Wagerhome.com NFL Betting Report - QB Injuries May Impact AFC East
Perhaps you couldn't go so far as to say that these were the kinds of injuries that could make the difference when it comes to Super Bowl contention, but when people line up with the sportsbook software that is available through the facilities of WagerHome.com, that is certainly not the only thing they are betting on. A lot of players get injured in the pre-season, but there are developments that will have a particular impact on teams in the AFC's East division, because they affect the quarterback position.
You can bet (pardon the pun) that there were a lot of people in the New York metropolitan area who were anxious to see if Geno Smith, the second-round draft choice out of West Virginia, could dislodge the New York Jets' starting quarterback job from Mark Sanchez, who has provided inconsistency on, well, a consistent basis since he was anointed the starter as a first-round selectee in 2009. Sanchez's 2012 season produced 13 touchdown passes and 18 interceptions. And without a bruising running game at his disposal, Sanchez is a little lost. So here comes Smith, who had monster numbers under the tutelage of Dana Holgorsen with the Mountaineers last season, with 73 TD's and just 13 INT's.
Fans of the Jets (+2000 to win the division in the Price Per Head betting odds at WagerHome.com) were looking for any port in a storm. But they may have to wait a while before they find out about that. Smith dropped back to pass in the pre-season opener against the Detroit Lions, then, finding no one open, took off on a run, and literally stumbled to the ground all by himself. He suffered an ankle injury, the nature of which was undisclosed, and was removed.
Smith went back to practicing with the team on Monday, but was noticeably limping. Is he coming back too soon, fearing that he might lose ground to the much-maligned Sanchez? That's a distinct possibility. But he showed good spirit, telling reporters "One little ankle injury wasn't going to keep me from practicing and competing."
Maybe that will score some points with his Jets teammates, who have been looking for a true on-field leader. Smith's injury may have looked like a bit of a freak thing, and Kevin Kolb may have experienced something similar, exceptit did not happen in live action, but during a practice for the Buffalo Bills (+1700 to win the AFC East in Price Per Head betting), when he slipped on a wet rubber mat and fell. The injury actually could have been more serious, but Kolb got lucky. However, that injury prevented him from dressing for the first game of pre-season, and opened the door for the guy who is considered the eventual starter in Buffalo. E.J. Manuel was not supposed to be drafted ahead of the aforementioned Smith, but he was indeed the only quarterback taken in the first round.
Some WagerHome.com end users may consider him to be more of a "project" than most players who would be taken in the first round. Is he ready for the NFL? Well, maybe he isn't, not totally anyway, but if he is competing for that starting spot, he may have gotten a leg up on his competition (Kolb) already.
Samuel got the start in the lid lifter against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, and while he is indeed a little raw, he showed a big arm as well as some mobility. In other words, he put on display just what the Bills saw in him when they made the reach to grab him out of Florida State. Manuel has six series of action, and put together some big moments, including a sharp throw in the red zone for a touchdown and a 24-yard scamper when his receivers were covered.
Overall, he was 16 for 21 for 107 yards, and that is the kind of effort that got him off to a very good start in this quarterback battle, which the Buffalo brass clearly would like to see him win on merit.
Obviously for Doug Marrone, the new coach in Buffalo, to decline to wait until the second or third round for a quarterback, and to bypass the quarterback he trusted during his tenure at Syracuse (Ryan Nassib), he had to think a lot of Manuel. The question for people using the WagerHome.com sportsbook software and betting the over-under on Bills wins this season (where they are +140 to get more than 6.5 victories) is whether Manuel's athleticism can make a difference in this team's season, or whether he will look like the proverbial deer in the headlights. If he helps the Bills exceed expectations, and makes Marrone look like a savior, you just might be able to trace all of that back to the mishap befalling the quarterback who they hoped might keep the seat warm for the prospect.
Written by Charles Jay from Jaywords.com
