oot it. There will be a time when they will be excellent shooter

MINNEAPOLIS -- Aaron Rodgers has two NFL MVP awards and one Super Bowl ring, and hes in his ninth season as the starter for Green Bay.Sam Bradford was never on a winning team over his first six years in the league. He had 15 days to learn Minnesotas offense, then lost his Hall of Fame caliber running back to injury in the third quarter.Guess who was the more productive quarterback on Sunday night?Bradfords debut was almost as dazzling as the new $1.1 billion building itself. He completed 22 of 31 passes for 286 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers to lead the Vikings to a 17-14 victory over the Packers.We won, and at the end of the day thats all that matters, Bradford said.The new guy was sharp, though, and that matters a lot for the Vikings and their Super Bowl aspirations that took a hit when Teddy Bridgewater went down on Aug. 30 with a massive injury to his left knee. That triggered the bold trade with Philadelphia to bring in Bradford.He was the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft for a reason, Vikings cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said. He was born for something like this.Bradford and emerging weapon Stefon Diggs moved the ball just enough, and the defense did the rest, harassing Rodgers for five sacks and two fourth-quarter turnovers that quashed the comeback and sent the crowd of 66,813 into a deafening frenzy in celebration of the first regular season game at U.S. Bank Stadium.Anytime you join a new locker room, its not easy at first, Bradford said. These guys have had my back from day one.Adrian Peterson limped off in the third quarter with a right knee injury, but the Vikings (2-0) proved they still have a lot of options. Diggs caught nine passes for 182 yards and a score. Kyle Rudolph hauled in the first touchdown . They held the Packers (1-1) to 65 total yards in the first half, withstanding an early touchdown pass by Rodgers to Jordy Nelson on a drive aided by two penalties by cornerback Terence Newman.Rodgers, who ran for 29 yards and a touchdown, had trouble finding a rhythm. He was 12 for 21 for 154 yards in the second half, but the turnovers were costly. Instead, the Bradford-Diggs connection looked like it had been honed for half of a decade.When I first got here and started watching tape, he just kind of popped, Bradford said. You just kind of notice him. Hes always getting separation. He seems to always be finding a way to get open.Here are the other top takeaways from the game:PETERSONS STATUS: Peterson left the stadium on crutches with a brace on his right leg. Zimmer said he was told the injury had already calmed down afterward, but the MRI exam on Monday will be the true test.He might miss a week. I dont know if he will or not, Zimmer said.Peterson has netted only 50 yards on 31 rushes this season.RODGERS SAYS R-E-L-A-X: Nelsons return has been a boost, but Green Bays offense has still been missing the quick-strike, big-play ability it has long had under Rodgers. The Packers are still seeking their timing between Rodgers, Nelson, new tight end Jared Cook and the rest of the receivers.Rodgers, who finished 20 for 36 for 213 yards, targeted Nelson 11 times but completed only five passes to him for 73 yards. Rodgers has a 57.1 completion percentage through two games, the lowest of his career since hes become a starter. The Packers were tied for last in the NFC last season with 5.7 yards per pass attempt, and theyre at 5.0 now.I think were close, at times, Rodgers said. We just need to figure out what that identity is.WAYNES WORLD: With Xavier Rhodes sidelined for a second straight game because of a knee injury, Trae Waynes again became the workhorse cornerback.The second-year player held his own, notwithstanding the pass interference and holding penalties he took on the same drive in the third quarter as the Packers moved to the 13 but turned the ball over on downs. Then came the interception at the Minnesota 41 with 1:50 left that sealed the victory.I was just fortunate to be in the right spot at the right time, Waynes said.SECONDARY STRUGGLES: With starter Sam Shields still recovering from a concussion and rookie Josh Hawkins also out, Green Bay suited up three cornerbacks, though safety Micah Hyde was also used in coverage. Damarious Randall had a tough time matching up with Diggs, who had nine catches for 182 yards.After allowing 320 yards passing by Blake Bortles in the opening win at Jacksonville, the Packers were vulnerable again against Bradford. They gave up gains of 44 and 46 yards to Diggs, who was clearly in sync with his new passer.When quarterbacks and receivers are on time, Randall said, theyre very tough to stop.LOUD CROWD: After playing the last two seasons outside at TCF Bank Stadium, the Vikings have moved into the controlled climate that should help their passing attack. Most importantly, a stout defense can only be more dangerous when buoyed by the noise enhanced by the roof of the ship-shaped stadium.The Packers handled the distraction relatively well, but the new building could prove to be louder than the old Metrodome and ought to be one of the noisiest places to play in the league.This building was rocking, Bradford said. Our fans were tremendous.---Online:AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL coverage on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Dave Campbell on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DaveCampbellAP Authentic NBA Jerseys Cheap .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift. Cheap Jerseys . With the first unit struggling of late and Amir Johnson - one of the teams iron men - hobbling on an injured right ankle, Patterson knew he could get the nod in a challenging matchup against one of the leagues up and coming players at his position. http://www.nbajerseyschinawholesale.com/ . Soukalova missed only one target and completed the 15-kilometre course in 40 minutes, 32.6 seconds for both victories in this seasons individual discipline. Darya Domracheva of Belarus was second, 34. NFL Jerseys From China . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . Carey Price didnt, but he still came out on top against one of his rivals for the No. 1 job at the Sochi Games. The Anahim Lake, B.C., native was stellar in making 39 saves in his home province and Lars Eller got credit for a bizarre short-handed winner as the Canadiens defeated the Canucks 4-1. LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Josh Jackson has been hearing people talk about his herky-jerky jump shot for years, ever since he was a hot young prospect with an elite combination of size, athleticism and natural scoring ability.Then, the Kansas freshman started getting grief from his own teammates.I remember giving him a lot of crap this summer about him not being able to shoot, said sophomore guard Devonte Graham, who has one of the sweetest strokes in college basketball.It was just, when he first came in and we were playing pick-up, Graham continued, we were trying to get in his head. But I think that he got in the gym and started putting up shots, and it looks weird but it goes in, so I mean, Im going to tell him to keep shooting.Jackson represents a unique paradox for high-level college basketball coaches.On the one hand, the 6-foot-8 forward is likely to be a top-five pick in the NBA draft, if not the No. 1 selection. Hes capable of pouring in points by the dozen, his rebounding ability gives opposing teams fits, and his hustle makes him especially unique for a one-and-done player.On the other hand, his shot would make just about any basketball coach cringe. It starts low, has a pronounced hitch on the way up, and the release point makes it look like hes shooting from the hip.Yet it usually goes in. So, do you allow Jackson to refine a shot that has generally worked so far, or do you risk wrecking everything to smooth it out in an effort to raise his ceiling even higher?To me its a little bit different getting to the, you know, setting it before he shoots it, but once he gets there, its as good as anybody elses, Jayhawks coach Bill Self said. Its soft, and certainly he has improved it, but thats going to be the question on him by a lot of people is can he be consistent. But I think hes mechanically sound enough that he can be consistent.Self is hardly the only Division I coach to be forced into this predicament.Perhaps the most infamous case in recent history is Michael Kidd-Gilchrest, whose shot was only a bit wonky when he arrived at Kentucky. The coaching staff tried to straighten things out and Kidd-Gilchrest kept getting more crooked, and by the time he was in the NBA, he looked like a corkscrew taking a shot.Baylor has had to tweak several shots over the years, including Epke Udoh, who wound up being the sixth pick in the draft, and Quincy Acy, whose shot was so ugly that dunking was his only offense.If they are efficient at what they do, were not going to mess with them, Baylor coach Scott Drew said. If its where they need major reconstruction, then we would rather do that than if someones a good shooter, try to tweak things to make them a great shooter, and now all of a sudden you make them an average shooter.Rico Gathers needed a full-blown reconstruction. The now-departed Baylor big man, Drew joked, still has the record for worst free-throw perceentage in the history of the Peach Jam prep basketball tournament.ddddddddddddThere is a fine line, Drew explained, and everybody knows theres certain things youre always going to want. Youre going to want them to hold their follow-through, you want them to have a good base.In short, its the BEEF method of shooting that most kids learn in elementary school: B for balance, E for eyes on the target, E for elbow straight and F for the follow-through.But even if players start down the right path, its easy to go awry. Elite players tend to fall back on what feels most comfortable, particularly if theyre playing pick-up games or on the AAU circuit, where coaches might not hammer down on the details to keep things in line.My dad would always have the philosophy that once somebody gets into the ninth grade, if they love the game, youre not going to be able to change their shot a whole lot, said Arizonas Sean Miller, whose father John is a Pennsylvania coaching icon. Its really a crucial time to get the fundamentals straight.Because once they reach college, it is difficult to iron things out.There are class demands. Social lives. And even when a player gets on the court, precious practice time is spent on scouting reports, running through offensive sets and implementing game plans.There simply isnt time to make wholesale changes to a players shot.The best most coaches hope for are a few tweaks.We really try to focus on footwork, Miller said. We have a number of freshmen right now that, if you watched them shoot every day, they have a really beautiful-looking shot. They can really shoot it. There will be a time when they will be excellent shooters. But in games, when theres five-on-five and the balls moving and they move, they shoot three or four different ways. They are never on balance.What you can really change, and what they start to see, is the value of their footwork, where you want to shoot it the same way every time. If you have good balance, I think you improve as a shooter.That happens to be one of the things Jackson is working on at Kansas.With help from assistant coach Kurtis Townsend, hes been spending spare minutes in practicing refining his footwork, along with spreading his fingers on the ball to create a more solid base. The hope is that the subtle changes will improve the repeatability of his rather unorthodox shot.I can say Ive received some really good tips in the past, and hopefully Ill receive some in the future, Jackson said. Its really just muscle-memory, being comfortable and having confidence in it.---AP Sports Writers John Marshall in Tucson, Arizona, and Stephen Hawkins in Waco, Texas, contributed to this report.---More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 . ' ' '