SPORTS N STUFF

The New England Patriots opened their 2011 campaign with the most dominant offensive performance in their 52-year history, beating up on the division rival Miami Dolphins 38-24 under the bright lights of Monday Night football to make a statement on the road in their opener. The win was impressive on many levels, even from within as we found out from a certain wide receiver who wound up getting torn apart by a former Patriots linebacker this week in the sports betting media. Despite the off-field antics the focus on New England is week two and their home opener, as they welcome one of their toughest challenges of their schedule with a visit from the San Diego Chargers.
San Diego Chargers @ New England Patriots
Sunday September 18, 2011 4:15 PM ET
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
NFL Betting Lines: New England Patriots – 7
The Chargers have been one of the most talented teams in the AFC for years, but slow starts and an inability to hit that next level in the postseason has cost the franchise some excellent opportunities to get to the Super Bowl. San Diego promised to play with more urgency out of the gate this year, and they got off to a good start with a 24-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings week one.
NFL Betting Preview: San Diego Chargers
Despite trailing 17-7 at halftime and conjuring up memories of past early-season failures, the Chargers were able to rally with 17 unanswered points in the second half to put away Minnesota at home. Quarterback Phillip Rivers came alive with 335 yards and two touchdowns, and despite making some mental errors he remained a vocal leader and got the job done. Rivers may have found his new favorite weapon out of the backfield in fullback Mike Tolbert, who scored all three San Diego touchdowns including two that were passes. The Chargers are just as likely to throw the ball to their backs as run it straight up the gut, which can sometimes leave opponents guessing. The defense looked better as the game progressed week one, with Antonio Garay and free agent-addition Takeo Spikes both having a big impact.
NFL Betting Preview: New England Patriots
If nothing else, the Patriots proved in week one that they have no intention of grinding out wins early this season. New Englands offense moved the ball almost at will, connecting with deep strikes over the middle while working the short game underneath to open up running lanes. Quarterback Tom Brady had the record book in his sights when he threw for 517 yards and two touchdowns, with wide receiver Wes Welker the main beneficiary finishing with 160 yards and two scores. The one negative from week one was New Englands inability to stop the Miami Dolphins offense early on, an indication that they arent playing to their potential just yet.
NFL Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick
While the defense remains a work in progress, the Patriots offense is downright scary and it is hard to imagine the Chargers slowing them down after what they did to Miami. San Diego has a ton of talent and should be able to keep this one close early on, but it could be tough for them to keep up with the New England juggernaut throughout the entire sports betting bonus game.
NFL Betting Pick: New England Patriots – 7