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elaine95  
#1 Posted : Monday, September 23, 2019 11:42:50 AM(UTC)
elaine95

Rank: Advanced Member

Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/28/2018(UTC)
Posts: 1,052
American Samoa

It will be dark and cold Byron Murphy Jersey , perhaps absurdly cold, Sunday night in Kansas City. Arrowhead Stadium will be lit up, though, and the winner of the Patriots–Chiefs game will head to Atlanta for the Super Bowl.Here’s how the teams match up:WHEN NEW ENGLAND HAS THE BALLAs they have much of the season, the Patriots will attempt to strike a balance of run and pass. In rookie Sony Michel (26) they have a ground force, and in fellow RB James White (28) they have perhaps the best receiver out of the backfield in the league.Don’t think Tom Brady (12) won’t make use of them often �? and more often. Against the Chargers, White tied an NFL postseason mark with 15 catches, totaling 97 yards. The one thing Kansas City can do exceptionally well on defense is rush the passer with DT Chris Jones (95) and LBs Justin Houston (50) and Dee Ford (55), so Brady will throw those quick shots to his backs and WR Julian Edelman (11) and TE Rob Gronkowski (87). Should the offensive line, led by LT Trent Brown (77), C David Andrews (60) and RG Shaq Mason (69), provide ample time, Brady can then look deep, where he could have significant matchup edges with Edelman, Chris Hogan (15) Andy Isabella Jersey , Phillip Dorsett (13) and even Cordarrelle Patterson (84).Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton will need to be aggressive all game; we saw what happens when an opponent isn’t when Brady and Michel ripped up the Chargers last week. Sutton’s secondary has no dynamic players �? S Eric Berry (29) is the best but has not been healthy this season �? and using six DBs could be a necessity Sunday. The Chiefs (52 sacks) must get a strong pass rush on Brady, making him throw off-balance or before he wants to.One thing in Kansas City’s favor is a plus-9 turnover margin.WHEN KANSAS CITY HAS THE BALLDon’t change what you have been doing.All-Pro Patrick Mahomes (15) is only the third quarterback to throw for at least 50 touchdowns in a season; Brady also did it in 2007. Mahomes never gives up on plays, and he has an uncanny skill at prolonging them until WRs Tyreek Hill (10), Sammy Watkins (14) or Chris Conley (17) and All-Pro TE Travis Kelce (87) get open. Hill was the AP’s All-Pro flex player, showing his versatility.Considering his mobility, strong arm and resourcefulness, it is surprising Mahomes was sacked 26 times. New England, which had 30 sacks this season, wants to keep him bottled up, so key confrontations could be All-Pro RT Mitchell Schwartz (71) vs. DE Trey Flowers (98), and LT Eric Fisher (72) against an assortment of pass rushers. The Patriots also will get their linebackers into the mix, particularly Dont’a Hightower (54) and Kyle Van Noy (53).Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore (24) is an All-Pro and will see plenty of Hill. How the other DBs handle Kelce and Mahomes’ other targets could be a deciding factor; the New England secondary has been victimized often in road games.Given the potential for cold weather, the Chiefs could work hard to run the ball with Damien Williams (26), who has stepped up nicely since Kareem Hunt was released, and Spencer Ware (32) Zach Allen Jersey , who has battled a hamstring injury. Mahomes doesn’t use his backs often in the passing game, but they are solid.SPECIAL TEAMSBoth sides are reliable and have some dangerous elements in the return game. Kansas City has Hill for punts and rookie Tremon Smith (39) for kickoffs, while New England features Patterson on kickoffs and the always-reliable Edelman on punts. The cold weather could make the football feel like a lead weight for punters Ryan Allen (6) of the Patriots and Dustin Colquitt (2) of the Chiefs, though wind shouldn’t bother either of them; they’re used to it.Field goals could be another matter. Although New England’s Stephen Gostkowski (3) and Kansas City’s Harrison Butker (7) have strong and accurate legs, don’t be stunned to see both teams go for some fourth downs. Gostkowski is far more seasoned in pressure spots.COACHINGAndy Reid is 2-6 against New England. He’s had one of his best coaching years, though, and his handling of Mahomes has been remarkable. As long as he pushes the envelope and avoids playing not to lose, he will give Kansas City every chance to reach its first Super Bowl since the 1969 season.Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels recognizes his team will need to score aplenty, and he never backs off. The Patriots might be losing defensive coordinator Brian Flores to Miami as Dolphins head coach, and he could show why he deserves that spot by finding a way to slow down a Chiefs team that scored 565 points this season.INTANGIBLESThe Patriots, in their record eighth straight conference title game, are so experienced in this environment. Yet they claim to feel slighted because of the doubts raised about their level of competence after going 3-5 on the road. A ticked-off Brady is never a good thing for the opposition, and the Patriots could become only the third franchise to reach three straight Super Bowls.Still, Kansas City is so parched for a trip to the big game �? the Chiefs went to two of the first four Super Bowls and won in 1970, but none since. And this team has a freshness about it largely thanks to Mahomes Hakeem Butler Jersey , who shattered nearly every franchise passing record this season.Their meeting in October could have gone either way, with New England getting the ball last and making the final, winning drive. And that was in Foxborough.100<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:View from the sidelines: NFL cheerleaders 2018Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports | Raj Mehta CANTON, Ohio (AP) — Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher, two of the NFL’s greatest linebackers, enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame this week. When their teams meet in Thursday night’s preseason opener, the game could very well honor them by being a defensive battle.On one hand, the Chicago Bears are installing a new offense under first-year coach Matt Nagy. On the other side, few if any of the Baltimore Ravens‘ starters at the offensive skill positions are likely to get much action.So if this winds up 10-9 or something similar, well, the smiles on the faces of Lewis and Urlacher might get a bit broader.Nagy has a second-year quarterback, Mitchell Trubisky, who will be taking his first major steps running the new scheme Nagy brought from Kansas City. He seems unconcerned that the second overall pick in the 2017 draft will be overmatched — even though Trubisky has been an interception machine in practices.“Our guys have picked up everything that we’ve asked them to do,” Nagy said. “There have been mistakes, but they’re way ahead of the learning curve. So that’s exciting and it tells me that once we get to the regular season we can do more than I initially thought. But we will be growing throughout the season.”And the preseason.As for the Ravens Chris Lindstrom Jersey , don’t look for Joe Flacco in this one. The Hall of Fame game is an extra exhibition outing for the participants, and provides an opportunity for Baltimore coach John Harbaugh and his staff to look at first-round draft pick Lamar Jackson and veteran Robert Griffin III , who is attempting a comeback after not playing last year.“We have that set,” Harbaugh said of the QB plans for Thursday night. “I never really talk about that. We just go do it. But we have the quarterback rotation set, and then we’ll organize the rest of it … There’ll be some guys who won’t play in that game, probably you might guess the guys who haven’t practiced as much that first week.”Some other things to watch in the Hall of Fame game:A FIFTH GAMEThe extra preseason contest usually gives low draftees, non-draftees and guys trying to catch on an additional chance to show their stuff. This isn’t much different from the final exhibition game, when starters generally sit and others get a last chance to make a roster.“When you have that extra game, the benefit is it gives you more reps for your players,” Nagy said. “The negative is there’s health risks, right? So people can get hurt. There’s a fine balance of both of those and being able to understand which way you want to go, and right now I feel like our plan as a coaching staff for who we want to play and don’t want to play, I feel really good about it.”O-LINE QUESTIONSBoth teams have to find answers regarding their blockers. Baltimore has one of the best in the league in right guard Marshal Yanda, but he’s coming off an injury-ravaged 2017 in which he made it into two games.“That’s why they call it training camp,” Ravens OL coach Joe D’Alessandris said. “You have an idea of who are going to be your so-called projected players and starters http://www.lionsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jahlani-tavai-jersey , but that could change overnight. The same thing could happen during the season.”Considering how stationary Flacco can be, Baltimore needs to solve the offensive line issues quickly if he is its starter.Trubisky at least can move around, and there’s no question he will be the Bears’ first-stringer. Guard Kyle Long‘s assortment of health issues doesn’t help in the quest to solidify the line.HOMECOMINGThis is sort of a homecoming for Trubisky. He played at North Carolina but is from this area (Mentor, Ohio).“I’m excited. The Hall of Fame game is a great opportunity for this team, and it’s a unique place to place,” he said. “Just going back to the Hall of Fame, I’ll have some family coming to the game. It’ll be great to see some family, and it’s an exciting time for this team.”NATIONAL ANTHEMWith the NFL’s new policy on protocol during the national anthem in limbo as both the league and union discuss it, nothing really has changed from last season. Demonstrations by the players aimed toward awareness of social injustice could occur Thursday night.BETTING LINEWith legal betting on NFL games in some states, there actually is a line on this game: Baltimore by 2 points. How the oddsmakers got there is anyone’s guess considering there are 90 players on each roster and many of them will get on the field.——AP Sports Writer David Ginsburg and freelance writer Gene Chamberlain contributed to this report.——
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