Jackson, Kampman and Gould earn NFC's weekly awards
Football Betting Lines
12/27/2006 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson, Green Bay Packers defensive end Aaron Kampman and Chicago kicker Robbie Gould have been selected as the NFC's top players for Week 16 of the season.
Jackson earned the offensive award after racking up 252 yards from scrimmage with a pair of touchdowns in the Rams' 37-31 overtime win over Washington. He had 33 carries for 150 yards and caught six passes for 102 yards.
The Pro Bowl back's 64-yard touchdown reception pulled St. Louis within 28-21 in the third quarter and he scored the winning touchdown in overtime with a 21-yard run to help keep the Rams' playoff hopes alive. It was also his first career Player of the Week honor.
Kampman notched his second career defensive award -- and second of the season -- in Green Bay's 9-7 victory over Minnesota. He had a team-best seven tackles and tied his career high with three sacks to help the Packer defense hold the Vikings to just 104 total net yards as Green Bay kept its playoff hopes alive.
Gould drilled four field goals in Chicago's 26-21 win over Detroit to capture the special teams award for the second time. Three of his kicks came in the fourth quarter as the Bears rallied from a 21-17 deficit.
Other nominees for the offensive award included New Orleans running backs Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister. Bush had a career-high 126 rushing yards with a touchdown and caught two passes for 23 yards in a 30-7 rout of the New York Giants, while McAllister ran for 108 yards with a score.
A pair of Eagles were also considered, as quarterback Jeff Garcia threw for 238 yards with one touchdown and running back Brian Westbrook carried 26 times for 122 yards in a 23-7 Christmas Day win over Dallas.
Tampa Bay linebacker Derrick Brooks was among those nominated for defensive honors after notching six tackles and a 21-yard interception return for a touchdown in a 22-7 win over Cleveland. Two other Bucs were considered, as safety Jermaine Phillips had seven tackles with a pair of interceptions and defensive tackle Greg Spires notched five tackles with two sacks.
Special teams consideration went to Packers kicker Dave Rayner, who accounted for all of Green Bay's nine points with three field goals, including the game- winner from 44 yards away with 1:34 remaining.
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FOOTBALL BETTING
After all the trouble that’s 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 it’s 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 don’t 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 don’t 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 he’s 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 you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s 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 don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s 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 LeBron’s friend. If that’s 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. Braylon’s 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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