Atlanta Falcons vs. Los Angeles Rams
When: 4:25 PM ET, Sunday, December 11, 2016
Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Falcons -6.5. O/U: 45
PREDICTION: Falcons 27, Rams 16

Oddsmakers currently have the Falcons listed as 6.5-point favorites versus the Rams, while the game’s total is sitting at 45.

ABOUT THE FALCONS (7-5): Atlanta has the league’s top scoring offense, as quarterback Matt Ryan and receiver Julio Jones are having huge years. Ryan ranks second in the league in passing (3,813 yards) and third in touchdown tosses (27) while Jones leads the league in receiving yards (1,253). The Falcons also have the league’s worst pass defense, though, and have been terrible in the red zone – allowing touchdowns on 76.2 percent of drives inside the 20.

Atlanta Stats:
Team record: 7-5 SU,7-5 ATS
Atlanta is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Atlanta’s last 7 games
Atlanta is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road

ABOUT THE RAMS (4-8): Los Angeles’ offense ranks last in the league, and things have not improved since No. 1 overall draft pick Jared Goff took over at quarterback. After putting up respectable numbers in a loss to New Orleans two weeks ago, Goff went 14-of-32 for just 161 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions against the Patriots. The defense that carried the Rams early in the season has been exposed in the last two games, allowing a season-high 555 yards versus the Saints before giving up 402 last week.

Los Angeles Stats:
Team record: 4-8 SU,4-7-1 ATS
Current Streak: lost 3 straight games.
Los Angeles is 1-6-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Los Angeles is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles’s last 6 games

EXTRA POINTS
1. Ryan has averaged 308.2 passing yards with 14 touchdowns and three interceptions in his last six road games.
2. Los Angeles DE Robert Quinn has recorded a sack in five straight home contests.
3. Atlanta LB Vic Beasley leads the NFC and ranks second in the league with 10 1/2 sacks while Los Angeles has allowed 31 – including seven in its last two games.

The post Atlanta vs. LA Rams Odds & Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 11, 2016
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Colts -6. O/U: 46.5
PREDICTION: Colts 24, Texans 17

Oddsmakers currently have the Colts listed as 6-point favorites versus the Texans, while the game’s total is sitting at 46.5.

ABOUT THE TEXANS (6-6): Osweiler is 31st in the NFL among 32 qualified quarterbacks with a 74.2 rating and is last in yards per attempt at 5.77, but coach Bill O’Brien put the team’s struggles on himself after a 21-13 loss at Green Bay last week. “It comes down to eight to 10 plays a game, and a lot of that has to do with coaching,” O’Brien told reporters. “We have to do a better job coaching and players have to do a better job executing, but we’re all in it together and we all have to do a better job.” Houston’s defense has carried the team most of the season but is starting to spring leaks with defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (wrist/elbow) and cornerback Johnathan Joseph (ribs) sitting out practice this week.

Houston Stats:
Team record: 6-6 SU,5-6-1 ATS
Current Streak: lost 3 straight games.
Houston is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Houston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston’s last 6 games

ABOUT THE COLTS (6-6): Luck and the offense could be asked to do even more down the stretch with the defense losing middle linebacker D’Qwell Jackson to a four-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs. Jackson, who is the signal-caller on defense and has recorded 78 tackles and a sack this season, is not eligible to return to the team until the day after the end of the regular season. “We’re all disappointed,” coach Chuck Pagano told reporters. “It is what it is. Moving forward, if we’re fortunate enough to play good enough and win enough games, we’ll get him back for the playoffs.”

Last time out for Indianapolis, they were a 41-10 winner as they battled the Jets on the road. The Colts covered in the match as a +1.5-point underdog, while 51 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors.

Indianapolis Stats:
Team record: 6-6 SU,6-5-1 ATS
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Indianapolis’s last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indianapolis’s last 5 games at home
Indianapolis is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games when playing Houston

EXTRA POINTS
1. Colts rookie LB Antonio Morrison is expected to start in place of Jackson.
2. Houston WR Braxton Miller (shoulder) sat out practice on Wednesday and is questionable.
3. Osweiler threw for 269 yards and two TDs in a 26-23 overtime home win over Indianapolis in Week 6.

The post Houston vs. Indianapolis Odds & Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

Denver Broncos vs. Tennessee Titans
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 11, 2016
Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Titans -1. O/U: 43.5
PREDICTION: Titans 24, Broncos 20

Oddsmakers currently have the Titans listed as 1-point favorites versus the Broncos, while the game’s total is sitting at 43½.

ABOUT THE BRONCOS (8-4): If Siemian is unable to play, Paxton Lynch will make his second straight start Sunday. The 22-year-old rookie out of Memphis didn’t exactly light it up against Jacksonville last week, completing 12-of-24 passes for 104 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Linebacker Von Miller leads the league with 12.5 sacks and needs 2.5 against Tennessee to tie Bruce Smith as the third-fastest to reach 75 in his career by doing so in his 85th game.

Denver Stats:
Team record: 8-4 SU,8-4 ATS
Denver is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games
Denver is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Denver’s last 9 games

ABOUT THE TITANS (6-6): DeMarco Murray, who is second in the league with 1,043 rushing yards, hopes to have a big game against Denver after using the bye week to heal his sore toe. “It’s feeling a lot better,” he told the team’s website on Thursday. “It’s good to get two practices in a row. (The bye) helped a lot. I think it helped a lot of people late in the season.” Defensive lineman Jurrell Casey, who hasn’t seen action since suffering a sprained foot on Nov. 27, did not practice Wednesday or Thursday but expects to play against the Broncos.

Tennessee won its last outing, a 27-21 result against the Bears on November 27. The Titans failed to cover in that game as a -6.5-point favorite, while the 48 combined points took the game OVER the total.

Tennessee Stats:
Team record: 6-6 SU,4-8 ATS
Tennessee is 4-15-1 ATS in its last 20 games
Tennessee is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Tennessee’s last 9 games

EXTRA POINTS
1. Titans QB Marcus Mariota has thrown multiple touchdown passes in eight consecutive games.
2. Denver claimed Justin Forsett off waivers from Detroit and placed fellow RB Kapri Bibbs on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain.
3. Tennessee placed Kevin Dodd (foot) on injured reserve and signed fellow LB Justin Staples from the practice squad.

The post Denver vs. Tennessee Odds & Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Miami Dolphins
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 11, 2016
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Panthers -1.5. O/U: 49
PREDICTION: Panthers 27, Chargers 24

Oddsmakers currently have the Panthers listed as 1-point favorites versus the Chargers, while the game’s total is sitting at 49.

ABOUT THE CHARGERS (5-7): Casey Hayward has been a thorn in the side of opposing quarterbacks this season as he leads the NFL with seven interceptions – including four in his last five games. The fifth-year cornerback out of Vanderbilt made a total of three picks in 35 contests with Green Bay over the previous three campaigns. Defensive end Joe Bosa is tied for third among NFL rookies with 5.5 sacks despite missing four games with a hamstring injury.

San Diego lost its last outing, a 28-21 result against the Buccaneers on December 04. The Chargers failed to cover in that game as a -3-point favorite, while the 49 combined points took the game PUSH the total.

San Diego Stats:
Team record: 5-7 SU,7-5 ATS
San Diego is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games
San Diego is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of San Diego’s last 13 games

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (4-8): Newton has excelled at home of late, throwing 19 touchdown passes and running for five more scores while being intercepted just six times in his last nine contests. Jonathan Stewart has rushed for seven touchdowns in his last seven games while Ted Ginn Jr. has hauled in a scoring pass in three consecutive contests. Linebacker Luke Kuechly has missed two games while in concussion protocol but has participated in practice this week and could play against San Diego.
Carolina was a 40-7 loser in its last match on the road against the Seahawks. They failed to cover the +9-point spread as underdogs, while the total score of 47 sent OVER bettors to the payout window.

Carolina Stats:
Team record: 4-8 SU,3-7-2 ATS
Carolina is 1-2-2 ATS in its last 5 games
Carolina is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
Carolina is 8-3-1 ATS in its last 12 games at home

EXTRA POINTS
1. Chargers RB Melvin Gordon is eight rushing yards shy from 1,000 on the season while WR Tyrell Williams needs 163 receiving to reach the plateau.
2. San Diego leads the NFL with 25 turnovers.
3. Carolina is 0-3 against the AFC West this season.

The post San Diego vs. Carolina Odds & Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

Oakland Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs
When: 8:25 PM ET, Thursday, December 8, 2016
Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

TV: 8:25 p.m. ET, NBC, NFL Network.
LINE: Chiefs -3.
O/U: 46.5
PREDICTION: Chiefs 23, Raiders 20

Oddsmakers currently have the Chiefs listed as 3-point favorites versus the Raiders, while the game’s total is sitting at 46½.

Derek Carr’s spirited play during the Oakland Raiders’ six-game winning streak has placed the third-year quarterback in the lively discussion for NFL MVP honors. Carr has thrown seven touchdown passes over his last three games and 12 during the winning streak as the first-place Raiders head into an AFC West showdown with the host Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night.

Carr rallied Oakland from a 15-point halftime deficit in Sunday’s 38-24 victory over Buffalo, all while working exclusively out of the shotgun/pistol to protect his injured right pinkie finger. “It brought me back to my Fresno (State) days a little bit, so that was nice with the tempo and those kind of things,” said the 25-year-old Carr, who will look to avenge a far less effective performance in Week 6 when he threw for 225 yards in a 26-10 loss to Kansas City. The Chiefs kept Carr in park with a successful ground game, highlighted by Spencer Ware rolling up a career-high 131 yards and a touchdown. The 25-year-old Ware, who will look to light up the 29th-ranked Raiders’ run defense that is yielding 124.8 yards per contest, also found the end zone in Sunday’s 29-28 victory at Atlanta.

ABOUT THE RAIDERS (10-2): While Carr is being mentioned in NFL MVP discussion, defensive end Khalil Mack is hearing his name bandied about for NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. Mack has registered at least one of his team-leading 10 sacks in each of the last seven games, while also recording four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and an interception in that span. Latavius Murray, who has three touchdowns in his last four encounters with Kansas City, scored twice last week to increase his rushing touchdown total to 11 – good enough for a tie for third in the league. Second-year wideout Amari Cooper collected 10 receptions for 129 yards in the first meeting with the Chiefs, but was limited to just two catches on Sunday versus the Bills.

Oakland Stats:
Team record: 10-2 SU,8-4 ATS
Current Streak: won 6 straight games.
Oakland is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Oakland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oakland’s last 5 games

ABOUT THE CHIEFS (9-3): Alex Smith, who has thrown 18 touchdowns against three interceptions in his last nine starts versus the Raiders, is expected to see the return of trusted target Jeremy Maclin on Thursday. Maclin was a full participant in practice on Tuesday and is in line to end a four-game absence due to a groin injury. Tight end Travis Kelce recorded his third straight 100-plus-yard performance after reeling in eight receptions for 140 yards versus the Falcons, but was limited to three catches for 32 yards in the Week 6 win over Oakland.

Kansas City:
Team record: 9-3 SU,6-6 ATS
Kansas City is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Kansas City is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City’s last 8 games

EXTRA POINTS

1. Oakland can end its 13-year playoff drought with a win on Thursday and either a loss or tie by Miami or a loss by Denver.
2. Chiefs LB Dee Ford registered two of his team-leading 10 sacks in the last meeting with the Raiders.
3. Kansas City’s plus-14 turnover differential is tops in the NFL while Oakland (plus-12) is ranked third.

The post Oakland vs. Kansas City Odds & Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

It will be Lynch’s first game in more than two months. He was injured in Seattle’s 39-32 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 15. The Seahawks have gone 7-1 without him, including a win last week over Minnesota in the wild card game.

Wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. and running back Jonathan Stewart are active for Carolina.

Carolina’s inactives include running backs Fozzy Whittaker and Brendan Wegher, wide receiver Brenton Bersin and Kevin Norwood, cornerback Lou Young, safety Dean Marlowe and defensive end Ryan Delaire.

Cornerback Tye Smith, running back Bryce Brown, fullback Will Tukuafu, linebacker Eric Pinkins, guards Mark Glowinski and Kristjan Sokoli and defensive tackle A.J. Francis are inactive for Seattle.

—

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL

The post Seahawks RB Lynch active for first time since Nov. 15 appeared first on IdealCapper.

11:28 p.m.

Aaron Rodgers has done it again.

After winning a game against Detroit with a Hail Mary, he made another last second touchdown pass to set up a tie against Arizona Saturday night.

This time the catch was made by Jeff Janis, a little used backup forced into a key role because of injuries to Randall Cobb and Davantae Adams. Janis leaped high and somehow held on to the 41-yard pass as time ran out, making the score 20-19 Cardinals. The extra point sent the game to overtime.

Earlier in the drive, Janis kept the game alive with a 60-yard reception on fourth down and 20.

—

11:00 p.m.

The Cardinals are back in the lead after a Carson Palmer pass was deflected by Packers defensive back Damarious Randall and ended up in the arms of Michael Floyd for his second touchdown of the game.

With less than four minutes remaining, the Arizona leads the Green Bay Packers 17-13.

—

10:43 p.m.

Carson Palmer is having his worst game of the season at precisely the wrong time.

Arizona’s quarterback threw for 74 yards on 8-of-14 passing in the first half and has two interceptions in the second.

The second pick, by Damarious Randall, came in the end zone with the Cardinals trailing 13-10 in the fourth quarter.

– John Marshall reporting from Glendale, Arizona.

—

10:21 p.m.

The Cardinals answered Green Bay’s first touchdown – with a field goal.

Arizona marched 74 yards after Jeff Janis’ TD catch, but bogged down once it hit the red zone. Larry Fitzgerald was hit with an illegal block penalty and Carson Palmer missed a potential touchdown when he couldn’t get the ball to David Johnson near the goal line.

Arizona settled for Matt Catanzaro’s 28-yard field goal to pull within 13-10 late in the third quarter.

– John Marshall reporting from Glendale, Arizona.

—

10:09 p.m.

The Packers have their first lead against the Cardinals.

Jeff Janis scored on an 8-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers to put Green Bay up 13-7 after Ha Ha Clinton-Dix pulled down a jump ball for an interception on a pass by Carson Palmer. The interception was upheld upon review and Eddie Lacy broke free for a 61-yard run up the middle two plays later to set up Janis’ TD.

Clinton-Dix’s interception came after Rodgers had a pass tipped at the line of scrimmage an intercepted by Rashad Johnson.

– John Marshall reporting from Glendale, Arizona.

—

10:01 p.m.

Green Bay will be without backup cornerback Micah Hyde for the rest of the game with a hip injury.

Hyde was listed as questionable after being injured in the second quarter, but the team said he was out at the start of the third.

– John Marshall reporting from Glendale, Arizona.

—

9:41 p.m.

The Arizona Cardinals lead the Green Bay Packers 7-6 at halftime in a defense-dominated NFC divisional playoff game.

Arizona scored early on a toe-tapping catch by Michael Floyd, but its offense labored the rest of the half, finishing with 75 total yards.

The Packers were able to move the ball against the Cardinals’ defense some, but had to settle for a pair of field goals by Mason Crosby.

The game is far different than the one played by these two teams here on Dec. 27. The Cardinals ran over the Packers in that game, winning 38-8.

– John Marshall reporting from Glendale, Arizona.

—

9:23 p.m.

Green Bay will be without its top receiver the rest of the night.

Randall Cobb injured his chest on the final play of the first quarter against the Cardinals when he made a diving 51-yard catch to Arizona’s 3-yard line. The catch was negated on offsetting penalties and Cobb left the field on a cart shortly after.

The Packers said in the second quarter that he would not return.

Cobb led Green Bay with 79 catches this season, gaining 829 yards and scoring six TDs.

– John Marshall reporting from Glendale, Arizona.

—

9:04

Talk about a turn of events.

Arizona’s Patrick Peterson appeared to have returned an interception for a 100-yard touchdown early in the second quarter, but it was overturned due to a hands-to-the-face penalty on Cardinals defensive lineman Frostee Rucker.

Instead of being up 14-0, the Cardinals had a 7-3 lead after Green Bay’s Mason Crosby kicked a 28-yard field goal.

– John Marshall reporting from Glendale, Arizona.

—

8:56 p.m.

Packers receiver Randall Cobb has left Green Bay’s playoff game against Arizona on a cart after suffering a chest injury during a spectacular catch in the first quarter.

Cobb stretched out for a diving 51-yard catch to Arizona’s 3-yard line, landing hard on the turf. He was taken to the locker room on a cart and the team said his return is questionable.

The catch didn’t count, either – it was called back by offsetting penalties.

– John Marshall reporting from Glendale, Arizona.

—

8:30 p.m.

The Arizona Cardinals got on the scoreboard first against the Packers thanks to a toe-tapping catch by Michael Floyd.

Carson Palmer threw a high pass into the corner of the end zone, and Floyd snatched it over his head while getting one foot down and dragging his other foot to stay in bounds.

Arizona leads 7-0.

—

8:00 p.m.

Thanks to their 27-20 victory over the Chiefs, the Patriots are moving on to their fifth straight AFC title game. The Patriots will find out if they have another home game tomorrow evening after the Steelers play the Broncos.

If the No. 1 seed Broncos win at home, they will host the Patriots next Sunday. If the Steelers win, Pittsburgh travels to Foxborough.

—

6:55 p.m.

The New England Patriots are down a couple of linebackers against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Jamie Collins is questionable to return with a back injury, while Jerod Mayo is also questionable with a shoulder ailment.

The Patriots’ only remaining active linebackers are starter Dont’a Hightower and backups Jonathan Freeny, Darius Fleming and Dekoda Watson. Jonathan Bostic was inactive.

New England leads Kansas City 21-13 at the start of the fourth quarter.

– Dennis Waszak reporting from Foxborough, Massachusetts.

—

6:04 p.m.

The scoreboard shows it’s still close, but Tom Brady and the Patriots are in control.

New England leads Kansas City 14-6 at halftime of the AFC divisional playoff game Saturday, with the offense moving the ball efficiently and Bill Belichick’s defense holding the Chiefs out of the end zone.

Brady is 17 of 25 for 157 yards and a touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski. Brady also has a 1-yard run for a score. New England has just seven rushed for 26 yards, but the Chiefs haven’t been able to manage much when they’ve had the ball.

Kansas City settled for two field goals by Cairo Santos and missed a prime opportunity for a touchdown shortly before halftime when the Chiefs got down to the Patriots 9. A delay-of-game penalty on third-and-9 pushed the ball back to the 14, and Alex Smith’s pass to Chris Conley fell incomplete, setting up Santos’ 32-yarder.

Smith opened the game 5 of 5 for 29 yards, but is at 10 of 21 for just 65 yards at halftime.

– Dennis Waszak reporting from Foxborough, Massachusetts.

—

5:48 p.m.

Tom Brady rushed for his sixth postseason touchdown, second in Patriots history, to give New England a 14-3 lead over Kansas City with 3:23 remaining in the first half.

The score came moments after Brady scrambled for 10 yards to get to the 1; video review upheld the ruling that he went out of bounds just short of the goal line. With center Bryan Stork back in after leaving briefly with an ankle injury and backup center David Andrews lined up as a fullback, Brady pushed forward into a pile of Chiefs for the score.

Brady is one rushing TD behind LeGarrette Blount, who has seven for the Patriots. Steve Young holds the NFL postseason record for quarterbacks with eight.

– Dennis Waszak reporting from Foxborough, Massachusetts.

—

5:45 p.m.

The referees are trying to keep this game under control, a week after the game between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh was tainted by illegal hits and penalties.

Patriots receiver and punt returner Danny Amendola was flagged for a hit on Kansas City’s Jamell Fleming midway through the second quarter. Amendola was back to receive a punt, but Fleming was covering and got under the ball at around the 4-yard line. Amendola lowered his head and leveled Fleming.

On the next drive, Dezman Moses tried to take it out on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and was called for roughing the passer.

– Jimmy Golen reporting from Foxborough, Massachusetts.

—

5:20 p.m.

New England center Bryan Stork is questionable to return against the Kansas City Chiefs with an ankle injury.

Backup David Andrews took Stork’s place early in the second quarter.

The Patriots offensive line has been beset by injuries all season, with 12 combinations of starters during the regular season.

New England just got back left tackle Sebastian Vollmer, who missed the regular-season finale after an ankle injury against the New York Jets on Dec. 27.

– Dennis Waszak reporting from Foxborough, Massachusetts.

—

4:55 p.m.

Chandler Jones started at defensive end for the New England Patriots despite his issues off the field last weekend.

Jones’ status was uncertain for the game Saturday against Kansas City after he wandered over to a police station last Sunday, shirtless and disoriented, leaving his house reeking of burnt marijuana.

The Pro Bowl selection, who was fifth in NFL with a career-high 12 1/2 sacks, apologized to his teammates and fans on Thursday, saying he made a ”pretty stupid mistake.” He declined to elaborate on what happened, and coach Bill Belichick refused to say whether Jones would be benched for any part of the game.

The Chiefs scored a field goal on the first drive, cutting the lead to 7-3.

– Dennis Waszak reporting from Foxborough, Massachusetts.

—

4:45 p.m.

New England’s Rob Gronkowski tied Dave Casper and Vernon Davis for the most touchdown catches by a tight end in postseason history with his seventh.

Gronkowski, who was questionable to play with back and knee ailments, caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady on New England’s opening drive to give the Patriots an early 7-0 lead over the Kansas City Chiefs in their AFC divisional round playoff game Saturday.

Gronkowski led the Patriots with 11 TD catches during the regular season and became the only tight end in NFL history with five career 10-TD seasons.

– Dennis Waszak reporting from Foxborough, Massachusetts.

—

4:40 p.m.

NFL referees might need to work on their coin tosses in the offseason.

At the AFC division playoff game Saturday between Kansas City and New England, referee Craig Wrolstad flipped the coin, and it was tails – which the Chiefs had called.

But, Wrolstad turned to the Patriots players and said, ”You win the toss.”

One of the Kansas City players then shouted that the Chiefs had called tails – and Wrolstad quickly corrected himself. Kansas City had, indeed, won the toss and deferred the opening kickoff.

The Patriots were involved in a coin flip-related controversy in Week 16, when they lost to the Jets 26-20 in overtime. Bill Belichick told his team to kick if it won the coin toss, which it did. But there was confusion when Patriots wide receiver Matthew Slater thought New England could choose the direction in which the team could kick.

– Dennis Waszak reporting from Foxborough, Massachusetts.

—

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

The post NFL Latest: Hail Mary sets up overtimeh appeared first on IdealCapper.

Cincinnati cornerback Adam ”Pacman” Jones apologized Friday for claiming Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was faking a concussion at the end of the wild-card game last Saturday night.

The Steelers, who beat the Bengals on a late field goal, ruled Brown out for their divisional matchup Sunday with Denver after the two-time All-Pro was not cleared by doctors.

Jones said in the aftermath of Cincinnati’s 18-16 loss that Brown winked at him before being helped off the field after taking a shot to the head from Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict.

Jones posted a video on Instagram late Friday afternoon in which Jones said ”I apologize sincerely. Get well.”

Also Friday, Jones was fined $28,940 for contact with an official, a foul that moved the Steelers closer for their game-winning field goal in the final seconds.

The post Bengals corner Adam Jones apologizes to Steelers' Brown appeared first on IdealCapper.

Take the Super Bowl, for example. It wasn’t that he couldn’t win the big one, but that he didn’t win enough of them.

Yet in the span of a few short weeks, dating to his relief appearance for the Broncos on Jan. 3, the narrative about the 39-year-old’s trials and travails has shifted. The quarterback, sometimes derided as an over-prepared perfectionist and too-clever-by-half pitchman, is now portrayed as the grizzled veteran trying to coax his team to a title more on grit than talent.

Sports fans love that sort of story.

”A lot of people have looked at him the last few weeks and said, `Wow, this guy is not who I thought he was,”’ said retired receiver Brandon Stokley, a longtime favorite of Manning’s. ”It’s great for people to see who he really is. He’ll do anything to help the team.”

Manning’s entry into the regular-season finale against the Chargers conjured images we’ve seen before in sports: Willis Reed limping onto the court for Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Jack Nicklaus winning the Masters at age 46. Serena Williams making a run at the Grand Slam at 33.

The narrative changed for each star once he or she had been humbled – and grown a bit older. Reed got hurt when his team needed him most; Nicklaus was considered washed up; Williams got upset on the doorstep of a Grand Slam. Just as those stories softened, Manning’s is softening now.

”I still hear whispers of the usual, but far more of the, `Maybe we shouldn’t take this guy for granted,”’ said Sean Salisbury, the former NFL quarterback who now hosts a pair of sports talk shows. ”We’ve got to enjoy this.”

With the Broncos preparing for the Steelers on Sunday, there’s been far less discussion about Manning’s record in the playoffs (11-13), his record when it’s cold in the playoffs (0-5 under 40 degrees), his record against Tom Brady (5-11), and his arm strength (never elite, but good enough to laser a couple of 15-yard out patterns against the Chargers).

There’s been much more talk about his gift for diagnosing defenses, for getting his team into the right play and for his willingness to do anything, including be a backup, to help the Broncos win.

For sure, the Chargers game was not Manning in his prime. He threw only nine passes. Completed only five for 69 yards. But if his arm (and foot, and shoulder, and neck) isn’t what it used to be, it was clear against San Diego that his mind is still in good shape.

”You see (backup quarterback Brock Osweiler), and you can see he’s a good player,” Salisbury said. ”But after watching him, you also gain a great appreciation of Manning’s ability to keep all 11 guys on offense in sync the entire time.”

Nothing new about that. But now that he’s been humbled – now that fans have seen Mr. Perfect brought down to earth during a 17-interception season that included a four-pick debacle in a game he got pulled from in November – all that nitpicky attention to detail, those ”one-game-at-a-time” bromides he regularly delivers, the preparation he lives for, is being lauded, not scoffed at.

Some might say this is a culmination of a 12-month stretch that, at times, has felt a bit like piling on to an athlete who signed with Denver simply looking for the same things Broncos fans wanted – a few more Super Bowl titles.

After yet another playoff disappointment last January, Manning was asked to take a pay cut.

Gary Kubiak got the head-coaching job and his task – whether overtly communicated or not – was to build a new offense for the post-Manning era.

The season started and the Broncos won in spite of Manning, who finished 2015 second in the league in interceptions despite missing six games.

While sitting out, Manning bristled at reports suggesting he’d rather play elsewhere, or not play at all, than be a second-stringer. He then quietly went out and did the work of an injured backup. He threw on the side to equipment managers. He took the scout-team reps. He suited up to back up Osweiler on Jan. 3.

Around that time, a report linked him to a clinic that deals in banned human growth hormone. He angrily denied doing anything wrong and said he put in the hard work and never took shortcuts to make it back.

That brought out some raw emotion that, at many times over a career that will land him in the Hall of Fame, has felt either lacking or contrived.

All that played into this new story line.

It’s Manning playing the role of Nicklaus, or Reed, or, yes, Broncos fans, John Elway, whose very best moments came as he gimped (and helicoptered) his way to the finish line. Oh, sure, Manning’s stats are still gaudy (NFL-record 71,940 passing yards) and, in other respects, awful (“Only” one Super Bowl ring despite all the success).

But in a way, Manning’s career record has been reset to 0-0.

The days of ”Omaha! Omaha!” are nearly over, and ol’ No. 18’s ride into the sunset is underway.

”He didn’t take the easy way out and he fought his way through” the injury, Stokley said. ”He said, `I’m ready to go, and whatever you need me to do, I’m willing to do.’ It ended up being pretty cool.”

Enjoy it while it lasts.

—

AP NFL websites: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL

—

Follow Eddie Pells at www.twitter.com/epells

The post Injury, comeback force reboot on Manning story line appeared first on IdealCapper.

They didn’t have much choice this week but to arrive at some conclusion after openly coveting a return to L.A., virtually creating three lame-duck teams if they didn’t make a decision. In many ways, this answer revealed the sense of urgency.

No, there wasn’t an official deadline for a decision on whether any of the relocation submissions by the Rams, Chargers and Raiders needed to be approved.

But with the Super Bowl looming, and having dragged out the entire relocation process for so long, it came down to this week. Otherwise, the last thing the league wanted, a distraction from its 50th Super Bowl, was on the horizon.

So how did it come down to the Rams getting the OK to abandon St. Louis for a state-of-the-art facility their owner, Stan Kroenke, will build in Inglewood, California? Why were the Chargers left in a sort of limbo – don’t pack up the moving vans yet, guys? And why were the Raiders, who wanted to partner with their long-time rival Chargers on a Carson, California project, basically ignored?

”Stan lived by the old adage `no guts, no glory. He demonstrated a serious conviction with his Inglewood project,” said Marc Ganis, president of SportsCorp, a Chicago-based consulting firm, and a confidant of many owners.

”Stan did it first by getting control of the land and doing a deal. That he is a major developer and land owner, and the land was owned by Wal-Mart I suspect didn’t hurt.”

Kroenke is married to the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton.

”Then by partnering with Stockbridge, which owned the Hollywood Park site, and then putting together a project the owners felt had tremendous substance all along. The Carson project started well behind the Inglewood project.

”The combination of the financial resources, development experience and the extraordinary design and scope resulted in a project that was determined to be the best for the reintroduction of the NFL and the Rams to Los Angeles. The project itself and the financial commitment behind it was the difference.”

So much so that not even the recommendation of the Carson proposal by the NFL’s Los Angeles committee by a 5-1 vote wound up mattering.

A key for Kroenke’s plan was getting the more powerful owners on his side. He already had the Cowboys’ Jerry Jones in his corner, and, most significantly, Seattle’s Paul Allen encouraged the owners to choose the best project, then deal with all the other issues later.

The owners saw a few flaws in the Carson project – faults that could be fixed, but over a period of time – and almost none in the Inglewood complex.

”This was not a matter of Stan putting together a coalition,” Ganis said. ”Or of Stan having great longevity in the league. It was not a matter of him being a Machiavellian genius.

”This was a matter of Stan putting together the kind of landmark project that many in the NFL feel is necessary for L.A. and for the future of the NFL in L.A., and it being supported with tremendous wealth.”

The backing of Allen for the selection process and Jones’ support of the Inglewood project were critical, but Kroenke needed the necessary 24 votes. That came rather quickly on Tuesday as many owners recognized how iconic his plan was.

For Chargers owner Dean Spanos, the approval of Inglewood was a blow to the gut. He had high hopes after the committee’s recommendation, and looked shell-shocked after the first vote, which was 20-12 for Inglewood – about the opposite of what Spanos expected.

That the NFL provided a one-year out for the Chargers – they can partner with the Rams or be a lessee in the Inglewood stadium – places the team in a sort of limbo.

Does it pursue once more a stadium in San Diego, especially with the extra $100 million the league is offering to help in that mission? Or does it shrug its shoulders and head north, not exactly as a step-child, but certainly not as the favored son in Los Angeles?

It’s a tricky situation because of the emotions involved.

As for the Raiders, they had been viewed by some as an albatross the Chargers needed to carry to have any chance of being the first choice for L.A.

For now, unless the Chargers decline the option to join the Rams in Inglewood and they take up the same option, the Raiders seem destined to remain where they are – which is where they have said they want to be.

”My guess is they try to do a deal in Oakland with the extra $100 million available from the league,” Ganis said.

”The Raiders have repeatedly said their preference was to stay in Oakland, but they need a viable stadium plan to do so. Perhaps the extra $100 million can help make that happen with a smaller, more modest stadium without some of the more expensive features that would be needed in an L.A. stadium.”

What is most certain about the L.A. scenarios is that Kroenke is the big winner, and St. Louis the big loser.

—

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

The post NFL owners had to act on LA now, and Kroenke had the goods appeared first on IdealCapper.