In case you havent noticed, which is virtually impossible, Peyton Manning has gone to TV commercials full time.Adrian Peterson and J.J. Watt are injured. Aaron Rodgers is struggling. Todd Gurleys breakout rookie season looks like a mirage. Megatron is gone.Russell Wilson has been gimpy. Darrelle Revis has been mediocre. Tony Romo has been invisible.Too many of the NFLs headline grabbers arent in the news, or arent producing the kind of plays and drama football fans crave. With all the consternation about TV ratings for NFL games being down, with everything from the presidential election to the Colin Kaepernick-inspired anthem protests being blamed, maybe pro football is a bit star-crossed because it doesnt have a lot of its stars being, well, stars.NFL supporters like to say its the uniform and the tradition and history of teams that make the game such a slam-dunk attraction. The counter-argument is simply that with such national teams as the Raiders, Giants and Dolphins being non-contenders so often in recent years, why didnt viewership disappear then?No, its about the stars.Arguably the biggest luminary in Roger Goodells league is Tom Brady. He sat out the first four weeks thanks to Goodells suspension of the Patriots quarterback in the deflated footballs saga. Watching Brady take vengeance on the league office by way of New Englands opponents has been one of the few compelling plots thus far.Sure, there are others. The way Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott have taken hold in Dallas has been front-page worthy.There is no question that Dak and Zeke, there is no question theyre inspiring the rest of the team, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. This game is a lot about that.How about Lorenzo Alexanders career year in Buffalo after nine seasons as an NFL journeyman?I thought he could do a lot of roles for us, Bills coach Rex Ryan says. But I had no idea that he was still the same player, but he might be a better player. How it happens, Im not sure.I know one thing, its hard work and his dedication and all that. Hes an outstanding teammate, too. He serves all the credit.Great story, yes. SportsCenter material in this age of glitz and memes? Probably not.Its unfortunate that as the sports world has become a major part of the instant-gratification, 24/7/365 social media environment, what is happening with the big names is of primary interest. Almost exclusively.So heading into a weekend of games, theres more focus on Ben Roethlisbergers rehab and LeSean McCoys potential absence than on the emergence of Vic Beasley Jr. as a sacks threat, or Dennis Pittas valiant return to the field.That way of thinking spreads to the guys with the headsets, too. Mike Zimmer isnt a star coach the way Ryan or Bill Belichick or Pete Carroll are. Had any of those three done the job Zimmer has without his starting quarterback (Teddy Bridgewater) and left tackle (Matt Kalil) and Hall of Fame-caliber runner (Peterson), hed be in line for a statue outside the stadium.Zimmer? Oh yeah, his Vikings are 5-1, the cognoscenti say, but their chatter is about Chip Kelly being 1-5.Anyone in the NFL -- well, maybe not some of the diva receivers -- will tell you how football is the most team-oriented sport. Unlike in hockey or soccer, where a goalie can steal wins, or in baseball, with a pitcher dominating hitters, football depends on three units working as much in tandem as possible. It relies on everyone doing his job on the field; a right fielder could be asleep, but if the pitcher strikes out the batter, so what. Try having the center not paying attention when the ball needs to be snapped. Or a safety charging in when two wideouts are running fly patterns.Yet, the NFL has become a star-driven league. Yes, most of those stars are quarterbacks, and when a Brady is suspended, a Manning is retired, the other Manning is floundering, it hurts the product. And the ratings.Nor does it help when players with star power such as Cam Newton, Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul and Joe Flacco struggle.The good news for the NFL is that new stars can develop as quickly as others fade. Goodell had better hope so, because the 2016 season could use a boost.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFLTommy McDonald Youth Jersey . Didier Drogba gave away the penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year. Randall Cunningham Youth Jersey . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. http://www.theeaglesshoponline.com/Youth-shareef-miller-eagles-jersey/ . -- Eastern Kentucky thrives off creating havoc for others. Dallas Goedert Youth Jersey . Anthony Davis had 31 points and 17 rebounds in his seventh straight game with more than 20 points, but that was only enough to keep the Pelicans competitive into the final minutes. Andrew Bogut had 10 points and 15 rebounds for Golden State, which rebounded from a loss a night earlier in Oklahoma City and snapped a two-game skid. Clayton Thorson Womens Jersey . The Barrie Colts defenceman, who impressed many with his play for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, is the top-ranked skater in the February rankings. He has 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points in 45 games with the Colts this season. HARRISON, N.J. -- The mood in the Montreal Impacts locker room on Saturday was as candid as it was unforgiving. It is time for thorough introspection. "I think weve tossed enough (games) out already," said goalkeeper Troy Perkins after the Montreal Impact lost 4-0 to the New York Red Bulls. Montreal, which is 1-3-2 in its last six games, fell to 9-5-4 overall. The Impact and Red Bulls (9-7-7) have the most points in the Eastern Conference with 31 points apiece. However, Montreal is still first overall in the conference because it has played two fewer games than New York. The Red Bulls also have two more losses than the Impact. "When youre afraid like this -- we (knew) we had to score some goals and (earn) some points here -- but when you dont believe in something, you dont have a chance," said Impact manager Marco Schallibaum. "The team that comes from far away to be in first place is good. But to stay there is very difficult because everybody wants to beat you. "We must be stronger on the field. Thats why I say they (were) too afraid. When youre (in) first (place), you must play like a top team and in the first half we werent a top team." Facing a New York team that had entered the game having lost three of four, the Impact had eight shot attempts on goal and Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles only had to make four saves. His most difficult saves were diving stops in the 49th and 71st minutes. "We didnt score tonight," said Montreal midfielder Justin Mapp. That was somewhat problematic as New York spent the majority of the match dictating play. The Red Bulls finished the game with 11 shots on goal. "At some point it is probably frustrating," Perkins said of the New York attack. "Over the past four games its beeen like that.dddddddddddd." Thierry Henry, Eric Alexander, Tim Cahill and Peguy Lyuindula scored for New York. Henry also added two assists. Henry was directly responsible for New Yorks first three goals. He set up Alexanders game-opening goal at the 10 minute mark with a quick pass. Alexander split three defenders in the box before driving a shot past Perkins to the far left corner to give New York a 1-0 lead. Five minutes later, Henry doubled the advantage when he tapped Fabian Espindolas crossing feed into the net. New York midfielder Tim Cahill headed Henrys corner kick in the 63rd minute past Perkins to increase the Red Bulls lead to 3-0. "Hes a good player," Schallibaum said of Henry. "Hes been showing us for 20 years hes a good player. We know the quality (of) Thierry Henry and he (showed) us again tonight. Congratulations." Lyuindula ended the scoring with a penalty kick goal in the 87th minute. The forward was taken down in the box and he converted for his first goal in the MLS. "Peguy has a vision of the game thats better than most people," said New York coach Mike Petke. "He sees things, his control is great; hes a setup man he hasnt been able to find the back of the net. As a forward thats frustrating. "I think its very important that Peguy stepped up and took that shot and converted it. Its all about (scoring streaks) and its all about confidence for forwards specifically. So now hopefully we could count on one more (forward) thats going to get on a roll. That would be great." Midfielder Davy Arnaud (45th minute) and Defender Matteo Ferrari (61st minute) were assessed yellow cards. The announced attendance was 17,235 included a small but energetic Impact cheering section in the upper deck. Cheap JerseysChina NFL JerseysCheap NBA Jerseys [url=http:o find the back of the net. As a forwttp://www.cheapjerseysauthenticmlb.com/]Wholesale Baseball Jerseys[/url] ' ' '