Updates » Dallas Christian 98-54 on Friday night.Hous

The first thing most players look for when the NFL schedule comes out is the bye week. The opponents? The prime-time games? That stuff can wait. Man, tell us when we get a break. One thing to realize: NFL players are not robots and the grind of the season is real, so guys cherish their time away.Jump on a plane and get out of town -- even if only for a day or two. A weekend trip to Manhattan is nice. So are college football tailgates. And you should always try to get back home to see Mom. Grab one of those home-cooked meals and drink a beer with the old man, too.Thats really all it takes for NFL players to feel normal again.The physical toll of the game is one thing. We all understand football is going to beat you up, and everyone is hurt this time of the year. So the bye week allows players to grab some extra treatment and take a Sunday off.But what Ive always felt, and experienced as a player during my travels around the league to four different cities, is that the mental break is even more important.People forget: A lot more goes into playing this game than what you see on Sundays. Theres a new playbook install to ingrain ... every week. New scouting reports to study ... every week. New film to digest ... every week. New personnel packages to run through ... every week. New call sheets to draw up ... every week.And then you add in the meetings and the practices and the walk-throughs and the lifting and the treatment. Like I said, its a grind. By the time midseason rolls around, players almost become robotic.And when rookies hit the wall come mid-November, its more of a mental thing than a physical thing. These young cats can run all day. They arent beat up like eight-year vets yet. Heck, most of these guys are still built like rubber bands. But some arent used to the demands of the job when it comes to the prep time, the game planning or the film study. That can be a major adjustment from the college game. And by this time of the season, that mental exhaustion starts to take its toll.But even for the vets, the players who attack this daily routine like true pros, the time off is a beautiful thing. And it doesnt have to be some wild vacation.For me, it was back to Iowa a couple of times on the bye week. Watch the Hawkeyes, drink some Busch Light, see old college teammates. I loved it. And I needed it. The same when I got older in the league. Back home to Chicago, over to New York, whatever.Hey, take a two-day trip with your wife. Go watch the kids play a rec soccer game. Get to a warmer locale. Maybe a weekend in Miami for the young guys.Really, its not so much about what you do during the bye week, but what you dont do. And that means you get away from the game altogether. I know it doesnt sound like much, but you would be surprised how many players come back from this mini-break ready to play.ESPN.com NFL analyst Matt Bowen played seven seasons as a defensive back in the NFL. Replica Football Jerseys . Laudrup revealed Thursday he was notified of his dismissal in "the briefest of letters which gave no reasons why such hasty and final action was deemed necessary. Fake Football Jerseys From China .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. https://www.fakefootballjerseys.com/ . Supported by three-run homers from Jayson Werth and Wilson Ramos, the young right-hander went seven strong innings in the Washington Nationals 8-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. Fake Football Jerseys Online . The next step is a better finish. Bae played bogey-free Friday on another gorgeous day at Riviera for a 5-under 66, giving him a one-shot lead over Aaron Baddeley and Robert Garrigus going into the weekend. Football Jerseys China . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. HOUSTON -- Reveal Chukwujekwu had 15 points and Colter Lasher added 13 as Houston Baptist won its sixth straight home opener, beating Dallas Christian 98-54 on Friday night.Houston Baptist (1-2) jumped out to 15-6 lead midway of the first half and was up 39-19 at the break. The Huskies also dominated the second period, 59-35.Chukwujekwu, who was 5 of 8 from the floor, also grabbed nine rebounds. Lasher dished out five assists and had three steals. Kyren Block had 10 rebounds andd scored eight points as 14 Huskies got in the scoring column.ddddddddddddHouston Baptist was 36 of 76 from the floor while holding the Crusaders to 20 of 72 for 28 percent shooting. The Huskies also dominated on the boards, pulling down 70 while Dallas Christian grabbed 40.Josh Walls led the Crusaders with nine points and Keldon Williams added eight. ' ' '