The Sports Bookie Blog

NFL Preseason Week 4 Preview

September 3rd, 2009

Were hanging out for NFL season... Saturday’s going to be a difficult day for some of the best football players in the world.

There’s only room for 53 men on every NFL roster, spread out among 22 positions plus special teams. Saturday is the final cut day before the start of the 2009 season. Most of the personnel decisions have already been made, but there are still some jobs on the line during Week 4, the final week of the preseason. A handful of those who don’t make the cut will go on to the CFL or the new United Football League and be back for training camp next year. Others have some tough career choices to make.

Then there are the players in football limbo. They’re suspended, have yet to sign contracts, will start the year on the injured list, or are named Michael Vick. Keeping track of these players is doubly important as we prepare for both Week 4 of the exhibition season and Week 1 of the regular season.

The Commish

It looks like NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will rule Saturday if and when Vick will be allowed to play for the Philadelphia Eagles. Goodell doesn’t have to make any decision at all until Week 6, but getting the decision in by cut day will allow the Eagles to make the appropriate roster moves. Rumors/press leaks have it that Vick will be made eligible to play in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, with some hope for an immediate reinstatement. Meanwhile, Vick will reportedly play QB for the second half of Philadelphia’s preseason finale against the New York Jets (-3 at home). Second-string QB Kevin Kolb will start, with Vick lining up here and there in the Wildcat.

Vick’s Rub

The Eagles were one of the fashionable choices to win the Super Bowl this year at 12-1 when the futures market opened. At press time, those odds were down to 10-1, and they could shorten even further after Saturday’s announcement. The over/under on regular season victories was put up on the board more recently and remains (for now) at 9.5. The Minnesota Vikings moved from 22-1 to 12-1 after signing QB Brett Favre; their total for victories is nine. Favre is not expected to play for Minnesota on Friday night against the Dallas Cowboys (+3 on the road).

According to Croyle

The Chiefs are one of the few teams uncertain who their starting QB will be in Week 1. There are conflicting reports in the news about the status of Matt Cassel (knee) for the season opener. If he’s unable to go, the torch will be passed to either Tyler Thigpen or Brodie Croyle. And it appears Croyle has the inside track at the moment; he’ll get the start in Thursday’s Week 4 matchup with the St. Louis Rams (+1 at home). Thigpen (74.4 career QB rating) started 11 games for the Chiefs last year after Croyle (67.5) was injured in the season opener.

Marshall Marshall Marshall

The Denver Broncos haven’t made any headway in their attempts to satisfy WR Brandon Marshall’s trade wishes. He was suspended for the last two games of the preseason, leaving the Broncos short on skill players for Thursday’s matchup with the Arizona Cardinals (-3.5 on the road). QB Kyle Orton has a dislocated right index finger, QB Chris Simms has a high ankle sprain, and RB Knowshon Moreno has a sprained MCL. All three are expected to be ready for the season opener, but WR Jabar Gaffney (broken thumb) is out indefinitely.

The Walking Wounded

Here is a list of some of the other key injuries as the preseason draws to a close.

Cincinnati Bengals RT Andre Smith: stress fracture, out indefinitely
Tampa Bay Buccaneers P Josh Bidwell: hip, out for season
Arizona Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin: hamstring, day-to-day
Indianapolis Colts S Bob Sanders: knee, doubtful for Week 1
Atlanta Falcons RB Jerious Norwood: knee, day-to-day
Detroit Lions QB Daunte Culpepper: toe, day-to-day
Green Bay Packers WR Greg Jennings: concussion, day-to-day
Carolina Panthers DL Maake Kemoeatu: Achilles’, out for season
New England Patriots WR Wes Welker: undisclosed, status uncertain
Baltimore Ravens DB Samari Rolle: neck, PUP list, out until Week 7
Seattle Seahawks LT Walter Jones: knee, out indefinitely

Football season is starting to pick up speed – and the Bodog Sportsbook has all the lines to keep you going!

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