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There is almost nothing that happens to the Indianapolis Colts that isnt a direct cause of, or has a direct effect on, Andrew Luck. The third-year quarterback has more than lived up to the expectations left by his predecessor Peyton Manning and his early success is only raising the bar each season. Lucks 8,196 passing yards are the most for a quarterback through his first two NFL seasons and his 22 wins are second all-time behind another third-year quarterback, Seattles Russell Wilson. After bringing a two-win team to 11 wins in his first season and winning the AFC South in his sophomore year, is it third times a charm for Luck and the Colts in 2014? That is still to be determined. What can be said for sure is he is one year older and the conductor of what could be one of the leagues most dangerous wide receiver trios in 2014. At the tender age of 35, Reggie Wayne is ready to reclaim his place as the Colts No. 1 receiver just 10 and a half months after tearing his ACL. “I feel like I kind of left them hanging a little bit last year, so I want to be back out there with my teammates,” he said at the end of June. Wayne had one of his most prolific seasons in 2012 – Lucks rookie year – catching 106 passes for 1,355 yards, but managed just seven games last season due to the career-threatening injury. Its hard to believe Wayne will be in the physical shape he was as a ripe 24-year-old, but the happy and hungry six-time Pro Bowler believes he has some gas left in the tank. “This has probably been the healthiest Ive been probably since 02,” Wayne said. “One blessing I do take out of last year is maybe it was time for me to kind of let my body heal a little bit…and Ive done that.” But Wayne isnt the only veteran itching to return to form in blue and white. Six-year receiver Hakeem Nicks joined the Colts as an unrestricted free agent a week after hinting a desire to move to Indianapolis in March. “I would be dangerous with a quarterback like Andrew Luck," Nicks told ESPN.com. Nicks spent the first six years of his career with the New York Giants, collecting consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in 2010 and 2011 as well as catching 10 passes for 109 yards in the Giants Super Bowl XLVI triumph over the New England Patriots in February 2012. At 6-foot-1, Nicks will likely be most dangerous as a red zone target, where the Colts connected on just 56 per cent of their opportunities in 2013. Two seasoned receivers expected to attract a fair amount of attention from opposing defences will open doors for another third-year superstar, T.Y. Hilton. The more likely scenario for the electrifying Hilton is that he opens up space for the rest of the pass attack. “Weve got some new things that we want to do,” T.Y. Hilton told JMV on ESPN 1070 The Fan two weeks before the start of training camp. “Right now we are just getting everyone caught up to pace… we are going to be 100 miles per hour with the playbook.” Hilton has already racked up a stunning 10 100-yard receiving games in his first two seasons, tied for second most in NFL history. His 1,083 yards in 2013 were 475 more than the Colts next leading receiver, tight end Coby Fleener. Hiltons 82 receptions were also 30 more than Fleeners 52. The Miami native also established himself as a lethal deep threat last season with seven catches of more than thirty yards and three of 50 or more, including a 73-yard touchdown in Week 5 against the Seahawks. Like Luck, Hilton doesnt intend on slowing down. “It has been incredible,” Hilton said at his inaugural childrens football summer camp on July 12. “Im just enjoying the ride. Enjoying the moment. Thats what its all about, and Im still learning.” For the second half of the 2013 campaign – after Waynes season-ending injury – Luck was throwing to receivers with a grand total of zero 1,000-yard campaigns, including a sophomore Hilton. In 2014, should Hilton, Nicks and Wayne be in the starting lineup in the season opener on Sept. 7 against the Denver Broncos, Luck will begin his quest for footballs ultimate prize with 11 combined 1,000-yard seasons on the résumés of his top three wide receivers. Bombs away! GROUND AND POUND When the Colts traded away their 2014 first-round pick for Trent Richardson two games into last season, it can be safe to say they were hoping for the player who was once considered one of the NFLs top running back prospects in recent memory. They were hoping for the player who collected 950 yards and 11 touchdowns in his rookie season in 2012. What they got was a shadow of Richardsons potential. His 157 carries in 14 games in Indianapolis netted a measly 2.9 yards per carry and three touchdowns. By comparison, Luck ran for four touchdowns. "It was ambitious to think that he could come in -- What was it? -- Week 3 or 4 last year, and pick it up to hit the ground running,” Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton said during the teams off-season workouts in mid-July. “It was one of those situations where the defence knew when we put him in the game that more than likely we were running the football and they were packing the box. He was faced with some tremendously tough looks, but hell be better in 2014." Or so they hope. TIGHT SHIP In addition to an obviously talented group of wide receivers, the Colts have another offensive dimension in third-year tight ends Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener. Allen, who played 32 snaps last season before suffering a season-ending hip injury, is hoping to return to his rookie form where he caught 45 passes for 521 yards and a touchdown in 2012. The Colts, and tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts, see Allens return as a new beginning. “Getting him back is like getting a brand new player,” Roberts said, via the teams website on July 10. “His skillset allows us to protect it up, or throw it or run it when we see the advantage.” In Fleener, the Colts have a growing product that caught 52 passes for 608 yards and four touchdowns in his sophomore season. The is 6-foot-6, 244 lbs. Lemont, Illinois native doubled his receptions, yards and touchdowns over the first two years of his pro career and is poised to go even higher. OLD GUARD DOG Robert Mathis, a six-time Pro Bowler, is a beacon of consistency. The outside linebacker, and oldest member of the Colts defence, has missed 13 regular-season games since he first broke into the NFL in 2003. However, coming off one of the best seasons of his career in which he led the NFL with 19.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles, the 33-year-old will be forced to miss four more to start the 2014 season after using a fertility drug banned by the NFL due to its performance-enhancing properties. The Colts will have to make do without the heart and soul of their defence for four games, but the club certainly isnt concerned about Mathis when he returns. "He only knows one speed," Colts GM Ryan Grigson told the Indy Star in June. "Theres never any throttling back, no matter what. He always sets the tone and the precedent out there, how you do this, how you work, how you practice.” "Hes a guy who doesnt miss." Cheap Baseball Jerseys Authentic . Joining him in this years class were Switzerlands Patrick Huerlimann and Norways Eigil Ramsfjell. The announcement was made at the world mens curling championship at Capital Indoor Stadium in China. Wholesale Nike Baseball Jerseys . -- Sami Salo joked that as the shootout went on and on, one thing went through his mind: "Youve got to tie up your skates. https://www.fakebaseballjerseys.com/ . When New Zealand finally held on for an 8-7 win, France No. 8 Imanol Harinordoquy collapsed to the ground, having given every drop of energy he could muster, and lay prone as All Blacks danced around him in celebration. Few critics had given France any chance, but coach Marc Lievremonts team rallied from 8-0 down and came within one kick of taking the lead with 15 minutes remaining, only for flyhalf Francois Trinh-Ducs 49-meter effort to drift wide. Cheap Nike Baseball Jerseys . Its been two seasons in one for both parties and neither will look back on the first 18 games fondly. "I think I took the fall for a lot of things," said Gay, reflecting on his short time in Toronto ahead of Wednesdays game against his former club. Fake Nike Baseball Jerseys . Bouchard went down to a 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 defeat at the hands of Svitolina in her opening match at the Sony Open on Friday. Bouchard got the rivalry going two years ago when she won the junior Wimbledon title over Svitolina.NEW YORK -- When the ball went up, Brian McCann thought it was the second out of the inning. And when it came down, the Yankees had a three-game sweep. Jacoby Ellsbury got four hits and scored the winning run in the ninth on McCanns pop-fly single that dropped near three Cincinnati Reds in shallow right field, giving New York a 3-2 victory Sunday. "Ill take it, for sure," McCann said with a laugh. "I saw that everybody was looking at each other. So there was a chance, and luckily for us it fell." Ellsbury and Derek Jeter each had an RBI single in the fifth inning for the Yankees. Hiroki Kuroda outpitched Cincinnati ace Johnny Cueto and left with a 2-1 lead before Todd Fraziers tying homer off Dellin Betances in the eighth. Ellsbury also stole two bases and made a sliding catch in centre field that saved a run. "He can do anything on the baseball field. He showed all his tools today. He does this on a nightly basis," McCann said. Ellsbury reached safely all five times up, including a leadoff single in the ninth against Aroldis Chapman (0-3). Before that, left-handed hitters had been 1 for 18 with 12 strikeouts against the hard-throwing Cuban this season. Ellsbury got a great jump and swiped second without a throw. He reached third on a wild pitch before Chapman struck out Mark Teixeira with a 101 mph fastball. McCann, another left-handed batter, lifted a popup that barely reached the outfield grass behind first base. But with the infield playing in, Frazier and second baseman Skip Schumaker scurried back trying to get under the ball as Jay Bruce rushed in from right field. "It is anybodys ball," Frazier said. "If you can get to it, it is your ball." All three appeared to have a hard time finding it in the air, however, and the ball landed untouched. Ellsbury alertly saw what was happening and dashed home easily as McCann stood on first base with his arms raised. "You dont see that too often," Ellsbury said. "Its just a read that you have to make pretty quick." Chapman stared out toward shallow right field, where Frazier, Schumaker and Bruce were practically frozen in disbelief. "Just one of those things -- I thought I was under it and I was not," Frazier said. "By the time the ball was coming down it was already too late so, I made a mistake, turned my body the wrong way and, one of those things where I should have caught it." Centre fielder Billy Hamilton had trouble with the sun earlier, allowing Ellsburys seventh-inning flyy to fall for a double.dddddddddddd David Robertson (1-2) pitched a perfect ninth. It was New Yorks second walk-off win this season and the fifth game-ending hit for McCann -- his first since a home run for Atlanta against Houston on May 17, 2011. The 39-year-old Kuroda gave up three hits and no earned runs over 6 2-3 innings in his 200th major league appearance. "He was great," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Did a wonderful job today." After losing their sixth straight road game, a season high, the Reds are 2-5 without injured sluggers Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips. Cueto threw 112 pitches in five innings, matching his shortest start this season. "I felt really strong today," he said through a translator. "I would have kept going even with the amount of pitches I had." Frazier won a matchup of All-Stars when he lofted Betances full-count pitch into the left-field corner, just beyond the 318-foot sign. It was the first home run at Yankee Stadium for Frazier, who grew up about 85 miles away in Toms River, New Jersey. He pumped his fists at home plate and received hearty high-fives in the dugout. Betances has allowed two homers in 58 1-3 innings this season. "I think we were all a little bit shocked when it happened," Girardi said. Moments earlier, Schumaker made a costly baserunning mistake. He singled to start the inning and, with Frazier at the plate, took off trying to steal second before Betances began his delivery. The big right-hander stepped off the rubber, and Schumaker was tagged out after a long rundown. Schumaker, just off the seven-day concussion disabled list, had an RBI double with two outs in the fifth. It was Cincinnatis only hit in 22 at-bats with runners in scoring position during the series. "They just outplayed us," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "Some of the things that happened in the series (were) unfortunate." NOTES: Frazier, an All-Star third baseman this season, made his eighth start of the year at first and robbed Teixeira of a first-inning hit with a diving stop at the bag. ... Cincinnati is 3-8 in interleague games. ... Yankees RF Ichiro Suzuki snapped an 0-for-18 slump with a sixth-inning single. ... New York rookie Shane Greene (2-0, 1.32 ERA) starts Monday night against Texas RHP Miles Mikolas (0-2, 10.05). ... Mariano Riveras son, drafted by the Yankees in the 29th round last month, did not sign with the team before Fridays deadline. Mariano Rivera III was a sophomore starting pitcher at Iona last season. ' ' '