Funkerstation » the regular season because of injuries. They also lost

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Giants safety Landon Collins has become one of those players that opposing offenses cant overlook.Collins is the Giants playmaker on defense, and much more.Playing on a team that has boasted such Hall of Famers as Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson and Michael Strahan, the second-year pro from Alabama has become the first Giant to win conference player of the week awards in consecutive games.Two weeks ago, he was recognized for intercepting two passes against the Rams in London, with one resulting in an incredible return for a touchdown.After the bye week, Collins came back against the Eagles this past weekend with 12 tackles, and his interception on the opening series set up the first of four Eli Manning touchdown passes.Hes a beast, said fellow safety Andrew Adams, who then repeated the statement for emphasis. He is flying around, making plays, hitting people. Its what you need from a safety.Collins is a big reason the Giants (5-3) are off to their best start since 2012, when they were 6-2 at the halfway point. He leads the team in tackles (69), sacks (3) and interceptions (3), the only player in the NFL to lead his team in all three categories this season.No Giant has led the team in both sacks and interceptions in a full season since sacks became an official statistic in 1982. The last NFL player to do it was Pittsburghs Lawrence Timmons in 2012 (3 interceptions, 6 sacks). This season, Yannick Ngakoue leads the Jacksonville Jaguars in both categories (4 sacks, one of three players with one interception).Collins was unaware of the statistics.Im just out there playing ball, doing what is best for the defense, he said Wednesday as the team started preparing for Monday nights game against the Cincinnati Bengals (3-4-1). Im just trying to help in any way possible.Collins has come a long way this season.The Giants moved up in the draft last year to grab him with the first pick of the second round. He became an instant starter on a unit that blew six leads either late in the fourth quarter or in overtime.For a kid who came into the NFL with a chip on his shoulder after being passed over in the first round, it was a humbling experience. So he worked harder in the offseason, and it has paid off.As I kept on working, kept on understanding the defense and working at my craft, I definitely knew I was going to get to this point sooner than later, said Collins, who grew up modeling his game after the late Sean Taylor.Collins cant get enough of football. When he is not lifting, he either is in the film room or studying opposing offenses.On the opening drive against the Eagles, he recognized the route concept on the pass to Nelson Agholor from something the Eagles did the week before. He kept his leverage and intercepted the overthrown pass by Carson Wentz.He remembered to credit end Olivier Vernon for putting pressure on Wentz.It always starts with the D-line, said Collins who had only one interception in his first 22 games. If they get pressure, a push back there, its going to be a tackle for a loss or a play that gives us an interception. When they get going, we all get going.Collins is the first to win defensive player of the week awards in consecutive games since Chicago cornerback Charles Tillman in 2012, and the first safety since Pittsburghs Troy Polamalu in 2010.The New Orleans native is the first Giants defensive player to win two player of the week awards in a season since safety Stevie Brown in 2012. Quarterback Eli Manning won the offensive award twice in 2015.Manning said he saw how talented Collins was last season.The first year you come in, theres a lot going on, Manning said. NFL defense is a lot more complex. Defense is thrown at you. Youre maybe thinking a little bit and you might not make the plays that you normally would make. Now, you see him flying around and totally confident in what hes doing. The results show on game day.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Wholesale Rangers Jerseys . "Four now," Carl Gunnarsson told the Leaf Report proudly following a 5-2 victory over New York on Tuesday night, the clubs fifth straight at home. Rangers Jerseys China .C. -- Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats got off to a fast start, and the Sacramento Kings were never quite able to catch up. https://www.cheaprangersbaseball.com/ . PETERSBURG, Fla. Rangers Jerseys 2020 . Burke is expected to miss two to three months after breaking a finger in the teams third preseason game. Tinsley, a 10-year veteran, spent the last two seasons in Utah, where the point guard averaged 3. Stitched Rangers Jerseys .com) - The women will also have a new champion at the Australian Open.DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings rallied to extend their post-season streak to 22, the longest in North American professional sports. Then, they got within a win of making an improbable appearance in the Western Conference finals. Detroit, though, failed to finish off Chicago after taking a 3-1 series lead, losing three straight, including a 2-1 overtime loss in Game 7 against the Blackhawks on Wednesday night. "It stings," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said Thursday. "Everybody in our organization is down because we had a great chance to get to the final four. But give Chicago credit because they got it done and we didnt." Holland said he has mixed emotions about the year. He is disappointed Detroit couldnt win one more game, perhaps in Game 6 when it had a third-period lead at home, to advance for a second time this post-season. Holland is encouraged, though, by how well the teams veterans led, and the ways its inexperienced players improved during a rebuilding season. "We have a lot of pieces in place, enough to beat the second-seeded Anaheim Ducks and to be up 3-1 on the top team in the league," he said. "There are a lot of good things going on, but we want to get further than Game 7 in the second round." The Red Wings hope to get past the second round next year for the first time since 2009 -- when they were a win away from repeating as Stanley Cup champions -- by agreeing to win-win deals with Damien Brunner, Valtteri Filppula, Daniel Cleary and Drew Miller before they hit the market as unrestricted free agents. "We had teams inquiring about some of them at the trade deadline, but we made the decision to keep them and see how far they could go," Holland said. "Now, wed like to re-sign them if their finances fit in with our finances." As soon as July 5, Holland hopes he can sign Pavel Datsyuk to a new contract so that next season isnt the final one on the superstars deal. "Were going to talk to Pavs agent in a while because we wouldd like to get an extension done," Holland said "But well see because were in a cap world.ddddddddddddquot; It wont cost the franchise as much to re-sign restricted free agents Gustav Nyquist, Joakim Andersson, Brendan Smith and Jakub Kindl. "We want them back, without a doubt," Holland said A year after swinging and missing in attempts to sign Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, Holland doesnt plan to even attempt to make a splash this summer in free agency. "There are no quick fixes and free agency isnt the answer," Holland said. "It is just a tool to get finishing touches, but well explore trades and well keep an eye on players that are bought out of their contracts." The Red Wings are counting on the return of three key forwards -- Darren Helm, Mikael Samuelsson and Todd Bertuzzi --- after they combined to play just 12 games during the regular season because of injuries. They also lost rookie defenceman Danny DeKeyser, who coach Mike Babcock credited with helping them make the playoffs, because of a broken thumb in the first round. In all, Detroits injured players combined to miss 243 games during the regular season and 34 in the playoffs. "We were No. 1 in the league in man-games lost due to injury and the depth of our organization allowed us to stay afloat," Holland said. "If we only add Helm and DeKeyser, were a little better, but we want to do more than that if we can to get a lot better." Goaltender Jimmy Howard was healthy enough to play 42 of 48 games in the lockout-shortened season. He started all 14 playoff games, and did enough to earn a six-year, $31.8 million contract signed in April to stay with the franchise that drafted him a decade ago. Howard has high hopes for the future. "Theres a lot of great things you can take out of this season," Howard told reporters in Chicago. "A lot of guys stepped up for us. The guys have a lot of good experience here moving forward and were moving in the right direction." ' ' '