Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict is the perfect villain.
Evan Fournier Magic Jersey . Thats what I
hear, and when I turn on the tape, I can understand why. Just look at how he
knocked out?Antonio Brown in the AFC wild-card game last season.You cant have
that hit. Shoulder pad to the helmet at the worst possible time. The resulting
penalty cost the Bengals a playoff win and contributed to Burfict landing a
three-game suspension to start this season for repeated violations of player
safety rules.No one knows Burficts intent on that particular hit. He plays fast.
He plays hard. Guys can cross the line at times. Thats how a lot of defensive
players are wired. That doesnt mean they are malicious in how they play the
game. Maybe he could have pulled up. Heck, maybe he could have avoided the hit
all together, I guess.But as Burfict returns to the field on Thursday night,
this also needs to be said: Id love to play with this dude because he can change
the flow of the game.?And I can tell you that a lot of other guys would too.This
is hard to understand, so let me explain:As a defender, if you can physically
intimidate the opponent, that will make every offensive player sit up a little
straighter in the film room when youre next on the schedule. And it alters how
opposing offenses practice and play -- because they know youre going to
hit.Burfict gives that to his team. Hes going to shorten some arms of wide
receivers who want to work the middle of the field. Everyone on the?Miami
Dolphins offense will be aware of where Burfict is at all times during Thursdays
contest in Cincinnati.As a defensive back, you love that. It means some basket
picks: balls that flutter into the air and land in your lap; free gifts because
of that linebacker patrolling the middle of the field and delivering blows.
Boom. And no one on offense wants to get close to a guy like that. Thats when
wide receivers start telling the quarterback to avoid those inside routes.Look
back to the Bengals loss on Sunday to the Denver Broncos. Would Gary Kubiaks
team have been able to put together that go-ahead, fourth-quarter drive with
Trevor Siemian throwing slants, inside hitch routes and wide receiver screens if
Burfict was running to the ball and driving through ball carriers? Thats just
something to think about here when we talk about the impact a physical player
like Burfict can have.What Burfict needs to understand is that the game has
changed. And every player has to adapt to the new rules. Look at Luke Kuechlys
hit on Demaryius Thomas over the middle in Super Bowl 50. Thats a clean strike
-- and I can promise you it stuck in the back of Thomas mind all night.The
lesson? Theres no substitute for physicality and intimidation -- but that
physicality and intimidation need not draw 15-yard penalties and three-game
suspensions.Its a fine line, a tightrope defenders have to walk in this league
on a weekly basis. You gotta hit or you wont last very long; and in 2016, you
gotta do it cleanly or you wont last very long, either. Because of his history,
Burfict will be watched closer than most. But as long as hes out there
patrolling the middle of the field, his effect on his teammates and the Bengals
defense will be palpable.Remember, defenses that can read, run, hit and
intimidate dictate the tempo of the game. You can intimidate through execution,
but its still football. It also helps to have that guy who creates a little
fear. Burfict is that guy.ESPN.com NFL analyst Matt Bowen played seven seasons
as a defensive back in the NFL.
Aaron Gordon Jersey . "We have always prided
ourselves on the way we play defence. Having two big pieces back is going to be
a key for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks head coach Mike
Hasen.
Penny Hardaway Magic Jersey . It is a cliché
dragged out by fans and pundits regularly when discussions take place around
which teams are better than others.
http://www.magicauthentic.com/kids-d-j-augustin-magic-jersey/
.2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and
multimedia rights. SAN FRANCISCO -- Jake Peavy gets what could be his one and
only shot at regaining a fulltime spot in the San Francisco Giants starting
rotation when he takes on the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night.Peavy was demoted
from the San Francisco rotation when the club acquired left-hander Matt Moore
from the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline.At the time, Giants manager Bruce
Bochy elected to keep Matt Cain in the rotation, while sending Peavy to the
bullpen, where hes made eight appearances since Aug. 3.The plan had to be
scrapped, however, when Cain came up with a sore back in his start Aug. 17
against Pittsburgh. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list the next
day.Re-enter Peavy, who allowed eight hits and one run in his first six innings
out of the bullpen before getting roughed up for five runs on five hits in two
innings last Saturday against the New York Mets.He hasnt pitched since.Saturday,
he looks to extend the Giants streak of 22 consecutive shutout innings.Part of
the the run has coincided with 11 straight games without an error and Giants
manager Bruce Bochy said the two go hand-in-hand.Thats what defense does for
you, he assured after the Giants recorded a 7-0 victory Friday night in a game
in which the Braves committed three errors. Thats what we need to do the rest of
the way: Play good defense and pitch well.Peavys spot in the rotation is
scheduled to come up next Sept. 2, the day Cain is eligible to be reinstated
from the DL.The Giants dont seem to be in a hurry to activate Cain, but that
could change depending upon how Peavy does Saturday.
Tracy Mcgrady Jersey. The Giants also have a
day off on Monday, which could give Bochy the luxury of skipping his fifth
starter the next time through the rotation, especially with an important
four-game series in Chicago against the Cubs looming on Sept. 1-4.Peavy probably
could take the decision out of his managers hands by duplicating his previous
performance against the Braves. He shut out Atlanta on one hit over seven
innings in a 4-0 victory May 31.The Braves counter with right-hander Mike
Foltynewicz, who also was on top of his game during the earlier series in
Atlanta. He beat the Giants 5-3 on May 30, allowing only one run on three hits
in six innings.Foltynewicz can only hope for more support than right-hander Joel
De La Cruz got in Fridays loss. Not only did the Braves make three errors behind
him, but also failed to score for the fifth time in his eight starts.Atlanta
slugger Freddie Freeman thought Fridays game was lost in the first two innings,
when the Braves failed to score despite two doubles in the first, and loading
the bases with no outs in the second.That was the whole game right there, he
observed. They capitalized with runners in scoring position and we didnt.The
Giants went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position. ' ' '
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