ALAMEDA, Calif. Kevin Hogan Redskins Jersey . - Fifteen years of wasted or traded away first-round draft picks have laid the foundation for a dismal decade for the Oakland Raiders.From busts such as JaMarcus Russell to reaches such as Darrius Heyward-Bey, mistakes on draft day led directly to losses on the field as the Raiders have gone 12 straight years without a winning record or playoff berth.General manager Reggie McKenzie might finally have found a player to help end that slide this year in linebacker Khalil Mack. The fifth overall pick out of Buffalo has been an impact player right from the start.He is dominating against the run, a relentless pass rusher and an eager learner who is part of the foundation for what the Raiders hope will eventually be a resurgence.He jumps out on film every week, safety Charles Woodson said. So to us its no surprise what hes doing out there. We know the other team, whether its the quarterback or whether its the tackle or tight end trying to take him on, theyre feeling him. And thats every week. Thats every play, man. This guys going to be special.Since drafting Woodson fourth overall in 1998, the Raiders made 15 first-round picks the following 15 years and dealt three more away in ill-fated trades for Randy Moss, Richard Seymour and Carson Palmer.Only two of those 15 ever made a single Pro Bowl — cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and kicker Sebastian Janikowski — and many were colossal failures such as Russell.Mack appears to be a full-fledged success.Hes continuing to grow and hes continuing to improve. Each week hes gotten a little bit better, interim coach Tony Sparano said. Hes getting better and better and thats all we can ask for our young players right now is to continue to improve.Macks play has put him in contention to win the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Mack is one of the leading contenders for the honour, along with St. Louis Aaron Donald and Baltimores C.J. Mosley.The Raiders havent had a player win a major post-season award since quarterback Rich Gannon was MVP back in 2002.I cant listen to it, he said. Ill listen to it at the end of year, but not now. The grind is all Im focusing on, and going out and getting better every week.He has done just that. Mack is the top-graded 4-3 outside linebacker, according to Pro Football Focus, just edging out Denver star Von Miller.While many outside linebackers make their names by sacking the quarterback, Mack has been at his best against the run where he fights off blocks to make plays in the backfield every week. Mack is second in the NFL to Houstons J.J. Watt with 11 1/2 tackles at or behind the line against the run, according to STATS.Mack is no slouch rushing the passer despite seeing more than his share of double-teams. He is tied for sixth among all linebackers with 51 quarterback pressures and has four sacks on the season. Mack ranks third in quarterback pressures among linebackers over the past 11 weeks.Its been pretty cool to see the transition from the game moving fast to it starting to slow down, and Im starting to key a lot of different things and read a lot of different things and see how people are scheming, and pretty much knowing how the game works at this level, Mack said.Macks growing comfort level has led to more ways he can be used by defensive co-ordinator Jason Tarver. After starting the season mostly as a strongside linebacker, Mack now moves around the defence to get the best possible matchup and to confuse opposing quarterbacks.Buffalos Kyle Orton appeared flustered by the constant pressure Mack applied this past week from all different areas of the field.Weve been able to move him more and more, Tarver said. But whats great about Khalil is hes a one-time correction young man. He can see it once he does it. Hes very conscious of what hes doing, so when he sees it he remembers the play and you say, Hey, what did you feel here? or, What did you do? Next time you feel that, do this. Hes got it.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Derrius Guice Redskins Jersey . Jim Leyland, in his eighth playoffs, has never had a starting rotation he trusts as much as the grouping of Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez and Doug Fister. Troy Apke Jersey . Hawkins severely sprained his left ankle while making a diving catch during training camp and went on injured reserve with a designation he could return midway through the season. He was back at practice Wednesday. http://www.authenticshopredskins.com/Authentic_Jonathan_Allen_Redskins_Jersey/ . Louis, MO (SportsNetwork.BROOKLYN - The Toronto Raptors will try to capture their first best-of-seven series in franchise history and advance into the second round of the 2013-14 NBA Playoffs this evening when they face the Brooklyn Nets in Game 6 at Barclays Center. You can watch live coverage now on TSN, TSN GO and TSN Radio 1050. Also, TSN.ca will feature live streaming of the fan festivities at Maple Leaf Square and the post-game news conferences. The only time the Raptors advanced in the postseason came in 2001 when they defeated the New York Knicks, 3-2. They fell to the Philadelphia 76ers in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals that year, but since have failed to get out of the first round the three other times they made the playoffs. "I think we understand the intensity, weve learned that," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said after practice on Thursday. "Its hard in this league because so much is on the line. Were a young team. Its a positive for these guys to go through this." The Raptors took the series lead with a 115-113 home win on Wednesday. Any win is important, but Toronto watched a 26-point lead evaporate before finally securing the victory. "We did everything wrong you could think of in the fourth quarter," Casey said. "This was a learning experience." The Nets appeared ready to pack it in as they began the fourth quarter in a 91-69 hole and had Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett watching from the bench. Somehow, the combination of Joe Johnson, Deron Williams and an unproven bench totaled 44 points over the final 12 minutes to make things veryy interesting. DaRon Payne Redskins Jersey. Mirza Teletovic opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer and converted a three-point play on the ensuing possession to jump-start a 19-3 run that trimmed the Nets deficit to 97-91. Johnson knocked down an open 3-pointer with 3:19 left to pull even at 101-101, and it was knotted at 106-106 prior to a huge 3-pointer from Torontos Kyle Lowry. Two DeMar DeRozan free throws stretched the margin to 113-108, though Alan Andersons second four-point play of the quarter gave the Nets hope inside 10 seconds to play. After DeRozan sank two clutch free throws for a three-point game, the Raptors fouled Andray Blatche, who made his first free throw and grabbed his own rebound after intentionally missing the second. Blatches pass back to the top of the key, however, went over Williams head and into the backcourt for a violation, and the Raptors barely hung on for the win. "Hopefully, this put us on high alert," said Casey. Lowry led the way with 36 points behind six 3-pointers, including the gigantic go-ahead one with 1:04 remaining. DeRozan added 23 points and Jonas Valanciunas chipped in with 16 for Toronto, Johnson paced Brooklyn with 30 points, Teletovic added 17 off the bench while Williams and Anderson each netted 13 in the setback. "The guys fought," Nets head coach Jason Kidd said. "They put us in a position to win on the road, but we didnt do the little things." If the Nets can force Game 7, it will be on Sunday at the Air Canada Centre. If Toronto prevails on Friday, the Raptors will meet the Miami Heat in the second round. Wholesale NFL Womens Jerseys China Womens NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Autographed Jerseys Jerseys NFL China Youth NFL Jerseys Wholesale Youth NFL Jerseys Cheap ' ' '