Thursday.However he was adamant that his strained left calf is not related to his other more serious leg problems of the past year.Sherman hurt his calf in the second quarter of Sunday’s loss at Kansas City and didn’t return. Team officials said he’ll miss at least two games Gary Jennings Jr. Jersey , though Sherman said the only certainty was that he’d be sidelined for this Sunday’s road game against the Los Angeles Chargers.The three-time All-Pro missed the final seven games of last season after having surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon. But given that he also had surgery on his left Achilles during the offseason, Sherman was asked whether his current left leg injury might be connected to past issues.“It just makes it an easy story for you guys. Makes it lazy reporting,” Sherman said. “But nah, it’s getting back out there and going through the trials and tribulations of a season, wear and tear of football and taking all these reps after not taking them for eight months. Your body’s gotta get used to it again.”The 30-year-old Sherman missed a practice leading into the Chiefs game for what the team described as a “heel” issue, so he at least was on the injury radar even before Sunday.His absence is a damaging blow for a 49ers pass defense that ranks 27th in the NFL at 287.7 yards allowed per game. The Chargers enter Sunday ranked fifth in total offense (415.3 yards per game).Jimmie Ward, who has spent part of his career at safety Ugo Amadi Jersey , is expected to start in Sherman’s place. Second-year player Ahkello Witherspoon, who struggled two weeks ago against Detroit, likely will man the other cornerback spot.Compounding things is that both of San Francisco’s starting safeties, Adrian Colbert and Jaquiski Tartt, are battling injuries and their status is unknown for Sunday.But aside from health, the biggest issue for San Francisco’s defense has been poor tackling through the first three games. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said his unit is getting back to basics in practice, drilling on fundamentals even when the team is out of pads.“It’s very clear when you turn on the tape that we’re actually lunging and ducking our heads at the point of attack Devin White Jersey ,” Saleh said. “When you teach tackling, everything that we talk about is you’ve got to run your body through their body.“Get a body on a body, step on their toes, wrap up, keep your feet moving, drive for five and get them to the ground.”The biggest culprits last Sunday were inside linebackers Reuben Foster and rookie Fred Warner, who missed six and four tackles respectively. Those two are believed to be a promising young core of the 49ers defense.But Sunday was Foster’s season debut after serving a two-game suspension. Saleh said Foster may have been knocking rust off L.J. Collier Jersey , but the linebacker wasn’t letting himself off the hook.“That’s uncalled for, just missing tackles like that,” Foster said. “That’s not like us as a team and that’s not like me.”NOTES: Tartt (shoulder) missed Thursday’s practice as did guard Joshua Garnett (toe). Colbert (hip), running back Alfred Morris (knee) and guard Mike Person (knee) were limited. . Foster used “Roody-poo” in a quote earlier this week, a term made famous by “The Rock” during his wrestling days. Foster was delighted that the Hollywood star referenced it on Twitter. “It was amazing,” Foster said of the shout-out.<div class=”stanzacal” data-width=”100%” data-height=”250px” ></div> <script src=”https://dff2h0hbfv6w4.cloudfront.net/scr...stanzacal-v1.js” type=”text/javascript”></script> Offensive guard Josh Kline indeed is expected to visit the Vikings this week as he currently is “coordinating visits with different teams,” Ben Goessling of the reports.Nick Easton‘s departure for the Saints leaves Minnesota with only one guard under contract for 2019 who has played in a regular-season game. Danny Isidora has taken 361 career snaps.The Vikings also have expressed interest in interior offensive lineman Stefan Wisniewski Johnathan Abram Jersey , Chris Tomasson of the reports. Wisniewski will visit the Jets this week.Tennessee recently released Kline, who signed a four-year, $20 million extension with the Titans a year ago.Kline, 29, has made starts at left guard and right guard in his career.The Titans claimed him off waivers from the Patriots in 2016. He moved into the starting lineup early that season at right guard after Chance Warmack was injured. Kline started 46 games for the Titans over three seasons after starting 18 in New England.
Rizzo drove in his second run of the game in the seventh inning to snap a tie http://www.falconsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-kaleb-mcgary-jersey , Kyle Schwarber followed with a solo homer in the eighth and the Cubs rebounded from an early three-run deficit to edge the Detroit Tigers 5-3 on Tuesday for their fifth straight win.
The other team has scored first in each of Chicago’s recent victories, but the Cubs have kept chipping away.
”We know we’re a good team,” Rizzo said. ”We just have to string together good at-bats.”
The Cubs did just that again on Tuesday.
With one out in the seventh, Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist singled off Tigers reliever Daniel Stumpf (1-4). Rizzo’s slow bouncer up the middle resulted in a force of Zobrist at second, but Jose Iglesias’ throw to first was too late to double up Rizzo and Heyward scored from third to put Chicago ahead for the first time, 4-3.
Schwarber hit his team-leading 17th homer to right against a steady wind off Lake Michigan in the eighth.
Trailing 3-0, Albert Almora, Jr. and Heyward each drove in a run with a double, then Rizzo followed with an RBI single in Chicago’s three-run fifth.
Rizzo has just one homer in his past 20 games – and 12 this season – after launching at least 31 in each of the past four seasons. But the Cubs slugger says the longball isn’t always the best approach.
”You get down and start battling (at) two strikes Kendall Sheffield Jersey , it’s not about hitting a homer,” Rizzo said. ”It’s just about putting the ball in play and we’re doing a good job at that.”
Justin Wilson (3-2), the second of Chicago’s four relievers, pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the win. Pedro Strop pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save in four chances.
The Cubs’ bullpen allowed just one hit after starter Kyle Hendricks labored through five innings, allowing three runs and seven hits in a no-decision. In his past six starts, the right-hander is 1-4 with a 6.75 ERA.
”They didn’t beat him up by any means today,” manager Joe Maddon said. ”It’s just that it wasn’t a typical surgeon-like procedure from Kyle. He looks good, he’s just not executing.”
Detroit leadoff hitter Mikie Mahtook had three singles and scored a run. Niko Goodrum drove in a run with a double, and Jeimer Candelario and James McCann each had an RBI as the Tigers lost their 12th game in their past 14.
Tigers starter Michael Fulmer went six innings and allowed three runs – all in the fifth – and seven hits.
”It wasn’t like they were lashing them, but they put them on the outfield grass, kind of like what we did to them early.”
The Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first. After Mahtook and Nick Castellanos led off with singles, Candelario drove in a run with a groundout. Goodrum’s double to the right-field corner scored the second run.
The Tigers added a run in the fourth on McCann’s RBI single.
The Cubs tied it 3-all in the fifth. Pinch-hitter Tommy LaStella, Almora and Heyward led off with consecutive doubles to cut it to 3-2, then Rizzo’s hit with one out tied it.
WINDY CITY TIGER
INF/OF Jim Adduci, called up from Triple-A Toledo on Sunday, was in Detroit’s lineup at first base and singled and scored in his first game this season. The 33-year-old attended Evergreen Park High School in Chicago’s south suburbs and grew up a fan of both the Cubs and White Sox. Adduci’s father Qadree Ollison Jersey , also named Jim, played a total of 70 games with three major league teams in the 1980s and was at Wrigley Field on Tuesday.
TRAINER’S ROOM:
Cubs: INF/OF Kris Bryant (left shoulder inflammation) probably will return Wednesday or Friday, Maddon said after the game. The Cubs star has been sidelined since June 22. … RHP Yu Darvish (right triceps inflammation, right elbow impingement/inflammation) rejoined the Cubs after seeing Dr. Keith Meister in Texas on Friday and getting a cortisone shot. Maddon said he still hadn’t yet talked to the right-hander about his progress following the injection.
UP NEXT:
Tigers LHP Francisco Liriano (3-4. 3.99) takes the mound against Cubs LHP Jose Quintana (6-6. 4.31) on Wednesday afternoon in the finale of the two-game interleague set. Liriano has lost both of his starts since coming off the disabled list (right hamstring strain) on June 23. Quintana has two losses and three no-decisions in his past five starts and hasn’t won since May 31.
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When tight end Hunter Henry tore his ACL in the offseason, no one expected him to return to the field during the 2018 season.The Chargers never ruled it out, though, and Henry’s rehab has gone well enough to make that return a possibility. Henry returned to practice on Monday to open a three-week window for him to work with the team before a decision needs to be made about adding him to the 53-man roster.“I’m not surprised,” Henry said, via the team’s website. “I had [being back] in my mind Marquise Brown Jersey , and tried to push for that since the get-go. I worked as hard as I could, and there’s a lot of work still to do to get back out there. … It’ll be different but good to get back in the flow of things. I’m geared up and ready to go, but it’s a long journey, and it’s cool to have an opportunity like this.”Henry said he won’t do anything to risk his long-term health, but knows “you don’t get a team like this a lot” and he’s going to see if there’s a way to help it accomplish something in the postseason.
The Marlins’ hope is that left-hander Caleb Smith (5-6, 4.03 ERA) replicates the effort of Trevor Richards and not Wei-Yin Chen.
The latter wasn’t hit hard Friday night but gave up nine hits and seven runs in four innings, and the Rockies romped 11-3. On Saturday, Richards allowed three hits and one run in six innings in Miami’s 6-2 victory.
Smith received a no-decision Monday at San Francisco, allowing four runs and six hits and throwing 88 pitches in four innings in Miami’s 5-4 victory. Smith allowed two hits and one walk in seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts in his only start against the Rockies on April 29 in Miami.
Smith has limited opponents to a .221 average and in 76 innings has allowed 62 hits with 87 strikeouts and 32 walks.
“He’s been pretty good,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of Smith, who turns 27 next month and was acquired in a November deal with the New York Yankees. “He’s been a nice surprise for us. He’s a guy with a lot of swing-and-miss without having huge velocity. But they don’t see the ball that well.
“He’s got a good little breaking ball. He’s got a good changeup. And everything works off his fastball. He’s not really a young, young guy. He’s a guy that’s been a little bit more polished, a guy that we’re really more willing to just keep putting him in there, not worrying about his innings (limit) or things like that. Early in the year, we were trying to find out is he a reliever, is he a starter, but he’s been pretty solid for us out of the rotation.”
German Marquez (5-7 David Montgomery Jersey , 5.20) will start for the Rockies. He won for the first time in four starts Tuesday against the New York Mets when he gave up four runs in six innings in Colorado’s 10-8 victory. He’s 0-2 with a 5.23 ERA in two starts against the Marlins, including April 28 when he gave up three runs (one earned) in six innings in Colorado’s 4-1 loss.
The Rockies are 7-8 in starts by Marquez, who is 2-4 with a 7.45 ERA in eight starts at Coors Field this season.
The Marlins broke a three-game losing streak Saturday and are 4-4 on a three-city road trip that ends Sunday. They scored at least six runs for the first time in a 10-game span, which they last accomplished June 11 in a 7-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
The Rockies had their four-game winning streak end Saturday as they dropped to 4-2 on a homestand that ends Sunday. Bryan Shaw gave up a grand slam in the seventh inning to J.T. Realmuto, a line drive that just cleared the wall in right field and put the Marlins ahead 6-1.
It was the career-high-tying eighth home run Shaw has allowed this season and the first grand slam he has yielded.
In a major-league leading 41 appearances, Shaw has a 7.57 ERA. He has been scored upon in 11 of his past 16 appearances, a stretch in which he has a 13.15 ERA in 13 innings while allowing 29 hits, including five homers.
A free agent after last season, Shaw signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Rockies, who envisioned him working in a setup role. That may be changing.
Scott Obert (back strain) and Mike Dunn (rhomboid strain) are scheduled to make rehab appearances Saturday and Monday and if all goes well, they will join the Rockies on Tuesday in San Francisco and be activated the following day. That would pave the way for Shaw to pitch earlier in the game in lower-leveraged situations.
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions ignored some forgettable draft history and took the plunge again to address perhaps their top need.Detroit selected Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson with the No. 8 overall pick in the NFL draft Thursday night, deciding he was too good to pass up after considering trading their first-round pick to acquire more selections. Tight ends are becoming a position where teams want difference-makers — and the Lions are hoping they’ve finally found one who will pan out for them.“The game is always moving toward the tight end position,” Detroit coach Matt Patricia said. “That’s the mismatch everybody is trying to figure out.”Detroit drafted Eric Ebron No. 10 overall in 2014 and Brandon Pettigrew a decade ago with the 20th pick overall and ended up releasing both. Ebron ended up flourishing last season with the Indianapolis Colts and seems to keep tabs on his old team via social media .Lions general manager Bob Quinn didn’t plan to spend much time, if any, sharing the team’s tight end history with Hockenson.“We’re not going to revisit a draft I wasn’t even a part of,” Quinn said after making his fourth first-round pick in charge of a front office.Since taking Pettigrew in 2009, the only other tight end selected among the top 20 picks in the NFL draft was O.J. Howard, who was taken No. 19 by Tampa Bay in 2017. The last time a team took a tight end No. 8 or higher was when San Francisco selected Vernon Davis sixth overall in 2006.Hockenson insisted he doesn’t feel a need to prove he was worth the investment.“I don’t put pressure on myself,” he said.Hockenson won the John Mackey Award last year, honoring the college football’s top tight end. He had 73 receptions for 1,080 yards and nine receiving touchdowns in his career with the Hawkeyes, who also counted on him being a key blocker.“He can do the dirty work in the run game http://www.cowboyscheapauthenticstore.com/trysten-hill-jersey-cheap , get open in the passing game,” Patricia said. “Really puts a lot of pressure on the defense. He’s a real, tough guy to tackle. He does a good job of turning small plays into big plays.”The 6-foot-5, 251-pound Hockenson, who is from Chariton, Iowa, was a second-team All-America and first-team All-Big Ten player last season. He led Iowa with 760 yards receiving and was second on the team with 49 receptions and six touchdowns.“It’s become a valued position,” Hockenson said. “A three-down tight end who can run past defenders when needed and block when needed is special.”Detroit’s new offensive coordinator, Darrell Bevell , will have a chance to put two receivers on the field with James and Hockenson. In four years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, James had 120 receptions for 1,189 yards and nine touchdowns.The Lions needed to invest in pass-catching options for quarterback Matthew Stafford. Until taking Hockenson, the franchise had drafted only one receiver (Kenny Golladay) and one tight end (Michael Roberts) since the 2014 draft when it selected Ebron and that led to the offense struggling last season.Outside and inside the organization Connor McGovern Jersey , drafting Hockenson seemed likely if he was available.“He’s a guy we targeted early in the process,” Quinn said. “He’s a three-down, four-down player that is going to be a big part of our offense.”During the draft Friday night and Saturday, Detroit may look to fill voids at wide receiver, offensive guard and safety.The Lions need all the help they can get after losing seven of their last 10 games under Patricia in his first year and finishing with double digits in losses for the first time since 2012. They went into the draft with fewer needs after making many moves in free agency.Detroit signed Trey Flowers and re-signed Romeo Okwara to turn defensive end into potential strength. James, wide receiver Danny Amendola, cornerbacks Justin Coleman and Rashaan Melvin, and running back C.J. Anderson were also added to make the depth chart look better for Patricia’s second season.
RICHMOND Josh Oliver Jersey , Va. (AP) — weren’t enough for Pete Robertson.As dripping teammates slowly ambled to the locker room and showers Sunday, Robertson lined up on one sideline and sprinted across the field to the other sideline. Then and back, over and over again, for extra conditioning.As the linebacker tries to make it all the way back from a debilitating back injury that threatened to take football away for good, he’s leaving nothing to chance as he tries to make the Washington Redskins.“It’s been a long journey,” he said.A very effective pass rusher at Texas Tech, Robertson figured to be drafted before he herniated a disk in his back while working out before the draft. The injury led to a pinched nerve, and after Robertson insisted on running at his Pro Day workout for scouts, he never heard his name called during the NFL draft.He signed a free agent deal with the Seattle Seahawks, but didn’t stick, and had been working the graveyard shift loading trucks at UPS for three months when his agent called. The Redskins were interested.Before hanging up, Robertson told him, “‘They aren’t ever going to let me go’ and I’ve been here ever since.”And more and more http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/quincy-williams-ii-jersey , he seems likely to stick around for a while.“Petey has been unbelievable,” fifth-year coach Jay Gruden said before a recent practice. “Yeah, he’s been great. Very, very athletic, and you’re talking about a guy that can possibly help on special teams, as your fourth or fifth linebacker, and he’s one because he can run.”When the Redskins signed Robertson last December, they initially used him at running back on the scout team because of a need there. He got in four games and made two tackles late in the season. A defensive end in college, the team has since tried him at inside linebacker, Gruden said, but “that wasn’t quite his cup of tea.”“We moved him back down as an outside linebacker/defensive end in nickel. He’s done very, very well.”And made an impression on teammates with his willingness to work.“You know, when we had a lot of guys down and out Ryquell Armstead Jersey , he got a lot of reps and you could see the burst that he has and the speed,” offensive tackle Morgan Moses said. “He brings another aspect to the game and he works hard, man.“There’s not one thing you tell him to do that he’s not going to do it. You tell him to go get some water 50 yards down the field, he’s going to run and get water 50 yards down the field. He just has that mentality.”It’s an appreciation of a second chance Robertson wasn’t sure he’d get.The thought that football might be in his past “went through my mind every night, every morning,” he said. “Before I went to bed, when I woke up. … I knew it wasn’t the end of the road for me. I knew it wasn’t. I never gave up on the dream, but you always have that thought in the back of your mind: ‘Is this it?'”In the offseason, Robertson added back the 30 pounds he’d lost while away from the game during day-long weekday workouts with his cousin, Redskins star left tackle Trent Williams. Williams was rehabbing after a right knee injury, and Robertson knew he had to make a big impression once the Redskins opened training camp.So far, he’s doing just that, and enjoying it every step of the way.“I wouldn’t trade it for nothing Will Harris Jersey ,” he said. NFL teams voted 31-1 in favor of a one-year trial expansion of replay to include challenges for pass interference penalties whether they were called on the field or if coaches think they should have been called.That change came after the end of last year’s NFC Championship Game spurred calls for the league to have a mechanism in place to address a blatant missed call. There was much discussion about how to do that and Falcons CEO/Competition Committee chairman Rich McKay said on SiriusXM NFL Radio that the league’s coaches wanted to go further, but he thinks that pass interference is an appropriate way to start looking at expanded replay for judgment calls on the field.“We spent a lot of time on replay,” McKay said. “We came to the conclusion that the place to start, if you’re going to get into the business of judgment calls, meaning penalties and replay, let’s start with the biggest play there is. Because that’s what the purpose of replay is. It’s to deal with big plays. It’s not to just try to get every call right or we’d be there all day. So we thought OPI, DPI, meaning offensive pass interference and defensive pass interference was the place to start. But to get to 24 votes, that is never easy. So that took us a couple days.”Since the league voted to adopt the change, discussion has shifted to what the game will look like with the new rule implemented and that conversation will continue through the 2019 season. Should it prove to be a net positive for the game, there will likely be even more of a push to include replay reviews for other penalties at next year’s league meetings.
In fact Christian Wilkins Jersey , the L.A. market actually had a lower television rating for the Super Bowl than the country as a whole. According to Austin Karp of , the Los Angeles market had a 44.6 overnight rating, which is actually lower than the 44.9 overnight rating for the country as a whole.It’s just about unheard of, not only for the Super Bowl but for any sporting event, for the market of one of the two teams in the game to get a lower rating than the country as a whole. (For comparison, Boston had a 57.4 overnight rating.)The good news for the NFL is, that 44.6 overnight rating was the highest in Los Angeles for a Super Bowl since 1996. And the NFL badly wants to see interest in football increase in Los Angeles Michael Deiter Jersey , because it’s the second-biggest market in America. Los Angeles has 5.3 million television households while St. Louis has 1.2 million, and that’s why the Rams moved back to Los Angeles from St. Louis. Even if the people who live in St. Louis, on average, care more about football than the people who live in Los Angeles. SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — While Jimmy Garoppolo recovered from a torn left ACL, his backups took center stage during the 49ers‘ minicamp.The 49ers coaching staff allowed Garoppolo to participate in seven-on-seven passing drills but not 11-on-11 team drills. So backup quarterbacks C.J. Beathard and Nick Mullens split time with the starters.Those two are competing to be the 49ers’ No. 2 quarterback behind Garoppolo next season. Of the two, Beathard has played particularly well this offseason Daniel Jones Jersey , said coach Kyle Shanahan.“C.J. has had a hell of a camp,” Shanahan said Wednesday. “You can’t fully know how much better he has gotten until game time when you know they can tackle him, but C.J. has gotten more and more comfortable, more automatic. He knew the offense right when he got here and now, in his third year, he has a lot more reps than he did last year.”Beathard started five games in 2018 after Garoppolo tore his ACL against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 23. In five starts, Beathard threw eight touchdown passes Dexter Lawrence Jersey , seven interceptions, passed for 1,252 yards, posted a quarterback rating of 81.8 and lost all five games. During his fifth start, an 18-15 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Beathard injured his right wrist and did not play the rest of the season.The 49ers traded up to take Beathard in the third round of the 2017 draft. Through two seasons in the NFL, he is 1-9 and his passer rating is 74.6.Beathard said he believes the quarterback competition during minicamp has brought out the best in him. “I really do Deandre Baker Jersey ,” he said. “Anytime you have competition, especially from good players, it makes you better.”Mullens has responded to the challenge, too.“The biggest thing is just playing decisive football,” Mullens said. “How quickly can you make your decisions? How quickly can you skip a read to get to the next read because you know it’s going to be open? That’s one thing that helps me play my best. Throughout camp, I’ve just tried to be quick on my decisions, and I think it has helped.”Mullens signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and became their starting quarterback after Beathard injured his wrist in 2018. Mullens started the final eight games of the season Oshane Ximines Jersey , passing for 2,277 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He posted a quarterback rating of 90.8.Of all the quarterbacks who have started 16 or fewer games in the NFL, only Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield — the first pick of the 2018 draft — had a higher passer rating than Mullens last season. Mayfield’s rating was 93.7.“(Mullens and Beathard) have both proven they can play in this league,” Shanahan said. “We’re going to have to make a tough decision at the end of preseason to which one we want to give that No. 2 job. You don’t get to compete much during the season. There’s not enough reps. You hope Jimmy stays healthy so it’s irrelevant who’s the No. 2 guy. But the No. 2 guy does get a lot more reps in practice (than the No. 3 guy), so that’s going be very important for them.”The 49ers expect to keep all three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster for the regular season. So the competition may continue after training camp.Beathard and Mullens like competing against each other. They even golf together every weekend.“A little weekly tradition,” Mullens said. “We’re always having fun. Competition is fun.”
New Arizona coach Steve Wilks says wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald – arguably the most popular and certainly the most prolific player to don a Cardinals uniform – has told him he’ll return for a 15th NFL season.Wilks made the comment Thursday in an interview on the ”Doug & Wolf” sports talk radio show. Wilks says Fitzgerald told him of his decision in a conversation Wednesday night.Article continues below ...So for at least one more season http://www.eaglesfootballauthentics.com/zach-brown-jersey-authentic , Fitzgerald will be scooping in the throws – from somebody – and laying down some blocks for David Johnson.There was a quick response from teammate and golfing partner, cornerback Patrick Peterson.”Wouldn’t be the same without him,” Peterson said on twitter, with a photo of Fitzgerald hugging him.Added safety Tyrann Mathieu, also on twitter, ”11 for 15. Welcome back Legend.”Fitzgerald hadn’t said publicly whether he would remain for another season and there was speculation he might follow the lead of coach Bruce Arians and quarterback Carson Palmer, who both retired after last season.The 34-year-old Fitzgerald is one of the most prolific receivers in the game’s history, ranking third on the NFL career lists for receptions and yards receiving. He finished second in the NFL with 109 catches last season.He returns even though there is no quarterback on the Arizona roster. General manager Steve Keim has said the team will move aggressively to fill that void, through free agency, trade or the draft – or any combination thereof.Fitzgerald has caught passes from 17 quarterbacks since being drafted No. 3 overall by Arizona in 2004.Although Jerry Rice’s NFL career records are out of reach http://www.raidersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-isaiah-johnson-jersey , Fitzgerald has a good shot at moving up to No. 2. He needs 92 catches to top for second in career receptions and 390 yards receiving to pass Terrell Owens for No. 2 in that category.Fitzgerald has one year and $11 million remaining on his contract and most indications were he was leaning toward giving it at least one more season.New offensive coordinator Mike McCoy said Fitzgerald was the first player he reached out to and that the receiver said he was excited about the prospects of the coming season.Fitzgerald has missed only six games in his career and has caught a pass in 211 consecutive contests, tied with Tony Gonzalez for second all-time. He has topped 100 catches and 1,000 yards receiving each of the alst three years and, last season, was selected to the Pro Bowl for the 11th time. Among wide receivers, only Rice has been selected more often.He shared Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year honors with Eli Manning a year ago.— LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace wouldn’t say if Cody Parkey will return for another season, and coach Matt Nagy called out the struggling kicker for appearing on the “Today” show last week.Pace was adamant Monday that the Bears need improvement in the kicking game, calling it a “position of emphasis for us.” When asked if Parkey will return for a second season, he said: “Those are things that need to play out as we go into it.”Parkey’s future is the biggest question surrounding the Bears after their breakthrough season.They settled one big issue when they hired Chuck Pagano on Friday after Vic Fangio left to take the Denver Broncos’ head coaching job. But Parkey’s status is shaky at best.The Bears went 12-4 to win the NFC North in their first year under Nagy after four straight last-place finishes and made the playoffs for the first time since 2010. It ended in a cruel way Devin Bush Jersey , with Parkey’s potential winning field goal hitting the left upright and crossbar in a 16-15 wild-card loss to Philadelphia at Soldier Field.On Friday, he appeared on the “Today” show. And that did not sit well with Nagy.He said Parkey didn’t tell him in his exit interview that he would be going on the show. Nagy didn’t remember exactly when he found out it would happen.“We always talk about a ‘we’ and not a ‘me’ thing, and we always talk as a team, we win as a team, we lose as a team,” Nagy said. “You know, I just, I didn’t necessarily think that that was too much of a ‘we’ thing.”Parkey’s struggles were one of the few sore spots for the Bears.The Bears signed him to a four-year contract hoping he could give them the consistency they have lacked since they cut Robbie Gould prior to the 2016 season.Instead, he made just 23of 30 field goals for the third-lowest conversion rate in the NFL. He was 42 of 45 on extra points.Six of his misses counting the playoffs hit uprights. He nailed them four times while missing two field goals and two extra points in a victory over Detroit at Soldier Field on Nov. 11. He also hit an upright on a missed PAT at Minnesota in the regular-season finale.Parkey didn’t start practicing at Soldier Field, where winds off Lake Michigan can wreak havoc http://www.steelersfootballauthentics.com/diontae-johnson-jersey-authentic , during the week until after the Detroit game. That’s something Gould and Kevin Butler, two of the most successful kickers in franchise history, used to do.Even if they keep Parkey for now, Pace vowed to bring in competition.“However many (free agents) we signed last year, you’re never going to bat a thousand,” Pace said. “I know Cody wishes he had a better season. We wish he had a better season, too.”The Bears don’t expect to make major changes on defense. That group led by Khalil Mack and two other All-Pros in safety Eddie Jackson and cornerback Kyle Fuller ranked among the best in the NFL. And Pagano — like Fangio — has experience with 3-4 defenses.“We’ve done a lot of good things, but I’m sure Chuck is going to bring a lot of good things to add to the able as well,” Pace said.The Bears did not rule out trying to sign former Kansas City running back Kareem Hunt. The Chiefs released the 2017 rushing champion after video surfaced showing him knocking over and kicking a woman in a Cleveland hotel in February.“As we go into that, obviously there’s a lot of things off the field that he’s got to take care of Justin Layne Jersey ,” Pace said. “Matt knows Kareem. I don’t know Kareem, but those things are all going to have to play out.”Nagy worked with Hunt in Kansas City and talked to him about a week ago.“The situation that happened is unfortunate for everybody, and he knows that,” Nagy said. “The only thing I cared about when I talked to him was literally his personal life, how he’s doing, and it was a good conversation.”Notes: Pace said the Bears plan to pick up their fifth-year option for the 2020 season on linebacker Leonard Floyd. … WR Anthony Miller will have shoulder surgery. … Pace said Mack will miss the Pro Bowl because of a sprained knee. … Nagy wasn’t sure if Ed Donatell will return as defensive backs coach. He interviewed for the defensive coordinator job and has an expiring contract.
GEST Carts offers rides on weekend nights to attractions such as riverfront restaurants Justin Layne Jersey , a casino and other entertainment spots. Co-founders Patrick and Lauren Dye have rolled out the service slowly, with plans to expand in time for Cincinnati’s popular Opening Day festivities in late March when the Reds begin baseball season.Long associated with retirement communities, golf carts are increasingly being seen as urban transit options.Services similar to GEST (Green, Easy, Safe Transportation) are running from Auburn, Alabama, to Toledo, Ohio. They offer environmentally friendly rides at low rates – in advertising-sponsored GEST’s case, for free – at slow speeds suited for sightseeing or mingling. Patrick liked the one in Nashville, and he saw an opportunity in Cincinnati with its revitalized downtown area.”I think it would be great anywhere,” Lauren Dye said as her husband drove past Cincinnati’s recently renovated Music Hall. ”It’s just a really fun mode of transportation.”Prince was singing ”Little Red Corvette” in the background, part of the `80s music mix among the choices passengers can make for their rides.The service comes as regional leaders have identified improving transportation as a key priority.Cincinnati area officials last month announced a partnership with Uber to create the Cincinnati Mobility Lab. Uber will share transportation data and launch studies of such issues as curbside congestion and bus services in the Cincinnati-northern Kentucky region.Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said working with Uber is an example of looking to the future for better transportation options.The Dyes, who operate the Scene Ultra Lounge downtown, launched GEST just before New Year’s, relying mainly on word-of-mouth. Attention grew quickly, especially as the city’s streetcar system suffered repeated shutdowns because of cold weather and ice.Patrick Dye said the golf carts aren’t meant to compete with the streetcar Benny Snell Jr. Jersey , and they’ve had good cooperation with city administrators on getting their business running.He said that they’ve averaged 300 to 500 passengers a night and will begin daytime service on Opening Day, March 29, with a cart fleet up to 10 from the current six.”This is just one more piece to bring and entice people to come to downtown Cincinnati and another tool that people can use to get around,” he said.—Follow Dan Sewell at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell This could be a busy week on the waiver wire as the NFL has six teams on bye in Week 8. The Giants, Packers, Titans, Rams, Cardinals and Jaguars each have the week off. That means no Marcus Mariota, DeMarco Murray, Todd Gurley, Adrian Peterson, Leonard Fournette, Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams or Larry Fitzgerald. Fantasy owners are going to have a hard time filling out complete rosters with so many teams on a break. How you will go about filling out your roster is generally directly tied to your record. The better the record, the more cautious you should be on the waiver wire. Don’t blow your budget on a player who will only help you for one week. The opposite is true, however Zach Gentry Jersey , if you are struggling.You may have to throw caution to the wind and be aggressive if you need to win now. There is no use planning for three weeks down the line if you will already be out of contention. Here are the top waiver wire players for Week 8: JOSH MCCOWN, QB, New York Jets (22 percent owned in CBSSports.com leagues) McCown’s ownership percentage has gone up 8 percentage points since last week and should be higher. He’s a better play than Brett Hundley, who some fantasy owners blew their budget on this past week. McCown could make a solid replacement for those owners that lost Carson Palmer on Sunday to a broken arm. The Jets aren’t as bad a team as expected. JALEN RICHARD (19 percent) and DeAndre Washington (6 percent), RB, Oakland Raiders Marshawn Lynch was suspended one game for coming onto the field and placing his hands on an official during a melee Thursday. Lynch is appealing the suspension but it’s likely that he will have to serve his sentence this week. Lynch hasn’t been all that productive this season anyway, which could lead to a chance to start not only this week but for the remainder of the season for either Richard or Washington should they step up with a big performance. We are all wondering who the better pickup will be. Neither player is the next big thing when it comes to running backs, but Oakland does have a solid offensive line and the passing game seems to have fixed its problems. Richard appeared ready to the first crack at the starting job two weeks ago but it’s reasonable to lean toward Washington now. Don’t be shocked if coach Jack Del Rio just goes with the hot hand. DEVONTAE BOOKER, RB, Denver Broncos (17 percent): The Broncos offense is broken. They have only scored 10 total points in their last two games. Someone is going to pay the price. Maybe it’s quarterback Trevor Siemian, as the QB is usually the first to blame when an NFL team loses, but C.J. Anderson could be feeling the heat , as he only has 61 yards on 19 carries during these two losses. Sure, the Giants run defense is tough, but what was his excuse for not getting the job done versus the Chargers on Sunday? Booker is not lighting the world on fire, but at the very least he’s a threat when catching the ball out of the backfield and might be able to give the offense a spark. KENNY STILLS Nick Bosa Jersey , WR, Miami Dolphins (27 percent) Quarterback Jay Cutler is expected to miss at least the next two games with broken ribs and this may be good for Stills. We seem to forget that Stills had nine touchdowns last season and is on pace to better that this year. Stills had his two touchdowns this week with Matt Moore starting at QB. The Dolphins play the Ravens on Thursday, a game that is well within their capabilities of winning. If they do, it’s hard to see Miami going back to Cutler as the starter after Moore leads them to back to back victories. JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (20 percent) The Steelers said they wanted to get Martavis Bryant more involved in the offense this week. That didn’t happen as he only had two touches. Smith-Schuster has become a receiver that Ben Roethlisberger trusts, especially in the red zone. He has three touchdowns in his last six games and if you’re in need of a bye week replacement, he could be that short term answer. TYLER KROFT, TE, Cincinnati Bengals (31 percent) Tyler Eifert is not coming back this season after undergoing back surgery and we all know how much Andy Dalton likes to look for his tight ends in the end zone. Kroft is never going to be a high volume receiving tight end but with the lack of production at the position this year, any TE that scores a TD will be a top 10 at the position that week. Kroft has three scores in his past three games. — This column was provided to The Associated Press by the Fantasy Sports Network, http://FNTSY.com
Sunday Ed Oliver Jersey , he’ll see an encouraging sign in Andrew Luck’s comeback.Six years after the Miami Dolphins drafted Tannehill seven picks behind Luck, Sunday’s starting quarterbacks seem to be following similar paths.Both missed all of last season with injuries. Each is trying to make a late-season playoff run. And Tannehill hopes to prove he, like Luck, can successfully return from a problematic throwing shoulder.“I know he was dealing with stuff throughout the offseason,” Tannehill said. “I don’t know exactly what he had going on, but I have a ton of respect for Andrew and he’s playing really well right now.”Actually, Luck is playing the best football of his career — more than 21 months after undergoing surgery for a partially torn labrum in his right shoulder.Throughout his extended absence, Luck dealt with physical pain and mental anguish, brought on at least partially because he couldn’t help his teammates when they most needed him.Tannehill understands after missing the previous five games with an injured shoulder capsule.Similar to Luck Cody Ford Jersey , Tannehill had to be shut down at one point from throwing.But last week’s bye gave Tannehill enough time to get back. Coach Adam Gase announced Tuesday that Tannehill would be back in the lineup against Luck, even though Tannehill acknowledges he may play the rest of the season through the pain.“I’m not quite 100 percent, but I feel confident and have made all the throws that I’m going to need to make over the course of a game,” Tannehill said. “Everyone is confident that no further injury is going to be caused by playing through it at this point, with where it’s at in the healing process, and confident moving forward.”The Dolphins need Tannehill to be at his best. They haven’t scored a touchdown in nine quarters and are one of five teams, along with the Colts, tied at 5-5 for the AFC’s No. 6 playoff spot.This week’s challenge could be daunting.During their four-game winning streak, Indy’s defense is allowing just 17.5 points per game and Luck has thrown at least three touchdown passes in seven consecutive games. If the conference’s reigning offensive player of the week throws three more Sunday Devin Singletary Jersey , he will break a tie with former Dolphins star Dan Marino and tie former Colts star Peyton Manning for the second-longest streak in league history.Luck also is on pace to set career highs for completion percentage and passer rating — not bad for a guy some thought would never regain his pre-injury form.“I am not going to go and play the game of looking back to different years and comparing and contrasting,” Luck said. “It just doesn’t fly in my mind. But I do think that every week I feel a little better.”And if Tannehill’s body starts feeling better, perhaps the results will follow.“I think you have to step in and play your game. I feel confident,” Tannehill said. “I feel completely confident that we can do all the things that we’ve done in this offense.”100<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:View from the sidelines: NFL cheerleaders 2018Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports | Raj MehtaHere are a few other things to know about Miami’s matchup with Indianapolis:WELCOME BACKDolphins running back Frank Gore returns to Indianapolis for the first time since becoming a free agent last winter.While Gore wants to show his former team what it’s missing, the Colts still hold Gore in high regard.“He’s legendary, not just in this building,” Colts coach Frank Reich said. “I’ve been on other teams and every team I have been on they talk about Frank. He has set the standard for (pass) protections.”UNDERUSEDMiami’s Kenny Stills has only 19 receptions this season, but four have gone for touchdowns and he’s likely to see more balls thrown his way with receivers Albert Wilson and Jakeem Grant out for the rest of this season.“We’ve had opportunities where he does get behind the defense and we can’t get the ball to him,” coach Adam Gase said. “It’s a little frustrating probably for me. He doesn’t say much about it.”IN PERSPECTIVEColts kicker Adam Vinatieri became the NFL’s career leader in regular-season wins (210) last week. During Wednesday’s team meeting Dawson Knox Jersey , Reich put the milestone in perspective for his young team.“I said imagine if you had a 13-year career in the NFL that would be pretty awesome,” Reich said. “Then I said imagine if you went 16-0 for 13 seasons — you’d still be chasing Vinny for the wins record. That’s quite an accomplishment.”ON THE ROAD…The Dolphins have lost four straight road games by a combined score of 138-59. And since the middle of last season, they’ve lost nine of the past 10 outside their home stadium.Miami hasn’t played at Indianapolis since 2013, but it did win that game in Luck’s second season. Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians met with reporters on Tuesday, a year after the “mutual parting” with defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. Arians had nothing to add beyond the written statement issued in connection with McCoy’s release.“As I said yesterday in the statement about Gerald, hoping the best and there’s no need to ask me a question about that,” Arians said, via Rick Stroud of the . “I said what I said. Talk to me about the players that are here. And I’m really happy about the ones that are here.”Arians later was asked about another player who isn’t there, but who reportedly could be: Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.“I can’t talk about him Brian Burns Jersey ,” Arians initially said. “He’s not on my team.”Reminded that Suh is a free agent and not under contract with any time, Arians said, “He’s a hell of a player so we’ll see.”Suh was the second overall pick in the 2010 draft, with McCoy being selected one pick later. Suh became a free agent in March, but his name has barely come up in more than two months.
KANSAS CITY http://www.jaguarsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jawaan-taylor-jersey , Mo. (AP) — assured of not only their third consecutive AFC West title but also the No. 1 seed in the playoffs before the Oakland Raiders came to town.Instead, they’ll have everything on the line Sunday.The Chiefs blew a fourth-quarter lead against the Chargers a couple weeks ago, and last week they lost a shootout in Seattle. They are now 0-2 with a chance to clinch the division, and they risk falling all the way to the No. 5 seed in the playoffs if they can’t defeat one of their longtime rivals.Article continues below ...“Last time I checked we are in a pretty good position here,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “I know it can become a woe-is-me thing and this is how it happens, it can be a negative. I feel like throughout the team, though, the guys understand where they’re at and what they need to do to fix it.“The objective is to win games,” Reid said. “We have one game left here in the regular season.”Now, the Chiefs long ago locked up a spot in the postseason, so that won’t be an issue when they kick off against Oakland at the same time the Chargers are playing the Broncos. But what happens over the ensuing hours could potentially have massive playoff ramifications.If the Chiefs (11-4) win, they get a path through Arrowhead Stadium. If they lose and the Chargers win, Los Angeles vaults to the top of the AFC West and the No. 1 seed.If both teams lose, the Patriots or Texans would have a chance to snare the top spot, and Kansas City could conceivably go from having a bye to a wild-card matchup next weekend.“It’s a very small margin between winning and losing,” Reid said.“Very, very small. The pace can change quickly. So it’s important the attitude is right, and Kansas City has had a lot of ups and downs. Are players and coaches willing to make a change? We have an opportunity to do that.”The Raiders (4-11) would like nothing more than to play spoiler. They’ve lost seven of their last eight against the Chiefs Josh Oliver Jersey , including a 40-33 shootout in Oakland earlier this season.But despite a season’s worth of turmoil with no end in sight — who knows where they will play next season? — the Raiders have quietly performed better. They beat the Steelers and Broncos in recent weeks and coach Jon Gruden believes his vast rebuilding job is making progress.“We’re trying to get some momentum for our offseason,” Gruden said. “This is our first year here. I know the expectations were high for some, but we’re laying the foundation for how we want to play.“All we can do is keep developing our team,” he said, “and fight like hell for 60 minutes.”As the Raiders and Chiefs prepare to meet, here are some key story lines:HEALTH CHECKThe Chiefs remain without wide receiver Sammy Watkins because of a sore foot, but they hope to get cornerback Kendall Fuller back from a broken hand. Their defense was shredded by the Seahawks when he decided at game time that he would be unable to go. “That’s a day-to-day thing,” Reid said, “but I think he feels a lot better.”HEALTH CHECK, PART 2Raiders left guard Kelechi Osemele returned last week against Denver and instantly upgraded the entire offense. He did not allow a pressure in 31 passing snaps and helped pave the way for Doug Martin to run for a season-best 107 yards. “It’s always good to be able to do that,” said Osemele, who’d been out with a knee injury. “It’s a great feeling, man.”CARLSON’S KICKSOne of the few bright spots for Oakland this season has been rookie kicker Daniel Carlson, who is perfect on extra points and 15 of 16 on field goals since signing in October. The fifth-round pick was cut by Minnesota after missing all three field goals in Week 2, but he could break Sebastian Janikowski’s franchise record for field-goal accuracy in a season set in 2012. “To me that’s something you enjoy later in life,” he said. “You enjoy it in the offseason a little.”STEPPING UPOakland’s rookie tackles Kolton Miller and Brandon Parker have taken plenty of heat as the offensive line has failed to protect Derek Carr much of the season. “I know Pro Football Focus has some statistics that aren’t always positive,” Gruden said, “but they played very good, and not just pass protecting but run blocking and handling the audibles. We have seen a lot of progress there.”SLOW STARTSOne common thread during the Chiefs’ late-season slide: slow starts by quarterback Patrick Mahomes http://www.jaguarsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-quincy-williams-ii-jersey , who nonetheless remains a top candidate for league MVP. He was 1 of 7 out of the gates against Seattle, though he bounced back to have another solid game.“It’s all about the next play. The next play you always have an opportunity to do better,” Mahomes said. “As long as you go out there and execute the next play, that’s the best thing you can do.” When the Jalen Ramsey vs. A.J. Green, and Aqib Talib vs. Michael Crabtree in-game tussles played out, Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Ronnie Lott thought back to advice he received decades ago, before his San Francisco 49ers faced the Dallas Cowboys. ”A buddy of mine, Dennis Thurman, who played for the Cowboys, called me up before we played them and said, `Do not get into a talking match with (receivers) Butch Johnson or Drew Pearson.’ So I didn’t. He was like, `Stay focused on the game,”’ Lott said. ”I’m sure that some coach or somebody said, `Don’t get caught up in that’ to the guys involved in things this season. ”Whatever the coaches said didn’t work.” Seems conflicts between cornerbacks and wideouts are simply unavoidable. It is a unique dynamic in NFL games week after week: On play after play, they match up 1-on-1, with plenty of grabbing and shoving and, yes, yapping mixed in. The tension escalates, especially if one is really outplaying the other. ”It can be like an Ali-Frazier moment Ryquell Armstead Jersey ,” said Lott, a cornerback and safety from 1981-94. ”My rookie year, I remember having confrontations. They could be around the biggest or the littlest thing.” Broncos cornerback Talib and Raiders receiver Crabtree served one-week suspensions after getting into a fight during a game – a reprise of their skirmish last season. Both times, Talib ripped a gold chain off Crabtree’s neck. In another much-discussed episode, Jacksonville’s Ramsey and Cincinnati’s Green were ejected after a clash that looked straight out of a wrestling ring. ”There’s a lot of passion and emotions out of those two positions. It happens a lot in training camp and things like that, same deal,” Minnesota Vikings receiver Adam Thielen said. ”Even when you’re going against your own teammates, it brings a lot of emotion out of you, especially when you’re a competitor and you don’t like to lose.” The two episodes this season brought to mind other high-profile dustups. Josh Norman vs. Odell Beckham Jr. Or Andre Johnson vs. Cortland Finnegan. These spats are at least in part a result of what Redskins cornerback Norman describes as a world of constant chatter, gamesmanship and one-upmanship. ”If you stop them, you come back and say something. Then they catch the ball, and they come back and say something. You play sound, fundamental defense and you get aggressive with guys. They don’t like it and they push back. You push back,” Norman said. ”And before you know it, there you go.” He was a Panthers cornerback in 2015 when he engaged in a violent back-and-forth with Giants receiver Beckham. Norman sees these CB vs. WR flare-ups through the prism of his job, which he says is made harder by the NFL’s anti-defense rules and officiating. ”They don’t want defenders to be successful. And (fans) don’t want a guy to stop their man that they put in fantasy football. When we do, we’re the `worst ever.’ We’re `trash.’ But if we let someone catch the ball, we’re `trash,’ too. It’s ridiculous http://www.jaguarsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-gardner-minshew-ii-jersey ,” Norman said. ”We can’t win as defensive backs. It’s not set up for us to. But when we do win, and there is that little success that we have for ourselves, then we need to show it. Like, `Look! Take that!'” Players on both sides of the ball say the physical and mental back-and-forth both contribute to bad feelings. ”There’s a lot that goes out there on the field that’s behind the scenes,” Raiders cornerback TJ Carrie said. ”You really don’t pay attention to it until there’s an altercation.” Whether it’s a cornerback constantly jamming a receiver off the line, or a run-blocking wideout doing the shoving, those plays add up. That’s aside from when a receiver isn’t getting his catches, or even his targets. Or a DB keeps giving up gains. It all can lead to frustration – and lashing out. ”It’s been going on for centuries,” Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. He knows some defenders will ”try to add unnecessary brutality to the game,” he said, and there’s no way to avoid that. But when it comes to trash talk, Fitzgerald said: ”I’m not about that. If you call out my name, I’m not even going to acknowledge you. I just walk away.” Certainly, these conflicts happen at other positions. Still, as Redskins cornerback-turned-safety DeAngelo Hall noted, it’s harder to notice individual matchups along the line of scrimmage. ”We are kind of out there by ourselves, so when we’re talking or battling, you can really see two guys face to face – as opposed to five vs. five, having the whole O-line and whole D-line there. I don’t know if there’s more confrontation there than a defensive end and a left tackle Christian Wilkins Jersey , for example, but it’s definitely more noticeable when receivers and DBs get to chirpin’, because we’re isolated,” Hall said. ”At the end of the day, it’s me vs. you on that island.” Hall, whose 43 career interceptions lead active players, remembers when he was with the Falcons and faced the division-rival Panthers and now-retired receiver Steve Smith. ”Me and Steve had to be separated a couple of times,” Hall said. ”It was always almost to blows. Then, after or before the game, it was all cordial. Just that competitiveness of me and him wanting to beat each other down sparked those intense exchanges.” As for some of his other past foes? ”Me and (Terrell Owens) didn’t do a lot of talking. We just tried to rip each other’s heads off. Me and Chad Johnson did a lot of talking, but it was all jokingly,” Hall said and paused, before adding with a chuckle: ”And, of course, we tried to rip each other’s heads off.” — AP Pro Football Writers Dave Campbell and Josh Dubow and Sports Writers Joe Kay and Bob Baum contributed to this report. —
KANSAS CITY Garrett Bradbury Jersey , Mo. (AP) — the high-flying Kansas City Chiefs offense when he leads the Baltimore Ravens into Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.He won’t make a tackle, though, or cause a fumble or intercept a pass.That’s because stopping Patrick Mahomes and Co. begins with keeping them on the sideline. And to do that, the Ravens quarterback needs to make sure he keeps his own offense on the field.“Whatever it takes, we’re going to help them out,” Jackson said of the Ravens’ top-ranked defense, “keep the clock running, keep the ball in our possession.”The Ravens have been good at that all season.Even before Jackson took over for Joe Flacco, who remained limited in practice this week with a hip injury, the Ravens employed a ball-control style offense. Their average time of possession is nearly 32 minutes a game, third-best in the NFL, and that in turn has helped Baltimore lead the NFL in scoring defense.It has been even more pronounced after Jackson went under center, though. He has 265 yards rushing to set a quarterback record for a player’s first three starts in the Super Bowl era, and the Ravens have run for at least 200 yards as a team in each game during the corresponding three-game win streak — they are the first team since the 2010 Jaguars to accomplish that feat.In last week’s victory over the Falcons Noah Fant Jersey , who have a score-a-minute offense in their own right, the Ravens held the ball for an astounding 39 minutes, 39 seconds. They did so by piling up 25 first downs, half of those coming on the ground, and running 77 plays to just 45 for the Falcons.“When you’re on the field for 20 percent less than what you normally have been, you’re obviously going to play better defense and play better as a team,” Ravens safety Eric Weddle said.“Play great defense, control the clock, play great on special teams, you have a shot at winning. That’s been known here over the years of the way the Ravens play, and we’re going to continue to do that.”The Chiefs are quite nearly the diametric opposite.Only four times in their first 12 games have they possessed the ball more than their opponents, and that was with reigning NFL rushing champ Kareem Hunt in the backfield for the first 11 of them.Hunt was released last week after a series of off-the-field issues became public.In fact, both of the Chiefs’ losses this season — at the Patriots and Rams — have come when they’ve lost the time of possession battle. It was particularly lopsided in New England, when the Chiefs had the ball for less than 24 minutes in what became a 43-40 shootout loss to Tom Brady and Co.One of the big reasons for the disparity is that Kansas City simply scores fast http://www.cowboyscheapauthenticstore.com/trysten-hill-jersey-cheap , averaging an NFL-leading 37 points per game. The Chiefs’ quick-strike offense centers around Mahomes distributing to one of the deepest stables of skill-position talent in the league, headlined by speedsters Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins and their versatile, big-play tight end Travis Kelce.Mahomes has a league-leading 43 throws of at least 25 yards this season. Quite a few of those have been part of his NFL-best and franchise-record 41 touchdown tosses.Coach Andy Reid acknowledged that teams have tried to play ball-control offense against Kansas City, and for the most part it hasn’t worked that well. The Chiefs have been able to build big enough leads in most of their games that opponents have to abandon the run altogether.“I don’t think it changes what you do,” Reid insisted. “You have to be efficient with what you do when you have the opportunity with the ball. That is always our challenge, though. You have to take care of business when you have the opportunities.”Notes: RB Charcandrick West has switched numbers after signing earlier this week. He wore No. 35 last year and was No. 30 at practice Thursday. … P Dustin Colquitt has been nominated by Kansas City for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. … TE Demetrius Harris (ill) missed Thursday’s practice. Considering what happened in the rain at Cleveland last Sunday, the rugged AFC North looks like it will be wide open.So Thursday night’s visit to Cincinnati by Baltimore takes on an extra bit of importance, even in mid-September, after the division-favorite Steelers stumbled and bumbled to a 21-21 tie against the Browns.The Ravens were all over Buffalo from the start as Joe Flacco recaptured some of that 2012 championship form and the defense destroyed the Bills. The Bengals fell in a big hole at Indianapolis and showed far more gumption than usual by climbing out of it to win.Two teams many projected as also-rans for 2018 delivered some impressive opening performances.“That game is behind us,” Ravens safety Tony Jefferson says. “Although it’s great to have momentum, it’s over with. It’s a new week. This is a division opponent; they know us very well and we know them very well.”Perhaps. But these Bengals seem to have a resilience not seen often in recent seasons, though Cincinnati did show such moxie in the previous meeting with Baltimore.The Ravens ended the season hosting the Bengals and fell 31-27 on Andy Dalton’s 49-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd with 44 seconds left. That eliminated Baltimore from the playoffs and sent Buffalo into the postseason.The Ravens, ranked No. 9 in the AP Pro32, and No. 16 Bengals are pick-em at Paul Brown Stadium. It’s hard to fathom that Pro Picks is predicting Cincinnati will start the season 2-0. But that’s where we’ll go.BENGALS Drew Lock Jersey , 21-20KNOCKOUT POOLWe warned everyone last week that we aren’t very saintly in these things, and New Orleans’ flop proved that. We’re obligated to keep trying and will go with the LA RAMS.No. 28 Oakland (plus 6) at No. 14 DenverNot exactly Orange Crush defense, but Broncos will put Mile High hit on Jon Gruden’s Raiders.BEST BET: BRONCOS, 23-13No. 3 Minnesota (plus 1) at No. 6 Green BayNo miracle finishes for A-Rod and Pack this time, though this isn’t much of an …UPSET SPECIAL: VIKINGS, 27-20No. 1 New England (minus 2) at No. 5 JacksonvilleAFC championship game rematch — and perhaps harbinger for January. No revenge for Jaguars.PATRIOTS, 27-16No. 7 Kansas City (plus 5 1-2) at No. 11 PittsburghSteelers fall behind even more in AFC race and Chiefs prosper.CHIEFS, 26-24No. 19 Los Angeles Chargers (minus 7) at No. 32 BuffaloBills can’t possibly be as bad as they looked in opener. Or maybe they are.CHARGERS, 27-10No. 31 Arizona (plus 13) at No. 4 Los Angeles RamsCardinals can’t possibly be as bad as they looked in opener. Or maybe they are.RAMS, 26-10No. 30 Detroit (plus 5 1-2) at No. 23 San FranciscoLions can’t possibly … you get it.49ERS, 20-17No. 18 Miami (plus 3) at No. 17 New York JetsBattle to keep pace with Patriots in AFC East — at least through two weeks.J-E-T-S, 23-21No. 8 Carolina (plus 5 1-2) at No. 10 AtlantaRed zone scares Falcons, strange occurrence for a team wearing that color.FALCONS, 20-17No. 2 Philadelphia (minus 3) at No. 15 Tampa BayIf Buccaneers win this http://www.broncoscheapauthenticstore.com/dre_mont-jones-jersey-cheap , time to re-evaluate.EAGLES, 21-20No. 29 Indianapolis (plus 5 1-2) at No. 12 WashingtonRedskins were as pleasant a surprise as Bucs last week. Revival continues in DC.REDSKINS, 26-19No. 27 Cleveland (plus 8) at No. 13 New OrleansWho thought Saints would be more embarrassed team in opener than Browns?SAINTS, 27-15No. 24 New York Giants (plus 3) at No. 25 DallasNBC and NFL love this as prime-time matchup. Hey, they both are 0-1, guys.COWBOYS, 17-16No. 21 Seattle (plus 3) at No. 22 Chicago, Monday nightBears need to put Lambeau collapse behind them.BEARS, 20-16No. 20 Houston (no line) at No. 26 TennesseeTough start for banged-up Titans.TEXANS, 23-13
Telvin Smith haven’t been present for offseason workouts in Jacksonville. It’s now known that another key player hasn’t been present for voluntary drills.Per a league source Tony Pollard Jersey , defensive end Yannick Ngakoue has been absent from the workouts. He showed up for the first few days, and he then left.The 2016 third-round pick enters his contract year with 29.5 sacks in three seasons — that’s more than the 28.5 sacks generated by Joey Bosa, the third overall pick that same year.Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark, who recently signed a five-year, $105 million deal Noah Fant Jersey , has 32 sacks over the last three years. Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, who also has signed in recent weeks a five-year, $105 million deal, has only 25.5 sacks over the past three seasons.Ngakoue is due to make $2.025 million in 2019, and his absence undoubtedly relates to his desire to get a new deal before embarking on the final year of his rookie contract Dalton Risner Jersey , which ultimately will pay out $4.6 million over four seasons. He joins Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones, who has 24 sacks in his first three years, as players exercising the primary leverage available to them to get what they want: Withholding of services. He’s the most hated person in the National Football League and there’s no end to his tyrannical campaign in sight. Yes, the megalomaniac has been the commissioner of the NFL since 2006 and each year he’s succeeded in bringing in a ton of money for the NFL. Although, each year it seems Goodell drops the ball when a new scandal arises. He’s always talking about protecting “the shield” or the integrity of the NFL Drew Lock Jersey , but most who have seen his actions believe he has become an embarrassment to the league.Where can we start with this hypocritical authorize figure? Some suggest he’s killing football, others believe it is already dead. His failure to punish domestic violence abusers in a consistent manner and his censorship and denial of long-term research for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) are hallmark cards of his reign. It’s only a matter of time before Goodell crashes to the ground. We just hope the NFL doesn’t implode with him.How can a billion dollar company allow this man to keep his job is beyond us. So, if you truly hate the guy, then you’ll love this listicle. If you still think he’s the best thing for the NFL, we hope we can change your mind.
Memorial & Museum Ryan Finley Jersey , The Associated Press reported erroneously that the memorial and museum president was named Alice M. Greenwood. Her surname is Greenwald.
A corrected version of the story is below:
Museum exhibit highlights impact of sports after 9/11
New exhibit at 9/11 Memorial & Museum highlights impact of sports after 2001 attacks
By MELISSA MURPHY
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) – A new exhibit at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum highlights the impact of sports after the 2001 attacks, including the Mets’ win in New York’s first major sporting event after 9/11.
”Comeback Season: Sports After 9/11” explores how sports helped unite the country and features interviews with athletes such as Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza.
”In that first game back, the home team came back and won,” said Piazza, whose two-run homer for the Mets in the eighth inning on Sept. 21, 2001, lifted the team past Atlanta. ”That’s exactly the lesson the city, the country and the world needed to see that night.”
Carol Gies attended that game with her three sons and celebrated the moment in the stands. Her firefighter husband, Lt. Ronnie Gies, died in the attacks on the World Trade Center.
”When that ball went over the wall, I saw my children smile for the very first time since they lost their dad,” she said in an oral history recording.
The exhibit covers various sports http://www.bengalscheapstore.com/renell-wren-jersey-cheap , including football, hockey, basketball, soccer, NASCAR, the New York City Marathon and the 2002 Winter Olympics. The story is told in nine chapters, using archival sports footage and testimonies from athletes, coaches and 9/11 families.
It opens with the U.S. Open final of Venus vs. Serena Williams on the weekend before the attacks. It moves through the cancellation of events, including the first stoppage of Major League Baseball since the death of President Franklin Roosevelt in 1945.
The Mets’ and Giants‘ stadiums were used as recovery and supply sites after the attacks. Piazza’s jersey, his batting helmet with ”NYPD” taped on the back and John Franco’s FDNY hat are on display.
So is Pat Tillman’s Army Ranger uniform, on loan from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Tillman, an Arizona Cardinal player Michael Jordan Jersey , enlisted after 9/11 and died in Afghanistan.
New York Rangers Mike Richter, Eric Lindros and Mark Messier are pictured during a visit to thank rescue workers at ground zero on Sept. 16.
There’s a quote from Mets manager Bobby Valentine: ”When we went down there the first time, you could still smell it. You could still feel it. You could see the filth on the faces of the workers. When they saw us, their faces lit up. You could see their teeth through their black masks.”
A letter from 10-year-old Brielle Saracini to Derek Jeter dated Sept. 14 is on display. She explains to her favorite player that her father, Victor Saracini, was a pilot of hijacked Flight 175 that crashed into the south tower. Soon after, Jeter called to invite Brielle, her sister and mother to a game.
In the World Series, the Yankees hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks among heightened security for Games 3, 4, 5 at Yankee Stadium, just 14 miles from ground zero. Video shows Jeter hitting a walk-off home run in Game 4 and jumping into the arms of teammates at home plate.
Michael Jordan is pictured with members of the military before a Washington Wizards vs. Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 30. Jordan had pledged his entire year’s salary to the 9/11 relief effort.
”Through the lens of sports http://www.raidersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-hunter-renfrow-jersey , this exhibition celebrates the strength of the human spirit and our capacity to come together and support one another through unimaginable grief,” 9/11 Memorial & Museum President Alice M. Greenwald said. ”This story provides additional points of entry into the complex story of 9/11 to better understand our history and the impact it had on our world today, to reflect on our own lived memories from that time and to feel inspired by stories about the best of humanity.”
The exhibit was sponsored in part through the support of the Anheuser-Busch Foundation, MLB, the New York Mets and their chief operating officer, Jeff Wilpon. It runs through the summer of 2019.
As the 2018 season ended, some believed that the 49ers would make a run at Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. And indeed they did.Appearing on KNBR (via Matt Barrows of TheAthletic.com), 49ers G.M. John Lynch confirmed that the Giants wanted the second overall pick in the draft, and that the 49ers refused to part with it.“I think, ironically, the fact that we had the No. 2 pick made it more difficult because they wanted that badly,” Lynch said. “They wanted two No. 1s. And we weren’t willing to part with that. It was too valuable of a pick.”Lynch’s comments are interesting Zach Brown Jersey , and they may not be fully appreciated by the Browns. Given that Beckham didn’t launch a power play to get to Cleveland, he could eventually decide to dictate terms like former Steelers receiver Antonio Brown did, and Beckham now knows that the powers-that-be in San Francisco are interested.The Raiders will have no similar concerns about Brown, who they acquired from Pittsburgh. Even though Antonio Brown apparently wanted to play for the 49ers, the 49ers didn’t want Brown.“We took a quick look and then we just said, ‘Hey, we’re not interested in that for our team,'” Lynch said. “That’s where we are. I think we feel pretty good about our receiving corps. I know a lot of people don’t share our sentiments.”People don’t share their sentiments in part because they tried to get Beckham. If Brown becomes a star on the other side of the Bay, those who don’t share their sentiments will grow in number and volume.
Thursday night that left the AFC West title up for grabs over the final two weeks of the regular season.While the division crown is unsettled http://www.jaguarscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-gardner-minshew-ii-jersey , the team knows it will be heading to the playoffs one way or another as a result of the win. It’s the first time they’ll be in the postseason since 2013 and tight end Antonio Gates reflected on ending that drought when Thursday night’s game was over.“Very emotional,” Gates said, via the team’s website. “I think what happens is that you think about all the hard times and the things you had to go through to get to this point. I think that’s what sticks out the most. Any time you’re able to put yourself in a position where you can accomplish certain goals, I think the first thing that comes to mind is the people that did it with you. [The people who] went through the trials and tribulations with you, and just all the sacrifices you’ve put in Marquise Brown Jersey , and for me, just putting into this organization.”Gates didn’t return to the Chargers until just before the start of this season and has played a limited role for most of the year. He said he was OK with that because he was focused on the “bigger picture” of winning a title. His four catches for 54 yards helped the Chargers take a step in that direction on Thursday. Buster Posey certainly thought he got hit by a pitch in retaliation.
Manager Bruce Bochy is still disappointed the Marlins plunked Evan Longoria last week and the third baseman is now recovering from surgery on his left hand.
Miami’s Don Mattingly insists nobody on either side was intentionally hit and became upset that the umpires warned both teams too quickly.
Posey homered in the first, Gorkys Hernandez hit a two-run drive in the second and an RBI double later, and the San Francisco Giants held their lead this time to beat the Marlins 6-3 on Tuesday in another night of plunking by both pitching staffs.
Marlins starter Dan Straily and Mattingly were automatically ejected in the second after Straily hit Posey on the left arm with a pitch. Both sides had been warned by plate umpire Andy Fletcher the previous inning after Giants rookie starter Dereck Rodriguez beaned Lewis Brinson as tempers flared for a second straight game.
Whether it was intentional by Straily, Posey said: ”I don’t know. It sure seemed that way.”
”I think everybody knows if you give one warning after one guy then you’re asking for trouble out of the blue,” Mattingly said.
He added: ”I’m sure Rodriguez didn’t mean to hit Brinson and Straily didn’t mean to hit Buster. … If they thought there was going to be something going on they should have given both teams warnings before the game. If they thought it was intentional on their part, (Rodriguez) should have been out of the game.”
The tension began during Monday’s series opener when Hunter Strickland took exception to Brinson’s celebration following his tying RBI single in the ninth off the Giants closer, who blew the save and took the loss. Brinson appeared to say something to the reliever on his way to first. Brinson was at third when Strickland was pulled and the two exchanged words.
The Giants closer later broke his pitching hand punching a door in frustration and had surgery Tuesday.
Rodriguez (2-1) struck out six over five innings. He hit Derek Dietrich in the fourth but it wasn’t considered intentional so he was safe from being tossed from his fourth career start. He had a no-decision in a 16-inning Giants win against the Marlins last Thursday.
Straily was ejected for the first time in his career while Mattingly got tossed for the 35th time as both player – seven times – and manager.
”My response I guess would be: Were they throwing at Longoria? (Kelby Tomlinson) got hit in the back last night, so that’s my response Miles Boykin Jersey , were they throwing at him?” Bochy said.
Elieser Hernandez relieved Straily (2-3), who had been 4-0 with 2.82 in his initial six starts against the Giants.
Andrew McCutchen immediately singled and Brandon Belt drew a bases-loaded walk to put the Giants up 4-0 – the same lead they held in the early innings Monday only to squander it and fall 5-4 as Strickland gave it up and lost his cool. He will be out six to eight weeks.
JT Riddle hit a two-run triple in the fourth following singles by Starlin Castro and Miguel Rojas. Brian Anderson’s RBI double four batters later snapped an 0-for-10 stretch over his previous three games.
The Giants added on in the fifth with consecutive RBI doubles by Alen Hanson, his second of the night, and Hernandez.
Posey sent the first pitch he saw from Straily midway up the bleachers in left-center before Hernandez – who didn’t hit a single homer all last season and now has eight – connected following Hanson’s double leading off the second.
The Marlins left the bases loaded in the second after Rojas reached on second baseman Joe Panik’s one-out throwing error and Riddle singled before Brinson was plunked.
STRICKLAND’S (LATEST) PUNCH
An X-ray after Monday’s game revealed the break of Strickland’s pinkie, similar to what sidelined lefty ace Madison Bumgarner to begin the season after he was hurt in his final spring training start.
Strickland Deandre Baker Jersey , who apologized on social media Tuesday, had shown Bochy maturity since his fight with Nationals star Bryce Harper in late May of last year.
Bochy said after the game Sam Dyson would be his regular closer. Dyson came in to relieve Will Smith and record the final two outs on a double play for his second save.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: 1B Garrett Cooper (bruised right wrist) played four innings for a second straight game at Class A Jupiter and was set to continue his rehab with Triple-A New Orleans.
Giants: SS Brandon Crawford is expected to rejoin the team from paternity leave Wednesday and play again Thursday. … All went as expected with Longoria’s surgery on his hand and he was accompanied by athletic trainer Dave Groeschner at the procedure in Los Angeles. Longoria was headed to Arizona and is in a soft cast for a few days then is scheduled to rejoin the Giants in the Bay Area on Friday or Saturday. … RHP Johnny Cueto, who threw a 40-pitch, two-inning simulated game Monday, is likely headed out soon to begin a rehab assignment as he works back from inflammation in his pitching elbow. … RHP Pierce Johnson was on his way from Triple-A Sacramento to take Strickland’s roster spot.
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears showed they could dominate on defense Kyler Murray Jersey , even with Khalil Mack out of the lineup.Then again, playing the Jets didn’t hurt.The Bears were ready without Mack, shutting down Sam Darnold and New York’s struggling offense in a 24-10 victory Sunday they sorely needed.“We played together,” linebacker Aaron Lynch said. “We played as one, we played aggressive and we had fun doing it. And we attacked the field every time we went out there.”There were no eye-popping statistics from any of the Bears’ players. Chicago (4-3) had just one sack and no interceptions.But the defense delivered a solid all-around effort, helping the Bears win on a day when Mitchell Trubisky threw for two touchdowns and guard Kyle Long got helped off the field with a right foot injury.The Bears outgained New York 395 yards to 207 and held big advantages in rushing (179-57) and passing (216-15). The Jets didn’t even reach 100 yards in total offense until the fourth quarter Byron Murphy Jersey , and by the time they finally got going, Chicago was putting this one away.“I don’t want to go back and forth about what any in particular guy does on this defense,” defensive end Akiem Hicks said. “I want to talk about our entire defense as a whole, and how dominant we have been and how dominant we will continue to be the rest of the year.”Here are some things to know after the Bears bounced back from consecutive losses and handed the Jets their second in a row:SELF-INFLICTEDWhile the Bears’ defense did its part, the Jets did plenty to stop themselves.They had false-start penalties on each of their first three drives. They also had one on their first possession of the third quarter, making it tougher to move the ball.“We shot ourselves in the foot on that Andy Isabella Jersey ,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said. “Especially when the crowd wasn’t that loud, those were just concentration things. It was pretty much a different guy each time.”RUNNING REVIVALJordan Howard has gone a career-long 10 straight games without a 100-yard rushing effort. But he showed signs of picking it up with 22 carries for 81 yards — his highest total since he had 82 in the opener against Green Bay.The 22 attempts were the second-most for him this season. And he set up his 2-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter with a 24-yard run, his longest of the year.DRIVE EXTENDERMitchell Trubisky’s scrambling continues to help keep the Bears moving, even when the passing game has been inconsistent. He ran for four first downs and gained 51 yards on six rushes.“We needed to continue to find ways to stay on the field and sometimes it’s me pulling the ball down and making the play for the offense,” Trubisky said.In the previous game against New England, Trubisky ran for a career-high 81 yards.CATCHING ONJets rookie tight end Christopher Herndon now has touchdown catches in three straight games.He had a 16-yard scoring pass in the fourth quarter — his lone reception.A fourth-round pick from Miami Zach Allen Jersey , he has 12 catches for 161 yards.WITHOUT LONGThe Bears have some options if Long is out for a few games or the rest of the season.Veteran Eric Kush could take over for him at right guard, though he has been bothered the past few weeks with a neck injury that kept him out on Sunday. The Bears can also turn to newly acquired Bryan Witzmann, a guard/tackle who signed three weeks ago and has knowledge of the offense because he played in it for the Chiefs under Nagy. BATAVIA, N.Y. (AP)Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly will receive ESPN’s Jimmy V Award for the toughness and perseverance he’s displayed during his ongoing battle with oral cancer.ESPN officially announced the honor Monday, a few hours after Kelly first revealed the news while attending his charitable foundation’s 32nd golf tournament outside of Buffalo. Kelly will be honored during the network’s ESPY Awards on July 18.The award is named for late North Carolina State men’s basketball coach Jimmy Valvano, who gave an inspirational speech at the ESPYs in 1993 less than two months before he died of cancer. Valvano most notably led the Wolfpack on an improbable run to win the 1983 NCAA Tournament championship.Kelly had surgery to have cancer removed from his jaw in March after tests revealed a recurrence. The 58-year-old Kelly was initially diagnosed five years ago with skin cancer and had been cancer free since September 2014.Kelly is still unable to eat solid foods. He is scheduled to have an operation on June 21 Hakeem Butler Jersey , when doctors plan to add tissue to the upper portion of his mouth. He is then scheduled to have permanent dentures inserted during another procedure in September.Kelly said he’s honored to receive the award, before joking that ”the only bad thing about it is you have to go through a lot to get it.”Difficult as it has been for him, Kelly leans on his faith and says he continues to battle to help inspire others who have cancer.”The good Lord has put me in this situation to help not only the people out there who are suffering from cancer, but little kids, too, who are going through tough times to never give up Chris Lindstrom Jersey , to keep fighting, because you never know,” Kelly said.—
SEATTLE — Bobby Wagner leaped over the line of scrimmage http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-phil-haynes-jersey , swatted Dan Bailey’s field goal attempt and sparked the Seattle Seahawks to two late touchdowns.Whether or not what Wagner did was entirely legal, he frankly didn’t care.“I’m not stressing about that. I made the play. They called what they called,” Wagner said. “There’s times in games where things happen all the time. I’m not stressing on it. It was a big block and we’ll definitely take it. It was amazing.”More Vikings coveragePhotos of the Week: 7/21/19 – 7/27/19Rookie Bradbury is central figure to Vikings’ overhauled offensive lineVikings depth at cornerback being tested, Hughes still not clearedPlayers to watch at Minnesota Vikings 2019 training campTop Tweets: Vikings WR Diggs makes push for All-NFL Style TeamWagner’s block midway through the fourth quarter was the catalyst in a 21-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night that pushed Seattle to the brink of a playoff berth.Chris Carson followed the blocked kick with a 2-yard TD run with 2:53 left, and Justin Coleman capped off the Seahawks’ fourth straight victory with a 29-yard fumble return for a touchdown 18 seconds later.What was an ugly and mostly forgettable first three quarters turned into a Seattle party in the fourth as the Seahawks (8-5) moved to the brink of wrapping up a wild-card spot in the NFC. One win in Seattle’s final three games — including matchups with lowly San Francisco and Arizona — should be enough to put the Seahawks into the postseason.“It’s really about the defense. I loved the way they played, they played so hard and so spirited,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “It was almost poetic after last week’s game that Bobby would get to block the field goal and he pulled it off and did it. That was an incredible play.”Minnesota (6-6-1) twice had scoring chances in the fourth quarter when it was still a one-score game but was turned away each time. Minnesota’s chances of winning the NFC North took a major hit with its second straight loss, but the Vikings still hold the No. 6 spot in the NFC.“Part of it is being better on third downs. We haven’t really done a good job there. Part of it is being better in the red zone Ugo Amadi Jersey ,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. “We had the ball on the 2-yard line and didn’t score.”But much of the conversation centered on Wagner’s block of Bailey’s 47-yard attempt with 5:38 left and whether it was entirely legal. Wagner’s jump through a gap in Minnesota’s offensive line was fine, but it appeared he used his teammates to gain leverage, which allowed him to come through and block the kick. A flag was initially thrown but was picked up by the officials.Wagner said he attempted it four times in practice without a problem but acknowledged it could be tough to pull off the play during the fourth quarter of a tight game.“When I did it in practice I was pretty fresh,” Wagner said.Zimmer said he asked for an explanation of what happened but wasn’t given one. He was told he couldn’t challenge.“Quite honestly, I didn’t see what happened. I was told what happened,” Zimmer said.Seattle took possession and Russell Wilson immediately scrambled 40 yards deep into Minnesota territory. Five plays later, Carson scored and Seattle finally had a cushion. Two plays after that, Jacob Martin sacked Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins and the ball popped to Coleman Dwayne Haskins Jersey , who weaved his way for the clinching touchdown.Cousins threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Dalvin Cook with 1:10 remaining, but Seattle recovered the onside kick.“I feel like all of our losses we, as an offense, we are so slow,” Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen said. “Our defense is keeping us in games. And we’re not pulling our side of the bargain.”Wilson had one of the worst passing games of his career, completing 10 of 20 attempts for career-low 72 yards and a baffling interception late in the first half, one of the many mistakes by Seattle that allowed Minnesota to hang around. But Seattle’s ground game was outstanding against one of the better run defenses in the NFL. The Seahawks finished with 214 yards rushing, led by 90 yards from Carson.Sebastian Janikowski hit field goals of 37 and 35 yards to account for all of Seattle’s scoring until the closing minutes.“If you run it 40-something times David Long Jersey , you ought to win. That was pretty good,” Carroll said.FOURTH QUARTER WOESMinnesota hung around despite failing to run a play in Seattle territory until there was 4:16 left in the third quarter. Cousins was 20 of 33 for 208 yards, most of that coming late. But he failed to get the Vikings into the end zone from inside the Seattle 5 while trailing 6-0 early in the fourth quarter.The Vikings had first-and-goal at the Seattle 4 but turned the ball over on downs with 9:06 remaining. Two short runs and an incompletion brought up fourth-and-goal at the 1, and Cousins’ pass for Kyle Rudolph was knocked away by Bradley McDougald. Bailey’s field goal was blocked on Minnesota’s next drive.REACHING 100Minnesota fell to 0-6 when allowing its opponents to run for at least 100 yards. The Vikings came in to the week giving up 99 yards per game on the ground, good for seventh-best in the NFL. Seattle had 136 yards rushing in the first half.OTHER CENTURY MARKThielen tied Cris Carter as the fastest Minnesota player to reach 100 receptions in a season, both accomplishing the feat in 13 games. Carter did it in 1994 when he finished the year with 122 catches. Thielen is the first Minnesota receiver to get to 100 catches since Randy Moss in 2003. But Thielen didn’t get his first catch until midway through the third quarter. He finished with five catches for 70 yards.UP NEXTMinnesota: The Vikings return home to host Miami on Sunday.Seattle: The Seahawks play their final road game Sunday at San Francisco. Robert Kraft recognizes how few fans his New England Patriots have outside of their region. He stops short of calling the negativity ”hatred.”
The Patriots owner said Monday night the booing of his team at the Grammy’s the previous night in New York is ”sort of a compliment, the Boston-New York thing. I’d rather be on the winning end. Remember for 34 years I used to sit in the stands and feel it from the other way.”
Kraft has been to nine Super Bowls as owner, losing his first appearance in 1997 against Green Bay. He believes the disdain for his team is actually rooted in respect for the Patriots.
Irving doesn’t deserve any credit http://www.steelersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-benny-snell-jr.-jersey , but maybe Ricky Williams does.The NFL has eased its marijuana policy since Williams played, but the league still bans it even if a player is using it under the supervision of a doctor and even in states where it is legal. But the NFL and NFLPA announced in May that they have formed a committee that will study marijuana as a pain-management tool.The sides surely will include the issue in CBA talks.Williams, 42, long has advocated the use of marijuana and has gone in the marijuana business with a line of cannabis-based products called “Real Wellness by Ricky Williams.” He was asked if the NFL finally is catching up.“Most of the time I’m up here, I’m asked a question about marijuana,” Williams said Saturday at SportsCon 2019 in Dallas. “Any big corporation kind of has to be behind the times. It’s public opinion Zach Gentry Jersey , and I think public opinion has started to shift that the NFL is obviously talking about it in the public. I just think our whole country has come a long way in the past 15 years. The fact that before I was shunned and considered a pariah, and now ESPN invites me to talk about cannabis on television. We’re moving forward, and I think the NFL is eventually going to catch up.”Williams missed an entire season, retiring in the face of a $650,000 fine and four-game suspension for his marijuana use. He returned but missed another full season due to a year-long suspension for another violation of the substance abuse policy.Cowboys defensive Randy Gregory is serving an indefinite suspension now after missing 30 games for violating the substance abuse policy, but his latest suspension might not cost him any games. The NFL suspended him in February. He will apply for reinstatement Monday.While Williams faced public ridicule at times for his unorthodox training methods and marijuana use Joey Bosa Jersey , no one is laughing now. PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Carson Wentz is sidelined with a back injury, but two people familiar with the situation tell The Associated Press the Eagles quarterback hasn’t been ruled out for Philadelphia’s game at the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.Both people spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the team hasn’t made any definitive determination, pending further evaluation and testing.“Carson has a little bit of back soreness, a little tightness, so we’re going to rest him today, continue to evaluate him and make sure he’s good Nick Bosa Jersey ,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. “Sometimes he just gets a little sore, a little tight. Just going to rest him today and evaluate him further.”Pederson said the problem isn’t a result of a hit or anything that happened in the last game, a 29-23 overtime loss at Dallas that dropped the defending Super Bowl champions to 6-7.“Nothing game related,” Pederson said. “He’s dealt with it, and so we’re going to continue to evaluate.”Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles would start if Wentz can’t play. Foles hasn’t taken a snap since Week 2 but is taking reps with the first team in practice.Wentz tore two ligaments in his left knee last Dec. 10 and missed the first two games this season. Foles replaced him and led Philadelphia to its first NFL title since 1960.Wentz has 3,074 yards passing L.J. Collier Jersey , 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has career highs in passer rating (102.2) and completion rate (69.6 percent). Wentz finished third in the NFL MVP voting last year.He was injured a few plays before tossing his fourth TD pass of the game in a victory at the Rams last year. Foles stepped in and helped the Eagles rally from a 35-31 deficit to beat Los Angeles and clinch the NFC East title. Foles then led the Eagles to wins at the Giants and over Oakland to help the team secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC.Foles was outstanding in the NFC championship game against Minnesota and the Super Bowl against New England.He was 26 of 33 for 352 yards and three TDs in the 38-7 win over the Vikings and 28 of 43 for 373 yards, three TDs and one interception in the 41-33 victory over the Patriots.Foles is 21-12 as a starter, including playoffs, in two stints with Philadelphia. The Eagles were 1-1 in Foles’ starts this season.
The Cardinals are standing on the gas.Not offensively Diontae Johnson Jersey , or in terms of wins and losses or anything, but for the top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.By losing to the Lions yesterday, the Cardinals moved back into a three-way tie with the 49ers and Raiders with 3-10 records as they jockey for the top spot (after both the Bay Area teams unexpectedly won).But draft ties are settled by strength of schedule rather than head-to-head or the traditional tiebreakers, and at the moment both the Cardinals and the 49ers are sitting with .527 percentages Justin Layne Jersey , meaning they’d be ahead of the Raiders (.565).If the season ended today, they’d be backed up by the 4-8 Falcons picking fourth and the Jets fifth, followed by the Bills, Jaguars Benny Snell Jr. Jersey , the 5-8 Buccaneers, Giants, and Lions. Also, a lot of people would be asking “Why did the season end after Week 14?”There’s still time for the strength of schedule numbers to adjust slightly — and for the bad teams to continue to lose — so the order is still fluid. If two teams finished tied in strength of schedule Zach Gentry Jersey , the league holds a coin flip at the Scouting Combine to break that tie. University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban said recently that he believes players often make “emotional decisions” to enter the NFL before they should and “suffer some really difficult consequences” as a result of those decisions.Saban cited a player who left his program in 2018 and became a starter after going in the third round as an example of a player who should have stayed in school to make more money by becoming a first-round pick the next year. Saban didn’t use any names, but Jaguars safety Ronnie Harrison was the only third-round pick from the school last year and it seems he heard what his former coach had to say.It’s safe to say that Harrison doesn’t agree with Saban’s read on the situation.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Coaches get so Butt Hurt Now Days About a Kid Making a Decision to live out his dreams and Go Pro. Makes me think do you really care about the success of the kid or how well your program performs? 🤷🏿♂️💯 #KeepMyNameOutYaMouth #Bama #Saban #GodGotIt— Ronnie Harrison II (@Rharr_15) April 7, 2019</blockquote>One can’t know how the 2018 season or 2019 draft would have gone for Harrison had he stayed in school. We do know that he started eight games as a rookie and is set to start again this year as he works his way toward a second NFL contract.
Miami Dolphins released him last month. The dominating defensive lineman chose the Los Angeles Rams Gary Jennings Jr. Jersey , who have suddenly become a desirable destination.Whether it’s the proximity to great weather, smart coaches or Super Bowl contention, NFL stars have been eager to land in LA during the Rams’ intriguing offseason. The 300-pound Suh is the biggest one yet, in every way.”I think everybody looks at everything on paper, and I would say we’re in pretty good shape on paper,” Suh said Friday.”But we have a lot of things to prove, and really myself. I always play with a chip on my shoulder, and my focus is to come in here and put in a lot of work and prove my worth. … There were a lot of other great teams that I had offers from, but I think this was the best fit for me.”Rams coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead formally introduced Suh http://www.seahawkscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-phil-haynes-jersey , who agreed to a one-year, $14 million deal to team up with AP Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald on a potentially ferocious defensive line in Los Angeles.The 31-year-old Suh said Donald was ”definitely a plus” in his decision, since it’s almost certain to prevent opponents from constantly double-teaming either star. But Suh was equally excited by the presence of defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, whose ability to put talent in positions to succeed has been a major attraction since his arrival last year.”Being able to be fortunate enough to watch film with the coaches on my visit was important for me,” Suh said. ”Each place I took a visit to, I (would) watch film and talk to the coaches and see how they see me fitting in.”Suh will be the Rams’ nose tackle in their base 3-4 defense, and he sounded excited about trying a new primary position. Phillips will move around Suh, Donald and Michael Brockers to create trouble for offensive lines, and Suh was attracted to the challenge of forming new skills in his ninth NFL season.”Over the last five years or so Ugo Amadi Jersey , between Miami and Detroit, to get me out of double teams and kind of being in the trash, I’ve played every single position, every single technique that’s really possible,” Suh said.The entire NFL watched last season when McVay and Phillips transformed a team that hadn’t had a winning season since 2003 into an 11-5 champion of the NFC West. The Rams’ offense went from 32nd to first in the NFL in points, while the defense became exciting and effective despite lacking ideal personnel for some of Phillips’ schemes.The Rams have addressed those personnel issues aggressively with the additions of Suh and elite cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib. While Suh’s contract is a financial splash, McVay and Snead felt the expense was worth it for a player of Suh’s extraordinary ability.The Rams released cornerback Kayvon Webster to make room for Suh’s contract under the salary cap. Although Los Angeles is interested in re-signing Webster, who started 11 games last season, he might not be ready for the new season after undergoing surgery on his torn Achilles tendon.Donald still hasn’t been given a long-term contract by the Rams http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-drew-sample-jersey , but Suh is eager to begin the process of building teamwork during their offseason workout program. Suh has never reached a Super Bowl, but he joined the Rams knowing they intend to contend immediately.”They had a very successful year last year in the regular season,” Suh said. ”And I believe I can be of help to get them over some of the humps.”— NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL has fined Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman $26,739 for an unnecessary roughness penalty in New England’s win over Buffalo on Monday night.Edelman was called for an illegal block after a fair catch signal, but before the ball was touched on a Bills punt in the third quarter.Giants safety Sean Chandler was fined $20,054 for unnecessary roughness for a horse-collar tackle in the fourth quarter of their 20-13 loss to Washington on Sunday.Raiders linebacker Kyle Wilber also was fined $20,054 for unnecessary roughness for a horse-collar tackle in the fourth quarter of their 42-28 loss to Indianapolis on Sunday.Also fined:—Vikings wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, $13,369 for unsportsmanlike conduct.—Ravens defensive lineman Brandon Williams http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/trayvon-mullen-jersey , $10,026 for unnecessary roughness.—Eagles linebacker D.J. Alexander, $10,026 for unnecessary roughness.—Jaguars wide receiver Dede Westbrook, $10,026 for unsportsmanlike conduct.—Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt, $10,026 for a crack-back block.—Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe, $10 http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/isaiah-johnson-jersey ,026 for unnecessary roughness.—Cardinals linebacker Haason Reddick, $10,026 for unnecessary roughness.—Redskins linebacker Josh Harvey-Clemons, $10,026 for a chop block.
STATESBORO Gardner Minshew II Jersey , Ga. (AP) —is something coach Scott Satterfield has relished this week.He’s also tried to keep that achievement in perspective as he prepares to face an old friend in an important game.That ranking will be on the line , as well as the path to a Sun Belt championship, when No. 25 Appalachian State visits Georgia Southern on Thursday night in a matchup of longtime rivals.“It doesn’t win you any football games and it’s not going to beat Georgia Southern,” Satterfield said of his team’s debut in the Top 25.The Mountaineers (5-1, 3-0 Sun Belt) and Eagles (6-1, 3-0) were former Southern Conference rivals who combined to win nine FCS (Division I-AA) national championships before making the move to FBS.There are close ties on the coaching staffs. Georgia Southern coach Chad Lunsford was App State’s tight ends coach from 2001-02 and lived in Satterfield’s basement for a year when Satterfield also was a Mountaineers assistant on coach Jerry Moore’s staff.Lunsford said he and Satterfield are still friends, even though busy schedules mean “you don’t spend a lot of time communicating.”“He was a huge influence on me as a young coach and did a lot for my family when I was up there also, so I’ve got a lot of respect for him,” Lunsford said. “I do consider him a friend to this day.”Lunsford hired his defensive coordinator, Scot Sloan, from App State, where Sloan worked from 2010-17.“He spent a long time here so obviously he’s very familiar with our personnel Christian Wilkins Jersey ,” Satterfield said, adding Georgia Southern operates “a very similar defense to what we’re running, if not the same.”Here are some other things to know about the App State-Georgia Southern game:HIGH-SCORING MOUNTAINEERSApp State leads the Sun Belt with its average of 44.8 points per game. It also has the league’s best scoring defense, allowing only 15.7 points.“This will be a big-time challenge,” Lunsford said. “On paper I don’t know if we’ve got a chance. I hope our players will step up and play over their heads and give us a shot.”Darrynton Evans, who has run for an average of 119.7 yards in conference games, has helped the Mountaineers overcome the loss of Jalin Moore to a season-ending ankle injury. Evans ran for 115 yards at Arkansas State and 183 yards against Louisiana.SECOND-HALF DEFENSEApp State’s 27-17 win over Louisiana last week included a rarity — points allowed in the second half. Louisiana scored with 1:03 remaining for the first second-half points allowed by the Mountaineers’ defense since a 45-38 overtime loss to No. 17 Penn State to open the season. The Mountaineers outscored Charlotte, Gardner-Webb, South Alabama and Arkansas State by a combined 65-0 in the second half.TRIPLE OPTION ATTACKSophomore quarterback Shai Werts provides dual-threat skills as he directs Georgia Southern’s option offense. Werts’ 542 yards rushing and nine touchdowns lead the team. He has passed for 491 yards with four scores and no interceptions. For his career, Werts has 1,264 yards rushing with 12 touchdowns and 1,420 yards passing and 11 scores.SUN RISES AGAINApp State is only the second Sun Belt team to make the Top 25. Troy made a one-week appearance in the 2016 Michael Deiter Jersey , also at No. 25.SOUTHERN RIVALRYThe Mountaineers lead the series 19-13-1, including a 16-11 advantage since Georgia Southern revived its program in 1982. The schools were Southern Conference rivals from 1993-2013. This will be the fifth straight game in the series played on a Thursday night. After drafting former Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley, Ravens G.M. Eric Decosta said in a visit to that McSorley could be doing a little bit of everything in Baltimore.“I think he’s a football player and everything that entails,” DeCosta said. “His skill set is varied and multiple. He’s fast, he’s strong, he’s tough, he’s a playmaker, he’s a football player. We’ve seen teams, for instance the New Orleans Saints with Taysom Hill, we’ve seen other teams find ways to play with players like this and they can help you win football games. He fits our defense, he fits our offense, he fits special teams.”Indeed he does. McSorley recently said that Daniel Jones Jersey , during the offseason program, he took reps as a punt returner.“It’s something that’s a new challenge for me, something that I hadn’t really . . . done,” McSorley said, via NFL.com. “So it’s just something interesting to be able to come in and learn and try and prove myself in a different way that I can be able to get on the field and make an impact. . . . It’s been interesting. It’s had its ups and downs, obviously the first couple times doing it, but it’s going well. I’m looking forward to be able to come out and do anything that I can, especially in the special teams aspect for the team. I want to prove myself there.”Technically a quarterback who will wear No. 7, McSorley could be a lot like the guy who wears No. 7 in New Orleans.
HOUSTON (AP) — After throwing just one pass in his return to game action last week http://www.steelersfootballauthentics.com/diontae-johnson-jersey-authentic , Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson was determined to stay on the field a little longer on Saturday night.going 5 of 8 for 73 yards, capped by a 1-yard touchdown pass to Bruce Ellington in Houston’s 16-13 exhibition victory over the San Francisco 49ers,“I guess he was 5 for 8, but I think he had three drops on the drive,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “I thought he did some nice things. We were able to play at a pretty good tempo and get in the end zone so that was good.”It was a much lengthier outing than the preseason opener in Kansas City, when Watson attempted just one pass in his return to game action after missing the second half of his rookie season with a torn ACL.“I felt good just to be in a game,” Watson said. “Try to get my feet wet. It was a good drive for us.”Watson’s efficiency matched a nice opening drive from San Francisco’s Jimmy Garoppolo, who threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Trent Taylor.Garoppolo’s night ended after his second drive when a deep pass to Dante Pettis bounced off Pettis’ hands and was intercepted by Johnson Bademosi. Garoppolo was 10 of 12 for 136 yards and said there were plenty of “simple mistakes” that the team can work on correcting before the regular season begins.49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said he was tempted to send his first-string offense out for a third series.“I wanted them to get going more Justin Layne Jersey ,” Shanahan said. “I didn’t think our execution was great in the first game. I didn’t think it was great in this game either, but I just wanted to give them more time to play.”Backup quarterbacks Brandon Weeden for Houston and C.J. Beathard for San Francisco struggled to move the ball and the game was tied at 7 at halftime.Weeden completed 7 of 15 passes for 50 yards, while Beathard was 10 of 17 for 82 yards.With Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn nursing an undisclosed injury, recent acquisition Nick Rose made a 32-yard field goal in the third quarter to put Houston up 10-7. Robbie Gould tied the game at 10 later in the third with a 39-yarder.After Gould made a 41-yard field goal with 1:41 remaining, Houston third-string quarterback Joe Webb led the Texans down the field and found Vyncint Smith for a 41-yard touchdown with 27 seconds remaining.With San Francisco down two running backs, including starter Jerick McKinnon (calf) and Matt Breida (shoulder), Jeremy McNichols got the start for the 49ers, rushing for 28 yards on 10 carries. Most offensive starters played the first two series.Defensively, starting cornerbacks Richard Sherman and K’Waun Williams did not play.Texans defensive end J.J. Watt http://www.steelersfootballauthentics.com/benny-snell-jr.-jersey-authentic , linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, safety Tyrann Mathieu, cornerback Johnathan Joseph and several other Texans defensive starters didn’t play. Offensively, starting wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller did not play.NATIONAL ANTHEMNo players from the 49ers or the Texans kneeled during the national anthem, although 49ers receiver Marquise Goodwin did raise his right fist for the duration. Linebacker Eli Harold kneeled during the anthem the past two years, but stood on Saturday night.INJURIES49ers: Backup OL Erik Magnuson suffered a hamstring injury in the third quarter and limped to the locker room. DEs Solomon Thomas (concussion) and Arik Armstead (hamstring), TE George Kittle (shoulder), Breida (shoulder), LB Malcolm Smith (hamstring) and McKinnon (calf) were inactive.Texans: Starting CB Kevin Johnson suffered a concussion after defending a pass from Garoppolo on the first drive. Johnson landed awkwardly on his shoulder and was treated on the field by the team’s medical staff for nearly five minutes before being escorted to the locker room. O’Brien said after the game he was taken to the hospital and that he was doing OK. … Texans WR Sammie Coates Jr. also suffered a concussion.LOWERING THE HEADSan Francisco was twice flagged for the league’s new penalties for lowering the head to initiate contact Zach Gentry Jersey , both in the second quarter. The first came on a punt return and was charged to Raheem Mostert and the second came against Jeremiah Attaochu while rushing the passer.PENALTIES GALORE“Extremely disappointing. There were way too many penalties. We’ll look at each one. Some you can control and some you can’t, but they really hurt us. They were unacceptable.” — Shanahan on San Francisco’s 15 penalties for 140 yardsHE SAID IT“I feel more comfortable just being out there with the guys longer. Last season, I came off the streets. This year, we have time to work on plays, work on being better.” –Texans WR Bruce EllingtonNEXT UPThe 49ers (1-1) return to action on Saturday, Aug. 25, at the Colts.The Texans (2-0) visit the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday, Aug. 25. ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Tight end Lee Smith has rejoined the Buffalo Bills after spending the past four seasons with the Oakland Raiders.The Bills said Monday the 31-year-old Smith signed a three-year contract. He played his first four seasons with Buffalo L.J. Collier Jersey , starting in 2011.At 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, Smith has been mostly a blocker. He has 56 catches for 392 yards and seven touchdowns — including three last season — in 107 games.His signing is another step in Buffalo’s effort to retool its tight ends. Jason Croom is the only returning player at the position. The Bills signed free agent Tyler Kroft and drafted Dawson Knox and Tommy Sweeney.The Bills also signed four players who took part in their rookie minicamp last weekend. They are Florida tight end Moral Stephens, Alabama-Birmingham defensive tackle Quindarius Thagard, East Carolina offensive lineman Garrett McGhin and West Alabama safety Abraham Wallace.To make room on their roster, the Bills released tight end Jake Fisher and running back Keith Ford.