Bradford, Rams making red zone work a priority

Football Betting Lines

09/22/2011 -

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Sam Bradford had a very good day in Week 2, except for the scoreboard.

The St. Louis Rams' inability to finish drives is one of the biggest reasons they're 0-2 for the fifth straight season.

They've scored only two touchdowns over the first two games and were thwarted three times inside the 10 in their Monday night loss to the New York Giants, leading to a larger chunk of practice Wednesday devoted to red zone offense.

``The more we can do down there, the better,'' Bradford said. ``That's the one area you don't usually get a lot of work in during the week. So anytime we can steal a couple reps, I think it's going to help us on Sunday.''

Bradford, who passed for a career-best 331 yards against the Giants, said it's a matter of execution. He placed some of the blame on himself, mentioning some off-target throws that could have resulted in touchdowns.

The lone touchdown came on a 19-yard pass to Danario Alexander in the third quarter, the last score in a 28-16 defeat.

``I've got to be better,'' Bradford said. ``You get down there, it's just too important. When you get down to the 1, I don't care what they line up in, we should be able to score.''

He's not the only one who's frustrated.

``It's extremely disappointing,'' center Jason Brown said. ``I cannot tell you how upsetting and frustrating that is, and we're doing everything we can to make sure our preparation is perfect so we will not be denied.''

Wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker said little mistakes dragged down the offense.

``We easily could have walked into the end zone three times,'' Sims-Walker said. ``It's something that's very correctable.''

The Rams were particularly effective early in the no-huddle offense, gaining 89 yards on nine plays in their opening possession and 67 yards on 10 plays in the second possession, although both times they settled for short field goals by Josh Brown.

They used the no-huddle sparingly in the second half. Bradford didn't think it would work to stay in it the whole game. For one thing, a three-and-out would give the defense no rest, and for another, teams usually adjust to such tactics.

``Would I have liked to have us stay with it? Maybe a little bit,'' Bradford said. ``I think we got all we could out of it.''

The Rams believed the Giants' Deon Grant faked an injury to slow them down on their second possession, and Bradford said a second Giants player also fell down and then quickly got up after seeing Grant.

The NFL sent a memo Wednesday to all 32 teams warning of fines, suspensions and loss of draft picks if the league determines players faked injuries during a game.

``If the offense is in a no-huddle and it's fairly evident that the defense goes down just to slow the offense down, I think there's got to be some sort of penalty,'' Bradford said. ``That's the frustrating thing to me.''

Brown said Rams players were ``talking a lot of trash'' at Grant and said the rest of the Giants defenders were all grinning.

``The fans in the stands were all clapping, saying 'Oh, he got up. He's not really hurt,''' Brown said. ``And we're like 'We knew he wasn't hurt. I'm not clapping for him.'''

Brown noted that tactic or not, the Giants had time to regroup, adding ``their tongues were hanging out.''

``He just fell down, like a sniper shot him in the leg,'' Brown said. ``He knows. After he got up I chewed him out, and he just looked at me and smiled.''

Running back Steven Jackson did not practice Wednesday, casting doubt on his availability for Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Backup Cadillac Williams also did not practice because of a hamstring injury, although coach Steve Spagnuolo said Williams could practice Thursday.

Jackson missed the Giants game with a strained right quadriceps and Spagnuolo said a determination would be made at the end of the week.

``It's one of those things that you push it now and you set him back, that wouldn't be real smart,'' Spagnuolo said.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Sportcasinogamble Football Betting News

<< Report: Beebe out as Big 12 commish
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dan Beebe is reportedly out as Big 12 commissioner amidst more speculation of conference realignment. Beebe has been under fire recently for his perceived favoritism to Texas, and Oklahoma was

<< SF playoff hopes flickering after beating Dodgers
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Justin Christian went 3-for-5 with three RBI and fellow rookie Brett Pill had three hits and drove in a pair to keep the Giants pushing towards a playoff spot with an 8-5 win over the Dodgers. The Gi

<< Kinsler, Hamilton homer Rangers past A's
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ian Kinsler and Josh Hamilton hit solo homers in the eighth inning off Grant Balfour, and Texas moved closer to its second straight AL West crown with a 3-2 triumph over the Oakland Athletics. The Rangers'

<< Stephenson helps 'Quakes claim a point in Portland
Portland, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Khari Stephenson's goal 20 minutes from time helped the San Jose Earthquakes snatch a 1-1 draw with the Portland Timbers at Jeld-Wen Field on Wednesday. The Timbers took an early lead through Kenny Cooper

<< V-Mart paces Tigers over Royals
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Miguel Cabrera hit a go-ahead pinch-hit RBI double and Don Kelly added a two-run homer to cap a three-run eighth inning, lifting the Detroit Tigers to a 6-3 win over the Kansas City Royals to cap a two-gam

Bengals' WR Caldwell gets his chance to emerge >>
CINCINNATI (AP) - Andre Caldwell was delighted when he checked into the Cincinnati Bengals training camp in July and discovered he'd been assigned Chad Ochocinco's old room: No. 113.The receiver took it as a sign that he was finally going to get a c

In the FCS Huddle: Week 4 Preview >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Last season, six teams posted 4-4 records in the Missouri Valley Conference. Whether you want to say those four teams tied for third - behind Northern Iowa and Western Illinois - or tied for eighth in the

Goerges, Martinez Sanchez advance in Seoul >>
Seoul, South Korea (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Julia Goerges of Germany and Spain's Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez were among the second-round winners Thursday at the Korea Open. The third-seeded Goerges notched a 6-4, 7-5 win over 2006 Seoul

The SEC takes center stage in Week 4 >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Florida goes on the road to battle Kentucky in the first of two Three-Star SEC plays this Saturday. The Gators have destroyed the Wildcats the last three years by a combined score of 152-26 and the

Kirilenko rolls, Gajdosova beaten in Guangzhou >>
Guangzhou, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Maria Kirilenko of Russia rolled into the semifinals of the Guangzhou International tennis event on Thursday, while Australia's Jarmila Gajdosova was denied in her bid to repeat as champion. The top

MySportsbook.com is a must-have for the smart veteran sports investor who enjoys following the odds almost as much as betting them. Simply put, no one offers more betting options and offers them faster than MySportsbook. This football sportsbook is known for its ability to set the early market odds on events without having to worry about weak lines. Professional players are well aware that getting a crack at the early betting line is worth as much as, and sometimes more than, huge bonuses or reduced prices. MySportsbook's fearless, yet smart bookmaking style is what keeps everyone watching, including most other sportsbooks.

This is also a great choice for those who just want to have a worry free, fun experience. The ownership’s motto is “Sweat the game, not the payout”. These are not just decorative words used to fill space on the homepage. MySportsbook aims to give their customers the fastest withdrawals in the industry. Payouts are processed within 24 hours by an online sportsbook that carries our A+ financial rating.

Those who enjoy proposition and future wagers consider MySportsbook.com a top choice. Smaller players who seek large bonuses would do better at their sister book, Sportsbooks.com.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your betting football needs.

Big East Conference odds

Work left to do: Villanova, Syracuse, DePaul, West Virginia, Providence

Notre Dame and Louisville appear to have done enough to make the move, so we'll make them locks. The Cardinals, despite a modest RPI, are trending way up and have clinched at least a tie for third in the Big East, which should be more than enough with their pair of big road wins. Villanova got back to .500 and gets back to more solid footing. Syracuse got a very important road win and crippled a fellow contender in the process. West Virginia's fate could be in its hands Tuesday at Pitt.

Work left to do:

Villanova [18-9 (7-7), RPI: 21, SOS: 5] Pounded Rutgers to get back to .500. If Cats can get their last two (at UConn, vs. Syracuse), that should be enough with strong computer numbers and a host of wins away from The Pavilion. The Cats have beaten Texas and swept the Big 5 (never easy in Philly), but have a couple of losses to bubble teams (Xavier, Drexel), too. I still think they'll be OK, possibly even at 8-8.

Syracuse [20-8 (9-5), RPI: 53, SOS: 62] History says 10 wins will be plenty, but it might be hard for the Orange to get that last one with a final two vs. G'town, which is trying to win the league title, and at Villanova, which will be desperate for a W. The relative lack of nonconference heft and the weak computer numbers are still concerns, but the Orange have won four in a row and got a very, very big win at Providence on Saturday.

DePaul [16-12 (8-7), RPI: 54, SOS: 18] Beat Cincy and should get past South Florida to get to 9-7, but then what? They have beaten Kansas and Cal (right after the DeVon Hardin injury) earlier this season, but also have lost to Bradley and Purdue, among others. They'll likely need a couple of BE tourney wins, too, but we'll see ...

West Virginia [19-7 (8-6), RPI: 58, SOS: 125] The game at Pitt on Tuesday night could decide the Mountaineers' fate (barring a deep tournament run). They can still get to 9-7 in the Big East without it by beating Cincinnati, but the nine wins would be against UConn, Villanova, St. John's, South Florida, DePaul, Rutgers, Seton Hall twice and the Bearcats. Beating bubble foes is fine, but where's the beef? Outside of beating PG-less UCLA in nonconference play (still a top quality win), there's not a lot to fall back on (besides maybe NC State). WVU vs. Syracuse would be an interesting debate, as the teams don't play in the Big East regular season. WVU has the best win, but Cuse has played the much better schedule.

Providence [17-10 (7-7), RPI: 70, SOS: 33] The Friars likely saw their at-large hopes die at home in the four-point loss to Syracuse, barring an unexpected run to the Big East semis or more. The RPI, bad already, won't be helped by playing St. John's and South Florida in the final two league games.

For more March Madness odds go to MySportsbook.com

For more College Basketball betting lines go to BettingExpress.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.