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KANSAS CITY Bengals Mark Walton Jersey , Mo. (AP) The Chiefs have released one of their career sack leaders, Tamba Hali, and veteran stalwart of their secondary, Ron Parker, moves designed to help Kansas City get younger on defense and have some financial freedom for the start of free agency.

The Chiefs parted ways with longtime linebacker Hali on Monday. The move was hardly a surprise given his decreased production.

Safety Parker, who had missed just one game over the past four seasons and provided some stability when Eric Berry was injured last season, also was waived.

Hali was due a base salary of $5,750 Cheap Paul Worrilow Jersey ,000 this season with a salary cap hit of more than $9 million, and his release will only cost them about $1.7 million in dead money. Parker’s release saves about $5.3 million against the salary cap.

”I thank the greatest fans in the world (hash)ChiefsKingdom for 12 incredible years,” Hali posted on Twitter. ”I also want to thank the (at)Chiefs organization for believing in me from the beginning. All the support during my career in Kansas City has been overwhelming and KC will always be special to me.”

The Chiefs were strapped for cash heading into the offseason, necessitating moves on several fronts. They’ve already voided the contract of linebacker Derrick Johnson, their career tackles leader, to save about $8 million, and released cornerback Darrelle Revis to save $4.5 million.

They’ll save some more when the new league year begins Wednesday. That’s when the trade of Alex Smith, which his salary cap number of $17 million http://www.arizonacardinalsteamonline.com/chase-edmonds-jersey , to the Redskins for cornerback Kendall Fuller and a draft pick, becomes official. The Chiefs will also save a bit of money when their trade of cornerback Marcus Peters to the Rams for two more draft picks becomes official.

The Chiefs only rolled over about $2.6 million in salary cap space from last season, so freeing up space to address their leaky defense – and perhaps help new quarterback Patrick Mahomes II with some offensive weapons – was of paramount importance for new general manager Brett Veach.

”You look at every situation and every position group and if it makes sense from a structural standpoint, a schematic standpoint and also a cap standpoint,” Veach said during last week’s scouting combine in Indianapolis. ”And it really is just the schematic standpoint and the cap standpoint along with the age, and if you get all those things pointing in the right direction, you go that route.”

Make no mistake: The Chiefs had aged considerably on defense the past couple of years, especially in the linebacker corps Cheap Dion Lewis Jersey , where Johnson and Hali had been the foundation for years.

Hali was the 20th overall pick in the 2006 draft out of Penn State, started every game as a rookie and never really looked back. He became a fan-favorite and went to five consecutive Pro Bowls beginning with the 2011 season, when he had 12 sacks and forced four fumbles.

He combined to add 20 more sacks over the next couple seasons, but the decline soon began for the 34-year-old pass rusher. He started just two of 16 games during the 2016 season, when knee pain caught up to him, and only appeared in five games last season after beginning the year on the PUP list.

When asked in January what his plans were for the future, Hali acknowledged he was ”leaning more toward” retirement but wanted to leave the door open to returning for another season.

He has plenty of interests away from football, including a hip-hop recording company.

”Tamba has been a tremendous ambassador for our organization http://www.miamidolphinsteamonline.com/jerome-baker-jersey , both on and off the playing field,” Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said. ”His incredible work ethic and passion for the game helped make him one of the most successful pass rushers in franchise history. Tamba will always be a part of the Chiefs family, and we sincerely appreciate his contributions to the Chiefs and the Kansas City community over the last 12 seasons.”

The 30-year-old Parker should have plenty of suitors in free agency. He made 279 tackles, seven sacks and picked off nine passes after finally getting his break with Kansas City.

”It was great playing in front of the fans in Arrowhead and with some of the best teammates,” he said on Twitter. ”Now it’s time for me to move on. I look forward to this new journey and chapter.”

Parker’s age combined with his cost for next season ultimately forced his release.

”It’s kind of today’s world in the NFL,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said during the combine, when asked about their desire to get younger. ”Guys change teams and move. We think we have some good young players and feel comfortable with them.”

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PITTSBURGH (AP) Brett Hundley wanted this one for his teammates.

The embattled Green Bay quarterback Cheap Julian Edelman Jersey , filling in for the injured Aaron Rodgers, enjoyed a breakout performance in the national spotlight, but Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Antonio Brown ruined Hundley’s moment.

Roethlisberger and Brown guided the Steelers to a four-play, 35-yard drive in 17 seconds, leading to Chris Boswell’s 53-yard field goal as time expired that gave the Steelers a 31-28 victory over the Packers on Sunday night.

”I love my teammates, I’ve had so much support from them, and that’s why it hurts Cheap Deatrich Wise Jr Jersey ,” Hundley said. ”They’ve supported me throughout this whole thing, and I’m trying to make sure we have an opportunity to win and I’m playing my best for them.”

Hundley ended 17 of 26 for 245 yards with three touchdown passes and zero interceptions. A week earlier, Hundley threw three interceptions without a touchdown in a 23-0 loss against Baltimore, the Packers’ first home shutout defeat in 11 years.

”To retaliate after last week’s performance, it wasn’t what he wanted and bouncing back shows his true character,” Packers receiver Davante Adams said. ”I think after he sees things he can correct, he’ll come back stronger next week.”

Green Bay won four of its first five games before Rodgers suffered a broken right collarbone in the first quarter of a Week 6 game at Minnesota. The Packers lost that game and have now won just one of Hundley’s five starts.

But Sunday’s start showed growth as Hundley tossed two TDs in the first quarter alone. He had two touchdown passes and seven interceptions in his previous five games since Rodgers broke his collarbone.

Adams caught five passes for 82 yards and a touchdown Cheap Malik Jefferson Jersey , while Jamaal Williams and Randall Cobb also hauled in scores.

”I thought he did a really good job of running the offense,” said Packers coach Mike McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native. ”I thought he took a huge step.”

Hundley found Cobb for a 39-yard touchdown, Williams for a 54-yard screen pass in the first quarter and Adams for a 55-yard touchdown on the sixth play of the second half. Hundley also marched the Packers on a game-tying drive in the fourth quarter, needing 12 plays to go 77 yards for the touchdown. He connected with Adams for an eight-yard pickup on fourth-and-six from the Pittsburgh 12, which led to Williams’ second touchdown of the game to even the score with 2:02 to play.

”It was really intense, but we had confidence Cheap David Harris Jersey ,” Adams said of the fourth-quarter drive. ”Brett was poised on that drive. He’s a young guy, but he showed a lot of wisdom and he looked like he was under control.”

Hundley also picked apart a Steelers defense that has allowed six touchdowns of at least 39 yards in the last three weeks and six scores of 50-plus yards this season, most in the NFL.

Green Bay, which hasn’t won in Pittsburgh since 1970, has now lost five of six, including the last two. The Packers, who defeated Pittsburgh almost seven years ago in Super Bowl XLV Browns Denzel Ward Jersey , were two games below .500 last season before reeling off eight straight wins to reach the NFC Championship game.

Hundley and the Packers are faced with a similar situation this season, now at 5-6 overall.

”We still have some games left to play and we have to make the most of them,” Hundley said. ”This one hurts, but we really have to focus on this last stretch. We can’t look too far ahead. The next one coming up is the most important.”

DETROIT (AP) A break in the schedule gave Detroit’s beleaguered offensive line a chance to rest and recover.

Now comes one of the season’s biggest challenges – a matchup with the sack-happy Pittsburgh Steelers.

”There’s no one guy to really clue in on. They’ve got quite a few Cheap Terrelle Pryor Sr. Jersey ,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said.

”Their guys off the edge do a great job. Their guys in the middle push the pocket well, and they’re covering guys down in the back end. It goes hand in hand.”

The AFC North-leading Steelers are tied for second in the NFL with 24 sacks, so Sunday night’s game will be quite a test for Stafford and the Lions. Detroit has allowed 17 sacks in its past three games, two of which were losses, and it remains to be seen how much last week’s open date helped the Lions refresh.

Detroit added offensive linemen T.J. Lang and Rick Wagner in the offseason, but Lang missed the team’s most recent game at New Orleans on Oct. 15 with a back injury. Tackle Taylor Decker hasn’t played yet this season following shoulder surgery, and Greg Robinson – another new addition – has had his struggles.

Stafford has been knocked around of late http://www.denverbroncosteamonline.com/royce-freeman-jersey , and now the Lions (3-3) have to face a Pittsburgh team that’s allowing only 147 yards passing a game, the lowest mark in the NFL.

Perhaps the most impressive development in the Steelers’ pass rush has been their ability to be effective without sending extra pressure. Pittsburgh’s four fourth-quarter sacks against Cincinnati last week came when the Steelers just sent four men after Andy Dalton while dropping seven into coverage.

”When those guys (up front) are hot, it makes it that much easier to play linebacker and defensive back,” Pittsburgh middle linebacker Ryan Shazier said.

The Steelers (5-2) have a comfortable two-game lead in their division, and their impressive defense is complemented by the usual offensive standouts. Le’Veon Bell is second in the league in rushing, and Antonio Brown is the NFL leader in yards receiving.

”He’s quick as you could possibly think a receiver should be,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. ”He can make you miss. He can run away from you. I mean Cheap Deatrich Wise Jr Jersey , he can do it all. So, yeah he’s going to challenge every single conceivable defensive technique that you can possibly place in front of him.”

Here are a few more things to watch when the Lions host the Steelers:

A CHANCE TO BE ELI-TE

After Martavis Bryant’s social media outburst following Pittsburgh’s victory over Cincinnati, the talented but enigmatic wide receiver indicated he’ll be inactive this weekend. That should mean more opportunities for Eli Rogers and Justin Hunter. Rogers was benched earlier in the season after fumbling a punt against Chicago but returned to the lineup against the Bengals, catching his first pass since Week 2. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger described Rogers’ play of late as a ”resurgence.” While Rogers works almost exclusively in the slot, the 6-foot-4 Hunter may have the best chance at taking over Bryant’s role as a downfield threat.

RETURN THREAT

Detroit already had a dependable kicker coming into the season in Matt Prater, and now the Lions have a legitimately dangerous returner in rookie Jamal Agnew, who has taken two punts back for touchdowns already this season.

TAKING IT AWAY

Detroit got off to a 3-1 start in large part because of a plus-9 turnover differential. Since then Cheap Cameron Fleming Jersey , the Lions are minus-3 in that important statistic.

Detroit turned the ball over five times in a loss to the Saints , although the Lions did have three takeaways of their own in that game, and their defense still has Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin’s attention.

”I’ve been really impressed that they’re extremely opportunistic,” Tomlin said. ”Passes get tipped in the NFL every weekend and oftentimes fall harmlessly to the ground, but boy, I think they’ve got nine interceptions. I think six of them are off of tipped passes, that’s not by circumstance.”

THE OTHER KILLER B?

The Steelers’ ”Killer Bs” (Bell http://www.kansascitychiefsteamonline.com/derrick-nnadi-jersey , Brown and Ben) better make way for another addition. Kicker Chris Boswell set a Heinz Field record by making five field goals against Cincinnati, and his reliability has helped Pittsburgh overcome some shaky performances inside the red zone.

The Steelers are 30th in red zone touchdown percentage, with only 42 percent of their trips inside the opponent’s 20-yard line resulting in a TD.

IN A RUT

Detroit DE Ziggy Ansah had three sacks in a win over the New York Giants in Week 2, but he has only one since.

”Just give him time,” Caldwell said. ”He’s a tough guy, and does a nice job at what he does. Let’s see where he ends up.”

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CHARLOTTE Cheap Devin McCourty Jersey , N.C. (AP) Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula knew exactly what Cam Newton was going to do as soon as he broke the pocket and started running toward the end zone.

From there, it was just a matter of Shula holding his breath.

Newton completed a 9-yard touchdown run on Sunday with a highlight reel leap into the end zone, stretching the ball across the goal line and essentially dunking on cornerback Desmond Trufant. The quarterback landed safely on his surgically repaired right shoulder and got up to wildly celebrate Carolina’s go-ahead touchdown in a game they would eventually win 20-17 to improve to 6-3.

”Every now and again, is it a little precarious? Yes,” Shula said of Newton running the ball. ”It’s like living on the edge.”

Despite talk from coach Ron Rivera this past summer about limiting Newton’s carries to prevent wear and tear on his quarterback’s body Cheap Connor Williams Jersey , the 2015 league MVP has taken it upon himself to breathe some life into a stagnant running game.

Newton has led the team in rushing four straight games, including Sunday when he gained 86 yards on nine carries. He’s averaged 10 carries per game over that span, the vast majority on scrambles rather than designed runs.

”I’m just trying to win football games at a fast and rapid pace,” Newton said after the win Sunday.

Perhaps we should have seen this coming when Newton responded to Rivera’s remarks about limiting his running in July by saying, ”Are you really going to expect a lion not to roar?”

The lion is roaring again.

Newton is on pace to run for more than 600 yards and eight touchdowns this season.

When asked if the Panthers still want to limit Newton’s hits http://www.tampabaybuccaneersteamonline.com/ronald-jones-ii-jersey , Shula replied, ”Sure, but if he runs the ball and slides is that a hit? Or are you exposing him? I guess my point is it’s a fine line that we walk.”

It’s a line the Panthers have been walking since Newton came into the league as the No. 1 pick in 2012.

On one hand the Panthers don’t want to risk getting their $102.5 million quarterback hurt on an unnecessary run. On the other, they have a unique weapon in the physically imposing 6-foot-5, 245-pounder that is difficult to defend. Newton has piled up 3 http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/cody-latimer-jersey ,907 yards and 52 touchdowns on the ground -the most by a quarterback in NFL history – in 6 + seasons.

Both Shula and Rivera take solace in the notion that Newton is – his diving touchdown notwithstanding – getting smarter when he runs.

He’s finally learned a proper baseball slide. And he’s doing a better job of getting out of bounds and avoiding contract when multiple defenders surround him. That was never more evident than Sunday when he culminated a 34-yard run with a slide in the open field as tacklers converged.

He did the same thing on a couple of shorter runs.

”You can see it by the way he gets down prior to hits, and running out of bounds or sliding,” Rivera said of Newton playing smarter. ”He was a little bit on the exciting side when he leaped to get the touchdown. That was a little too much, but I’m not going to stop him.”

The Panthers have also come to realize that the natural high Newton gets from making a big play with his feet often translates into him and his offensive teammates playing better.

”He played very emotionally on Sunday, which I think really spills over to the team Broncos Royce Freeman Jersey ,” Rivera said. ”I think guys picked up on his energy and I think that is terrific. That is when he is at his best, when he plays emotionally.”

Added Shula: ”If you ask him, he would probably want to run it more. I don’t want to ask him that question because I think I know the answer. But it is part of his game, and if you take that away I think you are taking a piece of him and his game away. So it’s a delicate balance.”

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CHARLOTTE Cheap Devin McCourty Jersey , N.C. (AP) Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula knew exactly what Cam Newton was going to do as soon as he broke the pocket and started running toward the end zone.

From there, it was just a matter of Shula holding his breath.

Newton completed a 9-yard touchdown run on Sunday with a highlight reel leap into the end zone, stretching the ball across the goal line and essentially dunking on cornerback Desmond Trufant. The quarterback landed safely on his surgically repaired right shoulder and got up to wildly celebrate Carolina’s go-ahead touchdown in a game they would eventually win 20-17 to improve to 6-3.

”Every now and again, is it a little precarious? Yes,” Shula said of Newton running the ball. ”It’s like living on the edge.”

Despite talk from coach Ron Rivera this past summer about limiting Newton’s carries to prevent wear and tear on his quarterback’s body Cheap Connor Williams Jersey , the 2015 league MVP has taken it upon himself to breathe some life into a stagnant running game.

Newton has led the team in rushing four straight games, including Sunday when he gained 86 yards on nine carries. He’s averaged 10 carries per game over that span, the vast majority on scrambles rather than designed runs.

”I’m just trying to win football games at a fast and rapid pace,” Newton said after the win Sunday.

Perhaps we should have seen this coming when Newton responded to Rivera’s remarks about limiting his running in July by saying, ”Are you really going to expect a lion not to roar?”

The lion is roaring again.

Newton is on pace to run for more than 600 yards and eight touchdowns this season.

When asked if the Panthers still want to limit Newton’s hits http://www.tampabaybuccaneersteamonline.com/ronald-jones-ii-jersey , Shula replied, ”Sure, but if he runs the ball and slides is that a hit? Or are you exposing him? I guess my point is it’s a fine line that we walk.”

It’s a line the Panthers have been walking since Newton came into the league as the No. 1 pick in 2012.

On one hand the Panthers don’t want to risk getting their $102.5 million quarterback hurt on an unnecessary run. On the other, they have a unique weapon in the physically imposing 6-foot-5, 245-pounder that is difficult to defend. Newton has piled up 3 http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/cody-latimer-jersey ,907 yards and 52 touchdowns on the ground -the most by a quarterback in NFL history – in 6 + seasons.

Both Shula and Rivera take solace in the notion that Newton is – his diving touchdown notwithstanding – getting smarter when he runs.

He’s finally learned a proper baseball slide. And he’s doing a better job of getting out of bounds and avoiding contract when multiple defenders surround him. That was never more evident than Sunday when he culminated a 34-yard run with a slide in the open field as tacklers converged.

He did the same thing on a couple of shorter runs.

”You can see it by the way he gets down prior to hits, and running out of bounds or sliding,” Rivera said of Newton playing smarter. ”He was a little bit on the exciting side when he leaped to get the touchdown. That was a little too much, but I’m not going to stop him.”

The Panthers have also come to realize that the natural high Newton gets from making a big play with his feet often translates into him and his offensive teammates playing better.

”He played very emotionally on Sunday, which I think really spills over to the team Broncos Royce Freeman Jersey ,” Rivera said. ”I think guys picked up on his energy and I think that is terrific. That is when he is at his best, when he plays emotionally.”

Added Shula: ”If you ask him, he would probably want to run it more. I don’t want to ask him that question because I think I know the answer. But it is part of his game, and if you take that away I think you are taking a piece of him and his game away. So it’s a delicate balance.”

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GLENDALE Falcons Calvin Ridley Jersey , Ariz. (AP) The Arizona Cardinals finally beat a good team.

Phil Dawson kicked a 57-yard field goal with 1 second left, sending the Cardinals to a 27-24 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars for their first win of the season against a team with a winning record.

The Jaguars (7-4) had won four in a row. They dropped into a tie with Tennessee for first place in the AFC South.

The Cardinals (5-6) got strong contributions from Blaine Gabbert, Tyrann Mathieu and especially Dawson, who also connected from 34, 42 and 48 yards on Sunday.

Gabbert was 22 of 38 for 241 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while improving to 10-31 as an NFL starter. He began his career with Jacksonville, but was traded to San Francisco in March 2014.

He shrugged off any personal feelings.

”I just try to go out there and put my best foot forward Cheap John Kelly Jersey ,” Gabbert said. ”Bring a little energy, bring a little juice to this football team. Like I said, just take it one play at a time and have fun doing it because this job is too hard not to have fun. I think you saw that in the guys today, the way they fought and the way they enjoyed the whole four quarters of football was a great thing to see.”

Here are a couple more things to watch coming out of Arizona’s victory:

STILL ON TOP: The Jaguars’ winning streak is history, but they remain in the thick of the AFC playoff race.

Jacksonville is at home for the next three weeks against Indianapolis, Seattle and Houston. It closes with road games against San Francisco and Tennessee.

RUNNING BLAINE: Gabbert’s ability to buy time with his feet was on full display, especially late in the game.

”I think the difference in the game was his mobility Cheap Connor Williams Jersey ,” Jacksonville defensive end Calais Campbell said. ”He made some plays and extended some drives with his legs on third down. We are built on getting pressure and stopping quarterbacks. When you can extend it for five to six seconds, it is hard on anybody.”

Gabbert was Arizona’s second-leading rusher with 17 yards on six carries.

”There were a lot of ups and downs in the fourth quarter,” Gabbert said, ”but being able to finish that and hit that game-winning kick was huge.”

CALAIS’ HOMECOMING: Campbell, one of Arizona’s most popular players ever, said he felt the love from his old fans, and he almost came away with the winning play.

Campbell scooped up Gabbert’s fumble and ran 10 yards for the score http://www.atlantafalconsteamonline.com/logan-paulsen-jersey , lifting the Jags to a 17-16 lead early in the fourth quarter.

He began the week among the league leaders with 11 1/2 sacks, but had just three tackles and no sacks against Arizona.

Other than a win, Campbell said he most wanted a postgame exchange of jerseys with Larry Fitzgerald. He got it.

JONES’ DAY: While Campbell was mostly quiet, Arizona linebacker Chandler Jones had a big day.

Jones had two sacks, five tackles for loss, a quarterback hit and a pass defensed. Jones has 10 sacks this season.

”I feel good,” he said. ”I’m not sure you guys realized Cheap Saquon Barkley Jersey , but I lost about 10 to 20 pounds, and I feel like a lot of credit is to that. I’m more agile. I feel like I’m faster, and I have more cardio.”

`GREEDY’ MARRONE: Jacksonville got the ball with 1:14 to play at its 10-yard line. It tried to get in position for the win, but had to punt and Arizona got the ball back at its 39 with 16 seconds remaining.

Coach Doug Marrone blamed himself for giving Arizona that final chance.

”If I had to do it all over again, I just would have ran the clock out and went to overtime,” he said. ”That is my fault.”

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TAMPA Panthers DJ Moore Jersey , Fla. (AP) Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh McCown are survivors, aging quarterbacks who keep getting opportunities to prove their worth to NFL teams.

One of them has started 116 games over 13 seasons with seven teams, while the other has 69 career starts spread over 15 years with eight clubs.

Together, that’s 185 starts for nearly half the league, a number that will grow Sunday when Fitzpatrick, one of just four players in league history to throw touchdown passes for seven franchises, makes his first start for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-6).

Interestingly, career start No. 117 comes against the New York Jets (4-5), his employer the past two seasons.

McCown, a little more than halfway through his first season with the Jets, also is facing one of his former teams.

Bucs coach Dirk Koetter, who recruited the 34-year-old Fitzpatrick to be Jameis Winston’s backup, marvels at the longevity of both quarterbacks.

”Those are both great examples. It shows you what a quarterback in the NFL is. There (are) 32 teams and you make up your own number where you think the number is of teams that like their starter Cheap Donald Trump Jersey , let alone like their backup,” Koetter said.

”Every year media (and) fans, they’ve always got their eye on the next five guys out of college or who is going to be a free agent because every team wants that guy and they’re searching,” Koetter added. ”Well, there just isn’t that many of those guys. So guys that are smart, tough (and) can do it pretty (well) can make a great living.”

Fitzpatrick replaces the injured Winston (shoulder), ending the third-year pro’s streak of 40 consecutive starts to begin his career.

McCown, 38, actually played a major role in the Bucs positioning themselves to draft Winston No. 1 overall, going 1-10 as a starter in 2014 – his only season in Tampa Bay, which finished a league-worst 2-14.

It was a year McCown, who’s also played for the Cardinals, Lions Cardinals Mason Cole Jersey , Raiders, Panthers, Bears and Browns, would just as soon forget.

”Well, that was a really rough year,” said McCown, who’s thrown for 1,980 yards and 13 touchdowns vs. seven interceptions this season.

”For me, it’ll be like just another trip. I’ve moved on past that at this point, and obviously I’ve done that with different stops and different places in my career,” McCown added. ”I’ve kind of had some practice at it, so it’ll just be another game.”

Fitzpatrick is taking the same approach.

He had the best season of his career two years ago, leading the Jets to 10 wins while throwing for a personal-best 31 TDs. New York entered 2016 with heightened expectations that Fitzpatrick and his teammates were unable to fulfill.

The quarterback contemplated retirement before getting a call from Koetter. He didn’t mind accepting a role behind a young quarterback with a promising future Cheap Mike White Jersey , and he’s had no regrets about staying in the game.

”I think it’s ironic that I move on to another team and the first start that I’m going to have is against the Jets, but I’m excited for the opportunity,” Fitzpatrick said.

”I know there’s the stuff with me, obviously being there the last two years, but more than anything just trying to do my best for this team,” he added. ”We’re sitting at 2-6 and disappointed with how this season has gone so far, so just trying to fill in and find a way to get us a win.”

Some things to know about Jets-Bucs:

FOR THE RECORD: Fitzpatrick, who’s thrown TD passes for the Rams, Bengals, Bills, Titans, Texans, Jets and Bucs since entering the league as a seventh-round draft pick in 2005 Cheap Richard Rodgers Jersey , is 46-69-1 as a starter. McCown is 22-47.

CATCHING ON: Robby Anderson is making a habit of trips to the end zone.

He has scored in three straight games, making him the first Jets wide receiver to do so since Eric Decker during the 2015 season. Anderson also has nine receptions of more than 20 yards this season, which ranks him fourth in the NFL in that category.

”When you have a guy that can run like Robby can and has the home run ability,” McCown said, ”whenever he steps on the field, you have to know where he’s at from a defensive perspective, because you never know what play might be the one that he can make one big play and it’s a touchdown.”

Anderson and Jermaine Kearse have combined for eight TD catches this season, tied for fourth in the league with Dallas’ Dez Bryant and Cole Beasley, and Miami’s Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills.

EVANS SITS: The Bucs will be without leading receiver Mike Evans, suspended one game by the NFL for his role in a skirmish he entered after Winston came off the sideline to confront New Orleans cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Evans ran up from behind and knocked the Saints rookie to the ground, and was disciplined for violating league rules on unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness.

SACKS IN BUNCHES: The Jets entered their last game against Buffalo second to last in the NFL with 11 sacks. They got a season-high seven against the Bills, with linebacker Jordan Jenkins sacking Tyrod Taylor twice and winning AFC defensive player of the week honors.

Those seven sacks were the most since they had that many against Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton in last year’s season opener.

The Bucs are last in the league with eight sacks all season.

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FOXBOROUGH Cheap Nate Solder Jersey , Mass. (AP) Patriots coach Bill Belichick has long said he feels he isn’t able to ascertain the identity of his team until after the Thanksgiving holiday.

After stumbling out of the gate to begin the season, his team has been among the NFL’s most resilient groups in the second half.

Now, after a huge road win in Week 15 at Pittsburgh, New England (12-3) finds itself in an enviable position heading into Sunday’s finale against the Jets (5-10).

With a win or Steelers loss, the Patriots clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

”Always a tough game playing against the Jets, no matter when it is,” safety and defensive captain Devin McCourty said.

Belichick said there was nothing brought up about the No. 1 seed this week. McCourty said it wouldn’t have affected their preparation either way.

”Whatever comes with it, comes with it Cheap Trent Murphy Jersey ,” McCourty said. ”I think, for us, the biggest thing is playing well. It’s that time of the year where you don’t want to go out there and just not be prepared, not go and play a good game.”

A New England win would also mark another milestone in Belichick’s career.

With 249 career victories, he could tie Tom Landry (250) for third all-time among head coaches. Don Shula is first with 328 wins, followed by George Halas (318).

Jets coach Todd Bowles said he isn’t worried about having to find ways to motivate his team this week, even with its postseason prospects long gone.

”We’ve got some prideful guys and we fight and we understand where we are, but that doesn’t mean we don’t try to go out and win every ballgame Cheap Donald Trump Jersey , and this week will be no different for us,” he said.

Here are some other things to watch for in Sunday’s regular-season finale between the Jets and Patriots:

NEW ADDITION: The Patriots’ defense has battled injuries this season. It is now hoping to get a boost after acquiring former Steelers linebacker James Harrison .

Harrison was released by Pittsburgh last week. He’s appeared in just five games this season, getting one sack.

But anything helps on a unit that has seen 14 players line up at either linebacker of defensive end.

KEEPING WARM: Early during his career Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said he wore a scuba top underneath his jersey to keep warm in extremely cold weather games. It’s a tip that’s been utilized by other players around the league in recent seasons.

The game-time temperature for Foxborough is forecast to be 14 degrees Sunday. McCourty said that practicing outside in New England’s frosty elements should help them.

”I think us being in that environment kind of prepares you mentally and physically for when it comes Sunday,” he said. ”Then you throw on top of it that it’s a game and not practice, so your adrenaline is running even more. Honestly, dealing with the cold is easier on game day than it is day to day in practice.”

HACK INTO GAME? Bryce Petty will make his third straight start for the Jets, but Bowles wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Christian Hackenberg making his regular-season debut .

”We’ll see,” Bowles said.

The second-year quarterback has been active for only four games Giants Kareem Martin Jersey , including the last two, since being taken in the second round out of Penn State. Hackenberg took some first-team snaps this week for the first time, indicating that Bowles might have some intentions of seeing what the young QB can do in the season finale.

MO’S LAST STAND: Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson was inactive last Sunday against the Chargers a week after getting benched for being late for a team meeting. It’s possible he has played his last game with New York.

A first-round pick in 2011, Wilkerson is due to make $16.75 million next year – and the money would become fully guaranteed if he remains on the roster on the third day of the NFL’s new year in March. But it is also guaranteed against injury, so the Jets could be on the hook if Wilkerson gets hurt in the season finale.

Bowles was noncommittal on whether Wilkerson, who practiced this week and last, will suit up for the game.

”We’ll make that decision Sunday,” Bowles said.

BOOM-BOOM-POWELL: Jets running back Bilal Powell ran for 145 yards and a touchdown last Sunday against the Chargers Cardinals Mason Cole Jersey , giving him a career-high 726 yards rushing and five TD runs.

He had runs of 57 and 41 yards to set a franchise single-season record with four rushes of 40 yards or more. Since the beginning of last season, Powell is tied with Chicago’s Jordan Howard for first in percentage of carries that gained 10 or more yards among running backs with at least 200 attempts.

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AP Sports Writer Dennis Waszak Jr. in Florham Park, New Jersey contributed to this report.

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FOXBOROUGH Cheap Shaq Mason Jersey , Mass. (AP) Rob Gronkowski says coach Bill Belichick makes it easy for the New England Patriots to ignore distractions such as the one created by last week’s ESPN report.

”Throughout my years here I’ve seen a lot of negative, a lot of positive,” Gronkowski said Tuesday as the Patriots prepared for Saturday night’s divisional playoff game against the Tennessee Titans.

”The reputation that Coach tries to get us to have is just ignore the noise – ignore the noise from the outside and I feel like that’s what myself and a lot of other players have been doing.

”You just gotta ignore the noise and just focus on what we’ve been doing all year and that’s preparing hard, studying our opponent, getting ready, mentally and physically for the big game, so what’s going on on the outside, as a team, as an organization, just gotta keep grinding, keep going, keep doing our job.”

Gronkowski Cheap Sam Hubbard Jersey , healthy this season after missing last year’s Super Bowl-winning run, said such ”noise” will ”if anything it’s just going to bring us closer and it’s going to bond us together.”

The report concerned the relationship among team owner Robert Kraft, Belichick and Tom Brady, focusing on Brady’s role in the trading of backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers for a second-round draft pick.

Earlier Tuesday, Brady reacted strongly to the claim he was involved in moving Garoppolo, who won five straight games for his new team down the stretch of the season.

”I think that’s just such a poor characterization of anything. In 18 years, I’ve never celebrated when someone has been traded, been cut,” Brady said on his weekly appearance on Boston radio station WEEI.

”I would say that’s disappointing to hear that someone would express that, or a writer would express that, because it’s so far from what my beliefs are about my teammates.”

He continued, saying Cheap Ryan Allen Jersey , ”I would never, ever feel that way about when Jimmy got traded, when Jacoby (Brissett) got traded. I’ve kept in touch with all those guys. When Matt Cassel was gone. All these guys I’ve worked with, I felt like I had such a great relationship with all the quarterbacks I’ve worked with. I kept in touch with basically everybody. So to characterize that as a certain way is just completely, completely wrong.”

Gronkowski was asked if Brady is amped up even more than usual.

”I’ve gotten that question many times throughout my career and I’ve said this many times – it’s hard to see him go to another level of intensity because he’s always intense, he’s always preparing hard,” Gronkowski said.

”I’ve just seen him do the same old that he does every week, prepare hard, practice hard and get ready for the game.”

Defensive captain Devin McCourty was asked about the ESPN article.

”I don’t care about it and I think a lot of guys don’t really care about what goes on outside and who writes what and if we stink, if we’re great – it doesn’t matter.

”So, I just think guys are motivated by playing for each other, their families more than an ESPN article.

”I think it’s a great thing for our fans and people outside. I think they enjoy all of that Cheap John Kelly Jersey , but I think for us, it’s just going out there and playing for each other.

”An ESPN article doesn’t help us when we go out there and it’s negative-9 degrees. Like you’re not going to be motivated to prove an article wrong. You’re just having fun playing with the guys.”

Wide receiver Brandin Cooks, in his first year with the team, was asked how they keep distractions out of their locker room.

”I think because the guys listen. Coach has been doing this for a while and he knows what the potential distractions can be,” Cooks said.

”I think he does a great job on letting us know what they are and as players we listen to him and being coachable and tune out the noise.”

NOTES: Tennessee coach Mike Mularkey, talking with New England reporters via a conference call, was asked what affect the ESPN story might have on the Patriots, said, ”You know what, I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a social media guy. I don’t know enough, I really don’t Cheap Tom Brady Jersey , to make any comment about something like that.” … Gronkowski, talking about making AP All-Pro for the fourth time, said, ”It’s definitely an honor, a humbling honor, but it means nothing now to tell you the truth, it means nothing. It’s the playoffs now, it’s one-and-done if you lose, so you just keep on preparing, looking forward. … ”I’m just looking forward to this game, man – super excited to be back out there with the team.”

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NEW YORK (AP) Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott’s half-season run from his six-game suspension ended Thursday when a federal appeals court refused to let him play while it considers his appeal.

A bespectacled Elliott in a suit and tie sat directly in front of a three-judge panel that considered a request from the NFL Players Association that he be allowed to play. But the court issued an order in less than an hour disqualifying him from Sunday’s game at Atlanta. It appears he’ll miss all of November’s games since the court set a Dec. 1 hearing for oral arguments on the merits of the union’s appeal.

The suspension was ordered in August as discipline after the league investigated allegations he used force against his girlfriend in the summer of 2016. Elliott vehemently denied the allegations as recently as last week Cheap Robert Griffin III Jersey , saying he was not an abuser.

A federal appeals court last month tossed out his court challenge in Texas, but the league’s request for a New York court to affirm that it had acted properly led a Manhattan judge to rule last month that Elliott must begin his suspension. After the union appealed, the lower-court decision was temporarily stayed, allowing Elliott to play last Sunday.

By Thursday’s ruling, Elliott had already left the courthouse without speaking to reporters Cheap Mark Andrews Jersey , though he shook the hand of a person who shouted that he was a ”huge fan” as Elliott raced down steps to a sport utility vehicle.

Although the league won the battle, the appeals judges took a few shots at the NFL for its handling of the suspension of a 22-year-old athlete who will be sidelined while he’s second in the league with 783 yards rushing and tied for the league lead with seven rushing touchdowns.

Circuit Judge Dennis Jacobs told Paul Clement, the NFL’s lawyer, that he found it odd that the issue was ”such a frantic emergency that it can’t wait another couple months.”

”This is not just about Elliott and the Cowboys,” Clement responded Cheap Jaleel Scott Jersey , noting that 100 players across the league had been suspended for a total of 500 games over the last two seasons.

”Unfortunately, discipline is a fact of life in the NFL,” the lawyer said. ”They all have an interest in seeing the same basic rules applied to them.”

Clement said it was important that players not be able to ”game the system” by using the courts to delay suspensions until it is convenient for them or their teams.

Still, he noted, Elliott would start his suspension as the Cowboys enter the ”easy part” of their schedule.

”This is the ideal time for him to serve the suspension Cheap Kenny Young Jersey ,” Clement said.

Attorney Andrew Tulumello, arguing for the union, urged the 2nd Circuit to let Elliott play, saying missing games was irreparable harm and the union deserved additional time ”to prove these events did not occur.”

The NFL did not comment on the court’s order, though it affirmed that the suspension was in place.

Elliott’s attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Elliott arrived at the hearing just minutes before it began. He was smiling and greeting his lawyers before he moved his chair to face the judges more directly.

Elliott had received three different legal reprieves as he played the season’s first eight games.

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