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The Edmonton Eskimos survived a wild back and forth CFL shootout against the Calgary Stampeders before prevailing 38-35 to take over sole possession of first place in the CFL West. Ricky Ray hit Fred Stamps with a 23 yard touchdown pass with just nine seconds to play to earn the victory, erasing the lead that Calgary had earned with their own TD pass less than a half minute earlier. Edmonton improved to 4-3 with the win, while Calgary dropped to 3-4.

Winning QB Ricky Ray said that he enjoyed playing in the shootout:

“That was a ton of fun. In the CFL you get to play in a lot of games like this, especially against a guy like (Calgary quarterback Henry) Burris, who has done this to us. It’s great to come out on the winning end of a shoot-out like that. It’s a great uplift for the team. It’s a huge win for us.”

With a bye week on deck, Eskimos head coach Richie Hall said that the win couldn’t have come at a better time:

“Regardless of what happens, we are coming back in first place. Now we have one up on Calgary. It’s going to be a dogfight for all the teams in the West and any chance you get to win, especially a win like this, it’s a real bonus. It’s great for our confidence.”

Calgarys Burris remembered a very similar situation in a game last year where Edmonton won by the same margin on a last play touchdown:

“They got us last year in this situation and of course you didn’t think it was going to happen again or even could happen again. It felt so great to get that late touchdown and with 38 seconds on the clock nobody was even thinking about last year. We had to stop Jackson and we didn’t. And we had to stop Ray and we didn’t. Kudos to Edmonton.”

Both teams have a bye next week. Calgary returns to action on Aug. 28 in Toronto while the Eskimos will next play on Aug. 29 when they host Hamilton.

Ross Everett is a widely published widely published freelance sports writer and noted authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Northern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

The San Diego Chargers bounced back nicely from their Monday Night Football loss to Denver last week, opening a 20-0 halftime lead before coasting to a 37-7 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Chargers’ quarterback Phillip Rivers passed for 268 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. Running back Ladanian Tomlinson ran for a season high 71 yards as San Diego evened their record at 3-3. The hapless Chiefs dropped to 1-6.

The Chargers easily covered the NFL pointspread as -6 road favorites. It was only the second pointspread cover of the year for San Diego, who moved their ATS record to 2-4. Kansas City dropped to 2-5 against the spread. The 44 points pushed against the posted total. Kansas City now has a NFL totals record of 3-2-2 to the OVER, while the Chargers have gone OVER in four of their six games.

After the game, QB Rivers suggested that the loss to Denver was a turning point for his team:

“Last week, we felt like we made progress. We had the attitude we were looking for, focus, but we didn’t win. But we knew we got better.”

Tomlinson broke off one of his most impressive runs of the year on the Chargers first touchdown drive, a 31 yard pickup that he said lifted the team’s spirits and led to the easy victory:

“It kind of got us going. It was something we needed and it was a big play for us. It was a staple of our offense. It’s been around for years, old power. It was perfectly blocked and was just a great job of execution.”

The Chiefs continued to struggle on their home field, which at one point was considered one of the toughest venues in the league for visiting teams. Kansas City has now lost ten straight at Arrowhead Stadium, and 29 of their last 32 games. Chiefs’ nose tackle Ron Edwards lamented this home field struggle:

“We want to win for the home fans, for us, for everyone out there watching,” nose tackle Ron Edwards said. “It’s real painful.”

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Heading into last Sunday, there was a consensus that the New York Giants were the best team in the NFL with an undefeated record, a productive offense and the league’s top ranked defense. The New Orleans Saints made a compelling case to the contrary, however, as they dismantled the Giants to win 48-27 behind yet another MVP-like performance from quarterback Drew Brees. Brees threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions as New Orleans kept their record perfect on the season at 5-0. The Giants dropped to 5-1 with the defeat.

NFL betting enthusiasts who took New Orleans as -3 home favorites were confident that they’d be cashing a ticket by halftime as the Saints shot out to a 34-17 lead at the break. The Saints also remained perfect against the NFL pointspread at 5-0, while the Giants failed to cover for the first time this season and stand at 5-1 ATS. The 75 points scored sailed OVER the posted total of 47. New Orleans has gone OVER in 3 of 5 this year, while the Giants have an OVER biased NFL totals record of 4-1-1.

After the game, Brees explained his team’s strategy:

“We wanted to really dictate the tempo of the game the whole way through. Seven different guys scored touchdowns. That’s big. That’s the type of rhythm that, when you get in, you feel like you can call anything and it’s going to work.”

The Saints are off to their best start since’93 and have yet to trail in a game this season. Still, head coach Sean Payton wasn’t entertaining talk that his team had established themselves as the presumptive Superbowl favorite:

“I don’t think you can talk about big pictures after game 5.”

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The Montreal Alouettes withstood a tough challenge from the Saskatchewan Roughriders to win their 7th game of the season by a 34-25 margin. Montreal remained atop the CFL with a 7-1 record, while the Roughriders slipped to 4-4. Als rookie QB Chris Leak scored the winning points, flawlessly converting on a third down goal line situation that also happened to be the first play of his CFL career.

After the game, Leak recounted his high pressure introduction to CFL football:

“It’s a about trust – that’s the number one thing. I’m just happy for the opportunity to earn the trust of the coaches and my teammates.”

Saskatchewan has only won twice in their past eleven trips to Montreal, and will have to wait until next season to try and gain a measure of redemption.

The Roughriders held the edge in most of the statistical categories, but were undone by turnovers and a failure to cash in on drives deep into Als territory. Riders coach Ken Miller said in his postgame comments that there was plenty of responsibility to go around:

“It’s a team game and the fault doesn’t lie with any individual. Darian played probably his best. He turned the ball over three times, but he made plays with his feet and was a leader for us. I’m really proud of the way the men battled, but our team still needs to be tuned up some.”

On the positive side, the Roughriders sacked Alouettes QB Anthony Calvillo four times and moved the ball well on offense. Wide receiver Weston Dressler, who caught eight passes for 179 yards and after the game focused on the positives:

“We were in it until the end. I think we showed we can complete with the best team in the league and I think we just have to keep working at it. We’re really close to being a great football team.”

Montreal returns to action on Friday, September 4th as they travel to Vancouver to play the BC Lions. The two teams will rematch at Montreals Molson Stadium the following week. Saskatchewan will return to action on Sunday, September 6th as they host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

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While not a vintage performance by their lofty standards, the University of Southern California Trojans overcame a number of mistakes to make big plays when they counted to prevail in a come from behind victory over Ohio State. Stafon Johnson capped a late game drive by scoring the game winning touchdown with just over a minute remaining as the Trojans won by a final score of 18-15. It was the first time the Trojans held the lead since early in the first quarter. The USC victory moved their record on the college football season to 2-0, while the Buckeyes dropped to 1-1.

Ohio State did cash tickets for college football bettors, however, covering the spread as a +7 home underdog. USC won and covered last year, but the pointspread setback this year dropped the Trojans to a still impressive 13-5 ATS against the Big Ten conference since 1992. It was also only the second non-cover by a USC team in a non conference game in their last ten opportunities. The 33 combined points went UNDER the posted total of 45. Last years game also failed to exceed the total, and USC continued a strong UNDER tendency of late”the Trojans have now gone UNDER in 19 of their L27 lined games.

19 year old freshman Matt Barkley engineered the game winning touchdown drive. After the game, he spoke of the Trojan tradition of victory:

“We’re Trojans. That’s what we do. This is what we dreamed of, coming back like this. Doesn’t matter where we are in the score. We found a way. I love this.”

Tailback Joe McKnight sarcastically dismissed suggestions that Barkley was rattled by a tenacious and stifling Buckeye defense:

“He was scared, really. No, he came in with the same composure he had the whole game. He was calm. He made plays.”

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Duke University is far from being a national college football powerhouse, but they’re no longer a team you can take lightly either. #6 ranked Virginia Tech found that out on Saturday, and what they expected to be an easy afternoon became a tightly contested affair. In the end, Virginia Tech prevailed for a 34-26 road victory but not without some anxious moments.

Despite the straight up loss, Duke won where it counted as they rewarded sports players who bet on college football with the ATS victory as +17 home underdogs. Duke evened their mark at 2-2 in their lined games, while the Hokies dropped to 2-3 against the spread. The 60 combined points scored went well OVER the posted total of 48. Virginia Tech has gone OVER in 3 of 5 games this year, while Duke has gone OVER in all three of their games with posted totals.

The Hokies were saved by the career day posted by their quarterback, Tyrod Taylor. Taylor threw for 327 yards on 17 of 22 passing and two touchdown passes. After the game, Taylor modestly downplayed his own impact on the outcome of the game:

“I know we have a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball. It’s just my job to get the ball to them.”

Venerable Tech coach Frank Beamer saw his team defeat Duke for the ninth straight time, but noted:

“I don’t think that’s the old Duke football team.

Blue Devils coach David Cuttcliffe said his team is reaching the point where moral victories aren’t enough:

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After an erratic start to the 2009 NFL regular season, the New England Patriots have finally found some balance to their offense. Tom Brady had carried all of the weight in the Pats first two regular season games , but on Sunday he received some long overdue help from running back Fred Taylor who ran for 105 yards. As a result, the Patriots dominated the time of possession battle holding onto the ball for nearly 40 minutes en route to a 26-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

NFL betting enthusiasts who backed the Patriots as -4 home favorites cashed their tickets with the 16 point victory. It was New England’s first ATS triumph of the season, while Atlanta lost to the money for the first time in the 2009 campaign. The 36 combined points scored went UNDER the total of 45.

Rushing star Taylor talked about the importance of a balanced offense:

“You want to be balanced going into games, but some situations don’t allow for it. You want to establish that momentum and look over across the ball and see the frustration in the defensive guys’ eyes.”

New England was also very effective on defense, holding the Falcons Tony Gonzalez to one catch early in the fourth quarter. Afterwards, Gonzalez talked about the Patriots defensive scheme:

“They did the same thing they always do to me, ‘bracket coverage. If I get single coverage I am going to make them pay for it eventually.”

New England safety Brandon McGowan joked that the plan was to hold Gonzalez without any catches:

“The plan was for him to not have any catches and he had one so obviously the plan failed.”

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Now that the Detroit Lions have ended their losing streak, the St. Louis Rams are officially the worst team in the NFL. The Rams extended their losing streak–now the NFL’s longest–to 13 games on Sunday with a 36-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers on their home field at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. The Packers Aaron Rodgers threw for 269 and two touchdowns and rushed for a third as Green Bay pulled away in the second half. The victory snapped a five game road losing streak for Green Bay and improved their 2009 NFL regular season record to 2-1.

Green Bay easily covered as a 6 road favorite, in the process earning their second pointspread cover in three NFL regular season games this year. The Rams dropped to 1-2 against the spread. The 53 combined points scored went OVER the posted total of 42. It was the Rams first OVER in three games this season, while Green Bay went OVER for the second time. The Rams have only covered 12 of their last 36 lined games.

Rogers had been sacked a league high ten times in his first two games, but only went down twice in the victory over the Rams. Afterwards, he praised his offensive line for giving him the time he needed to complete passes downfield:

“They really gave me some time. I was able to move in the pocket.”

Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo blamed the loss on the lack of big plays generated by his defense:

“It’s the big plays on defense that kill you and the turnovers — we didn’t get any takeaways.”

Packers coach Mike McCarthy, meanwhile, praised the big play ability of his offense in earning the victory:

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Tom Brady returned to NFL action and looked good in limited playing time as the New England Patriots opened their preseason schedule with a 27-25 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Brady played into the second quarter, moving well and showing no lingering effects of his knee surgery. He completed 10 of 15 passes for 100 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

The Patriots also rewarded their NFL preseason financial backers by winning outright as a +2 road underdog. The combined 52 points scored shattered the posted total of 32 for an easy OVER–with the Pats and Eagles putting 27 points on the board in the first half, the total had almost been surpassed by the halftime break.

Bradys solid play was no doubt a heartening sight to Patriots fans, though the superstar QB had little to say after the game on the specifics on his performance:

“I need the work, we all need the work. You can’t duplicate this on the practice field.”

Instead, Brady focused on the less tangible aspects of being back under center:

“There’s no place I’d rather be. This is the place where I probably have the most fun and enjoy it the most. Preseason game doesn’t have quite the feel of a regular-season game, but to be out there on the field with my teammates and celebrate after a win, and the bus ride home … those are the things you probably enjoy the most.”

Tight end Chris Baker elaborated on Bradys comeback effort:

“I thought he was sharp. He went out there and moved us up and down the field and put some points on the board.

New England took a 21-6 lead into the locker room at halftime, but would have to hold on for the victory after Philadelphia responded with a 16 point third quarter. The third period onslaught allowed the Eagles to hold a significant edge in most offensive categories including total yardage and time of possession. They had a shot to win the game late, but David Akers missed a 43 yard field goal with just under a minute remaining.

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Brett Favre may get all of the headlines for the Minnesota Vikings, but NFL insiders are well aware that running back Adrian Peterson is the key to the teams offensive success. Peterson’s threat alone is enough to open up options for the passing game. Hes definitely more than a decoy, however–after winning the NFL rushing title last year hes already off to a great start with 272 yards and four touchdowns in only two games. His threat on the ground has been a large part for Favre’s solid play with his new team.

There’s been a good deal of concern this week in the Twin Cities media about Peterson’s health. Specifically, there are questions about the severity of a back injury suffered last weekend. Peterson has been limited in his practice activities all week as a precaution, though both he and QB Favre as listed as probable on the NFLs official injury report. Favre is dealing with a minor finger sprain.

The NFLs leading rusher tried to downplay the significance of his injury in comments to reporters:

“God willing, I will be out there playing. Not a big deal at all.”

He turned to deadpan humor when asked for details on the injury. Asked when the injury occurred, Peterson quipped:

“It happened, like, a week back. But that’s all behind me now.”

Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell didnt sound too concerned, but he wasnt cracking jokes either:

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