NFC In-Game Betting 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: NFC tidbits from Week 9.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Josh Freeman is legitimately getting better by the week. He doesn't panic when his team falls behind, exactly the type of QB you want on the field trying to rally from a deficit.
The game has clearly slowed down for him -- he's patient in the pocket, and patient even when he decides to pull the ball down and run. His throws put the ball in position for his receivers to make plays -- this is one QB not afraid to make a mistake, and not afraid to take shots downfield.
Tampa’s no name receiving corps is stepping up on a weekly basis, and it’s clear that this team believes in their young leader. But the Bucs defense has all kinds of holes, particularly inept at stopping the run.
Maybe Tampa is morphing into an Over squad; going Over the total by more than five touchdowns in their last two games.
Arizona Cardinals
Last year, Arizona quarterbacks (mostly Kurt Warner) threw for 4200 yards with 27 TDs and 18 INTs. This year through their first eight games, Arizona’s quarterbacks have 1340 passing yards, six touchdown passes and 12 interceptions between them, with a cumulative QB rating more than 30 points lower than last year.
Derek Anderson got benched in favor of an undrafted rookie once already this year, and he deserves to get benched again following this dismal performance. Anderson continues to throw into coverage, stare down receivers and miss defenders who are standing in his passing lanes.
It's hard to overthrow a wide open Larry Fitzgerald, one of the best jumpball receivers in the league. Anderson did it several times. With the game on the line, late in the fourth quarter, Anderson lacked any sort of toughness, taking three or four sacks by curling up; anticipating the hit, as opposed to firing downfield.
Philadelphia Eagles
Michael Vick was never this good in Atlanta. He threw perfect strikes downfield out of his own end zone. He showed poise under duress in the pocket. He made correct run vs. pass decisions, quickly. He's clearly got great chemistry with one of the league's premier playmakers, DeSean Jackson. And he still hasn't thrown a single interception this season.
Philly got lucky in a sense here -- you can't beat Indy very often settling for field goals, nor can you beat Indy when you give them a whopping six first downs on defensive penalties, however dicey those calls from the zebras actually were.
Detroit Lions
After an 0-4 start, this team had won two out of three heading into this game, looking like a real team, not the bottom feeder they've been for the better part of the last decade. The offense is explosive with Stafford back behind center, and the defensive line is as good as any in the NFL.
One more draft -- a new left tackle, some cornerback help and some linebacking help -- and this team will be in position to reach the playoffs; maybe even capable of making some noise when they get there.
But with Stafford limping off the field late in the fourth quarter, you have to wonder what will happen going forward if he's hurt again. Drew Stanton is not a capable backup QB, even if he's just filling in for a week or two.
The most bizarre playcall of the year came right after the two minute warning; an incomplete pass with a backup quarterback nursing a three point lead against an opponent with no timeouts. That call combined with Stafford’s injury cost Detroit a winnable game.
Carolina Panthers
Wideout Steve Smith is really struggling -- he's had an extremely unproductive season. Smith lined up in the wrong spot, he slipped and fell, nearly causing an interception, and he's no longer requiring double coverage on every play. Smith didn’t catch a pass until third string QB Tony Pike came into the game in the fourth quarter.
It sure looks like many of the veterans on this team, are going through the motions. As the offense struggled, the defense gradually wore down, allowing one long drive after the next; unable to get off the field. As the game progressed we saw a handful of real frustration penalties from this defense. Factor in an offense that leads the NFL in giveaways, and there's not much light on the horizon for this squad.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints got three key defenders back from injury today, and it made a huge difference. Darren Sharper came back after missing the first half of the season, and he was a monster, forcing a key first half fumble that changed the momentum of the game. However, he did limp off the field with a hamstring pull and didn’t return.
Cornerbacks Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer also got back in the lineup today, with Greer returning an interception to the house.
The red zone offense is still problematic, settling for field goals inside the 20. This problem is not likely to get better until they have run/catch threat Reggie Bush and his counterpart Pierre Thomas back on the field.
Minnesota Vikings
The two hidden factors in Minnesota's collapse this season have been the poor play from their highly touted offensive line and shaky play from what is supposed to be a good secondary.
Favre is taking way too many hits for a 41-year-old man. Adrian Peterson doesn't have holes to run through, even against lesser defenses. This OL makes a ton of money and has a boatload of Pro Bowl experience between them, but they are playing like a bunch of veterans who care more about their paychecks than their play.
Similarly, this defense was an elite unit last year. They came into this game having allowed 28+ three times in their last four games, failing to record a sack for three straight weeks.
They notched six sacks today, but this time it was the special teams that allowed two scores. This was on heck of a comeback win, but the fundamentals in Minnesota are not very good these days.