Sharps steering clear of MNF line moves
By Andrew Folkes
Mon, Nov 7, 2005

It’s looks like the 4-point spread for tonight’s Indianapolis Colts-New England Patriots contest is a little too tight for sharp bettors. The line opened with the Colts as 3-point favorites, was wagered up to -3 ½ by mid week and hit –4 at most books following Sunday’s games. But the wise guys don’t account for any of that movement. --football gambling--

“I’ve been talking with several books today and it’s all public action,” says Randle, an oddsmaker for Bowmans.com. “The sharps have been staying away from this one. I think they’re reluctant because of all of New England’s injuries.” --football gambling--

Despite having linebacker and defensive play caller Tedy Bruschi back in the lineup, New England’s defense remains in shambles. Defensive ends Richard Seymour (knee), Ty Warren (hip), Jarvis Green (shoulder), linebacker Willie McGinest (finger) and strong safety James Sanders (ankle) are all listed as questionable for tonight’s game. --football gambling--

The Patriots have managed to go 4-3 with three paydays with their battered squad and, including the postseason, have beaten the Colts six straight times. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is also 0-7 in his career when playing at Foxboro. However, the Colts’ dominant play this season coupled with the sorry state of the New England defense have been enough to make the public forget those trends. --football gambling--

“The way the public perceives it, they’ve never had a better chance to beat New England,” says SportsInteraction.com oddsmaker Anthony Munnelly. “The two factors that the public loves to bet on have come together here. The Colts are playing very strong, and the Patriots are very vulnerable. Everyone wants a piece of the Colts right now.” --football gambling--

According to Randel, books expect to start seeing sharp action on New England if the spread reaches –4 ½. “The books will be reluctant to move it up anymore,” he says. “Four is kind of a key number.” “Books don’t like moving their numbers too much,” adds Munnelly. “But with all the money coming in they might have to.” --football gambling--

The total on tonight’s contest has also seen significant movement, leaping from 45 ½ at the open to 48 ½ at most books by Monday morning. --football gambling--


“Totals tend to go up more than they go down [in high-profile games] like this, and this is a huge game. It’s the game of the year,” explains Munnelly. “I think it’ll say put at 48 ½. I’m surprised it’s as high as it is.” --football gambling--

Share your thoughts on this article in the Covers posting forum.--football gambling--

Jags eclipse some records they didn't want to break

It was a record-setting day for the Jaguars, but the records weren't exactly the kind Coach Jack Del Rio is bragging about. -NFL Football-

The Jags started the game by doing something that has never been permitted in franchise history -- allowing a blocked punt for a touchdown. On the Jags' first possession, Drew Wahlroos blocked P Chris Hanson's kick, and Brandon Chillar returned it for a 29-yard touchdown. It was the first time since 1987 that the Rams have scored a touchdown on a blocked punt. -NFL Football-

Me and him are both San Diego guys," Wahlroos told stlouisrams.com. "Our teams played against each other in high school and it's great to see him score. It's exciting for us to give the team a spark like that." -NFL Football-

The Rams also scored their second touchdown on a record-setting big play -- an 83-yard touchdown pass from Jamie Martin to Kevin Curtis. -NFL Football-

It was the longest touchdown pass the Jaguars have yielded in their history. -NFL Football-

Road warrior

Coaches always say that players need to be more mentally focused on the road. That's certainly been the case for Jaguars CB Rashean Mathis, who picked off two passes Sunday. -NFL Football-

That gives Mathis a grand total of seven interceptions in the last six road games. -NFL Football-

"We felt like this was a game that we could have won and a game we should have won," Mathis said. "These are the games that hurt the most."

The big three-oh

By scoring just 21 points Sunday, the Jaguars inched closer to one of the most futile offensive records in the NFL -NFL Football-

Joe DiMaggio had a 56-game hitting streak; the Jaguars have now gone 57 games without scoring 30 points in a game. If the Jaguars don't score 30 points in one of the next two games, they will own an NFL record they'd rather not have. -NFL Football-

Since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978, the Cleveland Browns have the record by going 58 games without scoring 30-plus points from 1995 to 2002. -NFL Football-

"I've made this statement before, but I think this football team will go over 30 points several times this year," Jaguars Coach Jack Del Rio told reporters heading into Sunday's game. "I'm not backing away from that." -NFL Football-

Despite Del Rio's confidence, you have to wonder if the Jaguars will ever score 30 points if they couldn't do it Sunday. -NFL Football-

The Rams, after all, rank last in the league in scoring defense. -NFL Football-

Getting some help

The Rams committed a variety of bad penalties last week against the Saints and according to stlouisrams.com that prompted them to bring in a pair of referees during practice this week to help them correct the problems. It didn't seem to help as the Rams had eight penalties for 44 yards in the first half against the Jaguars. -NFL Football-

Etc.

Marshall Faulk gained 23 yards rushing to surpass Franco Harris for 10th in career yards with 12,129. . . Jaguars WR Reggie Williams missed much of the first half after taking a blow to the head, and had no catches. . . . Curtis caught three passes for 105 yards, his first 100-yard game. -NFL Football-



Mike Bianchi AND WIRE REPORTS

San Diego
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The recent emergence of first-round pick Shawne Merriman couldn’t be coming at a better time for the Chargers. Finally healthy and with his motor in high gear, Merriman, who has been playing roughly half the snaps, splitting time with Ben Leber and at times Shaun Phillips at the LOLB spot, is making his presence felt, especially in the pass rush. --- nfl ---
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Extra pressure can only benefit a secondary that is struggling to stick with opposing receivers without drawing flags. Also, starting weak-side LB Steve Foley, the emotional leader of the defense, may need to be shut down for a week or two prior to the team’s Nov. 13 bye week. --- nfl ---
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Continuing to play in games with an abdominal strain he suffered in September has prevented it from healing. Although no move has been officially discussed, we’re told that it’s conceivable to see Merriman switch sides to take Foley’s place should Foley miss any time.--- nfl ---
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Jaguars hang on to beat the Bengals 23-20

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Oct. 9, 2005) -- Chad Johnson jokingly resuscitated the football early, and Carson Palmer nearly brought the Cincinnati Bengals back to life late.
Then Jacksonville's defense put an end to all that.

Byron Leftwich threw for two touchdowns, Fred Taylor ran for a season-high 132 yards and the Jaguars made a huge stop in the closing minutes to hand the Bengals their first loss of the season, 23-20.

"This shows how good of a team we have," said Jags receiver Ernest Wilford, who caught an 11-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. - NFL Football -

The Bengals started 4-0 for the first time since 1988 -- the franchise's last Super Bowl season -- and entered the game as one of the last two undefeated teams in the league.

But the Jaguars (3-2) took advantage of good field position early and had two key stops in the fourth quarter that left AFC South rival Indianapolis as the lone unbeaten.

"This was huge," Jags cornerback Rashean Mathis said. "There's a big difference between 3-2 and 2-3. It means a great deal."

Josh Scobee kicked three field goals, including a 51-yarder in the second period and a 53-yarder with 9:45 to play that gave the Jaguars a 10-point lead.

Jacksonville's defense held on from there -- barely -- and kept Palmer from engineering a dramatic comeback.

Bobby McCray knocked the ball out of Palmer's hand at the Jacksonville 45-yard line with 1:28 to play. Akin Ayodele, who dropped a possible interception the play before, recovered it.

The Jags ran out the clock from there. - NFL Football -

The defense's other key stop came on fourth-and-1 at the Jags 39-yard line with 14:30 remaining. Rudi Johnson ran up the middle, and John Henderson and Marcus Stroud stuffed him for no gain. The Jags then drove 26 yards to set up Scobee's final field goal, which tied his previous career long and the franchise record.

The Bengals used two long passes from Palmer to rookie Chris Henry to cut the lead to 23-20 with 5:16 remaining. Palmer hit Henry down the sideline for a 47-yard gain, then hit the third-round draft pick across the middle two plays later for a 25-yard score.

Aside from the final drive, nearly everything went right for the Bengals late. Very little went right for them early. - NFL Football -

Cincinnati fell behind 13-0 before Chad Johnson caught a 14-yard TD pass from Palmer. Cincinnati had a 69-yard punt nullified by penalty, dropped an interception, shanked a punt and had another one blocked -- all in the first half.

he Jaguars had great field possession following the miscues, helping them score a touchdown and a field goal. - NFL Football -

"We dug ourselves a hole with field possession in the first half," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "We didn't play very well at the beginning of the game and we were playing up hill."

Leftwich found George Wrighster for a 26-yard score after gaining about 40 yards when Kyle Larson 's long punt was brought back because of an illegal touching. Wrighster caught the pass in the flat, hurdled Deltha O'Neal at the 5 and trotted into the end zone.

When Cincinnati put together a decent drive Johnson turned the wrong way on Palmer's deep pass and couldn't get to it. But Johnson and Palmer got into it on the sideline, and Lewis had to separate them. - NFL Football -

Larson's next punt was blocked, and the Jags got the ball at the Bengals 33. Scobee's 32-yard field goal made it 10-0.

Scobee followed with the 51-yard field goal that made it 13-0.

Palmer and Johnson, having worked things out, hooked up three times on the next drive, including the 14-yarder for a touchdown.

But Johnson complained after the game that Palmer wasn't trying hard enough to get him the ball. - NFL Football -

"They didn't get it to me period!" said Johnson, who had five receptions for 52 yards. "They doubled me the whole game. That happens every week. Does that mean that when a team doubles me that I'm through? It's not too hard to get it to (Terrell Owens) or Randy Moss."

Johnson made good on his promise of having something special planned if he scored during Cincinnati's lone appearance in prime time this season. He beat Mathis in the corner of the end zone, then performed CPR on the football. He pretended to give it mouth-to-mouth and three chest compressions. - NFL Football -

"We need to win these," Johnson said. "I'm not satisfied with 4-1. The Bengals of old might have been OK keeping it close. We're not supposed to be close anymore."

© 2005, NFL Enterprises LLC.

Football player tackles Hodgkin's

By PATRICK SCHMIEDT
Star-Tribune staff writer

LANDER -- Brody Knell is invincible. For an 18-year-old with a girlfriend on his hip, a starting position on the football team locked down and college recruiters waiting around the corner, his attitude is not surprising. But that aura is only bolstered by the fact that he beat cancer.

Not only that, he beat Stage IV Hodgkin's. By the time Brody was 12, the cancer had already spread from his lymph nodes into his lungs and abdomen. - NFL Football -

Maybe it's because Brody's cancer has been in remission for five years, and he's come out healthy on the other side. Maybe it's because Brody is so used to telling the story. Maybe it's because Brody is having a tremendous senior season for Lander'sfootball team.

His reasons are his own. But one thing is clear: Satisfied just to be alive doesn't describe Brody Knell. - NFL Football -

For him -- and seemingly for his friends and family -- the cancer was an inconvenience more than it was a threat. Hodgkin's meant less time for snowmobiling, less time for basketball. It meant more time on the road between Lander and Denver, more time stuck in a hospital when he could be at home.

Hodgkin's wasn't a threat to Brody's mortality. It wasn't a disease that might take away his life.

Turns out he was right.

But he still thinks about it.

"Just about every day. They say it's a slim to none chance (for relapse) after five years. ... But still, it scares you," he said. - NFL Football -

He has learned how to live without his thyroid, which was more or less killed by the radiation treatment. He has adapted to his tendency to cramp up, and he has figured out how to keep his fingertips and toetips warm in the winter when they chill, an after-affect of his cancer treatment.

Brody's desire is for his story to touch others. He wants kids who are going through a similar situation at a similar age to be able to look up to him for inspiration.

He is proud of how he fought off a cancer that was close to taking his life. So is his dad.

If the poster on the wall of Bailey Tire in Lander doesn't make it clearly obvious, Bruce Knell is one proud papa. The poster shows a strong young man, standing 6-foot even and a chiseled 190 pounds, posed in the black-and-green jersey his team wears.

The father-son bond was strong from the get-go. Brody's mother left when Brody was still in diapers. The bond only strengthened in the year Brody went from healthy boy playingfootball to emergency-room trips to the hospital, and back again to football. - NFL Football -

The cancer came without warning. One day, while taking off Brody's shoulder pads after football practice, Bruce Knell noticed some lumps on the side of his son's neck.

"They actually got snagged. When I tried to pull his shoulder pads off of him, they hit these lumps," he recalled.

At first, doctors thought it was an infection and tried to treat it with antibiotics. But an oncologist in Riverton gave a different opinion.

The cancer itself was rare for a 12-year-old host. American Cancer Society statistics say there are about 8,000 new Hodgkin's cases every year in America, usually in people 15-25 or older than 55. Only about 10-15 percent of the cases affect those under 16. - NFL Football -

Brody remembers his dad stopping by South Elementary to tell him the news.

"I could see my dad on the far end of the playground come out of the building, and I seen his face," Brody said. "I just came up running to him, I was like, 'Dad what's going on? I have it, don't I?'"

He went through chemotherapy for eight months and went through another six weeks of radiation therapy. The family lost count of how many times Brody was life-flighted out of Lander. It might have been four times, or six. Maybe more.

"We almost lost him a couple times, and somehow, it wasn't his time," Bruce said. "And he got better." - NFL Football -

The treatment took its toll on Brody's young body. Aside from the hair loss and the almost complete loss of energy, the most obvious physical change was in his size. When he started his treatment, Brody weighed 105 pounds. Eight months later the scale said he lost one pound.

"An entire year, when they're supposed to be gaining all the weight, not only did he not gain weight but he lost a pound over the year," Bruce said.

But less than a year after his diagnosis, Brody was playing football on his seventh-grade team in Lander. He started lifting weights and developing the athleticism that would turn him into one of Class 4A's most versatile players.

He has played a variety of positions for Lander. On offense, he was a quarterback as a sophomore, earned all-state honors as a tight end last season and now holds the slotback position. On defense, he has played cornerback, safety and linebacker. Heading into tonight's game against Star Valley, Brody is second in Class 4A in receiving yards and eighth in rushing yards. - NFL Football -

"I feel comfortable putting him on the field in just about any position and knowing he'll do a good job for us," said Steve Simpson, Lander's head coach.

Even though he has bounced around at several positions for the Tigers, Knell's dream is to play quarterback in the NFL. He said he's drawing interest from scouts not for his legs but for his arm.

"My main goal is to be a quarterback," he said. "It's always been my dream. I can throw the ball 78 yards with a regular football."

Simpson said it hasn't always been easy, but, much like during the cancer treatment, Brody has always responded to the situations he's put in. - NFL Football -

"He's always held his chin up high and always done what we asked him to do," he said.

Jansen's two thumbs up -- both broken

ASHBURN, Va. (Sept. 14, 2005) -- Now is not the time for Jon Jansen to take up the piano. Video games are out, too, although he's never been much for those anyway.

Every movie he sees gets "two thumbs up." As for hitchhiking? "It's automatic," he said with a smile as he raised one of his casts. - NFL Football -

The jokes could go on and on. These days, Jansen is all thumbs -- all broken thumbs, that is. The Washington Redskins right tackle is sporting a big white cast on each arm after breaking his left thumb in a practice last week and his right one in the team's win over the Chicago Bears.

"I've never heard of linemen having two broken thumbs," said 42-year-old guard Ray Brown, a 20-year veteran and the oldest lineman in the league. "I've heard of a broken thumb and maybe a broken finger somewhere. Aw, that's tough." - NFL Football -

Trainer Bubba Tyer hasn't seen anything like it, either, and he's been with the team for a third of a century. Nevertheless, Jansen expects to play Sept. 19 when the Redskins face the Dallas Cowboys, protecting the blind side of left-handed quarterback Mark Brunell.

"Obviously, I would rather play with 10 good fingers," Jansen said. "But four on each hand will do."

Jansen said he was fine playing with one cast Sept. 11, and he stayed in the game after breaking the second thumb in the fourth quarter. Fortunately, his casts don't cover his other fingers, so he can still clutch and grab, although he certainly wouldn't be able to play if he were anything other than a lineman or a kicker. - NFL Football -

"It's a little bit cumbersome," he said as he looked down at his hands after a Sept. 14 practice. "But it's what I've got to deal with. It's Dallas, Monday night, so it doesn't much matter."

The coaches aren't about to give Jansen a rest. Not only is he too valuable, he just wouldn't allow it. Jansen missed only one snap in his first five NFL seasons before sitting out last season with a ruptured Achilles' tendon.

"This isn't even a setback for him," assistant coach Joe Bugel said. "It's not going to bother him. Even at practice today, he's a real warrior."

Jansen wears gloves when he's on the field, so he has to put those on before he's fitted for the bigger casts he wears for practices and games. He will have to make some subtle changes to his blocking technique. - NFL Football -

"The big thing is probably not being able to use the palm of his hand, the flat surface where you slide along the surface of the shoulder pads," Brown said. "But it's to his advantage on the run game -- he can throw his punches."

At least Jansen won't get called for holding this week. Well, probably not.

"I've seen stranger things," Jansen said. "But I would have a good argument."

© 2005, NFL Enterprises LLC.

Jerry Rice Ends Legendary NFL Career

EDDIE PELLS, AP Sports Writer

DENVER - Jerry Rice spent 20 years making every sacrifice he could to play the game he loved. He knew his football career was over when all those sacrifices weren't enough to make him a key player in Denver for one, final season.

Relegated to reserve duty or nothing with the Broncos, Rice chose the latter, calling it a career Monday after two record-setting decades in theNFL.

"I think that's it for me," Rice said during his farewell news conference at Broncos headquarters. "I'm done and I'm looking forward to the next phase of my life now."

With that, the NFL reached the end of an era, saying goodbye to a once-in-a-lifetime player.

The 42-year-old receiver, a first-round draft pick out of tiny Mississippi Valley State in 1985, leaves the field with 38 league records, including the most career receptions (1,549), yards receiving (22,895) and touchdowns receiving (197).

But as much as the numbers, it was the way he did things that made the biggest impression — the right way. He was a master of details, a maestro of route-running precision, a good guy off the field and a workout junkie both in season and out. - NFL Football -

Revered by fans and his peers, Rice told his short-time teammates in Denver that he was retiring during a short meeting held after his public announcement. The Broncos gave him a standing ovation.

"I'd never seen anything like that before," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "That shows you the kind of respect the man has." - NFL Football -

Shanahan said Rice is the best player to ever play the game, and there are many who would agree.

He led the 49ers to three Super Bowl titles and helped make Joe Montana and Steve Young look great. He mastered the West Coast offense and made a career of turning short catches into long gains, strutting into the end zone, his arms raised aloft. - NFL Football -

His work ethic and attention to the little things gave an entire generation of receivers someone to look up to.

How detail oriented was he?

Shanahan said Rice insisted the right-handed assistant who threw practice passes to the receivers be replaced with a lefty when the 49ers switched from the right-handed Montana to the left-handed Young. - NFL Football -

"... I'd see him upstairs. One time, I said, `Jerry, what are you doing?'" recalled Shanahan, who spent three years coaching Rice as San Francisco's offensive coordinator. "He said, `I was looking at film. I'm looking at the top 10 receivers in the AFC and the top 10 receivers in the NFC. I don't want any of these young guys ever to catch me.'"

Inevitably, though, time did catch up with Rice.

After 16 years with the Niners, Rice went to Oakland, where he had three fairly productive seasons. But it became clear the end might be near last season when the Raiders phased him out, prompting a midseason trade to Seattle.

He still averaged 14.3 yards a catch last season and scored three touchdowns, showing traces of the big-play capability he flashed so often earlier in his career. - NFL Football -

Last spring, his agent put out a league-wide memo stating that the GOAT — the Greatest Of All Time — was available.

Denver looked like a great fit: a team with a winning tradition, coached by a man with whom Rice was familiar and comfortable. So Rice signed with the Broncos, knowing there was no guarantee of a roster spot.

After some early trouble adjusting to the mile-high altitude, Rice looked in shape and ready for a 21st season. About halfway through training camp, he moved ahead of Darius Watts, to Denver's No. 3 receiver spot. - NFL Football -

That move caused a stir, but a closer look showed a receiver who had trouble separating from third- and fourth-string cornerbacks in practice, a receiver who finished with four catches for 24 yards in four preseason games.

When Watts improved, Rice was bumped back down the depth chart in the third preseason game. After the finale, Shanahan told Rice he'd be a No. 4, at best, competing for playing time with youngsters Charlie Adams and Todd Devoe.

"I think it's the right thing," said Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, the last man to coach Rice in a real game. "I know how hard this was for him. He'd like to play until he's 60 if he could. I've never met anyone quite like that." - NFL Football -

Shanahan was willing to give Rice a roster spot, but told him the third receiver spot was out and there were no guarantees he'd play every week. Rice didn't want to deal with the possible indignity of being declared inactive for games or withering away on the bench when he did suit up.

"He did everything he could possibly do to get that job," Shanahan said of Denver's third receiver spot. "But it's my job to be honest to the team and do the tough job. I had to do the right thing for the organization. Jerry understands that."

Rice believes his route running was "still pretty good," although he concedes he's not as explosive as he used to be.

"Eventually," he said, "everything is going to catch up with you."

Everything finally did catch up with Rice. With the end upon him, he was sad, overwhelmed and maybe even a little bit surprised as he stood behind the microphone to announce his retirement.

"I never thought I'd ever see this day," he said.

Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press.