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Pridružen/-a: 05.07. 2018, 10:24
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 Objavljeno: 08 Jan 2019 08:17 Naslov sporočila: Ben Roethlisberger didn't want to use the word "crossro |
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He did anyway.His team mired in a three-game losing streak and with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on the other sideline Sunday 鈥?a sight that typically signals doom for Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers 鈥?the longtime quarterback understood his team's enigmatic season had reached a tipping point."Are we going to step up and play? Are we going to divide each other? Who knows?" Roethlisberger said after a taut 17-10 victory. "This was going to be a great challenge for us against a team that is always one of the best. I thought we answered the bell today."In so many ways.Rookie running back Jaylen Samuels ran for a season-high 142 yards in his second NFL start. The defense that looked so vulnerable in the late going during Pittsburgh's recent slide figured out a way to slow Brady and Rob Gronkowski. Embattled kicker Chris Boswell drilled a critical 48-yard field goal in the final minutes Adam Butler Jersey , and the Steelers (8-5-1) gave their playoff hopes a welcome jolt."I knew it was a big game, it was a redemption game for last year," said Samuels, a senior at North Carolina State last fall when Pittsburgh collapsed late in a loss to the Patriots. "I just wanted to go out there and give them my all."Forced into action with James Conner missing his second straight game due to a sprained left ankle, Samuels said he's never been a feature back. Funny, the fifth-round pick considered a bit of a project certainly looked like one against New England (9-5). Samuels ran 19 times and caught two passes for 30 yards, including a leaping 20-yard grab on third-and-9 on Pittsburgh's penultimate possession that helped set up Boswell's field goal."I was just staying relaxed, didn't want to stay too tensed up," Samuels said. "Just do what I do. We knew it was going to be a hard-fought game ... it was a pretty good outcome."One that helped Pittsburgh preserve its half-game lead over Baltimore (8-6) in the AFC North with two weeks to go. It also exorcised some demons. The Steelers had dropped five straight to New England and only beaten Brady twice in his storied career. Despite never trailing, their third win over him wasn't assured until Morgan Burnett knocked down Brady's heave to the end zone intended for Julian Edelman with 20 seconds to go."It's a big win for us Authentic Elandon Roberts Jersey ," Roethlisberger said. "It's that time of year. We need to win this football game."Roethlisberger threw for 235 yards with two first-half touchdowns and two interceptions. Boswell, who has struggled so badly this season the team held open tryouts during the week in search of a possible replacement, atoned for a 32-yard miss in the third quarter by drilling a 48-yarder with 2:30 remaining that provided the final margin."He's our kicker from start to finish and I liked that way he came back and banged that next opportunity, and that's what this thing is about," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "You are going to be tested, we are going to be tested. Sometimes you are going to fail, but you better pass enough of them."MISSED CHANCEA victory would have given the Patriots their 10th straight AFC East title. While they still have two shots at it while finishing the regular season at home, the road issues don't appear to be going away. New England finished 3-5 away from Gillette Stadium, the first time the Patriots have a losing road record since 2009."We haven't played very well on the road," Brady said. "Obviously what we're doing isn't good enough."Brady finished 25 of 36 for 279 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Pittsburgh held tight end Gronkowski to two receptions for 21 yards. Brady flung a jump ball to Gronkowski deep in Pittsburgh territory midway through the fourth quarter that was picked off by cornerback Joe Haden http://www.patriotsauthorizedshop.com/authentic-phillip-dorsett-jersey , just Brady's fifth pick in 14 games against the Steelers."I was just trying to flick it out of bounds," Brady said. "Didn't want to take a sack. It shouldn't have happened."The uncharacteristically sloppy Patriots were flagged 14 times for 106 yards, including a handful of offensive holding calls that blunted momentum. The Patriots had a second-and-5 at the Pittsburgh 11 with 37 seconds to go when right guard Shaq Mason was hit with a holding penalty that pushed the ball back to the Pittsburgh 21. The Patriots would get no closer."There's holding on every play in the NFL," Brady said. "It's what we do, we hold. ... If they're calling it, we've got to do a little bit less of it."HE SAID IT"Sometimes you got to cut your eyelids off when you want to blink when it gets thick, and we talk openly about that." Tomlin when talking about his team's ability to deal with adversity.UP NEXTPatriots: Host Buffalo next Sunday. New England is unbeaten at home this season (6-0).Steelers: Visit New Orleans next Sunday. Pittsburgh's last road victory against the Saints came in 1990. Cyrus Jones was sure his tenure with the Patriots was over when he was cut at the end of training camp earlier this month.New England chose to sever ties with the cornerback and return man, a second-round pick in 2016, after an underwhelming two-year tenure.It included fumble issues and a right knee injury that caused him to miss the 2017 season.It is why Jones said he was "blown away" when he got a call from his agent Monday night saying that the Patriots wanted to re-sign him.A deal was completed, and Jones was added to the 53-man roster on Wednesday. He practiced for the first time with his old team Thursday."Everybody was excited to see me Youth Lawrence Guy Jersey , as I was excited to see them," said Jones, who had been on the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad since being released by New England.Jones has been working with the safeties since his return, a position that took a hit when starter Patrick Chung suffered a concussion during New England's loss at Jacksonville.Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon and Nate Ebner — a primary special teamer — are the only other safeties on the depth chart. So, if Chung isn't cleared to play this weekend against Detroit, the chances are high that Jones will see at least some action.McCourty said he started beaming when he saw Jones back in the team cafeteria."Even when he left and went to Baltimore, I was texting him to see how he was doing," McCourty said. "It was a good feeling seeing him come back in here."Jones appeared in 10 games for the Patriots in 2016, making one start. But he had more fumbles (five on 19 punt and kick returns) than tackles (three) on defense.He was making progress this spring after his knee surgery http://www.patriotsauthorizedshop.com/authentic-trey-flowers-jersey , but it wasn't enough to secure him a roster spot when New England made its initial 53-man cut.He said he's not looking at this second opportunity as a chance at redemption."I'm just here to do a job, just like everybody else," Jones said. "I don't look at it like that. I look at it as another opportunity, just like it was when I was in Baltimore. Just like I did when I left here. Trying to be the best guy on Sundays."But Jones acknowledged "it hurt" not being on a roster to open the season."I get that opportunity being back here, so I'm going to make the most of it," he said.Jones said he's put the past and the circumstances surrounding his initial departure behind him. He said he respects the Patriots reasons for letting him go."Whether I was working my way back from injury or whatever — who wants to get cut?" Jones said. "It really didn't matter the circumstances of why I got cut. It didn't matter. That wasn't important to me. It happened, and I dealt with it like a man and moved on."Fortunately enough, coach thought enough of me to bring me back and to help this team win. That's what I'm gonna focus on doing."Notes: TE Rob Gronkowski was limited in practice Thursday with an ankle issue. Chung and DE Trey Flowers both sat out the second straight day as they continue to go through the league's concussion protocol.
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