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Notebook: Chiefs, Gonzalez agree on 5-year contract extension

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Tony Gonzalez has agreed to a five-year contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs that keeps him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL.

The eight-time Pro Bowler, just two touchdown catches short of the league record for his position, will receive about $17 million in guaranteed money, a person close to the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the information.

Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson said the 30-year-old Gonzalez will remain the league's top-paid tight end.

"And I think he deserves to be," Peterson told the AP on Friday. "I personally think he's the best tight end in the NFL today, and has been for many years."

A 10-year veteran, Gonzalez enjoyed one of his best seasons while helping Kansas City to a 9-7 regular-season record and its first playoff appearance since 2003. Although hampered by a shoulder injury, he caught 73 passes for a team-high 900 yards, with five touchdowns. He also scored the Chiefs' only TD in a 23-8 loss to Indianapolis in the first round of the playoffs.

Ryan interviews with Raiders

Oakland Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan interviewed yesterday for the team's head coaching vacancy.

Ryan followed former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel and Southern California quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian to interview to replace the fired Art Shell. Ryan is the only defensive coach to interview so far.

The son of former Philadelphia and Arizona coach Buddy Ryan, Rob Ryan was the coordinator of the NFL's third-ranked defense. While the offense struggled all season, scoring only 12 touchdowns, Oakland's defense was one of the only bright spots in a 2-14 season.

The Raiders allowed the fewest yards passing in the NFL in Ryan's third season as coordinator and were able to stay close in many games even when the offense failed to move the ball.

Chargers interested in Oceanside

The San Diego Chargers might one day play in a stadium built on a public golf course nicknamed Goat Hill because of its steep terrain.

Team president Dean Spanos sent a letter yesterday to Mayor Jim Wood saying the team would like to discuss the possibility of building a stadium in Oceanside in northern San Diego County.

Wood and Spanos met Jan. 2, and the City Council voted unanimously last Saturday to notify the Chargers that it was interested in talking with the team about putting a stadium on Center City Golf Course just east of Interstate 5.

Seahawks WR Jackson now iffy

Darrell Jackson's on-and-off status now seems closer to "off."

The Seahawks' leading receiver unexpectedly missed practice again yesterday, just before the team boarded an afternoon flight to Chicago for Sunday's NFC divisional playoff game against the Bears. Coach Mike Holmgren said Jackson's availability will be a game-time decision.

Reports: T.O. has surgery on finger

Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens had surgery in Miami to repair a torn tendon in his right ring finger, two newspapers reported yesterday.

"The doctor is very optimistic," Owens told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "I am happy I had the surgery. I am happy with the news he gave me that I will return to 100 percent."

The Dallas Morning News also reported that Owens had surgery. The Cowboys wouldn't comment when contacted by The Associated Press yesterday.

Pollack upbeat about neck

Bengals linebacker David Pollack is encouraged by his recent surgery for a cracked bone in his neck, but hasn't decided whether he will try to resume his NFL career.

Pollack hurt himself while making a tackle on Cleveland's Reuben Droughns during the second game of the season, and was put in a protective halo brace that immobilized the neck. The bone didn't heal as well as hoped, so he had surgery Jan. 3.

"I'm encouraged by the prognosis from my recent operation," Pollack said yesterday in a statement released by the team.

Browns sign lineman to extension

Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Kelly Butler signed a two-year contract extension yesterday.

Butler, 6-foot-7 and 330 pounds, was claimed by the Browns on waivers from Detroit on Sept. 3. The former Purdue player started five games at right tackle, giving the Browns needed depth on a depleted offensive line.

Betting Trends

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NFL Divisional Playoffs Betting - Colts at Ravens NFL Props Bets

How important is this Saturday’s matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens? Take a look at the list of props available for this Divisional round matchup, and you’d think it was the Super Bowl.

There are over 50 proposition bets on the table for this highly anticipated playoff tilt between the league’s best offense (Indianapolis, led by the incomparable Peyton Manning) and the NFL’s best defense (Baltimore allowed just 12.6 points per game this season). Saturday’s other matchup, featuring the Philadelphia Eagles and the New Orleans Saints, has just three props on the board at the time of publication.

The usual rules for sharp handicapping apply to these props as they do to the Super Bowl. An offering such as “Which team will receive the opening kickoff?” is a coin flip for all intents and purposes, so paying –110 on either Baltimore or Indianapolis is not something you would want to do repeatedly. The “Will there be a safety in the game?” prop is also for entertainment purposes only. The YES side is priced at +800; the Ravens recorded one safety during the entire regular season, while the Colts had none. But would you feel comfortable taking the NO side at –3000?

Here are two props that might have value for sharp handicappers who are normally wary of anything more exotic than the pointspread.

Total INTs in the game
The over/under here is 1.5 interceptions, with the OVER priced at –140. The prevailing wisdom is that Manning will have to air it out to lead the Colts to victory (they’re 4-point underdogs on the road). He only threw nine picks during the regular season, but most of his INT-free games were against shoddy defenses, and he added three more picks last week against the Chiefs in an unusually poor performance. Baltimore’s Steve McNair has still been airing it out like he did in Tennessee – his 468 pass attempts in 2006 ranks 12th overall in the league, leading to 12 interceptions. If you’re taking the UNDER at even money, you’re asking quite a lot from these two already-premier pivots.

Which team will punt first?

The Colts are slim faves here at –125, with Baltimore priced at –115. Although the coin flip again has an “unfair” effect on the outcome, Baltimore was sixth in the NFL with 86 punts during the regular season, while Indy was dead last at just 47. Even the stout Ravens’ defense might not be enough to get Colts punter Hunter Smith out of witness protection and onto the field on Saturday.

Three Kings Betting
Unique to BetUS.com bettors, three top offensive players are chosen from each squad. Odds are posted for each group of three on whether or not they will ALL score a touchdown in the game or whether NONE of them will score at least one major in the game. For Indianapolis, there is Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Joseph Addai. For the Ravens, there is Todd Heap, Mark Clayton and Jamal Lewis.

On the Colts side, the odds of all three scoring is +450 and the odds of neither of the three crossing the line with the rock is +300. For the Ravens stars, not having scored nearly as much during the regular season as their young equestrian counterparts, the odds of none of the three scoring is just +120, while all three getting at least one touchdown during the game will pay you a huge +1400.

As good as NFL playoff games are, they just got much better!

Join BetUS.com today and start making the NFL playoffs even more interesting than you ever thought they could be with prop bets from the BetUS.com Sportsbook.

NFL Football Betting - McNair Over Manning

The co-MVPs of the 2003 season are going to lock horns this Saturday in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. You would think they’d be getting a little more ink, considering they’re two of the NFL’s biggest names playing the sport’s marquee position.

Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts have been the preseason Super Bowl favorites for years. But now that the Colts are in the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs? Not so much. Indianapolis is a 4-point underdog against Steve McNair and the Baltimore Ravens, who have lost at home just once all season, a 23-21 nailbiter in Week 6 against Carolina. That was the game where McNair was injured in the first quarter and replaced by Kyle Boller.

Although Boller has acquitted himself quite nicely this year in spot relief, there’s a reason why the Ravens signed McNair in the offseason – and we’re likely to see that reason come into sharp focus this Saturday afternoon. After a miserable 6-10 (7-9 against the spread) 2005 campaign, the Ravens have gone back to the blueprint that won them Super Bowl XXXV: defense, running, and calm leadership at the QB position. As they say, the proof is in the pudding. Baltimore finished the regular season at 13-3 SU and a mouth-watering 10-6 ATS, earning the all-important bye going into the Divisional round as a result.

The execution of this time-tested blueprint has been exceptional. On the defensive front, the Ravens drafted blue-chip tackle Haloti Ngata and traded for end Trevor Pryce to shore up the left side of the club’s imposing front seven. The emphasis on running was ramped up in October when coach Brian Billick bit the bullet and fired offensive coordinator (as well as good friend) Jim Fassel, thus resuming his previous role as the architect of the offense. But, bringing “Air McNair” on board has proven to be his masterstroke.

McNair’s ability to win the big game has come into question lately – although not nearly as much as the incredibly talented Manning. But football is still a team sport. Indianapolis has failed to support Manning with talented defenders; McNair, on the other hand, is a fine complement to Billick’s Super Bowl-proven system. True, the former Division I-AA star with Alcorn State is no longer MVP-quality, now that his arm strength and his quickness are limited after 12 years in the NFL. But McNair compensates with his considerable leadership skills, effectively becoming the same type of “management” quarterback that Billick struck gold with seven years ago.

Trent Dilfer continues to take his lumps as the so-called worst quarterback ever to win the Super Bowl, but it’s easy to forget that Dilfer made the Pro Bowl in 1998 with Tampa Bay before losing his job to Shaun King. The Buccaneers’ loss was Baltimore’s gain; King was a one-year wonder, while Dilfer proved the value of having a steady hand at the tiller, throwing just one interception in the Ravens’ four playoff games on the road to the championship. That performance earned Dilfer a regular paycheque as a mentor to promising young starters Matt Hasselbeck, Charlie Frye and Alex Smith.

McNair should be in good position to shred an Indianapolis defense that ranks among the worst in the NFL in both passing and rushing. Kansas City was expected to do the same thing last week, but the Chiefs offense proved to be too vanilla, and to the Colts’ credit, they did elevate their game when it counted. Baltimore will no doubt learn from Kansas City’s mistakes, especially with an extra week to rest up and watch film. Manning will likely have to carry the Colts on his back yet again; the total for this matchup has inched up to 42 points at the time of publication.

Kick-off from M&T Bank Stadium is 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on CBS. The weather forecast in Baltimore calls for a 40-percent chance of rain on Saturday with temperatures around 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

NFL Betting - Writing Contest Winner - Eagles at Saints

DREAM JOB SPORTS WRITING CONTEST MONTHLY WINNER

As the NFL reaches the Divisional Playoff round, and the number of teams still qualifying for Super Bowl XLI dwindles from twelve to eight, it is important to survey all the matchups and to try and decipher which of these great teams will advance to their Conference Championship game. While the majority of the national media is focusing on the “glamour” games in the AFC — thanks to a nationwide love-fest for Peyton Manning and LaDainian Tomlinson — the NFC will produce what could quite possibly be the best game of the week. That game, of course, will be held in the Louisiana Superdome on Saturday night, and will feature the suddenly white-hot Philadelphia Eagles and the surprising New Orleans Saints.

Conventional wisdom would indicate that the Saints, owners of a 10-6 regular season record and coming off a first round bye, would clearly have the upper hand in this contest. These folks would cite the 28-4 record of such teams over the past eight years as proof that the bye week makes a significant difference. However, further research shows that, of the four losses by favored teams in the Divisional Round, three have occurred in the last five years—including the Eagles’ 33-19 pasting of the Chicago Bears in 2002. It is too risky to pick the winner of this game solely off the fact that the Saints are coming off a bye and the Eagles are playing on only six days rest.

Where the rest factor does come in to play, however, is with regards to injuries. New Orleans wide receiver Joe Horn has missed significant time this season with a groin injury, but the week off has afforded him an opportunity to rest it and it appears as if he will play on Saturday. Conversely, the Eagles lost a pivotal member of their defense against the New York Giants last week as Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard suffered a dislocated elbow. The Saints’ passing offense appears to be getting stronger, while the Eagles’ pass defense is at a clear disadvantage. Taking Sheppard’s place on Saturday will be cornerback Roderick Hood, someone in whom defensive coordinator Jim Johnson has complete faith.

“He has some ability, and we have confidence in Rod and he has confidence in himself and that is a big plus,” said Johnson.

In addition to a strong passing game led by All-Pro quarterback Drew Brees and receivers Horn, Devery Henderson, Marques Colson and Terrance Copper, New Orleans possesses a strong two-headed running game, featuring Deuce McAllister and dynamic rookie Reggie Bush. The two have combined for 1,622 yards and sixteen touchdowns on the ground this year and figure to get plenty of carries against the Eagles, owners of the NFL’s 26th-ranked run defense. The Eagles have yielded 2,182 yards on the ground, although they surrendered only 97 yards on the ground in a 27-24 loss at New Orleans in Week Six.

That loss, which dropped the Eagles to 4-2 and moved the Saints to 5-1, is what most experts will look at when analyzing their upcoming second meeting. It is important to note, however, that the Eagles have found a different identity on offense this year after losing quarterback Donovan McNabb to a torn ACL in Week 11. The team has rallied around backup Jeff Garcia and a more balanced offense, led by running back Brian Westbrook. The Eagles finished their season on a five-game winning streak. In those games, the Eagles averaged 121 yards a game on the ground, including 204 in a 23-7 victory against the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas. The Eagles figure to run the ball quite a bit against a Saints defense who has struggled against the run all year. Their 23rd-ranked rush defense has given up 2063 yards, and their 4.9 yards-per-carry average is tied for 30th.

This meeting figures to be different than the first in a number of ways. Primarily, it is a playoff game. The Eagles have won five playoff games over the past five years; the Saints have won one playoff game in their 40-year history. These Saints, however, are not at all concerned with their franchise’s historical ineptitude. Brees, a veteran of one playoff game while with the San Diego Chargers, is looking at the game strictly in the here and now.

“It's a football game. Obviously it's a playoff game. You lose and you go home. You win, you move forward,” said Brees at his press conference.

Other major differences between Week 6 and this Saturday include several personnel changes within the Eagles. Since their prior meeting, strong safety Michael Lewis and outside linebacker Matt McCoy have been replaced by Sean Considine and rookie Omar Gaither respectively, and the Eagles figure to have their top wide receiver, Donte’ Stallworth, healthy. Stallworth missed the week six tussle with a hamstring problem. As for the Saints, Horn - who caught 2 touchdown passes against the Eagles - is the only starter who is questionable for this week. It looks as if the Saints are rested and ready to take on the high-flying Eagles in what should be a close and entertaining game.

As of Wednesday, BetUS.com has the Saints as a 5-point favorite. The majority of those points come from their home-field advantage, which should not be taken lightly. The fans at the Superdome, still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, will make it as hostile of an environment as the Eagles have played in. Look for the Saints to take an early lead but the resilient Eagles will battle back and are definitely a good bet to cover. It would not be surprising if the Eagles, 3-1 in the divisional playoffs under Andy Reid, win the game outright.

Jon Moss entered the Dream Job Sports Writing Contest for this week and was chosen by BetUS Judges as our monthly winner. Congratulations Jon!! Enjoy your $100 Free Play!

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NFL Playoffs Betting - Eagles Need a Cure

The Philadelphia Eagles have plenty of experience dealing with injuries. They’ll need it this Saturday.

The wear and tear of 17 NFL games is taking its toll on the Eagles. They have a number of players with assorted bumps and bruises who are listed as probable on the official injury report for their Divisional round matchup against the New Orleans Saints. These aren’t phantom injuries in the Bill Belichick style, either. The cornerback position has been hit especially hard; the only player to avoid injury this season has been the abnormally durable Sheldon Brown, who hasn’t missed a game in five years.

Philadelphia will need Brown to play at his highest level. Two-time Pro Bowl CB Lito Sheppard is officially out of Saturday’s game after dislocating his right elbow in last week’s 23-20 Wild Card win over the New York Giants. That injury will force the Eagles to lean on Will James (calf) and Michael Lewis (knee) in nickel situations, with the hope of stopping the New Orleans scoring machine.

The Saints have so many weapons on offense, they’ll be dangerous even if wide receiver Joe Horn (groin) is unable to play Saturday – which appeared to be the case at the time of publication. The four-time Pro Bowler has become almost an afterthought in the New Orleans offense with the arrivals of Marques Colston and Reggie Bush. The Saints finished the year with the top-ranked air attack in the NFL at over 281 yards per game; Horn was fourth on the club in receiving yards behind Colston, Bush and deep threat Devery Henderson. Six other New Orleans players have recorded double digits in receptions, as well.

On the other side of the ball, it’s important to make note of the likely absence of fullback Thomas Tapeh from the potent Eagles rushing attack. Tapeh isn’t one of the more highly regarded fullbacks out there, but he’s the only one Philly has, so Eagles observers were wincing when Tapeh sprained his knee at Wednesday’s practice session. Correll Buckhalter will act as Brian Westbrook’s fullback should Tapeh miss out; that will put a crimp in Philly’s desire to spread the running game around all its backs, including QB Jeff Garcia. Tapeh is also a mainstay on Philly’s special teams unit, a unit that ranked just 22nd overall in the league.

The Eagles are 5-point underdogs this Saturday at the Superdome. The action gets underway at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on FOX.