Die Macht » players, values of a club ??with great

PITTSBURGH -- The adjustment period was bumpy, filled with shaky hands, shoddy route running and Sammie Coates own admission that he wasnt in the shape he needed to be to play in the NFL.And if the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver is being honest, its not quite over even after the best day of his suddenly blossoming career.Coates understands that his 139-yard performance in Sundays 31-13 win over the New York Jets showcased both his immense potential and just how far he still has to go. Its why hes choosing to focus on the handful of drops rather than his video game-like burst from two Jets defenders that propelled him to the end zone for the first time on a 72-yard catch-and-run that made it seem like he was controlled by a 12-year-old furiously mashing the sprint button on his controller.The touchdown is just part of the game, Coates said. When you make mistakes, you dont care about the plays you make. You care about the ones you left on the field.There were a handful to choose from, including a slightly underthrown pass from Ben Roethlisberger near the New York goal line in the second quarter in which Coates adjusted perfectly, only to see the ball go right between his arms. Or maybe the flip in the second quarter that should have been the easiest 1-yard touchdown of Coates life and instead ended with him hanging his head in frustration when he failed to get the lob in.Its the kind of miscue that would have haunted Coates during his rookie year. Not anymore. When Roethlisberger approached Coates to give him a pep talk, he found Coates ready to beat him to the punch.He almost sought me out to come back to him and believe in him, Roethlisberger said. I said you dont have to tell me that. Im going to come back to you and believe in you and come back to you. It was good to see that growth.The kind the Steelers (4-1) desperately needed Coates to make over the summer with Martavis Bryant out for the season while serving a one-year suspension for violating the NFLs substance-abuse policy. All Coates has done over the first five weeks is average an NFL-best 22.1 yards per catch with at least one reception of 40-yards or more in each game, one short of the club-record streak Mike Wallace set in 2011.Coates is becoming the downfield threat Pittsburgh envisioned when it took him in the fourth round of the 2015 draft. The Steelers were well aware of Coates issues with concentration, and he spent most of his rookie year inactive on Sundays as he struggled with consistency. Being healthy but unable to see the field wasnt exactly the way Coates envisioned life in the NFL.He arrived for camp well aware that Bryants absence left a noticeable void, one Coates spent training camp trying to prove to Roethlisberger he was ready to fill. Roethlisberger noticed the difference immediately and repaid Coates dedication with a vow to stick with him while Coates worked through the bumps Roethlisberger knew were going to come.Its why Roethlisberger kept going back to Coates on Sunday as part of Roethlisbergers plan to help Coates develop what the quarterback called the short-term memory necessary to survive.Thats the great thing about Ben, wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey said. (Offensive coordinator) Todd (Haley) can call all the plays he wants, but Ben is in control of where the ball goes, and Ben kept feeding Sammie to let him know, `Hey, Im going to need you.Down near the goal line again in the fourth quarter and looking for a knockout blow, Roethlisberger found Coates on a crossing pattern that ended with Coates holding on for his second touchdown of the day. Remarkable considering Coates played the second half with stitches in between the index and middle fingers of his left hand, and Roethlisberger isnt exactly known for lobbing it near the end zone.I had to finish what I started, Coates said. I had to make up my errors. I felt like I had to play.The pain came later. Coates sported a splint on his left hand in the locker room and didnt practice Wednesday, leaving his status for Sundays visit to Miami (1-4) uncertain. Whenever hes available, he gives Pittsburgh a dimension that forces opponents to make an increasingly difficult decision on whether to double-team All-Pro Antonio Brown.With AB on the field, you know they got to watch him, Coates said. The defense, they got a lot to worry about with our offense. With the players we got around the ball, its hard to stop it.Including the wide receiver quickly growing up on the job.Game notes The Steelers signed RB Karlos Williams (younger brother of LB Vince Williams) to the practice squad. ... RT Marcus Gilbert (ankle), LB Ryan Shazier (knee) and WR Markus Wheaton (shoulder) did not practice Wednesday. ... CB Justin Gilbert (knee), S Robert Golden (hamstring), RB Roosevelt Nix (back) and WR Eli Rogers (toe) were full participants.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL Rafael Marquez Jersey . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. Oribe Peralta Jersey . Jason Zucker and Matt Cooke also scored for Minnesota, which has won five of six. Kuemper made five saves in the first, nine in the second, and nine in the third. The rookies best save came with 2:17 left in the third period when he denied former Wild forward Matt Cullen from just outside of the crease on the right side. http://www.soccermexicojerseysteamstore.com/customized/ . PETERSBURG, Fla. Jose de Jesus Corona Jersey . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. Jonathan dos Santos Jersey . However, he did make them miss him a little less. Cundiff, who had the unenviable job of replacing Dawson last season, agreed Thursday to a one-year, $1. MADRID -- New Valencia coach Cesare Prandelli believes he can put the Spanish club back on track by getting the players to buy into a team mentality.The former Italy coach was officially introduced to fans and the media on Monday, a day after Valencias 2-0 home loss to Spanish league leader Atletico Madrid.If we can instill a team mentality in the players, this side can improve a lot, he said. The players should feel responsible for the club they represent, and the fans as well. This is very important for the team. Our goal is to convey the values of the club to the players, values of a club ??with great success.The 59-year-old Prandelli, who signed a contract through June 2018, is Valencias eighth full-time manager since Unai Emerys four-year stint ended in 2012. Prandelli is replacing Pako Ayestaran, who was fired recently after the team lost the first four matches of the season. The team was being led by interim coach Salvador Voro Gonzalez.I am optimistic because there is a good base here, a team with a lot of capability for improvement and a very good mentality, Prandelli said. What I also like is that the Valencia CF project is an attractive one with a Valencian mentallity.dddddddddddd.The loss to Atletico dropped Valencia into the relegation zone with six points after seven matches.Owned by Singapore investor Peter Lim since 2014, Valencia is the last team other than Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico to win the league title, in 2004.Prandelli, who coached Italy from 2010-14, met with Lim in Singapore before being hired.It was a very interesting meeting, Prandelli said. He is a businessman who seems as if he is far away, but he is not. He is committed to a long-term project. When a businessman of his standing puts together a long-term project in football, the thing that should matter is the Champions League. I do not know if it will come in six months, one year, two years or more, but the idea is always to get back into the Champions League.Valencia resumes playing after the international break in two weeks. It will play at Sporting Gijon, which is just two spots ahead in the standings.---Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/tales-azzoni ' ' '