Crazy Rebel(l)s
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22.04.2019 02:50
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(SportsNetwork.com) - If Jim Ross were getting ready to broadcast the Cincinnati Bengals next game, the famed wrestling announcer might say: Business is about to pick up. When the Bengals welcome Denver to Paul Brown Stadium for Monday Night Football, its with the stark realization that Johnny Manziel will be turning into Peyton Manning over a one-week span. Thats the equivalent of a basic arithmetic test followed up by one on advanced calculus. Its going to be a big shift, safe to say, Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis admitted. Its a challenge. (Manning) gets everyones attention in this building right away. The player he is, how he carries himself, how he runs things on the field -- its going to be a great challenge for us. Challenge may be an under statement because the Bengals have never beaten Manning whether he was in Indianapolis or Denver, compiling an 0-8 mark when the five-time MVP is lined up opposite them. Cincinnati inched closer to its fourth consecutive postseason berth in Week 15 when plenty of money signs were flashed but none coming from the player associated with the gesture, Manziel. The Cleveland rookie quarterbacks first career NFL start was as dismal as it gets and the Browns were whitewashed, 30-0, by the AFC North-leading Bengals. Jeremy Hill had 148 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries and Giovani Bernard amassed 79 yards on the ground for the Bengals (9-4-1), who produced points on each of their first four drives and remain a half-game ahead of Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the division standings entering Week 16. Cincinnati can clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Broncos and it can earn the AFC North crown with a win coupled with losses by the Steelers, who play Kansas City on Sunday, and the Ravens, who are at Houston. Were still in control of everything, said quarterback Andy Dalton. We know these next two games are going to be big. The way our division is going, everyone keeps winning. We know what were facing. Dalton completed 14-of-24 passes for 117 yards with one interception against the Browns as Cincinnati won its fourth straight road game to tie a club record. Denver, meanwhile, already punched its ticket to the postseason dance by winning the AFC West for a fourth straight year after downing San Diego, 22-10, in Week 15. Now the Broncos are focused on a first-round bye and the top spot in the AFC. Denver will clinch the mini-vacation with a win over the Bengals but needs to win out and hope New England loses one of its final two games to claim the top spot in the conference. Hindered by a bout with the flu and temporarily sidelined by a thigh injury, Manning got plenty of support from his Broncos teammates against the Chargers. Manning briefly exited the game late in the first half and produced a modest 233 yards with a touchdown, but five Connor Barth field goals and a strong defensive effort helped Denver sew up another division crown. Its a tough division to win, so it feels good, said Manning. All it does is guarantee you a spot in the playoffs, but at least you have a shot. The Broncos limited San Diego to 288 total yards, with the Chargers failing to mount a sustained rushing attack with top back Ryan Mathews out with an ankle injury. Demaryius Thomas caught six passes for 123 yards and a touchdown, while C.J. Anderson added 85 rushing yards on a workmanlike 29 carries. All that really matters now is winning, said Thomas. Manning completed 14-of-20 attempts one week after he threw for a season-low 173 yards and had a streak of 51 consecutive games with a touchdown pass halted against Buffalo. The Broncos won that game, too, though. Manning was shaken up while blocking Chargers linebacker Donald Butler on Andersons third-and-goal run that was initially ruled a touchdown, then overturned on review. When the five-time league MVP hobbled, Broncos head coach John Fox opted for Barths 19-yard field goal. Brock Osweiler directed Denvers next series, which ended in a quick three- and-out, as Manning received treatment in the locker room. The Broncos lead their all-time series with the Bengals by a significant 19-8 margin and have won four straight, the last of which was a 31-23 triumph in November of 2012 when Manning threw for 291 yards and three TDs. Both teams have had their troubles on Monday nights with Denver compiling a 29-36-1 mark over the years and Cincinnati being even worse at 10-20. WHAT TO WATCH FOR Manning and the Broncos offense have taken a step back from their 2013 performance, perhaps the best statistical season in NFL history, when Denver became the first team to pass the 600-point barrier. That said, when you look up, the numbers remain staggering as Manning is third in the AFC with 4,143 passing yards and even better with 37 TD passes (second in the NFL) and a 106.4 passer rating (tops in the conference). The veteran now has an NFL record 14 career 4,000-yard passing seasons and headlines an offense that is fifth in the NFL in both yards (400.7 yards per game) and points per game (29.1). If anything the group has become more well-rounded in recent weeks because of the emergence of the ground game and Anderson, who is averaging 135.3 scrimmage yards per game (812 total) with six total TDs (four rushing, two receiving) over the past six games. The receiving threats remain as good as any in football led by Thomas, who has 1,389 receiving yards and leads all AFC receivers with 41 TD catches since entering the league in 2010. His running mate, Emmanuel Sanders, has a career- high 1,261 yards and seven TD catches over his past nine games. The Cincinnati defense looked like world-beaters against Manziel but has taken a significant step back overall without Mike Zimmer, now the head coach in Minnesota. The Bengals D entered last weeks contest 25th in the league and are now 20th after dominating Manziel. The 25 number is probably more indicative of where they belong because facing a QB who isnt ready to play in the NFL is an anomaly and certainly not what Cincy will be up against on Monday night. Dalton has been inconsistent this season so the strength of the Bengals offense is the running game, which is clicking now that Bernard is healthy and the rookie Hill is getting more comfortable week by week. The Cincinnati running game has been averaging 145.3 yards per game over its past four games. That shapes up as strength versus strength, though, because the Denver defense is second in the NFL. allowing only 71.6 yards per game on the ground. Overall, Jack Del Rios stop unit is one of the most improved in the league and is fourth overall, surrendering 309.4 yards per game. The two stars of the unit, Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware, come off the edge and the Broncos are one of only two teams with two players that have recorded 10 or more sacks (Miller 13, Ware 10). We have to get through this game before we have any opportunities at January, Lewis said. Its been (a playoff mentality) for the last seven weeks. Preparation and how you go about it, and the confidence of knowing what to do and how to do it allows you to play fast. Thats the most important thing, for us: to play fast, to play physical, to play smart. OVERALL ANALYSIS The Bengals are 13-2-1 in their past 16 regular-season home games but one of those losses and the tie came in their past two as the host. With the air of invincibility at Paul Brown Stadium diminishing and Mannings history of success against Cincinnati, its tough to pick the Bengals here. Its our goal (to win the Super Bowl) every year, Fox said. Everybodys hope and dream before the season is youll be hoisting that championship trophy. We got close last year and came up short. Obviously, (the AFC West championship) is a great accomplishment, but we still have more season left. Sports Network predicted outcome: Broncos 27, Bengals 21 Martin St. Louis Jersey . Bradley is one of eight players selected to the team who also played in this years World Cup in Brazil. The MLS all-stars will compete against German giants Bayern Munich in Portland on Aug. Brian Leetch Jersey .com) - Sergio Agueros 63rd-minute goal was enough to lift Manchester City to a 1-0 win over 10-man Manchester United on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium. http://www.authenticnyrangerspro.com/Mika-zibanejad-rangers-jersey/ . Jeff Carter had two goals and an assist as the Kings stretched their streak to seven wins in a row with a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. Marc Staal Jersey . Didnt need any help this time. Wood beat Cincinnati for the first time in his career, repeatedly pitching out of threats for seven innings, and Chicago stalled the Reds week-long surge with a 2-0 victory Monday night. Sergei Nemchinov Jersey . on the 15-day disabled Monday list because of a strained right hamstring.Piscataway, NJ (SportsNetwork.com) - The fourth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers take aim at their ninth straight win, as they visit one of the two new members of the Big Ten Conference, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Sunday evening. Save for an 80-70 home loss to Duke in early December, Wisconsin has been perfect this season, the team going 15-1, which includes a 3-0 mark in Big Ten play. The Badgers claimed a 62-55 win over visiting Purdue last Wednesday to improve to 8-1 at home. They are 4-0 in true road games, and 7-0 outside of Madison all told when you factor in their 3-0 mark in neutral-site affairs. Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan recorded his school-record 159th Big Ten victory in the win over Purdue. Rutgers has had an up and down season to this point, winning nine of its first 16 games, and only one of three Big Ten bouts. The Scarlet Knights suffered a 65-49 setback at Nebraska on Thursday, that coming five days after they logged their first-ever Big Ten victory at home against Penn State (50-46). RUs last win over a ranked opponent was a 67-62 verdict over No. 24 Pittsburgh at the RAC on Jan. 5, 2013. The highest ranked team that Rutgers has ever defeated was a 74-64 final versus No. 6 West Virginia at the RAC on Feb. 27, 1982. Wisconsin has won all three previous meetings with Rutgers, the most recent being a 70-62 decision on the road back on Dec. 4, 2004. Despite being outshot and outrebounded, Wisconsin still found a way to knock off visiting Purdue earlier in the week. The Badgers got 21 points from Frank Kaminsky, 15 from Josh Gasser and 13 from Traevon Jackson. Sam Dekker tallied just six points, but earned his 1,000th career point in the process. The Badgers missed 11 of their 14 3-point attempts, but used a massive 25-3 edge in points at the foul line to earn the hard-fought victory.dddddddddddd Kaminsky continues to live up his billing as the Big Tens Preseason Player of the Year, as he averages 16.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Dekker (12.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and Nigel Hayes (12.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg) are the other double-digit scorers for the Badgers, who put up 74.2 ppg in hitting 49.2 percent of their field goal attempts, and 74.8 percent of their free throws. Conversely, foes are generating just 54.1 ppg, as UW puts the clamps down on defense in permitting success on only 39.9 percent of the oppositions field goal chances. Wisconsin is tops in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (8.5). Poor shooting and carelessness with the basketball proved to be Rutgers undoing in its first Big Ten road clash, as the team knocked down only 34.7 percent of its field goal attempts, which included a mere 2-of-13 effort from 3-point range. The Scarlet Knights converted just 13-of-23 free throws as well, while committing an unsightly 19 turnovers. Bishop Daniels paced RU with a dozen points off the bench, while the only starter to reach double figures was Kadeem Jack with 11. Jack was guilty of five miscues. Myles Mack and Jack rank one-two on the teams scoring list for the season, but they net only 13.3 and 12.1 ppg, respectively. As a result of the rather anemic attack, the Scarlet Knights are generating just 58.2 ppg, which ranks as the worst figure in the Big Ten, and has the team ranked as one of the worst in the country. Fortunately, Rutgers is giving up only 60.5 ppg, or its record would likely be well below .500, rather than two games over at the moment. ' ' ' |
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