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PRO FOOTBALL
HOUSTON (AP) The NFL and the players’ union announced a series of changes to the way potential concussions are handled during games following an ugly incident in which Texans quarterback Tom Savage was allowed to return to the field after a hit left him on the ground Cheap Adrian Clayborn Jersey , arms shaking.
Among the changes is the addition of an expert watching games from a central location with the authority to alert sideline medical teams to look into an incident. And if a player shows signs of a seizure or similar responses, as Savage did, they will be removed from the game and cannot return.
Article continues below ...The NFL has been under increased scrutiny the past several years over player safety when it comes to head injuries. A $1 billion settlement of concussion-related claims from more than 20,000 former players took effect earlier this year, resolving thousands of lawsuits that accused the NFL of hiding what it knew about the risks of repeated concussions.
The jarring injury to Savage prompted a joint review of concussion protocol by the NFL and the NFL Players Association. He was hurt in the second quarter of Houston’s 26-16 loss to San Francisco on Dec. 10 when he was driven to the ground on a hit by Elvis Dumervil. Replays showed Savage looking dazed after his head hit the ground with both of his arms shaking and lifted upward. He was taken to the medical tent where he stayed for less than three minutes before returning to the bench and going back in for the next series.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) – The New York Jets are choosing stability over a shake-up.
The team announced Friday it extended the contracts of general manager Mike Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles Cheap Vincent Valentine Jersey , keeping the pair for at least the next three seasons through 2020.
The extensions are for two years each, according to a person with direct knowledge of the contracts. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team did not announce terms.
”During their time here, they have worked together to help the organization build a foundation on which to grow,” acting owner and CEO Christopher Johnson said in a statement. ”They are identifying, developing and getting productivity out of our players.
”I believe we are headed in the right direction.”
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – If Sam Darnold returns to the home of the Dallas Cowboys in four months Cheap Trey Flowers Jersey , he figures to leave feeling a bit better than after a rough night in the Cotton Bowl.
Darnold threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown , lost two fumbles on sacks and misfired on several other throws in No. 8 Southern California’s 24-7 loss to fifth-ranked Ohio State on Friday night.
A third-year sophomore, Darnold is projected as a possible top overall pick in the NFL draft, which will be held at AT&T Stadium in late April. If he’s the first one on stage with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, that’ll be a better look than a quiet walk off the field as Ohio State players celebrated.
In the locker room, Darnold hugged cornerback-receiver Keyshawn ”Pie” Young after signing Young’s No. 15 jersey Cheap Tom Brady Jersey , which had other signatures as well. The 20-year-old Darnold remained noncommittal on his future.
PRO BASKETBALL
JERUSALEM (AP) – The NBA has apologized and removed wording from its website referring to ”Palestine-occupied territory” on Friday after complaints by an Israeli minister.
Israeli sports minister Miri Regev had sent a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver calling Palestine ”an imaginary `state’,” and asking for the reference to be removed from the basketball league’s website.
”We do not produce the country listings for NBA.com and as soon as we became aware of it, the site was updated,” said Kathy Behrens, the NBA’s President for Social Responsibility. ”We apologize for this oversight, and have corrected it.”
The U.N. along with most of the international community considers the West Bank and east Jerusalem Cheap Tedy Bruschi Jersey , areas Israel captured in the 1967 war that the Palestinians claim for a future state, as occupied territory.
HOCKEY
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) – The NHL isn’t going to get drawn into any
discussions about participating in future Winter Olympics 
until after the
Pyeongchang Games are complete.
Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said that’s the answer he provided to International Ice Hockey Federation general secretary Horst Lichtner on Friday. Daly and Lichtner happened to sit together during the first period of the world junior hockey championship outdoor game between the United State and Canada being played at New Era Field.
Daly said the two talked little business, though he noted Lichtner did ask when the NHL might be ready to discuss its plans regarding the 2022 Games at Beijing.
Daly said his response was: ”Certainly not any time before Pyeongchang.”
.
entia.
A mission of the players’ union is to enhance research that can improve the long-term health and well-being of NFL players. The organization calls its initiatives ”whole player, whole life,” looking not only into current health issues but those that will affect players later in life.
Article continues below ...
”This union has been vigilant about its commitment to the long-term health, safety and well-being of our players Panthers Rashaan Gaulden Jersey ,” NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith said. ”For the same reason that we instituted rule changes, concussion protocols and pay for post career neurological benefits, our capital investment in this fund complements our current investment initiatives with the Harvard Football Players Health Study.
”I am proud of the work we do to protect our current and former members and aid the overall health of everyone suffering from neurological conditions.”
The union is not disclosing the amount it has invested at the request of the DDF until its fund closes.
Gates personally is investing $50 million in DDF, which was formed two years ago, and he will follow that with another $50 million in startup ventures working on Alzheimer’s research. But his interest in DDF Panthers Donte Jackson Jersey , while coincidental in the timing of its announcement, is not tied in with the union’s move.
”We believe the DDF’s novel model presents a real opportunity to improve the treatment of neurological diseases, and, importantly for us, provide valuable insights into neurodegenerative disorders which have been associated with our sport Panthers DJ Moore Jersey ,” said Ahmad Nassar, president of NFL Players, Inc., the union’s marketing arm.
”Our investment fits with our strategy of supporting research into new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent common injuries in current and retired NFL players, which has included previously supporting projects to slow and reverse the accumulation of Tau protein in the brain, which leads to CTE.”
The DDF was established through the collaboration of leading pharmaceutical companies, the United Kingdom Department of Health, and the charity Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK). It has an initial portfolio of 12 investments in drug discovery companies and projects predominantly in the United Kingdom and United States.
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BLOOMINGTON Cheap Vincent Valentine Jersey , Minn. (AP) DeMaurice Smith dismissed with one word a question about his union’s labor deal with the NFL being extended.
Then he attacked.
The executive director of the NFL Players Association quickly said ”no” Thursday when asked about the current 10-year collective bargaining agreement getting extended beyond the 2020 season.
Article continues below ...Then Smith, re-elected last year, went on the offensive about the next CBA.
”We prepare for war,” he said. ”If we are able to get a collective bargaining agreement done, great. All of these men went through a unilateral war declared on players in 2010-11.”
NFLPA President Eric Winston stressed there are many portions of the current contract they believe need changing, from health care issues to the union’s role in overall league decisions to, naturally, revenue splits.
”We want 99 percent of the revenues Cheap Trey Flowers Jersey ,” Winston joked before adding the structure of rookies’ contracts, health care and technical field issues as key elements for negotiations.
Ryan Wendell said workplace player safety would be an important topic, along with ”more unfettered union access to the players.”
Wendell also wants the players to have a ”seat at the table in how revenues are raised.”
There remain three full seasons of NFL play before any potential work stoppages, be it a lockout or strike. On many issues, the union and owners have fought bitterly through the seven years of this agreement.
It isn’t likely to change, either.
”We have been preparing with the idea this will be another arduous process,” Winston said.
One area the union is adamant about wanting to change is Commissioner Roger Goodell’s role in handing out player discipline. The players gave up any alteration in that area in 2011 in exchange for other concessions from the league.
They’ve regretted it ever since, and also take issue with the system of fines handed out by the NFL.
”The fine system and guys are labeled as repeat offenders Cheap Tom Brady Jersey ,” annoys Thomas Davis, the 2014 Walter Payton Award winner as NFL Man of the Year.
The Carolina linebacker was suspended for one game this season for what was determined an egregious hit on Packers receiver Davante Adams late this season.
”They group and categorize everyone in the same box. It shouldn’t be that way.”
Winston insisted an 18-game schedule, which the league pushed for before the current CBA, remains as nonsensical as it did in 2011.
Smith virtually ducked answering queries about Colin Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback whose kneeling during the national anthem beginning in 2016 sparked the 2017 player protests about social injustice. Kaepernick was not on any roster this season and has filed a grievance against the NFL that the union is supporting.
But Giants linebacker Mark Herzlich, who missed the season while injured, said Kaepernick had an effect on his peers.
”I don’t think that made people more fearful” of repercussions from management, Herzlich said of the demonstrations during the anthem.
”It empowered more people to join a movement they really felt was right. I think the bravery of these men to really show what they feel and say Cheap Tedy Bruschi Jersey , this is about unity. We’re not going against the country or the flag, but we’re about wanting equality.”
Winston praised the players for their willingness to speak up when a teammate or opponent appeared to be hurt, particularly concussed.
”I’ve seen many guys say something to a coach or the medical staff: `Get this guy checked out,”’ Winston said. ”It’s a great thing to see.
”There a big education piece to this, but there’s always an undercurrent of, `I’ve got to stick it out for my team.’ To which I say, `You’re not that good a player when you are concussed. You could cost your team a win.”’
Eagles defensive end Chris Long was awarded the Whizzer White Community MVP by the union. The NFLPA gives the award to a player ”for his profound dedication to positively impacting his team city, and communities across the country Cheap Steve Grogan Jersey , in the spirit of the former Supreme Court justice.”
Long donated six of his game checks this season to funding a scholarship program at St. Anne’s-Belfield School, where he attended high school in Charlottesville, Virginia.
He then donated his last 10 game checks to programs that support educational equality in the three cities where he’s played so far: Philadelphia, Boston and St. Louis. Through the ”Pledge 10 for Tomorrow” campaign, he was able to match his own charitable contribution by raising another $1.3 million in donations.
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The widow of an Uber driver killed in a suspected drunken driving crash said her family has been ”devastated” by a political ad featuring her deceased husband Cheap Rashaan Gaulden Jersey , an Indianapolis Colts player who was also killed and the Guatemalan immigrant charged with their deaths.
Deb Monroe, the widow of driver Jeffrey Monroe, told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday that Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Braun should take his ad off the air.
”Why would you do this? He has not even been in the ground two weeks,” said Monroe. ”You could have had the decency to wait and let us deal with our loss.”
Article continues below ...The ad by Braun, who has yet to address to Monroe’s concerns, comes in the midst of a heated GOP Senate primary. And it’s just the latest example of a political figure, among them President Donald Trump, seizing on the Feb. 4 deaths of Monroe and Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson.
The two were struck while standing outside Monroe’s car along Interstate 70 after Jackson Cheap Donte Jackson Jersey , 26, became ill while Monroe, 54, was transporting him for the ride-hailing company, police said.
Trump tweeted about the tragedy, calling it ”disgraceful” that the man charged with the crime, Manuel Orrego-Savala, 37 Cheap DJ Moore Jersey , was a twice-deported immigrant in the country illegally. Braun’s GOP primary rivals both released statements in the wake of the fatal crash.
The ad, which is narrated by Braun, displays Orrego-Savala’s mug shot as well as pictures of Monroe and Jackson.
”Politicians in Washington have ignored this issue for far too long,” Braun intones. ”We must build the wall, ban sanctuary cities and put an end to chain migration. There are lives at stake.”
Deb Monroe said calls for a crackdown on immigrants are beside the point.
”Immigration didn’t kill my husband,” said Monroe, 62, of Avon, Indiana. ”The idiot that chose to drink and get behind the wheel of a 5,000 pound vehicle did.”
She added: ”If he had been sober and gone by them on the road, you wouldn’t even know he was in the country.”
Furthermore, she said her husband of 26 years was against building a wall along the southern U.S. border.
”He felt the wall was a waste of money, that it could be used better someplace else,” she said.
Immigration has been a hot button issue in Indiana’s Republican Senate primary, which features two sitting congressman squaring off against Braun. Rep. Todd Rokita has embraced Trump’s anti-immigration stances and Rep. Luke Messer recently sharpened his own tone.
But the ad by Braun, a businessman and former state lawmaker#4# takes it to a new level.
Monroe said she phoned Braun’s campaign to request that they take the ad off the air, but they have not returned her call.
Campaign spokesman Josh Kelley declined to address questions about whether Braun would heed her request, or if they plan on returning her call.
”Mike Braun believes that Washington needs to stop illegal immigration, build the wall, and keep criminal illegals like the one that killed Jeffrey Monroe and Edwin Jackson out of Indiana,” Kelley wrote in an emailed statement. He added: ”Mike and his family are praying for the families of the victims.”
Deb Monroe said politicians have been all too happy to ”exploit” her
husband’s death.
”Everyone is upset over this,” Monroe said. ”I can’t let them do this to his name. I just can’t.”
.INDIANAPOLIS (1-2) at SEATTLE (1-2)
Sunday Cheap Vincent Valentine Jersey , 8:30 p.m. EDT, NBC
OPENING LINE – Seahawks by 13
Article continues below ...RECORD VS. SPREAD – Colts 2-1, Seahawks 0-3
SERIES RECORD – Colts lead 7-4
LAST MEETING – Colts beat Seahawks 34-28, Oct. 6, 2013
LAST WEEK – Colts beat Browns 31-28; Seahawks lost to Titans 33-27
AP PRO32 RANKING – Colts No. 30; Seahawks No. 16
COLTS OFFENSE – OVERALL (29), RUSH (25) Cheap Trey Flowers Jersey , PASS (22).
COLTS DEFENSE – OVERALL (29), RUSH (10T), PASS (29).
SEAHAWKS OFFENSE – OVERALL (15), RUSH (18T), PASS (17).
SEAHAWKS DEFENSE – OVERALL (23), RUSH (30) Cheap Tom Brady Jersey , PASS (8).
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — First meeting in Seattle since Christmas Eve 2005.
… QB Jacoby Brissett to make third start. Threw for 259 yards and one TD, ran
for two TDs in win over Browns. … He’s first Colts QB to rush for two TDs, pass
for one TD in game since Bert Jones in 1974. … RB Frank Gore needs 50 yards
rushing to pass Eric Dickerson for seventh on all-time rushing list. Gore’s next
100-yard rushing game will tie O.J. Simpson for 16th most in NFL history at 42.
… Gore has five 100-yard games but just one rushing touchdown in 19 career games
vs. Seahawks. … WR T.Y. Hilton with 153 yards receiving against Browns, 25th
career 100-yard game, third most in franchise history. He had 140 yards and two
TDs in only career game against Seahawks. … Colts rank eighth in NFL allowing
3.25 yards per rushing attempt. … LB Jon Bostic has team-high 21 tackles. Bostic
had 10 tackles vs. Browns. … CB Rashaan Melvin had two interceptions in win over
Browns. Melvin is second in NFL with six passes defensed. … Rookie S Malik
Hooker going for third straight game with interception. … K Adam Vinatieri needs
four FGs to tie Gary Anderson for second most in league history. …Seahawks
19-3-1 in Thursday Cheap
Tedy Bruschi Jersey , Sunday or Monday night games under Pete
Carroll and 12-1 at home. … Seahawks to retire No. 45 of Hall of Fame safety
Kenny Easley at halftime. … QB Russell Wilson threw for career-high 373 yards
and four TDs last week vs. Titans. Sixth career game with four TD passes for
Wilson. … RB Chris Carson clearly established as starter. Carson has 37 carries,
no other Seahawks RB has more than eight. … Status of WR Doug Baldwin (groin)
uncertain. Baldwin had 10 receptions before begin injured vs. Titans. Baldwin’s
20 receptions are 11 more than any other Seahawks receiver. … TE Jimmy Graham
averaging just 7.4 yards per reception. … WR Paul Richardson has touchdown
receptions in two straight games. … Seahawks allowed 195 yards rushing to Titans
last week, most since giving up 205 to Tampa Bay in Week 9 of 2013 season. …
Seahawks rank 30th in NFL, allowing 146 yards rushing per game. … Seattle has
allowed three offensive TDs of 30 or more yards in three games. Seahawks allowed
two offensive TDs of 30 or more yards in entire 2012 and 2014 seasons. …
Seahawks had zero sacks and zero QB hits vs. Titans for fourth time in past two
seasons Seattle failed to get sack. … Secondary is without interception through
three games. Only two interceptions have been from rookie DT Nazir Jones and LB
Bobby Wagner. … Wagner is leading team in tackles with 27, fifth in NFL. …
Seahawks yet to allow points in first q
uarter, but have allowed 35 third-quarter
points. … Fantasy Tip: Graham has yet to pop this season and with Baldwin
ailing Cheap
Steve Grogan Jersey , Graham could be Wilson’s favored target in
the passing game.
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.SUNBURY-ON-THAMES Cheap Logan Woodside Jersey , England (AP) Adrian Peterson is racking up the frequent flyer miles with his back-to-back trips to London. This time he’s hoping to pile up the yards as well.
Peterson is back in Britain with the Arizona Cardinals less than three weeks after coming over with the New Orleans Saints. While the surroundings are familiar, the running back is in a much better mood after suddenly looking like the Peterson of old in his first game with the Cardinals (3-3).
Peterson will become the first player to take part in two London games in one season when the Cardinals face the Los Angeles Rams (4-2) on Sunday.
Article continues below ...When the Saints beat the Miami Dolphins at Wembley on Oct. 1, Peterson finished with 4 carries for 4 yards — indicative of his unsuccessful short stint in New Orleans. After his trade to Arizona, he put up 134 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-33 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday and named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
”It was amazing. Just to get the opportunity that I’ve been waiting for. That was all I wanted, was that chance to go out there and contribute and show what I’m able to do,” Peterson said ahead of the team’s first practice session outside London on Wednesday. ”To sit on the sideline for the first time in my career Cheap Mark Walton Jersey , averaging less than 10 plays a game for four weeks.
”There were times when I was down, mentally. But I just kept the faith and kept believing and kept working. And the opportunity came, and I was able to take advantage of it.”
Like the Saints, the Cardinals decided to spend the entire week in London to get used to the time difference, while the Rams are only flying in on Friday. They’ll be practicing at the grounds of the London Irish rugby team, which should help them get used to the grass surface at Twickenham — the home of England’s national rugby team — where this game will be played.
Coach Bruce Arians said the practices and team meetings will be held later than usual to adjust for the bus rides to and from the hotel Cheap Malik Jefferson Jersey , but that every other part of the preparations will be kept as familiar as possible. And Arians isn’t about to make any drastic adjustments to his playbook either despite Peterson’s massive impact.
”We haven’t changed anything. Same plays, same practice schedule, everything is identical,” Arians said. ”We’re not putting in different runs for (Peterson), he likes what we do. That was one of the reasons we got him. It’s just keeping him up to speed in the passing game.”
For quarterback Carson Palmer, having Peterson on the field means that things aren’t the same at all.
”It’s definitely different. Adrien is one of one. There’s nobody in the league like him right now Cheap Sam Hubbard Jersey , that runs the ball the way he does,” Palmer said. ”Any time you add somebody who’s that special or that unique, it changes things.
”It’s a really nice luxury to have that ability (to hand the ball off). On third-and-3 you can give it to him and get it. It takes a lot of pressure and a lot off a quarterback’s plate.”
According to Palmer, even the sound that Peterson makes when he runs is different from any other running back.
”He’s putting so much force into the ground with every step,” Palmer said. ”With a cut, when he’s going to sprint … he runs so differently and so angrily Cheap Billy Price Jersey , I guess would be the way to describe it. He runs with so much violence every run.”
For Peterson himself, rediscovering his best form has had some benefits at home. At least when it comes to bragging rights with his 6-year-old son.
”Now I can kind of talk some noise to my little man,” Peterson said. ”He was
kind of dogging me a little bit. `Dad you don’t have any touchd
owns. I have more
touchdowns than you.’ He’s very competitive, so he likes throwing little things
like that in my face. So I told him I’m not too far behind now.”
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.NEW YORK (AP) The New York Jets are looking for someone to lead their offense – again.
The Jets announced Wednesday night that they fired offensive coordinator John Morton after just one season. His departure means the franchise will have its sixth offensive coordinator in eight years next season.
Morton replaced the retired Chan Gailey last year after two seasons in New Orleans as the Saints’ wide receivers coach. Quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates is a candidate to be promoted by head coach Todd Bowles. Bates served as Seattle’s offensive coordinator in 2010.
Article continues below ...”We appreciate John’s contributions and wish him the best moving forward Cheap Vincent Valentine Jersey ,” coach Todd Bowles said in a statement posted on the team’s website.
The New York Daily News first reported the decision by the Jets to part ways with Morton, whose offense finished ranked No. 28 overall.
Morton’s play-calling came into question at times during an up-and-down season with the Jets, particularly when running back Matt Forte publicly criticized the game plan against Atlanta in Week 10 because New York got away from the run.
Both Morton and Forte said they spoke, and that the offensive coordinator was always open to discussions with his players and tweaking things.
”I’ve learned a lot,” Morton said in his last meeting with reporters on Dec. 28. ”As far as my personality Cheap Trey Flowers Jersey , being more vocal with the offense, with the team. Listening. We had a period there where some players said some certain things and I listened. I think you should listen to the players and if it’s good for the team, then we’ll do it. So I’m kind of happy with myself that I listened because, listen, I didn’t do this by myself. It’s all with the coaches Cheap Tom Brady Jersey , it’s all with the players. They make it all work.”
Morton added that there were several things he wished he had done differently, but insisted that he would get better over time.
”I’ve had a blast,” he said. ”It’s been fun. There’s been ups and downs, but I’ve always stuck with my preparation. That’s the way I was taught. Stick with your preparation and trust it. I think I’ve done that. I’ll learn as I go as long as I do this job, but it’s been fun.”
Under Morton and Bates Cheap Tedy Bruschi Jersey , quarterback Josh McCown had the best season of his career, throwing for a career-high 2,926 yards and 18 touchdowns before being lost for the final three games with a broken left hand.
The Jets had a better-than-expected passing game with McCown leading the way with wide receivers Jermaine Kearse and Robby Anderson having career seasons. But New York’s inconsistency was glaring on that side of the ball, and with Bryce Petty at quarterback, the Jets couldn’t manage much on offense while ending the season 5-11.
Offensive coordinator has been a revolving door for New York in recent years. Brian Schottenheimer served in the role for six years from 2006-11 Cheap Steve Grogan Jersey , but there’s been little continuity since with Tony Sparano (2012), Marty Mornhinweg (2013-14), Gailey (2015-16) and Morton (2017) all lasting two years or less.
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GREEN BAY Cheap Vincent Valentine Jersey , Wis. (AP) An overtime victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept the Green Bay Packers in the NFC playoff race.
But coach Mike McCarthy knows that star quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ first full week of practice since breaking his collarbone won’t mean anything if his team loses at winless Cleveland on Sunday.
”We need to win the game. We’re 6-6. We need to have seven wins when we get on that plane coming back from Cleveland,” McCarthy said Monday. ”Nothing else matters.”
Article continues below ...And that includes the fact that Rodgers will be out on the practice field starting Wednesday, after doing some throwing at practice on Saturday.
”We’re excited Aaron’s out there. It was big for him to be out there Saturday,” McCarthy said. ”Being on the practice field, that was a very good thing for what we accomplished. This week will be another step for him. But, at the end of the day, offensively, we need to do some things better than we did (against Tampa Bay). Clearly.”
The 26-20 win in overtime was just the second for Green Bay since Rodgers broke his collarbone on Oct. 15 at Minnesota.
His replacement, Brett Hundley Cheap Trey Flowers Jersey , threw for just 84 yards against the Buccaneers. The Packers won because of a fumble return for a touchdown by defensive end Dean Lowry, a blocked punt by linebacker Kyler Fackrell and a running game that gained 199 yards.
Hundley contributed to the ground game with 66 yards rushing, including 32 on read-option keepers, but he completed only 13 of 22 passes and threw his eighth interception of the season.
Jamaal Williams rushed 21 times for 113 yards and a touchdown, while fellow rookie running back Aaron Jones’ lone carry was a 20-yard touchdown run in overtime.
Hundley did lead a 70-yard, game-tying field-goal drive in the fourth quarter and the 72-yard game-winning touchdown drive in overtime.
”We’ve got to get the passing game clicking. We’ve got some things we’ve definitely got to clean up, particularly in the drop-back (game). I didn’t like what we got out of the (play-action) game, either,” McCarthy said. ”Brett did some really good things Cheap Tom Brady Jersey , especially at the critical times. At the most important time of the game, he played his best football. That says a lot about him.”
The Packers are hoping Rodgers can have a productive week of practice, shake off the rust while working on the scout-team offense and be ready for the team’s Dec. 17 game at Carolina.
First, though, he’ll have to undergo a series of medical tests and scans to see if the collarbone, which had two plates affixed to it with 13 screws in an Oct. 19 surgery, has sufficiently healed.
If not, he won’t be medically cleared to play against the Panthers. McCarthy said Rodgers would be in a ”trial return” group that limits those players’ snaps in practice.
”Once you are medically cleared, then you are full for practice. So he will be `trial return’ this week Cheap Tedy Bruschi Jersey ,” McCarthy said, later adding: ”He’s not cut loose to go full practice where he’s able to do everything. … The medical clearance will not be an option until next week.”
Still, even with limited reps, Rodgers’ presence at Saturday’s practice had an effect on the team, according to some of his teammates who saw him throwing during drills.
”He was throwing just as high, if not higher than what you saw in Detroit a couple years ago. I don’t know, I’m not the head coach, I don’t know what his scans say, but he looks good Cheap Steve Grogan Jersey ,” said linebacker Clay Matthews, referring to Rodgers’ desperation touchdown pass to beat the Lions in 2015.
”Obviously, Aaron’s the guy in Green Bay. I mean, there’s no doubt about it.”
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PHILADELPHIA (AP) Even with home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs already secured Cheap Vincent Valentine Jersey , the Philadelphia Eagles have one goal remaining.
A victory over the Dallas Cowboys (8-7) on Sunday would give the Eagles (13-2) a franchise-record 14 wins. It’s motivation for guys who would rather play than rest .
”We have a chance to do something here that hasn’t been done,” running back LeGarrette Blount said. ”It’s a chance we don’t want to let slip away.”
Article continues below ...The Eagles have already lost several important players to injury, including MVP candidate Carson Wentz. They can’t afford to lose backup quarterback Nick Foles. But the offense struggled in the last game and Foles could use the reps with his receivers.
Coach Doug Pederson is weighing the importance of protecting players from injury and keeping them sharp.
”These guys have only worked with Nick now for a couple of weeks,” he said. ”We’ll have another week this week, and a chance possibly through the bye to continue to work. We just got to work on keeping it fixed.”
The scenario was reversed last season when Dallas visited Philadelphia in Week 17. The Cowboys were heading to the playoffs as the No. 1 seed and chose to rest some players. Dak Prescott played two series and Ezekiel Elliott watched from the sideline. Dallas lost the game, and then lost to Green Bay in the playoffs.
”It would be a lot better going into that down time knowing we’re executing our best against a good football team Cheap Trey Flowers Jersey , so there’s a lot to play for,” Eagles defensive end Chris Long said.
The Cowboys, who were eliminated from the playoff chase last week in a home loss to Seattle, are playing for a second straight winning season. They haven’t done that since five in a row from 2005-09.
”We’re trying to do exactly what they did last year,” Prescott said. ”Go take that game away from us and somehow use that as motivation going into next season.”
Here’s some things to look for when the Cowboys visit the Eagles:
BANGED-UP COWBOYS: Five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith (knee) and cornerback Orlando Scandrick (back) were placed on injured reserve Friday. Defensive lineman David Irving is likely to miss his fourth straight game with a concussion. Receiver Dez Bryant missed a day of practice after revealing he’s been battling knee tendinitis for several weeks. Linebacker Anthony Hitchens (knee), right tackle La’el Collins (back) and receiver Cole Beasley (illness) also didn’t practice to start the week Cheap Tom Brady Jersey , although Hitchens and Collins returned Thursday.
ZEKE’S QUEST: Elliott needs 120 yards rushing to reach 1,000 in only 10 games. The Eagles have the NFL’s top-ranked run defense and haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher since Matt Jones ran for 135 yards in Week 6 last year.
”If it happens, it happens,” Elliott said. ”It’s not like you can go out there and force that, but it definitely would be nice.”
NATE’S DEBUT: Eagles backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld should throw his first pass against the Cowboys. Sudfeld, a sixth-round pick by Washington in 2016 Cheap Tedy Bruschi Jersey , was inactive for 16 games his rookie season. The Eagles signed him to the practice squad in September and promoted him to the active roster on Nov. 1 after the Colts wanted to sign him.
PLAYING FOR 2018: Prescott and Elliott now know both sides of life in the NFL, Elliott even more so because of the six-game suspension that ended before last week’s game. And that ban also has a hand in last year’s NFL rushing leader seeing this game as a chance for the dynamic rookie duo from a year ago to have a springboard into 2018.
”That’s what this game is, just to solidify we had a winning season this year and just to build some momentum for the offseason going into next year,” Elliott said.
AJAYI’S HANDS: Eagles running back Jay Ajayi caught his first career touchdown pass last week and offensive coordinator Frank Reich envisions him becoming more involved in the passing game.
”The first part of that is you’ve got to have a knack for protections, so we feel confident in there, and all of our backs do a great job Cheap Steve Grogan Jersey ,” Reich said. ”But then when it comes to the route running and knowing the spacing and the spot you’ve got to get to and being able to use that wiggle you have as a runner, I think all the backs are developing there. I think certainly Jay is, and I think we’re gaining more and more confidence with him in the pass game.”
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) After years of planning and many millions in spending Cheap Vincent Valentine Jersey , there was one thing organizers of Super Bowl 52 couldn’t control – a Minnesota winter.
The Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots played inside. But as fans were heading to U.S. Bank Stadium at noon Sunday, the temperature in Minneapolis was minus-2 degrees, with a wind chill of negative 23 – by far the coldest Super Bowl on record – raising questions about whether the NFL’s marquee event would ever return to Minnesota.
While warmer climates tend to be more popular host cities, a flashy new stadium and amenities often play a bigger role than the weather in determining who will host the big game.
Article continues below ...”The owners will do as they like. So that’s one of those decisions that’s just not up to the fan base,” said Mark Cobb, who has been to several Super Bowls in his work for the NFL Players Association. ”Wherever has the newest, prettiest stadium, that’s who gets the game.”
Cobb, of Washington, said everyone in Minnesota was nice Cheap Trey Flowers Jersey , and he’d return to Minneapolis for a Super Bowl. But he said the weather felt ”like I was being punished. Minnesota is where they send you when you’re bad. But if you embrace it like the people who live here, instead of fighting it, it’s not so bad.”
The NFL has used the Super Bowl as a reward for municipalities that pump public money into new venues. Minnesota was awarded the game in 2014, two years after state lawmakers approved a financing package that had taxpayers paying nearly half the cost of the $1.1 billion stadium.
Other northern cities have reaped similar benefits. New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium got a Super Bowl in its fourth season, the only outdoor Super Bowl at a northern site to date (2014). Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis hosted in 2012 and Ford Field in Detroit hosted in 2006, both at the end of their fourth seasons. The only other Super Bowls held in the north were in suburban Detroit at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1982 and in Minneapolis at the Metrodome in 1992.
While warmer climates have held more Super Bowls, there is no rotation of pre-selected cities that get picked, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. He said it’s up to club owners to take the initial step of expressing an interest in hosting. The sites of the next four Super Bowls are already chosen: Atlanta in 2019, followed by South Florida, Tampa Bay and Los Angeles.
Atlanta has a stadium that opened in 2017. Hard Rock Stadium in South Florida and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa have been renovated in the past three years Cheap Tom Brady Jersey , and Los Angeles will have a new stadium by the time it hosts the game.
McCarthy said the weather in Minneapolis wasn’t a negative. Instead, he said it provided new experiences for fans, some of whom took advantage of the Minneapolis skyway system, a collection of enclosed – and heated – pedestrian bridges.
”We knew weather was going to be a factor and we embraced it,” he said.
Andrea Mokros, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee, said the event was a ”huge success.” Visitor numbers were still being calculated, but Mokros said outdoor concerts and other events were well attended, even on the coldest nights during 10 days of festivities.
”The cold didn’t slow anyone down and in fact made it a more memorable experience,” she said. Mokros said the winter climate allowed the host committee to offer a different sort of fun for guests Cheap Tedy Bruschi Jersey , such as snowmobiling or skijoring (cross-country skiing while being pulled by a dog). And she said she felt some pride when she saw celebrities donning winter hats and embracing the cold weather.
Paul Vaaler, a professor of management and law at the University of Minnesota law school and the Carlson School of Management, said while warmer tourist destinations are more likely to get Super Bowls, there is some strategy to spreading the game to different franchises: The promise of a Super Bowl can lead cities to build new stadiums and keep teams from leaving certain markets.
Because of that, he said, other northern cities are likely to host the Super Bowl before Minnesota gets another chance.
”That incentive to build a stadium and attract the Super Bowl is gone (for Minnesota), but it’s not gone in a place like Cincinnati, or a place like Denver” or other northern NFL cities that have stadiums that are more than 20 years old. ”For other northern climates, there will be pressure.”
Some fans said the weather was tolerable and there were plenty of experiences
in Minneapolis to keep them entertained. Others said that even though
Minnesotans were hospitable, they’d prefer a warmer location.
”The cold was just brutal Cheap Steve Grogan Jersey ,” said Philadelphia Eagles fan Terry Laufer of Carrollton, Virginia. His wife, Rhonda, said: ”I would never be able to bring children here. It would be too risky.” The pair said they’d return with their grandkids in September, when it’s warmer.
”You could have had the Arctic Circle and it would have been a great experience,” said Jody Haggerty of Milford, Pennsylvania. ”Minneapolis made it work. … It’s not about the location. It’s about the experience, the atmosphere and the game.”
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Associated Press writer Steve Karnowski contributed to this report.
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