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11/21/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When Jamal Lewis speaks, people listen. The Cleveland Browns veteran running back called out some of his teammates for giving up after a home loss to Denver a few weeks ago and the team responded with a big win at Buffalo in Week 11.
Lewis will try to fire up his teammates again this Sunday afternoon at Cleveland Browns Stadium, where the club hosts the Houston Texans.
The lights were shining bright in prime time last Monday night at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium, and the Browns didn't let the hostile scene affect their game during a 29-27 victory in Orchard Park.
Cleveland ended a two-game losing streak with the win and improved to 4-6 to stay afloat in the AFC postseason race. Second-year quarterback Brady Quinn earned his first win in the league since taking over for deposed starter Derek Anderson, who led Cleveland to a 10-6 mark in 2007 and earned his first Pro Bowl bid that same year.
The muscle-bound Quinn, who will play despite a broken right index finger, seems to have a grasp of the offense but didn't have to do much to get the Browns back in the win column on Monday. The second-year pro went 14-of-36 for 185 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. In his previous start, Quinn was 23-of-35 passing for 239 yards and threw two touchdowns against the Broncos.
He may be without tight end Kellen Winslow, who is questionable for Sunday's game with a shoulder injury.
Houston has lost three in a row after a three-game winning streak, and fell to 3-7 on the season after last Sunday's hard-fought 33-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Chances of reaching the playoffs for the first time in franchise history were most likely dashed for the Texans, who have allowed no less than 28 points in each of the past three losses.
Backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels hasn't been able to erase the loss of injured starter Matt Schaub since taking over the offense. Schaub went down on November 2 at Minnesota and has missed two starts. Head coach Gary Kubiak hopes he can return in a few weeks, since Schaub is now able to bend his knee and move around with more ease.
Rookie running back Steve Slaton has been a big surprise for the Texans and totaled a team rookie-record 156 rushing yards on 14 carries against the Colts, including a franchise-long 71-yard touchdown run. Slaton will try to keep the Houston locker room positive against the Browns' meager run defense.
SERIES HISTORY
The Browns lead the all-time series with the Texans 3-2, breaking a deadlock in the series with a 27-17 home victory when the teams met in Week 12 of last season. The Texans won the previous meeting, a 14-6 affair in Houston in 2006. The Texans are 0-2 in Cleveland all-time.
Browns head coach Romeo Crennel is 1-2 in his career against the Texans, while Kubiak is 1-1 against both Crennel and Cleveland as a head coach.
WHEN THE TEXANS HAVE THE BALL
Rosenfels (956 passing yards, 4 TD, 7 INT) has thrown for 956 yards and four touchdowns on 78-of-118 passing in relief of Schaub. He has struggled in his last three performances, throwing for just three touchdowns and six interceptions. Rosenfels has proven himself to be a capable leader in the NFL, but hasn't been doing much to maintain that status for the Texans, whose offense ranks second in the AFC and fifth in the NFL at 370.1 yards per game. Houston has had the third-most prolific offense in the NFL over the last eight weeks, thanks mainly to wide receiver Andre Johnson (71 receptions, 3 TD), who leads the NFL with 955 receiving yards and extended his own team record by catching a pass in his 44th consecutive game last week. He hasn't had more than 55 yards receiving in each of the last three games, however, after posting four straight contests with no less than 131 yards. Wideout Kevin Walter (40 receptions, 6 TD) leads the Texans with six touchdown catches. He has started 25 games in the last two years and has hauled in 105 passes for 1,374 yards and 10 touchdowns over that span.
Defensive end Corey Williams (27 tackles, 0.5 sacks), who finished with four tackles against the Bills, is the biggest pass-rushing threat on the Cleveland front line that may not have fellow end Shaun Smith (17 tackles) for this weekend. Smith suffered a calf injury on Monday and did not participate in practice early this week. With no push up front, Cleveland's 19th-rated pass defense will face a true test against Houston's surprising aerial attack. Cornerbacks Eric Wright (42 tackles, 3 INT) and Brandon McDonald (43 tackles, 2 INT) were able to shut down Buffalo's passing game and Cleveland posted three interceptions in the win. McDonald came away with one of those picks. Safeties Sean Jones (33 tackles) and Brodney Pool (36 tackles, sack, 2 INT) will help the corners against both Johnson and Walter.
Houston knew the Colts had trouble defending the run, so it unleashed the rookie Slaton to great results. The Texans ran for 177 yards against Indianapolis and threw the ball only 18 times. Slaton (701 rushing yards, 6 TD) took advantage with his second-career 100-yard game. A home-run threat every time he touches the ball, Slaton ranks third among rookies with 89.9 total yards from scrimmage per game and is tied for the rookie lead with seven touchdowns scored. He also owns a 5.1 yards per carry average, good enough for fourth in the league for Houston's 15th-rated run offense, and ranks third in the AFC in rushing yards through the first 10 games of the season. Slaton can thank offensive linemen such as guard Chester Pitts for the success. Pitts is the only player to start each of Houston's 106 all-time games, but he injured his calf and is day-to-day. The Texans are averaging 114.3 yards per game on the ground this season, compared to 99.1 yards per game last year.
The Browns had a rough time stopping the run against the Bills and were lucky to escape town with a victory. Buffalo running back Marshawn Lynch had 119 yards on 23 carries, and Slaton will try for the same success against the NFL's 28th-rated run defense on Sunday. Run-stuffing tackle Shaun Rogers (52 tackles, 4.5 sacks) leads the team in sacks and had six tackles with a pass defensed this past weekend. Linebackers Andra Davis (50 tackles, 1 INT) and Kamerion Wimbley (41 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT) each had an interception on Monday night, while fellow linebacker D'Qwell Jackson (99 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT) leads the Browns in total tackles. Jackson had 11 stops and a tipped pass against the Bills and also made several stops against the run.
WHEN THE BROWNS HAVE THE BALL
Quinn (424 passing yards, 2 TD, 0 INT) will make his second career start at home on Sunday and matches up well against Houston's middle-of-the-pack defense. He supplanted Anderson as the starter versus Denver in Week 10, but is either a bad game or a hard hit away from losing the reigns. The athletic Notre Dame product has completed 37 of his 71 pass attempts for 424 yards and two scores this season. He has been meshing well with top receiver Braylon Edwards (35 receptions, 3 TD), who leads the team in receiving yards and is tied for the Browns lead with three scores. He matched his career high of eight receptions and totaled 104 yards against the Bills. It was Edwards' 10th career 100-yard receiving game and second of 2008. He has also caught a pass in 52 consecutive games and has a reception in every one that he has competed in during his four years in the NFL. Winslow (39 receptions, 3 TD) recently underwent an MRI on his ailing shoulder, and Quinn hopes his top tight end will be uniform on Sunday. Winslow, who did not practice Wednesday or Thursday, is averaging 87.5 receiving yards per game over his previous two contests at home.
Houston will try to put the pressure on Quinn, and not many do it better than defensive end Mario Williams (34 tackles, 8 sacks), who owns six sacks in the past seven games and his eight on the season is tops in the AFC. The first overall pick in 2006 ranks third in the NFL with 22 sacks since entering the league. The Texans didn't sack Colts quarterback Peyton Manning last week, and he burned the secondary for 320 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. Houston is 17th against the pass, allowing 210.8 yards per game through the air. Cornerback Dunta Robinson (18 tackles, 1 INT) missed the charter flight to Indianapolis on Saturday and was fined by the team. He didn't begin the game as the nickel back against the Colts, but ended with four stops. Cornerbacks Fred Bennett (34 tackles) and Jacques Reeves (29 tackles, 2 INT) were unable to contain any of Indy's wideouts and will be busy against Edwards -- and possibly Winslow -- all afternoon.
Lewis (658 rushing yards, 4 TD) is a bruising running back and had 65 yards on 18 carries against the Bills. He lit a fire under his teammates a few weeks ago and the team rebounded with a big win on Monday, even though Lewis has yet to reach the century mark in rushing this season. Backup running back Jerome Harrison (207 rushing yards, 1 TD) is faster and more elusive than Lewis, and should see more carries for the remainder of the season. He had 80 yards and a touchdown against the Bills as Cleveland ran for a season-high 161 yards. Harrison beefed up his stats with a 72-yard touchdown run for the Browns, who only 1-4 at home this season after going 7-1 as the host a year ago. Tackle Joe Thomas and guard Eric Steinbach anchor the offensive line and pave the way for both Lewis and Harrison.
Lewis will try to penetrate a Houston run defense that is rated 24th in the league and is yielding 132.5 yards per game on the ground. Colts running back Joseph Addai posted his first 100-yard rushing game in more than a year last week against the Texans because of poor tackling and defensive miscues. The Texans' interior line has been suffering without tackle Amobi Okoye (11 tackles), who has been limited in eight games this season due to an ankle injury. He is questionable against the Browns. Texans star linebacker DeMeco Ryans (73 tackles) is leading the team for the third consecutive season with 73 tackles, including 56 solos. He has led the team in tackles 21 times in 42 career games, and leads the NFL in 10-tackle games over the last three seasons with 18. Ryans ended with 11 stops against the Colts. Rookie linebacker Xavier Adibi (18 tackles) posted a career-high 14 tackles last week. He filled in for injured starter Morlon Greenwood (36 tackles), who is out with a leg injury. Greenwood is listed as questionable against Cleveland, while Adibi will likely get the start against the Browns.
FANTASY FOCUS
Lewis, Edwards, Winslow and Quinn will produce the most fantasy points from the Browns this week. Quinn, though, has been a tough start the past two weeks, but Sunday's matchup with Houston favors the young signal-caller. Edwards and Winslow seem to have to no problem sharing catches and Lewis still has the power and agility to punish opposing defenses. Expect all four to produce decent numbers in most leagues this weekend. Johnson and Slaton have taken the fantasy world by storm each week, while Rosenfels is a good start although he may lose a few points because of turnovers. Rosenfels can light up the scoreboard with the best of them, though, and Johnson should get back to his 100-yard receiving ways. Houston's Walter should only be used in an emergency.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
Now is the perfect time for the Browns to start winning at home, where they are just 1-4 as the host in 2008. With hopes of a playoff berth fading at a rapid pace, the Browns must have a solid outing from the inexperienced Quinn against a defense he matches up well against. The Browns will surely devise the perfect plan for Quinn to succeed in, but he must not stray away from getting contributions by Lewis. The running back sets the tempo on offense with his punishing style of play and can open the defense for Quinn to pick apart. Houston already knows its season is pretty much in jeopardy and will do anything to crash Cleveland's party at home. Johnson and Slaton are not enough to keep the Texans from getting another notch in the loss column on Sunday.
Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Browns 27, Texans 20
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Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
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Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.
The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.
Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.
NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.
"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.
The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.
But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.
The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.
Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.
The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.
The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.
The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.
Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.
Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."
Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.
"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."
Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.
It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.
"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."
Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.
"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."
At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.
According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.
Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.
Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.
When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.
He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.
Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.
Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.
Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.
Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.
While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.
"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.
Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.
Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
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