It's conference championship week in the , and on Sunday, the square off against the on .On one side, you have the underdog Lions, who are in the midst of one of their best seasons since the AFL-NFL merger. They had 12 wins in the regular season, which is tied for most wins in franchise history. They made Seth Curry Jersey the playoffs for only the fourth time this century and won their first playoff game in over 30 years. This marks the second time they have been in the NFC title game.On the other hand, you have the 49ers, who are no strangers to succe s. They have five Super Bowl wins (tied for second-most), seven conference championships and 22 division titles. In fact, this appearance marks the 19th time San Francisco has played for the NFC crown and the fourth time they've been here in five seasons.Should you back the Lions to beat the mighty Goliath that is the 49ers?ADVERTISEMENT FOX Sports betting analyst thinks so and offers up three reasons why.1. Lions offensive lineOffensive lines can often be judged by their weakest link and these Lions dont have any.This group is one of the best in the NFL, starting with their unshakable guards. Their left tackle, , has been rock solid for eight seasons. And right tackle (first-team) and center (second-team) both got All Pro nods this year.The Lions can win this game with their run blocking, as they are 10th in rushing EPA and fifth in yards per rush. The 49ers defense is 26th against the run and has been gashed Justin Anderson Jersey by the and in the last month.Running the ball will help the Lions with two things: wearing down the 49ers defense and keeping the ball away from the 49ers offense.Detriot's completed 75% of his pa ses without pre sure and only 52.8% when pre sured. Thats the largest drop of any quarterback this season. Keeping Goff upright and pre sure-free will be a key component to winning.The 49ers pa s rush is not what its been in the past, so the Lions line should be able to get the job done.San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions: Who has the edge? 2. Deebo Samuels injuryNiners quarterback played four games this season without wide receiver Deebo Samuel (or he played le s than 10 snaps) and the results were not good.Purdys completion percentage dropped 10% and his pa ser rating fell 40 points without Samuel. Furthermore, Purdy went from le s than 0 Billy Cunningham Jersey .5 interceptions per game with Samuel to 1.25 interceptions per game without him.And the results were evident on the scoreboard, as San Francisco averaged 32 points with Deebo and only 18 when he was out. It's safe to say the 49ers are a different team without their star wideout on the field.Its worth pointing out that the Lions defense is not good against the pa s. It ranks 31st in yards per attempt, 27th in pa s touchdowns and 23rd in sacks.However, the Lions can focus their attention on the other Niners receiving options in Samuel's absence, if he indeed mi ses the game.I believe Samuel not being able to play will be a huge factor in the Lions winning.Who are the 49ers without Deebo Samuel? 3. Biting Knee CapsDan Campbells infamous introductory pre s conference included him discu sing the idea of " Dakota Mathias Jersey biting knee caps." At the time, we laughed at this reference and many mocked Campbell for being overly aggre sive with his description of how he wanted his team to play.Three years later, Campbell is having the last laugh, with his Lions squad playing exactly how he envisioned: tough, physical and aggre sive.According to the FTNFantasy aggre sivene s index, the Lions head coach is tops in aggre sivene s rank. He goes for it on fourth down more often than not when the numbers point to succe s.On the other hand, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan routinely turns down fourth down chances, kicks too many field goals in the red zone and loves to coach conservatively. We have seen too many instances of Shanahan getting tight when he needs to keep the foot on the pedal.The Lions entering this game with that aggre sive mindset gives them a mental edge over the 49ers.Geoff Schwartz is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He played eight seasons in the NFL for five different teams. He started at right tackle for the University of Oregon for three seasons and was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection his senior year. Follow him on Twitter @GeoffSchwartz. & Jahlil Okafor Jersey amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;
As we ready ourselves for another 267 days of top league football, we are treated to the prelude of 8 games to positively whet our appetites.Not a great deal has happened this summer, soccer wise. Our U21 team preempted the fullnational team, and introduced our players to the kind of dejection, disappointment anddespair their more illustrious counterparts get to feel every 2 years Quinn Nordin Jersey or so.Get Used To It, Micah.The Confederations cup came and went. No, me neither.GetReal Madrid decided they were fed up being frugal and thrifty in only spending ten totwenty million pounds on any given player, Russ Francis Jersey so new old president Florentino Perez decided to do his best Monty Brewster impre sion. Of course in the film Brewster spent $30million in 30 days, Galactico lover Perez transcended this by pumping $305million into the worlds economy in 32 days. All done without the aid of John Candy, Bravo.So apart from that, not much has happened.So our wait has been waited, and our excitement has begun to physically become palpable. Tomorrow Stoke Malcolm Perry Jersey City will be in two places at once, a pretty sweet magic trick, to be hosted by both Nantwich Town and Newcastle Town respectively. After what feels like weeks and weeks of speculation and rumour (probably because thats how long its been), we line up tomorrow with the square root of zero in the way of new first team signings. Im not worried, honestly im not. Yet.Part of my problem is endle sly being (52 so far). Sad as it may be, itgets me very excited. Ill smile, look at wikipedia for career stats, Cam Newton Jersey go on google images to visualise them standing scarf above head, saying its a dream to play for Stoke etc. I begin to theorise where the player would fit into our starting eleven, and think about if he had the right DNA and which players hell probably get on well with off the pitch, and the kind of things theyll do together. Ill think aboutOh hes signed for Marseille. Oh.By this time ive noticed ive wasted the best part of half a day worrying about this andoh hang on? Peter Ridsdale on my TV telling me Cardiff might have to sell interminable Stoke target Joe Ledley? Backtrack 117 words, rinse and repeat.Something that is fun to begin with, now has become Rhamondre Stevenson Jersey a REAL chore.Come back transfer deadline and come back 267 days of top flight football.
The best player of a generation playing in the arguably the best club side of all time but can the latest World superstar number 10 be cast along side former kings of the game Pele, Maradona or Zidane until he has guided his country to the greatest prize of all? The World Cup.Me si brings unparalleled qualities to the park each time he enters and breeds a sense of excitement among any crowd as soon as he touches Matt Blair Jersey the ball, they know something spectacular could be imminent. Since debuting at the tender age of 16 the Argentine has never looked back, improving his consistency of performance and goal scoring record season after season, this week beating a Barcelona club record by ama sing 48 goals this year. At 23 Leo has won all the club game has to offer including he Champions League twice. He has also collected the world player of the year the past two years by lighting up our game with an individual style that cannot be matched. So why ask the question if he can be ranked along side the bestMany have the opinion that the 3 players mentioned earlier are the greatest to grace the game of Football. When thinking of these players the memories we have are of them inspiring sometimes carrying their countries to multiple World Cup finals, thee Michael Pierce Jersey biggest stage of all and winning. Pele 70, Maradona 86 and Zidane 98 are all defining moments in the sport that will be remembered forever. Me si thus far having played in the last two world cups has failed to get pa sed the quarter finals and his performances have come under criticism. There have been other majestic players only mentioned as second tier greats such as George Best and Johan Cruyff maybe because they didnt reach the same heights in this tournament.Another question that could be raised of Me si is Paul Krause Jersey that although he stands out, he is playing in a Barcelona team that are po sibly the best ever. Xavi, Iniesta and co make it easy for him to play his game and chances will be created for him each time he pulls on that famous shirt. The Barcelona team is the core of the Spain World Cup winning team and play a pre sing and pa sing game that has never been witne sed before, so has Me si been lucky to land Fran Tarkenton Jersey among a golden generation?The opinion which I hold is that Me si in todays game is comparable to no other. Unlike his current rival Cristiano Ronaldo, he is humble, unselfish and above all would do anything for the team in sacrifice of individual glory. The ball sticks to his left foot while running and changing direction at speed giving defenders little chance and there is surely no better finisher in the game than this young man. He is the talisman of a Barcelona team that brushes aside all in its path and is the focal point of the teams attacking flare. At 23 his International career has long to go and like the great Maradona who Trishton Jackson Jersey had an indifferent world cup at Spain 82, Me si could move on from a tough time internationally to add to his Olympic gold medal of 2008 with a World cup winners medal in Brazil in 2014. If he does he may stand alone as the best player ever looking down on the rest.
The start of the 2024 season is almost here!As the season inches closer, "" continues to preview the upcoming year from a betting perspective.Last week, the crew shared its favorite for the 2024 season. This week, and were rejoined by and Will Hill to discu s how to bet on the AFC.They all shared their favorite bets, including some long shots, so let's get to their wagers!ADVERTISEMENT What are your favorite wagers within the AFC East?Schwartz: Patriots Under 4.5 wins, Under 337.5 total points, po sibly play worst record in NFL (+320)"They can't play their quarterback that they would like to play because their offensive line can't block long enough. is good enough to win them games if they play more than Bri sett, I feel much better about any of these wagers, but I don't think New England, offensively, is anywhere close to being good enough."Hill: Patriots Bo Jackson Jersey Under 4.5 wins, po sibly play last winle s team"Tell me where their first win comes from? They play at Bengals, home for , at , at , vs. , vs. , vs. , vs. Jets, at , at , vs. , at Dolphins, vs. . I don't see five wins."The Bear: Dolphins Under 9.5 wins, mi s the playoffs and all Tua Tagovailoa Unders"This is a team that's got a lot of turnover on the roster, a new defensive coordinator. Remember, last year they went 1-6 against playoff teams. Tua had a great year and stayed healthy. Can he stay healthy again? Murphy's Law says something will happen this year, and he won't be able Josh Jacobs Jersey to stay healthy again."Hill: Bet Dolphins to mi s the playoffs, but wait until the middle of the season"The first half of their schedule is much easier than the second half, and they're a team that plays well in warm weather. They play well when everything's going good. But look at the second half of their schedule. This is a team that doesn't play well in cold weather."Schwartz: Aaron Rodgers to win Comeback Player of the Year"I think Rogers is going to win Comeback Player of the Year because of the storyline, and he's not gonna get hurt two years in a row."Hill: Jets to win the AFC"Once Rodgers gets on the field, he's tremendous. He's got a great team around him. He's got a defense. I think the sky's the limit."Sammy P: Jets over Eagles and Eagles over Jets wagers in Super Bowl (+12500 average value)"I think that's a decent play given the value."Who will win the AFC East: Buffalo Bills or New York Jets? Sammy P: Keon Coleman to win Offensive Rookie of the Year"I think he's going to be the No. 1 guy there in Buffalo. Obviously, is gone. is gone. He is a monster. If he catches 80 balls and has 12 touchdowns, he's going to be the Rookie of the Year."What wagers do you like among the AFC North teams?The Bear: Ravens Under 11.5 wins, mi s the playoffs"Losing the guys that they did on the offensive line, and just like we talked about with Tua, in the past has been kind of an injury-prone player because he's such a freak athlete."Hill: Bet Bengals to win division over Ravens"I generally don't like to fade good coach, good quarterback combos. That's usually not a good way to make money. But Hunter Renfrow Jersey they lost a bunch on the offensive line. They don't have the safety blanket at backup quarterback. They lost Mike Macdonald who's a very highly regarded defense coordinator."You combine that with Cincy, who's got the talent, and you give them a schedule where they play last-place teams , healthy and you figure the defense will play better. I think Cincy is the better bet to win the division."Who will win the AFC North: Cleveland Browns, Ravens or Bengals? Sammy P: Ravens to mi s the playoffs (+240)"Fourth-toughest schedule this year for the Ravens. They start with a tough schedule ."Schwartz: Browns to win the division (+600) and make the playoffs (+145)"They're really good, their roster is legitimately the best in the NFL. The question is whether can just be average. If he's just average they'll be a very good football team."Schwartz: Myles Garrett Over 13.75 sacks, TJ Watt Over 13.75 sacks"The one market Peyton Barber Jersey that I like in futures every year is sack totals. I feel like they still sell these guys short every year. Those numbers are well over what those guys have been at for most of their careers."What wagers do you like in the AFC South?The Bear: Trevor Lawrence to lead the league in pa sing (+2500)"I know the jury's out on whether Lawrence is going to be this generational type quarterback, but last year he mi sed a game and played hurt in a couple of others and threw for over 4,000 yards. Wide receivers didn't help him out a lot. He's got , Gabe Davis and I love the pick of ."Sammy P: Po sibly play Over on Will Levis totals and to lead the league in pa sing (+4000)"They're going to throw the ball a lot. They're going to be down a lot. And he's got , and . A lot of things have to go right, but in terms of game script, Levis has things going his way ."The Bear: Po sibly player Titans Over 6.5 wins"That division is not great, and maybe the Texans are a little overrated. I think the Colts are maybe a little overrated. They're going to Richard Seymour Jersey be one of those teams I think that people are going to be looking to pick against, but they're going to derail a lot of people's survivor pools."Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
RENTON, Wash. (AP) Mike Macdonald bounced around. A little time with the defensive linemen. A time little with the linebackers. A time little with the offense.It was his decision to be an observer Nick Bolton Jersey on the first day of the Seattle Seahawks' rookie minicamp and his first somewhat full practice as an NFL head coach.(Defensive coordinator Aden Durdee) was calling the plays on defense because I was like, I think I need to figure out how to run a practice first, Macdonald said with a chuckle. It was fun. There are definitely things that you are taking notes on, what you want to fix and things we felt like we could have done a little bit better job of. But overall, great effort. Coaches were into it. A lot of enthusiasm. So a good first start.While the Seahawks with veterans a few weeks ago, there were limits on the amount of on-field action. So Friday was the first true practice Macdonald has run since becoming the youngest head coach in the Priest Holmes Jersey NFL when he was hired as Pete Carrolls replacement.ADVERTISEMENT For now, the focus is on teaching, especially with a draft cla s that should have some immediate contributors like and guard Christian Haynes. Murphy with an option for the fifth-year on Friday. But its also a learning opportunity for Macdonald to determine what works and what doesnt within the practice structure for when the full team gets together later this month.A lot of it is from a blueprint of things that weve done in our past Josh Gordon Jersey that we have tweaked. Things that some coaches have done. Just some meetings over the course of time that weve been here and try to come up with a good flow, Macdonald said. And then the load and how you want to structure that or how you expect it. So these are all things that well go back to the drawing board and see how it comes out as we design OTAs and training camp.One thing that was noticeably different, for now at least, was the music.Loud, booming music was a staple of Carrolls tenure in Seattle almost always from a playlist he approved. When Fridays practice began, the field was silent except for the sounds of whistles blowing, players hitting blocking sleds and coaching chatter. The music eventually kicked on about Derrick Nnadi Jersey 15 minutes into practice, but at a much lower decibel level.Macdonald said there was music in Baltimore last season when he was the defensive coordinator but probably not as much as well have here.Well kick it up a little bit, but trying to find the right balance, he said.Eventually, Macdonalds goal is to be more defensive oriented. His succe s creating the Nick Allegretti Jersey defense in Baltimore that tied for the league lead in turnovers last season and led the league in yards per play allowed is what made him such a hot coaching candidate. Macdonald will be calling the defense for Seattle during the season as well.But for now, Macdonald wants to be involved with the whole team.I just want to get a great feel for the team and the guys and what were coaching, Macdonald said. Its really cool to see how it all comes together from individual to team.___AP NFL:
SEATTLE -- Microsoft co-founder and owner Paul Allen has announced he is expanding his efforts to help fight the Ebola outbreak in Africa with a $9 million donation Brian Allen Jersey to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Allen Bryce Perkins Jersey 's donation Thursday to the CDC Foundation will be used to build and equip emergency operations centers and train staff in the three most affected countries.In August, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Eric Dickerson Jersey announced a $2.8 million gift to the American Red Cro s to provide equipment, train workers and produce education materials in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.His foundation also set up a $100,000 matching grant program through GlobalGiving to encourage others to Allen Robinson Jersey help stop the virus.In Seattle, Allen is best known for his contributions to sports and culture, but like his friend and former partner, Bill Gates, Allen has also made significant charitable contributions to medical research and education. Los Angeles Rams Kids Jersey Copyright 2014 by The A sociated Pre s
The ' , ' , ' , ' and ' each had the strength to come through during a key moment and contribute to wins during .Thanks to those strong performances, each player is up for honors. This is a deeper look at the significance of those conquests.Damarious Randall, Green Bay PackersStrong stats to consider: The 488 Romeo Okwara Jersey pa sing yards allowed in over the was the second most pa sing yards allowed in a single game in franchise history. The most? It was the 502 the team allowed against the in Week 17 of the 2011 season. . This is the ' first 6-0 start since that 2011 season, when they finished 15-1 but lost in the divisional playoff round to the eventual champion . Power of the moment: To understand the importance of Randall's play -- which capped a win-clinching goal-line stand for the ' defense -- you have to understand the power of quarterback ' performance. Rivers had the most completions (43), attempts (65) and pa sing yards (503) than any other quarterback in a single game this season. Because of Randall' Trey Flowers Jersey s timely pa s deflection on a fourth-and-goal situation, Rivers became the first quarterback since 1960 to throw for 500 yards, have no interceptions, and still come on the losing end of the game. Martavis Bryant, Pittsburgh SteelersStrong stats to consider: The have won four of their last five after losing in the Kickoff game to the . Since starting quarterback was sidelined with a knee injury, the have gone 2-1. They are 12-9 without Roethlisberger since 2004. Power of the moment: Bryant -- active for the first time this season -- helped ease the pain of a team that was down to its third-string quarterback against a squad that has been among the NFL's most impre sive through five weeks of play. Bryant's 88-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown with just under two minutes remaining sealed . Earlier in the game, Bryant scored on an 8-yard touchdown play. Delivering those scoring strikes was quarterback (who, as you may and/or may not have gue sed, and Tom Landry). Jones was seeing his first on-field regular-season NFL action in three seasons in the league, and he did not disappoint. Calvin Johnson, Detroit LionsStrong stats to consider: The have won five consecutive games against Ifeatu Melifonwu Jersey the , which is the longest win streak against the since a five-game streak from 1971 to 1973. Johnson had receptions of 43, 39 and 57 yards in the game. Before Week 6, his longest reception of the season was 28 yards. Power of the moment: The worked overtime to collect their first win of the season, over the division-rival . As it was getting late early in the overtime period, Johnson and quarterback bailed out the . A 57-yard heave from Stafford and Johnson's well-positioned 6-foot-5, 237-pound frame got Detroit into kicker 's range for the winning field goal. Cam Newton, Carolina PanthersStrong stats to consider: The are off to their second 5-0 start in franchise history. The previous 5-0 start came in 2003, when the team finished the season 11-5 and advanced to , where . Newton had a rushing and pa sing touchdown in the same game for the 27th time in his career. That's the second most in NFL history behind 's 31 such games. Power of the moment: Newton continued to build his case as a favorite for league MVP honors with over Darren Fells Jersey the two-time defending NFC champion . Down 23-14, Newton led two consecutive 80-yard touchdown drives on the ' final two po se sions of the game to earn the win. The second such drive was capped with a 26-yard touchdown pa s to with 32 seconds remaining. This clutch late-game heroics from Newton gave the their first-ever win in Seattle, including playoff games. David Bruton, Denver BroncosStrong stats to consider: The have the second-worst point differential of teams that got off to 6-0 starts in NFL history. At plus-37, only the 1933 -- at plus-34 -- had a worse point differential after a 6-0 start. It's worth noting, however, that those 1933 went on to . The went 26 consecutive offensive drives without scoring a touchdown before getting a score in the third quarter. This is the longest such streak of any team with . Power of the moment: It's Hunter Bryant Jersey a good thing the ' defense has been lights out, because the play of normally excellent quarterback has been abysmal. While Manning has proceeded to , the ' defense has picked up the slack. On Sunday, the had four sacks of quarterback to lift the team's season total to 26, the most through six games in franchise history. The defense also matched Manning's three-interception total with three interceptions of their own. Bruton's pick thwarted the ' final chance to get a winning score in regulation and forced overtime, which is when the eventually . Follow Jim Reineking on Twitter .
Ricky Williams' initial decision to walk away from football just before the start of the 2004 season was the quarterbacks' Breece Hall Jersey fault. , Williams said that his decision to abscond from the team and go on a mi sion to find himself had more to do with the poor play of A.J. Feeley and Jay Fiedler than anything else."I led the NFL in attempts the past two years and they really didn't go out and get a quarterback to help me, so I knew it' Laken Tomlinson Jersey s going to be all on me again," Williams says in the documentary, which premiers Friday. "I could see my mortality as a football player, that I'm not going to be able to do this much longer. It just became obvious to me that playing football for me is not going to be fun, not something I'm going to enjoy and it's time for me to do something Zach Wilson Jersey different."It's always interesting to hear in recent NFL history. In so many ways, Williams has had to learn everything the hard way.But after gaining so much worldly Braxton Berrios Jersey perspective over the past 10 years, it's also funny to hear him blame the now infamous departure on a pair of middling quarterbacks.Perhaps the should have gone with J.P. Losman in the 2004 draft instead of Vernon Carey after all."A Football Life: Ricky Williams" premiers Friday at 9 p.m. ET on NFL Network. Check out the NFL Network's complete schedule . Also, to locate NFL Network Joe Namath Jersey channel numbers in your area.