Inland Waterways » Mannings final NFL game, it will be a hat

Nick Compton must forget all thoughts of being dropped and focus solely on his batting as he bids to retain his Test place, says Michael Atherton. The Middlesex man is under pressure after making one from 11 deliveries on day one of the third Investec Test against Sri Lanka at Lords, the 32-year-old failing to reach double figures for the third time in four innings. Watch a pick of the action from the first day of the third Test between England and Sri Lanka I dont know whether he has been reading the papers or listening to people over the last few days but you know when you are playing for your place, Atherton told Sky Sports. He must know that if he doesnt get runs in this game he probably wont get selected in the next one and that adds pressure.Youve got to try and take the situation out of your mind and focus on the bowler running down, but sometimes things do crowd your thoughts. Compton scored 85 on Test comeback in Durban Compton made a positive start on his Test comeback with scores of 85 and 49 as England beat South Africa by 241 runs at Durban.However, since then the England No 3 has scored just 143 runs from his last 10 Test innings and Atherton thinks his struggles could come from his stillness at the crease.From a technical perspective, I think he stands too still for too long and then it all happens in a rush, the former England opener added. Batsmen should be like dancers, on the balls of their feet and moving, but he is solid still on his heels and then its too late. Athers on Nick Compton Batsmen should be like dancers, on the balls of their feet and moving, but he is solid still on his heels and then its too late.Technical and mental things are piling on him - sport is cruel at times.Watch live coverage of day two of the third Investec Test from 10.30am on Friday on Sky Sports 2. Before then, catch highlights from day one at 8pm on Sky Sports 2, followed by The Verdict - with Charles Colvile, Bob Willis, Jonathan Trott and Russel Arnold - at 9pm on the same channel. Also See: Third Test scorecard Day One: As it happened Cricket videos Get Sky Sports Tony Gwynn Padres Jersey . Dancevic won his singles match on Friday, defeating Go Soeda 6-4, 7-6 (2), 6-1, to even the best-of-five series at a game apiece. World No. 18 Kei Nishikori defeated Peter Polansky in the opening match, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Fernando Tatis Jr. Padres Jersey . Rosbergs time of 1 minute, 33.185 seconds at the Bahrain International Circuit was a quarter of a second faster than Hamilton, who had to abandon his final flying lap after running wide at the first corner. http://www.padressale.com/padres-aaron-loup-jersey/ .7 million, one-year contract, a raise of $2.2 million. Wieters had asked for $8.75 million and the Orioles had offered $6. Matt Strahm Padres Jersey .ca. The NHL Play of the Year showdown kicks off with some slick moves going head-to-head with a combination of soft hands and endless patience. Rickey Henderson Padres Jersey .A. Happ capped a challenging season with one of his best efforts of the year.(SportsNetwork.com) - Consistency has always defined Peyton Manning and that standard should ultimately decide his career fate. If Sundays disheartening 24-13 playoff loss to his old team, the Indianapolis Colts, turns out to be Mannings final NFL game, it will be a hat tip to Father Time, the one opponent every athlete is destined to lose to eventually. Manning looked every bit like a 38-year-old quarterback who has had four different surgical procedures on his neck Sunday, flashing little zip on his fastball and proving unable to deal with the Colts press coverage because Vontae Davis, perhaps the most underrated cornerback in football, and Co. simply werent scared of getting beat over the top. The quick hitches and bubble screens that have defined the Broncos offense since Peyton arrived from the Hoosier State for the 2012 season were impotent as Indys defensive backs jumped routes with impunity, forcing the weak- armed Manning, who finished 26-of-46 passing for 211 yards and a touchdown in the defeat, to misfire on downfield routes again and again. Those were my decisions, a forlorn Manning said after the game when discussing his downfield accuracy issues. A couple of them were called to go that way. A couple of them had some other options with it and some shorter passes with it. I ended up taking some long shots. Any time you lose a game, you always look to some incompletions and throws youd like to have back. And then some other ones, I possibly could have, probably should have gone to a shorter throw. Some context was added Monday when reports surfaced that Manning played the last month of the season with a torn right quad, suffered during Denvers Dec. 14 victory over the San Diego Chargers. The Denver Post, however, refuted that, saying Manning played with a strained quad and not a full tear. Whats clear is something was wrong with Manning late in the season whether it was the injury or just the general wear and tear an NFL season can take on a 38-year-old man. For what its worth Manning refused to blame his health saying, I felt good with (the quad) coming into the day. Empirical evidence says Manning was hurting at the bare minimum. He completed 77-of-121 passes for 990 yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions during the month of December, a startling downtick when you realize Manning finished his 17th season completing 66.2 percent of his passes for 4,727 yards with 39 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. I didnt play as well consistently in the second half of the season, Manning admitted. I cant give you a great reason for that. I played well at times but not as consistently as I did in the first half of the season. Sundays setback was the ninth different time Manning has led his team into the postseason without winning a game, furthering the narrative that the five- time MVP shrinks in big spots. The fact that Manning quarterbacked teams have reached the playoffs 14 times in his 17 seasons is loost on the haters, who focus on the fact the legendary signal caller is underwater (11-13) against the NFLs best competition and has amassed just one Lombardi Trophy.dddddddddddd The calendar will turn for Manning once again in two months and 40 looms after that, stark reminders that the arm strength isnt about to regenerate and what little athleticism Manning has left at this point is only going to regress further. In his post-game press conference, Peyton intimated a firm understanding that his football mortality, at least at the level he expects out of himself is at hand. My mind set right now is just disappointment after todays game, Manning said when asked if he was coming back next season as previously planned. I kind of need to process this game and well meet. I need to process this game, so Im disappointed right now is what I am. When pressed Manning continued to deflect. Yeah, I guess I cant just give that simple answer, he answered. Im processing it. So I cant say that (Im coming back). I could not say that. Manning can still succeed at this level as evidenced by his regular-season success but the sheer length of an NFL campaign works against him. The spry September Manning is still one of the two or three best signal callers in the game but the January one who has endured a season of hits looked like a guy with a tired arm who was mistake prone as well as inaccurate, not attributes you usually equate with Peyton. Things like pitch counts in OTAs and training camp will be thrown around as a recipe for future success, as will early exits in the regular season in order to protect Mannings health at all costs. Heck, if he wants to come back the Broncos might even consider letting another option handle the early-season load in order to make sure Manning is fresh for a potential stretch run, a tactic used often in places like the NHL, where the regular season isnt as important, but one that has never been attempted in the NFL at such an important position. The Broncos are expected to discuss Mannings health and the organizations future in a season-ending news conferences with coach John Fox and general manager John Elway later this week. I feel like the season was a waste of time, like we wasted all of our hard work, Pro Bowl cornerback Chris Harris said. We have to figure out what the plan is going to be next year and try to move on. Moving on could mean a divorce with Fox despite his success especially if the veteran coach stands it the way of highly-regarded offensive coordinator and Manning acolyte Adam Gase, who could get a head-coaching gig elsewhere if a succession plan in Denver isnt put into place. As for Manning, he has earned the right to decide his own future. Ive always taken a pretty accurate look and fair evaluation of myself, he said. If that habit continues, everything is in play including the realization that one of the greatest QBs in NFL history may be finished. ' ' '