”

Of course, the Seahawks don’t have defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, but the 49ers aren’t overly worried about him either. “He’s a good player,” said 49ers left guard Mike Iupati, who hurt his right knee in last week’s home rout of the Buccaneers but still expects to get the Suh assignment on Sunday.  “Everybody is a good player. You’ve got to step your game up.”

Suh says he wants the 49ers and every other team to be afraid of him and the rest of the Lions defense. “It’s the fear of: ‘If you don’t take care of business and come up with a great plan, I’m going to hit [your quarterback], or the other eight or nine guys will hit him as well,’” said the emerging star.

The Lions are four-point home favorites on Sunday.

“If [Johnson]‘s out there, you’ve got to tilt the whole defense basically over top of him, or he’ll catch every pass,” said Harbaugh. “He can’t really be covered one-on-one on a consistent basis. So, I’m hopeful he’s not going to play. I’m not going to kid you; if he doesn’t play I’ll be smiling. But, we’ll just have to see.”

Johnson is expected to miss two more weeks as he recovers from surgery on his right hamstring, but even without him Texans quarterback Matt Schaub threw for over 400 yards in a close home loss to the Oakland Raiders. “They’ve still got Jacoby Jones, who can go deep – you have got to account for that,” said the Ravens coach.. “They still have Kevin Walter. They’ve got two tight ends that are incredible, they’ve got a great running back, and I think they’ve got the offensive line that’s playing the best in football right now. And a veteran quarterback, which always causes any defense problems, because he’s going to understand where to go with the ball.”

Making things even tougher for the Ravens, they’ll probably be without rookie cornerback Jimmy Smith, their first round pick from Colorado, for a fourth-straight week. While Smith returned to practice this week, when asked his chances of playing this week, his response was “Realistically, I highly doubt it.”

The Ravens are favored by 7 to 8.5 points on Sunday.

Leading the team on two touchdown drives was more impressive than Tebow’s stats in the game — 4-for-10 passing for 79 yards and a touchdown, plus 38 rushing yards on six carries and a rushing touchdown. The Broncos have a bye week, so coach John Fox wasn’t immediately ready to announce that Tebow would start in place of Kyle Orton.

“Tim Tebow sparked the team,” Fox said on Sunday. “We haven’t had a chance to watch the tape; we haven’t had a chance to watch the film; we haven’t had a chance to visit as a staff. So, I think at this point — we have a bye week — we do need to improve offensively, and it will all be up for discussion.”

The Broncos have lost 21 of the last 27 games that Orton has started, so a switch seems like a no-brainer. Tebow also has the support of his teammates. “The kid is a fighter; we always knew that,” said Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil. “Some things just don’t change from the collegiate level. Give him credit. He came in and gave us a spark, so we’ve just got to finish better.”

Rodgers put up spectacular numbers in a rematch of last year’s playoffs. The Packers quarterback completed 26 of 39 passes for 396 yards and two touchdowns. Green Bay’s first lead came late in the third quarter on a 70-yard touchdown pass to James Jones. “It was a choppy game but we persevered,” said Rodgers. “We have a different team than years past. We expect to win when we take the field.”

Falcons coach Mike Smith couldn’t see what more his defense could have done, especially in the first half when they limited the Packers to two field goals.”I thought defensively the game plan was executed extremely well,” Smith said. “You wanted to limit their opportunities and I thought we did that.”

Atlanta failed to get much going on offense after scoring on their first two possessions of the game. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan ended the night with only 167 passing yards and two interceptions.

The Packers are 5-0 for the sixth time in their storied 91-year history. After having the NFC’s best record a year ago, the Falcons are off to a 2-3 start.

“Specifically, on a pass play, he lowered his head and struck the opposing quarterback,” explained a league spokesman in an email. It’s hard to see what a tiny fine is going to do to protect quarterbacks if referees aren’t going to call penalties during the actual games. Jarrett Johnson ran back Sanchez’s fumble to give the Ravens a 27-7 lead. Baltimore went on to win the game 34-17.

The fine isn’t the first in Ngata’s six-year NFL career. In November 2007, he threw a bunch at a Browns offensive lineman — that cost him $5,000.  Last season, Ngata broke the nose of Steelers quarterback/probable rapist Ben Roethslisberger, which came with a $15,000 price tag.

The NFL also hit two Washington Redskins linebackers with $15,000 fines for hits in their win over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. Rob Jackson earned his for driving Rams quarterback Sam Bradford to the turf, while Perry Riley got his for striking a defenseless player catching a punt.

A team source tells the News Journal that Reid plans to let Danny Watkins, the 23rd-overall pick in this year’s draft, make his first NFL start on Sunday as the Eagles travel to take on the 3-1 Buffalo Bills. Watkins played on the Eagles first team throughout training camp, but struggled so much in the preseason the Eagles signed Kyle DeVan to start the regular season opener. DeVan played poorly especially in Philadelphia’s embarrassing 24-23 home loss to the San Francisco 49ers this past Sunday.

Watkins is 6-foot-3, 310 pounds and played his college ball at Baylor. In addition to Watkins taking over at right guard, King Dunlap will also take over at left tackle for injured Pro Bowler Jason Peters, who is expected to miss a few weeks with a strained hamstring.

The Eagles already have another rookie starting on their offensive line, center Jason Kelce, who was a sixth-round pick out of Cincinnati. The Eagles are between one- and three-point road favorites against the Bills, who are coming off their first loss of the season against the Bengals.

“I’m bothered by the fact that I think we’re a better football team than we’re playing right now,” said Ryan in his Monday press conference. “There’s probably a little bit more fire burning in me than I’m letting on.” But even with back-to-back losses, Ryan hasn’t lost his faith that the Jets will get things turned around. “My confidence in our football team, by the time we get to the finish line, we’ll be right there,” the Jets coach said.

Ryan was probably burning even more by who beat his team on Sunday night — he worked for the Ravens for 10 years as a defensive line coach and defensive coordinator. “Obviously, he’s upset,” said Ravens linebacker Jarrett Johnson. “Rex is a super-competitive guy. So when he loses a game like that, he’s going to be upset.”

Most of the Jets struggles seem to come from their inability to run the ball. New York ranks 28th in the NFL in rushing attempts, and 30th in yards per game, and 30th in yards per carry. “In the past, everything we could do was because we could run the ball so great,” said Jets guard Matt Slauson. “We need that identity back.”

Things don’t get any easier for the Jets this week as they visit the New England Patriots as 9.5-point underdogs.

The Oakland Raiders are officially the real deal this season after they were able to bounce back from their loss to the Buffalo Bills by beating up on one of the best all-around teams in the league in the New York Jets, 34-24.
After this convincing and impressive win over the Jets, the consensus around the league was that the Raiders were a force to be reckoned with this season with a dominant ground game led by Pro Bowl running back Darren McFadden and a defense that seems to be vastly improved.

In Week 4, the Oakland Raiders will face perhaps their toughest test of the season as they will go head-to-head against the New England Patriots. Not only are the Patriots coming off a disappointing loss to the Bills in Week 3 and will be looking to bounce back with a vengeance in Week 4, but Tom Brady is playing out of his mind this season and an early favorite for the NFL MVP for the second straight season.

Brady may be coming off his worst game of the season after throwing a career-high four interceptions against the Bills, but he was still able to throw four touchdown passes in that game which isn’t even a season-high for the Patriots’ gunslinger (five touchdowns against the Dolphins in Week 1).

As of right now, the New England Patriots are favored to come out with the win in Week 4 with a -5 point spread. Even though the Patriots are more than capable of winning this game and covering the spread, I believe the Raiders will keep their wild ride going with another impressive win.

Take the Raiders at +5

After the first three weeks of the NFL regular season, the league starts to shape up with it becoming more and more clear which teams are true contenders and which teams are pretenders. This season one of the most impressive teams in the league thus far have been the New Orleans Saints with Drew Brees in NFL MVP form and rookie running back Mark Ingram looking like the real deal in the Saints’ backfield.

Despite losing the season opener to the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, the New Orleans Saints have proven that they are a legitimate force to be reckoned with in the NFC Conference once again and could be ready to make it all the way back to the Super Bowl at season’s end.

In Week 4, the New Orleans Saints should have an easy matchup against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. With the Jaguars making the change at quarterback to rookie Blaine Gabbert and not being the playoff contender that they once were, the Saints should just roll over this team by putting on yet another offensive showcase with 30 or 40 points scored.

As of right now, the New Orleans Saints are favored to come out on top in this matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars with a -8 point spread. This is a solid spread in my opinion as I can see the Saints blowing out the Jaguars by two touchdowns or more.

My Pick: Take the Saints at -8

Perhaps one of the most impressive and surprising teams in the NFL heading into Week 4 has been the up-and-coming Buffalo Bills. With no one giving this team a shot to do much of anything this season, the Bills have been on a tear to start the season with three straight wins over the Kansas City Chiefs (41-7), Oakland Raiders (38-35) and the division rival New England Patriots (34-31).

After scoring 113 points in the first three weeks of the NFL regular season, the Bills offense is looking like one of the league’s best with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick making a case for NFL MVP. Even though there are still a lot of games left to be played by the Bills, the once struggling NFL franchise could be on their way to a 4-0 start as they have a relatively easy task ahead of them against the lowly Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4.

Even though the Cincinnati Bengals are a much better team than people anticipated with rookie quarterback Andy Dalton under center and rookie wide receiver A.J. Green downfield, they won’t stance a chance in my opinion against the first place Buffalo Bills this weekend.

As of right now, the Buffalo Bills have just a -3 point spread in their favor heading into their matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4. Despite not winning either of the last two games by more than three points, the Bengals are nearly as good as the Raiders or the Patriots which leads me to believe that the Bills cover this spread easily.

My Prediction: Take the Bills at -3

Before this NFL regular season even began, the league was buzzing about the Detroit Lions with everyone seeming jumping on the bandwagon calling this the year that Matthew Stafford and company breakout and become a legitimate force to be reckoned with in the NFL. Not only are the Lions talented on the offensive side of the football with talented players like quarterback Matthew Stafford, Pro Bowl wideout Calvin Johnson and running back Jahvid Best, but the defense got a major upgrade in the off-season with the addition of rookie Nick Fairly alongside Ndamukong Suh.

Even though Fairly has yet to make an appearance for the Detroit Lions in his rookie season due to injury, the Lions have been firing on all cylinders on both sides of the football and seem to be playoff bound for the first time in a long time.

In Week 3, the Detroit Lions will play their first divisional game of the season against Donovan McNabb and the Minnesota Vikings. With the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, the defending NFC North division champion Chicago Bears and the revamped Minnesota Vikings, the Detroit Lions won’t have an easy ride in the NFC North division this season as the division might be the most competitive and most talented in the NFL this year.

The Minnesota Vikings have struggled in their first two games of the season with two consecutive losses due to the fact that they can’t maintain leads and close out opponents, but they are still a very good football team with a proven leader at quarterback.

As of right now, the Detroit Lions are favored to win this NFC North battle with a -4 point spread. This spread seems to be the norm this week and in this case I believe it is right on the money!

My Prediction: Take the Lions at -4

The Jacksonville Jaguars came into this NFL regular season with a new-look offense as they decided to part ways with longtime starting quarterback David Garrard and pave the way for rookie gunslinger Blaine Gabbert to be the future face of the franchise. After just two weeks, head coach Jack Del Rio has seen enough of interim quarterback Luke McCown and is ready to start his rookie under center against the Carolina Panthers.

Ironically enough, this will be one of the few games this season in which rookie quarterbacks will go head-to-head as the Carolina Panthers will also have a new quarterback under center with the rookie phenom Cam Newton.

No player in the NFL so far this season has been more of a surprise or stole more headlines for unbelievable play on the gridiron than the former Heisman trophy winner and BCS champion out of Auburn. With almost 900 total yards and five total touchdowns in his first two games, Newton looks like the real deal in Carolina and he will try to keep the streak going in Week 3 against a weak Jacksonville defense.

The Carolina Panthers may have been impressive in their first two games of the season, but they are by no means perfect as they have yet to record a win in the Cam Newton era. That will change this weekend in my opinion as the Jaguars try to figure out a way to stop the dynamic quarterback in the air and on the ground.

As of right now, the Carolina Panthers are favored with a -4 point spread. That spread could be the lock of the week as I can’t see the Jaguars competing with Cam Newton and company in Week 3.

My Picks: Take the Panthers at -4

The Devil Rays trailed Boston by nine games just over two weeks ago, but have won six of their last seven against Boston to win the season series 12-6.  The only good news for Boston is that they don’t have to play the Devil Rays again this year — at least not unless the Yankees falter and fall from first to third in the American League. “We’ve already turned the page, man,” said diminutive Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia. “We don’t play them ever again. We just haven’t played real good. We’re not going to sit back and feel sorry for ourselves because we’re playing like crap. Nobody’s going to give us anything.”

The Red Sox helped beat themselves on Sunday with two errors, three wild pitches and three passed balls. Slugger Adrian Gonzalez finished the series hitless in 12 at-bats. The Red Sox have now lost 11 of their last 14 and 13 of their last 17.

The Red Sox will have two chances to get back on track on Monday, hosting the Baltimore Orioles for a doubleheader.  After that Boston has two more games at home against the Orioles, then three at the Yankees before finishing with three games in Baltimore. The Devil Rays start a four-game series at the Yankees on Monday, then host the Toronto Blue Jays for three games before finishing with three games at home against the Yanks.

Six days after setting a team record with 517 passing yards against the Miami Dolphins, Brady broke another Patriots record with 23 passing first downs against the Chargers. Brady completed over 75% of his passes against the Chargers, but threw for only 423 yards and three touchdowns.

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers was nearly as effective, completing 29 of 40 passes for 378 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The Patriots have scored 30 or more points in 10 straight regular season games, only four shy of the NFL record set by the “Greatest Show on Turf” St. Louis Rams of 1999-2000. And some of the Patriots think the best is yet to come. “I’m excited to see what this entire offense will look like once we put everything together,” said wide receiver Deion Branch, who caught eight balls for 129 yards. “I know that sounds crazy, but I’m telling you the truth.”

New Patriot Chad Ochocinco had only two catches for 47 yards, a slight improvement over his one catch performance against the Dolphins in Week 1. Next up for the Patriots is a visit to the Buffalo Bills, who are off to a surprising 2-0 start themselves after rallying from an 18-point deficit to eke out a 38-35 home win over the Oakland Raiders.

The Philadelphia Eagles came into the 2011-2012 NFL regular season with high expectations of being one of the best all-around football teams in the NFL after making multiple Pro Bowl additions to their team via free agency and making trades. Not only were the Eagles able to improve by adding players, but they made their starting quarterback Michael Vick a very happy and rich man by inking him to a $100 million dollar contract extension.

In Week 1, the Eagles didn’t disappoint as they dominated the up-and-coming St. Louis Rams and proved the rest of the league that they haven’t missed a beat from last season. This week things will get much tougher for Andy Reid and company as they will head to the Georgia Dome to take on Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons.

This game will be intriguing for many reasons as it is a showdown between two of the most talented young teams in the league, but the real storyline will be Michael Vick taking his former team as the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. This matchup definitely has the potential to be an epic showdown of the best of the best, but I believe the Eagles are the better all-around team and will showcase that on Sunday in Atlanta.

As of right now, the Philadelphia Eagles are favored to come out on top with a -3 point spread. This game could go either way, but taking the Eagles is a safe and smart bet in my opinion.

My Pick: Take the Eagles at -3

America’s Team is the NFL’s version of the New York Yankees which means there is a lot of pressure to best the team in the league and win every single week during the NFL regular season. Not only do the Cowboys have no problem spending a lot of money on high-priced talent, but the demand to win and win often can sometimes be overwhelming.

Last week went from being a great success over one of the best teams in the league (New York Jets) to an absolute disaster as Pro Bowl quarterback Tony Romo literally dropped the ball late in the game and cost the Dallas Cowboys a win that would’ve had the league talking Super Bowl contender.

In Week 2, the Dallas Cowboys will have a bit of an easier task as they will head to the Bay Area to take on Jim Harbaugh’s San Francisco 49ers. Even though the 49ers absolutely dominated the division rival Seattle Seahawks last week (33-17), this team still needs a lot of work and will be completely outmatched against the Dallas Cowboys in my opinion.

Along with the Dallas Cowboys being in a somewhat must-win situation this weekend to keep the critics at bay and get the team back on track, this team is incredibly talented on the offensive side of the football and might be able to outscore this team in the first half to make the game out of reach early.

As of right now, the Dallas Cowboys are the favorites with just -3 point spread. This is a lock as I can’t see the 49ers making this game competitive.

My Prediction: Take the Cowboys at -3

World Number One Djokovic will try to help Serbia defend its Davis Cup title as he faces Argentina’s David Nalbandian at the indoor Belgrade Arena. World Number Two Nadal will be playing for Spain on his native red clay against France’s Richard Gasquet, who is ranked No. 15 in the world. Nadal is 9-0 against Gasquet in ATP play, but has never faced him in Davis Cup competition.

Djokovic is 64-2 this year after adding his third major title of the year at the US Open. After Djokovic plays Nalbandian, Janko Tipsarevic will face Juan Martin del Potro, the Argentine who won the 2009 US Open.  Djokovic is scheduled to play del Potro on Sunday.

Nadal flew straight back to Spain after losing the US Open final, but says he feels he has enough energy left to help his country attempt to win its third Davis Cup in the past four years. World Number Five David Ferrer will play France’s Gilles Simon, ranked No. 11, in Friday’s second singles match in Spain.  Both semifinals are best-of-five, with four singles matches and one doubles match.

Last Sunday, the Collins-led Colts were blown out 34-7 by the Houston Texans. It was the first time since January 2005 that the Colts were held under 10 points in a meaningful game, and Collins got the team in an early hole by fumbing twice inside Indy’s 20, which led to two Texans touchdowns. Overall, Collins put up mediocre but not awful numbers in the game: 16 of 31 passing, 197 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions.

“You know any kind of start would be better than what we had last week,” said Collins. “”I feel more and more comfortable every day running the offense, making decisions. [Additional practice] is really going to help me, no question. We just have to keep grinding away and get better than we were last week.”

This Sunday, the Colts will host the Cleveland Browns, who come in as three-point road favorites despite a 27-17 road loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last week. Browns quarterback Colt McCoy blamed himself for the loss in Cleveland’s opener, with his offense converting just four of 15 third downs. “We couldn’t get anything going,” said the second-year quarterback. “We certainly had our opportunities to win. … I was a little out of sync.” Against Cincinnati, McCoy completed 19 of 40 passes for 213 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception.

The 65-year-old Adelman ranks eighth on the all-time NBA coaching wins list with a 945-616 record over 20 seasons. He spent the last four years coaching the Houston Rockets, and previously guided the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings. The Rockets missed the playoffs the past two seasons, but Adelman’s teams made the playoffs in 16 of his other 18 seasons and his Portland teams reached the NBA Finals twice.

Adelman takes over for Kurt Rambis, who went 32-132 in two seasons in Minnesota. The Timberwolves haven’t had a winning record since the 2004-2005 season, and haven’t made the playoffs since 2003-2004.

More Adelman accomplishments: he’s one of only five coaches to lead two different NBA teams to 60+ win seasons (Portland in 1990-1991 and Sacramento in 2001-2002). He’s been the runner-up in the NBA Coach of the Year voting four times, but if he can turn around the T-Wolves he might finally win.

Terms of the deal have not yet been announced, and an introductory press conference will be set up once Adelman actually signs his contract.

The illegal taser was the size of a credit card, and while no one was seriously hurt, one person needed medical attention for a welt. Other fans told cops that the Marine got zapped in the neck and fell down six rows during the halftime altercation. McKelvey faces charges of felony aggravated assault, felony possession of a stun gun and illegal possession of a weapon, but was set to be released on $22,500 bail on Monday night.

McKelvey apparently pissed off the Marine by not standing or removing his hat during the National Anthem, and by talking through Taps and Amazing Grace. The Marine then refused to let McKelvey out of their row to use the restroom at the end of the first half, which started the altercation.

McKelvey’s son, a New York radio disc jockey who goes by Charlamagne Tha God, says his father is a devout Jehovah’s Witness who doesn’t believe in standing for the National Anthem or Pledge of Allegiance. “He’s not a violent guy at all,” Charlemagne Tha God said of his father. “He just likes to have fun. … He shouldn’t have had a taser on him. But I really feel he took a risk because he felt threatened.”

The NFC East division is still one of the most competitive in the NFL today, but the two teams that might be battling it out for third place within the division are the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. Both of these storied NFL franchises have talented players on both sides of the football and could very well turn the corner this season, but with the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles looking as good as they do smart money says these two teams could struggle.

After the fourth and final game of the NFL preseason, head coach Mike Shanahan has officially named Rex Grossman his starting quarterback over John Beck. This was a bit of a surprising move, but it might be the right move, especially against a solid Giants defense on Sunday in the nation’s capital.

Despite the my belief that the Washington Redskins could make a game of the this and give their division rivals a run for their money, the best bet would be to take the New York Giants as the clear favorites to come out with a win in Week 1.

As of right now, the spread for this game is -3 in favor of the New York Giants. This is a little low in my opinion and doesn’t give the Giants the respect they deserve in the scoring department, but it could be gift to the sports bettors as I believe they should cover this with relative easy.

My Pick: Take the Giants at -3.

Author: Marcus Nilsson

The US managed a 1-1 tie against Mexico in the former German star’s debut as coach, then lost 1-0 to Costa Rica before Klinsmann’s road debut in Belgium. The new coach claims he saw signs of a learning process despite another disappointing result. “It was an interesting game for both sides,” said Klinsmann. “For the first 25 minutes, the U.S. had a good passing game going, but then the individual Belgian class started to show. The players have learned a lot from the game.”

Belgium scored the game’s only goal in the 55th minute off a throw-in. The US momentarily appeared to tie the game with five minutes left on a header by Maurice Edu, but the goal was disallowed.

Klinsmann sent the US squad out with only one striker, Jozy Altidore for the first 45 minutes and then replacement Juan Agudelo, and the Americans struggled to offer any offensive pressure. Klinsmann told his players he wanted to see “a bit more nastiness” against the Belgians, but the coach may be focusing more on the future. “We’ve told the young players it’s now their time to challenge the established ones,” Klinsmann said after the Belgium loss. “That’s the message they’ve got and they have three years to do that.”

The Giants linebacking corps is especially lacking experience with only two veterans, outside linebackers Michael Boley and Mathias Kiwanuka, and four rookies. Seven of New York’s eight draft picks made the team (defensive tackle Marvin Austin would have made the team but is out for the year with a torn pectoral muscle), along with three undrafted players. Linebacker Mark Herzlich was one of the undrafted players to make the team, quite an accomplishment for a guy who missed the entire 2009 season at Boston College because of bone cancer.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin tried to find something positive in starting the year with so many rookies. “It better be a good thing, it has to be a good thing,” Coughlin said. “They bring vitality, they bring energy and I just hope we can get it down, chain it down and get it in the right direction.”

“David had a nice run here,” Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. “He just wasn’t able to get it going in the preseason. He was not able to find his rhythm or be his old self. We feel Luke gives us the best chance to win.”

Cutting nine-year veteran Garrard before the season to go with the untested McCown also saves the team $9 million. Rookie Blaine Gabbert is now McCown’s backup, and many thought Garrard would be at most a placeholder for one more season before giving way to Gabbert.

The move surprised Garrard’s teammates but they also expressed confidence in McCown’s abiility to take over. “I was shocked by the decision,” said tight end Marcedes Lewis.. “They obviously felt it was time to go in a different direction. Luke had a great camp, everyone knows that, and now he’s the guy. There’s no drop-off.”

“Thank you jaguar fans for an awesome ride!” Garrard wrote in a classy farewell tweet. “You are the best fans ever. You’ll always have a special place in my heart and my family’s heart!”

“I’ve got a lot of faith in both of them,” said Shanahan. “It was very competitive all the way through, I thought Rex won by an edge.”

Rex’s teammates applauded when the decision was made, and seem more comfortable with the more experienced Grossman, who is 20-14 in 34 career starts. Grossman, 31, is a year older than Beck, and  also had the advantage of one more year under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, having worked with him in Houston in 2009.

“Last year when he came here, we didn’t know what to expect,” star wide receiver Santana Moss said of Grossman. “We had [Donovan] McNabb so we weren’t really keying on Rex being the guy. But when you watched him in practice, it was like, this guy is killing it out here. … John played well — so well to the point that you almost want to give it to him. But when you’re going into a year when you’re trying to win now, you’re trying to do some things, you want to be solid at the QB position.“

Nadal started grimacing and shutting his eyes before sliding down his chair and onto the ground. The room was cleared while Nadal got medical attention, but liquids and stretching seemed to do the trick and the star was quickly saying it was no big deal and that he’d practice normally the next day.

“I just had cramping in my leg — that’s all,” Nadal said. “It was just unfortunate that it happened in the front and back of my leg at once. It’s just bad luck that it happened in public. It was really hot, I ran a lot and you sweat a lot in these conditions.”

Andy Murray also downplayed the incident:

I don’t think it’s odd that someone’s cramping. I’m sure a lot of people were surprised because it was him that was cramping, but Rafa’s human. I think some people forget that sometimes. I think around midday loads of people were struggling with the heat. He very rarely plays that early. So if you mess up like your eating or get it wrong or you’re drinking wrong before the match – and from the parts of the match I saw today he did quite a lot of running, as well – you can get yourself in a bad way in these conditions. I’m glad he’s all right, but I’m sure it was a bit of a shock for him.

Nadal will next face unseeded Gilles Muller of Luxembourg, ranked No. 68 ranked in the world, and then either Roddick or No. 5 seed David Ferrer in the quarterfinals.

“During the last week, the rate of improvement in Peyton’s rehabilitation process slowed,” the team’s statement said. “Over the weekend Peyton experienced soreness in his back. It was originally thought to be a normal reaction to his rehabilitation regimen … the soreness persisted … As a result of the most recent development the doctors have decided that Peyton will not practice.”

This year, Manning missed the entire preseason for the second time in his career, and was only just recently activated from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. In 2008, Manning missed the entire preseason while he recovered from two offseason knee surgeries. That year, Manning did start in Week 1, but struggled through most of the first half before eventually winning the third of his four NFL MVP awards. Manning has never missed a regular season or playoff start, and his 227 straight starts is the second-most ever among NFL quarterbacks, behind only Brett Favre.

Manning doesn’t have the arm strength right now, sources tell ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. That seems like that would be pretty important for Manning’s readiness, but I wouldn’t be shocked if it magically showed up on Sunday. If Manning can’t go, the Colts will have to decide between starting 38-year-old veteran Kerry Collins, lured out of retirement in time to start Indy’s final preseason game, or Curtis Painter, who has backed up Manning the past two seasons.

The tournament, the second leg of the four-event FedExCup playoffs, starts Friday, and Mickelson apparently wanted to try out a new toy — a belly putter he ordered last Saturday to be a near replica of the one PGA Tour rookie Keegan Bradley used when he won the PGA Championship last month. Mickelson was paired with Bradley at last week’s Barclays, and picked the youngster’s brain about the nuances of belly putting.

So is Mickelson, who has won just once since April 2010, getting desperate? “It’s awkward to me,” Mickelson said after his round. “But so many guys have had success with it that I thought I’d give it a try. … I was asking [Bradley] questions throughout the round last week when we were paired together about ball position, eye position, hands, grip, all that stuff to get it to swing a proper way. So I was able to kind of jump over a lot of the learning curve with it because of him.”

Mickelson used the belly putter exclusively on his front nine — and needed 18 putts, then switched back and forth with a traditional putter on the back nine and needed 16 putts.

Collins completed 5 of 10 passes for 45 yards, and was also sacked and lost a fumble. His best play was perhaps his first one when he threw deep and the Colts picked up 44 yards on a pass interference penalty. With Peyton Manning only activated two days before the game and still uncertain if he’ll be ready to start the regular season opener on September 11, Colts coach Jim Caldwell could be forced to choose either Collins or Curtis Painter to be his Week 1 starting quarterback.

Caldwell tried to stress the positives he saw from his new old quarterback Collins in Cincinnati. “He did some things pretty well out there,” said Caldwell. “He had some situations where he couldn’t get the ball out — a sack, fumble — and we had a drop out there. Other than that, in terms of our operation, I think he did OK.”

Painter, who has backed up Manning the past two seasons, didn’t see any action in the final preseason game. Dan Orlovsky took over for Collins on the last series of the first half and finished the game, which the Colts “won” 17-13.

Johnson was already under contract for this season and next at barely $1 million per year, so he’s signed for the next six years at about $55.5 million. Most of the money in the extension comes in the first three seasons. At $9.5 million per season over the next six years, Johnson now has the highest average annual salary among NFL running backs, ahead of Stephen Jackson of St. Louis and DeAngelo Williams of Carolina, who both average about $8.6 million per year.

“He’ll sign tomorrow and take his physical and be ready to start practicing,” said Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt on Thursday night. “Whenever these things happen I think they are hard on everybody. They are hard on the team, they are hard on the player, they are hard on the fans. But I think the great thing is once they get done, Chris is a Titan. He is part of our family, it is done now, and a week from now no one will remember it happened.”

Johnson has more rushing yards over the past three seasons than any other NFL running back, and in 2009, he became the sixth man in history to run for over 2,000 yards in a season.

Gore, who held out for four days at the beginning of camp, will make $4.9 million in the final year of his old contract. Since being drafted by the 49ers out of the University of Miami in 2005, Gore has amassed 8,697 yards from scrimmage, third-most in the NFL over that span.

Gore is psyched to say with the 49ers, even though they haven’t had a single winning season in his six NFL seasons:

The team stepped up and showed they wanted me to be here for my whole career. You rarely see running backs get to finish their career with the team that drafted them. I can say I’m one of them. It’s a blessing that I’m a Niner, and I’m happy. … We haven’t been having winning seasons, but the fans have been 100 percent behind us. I see coach [Jim] Harbaugh and this coaching staff, they’re football guys. I have no doubt, I know we can get it done. I know we have talent in that locker room, probably more than any NFL team.

“The collective goal all along was to allow Frank the unique opportunity to play his entire career with the San Francisco 49ers, and we are extremely pleased to have accomplished this,” 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said in the official team press release. “Frank’s love for the Bay Area Community, play on the field and leadership within the locker room are equaled only by his passion for the game.”

Gore has missed nine games the past three seasons because of injuries, including the final five games of the 2010 season with a hairline hip fracture. While he seems fully healed now, his health has to be a question mark at age 28.

Saints coach Sean Payton had played on playing star quarterback Drew Brees into the third quarter, but with so little resistance from the defense Brees left late in the second quarter after leading the Saints to scores on all three drives he was in for. Brees ended his evening after connecting on 15 of 23 passes for 189 yards. In the three series that Brees was on the field, the Saints racked up 223 yards of total offense, 13 first downs and 17 points.

Brees remembered that two years ago the Saints also visited Oakland for their third preseason game, and then won their first and so far only Super Bowl. “A lot of similarities to two years ago when we came out here,” said Brees. “I felt like we were very efficient offensively running the football and throwing. Obviously, there’s always some mistakes and things you could have done better. But for [the] most part I was pleased with what we accomplished.”

Raiders coach Hue Jackson still sees some promise in his defense, which was also dominated the previous week by the far-less accomplished San Francisco 49ers. “I know everybody doesn’t see what I do, and I respect that, but I know what’s in that locker room, I know what these guys are capable of doing, and I’m going to get these guys to play football,” said Jackson.

When the first round of the first leg of the PGA Tour’s FedExCup playoffs officially finished on Friday morning, defending Barclays champion Matt Kuchar was in the lead at 8-under, one stroke ahead of Harrison Frazar, Robert Allenby and William McGirt. “Played really well today and the conditions were there,” said Kuchar after finishing up on Friday. “I think there are going to be a lot of low scores over the next couple of days.”

Most were just hoping there would be golf, with possibilities of a Monday or even Tuesday finish being discussed. “I think by noon [Friday], we’ll know pretty much what Saturday and especially what Sunday is going to bring us,” said Slugger White, vice-president of rules and competition for the PGA TOUR. “[A shortened 54-hole tournament] could be there, not right now, but it could be there.”

“We as players want to play,” said Harrison Frazar after finishing his first round of 7-under 64 on Thursday to claim the overnight lead. “We want it to be legitimate. We want it to be a full event. The TOUR wants to do that. So we are going to do everything we can.”

Newton did lead the Panthers in rushing in the game, running for 49 yards and a touchdown, but he completed only 6 of 19 passes for 75 yards. Told his passing stats after the game, the Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft said, “That’s an embarrassing stat.” Through three preseason games, Newton has only completed about 40% of his passes.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera tried to take some of the heat off Newton, who is dealing with a shorter preseason because of the lockout and is playing for a team that was 2-14 last season. Here’s the coach’s take:

I thought he had some moments. He was a little erratic at times. He felt the pressure at times. I think that got to him a bit. At times, we didn’t help him. … The biggest thing we lost sight of, is that this is a new offense. It’s not just about Cam being ready to play; it’s about the other 10 guys, too. … The big thing we can’t lose focus of is that it’s not just about the one guy. We didn’t draft him to be the savior; we drafted him to lead this team. Right now, we’re in the throes of everyone is learning. We’ve got a long ways to go.

It sure sounds like Rivera still expects Newton to be his Week 1 starter. Newton also sounds like he wants that and expects to learn fast.  “I’m trying to push myself over that hump,” Newton said. “I don’t want that [learning] curve of three or four years. I’ll be doggone if it takes me that long.”

Golf Channel’s Jason Sobel said one player who wanted to remain anonymous “went on an f-bomb tirade” about the Garden State. The nicest things said about Jersey were good Italian food and close to New York City, and only Phil Mickelson is quoted as having something positive to say about the state that has launched so much good reality television.

Kris Blanks, who starts The Barclays at No. 65 on the FedEx Cup standings, had the best line, saying his favorite thing about New Jersey was “I only have to be here for a week.”

Golfers were willing to say nice things about the greens this week at Plainfield Country Club. “The greens are interesting, to say the least,” said Nick Watney, who begins the playoffs at No. 1 in the FedExCup standings. “So I’m interested to see where they can find four pin placements, because some of the greens are extremely sloped.”

“Some of the greens are really severe, and if you get on the wrong side, you’re in trouble,” said Steve Stricker, who is currently the top ranked American in the Official World Golf Rankings at No. 3. “But I really enjoy the greens. They are really good, they are fast, and you have to pay attention on them. You can get a putt that gets away from you pretty quickly.”

“I wish we played stuff like this every week,” said Australian Geoff Ogilvy. “The greens are pretty tricky. And you have to be careful not to spin it off some of them, like 9, 11, 16.”

Richardson was describing a pre-draft meeting with the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, noting Newton “was dressed perfectly.” Here’s more of the exchange:

Richardson:  I said, ‘Do you have any tattoos?’ He said, ‘No, sir.  I don’t have any.’  I said, ‘Do you have any piercings?’  He said, ‘No, sir.  I don’t have any.’  I said, ‘We want to keep it that way.’ . . . . We want to keep no tattoos, no piercings, and I think you’ve got a very nice haircut.

Rose:  “You sound like a Lombardi.”

Richardson: “No, I just sound reasonable to me.”

ProFootball Talk’s Mike Florio points out that Richardson has had plenty of players with tattoos and piercings, including tight end Jeremy Shockey, and concludes that “Apparently, Richardson is willing to tolerate those things when it comes to men who won’t become the face of the franchise.” It’s hard not to note another obvious difference between Shockey and Newton — the color of their skin. It seems like Richardson did everything but call Newton “eloquent.”

***

Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith will get to play in his first preseason game with Newton on Thursday night as Carolina faces the Cincinnati Bengals, but the veteran wideout is already raving about the rookie quarterback. “He’s on his back foot throwing 50-yard passes,” Smith said. “I mean, c’mon. I’m not going to sit here every week and say how good Cam is. He didn’t win the Heisman Trophy because there was bad counting on the ballot. He won because he’s good.”

The Red Sox first baseman had gone 84 at-bats without a home run and had only homered once in his past 181 at-bats before breaking out on Tuesday. Gonzalez gave the Red Sox an early 2-0 lead in the first inning by parking a Colby Lewis pitch into the second deck in right. Three innings later, the slugger put Boston up 7-3 with an opposite field shot to left-center.

“That’s my swing,” said Gonzalez. “If I can stay with it, that’s when I’m going well. … We haven’t been scoring a lot of runs as we had in the last couple months, so it’s good to come out today and do what we could do. It was a good game for us, winning a game here [in Texas].”

The win moved the Red Sox into a tie for first place with the New York Yankees, who lost at home to the Oakland A’s. When the Red Sox and Rangers started playing, the temperature was 103, and was still 97 in the ninth inning. Only 25,705 showed up to watch what could very likely be a playoff preview.

“The injury report is not something that I’m real happy about today,” said Giants head coach Tom Coughlin to begin his Tuesday media conference call.

Witherspoon said his torn ACL came on a punt return in Monday’s exhibition, the same pretend game that Thomas was injured in. The Giants are looking at signing or trading for more corners, but right now their two starters would be Corey Webster and Aaron Ross, with Michael Coe as the top backup.

Austin was the Giants second-round pick in this year’s draft, and their first-round pick, corner Prince Amukamura is already out until at least Week 4 with a broken foot. Austin will miss his second straight full year of football after being suspended for all last season at North Carolina because of involvement with an agent scandal.

“Obviously we are not in a great frame of mind today,” said a melancholy Coughlin on Tuesday. “I feel badly for these guys and for our team.”

The other Giants took the injury awfully hard. “When we found out, most of us had tears in our eyes,” said safety Deon Grant. “Just to see the work he put in this offseason and seeing his confidence level and what he’d been doing in training camp, it bothered us more than just a regular injury.”

“You hear the news, it kind of devastates you because I think he was primed for a Pro Bowl year,” said defensive end Justin Tuck. “The timing couldn’t be worse for him [since he's in a contract year and will be a free agent next season]. Obviously, he’s looking for a big payday. My heart goes out to him.”

This isn’t the first injury the Giants have suffered in their secondary. This year’s first-round pick, cornerback Prince Amukamara, broke his foot in his second practice. He could possibly be on the field as early as Week 4 to help fill the void left by the injury to Thomas.

“We can’t hang our heads on the season,” said safety Antrel Rolle. “I don’t know … I don’t like to use the word ‘cursed’ or things of that nature. We’ll find a way. Somehow.”

Pryor will have to serve a five-game suspension at the start of this season, equal to the one he would have served if he returned for his senior season at Ohio State. The Raiders traditionally like big fast guys and Pryor recently ran a 4.36 40-yard dash and has been compared to a more mobile version of recent Raiders first round bust JaMarcus Russell.

Pryor’s agent Drew Rosenhaus was gushing about what a perfect fit his client is for the Raiders:

We’re tickled and thrilled that Terrelle went in the third round and to the Raiders. The third round is quite an accomplishment for a young man who had his pro day 48 hours ago and didn’t know he would be in the draft until Thursday morning and wasn’t able to meet with any decision makers. … We’re optimistic this will be a smooth negotiation. We enjoy working with the Raiders and he’s very excited. … We all know how [Raiders owner] Al Davis likes big players who can run and Terrelle brings a dimension of size and speed that’s unique to the quarterback position. The Raiders are a good fit for him because they have had an unsettled quarterback situation for a number of years and have worked in a number of different players. Any young quarterback would like the opportunity to go there and compete and be the guy.

With the new rookie wage scale implemented at this year’s regular draft, Pryor should get a four-year, $2.36 million contract with a $591,000 signing bonus.