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Harden runs 30-point streak to 30, Rockets beat Mavs 120-104

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in NBA.


By KRISTIE RIEKEN, AP Sports Writer
HOUSTON (AP) — There was only a little over a minute left in Houston’s game and it looked as if James Harden’s streak of 30-point games would be ending.


Harden brought the ball down the court and was enveloped by two defenders near the 3-point line, so he passed to Chris Paul, who drew the defense away. After a couple of dribbles Paul turned and got it back to Harden, who stepped back and sunk a 3-pointer over Dorian Finney-Smith to keep the streak alive.


Harden scored 31 points for his 30th straight 30-point game despite dealing with a shoulder injury, leading the Rockets to a 120-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night.


Paul was asked if he was determined to help Harden extend the streak.
“For sure. He had what 28, so yeah, why not? We was up,” Paul said.
Harden, who had eight rebounds and seven assists, seemed to be a bit slowed early by the strained left shoulder that he injured on Saturday against Oklahoma City, making just one of his first seven shots. But he warmed up after that and finished 9 of 23, capped by his sixth 3-pointer with 52.9 seconds remaining. Fans chanted “MVP! MVP!” after he sunk the shot.


Harden denied that he was concerned about getting 30 points, but he did say it was a “credit to” Paul that he got the ball back to him.
“I was worried about winning,” Harden said. “They were making their shots. They were coming back, cut the lead to I think 10 or nine points … so I just wanted to get the proper shots … I was just trying to make the right play.”


He’s now just one game from tying Wilt Chamberlain for the second-longest streak of 30-point games in NBA history. Chamberlain also holds the top 30-point game streak with 65 in a row.

Houston Rockets’ James Harden (13) drives past New York Knicks’ Noah Vonleh (32) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)


Harden, who usually shies away from discussing any ailments, acknowledged that his shoulder was bothering him on Monday night and said he’d been receiving treatment around the clock since Saturday night.
“I couldn’t get the lift that I usually have from my shot,” he said. “But that’s no excuse. I’m just happy we won the game.”


Coach Mike D’Antoni could see that Harden’s shoulder was slowing him, and when he had just 20 points with less than three minutes left he thought Monday would be the end of the streak.


“I didn’t think there was … (a) way,” D’Antoni said. “But he was amazing.”
Houston had a 14-point lead entering the fourth quarter and was up 106-90 when Harden entered the game for the first time in the period with about 6 1/2 minutes left. The Mavericks went on a 7-0 run after that, with a 3-pointer from Jalen Brunson, to get within 106-97 with about 3 1/2 minutes remaining.


Harden heated up after that, making two 3-pointers in a 9-3 run to extend the lead to 115-100 with about 2 minutes left and put the game out of reach.
“We had a couple of good runs in the fourth and then they would come down and make a play,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said.
Luka Doncic had 21 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Mavericks, who lost for the first time this season to Houston after winning the first two meetings.


Paul added 17 points with 11 assists, and Gerald Green scored 19 points with five 3-pointers to help Houston to its fourth win in five games.
The Rockets were up by 14 at halftime and Harden scored seven points in the first few minutes of the third quarter to help push the lead to 76-58. Harden later dished to Green for a 3-pointer to make it 85-66.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Dwight Powell scored 12 points. … Brunson had 13 points and five rebounds. … Dallas made 13 of 36 3-pointers.
Rockets: Kenneth Faried had 17 points and eight rebounds. Eric Gordon scored 18 points. … Iman Shumpert had six points in his second game in Houston since a trade last week. … Houston made 23 3-pointers.
PAUL’S ASSISTS
On a night Paul moved into eighth place on the career assists list with 8,972, he reminisced about his goal of passing John Stockton for first place in steals and assists when he entered the league in 2005. No one is even close to the 15,806 assists and 3,265 steals Stockton had in his 19-year career with the Utah Jazz.
“I don’t like saying never but ain’t nobody catching him. I don’t know who the statisticians were who used to do the stats in Utah, but ain’t nobody catching that,” Paul said only half-jokingly. “That’s out.”
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host Miami on Wednesday night.
Rockets: Visit Minnesota on Wednesday night.

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in NFL FOOTBALL.

EA Sports Madden NFL 19 Predicts LA Rams will Block Patriots Sixth Title Hopes to Claim First Championship since 2000. This is at least in the 2019 Simulation of this weekends Superbowl 53.

NFL playoff ‘do-over’ lawsuit moved to federal court

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in NFL FOOTBALL.


By KEVIN McGILL, Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Six days before the Super Bowl, the court battle has begun in a longshot lawsuit seeking a possible do-over of the NFC game that ended with a Los Angeles Rams victory over the New Orleans Saints, a game affected by what the NFL concedes was a blown “no-call” by officials.
A Monday hearing in federal court did not result in an immediate ruling. It dealt largely with a jurisdictional question.
The two Saints season ticket holders who filed the lawsuit want it heard in state court in New Orleans. The NFL filed to have it heard in federal court, where U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan heard initial arguments at midday. She was expected to meet with attorneys on both sides again in the evening and it was unclear when the jurisdictional issue, or the case itself, would be resolved.


Officials failed to call interference or roughness penalties when a Rams player leveled a Saints receiver with a helmet-to-helmet hit at a crucial point in the in the final minutes of regulation time. The Rams won the Jan. 20 game in overtime and are set to play the New England Patriots in Sunday’s Super Bowl.


The lawsuit by two Saints season ticket holders, Tommy Badeaux and Candis Lambert, says NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should implement a league rule — Rule 17 — governing “extraordinarily unfair acts.” Remedies include reversal of a game’s result or the rescheduling of a game — in its entirety or from the point when the act occurred.


NFL lawyers say the lawsuit belongs in federal court for reasons including the possible scope. They argued that the suit takes the form of a class action that could mean millions of dollars in damages for Saints ticket holders and others in what the suit calls “the Who Dat Nation,” a reference to Saints fans and a popular team cheer.


Attorney Frank D’Amico, who filed the lawsuit two days after the championship game, said that, while the lawsuit recounts damages suffered by Saints fans, it doesn’t specifically ask for monetary compensation. Instead, D’Amico said, it seeks a court order, under state law, forcing Goodell to investigate the blown call under the never before invoked Rule 17.


D’Amico also insisted that he wasn’t specifically asking for a court-ordered do-over or reversal of the game, although that could be the result if the rule is invoked. “We’re not trying to keep the Super Bowl from going forward,” he said.

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton on the sidelines during the second half of the NFL preseason game between the Houston Texans and the New Orleans Saints at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on August 20, 2016. The Texans beat the Saints 16-9.


That appeared to surprise Gladstone Jones, a New Orleans attorney arguing for the NFL, who said it would be “big news” that D’Amico’s clients aren’t trying to stop or delay the big game.
As to D’Amico’s call for an investigation, Jones said there is no need. League officials, he said, have clearly reviewed the calls. “They have done their due diligence.”


His arguments tracked positions taken in weekend briefs filed by NFL lawyers. “The NFL parties do not dispute that they have previously advised the Saints, including the club’s head coach, that one or more penalties — for pass interference or illegal helmet-to-helmet contact — were mistakenly not called late in the NFC Championship Game, and that the NFL would like its officials on the field to make these calls,” an NFL filing says.


But it also says Goodell, a defendant in the lawsuit along with the league itself, does not have the authority to overrule a referee on the field. Even if the rule did apply, the NFL attorneys argue, a decision on a remedy is up to the commissioner, not a ticket-holder.


Morgan had to step away from a jury trial in an unrelated case to preside over Monday’s hearing. Records show she got the case after it was initially assigned to U.S. District Judge Barry Ashe — who removed himself from the case because he has Saints season tickets.

On Basketball: Will Harden’s run end when he gets help?

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in NBA.


By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Basketball Writer
This play midway through the fourth quarter of James Harden’s historic effort at Madison Square Garden was largely reminiscent of what the Houston Rockets’ offense has looked like lately:

He got the ball.
He kept it for 16 seconds.
He dribbled it 21 times.
He shot.
He scored.


What Harden has done in his last five games — 261 points, 52.2 points per game, zero assisted by a teammate — is astounding by any measure. He’s averaged 43.1 points in his last 21 games, keeping Houston in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race. The Rockets have alternated wins and losses in each of their last 10 games, despite Harden’s greatness of late.
Earlier this month, Houston guard Austin Rivers described the Rockets’ playbook like this to Sports Illustrated: “James Harden. Just get the (bleep) out of his way. Let him do the heavy lifting.”


That philosophy should be coming to an end before long.
Rockets point guard Chris Paul will be back soon from his latest tale of hamstring woe, maybe even as early as Friday against Toronto. When that happens, Harden will no longer have to take on so much of the scoring load.
His numbers should dip.


The Rockets should rise because of that, strange as it sounds. Fantasy players won’t like it so much, but for Houston, it’s vital.
Over the last five games, Harden has scored 44 percent of Houston’s points, taken 35 percent of its field-goal tries, attempted 57 percent of its free throws. It’s simultaneously a Herculean and unsustainable undertaking, and when Paul comes back Harden should get some relief — and take it happily.


“Whatever it takes to win,” Harden said, repeating a familiar refrain.
Houston was at its best last year — remember, the Rockets did have the NBA’s best record and was probably a hamstring strain by Paul away from winning the NBA title — when Harden was great and part of a system. He’s been the entire system, or so it has seemed, since Paul got hurt in Miami a few weeks ago. On the play where he dribbled 21 times against the Knicks on Wednesday, three of his four teammates basically stood around and watched, while a fourth thought about setting a screen that wasn’t going to get used anyway.


“He’s such a good scorer,” Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic said earlier this month of Harden. “You have to stay aggressive but you can’t foul him. He’s going to score. You’re not going to stop him. He has the ball so much and they run everything for him.”


Soon, they might not have to run so much for him. A lot, yes. But not everything. And if the Rockets are going to emerge from the West, that’s the way it’ll need to be.


This run has probably lifted Harden back atop the MVP race. He’s as close to a lock to be the scoring champion as one can be in January — he leads Anthony Davis by 7.0 points per game. Harden’s average of 36.3 points is the highest since Michael Jordan averaged 37.1 points in 1986-87, and his lead over the No. 2 scorer is the league’s largest gap since Jordan outscored Dominique Wilkins by 8.1 points for that ’86-87 title.


“Everybody wants to do different schemes on him to try to slow him down and he still scores,” Rockets forward P.J. Tucker said. “It really doesn’t matter. I think it’s just up to us to try to figure out the spots we want to get into.”


Harden scored a career-high 61 points against the Knicks on Wednesday night, one of the most memorable performances at Madison Square Garden. The Rockets needed darn near every one of them, as they eked out a four-point win. And Harden often went it alone, single-handedly bringing back the iso ball scheme that hasn’t really been part of today’s wide-open, five-out NBA.


It’s been great fun to watch.
It’ll be better for Houston when normalcy returns.

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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Patriots gunning for sixth Super Bowl title

Written by Thomas L. Seltzer on . Posted in NFL FOOTBALL.

The New England Patriots are back in the Super Bowl for the ninth time in the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era. The incredible run for coach and quarterback started back in the 2001 season, when Brady took over as starting quarterback and led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title.

Their opponent 17 years ago in Super Bowl XXXVI was the Rams, who called St. Louis their home from the 1995 through the 2015 seasons before relocating back to Los Angeles where the team had played from the 1946 season through the 1994 season.

Back in 2002, the Rams were back in the Super Bowl for the second time in three years and favored to beat the Patriots. Their offense included Kurt Warner. Marshall Faulk. Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt. They were the Greatest Show on Turf, but the Patriots beat them, 20-17.

Since February 3, 2002, the fortunes of the teams have been very different. In the ensuing years, New England has become the greatest dynasty in football history. Since 2001, the Patriots have won 220 regular-season games, 16 AFC East titles and are 29-10 in playoff games.

The Rams, meanwhile, haven’t been back in the Super Bowl since that then. They missed the playoffs in the 2002-2003 season, and lost in the divisional playoff round the next two years before missing the playoffs for 12 consecutive years without having a winning season.

The Patriots opened as a Super Bowl underdog. But   a flood of money came in on Brady’s team, and the line went as high as Rams +2. If the Patriots close as underdogs, it would be the first time they’ve held that distinction in a Super Bowl since the last time the played the Rams.

The Super Bowl traces its roots back to January 15, 1967. On that day, U.S. military and the South Vietnamese army were fighting Vietcong and North Vietnamese forces in the Mekong River delta, and  the Monkees’ “I’m a Believer” was the top song on the radio.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates with his teammates after the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Super Bowl I between National Football League’s powerhouse Green Bay and the American Football League champion Kansas City was aired on both CBS and NBC. NFL games were carried on CBS then, and NBC aired the AFL games. The Chiefs kept it close for a half but lost 35-10.

Two years later, the New York Jets of the AFL defeated the Baltimore Colts of the NFL 16-7 in a stunning upset that Jets quarterback Joe Namath had guaranteed in spite of being a 18-point underdog. The upstart league won the next two games and were finally taken seriously.

In spite of three straight Super Bowl victories, the undefeated Miami Dolphins were 2-point underdogs before beating the Washington Redskins 14-7 in 1973. Forty-six years later, no NFL team has ever completed an undefeated season – although the Patriots came close 11 years ago.

The 2007-2008 Patriots team in its 8th season under Belichick, won 16 straight regular season games and two playoff games to enter Super Bowl XLII 18-0. On the brink of making history, and starting the game as 12-point favorites, the Patriots lost to the New York Giants, 17-14.

While the Patriots have the most Super Bowl berths (11), the Dallas Cowboys are tied for second with eight. The Cowboys, who won their first Super Bowl in 1972, have won the world championship five times. But the last time was 23 years ago, when Dallas beat Pittsburgh 27-17.

It was forty years ago when Roger Staubach and the Dallas Cowboys battled Terry Bradshaw and the Pittsburgh Steelers in what many consider to be the best Super Bowl of all times. The Cowboys lost 35-31 after Jackie Smith dropped an easy pass in the end zone.

The Cowboys hopes of earning their sixth championship ring in 2019 ended in Los Angeles on January 12th when they lost to the Rams 30-22. The Cowboys had advanced to the divisional round for the first time in four years, defeating the Seattle Seahawks 24-22 the previous week.

The Houston Texans finished the 2018 regular season with an 11-5 record, which was good enough to win the AFC South. After losing the first three games, the Texans won nine straight but bowed out in the first playoff game, losing 21-7 to the Indianapolis Colts.

Read Thomas L. Seltzer’s blog daily at www.doubtingthomassports.com.

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Harden the Paint

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in NBA.

Harden scores 48 points, Rockets beat Lakers 138-134 in OT
By KRISTIE RIEKEN, AP Sports Writer


HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden was the star for the Houston Rockets as usual on Saturday night, but he and the team got a big boost from Eric Gordon in his second game back after recovering from a bruised knee.
Harden scored 48 points, Gordon added 30 and the Rockets overcame a 21-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 138-134 in overtime.
The Rockets trailed for most of the night and were down by 18 in the second-half. Gordon sent it to overtime with a 3-pointer, and made four free throws in the last seconds of the extra period.


“He’s playing unbelievable,” coach Mike D’Antoni said of Gordon.
Coming off 57- and 58-point games, Harden had his 19th straight game with at least 30 and he’s had 40 in 10 of the last 13. He was 14 of 30 from the field, going 8 of 19 on 3-pointers, and hit 12 of 15 free throws.
Harden was asked if Gordon being back after missing eight games before his return on Wednesday night eased the burden on him a little bit.
“A little bit? It takes a lot of burden off me,” Harden said. “He’s so offensively gifted and talented being able to shoot the basketball, being able to get to the rim, being able to make plays for others. You get a guy like that on the floor with you it makes it easier for not only myself but for everybody.”


Brandon Ingram missed a 3 for Los Angeles before Harden hit 1 of 2 free throws to make it 132-130 with less than a minute left. Ingram tied it with a basket, and Harden again made 1 of 2 free throws to make it 133-132.
Los Angeles missed a 3 before Gordon also made just 1 of 2 free throws to leave Houston up by two with 12.6 seconds left. Kyle Kuzma lost the ball and it went out of bounds to give Houston the ball back. Gordon added four free throws after that to secure the victory.


It was the second straight overtime game for both teams after Houston lost to Brooklyn on Wednesday night and Los Angeles beat Oklahoma City on Thursday night.

Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) drives to the basket as Los Angeles Lakers center Tyson Chandler defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)


Kuzma had 32 points for Los Angeles and Ingram added 21 in a game where coach Luke Walton was ejected in the third quarter.
Already without LeBron James and Rajon Rondo, the Lakers have another injury concern after Lonzo Ball sprained his left ankle in the third quarter. Walton said his X-rays were negative but that he’d have an MRI and “we’ll see where we are after that.”


Four straight points by the Lakers stretched the lead to nine in the fourth quarter, but Harden and Gordon made consecutive 3-pointers cut it to 112-109 with about two minutes remaining.


Los Angeles made four free throws to make it 116-109 about a minute later, but Harden made two 3-pointers around a basket by Ivica Zubac to get Houston within three with about 30 seconds left.
Lance Stephenson missed a 3-pointer and Harden made two free throws to cut the lead to 118-117 with 5.7 seconds left.


Zubac made two more free throws before Gordon’s off-balance 3-pointer with 2 seconds left sent it to OT.


“I saw Kentavious Caldwell-Pope running out to me and I thought he was going to fly right by me, but he stood right there,” Gordon said. “So I had to try to shoot it with confidence and I’m glad it went in.”
The Lakers built a huge lead early and were up 64-46 at halftime, with Kuzma scoring 24 points.


They were ahead by 17 with about eight minutes left in the third quarter after scoring five straight points capped by a basket from Kuzma before Houston scored the next 15 points to cut it to 74-72 three minutes later. James Ennis had five points in that stretch and P.J. Tucker capped it with a 3-pointer.


Ball was injured just before Houston’s run began. He remained on the court for a couple of minutes talking with trainer’s before he was helped to his feet where he hopped on his right foot for a few steps before being carried off the court and to the locker room by Stephenson and Michael Beasley.
Walton was ejected a couple of minutes after that when he got two technical fouls after yelling at officials during a timeout.
Ingram pointed to losing Ball as when things started to get away from the Lakers.


“Right when Lonzo went out,” he said. “That’s exactly when it went away. We lost momentum a little bit.”


TIP-INS
Lakers: James was out for the 13th straight game with a strained left groin and did not make the trip. … Stephenson finished with 16 points.
Rockets: Harden also had eight rebounds, six assists and four steals. … Ennis returned after missing Wednesday’s game after cutting his left leg in a fall at his house. … Chris Paul missed his 14th game in a row with a strained left hamstring … Clint Capela had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb and is expected to be out 4-6 weeks.


THEY SAID IT
D’Antoni on Houston’s comeback: “Words don’t do it. That was just our guys showing a lot of heart.”


UP NEXT
Lakers: Host Golden State on Monday night.
Rockets: Visit Philadelphia on Monday night.

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Patriots make 3rd straight Super Bowl, beat Chiefs 37-31 OT

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in NFL FOOTBALL.


By BARRY WILNER, AP Pro Football Writer


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The New England Patriots are headed to their third straight Super Bowl, once more thanks to Tom Brady’s brilliance.
The five-time NFL champion guided the Patriots 75 yards after winning the overtime coin toss, and backup Rex Burkhead’s 2-yard TD lifted New England past Kansas City 37-31 for the AFC championship Sunday night.


The drive, during which New England had three third-down conversions, against an exhausted defense was reminiscent of when the Patriots beat Atlanta in the only Super Bowl to go to OT two years ago.


“Overtime, on the road against a great team,” Brady said. “They had no quit. Neither did we. We played our best football at the end. I don’t know, man, I’m tired. That was a hell of a game.”


New England (13-5) benefited from two critical replay reviews and made its ninth Super Bowl with Brady at quarterback and Bill Belichick as coach.
“This is crazy,” Brady said. “What a game.”


Awaiting them in Atlanta are the Los Angeles Rams, who won 26-23 in overtime in New Orleans for the NFC championship. The Rams last made the Super Bowl in 2002 while based in St. Louis, losing to the Patriots.
It’s the first time both conference title games went to OT. The last time both visitors won conference championship matches was 2012.
Several times, the Patriots appeared to have it won, only to see Kansas City (13-5) come back in spectacular fashion.


Brady, at 41 already the oldest quarterback to have played in a Super Bowl, drove New England 65 yards in 1:24 to Burkhead’s go-ahead 4-yard touchdown with 39 seconds left in regulation. That was enough, though, for his far younger counterpart, the 23-year-old Patrick Mahomes, to take the Chiefs 48 yards to Harrison Butker’s 39-yard field goal with 8 seconds left to force overtime.


It was a sizzling offensive showing in the fourth quarter after defense had been in charge most of the way. Indeed, the Chiefs were blanked in the opening half for the first time all season.
And they never saw the ball in overtime, which along with the two replay decisions might call into play NFL rules and officiating.


No matter to New England, which became the third franchise to reach three Super Bowls in a row. And Belichick now has 30 postseason victories, more than Bill Walsh and Don Shula combined. That Hall of Fame coaching duo also won five Super Bowls; Belichick shoots for No. 6 in two weeks.
COIN TOSS
Reid’s decision to defer after winning the opening coin toss proved unwise as New England had 22 plays in the opening period, and Kansas City had seven. Then, the Chiefs lost the more important toss before overtime. Less than five minutes later, they were headed to the offseason.
UP NEX T
The Patriots head to Atlanta to play the Rams in the Super Bowl.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady calls signals at the line of scrimmage during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Rams Escape Big Easy: Advance to Superbowl 53

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in NFL FOOTBALL.


By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP National Writer
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A big comeback. A blown call. And, finally, a booming kick that sent the Los Angeles Rams to the Super Bowl.
After rallying from an early 13-0 deficit, the Rams stunned the New Orleans Saints with Greg Zuerlein’s 57-yard field goal in overtime for a 26-23 victory in the NFC championship game Sunday — an outcome that might not have been possible without an egregious mistake by the officials in the closing minutes of regulation.


Los Angeles cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman committed a blatant interference penalty with a helmet-to-helmet hit inside the 5, forcing the Saints to settle for Wil Lutz’s 31-yard field goal that made it 23-20 with 1:45 left in regulation.


That was enough time for Jared Goff to lead the Rams down the field for Zuerlein’s tying field goal, a 48-yarder with 15 seconds remaining.
New Orleans won the coin toss and got the ball first in the extra period. But, with a Rams defender in his face, Drew Brees fluttered up a pass that was picked off by John Johnson III, who was able to hang on to the interception while stumbling backward. Johnson hopped up and celebrated by doing with the “Choppa Style” dance popularized by New Orleans rapper Choppa, whose namesake song had become a Saints’ rallying cry and was even performed during the halftime show.


The Rams weren’t able to do much offensively, but it didn’t matter. Zuerlein booted through the winning field goal from just inside midfield with plenty of room to spare.


“It’s unbelievable, man. I can’t put it into words,” Goff said. “The defense played the way they did to force it to overtime. The defense gets a pick and Greg makes a 57-yarder to win it. That was good from about 70. Unbelievable.”


The Superdome, which had been in uproar all afternoon, suddenly turned eerily silent. It was the first home playoff loss for the Saints with Brees and coach Sean Payton, who and been 6-0 in those games since their pairing began in 2006.


The Rams (15-3) and their 32-year-old coach, Sean McVay, capped a remarkable rise since moving back to Los Angeles three years ago. The team will be appearing in its first Super Bowl since the 2001 season, when the “Greatest Show on Turf” was still in St. Louis.
“Shoot, I don’t even know what day it is,” McVay said. “All I know is we’re NFC champs, baby!”


It was another bitter end to the season for the Saints, who lost the previous season in the divisional round on the “Minnesota Miracle” — the Vikings’ long touchdown pass on the final play of the game.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” said Brees, who was denied a shot at adding to the Super Bowl title he won during the 2009 season.
This time, New Orleans (14-4) couldn’t hang on to the lead or overcome a mistake by the officials.


The Saints were on the verge of blowing out the Rams, scoring on their first three possessions and taking advantage of an interception off a dropped pass by Todd Gurley.


Then a fake punt early in the second quarter gave Los Angeles its initial first down of the game. Sparked by that play, the Rams finally came to life offensively and drove into position for the first of four field goals by Zuerlein. Gurley made it 13-10 at halftime on a 6-yard touchdown run just before the intermission.


INJURY REPORT:
The Saints lost tight end Josh Hill to a concussion in the first quarter.
Hill was injured after hauling in a 24-yard pass from Brees. While making the tackle, Los Angeles Rams linebacker Cory Littleton delivered a forearm to Hill’s head.


No penalty was called, but Hill staggered off the field to be evaluated by the medical staff. Just before halftime, the Saints announced he was done for the game. The loss of Hill led to a much bigger role in the offense for Garrett Griffin, who spent most of the season on the practice squad. He caught a 5-yard pass for his first career touchdown.


UP NEXT:
The Rams head to Atlanta in about a week for the Feb. 3 Super Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. They will face either the Kansas City Chiefs or the New England Patriots, who met Sunday night for the AFC title.

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/paul%20newberry

For more AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Colt McCoy update

Written by Charles Branch on . Posted in NFL FOOTBALL.

A fractured fibula ended Colt McCoy’s season when he attempted to take the Redskins to the playoffs when starter Alex Smith, who suffered the similar injury earlier in the season, was lost for the year. For all non-medical individuals, the fibula bone is the long slender bone that connects the ankle all up to the knee, it’s commonly known as the calf bone.

McCoy fell to the ground and his leg bent in a rather awkward way against the Eagles. Surprisingly he toughed it out for two more plays before he limped his way to the locker which was the last sight we saw from him the rest of the season. He finished with three touchdowns along with three interceptions in three games this season. Bone fractures are way more beneficial than a ligament injury, which in many cases may require nine months to a year before they can compete again and a whole year before they feel confident and play like they did before the injury. Luckily for Colt after his surgery he should be back before Super Bowl weekend to get ready for the 2019 season.

Bad luck ruined his opportunity in the 2018 season as he signed a two-year deal worth $6.5 million. Colt was on pace to void his contract, whether be a free agent or an increase in salary if he played 65% of his snaps this season. But Washington is believed to bring him back as the backup for the fifth straight season consequently from the fibula injury.

At 32, McCoy is as seasoned at they come with experience. He was drafted in the third round by Cleveland but never placed himself as their franchise signal caller. He was then traded to the 49ers who played for just the one year. Washington signed McCoy in 2014 who went through the whole RG3 and Kirk Cousins debacle. Both of them moved on after the 2017. The Redskins were content with the idea of McCoy as the starter before they traded for Alex Smith this past offseason.

Eagles’ quarterback Nick Foles established a need to have a quality backup that can play if need be. Washington still has a need for a backup but won’t feel comfortable with Mark Sanchez who replaced McCoy as the third quarterback that started for the Redskins. There is some trade value for McCoy as many teams struggle to develop a backup quarterback just in case something happens to their signal caller.

A fifth-round pick would be reasonable to acquire McCoy if the Redskins want to take a new path to find their quarterback of the future, but the 2019 NFL Draft is very weak in terms of finding the next franchise saving quarterback. They have yet to find their franchise quarterback when RG3 was behind center who has had jumped teams the last few years and Kirk Cousins signed a mega deal with the Vikings who many thought had not even come close this season as a payoff. The Vikings failed to make the playoffs.

The 2020 season will most likely give Colt the chance to test the free agent market and will attract many offers from quarterback needy teams. He is well respected among his teammates and will be a great presence in the locker room which he brought from the forty acres. Many scouts believed he wouldn’t last in the league this long but the fans have looked in the distance with satisfaction he is still alive and well. The memories of beating Ohio State, the come from behind victories, the record breaking stats, and the wishful thinking of what if he didn’t get hurt in the national championship game against Alabama have given him story to root for.

Texas Bass worth 100K

Written by Jarrett Smith on . Posted in Hunting & Fishing.

It’s 2019, and Texas based Hale Lures/Stanley Jigs has already kicked the fishing world in the face! Starting January 1st, any person that catches a bass on one of their lures that exceeds the current world record will receive $100,000.00 in cash! That’s right, a Texas based company is putting their money where their mouth is.

Texas has always been known for its big bass. Lakes in the east as well as reservoirs down by the border have produced numbers of record bass. Hale Lures and Stanley Jigs have also always been synonymous for catching big bass. Their lures have accounted for many state records and championship fish. The bounty is a free promotion running all 2019, requiring you to register online at www.fishstanley.com.
For my money, I would go to Lake Fork if I was hunting the state record bass, and that’s where you are most likely to find a bass that exceeds 22 lbs 4 oz. Is it possible to catch this world record bass in January/February though?

Ask any seasoned bass angler, and they will tell you that the winter bite can be tougher to come by. Fish are cold blooded allowing the water temperature to regulate their body temperature. When the water cools down, fish go through changes that eventually lead to a reduction in the efficiency of their metabolism. Their feeding habits begin to change. The upper 40 mark is the sweet spot in the water temperature, at which the fish begin to slow down their eating habits and seek warmth.

If you know where the warmth in the body of water you are fishing is you can attempt to locate the fish a little easier. Usually congregating in the deeper parts of a lake, or up into a sheltered bay in a river, the bass know where to find the warmer water. Rocks will hold heat from the sun and earth, and offer a nice place to lay a fish belly in the cold. You can usually find large numbers of bass in these positions in colder water.

However, they won’t all be active just because they are in one place together. You need to entice the bass by offering smaller presentations, and slowing down your approach. Try to mimic what the bait would be doing in the fishery. If the water is cold for the bass, it is cold for the bait too. Slow down your movements and offer smaller presentations to match what the bass are eating on.

I recently spent some time in the Hobie Pro Angler 14 Fishing Kayak out on Lake Travis. I was surprised at the amount of action I witnessed late in the day. The water temperature was around 53 degrees. I had spotted some groups of fish on a ledge earlier at 30 feet. I offered up a black and blue jig and some soft plastics. Neither was successful in getting the lethargic bass to move.

Sunset came and we had gone up into a small finger of water that wrapped around rock and trees, 15 feet maximum depth with brush sticking out everywhere. The bass were feeding on small groups of shad in the shallows, Even making top water hits!

Top water hits in January? It happened. Just shows you that you need to be prepared to adjust to the day if you want to bring out that big bite in the winter. Watch the water too. The bass in Travis seemed to be bedding early, splashing and feeding in the shallows off of the points we could see in the distance. We decided to head over chasing the bite. Later we could see them feeding on the tiny shad in the shallows. Keep an eye out and the fish will tell you where they are and what they want. If you’re going for the $100,000.00 prize, keep that in mind on the water this winter.