Category: NFL

Steelers wide receivers coach Darryl Drake dies at 62

Steelers wide receivers coach Darryl Drake dies at 62
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers coach Darryl Drake, who spent more than 30 years molding some of the best players at the position at both the collegiate and professional level, has died. He was 62.
The team said Drake, who joined the coaching staff in 2018, died early Sunday morning.
“Darryl had such an impact on the players he coached and everyone he worked with throughout his entire career,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said. “He was a passionate coach and had a tremendous spirit toward life, his family, his faith and the game of football.”
Drake, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, played collegiately at Western Kentucky. He spent one season in the Canadian Football League and participated in a pair of NFL training camps before returning to Western Kentucky to pursue a master’s degree. He went into coaching as a graduate assistant at Western Kentucky in 1983, the beginning of a career that included stops in the college ranks at Georgia, Baylor and Texas.
“He had a tremendous impact on those who he coached and those who were fortunate to call him a teammate,” WKU athletic director Todd Stewart said. “WKU Football was better because of our association with him.
Drake reached the NFL as a receivers coach in 2004 with the Chicago Bears. He moved on to the same position with the Arizona Cardinals in 2013 before joining Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin’s staff in 2018. Drake’s pupils through the years include Cardinals star Larry Fitzgerald, longtime NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall and Antonio Brown, who played for Drake in 2018 before being traded to Oakland last spring.
“Darryl was a close friend and had a tremendous impact on my coaching career,” Tomlin said. “He was an amazing husband, father and grandfather, and it is difficult to put into words the grief our entire team is going through right now. Darryl loved the game of football and every player he ever coached. We will use our faith to guide us and help his family throughout the difficult time.”
Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens, who coached alongside Drake in Arizona, called Drake “a really good coach and an even better friend.”
“The NFL coaching community lost a really good person that always took a great personal interest in the lives of the players he coached and the staff he worked with,” Kitchens added.
Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen, who played under Drake in Chicago, tweeted that Drake “had a huge impact on me as a young player. His players loved him.”
Drake is survived by his wife, Sheila, daughters Shanice, Felisha and Marian as well as two grandchildren.
Pittsburgh cancelled practices at Saint Vincent College on both Sunday and Monday after announcing Drake’s death.
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AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed to this report.
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Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski announce

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski announces retirement
By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer
BOSTON (AP) — The New England Patriots’ gentle giant has decided to hang up his cleats.
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski said Sunday that he is retiring from the NFL after nine seasons.
Gronkowski announced his decision via a post on Instagram , saying that a few months shy of his 30th birthday “it’s time to move forward and move forward with a big smile.”
“It all started at 20 years old on stage at the NFL draft when my dream came true, and now here I am about to turn 30 in a few months with a decision I feel is the biggest of my life so far,” Gronkowski wrote in his post. “I will be retiring from the game of football today.”
Drew Rosenhaus, Gronkowski’s agent, confirmed his client’s decision to retire.
The tight end, who turns 30 in May, leaves as a three-time Super Bowl champion who established himself as one of the most dominant players at his position.
But he has been dogged in recent seasons by back, knee, ankle and arm injuries that have limited his ability to stay on the field.
It led him to hint at retirement following New England’s Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles to end the 2017 season and again last month after the Patriots’ Super Bowl win over the Los Angeles Rams.
In his Instagram post, Gronkowski thanked the Patriots organization, coach Bill Belichick and New England’s fans for their support during his nine NFL seasons.
“Thank you for everyone accepting who I am and the dedication I have put into my work to be the best player I could be,” Gronkowski wrote.
Gronkowski’s teammates almost immediately began to flood social media with well-wishes.
“Love you man!!” quarterback Tom Brady wrote on Instagram, along with an emoji of a goat to refer to Gronkowski as the greatest of all-time. “Couldn’t be a better person or teammate!!!!”
It was a sentiment shared by receiver Julian Edelman.
“The other goat,” Edelman posted on his Instagram page.
Though he won’t have the longevity of some of his contemporaries at tight end, Gronkowski is expected to get strong consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame when eligible.
Gronkowski was one of Brady’s favorite targets after being drafted in the second round of the 2010 draft.
He had his fourth career 1,000-yard receiving season in 2017 and was an All-Pro for the fourth time that season.
But at times he looked like a shell of himself during the Patriots’ Super Bowl run this past season. Gronkowski finished the 2018 regular season with just 47 catches for 682 yards and three touchdowns.
He had one of his best games of the season in the Patriots’ Super Bowl win over the Rams, hauling in six catches for 87 yards, including two receptions on New England’s only touchdown drive during their 13-3 victory.
A fan favorite in New England for his gregarious and playful persona that included awkward dance moves and touchdown celebrations, Gronkowski was one of the most dominant tight ends of his era.
His 12 career postseason touchdown receptions are the most by a tight end in NFL playoff history. His 81 career postseason catches are also best among tight ends.
He’ll also retire with 79 career TD catches — regular season and playoffs — which is third all-time by a tight end behind only Antonio Gates (116) and Tony Gonzalez (111).
Brady and Gronkowski connected on 78 TD passes. It is the second-most scoring connections between a quarterback and a tight end in NFL history behind only Philip Rivers and Gates (89) and is fifth overall between quarterbacks and all pass-catchers.
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Scoring Updates: Penguins vs. Panthers, Tuesday March 5, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.

 

[table id=34 /]

STEELERS 16 BENGALS 13 4TH QTR/FINAL

The Steelers took  the lead with 8:35  left in the game on a 47-yard  field goal by  Steelers rookie kicker Matt McCrane. Bengals tied the game 2:30 later with a 32-yard field game. the Steelers regained the lead at the two minute  warning with a 35 yard field goal. The defense forced  the Bengals to turn over the ball to seal the victory. For the game,  Ben Roethlisber was 31-45, 287 yds  with 1 with one TD and an interception a pick six.   James Conner had 14 carries for 64-yards.  Ben ended the season with over 5-thousand yards passing and 16 interceptions. Matt Manroe had 3 field goals and an extra point.  The Steelers needed the Cleveland Browns to beat  the Baltimore Ravens to make  the AFC playoffs The Browns lost to the Ravens 26-24.

BENGALS 10 STEELERS 3 HALFTIME

Ben Roethlisberger throws kis 16th  interception of the year a pick six 58 yd ShawnWillians 58-yds . with 2:12  left in the half  Randy Bullock kicks a 40 yd Field goal.  10-0 Bengals. As time expires Steelers new kicker Matt McCrane kicks a a39yd field goal  Half 10-3 Bengals

Crosby’s 4 points lead streaking Penguins past Blues 6-1

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Sidney Crosby had a goal and three assists to lead the surging Pittsburgh Penguins past the St. Louis Blues 6-1 on Saturday night.

Juuso Riikola, Zach Aston-Reese, Kris Letang, Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin also scored for the Penguins, who converted on all four power plays. Pittsburgh has won a season-best five consecutive games.

Matt Murray stopped 30 shots to improve to 9-5-1. He has won five straight starts since returning from a lower-body injury on Dec. 15.

Jake Allen allowed four goals on 17 shots before getting pulled for Jordan Binnington almost halfway through the game. Allen fell to 13-11-4 and has been replaced in five of his 29 starts.

Alexander Steen was penalized for high-sticking Bryan Rust nine seconds into the game. Crosby capitalized when he one-timed a pass from Patrik Hornqvist past Allen for his team-leading 17th goal 39 seconds into the ensuing power play.

Crosby has nine points (one goal, eight assists) over his last three games.

Riikola fired a shot from the point past Allen with the Penguins on another power play 5:13 into the second period for his first NHL goal.

Aston-Reese netted his fifth of the season 2:04 later, and Kris Letang followed with his ninth to end Allen’s night.

David Perron scored his 13th with 5:24 remaining in the second to break up the shutout bid.

St. Louis entered on a two-game winning streak but has not won three in a row since taking six straight in March last season.

Guentzel and Malkin scored against Binnington 33 seconds apart in the third period.

NOTES: St. Louis played its 4,000th game in franchise history, making it the 10th NHL team to reach that milestone. . Blues D Alex Pietrangelo returned to the lineup after missing 11 games with a broken wrist. . Pittsburgh has not given up a power-play goal in 14 opportunities during its winning streak.

UP NEXT

Penguins: Visit the Minnesota Wild on Monday.

St. Louis: Host the New York Rangers on Monday.