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As the first Sunday of the NFL season wound down, the financial fate for several Las Vegas sportsbooks sat squarely in the hands of a longtime nemesis: the New England Patriots.To avoid a losing day, the books needed the underdog, Tom Brady-less Patriots to cover the spread on the road against the Arizona Cardinals. An outright win would be an added bonus.Over the course of the week, as New England ruled out tight end Rob Gronkowski and other key players, the point spread grew from Arizona -5.5 to as high as -9.5 as kickoff approached Sunday night.The action was lopsided, and on the Cardinals. At MGMs sportsbooks, four times as much money was bet on Arizona as on New England. For every parlay card that included the Patriots, there were seven that had the Cardinals.At William Hill, nearly 80 percent of the money wagered on the game was on Arizona, and sportsbook operator CG Technology was staring at six figures worth of parlay and teaser liability on the Cardinals.New England, of course, won 23-21 on a go-ahead field goal by Stephen Gostkowski with 3:44 to play.Rooting for the Patriots was an odd feeling for some longtime bookmakers, who have become accustomed to seeing the betting public flock to New England.I cant remember needing the Patriots on a night game, Westgate SuperBook vice president Jay Kornegay told ESPN. This might be the last time we need New England the rest of the year.Since upsetting the St. Louis Rams as 14-point underdogs in Super Bowl XXXVI, the Patriots have covered the spread in 57.4 percent of their games, the best record against the number in the NFL during that time span.The Patriots were one of six underdogs to cover the spread Sunday, including the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars, who produced two of the books largest wins of the afternoon games.The Dolphins covered as 10.5-point underdogs in a 12-10 loss at Seattle, and the Jaguars covered the majority of bets as consensus 3.5-point home underdogs in a 27-23 loss to the Green Bay Packers.The Jaguars were targeted by respected bettors at several sportsbooks, causing the line to drop from Green Bay -5 to -3.5 on game day, even though the public had overwhelmingly sided with the Packers.We were taking big late money on the Jaguars, mid-five-figure bets, said Jay Rood, vice president of MGM race and sports. Fortunately, a lot of big money pushed at four.Rood also reported taking early sharp action on the underdog Detroit Lions, who knocked off the Indianapolis Colts 39-35 on the road, and on the Washington Redskins in the Monday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.The sharps made a big move on the Redskins, early before [Sundays] kickoffs, Rood said Sunday night. We took a few limit plays [on Washington] from the sharps. They were driving that number down.The Steelers were bet down from 3- to 2.5-point favorites over Washington at most books by Monday morning.The Houston Texans were responsible for the biggest loss for Caesars Palace and MGMs books, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers upending the Atlanta Falcons was the biggest loss for Station Casinos sportsbooks.Overall, thanks to the Patriots, the opening Sunday of the NFL season went to the books.Well make enough money to pay for the lights, the comp drinks and a little bit of salary, Rood joked.The wild Central Michigan-Oklahoma State endingThe largest money-line bet William Hill took on Oklahoma State to beat Central Michigan straight-up was $6,000 at -1,200 odds. If Central Michigan wouldnt have erroneously been granted an untimed down and if the underdog Chippewas hadnt successfully used that play to throw a Hail Mary, hook-and-lateral for the winning touchdown with no time remaining, the bettor would have won $500.Instead, he lost $6,000 on an improbable ending that had customers calling the sportsbooks asking what happens now. We had so many people calling the book asking if it was the right decision; were they going to overturn it, Westgate SuperBook assistant manager Ed Salmons said. We had a lot of money-line parlays that started the day with Oklahoma State.Central Michigan was granted the untimed down after Oklahoma State was called for intentional grounding while attempting to kill the final four seconds on the clock by lobbing a deep, high pass on fourth down. Because there was not a receiver in the area of the pass, officials made the intentional grounding call and mistakenly awarded the Chippewas an untimed down. Games are not allowed to be extended if the foul is by the team in possession and the statement of the penalty includes loss of down.The Big 12 has a rule prohibiting a result being overturned, and most sportsbook house rules also do not recognize overturned results.Some bettors did benefit from the ruling. CG Technology sportsbook operator Jason Simbal said his shop took two $500 money-line bets on Central Michigan at +850, each producing $4,250 net wins. William Hill had six money-line tickets on the Chippewas, the largest a $100 at +750.Heisman updateA 100-1 long shot to start the season, Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson is now 8-1 to win the Heisman Trophy at the Westgate SuperBook.The sophomore has vaulted up the board to become a top-five Heisman favorite after accounting for 13 touchdowns in his first two games. He set an ACC record with 610 yards of offense in the Cardinals 62-28 blowout win over Syracuse on Friday.The Westgate SuperBook took more than dozen bets on Jackson, ranging from $5 to $200, at 100-1. If they win this week, hell probably be the favorite, unless [Stanford running back Christian] McCaffrey has some monster game, Salmons said.?Odds & ends? The Washington Huskies moved from 30-1 to 12-1 to win the national championship at the SuperBook, after a bettor backed the Huskies to win it all with a significant bet that would pay more than six figures, Salmons said.? Georgia, a 55-point favorite, was trailing Nicholls State in the third quarter Saturday. The Bulldogs were listed at -600,000 on the money line to win straight-up at offshore sportsbook 5Dimes. Georgia prevailed 26-24.? La Liga newcomers and massive underdogs Alaves stunned Barcelona 2-1 Saturday. Alaves could be found as high as 40-1 to win the match. The biggest bet on Alaves that William Hills U.K. book took was ￡14 at 28-1. William Hill also took a ￡1,616 bet on Barcelona at -1,600 odds, according to book spokesperson Joe Crilly.? Arkansas overtime win over TCU completed a seven-team, $50 parlay that paid $8,600 at CG Technology. The bettor also had Michigan -35.5, Nebraska -26, Wake Forest +6.5, Texas -31, Ohio State -28.5 and Wisconsin -23. Kevin Durant Shoes Deals .Y. -- Leading 3-0 with only 11:25 left, the Colorado Avalanche committed a seemingly meaningless penalty to give the New York Islanders a power play. Clearance Kevin Durant Shoes . Hargreaves began his career in 2008 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has played with the Edmonton Eskimos and last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. https://www.kevindurantshoescheap.com/ . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. Kevin Durant Shoes For Sale . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field. Wholesale Kevin Durant Shoes . It was Kerbers third final of the year after losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in Monterrey in April and to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in Tokyo two weeks ago. The 10th-ranked German improved her record in finals to 3-5. FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Matt Ryan tried not to dwell on it. You know: Out of sight, out of mind.By chance, the dreadful memories of a 28-24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the 2012 NFC Championship Game resurfaced for the Atlanta Falcons quarterback. Ryan hadnt watched the game in its entirety since before training camp of 2014. But in October, a Showtime documentary about former teammate Tony Gonzalez incorporated clips from the gut-wrenching defeat.I saw a little bit of it, Ryan said. Obviously, yeah, theres disappointment that goes along with that.Ryan no doubt wondered what might have been had he found an open Gonzalez on a fourth-and-4 from San Franciscos 10-yard line late in regulation, or what might have been had the Falcons sustained the momentum of a 17-0 start.Its like any game, right? Its not just one thing, Ryan said. There are a handful of opportunities that come up throughout a game. Certainly, we had our chances when we were in the tight red zone. I think we had four opportunities from inside the [20]. Youd like to have any one of those back where you could make that play. But thats the nature of the game when you fall short, right? You wish you did some things differently.Critics might have viewed Ryan differently had he guided the Falcons to the Super Bowl that year. Instead, the skeptics see a player with a 1-4 playoff record and no Super Bowl appearances?entering a crucial ninth year. The talk of Matty Ice being among the elite quarterbacks has cooled, at least outside of the Falcons organization.A recent ESPN survey conducted with 42 league insiders?placed Ryan?in the bottom half of 13?second-tier of quarterbacks behind first-tier quarterbacks Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger.I believe Matt is an elite quarterback, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said. Matt was the third pick in the draft [in 2008]. Hes played a lot of good football. But being an elite quarterback also has to do with the people around you. Nobody is elite on their own.Ryan, 31, isnt consumed with outside perception. Its been his motto to block out the noise. However, hes not totally immune to it. It annoys him, to a degree.I think a lot of times, maybe it affects some of the people around you more than it affects you, and that part of it isnt fun, the typically reserved Ryan said. Obviously, when your wife is pissed off about something, that part of it isnt fun.Criticism has mounted, in large part, as a result of Ryans financial status. He enters the 2016 season as one of 11 quarterbacks averaging $20 million-plus per season.?Eight of the?11 -- Cam Newton, Joe Flacco, Brady,?Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Russell Wilson, Rodgers and Roethlisberger?-- have made it to the Super Bowl, with the latter seven winning titles. And two of the others?--?Philip Rivers and Andrew Luck --?have four and three playoffs wins, respectively, so more than Ryan.When a quarterback is set to make more than $100 million over a five-year period and eats up more than $20 million in cap space each of the next three seasons, the standards are raised.Its kind of the going rate, Ryan said of the $100 million plateau. Thats not to be funny or anything. As you see now, we play our position and we go out and compete, and this is what Ive done since 13 -- played quarterback. Its never been about [money]. Im not complaining. [Money] is just one of the things that come along with it. With that comes added criticism, and theres a certain expectation.What I need to do is do my job as best I can and not worry about what everyone else thinks about what youre getting paid. This is something that comes up for every quarterback. It doesnt matter. It doesnt affect the outcome of games. For me, the things that are important are the things that affect the outcome of games. Thats what I focus on.Ryan signed his contract in July 2013, well before the Falcons experienced a dramatic freefall. Theyve missed the playoffs the past three seasons while compiling an 18-30 mark. Ryan surpassing 4,500 passing yards in each of those seasons didnt really matter in the grand scheme.Ryan points the finger at himself often, and the team admires his candor. Regardless, its hard to fathom how the Falcons imploded so suddenly.There are a lot of reasons you dont win, Ryan said. Theres been a lot of turnover; theres been a lot of change. Three years ago, it was a four-win season. The year after, it was not a very good season [6-10]. Last season was a little bit improved from those two. We just need to keep improving, keep getting better. And I like the team that we have now.Only four NFC title game starters remain -- Ryan, wide receiver Julio Jones, defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who just returned after a one-year stop in Arizona. The franchises all-time leading receiver, Roddy White,,?was released.dddddddddddd.?There is a new coach in second-year man Dan Quinn, who replaced Mike Smith. Shanahan is Ryans third offensive coordinator since 2011.The relationship between Ryan and Shanahan is, undoubtedly, the key component for the offense moving forward and arguably the most crucial element for the teams success.?Ryan freely admitted the offense was overwhelming at times last season after playing in similar-style offenses under coordinators Mike Mularkey and Dirk Koetter.For seven years, youre on autopilot out there, Ryan said. Youre not thinking about all those things. And then it takes time away during the offseason of trying to get things down pat so when you get out on the field, you can teach and help from that capacity. That change is difficult.Ryan continues to emphasize how much more comfortable he feels in Year 2 of Shanahans scheme. The Falcons aided his cause by adding a three-time Pro Bowl center in Alex Mack, complementary receivers to Jones in Mohamed Sanu and rookie tight end Austin Hooper, and a new voice to bounce ideas off of in veteran quarterback Matt Schaub. None of those enhancements will matter if Ryan and Shanahan dont remain on the same page.Much has been made about the rollouts and bootlegs expected of Ryan in Shanahans offense. The general consensus is such plays neglect Ryans primary strength as an accurate pocket passer.When you look at our outside-the-pocket stuff last year, we were really, really efficient, Ryan said. I know that was a question I had to answer a lot about, Do you like this? Do you not like this? It helped us. And at the end of the day, if it helps us, I love it. And its actually something I do pretty well. I throw it really well on the run.Ive also learned a lot about myself too, as Ive gotten older in my career, morphing some of the things that I like into his scheme. I thought Kyle did a great job of adjusting to that and taking some of what I did, taking some of what he did, and making it our offense moving forward.Ryan took it upon himself this offseason to fine-tune aspects totally under his control, such as footwork and improving deep-ball accuracy. Both have been noticeable throughout training camp.Just the way hes improved, his arm has gotten a lot stronger, Jones said of Ryan. Hes more aggressive now. Last year, I think he wasnt as aggressive. But this year, hes just so much more aggressive. Sometimes youve got to do that while making sure everybodys on the same page with the communication.Now, Ryan has to elevate his play once the action goes live. The?coaches want him to show the same composure?through four quarters that hes displayed in 27 career game-winning drives.Reflecting on last season takes?Ryan back to his 21 total turnovers, including four red-zone interceptions. He strongly denied suffering any type of injury that affected his accuracy. He freely admitted he simply made some poor decisions, ones he vows to correct.?And he refused to call out his receivers although they contributed to the downfall by combining for 30 drops, second-most in the league.I think quarterback play comes down to third-down conversions and youve got to score points, Ryan said. You dont want to turn the football over, but you have to play aggressive. ... I think where we need to improve the most is the red zone. We have to be more efficient in the red zone. We have to score more touchdowns.Obviously Ryans ultimate goal is the Super Bowl. Hes talked to a number of Super Bowl winning quarterbacks about their process in winning a title, although Ryan wouldnt reveal which ones he spoke to or the specifics of those conversations.Winning a Super Bowl might not happen immediately, with the roster still going through a transformation, the defense?still trying to find its footing,?and Carolina still the team to catch in the NFC South. But those factors wont deter Ryans aspirations.He wants someday to reflect on highlights from a Super Bowl victory, not a near miss.I think [the Super Bowl] is the reason that you prepare and do all the things that you need to do in order to get ready to play, Ryan said. You want to pull your weight within the team, and you want to give your team an opportunity to win one. I think thats everybodys motivation.Were not going after one team. Were not trying to be [Carolina] or be better than them or any of that. Weve been in that position, too, where weve won the division. Its not about that. Its being the best we can be. Its controlling how hard we compete at this time of the year and making sure that, Who cares about everybody else? Lets make sure that were the best team we can be at the end of this training camp so were ready to compete for 16 weeks. ' ' '