Smalltalk » Their playoff hopes are just about done

GREEN BAY http://www.denverbroncosteamonline.com/dalton-risner-jersey , Wis. (AP)Jameis Winston returned, and it wasn’t enough for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. a 26-20 overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. A season that started with rising expectations seems to be ending in a painfully familiar way for the franchise – in last place in the NFC South with dim prospects for the postseason. Still, Winston refused to focus on anything but getting better for next week’s game against Detroit. The quarterback missed Tampa Bay’s three previous contests with a shoulder injury. ”I can’t really tell you about the future right now,” he said. ”No one in this room can predict the future right now, so we’ve just got to keep building and getting better every single day.” Statistically, the offense had a decent day for Tampa Bay (4-8). Peyton Barber ran for 102 yards on 23 carries with starter Doug Martin sidelined by a concussion. Winston was 21 of 32 for 270 yards and two touchdown passes to tight end Cameron Brate. ”I thought Jameis played good. He did a good job except the one play,” coach Dirk Koetter said. He didn’t specify the play, though Packers defensive lineman Dean Lowry might have an idea. Winston fumbled on a sack by Kenny Clark in the second quarter. The 6-foot-6, 296-pound Lowry snatched the loose ball in the air and rumbled 62 yards for a touchdown and Lambeau leap with a 17-7 lead. ”I don’t even know how the ball came out,” Winston said. ”When I reared it back (my arm) hit something.” It was one of seven sacks on the day for the Packers, with Clay Matthews leading the pass rush with 2 1/2. ”That’s probably our worst protection game we’ve had all year Drew Lock Jersey ,” Koetter said. Winston also fumbled in the fourth quarter following Evan Smith’s early snap. He was whistled for an illegal forward pass on the next play, but the mistakes were erased by his second touchdown pass to Brate on third-and-11 for a 20-17 lead with 6:02 left in regulation. Winston refused to blame his offensive line for poor protection, though there were a couple communication issues with Smith. He was a last-minute replacement at center after starter Joe Hawley was scratched due to illness. Two other starters on the offensive line were placed on injured reserve earlier in the week. ”So I don’t think it’s right to be able to say that they did subpar when they overcame so much in this day,” Winston said. His day started out so well, too, connecting with Brate for a 28-yard touchdown pass on the game’s opening drive. Brate made a nice one-handed grab, extending his right arm in front of him toward the goal line after beating his defender. ”Today with Jameis back, he really trusts me with those crucial situations and he gave me a couple opportunities,” Brate said. But not enough to get a win, not with one too many turnovers. So chalk up the trip to Lambeau Field as another lesson for the promising young quarterback in just his third NFL season. ”We’ve got to remember he’s 23 years old,” Koetter said http://www.denverbroncosteamonline.com/dre_mont-jones-jersey , ”and experience is still the best teacher.” — ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP)Matthew Stafford simply stood on the field, letting Jake Rudock take snaps at the Detroit Lions’ only practice during their bye week. Stafford’s body has taken a beating recently. He has been sacked 17 times in the past three games, leaving him with an ailing right ankle and sore ribs. Stafford needs a break this week. And, he’s not alone. The idle Lions (3-3) went limping into Week 7, feeling fortunate a slew of players will have a chance to help their banged-up bodies bounce back. ”It’s a bit early, but it couldn’t have come at a better time for us,” tight end Eric Ebron said. ”It just exploded in here with a number of injuries. It’s not good, but it gives us enough time to get healthy.” In a 52-38 loss at New Orleans , the Lions lost their best receiver, Golden Tate T.J. Hockenson Jersey , with a shoulder injury that might be a long-term problem for him and the team. Safety Glover Quin, one of the top players on defense, left the game against the Saints with a concussion. That may lead to Quin missing a game for the first time since 2009 when Detroit resumes its season the night of Oct. 29 at home against Pittsburgh. One starter on the offensive line, guard T.J. Lang, was a late scratch at New Orleans with a bad back. Lang’s replacement, Emmett Cleary, left the game with an ankle injury. Ankle injuries also slowed or sent the team’s starting tackles, Rick Wagner and Greg Robinson, to the sideline against the Saints. Help may be on the way to bolster both lines and special teams. Taylor Decker, who has been out since having surgery on his right shoulder last summer, might return to practice next week. That would move Decker a step closer to starting at left tackle to protect Stafford much better than Robinson has so far. Defensive tackle Khyri Thornton is eligible to return from his six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. Thornton would be a welcome addition because defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is out for the season with an elbow injury. At Tuesday’s practice Justice Hill Jersey , standout punter Sam Martin was kicking for the first time this season after being removed from the reserve/non-football injury list with an ankle injury. So, what does Detroit want to accomplish during its bye week? ”Get healthy, that’s the No. 1 thing,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. ”That’s going to be the primary focus, but then obviously there’s some little things that we can work on. And, we got a lot of those.” The Lions are averaging just 84 yards rushing, putting them ahead of just three teams in the league. Defenses don’t have to respect Detroit’s running game, allowing them to attack a shaky line to get to Stafford. And when the Saints didn’t sack Stafford, they were getting hands on a lot of throws near the line and they were credited with 16 passes defended. ”I’ve never really seen anything like that,” guard Graham Glasgow said. ”But if we can fix it, we’re going to work on it.” Stafford http://www.ravenscheapstores.com/ben-powers-jersey-cheap , though, was largely to blame for the most recent loss because he threw three interceptions – after going four games without a pick – and lost two fumbles against the Saints. As bad as he and the Lions looked, they were resilient enough to have the ball trailing by just seven points with five-plus minutes left in the game. Detroit’s comeback fell short and the setback was the team’s third loss in a four-game stretch. In the first loss, Tate was ruled just short of the end zone on a review, reversing the call on the field and leading to a 10-second runoff that allowed Atlanta to hold on for a 30-26 victory. The Lions were less than 1 yard, or a few seconds, away from a 3-0 start after opening with wins over Arizona and against the New York Giants on the road. Instead, Detroit is 3-3 and a game behind the Aaron Rodgers-less Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings, who lost Oct. 1 to the Lions at home. ”We lost some games that we could’ve won,” safety Tavon Wilson said. ”But we’ve got to figure out how to play better and not be down 35 points in the third quarter and find a way to get into the end zone instead of being down inside the 1.” —