KANSAS CITY Josh Oliver Jersey , Mo. (AP) —about a cool play that happened somewhere else in the NFL, or something unique that a rival might be doing, and he makes a note to himself to check it out once his day-to-day work is complete.Then there are times he flips on the TV for pure entertainment.“Sometimes,” Gase said, “when you watch Kansas City, you sit back and watch because it just seems like they’re out there playing 7-on-7. It’s impressive to watch.”Patrick Mahomes and Co. has certainly captured the attention of the league.The Chiefs lead the NFL in scoring at more than 36 points per game. They have its reigning rushing champion in Kareem Hunt, the league’s fastest wide receiver in Tyreek Hill, the most versatile tight end in Travis Kelce and plenty of depth behind all of them.Then there’s Mahomes, who can break Andrew Luck’s single-season NFL record with his ninth straight 300-yard passing game Sunday against Arizona. The first-year starter has thrown 29 touchdown passes, two shy of Len Dawson’s 54-year-old franchise record, and he leads the league in most meaningful statistical categories: yards, TD passes, touchdown-to-interception ratio.“He’s a baller http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/quincy-williams-ii-jersey , like I’ve been saying,” said Dolphins wide receiver Albert Wilson, who spent last season with the Chiefs. “He thinks he can make every throw. He has a great group of guys around him to do good things with the football. I’m not surprised at all.”Wilson has reason to watch Kansas City, considering he has so many friends still on the roster. But it still speaks volumes that in the midst of his own preparation he finds time to tune in.Then again, it’s hard for his coach to complain when Gase is doing the same thing.Alex Smith also has plenty of friends on the Chiefs, including Mahomes, who stepped into his job when Kansas City traded him to the Redskins last offseason. The veteran Smith helped to mentor the Texas Tech standout when he was a wide-eyed rookie, and he takes pride in the young quarterback’s success.When the Chiefs rallied in the fourth quarter for a Monday night win at Denver earlier in the season, and Mahomes took on a starring role in primetime, Smith was watching from his home near Washington, D.C.“I mean, record-setting start for them, for him Ryquell Armstead Jersey , for the offense — lighting the world on fire right now,” Smith said. “Fun to watch, obviously a ton of friends on that team, including Pat, and to see what they are doing is crazy. They are on fire right now.”That game against Denver was the most-watched Monday night game that didn’t involve the Cowboys since Week 16 of the 2016 season. When the Chiefs played the Patriots on Sunday night a few weeks ago, it earned a 12.3 rating and 21.1 million viewers for NBC, an increase of 31 percent from last year.In the Kansas City market, about half the TVs are tuned into the Chiefs whenever they are playing.“It’s been a lot of fun, frankly, for me and I think everybody who is a Chiefs fan to see all the interest in the Chiefs,” team owner Clark Hunt said.“That’s a credit to the success we’ve had. That interest is not only here locally but it’s really nationally. It seems like everybody who went to Texas Tech is all of a sudden now a Chiefs fan, which is great.“You mentioned the TV ratings — the ratings were among the highest in a number of years for that Patriots game on Sunday night. Our local ratings are also higher than they’ve been in many, many years Will Harris Jersey ,” Hunt added. “Our local ratings are always very good, but clearly Andy (Reid), Patrick and the offense and the victories that we’re getting has taken that to a higher level.”The Chiefs will get plenty of more exposure this season, too.After facing the lowly Cardinals on Sunday, the Chiefs head to Mexico City to face the high-flying Los Angeles Rams on Monday night. They also have a Thursday night showdown with the surging Los Angeles Chargers and a Sunday night trip to Seattle two days before Christmas.Regardless of whether anyone tunes in, Mahomes plans to keep the party going.“Just being able to learn every day from Coach Reid, be able to get out here with all these guys, we literally have fun every single day,” he said. “We love coming to work and getting to just play this game that we’ve loved since we were little kids and winning a lot of games.”Notes: Safety Eric Berry (heel), LB Anthony Hitchens (ribs), C Mitch Morse (concussion), WR Sammy Watkins (foot) and OL Cam Erving (illness) did not practice Wednesday. … FS Daniel Sorensen could make his season debut Sunday. He was activated from IR this week after breaking his leg in training camp. SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Former NFL offensive lineman Richie Incognito bonded out of an Arizona jail Tuesday after being arrested on charges he threatened to shoot employees of a funeral home a day earlier http://www.lionsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-austin-bryant-jersey , authorities said.Police in the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale said Incognito had been booked on suspicion of misdemeanor charges of threats and disorderly conduct.Incognito, 35, posted a $20,000 bond. He has an Aug. 27 pretrial conference in Scottsdale Municipal Court. It was unclear Tuesday if Incognito had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.Police said Incognito was at the Messinger Pinnacle Peak Mortuary on Monday to make arrangements for his father, who died last weekend.“Incognito reportedly was upset with staff and began to damage property inside the business and shout at employees,” said Sgt. Ben Hoster, a police spokesman. “At several points during his contact with staff, Incognito threatened to retrieve guns from his vehicle and return to shoot the employees.”A police report showed officers later executed a search warrant on Incognito’s pickup truck and seized two Glocks, three rifles and a silencer for a handgun.The report also said Incognito’s family had told him he wasn’t going to be allowed to attend his father’s funeral and he had been acting erratically.Witnesses at the funeral home told police that Incognito wanted them to cut his dead dad’s head off for research purposes and Incognito punched caskets, threw pamphlets around and took an urn from a shelf and slammed it down on top of a casket.Two mortuary employees took cover in a room downstairs before police arrived and arrested Incognito.Incognito attended a Phoenix-area high school before playing college football at Nebraska and having an 11-year NFL career with St. Louis, Miami and Buffalo.He was released by the Bills three months ago from the reserve/retired list, making him an unrestricted free agent.Incognito was suspended by the Dolphins in 2013 for bullying a teammate and arrested last May in Florida for allegedly throwing a dumbbell and tennis ball at another gym patron.
Trubisky‘s ill-advised throws into pass coverage Zach Gentry Jersey , the Chicago Bears are in need of a confidence infusion.Playing a 3-4 New York Jets team with its own struggles could go a long way in solving this, but the 3-3 Bears say they’ve reached a point where they’re only concerned with what they control in their search for answers.“We can’t dwell on the past,” linebacker Danny Trevathan said. “We’ve just got to keep moving forward. It’s a long season. We’re not in a bad situation.”It could be a better situation if the defense regains its swagger. Two straight losses and 69 total points allowed put the defense on its heels.“A lot of guys are probably a little down today, probably are disappointed but not discouraged,” cornerback Prince Amukamara said. “We know that we’re a team that’s going to continue to fight.”Players had a talk from defensive coordinator Vic Fangio aimed at keeping up spirits.“So right now we’ve just got to continue to build off that and don’t let the confidence and swagger go away because that’s when things really get bad for us,” safety Eddie Jackson said.The defense can trace its downfall to Khalil Mack‘s ankle injury. Although he has continued playing, he hasn’t been the same force as in the first four games.Mack couldn’t practice Wednesday, and coach Matt Nagy said it’s likely Mack will take the same route as last week when he rested Wednesday and Thursday, practiced on a limited basis Friday and then played.“We’ve got to pick up the slack,” Trevathan said.Chicago’s defense is now ranked No. 12 after being in the top five much of the season’s first quarter. The Bears are eighth in sacks (19) after leading through four games.“It plays its part,” Jackson said of Mack’s injury. “It definitely plays its part, especially when a guy like Mack when he’s out.”The Bears were hardly a poor pass rushing team before Mack came via trade from Oakland. They tied for seventh in sacks with 42 last year and played the same defense under Fangio with virtually all of the same players.So they say getting pressure on Jets rookie quarterback Sam Darnold Sunday with Mack limited shouldn’t be considered impossible.“It’s a team, it’s 11 guys on the defensive side of the ball,” Jackson said. “So when a guy like (Mack) goes out, we’ve got to put him on our back and just show him, like, it’s not just you, it’s going to be all of us.”Offensively Joey Bosa Jersey , Trubisky and the passing game could benefit if the Bears begin to run the ball more effectively. Their ranking as the sixth-best rushing team is deceiving because Trubisky has accounted for 245 yards, mostly on scrambles.Jordan Howard averages 3.5 yards and has 90 carries, but last year after six games under former coach John Fox he was averaging 4.2 yards a carry and ran 28 more times. The effect of a struggling running attack has been apparent when the Bears had leads against the Dolphins and Patriots before losing.“We need to finish,” guard Kyle Long said. “We’ve had leads in all of (the losses) and we haven’t been able to score more points to extend the lead on offense.”Nagy called a better running attack a matter of timing up the blocks in a new offense.“All of it, the guys are trying, and I know our numbers are skewed a little bit from the quarterback runs, but for the most part we feel like we need to create more of an identity there,” Nagy said of the running attack.Trubisky looked at the positive side of the passing game. The Bears scored 31 even while he spent much of the time scrambling and throwing on the run, so if they can complete some from the pocket they’ll be ahead of the game.“Basically as how I described it, as playing backyard football, me running around just trying to find completions and not being very sound with my footwork and drop-backs,” Trubisky said.With Kansas City last year as offensive coordinator, Nagy went through a much worse stretch with six losses in seven games before the Chiefs made the playoffs.“There was never any panic, never,” Nagy said. “There is not going to be any panic here, either.”Nagy pointed out the Bears also won three straight earlier.“Good people stick together,” Nagy said. “They rally through this kind of stuff and you just keep playing.”NOTES: Wide receiver Allen Robinson (groin) did not practice. Robinson in Sunday’s game aggravated the injury he suffered two weeks ago. … Guard Eric Kush (neck) did not practice. Cornerback Marcus Cooper (hamstring) had limited participation in practice. … Linebacker Roquan Smith has been listed by the Bears as suffering from a wrist injury, but he was able to practice Wednesday. Sean Payton despises the term “Black Monday.” And he’s one of the coaches who always survives it.Six head coaches were fired as the NFL season concluded Nick Bosa Jersey , four of them on Monday. Two, Mike McCarthy in Green Bay and Hue Jackson in Cleveland, didn’t even make it that far.Saints coach Payton, finishing his 13th season in New Orleans and now owning the second-longest tenure with a team after Cincinnati fired Marvin Lewis , had some strong words about how the coaching carousel gets derailed every year.“Our owners’ network that they own have created this,” Payton said, referring to NFL Network that is owned by the league, “marketed this and sold this ‘Black Monday,’ and that’s just disappointing.”In reference to Lewis, who was with the Bengals since 2003, but went an all-time worst 0-7 in the playoffs, Payton added: “He’s been a fabulous coach, but I don’t want to comment on anyone or all of them (who were fired).”He added that the whole Black Monday scene, which some media outlets promote the way they do actual competition, is “ridiculous.”Payton and every other coach in pro sports recognize that change is understandable and at times necessary. As long as it is thought out and includes a plan for the future, revision can make sense.When it’s more on an owner’s whim or due to some serious impatience, that’s another story.Steve Wilks , fired after a 3-13 record in his first — and only — season in Arizona L.J. Collier Jersey , might be a case in point. Had Bruce Arians not retired, he still would have been with the Cardinals, but Wilks was a hot candidate for several openings last offseason following his work as Carolina’s defensive coordinator. Barring a full-out revolt by the players, as happened with Ben McAdoo and the Giants in 2017, how is one year enough to judge a head coach’s capabilities?Also fired on Monday were Vance Joseph in Denver and Adam Gase in Miami. On Sunday night, Todd Bowles with the Jets and Dirk Koetter with the Bucs were let go.A year ago, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Oakland, Detroit, Chicago, Arizona and the New York Giants made changes. That’s 14 franchises out of 32 with different head coaches since 2016. The Cardinals and Giants will have had three coaches from 2016-19.Also taking a hit has been the NFL’s initiative on diversity in coaching. The Rooney Rule is exemplary in purpose, though it sometimes gets criticized for how it is implemented.Of the eight head men released, only Koetter, Gase and McCarthy are not minorities. Just three minority head coaches remain: Ron Rivera with the Panthers, Anthony Lynn with the Chargers, and Mike Tomlin with the Steelers.Impatience by owners can’t be blamed for the moves by the Bengals or Jets, both clearly on a downward spiral.Otherwise http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-marquise-blair-jersey , well, it normally takes at the very least three years for a coach’s program to take root. Joseph got two, Gase got three injury-ravaged years, and Koetter also got three.Jackson simply lost too often, particularly with a vastly improved roster early this season, to remain on the job.McCarthy, a Super Bowl winner, had seen things go stale in Green Bay, and he often has been blamed for the Packers getting to just the one Super Bowl with a generational quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.Still, the word stability seems to have been dropped from owners’ dictionaries. They give lip service to wanting to be like the Patriots, Saints or Seahawks.Then, if things turn sour for one season, they begin wondering if the right people are in place. Imagine if John Mara had done that with Tom Coughlin before the 2007 or 2011 seasons, when fans and media were calling for the coach’s removal.Yet, we hear things like this from Broncos boss John Elway:— “Vance made a lot of strides and deserves credit for how hard and competitively the team played this season. There’s always going to be a high standard here. The bottom line is we need to win more football games. We’re excited about the foundation that’s being built and look forward to putting in the work to get the Broncos back on the winning track.”In most places, that winning track has lots of potholes. Not many coaches get the opportunity to navigate around them.
Wednesday Dexter Williams Jersey , just 39 days after Tom Brady won another Super Bowl and 44 days before Commissioner Roger Goodell takes the stage in Nashville to announce the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft.Le’Veon Bell, Nick Foles, C.J. Mosley and Landon Collins are among this year’s headliners cashing in during the 27th year of unfettered free agency, a system that emerged after a Minneapolis federal court ruled in 1992 that the Plan B free agency system of protecting 37 players on a team violated antitrust laws.A lawyer for the league, Frank Rothman, warned in closing arguments that a verdict for the players could mean “the destruction of the National Football League that we know today.”Modern free agency indeed laid waste to the old way of doing business.Yet, what rose in its place has been a godsend to the NFL, which is celebrating its 100th season this year. The NFL wouldn’t be the gigantic force it is in society and sports today without free agency empowering players with freedom and endowing long-suffering franchises and their fans with hope.“I think free agency’s been great for the game for a lot of reasons,” said Joe Horrigan, executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “Look at us, we have a whole season now for the fan. It’s keeping the NFL front of mind 24/7 Rock Ya-Sin Jersey , seven days a week, 365 days a year.”Without free agency, the Green Bay Packers wouldn’t have returned to glory in the 1990s; the second chapter of Peyton Manning’s magnificent career might have gone unwritten; the New Orleans Saints wouldn’t have been able to parade the Lombardi Trophy down Bourbon Street; and Deion Sanders might not have earned two nicknames and two Super Bowl rings, one in San Francisco and another in Dallas.Federal judge David Doty threatened to implement his own plan if team owners and the players’ union couldn’t agree on a free agency system following the league’s loss in court in 1992.What finally won over the hardliner owners was the inclusion of a franchise tag and the coupling of a salary cap to control costs. The first salary cap was $34.6 million in 1994. Now, it’s $188.2 million.The most significant free agent signing in NFL history occurred when the new system went into effect in the 1993 offseason: Reggie White chose Green Bay in a shocker that shifted the balance of power in the NFL and foretold free agency’s boom and boon.“What was beautiful about that was everybody was fearful of free agency, fearful that all the best teams would stockpile all the greatest players and they’d all go to one place,” Horrigan said. “Well, the salary cap that came with free agency prevented that, No. 1. But then Reggie to Green Bay kind of suggested that the system was good for all.”White teamed with Brett Favre to lead the Packers’ resurgence that ended a 30-year title drought.Manning’s arrival in Denver two decades later also transformed a franchise that was far removed from its glory days.After missing the 2011 season with a neck injury, Manning was cut loose by the Colts, who were turning to Andrew Luck. The Broncos won the Manning sweepstakes http://www.clevelandbrownsteamonline.com/anthony-zettel-jersey , which made it easier for general manager John Elway to lure other free agents such as DeMarcus Ware, Emmanuel Sanders, Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward, the emotional backbone of the team that won Super Bowl 50 in Manning’s farewell.Somebody asked Elway at the introductory news conference what he would have done had Manning turned him down.“Plan B?” replied Elway. “We don’t have a Plan B. We’re going with Plan A.”Sort of like the NFL had to do when the players decertified their union three decades ago and took the league to court in the face of long-standing fierce opposition to free agency.“The pushback was huge, going back to 1969 and ’70 with owners and labor-player management,” former commissioner Paul Tagliabue said.The issue led to the 1987 players strike and owners’ infamous use of replacement players.“Dan Rooney (the late chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers) talked about some form of free agency then, but the majority of the owners’ committee would have no part of free agency,” Tagliabue said. “Then we came up with Plan B.”Owners unilaterally imposed Plan B free agency in 1989 with the absence of a labor agreement, giving teams the right to protect 37 players on their 47-man rosters from becoming free agents.“They weren’t trying to satisfy the players association, they were trying to satisfy the courts,” Horrigan said. “They thought they could get limited free agency and (union chief) Gene Upshaw kind of chuckled at how transparent that was: ‘That’s not free agency; that’s making available your castoffs.’“And the judge also saw through it http://www.detroitlionsteamonline.com/jahlani-tavai-jersey ,” Horrigan said.While some players switched teams, all the really good players were still stuck.“We knew then it did not make any sense,” players agent Donald Yee said. “But to be fair, the owners were simply grasping at anything to present to the courts that seemed reasonable. I represented a reserve player who had never played, and all of a sudden, he was exposed in Plan B and he had numerous offers from other teams. His own veteran teammates were jealous and upset. It was a laughable situation.”The NFL’s current system isn’t flawless. The franchise tag irks the game’s superstars, and a recent AP study found that teams often turn to younger, cheaper players rather than put savings from the rookie salary pools into signing proven veterans.“When the CBA came into effect in 1993, there was more of a middle class within the roster, and it was difficult for any young player to play, or much less make the active roster http://www.houstontexansteamonline.com/kahale-warring-jersey ,” Yee said. “On the vast majority of rosters now, there is no middle class, and this certainly affects the product quality on the field. If a highly paid star is sidelined, often an inexperienced younger player has to step in.”Both sides will try to tweak free agency again in the next round of labor negotiations.“Ultimately, fan response carries the day,” Yee said. “If the fans don’t like the product and reject it, that will affect owners and the union, and they’ll have to work together to come up with a fix. Every ‘fix’ is a balance of competing interests, and there will be merit to a number of potential innovations.” INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Antonio Garcia will miss the first four games of this season after being suspended for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.He will be eligible to participate in this week’s three-day minicamp, training camp and preseason games despite Monday’s announcement. He can return to the playing field Sept. 30.Garcia was taken in the third round of the 2017 draft by New England. The Patriots put him on the non-football injury list in September 2017 and released Garcia in May 2018.Three days later, the New York Jets claimed Garcia off waivers. The Jets released Garcia on Aug. 31 and Indy signed him to the practice squad on Oct. 29.On May 31 http://www.indianapoliscoltsteamonline.com/bobby-okereke-jersey , the league announced Colts quarterback Chad Kelly had been suspended for two games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.The Colts also announced Monday that they had signed defensive tackle Caraun Reid after putting defensive end Jegs Jegede on injured reserve. Jegede signed with the Colts as an undrafted rookie in early May after playing at Valdosta State.Reid has played in 44 career games with Dallas, Indianapolis, Washington, Detroit and the San Diego Chargers since 2014.Jegede, who also played two seasons of college basketball at Central Florida, joins draft pick Javon Patterson, a center from Mississippi, on season-ending injured reserve.
Drew Brees to Michael Thomas Kyler Murray Jersey , plenty of runs by Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram, and enough dashes of defense to negate the high-powered offense of the Los Angeles Rams.Will that be the proper recipe?Here’s how they match up:WHEN LOS ANGELES HAS THE BALLBalance is the keyword to the Rams’ offense, starting with the NFL’s most versatile running back, All-Pro Todd Gurley (30). Gurley not only led the NFL with 21 TDs, he ranked fourth with 1,831 yards from scrimmage despite being slowed in December. He can do the dirty work inside and also break long gainers. And when he’s struggled with knee issues recently, late-season pickup C.J. Anderson (35) has been masterful.To combat the ground game, the Saints could be at a disadvantage after losing DT Sheldon Rankins to a torn Achilles tendon last week. They’ll require steady production from their best linebacker, Demario Davis (56) who led the Saints with 110 tackles this season, and strong play from the D-line. But the Rams bring a staunch blocking unit featuring LT Andrew Whitworth (77), LG Rodger Saffold (76) and RT Rob Havenstein (79).Should LA control the trenches, it will open up what already is a highly creative passing repertoire for Jared Goff (16) and wideouts Robert Woods (17), Brandin Cooks (12) and rapidly developing Josh Reynolds (83). All of them can find the end zone, with Cooks being the main deep threat. A former Saint, he’ll likely match up with CB Marshon Lattimore (23), who had two interceptions against Philadelphia.Teams can throw deep on New Orleans, and the Rams will try. Goff, though, will need protection from pass rushers Cam Jordan (93) Byron Murphy Jersey , Marcus Davenport (91) and the always-present Davis. And Goff must not let the noise factor affect him.WHEN NEW ORLEANS HAS THE BALLJust like LA, New Orleans will try nearly anything on offense. Fourth-down plays, a form of the wildcat with backup QB/special teamer Taysom Hill, and old-fashioned grinding will be in play.Brees (9) has had one of the best seasons of his Hall of Fame-caliber career, particularly with his efficiency. Last week, though, it was his leadership that stood out as the Saints fell into a 14-0 hole and looked amateurish before rallying.Knowing New Orleans will need lots of points in this one, Brees could target All-Pro WR Michael Thomas (13) as often as he did against Philly, which was 16 times. Thomas caught 12 and had a TD. He will be the problem of standout CBs Aqib Talib (21) and Marcus Peters (22), both of them willing to gamble in coverage.The Saints don’t have another outstanding wideout or tight end, but RB Kamara (41) almost equals Gurley for all the things he can do — and he’s healthier. Kamara and Ingram (22) will be challenged by a defense that shut down NFL rushing leader Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys and features the only unanimous All-Pro, DT Aaron Donald (99). Dealing with Donald and the other solid defensive linemen — Ndamukong Suh (93) and Michael Brockers (90) — will be a Saints unit led by LT Terron Armstead (71) and LG Andrus Peat (74), who have been bothered by chest and hand injuries, respectively, and RT Ryan Ramczyk (71). Giving Brees time and Kamara/Ingram holes could be decisive.SPECIAL TEAMSAn indoor game makes for stronger kicking and, often, less impact by placekickers and punters.LA PK Greg Zuerlein (4) and P Johnny Hekker (6) might have the most powerful legs in the league, and Zuerlein is a field-goal threat from 60 yards and in. Hekker probably could put a punt off the Superdome roof.Although Wil Lutz (3) missed a 52-yard FG attempt that kept the Eagles close last week, he’s reliable and Andy Isabella Jersey , for someone in his third season, has hit a bunch of pressure kicks. Thomas Morstead (6) is in his 10th season with New Orleans, longer than anyone except Brees.The Rams aren’t exceptional on returns, but they aren’t inept, either. JoJo Natson (19) has handled most of the punt runbacks, while Blake Countess (24) is the kick returner.New Orleans, like the Rams, has not returned a kick for a score. Tommylee Lewis (11) has become the main guy.COACHINGSean vs. Sean. Two entirely different Seans in terms of experience.New Orleans’ Payton is in his 12th season in charge; he missed 2012 while suspended in the Saints’ bounties scandal. His offensive schemes fit perfectly with Brees’ skillset, and he won’t be overwhelmed by the surroundings, having won the 2009 championship. Payton will gamble, including fake punts with his version of a Swiss Army knife, third-string QB Taysom Hill (7).LA’s McVay is the hot commodity on the pro football market. Every team looking for a new head coach has at least investigated people who’ve worked with McVay, who will be 33 next Thursday. He’s innovative, aggressive and, in some ways, one of the guys.Because both Seans are willing to go for it, this should be a fun battle of wits.INTANGIBLESThe Rams have never won a Super Bowl while representing Los Angeles; they got one in 2000 as St. Louis’ team — that Super Bowl also was in Atlanta. Wade Phillips, while never one of the NFL’s great coaches, is one of the best defensive coordinators ever. He’s eager to prove so again in facing such a productive attack.Brees is closer to the end of his career than perhaps anyone in this game Zach Allen Jersey , though he’s given no indication he is about to retire. Winning a second Super Bowl would cement his place among the sport’s top quarterbacks. GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Packers would love nothing better than to put an offseason of turmoil behind them.Not so fast: Safety Josh Jones reportedly wants a trade.With just about everyone on the 90-man roster present on Tuesday for the second day of the team’s voluntary organized team activities, Jones was not in attendance.The team signed veteran safety Adrian Amos in free agency and traded up in the first round to select safety Darnell Savage.“I have not talked to him,” new coach Matt LaFleur said after practice. “I’m just going to focus on the guys that are here. That’s something that I know Gutey (general manager Brian Gutekunst) has a good handle on that situation.”A second-round pick in 2017, Jones has been a regular part of the Packers’ defense as a safety and linebacker. Following the signing of Amos, Jones spoke eagerly of competing for the other starting position.“The opportunity is there. It’s always there,” Jones said at the April minicamp. “I look at it as, every day is an opportunity to improve mentally and physically. This is all about seizing what’s in front of me. I’m not thinking about the future. I’m in the present. I just chop wood each and every day and the rest will take care of itself.”A few days later, Gutekunst selected Savage.“The guys that want to be here are going to be here,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said after practice.“We love Josh. He’s been a great addition to our locker room and made some great plays on the field for us, but he’s got to take care of himself right now.“If that’s the way he wants to go, then I wish him well and enjoyed the time with him. Hopefully, he comes back in here and competes and we get to see him.”Rodgers is in the middle of his own competition. No, not for the starting quarterback job. Rather, it’s competing with fellow quarterbacks DeShone Kizer, Tim Boyle and rookie Manny Wilkins in learning LaFleur’s offense.“Tim’s been kicking my butt a little bit with some of the formation tests, so I’ve had to do some extra studying to get on top of a few of those,” Rodgers said.“It’s reps. It doesn’t matter what offense you’re in, whether it’s a new offense or an offense you’re second or third year in Hakeem Butler Jersey , it’s all about reps and getting more reps with the plays. I’m a rep guy. I need the reps, just like those guys do.”In being the team’s starting quarterback from 2008 through 2018, Rodgers had only one head coach — Mike McCarthy — one offense and one set of fundamentals. Now, like everyone else, Rodgers is in learning mode in what’s generally been a stress-free time of year.LaFleur, who quickly rose up the coaching ranks by working with the likes of Atlanta’s Matt Ryan and the Rams’ Jared Goff, is enjoying working with his latest pupil. They’ve been in “alignment on everything” they’ve talked about from schematics to footwork, LaFleur said.“He’s fun to be around,” LaFleur said. “You can see how much fun he has out on that field, but we’ve had a lot of good conversations and I think we’re growing together. The more time that we can spend together, I think we’ll have a better feel for each other. Certainly, it’s been a lot of fun up to this point.”NOTES: Jones, veteran TE Marcedes Lewis and rookie LB Greg Roberts were the only players not in attendance. … WR Davante Adams was held out of practice for what LaFleur called “precautionary” reasons. … Without Jones, Amos and Savage were the No. 1 safeties. … Free-agent addition Billy Turner is getting the first opportunity at the starting job at right guard. … The Packers will practice again in front of fans on Wednesday, May 29.
Texas on Wednesday Dexter Williams Jersey , setting the stage for what could be the most critical stretch of their schedule.
Houston returns to Minute Maid Park on Thursday to host the opener of a four-game series with the Chicago White Sox and an 11-game homestand that will carry the Astros (57-31) into the All-Star break.
Following their team record-tying 12-game winning streak last month, the Astros have gone a pedestrian 8-6. They have been unable to shake the Seattle Mariners (55-32) in the chase for the American League West pennant and remain behind the Boston Red Sox (59-29) and New York Yankees (56-28) in pursuit of the best record in the majors.
The Astros could gain significant ground in the standings with a dominating homestand facing two teams below .500, the White Sox and Detroit Tigers (38-50), sandwiched around a four-game series against the Oakland Athletics, against whom Houston is 8-1 this season.
Houston rallied from a four-run deficit to complete the sweep of its two-game set with the Rangers with a 5-4 win. The bullpen was vital, with right-handers Will Harris, Collin McHugh and Ken Giles combining for five innings of scoreless relief, allowing three hits and zero walks.
“I think our bullpen did exactly what we needed,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said.
The Astros have performed inconsistently since their winning streak, with injuries (shortstop Carlos Correa) and slumps (outfielder George Springer and super utility Marwin Gonzalez) yielding uneven play. Rectifying matters at home against inferior competition might cure ills.
Right-hander Justin Verlander (9-4 Nick Bosa Jersey , 2.12 ERA) will open the homestand for the Astros. Verlander has suffered consecutive losses, allowing nine runs on 16 hits and three walks with 14 strikeouts over 11 2/3 innings against the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays during the final week of June.
Verlander has surrendered at least three runs in four of five starts after doing so only once over his first 13 starts. He is 21-13 with a 3.74 ERA over 43 career starts against Chicago.
The White Sox will counter with left-hander Carlos Rodon (1-3, 4.55 ERA), who will make his sixth start of the season. Rodon made his season debut on June 9 at Boston and allowed a season-high five runs in his last outing, surrendering six hits and two walks over 5 1/3 innings in a 13-4 loss at Texas.
Rodon is 1-0 with a 1.71 ERA over four career starts against the Astros.
With their 7-4 loss in Cincinnati to the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, the White Sox (30-56) will conclude their stretch of 13 games in 13 days with the four-game series against the Astros. Chicago entered the series finale at Cincinnati with its starters providing the fewest innings in the AL; right-handed starter Dylan Covey continued that trend by working only 3 2/3 innings.
Combine that strenuous bullpen workload with the lack of off-days, and the White Sox will look to Rodon to not only provide a quality start on Thursday but a lengthy one as well.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — As a ninth-year veteran on an expiring contract with a team in a tight salary cap situation, tight end Kyle Rudolph has no guarantee he’ll get to continue his career with the Minnesota Vikings.That so-far-unfulfilled desire for clarity on his football future has not stopped him from making spring workouts a priority.“I could have easily skipped optional practice, but that’s not what a leader of this team does. These guys expect to see me out here each and every day L.J. Collier Jersey , and I’m going to do that,” Rudolph said, later adding: “I don’t know what kind of example it would set if I said I wanted to be here, and I wasn’t here.”Carrying a $7.625 million charge against the cap, Rudolph has declined to take an outright pay cut. He confirmed Wednesday that the Vikings have offered him a five-year extension that would reduce his 2019 salary in exchange for a longer-term deal, but his agent, Brian Murphy, and Vikings chief negotiator Rob Brzezinski have not reached an agreement to date.If there’s a stalemate, Rudolph would be in danger of being traded or released. Such a move would not cost the team any dead money against the cap, but Rudolph said he didn’t anticipate the situation lingering until training camp.“They’re working extremely hard to get something done http://www.seahawkscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-marquise-blair-jersey , and with that being said there’s plenty of other teams that are interested as well,” Rudolph said.To sign rookie center Garrett Bradbury, their first-round draft pick from North Carolina State, the Vikings had to restructure the contract of linebacker Eric Kendricks earlier this month.“We’re in a tough situation. Everybody knows that,” said Rudolph, a two-time Pro Bowl pick who was drafted by the Vikings in the second round in 2011.Rudolph was in New York over the weekend to receive an award for community service. He took a 6 a.m. flight on Tuesday for Minneapolis so he could arrive at the facility in time to be on the field for the first organized team practice of the spring.“I get to play a game for a living,” Rudolph said, later adding: “The business side will take care of itself. I don’t have to worry about that.”Coincidentally or not, the Vikings drafted tight end Irv Smith Jr. in the second round out of Alabama last month. But as long as they can find cap space for Rudolph they’ll certainly find room in the offense for both players in an attempt to give quarterback Kirk Cousins more viable options in the passing game.“It’s exciting. It’s an element that we’ve never had here in my nine years,” Rudolph said. “It forces defenses to play with three linebackers D.K. Metcalf Jersey , and that allows us to control the game.”Said Cousins: “Kyle has done so many good things for so long, so to have him out there is a great sense of comfort. Then you add Irv’s youth and athleticism, that’s a great plus. No matter how you cut it, you’ve got five players who are eligible, and you want to get the best five.”
New South Wales Waratahs in 2019 Super Rugby after leading the team to the semifinals.Gibson has agreed on a one-year contract extension with the Waratahs Julian Love Jersey , who won the Australian conference and beat the Highlanders in the quarterfinals before losing to the Lions in Johannesburg in the semifinals last weekend.He will lead a changed coaching group next season as former Waratahs scrumhalf Chris Whitaker replaces Chris Malone as backs coach. Simon Cron will remain as forwards coach.”I am really proud of how this team has developed and improved over the past 12 months to make the final four,” Gibson said. ”While our goal was to bring the Super Rugby trophy home http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-darius-slayton-jersey , we can hold our heads high and reflect on a season in which we made massive inroads both on and off the field.”The job is not done yet but we are excited about what’s to come.” Most fans are familiar with the big numbers of NFL contracts, and they know the top players make boatloads of money. It seems like every time a franchise quarterback is signed he breaks the record for largest contract in history. This list consists of the stipulations and bonuses that are in the details of some of the weirdest contracts of all time. Some of these contracts are questionable signings and flat out ridiculous Quinnen Williams Jersey , and should have gotten people fired. Other contracts include just flat out bonkers clauses written in the details of the contract. A few players on this list actually justified their big money with their play on the field, but most players did not.Some of the players on this list were chosen because their large signing bonuses and guaranteed money in their contracts were the most money in NFL history. Other players find spots on the list because they had weird add-ons in their contract like heavy performance incentives or even a weight restriction. In the copycat league of the NFL one player’s bonus can cause a ripple effect throughout the entire league. One player at a certain position getting paid will cause everyone else at that position to look for a pay increase as well. Some teams with players on this list have vastly overpaid a player because the market dictated a player’s contract. Other teams with players on the list gave big money to players they believed in that didn't end up living up to their lofty contracts.
And he’s one of the coaches who always survives it.Six head coaches were fired as the NFL season concluded Max Scharping Jersey , four of them on Monday. Two, Mike McCarthy in Green Bay and Hue Jackson in Cleveland, didn’t even make it that far.Saints coach Payton, finishing his 13th season in New Orleans and now owning the second-longest tenure with a team after Cincinnati fired Marvin Lewis , had some strong words about how the coaching carousel gets derailed every year.“Our owners’ network that they own have created this,” Payton said, referring to NFL Network that is owned by the league, “marketed this and sold this ‘Black Monday,’ and that’s just disappointing.”In reference to Lewis, who was with the Bengals since 2003, but went an all-time worst 0-7 in the playoffs, Payton added: “He’s been a fabulous coach, but I don’t want to comment on anyone or all of them (who were fired).”He added that the whole Black Monday scene, which some media outlets promote the way they do actual competition, is “ridiculous.”Payton and every other coach in pro sports recognize that change is understandable and at times necessary. As long as it is thought out and includes a plan for the future, revision can make sense.When it’s more on an owner’s whim or due to some serious impatience, that’s another story.Steve Wilks , fired after a 3-13 record in his first — and only — season in Arizona, might be a case in point. Had Bruce Arians not retired, he still would have been with the Cardinals, but Wilks was a hot candidate for several openings last offseason following his work as Carolina’s defensive coordinator. Barring a full-out revolt by the players, as happened with Ben McAdoo and the Giants in 2017, how is one year enough to judge a head coach’s capabilities?Also fired on Monday were Vance Joseph in Denver and Adam Gase in Miami. On Sunday night, Todd Bowles with the Jets and Dirk Koetter with the Bucs were let go.A year ago, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Oakland, Detroit, Chicago, Arizona and the New York Giants made changes. That’s 14 franchises out of 32 with different head coaches since 2016. The Cardinals and Giants will have had three coaches from 2016-19.Also taking a hit has been the NFL’s initiative on diversity in coaching. The Rooney Rule is exemplary in purpose, though it sometimes gets criticized for how it is implemented.Of the eight head men released, only Koetter, Gase and McCarthy are not minorities. Just three minority head coaches remain: Ron Rivera with the Panthers, Anthony Lynn with the Chargers, and Mike Tomlin with the Steelers.Impatience by owners can’t be blamed for the moves by the Bengals or Jets Brian Burns Jersey , both clearly on a downward spiral.Otherwise, well, it normally takes at the very least three years for a coach’s program to take root. Joseph got two, Gase got three injury-ravaged years, and Koetter also got three.Jackson simply lost too often, particularly with a vastly improved roster early this season, to remain on the job.McCarthy, a Super Bowl winner, had seen things go stale in Green Bay, and he often has been blamed for the Packers getting to just the one Super Bowl with a generational quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.Still, the word stability seems to have been dropped from owners’ dictionaries. They give lip service to wanting to be like the Patriots, Saints or Seahawks.Then, if things turn sour for one season, they begin wondering if the right people are in place. Imagine if John Mara had done that with Tom Coughlin before the 2007 or 2011 seasons, when fans and media were calling for the coach’s removal.Yet, we hear things like this from Broncos boss John Elway:— “Vance made a lot of strides and deserves credit for how hard and competitively the team played this season. There’s always going to be a high standard here. The bottom line is we need to win more football games. We’re excited about the foundation that’s being built and look forward to putting in the work to get the Broncos back on the winning track.”In most places, that winning track has lots of potholes. Not many coaches get the opportunity to navigate around them. By the time NFL players reach their third and fourth years in the league, the vast majority are struggling just to hang on because of injuries or younger, faster and often cheaper rookies out for their jobs.In 2006 and 2011, the players union and the NFL tried to do something about that, adopting salary and bookkeeping rules with the potential to extend the careers of these veterans.It hasn’t worked.In a first-of-its-kind analysis, The Associated Press found that since 2005, the average amount of playing experience for athletes on the NFL’s opening-day rosters has shrunk from 4.6 years to 4.3.In 2005, there were 784 players with three years’ experience or less and 714 with five or more years. In 2018, the gap widened to 852 and 644.Teams are increasingly made up of a few star millionaires and an army of young players earning close to the minimum salary, with a dwindling number of older, journeyman athletes in the middle.“You don’t really have a lot of middle-class older guys. It’s actually kind of sad,” Detroit Lions safety Glover Quin said.For most guys in the NFL, there is more at stake than salary. Those who make it three years plus three games become vested in the league’s pension plan. Many players argue, too, that they deserve better from the NFL than to be treated as disposable, given the heavy toll the game takes on their bodies.The exodus of the mid-level veteran is a longstanding source of tension between the union and the NFL, made more acute because of the increasing speed and violence of the game and advancing knowledge about the long-term effects of concussions. The issue could become a sticking point in the next collective bargaining negotiations; the current deal expires at the end of the 2020 season.Union leaders argue that they have fought successfully to increase the amount of money going to all players, in part by raising the NFL cap on team payrolls. As the union sees it http://www.pantherscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-greg-little-jersey , where front offices spend that money is their decision.“Just as long as they spend it,” said union president Eric Winston, who played for 12 seasons. “But how do you address something like that? Do you say, ‘Well, let’s mandate there are five to 10 guys on every roster who have four to seven years’ experience?’ OK, then which guys aren’t going to make the roster because of that?”The NFL declined comment on the findings.Every September, third- and fourth-year players get cut to make room for younger and less-expensive athletes, who themselves will become expendable as soon as they are eligible for higher salaries.Unlike the NBA and Major League Baseball, neither of which is as dangerous as football, the NFL has very few players with guaranteed contracts — meaning, if they get injured or cut, they don’t get their full salary. Some might even get nothing.The story of ninth-year Seahawks safety Earl Thomas stands as a cautionary tale. Thomas held out through the preseason for a new, cash-up-front, long-term contract in case of serious injury.He failed to get what he wanted and played instead under his soon-to-expire contract this year. In the fourth game of the season, he broke his leg.The final image of Thomas on the field was of him giving the finger to his own bench as he was carted off, knowing he almost certainly won’t get as big a contract now that he’s damaged goods.In a different contract squabble, sixth-year Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, seeking a long-term deal that would protect him in case of injury, took the virtually unprecedented step of holding out the entire season .In 2006, the “minimum salary benefit” was added to the collective bargaining agreement to help lower-paid veterans keep playing. It allows teams to sign players in their fifth year and beyond to one-year contracts at the league-mandated minimum for their experience level, while charging less than the full amount against the club’s salary cap.For example, a fifth-year player this year would get the league minimum of $790,000, but only $630,000 of that would be counted against the $177 million cap on the team’s payroll. (The league minimum for a rookie is $480,000.)In 2011, the NFL and the union went further and slapped salary limits on first-round draft picks, in part to free up money to sign other players.“The union got a lot of pushback from older players saying, ‘I can’t compete,'” said agent Joe Linta. The new rules “gave the teams the ability to judge them on equal footing.”But according to the AP data, since the introduction of the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, the average amount of playing experience among the 1,700 or so athletes on opening-day rosters has shrunk 3.3 percent. And the new contract terms did nothing to halt the exodus of players with five or more years under their belts.“They’re always going to go with the younger player,” lamented James-Michael Johnson, a linebacker who retired at age 27 after getting cut seven times by six teams over four seasons.Most teams use around 50 percent of the cap on their 10 highest-paid players Will Grier Jersey , one of whom is almost always the quarterback. Rookie draft picks eat up between $5 million and $15 million. The 35 or so other players scrap for the rest — and that amount is drawn down by money paid to injured athletes and those no longer on the roster.As a result, teams hesitate to spend an additional six figures on players of questionable value.“Bottom line, they’ve got four years of tape on me. Whoever I was going to be, I would’ve been by that fourth year,” Johnson said. “A first-year guy, they think, ‘We cut him, he goes to the Patriots and becomes one of their best dime-cover linebackers ever, and we’re going to look stupid.’ That’s why they let the older guy go.”Though there has been ample anecdotal and some statistical evidence about the NFL’s relentless youth movement , the AP analysis offers new details, including the exact percentage of the decline in veterans. It also breaks down the numbers by team and position.The only position outside of kicker and punter that is trending older is, not surprisingly, quarterback, where average experience has risen since 2005 from nearly 4.8 years to 5.8. (New England’s Tom Brady, 41, is in his 19th season.)Experience at other positions is declining. Positions widely seen as most replaceable — running back, linebacker, wide receiver and interior lineman — have seen some of the sharpest drops.It’s what makes a player such as Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Darrius Hayward-Bey something of a unicorn in today’s NFL.The first-round draft pick just finished his 10th year — playing out a three-year contract worth barely over the league minimum — in large part because he has found a niche: He is low-priced, is good on special teams and provides leadership in the locker room for Pittsburgh, which, along with New Orleans, was the only team to stay above the league average in experience through all years of the AP survey.“The only time I ever think about it is when guys walk around like, ‘Man, 10 years,'” Heyward-Bey said. “So I think I am doing something special that’s different. Usually, you’re in the league 10 years, you’re a superstar. I’m just a guy.”Oakland Raiders defensive lineman Frostee Rucker, a 13th-year veteran who played for the minimum of $1.015 million in 2018, said the benefits he stands to collect when his career is over serve as an incentive to keep going. But he knows he is part of a vanishing breed.The money “usually goes to the quarterbacks now,” he said. “They essentially took the middle class out of football.”__Contributing to this report: AP pro football writers Josh Dubow in Oakland, California; Teresa M. Walker in Nashville; Rob Maaddi in Philadelphia; Arnie Stapleton in Denver; and Dennis Waszak Jr., in New York, and sports writers Tim Booth in Seattle; Will Graves in Pittsburgh; Noah Trister and Larry Lage in Detroit; Michael Marot in Indianapolis; creative lead Philip Holm in New York.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Chargers remain in strong position for a playoff spot at 7-3 http://www.jetsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-trevon-wesco-jersey , but injuries on defense and special teams struggles are concerns for coach Anthony Lynn.Los Angeles lost a defensive starter for the second straight week when Corey Liuget suffered a season-ending knee injury during the second quarter of Sunday’s 23-22 loss to the Denver Broncos. He is the third starter who will be headed to injured reserve, joining linebackers Kyzir White and Denzel Perryman. on performance enhancers but bolstered the pass rush in the six games he played. Darius Philon, who started the first seven games and has 2.5 sacks, will move back into the starting spot and rookie Justin Jones will see more snaps.Lynn said he was pleased with how defensive end Joey Bosa played in his first game. Bosa, who missed the first nine games due to a bone bruise to his left foot, played 31 of 56 snaps. The plan going into the game was for Bosa to see 20 plays.“For his first game back I thought he looked good. He had good speed and explosion plus he came out of it healthy,” Lynn said.The Chargers’ struggles on special teams will require more shuffling. They allowed a fake punt for the second straight week, which Lynn said was unacceptable. Kicker Michael Badgley made all three field goal attempts but missed an extra point. Los Angeles has missed six PATs this season. Caleb Sturgis missed five before being released.One possibility to prevent another fake punt is to leave the defense out there with Desmond King as the returner.“We ran punt safe some yesterday. The one time we didn’t we got faked on. There’s some things we’re going to do differently there,” Lynn said.Los Angeles had 14 penalties Sunday Clelin Ferrell Jersey , which was the team’s most in Lynn’s two seasons as coach. He said a lot of the penalties early were offensive linemen trying to get a jump on Denver’s pass rush.The Chargers — who had a six-game winning streak snapped by the Broncos — have a two-game lead over Baltimore for the first wild card. They host Arizona on Sunday before a challenging December stretch that includes Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Kansas City and the Ravens.“It was a game we could have and should have won. It was definitely a wake-up call for us,” Lynn said. Mark Reynolds homered twice and drove in a career-high 10 runs, Max Scherzer won for the first time since June 5, and the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 18-4 on Saturday night.
Washington has won three straight and scored a combined 35 runs since calling a players-only meeting on Wednesday after falling under .500 for the first time since May 2.
Reynolds (5 for 5) tied his career high for hits and equaled the Nationals’ RBI record.
Scherzer (11-5), who was 0-4 in his previous five starts, pitched seven innings, allowing four runs on four hits – three of which were home runs. The Nationals had been shut out in three of Scherzer’s previous five starts.
ANAHEIM, Calif. – Ross Stripling pitched another gem and Justin Turner drove in two runs to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a win over the Angels.
Stripling (7-2) is making a strong case to make the NL All-Star team with another terrific outing. He allowed just one run and three hits – all by Mike Trout – in six innings. The right-hander struck out seven and walked none, and lowered his ERA to 2.14.
After blowing a save opportunity on Friday night, Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect ninth to earn his 24th save.
Turner hit a two-out single in the fifth inning off Taylor Cole (0-1) to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead.
RED SOX 15, ROYALS 4
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Andrew Benintendi homered, doubled, walked a career-high four times and scored four runs Johnathan Abram Jersey , and Boston routed Kansas City.
Mookie Betts had four hits, raising his American League-leading average to .343. Ten Red Sox players had RBIs as they scored a season high in runs. They scored 11 runs after the sixth inning.
Xander Bogaerts had three RBIs for the Red Sox, who have won five straight and 12 of their past 15.
Heath Hembree (4-1) worked 1 1/3 hitless innings to pick up the victory. Jason Adam (0-2), the third of seven KC pitchers, took the loss. Catcher Drew Butera got the final out in his sixth career relief appearance and his first since 2016.
TWINS 5, ORIOLES 4
MINNEAPOLIS – Kyle Gibson recovered from a rough start to throw seven innings, and Max Kepler homered in his second straight game to lead Minnesota past Baltimore.
Bobby Wilson went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for the Twins, who won their third in a row.
Gibson (3-6) allowed three runs in the first inning – including a two-run homer by Chris Davis – but only gave up two hits after that while striking out nine. It was Gibson’s highest strikeout total since fanning 10 batters on April 26 against the New York Yankees.
Kepler’s solo shot off Kevin Gausman sparked a three-run fifth that tied it. Wilson’s two-run double off Miguel Castro (2-5) in the sixth gave Minnesota the lead for good.
Trevor Hildenberger worked a scoreless eighth for the Twins. Jace Peterson’s RBI double off Fernando Rodney pulled the Orioles to 5-4, but Rodney got Tim Beckham on a grounder to short to convert his 19th save in 24 chances.
CUBS 8, REDS 7
CHICAGO – Javier Baez homered and had four hits – including a game-tying infield single in the eighth – and Chicago rallied from a five-run deficit.
Anthony Rizzo’s RBI groundout capped a four-run eighth inning for Chicago, which has come from behind in each of its last eight wins.
Eugenio Suarez homered and Billy Hamilton added three hits and three stolen bases for Cincinnati, which had its five-game winning streak against the Cubs snapped.
Randy Rosario (4-0) allowed two hits in 2 1/3 innings to get the win. Brandon Marrow worked the ninth for his 20th save.
Jared Hughes (2-3) took the loss, part of three Reds relievers who allowed five runs in 2 1/3 innings.
PHILLIES 3, PIRATES 2
PITTSBURGH – Nick Williams, Scott Kingery and Jorge Alfaro drove in runs on consecutive at-bats in the seventh inning to help first-place Philadelphia win its sixth straight.
Jake Arrieta (6-6) worked around six hits with the help of eight strikeouts to hold the Pirates to two runs over seven innings.
Pirates starter Jameson Taillon (5-7) was charged with all three runs. He had allowed just two singles coming into the seventh. He struck out eight and walked none.
Starling Marte singled and scored in the first and homered in the second as part of a three-hit afternoon to stake the Pirates to an early lead.
Victor Arano worked around a leadoff double in the ninth for his second save.
CARDINALS 3, GIANTS 2
SAN FRANCISCO – Carlos Martinez pitched seven effective innings for his third consecutive win and St. Louis beat San Francisco.
Martinez (6-4) allowed one run on six hits with three strikeouts and did not walk a batter for the third time this season. The right-hander also drove in the Cardinals’ first run with an RBI double in the third.
Jordan Hicks allowed a run in the eighth and Bud Norris retired three batters for his 17th save.
Brandon Belt had three hits and drove in both runs for the Giants. San Francisco has been held to two runs or fewer in five of its last six games.
Jeff Samardzija had an uneven outing in his first start since May 29. Activated off the disabled list before the game Maxx Crosby Jersey , Samardzija (1-5) gave up three runs in five innings and repeatedly pitched with runners on base.
BRAVES 5, BREWERS 1
MILWAUKEE – Anibal Sanchez pitched effectively into the seventh and Freddie Freeman added three hits, lifting slumping Atlanta over Milwa
ORCHARD PARK http://www.jaguarscheapstore.com/jawaan-taylor-jersey-cheap , N.Y. (AP) — second-most lopsided loss in franchise history.Running back LeSean McCoy knows the abrupt switch from inexperienced and interception-prone Nathan Peterman to raw rookie Josh Allen won’t make much of a difference if everyone else on offense fails to perform Sunday in Buffalo’s home opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.“Maybe Nate didn’t play well with the turnovers, but we helped out with that,” McCoy said, referring to a season-opening 47-3 loss at Baltimore in which Peterman threw two interceptions and was yanked after Buffalo managed one first down on 10 possessions.“We gave up pressures, we had penalties, second-and-longs, third-and-longs. We didn’t make plays for him,” added McCoy, who finished with 22 yards rushing on seven carries. “It’s a team thing. Collectively, we didn’t play well.”The meltdown, which included numerous blunders on defense and special teams, left coach Sean McDermott with little choice but to reverse course at quarterback.A week after McDermott was comfortable with Allen developing on the sideline, the coach sped up the first-round pick’s timetable by making him the starter in saying: “It’s the right move for our team.”At the very least, the switch spared Peterman from revisiting the dreadful memories of the last time he faced the Chargers in his first career start 10 months ago. McDermott’s decision backfired then, too Josh Oliver Jersey , when Peterman was pulled after throwing five first-half interceptions of a 54-24 loss.It’s now on the strong-armed and mobile, 22-year-old Allen to mask the numerous deficiencies of an offense featuring a patchwork line that surrendered six sacks, and a mostly unproven cast of receivers.Quarterback certainly isn’t an issue for the Chargers after Philip Rivers topped 400 yards passing for the 10th time of his career in a season-opening 38-28 loss against Kansas City. What hurt were several dropped passes and the Chargers’ inability to stop Tyreek Hill, who had 169 yards receiving and two touchdowns, and also scored on a 91-yard punt return.“We’re (ticked) off. No one around here is happy,” Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said. “But I’m not going to panic after one game.”A number of things to watch for as the Chargers attempt to beat Buffalo for the fourth straight time:NO LOOKING BACKLynn says the Chargers overwhelming Peterman in their last meeting means little in preparing to face another first-time starter.“Yeah, we were hitting on all cylinders that day, getting good pressure on the quarterback and turning the ball over. But that was last year,” he said. “You can’t bring wins and losses over from last year to this year.”The question is how much pressure the Chargers can apply with defensive end Joey Bosa expected to miss a second straight game with an injured left foot, and tackle Corey Liuget serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.ON THE DEFENSIVEThe Bills so-called bend-but-don’t-break defense mostly broke in allowing Baltimore to score touchdowns on each of its six drives inside Buffalo’s 20. The Bills didn’t allow six red-zone TDs total until their sixth game last season.“We went up and stunk it up,” defensive end Jerry Hughes said. “We’ve certainly got to answer back stronger. And I think guys are really licking their chops, not so much sulking, licking their wounds.”CHARGED-UPMcDermott hopes his players haven’t forgotten how they trailed the Chargers 37-7 at halftime last year.“As a competitor, that would drive me, and I hope it drives our football team http://www.jaguarscheapstore.com/quincy-williams-ii-jersey-cheap ,” McDermott said.McCoy is leaning more on how the Bills responded the following week in a 16-10 win at Kansas City, which sparked a 4-2 season-ending run that led to Buffalo snapping a 17-year playoff drought.“OK, we lost by a lot in the past, how do we move on?” McCoy said. “If we win the next game by a point, all that before doesn’t even matter.”DROPPED PASSESAs well as Rivers played, his numbers could have been even better if not for a number of dropped passes , including two by running back Melvin Gordon.“I haven’t seen that before from these guys,” offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt said. “You just move forward. I don’t expect that to happen again.”The Chargers also struggled in converting just 3 of 11 third-down situations.PEGULA PREACHES PATIENCEBills co-owner Kim Pegula is preaching patience, understanding there’s no quick fixes to a roster that underwent a significant offseason overhaul.“For me, it’s about how are we going to fix things and what are we doing next week, because the team is set, the players are set,” Pegula told The Associated Press. “I don’t believe that’s our team from what you saw on Sunday. Just come in and look forward. And knowing Sean (McDermott), that’s how he thinks as well.” TEMPE, Ariz. (AP)Drew Stanton will be back at starting quarterback for Arizona when the New York Giants come to the desert for the Cardinals’ final home game of the season on Sunday. Coach Bruce Arians announced the move Monday Ryquell Armstead Jersey , benching Blaine Gabbert after five starts. ”I just think Drew’s going to give us a better chance to win this game this week, and that’s all it’s about,” Arians said. ”We’re not going to throw our hands up and say, `Hey, let’s lose the games, get a better draft pick.’ … We’re going to take the guys we think can win this game and go win this game.” The colorful coach added an expletive to describe what he thinks of losing games on purpose. Arians went out of his way to avoid direct criticism of Gabbert. ”It’s hard,” the coach said. ”I think Blaine is a player. I really do. I think he has a great future. Some of those things, he’s experiencing for the first time, and it’s not a lack of talent. It’s just a lack of experience in this offense.” But Arians said he decided to make the quarterback switch ”after watching the film today.” Gabbert, signed in the offseason as the team’s No. 3 quarterback, completed 16 of 41 passes for 189 yards, lost a fumble and threw an interception in Arizona’s 20-15 loss to the Washington Redskins on Sunday. Arians’ announcement came the same day that general manager Steve Keim issued a public apology to fans for the team’s lack of success. The Cardinals fell to 6-8 with the loss to Washington, assuring themselves their second straight non-winning season after three winning campaigns under Arians. ”I apologize to our fans and everybody in our organization,” Keim said in his weekly radio appearance on Arizona Sports 987 in Phoenix.”Moving forward, we have a lot of work to do. It’s going to be a busy offseason. We’ll continue to evaluate this team the last two games and I promise the product on the field in 2018 will finish much stronger.” Stanton inherits an offense that has not scored a touchdown in 10 quarters http://www.jaguarscheapstore.com/gardner-minshew-ii-jersey-cheap , dating to the second quarter of Arizona’s 32-16 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 3. They got four field goals (in five tries) from Phil Dawson in a 12-7 win over Tennessee two weekends ago and five field goals (in five tries) from Dawson for all the Cardinals points in the loss at Washington on Sunday. Stanton took over as starter in the bye week after Carson Palmer broke his left arm in the 33-0 loss to the Rams in London in Week 7. Stanton went down with a knee injury after two starts, turning things over to Gabbert. Stanton, who has been in Arians’ system for six years, is 7-4 as a starter for Arizona, 1-1 this season. This year, Stanton has completed 48 percent of his passes for 540 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. Gabbert has completed 56 percent of his passes this season for 1,086 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions. ”Like I said, it is no fault of Blaine,” Arians said. ”I think Blaine is going to be a hell of a player, but Drew already knows all those scenarios. He’s healthy enough now, and it’s just a matter of us getting those touchdowns that are there from experience and trying to win this game. But, it is in no way an indictment on Blaine.” Notes: Wide receiver Brittan Golden is the latest Arizona player headed for injured reserve after breaking an arm against Washington. —
January Ugo Amadi Jersey , when new head coaches are hired and fan bases are fired up about the fresh start that sends hope soaring high like the football in the air on the opening kickoff of a game.There’s another round of departures in March, when the biggest-buck free agent contracts are signed to put some of the highest-profile players in the league on new teams snatching up missing pieces to their Super Bowl puzzles. Then, the first-round draft picks clamber aboard at the end of April.By December, well, the derailments are inevitable.From Le’Veon Bell to Jon Gruden to Leonard Fournette, here’s a pick-six of the biggest disappointments in the NFL this year:NO-SHOWThe millions of fantasy football players who snagged Bell for a seeming bargain in their auctions and drafts would wholeheartedly agree, though the Pittsburgh Steelers survived the absence of the two-time All-Pro running back due to the emergence of James Conner and, most recently, Jaylen Samuels.Bell bet on himself, steadfastly refusing to sign his franchise tender without the promise of a contract extension one of the sport’s most dangerous positions and ultimately accepting his ineligibility for the season . The Steelers didn’t blink, either, and Bell will assumedly restart his career with another team in 2019.CHALLENGE FOR CHUCKYThe Oakland Raiders, eyeing an eventual move to Las Vegas, gave Jon Gruden a 10-year contract worth about $100 million to return to the franchise he got his start with as a head coach.The Raiders are in this for the long haul, after burning through nine head coaches in the 16 seasons that passed after Gruden shed his silver and black. Their 3-11 record two years after a 12-4 finish, however, is a shaker of salt in the wound for the Bay Area loyalists on the verge of losing their team. Watching traded stars Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper thrive elsewhere has only made this season hurt worse. No team has been easier to score on this year than the Raiders Devin White Jersey , with an average of nearly 30 points allowed per game.SOPHOMORE SLUMPPart a strong crop of rookie running backs last season, Leonard Fournette finished fifth in the league in yards rushing per game as the Jacksonville Jaguars came so close to beating the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game. The Jaguars as a team would qualify as the league’s biggest letdown, so Fournette is hardly alone. But even with a mulligan for missing six games because of a hamstring injury, Fournette has taken a clear step back.The fourth overall pick in the 2017 draft has averaged only 3.4 yards per attempt (46th in the NFL) and 56.6 rushing yards per game (24th in the NFL). Last week in a three-point loss to Washington, Fournette spent most of the second half on the sideline while undrafted rookie Dave Williams ate into his playing time.TOUGH TIMES FOR TOP-10 QUARTERBACKSDrafting a quarterback in the first round is a decision made with as much long-term view as any in the league, and success for rookies at this high-pressure position can be awfully difficult without strong supporting casts.Still, more and more quarterbacks in their early 20s are coming to the NFL with the skills to be an instant success, and given the impatient nature of a results-driven culture there’s been no shortage of complaints about Sam Darnold (third overall pick), Josh Allen (seventh overall pick) and Josh Rosen (10th overall pick), particularly when judging them against first overall pick Baker Mayfield’s late-season surge with the Cleveland Browns. With a combined 30 touchdown passes against 38 interceptions, Darnold, Allen and Rosen have displayed a need for more experience and more help. The New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals have a collective record of 12-20.KICKING IT AWAYSure, Chicago and Green Bay play on grass in cold climates, but Minnesota and Detroit have indoor stadiums. NFC North teams have enjoyed a long line of successful kickers. This year, though, has been a struggle L.J. Collier Jersey , with 12-year veteran Matt Prater of the Lions the only specialist whose season has become a story. The Vikings cut rookie Daniel Carlson after two games and three missed field goals that cost them a victory against the rival Packers, who had their own issues with Mason Crosby. Cody Parkey ranks 28th in field goal percentage for the Bears, one spot behind Crosby.SO MUCH FOR DRAMAThat last-second 2-point conversion the Los Angeles Chargers used to win at Kansas City and tie the Chiefs for the AFC West lead turned that division race into a December thriller. That’s the exception , though, with the Bears, New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams already in possession of top-four seeds in the NFC and the New England Patriots and Houston Texans holding two-game leads in their divisions with two games to play. That three-team race in the NFC East has been muted by all that mediocrity. The Baltimore Ravens, at least, have made the AFC North a legitimate competition with the Steelers. SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants will attempt to complete their winningest homestand since their 2012 championship season when they go for a series sweep against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday afternoon.
Right-handers Chris Stratton (8-5, 4.14 ERA) of the Giants and Jon Gray (7-7, 5.52) of the Rockies are scheduled to duel in a rematch of a May 19 meeting in San Francisco won by the Giants 9-4.
With hard-fought 3-2 and 1-0 victories in the first two games of the series, the Giants improved to 7-2 on their homestand, with one game remaining.
They haven’t had an eight-win homestand since September 2012.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy credited his pitchers, who have held the opposition to three or fewer runs in 10 of their last 13 games, including six of nine on the homestand.
“There’s a large sense of confidence here at home,” he said. “What’s impressive is the pitching here. It’s keeping us in the game.”
Stratton has given up three or fewer earned runs in seven straight starts. That streak includes the May 19 game against the Rockies, when one of the four runs he allowed was unearned.
The 27-year-old has faced the Rockies three times in his career, twice as a starter Johnathan Abram Jersey , and has gone 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA.
The guy who has given him the most trouble has been Charlie Blackmon, who has four hits, including a home run, in seven at-bats against Stratton.
Blackmon had one of the Rockies’ two hits in Wednesday’s loss.
Colorado finds itself in an offensive slump entering the series finale. The Rockies have lost four in a row, having totaled nine runs in those games.
This comes on the heels of having exploded for 37 runs in their previous four games, all wins.
Gray has faced the Giants twice this season, and hasn’t seen the fifth inning either time.
After giving up five runs and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings in the May 19 loss, he was roughed up at home for four runs and six hits in 3 1/3 innings in a 7-4 defeat. He did not get a decision in the latter.
Gray has started five games in his career against the Giants, going 0-2 with a 5.24 ERA. Both losses came in San Francisco.
Gray has struggled this season with Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford, the hero of Wednesday’s win with the third walk-off home run of his career. Crawford has a double and two singles in four at-bats against Gray this season.
Andrew McCutchen also has scorched the 26-year-old in the past, going 7-for-12 with two doubles.
The Giants reached the midpoint of their season with a 42-39 record Wednesday night. That’s a 12-game improvement over last season, when they were already 22 1/2 games out of first place in the National League West.
The Rockies will play their 81st game Thursday. They had 47 wins at the midpoint of the 2017 season, nine more than they have this year.
The way Odubel Herrera is going Justice Hill Jersey , he might have to make an extra trip to Washington next month.
helping the Philadelphia Phillies rout the Nationals 12-2 on Friday night.
Herrera hit a tiebreaking two-run shot in the third for his 13th homer, matching the club record for consecutive games with a long ball. He has connected in six of his last seven overall.
The All-Star Game is at Nationals Park on July 17, and Herrera is putting together a solid case for a spot on the NL squad.
”I’m playing hard, giving my best, so if it happens it’ll be great,” he said via an interpreter. ”That’s what you work for.”
”I don’t think there’s any words for it. I mean it’s simply incredible what he can do,” Phillies pitcher Zach Eflin said.
”The thing with Odubel is that he can shake off anything at any given time. … It can look like he’s struggling and then next pitch he hits it 440 feet.”
Carlos Santana homered and drove in four runs for Philadelphia. Andrew Knapp also connected and Nick Williams drove in three runs.
The Phillies had 15 hits in their fifth win in six games. They also moved ahead of Washington for second place in the NL East behind Atlanta.
”To me, today was the first game where we really got blown out. That was a blowout right there,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. ”We’ve just got to keep our heads up, guys go home and rest, come back tomorrow and do it again.”
Eflin (5-2) allowed baserunners in every inning except the first but limited the damage to two runs over five innings in his fourth straight win.
Washington’s Tanner Roark (3-8) gave up six runs in 4 1/3 innings, and the Nationals needed four relievers to finish the game.
”The last two starts I’ve left the bullpen out to dry Iman Marshall Jersey ,” Roark said, ”and I’m just not happy about it.”
The Nationals have dropped eight of 11, including the completion of a suspended game. They are in third place this late in the season for the first time since 2013.
Michael A. Taylor extended his hitting streak to 13 games and drove in Washington’s first run when he capped an 11-pitch at-bat with a double in the second.
HARPER DERBY BOUND
On Friday afternoon the Nationals tweeted: ”tfw Bryce announces he’ll do the (at)MLB HR Derby if he makes the NL All-Star team…” accompanied by a GIF of Harper celebrating in the dugout.
RECORD HOLDERS
Chase Utley (twice in 2008), Bobby Abreu (2005), Mike Schmidt (1979) and Dick Allen (1969) also homered in five straight games for the Phillies. Ken Griffey, Jr. (1993), Don Mattingly (1987) and Dale Long (1956) share the major league record with homers in eight consecutive games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff (right lat strain) threw his curveball off flat ground and will throw the pitch again during a bullpen session on Saturday. . RHP Pat Neshek (right shoulder strain) will begin a rehab assignment at Class A Clearwater on Saturday. … RHP Luis Garcia (right wrist strain) played catch on flat ground Friday.
Nationals: RHP Stephen Strasburg (right shoulder inflammation) played catch on flat ground for the second time this week Friday. … RHP Jeremy Hellickson (right hamstring strain) will make a rehab start for Class A Potomac on Sunday.
UP NEXT
Philadelphia RHP Aaron Nola (8-2 http://www.ravenscheapstores.com/trace-mcsorley-jersey-cheap , 2.55 ERA) opposes RHP Erick Fedde (0-2, 5.63 ERA). Nola (seventh overall) and Fedde (18th overall) were both selected in the first round of the 2014 draft.
Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky was listed as doubtful Wednesday for the Thanksgiving Day game in Detroit against the Lions.Trubisky suffered a right shoulder injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s 25-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings.If he can’t play, the Bears will turn to backup Chase Daniel, who has not started or played extensively in an NFL game since 2014.At 32, Daniel is the oldest player on the Chicago roster and hasn’t thrown more than two passes in a season since 2014 in Kansas City. He does have extensive knowledge of the Bears’ offensive system run by former Chiefs assistant and current Chicago head coach Matt Nagy.Earlier this week, Chicago offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich said he saw no reason for play-calling to be altered should Daniel play.“They’re not that significantly different,” Helfrich said. “Certainly David Montgomery Jersey , you’re going to tailor things to one person or another absolutely, but within the same structure. We’re not going to change the offense if something happens. You can’t do that.”The Bears (7-3) have won four straight games. Detroit (4-6) is coming off a win over Carolina after three straight losses.
JACKSONVILLE http://www.seahawksfootballauthentics.com/phil-haynes-jersey-authentic , Fla. (AP) as he’s played in three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, leaving the receiver with plenty to prove going into the final year of his rookie contract.It’s not an ideal position. It’s also not one Greene seems concerned about.”I’m a deep thinker and I’m aware that life is going to hit you sometimes,” Greene said after minicamp Wednesday. ”It’s hitting me this way, and it’s my job. You’ve got to be able to bounce back and be strong and show that you can overcome adversity. It builds character and makes you a better person.”He’s counting on it making him a better player, too.Just being healthy is a good start.Greene missed seven games as a rookie in 2015 because of a broken thumb. He missed eight more the following year because of an Achilles injury. He sat out all of last season with an ailing back.Even with the injuries mounting, his confidence never wavered.So it didn’t bother him when the Jaguars signed Donte Moncrief to a one-year, $9.6 million deal in free agency or when they selected DJ Chark in the second round of the NFL draft.”I wasn’t thinking, `Oh, this is the end Ugo Amadi Jersey ,’ or getting agitated with what was going on,” Greene said. ”You’ve got to make plays. At the end of the day, it’s a job, and if you don’t make plays, you’re not going to make the team. That’s imperative.”You can’t have anxiety. You just got to relax, have fun and make plays.”Greene would have been considered a long shot to make Jacksonville’s roster just a few weeks ago. But the former Florida State standout, a fifth-round draft pick in 2015, has made his share of plays during organized team activities.He’s been so impressive that he looks like a strong option to be part of a rotation that includes Marqise Lee, Moncrief http://www.clevelandbrownsteamonline.com/sione-takitaki-jersey , Keelan Cole and Chark.”A lot of times when you are injured, you do not have that ability to showcase what you can do,” coach Doug Marrone said. ”I think he went through that last year and right now he is healthy, performing well and looking a lot like the player that I first saw when he came here, making plays and doing things.”I think that if he keeps continuing the way he does and continues to play this way during training camp and the preseason, he will be heavily involved in the mix of making this team.”Greene has 24 receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns. He’s been more dynamic on special teams, returning 39 punts for 432 yards and a score. He averaged 16.7 yards a punt return as a rookie.But injuries have been his more prominent story line.”He is definitely versatile,” offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said. ”He is a smooth wide receiver that has a lot of good quick shake and control of his body. He is a guy that we are excited to see as the pads come on and as training camp goes. We just want to keep seeing him. He is doing everything he can to put himself in position to get out on the field.”And maybe watch less and play more.”All I can ask for is a chance,” Greene said. ”And the organization is giving me that. It feels great to be out there and competing. I’m having fun Sheldrick Redwine Jersey , and I can live with the results.”— William Stephen Belichick has been the head coach of the New England Patriots since the beginning of the Millennium. His first NFL head coaching job actually began with the New York Jets. However, after one day on the job Bill immediately defected to the rival Patriots to take over head coaching responsibilities. This kind of cutthroat mentally has been an evergreen characteristic of Bill since then.Not only is Bill in charge of all things coach related, he runs the player personnel department as well. He is essentially the Patriots general manager. With this responsibility, it is hard to argue that Bill has made many bad decisions when it comes to players. Often times it is mind boggling when Bill cuts Pro Bowler after Pro Bowler, but it is difficult to argue with the results the Patriots see year after year with Bill at the helm. Since taking over, the Patriots have the best win percentage in the NFL. It's not even close. However, if you're name isn't Tom Brady or Rob Gronkowski don't get too comfortable. The following is the list of players that have been axed without blinking an eye by the most cutthroat head coach of all time.
Tuesday for the Atlanta Braves at the Rogers Centre will be like making a second debut.
The 20-year-old from Calgary will be making his fifth major league start Gary Jennings Jr. Jersey , but Tuesday night in the opener of a two-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays he will be pitching against the team he grew up watching and with friends in attendance.
Soroka (2-1, 2.57 ERA) will be facing Blue Jays left-hander Jaime Garcia (2-5, 5.71), who is 3-1 with a 3.62 ERA in eight career starts against Atlanta.
It also will be a return for first-year Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos, who was the Blue Jays GM from October 2009 through 2015.
“Even though I’m from the other side of Canada, it’s the one team you grew up watching,” Soroka told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’ll be pretty special.”
He has pitched before at the Rogers Centre, as a 15-year-old in a tournament.
“It’s almost like a second debut of sorts,” Soroka said. “Just get out there, knowing that a bunch of friends are going to be coming there, a lot of friends who’ve been Blue Jays fans for a long time too. … I’m just going to be familiar with the Rogers Centre http://www.seahawkscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-phil-haynes-jersey , so that’s going to be cool too. And I’ll be out there on a mound I’ve been on before too, so that’s pretty awesome.”
Soroka is coming off his best major league outing. After spending a month on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation, he carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning of a 2-0 win over the New York Mets Wednesday. He left after 6 1/3 innings, allowing one hit and one walk and adding four strikeouts.
Soroka does not expect to feel more excitement in this start Tuesday than he did in his previous four.
“There’s a certain amount of amped up you can have in the big leagues,” Soroka said. “I don’t think I’ll be any more amped up than I was my last four, especially because it’s a new thing right now. I don’t think I’m running short on adrenalin.”
The Braves (42-29) are in first place in the National League East. They have won two in a row and six of their past eight after defeating the San Diego Padres 4-1 Sunday.
The Blue Jays (33-38) have won three in a row and seven of their past 10 games after completing a three-game sweep Sunday with an 8-6 win over the Washington Nationals, who are second in the NL East.
The Blue Jays have won seven straight home games for the first time since July 2-8, 2016. After struggling at home earlier in the season, they are now 19-19 at the Rogers Centre. They are 6-2 against the NL this season.
Toronto right fielder Randal Grichuk, an early-season disappointment who also spent time on the disabled list with a right knee sprain, had two solo home runs and four RBIs Sunday in going 3-for-3 with a walk. He has hit five homers in his past 12 games.
“I feel like we’ve found a lot of consistency when we’ve been playing here lately Ugo Amadi Jersey ,” Grichuk said of the Blue Jays’ recent success at home. “Obviously that (0-3) Tampa Bay series (against the Rays at Tropicana Field) threw a wrench at us, but I feel like we’re swinging the bat well, and when our pitchers go out and give us a chance to win, we’ve been doing a good job of being able to score and get some leads. Hopefully that just continues.”
Another early-season disappointment, Toronto second baseman Devon Travis was 2-for-4 with a double Sunday and is batting .345 (20-for-58) with three homers and eight RBIs in his past 19 games.
The timing of a possible return from the disabled list of third baseman Josh Donaldson (tight left calf) is not known yet.
The Braves, meanwhile, will have catcher Kurt Suzuki available for the game Tuesday. He was struck in the head on a backswing during the second inning Sunday at SunTrust Park and left the game. Tests indicated that he did not have a concussion.
“It was kind of a precautionary thing,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He got hit good. The doctors wanted to look at him and I’m sure he wanted to come back out. But something like that is not something you want to mess with.”
The Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to acquire wide receiver DeSean Jackson from Tampa Bay along with a 2020 seventh-round draft pick for a sixth-round pick this year, two people familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Monday.The deal is contingent upon Jackson agreeing to a new contract, according to one of the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because terms haven’t been finalized.The Eagles also have agreed on a three-year contract with defensive tackle Malik Jackson, one of the people told the AP. Jackson was released by Jacksonville last week to provide salary cap space.The moves won’t be official until the league year begins Wednesday.DeSean Jackson is set to return to Philadelphia five years after former Eagles coach Chip Kelly released the three-time Pro Bowl pick following his best season. The 32-year-old speedster had one year remaining on his contract for $10 million.Jackson gives the Eagles a deep threat to complement a receiving corps that includes Alshon Jeffrey http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-drew-sample-jersey , Nelson Agholor, and tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert.He was selected by Philadelphia in the second round of the 2008 draft and averaged 59 catches for 1,020 yards and five touchdowns in six seasons with the Eagles. Jackson had 82 receptions for 1,332 yards and nine TDs in 2013 but still got cut by Kelly. He had two 1,000-yard seasons in three years in Washington and spent the past two seasons with the Buccaneers. He had 41 catches for 774 yards and four TDs last season, averaging an NFL-best 18.9 yards per reception.Malik Jackson spent the past three seasons with the Jaguars after playing his first four with Denver, earning one Super Bowl ring. The 28-year-old Jackson had 18 sacks in Jacksonville, including 3½ last season.The Eagles also announced nine-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters has agreed to a new, one-year deal to return for his 16th NFL season and 11th in Philadelphia.
A berth in the NFC championship game is at stake when Ryan leads the Atlanta Falcons (11-6) against the Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) in a divisional playoff Saturday. Ryan http://www.bengalscheapstore.com/germaine-pratt-jersey-cheap , who grew up rooting for the Eagles and went to Philadelphia’s William Penn Charter School, is 1-3 at the Linc.“I’m used to it now,” Ryan said about returning home. “Playing as long as I have, I understand regardless of where we play you have to be at your best every week. The one nice part is there will be a lot of familiar faces, friendly faces after the game, which is always nice.”Ryan had his worst game of his MVP season last year in Atlanta’s 24-15 loss in Philly on Nov. 13, 2016. He was 18 of 33 for 267 yards with one touchdown and one interception.“Obviously, there will be some scheme from that game that we’ll take, what went well and what didn’t go well and try to improve on that,” Ryan said. “We’re a different team than we were last year when we played them and they’re a different team. It will be some carry over Ryan Finley Jersey , but it will be a little bit different.”Here’s some things to watch for when the teams meet in the playoffs for the first time since Philadelphia’s win over Michael Vick’s Falcons in the 2005 NFC championship game:NICK’S UP: Nick Foles makes his fourth start since replacing Carson Wentz after the MVP candidate tore his ACL in Week 14. Foles played well in his first five quarters and struggled in the next five. He’s certainly a drop-off from Wentz, but he’s also capable of spectacular performances. Foles once tossed seven TDs in a game in 2013. He had four TDs in his first start in Week 15.“There’s enough substance behind his career that merits having confidence,” Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich said.`NORTHEAST’ NOISE: There’s crowd noise, and then there’s the noise generated by Philadelphia fans known for their intensity.Falcons coach Dan Quinn seemed to search for a polite term to compare Eagles fans with the fans the team heard in last week’s wild-card win at the Los Angeles Rams.“I’m not going to say more passionate, but I would say more Northeast,” Quinn said with a smile.The Falcons have pumped in artificial noise in practice this week but will lean heavily on Ryan and center Alex Mack to use their experience with silent counts and hand signals.“That’s huge,” said tight end Levine Toilolo. “That’s where it all starts, coming off the ball, the cadence and stuff like that. We definitely work on that every week. Their fans, we’re expecting a loud crowd in a big playoff game.”Mack said he expects Philadelphia’s fans “to be really dedicated http://www.bengalscheapstore.com/renell-wren-jersey-cheap , really loud, really involved. So it’s going to be a challenge just in terms of crowd noise.”COMFORT ZONE: After leading the league in scoring in 2016, the Falcons finished the regular season 15th with first-year offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.Atlanta averaged 22.1 points per game, down from 33.8 last season.Ryan says he has become more comfortable with Sarkisian, especially the last two weeks in wins over Carolina and the Rams.“I think Sark has done a great job of finding who we are week to week, specifically the last two weeks I think he’s done a great job,” Ryan said.STOPPING JULIO: The Eagles had some success against Julio Jones in their win last year, keeping him out of the end zone but allowing 10 catches for 135 yards. Jalen Mills held him to four catches for 48 yards when he was matched up against Jones. The second-year pro is confident he can contain Jones again. Ronald Darby will have to cover Jones when he’s on his side.“You have to think the ball is coming to him each and every play,” Mills said. “Whether they’re having a run or a pass play, you’ve just got to think the ball is coming to him.”MULTIPLE BACKS: Both teams have options in the backfield. The Falcons are led by Devonta Freeman Michael Jordan Jersey , who had 865 yards rushing and seven TDs. Tevin Coleman had 628 yards rushing and five TDs. LeGarrette Blount led the Eagles with 766 yards rushing and scored two TDs. Jay Ajayi had 873 yards rushing and one TD combined with the Dolphins and Eagles. He ran for 130 yards against Atlanta in Miami’s win on Oct. 15. LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP)All Zach Miller knows is he’s not setting any limits on his recovery – and his doctors aren’t either.Whether the Chicago Bears‘ tight end can play again after a gruesome injury last season nearly cost him his left leg still is to be determined.”There has not been a definitive `You can never do this again,”’ Miller said.”That hasn’t been talked about. It’s approach this as you are planning to get back to where I can be myself and play football, and then when that time comes some of that is out of my hands. So, I’m just going to do as much as I can to get to that point and see what happens.”The Bears placed Miller on the physically unable to perform list on Tuesday, one day after he signed a one-year contract. The deal was at least a goodwill gesture for a popular player who dislocated his knee trying to make a touchdown catch during the Week 8 game at New Orleans. He has undergone nine surgeries since then, but was walking on his own by late December.Miller has been spending several hours a day at the team’s facility in rehab and meetings. Though he is not yet allowed to run, he can at least play with his children.He’s also wearing a brace on his leg to hold up a dropped foot that was brought on by nerve damage. The nerve started functioning again in the past month, and Miller ”wanted to have a party” that day.”I don’t think I’ve ever been mentally defeated – ever,” he said. ”I feel good. I’m happy with where I’m at and with my recovery. I’m happy with the steps that we’ve made. Positivity has been one of my qualities that’s helped get me through all this stuff. I’m in a good place right now.”He said being around the team http://www.raidersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-hunter-renfrow-jersey , having ”that brotherhood” and people who ”check in on me” helps.Miller also praised chairman George McCaskey and an organization that has ”taken care of me since Day 1.””It’s tough for me to put it into words what it means to me, but very thankful and just grateful to be a part of this family,” he added.Defensive end Akiem Hicks was glad to see the organization taking care of his teammate.”That’s what it said to me, that they’re willing to make sure that we’re all right and give us the opportunity to get better and just loyalty,” he said.Coach Matt Nagy called it ”without a doubt” the ”right thing to do.””I was happy for him,” Nagy said. ”We talked along with (general manager Ryan Pace) and it’s a good story and it needed to be done.”Miller signed a futures contract with the Bears at the end of the 2013 season. After spending 2014 on injured reserve, he started 28 of 33 games while making 101 receptions for 1,161 yards and 11 touchdowns the past three years. He also spent three seasons with Jacksonville.A healthy Miller probably would have a big role on a team that invested heavily on the offense in the offseason in order to get the most out of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.The Bears hired an offensive-minded coach in Nagy to replace the fired John Fox and overhauled their receiving group, most notably signing Allen Robinson.They believe bigger things are in store after four straight last-place finishes in the NFC North. And Miller would love to play in Nagy’s offense.”That’s the bittersweet part of it, seeing first of all how awesome Coach Nagy is Zach Brown Jersey , not only as a guy but his football knowledge is unbelievable,” Miller said.”Very cool, very collected, has a little bit of swagger to him, which is just fun to be around. Then you go to the football field and you look at the scheme that we have. It would be a lot of fun to be a part of. It’s not in the cards quite yet for me to take part in that.”But as I sit and I watch and I see the weapons that we have and what we’ve added, the dynamic ability that we have as a collective group, positive future here and I’m excited to be a part of it.”—
WEST PALM BEACH http://www.steelersfootballauthentics.com/diontae-johnson-jersey-authentic , Fla. (AP) — Patriots owner Robert Kraft paying a massage parlor worker for sex should not be publicly released for now because it would ruin his chance for a fair trial, a judge ruled Tuesday.Circuit Judge Leonard Hanser accepted arguments by Kraft’s attorneys that releasing the video would likely make it impossible to seat a jury for his trial on misdemeanor prostitution charges. He said the video shouldn’t be handed to the news media as a public record until a jury is seated, a plea agreement is reached or the state drops the case. Kraft has pleaded not guilty but has issued an apology for his conduct.Hanser wrote that under normal circumstances, an older man allegedly paying for sexual services would be “a rather tawdry but fairly unremarkable event.”“But if that man is the owner of the most successful franchise in Justin Layne Jersey , arguably, the most popular professional sport in the United States, an entirely different dynamic arises,” Hanser wrote. He said the video would be shown widely on television and on the internet and it would be difficult for him to find unbiased jurors. The Associated Press is one of several media companies that have argued that a redacted version of the video should be released under Florida’s broad public records laws.Kraft was one of 25 men charged with solicitation after police secretly installed cameras at the Orchids of Asia massage parlor in Jupiter http://www.steelersfootballauthentics.com/benny-snell-jr.-jersey-authentic , Florida, in what authorities initially said was an investigation into human trafficking. Prosecutors have since said they found no evidence of trafficking at the spa.Police say the video shows Kraft and other customers engaged in sexual acts with spa masseuses. Separately, Kraft’s attorneys are seeking to suppress the video on grounds that it is an invasion of privacy and that the search warrant to install the cameras was obtained using untrue statements indicating that authorities had found potential evidence of human trafficking. A hearing on that motion is scheduled for Friday.At a hearing later Tuesday, attorneys for spa owner Hua Zhang and therapist Lei Wang received permission from Circuit Judge Joseph Marx to subpoena a celebrity gossip website that says it was approached last week by someone offering to sell it the Kraft video. Marx told attorneys Kathleen S. Phang and Tama Beth Kudman that they could subpoena TheBlast.com and its phone provider to try to determine who contacted them.The Los Angeles-based website reported last week that it did not buy the video Zach Gentry Jersey , but that the would-be leaker showed its employees a snippet. One of Kraft’s attorneys, Alex Spiro, testified that the website’s CEO and lawyer described to him what the alleged leaker showed and he believes it matches the video police have shown him. The website did not respond to an email seeking comment and the video has not shown up elsewhere.Phang and Kudman argued that someone at the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office or Jupiter police must be the leaker. Both agencies denied that, and Marx said Phang and Kudman haven’t proved the leak is real. He did order both agencies to hand over a list by Monday of all employees who have access to the video.“If this video has really been leaked L.J. Collier Jersey , we are going to see it because people are going to pay money for it,” Marx said.Zhang and Wang have pleaded not guilty to felony prostitution charges. Drafting a quarterback is one of the most stressful things that a team can do. While football is unquestionably a team sport, there’s a very good reason why some of the greatest teams of all-time – or even just Super Bowl winners – had a great quarterback at the helm. A quarterback is more than just the leader of the offense; he’s more often than not the leader of the team. How can even the best scouts be expected to look into the world of college football and find that one quarterback that will be able to lead an NFL team to glory?As understandably difficult as it is to find the perfect quarterback in the draft, it’s often impossible to ease the pain of fans who have to watch as their team makes the wrong quarterback pick. Of course http://www.seahawksfootballauthentics.com/marquise-blair-jersey-authentic , the real pain doesn’t come on draft day. The real pain comes months down the line when it becomes painfully obvious which quarterbacks these teams should have picked. While there’s nothing that those fans can do to wind back time and help their team make the right quarterback pick, we can still rub a little salt in those draft day wounds by looking at the top 15 NFL quarterbacks who were drafted in the wrong spot and where they should have gone.
Minnesota Twins open a two-game interleague series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
Polanco will be reinstated Monday from his 80-game suspension for use of performance-enhancing drugs after going 6-for-13 in four games with Triple-A Rochester.
He batted .256 with 13 home runs Ryquell Armstead Jersey , 30 doubles in 133 games last year and was especially strong in the second half, slashing .293/.359/.511 with 10 homers and 43 RBIs.
That performance moved him into the No. 3 spot in the Twins’ lineup, but manager Paul Molitor said he probably won’t bat that high right away upon his return.
“We know what he did last year when he had a chance to move up into a pretty important role,” Molitor told reporters Sunday in Chicago. “I don’t know we’ll jump him up there that fast. For us to see him is going to be different than hearing about him and reading about him and texting him and all those kinds of things.
“We’ll see how it is. To be honest, coming up here and playing, even though he’s doing really well, it’s going to be a little different than what he’s been doing.”
Right-hander Kyle Gibson (2-6) starts for Minnesota. He posted a 2.45 ERA through his first four June starts but saw that number grow to 3.35 after allowing five runs in seven innings to the Chicago White Sox his last time out.
Gibson struck out seven in the game and walked just one but gave up a season-high 11 hits.
“I went back and looked at some of the hits I gave up,” Gibson said. “I don’t know if I just picked the wrong pitch at the wrong time or what. I executed quite a few pitches there, and they found holes.”
The Twins dropped a three-game weekend series to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field and have lost eight of their last 10 overall.
“Two runs, three runs … You’re going to need more to win most games,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.
Despite that showing, the Brewers will return home still leading the National League Central by a half-game over the Cubs, who will be idle Monday.
Brent Suter (8-5) gets the nod in the series opener. He’ll be looking to get back on track after his three-game winning streak was snapped last week by the Kansas City Royals.
Suter overcame a somewhat slow start to the season and has turned into a solid starter in the last two months. He’s 6-2 with a 3.50 ERA in his last eight starts. Before his outing against Kansas City, he hadn’t allowed more than three runs in his previous seven games.
Part of Suter’s success can be attributed to his pace, which is among the game’s fastest. That makes it difficult for hitters to settle in between pitches and, Suter admits, there can be a slight advantage to working quickly.
“I don’t want to quick-pitch people; I don’t do that Marquise Brown Jersey ,” he said. “But I want to keep the tempo up and let my fielders get back in and hit as quickly as possible. That’s how I operate. If that gets them uncomfortable, that’s fine, but I’m just in attack mode and up-tempo.”
Suter is 1-0 with a 3.72 ERA in two career starts against the Twins, both of which came at Target Field. He held them to a run and five hits while striking out six in 5 2/3 innings on May 18.
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts are borrowing an old adage from Bill Belichick this week.They’re on to the Patriots.Less than 24 hours after a gutsy fourth-down call backfired in a wrenching overtime loss to AFC South rival Houston, coach Frank Reich walked into the team complex and turned his attention to Thursday night’s game.“It just appears to me the maturity level of these young players are eager to get on to the next game, just eager to get ready,” Reich said Monday.“I think the most important thing is how are we going to take care of them physically, get your bodies right and get these game plans in quickly and just get everything focused on New England.”First, though, Reich did replay the decision in his head repeatedly.Upon further reflection http://www.ravensfootballauthentics.com/jaylon-ferguson-jersey-authentic , he even walked back some of his postgame comments to explain with more clarity what he was thinking.Players appreciated the fact Reich had enough faith in his offense and defense to take a chance on fourth-and-4 from his 43-yard line with less than 30 seconds left in overtime. Afterward, everyone including Reich acknowledged they didn’t want to settle for a tie.“I probably should give context to the 10 out of 10,” Reich said, referring to his postgame comments. “I mean it’s probably not a complete absolute as much as it is a mindset of being aggressive. There are always a lot of things to consider. To say it’s an absolute, it was emotional yesterday, a tough loss. The mindset is we’re going to be aggressive.”Everyone from Andrew Luck to record-breaking kicker Adam Vinatieri backed Reich in a game most figured they wouldn’t even watch on film because of the short week.But the reality is Reich is here, in Indy talking about New England, because Josh McDaniels isn’t. Had Belichick’s longtime offensive coordinator followed through on his verbal commitment to take the Colts’ coaching job following February’s Super Bowl loss, this game would be billed as yet another chapter in the long-running pupil-versus-instructor series.Instead, when McDaniels backed out of the deal Miles Boykin Jersey , Colts general manager Chris Ballard plucked the offensive coordinator from Super Bowl champion Philadelphia and he’s been a big hit in Indy (1-3) — even in light of Sunday’s risky call.Beating New England would give fans even more to celebrate early in Reich’s tenure.But he’s likely to be working with a short-handed roster.Left tackle Anthony Castonzo has missed all four games with an injured hamstring and it appears unlikely he’ll return this week. Right tackle Joe Haeg went on injured reserve last week and his left ankle is now in a cast.Pro Bowler receiver T.Y. Hilton left Sunday’s game with a chest injury, returned and then left again in the second half with a hamstring injury. Reich doesn’t anticipate having Hilton at New England (2-2).Running back Marlon Mack has missed three of the first four games this season with a hamstring injury and the Colts have two cornerbacks, Quincy Wilson and Kenny Moore II, in the concussion protocol. Another cornerback Nate Hairston walked into the locker room Monday with his lower left leg in a walking boot.Hairston, Hilton, Wilson, Moore, Pro Bowl tight end Jack Doyle (hip), center Ryan Kelly (hand), linebacker Darius Leonard (ankle) and defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway (calf) did not practice Monday.At least the Colts might have running back Robert Turbin back in the mix following a four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancers. He’s been Indy’s top short-yardage runner the past two seasons and could play a key Deandre Baker Jersey , albeit limited, role if Indy activates him before Tuesday afternoon’s deadline.“I feel good. I’m ready to roll,” Turbin said. “I just trained like normally do. I always train with pads and a helmet on, and I try to mimic routes and things like that. I got a chance to go back to my high school and run around with those guys a little bit.”But the seven-year veteran knows the competition will be much different with the defending AFC champions on the opposite sideline.Houston already appears to be a distant memory.And all the talk inside the locker room seems to focus on ending a seven-game losing streak to the Pats that dates back to Belichick’s own failed fourth-down decision in 2009.“You’ve got to move on from this one real fast,” Reich said. “We know how quick a turnaround that is here. A very well-coached team, a good football team. So all eyes on New England.”Notes: Castonzo, Mack and safety Clayton Geathers (knee) were all limited in practice Monday. … Tight end Eric Ebron (knee), safety Malik Hooker (hip), kicker Adam Vinatieri (right groin) and linebacker Anthony Walker (knee) were all full participants at practice.
For the Chicago Cubs Jawaan Taylor Jersey , the last few days have felt like Christmas in July.
“Everything is believable,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon told reporters when asked about his team’s recent hot streak. “We believe in everything right now. Santa Claus is absolutely true.
“When you get to that point and you get that kind of confidence, you don’t want to do anything to nick it.”
Chicago (48-35) has climbed 13 games above .500 to match its high-water mark. The Cubs have a chance to set a new high when they host the Detroit Tigers (38-49) in the finale of a two-game series at Wrigley Field.
All of the Cubs’ five wins during the streak have been in come-from-behind fashion.
“One of our concepts is to score first,” Maddon said. “One of our concepts is to win the inning. But I think this is maybe the residue of our starting pitching not being what it probably is. We’ve given up more runs early from our starters that we didn’t anticipate happening.
“But it’s a tightly knit group. They’re there to pick everybody else up. So, OK Josh Oliver Jersey , they’ve scored a couple runs. There’s no quit. The chatter in the dugout is great, all that stuff is outstanding. I just think that the come-from-behind component right now is based on our starters not pitching to their capabilities yet.”
That said, the Cubs will look for a solid start from left-hander Jose Quintana (6-6, 4.31 ERA) in his 17th start of the season. The 29-year-old has allowed three earned runs or fewer in nine of his past 12 starts.
In 18 career starts against the Tigers, Quintana is 5-5 with a 4.37 ERA. The Colombia native has walked 26 and struck out 82 in 111 1/3 innings.
The Tigers will counter with veteran left-hander Francisco Liriano (3-4 Deandre Baker Jersey , 3.99 ERA), who is scheduled to make his 13th start of the season. The burly southpaw carries a career record of 105-103 with a 4.14 ERA in 335 career games.
More than a few teams could be scouting the 34-year-old Liriano as the trade deadline approaches. He is coming off a quality start against the Toronto Blue Jays but has not logged a victory since April 17 against the Baltimore Orioles.
In 14 career starts against the Cubs, Liriano is 5-4 with a 3.27 ERA. He most recently faced the club in 2016, when he posted an 0-2 record with a 7.63 ERA in three starts with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays.
The Tigers could turn to a six-man rotation in the next couple weeks, which is fine with Liriano.
“I think that would work http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/oshane-ximines-jersey ,” Liriano said recently to mlive.com. “It wouldn’t bother me at all. I don’t know about any other guys. (Blaine) Hardy has been doing a great job, so it’s hard to put him in the bullpen with the way he’s throwing the ball right now. I think that’s a great idea.”
Injured Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (shoulder) is not expected to play Wednesday. He is hitting .280 with nine home runs and 36 RBIs in 66 games this season.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tex Schramm often called Gil Brandt into his office to look at the fabric swatches draped all over his furniture, wanting another opinion on the right jersey and pants combination for the Dallas Cowboys.He sure hit on a winning combination. Decades later, Cowboys’ jerseys remain among the NFL’s top sellers.“The uniform thing was a special project to him Julian Love Jersey ,” said Brandt, now historian and player analyst for NFL.com after helping Schramm build the Cowboys. “I can’t tell you how much time I spent with him looking at these uniforms and saying, ‘Yeah, I think this is the best. This will show up the best on television.'”As the NFL enters its 100th season, what players wear on the field may have changed the most http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/darius-slayton-jersey , going from leather helmets and long-sleeved turtlenecks and sweaters to plastic helmets with jerseys and pants almost shrink-wrapped to fit. The main reason why players wear a jersey remains unchanged even a century later: to tell who plays for which team.“You want something to identify yourself, right?” said Jon Kendle, director of archives and football information at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Yes Kendall Sheffield Jersey , the Los Angeles Rams got away with a flagrant foul (or two) by cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman that allowed them to sneak out of New Orleans with the NFC championship, right past the highway sign on the causeway over Lake Pontchartrain reading, “WE WERE ROBBED .”Yes, the Patriots won in Kansas City thanks to four critical calls going New England’s way in the fourth quarter, three of which were iffy: a replay reversal of Julian Edelman’s muffed punt , a phantom roughing-the-passer call on Chris Jones and Chris Hogan’s drive-sustaining one-handed catch with a little help from the ground. Dee Ford lined up in the neutral zone, negating rookie cornerback Charvarius Ward’s game-clinching interception with 55 seconds left and Kansas City ahead 28-24.“I thought the game was over http://www.falconsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-john-cominsky-jersey ,” Chiefs safety Daniel Sorensen said. “And it wasn’t.”Just like the Saints did when Tommylee Lewis blatantly was interfered with inside the Los Angeles 5-yard line by Robey-Coleman, whose helmet-to-helmet hit didn’t draw the flag but will surely result in a hefty fine.“I thought it was a flag for that split second,” acknowledged Robey-Coleman, who was as surprised as everyone else when two officials near the play ruled it an incomplete pass on third down with 1:45 remaining in regulation and the game tied at 20.“I knew if that had been a flag, they probably would have scored on the next play,” Robey-Coleman said.The call kept the Rams close as New Orleans settled for a field goal on the next play, Greg Zuerlein tied it in regulation with a 48-yarder and won it in overtime with a 57-yarder Qadree Ollison Jersey , two field goals that likely never would have happened had Robey-Coleman been flagged for clobbering Lewis well before the ball arrived.On Monday, Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas implored NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to undo the outcome of the game , citing an NFL rule that allows for “the reversal of a game’s result or the rescheduling of a game, either from the beginning or from the point at which the extraordinary occurred.”The league has never invoked the rule to reverse a game’s outcome.The George Halas and Lamar Hunt Trophies may be smudged amid the backlash over the officiating gaffes, but they aren’t entirely tarnished because strategy and execution had as much to do with the outcomes of these overtime thrillers as the yellow flags that were or weren’t thrown.The Rams (15-3) roared back from a pair of double-digit deficits to beat the Saints 26-23 in overtime because they stuck with the plan and didn’t panic after falling behind 13-0 in the first quarter and 20-10 in the third quarter.After managing just 5 yards in the first quarter when nothing went right, the Rams righted themselves thanks to a fake punt and cut New Orleans’ lead to 13-10 at halftime.“Our team demonstrated great mental toughness,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “It was a tough start Marquise Brown Jersey , but I thought the way (quarterback Jared Goff) played and handled the noise was outstanding.”The Rams outscored the Saints 16-3 down the stretch.The Patriots (13-5) overcame a 24-point fourth-quarter outburst fueled by Patrick Mahomes to beat the Chiefs 37-31 in overtime because Tom Brady was hardly touched, aside from Jones’ shoulder swipe that the officials thought hit him in the facemask.New England’s much-maligned offensive line didn’t allow a single sack to the Chiefs, whose 52 sacks during the regular season were tied with the Steelers for the league lead and who pummeled Andrew Luck a week earlier, sacking him three times.Brady “played great,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said for what, the 1,000th time? “They were playing a lot of man coverage and it was either a good gain or an incompletion. … They gave us some three-man rush and there was a lot of four-man rush with Justin Houston http://www.ravensauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jaylon-ferguson-jersey , Chris Jones and Dee Ford. Those are tough matchups. I thought they did a good job of standing up to those guys and giving Tom a chance to deliver the ball.”In overtime, Brady, who has thrown 90 passes in the playoffs and has not been sacked a single time, converted a trio of third-and-10 pass plays on the winning touchdown drive.“Brady got rid of the ball fast,” Jones said. “We didn’t get to the quarterback like we usually do.”So the Patriots rushed for 176 yards and Brady threw for 348.By dominating the time of possession — 44 minutes to 21 minutes — Brady and the Patriots kept Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill on the sideline during most of the freezing night.“You play on the road, it is going to be tough Miles Boykin Jersey ,” Brady said. “What travels well is running the ball and playing tough. That is good in any weather, any condition, any environment and any stadium.” PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking into an altercation in the stands involving a female fan during Sunday night’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.The incident happened near the end of Los Angeles’ 33-30 victory.Photos published by the Pittsburgh Current and video presented to KDKA-TV showed two men, one wearing a suit featuring the Chargers’ logo and the other dressed in black, arguing. A woman dressed in a Chargers jersey attempted to intervene. The man in black briefly grabbed the woman by the throat before letting go.The Pittsburgh Current identified the male Chargers fan as Daniel Minshew. Minshew said the woman involved was his wife. Minshew told the Current he planned to contact the authorities to file charges against the other man.A Heinz Field spokesman said in a statement that information about the altercation will be turned over to police.
BEREA http://www.ravenscheapstores.com/ben-powers-jersey-cheap , Ohio (AP) — room looking like a wide-eyed rookie.Things had been moving pretty quickly for Cleveland’s first-year coach, who seemed a little dazed after spending three whirlwind days observing general manager John Dorsey and his staff relentlessly work the phones with other NFL front-office executives while selecting seven new players.“It was very intriguing and exciting,” Kitchens said Saturday.And, for once, not distressing.The Browns didn’t have any glaring holes to fill this year. They found their franchise quarterback, Baker Mayfield, a year ago and Myles Garrett, the No. 1 overall pick in 2017, appears to be the coveted game-changing edge rusher. Cleveland’s got star power in wide receivers in Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, and there are enough talented pieces that they’ve become a fashionable pick.The expectations are sky high. In some corners, Super Bowl high.But Kitchens isn’t ready to stamp his team a contender, never mind a champion.“This time of year, everybody wants to talk about the roster and wants to crown somebody,” Kitchens said, his Alabama accent dripping on words. “All of this is good, but this is not going to win us any games. This is not even going to win us a quarter. It is not going to do anything for us but set us up for failure if we don’t have our head on straight and we are ready to play football because the games are going to be won and lost in September.“All of this other stuff is fluff. It is just things for people to talk about in April and May. You are going to have a different narrative come September, and that is when we want to control the narrative Iman Marshall Jersey , not in April or May.”With an eye on getting tougher, the Browns picked five defensive players — two cornerbacks, two linebackers and a safety — along with a kicker and an offensive tackle.But, above all, Kitchens said the team wanted committed players.“We added guys that enjoy the game of football, enjoy practicing football, enjoy playing football, enjoy competing on a day-in and day-out basis,” he said.“That is where I think we have made the biggest strides.”Some other highlights from Cleveland’s second draft under Dorsey:WHO THEY GOTCB Greedy Williams (second round, LSU), LB Sione Takitaki (third round, BYU), CB Sheldrick Redwine (fourth round, Miami), LB Mack Wilson (fifth round, Alabama), K Austin Seibert (fifth round http://www.ravenscheapstores.com/trace-mcsorley-jersey-cheap , Oklahoma), T Drew Forbes (sixth round, Southeast Missouri State), CB Donnie Lewis Jr. (seventh round, Tulane).SURPRISE MOVEStaying put. The story line entering the draft was whether Dorsey, who had made 17 trades since coming to Cleveland in 2017, would move into the first round after dealing the No. 17 overall pick to the New York Giants in the Beckham swap. He targeted three players but found the asking price was too high for his taste. Dorsey did jump three spots in the second round to acquire Williams, considered one of the SEC’s best pass defenders.It was mildly surprising the Browns hung on to running back Duke Johnson, who asked to be traded shortly after the team signed free agent Kareem Hunt. But Johnson remains in Cleveland — for now — and Dorsey doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to part with Johnson unless he’s overwhelmed by an offer.HOW THEY DIDDefense dominated as the Browns added depth and potential special teamers. They never imagined Williams would still be around in the second round, and the team was equally pleased when Wilson, rated a first-rounder by numerous draft experts, dropped.Wilson, who had 71 tackles for the Crimson Tide last season, intends to make teams regret passing on him.“I just want to show that in this draft I was the best linebacker,” he said. “There were 31 teams that slipped up on me, and somebody is going to have to feel all the pain that I had built up these past few days.”WHAT’S NEXT?Johnson’s status will remain a topic of conservation while Hunt gets integrated. Hunt will serve an eight-game NFL suspension for two physical altercations before he’s eligible to play, but the Browns have been pleased with his progress.“He is doing great David Montgomery Jersey ,” Kitchens said of Hunt, who was on the field this week for the first time with Cleveland. “He is doing everything we are asking him to do, exceeding expectations from the standpoint of how he is in the building, how he is around the players, and how he is on the field.“He is doing things in the community, he is continuing to work on an everyday basis, and he is not taking any days off from the standpoint of becoming a better person, a better player, and I think everybody is going to see the benefits of that.” LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears have activated right guard Kyle Long from injured reserve, clearing the way for the three-time Pro Bowl lineman to play in the regular-season finale at Minnesota.Long has been out since Oct. 28, when he suffered a tendon injury in his right foot against the New York Jets. He had surgery and was placed on IR with an option to return.The NFC North champion Bears (11-4) are headed to the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 team won the division. They could earn a first-round bye Sunday with a win and a loss by the Los Angeles Rams, while the Vikings (8-6-1) need a win or a loss by the Philadelphia Eagles to make the playoffs as a wild card.Chicago ruled linebacker Aaron Lynch out because of an elbow injury after listing him as doubtful and said he did not travel with the team. The Bears also waived quarterback Tyler Bray on Saturday.
Pitino Dexter Williams Jersey , speaking from his attorney’s offices, said that the NCAA’s decision to have Louisville vacate the title as part of sanctions for a sex scandal was unfair.
The sex scandal occurred during Pitino’s coaching tenure, though the Hall of Fame coach once again reiterated that he didn’t know about the sex shows. Pitino did take responsibility for the people he hired as assistant coaches – including Andre McGee. It was McGee who an escort said hired her and other dancers for sex parties on campus with players and recruits that led to the NCAA investigation.
As for taking legal action himself, Pitino said he was defenseless in this situation, but he is suing Louisville for his dismissal. He was not fired after the sex scandal, but Louisville let him go in October after the school acknowledged the university was being investigated as part of a federal college corruption case.
That case is unrelated to the NCAA’s investigation of the sex scandal.
NBA
DALLAS (AP) – The NBA fined outspoken Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban $600 Nick Bosa Jersey ,000 on Wednesday for comments about tanking during a podcast with Hall of Famer Julius Erving.
Commissioner Adam Silver said the fine was for ”public statements detrimental to the NBA.” The league said the podcast with Erving was posted Sunday, the day the All-Star game was played in Los Angeles.
Cuban said during the 30-minute interview that he met recently with some of his players and told them ”losing is our best option.” Cuban was trying to illustrate to Erving how he believes he is a transparent owner.
After trading veteran guard Devin Harris to Denver at the deadline this season, Dallas (18-40) is tied for the fewest wins in the NBA and among seven teams with 18 or 19 victories at the All-Star break.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Dirk Nowitzki said he was ”disgusted” to read about allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct by former team president Terdema Ussery in a Sports Illustrated report that described a hostile workplace for women.
The 20-year player who has spent his entire career with the Mavericks told reporters after the first post-All-Star break practice in Los Angeles that he was glad the franchise was addressing the situation by hiring outside counsel to investigate the allegations.
Ussery was accused of making sexually suggestive remarks to several women. He spent 18 years with the team before going to the sports apparel company Under Armour in 2015. Ussery, who was investigated by the team over similar claims in 1998, denied the allegations in a statement to SI.
NHL
LAS VEGAS (AP) – Another game, another record for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Alex Tuch scored the tiebreaking goal in the second period and Vegas pulled away for a 7-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. The win moved the Golden Knights back atop the NHL standings with 84 points – a record for an expansion team in its inaugural season – one point ahead of Eastern Conference-leading Tampa Bay.
Vegas improved to 23-4-2 at home to also set the record for home wins by a team in its inaugural season. It topped the previous mark set by the Gordie Howe-lead 1979-80 Whalers (22-12-6).
GLENDALE L.J. Collier Jersey , Ariz. (AP) – The Arizona Coyotes acquired goalie Darcy Kuemper from the Los Angeles Kings for forward Tobias Rieder and goalie Scott Wedgewood.
The 27-year-old Kuemper was 10-1-3 with a 2.10 goals-against average in 19 games for the Kings this season. He’s 51-35-17 with a 2.52 GAA in 104 career games with Minnesota and Los Angeles.
The 6-foot-5 Kuemper will join No. 1 goalie Antti Raanta as the netminding pair for the Coyotes.
Kuemper and the Coyotes were finalizing a contract extension Wednesday night. He said he is excited to be part of the growth of an Arizona franchise with a lot of young players.
The 25-year-old Rieder, from Germany, had eight goals and 11 assists in 58 games for Arizona this season. He has 51 goals and 60 assists in 292 career games, all with the Coyotes.
Wedgewood was 5-9-4 with a 3.45 GAA in 20 games this season for Arizona. The 25-year-old goalie appeared in four games for New Jersey in 2015-16.
NFL
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Marty Hurney will be calling the shots once again with the Carolina Panthers.
Carolina re-hired Hurney as its general manager, marking his second full-time stint as general manager. Hurney previously worked for the Panthers from 1998-2012 http://www.seahawkscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-marquise-blair-jersey , beginning as GM in 2002. He rejoined the Panthers last July as on an interim basis.
Panthers COO Tina Becker said Hurney did an ”exceptional” job in helping the Panthers to an 11-5 season last year.
The Panthers reinstated Hurney as interim general manager last week after an NFL investigation found no wrongdoing into charges of harassment by his ex-wife. Hurney had been on a paid leave of absence during the investigation and had disputed all accusations through his attorney.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have hired former NFL player Brentson Buckner as defensive line coach.
Buckner spent the past five seasons as defensive line coach for the Arizona Cardinals. They had 203 sacks during his tenure – tied for the seventh-most in the NFL.
The Bucs were last in the league with 22 sacks in 2017.
Buckner was a second-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1994. He also played for the Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers during a 12-year career.
The Bucs also announced The 2017-2018 NFL season is upon us. Every year, once the Superbowl finishes up, we have about one month of absolutely no football. February is definitely the worst month of the year for any NFL fan! But the gridiron gods throw us a bone in early March, when free agency starts. We see Superbowl heroes sign with different teams and scrubs sign with contenders. Then in late April D.K. Metcalf Jersey , the NFL drafts their fresh meat for the upcoming season. Fans are satisfied for eleven months of the year.Each sign, each trade, each sign-and-trade, leaves fans on their seat and everyone speculates on the future of their team. Some moves look great! Like how Giants fans are exited about bringing in a big-bodied wide receiver in Brandon Marshall or how Texans fans are ecstatic about bringing in a BCS champion QB in Desheaun Watson. But there are some signings that fans already regret. Today, we put on our GM goggles and really look into the financials, credentials http://www.seahawkscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-cody-barton-jersey , and intangibles of some signings that we have already deemed detrimental. So grab a clipboard and some Gatorade, we'll run through the playbook of 20 recent NFL signings that look absolutely terrible!