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shushu
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23 Mar 2019 04:06 |
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PITTSBURGH -- Since Jerome Bettis retired after the 2005 NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have searched for a big, bruising running back in his mould. The list of hopefuls has been long, if not particularly distinguished. Verron Haynes, Najee Davenport, Carey Davis, Gary Russell, Frank Summers, Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman all failed to consistently provide production in short-yardage and goal line situations. Enter LeGarrette Blount. The 6-foot, 250-pound veteran certainly looks the part. And while he has a long way to go to be mentioned with the likes of Bettis, there have been plenty of flashes during his four seasons in the league. Blount averaged 5.0 yards per carry while splitting time with Stevan Ridley in New England last season, and gashed the Indianapolis Colts for 166 yards and four touchdowns in the playoffs. Though second-year back LeVeon Bell remains the starter, Blount is confident he can make an impact no matter what situation. "I know they brought me in here to run the football, so I hope there are plenty of carries to go around," Blount said Wednesday. "I know that LeVeon is going to get his fair share, so I hope theres enough for all of us." Bell, last years second-round pick, missed the opening three games while recovering from a preseason foot injury. But he still played nearly 700 snaps, a heavy workload the 6-foot-1, 230-pound Bell managed with ease. Still, the Steelers will find opportunities to go from the patient and pragmatic Bell to the bruising Blount, with the emphasis on bruising. "Thats my running style," Blount said. "Thats how I run the football, and I feel like (Bell) is also a big, tough running back, too. So, thats just how this team is built, with a physical running game, and I think thats what theyre trying to get back to. So, hopefully, we can do that." Blount noted a balanced offence is needed to make a run to the Super Bowl such as the ones by Seattle and Denver last year. The champion Seahawks had Marshawn Lynch running the ball and Russell Wilson throwing it, while the Broncos ran the ball with Knowshon Moreno when Peyton Manning wasnt breaking NFL passing records. "I think its huge for us to (sign Blount), because Ive always said that we need to be a balanced offence," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. "So, we need to run the ball. We need to be great at running the ball, and weve got guys that want to be great at running the ball. So, hopefully, we can do it and do it successfully." Blount added that while his body type and size make him an ideal power back, he has a variety of skill sets, such as catching the football and running away from defenders in the open field. But he certainly has proven he can run over them as well. Those attributes, combined with Bells slashing style, should give the Steelers a solid one-two punch. "I think we have a really good mix of running backs," Blount said. "(But) Ive seen the NFL Network, and they have these top 10 or top five running back duos in the NFL. I noticed that were not one of them, and I dont like it. In all honesty, I believe theyre downgrading the skill level that we have in our backfield. . I think thats kind of disrespectful." Does that mean Blount and Bell have something to prove? "Were not going to go out here and go on about how were not in that group," Blount said. "But were going to go out there and show that we belong there with our performance." NOTES: RB Dri Archer has missed the opening two OTAs, just like linebacker Jordan Zumwalt from UCLA, because his school is on the quarters system and their class has not yet graduated. . OTAs continue Thursday and also run Tuesday through Thursday next week. Discount Asics Australia . -- The Orlando Magic finally are showing the patience in critical moments that coach Jacque Vaughn has been waiting for all season. Cheap Asics Shoes Online . In the days leading up to the draft, TSN.ca and TSN Radio basketball analyst Duane Watson looks at some of the names that will be headlining the event. Tonight, Michigans Nik Stauskas of Mississauga, Ontario. http://www.wholesaleasicsaustralia.com/ . They were right in that they responded to coach Randy Carlyles goaltending switch to erase a two-goal deficit. New Asics Shoes Australia . The Rainbow FlickNext up is the Rainbow Flick, or as you probably know it, the trick that everybody at soccer camp thought they knew how to do. Asics Wholesale Australia . -- Without Carey Price, the run for a first Stanley Cup in 21 years got steeper and longer for the Montreal Canadiens.TORONTO -- Toronto FC used to be known for its heartbreaking tendency to give up goals in the dying seconds. Doneil Henry, the man who scored Toronto FCs last-gasp game winner Saturday, knows that probably better than anyone. Jermain Defoe scored twice and Henry, who has seen plenty of heartbreak in his more than four seasons with TFC, headed in the third in injury time to lift Toronto to a 3-2 Major League Soccer victory over the Columbus Crew. The difference this season? "Its the guys that we have in this locker-room, we have some really bold characters, some guys that really will die for the game," Henry said. "Thats been the difference-maker. And we all believe in our coach, we all will stick up and die for this coach, for Ryan Nelsen. "So when you think of opportunities of winning games, and trying to finally bring the playoffs to Toronto, you think of the guys in this changing room." Defoe, the former Tottenham Hotspur star and biggest name in Torontos much-celebrated off-season signing spree, scored on a penalty shot. He then added a second when Brazilian striker Gilberto headed the ball onto the Englishman, and he one-timed a beautiful strike past Crew keeper Steve Clark. The 21-year-old Henry, however, was the star of the afternoon. The six-foot-two defender from Brampton, Ont., muscled his way in on a free kick from Daniel Lovitz with about a minute left to play to score with a glancing header. It was his second goal in as many games -- Henry scored in Wednesdays 1-1 draw with Montreal -- and another plus for the player whos rebounded from a couple of minuses. "In your career when you have your negative days, you can either let it eat you and be a timid person or you can stand up like a man, and just embrace it and just try to better yourself and understand the game better," said Henry, who ripped off his shirt while his teammates mobbed him. Henry had been making news more for the goals that cost his team -- most recently in Torontos 2-2 draw at Sporting Kansas City a week earlier, Henrys foul inside the box cost the team a Kansas City penalty shot. Nelsen is proud of how Henry has played this week. "Hes got amazing athleticism, hes got lovely spring, hes a good timer of hitting the ball," Nelsen said. "Its just reward for being brave, and trying to make an impact in the game and not letting the game go by, and then look in the mirror at night and think God, I wish Id made that run. As weve all done. "Youve got to be brave, youve got to put yourself in the arena and he did, he went for it, and he got his reward by helping us win this game." The goal boosted Torontos record to 5-4-1 and sent the 22,591 fans at a sun-drenched BMO Field home happy. Justin Meram and Augustin Viana scored for Columbus (4-5-4). Meram put Columbus on the scoreboard in the 18th minute -- several nice passes by the Crew found Meram alone just outside the top of the 18-yard-box, and he fired a shot past Toronto goalkeeper Joe Bendik.dddddddddddd Defoe, who said he felt fresh from sitting out Wednesdays game against Montreal, converted a penalty three minutes later to tie the game after he was pulled down in the box by Tyson Wahl. "The last two games, we havent been at our best, but weve gotten results," Defoe said. "Great character to come back and win the game. Its not an easy thing to do. It was all about character again." Viana put the Crew ahead 2-1 in the 65th minute when he headed in a corner kick from the top of the six-yard-box, sneaking the ball just inside the right post. The goals were the only decent shots on target all afternoon. The Crew were more accurate with their passing and held a slight edge in possession. "Even though we didnt play that well, we stayed in the game, we kept trying. . . sometimes it was painful to watch," Nelsen said. "The boys kept going, they never backed out. Even the best teams in the world have really bad days in the office, but if youre still trying to do the good things. . . a lot of the times you get rewarded." Gilberto, the Brazilian striker and Designated Player that was also part of Torontos off-season rebuild, started on the bench for the first time with the team. Nelsen said Gilberto wasnt feeling well on Thursday and Friday, and gave Luke Moore the start in his place. Gilberto replaced Jackson in the 65th minute, and had a shot on his first touch, but launched it well over the Columbus net. He would have fans cheering, though, with his ball to Defoe on the second goal. "As soon as it came to (Gilberto) I knew he was going to head it on so I could just turn," Defoe said of the goal. "As soon as I turned I thought, this is the chance, youve got to just hit it as quick as you can. It was one of them goals when as soon as I made contact I knew it was going in." Toronto was awarded the Trillium Cup -- the cup competition between these two teams -- afterward. TFC had won the first game of the matchup 2-0 in April in Columbus. Both teams were playing without their captains -- Torontos centre back Steven Caldwell was serving a suspension for his red card in TFCs 2-2 draw at Kansas City a week earlier, while Columbus was missing forward Frederico Higuain to a suspension. Toronto has only beaten Columbus four times in the 21 meetings between the two teams. Seven of the games have resulted in ties. Toronto has only beaten the Crew twice at BMO Field in 10 matchups. TFC travels to Montreal on Wednesday for the second leg of the Amway Canadian Championship, which doesnt count toward MLS standings. Theyre back in Toronto next Saturday against the San Jose Earthquakes. ' ' '
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