Eagles showing resourcefulness during playoff run
Football Betting Lines
01/13/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The thought of the Philadelphia Eagles reaching the NFC Championship Game seemed virtually inconceivable just a few short weeks ago. Getting there without a significant contribution from their offensive catalyst in a critical playoff clash is a notion that's just as hard to believe.
The Eagles became the first-ever No. 6 seed in the NFC Playoffs to take down a No. 1 with this past Sunday's 23-11 victory over the rival New York Giants at the Meadowlands, Philly's second road triumph over the defending Super Bowl champions in five weeks. That first win came with a Herculean effort from star running back Brian Westbrook, but the usual game-changer delivered much more modest totals in the rematch.
New York's defensive focus was squarely on Westbrook, who racked up 203 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns to spark Philadelphia to a 20-14 decision at Giants Stadium on December 7, and succeeded in its goal to keep the dynamic back in check. Westbrook mustered just 36 yards on 18 carries and caught only two passes for 10 yards on Sunday, with his longest touch of the game gaining a mere eight yards.
The Eagles successfully adjusted to Westbrook's off day, however, thanks to another stout performance by a sometimes-overlooked defense and the ability of veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb to come up with big plays when called upon.
McNabb's final numbers of 217 yards on 22-of-40 passing with one touchdown and two interceptions weren't eye-popping, but the five-time Pro Bowl honoree clearly outplayed counterpart Eli Manning in conditions made difficult by the notorious swirling Meadowlands winds and a persistent Giants pass rush. The Eagles converted 7-of-14 third-down opportunities on the afternoon, many of them because of on-target throws from McNabb to his corps of receivers.
On the other side, the Eagles held Manning and an out-of-sync New York offense to make just 3-of-13 third-down tries, while repeatedly stonewalling the NFC East titlists in red-zone and short-yardage situations as well. The Giants moved inside the Philadelphia 30-yard line five times on Sunday, settling for field-goal attempts each time.
The defense also stopped the Giants twice on fourth down with two yards to go or less in the final quarter, and forced three turnovers including a long interception return by ball-hawking cornerback Asante Samuel that set up a McNabb touchdown run in the first quarter.
"I think this team has shown that we're strong mentally and physically at being able to get the job done when our backs are up against the wall," said McNabb. "Defensively they did an excellent job today. (Defensive coordinator) Jim Johnson came up with great blitzes and had a great scheme to apply pressure to Eli and obviously try to stop them from running. They made our job a little bit easier on offense."
RARE COMPANY
The Eagles will be making their fifth appearance in the NFC Championship Game in the last eight years under head coach Andy Reid when they head to Arizona this Sunday to take on a Cardinals team they beat handily in Philadelphia on Thanksgiving. The last NFC squad to reach the conference title clash five times in an eight-year span was the San Francisco 49ers from 1990-97.
Philadelphia is 1-3 in the NFC Championship with Reid at the helm and McNabb at quarterback, with that lone win coming at home against Atlanta during the 2004 season. The Eagles' only road appearance during that stretch came in the 2001 title game, when the club was dealt a 29-24 loss to the Kurt Warner-led St. Louis Rams.
Warner, incidentally, will be under center for the Cardinals for this weekend's showdown.
GREEN AKERS
Kicker David Akers made good on all three of his field goal attempts in Sunday's win and has now converted 18 consecutive three-point tries during the postseason. The streak broke the previous NFL mark of 16 straight held by Gary Anderson. The 10-year pro, who has been successful on 28-of-32 field-goal attempts for his career in the playoffs, trails only Adam Vinatieri (42) and Anderson (32) for the most made in postseason play.
Akers set the record in a venue that has given him fits for a good portion of his lengthy tenure with the Eagles. The 34-year-old headed into the game having made just 11-of-22 field goal attempts in Giants Stadium and had two short kicks blocked in Philadelphia's visit to the Meadowlands last month.
"More than the field goals, I was actually happier with my kickoffs, consistently hitting them deep and being able to get down there," said Akers afterward. "The toughest thing about it was keeping warm on the sideline, because the whole sideline was ice."
INJURY REPORT
- Offensive guard Shawn Andrews returned to practice last week for the first time since undergoing back surgery in October, but the two-time Pro Bowl choice is still unlikely to suit up for Sunday's NFC Championship. Andrews has not played since the Eagles' 41-37 loss at Dallas in Week 2.
- Defensive end Victor Abiamiri, who had sat out the regular-season finale as well as last weekend's win at Minnesota in the Wild Card round due to a sprained foot, was active for Sunday's tilt and compiled three tackles as part of the team's front-line rotation.
- Wide receiver Jason Avant, who had 43 yards on four catches versus the Giants, hyperextended his knee during the game, but Reid expects him to be available for this weekend's matchup.
NEXT UP: HOUSE OF CARDS
The Eagles will make their first-ever appearance to University of Phoenix Stadium for this Sunday's encounter with the fourth-seeded Cardinals, who came through with a shocking 33-13 road victory over NFC South champion Carolina to advance to the conference's title bout.
These teams squared off at Lincoln Financial Field on Thanksgiving night, with the Eagles cruising to a 48-20 rout that fueled their late-season playoff run. McNabb threw for 260 yards and four touchdowns in that game, while the Philadelphia defense picked off Warner three times on the evening.
The Cardinals have been a tougher test at home this season, however, having won seven of their nine battles at University of Phoenix Stadium. Arizona is 13-4 as the host in head coach Ken Whisenhunt's two seasons in charge.
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MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined
Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.
"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."
Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)
According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.
As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).
Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.
Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at
17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.
*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007
New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers
By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.
"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."
While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."
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