Green Bay Packers' Injuries Piling Up After Loss to Saints

NEW ORLEANS -- Deflated in Detroit one week. Sublime in the Superdome the next.

And just like that, Drew Brees and the suddenly resurgent New Orleans Saints have first place in the NFC South division within their immediate grasp.

Brees completed 27 of 32 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns, New Orleans' defense produced big plays in the clutch and the Saints ended the Green Bay Packers' four-game winning streak, 44-23 on Sunday night.

"It's been a long time coming," Brees said. "Obviously, we've had our fair share of struggles early on here. We've lost some heart-breakers. All we talked about all week long is just coming together as a team and playing a complete game as a team. ... It was a perfect representation of that."

More from ESPN.com

The rest of the shaky NFC South should be very afraid of the way the Saints took apart the Packers, Mike Triplett writes. Story

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After Aaron Rodgers pulled his hamstring on the opening drive of the third quarter, he and the Packers' offense changed for the worse, Rob Demovsky writes. Story

Rookie receiver Brandin Cooks had a 50-yard touchdown catch and a 4-yard scoring run, and tight end Jimmy Graham caught a touchdown pass. The Saints (3-4) pulled even in victories with Carolina (3-4-1), setting up a Thursday night showdown for first place in the NFC South.

Aaron Rodgers, intercepted only once in Green Bay's first seven games, was picked off twice on tipped passes and sacked three times. He still passed for 418 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb, but it was not nearly enough to prevent the Packers (5-3) from falling a game behind NFC North leader Detroit.

Rodgers, who also complained of a sore hamstring, called the Packers' performance "uncharacteristic of our team and myself."

"Just taking points off the board is tough. We had chances," Rodgers said, lamenting three promising first half drives that ended in field goals. "We would have had to score 45 to win tonight and we could have if we had done a better job taking care of the football and scoring in the red zone with touchdowns."

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he kept Rodgers in the shot gun formation to help him play through his sore hamstring and thought Rodgers "was smart" in avoiding exposure to further injury. McCarthy also dismissed the idea that the raucous environment in the Superdome, where the Saints are unbeaten since 2012, was an over-riding factor.

"I don't think a whole lot of defense was played here tonight, but they got turnovers," McCarthy said.

Saints coach Sean Payton wasn't complaining about the 491 net yards his defense gave up, given the big plays the unit produced.

"That's one of the best offenses in the league," Payton said about Green Bay. "That was a good team win in all areas."

Except perhaps in the punting game -- because there were no punt by either team, marking only the third time that's happened in NFL history. It has now happened twice this season, both times involving Green Bay, starting with the Packers' 38-17 victory over Chicago on Sept. 28.

Cameron Jordan had two sacks for New Orleans, one which forced a field goal in the first half.Kasim Edebali also had two sacks for New Orleans, his second on reserve QB Matt Flynn, who was in for mop-up duty and fumbled on the play.

Brees completed all 11 of his passes in the second half, including a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Josh Hill, as the Saints improved to 3-0 at home this season. It also marked New Orleans' 14th straight victory in a night game in the Superdome. Most of those games weren't close, and the latest one followed suit.

Green Bay was without two starting defensive backs: cornerback Sam Shields and safety Morgan Burnett. Compounding matters for the Packers' defense was the strong running of Mark Ingram, which only made Brees' play-action fakes more effective. Carrying a heavy load in the absence of injured running backs Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson, Ingram had 24 carries for a career-high 172 yards and a touchdown.

"Mark had a fantastic game. I thought we had good balance. Credit the offensive line," Payton said. "The balance helped us tonight because we got some advantageous looks with heavy play-action shots downfield out of some run looks."

Those included a 45-yard completion to Kenny Stills, which set up Cooks' first TD.

Packers running back Eddie Lacy, who grew up in the New Orleans area, had 181 yards from scrimmage -- including 123 yards on eight catches -- but was stopped on fourth-and-short in the third quarter. Soon after, Graham scored his first touchdown since injuring his shoulder in Week 5, giving New Orleans a two-score lead.

The Saints' first interception came when the Packers were in range of a go-head score early in the third quarter. Cornerback Corey White tipped a pass intended for Andrew Quarless near the goal line and linebacker David Hawthorne caught it. That led to Cooks' second TD, which gave the Saints the lead for good.

Payton set up New Orleans' fourth-down stop by challenging the spot of a reception near the first-down marker. Initially ruled a first down, the spot was moved back a yard, then Hawthorne and defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker stuffed Lacy.

White made New Orleans' second interception in the fourth quarter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/video/week-8-green-bay-packers-035722111.html

NFL Week 9 Predictions: Projections for the Early Lines, Spreads and Odds

Now would be the time for bettors to capitalize on NFL Week 9 opening lines. 

Las Vegas is by no means perfect, and the early offerings each week always present some serious holes for savvy bettors to make some notable coin on if they invest quality research into thematchups.

Whether it is a line that is entirely too large—take a look at the Seattle Seahawks spread in the table below—or a spread that will surely turn out to be downright wrong, bettors willing to invest the time early in the week can perhaps earn more than someone who waits to recover after a long weekend.

Act fast, though, as lines change in a hurry.

 NFL Week 9 Picks Against the Spread

Matchup	Spread	Pick ATS	Reason
New Orleans at Carolina (Thurs., Oct. 30)	CAR -2.5	NO	Two teams headed in opposite directions on a short week favors the one with momentum.
Tampa Bay at Cleveland	CLE -6	CLE	Cleveland is much, much better than Tampa Bay, which says a lot about both.
Arizona at Dallas	DAL -4	DAL	Dallas is the best team in the league right now and has an offense that will abuse one of the worst pass defenses.
Philadelphia at Houston	PHI -1	PHI	As long as Philadelphia totes a balanced attack, the Eagles can win.
NY Jets at Kansas City	KC -11	KC	Next question.
Jacksonville at Cincinnati	CIN -13.5	JAC	See analysis below.
San Diego at Miami	MIA -1.5	SD	See analysis below.
Washington at Minnesota	WAS -1	MIN	Minnesota has a stingy defense that can take advantage of a miserable quarterback situation.
St. Louis at San Francisco	SF -10	STL	St. Louis always shows strongly in divisional battles, if not pulls off an upset.
Denver at New England	DEN -3	DEN	New England is hot right now, but Peyton Manning is even better.
Oakland at Seattle	SEA -16.5	OAK	The Raiders are bad, but nobody should pretend the Seahawks inspire this much confidence after a miserable stretch.
Baltimore at Pittsburgh	PIT -1.5	BAL	Baltimore is better on both sides of the football and will come out angry after a divisional loss.
Indianapolis at NY Giants (Mon., Nov. 3)	N/A	IND (Outright)	Indianapolis has a strong defense that will slow Eli Manning and Co.

Source: ESPN, odds via Odds Shark.

Odds via Odds Shark as of 11 p.m. ET, Oct. 26. 

Good news continues to seep out of the Queen City, though, as the team sounds as if it will have star wideout A.J. Greenback for this showdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"I think I'll be back. I'll practice this week and see how it goes, but I think I'll be fine," Green said, per Joe Reedy of Fox Sports Ohio. "I was at 40 percent last week and I feel about 80 percent today. I haven't had any soreness after I've worked out."

The thing is, while Jacksonville ranks 30th against the pass, Cincinnati comes in at 27th. Even worse for the home team, its defense ranks 30th against the rush, allowing an average of 146.3 yards per game on the ground.

Now pair that with the fact the Jaguars have finally found a serious threat in the backfield in the form of Denard Robinson, as the numbers from his last two games show:

OPP	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
vs. CLE	22	127	5.8	1
vs. MIA	18	108	6.0	0

ESPN

Jacksonville has a load of problems, but Gus Bradley and his staff will surely look to stay on the ground and keep Andy Dalton and an erratic Bengals offense off the field.

Add in the fact that the Bengals have a habit of playing down to the competition and may be ripe for a letdown, and Jacksonville—for once—seems like a sound bet.

Prediction: Bengals 27, Jaguars 17

San Diego Chargers at Miami Dolphins (-1.5)

USA TODAY Sports

It is easy to write off the San Diego Chargers. The team enters Sunday losers of two straight, whereas the Miami Dolphins have won two straight. Add in the fact a team from out west traveling east usually spells trouble, and Miami is right to be the favorite.

Well, somewhat. As ESPN's James Walker muses, the Chargers have had plenty of time to make the proper adjustments: 

On the other side of things, Miami must continue to stress over the fact its season is on the line, as Bleacher Report's Alessandro Miglioillustrates:

Call it a war of strengths. Miami touts a top-10 pass defense that has stifled strong passing attacks such as that of the Green Bay Packers thanks to players such as corner Brent Grimes. But San Diego has Philip Rivers, who continues to play at a stunning rate even if his interceptions have been kicked up a notch in the past few weeks.

Rivers has completed worse than 70 percent of his passes just three times this season. He has thrown for a minimum of three touchdowns five times. Keep in mind that he is backed by a top-10 pass defense of his own and a top-15 rush defense.

With ample time to prepare and angry after a loss to the Denver Broncos, feel confident in riding with the Chargers in Week 9.

Prediction: Chargers 30, Dolphins 24

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2245701-nfl-week-9-predictions-projections-for-the-early-lines-spreads-and-odds

Skinny dip! Millie Mackintosh spotted topless on Ibiza holiday

She was amongst the creme de la creme of the fashion world who were invited to celebrate Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci's birthday in Ibiza on Friday.

And in preparation for the A-list party Millie Mackintosh enjoyed a fun day out aboard a yacht surrounded by friends.

Making the most of the beautiful scenery, as well as the gorgeous weather, the uber fit star stripped down to just her bikini bottoms.

The gorgeous dress featured a plunging neckline, as well as a sexy thigh high split, which meant she gave some of the bigger names there a run for their money.

During the evening Millie and her pals jumped into the photo booth and an excited Millie tweeted that she had met her idol, who appeared in one of the pics.

She wrote: 'I met my fashion idol @anna_dello_russo'. Anna Dello Russo is the editor-at-large and creative consultant for Vogue Japan.

 

Millie recently opened up about her figure in an interview with Women’s Health, saying: ‘I get comments on Twitter or in interviews with people asking, ‘How do you deal with the fact people think you’re too thin?’ I’m not too thin – I’m slim. I go to the gym to try to build muscle. I really try!’

She revealed that she also relies on the support of her musician husband Professor Green to achieve her Body For Life.

‘My husband Steven and I sometimes run or cycle together. But he’s also good at reminding me I need to rest. I don’t want to be skinny and I don’t want a six-pack – I just want health… and some definition!’, she shared.

Topless TV babe Millie Mackintosh Ibiza holiday snaps

Mils has been showing off her bikini bod once again

Millie Mackintosh appears to be spending more time uploading pictures to her Instagram account rather than actually enjoying her holiday.

The former Made In Chelsea star has been posting tons of shots and her latest selfie sees her pose in a yellow print bikini and white robe.

"Hungover sunbathing," she wrote next to the shot of her looking anything but hungover.

Since Millie and her rapper hubby Pro jetted into the White Isle last week, their social media accounts tell us that they've been eating paella, partying with Vanessa from the Saturdays, doing headstands on paddle boards and generally looking like they're having a blast.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/millie-mackintosh-shows-bikini-body-3975639#ixzz39P0rSMyk

Jim Kelly gets double standing ovation at Hall of Fame ceremony

CANTON, Ohio -- The biggest ovation of the evening Saturday at the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony didn't even belong to one of the inductees. It went to former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly.

Kelly, who is battling cancer, received a double standing ovation when the Hall of Famer was introduced prior to the ceremony. He waved, soaked in the ovation, sat down and stood again as the fans' applause continued.

Kelly has been involved in a public fight against cancer. But he wasn't about to miss this Hall of Fame ceremony, especially when his top receiver, Andre Reed, was being inducted along with a class that included Giants legend Michael Strahan.

"In my mind it was a must [to attend]," Kelly told reporters prior to the ceremony.

Reed talked about Kelly as a teammate, player and part of his family during his speech. It even ended with Kelly throwing one last pass to his top receiver, followed by a long embrace between the former teammates.

It was the second straight night Bills fans -- who dominated the weekend end Canton -- were treated to a special moment. Kelly also attended Friday night's Gold Jacket Dinner. He was greeted with a rousing standing ovation there was well.

The Bills legend was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002. He was diagnosed with cancer of the jaw in 2013. 

Jim Kelly, the great quarterback of the Buffalo Bills in the 1990s, is still ailing as he battles cancer. But no matter how sick Kelly is, he wouldn’t dream of being anywhere other than Canton, Ohio, this weekend to witness his receiver Andre Reed’s induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Kelly’s wife, Jill Kelly, told the Buffalo Newsthat it won’t be easy for Jim.

“He’s pushing it,” Jill said. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s not as if he’s all better and good to go. There’s still the looming test in August, the not knowing if treatments worked, the fact that he’s still on a feeding tube. His life is still in that place of uncertainty, not knowing really what’s going to happen with all of this. So he’s still beat down; he’s still tired, he still gets sick quite a bit. But he would not miss this for the world.”

Kelly wants to be there for Reed in large part because Reed has been there for Kelly, traveling with him to support him during cancer treatments.

“Andre was at the hospital,” Jill Kelly said. “He was at the house the day we flew to New York City. He came to New York and again when we got back. Every time Andre was there, Jim was down and out, struggling. But it was always the conversation. It was a given that Jim was going to be at the Hall of Fame.”

Kelly will stay in Canton for a day after Reed’s enshrinement, as he’s been chosen to toss the coin at the start of the Hall of Fame Game on Sunday night.

Ray Guy Hall of Fame speech: Punter says the Hall is a 'complete team' with his induction

Only time will tell if Ray Guy has opened the floodgates for more players at his position, but what's important right now is that he's the first pure punter to make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Guy gave his speech at the enshrinement ceremony on Saturday.

Guy said that being part of the Hall of Fame, which is forever, is something that's beyond his wildest dreams. He started by thanking everyone there, including a large group of former punters. He then said there were two people who were no longer with us who needed to be thanked -- his college coach P.W. Underwood and former Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis.

 CLASS OF 2014 

A punter's insight on Ray Guy making the Hall

Ryan Van Bibber

He said that his two greatest influences in his life were his late parents, and he thanked them too. Guy said he took a look at everything he did from childhood until now, and couldn't determine where he realized that football was what he wanted to, and that making the Hall of Fame was his goal. He said that he could have been a pitcher in MLB, or a player in the NBA. He hadn't even made the decision when he got to college.

But somewhere along the line, he realized he needed to focus on one thing: kicking the football. He wanted to dedicate every single thing he could to perfecting his craft. He said that he'd rather be in the background and not the center of attention, something that obviously fits as a punter. You pay attention to the punter for the first couple seconds of every fourth down and that's about it.

Guy said that, with punters getting into the Hall of Fame, it is now a "complete team." He finished by saying that he's here "for the love of the game."

Guy is the second kicker, after Jan Stenerud, to make it into the Hall. If his induction is a sign of more specialists to come, they could not have found a better player to kickstart the trend. Guy is widely regarded as the best punter to ever play the game. Some laughed at the Raiders taking him with the 23rd overall pick back in 1973, but he went on to appear in seven Pro Bowls and was named a first-team All-Pro six times.

He made the second-team another two times, and was part of all three Super Bowl-winning teams in Raiders history. In his 13-year career, Guy played in 207 consecutive games, averaged 42.4 yards per punt with a 33.8 net yards average, and had 210 punts down inside the 20-yard line. That latter stat doesn't even count his first three seasons, when that stat was not tracked. In other words, he's got all the numbers he needs to back up this nomination. It's a big moment for punters in general.

Being a punter in the NFL isn’t the most glamorous position on the gridiron. The Gumby-legged kings of the single-bar facemask's greatest value—field position—doesn’t show up on ESPN highlight reels. So it makes sense, in a way, that there has never been a punter inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame—until now.

On Saturday, Canton’s 2014 class included former Raiders punter Ray Guy. Here’s more about Guy, the first punter ever to be drafted in the first round, from the New York Times:

Guy was known for his ability to keep the ball aloft, giving teammates time to get in position to tackle the returner. But he was also a model of consistency, averaging more than 40 yards a kick in all but one of his seasons. Only three of his 1,049 punts were blocked, and he led the league in punting three times. He went to seven Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowl rings. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame all-1970s team.


Here’s more from the Los Angeles Times: “So towering were Guy's punts that one of them plunked the New Orleans Superdome scoreboard, suspended 90 feet above the field. The whole concept of using a stopwatch to measure 'hang time' began with the Raiders timing Guy's punts to make sure they had a coverage team that was fast enough to get downfield and make plays.”