director of rugby I will continue to oversee the

They get downgraded in the draft and told their NFL lifespan rarely goes beyond their 30th birthdays.In the pass-happy pro football world, running backs sometimes become afterthoughts. Then, guys like C.J. Anderson, DeAngelo Williams, Matt Forte and Carlos Hyde go wild on the field.Yes, the Patriots and Saints have found ways to prosper chucking the ball all over the yard. But as the first 17 games this season proved -- including Fortes 100-yard, three-touchdown extravaganza for the Jets on Thursday night against Buffalo -- the ground game still matters.Bigtime.Just ask one of the NFLs top passers.With all the fantasy football and all the stuff, from a players perspective, you have to stop the run first, Arizonas Carson Palmer says. Thats what every defense wants to come in and do. You dont talk about it maybe as much, you hear so much about protecting quarterbacks, passing games ... but every team is trying to give up big chunks of yards in the run game, and every team is trying to run the football successfully. From a players standpoint, its a focal point of everything we do.From some coaches standpoint, too.Obviously, they are a huge part of what we like to do. There is not a substitute for a good runner, says Browns coach Hue Jackson, a noted offensive mind. If you have a guy who can wear the defense down a little bit and a guy who knows how to carry the ball, be physical and make those tough yards, there is no substitute for those guys.Would the Broncos have been champions without the performances of Anderson last year? In some ways, hes more valuable than Peyton Manning and his replacement at quarterback, Trevor Simian.No team has a better aerial game than the Steelers. Yet what makes it even more dangerous is what Pittsburgh gets from its backfield.With LeVeon Bell sidelined by a knee injury for much of 2015 and suspended for the first three games this season, Williams has soared. At 33, he appears in his prime -- something Washington learned Monday night when Williams scooted for 143 yards and two touchdowns . He also had six receptions, and he can handle onrushing blitzers.Its one of those things if you can carry the load, you can carry the load, says Williams, who has prospered from splitting carries in Carolina with Jonathan Stewart before landing in Pittsburgh. In this league now, youve got to have two backs if you want to be where you want to be, and thats the Super Bowl.Few teams get that far without a strong passing attack, of course. With all the rules changes favoring throwing, and the onset of fantasy football, it sometimes seems like getting down and dirty with the running game is, well, down and dirty.But one of the real pleasures of watching the NFL is how Adrian Peterson can befuddle defenses while bedazzling viewers. All-around backs such as Williams, Forte, Doug Martin, Jamaal Charles and LeSean McCoy spice up the sport.Youngsters Hyde, Todd Gurley, David Johnson and Devonta Freeman add even more juice.Maybe fans cant wrap their allegiances around running backs (except in fantasy football, of course) because many teams use several RBs each game. The wear and tear of the position warrants a rotation, something inconceivable at quarterback and unlikely at wideout -- no teams take out the top target when they go to multiple-receiver sets.Behind the QB, though, sometimes theres a committee toting the ball, catching it or blocking.No club handles depth at running back better than Kansas City. Even with its star, Charles, hobbled, Andy Reids team can send Spencer Ware , Charcandrick West and Knile Davis at opponents. When Charles gets back to full health, that makes him even more dangerous: Reid can pick and choose when and how to use the versatile Charles because his other backs are dependable.Every running back is a little different and thats the beauty of our guys, theyre all a little different, says Chiefs co-offensive coordinator and running game mastermind Matt Nagy. You have Jamaal with the speed, Spencer with the power, Charcandrick with the mix, and Knile with the power and the mix. So for us, its just a matter of us putting them in and letting them roll to their strengths.Its a matter of identifying what your backs do well, and its dictated more by the player than the team.When teams can dictate the pace of a game on the ground, they can control the clock and, often, the scoreboard.Thats not to say having a star or solid quarterback doesnt lead to winning. But ask Ben Roethlisberger or Alex Smith or whoever lines up behind center in Minnesota about the importance of running the ball.They know.---AP Sports Writers Dave Skretta, Tom Withers, Bob Baum and Will Graves contributed.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFLNike Air Max 97 Kopen . The winner Saturday will remain in the elite 10-team field next year. "We talked about wanting to be disciplined and stick with our game plan and good things will come," Draisaitl said, who had two goals for the victors. Nike Air Max 97 Aanbieding . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. http://www.airmax97goedkoop.be/ . -- Ryan Blaney provided more evidence that Penske Racings No. Nike Air Max 97 Goedkoop . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Goedkoopste Nike Air Max 97 . He says so-called TRT is only one problem and he wants to go even further than the ban. "Its about time," St-Pierre told reporters at a promotional event in Montreal on Friday. "I think its a good thing.London Irish have brought in Brendan Venter as their new technical director and have promoted Nick Kennedy to director of rugby.Venter, who was part of South Africas World Cup-winning side in 1995, returns to the club he made 84 appearances for and will focus on taking the club back into the Aviva Premiership. He will bring a wealth of experience to the role having coached at Saracens and the Sharks and has acted swiftly at the Exiles promoting Kennedy to his new role while Clark Laidlaw will act as assistant coach.The main reason why I decided on London Irish is because I have so many good memories and friends still at the club which made for me a sound and easy decision to be part of the club going forward, Venter said. The club has genuine ambition to compete in the Premiership and in Europe and has the foundations in place to enable it to do so.Im looking forward to working with the players, coaches, board and management to realise the clubs ambitions.Kennedy, who was formerly part of their academy staff and replaces Tom Coventry, will be aided by George Skivington, Declan Danaher and Paul Hodgson who will look after the forwards, defence and skills respectively.London Irish prides itself on its academy which saw great success last season, and as a club we will be making sure that we continue to maintain the highest standards as we strive to create a patthway for youngsters coming through the system, Kennedy said.ddddddddddddRelevant steps have been made including the appointment of new staff to the academy department to ensure the consistency of the academy programme.As part of my role as director of rugby I will continue to oversee the academy programme, enabling me to develop and utilise the young talent that will ultimately become the future of London Irish.London Irish CEO Bob Casey added: Not only is Brendan respected throughout the game for his expertise and experience, he has also been a steadfast friend of this club. Were delighted that he has accepted our invitation to return to lead us through what we know will be a testing season in the Championship.It is very encouraging that weve retained the talented Clark Laidlaw as an assistant coach and are delighted that Declan Danaher, Paul Hodgson and George Skivington will help with the coaching of the senior team.Declan, Paul and Nick have transformed the academy since they took over in 2014 bringing a wealth of playing experience and coaching expertise, as well as an intimate appreciation of the club and its heritage, to the young players in their charge. Im sure they will be a valuable addition to Brendans coaching team. ' ' '