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EAST RUTHERFORD Nate Palmer Jersey , N.J. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans are hoping to get to the playoffs riding the tandem of Derrick and the Defense.It had been a perfect formula the last couple of weeks, and on a rainy Sunday it led to a third straight win and the Titans’ first shutout in 18 years.Bruising halfback Derrick Henry had his second straight big game with a career-high 33 carries for 170 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Tennessee (8-6) kept its late-season playoff push alive and ended the New York Giants‘ postseason hopes with a 17-0 victory.“We’re happy with whatever works and helps us win games,” Henry said of the new dynamic duo. “If that’s it, then we’ll keep on doing it. Whatever gives us the best opportunity to win games, I think we’re going to stick with that. Hat’s off to the defense, pitching a shutout.”The shutout was the Titans’ first since a 31-0 win over the Cowboys on Christmas Day in 2000. Over the last two games, the defense has allowed nine points.Henry, who scored on two 1-yards runs, has been ever better. He had a franchise-record 238 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Jacksonville on Dec. 6, and his 408 yards over the last two games is the best in the Titans’ era. Earl Campbell ran for more when the team was the Houston Oilers.“I think he’s just finding seams and when it comes down to it, there’s only one ball,” said quarterback Marcus Mariota , who was 12 of 20 for 88 yards. “We just have to find a way to get it to everybody. Derrick had the opportunity in the past couple of weeks to have more carries Taywan Taylor Jersey , and I think he’s done a great job with it.”The Titans’ defense limited Saquon Barkley to 31 yards on 14 carries and added three sacks, a third-quarter interception by Kevin Byard that stopped a New York drive inside the red zone with the score 7-0, and a forced fumble that set up Henry’s second TD.It was the first time New York was blanked since Arizona posted a 23-0 win last Dec. 24.Eli Manning finished 21 of 44 for 229 yards as New York lost for only the second time in six games since the bye week.“It wasn’t the type of game that we wanted to play today; we didn’t do enough in all phases to get the job done,” Giants defensive captain Alex Ogletree said. “When you don’t do that, those are the results you get. I thought we played hard, but we didn’t make enough plays.”The Titans’ offense did, rushing 42 times for 216 yards.After Ryan Succop missed a 48-yard field goal on the opening series, the Titans got the ball back and went 75 yards in 15 plays with Henry powering in from 1 yard. He seemingly had scored two plays earlier, but a video review determined he was just short.Linebacker Kamalei Correa forced a Manning fumble in the third quarter that Jurrell Casey recovered at the 14. New York seemed to have the Titans stopped at its 3 on third down, but a facemask penalty on a sack of Mariota gave them first-and-goal.Succop added a 22-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.The Giants have now missed the playoffs two straight year and have made it once since the 2012 season (2016).“It hurts. Obviously you want to make the playoffs,” Manning said. “We didn’t play well enough early in the year to put ourselves in a good position. I knew we still had a chance if we won out, but we didn’t play well enough today to do that.”ODD PENALTYThe Titans were hit with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for taking two consecutive delay-of-game penalties in row on afourth-and-6 at the Giants 35 late in the first half. The Giants declined the first one and Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel had his team do it again. He seemed surprised by the second call.INJURIESTitans S Kenny Vaccaro left in the first half with a concussion. LB Sharif Finch left in the second half with a shoulder injury.Giants C Spencer Pulley left in the second half with a calf injury, along with special teams Antonio Hamilton http://www.thetitanslockerroom.com/authentic-luke-stocker-jersey , who had a quadriceps injury. Star WR Odell Beckham Jr., missed his second straight game with a quad problem.UP NEXTTitans: host Washington on Saturday in finishing with two games at home.Giants: at Indianapolis on Sunday in the final road game of the regular season. Titans tight end Delanie Walker was carted off the field in Week One and landed on injured reserve with a dislocated and fractured ankle that left most people assuming he wouldn’t be seen on the field until 2019.That might be the case, but Walker isn’t giving up hope that he can make it back to the lineup this year. Walker moved from requiring a scooter to get around to walking with crutches a couple of weeks ago and said on Wednesday that he’s not ruling anything out as his rehab unfolds.“In my mind, it’s聽just to get healthy. But in the back of my mind, if I can get healthy earlier where I can come back and play, I鈥檓 going to do that,” Walker said, via the . 鈥淏ut like I told you guys, I really don鈥檛 know. I don鈥檛 know what the time length is going to be. I feel good right now. Could I feel better when the time comes when we鈥檙e in the playoffs? Yeah. We鈥檒l see. But right now, I鈥檓 just worried about taking it day by day just to get healthy and be able to come back next year. But if I can play this year, I will.”Walker never had less than 60 catches in his five full seasons with the Titans, but the tight ends left on the roster haven’t had that big a role in the offense since his injury. Jonnu Smith doubled his reception total for the season with five catches in the last two weeks and Luke Stocker has eight catches on the year.

Over the past couple of seasons regular Field Gulls readers have become familiar with the injury protections of Article 45 of the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement Ethan Pocic Jersey , which covers injury..."Over the past couple of seasons regular Field Gulls readers have become familiar with the injury protections of Article 45 of the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, which covers injury protection for players. The Seattle Seahawks have seen the importance of this portion of the CBA come up regarding multiple players, including Cliff Avril and Richard Sherman, with differing outcomes in each. Avril, as has been written about here multiple times, was covered by the injury protection guarantees of the CBA for the 2018 season following the neck injury which ended his playing career. Sherman, on the other hand, ended up signing a new contract with the San Francisco 49ers almost immediately, which eliminated the Article 45 protections put in place when Seattle released him with an injury designation. Those, obviously were last offseason Shaquill Griffin Jersey , though the subject has been covered here recently when I looked at how Brock Coyle’s retirement came to be. Coyle, of course, signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent, and after three years with the Hawks signed as a free agent with the 49ers. Unfortunately for Coyle, a spine injury during the opening weekend of the 2018 season led to the end of his career, and he should be eligible for payment under this portion of the CBA in both 2019 and 2020. That all said, as teams and fans move forward towards the 2020 season and the end of the current CBA, there have been several topics that have come up regarding items the players could ask for from owners in the next round of negotiations. One noted observer has specifically pointed out the Article 45 injury protections as something worth bringing up in the next round of negotiations. That observer is Jason Fitzgerald, the founder of OverTheCap.com and author of Crunching Numbers, who wrote an article about changes to Article 45 he believes the players could http://www.seahawkslockerroom.com/authentic-marshawn-lynch-jersey , and should, ask for at the negotiating table. I won’t steal his thunder by simply copying the suggestions he makes about what he believes the players need to ask for, so take a couple of minutes and read his piece. It’s a quick, yet educational read, and fans who enjoy it can take a few minutes to cover the other items he has penned regarding what the players may ask for at the negotiating table. For those who took the time to read the article, here are a couple of quick questions I have regarding your thoughts on subjects Fitzgerald covers. When it comes to the question of whether or not the Seattle Seahawks will rest starters vs the Arizona Cardinals next week, head coach Pete Carroll says: Nope. When talking to the media on Monday following Seattle’s 38-31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night that assured them of a playoff spot, Carroll says that in the past resting starters has not worked out in the way that he had hoped and that he wants to keep “momentum” going.Though it is true that the Seahawks have a playoff spot secured, the truth is that they don’t have “nothing” to play for against the Cardinals. Seattle is not assured of the 5 seed, which could end up being much more desirable than the 6 seed. One reason is that playing the Dallas Cowboys may be a more favorable destination than facing the Chicago Bears Tyler Lockett Jersey , if the Bears end up as the 4 seed. Another reason is that if the Seahawks advanced, they may not want to see the New Orleans Saints so soon, if they have to. And finally, in the oddball scenario where both wild card teams advance to the NFC Championship, we’ve seen how big of an advantage it is to play in Seattle.That does not mean, however, that the Seahawks won’t be cautious with injured players. We’ll learn more as the week goes on. Seattle hosts Arizona on Sunday at 1:25 PM PT.

Saints coach Sean Payton preaches the importance of self-scouting to avoid predictable patterns.That could be one reason why he doesn't expect quarterback Drew Brees to keep throwing to receiver Michael Thomas quite as often as he has through the season's first two weeks Stitched Calvin Ridley Jersey , when Thomas has racked up more receptions than the rest of New Orleans' receivers and tight ends combined."Part of it is just, here we are, two weeks in," began Payton, whose team visits Atlanta on Sunday."I think that you're going to see those numbers change some. And I think historically, offensively with Drew, a lot of different guys have been involved in the passing game 鈥?and I think that will be the same case this year."Thomas has 28 catches, the most of any NFL receiver in the first two weeks of a season, surpassing Andre Rison's 26 in 1994 with the Falcons.Running back Alvin Kamara is second in catches with 15, but many of his receptions are short ones out of the backfield that essentially substitute for running plays.Among more conventional receiving targets, receiver Ted Ginn Jr. has nine catches, tight end Ben Watson has seven, and no one else has more than two.When asked about his heavy reliance on Thomas in the passing game, Brees downplayed it as more of a short-term phenomenon than a developing trend."For one reason or another, I know he's caught a lot of balls the last two weeks. He's gotten open. He's done a great job with that. His number's been called," Brees said."It's probably the combination of a lot of things, but I feel like we've got other guys that can do it, too. It's just a matter of what the defense is going to give us."I'm going to throw it to the open guy 鈥?move the chains, score points."Falcons coach Dan Quinn also struggled to envision the rate of Thomas' targets remaining as high as it has been through two games."Let's face it. They're equipped to attack in a lot of different ways," Quinn asserted this week. "Michael right now is on his game Baby Calvin Ridley Jersey , but by no stretch have we said 'OK, it's just these players.' ... We know they've got a big stable of guys that can make plays in a lot of ways, but we have been very impressed by Michael and his start."New Orleans made a pair of offseason moves aimed at providing Brees more options, signing Bears 2016 receiving leader Cameron Meredith as a restricted free agent and drafting former Central Florida receiver Tre'Quan Smith in the third round last spring.But judging those moves could take time.Smith has been in the game plan, but rookies sometimes take time to develop chemistry with veteran QBs. He had one catch for 18 yards in a victory over Cleveland and no catches in a Week 1 loss to Tampa Bay."He has not received a ton of opportunities, but I think as the season progresses his opportunities will come," Brees said. "He can be a big part of what we do down the road."Smith said his daily goal is to win Brees' trust and he does not sound disillusioned by the relatively slow start to his career."You've got to be a team player," Smith said. "If they're not going to cover (Thomas), keep going to him."If Mike has all the yards and all the touchdowns, but we're winning, that's totally fine," Smith said. "I'm sure teams are going to be zeroing in on Mike, but that's when other receivers have got to step up. We've got to be ready."Meredith, meanwhile, is trying to come back from torn knee ligaments that wiped out his 2017 season. He said trainers and doctors urged caution during training camp, thereby limiting his opportunities to practice with the first-team offense.He was scratched from the lineup in Weeks 1 and 2, but with Ginn limited in practice with knee soreness this week, Meredith has been getting work with the first-team offense and appears primed to make his Saints debut in Atlanta."It's hard. It's an everyday battle. This process is new to me, so whatever the trainers and the doctors say is best, we had to go with that Best Calvin Ridley Jersey ," Meredith said."But at the same time, I've been getting better day by day, getting my rhythm back. And those are all important things 鈥?not just the health part, but getting in rhythm with the offense."I feel good and I'm excited to go out there and make some plays this weekend." Hello everyone, and welcome to Divisional Round Sunday. This is the most critical day of the postseason yet for the purpose of Falcons fans, who are left with little to root for other than any team beating the Saints. Let that happen today. This is your open thread for the day, plus some detail on each matchup. Enjoy! Chargers @ Patriots, 1:05 p.m.This is one I’m looking forward to. The Patriots have been the AFC’s dynasty for close to two decades now, and arguably the most successful dynasty in NFL history. As a New England-based Falcons fans, that’s been pretty annoying.Those days may continue, but we’re reaching a tipping point. Tom Brady had another quality season, but is visibly not the same quarterback this season. Rob Gronkowski is falling apart in front of our eyes, and the Pats are more dependent on their ground game than they have been in years. They’re still one of the best and certainly most well-coached teams in the AFC, but they feel less inevitable this year than they have in a long time.Enter the Chargers, a fun team to root for. Phillip Rivers is another great quarterback nearing the end of his career, but he’s been chasing a ring that entire time and has never gotten one. The Chargers are loaded with interesting young talent, including an opportunistic secondary and fun passing attack, and are good enough to knock off the Patriots. I think that this is the year that New England’s age and cracks show, and the Chargers advance to the AFC Championship Game.Prediction: Chargers 30, Patriots 21Eagles @ Saints Adult Calvin Ridley Jersey , 4:40 p.m.The last time the Saints played the Eagles, they beat them 48-7 and put up over 500 yards of offense. That was the last great game New Orleans played on offense, however, and there are plenty of reasons to think the rematch won’t be nearly so lopsided.Start with the Eagles. Since losing to the Saints, they are 6-1 (including their last second triumph over the Bears), and have put together some genuinely impressive games on offense. They had to grind one out against the Bears, who have one of the league’s toughest defenses, but they smothered the offense and look much more capable of putting up real yards and points against the Saints this time. You never know when Nick Foles is going to see his pact with the devil wear off, but the Eagles are solid-to-very good across the board and remain a dangerous team.The Saints, meanwhile, are ringing all the alarm bells a top seed possibly can, and I say that as someone who has seen the Falcons disappoint as top seeds. The Saints have been fading on offense for weeks and weeks now, they have some quiet but fairly significant injuries that might at least limit top players, and they elected to rest their starters in Week 17, potentially leaving them to knock off some rust. They are, unfortunately, still the most complete team in the NFC and should be able to handle this one. I just hope they won’t, and I’ll jinx them now. Saints 27 – Eagles 24

Wyoming’s Hancock Enjoys His Pro Bowl Experience“We knew we were going to have an opportunity to be pretty good Vontaze Burfict Jersey ,” Hancock said. “It was about pushing the kids to be the best they could be. That was all of our focus. We wanted to be the best football team we could be. We didn’t worry about outside distractions or our opponents, it’s up to us to be successful. Our kids were very driven and focused. The kids did a great job, my coaching staff did a great job. We were blessed to have a great year.”Hobson's Choice: Bengaldom Takes In Massive ChangeTo submit a question for the next Hobson's Choice, click here. To learn more about "This Day in Bengals History" by Geoff Hobson, go to Bengals.com/Book or visit the Bengals Pro Shop.Is now the perfect time for the Bengals to trade Andy Dalton?The Cincinnati Bengals have begun the search for a new identity under their rookie head coach Zac Taylor. A potential quarterback change could be the starting point in that quest.Moeller football coach Doug Rosfeld accepts a position with the Bengals“We had the opportunity to work together pretty closely throughout the season,” Rosfeld told WCPO Jan. 11. “I think brilliant would be the right word to describe Zac Taylor. Driven, purposeful – his ability to teach the position – as a guy that played at a high level and also just understanding the booby traps and the tricks that defenses lay to catch quarterbacks. His ability to teach how to negotiate that was really unique. So from the day you meet him you see a unique football mind.”Bengals TE coach James Casey was Zac Taylor’s ‘hidden guy’“Everywhere he’s played, he’s been the coaches’ favorite player 鈥?He was my one hidden guy 鈥?That’s the one I was worried about getting out because I was (afraid) someone might steal him away.”Bengals have youngest head coach/offensive coordinator duo in NFLIt has become less unusual to see teams hire young head coaches in recent years and those teams have often paired those coaches with more experienced assistants, but the Bengals went a different way when they hired an offensive coordinator to go with Zac Taylor.Evaluating the Cincinnati Bengals TE Options Entering Free AgencyWith Tyler Eifert, Tyler Kroft, and C.J. Uzomah carrying the unrestricted free agent tag entering 2019, TE’s are a focal point for the Bengals free agency plans moving forward. With each player adding something different to the offense, the coaching staff will have to decide who’s a fit going forward under Zac Taylor and the new regime. Will they want Eifert’s playmaking skills, Uzomah’s grit, or Kroft’s consistency? Let’s take a look at who should return and why.Young coaching staff represents a needed shift for BengalsMarvin Lewis lasted 16 seasons as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, which was already a little too long, but a third straight non-playoff season in 2018 finally cost him his job. Zac Taylor is stepping in after serving as Los Angeles Rams quarterbacks coach Womens Jordan Evans Jersey , as anyone who has Sean McVay’s phone number has risen up lists of NFL head coaching candidates.Bengals news: Jemal Singleton set to join Cincinnati as new running backs coachPrior to reportedly being tabbed by the Bengals, the veteran football mind served as a running backs coach for both the Oakland Raiders and Indianapolis Colts. Doing so for the Raiders between 2018 and 2019, Singleton then coached with the Colts between 2016 and 2017.Andrew Whitworth played role in Bengals hiring Zac Taylor“In my conversations with Whit, what was clear to me was his love for this organization, for this city, and how much he valued his time here and the appreciation he had for the Brown family,” Taylor said. “Those were the things made crystal clear to me. Just having those conversations let me know that this was a place for me.”Random NewsVideo: Christian Hackenberg Brutal AAF Debut Featured Cursing While Mic'ed UpChristian Hackenberg had a debut to forget in the Memphis Express' 26-0 defeat to the Birmingham Iron in the opening week of the Alliance of American Football inaugural season.Report: Alliance of American Football Averaged 2.9M Viewers on CBS Opening NightCBS broadcast the inaugural AAF games beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The Orlando Apollos earned a 40-6 win over the Atlanta Legends, while the San Antonio Commanders triumphed 15-6 over the San Diego Fleet.NFL Draft Prospects with the Biggest Red FlagsThe season is over and the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror, but in the NFL, the fun never ends. No sooner did the 2018 campaign conclude than the 2019 season began.Report: Raiders Negotiating Deal to Play Home Games at Oakland Coliseum in 2019The Oakland Raiders and Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum officials are reportedly in negotiations for the team to play their home games at the venue in 2019. When the NFL released the schedule back in April shortly before the draft, opinions were mixed on how the Cincinnati Bengals would fare in 2018. With the return of Marvin Lewis and the team coming off of two straight losing seasons, the talking heads had the team as a six-win club. But, after the draft and once folks started seeing this year’s team in practices, the national perception changed. Folks began believing this could be a competitive squad this year and their 5-3 start has proved them correct. Right after the schedule release, we made an early prediction of our own on how the Bengals’ season would go. For review, here are the results we had penciled in for the first half of the season:At Colts: WinRavens: WinAt Panthers: LossAt Falcons: LossDolphins: WinSteelers: WinAt Chiefs: LossBuccaneers: WinSo, while we were incorrect on the results in the Pittsburgh and Atlanta contests Womens Jordan Willis Jersey , our early guess on the 5-3 record before the midway bye rung true. Back in April, we guessed that the second half of the season would lead to a 4-4 record and, ultimately, a 9-7 finish where the team sniffed the postseason. So, now that we have a sample size of half of a regular season, are there changes? Are nine wins enough to get the Bengals to the postseason this year?There is an unfortunate caveat to these win-loss predictions: injuries. It would seem that Billy Price, Giovani Bernard, Tyler Kroft, John Ross and Nick Vigil should be returning to the lineup soon, which will be a nice boost for the team down the stretch. However, one of their best players, A.J. Green, is battling a toe/foot injury and his long-term status is a bit uncertain. Because of the recent prognosis of his not needing surgery, we’re going with the prevailing thought that Green won’t be available for the next two games.We discussed the possible outlook of the rest of 2018 on this week’s Orange and Black Insider podcast, and we figured we’d re-hash the discussion here as well. Week 10, Saints at Bengals: Unfortunately, the Teryl Austin effect has been a negative one on the Bengals’ defense. Since he took over for Paul Guenther Giovani Bernard Jersey , Austin’s defense is ranked dead-last in overall defense and passing defense, while ranking 26th against the run. While Drew Brees and Co. are more comfortable in a dome, this matchup doesn’t bode well for the Bengals next week. New Orleans boasts the 9th ranked passing offense and 17th rated rushing attack. This will either be a blowout, or New Orleans will come into Cincinnati a bit exhausted having spent a massive amount of effort and emotion in beating the Rams in Week 9. We’re sticking with a loss here, though. Result: LossWeek 11, Bengals at Ravens: This contest is one that is so topsy-turvy that it becomes hard to predict. Just as Pittsburgh is Cincinnati’s kryptonite, the Bengals often get the best of the Ravens. An idea of a different Bengals team emerged after they took care of a solid Baltimore squad on national television. Some of that luster has dissipated with losses to the Steelers and Chiefs, but Lewis does have a 19-12 record against his former employers. It’s possible the Bengals pull out a sweep this year, as the Ravens are even more Jekyll-and-Hyde than Cincinnati this year, but we’ll go with the series being split. We especially feel this way if Green, the perennial Raven-killer, is sidelined as it appears that that is going to be the case. Result: LossWeek 12, Browns at Bengals: This one will be interesting, as Cleveland has proven to be scrappier than their 2-5-1 record would indicate. They’ve fired Hue Jackson and Gregg Williams comes in as the interim head coach. Can he inspire a late-season turnaround to respectability?The Browns have also made a change at quarterback, as Baker Mayfield is now the unquestioned starter. The “Battle of Ohio” may be headed to a split this year, but I’m not so sure. In Williams’ debut as head coach, Cleveland got predictably stomped by Kansas City.Result: WinWeek 13 Broncos at Bengals: This matchup has had its tugs-of-war in recent years http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-josh-malone-jersey , but Case Keenum doesn’t seem to be the long-term answer at quarterback for Denver. The Broncos are 3-6 and don’t have a ton of signs of trending upward. One wild card in this matchup is the tandem of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb. The former has nine sacks this year, while Chubb is a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate with eight sacks of his own. Can the Bengals’ inconsistent offensive line rise up to the challenge? We think they will as Denver keeps finding ways to lose close games. Result: WinWeek 14, Bengals at Chargers: Under Lewis, the Bengals are actually 5-3 against the Chargers. Believe it or not, Cincinnati is actually 3-1 when traveling to the west coast to face the Chargers under their long-tenured head coach. Most look at this and automatically see a loss for Cincinnati, which is understandable given the Chargers’ 6-2 record. Los Angeles has a solid roster this season, but they do have weaknesses that can be exploited. Still, with the Bengals dealing with so many injuries and their defense underwhelming right now, the Chargers could start to tip the recent record scale back to being close to even. Result: LossWeek 15, Raiders at Bengals: Initially, this seemed like a really tough matchup on the schedule. Oakland made a needed change at head coach, and most thought that Jon Gruden would bring his quarterback whisperer skills to fix Derek Carr. Well, it’s been an absolute dumpster fire for the Raiders this year, starting 1-7 and being recently embarrassed on Thursday Night Football. Cincinnati should cruise to a comfortable win here without many problems. Result: WinWeek 16, Bengals at Browns: I really am tempted to give the Browns a win in the series this year, but I’m not as big of a believer in Mayfield as most folks seem to be. I still think they are a year away from truly being competitive in the division. Even so, we expect these two games will probably be frustrating for Bengals fans to watch Tyler Boyd Jersey , in terms of performance and them being close contests, even if they end up both being wins for Cincinnati. Result: WinWeek 17 Bengals at Steelers: Something tells me that this one will have some major implications going into January. Pittsburgh still has bragging rights over the Bengals after a last-second comeback win at Paul Brown Stadium, but they’ve shown major warts and have a pretty tough back half of the schedule (Ravens, Chargers, Patriots and Saints).Pittsburgh just secured a huge win over the Ravens in Baltimore, pushing them further down the playoff pecking order at 4-5, and stomped the Panthers on Thursday Night Football. If Cincinnati can get a win in Maryland of their own in Week 11, the Ravens’ postseason hopes will essentially be dead. Of Cincinnati’s eight meager wins against Pittsburgh in the Lewis era, six have inexplicably come at Heinz Field. I guess that plays a little into Cincinnati’s corner here, but common logic just doesn’t point to the Bengals pulling out a massive win against their bitter rivals to potentially put them into the playoffs, or give them better seeding.Result: LossEnd record: 9-7 — Wild Card berthIf you’re unable to join us live for here at Cincy Jungle or YouTube every episode, all Orange and Black Insider content is available here on CJ, as well as on our SoundCloud, Stitcher, through the Google Play Music app and YouTube channels, ART19 as well as on iTunes! You can tweet us @BengalsOBI or get in touch with us via email at theobinsider@gmail.com. Thanks for listening and go subscribe to our channels!

In 2018 Justin McCray Jersey , the Green Bay Packers’ running backs as a whole had a fairly solid season as receivers. The team’s three primary running backs — a group whose numbers dropped to two after Brian Gutekunst traded Ty Montgomery — all had good if unspectacular seasons catching the football, and combined they made for a respectable group. Each of the three finished the season with over receiving 150 yards as Packers, and the stats break down as follows:Jamaal Williams: 41 targets, 27 receptions (65.9% catch rate), 210 yards (7.8 Y/R), no TDsAaron Jones: 35 targets, 26 receptions (74.3%), 206 yards (7.9 Y/R), 1 TDTy Montgomery: 23 targets, 15 receptions (65.2%), 170 yards (11.3 Y/R), no TDsGreen Bay also had two other backs with catches: Kapri Bibbs (three for 13 yards) and fullback Danny Vitale (one for two yards). In total, the team’s backs caught 72 passes for 601 yards, which was good for 8.35 yards per reception and a catch rate of 67.9%.With Mike McCarthy fired and Matt LaFleur on board as the team’s next head coach, it’s worth a look at LaFleur’s history to see how his offenses have used the running back position as receivers. He has been a quarterbacks coach or offensive coordinator in the NFL since 2010 (excluding a one-year stint as QBs coach at Notre Dame in 2014), and in that time, the signal-callers he has worked with have almost always had great success throwing to their backs, and generally one back has become the go-to player in that role.Take a look at the 2018 Titans, for example. They are a team that has a somewhat similar running back breakdown to the Packers: both teams have a big Preston Smith Jersey , physical runner (Derrick Henry/Jamaal Williams) and a smaller, more elusive and explosive player (Dion Lewis/Aaron Jones). The players’ skill sets are not exact comparisons, of course — Williams is a much better receiver than Henry, Lewis has shown to be a better receiver than Jones so far, and Jones is a more explosive runner than Lewis — but the comparisons are reasonable.In 2018, Tennessee threw 85 passes to their tailbacks, 21 fewer than the Packers did. However, a large number of those targets — 67 — went to Lewis, who caught 59 of them for 400 yards and one score. Henry picked up the other 18 targets, catching 15 for 99 yards. It was not a huge performance as a team, but a 500-yard receiving season between two players on a team that finished with 2,975 total passing yards is still respectable. In addition, their combined 87% catch rate suggests that LaFleur was scheming to get these players the ball quickly and in space to let them make good things happen in the open field.However, we can go back a bit further and find truly exceptional receiving numbers from LaFleur’s backfields. The 2017 Rams and the 2015-16 Falcons had more explosive receiving numbers from their backs, although that is also a function of having players of Todd Gurley’s and Devonta Freeman’s caliber. Still, one can see these teams feeding a primary running back the ball frequently out of the backfield. Here are the top receiving back’s numbers from those teams:Todd Gurley (2017 Rams): 87 targets, 64 receptions (73.6% catch rate), 788 yards (12.3 Y/R), 6 TDsDevonta Freeman (2016 Falcons): 65 targets Ty Summers Jersey 2019 , 54 receptions (83.1%), 462 yards (8.6 Y/R), 2 TDsFreeman (2015): 97 targets, 73 receptions (75.3%), 578 yards (7.9 Y/R), 3 TDsThe 2015 and 2017 teams referenced here had no real secondary targets out of the backfield. However, the 2016 Falcons may provide a good blueprint for the Packers’ potential in 2019. That year, Atlanta had a second excellent receiving back in Tevin Coleman, who caught another 31 balls for 421 yards and three scores. That brought the total up to nearly 900 combined receiving yards between the two players, almost 18 percent of Matt Ryan’s total for that season.In Washington, the numbers were less impressive, but so were the personnel. Still, Roy Helu proved to be consistent and productive, averaging 50 targets, 40 receptions, and 315 yards in two full seasons as that team’s primary receiving back.The Packers could be on track for a similar breakdown to that Falcons duo from 2016. Williams has proven to be an adept receiver in multiple ways, picking up big plays on screens, throws in the flat, and wheel routes down field. Jones is on the record saying he wants to improve his receiving abilities for 2019 Jace Sternberger Green Bay Packer , and those skills were already identified as a strength of his prior to his selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. He did not demonstrate it much as a rookie, but his 2018 showed significant glimpses of his ability, perhaps best illustrated by his lone touchdown through the air:Using Jones more as a receiver, combined with an even heavier dose of zone-blocking that plays to his great vision and cutback ability, should help him continue to develop into a top-flight starting running back. Meanwhile, Williams’ ability to pass-protect and catch the football, as well as the impressive elusiveness and cutback skills he displayed late in 2018, should make him a very good number two option in LaFleur’s scheme.In short, it’s a good day to be a Packers running back.Packers at Raiders, Preseason 2018: Second half game updates & discussion The Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders are locked in an ugly preseason game this evening. At halftime, the score of the game is 3-3.Both teams had chances to get in the end zone in the first half, with the Packers arguably having the best opportunities. On the team’s first offensive drive, Lance Kendricks was unable to come up with a catchable ball for a touchdown on a throw from Brett Hundley early, forcing the Packers to settle for their field goal. Late in the second quarter, rookie cornerback Josh Jackson intercepted a pass and took it to the house, but the play was called back on a holding penalty by Herb Waters.The Raiders crossed midfield multiple times on their own, but the Packers got an interception from fellow rookie Jaire Alexander and a missed 49-yard field goal attempt from Raiders kicker Mike Nugent that helped keep them to three points. Join us for the second half here.Game Updates from APC StaffA Twitter List by acmepackingco Game Updates from Packers MediaA Twitter List by TexWestern

Here’s your excuse to visit Waco and run around the Brazos river like it’s The Tree Of Life."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Texans StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Texans NewsYahoo Texans Team PageYahoo Texans ReportYahoo Texans Depth ChartYahoo Texans TransactionsYahoo Texans PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ndre Johnson To Be Inducted Into The Texas Sports Hall Of Fame This WeekendNew Womens Jay Prosch Jersey ,17commentsHere’s your excuse to visit Waco and run around the Brazos river like it’s The Tree Of Life. CDTShareTweetShareShareAndre Johnson To Be Inducted Into The Texas Sports Hall Of Fame This WeekendShanna Lockwood-USA TODAY SportsAndre Johnson is the Houston Texans first great player. Forever the perfect combination of strength, speed, route runnning, and hands. Spending the beginning of his career leading a terrible pass offense, finally finding a quarterback in Matt Schaub, who was injured, stuck behind a terrible defense, injured again Trevor Daniel Jersey White , and jumped off the moon, and then finished his career touring the AFC South after Bill O’Brien told him he couldn’t get 40 catches in this offense and replaced him with Nate Washington. Johnson has already been inducted into the Houston Texans ring of honor. Now he will be inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. He’ll be included in a class consisting of tennis player Maureen Connolly Brinker, NFL kicker Tony Franklin, basketball coach Nancy Lieberman, Loyd Phillips, Greg Swindell, and Jason Witten. Now I know it’s short notice, and tickets aren’t for sale anymore Sammie Coates Jersey , but if you don’t have plans this weekend you can drive up or down I-35 and sneak in the backdoor. Hopefully this won’t be the final resting place for Johnson career, and one day soon, he’ll be molded into bronze and left stoic in Canton. That will be the day. Until then, you’ll have to go to Waco and visit the Texas Sports Hall of Fame to commemorate Johnson’s career. In March 2016, quarterback Brock Osweiler found himself in the middle of a tug of war.The Broncos wanted to keep him as the starter, and the Texans wanted to give him their top job, sight unseen. In the end, Osweiler opted for a four-year Benardrick McKinney Jersey , $72 million deal in Houston over a three-year, $48 million offer from the team that drafted him.And then, after agreeing to terms with the Texans, he went to meet his new coach for the first time.The situation highlighted one of the bizarre quirks of the free-agency rules. For all the time spent interacting with potential draft picks, teams often commit millions to a veteran free agent without ever meeting with him. In some cases, they don’t even know him.Osweiler didn’t know Texans coach Bill O’Brien. O’Brien didn’t know Osweiler. O’Brien relied heavily on Osweiler’s performance during a Sunday night game against the Patriots.But watching a guy from afar is a far cry from working with him, interacting with him, seeing him at his best Ibraheim Campbell Jersey , living with him at his worst.It ultimately didn’t work, with the last straw coming when Osweiler and O’Brien had some sort of altercation during halftime of a Week 17 game against the Titans, when O’Brien told Osweiler (who had been benched for Tom Savage) that Osweiler would finish the game because Savage had a concussion. The Texans, despite owing Osweiler $16 million fully guaranteed in 2017, became determined to get rid of him.To do that, the Texans could have eaten the money, or they could have traded him. To trade him, they had to give up a second-round pick to the Browns Bradley Roby Jersey White , which essentially bought the selection for $16 million.Osweiler thereafter failed to make the 53-man roster of a team that would go 0-16, he returned to Denver as a bottom-of-the-depth-chart guy, and then he reunited with former Broncos assistant Adam Gase in Miami. Tonight, Osweiler starts for the injured Ryan Tannehill.And the guys in the Houston locker room who may have not been big Brock Osweiler fans will get a chance to get after him.These facts alone make tonight’s game far more intriguing than the fact that both teams currently are above .500 after seven weeks. Even though everyone involved has downplayed it, there are surely hard feelings. Which could become hard hits from a potent front seven in Houston.

The Clemson pass rusher’s fall stops here."From January to April http://www.lionslockerroom.com/authentic-a_shawn-robinson-jersey , there’s always a handful of prospects that seem to fall in mock drafts for no apparent reason. Some would argue that there’s more information out there and player slip into where they should’ve belonged all along. Others would argue it’s just groupthink among draft analysts.One example of that is Clemson edge defender Clelin Ferrell, who was once considered a likely pick for the Detroit Lions at eight. However, in our Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft, Ferrell has fallen all the way to 15. Well, the fall stops here. Acting Washington general manager SeeBeeRuss has selected Ferrell with the 15th overall pick. Here’s why:“Drafting for the Washington Redskins has proven to be a frustrating proposition. After a 7-9 2018 campaign, there are multiple positions that need to be addressed; none that are easily solved with one draft class or in free agency.QB of the future? The most promising prospects are already gone. WR? This draft is too deep to take one at 15. ILB, CB Teez Tabor Jersey White , and LG are also needs, but not at the top of the list. So, after a trip to the Hawk ‘n’ Dove to get the pulse of the fanbase (and a cold pint) I present to you Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson.This is by far the most boring player I have ever watched. All Ferrell does is show up game after game and play consistently well. Measuring in at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, he sets the edge as a run stopper and has the quickness to rush QBs Jake Rudock Jersey , as his 11.5 sacks in 2018 set a career high. His tackles took a bit of a dip mainly due to opponents sliding help his way, however he still won the Ted Hendricks Award as college football’s best DE.This may not be the flashiest selection I could have made, but bolstering a frontend of a defense is one of the quickest ways a team can turn things around. Looking at his overall career at Clemson, as well as his NFL Combine showing, Ferrell should be a day one starter and a player to watch for years.”Catch up on all of the picks with our Community Mock Draft Tracker. DETROIT (AP) — Wally Triplett, the trailblazing running back who was one of the first African-Americans drafted by an NFL team, has died. He was 92.The Detroit Lions and Penn State announced Triplett’s death Thursday. Triplett was the third African-American selected in the 1949 draft Matt Prater Jersey White , but he was the first of those draftees to play in a regular-season game. He played in 24 games for the Lions and Chicago Cardinals.Triplett was also the first African-American to start for Penn State, and in 1948, he and teammate Dennie Hoggard became the first African-Americans to play in the Cotton Bowl .“This is a tremendous loss for not only our football program, but the Penn State community as a whole,” Penn State coach James Franklin said in a statement. “Wally was a trailblazer as the first African-American to be drafted and play in the NFL, and his influence continues to live on. He had a profound effect on me and the team when he visited in 2015 and shared valuable lessons from his life story and ability to overcome.”Triplett was inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame this year, and his appearance in that game is part of Penn State lore. According to the school Trey Flowers Jersey White , the team was asked to consider the possibility of leaving Triplett and Hoggard at home for the game in then-segregated Dallas. Teammates responded by saying: “We are Penn State, there will be no meetings” — a reference to a previous Penn State team that voted to cancel a game at segregated Miami.The story remains an important part of Penn State history, especially given the school’s well-known “We Are” moniker.Triplett was drafted by the Lions in the 19th round in 1949. He played in 18 games for Detroit from 1949-50. On Oct. 29, 1950, against the Los Angeles Rams, he had 294 yards on four kickoff returns, an NFL record that lasted until 1994.“As the first African-American to be drafted and to play in the National Football League http://www.lionslockerroom.com/authentic-levine-toilolo-jersey , Wally is one of the true trailblazers in American sports history. He resides among the great men who helped reshape the game as they faced the challenges of segregation and discrimination,” the Lions said in a statement. “His contributions date back to his days at Penn State as the Nittany Lions‘ first African-American starter and varsity letter winner, highlighted by his appearance in the first integrated Cotton Bowl. Wally’s legacy also reaches beyond breaking color barriers, having served in the United States Army during the Korean War.”George Taliaferro was the first black player drafted in the NFL when he went six rounds before Triplett in 1949. Taliaferro also died recently .

Pittsburgh Penguins (40-24-11 http://www.officialcoyotes.com/authentic-adidas-oliver-ekman-larsson-jersey , third in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Dallas Stars (38-30-6, fourth in the Central Division)Dallas; Saturday, 8 p.m. EDTBOTTOM LINE: Sidney Crosby leads Pittsburgh into a matchup with Dallas. He’s fifth in the league with 93 points, scoring 33 goals and recording 60 assists.The Stars are 22-13-3 at home. Dallas has converted on 18.9 percent of power-play opportunities, recording 36 power-play goals.The Penguins are 19-11-8 on the road. Pittsburgh is eighth in the NHL recording 9 points per game, averaging 3.4 goals and 5.6 assists. In their last meeting on Nov. 21, Pittsburgh won 5-1. Crosby recorded a team-high 3 points for the Penguins in the victory.TOP PERFORMERS: Tyler Seguin leads the Stars with 28 goals and has collected 70 points. Alexander Radulov has seven goals and two assists over the last 10 games for Dallas.LAST 10 GAMES: Penguins: 6-2-2 Richard Panik Jersey , averaging 2.6 goals, 3.9 assists, 3.7 penalties and 8.5 penalty minutes while giving up two goals per game with a .940 save percentage.Stars: 6-3-1, averaging 2.4 goals, 3.7 assists, 2.8 penalties and 5.6 penalty minutes while giving up 1.2 goals per game with a .960 save percentage.Stars Injuries: Mats Zuccarello: out (broken arm).Penguins Injuries: Zachary Aston-Reese: out (lower body), Chad Ruhwedel: out (upper body). TAMPA Womens Shane Doan Jersey , Fla. — The Florida Panthers look to continue climbing up the Atlantic Division standings when they travel to Tampa to face the Lightning on Wednesday.But the Panthers will have to move forward without All-Star center Vincent Trocheck, potentially for the rest of the season.Trocheck, who has three goals and 14 points in 18 games, suffered a gruesome leg injury on Monday in Ottawa when he hit the end boards upright but had his leg bend sideways under his weight as fell to the ice. Trocheck needed to be taken off the ice via a stretcher and on Tuesday reportedly underwent surgery to repair “significant” damage to his right leg, according to TSN’s Daren Dreger.Article continues below ...The loss will be a difficult void to fill for the Panthers, who have won six of the past eight games.“He plays in every situation for us, so that’s a big loss Anders Bjork Jersey ,” Boughner told NHL.com regarding Trocheck. “We’re going to have to come together as a team and figure it out until he comes back.”Rookie forward Juho Lammikko expects to see some additional playing time in Trocheck’s absence and the former third-round pick is coming off a four-assist game against Ottawa, setting a franchise rookie record for assists in a game. Lammikko is also just the sixth rookie in the past 10 seasons to record four or more assists in a game.Lammikko logged a career-high 15:51 of ice time.“When we lost Troch, Lammer had to play on a bunch of different lines,” Boughner told floridapanthers.com. “It was a great night for him. I’m happy for him. He works hard. He plays the right way. He’s a detailed kid and he spent his time down in Springfield. He’s punched the clock and earned everything he’s getting right now.”Mike Hoffman, meanwhile, carries a 16-game scoring streak in to the game against Tampa Bay. He has nine goals and 10 assists during the franchise-record scoring streak.Tampa Bay returns home from a four-game trip after dropping the finale at Nashville on Monday to fall into second place in the Atlantic Division behind the Toronto Maple Leafs.The Lightning are dealing with injuries of their own. Already without All-Star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay saw fourth-line center Cedric Paquette miss the last game with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day. Defenseman Anton Stralman has missed the past five games with an upper-body injury Bobby Orr Jersey , but resumed skating with the team at the end of the road trip and is questionable to return against the Panthers.Tampa Bay will have to continue to ride goaltender Louis Domingue, who is 2-1 since Vasilevskiy was injured marking the first time Domingue has made consecutive starts with the Lightning.“It’s fun to be playing again and getting a couple of games in a row like that,” Domingue said after Monday’s game. “It’s a lot easier. It’s crazy how it makes a difference to be playing. You just get in the rhythm, you just don’t think. It was a lot of fun. I definitely feel sharper. It’s different. I just don’t think. I just execute my game plan that I applied in practice. I just continue building on my games. I feel really comfortable.”

It鈥檚 been 25 years since Great Britain last appeared at the World Championship Dalton Prout Jersey Womens , but a recent focus on homegrown talent has led to back-to-back promotions and a spot against the world鈥檚 best again this spring.Britain isn鈥檛 a 鈥渉ockey nation,鈥?with just more than 10,000 registered players among a population of 66 million and no household name within the wider hockey community. The U.K. does not yet have its equivalent to Slovenia鈥檚 Anze Kopitar.The fan base is passionate, however, and participation numbers continue to slowly increase 鈥?up around 3,500 over the past five years 鈥?while 19-year-old winger Liam Kirk gained attention on both sides of the Atlantic last summer when he became just the third player born-and-trained in Great Britain to be drafted, selected in the seventh round (189... All-Access +All-Access Member AreaPremium content and in-depth analysis from our team of experts exclusively for magazine subscribers. Simply login to unlock the content or become a member for less than $2.50 a month.LoginBecome a Member The Buffalo Sabres have not won in five games.So, after losing 6-2 to the Philadelphia Flyers Saturday on six unanswered goals — four in the third period — they decided it was time to talk things out.The Sabres (17-9-4) had a team meeting Sunday Elias Lindholm Jersey Womens , had a good practice Monday and hope they have sorted things out when they play the Los Angeles Kings (11-19-1) at the KeyBank Center Tuesday night.Article continues below ...The Kings, who have had their problems this season, lost 3-1 to the Red Wings at Detroit Monday night despite having a 43-21 advantage in shots on goal, 19-4 in the third period.“We played a solid game offensively, I think defensively we gave up a little bit too much,” Kings center Adrian Kempe said. “But I think offensively we created a lot and we just have to capitalize on our chances. A lot of guys were frustrated because we played pretty well and created a lot but couldn’t score. That’s always the most frustrating thing. We’ve just got to keep building on that and give up less.”After winning 10 in a row, the Buffalo is 0-3-2.The Sabres felt that bad habits were creeping into their play, even during the winning streak. Another matter that was addressed at the meeting was the lack of effort against the Flyers.“We’ve been pretty good at home this year and I think that that game might have been coming for a little bit Alan Quine Jersey Womens ,” Sabres right winger and alternate captain Kyle Okposo said. “That’s unacceptable. We’ve addressed it and we feel like we have a pretty good plan in place for how to deal with it and how we’re going to come out on Tuesday. We’ve just got to get back to being us and we’ve got to learn from that game for sure.”During their five-game drought the Sabres have blown the lead four times.Sabres goaltender Carter Hutton, who did not play Saturday because of an upper-body injury, has returned to practice and is expected to play this week, although his status for Tuesday had not been determined.“We’re going to kind of see,” Hutton said. “The skate went well today and that’s all. Right now, we’re just going to go with that. We’ll see how tonight goes.”Over the past five games 10 of the Sabres’ 12 goals have come from the top line of Jeff Skinner, Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart. Coach Phil Housley so far has let the players work through, slightly tinkering only with the bottom six forwards.“Obviously Petr Mrazek Jersey Womens , these guys want to contribute and be a bigger part and sometimes it doesn’t happen,” Housley said. “If we can continue to check and play away from the puck better, I think they’ll have opportunities with it. We got away from that last game.”Housley did adjust the power play, which is 1-for-14 over the past six games, on Monday.Rasmus Ristolainen and Rasmus Dahlin were used with Eichel, Skinner and Reinhart in man-advantage situations. Lawrence Pilut was inserted into the second power-play unit of Okposo, Conor Sheary and Evan Rodrigues with Casey Mittelstadt and Tage Thompson alternating.“Power play, that’s part of our secondary scoring too Jordan Schroeder Jersey Womens ,” Housley said. “Obviously, we’ve struggled a little bit. I think we’ve got to simplify that. But putting some guys in some different spots, we’ve tried to get as many looks (as possible).”The Kings have been dealing with injuries. Defenseman Alec Martinez did not make the trip to Detroit because of an upper-body injury sustained Saturday. The Kings’ injury list also includes forwards Ilya Kovalchuk (ankle), Carl Hagelin (knee), Kyle Clifford (head), Trevor Lewis (foot) and Jonny Brodzinski (shoulder) and goalie Jack Campbell (knee).The Kings had compiled 109 man-games lost to injury entering the game in Detroit.The Kings recalled defenseman Sean Walker from the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League Monday and loaned forward Gabriel Vilardi to Team Canada. Vilardi is eligible to play in the upcoming 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship. Walker, 24 has played four games this season with the Kings. He did not play Monday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Philadelphia Flyers tied an NHL record with Mike McKenna becoming their seventh goaltender to play this season.McKenna started against the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals on Tuesday night and allowed four goals on 25 shots in a 5-3 loss . He got the nod because interim coach Scott Gordon wanted to give top goaltending prospect Carter Hart a break after playing twice in three days.The Flyers became the fourth team in league history to use seven goalies Zach Bogosian Jersey Womens , joining the 1989-90 Quebec Nordiques, 2002-03 St. Louis Blues and 2007-08 Los Angeles Kings. Brian Elliott, Michal Neuvirth, Calvin Pickard, Alex Lyon and Anthony Stolarz have also tended goal for Philadelphia.Because of injuries, they reached the seven-goalie mark in their 43rd game.Philadelphia claimed the 35-year-old McKenna off waivers from the Canucks last week when Neuvirth was injured again. Vancouver acquired McKenna in a trade from the Ottawa Senators two days earlier.McKenna had black tape all over his mask and black and orange tape on his pads to match the colors of the ninth NHL team he has dressed for. In previous seasons, he played for the Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue Jackets John Moore Jersey Womens , Arizona Coyotes and Dallas Stars.“He competes and he battles,” Gordon said of McKenna. “When you play for as long as he has, that’s something people appreciate, the fact that you bring it every day in practice and games.”McKenna fell to 1-5-1 this season, and his only victory came against the Flyers while playing for the Senators. He recognized his first game with Philadelphia wasn’t his best.“I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say it was a little bit of a challenge just from a lot of different logistical standpoints, but my job is to play hockey and be a goaltender and stop the puck and no matter what team I’m on I’m going to do that to the best of my ability,” McKenna said. “At the end of the day, we’re all trying to do the same thing and that’s win hockey games regardless of who we’re playing against. The NHL is a challenge no matter what. Every team has players that can do this, so you’ve got to bring your A game.”Gordon Chris Wagner Jersey Womens , who replaced the fired Dave Hakstol behind Philadelphia’s bench, was one of the Nordiques’ seven goaltenders 29 years ago. He said this is different because Quebec was 9-34-6 at the time he was called up.“The team at that point, there was a fire sale that was going to happen at the trade deadline,” Gordon said. “They were out of the playoffs. Different situation. There were some major changes that were done at that point.”The Flyers have now lost eight in a row and are 30th in the 31-team NHL. The New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins each lug a three-game losing streak into their Metropolitan Division matchup Monday at PPG Paints Arena, but the demeanor of each club is vastly different.The Devils (5-5-1) felt as if they turned a corner in a good way Saturday despite a 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders, while Pittsburgh (6-3-3) was left reeling after a 5-0 loss the same night against Toronto.New Jersey coach John Hynes talked about there being steps to getting out of a funk, and he thinks his team has taken a big one.Article continues below ...“Lots of times when you come out of it your play has to be better first,” he said. “Lots of times you don’t come out of these with a win; you come out of it by playing better and playing better and playing better.“If we can build on our work ethic and how we played (Saturday), then we’re going to put ourselves in situations to win games.”Before the Islanders game Alex Galchenyuk Jersey Womens , the Devils lost two games by a combined 12-6. New Jersey goaltender Keith Kinkaid noticed a difference Saturday, describing that game as “a little setback” when the team “ran into a hot goalie.”“There’s plenty of season left,” Kinkaid said. “We’re just going through a little spell. Everything’s a learning curve. We have a young team. We’ve just got to keep sticking with it.”Winger Taylor Hall, the defending Hart Trophy winner, thought the Devils were more competitive and better defensively.“It seems like for the most part we have a grasp for how we need to play in our own end right now,” Hall said. “Comparing our game (Saturday) to the last couple, there was a lot of improvement in a lot of areas. It’s a good building-block game for how we need to play going forward.”The Penguins, meanwhile, spent Sunday trying to simply remind themselves of what those building blocks are.“We’ve got to try to reinforce the details and the work ethic associated with winning Carter Rowney Jersey Womens , and that was part of the practice (Sunday), was trying to make sure that we get back to basics and that we focus on the process and the details associated with winning — and with our team it starts with skating,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said.The Penguins were riding high after a 4-0 road trip through Canada, but the three-game losing streak (0-2-1) has immediately followed.“Right now we’re down, and we have to … find ourselves a little bit,” winger Patric Hornqvist said.After being outskated and outworked Saturday by the Maple Leafs, there was plenty of soul-searching.Defenseman Kris Letang said the Penguins were “flat” and that “there was no emotion.”Sullivan, rarely critical of his club, said the past week has taken a toll.“This league has a funny way of humbling you. Right now I think we’ve been humbled Luke Schenn Jersey Womens ,” he said.Pittsburgh winger Matt Cullen, the oldest player in the NHL, has been around plenty long enough to know that even just a month into the season, a lull without a correction can lead to things going sideways.“We have to dig down and find a way to turn things around,” he said. “I don’t have any question that we will, but we don’t have any time to waste.”