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While their opponent is not yet set Ryan Allen Jersey , the Kansas City Chiefs already know that they will play at home next week: courtesy of their 31-13 victory over the visiting Indianapolis Colts, the AFC’s number one seed will host the conference’s championship game next Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs dominated the contest from start to finish, jumping to an early 17-0 lead before the Colts could even respond.Indianapolis never was able to get back into the game and Kansas City cruised to its 13th victory of the year. Now, the team will host its first AFC title game since 1993. The game will take place next Sunday, January 13, at 6:40 p.m. ET and will see the Chiefs either host the New England Patriots or their division rival Los Angeles Chargers. The conference’s second and fifth seed will go at each other tomorrow.Kansas City, of course, is not unbeatable at home. But while the Chiefs lost in week 15 against the Chargers by a score of 29-28, the squad will be favored next week no matter the opponent. L.A. obviously beat Kansas City this year already, and so did the Patriots: New England won the two teams’ meeting in week six by a score of 43-40. That game, of course, was played at Foxboro’s Gillette Stadium.The NFC Championship Game will be played next Sunday at 3:05 p.m. ET and feature the Los Angeles Rams: the conference’s second seed defeated the visiting Dallas Cowboys 30-22 behind a devastating ground attack and a solid defensive performance. Where the NFC title game takes place will be decided tomorrow between the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles. If the Saints win, the championship game will take place in New Orleans — if not Cheap Cordarrelle Patterson Jersey , L.A. will host it. On Sunday, the New England Patriots’ defense will have to go up against what is arguably the NFL’s premier offensive line: the Los Angeles Rams’ blockers have done a tremendous job of both clearing out space for the team’s running backs and giving quarterback Jared Goff time in the pocket. Needless to say that the Patriots need to be well prepared heading into the matchup, and one of their assets in helping achieve that is their very own O-line.New England’s offensive line will, of course, have its hands full going against Aaron Donald and company on Sunday. Leading into the game, however, the group and its coach Dante Scarencchia are equally important when it comes to preparing New England’s defenders for their own challenge ahead. “Sometimes our offensive linemen do come and give pointers, sometimes coach Scar gives pointers,” Adam Butler told Pats Pulpit today.“But really, we get our best looks from our look team and our practice squad. They do a great job mimicking what our opponents do for that week,” the second-year defensive tackle continued. The look team Butler is talking about usually consists of depth players on the active roster or players on the team’s practice squad. One member of the first group is interior lineman James Ferentz.Over his two years since joining the Patriots, Ferentz went from practice squad guy to backup lineman on the Patriots’ 53-man team. And now, he is among a group of players helping prepare New England’s defense for what might be its biggest challenge to date. So how does this job look like? Let the 29-year old Marcus Cannon Jersey , who already owns one Super Bowl ring from a previous stint with the Denver Broncos, explain.“You kind of do like a reverse scout, so we — the scout-five guys — watch the Rams offensive line and we just try to see how they go about doing their business and how they approach blocking,” said Ferentz. “Then we try to mimic that to the best of our ability, which obviously is an impossible task. But it’s important that we try to do some of those things so that the defensive line can try to get a feel what to expect on Sunday.”“There’s nothing in the world like experience, you can’t compensate for that,” Ferentz continued when talking about the importance of proper scout team work in the grand scheme of preparation. The aforementioned Butler certainly seems to appreciate what the veteran player brings to the table. “James Ferentz, he’s gotten practice player of the week just about every week,” Butler said.“He’s very good at just mimicking what our opponents do week in and week out. That gives us live-action because he’s so good at it,” continued Butler. Fellow defensive tackle Danny Shelton also spoke about the scout team’s importance when it comes to getting the defense ready for the Rams. “They play the biggest role, because if we don’t get a good look we won’t know exactly how it will feel like in the game,” he said.“For me, I’m a player that likes to feel everything: double-teams coming down or play action happening or a screen. We need to have those looks by our offensive line and I feel like they’ve been doing a great job this whole year giving us great looks and preparing us http://www.patriotscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-rex-burkhead-jersey ,” continued the first-year Patriot Shelton. It is quite obvious that this preparation worked well for New England throughout the playoffs so far.The Patriots were able to put consistent pressure on both the Los Angeles Chargers’ and the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive lines, either by using stunts or simply by winning their one-on-one battles straight up. The invaluable knowledge of how to attack linemen and being able to prepare for all the different types of players and their tendencies — provided by the scout team — is a big reason for that.“Even some of the scout team guys are active players. You’re playing against some of the best of the best. They’ve given us great looks, they watch the film and how the opponents play, and we try to emulate defensively and offensively and vice versa,” said defensive edge Derek Rivers about how the scout team assists the defense in preparing for an opponent. “They help us out a lot.”On Sunday, they will hardly get noticed on the field — if they even make it so far. Ferentz, for example, was inactive against both the Chargers and the Chiefs. However, their impact will still be felt whenever New England makes a positive defensive play up front: it was the scout team and its under-the-radar contributions that to a certain degree helped make it possible. Even though few will actually think about it at that moment.

While the Minnesota Vikings are searching for an offensive line coach http://www.vikingscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-trae-waynes-jersey , they now have another vacancy on their sideline to deal with.Numerous sources on social media are reporting that Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer will not return to the Vikings for the 2019 season.Priefer has been the Vikings’ Special Teams Coach since 2011. During that time, he’s coached a couple of the better return artists in team history in Cordarrelle Patterson and Marcus Sherels (and, briefly, Percy Harvin). Some of the other parts of the special teams have had their issues, though, most notably the kicking game where missed field goals and extra points have been a regular occurrence. Priefer also served as interim head coach for a 2016 game against the Dallas Cowboys following one of Mike Zimmer’s eye surgeries.The thing that Priefer is best known for. . .outside of Minnesota Cheap Mike Hughes Jersey , anyway. . .were the homophobic remarks that he made in a Vikings’ special teams meeting back in 2013. Those comments drew the ire of then-punter Chris Kluwe, and eventually led to Priefer being suspended for three games in 2014.Obviously, there is no word yet on who could potentially be tapped to take Priefer’s place on the Vikings’ sidelines, but as soon as we start hearing names or anything of that nature we will bring them to you here. When the home teams were announced for the NFL’s 2019 International Series a few weeks ago, we speculated about whether or not the Minnesota Vikings would be making another overseas trip. One of the teams on the Vikings’ 2019 road schedule, the Los Angeles Chargers Cheap Dalvin Cook Jersey , was set to serve as the “home” team for an International Series game in Mexico City, so there was at least a chance that the Vikings were going to be a part of it.Well, on Monday the NFL announced the five matchups for the International Series, and the Vikings are not going to be a part of it this season. The Chargers’ game in Mexico City will see them taking on their division rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs.The dates for the International Series games have not been announced, but here are the matchups for the four London Games:Carolina Panthers “at” Tampa Bay BuccaneersChicago Bears “at” Oakland RaidersCincinnati Bengals “at” Los Angeles RamsHouston Texans “at” Jacksonville JaguarsThe NFL mandated that both of the Los Angeles teams host International Series games this year because of a delay in getting their new Matt Wile Jersey , shared stadium constructed. As for the Raiders, at this point nobody seems to be 100% sure where they’re playing any of their home games this season, and the Buccaneers and Jaguars both have strong London connections through their ownership.So, if you were getting ready to get your passport stamped to go see the Vikings in 2019, you don’t have to worry about it for the time being.

The Minnesota Vikings have finally reached its well deserved Minnesota Vikings Womens Hoodie , much needed bye week. While the Vikings are getting that R and R, the rest of the NFC North will be busy on Sunday. The Chicago Bears (5-3) will host the Detroit Lions (3-5), while the Green Bay Packers (3-4-1) host the Miami Dolphins (5-4). Since I normally do a three things to watch for a Vikings game, I figured I’ll do a similar thing here, but pick one thing from each team to pay attention to.‘Da BearsKhalil Mack ripping apart Matthew StaffordAfter last week’s vicious ten sacks Stafford endured by the Vikings’ defense, he’s about to be in for another nightmare with Mack pressuring him all Sunday afternoon. Danielle Hunter was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after his man-handling of Stafford. Hunter and Tom Johnson combined for six of the ten sacks the defense recorded. Mack is talented and will likely be up against Rickey Wagner. According to an article from the Detroit Free Press, Wagner has given up seven sacks this season. He’s not only had to face Hunter, but also Demarcus Lawrence who has 6.5 sacks and 10 QB hits on the year. Mack is battling back from an injury Womens Customized Minnesota Vikings Jerseys , but fans are hoping he can get back to top form. Before he was held out of the last two games, Mack had already recorded five sacks, 20 tackles, one interception for a pick six and 20 tackles. The Green Bay Cheese Packaging CompanyUnfortunately, Rodgers may have a hay day against MiamiThe Green Bay Packers host the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. The Packers offense is ranked sixth in the league for yards and 14th for points forced. The Dolphins’ defense ranks 26th for yards given up and 18th for points allowed. Aaron Rodgers seems unstoppable. Regardless if you’re a fan of him or not, he can flat out play. Rodgers’ thrown for 2,542 yards, he’s thrown for 15 touchdowns and only one interception this season.Miami’s played both the Lions and Bears already this season. The Dolphins defeated Chicago in overtime 31-28 www.vikingsauthorizedshops.com , but lost to the Lions 32-21 in Miami. The Dolphins are coming off a 13-6 win against the New York Jets, but had a big 42-23 loss to the Houston Texans two weeks ago. Miami plays Minnesota on Dec. 16 at the Bank.The Detroit Lions Look for Kerryon Johnson to step upNow, Chicago’s rush defense is quite solid. The defense has only allowed two games were a team rushed for over 100 yards. Five games the D held teams to under 75 yards rushing. Johnson has only averaged about 63 yards a game. He’s broke loose for two 100 yard rushing games. After last week’s nightmare for Stafford, it’s possible to see Johnson pick up at least 15 carries. He’s due for another big game after only coming up with 59 yards off 20 carries over the past two weeks. He could also be seen as an outlet option for Stafford if he’s pressured how he was last week. He’s been beneficial to the passing game where he’s caught 24 passes for 165 yards. Predictions:Packers beat the Dolphins 32-21Chicago beats Detroit 21-13 Holding a 13-10 lead coming out of the locker room, the Minnesota Vikings got to receive the second half kickoff from the Arizona Cardinals. The kickoff from Phil Dawson went through the end zone for a touchback, and the Vikings set up shop at their own 25-yard line to start the third quarter of play.The Vikings started the drive with a run by Latavius Murray, and then Kirk Cousins found Adam Thielen near the right sideline for a 16-yard gain and a first down to the 45. The Vikings then found themselves facing a 3rd-and-13 after a couple of attempts by Murray got stopped. Cousins then found Thielen again for an incredible diving catch that gave the Vikings a first down at the Arizona 45.Mike Boone then blasted through for a nice 20-yard gain to move the ball to the Arizona 22-yard line. On the ensuing third down, Cousins dropped back to pass and found Thielen in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown! Dan Bailey added the extra point Minnesota Vikings Womens T-Shirt , and the Vikings’ lead expanded to 20-10.With his catches on that drive, Thielen went up to 10 catches for 114 yards, giving him his sixth consecutive 100-yard game to start the season. He’s good and stuff.Thanks to a penalty on the kick return, the Cardinals started their first drive of the third quarter at their own 7-yard line. The Cardinals did nothing, and the drive ended with Harrison Smith sacking Josh Rosen at the 1-yard line. Andy Lee came in to punt it away, and Marcus Sherels put together his best return of the year, taking it 20 yards to the Arizona 43-yard line.Latavius Murray kicked off the drive with the (new) longest run of the season for the Vikings, picking up 34 yards and setting up first-and-goal for the Vikings at the 9-yard line. After another run by Murray Minnesota Vikings Hats , Cousins faked a handoff to C.J. Ham, and then ran around the right side for a 7-yard touchdown run!Bailey added the extra point, and suddenly the lead was 17 points at 27-10.Arizona started at their own 25 after another touchback, and they picked up a first down on a pass to Larry Fitzgerald and a run by David Johnson. The Cardinals eventually found themselves facing another third down, and Anthony Harris jumped in front of a Fitzgerald route for an interception! That was the Vikings’ first interception since Week 1, and set the Vikings up at their own 47-yard line.Unfortunately, the Vikings didn’t do much with the turnover, as they went three-and-out following the interception. Matt Wile came in to punt the ball away Minnesota Vikings Womens Hoodie , and Christian Kirk called for a fair catch at the 13-yard line. A penalty on the Cardinals pushed it back further, and the Cardinals once again started at their own 7-yard line.The Cardinals got a big play to start their drive, as Rosen found Jermaine Gresham on a short screen that picked up 26 yards and got Arizona out of the shadow of their own goal post. A short pass to J.J. Nelson then got the Cardinals near another first down, and they got it on a carry by Chase Edmonds.As we move to the final quarter of play, the Cardinals are looking at 1st-and-10 from their own 46-yard line.We have fifteen minutes of football remaining from U.S. Bank Stadium, and the Vikings lead the Cardinals by a score of 27-10. Will the purple hold on for their third victory of the year?

Thursday Night Football - Week 12Atlanta Falcons (4-6) at New Orleans Saints (9-1)The Saints face the Falcons in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome with a chance to make this one of the best Thanksgiving nights Saints fans have ever seen.The Saints are as hot as they have ever been and the slumping Falcons may be walking into a buzzsaw tonight.Who will be the star that shines brightest for the Saints offense tonight?Which Saints on defense will carve up the Falcons like that turkey on the table?Let’s jump in the comments and get this Thanksgiving-themed game thread cooking!WHO DAT!!!Kickoff:Thursday Youth Michael Thomas Jersey , November 22nd - 5:20pm PST / 7:20pm CST / 8:20pm ESTLocation:Mercedes-Benz Superdome - New Orleans, LouisianaWeather Forecast:Perfect conditions under the domeTV Broadcast:Thursday Night Football on NBC (National Broadcast)- Mike Tirico, Tony Dungy, and Rodney HarrisonRadio:WWL 870AM/105.3FM New Orleans-Featuring: Zach Streif, Deuce McAllister, and Kristian GaricSIRIUS XM 225 / Internet 821 New Orleans Saints radio network affiliates can be found hereAtlanta Falcons radio network affiliates can be found hereOnline Streaming:NBCSports.comiOS/Android Streaming:NFL App and/or NBC Sports appOdds:Saints -13; Over/Under 60.5Here’s to the Saints winning their tenth consecutive game! Happy Thanksgiving, Who Dat Nation!!! BUFFALO (1-2) at GREEN BAY (1-1-1)Sunday Youth Cameron Jordan Jersey , 1 p.m. ET, CBSOPENING LINE - Packers by 12陆RECORD VS. SPREAD - Buffalo 1-2, Green Bay 1-2SERIES RECORD - Bills lead 8-4LAST MEETING - Bills beat Packers 21-13, Dec. 14, 2014LAST WEEK - Bills beat Vikings 27-6; Packers lost to Redskins 31-17AP PRO32 RANKING - Bills No. 28, Packers No. 13BILLS OFFENSE - OVERALL (31), RUSH (19) Color Rush Vonn Bell Jersey , PASS (30).BILLS DEFENSE - OVERALL (11), RUSH (5), PASS (18).PACKERS OFFENSE - OVERALL (18), RUSH (24), PASS (14).PACKERS DEFENSE - OVERALL (23), RUSH (27), PASS (21).STREAKS Marshon Lattimore Jersey , STATS AND NOTES - First meeting for teams at Lambeau Field since 2010. Bills lost three previous road meetings in series, last winning 34-24 in 1991. ... Buffalo has won five straight against NFC North, last losing to Minnesota in December 2010. ... Rookie QB Josh Allen's 168 yards passing in first half last week against Vikings were most for Buffalo in opening half of game since Tyrod Taylor had 236 yards in 30-22 loss at Kansas City on Nov. 29, 2015. ... Allen became third rookie QB in Super Bowl era to rush for at least two TDs and throw TD pass in first half of game. ... Bills managed season-best 128 yards rushing against Vikings despite missing starting RB LeSean McCoy (rib). ... Charles Clay one of four active TEs with 500 or more yards receiving in each of past five seasons. ... Buffalo's four sacks against Minnesota were most since getting six in Week 2 loss last season at Carolina. ... S Micah Hyde was drafted by Packers in fifth round of 2013. Hyde had eight interceptions in 63 games with Green Bay. ... Packers QB Aaron Rodgers reached 5,000 career attempts last week. His 319 TD passes and 78 INTs set NFL record for most touchdowns and fewest picks at time of 5,000th attempt. ... Still battling knee issues, Rodgers' 103.8 passer rating in September is second in NFL among active QBs. ... WR Davante Adams looking for sixth straight game with TD dating to last season. ... WR Randall Cobb coming off game with two drops and fumble against Redskins. ... LB Clay Matthews called for roughing-the-passer penalty in each of first three games Authentic Wil Lutz Jersey , two of them highly controversial. ... Matthews has five sacks in two career meetings with Bills. ... DL Kenny Clark had career-high nine tackles last week. ... Fantasy tip: RB Aaron Jones had 42 yards on six carries in season debut last week. Jones averaged 5.53 yards per carry as rookie last year, second among RBs with 75-plus attempts behind New Orleans' Alvin Kamara. Jones' big-play potential and slashing ability could help him emerge as top option in Packers' crowded backfield. Custom Houston Texans Jerseys

The first day of practices here in Mobile have come and gone which means every single person in attendance has created their initial impressions of the player pool and will look to build upon their evaluations throughout the rest of the week.There were some obvious stand-outs http://www.chargersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-trevor-williams-jersey , but for every exceptional performance on Tuesday, there was also an equally abysmal performance by someone else.With that being said, here are my “winners” and “losers” from the first practices at the 70th annual Reese’s Senior Bowl.WinnersDE Montez SweatSweat made himself a lot of money this week before ever having to stepped on the field at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Just by standing on stage and letting himself get weighed and measured, his expected draft stock crept up. When it was announced that Sweat was a true 6-foot-6 and 252 pounds, there was an audible reshuffling in the room as the entire auditorium awed at the physical phenom.Using those lengthy 35 5/8th-inch arms, Sweat embarrassed multiple linemen with his incredibly-effective long-arm stab. The most impressive of them all being this rep against Alabama State tackle Tytus Howard.If there was anyone in Mobile who was “as advertised”, it was Sweat. He loo, and played, all the way up to his lofty expectations.DT Daylon MackThe former five-star recruit out of Gladewater, Texas finally looks to have made things click this season after two underwhelming years at Texas A&M. At 6-foot-1 and 320 pounds, Mack looks like one of the purest nose tackles in this year’s draft.In 1-on-1’s against the offensive line, Mack had his way with whomever happened to line up against him. His most unfortunate victim was Alabama center Ross Pierschbacher. In one specific rep, Mack marched Pierschbacher four yards back before putting the linemen on his hind end.C Elgton Jenkins - Mississippi StateWhile many came into the Mobile with the impression that North Carolina State center Garrett Bradbury would be the runaway favorite for top center in this year’s draft, Jenkins’ performance on day 1 may have many double-checking their evaluations.Jenkins showed outstanding power at the point of attack and usually looked like a man among boys during his 1-on-1 reps. He showed a stout anchor and usually used his strength to settle speedier rushers down without having to move his feet all that much.At 6-foot-4 and 312 pounds Desmond King Jersey , he has excellent size for the position and will likely continue to be one of the biggest risers through the rest of the week.LosersQB Will Grier - West VirginiaGrier came into this year’s Senior Bowl with all the confidence in the world. According to my good friend Mark Schofield, Grier said that he doesn’t understand all the preconceived notions that he has off-the-field issues or that his arm strength isn’t up to par with the rest of the quarterbacks. He quickly followed this up with the claim that he has the best arm of the group while maintaining that he is the top passer in this year’s draft.If he wishes to make his claim a true one, he’s going to have to come out firing on all cylinders from here on out. Grier was consistently throwing passes behind his receivers, wide open or not.It was also quite noticeable how uncomfortable he was under center. Hopefully the former-Mountaineer can reign in some of his passes and start walking the walk along his boisterous talk.OG Dru Samia - OklahomaFirst impressions of Samia on day one were about as mixed as they come. Since yesterday’s practice, I have seen multiple statements regarding Samia as one of the better players from the first set of practices but I have to go in a different direction. I stayed mostly with the offensive linemen through practices and I didn’t see any player more frustrated with himself than Samia.The 6-foot-5, 304-pound guard looked overwhelmed against most of the defenders he went up against, including Texas A&M’s Daylon Mack and Florida State’s Demarcus Christmas.For a member of the country’s best offensive line unit, it was just an underwhelming day for a guy I held in high regards coming into this week.CB Kris Boyd - TexasBoyd made his presence known from the start practice, especially during 1-on-1’s where he displayed some physicality that isn’t normally expected in early drills. Early on, Boyd caused an incompletion on a crossing route, colliding with the receiver and sending him spinning into the turf. He celebrated with hand-clapping and some barking, to boot.However, Boyd spent the rest of the day get exploited by some of the quicker receivers, specifically Ohio State’s Terry McLaurin who dusted Boyd on a go-route and caught a beautiful ball in the end zone by Missouri’s Drew Lock. Boyd has one of the better reputations among the defensive backs here in Mobile. It would not be surprising to see even more scrutiny for the former-Longhorn if he doesn’t have a bounce-back performance in today’s session.Surge or Static: Have a day Authentic Russell Okung Jersey , Rookies! Man, does it feel good to write this up following a win, and after a pretty solid one, at that.The Chargers came out and, at least in the first half, did what everyone expected of them. Putting up four touchdowns and strolling into halftime with a 28-6 lead that they would never relinquish. We are only two games into the 2018 regular season and the Chargers’ rookie class has already exceeded most people’s short-term expectations. On a defense full of play-makers, it seems like the only ones making splash plays have been the newest of Chargers up to this point.Are you a fan of foreshadowing? Because if so.....SurgedS Derwin James / LB Uchenna Nwosu / LB Kyzir WhiteHoly Shmoley...did you guys see what these rookies did on Sunday?If you didn’t let me throw out the dirty stats for you:White - 4 total tackles, 3 passes defensed (led team), and an interception that helped shut down Buffalo’s late momentum.Nwosu - 3 total tackles, a tackle-for-loss, and his first career sack which came after he logged just two snaps against the Chiefs in week one.James - 8 total tackles (led team), a sack (leads the team with two) , and a pair of tackles-for-loss.If you throw on the tape, you would actually see several plays where James should have had another sack or two. In the first quarter http://www.chargerscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-michael-schofield-jersey , James penetrated so fast on a blitz that he tackled Bills quarterback Josh Allen before he had a chance to hand off to LeSean McCoy. Due to the play being a run by design, James was only credited with a tackle-for-loss.Later in the game, James and Nwosu committed a rookie blunder at the same time as they both whiffed on a “gimme” sack of Allen.Although this play might incur some cringes from the audience, it luckily didn’t define their play on Sunday.Overall, it was a stellar performance from this rookie trio. Both the coaching staff and fan base should excited as hell about these guys, regardless of how small the sample size is.WR Mike WilliamsAlthough he had just two targets against the Bills, Williams did everything he could to maximize his limited opportunities.On his first catch of the game, Williams caught his first touchdown of his career. The play, as we would later find out, was drawn up specifically for Williams when the team got into the red zone. Williams pulled in a beautiful pass by Philip Rivers, holding on to the ball while getting smashed between two Buffalo defenders before he hit the ground. For fans, this was exactly what everyone has been waiting to see from last year’s first-round pick.His second and last target of the day was a catch for a first down where Williams lost his helmet due to contact, showing once again what he can do with his large, powerful frame.StaticMelvin Gordon (as a runner)CALM DOWN!I made this one highly-specific because there weren’t really a ton of poor performances in this game for the Chargers but it’s still a large enough problem that can’t be ignored.For what I believe to be the first time in their time together Caleb Sturgis Jersey , Austin Ekeler received more carries than Gordon in a game. Also, in what shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody, Ekeler was once again much more efficient with his carries as he took his 11 carries for 77 yards while Gordon managed just 28 yards on nine carries. Take out his touchdown run of 20 yards and Gordon averaged just one yard per carry.Thankfully, due to his elevated prowess as a receiver and his nose for the endzone, Gordon was able to doll-up his performance against the Bills but those who dig deeper will still uncover a problem that Gordon hasn’t been able to shake, even in his fourth year as a pro.DT Brandon MebaneMebane’s place under “Static” is not so much for his performance taking a step back, but for the fact that it’s been far too long since he showed any signs of taking a step forward. Week after week the observations and comments about Mebane’s play remain roughly the same.“He gives up ground far too often.”“He can’t hold his ground anymore.”“He offers no penetration.”Over and over these statements are recyled and I can’t help but think “the writing is on the wall” for the veteran. Mebane’s poor performance is only highlighted by the elevated play of the youngsters around him. This year’s third-round pick, defensive tackle Justin Jones, flashed the ability to collapse the pocket and create pressure up the middle.Who else do you guys think surged forward with their play on Sunday? Who do you think stayed static, or even took some steps back? Let’s talk about it. nflshopoutlet.com

While the New England Patriots registered their fourth straight win on Sunday Youth Dont'a Hightower Jersey , the team’s AFC East rivals went a combined 0-3. This, in turn, allowed the Patriots to take a two-point lead over their closest competitor in the division, the Miami Dolphins. Let’s find out how this week went down in the latest edition of the AFC East Report:1. New England Patriots (5-2)Week 7: 38-31 win against the Chicago Bears, in Chicago ILTo watch highlights of the game, click here.2. Miami Dolphins (4-3)Week 7: 32-21 loss against the Detroit Lions, in Miami Gardens FLThe Miami Dolphins saw backup quarterback Brock Osweiler (22/31, 239 yds, 2 TDs) play another solid game in place of the injured Ryan Tannehill, but they still lost their third contest in four weeks to fall another game behind the Patriots. The reasons for that? A defense that was susceptible to the big play, failed to get off the field in critical situations, and allowed its opponent to run all over it. The offense, meanwhile, took to long to get into a rhythm.While the home team opened the game with a three-and-out, the Detroit Lions were able to march right down the field to take a 7-0 lead. With Miami unable to get much going on its next two drives either http://www.thepatriotsfootballauthentic.com/patrick-chung-jersey-authentic , the visitors went up 10-0 early in the second quarter. At that point, Adam Gase’s team finally woke up and went on an 11-play drive that covered 77 yards and ended with a touchdown pass from Osweiler to Kenny Stills (1/5 yds, 1 TD).With momentum on their side, the Dolphins surrendered another big touchdown drive to their opponent and therefore went into halftime down 17-7. Coming out of the locker rooms, Miami’s defense was unable to hang with the Detroit offense: the team scored on all four of its possessions in the second half. It started with a field goal, which was answered with a long touchdown run by Kenyan Drake (6/72 yds, 1 TD).Detroit, however, responded with a touchdown drive of its own and after another Miami punt increased its lead to 15 points. The Dolphins’ third touchdown of the day – a 24-yard pass from Osweiler to ex-Patriot Danny Amendola (6/84 yds, 1 TD) – brought back hope of a comeback but Miami’s inability to force a punt came back to haunt the team once again: after another Lions field goal, the team was down 11 with under two minutes to go.The Dolphins ended the game with a missed field goal attempt and have now quickly crashed back to earth after their 3-0 start. While the team is still very much in the race for the division title or a wild card playoff spot, it is undoubtably trending downwards. Maybe Tannehill’s return – which will not come this week – will help turn the team’s fortunes around again.To watch highlights of the game, click here.3. New York Jets (3-4)Week 7: 37-17 loss against the Minnesota Vikings, in East Rutherford NJComing off back-to-back wins, the Jets were blown out at home by the visiting Minnesota Vikings. While New York was able to keep the game close through the first half – mainly because of a solid defensive performance – the team failed to keep up with the Vikings over the final 30 minutes and has now fallen back below .500 due to self-inflicted mistakes and inconsistent offensive play.The contest started badly for the home team as it took Minnesota just four plays to reach the end zone and go up 7-0. In the meantime http://www.thepatriotsfootballauthentic.com/marcus-cannon-jersey-authentic , the team’s offense started slowly and had to punt on its first two possessions – luckily for New York, the defense was able to settle down after giving up the early touchdown. This, in turn, allowed the Jets to tie the game late in the first quarter on a scoring pass from Sam Darnold (17/42, 206 yds, 1 TD, 3 INTs) to Chris Herndon (4/42 yds, 1 TD).A field goal after a short punt allowed the Vikings to get back on top early in the second period. At that point, the game turned into a defensive showdown with neither team being able to string together plays. While New York’s offense struggled and turned the football over on a lost fumble by Darnold, its defense – aided by a missed Minnesota field goal attempt – was able to keep the contest close.Coming out of halftime down a mere three points, the Jets quickly fell apart. Following a punt on the first drive, the Vikings not only scored their second touchdown of the day they also picked off Darnold to set up a field goal. Down 20-7, the Jets added a field goal of their own but the momentum would firmly stay on the visitors’ side: Minnesota scored another touchdown early in the fourth period to went up by 17.A quarterback sneak by Darnold made it a two-possession game again, but the Jets failed to make the game any closer: two more interceptions led to 10 more Vikings points to put the game out of reach. Ultimately, New York had its moments but in between them made to many errors to stay competitive for 60 minutes.To watch highlights of the game Youth Joe Thuney Jersey , click here.4. Buffalo Bills (2-5)Week 7: 37-5 loss against the Indianapolis Colts, in Indianapolis INWith starting quarterback Josh Allen out due to an elbow injury – one that will also force him to miss next Monday’s game against the Patriots – the Buffalo Bills turned to Derek Anderson (20/31, 175 yds, 3 INTs) over former second-stringer Nathan Peterman. The results were still bad: while Buffalo’s offense was already inconsistent with Allen and even worse with Peterman at the helm, Anderson did little to help the unit.What also hurt the Bills was starting running back LeSean McCoy (2/1 yd) suffering a concussion on just his second play of the day. Despite that, Buffalo was able to hold its game against the Indianapolis Colts close for the first 15 minutes. However, the scoreless tie was broken early in the second period with a Colts touchdown. Just five plays later, the Bills turned the football over when Charles Clay (3/14 yds) lost a fumble.The give away set up the home team’s second touchdown of the day – and it was far from done. After a Bills three-and-out, Indianapolis again sliced through Sean McDermott’s defense: marching 82 yards in nine plays, the Colts were able to score their third touchdown of the second quarter. Following an interception by Anderson, Indianapolis added three more points to take a 24-0 halftime lead.Coming out of the half, the Bills produced their best drive of a day: the team went 56 yards in 12 plays to get on the scoreboard with a Steven Hauschka (1/1) field goal. Late in the third quarter, Buffalo was able to add two more points via a safety. Cutting the deficit to 19 points can be seen as the team’s high point of the day as the team went back to full collapse mode as soon as the fourth quarter started.Just two plays into the final period, Anderson lost a fumble. Three plays later, the Colts scored another touchdown to go up 31-5. A failed fourth down attempt and another interception later Youth Ja'Whaun Bentley Jersey , Buffalo was down 37-5. The quarterback’s third pick of the day did not change anything but Indianapolis’ fantasy points. T’was a bad day for the Patriots’ next opponent.To watch highlights of the game, click here.Week 5 Patriots vs Colts: Tom Brady throws 500th touchdown pass, breaks different receivers record by finding Josh Gordon After heading into the locker rooms up 24-3, a sloppy third quarter by the New England Patriots allowed the Indianapolis Colts to get back into the ball game. After the visitors made it a one-possession contest, it was on Tom Brady and the Patriots offense to get back some of the momentum after two giveaways after the half. And they did just that.New England marched 75 yards in six plays, capped by a touchdown pass from Brady to recently added wide receiver Josh Gordon:An impressive play by Brady, Gordon and the offensive line, New England is now up 31-17 because of it. Furthermore, the touchdown pass was the 500th of Brady’s Hall of Fame career and helped him set a new all-time record: with the touchdown, Gordon becomes the 71st different receiver to catch a scoring pass from the greatest quarterback of all time – breaking a tie with Vinny Testaverde.

NFC South after Week 4: New Orleans on Top What a great week for the New Orleans Saints!The Saints are currently sitting atop the NFC South after Week 4. Here’s how it all happened.Photo by Al Bello/Getty ImagesComing into Week 4 http://www.thesaintsfootballauthentic.com/tyeler-davison-jersey-authentic , the New Orleans Saints (2-1) were the only team to face a an opponent with a losing record in the 1-2 New York Giants. The Saints took care of business Sunday afternoon, beating the Giants by a final score of 33-18.The early slate of games was just as productive for the Saints, as the 2-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers got throttled by the Chicago Bears, 48-10. It got so bad for Tampa Bay that the Buccaneers pulled interim starter Ryan Fitzpatrick halfway through the game for the returning Jameis Winston (who promptly threw an interception on his first drive). The loss dropped the Buccaneers to 2-2.The Atlanta Falcons (1-2) lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, by giving up a lead late (whaaaaaat? that’s so unlike the Falcons...) to Andy Dalton and AJ Green for a 37-36 final score. The loss pushed the Falcons further down to 1-3.With the 2-1 Carolina Panthers on a Bye, this means the Saints (3-1) are in first place all alone. The Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are tied for second at 2-2 http://www.thesaintsfootballauthentic.com/terron-armstead-jersey-authentic , the Atlanta Falcons are in the basement at 1-3.Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty ImagesIn Week 5, it is Tampa Bay’s turn for their bye. The Carolina Panthers return for their bye to face Eli Manning and the New York Giants in Carolina. The Atlanta Falcons travel to Pittsburgh to face the underperforming Pittsburgh Steelers. Both of those games are at noon CST.The New Orleans Saints will be playing in prime time in Week 5, hosting the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football. There will be plenty of storylines to follow for the game, the most prominent being the fact that Drew Brees is only 201 passing yards away from breaking Peyton Manning’s all time career passing record.But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First things first: #BeattheRedskins Week 17 typically plays out as one of the more bizarre weeks in the NFL with some intense playoff battles, some teams giving up early and others resting their stars to get a look at some younger talent.Because of this, most season-long fantasy championships are held during Week 16 and some of the biggest daily fantasy tournaments will conclude with "main event" prize pools this week Youth Ryan Ramczyk Jersey , but savvy fantasy players should still be on the lookout for traps similar to the last week of the season.Last week, the Jacksonville Jaguars gave star tailback Leonard Fournette 10 carries in the first half before giving him just one in the second half to get a longer look at backup David Williams. The Arizona Cardinals gave Chase Edmonds 38 percent of snaps and the Denver Broncos have been leaning heavily on a trio of young wideouts 鈥?DaeSean Hamilton, Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick.DFS players targeting teams out of contention should be particularly wary when considering veteran players. Luckily, there are several teams with plenty on the line this week that we can look to target for daily contests.COWBOYS-BUCCANEERSDallas is a 7 1/2 -point home favorite against Tampa Bay in a game where the Cowboys control their playoff fate while the Bucs have long been out of contention. The Bucs have a bottom 10 defense from a fantasy perspective against every position, and it is a strong spot to target quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott, who both are ranked inside the top 5 of DailyRoto's Week 16 value ratings. Prescott and Elliott make for a solid cash game foundation http://www.thesaintsfootballauthentic.com/thomas-morstead-jersey-authentic , and Prescott can also be paired up with either Amari Cooper or Michael Gallup in tournaments. While the Bucs are projected to be trailing, their offense still ranks first in the NFL in total passing yards, and they'll need to lean heavily on the passing attack. DailyRoto likes both Chris Godwin and Adam Humphries to command more than 20 percent of the targets, particularly if DeSean Jackson were to be limited or remain out.STEELERS-SAINTSPittsburgh travels to New Orleans to play in the Superdome, fondly referred to as "The Coors Field of the NFL" in daily fantasy sports after the high-scoring Colorado Rockies baseball stadium. This game will rightfully be a popular target in both cash games and tournaments, and with a 53 1/2-point total it is projected by Vegas to be the highest scoring game on the main slate. The big news fantasy owners are waiting on is the status of Steelers running back James Conner http://www.thesaintsfootballauthentic.com/ken-crawley-jersey-authentic , who will likely be a game-time decision for the second consecutive week. His availability will impact the viability of Jaylen Samuels (just $6,700 on FanDuel) in tournaments.Look for JuJu Smith-Schuster to lead the way for the Steelers receivers. He has drawn 48 targets over the previous four weeks compared with 40 for Antonio Brown. At a cheaper price tag than Brown, Smith-Schuster could also command lower ownership from people looking at last week's box score and seeing Brown's touchdown. The Saints have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers and this is a prime spot.It's also a bounceback chance for New Orleans, who will look to rebound after scoring only 50 points on their recent three-game road trip. Drew Brees has averaged over 300 yards passing at home over the previous two seasons, and pairing him up with PPR options Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas is a viable option as the Saints look to clinch home field advantage throughout the entire playoffs. Custom Miami Dolphins Jerseys

Jon Gruden hopes he’s a candidate to return for a second stint as coach of the Oakland Raiders and believes a final decision will be made next week.

Gruden made his most specific comments about the opening in Oakland in an interview Tuesday with the Bay Area News Group . The Raiders fired coach Jack Del Rio on Sunday following a disappointing six-win season

”My understanding is they’re interviewing candidates this week and they’re going to let everybody know sometime early next week or whenever they make their decision Authentic Saquon Barkley Jersey ,” Gruden told the paper.

When asked specifically if he was a candidate, Gruden replied: ”Well, I think I am being considered, yes. I hope I’m a candidate.”

The Raiders are not commenting on the search beyond a statement issued Sunday night from owner Mark Davis thanking Del Rio for his tenure.

Gruden spent four seasons as coach in Oakland from 1998-2001. After leading the Raiders to 8-8 records his first two years, Gruden helped the team reach the AFC title game following the 2000 season and got Oakland back into the playoffs the following season.

Gruden’s tenure ended shortly after the ”Tuck Rule” loss to the New England Patriots when he was traded the following month to Tampa Bay for two first-round draft picks, two second-rounders and $8 million.

Gruden beat the Raiders in the Super Bowl in his first season with the Buccaneers but didn’t win another playoff game for Tampa Bay in his final six seasons. He has a 95-81 career record.

Gruden has spent the past nine seasons working as an announcer for ESPN and is scheduled to work the playoff game Saturday in Kansas City between the Chiefs and Tennessee Titans. ESPN first reported the likelihood of Gruden returning to Oakland on the eve of the season finale that Oakland lost.

Del Rio was fired following the 30-10 defeat to the Chargers, leading to the current search.

The Raiders will be required to comply with the ”Rooney Rule” and interview at least one minority candidate or otherwise face discipline from the NFL.

John Wooten, the head of the Fritz Pollard Alliance which monitors the NFL’s minority hiring, said he is confident the Raiders will follow the rules and doesn’t consider the process a sham despite reports Gruden would get the job before it even opened.

Wooten pointed to the Raiders’ history under late owner Al Davis and his son, Mark, in hiring minority candidates John Gibson Jersey , from making Art Shell the first African-American head coach in modern NFL history in 1989 and then bringing him back for a second stint in 2006.

Tom Flores was the first Hispanic coach to win a Super Bowl and the team also hired Hue Jackson as coach in 2011 and currently employs Reggie McKenzie as general manager.

”I trust the integrity of Mark Davis and Reggie and what they have done,” Pollard said. ”I trust they will follow the rule and I believe that.”

—

Shortly after franchise quarterback Carson Wentz left the field with a torn ACL, Malcolm Jenkins gathered his teammates following a comeback win that clinched a division title. He gave an emotional speech, imploring them to believe they can win the Super Bowl without the guy who got them to that point.

The Philadelphia Eagles are two wins away from their goal. First up is the NFC championship game Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

”Carson being out of this, that sucks,” Jenkins told the team in the locker room after a 43-35 win at the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 10. ”But dig this, we set this up for whoever (is) in this room, that’s who we ride with, man. We said, `we all we got, we all we need.’ Believe that…. We got bigger goals … championships and that’s it.”

Wentz is the franchise quarterback and a leader by example. Jenkins Authentic Josh Manson Jersey , the two-time Pro Bowl safety, is the in-your-face leader. He’s the first one to address the group after coach Doug Pederson gives his post-game speech.

”He’s embraced it and guys look forward to it,” Pederson said. ”He’s got a lot of profound messages. He speaks from the heart and he speaks truth. So that’s been a positive.”

Jenkins says he always has a purpose when he speaks.

”I kind of try to analyze the situation of where we are as a team, do a little bit of reflection, but make sure that it’s not just an emotional response to keep everybody in perspective,” he said. ”A lot of times I’m talking to myself to be most honest.”

As the underdog Eagles (14-3) prepare to host the Vikings (14-3), Jenkins reflected on his inspirational message following Wentz’s injury.

”Knowing that the media was getting ready to come in right after and those seeds of doubt, words of doubt were getting ready to come, I wanted to make sure there was a message of confidence and perspective before they had to actually address the media,” Jenkins said. ”Obviously, we all hurt for Carson. It’s a huge blow to the team Ondrej Kase Jersey , but in no way does it change our goals. No way does it change our demeanor. Nothing’s changed, and that was kind of the message.”

Wentz’s injury was the latest and biggest blow for a team seeking its first NFL title since 1960. The Eagles lost nine-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters, versatile running back/return specialist Darren Sproles, playmaking linebacker Jordan Hicks, and special-teams captain Chris Maragos to season-ending injuries.

”We always focused on the guys we had in the huddle,” Jenkins said. ”Losing the amount of guys that we’ve lost and facing a lot of the adversity that we have, to have that mentality that we are sufficient, that the guys we have in this room can get it done, no matter what’s in front of us, has kind of been the story line of this team. Obviously I think everybody has kind of embraced that mentality.”

Jenkins spent his first five seasons with the New Orleans Saints and won a Super Bowl his rookie year. He joined the Eagles in free agency four years ago and has started every game, developing into one of the league’s best players at his position.

”Malcolm is always in the right place as a safety Rickard Rakell Jersey ,” former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky told The Associated Press. ”He just takes a level of confidence away from you because you can’t manipulate him, you can’t get him to do what you want him to do.”

Jenkins is not only a team leader, but has earned the respect of his peers. He’s very active in the community and established The Players’ Coalition to help advance players’ activism efforts. Jenkins led a meeting that included NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and teammates with police, policy leaders and public defenders in Philadelphia to discuss criminal justice reform.

”I think that we can play a major role in changing the narrative from this argumentative, combative narrative to one of solutions, one that is aimed at bringing people together, because that’s what unique about this game,” Jenkins said.

—

SAN FRANCISCO — Johnny Cueto returns from a two-month stint on the disabled list to open a 10-game homestand when the San Francisco Giants host the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a four-game series Thursday night.

The Giants completed a six-game trip with a thud Wednesday Authentic Baker Mayfield Jersey , dropping a third straight game at Colorado to cancel out an impressive three-game sweep at Arizona.

San Francisco will have to hope a return home rejuvenates the bats that produced 41 runs during a recent 7-3 homestand. The Giants were held to three runs at Colorado, their lowest total ever in a three-game series at Coors Field by a full four runs.

Cueto surely has the potential to turn the Giants’ pitching fortunes back in a positive direction. Before being sidelined by a sprained right elbow, he went 3-0 with a 0.84 ERA in five starts in March and April.

After giving up no runs in two injury-rehab starts at Triple-A Sacramento, he was deemed healthy enough to return to the Giants’ rotation.

“When you’ve got one of your big guys ready to go, you pitch him,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy announced this week. “He passed all the tests. He checked every box off. He’s thrown the ball well — no runs. His bullpen (Monday) went well, he’s practiced bunts, he’s set to go.”

Cueto will be making his 24th career start against the Cardinals, against whom he has gone 7-8 with a 3.74 ERA.

He has never lost to St. Louis since joining the Giants in 2016, going 2-0 with a 1.77 ERA in three starts.

The 32-year-old has had more than his fair share of success against some of the Cardinals’ top guns: Matt Carpenter (.217), Marcell Ozuna (.200) and Dexter Fowler (.158).

Cueto will face a Cardinals team that will be riding the momentum of a late explosion that produced an 8-4 win at Arizona on Wednesday night.

Before that win, St. Louis had lost five of its last six games, having totaled 19 runs in those games.

The Cardinals will send out 24-year-old right-hander Luke Weaver (4-7, 5.16) to face Cueto.

The third-year major-leaguer has struggled in his last nine starts, going 1-5, and is coming off his worst outing of the season when he allowed eight runs in 4 2/3 innings in an 11-4 home loss to Atlanta on Saturday.

Weaver has pitched well against the Giants in his career, going 1-1 with a 1.86 ERA in two starts, both of which were in San Francisco.

Interestingly, Weaver has allowed just one home run to a current member of the Giants, and that happens to be Madison Bumgarner, who is scheduled to pitch Sunday’s series finale against Jack Flaherty.

The Giants also expect to get Jeff Samardzija back from the disabled list during the series. He is slated to return from shoulder and pectoral soreness to start Saturday.

The Cardinals (44-41) and Giants (45-43) will open the series with nearly identical records. Both would be on the outside looking in had the playoffs begun Thursday.

With one quarter remaining http://www.officialcoyotes.com/authentic-adidas-clayton-keller-jersey , Eagles players on the field and sideline already were dancing.

A bit later, after their stunning and resounding 38-7 rout of the Minnesota Vikings earned them the NFC championship, they listened as nearly 70,000 made the Linc shake with ”Fly Eagles Fly.”

Hey Philly, you’re in the Super Bowl.

”It was electric. The fans are awesome,” All-Pro tackle Lane Johnson said.

”We’re going there to prove we belong,” added Brandon Graham of the meeting with the AFC champion Patriots in two weeks.

And maybe it’s time for everyone to put aside Carson Wentz’s injury. Nick Foles might be good enough to win the Eagles their first NFL title since 1960.

Foles was on fire Sunday night against the stingiest scoring defense in the NFL. Next up after their most-lopsided playoff victory: the Eagles’ first Super Bowl appearance since 2005, against the team that beat them then.

Foles replaced the injured Wentz in Game 13 and finished off a rise from last place last season to first in the NFC East. There were plenty of doubters entering the playoffs, but the former starter in Philadelphia (15-3) under another regime has been brilliant.

”I just think you’ve got to keep going at it,” Foles said. ”And we all believe in each other. I’m blessed to have amazing teammates, amazing coaches. Everyone here that’s a part of the Philadelphia Eagles organization is first class.”

Foles’ best work might have come against Minnesota (14-4) and its vaunted defense that was torn apart in every manner. Foles threw for 352 yards and three touchdowns, showing poise, escapability and moxie in going 26 for 33.

”I’m so happy for Nick and the offense,” said coach Doug Pederson, ”and for Nick, everything he’s been through and battled, he stayed the course and we all believed in him.”

Foles was helped greatly by the Eagles’ domination on defense and a spectacular weaving 50-yard interception return TD by Patrick Robinson. Philadelphia ruined the Vikings’ hopes of being the first team to play in a Super Bowl in its own stadium.

Instead, the Eagles will seek their first Super Bowl crown in Minnesota on Feb. 4; their last championship came in 1960.

”I’m so proud of our players,” team owner Jeffrey Lurie said. ”The resilience this group of men has is unequaled.”

OVER AT HALFTIME: Minnesota made it look easy at the outset, driving 75 yards on nine plays, each of which gained yardage. The payoff was a 25-yard throw from Case Keenum to Kyle Rudolph well behind linebacker Najee Goode as Philadelphia’s defense looked confused on the play.

That didn’t happen again for Philly.

Defensive end Chris Long had a huge hand in Robinson’s 50-yard interception return. Long burst in from the left side and got his arm on Keenum to disrupt the throw for Adam Thielen. The ball went directly to Robinson Authentic Baker Mayfield Jersey , who sped down the left side, then made a sharp cut to the right and got a superb block from Ronald Darby to reach the end zone.

Inspired, Philly’s D forced a three-and-out, the Foles led the Eagles on a 12-play, 75-yard masterpiece of a drive. LeGarrette Blount showed all his power and escapability on an 11-yard surge up the middle for a 14-7 lead.

Turnovers, something Minnesota rarely committed with an NFC-low 14 during the season, hurt again and not only ended a solid drive, but set up more Philly points. On third down from the Eagles 15, Keenum was blindsided by rookie Derek Barnett, and the ball bounced directly to Long.

It was only the second strip-sack the Vikings have been victimized by all season.

A blown coverage – another rarity for Minnesota – on third-and-10 allowed Alshon Jeffery to get wide open for a 53-yard TD, and Philadelphia tacked on Jake Elliott’s 38-yard field goal to make it 24-3 at halftime.

”Credit to Philadelphia, they got after us pretty good tonight and we didn’t do enough good things,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said.

”I’m still proud of my football team with the way they worked all year. The way they went about their business. The way they competed all year and tonight we didn’t get it done.”

BACK TO THE BIG GAME: Long won the Super Bowl last year with the Patriots, as did Blount. Now they return on the other side.

QUICK DRIVE: Philadelphia got the ball with 29 seconds remaining in the first half at its 20. Foles hit passes of 11 yards to Jay Ajayi, 36 to Zach Ertz and 13 to Ajayi before Elliott’s field goal to end the half.

THIRD DOWNS: Minnesota was the league’s best team defending third downs and was third in converting them. Yet Philadelphia went 10 for 14.

STATS

Jeffery caught TD passes of 53 and 5 yards and had five receptions for 85 yards. Ertz was free seemingly all night and finished with eight catches for 93 yards. Torrey Smith had a 41-yard TD catch against double coverage in the third period.

Keenum finished 28 of 48 for 271 yards, with two picks, a lost fumble and the TD throw to Rudolph. The Vikings’ previously staunch defense yielded 456 yards.

NEXT UP

Philadelphia can look forward to facing New England in Super Bowl 52 on Feb. 4. The Patriots are a 5- to 6-point favorite.

Minnesota returns home to watch two other teams play at its stadium for the Lombardi Trophy.

”We would’ve loved to play in the Super Bowl if it was in China,” Zimmer said.

—

Texas was expected to be one of the major leagues’ top power teams this season despite being in rebuilding mode.

The Rangers proved that premise to be true when they flexed their considerable muscle on Friday and ripped five home runs 49ers Fred Warner Jersey , three of them in the first two innings, to set the tone in an 11-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox in the first game of a three-game series at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas.

The White Sox will try to get back on track with left-hander Carlos Rodon (1-2, 3.70 ERA) taking the hill Saturday to oppose ageless Rangers right-hander Bartolo Colon (4-5, 4.72).

The Rangers’ win provided a night off for closer Keone Kela, who on Wednesday saved his 20th game in 20 chances, the longest season-opening streak in club history. Kela broke Francisco Cordero’s 2004 record of 19 consecutive saves and now has converted 22 straight chances dating to May 2017.

The 22 consecutive saves constitute the third-longest streak in Texas history. Kela is nine saves shy of tying Joe Nathan’s club record of 31 consecutive converted saves in 2012.

“It’s a nice comfort zone to have,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about Kela. “Most of the saves have been clean innings. (It has been fun) to watch the maturation process of Key out there on a nightly basis being able to calm it down and just go pitch by pitch.”

It looks as if the White Sox will be without right-hander Miguel Gonzales for a while longer. Gonzales, who has been on the 60-day disabled list since April 18 with right rotator cuff inflammation, returned from his rehab assignment after experiencing soreness in a throwing session after the start for Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday.

“It’s a little setback,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria told mlb.com about Gonzales’ situation. “He still felt a little something so he’s going to be re-seen, re-evaluated, and we’ll see where we go from there.”

Gonzalez opened the season in the rotation but was 0-3 with a 12.41 ERA before landing on the disabled list. This is the second time he has had to restart his rehab.

Rodon is scheduled to make his fifth start of the season. It will be his third start on the road and fifth career start against Texas. He picked up the win in his last start on June 24 at home against Oakland when he allowed two runs and seven hits with three strikeouts in eight innings.

Rodon is 1-0 with a 3.91 ERA and .245 opponents’ average in his previous starts against the Rangers.

Colon will head to the mound for the 17th time this season and make his 15th start. He enters with 244 career wins 49ers Tarvarius Moore Jersey , most in MLB history by a native of the Dominican Republic. He recently passed Juan Marichal (243) and is one win shy of matching Nicaragua’s Dennis Martinez (245) for most victories by a native of Latin America.

Colon ranks among AL leaders in pitches per inning (fifth, 15.0) and SO/BB ratio (ninth, 4.15) but has also permitted 19 home runs, third most in the AL. He will pitch on an extra days’ rest after taking loss in the Rangers’ 2-0 defeat on Sunday at Minnesota.

The former White Sox pitcher (12 starts in 2009) did not face Chicago in the clubs’ earlier series. He is 11-8 with a 3.84 ERA in 24 career appearances (all starts) against Chicago.

Jake Arrieta and Gio Gonzalez should be happy to see the calendar flip to July.

They’ll hope to put a rough June behind them when they face off Sunday in the finale of a four-game set between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals. The Phillies will try to win the series in the 1:35 p.m. matinee.

Arrieta (5-6, 3.54 ERA) had a 6.66 ERA in five June starts. Opponents hit .305 with a .907 OPS against him in the month, and the veteran right-hander allowed at least three earned runs in each outing.

In his last start, Arrieta gave up six runs (three earned) in five innings against the New York Yankees on nine hits, two of which were homers.

“The ball is getting hit, that’s it. Making mistakes, too many mistakes,” Arrieta told MLB.com after the start. “I was throwing quality breaking balls early in the count and then when I needed to go back to a similar spot or a little bit lower in the strike zone or out of the strike zone, I just put it too much in the zone and they hit it. It’s a pretty simple explanation.”

Arrieta had a 0.90 ERA in five starts during May, and he gave up just one run and two hits in six innings against the Nationals on May 6. Arrieta is 1-2 with a 5.02 ERA in 10 career starts against the Nationals.

Gonzalez (6-5 49ers Kentavius Street Jersey , 3.68) had an even worse June. The 32-year-old lefty had an 8.44 ERA in five starts during the month. In three of those outings, Gonzalez gave up at least four earned runs and failed to pitch more than four innings.

Gonzalez had his worst start of 2018 the last time he took the mound. He gave up six runs and walked five batters in one inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.

“It wasn’t my night. I couldn’t get a strike,” Gonzalez, who missed the strike zone with 33 of his 62 pitches, told reporters after the outing. “Sometimes it happens. It’s part of the game.”

Gonzalez will be facing the Phillies for the 25th time in his 11-year big league career. He is 11-7 with a 2.60 ERA and 1.13 WHIP against the Nationals’ divisional rival. Gonzalez threw five scoreless innings against Philadelphia on May 4.

The Phillies, who are 5-4 against the Nationals this season, have won two of the first three games against their divisional foe in the series. At 44-37, they are two games ahead of Washington for second place in the National League East. The Phillies were 28-53 through 81 games a season ago.

The Phillies hope Odubel Herrera’s bat heats up. The center fielder homered in Saturday’s 3-2 victory after going 2-for-28 in his previous seven games. Herrera is hitting .286 on the season with 14 homers and 46 RBIs.

The Nationals, meanwhile, went 9-16 in June and are 42-39 at the halfway mark of the season.