Moderatoren » In the NFL, every year is a blank slate.

Jason Verrett is done for the season http://www.chargerscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-russell-okung-jersey , but what’s next? With each turn in the calendar comes brand new opportunity for success waiting to be seized by whichever team is up next in the ever-changing hierarchy of the league. In turn, also comes the inevitable disappointment that is attributed to the teams that finds themselves lower in the standings than they envisioned at the start of the season.The NFL is far from predictable and nothing is certain—well, almost nothing. For certain teams, some things never change. For instance, you can enter the season expecting to see the Patriots win at least eleven games and you can expect to see the Browns lose eleven games. These things happen virtually every year, with a rare exception here and there. Today we were reminded that similarly, the Los Angeles Chargers have a seemingly inevitable annual tradition of their own. That being the fact that no matter how high, or how low, the hopes for the coming season, several of the team’s best players will suffer devastating injuries that drive a knife through the collective hearts of fans far and wide. For the fourth time in five seasons, the heartbreaking injury was sustained by former Pro Bowl cornerback, Jason Verrett. The frequency at which Verrett has seen his season come to an end due to injury has caused this one in particular to feel numb, in a way. It is supremely disappointing to see, of course, but at this point it would be more shocking if he went a full season without being injured than if he were to tear his Achilles during a conditioning test on the first day of camp—as absurd as that is. The injury is devastating, but not in the same way as others, such as the one suffered by Hunter Henry recently. Henry’s injury was a major blow to the team as they lost one of their top offensive weapons, leading one to be concerned with how they make up for the loss on the field. Verrett’s injury http://www.chargerscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-mike-pouncey-jersey , on the other hand, brings no such concerns. It is indeed devastating, but only because it causes you to feel great sorrow for Verrett as a person. To see what could have been a great career be decimated by injuries is a shame. Due to his injury history and how well the secondary performed without him last season, it would have been a bonus to have Verrett in the lineup, not an expectation or necessity. In fact, his return this season would have caused a serious log jam at the position for the team. After he went down last season, Trevor Williams emerged as a more than adequate CB2 while then rookie, Desmond King, excelled as the team’s slot corner. Bringing Verrett back into the mix would have forced one of these players to the bench, and possibly to another position—in King’s case. While it is awful to see Verrett miss the season, it does serve to alleviate one of the team’s more pressing issues heading into camp, allowing them to retain some continuity in the secondary. So if there were ever a bright side to losing a Pro Bowl player before the start of the season, this is it. In short, the team’s secondary will perform at a high level next season, with or without Jason Verrett. The near future is still as bright as ever for the Los Angeles Chargers, but it couldn’t be darker for the career of Jason Verrett. Any chances he had of obtaining a multi-year extension with the team went out the window the second his Achilles tendon snapped. Now, a player who once looked to be one of the best young cornerbacks in the NFL will likely find himself taking a one-year deal next offseason, with that contract being his last chance to prove he can remain healthy and make it in the NFL. Football is a cruel sport. A talented and mobile young quarterback tasked with taking over a playoff team from a veteran.Yeah, Pittsburgh Steelers star Ben Roethlisberger may know a little something about that.Still Brandon Mebane Jersey , the two-time Super Bowl winner's eyes get a little wide when talking about Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes.Asked about his initial impressions of Mahomes — whom Roethlisberger and the Steelers (0-0-1) will get a close look at when Kansas City (1-0) visits Pittsburgh on Sunday — and the 36-year-old sounds impressed and a little wistful at the same time."An amazing talent," Roethlisberger said. "He's got a big arm."And big expectations too. Throwing for four touchdowns in your first season opener — as Mahomes did while lighting up the Chargers on the road in Week 1 — has a way of doing that.Now all he has to do for an encore is try to help Kansas City win in Pittsburgh for the first time since 1986, nearly a full decade before the 22-year-old was born.No pressure or anything, though Mahomes isn't exactly concerned about carrying the weight of his team's largely forgettable history against the Steelers."It's a brand new season," he said. "We've got a lot of guys that are hungry and want to get better every single week and this will be a great challenge in the early season to kind of get us going."Pittsburgh has won seven of the past eight meetings, including a 19-13 victory at Arrowhead Stadium last October that put a pin in Kansas City's 5-0 start while simultaneously igniting an eight-game winning streak that carried the Steelers to a second straight AFC North title.Pittsburgh entered that game needing a boost after getting throttled at home by Jacksonville. The Steelers could use another one after an ugly 21-all tie in Cleveland last week in which they turned it over six times and blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead.Playing well against Kansas City has rarely been an issue for the Steelers. Neither have home openers. Pittsburgh is 15-2 in season debuts at Heinz Field since moving from Three Rivers Stadium in 2001 and Roethlisberger — who spent part of the week dealing with an achy right elbow — tends to find another gear when in Pittsburgh's home black jerseys. He's averaging nearly three touchdown passes per game at Heinz Field since the start of 2014.Some things to look for as the Chiefs try to end a six-game losing streak in the Steel City while the Steelers try to avoid their worst start since they dropped their first four games in 2013, the last time they missed the playoffs.KING OF THE HILLKansas City wide receiver/punt returner Tyreek Hill piled up 269 total yards in Los Angeles, including a 53-yard catch-and-run touchdown and 91-yard punt return for a score that ended in similar fashion: with Hill flashing the "peace" sign as he traipsed into the end zone.Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt says older brother Derek — a fullback for the Chargers — offered a brief scouting report on Hill, who has 13 touchdowns of 50 yards or more in 32 games."He said 10 (Hill) is fast," Watt said. "I said 'I already knew that.'"So does everyone else. Pittsburgh gave up plenty of big plays last season, allowing 13 passes of more than 40 yards, tied for third-highest in the league. The revamped secondary played well in Cleveland, but that was in the rain against an offense that doesn't feature a player such as Hill."He's a human video game," Pittsburgh linebacker Bud Dupree said. "We got to make sure he doesn't make a lot of explosive plays that he always makes."ENCORE, ENCOREPittsburgh will play without All-Pro running back Le'Veon Bell for a second straight week while Bell continues to wait to sign his franchise tender. The Steelers hardly missed Bell in Cleveland. James Conner rolled up 192 total yards on 36 touches — both Bell-like totals — and scored twice .The goal now will be trying to replicate that kind of effectiveness again. And again. And again. Bell has been particularly effective against Kansas City, averaging 144 yards when facing the Chiefs.EB's ABSENCEThe Chiefs will likely be without star safety Eric Berry for the second consecutive week. He tore his Achilles tendon last season and had returned for summer workouts, but he's been out since the early part of training camp with soreness in his heel. "Just being cautious with it. It's a long season," Kansas City coach Andy Reid said. "That's where we're at."SECOND WAVEThe Steelers relied heavily on wide receivers Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster in Cleveland. Help could be on the way Sunday. Tight end Vance McDonald — sidelined all of training camp with a foot injury — is expected to play. McDonald was productive when healthy in 2017 and caught 10 passes for 112 yards in a playoff loss to Jacksonville.AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta in Kansas City contributed to this report.