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PHILADELPHIA - Criticism is nothing new for Mark Sanchez, so he easily brushes it aside.After Seattle beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-14 last week, Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett said Sanchez is impersonating a good quarterback. Sanchez has more important matters to focus on with a first-place showdown against the Cowboys coming up Sunday night.I guess he doesnt like me. No biggie, Sanchez said with a shrug. We just worry about the opinion in our locker room. Were poised and ready to go against Dallas.Sanchez is 3-2 as a starter since replacing Nick Foles after he broke his collarbone on Nov. 2. He was excellent in wins at Houston, at Dallas and over Carolina. But he struggled in losses at Green Bay and against Seattle.When he plays well, fickle fans want Sanchez to get a contract extension and lead the team into the future. When he throws interceptions, they want him gone. Foles is moving closer toward a return, but its uncertain how coach Chip Kelly will handle it.A victory over the Cowboys (9-4) would put the Eagles (9-4) on the brink of winning their second straight NFC East title. Theyd have a tough time making the playoffs if they lose to Dallas.Sanchezs future could depend on how he performs this week. Hes played plenty of big games before and knows how to handle the pressure. Sanchez led the New York Jets to AFC championship games his first two seasons, but ended up being laughed out of the Big Apple.You dont change, he said about the way he handles important games. You trust your preparation and trust your system and take your training onto the field.When the game is on the line, Sanchez would rather be under centre than watching the defence try to clinch a win.You have to want the ball with a few seconds left and fourth down, he said.Sanchez has thrown for 1,500 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 62.1 per cent of his passes for a passer rating of 88. Foles didnt come close to matching his Pro Bowl performance last year. He had an 81.4 passer rating after finishing at 119.2 in 2013, the third-best in NFL history.With Foles, the Eagles had more big plays and completed more deep passes. Sanchez hasnt thrown the long ball nearly as often. While critics point to his arm strength, coaches say theres more to it such as defensive coverages.There are times when we call a deep-to-short concept where they cover it deep so you throw it shorter, offensive co-ordinator Pat Shurmur said. I assure you we are calling the same types of plays with Mark that we did with Nick. If we want to just throw the ball far, we can do that.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.organd AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_RobMaaddi Nike Air Max 270 React Bauhaus Cheap . Goodell said in an ESPN Radio interview Monday (http://es.pn/1gkbauy ) that participants played harder and made the game very competitive. Goodell says he had fun watching the game Sunday and thinks fans did, too. Nike Air Max 270 Ispa Black .com) - The Golden State Warriors have started another winning streak and theyll try to pad it Tuesday night when they head to Staples Center to face the Los Angeles Lakers. http://www.max270cheap.com/nike-men-s-is...bq1918-102.html. "You hate when they score," he said with some distaste at the thought. "You take pride in it. Air Max 270 Mens Discount . Rob Klinkhammer and Mikkel Boedker scored 63 seconds apart in the first period for the Coyotes, who handed the Kings their third straight loss and took over sole possession of eighth place in the Western Conference. Mike Smith made 36 saves. Air Max 270 Flyknit Triple Black . The 29-year-old Mills started three games for Oakland this season, posting a 1-1 record with a 4.41 earned-run average. He opened the season appearing in 14 games and making 12 starts for the Milwaukee Brewers triple-A affiliate in Nashville, posting a 4-2 record with a 1. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Its the $5 million question thats rumbling through NFL front offices and locker rooms alike: Is All-Pro Jimmy Graham of the New Orleans Saints a tight end or a really big wide receiver? It matters to men like Pro Bowl tight end Julius Thomas of the Denver Broncos, whos up for a big pay raise and could be facing a franchise tag himself after the upcoming season. The Saints gave Graham the franchise tag for about $7 million as a tight end, the position hes been listed at for his entire four-year career -- and which he himself lists on his Twitter account. Graham contends that because he more often is split out away from the tackle, he is really a wide receiver. And, after all, he did lead the league with 16 touchdown catches last season. That franchise tag is worth about $12.3 million. The sides stated their cases in an arbitration hearing earlier this week in Louisiana and are awaiting a ruling from arbitrator Stephen Burbank. Thomas is understandably interested in the outcome. "Ive kind of been keeping ... an eye on that situation, obviously, because it could probably come back to affect a lot of us tight ends," said Thomas, who is scheduled to make $645,000 this year. "But the way I feel about it is, Does two letters next to your name on the depth chart really determine your value to a team?" When it comes to franchise tags in the NFL, it certainly does. The Saints note that Graham made the All-Pro team and the Pro Bowl as a tight end and was drafted as a tight end. Graham points to the 86 passes he caught for 1,215 yards last season -- numbers any wide receiver would envy. "Does it matter if hes a tight end, or if he calls himself a slot receiver or a running back?" Thomas said. "I mean, if youre going to have double-digit touchdowns and contribute a bunch of yards in the receiving game, I just say that youre a guy that makes great plays and are a value to your team. So I dont know why the argument necessarily comes down to either youre a tight end or a receiver. I think that if yooure a guy that makes plays, thats how you should be valued.dddddddddddd" Its because top-tier wide receivers make much more money than the games best tight ends. "Thats true. So I guess thats why its a topic," Thomas said. "But Ill say again: I think if youre a basketball player, they wouldnt say, Ah, youre a power forward. Really look out for those point guards. So I dont think that the position matters. I think if youre a guy making plays for your team, then that should be your value." Denver general manager John Elway has opened talks with representatives of both Thomas and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, who are entering the final year of their respective rookie deals and would like any deal to get done by the start of training camp next month. Demaryius Thomas, who has two dozen TD catches since Peyton Mannings arrival and was the lone bright spot for Denver in the Super Bowl, figures to command around $60 million over five years after putting up back-to-back stellar seasons that vaulted him to elite wide receiver status. Yet, it was Julius Thomas who was the key to Denvers record-breaking offence last season. The 6-foot-5, 255-pound late-bloomer was a matchup nightmare for defences and the bulls-eye for many of Mannings biggest moments last season when he earned his first Pro Bowl honour. He caught the quarterbacks 51st TD throw that broke Tom Bradys single-season record, one of his dozen TD receptions that broke Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpes team record for tight ends. And he came up huge in the Broncos two wins that got them to their first Super Bowl in 15 years. Broncos coach John Fox said the tight end position has evolved over the years to the point that "its like another receiver" rather than "an offensive tackle lined up to block." Thats not to say Fox is going to dive into the debate over whether a tight end actually is a wide receiver. "Im not getting into that," Fox said with a chuckle. "Ill leave that for other people." ' ' '