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2010年9月26日星期日
Deon Out After Surgery, Anderson out 2-4 Weeks
IRVING, Texas - The Cowboys will have just one fullback available for Sunday's game with the Bears after veteran Deon Anderson underwent knee surgery on Wednesday to clean out torn meniscus.
Anderson is expected to miss 2-4 weeks. The football jerseys
Cowboys travel to Houston next week, which is followed by the bye week. It's possible that Anderson misses only two games over a three-week span.
But in the meantime, Anderson's absence leaves rookie Chris Gronkowski, an undated free agent from Arizona, as not only the only fullback, but the third tight end as well. Gronkowski has assumed more of an H-back role since making the squad.
"He's done a pretty good job," head Coach Wade Phillips said of Gronkowski, who had an eight-yard gain, last week for his first NFL carry. "He didn't do a lot other than special teams. He did well on special teams. But he did a nice job on the run from the goal line. We have enough confidence to give him the ball on our Buffalo Bills jersey
1-yard line. He played a couple of (offensive) plays. But we feel good about him."
Clearly, the Cowboys have more confidence in giving the ball to Gronkowski, who already has half the number of career carries as Anderson, who has just two rushes for three yards. Both carries occurred in 2008, as Anderson didn't have a single rush in 2007 or 2009. Anderson does have nine career receptions, although just one last season.
The Cowboys decided to keep two fullbacks on the 53-man roster, mainly because they had just two tight ends in Jason Written and Marcellus Bennett. Third tight end John Phillips suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the first preseason game.
Phillips said he's comfortable with just one fullback and two tight ends Steelers jersey
for the game, for now.
"Right now we are; that could change," Phillips said of those two positions.
Anderson is expected to miss 2-4 weeks. The football jerseys
Cowboys travel to Houston next week, which is followed by the bye week. It's possible that Anderson misses only two games over a three-week span.
But in the meantime, Anderson's absence leaves rookie Chris Gronkowski, an undated free agent from Arizona, as not only the only fullback, but the third tight end as well. Gronkowski has assumed more of an H-back role since making the squad.
"He's done a pretty good job," head Coach Wade Phillips said of Gronkowski, who had an eight-yard gain, last week for his first NFL carry. "He didn't do a lot other than special teams. He did well on special teams. But he did a nice job on the run from the goal line. We have enough confidence to give him the ball on our Buffalo Bills jersey
1-yard line. He played a couple of (offensive) plays. But we feel good about him."
Clearly, the Cowboys have more confidence in giving the ball to Gronkowski, who already has half the number of career carries as Anderson, who has just two rushes for three yards. Both carries occurred in 2008, as Anderson didn't have a single rush in 2007 or 2009. Anderson does have nine career receptions, although just one last season.
The Cowboys decided to keep two fullbacks on the 53-man roster, mainly because they had just two tight ends in Jason Written and Marcellus Bennett. Third tight end John Phillips suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the first preseason game.
Phillips said he's comfortable with just one fullback and two tight ends Steelers jersey
for the game, for now.
"Right now we are; that could change," Phillips said of those two positions.
2010年9月25日星期六
Garrett: Offense won't deviate
IRVING - As the offense struggles the debate rages. Is Cowboys coordinator Jason Garrett stubborn or simply clueless?
Well, that's the sanitized account. For the raw, unfiltered version, nfl throwback jerseys
check out a bog or catch a few minutes of talk radio.
Garrett defended his approach Wednesday without sounding defensive. He calmly explained his philosophy and was clear that he won't deviate. It comes down to better execution for a proven formula. The Cowboys will stay the course.
And what about the suggestion that Garrett involves too many players during these trying 0-2 times that he's too democratic for his own good?
He doesn't buy it.
"We're always trying to get the running game going, we're always trying to have efficiency and success in the passing game," Garrett said. "We're not doing this to be democratic. We're doing this because we feel this is the right way to run an offense with the people we have.
"I think we've had success with this approach in the past. We certainly lean on a number of our marquee players and then there are roles for other guys as well. It's a good way to run an offense, to attack defenses different ways. You have to be successful executing in the different ways you're doing it, and we'll continue to work at that and get better at that."
The broad stroke ideas behind this offense are balance and distribution.
But two games in eight days don't speak to the big picture. It speaks to an offense that averages 13.5 points to rank near the bottom of the NFL.
When an offense struggles with points and penalties, doesn't it make sense to limit distribution until it clicks? Isn't it easier to establish one or two players, one or two plays, than six or seven? Why not find a hot hand, ride it for a game or two, then expand?
"What we're always trying to do is emphasize the strengths of Cowboys jersey
our players," Garrett said.
"This is the group of guys we have. We like them all, and we certainly have guys who play more and get the ball more than other guys. And that's going to change from week to week. This guy has to block more this week; this guy has to catch more this week. That's how it works."
A key to this offense is rhythm. Penalties disrupt that rhythm. The Cowboys have five false starts and their offense ranks second in the league with 11 penalties. The continuity the coaches and players touted during the off-season hasn't helped.
A team that ranked seventh in rushing last season is now tied for 28th with 139 yards through two games. Seven of the team's 42 carries have lost yardage.
"We've got to run the ball better," Garrett said, repeating those words again for emphasis. "It's plain and simple. We've got to block better, we've got to run better. We've got to reestablish that on a consistent basis.
"We're working hard to do that."
Critics charge the Cowboys don't have an offensive identity. They do. Its balance and diversity.
The problem is their philosophy has been compromised by an inability to run the ball. It has thrown the offense out of whack and impacted the play calling.
Garrett refuses to acknowledge any frustration. He reflects and questions individual calls made during a game but not his approach. He's convinced the best chance for success is to trust preparation, make decisions and go.
"We've got to eliminate the negative plays, eliminate the penalties and go Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
forward," Garrett said. "There are a lot of good things that are happening. We've got to build on the good things and eliminate the bad things.
"You've just got to keep banging away. I mean it's hard in the NFL to move the ball; it's hard in the NFL to score points.
"We've got to do things better each and every play, each and every day."
Is Garrett clueless? Is he stubborn, or does he rightfully cling to his faith in a system that has worked before and will work again?
Please feel free to bog among yourselves.
Well, that's the sanitized account. For the raw, unfiltered version, nfl throwback jerseys
check out a bog or catch a few minutes of talk radio.
Garrett defended his approach Wednesday without sounding defensive. He calmly explained his philosophy and was clear that he won't deviate. It comes down to better execution for a proven formula. The Cowboys will stay the course.
And what about the suggestion that Garrett involves too many players during these trying 0-2 times that he's too democratic for his own good?
He doesn't buy it.
"We're always trying to get the running game going, we're always trying to have efficiency and success in the passing game," Garrett said. "We're not doing this to be democratic. We're doing this because we feel this is the right way to run an offense with the people we have.
"I think we've had success with this approach in the past. We certainly lean on a number of our marquee players and then there are roles for other guys as well. It's a good way to run an offense, to attack defenses different ways. You have to be successful executing in the different ways you're doing it, and we'll continue to work at that and get better at that."
The broad stroke ideas behind this offense are balance and distribution.
But two games in eight days don't speak to the big picture. It speaks to an offense that averages 13.5 points to rank near the bottom of the NFL.
When an offense struggles with points and penalties, doesn't it make sense to limit distribution until it clicks? Isn't it easier to establish one or two players, one or two plays, than six or seven? Why not find a hot hand, ride it for a game or two, then expand?
"What we're always trying to do is emphasize the strengths of Cowboys jersey
our players," Garrett said.
"This is the group of guys we have. We like them all, and we certainly have guys who play more and get the ball more than other guys. And that's going to change from week to week. This guy has to block more this week; this guy has to catch more this week. That's how it works."
A key to this offense is rhythm. Penalties disrupt that rhythm. The Cowboys have five false starts and their offense ranks second in the league with 11 penalties. The continuity the coaches and players touted during the off-season hasn't helped.
A team that ranked seventh in rushing last season is now tied for 28th with 139 yards through two games. Seven of the team's 42 carries have lost yardage.
"We've got to run the ball better," Garrett said, repeating those words again for emphasis. "It's plain and simple. We've got to block better, we've got to run better. We've got to reestablish that on a consistent basis.
"We're working hard to do that."
Critics charge the Cowboys don't have an offensive identity. They do. Its balance and diversity.
The problem is their philosophy has been compromised by an inability to run the ball. It has thrown the offense out of whack and impacted the play calling.
Garrett refuses to acknowledge any frustration. He reflects and questions individual calls made during a game but not his approach. He's convinced the best chance for success is to trust preparation, make decisions and go.
"We've got to eliminate the negative plays, eliminate the penalties and go Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
forward," Garrett said. "There are a lot of good things that are happening. We've got to build on the good things and eliminate the bad things.
"You've just got to keep banging away. I mean it's hard in the NFL to move the ball; it's hard in the NFL to score points.
"We've got to do things better each and every play, each and every day."
Is Garrett clueless? Is he stubborn, or does he rightfully cling to his faith in a system that has worked before and will work again?
Please feel free to bog among yourselves.
2010年9月24日星期五
24 sep 10 Cribbs not begging Browns for ball
BEREA, Ohio (AP)—Already one of the NFL’s elite return specialists, Joshua Cribbs(notes) is developing into a bona fide wide receiver for the Browns.
He’s got the size, the strength, the speed.
All he’s lacking is the selfishness.
Struggling through two games, Cleveland’s offense could use a spark, and thefootball jersey
multitalented Cribbs, a former quarterback at Kent State, seems to be the logical choice to provide one. Trouble is, he needs the ball in his hands to make things happen, and for whatever reason, the Browns hardly gave it to him Sunday in a 16-14 loss to Kansas City.
Cribbs refuses to beg Cleveland’s coaches for the ball.
“I can only bribe the quarterbacks,” he joked.
However, the Browns’ offensive ineptitude is no laughing matter.
With backup quarterback Seneca Wallace(notes) pressed into starting because of Jake Delhomme’s(notes) ankle injury, Cleveland gained just 55 yards in the second half against the Chiefs, whose defense finished 30th overall in the league last season. The Browns managed a mere three first downs after halftime, and one of those came courtesy of a penalty.
On Monday, coach Eric Mangini lamented not using the wildcat formation with Cribbs at QB and Wallace split wide. The Browns ran it just once, with Cribbs picking up a yard on a run late in the second quarter.
Cribbs was pleased to hear Mangini’s admission.
“I agree and whenever they call my number, I’ll be ready,” Cribbs said. “At the same time, if we win that game, nobody is talking about Josh is not getting the football enough.”
Cribbs had three catches for 74 yards, 65 coming on a TD pass from Wallace, who may have to start again in Baltimore on Sunday for Delhomme. The Chiefs also neutralized Cribbs on returns by kicking the ball high and short to Cleveland’s up backs. The strategy resulted in Cribbs getting one kickoff return for 19 yards and one punt return for 5.
There wasn’t much Cribbs could do. He certainly wasn’t going to compound things by complaining.
“As a leader, I’m not the guy who begs for the football,” he said. “I will let them coach. I’m sure they realize, ‘Hey, we got to get him the ball more.’ It will happen. There are certain situations in the game where it’s not the right time for my number to be called and that’s just the way it is.”
Cleveland may need to get creative against the Ravens’ fearsome defense, the only unit not to give up a touchdown this season. Complicating matters for the Browns is that running back Jerome Harrison(notes) missed practice with a thigh injury, and wide receiver Brian Robiskie(notes) injured his hamstring Chicago Bears jersey
during practice Wednesday.
Cribbs can’t do it all, except that he may have to.
He does give the Browns multiple options. They can put him at wide receiver, quarterback, running back, in the slot or on the edge. The wildcat can be effective, but Wallace cautioned that it may not work against a defense has aggressive as Baltimore’s.
“You have to pick and choose when you want to use it and utilize it,” he said. “Cribbs is a great athlete, so he’s going to make it happen whatever defense we’re against.”
Baltimore, though, is a different beast.
The Ravens have forced their opponents to settle for field goals on all six trips inside the red zone. For Cleveland, which has yet to score in the second half this season, to score a touchdown, it may have to come on a big, long play.
Cribbs believes the Browns have enough quality playmakers, and that the Browns only need to avoid the costly penalties and turnovers that sabotaged scoring drives last week—and in the opener at Tampa Bay.
“I think we’re OK,” Cribbs said. “If we just limit our mistakes and make just one or two mistakes in each game, we’d be 2-0. We turned the ball over. We gave them 10 points on offense. For two weeks in a row, we’ve given their team 10 points. If we don’t do that, we’re 2-0 and no one is saying Cribbs needs the ball. We need to sharpen it up on offense and do our jobs.”
Mangini has warned that those who make mistakes will pay with playing time.
Violators will be prosecuted, and sentenced to Mangini’s bench.
“That’s a good message,” Cribbs said. “Your livelihood is at stake. We talk about a recession. Guys will not have a job. They will be out of here. Coach is serious about that. He has shown in the past that he will activate practice squad guys, guys who are going to be hungry.”
Right now, Cribbs is starving for the football. But he can’t feed it to himself.
It’s not in Cribbs’ nature to be demanding, but now New Orleans Saints jersey
may not be a bad time to start.
Make no mistake, he wants the ball anyway he can get it.
“I’m sure the coaches are working on that now,” he said. “There are a lot of different things that are in the game plan, but you don’t know how much I’ll touch the football. I just don’t know if it will be a lot.”
2010年9月22日星期三
Auburn seeking balance, more physical play
AUBURN, Ala. (AP)—The Auburn offense is a bit of an enigma.
The 17th-ranked Tigers have run nearly three times more than they’ve passed and the offensive line is the most experienced group on the team. Yet the biggest complaint from coach Gene Chizik is they aren’t playing physically enough to control the line of scrimmage going into Saturday night’s game against No. 12 South Carolina.
“I feel like we need to be playing more physical,” Chizik said Tuesday. “I don’t feel like there’s any football jerseys
secret. We’ve had that discussion over the last two days. I think they know it, we know it, they have to fix it. If we’re going to win the football game Saturday, that’s going to be part of the equation that we got that fixed.”
So far Auburn (3-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) has managed to overcome it — barely. Now, they’re facing one of the league’s sturdiest defenses, which could be even stronger with the expected return of linebacker Shaq Wilson from injury.
The Tigers were pushed around in the first half of the Clemson game in falling behind 17-0 and faltered twice on third-and-2 with a 4-yard loss and an incomplete pass. In the fourth quarter, Auburn drove to midfield in a tie game but quarterback Cameron Newton was tackled for a 2-yard loss on yet another third-and-2.
The Tigers managed to win in overtime, but left frustrated.
“We can’t continuously put ourselves in the situation we have been,” Newton said. “Sooner or later, our luck will run out.”
An offensive line with four seniors and 121 combined starts takes Chizik’s message on getting more physical a little personally.
“We accept the challenge,” guard Byron Isom said. “We’re very focused on that this week. It’s really a challenge when he puts it on you. You just have to respond. It kind of hurts a little bit, but you can’t get down on yourself. We’re definitely going to respond to that.”
Do Chizik’s comments bother left tackle Lee Ziemba? Nope.
“I’ve seen the same film he has,” Ziemba said. “We definitely need to be more physical up front to win ballgames. That’s showed up big time.”
The Tigers have got a tough opponent to take on in that regard. South Steelers jersey
Carolina (3-0, 1-0) ranks in the Top 10 nationally in both scoring defense and run defense, allowing 12.7 points and 59.7 rushing yards a game.
The Gamecocks haven’t allowed a first-half touchdown yet.
Plus, Wilson is expected to play for the first time this season following a hamstring injury early in preseason camp. He led the Gamecocks in tackling last year. Fellow linebacker Rodney Paulk said his return would “be real big” ahead of facing Newton & Co.
“He is the quarterback of the defense and to have him back would be a major extra point to have for us,” Paulk said. “If you talk with him, he’s feeling real good right now and expects to play this weekend.”
The statistics don’t necessarily indicate what the fuss is all about for Auburn. Yes, the Tigers lead the SEC and rank 12th nationally in rushing. And they’re tops in the nation in pass efficiency, thanks largely to a nation’s best 11.8-yard average per completion and a touchdown on nearly one of every seven throws.
The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Newton has produced some big plays in the passing game, but he has run 50 times and passed only 47. None of Auburn’s tailbacks have even carried 40.
“We’re preparing for an even match, run and pass,” South Carolina safety DeVonte Holloman said.
But Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier would like to see Newton have to fling the ball around more than he has.
“We have to stop the run first and get him throwing the ball,” Spurrier said. “We also have to hold onto him. He can shake an arm or a hand if someone is trying to tackle him like that. You have to get a good grasp on a quarterback that’s big and strong and elusive.”
In the passing game, Newton hasn’t had great protection. He has been sacked five times and forced to run on many other occasions. Not many targets have stepped up consistently. Only Darvin Adams has had multiple receptions in more than one game, and he’s responsible for a third of the wide receivers’ Vikings jersey
catches.
“He’s made some really good throws into some tight areas,” Chizik said. “We’ve got to give him time to throw and we’ve got to get some more receivers open. That’s the gameplan.”
Tuesday Notebook: The latest from Piscataway
The countdown continues until Rutgers’ Saturday afternoon showdown with North Carolina. On Tuesday afternoon, Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano addressed the media during his weekly press conference to discuss the latest news from Piscataway.
An increased role
It appears as though redshirt freshman offensive guard Antwan Lowery nfl jerseys
could have an increased role as the season moves on. Schiano commented on the progress of his converted d-tackle.
“He’s getting better. He’s getting more confident in doing what he’s supposed to do. He’s a young guy. He’s played the position for a spring, training camp and two games, but he’s a very talent young guy so we need to keep progressing him. As he gets more and more comfortable, I think he’s going to get better and better.”
The competition on the offensive line also looks like it will continue through the week.
“Antwan Lowery is going to be in the mix. Where Caleb Ruch shows up, that’s to be determined. The tackles are pretty much set with Devon Watkis now coming back. He’s practiced two days now, he’s not 100 percent but I think by the end of the week he’ll be pretty close. So we’ll have a little more depth which creates a little more competition in practice and it gives you options if things are not going the way you like.”
The injury bug
The injury bug has bitten a few Scarlet Knights and the latest to go down is fifth-year senior Edmond Laryea.
“Yesterday, we lost Edmond Laryea for the year,” said Schiano. “It’s a knee, he’s going to need to get surgery eventually. That’s two guys now out for the year, and actually three guys with Rob Horrell, a true freshman, so that starts to pile up on you. We have guys that are trying to come back from some injuries.”
Schiano stated that he is looking into the possibility of getting Laryea a sixth year of eligibility. He also mentioned what kind of impact his loss will have on the team.
“Since he was playing both ways, it definitely impacts us. We’ll move one of the linebackers up, I don’t know. They’re all working right now. [Marvin] Booker is working, Jim Dumont obviously has been backing up all season. Dave Milewski might break into the fold, we’re still trying to decide that. Offensively, Paul Carrezola will work some fullback and we’ll see who else.”
Joe Martinek has also been slowed with an ankle problem, but could return for Saturday’s game.
“Like I’ve said all along, I don’t know if he’s going to be able to make it back, it’s going to be real close,” said Schiano. “Can he make it back? Sure, he can go stand and play, but can he play at the level we need to compete with that defense, I’m not sure. We’re going to have to wait and see. That will be a game time decision.”
If Martinek is unable to go, it could mean the very first start at running back for true freshman Jordan Thomas.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen but I’m very confident in Jordan,” said Schiano. “I don’t know, maybe I’m getting old, but I don’t put as much stock on the starting part. The guy knows he’s going to play, he’s going to face that opponent but I probably am. I probably lose sight of it a little bit. I think he’ll do fine no matter what his role is. San Francisco 49ers jersey
I think Jordan is getting better by the day. He has made a big leap from the end of the FIU game until today. I think he’s improved.”
The Wild Knight
In light of Rutgers’ recent offensive struggles, the wildcat has become a more an more popular formation with Mohamed San manning the controls.
“I think as you’ve seen, it’s important to us,” Schiano said of the wildcat. “It’s not a mainstay but it’s something that we do interject. I think what it does, is it changes up the tempo a little bit. How much it comes out, you never know. Some games you go in with the plan to run it five, six times and you end up running it 15 times. Other games you think it’s going to be a big part of the plan and they stop it. Ebbs and flows as an offensive play call, you’re going to have to have a feel for the game.”
The double move
During Rutgers’ 2008 44-12 loss to UNC, the double move helped do the Scarlet Knights in as the secondary was victimized by eventual 3rd and 1st round NFL Draft picks Brandon Tate and Hakeem Nicks. Schiano responded to whether his team will be prepared to contend with those double moves on Saturday.
“We better be. I can’t promise that we are, but we’re working on it. They do a great job, in an organized manner, creating big play opportunities. That’s what they’ve done. [T.J. Yates] is a guy that can make those plays. I think it starts and ends with him. They’re averaging 310 yards a game passing over these first two games and he’s throwing the ball all over the lot. They’ve got talented receivers. You look at their wide receivers and they look like clones. They’re all 6-foot-3, 6-foot-4, tall, good looking guys that can run.”
Much of the personnel has changed on both teams since that loss, although there are benefits of watching the game tape of the 2008 contest.
“I think the only reason that you watch it, is all the coordinators are the same,” said Schiano. “There are a lot of similarities of what they’re doing now and what they did then, and the same thing goes for us. It’s great, if in fact there are similarities to watch yourself.”
Full-time Freeny
This season has introduced senior defensive end Jonathan Freeny to a new role in that he is now playing every down as opposed to just being a pass-rushing specialist. Schiano commented on how Freeny has handled that transition.
“He’s playing at a high level. He doesn’t wear down. We rest him, Sorie Buffalo Bills jersey
[Bayoh] has been able to go in there and take some plays off his plate, we need to do that. He’s still a great third down pass rusher, but I think he’s become an every-down guy.”
NU announces settlement with Big 12
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has reached an agreement with the Big 12 Conference, clearing the way for Nebraska to formally conclude its affiliation with the Big 12.
Under the terms of a negotiated settlement announced today by cheap nfl jerseys
the Big 12 and UNL, the conference will withhold $9.255 million from the estimated $19 million in revenues otherwise distributable to the university during the last two years of its participation in the Big 12. The original estimated reduction totaled $19.37 million.
Should Nebraska’s football team be one of two Big 12 teams to play in a BCS bowl game this season, the fee would be reduced by $500,000 to $8.755 million. The settlement is final pending approval by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.
“The University of Nebraska believes this is a fair settlement of Chicago Bears jersey
our disagreement regarding the appropriateness in this instance of imposing any monetary fee on the university for withdrawing from the conference. We continue to value our ongoing relationships with the institutions of the Big 12 and have great respect for their leadership and the leadership of the conference,” said Chancellor Harvey Perlman.
“We feel the long-term benefits of entering into the Big Ten, both academically and athletically, will make this a very good investment,” said Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne.
Said Big 12 Conference Commissioner Dan Beebe:
“This agreement was accomplished through a collegial, respectful process among the conference, its institutions, and the University of Nebraska that led to a resolution that all parties believe is fair. I appreciate the cooperation of Chancellor Harvey Perlman and Nebraska staff. The Big 12 has enjoyed its New Orleans Saints jersey
relationship with Nebraska and wishes it well in the future.”
Over the past four years Nebraska received approximately $10 million annually in revenues from the Big 12 Conference. Nebraska will become an official member of the Big Ten Conference July 1, 2011.
2010年9月21日星期二
STICKING WITH IT, WHATEVER 'IT' IS Jays'
It could have been the move to cleanup in the batting order. Perhaps some slight adjustments to his swing and stance. Possibly a change in approach, being more disciplined and selective.
Or, maybe it was just time.
Evan Longoria doesn't really know what led to his nfl jersey
recent resurgence, and he doesn't really care to probe too deeply. All that matters to him is that after two months of struggle, he's feeling good at the plate and, more important for the Rays as they opened a series in Anaheim late Monday, doing better, picking up American League co-player of the week honors as proof.
"I don't know; it's just part of the game," Longoria said. "You go a little bit bad and start thinking a little bit too much, and trying to maybe fix things that aren't even there.
"So it was just a matter of having a couple good swings in a row and starting to feel that confidence, a hitter's confidence again. Just going into the box and having confidence is the biggest thing."
It may not be quite that simple, but something is working:
In a 50-game stretch from June 12-Aug.8, Longoria hit .234 with four homers, 23 RBIs and 16 extra-base hits.
In the 13 games since, from his Aug.9 move to cleanup going into Monday, Longoria hit .345 with three homers, 14 RBIs and 13 extra-base hits.
"I feel good," Longoria said. "I've had a really, really good approach the last week and a half, and even when I'm not getting hits I'm still squaring the ball up, which is a good feeling."
Surely manager Joe Maddon has some theories on what Longoria is doing Steelers jersey
differently.
"I really believe he's got his physical mechanics back in order," Maddon said. "Because of that, when he's seeing his pitch he's not missing it. He's not fouling it off. He's not taking it. It's going fair, hard.
"When you teach hitting, whenever I taught hitting, the mental concept is that you put your body in position that if you see your pitch, you hit it hard and you keep it fair. You don't take it, and you don't foul it off. When he was going badly I think he was taking it or fouling it off."
That sounds good.
Except then Maddon said it could have also been mental, stemming from Longoria swinging at too many bad pitches by expanding his strike zone.
"That's part of it, too," he said. "When guys struggle and expand, all of a sudden they think there's something wrong with their mechanics. No, you're just swinging at balls. Swinging at bad pitches. Nobody hits those pitches. You can have the most pristine, perfect physical mechanics ever invented and still be bad because nobody hits that pitch. So that's what you got to get across to hitters sometimes. You always research what you're thinking first before you go to the physical side."
Well, there's that, too.
What's clear is that Longoria is on a roll, and at a key time as the Rays head into the final six weeks of the season. Even with the two bad months, the overall numbers he took into Monday's homecoming at Angel Stadium are impressive: .292 with 18 homers, 84 RBIs (11th most in the league), 63 extra-base hits (third) and an .882 OPS (11th).
"I'm swinging a lot better," Longoria said. "And like I alwa Vikings jersey
ys say, when I'm going through a phase like this I just try to do all the same things I've been doing and try to stay hot."
Oakland A's update: Gio Gonzalez sharp in 8-0 rout of Angels
After four disastrous days in New York that effectively ended any last sniff of an AL West title, the A's rediscovered the comforts of the Coliseum on Friday night, even with the Raiders having chewed up their field the night before.
Gio Gonzalez pitched six scoreless innings and Kevin Kouzmanoff and Cliff Pennington hit two-run homers in a six-run seventh as the A's posted an 8-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
Even though he had just one 1-2-3 inning and threw only nfl throwback jerseys
four first-pitch strikes to the 24 hitters he faced, Gonzalez (13-8) nonetheless won his third consecutive start. He allowing just four hits while walking three and striking out six.
"The numbers were better than he pitched," said manager Bob Geren. "That was a battle from the first pitch for him. He didn't throw that well, but to his credit, he kept the runs off the board."
Oakland broke open a close game against the Angels bullpen in the seventh. After Kurt Suzuki opened the inning with an infield single, Kouzmanoff hit his 14th homer over the wall in center field against Jason Bulger. Pennington later hit his fourth against Brian Stokes.
A scary moment occurred with one out in the ninth inning when the Angels' Mike Napoli shattered his bat on a grounder and the sharp end of the broken barrel nearly impaled A's reliever Brad Ziegler. Ziegler suffered a bruise and a deep scratch behind his shoulder but was able to finish the San Francisco 49ers jersey
game.
Eric Chavez wasn't the only long-lost face who turned up Friday night. Pitchers Josh Outman and Joey Devine, who have been jointly rehabbing from their respective Tommy John elbow surgeries throughout this season in Arizona, are in town so the A's can evaluate their progress.
The right-handed Devine hasn't pitched for the A's since a sparkling 2008 season when he posted a 6-1 record and 0.59 ERA in 42 games out of the bullpen. He has had a slow recovery from the surgery he underwent on April 21, 2009, but said he hopes to get in some official action before the end of this season.
"I'm ready to pitch a game,'' he said. "I just want to get the feeling back of being between the lines, facing a hitter where there's some meaning behind it. Then the next thing is to wake up the next morning and see how (the arm) feels.''
The left-handed Outman, who underwent his surgery on June 30, 2009, after opening the season 4-1 as a starter, is taking a more cautious approach.
"I just know I'm going to pitch again,'' he said. "Whether it's this year or Buffalo Bills jersey
next year, the goal is to be ready to go next spring training."
The A's have signed former Florida Marlins and Boston Red Sox outfielder Jeremy Hermida and assigned him to Triple-A Sacramento. Hermida, a former first-round pick by the Marlins in 2002 (11th overall), is a career .265 hitter with 62 home runs spread over six seasons.
Jays' best shot not enough to stop potent Rays;Marcum and Price go toe-to-toe in classic duel, but
The Jays lost 2-1 Wednesday night, but came within a clean John Buck swing of the bat of taking this one from the masterful Tampa Bay Rays.
It was a good show by the Jays, who have been putting on a good show for most of the season and convincing fans and critics alike that one day they will catch up to the likes of the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees in the ever-tough AL East Division.
"I could tell when I hit it that it was off football jerseys
the hands," Buck said of his high flyball out at the warning track off reliever Rafael Soriano, who picked up his league-leading 40th save.
It wasn't that the Jays were overmatched in this one. Buck had homered off Cy Young contender David Price in the fifth inning to give Toronto a brief 1-0 lead. The Rays answered back in their half of the inning when Sean Rodriguez hit a solo homer off Jays ace Shaun Marcum.
Rodriguez is a career 6 for 6 off Marcum with five extra-base hits. Marcum says he gets two strikes on Rodriguez, but can't finish him off. While the Jays lead the majors in homers and are rightly credited for having a sound, young starting staff, the Rays have all that and play any kind of baseball they need to bag a win.
Buck, like Marcum and several other Jays, realize the Rays' ability to steal a base, sacrifice to move runners and have superstars like Evan Longoria punch out a game-winning hit are some of the reasons why Tampa is in first place.
It was Longoria who delivered the game-winning RBI in a Chicago Bears jersey
great eighth inning at-bat against Jays reliever Scott Downs Wednesday night. That gives the Rays an MVP-calibre player doing MVP-like things, to go along with a potential future hall of famer in Carl Crawford and a host of excellent role players.
Toronto has players like minor league base-stealing king Anthony Gose in the talent pool to answer those shortcomings in the Jays arsenal.
For now, though, the Jays have September call-up J.P. Arencibia on tap. Arencibia will be largely in a learning role over the final month of the season.
He went 0-3 with two strikeouts against Price on Monday and will need to show more of the power that produced 30-plus minor league homers when he gets some game action this month
Otherwise, the Jays' final month will be all about putting a final shine on a season that was better than expected, and spurred hope for the immediate future.
And there's Jose Bautista.
The major league home run leader is four clouts shy of tying George Bell for the franchise single-season record of 47, and seven shy of the magical 50-homer mark.
With 29 games left, Bautista looks good to reach those marks.
He also has potential for the MVP race.
"As his manager I New Orleans Saints jersey
support him, but you'd think he should get some consideration," Jays manager Cito Gaston said.
"There's some good players out there. (MVP) could go to Robinson Cano or Josh Hamilton, but Jose should get some mention."
2010年9月20日星期一
Browns' Harrison looking ahead
Jerome Harrison didn't keep any souvenirs from the best day of his football life.
No game ball, no jersey, no cleats, nothing.
''All that stuff is in Canton,'' he said, referring to the Hall of nfl throwback jerseys
Fame. ''I got a picture, that's it.''
No, Harrison didn't get 286 tattooed on his body or change his license plate number to JH-286 during the offseason. He insists 286 - also an area code in Colorado - doesn't hold any special significance.
The Chiefs won't soon forget it.
Hoping to prove he could be an every-down back in the NFL, Harrison shredded Kansas City's defense for 286 yards last December. With Jim Brown in attendance, Harrison shattered the Hall of Famer's team record and posted the third-highest single-game total in league history.
Harrison's breakout performance shocked the Chiefs and stunned the Browns, who had been mostly using the 5-foot-9, 205-pounder as a third-down specialist.
Nine months later, Harrison is getting another crack at running around, past and through the Chiefs (1-0), who will visit the Browns for Cleveland's home opener on Sunday.
This week, Kansas City coach Todd Haley made sure there was a No. 35 - Harrison's jersey number - on the practice field to remind his team of what happened last Dec. 20.
''I would say that I'm paying attention to Jerome,'' Haley said on a teleconference this week. ''We definitely have a jersey No. 35 out there and when you have a guy play as well as he did against us, you tend to not forget that for a long, long time.''
Harrison was pleased to hear the Chiefs were paying special attention to him.
''That's a compliment, I guess,'' he said.
Now, if Harrison could just get the Browns to treat him a little better.
After rookie Montario Hardesty went down with a season-ending knee injury, Harrison figured to become Cleveland's feature back. But in last week's 17-14 loss at Tampa Bay, he had just nine carries for 52 yards, picking up 39 on one rush in the second quarter.
Harrison had the same amount of Steelers jersey
attempts as fullback Peyton Hillis.
He wants the ball more. How much more?
''An ideal number that I want?'' Harrison asked, making sure there was no confusion over his demands vs. what he's getting. ''Between 20 and 30 every week.''
Harrison may be on to something. The more he carried the ball last season, the better he got. In each of the four games he had more than 20 attempts, Harrison went over 100 yards. In Cleveland's last three games, Harrison rushed 106 times for 561 yards - the eighth-highest three-game total in league annals.
Harrison's unspoken mantra: Give me the ball.
The unassuming 27-year-old isn't complaining about playing time. That's not his style. He's a team-first player, but that won't stop him from speaking up if the Browns don't reward him with more opportunities.
''I can only control what I can control. I'm a player. I'm not the coach. If I was the coach, I would give myself the ball damn near every play. I believe in myself like that.''
The Browns' confidence has grown in him, too. However, coach Eric Mangini seems inclined to having Hillis and Harrison share the workload - unless one of them starts to find holes.
''I like what both guys can do with the ball in their hands,'' he said. ''I like what both guys can do in the passing game. I have total confidence in either one, so whoever we have in, if those plays are rolling, I'm happy to continue rolling with them. It's a good situation.''
Harrison wanted more chances in last week's opener. If the time comes that he feels he's not being used enough, he intends to talk to Mangini about it.
Not yet, though.
''It's only Week 1,'' he said. ''All I can do is hope that things change. If I feel like I need to say something, I will if it gets to that point. I'm hoping that it never does. I'm not the type of guy to go up and complain. If I feel like I need to, I would.''
Harrison expects the Chiefs to spend extra time planning to stop him. Former Browns coach Romeo Crennel is now Kansas City's defensive coordinator, and he knows Harrison as well as anyone.
''Great guy,'' Harrison said of Crennel. ''Great coach.''
Great back is how Harrison wants to be Vikings jersey
remembered.
The Chiefs will make him a marked man, but he wants that to be the case more often.
''Hopefully every Sunday,'' he said. ''That's what I'm working on.''
Jackson can play in Week 5 if he's traded
San Diego Chargers holdout wide receiver Vincent Jackson can play in Week 5 if he's traded by next Wednesday, the NFL and the players union decided Thursday.
The agreement helps clear the way for the Pro Bowler to be traded, provided the football jerseys
Chargers can agree to terms with another team.
The agreement essentially rolls what could have been a six-game suspension into four games. Jackson currently is serving a three-game NFL suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. He pleaded guilty in February to his second DUI since 2006.
On Aug. 20, the Chargers placed him on the roster exempt list, meaning he'd be suspended for three games once he signed with San Diego. Jackson's representatives felt he shouldn't have to serve that suspension if he was traded.
The agreement, which settles a grievance filed by the NFLPA, stipulates if Jackson signs a contract with San Diego and is traded by 4 p.m. EDT Wednesday, he will be placed on the Commissioner Exempt list for three games, retroactive to Game 2. That means he'd be able to play in his new team's fifth game.
If Jackson isn't traded by the deadline, he'll have to serve the remainder of San Francisco 49ers jersey
his three-game DUI suspension and serve the three-game suspension on the roster exempt list if he does sign, regardless of a subsequent trade.
The Minnesota Vikings reportedly are interested in Jackson, who's coming off two straight 1,000-yard seasons.
A moratorium will be in effect until 4 p.m. EDT Friday, during which any club interested in trading for Jackson must receive permission from the Chargers before speaking with his agents about contract terms. Trade compensation must be negotiated directly with the Chargers. San Diego may not trade Jackson until after the moratorium has expired.
If Jackson is traded before Wednesday, he'll be allowed to report to the new club and, at the team's discretion, be eligible to participate in activities permitted by the substance abuse policy for the remainder of his suspension. When the DUI suspension ends, he'll be permitted to practice with his new team under the roster exempt rules before the fourth game, but will be unavailable to play and cannot be paid until the fifth game.
Jackson's agents said earlier this month they had worked out a deal with another team, which they didn't identify, but that it fell apart because the Chargers wanted too much in return.
Unhappy over not receiving a long-term deal, Jackson refused to sign the one-year, $3.268 million contract he was tendered as a restricted free agent. When he and holdout left tackle Marcus McNeill didn't sign their tenders by June 15, the Chargers were entitled to offer them 110 percent of their Buffalo Bills jersey
2009 salaries, essentially cutting $2.5 million off the tenders. If either reports this year, it would be for the final six games in order to accrue a season.
General manager A.J. Smith placed Jackson and McNeill on the roster exempt list on Aug. 20, a hardball tactic to try to end the impasse.
NFL grants Lions extension to sell 2,000 tickets
The NFL has given the Detroit Lions a 24-hour extension to sell out its home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles and avoid a local television blackout.
The team announced Thursday it has to sell 2,000 tickets by 1 p.m. EDT to nfl jerseys
ensure the game will air on local television. Chicago Bears jersey
The game will not be shown in the Detroit, Lansing, Saginaw-Flint and Toledo, Ohio, markets if all of those tickets are not sold by the deadline.
Detroit sold out four of its eight home games last year despite winning just twice. In 2008, the Lions became the first NFL team to have an 0-16 season.
The Lions also had some of New Orleans Saints jersey
their smallest crowds in two decades, announcing some that were just larger than 40,000.
2010年9月18日星期六
Uggla takes pride in his defense
MIAMI (AP)—Dan Uggla(notes) is known for his All-Star defense, and that’s not good.
The Florida Marlins’ second baseman made a record three errors in the 2008 All-Star Game, all in extra innings. He nfl jersey
figures his reputation has never recovered, despite occasionally exceptional defense, including two terrific plays Tuesday night against Philadelphia.
“I take a lot of pride in my defense,” Uggla said. “I know everybody thinks I (stink) on defense because of that stupid game a few years ago. But I work hard at it.”
Against the Phillies, Uggla dove to snare a grounder and threw from his knees to retire Ryan Howard(notes) in the first inning. Uggla made the play 30 feet behind the infield dirt.
“I’m not a fan of playing out there, let it be known, but that’s our best defense against a guy like Ryan Howard,” Uggla said. “It gives us a little more time to react and take some hits away.”
Uggla made a similar play behind the dirt to Indianapolis Colts jersey
get pitcher Cole Hamels(notes) in the fourth.
There’s no knocking Uggla’s offense. He went into Wednesday’s game with 30 home runs and a career-high 93 RBIs. He’s the only second baseman in major-league history with four 30-homer seasons, and they’ve been in succession.
He also has 15 errors—one off his career high—and a .978 fielding percentage, both third-worst in the majors. But the Marlins say Uggla’s glovework is improved.
“He has kept us in games with his defense for the whole season pretty much,” manager Edwin Rodriguez said. “He has been very solid.”
Update: Contrary to earlier reports, Garcia appears to have talked his way back into the rotation, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Recommendation: Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said that Garcia will miss only one start instead of Minnesota Vikings jersey
being shut down, so apparently his season is not over. This is good news for his fantasy owners, but it may not be for his development considering he has already thrown 40 more innings this year than he has in any other season. Expect Garcia to make his next start late next week.
Maxwell, Nationals slam Braves 4-2
ATLANTA (AP)—Bobby Cox’s review of the game looked good for his Atlanta Braves.
“We threw eight shutout innings. We outhit them. We doubled them in hits. Our bullpen was great,” Cox said.
Trouble is, the Washington Nationals won and not the Braves.
Light-hitting Justin Maxwell’s(notes) grand slam off rookie Mike Minor(notes) in the second inning powered the last-place Nationals over Atlanta 4-2 Wednesday and sent the nfl jerseys
Braves to only their second home series loss this season.
Atlanta outhit the Nationals 10-5 but stranded seven runners.
“They had one major opportunity they took advantage of,” said Atlanta’s Matt Diaz(notes), who had three hits, including two doubles. “We had quite a few opportunities, and we didn’t take advantage of many of them at all. It’s really frustrating when we’re not able to do that.”
John Lannan(notes) (8-7) gave up two runs, eight hits and three walks in six innings for the Nationals, who have won eight of 15 meetings with the Braves this season. Joel Peralta(notes), Sean Burnett(notes) and Drew Storen(notes) combined for two-hit relief, with Storen pitching a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save in five chances.
Atlanta, which began the day two games back of NL East-leading Philadelphia, lost two of three to Washington, only the second series in 24 at Turner Field this year the Braves lost (19-2-3). Atlanta split four games against St. Louis during a 3-4 homestand but still has the major leagues’ best home record at 52-23.
Maxwell was hitting only .132 (10 for 76) with six RBIs before his drive off Mike Minor (3-1) stayed inside the left-field foul pole and went about 10 rows deep. It was just the third homer of the season for Maxwell and ninth of his big league career—but he has three slams in four career at-bats with the bases loaded.
“You’re just trying to make the most of Dallas Cowboys jersey
every situation,” Maxwell said. “I always have a special incentive when I have a chance to hit. I just try to do something with it.”
Maxwell said he wasn’t thinking of his success in bases-loaded situations.
“I was just trying to put the ball in play,” he said.
Washington manager Jim Riggleman termed the 27-year-old “a work in progress.”
“I think he knows he can hit,” Riggleman said. “He has a few grand slams. He’s not afraid of the situation.”
Making his seventh major league start following his Aug. 7 promotion from Triple-A Gwinnett, Minor said Maxwell hit a fastball. Minor noticed a drop in velocity on his fastball to 90 mph in recent starts, down about 2 to 3 mph from where it should be early in games.
“It was my fault,” Minor said. “I threw him two fastballs right there. The second one, he got. It was more middle in. That’s what he’s looking for in that situation.”
Mike Morse had a one-out double to center, Wilson Ramos(notes) singled and Alberto Gonzalez(notes) fell behind 0-1 before taking four straight balls.
Minor’s ERA climbed from 5.63 to 5.84 as he gave up four or more runs for the third straight start. He allowed four hits in five innings, and struck out six.
Troy Glaus(notes) walked in the fourth, moved to third on a double by Matt Diaz and scored on Melky Cabrera’s(notes) groundout. Martin Prado’s(notes) fifth-inning single drove in Omar Infante(notes), who led off with a double.
Atlanta wasted scoring chances in the sixth and seventh innings.
Lannan struck out David Ross(notes) with runners on first and second to end the sixth.
In the seventh, pinch-hitter Eric Hinske(notes) was credited with a leadoff double when centerfielder Nyjer Morgan(notes) lost the ball in the sun. Hinske was stranded at third when Burnett struck out Prado.
“It was one of Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
those days that didn’t go our way,” Cox said.
NOTES: Atlanta lost two of three to the Phillies from April 20-22. … Riggleman said he isn’t sure when Morgan will hear the determination of his appeal of seven- and eight-game suspensions. … Prado had three hits and leads the NL with 57 multihit games.
2010年9月17日星期五
Scout’s Notebook: Giants SLB Mathias Kiwanuka
Notes: Grandson of Uganda's first prime minister. Won back-to-back state 4A championships at Indianapolis (IN) Cathedral. A three-year starter at Boston College, Kiwanuka totaled 245 career tackles with 64½ tackles for loss and 37½ sacks (both school records) with 13 pass nfl jersey
breakups, three interceptions (one TD) and three forced fumbles. Was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year as a junior, then dealt with knee and ankle problems as a senior before the Giants selected him in the first round (32nd overall) of the 2006 draft. Started 9-of-16 games at defensive end as a rookie, totaling 55 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. Converted to strong-side linebacker in '07 and started 9-of-10 games, managing 47 tackles, 4½ sacks and a forced fumble before suffering a season-ending fractured left fibula injury. Was moved back to defensive end following Osi Umenyiora's(notes) season-ending injury in August '08 — started all 16 games played plus the divisional-playoff game, and notched 59 tackles (13 for loss) and a career-high eight sacks with two batted passes and two forced fumbles. Added five tackles in a first-round playoff loss to the Vikings. Despite starting just 6-of-16 games in '09, amassed 81 tackles (second on the team) with three sacks and two forced fumbles. Is in the final year of his rookie contract. Positives: Very versatile with excellent body length and good Dallas Cowboys jersey
athletic ability. Matches up favorably against tight ends against the run — presses the corner, can stick his feet in the dirt and set the edge. Athletic enough to fall back into zone coverage — loose limbed to flip his hips and redirect in space. Very good pursuit effort — chases hard backside and runs to the ball. Creates mismatches over guards when aligned inside, easily taking the edge — beat Panthers Pro Bowl C Ryan Kalil(notes) for a sack in the ’10 season opener and is effective shooting gaps and creating penetration.
Negatives: A bit high-cut and thin-legged — lacks bulk strength and does not play with power. Can be outleveraged and outmuscled as an inside rusher and struggle matching up with offensive tackles. Cannot convert speed into power. Not a strong tackler and can do a better job securing tackles in the box. Has a thin bone structure and a narrow bone structure that is susceptible to injury. Is not an accomplished hands fighter and shows little variety in his pass rush — can be engulfed if he does not win at the snap. Is a jack of all trades, master of none.
Summary: A value pick made by retired GM Ernie Accorsi in his final draft, Kiwanuka has the versatility to rush from a down position, and he provides value as a situational inside rusher. However, when Justin Tuck(notes) and Umenyiora arePittsburgh Steelers jersey
healthy, Kiwanuka primarily shifts to playing over the tight end, where he appears most comfortable, and brings value mismatching interior linemen from the inside, where he notched two fourth-quarter sacks against the Panthers in Week One.
For at least one rainy Monday night at Arrowhead Stadium
The Kansas City Chiefs used big plays on special teams and in the running game to claim a surprising Week 1 win. The last time they met the Cleveland Browns, that’s exactly what did them in.
Jerome Harrison’s(notes) record-setting rushing performancenfl jerseys
and Josh Cribbs’ two touchdowns on kickoff returns sparked Cleveland’s win at Kansas City last season, breakdowns the visiting Chiefs must avoid Sunday to earn their first 2-0 start in five years.
Kansas City (1-0) won only 10 games from 2007-2009 but entered its home opener against San Diego hoping three years of stockpiling draft picks would finally spark a turnaround.
For at least one rainy Monday night at Arrowhead Stadium, it appeared that could happen. Rookie second-rounder Dexter McCluster(notes) set a team record with a 94-yard punt return for a touchdown, and 2008 third-rounder Jamaal Charles(notes) had a 56-yard TD run.
Yet, the 21-14 win wasn’t complete until Kansas City’s much-maligned defense kept the four-time reigning division champions from scoring inside the 10-yard line in the waning seconds.
“We fought a hard-fought game. Nobody gave us a chance,” said defensive end Glenn Dorsey(notes), who had six tackles and a half-sack in perhaps his best performance since being picked fifth overall in 2008.
“For us to come that far and dealing with our past, where maybe the other team might score in that situation, we all had that in the back of our mind, saying, ‘Not tonight.’”
The win offered a far more pleasant memory than what the Chiefs last experienced in a regular-season game at Arrowhead. Dorsey missed Kansas City’s Dec. 20 visit from Cleveland (0-1) with a knee injury, and his team certainly missed him.
Harrison gashed the Chiefs for 286 yards rushing, third-most in NFL history. He scored all three of his touchdowns - including a 71-yarder - in the second half of the Browns’ 41-34 victory.
Cribbs, meanwhile, kept Cleveland in the game in the first half. The Indianapolis Colts jersey
two-time All-Pro return man took two kicks back for touchdowns, giving him a league record eight career return TDs.
Neither of the Browns’ dynamic playmakers could make a difference in their Week 1 game at Tampa Bay. Cribbs was held in check and Harrison had 52 yards on only nine carries - the same number as backup Peyton Hillis(notes) - in a 17-14 loss.
Hillis’ third-quarter fumble, combined with new quarterback Jake Delhomme’s(notes) two interceptions, proved too costly to overcome.
“We’re better than we just did. We just played Browns vs. Browns, and the Browns lost,” said Cribbs, limited to 15.3 yards per kick return and 22 yards from scrimmage. “I would love to give Tampa a lot of credit. They’ve got talented guys out there, but we beat ourselves. We were the better team, but not today.”
Dorsey and rookie safety Eric Berry(notes) won’t be the only potential difference-makers on defense the Chiefs will have Sunday who didn’t face Cleveland in 2009. Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel makes his return to the shores of Lake Erie for the first time since the Browns fired him in 2008 after four seasons.
Crennel might have a tough time figuring out a definitive game plan against his old team, however. Delhomme sprained his right ankle while throwing a game-swinging interception late in last Sunday’s first half, and he was in a walking boot while sitting out Wednesday’s practice.
“He’s sore,” coach Eric Mangini said. “In terms of how long he will be out, he’s a pretty tough guy. I’d say it’s day to day.”
If Delhomme can’t go, mobile backup Seneca Wallace(notes) will get the call. The offseason pickup started 14 games over seven seasons in Seattle, including two last season.
Perhaps an even bigger concern for Cleveland is nose tackle Shaun Rogers(notes) not being 100 percent. The stout run stuffer missed Wednesday’s practice with a leg injury, though it’s not expected to keep him out Sunday.
The Browns’ chances of winning a home opener for the first time since 2004 may depend on their ability to contain Charles. Kansas City’s passing game struggled Monday - Matt Cassel(notes) threw for 68 yards - but Charles had 92 on 11 carries, a solid effort after Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
closing 2009 with 658 yards over his last four games.
He ran for 154 against the Browns, while Cassel threw for a season-high 331 and two touchdowns.
The Chiefs are 2-7-1 all-time in Cleveland.
Terrence Cody hopeful to return Sunday
OWINGS MILLS, Md.—Baltimore Ravens rookie nose guard Terrence "Mount" Cody isn't givig up hope of playing Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cody has been sidelined since undergoing arthroscopic surgery nfl jersey
late last month to repair torn meniscus in his left knee.
"I should be able to play, it’s getting better," Cody said. "I’m able to do a lot of things, doing a lot of running. Doing a lot of things. Getting physical, getting back on it.”
The second-round draft pick from Alabama Minnesota Vikings jersey
missed the final two preseason games as well as the opening game against the New York Jets.
The 6-foot-4, 349-pounder said he has faith that his knee will hold up.
"Yeah, I trust it," he said.
Cody isn't slated to practice today, but says he hopes to get a lot of Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
work this week to get back into playing shape.
"I want to get a lot of reps so I can get back in playing shape," Cody said.
2010年9月15日星期三
ockout could lead to free-agent frenzy
Before the tsunami hit Thailand in 2004, elephants sensed a storm was coming and ran for higher ground.
In the NFL right now, the elephants are running for higher ground. NFL teams know a labor storm is coming, and the smart ones are preparing for it.
A lot of football jersey
NFL teams believe a lockout is inevitable. The line of thinking is that a lockout will probably last until early September before a settlement is reached.
What happens next? Teams will have maybe two weeks to get ready for a season — a two-week training camp. And free agency also will begin when the settlement is reached.
So it won’t be free agency so much as a free-for-all, with teams trying to fill out their starting lineups and rosters while preparing for their first game in a matter of days. What’s more, it could be a huge free-agent class, depending on how the collective bargaining agreement shakes out and how free agents are defined. It’s very possible unrestricted free agency will begin for players after four seasons.
Some teams will decide to just stay out of the free agent game. They will figure it won’t be productive to bring in players who can’t possibly learn their offensive or defensive systems in such a short time.
But other teams, sensing there could be bargains to be had and thinking more long term than short term, might play the free agency game hard. In fact, some teams have told the National Football Post they already have begun preparing for a quick free-agent strike. If free agents are devalued because ofMinnesota Vikings jersey
the unusual nature of free agency in 2011, smart teams will find a way to capitalize. Poaching players from rivals could be most beneficial, because even if those players can’t integrate a new system quickly, their departures could weaken the enemy.
What this could lead to is an unprecedented amount of tampering prior to the start of free agency. With so much time on their hands and so little to do, NFL negotiators are sure to be kicking many tires during the lockout.
One of the ways teams are preparing for this scenario is by trying to sign their own potential free agents to contract extensions. We have seen a rash of extensions in recent weeks. Among the players who have re-upped with their own teams are Tom Brady(notes), Vernon Davis(notes), Miles Austin(notes), Darrelle Revis(notes), Uche Nwaneri(notes), Darnell Dockett(notes), Charles Woodson(notes) and Nick Mangold(notes). And more are believed to be coming soon.
This is an opportune time for extensions for other reasons, too.
“Last year was a down year in free agency, so teams have the cash,” one NFC general manager said.
“Some players are motivated to sign an extension now because of Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
the lockout,” said an AFC general manager. “They want money now so they can have security.”
Because 2010 is an uncapped year, teams can front load contracts like the Cowboys did with Austin’s deal.
The only downside for doing extensions now is teams are not aware of what the cap might be. The early word circulating among teams is it could go down from $123 million to $115 million. If that’s the case, some of these extensions might be problematic.
2010年9月14日星期二
Sanchez dominates Nationals in 4-1 victory
WASHINGTON (AP)—Anibal Sanchez(notes) says the opponent doesn’t matter.
Still, the right-hander allowed four hits in 7 2-3 innings to lead the Florida Marlins over Washington 4-1 Saturday, a victory that improved Sanchez to 5-0 against the Nationals.
“I tried to make them swing at my nfl jerseys
pitches,” Sanchez said. “I threw everything at every hitter.”
Sanchez (12-9) gave up one run, struck out four and walked none. He has a 2.29 career ERA in 13 starts against the Nationals, going 2-0 this year. Wilson Ramos’(notes) RBI double in the eighth was the first earned run Sanchez allowed against Washington in 23 1-3 innings.
Sanchez was coming off of his worst performance of the season, giving up seven runs and seven hits in four innings at Philadelphia on Monday. He quickly showed he was back in form against the Nationals. Sanchez didn’t allow a runner until Michael Morse’s(notes) double in the fifth inning.
“You can tell with Anibal by the third inning if his breaking ball is working and around the plate—he’s going to have a good game,” Florida manager Edwin Rodriguez said. “Whenever he’s throwing his secondary pitches for strikes, chances are he’s going to have a good game.”
Washington (60-82) dropped a season-high 22 games under .500 and clinched a fifth straight losing season after yet again failing to make a dent against Sanchez.
“He’s been good every time we’ve seen him,” Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said. “We’re going to have to figure something out on him.”
Emilio Bonifacio(notes) gave Sanchez all the offense he needed with a two-run single in the fifth inning. Logan Morrison(notes) added an RBI single in the eighth inning to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. It was the 31st straight game he’s reached base safely, the longest active streak in the majors.
“I’m sure since you just told me that I’m not Dallas Cowboys jersey
going to get on base tomorrow,” Morrison joked with a reporter after the game. “I don’t think about it. I have no idea.”
Clay Hensley(notes) pitched the ninth inning for his second save in five chances
Jason Marquis(notes) (2-8) also had a strong start, but couldn’t match Sanchez. Marquis, who had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow in May and was on the disabled list for 3 1/2 months, gave up two runs and five hits in six innings. He struck out eight—his highest total since Sept. 1, 2008—and walked one.
“Today was probably the best I’ve felt since the surgery,” Marquis said. “I had good bite on my slider. It was the first time all year I really had a good feel for it.”
Neither pitcher allowed a hit through the first four innings, and the only runner to reach was Morrison on first baseman Adam Dunn’s(notes) fielding error in the first inning.
Chad Tracy(notes) led off the fifth inning with a grounder up the middle. Mike Stanton(notes) followed with another single and Marquis walked Cameron Maybin(notes) to load the bases with no outs. After a pair of strikeouts, Bonifacio singled to center on a 3-2 pitch.
Morrison nearly added another run for the Marlins, but Nationals rookie second baseman Danny Espinosa(notes) made a diving stop and threw out Morrison by a step to end the inning.
Dunn’s second error, on Brad Davis’(notes) ninth-inning grounder, scored an unearned run. Maybin led off with a triple.
NOTES: Marlins RHP Jason Johnson(notes), who missed Friday’s scheduled start with shoulder and back problems, didn’t throw in the bullpen on Saturday. Rodriguez said that if Johnson isn’t able to throw on Sunday, he’ll likely miss his next turn Wednesday against Philadelphia. If Johnson is unable to pitch, Florida would use Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
several relievers Wednesday. … Nationals reliever Collin Balester(notes) got his legs tangled up and fell to the ground during a pickoff attempt to second base, without throwing the ball. No balk was called. “That was the weirdest thing that ever happened to me,” Balester said. “I looked at the replay, and it just looked like moving parts. I didn’t know what I was doing.”
Thome returns to Twins lineup
CLEVELAND (AP)—Jim Thome(notes) is back in the starting lineup for the Minnesota Twins.
Thome was the designated hitter, batting sixth in manager Ron Gardenhire’s lineup Saturday against the Cleveland Indians. Thome had missed two games with a mild abdominal strain.
Thome is tied with Frank Robinson for eighth on the nfl jersey
career home run list at 586.
“It feels pretty good today,” Thome said.
The 40-year-old Thome was 5 for 6 with four homers, a double, five walks and seven RBIs in his previous three games. He also entered batting .474 (9 for 19) with four homers and nine RBIs in his prior seven games in Cleveland, where he played from Indianapolis Colts jersey
1991-02.
Gardenhire said left-hander Jose Mijares(notes), sidelined since Aug. 12 with torn cartilage in his right knee, had been activated from the disabled list. Mijares is 1-1 with a 2.81 ERA in 37 appearances.
Gardenhire also expects left-hander Brian Fuentes(notes) to be available out of the bullpen soon. Fuentes threw a bullpen session Saturday.
“He probably could return Sunday,” Gardenhire said.
Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 27, Fuentes struck out the only batter he faced the next day for a save at Seattle, but has not pitched since because of a strained back.
Gardenhire does not expect right-hander Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
Carl Pavano(notes) to miss any time because of a stiff neck.
Pavano allowed two runs and six hits in eight innings Friday during a 2-0 loss to Cleveland.
White Sox RHP Garcia scratched from Sunday start
CHICAGO (AP)—White Sox right-hander Freddy Garcia(notes) was scratched from Sunday’s scheduled start against the Kansas City Royals with a sore lower back.
Garcia, who had an epidural on Thursday, will throw nfl throwback jerseys
on the side before the White Sox decide Minnesota Vikings jersey
when he will make his next start. White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said right-hander Lucas Harrell(notes) will start in place of Garcia on Sunday.
In Tuesday’s loss to the Tigers, Garcia was limited to two inning before leaving with a stiff lower back. Garcia is 11-6 with a 4.88 ERA in 26 starts.
Harrell is scheduled to make his second Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
start for the White Sox this season. Harrell, who earned the victory in his major league debut, pitched six innings and allowed one run on four hits against Oakland on July 30.
2010年9月11日星期六
SN’s minor league baseball awards
The annual Sporting News minor-league awards are highlighted by a pair of pitchers –Jeremy Hellickson and Chris Sale(notes)—who already have made an impact in the major leagues and a slugging third baseman—Mike Moustakas—who will soon enough.
Hitter of the year
Mike Moustakas(notes), Royals
Moustakas, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 nfl jerseys
draft, bounced back from a rough 2009 campaign with a .347 average, 21 homers, 76 RBIs and a 1.100 OPS in 66 Class AA games before he was promoted to AAA Omaha, where he lifted his season totals past 35 homers and 120 RBIs. Look for him in the majors in 2011.
Royals assistant G.M. of scouting and player development J.J. Picollo says: “Mike has great eye-hand coordination, tremendous power and has really learned to hit the ball the other way when the ball is pitched away. He’s done a great job this year recognizing pitches and laying off the ones out of the zone, and when he gets the pitch he’s looking for, he’s doing something with it. Defensively, he’s got great feet, a tremendous arm, and we feel he can be a Ken Caminiti type of defensive player.”
Pitcher of the year
Jeremy Hellickson(notes), Rays
With any other organization, Hellickson likely wouldn’t even be eligible for this award. But the big league rotation is stacked, so he started 21 games at Class AAA Durham, going 12-3 with a 2.45 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 117 2/ 3 innings. He went 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA for the big club in August—and was called up again in September.
Rays director of minor league operations Mitch Lukevics says: “He’s had tremendous success—his strikeouts-to-walk ratio is basically 5:1, and he’s allowed (105) less hits than innings pitched in his career. His focus remained the same this year. He knew he had things to work on, and even with his success, you can still refine what you’re doing. He continued to work better fastball location, the sharpness of his breaking ball, and he worked on his changeup. He certainly proved that was well worth his time as he came to the big leagues and showed his ability.”
Rookie of the year (2010 draft pick)
Chris Sale, White Sox
A tall (6-5), hard-throwing lefty, Sale, 21, was the 13th overall pick of the 2010 draft out of Florida Gulf Coast University. He pitched in four games at high Class A Winston-Salem and seven at Class AAA Charlotte before getting the call to join the White Sox’s bullpen. In his first 12 big-league games, Sale has a 0.66 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings.
White Sox director of player development Buddy Bell says: “From the beginning, Kenny (Williams, the Sox’s G.M.) is really the one who pushed this through. He felt all along that Chris could help the major league club at some point this year. The thing about Chris is he’s a very mature kid. He has no fear at all. He’s competitive. He pitches in the mid-90s, and he’s throwing his breaking ball and changeup for strikes. That’s an unusual combination for any young pitcher. The plan all along is to get Minnesota Vikings jersey
him back into the rotation, but he’s been so successful out of the bullpen. That’s a good problem to have.”
All-minor league team
C Wil Myers, Royals. One of many elite Royals prospects, he blitzed through Class A and high-A as a 19-year-old this season. ETA: 2013
1B Brandon Belt(notes), Giants. He hit .383 with a 1.121 OPS at high Class A, then .337 with a 1.036 at AA, ending the season with 13 games at AAA. ETA: 2011
2B Brett Lawrie, Brewers. He had an excellent offensive season (.285, 63 RBIs, 30 stolen bases) as a 20-year-old at Class AA Huntsville while improving his defense. ETA: 2012
SS Nick Franklin, Mariners. It’s hard not to be impressed by a 19-year-old shortstop who produces 20-plus homers and 20-plus stolen bases at Class A. ETA: 2013
3B Brandon Laird, Yankees. He hit 23 homers and had 90 RBIs and a .291 average in 107 games at Class AA before the Yankees bumped him up a level to high-A. ETA: 2011
OF Domonic Brown(notes), Phillies. Philly’s top prospect had a .327 average, 20 homers, 17 stolen bases and a .980 OPS combined at AA and AAA before joining the parent club. ETA: Already there
OF Mike Trout, Angels. The star of the Futures Game, he hit .362 with 45 stolen bases at Class A as an 18-year-old before earning a promotion. ETA: 2012
OF Jerry Sands, Dodgers. A 25th-round pick in 2008, he hit .333 with 18 homers at Class A before adding 17 more at AA. ETA: 2012
SP Julio Teheran, Braves. He dominated at three levels Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
this season (A, high-A and AA) at age 19, averaging more than 10 strikeouts and fewer than seven hits per nine innings. ETA: 2012
RP Tim Collins, Royals. He stands only 5-7, but the flame-throwing lefty blew away hitters (almost 14 strikeouts per nine innings) for three organizations (Toronto, Atlanta and Kansas City) this year. ETA: 2011
Joe Torre still won’t announce his plans for 2011
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre continues to be coy about whether he will return for another season.
Torre told reporters Wednesday in San Diego that he isn't ready to nfl jersey
divulge what he plans to do. He previously set a deadline of around Labor Day, but he also said he wouldn't reveal anything until the Dodgers made the playoffs or were eliminated. L.A. fell to 11 games behind in the NL West and NL wild-card races after a 4-0 loss Wednesday to the Padres, Indianapolis Colts jersey
and Torre acknowledged his team needs to get on a big roll to stay alive.
"We need to put something together," he said. "We just can't get in unless we win games. We haven't sustained anything. Am I giving up? No, I'm not giving up. But talking about it is not getting it done. We can do all the arithmetic we want, but unless we do something right and Dallas Cowboys jersey
follow through the weekend, winning a series is not enough. We need to go over and above that."
More off-field controversy for Mets
Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran(notes), second baseman Luis Castillo(notes) and lefthander Oliver Perez(notes) skipped the team's visit to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Tuesday, angering the team's brass, according to the New York Daily News.
The three players already had butted heads with nfl throwback jerseys
the team this year. Beltran and the team weren't on the same page when he had offseason knee surgery, Castillo has been unhappy about his lack of playing time and the struggling Perez refused an assignment to the minor leagues.
"I don't answer anything about outside the stadium," Perez told the Daily News when asked to explain his absence.
Beltran told the newspaper that he was at a meeting that concerned the high school his charitable foundation is building in his native Puerto Rico. "I don't know who's creating this issue, but this offseason, I went to visit the Veterans Hospital in New York, so it's not like I'm against it," Beltran told the Daily News. "Actually, I went with (Mets CEO) Fred Wilpon."
Castillo said he becomes too troubled by the sights at the hospital. Minnesota Vikings jersey
"Sometimes when you see people with no legs and no arms, when they go to fight for us and they're in the hospital like that, I don't like to see that," Castillo told the Daily News.
Other Mets were disappointed the trio skipped the event.
"You'd like to see everybody. I don't think it's big enough until you get everybody," third baseman David Wight told the newspaper.
Righthander R.A. Dickey(notes) was even more critical. "To be able to look a guy in the eye who doesn't have arms or legs and say, 'Thank you,' that's a big deal," Dickey told the Daily News. "I take it personally."
Recently, Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez was charged Dallas Cowboys jersey
with assault and harassment for allegedly attacking the father of his girlfriend at Citi Field after a game. And lefthander Johan Santana(notes) was sued by an unnamed woman for sexual assault for an alleged incident last October.
2010年9月10日星期五
NFL Preview 2010: New Meadowlands Stadium is about all Jets and Giants have in common
The Jets will finish this season in the Super Bowl. How do we know? Rex Ryan has been telling us non-stop for the last six months. Tom Coughlin's goal should be to first restore Giants pride, fix his defense and then with the once-powerful NFC East in transition, hope for a quick turnaround from last year's meltdown.
About all the brash, big-talking Jets and the businesslike Giants have in common is the New Meadowlands Stadium they built together. These organizations don't particularly care for one another - it's always been a Giants town - but they agreed to the ultimate marriage of football jerseys
convenience to become co-owners of the stadium because the Jets couldn't get a shovel in the ground on the West Side and the Giants couldn't afford the $1.7 billion on their own.
The stadium has created more of a buzz than most new stadiums simply because of the hated PSLs that each team used to help finance the place. Every Giants seat has a PSL attached. The Jets exempted the 27,000 seats in the upper deck from PSLs.
It's been a struggle to get the PSLs sold, but no home games are expected to be blacked out for either team this season. There are still club seats available for each, but the premium seating does not have to be sold to avoid a blackout.
So, once you get past the PSLs - and for those who couldn't afford to keep their season tickets, they may never forgive the Giants and Jets - what will the new stadium mean to the teams?
It should energize the players, especially early in the season, when everything will be so new.
Giants Stadium didn't have much character, but Indianapolis Colts jersey
it was not a run-down building at all. It just didn't make enough money for the teams. It had nice locker rooms for the players and good sight lines for the fans and traffic problems for everybody. The new stadium is state-of-the-art with all kinds of technology - the four huge video boards are as clear as the TV in your living room - and is a comfortable place to watch a game. We'll see about the traffic.
There is something special about the first season in a new building - well, at least, every now and then. The Yankees won their 27th World Series last year in the first year of the new Yankee Stadium. The Mets? Citi Field didn't exactly give them a shot of adrenaline in 2009 as they finished 70-92, and they are not headed to the playoffs this year, either.
Until some corporation decides to spend $25 million per year on naming rights - the 2014 Super Bowl eventually should help get a deal done - the Giants and Jets stadium will go with the generic name New Meadowlands Stadium. For the Jets, that's much better than playing in Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
Giants Stadium. In fact, until there is a naming-rights deal, the Giants are calling it New Giants Stadium and the Jets are calling it New Jets Stadium.
About all the brash, big-talking Jets and the businesslike Giants have in common is the New Meadowlands Stadium they built together. These organizations don't particularly care for one another - it's always been a Giants town - but they agreed to the ultimate marriage of football jerseys
convenience to become co-owners of the stadium because the Jets couldn't get a shovel in the ground on the West Side and the Giants couldn't afford the $1.7 billion on their own.
The stadium has created more of a buzz than most new stadiums simply because of the hated PSLs that each team used to help finance the place. Every Giants seat has a PSL attached. The Jets exempted the 27,000 seats in the upper deck from PSLs.
It's been a struggle to get the PSLs sold, but no home games are expected to be blacked out for either team this season. There are still club seats available for each, but the premium seating does not have to be sold to avoid a blackout.
So, once you get past the PSLs - and for those who couldn't afford to keep their season tickets, they may never forgive the Giants and Jets - what will the new stadium mean to the teams?
It should energize the players, especially early in the season, when everything will be so new.
Giants Stadium didn't have much character, but Indianapolis Colts jersey
it was not a run-down building at all. It just didn't make enough money for the teams. It had nice locker rooms for the players and good sight lines for the fans and traffic problems for everybody. The new stadium is state-of-the-art with all kinds of technology - the four huge video boards are as clear as the TV in your living room - and is a comfortable place to watch a game. We'll see about the traffic.
There is something special about the first season in a new building - well, at least, every now and then. The Yankees won their 27th World Series last year in the first year of the new Yankee Stadium. The Mets? Citi Field didn't exactly give them a shot of adrenaline in 2009 as they finished 70-92, and they are not headed to the playoffs this year, either.
Until some corporation decides to spend $25 million per year on naming rights - the 2014 Super Bowl eventually should help get a deal done - the Giants and Jets stadium will go with the generic name New Meadowlands Stadium. For the Jets, that's much better than playing in Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
Giants Stadium. In fact, until there is a naming-rights deal, the Giants are calling it New Giants Stadium and the Jets are calling it New Jets Stadium.
NFL Preview 2010: New York Jets position-by-position analysis
The chatty Jets have morphed into the most hated team in the league, but will they live up to all the hype? Less than eight months after their surprising run to the AFC Championship Game, Rex Ryan's club has plenty of issues.
Thankfully, Darrelle Revis isn't one of nfl jerseys
them since the All-Pro cornerback ended his long holdout and returned to the top-rated defense of 2010. But Mark Sanchez's shaky preseason raises legitimate concerns whether he's ready to take a significant leap in his second season.
The mantra is simple: Super Bowl or bust. For this team, there's no in between.
QUARTERBACK: With a strong supporting cast, Mark Sanchez is in line to take a significant step in his second season. He erased the memories of an erratic rookie regular season with a solid three-game stretch in the playoffs. The intangibles are all there. His leadership skills were apparent during training camp and preseason. Now, it's time for him to take advantage of all the playmakers at his disposal. He'll have to make better decisions and try not to force the ball into coverage like he did several times during his shaky preseason.
RUNNING BACKS: Thomas Jones' departure opened the door for Shonn Greene, who will be the centerpiece of the ground-and-pound scheme that will include John Conner and Tony Richardson at fullback. But can Greene stay healthy? He has a history of Indianapolis Colts jersey
getting nicked up, including rib and ankle injuries last year. LaDainian Tomlinson has adapted quickly to his new team's zone blocking scheme and looks reborn after his first regular dose of preseason work in his 10-year career. The future Hall of Famer also gives Sanchez his first legitimate pass-catching option out of the backfield. Rookie Joe McKnight can't consistently get the tough yards between the tackles.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Getting Santonio Holmes for a fifth-round pick was highway robbery. When the mercurial Holmes returns from his four-game league suspension, watch out. Sanchez, who was Holmes' roommate in Cortland, clicked with the former Super Bowl MVP in camp. Jerricho Cotchery should be able to take advantage of nickel corners in the slot. Braylon Edwards will stretch the field.
TIGHT ENDS: Dustin Keller may be the biggest beneficiary of Minnesota Vikings jersey
the revamped offense. Think about it: What linebacker in the league can cover him? None. The third-year pro should exploit those one-on-one matchups in the middle of the field. He's also shown the ability in the preseason to find openings in bracket coverage. Ben Hartsock will be the primary blocking TE again.
Broncos QB Tim Tebow could make NFL debut in hometown this weekend
DENVER — Tim Tebow will begin his rookie season Sunday in his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla. — holding a clipboard.
All those fans who have made No. 15 the NFL's cheap nfl jerseys
bestselling jersey want to know just how far has the Denver Broncos' rookie quarterback has come under the tutelage of Josh McDaniels, the coach who rolled the dice six months ago and selected the Heisman-winning Florida star in the first round of the NFL draft.
Despite the doubts — about his delivery, his release, about how far his gritty running will get him in the NFL.
Tune in Sunday to find out if McDaniels made the right call. Or at least, to see if that's when the answers will start to come.
McDaniels isn't saying whether Tebow will make his debut against the Jaguars or not, suggesting the competition with Brady Quinn to serve as Kyle Orton's primary backup is ongoing.
While Tebow didn't show enough polish in the preseason to unseat Orton, he seemingly showed enough flash to earn the backup job over Quinn.
Although the depth chart lists Quinn as the backup, McDaniels admits that's not worth the paper it's printed on. When asked point-blank this week who his No. 2 quarterback was, McDaniels smiled and said the decision would be based as much on the game plan as on their performances at practice during the week.
"There's a lot of factors that will go into that," McDaniels said.
And playing in Tebow's hometown apparently won't be one of them.
"I'll be happy for him," if Tebow wins the job, McDaniels said. "He'll probably ask for more tickets."
While Tebow was learning from his mistakes and nursing bruised ribs, the result of his first hard hit as a professional, Orton was playing so well during camp that he earned a contract extension through 2011 that gives the Broncos' brain trust more time to formulate the team's long-term plans at quarterback.
It also takes the pressure off Tebow, who can ease into his NFL transition while refining his mechanics, motion and moxie.
Still, Tebow figures to get plenty of Dallas Cowboys jersey
snaps this season in special situations to take advantage of his enormous talents that made him a two-time national champion for the Gators.
Tebow has spent six months refining his game in the face of bigger, faster and quicker defenders, but if he thinks he'll play Sunday, he isn't saying.
"That's the coaches' decision," Tebow said. "I'm just trying to do what I'm told."
Even if he spends all afternoon on the sideline, Tebow said Sunday will be special.
"It's very ironic," he said of opening his career in Jacksonville. "It's also very exciting and something that will be very memorable for me."
The Jaguars are expecting plenty of fans to be cheering for their hometown hero as much as their hometown team.
"It's his town, man," said Jacksonville running back Maurice Jones-Drew. "And right on. It's going to be exciting for him. Probably everybody is going to try to be at the hotel and see him. Word around here flies around fast where everybody is staying. My advice to him is to get into a private room and stay in there the whole night."
Tebow's return to Florida is a boon to Jacksonville, where sellouts at EverBank Field aren't a given.
"It's helping us out a bunch. It's selling out our stadium that he's coming in," Jones-Drew said.
That's the kind of shot in the arm that fans in Florida were hoping they'd get for years to come by drafting Tebow, but the Jaguars had other needs and passed. McDaniels grabbed him instead with the 25th overall pick.
"It's nice to have support from people anywhere, so I'm thankful that they did want me," Tebow said. "But I'm happy to be here and be a Bronco."
After all, nobody is a bigger believer in Tebow's transition than McDaniels, who tutored Tom Brady and Matt Cassel in New England and helped Orton to the best statistical season of his career last season after acquiring him from Chicago for Jay Cutler.
Although some call him the greatest college quarterback ever, Tebow is an NFL enigma, a big question mark because of his throwing mechanics and footwork, and the spread offence he ran out of the shotgun with the Gators.
While his detractors say he won't measure up, Tebow's supporters suggest his athleticism, work ethic and pedigree will translate into success at this level, too.
Yet even McDaniels has said it's unrealistic to put a timetable on Tebow's transformation from combination college quarterback to pro passer.
"I'm not going to use the word 'satisfied,' but he's definitely come along," McDaniels said Wednesday.
No rookie, no matter what the position, will be "100 per cent" ready their first season in the NFL, and so "we didn't really try to do that," with Tebow, the coach said.
"I think the things that we asked him to do in the preseason, he executed them better as the preseason went on. He did some good things; he made some mistakes," McDaniels said.
McDaniels praised Tebow's grasp of the offence even as his execution lagged at times.
"I think overall he made some strides. I'm very happy with what he knows in terms of our offence," McDaniels said. "The biggest thing is that we understand what he's ready to do and what he's not."
While Orton has a stranglehold on the starting job, Hall of Famer John Elway said he believes the Broncos will find ways to get Tebow on the field.
"I'm sure they're going to take advantage of Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
what he does in the shotgun, especially in third-down situations with the run-pass option that you have with a guy like Tim. He throws the ball so well on the move and has the chance for the big play," said Elway, who attended some practices during training camp at McDaniels' invitation.
Orton said he's not concerned about giving way to Tebow for a snap here or there.
"I guess I haven't really spent too much time thinking about it," Orton said. "I stay in a rhythm. You know, we did some stuff last year with me split out and all types of good stuff and I really didn't feel like it affected my rhythm at all. And I'm not really concerned about it."
Tebow swears he's not concerned about who's the No. 2 quarterback, either.
"My goal right now is just to do whatever I can do to help the team win," he said. "And if that's in practice, being a great scout team quarterback, then that's what I'm going to try to do."
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