Two weeks http://www.vikingsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-everson-griffen-jersey , two ties.OK, let's get this out of the way now: Yes, the NFL is fit to be tied.Fit tighter than most folks might think, too.In a slopfest of an opener, the Steelers and Browns drew 21-21 . The first game of the season often can be messy and painful to watch, particularly when so many key players don't take the field much, if at all, in the preseason. This one was all of that, even if a tie was a big step in the right direction for Cleveland, which lost 31 of 32 contests entering this season.Yet the Browns sounded more angry with the deadlock than did the Steelers."There's no way that we shouldn't have won this game," safety Jabrill Peppers said. "We didn't win. It is all about winning. Nobody cares about draws or ties, whatever you guys call it. We were in a (position) to win this game countless times. We just have to make the plays."A week later, in a more artistic affair 鈥?minus the ugly kicking by the now-released Daniel Carlson for Minnesota 鈥?the Vikings and Packers finished 29-29. Like the other tie, it was a divisional game. Unlike the other one, both of these clubs should be in the playoff hunt.So assessing a draw left them perplexed."I don't know what to feel after a tie," Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins said. "It's a unique place to be and proud of the way that the whole team 鈥?when I say the team Stefon Diggs Jersey , the coaching staff, the players, the support staff 鈥?the way everybody stayed in it and fought. There were times where we thought we should have won it, there were times the Packers feel like they should have won it. And it was a great game, and unfortunately we didn't get the win."Green Bay's reactions were similar."It's gross," kicker Mason Crosby offered. "I don't like it. Obviously, you hate losing. A tie is just weird. You just don't get them a lot."Ah, but you just might this season. Two in two weeks could be a harbinger.The NFL reduced the length of overtime from 15 minutes to 10 before last season. Stunningly, there were no ties.But the odds of more results without a winner are vastly increased. And league executives understood that when they made the change."What it came down to was really a player safety discussion," said Dean Blandino, head of the league's officiating department when the rule change was made in 2017 and now an NFL analyst for Fox. "The year prior to change, you had several games that went the full overtime periods and ended in a tie, or a game ended on a field goal at the last second. That's an additional however many plays in that game. We had one instance when a team had to come back on Thursday night and play, so that's a very short week for rest and then playing again."So we asked, 'Are we pushing our players to play an extra quarter and having to come back, creating a chance for more injuries?'"Yes the potential for more ties would be there in a shorter overtime Authentic Kyle Rudolph Jersey , but the members of the (competition) committee and the owners didn't think a tie was necessarily a bad thing."Maybe yes, maybe no. But are the alternatives worthwhile?The NFL could adopt the college rule (won't ever happen), which detractors have said is like having a home run derby decide a tied baseball game; too much of the natural game is eliminated. So is the sudden death element, although even that has been diluted by the current NFL overtime rule in which the team receiving the kickoff must score a touchdown for the game to end immediately.Not that we are advocating for getting rid of that and returning to the coin toss being even more instrumental in deciding a game.The option of continuing to play until there is a winner doesn't work in the regular season for a variety of reasons. Player safety 鈥?player exhaustion 鈥?is the main reason, but there are broadcast considerations on a busy Sunday afternoon, too. And fan comfort, particularly in Lambeau or Soldier Field or Gillette Stadium in December.The NFL also senses that with the shorter overtime, teams will attack more during the extra period. That seems to have been the case at Lambeau Field last Sunday. In the other tie, play was so chaotic it was difficult to tell if either side had a plan for winning."There were a lot of things discussed and on the table," Blandino said of competition committee meetings about overtime. "This goes back if you look prior to 2012, the coin toss was such a big part of OT. We had less ties under that system; just, look at the stats from 1994-2011, and there were only four ties. Since 2012 and the chance to have both teams getting possession, in the next five years, we had five ties in that period."And in 2018, we already have two. Get ready for more. We are less than ninety minutes away from kickoff at U.S. Bank Stadium for this Sunday’s crucial NFC North contest between the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions. Both teams have released their inactive lists for today’s game Youth Xavier Rhodes Jersey , so let’s take a look at those now.We’ll start, as always, with the visiting team.Detroit LionsRB Ameer AbdullahOL Joe DahlOL Andrew DonnalDE Kerry HyderDE Eric LeeLB Jalen Reeves-MaybinLB Kelvin SheppardEzekiel Ansah, who has not played for the Lions since the first quarter of Week 1, is active this week, because Vikings. Cornerback Darius Slay, who was listed as questionable on the Lions’ final injury report, is also active and will start.And now, on to the home team.Minnesota VikingsLB Anthony BarrDE Tashawn BowerOL Tom ComptonWR Stefon DiggsS Andrew SendejoQB Kyle SloterRB Roc ThomasIt’s official for Diggs, as he’ll miss his first game of the season. Sendejo will also be out for the fourth consecutive week. Dalvin Cook is active for the first time since Week 4 and will start at running back, while Riley Reiff also returns after missing three games and will start at left tackle. Xavier Rhodes is also active after missing last week’s game against New Orleans.With Reiff’s return, no word on who will be starting at right tackle yet, whether it’s Brian O’Neill or Rashod Hill. We’ll find out more as we get closer to game time, I assume. Danny Isidora will get the start at left guard in Compton’s spot.There are your inactives for today’s contest, ladies and gentlemen. The Open Thread for the first quarter of play will be up and running at around 11:00 AM Central time.

Now that Kyler Murray has finally announced that he is choosing to continue forward with a career in professional football Eric Rowe Jersey , it’s hard not to wonder where he’s going to end up.A 21-year-old out of the University of Oklahoma, and a two-sport phenom who excelled in both football and baseball, Murray is arguably the most intriguing quarterback entering the 2019 NFL Draft. He capped off his junior year with the Sooners by throwing for over 4,300 yards with 42 touchdowns and just seven interceptions, leading them to a 12-2 season and winning the 2018 Heisman Trophy.Murray has franchise quarterback written all over him, and some NFL team will make him its quarterback of the future in April. Chances are it won’t be the New England Patriots. But, just for the sake of offseason discussion and entertainment, let’s imagine that it was.Let’s imagine that Bill Belichick has his sights set on Murray, and he trades up into the front half of the first round to ensure that he can take him. Or, perhaps due to his size, Murray slides down toward the bottom of the first round (or possibly even out of it — no quarterback under six feet tall has gone in the first round in over 60 years, and Murray is just a mere 5-foot-10), and Belichick is right there to scoop him up.Kyler Murray to the Patriots? Heck Mike Gillislee Jersey Salute to Service , it would be the most exciting thing to happen in New England since鈥?well, winning the Super Bowl in February. We would have a Heisman-winning quarterback, who made all kinds of headlines in college football last year, backing up Tom Brady in 2019. And whenever Brady does eventually decide to retire, we would already have a quarterback ready to take over who is just as intriguing as Brady himself. Forget Sam Darnold and Josh Allen, and whatever newbie replaces Ryan Tannehill in Miami. The Patriots would still have the most exciting quarterback in the AFC East. I don’t have a crystal ball or anything, so I can’t predict how Murray’s career would turn out. But working in New England under Belichick and/or Josh McDaniels, it’s hard to imagine that Murray wouldn’t at least be a pretty solid NFL quarterback. We’d be going from “Tom Brady and the New England Patriots” to “Kyler Murray and the New England Patriots.” Sounds kind of fun, doesn’t it?But don’t forget that we’re just using our imaginations here. It doesn’t seem likely that Belichick would target a quarterback like Murray in the draft; Murray is a big name prospect, and Belichick tends to lean toward the quarterbacks that fly under the radar. Hence, Tom Brady getting drafted in the sixth round in 2000.Also, with Brady still playing at a high enough level to win Super Bowls, the Patriots aren’t necessarily in the market for a successor just yet. It might be another year or two before a legitimate heir to the throne is chosen.But still James Develin Jersey , just imagine watching Roger Goodell stroll to the podium and announcing, “The New England Patriots select鈥?Kyler Murray, quarterback, Oklahoma.” You can’t look me in the eye and tell me that wouldn’t be a blast. If you’ve been a football fan for a while, then you’re plenty accustomed to seeing Tom Brady deliver clutch fourth quarter drives to win football games. It’s been his thing since 2001, and it has contributed heavily to his earning of “GOAT” status. Well, that and the six Super Bowl rings.But, a handful of Brady’s game-winning drives have happened in the Big Game itself. Even though the Patriots’ offense wasn’t much of a spectacle this past Sunday in Super Bowl 53, they were still tied 3-3 with the Rams in the fourth quarter, and Brady chose the perfect time to drive the Pats down the field and put Sony Michel in position to score the go-ahead touchdown.Brady has delivered a game-winning drive in five of New England’s six Super Bowl victories, with the exception being Super Bowl 39. Which drive was the best? Let’s give a quick rundown of each one.Super Bowl 36: Against the heavily-favored St. Louis Rams, Brady, at the time just an unknown 24-year-old backup quarterback Authentic LaAdrian Waddle Jersey , took the ball with a little over a minute left and the game tied 17-17. He drove the Patriots right down the field and put Adam Vinatieri in position for a game-winning field goal. Patriots 20, Rams 17.Super Bowl 38: Brady found himself in a very similar situation just two years later, as the Patriots and Carolina Panthers were tied 29-29 with a little over a minute left. Thanks to John Kasay’s kickoff landing out of bounds, the Patriots took the ball at their own 40-yard line. From there, it was basically a cakewalk for Brady to once again put Vinatieri in position for the winning field goal. Patriots 32, Panthers 29.Super Bowl 49: In this game, Brady engineered not one, but two touchdown drives to beat the Seattle Seahawks. Trailing 24-14 in the fourth quarter and going up against the “Legion of Boom” defense that Seattle boasted back in the day, Brady led a 68-yard drive culminating with a touchdown pass to Danny Amendola. Then on their next possession, Brady did it again, this time hitting Julian Edelman for the go-ahead score. And then, of course, Malcolm Butler came along to steal the show and clinch the victory. Patriots 28 Limited Shaq Mason Jersey , Seahawks 24.Super Bowl 51: Tom Brady led New England’s game-winning drive in overtime, which might have just seemed like any old game-winning overtime drive. But the Patriots only had the opportunity to play in overtime because Brady led them back from an incredible 25-point deficit against the Atlanta Falcons. We all know the story from there: Patriots win the overtime coin toss, Brady takes them down the field, and James White runs it in for the win. Patriots 34, Falcons 28.Super Bowl 53: After a defensive battle, Brady was finally able to get the edge on the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth quarter. On the most productive drive the Patriots had all game, Brady took them down the field, connecting with Rob Gronkowski on an incredible diving catch that brought them within the five-yard line, and then handed off to the rookie Michel for the go-ahead touchdown. On their next possession, Brady set up Stephen Gostkowski for a game-clinching field goal. Patriots 13, Rams 3.Brady has had so many clutch fourth quarter drives, it’s hard to keep count. But when it comes to my personal favorite, I always get pulled back to February of 2002 at the New Orleans Superdome. That field goal drive to win New England’s first ever Super Bowl was as clutch as any quarterback performance in NFL history Drew Bledsoe Jersey Salute to Service , and it’s typically something you would expect from an experienced veteran, an MVP-type quarterback. It’s certainly not something you would expect to see from a 24-year-old backup who hadn’t even started for a full season. It’s not like Brady had done anything in Super Bowl 36 that really made you jump out of your seat. He only threw for 145 yards in the game. His only touchdown was a result of Bill Belichick’s gritty defense forcing “The Greatest Show on Turf” to turn the ball over.But when the lights were at their brightest, and the Patriots needed him to come through against the best team in the NFL, the inexperienced kid from San Mateo, California took the keys and gave them an opportunity to win the game. It was at that moment when we realized that we might just have something special in Brady.Seventeen years and six rings later, we were certainly right. You might have your favorite Super Bowl-winning Brady drive, but mine will always be that first one in New Orleans. I doubt anything will ever top it for me.

Our picks for rookies of the year and the league's all-rookie team - Jeff LegwoldJames showed remarkable versatility as a run-stopper -- see the playoff win over the Ravens -- and a pass-rusher and in coverage. He is athletic and smart www.sandiegochargersteamonline.com , and he did some of his best work in the biggest moments. James had 105 tackles, knocked down 13 passes and tallied six quarterback hits and 3.5 sacks.With Philip Rivers' Super Bowl window closing, Chargers must improve - Eric Williams"You can count on the Patriots executing flawlessly," defensive end Isaac Rochell said. "They're not going to make dumb penalties. They're going to have a good game plan. And if you don't show up and are ready to play, they're going to beat you.Re-grading every NFL team's 2018 offseason moves - Mike SandoDerwin James' addition with the 17th overall choice carried the original grade and the re-grade for the Chargers. The do-everything safety instantly became a building block for the present and future. The six other players Los Angeles drafted in 2018 held roster spots during the season and earned playing time for a playoff-bound team, which pushes up the re-grade.Seven storylines that defined the Chargers 2018 season - Tyler SchoonNo team wants to go home early Los Angeles Chargers T-Shirt , but despite the superior talent on the roster, the Chargers did just that. They fell in the divisional round of the playoffs, 41-28 to the New England Patriots, who out-classed them in nearly every category. Forget the final score; nothing went right for the Chargers on Sunday.Signature Stat Spotlight: Safeties - Austin GayleLos Angeles Chargers rookie Derwin James finished right behind Bethea in pass-rush productivity (17.7) and tied for first with Jets’ Adams in total pressures on the year with 18. James and Adams, because of their positional versatility and high-end play in multiple areas, represent the next generation of safeties in the NFL.Social Media Information:BFTB Facebook Page: Click here to like our pageBFTB Twitter: Follow @BFTB_ChargersThe Lightning Round Twitter: Follow @Lightning_RoundThe Lightning Round Facebook: Click here to like our pageBFTB Manager: Richard Wade: Follow @RichardWadeLos Angeles Chargers Daily Links: What Can Melvin Gordon Learn From Tomlinson? Fantasy points leaders across the last 2 seasons - Daniel KelleyThe career arcs for Gordon and Gurley has been fascinating — Gurley was great in 2015 Los Angeles Chargers Hats , while Gordon struggled. Gordon surged in 2016, but Gurley’s numbers waned. In 2017, both finished as top-five backs. With both now calling Los Angeles their home city, and both playing for likely contenders, their ADPs (Gurley near the top of the entire draft, Gordon a low-end RB1) make sense.How hard is it to repeat as a top-12 fantasy WR? - Curtis PatrickWell Los Angeles Chargers Hoodie , there you have it. I think the biggest takeaway from this research was that wide receiver hasn’t really been more stable year to year than running back when considering fantasy scoring reproducibility. We also identified some very solid markers for entry into the top-12 from a production standpoint.Metrics that Matter: The league's best at getting a first down - Scott BarrettOver the past three seasons, Henry ranks first of 302 qualifying players in first downs per target (53.0 percent) and third in touchdowns per target (10.4 percent). He’s out for the year with an ACL injury, but has a promising career ahead of him. Perhaps his injury means even more volume for Keenan Allen, who also ranked top-10 by the same metric.With LT's help, Melvin Gordon is working on bigger role as a receiver - Eric Williams"We can do some different things because Melvin has become such a good receiver out of the backfield," Whisenhunt said. "And that's not something that you saw from him in college. Not that he couldn't do it; they just didn't throw him the ball. He was too busy running for 8 million yards or whatever it was he was running for.How Tyrell Williams is Working Hard to Emulate Keenan Allen - Ricky Henne“I had that big year a couple years ago Customized Los Angeles Chargers Jerseys , and then last year for myself, yards-wise and stuff, it wasn’t the same,” he said. “I still feel I had a good year, but I just don’t want to get complacent. I just want to keep attacking. With Keenan having success, I don’t want it to be like www.authenticlosangeleschargers.com , ‘Oh, well Keenan did this, so I fell back.’ I just want to be right there with him. So I’m trying to continue to grow.”Social Media Information:BFTB Facebook Page: Click here to like our pageBFTB Twitter: Follow @BFTB_ChargersThe Lightning Round Twitter: Follow @Lightning_RoundThe Lightning Round Facebook: Click here to like our pageBFTB Manager: Richard Wade: Follow @RichardWade Custom New York Jets Jerseys

The New York Giants have sent "the other Eli" to the New Orleans Saints.Not Eli Manning. Eli Apple.The Giants on Tuesday traded the cornerback who was the 10th pick overall in the 2016 draft to the Saints for a fourth-round pick in 2019 and a seventh-rounder in 2020.Like all trades Austin Carr Jersey Salute to Service , it will not be official until Apple passes a physical.The move marks the second time in a week the Giants (1-6) have parted ways with a recent first-round draft pick. Last week, they waived tackle Ereck Flowers, their 2015 top pick. He was signed by Jacksonville.It also could be a sign the Giants, who were 3-13 last season, might deal more assets with the NFL trading deadline set for 4 p.m. on Oct. 30.Coach Pat Shurmur said the Giants are constantly evaluating their roster, and he felt they got good value for Apple."I think if you remember back, Eli was out with an injury when we beat Houston and B.W. Webb played in his spot against two fine receivers," Shurmur said late Tuesday afternoon. "So we're not throwing in the towel."Shurmur is convinced Manning, who has been under the microscope, will be his quarterback when the trading deadline is over.Apple has 23 tackles and a forced fumble. He also recovered a fumble in the Giants' 23-20 loss to the Falcons in Atlanta on Monday night.The Saints have struggled on pass defense all season. They are 5-1 and in first place in the NFC South in large part because of the play of Drew Brees and the offense.New Orleans will face the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night in a matchup of first-place teams.This was somewhat of a make-or-break season for Apple. He had a bad year in 2017 and was called a cancer by safety Landon Collins because of his attitude. He was inactive for four games and suspended for the season finale.The South Jersey native came back this season and was all business. He has shown flashes of being a good cornerback but at times has not made plays. His holding penalty on a third-down play cost the Giants a chance to get off the field with Atlanta pinned near its goal line.In his three seasons with the Giants, Apple played in 30 regular-season games with 23 starts. He had 120 tackles (102 solo), one interception, 20 passes defensed, one forced fumble and five fumble recoveries, as well as two stops and one fumble recovery on special teams.Apple started 27 games for Ohio State from 2014-15. He finished his college career with 86 tackles, four interceptions and 22 passes defensed. He was a college teammate of three current Saints: safety Vonn Bell, cornerback Marshon Lattimore and receiver Michael Thomas.New Orleans has been ranked near the bottom of the league in pass defense. The pass defense gave up late touchdowns against Cleveland in Week 2 and Baltimore on Sunday and hung on for wins on missed point-after kicks.The Saints lost top nickel back Patrick Robinson after three games because of an ankle injury. The veteran had joined the team as a free agent after a year in Philadelphia. The 2018 New Orleans Saints (13-2) have lived a charmed life: after losing their first game of the season, the Saints rattled off 10 wins in a row. Following a 13-10 stumble in Dallas Benjamin Watson Jersey , the Saints then proceeded to win two divisional games in a row (Tampa Bay, Carolina), giving themselves a clear route to the number one seed in the NFC. The Saints needed only one win this afternoon against the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6-1) in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to secure that all-important first round bye in the playoffs.Here is how the game unfolded:1st HALF*1st QuarterThe Steelers win the toss and take the ball to open the game. After gaining a first down with a 15-yard pass on the first play of the game to JuJu Smith-Schuster, the Steelers stall and punt.Following a touchback, the Saints start their first possession of the game at their own 20-yard line. Saints open the game with two straight runs by Mark Ingram to gain a first down. On the third play of the drive, right tackle Ryan Ramczyk hurt his ankle. For the Saints, the injuries on the offensive line continue to rotate. After yet another first down, Taysom Hill throws deep to the end zone and is picked off, the Steelers return the ball to their 40-yard line. Sean Payton getting extra cute again, and it comes back to burn him.The Steelers eventually stall at the Saints’ 31-yard line and Chris Boswell converts a 49-yard field goal to give the Steelers a 3-0 lead.On their second possession of the game, the Saints’ start at their 25-yard line. Saints get into Steelers’ territory on a 28-yard pass to Michael Thomas. On 4th-and-1 from the Steelers’ 34-yard line, the Saints go for it. Brees launches a pass to Alvin Kamara in the end zone and a pass interference is called on Joe Haden. The Saints’ get the ball at the one-yard line and Mark Ingram rumbles into the end zone. After the PAT, the Saints lead the Steelers 7-3. With that touchdown, Mark Ingram passed Deuce McAllister for the most rushing touchdowns in Saints’ history.Steelers take over at their 10-yard line and move the ball up near midfield and Ben Roethlisberger finds his tight end Vance McDonald inside the Saints’ red zone for 49 yards as the first quarter ends.*2nd QuarterSteelers start the quarter at the Saints’ 13-yard line and on third-and-9 from the 12-yard line, Roethlisberger throws and incompletion and Chris Boswell makes a 30-yard field goal, narrowing the Saints’ lead to 7-6.Saints take over at their own 25-yard line after the kickoff. On the first play of the drive, Drew Brees hits Ted Ginn Jr. for 15 yards, in his first game since week 7. On third-and-8 Eli Apple Jersey , Brees finds Michael Thomas. On the play, left tackle Terron Armstead re-injured his pectoral muscle. Saints move deep into Steelers territory on a pass interference play on Morgan Burnett. On a 3rd-and-2 play from Pittsburgh’s 8-yard line, Alvin Kamara runs into the end zone for a touchdown, giving the Saints a 14-6 lead.Steelers take over at their 25-yard line after the touchback on the kickoff, but go three-and-out under heavy pressure from the Saints’ defense and have to punt. Saints fair-catch the ball at their own 35-yard lineSaints get Terron Armstead back on the drive, after the left tackle had gotten hurt a few plays earlier. After gaining one first down, the Saints stall near midfield and punt for the first time of the day, pinning the Steelers at their 3-yard line.The Steelers run on the first two plays of the drive, gaining 8 yards and on third down, Ben Roethlisberger finds Antonio Brown for 28 yards. Steelers get into Saints’ territory almost solely on the arms of Roethlisberger. As the two-minute warning hits, the Steelers face a 3rd-and-11 from the Saints’ 39-yard line.Roethlisberger finds Antonio Brown for a first down to keep the drive going. On 3rd-and-9 from the Saints’ 23-yard line, Eli Apple is called for a pass interference giving the Steelers the ball at New Orleans’ 2-yard line. Roethlisberger finds Jaylen Samuels for a touchdown and convert the two-point conversion with Eli Rogers to tie the game at 14.Saints take over at their 25-yard line with 40 seconds left and drive to the Steelers’ 25-yard line in the blink of an eye, the drive included a 32-yard catch-and-run by Alvin Kamara. With seven seconds left, Wil Lutz makes a 43-yard field goal, giving the Saints back the lead at 17-14. With that field goal, Wil Lutz has made 26 straight field goals, a Saints’ franchise record.*2nd HALF*3rd QuarterWith the Steelers having deferred to the second half, New Orleans receives the kickoff and after a touchback Authentic Kurt Coleman Jersey , Saints take over at their 25-yard line. On the second play of the drive, Drew Brees finds Alvin Kamara for a 42-yard catch-and-run pass into Steelers’ territory. Saints move to the edge of the red zone and into it on a run play by Alvin Kamara. Saints convert a crucial third-and-4 play to Michael Thomas to get into a first-and-goal situation.On third-and-goal from Pittsburgh’s one-yard line, Alvin Kamara plunges into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the game, and the Saints lead 24-14 after the PAT. Steelers take over at their 25-yard line after the kickoff’s touchback. Pittsburgh moves into Saints’ territory in two plays by Ben Roethlisberger to Smith-Schuster. Steelers get deep into the red zone on pass and screen plays. On third-and-goal from the Saints’ 3-yard line, Roethlisberger finds Antonio Brown for a touchdown, bringing the Steelers within 3, at 24-21.Saints start at their 25-yard line after the touchback. Brees is sacked by T.J. Watt for the Steelers’ first sack of the game, and face a third-and-16 at their own 36-yard line, Brees gets sacked again and the Saints have to punt.Steelers fair-catch the punt at their own 34-yard line and on one play, Roethlisberger finds Antonio Brown at the Saints’ 40-yard line. On the next play, Big Ben finds Smith-Schuster in the Saints’ red zone. Roethlisberger finds Antonio Brown again for a touchdown, giving the Steelers a 28-24 lead.Saints take over at their 25-yard line, with 1:02 left in the third quarter. and face a 3rd-and-2 at their own 33-yard line as the quarter ends.*4th QuarterBrees’ pass to Keith Kirkwood falls incomplete and the Saints have to punt yet again, which the Steelers fair-catch at their 25-yard line. Steelers use the running game effectively to midfield and into Saints’ territory. On 3rd-and-2 from the Saints’ 34-yard line, the Steelers are stopped and Pittsburgh’s running back Stevan Ridley appears to fumble the ball, punched out by safety Kurt Coleman.Saints recover the ball at their 35-yard line. Brees on the third play of the drive, finds Keith Kirkwood for 23 yards to the Steelers’ 30-yard line.On the drive, left guard Andrus Peat replaces Terron Armstead at left tackle. On third-and-10 from the Steelers’ 32-yard line Patrick Robinson Jersey Salute to Service , Brees’ pass falls incomplete. Wil Lutz’s 50-yard field goal attempt is blocked and the Steelers take over at their own 37-yard line.On the second play of the drive, Demario Davis sacks Roethlisberger, forcing a 3rd-and-14 and the Steelers go three-and-out. On 4th-and-5, the Steelers go for a fake punt but do not reach the line of gain, giving the Saints the ball back at the Steelers’ 46-yard line.Brees goes into four-minutes offense mode with 4:06 left in the game. On third-and-10 from the Steelers’ 34-yard line, Brees finds Michael Thomas for 8 yards the Saints face a 4th-and-2 at Pittsburgh’s 26-yard line as the two-minute warning hits.On 4th-and-2, Brees throws towards Michael Thomas and the pass falls incomplete, but a flag is thrown for pass interference, giving the Saints a first down at Pittsburgh’s 22-yard line. On 3rd-and-20 after a holding penalty on Ryan Ramczyk, Drew Brees finds Ted Ginn Jr. for a 25-yard gain at the Steelers’ 7-yard line. On 2nd-and-goal from Pittsburgh’s 2-yard line, Drew Brees finds Michael Thomas for a touchdown. The PAT is good and the Saints retake the lead 31-28 with 1:25 left in the game.After the kickoff’s touchback, Pittsburgh takes over at their 25-yard line, and a false start penalty moves them back to the 20-yard line. After two incomplete passes, the Steelers face a 3rd-and-15 from their own 20-yard line and the pass falls incomplete. On 4th-and-15, Roethlisberger finds Antonio Brown for a first down, keeping the drive alive.Steelers get into Saints’ territory. On a pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster, Sheldon Rankins forces the second-year receiver to fumble by and Demario Davis recovers the ball. Saints Ball!!! Custom Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys

In 2017 White Danielle Hunter Jersey , the Vikings had the NFL’s 7th ranked rushing attack. Most of this success came without the services of Dalvin Cook, following his ACL tear in Week 4. Coming into 2018, all pundits, writers, fantasy owners, and probably the Vikings themselves thought this was something that would be good again, or even improve upon Dalvin’s return. However, with the exception of this previous week’s performance vs. Arizona, that has been far from the case.Entering Week 7, the Vikings are averaging a horrendous 87.3 rushing yards/game, 28th in the NFL. When they acquired Kirk Cousins, seemingly pairing him with a strong running game was his missing piece. Not having a strong running game to go to as a tone setter in the 1st quarter has been an enormous issue. So what are the values of Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray?It’s very feasible that Cook’s hamstring injury could nag for the duration of the 2018 campaign, which makes it even more feasible that him and Murray have a more even split of touches than what was originally anticipated. It’s also possible Cook makes his living catching passes, at least as far as fantasy output goes, not that it solves the issues of having an incompetent rushing attack thus far. However, that can’t be all put in Cook. Statistically, he’s been one of the league’s best at making people miss. While it’s a good showing of his strong set of skills White Brett Jones Jersey , it’s also an indicator of just how poor the offensive line has been, which has also struggled to consistently protect Kirk Cousins.One thing that also needs to be taken into consideration is the fact that C.J. Ham, Roc Thomas, and Mike Boone are all being kept on the roster. All three have had their share of touches, and Ham was lined up in the backfield on Cousins’ touchdown run against Arizona. It’s entirely possible that this was done by Mike Zimmer already having an idea that Cook may struggle with his health this season. For someone taken so high in fantasy drafts prior to the season, many owners of Cook (myself included) can’t be to happy about this.Simply put, no Vikings running back is a weekly top choice to start on your team. There are too many questions about how far the offensive line has regressed from a season ago, and too many touches going around to all the backs on the roster. The Vikings also have become so pass-heavy that they will likely have more games where they don’t run the ball 20 times. Getting to that threshold each week could result in more wins, but not translate to points for fantasy teams. Thus, be mindful about starting Cook or Murray each week, as long as the current trend doesn’t go in an upward direction. When I first read of Gary Kubiak being signed by the Vikings in a ‘senior offensive role’, I thought it was a good hire.Kubiak has a lot of experience to bring to the table and could be a good resource for Kevin Stefanski as offensive coordinator.But as further details became available, I became a bit more skeptical of what was being put forward as a “package deal.” The “package deal” is said to include Kubiak’s son Klint, who will serve as QB coach, and Brian Pariani as TE coach - both of whom have since been hired by the Vikings as well, with Gary Kubiak as Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Advisor.The other as yet un-hired coach reported to be in the package is Rick Dennison, who would serve as offensive line coach.The package deal reminded me of DVD/digital movie packages where you get one good movie Youth Linval Joseph Jersey , and a couple not so good ones, for a bargain package price.The problem is that a couple of the movies aren’t worth anything on their own, and you probably won’t watch.And so the package deal isn’t such a good one after all.And so while Gary Kubiak may be a good hire as offensive advisor, there is a cronyism/nepotism aspect to the package deal that I’m none too sure about.In particular:Gary’s son Klint is to be QB coach, but outside of six weeks coaching Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch to a 2-4 record to end the season in 2016, Klint Kubiak has never coached QBs before.He has coached with the Vikings several years ago as the offensive quality control / assistant WR coach - and apparently became friends with Kevin Stefanski during this time - but otherwise not much of a resume as a QB coach - apart from presumably being able to learn from his old man.Not sure what he’s got to offer Kirk Cousins. Brian Pariani is signed as TE coach.He has basically followed Gary Kubiak, and coached TEs from 1995-2004 in Denver, and again in 2015-16.Rick Dennison is also reportedly to follow and complete the Kubiak package as offensive line coach.Dennison has also mostly followed Kubiak, and reportedly Kubiak’s insistence on bringing Dennison (and possibly Pariani) back to Denver was the reason the Broncos and John Elway decided to part ways with Kubiak- sending him on his way to Minnesota.He’s most recently been with Buffalo (2017) as a one-year OC, and the Jets (2018) where he is OL/Run game coach.He was also OC for the Broncos in 2015-16.His track record is not good at any of these last stops. A 2015-16 Broncos ReunionThere is also an unsettling common denominator with all these coaches - and a few others - and that is the 2015-16 Denver Broncos.Denver won the Super Bowl in 2015 with an awesome defense and what remained of Peyton Manning at QB.His passer rating on the season was 67.9 (Christian Ponder’s career average was 75.4 as a reference).Brock Osweiler filled in several games when Manning was injured and wasn’t good either.Anyway, the Broncos had arguably the best defense in the NFL and Von Miller was a terror off the edge under defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.Gary Kubiak was head coach, Rick Dennison was offensive coordinator, Brian Pariani TE coach, Clancy Barone (current Vikings co-OL coach) was offensive line coach.I used the term ‘unsettling’ to describe this coaching reunion because although the Broncos won the Super Bowl on the strength of their defense, their offense - which these guys were responsible for - was awful.In 2015, the Broncos offense was ranked 19th in points and 16th in yards.They were ranked 29th in turnovers, 25th on 3rd down White Dalvin Cook Jersey , 28th in passing TDs, and 28th in the red zone. Their combined passing ANY/A (adjusted net yards per attempt) was a lowly 5.14, which would have ranked second-to-last this season, and well below Kirk Cousins’ 7.3 mark this year.The following year, 2016, they lost Peyton Manning and went with... wait for it... Trevor Siemian at QB - who was the Vikings backup this season and complete dud in preseason.The offense did not improve.It ranked 22nd in points, 27th in yards, 28th in rushing yards/attempt, 21st in turnovers, 31st on 3rd down, 26th in the red zone, 21st in passing yards, 22nd in net passing yards/attempt.They also had two pro-bowl, 1,000 yard receivers that year - Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas.CJ Anderson and Devantae Booker were their RBs.They combined for a mere 3.6 yards/rush.They were 27th in rushing yards that year, despite being 15th in rushing attempts.Pro Football Focus ranked the Broncos offensive line 24th in 2016 and tied for 20th in 2015.The only bright spot there was Mike Paradis (currently a free agent) who had a breakout year in 2016 and has been good ever since. One can hope that Paradis might be apart of the Kubiak package too, but that remains to be seen.The Broncos just hired one of the best in the business - Mike Munchak - to be offensive line coach White Ben Gedeon Jersey , poaching him from the Steelers.2010-2012 Houston TexansThe Broncos weren’t the first time Gary Kubiak, Rick Dennison and Brian Pariani teamed up to coach an offense in the NFL.Back in 2010-2012 they coached the Texans to some pretty good offenses with Arian Foster at RB and Matt Schaub at QB.They were a top 10 offense inpoints scored in each of those years, primarily behind a strong running game.They were ranked #1 and #4 in rushing attempts in 2011 and 2012 respectively.In 2012 PFF ranked the Texans offensive line 10th best in the league, 5th best in 2011, and 2nd best in 2010.But John Benton was the offensive line coach during those years.Wade Phillips was defensive coordinator in 2011-2012, and that helped the Texans go from 6-10 in 2010, to 10-6 in 2011 and 12-4 in 2012.2019 Minnesota VikingsSo what about this coming season with the Vikings?At this point there are more questions than answers.We don’t know if Rick Dennison will be a part of ‘the package’ or not.We don’t know how all these Kubiak cronies will get along with Kevin Stefanski as offensive coordinator - could potentially lead to some conflicts if Gary Kubiak and Stefanski don’t see eye-to-eye on things.We don’t know if Dennison, or whoever is offensive line coach, can turn things around up-front for the Vikings offense.If they can’t, it’ll likely be a short stint in Minnesota for all of them.Bottom line, I’m a bit skeptical about these coaching hires.Kubiak presumably won’t be calling plays - Stefanski will.In terms of actually coaching players, Klint Kubiak, Rick Dennison and Brian Pariani haven’t done much coaching QBs, offensive line, and TEs respectively - particularly in recent years.So I’m not sure getting this band back together is going to help the Vikings next season.Time will tell.

Trailing the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 7-0 to start the second quarter Minnesota Vikings T-Shirt , the Detroit Lions got things started with a penalty on center Graham Glasgow to give them a first and goal at the Minnesota 9-yard line. Kerryon Johnson was stopped for no gain on first down, and an incompletion on second down brought up third and goal. Sheldon Richardson and Sebastian Thunderbucket Tom Johnson combined to bring Stafford down for a sack on third down, and the Lions called on Matt Prater for a 35-yard field goal attempt that split the uprights. That cut the Vikings’ lead to 7-3 with just over 13 minutes remaining in the half.Sam Martin. . .who stayed upright this time. . .kicked the ball into the end zone for a touchback, giving Kirk Cousins and company the ball at their 25. Cousins found Adam Thielen for the first time on the day for an 11-yard gain and a quick first down. A couple of runs, one by Dalvin Cook and an end-around to Thielen, brought up a 3rd-and-3 for the Vikings from their own 43, and the Vikings converted with the third reception of the day for Chad Beebe for a first down to midfield.Unfortunately, Cousins was looking for Thielen again on the next play, and made an awful throw into double coverage that went right into the hands of Darius Slay for an interception. Slay returned the pick to the Minnesota 44-yard line, and the Lions were suddenly in business. No idea what Cousins was looking at on the throw, but it might have been the worst pass he’s thrown this season.LeGarrette Blount picked up seven yards on first down for the Lions, and Xavier Rhodes went off the field after apparently aggravating his ankle injury. A short pass to Blount was stopped short of the sticks, and the Lions faced another third down situation. Linval Joseph stopped Kerryon Johnson short on third down, and the Lions elected to go for it on 4th-and-1. The Lions elected to throw, and the Vikings covered the play nicely, but Stafford managed to scramble for enough to move the chains.Kerryon Johnson then ran for five yards, and Stafford then found Kenny Golladay for another first down to the Minnesota 12. Stafford was then sacked for the second time on the afternoon, this time by Danielle Hunter with an assist from Everson Griffen (Hunter got credit for the sack). Facing 3rd-and-13 from the 15, Hunter got to Stafford again and took him down behind the line of scrimmage. That brought on Matt Prater for another 35-yard field goal attempt, and he got the same results as he did the first time. Splitting the uprights, he cut the Minnesota lead to 7-6 with 4:45 remaining in the half.The kickoff from Martin went through the end zone for a touchback, giving the Vikings the ball at their own 25 again. On the first play of the drive, Dalvin Cook took a handoff from Cousins and blasted 70 yards down to the Detroit 5-yard line!Latavius Murray then carried the ball to the 2 on a first-and-goal, and then Kirk Cousins found Adam Thielen in the back of the end zone for a two-yard touchdown! Dan Bailey added the extra point Minnesota Vikings Hats , and the Vikings were quickly back ahead by a score of 14-6.Dan Bailey’s kickoff was returned by Brandon Powell, but the Lions were called for a holding penalty on the return, giving them the ball at their own 18. The Lions quickly found themselves facing a 3rd-and-3 from their own 25-yard line at the two-minute warning. The Vikings swarmed Stafford in the backfield on the play, but Stafford managed to once again scramble for the necessary yardage. However, on the next play Stephen Weatherly got to Stafford for the Vikings’ fourth sack of the first half! The Lions had to punt the ball away, and Marcus Sherels got the ball to near midfield for the Vikings with under a minute left.Cousins then found Laquon Treadwell for a 22-yard gain down to the Detroit 30, and then went for Treadwell again on first down, but the Lions were called for a holding penalty. Cook then took a handoff down to the 20, and the Vikings called timeout with 23 seconds left. Ezekiel Ansah then jumped offside to give the Vikings five free yards and a first down to the 15. Cousins then found Thielen for another short gain, but was sacked by Ansah on the next play back to the 21. Minnesota burned their final timeout, and brought on Dan Bailey for a 39-yard field goal attempt. Bailey split the uprights, and the two teams went to the locker room with Minnesota leading 17-6.Cousins had an up-and-down first half. He completed 10-of-12 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown, but also had the one inexplicable interception. The leading receiver. . .as expected. . .is Laquon Treadwell, who has two receptions for 37 yards. Chad Beebe has three grabs for 21 yards in his NFL debut. Seeking a ninth consecutive 100-yard game, Adam Thielen is going to have some work to do in the second half, as he currently has just three catches for 16 yards and a touchdown. Latavius Murray (16 yards) and Dalvin Cook (4 yards) each have one reception.On the ground, Dalvin Cook’s big run has sparked the Vikings’ run game, as he has six carries for 86 yards thus far. Latavius Murray has chipped in with 15 yards and a touchdown on four carries, and Adam Thielen has five yards on an end-around.We’re at halftime at U.S. Bank Stadium, and the Detroit Lions will get the ball first in the second half, trailing the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 17-6. Come on in and join us for the third quarter of play! Many facets of the game of football were on display tonight.For the majority of the game, defense was not one of them.Under a picture-perfect California sky, the Minnesota Vikings kicked off the NFL’s Week Four schedule Thursday night by taking on the Los Angeles Rams .The Rams won the toss and deferred, bringing Kirk Cousins and the Vikings offense onto the field to start the game.Cousins’ passing offense moved the ball down the field Minnesota Vikings Hoodie , and Dalvin Cook’s running was hot and cold.On third-and-ten from the Rams sixteen, Cousins hit Vikings newcomer Aldrick Robinson on a pretty pass in the end zone.Fellow Vikings newcomer Dan Bailey banged the extra point through, to make the score 7-0 Vikings.The drive went 13 plays for 75 yards and took 7:05 off the clock.The Rams, wearing their classic blue-and-yellow jerseys went on their own 12-play, 75-yard drive before quarterback Jared Goff hit running back Todd Gurley on a quick-hit pass to even the score at 7.The offense seemed to be picking on Anthony Barr just a bit, and Gurley blew past Barr on the touchdown.The Vikings took over, and Cousins once again drove the Vikings down the field, including a couple of very nice third-and-fourth-down conversions.Dan Bailey came in for the 37 yards try.For a few fleeting milliseconds, it seemed like the kick was going鈥?you guessed it, wide right.The familiar *BONG* of the uprights sounded, and the ball鈥?went鈥?THROUGH!!!!!ZOMGWEHAVEAKICKERAGAIN!!! 10-7 Vikings.The Rams struck quickly on the next drive - against Anthony Barr yet again - with Jared Goff hitting wide receiver Cooper Kupp in stride for a 70-yard catch-and-run touchdown, giving the Rams their first lead of the game at 14-10.It probably wasn’t entirely Barr’s fault, as replays showed Mac Alexander was initially covering Kupp.Cousins and the Vikings offense didn’t flinch one bit.Three plays, seventy five yards, 1:22 off the clock.Bang.Bang.Bang.Passes of 34, 24, and finally a 17-yard touchdown, again to Aldrick Robinson, putting the Vikings on top 17-14.Apparently both coaching staffs had reached the end of their playbooks, as both teams exchanged three-and-outs.Then, the Rams stormed back down the field on a four play, 71-yard drive which culminated with Goff hitting Cooper Kupp yet again, to put the Rams back on top 21-17.The drive was marked by poor play and penalties in the defensive backfield.Momentum, body language www.thevikingsfootballauthentic.com , everything was pointing at the Rams at this point.The Vikings went five yards on four plays before punting.Then, Xavier Rhodes held his man, kicked the penalty flag, and Jared Goff then hit Brandin Cooks in stride for a 47 yard touchdown, making the score 28-17 Los Angeles.The Vikings abysmal clock management once again reared its ugly head, with the team wasting twenty seconds before bringing in Dan Bailey, who booted the ball through the uprights once again, bringing the Vikings to within eight.At halftime, the score stood at 28-20 Rams.To begin the second half, Vikings Defensive End Danielle Hunter made two nice plays and the Rams were forced to punt.Rams Head Coach Sean McVay reached into his bag of tricks to attempt a fake punt, which the Vikings covered well, forcing the turnover on downs.The Vikings were once again forced to punt.The Rams then benefitted from an absolutely awful non-call on a block in the back by guard Rodger Saffold, which allowed Todd Gurley to scamper 57 yards.That brought the Rams into field goal range, and Sam Ficken booted it through making the score 31-20.The Vikings took over with 5:21 left in the third quarter.Kirk Cousins hit Stefon Diggs on a couple of nice plays, then nailed Adam Thielen for a 45 yard score.The Vikings lined up for two, where Cousins then hit Latavius Murray in the flat for the two-point conversion, bringing the Vikings to within three at 31-28.The Rams would answer back yet again, as Jared Goff hit Robert Woods down the seam for a 31-yard touchdown over (it hurts to even say, at this point) Anthony Barr, making the score 38-28.After a Vikings punt, the Rams ran over five and a half minutes off the clock.The Vikings defense held, and forced a field goal attempt by Sam Fickens from 28.Fickens missed, and the score held at 38-28.The Vikings then went on nine play, 58-yard drive which ended with a Dan Bailey 40-yard field goal Minnesota Vikings T-Shirt , bringing them within a touchdown of the Rams, at 38-31.With just over two minutes remaining, the Vikings got the ball back with a chance to tie, but Kirk Cousins was stripped of the ball by Rams Defensive End John Franklin-Meyers, and the Rams recovered, effectively ending the game.Quarterback Kirk Cousins was 36/50 for 422 yards and 3 touchdowns.He was sacked four times, for 30 yards.He also led the team in rushing, carrying four times for 28 yards.Dalvin Cook rushed ten times for 20 yards, and Latavius Murray and Roc Thomas ran a combined three times for six yards. The Vikings receivers stat lines were as follows:Stefon Diggs 11/123, Adam Thielen 8/135/1, Kyle Rudolph 5/57, Laquon Treadwell 4/47, Aldrick Robinson 2/33/2Defensively, the Vikings stats would be laughable, if it didn’t hurt so much.Danielle Hunter grabbed the only sack of the night, the team forced no turnovers, and gave up 556 yards of total offense.If there is a silver lining, the team held the Rams to just 1-of-6 on third-down.The problem is that the Rams had twelve drives, which means six times, they never had to worry about a third down conversion.With the loss, the Vikings fall to 1-2-1 on the season.Up next is another road game, this time against the World Champion Philadelphia Eagles.Thank you to everyone for hanging around the game threads and also thanks to those of you who found your Vikings coverage right here on the Daily Norseman.

Preseason week 4 Patriots vs Giants: 6 players to watch during New England’s preseason finale Later today Authentic Joe Thuney Jersey Salute to Service , the New England Patriots will play their fourth and final preseason game of 2018. As usual during the last week of exhibition games, the majority of the Patriots’ starters and roster locks are not expected to play – clearing the way for players on the roster bubble to showcase their skills and value to the team one final time.With that in mind, let’s take a look at six players to keep an eye on tonight:Mike Gillislee: Will he make a final push for a roster spot?After a mostly disappointing 2017 season, Mike Gillislee failed to show consistent progress in his second offseason in the Patriots’ system. As a result, he is currently fighting for his roster life against free agency addition Jeremy Hill – the better of the two running backs this summer. Could a late push by Gillislee make the battle interesting again? It will be hard, but not impossible depending on the ultimate performance.Riley McCarron: Will he win the fourth wide receiver spot?After the release of Kenny Britt and Eric Decker’s retirement, Riley McCarron founds himself on the verge of making New England’s roster as a depth wide receiver and punt returner. However, his spot on the team is not set in stone: the Patriots could still opt to bolster depth elsewhere or bring in outside reinforcements. A good performance tonight could therefore be crucial for the second-year man.Ulrick John: Will he again be the first offensive tackle off the bench?First-round rookie Isaiah Wynn tearing his Achilles opened the door for another offensive tackle to make the team. The battle for this appears to still be on Limited Brandon Bolden Jersey , but offseason acquisition Ulrick John might have the best odds of winning it: during last week’s regular season “dress rehearsal”, he was the first offensive tackle off the bench. It will therefore be interesting to see how his role and performance look like tonight, and whether or not the game against the New York Giants could be an indicator for his future.Vincent Valentine: Will he show his value as a rotational defensive tackle?Having spent all of 2017 on injured reserve, Vincent Valentine had a rather quiet training camp and preseason and is consequently not guaranteed a spot on the 53-man team. A solid outing against New York – like he showed at times during his 2016 rookie season – could ultimately turn out to be crucial when it comes to him making the team as the fifth option at the defensive tackle position.Marquis Flowers: Will he build momentum with roster cuts looming?Like Valentine, Marquis Flowers also was rather quiet over the summer. He received increased playing time last week versus Carolina, but that does not definitely earn him a roster spot as a depth linebacker and special teamer. Flowers will still have to outperform his closest competition – Nicholas Grigsby – in order to make the team. Tonight is his final chance to do that and prove that his solid 2017 season was no fluke.J.C. Jackson: Will he finally live up to the training camp hype?Every training camp has its surprising performers, and this year’s is undrafted rookie cornerback J.C. Jackson. The Maryland product saw plenty of snaps with the starting defense and was active and competitive in team and one-on-one drills. His practice success has not yet led to in-game success, however. Tonight is therefore Jackson’s last chance to show the Patriots and other teams around the league that he is worth a roster spot.Which player or players will you most closely watch during today’s game? Let us know in the comments. When the going gets tough James White Jersey , Tom Brady goes to Rob Gronkowski.The Patriots tight end had only three catches against the Chiefs on Sunday night, but he had big gains on each of the team's final two drives to help New England beat previously undefeated Kansas City 43-40.Gronkowski had a 42-yard catch and run to start a drive with under four minutes left that helped set up a Stephen Gostkowski field goal. Then, after Patrick Mahomes connected with Tyreek Hill on a 75-yard touchdown, Brady found the big tight end for 39 yards to the Kansas City 9.Gostkowski ended it with a 28-yard chip shot."We kept fighting. We stayed strong," Gronkowski said Monday. "It was a great night, a great football game."A five-time Super Bowl champion and three-time NFL MVP, Brady has had no trouble finding receivers in his 18-year career. But Gronkowski is one of his favorites, including 76 TD passes from the Patriots quarterback — nearly twice as many as the next most prolific Brady target."He made a big play. He's been making a lot of those his career Authentic Stephen Gostkowski Jersey ," Brady said. "I'll keep throwing to him in the biggest moments."Gronkowski had one catch in the first quarter and then wasn't targeted again until the fourth as the Chiefs double-covered him for much of the game. But on first and 10 from their own 21 with 3:50 to play, Brady hit Gronkowski for 42 yards to set up a 50-yard field goal that made it 40-33.After Mahomes and Hill tied it, Brady dropped back from the Chiefs 48 and saw his 6-foot-6 tight end running one-on-one with cornerback Josh Shaw. He lofted a long pass into Gronkowski's arms; it took Shaw another 15 yards to bring him down."It was a really good throw," said Patriots receiver Chris Hogan, who had catches of 42 and 19 yards on back-to-back plays during the Patriots' last touchdown drive. "I knew that with Rob being there, he had a really good chance at getting the ball. He ran a great route and set the offense up for a game-winning field goal."With three catches for 97 yards, Gronkowski finished the game with 500 career receptions — just the NFL's 15th tight end to reach the milestone. He did it in 108 games, the fourth-fastest in league history; he also hit the 7 Matthew Slater Jersey Salute to Service ,500 yards receiving mark, the eighth tight end to do so."They just made plays when it came down to it. The quarterback is a damn good player. The tight end is a damn good player," Chiefs cornerback Orlando Scandrick said. "Those guys have been with each other a long time and you can see it. You can see the non-verbal communication. They just made more plays than us tonight. I tip my hat to Tom Brady. I tip my hat to Rob Gronkowski. I tip my hat to Julian Edelman, the whole Patriots football team."

DENVER — In the rubber game of their series Sunday Oren Burks Color Rush Jersey , the Miami Marlins for the third straight game will start a pitcher against the Colorado Rockies who has never taken the mound at Coors Field.

The Marlins’ hope is that left-hander Caleb Smith (5-6, 4.03 ERA) replicates the effort of Trevor Richards and not Wei-Yin Chen.

The latter wasn’t hit hard Friday night but gave up nine hits and seven runs in four innings, and the Rockies romped 11-3. On Saturday, Richards allowed three hits and one run in six innings in Miami’s 6-2 victory.

Smith received a no-decision Monday at San Francisco, allowing four runs and six hits and throwing 88 pitches in four innings in Miami’s 5-4 victory. Smith allowed two hits and one walk in seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts in his only start against the Rockies on April 29 in Miami.

Smith has limited opponents to a .221 average and in 76 innings has allowed 62 hits with 87 strikeouts and 32 walks.

“He’s been pretty good,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of Smith, who turns 27 next month and was acquired in a November deal with the New York Yankees. “He’s been a nice surprise for us. He’s a guy with a lot of swing-and-miss without having huge velocity. But they don’t see the ball that well.

“He’s got a good little breaking ball. He’s got a good changeup. And everything works off his fastball. He’s not really a young, young guy. He’s a guy that’s been a little bit more polished, a guy that we’re really more willing to just keep putting him in there, not worrying about his innings (limit) or things like that. Early in the year, we were trying to find out is he a reliever, is he a starter, but he’s been pretty solid for us out of the rotation.”

German Marquez (5-7, 5.20) will start for the Rockies. He won for the first time in four starts Tuesday against the New York Mets when he gave up four runs in six innings in Colorado’s 10-8 victory. He’s 0-2 with a 5.23 ERA in two starts against the Marlins, including April 28 when he gave up three runs (one earned) in six innings in Colorado’s 4-1 loss.

The Rockies are 7-8 in starts by Marquez, who is 2-4 with a 7.45 ERA in eight starts at Coors Field this season.

The Marlins broke a three-game losing streak Saturday and are 4-4 on a three-city road trip that ends Sunday. They scored at least six runs for the first time in a 10-game span, which they last accomplished June 11 in a 7-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

The Rockies had their four-game winning streak end Saturday as they dropped to 4-2 on a homestand that ends Sunday. Bryan Shaw gave up a grand slam in the seventh inning to J.T. Realmuto, a line drive that just cleared the wall in right field and put the Marlins ahead 6-1.

It was the career-high-tying eighth home run Shaw has allowed this season and the first grand slam he has yielded.

In a major-league leading 41 appearances, Shaw has a 7.57 ERA. He has been scored upon in 11 of his past 16 appearances, a stretch in which he has a 13.15 ERA in 13 innings while allowing 29 hits, including five homers.

A free agent after last season, Shaw signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Rockies Michael Palardy Jersey , who envisioned him working in a setup role. That may be changing.

Scott Obert (back strain) and Mike Dunn (rhomboid strain) are scheduled to make rehab appearances Saturday and Monday and if all goes well, they will join the Rockies on Tuesday in San Francisco and be activated the following day. That would pave the way for Shaw to pitch earlier in the game in lower-leveraged situations.

“We might have to take a step back with Bryan going forward, if we get some of our guys back,” Rockies manager Bud Black said.

DENVER — Two left-handers who have been very successful lately will square off Thursday when Kyle Freeland starts for the Colorado Rockies against Steven Matz of the New York Mets.

The Rockies will be looking to win the four-game series after winning their second straight game over the Mets 10-8 on Wednesday. Colorado will also be trying to avoid a dubious major league record. The Rockies have allowed at least eight runs in each of their past nine home games, tied with the St. Louis Browns in 1894 for the longest such streak.

Freeland (6-6, 3.59 ERA) has made 14 starts, half of which the Rockies have won. He worked a season-high seven innings for the fourth time this season in his last start Saturday at Texas. Freeland allowed two runs in seven innings, ending up with no-decision in Colorado’s 5-2 loss.

In his past 10 starts, Freeland, 25, is 6-3 with a 2.89 ERA and has limited opposing hitters to a .237 average and a .646 OPS in that stretch. He’s 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in two career games (one start) against the Mets. The start was on May 6 at Citi Field this season when Freeland, the winning pitcher, allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts and one walk in Colorado’s 3-2 victory.

In eight starts at Coors Field this season, Freeland is 3-2 with a 2.93 ERA. A Denver native who grew up pitching in the city’s mile-high altitude, Freeland is 9-10 with a 3.52 ERA in 24 career games (21 starts) at Coors Field and has never been fazed by the hitter-friendly ballpark.

“In my mind, it’s baseball,” Freeland said. “You have to make your pitches, no matter where you’re at. Home runs are going to be home runs. People are going to hit good pitches here. People are going to hit bad pitches here. If you don’t execute the pitch and they get whacked out of the park, it’s going to happen here; it’s going to happen at sea level.

“Things can snowball on you quicker here just because of how large our outfield is. But you still have to have that mentality of I can get out of this jam here.”

While winning his last start, Matz (3-4, 3.31) gave up one run in 6 2/3 innings Saturday at Arizona in the Mets’ 5-1 triumph. Matz lost 2-0 to the Rockies at Citi Field on May 5, giving up one run and three hits in six innings. He’s 0-3, 6.50 in four career starts against the Rockies and 0-0 Youth Chris Herndon Jersey , 5.40 in one start at Coors Field.

In his past five starts, Matz, 27, is 2-1 with a 1.88 ERA. During that stretch, Matz has allowed two or fewer runs in four of the five outings, and opposing batters are hitting .208 with a .609 OPS.

“He’s in a good place mentally,” New York pitching coach Dave Eiland said. “He’s in attack mode, where he’s attacking the hitters. Early in the year, he was a little bit unsure of himself, not really trusting his stuff as much. So therefore, he wasn’t in attack mode. And when the first little thing would go wrong … he would kind of lose his concentration, his focus, and it would affect the next few pitches and might make the difference in his outing.

“He’s worked really hard at letting things go that are out of his control and just focusing on things he can control. And once he started doing it, he got back to believing in himself, trusting his stuff, attacking the strike zone, attacking the hitters.”

At this point after nearly a month of superb pitching, Matz has a reservoir of success to draw upon when things do go wrong.

“I’m sure it still eats at him a little bit,” Eiland said, “but he doesn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve, so to speak.”

The New York Giants have started the interview process for their head coaching job by starting with the man who ran the team for the final month of a disastrous season.

Interim coach Steve Spagnuolo was interviewed by new general manager Dave Gettleman Isaac Yiadom Color Rush Jersey , co-owner John Mara and assistant general manager Kevin Abrams Wednesday, three days after the Giants (3-13) ended the season with an 18-10 win over Washington.

Co-owner Steve Tisch will meet with the candidates later in the process.

Spagnuolo posted a 1-3 record after being promoted from defensive coordinator to replace the fired Ben McAdoo on Dec. 4. He has head coaching experience, having guided the St. Louis Rams from 2009-11.

The likable Spagnuolo, who was promised an interview after being the interim coach, has had two tours as Giants defensive coordinator. He held the position in 2007-08 and helped the franchise win a Super Bowl. He returned in 2015 working the first year under Tom Coughlin and being retained by McAdoo.

Spagnuolo also interviewed for the Giants head coaching job when Coughlin was fired. The team decided to go with McAdoo, their offensive coordinator.

Spagnuolo also worked for Philadelphia, New Orleans and Baltimore.

This will be a busy week for the Giants. There are plans to interview Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, Patriots coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia Josey Jewell Color Rush Jersey , Broncos assistant head coach/running backs coach Eric Studesville and Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.

They have asked the Panthers for permission to talk with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, but that cannot happen until Carolina finishes with the playoffs.

Minnesota, New England and Philadelphia have first-round byes this week, while Studesville can talk because Denver did not make the playoffs.

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For the Chicago Cubs, the last few days have felt like Christmas in July.

The team has won five games in a row and will try to stretch it to six on Wednesday afternoon in a Fourth of July matinee.

“Everything is believable,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon told reporters when asked about his team’s recent hot streak. “We believe in everything right now. Santa Claus is absolutely true.

“When you get to that point and you get that kind of confidence, you don’t want to do anything to nick it.”

Chicago (48-35) has climbed 13 games above .500 to match its high-water mark. The Cubs have a chance to set a new high when they host the Detroit Tigers (38-49) in the finale of a two-game series at Wrigley Field.

All of the Cubs’ five wins during the streak have been in come-from-behind fashion.

“One of our concepts is to score first,” Maddon said. “One of our concepts is to win the inning. But I think this is maybe the residue of our starting pitching not being what it probably is. We’ve given up more runs early from our starters that we didn’t anticipate happening.

“But it’s a tightly knit group. They’re there to pick everybody else up. So DaeSean Hamilton Color Rush Jersey , OK, they’ve scored a couple runs. There’s no quit. The chatter in the dugout is great, all that stuff is outstanding. I just think that the come-from-behind component right now is based on our starters not pitching to their capabilities yet.”

That said, the Cubs will look for a solid start from left-hander Jose Quintana (6-6, 4.31 ERA) in his 17th start of the season. The 29-year-old has allowed three earned runs or fewer in nine of his past 12 starts.

In 18 career starts against the Tigers, Quintana is 5-5 with a 4.37 ERA. The Colombia native has walked 26 and struck out 82 in 111 1/3 innings.

The Tigers will counter with veteran left-hander Francisco Liriano (3-4, 3.99 ERA), who is scheduled to make his 13th start of the season. The burly southpaw carries a career record of 105-103 with a 4.14 ERA in 335 career games.

More than a few teams could be scouting the 34-year-old Liriano as the trade deadline approaches. He is coming off a quality start against the Toronto Blue Jays but has not logged a victory since April 17 against the Baltimore Orioles.

In 14 career starts against the Cubs Sylvester Williams Color Rush Jersey , Liriano is 5-4 with a 3.27 ERA. He most recently faced the club in 2016, when he posted an 0-2 record with a 7.63 ERA in three starts with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays.

The Tigers could turn to a six-man rotation in the next couple weeks, which is fine with Liriano.

“I think that would work,” Liriano said recently to mlive.com. “It wouldn’t bother me at all. I don’t know about any other guys. (Blaine) Hardy has been doing a great job, so it’s hard to put him in the bullpen with the way he’s throwing the ball right now. I think that’s a great idea.”

Injured Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (shoulder) is not expected to play Wednesday. He is hitting .280 with nine home runs and 36 RBIs in 66 games this season.

The Los Angeles Angels open a 10-game road trip Monday afternoon with a makeup game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

The game was originally rained out on April 15.

The Angels will continue east afterward and begin a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.

The Royals (25-54) have lost 11 of 12 and 17 of 19.

The Angels (41-37) have lost two straight and trail the Seattle Mariners by six games for the second wild card from the American League.

Los Angeles left-hander Tyler Skaggs is scheduled to start on the mound after he was scratched Thursday against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays because of a sore hamstring.

Skaggs (6-4 Womens Aaron Rodgers Jersey , 2.81 ERA) should have good memories of Kansas City. He threw seven shutout innings in each of his two career appearances against the Royals, both on their home field.

He allowed four hits and matched his career high with nine strikeouts on April 16, 2017, but was matched by Royals starter Ian Kennedy and Kansas City eventually scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to win 1-0.

Skaggs made his first career start in Kansas City in July 2016, which also marked his first major-league game back from Tommy John surgery performed nearly two years earlier. He allowed three hits in the 13-0 win.

The Angels are 6-0 against the Royals this season, but Skaggs has not appeared in any of those games. He last pitched July 15 at the Oakland A’s and did not allow an earned run in seven innings of an 8-4 win.

Skaggs is 3-0 in June with a 0.45 ERA, perhaps his best stretch since undergoing elbow surgery in August 2014.

“With Tyler, we’ve seen a constant growth in confidence,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia told the Los Angeles Times. “This guy’s worked so hard to get back to where he was and even a little above that now.”

Kansas City starter Jakob Junis (5-8, 4.43) has been trending in the opposite direction Authentic Clay Matthews Jersey , losing his past five starts.

He began the season by blanking the Detroit Tigers for seven innings in a 1-0 win on April 3 and doing the same six days later in a 1-0 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Junis then faced the Angels and was knocked out after allowing four runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 5-3 loss in Kansas City, giving up home runs to Luis Valbuena, Justin Upton and Mike Trout.

Junis had allowed 19 home runs entering Sunday, tied for the major-league lead with Bartolo Colon.

“It’s definitely been a struggle for me,” he told reporters after his latest start. “I’ve given up a lot of home runs this year, so I’m very conscious of that. I’m trying to keep it in the ballpark, because when I do, that’s when I have success.”

Junis struggled even worse in his only other appearance against the Angels last June, giving up five runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 9-0 loss in Anaheim.

Billy Hamilton eluded a rundown tag, and the Cincinnati Reds escaped with a victory.

Joey Votto hit a bases-loaded triple in the 10th inning after Hamilton slipped out of a rundown Womens Clay Matthews Jersey , and the Reds beat the Royals 5-1 on Tuesday night.

”Billy showed his athleticism and got out of that jam there and set it up for Joey,” Reds manager Jim Riggleman said.

Hamilton got hung up between third and home when pitcher Kevin McCarthy (4-3) tipped Tucker Barnhart’s line drive with his glove. McCarthy picked up the ball behind the mound and threw home, and Hamilton looked done until he sidestepped Alcides Escobar’s tag and dived back safely into third base to leave the bases loaded with one out.

”I see the guy running back toward third base, I said, `Gimme the ball,”’ Escobar said. ”When I tried to tag him I thought, `Oh my God, where did the guy go?’ That was a great move right there.”

Hamilton’s speed and maneuvering set up the victory.

”That goes down as one of the more crazy things I’ve seen him do,” said Barnhart, who homered in the ninth to tie it.

Royals manager Ned Yost argued with third base ump Jeff Nelson that Hamilton ran out of the base path.

”In their judgment he didn’t leave the baseline Youth Michael Gallup Jersey ,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. ”I said, `In my judgment he did. Can you check with Laz (Diaz, plate umpire)?’ Laz was of the same opinion. You don’t really have much ground there.”

Votto then tripled on a 2-1 count to the right-center wall, and Eugenio Suarez singled home Votto.

”I was looking for a quality pitch that I could put a little air on,” Votto said. ”Can’t hit the ball on the ground there. Can’t hit it too shallow. I got a good pitch and put a good swing on it.”

Dave Hernandez (2-0) hit a batter and struck out two.

Barnhart drove a 2-2 pitch by Kelvin Herrera over the right-field fence into in the Royals’ bullpen to lead off the ninth.

It was Herrera’s second blown save in 16 opportunities.

After Barnhart’s home run, Herrera walked Votto for his first walk of the season in his 27th relief appearance. He also walked Jesse Winker with two outs before retiring Adam Duvall on a groundball to end the inning.

Ian Kennedy, who has won one of his last 27 home starts, pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing three singles. He was removed after 104 pitches and the Royals holding a 1-0 lead.

”I leave it up to the staff to make that decision, not me Youth Dalton Schultz Jersey ,” Kennedy said on coming back for the ninth. ”I kind of felt like Kelvin has been so good this year I imagined that was probably my last inning.”

Kennedy retired 12 straight after navigating his way out of a bases-loaded jam to end the second.

The Reds loaded the bases in the second inning on Scooter Gennett’s leadoff single and walks by Suarez and Duvall. Kennedy got out of that jam when Jose Peraza flied out to center fielder Abraham Almonte, who threw out Gennett attempting to score.

Hunter Dozier led off the fifth with a 425-foot homer to left on a 2-2 pitch by Sal Romano.

That was the only hiccup for Romano. He allowed only three singles outside of Dozier’s home run in eight innings.

The Royals have dropped eight of nine and have lost 22 of 32 home games.

SPELLING LESSON

The Kaufman Stadium scoreboard spelled the opposing team as ”Cincinatti.”

ROSTER MOVES

Royals: RHP Justin Grimm (low back stiffness) was recalled from his minor league injury rehab with Triple-A Omaha and activated. The Royals optioned rookie RHP Trevor Oaks to the Storm Chasers. OF Jorge Bonifacio, who is finishing an 80-game suspension, will begin a minor league rehab assignment Tuesday with Omaha. Major League Baseball suspended Bonifacio for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: RHP Homer Bailey (right knee inflammation) allowed five runs on six hits in three innings in a rehab start Sunday for Triple-A Louisville. All the runs scored in the fifth when Bailey allowed two doubles and a triple. ”I talked to (Louisville bench coach) Dick Schofield and he basically said the first two innings looked good and then he got hit hard,” Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said.

Royals: Jorge Soler (bruised left big toe) returned to the lineup for the first time since Friday.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Tyler Mahle has allowed two earned runs over 10 innings in his first two June starts, going 1-0.

Royals: RHP Jason Hammel is 2-1 with a 2.59 ERA in his past four starts.

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