Clemens, Jets come up short in Baltimore

Football Betting Lines

09/18/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Through the first three quarters of their loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, the New York Jets would have been better off with Clarence Clemons under center rather than what they had in Kellen Clemens.

But, in the fourth quarter Clemens, who was making his first NFL start in place of the injured Chad Pennington, showed why he was a second-round pick in 2006 and why Jets fans have been clamoring to see him since training camp began.

After doing next to nothing offensively for the first 45 minutes of the game, Clemens put it all together in the fourth quarter, as he came within an eyelash of leading his team to a game-tying score with under a minute to play, only to be let down by his wide receivers in the 20-13 loss.

"As the game grew on, I got more and more comfortable," said Clemens, who finished the game 19-of-37 for 260 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. "My play in the first half was not what it should have been. In the course of the game, you try not to kick yourself too much, you learn from it as quick as you can, you look at the pictures and you move on. By the second half, things slowed down a little bit, I calmed down and we were able to move the football."

Trailing by a touchdown and with just under two minutes to play, Clemens hit Justin McCareins in stride at the Ravens' six, but he dropped what should have been the tying touchdown. Two plays later, Clemens found the usually reliable Laveranues Coles open in the end zone, but he couldn't scoop up the low pass.

"I've got to come up with that," Coles said. "Somehow, some way Laveranues has to come up with that play. That's what they have me here for. I'm disappointed with myself."

Four plays after the Coles drop, McCareins again dropped a pass in the end zone, only this time it caromed into the waiting arms of all-world linebacker Ray Lewis, ending any chance of a dramatic comeback.

"Those are plays I know I can make and I have made," said McCareins. I just didn't get it done when it counted."

If you are a fan of the Jets you have something to cling to. Clemens took an absolute beating and almost pulled off an improbable comeback against a team that almost never coughs it up. In fact, coming into the game, the Ravens owned a 48-1 record when they had a 14-point lead into the second half.

"I thought he showed great poise," said head coach Eric Mangini, whose team is off to their first 0-2 start since 2003. "This is a guy making his first start against an outstanding defense that gives multiple looks and pressure. He took their best shot and kept coming, and I was pleased with that."

QB CONTROVERSY BREWING?

So was Clemens' performance enough to warrant another start? Probably not, but it definitely solidified the organization's belief that they may have a quarterback of the future on their roster.

Mangini stated after the game that Chad Pennington is still his starter and will play this week as long as his ankle is ready to go, but his leash may gotten a little shorter given the way Clemens played down the stretch on Sunday.

I am sure Jets fans will be all over Pennington, though, the second he makes a mistake.

It's a tough call for Mangini. On the one hand Pennington does give the Jets the best chance to win right now. But chances are they are not going to be a playoff team this season anyway. So why not just stick the kid in there, let him take his lumps and be ready to hit the ground running next season when the team could be a bona fide contender?

FANTASY STUD OF THE WEEK

One receiver who had no trouble catching the ball in Sunday's loss was Jerricho Cotchery, who hauled in seven passes for a career-high 165 yards. It was the third 100-yard game of his career and the highest total for a Jets WR since Keyshawn Johnson managed 194 yards receiving on eight catches vs. the Patriots on Sept. 12, 1999.

"He's just a special guy," Mangini said of Cotchery. "I admire his competitiveness and his toughness. You just love to coach guys like that."

Cotchery's 44-yard catch led to the Jets touchdown in the fourth quarter, while his 50-yard catch-and-run helped set up the near tying score.

"A lot of teams are paying a lot of attention to Laveranues, so that's where I have to do my work," Cotchery said. "Kellen (Clemens) noticed that and I was able to get open on a few routes."

INJURIES

The Jets escaped Baltimore relatively injury-free, but defensive back and kickoff returner Justin Miller left the game with a right knee injury and may be done for the season.

The Jets have not confirmed anything (to no one's surprise), but multiple reports in New York have said that he has ligament damage.

DISTURBING STAT OF THE WEEK

Opposing quarterbacks have now thrown 63 passes against the Jets and the defense has yet to record a sack. Their much-maligned offensive line, though, has allowed their quarterback to be taken down an AFC-high eight times.

UP NEXT

The Jets have a very good chance of getting off the schneid this week when they welcome the also winless Miami Dolphins to the Meadowlands.

New York beat Miami twice last season and has won five of the last six in the series. The Jets, who hold a 43-38-1 lead in their all-time series with Miami, have also won three straight at home over the Dolphins.

In addition to their regular season history, the Jets and Dolphins met in the 1982 AFC Championship, which went to Miami by a 14-0 score.

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Football Betting

NFL Football Betting Online

The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.

Thursday, August 21

NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37

NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road

In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.

Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):

* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games

Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.

Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.

Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.

That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.

Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.

CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

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