The Bum's NFL Preseason Picks-Results-Etc. !

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday's Best Bet
August 18, 2017

Sunday Night Football Best Bet
New Orleans Saints vs. L.A. Chargers (NFL Network, 8:00 p.m. ET)

Bookmaker.eu Odds: New Orleans (+3) at L.A (-3); Total set at 43

Although it's only the preseason, the Chargers first showing in front of their new L.A fans couldn't have been more embarrassing.

Last week's 48-17 loss to Seattle was crushing on all levels as the Chargers did next to nothing to endear themselves to their new home. Four turnovers (two fumbles, two INT's) ultimately did L.A in and the only good news to come out of it all was the fact that it is still just preseason and wins and losses don't matter.

However, repeated performances like that in front of L.A fans who are known to turn their back on “losers” in a heartbeat, is going to make the Chargers transition to L.A rather tough.

New Orleans didn't have a great start to 2017 either with a 20-14 loss to Cleveland, but by no means was it embarrassing in the same fashion that the Chargers Week 1 defeat was. The Saints enter 2017 as a team built like we've come to expect from them, having an offense that will lead the charge and do all the heavy lifting, and a defense that hopefully can get one more stop than the other guy.

Last week's game did show some signs of improvement on defense as 13 of Cleveland's 20 points came in a 4th quarter against guys that are highly unlikely to make the Saints roster. But it was still the Browns though, and almost any NFL defense over the past few years can make a case that they are the greatest out there after they've faced Cleveland.

Therefore, we've got one team in New Orleans who is looking for more of the same (on the whole) this week, and another team in L.A that wants wholesale improvements across the board. From a strictly motivational standpoint – and let's be honest, “motivation” in the preseason is used loosely – this spot favors the Chargers in spades.

LA can't afford to have another disastrous outing at home, and the Saints, well, they are just looking to head home healthy and making progress.

Secondly, from the standpoint of NFL bettors seeing the Chargers as 3-point favorites after they lost by 30+ a week ago, there aren't many that will feel confident in even considering laying the points.

Yet, L.A held a 14-10 lead over Seattle after the 1st quarter a week ago, and QB Philip Rivers did go 5-for-6 with a TD throwing the ball. Give that unit (and even the second unit) more time this week and those positive signs should show up again for the Chargers this week.

Just like in Week 2 regular season games, you shouldn't over-react to what happened in Week 1, and this game in itself is a great primer for bettors to remind themselves of that fact.

L.A has all the weapons on offense to keep up with a Saints team that's built to score, but with a bigger rebound needed in Chargers-land, expect the home team to treat this Week 2 preseason game as a pseudo-season opener.

Odds per - Bookmaker.eu

Best Bet: L.A Chargers -3

[StarDust Bum]

NFL notebook: Union head says Goodell 'lied' on conduct policy
August 19, 2017

NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith in harsh terms said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's explanation of how the league's personal conduct policy was overhauled was a falsehood.

"He lied," Smith said in response to questioning from Bryant Gumbel during an interview that will air Tuesday night on HBO.

NFL owners unanimously approved a more stringent personal conduct policy in December 2014 following a series of high-profile incidents, the most notable featuring former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice. How that policy evolved is what drew a terse response from union chief Smith during the sit-down with Gumbel.

"When Roger Goodell can stand up there as he did and say, 'We're drafting a new NFL Personal Conduct Policy. We're gonna do so in conjunction with the union,' and then doesn't consult the union, comes up with a new policy, that says what?" Gumbel asked Smith.

"That says he lied," Smith said.

With the NFLPA filing an appeal last week of a six-game suspension handed to Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott for violating the league's personal conduct policy after multiple domestic violence incidents, the relationship between the union and league office again is in the spotlight.

--Two prominent organizations showed support for quarterback Colin Kaepernick and his inability to catch on with an NFL team.

The NAACP chapter in Atlanta is calling for all football fans to boycott NFL games by not watching those contests until a team signs Kaepernick. Meanwhile, a number of current and former New York City police officers, including Frank Serpico, gathered in Brooklyn in support of Kaepernick.

Kaepernick, 29, brought controversy when he decided to kneel during the national anthem prior to NFL games in protest of racism in America. He became a free agent after playing for the San Francisco 49ers last season, but no team has signed him for the coming season.

Gerald Griggs, the vice president of the NAACP's Atlanta chapter, said this week that his chapter will boycott all things related to the NFL as long as Kaepernick remains unsigned.

--Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, as expected, was not playing in Saturday afternoon's preseason game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium.

Backup Derek Anderson started against the Titans, and he was expected to be followed by Joe Webb and Garrett Gilbert.

The 28-year-old star quarterback, who also did not play in last week's preseason opener against the Houston Texans, continues to rehabilitate his surgically repaired throwing shoulder. He had surgery on March 30 to repair a partially torn rotator cuff that was expected to require a four-month rehab process.

Coach Ron Rivera has not been concerned if Newton ends up missing all four preseason games, with the goal being to have him ready for the Sept. 10 opener on the road against the San Francisco 49ers.

--The Miami Dolphins and veteran linebacker Rey Maualuga agreed to a one-year contract, according to multiple reports.

The move follows the loss of rookie linebacker Raekwon McMillan to a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee suffered in the preseason opener last week against the Atlanta Falcons.

Maualuga, who was released by the Cincinnati Bengals in March, is expected to compete with Mike Hull for the starting job at middle linebacker after the injury to McMillan, who was the Dolphins' second-round pick out of Ohio State.

The 30-year-old Maualuga agreed to a deal that will pay him $900,000 in base salary (the minimum for a ninth-year veteran), according to the Miami Herald.

--Seattle Seahawks starting left tackle George Fant, who was carted off the field during Friday night's preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings, needs surgery after tearing his ACL.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll confirmed after the game that Fant likely will miss the 2017 season because of the right knee injury suffered in the second quarter.

Fant, 25, went down at the end of a passing play when center Justin Britt fell and rolled into the back of Fant's leg. He was carted off the field with an air cast on his right leg.

A former college basketball player out of Western Kentucky, the 6-foot-5, 322-pound Fant signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted rookie free agent last year and played in 14 games with 10 starts at left tackle.

--Seattle Seahawks kicker Blair Walsh said his gestures toward the Minnesota Vikings' sideline in a preseason game Friday night were in response to his ex-teammates taunting him.

Walsh was spotted gesturing each time after nailing a pair of 52-yard field goals in the Seahawks' 20-13 win at CenturyLink Field. He pointed at the sideline after his first make and walked toward the bench and appeared to say something after the second.

"I felt like it was nothing that was serious or meant to be hurtful, but I wanted to let them know that it just wasn't going to roll off," Walsh said, via ESPN.com. "I didn't say anything though. Just looked at them."

Walsh was asked by reporters after the game what the Vikings were saying to him. "Nothing I can repeat here. That's for sure," said Walsh, who played five seasons in Minnesota before the team released him in November after nine games.

--Just as former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Zachary Orr officially stepped away from the NFL, another door has apparently opened.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said there might be an opportunity to work for the organization in some capacity. Months after initially announcing that his career was over because of a congenital neck and spine condition, a second opinion provided Orr with a glimmer of hope for a comeback with Baltimore or another team.

However, after further evaluation, Orr was not cleared to play by any NFL franchise, forcing him to officially retire for good. That doesn't mean other opportunities don't await in another capacity as a scout or an assistant coach.

"I am a big admirer of Zach Orr," Harbaugh said. "I think he wants to get involved in football, and we will probably try to talk him into coming here and being a part of what we do. I sure would like to have him on board -- scouting or coaching -- whatever he wants to do, if he wants to do it. He has expressed an interest in doing that. Good for him."

--The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed offensive tackle Austin Albrecht and cornerback Vernon Harris.

The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Albrecht is a college free agent out of Utah State. He played in 39 games for the Aggies, including starting his final 25, earning honorable mention All-Mountain West in both his junior and senior seasons

The 6-1, 197-pound Harris originally entered the league as a college free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2016 offseason. The Dartmouth product spent last season on the Chiefs' injured reserve list before being waived this offseason.

The Bucs also announced that cornerback Maurice Fleming and tackle Cole Gardner were waived/injured.

[StarDust Bum]

SUNDAY, AUGUST 20

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

ATL at PIT 04:00 PM

PIT +3.0

U 38.5

NO at LAC 08:00 PM

NO +4.0

O 43.0

[StarDust Bum]

NFL preseason roundup: Siemian leads Broncos
August 20, 2017

Trevor Siemian put the 49ers away -- and might have put away the race for the Broncos' quarterback position.

Siemian went 8 of 11 for 93 yards and a touchdown to lead Denver to a 33-14 victory over host San Francisco on Saturday, spoiling the preseason home opener for new 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan.

Siemian did not start, as Broncos coach Vance Joseph opted to open the game with second-year quarterback Paxton Lynch.

But the competition between the quarterbacks might have effectively ended Saturday, as Lynch looked unsettled and didn't complete any passes longer than 7 yards, while Siemian pushed the ball downfield and hit wide receiver Jordan Taylor for a 19-yard touchdown that pushed the Broncos' halftime lead to 20-0.

Chiefs 30, Bengals 12

Patrick Mahomes bolstered his case for Kansas City's backup quarterback job, passing for 88 yards and two touchdowns in a victory over host Cincinnati.

Tight end Demetrius Harris caught two touchdown passes and rookie Kareem Hunt rushed for 40 yards on eight carries for the Chiefs. Charcandrick West rushed for 113 yards on seven carries and helping Kansas City amass 413 yards of total offense.

The Bengals' offense got off to a fast start. A 22-yard completion from Andy Dalton to A.J. Green set up Randy Bullock's 47-yard field goal to put Cincinnati ahead 3-0.

Texans 27, Patriots 23

Tom Savage completed 8 of 9 passes for 98 yards, one score and no interceptions for a pristine 149.1 passer rating in nearly one quarter of action in Houston's victory over visiting New England.

Savage lobbed a perfect spiral in the back of the end zone to connect with Jaelen Strong, who beat Pro Bowl cornerback Malcolm Butler for a leaping 2-yard TD catch. Savage, the new starter, continues to hold off the challenge of gifted first-round draft pick Deshaun Watson.

Tom Brady completed 6 of 9 passes for 67 yards, one touchdown and had no interceptions for the Patriots. Backup Jimmy Garoppolo completed 15 of 23 passes for 145 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Cowboys 24, Colts 19

Dak Prescott posted a perfect 158.3 passer rating as host Dallas defeated Indianapolis.

Prescott completed 7 of 8 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown, a 32-yard strike to receiver Dez Bryant on the opening drive. Backup Kellen Moore went 10 of 21 for 131 yards.

Colts backup quarterback Scott Tolzien started for Andrew Luck, who remains sidelined with a right shoulder injury. Tolzien completed 10 of 14 passes for 70 yards and led Indianapolis to a field goal in his five first-half drives.

Packers 21, Redskins 17

Quarterback Taysom Hill ran 23 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 6:16 remaining as visiting Green Bay defeated Washington.

The Packers' Aaron Rodgers, who saw preseason action only during Week 3 a year ago, played the first series, completing 6 of 8 passes for 37 yards and a touchdown. He ran twice for 15 yards. Backup Brett Hundley, was 9 of 10 for 107 yards and a touchdown.

Kirk Cousins played the first half for the Redskins, finishing 14 of 23 for 144 yards and one touchdown. Washington rookie running back Semaje Perine rebounded from a rough debut (six carries, 15 yards), gaining 45 yards on eight carries and adding a 29-yard reception.

Lions 16, Jets 6

Matthew Stafford connected with Marvin Jones on a 5-yard scoring strike and Matt Prater kicked three field goals in host Detroit's victory over New York.

Stafford, who played three series, looked sharp while completing eight of 10 passes for 84 yards. Backup Jake Rudock also threw for 84 yards while completing 8 of 13 passes with an interception.

Christian Hackenberg started at quarterback for the Jets and played the entire first half but connected on only 2 of 6 passes for 14 yards. Bryce Petty played the second half and completed 15 of 24 pass attempts for 160 yards while getting intercepted.

Bears 24, Cardinals 23

Deonte Thompson returned a missed field goal 109 yards for a touchdown at the end of the second quarter as Chicago hung on to defeat host Arizona.

The Cardinals rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final two minutes to almost steal the victory, but after a 52-yard field goal with 1:25 to play and a 3-yard touchdown pass by Blaine Gabbert with nine seconds left, Arizona couldn't connect on a two-point conversion.

Bears quarterback Mike Glennon shook off last week's disappointing performance by completing 13 of 18 passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. He was intercepted once, but it wasn't for a pick six like it was in his Bears debut against Denver.

Rams 24, Raiders 21

Sean Mannion guided Los Angeles on a fourth-quarter touchdown drive, connecting with Josh Reynolds on a 20-yard touchdown pass with 1:11 left to defeat Oakland.

Jared Goff was sharp while playing into the second quarter, throwing for 160 yards on 16-of-20 passing with one touchdown for the Rams. He marched Los Angeles to two touchdowns and a field goal on three of his four drives.

The Raiders' Derek Carr, making his first appearance since breaking his leg on the second-to-last week of the 2016 season, finished 7 of 9 with 100 yards and two touchdowns.

Titans 34, Panthers 27

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Marcus Mariota was 6 of 8 for 61 yards and a touchdown in Tennessee's victory over Carolina.

Mariota's 4-yard touchdown pass went to Delanie Walker and gave the Titans a 10-0 lead. Derek Henry rushed 16 times for 36 yards and two touchdowns for Tennessee.

The Panthers' Christian McCaffrey rushed three times for 33 yards and a touchdown while recording a 38-yard reception among his two catches. His 17-yard TD run resulted in Carolina's first points.

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Rookie Conner stars in Steelers' 17-13 win over Falcons

PITTSBURGH (AP) Rookie running back James Conner set up Pittsburgh's winning fourth-quarter touchdown pass in the Steelers' 17-13 exhibition victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Conner, the former University of Pittsburgh star who overcame Hodgkin's lymphoma and a serious right knee injury to reach the NFL, broke off runs of 17 and 19 yards, leading to Bart Houston's 6-yard touchdown pass to Justin Hunter.

Conner was greeted with an ovation on the third series of the game when he made his first carry. The third-round pick busted off three other runs longer than 10 yards and ended his NFL debut with 98 yards rushing on 20 carries.

Matt Ryan led the Falcons to a touchdown in his only series and finished 4 of 6 for 57 yards. In two series during the preseason, Ryan, the 2016 NFL's Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year, has gone 6 of 8 for 88 yards with a touchdown and a 123.6 passer rating.

Pittsburgh receiver Martavis Bryant played his first game more than 18 months.
The NFL suspended Bryant in March 2016 for a second violation of its substance abuse policy. He also opened the 2015 season with a four-game suspension because of multiple violations of the league's substance abuse policy. Bryant, who is still in the process of being fully reinstated by the league, remains suspended, but is permitted to participate in all preseason activities - including practices and games.

Steelers rookie Josh Dobbs targeted Bryant on the first play of the game, but the offense sputtered with consecutive three-and-outs. Dobbs, a fourth-round pick, was 10 of 19 for 70 yards with an interception.

Bryant, who had two catches for 20 yards, later fumbled an end-around, but made up for it with a 23-yard reception on a drive that ended with a field goal.

Tevin Coleman got the start at running back for the Falcons with Devonta Freeman previously ruled out with a concussion. But the Falcons' primary backfield focus was the competition for the third running back spot.

Terron Ward, who ran for 48 yards against Miami, was strong again Sunday. He finished with nine carries for 37 yards and a touchdown. Ward ran for 151 yards in five games last season.

Fifth-round pick Brian Hill rushed for 14 yards on seven carries. The former Wyoming product player also struggled in the team's first preseason game against Miami, gaining 10 yards on nine carries.

Falcons first-round pick Takkarist McKinley made his NFL debut.
The defensive end had surgery for a torn labrum and fractured right shoulder socket in March and was held out of the preseason opener. The 6-foot-2, 250-pound McKinley had 10 sacks and 18 tackles for loss as a college senior last season at UCLA. He is expected to add punch to a pass rush that features Vic Beasley, who led the league with 15.5 sacks in 2016.

WIDE OUTS OUT
Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown and Atlanta's Julio Jones, two of the top receivers in the NFL, sat out Sunday.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin held out Brown for the second straight preseason game. Brown finished second in the league in receptions (106) and touchdowns (12) and fifth with 1,284 yards in 2016.
Jones was held out for the second straight preseason game following offseason foot surgery. Jones, who has reported no problems in his recovery, has been limited in training camp. The two-time All-Pro caught 136 passes in 2015, second-most in NFL history, and finished with 1,409 receiving yards last season.

ALSO MISSING
Freeman (concussion) was previously ruled out in what coach Dan Quinn described as a precaution. Quinn previously said the injury is not expected to be a long-term issue. Freeman, the league's highest-paid running back, has rushed for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. He caught a 15-yard touchdown pass in the Falcon's first preseason game.
Tomlin held out quarterback Ben Roethlisberger out for the second straight preseason game. Backup Landry Jones also sat out with an abdominal injury.

BIG PLAYS
Pittsburgh's Trey Williams returned a punt 64 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. Steelers linebacker Anthony Chickillo had two sacks. Pittsburgh's Jordan Dangerfield picked off two passes, while Quincy Mauger and Akeem King had interceptions for the Falcons.

INJURY REPORT
Steelers nose tackle Javon Hargrave left in the first quarter with a concussion, and linebacker Steven Johnson sustained a hamstring injury.

UP NEXT
Falcons: Host hosts Indianapolis on Saturday night.
Steelers: Host Arizona on Saturday night

[StarDust Bum]

Saints top Chargers 13-7 as Brees, Rivers are both held out

CARSON, Calif. (AP) Alvin Kamara ran for a 50-yard touchdown and the New Orleans Saints beat the Los Angeles Chargers 13-7 on Sunday night.
Safety Dexter McCoil intercepted Ryan Nassib's fourth-quarter pass and returned it 99 yards for the Chargers' lone touchdown.

With just a six-day turnaround to the all-important third preseason game, both the Chargers and Saints gave their starting quarterbacks the day off. The only competitive passes fans at StubHub Center saw Philip Rivers and Drew Brees throw were prerecorded, as the former San Diego teammates staged a throwing contest reminiscent of the old Quarterback Challenge after practice during two days of joint workouts between the Chargers and Saints earlier in the week.

Instead, the Saints' cautious approach gave Kamara another chance to shine. Kamara burst off the left side for a touchdown on New Orleans' first play from scrimmage. The third-round pick from Tennessee finished with 61 yards on five carries and added a 22-yard catch-and-run coming out of the backfield.

Kamara is averaging 10.7 yards per carry in the preseason, adding another asset to a position group that already includes Adrian Peterson and Mark Ingram.
Chase Daniel was 7 of 12 for 80 yards in place of Brees, finding Michael Thomas for a 28-yard reception to help set up Wil Lutz's 53-yard field goal midway through the first quarter.
Lutz added a 26-yard field goal with 2:11 remaining.

The Chargers played without their starting tackles, as Russell Okung was held out because of a minor ankle injury and Joe Barksdale stood on the sideline with his right foot in a walking boot. The drop-off to backups Tyreek Burwell on the left side and Chris Hairston on the right was evident, as the Chargers only gained 31 yards on 15 plays in the first quarter.

When the Chargers finally reached midfield on their third possession, Burwell and left guard Kenny Wiggins gave up sacks on consecutive plays to end the drive.
Linebacker Manti Te'o, who played his first four seasons with the Chargers, had one of four first-half sacks for the Saints.

Chargers running back Melvin Gordon rushed for 8 yards on five carries and had a catch for 7 yards in the first quarter. Kellen Clemens was 10 of 17 for 99 yards and added 26 yards rushing on three carries.

TROUBLE IN TINSELTOWN?
There was plenty of grumbling and rumblings around the NFL when the Chargers had a crowd of only 21,054 for their preseason opener, failing to outdraw the LA Galaxy's MLS match the previous night.

It could only intensify after the Chargers pulled in 21,197 fans at their 27,000-seat temporary home Sunday.

That total was again bolstered by a significant number of visiting fans. Some of the loudest cheers and even some ''Who Dat'' chants came when the Saints defense had the Chargers backed up on their own goal line to end the first half.

INJURIES
Saints: Rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore, a first-round pick from Ohio State, made his preseason debut after missing most of training camp because of a sprained knee.

Chargers: Burwell left the game after the third drive with a right hand injury and did not return. Burwell emerged from the locker room in the first half in a cast that covered his whole hand. Hairston slid over to left tackle, with rookie Sam Tevi handling duties at right tackle.

[StarDust Bum]

NFL notebook: Cowboys owner remains evasive about Elliott's status
August 20, 2017

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones continues to be non-specific about star running back Ezekiel Elliott's six-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy over alleged domestic violence against a former girlfriend.

Jones and the Cowboys were blindsided when NFL commissioner Roger Goodell handed down Elliott's suspension on Aug. 11. Jones, who earlier this month predicted Elliott would not be suspended, continues to say the second-year running back has the team's support in his fight against the ban, but the owner has yet to criticize the league's decision.

Elliott and the NFL Players Association filed notice of appeal last week, and the hearing is scheduled for Aug. 29. Goodell appointed Harold Henderson as the arbiter to hear Elliott's appeal.

Elliott did not play against the Colts and the team has not announced whether he will play next Saturday against the Oakland Raiders.

--The Cincinnati Bengals terminated the contract of veteran defensive tackle Brandon Thompson on Sunday.

A day after a 30-12 preseason loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the team also cut undrafted rookie running back Boom Williams and wide receiver Karel Hamilton.

Thompson, 27, was the Bengals' third-round pick out of Syracuse in 2012. He missed the 2016 season recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in the 2015 season finale. Thompson played in three games as a rookie and then appeared in 27 games (seven starts) in 2013 and 2014. He played in nine games in 2015 before the injury. Thompson recorded 53 career tackles and three sacks with the Bengals.

--The Jacksonville Jaguars signed veteran running back DuJuan Harris to add depth at the position.

T.J. Yeldon suffered a hamstring injury in the Jaguars' 12-8 preseason loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday. With Yeldon and Leonard Fournette (foot) sidelined, Harris can help fill a void at running back for the rest of the preseason.

To make room on the roster, the Jags waived injured cornerback Charles Gaines.

The 5-foot-7, 206-pound Harris began his NFL career with the Jaguars in 2011 when he played in five games and had nine rushes for 42 yards during his rookie season. His six-year career includes two years in Green Bay (2012, 2014), one stop in Seattle (2015) and most recently two seasons in San Francisco (2015-16). He was released by the 49ers in May. Harris rushed for a career-high 38 times for 138 yards last year with the 49ers and had eight receptions for 115 yards and one touchdown.

--The Buffalo Bills signed tight end Rory Anderson and safety Adrian McDonald.

The 6-foot-5, 244-pound Anderson is a former seventh-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2015. He did not make the 49ers' 53-man roster as a rookie but was signed to the Chicago Bears' practice squad. By midseason, he landed on the Bears' practice squad/injured list.

The 5-9, 190-pound McDonald was an undrafted rookie signing of the San Diego Chargers in 2016. He spent his rookie year on the Chargers' practice squad but was released by the team last week.

To make room for Anderson and McDonald on the roster, the Bills released kicker/punter Austin Rehkow and waived/injured tight end Jason Croom, who was injured against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night in the second preseason game and was seen wearing a walking boot.

--The Minnesota Vikings signed former University of Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner.

The 6-foot-3, 228-pound Leidner joins the Vikings as the team's fifth quarterback after not being selected in this year's draft. He attended the Baltimore Ravens' rookie minicamp but did not sign with the team.

Leidner, 23, completed his collegiate career at Minnesota ranked second in passing attempts (1,029) and completions (580), ranked third in passing yards (7,287) and fifth in passing touchdowns (36).

Quarterbacks Sam Bradford, Case Keenum and Taylor Heinicke played against the Seahawks on Friday night. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater remains on the physically unable to perform list after dislocating his left knee and tearing the ACL at the outset of training camp in 2016.

--The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed cornerback Mariel Cooper.

The 5-foot-11, 192-pound Cooper originally entered the league as an undrafted college free agent with the Washington Redskins in the 2016 offseason before being waived at the end of that preseason. He played collegiately at The Citadel.

The Bucs also waived running back Quayvon Hicks.

--The Washington Redskins activated tight end Jordan Reed off the active/physically unable to perform list on Sunday.

Reed, who has been sidelined with a sprained toe, is now eligible to return to practice.

Last season, Reed played in 12 games and had 66 receptions for 686 yards and six touchdowns. In four NFL seasons and 46 regular-season games, Reed has 248 catches for 2,602 yards and 20 touchdowns.

[StarDust Bum]

PRESEASON RECORD:

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

08/20/2017 3-1-0 75.00% +950
08/19/2017 8-10-0 44.44% -1500
08/18/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -50
08/17/2017 2-3-1 40.00% -650
08/13/2017 3-1-0 75.00% +950
08/12/2017 2-4-0 33.33% -1200
08/11/2017 1-5-0 16.67% -2250
08/10/2017 6-8-0 42.86% -1400
08/09/2017 0-2-0 0.00% -1100
08/03/2017 0-1-1 0.00% -550

WLT PCT UNITS

ATS Picks 11-20-1 35.48% -5500

O/U Picks 15-16-1 48.39% -1300

[StarDust Bum]

Monday, August 21, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
8:00 PM New York Giants Cleveland Browns

WEEK 3

Thursday, August 24, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
7:00 PM Miami Dolphins Philadelphia Eagles
7:30 PM Carolina Panthers Jacksonville Jaguars

Friday, August 25, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
7:00 PM New England Patriots Detroit Lions
8:00 PM Kansas City Chiefs Seattle Seahawks

Saturday, August 26, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
7:00 PM Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons
7:00 PM Buffalo Bills Baltimore Ravens
7:00 PM New York Jets New York Giants
7:30 PM Indianapolis Colts Pittsburgh Steelers
7:30 PM Cleveland Browns Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8:00 PM Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams
8:00 PM Oakland Raiders Dallas Cowboys
8:00 PM Houston Texans New Orleans Saints
9:00 PM Green Bay Packers Denver Broncos

Sunday, August 27, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
1:00 PM Chicago Bears Tennessee Titans
4:30 PM Cincinnati Bengals Washington Redskins
8:00 PM San Francisco 49ers Minnesota Vikings

[StarDust Bum]

Monday’s six-pack

— Cubs 6, Blue Jays 5 (10)— Toronto scored twice in top of 10th but blew lead; MLB teams who had 2+ run lead in extra innings this year had been 50-0 before this.

— Marlins 6, Mets 4— Giancarlo Stanton hit his 21st HR at CitiField, most of any visiting player.

— Twins 12, Arizona 5— Bartolo Colon has now beaten all 30 major league teams.

— Boston 5, New York 1— Sonny Gray is 1-3, 4.30 in four starts for New York.

— Heath Evans of NFL Network was critical of the Chargers sitting QB Philip Rivers last night.

— DL happenings:
Tampa Bay puts P Jacob Faria (abdomen) on the DL
Minnesota puts DH Miguel Sano (shin) on DL

**************************

Monday’s List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend…….

13) Quote of the Day, part 2: Ian Kinsler, on the umpires’ wearing white wristbands Saturday to protest Kinsler’s not being suspended for his comments about Angel Hernandez:

“I really don’t think too deeply into it. I hope they wear the white wristbands for the rest of their careers. I don’t care. I said what I felt and what I thought. If they take offense to that, that’s their problem.’’

Alrighty then.

12) Umpires didn’t wear the wristbands Sunday; they’re getting an audience with commish Rob Manfred soon, to discuss their issues. Doubt they’ll get much satisfaction.

11) 75 players have 20+ homers this year; just three years ago, only 57 guys hit 20+ homers for the whole season— there are still six weeks of games left this year.

10) New York Mets saved roughly $13.6M in salary by trading veterans to contenders in the last few weeks. Thats what small market teams do. New York City is not a small market.

9) The Greek basketball federation attacked the Milwaukee Bucks and the NBA in a statement, describing an “organized and well-staged plan” to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo from playing in the Eurobasket tournament for Greece at the end of the month.

If I was paying a young man $20M a year, damn sure I wouldn’t want him playing in some exhibition tournament in the summer. Too freakin’ bad.

8) Someone in the Indiana University compliance department screwed up, and it cost a freshman DB a year of his football eligibility. The school screwed up by not telling the kid what was required of him to become eligible— I’m guessing someone lost their job over that.

7) NFL exhibition broadcasts that aren’t on national TV can be tough to listen to; they’re infomercials for the local team. Never is heard a discouraging word— exhibition games are sloppy by nature, obviously, but you’d never know it by listening to some of these TV guys.

6) From the sound of the 49ers’ TV guys, CJ Beathard is going to beat Matt Barkley out for the backup QB job in San Francisco. Will Kyle Shanahan keep three QB’s?

5) I didn’t realize mailmen delivered on Sunday; around 5pm, a truck pulled up to the house next door. Can’t remember seeing that before, except maybe around Christmas.

4) Tyler Clippard is the first pitcher since Ted Abernathy in 1970 to save a game for three different teams in the same season.

3) Mets get minor league pitcher Jacob Rhame as Player to be Named Later in the Granderson trade; he was Dodgers #28 ranked prospect and should be up with the Mets next month; he is headed to the AAA Las Vegas 51’s for now.

2) RIP Jerry Lewis, 91, an actor/comedian who raised roughly $1.6B thru his Labor Day telethon to fight Muscular Dystrophy. Thats billion, with a B. He helped a lot of people. RIP, sir.

1) If the playoffs started today (they do not), they’d look like this:
AL: Boston-Cleveland-Houston. Wild Cards: New York/Angels or Twins
NL: Washington-Chicago-Los Angeles. Wild Cards: Arizona-Colorado

[StarDust Bum]

MONDAY, AUGUST 21

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

NYG at CLE 08:00 PM

CLE +1.0

U 38.0

[StarDust Bum]

WRs Beckham, Marshall injured in Giants loss to Browns
August 21, 2017

Odell Beckham Jr.'s night ended prematurely when he suffered a sprained ankle after taking a hit in the second quarter of Monday's preseason game between the New York Giants and the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland.

Beckham also was checked for a concussion and was cleared. X-rays came back negative for more serious injuries. He will undergo further testing upon his return to New York.

The wide receiver walked to the locker room without assistance. He later returned to the sideline and was walking without a limp.

Beckham was injured after he grabbed an 18-yard pass from Giants quarterback Eli Manning and was hit low on his left leg by Browns defensive back Briean Boddy-Calhoun.

Beckham clearly wasn't happy about the hit. He tossed his helmet aside before leaving the field and glared at Boddy-Calhoun.

At the time of the injury, Beckham had three receptions for 37 yards.

Giants wide receiver Brandon Marshall also left the Giants' 10-6 loss to the Browns with an injury. He underwent X-rays on his shoulder.

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11 Browns take a knee during anthem
August 21, 2017

Eleven Cleveland Browns players knelt during the national anthem prior to the Monday night preseason game against the New York Giants in Cleveland.

The 11 players knelt in a circle behind the Browns bench, and five other Browns players stood nearby with a hand on a kneeling teammate's shoulder in an apparent sign of support.

The 11 players who knelt were tight end Seth DeValve, running back Duke Johnson Jr., running back Terrence Magee, safety Jabrill Peppers, safety Calvin Pryor, cornerback Jamar Taylor, receiver Kenny Britt, receiver Ricardo Louis, linebacker Chris Kirksey, linebacker Jamie Collins, and running back Isaiah Crowell. Crowell was not in uniform.

The five who stood alongside the circle were punter Britton Colquitt, cornerback Jason McCourty, quarterback DeShone Kizer, defensive tackle Trevon Coley and offensive tackle Shon Coleman.

The Browns issued a statement that read, "As an organization, we have a profound respect for our country's National Anthem, flag and the servicemen and servicewomen in the United States and abroad. We feel it's important for our team to join in this great tradition and special moment of recognition, at the same time we also respect the great liberties afforded by our country, including the freedom of personal expression."

None of the Giants players knelt during the national anthem.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s six-pack

— 92% of the bets placed have been placed on Conor McGregor for Saturday’s fight, but 79% of the money bet is on Floyd Mayweather.

— Indians 5, Boston 4— Andrew Miller/Carlos Santana left with injuries, but Cleveland now has a 6-game lead in AL Central.

— Jay Bruce is 16 for 44 (.364) since joining the Indians.

— 78 of Colorado’s 124 games this season have been started by rookie pitchers.

— The last preseason #1 team to win a college football national title? USC in 2004.

— San Francisco Giants have been eliminated from playoff contention already, the earliest any team has been eliminated since 1998.

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Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but…….

13) New Jersey Jets have had five head coaches since Bill Parcells left after the 1999 season; here are their records— their first season with the Jets, then the rest of the tenures after.

2000— Al Groh: 1st year: 9-7. Left after that season
2001-05— Herm Edwards: 1st year: 10-6. Rest of tenure: 29-35
2006-08— Eric Mangini: 1st year: 10-6. Rest of tenure: 13-19
2009-14— Rex Ryan: 1st year: 9-7. Rest of tenure: 37-43
2015-present— Todd Bowles: 1st year: 10-6. Since then: 5-11

Total: 1st year of tenure: 48-32. Other seasons: 84-108

I have no explanation for this, but these are the facts- they are not in dispute.

12) Jets’ QB Christian Hackenberg got hit so hard by a Detroit lineman the other night, I actually feared for his health when I saw a replay of the hit. That one had to hurt……a lot.

11) Showtime did an excellent reality series last year following Florida State football; they did one on Notre Dame the year before (I didn’t see that one). This year, they’re following the Navy Midshipmen, which should be interesting, seeing how ballplayers at military academies have to really be good time managers, given their workloads.

10) Part of the reason the Rams paid a King’s ransom for Jared Goff last spring was that they projected ahead to the Class of ’17 QB’s and they didn’t like what they saw. Something to think about if some of this year’s rookie QB’s get on the field early this season.

9) On April 17, the Orioles traded pitcher Parker Bridwell to the Angels for a player to be named later or cash. Bridwell is now 7-1, 2.88 in 11 starts for the contending Angels, with a WHIP of 1.17. If not for Aaron Judge, Bridwell might’ve been Rookie of the Year in the AL.

8) Scott Tolzien is the Indianapolis Colts’ likely starter in Week 1; he has suited up for 51 NFL games in his seven NFL seasons, played in only 9 games, starting three (0-2-1 W-L record). He’s thrown 128 NFL passes, with two TD’s, seven INT’s.

But he also went 21-5 as the starting QB at Wisconsin, so best not to underestimate him.

7) Cardale Jones is the 3rd-string QB for the Chargers; he was 7-15 for 61 yards against the Saints Sunday in a dismal 13-7 loss. Chargers’ only TD was scored by their defense.

Jones left Ohio State early- he started only 11 games for the Buckeyes. If I had to advise a young quarterback, I would advise him to play as much college football as humanly possible, for more than one reason:

— Experience makes you a better player; the more you practice, the better your skills become.
— Experience makes you more confident in your abilities; the more situations you see, the better you will handle the more advanced competition in the NFL.
— You’re older and more physically mature; NFL players are very large grown men.

6) Broncos-Raiders is a bitter rivalry and always has been, but this year’s games should get a boost in intensity. Bill Musgrave is Denver’s new QB coach this season, after the Raiders let him walk after two years of being Oakland’s offensive coordinator.

I’m sure there are no hard feelings.

5) Geniuses at ESPN showed Sonny Gray’s pitching line on the crawl on the bottom of the screen Sunday night; when it showed he had no strikeouts, they were kind enough to add (0 K’s, career low), as if we couldn’t figure out ourselves that zero would be his career low. Oy.

4) Steelers’ coach Mike Tomlin believes live tackling in practice is a necessity to properly prepare for the season; SI.com‘s Peter King wrote this weekend that of all the training camps he visited this summer, Pittsburgh/Seattle were by far the most physical.

Most teams are so paranoid about players getting hurt that live tackling is non-existent in most practices.

3) Anquan Boldin retires after 14 years in the NFL and 1,076 receptions; he started out as a QB at Florida State. When he played for the Cardinals, he broke his cheekbone while catching a TD pass and tried to talk his way into staying in the game. Tough guy. Great player.

2) I’m thinking that there will be chaos in some NFL front offices in 10 days or so, when 1,184 free agents hit the streets. Lousy teams will be working the phones, trying to improve their rosters wherever they can by picking up guys the better teams cut. Will be some guys starting for teams in Week 1 who haven’t been on that team for very long.

1) Lot of people are touting Tennessee Titans as a Cinderella team in the AFC, but one thing they better do if they’re going to make the playoffs— beat the Colts. Indianapolis is 15-1 in its last 16 games against Tennessee. That obviously needs to change if the Titans are really contenders.

[StarDust Bum]

NFL notebook: Siemian named Broncos starter over Lynch
August 21, 2017

Trevor Siemian has won the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback battle over 2016 first-rounder Paxton Lynch, coach Vance Joseph announced Monday.

"Trevor was more consistent on what we asked those guys to do," Joseph said. "Trevor is the guy."

Siemian came off the bench in Saturday night's 33-14 preseason victory against the San Francisco 49ers and completed 8 of 11 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. Lynch went 9 of 13 for just 39 yards. During the preseason, Siemian has completed 14 of 18 passes for 144 yards with one touchdown, zero interceptions and a 118.5 passer rating. Lynch is 15 of 22 for just 81 yards with a 74.2 passer rating.

Siemian threw for 3,401 yards with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, going 8-6 as a starter last season.

--The Broncos released Bernard Pierce and replaced him by claiming fellow running back Stanley Williams off waivers.

Pierce, a third-round draft pick of Baltimore in 2012, appeared in 45 games in three seasons with the Ravens. However, he had only six carries for Jacksonville in 2015 and spent last season on injured reserve with the New York Jets.

Williams was signed as a free agent by the Cincinnati Bengals in early May and waived on Sunday. He spent the past three seasons at the University of Kentucky, leading the team in rushing each year.

--Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL are close to a new five-year contract extension that would run through the 2024 season.

The news was first reported by the Sports Business Journal and confirmed by ESPN and NFL Network. The terms of Goodell's new deal, if reached, would be similar to his current contract which expires in 2019, according to the Sports Business Journal.

A committee chaired by Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank has had ongoing discussions about a new contract for Goodell since the league meetings in May, a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Even though a deal is likely to be completed, there are still issues to work out because talks have not progressed as expected, ESPN reported.

The 58-year-old Goodell succeeded Paul Tagliabue in September 2006. Goodell made nearly $32 million in fiscal year 2015, according to the league's tax filing from that year, and has made $212.5 million in his first 10 years as commissioner. The NFL is no longer required to file his salary as the league office has given up its non-profit status, thus salary figures are no longer available.

--Pittsburgh Steelers star running back Le'Veon Bell, who has yet to report to training camp or sign his $12.12 million franchise tender, is expected miss another preseason game as he continues his holdout.

Bell plans to stay away from Week 3 of the preseason, but a source told ESPN he could be back shortly after Saturday's game against the Indianapolis Colts.

The 25-year-old Bell can't be fined for his absence from the preseason because he doesn't have a contract. He isn't allowed to receive a long-term deal this season because the deadline for tagged players passed on July 17.

The Steelers can tag Bell for the second straight season in 2018 at $14.54 million or re-sign him. The franchise tag still has Bell as the league's highest-paid tailback in 2017.

--Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. has been formally charged on three misdemeanor crimes in Pinellas County, Fla., according to court records.

Fowler was arrested on July 19 and charged with simple battery, criminal mischief and petit theft. The 23-year-old was formally charged on Aug. 10, according to court records. His arraignment in Clearwater, Fla., is scheduled for Sept. 11 -- one day after the Jaguars' regular-season opener against the Houston Texans.

If convicted on all counts, Fowler could face up to a year in jail and is subject to league discipline.

Fowler struck a man and then stomped on his ************ glasses after a brief verbal confrontation, according to the police report. He got out of his car to confront the man after he made a comment about Fowler's driving, according to the report. Police said Fowler then "took the victim's grocery bag, with recently purchased liquor, and threw it in a lake." Police said the victim was not injured.

--New York Jets teammates Darron Lee and Leonard Williams will not face discipline from the NFL for an incident that occurred at a music festival in June.

"Following a review, we concluded there was insufficient evidence to support a finding that there was a violation of the personal conduct policy," league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement Monday.

Video appeared to show Lee getting into an argument with his girlfriend before he was restrained and forcibly removed by Williams, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound defensive lineman. No arrests were made in the incident, which occurred at Governors Ball Music Festival in New York on June 3.

Lee, who was the 20th overall pick in 2016, recorded 73 tackles in 13 games as a rookie linebacker last season. Williams was the sixth overall pick in the 2015 draft. The former Southern Cal standout totaled 68 tackles and seven sacks last season.

--Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh provided a welcome diversion from training camp for his team.

Harbaugh canceled practice to allow the players to participate in a trip that included a visit to the Pentagon and a stop at Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Also on the daily agenda for the team was a visit to the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy and lunch at Fort Myer.

--The Tennessee Titans activated second-year wide receiver Tajae Sharpe from the physically unable to perform list.

Sharpe, 22, had been rehabbing since suffering a foot injury in June and undergoing surgery. He passed a physical Monday morning and was cleared to begin practicing with the team.

Sharpe, a fifth-round pick, had 41 catches for 522 yards and two touchdowns during his rookie season in 2016, playing in all 16 games with 10 starts.

--The Detroit Lions signed free agent tight end Scott Orndoff to add depth at the position.

The Lions have been battling injuries at tight end with projected starter Eric Ebron, Khari Lee, Michael Roberts, Cole Wick and Tim Wright all missing practice time last week, according to the Detroit News.

Orndoff, 23, comes to the Lions after signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2017 out of the University of Pittsburgh. In four seasons (2013-16) at Pitt, Orndoff recorded 58 receptions for 897 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The Lions also waived/injured defensive tackle Bruce Gaston, who signed with the team in June. He played nine games for the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers in 2015, recording 12 totals tackles and one sack.

--New York Giants offensive lineman Michael Bowie turned himself in after a warrant was issued last week on a charge of domestic assault and battery in Oklahoma.

Bowie, a native of Tulsa, also was charged with two counts of malicious injury or destruction of property. The 25-year-old was booked at 11:23 a.m. and released at 12:07 p.m. after posting $17,000 bond, according to Tulsa County jail records.

Bowie did not travel with the team to play Monday night's game against the Cleveland Browns.

According to the Tulsa World, Bowie and his girlfriend had an argument over finances and it turned physical after the woman made a remark about Bowie's mother. Tulsa County assistant district attorney Kenneth Elmore told the newspaper that Bowie grabbed the woman by her neck and tossed her to the ground. He then broke two televisions and punched a hole in the wall.

--The Seattle Seahawks acquired offensive lineman Matt Tobin and a 2018 seventh-round draft pick from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2018 fifth-round selection, the teams announced.

The move comes two days after the Seahawks saw left tackle George Fant sustain a torn ACL in a preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings. Fant will miss the entire season as a result of the injury.

Tobin's flexibility at playing other positions along the line gives Seattle options, although he likely will provide depth behind Rees Odhiambo at left tackle.

The 27-year-old Tobin started 21 of the 42 games he played in with the Eagles after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa in 2013.

--Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Bryce Treggs announced on Twitter that he has been fined $25,000 by the NFL.

While Treggs did not disclose the reason for the financial punishment, it could stem from his high hit on Green Bay Packers defensive back Damarious Randall during the teams' preseason opener on Aug. 10.

"I made league minimum last year and I just got fined 25K. I'm starting a gofundme to pay it," tweeted the 23-year-old Treggs, who made $450,000 last season.

Treggs unleashed a shot to the head of Randall during a 3-yard run by LeGarrette Blount in the first quarter of their game. Randall, who sustained a concussion on the play, took to Twitter to convey that he thought Treggs' hit was dirty.