NFL Season 2008/09

[TheShark72]

Couldve been worse Tony.....after suffering with the Rams (fortunately wasnt there on Saturday - thank you Mrs Shark) i then had to endure my Redskins getting trashed 47-3 by the mighty Carolina Panthers...if that had been shown live, I think you would all be holding a moments silence in my memory now....jeez.....talk about picking great teams to follow.....urrrrrrgh.

Full post tomorrow....

[TheShark72]

Some very eyebrow raising scores to digest from week 3 of the preseason...as well as a fair few significant injuries to report. To the results first :

San Fransisco 49ers 37 - 30 Chicago Bears
Philadelphia Eagles 27 - 17 New England Patriots
Atlanta Falcons 17 - 3 Tennessee Titans
Dallas Cowboys 23 - 22 Houston Texans
Denver Broncos 24 - 27 Green Bay Packers
Detroit Lions 26 - 6 Cleveland Browns
New York Jets 10 - 7 New York Giants
Miami Dolphins 24 - 0 Kansas City Chiefs
Carolina Panthers 47 - 3 Washington Redskins
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17 - 23 Jacksonville Jaguars
Cincinatti Bengals 0 - 13 New Orleans Saints
Minnesota Vikings 10 - 12 Pittsburgh Steelers
St Louis Rams 24 - 10 Baltimore Ravens
Oakland Raiders 0 - 24 Arizona Cardinals
Indianapolis Colts 7 - 20 Buffalo Bills
San Diego Chargers 18 - 17 Seattle Seahawks

Week 3 Scores Review

Some standout scores here - Carolina's demolition of Washington, another New England Patriots loss, another Indianapolis loss, a shutout Miami win all being "WTF" kinda scores.

The Patriots will not be ringing alarm bells at all just yet, but they will not like going 0 (wins) and 3 (losses) in their three games so far. Tom Brady, the NFL's #1 stud QB is still battling a nagging injury and hasnt played at all so far. Their first choice offence has played a few series but it just doesnt look right so far for the Pats....one preseason game left and they will wanna see signs of it starting to click.

Very much the same for the Colts - they are Peyton Manning-less and his injury seems a touch more serious than Brady's - though all reports out of Indy say he will be fine for their first regular season game. But the offence has looked very impotent so far and that cannot all be attributed to the lack of Manning under centre. The worry for the Colts here is they are in a very tough division - arguably the toughest in the NFL. If they dont hit the ground running, their recent dominance could well be under threat, especially by the Jacksonville Jaguars

No doubting that Miami will get the headlines - for a team who only won 1 out of 16 regular season games last season (one of the worst records ever in NFL history) they have won 2 out of 3 preseason games and Chad Pennington seems to be doing well as new QB at the Fins. A shutout is always a fine effort in any NFL game and whilst the Chiefs arent the strongest of opposition, they arent the weakest either.

Amazingly, only the Detroit Lions have won all their preseason games so far - the Patriots, Browns and Bears are yet to pick up a win of any note so far also.

It should be noted that as said, the preseason games are more for testing out squad depth and making final cuts/tweaks to teams rosters than being a sign of what is to come. Still not nice seeing a L against your team name though....

Couple of big injury blows - the New York Giants have lost one of their key defensive men for the season after an injury sustained in the loss to the Jets - Osi Umenyiora needs knee surgery and this is huge as he was the leading sack getter for the Big Blue in their SB winning season last year. Expect the Giants to trade to cover this huge loss to their D

As well as high profile QB injuries to Brady (Patriots) and Manning (Colts), the Vikings still have injury concerns over their starting QB, Tavaris Jackson, while Derek Anderson of the Browns has still not been cleared to resume training following his concussion. On the other side of the coin, the QB's of the Eagles (McNabb) and Chargers (Rivers) seem to have overcome their own injury worries gained last year and both look set and healthy to lead their teams into battle.

Cincinatti big name WR Chad Johnson needs shoulder surgery but is refusing to have it, as he knows that will pretty much spell the end of his season also. How this impacts on his selection/performance remains to be seen, but expecy opposing defences to target his shoulder and show him no mercy if he does line up against them.

One more week of preseason action to go, the final rosters are announced, then we are underway.........!!!!!!!!

[TheShark72]

We move into the AFC, and start with the AFC East

AFC EAST DIVISION - Teams : New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets

Last Season :

1. New England Patriots 16-0 - Lost in Superbowl to N Y Giants
2. Buffalo Bills 7-9 - Didnt Qualify for Playoffs
3. New York Jets 4-12 - DNQ
4. Miami Dolphins 1-15 - DNQ

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

The Patriots were one game away from history last season, and many/most people still cannot believe they did not achieve NFL perfection and go through the whole season unbeaten and end up as World Champs. They broke countless records and will go down anyway as one of the most complete teams ever. But that was last season...what about this season? On offense, not much has changed - QB Tom Brady will still throw the ball about with alarming accuracy to his awesome WR corps which boasts the mercurial Randy Moss - they will run the ball to great effect when needed, mostly via Laurence Maroney, but ably assisted by a couple of good backup RB's, and will score points aplenty. But word is that Brady is struggling with a foot injury and the preseason has shown that nullify Brady, and you nullify alot of the Pats offense. Exactly how the Giants beat them. Also, there is no doubt they are not as string defensively, with age finally catching up with their excellent but aging Linebackers and Secondary. The Pats will still be the team to beat to win this years SB, but wont be as dominant this time around

Offensive Rating : 10/10 - as good as it gets IF Brady is fully fit
Defensive Rating : 8/10 - lower than last year

My Prediction :

Playoff football a certainty in New England again, but they have missed their chance to create NFL history.

BUFFALO BILLS

The Bills always seem to be so close to being a break out team, but cant get close to the Patriots and always have an achilles heel that ultimately restricts them from being a really good side. Traditionally a strong running team the current Bills are no exception, with stud RB Marshawn Lynch nailed on to be one of the leagues top rushers. The passing game remains weak though and while the Bills D will keep the opposition honest, they will end up somewhere around .500 again. Watch for this team relocating soon to Canada also...that will be massive news for the NFL and the Bills.

Offensive Rating : 6.5/10
Defensive Rating : 7/10

My Prediction : Not many teams will enjoy playing the Bills, but again their limitations will prevent them making the post season.

MIAMI DOLPHINS

As good as the Patriots were last season, the Dolphins were as bad. They truly were a shambles of an organisation - unlucky when they lost a hot Ronnie Brown (RB) to a season ending injury around week 6, and then serious problems in nigh on every other position possible. But every cloud has a silver one, and in the Dolphins case it was they had the number 1 draft pick which they wasted no time in using on the star collegiate QB Matt Ryan. He wont start for the Fins this year, that honour will go to newly acquired QB Chad Pennington, formerly of the Jets, but should become a franchise QB in time. The Fins also have back Ricky Williams, a one time superstar RB who was banned for drug abuse, but in no way can all the holes have been filled so quickly.

Offensive Rating : 4/10
Defensive Rating : 5/10

My Prediction : Better in Miami but many more losses to endure than wins to celebrate. Will be more competative though.

NEW YORK JETS

Every sentence about the Jets has the words "Brett Favre" in it - maybe rightly so. The Jets were a team plodding along - very limited with the occasional good performance. It is dubious that Favre can turn it around wholly by himself, but he does have some decent weapons at his disposal. Coles and Cotchery are two good WR's, whilst Thomas Jones has potential to be a good RB. Defensively they are adequate, but you just dont get the feeling about the Jets - plus Favre has one - two at most - seasons in him...what then?

Offensive Rating : 6/10
Defensive Rating : 5/10

My Prediction : Alot of attention to the New York Bretts, but not because of their winning record or playoff football. Fight with Miami to prop up the division only.

AFC EAST OVERALL

Nothing really to stop the Patriots here, unless Brady is out for a while and the Bills come good. Neither of those likely to happen big enough to prevent New England taking the division easily though, while the Bills will again chase them home but a fair few wins behind. The Jets and Dolphins will battle out the minor places but suffer more losses than wins.

1. Patriots
2. Bills
3. Dolphins
4. Jets

[TheShark72]

We plough on relentlessly as we go into the murky world of the AFC South

AFC SOUTH DIVISION - Teams : Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans

Last Season :

1. Indianapolis Colts 13-3 - Lost to San Diego in Divisional Playoffs
2. Jacksonville Jaguars 11-5 - Lost to New England in Divisional Playoffs
3. Tennessee Titans 10-6 - Lost to San Diego in Wildcard Game
4. Houston Texans 8-8 - DNQ

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

The Colts can count themselves pretty unlucky they have had the New England Patriots to deal with, as well as being in the AFC, as in pretty much any other era they would have more than the one Superbowl to their name in recent years and would have been the dominant force. They are still very strong, but the first signs of cracks have appeared on both sides of the ball. Peyton Manning is struggling to be fit for the start of the season, and long time stud WR Marvin Harrison is now getting on abit and coming off an injury riddled season. Indy still boast Reggie Wayne (WR), Joseph Addai (RB) and Dallas Clark at TE though as big go to guys - but as with New England, it is all dependant on Manning. The defense isnt what it was, and the Colts are in a very rough, tough division. You wouldnt back against them at this point, but you wouldnt back them with much confidence either.

Offensive Rating : 9.5/10
Defensive Rating : 8/10

My Prediction : First four or five games will be crucial for the Colts. They normally get off to a hot start...i just wonder if they can do it again. Will make the postseason....as divisional champs though?

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Could they be ready to displace the Colts atop the AFC South? They were close last season, and have lost nothing this season it seems. David Garrard at QB is one of the most consistent, dependable and durable QB's around, they have about the best RB committee, with Fred Taylor working so well in tandem with Maurice Jones-Drew...the WR corps isnt the best - no real deep threat here though plenty of short yardage gains to be had...but the Jags defense are where they really hurt teams - very physical, in your face and can stuff the run as well as nullify the pass. Head Coach Jack Del Rio has been very bullish about his teams chances this season and alot is expected of them - especially in piling on the pressure on a possibly creaking Colts. Definitely a team to watch.

Offensive Rating : 8.5/10
Defensive Rating : 9/10

My Prediction : Hard to predict they will topple the Colts, but if they get their noses in front they will be hard to displace. Again, first 4/5 games crucial, and the 2 games against the Colts will be huge.

TENNESSEE TITANS

You will watch the Titans one week and think "how do they ever lose"...then watch them another week and think "how do they ever win". Head Coach Jeff Fisher has built very much a team rather than a squad of individuals, although QB Vince Young has the potential to become of the NFL's premier QB's. Main RB for the Titans LenDale White is solid rather than spectacular, and again they have a Defense that gets the job done rather than wins games - they are especially good against the run though. Hard to quantify exactly where the Titans are at in their division...not as potent as the Colts or as powerful as the Jags....but not that far away either.

Offensive Rating : 7/10
Defensive Rating : 8/10

My Prediction : I think the Titans will fall short in the playoff race this year but will not be far away at all.

HOUSTON TEXANS

This relatively new franchise has done remarkably well to compete in this mother of all divisions...QB Matt Schaub is a highly talented player who has one of the leagues best WR's to pass to in Andre Johnson - though again Johnson is coming off an injury riddled season and needs to be back to full fitness to give the teams the yards and points they will expect from him. If, and it is a big if, the Texans can win a decent percentage of their divisional games, they could spring a surprise here, with a decent looking schedule. But with 3 such tough divisional opponents to contend with, it will probably be another creditable failure of a season.

Offensive Rating : 7/10
Defensive Rating : 7/10

My Prediction : Competative as always, but just not good enough. Yet.

AFC SOUTH OVERALL

Along with the NFC East the hardest division to predict. I may go out on a limb here and tip the Jags to pip the Colts to the division, with both the Titans and the Texans running them close - but this really could be perm any 2 of 4 for the playoffs...and even possibly like last season any 3 of 4.

1. Jaguars
2. Colts
3. Titans
4. Texans

[bennythedip2]

Great Post again Sharky........ ..

[TheShark72]

No thanks needed Benny.....but thanks mate

[TheShark72]

Days are ticking by fast now...so we continue on to....the AFC West

AFC WEST DIVISION - Teams : San Diego Chargers, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders

Last Season :

1. San Diego Chargers 11-5 - Lost in Conference Championship game to NE.
2. Denver Broncos 7-9 - DNQ
3. Kansas City Chiefs 4-12 - DNQ
4. Oakland Raiders 4-12 - DNQ

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

The Bolts are the standout team of this division - that hasnt always been the case, but at the moment have the other three teams in their wake. This is primarily down to them have THE best RB in the NFL in LaDanian Tomlinson. The guy has been a TD machine and churns out the yards season in season out. For how much longer we dont know, but LT is still to be feared and at times is just unplayable. The passing game is okay but not great - QB Phillip Rivers can be inconsistent but has now got a decent passing corps to throw to - most notably Chris Chambers at WR and Antonio Gates at TE. A big part of the Bolts success though comes from their excellent defense...measly against the run and the secondary is explosive - CB Antonio Cromartie always a threay when the ball is thrown in his direction and he returned many a INT for a TD last season - he even returned a missed Field Goal for a 119 yard TD...a record that can only ever be matched...never broken. Expect another good showing from the Chargers this season...how far it will carry them is questionable, but if they all stay healthy, this is a dangerous team

Offensive Rating : 9.5/10
Defensive Rating : 9/10

My Prediction - Playoff football a certainty again for SD by winning their division.

DENVER BRONCOS

Denver threaten much but have found it hard to deliver in recent seasons, but remain a very awkward opponent at times. They are a solid if unspectacular unit, with a habit of finding excellent young RB's that are the basis of their offence. They had one this year in Ryan Torain, but have lost him already to injury - this means that the running game will centre around Selvin Young...good but not great. QB Jay Cutler blows very hot and cold, with only really Brandon Marshall as a go-to WR - and he is suspended for a few games. Denver's defence is average...you cant see much happening for experienced HC Mike Shanahan as it stands at the moment.

Offensive Rating : 6.5/10
Defensive Rating : 6/10

My Prediction : Nothing doing for the Broncos this year...in pretty much any way.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

The Chiefs lost stud RB Larry Johnson to injury last season and boy did it show. Problems at QB, no real depth at RB, only Dwayne Bowe showed any real zip at WR, though Tony Gonzalez remains a good option at TE. The good news for the Chiefs is that Johnson appears to be back and fit - but whether he can turn a 4-12 team into a playoff challenging team is highly unlikely. The Chiefs seem to be a team regressing and entering transition - a 24-0 loss to the Dolphins preseason speaks volumes. Many people will be looking for the Cheifs game on the weekend slips and backing whichever team opposes them...it could be a successful ploy.

Offensive Rating : 6/10 - About 3 of those points for LJ alone!
Defensive Rating : 5/10

My Prediction : The Chiefs will need more Indians before they make any impact in their division.

OAKLAND RAIDERS

For a few years now the Silver n Black have had it pretty rough....but the signs are that they could be coming out of transition and starting to get back to competative ways. Rookie QB JaMarcus Russell shows signs of excellence, and they have picked up stud rookie RB sensation Darren McFadden to bolster an already decent RB committee. They have acquired Javon Walker at WR, who if he gets his head sorted out is a very good player and he and Ronald Curry will need to stay active to give Russell any chance of turning the Raiders around. The Defense is not so bad...but needs the offense to stay on the field and put some points on the board to keep them honest. They wont be good enough to get close to the Chargers yet, but could get closer to .500, which will be a decent bit of progress for one of the leagues worst sides over recent years.

Offensive Rating : 5/10 - but could be a 7 or 8 if these rookies click and quick.
Defensive Rating : 5.5/10

My Prediction : Could slide past the Chiefs into 3rd place in the division and take a step forward from the horrors of previous seasons.

AFC WEST OVERALL

LT and the Chargers have this pretty weak division at their mercy and should stroll it by 3 or 4 games. Denver will have their moments, while the Raiders should improve, but the Chiefs could well be this seasons Miami if they are not careful.

1. Chargers
2. Broncos
3. Raiders
4. Chiefs

[TheShark72]

Last, and certainly not least, the AFC North

AFC NORTH DIVISION - Teams : Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Cincinatti Bengals, Baltimore Ravens

Last Season :

1. Pittsburgh Steelers 10-6 - Lost to NE Patriots in Divisional Playoff game
2. Cleveland Browns 10-6 - DNQ
3. Cincinatti Bengals 7-9 - DNQ
4. Baltimore Ravens 5-11 - DNQ

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Alot of the pieces are in place for the Steelers....a top notch young versatile QB in "Big" Ben Roethlisberger, an excellent experienced RB in Willie Parker with a young rookie star of the future RB backing him up in Rashard Mendenhall - a talented WR corps that includes short gain/safe hands Hines Ward and genuine deep threat in Santonio Holmes, and a very good aggressive defence that stuffs the run and protects the pass. But there seems to be something missing, that no one can quite put their finger on with the Steelers, that stops them from becoming a consistent playoff losing team to a franchise team of its generation. HC Mike Tomlin will be hoping he can find the solution that corrects the fact that this historical giant of a team has made only 2 Superbowl apperances since the glory days of the Steel Curtain teams of the 70's. A rough looking schedule may hinder them this season.

Offensive Rating : 9/10
Defensive Rating : 9/10

My Prediction : Will win more than they lose, and should make the postseason, but i fear (again) they will find two or three better than them in the AFC

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Cleveland were a team going nowhere fast until a stunning 51-45 win over the Bengals ignited their season, and Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards suddenly became the NFL's hottest QB/WR duo - well, one of them anyway. The Browns missed out on the playoffs by the narrowest of margins but were widely lauded for their efforts and spectacular offensive play. The question is, was it a one-off or are they the real thing? Opinion seems to be divided, and its been recognised that the Browns starting line up is ultra competative...but is there the strength in depth. Derek Anderson seems to be recovering from a preseason concussion and RB Jamal Lewis is healthy also. They have focused on their flimsy defence in the close season and strengthened it....but they also have a very rough schedule ahead of them and will need a good start to make an impact like last season. Should still be fun watching the Browns...but expectations need to be kept in check for a while.

Offensive Rating : 9/10 (when all fit)
Defensive Rating : 7/10

My Prediction : Some big scores again for Browns games, but i cant see them making the postseason.

CINCINATTI BENGALS

Another team with a spectacular passing offense that can put points on the board very quickly almost at will, with Carson Palmer firing bullets to stud WR's Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmanzadeh - but Chad Johnson has injury concerns and TJ Housh hasnt made a pre season appearance as yet. The Tigers running game is stuttery at best, though potentially good with Rudi Johnson getting the carries - but behind a flimsy offensive line there aint much there. The defense is worse, allowing teams to run and pass on them at will, and it is here that really scuppers the Bengals chances. Like the Browns they will be involved in some cricket score games, but unless they can stop teams from getting into the endzone, they will be on the wrong end of most of them

Offensive Rating : 8.5/10
Defensive Rating : 5/10

My Prediction : Same as Cleveland.

BALTIMORE RAVENS

The Ravens won the Superbowl a few years ago on the back of a stifling defense that was almost impossible to break down. The legacy of that all time Defense lives on in Baltimore, though the current D is not at the same level. The problem with the current Ravens however is on the other side of the ball....and hugely stuttering offense that relies heavily on the talents of young RB Willis McGahee, but he is currently injured and even if he wasnt, its still very hard work otherwise. QB Kyle Boller struggles to find his receivers, and when he does, its often not for much yardage at all. Until the Ravens can find a way to put points on the board, they arent gonna win many games.

Offensive Rating : 5/10 (McGahee, when fit, apart)
Defensive Rating : 8/10

My Prediction : Another season of struggle for the Ravens.

AFC NORTH OVERALL :

The Steelers should prevail again here, though how easy/hard it is to win the division i feel rests in their own hands. The frailties of the Browns and Bengals are there for all to see, and in a season where they face off against the NFC East teams as well as their own division, a winning season could be beyond them. The Ravens looked to have seriously clipped wings at the moment..its Pittsburgh's for the taking.

1. Steelers
2. Bengals
3. Browns
4. Ravens

[TheShark72]

NFL live on Sky Sports
Bet £10 and get £40 free.

NY Giants: kick-off Sky's live coverage

Sky Sports and NFL UK today announced the first live televised matches for the 2008-2009 NFL season.

Each week, gridiron fans will be able to watch up to five Sunday night games and one 'Monday Night Football' game.

Coverage also includes every game live from the playoffs, Super Bowl XLIII and the second International Series match at Wembley Stadium between San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints in October.

The coverage for the 2008-2009 NFL season on Sky Sports comprises:

SUNDAY - Live Sunday evening 'triple-headers' throughout the regular season

MONDAY - Live HD 'Monday Night Football' each week

INTERACTIVE - Two extra live Sunday night regular season games via the red button

PLAY-OFFS - Every game exclusively live from the post-season

SUPER BOWL - Live HD coverage of the big game from Tampa on 1 February 2009

WEMBLEY GAME - Live HD coverage of the San Diego Chargers against New Orleans Saints

EXTRA MATCHES - Pro Bowl, Thanksgiving Day, Thursday and Saturday night matches live

SUPPORT - 'NFL Total Access' six nights a week; 'NFL Gameday' and 'NFL Top 10' each week, plus 'America's Game' Super Bowl series

Coverage will be presented by Kevin Cadle and Nick Halling, who will be joined by a host of studio guests throughout the season.

Karl Baumann, Sky Sports' producer for American Football, said: "There are some fantastic match-ups this year and with up to five live matches each Sunday, plus our great range of support programming, gridiron fans across the UK and Ireland will have unrivalled choice throughout the regular and post-season."

Sky Sports' regular season coverage begins with the annual NFL 'Kick-off' match between Super Bowl champions New York Giants and Washington Redskins on Thursday 4 September.

Throughout the regular season a 'triple-header' of live games will be screened from 6pm with an additional two games available (6pm and 9pm) on the interactive service activated by pressing the red button on the Sky digital remote.

These games are part of our enhanced coverage each Sunday, which will include rolling highlights and match stats plus live scores from around the league for those with Sky digital.

Monday Night Football, featuring the NFL's popular commentary duo of Al Michaels and John Madden, will feature each week commencing on Monday 8 September.

Sky Sports will also show live coverage of the three 'Thanksgiving Day' matches in November, additional games scheduled on Thursday and Saturday nights plus the all-star Pro Bowl match in Hawaii one week after the Super Bowl.

Viewers will also be able to enjoy every playoff match exclusively live together with live high definition coverage of Super Bowl XLIII, which this season will be played at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on 1 February 2009.

For those that wish to keep up to date on daily news, views and analysis, Sky will be screening an expanded extensive support programming including 'NFL Total Access' six nights a week, plus weekly shows including 'NFL Gameday' and 'NFL Top 10', as well as the 'America's Game' Super Bowl documentary series.

Sky Sports' NFL live fixtures

WEEK ONE

Thursday 4 Sept
Washington Redskins @ New York Giants
12.00am

Sunday 7 Sept
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints
6.00pm


Sunday 7 Sept
New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins
6.00pm i


Sunday 7 Sept
Dallas Cowboys @ Cleveland Browns
9.00pm

Sunday 7 Sept
Carolina Panthers @ San Diego Chargers
9.00pm i


Sunday 7 Sept
Chicago Bears @ Indianapolis Colts
1.00am

Monday 8 Sept
Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers
12.00am

Monday 8 Sept
Denver Broncos @ Oakland Raiders
3.00am

WEEK TWO

Sunday 14 Sept
Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions
6.00pm

Sunday 14 Sept
Indianapolis Colts @ Minnesota Vikings
6.00pm i

Sunday 14 Sept
New England Patriots @ New York Jets
9.00pm

Sunday 14 Sept
San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos
9.00pm i

Sunday 14 Sept
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns
1.00am

Sunday 14 Sept
Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys
1.30am

WEEK THREE

Sunday 21 Sept
Cincinnati Bengals @ New York Giants
6.00pm

Sunday 21 Sept
Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans
6.00pm i

Sunday 21 Sept
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts
9.00pm

Sunday 21 Sept
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Philadelphia Eagles
9.00pm i

Sunday 21 Sept
Dallas Cowboys @ Green Bay Packers
1.00am

Sunday 21 Sept
New York Jets @ San Diego Chargers
1.30am

WEEK FOUR

Sunday 28 Sept
Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals
6.00pm

Sunday 28 Sept
San Francisco 49ers @ New Orleans Saints
6.00pm i

Sunday 28 Sept
Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys
9.00pm

Sunday 28 Sept
Buffalo Bills @ St Louis Rams
9.00pm i

Sunday 28 Sept
Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears
1.00am

Sunday 28 Sept
Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers
1.30am

[TheShark72]

OK, Now I have reviewed all 8 divisions and predicted pretty much who I believe will qualify for the end of season playoffs, its now time to seek out the value in the antepost market for the Superbowl and Conference Championships.

Here is the updated market prices (Laddies)

New England Patriots 5/2
Indianapolis Colts 7/1
Dallas Cowboys 15/2
San Diego Chargers 8/1
Jacksonville Jaguars 14/1
New Orleans Saints 20/1
Philadelphia Eagles 20/1
New York Giants 22/1
Minnesota Vikings 25/1
Pittsburgh Steelers 25/1
Seattle Seahawks 25/1
Cleveland Browns 33/1
Green Bay Packers 33/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 33/1
Carolina Panthers 40/1
Denver Broncos 40/1
Tennessee Titans 40/1
Washington Redskins 40/1
Arizona Cardinals 50/1
Chicago Bears 50/1
Cincinnati Bengals 50/1
Detroit Lions 66/1
Houston Texans 66/1
New York Jets 66/1
Baltimore Ravens 80/1
St Louis Rams 80/1
Buffalo Bills 100/1
Kansas City Chiefs 100/1
Oakland Raiders 100/1
San Francisco 49ers 100/1
Atlanta Falcons 200/1
Miami Dolphins 200/1

It is interesting to note that Dallas have shortened a few points since the last show and they are the only NFC team in the top 5 of the betting market, although the NFC is well represented thereafter.

Value here is still Minnesota Vikings e/w at 25/1. E/W bet in the Superbowl market is 1/2 the odds first two, so basically you are getting 12.5/1 on the Vikings just getting to the SB - or essentially being the NFC representative in the SB. Ladbrokes do run a market to win the Conference, and in this market the Vikings are 10/1 behind the Cowboys (10/3), Saints/Giants/Eagles (all 9/1). If you win the Conference you are in the SB, in which case our bet would stand up at a minimum of 12.5/1, and as I have reviewed, the Vikings are looking mighty good this season behind an excellent Defense and offensive running game.

There is no doubt that the Patriots remain the best all round team in the NFL, but they do have injury problems for the start of the season, have lost all 4 preseason games, and are no value at 5/2. Indianapolis are better value at 7/1, but again I would like to see their offense back to full fitness before tipping them with confidence - they also would need home field advantage in the playoffs as they play indoors, whereas all of their main rivals are outdoor field teams - and in January this can often mean wet/cold/snowy conditions which do not suit the Colts and have hamstrung their SB chances before. I would like the 14/1 on the Jaguars alot if they were not in such a rough division, so I will tip up the 8/1 San Diego Chargers for winning the big dance. Only New England stood between the Bolts and a SB appearance last season, which included a win over the Colts in the round before for the Chargers. They have a great Defense, an all pro RB in LaDainian Tomlinson, a much improved WR corps and, when fit, a stud TE. If Phillip Rivers can guide the passing game accurately to take advantage of teams intent on stopping the run of LT, the Chargers will have it all.

For a couple of outside bets, I would look at New Orleans Saints (20/1), Pittsburgh Steelers (25/1) and Arizona Cardinals at 50/1. All these teams are very potent on offense and, certainly in the case of the Steelers, no mugs on defense.

Laddies, amongst many other markets, are also offering antepost odds on teams just to make the playoffs. There is a treble here that has really caught my eye, which to me looks terrific value :

Vikings EVS
Jaguars EVS
Steelers 8/11

By my reckoning that pays about 6/7 to 1 on the accumulator, just for the teams to make the playoffs alone. With the Steelers and Vikings highly likely to win their respective divisions, it means the Jaguars will either need to finish above Indianapolis or, in all likelihood, have the next or second best record after the records of the Patriots, Colts, Steelers and Chargers, which should be very attainable.

So overall, my tips are :

San Diego Chargers 4 pts win SB @ 8/1
Minnesota Vikings 2 pts E/W win SB @ 25/1
Pittsburgh Steelers 1 pt E/W win SB @ 25/1

5 pts accumulator on Minnesota, Jacksonville and Pittsburgh to make the playoffs at (ish) 7/1

Dont forget the weekly individual game lines and handicaps, and we'll look at Week 1 games of the Regular season next week.

HAIL TO THE REDSKINS!!!!!