Page 14 - Florida Sentinel 10-4-16 Online Edition

Sports
Bucs Lose Third Straight To Broncos
Hobbled Russell Wilson Picks Apart Jets In Seahawks Victory
RUSSELL WILSON
A week ago Sunday, the Seat- tle Seahawks were awaiting word on an MRI that would reveal the extent of star quarterback Rus- sell Wilson’s knee injury. It turned out the quarterback had a sprained MCL. He called on his personal physical therapist to fly in from Southern California, and Wilson was getting treatment before the night was over. Play- ing with a brace on his knee against the New York Jets,
Wilson started his 68th consecutive game Sunday and was just about perfect, complet- ing 23 of 32 passes for 309 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions as the Seahawks beat the Jets, 27-17.
Wilson's injuries have been the story of the Seahawks' sea- son so far. He suffered a right high ankle sprain in Week 1 in addition to the knee injury in Week 3. But the quarterback has shown he's capable of playing at less than 100 percent, and he'll now get time to heal as the Sea- hawks go into the bye with a 3-1 record.
The Seahawks struggled to get the run game going for much of the afternoon against the Jets, so offensive coordinator Dar- rell Bevell called on Wilson to operate from the pocket and make smart decisions. He did just that. In the second quarter, Wilson bought some time be- fore connecting with C.J. Spiller for an 8-yard score, threading a pass in between de- fenders.
The Seahawks wanted Wil- son to avoid big hits, but that didn't mean playing conserva- tively. They threw the ball down- field all game long. Four different players -- Jimmy Gra- ham, Doug Baldwin, McEvoy and Paul Richard- son -- had at least one catch of 25-plus yards. Graham was es- pecially impressive, with six catches for 113 yards on eight targets. Later in the first half, he executed a play-fake before fir- ing downfield to a wide-open Tanner McEvoy for a 42-yard touchdown. And in the fourth quarter, Wilson showed he can still move, rolling to his right be- fore connecting with Christine Michael for a 6-yard score.
Julio Jones Has 300-Yard Game One Week After 1-Catch Outing
Even a rain delay Sunday couldn’t offer the Tampa Bay Buccaneers any relief as they dropped their third straight game, this time to the defend- ing Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos.
The final score was 27-7, but the Bucs did enough dur- ing the course of the game to make things a lot worse.
Fortunately, starting quar- terback Jameis Winston wasn’t injured Sunday, but defensive end Gerald McCoy left the game with a calf injury.
Next up for the Bucs will be a Monday Night contest against the Carolina Panthers
JAMIES WINSTON
on the road. The Panthers are also coming off disappointing loses so each team will be looking to rebound.
Monday’s game will be tele- cast on ESPN with kickoff scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
Atlanta Falcons all-pro wide receiver Julio Jones, held to one catch in his last outing, set a franchise record with 300 receiving yards in the Falcons' win against the Carolina Panthers on Sun- day.
Jones hit exactly 300 yards on his 12th catch of the game -- a 75-yard catch-and- run touchdown from quarter- back Matt Ryan to give the Falcons a 41-26 lead. Jones shattered his own record of 259 yards, set against Green Bay in 2014.
On the same play, Ryan set the franchise single-game passing mark with 503 yards, breaking his own record of 448 set against the New Or- leans Saints in 2014.
JULIO JONES
the sixth time in NFL history a receiver had at least 300 yards receiving in a game, and the first since former De- troit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson had 329 yards against the Dallas Cow- boys on Oct. 27, 2013. For- mer Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Willie "Flipper" Anderson holds the NFL record with 336 yards against the Saints in an overtime game on Nov. 26, 1989.
Gerald McCoy Leaves Game With Calf Injury
Jones' effort Sunday was
Tate Was Barely Seen On Field
The one bright and consis- tent spot on the Tampa Bay Buccaneer defense had to leave Sunday’s game with a calf injury.
Gerald McCoy left in the second quarter and was slow coming off the field. He was evaluated on the sidelines and then he was seen walking slowly into the locker room. His return for the team’s next game is reported as doubtful.
The Bucs have limited depth at defensive tackle, with Clinton McDonald as a starter and Akeem
In Lions' Loss To The Bears
Cam Newton In Concussion Protocol From Hit During Loss To Falcons
Carolina Panthers star quarterback Cam Newton has been placed in the con- cussion protocol after he was taken out of Sunday's 48-33 loss to the Falcons in the fourth quarter following a hard hit on a two-point con- version run.
The reigning NFL MVP was hit by Falcons linebacker Deion Jones as he reached the goal line. Derek Ander- son came in for Newton on the ensuing drive and fin- ished the game.
"I saw it was a quarter- back run," Jones told re- porters. "It looked like he let up a little at the goal line, and I just tried to make a good play."
Newton said after that game that he "let my foot off
CAM NEWTON
the gas" and would never let that happen again.
Anderson will start if Newton can't play Oct. 10 against the Tampa Bay Buc- caneers. When Newton missed two starts in 2014 -- one with fractured ribs and one with a broken bone in his back from a car wreck -- An- derson went 2-0. Both games were against the Buc- caneers.
Dez Bryant Refutes Report Of Careless Behavior: 'It Is Crazy'
GERALD MCCOY
Spence was the only true backup DT. The Bucs will utlilize rookies DaVonte Lambert and Channing Ward, who can play at end or tackle.
Detroit Lions star wide re- ceiver Golden Tate has been on the field for almost every Detroit Lions offensive snap this season. If he's been pulled out, it's been for a play or two and then he's right back in there.
On Sunday during a 17-14 loss to the Chicago Bears, Tate was barely on the field during the second half at all. Whether it was a benching or not was not entirely clear.
Entering Sunday, Tate has been on the field for 86.8 percent of the Lions' offensive snaps. Yet Lions coach Jim Caldwell, when asked if Tate was benched, wouldn't say the team benched him and used Andre Roberts on the outside instead.
"We move him around quite a bit," Caldwell said.
GOLDEN TATE
"We gave Andre an opportu- nity. Andre obviously de- serves it and it was our plan beforehand. You know, but he came back in. He was back in there and he'll do well."
Tate said he knew during the week the coaches wanted to use Roberts more, but it didn't sound like he knew it was going to be at his ex- pense. Tate said after Sun- day's game he was not told he wouldn't be playing much in the second half.
Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant has tendered a strong denial to the notion his seven-year career has been marked by a pattern of irre- sponsible behavior high- lighted by a score of late or missed meetings.
While Bryant has consis- tently been an offensive focal point for "America's team," he said Sunday that he must be "America's most hated."
"We don't even know who's saying it," said Bryant, after sources earlier told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter that Bryant had been tardy to or missed 20 to 40 meetings in his career. "That's the crazy part about it. I get messages from my friends, talking about, 'It's just crazy.' Because it is
DEZ BRYANT
crazy."
Bryant missed Sunday's
24-17 win over the San Fran- cisco 49ers a week after hurt- ing his knee. After Bryant was injured in a victory over the Chicago Bears a week ago, he missed treatment and an MRI appointment last Mon- day, plus team meetings Tuesday and Wednesday after not communicating with the team. He later expressed regret.
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