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Monday, October 17, 2016

Drew Brees" 465-yard outburst paces New Orleans Saints past Carolina Panthers

Panthers vs. Broncos | Game Highlights (Week 1) | NFL

NEW ORLEANS -- Drew Brees is 37, which, in NFL dog years, is one paw away from dog heaven.

But the New Orleans Saints quarterback, a surefire Hall of Famer five years after he retires, simply isn"t finished yet.

Brees displayed his toughness, his brain and his accuracy in Sunday"s 41-38, 465-yard, four-touchdown passing performance against the Carolina Panthers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Those are commodities Brees has used throughout his 16-year NFL career.

One of Brees" nicest throws against the Panthers was his most physically expensive. Under pressure and holding a 31-30 lead, Brees took a shot in the face after he released the ball from defensive tackle Kawann Short that split his lip.

Brees still was able to get the ball away in time toward the left corner of the end zone, where tight end Josh Hill made a leaping catch for a touchdown and 38-30 lead. The personal foul against Short was assessed on the kickoff.

"(The hit) wasn"t that hard, but it looked like he just straight punched me in the mouth," Brees said. "That"s what it felt like, and that"s what it looked like on the Jumbotron, but I"ll take the 15 yards every time. We got the touchdown anyways, so we are all good."

Brees said after the Saints went 0-3 out of the gate and looked left for dead, he tried to model for his younger teammates the work ethic that"s needed to dig out of a self-imposed hole.

And now, suddenly, after two close victories, the Saints are 2-3 and in second place in the NFC South.

"These are defining wins, and these are ones that you can draw from as the season goes along and really get a lot of strength from," Brees said. "It also gives you great confidence and poise for when those situations arise in the future, because you"ve been there before."

Coby Fleener takes a Drew Brees pass for 50 yards and a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers. Photo by AJ Sisco/UPI

Brees" 50-yard TD pass to tight end Coby Fleener, which put the Saints up 31-17 in the third quarter, also has to give New Orleans a reason to feel the breaks are beginning to even out.

Brees appeared to be targeting wide receiver Willie Snead on the play, but Fleener undercut the route and snagged the ball out of the air, running the last 25 yards untouched.

Brees said there was confusion on the route, but he said Fleener was his intended target.

"Coby did exactly what he was supposed to do," Brees said. "We had a little bit of mix-up somewhere else, however. So, I"m throwing the ball to Coby just the way I wanted to, and all of a sudden I just feel this congregation of bodies (in the middle of the field). It kind of created this natural pick ... which worked out nicely."

Source: http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/NFL/2016/10/16/Drew-Brees-465-yard-outburst-paces-New-Orleans-Saints-past-Carolina-Panthers/2671476666427/

Game Notes: Kansas City Chiefs 26 Oakland Raiders 10

Kansas City Chiefs 2016 Pump Up ᴴᴰ

Here are the game notes following the Oakland Raiders" 26-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, presented by Microsoft Surface.

Raiders 10, Chiefs 26

The Raiders lost 10-26 to the Chiefs, bringing them to 4-2 on the season.

The Chiefs improve their advantage in the all-time regular season series to 59-51-2.

The victory by the Chiefs extends their winning streak over the Silver and black to four games, their sixth victory in the last seven versus Oakland.

WR Amari Cooper

WR Amari Coopers ninth reception of the game, a 15-yard grab from QB Derek Carr, brought his career total to 107 marking the most by a Raider through their first two seasons, passing Marcus Allen (106 from 1982-83).

Cooper is the first Raiders receiver to record nine-plus catches in the first half since Jerry Rice caught 10 against Pittsburgh in 2002.

For the third time in his career, Cooper eclipsed 100 receiving yards in the first half of a game with 117, becoming just the second Raider to post 100-plus receiving yards in the first half of play in three games. Coopers third 100-plus-yard first half ties Tim Browns record of three.

Coopers two previous games in which he surpassed 100 receiving yards in the first half came last year in Week 3 at Cleveland and Week 7 at San Diego.

In the fourth quarter, Cooper hauled in a 12-yard pass, marking his 10th of the day and becoming the first Raider with 10 receptions since Brandon Myers recorded 14 on Dec. 2, 2012 against Cleveland.

Cooper finished the day with 10 receptions for 129 yards (12.9 avg.), recording 100-plus receiving yards for the eighth time in his career and first against the Chiefs.

QB Derek Carr

On the games opening drive, QB Derek Carr orchestrated a 7-play, 46-yard drive lasting 3:02 which culminated with a 3-yard touchdown to WR Andre Holmes.

With Carrs touchdown, he extended his streak of games with a touchdown pass to 12, the third longest active streak in the NFL.

Carr finished with 225 yards on 22-of-34 completions with one touchdown and one interception for a passer rating of 81.1.

WR Andre Holmes

On the opening drive, QB Derek Carr connected with WR Andre Holmes for a 3-yard touchdown. The touchdown marks Holmes second of the season, bringing his career total to 11.

Holmes ended the day with two receptions for 11 yards (5.5 avg.) and one score.

RB Jalen Richard

On the opening kickoff, RB Jalen Richard returned the ball 50 yards, the longest return by an undrafted rookie Raider since Chris Carrs 62-yard return in 2005. The return put the Raiders offense in position for their first scoring drive of the afternoon, taking a 7-0 lead over the Chiefs.

The 50-yard kickoff return bested Richards previous best of 26 yards. He totaled four kickoff returns for 108 yards (27.0 avg.).

DE Khalil Mack

With 9:17 left in the first quarter, DE Khalil Mack recorded a sackwhen he took down QB Alex Smith for the third time in his career for a one yard loss.

Mack concluded his day with seven tackles (five solo) and one sack.

S Karl Joseph

S Karl Joseph led the team in tackles for the second time this season. Joseph finished with nine tackles (seven solo) on the day.

K Sebastian Janikowski

On the final play before halftime, K Sebastian Janikowski recorded a 46-yard field goal to pass Nick Lowerys mark of 1,711 and move in 12th on the NFLs all-time scoring list.

Source: http://www.raiders.com/news/article-1/Game-Notes-Kansas-City-Chiefs-26-Oakland-Raiders-10/3f689973-c6a6-4e5f-b6bd-eab9eaddba30

Fantasy football Week 6 D/ST rankings: Tennessee Titans up, Kansas City Chiefs down, Jacksonville Jaguars worth ...

The 2015 Kansas City Chiefs [RGP]

A look at the state of team defenses in Week 6 of fantasy footballleagues, with start/sit recommendations and position rankings.

THREE UP

Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Jets: The Jets have the second-most giveaways (13) and the worst turnover margin (minus-10) in the NFL going into Week 6. This group cleaned up its act a little bit last week but still went down with a whimper in a 31-13 loss to the Steelers. The Cardinals are also stout up front, have an improved pass rush they have the third-most sacks (18) after ranking No. 20 in the same category in 2015 and boast one of the NFL"s most dynamic secondaries. All the ingredients are here to contain the Jets" weapons, extend the misery and put Arizona in contention for the highest fantasy output of the week.

Buffalo Bills vs. San Francisco: The Bills are on a run of three straight double-digit fantasy scoring outputs after a bumpy start that featured 37 points allowed in an ugly Week 2 loss to the Jets. Since then, Buffalo has nine takeaways, two return touchdowns, 12 sacks and one shutout in three games. On the other side, the 49ers are struggling to score points and making the move to backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick who will play his first meaningful snaps in over a year. He"ll run into a red-hot Bills defense with key players at every level to pressure him and take the ball away. The Bills are well-positioned to produce another fantasy gem.

Tennessee Titans vs. Cleveland: The Titans have a quality early resum to suggest they can capitalize on a friendly matchup with a Browns team going through well-publicized struggles with bad breaks and a severe lack of talent. Tennessee comes off a six-sack performance in a Week 5 win over the Dolphins and has held three of its past four opponents under 20 points. This group ranks among the top 10 in the NFL in total, scoring and pass defense and has given up just two rushing touchdowns. Playing at home against rookie quarterback Cody Kessler and a crew of misfits should prove fruitful enough to stream with confidence.

THREE DOWN

Seattle Seahawks vs. Atlanta: This is one of the rare occasions where it makes sense to consider benching the Seahawks and go the streaming route. This defense is stout in nearly every way, but it makes its hay by smothering opponents more so than dominating with gaudy numbers in sacks, return touchdowns or takeaways. The Falcons are a dangerous offense that can attack in multiple ways, and they come off an encouraging performance in a 23-16 road win over the Denver Broncos. Atlanta is a good bet to get its points, which puts the burden on Seattle to sack Matt Ryan and create turnovers, neither of which hav been the team"s forte during its run of dominance under Pete Carroll.

Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland: The Chiefs are a tempting unit with a long list of accomplishments in fantasy, but they"re not quite the same dominant group that has ranked among the top five in the NFL in sacks in three of the past four seasons. With top pass-rusher Justin Houston still on the mend with a knee injury and Tamba Hali showing his age, these Chiefs have just five sacks, second-fewest in the NFL, through four games. They"re unlikely to snap out of that funk against a dynamic, revamped Raiders offensive line protecting an emerging star in Derek Carr, who has 11 touchdowns to two interceptions and has been sacked less often (five) than any quarterback in the league. The Raiders are a very real threat to put up 30-plus points.

Cincinnati Bengals at New England: The return of Tom Brady has brought some otherwise-average weapons such as Chris Hogan and James White to life, giving all kinds of new potential to the Patriots attack. Brady was sacked just once and New England played turnover-free football in a 33-13 thrashing of the Cleveland Browns, showing another level of firepower. The Bengals are a steady, stable fantasy defense but little more than that with just one double-digit output in five games. They are draftable every season, but far from a must-start, particularly on the road against a dangerous offense.

WAIVER WATCH

Jacksonville Jaguars at Chicago: Don"t look now, but the Jaguars are starting to meet expectations after a forgettable start, thanks in part to beatable and mistake-prone Baltimore and Indianapolis offenses. They come off a bye to another intriguing matchup, this time on the road in Chicago to tackle a Bears offense with a new-look backfield in quarterback Brian Hoyer and rookie running back Jordan Howard. Hoyer has more passing yards (1,016) over the past three weeks than any quarterback in the NFL, but he also has a history of letting mistakes snowball. If Jacksonville can shake him early, it could be in for a big day.

TOP 20 RANKINGS

1. Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Jets2. Buffalo Bills vs. San Francisco3. Denver Broncos at San Diego4. Tennessee Titans vs. Cleveland5. Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis6. Seattle Seahawks vs. Atlanta7. Jacksonville Jaguars at Chicago8. Pittsburgh Steelers at Miami9. New England Patriots vs. Cincinnati10. Philadelphia Eagles at Washington

11. Carolina Panthers at New Orleans12. New York Giants vs. Baltimore13. Detroit Lions vs. Los Angeles14. Chicago Bears vs. Jacksonville15. Baltimore Ravens at New York Giants16. Los Angeles Rams at Detroit17. Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland18. Green Bay Packers vs. Dallas19. Indianapolis Colts at Houston20. Oakland Raiders vs. Kansas City

Source: http://www.pennlive.com/fantasy_football/2016/10/fantasy_football_week_6_dst_ra.html

Green Bay Packers open as huge favorites against Chicago Bears

Cowboys vs. Packers Trailer (Week 6) | NFL

After a disappointing loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, the Green Bay Packers need to find a way to move on from it quickly because they have to face the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on Thursday. And despite the loss on Sunday, Las Vegas still feels good about the Packers.

The Packers will face the Chicago Bears on Thursday night at Lambeau Field. Make sure youre in the loop take five seconds to Sign up for our FREE Packers newsletter now!

According to Odds Shark, the opening line of the Packers-Bears game is big as the Packers are a nine-point favorite with the over/under being set at 47. This might be a surprise to some because the Packers have yet to blow any team out of the water yet. But based on the way the Bears have looked this year, this might be the game where the Packers put up a huge number.

5 Green Bay Packers who tried to save Week 6Start SlideShow

With the loss on Sunday, the Packers are now 3-2 and two games behind the Minnesota Vikings for the NFC North lead. As for the Bears, they have a 1-5 record and are tied for the worst record in the NFC.

Source: http://gnb.247sports.com/Bolt/Green-Bay-Packers-open-as-huge-favorites-against-Chicago-Bears--48313443

DeMeco Ryans suing Houston Texans, NFL | AL.com

Bears vs. Texans (Week 1) | Game Highlights | NFL

Former linebacker DeMeco Ryans is suing the Houston Texans and the NFL over a torn Achilles tendon suffered during a game at Houston"s NRG Stadium on Nov. 2, 2014.

NBC Sports reported the lawsuit, which was filed Friday, names the Harris County Convention Sports Corp. and stadium-management company SMG, in addition to the Texans and NFL,as the defendants.

At the time, NRG Stadium used square panels of grass grown on metal trays to form its playing surface a set-up that was widely criticized. New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick called the stadium"s playing surface "terrible."

The stadium ditched the tray systemafter the first home game of the 2015 system, when former No. 1 draft choice Jadeveon Clowney of the Texans suffered a knee injury on the field. NRG Stadium now features a field-turf surface.

In 2012, former Houston punter Brett Hartmann suedSMG and Harris County Convention Sports Corp. over a career-ending ACL injury suffered on the field. The Texans and the NFL were not named in Hartmann"s lawsuit.

Ryans was playing for the Philadelphia Eagles at the time of the injury and missed the remaining eight games of the 2014 season. He returned to play 14 games for the Eagles in 2015. Philadelphia released Ryanson Feb. 24. He was not picked up by another team.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM"S COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OURNFL PAGE

Since behind selected out of Alabamain the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft by Houston, Ryans has played 10 pro seasons. He won the 2006 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award with the Texans. He earned Pro Bowl recognition in 2007 and 2009.

In 2010, Ryans ruptured an Achilles tendon in the sixth game of the season while playing on Houston"s home field.

After the 2012 season, the Texans traded Ryans and a third-round pick to the Eagles for a third-round pick and a fourth-round pick.

The former Jess Lanier prep standout has played in 140 NFL games, with 139 starts. He intercepted seven passes, recovered 10 fumbles, recorded 13.5 sacks and made 970 tackles.

Source: http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2016/10/demeco_ryans_suing_houston_tex.html

Steelers positioned to survive Ben Roethlisberger knee injury

Ben Roethlisberger 2015 Highlights

PITTSBURGH -- That Ben Roethlisberger could miss one or two games with a torn left meniscus is a manageable situation for a team equipped to handle injuries, specifically quarterback injuries.

The Big Ben-Tom Brady clash won"t happen Sunday in Heinz Field because of Roethlisberger"s surgery Monday, as confirmed by ESPN"s Adam Schefter and first reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

But the big-picture goals are still mostly intact for Pittsburgh, despite an erratic defense that has allowed 64 points in its past two road games.

If the Steelers revel in chances to rally, nothing screams team-building like hosting the New England Patriots without a star quarterback. Let"s see what they can do.

The Steelers will have to rely on Le"Veon Bell in Ben Roethlisberger"s absence.Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports

A potential loss to the Patriots, followed by the bye week, sets the stage for Roethlisberger to return for Week 9 against the Baltimore Ravens, depending on how the knee heals. That would make the Steelers 4-3 heading into a crucial divisional matchup, the same situation when Roethlisberger returned from a sprained medial collateral ligament last season in time for the Cincinnati Bengals game.

That didn"t stop them from making the playoffs. The Steelers are accustomed to dealing with Roethlisberger"s short absences. After Sunday, Roethlisberger will have missed at least one game in nine of his last 12 seasons. The Steelers haven"t finished worse than 8-8 in any of them.

Landry Jones doesn"t have the backup quarterback cachet of Dallas" Dak Prescott and New England"s Jimmy Garoppolo, but the Steelers feel he"s capable. In his last extended action, he was 19-of-22 for 206 yards against New Orleans in the preseason.

Last year, the Steelers went 2-2 with a clumsy backup situation while Roethlisberger was out. Michael Vick struggled mightily through two-and-a-half games before the team gave Jones the keys. In Jones" only NFL start, the Steelers battled the Kansas City Chiefs on the road in a 23-13 loss.

Le"Veon Bell got 17 carries for 121 yards that day, and he should carry the ball at least 20 times against New England. The Steelers" best chance is to pound the ball.

The Steelers can create a game plan that gives Jones quick and decisive third-down throws with an occasional deep shot to Sammie Coates or Antonio Brown.

A defense that got humbled in Miami could have linebacker Ryan Shazier and defensive end Cam Heyward back for the New England game, and if not, definitely for the Ravens.

The Steelers responded in a big way after the Week 3 blowout at the Philadelphia Eagles, holding the Chiefs and New York Jets to a combined 27 points.

After several injuries the last two years, the Steelers are accustomed to managing change.

A left meniscus won"t determine their fate.

Source: http://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/20802/steelers-positioned-to-survive-ben-roethlisberger-knee-injury

Social media roars for WikiLeaks" Julian Assange

WIKILEAKS INTERNET CONNECTION DOWN: Julian Assange"s Internet Link Severed By State Party

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had his internet access cut off by a government party, the organization said.

Screenshot by CNET

Julian Assange, social media has your back.

The top trending topics on Facebook and Twitter right now are related to a cryptic tweet from the WikiLeaks account sent at about 10:30 p.m. PT Sunday. Since then, supporters of Assange, WikiLeaks" founder, have marshaled their forces across social media.

Social Cues is a daily feature on what"s trending among your friends and followers. Here"s what people are talking about Monday morning on Facebook and Twitter:

Julian Assange: According to a WikiLeaks tweet, Assange"s "internet link has been intentionally severed by a state party." Assange"s name was the top trending topic on Facebook, with more than 1 million people talking about him and the incident. On Twitter, #FreeJulian was a top trend, with accusations that the US government is responsible for his lost internet access.

Trump TV: If Election Day doesn"t go Donald Trump"s way, you still might be seeing plenty of the Republican candidate. The topic was trending on Twitter after a Financial Times report that Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner has been in talks for a post-election TV startup. Twitter users chipped in their reactions on what a 24/7 Trump channel would look like.

Orange County, North Carolina: A firebombing severely damaged a Republican campaign headquarters in North Carolina over the weekend, with many calling it an attack on democracy. "n**i Republicans get out of town or else" was spray-painted nearby. Both Democrats and Republicans expressed outrage on Facebook about the bombing.

Colin Kaepernick: On Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback started his first game of the season, squaring off against the Buffalo Bills. Kaepernick had been making headlines in recent weeks for his protest against police brutality, choosing to kneel during the national anthem at the beginning of games. Bills fans protested Kaepernick playing, while cheering on their own team. Facebook users said a T-shirt with a rifle sight pointed on the quarterback was taking it too far.

Treehouse of Horror: "The Simpsons" hit its 600th episode on Sunday, 27 years after Matt Groening"s animated series debuted. The landmark episode was also the series" annual "Treehouse of Horror" Halloween special. The topic was trending on Facebook with users congratulating the series for reaching the milestone, while others argued that the show has lost its touch.

Be sure to check out Social Cues" weekly roundup called T.GIF. It will pop up every Friday on CNET"s Snapchat and Instagram accounts. Add us on Instagram at @CNET or on Snapchat at @CNETsnaps. Our social accounts also feature CNET Update daily and Mailbox Mondays. Join us!

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGwsGjlaBVnjP_nXvs4LhLG9HyixQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52779242961933&ei=q-kEWJCbEYi33gGdnYfIAw&url=https://www.cnet.com/news/wikileaks-assange-trump-tv-kaepernick-simpsons-social-cues/