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10/09/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - At this very moment, they're obsessing about the running back situation in Tampa Bay.
In the wake of a serious ankle injury suffered by Michael Pittman in Sunday's 33-14 loss to Indianapolis, fans are scanning the free agent wire, dreaming up intricate trade scenarios, making panic-stricken calls to local radio talk show hosts.
Media types are pointing to Pittman's injury, drawing a line from it to previous season-enders suffered by Cadillac Williams and Mike Alstott, and trotting out their doomsday scenarios.
Easy there.
Since when was this the Ground Chuck offense? Heck, this running game hasn't even run with anything resembling Martyball efficiency since Warrick Dunn left town.
Pittman was a nice third-down back who had proven long before he reached his current age of 32 that he couldn't deliver as an every-down player.
Williams had not seemed to regain his 2005 Rookie of the Year form at any point before tearing his ACL against Carolina in Week 4.
Alstott, whose career is likely over due to a neck problem, was never much of a factor in Gruden's offense anyway.
The offensive line that all of these backs would have run behind is a young, thin, work in progress.
So let's not pretend that the Buccaneers were ever going to ride their running game to a division crown and playoff glory. The situation for Tampa Bay remains the same as it ever was, and the fortunes for the 2007 edition of this team will continue to be about three similar-sounding words: Defense, defense, and defense.
It was that side of the ball that got Tampa Bay to 3-1 in the first place, and it is the department run by legendary coordinator Monte Kiffin that will need to play up to its dominant capabilities if the Bucs are to win the division, which frankly, they still should.
To be certain, the Buccaneers defense was not a strength in Sunday's loss, but that's no big deal.
Because you can't pressure him, Peyton Manning (29-of-37, 237 yards, 2 TD) carves up the Cover-2. Always has, always will. Gruden's team is not going to see another quarterback with anything resembling his skill set for the rest of 2007, so they can put their Week 5 loss away. The 121 rushing yards and two touchdowns someone named Kenton Keith rumbled for against the defense were simply a by-product of the focus on Manning and the passing game. Former Hardcastle and McCormick star Brian Keith could have run for 121 under those circumstances.
Moving forward, the defense will look more like the one that had its way with the Saints, Rams, and Panthers, than the one that struggled in Indianapolis.
Thanks to Manning, the Tampa Bay offense only had the ball for 21-plus minutes in Week 5, so you can't use that game as evidence that the lack of a running game has sunk the Buccaneers. Earnest Graham, who will now become the every- down ball-carrier, only got six carries (totaling 11 yards) because the Bucs fell into a 13-0 hole and were forced to try to pass their way out. Quarterback Jeff Garcia couldn't match Manning's production (who could?) but was an efficient 18-of-23 for 143 yards and capped off a couple of long drives with TD passes.
There is every reason to expect that this offense will run at a capable level over the next 11 games, even if it fails to score in bunches.
And let's face it, 9-7 will be enough to win an NFC South title in 2007, so it's not as if the Buccaneers (3-2) have to win out. New Orleans can't get out of its own way offensively, Carolina just turned its season over to the immortal David Carr, and Atlanta is quite possibly the worst team in the NFL.
Even if it's by default, the Buccaneers are still the team to beat in this division.
In other words, Bucs fans, you can come in off the ledge. Leeman Bennett is not coming back to town, and your prospects for '07 remain very much intact.
THE NEW NO. 2
The Buccaneers are expected to make a move to obtain a veteran back later this week, but until that player can learn the offense, the top two players on the depth chart at the position will be Graham and rookie Kenneth Darby.
Darby has made a meteoric and somewhat unlikely rise to prominence after being released when the team made its final cuts Sept. 1. Shortly after being dumped, the 2007 seventh-round draft pick out of Alabama was signed to the practice squad. He was moved to the 53-man roster after Williams was injured against the Panthers, and was active but did not play against Indianapolis last Sunday.
Darby, a 5-foot-10, 211-pound runner, received extensive action in the preseason when he posted team-highs in carries (33), yards (135), and rushing touchdowns (1). Darby also caught five passes for 36 yards out of the backfield.
The Huntsville, AL native is the third player in Alabama history to rush for more than 3,000 yards in a career (3,324), joining Shaun Alexander (3,565 yards, 1996-99) and Bobby Humphrey (3,420 yards, 1985-88).
STILL NO PICKS
Garcia couldn't lead the Bucs to a win on Sunday, but did manage to go interception-free for the eighth consecutive game dating back to last season. Garcia last threw a pick on Christmas night 2006, in a win for the Eagles over the Cowboys.
Of NFL quarterbacks to start every game for their team this season, only Garcia and Jacksonville's David Garrard have yet to fire an INT.
In his past two seasons, including a pair of playoff games, Garcia has 16 touchdown passes against just two interceptions.
NEXT UP: TENNESSEE
The Buccaneers will return home this week to try to get well against Vince Young and the 3-1 Tennessee Titans.
The Titans have a 7-1 edge in the all-time series with the Buccaneers, including a 33-13 home win when the teams last met, in 2003. Tennessee also won the most recent meeting between the squads in Tampa Bay, a 31-22 victory in 1998. The Bucs are 0-5 in the series since scoring their only win, at home against the then-Houston Oilers, in 1983.
Titans head coach Jeff Fisher is 4-0 in his career against the Buccaneers. The Buccaneers' Gruden is 0-3 all-time against both Fisher and Tennessee, including an 0-2 mark while with Oakland (1998-2001).
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Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Reed Sorenson and the No.41 Target Chip
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The car was found in violation of
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If so, the hit song "Nowhere to Run" would have been a per
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hockey it doesn't take long for Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin's names
to come up in the conversation.
However, if Paul Stastny of the Colorado Avalanche is able
<< John Henry - Thoroughbred
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Bills collapse in primetime fashion >>
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against the unbeaten Dallas Cowboys this past Monday night, but still found a
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The Bills blew second-half leads of 17-7 and 24-13 t
New Orleans fails to halt skid, falls to 0-4 >>
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Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
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24:47 edge in time of possession, and accumulated 341 total net
Patriots' mettle called into question again >>
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MySportsbook.com Favors Fighting Irish to win College Football betting odds
According to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, on January 8, the Fighting Irish faithful may be toasting their 14th national title in Arizona – Notre Dame’s first national championship in close to 20 years.
Although MySportsbook.com has listed Notre Dame as the 5-1 favorite to win thecollege football College Football betting, fans in Columbus do not need to cancel their tickets to Glendale just yet. The Ohio State Buckeyes, listed right behind the Irish at 7-1, are also heavy favorites to win college football’s most coveted prize, while West Virginia, USC and the 2007 National Champion Texas Longhorns - all listed at 8-1 – are strong contenders as well.
MySportsbook.com has also posted gambling odds on the conference championships for the ACC, Big 12 and SEC. In the ACC – it could be anyone’s title, particularly for the two schools from the Sunshine State. Florida State and Miami, both listed at 2-1, are favored to win the ACC Championship Game odds, with the ‘Noles hoping to finish in the nation’s top 10 for the first time in five years, and the ‘Canes looking to avenge their 10-7 loss against FSU in last year’s ACC Championship betting.
Moving west to the Big 12, MySportsbook.com has betting lines listing Texas as 7-5 favorites to repeat as conference champions, even though the Longhorns lost their national championship-winning quarterback Vince Young to the NFL. In the south, the Auburn Tigers – led by Heisman-hopeful senior running back Kenny Irons – have been given the best odds to win the SEC Championship odds at 5-2.
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5-1 7-1 8-1 8-1 8-1 12-1 15-1 15-1 18-1 20-1 20-1 20-1 20-1 20-1 25-1 40-1 40-1 50-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 70-1 70-1 100-1 100-1 100-1 100-1 100-1 150-1 200-1 200-1 200-1 200-1 200-1 250-1 250-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 300-1 400-1 500-1 500-1 500-1 500-1 1000-1 1000-1 40-1 |
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2-1 2-1 3-1 7-1 15-1 15-1 15-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 50-1 500-1 |
| Texas Oklahoma Nebraska Texas Tech Colorado Iowa State Texas A&M Kansas State Missouri Kansas Baylor Oklahoma State |
7-5 9-5 9-2 12-1 14-1 15-1 15-1 30-1 30-1 35-1 100-1 100-1 |
| Auburn Florida LSU Georgia Tennessee Arkansas Alabama Mississippi South Carolina Mississippi State Kentucky Vanderbilt |
5-2 11-4 4-1 6-1 7-1 7-1 9-1 20-1 28-1 75-1 100-1 300-1 |
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Brandon Roy Favorite to Win 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year
Portland TrailBlazer’s guard, Brandon Roy, is MySportsbook.com’s overwhelming favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year odds.
Despite missing 20 games due to an injury earlier this season, Roy has definitely put up the best numbers of his 1st year peers. In 32 games, Roy is averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.2 boards and 3.5 assists in over 33 minutes of play per game. While most rookies breakdown as the season progresses (see Morrison), Roy is only getting stronger as his playing time and scoring average has increased each month.
With 30 or so games left in the regular season, Roy isn’t a lock for the award by any means. Other rookies are putting together some pretty impressive campaigns and a few could give Roy a run for the award with increased playing time. Heading the list is first pick, Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors. Even though he has started only two games all season, Bargnani is averaging 10.3 PPPG while shooting 35% from deep.
Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves could be set to give Roy the best competition NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines. With the benching of Mike James, Foye looks like he could be the starter in the T-Wolves backcourt for the rest of the season. So far, Foye has averaged 9 PPG and 2.4 assists in just under 21 minutes per game. With his new role of starter, Foye’s numbers will definitely increase. In his first game as the new starting guard this past Sunday, Foye had 10 points; five rebounds and 8 assists. More importantly, he logged 34 minutes of playing time; his third highest run of the season.
Adam Morrison, of the Charlotte Bobcats, was the favorite early on in the season after averaging 15+ PPG through the first month of the season. Ever since his torrid start, Morrison’s point production has declined each month. This really isn’t surprising, considering at 6’8” he only weighs 205 lbs. Obviously he will need to hit the weights big time during the off-season in order to keep from breaking down in the future.
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