Finals - *** NFL Game Summary - Dallas at Washington ***
(Sunday, December 30th)
Final Score: Washington 27, Dallas 6
Landover, MD - Todd Collins completed 22-of-31 passes for 244
yards and Clinton Portis scored a pair of touchdowns, propelling the
Washington Redskins into the final NFC playoff spot with a 27-6 victory over
the Dallas Cowboys at FedEx Field.
Collins, who replaced injured starter Jason Campbell under center in the
season’s 13th week, connected with Santana Moss for a second-half touchdown
pass and Portis accumulated 104 yards on the ground as Washington (9-7)
closed out the regular season with its fourth consecutive win, and will head
to Seattle next Saturday to face the NFC West-champion Seahawks in a wild card
matchup at 4:30 p.m. (et).
“I got to tell you,” said Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs. “It’s been a great
performance for four weeks (by Collins). “I don’t know what his quarterback
rating was, but he’s been phenomenal…I think it’s a great story for me
personally to watch Todd, someone who’s waited for his chance for 10 years.”
In the process, the Redskins eliminated the Minnesota Vikings, who lost at
Denver anyway, 22-19. Minnesota entered play a week ago with a full one-game
lead for the final playoff berth, but lost two straight to close out the
season as Washington came on strong.
“I said to our players, you don’t want to hope on something, you want to earn
it,” Gibbs said of the playoff scenario.
Gibbs also saw poignancy in the 21-point margin of victory, particularly as
the Redskins clinched a playoff berth on the final day of a turbulent season
that included the death of Pro Bowl safety Sean Taylor, who wore number 21.
“I don’t know about you,” Gibbs said. “But when we were coming off the field
and realized we had won by 21, that was a special moment. And none of the
players thought that that was an accident.”
Moss finished the day with eight catches for 115 yards, and the Redskins
defense kept a stranglehold on the Dallas offense, limiting the Cowboys to a
franchise-record low one yard on the ground.
Tony Romo was 7-for-16 passing for 86 yards and an interception before being
lifted in the third quarter for Brad Johnson, who finished 7-for-11 for 79
yards.
Dallas (13-3) had little to play for, having already locked up the top seed in
the NFC and a first-round bye in the postseason. Still, the short-
handed Cowboys did little to generate momentum heading into the playoffs,
gaining just 147 yards of total offense and looking out of sync on both
sides of the ball en route to their second loss in the last three weeks.
The visitors were missing several players that are going to the Pro Bowl, as
Terrell Owens, Terence Newman and Andre Gurode, as well as defensive lineman
Jay Ratliff, all were held out for a variety of injury and precautionary
reasons.
Washington took a 7-0 lead on its second possession of the game. Collins hit
Chris Cooley for gains of 11 and 16 to move into Dallas territory, then dodged
a bullet when a Ken Hamlin interception was negated because of a pass
interference penalty on Alan Ball, setting the ‘Skins up with 1st-and-10 at
the Dallas 23. One play later, Portis busted off left tackle for a 23-yard
score with 6:28 remaining in the first.
Romo was intercepted by Shawn Springs on the ensuing Dallas opportunity, but
Washington squandered that chance when Portis fumbled the ball back to the
Cowboys at the Dallas 32.
Shaun Suisham capped a 13-play Redskins drive that spanned the late first and
early second quarters when he drilled a 46-yard field goal to make it a 10-0
game with 11:15 to go in the half.
Dallas wasted a four-minute march when Nick Folk shanked a 28-yard field goal
one play after Romo misfired for Jason Witten in the end zone. But Collins was
stripped by DeMarcus Ware for the second time on the ensuing Washington
series, positioning the Cowboys at the Redskins 18.
series, positioning the Cowboys at the Redskins 18.
Romo and the offense went three-and-out before Folk salvaged the scoring
chance by hitting from 37 yards to trim the lead to 10-3 with five minutes
left in the first half.
Collins engineered a 42-yard drive that began with Antwaan Randle El’s punt
return into Dallas territory and ended with Suisham’s 21-yard field goal,
making it a 13-3 game at the break.
Washington then used its first possession of the third quarter to march 63
yards in 12 plays, elapsing nearly seven minutes of clock en route to taking a
commanding 20-3 lead. Collins completed all four pass attempts on the drive
and Portis pounded it into the end zone from the one-yard line with 6:45 left
in the third.
Johnson assumed control of the Cowboys offense on the following possession but
had no better success moving the ball than Romo, going three-and-out on each
of his first two series.
Collins then provided the backbreaker when he hit Moss in-stride off a double
move down the right sideline for a 42-yard touchdown with just under 12
minutes remaining.
Folk hit a 30-yarder with under nine minutes to go to cap the scoring.
Game Notes
Washington head coach Joe Gibbs gained his 171st career victory, tying Paul
Brown for ninth place on the all-time NFL list…Dallas’ previous franchise-
low on the ground came in 1998 against New Orleans, when it was held to eight
yards rushing…Romo established a new franchise record for completions in a
season when he hooked up with Witten on the opening series of the third
quarter, breaking Danny White’s season-mark of 334, set in 1983…Portis’
first-quarter fumble was Washington’s first turnover in the last 11
quarters…The crowd of 90,910 was the most ever at FedEx Field.
-
Saturday, January 12
Green Bay Packers vs Seattle Seahowks, 4.30pm on Fox
Seattle ended the Washington Redskins remarkable run to the playoffs with a 35-14 victory last Saturday while the Green Bay Packers rested at home awaiting the winner. Despite the lopsided score, the Redskins had a 14-13 lead with just over 11 minutes remaining in the game, so the Seahawks got nothing in the way of a rest in that game.
The Divisional Playoff matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers looks to be an exciting match up with an abundance of interesting sub plots.
NFL playoffs media analysts will undoubtedly inundate the air waves with analysis of Seattle Head Coach Mike Holmgren and Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck returning to Wisconsin to take on Favre and the surprising Green Bay Packers. Currently line makers have the Packers as eight point favorites in this match up.
Wagering on the Packers has been nothing short of phenomenal this season. The Packers went an amazing 13-3 this season and were a tremendous 12-3-1 against the spread, with exceptional football betting value all season. The Packers have two distinct advantages in this NFL playoffs handicapping match up, which are sports betting handicapping advantages held by all of the favorites this week: they are playing at home and coming off of a bye week. Punters know that both of these factors can be hugely important and there is no question that Favre and his teammates have enjoyed the week off to rejuvenate their battered bodies. Most punters betting the NFL Playoffs figure Green Bay will likely win the game, even if they do not cover the spread, yet in order to do so Favre will have to avoid making costly turnovers, and throwing this INT’s, which is always possible from the future Hall of Famer.
The Seahawks proved their worth by outlasting the Redskins in a hard-fought match up last weekend. Seattle has been faded by many handicapprers and sports services at different parts of the season, yet with a 10-6-1 ATS record they have also provided a reasonable amount of betting value. One major concern with the Seahawks is their lack of a running game this season. Hasselbeck has carried the load quite well and is an extremely capable quarterback, but they will need a strong running attack to survive a cold day at Lambeau. However, one strength of the Seahawks is their defense, which is one of the best in the league and uncharacteristically good for a Holmgren team. It was the Seattle defense that took apart Todd Collins and the Redskins offense at the end of the game last weekend, and there is certainly a possibility that they will be able to do the same against the Packers.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs New England Patriots, 8pm on CBS
The Divisional Playoff matcup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New England Patriots looks to be one of the more entertaining games in a weekend of thrilling football betting action.
While it’s ture that most sports handicappers and betting analysts are not giving the Jaguars much chance to win the game and end the Patriots perfect season, the odds and eventual line moves may attract many online betting enthusiasts to the Jaguars corner. The current odds and betting lines have the Patriots as a huge 13 point favorite in this NFL playoffs betting match up.
Betting on the Patriots has been nothing short of spectacular this season. New England went 16-0 to have what was arguably the best regular season ever, and this success was coupled by a very respectable 10-6 ATS record. Basically, the general betting public simply feels as though the Patriots are far too good to stumble in their first playoff game, especially after enjoying a week of rest and when having home field advantage. Tom Brady is a favorite of many sports betting enthusiasts simply because he is so good at rising to the occasion and it goes without saying that coach Belichick will avoid the coaching blunders of which some online football betting fans have accused Pittsburgh in last weeks defeat. New Englands offense is one of the best ever in the NFL, so there is little doubt within the online betting community that the team will be able to put up a lot of points, even against a stout Jacksonville defense. The New England defense is also quite strong, but many punters feel as though the aged crew may be something of a liability, which at least offers a glimmer of hope for the underdog Jaguars.
Jacksonville has had a fairly remarkable season for its franchise by finishing 11-5 in the regular season and currently holds a respectable 11-6 record against the betting spreads. Many online punters like to bet on the Jaguars because they play physical, hard-nosed football. However, the teams typical blueprint for success this season fell apart in their game against the Steelers as David Garrard threw an uncharacteristic two interceptions that helped the Steelers climb out of an 18 point defecit. Sports betting veterans know that such mistakes are typical of teams with little playoff experience, so one major question will be whether the team has overcome its initial playoff jitters.
Sunday, January 13
San Diego Charges vs Indianapolis Colts, 1pm on CBS
This NFL Playoff Divisional matchup between the San Diego Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts looks to be most interesting.
One of the regular seasons most exciting NFL betting games, the Chargers won the regular season match up 23-21, most punters doubt the Chargers will be able to enjoy such an easy victory this second time around. The sports books current betting lines have the Colts as nine point NFL playoffs betting favorites in this match up.
Football betting on the Colts this season has been profitable, as the team enjoyed a 9-7 record against the football betting spreads. However, their 13-3 overall record indicates the squad has won numerous games without covering the football betting lines. Nevertheless, with a week of rest and home field advantage there is little question that many betting fans will be gambling on Indianapolis to dissect the Chargers and quickly squash the existing jubilation in San Diego.
While the Patriots have stolen the headlines this season, most NFL fans know that the Colts are the returning Super Bowl champions and little has occurred this season to indicate they will not be in the big show again year. Manning and the Colts offense has been as efficient as ever, even without the presence of Marvin Harrison, who has missed most of the season. Harrison will be returning for this NFL playoffs betting match up, however, many punters are unsure of just how much of a threat he will offer. Also, the Colts defense, led by hard-hitting Bob Sanders, has proven to be one of the toughest in the league. Indianapolis is sure to give the San Diego offense lots of problems, and may be just as effective as Tennessee was at shutting down LaDainian Tomlinson.
While few punters are giving the Chargers much credit in this NFL playoffs betting match up, they should not necessarily be overlooked. The Chargers are on a seven game win streak and just proved they can win by relying on Philip Rivers passing. It is also significant that Rivers played so well against the Titans despite the absence of Antonio Gates. However, punters realize how important Gates is, and it remains unclear whether or not he will be available for the NFL playoffs betting match up this weekend. Without Gates, there is no question that L.T. will need to have a much bigger game than the one he had against Tennessee. Also, the San Diego defense will have a much more difficult time stifling Peyton Manning and the Colts than they did with the Titans. In fact, sports betting fans know that the Colts are virtually guaranteed several touchdowns, so if San Diego is going to win this match up, or even cover the spread, then they have to light up the scoreboard.
New York Giants vs Dallas Cowboys, 4.30pm on Fox
The Divisional Playoff Game between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys offers an exciting NFC East football playoffs gambling rematch.
These teams have already met in two point spread match ups this season, with the Cowboys winning both of the games fairly easily. The Giants are on a roll right now, but current odds still have the Cowboys as 7 point football playoffs gambling favorites.
Gambling on the Cowboys has certainly offered its backers cash this season, as the team went 13-3 overall and 9-7 against the oddsmaker spreads. Tony Romo has delighted many punters by proving he is one of the top quarterbacks in the league and he has led a high octane offense that is comparable with the Cowboys offense in the days of Troy Aikmen, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin.
However, most putners also have reason to question the Cowboys right now. In the last quarter of the season the Cowboys looked very mediocre, and even though some of the games were meaningless, most putners argue that such a loss of momentum may be damaging in the Playoffs. Additionally, Terrell Owens is nursing an ankle injury sustained in an match up against the Panthers in Week 16. It remains unclear whether T.O. will even play in this game, and even if he does, many punters believe his impact may be limited.
And while the Giants are the clear underdog in this one, beause they have already lost to the Cowboys twice this season, there is no doubt that many sports bettors will be placing their bets on the Giants. New York has not lost a road game since Week 1 of the season, so they certainly have no fear about traveling to the “Big D” for this one. Also, while NFL punters often criticize Eli Mannings erratic play, he has been superb in his last two outings, so a similar performance this weekend may tip the scales in the favor of the Giants. And ofcourse, defense is HUGE in the NFL playoffs postseason, and the Giants defense, led by Michael Strahan, is one of the fiercest in the league and will be sure to get lots of pressure on Romo.
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