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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) -- Austin Seferian-Jenkins limped out of Gillette Stadium last Christmas Eve and worried about his uncertain future.
The New York Jets tight end was dealing with demons in his personal life, and his body was betraying him. Just three years into his NFL career, Seferian-Jenkins' life was spinning out of control.
''I'm lucky to be here,'' he said after practice earlier this week. ''The last time I played the Patriots, I pulled my hamstring and I thought that was the last time I was ever going to play football. I'm thankful for the opportunity that I was able to play them and I'm thankful for everything that's happened.''
Just 10 months after that game in New England, Seferian-Jenkins is in the middle of a massive comeback story.
On the field - and, more importantly, off it.
He's second on the team with 23 catches, already a career high despite him being suspended the first two games of the season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy last year.
''He worked on himself all offseason, especially when you have things go bad for you, and that's tough to do,'' coach Todd Bowles said. ''But I'm happy for him. He's the kind of guy you root for.''
That hasn't always been the case for the 25-year-old Seferian-Jenkins, who a year ago was dealing with having been arrested for a DUI - resulting in the two-game suspension - and subsequently getting cut by Tampa Bay after being a second-round pick out of the University of Washington in the 2014 draft.
The Jets took a chance on him, claiming him off waivers and giving him an opportunity to clean up his life and rejuvenate what was once a promising career.
He made little impact on the offense last season, though, finishing with just 10 catches for 110 yards while dealing with a few injuries. But the hamstring issue that ended his season in Week 16 became a defining moment for him.
''I just felt like I was done playing, I was like,'' Seferian-Jenkins recalled. ''Life was like a really hard thing for me to grasp and deal with, personally. I know a lot of people can relate to that, how their life sometimes is hard. You have difficult patches in life and sometimes you don't feel like you can get through those. I just felt like that at that point in my life,Womens Cam Newton Jersey, I wanted to get my life together more than anything.
''If that meant not playing football anymore,Womens Mitchell Trubiskyn Jersey, that meant not playing football anymore.''
Instead, football became part of the rehabilitation process for Seferian-Jenkins.
and that included making himself healthier,Authentic Walter Payton Jersey,He followed a strict plan to beat his alcohol addiction, both physically and mentally. The big tight end went out to the Las Vegas area during the offseason and worked out several times a week, reshaping his body and dropping 30-plus pounds from his 6-foot-5 frame.
he looked like a different guy. At 262 pounds,By the time he showed up for offseason workouts with his teammates this spring, he was lighter, faster and stronger.
I'm happy,''As a person,'' he said. ''I've done all those things and football's never really been a hard thing for me. It's like the off-the-field stuff like life that's kind of been the tough thing for me. Once I got that handled, I got the life part of it figured out, the football stuff's easy.''
Seferian-Jenkins opened up during the spring about his battles with alcohol addiction and the struggles he had in the past. He focuses now only on the present.
Seferian-Jenkins declared that he would have the best season of his NFL career. It took just four games for him to achieve that goal.,During the spring
but right now,Womens Jordan Howard Jersey, ''I know that I wasn't fulfilling what I was capable of in the past,Womens Walter Payton Jersey, I'm here and I don't want to say I'm content,'' he said. ''I've done some good things. I've definitely missed some opportunities since I've been back. There's a bunch of room to improve and so many things I can improve on, which is really cool.''
Those things include run blocking, running routes and route discipline - tools of the trade., pass blocking
he leads all NFL tight ends in receptions during that span.,He has 152 yards receiving and two touchdowns this season while becoming an integral part of John Morton's offense. Seferian-Jenkins' 23 catches are just three fewer than Jets tight ends had in the past two seasons combined. In the past four weeks
'' said quarterback Josh McCown,''It's a complete 180 from where he was,Womens Luke Kuechly Jersey, who played with him in Tampa Bay in 2014. ''The biggest thing is just his attitude, his overall approach when it comes to work and his consistency.''
Seferian-Jenkins nearly had his third TD catch of the season - and second of the game - in the Jets' 24-17 loss to the Patriots last Sunday. But his 4-yard score was overturned and called a fumble and a touchback as officials ruled that he briefly lost control of the ball and didn't regain control until he was out of bounds in the end zone.
He thought he scored,Authentic Cam Newton Jersey,saying he needed to work on controlling the ball better., Authentic Mitchell Trubiskyn Jersey,but never criticized the officials
By Wednesday,Authentic Luke Kuechly Jersey,preferring instead to focus on the Jets' matchup with the Dolphins in Miami on Sunday., Seferian-Jenkins was done answering questions about the play
And being better tomorrow than he was today.
''I just want to be the best tight end I can be and be the most complete tight end,Authentic Jordan Howard Jersey, ''and be the best tight end the Jets have ever had.'','' Seferian-Jenkins said
When the NBA season tips off on Tuesday night,Womens Julio Jones Jersey, nobody else even has a tiny bit of a chance), we’ll have a good idea who will win the championship in June. Sorry to Oklahoma City,Authentic Jim Kelly Jersey, Houston,Authentic LeSean McCoy Jersey, San Antonio,Authentic Christian McCaffrey Jersey, Boston or Cleveland (and clearly, but the Golden State Warriors are going to win unless something weird happens.
That’s practically the opposite of the NFL right now.
Some fans like it when a league has a few great teams,Womens Christian McCaffrey Jersey, if you prefer parity, or even one great team heading for a coronation. It will be entertaining to watch a fun Warriors club win it all. However, the NFL in 2017 is your league. Everything changes from week to week.
a few teams usually stand out. Who those teams are might change from year to year,The term “parity” has been used ad nauseam to describe the NFL for decades now. It was commissioner Pete Rozelle’s dream and it has become a foundation of the league. The draft, free agency, revenue sharing and the salary cap have made sure teams from Green Bay can compete on an even playing field with teams from New York. Despite that, but a few always rise to the top. That might not happen this season.
Of the 14 games in Week 6, and the Texans over the Browns (the Browns have never gotten the invitation to the parity party). There’s no sure thing in the NFL this season. Whatever conclusions you came to about various teams Sunday probably won’t carry over. That’s not bad, nine of them were won straight up by the underdog. That included shocking upsets by the Bears, Dolphins and Giants. Even big underdogs like the Jets and 49ers came close to winning. The favorite covered three point spreads: the Saints over the Lions, the Titans over the Colts in a game that was close throughout,Authentic Julio Jones Jersey,necessarily.
Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com pointed out, 25 teams either lead their division or are within one loss of the division leader. And we’re more than a third of the way through the season. The beauty of the NFL is that most teams’ fans are still engaged. Almost every team has some hope. Far more teams have at least a small shot of winning a Super Bowl than ever before at this point in a season. There are many good teams,Womens Devonta Freeman Jersey, and absolutely no favorite.
The NFL’s extreme parity this season leaves us without even one great team,Womens Jim Kelly Jersey, at least to this point. That’s not a knock on the league. It’s great for the NFL’s product that so many teams are competitive. Every game has intrigue. But if you’re looking for your Golden State Warriors of this NFL season,Womens LeSean McCoy Jersey, you’ll be looking for a while.
Many thought the Patriots would be that dominant team (I definitely did; the Patriots’ ongoing mediocrity is baffling) but they haven’t been great yet. Neither have the Steelers, Seahawks or any other team that was considered a contender before the season. The Packers looked like they could reach that level, Falcons, Cowboys, Raiders, but then Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone. So much for that.
Every team in the NFL is competent, but they have wins over the Steelers and Ravens, except the Browns. The 49ers are 0-6, but they have lost their past five games by 13 combined points. The Giants were getting slammed all last week after an 0-5 start, and they beat a tough Broncos team in Denver. The Chargers were 0-4, but they’ve won two straight road games. Everyone says the Bears are awful,Authentic Devonta Freeman Jersey, and should have beat the Falcons if not for some dropped passes in the end. Nobody is that bad.
There are no pseudo bye weeks against Rutgers or Kansas in the NFL. Don’t bemoan the lack of a great team without acknowledging that the “bad” teams in the league are still good – except, the Browns. And even the Browns lost by only three points to a Steelers team that just won a road game at the Chiefs, of course, who were the last undefeated team in the NFL.
This is the NFL in 2017. It’s no more predictable than a spin of the roulette wheel.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Wesley Woodyard squatted and folded his arms as his Tennessee teammates bowed in front of the veteran linebacker near midfield in celebration,Authentic Bo Jackson Jersey, deserving every bit of the attention.
Woodyard had just forced Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett out of bounds shy of the first down marker on fourth-and-inches, sealing the Titans' 36-22 win Monday night over Indianapolis.
It ended the Titans' 11-game skid to their AFC South rivals — the one tied for the longest active drought against one team in the NFL. Cleveland now has lone possession of that mark against Denver.
but this was definitely a must-win,"We feel like every game's a must-win," said Woodyard, especially with the 11-game streak on the line, who also had a team-high eight tackles and recovered a fumble. "We came in and answered the call."
The Titans (3-3) next head to winless Cleveland for a chance to move above .500 before their bye.
Still waiting for Andrew Luck, the Colts (2-4) have yet to beat a team with a win this season. Indianapolis has been outscored 85-22 in fourth quarters, and coach Chuck Pagano had to answer for another head-scratching finish this week. His Colts led 19-15 going into the fourth only to be outscored 21-3.
"We have to figure it out," Pagano said.
Here are some things to know about the Colts and Titans:
MARCUS MARIOTA
Mariota played with a strained left hamstring that kept him out of last week's loss in Miami, and the Titans quarterback was careful about it. The Colts sacked him once and hit him six times, but Mariota shuffled around the pocket to throw for a season-high 306 yards. His 53-yard touchdown with 5:29 left to a wide-open Taywan Taylor put the Titans ahead to stay.
"He's a tough guy, to come out here and play and lead us to a win against a good division opponent. All credit goes to him. That shows what type of leader he is,Authentic Joe Namath Jersey," Titans running back Derrick Henry said. "To come out there at not even 100 percent, what type of guy he is and how great he is.
SMASH MOUTH
The Titans ran for 168 yards with Henry turning in his best game yet in the NFL. He ran 19 times for 131 yards and provided the final margin by running 72 yards for a TD inside the final minute.
"My goal was to get a first down,Authentic Leonard Williams Jersey, 'I've got to go for it.'",Authentic Howie Long Jersey," Henry said. "We knew they were out of timeouts, so if we get the first down,Authentic Khalil Mack Jersey, and I'm like, that ends the game. But when I got past the safety,Authentic Derek Carr Jersey, I saw grass
CONTAINING HILTON
limiting the Colts' star receiver to a single catch for 19 yards. The three-time Pro Bowl selection had 12 catches for 230 yards and two touchdowns in the Colts' two victories over the Titans last season.,Womens Khalil Mack Jersey,The Titans finally figured out how to slow down T.Y. Hilton
we were going to do that.",Womens Howie Long Jersey,"He's a game-wrecker, he can change the game, we're going to do. If it was taking two of our guys to cover him," Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. "Whatever we can do to take him out of the game
SUCCOP'S RECORD STREAK
Titans kicker Ryan Succop set an NFL record by making his 47th straight field-goal attempt from inside 50 yards. He then made four more field goals from that distance to extend his streak to 51. Succop had been tied coming into the game for the NFL record with Atlanta's Matt Bryant, Womens Joe Namath Jersey,40 and 23 yards out., Womens Derek Carr Jersey, who made 46 straight kicks from inside 50 yards from 2013-15. Succop made two 48-yarders and also connected from 32
"I'm so humbled," Succop said., Womens Bo Jackson Jersey,and I feel so blessed
AFC SOUTH
The Colts find themselves looking up at the rest of the division," Mularkey said. "No other ultimatum. That was it. Get the win.",Womens Leonard Williams Jersey,and the Titans now are tied with Jacksonville and Houston at 3-3 with a 2-1 mark in the division that matches their win total for all of last season. "That was the whole objective to get a division win
Mo. (AP) — Le'Veon Bell and the Pittsburgh Steelers spent Sunday beating up on the Kansas City Chiefs.,Authentic Landon Collins Jersey,KANSAS CITY
too.,Beating up the goal-post padding
The Steelers' star running back churned out 179 yards and a touchdown in a performance reminiscent of January's playoff victory over Kansas City. And Antonio Brown made an acrobatic touchdown catch in the fourth quarter to help Pittsburgh hand the Chiefs a 19-13 loss — their first of the season.
" said Bell,"The biggest thing for us is getting wins, who drew a flag for celebrating his score by throwing haymakers at the goal-post stanchion. "As a team, we find ways to get wins."
moving quickly downfield and getting a 33-yard field goal from Harrison Butker.,The Chiefs (5-1) still had a chance after Brown's 51-yard reception made it 19-10
and Tyreek Hill's 32-yard punt return gave them the ball with 1:48 to go.,Their defense forced a quick three-and-out
But after the Steelers (4-2) gave up a first down, James Harrison sacked Alex Smith on third-and-10, and the quarterback's incomplete pass on fourth down left the NFL with no unbeaten teams.
" said Chiefs coach Andy Reid,"We straightened a few things out the second half. That's how we got back in the game, who will no doubt be questioned for going for it on fourth-and-2 at the Steelers 4 early in the fourth quarter, rather than kicking a field goal to get within 12-6.
Smith's throw to the end zone fell incomplete and the Steelers took possession.
"My gut tells me what to do. I thought that was the right thing there," Reid said. "I'm preaching to the team to stay aggressive without being stupid, staying aggressive with it. We had a good play in our pocket that we felt good about. It didn't work out."
Very little worked out for the Chiefs on Sunday.
bouncing back from his abysmal five-interception performance against Jacksonville last week.,Ben Roethlisberger was 17 of 25 for 252 yards with a touchdown and a pick for Pittsburgh
His favorite target was Brown, who a few weeks ago was flipping over water coolers but spent Sunday slinging high-fives. He had eight catches for 155 yards,Authentic Michael Thomas Jersey, often beating star cornerback Marcus Peters.
should've been an interception,"The last little touchdown or whatever,Authentic Lawrence Taylor Jersey," Peters said. "It comes with the game of football. Can't do (anything) about it. ... We took an 'L,' back to the drawing board."
when Bell churned for 170 yards rushing and the Steelers' defense shut down the Chiefs in an 18-16 victory.,Authentic Odell Beckham Jr Jersey,The game in many ways resembled January's playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium
while Kansas City was averaging 32.8 points and 414.2 yards — and had just piled up 450 in a shootout victory over Houston.,Their defensive dominance was even more impressive considering the circumstances: The Steelers allowed more than 200 yards rushing twice in the past three weeks
the league's leading rusher,But the Steelers held Kareem Hunt,Womens Lawrence Taylor Jersey, to 21 yards on nine carries. They also spent the afternoon with their paws on Smith, holding the NFL's top-rated passer to 246 yards and a TD.
"We've played a lot of games against each other. These guys have gotten the last three," Smith said. "They're all hard-fought. They've been physical, intense."
finding De'Anthony Thomas for a 57-yard touchdown that got Kansas City within 12-10 with 6:13 left in the game.,Smith nearly rallied the Chiefs down the stretch this time
whose hard running got them near midfield. And when they faced third-and-2,But the Steelers answered with Bell, former Chiefs coach and Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley dialed up a pass down the sideline to Brown, who caught the tipped ball and ran it 51 yards for the score.
passing Lynn Swann for third-most in franchise history.,Womens Odell Beckham Jr Jersey,It was Brown's 52nd touchdown catch
" he said. "He always puts the ball in perfect position and,"Ben made a great throw and those guys couldn't catch it,Womens Landon Collins Jersey, in that case, he held the ball until the last minute and made a play. I tracked it the whole time. He put a lot of wing on it and I was able to get the bounce."
STATS AND STREAKS
Roethlisberger improved to 7-1 against Kansas City. He's won six straight when coming off a game in which he's thrown at least three picks. ... Pittsburgh has beaten a team 5-0 or better seven times in the Super Bowl era. ... Smith has not thrown an interception in 202 attempts. ... Hunt had five catches for 89 yards. ... Chiefs TE Travis Kelce caught a pass in his 54th straight game.
OOPS MOMENTS
when backup center Zach Fulton snapped the ball over Smith's head for a safety. But the Steelers gave the ball right back when they inexplicably decided not to field the ensuing free kick.,The Chiefs' first turnover since their first offensive play of the season came in the first half
INJURIES
Steelers RT Marcus Gilbert,Womens Michael Thomas Jersey,left in the first half after aggravating it. LB Vince Williams left in the second half with a hip injury after picking up a pair of sacks. ... Chiefs RB Charcandrick West was evaluated for a concussion., who had missed three weeks with a hamstring injury
OAKLAND,Womens A.J. Green Jersey, and it was the opponent wondering what went wrong on a key kick., Calif. (AP) — This time the field goal went in for the Los Angeles Chargers
Nick Novak kicked a 32-yard field goal on the final play of the game and the Chargers took advantage of a key missed extra point by Giorgio Tavecchio after a bad snap to beat the Oakland Raiders 17-16 on Sunday.
The Chargers (2-4) had been done in by poor kicks this season, but delivered when it counted most., losing twice on misses by former kicker Younghoe Koo . Novak missed a 48-yard field goal in the first quarter
"When you do your job well and help contribute to a win, right?" Novak said "Shoot, that's what you dream for,Womens John Ross Jersey, and continue to do my job.", that 48-yarder I missed? That happens. I wish I would have made that. But more importantly, you've got to bounce back and make all those extra points
It was the missed extra point by Tavecchio — after a high snap by Jon Condo early in the fourth quarter — that was the difference in a fourth straight loss by the Raiders (2-4).
" Condo said. "I didn't make it happen today and I feel bad. The rest of my teammates were out there doing their jobs and I have one job and couldn't do it. I couldn't come through today.",Authentic John Ross Jersey,"I have one job to do: snap the ball
setting the stage for Novak's winning kick.,Authentic A.J. Green Jersey,Philip Rivers took over at his 8 with 4:09 to play and used two long passes to Hunter Henry to move the Chargers into field-goal range. Five straight runs by Melvin Gordon and two kneeldowns moved the ball to the 14 and drained the clock
"You can't treat it like a normal backed-up drive,Womens Jim Brown Jersey, 'All right,Womens Barry Sanders Jersey, where you go,'" Rivers said. "We got to go win the game.",Womens DeShone Kizer Jersey, let's just try and get us a little bit of room and try to get a first down, and see what happens
The Raiders had taken the lead on a 47-yard end-around by Cordarrelle Patterson but that and the return of quarterback Derek Carr weren't enough to end this slide. Oakland last lost four in a row during an 0-10 start in 2014.
Carr, threw for just 171 yards and a touchdown. He also had two interceptions on miscommunications and mostly settled for short passes., who missed last week's game with a broken bone in his back
" Carr said. "I'm really frustrated. We work way too hard for that kind of stuff to happen.",Authentic DeShone Kizer Jersey,"That's the frustrating thing
Rivers went 25 for 36 for 268 yards with one touchdown. Gordon gained 150 yards from scrimmage and scored twice.
QUICK TURNAROUND
but Carr threw an incomplete pass. Rivers then drove the Chargers to the go-ahead score on a 6-yard pass to Gordon.,Authentic Jim Brown Jersey,The Raiders appeared in good shape when Dexter McDonald forced a fumble by Tyrell Williams that was recovered by David Amerson and the offense crossed midfield looking to build on a three-point lead. Coach Jack Del Rio opted to go on fourth-and-2 from the 41
ROLLER-COASTER START
throwing an interception to Trevor Williams on his first pass of the game. The play didn't cost the Raiders because Novak missed that 48-yard field goal. Carr then rebounded in his next drive and capped it with a 23-yard TD pass to Michael Crabtree .,Authentic Barry Sanders Jersey,Carr got off to a rough start in his return to the field
THIRD DOWNS
The Raiders' defensive issues on third down returned on a TD drive by the Chargers late in the first half. Rivers converted three third downs of at least 7 yards on the series and Los Angeles tied the game at 7 when Gordon leaped into the end zone on fourth down from the 1.
Sunday night marked yet another dramatic matchup in which the Green Bay Packers pulled off with a victory.
the Packers rose to the occasion to pull off a win in Week 5 of the regular season against the Dallas Cowboys. Rogers’ momentum persisted throughout the second half,Womens T.Y. Hilton Jersey,With quarterback Aaron Rodgers once more going all in, Womens Leonard Fournette Jersey, all the way up to a 75-yard drive that together with a 12-yard touchdown pass led to a final score of 35-31.
the Cowboys stepped onto the field with a less favorable predicted outcome. Nonetheless, Dallas put on a great performance in which they dominated the first half,Authentic T.Y. Hilton Jersey,While the Packers came in with a record of 3-1,Authentic Aaron Rodgers Jersey, going into halftime with a 15-point advantage—a similar situation to last week’s loss against the Los Angeles Rams.
but similar to last week’s loss,Authentic Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Jersey,It was Dak Prescott who would throw touchdown passes on the Cowboy’s first three drives,Womens Andrew Luck Jersey,the offense hit a wall once the second half got underway.
down by 3 points with one minute and 13 seconds left on the clock,On Green Bay’s end, and 3 total touchdowns. The game’s most exciting turn came late in the fourth for the Packers,Authentic Leonard Fournette Jersey, Rodger completed 19 of 29 passes for 221 yards, Womens Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Jersey,as Rodgers ran the aforementioned play that saw Devante Adams headed for glory in the end zone.
“I just don’t know what else to say about him,Womens Aaron Rodgers Jersey,” said Packers coach Mike McCarthy on Rodgers. “I’ve got to expand my vocabulary.”
As always,Authentic Andrew Luck Jersey,Twitter had much to say of Sunday night’s electrifying faceoff. Catch up on them below.
ALAMEDA, if any,Authentic Leonard Williams Jersey, Calif. (AP) -- Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was limited for a second consecutive practice Friday and coach Jack Del Rio declined to say what,Womens Joe Namath Jersey, role Carr will have this weekend against the Baltimore Ravens.
Carr broke a bone in his back late in the third quarter of Oakland's 16-10 loss in Denver this past Sunday. He was initially diagnosed with back spasms but the injury was later revealed to be a transverse process fracture.
Earlier this week,Authentic Howie Long Jersey, Del Rio indicated that Carr would miss the Baltimore game and possibly up to six weeks but the fourth-year quarterback was cleared for light practice Thursday and Friday and is listed as questionable.
Carr leads a long list of players on the injury list. Del Rio declined to discuss any of them.
''Before you even have to ask,Authentic Khalil Mack Jersey,'' Del Rio said. ''I'm not going to really talk about injuries and what we may and may not do or who we may or may not play or when and all that kind of stuff,Womens Derek Carr Jersey, there are a lot of question marks on the injury report and that's what they are, when we're going to utilize people. Not going to get into all of that.
''We do have a number of people who are questionable. We have time before we tee it up. They'll remain a question mark until we make the final decision.''
The Raiders have already named EJ Manuel as the starter for Sunday. The 16th overall pick in 2013, Manuel has started seven games since his rookie season and will be tasked with trying to jump-start an offense that has been held to 10 points in each of the last two weeks.
''I've been in this situation before even when I was in college, when Tyrod (Taylor) became the starter,Womens Bo Jackson Jersey,'' Manuel said. ''Then when I was in Buffalo,Womens Leonard Williams Jersey, still just being ready as the backup. It kind of puts me in familiar territory.''
Connor Cook,Authentic Joe Namath Jersey,a fourth-round draft pick in 2016,Womens Howie Long Jersey,also is on the roster but has been inactive in each of Oakland's first four games.
The Raiders have been mostly quiet regarding Carr's status this week,Authentic Derek Carr Jersey, although left tackle Donald Penn told reporters Thursday that the quarterback was ahead of schedule in his recovery.
It's conceivable that Carr could suit up for the Ravens game as the team's emergency quarterback, but Del Rio isn't saying.
''We prefer to keep our business in house,Authentic Bo Jackson Jersey, '' Del Rio said.
Cornerback David Amerson has cleared the NFL concussion protocol, Womens Khalil Mack Jersey, according to Del Rio. Like Carr, Amerson was limited in practice and is questionable.
Notes: Right guard Gabe Jackson (foot), cornerback Gareon Conley (shin) and running back DeAndre Washington (hamstring) were limited in practice and are questionable. Jackson had not practiced at all this week.
The Chargers plan to present a united front before Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, agreeing Friday to stand and link arms during the national anthem at StubHub Center.
Chris McCain,Womens Jacoby Brissett Jersey,While most players and coaches stood and linked arms during the anthem before last Sunday’s game, Damion Square,Authentic Jordan Richards Jersey, five defensive linemen — Brandon Mebane, Darius Philon and Tenny Palepoi — sat or kneeled to draw attention to racism and social injustice and rebuff criticism from President Trump for their actions.
the guys wanted to do something to show we were against divisive remarks by anybody and to stand together as one unit,Womens James White Jersey,“We just want to get back to playing football and get the politics out,” coach Anthony Lynn said. “Last week, and we decided to stick with it.”
he said,Lynn expects all players and coaches to stand and link arms, but when asked if everyone agreed, “Yes … for the most part.”
” Lynn said. “If that’s the way they choose to express themselves,If players choose to kneel or sit, “That’s on them, we support them 100%.”
There seemed to be a consensus Friday among the players.
” Mebane said. “I don’t know if 100% will do it, we all decided to link arms,“Obviously, things are not where we want them to be at right now, that was the plan coming out of our team meeting.”, but as a team, but right now
said he will stand,McCain, who was outspoken in his remarks about Trump last Sunday, though it appears with some reluctance.
so I’m just gonna keep my mouth closed,“No good will come out of commenting on it,” McCain said. “I respect my coach. It’s his decision. It’s what he wants.”
like many NFL teams,Womens Everson Griffen Jersey,The Chargers, Womens Joe Thuney Jersey,also have discussed ways to affect the community in a positive way. Lynn plans to meet with Los Angeles Police Dept. officers and perhaps go on a ride-along on next Tuesday’s off day in an effort to “improve police relationships in different communities.”
a Los Angeles native who witnessed the riots in the wake of the 1992 Rodney King verdict as a child and attended Crenshaw High,Womens Malcom Brown Jersey,Mebane, plans to sponsor reading programs for kids at his elementary school and conduct nutrition programs at his middle school.
” said Mebane,Womens Jordan Richards Jersey,“I was eating pizza and nachos every day in middle school, Authentic James White Jersey,a former Seattle Seahawks lineman who recently adopted a plant-based diet. “I found out [later] that that was a problem.”
Mebane recalled flying into LAX during a bye week a few years ago and counting 30 fast-food restaurants during the seven-mile drive to his parents’ house.
“We counted one or two grocery stores,” Mebane said. “We have all these fast-food restaurants and no organic restaurants. We have to let the youth know there are different ways of eating healthy.”
Mebane balked at the idea of riding along with LAPD officers but is eager to promote any community-based policing efforts.
things like that,“Before the riots, no matter what … we’d see them as the enemy because of different things that happened with harassment, the police tried to get close to the community., there was tension in the African-American community with the police — every time we’d see an officer,” Mebane said. “After the riots
go to their trunk and give us big long sheets of Dodgers baseball cards. That was a way for them to connect with the community. I thought that was actually a good thing,“We’d be outside playing, and years later, the cops would stop their car, that kind of went away.”
Etc.
Running back Melvin Gordon (knee), Authentic Jacoby Brissett Jersey,but we decided he needs more time, was a limited practice participant this week but is ruled out for Sunday. “He was close, right tackle Joe Barksdale (foot), out since May because of a herniated disk in his lower back, linebacker Hayes Pullard (knee) and tight end Sean McGrath (foot) were full participants in Friday’s light practice and listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. Lynn expects Gordon and Barksdale to play and said Pullard will be a game-time decision. … Rookie receiver Mike Williams, Authentic Malcom Brown Jersey, has been ruled out of Sunday’s game because of a calf injury.,Authentic Joe Thuney Jersey,” Lynn said. … Philadelphia defensive tackle Fletcher Cox,Authentic Everson Griffen Jersey,who has two sacks this season and is considered one of the Eagles’ best defenders