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12/29/2006 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In the end, will it really matter?
That existential question faces the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium, as the two AFC Wild Card hopefuls will seek a win and some substantial help elsewhere in the league in order to make their postseason dreams come to fruition.
Both 8-7 teams are likely to be peering at the out-of-town scoreboard as they do battle, since each will require simultaneous early-game losses from the Bengals against Pittsburgh and the Titans versus the New England Patriots.
If the Jaguars come out on top on Sunday, they will need a third 1pm Eastern game, the Jets/Raiders tussle at the Meadowlands, to break in favor of 2-13 Oakland.
Should the Chiefs prevail, they would also require a late-game loss for the homestanding Denver Broncos against 6-9 San Francisco.
So...who's ready to talk about offseason needs?
Jacksonville put itself in its current predicament by losing its two most recent games, with last week's 24-21 home loss to the Patriots coming seven days after a disheartening 24-17 loss in Tennessee. If the Jaguars fail to reach the postseason for the sixth time in the last seven years, they will also forego an opportunity to win a playoff game for the first time since 1999.
Speaking of no playoff wins since the 90's, Kansas City is on the brink of unlucky season number 13 without a postseason victory. The Chiefs haven't won a playoff game since 1993, which marks the league's third-longest current drought behind only the Bengals (1990) and Lions (1991). Kansas City last reached the postseason in 2003.
Herm Edwards' team gave itself a window of hope, albeit a slim one, with last Saturday's 20-9 win in Oakland. The Chiefs had previously hampered their chances during a three-game losing streak that included setbacks against the Browns (31-28 in overtime), Ravens (20-10), and Chargers (20-9).
Kansas City will be appearing at Arrowhead for the first time since the loss to Baltimore, which marked the franchise's first defeat in a December home game since 1996.
SERIES HISTORY
Jacksonville holds a 4-1 lead in its all-time series with Kansas City, including a 22-16 home victory when the teams last met, in Week 6 of the 2004 season. The Jaguars won the only matchup played between the teams at Arrowhead, a 23-16 triumph in 2002. Kansas City's only win against the Jags came in 2001, 30-26, on the road.
Edwards is 1-2 in his career against Jacksonville, with all of those matchups dating back to his tenure with the Jets (2001-05). The Jaguars' Jack Del Rio is 1-0 against the Chiefs, for whom he played in 1987-88, and is 1-1 head-to- head against Edwards. Del Rio and the Jags defeated Edwards' Jets, 26-20 in overtime, in Week 3 of last season.
JAGUARS OFFENSE VS. CHIEFS DEFENSE
Though much of the focus on Sunday will be on the Chiefs' Larry Johnson and his bid for the NFL rushing title, it is actually the Jaguars' running game that has a chance to carve out a more significant piece of history. With 105 rushing yards from rookie Maurice Jones-Drew (895 rushing yards, 42 receptions, 14 TD), he and Fred Taylor (1120 rushing yards, 5 TD, 22 receptions) will become the fourth running back tandem of all-time, and first since the Browns' Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack in 1985, to eclipse the 1,000- yard mark in the same season. Falcons running back Warrick Dunn and quarterback Michael Vick have also pulled off the feat in 2006. Jones-Drew drew a bit nearer to the four-digit mark last week, when he received a bulk of the rushing load in the absence of the injured Taylor, carrying 19 times for 131 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Patriots. The UCLA product also contributed six catches for 41 yards out of the backfield. Taylor (hamstring), who missed his first game of the year, is regarded as probable for Sunday. Jacksonville is second in the league in rushing offense (161.9 yards per game), behind only Atlanta.
One week after allowing the Chargers' LaDainian Tomlinson to run wild for 199 yards, the Chiefs last week surrendered a career-high 90 yards on 19 carries to the Raiders' Justin Fargas. After being generally effective against the rush in the early stages of the season, Kansas City has slipped to 18th in NFL rushing defense (121 yards per game). The linebacking corps of Kawika Mitchell (101 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT) in the middle and Derrick Johnson (70 tackles, 4.5 sacks) and Kendrell Bell (49 tackles, 1 sack) on the outside did make an impact against the Raiders, however. Mitchell had seven tackles to go along with a sack and a forced fumble; Johnson posted a team-high nine stops and a fumble recovery; and Bell notched nine tackles in the game. In the trenches, tackle James Reed (36 tackles, 1 sack) came up with three tackles and interior mate Ron Edwards (19 tackles, 2.5 sacks) provided a presence with his 320- pound frame.
Stating perhaps his final argument for his abilities as an NFL starting quarterback this week will be Jacksonville's David Garrard (1595 passing yards, 9 TD, 8 INT), who has been hot-and-cold since taking over for the injured Byron Leftwich (ankle) in late October. Garrard has a mediocre starting record (5-4) and passer rating (80.8) on the year, but the four ratings of 100 or better that the athletic signal-caller has produced are perhaps an indication of his potential. Garrard played well against the Patriots last week, completing 17-of-23 passes for 195 yards with a touchdown and a key fumble that he suffered while being sacked on Jacksonville's ill- fated final drive. Matt Jones (36 receptions, 4 TD) was Garrard's most effective receiver, hauling in four passes for 69 yards and a touchdown, while fellow wideouts Reggie Williams (46 receptions, 4 TD) and Ernest Wilford (34 receptions, 2 TD) were limited to two grabs each. Also finishing with two catches was tight end George Wrighster (37 receptions, 3 TD). The Jacksonville o-line has allowed 27 sacks on the year, which ranks them middle-of-the-NFL pack.
Playing the aerial-challenged Raiders allowed a Chiefs defense that had struggled to make plays in both the secondary and pass rush an opportunity to fill up the box score. Kansas City forced five turnovers versus Oakland, including four by quarterback Andrew Walter, and sacked Walter a total of four times. Rookie safety Jarrad Page (31 tackles, 3 INT, 1 sack) and end Jared Allen (73 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 1 INT) were but two of the team's defensive heroes, with Page turning in the first two-interception game of his NFL career and Allen notching a sack and his NFL-leading fifth and sixth fumble recoveries of the year. Allen and fellow end Tamba Hali (56 tackles, 7 sacks) are 1-2 on the Chiefs in sacks. Helping Page in the secondary was cornerback Ty Law (62 tackles, 3 INT, 1 sack), who forced a pair of fumbles. Law and fellow corner Patrick Surtain (60 tackles, 1 INT) will match up with Jones and Williams on Sunday. Kansas City is 14th in the league against the pass (203.3 yards per game) as Week 17 commences.
CHIEFS OFFENSE VS. JAGUARS DEFENSE
Johnson (1651 rushing yards, 36 receptions, 16 TD) enters Week 17 trailing Tomlinson by 98 yards in his quest for the 2006 rushing title, and it is conceivable that Johnson could end up with the crown if San Diego chooses to rest Tomlinson in what could be a meaningless game against Arizona. What the two-time Pro Bowler has a clearer shot at is the NFL single-season record for most rushing attempts in a season. Johnson needs 28 carries this week to surpass the current mark of 410, set by the Falcons' Jamal Anderson in 1998. Johnson has logged 28 or more totes seven times this season, including last Saturday's 31-carry, 135-yard, one-touchdown win over the Raiders. If the Penn State product can amass his 11th 100-yard game of the year on Sunday, he would break his own year-old team record of 1,750 yards. Kansas City is eighth in NFL rushing offense (131.5 yards per game).
Getting to triple-digits will be a challenge for Johnson, who will face a high-quality Jacksonville front seven featuring massive tackles Marcus Stroud (20 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and John Henderson (49 tackles, 3.5 sacks) at its core. The Jaguars are third in the NFL in rushing defense (86 yards per game) and yards per carry allowed (3.4), and come off a week in which they allowed four New England running backs to combine for 86 yards on 20 carries. That total includes a key 27-yard touchdown run for Laurence Maroney in the fourth quarter, just the fifth run of 20 yards or longer against Jacksonville all season. Stroud and Henderson combined for seven tackles in the loss, and top run-stopping linebackers Clint Ingram (66 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT) and Daryl Smith (83 tackles, 2 sacks) combined for nine more. Stroud (ankle) is listed as probable on this week's injury report.
The deficiency of the Kansas City passing game will have to be addressed in the offseason, as the three principle members of that group - 36-year-old Trent Green (1161 passing yards, 6 TD, 7 INT), 33-year-old wide receiver Eddie Kennison (47 receptions, 4 TD), and 30-year-old tight end Tony Gonzalez (71 receptions, 5 TD) - are all past their prime. Meanwhile, young linchpins of the attack like No. 2 receiver Samie Parker (39 receptions, 1 TD) and left tackle Jordan Black have not played consistently well, melding into a situation that has seen Kansas City rank 21st in the league in passing offense (185 yards per game). Green was 12-of-24 for 148 yards against the Raiders last week, including a six-yard touchdown pass to Kennison (his only catch of the night) and an interception. Gonzalez helped move the chains with five grabs for 67 yards, and Parker was the team's most productive wideout with three catches totaling 48 yards. The Kansas City line has allowed 38 sacks on the year, including two of Green last Saturday.
A Jacksonville secondary already depleted by a season-ending injury to starting strong safety Donovin Darius (leg) could take another hit this week, as No. 1 free safety Deon Grant (54 tackles, 2 INT) is considered doubtful with a hamstring injury suffered last week. Undrafted rookie free agent Jamaal Fudge (4 tackles) would make his first career start if Grant can't go. Locking up on Kennison and Parker will be cornerbacks Rashean Mathis (58 tackles, 7 INT) and Brian Williams (52 tackles, 1 INT), both of whom have played well for much of the 2006 season. Mathis, who was last week named to his first career Pro Bowl, had five tackles against the Patriots. The pass rush managed just one sack of Tom Brady last Sunday, that by end Paul Spicer (38 tackles, 3 sacks), and the lack of pressure enabled Brady to complete 28 passes to 11 different targets. End Bobby McCray (33 tackles, 9 sacks) continues to lead the Jaguars in sacks. Jacksonville is 11th in the league against the pass (190.2 yards per game), but is further down the chart in sacks (32).
OVERALL ANALYSIS
The Chiefs have a little something to prove in this matchup, and that determination figures to go beyond whatever improbable maneuver it will take for the franchise to reach the postseason. Kansas City needs to take its late- season edge at Arrowhead back, has a running back it would like to see make one final run at an NFL rushing title, and wants to prove capable of beating a quality opponent after the recent losses to the Ravens and Chargers. Jacksonville, meanwhile, is a team that has shot itself in the foot in a multiple number of ways during its current two-game skid, and there is little reason to expect that to change in a hostile environment like that of Kansas City.
Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Chiefs 28, Jaguars 20
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Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.
The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.
Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.
NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.
"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.
The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.
But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.
The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.
Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.
The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.
The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.
The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.
Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.
Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."
Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.
"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."
Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.
It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.
"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."
Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.
"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."
At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.
According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.
Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.
Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.
When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.
He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.
Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.
Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.
Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.
Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.
While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.
"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.
Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.
Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
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