OAKLAND
http://www.dallascowboysteamonline.com/anthony-brown-jersey , Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams and Oakland Raiders spent most of the lead-up
to the season in the same predicament, with their Defensive Players of the Year
holding out while seeking new contracts.
When the teams open the season against each other Monday night in Oakland, that will have changed. The Rams will have last year’s winner of the league’s
top defensive award on the field anchoring the middle in Aaron Donald. The
Raiders will be without 2016 winner Khalil Mack, who was traded to Chicago.
The Raiders dealt Mack for a package including two first-round draft picks a day after Donald signed a six-year, $135 million deal, with $87 million
guaranteed. Oakland was unwilling to pay that price for Mack, forcing defensive
coordinator Paul Guenther to shelve plans he made after getting hired on how to
use Mack, and proceed the way he approached training camp with the rest of the
overhauled defense.
“I think I saw the guy in a restaurant in March one time,” Guenther said. “My kids pointed it out to me, ‘Hey, its Khalil Mack. He’s got the new Jordans on.’
You know, I wouldn’t know. With as many new players we brought in
Xavier Woods Jersey , new coaching staff we just kind of got use to him not being here and operating with what we got, so we are going to move along that
way.”
The Raiders spent much of the offseason trying to improve their pass rush by moving Bruce Irvin to a full-time defensive end position, and drafting P.J.
Hall, Arden Key and Maurice Hurst. That group helped generate 12 sacks in the
preseason and will have plenty of pressure starting Monday night to fill Mack’s
void.
“It’s an opportunity for me and the rest of the guys on the D-line,” Key said. “That’s just another opportunity. Khalil Mack is gone. We can’t dwell on
it. We have to move forward and somebody has to step up in his spot.”
The Rams said they weren’t exactly upset to see Mack traded, considering he has averaged more than 12 sacks and 60 quarterback pressures over the last three
seasons. But they noted they still have to face Mack in Week 14 and that the
Raiders’ other rushers present enough of a challenge this week.
“He’s a great player, and he’s not going to be on the team we’re playing this week, but they’ve got plenty of good players, and they’ve got a great defense
and a great team that we’re preparing for,” quarterback Jared Goff said. “We’re
not thinking very much about Khalil right now.”
The Raiders have plenty to worry about on Los Angeles’ defense now that Donald is back to team with three former All-Pros added this offseason:
defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib.
The new-look lineup gives coordinator Wade Phillips one of the game’s best pair of cornerbacks in Peters and Talib, as well as interior rushers in Donald
and Suh.
The Raiders have a good idea what to expect with Peters and Talib having spent the past few years in the AFC West; Oakland playing against Suh in Miami
last year; and Phillips serving as defensive coordinator in Denver in 2015-16
when he faced the Raiders four times overall.
“They’re all great players
Jake Ryan Jersey ,” quarterback Derek Carr said. “They have a great team, great defense. Great challenge they present us. Then (defensive coordinator)
coach Phillips calling it. I’ve gone against him a number of times. He does his
stuff, man, and he’s really good at it. It’s going to be a good challenge for
us. I can sit here and talk good things about all those guys. They know how I
feel about them, they’re great players.”
The Rams have spent the past week incorporating Donald into the mix after he held out all offseason and training camp. They have experience doing it from
last year, when he didn’t report until one day before the season opener and
missed the first game.
He’s had more than a week of practice and should be ready for the opener for what could be the most star-packed defense in the league.
“We haven’t played in any games or any meaningful snaps, so we’re still figuring out how to come together as a defense,” coach Sean McVay said. “You
feel good about those two players and some of the other guys that will play with
them up front. It looks good right now, but it’s about playing together as a
unit and doing a great job against what we know is going to be an excellent
challenge with a great offense on Monday night.”
WASHINGTON — The next few days will determine whether a players-only meeting and a visit from the Miami Marlins will help lift the Washington Nationals out
of their funk.
Washington welcomes Miami to Nationals Park for a four-game series beginning Thursday night.
The Nationals have lost five straight games and 17 of 22. At 42-43, the Nationals are under .500 this far into the season for the first time since they
were 60-61 on Aug. 21, 2015.
Wednesday’s traditional 11:05 a.m. July 4 contest was a 3-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox. Washington’s eighth shutout since June 1 — the Nationals were
blanked just seven times all of last season — resulted in a players-only meeting
after the game.
“We’ve never been in this position before, and I think it’s an exciting time for us
Danny Trevathan Jersey ,” Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper told the Washington Post. “In years past, we’ve won the division by a lot of games and
we’re able to be behind right now. I’m excited to get out there and test
it.”
According to press reports, staff ace Max Scherzer instigated the meeting and was the most vocal speaker during it.
“I think anytime Max holds the meeting or holds court, there’s going to be some yelling,” outfielder Adam Eaton told MASN.com. “In baseball, you don’t have
that type of intensity all the time, so it’s a little different. I think guys
gravitate toward that. I think everybody has a kind of intensity bone in their
body, and sometimes things need to be said in that fashion.”
Rafael Devers (sacrifice fly) and Eduardo Nunez (wild pitch) helped break a scoreless tie in the seventh inning, and Eduardo Rodriguez pitched six shutout
innings Wednesday for the Red Sox.
Washington starter Erick Fedde left in the second inning with a shoulder injury, forcing the Nationals’ already overworked bullpen to cover seven-plus
innings. An MRI exam on Fedde was negative.
The Nationals are seven games behind first-place Atlanta and just 7 1/2 ahead of fourth-place Miami. After a stretch of games against the Philadelphia
Phillies and Red Sox, the Nationals play 21 of their next 27 games against teams
with a losing record.
Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (2-1, 2.63 ERA) opposes Miami right-hander Pablo Lopez (1-0
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Hellickson lasted 4 2/3 innings, giving up three earned runs on seven hits, in his return from the disabled list last Saturday night. He had been sidelined
since June 4 with a right hamstring strain.
Lopez was a winner in his major league debut, allowing two runs on six hits over six innings against the New York Mets on Saturday. The 22-year-old struck
out five and walked one.
“I was really impressed with his composure,” Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto told the Miami Herald. “He came in just attacking guys with his stuff. It didn’t
seem like he was scared of anybody. Pounding the zone. Worked a quick pace, and
pitched with great stuff. It was exciting to watch.”
Miami (36-52) won the rubber game of a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, hours after losing a 16-inning marathon that ended at 12:41
a.m. Jose Urena tossed five scoreless innings and shortstop JT Riddle drove in
two of Miami’s runs and scored the other in a 3-0 win.
Drew Rucinski got the win and Brad Ziegler closed it out for his 10th save.
“It was one of those days, walking into it, that your bullpen’s pretty much shot,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly told the Miami Herald. “You’re hoping for a
good outing from Jose and it really couldn’t have gone any better as far as who
we had available.”
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