LDN - Sports

National Football League roundup

[February 03, 2017] Feb 2 (The Sports Xchange) - Back on the practice field Thursday, the Atlanta Falcons are focused on the ball. For the offense, taking care of it, and the defense, getting it away from Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI on Sunday at NRG Stadium.

"This is a day we dedicate to the football. It's going to be a huge factor in this game for sure," coach Dan Quinn said Thursday at his 9 a.m. ET press conference. "Both teams had 11 turnovers during the season, which happened to be the fewest in the NFL, so they're going to be tough to come by.

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Tom Brady took the podium while families of players on the roster of the New England Patriots unloaded from buses in front of the JW Marriott in Houston.

"For the families it's great -- they're coming in as fans, they get to enjoy it," Brady said. "For me personally, I don't plan on doing anything other than getting ready to play football. There's plenty of time after Sunday to do that."

The Patriots are whittling their play sheet to a final 70 plays for the season. Brady said Thursday's practice focused on the red zone, a lively session fueled by the realization that there are only two starting quarterbacks privileged to be practicing in February.

Brady's personal situation is unfamiliar even as he's approaching his seventh Super Bowl. At 39, he's not just a year older. He said being a father of three has significant constraints and the health of his mother, Gayle, adds emotional strain to typical preparation. Brady said he remains "hopeful" his mother, reportedly ill the past 18 months, can make it to Houston but as of Thursday evening he wasn't certain of her presence.

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Former NFL kicker Josh Brown admitted publicly to domestic violence for the first time during an interview with "Good Morning America" but disputed his ex-wife's claims that he hit her.

Brown also expressed his desire to return to the NFL. The 37-year-old was cut by the New York Giants on Oct. 25 after admitting the abuse to the team.

"What I did was wrong. Period," Brown told ABC News' Paula Faris. "Domestic violence is not just physical abuse. We're talking intimidation and threats, the attempt to control, body language. An abuser is going to abuse to a certain degree to acquire some kind of a reaction."

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The man who admitted to shooting former New York Jets and USC running back Joe McKnight was charged with second-degree murder, the Jefferson Parish (La.) District Attorney's office announced.

Ronald Gasser, 54, faces life in prison if convicted of fatally shooting McKnight in a "road rage" incident on Dec. 1 in Terrytown, just outside New Orleans. Bail was set at $750,000.

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Kansas City Chiefs star safety Eric Berry declared that he will refuse to play under the franchise tag in 2017.

Berry played under the tag in 2016 and earned $10.8 million but he is only interested in playing under a long-term deal moving forward.

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Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee took to Comedy Central to announce his retirement from the NFL.

The 29-year-old McAfee, who spent eight seasons with Indianapolis, was scheduled to undergo his third knee surgery in four years.

A two-time Pro Bowl selection, McAfee was due nearly $6 million over the next two seasons to complete a five-year, $14.5 million deal he signed in 2014.

McAfee said over Twitter that he met with Colts owner Jim Irsay to inform him of the decision. McAfee, who has done stand-up comedy in Indianapolis the last few offseasons, plans to join Barstool Sports, a popular satirical sports website.

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The Carolina Panthers made three changes to their coaching staff. Carolina promoted Curtis Fuller to secondary coach, hired Lance Taylor as its wide receivers coach and named Jeff Imamura as assistant defensive backs/nickels coach, the team announced. (Editing by Frank Pingue)

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