NEWARK, N.J. -- Matt Prater was at home in bed late last week, trying to recover from a nasty illness, when he flipped on his TV. There at the bottom of the screen was a line that made him feel even more queasy: "It said, Matt Prater questionable for Super Bowl," the Denver Broncos kicker said with a laugh during media day Tuesday. "I was like, Where is that coming from? It was definitely strange, but I guess for the Super Bowl, everythings a big deal." Prater found that out firsthand after he missed practices from last Thursday through Saturday when he was sent home by the team so he could recover in time for this week -- and not get any of his teammates sick. "Im feeling a lot better and I should be fine Sunday," Prater said, showing no signs of sniffles from the flu bug that he couldnt kick for a few days. "I mean, I wasnt dying. I was definitely really sick and I was basically useless for four days. I felt like a truck hit me, but I wouldve still tried to play in the Super Bowl even if I was sick." The big-legged kicker who set an NFL record with a 64-yarder on Dec. 8 in Denver wasnt concerned about the chances of not being at full strength for the big game against Seattle. Prater kicked Monday at practice for the first time since the AFC championship game against New England. "I didnt feel too rusty," Prater said. Prater is 30 of 31 on field-goal attempts this season, including 5-for-5 in the playoffs. The only miss was a 52-yarder that was barely wide left on Dec. 1 at Kansas City. The next week at Denver, he booted the record-breaker in icy conditions. "I remember the first time he kicked a ball in front of me and it jumped off his foot, I was amazed how hard he kicked it," said second-year long snapper Aaron Brewer. "Its comforting to know he can kick it from anywhere." Prater also led the NFL with 81 touchbacks and was 12 of 12 in kickoff touchbacks in the Broncos two home playoff games. It will have been five weeks by the time the Super Bowl rolls around since the Broncos special teams unit covered a kickoff. So, Praters leg strength could be a factor if hes not ready to boom kicks out of the end zone. The site and conditions could also play a role. In the Broncos game against the Giants at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 15, five of Praters eight kickoffs were returned, his season-low touchback rate -- and that was in 70-degree, sunny conditions with minimal wind. The temperatures are expected to be in the 30s around kickoff Sunday. "I feel pretty good," Prater said. "I just need to get my bearings back a little bit. Maybe it was good to have a few days off. Im just hoping to get completely healthy and be ready for Sunday." Prater plans to line up from about 65 yards out before the game, just to gauge his range. The fact MetLife Stadium has FieldTurf is a plus, too, because it provides what he called "perfect conditions" no matter the weather. With the Broncos top-ranked offence going up against the Seahawks No. 1 defence, theres a chance it could be a tight game that comes down to a field-goal attempt. "Weve done it so many times and Matts so good that I almost feel like theres no pressure on me and all the pressures on him," said punter Britton Colquitt, whos also the holder on field goals. "He even says, I dont care about the laces or anything. Just put it down, and Ill kick it. Hes very confident." And for good reason. Prater, in his seventh season with the Broncos, has converted 47 of 50 career field goals in the fourth quarter, and is 4 for 4 in overtime. He also has the best field-goal percentage from 50-plus yards (.778, 21 of 27) in league history among players with 20 or more attempts who began their careers after 1970. Despite all those gaudy stats and clutch kicks, Prater would rather Peyton Manning and the Broncos offence make it a rout Sunday. "It would be an awesome game if Im just kicking extra points," he said, laughing. "Ill take a three-touchdown win." Kevin Durant Shoes From China .com) - Scott Parel carded a 5-under 65 on Thursday and he grabbed a 1-stroke lead after one round of the season-opening Panama Claro Championship. Kevin Durant Shoes Free Shipping . Teams one through twenty competing in Englands top flight are each fatally flawed. A wide-open, highly competitive and mistake-filled season has followed. https://www.kevindurantshoescheap.com/ .C. -- Al Jefferson knows few people will be giving the Charlotte Bobcats a chance to upset the Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Wholesale Kevin Durant Shoes . Both sides of the deal have formally announced acquisitions: TFC introduced Jozy Altidore as a designated player on Friday, while their counterparts announced a three-and-a-half-year deal with Jermain Defoe. Kevin Durant Shoes Outlet . As TSN reported Thursday, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport is under intense pressure from the federal government to focus drug testing on athletes who compete in international events representing Canada. Since funding for the tests has been frozen and the cost of testing can eclipse $1,000 per test, university athletes in a number of sports are being tested less often.SEATTLE -- Not that it should come as a surprise, but Seattle is still crazy about its Super Bowl champion Seahawks. The latest example came Sunday when an announced crowd of 22,000 turned out at Safeco Field for Richard Shermans charity softball game. After being played in a minor league baseball park in Tacoma last season, Shermans event filled the entire lower bowl of the Seattle Mariners home stadium from one foul pole to the other. Shermans event featured a litany of Seahawks teammates, including quarterback Russell Wilson, defensive end Michael Bennett, wide receiver Doug Baldwin and safety Earl Thomas. Also playing was Kobe Bryant, who said he hadnt swung a bat in 20 years. It certainly didnt look that way in his first at-bat, with Bryant hitting a solo homer over the temporary fence in the outfield. "I respect these guys tremendously and its humbling, its not something you can put into words," Sherman said before the game started. "You dont wake up one day and be like Im going to have Kobe Bryant, Nate Robinson, Lawyer Milloy playing in my softball gamee, and Macklemore.dddddddddddd Its something that happened and youre numb to the feeling until like years later when you realize that was a pretty incredible event." Sherman was able to draw from a wide cross section of Seattle sports stars to participate in the event to benefit his foundation. Along with current NBA players Bryant, Robinson and Jamal Crawford, former Seattle SuperSonics stars Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton took part, as did Chris Hansen, the investor hoping to bring the NBA back to Seattle. "Hes a psycho like me," Bryant said of Sherman. "I think its just mutual respect and I have a great amount of respect for people who work at their craft. When him and I met, we just talked and hit it off." Bryant said it was his first time back in Seattle since the departure of the SuperSonics for Oklahoma City after the 2008 season. After earlier saying the Eagles were his favourite NFL team, Bryant admitted he needed to make up for that statement. "Ive always enjoyed coming here. Id much rather come here in the post-season than Oklahoma," Bryant said. ' ' '
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