Dein erstes Forum » hits. Its not as easy and simple as

RENTON, Wash. -- Playing across the country on a short week and facing one of the top teams in the NFL coming off a bye, the Seattle Seahawks had every reasonable excuse available.And yet, what could have been an expected setback instead became one of Seattles most impressive regular season wins under coach Pete Carroll.Weve had our struggles, but fortunately enough weve been on the positive side of it, Seattle wide receiver Doug Baldwin said after the game. So, as we continue to get healthy and continue to execute and get better at that, I think well continue to improve and hopefully continue to win.Seattles 31-24 victory over New England will be remembered for the final sequence -- one that was eerily similar to when the teams met in the Super Bowl two years ago, except this time it was the Patriots who threw a failed pass from the 1-yard line. At Super Bowl XLIX, Russell Wilsons pass was intercepted by Malcom Butler, giving New England its fourth championship. On Sunday, Tom Bradys lob fell incomplete after an end-zone collision between Rob Gronkowski and safety Kam Chancellor, sending the Seahawks home with an unlikely victory.It wont be considered one of Seattles most important victories under Carroll -- there were too many games earlier in his tenure, before the Seahawks were established as regular contenders, that created the base for whats become a four-year run as one of the top teams in the NFC.But considering the circumstances, it ranks among the most impressive. Seattle was playing just six days after outlasting Buffalo on Monday night , traveling across the country on Friday for a Sunday night game against a rested Patriots squad that hadnt played since winning at Buffalo on Oct. 30.It was a scenario set for Seattle to fail. Instead, the Seahawks thrived.The mentality in believing that youre going to get it done, remaining confident, finding the confidence that it takes to execute well, comes from experience and really good leadership, Carroll said. The guys, they were in it to win the thing all the way to the last inch and found a way.The victory was encouraging, and so was the re-emergence of Seattles offense following a sluggish first half of the season. Baldwin created headaches for defensive backs, especially near the end zone, where he caught three touchdowns for the first time since Week 14 of last season. Wilson looked as healthy as he has all season, throwing for 348 yards, and showing the elusiveness and ability to extend plays with his legs thats been absent since suffering ankle and knee injuries in the first three weeks of the season.But the most important change was a rushing attack that entered the week 30th in the NFL, averaging just 75 yards per game. Led by rookie C.J. Prosise, the Seahawks ran for 96 yards as a team. Its not a significant total, but it was Seattles most yards on the ground since Week 3.Prosise provided a missing spark, along with a solid night by Seattles maligned offensive line. The third-round pick, slowed early in the season by a broken bone in his hand, rushed for 66 yards on 17 carries and caught all seven targets for 87 yards.C.J. hit stuff really well. He took advantage of a leap forward from our guys up front, Carroll said. It was the most aggressive that weve been, the most confident coming off the ball. It was just the best outing that weve had. I think it all fit together.Game notes LB Mike Morgan was activated off injured reserve for return to practice on Monday. Carroll said the plan is for Morgan to have a couple weeks of practice before being added to the active roster. ... LB Kevin Pierre-Louis injured his hamstring in the game but was the only injury of significance. ... DE Michael Bennett is still likely a couple of weeks away following minor knee surgery. Bennett has missed the last three games. ... RB Thomas Rawls is expected to practice this week and is on track to play Sunday. Rawls (shin) has been out since Week 2.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Ainsley Maitland-Niles Jersey . Louis Blues teammates who would also be participating in the Olympics, Alex Pietrangelo felt right at home, no different in some ways to the travel experience of any old road trip – save for the length of the journey, that is. Carl Jenkinson Jersey . PAUL, Minn. http://www.arsenalsoccerproshop.com/Authentic-Granit-Xhaka-Arsenal-Jersey/ . Bradwell was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday. Born and raised in Toronto, Bradwell is entering his sixth CFL season, with all six played for his hometown Argonauts. Danny Welbeck Jersey . "I was fortunate to play many years at this level with a great organization and unbelievable teammates," said Hejduk in a statement. Stephan Lichtsteiner Arsenal Jersey .com) - Manchester City midfielder David Silva is expected to miss the next four weeks because of a calf problem. TORONTO -- Pending free agents remain the biggest concern when it comes to expansion after the GMs meetings Tuesday.The Las Vegas expansion team and some of the 30 existing teams are worried about less-than-honest agreements circumventing the expansion-draft rules.What, GMs looking for loopholes? Come on.Specifically, GMs worry that Vegas could take advantage of the 48-hour window before the expansion draft in June to quietly agree to terms on a deal with a pending unrestricted free agent, then wait until July 1 to sign him, so as to pluck another player off a teams roster in the expansion draft.This would circumvent the rule that if a team loses a free agent to Vegas in that 48-hour free-agent-signing window, it cannot lose another player in the expansion draft. Some GMs worry that veteran GM George McPhee, who wasnt born yesterday, would take advantage of the situation.Conversely?George has the same concerns about existing teams doing those types of deals with players they dont have to protect, deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Tuesday after the GMs meeting.McPhee wisely worries that a team or two might do a drawer deal with a pending UFA but not officially sign it until after the expansion draft. Why? Teams dont have to protect pending free agents because they arent eligible for the expansion draft. Heres an example: If the San Jose Sharks didnt officially re-sign Joe Thornton until after the expansion draft, they could protect another player.There has to be a high level of diligence to make sure those things dont happen and to make sure people know there will be significant penalties imposed if they were to screw around with the rules, Daly said.Daly said violators of the expansion rules forgo a first-round draft pick, so penalties in the same vein would be appropriate.?New Jersey Devils GM Ray Shero insisted anyone would be crazy to attempt that type of circumvention.I certainly dont want to be involved in that because I certainly love my job and cant afford the fine, Shero said with a smile. Sure, we talked about it today [in the GMs meeting]. Those are the what-ifs? But with anything, everything has to pass the smell test with the league. You got to have some big you-know-whats to screw around with that.Rule 48 rages onAs one GM succinctly put it Tuesday, the consensus on Rule 48 is that there is no consensus.The room is split among GMs who fear that tweaking Rule 48 will further decrease the physicality of the game and those who are fearful of blindside hits -- hits to a player who doesnt see it coming -- and want the blindside language put back into Rule 48 (blindside was taken out in 2012).NHL Player Safety met with eight GMs on Monday ahead of Tuesdays full GMs meeting in order to get a head start on the raging Rule 48 debate thhat was renewed after?Toronto Maple Leafs?center?Nazem Kadris hit on the Vancouver Canucks Daniel Sedin two weeks ago.dddddddddddd That hit didnt warrant a suspension because the shoulder was hit first, so it wasnt deemed a head shot. But it was definitely a blindside hit to a vulnerable player.?Now what? Said one of the eight GMs in the room Monday when they voted on the Kadri-Sedin hit: The room was split.It will be talked about again at the March meetings, but finding consensus is proving difficult.It is the hardest part,?Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said. Im sure if you put 15 of you media guys in the room and ask to raise your hand, yes or no, youre probably going to be split on a lot of things. And thats generally the conversation here. Theres a lot of passion on both sides of the coin when it comes to hitting and making sure that is still an integral part of the game because nobody wants to see that lost. Now, certainly the mindset is players safety first. The hard part, and I feel for Player Safety, they have to rule by the letter of the rule.Added?Philadelphia Flyers?GM Ron Hextall: No one wants to see blindside hits, but when you put that blindside [language] in [Rule 48], youre going to eliminate a lot of things. You also encourage players to turn away from hits. Its not as easy and simple as people think it is. I wish it was. I think its one of those issues that needs to be looked at and studied and talked about before any rash decision is made.Colorado Avalanche GM and Hall of Famer Joe Sakic said he doesnt like hits on vulnerable players, but he added that the player with the puck has responsibility too.Theres some good, hard hits, and youve got to keep that, Sakic said. I also think its up to the players with the puck that you got to keep your head up as well. You have to have awareness.Shootout change coming?St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong proposed discussion about tweaking the shootout.My thought process was that we had great drama in Sochi with what T.J. Oshie did, Armstrong said, referring to Oshies being given and scoring on multiple shootout attempts in a game against the Russians in the 2014 Winter Olympics.The Blues GM proposed that teams use three shooters, but if the shootout goes on, coaches could deploy any shooter they want, even the same player over and over again. In other words, it would be similar to international rules.As another GM said, why do fans want to see the seventh defenseman or 13th forward take a shootout attempt when the shootouts go long? Why not put your best players in the spotlight for the whole shootout?The GMs will discuss it again at the March meetings. ' ' '