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09/18/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - If it is one thing the Arizona Cardinals did not excel at last season, it was running the football.
Despite landing Edgerrin James via free agency prior to the year, Arizona finished the 2006 campaign ranked 30th in the NFL in rushing offense. James himself managed 1,159 yards over 16 games, his lowest total in four seasons. The Cardinals as a team rushed for just 1,338 yards.
Many different factors played into Arizona's poor performance in the ground game last year. A subpar offensive line probably directly effected James, who was also adapting to a new system. It didn't help when the Cardinals fell behind early in games, either.
When new head coach Ken Whisenhunt took over, he decreed the Cards would run the ball more. However, his club couldn't put the San Francisco 49ers away on the ground in a 20-17 defeat on opening weekend.
The Cardinals made sure that didn't happen again in Week 2. James ran for 128 yards and a score in a 23-20 win over Seattle, with 69 of those yards coming in the second half.
With the game even at 20-20, the Cardinals defense came up with a big fumble recovery at the Seahawks' 46-yard line with under two minutes left. No sweat, as James took four straight carries for a total of 22 yards to set up Neil Rackers' game-winning 42-yard field goal with just four ticks left.
"At that situation, Seattle is playing it much like we were playing it, to stop the run," Whisenhunt said. "So when you can do that, when you can run the football on a team that is trying to stop it like that, which is what we didn't do against San Francisco in the fourth quarter, you can build on that."
James also had a 17-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter that helped put Arizona ahead 17-0. It was his longest scoring run since September 9, 2004.
In the 53 contests "Edge" has surpassed 100 rushing yards in a game, his team has posted a victory 47 times. Arizona is 4-0 when he goes over the 100-yard plateau.
"That is what we talked about in all off preseason and into the season," said Whisenhunt, who picked up his first win as a head coach in his regular-season home debut, on running the ball at the end of games. "So it was nice to see us be able to do that."
Whisenhunt and new assistant head coach/offensive line coach Russ Grimm -- both of whom came over from Pittsburgh in the offseason -- also deserve a lot of credit for getting the offensive line to play better.
The addition of tackle Levi Brown, the fifth overall pick in the 2007 draft, has helped a lot, but the club prevailed on Sunday despite being without centers Al Johnson and Nick Leckey.
Another good sign for the offensive line is that quarterback Matt Leinart has been sacked just once through two games, after getting sacked 21 times in 12 games during 2006.
"We wanted to close this game out," said Leinart. "We ran the ball exceptionally well all game. Edge did a great job, the offensive line did a tremendous job and we just found a way to win."
A SPECIAL WIN
Rackers booted three field goals, including his game-winner, as he continues to try to rebound from a poor 2006 by his standards. After hitting 40-of-42 field goal attempts in 2005, including a 6-of-7 effort from 50-plus yards, Rackers made just 28 of his 37 tries last season.
He is 4-for-5 so far this season after missing a 53-yard attempt at the end of the first half against Seattle.
Rackers said his game-winning boot reminded him of a kick he didn't make last season. In a Monday night clash with the Bears -- a game the Cardinals led 20-0 at the half -- Rackers missed a 40-yard field goal try with under a minute to play. Arizona went on to lose, 24-23.
The game was seen as the downfall of former head coach Dennis Green, who went on a classic tirade when talking to the media after the game. He was dismissed by the club at season's end.
But back to Rackers.
"It feels great," the Arizona kicker said. "For people who don't know that was the exact spot, 41 yards on the left hash, as the Chicago game. This offseason I probably hit that ball 500 times, so I felt pretty confident going out there. It feels like a great weight lifted off my shoulder."
WOUNDED CARDS
In addition to Johnson (knee) and Leckey (knee) missing Sunday's game, other notable inactives included guard Brad Badger and defensive tackle Alan Branch.
Johnson and Leckey's unavailability prompted the Cardinals to sign center Chukky Okobi last Wednesday. The 6-foot-1, 305 pound Okobi was a fifth-round selection by Pittsburgh in the 2001 NFL Draft out of Purdue. He appeared in 77 games with the Steelers, including seven starts in six seasons.
Johnson and Branch are both questionable for this weekend. Branch, the first pick of the second round in the 2007 draft, has yet to play because of a broken hand.
WHO IS HOT
Through two games, James has 220 rushing yards on 50 carries with a pair of touchdown runs. He has also caught four passes for 42 yards.
WHO IS NOT
Running back J.J. Arrington continues to fail in an attempt to serve as a solid backup. He has five rushing attempts for 14 yards, good for just a 2.8 yards per carry average.
NEXT UP: QUOTH THE RAVEN
Arizona faces a tough task as it hits the road to play the Ravens and their hard-nosed defense this Sunday in Baltimore.
The Cardinals have battled the Ravens just three times in franchise history. Arizona dropped two in a row to Baltimore on the road after defeating the club in its initial meeting in Phoenix back in 1997.
The Ravens posted a 26-18 victory in their most recent meeting with the Cardinals in 2003.
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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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