Page 27 - Florida Sentinel 11-25-16 Online Edition

Sports
Winston Admits Chiefs' Chop Chant Fired Him Up
Inspired Bucs Getting Ready For Seahawks Sunday
JAMEIS WINSTON AND RUSSELL WILSON
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Cecil Shorts put it succinctly after Sunday’s 19-17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
“Good teams find ways to win games in November and December,” said Tampa Bay wide receiver Cecil Shorts, a six-year NFL veteran. “Today was a huge win for us. I think we are hitting our stride at the right time.”
The Buccaneers are now 5-5, with six games remaining in the regular season, and they are a game behind NFC South- division leader Atlanta. Tampa Bay split its two meetings with the Falcons. They are right in thick of the hunt for one of slots in the conference playoffs.
It was solid efforts on of- fense, defense and special teams that allowed the Bucs to win on the road. That’s some- thing they’ve grown used to, as they are now 5-1 on the season away from Raymond James Stadium. They return home this Sunday to play Russell Wilson and the Seattle Sea- hawks. The Seahawks are lead- ing the NFC West division with a 7-2-1 record. This will be a big test for quarterback Jameis Winston and the of- fense against the Richard Sherman led defense. The game will be televised Sunday at 4:05 p.m. on FOX.
“We’ve played against some tough teams,” said Winston. “This is the NFL. Every week you’re going to play against a great defense and a great of- fense. This week will definitely be a challenge with the Sea- hawks, but we have to play Buccaneer football.
“There’s room to grow. We are getting better every single week.”
South Carolina State Player Makes History; Oldest At 55 To Play
JAMEIS WINSTON
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Win- ston was more than 1,000 miles from Tallahassee in Kansas City, but on Sunday, Arrowhead Stadium might as well have been Florida State's Doak Campbell Stadium.
The Bucs beat the Chiefs 19- 17, and Winston felt right at home, despite playing in one of the toughest environments for opposing quarterbacks not just because of the Chiefs' ball- hawking defense and ferocious pass rush, but because of the noise level. Arrowhead Sta- dium holds the Guinness
World Record for loudest out- door stadium.
“Man, the crowd noise was amazing," Winston gushed. "Every third down, they did an 'Nole-chant' and I was so pumped up, it really made me feel at home."
He sure performed like it, completing 12-of-14 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown on third down alone. His 12 com- pletions on third down were a career high, and his completion percentage of 86 was the sec- ond-best of his career, accord- ing to ESPN Stats & Info. When the Chiefs blitzed him on third down, he was a perfect 6-for-6. Perhaps that inspired kicker and fellow FSU alum Roberto Aguayo, who was 4-for-4 on field goals.
"I love playing here," Win- ston said. "Every time I [got] the chance to hit a Nole-chant, [I did it]. I was even doing it with the fans at the beginning of the game."
Joe Thomas, Sr. made college football history by ap- pearing as a running back for HBCU South Carolina State.
Thomas at the age of 55 is believed to be the oldest player to participate in a Division I football game. The father of Green Bay Packers linebacker, Joe Thomas Jr., practiced with the team with his son and then stayed on the past two seasons with the hope of find- ing his way into a game.
His dream was realized in the first quarter on senior day
Joe Thomas Sr, 55, became the oldest Division I football player to take the field when he took a handoff and ran for three yards on Saturday afternoon.
against Savannah State when he carried for three yards.
Cowboy LB Rolando McClain Suspended For Another Year; Career Probably Over
The Bengals lost wide re- ceiver A. J. Green for multi- ple weeks with a hamstring injury Sunday, and according to a USA Today report, running back Giovani Bernard was ruled out for the season with a torn ACL in his left knee.
Sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter there is a chance Green will not play again this season.
Green hit the ground while trying to make a catch on the second play of the game against the Buffalo Bills, and he got up in obvious pain. He briefly stood on the sideline, held up by two assistant trainers, who signaled for a cart. Green was taken to the locker room and
A. J. GREEN
did not return.
Bengals coach Marvin
Lewis declined to give an offi- cial update on Green's status when asked after Cincinnati's 16-12 loss.
"I don't know when he can be back, but he has a hamstring injury, I can tell you that," Lewis said.
A. J. Green Injures Hamstring; Giovani Bernard Reportedly Tears ACL
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain is being suspended for another year, on top of the 10-game suspension he's currently serving that is scheduled to end Monday.
According to sources, Mc- Clain will probably not play again in the NFL after recently missing another drug test.
McClain is likely to appeal the latest suspension, accord- ing to sources.
McClain was serving the current suspension for testing
positive for opiates.
Cowboys
owner Jerry
Jones previ-
ously said
McClain
would not be
back with the
team when
his suspension was scheduled to end Monday.
Players suspended for a year or longer do not have a high success rate of returning.
ROLANDO MCCLAIN
Dak Prescott Crosses Another Challenge Off List As Cowboys Win Again
Pick a situation, any situa- tion, and Dak Prescott has figured it all out.
Replace the Dallas Cowboys' all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns at the start of the season. Check.
Overcome a fourth-quarter deficit against a heated rival on the road. Next.
Withstand a two-touch- down deficit on the road and win. Uh-huh.
Win at Lambeau Field against a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and NFL Most Valuable Player. Yep.
Outduel another Super Bowl-winning quarterback at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field with two touchdowns in the final minute. Got it.
Win again with the fran- chise's all-time leader in pass- ing yards and touchdowns in uniform for the first time. No problem.
Prescott checked off the last one on Sunday, when the Cowboys set a franchise record with their ninth straight vic- tory in beating the Baltimore Ravens 27-17.
Prescott's most impressive
DAK PRESCOTT
feat on Sunday was to forget Tony Romo was his backup and feeling as if he needed to be perfect.
It was staring down the NFL's top-ranked defense after the Cowboys punted on their first four possessions and con- verting after Dallas faced first- and-30 from their own 28 in the second quarter. There aren't a lot of plays designed for first-and-30, but five plays later, Prescott had the Cow- boys in the end zone.
"It might actually be easier at that point," Prescott said. "You know they're not going to just give you a one-shot, 30- yard play, so it's kind of easier to just know the mentality and check it down and get some of it back."
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