Cam Newton took some heat from critics when he ripped into game officials two weeks ago after Carolinas 30-20 win over Arizona, saying he didnt feel protected in the pocket.Kansas Citys Alex Smith, another mobile quarterback, says he understands Newtons point.He certainly has merit in that argument that I have seen in that they were blows to the head, helmet to helmet, Smith says. Its hard to say, I dont know thats similar across the league or if hes certainly at a disadvantage being so big. Hes such a good runner that all of a sudden hes not getting the calls.I probably havent studied enough on that. In terms of the hits Ive seen in the pocket, he very well could have had a flag thrown.Smith says he wants players and officials to be held accountable.Obviously players get held accountable for things that happen on game day. I think guys just want to see that across the board. They want referees included, Smith adds. Those guys out there, there needs to be some accountability on that. I think everyone wants to be treated the same. If some quarterbacks are getting afforded certain protection, that needs to be across the board, regardless of how big you are, how mobile you are. It needs to get called consistently.Obviously nobody is perfect, Im not saying that. There is going to be some human error, but certainly you want to see it get called consistently.---THE LONG VIEW: Minnesota Vikings left guard Alex Boone was sidelined last week against Detroit because of a concussion, a first for his eight-year NFL career. Hed only missed four games to injury before, all because of knee trouble. Boone has since passed the post-concussion testing, cleared to take the field for practice on Wednesday.He has returned with some deeper perspective, as well as better equipment. Boones wife and oldest child urged him to ditch the helmet hed been wearing for years, the oldest model left in the league, he estimated.They dont want to wheel me around when Im 35, so I will be trying a new helmet this week and probably from here on out, he says, reflecting on his old helmet like a little kids security blanket. Ive always loved it, and now Im going to have to upgrade to one of these new fancy things that Im not happy about.Boone predictably found the concussion protocol annoying, complaining about the time he had to spent sitting in front of a computer answering questions to prove his mental acuity was back to normal. But he recognized the seriousness of the injury.This is a brutal game, and sometimes you get hit in the head and things go wrong, Boone said. I have kids, and the last thing I want is to have them take care of me at 35. Its hard because I want to play and I want to do everything, but at the same time its serious and Ive got to be a dad at the same time.---COLLEGE HONOR FOR RYAN: Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan will have his No. 12 Boston College jersey retired on Nov. 19 when the Eagles play UConn. The Falcons are off next week, so Ryan will be free to attend the event.Im looking forward to that, Ryan says. It will be a fun weekend to get together with my college friends and college teammates as well as family up there. To see so many people who have impacted my life on such a huge scale and really helped me to become both the player and the person that I am.Ryan led Boston College to 25 wins in 32 starts, including three bowl victories, from 2005-07. He was the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year in 2007, when he led the Eagles to the ACCs Atlantic Division championship.---OLD MAN WITH FRESH LEGS: Darren Sproles has become Philadelphias No. 1 running back at age 33.The versatile veteran is an excellent punt returner and has been used mostly as a situational player throughout his career with the Chargers, Saints and Eagles. But Sproles has played at least 80 percent of the snaps in the last two games and has 36 offensive touches.Meanwhile, Ryan Mathews has just eight snaps and 10 touches in those games after starting the season as the featured back.The Eagles also rotate rookie Wendell Smallwood and Kenjon Barner. Sproles blocking ability and skills as a receiver give him the nod, despite his age.Against Dallas, Darren was obviously the hot hand at the time, and we just kept feeding Darren, keeping him going, and same thing (against the Giants), coach Doug Pederson says.Sproles is averaging 4.8 yards per carry, a full yard more than Mathews. He also has 25 catches for 241 yards, including a 73-yard TD.Mathews twice ran for 1,000 yards and went to one Pro Bowl while in San Diego. He leads the team with five rushing TDs, but also has two fourth-quarter fumbles, including one that led to a 24-23 loss at Detroit.---SIEMIANS SHOULDER: Denver Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian has been dealing with a sprained left A.C. joint since getting flung to the ground by Tampa Bay defensive tackle Clinton McDonald on Oct. 2. The size of the large bump on his left clavicle has become a grotesque barometer as to how many times hes been hit on any given week.Im fine. At this point everybody is dealing with their own little bumps and bruises, but Im fine and Ill be ready to go Sunday, Siemian says as he prepares to face the Saints this weekend.Asked what types of hits hurt his shoulder the most, Siemian shows hes not hurting enough to quash his sense of humor: The hard ones, the really hard ones.Its weird, youll get hit sometimes and youll feel good, and then sometimes you say to yourself, That kind of hurt, but thats part of the deal.---TRUE COLORS? Dallas linebacker Sean Lee is going home to Pittsburgh and will face the Steelers for the first time. He says there are likely to be more than 30 family members and friends there.The former Penn State standout wont pretend that theyre all big Cowboys fans, though. The black and gold runs too deep.I bet you theres some friends who will have a 50 jersey on and underneath it theyll have a Steelers jersey, Steelers colors, theyll be rubbing on it during the game, says Lee, the leading tackler for the Cowboys. They wont say it to my face, but behind the scenes itll be tough for them to root for the Cowboys.Lee understands, because there wasnt a bigger fan when he was a kid. Terrible Towel. Steelers jacket.He wasnt alive when the Steelers won four Super Bowls in the 1970s and in 1980, including a pair of wins over the Cowboys. But he still had a Steel Curtain poster and a picture of Jack Lambert on the wall of his bedroom. Most of his favorite players came from the 1990s: linebackers (of course) Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene, defensive back Carnell Lake.I was that kid who was bringing the Here We Go Steelers fight song to recess, playing it over and over again back in third grade, says Lee, referring to the 1995 season, when the Cowboys beat the Steelers in the Super Bowl. Its like here in Dallas. You grow up in Pittsburgh, youve got to be a Steelers fan.---AP Pro Football Writers Barry Wilner, Rob Maaddi, Dave Campbell and Arnie Stapleton, and Sports Writers Schuyler Dixon, Charles Odum and Steve Reed contributed.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Wholesale Pirates Jerseys . The injury bothered Bledsoe in the Suns victory over the Clippers on Monday and he sat out the teams home loss to Memphis on Thursday night. Dave Parker Jersey . Mickelson barely made the cut but had the best round of the day with nine birdies and an eagle coupled with two bogeys to sit two shots behind leader Craig Lee of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total. "I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi," Mickelson said. http://www.cheappiratesjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-sean-rodriguez-jersey . Its the second straight game Bell has scored in extra time for Kelowna, which beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 6-5 on Friday, and he now has four game-winning goals on the season. Starling Marte Jersey . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars. Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic . LOUIS -- Attorneys for the St. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Thomas Davis knows his window to win a Super Bowl is closing fast.That doesnt bother the Panthers 33-year-old All-Pro linebacker as much as the fear of not being able to make good on a promise to team owner Jerry Richardson.At this point, its really not about me anymore, Davis said of winning a Super Bowl. My goal and my whole reasoning for playing as hard as I can right now -- knowing that when you get to 12 years (in the league) time is starting to wind down -- is I want to put a Super Bowl ring on Mr. Richardsons finger.The promise stems from the loyalty Richardson showed Davis after he tore the ACL in his knee for the third time in two years back in 2011.Rather than release Davis, who was due an $8 million option that offseason, Richardson met with the former Georgia Bulldogs All-American in his office and asked him to return -- a seemingly generous gesture considering no NFL player had ever returned from three torn ACLs in the same knee.The Panthers restructured Davis deal and hes been rewarding them ever since.Davis has put together four outstanding seasons, helping the Panthers finish in the top 10 in defense every year. Along with earning his first All-Pro selection last year, hes also been an ambassador for the team, winning the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2014 and number of other awards for his community service.But his primary goal is to repay Richardson with the owners first Super Bowl since bringing the NFL to the Carolinas in 1995.That was the promise I made to him, Davis said, becoming emotional as he spoke. Im trying to stay true to that promise.Thats one of the reasons Davis didnt hesitate to play in the Super Bowl last year after breaking his forearm in the NFC championship game. Davis didnt complain about having 12 screws and a metal plate surgically inserted into his arm just 13 days before the game.Davis not only played in Super Bowl 50 but had five tackles and handed out some vicious hits, although the Panthers lost the game 24-10 to the Denver Broncos.ddddddddddddHe has said the loss has only bolstered his desire to get back.The highly regarded Panthers begin their season Thursday night with a rematch against the Broncos in Denver.Knowing he was that person that believed in me, that said he would give me another shot after everything I went through personally, its definitely something I want to be a part of, Davis said of Richardson.While Davis wants to win a ring for the teams owner -- who declined comment for this story through the teams public relations staff -- the linebackers teammates want to win one for him.Davis is as well respected in the Panthers locker room as any player who has put on the pads in the franchises 22-year history.You look at what Thomas has done for the Carolina Panthers fighting through the knees and with his work in the community, I think getting him a ring would be a final stamp on his resume, linebacker Luke Kuechly said. Hes been All-Pro, been to the Pro Bowl, won Walter Payton Man of the Year and all sorts of awards I cant even name. ... If you look at what the Panthers embody, its Thomas Davis. He fights, he leads and does everything the right way.Then Kuechly smiled and said, I would never say all of this nice stuff in front of him, but hes one of my best buds.Davis feels the same way about Richardson, a former player who brought football to the Carolinas but has never won the games ultimate prize.When you look at Mr. Richardson and what hes been and what hes done for me as a player, I mean, (a Super Bowl ring) is the only thing he doesnt have, Davis said.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow AP Sports Writer Steve Reed on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SteveReedAP ' ' '