FOOTBALL NFL ARTICLES

The Arizona Cardinals didn’t go through a rebuild, but they will look a lot different than what we saw last season. The retirement of Bruce Arians and Carson Palmer reshaped the franchise and expectations have plummeted. But it’s not like the Cards were world beaters the past two years, failing to produce a winning record. In steps Steve Wilks as one of seven new head coaches this season, and Sam Bradford is the expected starter, though top pick Josh Rosen will push for playing time. The new-loo... 

Phase II of the New York Jets rebuild was complete when the team got its quarterback of the future in the recent draft. Many thought Sam Darnold would be the No. 1 overall pick back in April, but the Jets had their sights on the USC slinger and got him at third. Darnold is competing to be the Jets quarterback of the present and will get plenty of opportunities to show he’s the guy when the Jets take on the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 of the preseason.... 

The Oakland Raiders dipped into their past to guide them into the future. The most successful coach the team has had since they returned to the Bay Area in 1995, Jon Gruden is back on the sideline after a nine-year stint in the broadcast booth. During his four seasons from 1998 to 2001, the Raiders never had a losing record and twice won the AFC West. In the 16 years in between stints, the Raiders have two winning seasons and one division title. Some fear Gruden’s old-school coaching tactics won... 

Talk about irony, Saturday’s preseason opener between the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos is lathered in it. After taking the Vikes to the NFC Championship last season, Case Keenum was allowed to walk as the team looked to upgrade the position by signing Kirk Cousins. Keenum agreed to terms with Denver and will be facing his former team in his first game in a Broncos uniform. Keenum resurrected his career to become a starter for the first time and will be looked on by the Broncos to help th... 

Meaningless preseason games aren’t meaningless for players returning from injury. And the Houston Texans have several that can use some reps to get in game-shape. It was a season of what-ifs in 2017. What if Deshaun Watson didn’t get hurt? What if J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus were able to play a full season? And what if the Texans had a capable backup quarterback? We’ll never know the answers, but the Texans should be competitive in the AFC this season, as will the Kansas City Chiefs, who are breaking in a new quarterback. ... 

A classic rivalry from the 1990s may have some of its intrigue back now that both teams are actually considered playoff contenders. The San Francisco 49ers won only six games last season, but it was how the year ended that gives optimism to a beleaguered fan base. The Niners were gifted Jimmy Garoppolo halfway through last season, and once inserted as the starter, the former Tom Brady protégé led the team to five straight wins. For the first time in 15 years the Dallas Cowboys opened camp without Jason Witten and the tight end will be missed when the Boys travel to Santa Clara for Week 1 of the NFL preseason. ... 

The Indianapolis Colts are banking on the return of Andrew Luck to get them back to respectability. Frank Reich became a better coach when Luck was cleared to resume football activities after a lengthy absence due to a shoulder injury. Without Luck the Colts limped to a 4-12 record in 2017, costing Chuck Pagano his job. One of seven new coaches around the NFL this season, Reich brings a Super Bowl ring from his time with the Eagles, and he isn’t concerned that he was the team’s second choice. Reich’s debut takes place on Thursday against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 of the preseason. ... 

The Los Angeles Rams accomplished plenty last season, posting their first winning record, playoff appearance and division title in over a decade. Sean McVay earned coach of the year honors by leading a remarkable turnaround, taking a franchise that was last in scoring the year before he arrived and making them first in 2017. But the price of success is steep. Offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur left and Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald is holding out. Still, the Rams had a busy offseason... 

The more things change the more they stay the same. Like last season and the season before, the roster turnover for the New England Patriots is high. But just like those seasons, and a whole bunch before that, the Pats are the team to beat in the AFC because of one guy – Tom Brady. There’s a good chance Brady doesn’t play in the Week 1 preseason opener against the Washington Redskins, and with no Jimmy Garoppolo as the backup, expect veteran Brian Hoyer to get plenty of reps.... 

Winning nine games and ending an eight-year playoff drought wasn’t enough for the Tennessee Titans to hang onto Mike Mularkey. Instead, they went a different direction with Mike Vrabel becoming the team’s fifth coach since 2010. The Green Bay Packers saw their streak of eight straight postseason appearances snapped last season, but there is reason for optimism with Aaron Rodgers back. We probably won’t see the two-time MVP in Week 1 of the preseason, but the Pack is looking for bigger things onc... 

For the first time in their history the Philadelphia Eagles enter a season as defending Super Bowl champions. They won the title last season with a backup quarterback and return most of the key pieces that led them to a win over New England in February. The biggest piece is Carson Wentz, who wasn’t around for Philly’s playoff run after tearing up his knee toward the end of last regular season. Doug Pederson said the team will be cautious with their QB during the preseason and it’s unlikely he plays against the Pittsburgh Steelers when the teams go at it in Week 1 of the exhibition slate. ... 

With expectations soaring around the New Orleans Saints ahead of the 2018 campaign, Sean Payton has elected to embrace what the prognosticators are saying by adopting the slogan ‘Prove Them Right’. The excitement for the Jacksonville Jaguars remains a bit tempered heading into the new season. That seems odd for a team that advanced to the AFC Championship last season and came within nine minutes of playing for a Super Bowl title. The teams will square off in Week 1 of the preseason on Thursday in an interconference tussle. ... 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in a weird position heading into their preseason Week 1 opener. Jameis Winston is having an impressive training camp, but he won’t be available once the regular season begins since his three-game suspension kicks in. But he can and will participate up to that point. And it appears as though Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill will take the field for the first time since December of 2016. Both clubs have plenty to prove as they head into a pivotal season for the... 

Perhaps there is no more enticing NFL play prop available than picking which quarterback will throw for the most passing yards in the upcoming 2018 season. There are the big-name understandable favorites such as Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. And then there are the potential quality value picks such as Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan, Russell Wilson and Philip Rivers. Strong cases can be made for any of these top-flight signal callers. And even long shots such as Dak Prescott are enticing to consider. This shapes up as one of the most competitive seasons for quarterback passing yardage in recent memory. ... 

The upcoming NFL season will feature an outstanding lineup of choices for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. With top favorites JJ Watt, Joey Bosa, Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack there is a strong case that can be made for each player. Ultimately what may be the deciding factor in determining the winner are variable intangibles such as team performance and of course good old-fashioned luck at avoiding injuries. For example, Watt has been the victim of two injury plagued campaigns but many think he is poised for a return to dominance. ... 

Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants is a solid favorite to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award this season. Barkley is listed at odds of +125, while quarterbacks Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns and Josh Rosen of the Arizona Cardinals are the only other players listed at single-digit odds. Will one of the favorites win the award or will a longshot surprise and come through at big odds? Let’s take a look and make some predictions. ... 

Who do you think will win the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award this season? Odds are on the board at BookMaker, with Denver’s Bradley Chubb and Chicago’s Roquan Smith the top betting choices. Chubb is listed at odds of +401, while Smith is listed at +451. Will one of those two players win the award or is there another player who could be a smart play at bigger odds? Let’s take a look. ... 

Now that the Hall of Fame game is out of the way, we should get a better idea of Matt Nagy’s offense when the Chicago Bears visit the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 of the NFL preseason. Several players who figure to be keys in the Bears offensive renaissance didn’t take the field in Canton, including Mitchell Trubisky, Jordan Howard and newcomer Allen Robinson. They are expected to see some action on Thursday. While the Bears got a head start on the preseason, Nagy is still searching for his firs... 

The debut of New York Giants coach Pat Shurmur will be overshadowed by the players on the field. Namely the first and second overall picks from the most recent draft. Shurmur was hired to clean up the mess left by Ben McAdoo, and because of the worst season in Big Blue history they were able to land Saquon Barkley to help the anemic running game. For the second straight season the Cleveland Browns had the top pick and selected polarizing Baker Mayfield to be their quarterback of the future. We’l... 

Preseason games are typically used to decide position battles and get players live game reps. However, this contest will be a little different after Buffalo Bills receiver Kelvin Benjamin was critical of former teammate and Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. In a selfish rant, Benjamin said he would have been more successful had he been with a team that had a more accurate passer. It’s never a good idea to give a team locker room fodder, and Benjamin just woke up his opponent, turning a m... 

The NFL Preseason kicks off on Thursday night, as the Chicago Bears take on the Baltimore Ravens in the Hall of Fame Game on NBC. Neither team will be playing their starters long; if at all, so the game will be a battle of the backup... 

The 2018 regular season begins on Thursday, September 6, as the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons on NBC. The Eagles are one of the main contenders to win Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on February 3, 2019, but they do not begin the season as the favorite. Last year’s runner-up, the New England Patriots, are listed as the favorite at odds of +642, while the Eagles are the second choice at odds of +731. Let’s look at the lates... 

The NFL season hasn’t even started, but the oddsmakers can be a fickle bunch, and they are already projecting which coach will be the first to lose his job. Many coaches are safe, after coming off successful seasons or being newly hired by an organization. However, there are some that figure to head into the season on the hot seat and others who could suddenly be under fire if the beginning of the season doesn’t go well. ... 

The annual offseason shakeup has just about come to an end, as the NFL picture is coming into clearer focus as the 2018 season approaches. Despite all the activity, the odds at the top are similar to the end of last year.... 

When the NFL Draft gets underway on Thursday, April 26, fans will have a chance to wager on a number of propositional bets, from who the first overall pick will be to the number of Alabama Crimson Tide players that will be selected in the first round. That’s because the Draft has become as popular to bet on as any game during the season and BookMaker.eu is there to take care of your wagering needs.
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