Tag: Colts

Colts’ player of the game vs. Saints: LB Darius Leonard

Darius Leonard is the player of the game.

In the most frustrating game in recent Colts history, Indianapolis fell to the New Orleans Saints, 34-7. Where no player really stood out, Darius Leonard is the player of the game as his leadership on defense and ability to always be near the tackle is unmatched.

Leonard finished the game with 12 total tackles, which led the team for the Monday night debacle in the “Big Easy.” Although the defense did not play well in coverage all night, Leonard did well against tight ends Jared Cook and Josh Hill.

Leonard is getting better at the little things as an inside linebacker. His coverage is improving drastically from last season and he has stopped over-pursuing tackles as well. The overall talent in this young linebacker is really impressive and his future is beyond bright.

The Colts host the Carolina Panthers for the home finale of 2019 next Sunday, Leonard will need to have another amazing game to keep Christian McCaffrey and the other talented Panthers in check.

The Colts playoff chances may be lost, but you can be sure Leonard will be out there giving it his all week after week.

Indianapolis Colts at New Orleans Saints odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Monday’s Colts at Saints Week 15 NFL matchup, with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets

The Indianapolis Colts (6-7) will try to snap their three-game losing streak on Monday night against the New Orleans Saints (10-3), who are coming off a loss to the 49ers in Week 14.

These two cross-conference foes will square off at 8:15 p.m. ET from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

Colts at Saints: Week 15 preview, betting trends and notes

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  • The Colts have lost five of their last six games this season, going 2-3-1 against the spread in that span.
  • The Saints are 9-2 straight up and 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games. Their only SU losses this season were to the Rams, Falcons and 49ers.
  • New Orleans is 15-5 SU in its last 20 games at home (including playoffs).
  • The Saints are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games against the Colts
  • In the last five games between these teams in New Orleans, the total has gone over four times.
  • The Colts are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 games against teams above .500.
  • The Saints are 4-1 ATS against teams with a losing record.

Colts at Saints: Key injuries

Colts WR T.Y. Hilton has a calf injury and is questionable to play on Monday night.

Saints DT Sheldon Rankins (ankle) and DE Marcus Davenport (foot) were both placed on injured reserve this week. TE Jared Cook suffered a concussion against the 49ers and will be monitored.

Colts at Saints: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 12:40 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Saints 31, Colts 20

Moneyline (?)

It’s hard to fathom a way in which the Saints lose this game, especially being at home and coming off a 48-46 loss to the 49ers. The Colts are really struggling right now and shouldn’t pose much of a threat to the Saints.

Bet the SAINTS (-455) to win outright on Monday night and defend their home turf.

New to sports betting? A successful $10 wager on the Saints to win would return a profit of $2.20.

Against the Spread (?)

The Saints come into this one as 9.5-point home favorites over the Colts. Three of the Saints’ last five wins have come by at least 11 points, so they’re plenty capable of winning handily.

Take the SAINTS -9.5 (-106) to cover the spread and beat the Colts by at least 10 points.

Over/Under (?)

The over/under of 45.5 points is certainly a reachable number, considering the Saints have scored at least 26 points in each of their last four games, and just put up 46 on the 49ers’ top defense.

Take the OVER (-125) because this game has a good chance of topping 50 total points.

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Follow @camdasilva 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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Who is Taysom Hill and why is he so important?

Who is Taysom Hill?

In youth football, for those who had the pleasure of playing the game, it was not really about offensive schemes or play calling. At least at the earliest levels it was all about who had the most athletic player that could do it all; running around, reversing, field, and basically just out-performing all other 21 kids out there.

This type of do it all player disappears as a young athlete progresses through the levels of football. Granted you might be a star receiver who also returns kicks in college, but we see less and less big time players play multiple positions. The Saints however found a diamond in the rough who does just about everything, a rarity in today’s game.

Meet Taysom Hill. The quarterback, running back, receiver, kick returner, punt returner, special teams specialist, and tight end. At 6’2″ and 220 pounds, Hill is highly athletic with the ability to beat anyone in open space and can be a matchup problem wherever he lines up.

Hill was the starting quarterback at BYU and went undrafted in 2017. He was claimed by the Packers and spent the preseason in Green Bay before being waived and picked up by the Saints shortly after. After starting out on special teams, Sean Payton knew they had a unique playmaker on their roster.

The Saints love to get creative with Hill as well. They line him up at quarterback in the wildcat formation, which keeps defenses on their toes because of his strong arm and quickness. He has one rushing touchdown in 2019.  He also tends to line up at wide receiver and has four receiving touchdowns on the year as well.

The Colts will have to be conscientious of wherever Hill lines up on the field Monday night. Many defenses do not account for his versatile skill set and can get burned, especially in the red zone. The Saints creative play designs make it easy for Hill to be wide open.

Matt Eberflus needs to always have someone spying on or covering this dynamic playmaker all game if the Colts want to have any success against this multi-faceted and talented offense. His fitting nickname with New Orleans media is “the human Swiss Army knife.”

A stat correction from Week 14 is great news for Shaq Barrett

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaq Barrett was awarded a full sack from Week 14’s win over the Colts, bringing his season total to 15.5.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaq Barrett has been a defensive monster all season long.

Heading into last Sunday’s Week 14 game against the Indianapolis Colts, Barrett had a league-leading 14.5 sacks, and was credited with half a sack in the Bucs’ 38-35 win over Indy to put his season (and league-leading) total  at 15.0.

That meant Barrett was closing in on Warren Sapp’s franchise record of 16.5 sacks set back in 2000. Well, turns out Barrett got closer to Sapp’s record on Sunday than originally thought.

Take a look.

The good news for Barrett is that the final two quarterbacks he’ll face this season — Deshaun Watson (HOU) and Matt Ryan (ATL) — currently rank 6th and 5th in sacks taken.

The Bucs could see a new single-season sack record by the end of the year and also see their quarterback throw for over 5,000 yards. What a first year for Bruce Arians in Tampa.

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Which Saints must the Colts game plan for in Week 15?

These Saints must be in the gameplan in Week 15.

The Indianapolis Colts, currently sitting at 6-7, travel to “The Big Easy” to take on the 10-3 Saints on Monday Night Football. New Orleans is coming off a tough loss in what was perhaps the game of the year last week against San Francisco where they lost in the final minute of the game 48-46.

Colts fans have a special type of resentment towards the Saints. The obvious reasoning behind it would be the Super Bowl in 2010 where the Saints beat the Colts 31-17. The game was filled with high-powered passing offenses, an onside kick to start the second half, and the haunting Tracy Porter pick-six that sealed the win for New Orleans.

The Saints have already clinched the NFC South while the Colts are fighting for their lives in the AFC playoff race. If the Colts want to avenge that brutal Super Bowl loss and have a last-ditch effort to save their season, here are seven Saints the Colts must gameplan for in Week 15 in order to pull off the upset:

QB Drew Brees

Another piece of distain comes from Drew Brees breaking Peyton Manning’s regular season records for passing yards and passes completed. Monday night Brees has a chance to break yet another record held by Manning. Currently, Peyton sits at 539 passing touchdowns while Brees is closely behind him with 537.

You have to respect Brees and what he has been able to accomplish throughout his career. This season he missed five games with a broken thumb but has come back strong with 1,072 passing yards and 12 touchdowns over the last four games.

Getting after Brees and forcing him to move out of the pocket will be huge for the Colts pass rush led by Justin Houston. If Brees has all day to throw, it will be a long game for the Colts defense.

LB Demario Davis

Davis has revitalized his career after coming to New Orleans last season. He leads the team in tackles in 2019 with 95 total on the year. Contributing to his impressive stat sheet are also three sacks, 9.5 tackles for a loss, and an interception.

Davis is a talented linebacker with great pass rushing and run stopping abilities. The Saints love to send a combination of players on blitzes so it will be crucial for the Colts offensive line to pick up Davis and others coming off the edge and up the middle.

RB Alvin Kamara

Kamara’s season has seen limited production due to injury, but he is not to be underestimated. The third-year running back out of Tennessee took the league by storm his rookie year in 2017 and has been adjusting to team’s gameplans for him. He currently has 612 yards and one touchdown on the ground so far this season.

Where Kamara gets dangerous is in the pass game. He is a very talented receiver and has a great connection with Drew Brees. He has 68 receptions for 462 yards and a touchdown through the air as well. Stopping this dual-threat target will be huge in slowing down this Saints offense.

CB Marshon Lattimore

Another player who took the league by storm in his 2017 rookie campaign was Lattimore. He and Kamara took home the Defensive and Offensive Rookie of the Year awards that year respectively. Lattimore is considered one of the best shutdown corners in the league.

He has only one interception on the season but when teams purposefully do not throw to your side, that is expected. If T.Y. Hilton is still not healthy enough to go Monday night, look for Lattimore to be on Zach Pascal down the field. He is not impossible to beat, but Jacoby Brissett has to be careful when throwing to the talented corner.

WR Michael Thomas

His Twitter handle “@Cantguardmike” says it all. Thomas is one of the best, if not the best receiver in the game currently. His size and speed makes him a matchup problem for just about anyone in the league and his impressive season has landed him in the MVP conversation.

So far on the year, Thomas has 121 catches for 1,424 yards, both of which lead the league for all receivers. He has also found the endzone eight times this year and he and Drew Brees have been clicking as of late.

Pierre Desir will likely be on Thomas but he will need some help over the top, possibly from Malik Hooker or Khari Willis. Stopping Thomas from catching everything thrown to him should help slow own this aggressive Saints pass game.

DE Cameron Jordan

The Colts have faced some good pass rushers this season (Von Miller, T.J. Watt, Yannick Ngakoue) but Jordan is by far the biggest challenge they will face up front in 2019. With 46 total tackles, one fumble recovery, and 13.5 sacks, Jordan is an absolute monster off the edge.

He typically lines up on the right side which will be a matchup problem for Braden Smith and Mark Glowinski on that side of the line. Look for the Colts to either run to the side Jordan is not on or pull Quenton Nelson to that side to try and move the ball on the ground.

Safety Marcus Williams

Williams is a very talented safety but makes mistakes in big moments. Last week against San Francisco he grabbed a hold of George Kittle’s face mask and gave the 49ers 15 extra yards which put them into easy field goal range to win the game. You may also remember Williams botched the coverage that led to the Stefon Diggs “Minnesota Miracle.”

With four interceptions on the year and 53 total tackles, Williams is having a great year. This Saints secondary has really stepped up this season and can cover just about anyone down the field. Williams is very skilled, but attacking him and getting him frustrated will be vital for the Colts passing game that is limited already due to receiver injuries.

Colts’ player of the game vs. Bucs: LB Darius Leonard

Darius Leonard had another huge game.

After a tough loss on the road in Tampa Bay, the Indianapolis Colts playoff hopes become increasingly more difficult. Linebacker Darius Leonard gave it his all and had another career day as the Colts fell 38-35.

Leonard finished the day with nine total tackles and two interceptions. His first pick happened on the first drive of the day as Leonard read Jameis Winston like a book and jumped up for a ball over the middle.

That interception helped set up the Colts’ 46-yard touchdown on their first offensive drive.

The second interception happened in the second quarter and this time Leonard took it all the way to the house for an 80-yard return. The touchdown was the first of his already impressive career.

The Colts needed No. 53 today to keep them in the game but sadly fell apart again in the fourth quarter. Leonard continues to be the leader of this defense while getting better game after game.

He will need to keep playing like a Maniac if the Colts want to have any more success this season.

They travel to New Orleans for a Monday night showdown with the Saints next week. Leonard will have to give it all he’s got again if they want to pull off the upset.

Buccaneers beat Colts, but still eliminated from the playoffs

Despite a big comeback win against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 14, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were eliminated from playoff contention.

In what became a shootout in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers were able to comeback from a 35-21 deficit in the third quarter and secure a 38-35 win behind Jameis Winston’s 456 yards, 5 touchdown (4 passing, 1 rushing) and yes, 3 interceptions.

Despite getting the win, to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Bucs needed the Detroit Lions to beat the Minnesota Vikings today, which, unfortunately, didn’t happen.

It’s tough to be eliminated from the playoffs, let alone following a win. This late in the season if you’re not a division leader, that’s the name of the game. Don’t expect the Bucs to let off the gas though, with the second youngest roster in the league, this is very much needed experience for the team going forward. The playoffs may be out of the picture for this season, but there is a lot to build on towards next season.

With the Colts scoring 35 points, it would appear that the Bucs defense was gashed, which really wasn’t the case. Jacoby Brissett was held to 256 passing yards and two touchdowns, while the defense only allowed the Colts to generate 66 yards on the ground.

The Bucs will travel to Detroit next week to take on the Lions in an effort to earn their fourth-straight win and hopefully finish this 2019 on a high note.

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Watch: Quenton Nelson vs. A Punter

I can’t personally think of more than a couple people in the NFL who’d be a worse matchup in a fight for a punter than one Quenton Nelson.

I admit, that headline makes me think to a certain degree that Quenton Nelson for some reason laid one of his highlight blocks on a punter Sunday, as the Colts were getting ready to take on the Buccaneers in Tampa.

Before the matchup began however it was Bucs punter Bradley Pinion, a Clemson product, who had a pregame punt hit Nelson, who was going through his warmup on the other side of the field, in the head.

Nelson was reported to be none too pleased as you’ll see below, and confronted Pinion himself.

Nelson punts the ball in the video after a second punt lands closer to him than he’d like.

The Colts entered the day 6-6 on the year and two games behind Houston for the AFC South lead.

I can’t personally think of more than a couple people in the NFL who’d be a worse matchup in a fight for a punter than one Quenton Nelson.

Twitter destroys Jameis Winston after he throws an interception on the second play of game

See how Twitter reacted to Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston throwing an interception on the second play of the game.

Jameis Winston is using these last four games to make his case to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that he deserves a new contract, at least a one-year deal.

But, given that he entered Sunday with a league-leading 20 interceptions, it might be hard for the team to justify paying him to return, especially when you consider the Bucs have failed to make the playoffs in any of his five seasons.

And, given how the game started today against the Indianapolis Colts, Winston’s case for returning might be slipping away. On just the second play from scrimmage, Winston threw an interception while trying to get it to Mike Evans. The Colts took over and three plays later Indy quarterback Jacoby Brissett threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marcus Johnson.

See how Twitter reacted to Winston’s costly mistake (again).

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Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Buccaneers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 14 matchup, with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets

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The Indianapolis Colts (6-6) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-7) tussle at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. We analyze the Colts-Buccaneers sports betting odds and lines, with NFL betting picks and tips for the Week 14 matchup.

Colts at Buccaneers: Week 14 preview, betting trends and notes

Get some action on the game at BetMGM by placing a sports bet!

  • When these teams meet, you should recall a Monday night battle in 2003 when Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison erupted for a giant comeback from 35-14 down with about seven minutes remaining.
  • The Colts head into this one with a 6-2-1 ATS mark across the past nine road games.
  • The Buccaneers enter 2-6 ATS across the past eight games overall, and they’re 0-5 ATS in the previous five contests at home.
  • The under is 5-2 across Indy’s past seven on the road, while going 21-5 in the next 26 games following a double-digit loss at home.
  • The Over has cashed in nine of the past 10 for the Bucs, while going 4-0 in the previous four at the RayJay.
  • Indy ranks fourth in rushing yards (139.0 YPG), and they’re ninth in the NFL against the run (101.8 YPG).
  • Tampa ranks fifth in the NFL in total yards (380.4 YPG), fourth in passing yards (284.2 YPG) and fourth in points scored (28.3 PPG).
  • The Bucs are second in the NFL against the run (76.3 YPG), but they’re 31st against the pass (281.8 YPG) and 30th in points allowed (28.8 PPG).

Colts at Buccaneers: Key injuries

Colts: CB Kenny Moore II (ankle), WR T.Y. Hilton (calf) and PK Adam Vinatieri (knee) are listed as out. RB Marlon Mack (hand) is likely to make his return, while WR Parris Campbell (hand) might also play.

Buccaneers: LB Jason Pierre-Paul (knee) and DB M.J. Stewart (knee) are questionable.

Colts at Buccaneers: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 7:20 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Buccaneers 31, Colts 23

Moneyline (?)

The Buccaneers (-176) are a moderate favorite, but you’re better off playing the spread. If you like the Colts (+145), they’re a much better value on the ML.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Bucs moneyline returns a $5.68 profit with a Tampa victory.

Against the Spread (?)

The BUCCANEERS (-3.5, +100) are laying three and the hook, and that’s always a worry for bettors. However, the way the Colts (+3.5, -121) looked last week with the Tennessee Titans marching the ball up and down the field, the Bucs look like a safe play at home.

Over/Under (?)

OVER 47.5 (-106) is a good play based upon Tampa’s struggles against the pass, and the solid passing on both sides. The Bucs held the Jacksonville Jaguars down last week, but posted plenty on offense. They won’t hold the Colts in check, as Indy is much more gifted, and they might get a big bump with Mack returning to the backfield, too.

Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. Looking for more sports betting picks and tips? Visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI 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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