Things were already going to be tough enough for Jeff Fisher and the St. Louis Rams in the NFC West. Trapped in what is considered to be the toughest division in the league, featuring the defending champion Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers, the team many believed to be the second best team last season, improving on their 7-9, 4th place finish was going to be tough. The preseason loss of quarterback Sam Bradford to a torn ACL in his left knee, the second time in two seasons hes been wiped out with the same injury, will be devastating to the Rams chances of having any tangible success this season. Before his Week 7 injury last season, Bradford was once again showing the skills that led to him being the number one overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. He had 14 touchdowns and four interceptions before shredding his knee. Of the 20 quarterbacks picked number one overall since 1976, only JaMarcus Russell and Alex Smith will have started less games than Bradford in their first five seasons. So where do the Rams go from here? Assuming no late season moves are made, journeyman QB Shaun Hill will take the reins as the starter. Hill has not started an NFL game since 2010 while he was a member of the Detroit Lions, but the veteran made 26 starts between 2007 and the last time he was in the opening lineup. He threw 16 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for the Lions in 2010 and 13 touchdowns and 8 interceptions for the 49ers in 2008, the two seasons where hes played in at least nine games. The big men up front have become even more important for the Rams and the health of left tackle Jake Long is already in the spotlight. Trying to work his way back from his own ACL surgery, Long is one of the best offensive linemen in the league when healthy and will be needed. Even before the Bradford injury, Fisher had talked about the importance of their running game and the success they need to get out of Zac Stacy and Benny Cunningham. Stacy last season rushed for 973 yards and seven touchdowns, but really came on in the season half of the season as he was given more of the load to carry as the season progressed. Cunningham has been more of the story in the preseason as he has pushed himself further into the Rams backfield plans. At this point the two look to be sharing the position heading into the season, which is probably the right move for a team that might need to keep the ball on the ground more than originally planned. Defensively the Rams head into the season with what could very well be a breakout unit of players including defensive end Robert Quinn who is one of the best pass rushers in the game. Last season his 19 sacks were second only to Indianapolis Colts Robert Mathis who led the league with 19.5. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is known for getting the best out of this type of player and Quinn could very well be on track to have an even greater defensive impact this season. Chris Long will be rushing the quarterback from the other side and he contributed 8.5 sacks to the cause last year and as Quinn becomes an even greater and more known entity, Long will find himself in a lot of one-on-one situations and could see his number rise back into the double digits as they were earlier in his career. Alec Ogletree and James Laurinaitis will both be once again big players at the linebacker position for the Rams. Ogletree was responsible for 95 tackles, a 98-yard interception return and six forced fumbles last season and in his second year in the league even more will be expected of him. The Rams are a talented team that could still cause problems but in the tough NFC West, it would have been hard to see them improving on their standing with Bradford and even harder to see them do it without their star quarterback. . PAUL, Minn. . THE MICHAEL JORDAN FLU GAME First this famous basketball moment. The story goes like this. “Game 5, known as "The Flu Game", was one of Michael Jordans most memorable.
http://www.cheapncaajerseys.info/. A criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court said his girlfriend told police they got into the argument early Thursday at his suburban Minneapolis home. . It was well worth the wait. Manning and the Denver Broncos waited eight long months, then another 33 minutes to get the season started because of a lightning storm. CALGARY -- Fred Couples won the Champions Tours Shaw Charity Classic on Sunday, chipping in for eagle for a course-record 9-under 61 and beating Billy Andrade with a tap-in birdie on the first hole of a playoff. "It never came into my mind about winning the tournament until really maybe the 15th, 16th holes," said Couples, four strokes back entering the round. The 54-year-old Couples also eagled the par-5 11th and had five birdies in his third straight bogey-free round at Canyon Meadows. "No bogeys is good," Couples said. "I consider this to be a nice tricky, tough, little course." Andrade shot 62, making a short eagle putt on the par-5 18th to match Couples at 15 under. "Hats off to Fred and move on," Andrade said. "When you lose you lose. You dont really feel great about it. So, well get them next week in Quebec." Couples holed out from 40 feet for the eagle in regulation on 18. "I landed it right where I wanted to," Couples said. "It was going a little fast, but it obviously hit the pin and went in." In the playoff on 18, Andrade went for the green in two and pulled his approach right of the green and into a skybox. Couples laid up and hit his third within a foot. After taking a drop, Andrade left his chip 40 feet short and missed his birdie putt. "I made a good valiant effort and it didnt go in," Andrade said. Couples broke the course record of 62 set by Bill Glasson last year in the inaugural tournament and matched by Tom Pernice Jr. and Bart Bryant in the first round Friday. Couples also won the Toshiba Classic in March in California and has 11 victories on the 50-and-over tour.dddddddddddd. The Hall of Famer won 15 times on the PGA Tour. "To come back and win is a great feeling," Couples said. "I started to play pretty well and then my back went out and then my wrist a little bit. So, I took two months off and I havent really played much. Its not surprising, but I played last week in Seattle, which gave me quite a few rounds." Andrade turned 50 in January and is winless in 15 starts on the Champions Tour. The four-time PGA Tour winner also was second in March in the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic. "I really had a wonderful time up here, but you want to win it when you get this close," Andrade said. "Unfortunately, I didnt, so its OK. Lifes still great, everythings good. But, you know, were all fighting to win, you want to win." Steve Lowery and Joe Daley tied for third at 13 under. Lowery finished with a 64, and Daley shot 67. Wes Short Jr. was another stroke back after a 64. "I was thinking 63 might have a shot at it, but you never know when someones going to come out and shoot 61 like that," Lowery said. Couples opened with rounds of 68 and 66 to enter the day four strokes behind leaders Daley, Joe Durant and Bob Tway. Durant had a 73 to tie for 19th at 7 under, and Tway followed his second-round 63 with a 74 to drop into a tie for 27th at 6 under. Bernhard Langer, the tour leader with five victories this season, also was 6 under after a 72. Rocco Mediate, the winner last year, had a 67 to join the group at 7 under. ' ' '
