NFL Week One Preview
The pre-season was dominated by talk of safety but when the action started, it proved to be hot air. Or that’s the general consensus drawn from the Bronco’s 21 – 20 win over the Panthers last night at Mile High Stadium.
A rerun of Super Bowl 50, Cam Newton, the Carolina quarterback, suffered some crushing blows which went unpunished by the officials, until the fourth quarter. At least five helmet-to-helmet hits were recorded before the Broncos were penalized, which on the face of it is counter-intuitive to the NFL protocol on safety.
It won’t be any surprise to see the weekend’s referees quicker to punish transgressors, to ram home the message that player safety is paramount.
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
All eyes turn to the Monday night game where the Rams reignite the California derby with the 49ers for the first time in 21 years. St Louis is history; LA is the future. This will be the biggest game for sports betting in the opening week.
Both sides will be without their first choice quarterbacks. Colin Kaepernick and No 1 draft pick Jared Goff have been benched in favor of the improving Blaine Gabbert and Case Keenum. The 49ers decision was simple; Gabbert had the best game of his NFL career in this match-up last season, throwing 354 yards in the 19 – 16 win.
That and the confidence of the locker room has seen coach Chip Kelly push him into the firing line. Goff, on the other hand, has “made significant progress” but “he’s not ready” according to Rams coach Jeff Fisher. It’s a blow to the newly-relocated side as they travel up the East Coast.
Other battles will rage in the inferno. Joe Staley, the Rams left tackle, has not enjoyed his encounters with Rams defensive end Robert Quinn. The latter has 25 sacks in this fixture with Staley his main victim. But much of the Rams offense will rely on Todd Gurley, backed up by Haverstein and Robinson. Their ability to pierce the 49ers defense will be crucial for the outcome.
Not that the 49ers defense is any more solid; Williams has been joined by Dorsey and Armstead in the treatment room leaving rookie DeForest Buckner vulnerable. Much will depend on how well he steps up to the plate.
Home field advantage for this one though, with the 49ers winning by seven – odds for this game can be found at Bovada.
CHICAGO BEARS AT HOUSTON TEXANS
For those looking to bet, BetOnline have the latest odds for this game – check out our BetOnline review here.
Peyton Manning may have gone but this weekend, we see his legacy. Brock Osweiler left the Broncos as a free agent in March, signing a lucrative contract with the Texans having spent four years as Manning’s understudy. He’s picked up a thing or two along the way and is determined to use them against the Bears.
Not that Osweiler is a surprise package to Bears head coach John Fox. He was at the Broncos for two years and knows exactly what the quarterback is capable of. According to the Bears coach, Osweiler has everything: athletic, tall, quick, mentally strong.
Fox is a wily character. He’s done well with the Panthers and the Broncos with two Super Bowls under his belt; Chicago expects much better than last year’s 6 and 10 record.
Texans Coach Bill O’Brien has a strong defense which takes no prisoners. 2015 saw them set a Houston record with 45 sacks and the Bears offense, with key men Jeremy Langford at running back, and receiver Kevin White in for a long evening. Chances for the visitors will be few and far between; they have to be ready to take them.
That’s if the Texans offense hasn’t already run wild. 9 and 7 last season, they expect even better this time around with Lamar Miller joining from the Dolphins as a free agent. Alongside DeAndre Hopkins, he will lead the rookies Fuller and Braxton Miller into battle, taking the fight to a Bears defense which is plagued by inconsistency.
The first play will dictate how the Bears finish the evening. If it’s good, they may be close to Houston; if it’s bad, this could be carnage. Much depends on the trio of Eddie Goldman, Akiem Hicks and Jonathan Bullard, a Florida rookie. They will free the space for Lamarr Houston and Willie Young but preventing Osweiler is going to be a step too far for Chicago.
It’s the Texans all the way in this one, with a margin of at least ten.