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hongwei28 — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 03:19:30 +0000

LOS ANGELES — The Pittsburgh Pirates headed north by bus Sunday evening to see if the roller-coaster ride will continue.

Fresh off a series victory at San Diego [url=http://www.seahawksfootballauthentics.com/alex-mcgough-jersey-authentic]Youth Alex McGough Jersey[/url] , capped by a 7-5 victory Sunday, the Pirates are now in Los Angeles for the first of three games Monday, having won four of their last six games.

That winning run came after a five-game losing streak. The five games before that? The Pirates won four of them.

The Dodgers have been a bit steadier of late, going 17-9 in June to keep pace with the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West. But the end of June was a bit of a struggle as the Dodgers lost four of their last five before the calendar flipped. They opened July with a 6-4 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.

Not only did the Dodgers’ offense take off in June, to the tune of 55 home runs to set a franchise record for a month, the pitching staff got healthy again … literally.

Alex Wood (4-5, 4.00 ERA) will take the mound Monday, looking and feeling much better after nagging leg cramps early in the year.

Wood went seven innings against the Chicago Cubs in his last outing Wednesday, his longest start since his season debut on March 30 when he worked eight innings against the San Francisco Giants.

An All-Star for the first time last season, Wood is once again starting to look like the pitcher who can rise to the occasion on a nightly basis.

“I’m still looking for consistency out of my sinker [url=http://www.seahawksfootballauthentics.com/sebastian-janikowski-jersey-authentic]Youth Sebastian Janikowski Jersey[/url] , but the breaking ball was a lot better,” Wood told reporters after his most recent start. “Overall, it was pretty good.”

The Dodgers also have Clayton Kershaw back recently from a lower back injury and Rich Hill returned from a blister on his left middle finger. Both left-handers will face the Pirates this week.

Pittsburgh announced Sunday that Nick Kingham (2-3, 3.82) will start the series opener at Dodger Stadium. He will take the spot of Chad Kuhl, who is on the DL with a forearm strain.

The Pirates (40-43) know that getting some length on their current winning ways can get them to .500 soon, possibly by the All-Star break that starts in two weeks.

“We’re starting to show a little bit of resiliency here the last week or so,” Pirates infielder Josh Harrison said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “A team that (is) not making any excuses, which is refreshing because at the end of the day we know what we have to do and that’s come to show up every day.

“It’s been some ups and downs, but every team goes through ups and downs [url=http://www.seahawksfootballauthentics.com/byron-maxwell-jersey-authentic]Youth Byron Maxwell Jersey[/url] , and a lot of guys here are riding that wave of knowing that any day can be that day that we turn it around.”

Wood is 2-2 with a 2.86 ERA in eight career games (seven starts) against the Pirates. He has not faced Pittsburgh since last season. Kingham, a rookie, has not pitched against the Dodgers in any of his first six appearances.

Yovani Gallardo is back with the Texas Rangers for the first time in three years.

The right-hander who grew up in nearby Fort Worth was selected from the Triple-A Round Rock roster. He was set to start Sunday at home against the Colorado Rockies.

The 32-year-old Gallardo went 13-11 with a 3.42 ERA for Texas in 2015, and signed a free-agent contract with Baltimore in 2016.

Cincinnati released him this April after three appearances with a 30.86 ERA. Texas then signed Gallardo to a minor league contract, and he went 2-1 with a 3.81 ERA in 10 starts at Triple-A.

Manager Jeff Banister said Gallardo could remain in the rotation.

”He’s one of five starters for us now, but we’ll let him get through today first,” he said.

The Rangers optioned left-hander Brandon Mann to Round Rock. They opened a spot on the 40-man roster by placing right-hander Doug Fister, who’s out with a strained right knee, on the 60-day disabled list.

Chase Blackburn was a popular

liny — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 03:12:30 +0000

http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/b.j.-hill-jersey , over-achieving player and a hero of the 2011 Super Bowl victory for the New York Giants. His time with the team will always be remembered fondly. Sunday, though, Blackburn was one of the villains as the Carolina Panthers crushed the Giants’ comeback hopes on a game-ending 63-yard Graham Gano field goal, winning 33-31.Blackburn is the Panthers’ special teams coordinator. Albert Breer of SI.com explains Blackburn’s role in Gano’s extraordinary kick, second-longest in NFL history:Maybe you were wondering why the Panthers chose to run the ball on third-and-one from the Giants 46 with 35 seconds left, down 31-30, on Sunday. Social media sure was. And it was logical to ask the question.Just another cruel tidbit in a cruel turn of events for the Giants. For nearly two weeks we have wondered how, and if, the New York Giants would rebound from their Thursday night loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. After what seemed like an eternity between games, we got our answer in yet another loss, this time against the Atlanta Falcons. Just watching the game revealed some good and entirely too much bad with the Giants. Let's take a closer look at the stats from the game and see what they have to tell us. OffenseQuarterbackMonday night’s loss to the Falcons was a mixed bag for Eli Manning. The Giants’ quarterback had one of his best games from a raw statistical point of view. He threw for 399 yards and a touchdown, completing 71 percent of his passes and a season-high 10.5 yards per attempt. Manning attacked every level of the Falcons’ defense, finally taking advantage of a poor secondary to employ their playmakers. However, Eli also missed some passes he probably should have connected on, and also made some poor decisions which cost the offense opportunities for points. All in all, Manning had his issues Womens Riley Dixon Jersey , but he also did about as much as he could to compensate for a nonexistent running game and bad pass protection.Offensive LineThe third version of the Giants’ offensive line — Nate Solder, Will Hernandez, Spencer Pulley, John Greco, and Chad Wheeler —was hardly an improvement on the previous two combinations. Once again, Manning was under duress all game long, adding four more sacks to his season total. He is on pace to be sacked 55 times this season, shattering his career-high of 39, set in 2013. As has become a theme this season, each of the Falcons best pass rushers got well within league-average of Eli on their pass rushes, per Next Gen StatsMeanwhile, the blocking for Saquon Barkley in the run game was nearly nonexistent.Skill Positions Speaking of Barkley, who was on the field for 59 of the Giants’ 64 snaps, the looks he received in the passing game weren’t any better than those he got in the run game. He was targeted the second most times with 10, but all of them were in the backfield on either swing passes or as check-downs. The Giants relied on Barkley for easy completions, but never actually set him up to do much of anything with them. Unfortunately Authentic Dalvin Tomlinson Jersey , his streak of games with 100 or more scrimmage yards was broken, as he compiled 94 total yards. Given his extreme explosiveness in the open field, it simply doesn’t make sense that the team doesn’t let him run routes down the field, either from the backfield or from the slot or wide receiver positions. But while the Giants’ usage of Barkley is mystifying at best, they finally seemed to figure out how to use Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard. Beckham played 61 snaps (95 percent), while Shepard played 59 (92 percent). The two combined for 210 yards on 13 receptions ( 8 for 143 yards and a touchdown for Beckham, 5 for 167 yards for Shepard), an impressive enough box score. But more importantly was how they were used. Finally, the Giants used Beckham and Shepard as the complimentary weapons they are and moved them around the offensive front and targeted them down the field. DefenseFront sevenThe Giants’ front seven had one of their best performances of the season against a porous Atlanta offensive line. The team had three sacks in the first quarter, and notched another 5 quarterback hits and 6 tackles for a loss over the course of the game. For the first time since their Week 3 win at Houston, the Giants consistently got closer than league-average to the quarterback. Olivier Vernon, who played an incredible 64 of 65 snaps — only Alec Ogletree played more — was the spark for the Giants’ defense early in the game. He routinely beat his man and set up his teammates for their own success. However, it was plain to see by the end of the game that he was gassed. He is a very well-conditioned athlete and has a non-stop motor, but playing every defensive snap but one is a lot to ask of a player in his second game back from a leg injury. Fellow starting EDGE player Kareem Martin played 34 snaps (54 percent), making three tackles and a tackle for a loss. Lorenzo Carter (24 snaps) and Kerry Wynn (22 snaps) rotated with Martin. Carter picked up a tackle, a tackle for a loss Womens Sterling Shepard Jersey , a sack and a quarterback hit, while Wynn notched a tackle, a tackle for a loss, a sack, a quarterback hit, and a pass defensed.For the first time this season, B.J. Hill lead the defensive tackles in snaps, with 37 (57 percent). He didn’t record a sack, but the rookie tackle once again flashed his power, leverage, and technique with four tackles and a tackle for a loss.Dalvin Tomlinson was close behind, logging 32 defensive snaps (49 percent), and notching four tackles of his own. Damon Harrison brought up the rear for the starters, with 30 snaps (46 percent). Mario Edwards Jr. came up with a quarterback hit and a sack — wiped out by penalty — in his 23 defensive snaps.SecondarySafeties Landon Collins and Curtis Riley each played all of the Giants’ 65 defensive snaps, while Janoris Jenkins played 61, and the recently-traded Eli Apple played 58 snaps. B.W. Webb — who will now be the Giants’ starting corner in place of Apple — played 39 snaps Authentic Evan Engram Jersey , getting two tackles, as well as two tackles for a loss, a sack, and a quarterback hit.The play of the Giants’ secondary against the Falcons’ passing game is difficult to quantify. On one hand, they held Julio Jones to his lowest per-catch average of the season, but he still caught 9 passes for 104 yards. The problem for the Giants was that they simply did not have the defensive depth to match up with the Falcons’ passing game. James Bettcher found early success by having defensive backs blitz rather than try their hands in coverage, but Atlanta eventually countered by replacing the blitz with the ball. The defense did its job, holding the high-powered Falcons’ offense to just 23 points and giving the Giants’ offense a chance (which it squandered) to build an early lead. But once Atlanta adjusted, they did a fantastic job of finding the holes created by the Giants’ blitz packages and spreading the ball around. Ten different receivers caught passes from Matt Ryan, nine of whom caught at least two passes. All in all, the Giants’ defense had its work cut out for it against Atlanta’s potent offense. And while they were far from perfect, they did about as well as could be expected without the offense providing anything like a lead.

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hongwei28 — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 03:11:51 +0000

Donovan McNabb and Eric Davis have been dismissed from ESPN following an investigation into accusations of sexual misconduct while employed at NFL Network.

ESPN says in a statement Saturday ”they are no longer working for us.” The pair worked for ESPN Radio and were taken off the air Dec. 12 [url=http://www.neworleanssaintsteamonline.com/customized]Customized New Orleans Saints Jerseys[/url] , pending an internal investigation.

McNabb and Davis, both former NFL players, were among seven men named in a lawsuit against NFL Enterprises filed in December by former NFL Network wardrobe stylist Jami Cantor.

According to the lawsuit, McNabb allegedly sent Cantor sexually explicit messages during his time at NFL Network. Davis is accused of making lewd comments.

Cantor worked at NFL Network for a decade until she was fired in October 2016. In the suit, she alleges age and sex discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination and defamation.

TORONTO — Jose Bautista will return to the scene of some of his biggest moments in baseball Tuesday night when the New York Mets visit the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Mets and Blue Jays will play a two-game interleague series at the Rogers Centre, where Bautista starred for the better part of nine years.

The Mets will start right-hander Zack Wheeler (2-6, 4.47 ERA) against Blue Jays right-hander Marco Estrada (4-7 [url=http://www.seahawksfootballauthentics.com/rasheem-green-jersey-authentic]Youth Rasheem Green Jersey[/url] , 4.53) in the series opener.

While the Blue Jays (39-45) were losing 3-2 in 10 innings on Monday afternoon to the Detroit Tigers at the Rogers Centre, the Mets (33-48) had the day off. It gave Bautista a chance to renew acquaintances in Toronto.

“I have some stuff scheduled, to meet up with people who were part of my life when I was there and visit some of the usual spots,” Bautista told reporters in Miami, where the Mets played last weekend. “It’s definitely a place that I hold dear and close to my heart. It’s going to be a fun time.”

Bautista twice led the American League in home runs with the Blue Jays, hitting 54 in 2010 and 43 in 2011. His most famous home run came in 2015 at the Rogers Centre, a three-run blast with an iconic bat flip that won the American League Division Series in the fifth and deciding game against the Texas Rangers.

He played 1,235 regular-season games for the Blue Jays from 2008 to 2017, hitting 288 homers (second only to Carlos Delgado’s 336) with 776 RBIs (third on the team’s career list).

Bautista also had an influence on his teammates.

“He was a huge help in my development [url=http://www.seahawksfootballauthentics.com/will-dissly-jersey-authentic]Youth Will Dissly Jersey[/url] ,” Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Pillar said. “There was a time in my first full year when I went from left to center and I was making some plays and I kind of earned his respect and he metaphorically gave me the keys (to the outfield) and told me to go get anything I could. And my voice became the voice in the outfield. That was pretty special to me.”

When the Blue Jays did not pick up the option on his contract for this season, he became a free agent. He did not have a team until the Atlanta Braves signed him on April 18. After a minor-league stint, he struggled with the Braves for 12 games and was released May 20. The Mets signed him May 22.

In 36 games with the Mets, the 37-year-old is batting .250/.418/476 with three homers and 13 RBIs. In his past 14 games, he is hitting .300/.462/.650 with three homers and 10 RBIs.

“I’m not surprised by what he’s doing,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. “He probably just needed some at-bats to get going and now we’re seeing the byproduct of him being ready. I’ve always known he’s a really good hitter. He keeps himself in really good shape. He’s probably in the best shape of anybody on our team and is (the oldest player on the team). Great approach, great patience, still has bat speed.”

“Not having a spring training, wanting to swing the bat and some other things might’ve played into me not (reaching base) as much in Atlanta [url=http://www.seahawksfootballauthentics.com/michael-dickson-jersey-authentic]Youth Michael Dickson Jersey[/url] ,” Bautista said.

Bautista always has been a versatile player. He played mostly right field with the Blue Jays but also manned third base and occasionally first base. He has played 12 games in left field for the Mets, 10 in right field, two at third base and one at second base.

This will be the second series between the teams. They split two games on May 15-16 at Citi Field.

Wheeler was the losing pitcher on May 16, a 12-1 Blue Jays victory, in his only career outing against Toronto. He allowed six runs, seven hits and three walks and struck out seven in four innings.

Estrada is 0-2 with a 7.27 ERA in seven career games (two starts) against the Mets. He struggled earlier in the season but is 2-1 with a 2.35 ERA in his past five starts.

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hongwei28 — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 03:04:33 +0000

San Francisco Giants third baseman Evan Longoria is going on the disabled list after injuring his left hand when he was hit by a pitch at Miami.

The Giants announced the move shortly before their series opener at Dodger Stadium on Friday night.

Longoria fractured the fifth metacarpal in his hand in the fourth inning of the Giants’ 16-inning victory over the Marlins a day earlier. He remained in the game as a runner before being caught in a double play. He was replaced defensively in the bottom of the inning.

Longoria said after the game that the last time he broke a bone in his wrist he went to the World Series in 2008 with Tampa Bay.

He is tied for the Giants’ lead with 34 RBIs [url=http://www.losangelesramsteamonline.com/customized]Customized Los Angeles Rams Jerseys[/url] , is second with 10 home runs and is tied for second with 27 extra-base hits.

—

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is denying a 2011 allegation of sexual assault after a weekly alternative newspaper in Oregon published details of a case that prosecutors didn’t pursue, saying they didn’t believe there was evidence to support the claim.

The report in the Willamette Week in Portland, Oregon, came two weeks after a Sports Illustrated account that portrayed a hostile work environment for women in the front office of the Mavericks.

The woman claimed Cuban reached inside her pants and penetrated her vagina with his finger while they were taking a picture in a Portland nightclub. In an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday, Cuban wrote, ”It didn’t happen.”

In a report explaining why they weren’t pursuing the case, prosecutors wrote that ”there is no evidence to corroborate the complainant’s statement and there is evidence contradicting the claim.” The report also said the woman didn’t want to proceed with the allegation.

BASEBALL

SCOTTSDALE [url=http://www.sandiegochargersteamonline.com/customized]Customized Los Angeles Chargers Jerseys[/url] , Ariz. (AP) – The Arizona Diamondbacks are bringing back the bullpen cart.

The Diamondbacks announced the team will use an OnTrac bullpen cart to transport relief pitchers from both bullpens at Chase Field prior to entering a game.

The last known use of a motorized vehicle in Major League Baseball was in 1995, when the Milwaukee Brewers used a motorcycle with a sidecar. Mike Fetters, Arizona’s bullpen coach, was the closer for the Brewers that season.

Baseball historians have tracked the use of bullpen carts to 1950, when the Cleveland Indians first used a ”little red wagon.” The first official use came in 1951 with the Chicago White Sox. The Kansas City A’s added one in 1955 and by the 1960s, the carts could be found across the majors and minors.

PRO FOOTBALL

Five NFL players have been given the franchise tag, with only Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell getting the exclusive tag.

Bell [url=http://www.miamidolphinsteamonline.com/customized]Customized Miami Dolphins Jerseys[/url] , who has been adamant about not playing under the tag for a second straight season, can’t negotiate with any other teams. Pittsburgh must offer him the average of the top five running backs’ salaries. Both sides plan to continue negotiating.

Also getting franchise tags were Miami wide receiver Jarvis Landry, Detroit defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, Dallas DE DeMarcus Lawrence, and Los Angeles Rams safety Lamarcus Joyner. They can talk with other teams, but their current team would get compensation if they leave.

The only player given the transition tag was Chicago cornerback Kyle Fuller.

MIAMI (AP) – Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross says he won’t force his players to stand for the national anthem, even though he believes kneeling is a counterproductive way to promote social justice.

Ross’ comments in a statement released by the Dolphins came after the New York Daily News reported that he said all of the team’s players will stand for the anthem in 2018. Ross was in New York on Monday to be honored by the Jackie Robinson Foundation and receive its ROBIE Lifetime Achievement Award.

”I have no intention of forcing our players to stand during the anthem [url=http://www.minnesotavikingsteamonline.com/customized]Customized Minnesota Vikings Jerseys[/url] , and I regret that my comments have been misconstrued,” Ross said in his statement.

”I’ve shared my opinion with all our players: I’m passionate about the cause of social justice, and I feel that kneeling is an ineffective tactic that alienates more people than it enlists.”

SPORTS MEDIA

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – A former on-air personality at ESPN has filed a lawsuit alleging she was subjected to sexual harassment at the cable television sports giant and then ostracized for complaining about it.

The lawsuit filed Sunday in federal court in Connecticut by Adrienne Lawrence describes an atmosphere in which male employees openly watch pornography on their computers and keep ”scorecards” naming female colleagues they are targeting for sex.

The network said in a statement that it investigated the allegations raised by Lawrence and they are without merit.

Lawrence, who served a fellowship at ESPN, said in the lawsuit that she was subjected to unwelcome advances from anchor John Buccigross. She says he sent her unsolicited shirtless photos and used inappropriate nicknames like ”doll” for her.

DOPING

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) – IAAF president Sebastian Coe says Russians could be stopped from competing as neutral athletes if the country fails to shows ”dramatic progress” in the fight against doping.

Russia has been suspended since 2015 [url=http://www.newenglandpatriotsteamonline.com/customized]Customized New England Patriots Jerseys[/url] , when the World Anti-Doping Agency found evidence of widespread doping. The only Russians allowed to compete at IAAF events since then have been designated as neutral athletes.

Coe says ”unless dramatic progress is made we, and we genuinely hope it is being made, then we will have to review at our council meeting in July the status of the neutral competitors and the potential for the congress to decide upon the ultimate sanction, I guess, which is expulsion.”

Coe says the world needs to know Russian athletes are in a ”system of confidence and trust.”

Odell Beckham: “Finding that balance” key for Giants’

liny — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 03:01:05 +0000

offense With a healthy Odell Beckham Jr. Alec Ogletree Jersey , a spectacular back like No. 2 overall pick Saquon Barkley, a rebuilt offensive line, a two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback and coach with a reputation for building quality offenses the New York Giants were expected to feature an explosive, high-scoring attack in 2018.At 1-3, averaging just 18.25 points per game and having failed to reach the 20-point mark in all of their losses that has yet to come to fruition.Beckham, without a touchdown catch and averaging a career-worst 10.7 yards per catch, thinks he knows why.“It’s really about finding the balance. I think that might be the answer. We just haven’t found that balance,” Beckham said. “We haven’t found a way to get up and down the field, move it here, move it there, throw it, run it, reverse it, whatever it is. We just haven’t found that balance.”Because I can, that means were taking a break for this:Can the Giants find that balance?We have been discussing all week the things the Giants need to do better in order to find that balance. They include:Making sure they don’t forget to hand the ball to Barkley often enough to make defenses respect the Giants’ running game.Protecting Eli Manning and avoiding costly penalties and negative plays.Getting more big plays, specifically involving Beckham 4Dalvin Tomlinson Jersey , from the passing game,Brett Favre says Eli Manning needs better OL protectionSaquon Barkley wants to get back to “Giants Football” on offenseLet’s talk about Eli Manning, risk management and the Giants’ offenseValentine’s Views: Whoever you blame, Giants’ struggles land at the feet of the offenseDownfield opportunitiesBeckham gave what amounts to a non-answer as to whether or not he thinks there have been chances to get the ball down the field.“They’re there, they’re not there, it’s just a matter of doing it. There’s only so much – they’re there, they’re not there. I don’t know how to answer that. There’s opportunities, there’s not opportunities. It’s just about taking advantage of the opportunities that are there.The word “frustration” keeps being tosses around“Frustration, I don’t know if that’s the right word. It’s just a matter of when it’s going to click. Like I said, we missed the first quarter of the season, we can’t have it back, but there’s still another three quarters. It’s about making the most of those. At any point in time, you could win seven games in a row, then you’re sitting at what? 8-3. I always say this, you could’ve won the first eight and lost the first eight. It’s just about when you catch fire. But there does need to be a sense of urgency to play better, do better Eli Manning Jersey , execute, win games, but there’s definitely not a panic in my mind, in my body, soul, my heart. I’m not panicking.“I always hear the word frustrated. I’m sorry, it’s funny. Yeah, there is a lot of attention that goes on me, there’s times I’ve been in that red zone and I watch the nickel who’s over me covering me, the linebacker drop out to my side, the safety be over the top. There’s a lot of attention that goes there, so I joked with everybody in here, I was like, you know that I’m coming back off the ankle surgery, I’m thinking maybe I’ll get a chance, you have to prove yourself Authentic Odell Beckham Jr Jersey , and it’s like they just jumped right back into what they were doing last year, doubling up and doing those things. We just have to find ways to get around that.”Eli Manning can handle criticismThe quarterback is under fire as the offense continues to be stuck in neutral, but Beckham isn’t worried about that.“I feel like he’s fully capable of handling whatever comes his way. He’s been doing this for a long time, so I don’t think there’s anything guys could say that is going to bother him.”He’s a Saquon Barkley fanBeckham enjoys what Barkley does so much that he sometimes forgets to do his job while watching the rookie running do Barkley Things with the ball in his hands.“What he can do is unreal. So whenever he gets the ball in his hands, I’m supposed to turn into a blocker but I turn into a spectator. I sit there and I’m watching him because it’s like a mirror image, I’m watching him break tackles and this and that, and I’m like ‘oh I’ve got to pick somebody up on a block.’ We trust fully what he can do and just putting the ball in his hands and letting him make plays. I know it’s early to say it, but in my opinion, he’s going to be one of the best in the league.”Giants roster moves: Ereck Flowers waived, OT Brian Mihalik added The New York Giants have announced that they have waived former starting offensive tackle Ereck Flowers.News first surfaced Monday that the Giants were trying to trade Flowers, and failing that, they would cut him by 4 p.m. Tuesday. There had been rumors of a team interested in trading for Flowers, but if there were indeed any such talks, they obviously fell through. Now Flowers will go to the waiver wire, and it wouldn’t surprise to see teams put in claims on the former first rounder. The Giants drafted Flowers ninth overall in the 2015 NFL draft, and at the time Giants’ head coach Tom Coughlin said of Flowers Color Rush Jon Halapio Jersey , “The kid is an outstanding athlete. He is very young, as you know. He is a battleship, an aircraft carrier or however you want to describe him at six-foot-six, 329 [pounds]. Strongest guy in the draft. Outstanding feet. [He] just turned 21 a couple of days ago here in mid- to late-April. Those things, together with the desire to improve both our offensive and our defensive lines, to be honest with you, we think we have made a good start here.”The move opens a spot on the roster and offensive line depth chart, and the Giants will reportedly promote OT Brian Mihalik to fill it. Mihalik, 6-foot-9 and 315 pounds, played in 15 games for the Detroit Lions in 2017. He started twice at left tackle, vs. Pittsburgh on Oct. 29 and at Green Bay on Nov. 6.The Giants viewed Mihalik up close when they practiced with the Lions for three days in August. He was released by Detroit on Sept. 2 and signed to the Giants’ practice squad on Sept. 13.Placekicker Marshall Koehn added to practice squadCoach Pat Shurmur had indicated Monday that the Giants would need to add a placekicker to the practice squad to protect themselves with Aldrick Rosas dealing with a quad injury. The Giants did that Tuesday, adding Marshall Koehn to fill the practice squad spot vacated by Mihalik’s promotion. Koehn was with the Giants in the preseason. Shurmur indicated Tuesday that the Giants will wait as long as possible before deciding whether they need to promote Koehn to the 53-man roster.

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hongwei28 — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 02:57:32 +0000

The Chicago White Sox have a chance to complete their first three-game sweep of the season when they face the Minnesota Twins in the series finale Thursday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Chicago (28-51) is coming off back-to-back wins by margins of 8-4 and 6-1 over the Twins in the series’ first two games. The White Sox have won three straight [url=http://www.eaglesfootballauthentics.com/avonte-maddox-jersey-authentic]Youth Avonte Maddox Jersey[/url] , including a 10-3 decision over the Oakland Athletics on Sunday afternoon.

A win Thursday would give the White Sox their longest win streak of the season.

Minnesota (34-42) is hoping to salvage a win in the series and turn around a tough week for the club. The Twins have dropped two in a row and five of their past six to fall eight games below .500, which is tied with their low-water mark for the season.

White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito (5-7, 7.01 ERA) will try to build upon his recent improvement in his 16th start of the season. The highly touted 23-year-old has struggled badly with command this year, but has 14 strikeouts and only four walks in his past two outings.

Giolito is 1-2 with a 4.42 ERA in three career starts against Minnesota. Two of those starts took place this season, with the 6-foot-6, 245-pounder posting a 1-1 record with a 3.65 ERA.

Lately, Giolito has found success by not thinking so much about his pitching mechanics.

“It’s been kind of a long road to figure that out,” Giolito said to his team’s official website. “But I’m definitely in a much better place right now with that, just letting it flow. The key words are let it flow. Just go out there and be athletic. …

“It’s like the desire to be as good as I can be to the point where I’ve overanalyzed things and been like [url=http://www.eaglesfootballauthentics.com/josh-sweat-jersey-authentic]Youth Josh Sweat Jersey[/url] , ‘What am I doing wrong? What should I fix? What can I fix?’

“I’m doing that instead of being like, ‘Hey, I’m here, I’m going to compete and let it all happen and just be athletic and let what I’ve been doing for years take over.'”

The Twins will counter with right-hander Jake Odorizzi (3-5, 4.97 ERA) for his 17th start of the season. The Illinois native has 80 strikeouts in 79 2/3 innings this season, but his walk rate (4.1 per nine innings) is the highest since his rookie campaign in 2012 with the Kansas City Royals.

Odorizzi is 1-2 with a 4.13 ERA in five career starts against the White Sox. He has an 0-1 record with a 5.23 ERA (six earned runs in 10 1/3 innings) in two starts against Chicago this season.

Avisail Garcia has homered in back-to-back games for the White Sox and could pose a challenge for Odorizzi, who has given up 14 long balls this year. Jose Abreu also is coming off a much better day at the plate in which he slammed his 12th home run and showed signs of breaking out of a slump.

For the Twins, Ehire Adrianza carries a hot bat into the series finale. He went 4-for-4 with a double and an RBI on Wednesday night, elevating his season average to .264 with four homers and 17 RBIs.

Chicago is 16-26 at home; Minnesota is 14-22 on the road.

After the game [url=http://www.steelersfootballauthentics.com/mason-rudolph-jersey-authentic]Youth Mason Rudolph Jersey[/url] , the Twins will stay in Chicago and head about 8 miles north to take on the Cubs in a weekend series. Minnesota is 6-6 in interleague action compared with a 28-36 record against AL teams.

Police arrested 17 activists who blocked a light-rail line carrying Super Bowl ticketholders to U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday in a protest against police brutality and privileges enjoyed by wealthy visitors that shut down trains for more than two hours.

Live video from the scene showed officers unlocking or cutting through locks the protesters had used to chain themselves to each other and to fencing at the West Bank Station on Metro Transit’s Green Line. The handcuffed activists were loaded onto a waiting bus. Metro Transit spokesman Howie Padilla said all 17 were cited for unlawful interference with transit and released.

No injuries were reported.

Metro Transit used buses to ferry passengers around the blockage, and Padilla said the agency was confident spectators would reach the game before kickoff. The shutdown started about 2:15 p.m., and the stop was finally cleared about two hours later.

Padilla said Metro Transit respects people’s right to free speech and demonstration.

Chinyere Tutashinda, a spokeswoman for the activists, said they were protesting police brutality, as well as the light-rail lines being set aside solely for Super Bowl ticketholders on Sunday. Non-ticketholders had to use buses to get around the metro area instead.

The Green and Blue lines were a major route for many fans to get to Sunday’s game, with security screening done before passengers boarded.

The light-rail shutdown came as Black Lives Matter and several other groups staged rallies to protest police brutality and corporate greed.

About 300 people gathered at a park as temperatures hovered around 2 above zero with wind chills in the subzero teens and marched peacefully a couple miles to the stadium, where most of them took a knee outside a security gate in imitation of Colin Kaepernick. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback started a movement when he began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to protest racial inequality and police brutality.

”We kneel, we stand [url=http://www.steelersfootballauthentics.com/chukwuma-okorafor-jersey-authentic]Youth Chukwuma Okorafor Jersey[/url] , we fight,” they chanted. ”If we don’t get no justice, you don’t get no peace.”

Squad cars cleared the streets ahead of the procession as part of an operation that included top officials in the Minneapolis Police Department including Chief Medaria Arradondo, the city’s first black police chief, who took over last year amid the political fallout over a pair of fatal police shootings in the city.

”As chief I’m certainly aware that there are concerns that our community has had for a long time, and will still have after the Super Bowl leaves town in a few hours,” Arradondo said in an interview just before the march.

on sunday against the New

liny — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 02:49:45 +0000

The New York Giants collected their third loss of the 2018 seasonOrleans Saints. It seemed as though the Giants had turned a corner against the Houston Texans and were moving in the direction of competing with the rest of the NFL. Instead Youth Patrick Omameh Jersey , the game had a sickeningly familiar feel to it, with the offense seeming like an ineffective exercise in futility. In many ways, this game reminded of the Giants’ week two loss to the Dallas Cowboys, particularly on offense. But how similar was it, really? Let’s take a closer look at the stats from the game and see what they have to say.OffenseQuarterbackAt first blush, Eli Manning had an efficient day against a poor Saints defense. He completed 31 of 41 attempts, good for a completion rate of 75.6 percent, for 255 yards and a touchdown. This marks the third time this season he has completed at least three quarters of his passes and thrown a touchdown pass.However, a closer look at the stats reveal that the Giants were playing “keep away” with their passing game, rather than actively trying to attack a defense which had given up just over 34 points per game and the most passing yards in the NFL through the first three weeks. Per Next Gen Stats, Manning was tied for the third fewest intended air yards among quarterbacks Sunday, with averaging just 6.1 yards through the air. His average completion was the shortest in the NFL, at just 3.6 yards per completion. Finally, Manning also threw the ball the second furthest from the first-down marker, averaging 2.9 yards behind the sticks. “Short,” “quick,” and “safe” are the words to describe the Giants’ passing game against the Saints, but like with a similar game plan against the Dallas Cowboys, “ineffective” comes to mind. An offense featuring Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr., and Saquon Barkley simply is not built to play it safe and chip away at a defense. Offensive lineAll told, the Giants played 62 snaps on offense, and the entire offensive line of Nate Solder, Will Hernandez, John Greco, Patrick Omameh, and Chad Wheeler played all of them. It might be assumed based on Manning’s passing stats that they failed in protecting him. While saying that they ‘failed’ to protect him is a bit strong, Manning was sacked three times and each of the Saints’ top rushers came closer than league average to Manning on their average rush. However, he did have time to throw, averaging 2.66 seconds from snap to throw, which was only about two hundredths of a second less than league average. Skill positions The Giants didn’t run the ball much as the game slipped away. But even so, Barkley (54 snaps, 87 percent) only had two carries further than five yards. Given what we have seen of Barkley’s ability to pick up extra yards with a quick cut or powering through an arm tackle Aldrick Rosas Jersey , the line did not block for many of the rookie’s yards. Considering he only saw an eight (or more) man box on just 20 percent of his runs — per Next Gen Stats — that does not reflect well on the line. Barkley did rate as the NFL’s fourth-fastest ball carrier, topping 20 miles an hour on his breakaway run.He was once again successful as a receiver, catching six of eight targets for 56 yards.Odell Beckham played 59 of 62 snaps, catching 7 of 11 targets for 60 yards. As indicated by Manning’s average of 3.6 yards per completion, Beckham caught most of his passes short, and did what he could against a defense which was allowed to play downhill all game. Sterling Shepard, who also played 59 of 62 snaps was the Giants’ leading receiver, catching each of his 10 targets for 77 yards and a touchdown. The Giants spent almost all of the game in their 11-personnel set, with TE Rhett Ellison playing 54 of 62 snaps, and WR Russell Shepard playing 51 of 62 snaps. The Giants receivers were getting open, per Next Gen Stats, with four of the Giants’ top five receivers getting much more than league-average separation. Manning just wasn’t finding them down the field. After that primary personnel set, TE Scott Simonson got the most snaps at 14 of 62. The Giants clearly came in with the plan to spread the Saints out. DefenseFront SevenOnce again, true defensive linemen Damon Harrison and Dalvin Tomlinson lead the way in the snap count, getting 37 of the defense’s 70 snaps. Per Next Gen Stats, Tomlinson was the Giants’ best pass rusher, and the only one to come closer than league-average on his average rush.Rookie defensive tackle B.J. Hill saw an uptick in his snap count, from 14 to 24 snaps, after an effective day against the Houston Texans.EDGE players Kareem Martin and Connor Barwin played the most snaps, between outside linebacker and defensive end. Martin played 56 of 70 snaps, while Barwin played 45 snaps, coming up with three tackles and a pass defensed. Both players were among the Giants’ top pass rushers, but both were only about league average in terms of their average distance to the quarterback.Linebackers Alec Ogletree and Ray-Ray Armstrong played the most snaps among the front seven, with Ogletree playing all of the defense’s 70 snaps, notching 12 total tackles. Meanwhile Armstrong played 57 snaps, and came up with 7 tackles. SecondaryEach member of the Giants’ starting secondary played all of the defensive snaps, with Janoris Jenkins, B.W. Webb, Landon Collins, and Curtis Riley each playing 70 snaps. The Giants’ secondary played well overall, limiting Drew Brees to just 18 of 32 for 215 yards and no touchdowns. That is impressive work for the defense, considering Brees had been on a historic run to start the game, completing well over 80 percent of his passes and dissecting every defense he saw.Nickel corner Donte Deayon was the final member of the secondary to see a major share of the snaps Authentic Rhett Ellison Jersey , with 53 of 70.The Giants were largely suffocating in coverage, with four of the Saints top five receivers averaging about half a yard less separation than league average. Particularly impressive was the work of Jenkins on wide receiver Micheal Thomas. Thomas had been having an excellent season to date, and Jenkins held him to just four catches for 47 yards. He only allowed Thomas, who is quickly becoming one of the NFL’s best receivers, an average just 2.38 yards of separation — four tenths of a yard less than the average NFL receiver.Final thoughtsThe stats suggest that the Giants should have won against the Saints. Instead they lost in an ugly landslide. The Saints were showing looks which should have allowed the Giants to run the ball — yet they didn’t. The Giants’ receivers were getting wide open, yet the passing game made no effort to look down the field. The defense played far better than the lopsided 15-point loss would have suggested, and if a team holds a quarterback the caliber of Drew Brees to the day he had, they should expect to win. The problem was with the Giants’ offense and an ineffective game plan. The question going forward is whether the Giants coaching staff will open up the offense as they did against Houston, or continue to play the ineffective horizontal scheme which lost against Dallas and now New New Orleans.Odell Beckham contract carries responsibilities with it One of the big reasons the New York Giants felt comfortable entering into negotiations that ended up making Odell Beckham Jr. the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history is that they were impressed by how Beckham handled the last few months. It made them believe that at age 25 and coming off the first serious injury of his life, that Beckham had finally found the maturity the Giants have been looking for him to display.“I think Odell personally is moving in the right direction,” co-owner John Mara said at the beginning training camp when he acknowledged that contract negotiations would be coming. “It certainly had an effect on our desire to start negotiating. So, he’s had the right attitude all along and we expect him to have a great season.”Now that Beckham has that mega-deal, one that puts him 10th in the NFL in terms of guaranteed money at $65 million, second among non-quarterback to Von Miller ($70 million) and just behind Eli Manning ($67 million) Beckham has responsibilities beyond being a great player.Beckham is the face of the Giants franchise. That used to be Manning, but in reality it’s been Beckham for a while. One day, that mantel will pass to Saquon Barkley. The historic commitment the Giants just made to one of the two most talented players to ever wear a Giants uniform — the other, of course, being Lawrence Taylor — places that responsibility officially on Beckham.And it is a responsibility.Mara said Tuesday that it was “important” for the Giants to see how well Beckham handled the last few months.“I think he’s matured quite a bit. I think that stuff [off the field distractions] hopefully is in the past,” Mara said. “I think he’s ready to go on and be the type of player and citizen that we expect him to be, and I think he will be.” The numbers show just how historically good Beckham has been, especially of course in his first three seasons. In those first three seasons, Beckham netted more than 1,300 receiving yards, 10+ touchdowns and 90+ receptions each year.His records include:Most receptions through the first 15 games of an NFL career (110)Fastest player to reach 100 career receptions (14 games)Youngest player in NFL history (22 years, 53 days) with multiple games having 10+ catches in a single season (4)First player since 1967 with 30 receiving touchdowns in his first 35 gamesOnly receiver with 3,000 receiving yards or more in his first 30 games (3,035)Only player in NFL history to reach 200 catches in 30 or less gamesSecond-most touchdowns by a wide receiver in his first two NFL seasons (since 1992)Second-most 60+ yard touchdowns (9) by a wide receiver in a three-year spanBeckham also holds Giants franchise records for most receptions (91) by a rookie, most rookie receiving yards (1,305) and touchdown catches (12) by a rookie and is already 10th on franchise’s all-time receptions list.He is a great player. He’s lightning, a guy turns the ordinary into the extraordinary in the blink of an eye.What Beckham needs to do now is keep the focus on those extraordinary talents. He needs to show that the last few months were a real sign of a maturing person and not just an orchestrated effort to be on his best behavior so that he would get paid.There can’t be any more boat trips. No more peeing in the end zone celebrations that embarrass the head coach, especially one like Pat Shurmur who has gone way above and beyond in an effort to forge a bond with Beckham. There can’t be any more on-field meltdowns that lead to suspensions.There has to be a Beckham who focuses solely on displaying those extraordinary gifts he has on the field. A Beckham who leads his teammates, teammates who love him and want him to lead them. A Beckham who represents the Giants, an iconic NFL franchise Youth Kerry Wynn Jersey , the way such a franchise deserves to be represented.A Beckham who’s purpose is to help the Giants win football games, to win titls, and who doesn’t find ways to draw attention to himself for things that have nothing to do with how wonderfully gifted he is.Beckham’s legacyBeckham know what he wants his legacy to be.“This [contract] is kind of just something that you get out of the way,” Beckham said of the five-year contract extension he signed yesterday. “Honestly, it sounds crazy enough, but I don’t think I’ve done anything really since I’ve been here. I have goals for myself. I don’t think I have truly been able to achieve them, even with the success that I’ve had. It’s not really where I want to be. Like I said, before I was even in the NFL I wanted to be legendary. Yeah the money is great, you can take care of your family, you can take care of kids one day that you’ll possibly have. But my goal was always to be in the Hall of Fame, to win trophies, to be able to leave a legacy that will be remembered way past any money that you make.”Some things will have to be different if he is to be remembered the way he wants to be.Beckham was asked directly if he felt he had matured. His answer?“Do you see this polo? I’m growing up,” he said. “Honestly, it just was something that, I won’t say proud of anything that’s ever happened, but I’m able to take everything that’s happened for me and make myself into a man and learn from those mistakes and be able to look myself in the mirror and have to deal with those things. It wasn’t the best thing to happen to me to date, but what I got to learn and take and grow from, was everything that I needed in my life and now I’m able to take that and keep going forward and just be the best me that I can be.”Does he feel added responsibility because of the money?“I don’t know if it puts any extra that I haven’t already put on myself. Coming in early in training camp, being able to be here and knowing where I’m at in life, and knowing that I do need to be a leader, and there are guys that are watching me and I need to be there on days that I need to be bringing energy somewhere else,” Beckham said. “I don’t know if it’s any extra responsibility that I didn’t already put on myself going into this year, year five, being a vet. I couldn’t say it was any extra, but I know that my goals are if not the same, higher. I just want to be able to be my very, very best.”Beckham’s “very, very best,” on and off the field is what the Giants are paying for. Right now, there is lots of optimism that they will get it.

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hongwei28 — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 02:47:50 +0000

Trevor Bauer turned from pitcher to politician to prize fighter.

If the weather was going to finish him [url=http://www.jetsfootballauthentics.com/chris-herndon-jersey-authentic]Youth Chris Herndon Jersey[/url] , Bauer was going down swinging.

Bauer pitched seven scoreless innings before a rain delay ended his night, and Jason Kipnis homered to lead the Cleveland Indians to a 6-2 win over the sliding and sloppy Chicago White Sox on Monday.

Bauer (6-5) allowed just three hits, struck out eight and was in line to potentially pitch his first career shutout. However, after the game was halted in the seventh for 35 minutes, manager Terry Francona pulled the right-hander following the delay.

Not before Bauer pleaded his case.

”Carl Willis was lucky he didn’t come tell me,” Bauer said, referring to Cleveland’s pitching coach. ”I told him any one but Tito and I was throwing fists.”

Bauer was joking, of course, but Francona liked how his right-hander fought to remain in the game.

”Boy, I give him credit, man,” Francona said. ”Even during the rain delay he was politicking. It just doesn’t make sense. But I gotta tell you, if you’re going to get into a little bit of a push and shove, I like it that he wants to stay in. I respect the hell out of that. I just didn’t think it made sense. I don’t have any doubt he could have done it, too. ”

Roberto Perez drove in two runs off Dylan Covey (3-2) as Cleveland improved to 15-4 in its last 19 home games against Chicago.

The White Sox committed three errors – one by Covey – in the first three innings, lost their fifth straight and dropped a season-high 23 games under .500.

Matt Davidson homered in the ninth for Chicago.

White Sox manager Rick Renteria felt Covey deserved better.

”Believe it or not even though Dylan did have a few walks, he didn’t throw the ball as badly as the numbers might show,” he said. ”We didn’t defend for him. A lot of sloppy play out there to be honest. We just didn’t catch the ball and pick him up when we could have and he still ground out five innings.”

Chicago’s hitters couldn’t get anything going against Bauer, who struck out 12 in a tough loss against the White Sox and Covey last week. Bauer was bidding to tie a club record held by two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber with his fifth consecutive game of at least 10 strikeouts.

Bauer got to eight, but was denied any more because of a line of storms off Lake Erie and Francona’s decision not to push him further. Bauer has thrown at least 100 pitches in all 16 starts this season.

The enigmatic starter is crediting his success to some new pitches and a ”tunneling approach” in which he divides the plate into quadrants.

”The more I’m able to execute those spots, with given pitches [url=http://www.jetsfootballauthentics.com/nathan-shepherd-jersey-authentic]Youth Nathan Shepherd Jersey[/url] , the more confusion there is in the hitters because they see the same look over and over, and the ball goes different ways at different speeds and what not,” he said.

Perez’s two-run, ground-rule double highlighted Cleveland’s three-run second inning, which was set up by Chicago second baseman Yoan Moncada’s fielding error.

MARSHALL PLAN

Indians reliever Evan Marshall left in the eighth after complaining of elbow soreness. Francona said the team will likely have an update on him Wednesday.

MORE THAN A NAME

Looking for bullpen help, the Indians signed veteran reliever Marc Rzepczynski to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A Columbus. The left-hander previously pitched for Cleveland from 2013-15, appearing in 145 games.

The club currently needs a lefty reliever with both Andrew Miller and Tyler Olson on the disabled list. Rzepczynski could be an option.

”It’s a guy we know,” Francona said. ”We’re down to one lefty right now, so it’s a guy that certainly could come here and help. He didn’t sign to stay in Triple-A.”

Francona joked that he still has trouble spelling the lefty’s last name.

”I’ve got it in my phone: Z-E-P,” he said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: Renteria said OF Avisail Garcia (strained right hamstring) is progressing well on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte. Garcia’s status will be reassessed after he plays Tuesday and Wednesday. He’s been on the disabled list since May 24.

Indians: OF Bradley Zimmer will undergo an MRI on his right shoulder. Zimmer felt discomfort while throwing after he initially strained the shoulder while doing drills after being sent to Columbus to work on his game. ”I don’t think he thought it was anything, and it just didn’t feel good. So, we’re going to go ahead and get him looked at,” Francona said.

UP NEXT

Indians RHP Mike Clevinger will face the White Sox for the second straight start. He set a career high with 11 strikeouts and held Chicago to one run over seven innings last Thursday. Carlos Rodon will start for the White Sox.

—

Vince McMahon is resuscitating the XFL.

OK, let’s get the bad jokes out of the way: Are some teams going to be wearing masks and representing parts unknown? Will the hook-and-ladder play involve smashing someone with a real ladder?

The XFL was a ”colossal failure” the first time McMahon tried it – his words – and there’s every reason to believe XFL2 will meet a similar fate.

But a spring football league, done the right way, could work.

And, no, we’re not kidding around.

The United States Football League came up with the most feasible concept back in the 1980s, only to crumble after just three seasons because of out-of-control spending and a suicidal push by owners such as Donald Trump to compete directly against the NFL .

But the USFL might still be around today if it had stuck to its original concept, which was to serve as more of a complement to the NFL than a direct competitor.

The timing is ripe for another attempt.

While the economy is booming and football remains the nation’s most popular sport, the NFL is contending with shrinking TV ratings [url=http://www.raidersfootballauthentics.com/arden-key-jersey-authentic]Youth Arden Key Jersey[/url] , empty seats and a lingering debate over players kneeling during the national anthem to protest social injustice. For the first time in decades, there are actually some cracks in the league’s armor.

Clearly, those issues figured into McMahon’s planned re-launch of the XFL in 2020 .

”As far as this league is concerned, it will have nothing to do with politics, nothing to do with social issues,” he said. ”That’s what the fans want. When they tune in to a game, they don’t want to deal with political issues. They want to watch good football.”

Good football will likely be the fatal flaw in McMahon’s new venture, just as it was for the original XFL. While the risque cheerleaders and close ties to wrestling brought plenty of much-deserved ridicule, it was the amateurish quality of play that ultimately caused its downfall. As Bob Costas memorably observed, it was ”mediocre high school football” combined ”with a tawdry strip club.”

Since McMahon’s new XFL will follow the same single-entity plan – he’ll be the sole owner of the eight-team league – there’s unlikely to be nearly enough money to lure any recognizable names, unless Tim Tebow (yes, he came up during the announcement Thursday) decides to make a football comeback.

But an updated version of the USFL concept would have a real chance at succeeding during the spring and summer, football’s traditional offseason.

Here’s a few ideas:

– Start with 10 or 12 teams, split between major NFL cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles; those that have lost teams (San Diego, St. Louis and soon-to-be Oakland); and untapped markets with big league stadiums (San Antonio comes to mind).

– Restrict ownership to those who not only have deep pockets, but are totally committed to the concept (i.e., not simply trying to turn their investment into a merger with the NFL). Point out the relative bargain of owning a team in the new league compared to, say, the Carolina Panthers, whose selling price will surely exceed $2 billion. Maybe Mark Cuban would be interested in a Dallas franchise. Reach out to Oprah Winfrey about a Chicago team.

– Don’t get into a bidding war with the NFL over players. Focus heavily on scouting and development [url=http://www.eaglesfootballauthentics.com/markus-wheaton-jersey-authentic]Youth Markus Wheaton Jersey[/url] , which means pursuing lower-level pros who might thrive in a bigger role and college stars projected to go in the later rounds of the NFL draft. Always be on the lookout for someone like 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson, the subject of wildly varying draft projections, who might have a better chance at playing time in a new league. And let’s not forget: Colin Kaepernick is still unemployed.

– Line up a traditional TV deal to provide financial stability, perhaps some combination of a major network and a newer, sports-themed cable outlet such as NBCSN or Fox Sports 1. But also be on the cutting edge of subscription services, mobile streaming and other innovative conduits that appeal to a younger audience.

In essence, follow the model laid out by the late David Dixon, the New Orleans businessman whose longtime push for an out-of-season league finally came to fruition with the launch of the USFL in 1983.

Looking back, that first season was a rousing success in many ways. The Denver Gold averaged more than 41,000 fans. Overall attendance was roughly in line with the hoped-for 25,000 per game. TV ratings on ABC and then-fledgling ESPN actually exceeded projections. The quality of play was solid.

But the seeds of the USFL’s downfall were already in motion. When the New Jersey Generals skirted the salary cap to lure Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker away from Georgia, it only led more teams to dole out big bucks in pursuit of stars. That, in turn, led to huge financial losses. Dixon wisely walked away after that inaugural season.

In the end, the USFL’s most enduring legacy was the $3 judgment it ”won” in an antitrust suit against the NFL, a ruling that finished off the league in 1986 before it carried out a Trump-backed move from spring to fall.

No one since has made a serious attempt at a spring football league.

A revived XFL certainly doesn’t qualify.

But someone out there should heed McMahon’s words.

”Football is America’s favorite sport,” he said. ”We’ve got seven months of no football on the gridiron and 70 million fans. Why not now? Now is the perfect opportunity.”

—

Paul Newb

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hongwei28 — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 02:40:37 +0000

OAKLAND Tracy Walker Color Rush Jersey , Calif. — Two pitchers looking to create a first positive memory of Sunday’s opponent go head-to-head when the Cleveland Indians and Oakland Athletics complete a three-game series.

The A’s have won the first two games of the series, getting outstanding performances from starters Paul Blackburn and Edwin Jackson in 3-1 and 7-2 victories.

Oakland, which has won six in a row, allowed five total runs in its last four games.

Right-hander Frankie Montas (4-1, 3.68 ERA) will attempt to continue that run, but will do so in the wake of three consecutive shaky efforts, during which he has allowed 12 earned runs and 24 hits in 15 innings.

The 25-year-old has never started a game against the Indians, but faced them three times in relief, going 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA in 4 2/3 innings.

One of those bullpen outings against Cleveland came last May Da'Shawn Hand Color Rush Jersey , when he gave up two runs in an 8-4 loss.

Montas will have big shoes to fill after the outings by Blackburn and Jackson, who held the Indians to a total of two runs in 13 innings.

With the recent emergence of Blackburn and Jackson and news that Trevor Cahill appears on schedule to return to the starting rotation after the All-Star break, Montas might only have a few opportunities to turn things around before losing his job.

A’s manager Bob Melvin gushed over the performance of Jackson on Saturday in his second straight sharp outing after having been signed off the scrap heap.

“I wouldn’t say I’m surprised,” Melvin said. “That he was available to us was a surprise.”

Having seen the veteran firsthand, the Indians might be wondering why they weren’t the ones who gave the 99-game winner a shot.

Especially with news Saturday that Danny Salazar, a 14- and 11-game winner for the Indians in recent years, will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder Monday, putting his season in question.

Right-hander Mike Clevenger (6-3, 3.03) JK Scott Color Rush Jersey , who got a greater opportunity last year while Salazar had health issues and responded with a 12-win season, will attempt to salvage one win in Oakland for the Indians on Sunday.

He has pitched well in his last four starts, allowing six earned runs, but he has never beaten the A’s in his career, going 0-1 with a 7.04 ERA in two games (one start).

The A’s last saw the 27-year-old in a relief role in August 2016 and cuffed him around for four hits and three runs in one inning of a 9-1 victory.

Clevenger will have to hope for more offensive support than the Indians provided Trevor Bauer and Adam Plutko in the first two games of the series. Both pitched well enough to win, allowing five runs and 11 hits in 12 1/3 innings.

The A’s have used the long ball to get the upper hand against the Indians in the first two games. Jed Lowrie, Josh Phegley, Dustin Fowler and Matt Olson all hit homers, accounting for six of Oakland’s 10 runs.

When Paul Blackburn needed 47 pitches to make it through the first two innings Oren Burks Color Rush Jersey , it didn’t seem he would last long for the Oakland Athletics.

Then Blackburn found his groove and led the streaking A’s to another win.

Blackburn pitched shutout ball into the seventh inning and Oakland won its fifth straight game, beating the Cleveland Indians 3-1 on Friday night.

”It was just finding a tempo and rhythm,” Blackburn said. ”It’s something I’ve struggled with the first couple of innings. Once I get over that hump in the second inning, I feel like everything is more put together.”

Marcus Semien and Khris Davis drove in runs against Trevor Bauer (7-6) as the A’s followed up a four-game sweep at Detroit with a win in the opener of a five-game homestand.

Jed Lowrie provided insurance with a solo homer in the eighth off Zach McAllister to move Oakland a season-high seven games over .500.

”Games like that, it feels like a 10-run homer,” manager Bob Melvin said. ”The guys coming to the plate get your attention in the last inning. It was paramount. It gives you a little bit of wiggle room.”

Blake Treinen allowed two baserunners in the ninth before earning his 21st save in 23 chances. He has converted 18 straight save opportunities.

Blackburn (2-2) had a 12.70 ERA his past three starts and struggled early against Cleveland, with four of the first seven batters reaching base safely. But a caught stealing and a double play helped him make it through the first two innings unscathed and he settled down from there.

He retired 14 of the final 15 batters he faced, allowing only a two-out walk to Yonder Alonso in the fourth before leaving after retiring Edwin Encarnacion to open the seventh. Blackburn allowed three hits and struck out five.

Francisco Lindor hit an RBI double off Yusmeiro Petit in the eighth inning for Cleveland.

The A’s, who score nearly two fewer runs per game at home than on the road Michael Palardy Jersey , managed to get single runs against Bauer in the second and sixth innings. Matt Olson doubled in the second and scored on Semien’s two-out hit.

Oakland added an insurance run in the sixth when Matt Joyce singled and scored on Davis’ double.

”He seemed to be very patient so I wanted to make a point of getting ahead in that count,” Bauer said. ”He hit a bad pitch. He’s a good hitter. That’s what you’re supposed to do with hanging breaking balls, hit them.”

Bauer allowed two runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out eight. His 148 strikeouts are the most for a Cleveland pitcher before the end of June since Sam McDowell had 151 in 1970.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: Manager Terry Francona said the team will have a decision soon on the status of injured starter Danny Salazar, who has been on the DL all season with a right shoulder injury. Francona said the team is ”exploring some things” and said he would have more information in the next couple of days.

Athletics: 3B Matt Chapman (hand) took grounders and hit off a tee. He will take BP on Sunday and could be back as early as next week. … RHP Andrew Triggs (right arm nerve irritation) had his rehab shut down because he felt tingling in fingers. He will get a second opinion next week. … RHP Trevor Cahill (right Achilles) threw a 30-pitch bullpen session and will either have a lengthier bullpen session or simulation game next in his rehab.

UP NEXT

Edwin Jackson (0-0) makes his second start for Oakland after allowing one run in six innings of a no-decision in his debut against Detroit. His nine-game winning streak against Cleveland is the longest since Storm Davis also won nine straight vs. the Indians from 1986-92. Adam Plutko (4-1) starts for Cleveland.

—

If Ryan Fitzpatrick can pull this off. . .

liny — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 02:36:23 +0000

.The Bucs have never overcome a 17-point Womens Demar Dotson Jersey , fourth-quarter deficit. They trailed by 20 at halftime. It’s down to 10 now, with half the fourth quarter remaining.Chandler Catanzaro kicked a 28-yard field goal for the only points in the third quarter, and Fitzpatrick hit Chris Godwin early in the fourth.DeSean Jackson thought he had it down to a 3-point game, but his 83-yard punt return for a touchdown was negated by a holding penalty on safety Isaiah Johnson.Fitzpatrick now is 25-of-39 for 336 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.Ben Roethlisberger, who was 21-of-25 for 273 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in the first half, now is 28-of-35 for 330 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.The problem is the Steelers miss Le'Veon Bell. They have no running game to run clock. James Conner has 10 carries for 12 yards Authentic Jason Pierre-Paul Jersey , and Stevan Ridley has three carries for 18 yards. Coach Ron Rivera received a text from Cam Newton immediately after the Carolina Panthers selected Maryland wide receiver D.J. Moore in the first round of the NFL draft that read: "Thank you!"The Panthers gave Newton more help on offense Thursday night by selecting Moore 24th overall in hopes of upgrading a passing game that finished 28th in the league last season.Moore was the first wide receiver taken in the draft.Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said Moore's best quality is his ability to make plays after the catch."When he has the ball in his hands he turns into a running back," Hurney said. "He breaks tackles and makes big plays. And still he has the speed to stretch the defense and go deep. He runs good routes and has a lot of strengths."Newton apparently took notice."Cam stays up on all of this stuff and he came right to us with all of the offensive guys," Rivera said. "He pays attention to it."Newton isn't the only one high on Moore.Steve Smith Sr., the Panthers all-time leader in most receiving categories, said he likes the toughness with which Moore approaches the game and thinks he can be a big time player."To be truthful, they have never been able to replace me" said Smith Womens Ali Marpet Jersey , now an analyst for the NFL Network.Smith thinks Moore might finally be the receiver that can."You get that guy and you've got instant grits all day long," Smith said."For Steve to say that is high praise," Rivera said. "I'm pretty fired up. I believe D.J. is a guy who can come in and play all three of our wide receiver positions."Moore is the latest skill position player selected early by the Panthers in the hopes of giving Newton more to work with on offense. Last year Carolina selected running back Christian McCaffrey in the first round and wide receiver Curtis Samuel in the second to take some of the pressure off Newton after he had a down season statistically in 2016."It was nice to know that whatever I did in college did not go unnoticed," Moore said.Moore joins what is becoming a crowded wide receivers room in Carolina.The Panthers traded with the Eagles for Torrey Smith and signed free agent Jarius Wright from the Vikings earlier this offseason. Devin Funchess returns as Carolina's No. 1 receiver after a breakout season in 2017 and Samuel hopes to battle back following an injury-plagued rookie season.Moore said he had a good idea the Panthers were going to select him."It was a sigh of a relief when I saw North Carolina (area code) come up on my phone," Moore said. "I was like, 'OK http://www.tampabaybuccaneersteamonline.com/vinny-curry-jersey , this my pick.' They told me when I was on my draft visit they were going to (draft me), so they kept their promise."Moore was the 2017 Big Ten Receiver of the Year and first-team all-conference selection. He had a school-record 80 receptions for 1,033 yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games last season for the Terrapins. He also led Maryland in receiving as a sophomore with 41 receptions for 637 yards and six touchdowns.Rivera said Moore could also contribute right away as a returner in addition to playing wide receiver.The 6-foot, 210-pound Moore said he feels like he can be a week one starter at wide receiver "if I put the work in."Moore is the first draft pick chosen by Hurney's since 2012. Hurney was fired by the Panthers that year after conducting 11 drafts as GM, but returned to the team on an interim basis last summer and was hired full time in February.Hurney said he didn't think Moore would drop to No. 24.He said Moore reminds him a little of Smith."He has that play strength and that ability to break tackles and make yards after the catch," Hurney said. "That is a pretty high bar to set (comparing him to Smith) but there are a lot of things we liked about him.The Panthers have made the playoffs in four of the past five seasons http://www.tampabaybuccaneersteamonline.com/lavonte-david-jersey , but were knocked out in the first round last season by division foe New Orleans. The Saints swept all three games from Carolina, which made finding ways to match up better with them an offseason priority.Carolina's offense stalled most of the season in 2017 and it was often the defense that had to bail them out.The move comes on the same day the Panthers gave three-time Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen a two-year contract extension.

www.authenticsdenverbroncos.com

hongwei28 — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 02:32:11 +0000

Le’Veon Bell keeps saying he wants to stay with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers keep saying they want to keep one of the NFL’s best running backs in the fold for years to come.

They have until July 16 to make it happen.

The Steelers placed the exclusive rights franchise tag on the two-time All-Pro for a second straight spring on Tuesday Isaac Yiadom Color Rush Jersey , putting Bell’s long-term status with the club up in the air.

Bell, a two-time All Pro, accounted for 1,946 total yards and 11 touchdowns for the AFC North champions in 2017. Both Bell and Steelers management said after the season they hoped to get a contract extension done quickly, but failed to do so by Tuesday’s deadline for teams to use the franchise tag.

Bell is scheduled to make $14.54 million in 2018 if he signs the franchise tender and the two sides are unable to reach an agreement on a new deal. He skipped offseason workouts and training camp last summer before signing the tender on the eve of the regular season. The absence led to a sluggish start, though he was an indispensable part of Pittsburgh’s offense once again, breaking his own club record by catching 85 passes.

The 25-year-old made the 2017 All-Pro team at the ”flex” position, one he considered a tribute to his versatility. Bell said repeatedly over the past year he believes he’s different than other backs in the league and wants to be paid accordingly. He is arguably the best receiving back in the NFL and he’s averaged nearly 25 touches a game in five seasons, though he’s only been healthy at the end of the year twice. Bell has twice been suspended by the NFL for violations of the substance abuse policy.

Bell turned down a long-term deal with the Steelers last summer and told ESPN in January he would consider retiring if the Steelers used the franchise tag on him again. He backtracked a bit during the Pro Bowl when he said he believed a new contract was in the works. It was a sentiment echoed by both Steelers president Art Rooney II and general manager Kevin Colbert early in the offseason.

Pittsburgh’s depth behind Bell is thin. James Conner carried the ball 32 times during his rookie season and the club signed Stevan Ridley at the end of the regular season as insurance. Bell tweeted Monday that regardless of the circumstances he wants to remain with the Steelers.

”Pittsburgh: the city that took in a 21-year old kid from small-town Ohio, the city I battled thru adversity in, the city that I became a man in Josey Jewell Color Rush Jersey ,” Bell tweeted. ”I love everything about being a Pittsburgh Steeler, and I want nothing more than to finish the rest of my career in Pitt!”

—

Jon Gruden has never had a promising, young quarterback like Derek Carr to develop in 11 seasons as an NFL head coach.

Carr hasn’t had the opportunity to play for a coach like Gruden, an offensive mastermind known for his maniacal work ethic and attention to detail.

The way those two fare together will determine whether Gruden’s return for a second stint as coach of the Oakland Raiders will end up as the resounding success owner Mark Davis hoped for while pining for a reunion the past six years.

”I had a chance to visit with Derek Carr this morning and I said, `Derek, this is an unbelievable opportunity and if you’ll just take advantage of the opportunity, there’s so many great things in store for you, not only professionally but personally,”’ said Rich Gannon, whose career took off after joining Gruden in Oakland in 1999.

”Jon’s excited to work with Derek and Derek’s already a good player but he’s got a chance to be a Hall of Famer and win multiple Super Bowls if he’ll just do the work.”

Carr will be tested and challenged like he hasn’t in his first four seasons. Gruden is famous for arriving at work each day at 3:17 a.m., putting in long hours each week.

He will also ride Carr hard if necessary in order to bring out the best in his game.

”I don’t care how hard Derek worked before DaeSean Hamilton Color Rush Jersey , he’s going to have to change his work habits a little bit to fit in,” Gannon said.

Gannon became a star when he joined up with Gruden after 12 seasons as a journeyman in Minnesota, Washington and Kansas City. He became a first-team All-Pro in his second season with Gruden and won the league MVP the year after Gruden was traded to Tampa Bay.

Carr showed he was capable of being a top quarterback when he garnered MVP support in a breakthrough 2016 season. But he took a major step back this past year after signing a $125 million, five-year extension.

He matched his career high with 13 interceptions and recorded his worst totals in yards, touchdown and passer rating since his rookie year in 2014.

”I think there is a huge ceiling in Derek Carr,” Gruden said. ”I think he has proven that. Up to us as a coaching staff to improve around him, get more consistent, and come up with an offense that really allows him to soar into another level.”

Fixing Carr is just one of Gruden’s tasks. Getting receiver Amari Cooper back on track is nearly as important. After beginning his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, Cooper took a major step back in 2017. He was plagued by the drops that hurt him as a rookie and only topped the 100-yard mark twice all season while finishing with career lows with 48 catches for 680 yards.

It was a puzzling drop-off for a receiver who entered the year considered one of the top in the game. Hall of Famer Tim Brown said he believes Cooper could be in for a 120-catch season if he listens to Gruden’s advice.

”Even for a guy like me, who was having a pretty good career Sylvester Williams Color Rush Jersey , he was able to take me to another level, showing me how much better I could be,” Brown said. ”I thought I was doing pretty good. Sometimes you just have to turn your brain off and buy in. If you can do that great things can happen.”

Even some of the greatest players in the game’s history credit Gruden for some of their success. Hall of Famer Jerry Rice arrived in Oakland in 2001 as the most accomplished receiver in NFL history but appeared to be on the decline after failing to reach 1,000 yards in each of his final two seasons in San Francisco.

But he had a rebirth in Oakland under Gruden, catching 83 passes for 1,139 yards at age 39. He followed that up with 92 catches for 1,211 yards the following season and compared Gruden to his former coach in San Francisco, Bill Walsh.

”Could be your best friend or your worst enemy, that’s going to keep you on your toes,” he said. ”Maybe that was something that the players, they were lacking this year. Sometimes you fall into listening to the talk but you need a coach that’s going to keep you focused. With Jon Gruden Kerryon Johnson Color Rush Jersey , he’s that type of coach.”

While Gruden’s biggest impact is on offense, his leadership and intensity translate to the entire team. Hall of Famer Howie Long has seen just about everything. He played for 13 years, announced for more than two decades and has two sons in the NFL.

So Long knows what players want in a coach.

”They want to be great and they want to be led,” he said. ”They want to believe in the guy in front of the room. I call it the Saran Wrap factor. Players see right through that in the front of the room if you’re not authentic, you’re not genuine, you’re not that way every day. … Jon has that.”

—

Preseason is about the process

liny — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 02:22:16 +0000

Cheap Gerald McCoy Jersey , not the results As Nat Moore said on the Dolphins broadcast last night, the preseason is the opportunity to work on some things you didn’t do so well at last year. So what did the Buccaneers need to work on? On Offense, it’s the running game and playcalling. On Defense, everything. Preseason games are basically glorified scrimmages so what we can take away from them isn’t too much, but we can glean a few things.OffenseOffensive coordinator Todd Monken called the plays last night, and I thought he did a really good job. Better than Dirk Koetter in my opinion, if we’re being honest. He mixed in the run and the pass on first downs:On first downs in the first quarter with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center, Monken called five passes and three runs. Fitzpatrick finished 5/5 with 8.66 yards per attempt (ypa) on first downs and 6/8 for 6.9 ypa overall. Monken called two passes before calling running back Peyton Barber’s number on a first down and he ran well; his three carries yielded 5.66 yards per rush (ypr) as a good change-up.On first downs in the second quarter with Jameis Winston in, Monken called nine passes and two runs. Winston finished 6/8 with 8.5 ypa and one sack on his first down attempts, and 11/13 for 7.8 ypa overall. Ronald Jones III didn’t have a great night behind the Bucs’ patchwork second-team offensive line, and his two first-down rushes went for one yard (a goal-line rush, so to be fair we should factor that out), and a loss for one yard. Together, the offense on first downs finished 11/13 for 111 yards at 8.5 ypa and one sack and four rushes for 4 ypr. Juxtapose that with Koetter’s NFL-high rush rate of 66 percent on first downs early in games over the last two seasons, at a 3.3 yards per rush rate. It may have been the preseason, and maybe the Dolphins won’t end up being any good, but the process finally looks right; over the course of a season that’s a lot more yards, and opportunities to score. In large part because, perhaps counter-intuitively, passing on first down puts the offense in more manageable second downs much more often than running does. That in turn makes second down a standard down (as opposed to an obvious passing down where defenses have an advantage of likely knowing what’s coming) where the defense will again have to respect the threat of the run, which in turn also helps play action, and so on for third downs. Balance begets balance. On top of that Buccaneers Chandler Catanzaro Jersey , we actually got to see an RPO (run-pass option) in the red zone. Winston’s throw was a bit too high for WR Bobo Wilson, but to Mike Evans it would have very likely been at least a first and goal and maybe even a touchdown. I’m not sure but I believe this is a second level RPO; Winston is reading the linebacker. Winston holds it just long enough to get the linebacker to take a couple steps forward to help open up the passing lane, and then pulls it and throws it. I’d like to see his decision-making here be just a bit quicker and his throw placed better, but the linebacker did a great job forcing a tough decision and throwing angle. But, process and not results. Execution is something to work on, but any play call that gives your quarterback an easier read and throw in compressed space is a good play call. This is something the Bucs need a lot more of in the red zone this season and I hope it continues. So, why did Monken call plays? It’s a change I’ve been calling for for a while now, but now that we’ve seen it, I’m more convinced than ever that Monken should call the plays going forward. But it raises plenty of questions. If Dirk’s plan was to call plays this season, why let Monken have a shot? If he does it better than you, how can you go back? And if Monken is a better play caller, is it fair to ask what we’re even doing here? I’m not saying Monken should be the head coach or anything, far from it. But if Koetter is an average playcaller (his offenses have historically not scored points, only finishing in the top 10 in points per drive three times in the last eleven seasons and not since 2012) and average head coach (14-18 record), and your assistant does what you’re known for better than you...where do we go from here?DefenseTo be honest, I don’t think Mike Smith has changed his scheme up that much and I don’t think it was a good night for him or the defense. I still saw a lot of what we saw last year - McCoy being an unblockable beast, occasional flashes of a pass rush from others, problems with run fits, and a lot of what looked like soft quarters coverage. I can’t adequately describe how much I hate how far off they have the corners playing.Ryan Smith had a particularly rough night; he can’t start for this defense, and that makes the battle between Davis and Vernon Hargreaves one of the key ones to watch. The Bucs badly need Carlton Davis to lock down the other outside cornerback spot opposite Brent Grimes, who is 35, so Hargreaves can play the nickel/slot Cheap Mike Evans Jersey , where he’s much better suited. And if Davis does, was it because he’s legitimately starter quality, or because no one else on the roster is? I’ve seen a variation of the above crossing play be successful vs this defense so often in the last two years I’ve lost count. I didn’t really see much of what I was hoping to see in terms of improvement, and I don’t have great expectations for the defense this season. I think they’ll be better than last season, but they were the worst in the NFL last year. I’m not sold on Mike Smith being the answer to fix what’s wrong, but to be fair, at this point the secondary doesn’t seem to be there, whether it’s because of scheme, talent, or inexperience. Is Smitty playing his scheme because he thinks it works or because he doesn’t think he can run anything else with the talent he has? I don’t know. What I do know is your first team defense giving up over 10 ypa to David Fales is really, really bad.General Manager Jason Licht spent premium draft picks on physical corners Davis and M.J. Stewart. I wish we could see more of that physicality being displayed. Let Davis use his size; playing ten yards (ten yards!) off the line of scrimmage isn’t his game. And to be sure, Davis and Stewart had pretty good nights, and Davis had two pass breakups. This offense is much closer to being a finished product than the defense, and unlike the defense appears to be trending in the right direction, but we’ll look for week to week improvement in both squads as the preseason goes on. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play host to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. The two teams play in different divisions, but do have quite a bit of history against each other. Both teams are coming off of week one wins, and will each try and get to 2-0 on the season.Sunday will be a battle of of journeymen quarterbacks. Ryan Fitzpatrick “FitzMagic” and Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles are set to square off.This is the third season in a row that the Buccaneers will play host to a Super bowl champion from the previous year. The Buccaneers haven’t fared well the last two years, dropping games to the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots. Hopefully this year, Tampa can come out on top. All-time series matchup: Philadelphia leads 10-8.Playoff matchups: Teams are tied at 2-2. Last playoff meeting was in 2002 and the Buccaneers won 27-10.Last meeting: Bucs won 45-17 in Philadelphia. If you remember, this was probably Jameis Winston’s best game as a Buccaneer.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered yet another devastating loss

liny — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 02:08:22 +0000

on Sunday as they fell to the Atlanta Falcons 34-29. With that being said Carlton Davis Jersey , the people out there blaming Jameis Winston for the defeat need to get lost. I mean, seriously, enough is enough when it comes to blaming Winston for everything that goes wrong with this team. He can’t control the defense, nor the kicking game, or the coaching. If it wasn’t for Winston on Sunday, the Buccaneers would have lost this game by 20+ points. To those who say Fitzpatrick would haveyielded a better outcome, please go look at the majority of Fitz’s career, as well as the Chicago game, or the first half against the Steelers and try and convince me differently. Jameis Winston finished the game 30-41 (73.2%) for 395 yards and four touchdowns. The Buccaneers also posted their first 100+ yard rushing game for a grand total of 500+ yards of total offense, but still lost. Oh, by the way, the Buccaneers are only the second team since 1940 to lose with those offensive numbers in a game. Teams overall were 51-1-1 with those offensive numbers, and with two turnovers, teams were 17-0, but yeah...it’s Winstons fault.Yes, Winston threw two interceptions, one of them being in the end zone, which obviously cannot happen, but that was his first red zone INT since his rookie season in 2015, and certainly wasn’t the reason the Buccaneers lost this game. Interceptions happen, even Tom Brady throws them, but if Winston goes three more years until his next red zone interception, I’d be happy. Look, I would be the first to tell you that Winston must cut down on the turnovers just a little bit, but do you really want two yard check downs every play? Do you really want to watch an offense similar to the New York Giants? The Buccaneers run a vertical offensive scheme, which requires many throws down the field. It’s just natural for interceptions to happen. Does anyone remember what happened before halftime? Winston executed a perfect drive to cut the lead back down to eight with only 26 seconds remaining in the half. Yes, only 26 seconds were remaining in the half, but Mike Smith’s defense allowed Matt Ryan to drive 47 yards in four plays and it took less than 20 seconds. Again, a step forward by Winston, forgotten because of the defense.This defense that Jameis Winston has to contend with is historically bad. Currently, the Buccaneers defense has allowed opponents to score 34.6 PPG. No defense in the history of the NFL has allowed 30 PPG or more. The defense is also dead last in pass defense as they are allowing an average of 355.6 YPG. In more embarrassing stats, the defense is well on it’s way to setting a new record in opposing completion percentage, as well as opponent passer rating. The all-time record for completion percentageis 72.6%, currently, Tampa Bay is allowing 76.8%. The passer rating record is 116.2. Tampa Bay, through five weeks, is at 129.5. Those are just a few things that Winston has to contend with on a weekly basis. He isn’t only battling the other team, but he is also battling his own defense and has for the better part of four years now. So, basically, if the Buccaneers want to win, Winston and company must score over 35 points every week, never make a single mistake, and accumulate over 400 yards of offense. That’s just unrealistic Authentic Mike Evans Jersey , but still, fans will find a way to blame Winston. There islittle room for error on offense because of the inability of the defense. Watching the game, it almost feels as if once the offense doesn’t score on a possession or two, the game is over. This was evident in the first half as Tampa Bay jumped out to a 6-0 lead (thanks Catanzaro), but before you know it, it was 21-6 because the offense didn’t score on their next two possessions. It’s simply unfair to expect any offense to score a touchdown on every possession and as a result, the last three games have been the Buccaneers playing catch up the entire game.Once the Buccaneers get Winston an average defense (which won’t happen this year), the wins will start piling up. Until then, Winston will continue to be the scapegoat for many fans who want him out of town.Chasing the Booty: Dirk Koetter, the Buccaneers D-Line against the Saints, and more. Each and every Friday, managing editor Gil Arcia and deputy editor James Yarcho will discuss topics from the week pertaining to the Buccaneers and the rest of the NFL. Some things may have a positive spin while others may get under their skin.This column is broken up into different parts with brief takes: a hot button topic, a team headline, a wild card topic, and a point-counterpoint. We will also include the weekly Bucs Nation staff pick for Tampa Bay’s game.The Hot Button - Playcalling DutiesGil: A lot of folks are up in arms about playcalling-gate. Will head coach Dirk Koetter call the plays this season? Will offensive coordinator Todd Monken continue on from preseason? My thing with that is, it was preseason. So what the Bucs offense did against players playing for jobs or no longer employed has to be taken into account. Now I will say this. Monken deserves credit. His preseason playcalling was much better thanKoetter’s preseason playcalling — hence why they averaged more points per game. But I still take it back to what it was, preseason. I’m fine with Koetter calling plays. My issues have always been in the red zone when he wants to run four verts from inside the 20-yard line. Like, seriously? Just do better in that area, coach.James: This isn’t the first time I’ve commented on this, nor will it be the last. All signs point to Koetter retaining call playing duties as soon as 1:00 p.m. hits and the Bucs and Saints kick off. That’s what he’s told us, that’s what we have to go on.However, with a smoothly as things went in preseason with Monken making the calls, Koetter may realize that the offense is every bit as productive - maybe even more so - with Monken steering the ship. Koetter touched on how Monken calling plays allows him to focus on other aspects of game management and he may realize that he needs to trust Monken to do that job if he is going to keep his own. Either way, no matter who is calling the plays, the offense needs to execute. There were far too many red zone issues last season, too many blown opportunities for it to be all on the play calling.So, to Gil’s point and to add my own; Everybody, just do better in that area.Bucs Headliners: Koetter’s SecretsGil: I love Dirk Koetter press conferences. They are the greatest things in the world next to yellow rice and chicken. OK, maybe not that great. But they are at times spectacular. The Buccaneers head coach is in mid-season form with keeping things out of the media. When asked about the kick returner, he responded sarcastically. When asked about the starting running back position, he responded sarcastically. When asked about changing the offense for Ryan Fitzpatrick, he responded sarcastically. While I enjoy he’s sarcasm and find his way of throwing things in the face of media members with certain questions to be very entertaining, I just don’t understand the secrecy.I get the attempts at gaining a competitive advantage, but the only thing I can truly understand is not releasing information on whether or not the offense was altered for Fitzpatrick.James: Really, Gil? Yellow rice and chicken is the best comparison you’ve got? You could’ve gone Reese’s Cups, a perfectly cooked filet, or an ice cold beer but you went yellow rice and chicken? *Sigh* Anyway, here’s the thing about the Koetter pressers - I get it. He isn’t a fan of the media, he doesn’t want to give anything away, he isn’t the transparent and fun loving guy he was when he was the Offensive Coordinator.That’s all well and good, but here’s my issue: if you’re going to take a page out of Bill Belichick’s “How To Treat The Media During Press Conferences” memoir, you better have the skills to back it up.The reason guys like Belichick and Nick Saban (mostly) get away with the answers and attitude that they do is because they win. When you win all the time, you can say whatever you want however you want (within reason - not like the Saban/ESPN fiasco over the weekend) when you speak to the media. I get the “competitive advantage” but how much of an advantage is it really when you’re talking about the guy who is returning kicks when he might return two or three at the most? Koetter should probably ease up a tad.Week 1 Wild CardGil: For me Youth Kwon Alexander Jersey , I think the biggest NFL-related story has to be the partnership between former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Nike. The kneeling movement created by Kaepernickand the reasoning behind it all gets lost in the thoughts and opinions of many. And people seem to forget that it was a military veteran who gave him the suggestion of kneeling and has spoken publicly about it.Bucs Nation’s David Harrison touched on this same topic in his Hard Count column Thursday as I was already formulating my take on the matter. He brings up excellent points about the ad campaign, especially about the improper use of the term “sacrifice” by Nike.However, in a sense Kaepernick did sacrifice everything. He sacrificed his ability to play football and despite to constant warnings of kneeling, he continued to stand for what he believed in. In my opinion, you have to look at the bigger picture here and that is this campaign was a good move for both sides — despite the fact that this was already in the works. James: Good heavens. What a dumpster fire this is. Oh, Gil’s take on Kaepernick? No no no...I’m talking about Jon Gruden and the Oakland Raiders. How many Bucs fans that were screaming for this guy to return are eating a big, steaming pile of crow right now? He trades one of the best defensive players in the league, trades away a third round pick for a player that he cut (and took a shot at his GM’s drafting skills in the process), and has turned the roster into the oldest one in the NFL.Sound familiar?This is the same guy that had a constant rotation of geriatric quarterbacks at the helm in Tampa Bay, gave deals to nursing home residents like Charlie Garner and Tim Brown, while running Warren Sapp and John Lynch out of town.And people thought this was going to work?He wants to take the game back to 1896, refuses to integrate technology, and is being paid $100-Million dollars in the process. I literally cry laughing every time his name pops up in my Twitter feed because I know he’s done or said something else completely asinine and all I can think of is how great it is that the Bucs dodged that bullet. No, Koetter may not be the best coach we’ve ever seen, but if Gruden had come to town we may have seen portions of the young core shipped out of town in favor of guys that were still playing during Gruden’s last tenure.Point-Counterpoint: Bucs DL against the SaintsGil: The Buccaneers defensive line will make or break the team this weekend. There was so much emphasis on the trenches this offseason that all the time and money spent on piecing together a stellar defensive front, there should be no reason why the line does not “wreak havoc” like this year’s team slogan states.Granted, I get that there may be another reason for the team to be successful this weekend, as you alluded to, James. But, if games are truly won in the trenches then Week 1 is the perfect time for the defensive line to show up. Not next week. Not later in the season. This Sunday.James: I’m certainly the last one to discount the importance of the defensive line - especially in a divisional game with a first ballot Hall of Famer under center. It’s going to be crucial that the revamped defensive line get pressure after Brees and blow Kamara up in the backfield if they’re going to stay in it.But it can’t all be on the defense. Another key factor to the Bucs staying in it is production on offense.Chris Godwin, to me, is the key to victory. Yes, Mike Evans is one of the best receivers in the league. One could make the case he’s top ten. That’s exactly why the Saints will do everything they can to eliminate him from the game. Between Marshon Lattimore and the safety help he will receive, Evans will be covered like a pig in “slop” all game long. That means the go to guy in the passing game will be Godwin. With his big body and phenomenal hands, he will be the most reliable receiver outside of Evans to help move the ball up and down the field. Yes, DeSean Jackson will still be the big, explosive play guy, but if the Bucs are facing 3rd-and-9 from the 32 or it’s 3rd-and-Goal from the 8, Fitzpatrick will be looking for Godwin to expose the one-on-one opportunities he will face.Gil: Well, damn. You had a lot to say...Week 1 Game PredictionsLatest line: - Saints by 9.5, over/under: 49.5Gil: Bucs 23, Saints 20James: Saints 31, Bucs 23 Evan: Bucs 23, Saints 22Alex: Saints 28, Bucs 24Jon: Saints 34, Bucs 13Kyle: Bucs 24, Saints 20David: Bucs 31, Saints 24Bailey: Bucs 28, Saints 24Dustin: Saints 31, Bucs 20

The Baker Mayfield era has arrived! Bust open the fridges

liny — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 01:50:13 +0000

.Cleveland’s long winless streak is over Youth Chris Hubbard Jersey , as they defeated the Jets 21-17 on Thursday Night Football, improving to 1-1-1 on the season. What had the makings of another embarrassment of a game instead turned a chapter for the organization, as Mayfield relieved an injured Taylor and took charge of the offense in a major way. Let’s recap the action.The Browns’ first quarter was a pathetic showing on offense and special teams. QB Tyrod Taylor was 1-of-7 for 2 yards, and the playcalling did not fool the Jets’ defenders whatsoever. Cleveland’s defense was getting after QB Sam Darnold for several possessions, but then toward the end of the first quarter, RB Nick Chubb whiffed in his protection on special teams, leading to P Britton Colquitt’s punt being partially blocked.That gave the Jets starting field position within field goal range. On the first play of the second quarter, RB Isaiah Crowell punched it in from 7 yards out to give the Jets a 7-0 lead.On the first play of the Browns’ next possession, Taylor had WR Antonio Callaway wide open down the middle of the field for a touchdown. Taylor let the ball hang way too long, though, allowing CB Trumaine Johnson to make up ground for a giving knockaway. Before you knew it, it was another three-and-out for the offense.On the Jets’ next drive, they ran the ball repeatedly down Cleveland’s throat to the left side. Over and over — and then Crowell punched it in again from 2 yards out, making it a 14-0 lead mid-way through the second quarter.After that, the Browns finally moved the ball for the first time all game, but even that was ugly. It needed two 15-yard penalties by CB Trumanie Johnson to be sustained (one unsportsmanlike after a third down incompletion Womens Kevin Zeitler Jersey , and another personal foul that allowed for a Cleveland hold to be offset). After getting into field goal range, Cleveland had a 2nd-and-2...and then took a timeout, saw Taylor throw to no one deep in the end zone for an intentional ground (while not being pressured), and then was sacked on third down, leading to a punt.Taylor then went to the medical tent to be evaluated for a concussion as rookie QB Baker Mayfield got ready for his debut. Cleveland’s defense forced a quick three-and-out, allowing Mayfield to run the two-minute offense. Mayfield got a couple of completions on darts, but was then sacked for a loss of eight, forcing the team’s final timeout to be burned with 0:49 left and 43 yards away from the end zone. Another completion set the Browns up from 45 yards out, and K Greg Joseph pushed a 45-yard field goal through the uprights to put the team on the board at 14-3.The Jets were unable to move the ball much to begin the third quarter, leading to a punt. The punt, plus a block in the back, forced Mayfield’s first drive to start at the 5 yard line. He was able to move the offense to just past midfield, but the team elected to punt on 4th-and-4 from the 45 yard line.The Jets got a big first down throw on their next drive to WR Robby Anderson, but then CB Denzel Ward stripped the ball away and recovered it, returning it to the 8 yard line. Unfortunately, even that was not good enough to set the offense up for a touchdown Youth Baker Mayfield Jersey , and Mayfield was fortunate that his third-down pass to WR Jarvis Landry wasn’t picked off by the crossing safety. Joseph just barely made a 27-yard field goal to make it a 14-6 game.The defense forced another quick three-and-out, and then Mayfield led the Browns right down the field, including a beautiful catch by Landry down to the 1 yard line. RB Carlos Hyde punched it in from 1 yard out to make it 14-12. The Browns went for two, and after failing the first time, they got a re-do because of offsetting penalties. Cleveland pulled a trick play by having Landry throw a pass to Mayfield for the two-point conversion, tying the game at 14-14!Cleveland’s defense finally yielded points on the Jets’ next drive, but they were able to hold them to a 28-yard field goal with 9 minutes to go, now down 17-14.Mayfield then proceeded to put together a six-minute drive, dropping dimes left and right to his receivers, to get the ball to 1st-and-goal at the 1 yard line. With 2:04 to go, Hyde punched it in again on 3rd down to give the Browns their first lead of the game! The extra point made it 21-17, now putting the game in the hands of the defense.The Jets faced a 4th-and-10 in their own territory, and with all three timeouts, they still decided to go for it. An incredible catch at the marker by WR Jermaine Kearse extended the drive, but on the next play, LB Joe Schobert dove and intercepted Darnold Youth Emmanuel Ogbah Jersey , making up for his dropped pick earlier in the game!Cleveland took over at the Jets’ 43 yard line with 1:21 to go, but it wasn’t over yet because New York still had all three timeouts remaining. The Browns got it down to 4th-and-2 with 1:05 to go at the 34 yard line. Instead of going for it or attempting a 53-yard field goal, they punted down to the 6 yard line with 0:54 left.Darnold’s first pass was a 25-yard completion to WR Terrelle Pryor. On his next play, replay review determined Darnold’s knee was down on a sack before he could throw it away. With 0:19 to go, Darnold’s heave was picked off by CB Terrance Mitchell, sealing the win! Wooooooo!!!Quick HittersQB Baker Mayfield: 17-of-23 for 201 yards.QB Tyrod Taylor: 4-of-14 for 19 yards. 4 rushes, 22 yards.RB Carlos Hyde: 23 carries, 98 yards (4.3 YPC). 2 TD. 2 catches, 5 yards (3 targets).WR Jarvis Landry: 8 catches, 103 yards (15 targets).DE Myles Garrett: 3 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 pass defended.DT Larry Ogunjobi: 8 tackles, 2 for a lossCleveland Browns’ first depth chart of training camp The Cleveland Browns released their first unofficial depth chart of the season on Sunday. This is one of the first years where we don’t have to monitor who is atop the chart at quarterback.It’s always important to stress the word unofficial for these preseason depth charts, because typically, they are put together by staff members in the organization and not the head coach. Nonetheless, it’s still fun to look at where players fall. NOTE: We have manually amended this chart at WR to reflect the trading of WR Corey Coleman.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;!--.excel1 {padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;color:black;font-size:11.0pt;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;font-family:Calibri Youth Nick Chubb Jersey

Daily Dawg Chow: Browns news (10/3/18)

liny — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 01:35:53 +0000

Cleveland Browns:“Browns elevate DB Jeremiah McKinnon; place DB Terrance Mitchell on injured reserve” (Browns.com) - “Originally signed by Dallas as an undrafted free agent in 2016 http://www.brownsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-emmanuel-ogbah-jersey , McKinnon spent the first four weeks this season on the Browns’ practice squad.”“Big plays could lead to more carries for rookie Nick Chubb” (C-T) - “In a game in which his team wasted chance after chance to secure a victory, rookie running back Nick Chubb made the most of his opportunities. And then some.”“Hue Jackson backs off officiating, doesn’t want to get fined” (ABJ) - “A maddening decision in which a strip sack of Derek Carr was ruled a non-fumble didn’t change Sunday’s Browns game in Oakland, much.”“Browns might cut Antonio Callaway’s snaps” (PFT) - “Callaway dropped several passes and had an offensive pass interference penalty while playing 70 percent of the snaps against the Raiders in last Sunday’s loss.”NFL:“Injuries: Rob Gronkowski (ankle) did not practice” (NFL.com) - “Ezekiel Elliott will be good to go for Sunday night’s tilt versus the Houston Texans, via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News.”“NFL indefinitely suspends Seahawks LB Mychal Kendricks” (USA TODAY) - “The NFL on Tuesday indefinitely suspended the linebacker for violating the league’s personal conduct policy in the wake of his guilty plea to insider trading.”“Jets’ Isaiah Crowell gets wipe endorsement after celebration” (ESPN) - “New York Jets running back Isaiah Crowell has a new endorsement deal that may not, uh, sit well with his coach.”“Officials called five roughing the passer penalties in Week Four” (PFT) - “There were five roughing the passer penalties over 15 games after 34 of them were called in the first 48 games of the year.” Duke Johnson wore a backpack on Monday that seemed symbolic.The Browns finally asked him to carry a larger load.Of the handful of positives to emerge from Sunday's 37-21 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, capping another stormy week of change and uncertainty in Cleveland, Johnson's two-touchdown performance was at the top of the list.After being overlooked — some would argue misused — for much of the season, Johnson was the primary focus of the Browns' offensive game plan. He finished with nine catches for 78 yards, added one rush for eight and drew extra attention from Kansas City's defense, which allowed his teammates to make plays.Johnson was hesitant to say it, but Cleveland's change at offensive coordinator, with running backs coach Freddie Kitchens replacing the fired Todd Haley, made a difference."Um," Johnson said sheepishly when asked if the Kitchens-for-Haley swap was the reason for his rise in production. "I guess you could look at it that way. Again Duke Johnson Jersey , it's the same plays we've been calling, the same offense. There's just certain things that coach Kitchens likes better than coach Haley did."Before Sunday, Johnson's season-high was four catches and there were times when he wasn't on the field at all. What made that even more perplexing was that Johnson led the Browns (2-6-1) with 74 catches for 693 yards last season and developed into one of the NFL's best dual-threat backs.But with Haley concerned about getting touches for running backs Nick Chubb and Carlos Hyde, who was recently traded to Jacksonville, Johnson became the odd-man out.A proven playmaker not getting a chance to make plays.Johnson was targeted by rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield against the Chiefs, and he hopes to get even more opportunities as the season progresses."I think it is possible," Johnson said. "Just going out there and showing what I'm capable of doing, especially showing the reason why I'm here. It was a great showing for myself, but not so much for the team and we're about team here. We should have gotten the win, that's most important."Following his first game since being chosen Hue Jackson's interim replacement, defensive coordinator/head coach Gregg Williams said Johnson's breakout was caused by a combination of things, including Kitchens and Mayfield working together for the first time."Freddie did a good job and Baker, too," Williams said. "Baker's understanding of that from the read process — when a play is called as a quarterback, you don't automatically know it is going to go to that person. There is a read definition that takes you to that person, but from Baker and Freddie Authentic Christian Kirksey Jersey , they did a good job with that."It was good to see that with Duke. Just like what we have talked about with other people, I think he can do more and he will. He had a good fire about him, and he will continue to improve too. We need him to improve."Getting Johnson more involved didn't result in a win for the Browns, but it was a small step toward improvement.Cleveland matched a season-low with only four penalties, and Williams, who decided early on he was going to be aggressive, liked that his offense converted three times on fourth down.The Browns couldn't keep up with Kansas City's high-speed, high-scoring offense, but Johnson was impressed with the team's character in the aftermath of Jackson and Haley's firings."I never saw them blink," he said. "One, two, scores down or whatever, we were always in a position to continue to fight. I never saw them blink. That is good. That is what we are supposed to do as professionals. Young team, old team, I do not care — that was good. There was a lot of positive that way. Defensively, we have to play better."Another bright spot was left tackle Greg Robinson. The 2014 No. 2 overall pick made his first start for Cleveland filling in for Desmond Harrison Youth Chris Hubbard Jersey , who was out with an unspecified illness. Robinson not only protected Mayfield's blind side, but handled all his other duties."He played well, didn't he?" said Williams, who was on the Rams' staff when they selected Williams. "I've seen him develop as a young guy. I've seen him have his battles, ups and downs, and it's been good."Following the game, Mayfield singled out Robinson, who was grateful for the QB's praise."It felt good to just get out there with the boys, taking it to the game field rather than just practicing," said Robinson, signed by the Browns in June. "It was encouraging and I'm really happy that he spoke well about me."NOTES: Williams did not have updates on rookie CB Denzel Ward (hip), CB E.J. Gaines (concussion) or LB Christian Kirksey (hamstring), all injured Sunday. Williams reiterated his decision to sit DB Damarious Randall (groin) was so he can be healthy for multiple games and not just one.