Atlanta Falcons Free NFL Picks - 2011 NFL Picks Preview





2011 Atlanta Falcons Free NFL Picks Preview: Atlanta Falcons (13-3 SU, 11-5 ATS, 1st Place in NFC South)

Last season, the Atlanta Falcons were able to get into the postseason as the top seed in the Free NFL Picks playoffs. Though they squandered their chance by losing in their first playoff game, the Falcons definitely proclaimed that they are here for the foreseeable future.

It's amazing to think that Atlanta ended up ranked No. 16 in offense and defense at 341.1 yards per game and 332.4 yards per game respectively. Of course wholesale discount cheap jerseys nfl, it was fifth in both points for (25.9 PPG) and points against (18.0 PPG). Head Coach Mike Smith has clearly done a fantastic job with this team.

QB Matt Ryan led a great offense last year, and he is clearly working his way up the ranks of the best quarterbacks in the league. He threw for 3,705 yards and 28 TDs against just nine picks. Of course, he had some major help in the form of WR Roddy White, who was once again one of the best in the league, and now, he also has a rookie with a ton of potential in WR Julio Jones.

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RB Michael Turner rushed for 1,371 yards and 12 TDs a season ago, and he, RB Jerious Norwood, and RB Jason Snelling are all fantastic backs that have the ability to have big games, though both are still unsigned at this point.

The defense was really helped last year with the addition of DB Dunta Robinson, and as a result, there really weren't a lot of changes in the offseason. The big loss was that of DE Jamaal Anderson, who was picked up by the Indianapolis Colts via free agency.

Playing well at home is the key once again. That playoff loss was as bad as it got for Atlanta at the Georgia Dome, as it dominated every other opponent in every other meaningful game there on the season. The lone loss in the regular season was a 17-14 defeat to the New Orleans Saints when the NFC South was already essentially wrapped up.

This year, the home slate is awfully tough, with visits from the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings in addition to the NFC South and two teams from the AFC South.

Don't be surprised if Atlanta has yet another fantastic season behind its offense that is starting to resemble that of a video game. The only hiccup could be the defense.

2011 Atlanta Falcons Predictions: 12-4, 1st Place NFC South

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2010 NFL Preseason: Week 3 Betting Odds and Schedules





The NFL preseason week 3 is upon us and Thursday will begin the action with the St. Louis Rams vs the New England Patriots from Gillette Stadium at 7:30pm EST. Peyton Manning and the boys will be on the road when the Indianapolis Colts vs the Green Bay Packers face off at 8:00pm EST from Lambeau field in a game that can be seen on ESPN. The Rams have gone 1-1 in the preseason while the Patriots are a perfect 2-0. Online sportsbooks have the Patriots -8 favorites in week 3 NFL preseason betting odds at home vs the Rams with an over/under total of 38.5. The Colts have been less than stellar in preseason NFL predictions losing both games for a 0-2 record while the Packers have split their games going 1-1 through the first two weeks. NFL betting odds for tonight's ESPN football game have the Packers -3.5 favorites at home for week 3 of the preseason vs the Colts while the over/under total is listed 45.

There are four games scheduled for Friday NFL preseason action with the Falcons vs Dolphins at 7:00pm EST, Redskins vs Jets at 7:00pm EST authentic nfl jerseys wholesale, Eagles vs Chiefs at 8:00pm EST and the Chargers vs Saints at 8:00pm EST which can be seen nationally on CBS. Miami is listed as a PK on Saturday at home despite have a dominate preseason heading into week 3 NFL odds having won their first two to go 2-0 while the Falcons are 1-1 and are looking for a defensive battle down in South Florida. Washington has been all the rave with the addition of Donovan McNabb but an ankle injury and a 1-1 start heading into week 3 of the preseason, has many handicappers scratching their head. Rex Ryan and the Jets have not lived up to much of the hype regarding this year's team going 1-1 in the preseason but are 5.5-point favorites to win at home. Philadelphia has gone 1-1 in the 2010 preseason and should have a winnable game in NFL predictions on Saturday but do face a Kansas City team that is 0-2 and hungry for a win.

Sunday will feature eight total games with the Browns (1-1) vs Lions (1-1) at 5:00pm EST on NFL Network with Detroit -2 favorites in week 3 preseason betting odds, the Bengals (2-1) vs Bills (1-1) at 6:30pm EST with Cincinnati -3 favorites on the road and the Jaguars (0-2) vs Buccaneers (1-1) at 7:30pm EST with Jacksonville -2.5 favorites. CBS will feature an "All-Texas" showdown with the Cowboys (2-1) vs Texans (0-2) at 8:00pm EST with Houston -3 at home, the Seahawks (1-1) vs Vikings (1-1) at 8:00pm EST with Minnesota -5 favorites in NFL predictions and the Titans (1-1) vs Panthers (0-2) at 8:00pm EST with Carolina a slight -3 favorite at home. The Cardinals (1-1) vs Bears (0-2) will kick-off on Saturday night at 8:30pm with Chicago -3.5 favorites along with the 49ers (2-0) vs Raiders (2-0) at 9:00pm EST with Oakland -1 favorites at home. The Steelers (2-0) vs Broncos (0-2) will conclude week 3 of the 2010 NFL preseason on Monday night football with Pittsburgh -2.5 on the road.


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A quick look at NFL Europe





NFL Europe was the NFL's attempt to spread American Football to the rest of the world. While the sport never truly picked up momentum in the rest of the world NFL Europe played an important role in developing younger players who were not yet ready for the NFL.

Originally founded in 1991 the NFL hoped to use the NFL Europe as a stepping stone to joining the global sports market. While the NFL had become the most popular sports League in the US it had not attained the kind of international marketability that sports like Baseball, and Basketball had come to enjoy.

In it's first incarnation it was known as the World League of American Football, or the WLAF. There were 10 original teams which competed for the a spot in the World Bowl. Six of the teams were American, three were based in Europe, and one was Canadian. The NFL Europe failed to generate substantial interest in Europe, or the US, and in 1993 the League pulled the plug on the operation.|||
In 1997 the NFL revived the idea for NFL Europe, however they abandoned the idea of using it to truly tap into the world market, and re-conceived it as a developmental league. The NFL decided to use strictly European teams, as opposed to using American teams in the league.

The NFL Europe had six teams, that played a total of 10 regular season games. The six teams existed in a single division, and instead of a playoff format the World Bowl contenders consisted of the two teams that held the best regular season records.

One of the biggest issues encountered in the later days of NFL Europe was a constant air of instability. Several of the original teams folded, and had to replaced by other teams. Some teams had trouble finding home stadiums to play in, and the season was often cut short by the FIFA World Cup which used several of the stadiums.

In 2007 the NFL Europe was officially disbanded. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stated that that it was the "best business decision", as the league had reported losses near 30 million dollars per season. Goodell thanked fans for their support of the endeavor cheap nfl wholesale jerseys, but stated that the NFL would need another way to tap into the international market, and develop new players.

Since the termination of NFL Europe the NFL has made limited attempts to tap into the European market. A single regular season game is played in London every year, and there has been some discussion of hosting a Super Bowl in London. The NFL still hopes to find some way to access the European market, how that will be done has yet to be decided.


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