e when he remained seated on the bench before an NFL preseason game against Green Bay. Since then numerous players have joined the protest, taking a knee or raising a fist.Being

For the first time since falling out after Week 2, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston currently ranks inside the top 10 in Total QBR for the season, moving up to ninth with a 67. Carlos Lee Jersey .9. The Buccaneers are on a five-game winning streak and currently occupy the final wild card spot. Over that span, Winston has four games with a Total QBR above a 78, tied with Kirk Cousins for most in that time, and has the sixth-highest Total QBR in that span with a 77.6. He also has the third-highest points added over that span behind only Cousins and Aaron Rodgers.So what has led Winston up the charts?Like many others who have been featured here, improving on third downs is a big reason for Winstons ascendancy up the chart.During Tampas 3-5 start, Winston had a pedestrian 45.5 raw QBR on third downs, 17th in the league. A few interceptions and a costly penalty had a major, negative impact on this number. He had three third-down interceptions during the first nine weeks of the season, tied for the fourth-most in the league. All three were fairly damaging as they all occurred when the Buccaneers were inside their own 30-yard line and on short or intermediate passes, meaning they set up the opponent in or near field goal range. They also all happened early in close games.He also had a 15-yard personal foul penalty following a failed third down attempt against the 49ers, pushing a field goal attempt from chip-shot range out to 38 yards. Since the foul was on him, there was no division of credit on that part of the play, meaning the entirety of the expected points added fell on him.Since Week 10, Winston has thrown only one third down interception and has avoided costly penalties. He also has cut down his sack rate from 10.4 percent of his third down dropbacks to 3.7 percent. On top of avoiding those negative plays, he also has been more efficient at converting those downs into first downs. Winstons conversion rate on third-down passing attempts is up to 58 percent, from 44 percent. This has resulted in Winston posting a 94.5 raw QBR on third downs since Week 10, highest in the league.He has been markedly more efficient in his own territory, especially inside his own 30-yard line. From Weeks 1 through 9, nobody had a worse raw QBR deep within their own territory than Winstons 26.1. He threw a league-high six interceptions and took eight sacks, tied for the second-most over that span.Since, Winston has thrown only one interception and taken one sack inside that area. Hes also upped his completion percentage from 53 percent to 70 percent, and has the fourth-highest raw QBR at 86.8 since Week 10.By improving on third downs and inside his own 30, Winston has been able to rise from as low as 16th in QBR after Weeks 8 and 9, all the way up to ninth heading into week 15. A look at his season-long progression:For more from ESPN Analytics, visit the ESPN Analytics Index.? Jeff Bagwell Jersey . Klitschkos management company says the bout will be the Ukrainian fighters 25th world championship fight. The 1.83-meter (6-foot) Leapai defeated the previously unbeaten Denis Boytsov in November to become the WBOs mandatory challenger. George Springer Jersey . Argentina winger Ezequiel Lavezzi and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi scored, with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic setting up both despite having a poor game by his high standards. Forward Eduardo gave Ajaccio the lead in the sixth minute after being set up by right winger Benjamin Andre, and the Corsican side looked comfortable in the first half, with the lively Johan Cavalli causing problems with his probing runs from midfield. http://www.customastrosjersey.com/custom...large-636y.html . 9. Price, heading to the 2014 Olympics for Canada, was named the First Star after posting wins in three starts with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Megan Rapinoe knelt during the national anthem before a U.S. womens national team match against Thailand on Thursday night.Rapinoe first knelt during the anthem Sept. 4 before a game with her National Womens Soccer League team, the Seattle Reign. She said she wanted to express solidarity with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who is not standing during the anthem to bring attention to racial inequality.After Thursday nights game, which the United States won 9-0, U.S. Soccer issued a statement to ESPN that said representing the country is a privilege and honor for any player or coach associated with the national teams.Therefore, our national anthem has particular significance for U.S. Soccer. In front of national and often global audiences, the playing of our national anthem is an opportunity for our Mens and Womens National Team players and coaches to reflect upon the liberties and freedom we all appreciate in this country.As part of the privilege to represent your country, we have an expectation that our players and coaches will stand and honor our flag while the national anthem is played.It was unclear whether Rapinoe would face any sanctions from the federation.Im very proud to pull on this shirt and play for this country, and also represent my country in a different way in speaking out for people that are oppressed, she told the network, which broadcast the game.Rapinoe did not start the game at Mapfre stadium. She knelt from a spot near the bench while the fellow reserves around her stood for the anthem.The 31-year-old, who helped the U.S. win the World Cup last year and played in the Rio Olympics, came into the match at the start of the second half.At a game Sunday night in Seattle, the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, she stood and linked armms with her Reign teammates. Roy Oswalt Jersey. Last week before a Reign match against the Washington Spirit in Maryland, the anthem was played before the teams took the field rather than subject our fans and friends to the disrespect we feel such an act would represent, said a Spirit statement that cited the personal beliefs of the team owner.There was speculation that Rapinoe might refrain from kneeling before Thursday nights game because she was playing for the United States and not her club team. It was also the final game for midfielder Heather OReilly, who was retiring after 15 years with the national team.Kaepernicks refusal to stand for the anthem first came to public notice when he remained seated on the bench before an NFL preseason game against Green Bay. Since then numerous players have joined the protest, taking a knee or raising a fist.Being a gay American, I know what it means to look at the flag and not have it protect all of your liberties. It was something small that I could do and something that I plan to keep doing in the future and hopefully spark some meaningful conversation around it, Rapinoe told American Soccer Now about her motivation for the protest.Since coming out in 2012, Rapinoe has been devoted advocate for LGBT rights and has worked with the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and other organizations.Rapinoe also has been vocal about pay equity, and was among five national team players who lent their names to a complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging wage discrimination. The players claim that members of the team make in some cases up to four times less than their male national team counterparts. ' ' '