NFL passing game in full flight
As air raids go, week one of the NFL season was right up there with the London blitz. Few enthusiasts can complain as the passing game looks in full flight, in what truly is a quarterback driven league right now.
Tom Brady passed for 517 yards, Cam Newton for 422, Drew Brees for 419 and Chad Henne, yes Chad Henne, passed for an amazing 412 yards.
The architect of any team’s downfall at the moment is the QB. Whether it’s Brady or Aaron Rodgers cultivating a side’s success or Tony Romo and Donovan McNabb carving their own team’s downfall, the winning or losing is in the hands of the gunslinger.
Atop of that list of quarterbacks lies the outstanding Rodgers. The defending champions were impressive in their opening win against the New Orleans Saints with their passing game once again the highlight. Rodgers had the best receiving corp in the league in 2010, yet the 2011 group is an improvement on that group. Randell Cobb looks a good addition while Jermichael Finley is a beast with the potential to be uncontainable in games.
The loss of John Beason will leave a gaping hole for the tight end to exploit on Sunday when the Packers visit the Panthers. There has been quite a reaction to Cam Newton’s performance under centre and who can blame them. But let’s be honest the Cardinals defence and the Packers defence are not in the same vicinity when it comes to talent, pace and blitzing.
The 10/11 on offer for the Green Bay Packers -9 looks a solid bet for the weekend with Newton being officially welcomed to the NFL by Clay Matthews and co.
Despite being the chief villain in the Dallas Cowboys pantomime of 2011, Tony Romo actually displayed flashes of brilliance against the Jets. Cut out the horrible decision making and I actually believe Romo has the potential to be a top-class QB.
He will of course have his horror shows, as witnessed on Sunday night, but he does have the ability to light it up and that’s what I expect when the Cowboys travel to San Francisco this weekend. The 49ers beat the Seahawks due to their special teams, nothing to disregard too easily I know, but they still lack the firepower on offense.
The Cowboys defence is a different proposition under the tutelage of Rob Ryan and their high-tempo blitz scheme could cause Alex Smith problems. The Cowboys offense is under rated by many and they moved the ball on numerous occasions against the Jets, I expect them to do the same on Sunday night and they represent a terrific bet at 5/6 to cover the -3 handicap.
One team that will play tough football all year is the Oakland Raiders. They finally looked to have stumbled upon a formula that should yield some success during the year, an excellent run game combined with a vicious defence. These two combined will make them very hard to beat and should stand them in good stead when they make the long trek to Buffalo on Sunday night.
Buffalo caused the shock of the opening round with a terrific victory in Kansas City and while I like the play of Ryan Fitzpatrick, I think they flattered to deceive somewhat. Their offensive line will be tested on Sunday with the likes of Richard Seymour and Rolando McLain set to wreak havoc.
Take the Raiders to prevail in a close contest with +3 at 20/21 looking a smashing bet.
Having tipped three teams on their travels, it’s about time we focused on a home side and where better to start than the Super Dome and a pumped up Saints crowd.
New Orleans let us down in the opening week but there was a lot to like about their performance. They showed they can match it with the best, Drew Brees is still Drew Brees and Darren Sproles looks a perfect player for Sean Payton’s offense.
A stat that may worry some is the Bears have won their last four games against the Saints. Jay Cutler perfected the screen pass against the Falcons and Jonathan Vilma will need to be at his best from middle linebacker position to counteract his link with Matt Forte.
I expect the Saints to spread the field early and come out with multiple receiver sets. One anticipates the pass will be used to set up the run, particularly with the Chicago defence a tough side to run the ball against.
The extra three days preparation will help the Saints and they are good enough to cover the -6.5 spread at 10/11. Ladbrokes offer a six point teaser on every game and the standout bet this week is a double involving the Pittsburgh Steelers and NY Jets. Both teams will be on home turf against teams that look way short of the best in the league. Without doubt, this is the bet of the weekend.
Tips:
- Green Bay Packers -9 @ 10/11
- Dallas Cowboys -3 @ 5/6
- Oakland Raiders +3 @ 20/21
- New Orleans Saints -6.5 @ 10/11
- Pittsburgh Steelers -8 & NY Jets -2.5 double @ 9/10
