sted the acquisition of Bruce was not made with the potential loss of Cespedes this winter in mind.We were not l

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has gotten used to upheaval, working with five offensive coordinators in as many seasons.This time, though, the transition should be easier with veteran quarterbacks coach Marty Mornhinweg taking over for Marc Trestman, who was fired on Monday.Flacco has appeared visibly frustrated with the recent play-calling and he hopes his rapport with Mornhinweg will help solve some of the issues, especially with stretching the field.Marty is an exciting guy, said Flacco, who has thrown for 1,282 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions. He brings a lot of confidence to the room. Hes very sure of what hes doing and what were doing. It gets everyone going. I think it gives everybody a good outlook on the game plan.Baltimore expected to have a more explosive attack, but faltered under Trestman. Heading into Sundays matchup with the New York Giants, the Ravens offense is ranked in the bottom half of the NFL, averaging 239.2 yards and 18.8 points per game.Those struggles prompted Ravens coach John Harbaugh to promote Mornhinweg. It was a move widely supported by the players.Its certainly got our attention, thats for sure, said Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta, who leads the team with 28 receptions. Its always tough to see someone let go like that. Marc Trestman is a great guy, great coach. It was difficult to see him go, but it was something that this offense needed. We were in kind of a bad place and it didnt seem like we were getting out of it. So, hopefully this will spark us. Marty is a great coach and we have a lot of faith in him.The Ravens (3-2) hope to establish more balance under Mornhinweg. Flacco has thrown more passes (216) than any other quarterback in the league. Conversely, the Ravens have run the ball 121 times for 495 yards with three touchdowns.Flacco has also been forced to drop back behind an offensive line that has dealt with several injuries. As a result, he has been sacked 11 times. Flacco has one of the strongest arms of any quarterback in the NFL, but he is averaging just 5.9 yards per pass attempt.We definitely need to be better than we are, Flacco said.While Mornhinweg is expected to help the Ravens establish a more effective rushing game, he is known for implementing big plays. As the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets, Mornhinwegs units were ranked in the top 10 for total offense in seven of 15 years.Mornhinweg also has a reputation for developing quarterbacks. Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb, Steve Young, Jeff Garcia and Brett Favre all reached the Pro Bowl under his tutelage.Hes very direct, hes very straightforward, Harbaugh said about Mornhinweg. One of things Ive always admired about Marty is he is a very descriptive teacher. He paints a very good picture for the guys. Thats a gift.The Ravens are optimistic they can see an immediate improvement Sunday against the Giants (2-3), who are allowing 358.2 yards per game and managed a league-worst four sacks.We just have to do what were doing better, Flacco said. Find a little more rhythm. Take advantage of some more opportunities. So, yeah, I think we can expect to out there and play well and find success.---Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL New Nike React Shoes . According to a report from the Winnipeg Free Press, the Bombers will name Acting GM Kyle Walters to the post full time. Nike React Shoes Online . It just didnt show when he hit the ice. Berra made 42 saves and Kris Russell scored at 1:32 of overtime, lifting the Calgary Flames to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night. http://www.wholesalenikereact.com/ . Just as Montreal was settling into the first full working week of a new year, the Impact announced the appointment of their new head coach. Best Nike React Shoes .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Wholesale Nike React Shoes .ca NBA Power Rankings, ahead of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. Last year, it was Yoenis Cespedes. This year, the New York Mets have acquired Jay Bruce from the Cincinnati Reds to bolster their offense.The trade had been held up Monday due to a medical issue with one of the players involved in an earlier version of the deal, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson confirmed.The Mets also reacquired Jonathon Niese from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a swap for fellow left-hander Antonio Bastardo at Mondays non-waiver trade deadline.Bruce, 29, had spent his entire nine-year career with the Reds. He leads the National League in RBIs this season with 80 to go along with 25 homers and a .265 batting average. He becomes the first player traded during the season while leading the league in RBIs since the stat became official in 1920, according to Elias Sports Bureau.Bruce, who will join the Mets on Tuesday, is a lifetime .249 hitter with 233 home runs and 718 RBIs. He will be slotted behind Cespedes in the Mets lineup, although Cespedes is dealing with a right quadriceps issue and was out of the lineup for a second straight day on Monday.Hes been a run producer, Alderson said of Bruce. Hes been in the middle of a lineup. From my standpoint, are we relying on him to produce runs? Yes, I think probably we are. But I think his presence in the middle of the lineup will change things. It wasnt clear to me how much longer Cespedes was going to get pitches to hit as long as we had the rest of the lineup around him as it was.In the trade, the Reds get 22-year-old second baseman Dilson Herrera and 19-year-old left-hander Max Wotell. Herrera batted .211 in 103 plate appearances with the Mets in 2015 and was hitting .276 with 13 homers and 55 RBIs at Triple-A Las Vegas this season.Wotell, drafted by the Mets in the third round of the 2015 draft, was 3-1 with a 4.25 ERA in six starts for Kingsport of the short-season Appalachian League.Outfielder Brandon Nimmo had been in an earlier version of the trade. Cincinnati officials had concern about a partial tear of a tendon in Nimmos left foot that was suffered in late January, but it is not clear if that medical issue or another prospects medical info forced the reconfiguration of the deal.Herrera had been viewed as the second baseman of the future for the Mets. His presence had been one justification for not making a multiyear offer to Daniel Murphy last offseason when he defected to the Washington Nationals.Alderson said circumstances have changed, though, and the Mets are equipped to cover second base in 2017 even with Neil Walkers expected departure as a free agent and Herrera gone. The Mets now have Jose Reyes under control for next season at the major league minimum. Alderson also cited Las Vegas shortstop Gavin Cecchini as a potential second-base option next season.Its not that our estimation of Dilson has gone down, Alderson said. Its that we realize we have some other options and seem to be well covered there. This was an opportunity to deal from a position, I thiink, of relative strength in the system to acquire some offense that we felt we needed.ddddddddddddruces contract has a team option next season worth $13 million, with a $1 million buyout. That should provide the Mets comfort since it would reduce the blow if Cespedes opts out of his contract in November. Alderson suggested the acquisition of Bruce was not made with the potential loss of Cespedes this winter in mind.We were not looking for a rental player, and certainly not looking to give up the kind of talent we did for the next two months, Alderson said.The Mets were not on Bruces no-trade list, which included the Red Sox, Rays, Yankees, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Marlins, As and Twins.Why did the Mets need Bruce? For starters, they rank last in the majors in batting average with runners in scoring position at .206.The Mets boast one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, led by Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom, but they are only 13th in the National League in runs scored with 381. Last season, they were in a similar position and acquired Cespedes, who sparked them to the World Series.The addition of Bruce does leave the Mets with a collection of players who are not ideally suited for center field. Collins hopes Cespedes can return to center field once his quadriceps improves. Otherwise, Michael Conforto and Curtis Granderson will need to be used there against right-handed pitching.Its not an absolute perfect fit for us, Alderson said. You start with the need for offense and work from there. Bruce homered in five straight games in late July, a career best. One downside to him as a player has been his career-long penchant for following a hot streak with an incredibly cold one.The Reds tweeted thank you to Bruce.Cincinnati is into its second year of rebuilding, trading any high-priced veteran it can. The Reds dealt starters Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake, All-Star Home Run Derby winner Todd Frazier and closer Aroldis Chapman in the past year.They tried to trade second baseman Brandon Phillips to the Nationals, but he used his option to block the deal. They also put together the framework of a three-team deal that wouldve sent Bruce to Toronto in the offseason, but that fell through. Bastardo signed a two-year, $12 million deal with the Mets in January but had struggled in relief this season. Niese is receiving $9 million this season and is likely to be bought out of team options for the following two seasons.Although Niese mostly served as a starting pitcher during his original stint with the Mets, Collins plans to use him out of the bullpen. He will provide a rotation safety net, though, in case Zack Wheeler has a setback in the final stages of his rehab from Tommy John surgery. Wheelers fastball sat at 90 to 93 mph during a simulated game on Monday. He is due to begin a rehab assignment on Saturday. ' ' '