Coach Boosts Avg In Season

Football Betting Lines

Kickoff Returners: Thomas began the season as New York's primary kick returner and averaged a respectable 24.3 yards per attempt for the year, but was taken off the assignment in November after experiencing some ball security issues. Rookie receiver Jerrel Jernigan (23.3 avg.) has been the main man as of late and performed steadily, though the Giants finished just 20th in that category as a team prior to the postseason.

 

Special Teams Defense: The Giants' coverage corps was solid during the regular season, limiting teams to 9.9 yards per punt return and 22.9 on kickoffs while not allowing a special-teams touchdown over the course of the year, and certainly made a difference in the narrow win over San Francisco in the NFC Championship. Rookie linebacker Jacquian Williams came up with the critical strip of the Niners' Kyle Williams in overtime and recorded a team-best 17 special-teams tackles for a group that also received noteworthy efforts from two other 2011 draft choices -- safety Tyler Sash (15 tackles) and linebacker Greg Jones.

 

The 62-year-old will guide a defense which finished the 2011 season third in the NFL in points allowed (266) and yards allowed per game, also racking up the most sacks (48) in the AFC.

 

"The tradition of this defense will continue, and it will flourish and it will get even better," Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh said.

 

Allen, who spent this past season as defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos, reportedly reached an agreement with the Raiders and new general manager Reggie McKenzie earlier this week.

 

The Raiders needed a replacement for Hue Jackson, who was fired January 10 -- McKenzie's first official day on the job -- after just one season as head coach.

 

Allen will become Oakland's seventh different head coach since Jon Gruden left after the 2001 season. Bill Callahan spent two years as head coach and guided Oakland to the Super Bowl after the 2002 campaign, losing to Gruden's Buccaneers, but the Raiders haven't had a winning season since.

 

Cook starred at the University of Cincinnati and was taken by the Bengals with the fifth-overall pick in the 1969 draft.

 

He burst onto the scene, leading the AFL in touchdown passes as a rookie with 15 in only 11 games, adding 1,854 passing yards.

 

(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Browns have hired Brad Childress as offensive coordinator, according to a report. Childress will become the first offensive coordinator under Browns head coach Pat Shurmer, NFL.com reported Friday.

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•    Temp: 2.4°C, Wind (avg): 2mph (N) max gust: 4mph, Press: 1024.6hpa, (Rising) Settled fine #fb

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•    Checked on my two kids and they are sleeping so let me enjoy this bottle of pinot grigio while I watch Spartacus the new season

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•    what a night...full house plus 3 clients....loving tax season...i get money in all kind of ways

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•    Have A Feeling The Colts Are Gonna Do Something Dumb This Offseason.

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•    wish our football seasons had as much hype as this basketball season.

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•    1st ride done and dusted: Nice and easy 99k ride (33.5 kph avg) for today! Time for grub & groceries!

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•    #np T-Pain - 5 O'Clock ft. Wiz Khalifa, Lily Allen

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•    allen bought me CD Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, I think it's spastic.

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•    Oakland is off the chain tonight What is up?

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