Themen über das Spiel! » Byrd in the hospital and his teammate --

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesotas replacement plan for Teddy Bridgewater has received an emergency activation.Shaun Hill will be the first remedy.I have confidence in him, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. I have confidence in this football team.Bridgewaters recovery from a badly damaged left knee, sustained during a seemingly harmless drill in practice Tuesday with nobody near him, will be the most important development for the Vikings over the next year and beyond.The most crucial issue for the teams immediate future will be how well Hill, or whoever else might wind up leading the huddle in the 2016 season, can handle the caretaker role while Bridgewater embarks on an arduous rehab.Hill has started 34 games over a borderline-nomadic career in the league. None came in the playoffs.As a 15-year veteran, the value of Hills experience is deeper than the spot duties he has handled with San Francisco, Detroit, St. Louis and now Minnesota following the injuries that thrust him into action.Zimmer, at the beginning of training camp when Hills capability as a backup was being discussed, recalled a scenario from 2015 when Hill was running the offense in spring practice. The timeouts in this particular drill were used up, so Hill was already thinking a step ahead.He said, `Do you want an incompletion, or should I take a sack in this situation? Zimmer said then. Things like that make me think, too. He has seen so many things. He catches on quick. He understands the offense. And hes a good guy.Hill is 17 for 25 for 192 yards with no interceptions, or touchdowns, in the preseason. He probably wont play on Thursday when the Vikings host St. Louis in their final exhibition game. Keeping him healthy is far more important than giving him a few extra snaps to tune up for the opener at Tennessee on Sept. 11.Hill never threw a pass that counted in a four-year stint with the Vikings, who signed him out of Maryland as an undrafted free agent in 2002. The two kneel-downs he took in the 2005 season finale marked his only official appearance.He started 16 games over four years with the 49ers because of injuries to Trent Dilfer and Alex Smith. Matthew Stafford went down in 2010, giving Hill a 10-game run in his first of four seasons with the Lions. Sam Bradford was hurt in 2014 during training camp with the Rams, so Hill took his turn in the opener against, fittingly, the Vikings. He started eight games that year before rejoining his original team, going 3-5 to bring his career record to 16-18.Lacking the arm strength to stretch the field, theres nothing special about Hill and his skills. If theres a reason for hope for Vikings fans, its that they were second to last in the league last season in passing touchdowns and yards and still won the NFC North with an 11-5 record.The plan was to strike more of a run-pass balance this year, and Bridgewater was showing strides with the deep throws throughout the preseason. But Adrian Peterson is still in the backfield, and the defense is still stacked.We have a good defensive team. Our offensive line is much better. We have good receivers. We have maybe the best running back in the NFL, Zimmer said. So this is about a team.Taylor Heinicke, the third-stringer last year, has been out with a severed tendon around his left ankle. He could be back soon and work his way into the mix. Regardless, general manager Rick Spielman will be scrutinizing veteran options the rest of the week.Matt Flynn, Michael Vick and T.J. Yates are among the free agents. Current backup quarterbacks who could become available, if theyre let go this weekend or offered in a trade, include Mike Glennon, Colin Kaepernick, Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith and Brandon Weeden.Were going to try figure out the very best way we can to beat the team that were playing that week, Zimmer said. However we have to do it, if its running the ball 65 times or throwing it 65 times, it doesnt really matter. We have a good football team, and thats what were going to do.---Online:AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL coverage on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Puma Wholesale Australia . Neymar curled home a free kick from just outside the area to put the 2014 World Cup host ahead in the 44th minute. Three minutes after the break, a simple through pass from Paulinho freed Oscar and the Chelsea star rounded goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to extend Brazils lead. Puma Shoes Australia Sale . Louis Blues teammates who would also be participating in the Olympics, Alex Pietrangelo felt right at home, no different in some ways to the travel experience of any old road trip – save for the length of the journey, that is. http://www.pumaaustraliawholesale.com/ . PETERSBURG, Fla. Puma Shoes Clearance Australia . Parker had 26 points and eight assists and San Antonio beat Toronto 112-99 Monday night. "We won that game because of Tony Parkers aggressiveness," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "His juice; his aggression all night long. Puma Outlet Store Australia . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. Dennis Byrd was an inspiration for far more than anything he ever accomplished on a football field.He was able to walk again.And with each step he took toward recovery from paralysis while guided by his always-present faith, Byrd defied doctors grim predictions and became a symbol of perseverance and hope.On Saturday, the former NFL defensive lineman whose career was ended by a neck injury, was killed in a car accident. He was 50.The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said Byrd died in a two-vehicle collision on Oklahoma 88 north of Claremore.The Tulsa World first reported Byrds death. He starred at Mustang High School outside Oklahoma City and then at the University of Tulsa before playing for the New York Jets.We extend our sincere condolences to Dennis wife, Angela, their children and the entire Byrd family, said Dr. Derrick Gragg, Tulsas athletic director. Dennis exemplified true determination, tremendous heart and humility throughout his life. He had a tremendous playing career at TU and professionally with the New York Jets. He overcame great personal adversity after a life-altering injury on the football field.We know that Dennis touched numerous lives and will be missed by many.The Oologah-Talala Emergency Medical Services said the crash happened about 11 a.m. between Oologah and Claremore. It said a 17-year-old Claremore youth driving a 2000 Ford Explorer northbound on Oklahoma 88 veered into the oncoming lane, striking the 2004 Hummer H2 that Byrd was driving.Byrd, who had returned to his home in Talala in recent years, was pronounced dead at the scene, and the 17-year-old driver and a 12-year-old passenger in Byrds vehicle were taken in critical condition to Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa.The 6-foot-5, 270-pound Byrd was a second-round draft pick of the Jets in 1989 and quickly became a fan favorite for his intensity on the field as much as his humble, soft-spoken approach off it.He was considered one of the NFLs promising young defensive ends during his first three seasons, racking up 27 sacks -- a mark that only two players in franchise history surpassed: Mark Gastineau with 33 1/2 from 1979-81 and John Abraham with 27 1/2 from 2000-02.Byrd had one sack midway through his fourth season when his life was changed during a game on Nov. 29, 1992, against Kansas City.He broke his neck after slamming headfirst into the chest of teammate Scott Mersereau as Chiefs quarterback David Krieg stepped forward to avoid a sack. The impact broke the C-5 vertebra in Byrds neck, leaving him briefly paralyzed, although doctors were uncertain if Byrd would ever be able to walk again.After a vigorous rehabilitation over the next several months, Byrd returned to the Meadowlands for the Jets opening game the following season and walked -- gingerly but unaided -- to midfield as an honorary captain.He never fully recovered from the injury, walking with some difficulty and going through continuous rehabilitation during the years since. But Byrd, a devoutt Christian, wrote a book in 1993 called Rise and Walk: The Trial and Triumph of Dennis Byrd, which detailed how he relied on his faith and family to push through his injury to recover and serve an inspiration to others who went through similar situations.ddddddddddddByrds story was later made into a made-for-TV movie, with actor-director Peter Berg playing him.During the 2010 season, Byrd sent then-Jets coach Rex Ryan the No. 90 jersey that had been torn from his torso on the field after the collision as an inspirational gift.As a guest of the team, Byrd delivered a moving speech to the Jets at their hotel the night before a 28-21 playoff victory over the New England Patriots -- during which the Jets had hung Byrds jersey in their locker room.Running back LaDainian Tomlinson and safety James Ihedigbo also carried out a green and white No. 90 jersey to midfield for the coin toss before the game. Many Jets players credited Byrds speech for helping motivate them to the victory.Hearing about his story for the first time really makes you understand how fortunate we are and how fragile your career is, then-quarterback Mark Sanchez said at the time. These moments you have on the plane, hanging around in the locker room, having fun with guys, going to eat, playing on the field, its pretty special. It can end at any moment. That was just a good reminder for us of how fortunate we are.No Jets player has worn No. 90 since Byrd, and on Oct. 28, 2012, the team honored him at halftime of its game against Miami by making him the fifth player in franchise history to have his number retired.Mersereau introduced Byrd to the crowd, saying the most touching moment of his life came when he visited Byrd in the hospital and his teammate -- unable to walk at that time -- told him: Angie and I have been worried about you.Flanked by wife Angela and their four children, along with several of his former teammates, Byrd fought back tears while he was given a standing ovation by the fans at MetLife Stadium.I learned to be a man in Oklahoma, Byrd said, and I grew to be a man in New York.Every year, a Jets player is selected by his teammates to receive the Dennis Byrd Most Inspirational Player award.I really have loved coaching football and working with kids, talking about the lessons Ive learned as an athlete and the journey as someone with a disability, Byrd said in 2012. Football has always been, for me, a cornerpost of strength and a way to accomplish things in life, whether its on the field or just in maintaining a quality of life. All those lessons -- dedication, perseverance, teamwork -- they all dovetail nicely into living a blessed life.---Associated Press Writer Jeff McMurray in Chicago and AP Sports Writer Kristie Rieken in Houston contributed to this report.---Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '