Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Steelers win boosts Chargers" draft order


First Take - New England Patriots Beat San Diego Chargers

It is little consolation for the Chargers.

But of course, they"ll take it.

After being eliminated from playoff contention Sunday with a 19-7 loss to the Chiefs, the team was slated for the No. 18 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. The final game of the NFL regular season changed that. The Chargers now have the No. 17 pick, the Chiefs dropping one spot to 18th overall.

An official announcement to that effect was made Monday. The league released the draft order for all 20 non-playoff teams.

For such squads, overall record determines draft order. Strength of schedule is the first tiebreaker used to separate ones with the same record; the Chargers and Chiefs both finished 9-7.

The Chiefs this year played the Steelers, whose Sunday night win over the Bengals boosted Kansas City"s opponent winning percentage to .512. That is the same as the Chargers" strength of schedule.

A divisional tiebreaker is next applied. Because Kansas City swept San Diego in the teams" two meetings, San Diego has the higher draft pick of the two.

Source: http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/dec/29/chargers-steelers-draft-pick-order-chiefs/

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On the Steelers: Defense might be backup plan for missing Le"Veon Bell


ESPN First Take - Bengals vs Steelers - Which Team Will Win AFC North ? | First Take

The candidates to pick up the slack if LeVeon Bell goes missing from the Steelers lineup for their playoff game Saturday night at Heinz Field are various. Among them: Josh Harris, Dri Archer, Will Johnson.

Or, how about the Steelers defense?

That once-dominant area of football in Pittsburgh has reappeared even before its season of transition ended. They might need it to continue if the Steelers are to get past the Baltimore Ravens and deeper into the playoffs.

Just as the offense was and did for the most part carry the banner as its defense reorganized and took a step backward this season, a suddenly revived defense might be able to lend a hand in a time of need without their team MVP in Bell.

That defense helped deliver a second consecutive victory and AFC North Division championship Sunday night with its patchwork secondary providing all three turnovers in a 27-17 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals. This came one week after the defense rose up to defeat Kansas City, 20-12, and has not given up more than 21 points in the month of December, in which the Steelers won four in a row.

The defense played huge all day, Ben Roethlisberger said Sunday night. We didnt do enough offensively, we didnt make enough plays and our defense bailed us out. It was fun to watch our defense play at a very high level and get turnovers.

That defense has nine sacks in the past two games and four turnovers, including the two interceptions by cornerback Brice McCain and the fumble Sunday by A.J. Green caused by cornerback Antwon Blake. McCain saved a score with his first interception and set up a score with his second. Blakes forced fumble late in the game prevented the Bengals from tying it or possibly taking the lead.

Those two were nowhere in the secondary plans as the season began but injuries and poor performances by others moved them up the ladder. McCain replaced Cortez Allen at cornerback and Blake moved into the nickle defense with the combination of Allens demotion and the injury to Ike Taylor.

We knew we could play, but we had a lot of good players in this secondary, McCain said of their low position on the depth chart early in the season. We were just waiting for our time.

The Steelers list both as 5 feet 9; with starter Willie Gay at 5-10, they might have the smallest front three cornerbacks in the league.

Now thats some bang for your buck, coach Mike Tomlin shouted at McCain Sunday night in the locker room, either referencing his height, the minimum-wage one-year contract he signed with the Steelers as a free agent or both.

But Tomlin is correct. McCain helped save their 17-9 victory in Jacksonville with a late pick-6 when the Steelers were leading by one. He and Gay tied for the team lead with three interceptions, the first time any of their defensive backs had as many as three since Troy Polamalus seven in 2010.

Brice has little-man syndrome, claimed 6-5 defensive end Cam Heyward. Hes very hard on himself. Blakes got it, too. I give him a hard time. Those guys really stepped up.

Guilty, McCain responded to Heywards charge.

I do. Im very hard on myself because I know whats at stake. I work hard every day because I am a smaller corner. So I got to be perfect every time. If I aint perfect, I have to be 90 percent if not 100.

I practice every day on what people say I cant do. They say I cant jump, say I cant play big receivers, Im going to work on my jumping ability. I can really jump so I wouldnt really worry about that.

The secondary has almost completely turned over since the start of the season. Only free safety Mike Mitchell remains. Former starters Ike Taylor and Polamalu have missed the past two games with injuries and there is doubt whether they will return to start even if healthy. Will Allen started the past two games for Polamalu at strong safety and four of the past seven games.

The secondary has come alive under the current personnel.

Weve taken our lumps and theyve remained singularly focused and theyve stayed together, Tomlin said of the new secondary. We havent allowed the adversity to divide us and weve gotten stronger because of it. Theyre playing with better confidence and theyre making plays.

Its just the natural maturation process when you dont let outside forces interrupt it and you stay singularly focused on growth and development and the opportunities at hand. I give them credit for doing that. I think their play and our play has been on the upswing because of it.

No update on Bell

The Steelers provided no update on the condition of Bells right knee. Tomlin revealed Sunday night that it was hyperextended and that structurally it appears to be fine so well see if h**l be available to us here in our next game.

Ed Bouchette: ebouchette@post-gazette.com and Twitter @EdBouchette.

Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/12/30/Ed-Bouchette-On-the-Steelers-Defense-might-be-backup-plan-for-missing-Le-Veon-Bell-against-Ravens-NFL/stories/201412300100

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Monday, December 29, 2014

Former Broncos QB Kyle Orton Announces Plans To Retire


Reaction to Kyle Orton Replacing E.J. Manuel in Buffalo

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP/CBS4) Former Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton told the Buffalo Bills on Monday that he plans to retire.

The surprise decision places further emphasis on the teams offseason need to address whats long been an unsettled position.

The Bills announced Ortons decision a day after the 10-year journeyman led Buffalo (9-7) to a season-ending 17-9 win at New England. He played for the Broncos from 2009 to 2011, when he was released and picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Its just a family decision, and Ive decided to get home and be a dad and call it a day, Orton said, in a statement released by the team.

The announcement was made shortly after the Bills held end-of-season meetings with their players. Despite enjoying its first winning season since a 9-7 finish in 2004, Buffalo missed the playoffs to extend the NFLs longest active postseason drought to 15 years.

The 32-year-old Orton declined to speak to reporters while making a brief appearance at his locker, where he picked up a few of his belongings.

In electing to retire, Orton is passing up the chance to make a $5.4 million base salary he was due next year.

His departure also leaves Buffalo with a veteran hole to fill at quarterback, which the team sought to address by signing Orton to a two-year contract a little more than a week before the start of the season.

Initially signed to help mentor EJ Manuel, Orton wound up replacing the second-year player after a 2-2 start.

Orton provided an initial spark in going 3-1 in his first four starts before he and the offense sputtered down the stretch. He finished 7-5 with 3,018 yards passing with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Minus Orton, the Bills are left with two quarterbacks on their roster, Manuel and Jeff Tuel, who spent the entire season on the practice squad.

Manuel has two years left on his contract. The 2013 first-round picks future as the teams long-term starter, however, remains in question after he was benched and lost the confidence of coach Doug Marrone.

Rather than considering playing Manuel against New England after the Bills were eliminated from playoff contention, Marrone stuck with Orton by saying the veteran gave Buffalo the best chance to win.

Receiver Robert Woods wasnt entirely caught off guard by Ortons retirement, noting the quarterback had hinted at the possibility in recent weeks.

Hed talk about it here and there, just joking around, `Its my last get-around, guys," Woods said. I gained a lot of knowledge from him. Im happy for him. Were thankful for him.

Running back Fred Jackson was surprised.

Huh, I didnt know anything about it. This is the first time Im hearing about it, Jackson said. Thats his choice. Obviously, he was a guy who did some things for us this year, stepped in and played a major role in what we were able to accomplish. We wish him well.

The Bills were already thought to focus on upgrading the position this offseason in free agency or through a trade. Their options, however, are somewhat limited when it comes to the draft.

Buffalo doesnt have a first-round pick after trading it to Cleveland in May to move up five spots for the right to select receiver Sammy Watkins fourth overall.

Quarterback shuffles are nothing new in Buffalo.

The Bills havent had a starter last beyond three years since Hall of Famer Jim Kelly retired following the 1996 season. Including Orton, the Bills have now had 11 quarterbacks start at least eight games over the past 18 seasons.

Orton was at best considered a stop-gap measure for Buffalo.

He was already contemplating retirement in mid-July when he was cut by the Dallas Cowboys after failing to attend the teams spring minicamps.

With a 42-40 record as a starter, Orton was Chicagos fourth-round pick in 2005.

More Broncos Stories

-By JOHN WAWROW,AP Sports Writer

(TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Source: http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/12/29/former-broncos-qb-kyle-orton-announces-plans-to-retire/

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Twitter down: Network hit by more problems as Android users get locked out


GTA 5 Online - SERVERS DOWN!! (GTA 5 Gameplay)

Some users, especially those on Twitters Android app, were unable to use the service. Others reported seeing tweets from a year ago.

While its unclear what caused the error, one Twitter user looked into the login process and found that Twitters server seemed to think the date was December 29, 2015.

Twitter acknowledged the issue in a post on its Status blog last night. The issue was due to a bug in our front end code, which has been patched, the company said, and apologised for the problems.

The site and apps seemed to be working this morning.

Many users were locked out of Twitter on Saturday, too, with tweets not showing up on feeds or the site failing to load at all.

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/twitter-down-network-hit-by-more-problems-as-android-users-get-locked-out-9948196.html

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David Ryall, "Harry Potter" Actor And Legendary British Film & TV Star, Dies At 79


50 Greatest Harry Potter Moments (Full Version)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/28/david-ryall-dead-dies_n_6387090.html

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Sunday, December 28, 2014

Billboard Hot 100: le donne dominano ancora tutta la top 5


Bobby Shmurda - Bobby Bitch (Audio)

Continua la sfida per la vetta tra Meghan Trainor e Taylor Swift. Anche questa settimana a prevalere la cantante esordiente. Il suo singolo All about that bass ha infatti ottenuto un incremento dei points complessivi pari al 11%, questo grazie alla salita nello streaming (2-1, +19% e in radio (6-3, +19%). Taylor Swift per non si arrende e incrementa del 22% il suo punteggio complessivo grazie alle vendite (+10%), alle radio (7-4, +11%). Discorso a parte merita lo streaming dove il brano salito del 58% per via di molteplici fattori: un video virale di giovani del Kentucky che fanno finta di cantare la canzone, un video di un pap e sua figlia che ballano il pezzo e poi i Shake it off Outtakes Video pubblicati sul canale VEVO della cantautrice.

Nicki Minaj si conferma alla 3 con Anaconda, questo nonostante abbia perso la cima della streaming songs chart (-5%). Questo calo compensato dalle radio dove il brano aumenta del 10%. Le vendite rimangono sostanzialmente stabili. Guadagna ancora una posizione Black Widow di Iggy Azalea ft Rita Ora. La canzone ha dei buoni piazzamenti in tutte le singole categorie: nona in radio, quinta nelle vendite e nello streaming. Scende alla 5 Bang Bang, ma il brano sta salendo in radio (16-13, + 22%).

Come avete visto anche questa settimana tutta la top 5 tinta di rosa: troviamo infattisolo donne, complessivamente esse sono 7 (Nicki Minaj compare 2 volte).Alla 6 rimane stabile il primo uomo: Sam Smith con Stay with me. A seguire c Break free di Ariana Grande. Grazie a Shake it off, Bang Bang e Break free, Max Martin ha per la quarta settimana consecutiva 3 singoli da lui co-scritti o co-prodotti in top 10. Forte della risalita nelle vendite, passa alla 8 Maps dei Maroon 5.Ritorna a scendere Rude dei MAGIC!, torna in top 10 Boom Clap, il singolo di Charli XCX il secondo pi passato in radio. Esce dopo un po di settimane dalla top 10 Chandelier di Sia. Il brano sta calando in radio.

Guadagnano una posizione Dont tell Em e Bailando a scapito diRather Be e Am I wrong. Nuovo peak per Habits (stay high) di Tove Lo. Sembrano prossime a lasciare la top 20 due grandi hits come Fancy e Problem, Sale alla 18 Hot Boy. Rimane stabile alla 20 Burnin it down di Jason Aldean.

1- All about that bass Meghan Trainor

2-Shake it off- Taylor Swift

3- Anaconda Nicki Minaj

4- Black Widow Iggy Azalea ft Rita Ora

5- Bang Bang Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj

6- Stay with me Sam Smith

7- Break free Ariana Grande ft Zedd

8-

9- Rude MAGIC!

10- Boom Clap- Charli XCX

11- Chandelier- Sia

12- Dont tell Em Jeremih ft YG

13- Rather Be Clean Bandit ft Jess Glynne

14- Bailando Enrique Iglesias

15- Am I wrong Nico & Vinz

16- Habits ( stay high) Tove Lo

17- Fancy Iggy Azalea ft Charli XCX

18- Hot Boy BobbyShmurda

19- Problem Ariana Grande ft Iggy Azalea

20- Burnin it down Jason Aldean

Source: http://www.rnbjunk.com/billboard-hot-100-le-donne-dominano-ancora-tutta-la-top-5/

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WATCH: "Divergent" fans get sneak peek of "Insurgent" sequel


Honest Trailers - Divergent

LOS ANGELES The first film adaptation of Veronica Roths Divergent novels was one of the most popular new Hollywood franchises of 2014, grossing more than $150 million at the domestic box office.

Now, fans can close out the year with a look at the much-anticipated sequel, Insurgent, which is due out March 2015.

Shailene Woodley reprises the role of Tris, a teen living in a dystopian future where people are divided into categories based on character attributes. Tris and her fellow divergents, who dont fit into any of the categories, continue their struggle to survive as Jeanine Matthews (played by Kate Winslet) hunts them down.

A trailer released this week shows a greater emphasis on action scenes this go-around. Fans of the trilogy might also notice that Tris has a pixie cut in this installment, even though the characters hair is not that short in the book.

Woodley says director Robert Schwentke granted her request to keep her naturally short hair which she cut for her role in another young adult novel adaptation, The Fault in Our Stars instead of wearing a wig.

I think wigs always look wiggy, especially in an action movie, Woodley told Buzzfeed.

Source: http://kdvr.com/2014/12/13/watch-divergent-fans-get-sneak-peek-of-insurgent-sequel/

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