Demolition by Warriors leaves Cavs piecing it back together

If the NBA has taught us anything in the past year, it is that nothing is a sure bet in the association.

It was 364 days ago that the Golden State Warriors took it to the Cleveland Cavaliers, blowing them out by 34 points on Jan. 18, 2016, on their home court to drop the Cavs’ record to 28-11 and push their mark to 38-4.

On Monday, Jan. 16, 2017, the Dubs blasted the Cavs by 35 at Oracle Arena, with the 126-91 win putting Cleveland at 29-11 and boosting the Warriors’ record to 35-6.

Of course, between those two games, the Cavs fired their coach, David Blatt, and hired Tyronn Lue. They traded for Channing Frye and started the playoffs 10-0, yet fell down 3-1 in the NBA Finals against a Warriors team led by Stephen Curry, who was anointed the first unanimous MVP in league history yet was hampered by a leg injury. From there, the Cavs saw Draymond Green get suspended, Andrew Bogut be sidelined with a knee injury and Andre Iguodala’s back seize up. Then the Cavaliers completed the most dramatic comeback in NBA championship history to win it all in Game 7.

Yes, that 34-point loss was an agent of change that set many of those events in motion, but it hardly controlled the hands of fate when it came to Cleveland’s winning Games 5, 6 and 7.
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Game Youth Ty Sambrailo Jersey I want to be the best I can be out there. I want to be one of the best players on the floor. It is not going to happen all the time, but you can still go out there and be frustrated, but you still go to play the game. You figure it out. It is a matter of one or two shots that can change the complexion of the look. I didn’t shoot the ball every game in the Miami series, but I shot the ball pretty well. Know what I mean? There were a couple of games where I did shoot the ball pretty well.

Eli Manning denies wanting to become top-paid player in the NFL

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For months now, Eli Manning and the New York Giants have been going back and forth on a potential contract extension with little progress being made. The reason for the impasse could be because the two-time Super Bowl champion is looking to become the highest-paid player in the NFL. That desire has created a “significant gap” between the two sides, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

Manning, though, vehemently denied the reports that he’s looking for the league’s biggest deal.

“The reports are all wrong,” he told the New York Daily News Wednesday. “I don’t know where they’re getting their information from. So I just kind of laugh at it.”

Manning’s current deal — the six-year, $97.5 million one he signed in August 2009 — expires following the 2015 season, which means the quarterback is only under contract for one more year. This season Manning will earn a base salary of $17 million. To become the highest-paid player in the league that amount would have to jump past $22 million, which is about how much Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers earns per year.

Manning is also looking for more than $60 million in guaranteed money, according to the New York Daily News. That number would be less than the $65 million guaranteed that Philip Rivers just got — now the highest number in the league — but right in line with Russell Wilson ($61.5 mil), Colin Kaepernick ($61 mil) and Cam Newton ($60 mil).

If he were to sign a new deal, Manning would become the latest in a long line of major extensions for quarterbacks this offseason, a list that includes Wilson, Newton, Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger and Ryan Tannehill.
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he hurt his hip in a Week 2 contest against the Seahawks.

Watching film from the first two games of 2014, I thought we were finally going to see the Melvin Ingram that I had envisioned. He had learned how to be just as explosive out of his two-point stance as he had been coming out of his three-point stance. He had also added a few more power moves to his tool kit. Last but not least, he was back to being able to turn the corner at will, as well.

Then he hurt his hip in a Week 2 contest against the Seahawks.

He hurt it bad enough to get put on injured reserve with a designation to return. The newest category of IR — meant to allow players to not miss a whole season if the team thinks he can be back and healthy before the year’s over — was a godsend for Ingram. It allowed him to almost repeat the program he followed in 2013, where he missed most of the early part of the season, and then came back and finished the year trying to get better.

The Saints’ biggest issue hasn’t been with the quarterback or offense, it’s been on defense. Head coach Sean Payton made a preseason decision not to expose the starters to much playing time ahead of the regular season in an effort to reduce or even eliminate any season-ending injuries. While regular season wins are obviously more important, the fact that the projected defensive line starters haven’t all taken a snap together could be concerning.

Payton is steadfast in his plan leading up to the season, and is working on strong second- and third-team players. This holds true with the secondary, as the cornerbacks have proven to be a real issue during the first three preseason games. And with starting corner Keenan Lewis out 4-6 weeks after undergoing hip surgery, it’s especially important to solidify the depth chart.

Backup cornerbacks Damian Swann, Stanley Jean-Baptiste and Kyle Wilson are all vying for the No. 4 spot on the roster. They’ve each had one or two rough snaps, but Swann has emerged a little better than his teammates. Going against Green Bay will be their last chance to earn a spot on the team.

Bell found the end zone at a much greater rate (per total team touchdowns) than most backs around the league

Bell’s rushing yardage made up 77.8 percent of the Steelers’ ground game — a number only bettered by Murray and the Cowboys, who got 78.4 percent of their rushing total from Murray. In a league where running back by committee is a common strategy, the Steelers leaned heavily on Bell from start to finish.

Two other teams did this: The Cowboys rode Murray all year. The Bears did the same with Forte (72.3 percent of rushing yards) — but most of the rest of the NFL tried to spread the love around to different players.

For comparison, the Seahawks, who led the NFL with 2,762 yards rushing and whose offense features the fearsome Marshawn Lynch, spread that total around to Russell Wilson (849 yards), Robert Turbin (310 yards), Christine Michael (175 yards), Percy Harvin (92) and a few others. Lynch finished with 1,306 yards — fourth in the NFL — but accounted for just 47 percent of their ground yardage.
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Additionally, Bell found the end zone at a much greater rate (per total team touchdowns) than most backs around the league. EIght of the team’s 10 rushing touchdowns arrived on the feet of Bell, again coming in just behind Murray and the Cowboys, percentage wise.
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What the Broncos did on Jan. 11, 1987, was take over on their own 2-yard line on a frigid day in Cleveland, with 5 minutes, 32 seconds to play, trailing the Browns 20-13 in the AFC Championship Game. The team’s current vice president of security, Keith Bishop, was in the huddle, and his former teammates always say that Bishop simply said, “We’ve got them right where we want them,” with the 98 yards of expanse in front of the Broncos.

The first domino to fall was a 5-yard completion to running back Sammy Winder to open the possession, then a 3-yard run by Winder to put the Broncos in a third-and-2 at the Broncos’ 10-yard line as Denver took its first timeout. Without a conversion, “The Drive” would have been just a possession that faded into the mist of a frustrating loss.

Chiefs need young backs to step up after Jamaal Charles’ second ACL tear

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Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL in his right knee, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Charles went down with a non-contact injury against the Chicago Bears on Sunday and an MRI confirmed the Chiefs’ worst fears. For an offense lacking playmakers, losing its biggest weapon is a huge blow for Kansas City.

Charles has been the focal point of the offense ever since 2009, the year after longtime tight end Tony Gonzalez left the team. In five games this season, Charles totaled 71 carries for 364 yards and four touchdowns, with 21 catches for 177 yards and a touchdown.

This one was so strange that even long after Carroll had said in his postgame news conference that “it’s difficult to leave here without a win,” and “there were too many things that happened across the board that led to this loss,” and “we’ve had to be terrific in this mode for years to be able to do what we have done” and “I have to make sure I’m doing it right, it starts with me,” he still looked startled, shook over his team’s failures. They are looking late in games like a team he does not know. They are looking late in games like a team he does not coach.

Baffled, he said.
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He can’t wait to see the film. Important film, he said, to see what happened differently in the fourth quarter and overtime (Bengals 20-0) compared with the first three quarters (Seahawks 24-7).

I ask Carroll if we didn’t just see the game? Wasn’t it clear that the Bengals completely outplayed, outhit and were more desperate than your team late in the game? Since your teams in the last two Super Bowl seasons made a habit of imposing their will on others, don’t you recognize that when it is evident in others?

Tannenbaum has helped hire four NFL head coaches, all of whom have led their team to the postseason in their first year

Josh Doctson Youth Jersey Nobody should be surprised that rookie NFL head coach Adam Gase has helped lead Miami to this season’s playoffs. Dolphins executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum knows capable coaches when he sees them.

Since 2001, Tannenbaum has helped hire four NFL head coaches, all of whom have led their team to the postseason in their first year. The first was Herm Edwards, whom Tannenbaum helped hire in 2001, when he was the Jets’ assistant general manager. New York promptly went to the playoffs that season and in three of the five years under Edwards.

Didi Gregorius Game Jersey In 2006, Tannenbaum next helped hire Eric Mangini, who led his team to 10 wins and a playoff spot in his first season as the Jets’ head coach. Three years later, Tannenbaum helped hire Rex Ryan, who led the Jets to the AFC Championship in each of his first two seasons as a head coach. And this year, Tannenbaum helped hire Adam Gase, who despite Miami’s 1-4 start, has the Dolphins in the AFC wild-card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

Even after the Jets fired Tannenbaum, and he went into the agent business, the coaches he represented included Dirk Koetter, Dan Quinn, Anthony Lynn and Steve Kerr.

As NFL teams now scramble to hire head coaches, Tannenbaum has a track record of identifying qualified candidates that is difficult to match. On teams that were struggling enough to fire theirs, he helped zero in on coaches who were good enough to get those teams back to the postseason the very same year.

For New York Jets fans clamoring for Christian Hackenberg and wondering why the rookie quarterback never got his chance this season, the answer was evident to others within the organization. One Jets coach said Hackenberg “couldn’t hit the ocean.” Another team official said Hackenberg has regressed throughout this season; he has struggled with his play and his confidence. But if there’s an encouraging aspect, it’s this: The Jets think Hackenberg will benefit from some time away and an offseason honing his talents. They still believe he can be salvaged and will benefit from being redshirted during his rookie season. But there are concerns with what the Jets saw this season. It’s up to Hackenberg to improve.

The top questions facing the Royals in 2017

It is a new year, and a new chance for the Royals to get back to the post-season. It has been a quiet off-season, and things could change quickly in a new year. It was after the first of the year that the Royals handed out the two biggest contracts in franchise history last winter, re-signing Alex Gordon and signing Ian Kennedy to $70 million deals.

Mens Connor McDavid Jersey It doesn¡¯t seem likely that we¡¯ll see a similar signing this year, but here are some questions we will see answered from the Royals in 2017.
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Motiejunas¡¯ signing with New Orleans ended a months-long holdout by the 26-year-old Lithuanian. The 7¡¯0 forward/center from Lithuania played his last four seasons with the Houston Rockets, but the two teams were unable to resolve a lingering contract dispute this summer. Because Motiejunas was a restricted free agent, he had little leverage in the situation.

Motiejunas was originally traded to the Pistons last February, but the team nixed the deal after his physical revealed concerns with a back injury. At the start of December, still unsigned, Motiejunas signed a deal with the Brooklyn Nets. When the Rockets chose to match, he refused to report to the team, and Houston eventually rescinded his restricted free agency status so he could sign unhindered.

This is a no-brainer for the Pelicans, who have nothing to lose by hanging out a one-year contract at the minimum to someone who has been a solid NBA player throughout his career so far. He¡¯ll be able to play with Anthony Davis or help bolster the team¡¯s offense when the superstar big man isn¡¯t on the floor.

Motiejunas only played 37 games last season because of injury, but he averaged 12 points and 5.9 rebounds in 71 games the year prior.

Ryan knows it’s no longer his business

Ryan knows it’s no longer his business.

I’ve heard people in the Bills organization say that soon after Ryan signed his five-year, $27.5 million contract in January 2015 that he began to coast. Especially this year. That his fire wasn’t as bright, that he was content. That the money and the security softened him. That he added his twin brother, Rob, this year to his staff and let Rob and the defensive staff do the grittiest work. That he tried to jump back in this season when it was far too late.

That’s a bold sentiment and I’m not sure it’s one I buy. I think Rex Ryan has always cared deeply about wins and losses. He has never been known to shy away from hard work. But he has always been known to put his mouth and jester antics before actual achievement, to talk big before actually producing big. This wore thin in Buffalo quickly. It is always a footprint when he exits.

It was a surprising decision after McCarthy said days earlier that he needs to “shut up more” as the team supports offensive assistant Tom Clements as the play caller. But McCarthy, who gave up play-calling duties in the offseason to better focus on the bigger picture, changed his mind before the Week 14 matchup.

“Play calling is a lot about rhythm and flow,” McCarthy said. “I’m a big believer in that, and you have to have a quarterback that can manage it. It’s really the play caller’s responsibility to feed him. Keep feeding him, spit it to him as fast as you can get it to him and he does the rest. And there’s no one better at it (than Rodgers).”

Rodgers had one of this best games in recent weeks, completing 22 of 35 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Although Rodgers had less control over audibles at the line with McCarthy calling the shots on Sunday — including a season-high 44 running plays — his head coach said he handled it well.

“The balance we were able to have was key,” McCarthy said. “Aaron was impressive in the management of it.”

Antonio Brown’s 632nd career catch might just be his masterpiece

The snapshot of Brown stretching over the goal line with two Baltimore Ravens draped over him could inspire museum photos and “I was there that day” stories to kids 20 years from now. This was a 5-foot-10 man refusing to be outmuscled, and refusing to let Baltimore win a fifth straight game over the Pittsburgh Steelers, who will celebrate this play for years.

Authentic Mens Kyle Long Jersey The five seconds it took from Ben Roethlisberger snapping the ball at the 4-yard line to a contorted Brown securing the score deserves about 30 replays to truly appreciate.

The message was clear in the Steelers’ locker room the day after a 31-27 victory over the Ravens to secure the AFC North: Their smallest man might be their toughest.

Authentic Mens Ladarius Green Jersey Locked in as the No. 5 seed, the Giants are going to play the division winner with the worst record in the NFC on the road. That doesn¡¯t necessarily mean they will play the worst division winner or the opponent that gives them the best chance to win. Matchups are everything this time of year. Some stadiums are more hostile environments than others. Seattle falls into that category.

Here is how I rank the potential opponents, in terms of which team the Giants should most want to face in their first playoff game in five years:

Detroit Lions: They¡¯re the least impressive of the potential opponents by a wide margin. They aren¡¯t great offensively. They aren¡¯t great defensively. They don¡¯t put a ton of points on the board, nor are they especially stingy on defense. The Lions are in contention for the NFC North because quarterback Matthew Stafford pulled off a few fourth-quarter miracles along the way.

Packers vs. Cardinals 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online

The NFC playoff field is all but set heading into Week 16, though the No. 2 seed remains up for grabs. The Arizona Cardinals can secure that spot, as well as a first-round bye, by defeating the Green Bay Packers at home on Sunday.

While the Carolina Panthers have run away with the conference, the Cardinals have arguably outplayed them over the course of the year. Quarterback Carson Palmer has delivered one of the best seasons of his career and has Arizona leading the entire league in scoring at 32.1 points per game.

Anthony DeSclafani Youth Jersey Veteran wideout Larry Fitzgerald has also enjoyed a bounce-back campaign, eclipsing 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since 2011. Fitzgerald also appears likely to set a new career-high in receptions. He has 99 entering Sunday’s game and needs just five more catches to top his career-best of 103 in 2005.

Seattle can improve their chances and potentially play spoiler in Arizona’s bid for a first-round bye with a game against the Cardinals in Week 17. But first, they need to concentrate on the team that handed them their first loss of the season: the rival St. Louis Rams.

St. Louis traded away Sam Bradford, acquired Nick Foles and gave him the starting job. He hasn’t played great football over the course of the season, but he’s shown flashes of strong play.

Jonas Valanciunas Youth Jersey In the first game between the two, Foles completed 18 of 27 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. The Rams rushed for just 76 yards on the ground, but were able to punch in a pair of rushing touchdowns. Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson completed 32 of 41 passes for 251 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and the Seahawks rushed for 124 yards as a team.