The Miami Dolphins have cut their roster from the preseason 90-man limit to the regular season’s 53-man limit. These cuts are always tough Christian Wilkins white jersey , with players having given it their all to try to make it to the roster, but roster moves having to be made. Some of the cuts, however, are surprising. A veteran who was expected to be a starter is suddenly gone (T.J. McDonald). A young player showing promise is released (Chase Allen). And both of those were last week before we reached Saturday. Things that were not expected become the main stories on cut-down day.The first surprise came, not from a player who was cut, but one who is still with the team. Speculation had the Dolphins trading or cutting linebacker Kiko Alonso, to the point that he was said to have asked for a trade and cleaned out his locker. Yet, he is still on the roster. Are the Dolphins holding on to him in a hope of finding a trade partner? Or, can the two sides come back together and the veteran remain on the roster this year?The Dolphins clearly are going with a youth movement this season. The team as a whole averages 25.2 years old, with 2.6 years of NFL experience entering this season. If you take out quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and long snapper John Denney, both of whom have played 14 years already and are entering their 15th season, the Dolphins drop to an average age of 24.2 with 2.1 years of experience prior to this season. They have 13 rookies on the roster, with another three players in their first season. To compare, the Dolphins have two players entering their 15th year, one his tenth, one his ninth Christian Wilkins Jersey Womens , two their seventh, three their sixth, and four their fifth. The Dolphins have more players entering their first year on an NFL roster than they have entering their fifth-or-more season.Defensive end Tank Carradine may be the biggest surprise cut on the day. He has worked with the first-team defense and he plays at a position that does not have a lot of depth for Miami. The Dolphins head into the season with just three defensive ends on the roster. They are either going to be acquiring someone over the next few days, or the 3-4 may have a much bigger role for the defense than they have shown this summer. The team could also look to re-sign Carradine after Week 1, avoiding making his full contract guaranteed as a vested veteran.The Dolphins releasing Isaiah Ford and keeping Allen Hurns at wide receiver is a little surprising as well. Hurns did not really show anything this summer, while Ford had a pretty good preseason. Hurns could be a player the Dolphins look to cut as roster moves happen this week, but for now, he is one of six receivers on the roster.Miami is deep! at running back. Counting fullback Chandler Cox, the team has six runners on the roster. Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage were obviously making the team, then there was competition between Myles Gaskin, Patrick Laird, and Mark Walton. All three showed flashes and made a good case to be among the players kept - it is just surprising that the team would go ahead and keep all of them. Miami could look to slide one to the practice squad later this week, but as of Saturday, Miami has a ton of running backs on the roster.Chris Myarick making the roster is impressive. After the team came to an injury settlement with Dwayne Allen, it was expected the team would move forward with three tight ends, Mike Gesicki Christian Wilkins Jersey Cheap , Nick O’Leary, and Durham Smythe. Myarick played well in the summer and now finds himself on the roster.And finally, for the 743rd time, John Denney is on the roster. It is not a surprise. It is just a statement of fact. John Denney is always on the Dolphins’ roster.Changes will still happen over the next few days, but for now, the Dolphins have a 53-man roster. AFC EAST:New England Patriots (via Pats Pulpit)Report: NFL not investigating Patriots for tampering with Antonio Brown - Pats Pulpit...Knock on wood?New York Jets (via Gang Green Nation)Adam Gase’s Monday press chat: Injury updates, receiver criticism, cornerback frustration and more - Gang Green NationAdam Gase spoke to the press on a conference call on Monday. The focus was Sunday’s loss to the Bills and the path forward for the team.Buffalo Bills (via Buffalo Rumblings)AFC East Roundup: Division Debuts - Buffalo RumblingsHow did the AFC East fare in Week 1?AFC NORTH:Baltimore Ravens (via Baltimore Beatdown)CB Jimmy Smith diagnosed with an MCL sprain - Baltimore BeatdownCould be a few games without JimmyPittsburgh Steelers (via Behind the Steel Curtain)Same old story as Steelers suffer blowout loss to the Patriots - Behind the Steel CurtainIt was deja vu all over again, Sunday night, as the Steelers were blown out by the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. It doesn’t matter who plays or coaches, the story always ends the same way.Cincinnati Bengals (via Cincy Jungle)Joe Mixon injury update: Bengals RB avoids major injury, could go vs 49ers - Cincy JungleThe third-year running back suffered a scary ankle injury Sunday, but he’ll be fine.Cleveland Browns (via Dawgs the Blue)The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from the win against the Colts - Bolts From The BlueThe Los Angeles Chargers came out of their home opener with a 30-24 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts. They are 1-0 for the first time since the 2015 season. Things could have been...Oakland Raiders (via Silver and Black Pride)Raiders win to chants of ‘F—k AB!’, Jon Gruden plays it cooler ‘We gave it a shot and now New England gets their turn. Good luck to them.’ - Silver And Black PrideGruden keeps saying the only distraction with all the Antonio Brown drama is in the media. And by the way his team went out and performed against the Broncos Monday Night Miami Dolphins Jerseys 2019 , it’s hard to argue that....Kansas City Chiefs (via Arrowhead Pride)Tyreek Hill injury: Chiefs’ wide receiver “will likely avoid IR” - Arrowhead PrideNFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that Kansas City is weighing its options.NFC EAST:New York Giants (via Big Blue View)NFL power rankings, Week 2: There are worse teams than the Giants - Big Blue ViewLet’s look at the aggregated power rankingsPhiladelphia Eagles (via Bleeding Green Nation)Eagles Film Room: Third down offense returns to 2017 form - Bleeding Green NationA slow start followed by a strong finish shows flashes of a championship teamDallas Cowboys (via Blogging the Boys)After further review: The Dallas Cowboys offense is real, and they’re spectacular - Blogging The BoysThe Dallas Cowboys defeated the New York Giants 35-17 to open the 2019 NFL season, thanks to an explosive offensive.Washington Redskins (via Hogs Haven)Redskins Injury Update: Derrius Guice to get MRI on non-ACL repaired knee, likely to miss time - Hogs HavenThe hits keep on comingNFC NORTH:Green Bay Packers (via Acme Packing Company)Matt LaFleur’s play-action philosophy was missing in Week 1 win, but is likely on its way - Acme Packing CompanyWe spent the offseason hearing about the play-action offense Matt LaFleur would bring to Green Bay. He must have left it in his suitcase for Week 1. It needs to come out for this Packers offense to grow.Detroit Lions (via Pride of Detroit)T.J. Hockenson, Tracy Walker receive Detroit Lions’ highest PFF Week 1 grades - Pride Of DetroitNothing’s too surprising about that, but we wanted to give you some positive takeaways from Sunday.Chicago Bears (via Windy City Gridiron)Is Tarik Cohen a wide receiver now? - Windy City GridironLester wasn’t pleased with how Bears head coach Matt Nagy utilized Tarik Cohen last night and he explores that right here...Minnesota Vikings (via Daily Norseman)On Sunday, the Vikings did something they hadn’t done since 1977 - Daily NorsemanIt’s about how they wonNFC SOUTH:New Orleans Saints (via Canal Street Chronicles)Saints Beat Texans Final Score 30-28 Monday Night Football - Canal Street ChroniclesThe Saints were on the right side of history last night. Life’s Good!Atlanta Falcons (via The Falcoholic)Falcons fantasy football stud and dud from Week 1 - The FalcoholicGarbage time salvaged some fantasy points for Falcons owners this week.Carolina Panthers (via Cat Scratch Reader)Bad refs didn’t decide the Carolina Panthers vs Los Angeles Rams game - Cat Scratch ReaderGames are made up of big moments, but these two mistakes by the referees weren’t the only big moments in the game.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (via Bucs Nation)The Buccaneersl Loss To The 49ers Is Problematic, But It’s Not Foreboding - Bucs NationIt’s only Week 1....NFC WEST:San Francisco 49ers (via Niners Nation)49ers injury news: Tevin Coleman expected to miss multiple games with a sprained ankle - Niners NationRaheem Mostert time?Arizona Cardinals (via Revenge of the Birds)The Cardinals’ Player of the Game: Week 1 - Revenge of the BirdsWhat else can be said about the Legend at this point? Larry Fitzgerald continues to defy time, this time propping up a passing game amidst a young receiving unit and yet another quarterback under...Seattle Seahawks (via Field Gulls)Why the Seattle Seahawks are bringing back CB Jamar Taylor - Field GullsDuring the Week 1 victory of the Seattle Seahawks over the Cincinnati Bengals, the Hawks depth at cornerback was tested, with both Ugo Amadi and Neiko Thorpe missing time with injuries. While Amadi...Los Angeles Rams (via Turf Show Times)The Rams’ plan for RB Todd Gurley is going to be very interesting - Turf Show TimesWeek 1 showed us the first inkling of how the Rams are going to use Gurley moving forward. Suffice to say, it’s a radical departure from the past.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft is subject to the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy and could face league discipline including a suspension after authorities in Florida announced today that he is one of dozens of people caught in a prostitution sting.Although players are usually the ones suspended White Adrian Clayborn Jerseys , the league has always made clear that the personal conduct policy applies to anyone affiliated with the NFL.“It is a privilege to be part of the National Football League,” the first paragraph of the policy reads. “Everyone who is part of the league must refrain from ‘conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in’ the NFL. This includes owners, coaches, players, other team employees, game officials, and employees of the league office, NFL Films Adrian Clayborn Jerseys 2019 , NFL Network, or any other NFL business.” (Emphasis in original.)In 2014, the NFL suspended Colts owner Jim Irsay six games and fined him $500,000 for driving while impaired. Irsay is the only owner to be suspended by the league since 1999, when 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo was suspended for the entire season for his part in a Louisiana gambling scandal. DeBartolo would never regain control of the team, instead ceding control to his sister, Denise DeBartolo York, and her family.If the league finds that Kraft has committed conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the NFL White Jeremy Hill Jerseys , he could be suspended, and kept away while the Patriots commemorate their sixth Super Bowl title under his ownership. New England gets some defensive reinforcements." NFL training campPatriots NewsPatriots Training Camp CoveragePatriots defensive edge Deatrich Wise Jr. returns to practice, removed off PUP listNew,4commentsNew England gets some defensive reinforcements.EDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Patriots defensive edge Deatrich Wise Jr. returns to practice, removed off PUP listTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Keith Bedford/The Boston Globe via Getty ImagesThe New England Patriots’ second training camp practice is currently underway on the fields behind Gillette Stadium, and there are some personnel news. While quarterback Tom Brady appears to be sitting out the session — he is present, just not in gear — the defensive line got some reinforcements today: defensive edge Deatrich Wise Jr. is in uniform, an indicator that he has been removed off the physically unable to perform list.Wise Jr. was one of six players to be placed on PUP during the first wave of check-ins on Sunday Jeremy Hill Jerseys 2019 , and the first of the group to come off the list again. The 25-year-old was moved there after missing both New England’s organized team activities and mandatory minicamp due to issues with his ankle and foot. However, the expectation at the time was that he would return to the field sooner rather than later. Sooner, it looks like, is today.The third-year man being back is certainly good news for his rehabilitation process, and for the Patriots’ defensive edge rotation as a whole. After all, he is projected to play a considerable role alongside fellow roster locks Michael Bennett — who is still a no-show at camp after being excused for personal reasons — and third-round rookie Chase Winovich.With Wise Jr. back, the following players remain on the practice reserve lists:

Special games call for special measures.That’s why this week’s edition of “Countdown to Kickoff” is coming to you the night before the Texans kick off against the Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London at 8:30 a.m. CST tomorrow.While we could have posted this baby as we usually do Kahale Warring Houston Texans Jersey , four hours before the game starts, better to do it earlier.My apologies to those of you who were going to set your alarm for 4 a.m. to get in the proverbial CTK door first.Speaking of alarms, remember that Daylight Savings Time ends at 2 a.m. tonight.Order that final cocktail at last call, drain it, and then set all your clocks back an hour before you crash tonight.With that, the studio space is yours to discuss Texans, Jaguars, Wembley Stadium, London, and anything else football-related that’s on your mind until the first quarter thread posts at 8:15 a.m. CST tomorrow. ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Deshaun Watson didn’t get the longer preseason look he wanted against the Dallas Cowboys.The Houston Texans couldn’t get their quarterback off the field fast enough Kahale Warring Jersey 2019 , especially after running back Lamar Miller sustained what coach Bill O’Brien called a serious knee injury on the second play.Watson didn’t return for a second series after getting dropped twice in three plays. The first play wasn’t a sack because of defensive holding, the second was and resulted in a fumble , the first of four Houston turnovers in a 34-0 exhibition loss to the Cowboys on Saturday night.Article continues below ...Miller was carted off after defensive tackle Maliek Collins slammed into his left leg at the line of scrimmage in what figures to be Miller’s only carry of the preseason. The eighth-year back didn’t play in the first two exhibitions.“It’s very tough,” Watson said. “You have a guy that’s so special to our team. Anybody that gets hurt, it’s tough. But he’s one of the guys that has a lot of energy and a lot of power for this team. It’s tough to see him go off in the cart.”Dak Prescott scrambled and threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Michael Gallup while playing the first two series for Dallas. Prescott was 2 of 5 for 22 yards, the three incompletions his first of the preseason.“I’m just excited for where we’re going to go,” Prescott said. “This team is coming together, this team is strong, this team is excited. A lot of youth, a lot of energy.”Tony Pollard, the starting running back with Ezekiel Elliott holding out Color Rush Kahale Warring Jersey , stayed an extra series, when the rookie had a 20-yard run to finish with 26 yards on six carries. Alfred Morris, the primary replacement during Elliott’s six-game suspension two years ago, had a 1-yard TD run.Pollard nearly reached the end zone by running 24 yards on a screen, but it was negated by an illegal block penalty on Jason Witten. The tight end, poised to set the Dallas record with a 16th season, was playing at home for the first time since coming out of retirement after a year in broadcasting.Taco Charlton had both the hits on Watson, causing and recovering a fumble on the sack that counted to set up Gallup’s touchdown. Charlton got a second sack against Joe Webb III and forced another fumble. Kerry Hyder also had two of the Cowboys’ eight sacks.Charlton, a 2017 first-round pick, went to training camp with his roster spot in jeopardy, but has been particularly strong in the past two preseason games.“He’s just gotten better and better and better right before your eyes and my eyes as well Cheap Kahale Warring Jersey ,” owner Jerry Jones said. “He’s really getting rewarded and I’m proud of him because he’s had to really work to get to this point.”The night got worse for Houston’s offensive line when versatile starter Zach Fulton was carted off in the first half. Last year’s right guard has also played center and left guard in previous seasons.Joe Thomas blocked a punt for Dallas, kicked the ball toward the goal line while trying to pick it up and ultimately recovered it in the end zone for a 14-0 lead. He almost had an interception return for a touchdown on a pass from Webb that went through his outstretched hands.IT’LL HAVE TO DOWatson was hoping for more than the single series he got in last week’s 30-23 win over Detroit. His only other appearance was productive, though. Watson was 5 of 7 for 60 yards with a 4-yard touchdown to DeAndre Hopkins. Since he couldn’t get a pass off in two dropbacks against the Cowboys, those will be his preseason numbers. The opener is Sept. 9 at New Orleans.“Even if we went out and the starters played a half and put up 34 points, I still don’t believe that we’d be ready,” Watson said. “There’s always ways to get better all the way to kickoff of the Saints game.”TRUE AND THROUGHDallas kicker Brett Maher had his best night in what’s been a shaky preseason. Last year’s surprise replacement for Dan Bailey made field goals of 36 and 23 yards and all four extra points.HOUSTON’S BACKSIf Miller is out for an extended period, the focus will turn to Duke Johnson, acquired from Cleveland in a trade this month. Johnson hasn’t played for the Texans yet. The other two backs who got carries against the Cowboys are undrafted rookies: Karan Higdon Jr. (13 carries for 28 yards) and Damarea Crockett (three for 27).UP NEXTPreseason finales for both teams Thursday, both at home. Houston plays the LA Rams. Dallas plays Tampa Bay.

We look at the signing of Uzomah and why it made sense for the Bengals"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections #BITESIZEFilm RoomRoster Transactions and ContractsOrange & Black InsiderSalary Cap And CBABreaking NewsKeep track of the 2019 Bengals draft脳NFL Free AgencyAnalysisVideos5 reasons the Bengals’ re-signing of C.J. Uzomah makes senseNew Dre Kirkpatrick Jersey ,5commentsWe look at the signing of Uzomah and why it made sense for the BengalsEDTShareTweetShareShare5 reasons the Bengals’ re-signing of C.J. Uzomah makes sense5 reasons it made sense for the Bengals to bring back C.J. UzomahThe Bengals had some practice squad guys coming back at tight end in 2019 and Mason Schreck was returning from his injury, but all three of their starters from 2018 were free agents. The question was, will the Bengals bring any of those starters back—and if they did, who would it be? Well, now the question has been answered and initially, it was in C.J. Uzomah. Once a young player who was billed as very raw and needing development coming out of college, he began to really turn a corner in his professional career last season. Even so, many believe that he still has his best football in front of him. Let’s take a look at the top-five reasons the signing made sense from the Bengals’ side.1. Offers versatility in the draftThe Bengals (and most other teams) don’t like to go into the draft with any glaring needs, as that can force them to reach on a player that otherwise they wouldn’t have taken. With that thought in mind, the Bengals needed to sign at least one tight end as they couldn’t go into 2019 with a slew of unproven players at the position. While they would arguably be worth the 11th pick Billy Price Jersey , the Bengals didn’t want to be forced into taking T.J. Hockenson or Noah Fant, as it could cause them to pass on someone they may see as a overall better player at a different position. On top of that facet, every other team would know the Bengals wanted to draft a tight end and would try to trade in front of them for one, which is a similar situation to what happened with Frank Ragnow and the Detroit Lions in the 2018 draft.2. Offers the ability to still draft a tight end if they wantThe deal that Uzomah signed was three years, $18 million. It’s neither too much money, nor is it long enough that it eliminates the option to draft a tight end, if they believe the player is worth it. If the Bengals think that Fant is the best player at No. 11 and helps the team the most in the long run, this deal (nor the one for veteran Tyler Eifert) does not stop them from making that pick. Uzomah has earned this deal, but he has not shown enough to trust in him as the sole tight end going forward and to not believe the Bengals can’t improve at the position. 3. Keeps a player that still has room to growUzomah is just now entering his prime at 26 years old and still has the potential to outperform this new contract. As mentioned above, he did not have a tight end coach in college and had to learn from other position coaches on both receiving and blocking skills.With that in mind Jessie Bates Jersey , it is easy to see why it took him so long to develop into a solid player in the pros. It also suggests that he can continue learning and potentially become a very good to elite player. Most tight ends take a good one or two years to really make an impact in the NFL, and it makes sense that that timeline would be pushed back for a player with minimal positional coaching in college. 4. Fair money for a good playerThe contract makes Uzomah around the 16th-highest paid tight end in the league. That is very fair money for a player who had solid production while playing injured for most of 2019. This is especially the case when you look at the specific players who are making around the same money or more. Former teammate Tyler Kroft is making slightly more on his contract with the Bills, while Uzomah was better able to produce and stay healthy with the Bengals. Nick Boyle is getting paid the same amount, and while a better blocker, is much less athletic and a worse receiver than Uzomah. The athleticism that Uzomah has for his size is phenomenal and suggests he can be a solid downfield threat in a better scheme. 5. Has a rapport with DaltonIf the Bengals want to be successful in 2019 they have to get Andy Dalton to play as well as he possibly can. With that in mind, the Uzomah signing makes a lot of sense, as he has already established a connection with Dalton over the previous four seasons. After becoming fully healthy and getting into an offense that better uses his skill-set, Uzomah has a sky-high ceiling for the 2019 season. Making Dalton as comfortable as possible should be the goal for 2019, as they need to evaluate him to figure out what to do when his contract runs out. Giving him back a tight end he is already comfortable with will go a long way in that regard.Bengals’ coaches are confident in Giovani Bernard and Mark Walton stepping up vs. Panthers The Bengals got some sobering news after Thursday night’s game. Joe Mixon needed a minor surgery on his knee that would cause him to miss at least two games. Then, Tra Carson hurt his hamstring in preparation for the Cincinnati’s game against Carolina on Sunday. That caused the team to waive him and sign Thomas Rawls as an emergency back. What was once a deep position for the Bengals is suddenly on its last leg.However Sam Hubbard Jersey , Giovani Bernard, who is going to become the feature back in Mixon’s absence, isn’t worried about the extra playing time.“I mean, I’m not like an ice cube. It’s not like I’m not going to die or something. Its football,” Bernard told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Guys are going to go down and the next man has to step up at the end of the day, and it’s my opportunity to go out there and play football like I do every Sunday.“Whatever play I get, I’m a running back, so inside, outside, don’t really matter. Just when you get the ball in your hands Malik Jefferson Jersey , make a play.”Bernard should have all the confidence in the world. He is one of the most veteran players on the offensive side of the ball. He was drafted in 2012, and has been a productive member with his limited role ever since. He has rarely been given the spotlight as the starter in his career. In fact, Bernard has only started 12 games in his entire career. Most of those starts came in 2014 when he started over rookie running back Jeremy Hill for the first seven games. Bernard still has an extreme amount of confidence from his coaches, although they don’t want him to carry the load alone.“Most games you should consider it’s going to take more than one back. I think it’s fair,” offensive coordinator Bill Lazor said. “But I don’t look at Gio any differently. To me the guy’s a warrior. Coming off the knee surgery two years ago and what he did last year, I just think he’s a warrior. “He’s really physically unique being able to do that with his stature, to play the way he plays. He finishes runs, he doesn’t run out of bounds, he doesn’t go down easily. I think he’s a warrior. I have great respect for him. Do we have to be smart with him? Absolutely. But no different than with any starting running back.”The fact Bernard didn’t start last season on the PUP list tells you how tough he is. His 2016 season ended in Week 11 with an ACL injury. That usually takes players around a year to come back from. Bernard only took a fraction of that as he suited up Week 1.Bernard often gets generalized as a change-of-pace back, but he has shown the ability to run in between the tackles regularly. It could be that people see how good he is in space and assume that Mark Walton Jersey , but he is just as likely to beat a team running behind the guard and center as outside. That is what make Bernard so deadly to prepare for. The Bengals can line him up anywhere and run any play with him. We should see all of Bernard’s bag of tricks come Sunday.We should also see the premiere of Mark Walton, the Bengals fourth-round pick. The rookie had a rocky preseason, but he is confident that he has learned from his mistakes in exhibition play.“I was kind of hesitating and second-guessing myself, and I would start waiting for the cutback,” Walton said. “In college, I had a lot of cutbacks and that’s what I thought I was going to bring here, but cutbacks are very rare here in this league so you’ve just got to take what you can get from the defense.”Hopefully, Walton shows how much he has learned in his limited role on Sunday.

The Tennessee Titans get to rest now after clawing their way back to .500 Rashad Fenton Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys , salvaging a 2-4 start by winning three of their last four."We got a good bye week, timely bye week for us to rest up, get healthy, improve ...," Titans cornerback Logan Ryan said Monday. "Get our guys back and get ready for an important stretch here, a lot of division games coming up, and obviously it's all about how you finish in this league, and the finish is near. I think it's a perfect bye week for us."If the Titans (5-5) can finish the season the way they've won three straight at home, then they might have a chance at their first playoff berth under second-year coach Mike Vrabel. They turned in an amazing goal-line stand to beat the Chargers on Oct. 20, then Ryan intercepted a pass inside the final minute to beat Tampa Bay on Oct. 27.They pulled out their biggest comeback yet on Sunday, rallying to beat Kansas City 35-32 with Joshua Kalu blocking a 52-yard field goal at the last second."Thank God that we were able to keep them to field goals in those situations," Vrabel said.WHAT'S WORKINGThe defense. Even with Patrick Mahomes throwing for 446 yards — the most the Titans have ever allowed at Nissan Stadium — they forced the Chiefs to settle for six field-goal attempts. The fifth was ruined by a bad snap before Kalu blocked the sixth.They also scored another touchdown with linebacker Rashaan Evans returning a fumble 53 yards, even as the Titans dropped to the NFL's No. 9 scoring defense."We're trying to get to the playoffs," safety Kevin Byard said. "We definitely want to be a great defense at the same time, but getting Ws and doing what we need to do to win games Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys 2019 , that's what it's really all about."WHAT NEEDS HELPStarting games. The Titans struggled again to do anything offensively, managing only 16 yards in the first quarter against the Chiefs and fell behind 10-0. They gave up two sacks, with Ryan Tannehill stripped of the ball on one. One improvement from last week? Derrick Henry got the ball five times in just 5:27 after having only two rushes in the first half of last week's loss at Carolina.STOCK UPHenry had the second-best rushing game of his career, with 188 yards, and he also ran for two TDs. He's now fourth in the NFL with 832 yards rushing and fourth with eight TDs. He's tied for the fifth most games in a player's first four seasons in NFL history, with three career games of at least 170 yards and two TDs rushing, and only Jim Brown (six), Eric Dickerson (six), Earl Campbell (five) and Jamal Lewis (four) having more.STOCK DOWNLeft tackle Taylor Lewan. The three-time Pro Bowler had three more penalties, giving him a team-high nine for the season despite being suspended the first four games. Lewan apologized after the game and spoke again Monday in the locker room."The reality is those penalties aren't good enough," he said.INJUREDFour-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jurrell Casey's injured shoulder has kept him out of the past two games, while starting linebacker Jayon Brown also sat out with an injured groin that sidelined him during the loss at Carolina. Wide receiver Corey Davis sat out with a hip injury.The Titans hope tight end Delanie Walker can return soon. He has missed three straight since aggravating his right ankle five snaps into the game against the Chargers.KEY NUMBER10 — The Titans turned to Tannehill looking for a spark on offense. They're scoring 26.2 points a game in Tannehill's four starts, 10 points more than in Marcus Mariota's six starts.NEXT STEPSRest up and heal for a six-game stretch run in which the Titans play three of the teams ahead of them in the AFC chase for the playoffs. The Jaguars (4-5), who visit on Nov. 23, are the only team left on Tennessee's schedule currently below .500. The Titans visit Indianapolis (5-4) and Oakland (5-4) Infant Rashad Fenton Jersey , with two to play against AFC South division leader Houston (6-3).Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker For the first time in a decade, the top seed in the AFC playoffs goes to a team not led by Tom Brady or Peyton Manning.The Kansas City Chiefs earned the No. 1 seed for the first time since 1997 after switching from Alex Smith to Patrick Mahomes , the sensational second-year star who reminds so many of Brett Favre.The New England Patriots lost five times on the road but still managed to win their customary first-round bye, slipping past the Houston Texans to earn a week off to rest for the 10th consecutive year.They’re the only teams back in the AFC playoffs following a year of comebacks.The Texans return from a year’s absence thanks to the remarkable rebounds of J.J. Watt and Deshaun Watson . The Chargers rode a refined Philip Rivers to their first playoff berth in five years, and the Colts crashed the playoff party for the first time since 2014 behind Andrew Luck’s rousing return .The Colts visit the Texans on Saturday in the wild-card round, and on Sunday the Chargers play at Baltimore, where the Ravens ended a four-year drought by rallying behind Lamar Jackson , the last of the “Big Five” rookie QBs drafted in the first round, but the first to make it to the playoffs.Strength and weakness of each of the six AFC playoff teams:1. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (12-4). AP Pro32 Ranking: No. 4. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 4, 23-7 over Minnesota on Jan. 11, 1970.SHOOTOUT: The Chiefs haven’t had a true franchise QB since Len Dawson led them to their only Super Bowl title. But after letting him learn the ropes under Alex Smith, Mahomes broke out with one of the best seasons in NFL history for a first-year starter (5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns ). K.C. scored at least 26 points in every game, the only team ever to do so.STRIKEOUT: The defense is a dud. Their four losses this season came when they put forth as much resistance as tissue paper: shootout losses to the Rams, Patriots and Seahawks and a fourth-quarter meltdown against the Chargers. Of course Rashad Fenton Jersey nfl draft , those are all playoff-bound teams. Don’t forget on offense the ouster of RB Kareem Hunt , who had 14 TDs. The Chiefs have gone 3-2 since cutting last year’s rushing champ.SHOUTOUT: “I always feel like there is a bull’s-eye every week, and that’s OK. That’s the way you want it. We’ve earned the right to be in this position.” — Coach Andy Reid.2. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (12-4). AP Pro32 Ranking: No. 5 (tie). Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 51, 34-28, OT, over Atlanta on Feb. 5, 2017.FAR OUT: At 41, he finally showed signs of age this season. But having Tom Brady on their roster makes the Patriots a title contender. Coming off an MVP season, Brady fell off — by his lofty standards — with 4,355 yards, 29 TDs and 11 interceptions. Getting a week off to rest is important because the Patriots have not been a wild-card team since 2009, when they were blown out by Baltimore.FLAME OUT: Every time Brady has won a Super Bowl ring, he had a star-studded defense helping him. The Patriots have given up 30 or more points five times this season, going 2-3. They haven’t been able to get to the quarterback like last year, when they were tied for seventh in the league with 42 sacks. This season Rashad Fenton Jersey Womens , they tied for 30th with just 30 sacks.SHOUTOUT: “11-5 is nothing to be sad about. I mean, we fought pretty hard and put ourselves in a decent position here, and now we’ve got to go try to take advantage of it.” — Brady.3. HOUSTON TEXANS (11-5). AP Pro32 Ranking: No. 7. No Lombardis.ROUT: QB Deshaun Watson is healthy again as evidenced by his eight TD throws and no interceptions in the last six games while running for 276 yards and four TDs. DeAndre Hopkins was second in the NFL with a career-high 1,572 yards receiving. J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney combined for 25 sacks and 34 tackles for loss. Watt also forced seven fumbles after playing just eight games over two injury-shortened seasons.POUT: The Texans enter the playoffs thin at receiver behind Hopkins after losing Will Fuller (knee) midseason and Demaryius Thomas , a trade deadline pickup from Denver, to a torn Achilles tendon last month. There is also concern about the porous O-line after Watson was sacked an NFL-leading 62 times this season. That kind of duress can negate any franchise QB. Adding to the pressure is a less-than-impressive ground game.SHOUTOUT: “This team is one of the few teams to come back from 0-3 and to qualify for the playoffs and win the division. We have a tough football team.” — Coach Bill O’Brien.4. BALTIMORE RAVENS (10-6). AP Pro32 Ranking: No. 9. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 47, 34-31 over San Francisco on Feb. 1, 2013.BREAKOUT: The Ravens are dangerous if rookie QB Lamar Jackson shows the same poise he displayed in leading Baltimore on a 6-1 streak after taking over from an injured Joe Flacco. With Jackson efficiently operating the run-pass option , Baltimore controlled the clock and the rested defense manhandled opponents. John Harbaugh’s Ravens boast the NFL’s second-ranked rushing attack and No. 1 defense.DROPOUT: Baltimore beat the Chargers in L.A. on Dec. 22, but QB Philip Rivers should be ready for the rematch against a defense that last week was burned by Baker Mayfield for 376 yards and three TDs. Jackson ran for nearly 700 yards, but with only one career game of 200 yards passing, there’s still some question whether he can bring Baltimore back from a deficit with his arm.SHOUTOUT: “This is what a real team looks like. They block out all the outside, turn to each other for strength and are there for one another. … This is the best team I’ve been around.” — Harbaugh.5. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (12-4). AP Pro32 Ranking: No. 5 (tie). No Lombardis. Lost Super Bowl 28 to San Francisco 49-26 in 1995.CLOUT: Philip Rivers had a 105.5 passer rating in 2018, equaling his career best. Melvin Gordon had 1,309 yards from scrimmage and 14 TDs and Austin Ekeler emerged as a change-of-pace back. Keenan Allen led the team in catches again but Mike Williams developed into another big-play receiver. The Chargers also aren’t fazed by hitting the road Rashad Fenton Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys , where they were 7-1 with wins at Seattle, Pittsburgh and Kansas City.DOUBT: The Chargers head into the playoffs with only one healthy starter at linebacker. Denzel Perryman and Jatavis Brown are out with season-ending injuries and their replacements are undersized, something opponents will certainly scheme to exploit. They’ve been outscored 43-14 in the first quarter of the past six games as Rivers has thrown an interception on the first drive in each of the last three games.SHOUTOUT: “We just had to be in the playoffs. Our goal is to try to make a run and try to get to the Super Bowl.” — CB Casey Hayward Jr.6. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (10-6). AP Pro32 Ranking: No. 8. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 41, 29-17 over Chicago on Feb. 4, 2007.BLOWOUT: The Comeback Colts got into the playoffs with a three-pronged combo they’ve rarely had: balanced offense, stout defense and championship-caliber QB. Andrew Luck came back from a partially torn labrum in his throwing shoulder with the best overall season of his career. The revamped O-line allowed a league-low 18 sacks and the Colts have allowed 16.4 points over last eight games.BURNOUT: The Colts will spend the playoffs on the road with a roster that lacks much postseason experience. Only four players from Indy’s last playoff team in 2014 will be active Sunday: Luck, T.Y. Hilton, Anthony Castonzo and Adam Vinatieri. Take out three players who own Super Bowl rings — Vinatieri, Jabaal Sheard and Najee Goode — and the other 46 players on the roster have a total of six playoff wins.SHOUTOUT: “That’s every team’s goal at the beginning of the season, to get into the dance, and we have climbed the mountain far enough to get into the playoffs. But our ultimate goals are still out there.” — Vinatieri.

The Lions have only been working out together for a couple weeks Youth Isaac Nauta Jersey , but two free agent additions are already making a big impression."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Detroit Lions NewsDetroit Lions NotesDetroit Lions AnalysisDetroit Lions TransactionsDetroit Lions Game RecapsDetroit Lions NewsDetroit Lions QuotesDetroit Lions free agent signings already making big impressionNew,164commentsThe Lions have only been working out together for a couple weeks, but two free agent additions are already making a big impression. EDTShareTweetShareShareDetroit Lions free agent signings already making big impressionGreg M. Cooper-USA TODAY SportsTrey Flowers and Frank Ragnow didn’t spend a ton of time together at Arkansas. As a true freshman, Ragnow only got to see Flowers’ senior year, in which the defensive end racked up a modest 68 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks.But Flowers apparently made a huge impression on him. On Tuesday, Ragnow spoke with the media, and when a reporter asked about reuniting with Flowers, his eyes lit up. “I’m telling you, I can’t speak highly enough about (him)” Ragnow. “I came in as a freshman and he was a senior and I’ve never seen a guy—doesn’t say much, you’re not going to hear much from him, you’re not going to get much from him, he may frustrate you guys (media) a little bit, but I’m telling you Austin Bryant Detroit Lions Jersey , he gets into the weight room, he gets into wherever he is, and he works. And he just puts his head down and he works, and he’s a dog. So I’m very excited to be back with him.”This appears to be a common theme among the players the Lions have plucked from free agency this year. Fellow former Patriot Danny Amendola has already made an impression in the Lions’ wide receiver room. Just two weeks into offseason workouts, Kenny Golladay has been inspired by Amendola’s work ethic. “His work ethic is crazy, through the roof,” Golladay said. “And he wants to push everyone. When you’ve got a guy like that, a vet guy like that—a savvy vet—you really just want to follow up under him. I’m not going to let him go out there and outrun me, but at the same time, he’s going to try to get the best out of everybody. And, especially, I know he wants to get the best out of all the receivers, so I appreciate it.” This all speaks toward the culture change we’ve heard so much about since Matt Patricia arrived in Detroit last year. The intense practices. The high demands on the players. The strict rules. Amendola and Flowers appear to be key pieces in the “lead by example” puzzle. Changing a culture is never easy and the additions of Flowers and Amendola, among others White Isaac Nauta Jersey , will certainly help ease the transition. But, ultimately, the question is whether the culture change is worth it. Will it translate to wins? Will this big endeavor pay off in time for Patricia to save his job? ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP)Jim Caldwell may have been the Detroit Lions’ most successful coach in the Super Bowl era. That was not enough to save his job. The Lions fired Caldwell on Monday after a season in which the team raised hopes before fading and missing the playoffs with a 9-7 record. They also fired offensive line coach Ron Prince, keeping the rest of the assistants under contract in case the next coach wants to retain any of them. Lions owner Martha Firestone Ford called Caldwell ”one of the finest leaders we’ve ever had as our head coach.” ”Not only did he guide us on the field to three winning seasons, but he also set a standard of excellence off the field that had a tremendous impact on everyone in our organization and our entire community,” Ford said in a statement. Caldwell was 36-28 in four seasons and went 0-2 in two postseasons with the Lions. Including three years with the Indianapolis Colts, he is 62-50 and 2-4 in the playoffs with one Super Bowl appearance. Lions general manager Bob Quinn said he wants a coach to take the team to the next level – postseason victories and championships. Quinn added that he fired Caldwell, in part, because he thought the team was capable of winning more than nine games in each of the last two seasons. Detroit defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will interview for the job Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the coaching search. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not identified any candidates. Austin has interviewed with many NFL teams in recent years. For the first time, Quinn has to hire an NFL coach. After Detroit gave him a shot to be a first-time general manager a little less than two years ago, he chose to keep Caldwell. After letting him go, Quinn’s future with the franchise may hinge on his next hire. ”I feel pressure every day in my job Luke Willson Jersey ,” he said. ”I signed up for it.” Quinn was a part of New England’s personnel department for 16 years before the Lions hired him and says he might consider Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels because of his familiarity with them. Houston Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel, who also has ties to Quinn in New England, and Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur are also potential candidates. Caldwell received a multiyear contract extension before the season, but the team didn’t announce the move for months. This season ended with a 35-11 victory over Green Bay on Sunday for Caldwell’s third winning record in his four years. Led by quarterback Matthew Stafford, Detroit met relatively modest expectations this season, but raised hopes with 3-1 and 6-4 records only to drop out of postseason contention by losing three of five. Caldwell became Detroit’s first coach to have at three winning seasons in his first four years since the early 1950s. He didn’t scream at his players and showed interest in their lives. ”I love Caldwell,” receiver Marvin Jones said. ”I’ve been here for two years and he’s the best coach I’ve ever had. Everybody is quiet two minutes before his meetings because he demands respect without yelling. He doesn’t yell at all. You never want to disappoint him. We just had to make more plays for him.” When Caldwell was hired almost four years ago, he was working for a franchise with only one winning season in a 13-season stretch. ”We’re going to be smart,” Caldwell said at the time. ”We’re going to be a football team that takes the field that’s not going to shoot itself in the foot.” Detroit’s defense, though, was short-handed in consecutive games late in the season. The Lions were down a player for a snap when Minnesota scored a touchdown in a win at Detroit on Thanksgiving and were missing two players when Baltimore converted a third down to help it take a two-TD lead in a victory. ”I’m not sitting up there making excuses, it’s unacceptable,” Quinn said. Even as it became clear Caldwell’s job may be in jeopardy, he took it in stride. ”That’s kind of the way it goes Sylvester Williams Jersey ,” he insisted going into his last game as Detroit’s coach. ”That’s every year, right? I told you guys a story a long time ago about Marty Schottenheimer. He got fired at 14-2. So anything less than a Super Bowl, obviously it could happen.” The Lions have never played in a Super Bowl. And since winning the 1957 NFL title, they have won only one playoff game and that lone victory was in 1992. Caldwell went 16-8 against NFC North teams, but wasn’t able to help the franchise win its first division title since 1993. In each of Caldwell’s four years with the Lions, they ranked among the NFL’s worst in yards rushing. That glaring weakness put a lot of pressure on Stafford and a shaky line, resulting in a struggling offense that failed to score consistently. Quinn said players will not be involved in the interview process, but Stafford hopes offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter is back next season. ”I would love to have the opportunity to keep working with him,” Stafford said Monday as the players cleared out their lockers. —

TENNISNEW YORK (AP) — Serena Williams was fined a total of $17 Christian Wilkins Miami Dolphins Jerseys ,000 for three code violations during her loss to Naomi Osaka in the U.S. Open final.On Sunday, a day after the match, the tournament referee’s office docked Williams $10,000 for “verbal abuse” of chair umpire Carlos Ramos, $4,000 for being warned for coaching, and $3,000 for breaking her racket.The money comes out of her prize money of $1.85 million as the runner-up to Osaka, whose 6-2, 6-4 victory on Saturday made her the first tennis player from Japan to win a Grand Slam singles titleIn the second set’s second game, Ramos warned Williams for getting coaching, which is against the rules in Grand Slam matches. She briefly disputed that ruling, saying cheating “is the one thing I’ve never done, ever” — although afterward Christian Wilkins black jersey , her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, acknowledged he was trying to send Williams a signal.A few games later, Williams received another warning, this time for smashing her racket, and that second violation automatically cost her a point, leading to more arguing. Eventually, Williams called Ramos “a thief,” drawing the third violation for “verbal abuse” — and costing her a game, putting Osaka ahead 5-3.Novak Djokovic defeated Juan Martin del Potro in the men’s final Sunday.PRO FOOTBALLDENVER (AP) — No longer welcome on an NFL sideline, Colin Kaepernick turned to social media to make his point on the NFL’s opening Sunday.In a tweet, Kaepernick gave a shout-out to “my brothers,” Dolphins teammates Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson, who were the only two players in the league to take a knee during the national anthem during Sunday’s games.“They have not backed down Christian Wilkins Jersey Mens , even when attacked and intimidated,” Kaepernick said in the tweet, which was accompanied by a picture of the Dolphins kneeling before their game. “Love is at the root of our resistance.”It was Kaepernick, then with the 49ers, who sparked the anthem controversy by kneeling during the pregame ritual in 2016 — his way of protesting policy brutality and social injustice in America.Since opting out of his contract after that season, Kaepernick has been unable to land a contract on an NFL team and is suing the league for collusion.COLLEGE FOOTBALLAlabama is No. 1 at being No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll.The Crimson Tide made its 106th overall appearance at the top of the AP rankings, which started in 1936, passing Ohio State for the most by any school.Alabama received a season-high 54 first-place votes from the media panel in the Top 25 released Sunday , strengthening its hold on No. 1 over No. 2 Clemson. The Tigers, who started the season with 18 first-place votes, are down to six after hanging on for 28-26 victory at Texas A&M on Saturday night.No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 Ohio State held their spots and Oklahoma moved to No. 5, edging past No. 6 Wisconsin. The Badgers received a first-place vote.HOCKEYLAS VEGAS (AP) — Max Pacioretty is heading from the Original Six to the Sin City.The Vegas Golden Knights acquired the All-Star forward from the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night for Tomas Tatar, prospect Nick Suzuki and a 2019 second-round pick.Vegas announced the deal, which sends the captain of one of hockey’s oldest franchises to a club coming off a run to the Stanley Cup Finals in its inaugural season.Pacioretty was named the Canadiens captain in 2015 and has played all 626 of his NHL games with Montreal. He recently denied reports that he had requested a trade. His name has been mentioned in trade speculation since last season’s trade deadline.The 29-year-old Pacioretty is entering the final season of a six-year deal that will pay him $4.5 million.SOCCERCULIACAN Miami Dolphins Jersey 2019 , Mexico (AP) — Diego Maradona, whose public battles with cocaine made him soccer’s poster child for the perils of substance abuse, is setting up camp in Mexico’s drug cartel heartland as the new coach of a second-tier team.Draped in official club gear, the Argentine soccer legend arrived this weekend in Culiacan, home turf of the Sinaloa Cartel, to take over the bottom-dwelling Dorados in what some describe as a publicity stunt for the team and a last-ditch effort to resurrect a career marred by drugs and antics.Maradona, 57, is a big fish for a little-known team founded just 15 years ago. He will reportedly earn $150,000 a month to coach a team where players complain of missed paychecks. A Dorados club representative could not be reached to confirm or deny the salary or missed payments.BASEBALLNEW YORK (AP) — Mets captain David Wright believes he will return to the New York Mets this season.The 35-year-old third baseman participated in a simulated game before Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies. He faced Anthony Swarzak and Tim Peterson and hit an opposite-field homer to right-center off Peterson for his only hit.Wright has not played in a major league game since May 27, 2016, because of neck, back and shoulder injuries that required surgery.“I think so,” Wright said when asked if he thought the Mets would clear him to play this year. “The communication has been fantastic.” MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins devised a simple plan to keep Khalil Mack out of their backfield.“We had about four guys blocking him Walt Aikens Jersey ,” Miami coach Adam Gase said.But what happened to the rest of the Chicago Bears‘ defense? A unit stirring memories of the Bears’ glory days gave up 541 yards Sunday in a 31-28 overtime loss.And Miami played without quarterback Ryan Tannehill, inactive because of an injury to his throwing shoulder. Replacement Brock Osweiler threw for a career-high 380 yards .Four Miami plays gained more than 30 yards, including catch-and-run touchdowns covering 43 and 75 yards by Albert Wilson. The breakdowns were surprising from a defense that allowed only 65 points in the first four games this year.“Can’t give up too many big plays for what we’re capable of on defense,” Mack said.The two-time All-Pro linebacker was especially quiet with two tackles. Mack suffered an ankle injury early in the game and briefly went to the sideline, and his 2018 streak of at least one sack and one forced fumble in every game came to an end.The Bears (3-2), who were averaging 4½ sacks per game, totaled none even though Osweiler threw 44 times. Defensive tackle Akiem Hicks found it difficult to evaluate the pass rush.“We didn’t get any sacks,” he said. “You can’t assess it when you don’t get any sacks.”Run defense was no better. Frank Gore, the Dolphins’ ageless 35-year-old running back, gained 101 yards in 15 carries. Teammate Kenyan Drake added 57 yards.“It all starts with stopping the run,” Mack said, “and we didn’t do a good job with that today.”The fourth quarter was again a problem for the defense, which failed to protect a 21-10 lead with 16 minutes left. Of the 96 points allowed this season by the Bears, 60 have come after the third quarter.Miami had 387 yards after halftime. A sunny Kiko Alonso Jersey , 90-degree afternoon might have been a factor in the Bears’ fade, both on offense and defense.Guard Kyle Long, for one, hadn’t read the forecast.“It was a shocker when we walked out of the locker room and it’s 400 degrees in the shade,” he said.But the defense made mistakes early in the game, too. Linebacker Leonard Floyd was called for unnecessary roughness when he body-slammed receiver Danny Amendola , which led to the only touchdown in the first half.“He was trying to gain more yards,” Floyd said, “and I was trying to stop him.”Coach Matt Nagy declined to discuss Floyd’s play. Otherwise, Nagy preferred to praise the Dolphins rather than criticize his defense.“You have got to give credit to them for playing a good game,” Nagy said. “They made plays.”

Kenneth Temple is a devout New Orleans Saints fan. Ask him a question about his beloved team Eric Fisher Jersey , and the first words from his mouth are 鈥淲ho Dat? Who Dat?鈥漇till, Temple, a noted chef who has cooked for several NFL players, including Malcolm Jenkins, Brandin Cooks and All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas, recognizes there are three other teams remaining in the playoffs. So when Hormel Chili asked him to create dips for the Super Bowl, he dived right in with versions that reflect not only聽New Orleans, but New England, Los Angeles and Kansas City聽.鈥淭he beautiful thing about it is chili and football go hand in hand,鈥?Temple says, noting Hormel was a partner with the NFL as far back as the 1950s. 鈥淎t tailgates or with friends at a viewing party or wherever, it is easy to accommodate a larger crowd.鈥滲ut his chore for now is to accommodate four distinctly different tastes as part of a contest in which fans will include touchdown dances; a winner and a guest will get tickets to the 2020 Super Bowl in Miami.We won鈥檛 give away too many ingredients, but suffice to say Temple catered nicely to each region.鈥淐hili is versatile, but you can鈥檛 throw everything in it Demetrius Harris Jersey ,鈥?he says. 鈥淒on鈥檛 want it to be intimidating.鈥滷irst, the Big Easy.鈥淚 had to make sure I represent the culture right, being from New Orleans,鈥?he says. 鈥淣obody wants to eat shrimp with their chili, they don鈥檛 go together. So what to do?鈥漈emple quickly came up with an answer: red beans. Add in some onions, celery and bell peppers, sausage, creole seasoning, a few other items and, voila.鈥淚 was thoroughly impressed with it,鈥?Temple says. 鈥淔riends said that is rolling.鈥漇o he rolled on to LA.鈥淭he fun thing about Los Angeles is it鈥檚 such a large melting pot, so you don鈥檛 know which culture to pull from to represent the area,鈥?he explains. 鈥淚 came across a Felipe鈥檚 restaurant known for their chili, they do annual giveaways. So we paid homage to the Latin culture.鈥漌hich meant a touch of cilantro and some jalapenos.Next stop Cameron Erving Jersey , Kansas City, renowned for its barbecue. As in his LA chili, no beans for this creation.鈥淢y wife is from Kansas City and we went on a barbecue tour of about eight spots recently, so I knew I wanted to play with the burnt ends,鈥?Temple says. 鈥淭hat is what they do well and people wait on line for.鈥漈his recipe included the flavor of a Kansas City barbecue sauce, which Temple says is 鈥渟picier and bolder than I expected. I am used to more of the sweeter side of barbecue. I was impressed with the tang.鈥滺e wanted the smokiness of the burnt ends to blend in, but urges folks to mix the meat into this dish, not to simply put the burnt ends on top and chow down.Finally, he tackled New England, knowing that, like in New Orleans, clams or lobster wouldn鈥檛 quite work.鈥淏oston baked beans,鈥?he exclaims. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a savory sweet payoff, and because you can use a variety of baked beans Reggie Ragland Jersey , I can imagine you will get a lot of different flavors with it.鈥漈emple recently gave cooking lessons to Vikings star receiver Adam Thielen. Indeed, the dance contest emanates from some of聽Thielen聽and his teammates鈥?touchdown celebrations. From now through Super Bowl Sunday on Feb. 3, 2019, fans can submit their best touchdown dance via social media by tagging @HormelChili on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.Temple and Thielen created a Minnesota chili.鈥淚 told Adam that I am the chef, so this is my side of the field,鈥?Temple says with a hearty laugh. 鈥淏ut when I have an engagement with whomever I am cooking with, I want him to throw out some ideas and we bounce them back and forth 鈥?especially with people who do not get a chance to cook too many times.鈥漈hat would be Thielen, who had 113 receptions for 1,373 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Thielen attended the game last year in Minneapolis, but this time will be at home with his wife and two children.On the menu? Well, chili, of course.鈥淪ince I鈥檓 from Minnesota Jarvis Jenkins Jersey , I thought chili and tots would be perfect together,鈥?he says, 鈥渁nd Chef Kenneth said, 鈥榃e can add some creole seasoning on the tots and you pour the chili dip on top.鈥?The combo came out perfect!鈥 The Chiefs tagged linebacker Dee Ford with a thought toward possibly trading him. And there’s apparently interest in trading for him.Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Packers and 49ers have expressed interest in trading for Ford.Trading a franchise-tagged player entails several steps. Before any trade can be accomplished, the player needs to sign the franchise tender. Given that Ford may be plotting an attack on the decision to tag him as an outside linebacker and not a defensive end, he may not be inclined to do that.If, of course, the Packers or 49ers (or whoever trades for him) would be offering the kind of long-term deal that Ford would find to be suitable, a possible fight over the franchise tag would become secondary to cashing in.Then there’s the fact that the draft consists of plenty of great pass rushers. Given the rookie wage scale, it could make more sense to roll the dice on a young player over paying Ford a ton of money.However it plays out, Ford will have plenty of influence over what happens next, with the ability to prevent a trade by refusing to sign the tender and/or by making it clear that he won’t be signing a long-term deal before the July 15 deadline for doing so.

COOPERSTOWN Bo Jackson Jersey White , N.Y. (AP) — Lee Smith had seen the Hall of Fame several times. This visit was completely different.“I’m still in awe,” Smith said after the tour Tuesday, in preparation for his July induction. “Whenever I sign an autograph and someone says, ‘Hey, put Hall of Fame on it,’ I don’t know if the Hall of Fame goes first or the year goes first.”Smith, who emerged as an ace reliever with the Chicago Cubs in the 1980s, and former White Sox star Harold Baines were voted into the baseball shrine in December by a select committee. They will be inducted along with Mariano Rivera, the late Roy Halladay, Mike Mussina, and Edgar Martinez, who were elected last month by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.The 61-year-old Smith was at the 2009 Hall of Fame induction of Rickey Henderson, Jim Rice and Joe Gordon. But this time was overwhelming as the monumental aspect of his upcoming enshrinement was still sinking in.Smith appeared on the BBWAA ballot 15 times and never came close.“It was unbelievable just to get that call. You wait so many years,” Smith said. “When I first retired, people told me I was going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I’ve got goosebumps. I’ve never been nervous before, but I’m nervous right now.“It’s been crazy,” he said. “There’s a lot of this stuff here I already knew, especially about the Negro League and guys I played with and against. But being here is like no game you’ve ever been in before.”With his menacing stare and hard fastball, Smith was of baseball’s premier closers in the 1980s and 1990s, an imposing 6-foot-5 atop a pitching mound. During an 18-year career, he pitched for eight teams https://www.raiderslockerroom.com/authentic-derek-carr-jersey , making his initial mark with the Cubs from 1980-87. He also pitched for the Red Sox (1988-90), Cardinals (1990-92), Yankees (1993), Orioles (1994), Angels (1995), Reds (1996) and Expos (1997), and was the all-time saves leader with 478 when he retired in 1997.A seven-time All-Star, Smith led his league in saves four times and topped the 30-save mark 11 times. Smith held the all-time saves record until Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman eclipsed it in 2006 and now ranks third behind Rivera (652) and Trevor Hoffman (601).“Everybody recognizes me now because of the Hall of Fame,” said Smith, a minor league pitching coach with San Francisco. “Back in the day I had an identity crisis because in Chicago everybody wanted to throw me on the football field because I was such a big guy. I don’t have that problem anymore. Now they know who Lee Smith is. I’m proud of that.”Smith spent an inquisitive two hours touring the Hall of Fame. While viewing the “Pride and Passion” exhibit dedicated to the African-American baseball experience, Smith told a story from his high school days in Louisiana. Soon after it was desegregated, he said, an opposing team hung Smith in effigy when his school visited.With an early lead, Smith said he began hitting batter after batter. He didn’t even realize, he added, when the other team eventually took the offending image down from a tree. RG3 is staying put while AJ is switching coasts.Robert Griffin III, the 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year whose career has been disrupted by injuries since that season, remained with Baltimore as the Ravens cut their roster to the league maximum of 53 on Saturday. He’ll likely be the third-string quarterback behind Joe Flacco and first-round draft pick Lamar Jackson, but he still has a job.AJ McCarron, who signed with Buffalo as a free agent after four years as a backup QB in Cincinnati, was traded by the Bills to Oakland.The Raiders closed a deal with Chicago to send star pass rusher Khalil Mack to the Bears for a slew of draft picks Derek Carr Jersey White , including two first-rounders.Among the intriguing players let go were Dallas kicker Dan Bailey, Chiefs cornerback David Amerson, Ravens receiver Breshad Perriman, Bengals defensive end Michael Johnson, Texans receiver Braxton Miller and guard Davis Quessenberry, and Steelers quarterback Landry Jones.QUARTERBACKSGriffin signed a one-year deal with the Ravens in April after sitting out the entire 2017 season. He was Washington’s first-round choice in 2012, second overall, and led the Redskins to the playoffs that year before things went sour.“There’s no doubt that you want Robert Griffin on your team,” coach John Harbaugh said after the final preseason game. “He makes our quarterback room better and stronger. He’s a very good quarterback. He looks like a starter to me. He has been a starter. Certainly a backup in this league, without question. I mean, that’s not even close. I would like to have him on the team, we’ll just have to see how the math works.”It worked.Another survivor thus far: Paxton Lynch in Denver.The 2016 first-rounder got through cutdown day despite slipping to third on the depth chart this summer. Chad Kelly leapfrogged Lynch last month and became the second seventh-rounder to beat out the former Memphis star. Trevor Siemian also managed it, but is now with Minnesota.In Pittsburgh, Josh Dobbs’ impressive preseason cost Jones his job. The Steelers kept Dobbs and rookie Mason Rudolph as the primary backups to Ben Roethlisberger.Dobbs made significant strides in his second training camp and ended the preseason by throwing for a touchdown and running for another in a victory over Carolina. Jones had been 3-2 as a starter in five pro seasons, with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions.Cincinnati put vet Matt Barkley (knee) on injured reserve, leaving Jeff Driskel as the backup to Andy Dalton heading into the season.BUSY GRUDENThe Raiders waived Martavis Bryant just over four months after trading a third-round pick to Pittsburgh for the receiver.The decision to cut Bryant came on a busy day for returning coach Jon Gruden, who dealt holdout pass rusher Mack to the Bears.Oakland got nothing out of the third-round draft pick sent to the Steelers for Bryant, who dealt with injuries in training camp and has had several off-field issues in his career.McCarron came from Buffalo for a 2019 fifth-round pick. He was both injured and inconsistent for the Bills in preseason and fell behind first-rounder Josh Allen and Nathan Peterman.Among the other notable players cut by Gruden were 2015 second-round defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. and 2016 fourth-round quarterback Connor Cook. Edwards’ release means the Raiders now have none of their second-round picks from 2015-17 on the current roster.FAILED DRAFT PICKSThe Ravens parted with Perriman, the team’s first-round pick in 2015. He managed just 43 catches for 576 yards and three touchdowns over 27 career games. It marked the first time in franchise history the Ravens cut a first-round pick before the end of his rookie contract.The Bills chose not to hold onto receiver Corey Coleman, who has been a disappointment since the Browns made him the 15th overall selection two years ago. Buffalo traded a seventh-round pick in 2020 for him.RELEASED VETERANSBrian Robison and Terence Newman were released by Minnesota.Robison was about to begin his 12th season with the team. Newman, the oldest defensive player in the NFL Antonio Brown Raiders Jersey , will retire and immediately join the coaching staff — three days before his 40th birthday.Robison, who’s tied for ninth in Vikings history with 60 career sacks, was the longest-tenured player on the team. Drafted in the fourth round in 2007, he spent six of his 11 years with the Vikings as a full-time starter. Danielle Hunter moved ahead of him on the depth chart in 2017, and for the second straight offseason Robison took a pay cut to return in 2018.The Bengals released Johnson, a 10th-year defensive end, although it could be a temporary separation. Johnson becomes a free agent and could re-sign with Cincinnati for less money.Johnson has played all but one of his nine seasons with Cincinnati. He led the defensive line with 49 tackles and five sacks last season.The Chiefs released underperforming cornerback Amerson, who signed a $2.25 million free-agent deal this past offseason. Amerson was released by the Raiders before signing with Kansas City, where he was expected to solidify the secondary after the trade of Marcus Peters to the Rams. But he was often burned in preseason games.Running backs Mike Gillislee and Brandon Bolden were sent packing by New England. Gillislee, signed as a restricted free agent before last season, ran for 383 yards and five touchdowns in nine games.He and Bolden became expendable with the signing of free agent Jeremy Hill.Bolden, who has been with the team since 2012, was also released on cutdown day last season but then quickly brought back and played in all 16 games — at running back and on special teams.THE KICKERDallas waived Bailey, the second-most accurate kicker in NFL history. Bailey was Dallas’ kicker for seven seasons and made at least 93 percent of his kicks in three of his first five years. He tailed off badly last season after injuring his groin against San Francisco in the sixth game.By waiving Bailey, the Cowboys are going with Brett Maher. The sixth-year player from Nebraska hasn’t kicked in a regular-season game. He made a 57-yarder in the Cowboys’ 14-6 loss to Houston in the preseason finale.Bailey is at 88.2 percent on field goals for his career (186 of 211), second to Justin Tucker’s 90.2 percent. Bailey is Dallas’ career leader in field goals.LEAVING HOUSTONMiller, a third-round pick in 2016, who was twice selected Big Ten offensive player of the year as a quarterback at Ohio State before transitioning to receiver after an injury, couldn’t make the Texans. He saw limited action in two seasons with 34 receptions for 261 yards and two touchdowns in 21 games.Also released was guard David Quessenberry, a 2013 draft pick who spent years fighting cancer before overcoming the disease to make his NFL debut last season. He spent most of last season on the practice squad before being elevated to the active roster and playing in Houston’s last two games in 2017.

It’s a tough “dey” to be a Bengals fan. For months Youth Drew Sample Jersey , this team sold the idea that, despite a coaching overhaul, this was a squad prepared to make an immediate playoff run in 2019. There were questions, but talent at the skill positions and a fresh approach from these coaches were supposed to reinvigorate everyone. Here we are a month and a half without a regular-season win and long-term questions abound. “Who Dey?!” and “New Dey” have turned to blase and “Groundhog Day”. Every fear that blossomed about the team’s 2019 viability has come to fruition at the kickoff of the Zac Taylor era. The offensive line and linebacker groups have been the team’s predictable Achilles Heel, while the amount and severity of injuries to important players have been downright laughable. As if Taylor and his staff didn’t have enough of a hill to climb with those factors, inexperience has reared its ugly head. Taylor, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and offensive coordinator Brian Callahan had only previously topped out as interim coordinatorsin the NFL, but they’ve been learning on the fly through the first five weeks. Taylor’s greenness was glaringly obvious last week, as he placed the team in precarious positions with his decisions. A questionable fourth-down attempt and play-call in Week 5 aside, Cincinnati’s red zone incompetency is reaching Scott Mitchell-esque levels. Even through the injuries and coaching gaffes, Cincinnati is nine points away from being 3-2. As it so happens, that is the record of the AFC North-leading Ravens, who host these Bengals on Sunday. Cincinnati is looking up to the other three teams from the cellar, but this division still appears to be wide open. Though the Bengals were stomped by Pittsburgh a couple of weeks ago, the Steelers are missing a number of offensive mainstays this year and it shows in the form of their 1-4 record.Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns were crowned Super Bowl champs before a preseason snap was even taken and are teetering on the brink of implosion. If Taylor’s inexperience has been noted, then Freddie Kitchens has been the captain of that ship. And now, Cincinnati can be within two games of the division lead with 12 games remaining at 1-5. They seem to have A.J. Green returning soon, along with others, which could result in a late-season momentum swing. After all, Marvin Lewis had the Bengals knocking at door of a playoff berth in his inaugural season after starting 1-4, so... Yeah.That can’t be how Cincinnati approaches this week White Drew Sample Jersey , though. It’s about what’s right in front of them and finding something to build upon for the rest of 2019 and into next season. Last year after Lamar Jackson took over at quarterback, Baltimore employed an offense that resembled what could be seen on Friday nights at the local prep academy. Even so, they gouged the Bengals’ defense in Week 11 to the tune of 267 rushing yards. In 2019, the Ravens have upped their offensive game plan and confidence in Jackson, which has led to their top-dog position in the North. Jackson has developed as a passer, tossing 11 touchdowns against five interceptions. Mark Ingram has been a solid offseason acquisition, as he’s averaged 5.0 yards per carry and six touchdowns on the ground to supplement the multi-dimensional talents of Jackson. Earl Thomas has also been a nice addition, as the team is 1-1 against their division rivals thus far. Interestingly enough, the Ravens’ trademark defense hasn’t been the dominant unit in which the league has become accustomed. Baltimore is a pedestrian No. 21 overall in defense, including a No. 28 ranking against the pass and 10th against the run. On the other side of the fence, most of the Bengals’ star players who have killed the Ravens over the years are out this week. Cordy Glenn, A.J. Green and Carlos Dunlap are all out this week, contributing to the continuous woes on both sides of the ball in 2019. Because of these absences and others, Andy Dalton has had an up-and-down year. In true Dalton-ian fashion, we’ve seen No. 14 reach a career-high in single game passing yards (418 in Week 1 versus the Seahawks), as well as a career-low in first half passing yards against the Cardinals last Sunday (22). Some are calling for Ryan Finley to get looks, as the season seems to be lost, but this is a year where the Bengals are evaluating Dalton’s long-term viability in Taylor’s system. A strong performance against the Ravens, including a win, could go a long way in silencing the critics. Even so, Cincinnati will need to find offensive balance. The Bengals have the 31st-ranked rushing attack this year, which is a bit surprising Drew Sample Jersey Mens , given Joe Mixon being the AFC leader in rushing yards last year. But, the Bengals found creases last week, as Mixon had his most rushing yards (93) since Week 17 of last year. He’ll need to have some semblance of success this Sunday, if Cincinnati is to have a snowball’s chance in you-know-where. There really isn’t one facet that points to the Bengals this week, hence their being 12-point underdogs. It’s so grim in Cincinnati that they’re down to their fourth and fifth options at left tackle (Alex Redmond and John Jerry—both guards throughout their respective NFL careers) and even the kicking game disparity shows a massive talent chasm between the two teams this year. Coming into this week, Cincinnati is 2-14 over their last 16 contests. So, unfortunately, there appear to be two groups of unhappy folks this week: those who associate with the Bengals and those who put money on the Ravens to cover the spread. Bengals 20, Ravens 31AC — Getting worse before getting better. PITTSBURGH (AP)JuJu Smith-Schuster hid his eyes, counted to 10 and went looking for Le’Veon Bell. The Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver found his team’s star running back crouching behind the goalpost, then proceeded to chase Bell all the way to the sideline as part of a hastily planned touchdown celebration. ”That was just us being dramatic,” Bell said with a smile.Article continues below ... In a good way for once. Smith-Schuster never did catch Bell, by the way . Now he knows how the rest of the AFC North feels about the surging Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 224 yards and two scores, Bell added 192 total yards and Pittsburgh’s defense dominated the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half of a 29-14 victory on Sunday. A bit of a hot mess after getting upset at home by Jacksonville two weeks ago, the Steelers (5-2) have figured things out quickly. They shut down Kansas City on the road last Sunday and followed it up by suffocating Cincinnati in the second half to move into a tie for the AFC’s best record as their once-again promising season nears the midway point. Pittsburgh held the Bengals (2-4) to 19 yards over the final two quarters, intercepting Andy Dalton twice and sacking him four times. ”The sky’s the limit,” Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree said. ”Not even the sky’s the limit. We’re not going to put a ceiling on our head. We’re going to keep going up.” Cincinnati came in looking to add some street cred to their resurgence after their 0-3 start, but instead spent the second half reverting to the kind of ineffective offense that got Ken Zampese fired two weeks into the season. Dalton finished 17 of 30 for 140 yards and the two picks while playing on a twisted ankle. Dalton’s final pass symbolized a frustrating afternoon. Facing fourth down and trailing by two scores with 5 minutes left, Dalton scrambled to his left and then simply threw the ball away to seal Cincinnati’s eighth loss in its last night meetings with Pittsburgh. ”Any time you lose a division game, especially to the Steelers, the way they’re playing, every game counts Billy Price Jersey ,” said Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green after being held to three receptions for 41 yards. ”It’s tough. It sets us behind even more.” Chris Boswell added a Heinz Field-record five field goals for Pittsburgh, which posted its highest points total and appears to be rounding into form as Halloween nears. Two weeks after openly questioning whether he still ”had it,” Roethlisberger put together easily his best half of the season. He hit Antonio Brown for a 7-yard touchdown to cap Pittsburgh’s first drive, found a wide-open Smith-Schuster for a 31-yard score in the second quarter and threw a perfectly placed 23-yard deep out to Brown late in the second quarter to spark a drive that ended with a 24-yard Chris Boswell field goal that put the Steelers up 20-14 at the half. Dalton and Cincinnati appeared ready to keep pace early. He connected with Brandon LaFell and Tyler Kroft with first-half touchdowns, but when the Steelers turned the pressure up, the Bengals crumbled. Cincinnati managed just one first down in the second half, much of which Dalton spent on the run or throwing into trouble. Joe Haden collected his first interception with Pittsburgh when he made a juggling grab that set up a field goal by Boswell. William Gay added one later in the third quarter on an ugly overthrow by Dalton. GOOD TIMES Smith-Schuster’s joyous game of hide-and-seek turned out to be Bell’s brainchild. He approached Smith-Schuster – who at 20 is the NFL’s youngest player – about 10 minutes before kickoff with the idea. Smith-Schuster, who earlier this season paid tribute to the cartoon ”Dragon Ball Z” after scoring in Baltimore, jumped at the chance. ”We didn’t practice it or nothing,” Bell said. ”It just kind of happened.” HEISMAN’D Bell’s day included 35 carries for 134 yards and three receptions for 58 yards, including a 42-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter that featured Bell stiff-arming Cincinnati’s Dre Kirkpatrick to the ground. ”I’ve been doing a lot of boxing, so that helped me today,” Bell said after the Steelers improved to 12-0 when he has at least 25 carries. TRICKERATION The Steelers put it out of reach late thanks in part to a 44-yard fake punt pass from Robert Golden to Darrius Heyward-Bey. The team has practiced it weekly for years and Golden found a streaking Heyward-Bey to set up Boswell’s final field goal. ”Horrible form,” Roethlisberger said. ”I told him it looked like he was casting deep sea fishing. But hey, might have been the best pass of the night.” EXTRACURRICULARS Oft-suspended Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict let his disdain for the Steelers known early. Burfict declined to shake hands when he came out to midfield during the coin toss. Burfict, who was suspended for the first five games of last season for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Brown during a playoff loss to the Steelers in January, 2016, then appeared to kick Steelers fullback Roosevelt Nix on the second snap of the game as the two were emerging from a pile. Nix declined to get into specifics about Burfict’s behavior, saying simply ”that’s football.” INJURIES Steelers tight end Vance McDonald left with a knee injury and did not return. Cincinnati linebacker Kevin Minter exited with a knee injury in the first half and did not return. UP NEXT Bengals: Host struggling Indianapolis next Sunday. Steelers: Visit Detroit next Sunday night. Pittsburgh has won last four meetings with the Lions. —