For the rookie left tackle Terron Armstead of the New Orleans Saints, the worst is over. Cheap Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jerseys . Now that he has a game of NFL experience in his back pocket, his next game against Tampa Bay will be remarkably easier . Two quarterback sacks allowed and two illegal procedure penalties - all in the first half - showed that the risk Sean Payton took to start a complete rookie left tackle (with no positional playing experience) was not worth the possible reward. And come Monday morning Armstead knows he can play NFL football as long as he improves day-by-day - and that is a controllable desire. Overall, Armstead did okay. Not good, not bad - just okay. But its a building block of game experience the coaches have on video to work with . Now they can identify strengths and weaknesses and mold the Armstead so he can compete with Charles Brown for left tackle in 2014. Theres a lot of money on the table for both players to make as both try to achieve an NFL career and not just an NFL experience. The next left tackle of success goes to Patriot Logan Mankins - who played the position effectively replacing Nate Solder efficiently. Mankins is an NFL ‘tough guy - in a league full of them. He did play the position at Fresno State during college, but that was eight years ago. His ability to switch positions and play well was a significant reason the Patriots beat the Ravens so easily 41-7. Who is the best in the business? Well, you have a few to pick from. Tyron Smith from Dallas is probably the youngest and the best, while Justin Pugh of the Giants is also on his way to a great career. Trent Williams is the best on a losing team along with Duane Brown for Houston. King Dunlap for San Diego is the biggest rejuvenation of a career and DJ Fluker was the best first round draft pick. Joe Staley receives the least publicity with Panther Jordon Gross and there are others out there. Best value for example is Jordan Mills - a fifth round draft pick who has started every game. But the best? Jason Peters in Philadelphia. Watching him against Chicago, I marvel at his skill. In Denver, Payton Manning has now thrown 51 touchdown passes . Impressive when you consider only 10 interceptions and how congested the field gets the closer you get to the goal line. Manning makes careers and makes other players millions. Before he came to Denver, Eric Decker was good but not great. Julius Thomas was ‘just another guy and Brock Osweilier is getting an education of a lifetime. In Philadelphia, its hard to explain how the Eagles can score 48 one week and then come back and score 54. Cris Collinsworth did bring up an excellent point saying that time is a determining factor . There is running an offense and mastering an offense and the Eagles are oh so close to mastering the Chip Kelly way of doing things with the ball. The NFC winner will be decided on Sunday. Dallas did beat the Eagles 17-3 back on Oct. 20, but it seems that outside of the Minnesota meltdown, the Eagles have improved much more than Dallas in every way. In Green Bay, the talk this week and all week will be Aaron Rodgers and the risk vs. reward. If hes cleared and ready, its worth taking any risk. The chance that he will re-injure the collarbone is very minimal. When Shea McClellin tackled him, Rodgers was running in space and if he plays he wont do that again. This is a tough decision for Green Bay on a number of levels and one of them is game practice and speed. With the new collective bargaining agreement, it is harder than ever to duplicate game conditions - especially in Week 17 when practice is more work than at any point of the season. Personally I would not even try it - if the Packers got in through a division win they could be one and done. In another week, it will be Black Monday - the day that coaches lose jobs in a 48-hour cycle. Decisions have to be made with the Jets, Houston, Tennessee, Oakland, Washington and Detroit. I think a mitigating factor has to be Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati and Ron Rivera in Carolina. Both have been very close to the unemployment line and both will win divisions this year. Detroit and Washington I think are inevitable and Houston too. But with all else, it may be best to stay the course and that includes Minnesota and Tampa Bay and Dallas. Finally, and this question always comes up this time of year - Do players or teams quit on coaches or on each other? I seriously doubt they do as just making a team has a level of difficulty that is surreal, so why would you jeopardize something that was so difficult to create in the first place? Some things are difficult to explain - Miami losing 19-0 in Buffalo or KC losing to Indianapolis 23-7 at Arrowhead. Those can be traced to mind set and preparation, but to ‘quit - I find hard to believe. Happy Holidays, everyone. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . Until his 136-yard wedge shot on his final hole Thursday. "It was going right at it. (A 59) crossed my mind for a second, and it would be unbelievable if I buried this," Bradley said. Cheap Cote d lvoire Soccer Jerseys .C. -- Eli Manning didnt need a fourth-quarter comeback Thursday night. http://www.wholesalechinatmall.com/nba-jerseys_san-antonio-spurs-jersey/ .B. -- Facing elimination, the Gatineau Olympiques knew they had to work hard Friday night. wholesale jerseys . The Vancouver Canucks made themselves better this year by improving their defence and adding depth on their third line. Cheap Anaheim Ducks Jerseys . Union executive director Billy Hunter sent a memo Wednesday, obtained by The Associated Press, to players detailing these and other changes of a new labour deal and recommended they ratify the agreement. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Boston Red Sox guaranteed their first losing season in 15 years with a very fitting performance -- a rout at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays. Daisuke Matsuzaka, Alfredo Aceves and Daniel Bard all struggled to record outs as the Red Sox were beaten 13-3 on Wednesday night. "We threw too many pitches. We must have thrown 200-plus pitches," Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said. "(It was) tough to look at. Walks are the killer bee." Six Red Sox pitchers threw 173 pitches and walked 10, six in the Rays seven-run sixth inning. Desmond Jennings hit a two-run triple, and the Rays snapped a four-game losing streak. Matsuzaka (1-6) gave up five runs and nine hits in three-plus innings. "After the first inning, I kept throwing it where they wanted the ball," he said through an interpreter, "and they never miss those pitches. It really hurt me." It was the fourth straight start in which Matsuzaka gave up at least four earned runs in fewer than six innings. "After the last time I thought I was headed in the right direction, and I wanted to keep that momentum going, but it didnt end up that way in the sixth," he said. "Its been really hard to keep the positive going, so far. As always Im disappointed in myself for not helping my team out." Bard faced five batters, walking three and giving up a hit after Aceves allowed four runs in two-plus innings. The Red Sox (68-82), assured of their first losing season since 1997 when they were 78-84, got two RBIs from Jacoby Ellsbury. Despite the win, Tampa Bay (79-70) fell 6 1/2 games behind the AL East-leading New York Yankees, who swept a day-night doubleheader against Toronto. The Rays started play six games back inn the AL wild-card race. cheap jerseys. Four Boston pitchers walked six in the sixth inning, including passes to Carlos Pena and Jose Molina with the bases loaded. Luke Scott had a sacrifice fly, and Jeff Keppinger added an RBI single. Keppinger hit a solo homer, and Pena added a two-run shot off Matsuzaka, who is 2-8 in 14 career starts against Tampa Bay. Chris Archer (1-3) allowed three runs and five hits in five innings for the Rays, who won for the second time in nine games. It was the rookies first major league win. Boston took a 3-1 lead in the third on Ellsburys run-scoring single and an RBI grounder by Dustin Pedroia. Ellsbury has 10 RBIs in his last 11 games. Ben Zobrist, who drove in four runs in the Rays 7-5 loss to Boston on Tuesday, cut the deficit to 3-2 with an RBI single later in the third. Tampa Bay loaded the bases with no outs during the second on singles by Evan Longoria, Scott, and Keppinger. The Rays scored just once, tying it at 1 when Matt Joyce followed with a walk. Matsuzaka avoided further damage by striking out Pena and getting a double-play grounder from Molina. Pedro Ciriaco led off the game with a single, stole second and scored to make it 1-0 on Ellsburys single. Ciriaco is 15-for-15 in stolen-base attempts this season. Notes: Valentine wouldnt say if Matsuzaka will get another start this season. "Maybe a little more rest is whats needed at this time of year," he said. ... Tampa Bay LHP David Price (18-5) will go for his 19th win this season against Boston RHP Clay Buchholz (11-6) in the finale of the four-game series on Thursday night. ... Justin Gatlin, the 100-meter bronze medallist at the London Olympics, threw the ceremonial first pitch. ' ' '