Page 21 - Aruba Today
P. 21
SPORTS A21
Saturday 12 September
NFL PREVIEW Fox hopes his best wideout, enal shape than usual. Bet New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski celebrates his
Alshon Jeffery, is not lim- on the latter. first touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first half of
Continued from page 17 ited by a calf problem that In the other match, Atlan- an NFL football game, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015, in Foxborough,
sidelined him for nearly a ta welcomes perhaps the Mass.
“Ever since I was a kid, I was month. NFL’s most intriguing team,
a very competitive person, With Denver hosting Balti- the Philadelphia Eagles. Associated Press
and I don’t take losing very more, the clubs have had Coach Chip Kelly was giv-
well, and that’s kind of some juicy matchups, in- en full personnel power af-
what made me the player cluding the wild double- ter his second straight 10-6
that I am today,” Mariota overtime victory for the Ra- season, which he said “isn’t
says. “So going forward, vens in Mile High City in the good enough.” It wasn’t
obviously, there’s going to 2012 season. Both have de- good enough for a 2014
be ups and downs. You’ve fenses with impact players playoff spot, so he tore up
just, obviously, got to take — Denver’s Von Miller and much of the squad. Injury-
it on the chin and go from Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs, prone Sam Bradford is the
there.” for instance — who need new quarterback, and of-
The Titans have taken it on to step up against passers fensive player of the year
the chin a lot lately, go- Peyton Manning and Joe running back DeMarco
ing 38-58 since last mak- Flacco. Murray left Dallas and re-
ing the postseason. Tampa Seattle has a good first test places LeSean McCoy —
Bay has been worse with in St. Louis to see if the Se- just two of Kelly’s myriad
a collective 30-66 mark. ahawks have any lingering moves.
The prize for last year’s 2-14 pain from their last-minute Dan Quinn, who oversaw
campaign was selecting Super Bowl loss. The Rams Seattle’s powerful defense
Winston, who brings tons of will get after the passer the last two years, tries to
confidence. with their dynamic front line rebuild Atlanta’s unit, a dif-
“Just because you’re a featuring Robert Quinn and ficult chore.
rookie doesn’t mean you Aaron Donald. Seattle will Ready to go on Thursday
can’t play football,” he counter with Beast Mode, in the kickoff game to the
says. running back Marshawn regular season was Tom
The Green Bay Packers, Lynch, and the creativity of Brady, who threw for four
many observers’ pick to quarterback Russell Wilson. touchdowns, three to tight
be champion this season, The Seahawks are missing a end Rob Gronkowski, as
start in Chicago. The Pack- key ingredient from the so- Super Bowl champion New
ers have won nine of the called Legion of Boom: Ag- England beat Pittsburgh
last 10 in the oldest rivalry gressive safety Kam Chan- 28-21. Brady has 161 wins
in American football; this is cellor, a holdout. as a starter, the most with
meeting No. 191. They seek In Monday’s doublehead- one franchise of any quar-
a fifth straight NFC North er, running back Adrian Pe- terback in NFL history.
crown without top receiver terson returns to the Minne- Also on Sunday, it’s Kansas
Jordy Nelson, but with an sota Vikings at San Francis- City at Houston, Cleveland
otherwise strong squad led co after missing all but one at New York Jets, India-
by 2014 league MVP Aaron game while on the com- napolis at Buffalo, Miami
Rodgers. missioner’s exempt list after at Washington, Carolina at
John Fox makes his debut charges of child abuse. He Jacksonville, New Orleans
as Bears coach. Known could be rusty, or the year at Arizona, Detroit at San
for turning around strug- off will have further stoked Diego, Cincinnati at Oak-
gling franchises, as he did his fire and allowed him to land, and New York Giants
in Carolina and Denver, get in even more phenom- at Dallas.q
