douhua2233's blog

JACKSONVILLE Antonio Garcia Jersey , Fla. (AP) Fast starts in games are a big reason for Jacksonville’s fast start to the season.

The Jaguars (4-3) have scored on their opening possession in six of seven games, two shy of the franchise record set in 1997 and matched in 2007 and 2009. Getting those early leads have been the key for a team built to pound the ball with rookie running back Leonard Fournette and play solid defense. They also have propelled Jacksonville to a first-place tie in the AFC South and the team’s best start in a decade.

”I think it’s just the attention to detail,” quarterback Blake Bortles said. ”I think guys are pretty locked in and have a really good idea of what we’re running, when’s it going to be called, what look, who we’re going to get. So I think guys are pretty locked in and focused on that.

”It’s something that we’ve talked about for a long time in Jacksonville – the past couple years for sure – being able to start fast, and we haven’t always been able to do that Derek Rivers Jersey , so I think for us to be able to take the next step and be able to do that this year has been big.”

The Jaguars have more first-quarter points (51) than any other team and haven’t committed a turnover in the opening 15 minutes. Those initial drives have undoubtedly set the tone for the rest of the games.

Jacksonville has three touchdowns and three field goals on opening possessions. The only time the team failed to score on its first drive was at Pittsburgh, a game the Jags managed to win 30-6 .

”When you go out there and get off to a good start, it’s like two-minute (drill),” coach Doug Marrone said. ”You make that first completion and you get on a roll. If you miss the first one, then it’s very difficult when you study all the two-minute stuff.

”Don’t let that last drive hinder what you can do on the next one. And then when you do well on it, go on the sideline, keep that momentum going for the next drive. It is a matter of the consistency and the execution.”

The Jaguars are designed to play with a lead. They have Fournette and former 1 Nate Solder Jersey ,000-yard rusher Chris Ivory in the backfield, have a rookie left tackle, have a quarterback with accuracy issues, have played without former Pro-Bowl receiver Allen Robinson all season, and have a defense that might be the best in the league.

Being ahead minimizes what the Jaguars ask Bortles to do and turns loose the league’s top pass rush .

The results have been staggering, really.

All four of Jacksonville’s wins have been by at least 20 points. To put that in perspective, the team had three such wins over the previous seven seasons.

And the Jaguars feel like they should be 5-1. They gave up 17 points on three special teams blunders in a 27-17 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 6. Two weeks before that Devin McCourty Jersey , they gave up 17 points on three running plays totaling 177 yards in a 23-20 overtime loss at the New York Jets. Those included a 75-yard TD run in which defenders failed to touch Bilal Powell when he fell to the turf.

Jason Myers also missed a 52-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, and Marqise Lee dropped a third-down pass in overtime that likely would have set up a winning attempt.

Pulling out close games late is the next step for Jacksonville.

For now, though, the team will settle for making huge progress early in games.

The Jaguars haven’t finished a season outscoring opponents in the first quarter since 2007, the last time they had a winning record and made the playoffs. They trailed at the end of the first quarter in seven games last season and 10 in 2016. They’ve been behind after the first quarter just twice this season.

”When you go through the week, you have a sense of what you would like or think that the players can do well and what you want to do in those situations,” Marrone said. ”During the course of the week Stephen Gostkowski Jersey , you’re going to practice those plays. You’re probably practicing them pretty much in the order that you would probably want to call them.

”I really think if you are really focused in and really paying attention to what we’re doing during the week, then you are going to know exactly what we’re going to be able to call on Sunday.”

—

For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

PHILADELPHIA — The top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles will compete in their first playoff game in four years when they host the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC divisional round Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Eagles lost MVP candidate Nick Boyle Jersey , quarterback Carson Wentz, down the stretch but still managed to finish 13-3 and earn the No. 1 seed with backup Nick Foles. Ironically, Foles was the quarterback in 2013 when the Eagles fell to the New Orleans Saints 26-24.

The Falcons received the sixth and final playoff spot in the NFC, then promptly traveled to the West Coast and defeated the Los Angeles Rams 26-13 in the wild-card round.

Philadelphia became the first No. 1 seed to open as an underdog in the playoffs. In the last two regular-season games, the offense sputtered under Foles with a 19-10 win over the Oakland Raiders and a 6-0 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Foles did sit out the majority of the regular season finale against the Cowboys.

“Yeah, there’s going to be wonder,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said when asked how his team will respond in the postseason. “But I’m going to tell you, ‘Listen, these guys are football players.’ I think sometimes the outside Terrance West Jersey , whether it be the media, the fans, can make it bigger than it really is. When you boil it down, it’s football at the end of the day. It’s football at the end of the day. Just go do your job.

“Do what you’ve been coached to do all week long and give it your best effort on Saturday. If it’s good enough, great. If it’s not, then we focus on next season.”

Foles was 4 of 11 for 39 yards and an interception against the Cowboys and struggled to throw the ball downfield. Third-string quarterback Nate Sudfeld was 19 of 23 for 134 yards, but the Eagles have repeatedly made it clear that Foles is the starter.

“As much as we and everybody else wants to run the football, you have to be able to stay aggressive in the pass game and get the ball down the field,” Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich said. “Nick has proven that over the length and entirety of his career. He not only can get the ball downfield Mike Wallace Jersey , he can do so very well. He wants to throw the ball downfield. He’s aggressive in his mindset, as aggressive a guy as I’ve been around. He’s looking to throw it down the field. Some guys are the dink-and-dunk kind of guys. That’s not Nick. Nick is aggressive.

“So we need to be good in the run game and be able to mix in our play-action, take our shots down the field, keep the defense off guard and keep them guessing and that starts with good production on first down,” Reich added.

The Falcons, who finished the regular season at 10-6, are preparing for their second road playoff game. Quarterback Matt Ryan (personal reasons) and wide receiver Julio Jones (ankle, ribs) both missed practice Tuesday but are expected to start on Saturday.

Ryan was 21 of 30 for 218 yards and a touchdown in the 13-point win over the Rams. It was his first road playoff win in three starts.

“We’re not here just to get here,” Ryan told reporters. “We want to make noise while we’re here. This is what it’s all about. It’s about giving yourself the opportunity this time of the year to compete and play in games like this Eric Weddle Jersey , and to win games like this.”

Ryan led Atlanta to the Super Bowl last season in what wound up being a heartbreaking overtime loss to the New England Patriots. He was able to guide the Falcons back to the postseason once again.

“He’s a hell of a competitor, and those of you that know him know the nice guy you see through the media, but in between those white lines, he is a wolf,” Atlanta coach Dan Quinn told ESPN.com. “I love what he stands for as a competitor, and his teammates know that, too. I thought there’s all sorts of examples, getting hit and bouncing back up, getting ready for the next one. He really showed that kind of toughness to his teammates.”

Ryan Matt Judon Jersey , who was raised in nearby Exton, Pa., and attended Penn Charter High School — is 1-3 all-time against the Eagles in Philadelphia.

The Falcons forced a pair of huge fumbles and turned them into 10 points against the Rams. Kicker Matt Bryant also booted four field goals.

“We know that they’re a good team, and we know that they beat us last year,” Atlanta free safety Ricardo Allen told ESPN.com of the Eagles. “We know we’re going to have to go there and fight.”

CLEVELAND (AP) Bengals coach Marvin Lewis found his good friend near midfield and gave him a hug.

Hue Jackson needed one. The besieged Browns coach could use a lot more than an embrace right now.

After Cincinnati got its first win this season Graham Gano Jersey , thrashing Cleveland 31-7 on Sunday, Lewis weaved his way around players, coaches and cameramen to greet Jackson, his former offensive coordinator who is 1-19 in two seasons with the Browns.

The men shared a moment and Lewis offered some advice to Jackson.

”Don’t let `em quit on ya,” he said.

Four games into what was supposed to be a rebuilding season, the Browns are in shambles – still. A week after an embarrassing performance in Indianapolis, where they fell behind by 21 points and never recovered, the Browns were down 31-0 in the third quarter to the previously winless Bengals.

They only avoided a shutout with a meaningless touchdown in the final two minutes.

There are no signs the Browns (0-4) are laying down for Jackson Charles Johnson Jersey , but Lewis’ comment about quitting is curious given that the season is only 25 percent complete.

Jackson didn’t offer any excuses . And as he has done almost from the start of last season, he vowed to stay positive and keep working until he gets the Browns headed the right way.

”We didn’t play well,” he said. ”We didn’t play well anywhere. We didn’t coach well. We didn’t play well. We didn’t do anything well. Cincinnati had a lot to do with that. We did not play as well as I think our football team can play.”

Not long after Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton threw his fourth touchdown pass t o put the Bengals ahead by 31, thousands of Browns fans began streaming out of FirstEnergy Stadium, which was barely one-quarter filled when the game ended.

Jackson said the mass exodus was difficult to watch.

”It pains me,” he said. ”I see it all. I saw everything here today because we all want to give them what they deserve. We didn’t today. I understand our fans leaving. I probably would have, too. We weren’t playing good enough.

”I respect that. Hopefully, they will be back next week. We need to give our fans and our football team what they deserve Andrew Norwell Jersey , which is an opportunity to win. That is what we are trying to do.”

As bad as it is, things could get worse for the Browns, who remain the only team not to hold the lead this season.

Next week they host the New York Jets, who improved to 2-2 with a win over Jacksonville. The Jets are starting quarterback Josh McCown, who was released in the offseason by Cleveland.

Here are some other takeaways from Cincinnati’s latest rout on the shore of Lake Erie:

DANDY ANDY

Dalton was nearly perfect in the first half, completing 17 of 18 passes while throwing three TD passes. During one stretch, he completed 16 straight and finished 25 of 30 for 286 yards and a 146 rating.

It’s quite a reversal for Dalton, who didn’t throw a TD and had four interceptions in the first two games. In the past two Daryl Williams Jersey , he has six TDs without a pick and is 46 of 57 for 498 yards.

TOOTHLESS TIGER

Bengals linebacker Carl Lawson was smiling after the win, but not as brightly.

Lawson was attempting to sack Browns rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer when something went wrong.

”When I’m bringing him down I see my teeth in the air,” Lawson said. ”I’m like, `oh crap.’ “

A few teammates and members of Cincinnati’s training staff went onto the field to help Lawson retrieve his teeth. He hopes to get them fixed when the team gets back home.

CLEVELAND ROCKED

The Bengals make the most of their visits to the shores of Lake Erie, winning their past four games in Cleveland by a combined 121-20.

Cincinnati has also won six straight in the ”Battle of Ohio” and 20 of 26 against the AFC North rival.

BUMBLING BRITT

Maybe no player epitomizes Cleveland’s struggles more than wide receiver Kenny Britt, who signed a four-year, $32.5 million free agent contract with the team during the offseason. Britt was supposed to replace leading receiver Terrelle Pryor, but has been a major disappointment.

Britt has been plagued by drops and he had a costly miscue in the second quarter when he let a pass from Kizer slip through his hands Mario Addison Jersey , bounce off his shoulder pads and get intercepted as the Browns were inside the 10.

Britt also had a false start, and he’s become a target for disgruntled fans.

”If we listen to the boos, it’s going to get worse,” he said, ”or if we get down, it’s just going to get worse.”

—

For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

ARLINGTON Eric Wood Jersey , Texas (AP) Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has been traded – from the Texas Rangers to the New York Yankees.

The MLB’s Rangers selected Wilson in the Triple-A portion of the Rule 5 draft during the winter meetings in December 2013, about two months before he led the Seahawks to a win over Denver in the Super Bowl.

On Wednesday, Texas traded Wilson to the Yankees for future considerations.

Wilson spent a day in uniform with the Rangers at spring training in Surprise, Arizona, in 2014 without appearing in a game Colton Schmidt Jersey , and made another cameo appearance at camp the following spring. An infielder, Wilson hit .229 in two seasons in the low minor leagues in Colorado’s system in 2010-11.

The 29-year-old Wilson is expected to be in the Yankees major league camp in March, where he will participate in pregame workouts and watch games from the Yankees dugout while in Florida. He will be assigned to the Double-A Trenton roster.

”We’ve admired Russell’s career from afar for quite some time,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said.

”This is a unique opportunity for us to learn from an extraordinary athlete who has reached the pinnacle of his profession. After talking to a number of our players, there is a genuine excitement in having Russell join us for a short time in camp.”

Wilson issued a statement thanking the Rangers for giving him the chance to experience professional baseball again.

”Growing up taking grounders Cordy Glenn Jersey , hitting BP, and throwing deep post routes early in the mornings with my dad and brother is where my love of sports came from, and those memories stick with me every morning I wake up,” Wilson said.

”I remember how excited I was when Texas selected me in the Rule 5 Draft in December 2013. During my two springs in Arizona with the Rangers, I was reminded just how much I love the game of baseball.”

A two-sport athlete in college Jerry Hughes Jersey , Wilson graduated from North Carolina State University in 2010. In 2011, he left the Rockies organization for football to be a graduate transfer at Wisconsin, leading to the Badgers to a share of the Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl appearance before the Seahawks took him in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft.

”While football is my passion and my livelihood, baseball remains a huge part of where I came from and who I am today,” Wilson said.

”I’ve learned so much on the baseball field that translates to my game physically and mentally playing quarterback in the NFL. … While I embrace the chance to be a New York Yankee Preston Brown Jersey , I will forever be grateful to have been a part of a world class organization like the Texas Rangers.”

—

More MLB baseball: https://apnews.com/tags/MLBbaseball

HOUSTON (AP) The Houston Texans added offensive tackle Duane Brown to the active roster Saturday.

A starter for Houston Antonio Garcia Jersey , Brown held out until this week, missing six games. He has two years remaining on his contract Derek Rivers Jersey , had sought a new deal, which he did not receive. The three-time Pro Bowler Nate Solder Jersey , who has been the team’s starter since he was drafted in the first round in 2008.

Three-year veteran tackle Kendall Lamm was waived.

Brown’s salary for this season is $9.4 million, a big chunk of which he lost in his holdout. His 2018 salary is $9.75 million.

The 32-year-old has been Houston’s most steady presence on the line since joining the team Devin McCourty Jersey , starting 132 games – all at left tackle – in his career. His return should be a boost to an offense that has flourished with rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson.

—

For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Chuck Pagano might be facing his greatest challenge all season.

He needs to keep the reeling Indianapolis Colts together Nick Boyle Jersey , unified and working toward the same goals. It won’t be easy.

One day after the Colts were shut out for the first time in 376 regular-season games, Pagano ignored the outside chatter about his job status and instead focused on the most immediate solution – winning a game to get back in the AFC South chase.

”We’re not worried about anything other than Cincinnati and what we put out there yesterday (for the fans),” he said. ”They deserve better and we’re going to do everything we can to do better.”

Jacksonville exposed many flaws in Sunday’s 27-0 victory.

The Colts (2-5), without three of their projected starting offensive linemen in the second half Sunday, allowed seven sacks in the final 25 minutes.

Jacksonville finished with 20 quarterback hits and 10 sacks, the most ever permitted in a single game in the franchise’s Indianapolis era.

Indy’s offense finished with a paltry 232 yards and the defense wasn’t much better.

Blake Bortles threw for a season-high 330 yards by hitting big play after big play and the Jaguars managed to rush for 188 yards even with Leonard Fournette, the league’s No. 2 rusher, inactive because of a sprained right ankle.

Things got so ugly Colts players were showered with boos when the first half ended and again during a miserable second half as the number of empty seats steadily increased.

Then the real trouble began.

Pro Bowl receiver T.Y. Hilton urged the offensive line to take ”some pride up front and block more Terrance West Jersey ,” demonstrating a rare fissure in a usually unified locker room. His comment didn’t go over well with his teammates.

”That’s what needs to not happen. There can’t be pointing of fingers,” left tackle Anthony Castonzo said.

”Everybody has to look at their own game, see what they can do better on each play and if everyone gets a little better than the team can get better.”

On Monday, after meeting with Pagano, Hilton backtracked and apologized.

”I love them to death, and I was wrong. I’m always against that, and then I go out there and do it. So, 100 percent I messed up. All on me Mike Wallace Jersey ,” Hilton said.

”I’m sorry for that, and I’m a leader. Those guys look up to me, and I kind of stabbed them in the back. So for me, I’m very sorry about that, and I’ll approach them individually, one-on-one, and just let them know that I was 100 percent dead wrong.”

Other solutions will be just as difficult to find.

With Indy two games out of the division lead and facing a two-game road trip, fans again are vociferously calling for Pagano’s ouster with play-calling among their top complaints.

The latest criticism came after Jacoby Brissett was stopped short of a first down on a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-2 from the Jaguars 6 Eric Weddle Jersey , ending Indy’s best scoring chance. Pagano explained that’s not how the play was designed and blamed himself for the miscue – even though it came after a timeout.

”Just a communication breakdown,” he said. ”It’s bad, bad ball.”

Then there are injuries.

Andrew Luck will not throw again this week after being temporarily shut down last week because of soreness in his surgically repaired throwing shoulder.

Center Ryan Kelly (hamstring), who didn’t finish Sunday’s game, is expected to practice Wednesday.

Meanwhile, inside linebacker John Simon (stinger) and cornerback Rashaan Melvin (concussion), both starters, may not be available for the Bengals game.

And Matt Judon Jersey , as feared, the rookie season of promising safety Malik Hooker is over after he tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee. Indy’s first-round draft pick was tied for third in the NFL with three interceptions, and his absence leaves a gaping hole in an already undermanned secondary.

”He’s a ballhawk. You can’t really teach that,” cornerback Vontae Davis said. ”The games he did play – he was always around the football. We’ve just got to do a better job of just continuing to create turnovers – overemphasize it.”

All of it looks as if the Colts may have hit rock bottom after 5+ seasons under Pagano.

But inside the locker room, Pagano insists there’s time to find a fix.

”You’ve got to execute and you’ve got to make plays. There’s nothing magical about it,” Pagano said. ”We’ve got to coach better, we’ve got to play better.”

—

More AP NFL: http://pro32.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-NFL .

NASHVILLE Matt Bryant Jersey , Tenn. (AP) The Tennessee Titans sure hope they’ve found the combination to help them get to the quarterback, and now they’ve set a standard they want to continue.

An eight-sack performance will do that for a team.

The Titans finished with eight sacks in last week’s 20-16 win in Indianapolis, the franchise’s best single-game performance since Nov. 10, 1985, when the then-Houston Oilers had eight sacks. That tied for the team’s third-best total all time.

”It puts the standards a little higher,” Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. ”I think all the work and the effort that they’ve been having in other games Matt Bosher Jersey , it was good to see it come to light with what they did. Hopefully it’s going to give us a little confidence and certainly nothing negative about … what they did.”

Combined with three sacks in a loss at Pittsburgh, the Titans have racked up 11 sacks over the past two games. That is the defense’s best two-game stretch taking down a quarterback since having 12 sacks in October last season.

The Titans (7-4) rank 18th in the NFL with 25 sacks thanks to what they’ve done in the past two games.

Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said they’ve been getting consistent pressure on quarterbacks all season, and Tennessee lists 168 quarterback pressures already. Linebacker Brian Orakpo has a team-high 48 yet only four sacks, while linebacker Derrick Morgan has 45 and a team-high seven sacks.

”If you’re playing good ball, good things happen. That’s kind of unusual,” LeBeau said of getting eight sacks in one game. ”It’s just like turnovers. If you’re getting to the ball and you’re hitting people Ricardo Allen Jersey , you’re going to get some good turnovers. We had some good breaks in there, and the guys played great.”

Seven Titans got at least half a sack against the Colts, and DaQuon Jones got his first two this season to nearly match the 2+ sacks he had combined through his first three seasons. The fourth-year end has eight pressures but hadn’t gotten to the quarterback until last week.

”It’s very frustrating,” Jones said. ”At the end of the day, you have to keep believing in yourself and the ability to play football. It’s going to come. You might miss them early. We still have five games left, so a lot can happen.”

Morgan gives credit to the back end of the defense covering receivers long enough to let linebackers and linemen get to quarterbacks.

Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton was thrown at five times Ryan Schraeder Jersey , but caught only two passes for 15 yards. Safety Kevin Byard leads the NFL with six interceptions, while cornerbacks Logan Ryan and rookie Adoree Jackson have been sticking with their man.

”They’ve been doing an excellent job of covering up their guys and making the quarterback double-pump the ball and giving us time,” Morgan said.

Now the Titans’ challenge is keeping this up Sunday against Houston (4-7). The Texans have allowed 34 sacks this season, eighth-most in the NFL. Four more sacks for Tennessee would match the best two-game total in franchise history.

”It’s definitely huge,” lineman Jurrell Casey said. ”You want to make sure we stay with that drive, that same momentum going into this game.

”But at the end of the day Andy Levitre Jersey , they can kill you going up in the air. No matter who that quarterback is back there, we got to make sure we put the pressure on them.”

NOTES: WR Rishard Matthews (hamstring) and RB DeMarco Murray (illness) did not practice. Orakpo (rest) S Da’Norris Searcy (ankle), OL Brian Schwenke (illness) all returned after missing practice Wednesday.

—

For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL .

—

Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker

PARIS (AP) French downhill skier David Poisson Matt Bryant Jersey , a former medalist at the world championships, died on Monday following a training crash in Canada. He was 35.

The French Ski Federation said Poisson, who won the downhill bronze medal at the 2013 worlds Matt Bosher Jersey , was training in the Canadian resort of Nakiska for World Cup races in North America. The federation did not elaborate.

French sports minister Laura Flessel expressed her ”sadness” and said she will look carefully into the circumstances of the crash.

Poisson, a bulky racer with a broad smile nicknamed ”Caillou” (“small stone”), was a popular figure on the World Cup circuit.

He secured his only World Cup podium in 2015 when he came third in the Santa Caterina downhill in Italy Ricardo Allen Jersey , and was fourth in the prestigious Kitzbuehel downhill in 2013. He also competed in the last Winter Olympics, and hoped to qualify for the Pyeongchang Games.

The International Ski Federation expressed its condolences to Poisson’s family and friends in a statement, praising ”a respected and accomplished athlete on the World Cup tour ever since his debut in 2004.”

American ski racer Steven Nyman tweeted: ”My heart goes out to David Poisson’s family Ryan Schraeder Jersey , friends and teammates. He was a good man, a beast and a friend. I will miss him. The whole World Cup Tour will miss him.”

Poisson’s death came 16 years after super-G world champion Regine Cavagnoud, a prominent French skier Andy Levitre Jersey , died in Austria from brain injuries following a collision in training.

”There is no word for that,” former French downhiller Luc Alphand told L’Equipe newspaper. ”Eliminating risk entirely in downhill is impossible.”

METAIRIE Eric Wood Jersey , La. (AP) Saints rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore derives a certain satisfaction from seeing New Orleans’ younger players assume pivotal roles in the club’s longest winning streak in seven years.

”I love it,” said Lattimore, whose coverage skills have helped the Saints rise to first place in the NFC South.

”It’s just great to see young players bring the Saints back up, because a lot of people just wrote the Saints off and said that we were a bad team and everything.”

When the 2017 campaign began, it was clear the Saints would need a number of players with less than two years of NFL experience to come of age quickly in order to break out of a three-season run of mediocrity in which the club never had a winning record.

Halfway through this season, the Saints (6-2) look like one of the top teams in the NFC, having won six straight for the first time since 2011 as they prepare to visit Buffalo on Sunday.

The club’s recent success has hinged on the play of rookies such as Lattimore, running back Alvin Kamara, offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk Colton Schmidt Jersey , and safety Marcus Williams, as well as second-year players including receiver Michael Thomas, cornerback Ken Crawley, and interior defensive linemen Sheldon Rankins and David Onyemata.

Meanwhile, rookie Trey Hendrickson has been effective in a reserve role with two sacks and a forced fumble, while undrafted rookie Justin Hardee broke through with a big special teams play in last week’s victory over Tampa Bay , blocking a punt and returning it for a touchdown.

Rookie running back Trey Edmunds and second-year pro DeVante Harris, who both joined the Saints as undrafted free agents, have been regulars on special teams.

Saints coach Sean Payton said his club appears to have a group of players that have ”acclimated quickly Cordy Glenn Jersey ,” and added that a lot of credit goes to former Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland, who has overseen college scouting in New Orleans since 2015.

It wasn’t necessarily apparent that so many of New Orleans’ youngest players would quickly emerge as effective pros.

Kamara, for example, wasn’t a starter for most of his college career, which began at Alabama and ended at Tennessee.

But he has been a key contributor in both the running and passing games, with 654 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns through his first eight NFL games.

”I’ve improved a lot, but I think it’s a lot of credit to the system,” Kamara said. ”As an organization, you get players and you find the best ways to use their skills. I’m just grateful I’m in a position where my skills are being used.”

Ramczyk Jerry Hughes Jersey , who played only one season of Division I college football at Wisconsin in 2016, has started at either left or right tackle in every game this season.

Two years ago, Onyemata looked like a longer-term project. Having grown up in Nigeria and having learned to play American-style football at a Canadian college, he was hardly NFL-ready when he arrived for 2016 rookie camp.

Now he’s a starting defensive tackle with 1+ sacks and three tackles for losses this season.

”It’s astronomical from where he was (during) rookie minicamp last year to where he is today,” said Rankins, adding that when Onyemata arrived, ”He couldn’t tell you any formation. But now he’s out there calling out things, identifying protections and knowing where plays are going. So it’s a huge leap.”

Rankins, a 2016 first-round pick Preston Brown Jersey , hasn’t been impressive statistically, but defensive end Cameron Jordan credits much of his success this season to how well Rankins has taken on double-teams.

”When you talk about how fast our young guys have been able to learn and grow, that’s what’s impressive,” Jordan said.

Rankins said the Saints’ current mix of hungry young players and established leaders such as Jordan and quarterback Drew Brees seem to have synergy.

”When you’re led by guys like Cam and Drew – guys who have consistently done it at a high level – it does nothing but make you want to raise your level of play,” Rankins said.

Brees, meanwhile, sounds rejuvenated by the emerging young players helping New Orleans win.

”You just never know when that light bulb is going to come on and I think for a lot of guys it’s come on in a big way,” Brees said.

”They’re big contributors and that’s another thing that makes it exciting around here is you’ve got this young talent where all of a sudden the light bulb is coming on and you feel like the sky’s the limit.”

NOTES: LT Terron Armstead (chest) and Kenny Vaccaro (groin) both missed practice on Wednesday as they try to recover from injuries which occurred during last Sunday’s game.

—

For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

EDEN PRAIRIE Eric Wood Jersey , Minn. (AP) The Minnesota Vikings took a 6-2 record, control of the NFC North and deep confidence in the depth of their roster into their bye week.

The most remarkable aspect of their standing at midseason is that the quarterback situation for the second half remains a mystery.

Case Keenum has started four and finished five of the six victories, throwing only three interceptions and taking just five sacks. His 88.8 passer rating ranks 16th in the NFL among players with a qualifying amount of attempts, a middle-of-the-pack statistic that’s better than a bunch of starters around the league who are far more established.

His mobility has added a dimension to a vastly improved offense, and his energy on the field has inspired his teammates. With a defense as fierce as the one the Vikings have, Keenum has been the ideal complement on the other side of the ball.

So was Sam Bradford, before his left knee started bothering him. So was Teddy Bridgewater Colton Schmidt Jersey , before his left knee was badly damaged in practice 14 months ago to send him down an arduous road of rehabilitation. So what are the Vikings going to do?

”I haven’t decided that yet,” coach Mike Zimmer said. ”We’ll continue to take it one day at a time.”

Bridgewater will be eligible to come off the physically unable to perform list next week once the Vikings return from their mini-vacation. Zimmer said the team was prepared to make that move, but stopped short of promising it.

”Just see where he is at, where the team is at, how Case is doing. The whole deal. Sam, how he is doing,” Zimmer said.

So how is he doing?

”He’s getting better. I thought this was going to be a one-week injury. I never thought that it would linger on this long Cordy Glenn Jersey ,” Zimmer said. ”But he is getting better. We’ll just go from there. When I told you guys that I thought he was close, I thought he was. It just hasn’t worked that way.”

Bradford was brilliant in the season-opening win over New Orleans, which has won five of six games since then, but he’s only played in half of a game because of the discomfort and weakness that has been described by the team as wear and tear from old injuries.

Bridgewater returned to practice two weeks ago, taking the field where he dislocated his left knee and tore multiple ligaments in a freak non-contact instant that forced the Vikings to send Philadelphia a first-round draft pick for Bradford right before the 2016 season.

”He’s been slinging it,” said Keenum, who true to form as a career backup has refused to express any frustration about the uncertainty of his status.

Having made it this far Jerry Hughes Jersey , Bridgewater will undoubtedly start a game for the Vikings again, and the chance of that occurring in 2017 has significantly increased. Furthering the ambiguity is that the contracts for all three quarterbacks are currently set to expire after the season.

”It’s my job to be the best quarterback that I can be for this team, whatever role that is,” Keenum said.

Last year, the Vikings lost four straight games after their bye as the injuries piled up, particularly on the offensive line. They’re already endured their share of health setbacks this season, from Bradford to running back Dalvin Cook being lost for the season to being on their third starter at left guard.

While the schedule will stiffen Preston Brown Jersey , including five of the next seven games on the road, such adversity is nothing new to this team.

”Injuries are going to happen. It’s not a matter of if. It’s a matter of when. You hate to see it, but it happens. Guys are going to miss games,” Keenum said. ”To have guys be able to step up and make plays in crucial situations and win big ballgames, I think that’s a really good trait of a good football team.”

—

For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL