Mondays tilt with the Rockets

JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Richard Sherman, Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch deservedly draw the attention for what theyve done in getting the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl. Players like Jermaine Kearse, Walter Thurmond and Malcolm Smith are just as big a reason why Seattle is facing Denver in Sundays championship game. Seattle may have one of the better starting lineups in the NFL, but the depth that general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll have amassed is equally impressive. Its the reason they can rotate eight different defensive linemen. Its why when Brandon Browner was injured and Thurmond suspended, Byron Maxwell could step in and the play in Seattles secondary not suffer. Its a regular refrain in the Seattle locker room to hear teammates say the Seahawks reserves could be starters on other teams. And there is some proof: in the past year 23 players once with Seattle have spent time on the 53-man roster of other teams. "Its crazy because were always saying our backups could be starters. We always say that," strong safety Kam Chancellor said. "Those guys, people dont see this, but in practice those guys play just as good as us. Theyre making plays, getting the ball. Those guys contribute on special teams. Our special teams are probably one of the best. "Those guys put in work on special teams and it just goes unseen." When Carroll and Schneider took over, there was a revolving door of roster moves --839 in total since before the start of the 2010 season -- that followed in an effort to make a roster that was competitive beyond just the starters on each side of the ball. They wanted a depth chart that was the envy of the NFL. They wanted their reserves coveted by other teams. They wanted guys they were going to be released grabbed off the waiver wire the second they were made available. Seattle got its wish. Of the players released in the past year, five ended up in Jacksonville and four landed in Kansas City. "John and I have joined together aggressively to compete at every single turn, at every opportunity whatever it may be, to see if theres something in there for us," Carroll said. "Hes done a great job of having the competitive will to keep pushing and fighting and clawing and scratching to have the opportunity that has sent us down the road early on with the hundreds of guys that came through the program." Kearse, Thurmond and Smith are just three examples of players not counted on as full-time starters that have proven invaluable. Seattles seen contributions from Michael Bowie, Clinton McDonald, Jeremy Lane and Heath Farwell just to name a few more. Kearse was an undrafted free agent that signed with Seattle in 2012 and became a needed option as a third and fourth receiver this season with Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice suffering through injuries. Kearse finished with 22 receptions and four touchdowns in the regular season, but his biggest catch came in the NFC championship game when his 35-yard TD grab in the fourth quarter gave Seattle a 20-17 lead. Thurmond missed four games late in the season when he was suspended for violating the leagues substance-abuse policy. But hes started three games at cornerback this season and is Seattles best option as the fifth defensive back covering slot receivers -- a big emphasis this week with the amount of times the Broncos throw. Smith has shown the same kind of versatility at linebacker. Hes played both outside spot this season, first when Bruce Irvin was suspended and later when injuries to K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner forced shuffling. "Through all the stuff we have gone through there has always been a guy who stepped up and made plays," Wagner said. "Last year it was Walter, this year it was Walter and Maxwell and guys like Malcolm, everybody. We have a bunch of players that if someone went down can step in and do a great job." One of the ways Seattle was able to create such a dynamic roster came from the three-way quarterback competition that Carroll had last season and which Wilson eventually won. It sent the message to the entire roster and to any free agents -- big-name or small-time -- that Seattle was a place they could come and have a chance. "You could tell looking at our board of players that we had fast, confident, intelligent individuals," Schneider said last week. "Guys who knew they were going to come in and compete for positions because the previous year we had a three person quarterback competition. "You know you have a shot when you have a three person quarterback competition as a player." Nico Hischier Jersey . Fans in the Jets viewing region can watch the game on TSN Jets at 5:30pm ct and listeners can tune in to TSN Radio 1290 Winnipeg. Taylor Hall Jersey .com) - Oregon wasnt going to let Arizona ruin its national title dreams for a second straight season. http://www.nhldevilshockeystore.com/ben-lovejoy-jersey/ .Connor Graham, Alex Lintuniemi and Sam Studnicka also scored for Ottawa (11-8-2). Liam Herbst made 21 saves for the win.Brendan Lemieux had both of Barries (10-10-2) goals. Mirco Mueller Jersey .com) - Ben Lovejoy tallied a goal and an assist as the Anaheim Ducks cruised into the All-Star break with a 6-3 victory against the Calgary Flames. Dalton Prout Jersey . "We cannot stay the same way the whole season long," said Reyes. "This is not acceptable. Something needs to change because were a better team than what were showing right now. Its a long season and we just need to continue to push." Its been a frustrating week for the ballclub.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Chicago Bulls have been playing great basketball of late and will try to continue that Monday night when the Houston Rockets come to the United Center. The Bulls have won two straight and nine of their last 10. Since Dec. 10, Chicago is 12-2 and vaulted into a tie for third place in the Eastern Conference, just 1 1/2 games behind the Toronto Raptors. The Bulls winning streak reached two games thanks to a 109-104 home overtime victory over the Boston Celtics on Saturday. It was Chicagos eighth win in its last nine as the host. Pau Gasol had another solid all-around game with 29 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks to lead the Bulls. In Thursdays 106-10 win versus Denver, Gasol recorded 17 points, nine boards and a career-high nine blocks. As a team, Chicago tallied a franchise record 18 blocks. On Saturday, the Bulls had nine blocks, but shot just 37 percent from the field. I think we have room for improvement for sure, Gasol said. We can step it up a little more. I think when were locked in we can up the level of intensity and do some damage and win more comfortably. Aaron Brooks provided 19 points and Derrick Rose scored 12, but was just 5- of-18 from the floor. Taj Gibson had 12 points and Nikola Mirotic scored 10 in the win. After Bostons Jared Sullinger forced overtime with a layup with under three seconds on the clock, the Bulls never trailed in the extra period. Avery Bradleys layup had the visitors within two with 41.7 seconds left. Rose then counttered with a layup on the ensuing possession.dddddddddddd. Evan Turner and Rose traded free throws to keep it a four-point contest with eight seconds to go. Turner then threw a cross-court inbounds pass that was too high for Jeff Green, who stepped out of bounds to seal the outcome. Including Mondays tilt with the Rockets, the Bulls play five of their next six at home. The Rockets have taken two of their last three, although theyve lost two in a row on the road. On Saturday, the Rockets buried the Miami Heat, 115-79, in Houston. Dwight Howard had 19 of his 23 points in the second quarter and pulled down 13 rebounds to lead the Rockets. Houston outscored Miami 71-39 in the second and third quarters to turn the game into a rout. James Harden posted 28 points and five rebounds for the Rockets, who had dropped five of their last eight games coming in. As bad as we were last night, we moved the ball pretty well tonight, said Rockets coach Kevin McHale about a Rockets team that had lost by 28 points in New Orleans on Friday. Against the Heat, McHale reinserted Donatas Motiejunas in the starting lineup. Josh Smith had started since being signed by the team, but Motiejunas scored 12 points. Smith had 12 off the bench while Patrick Beverley and Corey Brewer both scored 11. The Rockets visit the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks on this trip. The Bulls beat the Rockets in March of last season to end a four-game series losing streak. Chicago is 4-2 in its last six as the host versus Houston. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '