Page 27 - Florida Sentinel 11-27-15 Edition

Sports
Lions WR Calvin Johnson Surpasses 700 Career Receptions
DETROIT -- Calvin John- son ran right through the middle of the field and, as he has done so many times throughout his career, Detroit Lions quarterbackMatthew Stafford found the receiver in stride.
It appeared to be just an- other Stafford-to-Johnson play during a two-minute drill, but it did represent more. It was Johnson’s 700th career reception, making him the first Lions player to reach the mark. Johnson is the ninth player in league history to reach 700 receptions in his first nine seasons.
Johnson had four recep- tions in the first half Sunday against Oakland, allowing him to pass Gary Clark (699) on the all-time receptions list. Johnson, who entered the
Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson moved past the 700- catch mark for his career on Sunday.
game with 697 catches, also tied Joey Galloway for No. 43 on the all-time NFL recep- tions list with 701.
Next up for Johnson is Santana Moss, who has 732 receptions.
Justin Forsett Has Broken Right Arm
Marvin Lewis Calls Flag Before Winning Field Goal 'Kind Of Ridiculous'
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Bengals coach Marvin Lewis emphat- ically disputed a penalty that gave the Cardinals a 32-yard field goal attempt to win Sun- day night instead of a 47-yard kick, saying it was a "phantom call" he thought was "kind of ridiculous."
With six seconds left in Ari- zona's 34-31 win, Cincinnati defensive tackle Domata Peko was flagged 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. Head official Terry McAulay announced Peko had been simulating a snap call, causing Cardinals offensive linemen to move early.
"I trust what our player did and said," Lewis said. "He's alerting a run and not anything to do with what they're saying.
"I don't see how they make that call at that point in the game like that. I trust our guy to be honest with me."
Peko, a 10-year veteran who has spent his entire career in Cincinnati with Lewis as his head coach, said he had no idea what the Cardinals were plan- ning on doing on the play. But he wanted to get off the line quickly and into the backfield, he said.
"We were still running back from our prior play, and I was just saying, 'Get set, get set, get set,'" Peko said.
MARVIN LEWIS
Peko said his hope on the play was to dive quickly to the ground to figure out a way to disrupt Palmer's potential spike, or to get to him quickly had he tried to kneel down.
"I don't know if 'set' sounds like 'hike' to them," Peko said. "I don't know if it was the way I said it quicker like, 'Get set!' with the bass in my voice or whatever. I don't know."
Two prominent Cardinals contended Peko did shout their snap counts and should have been penalized.
"It was real obvious," Cardi- nals quarterback Carson Palmer said of Peko's penalty. "The ref was right there. They obviously said the snap count, and that's a 15- yarder."
Justin Forsett, who en- tered Sunday's games as the NFL's 10th-leading rusher, suffered a broken arm in the first quarter.
BALTIMORE -- Ravens run- ning back Justin Forsett broke his right arm in the first quarter of Baltimore's 16-13 victory against the Rams.
Forsett, the NFL's 10th- leading rusher, was slammed to the ground by Rams defen- sive tackle Aaron Donald with 4:50 left in the first quar- ter. He was helped off the field with his right arm in an air cast.
The Ravens now are down to their third running back, rookie fourth-round pick Buck Allen, after losing Forsett and backup running back Lorenzo Taliaferro, who was placed on IR on Oct. 14.
Forsett had a productive start Sunday, gaining 31 yards on his first three carries.
Forsett's injury wasn't even the biggest of the day for a wounded Ravens roster as quarterback Joe Flacco tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee on the final drive of the game. Baltimore (3-7) had al- ready lost leading receiver Steve Smith Sr. to a season- ending Achilles injury three weeks ago.
Devonta Freeman Suffers Concussion vs. Colts
ATLANTA -- Falcons run- ning back Devonta Free- man left Sunday's 24-21 loss to the Indianapolis Colts with a concussion suffered in the first quarter and was ruled out for the game.
Freeman walked to the locker room with 9:20 remain- ing in the quarter, shortly after he broke loose for a 39-yard run. It's unclear exactly how he suffered the injury.
He was replaced by rookie Tevin Coleman, who began the season as the starting run- ning back. Coleman finished with 48 yards on 17 carries.
The injury means the Fal- cons are without one of the
DEVONTA COLEMAN
league's top running backs and a player who has scored 11 touchdowns this season.
Cam Newton's Five Touchdowns Show Off His Versatility As A Passer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Cam Newton left Bank of America Stadium on Sunday wearing a large fox tail on his left hip and looking a lot less GQ formal than he typically does after a game.
When you've just thrown a career-best five touchdown passes to lead your team to 10- 0, you can wear whatever you want.
Just as he does with his wardrobe, the Carolina Pan- thers quarterback continues to show his versatility as a foot- ball player. He's starting to turn his image of an athlete who can pass into the image of a complete quarterback.
That's why he should be in the MVP talks, if not at the forefront of the conversation.
"Because he does it all and his team is undefeated," Car- olina safety Roman Harper said after Sunday's 44-16 vic- tory over the Washington Red- skins. "What else are you going to say? It's a quarterback-dri- ven league and we understand that, and he's playing lights out for us."
Newton has been lights out with his arm and legs through- out his career. But on this day, he looked like a more tradi- tional pocket passer, a la Tom Brady and Peyton Man-
Cam Newton's 92.9 QBR against Washington on Sunday is the highest mark he's had all season.
ning.
Newton completed 21 of 34
pass attempts for 246 yards and touchdowns to five differ- ent receivers. He ran only four times for 16 yards.
"He's continuing to find himself," Harper said. "He's continuing to get better every week and he's doing things he was not capable of doing three years ago."
Three years ago, Harper was a member of the New Or- leans Saints, playing with a quarterback who has a long history of posting MVP-like numbers. Six years ago, that quarterback led the Saints to a 13-0 start and ultimately a vic- tory in the Super Bowl in which he was the MVP.
LeBron Joins Elite 25 In Points And Assists
LEBRON JAMES
Make room, Big O.
LeBron James joined Hall
of Famer Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA his- tory to rank in the Top 25 in points and assists.
With his fifth assist Monday night against Orlando, James pulled into the elite company of Robertson, the legendary "Big O," who finished with 26,710 points and 9,887 as- sists. James entered the game needing 21 points to pass Reg- gie Miller (25,279) for 18th on the career scoring list. Robert- son is 11th.
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