Wilkommen bei den Schatten » not prepared mentally at the start of g

Dak Prescott is 11-2 as a starting quarterback. Hes thrown for 20 touchdowns with only four interceptions and his team has the best record in the NFC and is tied with the New England Patriots for the NFLs top mark.The season has gone better than anyones wildest expectations.So, should Prescott be looking over his shoulder?Such is life with the Dallas Cowboys.The Cowboys didnt invent quarterback controversies, but the argument could be that the franchise perfected the art of pitting signal-callers against each other in the press and among the fandom.To be fair, the Cowboys arent publicly talking about benching Prescott in favor of veteran and longtime starter Tony Romo. Such chatter also doesnt appear to be taking place behind the scenes.Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett reiterated as much going into Sunday nights game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex.You can make it as simple or as complex as you want to make it, Garrett told reporters at his weekly press conference. Its pretty simple for us: Daks going to play quarterback as we go forward.Prescott is coming off a series of subpar performances, at least by his standards, culminating in Sundays 10-7 loss at the New York Giants. Dallas offense has sputtered, and Prescott is finally playing like a rookie.The fourth-round pick from Mississippi State completed just 17 of 37 passes for 165 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions against the Giants. It was the first time this season hes thrown multiple picks in the same game.Prescott has failed to reach 200 yards passing in each of his last three games. The Cowboys have been successful on just 2 of 24 third-down conversions in the last two contests. Dallas has scored just 24 points in those two games.Still, Garrett appears to have no interest in turning to Romo.Were just focused on Dak playing quarterback for us, Garrett said. And well continue to do that in our preparation this week and as we go forward.Hes done a really good job for us up to this point, won 11 of 13 games that hes started, and hes handled really every situation as well as you can handle it, so well just continue that way. Tony will be in a backup role for us and hell be ready to go if hes called upon to play.Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones has helped stoke the controversy fires with comments in recent weeks suggesting that Romo will play a significant role before the season ends.Jones admitted on his radio show this week that Romo getting into a game is a possibility due to injury or poor play by Prescott.I understand the question, but I dont want to get into the scenario, Jones said. It goes too far into talking about what we dont want to talk about. But given the need for (Romo), we want him ready on the spur of the moment.The Cowboys have a playoff spot secured and their magic number to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC is two with three games to play.The Buccaneers (8-5) are tied with Atlanta atop the NFC South and are riding a five-game winning streak.Tampa Bays longest unbeaten run since 2002 is turning heads, but the Bucs arent getting caught up in the hype.Thats for the media and you guys to say, defensive end Robert Ayers told reporters this week. All I know is that were 8-5 right now, were trying to get to 9-5. Were taking it one game at a time and were trying to keep hunting. We let you guys give labels and stuff like that, but I know were hungry.As head coach Dirk Koetter said, Were an 8-5 football team, but weve got bigger goals than that.In addition to the division race, the Buccaneers control their postseason destiny by sitting in the second wild-card slot in the NFC. The playoffs are in view.Its in my mind, but going 1-0 (each week) is very important to us as a team, quarterback Jameis Winston said. Were not really trying to look forward. (Offensive coordinator Todd Monken) says all the time, Be where your feet are. Weve got to keep winning. As long as we keep getting Ws, the playoffs are going to be in there.Defense has carried Tampa Bay during its streak. The Bucs have given up a league-low 12.8 points per game since Week 10. The six total touchdowns scored by opponents are tied for the fewest during that span.The offense has struggled some under Winston, scoring just six touchdowns in the last four games. The reasons for the sputtering attack are varied.Sometimes it might be the play call, it might be execution, it might be a penalty, a combination of all those things, Koetter said. I know how these guys can play on offense and I know when we get there.Dallas leads the series 13-4 against Tampa Bay, but the Bucs won 10-6 last season. Michael Deiter Dolphins Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Nat Moore Jersey .com) - Richie Incognito has reportedly been admitted to a psychiatric care unit in Arizona. http://www.dolphinsrookiestore.com/Dolphins-Cameron-Wake-Jersey/ . -- Cam Newton pranced into the end zone, placed his hands over his chest and did his familiar Superman pose. Josh Rosen Womens Jersey . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Josh Rosen Dolphins Jersey . "Theyve both been real good," said Babcock. "Havent changed our minds." A decision has seemingly been made - Sundays Group B-deciding tilt against Finland ahead - but it could not have been an easy one. Price opened the tournament with a sturdy 19-save performance against the Norwegians, yielding just one goal. The Los Angeles Kings are mired in their longest losing streak of the season and struggling to score goals. The identity of their next opponent may make things look a whole lot brighter.The Kings will try to continue their mastery of the Edmonton Oilers when the Pacific Division rivals face off Thursday night in Los Angeles in the first of five meetings this season.Last season, the Kings outscored the Oilers 20-12 while completing the first season series sweep of at least five games in franchise history. Additionally, Los Angeles has won nine in a row at Staples Center over Edmonton by a 36-13 margin, and the Kings are 16-1-2 in the past 19 matchups overall.All that is great for a Kings team that needs some positive news. After kicking off a five-game road trip with a 7-0 rout of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 8, Los Angeles (7-9-1) has managed a total of five goals while losing four in a row, including a 4-1 setback to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.Though the Kings have played just 17 games, reigning Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty said the team must have a different mindset.We need to play more desperate, he told the Los Angeles Times. When youre losing games, its not fun. ... Its not fun coming to the rink sometimes. Weve got to be more desperate and treat every single game as if its a playoff game or a division game and thats how were going to get back on track.Doughty had only three assists in five games versus the Oilers last season. Los Angeles was paced by Tyler Toffoli (three goals, five assists in five games) and Jeff Carter (four goals, three assists in four games).Carter is the Kings leader with five goals and 11 points so far in 2016-17.Los Angeles continues to deal with injuries to key players including goaltender Jonathan Quick (lower body), Marian Gaborik (foot) and center Anze Kopitar (upper body). Quick is out until January, but Gaborik could be back next week and Kopitar remains day-to-day after being injured Friday against the Ottawa Senators.It definitely helps out to be out there on the ice, and just, you know, be on the ice and have the feel and all of that, Kopitar told LAKingsInsider.com on Wednesday. Again, day-to-day, skate again (Thursday), see what happens and well go from there.Despite their strugggles, the Kings are fourth in the Pacific, four points behind the Oilers, who are tied with the Anaheim Ducks for first thanks in part to a 5-3-1 road record.ddddddddddddThese are tough games to play in Anaheim, L.A., San Jose, Dallas, they always have been, Oilers coach Todd McLellan told the Edmonton Sun prior to a three-game road trip that started Tuesday with a 4-1 loss to the Ducks and concludes Saturday against the Stars.McLellan went on to say Edmonton has showed some improvement, but now it is time to ratchet up the results.We want to take that a step further and come up with some wins, he told the Sun. However the game is played, I think were equipped to play it, but individuals have to pick up their play.Not dealing with an early deficit would help, too. The Oilers (9-7-1) have dropped a season-high four straight, but more alarming is they have surrendered the opening goal in each of their last six. Edmonton has fallen behind in the first 1:57 in four of those contests and trailed within the opening 28 seconds in two.The Oilers are 4-6-1 when opponents score first.It becomes a mental thing, but theres two different types of play ... one where (youre) not prepared mentally at the start of games, then when the other team scores, you think and reflect on that and you lose the next five minutes, too, McLellan told the Edmonton Journal.Cam Talbot was 0-4-0 with a 3.56 goals-against average and a .893 save percentage against the Kings last season, and he has surrendered 24 goals in his past seven games overall, posting a 1-5-1 record. Jonas Gustavsson could make his first appearance since Nov. 6, when he recorded 22 saves in 2-1 road win over the Detroit Red Wings.In his only game in Los Angeles while with Detroit, Gustavsson allowed an early goal as the Red Wings fell 1-0 on Feb. 24, 2015.Oilers left winger Milan Lucic is scheduled to meet his former club for the first time. While with the Kings last season, Lucic had a goal, four assists and a team-high 10 penalty minutes vs. Edmonton.He signed a seven-year, $42 million deal with the Oilers in July, and he has five goals and four assists in 17 games. ' ' '