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March. Vrabel joked that one

March. Vrabel joked that one

ATLANTA (AP) — Yes Johnathan Abram Jersey , it’s time for another story about the Patriots trying to accomplish something nobody has done since the 1972 Dolphins.But not THAT story.Eleven years after falling one win short of matching Miami’s undefeated season, New England is attempting to become the first team since those famed Dolphins to follow a loss in the Super Bowl with a championship the very next year.Not quite as glamorous. But in some respects, every bit as difficult.“When we got back to camp, Don Shula made us watch that game every day for like a week,” said Mercury Morris, the outspoken running back who mostly sat the bench during Miami’s humbling 24-3 loss to Dallas in Super Bowl VI. “He told us, ‘See how sick you feel now? Just think of how sick and sorry you’ll be if you don’t go redeem yourself.'”With their win over the Dolphins, the Cowboys became the first team to come away with the title a year after a Super Bowl loss. (They had fallen 16-13 to Baltimore in Super Bowl V). Then, sparked by their own humbling defeat, the Dolphins did the same thing — and went 17-0 along the way.Neither feat has been repeated in 46 years since, although the Patriots came oh-so-close to perfection in the 2007 season, losing the Super Bowl to the Giants to finish 18-1.“It made us very aware of what we had to do better than the year before,” Dolphins punter Larry Seiple said of the loss at Tulane Stadium, where Miami managed only 185 yards. “It kind of inspired us to stay together as a team and get back there.”As it turns out, easier said than done.Over the years http://www.raidersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-trayvon-mullen-jersey , other teams have had their chances.The 1980s Denver Broncos went to three Super Bowls over four seasons and lost all of them badly — to the point that John Elway conceded to wondering whether it was worth all the fuss fighting to get back, year after year.In the 1990s, the Buffalo Bills made four straight Super Bowls and lost every one.But they are the exceptions.Most teams that lose the Super Bowl don’t come close the next season, and that trend has increased since the advent of free agency, when turning over a third of the roster — even for the most successful teams — is becoming the norm.Over the past 20 seasons, nine Super Bowl losers have failed to even make the playoffs the next year. Another four made the playoffs but lost their first game. Not a single one has returned to the Super Bowl. Until this season.“The biggest issue to me was feeling like we were going to right a wrong from that last season,” said Kurt Warner, whose Rams fell off the map after their 20-17 Super Bowl loss to New England in 2002 that marked the start of the Patriots dynasty. “Anytime you allow one season to carry over into another, I think you’re going to have problems.”New England has rebounded from last year’s Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Making their ninth Super Bowl appearance since the start of the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era, the Patriots seem to come up with new ways every year to reimagine what’s possible.“I think, honestly, after what happened last year in the Super Bowl, guys are hungry,” linebacker Kyle Van Noy said. “And I feel like we got humbled. We’re not taking things for granted.”Neither did the Dolphins.And though they ended up undefeated, that wasn’t the main mission when they started that season. They were motivated by a lopsided loss in the biggest game the season before.“It was an embarrassing performance Maxx Crosby Jersey ,” Morris said. “It was a specific source of redemption. Because pride is one thing. But to redeem yourself from something is another. There’s more value in the concept of redemption than there is in being great.” NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans wrapped up their three-day mandatory minicamp not on a football field but with a field trip to hit golf balls.Their last football play? Dean Pees caught a ball punted off a Jugs machine before being swarmed by Titans defenders celebrating with the 69-year-old coordinator on Wednesday.Coach Mike Vrabel says Thursday’s trip to Topgolf was the result of evaluating where the Titans are at the end of their offseason program and a last attempt to keep everyone healthy for training camp.“I don’t think we’re going to beat anybody on this last day, but I think that we could certainly lose to some teams by losing guys,” Vrabel said Thursday. “I think that’s the biggest thing that you want as you come out of spring. You’re just trying to improve but stay as healthy as you possibly can.”Vrabel said there’s a fine line of preaching effort and finishing with players competing for jobs without pushing too hard, especially with coaches such as himself telling them to keep competing and finishing plays.Titans’ rookies and quarterbacks will report for training camp July 22 with the rest of the team arriving July 25, and Vrabel expects to be close to full strength then.Players such as rookie defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, their top draft pick, likely will be among a few Titans starting on the physically unable to perform list. Simmons is recovering after tearing his left ACL in February preparing for the draft.Right tackle Jack Conklin and tight end Jonnu Smith also are recovering from season-ending knee injuries. Rookie wide receiver A.J. Brown, who appeared to pull a muscle last week, was limited during minicamp but now has five weeks to heal up for training camp.For Vrabel, this wraps up his second straight offseason program. His mantra to the Titans for this season has been finding ways to go from good to great after three consecutive 9-7 seasons and only one playoff berth. How successful their offseason work was will only be seen once the season kicks off Sept. 8 at Cleveland.“That’s something that has to be evaluated ultimately by wins and losses,” Vrabel said. “That’s really what this comes down to.”Vrabel already has endured a debut season that featured the NFL’s longest game in the opener, injuries to a handful of key starters including quarterback Marcus Mariota, a veteran receiver asking to be released midseason and his defensive coordinator missing a key divisional road game due to illness. So the coach already is expecting a season filled with challenges.“I think I maybe know where some of the pitfalls are, where some of the speedbumps are Hakeem Butler Jersey , and navigate your way around them,” Vrabel said.Some questions will only be decided in training camp such as who will start at right guard after the Titans released Josh Kline in March. Vrabel joked that one position already is settled with Pees beating out offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, a former offensive lineman, catching punts Wednesday to wrap up minicamp.“Dean is our new punt returner,” Vrabel said. “Everybody wants to know, we’ve got one position filled for 2019 and that’s Dean Pees at punt returner. Obviously, Dean has caught a few punts in his day. He tried to keep his shoulders square, get his fingertips together. It was impressive. Arthur, not so much. That’s what it looks like when offensive linemen try to catch punts.”Notes: The Titans swapped tight ends on the roster Thursday, agreeing to terms with veteran Ryan Hewitt and waiving Keith Towbridge. Hewitt has played 72 games in five seasons with 23 catches for 221 yards. Undrafted out of Stanford, he played four seasons with Cincinnati and was with Indianapolis for 12 games last season.
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