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Another classic NRL derby has been predicted by North Queensland but Cowboys co-captain Matt Scott admits he wont be using Brisbane as a yardstick for their title defence. Sheldon Rankins Saints Jersey .Test prop Scott found it hard to put his finger on why the Queensland clash produced so many thrillers ahead of Friday nights NRL sudden-death semi-final in Townsville.History shows the past three Queensland derbies have been decided by one point including last years stunning 17-16 golden-point premiership triumph by the Cowboys.The only other time that had occurred in premiership history was way back in 1927-28 between Glebe and North Sydney.And Scott did not rule out another cliffhanger on Friday night.I guess we bring the best out of each other, Scott said of the NRL grand final re-match.The Cowboys battering ram was more certain of who provided a timely gauge for their title defence - and it wasnt Brisbane.I think Melbourne are the yardstick. They have lifted to another level, Scott said.They are playing a better brand of footy.Cooper Cronk and Cam Smiths kicking game is probably the best in the business.They are probably the best team in the competition.Scott said lessons learned from last weeks opening 16-10 finals loss in Melbourne had steeled them to become the first team to defend a title in the NRL era.Melbourne have probably taught us that lesson a few times and we havent learned from it, he said of last weeks AAMI Park loss.They are a good team at controlling field position, possession and playing under pressure.We played well for long periods but then made crucial errors that took the pressure off them.It was a performance that would have won 80 to 90 per cent of our regular-season games.But it was never going to win against Melbourne or from here on in.We have to be better at building pressure and maintaining possession.Scott agreed with Brisbanes claim that the Cowboys had everything to play for on Friday night - something he reckoned the team were now getting used to.The pressure has been on us all year, he said.Teams have lifted against us.Even something simple like completion rates - teams are five to 10 per cent better than their season average against us.Thats something you have to deal with as defending premiers.We know we have to lift again on Friday night - its do or die. Cameron Jordan Womens Jersey .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift. Rickey Jackson Jersey . Defencemen Drew Doughty, Shea Weber and forward Ryan Getzlaf also scored for the Canadians, who started their gold-medal defence 2-0. Goalie Roberto Luongo, getting the call in place of Game 1 starter Carey Price, was solid when needed in making 23 saves for the shutout. http:///...Brees-Saints-Jersey/ . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The competitive environment of the NFL and plain old human nature usually trigger an extra injection of motivation for players facing their former teams.Thats particularly true after theyve been traded or released.Sam Bradford has no reason to be insecure about playing at Philadelphia this weekend. His new team in Minnesota has the last perfect record left in the league, and some of the best performances of his seven-year career have been on display over four starts with the Vikings.My approach is just try to keep it as normal as possible this week. I think I owe it to all of the guys in our locker room to not try and do anything special, not try to do anything extra, Bradford said. When you get caught up with things outside of football, thats when things can go wrong.The Vikings (5-0) paid a steep price for Bradford on Sept. 3. They sent their 2017 first-round pick and a 2018 selection that will range from the second to the fourth round to the Eagles four days after original quarterback Teddy Bridgewater went down with a massive knee injury.The return on the deal couldnt have better so far, with Bradford leading the NFL with a 70.4 completion percentage, ranking second with a 109.8 passer rating, and taking his first 249 snaps without a turnover.Its like when you go to a new job, the first day you dont know anybody, youve got to learn everything, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. The protections are different, the terminology is different, the combinations, the players are different. ... For him to be able to do the things hes done, I think hes done a great job.The success hasnt exactly caught the Eagles (3-2) by surprise. They were prepared to hand Bradford the keys to the offense for the second straight season, planning to sit rookie Carson Wentz for the whole year. Then the Vikings made the emergency call to try to keep their Super Bowl goal on track.I felt Sam was in a great spot with us offensively and was set to have a good season, and I wasnt going to disrupt that if I didnt have to, new Eagles coach Doug Pederson said, echoing Bradford.I waas really excited about the year there, Bradford said. Thomas Morstead Youth Jersey. I felt like I had a really good spring.Pederson, a quarterback himself who lasted 12 seasons in the league and was hired to replace Chip Kelly, had a mere 7+ months with Bradford, without any meaningful games. That was still enough time for a strong impression to be made.Hes smart. He makes good, accurate throws. Hes tough to defend that way, Pederson said. Ive always said this as a former quarterback: Its hard to defend the perfect pass, and he knows how to put the perfect pass out there.Skepticism has trailed Bradford since St. Louis took him in 2010 with the first overall draft pick, and two major knee injuries didnt help his profile. He finished 2015 on a relatively strong note, though, as he distanced himself from the one-year anniversary of his most recent ACL reconstruction.This is the first full offseason that hes been healthy and hes been able to get in the weight room and hes been able to get stronger, Pederson said. Hes throwing the ball with greater accuracy. The timing of throws, just getting it out of his hand. I think all of that is part of his success.When the Eagles took Wentz with the second selection in the draft, Bradford became an obvious short-timer even if he were to play the whole year with Philadelphia. Wentz has started his career in impressive fashion, making this matchup all the more intriguing even if the principals arent buying it.I did tell the team that this game is not about Bradford and Wentz, Zimmer said. Its about the Eagles and the Vikings.Bradford should have leading wide receiver Stefon Diggs back for Sunday after he missed the previous game against Houston because of a groin injury. Diggs was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday. Right guard Brandon Fusco, who departed the last game due to a concussion, took full part.---Online:AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL coverage on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' ' t play with that. Its very simple." Stoll had one assist in seven playoff games before suffering the injury. He had seven goals and 11 assists this season and played in all 48 of the Kings regular season games. ' ' '