yyys123
Geregistreerd op: 10 Jul 2019 Berichten: 1125
|
Geplaatst: 17-07-2019 02:24:41 Onderwerp: ashington, have won both games since general manager Chris G |
|
|
|
(SportsNetwork.com) - The modern-day NFL is a quarterback-driven league but if you take away the games most important position, two players stand above everyone else as the most impactful in the league, Houston defensive lineman J.J. Watt and New England tight end Rob Gronkowski. And its no coincidence that Watt and Gronk, who is preparing for Super Bowl XLIX against Seattle in Glendale, Ariz. on Feb. 1, were the only two unanimous selections to the 2014 All-Pro team. Both of those superstars are matchup nightmares. Down in South Texas, Watt is as versatile as it gets, a player capable of moving up and down the line of scrimmage in an effort to identify lesser offensive linemen. It doesnt matter if you are a guard, tackle or center, if Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel or Watt himself think you are a weak link, youre going to have a 6-foot-6, 300-pound monster, who can somehow bench press a Ford F-150 while staying quicker than a hiccup, in your face. Gronkowski, meanwhile, is the offensive version of Watt, a 6-6, 270-pound traditional Y-back, who can put any linebacker on skates with his pure strength yet still beat them athletically in the passing game. If you try to defend the three-time All-Pro with a defensive back, it becomes a game of basketball where Gronk can use his imposing frame to box out the coverage. Thats why Jeremy Lanes critique of Gronkowski was such as a surprise. I actually dont think hes that good, the Seahawks nickel cornerback said Thursday. Hes OK. OK? A player like Jeremy Lane is OK, Gronkowski is on the fast track to Canton as long as he earns his stripes in the longevity department. You can give Lane credit for adopting the Legion of Boom swagger despite being a junior member of pro footballs best defensive backfield but why poke a bear who has better numbers through five NFL seasons than any other tight end in NFL history? The real stars of the Seahawks secondary are of course All-Pro corner Richard Sherman and star safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. And no one talks more trash than Sherman yet even he deflected questions about stopping Gronkowski. I dont know -- Ill be sitting there with popcorn, Sherman said when asked what will happen when Chancellor, the hard-hitting strong safety who is the one who will be dealing with Gronkowski most of the time, and the Pats Pro-Bowler collide. It will be good football though. Dan Quinn, Seattles highly-respected defensive coordinator who is expected to become the next head coach of Atlanta after the Super Bowl, understands what he and his charges are up against. Hes a terrific tight end, Quinn admitted. I think hes a unique guy; the run game, the pass game, the catching radius, and I think at the end of it, just great hands to finish on routes. So when hes up in the air, generally hes strong handed to come down with it so those are a few of the things that impress us about him and why we regard him so highly. Lane didnt get that memo, however. He does have a big body, (but) from what Ive seen on tape, he dont like your hands being put on him, Lane said. So if we put our hands on him and shake him up a little bit, he wont catch that many balls as he should. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, Gronkowski mused when told about Lanes critique. Did it tick you off? a reporter pressed. It may, Gronkowski responded. Anyone want to take bets on what happens if the 190-pound Lane gets his hands on Gronk? Patrick Mahomes Jersey . Levante, which had lost five straight including a Copa del Rey game last weekend, fell behind at its Ciutat de Valencia stadium when Ionut Sapanura opened the scoring for Elche in the 26th minute. Christian Okoye Chiefs Jersey . Sharper briefly appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court, where his arraignment was postponed until Feb. 20 at the request of his lawyers. They issued a statement saying he would be exonerated. Prosecutors then filed a motion to increase Sharpers bail to $10 million and outlined details of investigations involving him in Las Vegas, Tempe, Ariz. http://www.thechiefsshoponline.com/Youth-Harrison-Butker-Chiefs-Jersey/ . "Its way better than running gassers, thats for sure," the inside linebacker said Monday, when the Chargers started their third and final week of organized team activities, which are practices in shorts, jerseys and helmets. Marcus Allen Womens Jersey . - A pitch clock will be used this season during minor league games at Triple-A and Double-A, but it has been ruled out for the major leagues this year. Christian Okoye Jersey . He made that dream a reality Wednesday night. Olt, who grew up in Branford, Connecticut, attended UConn and made a nearly 2 1-2 hour trek to Boston a handful of times to watch the Red Sox, belted a two-run homer, one of four hit by Cubs in a 16-9 rout that completed a three-game interleague series sweep.CLEVELAND -- Interim general manager David Griffin said before the Cavaliers game Sunday night that hed like to see a few more smiles from his team. Following Clevelands 91-83 overtime win over Memphis, there were happy faces all around the locker room. "The game is fun," said Kyrie Irving, who scored 28 points as Cavaliers won back-to-back games for the first time in a month. "Being out there, just competing at the highest level. At the end of the day, its just a game." The Cavaliers, who broke a six-game losing streak Friday night against Washington, have won both games since general manager Chris Grant was fired last week. Irving scored the final four points in regulation to tie it. Luol Dengs 3-pointer on the first possession of overtime put Cleveland ahead for good, 81-78. While a two-game winning streak wont remedy all the teams problems in an adversity-filled season, the Cavaliers want to seize on any positive momentum they can find. "Everybody was putting too much pressure on themselves," Irving said. "We needed to go out there and play basketball. Going out there the last two games, whether the game gets tight or gets away from you, it should be fun." Nick Calathes scored 17 points to lead Memphis, which has lost three of four since winning six straight. Deng began the overtime scoring with a 3-pointer from the corner as the shot clock was winding down. Baskets by Dion Waiters and Anderson Varejao, sandwiched around a 3-pointer by Calathes, left Cleveland with an 85-81 lead. A resounding dunk by Waiters and four free throws by Irving put the game away. "They had the two best players on the floor in Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving," Grizzlies coach David Joerger said. "They really took the game over from start to finish." Joerger blamed the Grizzlies poor first half, in which they fell behind by 14 points, for the loss. "We slogged in the mud at the start tonight, which you cant do on the road," he said. James Johnson scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to help Memphis erase a nine-point deficit. Cleveland led 74-65 but was held scoreless for 4:54 as the Grizzlies took a 78-74 lead. Irving tied it with a layup with 18 seconds remaining and was fouled, but missed the free throw, giving Memphis the ball with 16.dddddddddddd7 seconds left. Zach Randolph lost the ball while driving the lane and Waiters heave from just inside halfcourt hit off the backboard. Griffin met with the players at Sunday morning at the shootaround while owner Dan Gilbert spoke with them prior to the game. "I think it woke up a lot of people," Waiters said of Grants dismissal. "Me, I felt half of that was my fault, how we played. We just didnt come out right as a unit. I think it cost the man his job. If we had been playing the way we have the last two games hed probably still be here. We cant dwell on the past, weve got to continue to play the way weve been playing and keep it up." Waiters scored 18 points, and C.J. Miles added 14 for Cleveland. Johnson scored 15 points for Memphis. Randolph, who left the game in the second quarter to get three stitches to close a cut under his left eye, had 14 points. Calathes, playing in place of the injured Mike Conley, made his first six shots and was 7 of 9 from the field. Randolph went to the locker room late in the second quarter after taking an elbow in the face from Tristan Thompson while they were going for a rebound. Randolph was on the court for a couple of moments and asked for a towel to put to his face. He tapped hands with Thompson before jogging off the court with a team trainer. Randolph returned to start the third quarter. "Teams know we try to go inside to Zach and let him go to work, but weve got to do something with all five guys, not always depend on our horse down there," Said Memphis forward Tayshaun Prince. "We cant allow Zach to always be our hero. It puts us in a tough spot and it puts him in a tough spot." Deng started after missing Fridays game with the flu. NOTES: Grizzlies G Tony Allen (sprained left wrist) is listed as day-to-day, but hasnt taken part in practice. Hes been out since Jan. 3. ... Varejao left the game with a hand injury in the first quarter. He went to the locker room, but returned in the second quarter. Varejao, who finished with 14 rebounds, also appeared to tweak his knee in the fourth quarter but returned to the game quickly. ... Cleveland snapped a four-game losing streak in the series. ' ' ' |
|