PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The NFL concussion fund has paid out nearly $500 million in its first two years Kendall Sheffield Jersey , but some players’ lawyers say there aren’t enough doctors in the approved network to evaluate dementia claims.They went to court Tuesday to oppose a rule to require retired players to be tested by doctors within 150 miles (241 kilometers) of home to prevent “doctor shopping” and suspected fraud.Fund administrator Orran Brown said ex-players from around the country had flocked to four doctors now dismissed from the program who had “high-volume” traffic and some suspect findings.“We didn’t notice it until the claims were coming in,” Brown said. “Forty-six million dollars went out the door on these claims before we could flag it.”Retired players can seek awards of as much as $3 million for moderate dementia and $1.5 million for mild dementia, although most men would get far less based on their age and years in the league. The settlement resolves thousands of lawsuits that alleged the NFL long hid what it knew about the risk of concussions.Senior U.S. District Judge Anita Brody, who has overseen the case since 2011, suggested the travel limit is needed to prevent abuse.“A few were brought to my attention where we had a lawyer from Pennsylvania and a player from Florida going to a doctor in Texas. And that was a red flag,” Brody said.Philadelphia lawyer Gene Locks, who represents some 1,100 retired players, urged Brody not to adopt the rule, saying his clients agreed to the settlement believing they could choose their own doctors.“They had bad experiences with the NFL benefit program, both during their playing time and after their playing time http://www.falconsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-john-cominsky-jersey , when they felt they were used and abused, and were not going to the doctors they wanted to,” Locks argued.He said there are at least 30 different subspecialties of neurology, only a few of them well-suited to evaluate his clients.Brown acknowledged he’s still trying to recruit doctors in some parts of the country for the program. He suggested Brody adopt the 150-mile (241-kilometer) rule but allow him to grant exceptions. The fund, expected to pay out more than $1 billion over 65 years, has paid out $485 million so far, and another $174 million in claims have been approved, Brown said.The NFL has appealed about 30% of the approved claims, but closer to 15% if the four doctors removed from the program aren’t counted, according to players lawyer David Buchanan.If someone wants to travel “to see a world-renowned physician, or a world-renowned neuropsychologist Qadree Ollison Jersey , they should have that right,” Buchanan said.Lawyers for the NFL monitored the hearing but did not take part in Tuesday’s arguments.The settlement, forged in 2013 and later amended, offers more than 20,000 retired players baseline testing and compensation of up to $5 million for the most serious illnesses linked to football concussions, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and deaths involving chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.Many of the more serious — and more straightforward — claims were settled in the first years of the program. ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott shared a brief hug with star running back Ezekiel Elliott after the Dallas quarterback kneeled twice to wrap up their second NFC East title in three seasons together.The postgame celebration was equally muted after Prescott accounted for two touchdowns and Jaylon Smith returned a fumble 69 yards for a score in a 27-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.Now it’s on to something Prescott and Elliott couldn’t do after an NFC-best 13 victories during their remarkable rookie year together in 2016: win a playoff game.Article continues below ...“We’ve got a lot more work to do,” Prescott said after running for Dallas’ first touchdown and throwing a 4-yard pass to Michael Gallup for the last. “This is something that we set out Marquise Brown Jersey , wanted to do way back in the offseason, and this is giving us a chance to go and get the greater goal.”Smith’s long return came after a scrambling Jameis Winston lost the ball on a blind-side sack by Randy Gregory, who also recovered a fumble to set up a touchdown for a 14-point lead late in the third quarter.The Cowboys (9-6) clinched their third division title in five seasons a week after failing in their first chance with their first shutout loss in 15 years, 23-0 at Indianapolis.It was a moment of redemption for Elliott, whose six-game suspension over domestic violence allegations last year came just as the Cowboys were playing their best. The ensuing three-game losing streak ultimately kept them out of the playoffs.“We can’t get comfortable,” said Elliott, who had 85 yards rushing. “We can’t afford to take a week off next week. We’ve got to keep working and make sure we’re ready for the playoffs.”Winston threw for 336 yards in another prolific passing game for the Buccaneers (5-10), who outgained the Cowboys 383 yards to 232 but hurt themselves with turnovers and holding penalties. Tampa Bay’s third straight loss clinched the franchise’s fifth season of at least 10 losses in the past six years, a week after the Bucs were eliminated from postseason contention.“It’s frustrating to move the ball like that and not get touchdowns,” coach Dirk Koetter said. “Against good teams, that’s what you’re supposed to do.”Smith’s fumble return and Gregory’s recovery at the Tampa Bay 4 helped a Dallas offense that wasn’t sharp for a second straight week. Prescott was 20 of 25 but for just 161 yards.Prescott ran 7 yards to cap the only lengthy Dallas touchdown drive http://www.ravensauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jaylon-ferguson-jersey , a 75-yarder. His toss to the rookie Gallup came after Gregory’s recovery, which resulted from a botched exchange between Winston and receiver Bobo Wilson.A play before that bad exchange in a seven-point game, Peyton Barber’s 33-yard run was wiped out by one of four holding penalties against the Bucs.Smith gave the Cowboys a 14-3 lead in the second quarter, scooping up the loose ball after Gregory hit Winston from behind and outrunning the Tampa Bay quarterback down the sideline for his first career touchdown.The sprint was one of the best illustrations of Smith getting his speed back after the devastating knee injury in his final game at Notre Dame that sidelined him as a rookie with the Cowboys in 2016. For the first time this season, he’s playing without a brace designed to offset nerve damage.“I’ve been known as a sideline-to-sideline fast linebacker and athlete,” Smith said. “Had I run the 40 (at the NFL combine), I would have been somewhere in the 4.4s and all that good stuff. But it feels good to be able to open up like that again at the highest level.”Winston’s 7-yard pass to Mike Evans got the Bucs within a touchdown with 2:05 remaining, but Dallas linebacker Leighton Vander Esch recovered the onside kick. Evans had six catches for 90 yards, and Adam Humphries had 10 grabs for 79 yards.With a chance to get within a touchdown earlier in the fourth quarter, Winston was stopped about half a yard short of the first down at the Dallas 1 on a fourth-down scramble.TAKING CARE OF BUSINESSThe Cowboys could have clinched the division with a Philadelphia loss at home against Houston. The issue was already settled by the time Jake Elliott hit a 35-yard field goal as time expired to give the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles a 32-30 win. “I think it was mandatory for us to go out there and take care of it ourselves,” Elliott said. “Honestly Miles Boykin Jersey , it just feels better.”RUSHING RACEElliott, the NFL rushing leader by 98 yards over Todd Gurley of the Los Angeles Rams coming in, is at 1,434 yards with what could be seen as a meaningless game at the Giants to finish the regular season. In a similar situation two years ago, Elliott didn’t play at Philadelphia. His final carry Sunday was an 11-yarder for a first down that allowed Prescott to run out the clock.CRAWFORD SCAREDallas defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford went to a hospital to have a neck injury evaluated after getting hurt on the second play of the game. Crawford’s neck was stabilized on a stretcher with his facemask removed. The seventh-year player was moving his arms and legs before he was taken off the field.The Cowboys said after the game that Crawford was released from the hospital and would be re-evaluated by the team’s medical staff Monday.UP NEXTBuccaneers: Finale at home against Atlanta next Sunday.Cowboys: Regular-season finale at the Giants next Sunday.