Mike Stobe/Getty ImagesThe New York Yankees made history on Saturday by becoming the sixth team in Major League Baseball history to club 250 home runs in a single season Cory Spangenberg Jersey , per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.New York center fielder Aaron Hicks provided the historic swing when he sent the 0-2 offering from Baltimore Orioles right-hander David Hess in the bottom of the second into the seats in right:New York Yankees YankeesRound and round they go. B1YO1ypZ8rOf course, many believed the Yankees could challenge the all-time record this year after acquiring reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins last offseason.Stanton (59) and 2017 American League MVP runner-up Aaron Judge (52) hit the most round-trippers in all of baseball last year. Putting them in the same lineup ith half of their games at the hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium eant there would be no shortage of souvenirs at Yankees games this season.However, they are not the only ones who have been mashing. The Yankees have set an MLB record by having 12 players with double-digit home runs in a single-season. In other words, there's a reason they call them the Bronx Bombers.According to theYES Network, New York has also tied a franchise record by having five players with 25-plus dingers.MLB's Daren Willman tweeted out a detailed chart of all of the Yankees' homers to that point:Daren Willman darenw.Yankees have hit 245 home runs this season.27 more than the next closest team and tied with their franchise record. Thats a lot of dingers wkOLpNanaNThis year's squad already owns the franchise record for most long balls in a single-season, already topping last year's club (241). Now, its sights are set on the MLB record.Luke Voit added another dinger on Saturday later in the second inning to give New York 251 home runs in 2018. The Bronx Bombers will need 13 homers in their final eight-plus games to tie the 1997 Seattle Mariners and 14 to make the record their own http://www.padresfanproshop.com/authentic-eric-hosmer-jersey , according to Hoch:Bryan Hoch BryanHochThe Bronx Bombers are mashing toward a record.1997 Mariners - 264 HR2005 Rangers - 260 HR2010 Blue Jays - 257 HR1996 Orioles - 257 HR2018 #Yankees - 251 HRThe scary part? Judge recently missed more than a month due to a wrist injury, with Gary Sanchez having appeared in just 83 games due to injury as well. Imagine what the Yankees' home run total would look like if those two sluggers had been healthy all season. PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Left-hander Marco Gonzales is considered one of the Seattle Mariners‘ building blocks after a breakout 2018 season, but he does not define his role in those terms.He just wants to do his job and let the results speak for themselves.“In my mind, it has always been that I have to earn everything that I get,” Gonzales said. “We’ll see where we are at when the season starts, but I am going to do everything I can to help us win games. Whatever you want to call that http://www.padresfanproshop.com/authentic-jose-pirela-jersey , that’s what I’ll be doing.”Gonzales did it well a year ago, when he went 13-9 with a 4.00 ERA in 29 starts in his first full season with the Mariners after being acquired from St. Louis for outfielder Tyler O’Neil at the 2017 trade deadline.Gonzales was among the best pitchers in the American League during a 10-week midseason stretch, when he was 9-6 with a 2.61 ERA in 12 starts beginning May 23.After spending three weeks on the injured list with a neck strain in late August, he picked it up again, going 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA in four September starts.Gonzales and Mike Leake are likely to follow Yusei Kikuchi in the Mariners’ rotation, although the two-game series against Oakland in Japan on March 20-21 could skew the alignment early in the season.“Marco really matured as the season went along,” manager Scott Servais said. “He really took a step forward as the season progressed in understanding how to use all of his pitches. And then getting great results allowed him to get deeper in games.“That was kind of the stumbling block when we first got Marco http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-austin-jackson-jersey , could we get him through the lineup the third time? We challenged him early on. He wasn’t happy with some of the decisions I made, but he earned the right to go deep in games, and for a stretch there was awesome.”Gonzales also excels at the finer points. He permitted only four stolen bases in nine attempts a year ago while using four pitches almost interchangeably, leading with a fastball.He added a cut fastball last season, and he threw all four — four-seam fastball, cutter, changeup Derek Holland Jersey , curve — at least 22 percent of the time. That command can make for an uncomfortable at-bat.“A guy like me who can locate all four, I think I need to be unpredictable and just have that good mix and be able to attack with each one,” Gonzales said. “That’s my goal. Those are the things I’m working on in a nutshell. That’s important to me.”Gonzales averaged only 1.7 walks per nine innings in 2018, fourth behind Cleveland’s Corey Kluber, Houston’s Justin Verlander and teammate Leake in the league. He averaged 4 1/2 strikeouts for every walk, fifth in the league.“If I’m going to get beat, if I’m going to get hit around Buster Posey Jersey , I’d rather be in the zone than putting guys on base,” Gonzales said. “I’m going to attack guys and see what they have and make them swing the bat.”Servais believes in that approach.“I think it is really important he just be Marco,” Servais said. “Be who you are. Don’t lose sight of what you do well.”Gonzales, who missed the 2016 season after undergoing ligament replacement surgery in his left elbow, said the neck issue he suffered last season helped give him an awareness of what it takes to attack a full season.“Just trying to make some adjustments at the end of the year and finish strong,” Gonzales said of his September success. “Having a little hiccup last year and having to bounce back will help me to endure another year.”

The Steelers are simplifying their defense for Monday night’s game against the Buccaneers and that may not be the only change in store when they take on the Ryan Fitzpatrick express.Saturday’s practice saw Coty Sensabaugh taking first-team snaps at right cornerback in place of Artie Burns. Burns said after the session that he didn’t know if the team was trying to challenge him or if there would be a change to the starting lineup in Tampa. Sensabaugh was also in the dark.“I’m expecting to find out just like you guys Buccaneers Beau Allen Jersey ,” Sensabaugh said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Whenever my number is called to go in, whenever they tell me I’m out, I’m out. I’m just going with the flow of whatever they want me to do.”Sensabaugh saw 29 snaps at the other cornerback spot last Sunday because Joe Haden was out. Haden is expected back in action on Monday Buccaneers Vinny Curry Jersey , but there’s likely to be at least one other change in the secondary as safety Morgan Burnett is listed as doubtful due to a groin injury. How about that folks? Back to back complete games by your Tampa Bay Buccaneers on both sides of the ball. This game was a tale of two quarterbacks on offense with Jameis Winston playing a second game in a row of turnover free football while Cam Newton tossed four interceptions in the ball game. The Buccaneers defense, led by All-Pro Andrew Adams (wait... who?), swarmed the football and the defensive line constantly got into Cam Newton’s face. Let’s take a look and react to what we saw in an all around good game by the Buccaneers on Sunday. The offense looked in control for most of the afternoon.For three quarters of the game it looked like the Buccaneers offense was cruising a bit. Jameis Winston had his second very good game in a row with a pair of touchdown passes that went to Chris Godwin and Adam Humphries, moving about the pocket and even scrambling to the tune of 48 yards on 5 carries. Jameis Winston looked the way a 1st overall pick should look Cheap Vita Vea Jersey , under control and in charge. The ground game struggled mightily throughout this game aside from a Peyton Barber 17 yard scramble. The other 19 carries between Barber (16/45 yds overall) and Rodgers (4/2 yards overall) went for a measly 30 yards total. The struggles on the ground showed late in this ball game as Tampa Bay’s offense was unable to really put the Panthers away and move the sticks when it needed to the most. The air attack had a rather reserved day from what fans have come to expect this season as the team only passed the ball for 249 yards on the afternoon. Winston connected with 5 different targets led by Chris Godwin’s 5 receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown. Adam Humphries played a good game catching 7 of his 9 targets and Mike Evans threw in 4 grabs for 48 yards of his own. Evans was victim to a few penalties in this game including his usual offensive pass interference that has plagued him throughout his NFL career. The offensive line struggled to create lanes for the running backs and allowed Winston to be sacked 4 times in this one. Donovan Smith had a few really poor snaps in this ball game. A more consistent offensive line likely would have led to some more scoring in this ball game. Luckily for the offense, the defense came to play in a big way.Is defense making its returning to Tampa Bay?The defensive front was on it all game long. Jason Pierre-Paul and the defensive line led a merciless attack on Cam Newton and his offensive line all game long. Pierre-Paul and Vinny Curry each landed themselves a sack. Gerald McCoy directly affected two pass plays that resulted in Cam Newton thrown interceptions. Carl Nassib was seen in the backfield a few times. Folks, it was a thing of beauty and a slight glimpse of what use to be in the days of Simeon Rice and Warren Sapp. Even if only for a day, it was a great display of effort up front by the Buccaneers. Lavonte David is back and he played lights out in this ball game. David record a sack to go with his 12 tackles and a pass deflected that landed the football in the hands of Andrew Adams. Adarius Taylor added 4 tackles and deflected a pass as well that nearly went for an interception. The linebacking group looked much improved against the pass in this one. Kevin Minter got into the mix with a sack Cheap Gerald McCoy Jersey , his first of the season. The defensive backs showed some very positive signs, none more so than Andrew Adams and his 3 interceptions tying a Buccaneer single game record. Jordan Whitehead finished with 7 total tackles and Javien Elliot added an interception and 4 tackles of his own too. With a group as injured as this one here, the positives coming out of this game are all over the place. Cairo Santos and Bryan Anger were worth their money in this one. Santos continues to look like the savior on special teams for the Buccaneers. Santos nailed all 4 of his kicks that included 3 extra points and a field goal. Punter Bryan Anger was a busy man, punting 6 times for 267 yards. Anger pinned the Panthers twice inside their own 20 yard line in this game. Final reactions. The Buccaneers are looking like a complete team for the first time arguably ever under Dirk Koetter. The offense is playing relatively mistake free Buccaneers Chandler Catanzaro Jersey , the defense is creating turnovers and getting to the quarterback and the kickers are doing their jobs. The question now is this... is it all coming together too late? With the team looking as good as they have the last two games, is that enough to warrant some more time with Dirk as the head coach? Is Jameis Winston earning that 20 million for next year? Has Mark Duffner made this big of a difference and if so... what may have been had this move been made much sooner? With the team playing so well right now it’s only increasingly frustrating for fans to wonder, what if? Either way, this is a team to be proud of for the time being. Enjoy it Buccaneer fans. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers look like a good football team at the moment. As always Cheap Mike Evans Jersey , Go Bucs!

NFL announces findings of workplace misconduct investigation The news broke via a league statement that the NFL had finally concluded its investigation of former Panthers owner Jerry Richardson.It’s a lot to unpack http://www.carolinapanthersteamonline.com/mario-addison-jersey , but here are the bullet points.The reported allegations were highlighted, however there were other allegations considered that were not of public record. The report was not intended to confirm or reject details, but it did substantiate some of the claims made.The improper conduct in this investigation was limited to Jerry Richardson, meaning the resignation of Curtis Fuller was not directly because of this investigation.Neither Richardson nor the organization reported to the NFL the claims or the non-public agreements to resolve said claims.Nearly all of the proceeds from this fine will go to organizations addressing race and gender-based transgressions.The organization has since developed a strict handling of workplace misconduct and sexual assault claims, as well as adding outside agencies to help with training the employees.Mary Jo White also recommended several things to the league as a whole; the establishment of a specific prohibition against non disclosure agreements, a specific requirement to report workplace misconduct to the League Office, establish a confidential hotline for employees to report these transgressions, and review best practices.The Panthers have released an official statement regarding the matter:My TakeI think I can speak on behalf of all of the CSR staff and say thank you to White for a very targeted and thorough investigation. It truly rocked many of us to see the head of the organization accused of these things, and I’m hoping some of the victims can find some closure and see justice was done. The recommendations should be applied league wide, I see no question of that and any push back by owners should be met with criticism.As for the amount... I mean. Jerry Richardson just sold the team for $2.275 billion dollars. That’s a drop in the bucket. I’m not an expert on what the NFL regards as fair punishment here, but the league was fining Marshawn Lynch $100k for REFUSING TO TALK TO THE MEDIA. Oh Authentic Taylor Moton Jersey , and not to mention the $1+ million fines for PEDs, such as the one Thomas Davis received for a substance that reportedly had never been an illegal substance before.Regardless of that, I’m glad the NFL is making moves to prevent this from happening in the future. Nobody deserves to be sexually assaulted or racially discriminated against, especially not at their place of work. Not in 2018. Not ever.Carolina Panthers TE Ian Thomas is the next generation of Keep Pounding With 51 days left to go until the Carolina Panthers kick off the season against the Dallas Cowboys, Bradley Smith wrote a stellar tribute piece talking about the only man who will ever sport the number 51 again for the black and blue, Sam Mills. That article got me thinking again about his inspirational “Keep Pounding” speech and the incredible playoff run it inspired, and about how his legacy and message of overcoming adversity transferred perfectly into the living body of Thomas Davis.Thomas Davis has been an incredible standard bearer for the Keep Pounding mantra over his NFL career, enduring an astounding amount of knee surgeries (three to be exact) while continuing to perform at an All-Pro level, and even playing in the Super Bowl with a broken arm. Now a cagey veteran, the team is going to have to start to consider a time without TD on the field. It could be as early as next offseason, but it also could be a little longer according to TD himself. Either way http://www.carolinapanthersteamonline.com/wes-horton-jersey , the on-field legacy is going to need a new host. Thomas Davis is perfectly healthy and will hopefully live a long life after football, and I’m sure he’ll maintain that same driven spirit, but the team needs a guy on the field that exhibits that virtue, that tenacity to overcome and prevail, someone who just has “the stuff” Sam Mills talked about baked into his bones.Enter Ian Thomas, a mid-round rookie tight end with an inspirational backstory that anyone can cheer for, but has yet to play a down in the NFL. Panthers.com did an amazing video outlining his story that I highly recommend you all watch:If that doesn’t move you, quite frankly, you can’t be my friend. I want all the best for this kid, and I want his NFL career to be a keynote on what is already an inspiring life.Obviously, both Sam Mills and Thomas Davis have a long list of on-field accomplishments to go with their stories and right now we have no idea about Ian Thomas the player Authentic Trai Turner Jersey , but we have received a great look into Ian Thomas the man. That ability to rise above and turn each hard-earned inch into a mile, that’s the stuff that inhabited Mills, still inhabits Davis, and oozes from the pores of the Keep Pounding mantra. Time still has yet to write the NFL story of Ian Thomas, but the book is hard leather bound, the pages are crisp and resilient, and the desk is sturdy. May the spirit of Sam Mills guide the hand over the pages in a way that honors a great off-field story with a tremendous on-field legacy.KEEP POUNDING.

Everyone is T.J. McDonald Jersey , as always, welcome to discuss any subject that you wish on the live threads, but please, in doing so, continue to adhere to the rules of the site. Also as per those rules, the discussion of, alluding to or references to politics or religion are prohibited because we like it better when everyone gets along. Please keep the conversation as close to PG-13 as possible. The PG rule also extends to the posting pictures and gifs. Any nudity (this includes photo’s with see-through clothing) or anything else of an offensive nature is strictly prohibited and the posting of such may result in a warning. Additionally, please keep your pic’s and GIF’s to a reasonable number and a reasonable size as to not slow down the load time of the thread too much. Please use the preview button before posting ANY photos to make sure that they do not show up as a huge item that will also slow down the load time for certain site members. The Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions are complete with their Week 7 game, with the Lions winning 32-21.Immediate ReactionsThis game was just frustrating all day. The Dolphins defense could do nothing to stop the Lions ground game, and they had way too many arm tackle attempts that just failed. The offense never felt like it was in a rhythm until late in the game, with Brock Osweiler starting to find receivers with better consistency. It was an odd game because the team actually played well individually, but it just never came together as a team. The game never felt like Miami was in it, though they were not ever really being blown out either. It just felt like a “meh” type of game, which may be even worse than the anger the other two losses from this season created.RecapFirst QuarterThe Dolphins won the toss and will receive.Dolphins 1st possession. Quick three-and-out for Miami to start the game. Frank Gore picked up no yards no first down, Brock Osweiler was sacked for a six-yard loss on second down, then Kenyan Drake picked up five yards before a Matt Haack punt. Lions 1st possession. Kerryon Johnson gashed Miami on the Lions’ opening drive, picking up 24 yards on the first play, then another six yards on a catch on the second. After LeGarrette Blount picked up four yards, Johnson appeared to pick up another 10 yards on a long run, but it was called back after an illegal chop block penalty. The Lions made up the 15 yard penalty immediately, with TJ Jones gaining 26 yards on a pass play.Johnson then picked up four yards before Matthew Stafford found tight end Michael Roberts for a 15-yard touchdown. The Miami defense just looked slow and out of position throughout the entire drive.Lions 7-0.Dolphins 2nd possession. Gore started the second drive with the ball again, this time picking up five yards. After Osweiler found Gore for four yards, the team came back with Albert Wilson in the backfield, flipping him the ball for a five-yard gain and a first down. Gore picked up three yards before another run from Wilson was called, but he lost a yard. On 3rd-and-8, Wilson caught the pass but was immediately tackled for just a three-yard gain and Miami punted.Lions 2nd possession. After the punt was downed at the 11-yard line, the Lions started with a five-yard gain as Stafford found Marvin Jones Cheap Ryan Tannehill Jersey , Jr. Johnson picked up four on a carry up the middle on second down, setting up a 3rd-and-1. Kiko Alonso knocked down the pass attempt from Stafford at the line of scrimmage and the Lions punted.Dolphins 3rd possession. Miami was able to move into Detroit territory on their first play, with Osweiler finding Danny Amendola for 19 yards. Gore was called for a false start on the next play, backing up Miami. He then gained one yard on the replay of the down. On 2nd-and-14, Osweiler found an open Wilson crossing the middle of the field, but he was unable to turn it up field and only picked up for yards. On 3rd-and-10, Miami ran Drake up the middle of one yard, leading to another punt, with the Dolphins downing the ball at the Lions’ 4-yard line.Lions 4th possession. Blount picked up five yards on the first play of the drive, killing the remaining time on the clock in the first. End 1st Quarter. Lions 7-0.Sign up for FanPulse, our weekly Dolphins surveySecond QuarterLions 4th possession (continued). Johnson gashed the Dolphins again after the break, picking up 71 yards with Reshad Jones having to chase him down to prevent the touchdown. Somehow, the Dolphins defense would then stiffen, with the Lions picking up eight yards to reach Miami’s 12-yard line on a Marvin Jones reception, then one yard from Blount, then no gain. Detroit would kick a field goal.Lions 10-0.Dolphins 5th possession. The drive started with a five-yard gain from Drake before a 25 yard pass from Osweiler to Wilson. The tackle, however, injured Wilson, who laid on the field for several minutes before limping to the sidelines and into the locker room. After a Drake four-yard run, Oswiler was able to find tight end Mike Gesicki for a 27-yard gain. Gore picked up no yards on a first-down run, then limped off the field. Osweiler looked for Drake on a slant on the next play, but the running back dropped the ball. On 3rd-and-10 from the Detroit 11, Osweiler picked up three yards but a penalty flag for illegal use of hands gave Miami a first down. After a one-yard loss on an Osweiler to Gesicki pass, the Dolphins attempted a running back screen, but Drake and Osweiler could not make the connection. On 3rd-and-Goal, Osweiler found Stills in the back corner of the endzone for the score.Lions 10-7.Lions 5th possession. After Johnson picked up no yards on first down, Johnson was on the receiving end of a screen pass picking up 15 yards. Stafford then found tight end Luke Wilson for three yards Kiko Alonso Jersey , then a four-yard gain on a pass to Golden Tate set up 3rd-and-3. Stafford connected with Wilson for five yards and the first down. Johnson then picked up four yards to move down to the Miami 44-yard line. On 2nd-and-6, MIami’s pass rush had three shots at Stafford, who avoided all the near-sacks to for a nine-yard scramble. Blount then picked up 12 yards on the next play, continuing Miami’s struggle to stop the run in this game. On the next play, the Lions offense appeared to stop as Andre Branch came around the end and forced a fumble on the sack - with the ball rolling out of bounds for an eight-yard loss. The Lions would immediately make up for the loss, however, as Stafford found Roberts for a 29-yard gain, down to the Miami two yard line. On first down, Johnson did not pick up anything. Blount picked up the needed two yards for the score on second down.Lions 17-7.Dolphins 6th possession. Osweiler found Amendola for an eight yard gain to start the drive, but then was sacked for an eight yard loss and Miami let the clock run down to half time.End 2nd Quarter. Lions 17-7.Third Quarter.The Lions received the opening kickoff of the half.Lions 6th possession. The second half continued what was seen in the first half, with Johnson attacking Miami’s run defense and Stafford able to find big plays through the air. Stafford connected with Marvin Jones on first down, picking up 16 yards. Blount then added nine yards on the ground before Johnson picked up another eight yards. Kenny Golladay took a short pass from Stafford for 22 yards, then Johnson picked up another seven yards. After a touchdown pass to Golladay was negated by an illegal use of hands penalty, Stafford found Ameer Abdullah for 12 yards. After no gain from Johnson, Stafford converted a 4th-and-1 with a two yard quarterback sneak. Johnson lost one yard on 1st-and-Goal from the one, then Tate dropped a pass that was thrown behind him, turning him around despite being wide open in the flat. On 3rd-and-Goal, linebacker Jerome Baker knocked down a Stafford pass at the line of scrimmage and the Lions settled for a field goal.Lions 20-7.Dolphins 7th possession. Gore returned to the game and picked up three yards on his first carry of the half. Then an incomplete pass set up 3rd-and-7, with Osweiler finding Mike Gesicki across the middle and the rookie turning up field for 18 yards. After a deep pass attempt toward Drake was dropped, the Dolphins went back to Drake on the ground, scoring on the 54-yard run.Lions 20-14.Lions 7th possession. Johnson picked up four yards and 18 yards on the first two plays of the drive, with a five-yard penalty between the runs when Cameron Malveaux was called for offsides. Stafford looked deep on 1st-and-10, with Bobby McCain called for pass interference 25-yards downfield. On 1st-and-10 at the Miami 23, Blount picked up 13 yards to set up 1st-and-Goal. Johnson then picked up one yard, followed by Stafford finding Tate for five yards before Stafford found Roberts for a four-yard touchdown. The Lions would attempt a two-point conversion, but Miami would stuff it in the backfield.Lions 26-14.Dolphins 8th possession. Miami turned to the hot hand on the next possession, with Drake picking up four yards and nine yards on runs on the first and third play of the drive. In between Osweiler connected with Amendola for a seven-yard gain. Gore then picked up three yards before Osweiler was nearly sacked but got off an incomplete pass http://www.dolphinscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-danny-amendola-jersey , but then he was sacked for a seven-yard loss to end the quarter.End 3rd quarter. Lions 26-14.Fourth QuarterDolphins 8th possession (continued).On 3rd-and-17, Osweiler connected with Drake for two yards and Miami punted.Lions 8th possession. The Lions again attacked Miami on the ground, with Johnson picking up 12 yards before Tate on an end-around picked up 30 yards. Golladay then picked up 15 yards on a short pass from Stafford. An Abdullah run for one yard ended with rookie linebacker Jerome Baker injured after his leg was rolled up under a blocker. The team also announced that Gesicki was being checked for a concussion. Stafford hit Tate for a two yard gain on 3rd-and-9, with Raekwon McMillan forcing a fumble but Tate able to recover, leading to the Lions kicking a field goal.Lions 29-14.Dolphins 9th possession. Osweiler opened the drive with a 19-yard pass to Grant. Then a one-yard loss was followed by two straight incomplete passes, but a pass interference penalty gave Miami a free first down. Osweiler found tight end Nick O’Leary on 1st-and-10 for a nine yard gain. Gore then picked up two yards to convert for another first down. Miami took a deep shot to Stills, but the pass was broken up by Darius Slay. Osweiler then found Amendola for 13 yards, giving Miami another first down, now at the Lions’ 30-yard line; Slay was injured on the play. An incomplete pass on first down was followed by a six-yard gain from Gore on second down. Osweiler found Amendola in the endzone as he scrambled, scoring on the 24-yard pass.Lions 29-21.Lions 9th possession. The Lions started working the clock on the drive, with Johnson picking up one yard, then Stafford finding Tate for 22, before returning to the ground game. Blount picked up three yards, then Johnson was tackled for no gain. After an incomplete pass toward Golladay was flagged for pass interference on Xavien Howard, Blount picked up one yard, then the Lions took a deep shot down field that fell incomplete. Johnson picked up two yards before the two-minute warning. The Lions then kicked a field goal to extend the lead to 11 points with 1:55 remaining.Lions 32-21.Dolphins 10th possession. Osweiler found Amendola for 13 yards to start the drive, then connected with O’Leary for 14 yards. Osweiler looked deep for Stills, who could not adjust back to the ball and it fell incomplete, with the receiver then limping off the field and to the bench, but the play had a defensive holding penalty called and Miami. Osweiler was unable to avoid the pressure and was sacked for a two yard loss. Drake gained four yards on a short pass, then Grant added 13 yards on a pass to the sideline. After a deep pass toward Amendola was incomplete, Jason Sanders was called on to the field for the field goal attempt. Kicking wide left, the Dolphins gave the ball back to the Lions.Lions 10th possession. Stafford knelt to kill the clock.Final. Lions 32-21

Martindale Authentic Matt Skura Jersey , who has overwhelmingly embraced his new role as defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens.After serving for five seasons as the team's linebackers coach, Martindale was promoted to coordinator in January after Dean Pees left the post.Enthusiastic doesn't even begin to describe Martindale's attitude about being in charge of the defense."Ever since we've made this transition, it's been a joy to just come through those gates every day. I love it," Martindale said after Wednesday's mandatory minicamp practice.This isn't the first time Martindale has been put in charge of molding a defense. In 2010, he watched over a unit in Denver that was the worst in the NFL in both yards and points allowed per game.Given a second chance, the 55-year-old Martindale is putting together a defense that will rely heavily on the instinct of several of its most proven players, most notably safety Eric Weddle and linebackers Terrell Suggs and C.J. Mosley."He's just putting his personal fix on our defense and expanding it, giving the guys confidence to play fast," Weddle said. "The idea is to do what's best for the defense, not what's best the individual."Martindale called Mosley "the quarterback" of a fluid unit that can make a snap-change from drop-back coverage to an all-out blitz. In that regard, Mosley believes this defense is superior to the one that in 2017 yielded 18.9 points per game, sixth-best in the NFL."The way we're able to use our core guys, put them in different spots and do some of the same things just from different positions, it's more creative, I would say, than where we were last year," Mosley said.Baltimore coach John Harbaugh promoted Martindale rather than go outside the organization because he wanted to extend his vision of a defense that has evolved since his arrival in 2008."All we're doing is forwarding John's plan http://www.ravenscheapstores.com/james-hurst-jersey-cheap ," Martindale said. "We're remodeling the package. It's still Ravens football, it's still Ravens defense, but we've streamlined it. It's the elegant simplicity. Guys are playing really fast."Asked for his take on Martindale's defense, Ravens offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg replied, "They're fast and they're furious."Sure, things might be different once the pads go on at training camp, but at this point, Martindale's boss likes what he sees."We're doing a lot of neat things on defense, things that are really good," Harbaugh said. "More than ever, we're putting it on our players to make decisions in real time."Martindale has a new title, but old habits die hard."For the most part, it's been the same," Mosley said. "He always comes in and says, 'I have to lead the linebacker room,' and sits down and gets to talking like he's back at linebacker coach."Told of Mosley's disclosure, Martindale smiled and said Youth Za'Darius Smith Jersey , "I've been trying to stay out of there, but you can't help but go in. That's home. I have a good time in the secondary room as well."And just about everywhere else."Where we're going with this thing is really exciting to me," Martindale said, "and I know it's exciting to the players."In other training camp news, cornerback Jimmy Smith was a surprise participant at practice, going through a light regimen of individual drills just six months after tearing his left Achilles tendon."I don't know if Jimmy's like half Wolverine, but he's healed up in half the time of regular human beings," Weddle said, referring to the amazing recuperative powers of the Marvel super hero. Lamar Jackson has won his first three starts and leads all rookies in winning percentage. However, he’ll have the toughest matchup of his young career in Week 14, facing off against the Kansas City Chiefs on the road. Coming off of a 40-33 win against the Oakland Raiders, Kansas City currently sits atop the AFC with a 10-2 record. Led by Patrick Mahomes at quarterback — who leads the league in passing touchdowns (41) — the Chiefs are ranked number one in points per game (37.0). The oft-discussed issue is how the Ravens are going to play keep away from the high-octane offense of the Chiefs. In recent weeks, Baltimore has been able to control the clock with Jackson’s ability to reinvigorate the running game. His average time of possession is 37:20 (stat courtesy of Russell Street Report’s Adam Bonaccorsi) — which is nearly two-thirds of an entire game. When a defense is able to stay fresh and stay off of the field, they tend to play better when they are on the field. Baltimore in particular has held true to this, allowing 21, 17 and 16 points respectively in the past three games with Jackson at quarterback. Despite the success of the defense with Jackson on the field, he doesn’t think about how his play affects them.“That’s not my job to think about that Womens Lamar Jackson Jersey ,” Jackson said. “I’m trying to score points on offense. So, whatever it takes, we’re going to try to help them out – keep the clock running, keep the ball in our possession.”Baltimore has faced a quarterback that is able to extend plays in Ben Roethlisberger. Mahomes has been able to do that and has taken off in his first year at the helm for Kansas City. His ability and zest for the game has been compared to Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre. Jackson noticed his ability at a young age, going back to when they were at camp together. “He’s a great quarterback,” Jackson stated of his quarterback contemporary. “I was at a Steve Clarkson [quarterback] camp with him. I’ve seen him throw. He’s a great quarterback. He’s awesome. I was his backup.”When going up against the Chiefs, Baltimore will have to score touchdowns — plain and simple. When heading on the road against the top scoring offense in the NFL, no team can afford to trade blows against them. Baltimore cannot afford to leave points on the field because Kansas City can put points on the board in a hurry. “No, I wouldn’t say it’s ‘pressure’ — that’s just our job,” said Jackson. “I would say me — not even my teammates — they’ve been doing a great job out there. I just feel like we need to get the ball in the end zone, get the ball to the receivers as much as we can and just finish the runs and stuff like that, and we have.”Chances are that Jackson will start on Sunday, making it his fourth consecutive start. If he can capitalize on playing his game of ball control football, the Ravens have a successful blueprint that could lead them to the playoffs.

Notes and highlights from the Bucs’ 48-40 victory over the Saints - Tampa Bay’s 48 points matches a franchise high (three times: vs. Atlanta White Bryan Anger Jersey , 9/13/87; vs. New Orleans, 12/23/01; vs. Oakland in SBXXXVII 1/26/03).- Tampa Bay’s 529 total net yards are the second-most in a single game in team history (most: 573 at Minnesota, 11/16/80).- Tampa Bay’s 8.5 yards per play is the second-highest mark in a single game in team history (most: 9.08 vs. Kansas City, 10/14/12).- The Buccaneers scored on the team’s first drive of the game, with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick connecting with WR DeSean Jackson on a 58-yard touchdown pass to finish off a four-play, 68-yard drive lasting 2:00.- Jackson now has 27 career touchdowns of 50+ yards, tied with Hall of Famers Terrell Owens and Lance Alworth for the third-most in the NFL since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger.MOST 50+-YARD TOUCHDOWNS IN NFL HISTORY 1. WR Jerry Rice* 362. WR Randy Moss*293. WR Lance Alworth* 273. WR DeSean Jackson 273. WR Terrell Owens*27*Hall of Fame- Tampa Bay scored a touchdown on the team’s second drive of the game, with Ryan Fitzpatrick rushing for a three-yard touchdown to end a six-play, 71-yard drive lasting 2:27. Fitzpatrick now has 14 career rushing touchdowns.- The last time the Buccaneers scored a touchdown on each of their first two drives was against the Seattle Seahawks in 2016 (11/17/16).- K Chandler Catanzaro made his first field goal as a Buccaneer on Tampa Bay’s third drive of the game, connecting on a 33-yard attempt to cap an eight-play, 60-yard drive lasting 3:42.- The last time the Buccaneers scored on each of their first three drives was against the Indianapolis Colts in 2015 (11/29/15).- On the ensuing Saints drive, DE Vinny Curry recorded his first sack as a Buccaneer, dropping Saints QB Drew Brees for a seven-yard loss on third-and-four, forcing a New Orleans punt.- The Buccaneers scored their third touchdown of the first half on the team’s fourth possession, a nine-yard touchdown pass fromRyan Fitzpatrick to WR Chris Godwin. Godwin now has two career touchdown catches – both against New Orleans, in consecutive games.- Following Godwin’s touchdown catch, Tampa Bay’s defense stepped up, with CB Vernon Hargreaves forcing a fumble from Saints RB Mike Gillislee, which was recovered by S Justin Evans and returned 34-yards for a touchdown. It is the second forced fumble of Hargreaves’ career and the first fumble recovery and first touchdown of Evans’ career.- On the opening possession of the second half, Tampa Bay drove 57-yards in nine plays, lasting 3:36, with Chandler Catanzaro connecting on a 36-yard field goal.- Ryan Fitzpatrick threw his third touchdown of the day in the third quarter Youth O. J. Howard Jersey , connecting with WR Mike Evans on a 50-yard touchdown to end a four-play, 74-yard drive lasting 2:10.- Evans finished the game with seven catches for 147 yards and a touchdown. It is his 14th career 100-yard receiving game, matching Kevin House for the second-most such games in team history.- Tampa Bay has two passing touchdowns of 50+ yards in today’s game. The last time they have done so was in 1998 against Green Bay (12/7/1998; 62-yard touchdown catch Bert Emanuel & 64-yard touchdown catch Jacquez Green).- On the ensuing possession, LB Kwon Alexander forced a fumble from Saints WR Michael Thomas, which was recovered by CB Ryan Smith.- Over the past three seasons (2016-18), Tampa Bay’s defense has been one of the best in the NFL at taking the ball away, ranking fourth in the NFL in takeaways, third in forced fumbles and leading the league in fumble recoveries.NFL MOST TAKEAWAYS (2016-18)1.Baltimore Ravens 642.Kansas City Chiefs59*3.Philadelphia Eagles584.Tampa Bay Buccaneers575.Arizona Cardinals49**Does not include Week 14 gameNFL MOST FORCED FUMBLES (2016-18)1.Arizona Cardinals38*1.Dallas Cowboys 38*3.Tampa Bay Buccaneers364.Carolina Panthers33*4.San Francisco 49ers 33*Does not include Week 1 gameNFL MOST FUMBLE RECOVERIES (2016-18)1.Tampa Bay Buccaneers272.Kansas City Chiefs25*3.Oakland Raiders23*4.Baltimore Ravens 225.Dallas Cowboys 21*5.Carolina Panthers21*5.Philadelphia Eagles215.San Francisco 49ers 21*Does not include Week 1 game- Tampa Bay’s sixth touchdown of the game came when Fitzpatrick threw a 36-yard score to DeSean Jackson to end a six-play, 65-yard lasting 3:07. Jackson now has 51 career touchdown catches and Ftizpatrick now has 178 touchdown passes.- Jackson finished the game with five catches for 146 yards (29.2 avg.) and two touchdowns.- Fitzpatrick finished the game going 21-of-28 for 417 yards (14.89 yards per attempt) with four touchdowns and no interceptions, for a passer rating of 156.2. He also added 36 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.- His 156.2 passer rating is the second-highest single-game mark in team history.HIGHEST PASSER RATING (Single Game – Team History, Min. 20 Att.)1. Craig Erickson vs. Indianapolis, 9/11/94158.32. Ryan Fitzpatrickat New Orleans, 9/9/18 156.23. Trent Dilferat New Orleans, 11/7/99151.54. Brad Johnsonvs. Minnesoata, 11/3/02 148.35. Shaun King vs. Minnesota, 10/29/00 148.0- His 14.89 yards per attempt is the highest mark in a single game in franchise history.HIGHEST YARDS PER ATTEMPT (Single Game – Team History, Min. 20 Att.)1. Ryan Fitzpatrickat New Orleans, 9/9/18 14.892. Vinny Testaverdevs. Green Bay, 9/13/9214.523. Jameis Winston at Carolina, 12/24/17 13.594. Craig Erickson vs. Indianapolis, 9/11/9413.045. Josh Freeman vs. Kansas City, 10/14/1212.62- His 417 passing yards are the fourth-most in a game in team history and marks only the sixth time that a player has eclipsed 400 yards for Tampa Bay.MOST PASSING YARDS (Single Game – Team History)1. Doug Williams at Minnesota White Ryan Fitzpatrick Jersey , 11/16/804862. Vinny Testaverdeat Indianapolis, 10/16/884693. Josh Freeman vs. New Orleans, 10/21/12 4204. Ryan Fitzpatrickat New Orleans, 9/9/18 4175. Brian Griesea Chicago, 9/21/08407- Players making the Buccaneers debut: DT Beau Allen, K Chandler Catanzaro, DE Vinny Curry, C Ryan Jensen, DE Carl Nassib, DE Jason Pierre-Paul, DT Jerel Worthy- Players making their NFL debut: LB Jack Cichy, CB Carlton Davis, CB M.J. Stewart, S Jordan Whitehead, RB Shaun Wilson Let’s give a shout-out to Jimmy Fallon for making football superlatives a popular source of entertainment.I’d like to also give a shout-out to The Draft Network for connecting the dots between football superlatives and website coverage.Like Bruce Arians’ idea of running multiple practices at the same time, it’s an idea which makes so much sense for it not to have been a thing prior to now.Better late than never, right? Let’s crack open our first batch of off-season superlatives!MOST LIKELY TO BE RELEASED: WIDE RECEIVER, DESEAN JACKSONAaron Doster-USA TODAY SportsAnytime you try something for the first time it’s best to take it slow at first. For example, maybe don’t head to the black diamond slopes the first time you strap on skis. Also, if it’s your first time giving your kid peanut butter, maybe don’t go with afull blown PB&J. So, in the spirit of easing into this http://www.authenticstampabaybuccaneers.com/cheap-chandler-catanzaro-jersey , let’s go with the low-hanging fruit. Wide receiver, Desean Jackson is easily the Buccaneers player under contract for the 2019 season who is most likely to be released.But, what about Gerald McCoy? Well, McCoy is younger - not much, but still - and there’s no doubt he could add something to an opposing roster if they have a need at defensive tackle.Jackson is obviously older, and has had just one 1,000-yard season in his last four. Sure, it could be Jameis Winston’s fault. Or Ryan Fitzpatrick’s. Remember, Jackson started with three 100-yard games with Fitzpatrick to start the season, but also had four games under it with the same starting quarterback.You know what, maybe it was Kirk Cousin’s fault in Washington. Either way, Jackson has never strung together three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in his career. And he’s only eclipsed 1,100-yards twice. What are the chances he’s going to do it now, turning 33 down the final stretch of the 2019 season?The final cherry on top of the release sundae, is of course his desire to leave Tampa Bay.Teams likely wouldn’t offer much of anything - if anything - in a trade for Jackson just because of all the stuff I wrote above this. But add to it he’s not holding back on his desire to leave the team, and there’s zero leverage to force anyone into a trade.MOST LIKELY TO BE TRADED: DEFENSIVE TACKLE, GERALD MCCOYAaron Doster-USA TODAY SportsOk, so this is another easy one. McCoy has been on the team a long time. In fact, he’s the only face Bucs fans can directly associate with every single season of this latest stretch of misery put on by the franchise.As unfair as it may be, McCoy is the final piece of the losing culture which was there when the whole thing started to climb to it’s current pitch. Which is why so many are on board with seeing him sporting different colors in 2019.Add to it that his get off is still one of the best in the game, and there might be a team (Rams) inside a Super Bowl window (Rams) who could see the value in adding a veteran defender (Rams) and just so happen to understand how to have a hole opening up at defensive tackle (Rams).MOST LIKELY TO BE REPLACED BY A DRAFT PICK: CORNERBACK http://www.authenticstampabaybuccaneers.com/cheap-donovan-smith-jersey , BRENT GRIMESKim Klement-USA TODAY SportsFor one, it’s all but guaranteed Grimes’ days in Tampa Bay are done. His days in the NFL might be done. Either way, if your secondary needs an upgrade, you’re not likely to find it by bringing back Grimes who is on the wrong side of 30 and just doesn’t fit what is needed in what we expect the Bucs defense to look like in 2019. He’s not physical enough, and isn’t quick enough to play off coverage with enough consistency to be left on an island. Not happening.So, while it’s possible Jason Licht might look to free-agency for this, my money is on the starting cornerback playing opposite of Carlton Davis III being a rookie drafted in the second-round.I’d love a guy like Byron Murphy, but my money is on a day-two prospect like Julian Love (Notre Dame) or Deandre Baker (Georgia) getting the shot to replace Grimes early-on.MOST LIKELY TO BE REPLACED BY A FREE-AGENT: RUNNING BACK, PEYTON BARBERKim Klement-USA TODAY SportsIt pains me to say this because I’m a big fan and supporter of Peyton Barber. That being said, there was not enough consistent production out of the backfield for the Buccaneers in 2018 and I don’t see coach Arians wanting to sit on his hands here.Barber will likely be back, he’s a restricted free-agent, so the Bucs have all the leverage here. But being on the roster and not being replaced as a starter are two different things.Ronald Jones’ career has gotten an early breathe of fresh-air by the hiring of Arians and Byron Leftwich, but why stand pat when the team could bring in a third member to really give the group some juice?Mark Ingram is, and will be, a popular name. If Jones can step up in year two, then Tampa Bay could literally take a run at replicating what New Orleans did with Ingram and Alvin Kamara the past two seasons.T.J. Yeldon will likely be looking for a new start, and playing with a passing attack who actually threatens defenses would do the former Alabama stand-out some good.Don’t forget, Arians was high on Ameer Abdullah coming out of Nebraska, and at 26-years old the Bucs may take a run at him this off-season.Oh, and Kareem Hunt still needs a job.MOST LIKELY TO WIN THE SUPER BOWL WITH A NEW TEAM IN 2019-20: TIGHT END, CAMERON BRATEKevin Jairaj-USA TODAY SportsNobody likes the thought of their favorite player going somewhere else and watching them win a ring while your team sits at home.Unfortunately, Bucs fans have gotten used to it over the years. Two prime candidates to move on from Tampa Bay and find new homes for 2019 are Cameron Brate and Adam Humphries.Humphries is a free-agent Youth Lavonte David Jersey , but Brate is under contract. However, the whole two tight-end domination thing never really panned out, and O.J. Howard is a clear-cut number one player at his position.The problem with all of this though, is Howard’s injury history in just two NFL seasons.More on that at another time. If Brate were to be traded, there are some franchises who could use his services and may view him as a crucial key to their Super Bowl dreams - meaning they’d pay more.They are:NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTSThe Patriots are no strangers to bringing in talent for short stints and getting them a ring along the way.Rob Gronkowski isn’t the same player he once was, and really can’t ever seem to be healthy. I think smart money is on Gronk retiring after this latest Super Bowl win, and if the Patriots want to get Tom Brady and Bill Belichick another ring, they will need a suitable replacement.LOS ANGELES RAMSGerald Everett had one target for no catches and no yards and absolutely no impact on the Super Bowl.If the Rams want to repeat as NFC Champions and have a shot at winning next year’s title-fight, they’ll need to get some weapons who can actually produce when Todd Gurley is “not injured”.Brate would be one.DALLAS COWBOYSIf there is a team which rivals the Patriots in league-wide hatred, it might be this one. But with Amari Cooper, Dak Prescott, and Ezekiel Elliott all the Cowboys are missing is a legitimate threat in the middle of the field to open it all up for them.Every great Cowboys team had a contributor at the tight end spot. They don’t have one right now.LOS ANGELES CHARGERSSeems Brate may be destined for a move back to California. Philip Rivers may never get a ring, but if he’s going to, he’ll need to find a solid tight end to replace his favorite target and long-time running mate Antonio Gates.The Chargers have a running game, good receivers and a capable defense.Upgrades in some key areas and the addition of Brate would make them a true contender in the AFC, and might get Rivers a crack at the Lombardi.

Addressing the defensive end position needs to be a priority in the 2019 draft. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Carolina invest a first or second round pick at the position. But since the Panthers still have their picks in Rounds 4 through 6 (they traded Round 7 in the 2017 Kevon Seymour deal) I wanted to explore how likely it would be for Carolina to land a solid defensive end in the later rounds. You know http://www.authenticscarolinapanthers.com/cheap-da_norris-searcy-jersey , finding a “sleeper”, a term almost all of us have used before with either late Panthers picks in years past or during our own fantasy drafts. But how likely is it that the Panthers can actually land a solid defensive end in the late rounds? One way to assess this is to simply look at the draft position of today’s “good” defensive ends. For “good” defensive ends I used Football Reference’s Approximate Value (AV) from 2018 and found a natural cutoff point at an AV of five or higher. I then cross-referenced AV with free, public data from Pro Football Focus and feel comfortable that while this list isn’t perfect, it’s at least directionally correct (full spreadsheet here). Here are the draft positions of the Top 32 defensive ends in 2018 as rated by AV:Not surprisingly, 18 of the 32 best defensive ends in 2018 were drafted in the first two rounds, but it did raise my eyebrows a bit to see an even split of nine first rounders and nine second rounders. Only six of the top 32 were drafted between rounds 4 through 7, so the odds aren’t great for the Panthers finding a sleeper. As a frame of reference, the six solid defensive ends drafted in the later rounds are Everson Griffen (4th), Alex Okafor (4th) http://www.authenticscarolinapanthers.com/cheap-wes-horton-jersey , Brent Urban (4th), D.J. Reader (5th), Darius Philon (6th), and Stephen Weatherly (7th). Now, let’s look at the “hit rate” of late-round picks at defensive end. While this is an arbitrary number on my part, a solid NFL career can last eight years if not longer. Based on data from Football Reference a total of 92 defensive ends were drafted in Round 4 or later between 2011 and 2018. In all, of the 92 defensive ends drafted between Round 4 and 7 over the last eight years only six are among the NFL’s Top 32, putting the hit rate at just 6.5 percent (six of 92). Another interesting observation is four undrafted free agents are among the NFL’s better defensive ends. This includes our very own Mario Addison, Romeo Okwara http://www.authenticscarolinapanthers.com/cheap-c.j.-anderson-jersey , Michael Bennett, and Cameron Wake. However, every year upwards of 500 UDFAs get signed every year, so good luck if that’s your path forward. If history continues to repeat itself the Panthers aren’t going to find a quality starter in the back half of the draft, though I would be delighted if they proved me wrong. This isn’t a shocking conclusion in and of itself, but it really illustrates just how rare it is to find true quality at defensive end in Round 4 or later. If anyone is holding out hope for a late-round defensive end sleeper, it’s probably time to wake up and smell the data. The NFL Draft calendar spans 365 days a year, but the scouting process really began to heat up this week in St. Petersburg during the practices of the East-West Shrine Game. This event isn’t as high profile as next week’s Senior Bowl, but there is always talent to be found. Some notable alumni from last year’s event includes Phillip Lindsay http://www.authenticscarolinapanthers.com/cheap-michael-palardy-jersey , Poona Ford, Kenny Young, Chase Edmunds, DaeSean Hamilton, and Avonte Maddox. Here are five names to keep an eye on during tomorrow’s game. Daniel Wise (DL, Kansas)Daniel Wise is the younger brother of Patriots edge rusher Deatrich Wise. Wise has been a consistent force during the practices according to several people in attendance. When watching his film, Wise displays plenty of quickness to work himself into the backfield. Wise is also known for his ability to disengage from blockers thanks to his strong hands and leverage when taking on blockers. Wise lined up in every position on the defensive line for the Jayhawks. His best position at the next level will likely be at 3-technique. He can leverage his quickness on passing downs, but he also has the functional strength to disengage and force stops against the runs. Daylon Mack (NT, Texas A&M)The former Aggie’s strong practices in St. Petersburg has not gone unnoticed. He received an invite to next week’s Senior Bowl in Mobile as a result. Mack was mainly lined up as a 1-technique or nose tackle in A&M’s defensive front. My first impressions on his film did not go well. Granted Youth Luke Kuechly Jersey , Clemson has great talent on their offensive line but Mack didn’t play with enough leverage to win against power. I’ll be curious how Mack does during next week’s Senior Bowl practices, but for now I was uninspired by his play.Devine Ozigbo (RB, Nebraska)My favorite prospect from this year’s Shrine game is Devine Ozigbo. Rotoworld’s Josh Norris compared him to Matt Breida and I totally see that comparison. Ozigbo has burst, short area quickness, and runs after contact very well. He has issues in pass protection, but his skill set is appealing. Terry Godwin (WR, Georgia)Godwin was part of a productive offense in Georgia, but he didn’t put up eye popping stats. He’s short in stature, but he can produce big plays for an offense. He works through contact at the line of scrimmage and then shows the ability to separate downfield. Godwin also has the short area quickness to catch defenders flat footed. He has precise footwork http://www.authenticscarolinapanthers.com/cheap-graham-gano-jersey , but also wonderful burst to outrun defenders. Olisaemeka Udoh (OT, Elon)A small school offensive tackle prospect from North Carolina who was on my radar last year was North Carolina A&T’s Brandon Parker. This year’s version is Oli Udoh, who was invited to the Senior Bowl yesterday. I had no experience with Udoh prior to this week’s practices, but when footage like this came out it caught my attention. Next week’s Senior Bowl will provide a better glimpse into Udoh’s overall game against better competition, but he should certainly be on your radar leading up to April’s draft.

This is the most important week of the year in fantasy sports Jesse Davis Jersey , reserved for an exclusive club of those who have made it to the finals.We are well past the days of scrambling for potential future standouts on the waiver wire. If you are still playing for something this week, it's sort of a reward for your efforts in free agency. You may have key players that you landed from the waiver wire and at this point, much of your starting lineup is established.Not much room for any newcomers who have not contributed enough statistically throughout the year to suddenly land on your roster when it counts the most.But there are some instances where injuries will force you to add a free agent in hopes they can deliver you a championship in one game.Plus, many fantasy players play matchups in their flex spots. Here are some final adds who could potentially plug a hole and contribute to your title:RUNNING BACKJAMAAL WILLIAMS, Packers (12.1 percent owned): It looks like Aaron Jones will miss this week's upcoming game against the Jets because of a sprained knee. Williams stepped in as the top RB for the Packers last week and rushed for 55 yards and a TD on a dozen carries. New York is 10th vs, opposing RBs in fantasy points per game allowed Authentic Bobby McCain Jersey , but Williams should get enough of a workload to merit flex consideration.KALEN BALLAGE, Dolphins (0.5): The rookie took advantage of his first prime opportunity for playing time last week, rushing for 123 yards on 12 carries vs. Minnesota, including a 75-yard scoring run. Frank Gore is done for the rest of the season with a foot injury and Ballage could now take over a bigger role in the Miami backfield beginning this week. But he is a risky play because he has not been on the field much this year and the Jaguars rank fifth in FFPG allowed to running backs.KEITH FORD, Bills (0.0): Injuries have decimated the Buffalo backfield to the point where this undrafted rookie may have to start against New England. Ford carried 14 times for 46 yards in Week 15 and should only be utilized as a super desperation play in larger leagues.WIDE RECEIVERROBERT FOSTER, Bills (3.3): Don't be shy because of the reputation of the Buffalo passing game. There is nothing else Foster needs to do to prove he deserves starting consideration for lineups. He's the one true waiver gem still remaining out there Youth Jakeem Grant Jersey , with three 100-yard games and four of 90-plus in his last five.JORDY NELSON, Raiders (32.6): Many have written him off in his post Green Bay days, but Nelson has resurfaced recently to post quality totals, especially in point-per-reception leagues, where he has logged three consecutive double figure performances. Nelson has 22 receptions in his past three games. The Broncos are 18th in FFPG against opposing WRs, so Nelson could deliver another respectable outing this week.DAESEAN HAMILTON http://www.dolphinsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-vincent-taylor-jersey , Broncos (24.1): He was added in 18.5 percent of leagues last week and needs to be taken off the waiver list in more if he is still available. The rookie has caught seven passes in each of the last two games on 21 targets and appears to have the confidence of QB Case Keenum. Hamilton is getting looks on all types of routes and appears to be emerging as the most viable Broncos WR with Emmanuel Sanders out. DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — Ryan Tannehill is throwing the ball 50 yards in side sessions, and the Miami Dolphins would love to see those passes in a game.Maybe this week.Tannehill made progress during the team's bye week in his rehabilitation from a throwing shoulder injury, and remains on schedule to meet his goal of returning Sunday at Indianapolis. There are significant hurdles yet to be cleared. Coach Adam Gase said Monday he didn't even know whether Tannehill will participate fully in practice this week, but sounded upbeat about his quarterback's recent progress."I feel like it is forever since I've seen him throw," Gase said. "To me he looks like what he once looked like."Brock Osweiler has gone 2-3 starting for Tannehill. The injury-plagued Dolphins are 5-5 and tied for sixth place in the AFC with the Colts and three other teams.The Dolphins' eagerness to get Tannehill back in the lineup is magnified because their offense has gone nine quarters without a touchdown. Osweiler's most recent scoring pass came four games ago.Tannehill has said he's resigned to throwing with pain the rest of the year because of an injury to his shoulder capsule in Week 5. He's now targeting receivers on the move Mike Gesicki Jersey , but his shoulder stamina remains a concern and needs to be tested by the intensity of practice, Gase said."He can throw it down the field now," Gase said. "It looks good. It's just all about how many times."Gase is wary of a setback and said he wants to decide soon on a starter for Sunday."I'm running out of time," he said. "We can't be wrong and start the week one way, and then flip when we get to Friday."Miami's first practice of the week — and first since Nov. 9 — will be Tuesday.While Tannehill's progress was encouraging, the Dolphins took another hit on the health front when they decided to place receiver-returner Jakeem Grant on injured reserve with a lower leg injury that required surgery. Grant ranks second in the NFL in both kickoff returns and punt returns.He was hurt in the loss at Green Bay a week ago Authentic Jerome Baker Jersey , and initially the team hoped he might return this year. Miami lost another dynamic receiver, Albert Wilson, to a season-ending hip injury in Week 7.Receiver DeVante Parker might return this week from a shoulder injury, Gase said. He said the status this week of starting offensive tackles Laremy Tunsil (knee) and Ja'Wuan James (knee) was uncertain. Cornerback Bobby McCain remained in the concussion protocol.The AFC race tightened Sunday with the Dolphins idle. They have a chance to make the playoffs for only the third time in the past 17 seasons even though they've been outgained by 787 yards and outscored by 57 points."It's who can have the best six-game season," Gase said. "To give ourselves a chance in December to create our own destiny — that's what we wanted when we started this thing."

With division races heating up http://www.baltimoreravensteamauthentic.com/terrell-suggs-jersey , teams must rapidly make adjustments and improve in order to remain positioned for the postseason. The Baltimore Beatdown standings continue to fluctuate, proving that it is hard to pinpoint what teams will find success from week-to-week. Readers are moving up the board once again and can continue to vote for all games in the polls at the end of this article. Current standings: Frank and Kyle A. (67-38)Sage and readers (63-42)Jake (62-43)Kyle B., Vas and Zach (61-44)Dustin (60-45)Logan (59-46)An analysis of the Baltimore Beatdown staff picksConsensus winnersThe Texans will defeat the Dolphins on Thursday Night Football (HOU -7.5)The Chiefs will win against the Broncos (KC -10.0)The Steelers will take down the Browns (PIT -8.5)The Colts will beat the Raiders (IND -3.0)The Patriots will be victorious over the struggling Bills (NE -14.0)Houston is on a four game win streak and currently leads the AFC South. Miami’s early success has come to a halt, and DeVante Parker’s agent is calling out head coach Adam Gase in the media. On a short week, the Texans appear poised to continue their winning ways. With Kansas City and the Chargers rolling, the Broncos are a distant 3-4 in the AFC West. Despite a close finish in their first matchup, Denver simply cannot win a shoot out with Patrick Mahomes. Cleveland will be worn down from another overtime loss, this time to Tampa Bay in Week 7. The Steelers know Cincinnati and Baltimore are breathing down their neck in the AFC North race and will approach the divisional game with intensity.The Raiders are stock piling for the 2019 draft http://www.baltimoreravensteamauthentic.com/joe-flacco-jersey , most recently sending Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys for a first-round pick. Gruden has seemingly given up on his first year back with Raiders, leaving nothing but opportunity for the Colts on the road. Succinctly put, this is a ‘Sharpie’ game for New England on Monday Night Football. Buffalo is a mess, most recently getting blown out by Indianapolis 37-5. ‘Lone wolf’ picksFrank is the only writer to predict the Jets to beat the Bears (CHI -7.5)Vas is alone in thinking the Giants will defeat the Redskins (WSH -1.0)Zach goes against the majority in selecting the Buccaneers to take down the Bengals (CIN -4.5)Logan is solo in taking the Jaguars over the Eagles (PHI -3.0)Chicago fought to the bitter end against the Patriots in Week 7, and their 12th ranked defense should be able to overwhelm rookie quarterback Sam Darnold on the road. The Giants may have closed the gap against a less than stellar Falcons team last week, but the majority of Beatdown predicts Washington to extend their lead in the NFC East. Tampa Bay barely got past Cleveland, and while the Bengals have dropped two straight, the Chiefs and the Steelers are contenders in the AFC. Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville offense have derailed the Jaguars defensive prowess. While the championship hangover has not escaped Philly http://www.baltimoreravensteamauthentic.com/marshal-yanda-jersey , Carson Wentz still has a 108.1 passer rating this season compared to Bortles’ 80.3. No rest for the heartbrokenAfter a tough, one-point loss to the Saints in Week 7, the Ravens travel to Carolina this week. The Panthers are undefeated at home thus far and are currently chasing New Orleans in the NFC South. This Sunday, Newton will be coming off limited practice participation due to a right shoulder injury to face one of the best defenses in the league. It is worth noting that Cam Newton and company defeated the Bengals 31-21 in Week 3. The line (BAL -2.0) favors the Ravens; however, five of nine writers pick Baltimore’s away record to fall to 2-3 on the season.All writers’ picks can be found in the table below.NFL Week 8 PicksGamesFrankKyle A.SageJakeKyle B.VasilisZachDustinLoganBB ReadersGamesFrankKyle A.SageJakeKyle B.VasilisZachDustinLoganBB ReadersVote below for every Week 8 matchup! The Baltimore Ravens offense is off to one of its fastest starts in years, showing more explosiveness and consistency than any Joe Flacco led attack since 2014. It speaks a bit to how bad some of those units were over the last several seasons that this 2018 offense, which teeters between good and average depending on the week, is finally bringing some real excitement to a big play starved Baltimore fan base.The results can’t be argued with though Womens Brandon Williams Jersey , as the big plays have been there and the improvement is self evident. Part of the reason for this surge back to relevance is the commitment general manager Ozzie Newsome showed to infusing it with talent this past offseason.One of the players he sought out to bring life to the passing game was former Arizona Cardinal John “Smokey” Brown, a once highly thought of speed demon who saw his career derailed by injuries. In Baltimore though, the train is firmly back on the tracks as Brown has posted 28 receptions for 558 yards and four touchdowns through seven games.It’s fair to say the Ravens haven’t seen this type of consistent effort and explosiveness from a receiver since Steve Smith Sr. had a renaissance of his own in purple and black. Brown’s resurgence hasn’t just been good for his career, it’s been critical to the Ravens success this season. He has shown up in some of the biggest games of the season, as Brown has almost always been on the receiving end of a big passing play when it’s needed.This was evident in Week 2 against Cincinnati when he made big plays out of nothing to keep Baltimore in the game, as well as in Pittsburgh when he had an early touchdown and a long reception on a deep ball from Flacco. But this was maybe no more evident than on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints when the Ravens needed big plays to stay in the game against their toughest opponent all season.Brown made them, and in clutch moments too. His long catch and run near the end the first half set up Lamar Jackson for a short touchdown scamper, and his rabbit-from-a-hat touchdown with just seconds left should’ve forced overtime if not for an errant PAT kick.In an article in which he discusses Brown making the Ravens offense relevant for the first time in years Authentic Patrick Onwuasor Jersey , Pro Football Focus writer Ben Cooper discusses this play among a few other reasons why Brown has become invaluable to Flacco:Brown showing up the way he did against New Orleans signifies just how much his efforts have helped push this offense into a higher gear. For the first time since Steve Smith, Flacco has a receiver who is not only talented, but one he also seems to completely trust.That is an entirely different element to add onto a Ravens team that hasn’t had a consistent offense with a dominant X factor such as Brown making his presence felt. This has shown up in the first half of the season and they’ll need more of it from Brown down the stretch in order to end the season on a successful note.The obvious elephant in the room surrounding Brown, his inevitable contract negotiations, will hopefully be dealt with at a more appropriate time, But for now Ravens fans should enjoy the Smokey’s breakout while it’s still happening. They’ll need more strong play out of him in Charlotte on Sunday to end the first half of the season on the path to the playoffs.

Matt Kemp beat the Diamondbacks for the second straight game http://www.whitesoxfanproshop.com/authentic-yolmer-sanchez-jersey , hitting a two-run double in the ninth inning that lifted Los Angeles over Arizona 3-2 Sunday for sole possession of first place in the NL West.A day after Kemp launched a go-ahead, three-run homer in the eighth against Archie Bradley, the Dodgers slugger tagged him again on the first pitch to break a tie for the division lead.“When I was walking up to the plate they showed what I did last night,” Kemp said. “He threw a fastball that was pretty much in and I got the barrel on it and made something happen.”Kemp chucked his helmet in the air rounding second base and his teammates chased him down for a wild celebration along the third-base line.“I’m a little upset right now,” Bradley said.Bradley also a message for Arizona rooters: “To our fans, don’t panic. It’s only one loss.”But a costly one. The D-backs dropped a game back of the Dodgers and Rockies, who beat San Diego 4-2.The Dodgers were 4 1/2 games out of first after a loss on Aug. 22, but have gone 8-1 in their last nine games to regain the division lead for the first time since Aug. 7.“Just grinding, not panicking,” Kemp said.The Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks by identical 3-2 scores three days in a row, after Arizona won the series opener at Dodger Stadium.“We had our mojo back, but this series clarified that,” Cody Bellinger said.Brad Boxberger (2-5) started the ninth and put the potential tying and go-ahead runs on with consecutive walks to pinch-hitter Alex Verdugo and Max Muncy. The runners advanced on Enrique Hernandez’s sacrifice bunt and set up Kemp, who pinch-hit in the seventh and stayed in the game.“That’s why we call him Hollywood Adam Engel Jersey ,” Bellinger said. “He likes the big moments.”Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said he considered walking Kemp, but wanted to avoid pitching to Justin Turner and Manny Machado.“I brought in Archie because I thought it would be a good spot (after Saturday’s game),” Lovullo said. “He’s been doing it for us all season, but Kemp has our number.” Daniel Descalso homered leading off the ninth to put Arizona ahead 2-1. Descalso went deep to center field off Caleb Ferguson with the ball just eluding Bellinger’s glove as he reached over the wall.“This loss stings a bit because we clawed our way back and took the lead,” Descalso said. “There has been a lot of low-scoring games and that’s the way it is when it’s high stress and you’re in a pennant race. You’re not going to blow out too many teams.”Kenley Jansen (1-5) took over for Ferguson and got three outs.“That was crazy,” Jansen said.The D-backs tied it at 1 on Alex Avila’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the seventh.Rookie Walker Buehler gave up a leadoff single to Paul Goldschmidt and a one-out walk to Descalso. Ryan Madson came on in his Dodgers debut after being acquired from the Nationals and promptly loaded the bases on a walk to Ketel Marte.Bellinger caught Avila’s fly and fired home. Goldschmidt’s left leg caught the corner of the plate before catcher Yasmani Grandal tagged his upper body.Goldschmidt was called out, but Arizona challenged it. After a 2 1/2-minute review, it was overturned, tying the game as Dodgers fans booed.Muncy hit his 31st homer leading off the fifth for a 1-0 lead. The ball landed in the D-backs’ bullpen in right, ending Arizona starter Clay Buchholz’s streak of not allowing a run at 19 innings.Buehler allowed one run and two hits in 6 1/3 innings. He tied his career high with nine strikeouts and walked three. He had two of the Dodgers’ five hits, getting a pair of singles.TRAINER’S ROOMDodgers: Recalled RHP Brock Stewart from Triple-A Oklahoma City and placed him on 60-day DL with a right oblique strain. … RHP Ross Stripling (low back inflammation) had a bullpen in which he threw 20 pitches, rested and then threw another 25. He’s set for a simulated game Wednesday against Dodgers hitters and could be activated late next week.FIRST TIMEThe Dodgers earned their first-ever four-game series win over Arizona at Dodger Stadium. They improved to 7-9 against the D-backs. The teams play again Sept. 24-26 in Phoenix.RARE STUMBLEArizona ended its California trip going 2-5 against the Giants and Dodgers. The D-backs have lost three in a row for the first time since July 15-21, and have lost six of their last nine away from home.GOLDY STILL GOINGGoldschmidt singled in the first to extend his streak of reaching base to a club-record 45 straight road games, tied with Houston’s Alex Bregman for the longest such stretch by a major leaguer this season.UP NEXTD-backs: RHP Zack Godley (14-7 http://www.whitesoxfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-davidson-jersey , 4.42 ERA) starts Monday at San Diego in the opener of a two-game set. He is just shy of career highs in innings and strikeouts.Dodgers: LHP Alex Wood (8-6, 3.42) starts Monday in the opener of a three-game series against the Mets and RHP Jacob deGrom (9-8, 1.68). The Tampa Bay Rays and manager Kevin Cash hope giant right-hander Tyler Glasnow figured some things out amid a nightmarish first inning at Fenway Park last Saturday night.The other members of the Rays staff certainly have.The 6-foot-8 Glasnow, acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Chris Archer trade, gave up four runs in that fateful first inning against the Red Sox, but yielded just one run — on a J.D. Martinez home run — after that.Article continues below ...Since that night, the Rays haven’t lost, and Glasnow now tries to finish off a four-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night at The Trop in St. Petersburg, Fla.The Rays have won four straight to move a season-high five games over .500 (66-61), partially thanks to going 6-0 against the lowly Royals, who lost their 89th game of the season Wednesday night.Danny Duffy comes off the 10-day disabled list (shoulder impingement) to pitch for the Royals on Thursday.Glasnow is 1-3 with a 4.10 ERA on the season and 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA in four starts with the Rays. He is 3-12 with a 5.51 ERA in his young career.The Tampa Bay pitching staff notched 27 straight scoreless innings, tying a club record, before yielding one run Tuesday after two straight shutouts and giving up three more runs Wednesday night.Glasnow retired the last 12 batters he faced and 17 of the last 18 to end Saturday night on a positive.Brandon Lowe and Mallex Smith drove in two runs apiece and the Rays won another game with an “opener” starting pitcher on Wednesday night. Ryne Stanek started and worked two hitless innings before Yonny Chirinos pitched five innings in relief. Sergio Romo pitched the ninth for his 18th save.The Rays stroked 10 two-out hits as their offense woke up Wednesday. The 10 two-out hits were the most by the team in a game in two years.“That’s really, really impressive Lucas Giolito Jersey , especially for an offense that has been scuffling so much,” Cash said. “There were some great hits by Mallex, by Brandon Lowe, against a really tough left-hander (Tim Hill). We pieced together, and we needed to separate the game a little bit. It allowed us to line up the bullpen a little bit. … A lot of good offensive numbers that we kind of needed.”Duffy (7-11, 4.90) struggled in the two starts before hitting the DL, yielding 12 earned runs on 16 hits in just 11 1/3 innings. He is 2-1 with a 2.77 ERA in four career starts against the Rays, all in Kansas City.For the Royals, the misery of the 2018 season continues. They have dropped 16 of their last 20 and lost six straight series.Jakob Junis fell to 6-12 with the loss Wednesday night, giving up two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.“He’s been consistently sharp, especially the last four outings,” said Kansas City manager Ned Yost. “I expect him to go out and make starts like this, give us a chance to win like he did.”Tommy Pham, who dislocated his right ring finger diving into a base Tuesday night http://www.whitesoxfanproshop.com/authentic-nicky-delmonico-jersey , reported he felt better but that the finger was still swollen. He’s shooting for Thursday but Friday appeared more likely.“I think we avoided a pretty big scare,” Cash said.Rookie first baseman Jake Bauers, in a 1-for-33 tailspin, was rested Wednesday, Cash saying, “He’s been pressing, there’s no denying it. He’s frustrated with himself.”Jorge Bonifacio, scratched Tuesday with lower back stiffness, rested Wednesday but was on Kansas City’s bench and available.The current Rays roster is just a cumulative 4-for-24 (.167) with no RBIs against Duffy. Carlos Gomez is 3-for-7 (.429) but the rest of the players are a combined 1-for-17 (.059).