Dein erstes Forum » his share of the blame, too, and had misstep

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals came within one win of the Super Bowl last season.New England lost at Denver in the Patriots sixth straight AFC championship game, Arizona was blown out at Carolina in the Cardinals second appearance ever in the NFC title contest.The Patriots and Cardinals, a combined 25-7 in the 2015 regular season, meet Sunday night, an intriguing matchup of New England coach Bill Belichick and Arizonas Bruce Arians.Except the Patriots wont have their best player. Tom Brady must sit out the first four games as punishment for the Deflategate, episode.In his place. Jimmy Garoppolo will make his first career start on national television in the noisy atmosphere of University of Phoenix Stadium.31Garoppolo has thrown 31 passes in his two-year career, completing 20, in his two seasons as Bradys backup. In 2015, Garoppolo was 1 for 2 for 6 yards.Garoppolo called it a great opportunity.He wont have Rob Gronkowski to throw to, with the star tight end ruled out of the game because of a hamstring injury. The team confirmed Friday night that Gronkowski had been downgraded from questionable to out for the game. Also missing the game will be offensive linemen Jonathan Cooper and Nate Solder.The Cardinals had prepared for a healthy Gronkowski. Arizona defensive coordinator James Boettcher called him the best in the game right now at tight end.`There wasnt a whole lot of video on Garoppolo for the Cardinals to study but that didnt stop Arians from heaping on the praise. Arians said Garoppolo reminds him of a young Tony Romo.Very athletic, very accurate, Arians said. Not a real powerful, deep throwing arm, but very accurate. He gets it out of his hand fast. Tony was the same way coming out and had a lot of success early.The Cardinals should know not to take a backup quarterback lightly. Pittsburgh third-stringer Landry Jones rallied the Steelers to a victory over Arizona last year.Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer barely played in the preseason and shrugs off the two interceptions he had returned for touchdowns.Here are some things to consider when the Patriots meet the Cardinals:OLD COACHES: The game features two of the three oldest coaches in the NFL: Belichick is 64, Arians 63. They also are two of the top three coaches in wins the last 60 games.I think Bruce has done a great job, Belichick said. ... Theyve put together a good football team with good talent. They have a good system. They are hard to prepare for.Arians said the same of Belichicks Patriots.Expect the unexpected, Arians said.The players will get psyched for this game, but not the coaches, Arians added.We dont get to play, he said.FAMILIAR FOE: The Patriots certainly will recognize one of the players they face. Chandler Jones, acquired in a trade with New England in the offseason, will line up at outside linebacker. He had 12 1/2 sacks as a defensive end for New England last season.I had this one circled with a red marker, Jones said.Bolstering the pass rush was Arizona general manager Steve Keims No. 1 objective. Arizona traded Cooper and a second-round draft pick for Jones.Did Jones offer some insight into the Patriots?He talked to the guys, but theres really not much more than `He (Garoppolo) is really accurate, and `Hes very athletic, Arians said.RUNNING GAME: The Cardinals are expecting big things from second-year running back David Johnson, based on his play last season. Johnson was the fourth player in NFL history to top 500 yards rushing, 400 yards receiving, 500 yards in kickoff returns and 13 touchdowns.The others are Tim Brown, Gale Sayers and Maurice Jones-Drew.QUESTIONABLE CORNER: The Cardinals are starting rookie Brandon Williams at cornerback opposite All-Pro Patrick Peterson. Williams, who played the position only one season at Texas A&M, struggled in one-on-one coverage in the preseason. Is he ready for the role?Hes the best weve got, Arians said. He better be.Expect the Cardinals to mix up the coverage schemes and give Williams some help.AMENDOLAS BACK: Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola didnt see any preseason action, and was limited during training camp as he recovered from knee and ankle issues. He returned to full practice participation once camp ended, and is expected to start alongside Julian Edelman.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFLCyber Monday Nike Air Max 97 .C. -- Manny Malhotra had two goals and an assist, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Nike Air Max 97 Outlet . -- Sergey Tolchinksy scored his second goal of the game 3:56 into overtime as the Sault Ste. https://www.fakeairmax97wholesale.com/ . -- The Sacramento Kings are set to become the first major professional sports franchise to accept Bitcoin virtual currency for ticket and merchandise purchases. Discount Nike Air Max 97 . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. Fake Nike Air Max 97 . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human.NEW YORK -- Losses are piling, tempers are flaring and players are being benched.Throw in all the penalties, mistakes and questionable play calling, and the New York Jets have the troubling look and feel of a dysfunctional bunch.Todd Bowles team is 3-6, matching its loss total from last season, and its playoff prospects already appear highly unlikely. The second-year coach, however, doesnt agree with the increasingly negative perception.Not at all, Bowles said during a conference call Monday. I know what reality is, so we know what everything is inside this building and were a close-knit group.But, perhaps the most glaring sign of trouble within came Sunday, when Bowles benched star defensive linemen Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson for the first quarter of New Yorks 27-23 loss at Miami .Bowles repeated Monday that it was a coachs decision, adding that non-injury and non-football issues are kept in-house. He also declined to say whether tardiness is an issue with the two.However, reports emerged that both Wilkerson and Richardson were disciplined for being late to a team meeting. NJ.com reported that the two have been late or no-showed more than once. NFL Network reported that Wilkerson missed a walkthrough and a defensive meeting at which his birthday was being celebrated -- complete with a cake -- the day before the game against Baltimore last month. Wilkerson did not play in that game because of an ailing ankle.Those are reports, Bowles said. Those things are handled in-house and I know how we handle things in here, and everybody is accountable for their actions. We handle things in here as we handle them, and Im perfectly fine with those two (players) commitments.When asked what makes him satisfied with both Wilkerson and Richardson, Bowles said simply: They put in work. They put in a lot of work.A sideline exchange between wide receiver Brandon Marshall and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick appeared to get a bit heated, although both downplayed it after the game. Bowles did the same, brushing aside the notion that it was another example of a team tearing apart.We had more turmoil going last year when we won four or five in a row, Bowles said. This year is normal. Brandon and Fitz talk on the sideline all the time. Thats just football talk. That goes without saying. And, Mo and Sheldon are fine.On Monday, Marshall said it was business as usual amongg the players, with the focus on moving forward to their next game at home against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.ddddddddddddHe said he feels good about the Jets locker room, calling it one of the best Ive been in. He was lukewarm, however, when asked if he thought every player was committed to a common goal.You never know, he said. Its the National Football League. There are so many different personalities in the room. I love what Coach (Marc) Trestman said when he first got hired in Chicago, one of his first team meetings, he said: We dont need all. We just need the right ones.Tackle Ben Ijalana thinks the Jets have those guys, along with the right approach.Everyone is focused on trying to right the ship and were playing a game at home, he said. Were not trying to lull down. Were just trying to get back on the right track, continue to get these wins going.The Jets are uncertain whether Fitzpatrick will start because of a sprained left knee , and some fans and media says New York should go with second-year quarterback Bryce Petty regardless.Its expected, Marshall said of the perception that the Jets are a team in chaos. This is what happens, usually, when you lose. ... Were sitting at 3-6, were disappointed in our play, disappointed in ourselves.And the players arent alone.Bowles has taken his share of the blame, too, and had missteps in his play calls throughout the season.I havent done a good job, he said. Were 3-6. It speaks for itself. I can do a lot better job of coaching.Despite all that, though, Bowles insisted he has total control of his team.Completely, yes, he said. I know me and I know how I address the team and I know how the team responds. I have no issues with that.Penalties are a big problem, with 10 called in the game against the Dolphins. Perhaps none was as glaring as the offsides call on Antonio Allen, whose mistake on a kickoff resulted in a re-kick -- and Kenyan Drake returned it 96 yards for the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.We dont finish, Ijalana said. I would say its a combination of not finishing and sometimes starting slow. In this league, those things get you in trouble. Its very hard to win games like that.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '