News & Neuigkeiten » touchdowns, but his YPC is 3.8. He also has two f

Youve heard of Buccis Overtime Challenge? Well, this is Buccis Hat Trick Challenge. Whats the challenge part? Regularly coming up with three hits about the World Cup of Hockey. Sundays games are Team Russia vs. Team Sweden (3 p.m. ET, ESPN) and Team Finland vs. Team North America (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2).1. Starting strong: For the first time in my broadcasting career, I got to say Crosby scores! Canada vs. the Czech Republic was my first non-#cawlidgehawkey play-by-play broadcast outside of the times I turned down the sound on the TV and broadcasted hockey games into my Panasonic tape recorder. (Girls LOVED me in my teenage years.) For my first broadcast of NHL players to be a Saturday night in Toronto describing the movements of 29-year-old Sidney Crosby, who has now entered his true prime intersection of mind, body and soul, well, it was exhilarating. Team Canada was a unit of energy, concentration and confidence against the Czechs in a 6-0 win. The Mike Babcock-Crosby-Carey Price triumvirate has no peer here at the World Cup of Hockey.2. On the other hand: Team USAs collective slog through oatmeal against Europe (a 3-0 loss) was surprising. It was a rainy, humid (90-plus-percent) day in Toronto on Saturday, and that did make ice quality a challenge, as humidity always does. Humidity is the enemy of fast, firm ice. Humidity is still high Sunday. It was surprising to see Kyle Palmieri and Dustin Byfuglien sit as healthy scratches. Coaches know their players better than we do, but Byfuglien is such a special, versatile force, I cant ever imagine not playing him. If Bill Belichick were a hockey coach, he would love using versatile players such as Byfuglien. I would think Palmieri and Byfuglien would be in versus Canada on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) and Jonathan Quick will return in net for the U.S.3. Marchand will cash in: Brad Marchands next contract will be something to watch for Boston Bruins and NHL fans of teams that want him. Marchand will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. For a seven-year deal, a team would be paying for Marchands age 29-35 seasons. An eight-year deal by the Bruins obviously makes the contract for ages 29-36. Marchand is in great shape and loves to train. In fact, a Bruins player told me last season that the Bruins have to slow Marchand down sometimes from overtraining. He should age well, and Mark Recchi, I think, is a good comparable to Marchand. Recchi continued to produce and be durable in his 29-36-year-old years. I think its going to take eight years at about $7 million per to sign Marchand, and Im surprised that it hasnt already been done by the Bruins. Teams will be lining up next summer if he becomes a UFA. Solomon Thomas Super Bowl Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Arik Armstead Super Bowl Jersey . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. http://www.49ersofficialfanshop.com/joe-staley-jersey-sales.html . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Deebo Samuel Super Bowl Jersey . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1. Jalen Hurd Super Bowl Jersey . Vettel, who has already clinched his fourth straight F1 title, enters the finale with a chance to equal Michael Schumachers 13 victories in a year and match the record of nine consecutive wins by Alberto Ascari in the 1952 and 1953 seasons. PHILADELPHIA -- Carson Wentz is throwing more and more passes, a trend his coach wants to stop.Philadelphias rookie quarterback has averaged 45 passes per game the past two weeks, up from 30.8 attempts over the first six games. The reason is a sputtering rushing attack.The Eagles (4-4) have had fewer than 100 yards rushing in three of their four losses. Thats partly due to falling behind 14-0 three times and quickly turning to the pass.During their 3-0 start, they averaged 119 yards on the ground.I wouldnt necessarily like to drop any quarterback back that many times, coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday. It goes back to being able to run the football and kind of hanging your hat there first and then (using) the play-action stuff.The Eagles abandoned the run early in a 28-23 loss to the Giants last week after Wentz threw a pair of interceptions that helped New York jump ahead 14-0. His first pick came on second-and-3, an ideal run situation. The second one was on third-and-5.Pederson also passed up field goals twice in the first half to go for it on fourth down and failed. The points couldve closed the gap and changed the course of the playcalling.We have put ourselves in a little bit of a bind these last couple of games, so the passing game kind of catches you up a little bit, Pederson said. But we still want to stick within the game plan, manage it that way, and use that run game to your advantage.The Eagles dont have a clear No. 1 back. Ryan Mathews, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher and former Pro Bowl player in San Diego, has llost his starting job to 33-year-old Darren Sproles.dddddddddddd Mathews has nine carries in the last two games while Sproles ran 28 times. Rookie Wendell Smallwood and Kenjon Barner also see action.Its still a little bit of the running back by committee, Pederson said. Obviously, we havent hung our hat on one guy, but we tend to lean more toward Darren Sproles. Its hard to take him off the field right now.Sproles is averaging 4.8 yards per carry. Barner (5.2) and Smallwood (4.4) have done well in limited playing time. Mathews still leads the team with 287 yards and five touchdowns, but his YPC is 3.8. He also has two fourth-quarter fumbles, including one that led to a 24-23 loss at Detroit.The veteran Sproles is an excellent punt returner who was mostly used as a situational back throughout his career. Hes only 5-foot-6 and 190 pounds, so Pederson has to be careful not to overuse him.Weve got to make sure we keep him healthy and keep him going, especially as the season wears on, Pederson said.Wentz doesnt mind carrying the load. But Philadelphias best formula for success is a balanced offense.We struggle with consistency, Wentz said. Thats something weve got to be better with. Weve got to be better with our details, just consistency and not shooting ourselves in the foot.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP-RobMaaddi ' ' '