SECTION B visit saMoa news online @ saMoanews.CoM THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2017 Classifieds • Cartoons • aloha briefs & More ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Overlooked players who C M Y K could star in the NFL playoffs HOWARD FENDRICH, was going to be able to help us in some playing 1,114 of 1,118 snaps. If Hous- KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: AP Pro Football Writer way.” — Ryan. ton’s defense is kept away from Brady, You’ve Heard of Them: S Eric Berry, When Seattle Seahawks receiver Paul SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: Thuney will part of the reason. CB Marcus Peters You Might Not Know Richardson made a miraculous, one- You’ve Heard of Them: CB Richard What Was Said: “Being able to stay Him: S Daniel Sorensen (No. 49) handed touchdown catch in his team’s Sherman, S Kam Chancellor, LB Bobby out there, day after day and week after Why You Should: Sorensen, a former playoff opener, then followed it up with Wagner. You Might Not Know Him: CB week, is tough in this league. Joe’s done undrafted free agent out of BYU, might another acrobatic grab , plenty of folks DeShawn Shead (No. 35). a good job of that, though.” — coach Bill be listed as a backup safety, but he rarely watching the game on TV had one simple Why You Should: Shead has been Belichick. question: “Who is that guy?” under the radar his whole career, an (Continued on page B7) Happens every season. undrafted guy from Portland State Because while even the most casual who only this season became a NFL fan is familiar with certain players regular starter on a talented on each team — Russell Wilson, the defense famous for “Legion quarterback throwing to Richardson, for of Boom” members example — there are plenty of others on Sherman and Chan- the roster who are relatively, or com- cellor. While Sherman pletely, unknown to even thorough fans. will be counted on to They’re not mysteries to their coaches take away one side of the and teammates, though. field, Shead is capable “This is the kind of play we see from of stopping whichever him in practice, so it’s not unfamiliar,” wideout he covers. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said about He was responsible for Richardson. “Some of the plays were one of Tom Brady’s two circus-like, but he has done that. ... interceptions this season. He’s been waiting a long while to help What Was Said: “He’s done this team and feel significant about that a great job adjusting, growing throughout impact and he’s done that.” the season, doing his job. He’s a techni- Maybe Richardson will again step out cian.” — Sherman. of the shadows Doug Baldwin or Jimmy GREEN BAY PACKERS: Graham to make a mark for Seattle You’ve Heard of Them: QB Aaron against the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday. Rodgers, WRs Jordy Nelson and Randall Or maybe another unheralded player will Cobb, LBs Clay Matthews and Julius wind up making a difference. AP writers Peppers. You Might Not Know Him: TE who cover each remaining playoff team Jared Cook (No. 89). picked one player who you might not Why You Should: The 6-foot-4 Cook have heard of but could play a key role in gives Rodgers the kind of athletic target the divisional round this weekend : that he hasn’t had at tight end in years. DALLAS COWBOYS: Cook’s return from an ankle injury that You’ve Heard of Them: QB Dak sidelined him in October, when Green Prescott, RB Ezekiel Elliott, LB Sean Bay lost to Dallas, added an option Lee. You Might Not Know Him: S Barry to the offense, helped open Church (42). Why You Should: While up the middle and Lee had a career year in his first All-Pro gave opposing season, Church anchored the league’s safeties some- No. 1 rushing defense as a run-stopping thing else to think C M safety. He missed all of November with a about. What Was Y K broken arm, and it was clear that Dallas’ Said: “He’s a big D was not as sturdy without him. When body. He’s tough Dallas played Green Bay in the regular to cover. He does a season, Church intercepted Aaron Rod- good job catching the gers. What Was Said: “He’s got great football and a good job energy. He’s a really good communi- with the ball in his hands.” cator. I think guys respond well to him.” — Rodgers. — coach Jason Garrett. NEW ENGLAND ATLANTA FALCONS: PATRIOTS: You’ve Heard of Them: QB Matt You’ve Heard of Them: QB Ryan, WR Julio Jones. You Might Not Tom Brady, RB LeGarrette Know Him: WR Taylor Gabriel (No. 18). Blount, TE Martellus Bennett. Why You Should: Gabriel, a 5-foot-8 You Might Not Know speedster who was undrafted out of Him: LG Joe Thuney (No. Abilene Christian, was looking for a job 62). Why You Should: a week before this season began after get- Thuney, a rookie, has ting cut by the Cleveland Browns, of all been a key member teams. Now he’s a threat to go all the way of a Patriots offensive any time he touches the ball, whether via line that has allowed a screen pass or an end-around run, and just 17 sacks one season scored more TDs (7) than Jones (6). after giving up 38. Thuney What Was Said: “Everybody could didn’t allow a sack until Week tell from Day One he was a guy who 15. He’s also been an ironman, Page B2 samoa news, Thursday, January 12, 2017 ESPN: Chargers plan to announce move to LA BERNIE WILSON, tenant in the stadium being built AP Sports Writer in Inglewood for the Rams if the SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Chargers exercise that option. If Chargers appear ready to leave not, the Oakland Raiders would San Diego, their home of 56 have the option to join the Rams seasons, for the potentially in the L.A. area, though Raiders more lucrative but crowded Los owner Mark Davis has indicated Angeles market. his intention to seek a move to Hours after the Chargers were Las Vegas. granted a two-day extension to The Chargers would have exercise their option to relocate to find a temporary home in to Los Angeles, a media report L.A., either the Coliseum or the surfaced Wednesday night that 27,000-seat StubHub! Center in the team plans to move. Carson. The Chargers have called San Diego was given the a staff meeting for 8 a.m. PST option to move to L.A. after Thursday, a team employee owners rejected a proposed said Wednesday night. The shared stadium for the Char- employee spoke on condition gers and Raiders in Carson, and of anonymity because of the accepted the Rams’ plans for sensitivity of the matter. The Inglewood. The owners gave employee said the topic of the the Chargers and Raiders each meeting hadn’t been divulged. an additional $100 million to try Team chairman Dean Spanos to make stadium deals in their didn’t return a message left at home markets. his home. The NFL’s stadium and Citing league sources, finance committees met ESPN.com reported Wednesday Wednesday for about 3 1/2 night that the Chargers plan to hours to discuss relocation of announce as early as Thursday the Chargers and Raiders. The that they are moving to Los fact-finding meetings mostly Angeles. According to the centered on the Raiders’ plan for report, the Chargers have noti- a potential move to Nevada. No fied NFL Commissioner Roger filings for relocation were made; Goodell, and the owners of Oakland has until Feb. 15. other teams, of their intent to “There was little to no dis- move to Los Angeles for the cussion on the topic of the Char- 2017 season. gers,” league executive Eric ESPN.com reported that Grubman said. nothing was final. And no decisions were However, relations have planned nor made at the meeting, been strained for years between in which all members of the two FILE - In this Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, file photo, Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Daniel Sorensen, the Chargers, who’ve sought committees took part, some by right, intercepts a pass intended for San Diego Chargers wide receiver Isaiah Burse (89) during the a big public subsidy to replace teleconference. Those owners first half of an NFL football game in San Diego. While each of the eight NFL teams in playoff action aging Qualcomm Stadium, and are finance chairman Bob this weekend has stars everyone has heard of _ Tom Brady; Aaron Rodgers; Richard Sherman, there City Hall, which has been beset McNair of Houston, along with are also lesser-known players like Sorensen, who could play key roles in the divisional-round games. by scandals and various eco- Atlanta’s Arthur Blank, Tampa (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File) nomic crises. Bay’s Joel Glazer, Kansas If the Chargers announce City’s Clark Hunt, Indianapolis’ Thursday that they’re leaving, Jim Irsay, Jacksonville’s Shahid it will surely put a damper on Khan, New England’s Robert Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s state Kraft, Philadelphia’s Jeffrey of the city address. Lurie and Miami’s Steve Ross. Faulconer formed a task Participating from the sta- force in 2015 to try to find a dium committee were chairman stadium solution, but the Char- Art Rooney of Pittsburgh, Ari- gers didn’t like its recommen- zona’s Michael Bidwill, the dation and walked away from Jets’ Woody Johnson, Dallas’ negotiations with the city and Stephen Jones, Chicago’s county.