Miami Dolphins acquire Kansas Chiefs QB Tyler Thigpen

"The Miami Dolphins added to their thin stable of quarterbacks Tuesday by trading for Kansas City quarterback Tyler Thigpen, a day after learning that Chad Pennington suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.

The Dolphins have sent a 2010 undisclosed draft pick to Kansas City to land the third-string quarterback, who started most of last season, and ran a spread offense for the Chiefs.

To make room on the roster for Thigpen, the Dolphins placed Pennington on injured reserve, meaning he will be unable to return this season.

Thigpen instantly becomes the most experienced quarterback on the Dolphins' roster, considering he's thrown 426 passes in his three-year NFL career.

His mobility and improvisation make him a tough quarterback to plan for, which could make him an asset running the Wildcat offense.

Chad Henne, who is expected to start in place of Pennington, has thrown just 31 passes in his brief NFL career.

However, Henne, the team's 2008 second-round pick, knows the offense after spending all of last season as Pennington's understudy. As Pennington's replacement in last Sunday's loss to San Diego, he completed 10 of 19 passes for 92 yards, but one of his fourth-quarter passes was returned for a touchdown by safety Eric Weddle.

The Dolphins also have rookie quarterback Pat White, who ran a spread offense at West Virginia and is learning to run a pro-style offense. White has played sparingly in the Dolphins' first two games, and hasn't completed a pass."

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Pennington Out for 2009 Season

"Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington has been initially diagnosed with a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder and the Dolphins expect him to miss the rest of the season, sources familiar with the injury he suffered Sunday told ESPN Senior NFL Analyst Chris Mortensen.

Pennington will seek a second opinion from orthopedic specialist Dr. James Andrews, who has performed two shoulder surgeries on the quarterback.

Pennington underwent tests Monday on his right shoulder, which he hurt early in the third quarter of Sunday's 23-13 loss at San Diego. He missed the rest of the game, and coach Tony Sparano said he didn't know how long Pennington will be sidelined.

Pennington has already had surgery on the same shoulder in 2004 and 2005.

Chad Henne, who went 10 for 19 for 92 yards with an interception, will likely make his first NFL start Sunday when the winless Dolphins play host to Buffalo.

"We're going to have to go out there with Henne, who is a lot less experienced," tight end Anthony Fasano said. "There is definitely going to be a learning curve for Henne. He can learn as much as he wants in a classroom, but until he's out on the field, in-game experience he's not going to learn.

"But we have a lot of faith in Chad. He's a smart guy, a great leader and fun to play with. We're just going to have to move on."

A second-round draft choice in 2008, Henne has been considered Pennington's heir apparent for more than a year. The challenge for the offense will be to develop a chemistry with Henne, receiver Greg Camarillo said."

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Reception streak of Bills' Owens halted at 185 games

"The last time Terrell Owens finished an NFL game without a catch was Week Seven of his rookie year ? in 1996.

A streak that started 185 games ago didn't reach 186 as the veteran wide receiver was shut out during the Buffalo Bills' 27-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

After blowing off the media after the first two games, Owens came to the lectern to discuss the game. He didn't have much to say about his performance, which perhaps was fitting since there wasn't much of a performance to talk about.

"It's over," was his response when asked about his consecutive games streak coming to an end.

Owens was a nonfactor against a Gregg Williams-coached Saints defense that shut down the Bills' passing game. Quarterback Trent Edwards' longest completion was 18 yards. The Bills' biggest pass play came on special teams when punter Brian Moorman threw a 25-yard touchdown to defensive end Ryan Denney on a fake field goal.

"We tried to mix up our coverages and give the Bills different looks," said Saints cornerback and former Bill Jabari Greer, who covered Owens much of the afternoon and broke up a third-quarter pass intended for Owens that was intercepted by defensive end Will Smith. "It was a total team effort. Coach Williams put a great game plan together and put us in position to make plays up front and on the back end."

"It's always a victory for us when we can take away one of their top receivers," added Saints cornerback Tracy Porter. "We didn't let [Owens] get any catches, and that had a lot to do with getting pressure on the QB. They were forced to check down a lot. That was a victory for us.""

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Vikings get their first good taste of Brett Favre's legend

"You'll have to forgive the Vikings for being so animated afterwards. They aren't used to this.

'Incredible, incredible!' linebacker Ben Leber kept saying. 'I still feel the chills. Awesome!'

'We hoped he was going to do something great, and he did,' said linebacker Chad Greenway.

"The legend continues to grow," said kicker Ryan Longwell.

Well, those who have been following closely know that this is what Brett Favre does. He pulls off something improbable to win the game in the final seconds. On Sunday, he took the Vikings 80 yards in 1:29 against a stout San Francisco defense. He did it with no timeouts. The winning score came on a 32-yard laser to Greg Lewis in the back of the end zone with two seconds left.

Just when everyone thought the Vikings were finished, just when Packer fans were set to gloat in advance of next week's Monday night matchup — boom — Minnesota remains undefeated. Just like that, 63,000-plus were celebrating wildly. And the final holdouts from the "I can't root for that ex-Packer" camp crossed over into the light.

Favre, soon to be 40, was asked how he felt after yet another late comeback victory in a career filled with them.

"I'm worn out," he said with a smile. "Believe me, I could fall right now."

It was a very physical afternoon, and Favre took a pretty good beating. His performance up to that final pass was distinctly mediocre. He missed some receivers, and he got banged around by 49ers. On that last play, he was smashed from behind just as he released the ball and never even saw the completion. Instead, he heard the stadium erupt.

"I heard the roar, and I thought that was a good thing," he said.

The Vikings signed Favre to do exactly what he did Sunday. As uneven as the game had been up to that last score, people left the Dome all smiles. They had fun.

Meanwhile, the Vikings players jumped around like grade-schoolers on a playground while the 49ers stood in shock.

"Oh, it was incredible," said cornerback Cedric Griffin. "I was on the sideline thinking, 'Brett Favre is known for his comebacks. Brett Favre is known for his comebacks.' And look what we got!" "

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Too Much Crunch Time For Favre

"Brett Favre has been sacked seven times in two games. That's four more wallops than an entire family of Mannings have suffered so far this season.

"Yeah, we need to do a better job of protecting Brett," center John Sullivan said Monday, the day after the Vikings beat the Lions 27-13 in Detroit. "I'm happy we're 2-0, but Brett doesn't need to take this many big hits."

Favre has been sacked four more times than Tarvaris Jackson was through two games last season. At this pace, Favre would be sacked 56 times in 16 games, assuming he survived, of course. That would be 16 more than his career high, which, ironically, came in 1996 when he led the Packers to a victory in Super Bowl XXXI.

"Protecting Brett is something we have to continue working on, across the board," left tackle Bryant McKinnie said. "Everybody always assumes it's just the offensive line. But it's all of us working to avoid sacks."

As coach Brad Childress explained Monday, that includes linemen blocking, running backs picking up blitzes, receivers getting open and Favre getting rid of the ball on time. Childress said the Lions' three sacks Sunday were the result of three breakdowns:

• With 4 minutes, 12 seconds left in the first quarter and the Vikings facing second-and-9 from their 32-yard line, the tackles were pushed back too far. Jason Hunter, a backup left end playing for the injured Cliff Avril, simply beat rookie right tackle Phil Loadholt."

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Jets accused of tampering with Crabtree

"As if the Michael Crabtree negotiations weren't acrimonious enough, the 49ers reportedly are accusing the New York Jets of meddling.

The New York Daily News reported in Monday's editions that the 49ers have filed tampering charges with the NFL. Citing sources, the paper said the Jets might have contacted agent Eugene Parker about the No. 10 pick out of Texas Tech.

Asked about the report, 49ers coach Mike Singletary declined to confirm or deny that tampering charges had been filed. Singletary said only: "That's something that the league is going to handle internally. And I'm not going to handle that. We'll let that play out, the process, we'll see what happens."

Crabtree, who turned 22 last Monday, has missed all of training camp and the first two victories of the 49ers' season because of a contract impasse.

Jets coach Rex Ryan, addressing the tampering charges to reporters in New York on Monday, said:

"My understanding is (the 49ers) filed charges with the league. I'm saying my response is it's not true. I mean, it's not accurate. It's not true, but, hey, we'll let the league figure this out."

Earlier, on the ESPN radio show "Mike

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Patriots WR Randy Moss refuses to credit Darrelle Revis for shutdown

"Randy Moss was a nonfactor in the Patriots' 16-9 loss Sunday to the Jets, but he refused to give many props to the man who covered him, CB Darrelle Revis.

"All week he was talking about being a shutdown corner, but there really are no shutdown corners in the league because they have help most of the game," Moss said. "I probably could be a shutdown corner if I had (Patriots S Brandon) Meriweather over the top for the whole game. I think I could be a corner."

Moss gave credit to the Jets' entire defense, saying they "did a hell of a job."

The Jets offered a different view, saying Revis neutralized Moss.

"I just covered him any way I could," said Revis, joking that he followed Moss to the bathroom. "When he went to the sidelines and he sat down, I saw right across from him wherever he was sitting on the bench.""

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Jaguars' Troy Williamson Out For Season

"A day after the Jaguars lost their home opener to Arizona, the team learned that veteran receiver Troy Williamson will be out for the season with a torn labrum, and released wide receiver Nate Hughes, who dropped a key pass in the game.

A source close to Williamson revealed the severity of the receiver's injury to the Times-Union.

Williamson suffered the injury after catching an 11-yard pass in the second quarter. Williamson fumbled on the play and in the scramble for the loose ball, an Arizona player fell on the receiver's shoulder."

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Favre's 271 Consecutive Starts Sets Record

"Somehow it seems fitting that in the game in which Brett Favre established an NFL record for durability, the veteran quarterback came away hurting.

Favre, who broke former Viking Jim Marshall's record with his 271st consecutive start Sunday, hurt his throwing hand in the fourth quarter on an 8-yard pass to wide receiver Bernard Berrian deep in Lions territory.

Favre appeared to hit his hand on either linebacker Larry Foote or defensive tackle Sammie Hill as they applied pressure. Favre remained on the Ford Field turf for a moment but got up and threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to rookie Percy Harvin on the next play.

Tarvaris Jackson replaced Favre on the next possession, but that didn't come as a surprise with the Vikings leading by 14 points.

"It's all right," Favre said afterward when asked about his hand. Coach Brad Childress also dismissed the notion that Favre might have done some damage.

One thing that wasn't dismissed was Favre's consecutive-starts streak -- a mark that dates to the third game of the 1992 season.

"It's hard to put into perspective," Childress said. "I had a discussion with Jim Marshall this week. Jim was going to try to travel with us to this game. However this happens to be a first wedding anniversary for him and he kind of thought that maybe that would not be a good idea. ... [But] perspective is hard to have. When you go back to whatever it is, 1992. All you guys in this room think about what you were doing in 1992. That's a long time.""

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Giants Win At Last Second, Spoiling Stadium Debut

"This game had a little bit of everything and a lot of people to see it. The crowd of 105,121 was a regular-season record for the N.F.L. on a night of celebration for Texas football culture.

It was the first official game in the new Cowboys Stadium, a sports palace showy even by 21st-century standards. Among the witnesses for America's team were former president George W. Bush and various entertainment celebrities. There was music, dancing, boasting, and also fireworks, appropriate for the action that followed. "

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Seahawks' Hasselbeck With Rib Fracture

"Medical tests have determined that Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who took a hard hit in the first half of Sunday's loss to the San Francisco 49ers, has a fractured rib, a league source said Monday.

It is not clear whether the injury will sideline Hasselbeck for Seattle's Week 3 game against the Chicago Bears, but the Seahawks are encouraged that the injury was not more severe, the source said.

Hasselbeck rejoined his teammates for the two-hour flight home shortly after Seattle's 23-10 loss in San Francisco.

Doctors tested him for lung, liver and kidney damage and did not find any, according to the source, but they did discover the rib fracture, making Hasselbeck the second quarterback in two weeks to fracture a rib. Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb suffered the same fate in the Eagles' opener and sat out his team's game against New Orleans on Sunday."

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Bills Feels Fans' Wrath

"It wasn't quite the public wrath lashed out at Scott Norwood after his famous wide right miss at the end of Super Bowl XXV.

But bitter Buffalo Bills fans did go too far Monday night when they spraypainted an obscenity on the lawn of kick returner Leodis McKelvin in the town of Hamburg, just outside Buffalo.

It was McKelvin's fumble with about two minutes remaining that led to the New England Patriots' winning score in the Bills heartbreaking 25-24 loss in front of a national TV audience on Monday Night Football.

VANDALISM

That score also was spraypainted on the grass by the vandals, who were warned by Bills linebacker Kawika Mitchell to stay away from the players' residences. "

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Tom Brady, Patriots Win Stunner

"They missed him. For most of the past year, while attempting to move forward, they missed him.

Patriots players can admit it now.

Tom Brady sat out most of last season with torn knee ligaments, a surreal experience that left players with no choice but to blindly move forward. The blinders came off in last night's opener, allowing them to see what a nation did and realize what they temporarily lost.

Brady is back, a fact he punctuated in the Patriots' dramatic 25-24 win against the Bills in front of a delirious crowd of 68,756 at Gillette Stadium. All the quarterback did was lead an 11-point comeback with 5:32 left.

"It's a great feeling to have that rhythm, that aspect of the game back," left tackle Matt Light said. "He was out there making all the right plays, delivering the ball downfield, those guys were all making huge catches, and we were able to hang in there and get the job done."

With 50 seconds left, Brady found tight end Benjamin Watson in the back of the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown to seal the comeback - Brady's and the team's. The defense made it stand with two sacks of Bills quarterback Trent Edwards on Buffalo's final attempt.

Despite an uneven, often-sloppy performance, it was the Pats' 12th straight win against the Bills.

"I'm glad it's over," said Brady, who turned in his 29th career comeback. "I'm glad we're moving on, and I'm glad we got the win."

Perhaps the only negative was that star linebacker Jerod Mayo suffered a right knee injury in the first quarter, hobbling off the field and not returning.

Brady tied a career high in completions, going 39-of-53 for 378 yards with two touchdowns and an interception that was returned for a touchdown. None of it would have been possible without a huge special teams play.

After Brady led an 81-yard drive that also ended with the ball in Watson's hands for an 18-yard score, Pierre Woods stripped Bills returner Leodis McKelvin with the Pats down 24-19. Kicker Stephen Gostkowski dove in and recovered it.

"Can't say more about the kicker, man," Woods said. "He was all awkwardly bent like a pretzel. One of the guys from Buffalo tried to get it, but I pulled him off him. It was chaos."

Even with the large deficit, there was no panic. Certainly not from Brady.

"There's 5:32 left in the game," receiver Randy Moss said, "and you see Tom coming off the sideline. He comes in the huddle talking about, 'We're going to win this game.' "

Moss had 141 receiving yards, and Wes Welker had 93 - both on 12 catches. It all ended with heartbreak for Buffalo.

"I'm frustrated, disappointed," said Edwards, who was 15-of-25 for 212 yards with two scores. "We put, I feel, all our eggs in one basket and to come up one point short is frustrating.""

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Chargers' Streak Continues, Barely

"Bloodied and walking gingerly, Philip Rivers made his way through a locker room in which relief hung like a fog.

"Whew!" he said.

He would say more, but that pretty much summed it up.

The Chargers limped from the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum with a 24-20 victory, achieved with a patchwork offensive line helping Rivers and his receivers to a brisk and impressive 89-yard drive in the final 2½ minutes, culminating in Darren Sproles' 5-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds remaining. "

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Brian Urlacher Out For 2009 Season

"Brian Urlacher appears to be out for the season after dislocating his right wrist, the linebacker said Monday. The team has not given the official word, but Lovie Smith is expected to address the issue during his afternoon press conference.

Urlacher injured his wrist in the first quarter of Sunday's 21-15 loss to the Packers. He was ruled out after halftime.

When asked about his status Monday, Urlacher said in a text message that his ``season is over.''

He was scheduled to undergo surgery Monday morning upon the team's arrival back in Chicago from Green Bay. A dislocated bone had to be surgerically put back in. The surgery might have revealed more extensive damage.

The Bears defensive co-captain and team leader entered the season healthy again coming off back and neck injuries. He had three tackles before leaving Sunday's game. Hunter Hillenmeyer replaced Urlacher in the lineup Sunday. "

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Colts' Anthony Gonzalez Hurts Knee Out For 2-6 weeks

"The Indianapolis Colts lost the services of wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez late in the first quarter of today's game with Jacksonville in Lucas Oil Stadium.

Gonzalez went down to the turf without being touched while running back Donald Brown was running for a 1-yard gain. Gonzalez had to be helped off the field after injuring his right knee."

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McFadden Named Starter

"Raiders coach Tom Cable isn't playing secrets with his starting lineup. He did everything but stutter when asked to name a starting running back after practice Thursday.

"Our starting running back will be Darren McFadden," Cable said. "I just think for everything he is in terms of being multiple, running the football and catching the football.

"He certainly brings some explosiveness like we're trying to build with this offense."

With that, the Raiders continue to get younger at the skill positions.

McFadden will start Monday night's opener against the visiting Chargers along with third-year quarterback JaMarcus Russell, third-year tight end Zach Miller, and rookie wide receivers Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy.

As for running backs Michael Bush and Justin Fargas, don't feel too bad for them. The way the Raiders run the ball, they'll get their shots, too. Just not as many as McFadden.

"It doesn't matter who starts the game or anything like that," said Fargas, who remains out with a strained hamstring. "The key for us, the strength of our backfield is our depth and the fact that we all complement each other and keep each other fresh."

The past two seasons, attrition forced the run-heavy Raiders to start three different running backs."

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Madden 2010 Curse 1/2 Way There. MCL Sprain Sidelines Polamalu

"Safety Troy Polamalu is expected to miss anywhere from three to six weeks with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee, which forced him from last night's game just before halftime and sent him, in street clothes, to a hospital for further tests.

"They are reading the scans and so forth," coach Mike Tomlin said early this morning. "Those things have a [recuperation] range of three to six [weeks]. It is speculation at this point. I'm sure there is a possibility, but I don't have any concrete evidence that there is anything more than that."

Polamalu ended an up-and-down first half -- a one-handed interception sandwiched between two 15-yard penalties -- by slowly coming off the field of a tie score that the Steelers ultimately won without him in overtime, 13-10. He apparently hurt the knee in a scrum while chasing a blocked Tennessee field goal. Soon after, he walked off the field, without assistance and without a detectable limp, and went into the Steelers' locker room with 1:15 left in the first half. Tyrone Carter replaced him at strong safety.

"Nobody on this team is Troy," safety Ryan Clark said. "For a guy of his caliber, more of his character, to go down is unfortunate. You just pray he's better soon."

While Polamalu finished with six first-half tackles -- enough to rank him third on the Steelers' final stats on the game -- Carter had an assist in relief."

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Vikings Kevin Williams, Pat Williams to play in season opener while team, NFL await federal court ruling

"The NFL said Tuesday that Vikings defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams could play Sunday in Cleveland while a federal appeals court decides whether the Pro Bowlers can sue the league in Minnesota to overturn their suspensions.

The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals this week is expected to issue a pivotal ruling that either affirms the NFL's authority to discipline players under the collective bargaining agreement or allows the Williamses to use state law to challenge its drug-testing protocol.

However, with teams already preparing for opening weekend, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed the league postponed disciplining the Williamses and New Orleans Saints defensive ends Charles Grant and Will Smith, who face the same four-game suspensions.

The Williamses claim the NFL, which suspended them last year after they tested positive for a banned substance, violated Minnesota statutes regulating how and when employers can test workers for alcohol and drugs. They aim to prove their case at trial next spring in Hennepin County. "

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Brady Quinn Wins Cleveland Browns QB Competition

"Brady Quinn has won the quarterback competition and will start Sunday's game against the Vikings, a league source told The Plain Dealer today.

Browns coach Eric Mangini told the quarterbacks Tuesday night and Quinn took the first-team reps in practice Wednesday afternoon.

Quinn acted Wednesday as though he didn't know. "We're just out there continuing to battle with one another to get everything better for our team,'' he said."

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Shawne Merriman Arrested

"A week before the Chargers are set to open what they hope is a Super Bowl season, the team faces an off-the-field distraction as one of its star players stands accused of domestic violence.

Sheriff's deputies arrested linebacker Shawne Merriman early Sunday morning for allegedly choking, restraining and throwing MTV star Tila Tequila to the ground as she tried to leave his Poway home.

The Sheriff's Department said Tila Nguyen, who is known professionally as Tila Tequila, signed a citizen's arrest complaint charging Merriman with battery and false imprisonment. Both are felonies.

Merriman and his lawyer said the player was trying to keep Nguyen from driving while intoxicated. Merriman said in an interview Sunday night that he is confident he will cleared of any wrongdoing.

"I was trying to help her, not hurt her," Merriman said. "I'm still glad I did what I did." "

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Sorry Bout the Long Delay Nfl Followers.

My Lovely Pitbull ate up my laptop charger cord, so it took me awhile to get another one. I'm back in action before the regular season so come back more often things will be good now!

Vikings sign quarterback John David Booty to practice squad

"John David Booty cleared waivers Sunday and was signed to the Vikings' practice squad, providing some clarity to a muddled quarterback mess.

Booty, a fifth-round draft pick last year, was complicating the team's decisions at quarterback, with Brett Favre, Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels on the roster. But Booty struggled this preseason, completing just 17 of 28 passes for 169 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception that was returned for a touchdown in Friday night's exhibition finale against the Dallas Cowboys.

His preseason passer rating was 62.9.

All the other NFL teams had a chance to take over his contract but ultimately passed.

Booty headlines the Vikings' practice squad, which also includes rookie running back Ian Johnson.

"It's not the ideal way of going about it, but it's the next step," Johnson said. "I took care of all the business I had to take care of, and if this is how it has to happen, I'm a fighter, I'll keep fighting until I get my spot. When I do get that spot, I'm going to make the most of it."

After not being claimed on waivers, Johnson said he received offers to sign with practice squads of other teams, including the Washington Redskins, which seemed like a good fit for him. But he decided to remain in Minnesota.

"I felt I had done all my work here; I made relationships here," Johnson said. "I've got myself in a good position. If I just keep working hard, I know something good will happen. Hopefully, sometime soon I'll be on that field at the Metrodome." "

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