NFC Week 1 Betting Observations
By Ted Sevransky
Teddy spends every Sunday typing furiously at his laptop watching the games, giving you the key info that the box scores and game recaps simply don’t have. This week he hands out some NFC Week 1 tidbits.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Special teams were a problem for the Bucs in the preseason, and again in Week 1. Their first field goal was blocked and it wasn't even close - the protection broke down all over the place. Their second field goal attempt was not even close, a poor kick from Mike Nugent. Bad special teams equal bad pointspread results; year in and year out – those field goals and that field position really add up.
Arizona Cardinals:
This offensive line is doing a great job in pass protection, but Kurt Warner was not sharp early and he got worse as the game progressed. Arizona was 0-6 on third down in the first half and the Larry Fitzgerald/Anquan Boldin combination had a grand total of one catch for five yards, until their two minute drill before halftime. Arizona spent the entire preseason working on its running game, but it didn’t show against the Niners.
Dallas Cowboys:
Offensive lineman Flozell Adams has committed more penalties than any player in the NFL over the past two seasons, and his personal foul call here ended a promising first half Cowboys drive - this team is still very sloppy.
San Francisco 49ers:
Shawn Hill might not have a huge arm, but he certainly has a huge heart, hanging in the pocket under relentless pressure long enough to hit receivers downfield. And he moved the offense despite the utter lack of a running game -- Frank Gore didn't have a run longer than six yards on his 22 carries, despite new offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye's commitment to the run.
Detroit Lions:
With 31 new players on their 53 man roster, no team in the NFL has undergone an offseason overhaul like the Lions. The new Lions look a lot like the old Lions -- no pass rush, a secondary that can't seem to cover anybody and an offense that won't be capable of trading points against any decent foe. Matthew Stafford is still a long, long way from developing any sort of chemistry with his receivers.
Carolina Panthers:
Carolina will rue the day it signed Jake Delhomme to a contract extension. Delhomme was a bottom tier quarterback once again today, just as he was in last January’s playoff debacle. All four picks were downright ugly and so was his fumble. Delhomme personally left his team in a non-competitive situation once again, and the entire team seemed to collectively sag its shoulders once he started screwing up.
St. Louis Rams:
Three false starts and a delay of game in the first twenty minutes gives us a clear indication that this offensive line is going through some growing pains or early season jitters. This secondary really got torched, vulnerable to big plays in the passing game, just like last year. At least punter Donnie Jones helps the Rams win the field position war; coming off a season where he averaged 50 yards per kick. This is the 10 straight year that the Rams have failed to cover the spread in their road opener.