AFC Betting In-Game Notes
By Teddy Covers
Teddy watches the games typing furiously on his laptop while giving you the key info that the box scores and game recaps simply don’t have. This week: AFC tidbits from Week 6.
Denver Broncos
For the first time all season, the Broncos ran the football as much as they threw it today. While the running game didn't produce big gains in bunches, it gave the offense much needed balance on a day where Kyle Orton struggled to find open receivers.
Tim Tebow worked his way into the offense this week, scoring his first NFL TD and making Denver a much tougher team to stop in the red zone. They ran plays for Tebow behind center, and they lined him in the backfield as a running back behind Orton.
Lo and behold, they didn’t settle for a single red zone field goal try this week, while pounding in a pair of TDs.
Cleveland Browns
Rookie cornerback Joe Haden is paying dividends, with a wild 60 yard interception return that clearly showed his playmaking ability. There’s no question that this secondary has improved from where it was last year. They had one bad drive today, allowing a couple of long passes and a Steelers TD, but that was the exception, not the rule.
Colt McCoy got several of his receivers absolutely crushed by defensive hits; leaving them exposed with poor throws into coverage. He did get better as the game progressed; not always the case with a young QB taking his first NFL beating. McCoy made some really nice plays on the Browns fourth quarter TD drive, including a scramble/end zone strike for six. On the next drive, they even let him throw on first down out of the end zone!
Kansas Chiefs
KC got to the line of scrimmage very quickly, going up-tempo, something we hadn't seen from this Chiefs offense before. Last week, they opened with a surprise onside kick, this week they came out in no-huddle. There’s no question that Todd Haley isn't afraid to take chances and try something new.
And, for the second straight week, they went for it on fourth and short on their first drive, deep in their opponents territory, unwilling to settle for a field goal in a game where they would need touchdowns to win. This team has the pieces to be successful offensively; and their efficiency improved once they started relying heavily on the run, grinding out first downs on the ground.
But their fourth quarter defensive collapse was downright ugly – KC showed that they are not ready to take that step up to contender just yet.
Miami Dolphins
Chad Henne is another young QB showing clear signs of improvement while WR Brandon Marshall is certainly helping his quarterback look good. Because of the beef of their running backs -- both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are listed at 230 pounds -- opposing defenses are forced to keep at least seven in the box, leaving plenty of opportunities downfield for the passing game.
I’m quite impressed with slot receiver Devone Bess, the little guy who makes big third down and end zone catches every week.
Cameron Wake had another amazing game rushing the passer today; singlehandedly affecting the entire flow of the Packers offensive game plan.
New England Patriots
No Randy Moss = no big deal. Sure, Tom Brady didn’t throw many deep balls today but New England certainly didn’t lack offensive weapons. Deion Branch was a difference maker, Aaron Hernandez made a handful of great catches and Wes Welker was his usual self.
The Pats are blitzing a lot, trying to generate a pass rush, but their cornerbacks are struggling to maintain coverage when the rush doesn’t reach the QB. However they did an excellent job containing the run, a far cry from what this run defense looked like at the start of the season.
Oakland Raiders
QB Jason Campbell won the game against San Diego last week throwing nothing but dinks and dunks, and the Raiders had two extended scoring drives on their first two possessions here using that same strategy.
Campbell did an excellent job of evading pressure with his legs today, repeatedly creating time by scrambling around in the pocket, but he had absolutely no chemistry with his receiving corps in an ugly offensive performance.
We don't talk about punter Shane Lechler enough; a key factor in the Raiders ability to win the field position battle. Oakland was pinned deep on several occasions; every time, Lechler flipped the field with 50+ yard punts.
Houston Texans
This secondary is getting worse and worse. Right now, quite literally, they can't cover anybody downfield. Opposing teams have seen a receiver gain at least 100 yards against Houston five times in six games.
And when the defense allows more than 200 rushing yards again, like they did here, those problems in the secondary become magnified. Losing star LB DeMeco Ryans to a season-ending injury isn’t going to help matters. Things are just as bad in the red zone, with 16 TDs allowed on 20 possessions.
The Texans ability to rally back and win this game, scoring four TDs on their last four possessions is a testament to their mental toughness. I love the offensive play calling here -- this team takes shots and executes extraordinarily well.