Teddy's football tidbits: AFC betting notes
By Ted Sevransky
Teddy spends every Sunday typing furiously at his laptop as he watches the games, giving you the key info that the box scores and game recaps simply don’t have. This week: AFC tidbits from around the league.
Bengals:
Cincy is getting a pass rush and their secondary remains one of the more underrated units in the league. Antwan Odom is a monster; getting five sacks for the afternoon. This defense won games for the Bengals down the stretch last year and they seem capable of doing it again this year.
Broncos:
Josh McDaniels knows how to coach an offense – this team executes extremely well and the play calling was nothing short of stellar. This team might not be one of the more talented offensive teams in the league, but it is making the most out of its talent level. Too bad Kyle Orton ranks among the bottom tier of quarterbacks in the NFL - he really can't throw it more than 15 yards downfield with any degree of accuracy.
Browns:
Why won't this team take any downfield shots? Brady Quinn is a former first round pick with plenty of arm strength; Braylon Edwards has a track record of making big catches downfield; yet all the Browns seem to do is dink and dunk with their passing game.
Chargers:
Philip Rivers is every bit as good as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees - this is an elite quarterback. And the Chargers have so many pass-catching weapons. If the offensive line can hold up, this should be the best offense in the league. The size of these receivers make them virtually unguardable by smaller secondaries.
The defense is just as bad as last year’s squad. They aren't reaching the quarterback with their pass rush. The linebackers look slow roaming sideline to sideline. Without the injured Jamal Williams manning the middle of the DL, they can't stop the run. The secondary continues to get burned. This is not a Super Bowl caliber defense right now.
Jets:
The Jets are a playoff caliber squad if its defense plays like this. When you hold Tom Brady to less than 50 percent completions and keep him out of the end zone for an entire half, you're doing something right. I'm very impressed with Rex Ryan's adjustments at halftime.
Jaguars:
No sellout and a local blackout; this was not a particularly enthusiastic crowd. There’s very little home-field edge in Jacksonville these days, just like last year. And this defense is getting torched. There was no pass rush even when they sent five or six into the backfield. When you allow 21 pass completions on the first 22 attempts, something is clearly wrong. This is the type of home opener that has season killer written all over it, with an embattled head coach already on the hot seat.
Steelers:
This offensive line stinks. Big Ben avoids sacks like no other quarterback in the league, but he's just not that accurate. He's gotten into some bad habits of late. But this run defense is phenomenal - hard to get any positive yardage on the ground against this defense, even without Troy Polamalu in the lineup.