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Taylor Buccaneers Vinny Curry Jersey , , there’s an unexpected opportunity for several linebackers due to Kendell Beckwith’s broken ankle that he suffered in a car crash back in mid-April. Adarius Taylor and Devante Bond both saw some action in 2017 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with Taylor ultimately seeing more action and garnering the statistics to back it up (in on 31 tackles). The two players will presumably get first shot at filling in for Beckwith this training camp and have a real shot to make a name for themselves while Beckwith continues to recover from surgery.Devante Bond has the harder fight of the two for reps as he was used sparingly in 2017 by the coaching staff. Bond is a true fighter, showing just that as he made the team as a 6th round pick and has worked on special teams. This past season, Bond racked up a Pro Football Focus (PFF) rating of 51.0 in limited duty which when viewed in a vacuum Cheap Vita Vea Jersey , was a better number than Adarius Taylor put together. Bond isn’t as athletic or instinctive as Taylor on the field and because of this, one would expect Taylor to have an early and potentially insurmountable lead when it comes to replacing Beckwith until he’s healthy. Adarius Taylor got first crack at filling in a season ago due to injuries within the Buccaneers linebacker core and in week 4 was the top performer at the position according to PFF. Taylor recorded a 91.2 overall grade for his play against the Redskins. As a whole, the season wasn’t all that kind to Taylor who closed the year out with a cool 47.4 overall grade according to PFF. Taylor tallied a total of 22 tackles and 9 assists, a forced fumble and fumble recovery as well as a lone sack on the season. The team will hope one of these two young linebackers can step in and hold down the position until Beckwith returns to action but make no mistake about it, neither will make the impact that Beckwith did a year ago where he filled in as the line-backing groups’s multi-tool. As our own Evan Winter wrote back in May Cheap Gerald McCoy Jersey , Beckwith’s injury could be more detrimental than expected and replacing someone who played 80% of the defensive snaps is tough to replace.Bucs Nation and fans alike are wishing for a successful and speedy recovery for Beckwith. Until then, we look forward to the battle that ensues at outside linebacker opposite Lavonte David and next to Kwon Alexander. As always, Go Bucs!The Crow’s Nest: Stopping the Steelers, the national stage, and Week 3 picks ICYMI: The Crow’s Nest: Own a piece of the Fitzmagic! Bucs QB Ryan Fitzpatrick T-shirt. - Bucs Nation"Stay Humble" tee is straight fire."They Can't Play Man. They Can't Play Zone. They Can't Really Get After The Passer The Way They Want To." - JoeBucsFan.comAnd the consensus is the Steelers’ defense is brutal.Stop The Steelers? Stop Two Guys - JoeBucsFan.comIt’s a passing league.NFL Week 3 game picks: Falcons top Saints; Steelers edge Bucs - NFL.comWill the Rams or Chargers claim L.A. supremacy? Can the Steelers earn their first win of the season against a surprising Buccaneers team? Falcons or Saints in Atlanta? Elliot Harrison picks every Week 3 game.The Face of the 2018 Season So Far Is 鈥?Ryan Fitzpatrick? - The RingerWith Fitzpatrick under center Buccaneers Chandler Catanzaro Jersey , Tampa Bay is 2-0 and riding one of the most prolific offenses in the league. Has this early success been a flash in the pan? Or is there reason to believe Fitzmagic is here to stay?Buccaneers-Steelers Sept. 20 Injury Report: Vita Vea and Brent Grimes Return to Practice - Buccaneers.comThe Buccaneers get both cornerback Brent Grimes and defensive tackle Vita Vea back during Thursday’s practice.Bucs ready to showcase potent offense against Steelers | FOX SportsBuccaneers eager to showcase improvement on a national stage against struggling SteelersPittsburgh Steelers will 'simplify' defensive game plan vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - ESPNPittsburgh will change up its defensive game for Monday night's matchup against Tampa Bay and the hot hand of Ryan Fitzpatrick.

http://www.tampabaybuccaneersteamonline.com/caleb-benenoch-jersey , TV schedule, online streaming, and more The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally kickoff their 2018 preseason from Miami as they take on the Dolphins. The first preseason game usually features the started in a limited role and we may see just that. The change here from a year ago would be quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick getting the start down in Miami in preparation for the season. We may see the veteran quarterback play into the second quarter with Jameis Winston coming in behind him.There will be a lot of eyes on several players where fans and media have been anxiously awaiting to see play in a game. Newcomers Jason Pierre-Paul, Vinny Curry, Ryan Jensen, and others will have a lot of eyes on them. Rookies Ronald Jones II, Carlton Davis, and Justin Watson will be among the rookies where we’ll be curiously watching. But this is where many bubble players can begin making an impression.INFORMATIONGame time: 7:00pm ETLocation: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FLWeather: 85藲F, Possible ThunderstormsTV: WFLA (NBC/8 - Tampa)Announcers: Chris Myers, Ronde BarberOnline streaming: NFL Sunday Ticket (paid DirecTV service - one-week trial); NFL Game Pass (paid service - shows preseason games live, replays of regular season games)NFL Network Replay: Saturday at 6:30am ET; Tuesday at 4:00amOdds: Dolphins -1.5 | O/U: 34All-time record: Buccaneers 6-5 (Regular Season)Most recent regular season meeting: Buccaneers 30-20 at Miami (Week 11 2017)Streak: Buccaneers 2 wins (2013, 2017); Buccaneers 5 of last 6Most recent preseason meeting: Buccaneers 22-17 at Miami (PS Week 4 2015)Twitter: @Bucs_NationFacebook: Please like us!Changes That Need To Happen It’s not hard to see the struggles for the Buccaneers. For a team that started off 2-0 and were the new hotness around the NFL, this team has displayed being nothing more than average. At the end of the day, you have an offense that can score at will with all the weapons and mismatches they provide along side a defense that can’t stop, well Womens Demar Dotson Jersey , anything.For starters, the defensive scheme has to change. There’s no if’s and’s or but’s about it. Mike Smith consistently puts this team in a position to fail with his lack of blitzing, his zone coverages that rely far too heavily on in-play communication, his propensity to have corners line up 7-10 yards off receivers, and a sheer lack of creativity. It’s been the same story for 36 games and there is no end in sight.Yes, Koetter is going to come the defense of his friend and give the same canned answer when asked about it. About how it’s not Smitty that’s missing tackles, or missing assignments, or blowing coverages. It is, however, on Smith to fix these problems. It’s on Smith to have the self awareness that his defense has given up more than 400 yards in 19 games under his tutelage and the Bucs are 4-15 when it happens. He has to have the self awareness that his defense has given up 30 or more points in 13 games under his tutelage and the Bucs are 1-12 when it happens.It flat out can’t continue.The sad thing is, it will. The players will be the ones to blame, some of which will be shipped out of town or not re-signed because they are square pegs that Smith keeps trying to cram into round holes. A good coordinator schemes to the strength of his players. Lovie Smith did the same thing and when players wouldn’t - or couldn’t - adapt, they were shipped out of town slightly before Lovie himself was sent packing. Mike Smith is costing this team games to the detriment of Koetter, his entire staff, the players, and quite possibly Jason Licht.Offensively, the Bucs have little to complain about. Until a disaster in Chicago Authentic Jason Pierre-Paul Jersey , they were the NFL’s top offense. Will that change with Jameis Winston under center? We’ll see, but smart money says no. It’s hard to see O.J. Howard miss time with the sprained MCL as he was emerging as one of the top tight ends in the NFL, but now the re-emergence of Cam Brate will begin.We saw some timing issues with Winston against the Bears, but that is to be expected after he missed nearly a month of practices and games with the suspension. The big thing to keep an eye on is the run game.The run game just hasn’t gotten going this season. There have been flashes, but no consistency. Again, you can point to the aerial attack and the Bucs’ ability to score from long distance, but when they’ve needed the run game in red zone situations it just hasn’t been there.Ronald Jones’ progression last Sunday looked encouraging. He finished with only 29 yards on ten carries, but there were flashes there. Moments when he was a fraction of a second away from making a big splash play. Again, when you’ve missed nearly a month of game experience your rookie year, there will be growing pains and timing issues. Another thing to look at is the poor play from the right side of the line, mainly Caleb Benenoch. Benenoch has been a turnstile this season and rotating him with Evan Smith hasn’t helped matters any. It was the same nonsense we saw last season. Pick the guy who is playing better and stick with him. Offensive lines don’t need to be rotated the way defensive lines do.This isn’t a knock on Barber, Jones, or Jacquizz Rodgers. All are capable backs that can make plays when called upon. We just haven’t seen that come to fruition yet this season.Overall, the Buccaneers’ offense can overcome the defense’s ineptitude to a certain degree. They will have their opportunities to win games and will capitalize - just like they did against New Orleans. The focus for the foreseeable future is the defense and whether or not they can keep the Buccaneers in games or if it will be a shoot out week after week. As I said many times over throughout the off-season, if the Buccaneers can’t succeed this season it won’t be because they don’t have the talent. It will be because of coaching. So far, the offensive side of the ball has been coached well and seen success. The defensive side of ball is the worst in the NFL.You tell me who the blame should fall on...

The Cleveland Browns won their fifth consecutive preseason game on Thursday as they defeated the New York Giants. While being the preseason champs is fun and everything Youth Nick Chubb Jersey , it would be nice if this team could figure out how to put together a few wins when the games actually count. That day may be coming soon, however, as there were some good things to come out of the game at MetLife Stadium. Here are four takeaways as we wait for the Browns to return to practice on Sunday in preparation for their preseason home opener against the Buffalo Bills on Friday.David Njoku can be a nightmare for the defenseDavid Njoku was targeted three times in the game and finished with a pair of receptions, both of which went for touchdowns. The second-year tight end’s athleticism was on display on his 36-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the first quarter. But it was his dedication to his route on his second touchdown reception that caught the eye of quarterback Baker Mayfield, according to clevelandbrowns.com:Those two catches highlight why the Browns selected Njoku in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft and indicate the matchup problem he can create for opposing defenses. The running game needs to be betterIt was only one game, but the Browns running game was horrific against the Giants.The primary running back trio of Carlos Hyde, Nick Chubb and Duke Johnson combined to rush 17 times for a total of 13 yards. Not all of that falls on the running backs, especially in the case of Chubb, as the offensive line did not always carry the water in the run game:The thought of quarterback Tyrod Taylor and, eventually, Mayfield lighting up the stat sheet in the passing game is fun, but the reality is the Browns are going to need to be able to run the ball if they want to have any hope of success on offense. And if there are more days like Thursday? Well, then it is going to be a long year.The penalties have got to stopFans saw an all-too-familiar sight on Thursday as the Browns were flagged for 13 penalties.A couple of the penalties were clearly of the dubious nature, most notably the taunting penalties on wide receiver Jarvis Landry and cornerback Denzel Ward in the first quarter White Seth DeValve Jersey , but the Browns are simply not good enough to overcome that many mistakes. Simply put, the team needs to tighten things up.The optimism might be validated this timeThis is always the best time of year to be a Browns fan as anything seems possible.Then the regular season starts and reality hit.But this year it feels different.Taylor and Landry bring a level of professionalism to the offense that the Browns have not had in years. The running game should work itself out, and Njoku and Johnson provide some explosive playmaking options for the offense. The defense is filled with a mix of veterans, including Jamie Collins, Christian Kirksey, Mychal Kendricks, and young players who can be difference makers in Myles Garrett, Emmanuel Ogbah, Ward and Jabrill Peppers. There is still a long way to go, but for the first time in a long time the upcoming regular season holds the potential to finally validate the optimism that Browns fans show this franchise on an annual basis. The Oakland Athletics clinched their first playoff berth in four years Monday night, earning at least an American League wild card when the Tampa Bay Rays lost to the New York Yankees.Following three straight last-place finishes in the AL West, the A's found out just a couple of minutes after the first pitch of their game against Seattle that they are in the postseason for the first time since 2014.Tampa Bay's 4-1 loss to the Yankees eliminated the Rays from playoff contention. Oakland still has an outside shot at overtaking Houston for the division title, but is more likely headed toward a wild-card matchup with the Yankees.The A's could still host that game. They beat the Mariners 7-3 to remain 1陆 games behind the Yankees for the top wild card.SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bobby Evans has been fired as the San Francisco Giants' general manager.San Francisco said Monday that Evans will be reassigned, with responsibilities to be determined.The Giants began the final week of the season 72-84 White JC Tretter Jersey , their second straight losing record.The team will start a search for a new head of baseball operations.Evans was hired by the Giants in 1994, became vice president of baseball operations in 2009 under general manager Brian Sabean and was promoted to GM in April 2015 when Sabean became executive vice president of baseball operations.NFLCLEVELAND (AP) —Baker Mayfield was named the Browns' new starting quarterback on Monday, and the No. 1 pick will make his first start Sunday at Oakland.Coach Hue Jackson made the move to replace Tyrod Taylor with Mayfield after the rookie led the Browns to a 21-17 come-from-behind win Thursday night over the New York Jets — Cleveland's first win since 2016.Under the national TV spotlight, Mayfield came in for an injured Taylor and showed poise during his pro debut. He made quick decisions and throws while completing 17 of 23 passes for 201 yards in just more than one half.Taylor, who sustained a concussion, was starting because the Browns' plan was to have Mayfield watch and learn as a backup until he was ready.SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will need season-ending surgery on his injured left knee.The 49ers said Monday that an MRI confirmed the team's fears that Garoppolo tore his ACL while making a cut late in a loss at Kansas City. The injury deals a serious blow to the 49ers (1-2), who had planned their rebuild around Garoppolo.Now San Francisco must go through the season with C.J. Beathard at quarterback. The Niners struggled with Beathard last season before the midseason addition of Garoppolo changed their fortunes. San Francisco won the final five games last year after Garoppolo took over as starter and the team rewarded him with a $137.5 million, five-year contract.PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Hall of Fame receiver Tommy McDonald has died at 84.His death was announced Monday by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Details were not disclosed.McDonald was the small, speedy and sure-handed receiver who teamed with quarterback Norm Van Brocklin to help the Philadelphia Eagles win the 1960 NFL championship.McDonald was a two-time All-American for Oklahoma. He played 12 seasons for NFL five teams and was a six-time Pro Bowl selection. When he retired in 1968, he ranked second in league history in touchdown catches, fourth in yards receiving and sixth in receptions.The 5-foot-7, 175-pound McDonald had to wait 30 years before becoming the smallest player inducted into the Hall.HOCKEYARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — First-round draft pick Alexander Alexeyev has signed a $2.775 million http://www.authenticsclevelandbrowns.com/cheap-joel-bitonio-jersey , three-year entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals.The team announced the deal with the defenseman on Monday.It has an average annual value of $925,000.The 18-year-old from Russia was taken with the 31st overall pick in this year's NHL draft. He spent last season in the Western Hockey League.Alexeyev recorded an assist in a preseason game for the Capitals against the Boston Bruins this month.BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Forward Brian Gionta is retiring at age 39 after 16 NHL seasons, a person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Gionta hasn't disclosed what he plans to announce during a news conference Monday at the Buffalo Sabres' arena.Gionta is a former Montreal Canadiens and Sabres captain and two-time U.S. Olympian. He won a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003. At 5-foot-7, Gionta overcame questions about his size to play various roles while establishing his reputation as a leader.Gionta is in discussions with the Sabres about a part-time off-ice role that would allow him to spend more time with his family, the person added. Gionta is from nearby Rochester, New York, and makes his home in Buffalo.WOMEN'S BASKETBALLThe Women's Final Four will have a familiar feel to it for the next few years.The NCAA on Monday chose San Antonio, Minneapolis, Dallas and Cleveland to host the event from 2021 through 2024. All four cities have hosted before.The next two sites were determined a few years ago, with Tampa Bay hosting in 2019 and New Orleans in 2020. San Antonio will hold it in 2021, followed by Minneapolis, Dallas and Cleveland.This will be the third time that San Antonio has hosted the Women's Final Four. The all-time attendance record was set there in 2002, with 29 White Darren Fells Jersey ,619 people attending the national semifinals of the Women's NCAA Tournament. The Final Four returned to the city in 2010. UConn won the championship both years. The event again will be held in the Alamodome.SOCCERLONDON (AP) — Luka Modric broke a decade of award dominance by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi after being crowned world footballer of the year by FIFA on Monday.Modric was voted FIFA's best player in the 2017-18 season after winning the Champions League for a fourth time in five seasons with Real Madrid and leading Croatia to its first World Cup final where it lost to France.Messi and Ronaldo were the only winners of world soccer's main individual award from FIFA in various guises since 2008, both winning five titles each.Messi didn't make the three-man shortlist and skipped the trip to London. And as a new dawn in FIFA's awards history broke inside London's Royal Festival Hall, Ronaldo also didn't turn up at the ceremony to finish runner-up to his former Real Madrid teammate.BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Lionel Messi will miss Argentina's friendly against Brazil on Oct. 16 in Saudi Arabia.Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said on Monday that Messi will not be called for the brief tour. He will also miss the other friendly in Saudi against Iraq on Oct. 11.Scaloni, the interim national coach until January, said Argentina was focusing on blooding younger players.Messi has made no public comments about his decision to be left out of the Argentina squad, which he hasn't played for since the World Cup.Messi was also absent from Argentina's two-match tour of the United States this month.DIVINGINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — USA Diving's chief executive officer is out after 16 months.The national governing body said Monday that Lee Walsi Johnson will be leaving on Oct. 5.He began his tenure in May 2017 after coming from USA Gymnastics, where he was vice president of marketing. His background was in strategic planning and brand building.Michele Mitchell, chair of USA Diving's board of directors, thanked Johnson for his service "in an extremely challenging time of transition."USA Diving says the rapidly changing environment of Olympic sports has "necessitated a change in the financial strategy of the organization."SPORTS BUSINESSSEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle City Council unanimously approved plans for a privately funded $700 million renovation of KeyArena on Monday, clearing one of the last major hurdles in the city's bid to land an expansion NHL franchise.The 8-0 vote was the last step needed to strengthen Seattle's expansion application and it means a team could be playing in the new building during the 2020-21 season.The next phase in the arena/franchise process comes next week when Seattle Hockey Partners, the ownership group attempting to land the expansion team, presents before the NHL Board of Governors' Executive Committee.

The Cleveland Browns will be without starting defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah on Sunday when they face the New Orleans Saints. Ogbah will miss the game with an ankle sprain he suffered late in the first quarter of the Week 1 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Ogbah came back in that game Youth Duke Johnson Jr Jersey , he was limited to just 27 games and was spotted at team headquarters on Monday in a walking boot.As if that was not enough, starting linebacker Christian Kirksey is questionable as he works his way through shoulder and ankle injuries: Kirksey has not missed a game in his NFL career, so it would be surprising if he is not on the field come kickoff on Sunday.The Browns will turn to defensive end Chris Smith, signed in the offseason as a free agent from the Cincinnati Bengals, and Anthony Zettel, claimed off waivers from the Detroit Lions prior to the season opener, in Ogbah’s absence. It should also open up additional pass rushing opportunities for rookie linebacker Genard Avery.Fortunately for the Browns and Ogbah, the third-year defensive end avoided a high-ankle sprain, which would have landed him on the sidelines for multiple weeks. However, with the Browns following up the game against the Saints with a home game against the New York Jets on September 20 - just four days later - it is a distinct possibility that Ogbah will not return to the field until the September 30 game against the Oakland Raiders. It’s disappointing to think of Ogbah missing a pair of games, but if it helps him be healthy for the rest of the season that would help ease the pain.Cleveland Browns Run Pass Options Various forms of Run Pass Options or RPOs have been the subject of NFL headlines since Doug Pederson and the Philadelphia Eagles rode them all the way to a Super Bowl victory last year. Though Pederson’s offense was mocked by NFL players as “High School Offense,” no one could stop them. Not even when starter Carson Wentz went down with an injury and Nick Foles stepped in. Not even defensive genius Bill Bellichick on the biggest stage of them all.Though they are derided by some as “gimmicky,” or a “phase White Jarvis Landry Jersey ,” I believe that RPOs are here to stay. Unlike the Wildcat (which was a fad and relied on an unprepared defense), defenses can’t tell what is coming based on the formation. And unlike the brief stint of QB runs and read option we’ve seen in the NFL, RPOs typically don’t put the franchise player in harm’s way. This is fundamentally sound football, and it works. And RPOs have a history of success in the NFL dating back to at least the Brett Favre New York Jets days, why would they suddenly stop working now?RPOs give the quarterback literally that; an option between handing the ball off on a run play, or passing the ball to an eligible receiver. The offensive line blocks for the running play immediately on the snap, and the back assumes he is getting the ball. Any receivers involved in the pass option run their routes like they normally would on a called pass. The quarterback chooses which play is best for the offense (usually by making a simple read of one or two defenders), and delivers the ball. It’s practice-efficient football, because neither the line nor the receivers are doing something new.A taste of their own medicineAgainst Pederson’s Eagles OC Todd Haley wasted no time introducing some RPOs of his own, calling for one on the very first play of the game:From a 2x2 Pistol formation, the Browns sent Jarvis Landry in motion to ID the coverage. As he saw the CB follow Landry, QB Tyrod Taylor could assume man to man coverage.The Eagles are in a single high safety look, which means they have an extra safety in the box to stop the run. The weakness of this defensive look is that with only one safety deep the Eagles’ corners are either going to play off coverage or they are going to really risk getting beat deep.Before the snap you can see the CB playing off of Landry Youth Jabrill Peppers Jersey , which is when Taylor makes his read. The ball is going outside.On the snap the line blocks for the outside zone running play to the left, as RB Carlos Hyde anticipates getting the handoff. Having made his read, Taylor delivers the ball to Landry, who runs a 1-step “stay” route.The ball gets to Landry for only a 1 yard gain, but with the corner closing hard and a shifty receiver like Landry in space, good things are bound to happen for the Browns.Landry makes a nice move and picks up 11 on the play. Getting the ball to playmakers in space like this is something any good offense does. With this type of RPO, you can ensure your playmakers are put in favorable positions when they get touches.Picking up where he left off in collegeLater in the game, Baker Mayfield got in on the action. Facing a 2nd and 10, Mayfield could be seen making a signal to WR Jeff Janis. He likely saw that the Eagles had stacked the box with 10(!) defenders, making it almost impossible to run the ball. Sure enough, on the snap, the line and RB Nick Chubb are running inside zone to the right, as Mayfield throws a quick slant to Janis.This is a safe and relatively easy way to pick up 5 yards on 2nd and 10. Throwing this type of quick pass is probably a lot more reliable than running into a 10 man box White Terrance Mitchell Jersey , and if Janis is able to break a tackle he could legitimately take this in for a touchdown.Drew tooNot to be left out, QB Drew Stanton also threw to the pass option off of this look in the 4th quarter. Facing an 8 man front, Stanton knew that the Browns’ 7 available blockers likely would not get the job done in the running game. After sending WR Da’Mari Scott in motion across the formation, Stanton saw the same off coverage on WR Jeff Janis that the Browns had been seeing all night. On the snap RB Nick Chubb and the offensive line are still running the inside zone play, but Stanton fires the ball to Janis.Unfortunately on this play, Janis drops the ball despite it hitting him right in the gut. Running the ball is all about arithmetic. If you don’t have enough people to block all of the defenders on a given play, running the ball typically won’t work. When called intelligently and executed well, RPOs ensure that offenses have favorable numbers in the box for their runs. If they don’t, the quarterback simply goes elsewhere with the ball. And “going where the defense is not” is what good offense is all about.I counted no less than 7 of these RPOs in the Browns’ Week 3 preseason game. Not all of them worked as intended, but between Todd Haley’s use of tempo and these RPOs it will be very interesting to see how the offense coalesces in the regular season. Though this isn’t saying much, the 2018 Browns’ offense might be the most advanced and intelligent the franchise has seen since the return.

 Cleveland Browns:“Zane Gonzalez: Cleveland Browns’ loss to New Orleans Saints ‘on me 100 percent’” (WKYC) - “Gonzalez had the kind of game special-teamers dread when the Cleveland Browns took on the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome...”“Available NFL free agent kickers” (247Sports) - “Poor kicking prevented multiple teams from achieving victory Sunday in the NFL. The Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns Hats , Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams are all in need of improvement at the kicker position.”“Browns quickly put aside shock of Josh Gordon situation, and rookie Antonio Callaway steps in” (C-T) - “When the shock wore off, the Browns had a game to play. Without talented and troubled receiver Josh Gordon.”“49ers have inquired about trade for Browns’ Josh Gordon” (SFGate) - “Cleveland wide receiver Josh Gordon would like to join the 49ers, and there is at least some degree of mutual interest.”“Refocused, NFL Week 2: New Orleans Saints 21, Cleveland Browns 18” (PFF) - “The much-anticipated battle between Myles Garrett and Terron Armstead was a big disappointment. Garrett very rarely got the better of the veteran tackle...”“Where the Browns stand on key issues heading into Thursday night’s game against the Jets” (cleveland.com) - “The Browns coming out of the first two games of the season winless isn’t a disaster. If anything, it was expected.”NFL:“Injuries we’re tracking from Sunday’s Week 2 games” (NFL.com) - “New York Jets tight end Neal Sterling was evaluated for a head injury against the Miami Dolphins.”“NFL sets new mark for early-season ties” (PFT) - “The NFL has had two not-so-nice outcomes in each of the first two weeks. It’s the first time since 1971 that the NFL opened a season with a tie in Week One and a tie in Week Two.”How the Saints Allowed the AFL-NFL Merger to Happen The City of New Orleans had several opportunities to acquire a pro football team, and each one failed.In 1961, the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League (AFL) were about to be sold and moved to New Orleans until the mayor of Oakland stepped in and stopped the proceedings. After the 1962 AFL season, the owner of the Dallas Texans sought out the possibility of moving his franchise to the Crescent City. When he found out that Tulane Stadium (the only facility large enough) was still segregated, he passed and relocated to Kansas City to which the Chiefs were born. As early as 1965, the National Football League (NFL) had eyes on putting a team in Louisiana. Numerous AFL and NFL pre-season games had been played here also.1967 Saints Media GuideFinally in 1967, the NFL granted New Orleans an expansion team and called their team the Saints. But the manner in which this club became an actual pro football team has a story on its own. They were a direct result of the AFL-NFL merger.During the year of 1966, the AFL and the NFL had agreed in secrecy to begin merger proceedings. Both leagues had had enough of the escalating salaries, among other items. On June 8, 1966, it was announced that the leagues would merge completely beginning with the 1970 season. All franchises in both leagues would remain in their present location with a common draft and common preseason schedule beginning in 1967.Even though months and months of negotiations had gone back and forth between representatives of both leagues and numerous obstacles were ironed-out Cleveland Browns Hoodie , there was one piece of business that needed to be addressed; and with this singular morsel, nobody within the NFL nor the AFL had an avenue to accomplish it on their own.There was an impasse. A major problem stood in the way of the merger. In fact, the merger just may not happen at all.FB Ernie Green (#48) gains yardage off blocks by T Monte Clark (#73) and G John Wooten (#60) for the Browns in front of 77,045 fans at Tulane Stadium (New Orleans) in 1967, a 42-7 Cleveland victoryEven though representatives of both leagues had mutually agreed to the unification, the House Judiciary Committee (HJC) in Washington, D. C. had to exempt and approve the merger from antitrust law sanctions. Antitrust laws are set up in the United States as a method to keep competition going, thus giving consumers the advantage of competitive pricing. Without these laws, the result would become higher prices charged for commodities and possibly inferior products, goods or services.Therefore, when the AFL was in competition with the NFL, everyone had the benefit of choices - players had choices, advertisers had choices and the public had choices.Now that the two leagues – the only two leagues by the way – were about to be formed into one entity, this meant suddenly there would be a monopoly on the business of pro football. And this – was a problem.At the time, the chairman of the HJC was Emanuel Celler from New York. By the early fall of 1966, he refused to let the bill out of committee. It was Celler who was the lead House sponsor of the legislation which toughened the “Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914.” This key bill (revised in 1950) closed regulatory loopholes which had once allowed companies to form vertical mergers and also conglomerate mergers - which allowed limits on competition. Having closed up all the gaps in antitrust laws was certainly his specialty, and Celler wasn’t going to budge for some millionaires involved in a children’s game. The NFL commissioner at the time was Pete Rozelle. Upon brainstorming of what the two leagues were to do next Customized Cleveland Browns Jerseys , he spoke with a longtime friend of his from Louisiana named David Dixon. Dixon had been involved with pro football for years and almost owned the Raiders, set up NFL pre-season games in New Orleans and was the driving force for the construction of the Louisiana Superdome. Dixon was also involved in politics.Did you know?David Dixon etched his place in the annals of professional football. He formed the New Orleans Professional Football Club, Inc. in the early 1960’s. After the 1961 season, he had a deal struck to buy the Oakland Raiders of the AFL for $236,000 to which the franchise would become the New Orleans Raiders. The mayor of Oakland interceded and shortly thereafter the deal was cancelled. In 1965 he persuaded the AFL to hold their annual All-Star game in New Orleans and got the NFL to hold numerous pre-season games in the Big Easy. Along with his assistance in getting the Saints, he became a minority owner. Later he was the driving force behind the construction of the Louisiana Superdome. In 1973 he made a presentation to the NFL owners about a spring league that would become a developmental league, sort of like a farm system but eh owners passed on the notion. From that idea he would invent the United States Football League from 1984-1986. Years later, he had in the planning stages three more pro football leagues: America’s Football Teams, Inc., American Football Federation, and the FanOwnership Football League.聽Rozelle inquired if Dixon knew of anyone who could speak to Cellar and try to change his mind on the bill. Dixon had another idea. His old college buddy was House Majority Leader Hale Boggs from Louisiana. Boggs had a need to regain some public trust after he voted in support of the civil rights bill and was suddenly not the popular politician in a heavily-segregated Deep South. Dixon, along with his political advisor, impressed upon the congressman that he could push the bill through.In return, the city of New Orleans would be granted the next expansion team - and Boggs would get the credit for doing so. He covertly attached the exemption to a budget bill that was a certainty to pass in both the House and the Senate thus detouring Celler altogether. The bill passed on October 21.The NFL and AFL got their merger and New Orleans got an immediate franchise.Barry Shuck is a pro football historical writer and a member of the Professional Football Researcher’s Association.