PITTSBURGH, Pa.
Mark Giordano Flames Jersey . - LeVeon Bell spent four months helping the Pittsburgh Steelers return to the top of the AFC North and four painful quarters watching helplessly as it all came undone.Sure, there were pangs of what if for the second-year running back and team MVP as the season came to a decisive end with a 30-17 loss to Baltimore in the wild-card round last Saturday. Yet while Bell believes his hyperextended right knee would have been good enough to go this weekend if the Steelers had advanced, hell have to settle for a trip to the Pro Bowl and the growing confidence that deeper playoff runs are coming for a team in the midst of an identity shift.For the longest, the Steelers have only been known for defence, Bell said. This is the first year really the offence has really talked about being a dynamic offence and having playmakers all over the field. We love that. Were definitely going to get better.On paper and on the field. Bell set a franchise record for yards from scrimmage, wide receiver Antonio Brown put together the second-highest single-season reception total in NFL history (129) and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger tied Drew Brees for the league lead in yards passing. Pittsburgh finished as the NFLs second-ranked offence and smashed the team mark for points in a season.Yet out of all those gaudy numbers, the most important ones might be their ages.Bell is 22. Brown is 26. Rookie Martavis Bryant — who caught nine touchdown passes in 11 games — is 23. All five starters on the offensive line are in their 20s. And while Roethlisberger turns 33 in March, he shows no signs of slowing down.The skys the limit, Bryant said when asked about his potential. He might as well have been talking about the other guys in the huddle too.The sometimes gaudy production came after two painful seasons of restructuring as the offence adjusted to Todd Haleys diverse scheme, Brown developed into one of the NFLs best players and Bell morphed from raw rookie into one of the most versatile weapons in the league. Finding the right chemistry took time and patience. Its a process the Steelers now find themselves making on the other side of the ball.The transition will likely finally begin in earnest during the off-season. Defensive end Brett Keisels torn triceps likely means his career is over. Cornerback Ike Taylor will be 35 in May and missed most of the year with forearm and shoulder injuries. Safety Troy Polamalu was slowed by knee issues over the second half of the season and is hardly talking like a guy who plans on spending a 13th fall playing his own unique brand of football.Time will tell, Polamalu said when asked whether hes going to return.Oddly, perhaps the most likely candidate to return next season is somebody who began 2014 retired. Linebacker James Harrison needed a solid month to get into shape after re-signing with the Steelers in mid-September but at times looked every bit like the player who was among the NFLs most feared defenders in his prime. The 36-year-old finished third on the team with 5.5 sacks despite playing in just 10 games.Harrison stressed when he initially came back this would be his last ride. Now he doesnt sound so sure.The first few weeks it was a feeling of my body couldnt take this, it couldnt handle this, Harrison said. Over the course first 3-4 weeks, my body adjusted, started to feel a lot better. ... I dont feel nowhere near (as badly as) I thought I would feel.Whether Harrison dons his No. 92 jersey again, however, the torch is all but officially passed. For Pittsburgh to return to the leagues elite, the defence doesnt need to be dominant, though it wouldnt hurt. Either way, it is time for the likes of linebackers Jarvis Jones, Sean Spence, Ryan Shazier and safety Shamarko Thomas — all 25 or under, all expected to be leaders of the next wave — to begin the process of building a legacy of their own.I think a lot of younger guys took a lot of big steps this year, defensive end Cam Heyward said. We have to continue to make steps if we want to make the ultimate goal.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL
Joe Nieuwendyk Jersey . LaQuinton Ross scored 17 of his 20 points in the first half, hitting his first four 3-pointers, to send No.
Jarome Iginla Flames Jersey . The Cubs made the moves before Thursdays game against Arizona. They promoted left-hander Zac Rosscup and right-hander Neil Ramirez from Triple-A Iowa and optioned righty Blake Parker to their top minor league team.MILWAUKEE -- Kenneth Faried was called out for his timid play, dared to be more aggressive and take over games. That challenge came not from his coaches or teammates, but from members of his family. "My family came up to me and said, Hey, do what you are paid to do and that is play basketball," Faried said. "Stop worrying about everybody else, stop being nervous, stop being timid and play your game." Farieds high-energy play has been the driving force behind his recent hot streak, including a 26-point performance to carry the Denver Nuggets past the Milwaukee Bucks 101-90 Thursday night. Wilson Chandler scored 15 while J.J. Hickson added 14 points and 10 rebounds in a matchup of two teams left short-handed by deals they made before Thursday afternoons trade deadline. But Faried made the difference for the Nuggets, who broke a five-game losing streak. "Its good to feel what its like to get a W again," Nuggets coach Brian Shaw said. "Its been awhile for us." Faried, the No. 22 overall pick in the 2011 draft, has been impressive this February. Coming off a 21-point, 10-rebound performance against Phoenix, the forward also scored a career-high 28 against the Los Angeles Clippers earlier this month. "My mother challenged me," Faried said. "My father even stepped up and said, Play your game and do what you do." From opponents, one word keeps coming up: motor, motor, motor. "He has a 757 motor, man," Bucks guard O.J. Mayo said. "Hes not the tallest, but it comes down to energy and effort. He has one of those motors, man." Added Bucks coach Larry Drew, "If you dont match it, hell gobble you up. And thats what happened tonight." Caron Butler scored 17 for the Bucks, who have not won two straight games all season. Ersan Ilyasova had 14 points and 11 rebounds. "We just seemed like we never got into a rhythm," Drew said. "I thought every time we seemed to try to put together a little bit of a push, we just never seemed to sustain a rhythm." With Denver leading 78-67 going into the fourth quarter, Milwaukee got within five points on John Hensons dunk off an alley-oop from Giannis Antetokounmpo, plus a pair of jumpers by Caron Butler.
Lanny McDonald Flames Jersey. But the Nuggets responded with a 12-2 run, including a powerful two-handed putback dunk by Faried, and put the game away. "Motor," Bucks forward John Henson said of Faried. "Thats his game, thats how he gets his money. His motor." Earlier in the day, Denver sent disgruntled guard Andre Miller to Washington, getting back forward Jan Vesely from Washington in a three-team deal that also involved Philadelphia. Miller hasnt played since he got into a verbal altercation with Shaw earlier this year. Shaw said before the game that "nobody wanted to have the situation come down to what it came to," and the deal would be better for both sides. The Bucks sent guards Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour to Charlotte, getting guard Ramon Sessions and forward Jeff Adrien in return. Left with remarkably short benches, the Nuggets used eight players in Thursdays game, and the Bucks used nine. Milwaukee played Antetokounmpo at point guard at times. Milwaukee even brought back O.J. Mayo, who had missed 10 games because of a combination of illness and conditioning issues. Mayo scored 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting in 23 minutes, but had an odd moment when he appeared to be caught tying his shoe on defence while the Nuggets had the ball in play. "Sorry about that," Mayo said. "Just trying to stay safe." Overall, Drew was pleased with the play of Mayo -- a player the Bucks will be counting on the rest of the season. "I thought he did a really good job," Drew said. "I saw some really good energy in him." NOTES: Shaw confirmed before the game that JaVale McGee had surgery. McGee sustained a stress fracture of his left tibia in November. . Bucks guard Brandon Knight was a game-time scratch because of a right heel laceration. . Shaw said before the game that he couldnt comment on a potential trade of forward Jordan Hamilton to Houston for guard Aaron Brooks.
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