Tips & Tricks » ty. Its in the armoury of almost every team in the F

With just three weeks remaining in the NFL season, many teams are facing must-win situations to stay alive in the race for January football, while others have eyes on the first-overall pick. This Sunday, four teams have a chance to clinch playoff spots and Johnny Manziels Browns are facing a key matchup against the Bengals in the rookies first start. Manziel makes first start in must-win matchup The AFC North has emerged as the NFLs most competitive division – and only division with every team above .500. However, the Browns have dropped two straight games and are rapidly falling out of the playoff picture. Hoyer threw seven interceptions to zero touchdowns in his last three starts. He was replaced by Manziel in Week 13 before starting again last Sunday. To save their dwindling post-season hopes, and above .500 record, the Browns are turning to electrifying rookie Johnny Manziel at quarterback. The Browns, at 7-6, are desperate for a win and if Manziel cant deliver one, their playoff drought will be almost certain to continue. If the Bengals can leave Cleveland with a win, Cincinnati will stay atop the AFC North. A loss would open the door for the Steelers and Ravens to take the division lead. Ravens, Steelers look to keep pace in AFC North against sub-.500 teams The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers each sit a half game behind the Bengals in the AFC North, with the Steelers currently owning one of two AFC Wild Card spots. The Ravens play host to host to the 2-11 Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, a favourable matchup for the team especially considering the Jaguars put leading rusher Denard Robinson on IR this week. The Jaguars defence features a strong pass rush, but is also one that is susceptible to big plays against; having allowed 48 completions of 20 yards or more this season. With games against the Texans (7-6) and Browns remaining on the schedule, the Ravens need a win against the lowly Jaguars. If the Bengals and Steelers win their next two games, the two will meet in Pittsburgh to decide the division crown in Week 17. The Steelers face a tougher matchup in the NFC South-leading Atlanta Falcons. Despite their 5-8 record, the Falcons remain directly in the hunt to host a playoff game in January as a division winner. Coming off a narrow loss to the Green Bay Packers, in which they battled back with 30 second-half points, the Falcons will present a challenge to the Steelers. Pittsburgh has the playoff- hopeful Chiefs (7-6) and rival Bengals remaining on the schedule. Patriots, Broncos, Colts can punch playoff tickets with wins By the time Sunday night comes around, half of the six AFC playoff spots could be secured. Familiar Territory The Colts, Patriots and Broncos all won their respective divisions last season. The New England Patriots, Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts can all guarantee a return to the playoffs with wins against division foes this weekend. All three teams can clinch not just a playoff spot, but their respective divisions and at least one home game with a win. The Patriots are at home to the Miami Dolphins, while the Colts host the Houston Texans. The Broncos travel to play the San Diego Chargers. Panthers forced to turn Anderson to keep faint playoff hopes alive The Carolina Panthers are coming off their most convincing win since Week 2 against the Detroit Lions after routing the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. With the win, the Panthers jumped back into the playoff race, and were just another loss by the Saints away from controlling their own destiny. Anderson is making his second start in a season for the first time since 2010, when he was with the Arizona Cardinals. Yet, all the confidence the Panthers had mustered ahead of hosting the struggling Buccaneers came to a sudden halt on Tuesday when Cam Newton was involved in a car accident that caused the quarterback to suffer two back fractures. Newton, coming off his first three touchdown game of the season, will miss Sundays game due to the injury and backup Derek Anderson will start in his place. Anderson started the first game of the season for the Panthers – coincidentally against the Buccaneers - as Newton was sidelined by injuries. In his lone start, Anderson led the Panthers to a win and posted a 108.7 quarterback rating, a mark Newton topped for the first time this season against the Saints. First place in the NFC East on the line as Cowboys, Eagles meet again The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles met just two weeks ago on Thanksgiving Day in America and the Eagles appeared to be the far superior team with a 33-10 victory. The Eagles were held to 139 yards of total offence against the Seahawks, the lowest mark ever for a Chip Kelly-led team at the college or pro level. The Cowboys rebounded from the loss with a convincing win over the Chicago Bears, while the Eagles saw their offence completely shut down by the Seattle Seahawks. Now, with the Cowboys entering on 10 days rest – as opposed to three the last time around – the game figures to much more competitive, if not completely opposite. This game should prove to be much more important for Dallas than the Eagles, who have the Giants and Redskins remaining on the schedule. The Cowboys, meanwhile, have an intimidating date with the Colts looming in Week 16. Notes Facing the Rush Led by Mario Williams, Marcel Dareus and Jerry Hughes (pictured), the Buffalo Wild Things have an NFL-high 48 sacks this season. The Green Bay Packers can clinch a playoff berth this weekend with a win over the Buffalo Bills and a Dallas Cowboys loss, along with clinching strength of victory tiebreaker over the Cowboys. However, after facing an almost non-existent pass rush against the Atlanta Falcons, the Packers offensive line will have their hands full against the Bills top-ranked pass rush. The Packers O-line has allowed 27 sacks this season, but just six over the past four games. Opposite Directions The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers met in Week 13 as 7-4 teams with realistic playoff aspirations. The Seahawks won that first meeting handedly - 19-3 - shutting down the 49ers offence in the process. After dropping their contest against the Oakland Raiders in Week 14, the 49ers now sit well outside the playoff picture and loss this week could eliminate them January football for the first time since Jim Harbaugh took over as head coach in 2011. Pick Race Jake Locker will make his first start since Oct. 5 on Sunday, replacing the injured Zach Mettenberger. The New York Jets and Tennessee Titans both sit tied for last in the NFL at 2-11, a win for either club could eliminate them from the first-overall pick sweepstakes. A win this week could be costly in April. The current draft order for the top five picks is as follows: 1. Buccaneers 2. Titans 3. Jaguars 4. Jets 5. Raiders Air Max 270 React Bauhaus AO4971-002 . The move will give Hentgen the "time needed to support his family and his fathers current health issues," the Blue Jays said in a release. Hentgen spent 10 of his 14 big-league seasons with the Blue Jays, winning a Cy Young Award in 1996. Nike Air Max 270 Just Do It Black .ca. Hi Kerry, Welcome back! Im sure you heard Peter Forsbergs comments last week regarding Canadian referees in the gold medal game. Seems to me that he was questioning the integrity and impartiality. http://www.max270cheap.com/air-max-270-womens-sale.html . An offseason trade acquisition from Kansas City, Greinkes National League debut was delayed by a non-baseball injury in the spring, and he was 0-1 after dropping an 8-0 decision at Atlanta in his initial appearance with the Brewers on May 4. Nike Air Max 270 React Bauhaus For Sale .com) - Ames, IA (SportsNetwork. Nike Air Max 270 Clearance . Globo TV and other news outlets said early Monday that Scolari will not remain as coach after the national teams failure to win the World Cup at home.CARDIFF -- Wales and France want to put things right on Friday. Whichever one does at Millennium Stadium will have a huge bearing on the Six Nations. Welsh ambitions of three straight championships are on thin ice. That strut in their stride that coach Warren Gatland said they should show off before the tournament has been replaced by a limp. After the 26-3 thrashing from Ireland for their worst Six Nations result in eight years, they face two consecutive defeats. That hasnt happened since 2010, when France last won in Cardiff, which also happened to be on a Friday night. "We need to react," said George North, who after 37 destructive caps on the wing will start at centre to answer an SOS by Wales. Having beating England and Italy in Paris, the French are on remarkable course to the title. But they are still ridding themselves of the bitter taste of 2013, their annus horribilis, when they were also last in the Six Nations. This year they are the leaders with Ireland with two wins from two matches, but the Tricolors have yet to play well for 40 minutes, let alone 80. They have fired only in spurts. "The squad has done enormously well to pick up two wins. We have to make the most of it," said No. 8 Louis Picamoles, the tournaments leading forward in metres made. Frances rising confidence has been crucially helped by coach Philippe Saint-Andres limited tinkering. Hes made four changes through three rounds. At the same point in 2013, hed made 10. Gatland kept his changes for this match to four, with only one in the pack where Wales was dominated in Dublin. The lack of game-time beforehand by the likes of props Adam Jones and Gethin Jenkins, and captain Sam Warburton was exposed by the Irish, prompting Warburton and Jenkins to be released to play for their clubs last weekend. Rhys Webb played for Ospreys, and the display was good enough for him to be given his first test start in place of Mike Phillips, the 82-cap scrumhalf who has paid for his slow service and inattention. The Welsh regard the drubbing from Ireland as a one-off, one bad day at the office, even though they also had a bad half-day against Italy. Gatland was so ddisturbed by the effort that hes warned his team that test careers are on the line.dddddddddddd. "Hopefully, they will respond, because it is important for us in terms of not just this competition," Gatland said. "For a lot of those players theyve got to start thinking about the next 12 months and the World Cup, and if they dont play well on Friday night it could be the last time they will play for Wales. "Its an opportunity to get back on the horse." But Ireland gave France a blueprint to success. Dominate the lineouts and the breakdowns. Starve the Wales backline. Ireland scored tries from lineout mauls, and Wales lock Alun-Wyn Jones acknowledged theyre difficult to defend. "Once the ball is at the back of the maul, you cant get to it, pull it down, tackle it, sack it, once its moving," Jones said. "That is why it is such a weapon. "Its most definitely a case of stopping it at source. We didnt do that. "Any team that has coded us, taken a good look at us, is going to point to it as an opportunity. Its in the armoury of almost every team in the French league, and that is not going to change on Friday night." Wales just needs to be itself, walk with a strut, North said. "Its important to remember that we proved last year that defeat doesnt mean its all lost," North said. "We have a lot to play for." ------ Lineups: Wales: Leigh Halfpenny, Alex Cuthbert, George North, Jamie Roberts, Liam Williams, Rhys Priestland, Rhys Webb; Taulupe Faletau, Sam Warburton (captain), Dan Lydiate, Alun-Wyn Jones, Luke Charteris, Adam Jones, Richard Hibbard, Gethin Jenkins. Reserves: Ken Owens, Paul James, Rhodri Jones, Jake Ball, Justin Tipuric, Mike Phillips, Dan Biggar, James Hook. France: Brice Dulin, Yoann Huget, Mathieu Bastareaud, Wesley Fofana, Hugo Bonneval, Jules Plisson, Jean-Marc Doussain; Louis Picamoles, Wenceslas Lauret, Yannick Nyanga, Pascal Pape (captain), Yoann Maestri, Nicolas Mas, Dimitri Szarzewski, Thomas Domingo. Reserves: Brice Mach, Yannick Forestier, Vincent Debaty, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Damien Chouly, Maxime Machenaud, Remi Tales, Gael Fickou. ' ' '