Keys to victory: 49ers defense has big adjustment to make vs. Seahawks

The 49ers defense badly needs a bounce back game, but Seattle won’t make it easy.

The 49ers defense got punched in the mouth for the first time all season in Week 9 against the Cardinals and rookie quarterback Kyler Murray. Now they face a similar style of quarterback in Russell Wilson when the Seahawks visit Levi’s Stadium on Monday night.

San Francisco has an adjustment to make against one of the NFL’s most explosive passing attacks. Here are three keys to stopping the Seahawks:

1. Keep Wilson hemmed in

There’s no area where Wilson really struggles, but the Seattle offense becomes especially dangerous when he escapes the pocket and gets to reset his feet and look down the field. If he does get outside, the 49ers have to make sure they stay in pursuit and keep him on the run to avoid finding a big shot down the field.

2. Find the run defense

Wilson’s productivity may not matter much if running back Chris Carson gets rolling. He’s a tough, hard-nosed runner who wears defenses out. The 49ers have to get to him before he gets going downhill. If they struggle again against the run, Seattle has enough weapons to beat them.

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3. Who’s the heartbeat?

Kwon Alexander was the emotional driver of the 49ers’ defense. They have to find a way to rekindle his intangibles now that he’s out for the season. If they come out flat defensively, they might be in for a long night. Starting fast and finding that emotional jolt missing with Alexander out is essential. It may not be one player who leads that charge, but they still need to find it.

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Mike Zimmer is the best in Vikings locker room speech

After the team’s win over the Cowboys, the Vikings coach put his comedian hat on.

The Vikings beat the Cowboys, 28-24 on Sunday night, earning a huge statement win over another playoff-caliber team.

The win was important for the Vikings, who moved to 8-3.

It was also special for Vikings coach Mike Zimmer who was with the Cowboys from 1994-2006.

Zimmer had his postgame locker room speech and as you’d expect from Zimmer, there were a few swear words. But he also dropped the ultimate dad joke, telling the team he would see them on Monday morning for practice.

Then, like a true comedian, he paused. He was just kidding!

Check out it. This team clearly respects Zimmer, and Zimmer clearly loves his players. Good stuff all around.

WATCH: This might be the best fake punt play ever

It was a direct-snap, reverse, pitch-back deep throw that went for 26 yards.

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The Arizona Cardinals lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday 30-27 but they had some highlight plays. One play in particular was a fake punt that extended a drive in the fourth quarter.

After the Bucs took at 23-20 lead, the Cardinals had a drive stall after three straight incompletions and lined up to punt.

They dialed up one of the most complex fake punt plays ever run.

Dennis Gardeck took the direct snap, ran left, pitch the ball on a reverse and the receiver tossed the ball back to punter Andy Lee, who threw the ball deep down the left sideline to Pharoh Cooper, who made the catch for a 26-yard gain and first down. Had the catch not been made, it still would not have mattered, as the Bucs were flagged for pass interference on the play.

It might be the trick play of the year. Watch it for the first time or again in the above video.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

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Mavericks-Celtics odds: Boston favored in two-possession game over Dallas

Previewing Monday’s Dallas Mavericks at Boston Celtics odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis and picks.

The Boston Celtics (7-1) host the Dallas Mavericks (6-3) Monday at TD Garden. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. We analyze the Mavericks-Celtics odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Mavericks at Celtics: Key injuries

Celtics

SF Gordon Hayward (hand) out
C Enes Kanter (knee) questionable

Mavericks at Celtics: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 9:15 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Celtics 108, Mavericks 102

Moneyline (ML)

The Celtics come into Monday 3-0 at home and winners of seven straight games overall. They return to TD Garden after sweeping a three-game road swing, finishing it off with a 135-115 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Texas. Boston outscores the opposition by a league-best 9.3 points per game (113.1-103.8).

The Mavs are a perfect 4-0 on the road to start the year. They beat the Memphis Grizzlies 138-122 on the road Saturday after being upset 106-102 by the New York Knicks the night before on home court. Mavericks SG Luka Doncic has led his team in scoring seven of nine games and each of the last five. Boston had four different leading scorers over its last four games.

Roll with the CELTICS (-167) as they go for eight in a row in their return home.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Boston to win outright returns a profit of $6.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Get better value on the Celtics with the spread. Backing BOSTON to cover the modest -3.5 points at -115 odds returns a profit of $8.70 should it win by at least four points.

The Celtics are 5-2 against the spread on the year and 2-1 at home. The Mavs are 4-0 ATS on the road but oddly just 4-5 overall. All but one of Boston’s seven wins have come by margins greater than four points.

Over/Under (O/U)

The Mavericks are 7-2 against the Over/Under and top the projected total by an average of 10.6 points per game. The Celtics are just 3-5 against the projections by they still top the number by an average of 0.2 points per game. Their 250 combined points with the Spurs Saturday were a season-high.

Take the UNDER 217.5 (-115). It’s a slightly contrarian play, but Boston and Dallas rank 17th and 19th, respectively, in pace. The Celtics average 102.56 possessions per game to the Mavs’ 101.93.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Esten’s NBA betting record: 28-22

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Stock up, stock down in Colts’ loss to Dolphins

Stock report following the Colts’ loss in Week 10.

The Indianapolis Colts (5-4) have to take a long look in the mirror following the embarrassing 16-12 loss they suffered at home against the Miami Dolphins (2-7) on Sunday.

Even though they were without a few starters, there is no excuse for losing to a team like the Dolphins—especially if the Colts are supposed to be considered a team bound for the playoffs.

Here’s a look at the stock report in the Week 10 loss:

Stock Up: LB Darius Leonard

The All-Pro linebacker hasn’t quite lived up to expectations this season and while he’s also dealt with some injuries, it was nice to see him return to his elite form. No one is doubting the impact Leonard has on a weekly basis, but this was truly his best game of the season.

The former second-round pick started off the game hot by punching out a fumble against Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki. He also added a sack, two tackles for loss, two passes defended and a crucial interception in the fourth quarter.

The Colts have a massive stretch of games coming up, and they will need Leonard to play like this for the second half.

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3 takeaways from Giants’ Week 10 loss to Jets

Here are three takeaways from the New York Giants’ Week 10 loss to the New York Jets, which dropped Big Blue to 2-8.

The New York Giants fell to the New York Jets, 34-27, on Sunday dropping their record to 2-8 on the season.

Here are three takeaways from the loss.

Although it is warranted, no one will be fired

Losing to the Jets a team that couldn’t get out of its own way for the first eight games gave fans a sinking feeling and left them wondering if this coaching staff is the right one for the team to move forward with. Head coach Pat Shurmur was asked about the state of the team.

“The state?” he’s asked. “We are disappointed we haven’t been able to win a game for six, right? That’s the way it works. We’re disappointed that we didn’t win this game. That’s where it’s at. The state of the team, that’s where we’re at.”

Losing to a lesser team leads to all type of questions, but the Giants, even though CEO John Mara was visibly angry over the loss, won’t be doing anything drastic — yet.

Shurmur said after the game that there will be no staff changes.

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Week 10 Ballers & Busters for Raiders vs Chargers

It was the final primetime NFL game ever at Oakland Coliseum. Befitting that it was between these two longtime AFC West rivals. Though it was a hard-fought game, it was far more sloppy than anyone would have liked.

Both teams hovered around 30 percent efficiency on third down. The Chargers were 3 for 10, and the Raiders were 4 for 12. It was also a flag fest out there with the Raiders being called for 12 penalties for 97 yards and the Chargers getting 8 flags for 70 yards.

The Chargers lost Russell Okung early in the game, so they were fielding two backup tackles. The Raiders took advantage to sack Philip Rivers five times and harass him enough to have him throwing up gift passes all day. He threw three interceptions, including the one that ended the game. But he could have easily thrown a couple more. And he fumbled the ball as well.

Then despite Melvin Gordon putting up 108 yards on the day, the Chargers decided Rivers should pass on every play on their final drive. Seven passes despite having over a minute and three timeouts to work with. It was just weird, and the Raiders just continued to get after him as he went 0 for 7 on the possession with the game-sealing interception.

It wasn’t the shootout like last week against the Lions. This time the defense had its day. Which, in its own way, was a breath of fresh air.

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Buccaneers-Saints early odds: New Orleans road favorite vs. Tampa Bay

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are home dogs when they host the New Orleans Saints in Week 11.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6) host the New Orleans Saints (7-2) in a NFL Week 11 matchup Sunday, Nov. 17th, at 1:00 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium. The game can be watched on FOX and NFL Redzone. The Saints, coming off their second loss of the year, enter as the solid favorite, according to odds from BetMGM.

The Saints (-250) are favored by 5.5 (-115) points against the spread (ATS) over the Bucs. New to sports betting? With a spread of -5.5, that means the Saints need to not only beat the Buccaneers, but they need to win by at least six points for an ATS wager on them to cash. That half-point is referred to as a hook.

Looking to place a bet on this game or others? Get some action in the game at BetMGM. Sign up and bet at BetMGM now!

Feeling a upset? A $10 wager on the Buccaneers (+185) would pay $18.50 in profit should they win outright. Meanwhile, a $10 wager on the Saints to win outright returns a profit of just $4.00.

The Over/Under on the Saints/Buccaneers game has been set at 51.5, which is one of the higher early lines of the week. Both sides of the O/U are -110 for this Week 11 NFL matchup.

Want to get some action on this game? Place a sports bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, access SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Studs and duds in Cardinals’ 30-27 loss to Bucs

Christian Kirk had a huge game. David Johnson struggled in his return.

The Arizona Cardinals had some solid performances from players on Sunday when they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-27. Some players did not perform as well.

Who were the studs and duds in the game?

Stud: WR Christian Kirk

Kirk was huge. He had six receptions for 138 yards and three touchdowns. It was the first time a player had three receiving touchdowns since Larry Fitzgerald did it in 2015. He had not had a touchdown all season. He doubled his career touchdown total. Based on his production in his seven games played so far this season, he is on pace for 75 catches and 867 yards. Not bad for a 13-game season.

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Why Dolphins’ hopes of drafting Tua Tagovailoa are alive and well

The Dolphins have high hopes of drafting a top quarterback this offseason – namely Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. Those hopes are alive and well.

The Miami Dolphins’ search for the heir to Dan Marino in South Florida has been a long and labored one. Miami has kissed a lot of frogs while searching for its prince — many of whom didn’t last more than just a handful of games as the starting quarterback. The closest Miami has come to replacing Marino over the last 20 years was Ryan Tannehill, a former top-10 draft selection who showed promise over his first three seasons before failing to further develop as a player — ultimately leading to the Dolphins’ decision to part ways with him this past offseason.

Tannehill is now in Tennessee, quarterbacking the Titans. And the Dolphins are once again looking for the answer. The popular pick for Miami’s next move is Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa, who has been widely considered the country’s top QB prospect and a shoo-in to be the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

But with the Dolphins now two games ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals in the win column, landing the No. 1 overall pick now seems like a pipe dream. And with it go the chances of drafting Tagovailoa — right?

Wrong.

Miami’s hopes of drafting Tagovailoa are still very much alive and well, thanks to two developments since the summer. Miami deserves credit for one, while the other is a gift from the football gods.

The Dolphins’ massive pooling of draft capital, specifically first-round picks, has put them in position to bend the draft order to their will — short of pulling Cincinnati off of holding the top pick. If Washington or either New York team ends up in the No. 2 hole, Miami can easily swing a deal. Is that ideal? No, of course not. But if this is the price to pay for positive momentum and player development, so be it. This isn’t a luxury the vast majority of NFL teams can afford in rebuilding years. But it is for the Dolphins because of the arsenal of picks they have at this disposal via their trades of Minkah Fitzpatrick and Laremy Tunsil.

The other development is the arrival of LSU’s Joe Burrow on the scene. Do not dismiss the possibility of the Cincinnati Bengals opting to target Burrow, given his status as a two-year starter, his growth over two years at LSU, his origins as an Ohio prep prospect and his eligibility to participate in the Reese’s Senior Bowl, which will provide him with a huge opportunity to make a strong impression on a Bengals coaching staff who will get first crack at coaching the game.

If Cincinnati drafts Burrow, Miami can make its move for Tagovailoa. And if Cincinnati drafts Tagovailoa, Miami should gladly make its move for Burrow.

The “gloom and doom” of Miami being out of position to fix the quarterback position over two wins is misplaced and, most importantly, inaccurate.

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