Page 25 - Florida Sentinel 9-11-20

Sports
Saints-Bucs QB 'Living Legends' Seek Early Advantage This Sunday
DREW BREES AND TOM BRADY
DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals Agree To 2-Year
Lamar Jackson Poised For Championship Run
Extension Worth $54.5M
2019 MVP Lamar Jack- son made tremendous strides throwing the ball during his NFL MVP campaign last sea- son, when he led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes.
But he's been an uneven quarterback when teams limit him as a runner. Since Jack- son took over as a starter mid- way through the 2018 season, he's 5-4 when rushing for less than 70 yards. His focus in training camp has been im- proving his downfield passing.
DEANDRE HOPKINS
DeAndre Hopkins has his deal, and the Arizona Cardi- nals have their star wide re- ceiver for the foreseeable future.
Hopkins signed a two-year extension with the Cardinals
LAMAR JACKSON
So, when teams crowd the box, Jackson can make them pay with the big play.
The Baltimore Ravens will be playing the Cleveland Browns Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
The NFC South Division title. The #1 seed in the con- ference during the 2020 NFL Playoffs. Perhaps even earning a trip to play in Super Bowl LV (55).
Those are just a few of the things that could end up being at stake in just 6 more days from now, when the New Or- leans Saints face-off against their division rivals the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday at 4:05 p.m., in the first game of the NFL 2020 Season for both teams.
There probably hasn’t been a much more hyped Season Opener in the Saints’ entire 53-year franchise history than this one will be, for a variety of those reasons just mentioned. But perhaps no story-line will
be more talked about by both fans and analysts alike, than the well-publicized battle for bragging rights that will occur between two of the NFL’s greatest QB’s of all-time: “liv- ing legends” Drew Brees and Tom Brady.
The two future NFL Hall of Famers and 40-something year old signal-callers are cur- rently ranked as the #1 and #2 top players on the NFL’s all- time lists, for both passing yards and touchdown passes. It will be interesting to see how both quarterbacks perform after Brees making a contro- versial statement about George Floyd and the Bucs deciding not to pay Jameis Winston and going with the 43-year-old Brady.
Saints’ Alvin Kamara To Pay
worth $54.5M, $42.5M guaranteed.
including
Tribute To Ahmaud Arbery
Cam Newton Ready To Start For Patriots; Season Opener Sunday Against Dolphins
CAM NEWTON
Quarterback Cam Newton called his fit with the New Eng- land Patriots a "match made in heaven" as he prepares to lead the team in its season opener Sunday against the Miami Dol- phins.
"Honestly it's been so over- whelming at times that I just haven't been able to grasp it from a whole totality stand- point," he said recently on sports radio WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show."
"I was in Carolina, and had given everything to that organ- ization that I possibly can, and I will always have a place in my heart for Carolina. But as a pro- fessional, you go where you're summoned to go, and what's best for your career. Just as it will be what's best for the or- ganization. I've just been loving myself and loving this opportu- nity I've had, coming into this position."
Last week, coach Bill Be- lichick told players that New- ton would be the team's starting quarterback. Newton was also voted one of eight cap- tains by players and coaches.
For Week 1 Game Vs. Bucs
The NFL is allowing play- ers to display names of victims of systemic racism on their helmets this season.
Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints is one of the players that will seize the opportunity to do so. Ka- mara will reportedly pay trib- ute to Ahmaud Arbery in Week 1 versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Back in May, a video sur- faced of Arbery being slain in Georgia in February of 2020 by two white males who seemed to have a racial intent behind their crimes.
AHMAUD ARBERY AND ALVIN KAMARA
For Kamara, a Georgia native, Arbery’s death hit close to home. Therefore, the three-time Pro Bowler is going to be sporting Arbery’s name on the back of his helmet when the Saints open the sea- son versus the Buccaneers.
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