Basisphilosophie » to win consecutive games for the first time this

The kids from Kansas City’s inner-city football program were already in the kind of happy-go-lucky mood that comes with a modest holiday shopping spree when they lined up to take a picture.Some were laughing. All of them were smiling.Then their idol stepped out from his hiding place and the screaming started.Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had taken time out of his day off Tuesday to show up at Dick’s Sporting Goods and surprise the kids from KC United. He took photographs Will Harris Jersey , signed autographs and presented the team’s founder, local pastor Adrian Roberson, with $5,000 to fund next season.“I have no words for it,” said Roberson, who broke into tears.Mahomes was appearing at Dick’s event for Sports Matter, a program to help underfunded youth sports programs. Sports Matter has helped more than 1 million young athletes across the country, and Dick’s has committed $50 million to giving back to youth sports.Mahomes is arguably the hottest player in the NFL this season, his record-setting performance as a first-year starter helping the Chiefs to a 9-2 record. And not surprisingly, that has caused the demands on his time to skyrocket, from the unending interview requests to meet-and-greets and other events.Somehow, the 23-year-old quarterback has managed to take everything in stride.“I don’t know if it does something for me. It’s just part of being in this community,” Mahomes said the following day, before stepping onto the practice field to prepare for Sunday’s trip to Oakland.“This community loves football and they love each other,” Mahomes continued. “It’s more than just football. It’s being a good person and giving back to the community.”Mahomes has certainly ingrained himself in the community.He threw out a first pitch at a Royals game over the summer. He was the grand marshal for the NASCAR race, wearing a cutoff jersey from the T-Bones, the local minor league baseball team. He pops up at stores, concerts and restaurants as if he was anybody else, even sitting front row at Sprint Center last week to watch his college, Texas Tech, play in the Hall of Fame Classic basketball tournament.When he showed up at a Verizon store on Monday for a meet-and-greet, store officials were worried the crowd would be too large and asked that his appearance not be publicized. Several hundred people still found out, forming a line that snaked around the building as they awaited his arrival.“I feel the excitement and I feel the love not only for me but for the Kansas City Chiefs,” Mahomes said. “It’s special. This is a special place. There’s great people here. That’s one of the main reasons I love playing for this team.”VON’S KITSVon Miller is leading a $200,000 initiative to provide protective kits to first responders in mass shootings and improve local law enforcement relations.The donation from Miller, his teammates and the organization to SHIELD616, a Colorado Springs-based nonprofit organization http://www.lionsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-austin-bryant-jersey , will provide more than 125 advanced protective kits for police and firefighters responding to active shooter or mass shooting situations.“It’s been 300 mass shootings this year, and I’ve only heard about four. When I was hit with that information, it really hit home for me,” Miller said. “I’ve got personal ties with Colorado — of course, we had the shooting here at the theater my second year in the league — and really heavy ties in Dallas. It was what, two years ago that we had the shooting there.”Miller said his best friend is a police officer in Arlington, Texas, “so I can help him and some of his colleagues with some of these vests. It’s a real cool deal, the 616 initiative.”Miller spoke up at a team meeting last week to get his teammates on board with the initiative, and nearly 20 players pitched in, as did team president Joe Ellis, general manager John Elway, and coach Vance Joseph.SHIELD616 kits include a ballistic vest and helmet, along with a wound trauma kit, that upgrade standard equipment to protect against automatic weapons and assault rifles.The initiative also allows for donors to contact the first responders they are helping protect to foster ongoing relationships, the Broncos said.“It takes the unification of an entire community to not only better protect our first responders with physical armor, but to break down barriers between first responders and the citizens they serve,” said SHIELD616 President Jake Skifstad, a former police officer who founded the organization in 2015.“It’s priceless to see complete strangers invest in the safety of first responders, changing their lives and the lives of their families,” Skifstad said. “We are humbled and proud to see that Von Miller, his teammates and the Broncos are utilizing their God-given leadership gifts and influence to not only better protect our protectors, but to also help build positive community relations.”Joseph said he was proud of Miller for leading the initiative.“Von is a special person. He wants to help people,” Joseph said. “He’s a great teammate and he’s great in the community. This is huge for Von to provide resources for our first responders. Obviously there have been a number of shootings in our country. It’s a huge issue.”DAK THE DUCKLINGDak Prescott’s first game with Drew Brees on the other sideline was a chance for the 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year to reflect on the Pro Bowl trip they shared during that magical year for the Dallas quarterback.Prescott had just led the Cowboys to an NFC-best 13 wins, while Brees got his 10th Pro Bowl nod following his record fifth 5,000-yard season. New Orleans had missed the playoffs for the third straight year, all 7-9 finishes. Prescott Rashan Gary Jersey , who grew up in Louisiana, wasn’t thinking about those Saints records. He was thinking about Brees’ records.“You do everything you can,” Prescott said when asked if he picked Brees’ brain during those few days together. “Like a little duckling. You just follow Drew Brees and just figure out what he does, how he does stuff. I was thankful to have him. Drew opened up and he shared some things.”Prescott also noticed how Brees responded to those three straight losing seasons. With the 39-year-old having one of his best seasons in 2018, the Saints are on the verge of their second straight trip to the playoffs after winning 11 games last season.“He’s taking care of his body, has done all the right things,” Prescott said. “Especially facing adversity, facing the middle of his career and some people were saying he wouldn’t do what he has done now. It just speaks to the character of that guy.”HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?The Minnesota Vikings have been at the forefront of the creativity around the league since the celebration rules were relaxed last season to allow for more group play in the end zone.In a game at Chicago last year, the Vikings initiated a game of “Duck, Duck, Goose” (or “Duck, Duck, Gray Duck,” as it’s called in Minnesota) after a touchdown reception by Kyle Rudolph. In their game against Green Bay last weekend, Dalvin Cook’s catch, run and score prompted the assembly of a purple-colored limbo line.Cook exuberantly motioned his teammates over, as offensive linemen Tom Compton and Rashod Hill stood facing each other and wide receiver Adam Thielen was hoisted in the air to serve as the bar. Cook, wide receiver Stefon Diggs and offensive lineman Brian O’Neill each strutted through, with their backs bent backward to try to slide underneath Thielen without touching him.“It was supposed to be the lightest guy on the field. Diggs was supposed to be up there, but Dalvin really wanted to do it, so I jumped up,” Thielen said.Said Cook: “I knew Diggs needed to be the one that comes behind me, because he’s more of the dancer.”Quarterback Kirk Cousins was impressed, though not enough to find a place in line.“When I heard they were going to do it I thought, ‘That one is going to be a tough one to pull together in 10 seconds,'” Cousins said. “But they did it. It was pretty good.”GETTING THEATRICALMiami Dolphins defensive end Andre Branch says he’s going to start flopping to draw the attention of officials when he’s held.“I saw J.J. Watt fall over, so I’m going to start doing that http://www.packersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-darnell-savage-jr.-jersey ,” Branch said. “It’s time for me. I’m pulling out the Vlade Divac.”His latest source of frustration: Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo wasn’t called for holding Branch on a key play late in the Colts comeback win over the Dolphins last week.The video replay was tough to swallow, Branch said.“I jumped and I got pulled back,” he said. “That was the play of the game.”ALLIANCE QBSSome pro football washouts as quarterbacks might have another avenue back to the NFL: They now have teams in the Alliance of American Football.The Alliance, with eight teams that will begin play the week after the Super Bowl, conducted a four-round draft of only quarterbacks. Josh Johnson, who has made many stops in the NFL, was the top selection, by San Diego.Other players who have been on NFL rosters, whether in the regular season or preseason, were selected or protected by their regional franchise and will head to a league training camp in early January. Among those were Aaron Murray and Matt Simms by the Atlanta Legends; Garrett Gilbert and Stephen Morris by the Orlando Apollos; B.J. Daniels by the Salt Lake Stallions; Christian Hackenberg and Zach Mettenberg by the Memphis Express; and Scott Tolzien by the Birmingham Iron. DENVER (AP) — Nose tackle Shelby Harris picked off Ben Roethlisberger’s 2-yard pass to Antonio Brown in the end zone with 1:03 remaining to seal Denver’s 24-17 win over Pittsburgh that snapped the Steelers’ six-game winning streak Sunday.The Broncos (5-6) used four takeaways to counter a 97-yard touchdown toss from Roethlisberger to JuJu Smith-Schuster.Roethlisberger was 41 of 56 for 462 yards, but he was intercepted twice and the Steelers (7-3-1) lost two fumbles in losing for the first time since September.Phillip Lindsay rushed for 110 yards and the game-deciding touchdown on just 14 carries for Denver, which also ended the Chargers‘ six-game winning streak last week and would have snapped Houston’s five-game roll were it not for a missed field goal as time expired.CHARGERS 45, CARDINALS 10CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Philip Rivers tied the NFL record for consecutive completions and set marks for the most to start a game and the highest percentage in a game and Los Angeles rolled over Arizona.The 15-year veteran completed his first 25 passes and was 28 of 29 for 259 yards and three touchdowns in three quarters. It was also his 11th straight game with multiple TD passes.Rivers completed 25 straight passes in the first 2½ quarters, tying Ryan Tannehill’s mark from 2015. The Dolphins QB completed his last seven passes against the Tennessee Titans in on Oct. 18, 2015, and then his first 18 the following week against the Houston Texans.Rivers tied the mark with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen midway through the third quarter. He had his only incompletion on the next possession when he was rushed and was unable to connect on a short pass to Austin Ekeler.Rivers did break Mark Brunell’s record for most completions to start a game. Brunell had 22 straight for the Washington Redskins against the Houston Texans on Sept. 24, 2006. Rivers’ 96.8 percent accuracy surpassed Kurt Warner’s 92.3 percent, which was set in 2009 when he went 24 of 26 for Arizona against Jacksonville.The Cardinals (2-9) jumped out to a 10-0 lead with scores on their first two possessions before the Chargers (8-3) scored touchdowns on six of seven possessions.COLTS 27, DOLPHINS 24INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Andrew Luck threw three touchdown passes, Adam Vinatieri kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired and Indianapolis beat Miami for its fifth consecutive victory.Indianapolis (6-5) scored 13 points in the final 8½ minutes to erase a 10-point deficit. It’s the longest win streak for the Colts since 2014.Miami (5-6) has lost 10 of its past 11 on the road, perhaps none more frustrating than this one. The Dolphins picked off Luck twice, recovered a fumble and partially blocked a punt on their way to a 24-14 lead.It still wasn’t enough to derail the resurgent Luck, who was 30 of 37 for 343 yards. He also had the first catch of his NFL career, a 4-yard reception on fourth-and-1 late in the first half. Luck capped that drive with a 1-yard TD pass to Jack Doyle.SEAHAWKS 30, PANTHERS 27CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Russell Wilson threw for 339 yards and two touchdowns and Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired to lift Seattle to a come-from-behind victory over Carolina.After Graham Gano missed a 52-yard field goal with 1:40 left in the game that would have given the Panthers the lead Elgton Jenkins Jersey , Wilson moved around in the pocket until finding Tyler Lockett downfield for a 43-yard completion, setting up the winning kick.The victory puts Seattle (6-5) firmly in the hunt for a wild-card spot in the NFC, while the Panthers (6-5) are reeling after losing three straight and having their 10-game home winning streak snapped.Lockett finished with five catches for 107 yards and a touchdown, while David Moore had four receptions for 103 yards and a score.The Panthers spoiled a record-setting performance from Christian McCaffrey, who had a franchise-record 237 yards from scrimmage. He had 17 carries for 125 yards and 11 catches for 112 yards, becoming the first Carolina player to surpass 100 yards in both receiving and rushing in the same game.Cam Newton finished 25 of 30 for 256 yards with two touchdown passes and one interception in the end zone. He ran for 63 yards on eight carries.VIKINGS 24, PACKERS 17MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kirk Cousins bounced back from his worst game for Minnesota with 342 passing yards and three touchdowns without a turnover, and the Vikings overcame some early gaffes to outlast depleted Green Bay.Completing 29 of his 38 attempts, Cousins found Dalvin Cook, Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen for scores. Sheldon Richardson had two sacks to lead the defense’s game-long stifling of Aaron Rodgers, and the Vikings (6-4-1) pushed the Packers (4-6-1) further back in the NFC wild-card race.Rodgers threw a touchdown pass to Davante Adams and Aaron Jones scored on a short run for a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter, but the Packers fell to 0-6 on the road and 1-5-1 against the Vikings in their last seven meetings.BROWNS 35, BENGALS 20CINCINNATI (AP) — Baker Mayfield threw a career-high four touchdown passes in another growing-up-fast performance, and Cleveland ended one of the NFL’s longest streaks of road futility with a victory over Cincinnati, which lost quarterback Andy Dalton to a thumb injury.Cleveland (4-6-1) got its first road win since 2015, emphatically snapping a streak of 25 straight road losses that was one shy of the Lions‘ NFL record. The Browns also ended a run of seven straight losses to their intrastate rival.And just as a Browns safety predicted, it wasn’t even close.The Browns surged ahead 28-0 as former head coach Hue Jackson watched helplessly from the opposite sideline. Jackson couldn’t win with the Browns — only three wins in two-plus seasons. Nor could he couldn’t beat them as a special defensive assistant with the Bengals (5-6), who lost for the fifth time in six games.EAGLES 25, GIANTS 22PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jake Elliott kicked a 43-yard field goal with 22 seconds remaining, and Philadelphia rallied for a victory over New York.The defending Super Bowl champions trailed 12-0 early and were down 19-14 in the fourth quarter before Carson Wentz made key throws and undrafted rookie Josh Adams delivered big runs.Adams scored on a 1-yard touchdown run and ran up the middle for the 2-point conversion to put Philadelphia ahead 22-19.After the Giants tied it on Aldrick Rosas‘ third field goal, a 29-yarder, the Eagles controlled the ball for 5:27.Coach Doug Pederson went for a fourth-and-1 at the Giants 42 and Wentz completed a 12-yard pass to Nelson Agholor right before the two-minute warning. Adams ran three times and Elliott made the go-ahead kick.The Giants started at their 34 with 16 seconds left but couldn’t do much.The Eagles (5-6) stayed in the mix in a mediocre NFC East. The Cowboys and Redskins are tied for first place at 6-5. The Giants fell to 3-8.PATRIOTS 27, JETS 13EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes and became the NFL’s career leader in total yards passing in regular-season and playoff games, leading New England over New York.Brady also reached 3,000 yards passing for the 16th season, tying Peyton Manning for second in NFL history behind Brett Favre’s 18. The New England quarterback surpassed the mark early in the fourth quarter with a 17-yard completion to a diving Josh Gordon.Brady has 79 http://www.packersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jace-sternberger-jersey ,416 yards after going 20 of 31 for 283 yards in the victory that clinched the Patriots (8-3) their 18th straight season with a .500 record or better. That ranks second in NFL history to only Dallas, which had 21 in a row from 1965-85.Brady had just one TD throw in his previous three games, but connected with Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman against the AFC East-rival Jets (3-8). Rookie Sony Michel ran for a season-best 133 yards and a TD, and the Patriots had 216 yards rushing to improve to 3-3 on the road this season.RAVENS 34, RAIDERS 17BALTIMORE (AP) — Rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson ran for a touchdown and threw for a score, Terrell Suggs returned a fumble 43 yards for a TD and Baltimore ran past Oakland.Cyrus Jones took a punt 70 yards for a touchdown to help the Ravens (6-5) win a second straight game for the first time since September.Gus Edwards rushed for 118 yards as part of an effective ground game that enabled Jackson to pass just enough to keep the Raiders (2-9) off guard — and off the field. Baltimore expanded a three-point halftime lead to 27-17 with two run-heavy touchdown drives that consumed a total of nearly 16 minutes.With starter Joe Flacco out for a second straight game with an injured right hip, Jackson cut down on his rushing attempts, threw more often and got the same result — a victory. After carrying 27 times for 117 yards last week in his NFL starting debut, Jackson ran 11 times for 71 yards and went 14 for 25 for 178 yards and two interceptions.Suggs clinched it with 5:55 left, lumbering down the right sideline after Oakland’s Derek Carr was sacked by Matthew Judon and lost the ball on a fourth-down play.BILLS 24, JAGUARS 21ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 14-yard run in the fourth quarter, and the Bills beat the Jaguars in a game marred by a fight that led to the ejections of Jacksonville running back Leonard Fournette and Buffalo defensive end Shaq Lawson.Fournette scored twice to tie it at 14 in the second quarter. He finished with 95 yards on 18 carries before he was thrown out with 2:57 left in the third.Allen also threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Robert Foster in the rookie quarterback’s first game since missing four with a sprained throwing elbow. Rookie receiver Isaiah McKenzie scored on a 6-yard run off a sweep, and Buffalo (4-7) came off its bye week off to win consecutive games for the first time this season.The Jaguars (3-8) dropped their seventh consecutive game in their longest losing streak since a nine-game slide in 2016, which led directly to Gus Bradley being fired and replaced by current coach Doug Marrone.BUCCANEERS 27, 49ERS 9TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jameis Winston threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns to help Tampa Bay snap a four-game losing streak.Winston, benched last month after turning the ball over 11 times in 14 quarters, completed 29 of 38 passes without an interception.The fourth-year pro, who’s shared the starting job with Ryan Fitzpatrick, tossed scoring passes of 6 yards to Cameron Brate and 28 yards to Adam Humphries on a play he extended by scrambling to his right before throwing back toward the center of the field.Tampa Bay (4-7), meanwhile, had four sacks and forced a turnover on defense for the first time in eight games, with Ryan Smith and Isaiah Johnson coming up with the team’s first interceptions since a loss to Pittsburgh on Sept. 24.Matt Breida rushed for 106 yards for the 49ers (2-9).