CFL West: Burris powers through errors in win over Riders

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07/27/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While a home win by the Calgary Stampeders against the Saskatchewan Roughriders isn't completely surprising, that the win came by 20 points is not something many would have expected. Calgary put on a great second half show against what was the league's only undefeated team, and now sit first overall in the west. The Stamps were the only west team to win in week four, however, as Edmonton and BC joined Saskatchewan in the loss column.

CALGARY STAMPDERS

Calgary quarterback Henry Burris entered week four looking to prove himself against the league's best team, and the result was a division prepared to listen.

After giving up four interceptions in a three-point loss to Toronto last week, Burris overcame two first-half picks and tossed four touchdowns in a 40-20 win against the Roughriders.

It certainly wasn't a perfect game. Both of Burris's interceptions came in the Saskatchewan end zone, taking away two plays that should have resulted in points rather than turnovers.

The veteran QB made up for it with three TD passes in the second half, orchestrating a dynamic offensive attack that had the Riders defense gasping for air.

Receiver Romby Bryant was Burris's favorite target, hauling in two touchdown passes and accumulating 116 yards.

As long as Burris can control his sloppy play, as he did in the second half against Saskatchewan, the Stamps can challenge the Riders for first in the west.

Offensive key to next game: Calgary plays again at home, only this time against the unpredictable Winnipeg Blue Bombers. In week four, the Bombers pounced on Edmonton's mistakes and held the Albertan team in check. Winnipeg is looking to sweep the province, but as long as Burris can limit his interceptions, the Stampeders are in good enough shape.

Defensive key to the game: With all the turmoil at quarterback for the Bombers, one would think that holding the offense in check would be a piece of cake. On the contrary, as Steve Jyles performed admirably starting for the injured Buck Pierce, particularly in his ability to mix a solid running game with his passing. Though Jyles had a successful week four, Calgary can slow the momentum if it can halt Jyles from making first downs on the ground.

Look ahead: The Stampeders have an opportunity to surge ahead in the standings if they take advantage of a relatively soft schedule coming up. A home date at Winnipeg is followed by the troubled offense of the BC Lions and then a home game against rival Edmonton Eskimos. All three have losing records and are prime for Burris and the Stamps to add to their woes.

EDMONTON ESKIMOS

Nearly every team has shown at least some level of competency this season - all except for the Eskimos, who are now 0-4 for the first time since 1965.

Such a start points to a possible change in management, or even some roster moves; whatever it is, the Esks have to find out what to do fast as they are fading rather quickly.

Week four's game saw Edmonton try three different quarterbacks, though Jared Zabransky attempted just one pass. Starter Ricky Ray continues to struggle to find his game, tossing two interceptions to go along with two TD's.

On the defensive side of the ball the Eskimos haven't fared much better. While there have been a sample of individuals who have performed decently enough, there needs to be more of a team effort to get over the hump.

Offensive key to next game: Consistency is the ticket for Edmonton in their next game against BC, and a date with the Lions may be just what they need to put in four solid quarters. Given the uncertainty at QB, Arkee Whitlock may be the Eskimos' key man against a Lions team that has allowed some big numbers against the rush.

Defensive key to the game: The Lions offense was better last week, but not the best it could be. If Travis Lulay starts again for BC, Edmonton needs to exploit the newcomer. Lulay did have a decent game for the Lions, though he failed to toss a touchdown pass. Get to Lulay and the Eskimos can give their offense a chance to score some points.

Look ahead: After BC comes a challenge from the year's major story, the resurgence of the Toronto Argonauts. How good are they? Their record indicates they're a team to watch out for, but playing at home is a huge advantage for the Eskimos in this one. Perfect time to pick up that first win, as it appears unlikely they would get it visiting Calgary in Week 6.

BC LIONS

Travis Lulay led the Lions close to victory in Toronto, but a heartbreaking interception returned for a touchdown destroyed what could have been a decent, if not spectacular win for the BC squad.

Though he threw two picks, Lulay did fairly well moving the ball up the field. A bigger concern for the Lions is the play of newly-acquired Jamal Robertson.

Robertson had two touchdowns, but posted just 54 yards and a fumble in a match advertised as a head-to-head battle between Robertson and his replacement at running back, Cory Boyd. The rookie won round one, and if the Lions want to get their offense going, they need Robertson to step it up.

Offensive key to next game: What's the best way to cure a struggling offense? A matchup against the league's worst team, the Edmonton Eskimos. Edmonton allowed 47 points last week and looked lost defending the Bombers. The Esks had some major problems defending the ball on the ground, and so it's time for Robertson to be the player he's capable of being and attack that weakness.

Defensive key to the game: Edmonton will do its best not to go 0-5, and BC needs to be prepared for that desire to break the ice. Ricky Ray will desire to bounce back after having to sit back and watch his teammate, Jason Maas, take a few snaps at QB in an attempt to kick-start the offense.

Look ahead: The Lions' one win grants them a spot higher than Edmonton, but that's about it. Following their tilt against Edmonton the Lions face the top two teams in the west over the next two weeks. BC can climb their way up quickly if they can pick up some wins against their division rivals.

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS

The season was moving along so smoothly for Saskatchewan's Darian Durant, who appeared to have things well under control at the pivot.

Things did not look that way in week four, however, as Durant threw three interceptions and the defense followed suit by granting too much space downfield for Burris to look at.

Even kicker Luca Congi had trouble getting it going, hitting just one of his three field goal attempts in the game.

Special teams continue to be amongst the Riders' weakness this season as the Stampeders' Deon Murphy averaged over 31 yards per kick return - far too high a number and one that allowed Calgary to maintain better field position.

Offensive key to the next game: The Hamilton Tiger-Cats did a good job of preventing Anthony Calvillo from marching all the way down the field -the problem was Damon Duval hit a team-record seven field goals, points that add up. Riders kicker Luca Congi will need to be more accurate in order for Saskatchewan to get going offensively, while Durant will need to forget about his last performance and focus solely on leading his team over a struggling Hamilton side.

Defensive key to the game: The Ti-Cats were sloppy rushing with the ball against Montreal last week. Saskatchewan can use that if the defensive line bullies down low bother them the way Montreal did, forcing fumbles and turnovers.

Look ahead: After their game against Hamilton, the Riders travel to Montreal in a rematch of the thrilling season opener. The chances of another high-scoring game is highly unlikely as defenses have since tightened up, but if both teams rediscover their offense, perhaps fireworks are still in order.

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MySportsbook.com: NFL draft - The NFC South


In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South.  Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC.  The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game.  For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft.  Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.

1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign?  New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1.  Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT.  Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.

Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami

2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season.  With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round.  LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems.  If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.

Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU

3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season.  The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach.  The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub.  High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career.  With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson. 

Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season.  The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age.  It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot.  This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.

Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas

It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season.  On the clock: the NFC North

Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2    

Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1

Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1

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