The Bum's October NFL POD'S + Trends + Stats & News !

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

10/03/13 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail
10/02/13 0-*2-*0 0.00% -*1050 Detail
10/01/13 1-*1-*0 50.00% -*50 Detail

Totals 3-*3-*0 50.00% -*100


Friday, October 4

Game Score Status Pick Amount


Pittsburgh 5 Bot 5 St. Louis -132 500
St. Louis 0 Over 7 500


Tampa Bay - 3:00 PM ET Boston -137 500
Boston - Over 7.5 500 POD # 4


LA Dodgers - 6:00 PM ET LA Dodgers +105 500 POD # 2
Atlanta - Over 6.5 500 POD # 3


Detroit - 9:30 PM ET Oakland +110 500 POD # 1
Oakland - Over 6.5 500 POD # 5

[StarDust Bum]

Unbeatens face road traps

October 4, 2013


NFL Week 5 Sunday

DENVER BRONCOS (4-0) at DALLAS COWBOYS (2-2)

Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Denver -9 & 58.5
Opening Line & Total: Broncos -7 & 57

The high-flying Broncos look to roll past their third NFC East opponent in four weeks when they visit the Cowboys on Sunday.

Denver has won its four games by an average of 22.0 PPG and leads the NFL in scoring (44.8 PPG), total offense (484 YPG), kick returns (36.8 average) and third-down conversion rate (55.3%). QB Peyton Manning has thrown for an amazing 1,470 yards (368 YPG), 16 TD and 0 INT so far. Dallas has scored 33.5 PPG in two home wins, but was outscored 20-0 in the final 30 minutes of its loss at San Diego last week. The Broncos have four straight SU wins (3-1 ATS) in this series, beating the Cowboys 17-10 when they last met in 2009 in Denver. The Broncos are 13-2 ATS (87%) when favored over the past two seasons, but only 3-12 ATS (20%) after scoring 30+ points in three straight games since 1992. Dallas is 12-3 ATS (80%) at home after allowing 300+ passing yards since 1992, but the team is also 1-8 ATS (11%) at home after an ATS defeat in the past three years.

Denver has scored at least 37 points and gained at least 416 yards in all four games this season, going 3-0-1 ATS. It all starts with QB Peyton Manning, who is in the midst of a legendary season, completing 75% of his passes for 9.4 yards per attempt, both of which are career highs. He's been sacked only five times which is why the team has done so well on third downs, and why the Broncos also lead the NFL with 28.3 first downs per game. Manning has spread the ball evenly to each of his top three wideouts, Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker and Eric Decker, who have 37, 36 and 36 targets, respectively. Thomas has the most catches (29) and receiving yards (393) while Welker leads in touchdowns (six). Decker had a quiet season opener (two catches, 32 yards), but has hauled in 22 catches for 308 yards over the past three games. TE Julius Thomas is also enjoying a breakout season with 18 catches on his 23 targets, and his 7.2 yards after catch per reception is tied for second-best among all NFL tight ends. The Denver ground game has been average with 119 rushing YPG (15th in NFL) and 4.0 yards per carry (18th in NFL), but RB Knowshon Moreno (238 yards on 5.2 YPC, 3 TD) has been the standout ahead of RB Ronnie Hillman (120 yards on 4.8 YPC, 1 TD) and struggling rookie RB Montee Ball (123 yards on 3.2 YPC, 0 TD, 2 fumbles). Defensively, the Broncos have really stifled the run with a league-best 74 rushing YPG allowed. Part of that has to do with getting big leads that force their opponents to throw the football in catch-up mode, but their run-stop unit has allowed just 3.2 yards per carry, good for fourth-best in the NFL. The pass defense has been the team's one true weakness, allowing 316 passing YPG (3rd-worst in NFL) on 7.3 yards per attempt (9th-worst in league). This secondary will certainly get a boost once star CB Champ Bailey returns from a foot injury, but he's still listed as questionable for Week 5.

In the preseason, it was believed that Dallas wanted to run the football more and would do just that with new play caller Bill Callahan. Although the team has rushed for a hefty 4.6 yards per carry (7th in NFL), it ranks a subpar 19th in the league in rushing YPG (102). RB DeMarco Murray has been the featured back with 72 of his team's 89 rushing attempts (81%), gaining 356 yards on 4.9 YPC and 1 TD. While QB Tony Romo has done a superb job of not turning the ball over (1 INT in 152 pass attempts), the Cowboys are currently 21st in the NFL in passing yards (239 YPG) and 22nd in yards per attempt (6.3). This conservative passing game has produced career-low yards per reception rates for each of the top three receivers, WR Dez Bryant (12.3 average), TE Jason Witten (9.1 average) and WR Miles Austin (8.3 average). Austin missed last week's game with a hamstring injury and is doubtful to suit up for this game as well. Rookie WR Terrance Williams will likely start in his place despite losing a key fumble close to the goal-line in last week's loss to the Chargers. Defensively, the Cowboys have been a near mirror image of the Broncos, stuffing the run effectively (78 rushing YPG, 3rd in NFL), but getting burned through the air for 305 passing YPG (6th-worst in league) and 7.2 yards per attempt (23rd in NFL). The Dallas D has been helped by a smaller time of possession than most (27:53, 6th in NFL) and a great third-down conversion defense (33%, 4th in NFL).

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (4-0) at INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (3-1)

Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Seattle -3 & 44
Opening Line & Total: Seahawks -3 & 43.5

The Seahawks try to maintain momentum after an improbable victory in Houston when they visit the surging Colts on Sunday.

Last week, Seattle erased a 20-6 deficit midway through the fourth quarter and won 23-20 in overtime despite allowing 476 total yards. Indy had quite a two-game road trip it just completed, beating the 49ers and Jaguars by a combined 64 to 10 score. The Colts rushed for 154 yards in the win, marking their fourth straight game with at least 125 rushing yards, but RB Ahmad Bradshaw (neck) is doubtful, as he may need season-ending surgery. These teams split eight meetings since 1991 with Indianapolis winning 34-17 the last time they met in 2009. Both clubs have hugely favorable trends, as the Seahawks are 8-0 ATS when facing a team with a winning record over the past two seasons and 9-0 ATS versus good rushing teams (4.5+ YPC) in the past three years. The Colts are not only 8-1 ATS (89%) after playing on the road in the past two seasons, but are 11-2 ATS (85%) coming off a road blowout win of 21+ points since 1992.

Seattle QB Russell Wilson has completed 62% of his passes for 787 yards (8.2 YPA), 6 TD and 3 INT, but four of those passing scores came against the lowly Jaguars. Last week Wilson completed just 12-of-23 passes, but was able to gain 77 yards on 10 carries, including some key scampers late in that game. Wilson and RB Marshawn Lynch (308 yards on 3.9 YPC, 4 TD) have been mostly responsible for the team's 144 rushing YPG (5th in NFL) that has led to a strong 32:50 time of possession (5th in league). But the Seahawks remain a balanced football team with 208 passing YPG on 8.0 YPA (6th in NFL). Wilson has used all of his receivers, but in different ways. WR Sidney Rice leads the club with 21 targets and is tied with TE Zach Miller for 2 TD catches, while WR Golden Tate has a team-high 13 receptions and WR Doug Baldwin leads them with 216 receiving yards. Seattle has been too sloppy with the football though, committing two turnovers in each of its past two games. While the defense has bailed them out with 13 takeaways (11 in past three games), the Seahawks must be concerned with how their vaunted secondary was picked apart by Matt Schaub for 355 yards on 7.2 YPA. But even with the subpar showing in Week 5, Seattle still ranks fifth in the NFL in both total defense (300 YPG) and yards per play allowed (4.7), while placing second in both scoring defense (11.8 PPG) and scoring margin (+15.5 PPG).

Colts QB Andrew Luck has had a decent second season so far with 64% completions for 915 yards (7.2 YPA), 5 TD and 2 INT, while also rushing for 7.9 yards per carry and a pair of touchdowns. Although his team won two straight road tilts, Luck is much more comfortable at home where he's 8-2 with 15 TD and 6 INT in his career, compared to 6-4 with 13 TD and 14 INT on the road. Luck continues to seek out WR Reggie Wayne the most (33 targets), but he hasn't forgotten about WR T.Y. Hilton (29 targets), WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (20 targets) and TE Coby Fleener (18 targets). With RB Ahmad Bradshaw not likely to suit up, RBs Trent Richardson and Donald Brown will have the unenviable task of trying to run through a fierce Seahawks defense. Richardson has rushed for just 2.9 YPC in his two games with the Colts, but Brown is averaging a hefty 9.2 YPC on his 13 rushing attempts. The key in this game will be ball control and not making mistakes, something this offense has thrived on all season with a 32:42 time of possession (6th in NFL) and a total of just two turnovers in four contests. Defensively, Indy has forced eight turnovers so far while generating an excellent pass rush with 11% sacks per attempt (3rd in league). The Colts defense has been on the field for just 27:17 (4th-fewest in NFL) leading to a mere 12.8 PPG allowed (4th in league) and 17.3 first downs allowed (5th-fewest in NFL).

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (4-0) at CHICAGO BEARS (3-1)

Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: New Orleans -1.5 & 50
Opening Line & Total: Chicago -2 & 48

The struggling Bears defense faces another major test when the undefeated Saints pay a visit to Soldier Field on Sunday.

Chicago has allowed 278 passing YPG on 8.0 yards per attempt this season, which doesn’t bode well facing New Orleans QB Drew Brees, who is averaging 359 passing YPG with 10 TD so far this season. The Bears defense does lead the NFL with 14 takeaways though, and the offense has been rolling all season with 31.8 PPG and 352 total YPG despite turning the ball over four times in two of their past three games. Chicago’s four-game series win streak ended in 2011 at the Superdome when Brees threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns in a 30-13 thrashing. While the Bears are relatively healthy for Sunday, the Saints are coming off a short week and could be missing RB Mark Ingram (toe), WR Lance Moore (hand), CB Keenan Lewis (leg) and S Roman Harper (knee). New Orleans is 11-2 ATS (85%) versus poor passing defenses (235+ passing YPG allowed) in the past three seasons, but is just 2-4 ATS (33%) in its past six road games. Chicago is 7-3 SU in its past 10 home games, but is only 1-5-2 ATS in the past eight contests at Soldier Field. The Bears are also a dismal 4-19 ATS (17%) after scoring 25+ points in two straight games since 1992.

Drew Brees is a big reason why his Saints rank second in the NFL in time of possession (34:16) and fourth in total offense (420 total YPG). He has completed 67% of his passes for 1,434 yards on 8.6 yards per attempt, numbers which all rank among the top-four quarterbacks in the league. The one negative is that Brees has absorbed 12 sacks in his four games. TE Jimmy Graham continues to be nearly impossible to cover. He already has 27 catches (on 42 targets) for 458 yards and 6 TD. He has scored a touchdown in all four games and has a current streak of three games of 100+ receiving yards. RB Darren Sproles also topped the century mark last week with 114 yards on seven catches (16.3 average), while scoring both on the ground and through the air. Despite the Saints' potent passing attack, their run game has been dismal with 81 rushing YPG (25th in NFL) on 3.4 yards per carry (27th in league). This lack of a reliable short-yardage back is why New Orleans possesses a poor red-zone efficiency (44%, 26th in NFL) and goal-to-go efficiency (57%, T-24th in league). Four rushers have between 16 and 29 carries, with RB Pierre Thomas the only player above 100 yards (101) and rookie RB Khiry Robinson having the best average with 4.7 YPC. The Saints defense has undergone a truly remarkable turnaround from last season when they allowed an NFL-record 440 total YPG. Under new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, that number has been trimmed to 305 YPG this season, good for 6th-best in the NFL. The key to this improvement has been a league-leading 25:43 defensive time of possession and 16.8 first downs per game allowed (4th in NFL). The Saints have also produced 10 takeaways already this season, including four in their Monday night win.

Jay Cutler has been very comfortable in the offense of new head coach Marc Trestman, as he has received much better protection from his offensive line. After being sacked 2.83 times per game from 2010 to 2012, Cutler has hit the deck just six times in four contests (1.50 per game) in 2013. However, the veteran signal caller regressed last week with three sacks taken and three interceptions thrown in the loss at Detroit. But Cutler will be happy to return home where he's completed 68% of his passes for 534 yards (7.5 YPA) and 5 TD to go along with 3 INT. While WR Brandon Marshall is his top receiver in targets (41), catches (27), receiving yards (348) and yards per catch (12.9), three others have also seen more than 25 targets this season, WR Alshon Jeffery (32 targets), TE Martellus Bennett (32 targets) and RB Matt Forte (26 targets). Forte has also done an excellent job carrying the football with 320 yards on 4.6 YPC and three scores. On the defensive side of the ball, Chicago's aggressive defense has forced at least three turnovers in every game this season, but in doing so, continues to give up too many big plays. The Bears have surrendered 8.0 yards per pass attempt (4th-most in NFL) and 6.1 yards per play (5th-most in league). Not allowing the Saints playmakers to get deep down the field will be a key in containing this potent offense.

[StarDust Bum]

Sharp Moves - Week 5

October 4, 2013


We're getting ready to head into another weekend of NFL betting action, and as always, there are a bunch of plays that are a lot sharper than others. Check out some of the best and brightest plays that are on the board in Week 5!

All betting percentages courtesy of VegasInsider.com matchups as of Friday afternoon.

(Rotation #417) Jacksonville +11.5 – The Jaguars and the Rams are both 0-4 against the spread thus far this season, and something has got to give in this one. St. Louis has one of the worst rushing games in the NFL, and that's going to be a welcome sign for a Jacksonville defense that can't stop anyone on the ground. Public bettors are hoping that the Jaguars are just so bad that they are going to lose by 20+ to everyone that they face, but we know that won't be the case.

Opening Line: Jacksonville +13.5
Current Line: Jacksonville +11.5
Public Betting Percentage: 65% on St. Louis

(Rotation #420) Cincinnati -1 – The Bengals have already proven that they can beat some of the best teams in the league, as they had the Bears dead to rights in Week 1, and they beat the Packers in Week 3. Now, they have a New England team that might be the most overrated 4-0 team in the history of the NFL. The Patriots have played absolutely no one yet this year, and they might end up in some hurt because of it this weekend.

Opening Line: Cincinnati -1
Current Line: Cincinnati -1
Public Betting Percentage: 85% on New England

(Rotation #419) New England/Cincinnati Under 45 – A game that really hasn't had a lot of movement in the total, the Pats and the Bengals are simply expected on paper to fly past the number. We know better though, as these two defense might be the highlight of these teams. Move over Tom Brady. You're going to have a tough time getting 24 on the board against this Cincinnati defense.

Opening Line: 45
Current Line: 45
Public Betting Percentage: 78% on Over

(Rotation #426) Chicago pk – The Bears really haven't done much wrong this year, and they are going to be playing against a New Orleans team that, though it has looked good, has only played one road game. Drew Brees and the gang clearly aren't as effective on the road as they are at home, and the one roadie this year was a near miss against what is proving to be a bad Tampa Bay team.

Opening Line: Chicago pk
Current Line: Chicago pk
Public Betting Percentage: 84% on New Orleans

(Rotation #430) Arizona +1 – This one doesn't make much sense to us. The Panthers only have one win on the season. Arizona has two. Carolina is off of a bye week yes, but it also has to travel across the country for this game. And yet the Panthers are favored? And are being bet heavily by the public? This is a sharp player's dream.

Opening Line: Arizona +2.5
Current Line: Arizona +1
Public Betting Percentages: 78% on Carolina

[StarDust Bum]

Gridiron Angles - Week 5

October 5, 2013


NFL PLAY ON ATS TREND:

-- The Packers are 10-0 ATS since January 23, 2011 on grass sur- face vs a divisional opponent

NFL PLAY AGAINST TREND:

-- The Chargers are 0-10 ATS since December 20, 2009 as a favorite after playing as a dog.

TOP NFL PLAYER TREND:

-- Michael Vick is 0-8 ATS in his career following a game where he threw for at least 170 yards while completing less than 15 passes.

NFL BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

-- The Titans are 0-10-1 ATS (-13.2 ppg) since January 2008 when coming off a win and facing an opponent on a 3+ game winning streak.

NFL SUPER SYSTEM:

-- Teams which are favorites after winning by less than 17 points as a home dog are 59-88-1 ATS. Active on San Diego.

NFL O/U TREND:

-- The Cowboys are 12-0 OU since December 10, 2006 at home when facing a team completing at least 65.1% of their passes on the season, which threw for less than 385 yards last game.

PICK SIXTY SPORTS WEEKLY TIP:

The theme for Sunday’s game between the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins is “Bounce Back” as each team looks to shake off an ugly showing in Week 4. Baltimore’s 25-20 loss at Buffalo was plagued by turnovers while Miami fell victim to a Saints team who have not lost at home on Monday Night Football since 2008. The Dolphins turned the ball over four times, gave up 413 passing yards, failed to protect their quarterback and lost the turnover battle 4-to-1 yet oddsmakers are still doling out the token the 3-point home field advantage in this game against the reigning Super Bowl champs. So much for “wearing a target” all season! Small non-divisional home faves on grass are 57-104-7 ATS (35-percent) since 2008 and Miami with a bye on-deck, here is an angle to consider that is 17-3 ATS since 2009 when backing the road dog (Ravens): Miami’s pass protection ranks dead last in the league (18 sacks allowed). Ryan Tannehill, meet Terrell Suggs. Take BALTIMORE to cover.

[StarDust Bum]

Total Talk - Week 5

October 5, 2013

Week 4 Recap

The ‘over’ produced a 9-6 record last week thanks to handful of shootouts in the late afternoon games and primetime matchups, which is turning into a common theme this season. The early games (1:00 p.m. ET) have been leaning ‘under’ recently while the second set and late-night battles have had its fair share of high-scoring results. On the season, the ‘over’ has gone 32-31.

Denver, Chicago and Minnesota are the only teams to see all four of their games go ‘over’ this season. On the other side of that spectrum, Tampa Bay and Kansas City have both watched the ‘under’ go 4-0.

Line Moves

After four weeks of action in the NFL, the house has gotten the better of the betting public but I would say that total bettors have had the upper hand. Last week, we had five games that saw their total move by 1 ½ points or more, either up or down. If you followed the move, you would’ve went 4-1 (80%). On the season, the moves are 15-3 (83%). I only post the moves from CRIS, a major offshore sportsbook, who releases their numbers on Sunday. Every Saturday, we compare open numbers to current and provide you the information. Personally, I’d be surprised to see the results improve this week, especially with seven games receiving extra attention.

Kansas City at Tennessee: Line opened 41 and dropped to 38 ½
Jacksonville at St. Louis: Line opened 43 and dropped to 41
Detroit at Green Bay: Line opened 51 ½ and jumped to 53 ½
Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants: Line opened 55 and dropped to 53 ½
San Diego at Oakland: Line opened 44 and jumped to 45 ½
Denver at Dallas: Line opened 54 and jumped to 56
Houston at San Francisco: Line opened 42 ½ and dropped to 41

Early Season Trends

VegasInsider.com handicapper Marc Lawrence pointed out some great total trends that have developed in the first quarter of the season. He said, “The best OVER situation has been in non-conference games (AFC vs. NFC) as these games have gone 15-7 to the OVER. The best UNDER situation has occurred in same conference non-division games, going 7-15 to the UNDER.”

Based on Marc’s homework…

The matchups that fit the OVER trends in Week 5 are listed below:

Jacksonville at St. Louis
Seattle at Indianapolis
Denver at Dallas
Houston at San Francisco
N.Y. Jets at Atlanta

The matchups that fit the UNDER trends in Week 5 are listed below:

Kansas City at Tennessee
Baltimore at Miami
New England at Cincinnati
New Orleans at Chicago
Carolina at Arizona
Buffalo at Cleveland (Note - The Browns beat the Bills 37-24 on Thursday and the ‘over’ easily cashed)

Divisional Trends

Detroit at Green Bay: The ‘under’ has cashed in three of the last four meaningful games between this pair and we stress the word meaningful because the lone ‘over’ occurred in Week 17 of the 2012 season. If you don’t recall, it’s when then Packers backup QB Matt Flynn diced up the Lions 45-41 in a wild shootout. The Packers are off the Bye and if you’re not aware, head coach Mike McCarthy has gone 6-1 SU and 6-0-1 ATS with a week of rest in the regular season. During that span, the ‘under’ has gone 5-2.

Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants: The ‘under’ is on a 3-1 run in this series. Philadelphia has scored 7, 19, 17 and 16 points during this span but most would expect that to change with the new fast-paced approach of Eagles head coach Chip Kelly. Make a note that the Eagles (34.5) and Giants (36.5) own the worst two scoring defensive units in the league.

San Diego at Oakland: (See Below)

Under the Lights

After watching the Cleveland-Buffalo shootout this past Thursday, the ‘over’ has now cashed in six consecutive primetime games. On the season, the ‘over’ is 10-4 (71%) in games played under the lights. Due to a time change, bettors have three matchups to follow this weekend.

San Francisco at Houston: Even though the AFC-NFC encounters this season have been high-scoring, I’m leaning more to the ‘under’ in this spot and here’s why. Houston (254.3 YPG, 26.3 PPG) and San Francisco (299.8 YPG, 23.8 PPG) are ranked first and third in total defense yet they’ve been allowing points. Those scoring numbers include defensive and special teams touchdowns. Houston has given up four already this season, three in the last two weeks which resulted losses. You can’t handicap turnovers but if the Texans and 49ers stick to their ground games and don’t make mistakes, a low-scoring affair is in the works.

San Diego at Oakland: Due to the Oakland Athletics playing Game 2 on Saturday night, the Coliseum wouldn’t be ready for action for Sunday afternoon so this game will be played at 11:35 p.m. ET. For bettors, it gives you one last chance to press or chase. The total has gone 1-1 in each of the regular season meetings that past three years. QB Terrelle Pryor (concussion) is expected to return for Oakland but is he really a different maker? RB Darren McFaden is ‘doubtful’ and that certainly doesn’t help. The Chargers offense and QB Philip Rivers garner most of the exposure in San Diego but the defense deserves some notice too. The team has surrendered 41 points the last two weeks, seven coming late against Tennessee in Week 3, plus Dallas only put up 20 points last Sunday and one score was a pick-six touchdown.

N.Y. Jets at Atlanta: The Falcons have seen the ‘over’ go 3-0 in their last three and 2-0 at the Georgia Dome this season. Some of those results were lucky, especially last week’s against New England, which saw 30 combined points scored in the fourth quarter. Based on what we’ve seen in two road games, rookie QB Geno Smith has only been able to muster up 10 and 13 points. In those games, he’s accounted for seven turnovers (5 INTs) and been sacked nine times. I wouldn’t expect a change anytime soon but those mistakes can lead to short tracks for Atlanta’s offense or even defensive touchdowns.

Fearless Predictions

Anytime a game goes into overtime, the ‘over’ more than likely cashes and that’s been the case this season. Unfortunately for me, I’ve been on the ‘under’ in both of those games and coincidentally Houston was involved each time. Including those losses, our Best Bets are 4-2 (67%) on the season. We did snap the Team Total streak (1-2) last week but our Teaser play was hurt by the shootout in London. On the season, we’re down 30 cents ($30). As always, Press, Pass or Fade but in the end – Good Luck!

Best Over: Jacksonville-St. Louis 41
Best Under: New England-Cincinnati 45
Best Team Total: Over Jacksonville 14 ½

Three-Team Total Teaser:
Over 32 Jacksonville-St. Louis
Over 33 ½ Carolina-Arizona
Under 53 N.Y. Jets-Atlanta

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Seahawks (4-0) at Colts (3-1)

Date: October 06, 2013 1:00 PM EDT


Andrew Luck was tabbed as a can't-miss prospect coming out of college before the Indianapolis Colts selected him No. 1 overall in the 2012 draft.

Seventy-four picks later, the Seattle Seahawks used a third-round selection on Russell Wilson, who had plenty of critics wondering if his smaller stature would prevent him from succeeding in the NFL.

No matter their paths to NFL stardom, each quarterback has his team off to a solid start heading into Sunday's showdown in Indianapolis.

Luck is only 20 regular-season games into his career as the successor to Peyton Manning, but he's largely lived up to the hype. He guided the Colts to an 11-5 mark and a playoff appearance in 2012, and he's completed 64.1 percent of his passes with five touchdowns while helping Indianapolis get off a 3-1 start this season.

Despite a sluggish first half, Luck finished 22 of 36 for 260 yards with two TDs and an interception in last week's 37-3 win over Jacksonville. Coach Chuck Pagano believes that performance signified the poise Luck brings to the position and why he continues to be successful.

"The sky is the limit,' Pagano said. "Listening to him and talking to him, he did get off to a slow start, but he is an even-keeled guy. He is one of those guys who can put things behind him and move on. Talent combined with that kind of mindset, the sky is the limit.'

Seattle coach Pete Carroll has similar feelings about his young quarterback. The 5-foot-11 Wilson, who unexpectedly won the starting job as a rookie last season and helped the Seahawks reach the NFC divisional playoffs, ranks ninth in the league with a 95.3 passer rating and is fifth among QBs with 131 rushing yards.

Wilson helped Seattle earn the first 4-0 start in franchise history by passing or rushing for 140 of the team's final 150 yards in last week's 23-20 come-from-behind overtime victory over Houston.

"The play of Russell Wilson was just extraordinary in how he did it,' Carroll said. "It wasn't just by big numbers in throwing the football, it was just by playing the game and taking advantage of the opportunities that he could, and he did.'

Though Wilson may not have had his best game after going 12 of 23 for 123 yards and an interception, Carroll praised him for his composure under pressure.

"He doesn't change the way he plays," Carroll said. "They were coming hard after him, there were some spaces, and he was well aware of how things were going. We needed his help and he gave it to us.'

Carroll hopes that isn't a trend, though. The Seahawks, who fell from No. 1 in the league in total defense to fifth (300.3 yards per game), trailed by 17 points at halftime before pitching a shutout in the second half.

Seattle needed a 58-yard interception return for a touchdown from Richard Sherman with 2:40 left to force overtime before Steven Hauschka won it with a 45-yard field goal.

Though he's not discounting the team's solid start, Carroll is aware there's plenty of room for improvement.

"There's still 12 more games before you even get close to playoff time, so we're a long ways from home right now," Carroll said.

Pagano also isn't getting too excited over his team's early success. After this week's tough contest, the Colts face San Diego next Monday before dates with Denver on Oct. 20 and Houston on Nov. 3.

"We know it's a marathon and not a sprint," Pagano said on his weekly radio show. "Sitting here at 3-1 four games into it, I'm pleased where we are at and where we are heading."

Indianapolis has outscored its last two opponents 64-10 and held the dismal Jacksonville offense to 205 total yards. It may have a tougher time containing Wilson, running back Marshawn Lynch and a Seattle offense that ranks fifth with 144.3 yards per game rushing, but Pagano believes his squad is prepared for the challenge.

"The good thing is we faced two really athletic quarterbacks. Facing (Terrelle) Pryor and then (Colin) Kaepernick definitely was good for us to see, and see early. Those guys can run around and Russell Wilson is an unbelievable talent," Pagano said. "I know he has two eyes but it's like he has eyes all over the place, in the back of his head. He's just got that sixth sense."

The Colts' rushing attack ranks one spot ahead of the Seahawks with 149.5 yards per game after Trent Richardson rushed for 60 and a touchdown last week.

Richardson had 20 carries against the Jaguars and figures to get the majority again Sunday with Ahmad Bradshaw's status in doubt due to a neck injury.

Seattle is 18th against the run (109.0 ypg), and hopes to have defensive lineman Michael Bennett in uniform after he was carted off the field last week due to a strained back muscle.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Ravens (2-2) at Dolphins (3-1)

Date: October 06, 2013 1:00 PM EDT


Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco are both likely eager to get back on the field after Week 4 losses.

They probably just want it to hurt a little less when they square off Sunday in Miami.

Tannehill has been sacked a league-high 18 times, including four in Monday night's 38-17 loss to New Orleans, and the Ravens' 23-20 defeat to Buffalo last Sunday prompted general manager Ozzie Newsome to trade for offensive line help.

The problem has been there all year for the Dolphins (3-1), but it has received more attention in the week following the loss to the Saints than it did following their three wins.

"It's a big concern," coach Joe Philbin said. "Eighteen sacks is 4 1/2 a game. That's too many."

Flacco has been sacked 12 times, tied for the seventh-most, and he was dropped four times against the Bills while also throwing a career-high five interceptions. On top of that, the Ravens (2-2) are 28th in rushing with 64.0 yards per game and tied for last in the league with 2.6 yards per carry.

"I think the whole O-line is disappointing right now," coach John Harbaugh said. "There's no one more disappointed than they are right now. We've got to run block better, we've got to pass block better."

It led Newsome to acquire left tackle Eugene Monroe from Jacksonville on Tuesday for a pair of 2014 draft picks.

The Ravens abandoned the running game against the Bills, attempting a franchise-low nine rushes.

"I just felt like we weren't running the ball well enough to win the game running the ball," Harbaugh said. "Looking back on it, I feel the same way. After watching the tape, I feel we did exactly the right thing to try to win that game."

Running back Ray Rice has 89 yards on 30 attempts in three games, and Bernard Pierce leads the team with 151 yards on 56 rushes.

Miami ranks 10th in rushing defense, holding opponents to 98.5 yards per game. It limited the Saints to 68 yards on the ground, but Drew Brees more than made up for it with 413 yards passing and four touchdowns.

The Ravens suffered through a similarly humbling loss in Week 1 to the Broncos, but they've responded by allowing 38 points in three games since Peyton Manning's seven-touchdown night.

Flacco acknowledged the 23 points they gave up to the Bills weren't all on the defense.

"A lot of that falls on me today and just throwing the ball to the wrong team," Flacco said. "If we don't do that, then this game probably looks a little different."

While turnovers were an issue for both teams in Week 4, neither has been particularly impressive taking the ball away. The Ravens have six and a minus-2 differential and the Dolphins have seven and a minus-1.

"That's something we have to get corrected," Philbin said after his team turned the ball over four times against the Saints. "I reminded the players the last time the Dolphins won the division (in 2008), they had a plus-17 turnover margin for the season. That's something we need to start heading toward."

The Dolphins would also like to see an improvement in the chemistry between Tannehill and wide receiver Mike Wallace, who is fourth on the team in receptions (15) and yards (176).

Torrey Smith, Flacco's No. 1 target, is third in the league in receiving yards with 435 on 21 catches. His 20.7 yards-per-catch average is second in the NFL.

Who Flacco's other receiving options will be Sunday is still up in the air. Jacoby Jones has missed the last three games with a sprained right MCL while Marlon Brown injured his thigh last week.

Baltimore has lost four straight regular-season road games despite winning playoff games in Denver and New England last year on its way to the Super Bowl.

Miami has won three in a row at home and is seeking its first 4-1 start since 2003.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Patriots (4-0) at Bengals (2-2)

Date: October 06, 2013 1:00 PM EDT


Referring to an offense that failed to get into the end zone last week as "explosive" might sound strange, but New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick isn't about to underestimate the Cincinnati Bengals.

That's especially true with the anchor of his defensive line likely out for the rest of the season.

New England seeks its first 5-0 start in six years Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium while looking to keep Cincinnati's offense sputtering despite the absence of Vince Wilfork.

Wilfork, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in last week's 30-23 win over Atlanta, leaving a defense allowing 346.0 yards per game without one of its top players.

Undrafted rookie Joe Vellano and Chris Jones, a sixth-round pick of Houston who was cut by the Texans and Tampa Bay, are expected to split time in Wilfork's place.

"You just don't replace Vince Wilfork," Belichick said. "We'll still have his presence around the team and in the locker room and those types of things, which he's great at. On the field we'll miss him, but whoever is out there, those other 11 guys that are out there, we're all going to have to pull a little bit harder."

If the Bengals' offense looks anything like it did last week in a 17-6 loss to Cleveland, the Patriots may not have much to worry about. Cincinnati committed two turnovers and totaled 266 yards, including 63 on the ground. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who played four seasons with New England and had a 1,008-yard campaign in 2010, rushed only six times for 13 yards.

Andy Dalton had another rough day, going 23 of 42 for 206 yards and an interception, while A.J. Green caught seven passes for 51 yards and is averaging only 46.0 over the last three weeks.

Still, Belichick knows Cincinnati (2-2) - which has scored 54 points in two home games - has the potential to put points on the board.

"I feel like we're going up against a real explosive team this week," Belichick said. "They're a good football team that can really score from any place on the field with any of their units. I think those are the kind of things that we really have to do a good job on - taking care of the ball, being able to handle their explosive players and explosive plays and staying out of long-yardage and bad situations offensively."

While the Patriots, who have won three games by seven points or fewer, seek their best start since going unbeaten in the 2007 regular season, Tom Brady knows there's still plenty of question marks surrounding the team given its overall health.

"Like every team, we put a lot of work into a season and we're trying to make improvements every week," Brady said. "4-0 is obviously off to a good start. Hopefully we can continue that. We're trying to get better this week."

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis hopes his team can be much better.

"This is a team we've got to play very well against," Lewis said. "We need to play better football. We can draw things, and put words on paper and do all those things, but we need to go out and execute and play winning football. This is a good week and a good chance to go out and compete and win the battles and eventually, hopefully, win the war. I'm looking forward to it."

Though Lewis refused to put all the blame for the offense's inconsistency on Dalton, he made clear his young quarterback needs to play better. Cincinnati ranks 22nd in total offense (327.5 yards per game) with six turnovers over the last two weeks, including two interceptions and a pair of fumbles from Dalton.

"I think we haven't played to our potential yet," Dalton said. "We've done some good things and we've done some things that have hurt us. The biggest thing is, we've got to keep getting better. I expect that, especially this week."

Belichick believes Dalton will present a tough challenge.

"I think he's a good, solid player for them at that position with very good skill players around him and an experienced offensive line," Belichick said. "Like I said, it's an explosive offense."

The Patriots have won seven of the last eight meetings with the Bengals, including all four with Brady under center. He's completed 69.7 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns in those matchups.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Eagles (1-3) at Giants (0-4)

Date: October 06, 2013 1:00 PM EDT


As bad as the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles have been, they still believe they are in contention in the mediocre NFC East.

The problem quite simply is whether either can put together four solid quarters to earn a victory.

The winless Giants host an Eagles team that has looked lost defensively while dropping three straight in Sunday's matchup of once-proud franchises headed in the wrong direction.

Philadelphia (1-3) and New York (0-4) have combined for 10 of the last 13 NFC East titles, but making that 11 in 14 seems unlikely given the way these teams are playing.

The Giants, who captured the franchise's fourth Super Bowl just two seasons ago, are off to their worst start since losing five straight to begin 1987 - when replacement players were used during part of that slide. New York has totaled seven points in consecutive losses and Eli Manning has thrown a league-high nine interceptions while getting sacked 14 times, five fewer than all of 2012.

The Eagles started 2013 under new coach Chip Kelly with a 33-27 victory at defending NFC East champion Washington. They haven't won since and are allowing 34.5 points per game after last Sunday's 52-20 loss at Denver.

The only team that has allowed more points through four games is New York, yielding an average of 36.5 thanks in part to an NFL-worst 16 turnovers.

The states of these teams has surprised participants in a rivalry that had major postseason ramifications in the past.

"I'm very surprised, especially when our division was picked to be amongst the top," Eagles quarterback Michael Vick said. "That's football, man. It goes to show you how you have to be on top of your game."

Dallas leads the East with a 2-2 mark and will be an underdog at home against unbeaten Denver this weekend. A loss by the Cowboys would pave the way for the Eagles to tie for the division lead or the Giants to pull within one game of first place.

"Guys know that and coach (Tom Coughlin) brought that up the other day, so we understand," Manning said. "There's a lot of football left to be played, but we've got to start playing football. We're a better team than what we've been playing like, but we've got to go out there and prove it."

Manning will try to get an offense untracked that has produced the fewest amount of points in consecutive games in Coughlin's 10 years with the club. The two-time Super Bowl MVP is getting hit more as a result of a patchwork offensive line that played without starters David Baas, Chris Snee and David Diehl in last Sunday's 31-7 loss at Kansas City.

Diehl will make his season debut and start at right guard against the Eagles, while Snee was placed on season-ending injured reserve Friday.

"They've got some injuries on the offensive line," Kelly said. "When you watch their games with who played against the Cowboys and who played in the opening game and then who played in the last game against the Chiefs was a little bit different."

Manning will continue to try to target Victor Cruz, fourth in the NFL with 425 yards receiving to go with four touchdown receptions. Cruz could be open often against a Philadelphia defense yielding 461.3 yards per game for the NFL's second-worst mark.

Defensive coordinator Billy Davis' unit will no doubt be eager to face a different Manning after Peyton Manning completed 28 of 34 passes for 327 yards and four scores last weekend.

"We obviously are not where we want to be right now, but we just have to keep rolling and learn from everything," safety Nate Allen said. "That's all you can do. We are just going to keep working, learn from this and work on the fundamentals and move forward."

Kelly's high-octane offense leads the NFC with 480.5 yards per game, but Vick has been sacked 14 times to match Eli Manning and the Jets' Geno Smith for the third-highest total in the league.

Whether the Giants can get to Vick remains questionable. New York's once-feared pass rush has produced four sacks to match winless Pittsburgh for the NFL's lowest total.

"We've been very frustrated that we only have four sacks as a unit," said defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who has been limited to one sack after offseason back surgery. "This is the New York Giants. Normally we have sacks off the roof, but right now it's not that way right now."

The Giants will have to be wary of LeSean McCoy, the NFL's leading rusher at 117.0 yards per game. Four of McCoy's 14 100-yard rushing efforts have come against New York.

The Eagles have won eight of the last 10 overall meetings, although their five-game road win streak in this series ended with a 42-7 defeat Dec. 30, 2012, in Andy Reid's last game as coach.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Saints (4-0) at Bears (3-1)

Date: October 06, 2013 1:00 PM EDT


The New Orleans Saints are doing all they can not to get caught up in their best start in four seasons.

If they are to remain undefeated Sunday, the Saints must end a three-game road skid against the Chicago Bears, who are looking to bounce back from their first loss.

A year ago, New Orleans (4-0) was winless through four games under interim coach Aaron Kromer as the bounty situation and suspension of coach Sean Payton hung over the franchise.

The Saints, though, are again comfortable, confident and back to their winning ways with Payton having returned and Rob Ryan in charge of a much-improved defense.

They also aren't planning on letting anything hinder their focus on maintaining their best start since opening 13-0 during the Super Bowl season of 2009.

"You just got to tune out everything outside the locker room and focus on going to play a good opponent this week," said receiver Marques Colston, who has 21 receptions for 298 yards and a touchdown. "You've got to fight against human nature at all times, and 4-0 was obviously the start that we were looking, for but there's still a lot of football yet to be played.

"So it's focusing on the reason why we are sitting at 4-0 and just continuing to try to get better."

After totaling 39 points to beat Atlanta and Tampa Bay by a combined eight points, New Orleans has outscored Arizona and previously undefeated Miami 69-24 the last two weeks.

Drew Brees threw for 413 yards and four touchdowns, including a pair to tight end Jimmy Graham, in a 38-17 rout of the Dolphins on Monday.

Completing 66.9 percent of his passes and coming off his 10th 400-yard passing game, Brees has thrown seven TDs and one interception the last two games after recording three of each in the first two. He completed 57.6 percent of his passes during the Saints' 0-4 start last season.

Graham has 23 receptions for 413 yards and five touchdowns in the last three games. Versatile running back Darren Sproles scored twice and made seven catches for 114 on Monday.

"To me, the last couple of games, we felt that rhythm," right tackle Zach Strief said. "We talk about getting into a rhythm and getting into a tempo and it's based on things working and execution. I think we're starting to feel that."

The Saints rank fourth in the NFL with 419.5 yards per game and are tied for seventh with 27.0 points a contest.

After giving up an average of 440.1 yards and 28.4 points in 2012, New Orleans ranks sixth with an average of 304.5 yards allowed and fifth at 13.8 points under Ryan.

"We all try to be, as coaches, very critical of ourselves, just like we'd be of players," Payton said. "I don't know that there's ever any complete satisfaction. It's not like a Snickers bar, so I think you're always looking to improve."

Though New Orleans beat the Bears 30-13 at the Superdome in the teams' last meeting Sept. 18, 2011, Payton is 0-3 with the Saints at Soldier Field, the most recent of those matchups coming in 2008. The slide began with a 39-14 defeat in the NFC championship game during the 2006 season.

Brees hasn't been at his best in Chicago either, completing 55.7 percent of his passes with seven TDs and six interceptions while going 0-4 there.

Chicago (3-1) rode a precise offense under new coordinator Kromer and its typically opportunistic defense to wins over Cincinnati, Minnesota and Pittsburgh, but it struggled on both sides of the ball in a 40-32 loss at Detroit on Sunday.

Jay Cutler threw two touchdowns but also had three interceptions and lost a fumble that was returned for a TD. The Bears defense forced three more turnovers but allowed Reggie Bush to run for 139 yards.

"I don't think what happened (last Sunday) means that it has to happen next week or the week after," coach Marc Trestman said. "It could, but we're working to prevent those situations from happening. We got guys committed to do that."

That starts with Cutler, who has completed a career-high 64.2 percent of his passes but has been intercepted six times and lost two fumbles.

"We sat in the meeting and Jay expressed his sense of accountability," Trestman said.

"We're just going to work together on the corrections. We've got to get back and work on fundamentals and techniques, not only at the quarterback position but throughout our team."

Poor tackling Sunday plagued a defense that's forced 14 turnovers but ranks 20th with 384.0 yards allowed per game and 26th with 28.5 points given up.

Chicago running back Matt Forte ranks among the NFL leaders with 120.0 total yards a contest. He caught 10 passes for 117 yards in the 2011 meeting with New Orleans.

Cutler, sacked six times in that contest, has thrown three TDs and one pick while going 1-1 against the Saints.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Lions (3-1) at Packers (1-2)

Date: October 06, 2013 1:00 PM EDT


The Detroit Lions are heading to Lambeau Field atop the NFC North. Guaranteeing they stay there will require them to break another extensive road losing streak.

Two weeks after winning at Washington for the first time in 21 tries, the Lions will try to snap a 22-game Wisconsin skid against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

Nineteen of those losses came at Lambeau while three were played in Milwaukee. The Lions' last road win against the Packers was Dec. 15, 1991 in Green Bay, and they'll look to snap that slide after ending a nearly 68-year drought at Washington with a 27-20 victory Sept. 22.

"It's the same mindset we have every time we play a road game," quarterback Matthew Stafford said. "Lambeau's a tough environment but it's no different than any other place."

This will be a matchup of two of the three NFL teams averaging at least 400 yards of offense and 30 points.

Stafford and the Lions moved into a tie for first with a 40-32 home win over Chicago on Sunday. Detroit turned in its best rushing performance of the year, finishing with 159 yards after totaling 112 the previous two weeks.

Reggie Bush had his best game with the Lions, running for 139 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

The Packers rank eighth in rush defense at 93.3 yards allowed per game, though they're 28th against the pass at 311.0. Stafford's top target, Calvin Johnson, has 21 catches and 362 receiving yards in his last two visits to Green Bay.

The Packers could have starting safety Morgan Burnett back to help hold the Lions' offense in check. He missed the first three games with a hamstring injury.

"They have a very explosive offense," Burnett said. "They've got a lot of weapons with Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush; they've got (Brandon) Pettigrew at tight end, you've got Matthew Stafford at quarterback. They've got weapons, so you've got to trust your defense, trust your technique. You can't get out of line with guessing or anything, because they're a good team."

Hamstring injuries have left the statuses of linebacker Clay Matthews and cornerback Casey Hayward uncertain, though Matthews was back at full speed in practice Thursday and plans to play.

Stafford threw for 242 yards with a touchdown and interception against the Bears, and he wasn't asked to do much after the Lions built a 30-13 halftime lead.

Detroit's defense forced four turnovers for the second time this year with an effective pass rush, sacking Jay Cutler three times to double his season total. The Lions, though, were outscored 16-3 in the fourth quarter as Cutler threw for two TDs, and rattling Aaron Rodgers hasn't been quite as easy for Detroit.

The Packers are 8-1 against the Lions with Rodgers starting, with the loss coming in a game he was knocked out of Dec. 12, 2010.

Green Bay is third in the league with 454.7 yards per game and second in scoring average at 32.0 points.

Running back Eddie Lacy hopes to have the chance to help sustain those gaudy numbers. He was at practice early in the week after being sidelined by a concussion sustained Sept. 15 in a 38-20 victory over Washington.

Without Lacy, however, the Packers have had a 100-yard rusher in back-to-back games after going the previous 44 without one.

"I'm fully aware of how we're viewed, but the reality is how our offense is implemented in practice and how we train, it starts with the run game," coach Mike McCarthy said. "Now, the way the games are played has a lot to do with the trend and the flow of the football game. Running the football is important."

James Starks ran for 132 yards against the Redskins and Johnathan Franklin had 103 on Sept. 22, though Green Bay lost 34-30 at Cincinnati the week before its bye.

Rodgers' 105.1 passer rating is among the league leaders, but the Bengals were able to get to him and create mistakes. They sacked him four times and forced him into two of his three interceptions this year, while holding him to 244 yards passing.

Rodgers had surpassed 250 passing yards in seven straight games since the Lions held him to 173 in a 27-20 victory Dec. 9.

The Packers have won nine in a row at home, with Rodgers getting picked off just four times in that span. Snapping streaks, though, isn't the main motivator for Lions coach Jim Schwartz.

"No. 1, it would be our fourth win of the year," he said. "No. 2, it would make us 3-0 in our division. It would give us another chance to put a loss on a division opponent. We certainly want to end the streak (in Wisconsin), but that's not our rallying cry. Our rallying cry is 'Green Bay' and 'division game.' Those are the things that will mean more to the players."

Detroit added veteran receiver Kevin Ogletree on Wednesday a day after he was cut by Tampa Bay. He adds much-needed depth for the Lions in the absence of No. 2 receiver Nate Burleson, out indefinitely with a broken left arm.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Jaguars (0-4) at Rams (1-3)

Date: October 06, 2013 1:00 PM EDT


After a pair of ugly defeats, Jeff Fisher insists his staff can get the reeling St. Louis Rams back on track.

Perhaps a date with a Jacksonville Jaguars team already looking to the future can provide a good start.

The Rams hope to avoid their first four-game losing streak in Fisher's tenure Sunday when they attempt to deal the visiting Jaguars a 10th straight defeat.

Following a 35-11 loss to San Francisco on Sept. 26, St. Louis (1-3) has dropped consecutive contests by a combined 66-18 margin. They're the worst back-to-back defeats by a Fisher-coached club since 2009 when Tennessee lost to Indianapolis 31-9 and New England 59-0 a week later.

"We found out where our team is and what we need to do and where we need improve on,' Fisher said. "We've got a lot of work to do as a staff."

Since completing 63.4 percent of his passes for 651 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions in his first two games, quarterback Sam Bradford has connected on just 53.9 percent of his attempts for 442 yards with two scores and one pick in his last two.

The Rams' struggling offensive line has been partly to blame, as they've allowed 11 sacks in the last two games after yielding none in the first two.

The offensive front hasn't paved the way in the running game, either. St. Louis ranks last in the NFL with 47.3 rushing yards per game after finishing with 18 yards on 19 carries against the 49ers.

Following the departure of Steven Jackson in the offseason, Daryl Richardson has a team-leading 114 yards while averaging only 2.7 yards per carry. Only the Jaguars (0-4) are averaging fewer yards per carry (2.3) than the Rams' 2.6.

Richardson indicated on his Twitter account that he will not be in the starting lineup Sunday. Isaiah Pead and Zac Stacy are the top candidates for the spot, though Fisher said he has not made a decision.

"The biggest thing is we've got to keep trying to rush the ball,' Bradford said. "Just getting those guys comfortable running the ball.'

The Rams will try to avoid their first four-game skid under Fisher as they face a Jacksonville team that allows a league-worst 164.3 rushing yards per game and the third-highest scoring average at 32.3.

Coming off a 37-3 loss to Indianapolis - their franchise-worst ninth straight defeat and 16th in 17 games - the Jaguars made a made a move toward the future Wednesday by trading starting left tackle Eugene Monroe to Baltimore for undisclosed draft picks.

The Jaguars will move second overall pick Luke Joeckel, who started the first four games at right tackle, to the left side.

"It came out of nowhere for me," said Monroe, the eighth overall pick in the 2009 draft. "I'm just preparing to make the move. It's a fresh start."

Even with Monroe, the Jaguars had a difficult time finding any kind of spark offensively. They've scored a league-low 31 points and rank last in total offense with 224.0 yards per game - 50.8 fewer than 31st-ranked Tampa Bay.

Quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who missed the previous two games because of a hand injury, threw three interceptions against the Colts, though all of them bounced off receivers' hands.

Leading receiver Cecil Shorts has three drops in his last two games. Though he has a league-leading 52 targets, Shorts has 26 receptions for 337 yards.

Justin Blackmon might be able to provide a lift as he makes his season debut following a four-game suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. Blackmon caught a team-high 64 passes for 865 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie.

The Jaguars are also only slightly ahead of St. Louis with 49.0 rushing yards per game despite having three-time All-Pro Maurice Jones-Drew in their backfield.

Jones-Drew is averaging 2.4 yards per attempt after managing 23 yards on 13 carries Sunday.

"It's been pretty tough,' Jones-Drew said. "It's been the same every year, though. People load the box when they play us. We just have to go back to what we do best and that's all of us getting back on the same page and running the ball with a mindset of let's get it going.'

Jones-Drew might be able to find some holes against the banged-up Rams, who have allowed 412 yards on the ground the past two weeks. St. Louis also has lost safety T.J. McDonald for at least six weeks with a broken right leg, while cornerback Cortland Finnegan and linebacker Will Witherspoon are day-to-day with hamstring injuries.

The Rams brought in some help by signing outside linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar, who was waived at the beginning of a four-game suspension to start the season.

Jones-Drew ran for 133 yards and three touchdowns in Jacksonville's 23-20 overtime win over St. Louis in 2009.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Chiefs (4-0) at Titans (3-1)

Date: October 06, 2013 1:00 PM EDT


While the Kansas City Chiefs try to remain undefeated, the Tennessee Titans hope an injury to their starting quarterback won't derail the team's strong start.

The Chiefs look to go 5-0 for the first time in 10 years Sunday when they visit a Titans team trying for its first three-game winning streak in two seasons.

After enduring the overall frustration of a franchise-worst 2-14 season in 2012, Kansas City is only focused on trying to maintain its best start since going 9-0 in 2003.

"We try not to even think about last year," receiver Dwayne Bowe said. "Every day we go day-by-day, and right now we're 4-0 and the target is on our back, and we have to keep pushing."

There are plenty of reasons why the Chiefs only should look forward. A win Sunday would make Kansas City the first team to win its first five games the season after winning two or fewer contests.

"The team is totally in, the coaches, the players," Bowe said. "It's all a family right now. We're a family organization. On all three sides of the ball we're doing good."

Kansas City has scored 26 or more points in three of four contests after doing so twice in 2012.

Despite throwing his first two interceptions of the season, Alex Smith threw three of his seven touchdowns in last Sunday's 31-7 rout of the New York Giants. With a victory this weekend, Smith would join Mike Livingston as the only quarterbacks to win their first five starts with the Chiefs.

Running back Jamaal Charles has overcome a quad injury and foot problems to rank third in the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 125.5 per game.

"He wants the ball, which you appreciate," coach Andy Reid said. "I really appreciated it after I saw his feet and the blisters on them (last Sunday). The kid is a tough kid. He likes to play."

Charles, listed as probable, won't have rookie right tackle Eric Fisher blocking for him, as he's been ruled out this week due to a concussion suffered against the Giants.

The Chiefs allow a league-best 10.3 points per contest and have recorded an NFL-high 18 sacks.

Dustin Colquitt leads the league with 15 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line, and should be ready after he sprained his knee last weekend.

"We come out here and try to perfect our craft every single day and every practice," tight end Sean McGrath told the Chiefs' official website. "We just want to be as prepared as we can to face an opponent the next week."

Kansas City expects to face a serious challenge in Nashville, where the Titans (3-1) have won four in a row and will try to win three straight overall for the first time since Sept. 18-Oct. 2, 2011.

Tennessee will attempt to do so without quarterback Jake Locker, who, according to coach Mike Munchak, will miss a "few weeks" after suffering a sprained hip in the third quarter of last Sunday's 38-13 win over the New York Jets.

The third-year signal-caller, who missed five games with a shoulder injury during Tennessee's 6-10 season of 2012, completed 62.2 percent of his passes, threw six touchdowns, no interceptions and posted the AFC's third-best passer rating of 99.0 though four games.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, who posted three straight 3,000-yard seasons in Buffalo, gets the start after he went 3 of 8 for 108 yards and a TD against the Jets.

"I was brought here for a reason, and the reason I was brought here was to help Jake out and be ready for a situation like this if it came up," said Fitzpatrick, who has thrown eight touchdowns and two picks while going 4-1 against the Chiefs.

He could have Kenny Britt back in the mix after the receiver missed last Sunday's contest with a rib injury.

With Fitzpatrick at the helm, the Titans have a chance to become the first team in the Super Bowl era to go the first five games of a season without committing a turnover. Tennessee and Kansas City are tied for the NFL lead in turnover differential at plus-9.

"It's discipline by the team," Munchak told the Titans' official website. "It's important to them. We work on it everyday. Hopefully it continues."

A Tennessee defense that is allowing 17.2 points per game (seventh in the league) and has recorded 14 sacks hopes for a better effort than the last time these teams met.

Bowe had 153 receiving yards and a TD and Charles amassed 117 total yards and scored twice in Kansas City's 34-14 home win over the Titans in 2010.

Britt had four receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown in that contest.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Panthers (1-2) at Cardinals (2-2)

Date: October 06, 2013 4:05 PM EDT


Following the most lopsided win in the franchise's 19-year history, the well-rested Carolina Panthers are feeling confident entering a five-game stretch against teams without winning records.

Coming off their bye week, the Panthers hope to put together another all-around dominant performance Sunday against an Arizona Cardinals team that is struggling to put points on the board.

Carolina (1-2) dropped its first two games by a combined six points before bouncing back with a 38-0 rout of the visiting Giants in Week 3.

"We have to be realistic because we've not arrived by any stretch of the imagination,' coach Ron Rivera said. "We have to approach each week as a learning situation, a growing situation and keep shooting for the top of the mountain.'

Rivera's defense paved the way in the team's first shutout since 2008, allowing 150 total yards after giving up 806 in the previous two weeks. The Panthers also sacked Eli Manning seven times and forced three turnovers despite playing without four starters on defense and missing four defensive backs.

Free safety Charles Godfrey was lost to a season-ending Achilles injury the previous week, cornerback Josh Thomas (concussion) and defensive tackle Dwan Edwards (hamstring) were injured, and defensive coordinator Sean McDermott benched struggling three-time Pro Bowl linebacker Jon Beason for Chase Blackburn.

Thomas is expected to play and Edwards is optimistic that he'll be ready as the Panthers begin a stretch of games against Arizona (2-2), Minnesota (1-3), St. Louis (1-3), Tampa Bay (0-4) and Atlanta (1-3).

"We know exactly what we've got to do to keep winning,' said safety Robert Lester. "That's the mindset we're going to keep, that's the mindset we're going to have going into Arizona.'

The Cardinals couldn't get anything going for three quarters Sunday before scoring 10 points in the final 3:06 to beat Tampa Bay 13-10 and end a nine-game road losing streak.

Quarterback Carson Palmer hit Larry Fitzgerald for a game-tying 13-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, but he also threw two interceptions in the first half. Running back Rashard Mendenhall lost the first of his two fumbles in the opening half to set up Tampa Bay's only touchdown.

Arizona finished with 296 total yards - 248 passing by Palmer - three turnovers and 10 penalties for 90 yards. After totaling 49 points and 738 yards in their first two games, the Cardinals have put up 20 and 543 yards in their last two.

They also traded struggling left tackle Levi Brown to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, and he'll likely be replaced by Bradley Sowell, who was claimed off waivers from Indianapolis on Sept. 1.

"If it was one guy, it'd be easy to fix," coach Bruce Arians said of the offensive woes. "Seems like we've got eight or nine guys on each play playing extremely well and two guys, and they keep swapping it out, decide to not do the right thing.'

Andre Ellington is making a bid for more playing time in the backfield after rushing four times for 29 yards against the Buccaneers. He's averaging 6.2 yards per carry on the season - 2.8 more than Mendenhall.

Carolina's DeAngelo Williams is coming off his best effort, rushing for 120 yards on 23 carries against the Giants. Williams has averaged 125.3 yards on 6.0 per carry over his last four games dating back to last season.

Rookie Kenjon Barner, a sixth-round draft pick out of Oregon, is targeting Sunday to make his NFL debut after spraining his foot in the preseason. Jonathan Stewart, however, remains out while recovering from offseason ankle surgery.

The Panthers, third in the league with 151.0 rushing yards per game, could have a difficult time against an Arizona team that ranks second against the run (75.0 ypg) after limiting Tampa Bay's Doug Martin to 45 yards on 27 carries.

The Cardinals also are getting starting linebacker Daryl Washington back from a four-game suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.

Quarterback Cam Newton hopes Washington won't be too much of a detriment after completing 36 of 65 passes for 452 yards with five scores and two interceptions in his last two contests. Newton also has rushed for 60 yards and a score on 11 carries over that span.

"We have to keep going and get the mentality of 'We can win - and we will win,'" said Newton, who threw for a career-low 125 yards in a season-opening loss to Seattle.

Newton faces the Cardinals for the first time since his NFL debut in 2011 when he was 24 of 37 for 422 yards - a record for any rookie in his opener - with two touchdowns and one pick in a 28-21 loss in Arizona.

With that victory, the Cardinals snapped a seven-game regular-season losing streak to the Panthers.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Broncos (4-0) at Cowboys (2-2)

Date: October 06, 2013 4:25 PM EDT


John Fox insists it's not just coach-speak when he says his unbeaten Denver Broncos have plenty of room for improvement.

He, of course, isn't referring to their stellar aerial game led by Peyton Manning, who Sunday will face a Dallas Cowboys defense that hasn't been very good against the pass.

Manning is off the best start of his career heading into his first visit to Dallas' $1.2 billion stadium. He leads the league in completions (117), completion percentage (75.0), yards (1,470), touchdowns (16) and passer rating (138.0) while not throwing an interception.

Manning went 28 of 34 for 327 yards and four touchdowns - two each to Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker - before sitting out the fourth quarter of a 52-20 win over Philadelphia on Sunday. Denver set a team record for points.

The Broncos are averaging league bests of 44.8 points and 483.0 yards of offense. Last week's win was a team-record 15th straight in the regular season, and Manning extended his streak of throwing at least one TD pass to 27 games.

"He's efficient, man,' defensive back Champ Bailey said. "And hopefully he gets better - I don't know how, but hopefully he does - because this guy's a prime example of what it takes to be a great quarterback in this league.

"I know a lot of quarterbacks wish they could do it like that.'

Despite Manning's success, Fox doesn't think his team is perfect despite the Broncos (4-0) getting off to such a solid start. He may be nitpicking, but he'd like to see more from the running game and better defense in the fourth quarter.

Denver averaged 86.0 yards rushing in its first two contests, though that has increased to 152.5 over the last two. The Broncos have allowed a touchdown in the final quarter of each game.

"It's still early in the season and I expect us to get better," Fox said. "People look at me funny when I say that, but there's still a lot of areas we need to improve at and can improve at."

The last time Manning faced the Cowboys, he went 36 of 48 for 365 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw four interceptions in Indianapolis' 38-35 overtime loss Dec. 5, 2010.

Dallas (2-2) is hoping it can have that kind of success against Manning this time around as well, especially after allowing 506 yards and 20 unanswered points in a 30-21 loss to San Diego on Sunday.

The Cowboys gave up 401 yards and three touchdowns through the air and are tied with Minnesota and the New York Giants for worst in the league with 10 TD passes allowed.

They rank 27th in the league in pass defense at 304.5 yards per game.

"Yeah, we made mistakes, but it's never going to happen again,' defensive end DeMarcus Ware said. "People say never say never, but I feel like it's never going to happen again playing a game like that. That's just the way I feel about it.'

Coach Jason Garrett realizes that Manning is just a part of the challenge his defense faces this week. Welker is tied for the NFL lead with six touchdown receptions and Thomas is tied for sixth with 393 receiving yards.

"He's obviously as good of a quarterback who has ever played this game, and he's got a lot of weapons," Garrett said. "Not only do you have this incredibly good quarterback who has a great understanding of what he wants to do, but he's got some weapons to do it with."

Tony Romo is having a solid season with eight touchdowns and one interception while ranking fourth with a 105.0 passer rating. He's completed 72.4 percent of his passes - his career best in a full season is 66.3 percent in 2011 - after going 27 of 37 for 244 yards and two touchdowns last week, both to Dez Bryant.

DeMarco Murray ran for 70 yards against the Chargers and is third in the league with 356 on the season, but Denver is allowing a league-low 74.0 rushing yards per game. The Broncos are 30th with an average of 316.3 passing yards allowed, but Garrett believes that number has been inflated due to Denver holding large leads in each contest.

"If you analyze the statistics, they've been ahead in a lot of games and teams have had to throw the ball and not run it quite as much," Garrett said. "They're very stout against the run, and they're willing to give up those (passing) yards to win the ballgame."

Broncos weakside linebacker Danny Trevathan is questionable after suffering a knee injury toward the end of Wednesday's practice. Trevathan, a second-year pro, is second on the team with 30 tackles and 24 unassisted tackles and has a sack, an interception and four pass breakups.

Denver has won four straight meetings with Dallas, taking the most recent one 17-10 on Oct. 4, 2009.