tion about his future swirled the past few weeks. The Longhorns blew an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter against Kansas, which had lost nine strai

DETROIT -- The Philadelphia Eagles have gotten off to a memorable start under new coach Doug Pederson. He would prefer for them to forget it ever happened.The Eagles were the most surprising success story during the opening month of the season, dismissing three opponents by a combined score of 92-27 despite starting rookie Carson Wentz at quarterback. That included a stunning 34-3 pummeling of Pittsburgh prior to their bye Week 4.They return with a road game against the stumbling Detroit Lions, who have lost three straight. Philadelphia is one of three remaining unbeaten teams, along with Denver and Minnesota.Really, in my opinion, our season starts now, Pederson said. What weve done already is great. Were in a good position but we need to buckle down and prepare as if this is Week One.Wentz became the starter when Sam Bradford was traded to the Vikings just before the regular season. He has justified the teams faith in him, completing 64.7 percent of his pass attempts and throwing for five touchdowns without an interception.Im going to continue to coach him up, coach him hard and try to put him in the best possible situations on Sunday, where hes not having to hold the ball a long time, Pederson said. Well utilize the run game, play-action passes, all that stuff youve seen in the first three games and keep that formula.The offense should get a boost from the return of starting running back Ryan Mathews and tight end Zach Ertz. Mathews only had two carries against the Steelers before exiting with an ankle injury. Wendell Smallwood rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown in his absence.Ryan is still our primary guy, hes our go-to guy, Pederson said. If hes 100 percent well go with Ryan and mix the other guys in according to the gameplan.Ertz sat out the last two games after suffering a displaced rib during the opener but has been cleared to play and returned to practice on Monday. He has six catches for 58 yards in 2016. Philadelphias leading receiver has been wideout Jordan Matthews with 15 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns.But there are some looming issues for Philadelphia.Linebacker Nigel Bradham could be facing a suspension after he was arrested for bringing a loaded gun to Miami International Airport over the weekend. Offensive tackle Lane Johnson is facing a 10-game suspension for taking a banned substance, pending the results of his appeal, which took place earlier this week.Very little has gone right for the Lions since their opening-day victory at Indianapolis. They lost a late lead to Tennessee in their only home game thus far, then fell to division rivals Green Bay and Chicago.The 17-14 defeat to the injury-ravaged Bears, who were without their starting quarterback, top two running backs and several key defenders, was particularly troubling.All this has put coach Jim Caldwell on the hot seat.You know thats one of those things that we dont worry about, he said. My job is to coach this team and to get this team headed in the right direction.The Lions have been held to 66 and 50 yards rushing, respectively, over the last two games after starting running back Ameer Abdullah was sidelined with a foot injury.Quarterback Matthew Stafford couldnt overcome the lack of running game in Chicago, throwing for just 213 yards and getting picked off twice. Hes eager to turn things around.Honestly, after you play like we did in Chicago thats the first thing I want to do, get back on the field, he said. I wish we could practice after the flight home. But, practice is all just leading up to Sunday. Were preparing to try and play better this Sunday than we did last Sunday, and we need to, we have to.Getting underperforming wide receiver Golden Tate more involved could help the cause. Tate had just one catch against the Bears, caught an earful from Stafford after a miscommunication led to an interception and was benched for part of the game.Detroits pass rush has been mostly ineffective since premier defensive end Ziggy Ansah left the Titans game in the first quarter with a high ankle sprain. Hes questionable to return this week.The teams met last Thanksgiving, with Detroit romping to a 45-14 victory. Hunter Pence Rangers Jersey .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Ronald Guzman Rangers Jersey . Its sharpness matched my mind. This was no night to go to sleep. http://www.texasrangersshop.com/rangers-lance-lynn-jersey/ .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Nolan Ryan Jersey . Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder. Paul Georges buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup. Logan Forsythe Rangers Jersey . McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. When embattled Texas?coach Charlie Strong walked into a team meeting room on Sunday, a day after another devastating loss, this time to woebegone Kansas, he said his players looked at him like they were seeing a ghost.Guys, its really me, Strong told them.Strong was the only Texas official with enough courage and guts to show himself in public on Monday, a day after there were various media reports, including from ESPN, that athletic director Mike Perrin and university president Gregory Fenves had already decided to fire him.For the record, Strong said he met with Perrin and talked with Fenves on Sunday. Strong said he was told that he and his coaching staff would be evaluated at the end of the regular season, and that a decision wouldnt be made until after Fridays regular-season finale against TCU in Austin. Perrin said the same thing in a statement the university released on Sunday night.For what its worth, Strong believes the result of Fridays game will carry some weight as to whether or not hell be coaching the Longhorns beyond this season. It might only be wishful thinking -- or maybe not.I dont really think so, Strong said, when asked if he believed a decision about his future had been made. Id like not to think it has, because Ive been told they would make the decision after the TCU game. I dont believe it has been done.Clearly, the odds dont seem to be in his favor. The Longhorns dropped to 5-6 overall after losing 24-21 in overtime at Kansas, which hadnt defeated Texas since 1938. The Longhorns have to beat the Horned Frogs on Friday to become bowl-eligible.Strong is 16-20 overall and 12-14 in Big 12 play in three seasons at Texas.I know the wins and losses dont stack up, Strong said.But after cleaning up Texas off-field issues, Strong believes his young team is improving every week and will be even better in 2017.Next year, I want to come back, Strong said. I look at the job this staff has done and the players theyve put in place and how far weve come. ... Youre looking at a young football team that, when you get everything back in place for the upcoming year, has a lot of talent.Its hard to imagine that Perrin and Fenves would string Strong along for five more days, especially during the Thanksgiving holiday, if theyve already decided he wont be returning for a fourth season. But then again, we are talking about Texas, where the uncomfortable ending of longtime coach Mack Browns tenure dragged on for days before reaching finality in 2013.If Fenves and Perrin had already decided to fire Strong, would they really have paraded him out in front of a roomful of reporters for his regular news conference on Monday? If they were certain they were going to fire him, wouldnt they have already delivered the news to him? At least then he and his players could relax and enjoy what might be their final game together on Friday.Strong said he could already sense that his team was playing tight as speculation about his future swirled the past few weeks. The Longhorns blew an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter against Kansas, which had lost nine straight games and 19 consecutive Big 12 contests.dddddddddddd. Freshman quarterback Shane Buechele threw three interceptions, including one in overtime, and star tailback?DOnta Foreman?fumbled twice.I can tell on the field how were playing not to lose, Strong said. We have one game left. Its important we play this game for our seniors, because they deserve to get to a bowl game. Were all frustrated. Standing in the room [with his players on Sunday], I could see the look in their eyes how frustrated they were about that loss.Its hard to say Strong has lost his locker room given the show of support Texas players gave on Monday.He doesnt have the support, I guess, of some of the people who are trying to get him out, receiver?Jacorey Warrick?said. But the people who really matter, the players, you can see where our support lies.Texas defensive tackle?Paul Boyette Jr.?made a tearful defense of Strong on Monday. In my heart and my spirit, I want him to be here, he said. I dont make the decisions. Im not the head man in charge. All I can do is pray and hope for the best. I cant say enough about him.If Texas administration has no intentions of bringing Strong back next season, waiting another five days to fire him is only going to make matters worse. The current situation in Austin is eerily similar to what happened at LSU last season, when the Tigers were trying to decide whether or not to fire coach Les Miles.In the days before LSUs regular-season finale against Texas A&M in 2015, there were widespread media reports that the administration was leaning toward firing Miles, who guided the Tigers to two SEC titles and the 2007 BCS national championship.But then a funny thing happened: LSU fans decided they wanted to keep their popular coach. They chanted his name and roared when he was introduced during Senior Day ceremonies. Other fans waved signs of support from the stands. After LSU knocked off the Aggies 19-7, LSUs players carried Miles off the field on their shoulders.Then athletic director Joe Alleva unexpectedly announced that Miles would return to coach for another season. According to various media reports, LSU president F. King Alexander decided Miles wouldnt be fired during a meeting with Alleva and influential boosters in a luxury suite at halftime of the game.Of course, LSUs decision is also a cautionary tale for Texas. After getting new life, Miles coached the Tigers for only four games this season. Alleva fired him the day after an 18-13 loss at Auburn dropped LSUs record to 2-2.Regardless, the Longhorns need to decide what theyre going to do and go ahead and do it. The outcome of one game really cant mean that much in the big picture.As Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley famously said in 2002: If something needs to be done eventually, it needs to be done immediately.It sure beats Strongs current predicament.No person deserves to be in this type of limbo, Boyette Jr. said. ' ' '