Repeat could still be in the cards for Steeltown
Friday, 06 November 2009 15:27    | Written by Administrator    PDF Print E-mail
Many teams have grabbed headlines for their stellar play so far this season. The high-octane Saints have dazzled us; the Brett Favre-led Vikings are winning people’s hearts; the surprising Broncos are a Cinderella story; the Colts are doing what they always do. It’s interesting, then, to see that the Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t even really getting mentioned in the Super Bowl contender discussion of late.

The defending champs are 5-2; their two losses came on the road in Chicago and Cincinnati – each by three points. Some detractors will tell you the Steelers can’t run the ball well enough to win again and that they’ve had an easy schedule. No one can deny that facing the Titans, Lions and Browns has been nice. Heck – the Steelers still have the Chiefs, Raiders and Browns again on the schedule.

However, some other stats tell us that the Steelers are probably the real deal. Their passing game is reaching heights it hasn’t hit in years now that the shackles are off Big Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers also rank first in the NFL in run defense despite facing Chris Johnson, Cedric Benson and Adrian Peterson already.

Also, the Steelers’ relatively friendly schedule going forward gives them a solid shot at a bye and home field advantage through the AFC Championship game; that’s an exciting prospect for a team that’s 10-2 at home dating back to last season.

The Steelers are battle-hardened and ready to take on the toughest of challengers, as they proved against the Vikings in Week 7. Don’t be surprised if they march into Denver and teach the Broncos a lesson this Monday night too.

Last Updated ( Friday, 06 November 2009 15:28 )
 
Giants need big performance against Chargers
Friday, 06 November 2009 15:26    | Written by Administrator    PDF Print E-mail


NFL betting players couldn’t have seen the three-game losing streak by the New York Giants coming, but they have a chance to break out in a big way when they host San Diego on Sunday afternoon.

Chargers vs Giants odds – Sunday, November 8, 4:15 PM ET

The Chargers fought hard for a 24-16 win at home over San Diego, even though they allowed only 180 yards of offense. Philip Rivers was 16-of-25 for 249 yards and a touchdown, but the San Diego rushing attack was atrocious, racking up only 100 yards. With LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles in the backfield, the Chargers should be a decent running team, which would take some of the pressure off of Rivers. The defense was made to look a lot better than they are against the Raiders, which is why NFL betting players should stay away.

Eli Manning went 20-of-39 for 222 yards, a touchdown and two picks as the Giants were thumped 40-17 in Philadelphia, and there’s not a lot you can do as a team when you turn it over three times. However, the ground game looked like it had some signs of life as they ran for 141 yards on the Giants, but being 30-7 at halftime forced them to abandon it.

The Giants are 4.5-point favorites at home, and San Diego hasn’t played the Giants in New York since 1995. It’s usually never a good thing when West Coast teams go to the East Coast to play, due to time and climate change, but the Giants made Arizona look good in a 24-17 home loss two weeks ago. The Chargers are 27th in the league in rush defense, so look for Brandon Jacobs to get a lot of work for the Giants, at least until Manning gets his confidence back.

NFL betting pick: Giants -4.5
Last Updated ( Friday, 06 November 2009 15:27 )
 
NFL Betting – Chargers Should Fire Norv Turner
Tuesday, 29 September 2009 14:38    | Written by Administrator    PDF Print E-mail

The San Diego Chargers were supposed to be a Super Bowl contender but they have been extremely off the mark this year. The Chargers are 2-3 and are four games out of first place in the AFC West. The BetOnline.com odds indicate that they won’t make the playoffs.

For a team that is this talented, this is unacceptable.

The Chargers had two faults going into the offseason: the lack of a running game and the lack of a defense. As you take a look at the Chargers now, they still have those same two faults.

The team with Phillip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, Darren Sproles and Vincent Jackson is struggling. Clearly, the team has talent but they aren’t playing to their capabilities.

The Chargers rushing offense is dead-last in the NFL, which is embarrassing. On defense, they are allowing their opponents to convert more than 50% of their third downs.

Beyond all of that, the biggest concern about the Chargers is just the lack of heart. We saw it a couple of weeks ago when they came out completely flat against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then in a must-win game against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football, they also had their pants dropped as Eddie Royal scored two special teams touchdowns and that vaunted Chargers offense could only muster up three second half points.

The truth of the matter was that firing Marty Schottenheimer was never a good idea. And Turner has never worked out. He never made this team a serious contender and now they are an utter failure. It’s time for him to go.
Last Updated ( Monday, 26 October 2009 17:24 )
 

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