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NEW ORLEANS —Blaine Gabberts second-year progress gained momentum with rookie
receiver Justin Blackmon on the field, and Jordan Palmer delivered on a
last-gasp pass to cap off a fun Friday night in the Big Easy for the
Jacksonville Jaguars. Justin Smith White Jersey . Palmer hit
Kevin Elliott with an 11-yard touchdown pass on fourth down with 13 seconds
left, lifting Jacksonville to a 27-24 preseason victory over the New Orleans
Saints. Jacksonville (No. 31 in the AP Pro 32) saw continued progress from
Gabbert, the second-year quarterback who outperformed Drew Brees of the Saints
(No. 9 in the AP Pro 32) during the first half. “We did a great job moving the
ball in the first half and scored in the red zone,” said Gabbert, who helped
Jacksonville jump out to a 17-3 lead. “We were playing against their first-team
defence, so it says a lot for us to take the lead early in the game.” Gabbert
completed 13 of 16 passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns, the first a 16-yard
strike to Blackmon, who was making his preseason debut. Brees was 10 of 13 for
133 yards and one touchdown, an 8-yard pass to Devery Henderson. Brees also
turned the ball over when he was sacked and stripped by Jeremy Mincey. “We need
to do a better job protecting Drew,” Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt said.
“We have a lot of coaching to do, and things to clean up. I am ready to get it
done this week.” Undrafted rookie Travaris Cadet had 90 yards from scrimmage and
a TD for New Orleans, making a case for the Saints to find a place for him
despite already having four established running backs on the roster. “I felt
like I took a step forward,” Cadet said. “I feel like I need to do more. Im
never satisfied. ... This is a hard team to make. Youve got to be able to do
something to separate yourself.” Cadets score on a 24-yard reception from
Chase Daniel gave New Orleans a 24-20 lead with under 2 minutes remaining, but
Palmer quickly drove Jacksonville back down the field with the help of pass
interference calls against Jose Gumbs and Cord Parks. The second penalty put the
ball at the New Orleans 6. After a false start penalty, Palmer threw three
incompletions before finding Elliot in the end zone. Josh Scobee had field goals
of 36 and 47 yards, the second giving Jacksonville a 20-17 lead late in the
third quarter. Blackmon finished with four catches for 48 yards as Jacksonville
remained unbeaten in two preseason games. Joseph Morgan had three catches for 68
yards for New Orleans (1-2), including a 53-yard touchdown reception from
Chase Daniel that tied it at 17 in the third quarter. Jacksonville got the start
it wanted from Gabbert and Rashad Jennings, the Jaguars No. 1 running back while
Maurice Jones-Drew holds out. The Jaguars marched 80 yards on nine plays, taking
a 7-0 lead when Blackmon ran the last 7 yards after snatching Gabberts pass from
defensive back Marquis Johnson and spinning into the clear. “You could see his
skills,” Jacksonville coach Mike Mularkey said. “Hes got strong hands and he
knows how to find the end zone.” Blackmon, the No. 5 pick in last springs draft,
missed Jacksonvilles preseason opener after a contract holdout. “It felt really
good,” Blackmon said of scoring in his debut. “Im just glad to be back out there
competing, and Im having a good time doing it.” Jennings ran 6 times for 42
yards on the drive, including gains of 17 and 15 yards around the left end. He
finished with 62 yards on 11 carries. Brees drove the Saints to the Jacksonville
18 in his first series, highlighted by Pierre Thomas 25-yard gain on a screen
pass. Garrett Hartleys 37-yard field goal made it 7-3. Gabbert later marched the
Jaguars 66 yards in 14 plays, converting four third downs before hitting
Colin Cloherty for a 15-yard TD. Things quickly got worse for New Orleans when
defensive tackle Terrance Knighton recovered Brees fumble on the Saints 15,
leading to a field goal that made it 17-3. Brees finally got going on his fourth
series, completing six passes for 74 yards, including two to Marques Colston for
15 and 28 yards. Then came Hendersons TD on a difficult catch as he twisted and
tumbled over the sideline. Daniel played the last series of the first half and
the entire second half. He was 16 of 21 for 185 yards and two touchdowns. His
connection with Morgan was a deep throw as Morgan broke free behind the defence.
Jaguars backup Chad Henne was 4 of 9 for 36 yards and was intercepted by safety
Isa Abdul-Quddus on a pass tipped by defensive back Elbert Mack. Several Saints
players left the game with injuries, including Abdul-Quddus, who appeared wobbly
after a collision late in the third quarter. Vitt declined to specific other
than to confirm that the safety was hit in the head. Reserve linebacker
Chris Chamberlain left the game with a left knee injury, and reserve receiver
Andy Tanner sustained a left ankle injury. The Jaguars only injury appeared to
be a pulled hamstring by reserve running back Keith Toston. Patrick Willis Black Jersey . The Braves
jumped on Cincinnatis Johnny Cueto early Tuesday night and Hudson pitched seven
strong innings to beat the Reds 6-2. Patrick Willis Grey Jersey . Beasley shot
9-for-18 from the floor, hitting four of his five three-point attempts, while
fellow freshmen Bill Walker and Jacob Pullen went for 22 and 20 points,
respectively, with Pullens output setting a new career high. The Wildcats (15-4,
5-0 Big 12) hit 12 three-pointers and controlled the game nearly wire-to-wire in
knocking the Jayhawks from the ranks of the unbeaten. http://www.47superbowl49ersjerseys.com/deion-sanders-jersey
.B). As part of the approval, BCE and Rogers will be required to spend $7.5
million over the next seven years on new sports-themed programming by Canadian
independent producers. The federal broadcast regulator also repeated its
assertion that companies are prohibited from offering television programs on an
exclusive basis to their mobile or Internet subscribers. Michael Crabtree Jersey . —Caroline
Wozniacki remains undefeated at the New Haven Open after the four-time defending
champion beat Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-3 in the first round Monday, her 18th
consecutive victory at the tournament. Kendall Hunter Jersey . Painter threw three
second-half touchdown passes to lead the Ravens to a 31-17 preseason win over
the Falcons on Thursday night. ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. —Stalled lease negotiations
have led to the Buffalo Bills and Erie County favouring a one-year lease
extension that would allow the team to keep playing at Ralph Wilson Stadium next
season while talks continue on a long-term deal. County executive Mark Poloncarz
announced Wednesday that he and the Bills have agreed in principle to extend the
lease if necessary if a new deal is not in place once the current one expires
July 31. Poloncarzs announcement came after Bills CEO Russ Brandon raised
concerns about the lack of progress in negotiations to reach a long-term deal.
“By doing an extension, it guarantees the Bills are here for the full 2013
season, and it gives us ample time during the next 18 months or so to continue
these negotiations,” said Poloncarz. Poloncarz said the state is also on board
with a one-year extension, and expects a formal agreement to be signed “fairly
quick.” Brandon went public with his concerns by informing The Buffalo News that
negotiations had stalled in a story published Wednesday morning. Brandon then
repeated his concerns in an interview with The Associated Press. “They have
stalled over the last few months, and hopefully, well restart the process and
reset the calendar in the near future,” he said. “Weve been ready to go and have
been in discussions with the appropriate parties for many months now. Over the
last few months, weve hit somewhat of a cone of silence in the discussions.”
Brandon described a one-year extension as “certainly being a possibility.” The
lack of progress has already led to one setback. Brandon said the team will miss
a deadline this month to apply for an NFL loan assistance program to help offset
the $200-$220 million in costs the Bills and taxpayers would share for proposed
renovations and upgrades to the 39-year-old stadium. Brandon said the Bills
needed to present their proposal for loan assistance at a committee meeting to
have it placed on the agenda for a league meeting next month. The next chance
the Bills will have to do that wont be until March. However, a one-year
extension fails to address a key concern in securing the franchises long-term
future in Buffalo. The teams founder and Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson is 93,
and he spent a week in the hospital this month. Wilson has said he has no
intention to leave the team to his family, and instead plans to have his heirs
sell the franchise. That opens the possibility of a new owner relocating the
franchise, and makes a move less expensive if the team is not tied to a
long-term lease. “Im not going to sit here and say that Mr. Wilsons age or
health is not a factor because it is,” Poloncarz said. “Im not going to ignore
it. ... No. Were going to continue to move forward. And Im hopeful that were
going to get a lease done as soon as possible. Im just disappointed its not
going to get done by the end of this year. Frank Gore Limited Jersey. quot; Poloncarz
expects the new one-year deal would be similar to the teams existing lease.
Poloncarz and the state have a meeting set for Sept. 21, but noted the last time
the three parties all met together was June 29. Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy disputed
claims that negotiations have stalled, saying state representatives have been in
constant negotiations with the team and local government for the last several
months. “Lets set the record straight: the governor and this administration are
actively negotiating in good faith with the Bills,” Duffy said in a released
statement. “Keeping the Bills in Buffalo is critically important to the state
and the region. And this administration is committed to doing everything we can
to ensure that the Bills remain in western New York,” Duffy said. “If taxpayers
are going to be asked for substantial financial support for stadium
improvements, they must be assured of a long term commitment by the Bills to
stay in Buffalo regardless of future ownership.” Josh Vlasto, spokesman for New
York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, noted that the state hired attorney Irwin Raij last
month to assist in negotiations. Raij specializes in stadium development
projects and lease agreements. He was most recently represented Guggenheim
Baseball Management in buying the Los Angeles Dodgers. Vlasto also noted that
Cuomo included spending millions to retain the Bills among his list of “critical
economic development projects.” The state has a large stake in keeping the
Bills, because the team is estimated to generate between $15 million and $20
million in state taxes. Erie County also has a stake, because it controls the
stadium lease. Brandon sidestepped a question of how confident he was that a
deal with all the parties would be completed. “Im very confident that we have
our ducks in the proverbial row to sit down and have meaningful and thoughtful
conversations with our stakeholders,” he said. “Its our No. 1 initiative. So
were always ready and willing to talk at the drop of a hat. Were ready to go at
any point, and have been over a year.” The Bills are also negotiating with
Rogers Communications to renew a five-year series of home games Buffalo plays in
Toronto. The current deal runs out this year after the Bills “host” the Seattle
Seahawks in Canadas largest city and financial capital on Dec. 16. Brandon said
he expects to resume discussions with Rogers officials within the next three
weeks. He said talks were delayed because the team was focused on training camp,
the start of the season and lease negotiations. Brandon said lease talks will
have no effect on renewing the deal to play in Toronto. ———Associated Press
writers Michael Virtanen, in Albany, N.Y., and Carolyn Thompson, in Buffalo,
contributed to this report. ’ ’ ’