Seattle still searching for running game solution
Football Betting Lines
08/31/2010 -
RENTON, Wash. (AP) - One week left in the preseason and Pete Carroll still doesn't have an answer for Seattle's stumbling run game.
Carroll doesn't need one back to emerge from his group of three competing for playing time. He just wants to see something more than a couple of yards at a time.
``I don't think we've had enough success running the football to allow the guys to distinguish themselves,'' Carroll said on Monday. ``They've all run hard and I've looked at all of their runs in groups to make sure I can see them and styles of runs to see if there's anything going there and right now all these guys are battling.''
The Seahawks' coach said all three of his running backs - Justin Forsett, Julius Jones and Leon Washington - will get playing time on Thursday night when Seattle closes out the preseason at Oakland.
So far, none of the three have shown enough in the preseason to claim the job outright. Carroll said the job won't revolve around just one back when the season starts, but he wants to see improvement from the paltry statistics posted so far.
In three games, the Seahawks are averaging 3.4 yards per carry. Only Washington is averaging more than 3 yards, but he has just 10 carries.
Forsett, the 5-foot-8 speedster, has received the most work of all three, getting 18 carries. Carroll said the dimension Forsett brings as a pass catcher, especially in third down situations, perhaps gives him a nudge ahead of the other two.
``He's a good player for us there and maybe he has a little bit more to offer there at this point from what we've seen. He has an edge on that aspect,'' Carroll said. ``But that doesn't mean he's the third down back and the other two guys are the first and second down guys. I don't see it that way.''
Last season, Forsett was Seattle's second-leading rusher with 545 yards. While the total wasn't very significant, it was his 5.2 yards per carry that grabbed attention.
Washington showed his speed in Seattle's second preseason game, bursting through the line for an 11-yard touchdown run that for the moment ended questions that lingered following his gruesome broken leg last year with the New York Jets.
Julius Jones, the Seahawks' leading rusher the past two seasons, might be the odd man out, based on opportunity so far. Jones has received just 12 carries this preseason and his longest run is 6 yards.
In Seattle's second preseason game against Green Bay, Jones didn't play until the second half. Against Minnesota on Saturday, Jones carried just twice, while Forsett and Washington both got a half-dozen attempts.
Even running back-fullback Quinton Ganther has gotten more carries than Jones.
``We're going to go with the guys who are giving us the most juice and making it happen and doing well,'' Carroll said. ``It gets frustrating sometimes for those guys, I've been through that before, but I don't really worry about that. I want them hungry to get out there and fighting for their snaps.''
Carroll said he's still hopeful injured left tackle Russell Okung will be back to help the run game for the season opener. Okung, the No. 6 pick in April's draft and the heir to Walter Jones at left tackle for the Seahawks, suffered a high right ankle sprain on the first play of Seattle's second preseason game.
Okung watched practice on Monday, but Carroll said it would be a ``pretty special recovery'' if he's ready to go against San Francisco on Sept. 12.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Cardinals activated reliever Jason Motte from the 15-day disabled list Monday. He had been on the list since August 4 due to an AC sprain of his right shoulder. Motte has excelled
<< Nats use homers to down Florida
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn both clubbed a
three-run homer, as the Washington Nationals outlasted the weather to beat
Florida, 9-3, in the opener of a three-game series at Sun Life Stadium.
Dunn added
<< Angels use long ball to down Seattle
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Peter Bourjos, Bobby Abreu and Hideki Matsui
all homered in the sixth inning and Ervin Santana was solid through 7 2/3
innings as Los Angeles downed Seattle, 5-3, to open a three-game divisional
set at
<< Rockies score two in ninth to stun Giants
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Gonzalez tripled home the tying
run in the top of the ninth inning and scored the go-ahead run on a throwing
error, as the Colorado Rockies rallied past San Francisco, 2-1, in the opener
of a th
<< Kuroda flirts with no-hitter in gem vs. Phillies
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hiroki Kuroda carried a no-hitter into the
eighth inning to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-0 win over the
Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a three-game set.
Kuroda (10-11) had the no
HOUSTON (AP) - Houston running back Arian Foster wants to get one of his offensive linemen into the Pro Bowl. He certainly wouldn't turn down an invitation for himself.Foster has emerged as Houston's top running back at training camp. That's a hopef
Nine carries in preseason plenty for Jackson >>
ST. LOUIS (AP) - St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson says nine carries in the preseason is enough to get ready for the season.The Pro Bowler said he didn't want to play Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens. Then came the long, rumbling
ECU's McNeill embraces challenge of 1st game week >>
GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) -The smoke will billow near East Carolina's locker room, the pyrotechnics will sparkle and they'll blast Jimi Hendrix's ``Purple Haze'' over the speakers.Then, for the first time, Ruffin McNeill will lead the Pirates onto the f
Ho hum. It's business as usual for No. 1 Tide >>
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -Nick Saban didn't so much as raise his voice. The trademark scowl never made even a cameo appearance.Sure seems as if No. 1 Alabama's top ranking and elephant-sized expectations are becoming the status quo around here, judging
2010 World Basketball Championship update - August 31st >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
Halftime - Group C: Russia 34, Ivory Coast 30 (Ankara)
Halftime - Group D; New Zealand 51, Lebanon 32 (Izmir)
Group C: Puerto Rico vs. China, 11:30 a.m. (Ankara)
Group D: France vs. Canada, 11:30 a.m. (Izmir)
Gro
Sportsbook betting odds favor Europe in Ryder Cup
September 19, – Despite holding a decided edge in the all-time series, with 24 wins, 2 ties and 10 losses, Team USA is the underdog again heading into the Ryder Cup in Kidare, Ireland this weekend, according to MySportsbook.com. The Europeans have captured four of the past five editions, including their largest victory ever, an 18 ½ to 9 ½ thumping in Michigan in 2004. Current Ryder Cup betting odds favor the Europeans to continue their winning ways; they are a 4-5 bet to take the title, compared to 6-5 for the Americans.
Despite being knocked out in the first round of World Match play by Shaun Micheel, Tiger Woods is predicted to lead the US charge and be their highest point scorer for the week, with odds listed at 9-4 that he outpoints all other American players, including Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco to name a few. Team USA has four relatively unknown players on the roster but all four are 2007 tournament winners and have posted some of season’s best performances, each earning over $1.5 million on the PGA TOUR. They include Zach Johnson, Vaughan Taylor, JJ Henry and Brett Wetterich.
The experienced European squad includes the likes of Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Jose Maria Olazabal and Darren Clarke, who’s emotions will be tested after the passing of his wife to a battle with cancer. Donald and Garcia are in particularly good form and each is a 5-1 bet to lead the European squad in the points race. Donald has proven he can go head to head with Woods at a major event after a run for the $1.2 million purse at the PGA Championship. Garcia’s Ryder Cup credentials prove he’s ready for battle too.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your golf sportsbook needs.
Ryder Cup Odds| Europe Tie USA |
4-5 10-1 6-5 |
Ryder Cup Top US point scorer
| Tiger Woods Jim Furyk Phil Mickelson Chris DiMarco David Toms Stewart Cink Chad Campbell Scott Verplank Zach Johnson Vaughan Taylor JJ Henry Brett Wetterich |
9-4 4-1 5-1 7-1 8-1 12-1 15-1 15-1 25-1 30-1 30-1 50-1 |
Ryder Cup Top European scorer
| Sergio Garcia Luke Donald Padraig Harrington Colin Montgomerie Darren Clarke David Howell Lee Westwood Paul Casey Henrik Stenson Jose Maria Olazabal Paul McGinley Robert Karlsson |
5-1 5-1 6-1 13-2 8-1 9-1 9-1 11-1 12-1 12-1 20-1 25-1 |
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com