Bekanntmachungen » e was tied at 88 before Kirk Hinrich made tw

TSN football analyst Chris Schultz breaks down all the teams and each division in the NFL leading up to the regular season. Next up, the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings of the NFC North. Green Bay Packers In the NFC North, all four teams need to improve defensively to match their potential offensively. The Packers are no different, after finishing 24th in scoring defence and 25th in yards allowed last year. They have to face Adrian Peterson twice a year, Brandon Marshall , Alshon Jeffery and now Santonio Holmes twice a year, and finally Matthew Stafford with Calvin Johnson twice a year. In many ways the winner of the NFC North may not be due to the strength they all have with the ball, but instead may be who improves the most without the ball. The Packers are trying to be that team. Again, outside of one player, free agency was quite quiet for the Packers. Year after year as their opponents try to purchase talent to build a team, the Packers draft, develop and retain what they have drafted and developed. Still, Julius Peppers is a big signing. If energized - at 34 years old and moving into his 13th year - his talent with Clay Matthews could give the Packers the best third down pass rushers in the division. It will also be really interesting to see how Peppers adapts to more linebacker play on first and second down, after spending his career to date at defensive end. Dom Capers has an excellent chess piece in Peppers if he is rejuvenated this season. In the draft, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix may be a great colourful name but he was a need pick for Green Bay as safety was a concern. As is consistent with his winning ways, general manager Ted Thompson kept as many Packers from last year to this year as he could. Cornerback Sam Shields, nose tackle BJ Raji and outside linebacker Mike Neal were all re-signed in free agency. So defence is the worry, offence is not. I think Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in football and, if he can stay healthy all 16 games, what happened previously will happen again, and thats football success. With Rodgers arm teams cant overload the tackle box, but with Eddie Lacy they have to overload the tackle box. Rodgers will be able to ying and yang defences into submission because he now has a top running back to complement his top receiver Jordy Nelson. With Bryan Bulaga at right tackle and the experience David Bakhtiari got last year at left tackle, Rodgers has everything he needs - most importantly himself. We will know a lot about Green Bay once they play the Seahawks in Seattle on Thursday September 4. They win that one, they are on their way. When you talk about good coaches that run solid programs, Mike McCarthy is not as praised as the Belichicks or the Harbaughs, but he is an amazing 82-45 in his career, and in 2011, he won 15 regular season games. Many organizations are run very well in NFL football today, and the Packers are as good as any. Packers take first in the NFC North. Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears were a really good 8-8 football team in 2013. If they can turn around their defence the way they turned around their offence in one year, then the Bears will not only be a playoff team but could win a tough NFC North. On offence the Bears improved from No. 28 to eighth in total yards achieved and from 29th to fifth in passing yards created. They also improved from 27th to fourth in protecting the quarterback. That is an absolutely remarkable turnaround. The problem is on defence as they gave up 478 points, an all-time franchise high. Chicago is similar to Dallas in the disparity from offence to defence but the Bears were extremely proactive in improving their defence while Dallas lost their middle linebacker, had their safety suspended and were salary cap limited in creating a high number of new players. Jared Allen, Willie Young and Lamarr Houston are all good pass rushers who were brought in through free agency. M.D. Jennings, Danny McCray and Ryan Mundy all play either free or strong safety. Their No. 1 pick Kyle Fuller is a top cornerback and the Bears drafted two other defensive tackles and another safety. Chicago realized their trouble and overloaded the effort to find a defence as good as the offence. When the 2013 season started no one was 100 per cent confident that Marc Trestman was going to slide in to one of only 32 NFL jobs and be respected. But his ability to get a lot out of Jay Cutler and even more significantly out of Josh McCown who found a good payday in Tampa Bay. And as a head coach Trestman has the courage to start young players. One of the obvious aspects of Chicagos success is the trio of Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte. But the secret of the Bears success was the play of two rookies that played side by side. And side by side is very unusual. Yet Kyle Long at left guard and Jordon Mills at left tackle out of Oregon and Louisiana Tech were outstanding as rookies. They played like players with four or five years of experience. Without their emergence, Cutler would not have connected with Marshall, Jeffery and Forte the way he did. The Bears will look for similar protection this year as Cutler attempts to pass to what may be the best top-three receiver group in football; Marshall, Jeffery and free-agent signee Santonio Holmes. The Bears are going to score points, but can they stop Green Bay from scoring on them with Aaron Rodgers, and stop the Vikings from running on them with Adrian Peterson, and contain the best receiver in football from scoring touchdowns on them who resides in Detroit by the name of Calvin Johnson? If they do this they could be one of the best teams in Chicago in a long time. The challenge is huge as the Bears is on defence, where the group ranked 30th overall, 32nd in run defence, tied in points allowed at 30th and were the 31st in getting to the quarterback. Can what happened on offence last year happen on defence, marking an instantaneous improvement? I say yes. Bears finish second in the NFC North. Detroit Lions The single greatest question ever spoken is why? In the case of the Detroit Lions, the question is why did this team start the season 6-3 but end the season 1-7? There are conversations of discipline and professional apathy and the reality of Matthew Staffords 14 turnovers and 54 per cent completion rate over the last seven games but the answer remains somewhat inconclusive going into the 2014 season. When you lose your final four and go 1-7, something has to happen, and it did. Jim Schwartz has moved on to run the defence not very far away in Buffalo and Jim Caldwell has been hired to try a different approach. Its good for Caldwell in that his previous head coaching experience had Peyton Manning at quarterback. His present coaching experience he will have Stafford at quarterback. Stafford threw the ball 634 times last year, an extremely high number. I am sure the goal for this years Lions team is not to put so much focus on pass protection and quarterback production. Or maybe not. The best receiver in football is Calvin Johnson. His physical gifts are intense and sometimes so oblivious his skills as a receiver are overlooked. There are only five or six receivers that dictate coverage every play. Johnson is one of them. The closer you play your strong safety to the line of scrimmage, the more room Johnson has 1-on-1 in open space. Staffords success is due to many, including himself. But Johnson can make Stafford look good more than any other player. With 634 passes thrown by Stafford and only 19 interceptions, a key for Detroit will be to create more turnovers as they ended the season with a minus-12 takeaway/giveaway ratio. Detroit will score points but have to stop others from scoring as well. With Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler in the division, you cant expect to outscore everyone and win 10 games. The pass rush and pass coverage has to improve for dramatic success. Caldwell has a calm demeanour as a head coach. He has taken a job where off-field issues created on-field concerns. I am sure his message has been given and heeded by the players. If not, Caldwell, with his wealth of experience, will sacrifice talent for conduct if needed. The Lions have not had a home playoff game in 20 years. If the team was to be the surprise of the league this year, the fan response would be phenomenal as it has been so long. And to achieve an enthusiastic response this year, the most important weeks for Detroit are the last two (Week 16 at Chicago and Week 17 at Green Bay). To Lions fans, those two weeks mean everything to set up a first in 20 years: a home playoff game. Detroit - Third in the NFC North. Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings will be an interesting team this year after hiring Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer as head coach. Some coaches are pullers and some are pushers. A puller is a coach that pulls you in to a program and works with you to improve. As you begin to believe in the program, you buy in and begin to win. Jim Caldwell comes to mind as a puller. The other type of coach is a pusher and as you would expect, he pushes. He is the boss, no doubt, and uses pressure and confrontation sarcasm with a rare compliment to keep you sane. Bill Belichick is a pusher. Both styles work and, as a pusher, Zimmer given time will work out well as coach of the Vikings. The best move hes made was hiring Norv Turner to run the offence and develop a quarterback. You cant say that Turner was a great head coach, but you can say he gets a lot out of quarterbacks. The Vikings will also improve on defence and given time you will see the Bengals of just last year in purple uniforms. They will use multiple fronts, but with four or more good pass rushers and two exceptional cornerbacks, Zimmer knows exactly what he wants. The number one question for the Vikings is how fast Teddy Bridgewater progresses. You dont trade up into the first round unless you believe in a players future and have confidence in his past. With a running back like Adrian Peterson, two good offensive tackles in Phil Loadholt and Matt Kalil, and a surprise player with Cordarrelle Patterson, Bridgewater is in an excellent situation. This will be a tough year for the Vikings. They won only five games last year and looking at their schedule they may only win five again. In a five-game stretch this season, they play Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford. And that run starts after playing an improved Rams team in St. Louis to begin the season. Im not sure if you can expect another 2,000-yard season from Peterson, but I am sure you can see an improved Vikings team under the demands of Zimmer, given time. Vikings finish fourth in the NFC North. Cheap Paul Molitor Jersey . The Oilers have been shut out in three straight home games and are in last place in the Western Conference with a 4-14-2 record. "Things have obviously not gone as well as I would have thought probable. Cheap Kent Hrbek Jersey . Duhamel, from Lively, Ont., and Radford, from Balmertown, Ont., were second with 77.01 points, just behind Olympic bronze medallists Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany. The four-time world champs lead at 79. http://www.cheaptwinsjerseys.com/?tag=ch...blyleven-jersey. -- The Oakland Raiders expect to have starting right tackle Tony Pashos back for Sundays game against the Houston Texans. Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic .Lets go back to the Avs, who have become one of the funnest teams to watch in this years playoffs. Cheap Twins Jerseys Authentic . - Vince Carter, heading into his 17th NBA season, doesnt consider age a big issue anymore.PORTLAND, Ore. - Not again. That must be what the Chicago Bulls are thinking after Derrick Rose limped off the court Friday night with another knee injury. Rose injured his right knee in the third quarter and the All-Star guard, who sat out last season following surgery on his other knee, did not return during a 98-95 loss to the streaking Portland Trail Blazers. Rose will have an MRI in Los Angeles on Saturday. "He was in pain and felt like he couldnt push off his right knee," Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said. Rose was on crutches in the training room but was not made available to the media after the Bulls squandered a 21-point lead in their second consecutive loss. The 2011 NBA MVP led Chicago with 20 points, five rebounds and three assists, but was assisted off the court with 3:20 remaining in the third quarter. He lost his footing while trying to change direction to get back on defence when Nicolas Batum stole a pass from Joakim Noah and started the other way. Rose limped across the court and couldnt put any weight on his knee. After the Blazers scored, he came out of the game during a timeout. It didnt appear there was any contact on the play, but Rose was unable to return. "Im concerned," Thibodeau said. "Anytime anyone goes down, youre concerned. But I dont want to speculate until I have more information." Rose tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the 2012 playoffs and missed last season while recovering from surgery. The top pick in the 2008 draft and a three-time All-Star, he was averaging 15.4 points this season. "Hopefully, its nothing serious," teammate Taj Gibson said. "Hes a strong guy. He worked extremely hard this summer trying to get his body right, working out every day." Wesley Matthews had a season-high 28 points and Damian Lillard added 20 to help the Blazers run their winning streak to nine games. Batum scored 17 points for Portland, on its longest winning streak since the 2007-08 seasonn.dddddddddddd Robin Lopez had 13 points and 16 rebounds. LaMarcus Aldridge added 13 points on 4-of-20 shooting. Carlos Boozer had 16 points and Luol Deng added 15 points and 14 rebounds for Chicago. The game was tied at 88 before Kirk Hinrich made two baskets to give the Bulls a 95-91 lead with 3 minutes left. But then Batum knocked down a 3-pointer, Matthews hit a jumper and Aldridge made two free throws to pull it out for the Blazers. The Bulls led by 21 in the second quarter but were outscored 34-9 in the third as Portland stormed back and took the lead. "We knew if Chicago continued unopposed, it was going to get embarrassing out there," Lopez said. Portland was coming off a 4-0 road trip that included a 97-87 win over Milwaukee on Wednesday, but the Blazers looked as though they were going to get blown out in the first half. Chicago jumped out to an early lead and was up 48-27 late in the second quarter before taking a 59-44 advantage into the break. Aldridge was barely a factor, missing nine of his 10 field goal attempts in the first half. Portland came out strong in the third, erasing the deficit and taking the lead when Mo Williams hit a 3-pointer. The Blazers entered the final quarter with a 78-71 advantage. Portland shot 51 per cent in the quarter while Chicago was 4 for 12. "We didnt change any schemes," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "We just played harder, played better, played with more focus, more intensity, more attitude." The Bulls had won five straight before losing to Denver 97-87 on Thursday night in the opener of a six-game road trip. NOTES: Bulls G-F Jimmy Butler sat out a second game with turf toe and will miss the entire road trip. Butler and Matthews were teammates at Marquette. ... Portland has won 10 of the last 12 matchups with Chicago at home. ... Aldridge was drafted No. 2 overall by the Bulls in 2006 but got traded on draft day to Portland for Victor Khryapa and the draft rights to Tyrus Thomas. Cheap Buffalo Sabres Gear Wholesale Calgary Flames Jerseys Cheap Adidas Colorado Avalanche Jerseys Montreal Canadiens Outlet Store Wholesale New Jersey Devils Jerseys Adidas Arizona Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Adidas Boston Bruins Jerseys Cheap Adidas Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys Chicago Blackhawks Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Columbus Blue Jackets Jerseys Dallas Stars Shop Free Shipping Cheap Adidas Detroit Red Wings Jerseys Anaheim Ducks Jerseys China Wholesale Edmonton Oilers Jerseys Florida Panthers Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Los Angeles Kings Jerseys Minnesota Wild Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Nashville Predators Jerseys Cheap Adidas New York Islanders Jerseys New York Rangers Winter Classic Jerseys Cheap Adidas Ottawa Senators Jerseys Cheap Adidas Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys Wholesale Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys Cheap Adidas San Jose Sharks Jerseys St. Louis Blues Winter Classic Jerseys Wholesale Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys Toronto Maple Leafs Outlet Store Vancouver Canucks Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Vegas Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Adidas Washington Capitals Jerseys Cheap Adidas Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' '