Monthly Archives: November 2016

SI’s Peter King projects trade between NFC East rivals for Marcus Mariota

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Peter King of Sports Illustrated took a shot at forecasting the first 15 selections of the 2015 NFL Draft on Wednesday morning and projected a big trade that would land Marcus Mariota with the Philadelphia Eagles.

SB Nation’s Dan Kadar predicted a similar trade last week, although Kadar guessed a trade could happen between the Tennessee Titans and Eagles for the No. 2 pick. King projected the trade to Case Keenum Youth Jersey happen with Washington and the No. 5 pick.

While trades between divisional rivals are rare, particularly those involving a quarterback at stake, King defended the logic on Twitter by pointing to a trade in 2010 between the same two teams that sent 33-year-old Donovan McNabb to Washington in exchange for a second-round pick and a conditional mid-round pick. Still, it would represent a monumental shift away from typical draft logic if a team gift-wrapped a 21-year-old franchise quarterback prospect like Mariota to a division rival.

It’s unclear if Jackson is considering retirement or if he’ll see if he can catch on with a team in 2015. There’s no shortage of teams looking for a starting running back, but there’s also no shortage of big-name backs on the open market. Even in the aging veteran space, there are better options, such as San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore. On top of that, this NFL Draft class is strongest at running back. It could be tough for Jackson to find a team in 2015.

Atlanta drafted Devonta Freeman in 2014, but doesn’t have much at the position and will likely Cody Wichmann Youth Jersey be looking for more running back help, either on the free agent market or the NFL Draft.

Make no mistake: I can still punish a defense. I still have a warrior’s heart. There are 1,000-yard seasons left in these legs. I know what I am still capable of, and I have every intention of proving it.

In the post, he also thanked the Falcons, owner Arthur Blank and the city of Atlanta for the way he was treated during his two seasons with the team.

Fantasy football cheat sheet: Start, sit and more tips for Week 12

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With many fantasy football fans watching from a turkey-filled table on Thursday, Week 12 of the NFL season got off to an early start with a trio of Thanksgiving games. For those owners who had to square off against the likes of Antonio Brown, Ezekiel Elliott, Jordan Reed, and perhaps even Donte Moncrief and Anquan Boldin, you may wake up this morning finding your opponent’s scoreboard looking quite stuffed indeed.

The good news is, because there are no byes Joe Schobert Womens Jersey this week, you still have plenty of opportunity to catch up. However, if you’re already looking at a huge double-digit deficit, you may well wish to roll the dice and take a few Hail Mary chances on Sunday.

Which wide receivers have the easiest and toughest matchups in Week 12? Check out the downloadable PDF cheat sheet listing every matchup to help with your fantasy football decisions.

“Sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce your way, and that’s the feeling I’ve gotten from this season,” Giacomini said.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, coming off one of his best seasons in 2015, has been searching for answers this season.

1. Steep falloff at quarterback: Fitzpatrick hasn’t recovered after unraveling in the fourth quarter of the 2015 finale, when he threw three interceptions in a devastating loss to Buffalo. That was an eye opener for the organization, which proceeded with caution during contract negotiations because it feared his career year was an aberration. It was. His 67.6 passer rating is the eighth-lowest Joe Thomas Womens Jersey among NFL starting quarterbacks since 2010. Counting the Buffalo debacle, he has thrown 16 interceptions in his past 10 games. It’s virtually impossible for a team to overcome something like that.

It’s unfortunate because Fitzpatrick was good last season, damn good at times. Go back and watch that Dec. 27 game. On the play before Decker’s touchdown, Fitzpatrick rolled left and fired an across-his-body fastball to Brandon Marshall for 20 yards, splitting two defenders. It took skill and chutzpah to make that pass. Moments later, he took something off his throw to Decker, dropping a feather into his grasp.

Fastball. Change up. Fitzpatrick had it all working last season. Now he’s struggling the find the strike zone.

As key as the 13-yarder was, especially against Norman, the 26-yarder was the game clincher and showed Bryant’s growth as a receiver.

Once again, Dallas QB Dak Prescott shows he’s a closer

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There is something about the fourth quarter that Dak Prescott loves. When the game is on the line, Prescott is at his best.

Twice Thursday when the Dallas Cowboys absolutely had to have it, Prescott answered. The rookie quarterback completed six of his seven passes in the fourth quarter as the Cowboys matched Washington touchdown-for-touchdown on the strength of Prescott’s arms and legs.

The result was a 31-26 Cowboys Dan Williams Authentic Jersey win that extended their win streak to 10, kept them atop the NFC East by at least two games, no matter the results of Sunday, and kept them as owners of the best record in the NFC and NFL.

It’s difficult to compare quarterbacks from different eras for two primary reasons. First, not all of the official statistics of the modern era were always kept; for example, sacks weren’t officially recorded until 1982. Second, passing has varied significantly throughout the years, so stats such as the traditional passer rating are fairly meaningless when comparing a player from 2016 to one from 1970.

We do have a few common measures of quarterback performance we can rely on to compare passers across eras. Total yards, pass attempts and interceptions can all be boiled down into a stat known as adjusted yards per attempt (AYPA).

Yards per attempt is one of the best ways to measure quarterback play because it’s a rate stat that’s highly predictive of winning games. The “adjusted” part subtracts 45 yards from the yardage total for every interception a quarterback throws before dividing by attempts; the 45-yard adjustment has been shown to be roughly the yardage equivalent of an interception.

To remedy the problem of different passing environments Dave Casper Authentic Jersey across eras, we can compare each quarterback’s AYPA with the league average for that season. For example, Prescott’s AYPA is 9.2 so far this season, while the league average is currently 7.2. That means Prescott exceeds the league average by a net of 2.0 AYPA.

Fixing the NFL’s ball-spotting methods isn’t as easy as you think

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We’ve been here before. Many times. And to be perfectly honest, and understanding that I’m going to be a complete buzzkill, there really isn’t much that can be done to fix it right now.

You saw it Monday night. A running back with an $8.5 million salary took a handoff from a quarterback who makes $21 million. He is tackled near the first-down marker by a linebacker earning $3 million, a play watched by millions Justin Blackmon Authentic Jersey of people on a broadcast for which the rights-holder is paying nearly $2 billion annually.

The NFL is a $13 billion industry, one of the most lucrative in the world. And yet when it came down to marking the ball for a potential first down, referee Tony Corrente and crew followed what seems to us all a primitive ritual. Using their best judgment, they placed the ball on the ground below where they thought it was suspended when the running back was down by contact.

But if you want to see officiating administered differently and the spotting of balls made more reliable, it’s important to know what the realistic options are. At the moment, there aren’t as many as you think.

Facing fourth-and-1 at the Houston 39 with just more than a minute to play and clinging to a seven-point lead, the Raiders went for it and Latavius Murray busted off a 6-yard run to essentially seal the game, especially with the Texans’ Vince Wilfork getting flagged for a personal foul after jumping on top of Murray.

“We fear nobody — that’s what Coach Del Rio teaches us,” Carr said.

The Raiders, coming off their bye week, improved to 8-2 and hold a one-game lead in the AFC West Kelvin Beachum Authentic Jersey over the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos. If the playoffs started today, the Raiders would be the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

“We have worked for it. But we know when we get there, we’re going to be humble,” Carr said of the team’s success. “We are going to remain humble. As soon as you get proud, you will fall.”

Not that he has similar fears for Harden or Westbrook.

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“I always tell people that, in my declining years, I played with the best front line in basketball,” Archibald said. “That was Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and my best friend Cedric Maxwell.”

Archibald likewise doesn’t deny that the crazy load he Bryce Salvador Authentic Jersey carried in 1972-73, averaging a hard-to-believe 46 minutes per game for the Kings in their first season splitting time between Kansas City and Omaha, came with a price. Three times in the ensuing five seasons before he landed in Boston, Archibald played in 35 games or fewer thanks to various injury issues.

“Back then was what I call the ‘black and blue era,'” Archibald said. “You saw a lot more handchecking and body-slamming.

“That first season in Kansas City … new team, new building, new life. Cous gave me the ball and said, ‘Your ball, your team, you make it happen.’ Cous wanted the team to be like the team that he used to play for [in Boston], where only guards handled the ball.

“I was in shock mode when he did that. I think he saw a glimmer in me that he saw in himself. I always tell people, Bob Cousy to me is like a stepdad.”

With a 4-5 record, a loss to the Titans on Sunday Cory Schneider Authentic Jersey would all but end the Colts’ chances to win a division title. Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire
While Manning and the rest of the 2006 Super Bowl team will be honored at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, the Colts are in danger of wasting Luck’s talent, and it’s uncertain when they’ll have enough talent on their roster again to get back to at least the AFC Championship Game.

Indianapolis is 4-5 and a loss against the Tennessee Titans will make it near impossible for the Colts to win the AFC South — a division that lacks major star power — and make the playoffs. They haven’t missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since 1997-98. The Colts have never been under .500 through the first 10 games since 2011, when Manning was injured and Luck was still at Stanford.

Flacco and Lewis, who were teammates for five seasons (2008-12), couldn’t have been more different in terms of their approach to the game. Flacco has always been stoic, and Lewis was vocal and fiery.

Diamondbacks hire former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire as bench coach

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Ron Gardenhire will be the bench coach for new Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo.

Gardenhire, 59, managed the Minnesota Twins for 13 seasons and gives Lovullo an extremely experienced right-hand man.

With 13 seasons as Twins manager under his belt, Ron Gardenhire takes his talents to the Diamondbacks, as their bench coach.

If baseball players could be replicated in laboratories, Bryant would be the prototype. His swing is effortless, his power undeniable, and his baserunning is off the charts. If he settled on one position there’s no telling what he could become on defense; that he can play all over the field makes him even more special.

“It was good for me to move around,” he explained. “I was a little nervous playing out in the outfield. Ultimately it allowed me to separate the game into defense and offense.”

“I don’t want to be that person people Cordarrelle Patterson Authentic Womens Jersey look at, too cocky, or anything like that,” Bryant said.

Bryant likes to think “good guys finish first.” Next comes marriage — the gifts are already arriving at his parents’ house in suburban Las Vegas, but these are from fans Bryant has never met.

Undoubtedly Cubs enthusiasts would say he already has. He was a human highlight reel in 2016, and of his many signature games, his best came on June 27 against the Cincinnati Reds. He went 5-for-5 with three home runs and two doubles. It was the first of his two five-hit games in 2016 to go along with a four-hit, six-RBI affair earlier in the year against the Reds. His second five-hit game came in August against the Milwaukee Brewers and featured two home runs and a double. Those performances solidified his MVP candidacy and helped the Cubs to a runaway division title.

“You want to continue to get better,” he said. “Win more World Series.”

Already determined to get back Cris Carter Authentic Womens Jersey to work, Bryant accepted the MVP award sitting in his dad’s hitting cage where he spent hours last winter preparing for his run to history. Is there any doubt the face of the Chicago Cubs will put the work in again? You can count on it.

“I’m kind of getting bored sitting around here,” Bryant said.

How a former Giants WR got his Super Bowl ring back after pawning it for drugs

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He could have pounded the table in anger, but that would make him unhinged. He could have criticized the players and coaches, but that would be turning on his own choices. He could have backed the approach and choices, but then he’s the object of ridicule.

“I know Rob’s history,” Brockers said. “I Duke Williams Authentic Jersey know about the tumor and stuff, so I was really scared that something came back or whatever, and wanted to pray for him and let him know that everything was going to be OK. But at the same time, I just didn’t know enough to understand the situation. It was good to just see him this morning and talk to him.”

Quinn, the 14th overall pick out of North Carolina in 2011, racked up 40 sacks from 2012 to ’14, third most in the NFL during that time. The 26-year-old played in eight games last season before ultimately undergoing back surgery and has played in seven of the Rams’ nine games this year, compiling two sacks, two forced fumbles and two pass deflections.

Barron didn’t notice any E. J. Manuel Authentic Jersey difference on Tuesday.

With his ring finally back on his finger, Johnson could not hold in his emotions any longer. He sat down, bent over and started sobbing. After drying his eyes, he then had an important phone call to make.

“I just told Coach thank you. A thousand times. Amongst all the tears, and my runny nose,” Johnson said.

Parcells’ message to Johnson was a little more like tough love.

“He was like, ‘Put it on; don’t ever take it off!'” Johnson said with a laugh. “‘Don’t lose it again.’ Speaking to me like a father. Which was awesome. You have to respect that. He did everything he could to get it back. I didn’t think it was going to actually happen.”

“He was an important part of the group, and both Lee and I felt the same way,” Parcells said. “He deserves to share in that with everybody. That’s the only symbol that could represent his participation. So it was nice to get it back to him.”

Johnson has never met Lee Einsidler but is hoping to set up a meeting with him soon to express his gratitude.

“I never thought this would happen,” Johnson said. “God is good. Coach is good. I don’t even know Lee. But I love him. This means the world to me.

“I have come a long way. I have come full circle.”

John Kasich wants to make the day after the Super Bowl a national holiday

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Everyone casually talks about making the day after the Super Bowl a national holiday, and why not? Everyone is typically either hungover or just too stuffed to do anything in the office on Monday morning.

But most of the talk comes from casual football fans. If only there was a politician who could potentially make this long-overdue request happen. John Kasich will try to turn it into a reality if you vote for him during the Republican primaries and the Albert McClellan Youth Jersey presidential election, at least that’s what he told Dan Patrick. In fact, he’s so confident, he’ll even do it within his first 100 days in office. So if you were on the fence about voting for Kasich, consider this pressing issue.

A vote for Kasich is a vote for football holidays.

“One of the most common questions I get is, Can you do Moneyball, for lack of a better term, in the NFL? And the answer is, No, you can’t,” Billick said. “You can’t quantify the game of football the way you do baseball. It’s not a statistical game. The parameters of the game, the number of bodies and what they’re doing in conjunction with one another.”

It’s easy to see the value in signing RG3: On a Alex Lewis Youth Jersey two-year, $15 million deal with just $6.75 million in guarantees, Cleveland is paying him less for a couple of seasons than what Colin Kaepernick is set to make in one. He’s also just four seasons removed from a Rookie of the Year campaign, so he has considerably more upside than current Browns quarterback Josh McCown, who will turn 27 in July, or a journeyman like Ryan Fitzpatrick.

But all of that upside will be wasted if Griffin is under constant duress.

Over the last month, the Browns have lost four starters to free agency, including Mack and leading receiver Travis Benjamin. The only player who left without much fanfare was Manziel.

Problems with applying the “Moneyball” philosophy to the NFL
Unlike in baseball, teams are largely on a level financial playing field in the NFL. The advent of revenue sharing and the salary cap, combined with the lack of guaranteed contracts, ensures that no club is at a significant financial disadvantage. The need to find value is greatly diminished.

In the NFL, even an underachieving franchise like the Jacksonville Jaguars can spend heavily in free agency as long as it has the cap room. The Jaguars have gone on a spending spree this offseason, prioritizing short-term gains over all else. The NFL’s financial structure allows them to do that.

Signing a veteran center like Alex Mack may be a poor long-term investment, but the Browns wouldn’t have been obligated to keep him around for the entirety of a five-year deal. Having Mack on the offensive line alongside tackle Mitchell Schwartz for next season would probably be worth the risk of keeping them as they age, because Cleveland could always restructure their contracts or release them.

Fake it to make it: Why NFL teams need to use more play-action

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WITH NFL TEAMS firing offensive coordinators almost as frequently as the Raiders commit penalties these days, I have some advice for teams looking to amp their scoring: Add more play-action to your repertoire.

Yes, the trend in today’s game is for quarterbacks to get rid of the ball quickly, not to take extra time to fake a handoff before passing. This season starting QBs are spending two seconds or less in the pocket on 37.4 percent of their attempts, a figure that has jumped by more than 5 percentage points in just the past four years. As I’ve written before, that’s understandable and even laudable, given the trouble so many clubs are having developing cohesive offensive lines. But the numbers are loud and clear: Misdirection still pays.

Wide receiver Doug Baldwin had no plans this week to watch film from the Seahawks’ Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots in 2015.

“Not at all,” Baldwin said. “Just focused on this year, the 2016-2017 season. We’ll take what they’ve done this year on film and on tape and obviously the coordinators’ history and then utilize it to our benefit.”

Seattle has only four remaining Jamarca Sanford Authentic Jersey starters on offense from that Super Bowl team. And it’s been more than four years since the Seahawks were underdogs by this margin (7.5 points).

Offensively, they’ll look to build on last week’s performance against the Buffalo Bills, and defensively, they’ll try to rebound after two uncharacteristic performances.

Jimmy Graham. Among tight ends, only Carolina’s Greg Olsen has more receiving yards than Graham. In his second season in Seattle, Graham is on pace for 76 catches and 1,090 yards. Quarterback Russell Wilson trusts Graham to make plays when he might not necessarily be open, and the veteran tight end has rewarded him. Last week, Graham made a pair of spectacular one-handed touchdown grabs. The Patriots rank 24th at covering opposing tight ends, according Jarius Wright Authentic Jersey to Football Outsiders, and Graham should see plenty of targets Sunday night.

Brees insisted that he isn’t thinking about the Saints’ strange history with the .500 hurdle, just as he isn’t thinking about the team’s future beyond Sunday’s game against the Broncos (6-3). “Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Bottom line is it’s the next game,” Brees said. “It doesn’t matter what our record is right now. It’s the next game, it’s the most important game and it’s against a really, really good football team.”

Griffin scored 34 to lead Los, J.J. Redick scored 24 on 10-of-17 shooting

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They made it a game, but weren’t able to close the deal. A furious fourth-quarter rally from the Detroit Pistons fell short Monday a 105 loss to the Los Clippers at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Crawford hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 12 seconds remaining overtime. The Pistons had a to tie it after missed on the second of two free throws the final seconds. The ball was tipped up, with Drummond having opportunity at a putback, and took a desperation shot from the side that bounced off the side of the backboard. had a game-high 34 points, scoring 10 the fourth and six overtime. He missed a jump shot to win it regulation. After trailing by as as 12 points the third quarter, the Pistons rallied to start the fourth quarter with a 14 run. It was aided by a seven-point outburst by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and energy off the bench from Baynes. The Pistons scored 31 points the fourth and outscored the Clippers by 10. Drummond had 20 points and 15 rebounds for his 22nd double-double of the. Detroit shot just 35 percent and committed committed 14 turnovers the first half. But Willie McCovey Jersey the Pistons were able to keep within distance by outrebounding Los 27 and holding the Clippers to 2 of 9 on 3s.

Griffin scored 34 to lead Los, J.J. Redick scored 24 on 10-of-17 shooting, including a game-tying 3 to send the game into overtime, and had 13 points and 12 rebounds. Detroit hosts the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. HIGHLIGHTS ‘s 3-point basket with 6 remaining regulation gave the Pistons their first lead of the game. Detroit trailed by as as 12 points Ahtyba Rubin Jersey late the third quarter. His 34 points is the eighth time nine he’s scored double figures and his third consecutive game with 20-plus points. After a struggle shooting through the first three quarters, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 10 of his 18 points the fourth quarter. He converted on a pair of 3s and a jump shot at 9 that brought the Pistons within three. Baynes had energized fourth quarter, beginning with a right hook and ending with a slam that brought the Palace crowd to its feet and the Pistons within a point. He scored 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting and was met with warm applause from the crowd during his walk to the bench. LOWLIGHTS The Pistons were held to 39 points on 35 percent shooting the first half, just the third time this they’ve been held under 40 points after the first two quarters. Detroit scored 27 points the first but was 5 of 18 from the field and tied a low for points.

Stan Gundy picked up his second technical foul of the at 7 of the first quarter, upset over a non-call on after a drive to the. Ersan Ilyasova, after scoring double figures three of his last four, was held to six points on 3-of-8 shooting and three rebounds. ‘s offensive struggles continue, with the rookie forward held scoreless on five missed shots 18 minutes off the bench. It was the fifth time six he hasn’t scored double figures and the second time this he hasn’t scored a game. GAME NOTES Detroit has now lost 10 straight to Clippers, a streak that dates back to the 2010. The Pistons drop to 9 this at The Palace of Auburn Hills, and 4 against teams from the Conference. Drummond recorded three steals and now has steals all 26 this, the longest such streak for the Pistons Ahtyba Rubin Jersey since the team begin tracking the statistic the 197holds the record of 39 straight to start the 201Darrun Hilliard and Spencer Dinwiddie were recalled from the Developmental League’s Grand Rapids Drive on Monday morning, their second such stint this. Hilliard scored a team-high 23 points, on 8 of 16 shooting, with four rebounds, three assists and three steals while Dinwiddie had seven points, three rebounds and two assists while fouling out 28 minutes.