Bewerbungen » nager Ross Atkins said talks with E

PITTSBURGH -- Replacing Cam Heyward the football player may be the easy part for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Finding someone to do all the things their injured defensive end -- out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle -- does on the field that dont show up on tape will be considerably more difficult.It definitely hurts us, linebacker Ryan Shazier said. It punches you in the heart because hes the heart of our defense.One who does more than simply shrug off blocks and wrap up running backs. Heyward is one of Pittsburghs four captains for reasons that go far beyond simple talent. He makes the line calls, offers in-game pointers and serves as the emotional fulcrum for the guys around him.Now hes gone after an MRI discovered the twinge he felt in last weeks loss to Dallas was actually his pectoral muscle shredding itself, leaving behind a defense thats failed to limit big plays during a four-game losing streak thats sent the Steelers (4-5) tumbling into a midseason crisis. While the winless Cleveland Browns (0-10) offer the promise of a temporary salve on Sunday, Pittsburgh understands it needs to find a way to get better quickly if it truly wants to turn things around.Its hard to lose a guy like your captain and stuff like that, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. But other guys have to step up. I mean, its that time of year.If the Steelers want to get it together, they dont really have much of a choice.Weve just all got to get better as a group, rookie nose tackle Javon Hargrave said. Thats our leader. Hes the oldest on the D-line. He knows more than us. Weve just got to grow up.Quickly. The defensive front faltered when a bum left hamstring forced Heyward out of the lineup for the first time in his six-year career last month. He could only watch in frustration as Miamis Jay Ajayi became the first player in 16 years to go over 200 yards rushing against Pittsburgh in a Week 6 loss and New Englands Garrett Blount bulled his way for 127 yards and a pair of touchdowns seven days later.Teams been running on us a lot lately, nose tackle Daniel McCullers said. Thats not Steeler defense.At least not the way Pittsburgh used to play it. Not so much anymore. The proof came in the final 2 minutes last week against Dallas, when Ezekiel Elliott sprinted to the end zone twice to rally the Cowboys to a victory that sent the Steelers to their fourth straight loss. And that was with Heyward in the huddle. Now theyve got to clean up the mistakes without him.Sometimes we get in the right spots and were not executing, Shazier said. Sometimes were in the right spots, getting moved out of the way and sometimes were not doing the right thing.Heywards absence puts more pressure on Stephon Tuitt, who defensive coordinator Keith Butler will move up and down the line in search of mismatches. Thats fine by Tuitt, who has shown flashes of dominance at times but will now be asked to do it on a more consistent basis. Hes developed a close friendship with Heyward during his three years in the league, in part because he knew at some point this moment would arrive.Its gonna be tough because we have a partnership, we have a chemistry, Tuitt said.One Tuitt will try to develop with Hargrave, McCullers and Ricardo Matthews. Tuitt is more reserved by nature and joked earlier in the year he doesnt pay attention to the game plan and instead simply does what Heyward tells him to do. Now Tuitt will find himself doing the yelling.For me to get this role now, its not under the circumstances I want them to be under but I almost get the veteran role back and teach my defensive linemen and lead by example.Heyward will still be around on the sideline and in meeting rooms. But not having his familiar No. 97 in the huddle will take some getting used to for a group thats grown accustomed to his steadying influence.Hes like a brother to us outside of football, McCullers said. We always spend time with each other, hang out. Its big (to lose him). Weve got to play hard for him.Game notes TE Ladarius Green (knee), WR Sammie Coates (finger), S Jordan Dangerfield (groin) and TE Xavier Grimble (quadriceps) were limited on Wednesday. ... C Maurkice Pouncey (finger) and WR Markus Wheaton (shoulder) did not practice.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Custom Braves T-shirts . Haas said he "felt a lot of pain" in his right shoulder when he slammed his racket to the ground in frustration after losing his serve at 3-3 in the first set. Tom Glavine Jersey .J. -- Josh Cribbs was in the Pro Bowl in February and out of a job six months later. http://www.custombravesjersey.com/custom-jim-bouton-jersey-large-827z.html . -- The Magic have their first victory of the new year. Hank Aaron Jersey Large . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. Deion Sanders Jersey Large . -- Anaheim Ducks defenceman Luca Sbisa will be out at least six weeks with a torn tendon in his right hand. TORONTO -- The Blue Jays have finalized a three-year, $33 million contract with free agent Kendrys Morales, and say the deal lowers the chances that slugger Edwin Encarnacion will return next season.Hours after the team announced the addition of Morales on Friday, general manager Ross Atkins said talks with Encarnacion are ongoing, theyre still continuing.Encarnacion and Jose Bautista both became free agents after helping Toronto reach the playoffs.We still feel that both are realistic for us, but again, when you sign someone like Kendrys Morales, that decreases the likelihood of Edwin coming back tto the Blue Jays, but by no means eliminates that possibility, Atkins said.ddddddddddddhe 33-year-old Morales hit 30 home runs with 93 RBI while batting .263 for Kansas City last season.Atkins said second baseman Devon Travis had surgery on his right knee and is expected to be fine. He was injured in the playoffs against Cleveland.Toronto also claimed right-hander Leonel Campos on waivers from San Diego. The 29-year-old pitched 25 times for the Padres over three seasons. ' ' '