Page 24 - Florida Sentinel 1-27-17

Sports
New England Patriots Vs. Atlanta Falcons: Falcons To Rest Julio Jones,
Epic Super Bowl Clash Next Week
Alex Mack This Week
Super Bowl LI is set. It's going to be epic.
We have 1 week to write about the explosive Falcons and the juggernaut Patriots. The Falcons are a loveable bunch. How could you dislike them? It's, well, impossible!
Matt Ryan could be the most likable player in the league ... in addition to the Most Valuable?
Ryan's certainly deserv- ing of the hardware if he does indeed receive it.)
In Atlanta's Georgia Dome swan song -- a 44-21 beat- down of Green Bay -- Ryan treated the Packers like prac- tice-squad players who would never make the league, piling up 392 yards and four touchdowns through the air - - and adding a 14-yard rush- ing score for good measure.
Ryan methodically scrolls through his reads and picks apart opposing defenses. He's accurate, he's tough,
MATT RYAN Falcons QB
TOM BRADY Patriots QB
JULIO JONES Falcons WR
Let's get our Julio Jones and Alex Mack injury updates out of the way for the week.
Both the re- ceiver and center will rest this week, coach Dan Quinn said on Wednesday.
"That's the goal that we set out for them, and that's the game plan. They'll be able to play. But past those two, we're healthy getting into our preparation on the field.''
Jones is nursing a toe in- jury suffered in early Decem- ber. Mack hurt his ankle in the NFC Championship
JULIO JONES
Game but returned to the contest.
Sitting both for practices this week makes sense and will have no negative affect on their ability to perform in the Super Bowl.
Atlanta practiced Wednes- day, Thursday and Friday be- fore heading to Houston on Sunday.
he's clutch. Everything is clicking in Year 2 under play- calling mastermind Kyle Shanahan. If you don't ap- preciate this, then you don't appreciate football. Not lik- ing Matt Ryan right now is akin to not liking pizza.
Of course, the Falcons aren't the NFL's most potent offense without Ryan get- ting a little help from his friends.
And that starts with the beast in the No. 11 jersey.
Julio Jones is a force of nature. How many "wow"
plays can one man make in a Championship Sunday? Like another legend of Atlanta sports lore, he's a human highlight reel. After posting his third consecutive regular season with at least 1,400 re- ceiving yards, Jones went bonkers on Sunday, catching nine balls for 180 yards and two touchdowns. The only thing that can stop Julio Jones is his own body.
The Sentinel picks the Atlanta Falcons to beat the New England Patri- ots.
QB: Pro Bowl My Last Game As 'San Diego Charger'
Clemson Coach: Passing On Deshaun Watson In Draft A Big Mistake
play one more game as a San Diego Charger, in his mind.
"I made this team as a San Diego Charger," Rivers told the San Diego Union-Tribune.
"We walked off the field after that Kansas City game and we thought it might be the end, but we didn't know. This will be the last game I play as a San Diego Charger."
Forget for a second that the Chargers have indeed moved to Los Angeles, they held two press conferences and pro- moted three logos touting the fact and Rivers himself won over Angelenos at said press conferences, acknowledging the move and making fun cracks about his boots-and- jeans lifestyle.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney gave the ultimate endorsement Tuesday to Tigers quarterback De- shaun Watson as he heads into the NFL draft process.
"I'm just telling you, if they pass on Deshaun Watson, they're passing on Michael Jordan," Swinney said during the first day of Senior Bowl practices. "I'm just telling you. I don't know what the heck I'm talking about; I'm just an old funky college
DESHAUN WATSON ... College Football Champion QB
coach. But Deshaun Wat- son is the best, by a long shot."
Although they played dif- ferent sports in college, Michael Jordan and De- shaun Watson share a lot in common.
Watson elected not to participate in the Senior Bowl. He is a junior but has graduated, making him eligi- ble for the game.
Watson, who led Swin- ney's Tigers to the national championship with a stun- ning 35-31 win over Alabama earlier this month, is one of the most highly debated draft prospects early in this year's evaluations.
A strong case could be made for the Cleveland Browns considering Watson as high as No. 1 overall be- cause of his star power and proven ability to win on the biggest stage.
But draft analysts aren't as sold yet on the 6-foot-2, 210- pounder.
PHILIP RIVERS QB For Chargers
As far as Philip Rivers is concerned, he's not a member of the Los Angeles Chargers just yet.
The longtime Bolts quarter- back was added to the Pro Bowl on Tuesday, replacing Ben Roethlisberger and giving him an opportunity to
Brent Musburger To Retire After Nearly 50 Years In Broadcasting
You are looking live at the end of one of the most storied careers in sports broadcasting.
Brent Musburger is retir- ing at the end of January, ESPN announced. Mus- burger will call two more con- tests before hanging up the headset for good, with his final college basketball game (Geor- gia at Kentucky) coming at 9 p.m. EST on Jan. 31.
Musburger, who turns 78 in May, spent nearly 50 years in broadcasting, with the last 27 coming with ABC/ESPN. Cue up any old footage from the earlier days of sports televi- sion and you're sure to find Musburger, whether it's courtside, in the booth or be- hind the anchor's desk in stu- dio, working for CBS or ABC/ESPN. As sports took over more and more of the American public's conscious- ness, Musburger was there to call a good amount of it.
BRENT MUSBURGER
Musburger became one of the network's go-to broadcast- ers for college football and bas- ketball in the early 2000s, calling seven BCS Champi- onship Games. Musburger also served as either the host and/or play-by-play man for golf tournaments, NBA and Little League World Series games, NASCAR and IRL races and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Musburger's retirement is the latest departure in what has become a gradual changing of the guard at the network, which has also bid adieu to Chris Berman and Tom Jackson in recent months.
PAGE 14-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2017