Month: February 2017

The Browns have the Bengals at home and then road games against the Panthers and Ravens.

Rodgers is among the best players in the league, and an argument can be made that he is its best active quarterback. He can make any throw, rarely makes bad decisions and always keeps the Packers competitive. That said, not enough recognition is given to his offensive line, which gives him a ridiculous amount of time to throw the football.

During the game, the broadcast focused on this, putting a timer on Rodgers’ time in a clean pocket. He was routinely getting more than three seconds before he even had to worry about potential pressure. His offensive line certainly made his job easier on Monday and allowed him an opportunity to complete all those beautiful throws.

Anyway, the point remains that if the Browns had gotten anything out of their quarterback position on Sunday they would still be in the hunt for the AFC North crown. But my opinion didn’t change just because Hoyer has been turrible the last few games. I also recognize the unique talents that Manziel possesses and understand how they can help the Browns possibly catch fire on offense and run the table to end the season.

The Browns have the Bengals at home and then road games against the Panthers and Ravens. It’s a safe bet that the Browns will have to score more than 21 points to win any of those games. As I said when I talked about why Mike Vick should replace Geno Smith a few weeks back, Manziel is a weapon unto himself, and that’s why I believe the Browns can score 21 and much more with him behind the center.

With Manziel, pass protection doesn’t have to be perfect, receivers don’t have to be wide open (or in marathon shape), the running game doesn’t even have to be clicking. He can get positive yards up and down the field by himself all game long when everything else breaks down. If the Browns can some how manage him well enough so that he isn’t turning the ball over, Manziel can be the kind of weapon that opposing defenses won’t be able to catch up with their first time seeing him. It’s the perfect time to spring him on unsuspecting defenses that are used to chasing statues in the pocket.
9

These three NFL coaches have decided not to talk to the media at the combine

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The NFL combine is the first official event of the offseason where the media gets a chance to interact with each of the league¡¯s 32 head coaches in one place. However, that won¡¯t be happening this year, because not all 32 head coaches plan on talking to the media.

According to the schedule of events released by the NFL on Friday, a total of three coaches have decided to sit out the interview process when the combine begins next week in Indianapolis. All three will be in Indy, they just won¡¯t be talking to the media, which is actually an improvement over last year¡¯s combine when only 23 of the league¡¯s 32 coaches spoke to the media.
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So which three coaches have decided to duck the media this year?

Well, one of them isn¡¯t a surprise at all because he ducks the media every year at the combine, and that person would be Bill Belichick. It¡¯s probably for the best; if you¡¯ve ever seen Belichick talk to the media, it¡¯s like watching someone pull teeth out of a tiger that hasn¡¯t been fed in three months.

Gilbride has first-hand experience on that front as he was the offensive coordinator for the 1992 Oilers when they blew a huge lead against the Bills. The Oilers struggled out of the gate the next year, something Gilbride attributed to an extended hangover from that meltdown.

The Falcons will have to guard against a similar fate come the start of the 2017 season. One way that wide receiver Mohamaed Sanu appears to be approaching that task is to resist defining themselves solely as the team that gave up a 25-point lead over the final 23 minutes of Super Bowl LI.

Monday¡¯s game was supposed to be a celebration of non-league football and the FA Cup.

¡°I think there were a few people [who bet on him eating a pie]. Obviously we are not allowed to bet. I think a few of the mates and a few of the fans. It was just a bit of banter for them. It is something to make the occasion as well and you can look back and say it was part of it and we got our ticket money back.¡±
The FA¡¯s rules state that players cannot ¡°instruct, permit, cause, or enable¡± betting on football. These rules are intended to prevent match fixing, but an argument can and seemingly will be made that they apply to influencing prop bets, as well.

Jared Crick Womens Jersey In no time, Sutton United has gone from a symbol of everything that¡¯s great about the FA Cup to a bit of a joke. The publicity and adulation received from making it to the fifth round of the FA Cup and facing Arsenal as a non-league side is a hard thing to screw up. But they¡¯ve managed it by taking sponsorship from the betting shop arm of The Sun ¡ª a paper that lied about Hillsbrough and took 23 years to apologize for it, lied about the Queen supporting Brexit, and called refugees ¡°cockroaches¡± who ¡°spread like the norovirus,¡± among other offenses ¡ª and getting themselves mixed up in a gambling scandal involving that sponsor.

Monday¡¯s game was supposed to be a celebration of non-league football and the FA Cup. Instead, we got Piegate.
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Should Butler make an All-NBA team (which is possible), he¡¯ll command the same contract Cousins was in line to sign before the Kings sent him to New Orleans. And while future flexibility and assets play a role in the decision-making process, finances do as well.

Chicago showed its hand over the summer in attempting to deal Butler for young players and draft picks. Management might have a better poker face this time around, but the cards remain the same.

There is about a 4-in-10 chance the Bulls star gets dealt before the trade deadline, but Butler shouldn¡¯t unpack his bags just yet. Because even if he sticks around this season, there is no guarantee he¡¯ll make it to see the next.

Penn State football players crushed it on the dance floor during THON 2017

The Penn State football team had a storybook 2016 season culminating in a scintillating Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Now the Nittany Lions are back, but not on the football field:

The choreographed dance routine was a part of THON, Penn State¡¯s massive student philanthropy. THON bills itself as the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, and it¡¯s a highlight of every spring in State College. Last year¡¯s event raised over $10 million to benefit Four Diamonds, which is on a mission to end pediatric cancer.

Super Bowl squares is the most basic of all the NFL-related fantasy football games and gambling angles, the one everyone in your house can play (though technically some states have rules about who, when and where can make a numbered line graph on a piece of poster board and wager stakes on what combination of numbers are there.
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For a quick refresher, the typical squares game has payouts at the end of each quarter, and some square masters like to up the payout for the halftime and final scores. There’s even a strategy for playing this game, albeit not a very complex one.
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Frank Vatrano had a good chance early that Jones stopped, but the third line cashed in later in the opening period when Jimmy Hayes took a pass from Adam McQuaid at the point and shot it wide. Spooner recovered the puck off the back boards and tucked it into the open net for the first goal of the game.

The Sharks found their legs in the second period and nearly tied it when Brent Burns hit the post before finally getting the equalizer thanks to a fortunate bounce during 4-on-4 play. Burns’ point shot was blocked by Krug and the puck went straight to Marleau, who shot it into the open net for his 21st goal of the season late in the second.

Abou Diaby, Andrey Arshavin, Gervinho, and Thomas Vermaelen were on that Arsenal team

“What I’m trying to do is just kind of add to what you’re already doing to make you a little better, your conditioning and whatnot. It’s just another thing that Pablo was able to do. If you looked at him before, if you didn’t know who he was, you wouldn’t think he’s an athlete. But if you see him now, you know he’s an athlete.”

Now comes the hard part: keeping off the weight.

Ferrer sent Sandoval to spring training with a workout program that he can continue to use, with Momose’s help, throughout the season. And although Yulimar won’t be there to cook for Sandoval on the road, he might seek the help of a personal chef.

“He’s just making a lot of changes in his life,” Romero said. “The way he looks, he feels great looking in the mirror at himself. Any time you look in the mirror and say, ‘Oh my god, I’m there, I’m where I want to be,’ that’s a good feeling.”

Now it’s up to Sandoval to make Red Sox fans feel better about him, too.

Abou Diaby, Andrey Arshavin, Gervinho, and Thomas Vermaelen were on that Arsenal team. The names read like imaginary creatures from the world of Harry Potter. Fantastic, Broken Players and Where to Find Them. It was such a whimsical time back in 2013. We were never deserving.

Once again, Claudio Pizarro was on the bench for Bayern. The evidence of his divinity continues to swell.

2011/2013, Arsenal FC 3-0 AC Milan (agg: 3-4). Milan hold on after gallant Arsenal fightback. There’s so much comfort in the familiar.

Urby Emanuelson and Robinho being on that Milan team was unintentionally hilarious. They looked so much alike. It was the second coming of pre-fro Marcelo and Robinho. Also, I used to think that Emanuelson would be a great player. For that I would like to apologize to everyone reading this, and to God, my friends, and family for my insolence.

The Steelers stuck by Bell through the suspensions

The Jaguars have 11 pending free agents but none is worthy of the franchise tag. In fact, that’s part of the reason the Jaguars have lost 11 or more games for six consecutive seasons: They haven’t had a single great player. The Jaguars have drafted in the top five the past five years, and the two players who already would have reached the end of their first contract and been eligible for the franchise tag were Justin Blackmon (suspended indefinitely) and Luke Joeckel, an average tackle who was eventually moved to guard. The Jaguars last used the franchise tag in 2012 on kicker Josh Scobee.

But consider that Bell — who’s coming off an explosive year in which he averaged 157 yards from scrimmage per game — has long admired Peterson’s career, and he basically admitted in a rap lyric last offseason that he’ll want Peterson money. Bell, also known as the rapper Juice, wrote this in his song “Focus”: “I’m at the top and if not I’m the closest, I’ma need 15 a year and they know this.”
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Bell later backed off those comments, saying he’s not a greedy person. But the seed has been planted: He’s a confident player and plans to be paid as such. Despite two drug-related suspensions and two knee injuries, Bell’s been too good to accept a modest deal. After all, his own suspension aside, Peterson was slated to earn $85 million over the last six years, which dwarfs the recent deals signed by McCoy (five years, $40 million) and DeMarco Murray (five years, $42 million).

Gary Zimmerman Game Jersey No one will understand that discrepancy more than Bell’s reps, even if Peterson’s numbers are ultimately far-fetched for any running back in 2017.

The Steelers stuck by Bell through the suspensions, then proceeded to pound the rock nearly 30 times per game with their team MVP late in the season. Bell capitalized on that opportunity and proved he’s the game’s most unique back.

Those factors suggest the two sides need each other. Things could get heated over the next six months before they realize this.

I would be comfortable signing Brees to another two-year extension through 2020 at his current rate of $24.25 million per year

Odrick played well in 2015 (he led the Jaguars with 5.5 sacks) but injuries limited him to just six games in 2016. He’d like to play some 3-technique defensive tackle, but the Jaguars have a glut of talent there with Malik Jackson, Sen’Derrick Marks, Sheldon Day and Michael Bennett. He has some different ideas regarding rehab and preparing his body, and that causes some minor friction with the team. There’s a chance he’ll be gone anyway because he’s due a $2 million roster bonus and has $3.5 million of his salary guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2017 league year.

Martin Hanzal Mens Jersey In fact, I would be comfortable signing Brees to another two-year extension through 2020 at his current rate of $24.25 million per year.

However, I also realize that the perfect QB might only come around once a decade, if that. So New Orleans has definitely reached the window in Brees’ career where it should be on the lookout.
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Ideally, the Saints would find their version of Dak Prescott in Round 4. But that’s like saying they should just go out and buy the winning Powerball ticket. The Saints took a shot when they drafted Grayson in Round 3 in 2015, but he hasn’t panned out yet — though he is determined to try to salvage his career this offseason.

In other words, if the Saints fall head over heels for a QB in Round 1 of this year’s draft — such as Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky or Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer — the transition could come sooner than expected.

And yes, Owens put up those numbers over the course of 15 years and with five different teams. Rice played for three teams over his entire career.

But this idea that teams wanted to jettison Owens is a flimsy argument. Owens spent eight seasons in San Francisco. That seems like a lot of time to invest in a player the team was eager to move on from.

Blues fire Ken Hitchcock and promote Mike Yeo to head coach

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The St. Louis Blues were apparently not content to wait out their head coach¡¯s expiring contract.

In some surprising news on Wednesday morning, the St. Louis Blues announced that GM Doug Armstrong had fired head coach Ken Hitchcock. Assistant coach (and former Minnesota Wild coach) Mike Yeo will take over immediately behind the bench.

Lamarcus Joyner Mens Jersey Yeo was hired as Hitchcock¡¯s replacement before the season, as Hitchcock had made it clear that he was going to move on from the Blues after signing a one-year deal this past offseason.

But the Blues have scuffled lately, dropping five of their last six games and going 5-8 in January. A bad loss against Winnipeg at home on Tuesday leaves them fighting for the wild card in the Western Conference. Considering how weak the conference is this season, Armstrong¡¯s dissatisfaction may come as no surprise.

Hitchcock spent six seasons behind the St. Louis bench, reaching second all-time in Blues wins with a 248-124-41 record and playoff appearances in each season. With Hitchcock¡¯s job security and contract expiring, the Blues reached the Western Conference Final for the first time since 2001 last season. Hitchcock was the coach of the Dallas Stars when they won the Stanley Cup in 1999.

With Yeo at the helm, the Minnesota Wild went 173-132-44 and reached the playoffs three times. The Wild fired Yeo in the middle of the 2015-16 season due to performance not meeting expectations, not unlike how Hitchcock¡¯s tenure ultimately ended in St. Louis.

Nick Cannon, San Diego native, swapped his Chargers fandom for the Panthers

The Chargers’ move to Los Angeles still stings a bit for San Diego natives. It’s become especially tough for Nick Cannon, who can’t root for a team that no longer represents his hometown. But fear not, he’s got a new team: the Carolina Panthers. He revealed his defection to The Post Game’s Jeff Eisenband:

Cannon: “I’m a little hurt right now, ’cause my favorite NFL team used to be the San Diego Chargers.”

Eisenband: “Now you say ‘used to’ — you’re from San Diego, will you not be rooting for them in L.A.?”

C: “They’re not the San Diego Chargers anymore! So I can’t root for ’em. But you know what? I’m also from North Carolina, so I’mma rock with the Panthers all day.”
One team’s loss is another team’s gain, and the Panthers are happy to take him into the fandom.

“There are so many ways to be successful, but for the most part you want a guy who’s a pure thrower,” Shanahan said in the week leading up to Super Bowl LI. “There aren’t very many of them on the planet, but ideally you look for a guy who’s a pure thrower and who’s fearless.”

Shanahan, 37, has years of valuable experience as a coordinator, beginning with the Houston Texans in 2008. He remained with the Texans through the 2009 season, and then joined his father, Mike Shanahan, in Washington through 2013. After one season with the Cleveland Browns, he joined the Falcons’ staff.

Talent evaluation is one of Shanahan’s strengths, as is evidenced by the depth the Falcons had at receiver this season. The offseason additions of Alex Mack, Mohamed Sanu, Taylor Gabriel, and Aldrick Robinson can all be attributed to Shanahan. He saw a specific role for Sanu in his offense, and he had worked with Mack and Gabriel in Cleveland and with Robinson in Washington.

Quarterback Matt Ryan entered 2016 with only one win in five playoff games but now has the Falcons in the Super Bowl

Ryan has plenty of reasons to celebrate and pound his chest, but he’s never one to be completely satisfied. His individual achievement will be savored by his teammates, coaches and the organization. He has proved worthy of joining the top tier at his position; now his challenge is to prove he can stay there for the rest of his career.

Game Youth Victor Cruz Jersey The 31-year-old Ryan certainly doesn’t want to be a one-hit wonder. See last season’s first-time MVP, Carolina’s Cam Newton, whose play plummeted as the Panthers stumbled through 2016 without making the playoffs after losing the Super Bowl. Ryan can’t fade into obscurity as Joe Flacco has done the past few seasons after winning a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens.

Ryan has enough talent around him on offense — not to mention a maturing, fast, and energetic defense — to make the Falcons a contender for years to come. But he has to be the ringleader, the one who steers what the Falcons call “The Brothership.”

When the Patriots put everything in quarterback Tom Brady’s hands, the Falcons couldn’t stop him — he had 56 attempts by the time the Patriots tied the game at 28 with 57 seconds left in regulation, and threw 62 times for 466 yards. The Falcons had created pressure early with four rushers and a variety of fronts and they mixed zone and man coverages effectively enough to keep Brady from getting too settled in in the first half.

Game Youth Travis Zajac Jersey The addition of veteran tight end Martellus Bennett via trade from the Chicago Bears last March meant the Patriots had another option when Gronkowski was placed on injured reserve. Bennett was the team’s third-leading receiver with 55 catches, 701 yards and seven touchdowns.