导出博客文章FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Typically, only friends are allowed to refer to each other
by their nicknames.If thats true, Gronk and Marty are quickly on their way to
becoming bros.Outside of Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski has easily been the most
indispensable player on the New England Patriots offense, celebrated equally for
his brute athleticism and one-of-a-kind personality.But that success has come at
the expense of his body at times the past few seasons as team have keyed on
Bradys favorite target.Enter Martellus Bennett, who is still learning about life
in New England since being acquired in a March trade with Chicago. At 6-foot-6
and 275 pounds, he may be the only other guy in the NFL that can match Gronks
size (6-6, 265), skillset and freewheeling style.Bennett arrived at training
camp in the final year of the four-year, $20 million contract he signed with the
Bears in 2013. He is looking for fresh start after becoming frustrated by
managements unwillingness to extend him in Chicago, where made the Pro Bowl in
2014.With a year to prove himself on a perennial competitor, the 29-year-old
said Friday that his short time with the Patriots has helped to re-energize him
after he missed five games last season with a rib injury.I really havent had
that much football in a long time, Bennett said. Its like when you break up and
finally get back together with the girl you love in the first place. So its been
great to be back out there.Hes having just as much fun with his new teammates --
Gronkowski, in particular.The pair has been exchanging both moves and jokes on
the field since minicamp, and has been seen over the first two training camp
practices working individually with Brady in drills to try to develop some
chemistry.The primary focus is just getting everyone on the same page,
Gronkowski said. Ive been doing it with him for seven years now, so we kind of
have the same chemistry right when we hit the field. I know where hes going to
usually put it. I know that he knows where Im going to be, but obviously my
rookie year I didnt know that and as Marty is being kind of a rookie here, its
cool to see everyone work together, help each other out, and just go over and
get some extra work.Bennett is leaning on some of his past associations with big
time past catchers to guide his latest transition.Thats really exciting because
I was fortunate to play with Brandon Marshall for a long time, and I learned my
game from him, he said. Now to be with another great player like Rob -- he does
so many different things well. When you watch tape you know hes really good, but
when youre right there next to him youre like, `Man this guy is really good.A
peek of what the pairs combined bravado looks like is also already showing up at
times.During a drill Friday, Bennett leaped to catch a pass over Patrick Chung,
and then placed the ball at Chungs feet.A few plays later, after Gronkowski had
jawed a bit with the defense following a catch in the end zone, Donta Hightower
slung the football at him as he jogged away.Thats just football. Thats just what
it is, Bennett said. I like guys that have an edge. And I think a lot of guys on
this team have an edge. When they have that edge it makes you bring it up a
notch, too.---AP NFL website:
www.pro32.ap.org and
www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter a
http://www.twitter.com/khightower
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The lower tier of the School End of Queens Park Rangers Loftus Road was packed
solid with a very festive-sounding Chelsea choral section in this particular
part of South Africa Road London, W12. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The last time
Florida State lost a game by 30-plus points, it had an entire offseason to get
over it. The Seminoles dont have that luxury this time.Just about 48 hours after
the 63-20 beating at Louisville , coach Jimbo Fisher was trying to move past
being shell shock and address the glaring problems as his 13th-ranked Seminoles
prepare for Saturdays game at South Florida.Ranting and raving and yelling isnt
going to do anything right now, Fisher said, adding that of course hes mad and
upset. At the same time, it happened. ... Now you have to fix it, figure out how
to do it, you have to go back to work.After winning 35 of 36 games from 2012
until midway through last season, including a national championship in 2013, the
Seminoles are 6-4 in their last 10. The lone loss during that 2012-15 run was a
59-20 thumping against Oregon in the 2015 Rose Bowl, which until Saturday was
the largest defeat of the Fisher era.Fisher is trying to make sure this loss
doesnt completely derail a season where most expected the Seminoles to contend
for a spot in the College Football Playoff.Youre going to find out what defines
us, he said. When you have success, you grind, you do the little things, which I
thought we had done, but not well enough.Florida State (2-1, 0-1 Atlantic Coast
Conference) hasnt dropped two straight games since Fishers second season in
2011. That year the Seminoles won their first two games and were ranked fifth
before dropping their next three and falling out of the Top 25.If the Seminoles
are going to get back on track, they need to immediately address issues on the
offensive line and pass defense.The offensive line, which returned most of its
starters from last season, has struggled in both run blocking and pass
protection. Dalvin Cook hasnt had many open creases to run through and has yet
to post a 100-yard game.Fisher said he didnt envision the line struggling quite
as much, especially missing some cut blocks in the run game.Deondre Francois was
sacked five times against Louisville and has taken his share oof hard hits the
first three games.ddddddddddddSometimes it has been protection issues while
others can be attributed to the redshirt freshman holding on the ball too
long.The 11 sacks allowed are the most in the ACC and tied for eighth most among
Football Bowl Subdivision teams.Weve tried two or three things. We slid some
protection (on Saturday) and got beaten out a couple times, Fisher said. Thats
why you try to see us try to throw early downs and things like that, when its
not big blitz downs.Communication problems in the secondary have led to the
Seminoles allowing 14 completions of 20-plus yards, including three in the first
half against Louisville. Part of it can be attributed to youth where three
starters -- cornerback Tarvarus McFadden along with safeties A.J. Westbrook and
Marcus Lewis -- are sophomores.The next three games pose their own set of
challenges.The Bulls are 3-0 for the first time in five years after last
Saturdays 45-20 win at Syracuse and are the lone unbeaten team in the American
Athletic Conferences East Division. The Seminoles then host North Carolina on
Oct. 1 followed by a trip to No. 15 Miami on Oct. 8.Since last seasons 34-14
loss in Tallahassee, South Florida has won 10 of its past 12. The Bulls also run
an option game that has given the Seminoles problems this season.South Florida
is seventh in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 49.7 points per game.I
think it will be big, just from respect and getting national attention. Thats
something we as a program said we wanted to do, we want to earn respect, South
Florida coach Willie Taggart said during Mondays AAC teleconference. We dont
want anyone to give it to us. We want to earn it and its an opportunity for us
to go out and do that.---Online: The APs college football page:
http://collegfootball.ap.org---Follow Joe on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/joereedy
and his work can be found at
http://bigstory.ap.org/journalist/joe-reedy ' ' '
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