and almost twice the league average.Naturally, it helps when opposing defenses must modify their pressure and account for the NFLs leading rusher on most plays. Elliott has rushed for m

Duke had three of its highly touted freshman go down with injuries, yet still managed to win four games and take another Top 10 team to overtime.The question now is, will that loss knock the Blue Devils from the top spot in Mondays AP Top 25?The case for No. 1: Duke (4-1) beat No. 21 Rhode Island by 10, rolled over three other opponents and lost by two to No. 7 Kansas in overtime. The Blue Devils did it with freshmen Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden all out with injuries, so imagine what they can do when everyone is healthy.The case against No. 1: No. 3 Kentucky (3-0) and No. 3 Villanova (4-0) are still undefeated and both have wins over Top 25 teams. The Wildcats survived a grinding game against No. 13 Michigan State to win by 21 and the defending champion Wildcats held off No. 15 Purdue by three behind preseason All-American Josh Harts array of big shots. Either team could be a legitimate choice for No. 1 and the Blue Devils had another injury against Penn State last week when junior Chase Jeter sprained his right ankle, leaving them even more vulnerable.When were healthy were going to have a lot of good players, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. Right now, we have a lot fewer.It will be up to the poll voters to decide whether Dukes injuries should be a factor in deciding a No. 1 team or if, after a week and a half, its already time for someone else to get a turn.Tune in Monday.---DILLONS DUCKSPut No. 4 Oregon in the same category as the Blue Devils.The Ducks moved up a spot from the preseason poll, but lost 66-49 to unranked Baylor after struggling in the second half.The caveat is that preseason All-American Dillon Brooks has yet to play this season.The do-it-all guard is still recovering from offseason foot surgery and left the Ducks with a big early-season hole in their lineup. Oregon coach Dana Altman said Brooks could play some at the Maui Invitational this week.Oregon will fall at least a few spots in the upcoming poll, but its tough to say are far.---HIGHLIGHT REELThe first two weeks of the season have been filled with some fantastic dunks already.This one by Villanovas Jalen Brunson against Wake Forest has to be up there among the best.---MASON RISESA big theme heading into the season was the stellar class of freshmen across the country.A senior from the Midwest is making a lot waves and put himself in the early conversation for national player of the year.Kansas guard Frank Mason III has been superb through the seasons first two weeks, averaging 23 points, 5.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds. He scored 30 points against Indiana, including the final 11, then hit the game-winning shot with 1.8 seconds left in overtime against Duke to cap a 21-point night.I think the NBA is missing the boat on him, Kansas coach Bill Self said. I think he doesnt fit the eye test with length and standing height and that kind of stuff, but hes got some things you cant teach, and intangibles that are as good as anybody in American probably possesses.---FRESHMAN WATCHLonzo Ball, UCLA. The predictions for Balls impact seemed to be a bit exaggerated when he arrived in Westwood with so much hype.Its only been three games, but maybe there wasnt enough hype.The 6-foot-6 guard from nearby Chino Hills had a superb college debut, finishing with 19 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in a blowout win over Pacific.Ball is averaging close to a triple-double so far, with 15 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game. Keep that up and hell be in the national POY conversation as well.---RHODY RISESRhode Island was No. 23 in the AP preseason Top 25, its first time being ranked since 1998-99.The Rams may end up staying there all season.With four starters and E.C. Matthews back from a torn ACL, Rhode Island had preseason expectations of making a run at the Atlantic 10 title.The 21st-ranked Rams (4-1) opened the season with three straight wins, followed with a victory over No. 24 victory over Cincinnati and made a late run at top-ranked Duke before losing on Sunday.---More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25Penguins Jerseys 2020 . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division. Pittsburgh Penguins Pro Shop . LUCIE, Fla. https://www.cheappenguinsjersey.com/ . LOUIS -- Roman Polak was celebrating even before Alexander Steen scored the winning goal in Saturdays 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Stitched Penguins Jerseys . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. Cheap Penguins Jerseys . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season.The Dallas Cowboys have one of the NFLs top offenses -- via DVOA, EPA or any other advanced metric you choose -- and we all know why.They found a shockingly efficient rookie quarterback in the fourth round of the draft.Or is it because their rookie tailback is leading the NFL in rushing?And lets not forget how much easier it is to play quarterback and running back behind an offensive line as strong as the Cowboys.How much is the Cowboys success this season is a result of quarterback Dak Prescotts poise and precision? What about Ezekiel Elliotts league-leading 891 rushing yards? And would any of it be possible without an offensive line that is on its way to helping a third different runner to a 1,000-yard season in as many years?The numbers, courtesy our weekly assist from ESPN Stats & Information senior statistics analyst Jacob Nitzberg, tell us a story of co-dependence and mutual enhancement.It all starts, as they say, up front. There arent many ways to quantify offensive line play in a direct way. Usually we rely on scouts, who overwhelmingly have praised the Cowboys efforts, or look at the passing and rushing numbers they help produce.ESPNs analytics department has developed a pass protection metric that tracks the rate at which an offensive line controls the line of scrimmage on dropbacks. (A fuller explanation can be found here.) The Cowboys rank No. 2 overall this season, one of 10 teams that have controlled the line on more than half of their passing plays.Best pass protection rate, 2016One of the ways that rate has helped Prescott is to allow him a relatively long time in the pocket to find open receivers and make good decisions. This season, Prescott has spent more time per throw in the pocket on average than all but one qualified NFL quarterback.In the Cowboys 35-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 9, Prescott spent an NFL-high 2.59 seconds on average in the pocket. He has finished a game below the NFL average (2.28 seconds) only once this season, when he averaged 2.26 seconds in the pocket during a 24-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4.Longest average time in pocket, 2016 (in seconds)With enough time to stand in the pocket, Prescott has been able to establish himself as one of the NFLs most accurate downfield throwers.He struggled in a Week 1 loss to the New York Giants, missing on eight of 10 passes that traveled at least 15 yards in the air. During the Cowboys ensuing seven-game winning streak, however, he has been lights out.ddddddddddddNo quarterback has completed such passes at a higher rate than Prescott over that period; his completion percentage of 68.4 on throws of at least 15 yards in the air is 25 points above the league average.Best completion percentage on passes thrown 15-plus yards downfield, Weeks 2-9That accuracy is a credit to Prescott, as is his performance on the occasions when opponents do pressure him. That has happened more often than you might think. Despite controlling the line of scrimmage at a high rate, the Cowboys line has still allowed Prescott to be pressured on 27.9 percent of his dropbacks -- slightly above the league average of 26.3 percent.But Prescott hasnt wilted under the heat, producing a 54.8 Total Quarterback Rating when pressured -- fourth highest in the NFL and almost twice the league average.Naturally, it helps when opposing defenses must modify their pressure and account for the NFLs leading rusher on most plays. Elliott has rushed for more yards in the first eight games of his career than all but two running backs. And he has a chance to break Eric Dickersons rookie record for rushing yards in a season (1,808).Most rushing yards, first eight NFL gamesIs Elliott doing this on his own or is he a product of a Cowboys line that helped a declining Darren McFadden to eclipse 1,000 yards last season? Lets call it a combo platter.Elliott leads the NFL in yards before contact, which generally speaking implies the consistency of strong blocking. But he is also atop the league in rushing yards after contact, which are a credit to the runner.It helps that Elliott has gotten 177 opportunities to carry the ball this season, second most in the league, but you get the point.Most rushing yards before contact, 2016The constant threat from Elliott helps Prescott in plenty of ways. Many are intangible, but at least one can be quantified.Prescott has the NFLs second-best completion percentage on play-action passes. Those passes still require an accurate throw, but it is no doubt easier to complete when defenders are as drawn to Elliott as they are.Best completion percentage on play-action, 2016And that, my friends, might be as close as we can get to an understanding what is making this Cowboys offense work. It is a little bit of everything, complementing each other in just the right way. ' ' '