Derek Carr is the darling of the football Bills Aaron Williams Nike Jersey cognoscenti. Teddy Bridgewater has helped his team win five of its first seven games. Johnny Manziel, is well, Johnny Manziel. And we all inspected every one of Jimmy Garoppolo's summer throws on the presumption that he would open the season as a starter. Yes, the quarterback class of 2014 has been all over the news in recent months -- and yet there has been no national discussion about the guy drafted ahead of them all. Blake Bortles, the No. 3 overall pick last year, has been toiling quietly for a Jacksonville Jaguars franchise that is 5-18 since his arrival. So as he approaches his 21st NFL start Sunday, a flashpoint where most NFL evaluators begin making long-term career projections, it's worth asking: Is Bortles going to make it? The numbers suggest that his team's poor performance has overshadowed easily documented individual progress. No quarterback had more room for improvement -- Bortles' 21.9 Total Quarterback Rating in 2014 was one of the worst by a rookie quarterback since QBR records began -- but there is no denying it has occurred. Whether that leads to a successful career could depend on whether the Jaguars surround him with a better team, but for the moment, Bortles has done his part. Put simply, Bortles has been more aggressive Texans Alfred Blue Elite Jersey and dealt far more effectively with pressure than he did as a rookie. He is extending plays, reducing sacks and taking better advantage of the Jaguars' scoring opportunities. Let's hit a few of those areas in detail. First up: the blitz. Many rookies struggle against pressures of five or more men, but as the first chart shows, no qualified quarterback in the league last season performed worse against it than Bortles. And this season, opponents are blitzing him on 34.1 percent of his dropbacks -- the 10th-highest rate in the league. But Bortles has responded in a way that might bring down those numbers eventually. Nearly half of his 15 touchdown passes have come against the blitz, and his QBR in those situations is five times higher than it was in 2014. It's reasonable to wonder if that development Chiefs Dontari Poe Authentic Jersey has resulted from better pass protection rather than higher efficiency from Bortles, and it's true that he is getting sacked less. (He has been sacked on 6.4 percent of dropbacks this season, down from 10 percent in 2014.) But Bortles deserves more credit than anyone for reducing that number because, if anything, he is seeing more pressure this season.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- While confirming the Sean Mannion Super Bowl Jersey switch at quarterback from Colin Kaepernick to Blaine Gabbert, San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Tomsula would only say the move was official for this weekend's home game against the Atlanta Falcons. Tomsula -- whose team is 2-6, falls in last place in the NFC West and hasn't scored a touchdown in eight-plus quarters -- did say Kaepernick was benched essentially so the quarterback could get a mental break. "This was just a decision that I just felt like I wanted Colin to step back and breathe," Tomsula said. "Look at things through a different lens. Keep preparing, keep doing his thing, keep working, but just step back and take a look at things, OK. "That's what I want." Kaepernick is going through a career-worst Tim Barnes Authentic Jersey season in Total QBR (47.6), yards per attempt (6.7), TD-INT ratio (1.2) and completion percentage (59.3). Plus, the Niners' league low in points scored (109) is the fourth-fewest in franchise history through the first eight games. "It was a tough decision," Tomsula said. "All those decisions are tough, but I felt that was the direction we needed to go. Watching, feeling where I'm at, I just decided now is the time. "In no way is 2-6 all on Colin Kaepernick; that's all of us ... this is a guy I care about a lot. This is a guy that I respect a lot. This is a guy that I think has talent. It's just me, what I'm watching, what I'm feeling, and I want him to just step back, keep working, let's do our thing and move forward." Tomsula said the decision was his, though he did speak with his superiors, presumably general manager Trent Baalke and CEO Jed York. "I went upstairs and let them know what my decision was," Tomsula said. "I spoke to them about what I was http://www.officialramsnflproshop.com/AUTHENTIC+NICK+FOLES+JERSEY feeling and what I thought, absolutely." Tomsula was also asked how Kaepernick reacted to the demotion. "Colin's going to keep fighting his way through everything," Tomsula said. "I mean, the competitiveness in that guy is second to none. You all know that. And he wants to fight right through it ... but Colin will be a tremendous teammate. He'll give everything to this team that he gives and he'll keep working hard and he'll prepare and Colin will be a wonderful teammate."

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- A few thoughts on New York Jets Justin Britt Womens Jersey coach Todd Bowles' announcement that Ryan Fitzpatrick, despite having a torn ligament in his left thumb, will start on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars: 1. Frankly, I'm a little surprised Bowles clarified the situation so quickly. All he needed was one practice to determine Fitzpatrick is good to go for Sunday -- a mere two days after expressing pessimism. What can we read into this? It's pretty clear: Bowles would rather take his chances with a slightly compromised Fitzpatrick than a relatively healthy Geno Smith, whose bruised left shoulder appears fine. The gap between Fitzpatrick and Smith never has been greater. 2. Don't let that fancy Harvard education fool you. Fitzpatrick is a tough dude. 3. The Fitzpatrick news created a Luke Willson Youth Jersey palpable sense of relief in the locker room. It's apparent from listening to players that Fitzpatrick has won their trust and they believe he gives them the best chance of winning. Some people might interpret that as an anti-Geno sentiment; I think it's more pro-Fitzpatrick. The Jets (4-3) have dropped two in a row and can't afford a loss on Sunday to the lowly Jaguars. The players know this, and they're grateful Fitzpatrick will be leading them. 4. Smith said he has mixed feelings: happy for Fitzpatrick, disappointed for himself. I came away from Smith's media session thinking he's really bummed about not getting the start this week. He said, "I understand what's going on" and the "message has been sent" that it's Fitzpatrick's job to lose, but you could hear some disappointment in his voice. He could have strengthened his cause by playing better against the Oakland Raiders. I think he knows his future is elsewhere. 5. Naturally, Fitzpatrick downplayed the http://www.seahawksofficialnflonline.com/WOMENS_YOUTH_KEVIN_PIERRELOUIS_JERSEY.html potential impact of the injury, but it's fair to wonder whether the Jets will have to tweak their offense to compensate. Two concerns: Can he handle snaps from under center? Can he grip the ball in his left hand on handoffs to the right side? The Jets are in the shotgun formation about 55 percent of the time, which helps. What about the other 45 percent? An AFC personnel executive suggested the Jets use the pistol formation. If they do, it would be a departure for the Jets, who have run only 15 plays out of the pistol.

INDIANAPOLIS - The Indianapolis Colts have fired Steelers Antonio Brown Elite Jersey offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, the team announced Tuesday. Rob Chudzinski will replace Hamilton as the team's offensive coordinator. "Through the first eight weeks of the season, we have felt our offense hasn't performed at the consistent level that we need," coach Chuck Pagano said in a statement issued less than a day after the team's 29-26 overtime loss at Carolina. "Because of this, we've decided to go in a different direction and relieve Pep Hamilton of his duties as offensive coordinator. As head coach of this team, it's my responsibility to make sure I'm doing everything we can to put us in the best position to succeed. We thank Pep for his service to the team and wish him all the best." The past offseason, the Colts added receiver Rams Joe Namath Elite Jersey Andre Johnson and running back Frank Gore through free agency and selected receiver Phillip Dorsett in the first round of this year's draft. Those three joined receivers T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief and tight ends Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener to give quarterback Andrew Luck the best supporting cast of his career. Even so, the Colts have struggled offensively all season. They have been shut out in the first half three times. They're 16th in the league in yards per game and 20th in points a game. Luck is having the worst season of his four-year career, as he leads the NFL in turnovers with 13. Hamilton joined the Colts in 2013 from Stanford, where he was Andrew Luck's offensive coordinator. The Colts hired Chudzinski in February 2014, after he was fired as coach of the Cleveland Browns. Pagano and Chudzinski were together from 1995 to 2000 at the University of Miami and again with the Browns in 2004. Chudzinski faces a tough task in his http://www.nflchiefsofficialshop.com/AUTHENTIC+JEFF+ALLEN+JERSEY first game as offensive coordinator, as the Colts face the undefeated Denver Broncos (7-0), who have the league's top defense, on Sunday.

IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys have released http://www.nflcowboysofficial.com/Authentic-Corey-White-Jersey running back Joseph Randle. Randle had been excused from the team since last week to deal with what the club called a "personal issue." According to sources, he is also facing a suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy for an incident in February in Wichita, Kansas. Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones did not want to say whether the decision was related to impending NFL discipline. "We don't want to go there as an organization as far as our relationship with Randle," Jones said. "We just think it's time for us to not have him on the roster. That's the decision we made today, and we stand ready to help him work through any of his other issues." Randle suffered an oblique strain in his last game, which was Oct. 25 against the New York Giants, after just two carries. He lost his starting job to Darren McFadden. After Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Jones said he was concerned for Randle's well-being. "I'm always concerned as to any issues Kevin White Authentic Jersey regarding the [mental] health of a player," Jones said. "It's a lot more serious than the football [injury]." According to sources, Randle made a call to police last week because of concern about the whereabouts of his girlfriend. However, no wrongdoing was found. In September, Randle met with NFL officials after he was cleared legally regarding a domestic violence call in February involving the mother of his son. Per league policy, a player can still be disciplined even if there is no legal penalty. Failing production, off-field incidents and pending NFL discipline were all factors in the Cowboys' decision to release Randle; a source told ESPN's Ed Werder that "all things were included in this decision." The Cowboys now have McFadden, Christine http://www.chargersshopnfl.com/Authentic-Patrick-Robinson-Jersey Michael and Rod Smith at tailback. It has been a quick fall for Randle, who was viewed last spring as the replacement for DeMarco Murray, who ran for an NFL-best 1,845 yards last season and left via free agency for the Philadelphia Eagles.

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) -- Charles Woodson was Jack Mewhort Womens Jersey sick of hearing the talk about how the Oakland Raiders were finally competitive again after years of being overmatched. What might have seemed farfetched when Oakland lost a lopsided opener to Cincinnati in September is now a distinct possibility after the Raiders put together their second straight complete performance, beating the New York Jets 34-20 on Sunday. ''It's fine for some people to play from the underdog role, but I don't like it,'' Woodson said. ''I don't like being the underdog. I want to be expected to win games. I want these guys to go out there and be expected to win games. Yeah, it's a little premature to be thinking that far ahead, playoff-wise, but there's no reason you can't think of yourself as a playoff team.'' Woodson is a big reason why. The 39-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down. His league-leading fifth interception helped the Raiders (4-3) beat the Jets (4-3) to become one of five AFC teams with winning records. Oakland plays another playoff contender Joe Staley Jersey this week when the Raiders travel to Pittsburgh (4-4). A win would keep Oakland atop the AFC wild-card race with wins over two of the closest competitors in the Steelers and Jets. What a difference a year makes. At this point last year, the Raiders were 0-8 and on their way to 10 straight losses to open the season and 16 in a row overall. But with a new mindset instilled by Jack Del Rio's coaching staff, a potent offense led by emerging star Derek Carr and an improved defense anchored by Woodson and Khalil Mack, the Raiders are in their best position since going to the Super Bowl in 2002 Now instead of the questions last year about whether the Raiders would even win a game, the focus is on whether Oakland needs to guard against overconfidence. ''I don't really understand this question http://www.officialcoltsnflstore.com/ricky-jean-francois-jersey_c-403.html of guarding against. We're a 4-3 team,'' Del Rio said. ''We've battled each and every week. We're going to continue to battle each and every week. These kind of questions are kind of silly to me.'' While Oakland reached a 5-4 mark in 2010 before finishing 8-8 and made it to 7-4 the following year before a late-season collapse left them at .500 again and out of the playoffs, the success this season appears to be more lasting. With Carr playing better than any quarterback for the Raiders since Rich Gannon was winning the MVP in 2002, Oakland has a core to build around with fellow youngsters like Mack, Amari Cooper, Latavius Murray, TJ Carrie, Gabe Jackson and Mario Edwards Jr. But they also know there is plenty of Mike James Youth Jersey work to be done to achieve their goal of a playoff berth.

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- The Dallas Cowboys are Danny Shelton Youth Jersey running out of chances to stay in contention without Tony Romo, and owner Jerry Jones is running out of optimism. ''To be realistic, it's going to be a daunting task, even with Romo, to get our feet back under us,'' Jones said after the fifth straight loss without his star quarterback, 13-12 to Seattle on Sunday. ''Obviously, we think we'll play better when we get Romo back.'' The problem is, the games might not matter much if Dallas doesn't win now. Even executive vice president Stephen Jones acknowledged not long after Romo broke his left collarbone in Week 2 that the Cowboys would have difficulty defending their NFC East title if they went ''oh-fer'' in seven games without Romo. Dallas (2-5) is down to just two more chances for the elusive win and could really use both, starting Sunday night with division rival Philadelphia and DeMarco Murray. The 2014 NFL rushing champion who left the Cowboys for the Eagles (3-4) in free agency plays on his old home field for the first time. Then it's a visit to Tampa Bay. If they don't beat Philadelphia, the Cowboys' skid will http://www.nflcowboysofficial.com/Authentic-Byron-Jones-Jersey reach six games. It would be their longest losing streak since the 1-15 debacle of 1989, the year Jerry Jones bought the team. But one thing Dallas does have going for it: the other three NFC East teams have four losses. ''Within our division, you have to realize that there is hope,'' said Matt Cassel, who has lost two games filling in for Romo after Brandon Weeden lost the first three starts following the injury. ''There are nine games left, and guys have to realize that and have to understand that you have to come out and continue to compete.'' The only time the Cowboys didn't really have a shot to win was a blowout by undefeated New England. Otherwise, they've had second-half leads in all four games - and critical letdowns at key points from all three phases of the game. Against Seattle, Dallas was held Shane Ray Kids Jersey without a touchdown for the second time in three games after going four years without that happening under Romo. Even when Greg Hardy's interception of Russell Wilson gave the Cowboys the ball at the Seattle 16 in the fourth quarter, they had to settle for a field goal and a 12-10 lead.

CLEVELAND -- Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert said he's Babe Ruth Yankees Jersey spending a near-record amount on salaries and luxury taxes because it would be foolish not to. Since the end of last season, the Cavs have locked up players to nearly $300 million in new contracts, including $113 million to Kevin Love, $82 million to Tristan Thompson and $47 million to LeBron James. Currently, Gilbert is committed to spending $175.6 million on payroll this season, with $65 million of that in luxury taxes. Those numbers would represent the second-highest spending numbers in league history, falling behind only the 2013-14 Brooklyn Nets, who spent $197 million, including tax. "We're committed; we're all-in ... When you invest in something like a sports franchise and you're in for so much ... if you at the margins start pulling back, I think that may be foolish on a lot of fronts," Gilbert said before the Cavs beat the Miami Heat 102-92. "We're investing for the future as well as the current." With the exception of James, who can be Jaromir Jagr Youth Jersey a free agent next summer, the Cavs now have their entire core locked up for the next four seasons, as Kyrie Irving is at the start of a new extension he signed last year. Gilbert said that was a driving force behind all the spending in the offseason. "These guys who are under these large contracts, that's a core for four or five years," Gilbert said. "That's an eternity in this league. As we've seen with NBA franchises, that formula can work." When the team finished its business last Zdeno Chara Womens Jersey week by striking a deal with Thompson after a long stalemate, James praised Gilbert's willingness to spend. "When you have an ownership group that believes what it's going to take, then money is not an object," James said. "It's a sign that [Gilbert] will do anything to help us go out there and perform." The Cavs still have a $10.5 million trade exception they could use if needed, but that would take their payroll to more than $200 million. Gilbert didn't say if he was willing to use the exception this season and also didn't say how long he was willing to spend at this level. "We look at this year by year. There's so http://www.authenticlakersstore.com/authentic-wesley-johnson-jersey.html many factors, so many things can change," Gilbert said. "We always like to have options. It's not so much the amount of payroll. The question is if you can maneuver. If the team goes a certain way, are all the contracts valuable? Can your general manager still play chess? We never try to say this is [the budget]. It really is how it operates."

LONDON -- More than 4,000 miles Rams Nick Foles Authentic Jersey from Kansas City, Jon Cartwright lifted his pint of London Pride Ale in a toast to the Kansas City Chiefs. He wasn’t alone. Hundreds of Chiefs fans from all over the world -- England, Spain, Canada, other parts of the United States and, of course, Kansas City -- had come to party with their favorite NFL team. It was all being paid for by the Chiefs, who wanted to reward their ticket holders who were coming to London for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions at Wembley Stadium. So the Chiefs took over a pub, The Admiralty, in London’s Trafalgar Square. They decked the place out in Chiefs red and yellow and threw open the doors to their ticket holders. Among those mingling with Chiefs fans were chairman Clark Hunt, former Chiefs players Christian Okoye and Will Shields and even NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Cartwright surveyed the scene from Rams Aaron Donald Authentic Jersey the pub’s second-floor balcony and watched with some amazement at the scene so far from Arrowhead Stadium. "I’ve never seen another Chiefs fan in my hometown," said Cartwright, a Chiefs fan from Southampton in the United Kingdom, about 75 miles from London. "So all these Chiefs fans in one place is really something to see. Even to be in London and see Chiefs fans walking down the street is amazing. You just don’t see that here." The party really was a spectacle, at least considering it was so far from Kansas City. The Chiefs expect between 800 and 1,000 of their ticket holders in London and about 400 of them to stop by The Admiralty at some point Friday afternoon. The party was half-party, half-pep rally. The Chiefs brought some of their cheerleaders from Kansas City. Most fans were wearing a Chiefs jersey or other team apparel. At one point, Mitch Holthus, the team’s radio play-by-play announcer, grabbed a microphone and began to play to the crowd. "We’ve made history because today we http://www.officialramsnflproshop.com/AUTHENTIC+TODD+GURLEY+JERSEY unite two kingdoms, Chiefs Kingdom and the United Kingdom," Holthus shouted to a loud roar. "It is beyond awesome to see all of you here ... and to have the Chiefs in London to play this game." He was followed by Hunt, who joined in on the fun.

NEW YORK -- Terry Collins met with his New York Mets Daniel Murphy Womens Jersey following their dispiriting Game 2 loss in Kansas City and did what any manager would do when confronted with circumstances as dire as his: He lied. Never a win-one-for-the-skipper type, Collins kept it short and semi-sweet. This is what he said Thursday that he told his team the night before: Only these Mets have never been down 0-2 in a World Series (or any postseason series for that matter), so they don't know if they can come back because, you know, they've never done it before. They can't remember what to do because they have no near-identical experience to draw from (Game 5 in Los Angeles was a dicey one, but the World Series it was not). That pretty much leaves the Mets with the "let's get after it" part of Collins' charge. Let's get after it? Yeah, that Tyler Thornburg Authentic Jersey the Mets can do. And here's the sunnier side of the monumental challenge they face starting Friday night in Game 3: The Mets still have a chance to prove they are not merely a good-to-very-good team touched by stardust that ultimately ran into superior hitters who make contact more often than your local tavern's high-arc softball team. These Mets can still prove they are special, and worthy of standing among the most memorable sports champions this city has ever known. There's no need to rewind your memories all the way back to 1986, when the Mets were down 0-2 to the Red Sox and yet swaggered into Fenway Park embracing two articles of unmitigated faith: 1. The Mets remained convinced they were the more talented team. 2. The Mets knew they were paired against a haunted franchise likely to encounter another ghost or three before the exorcism was complete. As the 2015 Mets have no such belief Kurt Suzuki Authentic Jersey after watching what Kansas City hitters did to Jacob deGrom, and as today's Kansas City Royals don't carry around the kind of heavy legacy luggage that weighed down yesterday's Red Sox, the better local story to rally around is the one authored by the 1996 Yankees, the last World Series team to lose the first two games before landing in a parade. The Yankees were crushed at home by a combined score of 16-1 in Games 1 and 2, and by an opponent more formidable than the Royals. The Atlanta Braves were defending champs, and as they headed back to Atlanta, one side of their plane was talking about a dynasty, and the other side was talking about a sweep. David Cone, the Yankees' Game 3 starter, was enraged upon hearing exaggerated reports from a clubhouse guy that the Braves were all but laughing at the Yanks. Joe Torre then looked a bit like Terry Collins now; he was a likable, thrice-fired lifer who was about to get plenty of pats on the back for finishing second in his first World Series. Only Torre had already made a private http://www.officialathleticsshop.com/authentic-9-reggie-jackson-jersey.html prediction that put Joe Namath's very public one to shame. After Game 1, Torre promised his employer, Boss Steinbrenner, that the Yanks would lose Game 2 to Greg Maddux (that's right, lose Game 2), before sweeping three in Atlanta and then beating Maddux in the Bronx in Game 6.