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The Titans quarterback is hoping heavier equals healthier."In a recent interview with the Honolulu Star Advertiser Jack Conklin Jersey , Marcus Mariota told reporters that he plans to add some weight in an attempt to stay healthier in 2019.I have long been a proponent of Marcus Mariota playing heavier. He weighed in at 6’-4” tall and 222 pounds at the 2015 combine shortly before the Titans made him the second overall pick in the draft and he played at 220 pounds for most of his rookie season according to this interview with Terry McCormick from 2016. After missing time due to two separate knee injuries in 2015, he added some weight and checked in at 225 pounds for most of the 2016 season. That year was both the healthiest and most productive of his career. He started 15 games and largely avoided the bumps and bruises and sprains that have kept him less than 100% for much of his career before the gruesome fractured leg in Week 16 — there is no playing weight that will save you from a 300-plus pound man falling on your leg from behind — and it showed in his play on the field. He put up 26 touchdowns through the air and 2 more on the ground while also setting career highs in passer rating, passing yards, QBR, and ANY/A. The Titans offense hummed to a 9th place finish in Football Outsiders Offensive DVOA.Before the 2017 season, Mariota’s trainer caused somewhat of a stir when he told 104.5 The Zone’s Midday 180 that the quarterback was going to report at 215 pounds, 10 to 15 pounds lighter than the team’s desired weight. Obviously, things didn’t work out that way. A non-contact hamstring injury on a touchdown run against the Texans in Week 4 cost him one start and severely hampered him in at least two others. A shoulder injury against the Bengals and a sprained knee against the Cardinals would follow later in the season. While the latter two injuries didn’t cost him any playing time Delanie Walker Jersey , it clearly affected his level of play.Mariota played at 215 pounds again in 2018 and got similar results. The nerve issues that plagued the majority of last season have been public knowledge, but Paul Kuharsky reported this morning that the former Oregon star was dealing with several other serious injuries throughout the season.Obviously, 10 to 15 pounds of muscle isn’t going to solve all of these issues, but it also can’t be ignored that the best and healthiest season of Mariota’s career to this point coincided with his heaviest playing weight. Being fast and quick is great, but frankly, that is also part of Mariota’s problem. He too often believes he can by extra time with his legs and that puts him in harm’s way. There is no doubt that 2019 will be a key season for Mariota’s future with the Titans. A healthy, productive season could have a big money contract extension waiting at the end of it. Another injury riddled, struggling season might lead to a permanent replacement being added to the roster. The stakes are high and it’s good to see that Mariota is taking a different approach this offseason. It wasn’t pretty for most of the day LeShaun Sims Jersey , but it was dominant. The Titans absolutely crushed the New York Giants for their third straight win. Winning keeps the Titans playoff hopes alive, they just need to win against Washington, and then again at home against Andrew Luck and the Colts. Derrick Henry continues to show he deserves the workload, with 170 yards against the Giants. You wonder if this kind of formula would have produced a win against the Bills or if running Henry from the 1 would have been a TD against the Texans or a successful 2 pt try against the Chargers. A lot of what ifs, but the important thing is we are still in the hunt. The defense got the first shutout since 2000. Very impressive against an offense with a lot of playmakers. The Titans also did a ridiculously good job on Saquon Barkley.After clinching the game, the Titan defense did the best celly of the year, a throwback to “Remember the Titans.”

SANTA CLARA Womens Fred Warner Jersey , Calif. (AP) — All the optimism the San Francisco 49ers had coming into the season crumpled less than a month into the campaign when quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo blew out his knee.Talk of a playoff run and a return to the upper echelon of the NFC was put on hold for yet another year as the 49ers were headed to a fourth straight losing season instead.Despite the injuries to Garoppolo and projected starting running back Jerick McKinnon, coach Kyle Shanahan said he believed the Niners should have done better than finish 4-12, a drop of two wins from his first season in San Francisco.“I look at this year and we went through some tough things this year,” Shanahan said. “I look back on it and with the stuff we went through, are you going to have a great record? You have a chance to. But, odds are it’s going to be tough. We only won four games. I’m not happy with that despite what’s happened. I believe specifically going through the games and everything, I think we should have won seven. So, I’m down about that.”The 49ers hope the experience the young players got, plus the expected returns of Garoppolo and McKinnon next season, will be enough for the franchise to end a stretch of losing that began when Jim Harbaugh was forced out as coach following the 2014 season. San Francisco has lost 47 games since Harbaugh left, tied for the worst four-year stretch in franchise history.The one possible bright spot is that run of ineptitude from 1977-80 led to a Super Bowl title the following season. Whether the Niners have enough pieces in place even to be a playoff team next year remains in question.“It’s hard to say,” cornerback Richard Sherman said. “It’s hard to tell without your guys out there. Without Jimmy G, you got your franchise quarterback you lose, what, three games into the season. You lose the running back you just paid, no games into the season. Your starting receivers get banged-up. You lose a safety a game almost every game all the way up until the 10th, 11th game. I think it will be tough to know how good we’ll be until we have a consistent unit out there and show some continuity.”As much as the season-ending knee injuries to Garoppolo and McKinnon in September set San Francisco back, there were plenty of other issues on the team that need to be fixed if the Niners are to have any success in 2019.The defense set an NFL record for futility with just seven takeaways, including a record-low two interceptions. The defensive members of the 2017 draft class expected to be building blocks provided little impact, with first-round lineman Solomon Thomas getting only one sack, first-round linebacker Reuben Foster getting released after another arrest, and third-round cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon struggling.Those problems overshadowed the few highlights: a blowout win in the final Battle of the Bay against the Raiders; a home win against Seattle in December that snapped a 10-game losing streak to the Seahawks.“We’re not going to sit here and say anything too positive about this season,” said left tackle Joe Staley, one of the only remaining ties to the winning teams under Harbaugh from 2011-13. “It’s kind of been a downer for everybody. But the thing I am proud of is we’ve been out of it for a little bit, but we keep fighting every single week and the guys still show up. … I’m proud of the effort of the guys. But at the end of the day, it’s not an effort business. It’s a results business.”The 49ers will need to get results in 2019 in the third year under Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.The duo has provided strong leadership and Shanahan has proven to be a top play caller Bradley Pinion Jersey , as evidenced by the success he had late in the season with undrafted free agent Nick Mullens at quarterback.The hope is the offense will be even more dynamic with a full season of Garoppolo at quarterback, the speedy McKinnon at running back after missing the entire season with a knee injury, and big-play tight end George Kittle, who set a record at the position with 1,377 yards receiving for the season.But questions remain about Garoppolo, who was given a $137.5 million, five-year contract last offseason after leading the Niners to a 5-0 record as starter at the end of 2017.Garoppolo wasn’t nearly as efficient in his two-plus games this season before the injury. He threw three interceptions in an opening loss at Minnesota, took six sacks the following week in a win against Detroit, then fell behind 35-7 the following week at Kansas City before eventually going down with the torn knee ligament.But the Niners are counting on Garoppolo to be a difference maker in 2019.“We put more pressure on ourselves than anyone,” Garoppolo said. “All that’s just hearsay and stuff. We went through a whole offseason of that last year, so we’re prepared for that. We just have to keep getting better as a team, coming together, getting together in the offseason and working. That will help us going forward.” The San Francisco 49ers have two open roster spots, and they will be filling them with a pair of roster moves in advance of Thursday Night Football. The team is activating veteran linebacker Dekoda Watson from the injured reserve list and promoting cornerback Emmanuel Moseley from the practice squad, according to Matt Maiocco.The team is also expected to activate strong safety Marcel Harris from the NFI list, per Ian Rapoport. If they make that move as well, they would need to waive somebody from the current roster. The team has until 1 p.m. PT to make the decision.Watson is likely to move into the starting lineup at the SAM linebacker spot. Malcolm Smith has been filling that role, but he will likely move to weak side linebacker in light of Reuben Foster’s hamstring injury. Elijah Lee could fill in as well, but the 49ers will likely keep him primarily as a special teams option.The decision to promote Moseley means we should probably keep an eye out for Richard Sherman’s status this afternoon. The team will announce inactives 90 minutes before kickoff, and Sherman is listed as questionable with calf and heel issues.Harris would provide depth at strong safety, where the team is dealing with a host of injuries. Jaquiski Tartt (shoulder) and Antone Exum (concussion) have both been ruled out for Week 9. Tyvis Powell is likely to get the start at strong safety, but if activated, Harris could see some time as well. At the very least, Harris would get work on special teams.

On the eve of free agency http://www.officialhurricanes.com/authentic-adidas-andrei-svechnikov-jersey , John Tavares is leaving the NHL guessing about his destination.With less than 12 hours until the market opens, the elite center had not chosen between six suitors, with the San Jose Sharks, hometown Toronto Maple Leafs and incumbent New York Islanders considered the most likely options. Returning to the Islanders looks less likely now after the midnight deadline passed for Tavares to get an eight-year contract from his current team.The Tavares sweepstakes dragging on into Sunday seems to favor San Jose and Toronto, either of which could sign the 27-year-old to a seven-year deal worth $70 million or more. He met this week with the Sharks, Maple Leafs, Islanders, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning, and his decision could drastically affect the plans of those teams and others.”I think other teams have admitted, we would have to make moves (to clear salary-cap space),” Bruins general manager Don Sweeny told reporters in Boston on Friday. ”Pretty confident we’d be able to do that.”As hockey waited for the Tavares watch to end, several teams made moves Saturday ahead of the frenzy.The Sharks agreed to a $64 million, eight-year extension with forward Logan Couture Brock McGinn Jersey Kids , according to a person familiar with the contract who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been announced. It can’t become official until after noon Sunday because it doesn’t begin until the 2019-20 season – the same as long-term deals the Los Angeles Kings have with Drew Doughty and Arizona Coyotes have with Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Niklas Hjalmarsson.Detroit got its own defenseman under contract for the next two seasons by agreeing to deal with Mike Green that pays him $5,375,000 annually. Signing Green could be just the start of the action for the Red Wings, who have been linked to unrestricted free agent goaltender Jonathan Bernier and winger Thomas Vanek.New Jersey also shored up its goaltending situation by re-signing Eddie Lack to a $650,000, one-year deal. The Devils also have Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid, who split time last season and in the playoffs.A person with direct knowledge of discussions said the Buffalo Sabres are expected to sign goalie Carter Hutton, who had been the St. Louis Blues’ backup to Jake Allen. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because agreements cannot be announced until the signing period begins.Hutton and others seem to already be ticketed for certain places, but many big-name players are still up for grabs.Maple Leafs winger James van Riemsdyk, who tied Tavares with 36 goals last season, has been drawing significant interest and, at 29, could easily command a seven-year contract at a substantial raise over his previous $4.25 million salary. The Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights have cap space but might lose wingers David Perron and James Neal, who combined for 110 points last season.The Winnipeg Jets are doing their best to try to bring back center Paul Stastny after he was so instrumental in their playoff run. They cleared about $5.5 million in cap space by trading goaltender Steve Mason and Finnish forward Joel Armia to Montreal on Saturday but may still need more room to bring back the 32-year-old.The Canadiens are set to buy out Mason Authentic Jaccob Slavin Jersey , putting him on unconditional waivers as the Minnesota Wild did with forward Tyler Ennis to clear cap space.Stastny fit in seamlessly after Winnipeg acquired him from St. Louis at the trade deadline but also might be better served waiting to see what Tavares does. Teams looking for a center who don’t land Tavares will look to Stastny and Toronto’s Tyler Bozak and could look into a trade for Buffalo’s Ryan O’Reilly, who is signed for the next five years and owed a $7.5 million bonus Sunday.—AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow in San Jose, California, contributed to this report. TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — NHL scoring leader Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist to help the Tampa Bay Lightning earn their 50th victory of the season in their 66th game by beating the Ottawa Senators 5-1 on Saturday night, tying the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings as the fastest teams in NHL history to reach the mark.The Lightning got goals from four defensemen — Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, Erik Cernak and Mikhail Sergachev — and set a franchise record with nine points overall from the defense.Kucherov reached 75 assists on the season to become the first player since Vancouver’s Henrik Sedin in 2010-11 to record at least that many in a season.Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 36 shots for his 30th victory.Anthony Duclair scored the lone goal for the Senators, who lost their seventh consecutive game a day after firing coach Guy Boucher and replacing him with Marc Crawford on an interim basis. Craig Anderson finished with 29 saves.HURRICANES 4, PANTHERS 3, OTSUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Sebastian Aho scored at 1:46 of overtime and Carolina beat Florida for its fifth straight win.Aho tipped in the puck from the edge of the crease for his team-leading 27th goal.Brett Pesce, Greg McKegg and Brock McGinn also scored for the Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek stopped 31 shots, including three breakaways in overtime.Henrik Borgstrom had two goals and an assist Jeff Skinner Jersey , and Mark Pysyk also scored for the Panthers. Sam Montembeault made 22 saves in his NHL debut.BRUINS 1, DEVILS 0BOSTON (AP) — Brad Marchand scored a power-play goal early in the opening period and Tuukka Rask made it stand up with 20 saves for his third shutout of the season.The victory improved the Bruins‘ streak of at least one point in every game to 16 straight (12-0-4) and they haven’t lost in regulation since a 3-2 setback to the New York Rangers on Jan. 19. It’s their longest since 18 games (14-0-4) last season.Rask is 14-0-3 in his last 17 starts.Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 29 shots for the Devils, including Marchand’s penalty shot. New Jersey has lost five of seven.OILERS 4, BLUE JACKETS 0COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists, Mikko Koskinen made 30 saves and Edmonton used a three-goal second period to pull away from Columbus.Koskinen improved to 18-15-4 with his fourth career shutout — all this season.Zack Kassian and Alex Chiasson also scored for the Oilers, who are 4-1-1 in their last six after a five-game losing streak. Connor McDavid had three assists.Sergei Bobrovsky had 15 saves for Columbus before being pulled after two periods. Joonas Korpisalo stopped the five shots he faced.KINGS 6, BLACKHAWKS 3LOS ANGELES (AP) — Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist, and Los Angeles stopped a 10-game losing streak.Dustin Brown scored twice for the Kings, who avoided tying the longest losing streak in team history, an 11-game slide from March 16-April 4, 2004. Ilya Kovalchuk and Brendan Leipsic each had a goal and an assist, and Sean Walker scored a power-play goal. Jonathan Quick made 29 saves.Brendan Perlini scored twice for the Blackhawks, who have dropped three of four. Corey Crawford made 19 saves.MAPLE LEAFS 5 http://www.officialhurricanes.com/authentic-adidas-jordan-staal-jersey , SABRES 2TORONTO (AP) — John Tavares had a goal and two assists, leading Toronto past Buffalo.Mitch Marner also had a goal and two assists, and Morgan Rielly, Nic Petan and Nikita Zaitsev each scored as the Maple Leafs won for the fourth time in five games. Frederik Andersen made 35 saves.Jason Pominville and Conor Sheary scored for Buffalo, and Linus Ullmark stopped 27 shots.PENGUINS 5, CANADIENS 1MONTREAL (AP) — Jake Guentzel scored two goals and had two assists and Sidney Crosby had a goal and three assists to lead Pittsburgh.Evgeni Malkin and Jared McCann also scored for Pittsburgh, and Matt Murray stopped 36 of 37 shots.Brendan Gallagher scored the only goal for the Canadiens. Carey Price gave up four goals on 24 shots and remained one victory away from tying Jacques Plante’s franchise record with 314.COYOTES 3, RED WINGS 1GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Vinnie Hinostroza each had a goal and assist, and Arizona won its sixth straight.The Coyotes have won six in a row for the first time since Feb. 16-28, 2012, and are in contention for a Western Conference wild-card spot with 17 games left in the regular season.Josh Archibald added his 10th goal of the season for Arizona, and Darcy Kuemper stopped 22 shots for his seventh straight win.Dylan Larkin scored for Detroit, which has lost five straight. Jimmy Howard finished with 41 saves.STARS 4 Womens Justin Faulk Jersey , BLUES 1ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jamie Benn had three goals for his fifth career hat trick, and Dallas beat St. Louis.John Klingberg had a goal and an assist, and St. Louis native Ben Bishop made 29 saves as the Stars improved to 3-1 this season and 6-1-0 in their last seven games against the Blues. Dallas has won three of its last four and pulled three points behind St. Louis for third place in the Central Division.Alex Pietrangelo scored for the Blues, who snapped a seven-game home winning streak. Jordan Binnington had 17 saves while falling to 15-3-1 in 19 career starts.WILD 4, FLAMES 2CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Devan Dubnyk made 35 saves, and Minnesota beat Calgary on the night the Flames retired Jarome Iginla’s number.Matt Read put the Wild ahead to stay in the third period by deflecting a puck off the skate of Calgary’s Mark Jankowski and past goaltender Mike Smith.Eric Staal, Ryan Suter and Ryan Donato also scored for Minnesota, which won its fifth straight.Sean Monahan and Travis Hamonic scored for Calgary, which had its seven-game winning streak halted.The Flames raised Iginla’s No. 12 to the rafters in a pre-game ceremony that lasted nearly an hour.

BOSTON (AP) — Fatigue has become the biggest threat to the Boston Bruins‘ impressive points streak. They found a way to fight through it for the second time this week.Patrice Bergeron scored twice Womens Will Butcher Jersey , including the winner with 7.2 seconds remaining as the Bruins came from two goals down to beat the Florida Panthers 4-3 Thursday night, pushing their points streak to a league-best 18 games.Boston also trailed by two in Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime win against Carolina before finding itself in the same situation versus Florida. This time, the Bruins needed two goals in the final minute to preserve the streak.“I felt like we were tired tonight, especially early on,” Bergeron said. “I can’t say that I knew all along we had it. Obviously it wasn’t our best game by any means or (a) perfect game, but it’s obviously the resiliency that you want to see.”Brad Marchand won a battle in the corner and shuffled the puck to Bergeron, who fired a wrist shot from the left circle past screened Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo to cap the Bruins’ improbable comeback.David Krejci and Matt Grzelcyk also scored for the Bruins, who are 14-0-4 during their points streak. It matched its second-longest points streak in team history after a similar run last season and 15-0-3 mark in the 1940-41 season. Tuukka Rask made 22 saves to extend his personal points streak to 18 games (15-0-3).“(We’re a) special group, for sure. It’s in our DNA now that we just don’t give up,” Rask said. “We go about our business and just battle ’till the end. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn’t.”Jonathan Huberdeau scored twice and Aleksander Barkov also had a goal for the Panthers, who lost their sixth straight (0-2-4). Luongo finished with 24 saves.“It’s the most disappointing loss this year I think the way and the fashion it happened,” Florida coach Bob Boughner said. “No one has beaten this team in regulation in 17 games, now 18. I feel we should’ve been that team and all that was taken away in less than a couple minutes. It hurts.”Boston fell behind 3-2 with 9:08 remaining when Huberdeau charged into the Bruins’ zone and skated around Zdeno Chara before executing a nifty spin move in the right circle and slinging the puck past Rask for his second goal.Grzelcyk pulled Boston even on his one-timer near the blue line on a power play with 36.5 seconds to play before Bergeron won it.“We were 30 seconds away from a perfect, 60-minute game,” Barkov said. “We came here and wanted to end (their streak) and get the win and move forward. But then those last 30 seconds, they hurt a lot.”The Panthers grabbed a 2-0 lead with a pair of power-play goals early in the second.Less than 30 seconds after Brandon Carlo was whistled for tripping, Barkov tipped in Keith Yandle’s straightaway shot after Huberdeau corralled the puck along the boards and set him up to make it 1-0 at 2:48. It was Barkov’s 29th goal, moving him one behind team leader Mike Hoffman.Huberdeau batted a puck out of midair in the slot for Florida’s second tally nearly four minutes later and 30 seconds into Chara’s delay of game penalty. The goal was upheld after a brief review for high-sticking.Krejci polished off a give-and-go for Boston with 9:31 left in the second. The Bruins’ alternate captain struggled to get a handle on Danton Heinen’s return feed through the slot, but still got enough on the shot to beat a sprawling Luongo.Boston capitalized on a Panthers giveaway for a short-handed goal as Bergeron scored on a wrister behind the left circle with 11:10 remaining to tie it at 2.NOTES: Florida beat Boston 5-0 at home in their first meeting this season Dec. 4. … With two points, Barkov joined Olli Jokinen and Pavel Bure as the only players in Panthers history to record consecutive 70-point seasons. … Yandle played in his 782nd consecutive game http://www.officialislanders.com/authentic-adidas-adam-pelech-jersey , tops among active players. … Bruins LW Jake DeBrusk was scratched with a lower-body injury, forcing the team to recall C Karson Kuhlman from Providence of the AHL on an emergency basis. DeBrusk assisted on Krejci’s OT winner Tuesday against Carolina. … Boston C Sean Kuraly returned after missing two games with a concussion. … Bruins LW Marcus Johansson will be re-evaluated in a week after being hospitalized with a lung contusion he suffered against the Hurricanes. … Florida concludes its 15th back-to-back of the season Friday against Minnesota. The Panthers are 7-3-4 in the second game of back-to-backs in 2018-19.UP NEXTPanthers: Host Minnesota on Friday night.Bruins: Host Ottawa on Saturday night.__ LAS VEGAS (AP) Marc-Andre Fleury never believed the expansion Vegas Golden Knights were a team built just for the future, and that losing would be acceptable because it was the inaugural season.On Sept. 13, the three-time Stanley Cup goaltender said: ”It’s not something I accept. Every guy here wants to win. We know where we’re at, we won’t accept losing. We’re looking at winning some games.”With help from Fleury, the Golden Knights did a lot more than win some games. They’re one of the most successful expansion teams ever. In any sport.”It’s a good thing it worked out, so I don’t look like a fool,” Fleury said Friday about his bold preseason statement.”Every guy here has a lot of pride in the way we play, the way we look at ourselves as a team every night. We all have pride in winning and I think it’s shown throughout the season, and in the (first round of the) playoffs, too.”Fleury dominated the Los Angeles Kings in the first round. The Golden Knights became just the sixth team to allow three or fewer goals in a playoff series going back to 1980.With an 0.65 goals-against average Fleury joined a short list of goalies since 1967-68 who have won all four games of a playoff series and kept their GAA to 0.70 or fewer.Same ole Fleury, different team.”We played some very sound hockey and when we didn’t, when we were having a bad period or a bad stretch, goaltending was there to help us stabilize,” Vegas general manager George McPhee said. ”And that’s why he’s here, that’s what he gets paid to do and he does it very well.”Next up: the San Jose Sharks.After fans watched a stellar goaltending matchup between Fleury and Kings’ Jonathan Quick, the 14-year veteran faces a San Jose team that had goalie Martin Jones stop 128 of 132 shots in a sweep of the Anaheim Ducks.”Their goalie is very good; their defensemen also contribute to their attacks, they’re a quicker team than L.A. I think they’ll create more offensively,” Fleury said. ”It’ll be a little more fast pace and a little more open hockey, they’ll be a little more up and down.”Fleury will prepare with a meticulous approach and tranquil execution that impresses teammates.”His calmness in the net is unbelievable,” defenseman Shea Theodore said. ”When you’re having little chit chats on the ice and you’ve been hemmed in and they’ve had five or six or seven Grade A chances and he’s been flopping around Anders Lee Jersey , you go to talk to him. . He’s just so calm and so patient in the net, I feel it definitely calms our group down.”Forward Cody Eakin said Fleury always lets his teammates know he is aware of their play.”It’s just a huge part of his game, tracking pucks, being sharp, or knowing what’s going on around him – he’s phenomenal at that,” Eakin said. ”It gives you confidence when he’s talking to you, or you can talk to him, or skate by and give him a wink. He’s pretty amazing.”Amazing, like the Golden Knights’ improbable season. And Fleury said they’re just getting started.”We’re not done here,” he said, ”hopefully we have a long way to go.”STATWATCH: Fleury stopped 127 of 130 shots in the first round, a save percentage of .977. His career playoff save percentage is .910. He had two shutouts while allowing three goals in 275 minutes against the Kings.While Fleury doesn’t get consumed with stats, there is one that matters to him.”Wins,” he said. ”I’m not out there to prove anything, I just want to win games. If I can help the team get wins, that’s all that matters. If I win and the team wins, everybody’s happy, the coaches, the fans, and at the end of the day that’s why you play.”The last time Fleury led his team to a first-round sweep was in 2009, when the Penguins won the Stanley Cup – the first of three in his career.BIGGEST MOMENT: Any one of the three times Fleury hoisted the Stanley Cup was a big moment during his career. But not the biggest Andrew Ladd Jersey , according to him.”My first game was pretty big, because that’s always been my dream to play in the NHL,” said Fleury, who allowed two goals and stopped 46 shots in a 3-0 loss to the Kings in his NHL debut on Oct. 10, 2003. ”I never thought I would make it. But the first time I could play and made some saves in a game, I thought that was so cool.”Fleury didn’t say where a Stanley Cup with Vegas would rank, keeping his focus on San Jose.WHAT TO WATCH FOR: During an interview on NHL Network, former teammate Ryan Whitney asked the prankster goalie if he had moved on from Olive Garden, which Fleury laughingly said fit his budget back then. Nowadays, Fleury’s pregame meals are catered to his liking by the chefs at City National Arena, the team’s headquarters.”On game day I always eat the same stuff. I just go with noodles, oil and chicken, a little vegetable, a side salad,” said Fleury, who said he cherishes the vibe on game day, including the drive to T-Mobile Arena.—

TAMPA Peyton Barber Jersey , Fla. (AP) — Bruce Arians is the latest coach entrusted to transform the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers into winners.The 66-year-old came out of a one-year retirement Tuesday to fill the team’s fifth coaching vacancy in a decade.Arians replaces Dirk Koetter, who was dismissed Dec. 30 after leading the Bucs to 19 wins and no playoffs berths over the past three seasons.Arians coached the Arizona Cardinals for five years, stepping down after the 2017 season with a 50-32-1 record that included one division title, two playoff berths, three seasons with double-digit wins and one NFC championship game appearance.“Bruce Arians is one of the NFL’s most well-respected coaches over the past two decades and we are excited to have him leading our team,” Bucs owner/co-chairman Bryan Glazer said in a statement.“Throughout this process, we focused on finding the right coach with a proven ability to elevate our players and lead our team forward,” Glazer added. “Bruce has played a large role in the development and career success of some of our league’s best players and we look forward to seeing him continue that work here with our franchise.”The Bucs, who’ve finished last in the NFC South seven of the past eight seasons, haven’t made the playoffs since 2007 — the second-longest drought in the league. They haven’t won a postseason game since their 2002 Super Bowl run under Jon Gruden.Gruden was fired 10 years ago this month.Arians is the latest in a line of successors that includes Raheem Morris, Greg Schiano, Lovie Smith and Koetter, who landed the job in 2016 primarily because ownership felt his offensive expertise would accelerate the growth of young quarterback Jameis Winston.General manager Jason Licht also interviewed Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards and Dallas Cowboys defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator Kris Richard. None of them have previous head coaching experience.Arians was believed to be the front-runner all along because of his familiarity with Licht, who was vice president of player personnel for two seasons in Arizona before moving to Tampa Bay as GM in 2014.The Bucs fired Koetter after consecutive 5-11 finishes that dropped his three-year record to 19-29.Despite setting franchise single-season records for points, total yards, passing yards and touchdown passes, Tampa Bay lost 11 of 14 following a surprising 2-0 start with upset victories over New Orleans and defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.During Koetter’s stay with the Bucs — first as offensive coordinator, then as a first-time NFL head coach who retained play-calling responsibilities for most of his tenure — Tampa Bay posted four of the five most productive offensive seasons in club history.The 2018 Bucs led the league in passing yards and amassed 500 yards total offense five times Ryan Smith Jersey , yet were just 1-4 in those games. Turnovers and a porous defense were the main culprits.The day after Koetter was fired, Licht made it clear that whoever wound up replacing the coach would inherit Winston as his starting quarterback.“Jameis Winston will be here,” the GM said of the No. 1 overall pick from the 2015 draft, who’s due to earn $20.92 million next season in the final year of his rookie contract.Winston sat out the first three games of this season while serving a suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy and was benched twice after regaining the starting job because of inconsistent play.The 25-year-old has 75 career turnovers, including 58 interceptions. Jacksonville’s Blake Bortles (76) is the only QB who’s turned it over more over the past four seasons.But Winston, who’s 21-33 as a starter and only led the team to one winning season in four years, has not been a bust.He completed a career-best 64.6 percent of his passes for 2,992 yards, 19 TDs and 14 interceptions this season and is already Tampa Bay’s career TD pass leader with 88. He’s only 193 yards shy of replacing Vinny Testaverde (14,820 yards, 1987-92) as the club’s all-time passing leader.The Bucs are counting on Arians to help Winston realize his potential.Among the high-profile quarterbacks he has worked with during a long coaching career are Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Carson Palmer and Andrew Luck. Tampa Bay enters Sunday’s game against Cleveland as losers of three straight. After falling short on a potential game-winning drive a week ago, it’ll be interesting to see how the Buccaneers offense responds against the Browns. Will they step up or falter?As for the defense, a lot has happened this week. Mike Smith was fired and replaced with Mark Duffner. And as of Friday, Gerald McCoy and Vinny Curry have been ruled out for the game due to injury. That means Tampa Bay is going to be extremely shorthanded on the defensive front against a Cleveland team that likes to run the ball. 1. Jameis WinstonJameis Winston was mostly stellar in his first game as a starter since returning from suspension. He completed 30 of 41 passes for 395 yards and four touchdowns compared to two interceptions in the loss to Atlanta. Arguably, one of the interceptions wasn’t Winston’s fault, as one of his passes made a fluke bounce straight into the air before being picked off. However, Winston also fumbled two times against the Falcons Chris Conte Jersey , recovering both of them. Regardless, it’s imperative that the fourth-year quarterback takes better care of the ball against Cleveland. He’s always been a risk-taker and sometimes it leads to mistakes. Winston has to be careful as to when he makes those mistakes.2. Making big plays through the airTampa Bay’s offense has been at its best when the ball is flying downfield, allowing receivers to make plays in space. That didn’t happen against Atlanta, as the Bucs connected on just three passing plays that went for 20 or more yards.With deep threats like DeSean Jackson, Mike Evans, and OJ Howard in the lineup, look for Winston to take more shots downfield against the Browns. Jackson was reliable a week ago against Atlanta, catching four passes for 77 yards. But, his longest reception went for just 21 yards.The veteran receiver is averaging a career-high 23.9 yards per catch in 2018. Winston and Jackson need to get on the same page. They’ve struggled with their chemistry since Jackson joined Tampa Bay last season. 3. Forcing turnoversThe Buccaneers failed to force a turnover a week ago in a five point loss to Atlanta. Who knows? A turnover could’ve possibly made a big difference in the final outcomeRegardless, Tampa Bay has been elite at getting shredded through the air rather than forcing turnovers in 2018. Through five games, the Bucs have forced just five total turnovers; one interception and four fumble recoveries. Baker Mayfield has already tossed five interceptions and lost a fumble during his first four games of action during his rookie season. Look for the Buccaneers to try and force him into mistakes. 4. Passing defenseThere’s no better way to put it. Tampa Bay’s defense has been absolutely pathetic through the first five games of the season. In fact, they’re on pace to be the worst defense in NFL history. The Buccaneers have allowed at least 30 points and 350 passing yards in each of their three straight losses. It’s a narrative that has to change if this team has any chance of salvaging its 2-0 start and rallying to make the postseason. 5. Winning the battle on special teamsTampa Bay has been mostly solid kicking wise in 2018. Cleveland has been as well since replacing Zane Gonzalez with Greg Joseph. The rookie out of Florida Atlantic has knocked through eight of his nine field goals and three of four extra points in his four games with the Browns. As for the Bucs, Chandler Catanzaro has hit six of his seven field goals and 13 of 15 extra points. If this game is close down the stretch, it could come down to one crucial kick. Both of these kickers have been efficient so far this season, but all that matters is how they perform in the clutch. Another area it’d be nice to see Tampa Bay get some production from is punt returns. The Buccaneers have averaged just 5.9 yards per punt return through five games, which ranks No. 23 in the league.

Frank Clark and Jarran Reed each have 21 quarterbacks hits Rashaad Penny Jersey , tied for tenth overall in the NFL. Ok, cool stat, right? And maybe not all that meaningful. Maybe no more meaningful than a Lonzo Ball assist, I thought to myself. Like many subjectively awarded stats, certain weird deviations feel a bit too weird. Did J.J. Watt, for instance, really compile seasons of 43, 46, 51 and 50 quarterback hits, when no other player in the 13-year history of the stat ever even reach 40? His 2014 total of 51 is one shy of what the San Diego Chargers achieved as a team. This sent me a-sleuthing, not into Watt’s totals, which are either Babe Ruth-like in their hyper dominance or bullshit, but into Reed’s.Quarterback hit is a narrative statistic. It says: This is what happened. But it is also a pretty spare statistic. It doesn’t answer: What does this mean? And so I went through the NFL Game Books, which contain detailed information including snap counts and quarterback hits, and cross referenced that with Pro Football Reference’s play-by-play, which includes extra points added or lost for every play. PFR play-by-play is less detailed and less accurate but combining the two I was able to calculate an old favorite statistic of mine, lost when Brian Burke of Advanced NFL Analytics joined ESPN.The stat works like this. If a defender makes a play and that play costs the opposing offense EPA, that defender is credited with the value of the play. But if the play does not cost the opposing offense EPA, if Earl Thomas runs down a receiver in the open field after a 20 yard gain on third and 15, for instance, Thomas is not debited for the EPA lost on that play. Otherwise a potentially good play made bad by the overall performance of the defense would be charged against one player, which player may not have done anything wrong. Now, I do not think a player’s value is merely the total of all the good plays that player made. But most football fans have a certain tolerance for individual stats awarded within a team sport, however misleading, and this stat translates relatively abstracted information like “quarterback hit” or “tackle after a gain of two Rasheem Green Jersey ,” into something meaty, into points.Here are Reed’s week-to-week performances split into pass defense and run defense.Despite a reputation as an elite run stuffer, Reed has been much more valuable as a pass rusher this season. Some of that is the capacity of pass plays to “blow up.” Reed’s most valuable tackle of a rusher was a split tackle of Cam Newton in Week 12. I split the value between Reed and Bobby Wagner, and did likewise on all assisted tackles or sacks, and any quarterback hit which also included a pass defended. That tackle of Newton only netted Reed 0.65 EPA. 16 of Reed’s 20 total plays against the pass were worth more than that play. Reed overall has earned 21.6 points as a pass defender compared to only 7.7 points as a run defender.We no longer have access to the EPA leaderboards, but in order to provide some kind of context, I endured the horror of reading something I wrote a very long time ago. In 2008, Brandon Mebane finished eighth overall among defensive tackles, adding 34.4 points. Reed currently has 29.3 and that could be prorated to 33.0 over a 16-game season. Pretty similar contributions tho’ Mebane and Reed are not very similar players.Let us look at Reed rush the passer. Specifically let us look at this drive.Reed recorded a quarterback hit and two sacks with the game very much on the line. And while the 49ers have allowed a lot of sacks overall, ranking 24th in Football Outsiders adjusted sack rate, C.J. Beathard and especially Jimmy Garoppolo own a good a percentage of those. Nick Mullens ranks 15th overall in sack percentage, getting sacked on just 6% of plays. There is ample evidence that quarterbacks bear much of the responsibility for getting sacked.Seahawks break in a single-high safety look.Mullens is not noted for this arm strength, has only completed two passes in eight attempts of 21 yards or more, and has completed zero passes of 31 yards or more. While talent evaluators often uber-emphasize arm strength, that emphasis is not without merit. A weak-armed quarterback doesn’t just fail to make deep throws. A weak-armed quarterback shrinks the usable playing field, creating a tight compacted defense not unlike a red zone defense.Reed is quick off the snap.This quickness allows him to dictate where he will contact opposing right guard Michael Person.To Reed’s right is a gap which he will exploit. None of the available video has a very good look at Reed’s pass rush move, but he uses it again in a later play. Basically he takes both hands and places those on the opposing blockers shoulder pads, and then uses both arms to push the blocker down and in this case left, while moving right.Reed’s interior pressure forces this funky looking pass.Dig both 49ers tackles just standing there. Note also Barkevious Mingo and Bobby Wagner patrolling the void. Wagner is covering the shallow middle, but Mingo is ...preparing for an illegal outlet pass to Joe Staley? Whatever the case, a very good play by Reed is squandered. 49ers get nine, creating second and 1—an advantageous down and distance—with time on the clock before the two minute warning.Seahawks never get set, creating this novel attempt at pass rush.Luckily Kyle Shanahan called a play consisting of all short routes.What looks like a disaster for Seattle turns out to be a simple nine yard gain—probably not worth the time it took to run the play. We’ll never know because the win probability graph craps out at this point. The next discernible datum point is the two-minute warning. Which robs us of fully appreciating this.1st & 10 at SF 37(2:00 - 4th) N.Mullens sacked at SF 28 for -9 yards (J.Reed).Reed once again gets a good jump. He attacks Laken Tomlinson’s outside shoulder. Now we can see Reed’s particular specialty, a two-handed pull/swipe which launches him toward the quarterback.Which turns into a garden variety swim move.The relative speed of this pass rush is obvious if we look at the 49ers’ receivers. Only #84 Kendrick Bourne is out of his break.Another way to think of it is Reed is arriving just as Mullens completes his five-step drop.2nd & 19 at SF 28(1:55 - 4th) (Shotgun) N.Mullens pass incomplete short left to T.Taylor.Trent Taylor simply drops the pass. It is ever so slightly late.Tre Flowers and Delano Hill do not get credit for the pass broken up through intimidation.3rd & 19 at SF 28(1:49 - 4th) (Shotgun) N.Mullens sacked at SF 19 for -9 yards (J.Reed).With this sack, Reed and the Seahawks have moved win probability from 61.6% in favor of San Francisco following the Matt Breida completion to 66.1% in favor of Seattle Will Dissly Jersey , a 27.7% change—which is over half a win’s worth of win probability. It’s an incredible series for the third-year player, and it’s capped with a fittingly incredible move.Quick off the snap:Reed moves assertively up field while Quinton Jefferson slashes almost horizontally. This aligns San Francisco’s interior blockers allowing Reed to circle back into the space created by Jefferson. Reed plants.Jacob Martin, Reed and Clark are all double teamed. San Francisco assigns seven blockers to stop Seattle’s four-man pass rush. It sure as shit doesn’t work.Jefferson is creating a kind of pick. Despite appearances, he’s about to be washed out and away from Mullens. People just don’t have much explosive power moving toward their flank. But his job is done.Reed cuts right and loops around the blockers, causing the center and left guard to collide. He changes direction smoothly and accelerates, but rather than as quickly as he can, Reed slow plays his initial move, ensuring the collision. He is in control, of the situation, of his opponent, and of his own talent. The 2019 NFL Draft is underway, and to no one’s surprise, the Seattle Seahawks traded out of their first draft pick at 21 in order to add two fourth round picks to the team’s draft arsenal. After..."The 2019 NFL Draft is underway, and to no one’s surprise, the Seattle Seahawks traded out of their first draft pick at 21 in order to add two fourth round picks to the team’s draft arsenal. After trading back from 21, the Hawks first pick of the night came at 29, and using that pick the Seahawks selected L.J. Collier out of TCU. Collier is a defensive end who should be able to help fill the void left by the Frank Clark trade, and gives the Hawks another young edge rusher to go with Jacob Martin and Rasheem Green from the 2018 draft. Collier was a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2018, posting six sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. Interestingly, the selection of Collier in the first round marks the second consecutive year that the Seahawks have selected a player in the first round who was not a multi-year starter in college. That said, even though he did not stake a starting role until his final year at TCU, he played extensively for the Horned Frogs as both as sophomore and junior.How do you grade the Seahawks selection of L.J. Collier?

SUNRISE Boston Bruins Hats Authentic , Fla. (AP) Florida Panthers coach Bob Boughner didn’t even see the winning goal. Instead, he simply listened for the roar of the crowd.”I haven’t even seen it yet,” Boughner said after the game. ”Superstition. I looked away, I heard the noise. I didn’t see any of our (shootout) goals.”Vincent Trocheck scored the deciding goal in the shootout to lift the Panthers to a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday night for their franchise-record eighth straight home win.”Yeah, it’s pretty fun knowing that if you score, it’s over, game-winner,” Trocheck said. ”Everybody in here kind of wants the puck on their stick in that situation.”Aleksander Barkov also scored in the tiebreaker for the Panthers, who have points in nine straight games. The Panthers are two points behind Columbus and three behind New Jersey for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, with three games in hand on each.Frank Vatrano scored a goal in his Panthers debut, Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and an assist, and Jamie McGinn also scored. Trocheck had two assists. Roberto Luongo made 34 saves.”We’ve been winning different ways throughout this stretch here. That’s what good teams do,” Luongo said.Kevin Hayes, Mika Zibanejad and Mats Zuccarello scored in regulation for the Rangers, who lost their third straight. Ryan Spooner had a pair of assists. Zuccarello also scored to open the shootout. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 32 shots in his 800th career game, becoming the 15th goalie in NHL history to reach the milestone.The Rangers scored twice in the third period.Trailing 3-2 Custom Boston Bruins Jerseys , the Rangers tied the score 3-3 as Hayes took a wrist shot from above the right circle that went over Luongo and into the net at 7:25 of the third.Zibanejad tied the score 2-all when he took a drop pass from Jesper Fast and put the puck into the upper corner of the net 17 seconds into the third.”Our guys played hard, made good plays with the puck, came back three times in this game,” coach Alain Vigneault said. ”Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get it done in the shootout.”The Panthers answered less than a minute later when McGinn slid a rebound between Lundqvist’s pads at 1:02 to reclaim the lead at 3-2.”We kept battling,” Lundqvist said. ”We kept coming back in this game and gave ourselves the chance to almost win it. If I can mix in a save in the shootout, maybe we get a win.”The Panthers took a 1-0 lead when Huberdeau found a loose puck in the front of the crease and poked it behind Lundqvist on a power play with 14.8 seconds left in the first.Vatrano, traded to Florida from Boston on Feb. 22 for a third-round pick, redirected a pass from Vincent Trocheck into the net from in front at 8:13 of the second to make it 2-0. Vatrano had been sidelined with a high-ankle sprain since the trade,”It’s awesome. It’s even better that it helped out getting a win,” Vatrano said.The Rangers closed to 2-1 on the goal by Zuccarello. Neal Pionk shot from the point and Zuccarello deflected it into the net with 6:49 left in the second.NOTES: Gold Medalist Emily Pfalzer of Team USA hockey participated in the ceremonial puck drop. Panthers D Mike Matheson, her boyfriend, greeted her at center-ice. … Panthers D Keith Yandle has 20 points in 18 games. … Spooner has two goals and 10 assists in seven games for the Rangers since he was acquired in a trade with Boston on Feb. 25. … Rangers F Chris Kreider returned after missing the final two periods of Thursday night’s 5-3 loss at Tampa Bay after taking a hit to the head near the end of the first period. … Lundqvist is the first goalie born outside North America to reach the 800-game mark. He joined Martin Brodeur (1,266 with New Jersey) and Phil Esposito (873 with Chicago) as the only goalies to hit the milestone with one team.UP NEXTRangers: Host Carolina on Monday night.Panthers: Host Ottawa on Tuesday night. DETROIT (AP) — Niklas Kronwall scored to give Detroit a two-goal lead, and later in the first period, he knocked Anders Lee off his feet with a high www.officialsabres.com , hard hit.After that, the New York Islanders began asserting themselves.Matt Martin scored a tiebreaking goal with 16:36 remaining in the third period, capping an impressive comeback for the Islanders in a 3-2 victory over the Red Wings on Saturday night. New York trailed 2-0 after the first period but rallied with goals by Casey Cizikas, Ryan Pulock and Martin.Tempers flared after Kronwall’s hit on Lee. Moments later, Josh Bailey of the Islanders took Kronwall down in the corner. Then Bailey and Larkin had a scrap that earned fighting majors for both.“I thought when that hit happened, with Bailey going over there and answering the bell, I thought from that standpoint, he pulled the rest of the group in,” New York coach Barry Trotz said. “Our leadership, the guys were really good.”Lee was able to return to the game after getting stitched up, and he didn’t seem to have much of an issue with the hit.“I had my head down, looking for the puck in my skates, and he hit me with a good shoulder check,” Lee said. “That’s hockey.”There was no penalty assessed on the play.“The hard part when you’re coming north-south is to not touch the head at all,” Kronwall said. “I think when you’re skating, you’re in a position where your head is basically the point of your body that’s the most forward. You try to go through the chest or shoulder. Sometimes you end up catching the head. That’s basically all I can say about it.”Justin Abdelkader and Kronwall scored for Detroit in the first Buffalo Sabres T-Shirts Authentic , but the Islanders came all the way back. The game winner came when Luke Witkowski of the Red Wings wasn’t able to handle the puck cleanly when it bounced off the boards behind the net. It ended up on Martin’s stick in front of the goal, and he capitalized for his fourth goal of the season.“I loved the way we responded tonight,” Martin said. “We were 2-0 down and our captain is down and bleeding — that’s a pretty bad start, but we talked about it after the first period and we decided we weren’t going to let this one get away that easily. We had to step up. Our leading scorer got into a fight, which you don’t see very often, but that’s the kind of player Josh is.”Detroit opened the scoring when Larkin split two New York players and forced a save by goalie Thomas Greiss. Abdelkader scored on the rebound.Seconds later, the Red Wings had a goal called back for offside, but they eventually went up 2-0 on Kronwall’s tally. The Islanders gave the 37-year-old defenseman plenty of time to skate to the middle and shoot past a screened Greiss from just inside the blue line. It was his first goal of the season.The Islanders quickly rallied to tie it in the second. After Cizikas made it 2-1, Pulock scored on a slap shot from the right circle while the Islanders had a two-man advantage.“We had an excellent first period, and we could have had more goals,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “We needed to either score at least one more or not take the 5-on-3, because you are always likely to give up a goal on those and then it was a new game.”Later that period, there was another fight, this one between Abdelkader and Johnny Boychuk.NOTES: Greiss made 23 saves, and Jonathan Bernier made 16 for Detroit. … Lee’s four-game goal streak was snapped. … Bailey earned an assist on the goal by Pulock for his 400th career point. … Kronwall’s 81st career goal moved him past Marcel Pronovost for fourth on Detroit’s career list among defensemen. … Red Wings F Tyler Bertuzzi returned after a two-game suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct and roughing against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.UP NEXTIslanders: Host Pittsburgh on Monday night.Red Wings: Host Los Angeles on Monday night.

The Raiders beat the Steelers Ben Jones Jersey , the Dolphins shocked the Patriots on a last second lateral play, the 49ers crushed the Broncos. What a weird day, but most importantly,..."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Tennessee Titans PodcastTitans News: Any Given SundayNew,17commentsByRobert Greenlaw@robgreenlawDec 10, 2018,6:00am CSTShareTweetShareShareTitans News: Any Given SundayChristopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY SportsThe NFL was on one yesterday. The Raiders beat the Steelers, the Dolphins shocked the Patriots on a last second lateral play, the 49ers crushed the Broncos. What a weird day, but most importantly, the Ravens lost, making the Titans playoff chances a bit better. They still have to win out, but the Ravens have to be in reach.Jim Wyatt might have well called this mailbag the “Derrick Henry Edition”. Lots of questions about the Titans’ record shredding back. On Mike Vrabel’s conference call on Friday, he said that Henry will get some more opportunities but has to continue to earn them. He said Firkser and Evans are looking good, and that Batson will get more chances. Maybe. Or maybe not."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Tennessee Titans Podcast2019 Titans WR Draft Prospect: N’Keal HarryNew Nate Palmer Jersey ,31commentsMaybe. Or maybe not.CDTShareTweetShareShare2019 Titans WR Draft Prospect: N’Keal HarryMark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsWe’re back to looking at WR prospects, and for this write up, the wide receiver of choice is Arizona State’s N’Keal Harry. Harry, 21, had 73 catches for 1,088 yards and nine touchdowns in his final season with the Sun Devils. the 6’4, 213 lb. prospect is also a 2x First Team All-Pac-12 member, doing so in his last two years in college.Harry has gotten a good amount of attention from scouts and the Twittersphere, but is he worth being taken by the Titans? As Hue Jackson once said; We gotta watch the tape.Caddy To The LamaCaddy To The LamaOn a few of Harry’s routes in his junior season it struck me how impressive he is running the double move. A guy like Jordy Nelson was the king of the double move in his prime, and Harry executed that well when he needed to.The two plays above are similar, except the first one features Harry going up and making a play at the catch point, while the second is an easier play for him to make. On both of these plays he sells the shallow out route, schooling the defensive backs and allowing himself to get wide open down the field.Now let’s look at what Harry is perhaps best known for; His explosiveness after the catch. If you give him the ball in space, his athleticism in this area is unreal.Caddy To The LamaGetting yards after the catch isn’t exactly a rare feat, but whenever Harry was in that position DaQuan Jones Jersey , he often made it look extremely impressive. His elusiveness is excellent and can be owed to his good pad level and lightning agility, making him a slippery target with the ball in his hands.Caddy To The LamaBoth of these plays are spectacular, but the second one is even better than the first. The vision and instincts Harry uses to quickly spin his way out of trouble the moment he has the ball in his hands is aesthetically pleasing, and although it’s hard to see in full motion, he puts a nasty stiff arm on an incoming tackler. This play also went for a touchdown. Crazy stuff.With his explosiveness after the catch it’s been easy to see why people are high on N’Keal Harry, but as a route runner it’s a different story for me.Caddy To The LamaYou wouldn’t expect a receiver as hyped as Harry to struggle against zone defense, and yeah, he doesn’t. But against tighter coverage he gets jammed pretty easily and struggles to create separation on his own.Here the corner executes soft press coverage against Harry and seems to jam him up pretty easily. The break on his route isn’t quick enough to leave the corner in the dust, and while Harry does make an effort to chop away the DB’s hands, it’s not enough to create separation.Caddy To The LamaAnother issue with Harry’s route running is he’s sometimes too patient and holds out the start of his routes for too long. He has a reputation for being a 50/50 receiver, but often fins himself tangled up in these situations where the quarterback seems to spend as much time attempting to throw him open than lofting up prayers in his general area.The patience on this route is too much, and the corner goes unphased as he sticks into Harry’s window the entire way. It’s an easy shutdown and the pass is well over the head of Harry.Caddy To The LamaHarry’s emphasis at the catch point can work with more accurate quarterback play, but as a route runner I’m not seeing much I can invest in early on. There’s no doubt that this play would’ve worked if the QB threw to Harry’s back shoulder, but it emphasizes how easily he gets jammed up against press coverage.Harry’s ceiling includes guys like Marvin Jones, who is a phenomenal receiver at the catch point but isn’t as fast as Jones Wesley Woodyard Jersey , making him inferior as a route runner. One can also be reminded of guys like Golden Tate or Jarvis Landry after the catch, and Harry’s ability there will get him drafted early in my mind.But despite his freakish athleticism, I’m not a big of fan of taking N’Keal Harry at pick #19. He’d definitely help give the Titans a YAC weapon, but he has a long way to go before he’s ready against man and press coverage. If he were a later round pick, then I’d probably be in favor of Tennessee drafting him, and if he were drafted in the right offense—one that emphasizes his YAC ability—then I think he’’ll become a dangerous receiver.Still, someone is going to draft Harry early, and I do understand why he’s as hyped up as he is. Ultimately, though, I see him as an exciting, but flawed receiver that needs time to develop and refine his route running ability.

Friday April 5 Nick Bosa San Francisco 49ers Jersey , 2019"I bet some of you are surprised by the title but you shouldn’t be. I have continually talked about the importance of looking at the draft from as many angles as possible in order to better understand any moves the 49ers might make on draft day and it just happens to be Quinnen William’s turn this week. He is one of arguably the top three players in the draft so it only seems natural to think he might be on the 49ers radar..There was no chance I would have thought we might pick a defensive tackle at #2 before we signed Dee Ford as a free agent. We had brought in Eric Kocurek as our new defensive line coach and he was basically heralded as the king of the wide 9 and lining up in the wide nine without any talented edge rushers would have been pointless. Now that we have Dee Ford, do we really need to spend the #2 pick on another edge or can we get another specialty third down rusher in a later round since there is such a deep group of edge rushers in this year’s draft? You are never going to have pro bowl caliber players at every position. However, you do have a great chance of getting one to either play edge or to rush from the inside in the nickel. I don’t think you can go wrong with either choice.We might be giving up something special by not adding Nick Bosa or Josh Allen to play edge with the #2 pick but having a defensive tackle with the talent level of Quinnen Williams to play alongside Deforest Buckner on the inside would certainly not a consolation prize. Anyway, Quinnen Williams lovers, I hope this made your day.Don’t forget to check out my new retro article section. This week highlights Dante Pettis. Now onto the sizzling hot links:Kyle Shanahan explains how 49ers’ running back competition will be decidedJennifer Lee ChanEntertaining possible draft trade scenarios for 49ersBrad AlmquistFred Warner switches to No. 54 and several new 49ers pick their numbersDavid BonillaTerrell Owens to announce 49ers’ Round 3 pick in 2019 draftKyle Madson49ers have strong presence at Stanford Pro DayKyle MadsonFormer 49ers DE Cassius Marsh signs with SeahawksKyle Madson49ers played central role in Packers’ split with Mike McCarthyKyle Madson49ers’ Draft May Tip Their Hand Regarding Long-Term DB PlansMatthew ManiSeahawks sign Cassius Marsh to one-year dealCharean WilliamsThe strengths and weaknesses of Georgia CB Deandre BakerGrant CohnWhy the San Francisco 49ers could have a big turnaround in 2019Video2019 mock draft: 49ers benefit from blockbuster tradeKyle MadsonGarrett Bradbury is a center you can get excited about in the NFL DraftStephen WhiteThere’s an art to batting down passesCharles McDonaldRetro - A little Dante Pettis loveWhere 49ers wide receiver Dante Pettis can improveEric CrockerDante Pettis could be the #1 WR 49ers needKyle Madson49ers may have solved problem at wide receiverAl Sacco Greetings 49ers Faithful! Week 11 of the college football season is upon us, and after a satisfying win against the cross-town rivals we are back to focusing our eyes towards the future of the team with our continued breakdown of college football’s weekly action - keeping our sights set on the 2019 NFL Draft. Each week throughout the college season Josh Eccles, Alex Eisen, and Greg Valerio have been breaking down a few college football games providing highlights and profiles of a few notable draft-eligible prospects you should pay attention to. This will help people build a list of names to know when we get into the offseason.For this week, Josh, Alex, and Greg each picked two players to talk about. All prospects highlighted are featured today; nonetheless, feel free to drop in the prospects you are watching.Josh EcclesTrayvon Mullen, CB, No. 1 - Clemson Height: 6’1” | Weight: 194 #9 Boston Collegevs. TCU | 9:00 a.m. (PT) Saturday, November 10 | FS1Trayvon Mullen has the luxury of playing behind a defensive line which boasts 4 future NFL starters so you can imagine how much that helps his game. What also helps is even without the likes of Clelin Ferrell, Austin Bryant, Dexter Lawrence, and Christian Wilkins, he still possesses the skills you’d want in a cornerback: great hands, great speed, and great ball instincts. He utilizes his physicality and aggressiveness to jam wide outs at the line of scrimmage and is sure to help out in the run. However, he will need to continue to get bigger and sharpen his overall technique if he wants to become the high-caliber player he is capable of developing into.Richard Sherman has things locked down on one side of the field for the Niners and Mullen could be the lockdown defender needed to really put a hold on opposing wide receivers for years to come. John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan would do themselves big favors by seriously considering Mullen at the end of the 1st or the beginning of the 2nd round. Ben Banogu, DE, No. 15 - TCU Height: 6’3” | Weight: 245TCUvs. #9 West Virginia | 9:00 a.m. (ET) Saturday, November 10 | FS1Here you can find a prospect with enough quickness and athleticism to make a name for himself in any rotation on any NFL defensive line. Ben Banogu - a senior at TCU - has a long, athletic frame that comes in handy when locking out opposing offensive linemen. The 2018 season has seen him collect 36 total tackles (10 TFL) and 6.5 sacks; in 2017 he had 8.5 sacks and the year before he had 3. As time has gone on he has improved his game but there’s still room to grow. The biggest knocks on Banogu are that he lacks serious power to overtake opposing players and is lackluster against the run. These are all things that can approved upon in the pros, though, so it shouldn't scare any team away from taking a flyer on the edge rusher in the latter part of the 2nd round or the 3rd. San Francisco, as things stand now, would own the 3rd overall pick in the draft - a pick that would most likely be spent on a player who can put some pressure on the quarterback. If not, though, then Banogu offers some pretty good value later on. Alex EisenJustice Hill, RB Nick Bosa Jersey , No. 5 - Oklahoma StateHeight: 5’10” | Weight: 190Oklahoma State at #6 Oklahoma | 12:30 p.m. (PT) Saturday, November 10 | ABC/WatchESPNThe shifty and explosive running back out of Oklahoma State has slowly been climbing up draft boards. The Junior out of Stillwater has so far rushed for 895 yards, averaging 5.9 yards per carry and 8 touchdowns, along with 13 receptions for 68 yards. Last season Hill rushed for 1,467 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and 15 touchdowns. Hill is a dual-threat back who can run and catch the football out of the backfield. Hill can be particularly dangerous in the open field, and has the capabilities of gaining yards after the initial contact. Watching his tape, Hill has demonstrated patience, navigating and finding holes along the line of scrimmage. Hill has demonstrated the ability to follow his blockers and seek out the open lanes. Hill has proven to be effective in both long and short yardage situations, as well as inside the red-zone. Hill has good speed for the position, particularly his downhill speed. He has pristine vision, while he shifts and cuts on a dime, eluding oncoming defenders. I would like to see Hill add some more muscle to his frame, as it would be most beneficial to him as he transitions to the pro level. Hill should continue to climb up draft boards and the running back rankings. He has a big showdown this weekend against rival Oklahoma in Norman. Last season Hill ran for 228 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Sooners. Hill is currently a 2nd round prospect.Blace Brown, CB, No. 18 - TroyHeight: 6’4” | Weight: 184 |Georgia Southern at Troy | 10:00 a.m. (PT) Saturday, November 10 | ESPN+While he won’t get the national media attention of some of the power 5 school’s corners, Blace Brown out of Troy is quietly putting together a positive and productive season. So far this season Brown has 29 tackles with 4 passes deflected. He has 11 career interceptions and is considered by many scouts and evaluators as a ball hawking, physical corner. Brown’s uncle is NFL great Herschel Walker. Brown does an efficient job of isolating the receiver, and taking him off of his route. Brown has good speed for his position, running fluidly through his hips. Brown has the ability to play in both man-to-man and zone coverage. Many times, on tape, Brown has demonstrated his ability to make an impact against the run.Brown has great height for the position. Has long, and lanky arms with the ability to jump up and compete for fifty-fifty jump balls. Brown will keep up with receivers at all three levels on the field. Brown would benefit from adding weight and muscle to his thin frame. This has caused some concern about Brown pressing along the line of scrimmage. His thin frame can cause concern against the more physical receivers in the league. However, where Brown makes up for this is his attitude, and toughness. Brown will play a physical brand of football. He has made strides and improved his overall game each season. Strong football instincts and anticipation have only developed Brown into a stronger and well-rounded football player this season. At the moment, Brown is looking like a day two, 3rd round selection.Greg ValerioMarquise Brown, WR, No. 5 - OklahomaHeight: 5’10” | Weight: 168 | 40 time: 4.33Oklahoma State at #6 Oklahoma | 12:30 p.m. (PT) Saturday, November 10 | ABC/WatchESPNMarquise “Hollywood” Brown is an exceptionally explosive fluid athletic talent with superior foot speed, excellent agility, and elite speed. The wiry framed JUCO transfer has lit up Oklahoma’s receiving game displaying his innate ability to be a playmaker and home run threat at any level of the field. Hollywood displays eye-popping burst and acceleration off the line Nick Bosa San Francisco 49ers Jersey , tremendous ability to break in and out of his cuts separating from defenders with outstanding suddenness, smoothly running precise and crisp routes, and breakaway speed. Hollywood showcases superb burst and elite speed (eats up ground like a road runner) to take the top off coverages. He has the ability to take short passes and explode after the catch making big gains taking advantage of his elusiveness, balance, athleticism, impressive physicality, and elite speed. A threat in all three levels of the field, Hollywood attacks the ball extending to make the catch with very strong reliable hands, terrific ball skills, and plays with toughness despite his small frame. Blocking is a work in progress and will need to gain functional strength at the next level; nevertheless, in a 49ers’ offense relying on speed, Hollywood delivers the blockbuster.Hakeem Butler, WR, No. 18 - Iowa StateHeight: 6’6” | Weight: 219 | 40 time: 4.59Baylor vs. No. 22 Iowa State | 12:30 p.m. (PT) Saturday, November 10 | FS1Hakeem Butler is a big-play humongous target with a superb combination of size, length, strength, and athleticism. The redshirt junior and former high school basketball star has been showcasing his talent as of late with great length (condor-like wingspan), ball skills, body control (has exceptional adjustment on back shoulder throws), and decent suddenness to his game quickly getting in and out of his breaks with explosion. Moreover, he fights for the ball utilizing his massive length and strength out-muscling defenders (wins in a crowd) plucking balls away from his frame displaying his large and impressive catch radius. Butler’s strength, size, toughness, ball skills, leaping ability, and strong hands makes him an ideal prospect at all levels of the field for the 49ers. There will be concerns on Butler’s lack of separating from defenders (needs to refine his route running and lacks elite speed), but getting open in tight spaces helps him win. Butler adds the playmaking, physicality, and above the rim skills the 49ers could definitely utilize - specifically as an ideal red-zone target.

Bruins made one last push in the third period.It worked.McAvoy scored with 1:13 remaining Nick Jensen Jersey , and the Bruins beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 on Saturday night for their fifth consecutive victory.McAvoy scored on a backhand after Alex Iafallo tied it for Los Angeles 15:37 into the third period. Patrice Bergeron added an insurance goal at 19:23.“You’ve got to win in a lot of different ways if you want to be a good hockey club so tonight, it was not that we were behind but it looked like the game was going to get away from us late there and a quick turn of events it goes our way,” Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said.The Bruins improved to 7-0-3 in their past 10 games. Jake DeBrusk scored for the third consecutive game, Brad Marchand got his 23rd of the season and Tuukka Rask made 23 saves.Ilya Kovalchuk had a power-play goal for the Kings, who have lost four straight. Jack Campbell, a surprise starter with Jonathan Quick out because of an illness, made 20 saves.Los Angeles appeared to have the momentum after Rask’s kick save of a shot by defenseman Paul LaDue went right to Iafallo for his 12th goal of the season, and Marchand was whistled for a hooking penalty on Kings center Jeff Carter 23 seconds later. But the Bruins did not allow a shot on the ensuing Kings power play.“Very proud of how we played in the third,” said Rask, who won his fifth straight start. “Even after they tied the game Thomas Vanek Jersey , a few minutes left and then we get a penalty, we did a great job with that penalty kill. It just shows how resilient our group is.”Kings captain Anze Kopitar shattered his stick over the crossbar of his own net after McAvoy scored, which he attributed to anger over his defending on the play and frustration from the team’s inability to produce with the man advantage.“With four minutes left and having a power play in a tie game, we have to find a way to score,” Kopitar said. “We didn’t even get in the zone. That’s embarrassing.”Rask did his part to stifle the Kings, making a brilliant save on Iafallo late in the second period. Rask is 11-0-2 in his past 13 starts.“He was the biggest reason why we won the game tonight, obviously,” DeBrusk said. “He was holding the fort down and it was impressive to watch.”NOTES: DeBrusk set a career high with his 17th goal of the season. … Bruins F Karson Kuhlman played 9:47 in his NHL debut. Kuhlman was captain of Minnesota-Duluth’s 2018 national championship team and named most outstanding player of the NCAA tournament that season. … Kings D Alec Martinez will miss one to two weeks after sustaining an upper-body injury against Vancouver on Thursday. With Martinez and Sean Walker (upper body) out, Matt Roy made his NHL debut and played 11:32.UP NEXTBruins: Visit San Jose on Monday night.Ducks: Host Washington on Monday night. SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Florida goalie James Reimer returned from a benching in his last start and rebounded for the Panthers in a big way Thursday.Reimer stopped a season-high 41 shots and held strong in the shootout Womens Adam Larsson Jersey , and Vincent Trocheck scored in the third round to help the Panthers beat the Calgary Flames 3-2, ending a two-game skid.Reimer withstood attempts from Andrew Mangiapane and Matthew Tkachuk in the final two rounds after allowing a goal to Sean Monahan in the opening round. Florida won the session 2-1.Reimer allowed three goals on 12 shots and was pulled by coach Bob Boughner after two periods in a 5-2 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday. He responded well, especially in the overtime, when he stopped TJ Brodie in close on a 3-on-1 after Keith Yandle fell down.In the shootout, he kicked his right leg out to block Mangiapane and forced Tkachuk to shoot wide right to end it.“When it comes to the shootout, it’s kind of a circus,” Reimer said. “You just try to stay out there and be patient and force them to make a harder play and hopefully they miss the net or hit you.”Trocheck skated in and beat Flames goalie Mike Smith high on the glove side — the same area where Aleksander Barkov beat him one round earlier with a backhander — and the Panthers improved to 3-4 in the shootout.“We blocked a lot of shots and had sticks in lanes,” Boughner said. “Our penalty kill has been pretty strong here in the second half. And Reims made some big saves on the chances as well.”Elias Lindholm scored for Calgary late in the third period to extend the game, but the Flames lost their fourth straight.Mike Hoffman had a goal and an assist, and Evgenii Dadonov scored for Florida Cam Talbot Jersey , which killed three penalties in the third period. Mark Jankowski also had a goal for the Flames.Smith had 30 saves and lost his third straight.Both clubs entered the contest on multigame losing streaks. Florida was blanked 3-0 by Dallas on Tuesday, marking the first time the Panthers had been shut out all season and making them the last team to be held scoreless.Smith blanked Florida through the 20 minutes — its fifth straight scoreless period — with a high glove save 1:20 into the game on a tipped shot by Jonathan Huberdeau.Calgary’s Derek Ryan had a point-blank short-handed chance on Reimer in the second but was denied on a kick save. The Panthers failed to score on their ninth consecutive man advantage.Dadonov finally broke the ice at 15:17 on a fortunate bounce for his 20th goal. Mark Pysyk sent a long, wide shot that careened off Dadonov’s thigh to give the Russian forward his second consecutive 20-goal season.Jankowksi scored his 10th at 6:51 of the third period to tie it at 1. Florida challenged for offside, but the goal was upheld.Hoffman scored 11:59 for his 26th goal, but Lindholm’s tip-in at 17:36 tied it at 2.NOTES: Calgary played the third game of its four-game trip and fell to 0-1-2. … Flames RW James Neal (lower body) left the game in the third period and did not return. … Florida held a moment of silence to honor the one-year anniversary of the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in nearby Parkland that claimed 17 victims. Goalie Roberto Luongo, who gave an emotional pregame speech to the crowd in the team’s first home game after the incident last Feb. 22, wore a special mask in tribute to the victims. … Florida scratched D Bogdan Kiselevich and replaced him on the bottom defensive pairing with Ian McCoshen.UP NEXTFlames: At Pittsburgh on Saturday.Panthers: Host Montreal on Sunday.