September 2014 ~ Acantha Sports

Unknown / 10:33 PM / basketball, sports / No comments

Suns give Morris twins four-year extensions

Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris will stick together for a while. (USATSI)

The Morris twins haven't been separated on the basketball court much in their life and they're not about to go back to it again. After spending the first season and a half of their respective careers in the NBA apart, Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris found themselves both on the Phoenix Suns in the 2012-13 season. As of right now, the plan is stick around there for the next five years, at least.

The Suns announced on Monday the team has agreed on contract extensions for both players. The Markieff Morris deal is believed to be worth four years, $32 million while the Marcus Morris deal is four years and $20 million. Both players have one more year on their respective rookie contracts before the new contracts kick in. From the Suns:

The Phoenix Suns have signed forwards Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris to multiyear contract extensions, the team announced today.

"We are particularly pleased to have reached extension agreements with Marcus and Markieff before the start of training camp," said President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby. "There is an extraordinary bond between these twin brothers; they make each other better players and better men. We take pride in their growth and look forward to their bright futures."

"We are excited to be able to extend the contracts of Marcus and Markieff," said General Manager Ryan McDonough. "They have had great success playing together at every level of basketball, including last season with the Suns. They have made great strides over the past year and we feel like they will continue to grow and improve. They are just entering their primes and we think they will play the best basketball of their careers over the course of the next five years."

Markieff started his career with the Suns when they drafted him with the 13th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. He started to work his way into the starting lineup his second season when he started 32 of the 82 games he played in, averaging 8.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 22.4 minutes. In 2013-14, he made a big leap with averages of 13.8 points and 6.0 rebounds in 26.6 minutes. He finished fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting.

Marcus was drafted 14th in the 2011 draft by the Houston Rockets. He barely got off the bench in his first season, playing just 126 minutes in 17 games. He was averaging 8.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in 21.4 minutes in the 2012-13 season before he was traded to the Suns in February for a second round pick that ended up being Isaiah Canaan. In his first full season with the Suns in 2013-14, he averaged 9.7 points and 3.9 rebounds in 22.0 minutes while making 38.1 percent of his 3-pointers.

Topics: Isaiah Canaan, Marcus Morris, Markieff Morris, Phoenix Suns, NBA

Basketball Hot News

Report: NBA lottery reform gaining support, could come this season

The NBA rewards failure.

The league’s draft lottery was designed to curb tanking, and it might have worked. The worst team has only a 25 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick.

But it probably hasn’t worked effectively enough.

Every year, teams still tank. No, the worst team doesn’t automatically get the No. 1 pick or even enter a coin flip to determine the first and second selections. But it gets the best odds of the No. 1 pick and is guaranteed a top-four pick. That’s a pretty decent prize.

So, reformers have discussed change.

The “wheel” – where teams rotate through each pick in a 30-year cycle – has gained some support. But that’s a long time to commit to a plan, and teams can face near-certain gloom if they’re struggling when they’re nearing guaranteed low picks.

The NBA’s competition committee also proposed increasing the lottery from the top-three to the top-six and flattening the odds. That could happen.

Zach Lowe of Grantland:

there appears to be broad support among the league’s 30 teams for the NBA’s proposal, per several sources. Ownership groups could vote on it as early as this season, and a powerful distaste for Philly’s multiyear tanking adventure is driving the reform movement.

More than two-thirds of NBA teams – the Hawks, Celtics, Nets, Bulls, Kings, Cavaliers, Grizzlies, Nuggets, Knicks, Warriors, Jazz, Rockets, Pelicans, Clippers, Lakers, Heat, 76ers, Timberwolves, Suns, Magic and Raptors – have traded or traded for a future draft pick that could fall in the lottery. Presumably, these 21 teams made those trades while projecting picks based on the current system.

To change the system on the fly seems problematic, but if everyone favors it, I guess it’s fine.

Of course, not everyone favors it. The 76ers sure don’t.

But the rest of the league apparently resents their tanking so much, it will change the rules on the fly.

Unknown / 10:27 PM / NFL, sports / No comments

Report: 76 of 79 players studied show CTE signs

Junior Seau was discovered to have CTE. (Getty Images)

Having studied the brains of 79 deceased NFL players, one of the nation's largest brain banks has come to the conclusion that 76 suffered from some form of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease.

According to PBS's Frontline, a total of 128 former football players were studied -- professionals, semi-professionals, college players and high school players -- and from that sample, 101 players tested positive for CTE.

That means 78.9 percent of the football players and 96.2 percent of the former NFLers suffered from the disease.

"Obviously this high percentage of living individuals is not suffering from CTE," said Dr. Ann McKee, the director of the Department of Veterans Affairs' brain repository in Bedford, Mass. "[But] playing football, and the higher the level you play football and the longer you play football, the higher your risk."

This news comes a day after it was revealed that former Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, who killed his girlfriend and then himself in December 2013, likely suffered from CTE.

Other former NFLers who were found to have suffered from CTE include Hall of Fame Steelers center Mike Webster, legendary linebacker Junior Seau, former Bears defender Dave Duerson and former Bengals receiver Chris Henry. Seau and Duerson both shot themselves in the chest, presumably so their brains could be studied after their deaths.

As Frontline notes, the NFL did not respond to several requests for comment.

NFL Hot News

Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater not practicing Tuesday

Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Pioneer Press reported via his Twitter feed that Minnesota rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (ankle) was still not practicing on Tuesday. The hope is that Bridgewater can participate in Wednesday's jog-through and go from there. Bridgewater hasn't committed himself to being ready for Thursday night's game at Green Bay.Bridgewater was 19-of-30 for 317 yards passing in his first NFL start Sunday against Atlanta, adding 27 yards and his first career touchdown on the ground.

This week couldn't be a better example of why this writer has so much disdain for the way the NFL does the Thursday night games. Play games on Thursday nights. We love football. The more, the better. However, the teams that play on Thursday nights should be two teams coming off their bye. The games aren't good. Injuries aren't healed. Gameplans are lackluster. It's just not the best product they could put out there.All that aside, even if Bridgewater participates in the jog-through Wednesday, he'll likely be a game-time decision on Thursday night. If he can't go, it will be the Christian Ponder show. This should draw cheers from the crowd, since they'll be in Green Bay. Bridgewater is probably not someone you'd be playing this week anyway unless you're in two-quarterback leagues. Ponder is someone you don't play. Ever.

Unknown / 10:34 AM / NFL, sports / No comments

Harbaugh on Deion’s report: ‘Bunch of crap’

On Monday, NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders drew headlines for claiming 49ers players are sick of Jim Harbaugh and "want him out."

Harbaugh disagrees wholeheartedly with that notion. In fact, he doesn't think very much of it at all.

"Personally, I think that's a bunch of a crap," Harbaugh said at a press conference Monday.

Harbaugh then proceeded to sarcastically fire shots at anonymous sources.

"If someone has a good story to tell, they want to put their name to it," Harbaugh said. "If I had a good story to tell, I'd want to put my name to it, so I don't put a lot of credibility to the unnamed source."

The 49ers coach was also asked about Trent Dilfer's claim the Niners situation is "toxic."

"I haven't seen Trent or Deion around much," Harbaugh said.

Dilfer clarified on Monday Night Football that he wasn't calling the locker room "toxic" or doing any "reporting" but merely analyzing from his viewpoint what's going on with the 49ers.

There's been a lingering amount of speculation dating to last season whether Harbaugh would be back with the Niners for the long haul. His contract is up after 2015, and it's unlikely he or the 49ers want to head into next year with Harbaugh set up for a lame-duck season.

But as is always the case in the NFL, winning cures everything. If the 49ers rip off some victories, this story will fade into the background. If not, it'll keep cropping up again and again.

Jim Harbaugh thinks Deion Sanders' comments are 'a bunch of crap.' (USATSI)

NFL Hot News

Colts WR Da'Rick Rogers arrested for DUI, waived by team

Colts WR Da'Rick Rogers was arrested early this morning for DUI, according to Colts beat writer Charly Arnolt. Shortly after the news became public, Rogers was released by the team.

It's not a big deal to the fantasy community. The talented-but-oft-troubled Rogers saw zero snaps through the first four weeks of the NFL season, playing behind Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton, Griff Whalen and Donte Moncrief. If he wasn't on your waiver wire already, he can be safely dropped.

Unknown / 7:36 AM / NFL, sports / No comments

Charles scores 3 TDs, Chiefs blow out Patriots

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) It made sense that Andy Reid spoke in baseball metaphors after Kansas City whipped the New England Patriots on Monday night, with the Royals poised to end a long playoff drought just across the parking lot from Arrowhead Stadium.

He may have stretched things a bit when it came to Jamaal Charles, though.

''It's a heck of a thing to bring 25 off the bench as a relief pitcher,'' Reid said. ''That's a pretty good player. To add him back to the mix is something.''

Relief pitcher? How about staff ace.

Charles returned from an ankle injury to score three touchdowns, Tom Brady was picked off twice by the opportunistic Chiefs, and Kansas City routed New England 41-14 to hand Bill Belichick one of his worst losses as coach of the Patriots.

Charles, who missed last week's win in Miami with a sprained ankle, ran for 92 yards and a score. The Pro Bowl running back also caught two short touchdown passes from Alex Smith, who had 248 yards passing and three touchdowns in a sharp performance before a raucous crowd.

''Coach said he was going to look for me, and see how it feels during the game,'' Charles said, ''and I guess I started feeling like myself. He didn't want to take me out.''

The Chiefs (2-2) ended a four-game skid at Arrowhead Stadium dating to last season by making things miserable on Brady, who had one of his two picks returned for a touchdown.

Brady also was strip-sacked and finished 14 of 23 for 159 yards and a touchdown.

''It was just a bad performance by everybody,'' Brady said. ''We need to make sure we never have this feeling again. We've got to figure out what we have to do better.''

With the game out of hand, the Patriots gave rookie quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo a chance to play. He threw a late touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski to complete the scoring.

''Just wanted to play everybody,'' Belichick said.

The Chiefs forced the Patriots to air it out by stuffing Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley. And when Brady dropped back, their front seven ran roughshod over New England's suspect offensive line.

It hardly helped the Patriots' offense that it was trying to operate on the same night Chiefs fans were trying to reclaim the record for loudest outdoor sports venue. The record was set in the first half, when Guinness World Records noted a noise level of 142.2 decibels - breaking the mark of 137.6 that the Seattle Seahawks' fans had set last season.

''My ears are still ringing,'' Reid said with a smile.

The crowd included several members of the Royals, who made the walk across the parking lot from Kauffman Stadium to watch the start of the game on the sidelines. The Royals will play their first postseason game since 1985 against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night.

Knile Davis added 107 yards rushing for Kansas City, forming a potent one-two punch with Charles in the backfield. Tight end Travis Kelce had eight catches for 93 yards and a score.

''Some nights things come together,'' Smith said. ''Guys execute and you take advantage.''

Charles was executing right from the start, giving the Chiefs a lead with his first-quarter touchdown plunge. He then extended the lead with a 5-yard TD catch in the second quarter.

Cairo Santos added a 22-yard field goal just before halftime for a 17-0 lead.

The field goal came after the Chiefs were bailed out by a defensive penalty. They had been stopped short on a pass play with 8 seconds left, but the penalty gave them a second chance.

Kansas City had 303 yards of first-half offense, the most against any Belichick-coached team.

Charles added his third touchdown of the game early in the second half, taking a short pass in the flat and stumbling into the end zone. He appeared to grab his hamstring on the way down and was met by trainers as he exited the field. After a brief trip to the locker room, Charles logged a few more carries before his night was done.

By that point, the game was pretty much done, too.

Brady threw a 44-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to Brandon LaFell, who slipped the grasp of cornerback Marcus Cooper to reach the end zone. But he was picked off by Husain Abdullah later in the half, and Abdullah returned the interception 39 yards for a touchdown.

Abdullah was flagged afterward for unsportsmanlike conduct, but the devout Muslim said it had nothing to do with dropping to his knees in prayer. He said the penalty came because he slid to his knees. The lesson learned? ''Stop before you drop,'' Abdullah said.

NOTES: Brady needs 60 yards passing to reach 50,000 for his career. ... Chiefs WR Donnie Avery left the game with a strained groin. ... Kansas City is 5-1 against New England at Arrowhead Stadium. ... LaFell finished with six catches for 119 yards.

---

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL

NFL Hot News

Bills bench QB E.J. Manuel for Kyle Orton

Bills head coach Doug Marrone announced Monday that Kyle Orton will be the team's starting quarterback going forward. Marrone said he came to the decision to bench 2013 first-round pick E.J. Manuel in favor of the 31-year-old Orton this afternoon. According to Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News, Marrone didn't declare Orton will be the starter for the rest of the season but "indicates it's not a one-week move either." Marrone did say Manuel "has got a tough road ahead of him."

This move was all but assured once Buffalo handed Orton, a quarterback who was heavily considering retirement, an $11 million, two-year contract right before the season started. Manuel expedited the change with his usual brand of bad quarterbacking. He was competent when asked to throw the ball only 20-25 times per game. But once the Bills fell behind in their past two games, Manuel fell apart. In Weeks 3 and 4 combined, Manuel completed 53 percent of his passes, averaged 5.6 yards per throw and took five sacks.Perhaps the Bills are pulling the plug on Manuel a little early -- he has played in just 14 career games. But at 2-2 and in a division without a clear power, the Bills think they can win now and that Orton gives them the best opportunity to do so. Maybe, but Orton is far from an ideal fantasy option. This move has greater fantasy impact on the likes of Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods, who will both benefit without Manuel's horrid accuracy. Orton's aim isn't much better, but at least it is better.The Bills, with Orton under center, will go on the road to face the Lions in Week 5. Even with the new quarterback, this offense is still one to target if you're into streaming defenses.

Unknown / 6:23 AM / basketball, sports / No comments

Carmelo says he has fully bought in to triangle

As of Day 1, Anthony is buying in to the triangle. (USATSI)

The New York Knicks are in the process of changing their basketball culture from one that is a laughingstock in the NBA to one that is actually competing for NBA championships. After winning 54 games and looking somewhat promising in the 2012-13 season, the Knicks were a comedy of errors and injuries last season and won just 37 games. It resulted in the team hiring Phil Jackson as the president of the organization and hiring Derek Fisher as the coach to implement the fabled triangle offense.

On Knicks' media day before training camp opens, Carmelo Anthony is saying the right things about the implementation of the triangle. He told the media he wants to help his teammates by playing in the triangle system that focuses on sharing and movement, and wants Fisher and Jackson to believe he's bought into the system.

Melo says he hopes to be able to help his teammates more in the triangle. Says he wants Fisher & Phil to know that he has fully bought in.

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) September 29, 2014

This is a change for Anthony, who re-signed with the Knicks for five years and $124 million this past summer. He's worked as more of a passer at times under Mike D'Antoni, but that was mostly running pick-and-roll sets that make him the playmaker. The triangle is based more on overloading sides of the court to create spacing, player movement, and passing opportunities that keep the defense on their toes, not knowing where the shot is coming from. It's a read-and-react offensive system that can change based on how the defense is shading.

Anthony would be asked to sacrifice shot opportunities he's used to getting, but if he and his teammates are able to pull it off and really buy in to the triangle, they could have one of the best offenses in the league. That doesn't solve how they play defense and their issues with defending based on the current roster they have, but perhaps they can be the 2014 Mavericks of the East this season and just outgun opponents every night.

Topics: Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks, NBA

Basketball Hot News

Scott Brooks and Russell Westbrook agree: Thunder star is NBA’s best point guard

Is Russell Westbrook the NBA’s best point guard?

Let’s go to one of the least objective sources we can find, someone happy to blurt out his opinion.

Thunder coach Scott Brooks, via Royce Young of ESPN:

“I believe Russell is the best point guard in basketball,” Brooks said, unprompted. “That’s happened over time. I’ve seen Russell every practice, every game, every film session, and he’s really put a lot of time into being the best point guard in basketball.”

As you’d expect, though, Westbrook concurred with his coach’s statement.

“I do,” he said. “I’m very honored to hear him say that, but that’s how I feel. I mean, I don’t know what to tell you.”

This is not Brooks being asked a question then sticking with his guy. The statement was unprompted. This is a motivational technique.

Who knows what Brooks actually believes? Heck, he might not even know what he thinks. Coaches don’t necessarily spend a lot of time ranking players by position.

But Brooks has no incentive to give an accurate assessment of Westbrook and other point guards. Brooks has incentive to bring out the best in Westbrook.

How does praising Westbrook accomplish that? Westbrook is already – perhaps too – confident in his own abilities. Maybe it’s as simple as Brooks building trust with Westbrook.

Or maybe Brooks is banking on public disagreement to his comment.

If so, I’ll indulge.

My point guard rankings:

1. Chris Paul

2. Russell Westbrook

3. Stephen Curry

Tony Parker, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, John Wall, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Kyle Lowry, Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe follow in some order after that.

Paul is a better passer, better defender and better 3-point shooter than Westbrook. Westbrook is more athletic, and that shows near the rim. But overall, Westbrook doesn’t quite translate his athleticism to Paul’s production.

Westbrook has the highest upside of any point guard in the league, and he’s just 25 – three years younger than Paul – and already ranks No. 2. Westbrook could overtake Paul soon, and maybe Brooks’ press conference ultimately adds the fuel that gets Westbrook over the hump.

Unknown / 11:48 PM / basketball, sports / No comments

Rockets GM Morey fires back at Mavs’ Cuban

Daryl Morey says the Rockets are the choice over the Mavs. (Getty)

While the San Antonio Spurs have been the best franchise in the NBA for 15 years and the kings of Texas basketball, the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks have been trying to use bigger markets and smarter, different ways of analyzing basketball to catch up and establish themselves as destination organizations for big free agents. While the rivalry on the court has been solid for the past few years, the rivalry between Rockets' general manager Daryl Morey and Mavs' owner Mark Cuban has been growing and getting feisty.

After Cuban has been gloating over his signing of former Rockets' forward Chandler Parsons, Morey fired back with comments about why Cuban is salty toward the Rockets over a pursuit of Dirk Nowitzki and says the Mavericks can't compare to the Rockets' organization when the money is equal. From Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:

"I think [Cuban's] pissed that we went after Dirk [Nowitzki] in free agency, however unsuccessful it was," Morey told Yahoo Sports. Yes, Morey respects the tactical purposes behind Cuban's crusade, but rejects his reasoning as flawed – even downright untrue.

"We've been pretty good, and I think he's doing a smart thing to take on a rival," Morey told Yahoo Sports late Sunday. "He should want to beat up on San Antonio, too, but it's hard to paint the Spurs that way. So he's directed his bully pulpit onto us. Our owner stays above the fray, so I'm outgunned honestly.

"But let's be clear: If the money's equal between the Rockets and Mavericks, I think players are picking Houston. Every time. For Dwight [Howard], I just don't think it was a hard choice between us and Dallas. If you want to win, you're going to want to join our organization. We have a first-team All-NBA player in his prime [James Harden]. They have an enormously talented superstar [Dirk Nowitzki] but he obviously isn't 24 years old.

"The choice was pretty obvious between the two teams. Dwight is the smart guy in this."

Morey goes on to talk about how the Mavericks have tripled their analytics efforts, even though the Rockets have been one of the leaders in analytics in the NBA. The Rockets' GM also fired back about questions Cuban had about the Rockets' concept of team chemistry by citing Cuban broke up the 2011 championship roster in the hopes of cashing in when it came to free agency and maintaining roster flexibility. Cuban has cited in the past that the new collective bargaining agreement was the reason for not keeping that team together.

Of course, Cuban does have that ring and Morey doesn't, which Morey recognizes as a trump card factor in Wojnarowski's article.

These two organizations have done a good job of maintaining cap space flexibility over the last few years as they chase big time free agents. The Rockets beat out the Mavericks in the Dwight Howard sweepstakes in 2013. The Rockets struck out on the Chris Bosh sweepstakes this summer, which ultimately led to them not matching the three-year, $43 million offer sheet from the Mavericks to Parsons. Morey has taken a lot of criticism for not matching the deal when the plan seemed to be matching the offer sheet no matter else they did.

At the Mavericks media day, Cuban had a critique of Morey and his comments. He called him a smart guy but compared him to Donald Trump in his understanding of the media. Cuban also questioned Morey's assertion that players looking to win a title would look to go to Houston instead of Dallas.

Mark Cuban on Daryl Morey: "He's got some Donald Trump in him where he really doesn't understand media that well, but he's a smart guy."

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) September 29, 2014

Cuban on Daryl Morey's comments that if teams want to win a championship they need to go to Houston: "I'm not sure how he would know that."

— Bryan Gutierrez (@BallinWithBryan) September 29, 2014

What are the odds this "war of words" is over?

Topics: Chandler Parsons, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwight Howard, James Harden, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, NBA

Basketball Hot News

Trey Burke, in wake of nude-photo scandal: ‘My judgments will be much better’

Nude photos, purportedly of Trey Burke, have been making their way around the internet today.

The Jazz point guard responded, via Aaron Falk and Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune:

Publicly, I want to first and foremost apologize to my family [and] apologize to the Miller family, as well as my teammates,” he said. “We already talked about it in the locker room. From this day forward, it won’t happen again. They were old pictures. They were meant to be kept private but they weren’t. So from this day forward my actions and my judgments will be much better.

Utah general manager Dennis Lindsey, via Falk and Luhm:

It’s safe to say … that we are disappointed in what we’ve learned so far but we are going to move forward. At this point in time, we’re collecting facts and we’re going to reserve final judgment for a later date.

I’m sure Burke regrets this. This has to be highly embarrassing for him.

It’s an unfortunate learning experience for the 21-year-old.

But he’s also a 21-year-old prone to making mistakes 21-year-olds make – and he might have been reasonably younger (and less mature) when he took the photos.

In the end, he didn’t harm anyone but himself and those close to him. He never risked harming anyone but himself and those close to him.

I don’t have any outrage toward Burke. This is his problem, and he must take care of it privately. It won’t interrupt his season unless he or the Jazz let it.

Unknown / 11:24 PM / NFL, sports / No comments

Deion says 49ers players want Harbaugh out

Jim Harbaugh reportedly isn't the most popular guy in the 49ers locker room. (Getty Images)

Any complaints about Jim Harbaugh's coaching style were easy to overlook while the team was winning, and the 49ers were winning a lot. Since arriving in San Francisco in 2011, Harbaugh has gone 13-3, 11-4-1 and 12-4, making three consecutive conference championship games and advancing to the Super Bowl after the 2012 season.

But his act, which was reportedly wearing thin before this season, remains an issue for some of his players, even in the wake of a huge win Sunday over the Eagles. That's the latest, according to Hall of Famer and NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders, who didn't mince words during Sunday night's telecast.

"They want him out," Sanders said, via NFL.com. "They're not on the same page. I really want to know if they're really playing for the head coach. I got a question with that. Are you really down with your head coach, San Francisco 49ers? Because the way it looks and what I'm hearing, you're really not down for your head coach. And that's a problem. They really got some problems that we hear rumblings. We all know people inside locker rooms."

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport offered more specifics Sunday morning: "Some of the complaints include the fact that he kind of treats them like children. In fact, on planes, I'm told, they're not allowed to play music, they're not allowed to play cards. Small things, but these are the things that really can rankle players, even though the veterans do get to sit in first class."

Back in March, the Sacramento Bee reported that -- wait for it -- Harbaugh's "act has worn thin" with several members of the locker room, though a day later veteran wideout Anquan Boldin disputed the notion.

"I don't think there's any rift between players and coaches, particularly Coach Harbaugh," Boldin said at the time. "He has good rapport with all the guys I know of. There's no gripes in the locker room when it comes to Coach Harbaugh. He wants to win and everybody in the locker room wants to do the same. We're usually on same page and if not, we have it where we can talk to him and he can talk to us."

Maybe Boldin's right, but FOXSports.com's Jay Glazer reported earlier this month that, "I'd be surprised if Jim Harbaugh is back in San Francisco next year."

Just be careful what you ask for; before Harbaugh arrived, the 49ers had finished below .500 in seven of the previous eight seasons.

NFL Hot News

Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater leaves first start with ankle injury, MRI tonight

Teddy Bridgewater performed very well in his first career start Sunday, picking apart the Falcons' defense on his way to a 317-yard passing day with 27 more yards on the ground and a rushing score. And it could have been even better if Bridgewater didn't miss most of the fourth quarter due to an ankle injury. X-rays were negative, but more will be known about his injury following an MRI, which is reportedly scheduled to take place tonight.Bridgewater suffered the injury during a 1-yard run deep in Atlanta's territory with about 11 minutes left in the game. He stayed on the field to complete a two-point conversion to tight end Rhett Ellison. Bridgewater was then seen getting carted back to the locker room. However, Bridgewater returned to the sidelines for the last few minutes of the Vikings' 41-28 victory.Christian Ponder was under center for the rest of the game and didn't attempt a pass. Bridgewater will need to heal quickly as Minnesota will travel to Green Bay to face the Packers on Thursday night.

Really, Bridgewater missed only one series of consequence, and the Vikings used his absence to run out the clock with running back Jerick McKinnon. Bridgewater made a few throws you would expect a fresh rookie to make, but he was largely good overall. However, we'll see what the MRI shows, and he will be in a race against the clock this week. Ponder would represent a downgrade for this entire offense.

Unknown / 10:36 PM / NFL, sports / No comments

Bills bench Manuel, turn to veteran QB Orton

Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone announced Monday that second-year quarterbck EJ Manuel has been benched in favor of veteran backup Kyle Orton. The move comes a day after another uneven performance from Manuel -- the team's 2013 first-round pick -- that contributed to Buffalo's road loss to the Texans.

"Kyle Orton is our starting QB right now," Marrone said, via the team. "We need more overall production from that position. ... We came in today, looked at the tape and made a decision that gives us the best opportunity to win."

Marrone added, "We have a playoff caliber team, this gives us the best opportunity to win," which is a seemingly absurd observation to make moments after you declare Orton as your starting quarterback. But the Bills are 2-2, right in the thick of things in the AFC East, and Orton does, in fact, give the team the best chance to win.

And there's no denying that Manuel has been maddeningly inconsistent, but that's as much of a reflection on his slow development as Marrone and general manager Dough Whaley's evaluation of him as a first-round talent.

Through three weeks, Manuel ranked 23rd in total value among quarterbacks, according to Football Outsiders' metrics. In four starts, he has completed 58 percent of his throws for 838 yards, with five touchdowns and three interceptions. At first glance, those aren't terrrible numbers, but Manuel's miscues have been costly.

Behold this pick-six to Texans defensive end J.J. Watt from Sunday's game (via The Big Lead):

Orton, meanwhile, signed with the Bills in late August after the Cowboys released him earlier in the month. He had his best season in 2009 with the Broncos, completing 62 percent of his passes for 3,802 yards, 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

As for Manuel, Marrone said he handled the demotion "professionally" and showed "a helluva lot of courage."

Doug Marrone on EJ Manuel: "This is a great opportunity for him to sit back ... And work on ... correcting those issues."

— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) September 29, 2014

In related news, another struggling second-year quarterback for another New York team, Geno Smith, still has a job. For now.

Meet Kyle Orton. He's the Bilils' new starting quarterback. (Getty Images) Meet Kyle Orton, the Buffalo Bills' new starting quarterback. (Getty Images)

NFL Hot News

49ers TE Vernon Davis suffers back injury on 8-yard day

Vernon Davis returned from his one-week absence due to an ankle injury only to leave Sunday's game against the Eagles early because of a back problem. Davis took a hit to his lower back area in the third quarter that forced him to take a trip to the locker room. He was quickly ruled out, although X-rays were negative. After the game, Davis said he was experiencing back spasms. He finished the day with only two catches on three targets for 8 yards.

Having Davis leave early certainly stings, especially if you waited out his ankle injury. But if back spasms are the worst of it, his owners should feel fortunate. The 49ers, hopefully with Davis, will host the Chiefs next Sunday.

Unknown / 4:38 PM / NFL, sports / No comments

Infographic: SEC players dominate NFL rosters

(Via Caitlyn Corrao)

If you want to play in the NFL, you should probably head to an SEC school. Then again, if you're playing for an SEC school, you're probably there for that reason. But when you look at a position by position breakdown of NFL Week 1 rosters, SEC schools dominate.

Nine positions are powered by SEC players. Let me clarify. If you canvas the NFL defensive end position from Week 1, Georgia had the most players on NFL rosters with seven. Florida was tied with Miami for the most wide receivers, Tennessee is Guard University and if you're a defensive back there's a good chance you went to LSU or Alabama.

All in all, according to the NFL, 247 colleges were represented on NFL Week 1 rosters, and these were the 12 schools powering the bulk of talent:

LSU: 38 players

USC: 37

Alabama: 36

Georgia: 34

Florida: 33

Florida State: 33

Miami: 31

California: 29

Ohio State : 29

Notre Dame: 28

Tennessee: 28

Wisconsin: 27

I'm probably most surprised by Cal's standing in this exercise, but they have been a pipeline of offensive talent throughout the Jeff Tedford era.

NFL offense infographic. (Via Caitlyn Corrao)

NFL Hot News

Report: Titans will start QB Charlie Whitehurst; TE Delanie Walker expected to play

Jake Locker's injured wrist won't allow him to start versus the Colts, so the Titans are turning to Charlie Whitehurst to make his first start since 2011. According to numerous reports, Whitehurst will start in place of Locker and should have tight end Delanie Walker available to him. Walker was limited throughout the practice week because of a shoulder injury.

Charlie Whitehurst, Clipboard Jesus, Checkdown Charlie -- whatever you want to call him, this is not a good development for the Titans' chances today. Whitehurst is a distinctly poor quarterback with a 3:5 touchdown-to-turnover ratio in four career starts. He has a 54.2 career completion percentage. This does upgrade how I view the Colts' defense in fantasy today.However, his tendency to keep passes short could mean active days are ahead for Walker and wide receiver Kendall Wright. The Titans will surely try to run the ball as often as possible, but at some point, Andrew Luck is going to force them to throw the ball. And those two targets should be Whitehurst's lead options. Walker is a low-end TE1 while Wright remains a strong WR3 in PPR leagues.The Titans think Locker's wrist injury is of the short-term variety. They hope to have him back for Week 5 against the Browns.

Unknown / 1:26 PM / NFL, sports / No comments

Report: John Harbaugh not looking at Michigan

John Harbaugh reportedly wants to stay in Baltimore. (USATSI)

Suffering through a 2-3 start and with the national criticism of coach Brady Hoke for sending his quarterback back into the game Saturday with what appeared to be a head injury, it's not difficult to imagine the University of Michigan coach losing his job.

And almost immediately after the Wolverines lost to Minnesota on Saturday, there was speculation that Michigan would try to woo either Ravens coach John Harbaugh or 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh to take over for Hoke.

But the Baltimore Sun reports that John Harbaugh is not interested in pursuing the job.

Further speculation could flare up in Baltimore because of reports that Harbaugh wanted to release running back Ray Rice immediately after he was arrested on his domestic violence charge but was overruled by general manager Ozzie Newsome and owner Steve Bisciotti. Harbaugh has denied multiple times that this was the case.

The Ravens signed Harbaugh to a four-year extension in September 2013, and Bisciotti extended it by a year in the offseason. As the Sun writes, his new deal averages $6.5 million, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in the league.

Jim Harbaugh played quarterback at Michigan and the brothers' dad, Jack Harbaugh, coached under Bo Schembechler. John Harbaugh graduated from high school in Ann Arbor.

As for Jim Harbaugh, there has been speculation for months that, no matter what happens with the 49ers, this will be his last season in San Francisco. And even after the 49ers beat the Eagles on Sunday, NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders says there are members of the team who want Jim Harbaugh out as head coach.

NFL Hot News

Who's in and who's out of the early games in Week 4?

The injury report heading into Week 3 was overwhelming simply due to the towering list of players who were dealing with ailments. The list isn't as long heading into Week 4, but the players who are worth tracking this morning are some of the league's best -- Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall and Arian Foster. Updates on those players and many others will start pouring in around 11:30 a.m. Eastern when the inactive reports come out. Keep refreshing this post until the early kickoffs for the latest on the this week's damaged fantasy commodities.-- In a late-game note, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says 49ers TE Vernon Davis will be good to go versus the Eagles. He is a good start in what should be a shootout.-- Nothing official yet, but it's looking good for both Brandon Marshall and Arian Foster. NFL Network's Stacey Dales tweeted that Marshall gave her a thumbs-up after going through his pregame workout on his injured ankle. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport also tweets that Foster had a good workout this morning and will be "full-go" against the Bills. Even with the sizeable risk, you've got to start those players if you have them.-- Jake Locker is officially inactive for the Titans because of his wrist injury. Charlie Whitehurst will be starting in his place. Charlie's tendency to check down may be good for tight end Delanie Walker, who is active despite a shoulder injury.-- It's official: Foster is active. Marshall, too.-- Josh McCown is out for the Buccaneers due to his thumb injury. He may be out for a number of game. Mike Glennon will start against the Steelers. He's a low-end QB2, but he can't be any worse than McCown. No McCown should mean better days are ahead for Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans.-- Calvin Johnson is active. Even if his ankle injury is still bothering him, you must play him in a golden matchup. No question.-- Jonathan Stewart is inactive for the Panthers because of a knee sprain. DeAngelo Williams stands to see a lot of work today since Carolina is incredibly thin in the backfield. He's a decent RB2.-- Jets WR Eric Decker is active. He hardly practiced this week after aggravating his hamstring injury Monday night. He is expected to be a "situational player" today. Unlike Marshall, Foster and Johnson, he is not worth the risk. Bench him. Jeremy Kerley is likely to lead this team in receptions versus the Lions today.-- Raiders notes: RB Maurice Jones-Drew is active after missing some time following hand surgery. However, Darren McFadden is expected to start, and fantasy owners should stay away from this timeshare. Also, WR Denarius Moore is a healthy scratch today. He has a lot of talent but has been plagued by drops and fundementals. With no Rod Streater around, James Jones is probably worth a WR3 start today versus the Dolphins.-- As expected, Doug Martin is active for the Bucs. He is expected to start and should see a lot of work. Considering he missed the last two games due to injury and was brutal on the field in Week 1, he is a risk-reward RB2. Bobby Rainey should be on your benches.-- Ravens RB Bernard Pierce is active after missing last week due to a quad injury. He is a dull flex option against Carolina since he will be sharing touches with Justin Forsett and Lorenzo Taliaferro. I don't love any of those guys today, but I'd take my chances with Taliaferro if I had to choose one.-- T.Y. Hilton is active after injuring his ankle in Week 3. He has been disappointing thus far and is only a WR3 versus the Titans.-- Bucs rookie tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins is back from his foot injury. He is not worth starting yet, but he definitely has potential.-- Bills WR Sammy Watkins is active and will continue to play through his rib injury. He is a WR3. Teammate Robert Woods is also active. He is not worth your time.-- Panthers WR Jerricho Cotchery is active despite a thigh injury. He is only a WR5.-- Jets RB Chris Johnson is active. He is not an appealing flex option in a tough matchup versus the Lions and losing touches to Chris Ivory.-- Dolphins TE Charles Clay is active. He has not done much of anything this year, but the Raiders always present room for optimism. If you're digging at tight end this week, you could do worse than Clay.Players who have already been ruled out for Week 4 include Matt Cassel, Kyle Rudolph, Dennis Pitta, Danny Woodhead, Ryan Mathews, Rod Streater and Joseph Fauria. For a full rundown of injuries across the league this week, click the link below to the NFL's official injury report.

-- Cassel is out for the season after breaking multiple bones in his foot last week. So, this is Teddy Bridgewater's team, ostensibly for the rest of the season. He is just a QB2 right now, but he has a couple of good targets in Cordarrelle Patterson and Greg Jennings, the ability to supplement his value with rushing yards and a favorable matchup at home against the Falcons.-- And any rookie QB loves a good tight end. Unfortunately, Bridgewater won't have Rudolph around as he'll be out for six weeks due to a groin injury. Rhett Ellison and MarQueis Gray will try to pick up the slack, but they are not fantasy options.-- Pitta's bad luck continued last week when he dislocated and needed season-ending surgery on the same hip he injured last July, which kept him out for most of the 2013 season. Owen Daniels will fill the void, but this is a major loss for Joe Flacco.-- The Chargers are dangerously running low on RBs. Woodhead is out for the season, and Mathews will miss about a month or more. Thus, Donald Brown will continue to start and see a boatload of touches -- he got 36 last week. With such heavy usage, he is a low-end RB1 today against the Jaguars. Branden Oliver is his backup.-- Streater has a foot injury that will keep him out for at least a month and perhaps for the rest of the season. It's a tough loss for Derek Carr, who will probably lock on to James Jones even more now.-- Fauria suffered an ankle injury at home this week. He will be out for an unknown length of time. This opens the door for first-round rookie and athletic freak tight end Eric Ebron. He's worth a shot against the Jets if for nothing else than his TD potential.

Unknown / 6:50 AM / NFL, sports / No comments

Watt leads Houston to 23-17 win over Buffalo

HOUSTON (AP) J.J. Watt had just sprinted 80 yards on an interception return for a touchdown to give the Texans the lead on Sunday against Buffalo, and it was time to play defense again.

Coaches offered to give the 289-pound defensive end a minute to catch his breath, but he waved them off dismissively. No way was Houston's star missing even one play.

''I love to be out there,'' Watt said. ''I don't like to give plays up. I don't like to be on the sidelines for any of them if I can go.''

Watt's highlight-reel play helped the Texans overcome a tough day offensively for a 23-17 win over the Bills.

Houston (3-1) was down by three in the third quarter when Watt put his hands up to block an EJ Manuel pass, tipped it to himself and caught it with no Bills in front of him. Kareem Jackson blocked Manuel, and Watt raced to the end zone to put the Texans up 14-10.

Watt caught a touchdown pass in Week 2, giving him more TDs this year than Arian Foster and Andre Johnson combined.

''He made a play, and a key of ours was to make sure he wasn't going to make that big disruptive play prior to the game, and he did, and he made a lot of plays,'' Bills coach Doug Marrone said of Watt.

Texans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick had a tough day against his former team, throwing for 268 yards with two interceptions. He put together one nice drive capped by a 35-yard touchdown reception by DeAndre Hopkins that cut the lead to 10-7 just before halftime.

Under heavy pressure all afternoon, Manuel finished with 225 yards passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Buffalo (2-2) was driving late when Darryl Morris picked him off at the Houston 15 to secure the victory.

Manuel got the Bills within 20-17 when he hit a wide-open Mike Williams for an 80-yard touchdown with about nine minutes left.

Randy Bullock had a 41-yard field goal in the third quarter and added field goals of 55 and 50 yards in the fourth for Houston.

Kyle Williams tipped Fitzpatrick's pass at the line and it was intercepted by Nigel Bradham on the first play of the second half. It didn't matter much, though, as Watt's interception came three plays later.

Watt added a bit of swagger when he high-stepped and waved one hand in the air as he crossed the goal line, igniting the home crowd. He said he had no clue what he did, but added that it may have been half Deion Sanders high-step and half a dance called the ''Nae Nae.'' He cringed when he saw it unfolding in real time on the Jumbotron.

''I was like: `You're a white defensive lineman, just run the ball in,'' Watt joked.

He said his goal was to be underpaid when he signed a six-year, $100 million contract earlier this month, and so far he hasn't disappointed.

''He's worth every cent,'' owner Bob McNair said. ''I hope he doesn't come in tomorrow and ask for a raise.''

He's the second player since the merger in 1970 to have an interception return for a touchdown and a touchdown catch in the same season. Houston assistant coach Mike Vrabel did it in 2005 for New England.

Watt finished with five tackles and had a career-high nine hits on Manuel.

Hopkins' TD pass capped the first drive where the Texans mustered any offense, and they had negative yards rushing until late in the second quarter.

They also had some problems on defense, with Watt committing two roughing-the-passer penalties in the first quarter.

NOTES: Foster played after missing last week with a hamstring injury and said he wasn't ''100 percent'' healthy. He was limited to eight carries for six yards but gained 55 yards on seven receptions. ... Bradham and defensive tackle Kyle Williams left with knee injuries and didn't return. Marrone didn't have an update on their condition after the game.

---

AP NFL websites: -www.pro32.ap.org and -www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

NFL Hot News

49ers TE Vernon Davis will be game-time decision

Vernon Davis is uncertain of his status for Sunday's game versus the Eagles and will likely be a game-time decision. The 49ers' TE sprained an ankle in Week 2 and missed most of that game as well as Week 3's contest. Davis was able to get in some limited work at practice this week, and head coach Jim Harbaugh said he's "optimistic" that Davis will take the field. If he's unable to play, Vance McDonald or Derek Carrier will start in his place.

This is a tough situation for Davis' owners as the 49ers play in the 4:25 Eastern time slot on Sunday. That means that if Davis isn't able to play, there won't be many available options to plug in for him. Davis may be worth the risk, however. When healthy, he's a huge part of the 49ers' passing attack, especially in the red zone. Fantasy owners concerned by Davis' situation might consider adding Chiefs TE Travis Kelce, who plays Monday night against the Patriots, as a backup option. He is available in a large number of leagues.

Unknown / 3:43 AM / NFL, sports / No comments

Luck, Wayne lead Colts to blowout over Titans

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Andrew Luck got back to being the gunslinger Sunday. Reggie Wayne got back to being the playmaker.

The combination again proved unbeatable.

Luck threw for a season high 393 yards and four touchdowns, and Wayne had his first 100-yard game and first touchdown of the season as Indianapolis rolled past Tennessee 41-17.

''He (Wayne) got a game ball. I probably should have given him two,'' coach Chuck Pagano joked.

When Luck and Wayne first teamed up in 2012, the veteran receiver quickly embraced the rookie quarterback and it didn't take long for them to develop a rapport on the field and a friendship off of it. They became the key players in a remarkable turnaround that season, going from 2-14 to 10-6 and back to the playoffs. Last season, they were working well until Wayne sustained a season-ending torn ACL in October.

This year, some questioned whether the 25-year-old quarterback and 35-year-old receiver could get back in sync -- doubts that were erased against Tennessee.

Luck completed 29 of 41 passes with one interception, and Wayne had seven receptions for 119 yards including a spectacular, spinning 28-yard TD catch down the sideline that gave Indy control midway through the third quarter.

Luck has now thrown for 763 yards and eight touchdowns in the last two games.

Wayne turned his 200th career game into a showcase. He passed Isaac Bruce for seventh on the NFL's career receptions list, Henry Ellard for 10th in career yards receiving and extended his NFL record for consecutive games with three or more catches to 75. Wayne now has 1,029 catches, 13,873 yards and 81 TD receptions.

Those weren't the numbers Wayne cared about.

After starting this season with back-to-back losses, Indy (2-2) has now won twice by more than 20 points and has extended its league-high streak of consecutive wins over division opponents to nine.

''It was an opportunity for us to put our foot down in the division,'' Wayne said. ''We let everybody know the Colts - we're pretty solid.''

Tennessee (1-3) never had a chance with starting quarterback Jake Locker out because of a right wrist injury.

Charlie Whitehurst, a nine-year veteran, made his fifth career start. Although he didn't play badly, he was yanked midway through the fourth quarter. Whitehurst finished 12 of 23 for 177 yards with one TD, the fourth of his career, and one interception. He also rushed five times for 40 yards.

The Titans didn't reach the end zone until Whitehurst threw a 7-yard TD pass to Delanie Walker with 13 seconds left in the half to make it 20-10. Tennessee didn't score again until Bishop Sankey's 2-yard run with 35 seconds left in the third quarter, but that only cut the deficit to 34-17.

What's wrong with a team that has followed an impressive season-opening win over Kansas City with three straight losses?

''I can't even put my finger on that,'' receiver Kendall Wright said. ''... We have to put some wins up there and we have to stop all of the little things that's killing us.''

Wright was responsible for one of those big miscues against Indy.

Two plays after the Colts recovered Wright's fumble, Trent Richardson scored on a 1-yard TD run. Pat McAfee followed that with a surprise onside kick that Indy recovered. Eleven plays later, Luck hooked up with Dwayne Allen for a 7-yard TD pass and a 14-0 lead.

Tennessee got back into the game after converting Luck's interception into Walker's TD catch, but it was short-lived.

Wayne's incredible catch and Luck's 2-yard TD pass to Coby Fleener with 4:02 left in the third gave Indy a 34-10 cushion.

''You want guys that can go out there and make plays,'' Luck said. ''To be able to spread the ball out and get everybody involved, that's important - and it worked today.''

Notes: Indy receiver T.Y. Hilton had six receptions for 105 yards. .... Rookie Zach Mettenberger relieved Whitehurst and finished the game 2 of 5 for 17 yards with an interception. ... Walker finished with five catches for 84 yards to lead the Titans. ... Colts safety Mike Adams had two interceptions. ... Indy kept the ball for 42:21, compared with 17:39 for the Titans. ... Indy has scored 85 points in the last two games.

---

AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

NFL Hot News

Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles listed as probable for Week 4

It looks like the No. 1 overall pick in many fantasy drafts this summer will be back on the field after a one-week absence.The Chiefs have listed running back Jamaal Charles as probable to play Monday night against the Patriots. In Week 2, the All-Pro suffered what was initially thought to be a high ankle sprain that would sideline him for at least a few games. That call was clearly incorrect as Charles practiced every day this week, albeit in limited fashion. If he were to experience a setback within the next 48 hours, Knile Davis would make another start.

But such a scenario seems highly unlikely. There's no need for in-depth analysis here; if you have Charles, get him back into your lineups. Rarely ever does a player officially listed as "probable" become inactive on game day. Sure, you can fret about possible rust or reinjury, but you should never bench possibly the best running back in football whenever he's available to play.

Unknown / 10:33 PM / basketball, sports / No comments

Pelicans’ Evans (hamstring) to miss 3-5 weeks

Topics: Anthony Davis, Eric Gordon, Jrue Holiday, Ryan Anderson, Tyreke Evans, New Orleans Pelicans, NBA

Basketball Hot News

Josh McRoberts had toe surgery after last season, going easy in Heat camp

Miami signed Josh McRoberts early in free agency, before they knew LeBron James was going to bolt. He was a forward with energy and toughness that fits well in the space-and-pace system Erik Spoelstra is going to run whether LeBron is there or not.

But McRoberts is going to be brought along cautiously because it turns out he had foot surgery just after the end of last season with Charlotte.

Ira Winderman tweeted out the news.

Josh McRoberts confirms he had toe surgery immediately after last season. He is bring brought along cautiously, but will be ready for season

— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) September 28, 2014

This isn’t that big a deal, as long as he’s healthy now and can be ready to go when the season starts.

Miami is going to lean heavily on McRoberts to form a strong front line with Chris Bosh (who will be making more plays in the post.

I think this can work during the regular season — these are good defensive bigs who can pressure the ball and can work inside and out. The versatility of the Heat players will put real pressure on opposing defenses, plus they have some real talent. (Once the playoffs come and an opponent can zero in on the system, things will be different). The Heat are going to be pretty good, certainly a playoff team out East.

But they need a healthy dose of McRoberts for that. This toe issue should be behind him when the games matter but it’s something to watch.

Unknown / 10:28 PM / NFL, sports / No comments

Bucs stun Steelers with late touchdown drive

PITTSBURGH (AP) The Tampa Bay Buccaneers spent nine long days aching for a shot to shake off embarrassment.

Given multiple chances at redemption thanks to the sloppy Pittsburgh Steelers, the Buccaneers didn't let this one get away.

Mike Glennon hit a diving Vincent Jackson for a 5-yard touchdown with 7 seconds remaining to lift Tampa Bay to a stunning 27-24 win Sunday.

The Buccaneers (1-3) lost to Atlanta by six touchdowns more than a week ago but responded by rallying from seven points down in the fourth quarter to give Lovie Smith his first victory at his second head coaching stop.

''I was out last year, so it's been a long time since I've tasted winning a game,'' Smith said. ''For our football team, we needed this.''

Did they ever. Only a pair of garbage time touchdowns against the Falcons prevented Tampa Bay from the worst loss in a franchise history littered with lopsided defeats.

The Buccaneers responded with relentless if not exactly crisp play on a day the two teams combined for 22 penalties.

Glennon passed for 302 yards in his first start of the season, including a 41-yard catch-and-run by Louis Murphy that set up Jackson's score.

''We made so many mistakes out there, but we found a way to win,'' Smith said. ''That was a hurdle we needed to get over.''

Doug Martin ran for 40 yards and a touchdown in his return from injury. Murphy caught six passes for 99 yards, and rookie wide receiver Mike Evans hauled in the first touchdown of his career before leaving with a groin injury.

Tampa Bay's defense struggled keeping the Steelers in check, though Pittsburgh did its best to stop itself by drawing 13 flags and letting a handful of chances to move to 3-1 for the first time since 2010 slip away.

Ben Roethlisberger passed for 314 yards and three touchdowns, but the Steelers (2-2) couldn't protect a late lead.

Antonio Brown caught seven passes for 131 yards and two scores, and Heath Miller added a career-high nine receptions with a touchdown.

Pittsburgh rallied from an early 10-point deficit and appeared to be in complete control at times.

''We can't go out and expect to beat an NFL team and beat ourselves as well,'' defensive end Brett Keisel said.

Tampa Bay twice found itself down a touchdown in the second half. Both times the Buccaneers scrambled back.

A 3-yard touchdown run by Martin tied the game at 17 in the third quarter. After Roethlisberger found Miller for a 5-yard touchdown to put Pittsburgh back in front, Tampa Bay kept coming against a Steelers defense that struggled to get to the quarterback even with the addition of linebacker James Harrison.

The five-time Pro Bowler returned to Pittsburgh after an 18-day retirement to help an injury-depleted defense.

Patrick Murray kicked a 27-yard field goal to get the Buccaneers within 24-20. The Steelers tried to go for the knockout punch but couldn't deliver. Roethlisberger found Brown behind the coverage on a flea flicker, but the pass glanced off the Pro Bowler's fingertips.

Tampa Bay responded by driving to the Steelers 14 only to stall. Glennon overthrew Jackson in the back of the end zone on fourth down with 1:53 to go.

''It would have been tough to sleep tonight if we didn't get another chance or win this game because those are throws that I need to make if we're going to win games,'' Glennon said.

Pittsburgh couldn't muster a first down, giving the Buccaneers one last shot.

Taking over at the Steelers 46 after a 29-yard punt, Glennon hit Murphy in stride. He was finally pulled to the ground at the Pittsburgh 5. Jackson couldn't haul in a pass on second down, but responded on the next play by stretching his 6-foot-5 frame to make the grab.

''I knew Mike was going to give me a chance for a ball on the outside,'' Jackson said. ''I went out there and competed for the ball.''

The Steelers were left wondering how they've become one of the league's most undisciplined teams.

''We need to fix it,'' Tomlin said. ''And if we don't we'll continue to lose close football games.''

NOTES: Tampa Bay DT Gerald McCoy had two tackles and a sack in his return from a hand injury. ... The win was the Bucs' second in nine meetings with the Steelers. ... Tampa Bay S Dashon Goldson left with an ankle injury and did not return. ... Roethlisberger became the 12th quarterback in NFL history to go over 35,000 career yards passing.

NFL Hot News

Unknown / 4:39 PM / NFL, sports / No comments

Goodell, NFLPA’s Smith meet on conduct policy

Roger Goodell and the NFLPA are working to address the recent off-field issues. (USATSI)

NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith and NFL commissioenr Roger Goodell met late last week, marking the first meeing to discuss the new personal conduct committee, sources said.

Both men had busy schedules but managed to get together for what will be ongoing dialogue on the pressing matter.

They had been talking regularly, via the phone, as the NFL has endured its recent crisis of off-field issues, and will work closely to meet the goal of having this new disciplinary committee in place by the Super Bowl.

NFL Hot News

Jets WR Eric Decker will 'probably be limited' Sunday

Jets head coach Rex Ryan told reporters Friday that WR Eric Decker will "probably be limited a little bit" in Sunday's game against the Lions. Decker practiced Friday for just the second time since suffering his hamstring injury in Week 2. He played In Week 3 versus the Bears but was on the field for only 12 snaps before removing himself due to reinjury.

Fantasy owners who were burned by Decker's one-catch performance last week should take note of these comments from Ryan. It seems there's a good likelihood that Decker does suit up for the game, but he'll be at less than 100 percent readiness. That means there's a chance that he pulls himself from the game early again and/or simply doesn't perform to his usual standards. The Jets are very thin at WR right now. If Decker is unable to go, look for Jeremy Kerley to lead the way for this receiving corps while Greg Salas, Saalim Hakim and tight end Jace Amaro to pick up the rest of the slack. Fantasy owners should be looking for a better option than Decker for Week 4.

Unknown / 1:29 PM / NFL, sports / No comments

Ray Rice appeal could come before Super Bowl

Ray Rice is unlikely to play again in 2014. (USATSI)

Ray Rice's appeal process remains in limbo pending multiple investigations into the handling of his suspension and, sources said. Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA chief De Maurice Smith have yet to meet and Rice's appeal date is still undetermined, meaning it could be until just before the Super Bowl that his status is resolved.

Rice is currently suspended indefinitely – his second suspension by the NFL for striking his now-wife in a casino elevator – and the NFLPA is mounting a vigorous response to those actions. However, with the current climate that exists in the NFL, it seems unlikely any team would sign Rice even if reinstated and the NFLPA and Rice's lawyers are doing their full due diligence into what the team and league knew, and when they knew it, as they continue to explore their options.

At this point there is no appeal date set. Contrary to a report, it remains possible the NFL and NFLPA could set an appeal date prior to the release of the league's report into its actions regarding the handling of the Rice case, and, sources said, the union's investigation began last week with interviews of persons involved in Rice's legal situation. It remains to be seen if NFL and Ravens officials will cooperate with the NFLPA's investigation.

Sources with both the league and the union agree there is no short-term resolution looming in this situation and that both investigations are likely to run into the winter. Several sources posited that. With Goodell publically targeting the Super Bowl as his timetable for announcing a revamped personal conduct policy and disciplinary arm, it may be most likely that Rice's status is resolved as part of that process.

NFL Hot News

Unknown / 10:35 AM / NFL, sports / No comments

AP reporter: I heard NFL voicemail about video

The AP reports that the Rice video was sent to NFL offices and addressed to the security chief. (USATSI)

On Thursday, the Associated Press reported that, back in April, a law enforcement official sent the surveillance video showing Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee in the face and knocking her unconscious to NFL headquarters to the attention of league security chief Jeffrey Miller.

"I unequivocally deny that I received at any time a copy of the video and I had not watched it until it was made public on September 8," Miller said in a statement a short time later.

On Sunday, the AP reporter who broke the story, Rob Maaddi, appeared on SportsCenter.

"That's what the NFL has said all along," Maaddi said in response to Miller's denial. "That is why they hired former FBI Director Robert Mueller to conduct this investigation and to figure out what happened. I believe Robert Mueller and his team will get to the bottom of it."

On whether Maadi heard the voicemail from the female NFL employee who confirmed the video had been received at league headquarters.

"Absolutely," Maaddi said. "With our standards of anonymous sources, that was the only reason we went forward with this story. We don't do 'he said, she said.' We had to have proof, whether it's audio, visual, email. And when I heard that voicemail, and saw that the number was from the NFL main office number, that's why we were able to go forward with it and confirm it."

When asked for clarification on exactly what happened, Maadi said: "I heard the voicemail, I looked at the caller ID number and I know that number is the NFL -- I called that number to confirm (it)."

Does Maadi or his source know the identity of the woman who left the voicemail?

"We do not," Maaddi said. "And that's the big question here. There are over 450 employees in the NFL. Countless people who go through there day in and day out. So we don't know who that source is. ... (The source) had sent (the tape to NFL headquarters) about 7-10 days prior before getting that confirmation call. So we don't know who that woman is or who she gave it to. ... My source had no further communication with anyone else.

"And let's be clear here: We have never, ever accused the NFL, Roger Goodell or Jeffrey Miller of viewing the video, or any wrongdoing. All we have stated is that the video was in the building and a woman called to confirm she received it. Who that woman is, that's the key to solving this puzzle."

Maadi's law enforcement source was not authorized to send the NFL the surveillance video so why did he do it?

"He wanted the NFL to know what happened exactly inside the elevator before they issued their punishment to Ray Rice," Maaddi said. "(The source) knows there are other ways and other means for the NFL to obtain that video but just in case they didn't go down those channels, he wanted to send it."

NFL Hot News

Bears WR Brandon Marshall expected to play

Apparently, Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall doesn't need to practice to play. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Marshall is expected to play through his ankle injury against the Packers. Marshall has been nursing and playing through the injury since Week 1. He aggravated it during Monday's win over the Jets and was held out of the entire practice week.

Despite the high risk of reinjury, which is what we saw last week, Marshall is someone who should be in all lineups for a likely high-scoring game in Chicago. The ankle concerns bump him down a little bit, but he should still be considered a top-15 fantasy WR.

Unknown / 7:33 AM / basketball, sports / No comments

Celtics’ Rondo (hand surgery) out 6-8 weeks

Rondo is out six-to-eight weeks. (USATSI)

The Boston Celtics will be without their point guard Rajon Rondo when they begin the 2014-15 season. The Celtics released a statement saying Rondo suffered a fracture of his left metacarpal during a fall in his home Thursday night. He had successful surgery to fix the broken bone in his hand. His estimated time of returning from the injury is six to eight weeks.

From the Celtics:

The Boston Celtics announced today that guard Rajon Rondo underwent successful surgical fixation of a left metacarpal fracture this morning at New England Baptist Hospital. The injury was a result of a fall at his home last night. The surgery was performed by Dr. Hervey Kimball and Celtics Team Physician Dr. Brian McKeon. Estimated timetable for return is six to eight weeks.

This is another frustrating blow to Rondo over the past two seasons. Back in January of 2013, Rondo tore his ACL, causing him to miss the last three months of the 2012-13 season. He would return to action roughly a year later when he made his debut in the 2013-14 season in mid-January. Rondo played just 30 games last season and has missed 96 games over the last two seasons.

Rondo averaged 11.7 points and 9.8 assists last season but shot a career-low 40.3 percent from the field. Six to eight weeks of recovery will push his return into November at the earliest when the season will already be underway.

Topics: Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics, NBA

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LeBron James on running the Cavaliers offense: ‘This is Kyrie’s show’

Both in Miami and during his first stint in Cleveland, LeBron James had the ball in his hands in the vast majority of his team’s offensive possessions.

Part of that was due to him being the best player on the floor, of course, but it was also due to the personnel each team had in place. Playing LeBron off the ball didn’t make a whole lot of sense as a consistent strategy, considering that there wasn’t anyone on those teams capable of running things cohesively, and getting him the ball in a prime position to score.

That’s changed dramatically now that James has returned to Cleveland to play alongside Kyrie Irving, who is arguably one of the top five point guards in the game. Because of that fact, LeBron seems more than ready to hand over the primary ball-handling duties, putting them in Irving’s capable hands.

From Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com:

“I’ll probably handle the ball a little bit, but this is Kyrie [Irving's] show,” James said Saturday following the Cavs’ first practice of training camp. “He’s our point guard. He’s our floor general and we need him to put us in position to succeed offensively. He has to demand that and command that from us with him handling the ball.” …

Now he’ll have another ball-dominant guard in Irving to play with and not only is it something that James accepted in his return to Cleveland, it actually played a role in selling him on the move from Miami.

“Coming back, my [Sports Illustrated] letter kind of spoke for it, what this city and Northeast Ohio, what I mean to it. That had a lot to do with it, probably 95 percent of it. And the fact that Kyrie was here as well. That’s a huge part,” James said. “I’ve never played with a point guard like Kyrie Irving, a guy that can kind of take over a game for himself. We need it. So, that was a huge thing and that was way before we even got [Kevin] Love and signed Mike Miller and Trix (Shawn Marion) and the rest of the guys. That was very intriguing.”

Irving is just 22 years old, but is already a two-time All-Star, and was named MVP of the FIBA World Cup this summer. Still, LeBron saying that the Cavaliers are “Kyrie’s show” only goes so far.

James will be expected to be the primary cog in the Cleveland machine next season, even with Irving and Kevin Love playing right alongside him in the starting lineup. New head coach David Blatt has all kinds of nifty sets available to create easy offense, and with Irving initiating things on the bulk of the possessions, James will have the freedom to play off the ball more than he has at any point in his career.

But make no mistake — whether Irving is doing the bulk of the ball-handling or he isn’t, LeBron is the one who, justly or not, will shoulder the blame if at any time during the upcoming season the offense begins to sputter.

Unknown / 6:50 AM / NFL, sports / No comments

NFL eyes consecutive London games; team?

Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill signs an autograph for a fan in London. (USATSI)

The NFL's movement toward moving a franchise to London, perhaps by the end of this decade, continues to gain momentum within the league office and is championed by many of the game's most influential owners.

According to Mark Waller, the NFL vice president overseeing the league's international growth, the next step in the eventual placement of a franchise in England is to evaluate how London responds to hosting games on consecutive weeks.

The NFL has gradually expanded its international season at Wembley Stadium to include a record three games this season, one in September (the Dolphins and Raiders Sunday), one in October and one in November. All sold out quickly and the league has no doubt that adding a few more games would continue to produce positive results. But as soon as next year, Waller said, the goal will be to see how Wembley's infrastructure could handle games on consecutive weekends and possibly even three in a row at some point.

Back-to-back London games

Eventually, should a team move to London, the schedule would likely feature clusters of home games (homes stands of 2-4 four weeks) and then a group of 2-3 road games in a row in the United States, and this experiment would mimic that process and also provide a more accurate gauge on fan interest and ticket sales if the games were all occurring in a short period of time, rather than giving UK fans a chance to cherry pick a game to attend over a period of three months.

“I don't think the next step is just adding games,” Waller, a native Englishman, said during a lengthy phone interview from London, assessing the state of the NFL's advances into England. “I don't think we need to do four, to do five, to do six, but I do think there are things we need to prove out.

“For example, we've never played back-to-back games at Wembley Stadium, and proved that the playing surface can handle two of our games in a row, and in similar vein, Wembley is also the home of the English National (soccer) team, so we'd want to show that we could play our games and England could play its games on the same surface without any issues.”

The NFL is already working with British officials about trying to schedule next year's games, which is complicated by the fact that Wembley is hosting contests that conflict with the NFL season as part of the 2015 Rugby World Cup. “We'll be at Wembley next year, but we're trying to work out whether we'll have the opportunity to test back-to-back games,” Waller said. “It's something we're focused on for next year but we're still trying to see if we can make that happen in 2015.”

Waller said the league has built up a very strong relationship with the management of Wembley as well as its field and grounds crews, reaching a point where this kind of experiment seems realistic. Also, in future games already planned for Wembley it's possible that teams playing there will not be guaranteed a bye-week following the contest, unlike every game played there to this point.

“If we want to move to the goal we've laid out for London, we can't play every game with a bye week,” Waller said. “We're going to have to address that at some point in the future. “There are operational elements we need to prove out, and the reason that's so important is that ultimately, it's only worth putting a team here if it can be competitive. There's no point in putting a team here just to have a team in London. It's got to be able to compete at the highest level and be able to compete for Super Bowls.”

NFL owners have continued to study the feasibility of the league possibly purchasing land and building its own stadium in London as well, a project that Waller said is ongoing, but very complicated, and ultimately moving ahead with Wembley as the full-time home of an NFL franchise – at least for the short term – may end up making the most sense. “It's not easy to build a new stadium in London in the same way it's not easy to build new stadium in LA,” Waller said.

Scouting, taxes and skeptical players

As for the traditional arguments against the validity of an NFL team operating in London, Waller was fairly dismissive of many of them. It's an attitude very representative of Commissioner Roger Goodell and many owners as well when these matters come up (which is at every owner's meeting at this point). The travel would be difficult, but it's the same for the Seattle Seahawks who won the Super Bowl and teams like San Francisco have been stationed in-season in places like Youngstown, Ohio, for several weeks during an NFL season before during extending East Coast trips and still managed to reach championship games and/or the Super Bowl.

The issue of how to work-out and sign players in season is not deemed a major hurdle either. The London team would have a United States base of operations – for part of training camp and to use while based in this country for road trips – with personnel and football ops people always present. And footage of workouts and tryouts could be viewed instantly by the London-based coaches and staff on Skype and/or sent to their computers in essentially realtime.

“In the modern world we live in, with the technology that exists,” Waller said, “you can speed any footage anywhere in the world almost immediately. From technical, football-scouting standpoint, that's easily solvable.”

Waller said that, when inevitable questions come up about potential tax ramifications and European Union issues with a United States pro sports league having a team playing in London, “just look at Pepsi. Look at any global company of that sort. There are ways to solve any of those potential problems that might exist.” As to the idea that players wouldn't want to play in London, free agents wouldn't sign there, etc, the larger reality is that money always talks, and this franchise, given the amount of potential corporate sponsorships, would be positioned to spend very competitively (the fact that the pound has been much stronger than the dollar I suppose wouldn't hurt, either).

“We hear that a lot, about players potentially not wanting to come here,” Waller said, “and the way I answer that is, tell me what young man doesn't want to be a part of something truly new, truly unique, and truly exciting? And as long as all the logistical and infrastructural work is complete, that's the environment we should be able to provide.”

Waller said the feedback from owners who have played games in London has been overwhelmingly positive and the league's exploration of this market only continues to grow. In turn, he says, the degree to which the NFL is growing and cultivating real football fans continues to ascend as well.

“I believe we are now an established part of the UK's sporting calendar,” Waller said, “and when started here we were very much a one-off and the reaction was very much, ‘it's the circus coming to town.' And the UK sporting calendar and culture is as powerful and strong as the American sporting calendar and culture, so to be able to create your place in that means we have real traction in that market, and that is a really important thing.”

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Report: Titans will start QB Charlie Whitehurst; TE Delanie Walker expected to play

Jake Locker's injured wrist won't allow him to start versus the Colts, so the Titans are turning to Charlie Whitehurst to make his first start since 2011. According to numerous reports, Whitehurst will start in place of Locker and should have tight end Delanie Walker available to him. Walker was limited throughout the practice week because of a shoulder injury.

Charlie Whitehurst, Clipboard Jesus, Checkdown Charlie -- whatever you want to call him, this is not a good development for the Titans' chances today. Whitehurst is a distinctly poor quarterback with a 3:5 touchdown-to-turnover ratio in four career starts. He has a 54.2 career completion percentage. However, his tendency to keep passes short could mean active days are ahead for Walker and wide receiver Kendall Wright. The Titans will surely try to run the ball as often as possible, but at some point, Andrew Luck is going to force them to throw the ball. And those two targets should be Whitehurst's lead options. Walker is a low-end TE1 while Wright remains a strong WR3 in PPR leagues.The Titans think Locker's wrist injury is of the short-term variety. They hope to have him back for Week 5 against the Browns.

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