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more familiar in soccer games played here than in NFL ga
more familiar in soccer games played here than in NFL ga
in Pony-Like Screenshots Wed Mar 20, 2019 7:55 amby corse178 • 1.660 Posts
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Hes baaack.And minus a surprise setback Sunday against Buffalo, its almost like Tom Brady never left.Despite being without their franchise centerpiece for the past month while he served his four-game Deflategate suspension, the New England Patriots welcome Brady back on Monday 3-1 after a 16-0 loss to the Bills.When Brady returns to the Patriots facilities, it will put an official stamp on the 21-month odyssey that has hovered over the franchise since an NFL investigation concluded the Patriots intentionally underinflated footballs used in the AFC Championship game on Jan. 18, 2015.A federal judge initially overturned the suspension, allowing Brady to play last season, but an appeals court reinstated it this spring. Prior to training camp in July, Brady announced he would end his legal challenges and accept the leagues punishment.The NFL won that fight, but with a nearly unblemished start to 2016, the Patriots have barely missed a beat.Thats not to say they havent had their trials. New England won games it wasnt expected to and watched the balance of the AFC East struggle to keep up. It did it all with a roster that has had its issues with health at key positions.As much as the team has rallied behind Brady understudies Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett the past month, there is also no denying the eagerness in the Patriots locker room to see No. 12 back in uniform.Its going to be great, receiver Julian Edelman said. Its one of your best players on the team. A guy that leads us. ... Anytime one of your best players isnt there, theres something missing.The wait is now over.A recap of the Patriots month without Brady:---THE REPLACEMENTS: Neither Garoppolo nor Brissett had made an NFL regular-season start prior to this season. Garoppolo made his debut a memorable one , throwing for 264 yards and a touchdown in New Englands 23-21 road win over the Arizona Cardinals.Garoppolo was having an even better outing against the Miami Dolphins at home the following week, throwing three touchdown passes, before being knocked out of the game in the second quarter after having his right shoulder slammed into the turf. Brissett took over and helped the Patriots hold on for a 31-24 win .With Garoppolos shoulder still sore, Brissett ran for a touchdown the following week in his first career start in a 27-0 win over the Houston Texans. He tweaked his right thumb in the second half but recovered enough to start Sunday against the Bills, which ended in his first career loss.GRONKS SLOW START: Rob Gronkowski hasnt been himself since suffering a hamstring injury late during training camp. He missed the first two games of the season and has played sparingly since. But he finally broke through with his first reception of the season late in Sundays loss. He, too, is looking forward to having Bradys presence back in the huddle. I mean, I dont even have to answer that, Gronkowski said when asked about Bradys impact. Youve got to give hats off to Jacoby going out there. Much respect to him going out there and doing what he did (Sunday) as a rookie, so hats off to our quarterbacks. They did a tremendous job the first four weeks and obviously its exciting to get Tom back.INJURIES: Along with the quarterbacks and Gronk, the Patriots continue to deal with a handful of injuries at key positions. Linebacker Donta Hightower has been slowed by a knee issue, and guard Jonathan Cooper has yet to play because of a foot issue.NINKOVICH RETURNS: Brady isnt the only player the Patriots get back Monday. Defensive end Rob Ninkovich also returns after he received a four-game ban for violating the NFLs policy on performance enhancing substances. But there is still a question of how healthy he is after suffering a triceps injury that sidelined him early during training camp.BLOUNT TO THE RESCUE: Running back LeGarrette Blount was a saving grace for New Englands offense with Brady out. Through three games, he was leading the NFL in rushing with a 99.3 yards per game average. His efforts earned him the AFCs offensive player of the month award for September. He finished with just 54 yards against Buffalo, but should help take the early pressure off Brady as he eases back in.UP NEXT: Bradys first taste of the 2016 regular season will be at Cleveland on Sunday. He returns to Gillette Stadium on Oct. 16 when the Patriots host the Bengals.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower Air Max 90 Günstig Herren . That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected. Air Max 90 Günstig Schweiz . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. http://www.airmax90schweiz.ch/ . Malkin got tangled up with Detroits Luke Glendening early in the third period and his left skate took the brunt of collision with the boards behind Pittsburghs net. Air Max 90 Schweiz . Most important, perhaps, it went off without a hitch. Organizers poked a little fun at the now-infamous opening ceremony gaffe that saw only four out of five snowflakes open up into rings, leaving the Olympics logo one ring short. Günstige Air Max 90 Schweiz . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. MEXICO CITY -- The party in the stands started early in the second NFL regular season game ever played in Mexico with loud cheers and chants from before kickoff until the final whistle. The Oakland offense took a little longer to get going, but once they did Derek Carr and the Raiders came out with yet another win.Carr woke up a struggling offense by throwing two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter as the Raiders capped a successful trip to Mexico with a 27-20 victory over the Houston Texans on Monday night.We got punched in the mouth, Carr said. We werent doing things the way we usually want to do things executing wise. But there was no doubt in anybodys mind that wed come back and win the football game.Oakland had been held to 120 yards through three quarters with the running game going nowhere and Carr finding few open receivers downfield. But that suddenly changed in the fourth quarter to give the Raiders (8-2) their fourth straight win for the first time since 2002 .With star receiver Amari Cooper lined up in the backfield, Carr found fullback Jamize Olawale open for a 75-yard catch and run that tied Houston (6-4) at 20.We felt like that was the momentum shifter, Cooper said.Then Oakland took advantage on two questionable spots by the officials to take over on downs at the 15 and drove 85 yards in five plays to take the lead on a 35-yard pass to Cooper to send the Texans to their fourth loss in five games outside of Houston.Very tough loss, defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney said. We should have won the game, we are trying to win every game. You dont leave the game in the refs hands.That set off loud celebrations from the pro-Raiders crowd of 76,743 in the second regular season game ever played in Mexico. What was originally scheduled as an Oakland home game featured Raiders music during stoppages, Tommie Smith lighting the Al Davis torch in a memorable return to Mexico City nearly a half-century after his Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics and frequent RAI-DERS! chants.While the atmosphere was electric, the field was a bit slippery leading to some falls and the high elevation 7,380 feet above sea level played a factor. The Raiders needed to use a timeout on defennse at one point in the fourth to catch their breath and receiver Michael Crabtree was seen gasping for breath at one point.ddddddddddddTo be able to play here was amazing, Carr said. Theres so much history, so much rowdiness. I love soccer and it gave me a kind of soccer feel.CLOSE SPOTS: The Texans were upset on two spots on the fourth-quarter drive before Oakland went ahead. On third-and-2, Lamar Miller was stopped just short of the first down even though Houston believed he got it. Coach Bill OBrien went for it on fourth down but Akeem Hunt was stopped about an inch short on fourth down and the play stood after a replay challenge.LASER SHOW: Houston QB Brock Osweiler had to deal with an unusual distraction during the game as a fan with a green laser frequently shined it on the Houston quarterback as he dropped back to pass in an act more familiar in soccer games played here than in NFL games. That wasnt the only soccer tradition imported for this game. Fans also used a homophobic chant on kickoffs. Mexicos soccer federation has been punished by FIFA in the past for the chant during World Cup qualifiers. Fans threw paper airplanes on the field in the third quarter with Oaklands Sean Smith taking a turn throwing one that reached the field during a break.STREAK BROKEN: Carr had thrown 170 straight passes without an interception before getting picked by A.J. Bouye on a deep ball on the first play from scrimmage in the second half. It was Carrs fourth interception of the season and the first since Kansas Citys Marcus Peters got one Oct. 16.INTERNATIONAL SCORER: With his extra point in the second quarter, Oaklands Sebastian Janikowski scored a point in his third country, having previously done it in the United States and United Kingdom. Joe Nedney is the only other player to score in Mexico, the U.S. and the U.K. Five other players have scored in Canada, the U.K. and the U.S.: running back Steven Jackson and kickers Robbie Gould, Matt Bryant, Dan Carpenter and Jay Feely.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '
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