ningham have won the 2019 Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman Award from the Professional Football Writers of America.Cunningham spent 33 of his 35 NFL seasons as an assistant coach Mecole Hardman Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys , renowned for his feared defensive units in Kansas City over two stints and nine seasons as the Chiefs‘ defensive coordinator. Westhoff spent 32 seasons as an NFL assistant coach and is regarded as a special teams pioneer.The Dr. Z Award is given for lifetime achievement as an assistant coach in the NFL and is named for Zimmerman, who covered the NFL for 29 years as Sports Illustrated’s pro football writer.Cunningham, born in Germany, was a three-year linebacker and placekicker at Oregon (1966-68), and started his coaching career with the Ducks as a defensive line coach (1969-71). He also was a college assistant at Arkansas, Stanford, and California. His first pro job was with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1981 as defensive line and linebackers coach. In 1982, he entered the NFL with the same jobs for the Baltimore Colts.Cunningham spent six seasons with the San Diego Chargers, then four with the Los Angeles Raiders (1991-94) for four seasons, including two as defensive coordinator (1992-93). He was hired by the Chiefs in 1995 as defensive coordinator and worked with linebacker Derrick Thomas during his Hall of Fame career. After four seasons as D-coordinator, Cunningham became Chiefs head coach for two seasons (1999-2000) Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys Stitched , going 16-16. Then the Titans hired him as assistant head coach and linebackers coach before the Chiefs rehired Cunningham for a second stint as defensive coordinator from 2004-08. He also worked for the Lions.Westhoff played linebacker or one year at Wyoming and then spent three seasons at Wichita State (1967-69) as a center and linebacker. He began coaching as a graduate assistantand freshman coach at Indiana, also worked for Dayton, Indiana State, Northwestern and TCU (1981). In 1982, Westhoff got his first NFL job with the Baltimore Colts as an offensive line, tight ends and special teams coach, and he worked for the franchise for three seasons. After one season (1985) with the USFL’s Arizona Outlaws as offensive line coach, he returned to the NFL with the Dolphins. Westhoff spent 15 seasons there as special teams coach: His punt and kickoff coverage units were top ranked for four seasons, and he was voted NFL special teams coach of the year by his peers in 2000.A survivor of bone cancer, Westhoff moved to the New York Jets, where he spent 12 seasons as special teams coordinator; he was also assistant head coach for two seasons (2004-05). The Jets’ kickoff coverage and return units combined to rank first in the NFL in both 2001 and 2002.Westhoff retired after the 2012 season Mecole Hardman black jersey , but was lured back into the NFL in midseason 2017 by New Orleans to oversee the Saints‘ special teams units, and he coached with the Saints through the 2018 season.Other 2019 nominees for the Dr. Z Award were the late offensive line coach Bobb McKittrick; current Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Rod Marinelli; and current Jacksonville Jaguars running backs coach Terry Robiskie. FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — New England tight end Rob Gronkowski said the Patriots would take the night to enjoy it. Safety Devin McCourty said it would be closer to just a few hours of celebration.However long the Patriots players planned to relax after their dominating 41-28 divisional-round win over the Chargers on Sunday , this much is clear: A very good Kansas City Chiefs team is waiting in the AFC championship game.Meanwhile, in the losing locker room in Foxborough on Sunday, the Chargers headed back across the country after dropping their lone game of the season outside the state of California.New England needed a field goal from Stephen Gostkowski in the waning seconds to slip past the Chiefs 43-40 in one of the wildest games of the regular season in Week 6. Tom Brady had one of his best games of the season in the Oct. 14 victory over KC, throwing for 340 yards and a touchdown and running for another to earn his 200th career victory as starting quarterback.All of it was needed on a night in which counterpart Patrick Mahomes rallied his team from a 24-9 halftime deficit, throwing for 352 yards and four touchdowns in what was the Chiefs’ first loss of the season and his first as a starting quarterback.Now comes a rematch against a Kansas City team that oddsmakers have installed as an early favorite. It will be rare air for the Patriots.Sunday’s win over the Chargers sent the Patriots to the conference title game for eighth straight season. It will also be the 13th conference championship game appearance by the Patriots during the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era.McCourty said despite their unprecedented run and performance Sunday, nobody in the Patriots locker room believes they can just show up and win at Arrowhead Stadium.“You go to eight straight AFC championship games, you’re in the playoffs 10 years in a row, you kind of get in a mode like it’ll keep happening Mecole Hardman Jersey Mens , it’ll be there,” McCourty said. “But this is a special group, and I think we’re starting to realize that we have one opportunity to try to take advantage of everything that’s in front of us.”New England got three first-half touchdowns from rookie Sony Michel to set the early tone against the Chargers. He finished with 129 yards rushing, his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season.The Patriots scored touchdowns on their first four possessions, building a 35-7 halftime lead.Buoyed by the run game, Brady was in vintage form at age 41, completing 34 of 44 for 343 yards and a touchdown. He improved to 8-0 as a starter against Philip Rivers, who drops to 1-8 against New England all-time.Afterward, Brady acknowledged that he heard the voices this season who doubted the Patriots and thought “we can’t win any games.”Asked if he thought the win might have quieted those voices, he simply smiled and paused.“I just like winning,” he said. “I just like winning.”OPEN GATESThe Chargers’ final touchdown came long after the game was out of reach Mecole Hardman Jersey Cheap , but don’t call it garbage time to Antonio Gates.The Los Angeles tight end is 38 years old, and it might have been his final game. When he caught an 8-yard pass from Rivers to make it 41-28 in the final minute, it made him the oldest tight end in NFL history with a touchdown catch in a playoff game.Only wide receiver Jerry Rice had a postseason TD reception at a more advanced age.“Pretty cool that if it were to be his last one, that his last catch was a touchdown,” said Rivers, who has thrown 89 regular-season TD passes to Gates, the most for a quarterback-tight end tandem.“You’re talking about a guy that’s caught more than anybody in the history of tight ends. And he and I have thrown more in the history of quarterbacks and tight ends,” Rivers said. “If it were to be (his last game), you’d look back one day and say it ended just how it started there a long time ago.”NO PLACE LIKE HOMEWhile a lot was made of the Chargers’ success on the road this season, Rivers said it might have been nice to play Sunday’s game at home.They were 7-1 during the regular season, losing only when they played at the crosstown Los Angeles Rams. The Chargers won at Baltimore in the wild-card round to open the postseason.“We won every game we got on a plane this year Carlos Hyde Jersey , except for this one. So we’d done a heck of a job on the road. Sometimes you look at what you did and you go, ‘Yeah, let’s just keep them all on the road because we’ve been good on the road.’ … There’s no question, you want to be at home where it’s about 65 degrees and it’s your place, not dealing with the noise and being able to communicate and all those things. Those things could have helped a little bit today, too. But they just outplayed us, they just outplayed us.”MOVING ON UPThe Patriots won their 35th playoff game, tying the Cowboys for second all-time. With one more win, New England will tie Pittsburgh for the most postseason wins in NFL history.