??Bill Belichick’s impressive resume makes it easy for the five-time championship head coach to mandate that players check their egos
before joining the New England Patriots.Doug Pederson didn’t have a hard
sell
Josh Allen
Jersey , either.The Philadelphia Eagles are an unselfish group that
prioritizes winning over personal accomplishments. It’s a major reason why the
Eagles (15-3) are playing the Patriots (15-3) in the Super Bowl on Sunday.“It’s
a group that doesn’t really care who gets the ball. The bottom line is trying to
win the game,” Pederson said. “I didn’t have to sell it too much.”Pederson was
7-9 last year in his rookie season as head coach but has guided the Eagles from
worst to first in search of the franchise’s first NFL title since 1960. He found
a way to blend a young locker room with a mix of accomplished veterans.The team
added veteran receivers Alshon Jeffrey and Torrey Smith, running backs
LeGarrette Blount and Jay Ajayi, defensive linemen Chris Long and Tim Jernigan
and defensive backs Ronald Darby, Patrick Robinson and Corey Graham.“I can
remember this team showing up in April and talking about being at this place,
talking about our dreams, aspirations and focusing on a grind,” safety Malcolm
Jenkins said.“Guys being unselfish, adding guys along the way that added to the
team and continued to push, and every time we won and had some success ??we even
had some adversity ??the team believed more and more. It’s been awesome to be a
part of.”Blount led the NFL with 18 touchdowns rushing and earned his second
Super Bowl ring last season in New England. He didn’t get a carry in a loss at
Kansas City in Week 2 and never complained. Same with Jeffery, who went from No.
1 receiver in Chicago to being one of the guys in Philadelphia.“We couldn’t care
less how many catches or how many carries or how many yards any one guy
has
John Ross
Youth Jersey ,” Blount said. “We all have one common goal in hand. We all
have one thing that we all want more than anything. You can’t be selfish when
everybody has one common goal because you have to make sacrifices for the better
of the team. We’ve done that and it’s gotten us this far.”Pederson set the tone
and Carson Wentz carried it out with his team-first attitude and that filtered
down the roster.“He’s the most humble guy you come across,” Pederson said.
“He’ll give it right back to the team.”It was a smooth transition to Nick Foles
after Wentz got hurt. Foles also is a respected leader who leads by example.
It’s not a coincidence the Eagles sought this type of player.“This is the most
selfless team I’ve ever been around,” Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz said. “Guys
don’t care about stats. They only care about winning. Doug is the best coach
I’ve been around in managing players. He lets us show our personalities and if
he needs to talk to somebody, he does it quietly and in a mild-mannered way. His
selfless leadership is a big reason we’re here.”The team is one of the
closest-knit groups in the league and players genuinely care about each other
and spent plenty of time together.“When you see guys hanging out with players
from other position groups, it’s special,” defensive tackle Fletcher Cox said.
“I would go eat dinner with Donnie Jones. You don’t see a guy hanging out with a
punter.”If the Eagles win a few championships, perhaps the standard Pederson has
set will eventually become similar to Belichick’s Patriot Way. They have to get
the first win first.AP NFL website: Trevor Bauer turned from pitcher to
politician to prize fighter.
If the weather was going to finish him, Bauer was going down swinging.
Bauer pitched seven scoreless innings before a rain delay ended his night, and Jason Kipnis homered to lead the Cleveland Indians to a 6-2 win over the
sliding and sloppy Chicago White Sox on Monday.
Bauer (6-5) allowed just three hits, struck out eight and was in line to potentially pitch his first career shutout. However, after the game was halted
in the seventh for 35
minutes
Taven
Bryan Jaguars Jersey , manager Terry Francona pulled the right-hander
following the delay.
Not before Bauer pleaded his case.
”Carl Willis was lucky he didn��t come tell me,” Bauer said, referring to Cleveland’s pitching coach. ”I told him any one but Tito and I was throwing
fists.”
Bauer was joking, of course, but Francona liked how his right-hander fought to remain in the game.
”Boy, I give him credit, man,” Francona said. ”Even during the rain delay he was politicking. It just doesn’t make sense. But I gotta tell you, if you’re
going to get into a little bit of a push and shove, I like it that he wants to
stay in. I respect the hell out of that. I just didn’t think it made sense. I
don’t have any doubt he could have done it, too. ”
Roberto Perez drove in two runs off Dylan Covey (3-2) as Cleveland improved to 15-4 in its last 19 home games against Chicago.
The White Sox committed three errors – one by Covey – in the first three innings
Connor
Williams Youth Jersey , lost their fifth straight and dropped a
season-high 23 games under .500.
Matt Davidson homered in the ninth for Chicago.
White Sox manager Rick Renteria felt Covey deserved better.
”Believe it or not even though Dylan did have a few walks, he didn’t throw the ball as badly as the numbers might show,” he said. ”We didn’t defend for
him. A lot of sloppy play out there to be honest. We just didn’t catch the ball
and pick him up when we could have and he still ground out five innings.”
Chicago’s hitters couldn’t get anything going against Bauer, who struck out 12 in a tough loss against the White Sox and Covey last week. Bauer was bidding
to tie a club record held by two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber with
his fifth consecutive game of at least 10 strikeouts.
Bauer got to eight, but was denied any more because of a line of storms off Lake Erie and Francona’s decision not to push him further. Bauer has thrown at
least 100 pitches in all 16 starts this season.
The enigmatic starter is crediting his success to some new pitches and a ”tunneling approach” in which he divides the plate into quadrants.
”The more I’m able to execute those spots, with given pitches, the more confusion there is in the hitters because they see the same look over and over,
and the ball goes different ways at different speeds and what not,” he said.
Perez’s two-run, ground-rule double highlighted Cleveland’s three-run second inning, which was set up by Chicago second baseman Yoan Moncada’s fielding
error.
MARSHALL PLAN
Indians reliever Evan Marshall left in the eighth after complaining of elbow soreness. Francona said the team will likely have an update on him
Wednesday.
MORE THAN A NAME
Looking for bullpen help
Darius
Leonard Youth Jersey , the Indians signed veteran reliever Marc
Rzepczynski to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A Columbus. The
left-hander previously pitched for Cleveland from 2013-15, appearing in 145
games.
The club currently needs a lefty reliever with both Andrew Miller and Tyler Olson on the disabled list. Rzepczynski could be an option.
”It’s a guy we know,” Francona said. ”We’re down to one lefty right now, so it’s a guy that certainly could come here and help. He didn’t sign to stay in
Triple-A.”
Francona joked that he still has trouble spelling the lefty’s last name.
”I’ve got it in my phone: Z-E-P,” he said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: Renteria said OF Avisail Garcia (strained right hamstring) is progressing well on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte. Garcia’s status
will be reassessed after he plays Tuesday and Wednesday. He’s been on the
disabled list since May 24.
Indians: OF Bradley Zimmer will undergo an MRI on his right shoulder. Zimmer felt discomfort while throwing after he initially strained the shoulder while
doing drills after being sent to Columbus to work on his game. ”I don’t think he
thought it was anything, and it just didn’t feel good. So, we’re going to go
ahead and get him looked at,” Francona said.
UP NEXT
Indians RHP Mike Clevinger will face the White Sox for the second straight start. He set a career high with 11 strikeouts and held Chicago to one run over
seven innings last Thursday. Carlos Rodon will start for the White Sox.
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