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In 2001 Julian Love Jersey , HBO introduced the world to Hard Knocks; a show that followed an NFL team as they prepared for the upcoming season. While it was hardly the first time that we’d seen footage of football practice and executive discussions, Hard Knocks offered something different. It was a deep dive into what life in the NFL was really like on a day-by-day basis. The cameras were constantly rolling, which meant that players, coaches, owners, trainers http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/darius-slayton-jersey , and every other member of the organizations couldn’t easily turn it on or off for the media. The result was the rare reality show that felt genuine. In fact, there were times when everyone on the show almost seemed relieved that they had someone to share all the insanity with.Oh, what insanity there was. While the quality of Hard Knocks individual seasons varied wildly (they were heavily dependent on the personalities of the players) even the worst seasons of the show featured things that just made you wonder whether the NFL is the most expensive daycare in the United States. It seems that when you get a lot of highly-paid, highly-athletic, and generally immature millionaires together, crazy things are bound to happen. On top of that Quinnen Williams Jersey , you had genuine drama that NFL fans couldn’t believe they were getting to witness outside of some report on ESPN. This all led to moments that Hard Knocks fans will never be able to forget. This all led to these 20 things that actually happened on NFL Hard Knocks. Hall of Fame coach John Madden had a simple yet brilliant approach to football. Broncos coach Vic Fangio quoted the ever-quotable Madden on Wednesday regarding Denver’s tailback situation.Asked whether Fangio prefers a bell-cow back or a committee approach, the rookie head coach was blunt: “Both.”“To me, that’s whatever your team is,” Fangio said. “John Madden used to say, ‘If you’ve got more than two running backs, that means you don’t have one you like.’ It’s kind of been common now for teams to have different style backs and playing multiple backs. Again http://www.newyorkjetsteamonline.com/jachai-polite-jersey , I think that’s whatever fits you or fits your team.”Philip Lindsay fit the Broncos well in 2018, rising from undrafted committee member to Pro Bowler. This year, the candidates for reps are Lindsay, Devontae Booker, Royce Freeman, Devontae Johnson Chuma Edoga Jersey , and Khalfani Muhammad. Some won’t make the roster; those who do will be competing for opportunities to carry or catch the ball.
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ORCHARD PARK Rock Ya-Sin Jersey , N.Y. (AP)Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane is keeping his options open and intends to take his time determining whether quarterback Tyrod Taylor will return for a fourth season. ”We’re going to make the best decision. I’m literally going to go back and watch how he played at the beginning of the year, how he played in the middle of the year and how he played in the end. We’ll see,” Beane said Tuesday after he and coach Sean McDermott held an end-of-season news conference. ”We’re going to take our time and make an informed decision,” Beane added. ”The easy thing to do is go off the last game. And that’s not fair.” He was referring to Taylor overseeing a pedestrian offensive attack Sunday in a 10-3 loss at Jacksonville in an AFC wild-card playoff. Taylor went 17 of 37 for 134 yards and an interception before being forced out of the game after suffering a concussion on Buffalo’s final possession. His production against Jacksonville reflected an inconsistent season for the third-year starter, who has a 23-21 record in Buffalo. The low point came when Taylor was benched in favor of rookie fifth-round draft pick Nathan Peterman in a 54-24 loss at the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 19. McDermott called the decision a ”calculated risk http://www.coltscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-ben-banogu-jersey ,” which quickly backfired when Peterman threw five interceptions in the first half, leaving the Bills no choice but to return to Taylor. Beane said Taylor doesn’t deserve all the blame for an offense that finished 29th in the NFL in yards gained, and scored just eight touchdowns over the final seven games, including the postseason. But make no mistake, the first-year general manager said Parris Campbell Jersey , it’s incumbent on him to get the Bills a franchise quarterback. ”I said that back when I got here,” Beane said. ”It’s a quarterback league. Where you get it, I really don’t care. If you give me one, whether he’s on the street now, whether he’s a free agent http://www.ravenscheapstores.com/miles-boykin-jersey-cheap , whether I draft him, I’ll take him anywhere.” That leaves Taylor’s future in question despite him being Buffalo’s first quarterback since Rob Johnson in 2000 to start a Bills playoff game. The Bills were ready to move on from Taylor in March before he agreed to restructure his contact by reducing it from a five-year to two-year term. Beane said Buffalo has enough assets – two picks in each of the first two rounds of the draft – to move up and address any position of need, including quarterback. On the other hand, he said, the Bills could comfortably afford retaining Taylor for the final year of his contract http://www.coltscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-bobby-okereke-jersey Jersey , which includes a $6 million bonus in mid-March and the $18 million hit his deal would count against the salary cap. Whatever euphoria remained from the Bills exceeding expectations by finishing 9-7 and ending a 17-season playoff drought gave way Tuesday to the challenges Beane and McDermott face in continuing a rebuilding process that began a year ago. ”I thought we (grew) faster than I thought,” Beane said. ”But we have a long way to go, we really do.” McDermott deflected questions on whether he’ll consider changes to his coaching staff, particularly offensive coordinator Rick Dennison. ”This is early in the process right now, and I’m not going to get into speculation Noah Fant Jersey ,” he said. Beane seemed open to re-signing defensive tackle Kyle Williams. The 12-year veteran completed the final year of his contract and hasn’t determined whether he’ll retire. Beane said he had a good conversation with Williams on Monday but wants to give him time to think before opening contract talks. ”Who doesn’t love Kyle Williams?” Beane said, referring to the team’s most respected leader. ”We’d definitely love to have Kyle back.” — The Houston Texans have hired Brian Gaine as general manager and extended the contract of coach Bill O’Brien through 2022.
The team announced the deals Saturday. Gaine signed a five-year contract and O’Brien was extended for four years.
Gaine brings 19 years of NFL personnel experience to Houston. He spent the 2017 season as the Buffalo Bills’ vice president of player personnel. He also served as the Texans’ director of player personnel from 2015-16 and director of pro personnel in 2014.
Texans owner Bob McNair calls Gaine an ”incredibly smart, hardworking individual that understands the importance of good communication.”
Houston finished 4-12 this season after consecutive AFC South titles the previous two years. O’Brien’s 31 career victories in four years are tied for the most by a coach in franchise history.
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ALAMEDA Christian Wilkins Jersey , Calif. (AP) — Two days after the Oakland Raiders shipped Pro Bowl defensive end Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears in a blockbuster deal that sent shock waves throughout the NFL, many of Mack’s former teammates were still trying to come to terms with it.Quarterback Derek Carr, who heard the news while sitting down to eat breakfast, was stunned. Defensive tackle Justin Ellis called it a bittersweet moment. Others, like linebacker Bruce Irvin and offensive lineman Donald Penn, declined to talk about it.Carr, who developed a close bond with Mack after the two entered the NFL together as the Raiders’ first two draft picks in 2014, was particularly rattled by the trade.“It’s not what anybody wanted, I think that’s clear,” Carr said Monday. “But it is what it is, it’s part of the business. It’s one of those sucky things that happen. The hardest part for me is, obviously you lose a good football player, but he’s my brother. That’s one of my best friends.”Mack, the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year, was traded to the Bears after skipping the Raiders’ offseason workouts and holding out in training camp for a new contract.Oakland, which included a second-round pick in 2020 and a conditional fifth-rounder in the deal http://www.miamidolphinsteamonline.com/michael-deiter-jersey , received Chicago’s first-round picks in the next two years along with a sixth-round selection in 2019 and a third-round pick in 2020.Shortly after the trade, Mack signed the richest deal ever given to a defensive player: six years, $141 million, with $90 million guaranteed.“It was very difficult for us . but it was also like a bittersweet moment for us,” Ellis said. “He got what he wanted and we know it’s a part of the business. A lot of people were texting me and calling me like, ‘Say it ain’t true.’ But it’s true.”Several players took to social media to express their shock and disbelief after the deal was announced. Carr posted ‘No way’ on Twitter. Irvin had a similar, albeit more colorful, message.Oakland coach Jon Gruden tried to clear the air when he addressed his team before Monday’s practice as the Raiders prepared for their season opener against the Los Angeles Rams next Monday night.“We don’t have to like or agree with everything,” Carr said. “We don’t get paid for that. We get paid to come in here, come together as a team and win together. It’s hard because we lost him, but I can promise you we’re going to be ready to play.”Carr and Mack became quick friends as rookies and spent many hours discussing ways to turn around a franchise that had been mired in chaos for more than a decade. They also talked about winning a Super Bowl together, plans that were scrapped when Mack was abruptly shipped to the Bears.“When we showed up here we wanted to change the culture and show people what it meant to work, and I think we did that,” Carr said. “I feel good about that. We did change the dynamic of how things are done from the people in the locker room. I believe that 100 percent.“We won’t be able to win a ring together. That’s the only thing left on our list that won’t happen. I wish him the best, besides when he plays us.”While attempting to explain the trade to reporters on Sunday, Gruden repeatedly pointed to the $90 million in guaranteed money that the Bears gave Mack and said the Raiders offer wasn’t close to that.That was particularly difficult for Carr.During the 2017 offseason the Raiders signed their young quarterback to a five-year Garrett Bradbury Jersey , $125 million extension. Right guard Gabe Jackson was also given a hefty raise that same year, while Ellis and wide receiver Seth Roberts signed new deals with Oakland in March.That left little room for Mack under the salary cap, even though Carr specifically said he structured his contract in order to make it easier for the team to keep Mack.“That’s what makes it hard,” Carr said. “We all saw it coming. You just hope it can work out. We all did our best to make sure it could, and it just didn’t work out that way.”Arden Key, Oakland’s third-round pick who is expected to get the majority of playing time in place of Mack, had been hopeful of learning from a player who compiled 40 ½ sacks in his first four NFL seasons.“I wish I could have been able to play with him,” Key said. “It was very shocking. I thought the deal was going to get done.”NOTES: The Raiders continued to shake up their roster and signed veteran wide receiver Brandon LaFell. LaFell spent the past two seasons in Cincinnati and had 52 catches for 548 yards and three touchdowns in 2017. Oakland also claimed defensive tackle Brian Price off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys. To clear room, the team waived wide receiver Johnny Holton and defensive tackle Treyvon Hester.__ There are a number of words you could use to describe Maroon 5’s halftime show performance: Empty. Boring. Basic. Sleepy. Skippable. Unfulfilling. Unnecessary.And those who came to help save the day didn’t do their jobs: If you blinked you would have missed that Travis Scott and Big Boi performed. Even the gospel choir singer was a struggle — clearly they let the wrong one sing lead Sunday.Adam Levine and friends kicked off the performance as fireworks burst from a stage designed like the letter “M,” which should have stood for “magic,” because they needed some.It started off on the right note, actually. “Harder to Breathe,” the band’s amazing debut rock song, was rousing as fire blasts shot from the sides of the stage. Levine grabbed his guitar for “This Love,” while other bandmates also strummed away.It was all going well until a joke was uttered: “A true musical genius who needs no introduction.”That’s when Scott rocketed to the stage. He tried to rap — most of it was bleeped out — in a circle of fire, but his inclusion felt more like an interruption. Scott performed his No. 1 hit Noah Fant Jersey , “Sickomode,” and Levine awkwardly danced beside him, which looked almost as bad as Katy Perry dancing next to Missy Elliott at Super Bowl 49.But there was one Scott highlight: He fell backward into the audience and faded away.The rest of the performance went downhill like Scott’s body did. Maroon 5 performed the very terrible hit “Girls Like You,” making the already bad song sound worse by mixing in a gospel choir, led by a singer whose voice would make you walk out of church (sorry, girl).Each transition during the halftime show didn’t feel smooth, and Big Boi appearing on top of a car in a thick mink coat added to the bizarreness of the night.When he performed “The Way You Move,” it just made you wonder what Andre 3000 was doing at the moment. Watching? Sleeping? Probably sleeping while watching.You probably had similar thoughts when Scott was onstage and Drake’s vocals played at the beginning of “Sickomode” — wishing the show had a real superstar like Drizzy to give an epic performance.Those thoughts lingered again when Levine sang “Moves Like Jagger.” WHERE IS MICK JAGGER RIGHT NOW AND CAN HE PERFORM? Any of the Stones would do, actually.Who probably should have headlined the halftime show? Gladys Knight.She scored a touchdown with her rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner”: The legend’s voice shined brightly as she hit all the right notes ahead of the big game between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams.R&B sister duo Chloe x Halle were also in top-notch form: They harmonized like a veteran girl group as they sang “America the Beautiful” at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The group, nominated for two Grammys at next week’s show including best new artist, are signed to Beyonce’s Parkwood Entertainment.Noise and controversy surrounded this year’s Super Bowl since some have boycotted the NFL over treatment of Colin Kaepernick, the former quarterback who protested racial injustice by kneeling during the national anthem. Some performers declined participation in the Super Bowl as a result.
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CHARLOTTE Justin Layne Jersey , N.C. (AP) — Wide receiver Torrey Smith chuckled at the notion that Eric Reid’s return to the NFL this week might be a distraction for the Carolina Panthers on Sunday when they host the New York Giants.Smith said Reid’s stance on racial injustice hasn’t been an issue in the locker room, adding that “no one cares” if he kneels or not during the national anthem.He said Reid’s new teammates are more eager to see what he does on the field rather than what he does before the game.“It’s not like he’s out there and coach calls ‘Cover 3’ and he’s going to take a knee and let a guy run by him. If that was the issue, it would be a problem,” Smith said with a laugh. “But that’s not the way it works. Eric knows what is best for Eric and we all know what he is fighting for.”Reid, who knelt alongside Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco during the national anthem to bring attention to racial and social injustice, hasn’t said if he will demonstrate Sunday in his first game since filing a collusion grievance against the NFL alleging that teams wouldn’t sign him because of his protesting.Regardless of Reid’s beliefs, the Panthers (2-1) are excited to have the 2013 Pro Bowler, who is expected to start at safety after Da’Norris Searcy was placed on injured reserve last week with a concussion.Cam Newton said the Panthers “got a steal” when they signed the 26-year-old Reid.“He’s a great player,” Newton said. “We’ve accepted him with open arms. We know he’s going to be an impact player for us, and that’s all I care about.”Reid, who is African-American Benny Snell Jr. Jersey , said after signing a one-year contract with Carolina that he plans to “continue to speak for my people” and use his platform to talk about injustices.“I’m going to stand by him and none of that will be a distraction as far as us winning football games,” Newton said. “What he does on the football field is going to impact this team. I know that.”Things to watch in Sunday’s game:FAMILIAR FACESWhen Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly turned on the film this week, he saw plenty of familiar plays being run by the Giants. New York’s offensive coordinator is Mike Shula, who worked as Carolina’s offensive coordinator from 2013-17. So Kuechly saw just about every one of Shula’s play calls over the last five years in practice.Of course, what Kuechly didn’t see too much of on tape this week were zone read options, something Shula ran frequently with Newton as his quarterback. That’s not something the Giants are running with the slow-footed Eli Manning at the helm. “If Eli runs like Cam does, then we are in trouble,” Kuechly said.Moving the ball and scoring points has been a struggle this season for the Giants under Shula.ON THE RUNGiants coach Pat Shurmur admittedly didn’t use rookie Saquon Barkley enough in the loss to the Saints last weekend. The running game was limited to 65 yards on 15 carries. Barkley had 44 yards on 10 carries, with 28 coming on a sprint around end. New York usually doesn’t win unless it can establish some kind of run game to set up the play-action pass. Expect Barkley to either double his carries this week or have backup Wayne Gallman carry more than twice. The Panthers are allowing 110 yards per game on the ground.Jonathan Stewart, Carolina’s all-time leading rusher, was placed on injured reserve last week by New York.VERNON’S BACKThe Giants are optimistic that outside linebacker Olivier Vernon will see his first action of the season after a strong week of practice. Shurmur thinks that could give the defense a boost Zach Gentry Jersey , saying “when you have a fresh body that has the talent, the skill and abilities of a pass rusher, it helps your defense. Certainly adding him back to the mix will help.”Vernon has 40 ½ sacks over the past five seasons while playing mostly defensive end. He missed the first four gamesafter suffering a high ankle sprain in late August.DEFENDING RUSHING QBSThe Giants’ defense has struggled against opposing quarterbacks in the run game. In four games, opposition QBs have gained 151 yards on 20 carries, a 7.55 average. That could be a major problem this week with Newton taking snaps. The 2015 league MVP has carried 28 times for 136 yards and three touchdowns in three games. He has rushed for at least 700 yards in each of the last three seasons, joining Michael Vick as the only NFL quarterbacks with three 700-yard seasons rushing. The Saints used a new wrinkle last weekend against the Giants, having backup quarterback Taysom Hill rush four times for 28 yards.MORE McCAFFREYAided by Newton’s skills as a runner , the Panthers have the league’s No. 1-ranked rushing offense, while the Giants are 29th against the run. So it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out what Carolina wants to do Sunday. Christian McCaffrey is coming off a career-high 184 yards rushing on 28 carries in a 31-21 win against the Bengals before the bye week. But given that offensive coordinator Norv Turner is known to mix things up from week to week, it wouldn’t be a shocker if Turner leans a little more heavily on backup running back C.J. Anderson this week. Michael Bennett made 39 sacks in his five seasons in Seattle. He went to three Pro Bowls.It is those expectations that L.J. Collier walked into the Seahawks’ front door as a first-round draft pick.Collier will play Bennett’s old role, an end in the base defense and as a tackle on passing downs.“He’ll play the spot where Michael Bennett played and we’ll ask him to do a lot of similar things and in time Nick Bosa Jersey , you know, we’ll see what that means,’’ Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said, via Bob Condotta of the . “But that’s where we’re starting anyway.’’The Seahwaks envisioned that for 2017 second-round pick Malik McDowell, but he never played a down after an ATV accident. Now, Collier gets his chance, and the former TCU star embraces the comparison to Bennett.“I think that’s a great comparison [to Bennett] because he can play outside and he can play in,’’ Collier said. “He’s a tough hard-nosed guy. He loves to hit people. I like his style of play and his flexibility of going in and out. Obviously I can do that, too. That’s where I see the comparison.’’
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Our popcorn is indeed ready.The Cowboys report for camp in five days. Running back Ezekiel Elliott may or may not be there. Per a league source http://www.raidersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-josh-jacobs-jersey , Elliott currently is believed to be making plans for a trip out of the country.Of course, plans can quickly change. After PFT reported that Elliott is privately saying he intends to hold out absent a new contract, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports explained on Monday that it will be an important week between team and player, and that things could go “sideways fast.”Elliott, instead of going to Oxnard (by way of Dallas) for training camp, could be going somewhere else. Elliott spent an extended period of time in Mexico during his six-week suspension in 2017.Ultimately, he wants a new deal, as he should. COO Stephen Jones has called Zeke the “straw, if you will, that stirs our drink.” That drink could end up strawless for the start of camp Johnathan Abram Jersey , and possibly beyond, unless the Cowboys move quickly to make the straw one of the highest paid drink-stirrers at his position — if not the highest. NY GIANTS (0-1) at DALLAS (0-1)Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBCOPENING LINE — Cowboys by 5RECORD VS. SPREAD — Giants 0-1, Cowboys 0-1SERIES RECORD — Cowboys lead 64-46-2LAST MEETING — Cowboys 30, Giants 10, Dec. 10, 2017LAST WEEK — Giants lost to Jaguars 20-15; Cowboys lost to Panthers 16-8AP PRO32 RANKING — Giants No. 24; Cowboys No. 25.GIANTS OFFENSE — OVERALL (23), RUSH (17), PASS (22).GIANTS DEFENSE — OVERALL (8) http://www.raidersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-trayvon-mullen-jersey , RUSH (23), PASS (9).COWBOYS OFFENSE — OVERALL (T29), RUSH (23), PASS (30).COWBOYS DEFENSE — OVERALL (5), RUSH (27), PASS (5).STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Cowboys coming off 21st sweep in series last season. … Giants trying to avoid fifth 0-2 start in past six seasons. Cowboys haven’t started 0-2 in seven seasons under coach Jason Garrett. … Giants QB Eli Manning set club record with 217th regular-season start in opener, surpassing Hall of Fame DE Michael Strahan. Manning needs one TD pass for 50 against Cowboys, one shy of personal high vs. Philadelphia. … RB Saquon Barkley trying to become first Giants rookie with consecutive 100-yard games since Eddie Price in 1950. … WR Odell Beckham Jr., has club-record eight games with at least 10 catches. He has five TDs in six games against Dallas. … CB Janoris Jenkins had interception in opener Maxx Crosby Jersey , had pick and forced fumble in last meeting with Cowboys when he was with Rams. … LB Connor Barwin seeks seventh straight game with sack against Dallas. …Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has fewer than 200 yards passing in seven of past nine games. One exception was career-high 332 yards in last meeting with Giants. … RB Ezekiel Elliott had 104 yards rushing in last year’s opener against Giants. He was serving six-game suspension over domestic violence allegations in second meeting. … WR Cole Beasley had team’s only two third-down conversions vs. Panthers, led team with seven catches, 73 yards. … DE DeMarcus Lawrence, tied for second in NFL last season with 14½ sacks, had sack and forced fumble against Carolina. … LB Sean Lee, coming off poor showing with several missed tackles vs. Panthers, got at least 20 tackles in two of past three meetings with Giants. … Fantasy tip: Elliott has 247 yards from scrimmage (123.5 per game) in past two games against Giants, and Cowboys will be looking to establish him early after slow start at Carolina.
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BOURBONNAIS Taylor Rapp Jersey , Ill. (AP) — Wearing a No. 34 jersey to honor Walter Payton’s birthday, running back Tarik Cohen burned rubber in a three-wheeled slingshot on Thursday while tearing around the parking lot in a circle — twice — to announce his arrival at Chicago Bears training camp.Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky chose a slightly more subtle entrance at Olivet Nazarene University, as the Bears reported before Friday’s first training camp practice.That’s how Trubisky wants it. Now the veteran leader of a 12-4 team, Trubisky has to be the composed field general for a young offense trying to step up into the NFL’s upper echelon in order to complement a dominant defense.“I don’t think I’ve tapped into the talent I have and what I can do and what I can show out on the field, and it’s just putting it all together really,” Trubisky said.There are some critics who would agree Trubisky hasn’t done enough. However, some of them would question whether he can.A recent ESPN poll of 50 NFL executives and coaches put Trubisky 25th of 32 starters. It’s uncommon when he earns high praise outside of Chicago despite improving from a 77.5 passer rating to 95.4 last season.“It’s not really about what I can do individually, it’s about what we can accomplish as a team,” Trubisky said. “I think a lot of that is what I bring to the table, how I can lead these guys and how I could help us win games.”The goal for the Bears is to improve from 21st offensively in coach Matt Nagy’s second season and make a long playoff run. To do it, Trubisky said they’ll all need focus on ignoring critics as well as supporters.“We want to pick back up where we left off Shareef Miller Jersey , but at the same time we didn’t accomplish what we did last year because we were worried about expectations,” Trubisky said. “Nobody expected us to do what we did last year, and now it’s kind of flip-sided where there is all these expectations.“So we have to do a good job of staying focused, blocking that out and just doing exactly what we did last year that helped us win those games, and on top of that do even more so we can accomplish more than we did last year.”Wide receiver Allen Robinson said Trubisky’s improvement in his second year of Nagy’s offense was apparent during offseason work. Now it’s a matter of picking up where the offense left off in June minicamp.“I mean for him, all aspects of what he brings to the table, he’s gotten better at,” Robinson said.Some anticipated improvement is in other areas, like leadership. Trubisky no longer just looks at leading receivers or the offense, but is leading the entire team.He’s won over pass rusher Khalil Mack with his persistence and toughness.“Over this past offseason, just getting to spend some time with him and talk to him Germaine Pratt Jersey , he’s a dog,” Mack said. “That’s what you want in your quarterback. That’s what I’m looking forward to seeing this year.“It’s simple: simple words, simple interactions during practice, simple things, just understanding his mindset and how he thinks. Yeah, he’s a dog, man. That’s what I want in my quarterback.”Bears general manager Ryan Pace has other expectations for Trubisky. During a pre-camp news conference, he said he wanted “steady, incremental improvement.”Trubisky knows what Pace means. It’s the same goal he has for himself.“I think if you just focus on the little things, then the big leaps will take care of themselves,” Trubisky said. “Obviously http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-ryan-finley-jersey , we all want to have big years, but it doesn’t happen like that. We’ve got to come to work every day. You’ve got to focus on getting better at one thing at a time, every single drill, every single snap.“And that’s what I am focused on and the results will happen how they will.” KANSAS CITY (0-0) at LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (0-0)Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDT, CBSOPENING LINE – Chargers by 3RECORD VS. SPREAD – Kansas City 10-6, Los Angeles 8-6-2SERIES RECORD – Chiefs lead 60-54-1LAST MEETING – Chiefs beat Chargers 30-13, Dec. 16, 2017AP PRO32 RANKING – Chiefs No. 13, Chargers No. 10CHIEFS OFFENSE – OVERALL (5), RUSH (9) Renell Wren Jersey , PASS (7).CHIEFS DEFENSE – OVERALL (28), RUSH (25), PASS (29).CHARGERS OFFENSE – OVERALL (4), RUSH (24), PASS (1).CHARGERS DEFENSE – OVERALL (15), RUSH (31), PASS (3).STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES – … This marks fourth time Chargers will host Chiefs in season opener but first since 1992. … Chiefs have won eight straight in series. They also won eight straight from 1990-93. … Kansas City is 31-27 in season openers and has won its last three. Chargers are 32-26 and have dropped their past two. … Chiefs coach Andy Reid is 10-3 vs. Chargers; Los Angeles coach Anthony Lynn is 0-2 vs. Chiefs. … Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes will make second career start. He threw for 284 yards in last year’s regular-season finale at Denver. … RB Kareem Hunt led NFL last season in rushing yards (1,327). He averaged 163.5 rushing yards and scored two rushing touchdowns against Chargers last season. … Travis Kelce led all tight ends with 83 receptions last season and was second in yardage (1,018). … WR Tyreek Hill has 11 career touchdowns of 50 yards or more, including 65-yard reception vs. Chargers last season. … LB Justin Houston has six sacks in past five games against Los Angeles. … Chiefs have won 11 straight games when they score touchdown on defense. … Chargers were 4-4 last season in first of three years at StubHub Center. … Los Angeles led league in passing in 2017 http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-michael-jordan-jersey , averaging 276.9 yards per game. … QB Philip Rivers has five 300-yard games vs. Chiefs, but none since 2013.He has started 192 consecutive regular-season games, longest active streak among QBs in NFL … WR Keenan Allen set team record with 102 receptions last season. … RB Melvin Gordon has scored touchdown vs. Chiefs in last three meetings. He had 169 scrimmage yards (91 receiving, 71 rushing) in last meeting. … DE Joey Bosa has 19 sacks in first 20 games, most by player in that span since 1982. … Chargers allowed only 18 sacks last season, least they have allowed in 16-game schedule. … Fantasy tip: TE Antonio Gates has 16 touchdowns vs. Chiefs, most against any opponent. He missed preseason before deciding to return to Chargers, so snaps could be limited Sunday.
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BEREA Jordan Scarlett Jersey , Ohio (AP) — Browns rookie Greedy Williams is eager to become an elite cornerback. He believes new teammate Odell Beckham Jr. will help him expedite the process.“Just going up against him in practice is going to boost my game 10 times better and show me what I need to work on against great receivers like him,” the second-round pick said Thursday.“He’s a different receiver and he’s one of the top guys — if not No. 1 — in the league, so it’s definitely a booster for me.”Williams continued to work with the first-string defense as Cleveland wrapped up its three-day, mandatory minicamp with a spirited, indoor practice.Three-time Pro Bowl wideout Beckham only participated in individual drills, but maintained a vocal presence throughout the 75-minute session. He was acquired in a March 13 trade with the Giants and suited up for the first time this week.“Playing one of the top receivers in the NFL, when you first get out there you don’t know what to expect,” Williams said of his fellow Louisiana State product.“But after a while getting to go against him, you kind of know what type of guy he is. He’s one of those receivers that you don’t really want to face man to man every play.”Williams has already survived his initial challenge — and crisis of confidence — as a professional. It occurred at rookie minicamp, where the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder struggled badly in coverage and questioned himself: “Am I fit for this? It was bad.”Browns coach Freddie Kitchens noted his much improved performance at this minicamp, which included two interceptions of Baker Mayfield, one of them a pick-6 in a two-minute drill.“Greedy did a good job of pushing through that in the spring and the whole time here,” Kitchens said. “That is what the NFL is about. You have to push through. You have to play the next play. You have to have more confidence in yourself than anybody around you has. Greedy is going to be fine.”Cleveland envisions Williams, a second-team All-American, and second-year pro Denzel Ward as its long-term starters at cornerback. The 21-year-old Williams is already leaning on the 22-year-old Ward for advice, much of it about life off the field.Kitchens has also stressed to him that rookies are expected to keep a low profile until they earn the right to speak up. Williams predicted the Browns would reach the Super Bowl during his post-draft press conference, much to the displeasure of their coaches.The Shreveport Greedy Williams Jersey , Louisiana native has taken all of their messages to heart, going as far as muting his notorious trash-talking skills for now.“I’m still in my humble stage, man,” Williams said, flashing the warm smile that is becoming his trademark. “I’m just taking it serious, understanding this is a business, understanding this is a job. I just want to be the best and gain my team’s trust. It’s on from there.”NOTES: Beckham and disgruntled RB Duke Johnson were held out of 11-on-11 drills, but are healthy. Johnson requested a trade after Cleveland signed ex-Chiefs standout Kareem Hunt. “It’s more preventative than anything, everything is OK with them,” Kitchens said. “We do not play any games in the spring. Even when they’re here and it is mandatory, we’re going to make sure that we take care of our players until the games start counting.” . Mayfield will marry girlfriend Emily Wilkinson on July 6. “I think he’s tough, but who he’s going to be going home with is a little tougher,” Kitchens quipped. … Browns owner Jimmy Haslam watched practice by himself, standing behind the uprights in the south end zone. ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — The Washington Redskins‘ constantly changing personnel reminded cornerback Josh Norman of a game show.“It’s like watching ‘Jeopardy,'” Norman said as players cleaned out their lockers on Monday. “You watch ‘Jeopardy?’ When you watch it, do you see the same people?”There were plenty of new and unfamiliar faces for Washington this season. Despite racing out to a 6-3 start behind a strong defense and the steady play of quarterback Alex Smith, the Redskins eventually placed a league-high 24 players on injured reserve — including Smith and his backup http://www.ravensfootballauthentics.com/justice-hill-jersey-authentic , Colt McCoy, both of whom suffered broken legs — while losing six of their final seven games to finish 7-9 for the second straight season.Coach Jay Gruden said as of Monday afternoon, he had not yet talked to owner Dan Snyder or anyone else in the organization about his future or the jobs of his coaching staff.“When you’re 7-9, whether you have injuries or not, it’s not good enough for this franchise,” Gruden said. “Mr. Snyder demands greatness from his staff and his players and we didn’t deliver.”Gruden said he didn’t want to use injuries as an excuse, but added that it was “impossible” to fully evaluate his players, particularly at quarterback, where the Redskins had four different starters. They finished the season with Josh Johnson, who had last started an NFL game in 2011.Washington has missed the playoffs in three consecutive seasons and in four of Gruden’s five years in charge. Gruden is the longest-tenured coach since Snyder bought the team in 1997, compiling a 35-44-1 record.Uncertainty surrounds veterans Norman, Jamison Crowder, Jordan Reed, Mason Foster, Zach Brown and Adrian Peterson, among others.Peterson, the 33-year-old running back picked up on Aug. 20 to help ease the loss of second-round draft pick Derrius Guice to injury, was one of the bright spots for the Redskins. He led the team with 1 Ben Powers Jersey ,042 yards rushing and seven touchdowns.“I only can control the things I can control and I felt like I’ve done that somewhat, so I’ll sit back and let the chips fall where they may,” Peterson said about his future.As for Smith, there’s no guarantee the 34-year-old quarterback will ever play again after he suffered a compound fracture that required multiple surgeries and a long hospital stay to fight off an infection. The Redskins acquired Smith in a trade with Kansas City after allowing Kirk Cousins to leave in free agency.“We’re obviously hopeful he can turn a corner and start the rehab process and possibly get back on the field,” Gruden said. “That’s all we can hope for right now.”Team president Bruce Allen infamously said after the 2014 season the Redskins were “winning off the field.” They had their fair share of problems once again in that department.The Redskins, who are 59-84-1 in Allen’s nine years on the job, finally acknowledged the end of their decades-long sellout streak as crowds continued to dwindle at FedEx Field. They also received harsh criticism for singing free agent Reuben Foster following his arrest for domestic violence, placed second year safety Montae Nicholson on the non-football injury reserve list following a late-season arrest, released Pro Bowl alternate D.J. Swearinger on Christmas Eve after Swearinger repeatedly complained about defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, and fired several business executives on Dec. 26 after less than a year on the job.Somehow, Washington was still in playoff contention until a Week 16 loss at Tennessee. The Redskins concluded the season with a 24-0 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles that felt like a road game as traveling Philly fans nearly filled up the lower bowl at FedEx Field.As to Norman’s future with the team as a player — or contestant, as he put it — the once-coveted cornerback felt that he was better than his three interceptions showed.“Whenever they decide to have a meeting, we’ll see,” Norman said. “I think it’s one of my best seasons yet, and we don’t grow on trees. So we’ll see what happens.”
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ATLANTA (AP) — After Matt Ryan agreed to restructure his contract to clear salary cap room http://www.panthersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-greg-little-jersey , the Atlanta Falcons quickly invested the new funds in protecting the quarterback.The Falcons on Wednesday signed free-agent offensive guards James Carpenter and Jamon Brown. Carpenter’s four-year deal is worth $21 million. Brown’s three-year deal is worth $18.75 million.Ryan agreed to tweak his contract on Tuesday with $8.75 million of his 2019 base salary to be paid as a signing bonus. The Falcons cleared $7 million in cap space with the move.The Falcons added additional cap space of about $6.45 million with their release of right tackle Ryan Schraeder on Wednesday. Schraeder’s agent Joel Turner, confirmed the release to The Associated Press.Schraeder lost his starting job to Ty Sambrailo late last season. Sambrailo was signed to a three-year extension last month.The Falcons also released kicker Matt Bryant, cornerback Robert Alford and defensive end Brooks Reed this offseason.Offensive guard was the Falcons’ top priority. The newcomers will add bulk to the middle of the line. Carpenter (6-5, 321) and Brown (6-4, 340) will compete for starting jobs at left guard and right guard, respectively.Brandon Fusco, Wes Schweitzer and Sean Harlow return at guard. The Falcons lost Andy Levitre, Ben Garland and Zane Beadles to free agency.Brown, whose 26th birthday is Friday, was released by the Rams last season before signing with the Giants, where he was an immediate starter . Carpenter, whose 30th birthday is March 22, was limited by a shoulder injury to 10 games with the Jets in 2018.It would not be a surprise if more help for the line comes in the NFL draft, though the free-agent signings give Atlanta more flexibility to address another need with their first-round pick Will Grier Jersey , No. 14 overall. Other needs include defensive line, cornerback and running back.Wednesday’s signings could be the first proof of new offensive thinking following changes on coach Dan Quinn’s staff.Following last season’s 7-9 finish, Quinn fired each of his three coordinators. He hired Dirk Koetter as new offensive coordinator and Mike Mularkey to coach tight ends. Quinn will run the defense.Koetter said last month the staff was “going through that playbook line by line and play by play” and “ironing out what’s going to be the Falcons’ offense moving forward.”The first emphasis was the offensive line, where center Alex Mack and left tackle Jake Matthews may be the only 2019 starters who started to open last season.“You can have the greatest skill players in the world, but your O-line and your D-line set the tempo for the team,” Koetter said.Atlanta ranked 27th in the league in rushing last season. Improvements in pass-blocking also are needed.Ryan wasn’t sacked as many as 30 times in any of his first five seasons. He’s been sacked 30 or more times in five of the last six years, including 42 times in 2018.Despite the lack of protection, Ryan has been very durable. He has started every game in nine straight seasons since missing two games in 2009. Marcel Hirscher capped his stellar season by securing an unprecedented seventh overall World Cup title on Sunday.
Dominating the penultimate slalom of the season, the two-time Olympic champion from Austria stretched his lead over his only remaining rival, Henrik Kristoffersen, to 289 points. The Norwegian, a specialist in technical races, cannot overtake Hirscher because he will only compete in two more events this season.
”Now I am going for one week vacation to Are,” he quipped. ”That is always really nice because the stress has gone away.”
Building on a big first-leg lead of 0.82-seconds over Kristoffersen, Hirscher did not hold back in his final run and extended the margin to 1.22 seconds, a country mile in the sport. Ramon Zenhaeusern of Switzerland was 1.61 behind in third, while Olympic champion Andre Myhrer, who was third after the opening run, dropped to 24th.
Shortly after finishing and with his skis still clipped on, Hirscher fell on his back and celebrated the victory.
”Incredible. You can’t believe it’s possible,” he said after becoming the first skier in the 51-year history of the World Cup to win seven overall titles. No other male skier has won more than five, and fellow Austrian Annemarie Moser-Proell won six times on the women’s circuit in the 1970s.
Sunday’s victory also gave Hirscher this year’s slalom title with a race to spare, a day after he also locked up the season-long title in the giant slalom.
”With all the problems before the season started, with the broken ankle Jordan Scarlett Jersey , it is… I can’t find the right words. It is very surreal,” said Hirscher, who missed all of his pre-season preparation after fracturing his ankle while straddling a gate on his first training day on snow in August.
”The summer really wasn’t easy. It went from a possible end of career to my best season,” Hirscher said after Sunday’s win, his 12th of the World Cup season and 57th overall.
Last month in Pyeongchang, Hirscher crowned his illustrious career by adding the only prize he was missing – Olympic gold. He won the combined event and the giant slalom, but came up short as clear favorite in the slalom, where he went out in the opening run.
”I don’t know, to be honest,” Hirscher said when asked about his next goals. ”I am happy to go home now and enjoy this. I have to make up my mind where my journey goes next.”
Hirscher said the ongoing rivalry with Kristoffersen, who beat the Austrian for the slalom title two years ago, has enabled him to further raise his level.
”Hats off, the future belongs to this young man,” Hirscher said about the 23-year-old Norwegian. ”He has made it really tough. He performed David Montgomery Jersey , performed, performed, and made no mistakes so I had to bring something extra all the time.”
Kristoffersen, who performed a deep bow to Hirscher at the prize giving ceremony after Sunday’s race, called the Austrian ”the best ski racer in the world.”
”So it’s OK for me to be second. At the moment he is just better, so it’s OK when he wins the slalom globe, the GS globe, the overall globe,” Kristoffersen said.
The men’s World Cup continues with a downhill and a super-G in Kvitfjell, Norway, next weekend.
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ALAMEDA Riley Ridley Jersey , Calif. (AP) — The last time an Oakland Raiders coach watched his team lose back-to-back games when leading after three quarters, late owner Al Davis brought out the overhead projector and fired Lane Kiffin.There will be no repeat with Jon Gruden this week, even if that doesn’t ease the pain of these late-game collapses in Oakland.The Raiders became the second team in the past 20 seasons to start the year with three straight losses after leading the first three games at halftime with the latest blown lead coming Sunday in Miami when Oakland lost 28-20 to the Dolphins.“Nobody cares right now. They want results,” Gruden said Monday. “We want to win. I think the players see a lot of things to be confident about, but we know we got to finish football games much better.”The Raiders (0-3) have spent most of this season playing from ahead, holding the lead for nearly two-thirds of the time and trailing for only 22:28 over the first three games. In fact, there hasn’t been a single second played in the first three quarters of any game this season with Oakland behind on the scoreboard.But the fourth quarter has been an utter disaster. The Raiders fell behind the Rams in the opener on the final play of the third quarter and then were outscored 13-0 in the fourth thanks in part to two interceptions by Derek Carr.Oakland then was outscored 10-0 in the fourth quarter in a Week 2 loss at Denver before falling apart late again in Miami on Sunday. Carr threw another costly interception and the Raiders let Miami turn two gimmick plays into long touchdowns that have kept Gruden winless in his second stint as Raiders head coach.“We’ve got to take a deep breath and look forward to the moment,” Gruden said. “We have to apply pressure, not to say we feel pressure. We’ve got to continue to remain confident and poised and do our jobs individually Greedy Williams Jersey , so we can do our job collectively. I think at times we have some guys trying to do too much. That’s something we really have to solve quickly. We do have good enough players to finish.”This marked the first time since Kiffin’s final two games in 2008 that the Raiders lost consecutive games when leading after three quarters. They joined the 2011 Minnesota Vikings as the only teams in the past 20 seasons to start the year 0-3 when leading all three games at halftime.Oakland has started with the ball each week and all three games have begun with the Raiders scoring and the opposition going three-and-out. That has led to the Raiders outscoring the opponent by 18 points in the first half, tying for seventh best in the league heading into Monday night. But Oakland has been outscored by 47 points in the second half, 22 points behind the next worst team in Arizona.The problems have been in all three phases. The offense has scored TDs on just four of nine red zone trips, committed five turnovers and fallen flat late in games with just one field goal in the fourth quarter all year.Oakland has failed to generate any big returns on kicks or punts and had an extra point blocked in Denver that proved to be the difference in a one-point loss.The defense has allowed three TDs on shovel passes and struggled to generate big plays after trading star edge rusher Khalil Mack. Oakland ranks last in the league with three sacks and tied for last with just one takeaway, contributing to Oakland being the only team that hasn’t started a drive this season in the opponent’s territory.“It’s a big reason why field position is what it is,” Gruden said. “Really a turnover is getting a three-and-out, too. Getting a three-and-out, getting the ball back immediately can almost be as good as a turnover. We need some of those and we need to get the ball back, whether we intercept it or strip it away.”NOTES: K Mike Nugent has an injured hip and the Raiders are bringing in kickers for tryouts this week in case he can’t play. … S Karl Joseph has an injured hamstring and will likely miss at least one game. … RT Donald Penn has concussion symptoms but Gruden said he thinks he’ll be OK. The first women’s World Cup speed races in 2018 were doubtful on Friday as the snow on parts of the course was still too weak after heavy rain this week and mild temperatures.
The lower section of the Karnten-Franz Klammer course was not hard enough to stage the mandatory training for a downhill.
”It’s a difficult situation right now with the way the snow is and how they prepared the course Sione Takitaki Jersey ,” Lindsey Vonn told The Associated Press. ”I am not sure if we are going to be able to get a race off, but they are definitely trying as hard as they can.”
The American standout added ”the top is good but the bottom is not safe to race.”
Organizers swapped the program for this weekend by pushing back the downhill to Sunday and rescheduling a super-G for Saturday.
The first downhill training on Thursday was cancelled and a race can be staged only after competitors have at least one training run on the entire course.
Only a shortened run of less than 40 seconds was held on Friday on the upper hill, which included the steep Klammer Stich with a 73-percent grade. Training on the rest of the course was planned for Saturday after the super-G.
”Of course we all want to race but the conditions have to be good,” Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein said. ”I hope there will be a clear decision tomorrow morning, not postponing and waiting.”
As the skiers’ representatives this weekend, Vonn and Weirather will be talking to the race jury on Saturday when decisions are made.
”We have a strong voice,” said Vonn, adding the races should not be staged at all costs with the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang only a month away.
The last time Bad Kleinkirchheim hosted the World Cup, in 2015 Sheldrick Redwine Jersey , both races were cancelled because of heavy winds.
Austria’s Christina Ager posted the fastest time in the short training session, followed by Sofia Goggia of Italy and Weirather.
Vonn, who failed to reach a podium in five previous races here, was 22nd.
American teammate Mikaela Shiffrin, who leads the season’s downhill standings after two events, is sitting out this weekend’s races to rest.
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We have a lot of big names that will be on new teams in 2019 T.J. Hockenson Jersey , and not just from free agency. In the past season, we have seen a lot of different moves between trades and players being cut. Just based off of the last season, this offseason will have a lot of acquisitions. The pressure is on for so many teams. There’s rarely any teams that are in a re-building process, probably less than 10. That means those other 20 teams or so are wanting to find a way to win as soon as possible. If their current team can’t get it done, they need to find the pieces that can make it happen. The question is, who makes that happen?Each team has their core players, but they want to find those new players that can help advance their team. Sometimes those core players aren’t part of the future. We saw that this offseason with Khalil Mack, who was a star on the Raiders but was traded to the Bears. Look at how that trade turned out though. Some trades completely change the dynamic of a team.We’re going to break down 20 players who will find new teams this offseason, and some potential teams that will be interested. While there are always those frontrunners in signing a player, that doesn’t always work out. The Broncos seemed like the frontrunner to sign Kirk Cousins this offseason http://www.lionscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-jahlani-tavai-jersey , but the Vikings landed him. You never know with the NFL. So, who will it be? Chris Sale pitched his latest Bronx gem, Rafael Devers went 5 for 5 with a first-inning grand slam and the Boston Red Sox held the New York Yankees to two hits during an 11-0 rout Saturday night to take back baseball’s best record.
Sale (8-4) allowed only Giancarlo Stanton’s clean single over seven innings, striking out 11. He has a 1.73 career ERA against the Yankees, best among pitchers with at least 10 starts against them since 1920. His ERA at Yankee Stadium is 1.86, second only to Seattle’s Felix Hernandez among pitchers with five starts.
Boston is a major league-leading 56-28, just ahead of the Yankees at 53-27. New York held the majors’ best mark by percentage points after winning Friday’s series opener 8-1.
Yankee Stadium hosted a season-high sellout of 47,125, and the crowd gave starter Sonny Gray (5-6) an earful after he gave up six runs in 2 1/3 innings. The right-hander dropped to 0-4 with a 9.35 ERA against Boston since being acquired by New York from Oakland last season.
RANGERS 13, WHITE SOX 4
ARLINGTON Will Harris Jersey , Texas (AP) – Bartolo Colon overcame a sluggish start to earn his 245th major league win and match Dennis Martinez for the most by a pitcher from Latin America when Texas beat Chicago.
Joey Gallo and Ryan Rua homered for the Rangers, who won for the 11th time in 13 games and clinched their fifth consecutive series. Robinson Chirinos hit a three-run double in the fourth inning that put Texas ahead to stay.
The 45-year-old Colon (5-5) was done after Matt Davidson led off the sixth with a homer to center field that pulled the White Sox to 5-3.
Colon already had the most wins by a pitcher born in the Dominican Republic, having surpassed Hall of Famer Juan Marichal for that distinction with his 244th victory at Kansas City on June 18, six days before a loss at Minnesota. Colon won in his first start at home since June 6 to match Martinez, who is from Nicaragua.
White Sox lefty Carlos Rodon (1-3) allowed five runs in 5 1/3 innings.
GIANTS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 0
PHOENIX (AP) – Dereck Rodriguez blanked the Diamondbacks into the seventh inning and San Francisco made it two wins in a row at Arizona.
Brandon Crawford, Andrew McCutchen and Joe Panik homered on another rough night for Shelby Miller (0-2), who struggled in his second start since returning from Tommy John surgery.
Ty Blach and Cory Gearrin completed San Francisco’s 10th shutout of the season.
The Giants have won nine of 11 to pull into a tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers for second in the NL West, 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Diamondbacks. San Francisco can complete a three-game road sweep on Sunday.
Rodriguez (3-1), the son of Hall of Fame catcher Ivan ”Pudge” Rodriguez, dominated in his sixth major league start. He allowed six hits in 6 1/3 innings, struck out five and walked two.
MARINERS 6, ROYALS 4
SEATTLE (AP) – Ryon Healy had four hits, including a homer, and drove in three runs to lead Seattle over Kansas City.
Felix Hernandez (8-6) gave up four consecutive hits, including a three-run homer by Mike Moustakas, to start the game. But the right-hander settled down to pitch four scoreless innings after that Rock Ya-Sin Jersey , helping the Mariners to a season-best sixth consecutive win.
Edwin Diaz worked a perfect ninth for his 31st save. The Mariners (53-31) are 22 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2003 season.
Jason Hammels (2-10) lost his fifth straight, allowing six runs and 13 hits in six innings.
PADRES 4, PIRATES 3
SAN DIEGO (AP) – Wil Myers homered, doubled and drove in three runs, and rookie Joey Lucchesi threw five scoreless innings to send San Diego past Pittsburgh.
The Padres had to hold on after closer Brad Hand allowed two runs in the ninth before earning his 23rd save. Hand gave up doubles by Elias Diaz and Austin Meadows, and a triple by Gregory Polanco. The reliever then got Jordy Mercer to fly out to shallow right field, pinch-hitter Jose Osuna to foul out to right and struck out Starling Marte.
Myers, limited to 19 games this season due to injuries, homered off Trevor Williams (6-6) in the third, his second. Myers then chased the San Diegan with a two-run double to give the Padres a 4-0 lead in the fifth.
San Diego won for just the third time in 13 games.
Lucchesi (4-3) won for the first time since April 28. He was making his third start since missing five weeks with a strained right hip. The left-hander allowed one hit while striking out five and walking four.
TORONTO (AP) – Justin Smoak led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a home run and Toronto handed Detroit its 11th straight loss.
Smoak connected against reliever Joe Jimenez (3-1) for his 11th homer of the season.
Seyunghwan Oh (4-2) worked one inning for the win. Randal Grichuk also homered for the Blue Jays, who have won 10 of 11 at home.
John Hicks hit a solo homer in the Detroit second off Sam Gaviglio and Nick Castellanos made it 3-0 with a two-run shot in the third, his 12th.
Randal Grichuk hit a two-run homer to cap Toronto’s three-run fifth that tied the score.
RAYS 5, ASTROS 2
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Wilson Ramos drove in four runs in the first two innings against Justin Verlander, and Tampa Bay won for the seventh time in eight games.
Matt Duffy finished with three hits, including two in the first two innings, to help the Rays move to .500 (41-41) for the first time since June 1. Tampa Bay has held opponents to two runs or fewer in five straight games for only
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The idea for the American Professional Football Conference happened in the auto showroom of the Jordan and Hupmobile dealership in Canton http://www.bengalscheapstore.com/renell-wren-jersey-cheap , Ohio. It was created with intentions on stopping the confusion and chaos in professional football at that time. The APFC was going to be an organized league that would be a one stop shop for all professional football players. The league would consist of 14 teams from cities in the Northeast part of the United States and the name would change to the American Professional Football Association before the first games in the inaugural season.Over the next 96 years, the NFL has grown into the largest professional sports company in the world bringing in an estimated $12 billion last year, up from $11 billion in 2014. It is the most watched sport in America and the Super Bowl is the most watched program in the world every year. The NFL has created a standard for professional football that is hard to compete with.But when Vince McMahon decided to create the XFL, his own personal professional football league, he thought it would be a great option for aspiring NFL players to chose during their off-season. It was never meant to compete with the NFL but it was only natural that fans saw it that way. That would end up being the biggest problem for the collapse of the league after just one season.Vince wanted to bring the wrestling fans over while also giving NFL fans something to watch during the NFL's slow time. However, it failed because the fans just did not see beyond the WWE name attached to the league. It had professional wrestling written all over it. From the team names to the league title itself, this was setting up to be Arena Football on steroids.As soon as the first game began, with Vince McMahon getting on the mic and cutting a promo for the crowd, it was all downhill from there. The rules kept changing, the teams were struggling to score, and the attendance was dropping Michael Jordan Jersey , weekly. It was so bad that when it was all said and done, even Vince McMahon called it a, "colossal failure."After lasting only 10 games, in one season, the XFL closed its' doors forever, leaving nearly 400 professional football players without a job. Some of them would go on to play in the NFL, CFL, or in the Arena Football League while others would retire or give up the sport altogether.We went back and picked the 15 best players from the XFL and decided to see what they are up to now. ATLANTA (AP) — The idea that experience pays off in the most-pressurized situations sports offer is nothing new. Does it apply to the Super Bowl in general, and this one specifically?Recent history will tell us not really. The Super Bowl thing was something novel for virtually all of the Eagles last year, and they knocked off the perennial contender and frequent AFC champion Patriots.Same thing in the 2014 game when Seattle routed a Peyton Manning-led Broncos team. The Saints with Drew Brees against the Colts, led by — you guessed it — Manning in the 2011 contest http://www.raidersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-hunter-renfrow-jersey , too.Then you can argue that the Patriots benefited greatly from the Falcons‘ lack of familiarity with putting away a championship two years ago. And that Denver — yep, that QB named Peyton again — used the experience edge perfectly against Carolina in 2016.There’s no question which team has the pelts in Super Bowl 53.“I think you get to focus more on football (because of the know-how),” says Patriots receiver Julian Edelman, who will match up at times with the Rams’ formidable cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters.“Fortunately, I’ve played in a couple of these and you get to refine your routine and it allows you to think about football. It allows you to think about the Los Angeles Rams and what they’re doing and how they are on defense and special teams and (Johnny) Hekker being a quarterback back there as a punter, that’s what it allows you to do because you have a little experience with that. But that’s it.”Maybe. Or maybe the Rams, who are 2½-point underdogs in their first Super Bowl since the 2001 season — a loss to New England — won’t ever find that comfort zone so necessary at this point.The key just might be if coach Sean McVay, who turned all of 33 last week, keeps pushing the envelope. The only way to beat the Patriots is to remain aggressive for 60 minutes, and possibly beyond. Maybe McVay needs to be a bit outlandish as well. Look up what Doug Pederson did last year in a masterful coaching performance.“So, it’s never too soon to be able to make a big impact in a big-time game Zach Brown Jersey ,” McVay says. “We certainly have a respect for that experience that the Patriots specifically have. We’ve got some guys on our team that do have that experience, but we’ve also got some really good football players that you feel like no moment is too big for them.“We know that it’s a big-time game, but I think our guys — whether they have played in this game before, whether they haven’t — we expect them to play good football. When that ball is kicked off, it’s just like any other game. Certainly, you don’t shy away from the magnitude, but you’re still playing football.”Playing football in February is unique for most of the Rams, old hat for Tom Brady and many of the Patriots. But will that matter?Pro Picks thinks so.PATRIOTS, 31-22
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FLOWERY BRANCH Jace Sternberger Jersey , Ga. (AP) — Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Quinn says running back Devonta Freeman and safeties Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen are still on the mend and that he believes each of the injured starters will be ready for the start of training camp.Freeman has missed 16 games since signing the NFL’s richest contract for a running back before the start of the 2017 season. Neal tore his ACL in the opener last year and was out the rest of the season. Allen tore his Achilles tendon two weeks later.Freeman has had head, knee and groin injuries over the last two years. The Falcons ranked 27th in rushing last year, one of seven teams not to average 100 yards per game.Quinn indicated at a rookie mini-camp Saturday that Freeman, who had season-ending groin surgery last October, is closest of the three to returning for a mandatory mini-camp next month.“We can’t wait to get Free back,” Quinn said. “He’s having such an awesome offseason. His energy and him being around the team, you feel what he brings. It’s been awesome having him part of the offseason program. When you get the team out here this spring, I think you’ll feel some energy at running back with Free leading the way.”Neal and Allen are the two leaders of a secondary that contributed to the Falcons’ ranking 25th in scoring defense and 27th against the pass. Atlanta missed their ball skills http://www.packerscheapstore.com/dexter-williams-jersey-cheap , too, as the defense recovered only four fumbles.“Keke and Rico both are really pushing it from a rehab and competitive side,” Quinn said. “Big shocker. Two of our most competitive guys. They are really determined and detailed and they’re off to excellent starts with their process.”The goal for Neal and Allen is to be ready for training camp in late July.“If they continue to hit the markers that they are, I think that would be more than realistic,” Quinn said.Notes: Quinn liked the versatility he saw from cornerback Kendall Sheffield, a third-round draft pick from Ohio State, and running back Qadree Ollison, a fifth-round pick from Pittsburgh. Both have to earn several roles on special teams and provide depth at their regular positions. … Approximately 30 undrafted college free agents had tryouts while working alongside the draft class the last two days. … The Falcons begin offseason training activities for the entire roster on May 23. CINCINNATI (AP) — With the Bengals‘ first practice concluded Josh Allen Jersey , Ryan Finley walked past Andy Dalton’s locker and headed to a side locker room where the rookies are relegated until the final roster cut. The two quarterbacks will be much closer once the season begins.How close? That’ll be up to Finley.The fourth-round pick from N.C. State is competing with Jeff Driskel for the chance to be the No. 2 quarterback for now. Dalton is under contract for two more seasons, and coach Zac Taylor has declared him the unchallenged starter.Finley started learning the offense this week and went through the first rookie minicamp practice on Friday, getting accustomed to a new setting and a new offense. Taylor liked the way Finley grasped the limited part of the offense he’s been taught and made corrections on the field.“I thought he had good command in the huddle,” Taylor said. “I was pleased. One time we broke the huddle, we weren’t on the same page, and he got them back in there. Day 1, that’s a good start for him, showing those qualities.”Finley was nervous and floated a few throws http://www.jaguarscheapstore.com/jawaan-taylor-jersey-cheap , but otherwise was pleased with the scaled-back workout.“I hadn’t been in a setting like that in a while,” Finley said. “I could have thrown it better, but I think that’s just the first day.”The Bengals moved up in the fourth round to take Finley, the highest spot they’ve drafted a quarterback since they got Dalton in the second round in 2011. Cincinnati was one of three teams, along with Detroit and Washington, that brought him in for pre-draft visits.Finley didn’t play football until high school. His father grew up in Minnesota and played hockey, so that was Finley’s main sport as a youth.“It was something we could do together,” Finley said. “When I got a little bit older Josh Oliver Jersey , I kind of played on the same teams as my dad.”Finley played seven games at Boise State before transferring to N.C. State, where he played three seasons. As a senior, he completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 3,928 yards with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.The Bengals think he’ll be a good complement to Dalton, who has a similar passing style in their West Coast offense. Dalton texted Finley after he was drafted, but they hadn’t yet met as of Friday. Finley has spent time watching video of Dalton to learn the offense.“I’ve heard so many awesome things and just watching him on film these past couple days trying to learn the offense, I’m impressed,” Finley said.The main challenge for Finley is grasping a playbook that’s far more complicated in how plays are described and called.“It’s very new for me http://www.jaguarscheapstore.com/quincy-williams-ii-jersey-cheap ,” he said. “Very wordy, but it’s fun. It’s what I like.”SCALED BACKTaylor won’t do any 11-on-11 drills during his first rookie minicamp as Bengals head coach, putting more of an emphasis on getting players up to speed on the playbooks while undrafted rookies try to impress during individual drills.“We’re kind of in-between,” Taylor said. “You’re not going to see any 11 on 11, but it’s more than a tryout.”HITTING THE GROUNDThe Bengals practiced on their grass fields adjacent to Paul Brown Stadium, which were damp from an overnight rain. Several players slipped while running routes.“A little slick,” Taylor said. “It’s not ideal when it rains for your first practice.”
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The Kansas City Chiefs are placing the franchise tag on outside linebacker Dee Ford after the best season of his career http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-ryan-finley-jersey , though that could be just the first step in their dealings with him.The decision was made on Saturday, a person familiar with it told The Associated Press, three days before the league’s deadline for franchising players. But the Chiefs have discussed signing Ford to a long-term deal, and they are open to trade possibilities as they switch their base defenses.The person spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because the move was not finalized as the paperwork awaited filing. ESPN.com was first to report the Chiefs had made the decision.The franchise tag for an outside linebacker next season is just over $15.4 million, a number the Chiefs could easily fit under the salary cap. But general manager Brett Veach has made it clear since taking over last year that he is open to making any moves that help the overall club.That could mean a long-term contract — the deadline for doing that with a franchise player is July 15 — or trading away one of the league’s top pass rushers.“He had an outstanding season. He was at the top of his game,” Veach said during his year-end discussion with reporters. “When we drafted Dee a few years ago, all those things that we envisioned for him, he kind of showed that he was that player.”But that also came in former defensive coordinator Bob Sutton’s scheme, which is built around a 3-4 base. The Chiefs fired Sutton after an AFC West-winning season culminated in an overtime loss to the Patriots Renell Wren Jersey , and hired Steve Spagnuolo to implement a 4-3 scheme.“The one thing he can do, and we all know this, he is an explosive football player that makes a lot of plays,” Spagnuolo said recently. “He’s had some production and if he is here with us, I’ll be excited to have him and be excited to work with him.”Ford was the Chiefs’ first-round pick in 2014 out of Auburn, but he struggled with injuries and the adjustment to the NFL his first couple seasons. He only played in six games with two sacks in 2017, but had a career-best 13 sacks and forced seven fumbles this past season.That performance made the franchise tag a palatable option.“Obviously, Dee is a player that has done so much for us, in particular last year http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-michael-jordan-jersey ,” Veach said. “We have a special thing brewing here and I think everyone wants to keep this thing rolling.”The Chiefs also have a decision to make with fellow outside linebacker Justin Houston, who had nine sacks in 12 games last season. He carries a salary cap hit of $21.1 million, a number the Chiefs would like to drive down either by restructuring his deal or potentially releasing him.“I would say that he’s under contract for this year and next year,” Veach said at the NFL’s scouting combine this week. “Again, our plan is to play with him and we look forward to having him on our roster. There’s a lot of dialogue and I think everything is fluid for the next few weeks until we get into the start of the league year. We’ll kind of handle that — the information we get, what’s real, what’s not real — and it’s a good problem to have because he’s a great player.” JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jacksonville Jaguars rookie defensive end Josh Allen sat out practice Thursday after bruising his right knee during the team’s first practice of organized team activities.Coach Doug Marrone made the announcement two days after Allen got hurt and said there’s “zero” concern for his long-term health. But Marrone added that team doctors plan to be cautious with his return.“If he was going to be back tomorrow, I wouldn’t say anything and it would be fine Greedy Williams Jersey ,” Marrone said before practice. “We’re going to be cautious. It’s the time of year where you can be. You don’t need to rush anyone back.“He’s in shape. He’s strong. He’s done everything we’ve asked. Any other player, we’d be doing the same thing. But just because it’s him, I think you need to make sure that you set everybody straight so no one goes conspiracy theory.”The Jaguars chose the former Kentucky star with the seventh overall pick in the NFL draft last month. Allen attended practice Thursday and worked with trainers on the side.After the session, he signed his contract. Under the NFL’s rookie slotting system, Allen got a four-year deal worth roughly $22.7 million. He was expected to get a signing bonus of around $14.6 million.
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OWINGS MILLS http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/jawaan-taylor-jersey , Md. (AP) — On a day designed to honor Haloti Ngata’s retirement as a member of the Ravens, his former coach in Baltimore stole a portion of the limelight.Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti welcomed both Ngata and Brian Billick into the team’s prestigious Ring of Honor, announcing Wednesday that Billick will be inducted in 2019 and Ngata in 2020.Ngata was drafted out of Oregon as the 12th overall pick in 2006. The first NFL coach he played for was Billick, who guided the Ravens from 1999-2007 and hoisted the Super Bowl trophy after the 2000 season.Billick compiled a 80-64 record but was fired by Bisciotti after Baltimore staggered to a 5-11 finish in 2007. It took 12 years, but Bisciotti figured the time was right to finally recognize the 65-year-old Billick for his contribution to the franchise.“I told Brian how honored we would be, and how lucky we are as an organization, to have had him here,” Bisciotti said.Ngata, 35, will also have his name emblazoned on the Ravens’ home stadium, a suitable salute to a five-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle who made a name for himself on a defense that included future Hall of Fame entrants Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.As a star-struck rookie, Ngata recalled with a chuckle his first encounter with Lewis at training camp.“Ray said http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/gardner-minshew-ii-jersey , ‘I called you, you didn’t answer, what’s up?’ I froze, I didn’t know what to say, you know, when you meet your heroes,” Ngata said. “I just told him, ‘I’m so sorry, Mr. Lewis, I’ll call you next time.'”Lewis informed Ngata that he could call him Ray.Ngata and Lewis teamed with Reed and others to win the Super Bowl in 2012. After the 2014 season, Ngata and then-general manager Ozzie Newsome became embroiled in a salary dispute, a prelude to a trade that sent the 320-pound lineman to the Detroit Lions.“At first I was kind of shocked a little bit http://www.losangelesramsteamonline.com/darrell-henderson-jersey ,” Ngata said. “But I understood. I was against the salary cap. I wasn’t moving and they weren’t budging.”Ngata toiled three seasons in relative anonymity in Detroit before closing out his 13-year career in Philadelphia in 2018.“The last month of the season I woke up and thought, ‘Why am I still doing this?'” he said. “Once I’m questioning why I’m playing football, I know it’s time to retire.”It was important to Ngata that his NFL career would end where he started it.Wiping away tears, Ngata told an audience of family, friends, former teammates and fans, “This is an amazing organization. I loved being a Raven. I always knew I wanted to retire as a Raven. I just couldn’t wait to come back.”Ngata was twice an All-Pro. He had 32 ½ sacks, five interceptions and seven forced fumbles over 180 games.Being in Ravens Ring of Honor is special, but there might be something even better in store for Ngata, according to Newsome.Newsome, who drafted Lewis and Reed, is also a member of the Hall of Fame. He believes Ngata deserves to be honored in similar fashion.“When I think about a Hall of Famer http://www.minnesotavikingsteamonline.com/irv-smith-jr.-jersey , No. 1, did he play on a winning ball club? He did,” Newsome said. “Was he part of a Super Bowl? He did. Was he a dominate player in his era at his position? He did. So, he’s checked all of those boxes.”Newsome reluctantly gave up a sixth-round draft pick in 2006 to move up one spot in the first round to get Ngata. He never regretted it.“We had been (drafting) pretty good in that sixth round, so were giving up a good player,” Newsome said. “But we were getting a great player. A rare player.”It didn’t take long for Billick to realize that Ngata was going to be a perfect fit for a team build around its defense.“You knew right from the get-go, all right, this guy is going to be special,” Billick said.Billick never got another coaching job after being fired by Bisciotti, but he became close friends with Baltimore’s current coach, John Harbaugh, and remains loyal to the club.“When Steve called it was a surprise http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/dexter-lawrence-jersey , but it goes to the heart of what Haloti was talking about,” Billick said. “I don’t think there’s another organization that has what this one does.” Today in the NFL, you are seeing new passing records being set left and right. The new rule changes that are in favor of the offensive players allow for quarterbacks to throw for more yards than in any era in NFL history. That trend is not going to change anytime soon.To be competitive at the highest level in professional football, you have to be able to make accurate timely throws consistently. Circumstances around young and even veteran quarterbacks do not always allow for them to be the best of their abilities. Other instance, teams just do not have the evaluators in place to properly identify a good QB, let alone develop one.Missing on the right QB in the NFL can have long-lasting ramifications. The way contracts are structured often that window to build a Super Bowl contender is only three to four years. The new trend in the NFL is for a team to find a QB on a rookie scale contract that can help the team win right away, then stack the team around him. Once a star QB gets to their second contract, their cap hit tends to go over $20 million, which makes it harder to construct a roster around him. When that window passes teams find themselves with expensive veteran contracts and little room a roster too talented to land a blue chip prospect.Over the last eight years, there have been some massive swings and misses at the QB position and some others that you may have forgotten about. Here's a breakdown of 12 NFL QB flops since 2010 and who teams should have drafted instead.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Joe Douglas was the favorite all along — and the Jets got their guy.The Philadelphia Eagles executive was hired Friday night to serve as New York’s general manager Connor McGovern Jersey , tasked with leading the Jets back to respectability.Douglas, the Eagles’ vice president of player personnel, was one of four candidates interviewed twice by New York for the vacancy. He met with team officials last Saturday and Sunday, and again earlier this week.The team announced Friday night on Twitte r that it had agreed to terms with Douglas. The Jets did not announce the terms of the deal, but ESPN reported it is a six-year contract.Douglas was widely considered the top candidate because he has previous work experience with Jets coach Adam Gase, who served as the team’s acting GM and was heavily involved in the search process. Douglas was Chicago’s director of college scouting in 2015 Khari Willis Jersey , when Gase was the Bears’ offensive coordinator.They’re now reunited, leading an organization that hasn’t been to the playoffs since the 2010 season.Douglas replaces Mike Maccagnan, who was surprisingly fired last month after four seasons when Jets chairman and CEO Christopher Johnson said he took a “deeper dive” this offseason to analyze the inner-workings of the football side of the organization. Johnson decided to move on from Maccagnan — after firing coach Todd Bowles after the season — and stressed he was looking for “a strategic thinker” and added that “it’s more than a talent evaluation guy.” He also said he wanted “a great manager, a communicator — someone who can collaborate well with the building.”The Jets believe they have exactly that in Douglas, who was widely considered one of the up-and-coming potential GMs.He beat out Chicago assistant director of player personnel Champ Kelly, New Orleans director of pro scouting Terry Fontenot and Seattle co-director of player personnel Scott Fitterer for the job.Douglas helped build the Eagles into a Super Bowl champion during the 2017 season Josh Allen Jersey , working closely with executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman after joining Philadelphia’s front office in 2016.Before his one season in Chicago, Douglas worked in Baltimore’s personnel department from 2000 until 2015. He held various posts with Ravens during that time, including national scout, Southeast area scout, East Coast area scout, Northeast area scout and player personnel assistant.The former offensive tackle started 45 straight games for the University of Richmond Jawaan Taylor Jersey , and was an All-Atlantic 10 selection.Douglas inherits a solid core of talent with the Jets, including second-year quarterback Sam Darnold, running back Le’Veon Bell, safety Jamal Adams, linebacker C.J. Mosley, defensive lineman Leonard Williams and first-round draft pick Quinnen Williams.Douglas and Gase will report to Johnson separately Josh Oliver Jersey , a structure the owner believes is most effective. Gase was responsible for player personnel during his three years as coach in Miami, but said that is not something he wants in New York. WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Attorneys for two of the women charged in a Florida prostitution sting asked a judge on Thursday to hold police and prosecutors in contempt of court following reports that someone was shopping around undercover video of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.The motion was filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court by attorneys for Lei Wang and Hua Zhang, who are accused of working at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter.The attorneys cited a New York Daily News story that reports an unknown person had contacted TheBlast.com with footage of Kraft naked with another person, presumably the massage therapist. The attorneys said only police and prosecutors have access to the footage, which a judge has temporarily barred from release. The attorneys argued that releasing the footage would violate their clients’ rights to privacy and fair trials.Jupiter police spokesman O’Neil Anderson told The Associated Press that he doubts the authenticity of the reports. He said his department has taken every precaution to secure the evidence http://www.jaguarscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-quincy-williams-ii-jersey , and he doesn’t believe anyone in the police department or State Attorney’s Office would leak the video.Anderson also pointed out that no websites or news organizations have actually shown a video.“If anyone had it, they would have released it by now,” Anderson said.Kraft was charged in February with two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution after being accused of paying for sex. He has pleaded not guilty.A message left with the State Attorney’s Office wasn’t immediately returned.
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FOXBOROUGH Phil Haynes Jersey , Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady smiled his way through the week leading up to Sunday’s AFC championship game, mostly brushing aside questions about being an underdog for one of the few times during the Patriots‘ unprecedented run of titles.But when Rex Burkhead crossed the goal line for a 2-yard touchdown to give New England a 37-31 overtime win over the Kansas City Chiefs, Brady let joy alter his usual coy demeanor.He ripped off his helmet and leapt wildly in the air as his teammates rushed the field around him. The Patriots were heading back to another Super Bowl.It will mark their third straight appearance for the Patriots and ninth overall for Brady, who again will be chasing a record sixth ring.A victory over the NFC champion Los Angeles Rams would also put an emphatic stamp on what may have been the Patriots’ toughest road to a Super Bowl since Brady and Bill Belichick earned their first ring together in 2001.“The odds were stacked against us. It hasn’t been that way in a while and it certainly was this year,” Brady said.The obstacles that Brady referred to occurred both on and off the field for this latest incarnation of the Patriots.The offseason saw the departure of several key players from last year’s team that came up short in a Super Bowl loss to Philadelphia. Receiver Brandin Cooks was traded to the Rams and cornerback Malcolm Butler, running back Dion Lewis, receiver Danny Amendola, and offensive linemen Nate Solder and Cam Fleming all left in free agency.Then came news that stalwart receiver Julian Edelman would be suspended for the first four games of the regular season for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancers.It helped contribute to a surprise 1-2 start and the first — albeit small — signs of age for the 41-year-old Brady.New England took a chance and traded for receiver Josh Gordon after Cleveland decided it was time to part ways with him. His arrival helped calm things and contributed to six consecutive victories.But questions returned after a lopsided Week 10 loss at Tennessee that exposed vulnerabilities on both sides of the ball. The Patriots won their next two, but then suffered a fluky last-second loss at Miami.That was followed by a loss at Pittsburgh and the abrupt loss of Gordon when he was suspended indefinitely by the NFL for violating an agreement that allowed him to play after multiple drug suspensions.Still Ugo Amadi Jersey , despite facing the prospect of not having their usual home-field advantage in the postseason, the Patriots rediscovered their run game and offensive efficiency during wins over the Bills and Jets to close the regular season.Brady threw for four touchdowns and had his highest quarterback rating of the season in the 38-3 victory over the Jets. It set the stage for a vintage performance by Brady in their divisional-round playoff win over the Chargers. And on Sunday against Kansas City, he had 348 yards passing despite throwing two interceptions.He also got support from a resurgent defense and revamped rushing attack on offense. The latter has gotten back-to-back 100-yard rushing games from rookie Sony Michel, who set a rookie NFL playoff record with five touchdowns in his first two postseason games.Also making huge contributions in the fourth quarter and OT against the Chiefs were both Edelman and tight end Rob Gronkowski.Gronk’s regular season was mostly underwhelming as he dealt with nagging injuries, but he was surehanded at the perfect time against Kansas City, catching six passes for 79 yards. Edelman had seven catches for 96 yards as both came through with huge third-down catches late in the game.Gronk said he took his cues from Brady.“You’re always comfortable with Tom going down on drives,” said Gronkowski, who is the first tight end with 1,000 postseason receiving yards. “He’s always ready for these moments. And that’s why he’s the best quarterback — hands down.“It was one of the sweeter victories definitely of my career.”The Patriots will have a chance to top it in two weeks in Atlanta.Safety Devin McCourty said it’s a position they always thought they’d be in.“We’re not worried about stats. We’re not worried about Pro Bowls Dwayne Haskins Jersey , All-Pros,” he said. “When we come back in April each year, it’s about getting to this game no matter what it takes.“This year was a tough one. We battled some things. We’ve been questioned and doubted by a lot of people. But I think the great thing is we trust in what we believe. Our faith never wavered inside the locker room.” Joe Thomas remains torn about his football future.
He’s still holding.
Cleveland’s star left tackle, who played more than 10,000 consecutive snaps before suffering a season-ending left triceps injury on Oct. 22, said Wednesday night that he’s undecided about continuing his Hall of Fame-caliber career – or retiring.
”Making progress,” the 10-time Pro Bowler said. ”Had a lot of time to think and spend some time with the family, but not ready definitively to make a decision one way or the other just yet. Really for me, my decision is just going to come down to do I feel like I’m healthy enough to survive another season?”
One of the NFL’s premier tackles D.K. Metcalf Jersey , Thomas was on the field for 10,363 straight plays before his triceps ripped while blocking on a running play against Tennessee. Thomas planned to take the offseason to weigh his options, and he remains unsure if he wants to make a comeback or move on to a new career, perhaps in the TV broadcast booth.
Thomas isn’t leaning in either direction.
”There’s some days you go back and forth,” he said.
Thomas was a presenter at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, which he attended with his wife, Annie. Thomas said he has not received any pressure to make his decision from the Browns, who are coming off a historic 0-16 season.
”I don’t think there’s any real rush at this point,” he said. ”Obviously http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-cody-barton-jersey , they want to know before the draft and free agency, so that if they have to make different plans if I’m not going to be there, they want to know about it. I told them I’ll make a decision when I’m ready and let them know and give them as much time as I possibly can.”
Thomas said he won’t be medically cleared to play until summer, but that timeframe has no bearing on his decision.
”It’s seven-to-nine months from surgery, so that would put me in June or July,” he said. ”But I’m not worried about that. The elbow is something that’ll take care of itself. I feel confident the rehab has gone well and it will continue to go well. Really for me, knee and back are the primary issues that I’ve been dealing with a number of years.”
Thomas came close to quitting before when a back spasm in 2007 lasted four weeks.
”Couldn’t practice. Basically couldn’t tie my own shoes,” he said. ”And I go, `This is my last year. There’s no way I can do this another season.’ And I made it four more after that. So it’s weird the highs and lows that you go through during a season Gary Jennings Jr. Jersey , especially because of the emotional and physical toll a game takes on you.”
The 18th annual sports awards brought out some of Cleveland’s biggest sports movers and shakers, including former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar, Indians manager Terry Francona and Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman. The event was hosted by ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi.
Former Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas received a lifetime achievement award at the gala event. The 7-foot-3 Ilgauskas was affectionately known simply as ”Z” by Cleveland fans who embraced the Lithuania native and made him one of their own.
Ilgauskas overcame two major foot injuries early in his career and played 13 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2011 after one year in Miami. The Cavs retired his No. 11 in 2014.
Ilgauskas recalled that early in his career, owner Gordon Gund had a deal worked out to trade him to Detroit. He turned it down.
”I didn’t stay because of the weather,” he told the Cleveland crowd. ”I didn’t stay because of the food, but that’s gotten a lot better since 1996. I stayed because of you guys. You guys make this city what it is.”
LeBron James said Ilgauskas was one of his favorite teammates.
”We had a heck of a chemistry with our pick and pop,” James said. ”Multi-talented guy but even greater person to be around every day. Came to work every day, showed up every day and he gave everything he could to this franchise and the Heat franchise.”
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HOUSTON (AP) — Saturday’s wild-card game between the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts is a matchup that seemed improbable early this season after Houston dropped its first three games and the Colts limped to a 1-5 start.Instead of letting their tough starts lead to disappointing years Kyler Murray Jersey , these teams which both finished 4-12 last season turned things around to lead the AFC South and charge into the postseason.Houston’s rebound began at the expense of the Colts (10-6) and it was thanks in part to a controversial call by Indianapolis coach Frank Reich in overtime. The game was tied 34-34 when, instead of punting on fourth-and-4 from his 43-yard line and likely settling for a tie, Reich called for a short pass from Andrew Luck to Chester Rogers. Luck’s pass fell incomplete, Houston got a 24-yard completion on the next play, and Ka’imi Fairbairn made a 37-yard field goal as time expired to give the Texans (11-5) a 37-34 victory.Article continues below ...“We knew that to be able to come out on the winning end of that game was a big thing for us, but that’s a long time ago,” Houston coach Bill O’Brien said. “The teams have evolved over time, so it’s a new ballgame now.”The win was the first of nine straight for Houston. The Texans didn’t lose again until a visit from the Colts on Dec. 9, a 24-21 Indy victory. Houston then won two of its last three games, capped by a 20-3 victory over the Jaguars on Sunday to clinch the division — and become the sixth team since 1980 and first since 1998 to make the playoffs after a 0-3 start.The Colts’ loss to Houston in Week 4 was the second of four straight that dropped them to 1-5. Indianapolis then won its next five and nine of its last 10 to make its first playoff appearance since a 2014 AFC championship game loss at New England. Yes, the “Deflategate” game.The Colts are the third team in NFL history to reach the postseason after losing five of the first six games.These teams have more in common than their difficult starts. They’re both led by a player making a comeback after an injury.Luck returned after missing the 2017 season with a shoulder injury to throw for 4,593 yards and rank second in the NFL with 39 touchdown passes. His best games this season have come against Houston, piling up 863 yards passing with six touchdowns.Trying to slow him down on Saturday will be Houston’s comeback star J.J. Watt, who played all 16 games after starting just eight games combined in the previous two years because of back surgeries and a broken leg. Watt led the AFC with 16 sacks http://www.cardinalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-byron-murphy-jersey , had 25 quarterback hits, 18 tackles for losses and forced a career-high seven fumbles, which tied for most in the NFL.Watt said Luck has been getting rid of the ball quicker this season, which makes his job as a pass rusher much more difficult.“You try and do different things, but at the end of the day, you try and get there, and if you can get your hands up, you get your hands up,” he said. “You just try and get there. You can’t really let it affect you, and you hope maybe he holds it for an extra second.”Some things to know about Houston’s game against Indianapolis:HILTON’S INSome of T.Y. Hilton’s most memorable moments have come against the Texans — especially when he visits Houston.The Colts’ top receiver has caught 41 passes for 933 yards with seven TDs in seven games at NRG Stadium, and in the last two trips to Houston Hilton has 14 receptions for 374 yards and two TDs. So even though he’s been hobbled by a bad ankle, which he initially injured at Houston on Dec. 9, Hilton insists he’ll be fine Sunday.“That’s probably why it’s starting to feel better,” Hilton joked earlier this week when asked about playing in Houston for the second time in a month.DESHAUN’S DEBUTHouston quarterback Deshaun Watson will make his playoff debut in his second year in the NFL. Don’t expect the 12th overall pick in the 2017 draft to be daunted by the challenge after he played plenty of huge games at Clemson Andy Isabella Jersey , highlighted by leading his team to the national title game twice. The Tigers lost to Alabama when Watson was a sophomore before he helped Clemson beat Alabama 35-31 for the 2016 national championship.“It’s just another opportunity for myself and this whole team to be able to show what we’ve got and put in the work,” Watson said. “I’ve played in a lot of big games before in college and stuff, but you can’t really pit college playoffs with the NFL. This is the hardest business, top-notch. It’s a whole new season, a whole new speed of game. So it’s going to be new for me (and) it’s going to be a lot of fun.”TURNAROUND TIMEIndy didn’t just rebound from a 1-5 start to make the playoffs. It rewrote the book.While the oft-criticized offensive line allowed a league-low 18 sacks after giving up a league-high 56 in 2017, the biggest change came on defense, where the Colts were ranked No. 11. They had the league’s leading tackler, 26 takeaways, allowed only 16.4 points over the final eight games, and were one of three teams that didn’t allow a 100-yard rusher all season.The Colts know it will take more of the same to advance.“The last time we did a good job, that was great for us, but this is a new challenge this week,” Reich said when asked about defending Pro Bowl receiver DeAndre Hopkins. “I’m sure they are going to try to get him going.” Trevor Williams has been pitching in the majors for less than two full seasons. Still, he’s come to understand the ups and downs that come with the sport.
”Baseball kicks your (behind) Brian Burns Jersey ,” Williams said. ”The highs are so high, and the lows are so low. You have to stay even-keeled.”
Williams bounced back from recent struggles by pitching one-hit ball over seven innings and two Pittsburgh Pirates relievers closed out a two-hitter in a 1-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night.
Williams (6-4) struck out seven and walked two for his first victory in a month and after he had allowed a combined 12 runs in six innings in his previous two starts. Jordy Mercer drove in the lone run with a seventh-inning double, and the Pirates won for the fourth time in five games.
The Brewers entered the day leading the NL Central but suffered their third straight loss.
The only hit off Williams was a single by Jonathan Villar with two outs in the fourth. The hit followed a walk to Hernan Perez, and the duo executed a double steal before Erik Kratz struck out to end the inning.
Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle thought fastball command made the difference for Williams.
”Up, down, in, out. It was just an outstanding performance,” Hurdle said.
Williams had gone 0-2 in five starts since beating the Chicago White Sox on May 15.
”He hit his spots,” Milwaukee right fielder Christian Yelich said. ”He was throwing everything for strikes. When a guy is doing that and he’s not really missing over the plate much, it’s a tough night.”
Kyle Crick pitched a perfect eighth inning for Pittsburgh. Yelich singled off closer Felipe Vazquez to open the ninth, ending a string of 13 straight Brewers retired. Vazquez retired the next three hitters for his 14th save in 18 opportunities.
Francisco Cervelli drew a one-out walk in the Pirates’ seventh and advanced to third on Josh Bell’s single. Josh Hader relieved Jhoulys Chacin and struck out Gregory Polanco, but Mercer followed by doubling down the left-field line to score Cervelli.
”The way both guys were pitching, I think everyone started to think that one or maybe two runs and that was going to be the ballgame,” Mercer said.
”I feel like I was throwing the ball well,” Chacin said. ”I was making pitches when I had to. In the last inning, I gave up the hit, but I was more frustrated that I walked Cervelli. That was the guy I couldn’t get out.”
TRIBUTE TO UECKER
As a surprise tribute to Bob Uecker, the Brewers traveling party dressed in loud sportscoats – popularized by the Hall of Fame broadcaster during his frequent guest appearances on The Tonight Show – for the flight from Milwaukee to Pittsburgh on Sunday night.
Manager Craig Counsell said he had hoped to replicate an outfit Uecker once wore that included a turtleneck sweater with a belt and a pair of bellbottom slacks. Alas, Counsell came up empty in his search for such garb.
PIRATES MOVES
The Pirates activated right-handed reliever Richard Rodriguez from the 10-day disabled list, recalled infielder/outfielder Jose Osuna from Triple-A Indianapolis and optioned right-handed reliever Dovydas Neverauskas and catcher Jacob Stallings to Indianapolis.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers: 3B Travis Shaw (sore right wrist) was given the night off after being injured Sunday during a swing in a loss to Philadelphia.
Pirates: Rodriguez had been out since June 7 with right shoulder inflammation.
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Freddy Peralta (1-0, 3.72 ERA) is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs to start Tuesday night. The rookie made two starts with the Brewers earlier this season, including striking out 13 in 5 2/3 innings at Colorado on May 13 in his major league debut, and is 6-1 with a 2.75 ERA in 12 starts with Colorado Springs.
Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (4-5, 3.94) is 2-1 with a 2.73 ERA in his last four starts and 1-3 with a 3.47 ERA in seven career starts against Milwaukee.
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FLORHAM PARK Oshane Ximines Jersey , N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets have signed former Vikings offensive lineman Tom Compton and re-signed linebacker Neville Hewitt.Compton started 14 games at left guard last season for Minnesota and has also played right guard and right tackle during his NFL career. He was a sixth-round pick of Washington out of South Dakota in 2012 and played his first four seasons with the Redskins. He has also spent time with Atlanta and Chicago.Hewitt was a key member of New York’s special teams unit during his first season with the Jets and also started the last four games at inside linebacker when Darron Lee was suspended for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He previously played for current Jets coach Adam Gase in Miami from 2016-17. Hewitt has 128 tackles, 2½ sacks — including 1½ last year — one interception, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 54 career games.Agent Landon Betsworth announced on Twitter on Monday night that former Bears tight end Daniel Brown signed with the Jets. The team did not immediately announce the move. Brown has 35 career catches in 42 games with Baltimore and Chicago. Brian Anderson stepped to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning with the game tied, one out and the bases loaded.
The Marlins’ rookie took the situation in stride like a veteran.
Anderson hit a game-ending sacrifice fly to lift the Miami Marlins over the San Francisco Giants 5-4 on Wednesday night.
”In a situation like that, the pressure’s not on you, it’s on the pitcher,” Anderson said. ”I tried to stay within myself and get something in the strike zone, something I could elevate.”
J.T. Realmuto had two hits and scored twice for the Marlins, who have won three straight for the first time since winning four in a row April 28-May 1.
Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run home run and Buster Posey had three hits for the Giants Julian Love Jersey , who entered the series winning eight of 10 but have dropped the first three games against last-place Miami and eight of the last nine in the series.
”Yyou can’t take any team lightly,” McCutchen said. ”This is the big leagues and regardless of their record or how many fans are in the stands, you’ve got to be ready to go.”
Reyes Moronta (2-1) allowed the first two hitters to reach in the bottom of the ninth, prompting manager Bruce Bochy to call on Hunter Strickland. Pinch-hitter J.B. Shuck hit a hard grounder down the first-base line, but Posey was able to dive to keep the ball in front of him, preventing the Marlins from scoring.
However, Strickland got himself into a 3-1 count against Anderson with one out. Anderson connected on a flyball to center field caught by Gorkys Hernandez, whose throw home was too late to catch Miguel Rojas.
”He didn’t crush it, but he got it deep enough Darius Slayton Jersey ,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
It was the Marlins’ third walk-off win of the season.
San Francisco’s Evan Longoria broke a 3-all tie with a hit in the seventh off Tayron Guerrero. It was Longoria’s team-leading 11th go-ahead RBI of the season.
The Marlins responded with a two-out RBI double in the eighth by Justin Bour off Sam Dyson, tying the game at 4.
It was the third time in the game the Marlins trailed but bounced back to draw even.
”We’re doing what we’re hoping, we’re getting the lead,” Bochy said. ”We’re just having a hard time holding it.”
Drew Steckenrider (3-1) pitched a scoreless top of the ninth.
Andrew Suarez allowed five hits and two runs in five innings for the Giants, pitching in his hometown in front of a number of friends and family members. He struck out three and walked two.
”I just didn’t really have a feel for a lot of pitches later in the game,” Suarez said. ”I just think with all of the humidity and sweating so much, the ball was a little slick. But you have to compete and keep throwing strikes.”
Miami’s Caleb Smith pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and three runs.
He also had two hits at the plate.
”That was pretty fun,” Smith said. ”I’ve been working on it.”
McCutchen’s two-run blast in the first was his seventh of the season.
The Marlins tied the game at 2 on base hits by Cameron Maybin and Lewis Brinson in the fourth.
The teams traded runs in the sixth. Austin Jackson gave the Giants a 3-2 lead before Bour tied it with a base hit.
ROOF OPEN
The retractable roof was open for the 15th time this season T.J. Hockenson Jersey , the most in a year since Marlins Park opened in 2012.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: 1B Brandon Belt (appendix) is likely to have a couple rehab starts with the goal of joining the team on the next homestand beginning June 18 instead of playing this weekend in Los Angeles. … RHP Johnny Cueto (left ankle) will have another bullpen session Friday. … RHP Jeff Samardzija (right shoulder) will have a rehab start with Triple-A Sacramento on Friday with a pitch limit of 60-65 pitches.
UP NEXT
Giants: RHP Dereck Rodriguez (1-1, 5.25 ERA) will start Thursday’s series finale. Rodriguez, the son of former Marlins catcher and Hall of Famer Pudge Rodriguez, spent a lot of time around the Marlins when his father helped lead them to a World Series title in 2003.
Marlins: RHP Dan Straily (2-2, 4.08) is 4-0 with a 2.43 ERA in five career starts against the Giants.
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Nick Foles rejuvenated his career in Philadelphia. Now he wants to turn his success into an NFL starting job — and the Eagles intend to give him that chance.General manager Howie Roseman told reporters Wednesday that the franchise will not use the franchise tag on Foles Max Scharping Jersey , making him a free agent.“It’s hard when you have someone who is incredibly valuable to your organization, the most important position in sports,” Roseman said during the NFL’s annual scouting combine in Indianapolis. “But at the same time, he deserves an opportunity to lead a team. It’s a goal of his to lead another team and lead another locker room, and we feel at this point it’s the right decision.””Roseman said the Eagles agreed to make the move after Foles expressed his desire during a recent meeting.And with Carson Wentz, the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2016 the established starter in Philadelphia, Foles understood it meant he would have to find a new team.Over the last two seasons, Foles became one of the most precious commodities in sports — a backup quarterback with championship-caliber talent.When Wentz tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in December 2017 Brian Burns Jersey , Foles stepped in, led the Eagles to their first NFL title since 1960 and was the Super Bowl MVP.Last season, when Wentz suffered a back injury, Foles again stepped forward and led the Eagles back to the playoffs. Foles helped Philadelphia to a 16-15 wild-card victory at Chicago before losing 20-14 at New Orleans in the divisional round.But in those two seasons he won four playoff games — more than he did in his previous five in the league combined — and turned himself into a hot commodity at the most prized position in the league.“We’ve been so fortunate over the last couple of years to have two top-15 quarterbacks in Carson and Nick, and we spent a lot of time discussing this internally and with him,” Roseman said. “We feel very comfortable about it. Again, hard decision because of someone who means a lot to us, professionally and personally http://www.pantherscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-greg-little-jersey , but at that end of the day as an organization, we felt it was the right thing to do.”When Foles signs elsewhere, Nate Sudfeld will move into the No. 2 spot.The 30-year-old Foles comes with a solid resume.He was Philadelphia’s third-round pick in 2012, starting six games as a rookie and 18 more before signing with the Rams in 2015. After one season as the starter in St. Louis, he moved to Kansas City, where he rejoined former Eagles coach Andy Reid to serve as the backup to Alex Smith. In 2016, Foles returned to Philadelphia to mentor Wentz and wound up becoming a fan favorite and a Super Bowl champ.And he hits free agency with a chance to cash in.“Nick and I have a lot of history together, all the way back to when we drafted him and I was on coach Reid’s staff here in Philly Will Grier Jersey ,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. “We had conversations, obviously, at the end of the season and he knew where I stood and how I felt about him, but at the same time, he was a huge part of our success the last two years. It’s an opportunity now, as Howie mentioned, to be a starter in this league. And he’s very capable of doing that.” NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints have agreed to terms on a deal with free agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to keep him as Drew Brees‘ main backup.Bridgewater, a Miami native http://www.pantherscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-christian-miller-jersey , had met with the Dolphins on Wednesday. Terms of the New Orleans deal was not released.The Saints acquired the former first-round draft pick last August. Bridgewater played in five games for the Saints and started their regular-season finale against Carolina.Bridgewater, 26, was the Minnesota Vikings‘ starter his first two NFL seasons. He made the Pro Bowl and led the Vikings to an NFC North title in 2015 before suffering a knee injury the following year that kept him out until midway through the 2017 season.He played with the New York Jets in 2018 before being traded to New Orleans.Bridgewater has completed 64.6 percent of his career passes with 29 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. He has made 29 career starts.
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ATLANTA (AP) — Sean McVay has had very few bad days during his two seasons in charge of the Los Angeles Rams. His coaching tenure had been a rocket ride all the way to the Super Bowl.Until Bill Belichick sent this bright football mind and his exciting team plummeting back to Earth.What McVay does about it will determine whether the Rams are still an ascending powerhouse or another NFL contender broken by the New England Patriots.After Belichick’s defense turned McVay’s offense into the worst version anyone had ever seen Josh Allen Jersey , the Rams’ 33-year-old offensive guru was visibly frustrated and embarrassed. His clenched jaw in postgame interviews also signified a determination to never let it happen again.“The thing that is so tough about all of this is the finality to it,” McVay said Sunday night after his Rams failed to score a touchdown for only the second time in his 36 games in charge. “Usually, if you go through some adversity, you get a chance to bounce back right away. This one is going to stick with you. It just stings in your gut. I’m still kind of numb right now, but I have so much love for these players and these coaches. That’s where it really eats at you, because you feel like you didn’t do your part to help them achieve success.“This is going to be a very humbling, tough one that you learn from. But you have to demonstrate that mental toughness you talk about, and that is all I know how to do.”McVay could have been speaking partly to convince himself after he coached only the second team in 53 Super Bowls to fail to score a touchdown. The wunderkind’s confidence appeared to be shaken to its core by a New England defense that held the 11th highest-scoring team in NFL history to 260 total yards, six first downs in the first three quarters and their fewest points in McVay’s era.“It’s embarrassing,” left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “It stings to play that way. You’d almost rather score a ton and lose that way, but that would take away from what the defense did. They gave us every opportunity to win.”McVay thrives on X’s and O’s, and he will have six months to scheme new ways to attack the similar zone defenses used late in the year by Detroit, Chicago and New England to throttle the Rams’ passing game. He also will endeavor to teach Jared Goff to make better decisions under pressure after the young quarterback’s stinker of a Super Bowl .General manager Les Snead has big calls to make on soon-to-be free agents and roster vacancies. The Rams will return with a wealth of talent, but they must determine whether their 4-3 record in their final seven games was a sign of bigger flaws.Financially speaking, the Rams’ championship window remains wide open for at least one more season before Goff likely gets a significant raise and consumes a larger chunk of their cap space in 2020. They can deal with their disappointment by adding players, not culling them — and after the bold moves of the last offseason, there is no reason to suspect the Rams won’t go all in again in 2019.Although the Rams are hurting, a franchise with 13 consecutive non-winning seasons before McVay arrived is not likely to panic over one Super Bowl setback http://www.jaguarscheapstore.com/jawaan-taylor-jersey-cheap , particularly since much of its core — running back Todd Gurley, two-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald and 1,200-yard receivers Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods — is locked into place with long-term deals.“The first thing (Super Bowl MVP) Julian Edelman said to me when I was congratulated him after the game was, ‘You guys are going to be really good for a long time,'” Whitworth said.Los Angeles’ unrestricted free agents include defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, safety Lamarcus Joyner, edge rusher Dante Fowler and left guard Rodger Saffold.Although Suh loves living in LA and got his first career playoff victory this season, he likely could make more money elsewhere. The Rams must think about using the franchise tag on Fowler, who clearly would like to stay.“We’ll be ready next year,” Fowler said after the Super Bowl.Linebacker Cory Littleton, the Rams’ leading tackler, leads a shorter list of restricted free agents.They also will await a decision by Whitworth, the oldest offensive lineman in the NFL. The 37-year-old left tackle still plays superbly, but he has not committed to returning for the third season of his contract, saying Sunday he will “see how the offseason plays out.”While the defense could require several changes, the fate of the Rams’ stalwart offensive line is a key. No starter has missed a game due to injury in McVay’s two seasons, but center John Sullivan will be 34 and Saffold will be 31 by training camp. After another stellar season, Saffold could be expensive to keep.No matter the changes Josh Oliver Jersey , the Rams’ returning players will carry the motivation of this Super Bowl loss — and so will McVay, who sees no end to his work after two wildly successful seasons.“There is no other way to say it,” McVay said. “I got outcoached.” HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans moved closer to clinching the AFC South by bouncing back from last week’s loss with a win over the Jets.Now they’ll try to get banged-up players DeAndre Hopkins and Lamar Miller healthy before visiting the Super Bowl champion Eagles next week. A win could leave open the possibility of getting a first-round playoff bye.The Texans (10-4) have won nine of their last 10 games after opening the season 0-3 to give coach Bill O’Brien 10 regular-season wins for the first time in his five years with the team. It’s the first time the Texans have had 10 wins in the regular season since setting a franchise-record with 12in 2012.“It’s great. I think 10 wins is hard to do in this league,” O’Brien said. “I give our players and our coaching staff a ton of credit. Our players have worked very hard to get to this point in the season. There is a long way to go here.”The Texans led by 13 at halftime before the Jets rallied to take a 22-19 lead with 5:00 left in the fourth quarter. Deshaun Watson then connected with DeAndre Hopkins on a 14-yard touchdown to put the Texans on top, and they added a field goal after that to secure the 29-22 victory.Hopkins injured his ankle in the fourth quarter and had to be helped off the field by teammates. But he returned after that and the injury doesn’t appear serious.Miller could be more of a concern after he hurt his ankle in the first quarter and returned for a series in the second before sitting out for the rest of the game. O’Brien said he doesn’t think the injury is “major,” but that he’d know more next week.With Miller out on Saturday, Houston’s only other active running back was Alfred Blue. Blue, who has been used this season to spell Miller, was ineffective against the Jets, finishing with nine carries for 6 yards.If Miller is limited next week, the Texans could look to D’Onta Foreman to pick up the slack. Foreman was put on the active roster from the physically unable to perform on Dec. 4, but has been inactive in the two games since.Foreman has been out since Nov. 19, 2017 when he tore his Achilles tendon after running for 327 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie season. O’Brien said they put him on the active roster because they thought he’d be able to help the team this season. He’s been participating fully in practice, but it’s unclear if he’s ready to contribute in a game.Another concern for the Texans this week is finding a way to better protect Watson. The second-year quarterback was taken down six times Saturday and has been sacked 52 times this season, most in the NFL.“There is no doubt that there were too many sacks, absolutely no doubt about it,” O’Brien said. “But … I don’t put all of that on the offensive line. Some of that is offensive line, some of it is route running http://www.jaguarscheapstore.com/quincy-williams-ii-jersey-cheap , some of it is holding the ball too long, things like that. Some of it is play calling, and so hopefully we can get better.”Despite the sacks Watson had another solid game, throwing for 294 yards and two touchdowns. It was the most yards he’s thrown for since finishing with 375 yards passing in a win over Dallas on Oct. 7.His performance on Saturday made him the first player in NFL history to have at least 5,000 yards passing (5,291), 40 TD passes (43) and 700 yards (705) rushing in his first 21 games.On a day the Texans had trouble running the ball, Watson reveled in being able to lead the team to the comeback win.“I just like the ball in my hands,” he said. “Like they say, just give me an opportunity to make a play. I think I can make it. Be smart, try not take any unnecessary hits and protect myself. I feel like with the ball in my hands, I can give the team a lot of energy and this offense can go.”Despite their impressive turnaround to reach double-digit wins so beginning the season 0-3, the Texans know they’ll have to maintain focus.“That’s awesome, but our goals are still ahead of us,” Hopkins said. “We can’t sit here and celebrate 10 wins. We expect to win like this with the guys we have in this locker room.”