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11/06/2006 - Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Javon Walker's arrival -- six catches for 134 yards with two touchdowns and a 72-yard rushing score -- signaled Pittsburgh's season departure just 10 months after winning the Super Bowl, as Denver capitalized on constant Steelers mistakes in a 31-20 victory at Heinz Field.
Pittsburgh's 2006 script was played out over the course of three hours on Sunday -- a game that appeared like domination on paper was ripped up by fumbles, penalties and countless mental miscues.
The Steelers (2-6) have lost five of six since a season-opening victory over the Miami Dolphins.
The losses have all started and ended with turnovers, with six more on Sunday. Santonio Holmes fumbled away a kickoff and fumbled again on a punt return before being removed from special teams duties.
The epitome of the season occurred late in the fourth, as Hines Ward fumbled as he jumped toward the goal line.
"It's not shocking if you keep turning the ball over," said Ward. "If you turn the ball over that just shows you can't win the big games by doing that. The more and more we do it the less and less we're going to win."
The fifth turnover left the defending champions with their heads down and quiet fans headed toward the exits.
Ben Roethlisberger compiled career highs in attempts (54), completions (38) and yards (433) -- all for naught -- as five of Pittsburgh's turnovers were recovered or intercepted inside Denver's 10-yard line.
Willie Parker ran for 70 yards and a score and caught seven more passes for 67 yards and another score. Ward had seven catches for 127 yards in the loss.
For everything Pittsburgh did wrong, Jake Plummer and Walker did everything right. Plummer completed 16-of-27 passes for 227 yards and three scores.
Mike Bell only had 28 yards rushing for Denver (6-2), which bounced back from a loss last Sunday in Indianapolis.
"It's always nice to beat a good football team and a great organization," said Denver Mike Shanahan.
The first score for the Broncos came of the conventional variety, a four-play, 63-yard march that ended with Plummer finding Rod Smith in the back of the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown.
Holmes fumbled the subsequent kickoff, and the Broncos quickly took advantage. After a near touchdown pass on a fade to Walker, Plummer went to the same play and found the wideout in the right corner of the end zone for a 14-0 lead with still 11:05 remaining in the first quarter.
The Steelers, who also saw Cedric Wilson fumble at the Denver five-yard line in the first quarter, finally held on to the ball and got on the board in the second stanza.
The eight-play, 65-yard march spanned the first and second quarters, with Roethlisberger moving around and buying time before finding Parker for a 15- yard touchdown that cut the deficit to 14-7. Roethlisberger was 5-of-6 passing on the march.
The turnover bug bit Pittsburgh again on its next series, as it drove the ball to the Broncos 14-yard line before Roethlisberger was picked off by Champ Bailey.
On its next drive, Jeff Reed badly pushed a 41-yard field goal well wide right.
The Steelers moved the ball again on their final series of the half, as Reed ran on to the field and drilled a 46-yard kick as time expired for a 14-10 game.
The first half belonged to Pittsburgh in every facet but on the scoreboard. The Steelers outgained Denver, 266-106, and almost doubled it up on plays, 40-22.
No matter to Denver, which struck quickly with Walker's 72-yard touchdown run, knifing through the middle of the Steelers defense and sprinting away from the second line of defense for the score.
The Steelers finally finished off a drive, as Parker capped the eight-play, 54-yard drive with a three-yard plunge off right tackle -- which included a great seal block by Ward.
Denver responded with 11:16 left in the game, as it received great field possession and took advantage with a third down fade pass from Plummer to Walker, the receiver's third score of the game for a 28-17 game.
"He had a great game," said Shanahan about Walker. "He had a couple of really big catches during the game. He had a great effort. He's a guy that loves the ball and we got it to him when we could."
Pittsburgh came right back, with Roethlisberger finding Ward for 63 yards -- the longest play given up by the Broncos this season. The march eventually stalled, and Reed converted a 29-yard field goal to make it a one-score game, 28-20.
Ike Taylor was beaten badly by Walker again -- this time a 61-yard connection -- that set up a 32-yard Jason Elam field goal to push the edge to 31-20 with 4:48 remaining.
Game Notes
Pittsburgh totaled 499 total yards to 336 for Denver...Bailey had two interceptions...Aaron Smith recorded a sack for Pittsburgh...Roethlisberger has 14 interceptions on the season...Denver head coach Mike Shanahan (136) tied Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram for 17th most wins in NFL history...Plummer has won four consecutive regular season starts versus AFC North.
<< Nedney kicks Niners past Vikings
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joe Nedney kicked three field goals as
the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 9-3, in a defensive
battle at Monster Park.
Alex Smith was 13-of-21 passing for 105 yards and an int
<< Bears lose perfect season to the Dolphins...again
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jason Taylor had one sack, forced a fumble,
intercepted a pass and scored a touchdown as Miami capitalized on six Chicago
turnovers to best the Bears, 31-13, at Soldier Field.
Chicago lost its chance for
<< Saints Brees by Bucs
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Drew Brees threw for 314 yards and three
touchdowns to lead the New Orleans Saints to a 31-14 beating of the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.
Brees completed 24 of his 32 passes without
<< Louisville surges to third in BCS
Morristown, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The undefeated tandem of Ohio State and
Michigan held down the top two spots in the latest Bowl Championship Series
Poll, while undefeated Louisville jumped up two spots to number three.
Neither the
Manning, Colts down Patriots to stay unbeaten >>
Foxboro, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Peyton Manning threw for 326 yards and two
touchdowns as the Indianapolis Colts are now the sole unbeaten team in the
league with a 27-20 victory over the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
Mann
Washington to take over Rangers >>
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Texas Rangers are set to hire Ron
Washington as their new manager.
According to a report in the Dallas Morning News, Washington, who was the
third base coach for the Oakland Athletics, wil
Azinger to captain U.S. Ryder Cup squad >>
Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The PGA of America officially announced on
Monday that 1993 PGA champion Paul Azinger will captain the 2008 United States
Ryder Cup team.
Azinger will lead the United States team against his former broadca
Jazz try to remain perfect against Pistons >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Utah Jazz try to begin the new season with a 4-0
record, as they host the Detroit Pistons tonight at the Delta Center.
The Jazz opened the 2004-05 season with four straight wins and the 2000-01
campaign with five str
Will Ohio State continue to run the table in College Football betting odds?
MySportsbook.com favors Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Golden Bears in this weekend's big games.
NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.
Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.
Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.
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NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
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Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
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Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6
For complete NCAA football odds and World Series odds please visit MySportsbook.com
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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