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01/12/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While fans of the Dallas Cowboys may be giddy beyond belief over their team's remarkable string of success during the last few weeks, the media world likely doesn't share their exuberance.
After all, what's there to write or talk about now following the suddenly- resurgent Cowboys' emphatic -- and most essential -- victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs this past Saturday? The high- profile franchise's 13-year postseason drought isn't a topic of discussion anymore, and no longer can anyone claim that the much-maligned combo of head coach Wade Phillips and quarterback Tony Romo can't win a big game. And the non-stop turmoil and soap-opera storylines long associated with the self- proclaimed "America's Team" are now a thing of the past as well, thanks to a renewed offseason commitment to developing locker-room chemistry.
There's still the matter of Phillips' long-term future that's open to speculation, but even that now seems relatively clear-cut following Saturday's 34-14 dismantling of the Eagles, Dallas' second one-sided win over its longtime rivals in less than a week. Although team owner Jerry Jones has yet to officially pick up the option he holds on Phillips' contract for the 2010 campaign, the chances of the organization making an impulsive coaching change that would potentially upset the team's obvious harmony appear to be about the same as Babe Laufenberg or Quincy Carter displacing Romo under center next season.
The recent performance of a defense that Phillips personally oversees has helped further cement the easy-going sideline boss' status for next year and beyond. The unit has been a stone wall over the course of the Cowboys' current four-game winning streak, in which the club has yielded a minuscule 31 total points and posted a pair of shutouts.
Dallas was at its swarming best on that side of the ball on Saturday, forcing four Philadelphia turnovers and relentlessly harassing veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb into a second straight subpar showing. The Eagles mustered just 140 total yards in falling behind by a 27-7 score at halftime, and more than half of that amount came on a 76-yard touchdown pass from backup triggerman Michael Vick to wide receiver Jeremy Maclin on a play where Cowboys corner Mike Jenkins lost his balance and fell down in one-on-one coverage.
The Cowboys sacked McNabb four times, with All-Pro outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware notching two of those takedowns, while holding Philadelphia to just 56 rushing yards and an anemic 2-for-13 conversion rate on third and fourth downs.
Such impressive numbers have been par for the course for Dallas during this four-game tear, which began with a seven-point win over then-unbeaten New Orleans on December 19 and also includes a 24-0 rout of the Eagles in the regular-season finale. The Cowboys have surrendered a mere 50.3 rushing yards during that stretch, while opponents have been successful on just 22.7 percent (10-of-44) of third-down opportunities on the defense.
"Right now there's not any weak points on our defense, and there's not any weak points on our offense," said Ware. "When you can bring all the talent together and play really well like we're playing right now, if we can play a [strong] fundamental game like we did these last two games -- actually since the New Orleans Saints game -- it's going to be really good."
KING FELIX
The Dallas offense certainly did its part as well in the team's first playoff victory since 1996. The Cowboys piled up 426 total yards and made good on 9- of-16 third-down tries, with Romo -- who entered the contest with an 0-2 record and a mediocre 75.8 quarterback rating in the postseason -- completing a solid 23-of-35 throws for 244 yards and two touchdowns in a turnover-free display.
The star of the show, however, turned out to be second-year running back Felix Jones. The 2008 first-round pick scorched the Eagles for 148 yards on 16 carries and put to rest any comeback hopes by ripping off a dazzling 73-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, the longest in the Cowboys' storied postseason history.
"You can see any time he gets out in the open field, it's a chance to make a big play," said Phillips. "He made one last week against [Philadelphia] and then this week again. He's prolific as far as making big plays."
Jones had a 49-yard scoring burst to put the finishing touches on Dallas' Week 17 win over the Eagles and added a 30-yard reception on the opening drive of Saturday's matchup. His stellar outing in the rematch was the third-highest rushing total for a Dallas player in a playoff game, eclipsed only by legends Tony Dorsett (160 yards vs. Los Angeles Rams in 1980) and Emmitt Smith (150 yards vs. Green Bay in 1995).
The Cowboys ran for a bountiful 196 yards as a team on Saturday, with Jones and usual third-stringer Tashard Choice (14 rushes, 42 yards) doing most of the damage with leading rusher Marion Barber hobbled by a bruised left knee that limited him to four yards on three attempts.
QUICK HITS
- Phillips had been 0-4 in the postseason prior to Saturday's breakthrough, having lost AFC Wild Card tests in stops at Denver and Buffalo (twice) in addition to Dallas' 21-17 defeat to the New York Giants in a 2007 NFC Divisional Playoff.
- The Cowboys scored 27 points over five consecutive drives in the second quarter, the team's highest output in a single period in postseason history.
- Rookie tight end John Phillips (no relation to the head coach) scored the first of those points by snaring a one-yard toss from Romo in the opening minute of the second quarter. The blocking specialist had just seven catches totaling 62 yards and no scores during the regular season.
- The announced crowd of 92,951 in the first playoff game at the new Cowboys Stadium was the largest in NFL annals for a postseason contest other than the Super Bowl.
INJURY REPORT
Right offensive tackle Marc Colombo, out since breaking his right leg and suffering a high ankle sprain in a November 15 loss at Green Bay, returned to his customary spot in the starting lineup for Saturday's tilt. The steady eighth-year pro was able to make it through the entire game without incident, although he admitted experiencing some rust from the lengthy layoff.
Choice, who sustained a mild concussion in the regular-season finale, left Saturday's game in the fourth quarter after feeling a bit woozy from a hard hit. The Cowboys will monitor his situation closely in the days leading up to this weekend's clash with Minnesota in the Divisional Round.
Head coach Wade Phillips wasn't overly concerned about Barber's sore knee when asked following Saturday's win, and the physical back should be good to go for the Minnesota game barring any setbacks.
Reserve safety Pat Watkins was inactive for a fourth straight game due to a sprained left knee. The core special teamer was able to put in full practices on Thursday and Friday, however, and could be back this week.
NEXT UP
With their postseason jinx now behind them, the Cowboys will now focus at attempting to reach their first NFC Championship Game since the 1995 season in this Sunday's Divisional showdown with Minnesota from the Metrodome. The task won't be an easy one, however, as the second-seeded Vikings went 8-0 at home during the regular season and won five of those games by double-digit points, including a 44-7 thrashing over the New York Giants in the Week 17 finale.
Dallas will also be vying to end a long winless streak at the Metrodome, a venue where the Cowboys haven't won in since a 23-17 overtime decision on September 17, 1995. Minnesota has defeated Dallas three straight times in its home building, including a 27-10 verdict in an NFC Wild Card encounter during the 1999 season.
These teams have faced one another in the playoffs a total of six times, with that above-mentioned meeting at the Metrodome the most recent of those bouts.
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In the end, Eagles simply couldn't match up with the big boys >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The calls to the local sports radio programs were both loud
and prevalent in the wake of the Philadelphia Eagles' 34-14 loss to the Dallas
Cowboys in Saturday's NFC Wild Card Playoffs. And the general message was a
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Ravens make big statement with first-round victory >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Walking into Gillette Stadium to face the New England
Patriots this past Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens must have felt like Dorothy
approaching the Wizard of Oz.
Scary? Check.
Intimidating? Check.
But unlike the red-sh
Two playoff teams from 2007 take center stage on the NFL Network Sunday night in a Week 2 NFL betting match-up when the (0-1) New England Patriots betting head south to Florida for a contest with the (1-0) Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
New England HC Bill Belichick couldn’t care less about the way his team plays in the preseason. With a chance to tie last week’s game with the Baltimore Ravens betting, He elected to go for the two-point conversion and outright victory. The conversion failed, and the Pats ended up falling to the Ravens by a 16-15 final count.
New England rolled off twelve unanswered points to give it a chance at securing the victory, but it never threatened to cover the 3.5-point spread. NFL bettors saw this one coming, as they bet the Ravens down from +6 to +3.5 as the week progressed. QB Tom Brady didn’t take part in the Patriots first preseason clash, but could see action this weekend.
His three replacements all put up embarrassing numbers. They went a combined 17 for 33, and threw three interceptions and no touchdowns. The New England defense was encouraging, as they held the Ravens to 2/12 third down conversions and surrendered just ten first downs. That ‘D’ should be bolstered with the addition of former Bucs and Denver Broncos betting safety John Lynch, who could make his Patriots debut on Sunday against his former mates.
HC Jon Gruden had to be impressed with the way his Bucs played on both sides of the ball in their dominating 17-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 1’s NFL pre-season betting action. Bucs bettors were quite happy with the effort, as they made a mockery of the fact that they were underdogs in the game.
The logjam at the quarterback position didn’t get any easier to separate for Gruden, as all four of his QBs had positive experiences in the first exhibition of 2008. The four combined to complete 28 of their 40 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown, and that was without starting QB Jeff Garcia in the lineup.
RB Michael Bennett had 19 carries and four receptions, totaling 90 yards and a touchdown. Expect to see more of Bennett, Kenneth Darby, and Earnest Graham, as they all compete for playing time with Warrick Dunn in the backfield this season. Defensively, the Bucs recorded four sacks and held the Fins offense in check all day.
First round draft pick Aqib Talib was impressive in the secondary, recording a tackle and two pass defenses in his debut. Don’t be surprised to see Talib in the starting lineup opposite Ronde Barber for the Bucs in ’08.
The betting trends suggest that NFL bettors should be backing the Bucs in this intra-conference exhibition.
These two teams hooked up last year in Tampa Bay, with the Bucs winning that game 13-10. The Buccaneers have only lost one preseason game at home dating back to the beginning of the ’05 preseason. The Patriots have had a mixed bag of results in their recent exhibitions. They have gone 2-2 ATS and SU each of the last three years.
New England currently sits as modest 1-point favorites in this preseason showdown with the ‘total’ now sitting at 34.5.
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American Idol odds : Blake Lewis the Early Standout
An important American Idol betting lines recap from February 20 Guys episode. The 12 men came out flat overall with Blake Lewis appearing to have the early edge after the first hour and a half.
Rudy - was quite good singing "Free Ride" to start off. Randy was not impressed though. Paula thought he started off fantastic. "Never had anyone stop off so lively" said Paula but Simon (who does not like Rudy) does not feel he has a distinct voice and was not impressed either.
Brandon was a little pitchy according to Randy and Paula agreed. Simon said he was a good singer but the song was "too safe" and he needs to make an impact. He was listed at +1200 odds or $1200 paid out on a $100 bet should he win the competition.
Big favorite Sundance came in with a flat version of "Knights in White Satin" and the judges let him have it, including Paula. Randy claimed the song was out of pitch throughout.
Korean American - and a Jenny Woo favorite - Paul Kim was up next. Another pitchy flat one but Randy said he still liked his potential. Kim at +3000 odds was said to have sung a "third rate version of that (George Michael) song" according to Simon Cowell. He sang "Careless Whisper".
22 year old Chris Richardson was up next. He was listed with +1100 odds coming in. He got the best response from the judges though Simon did not believe the vocal was that great.
Nick was boring and pitchy. Simon didn't think he was that bad though and predicted he would be back next week. Nick Pedro was a big +3000 dog coming into this competition.
Beat boxer Blake Lewis was listed with early +1000 odds or $1000 payout on a $100 bet if he were to become the next American Idol winner odds . These of course were the early odds. He was considered original for picking an "odd song". He did not beat box and the judges felt it was the best vocal of the night.
Sanjaya came in as the second biggest favorite after Chris Sligh but his performance Tuesday night was not very good.
Chris Sleigh was the early favorite at +450 odds. Great voice and a great sense of humor. He's a real standout. Randy felt it was on point but maybe ahead of the chorus a little bit. Simon Cowell said he felt like he was in some "sort of weird student gig".
Jared Cotter followed. He was listed with +2000 odds early on to win the competition. The judges felt he needs to take more risks but looked good.
22-year old AJ Talbado, who has tried out for American Idol five times, was up next. "Kind of a theme park performance" said Simon. Though the judges felt he performed okay. Simon did feel AJ might be better than he originally thought.
Phil - this season's military favorite - came into this competition with +1200 odds to win the competition. He was the last to perform. He was certainly strong enough to get through this stage of the competition and perhaps the best one after a shaky start.
Tomorrow night, the ladies perform and I sure hope they do a better job than the boys. Check out all the American Idol betting odds here.
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