chance to close the series out Wednesday

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. Discount Jerseys Custom . - The Tennessee Titans have kicked their youth movement into high gear with rookie Zach Mettenberger starting at quarterback against the Houston Texans on Sunday.Jake Locker has missed three of the past four games with injuries, and coach Ken Whisenhunt said Thursday that the decision to go with Mettenberger was made Tuesday. The coach said this is an opportunity to see what the sixth-round draft pick out of LSU can do with the Titans struggling at 2-5.No question hes a talented, young player, and maybe itll give us a spark, Whisenhunt said. Offensively, we havent exactly been lighting it up, so thats part of it in consideration.Whisenhunt waited to announce the change to make sure Locker — who has been sidelined with an injured thumb — is healthy enough to back up Mettenberger. The coach also was trying to buy a day to slow down the Texans preparation for the rookie. The shake-up dropped Charlie Whitehurst, who started three of the past four games with the Titans losing two of those, to third on the depth chart.Mounting losses and injuries seemed to make the change inevitable.The Titans had stuck with Locker, the eighth pick overall in 2011, since hiring Whisenhunt in January. But Locker has missed 17 of a possible 39 starts and finished only three games this season because of injuries.Mettenberger will become the fourth rookie quarterback to start in the NFL this season, the third quarterback for Whisenhunt. The Titans already are starting left tackle Taylor Lewan, linebacker Avery Williamson and running back Bishop Sankey with Mettenberger the fourth of six draft picks to start this season.The quarterback dropped to the sixth round after tearing his left ACL on Nov. 29 playing for LSU but led the NFL this preseason with 659 yards passing. The rookie shaved the beard he started growing during training camp after practice just before talking to reporters.By no means am I a Tom Brady or a Peyton Manning, Mettenberger said as he leaned back against his locker. This is going to be my first game, so really I just got to get the ball out of my hands quick, avoid turnovers and put the ball in the (hands of) guys who can make plays for us. Really thats the biggest thing a young guys got to do.Whisenhunt had promised he would be more patient with quarterbacks in his second time around as a head coach. He reached the 2009 Super Bowl in Arizona with Kurt Warner, but the coach cycled through quarterbacks after the veteran left. Whisenhunt started Kevin Kolb, John Skelton, Ryan Lindley and finally Brian Hoyer in his final season in 2012.Once in Tennessee, he inherited Locker who was coming off a Lisfranc injury to his right foot that cost him the final seven games of the 2013 season. The Titans did not pick up Lockers option for 2015 in May, even as they stood behind him as their starter.But Locker hurt his right wrist in a loss at Cincinnati on Sept. 21. He missed a loss at Indianapolis and then started Oct. 5 against Cleveland where he threw for a touchdown and ran for another TD before hurting his right thumb on a helmet.I understood after last year I didnt know kind of how it would go and coming into this year they gave me an opportunity, Locker said. I havent been in. I havent played. Thats been kind of one of those things that Ive dealt with throughout my career, and I imagine it has something to do with that.Fans have been clamouring to see Mettenberger with the Titans losing five of their last six. This franchise also needs to give people a reason to use their tickets and come to the stadium where they have won only two of their last nine home games.Mettenberger fits the profile of the quarterback Whisenhunt has had the most success with: Pittsburghs Ben Roethlisberger. Mettenberger is 6-foot-5 and 224 pounds who can stand in the pocket, and he has a strong arm throwing for 3,082 yards last season at LSU. With Lockers injured thumb, Mettenberger also had taken some practice work with the starters over the past two weeks.He will be the first rookie this franchise has started since 2010. Rusty Smith started at Houston after Vince Young was placed on injured reserve and veteran Kerry Collins was hurt. Smith and the Titans lost 20-0.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker Discount Jerseys Wholesale . 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell. Discount Jerseys China . The 26-year-old Sobotka injured his left leg playing for the St. Louis Blues in a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. The Blues said he would not recover from the injury in time for the Olympic tournament. https://www.discountjerseysonline.com/ . Ramirez is still hitting behind Puig, only now they are in the third and fourth spots, and the change is starting to generate positive results for manager Don Mattingly.Bruce Boudreau has earned a reputation as a gambler and the Anaheim head coachs latest roll of the dice paid off in a big way. Boudreau made a surprising decision to start highly-touted goaltending prospect John Gibson in Game 4 at Los Angeles on Saturday and the 20-year-old responded by posting a 28-save shutout to help the Ducks even this Western Conference semifinals series at 2-2. Gibson and the Ducks will aim for a repeat performance when they try to take their first lead of this best-of-seven set in Mondays Game 5 against the visiting Kings. The Ducks recalled Gibson after Frederik Andersen, another rookie goaltender, was hurt late in Game 3 and had to be replaced by veteran backstop Jonas Hiller. With Andersen sidelined on Saturday, Hiller was expected to get the Game 4 start due to his playoff experience, but Boudreau instead went with Gibson, who earned rave reviews in his NHL postseason debut. "As soon as we called him up, I thought about starting him," said Boudreau. "I thought he would give us the best chance to win." Gibson had gone 3-0-0 with a 1.33 goals-against average and one whitewash in three appearances at the tail end of the regular season for the Pacific Division champions. On Saturday, he became the first rookie to post a shutout in a playoff debut since Andrew Raycroft of the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens (3-0) on April 7, 2004. "When I found out I was going to play, I was excited," Gibson said. "I knew the team had to get a win tonight." The victory knotted the series at two games apiece and continue the trend of road teams winning in this series. Los Angeles claimed Games 1 and 2 in Anaheim before the Ducks clawed their way back into the series with two straight victories at the Staples Center. Gibson will be in net again on Monday with Hiller serving as the backup. Devante Smith-Pelly and Ryan Getzlaf provided early offense for the Ducks on Saturday, as both players tallied late in the opening peeriod. Discount Jerseys Online. Anaheim improved to 23-2 all-time in the postseason when Getzlaf scores a goal. Anaheim had 11 shots in the first period, but only registered three shots on net over the final 40 minutes. The Ducks went without a shot in the middle stanza, marking the first time an NHL club was held without a shot in a playoff period since it happened to Dallas against Edmonton on May 9, 1998 in Game 2 of the WCSF. While Gibson was able to record a shutout, Kings star goaltender Jonathan Quick was pulled after the first period. Quick stopped 9-of-11 shots and Martin Jones turned aside the three shots he faced over the final two periods. Kings head coach Darryl Sutter said the decision to pull his No. 1 goaltender was a tactical one and Quick should be in net when Game 5 gets underway. "It wasnt a tough thought process. They scored two goals. I dont think our goaltending is an issue. We have to finish off our shots to be successful," offered Sutter. The Kings hadnt been blanked in a home playoff contest since May 20, 2012, a 2-0 defeat to the Phoenix Coyotes in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals. L.A. forward Anze Kopitar had his point streak halted at 10 games, as he failed to pick up a point for the first time in this postseason. He was the first King to have points in 10 straight games in one postseason since Wayne Gretzky posted a franchise-record 12-game point streak in 1993. Kopitar has four goals and 11 assists to lead all players with 15 points in this postseason. The winner of Game 5 will have a chance to close the series out Wednesday in Los Angeles. The Kings, the 2012 Stanley Cup champions, are attempting to make the conference final round for a third straight spring. Anaheim is trying to advance to the third round for the first time since claiming the franchises lone Cup title in 2007. This best-of-seven set, which had been dubbed the "Freeway Series," marks the first-ever playoff matchup between these Southern California rivals. ' ' '

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