LAKE FOREST Miles Boykin Jersey , Ill. (AP) — insisted this week he is no fan of smokescreens. Now, it’s time to find out if he was putting one up.The Bears figure to have a chance to add a top running back and core player to a team that won the NFC North in coach Matt Nagy’s first season when they make their first pick of the draft in the third round on Friday night.The first day was as quiet as expected with Pace making no stunning trade to jump into the opening round. But things figure to pick up, with Chicago owning the No. 87 overall pick.That is also when everyone else could find out how serious Pace was Tuesday when he insisted the Bears “feel good” about the running backs they have,“I don’t spend a ton of time and energy into putting out those smokescreens or misleading (information),” said Pace, who was not available for comment on Thursday as the first round wrapped up. “This time of year I think it’s OK to be a little boring in these moments and we can have more thorough discussions after the draft.”Pace might have been putting one up when he dismissed the idea that the Bears were zeroing in on a running back in the draft after trading Jordan Howard to Philadelphia last month.Howard didn’t quite fit in a system favoring pass-catching running backs and set career lows in yards rushing (935) and attempts (250) in his third season. But he still had more combined carries than the running backs currently on Chicago’s roster — Tarik Cohen, Mike Davis, Taquan Mizzell Sr. and Ryan Nall. Even with receiver Cordarrelle Patterson getting some carries, there still is room for a running back.Pace hasn’t drafted one higher than the fourth round since he was hired in 2015. Howard was a fifth-rounder who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2016 and ran for more than 1,100 yards in each of his first two seasons.If he goes that route at No. 87, his options could include Alabama’s Damien Harris, Penn State’s Miles Sanders Deandre Baker Jersey , Oklahoma’s Rodney Anderson, Oklahoma State’s Justice Hill and Iowa State’s David Montgomery.No matter what they do, the Bears came into the draft in a much different spot than they were a year ago.They ended a run of four straight last-place finishes and made the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 season. A big catalyst was the blockbuster trade with Oakland for All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack.The Bears sent this year’s first-round pick — No. 24 — to the Raiders. They dealt their second-rounder to New England when they traded up in last year’s draft to get receiver Anthony Miller.That leaves Chicago with one pick each in the third, fourth and fifth rounds plus two seventh-rounders. Las Vegas may have placed the odds dramatically against the Carolina Panthers advancing any further this post-season, but the Seattle Seahawks are not be taking their divisional playoff match this Saturday lightly. Pete Carroll told the Charlotte Observer this week that Seattle was “lucky to get away with a win” in their Oct. 26 meeting in Charlotte, a narrow 13-9 victory made possible by a Wilson-Willson connection with 47 seconds remaining.In fact, the past three match-ups between Carolina and Seattle have been nail-biters in the Seahawks’ favour, with a margin of victory smaller than a touchdown in each game. All three of those games were hosted by Carolina however, who haven’t visited the Emerald City since 2010 — long before the new age of Seahawk football, which has allowed visiting opponents only a pair of wins in the past three seasons.Both teams enter the contest on a roll — Seattle on a six-game winning streak, with wins in nine of their last 10 games, and Carolina with five in a row after turning things around following a disastrous October/November. That said http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-oshane-ximines-jersey , none of those five victories should have posed a threat to any playoff-bound team: four teams below .500 and an Arizona Cardinals club forced to once again start third-string QB Ryan Lindley. Seattle, meanwhile, faced tougher opponents down the stretch and were able to post road victories in Philadelphia and San Francisco.So can the Panthers manage to keep things close on Seattle’s home turf? Will Russell Wilson’s dual-threat prowess prove too much for Sean McDermott’s defence? Is the Seahawks’ league-best D — Bobby Wagner, in particular — strong enough to keep sizzling Panthers’ RB Jonathan Stewart in check? More importantly, will the great Seattle-Charlotte mayoral wager see Seattle mayor Ed Murray send a gift basket of grunge-rock vinyl to North Carolina?Why Seattle can win: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY SportsIt’s no secret that Cam Newton is not having a season for the ages: career lows for yards passing and rushing, the most turnovers since his rookie campaign and an 82.1 quarterback rating (also a career-low). A perennial late-season bloomer, Newton and the Panthers once again turned things around in December. But after a four-touchdown statement game against New Orleans, Newton was hit with another setback when he sustained two fractures in his back when his truck rolled over in Charlotte.But with three solid starts under his belt since the accident, Newton is getting back on track. Still, it was clear in last week’s game against Arizona that he is not 100%, grimacing after getting popped on more than one occasion. Seattle needs to get after him right from the kick-off and administer a few good licks from the start. CenturyLink Field is a hell of a venue for Newton’s first NFL post-season game on the road, and Seattle’s 12th Man won’t be going easy on him. When hurried Julian Love Jersey , Newton’s passes often stray from the target, as we saw as recently as last week. Seattle’s pass rush needs to be on its game, and with DT Jordan Hill going down with a calf-pull, Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett will be in the spotlight. Seahawks defence will also have to keep on its toes and watch for the option, or another Panther-esque trick play.On offense, Russell Wilson should keep doing what he does best: keep the defense guessing every single play. There’s no doubt this will be a brutal, hard-hitting game on both sides, so Wilson will need to be quick in the pocket. WR Paul Richardson would be an ideal target against the Panthers’ defense — if he can turn on the jets like he has the last four games, Wilson can air-mail the ball all the quicker.The return of two-time Pro Bowl center Max Unger is monumental for the Seahawks offensive line. Unger, who was sidelined with an ankle injury in October, was just one of eventually four Seahawks to slot in at centre this season. His return will come as a relief for Russell Wilson, who carried a heavier responsibility of setting blocking assignments in his absence. The run game will also benefit- without Unger http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-darius-slayton-jersey , the Seahawks averaged nearly 50 fewer rushing yards per game. Even his presence should bring comfort and reassurance to an already-shaky offensive line.Why Carolina can win: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY SportsIf the Panthers can feed off of last week’s record-breaking defensive effort that saw them allow only 78 total yards, they’ll be getting off to a good start. Granted they weren't up against an offensive powerhouse, but any momentum heading into Seattle is in their favour. Luke Kuechly had a strong game with an interception and 10 tackles, and it will be largely up to him in keeping Marshawn Lynch’s beast mode under wraps. Lynch has been given fewer touches in the last three games, but he has been just as effective, notching at least one touchdown each game.It may be a gamble but Carolina needs to apply pressure on Russell Wilson early in the game and get him scrambling. While his presence as a dual threat is a weapon to be wary, there is no room for conservative play against this offense. Seattle led the NFL in penalties for a second straight season, so if the Panthers can draw offensive flags and hem them back on a few fourth downs, it could provide the break they need.Perhaps the best game plan on defense is to keep Wilson on the sidelines as much as possible (no I don’t mean to go for his knees!). Jonathan Stewart has been on fire leading up to the playoffs, so feed him the ball and work the ground game. Eat up the clock and keep the chains moving. The Panthers, obviously, want to play and win with their own game Quinnen Williams Jersey , but every second the Seahawks offense watches on the sidelines is a small victory. Not only were Jamaal Charles and DeMarco Murray the only two running backs with 100+ rushing yards against Seattle this year, they led their team to victory for two of the Seahawks’ four losses.If the defense can keep the game close, then Newton needs to have the game of his life to complete an upset for the ages. I’m not just talking performance — he needs to step up and lead his team over the noise of the crowd. He needs to extend plays with his legs, work the clock intelligently and stay cool under pressure. Most importantly, he needs to play his game and not be (too) intimidated by the Legion of Boom — although a little intimidation is okay, smart even.
