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The Giants vs. the Steelers. Or sometimes referred to as the Maras against the Rooneys for their family business roots.They meet in a huge game Sunday in Pittsburgh that could clear up some of the muddled playoff picture.New York (8-3) is among the hottest teams in football with six straight victories. Not that its helped the Giants move much closer to the Cowboys in the NFC East.But the Giants are in control of the NFC wild-card picture, even if their victories havent looked too pretty.We have everything right in front of us. We dont feel the need ... really inside of this locker room, we dont care about anyones opinion, running back Rashad Jennings says. Someone could put us best, someone could put us worst, it doesnt matter. We have to go out and find a way to win.The Steelers (6-5) are in a tighter spot, tied atop the AFC North with Baltimore, to whom they already have lost. When healthy, the Steelers have looked like a Super Bowl contender. But theyve also had some real duds.They will need to eliminate those stinkers and play solidly the rest of the way, Ben Roethlisberger says.Anytime you get to November, December, January football, you have to be at your best, you have to be hot, and we are playing one of the best football teams in the NFL, he says. They are coming to our place, it has a playoff feel and atmosphere, and it has to. I am sure that they feel the same way.You have to have that mentality at this time of the year because you really cant afford to lose any more games.The action began on a rare week with no division matchups with Dallas 17-15 victory at Minnesota on Thursday night.Dez Bryant caught four passes for 84 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, helping Dallas improve to 11-1 with its 11th straight victory.Sam Bradford threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jerick McKinnon with 25 seconds to play, but the 2-point conversion failed for the Vikings (6-6). They played without coach Mike Zimmer after he had emergency eye surgery Wednesday night. Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer directed the team.Off this week are Tennessee (6-6) and Cleveland (0-12).Kansas City (8-3) at Atlanta (7-4)Several emerging players are worth watching here as the Falcons try to stay alone atop the NFC South and the Chiefs pursue the Raiders in the AFC West.Chiefs rookie WR Tyreek Hill last week became the first player since Gale Sayers in 1965 to score on a kickoff return, a run and a catch in the same game.The Falcons, known for their powerful offense, are getting strong play from LB Vic Beasley Jr., second in the NFC with 9+ sacks, and safety Keanu Neal, who leads all rookies with 72 tackles and has four forced fumbles.Denver (7-4) at Jacksonville (2-9)Look for a low-scoring affair as the Jaguars try to snap a six-game slide. They have lost all four at home this season, placing coach Gus Bradleys job in serious jeopardy. But his specialty, defense, is coming on and the Jags rank sixth overall.We all know how good Denvers D can be, and heres a stunning stat: The Broncos have scored a league-high 93 points, or 35 percent of their season total, off turnovers. They have 20 takeaways; the Jaguars are a league-worst minus-15 in turnover margin.Denver has won 28 straight games when winning the turnover battle, the longest current streak in the NFL, and it leads the league in sacks (35) and quarterback hits (89).It might need all the defense it can muster with rookie Paxton Lynch starting for injured quarterback Trevor Siemian.Tampa Bay (6-5) at San Diego (5-6)Not only have the Bucs won three in a row, but they beat Kansas City and Seattle the past two weeks, holding them to a combined 22 points. Rookie DE Noah Spence comes off a superb month in which he had 11 tackles, 2+ sacks and two forced fumbles.San Diegos Antonio Gates was blanked in the win at Houston, not even targeted for the first time in 77 games. Hes three TD catches short of breaking Tony Gonzalezs NFL record of 111 for a tight end.Los Angeles (4-7) New England (9-2)The spiraling Rams, who have given up 63 points over the past 64:02 of game action, are the perfect victim for Tom Brady to get his 201st victory, which would be an NFL record for quarterbacks. Hes currently tied with Peyton Manning.Its probably the most important stat. ... Theres no surprise, Saints QB Drew Brees says of Brady. Listen, hes earned it. He will go down as certainly one of the best, if not the best, for that reason. The guys a winner. Hes a proven winner. ... Theres been a lot of players come through there while hes been there and its been a very consistent result, all the time. Im sure theres a lot of people in that building that deserve credit, but none more so than him.As the Patriots chase home-field advantage in the AFC for the playoffs -- they lead the AFC East by two games over Miami, who they have beaten -- Brady has been sensational since returning from his four-game Deflategate suspension. Brady has 2,201 passing yards, 18 TDs, one interception and a 116.7 passer rating.Miami (7-4) at Baltimore (6-5)Miami has won six in a row, and hasnt taken seven straight since 1985, Dan Marinos third season. Solidly in the playoff race, the Dolphins are getting solid contributions from Ryan Tannehill throwing the ball and Jay Ajayi running it despite a banged-up offensive line.Baltimores defense has been superb as the Ravens have taken three of their past four games. Ranking second overall and first against the run, the Ravens will be a tough test for Ajayi especially.If it comes down to the kicking game, Baltimore has the leagues only perfect placekicker. Justin Tucker is 27 for 27 on field goals and has made all his extra points.Buffalo (6-5) at Oakland (9-2)The Black Hole is truly that for the Bills. Buffalo is 0-8 in Oakland since 1966.But a victory not only would be the Bills 400th regular-season win, it would boost their playoff chances somewhat. Remember, they havent been in the postseason since the 1999 campaign.Oaklands sensational comeback win against Carolina after blowing a huge lead kept the Raiders atop the highly competitive AFC West. It also solidified QB Derek Carrs credentials -- and guts. He left after badly damaging his right pinkie, then returned with a glove on his throwing hand to lead the rally.Detroit (7-4) at New Orleans (5-6)Matthew Stafford is having his best season, and hell need all of his skills and weapons to keep up with Drew Brees.Stafford has led seven game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime in 2016; the Lions are the first team with seven wins when trailing in the fourth quarter in the teams first 11 games of a season. No QB has had eight such drives in one season.Thats one of the rare achievements Brees hasnt managed. Last week, he passed for 310 yards with four touchdowns, and rushed for a TD. He leads the NFL with 3,587 yards and 30 TDs passing. Its Brees ninth season with at least 30 TDs passing, tied for the record, and he has a TD pass in an NFL-record 60 straight home outings.Houston (6-5) at Green Bay (5-6)The Texans have the better record and lead their division, the weak AFC South. Yet nearly everywhere the perception is Green Bay, third in the NFC North, is the better team.Houstons $72 million, four-year investment in quarterback Brock Osweiler isnt paying off, so much so that after last weekends loss, coach Bill OBrien was asked about benching Osweiler.His slump is encouraging for the Packers suspect secondary.Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers is on a terrific streak even while the running game has been mediocre and the blocking has been so-so.Indianapolis (5-6) at New York Jets (3-8), Monday nightWithout Andrew Luck, the Colts were no match for the Steelers on Thanksgiving night. Luck has gone through the NFLs concussion protocol and should be behind center for another prime-time affair.The Jets make just enough mistakes each week to be among the leagues biggest flops after going 10-6 in 2015. Many of their big-ticket players have let them down, and heres a chance to strut before a nationwide audience.Carolina (4-7) at Seattle (7-3-1)The last thing the Panthers need when facing Seattles stingy defense and strong pass rush is an injury-depleted offensive line. Unfortunately for Cam Newton and Carolina, thats the reality.Carolina stayed on the West Coast after the 35-32 loss at Oakland, while the Seahawks flew back cross-country from Tampa after a 14-5 defeat in which the offense was invisible. Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham should be more productive against the Panthers.Washington (6-4-1) at Arizona (4-6-1)The Redskins owned the second NFC wild-card spot heading into the weekend. Their offense has been dynamic recently, with Kirk Cousins to Jamison Crowder the main connection.Washington also can get after the quarterback, led by Ryan Kerrigan, and Carson Palmer has been sacked 32 times. Even worse for the Cardinals, inexperienced tackles D.J. Humphries and Ulrick John and guard John Wetzel figure to start.Philadelphia (5-6) at Cincinnati (3-7-1)Both teams can begin thinking about next season after recent slumps.The Eagles have lost four straight on the road, but theyre 9-1 vs. the AFC since 2014. Cincinnati is 1-5-1 in the past seven games, and a true sign of their malaise: Mike Nugent has missed his past three PAT kicks and four of the past eight.San Francisco (1-10) at Chicago (2-9)One of these teams will mess up their April draft standing by winning this. Or maybe these two will tie 0-0.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFLWholesale Nike MLB Jerseys . Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored shootout goals, and backup goalie Cam Talbot earned his second win in two nights as the Rangers shook off a late tying tally and beat the Maple Leafs 2-1 Monday night. Clearance MLB Jerseys . -- Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings was selected Monday to his second straight Pro Bowl, while guard Kyle Long made it after a solid rookie season. https://www.mlbjerseyschina.us/ . Walcott is available for Saturdays home match against Southampton as Arsenal looks to extend its two-point lead at the top of the Premier League. The Gunners are currently the second highest scorers in the league but Wenger insists Walcott will add something extra to his team. Cheap Nike MLB Jerseys . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide. Cheap MLB Jerseys From China . Varlamov made 33 saves and Ryan OReilly had a goal and scored in the shootout as the Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Thursday night.STOCKTON, Calif. -- If there is a way to summarize the lasting effect Nate Diazs hometown has had on him, its that it taught him this: Always be all the way in when it comes to a fight.That might sound like an obvious lesson, one that doesnt necessarily require growing up in Stockton to figure out. But at this point in his life, Diaz is fairly convinced few truly live with this mentality.His older brother, UFC welterweight Nick Diaz, calls it a curse. Nate refers to it as a kill or be killed state of mind. The Diaz brothers are fighting. Add bells and whistles around it for financial gain, thats great. But this is still a fight.Ive been a lot more real than other fighters, Nate Diaz said. Im putting my middle finger up, saying, F--- you, and theyre sitting there like were not even fighting. No, we are fighting. And this will remind you of that real quick. These other guys are trying to make this a sport, but Im just keeping it real with what the hell is going on.I dont ask my mom to watch fights -- or my girlfriend, my friends, nobody. If anybody wants to watch, they can watch, but dont get offended when I get ugly. This is not an attractive sport. Its not like, Oh, my grandson does MMA. Dont tell people that. You might disappoint a lot of people youre trying to impress.Im all the way in this fight game. Im not one foot in, one foot out. Im not here to impress people. Im here to get mine, get ahead and do what Ive got to do.On Saturday, Diaz (19-10) will fight Conor McGregor at UFC 202 inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Its a rematch of a last-minute welterweight bout at UFC 196 in March. McGregor (19-3), the sports biggest star, lost his original opponent, Rafael dos Anjos, to injury weeks before the pay-per-view event. Diaz stepped in on 11 days notice and submitted McGregor in the second round.If you want to make Diaz quiet, ask him about fighting McGregor for a second time. Over the course of a three-hour conversation, Diaz essentially said the same thing every time about his upcoming opponent.Conor is a guy who is training to take me out, Diaz said.?Drop the McGregor topic, however, and Diaz will talk. Hell get so lost in telling stories hell ask more than once if hes rambling. Even if he is, you tell him to keep going. The stories are fascinating.Because no matter what happens at UFC 202, Diaz is worth listening to at the moment. He conquered the fight game in 2016. Anyone can argue that he couldnt have done so without McGregor, but thats missing the point.In a span of eight months, Diaz went from foot soldier to paid mercenary, and in the fight game, thats a win. Getting paid is the win.Diaz didnt always know that, but he certainly does now. And he was able to do something about it.If anybody sees what Ive done and doesnt think its brilliant ... then they just dont like the way I look or the way I fight or talk, Diaz said. But thats what f---ing sells.Every fighter has a hometown. Not many of them represent theirs as much as the Diaz brothers have pushed Stockton.When Nate Diaz whacked McGregor with an open palm during their first fight, the internet knew to refer to it as the infamous Stockton Slap. Stocktons 209 area code is as well-known as the Diaz name. UFC commentator Jon Anik has the numbers tattooed on his arm,?the result of an ill-advised bet against Diaz in his last fight.Historically, the city of Stockton has dealt with a relatively high violent crime rate. It is one of the largest U.S. cities to ever declare bankruptcy.Diaz grew up in a small, one-story house in Lodi, just north of Stockton. He lived with his mother, older brother and sister. His father was not around much during his childhood.He hesitates making any references to a rough neighborhood, because he feels like its very cliché -- a cage fighter, coming from a rough area. But he cant deny the indirect effect that Stocktons violence had on his life.Its not necessarily we were sitting in the middle of [violence], we were just very aware of everything, Diaz said. If someone was getting into it, there was a fight. You would see fights all the time. Ill go other places, and nobody fights.When Nick was first fighting in the UFC and going, What, m-----f-----?! and people were like, Wow, this guy is crazy, that was just a natural thing to us. All that was normal. You say that in places outside of Stockton, and guys are like, Woah, whats the problem here? Were like, Arent we fighting right now?When Nate was about 13, Nick began training how to fight. He started lifting weights at Animal House Gym and met Steve Heath, a professional fighter who fought?Chuck Liddell in 2000. While Nick trained at Animal House, Nate worked as a cook at a restaurant next door. Eventually, he joined his brother in training.Nate was naturally good at boxing, but he really fell in love with jiu-jitsu. After he stopped going to high school, Diaz says he was a little anti-social. He was selling marijuana, and his social circle was basically reduced to his smoking buddies.But at jiu-jitsu, Diaz would tap some chiropractor, and suddenly the two had something in common. A successful businessman wanted to know how Diaz choked him out. It built confidence.When I found jiu-jitsu, I knew at that time that a blue belt could take out anybody in the world, Diaz said. I was saying, Dude, Ill choke out anybody.Nick had mats, a weight bench and a TV he would watch old fights on in his bedroom. People would come over to challenge Nick to a fight, and he would say, If you tap out my brother, Ill roll with you. Nick would come in my room and wake me up. Im this skinny 15-year-old kid, and hed say, Roll with this guy, quick.I would go in his room and choke these guys out. And if anybody could choke me out, the first thing Id say was, All right, now lets box.Diaz started a professional fight career without even really noticing. Jiu-jitsu tournaments and triathlons transitioned into cage fights. His former coach, Cesar Gracie, told him what to do and when to do it. Whatever money Diaz got as a result was what it was. He simply accepted it and didnt ask questions.During one contract negotiation, Diaz remembers sitting in the lobby, sipping water while something as significant as a multiyear deall was being discussed.ddddddddddddIt took me a second to come out of soldier mode, Diaz said. Whats smart, whats better for me, whats really going on here? I kind of woke up and was like, Hold up. What have I been doing? It just continued from wherever it had first started: me being down to fight anybody, being told to fight whoever, no questions asked.I had never asked a question before. It was, Fight that guy? OK. That guy? OK. It was a psycho-militant lifestyle.It eventually led to an ugly realization for Diaz. In 2014, just one year after signing a long-term deal with the UFC, Diaz asked for a complete release from the promotion. UFC president Dana White responded by telling him to get back to work. The UFC even dropped Diaz from its official fighter rankings, citing a refusal to accept bouts.Diaz eventually did accept a bout against Rafael dos Anjos in December of that year. In an uninspired performance, Diaz missed weight and then lost badly to dos Anjos in a three-round fight. The UFC does not disclose information on fighter pay -- so, the exact earning for athletes are largely unknown -- but Diazs reported fight purse to the athletic commission for that fight was $16,000.At the post-fight press conference, White said Diaz needed to get his head together or retire.It would be one full year until Diaz fought again.At first I just flipped out, Diaz said. I started looking at numbers and I was like, Woah, you guys are making this much? That guys making this money? The company is bringing in this much? Its time to get paid! I spoke right up.Over time, I realized, Wow, I need to get some leverage.On Dec. 19, 2015, Nate Diaz stood in the Octagon next to commentator Joe Rogan with network television cameras rolling live. Diaz had just defeated Michael Johnson in a highly entertaining lightweight fight.Rogan asked Diaz a question, something about how the fight went. Whatever, the question didnt matter. Diaz wasnt even listening. He looked up at his own image playing on the arena monitors, scowled and unleashed an expletive-laced speech that Rogan would eventually be forced to cut off.Conor McGregor, youre taking everything I worked for, m-----f-----, Diaz said. Im gonna fight your f---ing ass. You know whats the real fight. Whats the real money fight? Its me.McGregor initially opted for a fight against dos Anjos instead, but fate intervened, and McGregor and Diaz were paired up 11 days before UFC 196. Diaz was happy to accept the fight and the biggest payday of his career.Fast forward to March 5. Diaz and Rogan stood side-by-side in the Octagon again, moments after Diaz submitted McGregor via rear-naked choke in the second round. Again, it felt like Rogans question to him could have been anything. It didnt matter. Diaz was going to say what he had to say.Im not surprised, m-----f-----s, Diaz said.The words Im not surprised, accompanying a towering depiction of Diaz flexing, now live in the form of a mural on the side of a building in downtown Stockton. He doesnt really say it, but its a spot he clearly takes pride in.In May, White and former UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta flew to Stockton to negotiate terms for a massive rematch against McGregor. The meeting did not go particularly well.The UFC felt a deal should have already been in place, because the sides had previously agreed to have the rematch headline UFC 200 in July. But after the UFC pulled the fight in the midst of a public spat with McGregor, Diaz circled back to the negotiating table with a higher number in mind.An agreement wasnt reached during that Stockton meeting, but they all still drove to Diazs mural for a photo-op before parting ways. So, you had Fertitta and White standing there, smiling, directly under an image of a moment that gave Diaz an enormous amount of leverage in his contract negotiations with them. For the record, it was Diazs idea to visit the mural.Two weeks later, Diaz signed a new contract for the rematch. Terms were not disclosed, however its safe to assume the deal is worth seven figures.This is long overdue, you know what Im saying? said Diaz, referring to his improved financial situation. And it goes by the moment. Who knows whats going to happen after this fight? What happens if I get murked? What happens if I lose this fight? They better give me a m-----f---ing rematch like they gave him. But I doubt if they will.This is the blueprint. Fighters need to start imagining themselves as the product, because were the product of this business. I aint free. I dont know why everybody is acting like they are.A less publicized aspect of this weekends rematch is that Diaz and McGregor share a healthy respect for one another. Mutual respect headlines dont really sell a fight, but it does exist between these two.As much as Diaz is known for talking trash, he claims he does very little of it. Its just that as a fight gets closer, part of his mental preparation is to see it for what it is.These other guys say, I love to fight. Im excited to fight, Diaz said. Thats some bulls---. No one is excited or loves to fight.Of course, the feeling of winning a fight, succeeding at your objective and your goals, its exciting when its done and over with. But who the hell wants to jump up, hop inside a cage in front of the whole world and maybe get knocked out? Thats not exciting. Thats not fun, and I dont love that s---.Diaz enjoys training in martial arts. Hell do it his entire life -- in Stockton. He says hell never move away from his roots. The Diaz brothers front doors are within running distance (for them at least) of each other. Mother, father and sister also share a home close by.In a way, Diaz has all but left the fight part of Stockton. He doesnt enjoy being in a fight anymore. Hes drawn to the alpha male part of it and it has provided him a better life. Training for it motivates him, gives him something to pursue on a daily basis.At the same time, it genuinely seems like another part of him would be quite comfortable if he never got into a fight again. Until then, if Diaz is going to be in a fight, hes going to be all the way in. ' ' '