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San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philip Rivers threw for 270 yards and a touchdown, and Ryan Mathews rushed for 90 yards and two scores as the San Diego Chargers took a 34-14 decision over the Baltimore Ravens. Rivers completed 17-of-23 passes, including a 28-yard touchdown to Malcom Floyd, in the Chargers' (7-7) third straight victory. The Chargers are now tied with Oakland for second place in the AFC West and sit a game back of Denver for the top spot in the division.
Baltimore was guaranteed a playoff spot prior to the game, though, thanks to losses by the Jets and Titans earlier on Sunday.
The Chargers then marched down the field in 11 plays, converting the lone third down they saw with a nine-yard grab by Randy McMichael before Mike Tolbert capped the drive by rumbling into the end zone from two yards out.
But San Diego scored on its next two possessions to take a 17-7 lead into halftime.
Nick Novak split the uprights from 45 yards out to put the Chargers up by three before Vincent Jackson's 58-yard reception down the left sideline set up Mathews' one-yard TD run in the final minute of the second quarter.
Rivers finalized an eight-play, 80-yard drive to open the third quarter by dropping a pass over Floyd's shoulder in the right side of the end zone for a 28-yard score.
The turnover resulted in Mathews leaping over the line of scrimmage and into the end zone for a three-yard touchdown and a 31-7 Chargers lead.
Novak's 28-yard kick was true on the Chargers' next touch to put San Diego up by 27 before a 36-yard catch-and-run by the Ravens' Torrey Smith late in the game accounted for the final margin.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two of the most successful teams of this 2011 NFL season will go head-to-head under the Monday night lights when the defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers pay a visit to Candlestick Park to take on the playoff-bound San Francisco 49ers, though some of the luster of this otherwise marquee matchup may be removed due to the potential absence of a pair of star players. The Steelers will enter this high-profile showdown with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger a question mark due to an ankle sprain he suffered in the team's most recent win, while All-Pro outside linebacker James Harrison is guaranteed to sit out the contest after being handed a one-game suspension by the league office for an illegal hit on Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy during Pittsburgh's 14-3 triumph over the Browns on Dec. 8.
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After all the trouble thats ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but its even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here! next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I dont think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really dont know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But hes also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player youve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. Thats a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they dont have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, its a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his brawl with LeBrons friend. If thats the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick em game. Braylons excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
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