by the 41-year-old Brady, either. Even if the Patriots sti

KANSAS CITY L.J. Collier Jersey , Mo. (AP) — Gunther Cunningham’s life would have been vastly different had his family not emigrated from postwar Germany, settling in California when he was a young boy.For one thing, he almost certainly never would have dedicated his life to football.Yet Cunningham would go on to spend more than five decades in the game, including coaching stints in college and the CFL before making a name for himself in the NFL. He worked for six different franchises over 34 years in the league, including a two-year stint as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.Cunningham died on Saturday after a brief illness. He was 72.His wife, Rene, said in a statement Monday that Cunningham died in Detroit, where he had served as defensive coordinator and a senior coaching assistant for the Lions before retiring in 2016.“My family and I are deeply saddened to hear the news of Gunther’s passing,” Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said in a statement. “He led some of the most feared defenses in our franchise’s history with his energetic and motivating coaching style. Gunther made a tremendous impact on so many lives on and off the playing field in nearly five decades of coaching.”The Lions said in a statement that Cunningham will “forever be remembered as one of the great men in our game. He left a lasting impact on every person who was fortunate enough to work with him.”Cunningham’s father, Garner, was an American serving in the Air Force in Germany when he met his German wife, Katherina. Their precocious boy was born in Munich in 1946, and the family soon moved to the U.S. and settled in California Marquise Blair Jersey , where Cunningham — who spoke no English — was ridiculed like many post-World War II immigrants for both his accent and ancestry.It was on the football field where he found his voice.Cunningham became a star linebacker for his high school team in Lompoc, and earned a scholarship to play at Oregon. His aptitude for the game made him a natural coach, and Cunningham got his start as the Ducks’ defensive line coach from 1969-71.He later coached at Arkansas, Stanford and California before a stint with Hamilton in the CFL. He then followed Frank Kush to the Baltimore Colts, where he got his first NFL coaching job.Colts owner Jim Irsay tweeted that Cunningham was “one of the finest men in our business.”Cunningham eventually became one of the most aggressive and successful defensive coaches in the league, burnishing his reputation with the Chargers and Raiders before landing in Kansas City. He was an integral part of Marty Schottenheimer’s best teams as the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator, and was promoted to head coach when Schottenheimer resigned after the 1998 season.He went 9-7 in his first year and 7-9 in his second, and his only head coaching stint ended on a sour note. Cunningham claimed he was never told by management that he’d been fired, learning it instead from reporters when he arrived to work in the morning.Cunningham spent some time with the Titans before Dick Vermeil lured him back to the Chiefs as his defensive coordinator. He spent the rest of his career with the Lions.“I had the honor to coach with him & against him,” tweeted longtime coach Jeff Fisher, who had Cunningham on his staff in Tennessee. “You’ll never meet another man with such a passion for people, family and football. We will miss him deeply.”Cunningham was known for his fiery demeanor and colorful vocabulary — yes, he picked up English D.K. Metcalf Jersey , but his players would joke that he also knew plenty of French. Even in his final years on the sideline in Detroit, it wasn’t uncommon to see Cunningham drop-kicking a clipboard in frustration.But he also was the consummate players’ coach, putting their best interests first.“So sad to hear of the passing of one of the best coaches in the game,” said Rich Gannon, who was quarterback in Kansas City during the late 1990s. “I went against him and his defense in practice every day for four years with the Kansas City Chiefs and it definitely made me a better player.”Cunningham is survived by Rene, his wife of nearly 50 years, and their son Adam and daughter Natalie. The family is planning a memorial service at a later date. ATLANTA (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams aren’t ready to beat the Patriots, according to much of the conventional wisdom around the Super Bowl.Only four members of the upstart NFC champions have ever played in a Super Bowl. Even though the Rams are coming off a 13-3 regular season and two playoff wins with a brilliant offense and a star-studded defense, who would believe a 33-year-old head coach and a third-year quarterback could prevent the great Bill Belichick and Tom Brady from winning their sixth championship?Why, to find a head coach and a quarterback who beat the New England Patriots in their Super Bowl debuts, you’d have to go all the way back to … last year, when Doug Pederson and Nick Foles did it for Philadelphia.That fistful of rings does not make Belichick and Brady unbeatable, and their Patriots are not infallible in big games.These Rams may be new here Cody Barton Jersey , but they’ve already demonstrated the talent and tenacity to hang with anybody while going 26-9 since Sean McVay and Jared Goff teamed up.Their first Super Bowl together is a chance to show it to the world, according to their stars.“This is the biggest stage I’ve ever played on, so you’ve just got to leave it all out there,” All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald said. “We’re confident against anybody, because we know what we’re capable of.”Much of the Rams’ hopes rest on McVay and Goff, whose two years together have included very few bad days. While Goff doesn’t yet have Brady’s steadiness, his best games have been phenomenal — and McVay has had two weeks to prepare him for anything the Patriots might throw at the Rams.Goff isn’t doing this alone, either.Todd Gurley insists he’s at full strength after barely playing in the NFC title game, and C.J. Anderson is a capable replacement behind the offensive line that has been the backbone of McVay’s success.Receiver Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods are clicking splendidly with Goff, while McVay frequently uses tight ends Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett in big situations. Look out for McVay exploiting Gurley’s skill as a pass catcher, which could pose a matchup problem for New England.If both offenses get rolling, the Rams are tough to beat in a shootout. Just ask Kansas City, which lost the teams’ 54-51 Monday night epic in November.But the Rams likely will need to cause havoc for Brady and his offense to win this one http://www.cardinalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-zach-allen-jersey , and LA has the talent to give it a shot.Brady hasn’t been sacked in the Pats’ two postseason games, but he also hasn’t faced Donald, the best defensive football player in the world right now. He led the NFL in sacks during the regular season, and his constant pressure up the middle during the postseason has freed up Ndamukong Suh and Dante Fowler to make numerous big plays as pass rushers.Coordinator Wade Phillips’ defense has exploitable flaws, but Donald, Suh and Michael Brockers can cover up a lot of them if they can collapse the Pats’ sturdy offensive line. They’ll aspire to the masterpiece created by Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s Giants defense against New England in February 2008.The Rams insist they won’t be awed by the 41-year-old Brady, either. Even if the Patriots stick to quick dropbacks and short routes, Los Angeles came up with 18 interceptions in the regular season, matching the Pats for third most in the NFL.“He’s the all-time great, but he’s beatable,” safety John Johnson III said. “We can’t go in there with the mindset of Gary Jennings Jr. Jersey , ‘Ohhh, it’s Tom Brady.’ He’s definitely beatable, so we’re going to give him a go.”Most observers believe the Rams have more talent on their roster than the Patriots, and McVay is one of the sport’s smartest coaches. What Los Angeles doesn’t have is Belichick, Brady and Super Bowl savvy.The Rams are quietly confident it won’t matter.“We know what it means to play in big games,” Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “This is the biggest, but it’s not bigger than us, I promise you.”