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No one has to tell the Oakland Raiders what they’re up against south of the border.

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are on a roll entering Sunday’s game in Mexico City.

“When you’ve got a guy like Tom Brady Nick Boyle Jersey , it’s crucial you can’t let him sit back there and bake a cake,” defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes said, via the Raiders’ website. “Obviously he is who he is, been in the NFL (18) years, so when you’ve got a guy like that you can’t let him bake a pizza Terrance West Jersey , so you’ve got to disrupt him a little bit.”

Leave it to a bulky defensive lineman to make not one but two food analogies. But the message is clear.

“They’re loaded,” Oakland safety Reggie Nelson said. “They just picked up (tight end Martellus) Bennett, got ‘Gronk’ (tight end Rob Gronkowski), (wide receiver Chris) Hogan … there’s a lot of them. Like I said, we’ve got our work cut out.

“They’ve got Brady who’s going to get them in the right position Mike Wallace Jersey , and the right play call, so we’ve got to do a good job on our end of just taking care of the little things.”

Hogan missed Sunday night’s victory at Denver with a shoulder injury and neither he nor right tackle Marcus Cannon, out against Denver with an ankle injury, were with the team in Colorado. Neither is likely to play this week. Special teams captain Matthew Slater (hamstring) was also out.

The Raiders started the season with two straight wins but are 2-5 since. However, they have won two of their last three heading into this game — against a very hot New England team.

After starting 2-2 Eric Weddle Jersey , the Patriots have reeled off five straight wins, with Brady winning yet another AFC Offensive Player of the Week award after throwing three touchdown passes at Oakland on Sunday night. Oh, and Dion Lewis became the second player since the merger to produce a kick return and a rush for a touchdown in a game.

The goal, at least that of the fans, was for New England to go 19-0 and win its sixth Super Bowl. Julian Edelman called that talk “stupid” and then went down for the season with a knee injury.

But the Patriots have surged Matt Judon Jersey , as the defense has held everyone to 17 points or fewer during the winning streak. A strong running game and a healthy Gronkowski have also taken some pressure off the 40-year-old Brady.

The Patriots are 4-0 on the road, and stayed out in high altitude after the Broncos’ game, getting ready for Mexico City. The game will be played at 7,280 feet — 2,000 higher than Denver.

“We feel like it’s the best thing we can do Michael Pierce Jersey ,” said New England coach Bill Belichick, whose team is working out at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. “I think everybody understands that. We’re ready to go to work and make the most of it.”

Asked if he and the staff have to talk to players about working in the high altitude, Belichick said, “Yeah, we talk about some things we feel are important Austin Howard Jersey , but I mean, we do that every week. Every week’s got its own challenges.”

Oakland coach Jack Del Rio has an extensive resume against Brady and just sees more of the same in the 2017 version.

“It’s pretty much vintage Tom Brady,” he said.

“I think he’s been as good as anybody doing it for quite a number of years. Obviously, adding a guy like Brandin Cooks helps with some of the deep shots they want to take and (Phillip) Dorsett. I mean, a couple of the skill people they’ve added Ryan Jensen Jersey , it makes sense to take deep shots with them.”

In 2014, when Del Rio defeated the Brady/Belichick combination for the first time in eight games, Del Rio, then the defensive coordinator for the Broncos said, “Clearly James Hurst Jersey , the combination of Tom and Bill (Belichick) has been a very productive combination and one that I hadn’t seen a lot of success against. I took a lot of pride in the fact that we were able to put together a good plan, go out there and execute, play well and advance (to the Super Bowl).”

The Patriots hold a 16-15 regular-season record against their old rivals but have won the past four meetings since the Raiders won Nov. 11, 2002.

ALAMEDA Nick Boyle Jersey , Calif. (AP) The Oakland Raiders may be without leading receiver Michael Crabtree against Denver after he missed practice Friday because of the lingering effects of a chest injury he suffered during the team’s loss to Washington.

Crabtree had been limited earlier in the week but was held out of the Raiders’ final workout before the team flies to Colorado and is listed as questionable. Coach Jack Del Rio declined to say whether Crabtree had suffered a setback and said a decision may not be made until Sunday.

”(We) have a couple of guys on the injury report that are questionable,” Del Rio said. ”We’ll see how it goes. Whether they’ll be able to go or not Terrance West Jersey , we’ll make that determination as we get closer to the game.”

Crabtree has 13 catches for 170 yards and a team-high three touchdowns through three games but is coming off his worst performance of the season when he and Amari Cooper were each held to one catch in the Raiders’ 27-10 loss to the Redskins last week.

Crabtree, who has played in all 35 regular-season games since signing with Oakland in 2015 Mike Wallace Jersey , was knocked out of the game following a hard hit early in the fourth quarter.

The 30-year-old receiver was also the primary target of a postgame tirade by Redskins cornerback Josh Norman, who accused Crabtree and Cooper of talking trash before the game.

Denver cornerback Aqib Talib Eric Weddle Jersey , who snapped a chain from around Crabtree’s neck in the final regular-season game of 2016, also had some choice words for Crabtree this week but the Raiders receiver has stayed quiet. He declined interview requests Wednesday and did not appear in the team’s locker room Thursday or Friday during the media’s 45-minute access period.

If Crabtree is unable to play – he last missed a game in 2013 – the Raiders will likely lean more on Seth Roberts and Cordarrelle Patterson to pick up the slack.

Notes: Cornerback Gareon Conley (shin) was limited for a second straight day and is questionable. Safety Keith McGill (foot) is also questionable. Cooper was limited earlier in the week with a knee injury but has been full each of the last two practices.

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DAVIE Nick Boyle Jersey , Fla. (AP) The Miami Dolphins are hoping to bounce back after a disappointing start as they did last season.

Coming off a 20-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints in London and dropping to 1-2, the Dolphins have returned to South Florida in preparation to host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

”It is what it is,” coach Adam Gase said. ”I’m fine. They’re fine. We’ll come out here and we’ll go practice.”

The Dolphins have recent experience of bouncing back from a slow start, which they are hoping to repeat when they started 1-4 last season before finishing 10-6 and advancing to the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.

”I think it gives us that sense that there’s no need to panic,” wide receiver Kenny Stills said. ”We understand that the schemes that we’re running in the run game take a little bit of time for our guys to get on the same page.

”We know that we have players, we know that we have talent Terrance West Jersey , and we know that we have great coaches so we just have to get back to the basics and fundamentals of things and execute the game plan every week, and we’ll get back on the right track.”

Gase said: ”If you’re panicking, then you’re in the wrong profession. Your job is to come out each week, it’s a new week, start over. We had 24 hours to complain about everything and now it’s time to go back to work, and really everybody needs to look themselves in the mirror and realize Mike Wallace Jersey , do your job and things will go right.”

Offensively, the Dolphins are last in scoring at 8.3 points per game, which includes scoring a total of six points the past two games, and are last in total offense at 249 yards a game.

”Just disappointment,” right guard Jermon Bushrod said. ”I’m disappointed in myself. I’m disappointed that we can’t score. I’m disappointed we’re not winning these games.

”We just have to get better. I have to get better. It’s tough. It’s not a good situation that we’re in right now, but we can still fight our way out of it. We’ve got to put in some extra work.”

When the Dolphins landed in South Florida Eric Weddle Jersey , they began to hear the news about the Las Vegas shooting. Cornerback Torry McTyer, who played at UNLV, received a phone call from his girlfriend.

”My girlfriend works at the hotel, Mandalay Bay, so she called me pretty concerned about what was going on,” McTyer said.

”A lot of her co-workers barricaded themselves in a storage room and they finally got the OK probably a couple hours ago to leave so I was up all night just thinking about that. I’m happy she’s cool and everybody she works with is cool.”

McTyer stayed on the phone with his girlfriend for a couple of hours while others also gathered information.

”I was so upset Matt Judon Jersey , I was so hurt about it,” Bushrod said. ”It’s a bad time for the people in Las Vegas and for our country it’s not a good look. We’re sending out thoughts and prayers to everyone affected and to everyone who helped out, they’re heroes.”

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Khalil Mack is setting the standard for other pass rushers.

The Oakland Raiders star was voted the No. 1 defensive end in the NFL by an Associated Press panel Frostee Rucker Jersey , receiving seven of 11 first-place votes and a total of 101 points in the rankings released Friday.

Even other elite defenders admire Mack’s dominating style.

”Some of the stuff he was doing just can’t be done,” was the declaration by none other than Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller, who topped the AP’s poll for that position earlier this season. ”Just pick up offensive linemen and run straight through them – that stuff, it can be done, but not the way Khalil does it.”

The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Mack earned AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors last season and already has accumulated 34 sacks in only 53 career games in the league. He’s also superb against the run.

”A complete player who can take over a play on any down,” is the way AP’s Dave Campbell, who is based in Minnesota, described Mack.

Mack’s 30 sacks since the start of the 2015 season lead the league in that span.

”The scary thing for quarterbacks,” wrote the AP’s Dennis Waszak Jr. Jared Veldheer Jersey , who is based in New York, ”is he’s still only 26 and is just hitting his prime.”

In voting done by Pro Football Hall of Fame member James Lofton and 10 AP football writers on a 10-points-to-1-point system, J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans finished second. He earned two first-place votes and six for second, totaling 89 points.

Watt, who was named on 10 of 11 ballots, lost some votes because of his recent injury troubles after playing in every game over his first five NFL seasons and collecting three AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards.

The leader of Houston’s defense missed the last 13 games a year ago because of back surgery, then was ruled out for the rest of this season after breaking his left leg in a 42-34 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.

”He was at the top of his class for so long,” said AP’s Arnie Stapleton, who is based in Denver, ”but back-to-back injury-plagued seasons have dropped him a notch.”

Joey Bosa of the San Diego Chargers was third with 65 points Tyvon Branch Jersey , quite a showing for a player who has appeared in only 17 career games. He and Mack were the only two defensive ends listed on every AP ballot.

After missing the start of his rookie season, Bosa immediately showed he was nearly impossible to slow down, producing 10+ sacks in only 12 games the rest of the way.

He’s added another 4+ sacks so far this season.

”Could be near the top the next time this list is done,” said the AP’s Josh Dubow, who’s based in the Bay Area.

With such an emphasis on strong defensive line play in the NFL, particularly with an aim of disrupting quarterbacks, there is a lot of talent at DE, and the AP voting reflected that.

In all, 24 players appeared on at least one ballot.

Everson Griffen of the Minnesota Vikings was fourth with 58 points, DeMarcus Lawrence of the Dallas Cowboys and Calais Campbell of the Jacksonville Jaguars tied for fifth J. J. Nelson Jersey , with 50, Michael Bennett of the Seattle Seahawks was seventh with 36, Julius Peppers of the Carolina Panthers was eighth with 34, Cameron Wake of the Miami Dolphins was ninth with 18, and Cameron Jordan of the New Orleans Saints rounded out the top 10 with 17 points.

Lawrence and Peppers received one first-place vote apiece.

Tennessee-based AP writer Teresa Walker said of Lawrence: ”He’s leading the league with 8+ sacks and more are coming, the way he makes himself at home in the backfield.”

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EDITOR’S NOTE – The Associated Press is ranking the top 10 players at a different position every week of the NFL season, based on votes by Pro Football Hall of Fame member James Lofton and AP football writers Simmi Buttar, Dave Campbell, Schuyler Dixon, Josh Dubow A.Q. Shipley Jersey , Howard Fendrich, Rob Maaddi, Arnie Stapleton, Teresa M. Walker, Dennis Waszak Jr., and Barry Wilner. This feature will move on Fridays.

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NASHVILLE Frostee Rucker Jersey , Tenn. (AP) Tennessee coach Mike Mularkey has rewarded his Titans for two straight wins by giving them an entire week off for their bye.

Well, most of the players. The coach has made it mandatory for any injured Titan to stick around the facilities and continue treatment and rehabilitation.

And there are a handful of Titans needing to rest and recover.

At the top of the list is two-time Pro Bowl tight end Delanie Walker. He was carted to the locker room during overtime after injuring his right ankle following a 16-yard catch in a 12-9 overtime victory over Cleveland. Walker leads the Titans with 32 catches this season, and his 324 yards receiving rank second.

Mularkey said Monday that exams showed Walker more of a bone bruise than a sprained ankle. Whether or not Walker is available Nov. 5 when the Titans (4-3) host Baltimore (3-4) will depend on how the veteran handles the pain. Walker currently is in a walking boot.

”It’s a painful injury,” Mularkey said. ”Any type of bone bruise, whatever it is Jared Veldheer Jersey , is very painful.”

Left guard Quinton Spain also is dealing with turf toe, and running back DeMarco Murray has a bruised shoulder. But Mularkey, sounding congested and saying he didn’t feel well, said the bye should allow all the Titans who’ve been limited by hamstring injuries to fully heal.

That list is led by rookie Corey Davis, the first wide receiver drafted in April and the No. 5 pick overall Tyvon Branch Jersey , who has missed five straight games since aggravating a hamstring Sept. 17 in a 37-16 win at Jacksonville . Starting safety Johnathan Cyprien, who has missed six games, also is expected back.

Quarterback Marcus Mariota, who missed a 16-10 loss at Miami on Oct. 8 , has played each of the Titans’ last two games. Even with his running limited by the Titans J. J. Nelson Jersey , Mariota led the Titans to a 36-22 win over Indianapolis on Oct. 16 and followed that with a 12-9 overtime win in Cleveland six days later.

”It’s an opportunity to relax and reflect on everything that’s happened in the first seven weeks, and get ready to go for the long haul,” Mariota said after the game.

Getting Davis back could be the boost the Titans’ passing offense needs. Tennessee currently ranks 26th averaging 201.9 yards per game without Davis who was instantly installed as the No. 1 receiver. Davis has seven catches for 73 yards at a 10.4-yard average in very limited playing time.

”We should be better if we can get him back,” Mularkey said.

Coaches are spending most of the week breaking down every play and player to crank up an offense that hasn’t scored a touchdown in the first quarter since the first drive of the season. Kicker Ryan Succop scored every point against Cleveland, the first to do that in an overtime win since Denver kicker Jason Elam’s three field goals beat Kansas City 9-6 on Sept. 17 A.Q. Shipley Jersey , 2006.

Not that Mularkey and the Titans are nitpicking a victory.

”We wanted to come here and get a W,” wide receiver Rishard Matthews said. ”It doesn’t matter how we got it. We get to go into the bye week with a W … We’ll come back and build off of this momentum.”

The Titans find themselves tied atop the AFC South with Jacksonville holding a tiebreaker over the Jaguars with nine games remaining after the bye.

”I’ve never said it’s a bad win in my life,” Mularkey said.

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EAST RUTHERFORD Matt Bryant Jersey , N.J. (AP) General manager Jerry Reese has accepted responsibility for the New York Giants’ dismal play in a season that started with legitimate Super Bowl hopes and now sees them mired with one win in seven games.

Speaking as the Giants prepared to leave for their bye week, Reese said he put the current roster together so the blame falls on him.

The 54-year-old believes that the Giants have good players, they can make adjustments and they will perform well in their final nine games.

Reese insisted that no one is going to lie down.

”If you want me to get up here and have a tantrum, I am not going to do that,” Reese said near the end of his 20-minute news conference.

”It’s frustrating anytime you lose football games and you are 1-6. There is frustration, but I am not going to fall on the floor and kick and scream. I am not going to do that. Of course, we are all frustrated. We can fix that by playing the game the right way.”

If the Giants don’t turn things around, this will be the fifth time in six years that they will have missed the playoffs. That will leave Reese’s future once again in the hands of co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch.

The Giants had created great expectations last season Matt Bosher Jersey , ending a four-season playoff drought by posting an 11-5 regular-season record under new coach Ben McAdoo.

However, Reese said the team bought into the hype about this being a title contender this season, and it has not played with the same hunger as a year ago.

”I know we played hard in some games but there is a difference in playing hard and having that hunger that you have to have to win in this league,” Reese said, adding it’s a hard lesson for players to learn after they seemingly found a way to win all the close ones last season.

Now in his 11th season as general manager, Reese refused to point fingers, particularly at the offensive line, which has struggled the past two seasons.

It was the one area that he opted not to fix in the offseason Ricardo Allen Jersey , saying he felt the young group he had was all coming back, had some continuity and had shown flashes last season.

It has not worked out, although Reese feels the line has improved as a whole and so has left tackle Ereck Flowers, who gets much of the criticism directed at the line. Surprisingly, Reese didn’t know if Flowers will remain the left tackle long term.

Reese said there were some veteran offensive linemen available but he did not want to sign any older players, opting to keep the line young.

Reese’s other big move was signing veteran free agent wide receiver Brandon Marshall. He was hurt early, never did much and was lost for the season in the same game that claimed offensive catalyst Odell Beckham Jr. Both had season-ending ankle surgeries.

Being in contention for the No. 1 overall draft pick – only Cleveland and San Francisco have worse records – has Reese on the hot seat.

”I’ve been doing this over 10 years now and every single time – I’ve been left for dead a lot of times since I’ve been doing this job and that’s just part of the business, it comes with the territory Ryan Schraeder Jersey ,” Reese said.

”It’s a high performance business. I’d love for us to have won 10 Super Bowls in my 10 years as the general manager of the Giants, but we haven’t. I wish we could have. We’ve won some games, but I sure believe we could have done better than we have.”

Reese said hopes that Beckham is able to return at 100 percent. ”He is a terrific football player. It hurts any football team if you lose a player of his caliber.”

The general manager said Eli Manning has to play better, like everybody else. He added that McAdoo also had to improve and he thinks he will.

”Here’s why I think that, is because, it’s important to him, number one,” Reese said. ”He’s a hard worker Andy Levitre Jersey , he’s smart. He’s smarter than all of us in this room, I can tell you that. It’s not even close, all of us together, he’s smarter than all of us.

”So, it’s important to him, it means something to him. He’s not a guy that you can’t talk to and give suggestions to. He’s going to do whatever is best for this football team.”

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ALLEN PARK Frostee Rucker Jersey , Mich. (AP) Matthew Stafford simply stood on the field, letting Jake Rudock take snaps at the Detroit Lions’ only practice during their bye week.

Stafford’s body has taken a beating recently. He has been sacked 17 times in the past three games, leaving him with an ailing right ankle and sore ribs.

Stafford needs a break this week. And, he’s not alone.

The idle Lions (3-3) went limping into Week 7, feeling fortunate a slew of players will have a chance to help their banged-up bodies bounce back.

”It’s a bit early, but it couldn’t have come at a better time for us,” tight end Eric Ebron said. ”It just exploded in here with a number of injuries. It’s not good, but it gives us enough time to get healthy.”

In a 52-38 loss at New Orleans , the Lions lost their best receiver Jared Veldheer Jersey , Golden Tate, with a shoulder injury that might be a long-term problem for him and the team.

Safety Glover Quin, one of the top players on defense, left the game against the Saints with a concussion. That may lead to Quin missing a game for the first time since 2009 when Detroit resumes its season the night of Oct. 29 at home against Pittsburgh.

One starter on the offensive line, guard T.J. Lang, was a late scratch at New Orleans with a bad back. Lang’s replacement, Emmett Cleary, left the game with an ankle injury. Ankle injuries also slowed or sent the team’s starting tackles, Rick Wagner and Greg Robinson Tyvon Branch Jersey , to the sideline against the Saints.

Help may be on the way to bolster both lines and special teams.

Taylor Decker, who has been out since having surgery on his right shoulder last summer, might return to practice next week.

That would move Decker a step closer to starting at left tackle to protect Stafford much better than Robinson has so far.

Defensive tackle Khyri Thornton is eligible to return from his six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. Thornton would be a welcome addition because defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is out for the season with an elbow injury.

At Tuesday’s practice, standout punter Sam Martin was kicking for the first time this season after being removed from the reserve/non-football injury list with an ankle injury.

So, what does Detroit want to accomplish during its bye week?

”Get healthy, that’s the No. 1 thing,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. ”That’s going to be the primary focus, but then obviously there’s some little things that we can work on. And, we got a lot of those.”

The Lions are averaging just 84 yards rushing J. J. Nelson Jersey , putting them ahead of just three teams in the league. Defenses don’t have to respect Detroit’s running game, allowing them to attack a shaky line to get to Stafford.

And when the Saints didn’t sack Stafford, they were getting hands on a lot of throws near the line and they were credited with 16 passes defended.

”I’ve never really seen anything like that,” guard Graham Glasgow said. ”But if we can fix it, we’re going to work on it.”

Stafford, though, was largely to blame for the most recent loss because he threw three interceptions – after going four games without a pick – and lost two fumbles against the Saints.

As bad as he and the Lions looked, they were resilient enough to have the ball trailing by just seven points with five-plus minutes left in the game.

Detroit’s comeback fell short and the setback was the team’s third loss in a four-game stretch. In the first loss, Tate was ruled just short of the end zone on a review A.Q. Shipley Jersey , reversing the call on the field and leading to a 10-second runoff that allowed Atlanta to hold on for a 30-26 victory.

The Lions were less than 1 yard, or a few seconds, away from a 3-0 start after opening with wins over Arizona and against the New York Giants on the road.

Instead, Detroit is 3-3 and a game behind the Aaron Rodgers-less Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings, who lost Oct. 1 to the Lions at home.

”We lost some games that we could’ve won,” safety Tavon Wilson said. ”But we’ve got to figure out how to play better and not be down 35 points in the third quarter and find a way to get into the end zone instead of being down inside the 1.”

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FOXBOROUGH Matt Bryant Jersey , Mass. (AP) Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons looked lost in a fog against a Patriots defense that hadn’t put up much resistance this season.

The Falcons were grounded in a thick New England peasouper on Sunday night, losing 23-7 in a rematch that had none of the excitement of the Super Bowl the teams took to overtime in February.

Following up a collapse in the NFL championship game, when they blew a 25-point lead, the Falcons (3-3) fell behind 23-0 on Sunday night before a touchdown with 4:09 left helped them avoid a shutout.

”The defense kept making plays, and we kept going out there and chipping away Matt Bosher Jersey ,” Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said. ”They had some big stops in the red area; the fourth-down plays were huge. It was great complementary football and everyone did a great job contributing.”

The Patriots (5-2) were the first team in league history to allow more than 300 passing yards in the first six games of the season. But they held Ryan, the reigning NFL MVP, to just 233 yards – 76 of them on a garbage-time scoring drive.

”This was a reminder that when we play the game the right way, we can do good things on defense,” Patriots safety Duron Harmon said when asked if the defending Super Bowl champions wanted to send a message to the league.

”If anything Ricardo Allen Jersey , we got a message for ourselves,” he said. ”Letting us know: If we just do the right things on defense, it’s going to be hard for teams to move the ball on us.”

It hadn’t been that way in the first six weeks of the season, when New England allowed an average of 324.8 passing yards – 29 yards per game worse than the next-worst team in the league. Atlanta came in with the NFL’s No. 5 offense.

But the Falcons failed on their first five third-down conversions, and finished 3 for 12 on third and fourth down for the game.

Among the stops was Malcolm Butler knocking a pass away from Julio Jones on a fourth-quarter third-and-goal from the 1. On the next play Ryan Schraeder Jersey , linebacker Kyle Van Noy chased down Taylor Gabriel for a 5-yard loss .

The Patriots also blocked one field goal attempt , and another by Matt Bryant went off the upright.

”There were plays out there; we didn’t make them,” Falcons center Alex Mack said. ”If it’s third down, if it’s red zone – all those little things add up. And to play a good team, like the Patriots are Andy Levitre Jersey , (you’ve) got to make them.”

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ORLANDO Matt Bryant Jersey , Fla. (AP) The Latest on the NFL Meetings (all times local):

5 p.m.

NFL owners rewrote the rule on using the crown of the helmet, making it a 15-yard penalty to initiate any hit with it.

Rich McKay, chairman of the competition committee, called it ”a significant change,” noting that it was a ”technique too dangerous for the player doing it and the player being hit.”

McKay said the tackle made by the Steelers‘ Ryan Shazier last season that resulted in the linebacker suffering a spinal injury – Shazier underwent spinal stabilization surgery two days later – was not the impetus for the change. But it was an example of what needs to be eliminated from the game.

”This one technique, we saw so many hits when a player lowered his head and delivered a hit and either hurt himself or the player he was hitting,” McKay said. ”It was time for a change of this magnitude.”

The owners did not call for an ejection on such a play – at least not yet. In college football, when a player is penalized for targeting and a replay review affirms it Matt Bosher Jersey , he is ejected.

Disqualifying players for these hits will be discussed in the future, McKay said, and that would involve replay reviews. He added that the coaches were ”most vociferous” about wanting these hits out of the game.

”I am very pleased to see the overwhelming support of the coaches, general managers and owners that we want to make the game safer,” said Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s chief medical officer. ”This is what change that could be made immediately that could impact this technique.”

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2:35 p.m.

Texans coach Bill O’Brien is confident that J.J. Watt and Deshaun Watson will have successful comebacks from major injuries.

Watt, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, missed all but five games with a broken left leg. Watson was a rookie sensation until he tore up his right knee in practice in midseason.

Houston has little chance of being a serious contender in the AFC South without them; it went 4-12 last season.

”J.J.’s doing really well. J.J. has a great attitude Ricardo Allen Jersey ,” O’Brien said Tuesday at the NFL meetings. ”He’s a very, very positive guy. He’s been in a great mood the whole offseason about where he’s at. Obviously working very hard. Just like I’ve always said about J.J., I would just tell you that watching him and seeing him in the building every day, I would never bet against J.J. Watt.

”J.J. is a generational player in this league and he’ll be back. He’s going to be back and he’ll be back to full strength and I just watch the way he is, that’s why I feel so good about him. He’s very positive about where he’s at. He knows exactly what he needs to do to get back.”

O’Brien is hoping Watson will be available for limited work later this spring.

”I know he’s ahead of schedule. He’s been in there every day, working hard. I believe that he feels real good about where he is right now and then we’ll just take it one day at a time during the (nine-week) offseason program. … The first two weeks, you’re not really doing anything on the field. The next three weeks, you can do a little bit on the field and then the last four weeks is where you’ve really got to see Ryan Schraeder Jersey , because that’s when you’re practicing, which is OTAs with no pads on.

”Maybe he would be able to do some things there. But we’re not in a rush on that, but I do think there’s going to be some things he can do throwing-wise, probably not in team drills, but maybe he can do some seven on seven, some of our passing drills to continue to work on the timing with the receivers, especially.”

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1:50 p.m.

Rams coach Sean McVay confirms that newly signed Ndamukong Suh will play nose tackle in defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ 3-4 system.

Los Angeles signed Suh to a one-year deal Monday. The five-time Pro Bowl pick joins three-time All-Pro Aaron Donald – the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year – along a fearsome front line.

”The one thing you feel so good about Aaron Donald is he said, `Hey the guy’s a great football player. If he can help us win Andy Levitre Jersey , let’s get him on board,”’ McVay said. ”The mutual respect that exists between those two players was imperative and really paramount to even pursue this in the first place.”

The 31-year-old Suh has never played in a 3-4 alignment during his NFL career and is likely to face fewer double teams as a pass rusher while lining up next to Donald.

The Rams have revamped their defense since losing to Atlanta in the NFC wild-card game. They also added cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters.

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12:45 p.m.

NFL owners approved rules changes defining what is a catch on Tuesday, hoping to eliminate much of the controversy and confusion that plagued the league in recent years.

In simplifying the language of the rule, as recommended by the competition committee, the new standards require three elements:

-having control of the ball;

-getting two feet down or another body part;

-making a football move, such as taking a third step or extending the ball.

The committee cited overturned receptions by tight ends Jesse James of the Steelers and Zach Miller of the Bears last season, and went back to similar negated catches by Dez Bryant of the Cowboys and Calvin Johnson of the Lions in previous seasons.

Also approved was making permanent spotting the ball at the 25-yard line after a touchb.

KANSAS CITY Antonio Garcia Jersey , Mo. (AP) Le’Veon Bell and the Pittsburgh Steelers spent Sunday beating up on the Kansas City Chiefs.

Beating up the goal-post padding, too.

The Steelers’ star running back churned out 179 yards and a touchdown in a performance reminiscent of January’s playoff victory over Kansas City. And Antonio Brown made an acrobatic touchdown catch in the fourth quarter to help Pittsburgh hand the Chiefs a 19-13 loss – their first of the season.

”The biggest thing for us is getting wins,” said Bell, who drew a flag for celebrating his score by throwing haymakers at the goal-post stanchion. ”As a team, we find ways to get wins.”

The Chiefs (5-1) still had a chance after Brown’s 51-yard reception made it 19-10, moving quickly downfield and getting a 33-yard field goal from Harrison Butker.

Their defense forced a quick three-and-out, and Tyreek Hill’s 32-yard punt return gave them the ball with 1:48 to go.

But after the Steelers (4-2) gave up a first down, James Harrison sacked Alex Smith on third-and-10 Derek Rivers Jersey , and the quarterback’s incomplete pass on fourth down left the NFL with no unbeaten teams.

”We straightened a few things out the second half. That’s how we got back in the game,” said Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who will no doubt be questioned for going for it on fourth-and-2 at the Steelers 4 early in the fourth quarter, rather than kicking a field goal to get within 12-6.

Smith’s throw to the end zone fell incomplete and the Steelers took possession.

”My gut tells me what to do. I thought that was the right thing there,” Reid said. ”I’m preaching to the team to stay aggressive without being stupid, staying aggressive with it. We had a good play in our pocket that we felt good about. It didn’t work out.”

Very little worked out for the Chiefs on Sunday.

Ben Roethlisberger was 17 of 25 for 252 yards with a touchdown and a pick for Pittsburgh, bouncing back from his abysmal five-interception performance against Jacksonville last week.

His favorite target was Brown, who a few weeks ago was flipping over water coolers but spent Sunday slinging high-fives. He had eight catches for 155 yards Nate Solder Jersey , often beating star cornerback Marcus Peters.

”The last little touchdown or whatever, should’ve been an interception,” Peters said. ”It comes with the game of football. Can’t do (anything) about it. … We took an `L,’ back to the drawing board.”

The game in many ways resembled January’s playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium, when Bell churned for 170 yards rushing and the Steelers’ defense shut down the Chiefs in an 18-16 victory.

Their defensive dominance was even more impressive considering the circumstances: The Steelers allowed more than 200 yards rushing twice in the past three weeks, while Kansas City was averaging 32.8 points and 414.2 yards – and had just piled up 450 in a shootout victory over Houston.

But the Steelers held Kareem Hunt, the league’s leading rusher, to 21 yards on nine carries. They also spent the afternoon with their paws on Smith Devin McCourty Jersey , holding the NFL’s top-rated passer to 246 yards and a TD.

”We’ve played a lot of games against each other. These guys have gotten the last three,” Smith said. ”They’re all hard-fought. They’ve been physical, intense.”

Smith nearly rallied the Chiefs down the stretch this time, finding De’Anthony Thomas for a 57-yard touchdown that got Kansas City within 12-10 with 6:13 left in the game.

But the Steelers answered with Bell, whose hard running got them near midfield. And when they faced third-and-2, former Chiefs coach and Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley dialed up a pass down the sideline to Brown, who caught the tipped ball and ran it 51 yards for the score.

It was Brown’s 52nd touchdown catch, passing Lynn Swann for third-most in franchise history.

”Ben made a great throw and those guys couldn’t catch it Stephen Gostkowski Jersey ,” he said. ”He always puts the ball in perfect position and, in that case, he held the ball until the last minute and made a play. I tracked it the whole time. He put a lot of wing on it and I was able to get the bounce.”

STATS AND STREAKS

Roethlisberger improved to 7-1 against Kansas City. He’s won six straight when coming off a game in which he’s thrown at least three picks. … Pittsburgh has beaten a team 5-0 or better seven times in the Super Bowl era. … Smith has not thrown an interception in 202 attempts. … Hunt had five catches for 89 yards. … Chiefs TE Travis Kelce caught a pass in his 54th straight game.

OOPS MOMENTS

The Chiefs’ first turnover since their first offensive play of the season came in the first half, when backup center Zach Fulton snapped the ball over Smith’s head for a safety. But the Steelers gave the ball right back when they inexplicably decided not to field the ensuing free kick.

INJURIES

Steelers RT Marcus Gilbert, who had missed three weeks with a hamstring injury, left in the first half after aggravating it. LB Vince Williams left in the second half with a hip injury after picking up a pair of sacks. … Chiefs RB Charcandrick West was evaluated for a concussion.

UP NEXT

Steelers: Return home to face Cincinnati on Sunday.

Chiefs: Visit the Raiders on Thursday night.

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