Ben Maller's NFL rumors
by FOXSports.com
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Updated: November 14, 2008, 11:26 AM EST 120 comments add this RSS blog email Print QB Vince Young detached from Titans
How Mike Vick Blew $17 Mil in Two Years
Two years ago, Michael Vick thought $1,000 was chump change. Now, in the big house, 12 cents an hour. Ah, the irony. Vick's had to file mountains of financial statements for his bankruptcy case in Virginia, and they give new meaning to free spending. The aforementioned grand was literally listed as "chump change" for his mom, Brenda Boddie. For his sister, Christina, there's $300 for "hair" -- in quotation marks. It's not all in the family: there's the $174K for a "car" and $1,000 for shoes, too. -- TMZ
Coordinator Dan Henning adds zest to Dolphins' offense
Dolphins offensive coordinator Dan Henning is at it again. He's helping his players look good, making opposing defenses look bad and having fun while doing it. In his second trip out of retirement, Henning, 66, is enlivening the NFL with a cutting-edge approach developed during a career that spans four decades. If it isn't the Wildcat formation stumping New England, it's a double-reverse option pass at Houston or a flea-flicker against Seattle. Henning's play calling has energized the career of a quarterback the New York Jets no longer wanted, Chad Pennington, and turned a wide receiver no one wanted, Greg Camarillo, into his go-to option. Henning's guts have helped the Dolphins go 7-of-9 on fourth down (third in the NFL). His guile is behind a 6-yard average on first down (fourth in the NFL). -- Palm Beach Post
Warren Sapp: Keyshawn Johnson a bitch
Showtime/CBS so much wants Warren Sapp to be the next Charles Barkley that it has turned to forced feedings. On Showtime's latest "Inside The NFL," in the "Ask Warren" segment, Sapp was asked if he'll watch Keyshawn Johnson's new reality show about interior design. "Me, watch Keyshawn on an interior decorating show?" Sapp said. "Keyshawn, I knew you were a bitch. And thanks for making it clear." -- NY Post
Vick dogs featured on wine labels
Georgia, Handsome Dan, Curly and other pit bulls rescued from Michael Vick's dogfighting operation are getting a shot at fame as stars of a line of boutique red wines. The Vicktory Dogs Wine Collection features colorful portraits of 22 dogs confiscated from Vick's Bad Newz Kennels that now live at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in southern Utah. -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Who Knew?
Teams from Pacific time zone are 0-12 this season in games in the Eastern time zone. -- Cleveland Plain Dealer
Did You Know?
Denver's players have dropped 23 catchable passes this season -- most of any team in football. -- FoxSports.com
How About That?
There's no doubt Steven Jackson's presence in the lineup means a lot to the Rams' offense. Since the start of the 2007 season, the team is 0-6 in games he has missed entirely because of injuries, and 0-8 in games he has missed or been limited in because of injury. -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Who Knew?
Falcons QB Matt Ryan is now 4-0 at home in his short career, posting a 125.2 rating in the process (5 TD, 0 INT). Ryan's home QB rating is currently the best in the league this season. -- FoxSports.com
Did You Know?
Sean Payton is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) vs. poor passing teams averaging 175 or less passing yards/game. as the coach of New Orleans. -- StatFox
How About That?
The Dolphins have turned the ball over just seven times this season -- fewest in football. -- FoxSports.com
Who Knew?
As a double-digit dog, Detroit is 6-0 ATS under Rod Marinelli, playing to a competitive -2.2 PPG differential. -- StatFox
Rochester Democrat & Chronicle NFL Picks
The Dolphins are favored by 10 � points at home on Sunday and are this week's "Best Bet": MIAMI 28, Oakland 7.
Sunday's games
(home teams in CAPS)
Philadelphia 30, CINCINNATI 14 -- The 9-point favored Eagles can't afford a loss and are 9-1 against the Las Vegas point spread (ATS) in their last 10 road games.
ATLANTA 28, Denver 17 -- The surprising 6� -point favored Falcons are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games and the defensively challenged Broncos are 2-6 ATS in their last eight road games. Atlanta rookie quarterback Matt Ryan is 4-0 at home with a 125.2 passer rating.
GREEN BAY 30, Chicago 20 -- The 3�-point favored Packers are due to end a four-game home losing streak to the Bears and have the passing game to burn Chicago's suspect secondary.
INDIANAPOLIS 33, Houston 17 -- The 9-point favored Colts lead the series 12-1 and are coming off impressive back-to-back wins over New England and Pittsburgh. The Texans don't travel well. In their last seven road games, they're 0-7 straight up and 1-6 ATS. They're 0-6 lifetime in Indianapolis (outscored 200-94).
Tennessee 24, JACKSONVILLE 17 -- The undefeated Titans are favored by only 3 points but should be able to shut down Jacksonville's running game. The Jaguars are stepping way up in class after a loss to Cincinnati and a win over Detroit.
New Orleans 35, KANSAS CITY 24 -- The 5�-point underdog Chiefs have lost their last three games by a total of eight points (4, 3 and 1) but lack the firepower to outscore the pass-happy Saints.
NEW YORK GIANTS 24, Baltimore 13 -- The 7-point underdog Ravens have scored at least 27 points in four consecutive games for the first time in their 13-year history, but rookie quarterback Joe Flacco won't have much time to throw against the Giants.
TAMPA BAY 23, Minnesota 14 -- The 4-point favored Buccaneers are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games against Minnesota. The Vikings are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games.
CAROLINA 33, Detroit 17 -- The 14-point favored Panthers are 5-0 at home by a combined 135-46. The winless Lions are 4-13 ATS in their last 17 games.
SAN FRANCISCO 30, St. Louis 13 -- The 49ers are favored by 6� points and Frank Gore should have a big game against a defense allowing an NFL-most 31.3 points per game. The Rams also rank 31st in total offense.
Arizona 38, SEATTLE 24 -- The Seahawks have won their last five home games against Arizona but the 2�-point favored Cardinals have a huge firepower advantage this time.
PITTSBURGH 27, San Diego 20 -- A weak pass rush should keep the 5-point underdog Chargers from pulling off a much-needed upset victory. The Steelers are 9-1 straight up in the last 10 home games against San Diego and won 10 of the last 13 meetings.
Dallas 28, WASHINGTON 20 -- The 1-point favored Cowboys desperately need a victory and the return of quarterback Tony Romo should be the difference. WARNING: Dallas is 1-5 ATS in the last six games and the Redskins are 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.
Monday's game
Cleveland 24, BUFFALO 20 -- The Bills are favored by 5 points but are struggling with their running game and pass rush. The Browns are live underdogs after blowing big second-half leads in losses to Baltimore and Denver, and it won't be a surprise if quarterback Brady Quinn, in his second NFL start, outplays slumping Trent Edwards. -- Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
Boston Herald NFL Picks
Kansas City is a 5 � -point home underdog to the desperate New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The Saints need to put together a nice winning streak to get back into the playoff chase, and prolific QB Drew Brees should be able to move the ball at will vs. KC's depleted defense. Lay it.
In other games:
SUNDAY
ATLANTA (-6 � ) over Denver - Things are so desperate in Denver the Broncos signed RB Tatum Bell, who was cut from the lowly Lions for stealing from a teammate. Go with the Falcons, who improve to 5-0 at home with a win.
MIAMI (-10 � ) over Oakland - If the Raiders couldn't win at home over an opponent that all but handed them last week's game, they'll have little chance on the road vs. a Miami team that has become a player in the AFC East.
NEW YORK GIANTS (-7) over Baltimore - Joe Flacco is giving Matt Ryan a real run for rookie of the year honors, but even veteran quarterbacks have been demolished by the Giants defense. Give the points.
Houston (+8) over INDIANAPOLIS - After beating the Pats and Steelers, and with old nemesis San Diego up next, the Colts may not be emotionally ready for a Texans team they were lucky to beat in their first meeting.
Tennessee (-3) over JACKSONVILLE - A blowout win over the NFL's only winless team doesn't mean Jacksonville is ready for the league's only unbeaten team. Tennessee has a stranglehold on the AFC South, and won't back off.
GREEN BAY (-3 � ) over Chicago - The NFC North race figures to be a three-way dance to the end, so look for the Pack to tighten things up with a win over the banged-up Bears.
Philadelphia (-9) over CINCINNATI - The Eagles' NFC East title chances took a hit with last week's loss to the Giants. But Philly remains a player in the wild card, and can ill afford a loss to the 1-8 Bengals.
CAROLINA (-14) over Detroit - After coming off the bye with a sloppy win over Oakland, Carolina taskmaster John Fox will demand a sharper effort this week. That's bad news for the Lions, who'll move one step closer to 0-16.
Minnesota (+4) over TAMPA BAY - Adrian Peterson won't run for 192 yards against the Bucs, but if he goes for half that amount the Vikes will hang close throughout. Take.
SAN FRANCISCO (-6 � ) over St. Louis - The Niners, under coach Mike Singletary, played hard in a tough Monday night loss at Arizona. The same can't be said of the Rams, outscored 81-16 in consecutive defeats to the Cards and Jets.
Arizona (-3) over SEATTLE - The Cardinals have a four-game lead over the Seahawks, and can all but clinch the NFC West with a win. Matt Hasselbeck likely returns, but it's too little, too late for staggering Seattle.
San Diego (+5) over PITTSBURGH - If the Chargers are going to be a serious AFC contender, the next two weeks - at Pittsburgh and home vs. Indy - will be a good barometer. Take the points.
WASHINGTON (+1 � ) over Dallas - Tony Romo returns to action, which should help the Poke's offense. But the addition of DeAngelo Hall strengthens an all-ready tough Washington defense.
MONDAY
BUFFALO (-5) over Cleveland - The Bills have lost three straight, but Cleveland has turned the fourth-quarter collapse into an art form. -- Boston Herald
Boston Globe NFL Picks
Arizona (-3) at Seattle - Kurt Warner for MVP? The last time that happened was 2001, when the average price of a gallon of gas was $1.85. Remember when we thought that was high? Pick: Seattle.
Denver at Atlanta (-6 1/2) - The Broncos have re-signed former tailback Tatum Bell. Before getting the call, Bell was working as a manager at Mobile Solutions. Now he's hoping to provide just that. Pick: Falcons.
Detroit at Carolina (-14) - The Lions cut Drew Henson this week. The former Yankee and Cowboy then headed up to Ann Arbor for his final year of eligibility with the Wolverines. Pick: Panthers.
Dallas (-1 1/2) at Washington - This rivalry lacks the bitterness of years past. The bumbling Cowboys look more like Wilton Parmenter's bumbling boys from "F Troop," while the Redskins come across as passive as the Hekawi tribe. Pick: Cowboys.
Chicago at Green Bay (-3 1/2) - Kyle Orton (and all Bears fans living or otherwise) hopes he gets to return to action. Be careful what you wish for, the Packers have a league-high 16 interceptions. Pick: Packers.
Houston at Indianapolis (-8) - He can say his knee is fine all he wants, but Peyton Manning has yet to look like Peyton Manning this season. Even his commercials have lacked zip. Pick: Texans.
Oakland at Miami (-10 1/2) - After taking over the play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Greg Knapp last week, Raiders coach Tom Cable's latest attempt to jump-start his team is to take over the passing duties from QB JaMarcus Russell. Pick: Dolphins.
New Orleans (-5 1/2) at Kansas City - Big kudos for Herm Edwards's decision to go for 2 against the Chargers last week. That took guts. His team is awful, but Herm's still playing to win the game. Pick: Chiefs.
Baltimore at NY Giants (-6 1/2) - The NFL's version of the Headbangers Ball. The Giants' top-ranked rushing offense vs. the Ravens' top-ranked rushing defense. Pick: Giants.
Philadelphia (-9) at Cincinnati - For just $89.95 a year, Bengals fans can get exclusive access to jungleinsider.com so they can gain keen insights into what makes this team tick. All major credit cards accepted. Pick: Eagles.
San Diego at Pittsburgh (-5) - The schedule says they only play eight games at home, so why does it seem like the Steelers play every game at Heinz Field? Go ahead and laugh, but I just found four bloggers on jungleinsider.com that agreed with me. Pick: Steelers.
St. Louis at San Francisco (-6) - Those last two minutes of the 49ers-Cardinals game Monday night were hilarious. I just couldn't figure out if Mike Singletary was playing the part of Lloyd Christmas and Mike Martz the role of Harry Dunne or was it the other way around? Pick: Rams.
Minnesota at Tampa Bay (-3 1/2) - Asked how his team can stop Vikings back Adrian Peterson, Buccaneers defensive tackle Chris Hovan told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, "We have to be a machine gun - bap! bap! bap!" Those Boston College professors must be gushing with pride. Pick: Buccaneers.
Tennessee (-3) at Jacksonville - This AFC South showdown features the two coolest coaches in the NFL. Go ahead, come up with a better matchup than Jack Del Rio and Jeff Fisher. Pick: Titans.
Cleveland at Buffalo (-5) - Exactly who was Kellen Winslow yelling at on the sideline after that crucial fumble last Thursday night? I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but he dropped the ball, no? Pick: Browns. -- Boston Globe
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