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PITTSBURGH -- The training wheels are off for Bud Dupree. Finally.The Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker heads into Sundays game against the New York Giants without any limitations, ending a patience-testing stretch in which the 2015 first-round pick missed training camp then underwent sports hernia surgery before beginning the arduous process of getting back into what coach Mike Tomlin calls football shape.The initial step came against Cleveland two weeks ago, when Dupree made it on the field for a single snap. The next came on Thanksgiving in Indianapolis, where Dupree picked up his first two tackles in nearly 11 months in a 28-7 victory. Dupree was in the huddle for 20 plays against the Colts, enough to unleash weeks of pent up adrenaline. And almost enough for Dupree to start lobbying defensive coordinator Keith Butler and outside linebackers coach Joey Porter for more playing time.I will but I try not to because I dont want to get on their nerves, Dupree said with a laugh. Some people do it. Some people dont. I just dont get into it. Im right beside (the coaches). If they put me in, they put me in.And theyre most certainly going to put Dupree in against the surging Giants (8-3), who have only surrendered 13 sacks all season. Pittsburgh needs to make Eli Manning uncomfortable if it wants to end New Yorks six-game winning streak, something the Steelers have struggled to do against good teams this season. Only nine of Pittsburghs 24 sacks have come against teams with winning records.We want to get to the quarterback, Dupree said.Duprees return should help. He finished with four sacks as a rookie last fall, though all of them came over the first half of the season. He trimmed 20 pounds off his 6-foot-4 frame last spring and while he believes the hernia wasnt a result of trying to cut weight, he admits he was diagnosed after working out too much.Whatever the cause, Dupree insists its behind him and in a way, hes relieved. Doctors told him the injury was bound to happen at some point. By taking care of it now, hes optimistic it wont come back to haunt him in the future. Either way, hes encouraged with the added explosiveness. Hes not the only one.Hes moving good, Butler said. Is he moving faster? How fast you are only matters when youre playing on the field. So how fast does he play? He played at a pretty good pace the other night. So well see if he continues to get better.Tomlin saw enough to lock Dupree into the four-man rotation at outside linebacker alongside seemingly ageless James Harrison, leaving Jarvis Jones, Anthony Chickillo or Arthur Moats as the odd man out.As Bud gets up to speed, somebodys going to win, somebodys going to lose, Tomlin said. I dont care who wins. I think we all win if we play the hot hand and those are our intentions.Its a spot Dupree is thankful to be in after being placed on injured reserve at the end of training camp and enduring a setback early in his rehab that threatened his entire season. It was the first time in his football life hed been forced to sit and watch for an extended period of time. And it wasnt fun.I just tried to stay positive, he said. But was it easy? No, it wasnt.Dupree buried himself in the film room, and Butler believes the mental reps have allowed Dupree to quickly rise back up the depth chart. The goal now is to stay there. The way the Steelers move guys in and out of the lineup, he doesnt need to be ready for 60 snaps. If hes fresh for 40 or so, he thinks that will be enough to make an impact. Hes not as big as he was a year ago. Thats not necessarily a bad thing.Its not about that, Dupree said. Its about being flexible, being bendable, being loose. I just want to go out there and ball.Game notesG David DeCastro (ill), WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (foot) and RB D. Williams (knee) did not practice Wednesday. ... TE Xavier Grimble (quadriceps), S Shamarko Thomas (groin) were full participants.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFLSwell Bottle Sale 17 Oz . General manager Jarmo Kekalainen told Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch on Friday that he wants to see Gaboriks contributions go beyond the scoresheet before considering a long-term deal for the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent. S Well Teakwood Drinking Bottle .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. http://www.swellbottleuk.com/sale-swell-bottle-liberty-uk.html .H. -- Matt Kenseth made it 2 for 2 in the Chase, holding off teammate Kyle Busch to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Swell Water Bottle Uk Sale . While hell be dialed in to that tournament on a course he loves, you can forgive him if his eyes glance down the calendar just a bit, towards April. Swell Traveler Uk .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz said Thursday that he views the racist graffiti drawn during a break-in of the home of teammate Nikita Whitlock as a reflection of the current state of the country.?Police in Moonachie, New Jersey, are investigating the Tuesday night robbery, during which burglars drew a swastika and KKK, as well as the word Trump, on walls inside Whitlocks home.?The incident is being investigated as a hate crime,?Moonachie police Sgt. Richard Behrens told The Record.?On Thursday, Cruz spoke out against what happened.?I think its definitely a direct reflection of how this country is being run and how this country is reacting maybe to some of the decisions and some of the ways that this country is being run and the things that are being said by the people at [the] helm of this country and at the helm of our day-to-day lives, the veteran Giants receiver said.From social media all the way up to the White House, these are things that are being spoken of and talked about on a daily basis, the good and the bad -- more so the bad at this point right now because thats all we have to work with. Its just an unfortunate situation that were going through right now.Cruz thinks Tuesdays incident at Whitlocks home reflects the mindset of people who support President-elect Donald Trump.Absolutely, Cruz said. I think theres a specific mindset that comes with supporting a guy like Donald Trump and supporting what he stands for, and theres a certain type of person that comes with that. Im not sure that person is always a positive-minded person, if you know what I mean. Youve just got to be careful.As [a] minority, you have to be careful, as a person of influence you have to be careful and youve just got to make sure your family is safe and give them the knowledge that they need to stay safe in this world.Cruz doesnt think all Trump supporters fit into that category; he said some likely just wanted change while others wanted a businessman in charge of the country.After the presidential election, Cruz made it known thhat he wasnt a Trump fan.dddddddddddd The former Pro Bowl receiver made that even clearer Thursday.You cant think of anything that that person that follows Donald Trump -- that theyre going to do something positive, Cruz said. And for someone to vandalize someones house and write Trumps name or whatever they wrote on the walls, its just proving that exact fact that Im saying -- that people that may follow him arent necessarily the most positive people in our community.Cruz seemed unfazed by potential backlash from his politically based comments.Thats fine with me, he said. Im comfortable with that. Im comfortable with peoples reactions to that. Thats my opinion, thats my mindset, thats the way I think, so Im not upset at anybody else that thinks otherwise.For Cruz, a native of Paterson, New Jersey, which is about 10 miles northwest of Moonachie, the incident at Whitlocks house hit home.Absolutely. Thats what is most shocking to me about this specific incident with Nikita Whitlock, Cruz said. Its just 20 minutes from where I grew up. This could have easily happened in Paterson. It could have easily happened in Clifton or Passaic or Lyndhurst even for that matter. This could have happened anywhere.To see something like that happen around here and to happen the way that it did -- breaking into a home, the vandalism ... Nikita has children. Hes got to explain that to his children. Not just right now. Five years from now, 10 years from now when they ask, Hey, dad, remember when that happened? They have to answer those questions. He has to answer those questions to his children. Its unfortunate. No one should have to go through that.Whitlock served a 10-game ban earlier this season for violating the leagues policy on performance-enhancing substances. He is currently on injured reserve with a foot injury and hasnt been at the Giants facility on a regular basis. He was not available Thursday to address the incident.? ' ' '