Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Late-game antics give nightmares to bettors around NFL

Sal DeFilippo

Friday, Nov. 28, 2003 | 10:37 a.m.

Sal DeFilippo's pro football picks column appears Friday. Reach him at sal@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4076.

Al Michaels seldom misses a chance to sneak in a Vegas gambling reference during a broadcast, and Monday night was no exception.

The Giants were down by four points against the Buccaneers late in the game and faced fourth down near their own goal line. Rather than punt from their end zone, the Giants intentionally gave Tampa Bay a safety, hoping to gain field position while remaining within a touchdown of the Bucs.

The safety made the score 19-13, and Tampa Bay was a 5 1/2-point favorite, prompting Michaels to say, "The rumbling you hear is from Vegas."

OK, so it wasn't quite "Do you believe in miracles?" But Michaels' words could have applied to several games over the weekend.

If you suffered a tough beat Sunday, you may wanna skip down a few paragraphs, because it's no fun reliving these nightmares:

Seahawks +2 1/2 at Ravens: The Seahawks were on cruise control most of the day, and their lead ballooned to 41-24 with seven minutes remaining.

A blocked punt for a touchdown and a 71-yard drive for another score with 1:12 left, brought the Ravens within three, but the Seahawks recovered an on-sides kick and appeared headed for victory.

However, Seattle went for a fourth-and-1 and failed, and Baltimore drove for a tying field goal as time expired. The Seahawks won the toss in overtime, but were forced to punt and Baltimore drove for another field goal and a bizarre 44-41 win.

Did I mention that reclamation project Anthony Wright threw for 319 yards and four touchdown passes? Ouch.

Vikings -10 1/2 vs. Lions: The Vikings, losers of four straight going in, struggled with Detroit at the Metrodome. A nine-minute drive in the fourth quarter results in a field goal to put Minnesota ahead 10-7, but with only 2:49 left, the cover seemed well in hand for Detroit.

Three plays later, however, the Vikings return an interception 32 yards for a touchdown. Still, at 17-7 with 2:26 left, it appears as if the Lions will hang on and cover.

After another kickoff, another pick off, and another touchdown for Minnesota. Suddenly it's 24-7, and Viking bettors are celebrating.

But not for long. After fumbling the kickoff out of bounds, the Lions mustered a drive and scored with 38 seconds remaining. An unsportsmanline conduct penalty forced the crucial extra point to be a 35-yard kick, but Jason Hansen made it for a 24-14 final and a Lions cover.

Titans -7 at Falcons: Laying seven on the road, the Titans fall behind by 21 points in the first quarter and starting quarterback Steve McNair is out of the game with an injury. They're done, right?

Not this week. Tennessee claws back, takes the lead on a third-quarter punt return for a score, and jumps ahead by 14 midway through the fourth quarter. They're in, right?

Not exactly. The Falcons score late for a push, and Tennessee takes a knee at the Atlanta 11 to end the game.

On top of those wild finishes, a few other close calls: The Cowboys, laying three, won by four; and the Colts and Jets, each minus four points, rallied to win by 3.

The Dolphins, laying six to Washington, led by one with a minute remaining and the Redskins lined up their entire defense in the end zone, inviting Miami to score. Washington's only chance was to get the ball back, and they were willing to fall behind by eight points to do it. But the Dolphins, wisely, chose to take a knee and run out the clock.

Contest update

We're about three quarters of the way through the season and the forecast looks good for KLAS-TV meteorologist Kevin Janison.

Another 2-1 week has Janison at 22-13-1 and in the lead in the Sal's Celebrity Selectors competition. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is second at 20-14-2 against the number, just ahead of magicians Penn & Teller (20-15-1) and comedian Rita Rudner (20-16).