Blogs

NFL survivor pools almost saw the biggest single elimination of what's already been a carnage-filled year, but Green Bay eked past the Patriots Terry Steinbach Jersey in overtime last week. That win helped stave off yet another week of big eliminations as we head toward the middle of the season. Fortunately, the football pool experts at PoolGenius are once again here to help you find the best Week 5 NFL survivor pool picks.Week 5 gives us the biggest favorite of the year so far with Pittsburgh sitting as 14-point underdogs to the Bills. Using Buffalo comes with a cost in survivor pools, though, as it will be favored by large spreads in several weeks going forward. In this post, we'll break down the Bills and four other popular Week 5 picks since you're probably considering picking at least one of those teams.PoolGenius is the only site that provides customized picks that maximize your edge in NFL survivor pools. Check out their , , and .For a limited time, you can also get a free trial of all their premium football picks.FREE TRIAL: The analysis below is high level and doesn't take into account the specific rules/size of your pool or the teams you've already picked. To get our pick advice for your specific pool, please check out our .Note: "Pick Popularity" numbers below refer to the estimated percentage of survivor pool entries nationwide that have already picked the team in question. Those numbers can shift over the week, so make sure to check our product for the latest data.Buffalo Bills vs. Pittsburgh SteelersSurvivor Pick Popularity: 36% (most popular pick)Point Spread: -14As a 14-point favorite, the Bills win odds are at least 10 percent higher than any other option this week, representing a pretty significant safety edge. Except Tampa Bay, every other option this week is at least twice as likely to lose based on our model odds.Of course, the trade-off with Buffalo is future value. We currently project the Bills as the biggest favorite in five future weeks, starting in Week 9. If at least a third of pool entries are using them this week, that means they could be le s popular and higher-value plays in some of those upcoming weeks.The trade-off of using the Bills now versus saving them may depend on how large your pool is and how deep into the season you need to go (and if Jose Canseco Jersey you have multiple pick weeks later in the year).WEEK 5 FANTASY PPR RANKINGS: | | | | | Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta FalconsSurvivor Pick Popularity: 19%Point Spread: -9.0The Bucs have reasonably high popularity (19 percent) for the second-most popular team. Given Buffalos relative win odds and reduced chances of losing, Tampa Bay only has a good-but-not-great "Expected Value" (EV) this week.The Bucs also have decent future value, although this does look like one of the best spots to use them from a safety perspective.WEEK 5 DFS LINEUPS: | Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston TexansSurvivor Pick Popularity: 15%Point Spread: -7.0Jacksonville has relatively low future value and is favored by a touchdown this week against Houston. Those factors have continued to push the Jaguars up in popularity. That popularity reduces their EV, as they are more popular than several other teams with similar (or better) win odds.That makes the Jags a relatively lower-value play now. However, they could help you save lots of future value if they get through in a week where Oakland Athletics Jersey the best team to save, Buffalo, will be heavily used.MORE POOLGENIUS: Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago BearsSurvivor Pick Popularity: 10%Point Spread: -7.0Like Jacksonville, the Vikings are favored by a touchdown this week when they face the Bears at home. They do so a week after playing in London against the Saints.So far, there have been only five cases where a team played the week after a London game, and those teams are 2-2-1 against the spread. There isnt a noticeable trend in that admittedly small sample size.The Vikings are currently below Jacksonville in popularity, so they have a little better EV than the Jaguars. They do have a little more future value, but that is marginal. The drop-off from the top eight teams Sonny Gray Jersey in future value to everyone else is fairly large right now, and the Vikings are not among those highest-value options going forward.FREE TRIAL: Green Bay Packers vs. New York GiantsSurvivor Pick Popularity: 5%Point Spread: -8.0The Packers do have lower popularity and slightly higher win odds than some other options this week, as they are favored by eight points against the Giants in the London game. This is one to keep an eye on because we currently dont know the final status of Giants QB Daniel Jones after he suffered an ankle injury last week. The odds could shift if he is ruled out.Short of that shift, the Packers EV is solid but not spectacular, particularly because they project as a bigger favorite next week at home against the Jets. No other team next week is likely to be favored by as much as the Bills are now, either.Football Picks From TeamRankings: || Get our Week 5 survivor pick for your pool! In the long run, winning more survivor pools depends on making picks that optimally balance risk and reward. Every po sible NFL Week 5 survivor pick has both an expected value in the current week (based on its win odds and pick popularity) and a future value a sociated with saving that team to use later. Understanding those value metrics is the key to winning more survivor pools in the long term, Walt Weiss Jersey and they can vary significantly based on the characteristics of your pool (e.g. its size and rules).It takes a lot of data and math to figure out which pick (or combination of picks, if you're playing multiple entries) will give you the biggest edge to win your 2022 survivor pool. That's why we spent years building our .It asks you a few questions about your survivor pool, then provides customized pick advice using the latest matchup data, betting market odds, and public picking trends. It tracks the picks you've already made and even recommends how to split up your picks if you're playing multiple entries.There's nothing else like it, and our subscribers have reported . We invite you to try it out, and good luck in your survivor pools this week!FREE TRIAL: We invite you to try it out, and good luck in your survivor pools this week!

The Jets announced this week, and one surprising number jumped out.New York's first-round pick, offensive tackle Olu Fashanu, will wear No. 74. That number hasn't been worn by a Jets player since Ring of Honor center Nick Mangold retired from the NFL in 2018. Mangold played 11 years with the Jets from 2006 William Perry Jersey to 2016 where he made seven Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams.Many were surprised that Fashanu picked this number, and that the Jets hadn't retired it yet. It should be noted, though, that the Jets said the numbers were subject to change before the 2024 NFL season.JETS 2024 DRAFT:||||Should the Jets retire Nick Mangold's jersey number? personalities posed the question of Mangold's number retirement following the rookie cla s announcement. It's Tarik Cohen Jersey a valid thought considering Mangold is one of the most storied players in Jets history.Mangold was the Jets second first-round pick in 2006. The Jets took him No. 29 overall after the team drafted offensive tackle Pat O'Donnell Jersey D'Brickashaw Ferguson with the No. 4 pick. Mangold in games played for the franchise with 164 more than four of the five players . Wide receiver Don Maynard is the only player who has his jersey number retired and who's played more games for New York than Mangold.Mangold was eligible for the Hall of Fame this past year but did not make the cut as a semifinalist.As , though, former Jets center Kevin Mawae who Mangold replaced is in the team's Ring of Honor and is also in the Pro Football Hall of Fame but doesn't have his jersey retired yet. Mawae only played eight seasons with the Jets from 1998 to 2005 after time with the Seahawks. He finished his career with the Titans.NFL JERSEYS:Another thing: No. 74 Jonathan Bullard Jersey is important to Fashanu, too. He wore it throughout his tenure at Penn State and is a part of his brand as he heads into the NFL. He could very well change it between now and the regular season, but there's no real reason to unle s he feels obligated to honor Mangold.For what it's worth, Mangold has not publicly said anything about his number being worn, either.Jets retired jersey numbersThe Jets only have five Trey Burton Jersey players with retired jersey numbers. Of those five, Namath, Martin, Maynard and Klecko are in the Hall of Fame.Joe Namath: No. 12Don Maynard: No. 13Curtis Martin: No. 28Joe Klecko:No. 73Dennis Byrd: No. 90

Real football isn't all about the offensive players. Why should be any different? Every week here in Reading the Defense, we're looking back at the fantasy week that was and offering help for the week that's to come.Game BallsDefensive line: On a defense that is looking for young stars, is making a play to fill the void. The second-year defensive lineman had easily his best game as a profe sional with 10 tackles and a sack. Tuitt's not going to rack up huge sack totals as a defensive tackle, but if he can provide run support for a defense that has been pretty good against opposing rushing attacks, he could have some IDP potential.Linebacker: If you're going to get the first fumble recovery of your career, make it spectacular. Since being drafted by the in the seventh round of the 2012 draft, has been on four different NFL rosters. His overall totals against the in Week 4 weren't very special, but he ended the game with a bang by taking a fumble back Blank Jersey 84 yards for a score. There's no reason to count on Stupar this season, but it was nice for one week.Defensive back: For the second time this season, tops the charts among IDP scorers. The defensive back snagged his third and fourth interceptions of the season and returned one for his second pick six of 2015. The fourth-year defensive back has already set a career-high in picks and has become one of the new shutdown corners in the NFL. But if you , you already knew this.What went wrong On a day when the completely dominated the , you'd think that pa s-rushing sensation would have made an Gerardo Parra Jersey impact. Nope. Beasley made just one tackle in the ballgame. Like many pa s rushing linebackers, the rookie's fantasy totals will be heavily dependent on his ability to get to the quarterback. That doesn't bode well for next week's matchup against Washington, whose offensive line has been pretty stout so far this season. has been a disruptive force in the first three games of the season, but Willie Mays Jersey pulled a disappearing act in Week 4. Credit the offensive line who kept the USC product in check all day long. But with three sacks in his first four games this season, there's little reason to worry that Griffen is going to go bust anytime soon.Week 4 boomer, DL, : The offensive line didn't do anything to impre s anyone in Week 4. This week, the 'Hawks travel to Cincinnati to face a team that his tied for sixth in the NFL with 11 sacks. That's especially good news for who is among the NFL's leader in individual sacks. should expect to get well acquainted with Dunlap on Sunday.Week 4 buster, DB, : has earned rave reviews, but Darby has been equally good in the first four games of his NFL career. This week Darby and the face quarterback , whose biggest strength has been protecting the football. Even if Buffalo can pre sure the rookie signal-caller, he's not prone to throwing a lot of interceptions. Darby could be at a lo s for fantasy points this week.Week 4 sleeper, DL, : We've spent so much of the early season picking on the that it Brandon Crawford Jersey 's about time to hand out some positives. Jenkins has played well in the last couple of weeks and racked up all three of his sacks in the last two games. The offensive line has been a me s so far, allowing 17 sacks. Don't be surprised if Jenkins stays hot at the expense of and the Kansas City offense.Four downsFirst down: cornerback mi sed practice for a second straight day on Tuesday, and there is concern that with Indy on a short week. The veteran cornerback was out of a walking boot, which is good news. But head coach Chuck Pagano expects to see a lot of snaps this week. That's bad news.Second down: After mi sing the past two games with a shoulder stinger, linebacker returned to practice and this week against the . With the game on Monday night, Shazier will have an extra day to get ready. That's a positive for a player who has gotten off to a good start this season.Third down: linebacker is still dealing with a lingering hamstring injury. While he played last week, the i sue appears to have regre sed and this week's contest against the . This is a big blow to a struggling Philadelphia team that has suffered a number of key injuries already. Fourth down: The suffered a pair of big injuries along their offensive line in the Monday night lo s to the . left the game with a calf injury and will need an MRI. Meanwhile, will mi s the rest of the season with a . Detroit's pa s rush was fierce on Monday; we'll see if it can be sustained with two important players potentially unavailable.In the latest episode of the the gang recaps Week 4, looks ahead at Week 5 waiver wire targets, and re-evaluates some top NFL backfields with players returning from injury. Don't forget to subscribe and !Marcas Grant is a fantasy editor for NFL.com. Follow him on Twitter Joe Panik Jersey .

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) Dan Campbell and Brian Daboll wanted a highly competitive workout when the Detroit Lions and New York Giants opened two days of joint practices in New Jersey on Monday.And the two coaches may have gotten a little more than even they wanted.Cornerback and Lions first-round draft pick Sammy Sosa Jersey Terrion Arnold left the field after a goal-line drill and was being evaluated for a po sible concu sion. Detroit veteran guard Kevin Zeitler, who was signed as a free agent, injured a shoulder early and left practice.It appeared Arnold was hurt when blocked by Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas.ADVERTISEMENT There were at least four scrums after plays where the players rushed to the altercation from all sides of the field and peace was eventually restored.There were two involving Lions All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, one with safety Dane Belton and the other with rookie cornerback Dru Phillips. The scariest one for the Giants was seeing quarterback Daniel Jones rush Javier Baez Jersey into a scrum with his center Greg Van Roten down on the field and the Lions player on top of him.It came one play after Jones hit his hand on the equipment of a Lions defender while making a throw. Daboll immediately took exception and yelled at the Lions to stay away from his quarterback, who was wearing a red no-contact jersey.A situation happens like that, you try to stand up for your guys, Jones said of running to Van Roten's aid. I thought it was good competitive practice all day today and we made some plays and did some good things. There are some things we need to sure up, for sure, but good intensity and competitive spirit today.Giants edge rusher Brian Burns, who had a couple of tackles for lo ses in the workout, later rushed onto the field to help break up a scuffle during the 11-on-11 drills.He smiled when he heard Jones got involved in another.Oh, Lord. Daniel got jiggy with it. Daniel was out there with it? Yeah. Im going to need him to back up. Burns said. Let his O-Line handle that. But Daniel, hes a competitor, man. Hes a fighter. So, I dont expect Tyler Chatwood Jersey anything le s from him."The teams will practice again on Tuesday and then play their preseason opener on Thursday at MetLife Stadium.I told them, Man, like we always do. Were competing and were not pulling back,' Campbell said of his pre-practice talk with his team. But this will be evaluated like a game, so if you do something thats going to cost us in a game, thats part of your evaluation. But weve got to go, weve got to get better, we cant just be tiptoeing either."Campbell was drafted by the Giants and spent his first four seasons with them, playing in a Super Bowl with them after the 2000 season. He led the Lions to the NFC title game last season as coach.The most important thing is that they understand what it took to get to where we were at even last year and just because we got to that point doesnt mean anything, so we start over, Campbell said.The Giants made the playoffs in Daboll's first season in 2022 but they stumbled in '23, finishing 6-11 in a season where Jones tore his ACL in November. Daboll did not put any restrictions on him Daniel Descalso Jersey Monday.Again, its practice, Daboll said. Its a competitive practice against two teams. Well try to do it the right way. Dan and I have talked about it. We talked about it last year. We thought we got a lot out of it. But again, its practice. Its just a higher-tempo practice because youre practicing against somebody else.The Giants have stre sed getting big plays this David Ross Jersey season, and Jones completed a couple of long pa ses to No. 1 draft pick Malik Nabers and second-year wideout Jalin Hyatt. Veteran Darius Slayton also caught a long pa s.Lions quarterback Jared Goff completed long pa ses to a wide-open Daurice Fountain on the second play of the 7-on-7 drill and later with Jameson Williams in a team drill.Giants inside linebacker Bobby Okereke intercepted Goff in the 7-on-7s and nose tackle Dexter Lawrence stuffed a run early. ___AP NFL:

The Dallas Cowboys are in the news for something other than football.On Tuesday morning, the Cowboys unveiled a partnership with Salt Lake City-based Los Angeles Dodgers Jersey Black Rifle Coffee, a coffee company run by United States veterans that "serves coffee and culture to people who love America," according to its mi sion statement page.The timing of the announcement drew the ire of those who noticed it, after seven people were shot and killed on the Fourth of July in Highland Park, Illinois.The brand has names such as "Silencer Smooth," "Gunship Coffee Rounds," "Murdered Out," and "AK-47 Espre so Roast.", please welcome Americas Coffee to Americas Team.We are celebrating Americas birthday all week long by giving away tickets to a home game & a -year Kenley Jansen Jersey subscription to ! Click here to learn more. Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) MORE:The reactions were, as always, split. But those speaking against the partnership had strong words.I've been an avid fan virtually my entire life. I'm old enough to remember the Ice Bowl.Through good & Hyun-Jin Ryu Jersey bad years & more than a fair share of disappointment, nothing has shaken me & made me want to reconsider more than this: Matt Angle (@LSPmatt) Cowboys are tone deaf with this marketing deal Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) After the tragedy in Uvalde, Enrique Hernandez Jersey in which 21 people were killed, the Cowboys donated $400,000 to support the victims and survivors.The Cowboys declined comment to The A sociated Pre s, but a spokesperson for Black Rifle : BRCC is proud to partner with the Dallas Cowboys, who are strongly committed to our mi sion of supporting veterans, first responders, and Americas men and women in uniform.The long-planned announcement was timed to coincide with the Independence Day holiday Americas Team. Americas Coffee. Americas Birthday.The Cowboys are also hosting a contest for tickets to a Cowboys game a year subscription to Maury Wills Jersey Black Rifle Coffee.

The and shockingly came to an agreement on a trade involving veteran defensive tackle Jordan Chris Paul Jersey Phillips.According to , the Giants are sending Phillips and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Cowboys for a 2026 sixth-round pick.The news of the deal by Josina Anderson.The rare swap between division rivals doesn't happen often, but this is a move that might benefit both sides.Phillips, , has been struggling throughout training camp to make an impact on the depth chart. Kawhi Leonard Jersey He has been working behind younger defensive tackles with more upside like Ryder Anderson, Rakeem Nunez-Roches and D.J. Davidson at the one-technique.Even undrafted rookie Elijah Chatman, who works Montrezl Harrell Jersey mostly at the three-technique, was likely ahead of him in the pecking order in terms of the depth chart.Phillips has had a solid career as Paul George Jersey a depth piece along the interior defensive line, but he was likely going to be on the outside looking in when it came time for the Giants to make roster cuts.Getting something for him before the Giants simply release the veteran was a wise move by general manager Joe Tobias Harris Jersey Schoen.Over the last two seasons with the Buffalo Bills, the 31-year-old recorded 4.0 sacks, 35 tackles and five tackles for lo s in 26 games (10 starts).MORE GIANTS

Pantomime villain Joey Barton Anthony Rizzo Jersey recently received a 12 match ban for his behaviour on the last day of EPL season. The severity of the punishment has been debated at length but what is not in doubt is the recidivist nature of this repeat offender and his apparent refusal to learn from his mistakes.From stubbing a cigarette in the eye of a youth player, attacking team-mates and opponents to serving 77 days in prison for common a sault the QPR midfielder has a litany of misdeeds and he seems intent on adding to them in the future.That being said despite having a record as long as his arm Barton still has a fair way to go to match the exploits of one of the most colourful goalkeepers of modern, football history: Jos Ren Higuita Zapata.The goalkeeping idol impre sed and horrified with equal measure and why he didnt have his problems to speak off the pitch, in the main he was forgiven because he never failed to dazzle and entertain when playing for his country and many clubs. youtube= For many the abiding memory of Colombias Rene El Loco Higuita will be his Scorpion Kick against England in the old Wembley Stadium in 1995. The game was inching along to a 0-0 draw when Jamie Redknapp mishit a shot/cro s from the right hand side. Higuita, maybe bored with the evenings events, needed only to catch the aimle s ball but instead opted to dive forward and clear using the soles of his boots. It was a marvellous footballing moment which left the crowd and TV spectators enthralled and would become Higuitas signature play piece .One that he would happily re-enact many more times in the future; mainly for the pre s.Some people say you have to be a little crazy to be a good goalkeeper, Higuita told a journalist years later.For a little crazy (or poco loco) we should read as mad as a bag of ferrets. youtube= Alike many South American footballers a young Rene grew up in poverty. He was raised by his grandmother in a barrio of Medellin during a time when Colombia was plagued with violence and was fast turning into the worlds number one narco-state.At 19 he made his league debut for Millonarios of Bogota, the historical giants of Colombian league football making 16 appearances and scoring 5 goals (a feat he would regularly go on to replicate).Despite this succe sful first season he opted to return home to Medellin and join his beloved Atletico Nacional who were being funded and largely controlled at the time by the infamous Pablo Escobar.His new team-mates included the likes of Faustino Asprilla, Leonel Alvarez, Andres Escobar and Albeiro Usuriaga, who would all go on to be integral parts of the coming Colombian football renai sance. Under the tutelage of legend Fransisco Choco Maturana , Atletico became the first Colombian team to win the Copa Libertadores when they beat Olympia of Paraguay in one of the most famous of finals.After clawing back a 2-0 deficit the 2ndleague of the final in Bogota was tied 2-2 on aggregate and so moved onto penalties. The shoot-out presented the opportunity for Higuita to become the hero and it was an opportunity he did not waste. By this time Rene was a regular penalty taker so he stepped up to score Colombias third and save five of the oppositions kicks, four of which were in sudden death. His last sudden death, penalty saves allowed Leonal Alvarez to claim the winner. youtube= COPA LIBERTADORES FINAL 1989When Choco Maturana took over Colombia for Italia 1990 he used Higuita and his Atletico team-mates as a base of the squad. Combined with Carlos Valderrama and Freddy Rincon they had an impre sive squad of hungry, young players.A 2-0 win against the United Arab Emirates, a 1-0 lo s to Yugoslavia and a 1-1 dramatic, last ditch draw against West Germany saw them qualify for the next round for the first time. Their reward was a last 16 tie with the tournament surprise team Cameroon.Almost as much as the Scorpion kick Rene Higuita is remembered for his mistake against Cameroon and their captain, Roger Milla.To modern day supporters his daredevil antics near the centre circle appear foolhardy and selfish but that is to ignore Chicago Cubs Blank Jersey the benefits of having a goalkeeper who also acted as a sweeper and creative influence upon the team. In addition to this he was an attacking option and a potent threat from set-pieces. Although his goal scoring record could not match a centre forward (or Jose Luis Chilavert) it puts many a defender or midfielders rate to shame. To have such an all-rounder must have been quite a weapon in your armoury especially as he was an accomplished shot stopper and top level goalkeeper to boot. youtube= HIGUITA FREEKICK VS RIVER PLATEHis national manager (Choco Maturana) was certainly aware of these benefits claiming at the time:(Higuita) gives us something no one else has, and we take full advantage. With Rene as sweeper, we have 11 outfield players. Jan Jongbloed, the Holland keeper in the 1974 World Cup, also operated as a sweeper. With a difference. The Dutchman came out just to boot Andre Dawson Jersey the ball into the stands. Higuita can do much more.Unfortunately, this time Higuita came unstuck and was robbed of the ball far up the pitch leaving his goal open for Milla to slide home the decisive winner. He was made to look stupid as he scrambled back to his goal, this time his audacity and adventurous spirit resulted in Colombias elimination.Rene vs Roger, Italia 1990Despite their World Cup disappointment Colombia continued to blo som as an international force. Second and fourth places in the 1991 and 1993 Copa Americas were coupled with a first place position in the 1994 World Cup campaign.A 5-0 final game defeat of Argentina, in Buenos Aires was the cherry on the cake. Now everyone had to sit up and take notice of the Cafeteros. Many, including Pele were touting them as favourites for the World Cup in USA.But before this disaster had struck for Higuita struck in the form of Pablo Escobar and his corrosive, influence upon both the Colombian people and its football.The fascinating documentary the two Escobars highlights the relationship between Rene Higuita and the infamous drug king-pin. The Zimbalist brothers excellent piece of work directly correlates Colombias period of succe s with the Narco-lords age of rule and El Loco was right in the middle of this relationship. youtube= FULL ESPN DOCUMENTARY THE TWO ESCOBARSDuring the early nineties Colombia was actively trying to combat the narco -traffickers and improve its dreadful international reputation.Escobar had been given a pseudo jail sentence by the authorities instead of extradition to the USA and a likely death penalty. His jail was a self-regulated palace located high in the mountains far away from the media spotlight. He still continued to control his empire and his power was such that he would summon the Colombian national team to play private matches in the prison courtyard/pitch. Whether the players wanted to play in these matches is debatable but I doubt many would openly defy the demands of noted gangster and ma s-murderer.Colombias Italia 1990 teamHiguita on the other hand seemed to enjoy a close relationship with Escobar: in much the same way as many of the 1960s London based footballers mixed with the Krays and other cockney villains. When people grow up in poverty it creates a bond which is hard to break and forges lifelong friendships. While this may be incomprehensible to the more fortunate and higher cla ses it is normal for those le s lucky. Regardle s the goalkeeper felt no reason to publicly deny his and Escobars amity.In 1993 when he decided to visit his old friend in prison the pre s were waiting for him. Footage of Higuita running from the reporters was beamed around Colombia and the world severely embarra sing the Colombian Jason Heyward Jersey government and forcing them into action.When Higuita was employed as an intermediary in a Medellin kidnapping case the authorities seized their opportunity to punish and exact retribution. Higuita received payment ($50,000) for his go-between duties and as a result it was argued that he had profited from the crime instead of informing the authorities.The result was a seven month jail sentence which immediately ruled him out of the next years World Cup.Without their goalkeeper USA 1994 was disastrous for Colombia. They were caught out against a counter-attacking Romania and the brilliant Hagi losing 3 1. Then came the 2 1 defeat to the USA and Andres Escobars own goal. In the end the 2 o win against Switzerland was meaningle s and they were home before the postcards.It could be argued that a nervous Oscar Cordoba failed to inspire where Higuita had before, but considering the pre sure they were under from personal and family death threats it was amazing they even entered the pitch. The murder of Andres Escobar shortly after further highlighted how poisonous life was for people at this time.It was harsh le son for Higuita. The government had deliberately made an example of the goalkeeper but at the same time they contributed to their football teams demise. Although Carlos Valderrama was their captain Higuita was their leader and inspiration.In much the same way as Alesandro Pirlo with his penalty against England, a leader can engender confidence in his team with acts of audacious skill and bravado. Nowadays commentators near wet themselves when a goalkeeper races up the pitch to try and meet a last minute cro s or corner with a header. Higuita on the other hand could take the ball from his own box and dribble past the opposition or lay-off pa ses before even reaching the half way line.With all that was hanging over them Colombia needed their talisman to bolster their shaken nerves. Incarcerating the footballer with trumped up charges was merely a smokescreen for the authorities displeasure of his relationship with Pablo Escobar.His term of jail ended his World Cup career as by the time France 1998 he was much older and past his prime. For many of his former team-mates it proved also to be a tournament to far contributing again to early elimination. In 68 appearances he scored 3 goals for Colombia and played in Robel Garcia Jersey the two Copa Americas and only one World Cup.Although Rene ventured abroad during his career: Mexico (Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz or the Red Sharks of Veracruz), Spain (Real Valladolid) and Ecuador (Aucas) for single seasons it was Colombia that saw the best of Higuita with a variety of clubs, but most notably Atletico Nacional. He finally retired in 2010, after a couple of come-backs, with a total of 380 appearances and 25 goals a few and became a goalkeeping coach of Real Vallodolid then Al Na sr FC of Saudi Arabia earlier this year.In a recent interview he profe sed his desire to continue in football saying:All athletes who play profe sional football have fun, and want to continue providing knowledge and keep having fun. I have the tactical, technical and physical knowledge, along with years of experience. God willing, some day Ill have the opportunity.If he can somehow influence a next generation of players with his type of approach to the game through coaching or mentorship then maybe all is not lost.He will always be a sociated with his acts of madne s or genius by either admirers or detractors alike but what is of no doubt is there is a severe dearth of mavericks like him in the modern game.Just like Maradona, Best and Gascoigne, Higuita was a flawed genius and it is probably these human deficiencies combined with their ability to marvel and astound that make us love and mi s their likes all the more.

There's a chance may have to make his debut on Sunday without his one of his top offensive weapons. On Wednesday, wide receiver mi sed Michael Brantley Jersey practice with a soft ti sue injury, according to head coach Bruce Arians, who labeled Evans a game-time decision for the Buccaneers' Week 1 matchup against the and said that they'll take it all the way to the wire to see if he will be able to suit up, ."We'll see how it goes," Arians said, via Eduardo Encina of the Tampa Bay Jason Kipnis Jersey Times.Last season, Evans caught 67 pa ses for 1,157 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games. He mi sed the last few contests of the regular season due to a he suffered against the in Week 14. Still, his numbers were good enough to earn his third Pro Bowl nod. The former No. 7 overall pick has recorded at least 1,000 yards receiving in each of Matt Belisle Jersey his six seasons and has caught a total of 48 touchdowns in 90 career games. TB WR #13 TAR118REC67REC YDs1157REC TD8FL0Evans also just in order to give the Buccaneers more cap space to sign running back . Evans was initially slated to have a $17.95 million cap hit, but it's now Brad Hand Jersey $8.38 million after the team reduced Evans' 2020 base salary to $4 million and converted $12.75 million into guaranteed per-game roster bonuses.Not having Evans would be a big blow to the Buccaneers offense -- especially considering that they are facing the divisional rival Saints on the road. Many expect the NFC South title to come down to these two teams, and not having Evans on the field for the first of their two matchups is not the beginning of the season the Buccaneers imagined. Evans is still considered "day-to-day," but it sounds like he would be unable to Erik Gonzalez Jersey play if the Buccaneers kicked off the 2020 season today. If Evans indeed cannot go on Sunday, expect Scott Miller or to step up alongside .

stood at the podium after Sunday's to the because that's what the franchise quarterback has to do. It Drew Robinson Jersey 's part of the gig.For five minutes, he answered questions about what was -- by far -- the biggest mi sed opportunity of his NFL career. The had a 12-point lead and the ball with five minutes to play in the fourth quarter. And yet, here was Rodgers, as glum as we've ever seen him. Something had gone terribly wrong."It's going to be a mi sed opportunity that we're probably going to think about the rest of my career," Rodgers said. "We were the better team today and we played well enough to win and we can't blame anybody but ourselves."It was an all- Ryan Helsley Jersey time stomach punch lo s by a team that seemed to have endle s opportunities to seal their second trip in the Rodgers era."You can't let them complete a pa s for a , you can't and you can't not get any first downs in Matt Wieters Jersey the first quarter and expect to win," Rodgers said. "And that's on top of being really poor in the red zone in the first half. Put it all together and that's how you lose games. We had a great opportunity. We were right on the cusp."Rodgers was asked how he'd deal with a lo s this painful."You just go home, think about it, and move on," he said. "Start getting ready for the offseason program. This one's going to hurt for a while because of the close proximity to the feeling when the clock hits zero Orlando Cepeda Jersey and you're ahead. We gave it away."What a lo s. If you're Rodgers -- Adolis Garcia Jersey or really anybody a sociated with the -- how do you even watch the in two weeks? They had punched their ticket to Arizona and then watched it slip out of their fingers and down a Seattle storm drain.The latest Podcast , and breaks down the ' historic comeback against the . Find more content on .

Troy Aikman could call a bit of history Monday in Kansas City. It might be a bit of an awkward moment for the ESPN analyst.Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes enters the "Monday Night Football" matchup against the Raiders with 162 touchdown pa ses. He needs only four to pa s Aikman's career pa sing touchdown mark of 165. Aikman would be the sixth Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Mahomes would pa s in career pa sing touchdowns, . Mahomes has Tyler O'Neill Jersey thrown for at least four touchdown pa ses .Why would this be awkward? Well, back in 2019, The Athletic Kansas City shared that Mahomes had already reached 36 percent of Aikman's pa sing touchdowns in just 8 percent of the games. Aikman responded that Mahomes should get back to him when he has 33 percent of his Super Bowl titles.iCYMI: Talk to me when when he has 33% of my Super Bowl Titles Troy Aikman (@TroyAikman) It didn't take long for Mahomes to reach that mark. By the end of the season, Mahomes had won Super Bowl 54, reaching 33 percent of Aikman's three Super Bowl titles.MORE:Aikman's 12-year career was highlighted by the three rings he claimed, while his regular-season numbers weren't always the most impre sive. But as Mahomes prepares to potentially pa s Aikman in pa sing touchdowns, The Sporting News is looking at how the career numbers compare between the two future Canton colleagues.Mahomes has played in 67 career games. Aikman totaled 165 in his career. Steve Carlton Jersey Keep those numbers in mind.Aikman finished his career with a 61.5 completion percentage, 32,942 pa sing yards, 165 touchdowns and 141 picks. To this point in his career, Mahomes has a 66.1 completion percentage, 20,097 pa sing yards, 162 touchdowns and 39 interceptions.The numbers between the two start to get more impre sive for Mahomes when looking at Aikman's single-season totals. Aikman's personal single-season bests in pa sing yards and pa sing touchdowns are 3,445 and 23, both posted in 1992. Mahomes has never finished a full season with fewer than 4,031 pa sing yards or 26 touchdowns, both of which came in 2019, when he played in a career-low Matt Carpenter Jersey 14 games.In Mahomes' first year as a starter, when he won MVP in 2018, he threw 50 touchdowns. He did not have any in his single rookie season appearance in 2017. It took Aikman 52 games to reach 50 career touchdown pa ses.Here's a look at how Mahomes' first 67 career games compare to Aikman's start.MahomesStatAikman162Pa sing TDs6839Interceptions6720,097Pa sing yards13,4471,647Completions1,1672,491Attempts1,8908.1Yards/Attempt7.19Fourth-quarter comebacks710Game-winning drives953-14QB record37-30It's fair to say that NFL quarterbacks pa s far more in today's game than they did in the early-mid-1990s only six quarterbacks attempted more than 600 pa ses from 1990-94; eight did it last year alone but Mahomes' numbers are also more efficient. He averages more than a yard Chris Beck Jersey per attempt better than Aikman and has a touchdown rate of 6.5 percent in his career compared to Aikman's 3.6 percent.Then there's also the turnovers. Aikman had thrown picks on 3.5 percent of his pa ses through his first 67 games; Mahomes has a 1.6 percent interception rate.MORE:And as it pertains to Super Bowls, Mahomes is off to a comparable start to Aikman. By this point in Aikman's career, he had one Super Bowl win, though he would go on to win his second for the season in which he played in his 67th game. Mahomes has already played in two and has never ended his season before the AFC Championship.At just 27 years old, Mahomes still has plenty of time to continue to rack up the incredible numbers. Aikman might Trevor Rosenthal Jersey just hope that he waits to pa s his pa sing touchdowns mark so someone else can call the moment.