Sports – Page 299 – North Platte Post Archive

Texans’ JJ Watt is Unanimous Top Defensive Player

Posted on January 31, 2015

PHOENIX (AP) — J.J. Watt is a unanimous selection as The Associated Press NFL Defensive Player Of The Year for 2014.

The ultra-energetic and versatile Houston Texans end collected every vote from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league.

He is the first unanimous choice for an AP award since Tom Brady won Most Valuable Player in 2007, and the first for top defensive player under the current voting setup.

In his fourth pro season, Watt earned his second such honor with 20 1-2 sacks, 78 tackles — 29 for losses — 50 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles and 10 blocked passes.

He is the first NFL player with multiple 20-sack seasons. Watt also had 20 1-2 sacks in 2012, his other top defensive player season.

The award was presented Saturday night at the “NFL Honors” show.

Seau, Bettis, Brown, Haley, Shields Voted into Hall of Fame

Posted on January 31, 2015

PHOENIX (AP) — Junior Seau, Jerome Bettis, Tim Brown, Charles Haley and Will Shields have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The class of 2015 also includes a pair of contributors, Bill Polian and Ron Wolf, along with senior selection Mick Tingelhoff.

The announcement was made Saturday, a day before the Super Bowl.

Five nominees were eliminated in the final vote: Tony Dungy, Kevin Greene, Marvin Harrison, Orlando Pace and Kurt Warner.

Earlier Saturday, the selection committee reduced the list of 15 modern-day finalists by cutting Morten Andersen, Terrell Davis, John Lynch and coaches Don Coryell and Jimmy Johnson.

The induction ceremony is in August at Canton, Ohio.

Rams DT Aaron Donald is Top Defensive Rookie

Posted on January 31, 2015

PHOENIX (AP) — St. Louis Rams tackle Aaron Donald has won The Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie Of The Year award for 2014.

A first-round draft pick (13th overall) out of Pittsburgh, Donald drew 25 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league. That was seven more than Baltimore linebacker C.J. Mosley.

Oakland LB Khalil Mack got six votes, and San Francisco LB Chris Borland received one.

A force against the run and the pass, Donald had 37 tackles, nine assists, and led all rookies with nine sacks. He was one of three rookies initially selected for the Pro Bowl; Mosley also made it.

Donald is the second Ram to win the award and the first since linebacker Isiah Robertson in 1971, when the team was in Los Angeles.

The award was presented during the “NFL Honors” show Saturday night.

Arians Wins Coach Of Year Award for 2nd Time in 3 Years

Posted on January 31, 2015

PHOENIX (AP) — Bruce Arians has won The Associated Press NFL Coach Of The Year award for the second time in three years — with different teams.

Arians led Arizona to an 11-5 record in 2014 despite a rash of injuries, including to his top two quarterbacks. The Cardinals earned a wild-card berth, losing at Carolina in the playoffs.

In 2012, Arians stepped in for an ill Chuck Pagano and helped the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs, becoming the first interim coach to win the award, which began in 1957.

Arians received 39 1-2 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. Houston’s Bill O’Brien and Dallas’ Jason Garrett each got three votes. Seattle’s Pete Carroll drew 2 1-2; Detroit’s Jim Caldwell and New England’s Bill Belichick got one apiece.

The award was presented during the “NFL Honors” show Saturday night.

Cowboys RB Murray Runs Off with Offensive Player

Posted on January 31, 2015

PHOENIX (AP) — DeMarco Murray has run off with The Associated Press NFL Offensive Player Of The Year award for the 2014 season.

The Dallas Cowboys running back led the league in rushing with 1,845 yards — nearly 500 more than any other player — and also topped the NFL with 2,261 yards from scrimmage. He scored 13 touchdowns in helping Dallas win the NFC East.

Those overwhelming performances earned him 26 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. Murray easily outdistanced Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (15 votes). Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Brown was next with five, followed by teammate RB Le’Veon Bell with two.

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and Dallas QB Tony Romo got one vote apiece.

Murray was presented the award at the “NFL Honors” show Saturday night.

Bowles Wins first AP Assistant Coach Award

Posted on January 31, 2015

PHOENIX (AP) — Todd Bowles has won the first Associated Press NFL Assistant Coach Of The Year award.

Bowles won it as defensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals. He since has become the head coach of the New York Jets.

The award, created for the 2014 season and presented during the “NFL Honors” show Saturday night, is open to all assistant coaches in the league. And the balloting was vigorous, with 11 coaches earning votes.

Bowles received 22 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. Two Dallas coordinators, Rod Marinelli (defense) and Scott Linehan (offense), were next: Marinelli with 12, Linehan with three.

Two others who received votes, Jim Schwartz and Vic Fangio, no longer hold the same jobs. Schwartz was released as defensive coordinator in Buffalo, while Fangio left San Francisco and is now with Chicago as defensive coordinator.

Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. is Top Offensive Rookie

Posted on January 31, 2015

New York Giants Receiver Odell Beckham Jr. with a one-hand catch against the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 23.

PHOENIX (AP) — New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., grabbed The Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year award for 2014.

Best known for the play of the year, his one-handed snag of a touchdown pass while falling backward against Dallas, the first-round pick (12th overall) from LSU easily won against a loaded rookie class. Beckham received 42 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league.

Dallas guard Zack Martin, selected to the Pro Bowl, got seven votes, and Tampa Bay WR Mike Evans earned one.

Beckham hardly was a one-trick pony. He tied Michael Irvin’s NFL mark with nine consecutive games of 90 yards receiving and finished with 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 TDs.

He is the first Giants player to win the award, which was presented during the “NFL Honors” show Saturday night.

Walker leads Minnesota’s Romp past Nebraska, 60-42

Posted on January 31, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Mo Walker led Minnesota with 19 points and eight rebounds and Andre Hollins added 12 points, helping the Gophers avenge a recent loss to Nebraska with a 60-42 victory over the sputtering Huskers on Saturday.

Hollins had six assists and five rebounds, too, and the Gophers (14-9, 3-7) bounced back from their latest of six Big Ten losses by five points or fewer. One of those was a 52-49 decision at Nebraska 11 days ago, when Walker had a woeful four points, three turnovers and four fouls.

Shavon Shields had 11 points for the Huskers (12-9, 4-5), who were outscored in the paint 30-18. Terran Petteway scored 10 points, but this was the second straight lackluster performance by the high-caliber duo. After combining to shoot 5 for 23 from the floor in a 58-44 loss at Michigan on Tuesday, they were 8 for 23 this time including a 2-for-11 from 3-point range.

Smith-Rivera leads No. 21 Hoyas past Cold Creighton 67-40

Posted on January 31, 2015

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera scored 24 points and No. 21 Georgetown held Creighton without a field goal for more than 17 minutes in a 67-40 victory Saturday.

The Hoyas (15-6, 7-3 Big East) bounced back from a 13-point home loss against Xavier with a dominating performance against the conference’s last-place team.

Smith-Rivera had 12 points during a 31-3 run spanning the halves, with Jabril Trawick’s 3-pointer giving Georgetown a 43-18 lead with 13 minutes left. Creighton missed 24 shots in a row before Avery Dingman’s 3-pointer from the corner drew a roar from the CenturyLink Center sellout crowd of 17,499.

Trawick added 15 points for the Hoyas. Dingman finished with eight points to lead Creighton (10-13, 1-9).

Georgetown, which beat Creighton 76-61 in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 3, dropped out of first place in the Big East with its loss to Xavier on Tuesday.

Woods Out of Top 50 for 1st Time in More than 3 Years

Posted on January 31, 2015

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Tiger Woods is out of the top 50 in the world ranking for the first time in three years.

And if he doesn’t turn his game around quickly, he will be ineligible for a World Golf Championship for only the second time.

Woods was No. 1 in the world last May. After missing most of last year recovering from back surgery, he came to the Phoenix Open at No. 47 and missed the cut by 12 shots. He was last out of the top 50 on Nov. 27, 2011.

He is to play Torrey Pines next week and the Honda Classic two weeks later. He must be in the top 50 after the Honda Classic to be eligible for the WGC event at Doral.