wh3171
Geregistreerd op: 25 Okt 2019
Berichten: 210
|
 Geplaatst: 12-11-2019 09:20:49 Onderwerp: their performance has been sporadic for a middling |
 |
|
|
| ENGLEWOOD, Colo. Robin Yount Jersey . - Orlando Franklin ambled into the locker room Thursday and loudly announced, Im available to talk about the situation.It was the start of an extraordinary half hour in the Denver Broncos locker room where the offensive linemen cling to vestiges of the old code of silence that former offensive line coach Alex Gibbs introduced in the 1980s.One by one, each member of the Broncos usually quiet O-line chimed in on the criticism thats being piled upon them for failing to protect Peyton Manning or get the ground game going, which threatens to derail their Super Bowl dreams.—Franklin, still getting used to playing left guard after three years at right tackle, said he doesnt care about the scathing critique from Mark Schlereth. The ESPN analyst and ex-Broncos Pro Bowl O-lineman said this week that Denvers front five was so horrendous that if I was grading, giving an F would be kind.—Will Montgomery, who slid in at centre two weeks ago as the centerpiece of Denvers wholesale changes up front, said he doesnt pay any attention to whats being said outside the building but was confident the front five can get the team back on track starting Sunday.—Ryan Clady, whos dealing with a strained groin, said his surgically repaired left foot that sidelined him almost all of last season feels great. He stressed the O-line realizes righting the ship starts up front because if we go, the team goes.—Louis Vasquez, the All-Pro right guard whos been moved to right tackle, said while changes are tough especially in the middle of the season, Ill take it as a complement that the coaches believe and trust in me to get out on the edge and get the job done.—Manny Ramirez, whos moved from centre to right guard, said the reconfigured O-line was a work in progress but he appreciated Mannings vote of confidence a day earlier.Manning defended his O-line, pointing out the difficulty in switching the group midstream.Certainly, Manning replied when asked if this front five was good enough to win. Its not easy forming chemistry in just two weeks in the middle of the season, right? What is that, just a handful of practices theyve had together? Youd like for an offensive line to have a minicamp and a training camp to go through together, but ... were having to form that chemistry on the run.Franklin said: You dont just create chemistry in two weeks as an offensive line. Its not going to be like that.The Broncos have seen 38 runs go for zero gain or negative yards, their O-line has been penalized 31 times and although Mannings been sacked a league-low 11 times, three have come on three-man rushes.The heat was turned up high after the Broncos 22-7 loss at St. Louis on Sunday in which Manning threw 54 passes and handed off just nine times.Offensive co-ordinator Adam Gase, who one week earlier criticized into his offensive linemen for their poor play, took a more contrite tone Thursday, saying he could help them with better play-calling.The first thing I can do is run the ball more, Gase said, giving them more of a chance and allowing those guys to tee off a little bit instead of being on their heels so much.Another thing that could help is the return of Virgil Green, whose three-game absence with a strained calf has coincided with the offensive lines dive.Franklin said no matter whats called or whos in there or whos saying what, the O-line has to get it done.At the end of the day, this is the NFL. Youre at the top of your game. You do what youre told in this league, he said. They pay us a lot of money. They compensate us very well in order for us to go out there whether youre going to throw the ball 100 per cent of the time or run the ball every time. Thats our job to get it done.The Broncos knew there would be growing pains when they chose to make wholesale changes up front rather than try to help the O-linemen out schematically by inserting another tight end or running back into the formations.Gase said it was a matter of getting his best five linemen on the field.Right now, I feel good about it, he said. I know were getting better. ... I think we are going to start moving forward here in these last six games.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Gio Gonzalez Brewers Jersey . The 30-year-old Texas native was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 20th round of the 2001 amateur draft. Duke spent six years in Pittsburgh and also had stints with Arizona, Washington and Cincinnati. Orlando Arcia Jersey . -- The Chiefs have signed seven players to reserve/future contracts, including running back Joe McKnight, a former fourth-round pick of the New York Jets. https://www.cheapbrewers.com/179y-mike-moustakas-jersey-brewers.html . In the days leading up to the draft, TSN.ca and TSN Radio basketball analyst Duane Watson looks at some of the names that will be headlining the event. Tonight, Michigans Nik Stauskas of Mississauga, Ontario.INDIANAPOLIS - Terrence Ross came off the bench for the fifth time in Tuesdays game against the Pacers, Torontos most complete outing in weeks, but appears to be well on his way to earning back his spot in the Raptors starting lineup. The third-year forward, who had started 102 consecutive games dating back to last season, was demoted after a series of underwhelming and disengaged performances 10 days earlier. At the time, the team had dropped seven of nine contests and Ross, while not solely responsible, had a lot to do with the slide. Now, with the Raptors trending back in the right direction, winning four of their last five, Ross is beginning to look like the player of old, the confident and assertive version that took a big step forward after stepping into the starting lineup last year. I was really impressed with the way Terrence played, Dwane Casey said following the Raptors 104-91 win in Indiana. His body language, his defensive presence, his attention to what hes supposed to be doing on the defensive end was huge. Although Ross was not perfect defensively, glaringly missing a few assignments on the perimeter in his 19 minutes of action, he was decisive and played within the flow of the game offensively, scoring 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Coming off another positive outing in Sundays win over Detroit, to which Casey praised him prior to Tuesdays game, Ross continued to demonstrate improved decision making ability, putting the ball on the floor and making plays off the dribble. With Greivis Vasquez stepping in as a temporary member of the first unit, the Raptors are beginning to rediscover their playing personally, holding four of their last five opponents under 100 points. Despite the relatively low degree of difficulty - Indiana is 28th in offensive efficiency - Torontos defence was especially impressive after a slow start on Tuesday. Trailing by seven at the end of the first quarter, having allowed the Pacers to shoot 50 per cent, they held the home team to 38 per cent the rest of the way. Ross was part of the group that turned the game around early in the second quarter. Of course, crediting Vasquezs move to the starting lineup with the teams almost immediate turn of fortunes would be misleading. This stretch also coincides with a friendlier stretch in the schedule as well as the return of DeMar DeRozan, who is starting to look like his old self after stringing together a pair of quality outings this week. So, with the Raptors winning once again, how long does Casey stick with whats working? He has reiterated the lineup change is not intended to be permanent. I dont call him a member of the second unit, hes a member of the team, Casey said of Ross ahead of Tuesdays contest. Its something thats not permanent. Its a chance to give him a breather, take some pressure off of him. Just to continue to play the way he [has been], said Casey, asked what Ross must do to get his starting gig back. Shot selection, defending with intensity, keeping the ball in front of him, just the whole nine yards is where I think Terrence needs to get back to. Hes made huge strides to get back there. While Ross, when focused and playing hard, is an asset to that first unit, spreading the floor and allowing DeRozan and Kyle Lowry room to operate, starting Vasquez has its merits as well. Despite his defensive deficiencies and some inconsistency with his jump shot, Vasquezs ability to handle the ball takes pressure off Lowry in the backcourt. But at 23 years old and with his speed, athleticism and versatility, its only a matter of time before Ross is reinstated. Thats been made clear. What Casey is looking for is consistency from the young forward. I think it was definitely a message to be sent but he took it in a professional way, Vasquez said of Caseys decision to bench Ross. Even though Im in the starting lineup, I want to see him get back in the starting lineup and do what he do. At the end of the day were a family here so were not trying to take anybodys spot, were just trying to win games. Im sure Coach is moving the pieces the right way. I think T-Ross, at any given point, he might be back. Who knows? Thats the coachs decision, but we need him, man. We need everyone in this room. One player who appears to be the odd man out as a result of this rotation shakeup is James Johnson, who did not log a single minute for the second time since the change was made. Externally, many have questioned and continue to doubt the rationale behind Johnsons limited minutes, but both Casey and the player himself have insisted theres nothing more to it, nothing going on behind the sceenes that people are unaware of. Milwaukee Brewers Pro Shop. Its simply a decision based on minute distribution under the recent lineup change. With two point guards in the starting lineup, the rotation is shortened. Vasquez is starting because of his ability to space the floor, something Johnson lacks, but also acts as the back-up point guard when Lowry is on the bench, hence his increased playing time. Lou Williams, another floor spacer, has not had his minutes altered off the bench and Casey still prefers to use Patrick Patterson and Tyler Hansbrough as his conventional bigs as opposed to playing small with Johnson at the four. As a result, theres roughly 18-22 minutes available per game on the wing for either Ross or Johnson. Word is Johnson is taking his decreased playing time in stride, handling it like a professional. Buying into his role, he has been a pleasant surprise for the Raptors this season, but despite his strong play in a few areas, hes not without his weaknesses. His range is limited offensively and his defensive prowess may be overstated as he has a tendency to gamble off his man, often irking the coaching staff. Ross is not without holes in his game as well. He has as many or more. But the 23-year-old is a more valuable long-term commodity and the Raptors have wisely committed to getting him right again. Johnsons game, while also important to the teams plans, is less likely to be impacted by a short layoff than the young Ross would. Splitting the 18 (or so) available minutes between them is also not a viable solution, it would be awfully difficult for either player to get in any kind of rhythm. Agree or disagree, this is the rotation Casey is riding with and, at least for now, it seems to be working. At some point, likely in the near future, the Raptors plan to revert back to their old lineup and minute distribution, returning Ross to the starting lineup and presumably freeing Johnson. ROUNDING OUT THE ALL-STAR ROSTERS Although Kyle Lowry and nine other starters, voted in by the fans last week, have already punched their ticket to New York for next months All-Star Game, there are still 14 more slots up for grabs. The process of selecting the reserves, seven for each the Eastern and Western Conference teams, took place on Tuesday as the NBAs 30 head coaches submitted their ballots, which will ultimately round out the rosters. Coaches are responsible for voting in the subs for their own conference, each of them selecting two guards, three frontcourt players and two wild cards (players at any position). Naturally, theyre prohibited from voting for their own players. As such, Casey has been doing some 11th-hour campaigning for DeRozan, in the hopes of getting a second Raptor to the game, although he understands its a long shot. Ive talked to other coaches, he said. I think for us, DeMar has carried us when hes been with us. Hes a big part of what we do [but] injuries have probably kept him from being an all-star. His case would likely start with the teams record, which some might argue is good enough to warrant two all-stars. However, it would be pretty tough to make a compelling argument for any Raptors outside of Lowry, let alone DeRozan, who missed 21 games with his groin injury. But like the conference itself, those reserve slots in the East are wide open. The closest player to a lock may be Chicagos Jimmy Butler, who would become a first-time all-star. Depending on who you ask, there are no easy choices. Between Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, Al Horford and Paul Millsap, the Hawks should have at least a couple players on the team, but which ones? Horford, a former all-star, is their most important player but hes only recently gotten back to his pre-injury form. Teague and Millsap are enjoying career years and Korver is shooting the ball at a historic rate. As a 37-8 team, winners of 16 straight, its conceivable that all four end up on the team. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have all-star pedigrees but their performance has been sporadic for a middling team in Miami. The same can be said for the Cavaliers duo of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Will the Easts coaches reward winning or vote for name brand players? Casey leaned toward the former when filling out his ballot. I look for guys who are playing the right way, guys that are contributing to their team winning, said the Raptors coach. Winnings important. And I think guys who are playing the game the right way, not guys just putting up numbers. I think that to me is [important] as a coach and I think every coach Ive talked to is voting that way. The reserves will be announced Thursday on TNT. ' ' ' |
|
