Gästebuch » ter. The pleasantries came months after the lack of a

Heres a glance at todayss NFL preseason games. All times Eastern:GOING YOUNG- Carolina at Tennessee, 3 p.m.Carolina rookie cornerbacks James Bradberry and Daryl Worley will get another meaningful audition at Tennessee. The defending NFC champion Panthers have a pair of vacancies, after All-Pro Josh Norman left and Charles Tillman retired. Bene Benwikere, the nickel back last year, is still in the mix, but coach Ron Rivera is strongly considering starting both Bradberry and Worley.Fittingly, the wide receivers on the other side are in flux after the Titans traded disappointing 2015 second-round draft pick Dorial Green-Beckham this week to Philadelphia. The deal further cemented the status of rookie Tajae Sharpe and widened an opening for Justin Hunter. Veterans Harry Douglas and Andre Johnson are also trying to secure spots.Titans running backs DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry will have a chance to build on the momentum established against San Diego last week.BAD-LUCK BILLS- New York Giants at Buffalo, 4 p.m.Buffalo will play its first game at the newly renamed New Era Field, after the Buffalo-based apparel company bought naming rights for the former Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bills sure could use a break from a spate of bad news that has persisted throughout their offseason.Just this week, linebacker IK Enemkpali was lost to a season-ending knee injury and starting defensive tackle Marcell Dareus received a substance-abuse policy suspension for the first four games of the regular season from the NFL.The visitor will be the New York Giants, who have slated quarterback Eli Manning and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to play after resting last week. Free agent kicker Tom Obarski will get an extended look, with starter Josh Brown suspended for the regular-season opener because of a personal conduct issue.FAMILIAR FOES- Baltimore at Indianapolis, 7 p.m.Andrew Luck is expected to make his first start for Indianapolis since November when the Colts host Baltimore in a reunion of sorts among the coaching staffs. Colts coach Chuck Pagano and new defensive coordinator Ted Monachino both worked for Ravens coach Jim Harbaugh before leaving for Indianapolis, giving them a little insight into what Luck should prepare for in the second week of the preseason with his appearance expected to last a quarter or so.Quarterback Joe Flacco almost certainly wont play for the Ravens, but rookie left tackle Ronnie Stanley will get another game to get settled after a decent debut.YOU GUYS AGAIN?- Tampa Bay at Jacksonville, 7:30 p.m.After a pair of joint practices with Tampa Bay, Jacksonville coach Gus Bradley likely wont play his starters as long as he usually does in the second preseason game. That means quarterback Blake Bortles, who led the first-team offense to 10 points last week in the first quarter, wont have as many snaps to stay sharp.Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. will play his first home game since being drafted in the first round in 2015 and missing his rookie year to a knee injury. He was kicked off the field Thursday following a fight with Buccaneers guard Ali Marpet.Rookie kicker Roberto Aguayo could use a few a touchdowns by the Tampa Bay offense. The 59th overall pick in the draft missed his only extra-point try last week, before making a 38-yard field goal.ALL EYES ON OSWEILER- New Orleans at Houston, 8 p.m.All eyes will be on No. 17 for the Texans as Brock Osweiler makes his home debut. Osweiler played four series last week at San Francisco, going 4 for 7 for 27 yards and failing to lead the Texans to any scores. Hes the new quarterback after signing a $72 million contract to leave Super Bowl champion Denver.The Texans and Saints held joint practices this week. Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who played only one series last week at New England, is expected to last a little longer this week before getting the hook.QUARTERBACK CLARITY?- San Francisco at Denver, 9 p.m.Blaine Gabbert will again get the stage to himself in San Franciscos starting quarterback derby, with Colin Kaepernick set to sit out a second game with a tired shoulder. Gabbert started 1 for 6 at Houston last week, before finishing with a touchdown pass to Vance McDonald. Christian Ponder also is expected to debut with the 49ers after signing this week as the third-stringer.Denver quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian are currently listed as co-starters, with coach Gary Kubiak yet to declare a starter. There are questions all over the Broncos offense, with Cody Latimer and Jordan Norwood trying to grab the No. 3 wide receiver spot and Ronnie Hillman trying to fend off Kapri Bibbs and rookie Devonte Booker to be the backup running back behind C.J. Anderson.MOVING UP- Kansas City at Los Angeles, 9 p.m.The first pick in the draft, quarterback Jared Goff, is expected to take turns with the first team for Los Angeles. Transitioning from a spread offense at Cal to a pro-style scheme with the Rams, Goff has struggled at times in training camp with snaps and footwork under center.In the second game for the Rams back in Los Angeles, running back Todd Gurley, defensive end Robert Quinn and cornerback E.J. Gaines are queued up for action after sitting out last week.Chiefs quarterback Nick Foles will get some time against his former team. Benched as the Rams starter last year, Foles signed with Kansas City two weeks ago to back up Alex Smith.EXPERIMENTING WITH EIGHTThe NFL, as it did in the second week of last years preseason games, will experiment with an eighth on-field official. The league has used seven-person officiating crews since 1978, when the side judge was added. The middle judge will be 20 yards downfield, focusing on the center and guards with an emphasis on spotting defensive holding penalties.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and Twitter: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Mitch Wishnowsky 49ers Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. George Kittle Jersey . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U. http://www.49ersrookiestore.com/49ers-Jerry-Rice-Jersey/ . -- Five former Kansas City Chiefs players who were on the team between 1987 and 1993 filed a lawsuit Tuesday claiming the team hid and even lied about the risks of head injuries during that time period when there was no collective bargaining agreement in place in the NFL. Mike McGlinchey 49ers Jersey . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. Y.A. Tittle 49ers Jersey . With Parker having a quiet game for once, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw provided the scoring as France won its first major basketball title by beating Lithuania 80-66 on Sunday. It was a victory that ended a decade of frustration for Parker and a talented French generation, which lost the final against Spain two years ago and took bronze in 2005. FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Big brothers have been known to pick on little brothers from time to time.That is, of course, until that little brother grows to be a few inches taller and 50 pounds heavier.Such is the case for brothers Chris and Kyle Long, who are at different points in their NFL careers entering the season.Kyle, the Bears three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman, will be counted on at right guard to help protect quarterback Jay Cutler as Chicago looks to move on from a forgettable 2015 season.Meanwhile, on the defensive side his older brother, Chris, is trying to make the most of the one-year deal he signed with the Patriots following an eight-year stint in St. Louis.Chris, 31, has had no problem deferring to his younger sibling as the teams participate in joint practices in advance of Thursday nights preseason matchup.Hitting my brother? Not a lot. Hes like a big tree stump, so luckily Im out there on the edge and we didnt have to deal with each other much, Chris said of the 6-foot-6, 320-pound Kyle.Coach Bill Belichick said it hasnt been too hard to tell them apart.One big one and one not-so big one, Belichick said about the siblings, who are extending the legacy of a family tree first established in the NFL by their Hall of Famer father, Howie Long.The big one is the younger Kyle, the 27-year-old and three-time Pro Bowl right guard in his fourth season as a key part of the Bears offensive line.He has started all but one of Chicagos regular-season games since 2013, and will switch from tackle back to right guard.The hope is that his inside presence will help fortify a line that allowed Cutler to be sacked 29 times last season.Growing up in a rambunctious house that featured Chris and his baby brother, Howie, Jr., was never void of activity.Chris has yet to appear in the playoffs during his eight seasons. So a spot on the Patriots roster is a chance to be a part of a winner.And with the recent injury to starting defensive end Rob Ninkovich, it also could mean a chance to make a significant contribution late in his career.Kyle was drafted out of high school by the Chicago White Sox in 2008, but opted to take a baseball scholarship at Florida State. That was short-lived, though, with a DUI his first semester leading him first to a junior college in 2010 and finally to Oregon in 2012 to resume his football career.One of his biggest supporters along the way has been Chris.I just enjoy kind of watching him grow into being a man in this league, Chris Long said. I know the work that it takes and I just think, more than anything, just seeing the way hes plugged away, he grows up every year.ddddddddddddHaving a player of Kyles caliber on the field this week has also been helpful for a New England offensive line also trying to rebuild after Tom Brady was sacked 38 times in 2015.Chris has been slowed some the past two years by knee and ankle issues. But Kyle said hes expecting big things out of him this season.He looks strong, he feels strong and hes a competitor, Kyle Long said.As for Thursday night, Kyle said there will be a few more family members in the stands than usual. They include their mom, Chris wife and Kyles nephew, Waylon, who was born in March.He was definitely neutral, Kyle said. He had a blue hat on, which was also neutral. So he knows how to play the game already.Game notes Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski was absent from the practice field Tuesday, a day after he pulled up short while running a passing route and left the workout early with a trainer. ... Bears TE Zach Miller and WR Eddie Royal (concussion protocol) were both absent. ... Patriots S Nate Ebner returned after taking a leave of absence to compete for the U.S. Rugby team in Rio. He spent the day on the sideline in a jersey and shorts. ... Bears coach John Fox chatted with Patriots TE Martellus Bennett after practice, and at one point knelt to play with Bennetts daughter. The pleasantries came months after the lack of a contract extension in Chicago opened the door for Bennetts trade from Chicago to New England. ... Earlier this month Bennett tweaked his former club when he and his brother, Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett, made critical comments about Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler. But Fox insisted this week that there was no ill will, or anything like that toward Bennett following his departure. ... Patriots CB Malcolm Butler and Bears WR Alshon Jeffery, who were ejected from practice after an extended shoving match Monday, exchanged a high-five prior to lining up against each other in a one-on-one drill. ... Patriots C Bryan Stork was kicked out of practice after head-butting Bears LB John Timu. ... The Patriots released Brock Vereen. He was signed by the Patriots to the practice squad on Nov. 18, 2015. The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder, entered the NFL as a fourth-round (131st overall) draft choice by Bears in the 2014 draft out of Minnesota.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower ' ' '