In the middle of the summer at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, I swung by the No. 48 transporter to check in with my close friend Scott Maxim, engine specialist for Hendrick Motorsports, around the same time practice was ending.Suddenly crew chief Chad Knaus whistled in followed by a few crew members, driver Jimmie Johnson trailing the group. They huddled at the front of their transporter. The atmosphere was tense and edgy, evident through the body language of the teams leader, Knaus.A few months later I made the same visit. It was Dover, Chase race No. 3, and this time the mood was relaxed, composed. While urgency was still present, there was no sense of panic in the camp.The contrast between the two Fridays was extreme, and it left an impression on me, enough that I mentioned to Knaus how impressive it was that he had kept this group from tearing itself apart in the midst of his and Johnsons longest winless streak together.Its obvious now that the six-time champs had rediscovered their magic, but I can honestly say, it wasnt obvious to me then.Ive always been quick to Identify Jimmie Johnson as the key to the No. 48 teams success. That comes from a basis of studying, evaluating and understanding drivers and their responsibilities. Its who I am. Its what Ive spent the majority of my life doing.Less obvious to me is the impact crew chiefs have, and thats not because I didnt experience their value as much, but rather I may not have appreciated it as much as I should have early in my career.That comes from having built, and maintained, my own race cars early in my career. It was an asset early because it put me ahead of my competitors, but became a liability late because I became less willing to experiment.The same effects may have hindered two of the best I ever competed against, Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin. Wallace was more talented than the one title he has; he was worthy of three in my mind. And Martin was every bit his equal, but ended his career with none.These two drivers understood race cars as well as any in NASCAR ... at least for a while.But as the sport evolves, becomes more technical, drivers with deep race car knowledge become less open-minded than those who simply want to drive.Its why Jimmie Johnson is so unique, so disciplined. Johnson -- perhaps more than any driver I know -- understands his role, is consumed by it, and doesnt allow any outside noise to interfere with his responsibilities.A common practice for struggling drivers, particularly late in their career, is to reinvent themselves through a crew chief swap. The hope is that a new leader fosters new ideas, recreates an energy that had disappeared -- a spark if you will. Johnson and Knaus have resisted that practice, and I admire the hell out of what they have done because of their loyalty to one another.Chad brings the best out of Jimmie, he holds the passwords to the 48 teams files, and more than ever before, I believe Chad Knaus has demonstrated his value to the Hendrick organization.Ive observed and pondered the 48 team all year. Ive witnessed tension strong enough to cause an implosion. But it doesnt happen with this group. Its bond appears impenetrable.The Bottom LineJimmie Johnsons win last week is a game-changer for most Chase brackets. Few had the 48 in their Miami final four; it just didnt seem logical in early September.Johnson, as we sit today, is the only driver not having to worry about the consequences of playing Russian roulette next Sunday in Talladega. Thats an enormous mental advantage.The team has a clear advantage in prepping three cars for three races in the third round that represent Jimmie Johnsons second-, third- and fourth-best averages of all NASCAR tracks, and if thats not enough to convince you team 48 is destined for Homestead, this should be:No driver is immune from waning confidence; it causes an athlete to try harder, perhaps too hard, at the wrong time. Its effects lead to mistakes (like speeding on pit road on the final stop of the day) when you may have had the car to beat.Even with his confidence diminished some, Johnson is more dangerous than most. With his confidence peaking, the 48 teams only kryptonite comes in the form of mechanical issues.Johnson more than likely wins one of the three races in the third round, which positions him for that coveted seventh Sprint Cup title.I reached out to congratulate Johnson following his win, and in his response was something I found very profound.Keep in mind, I consider Johnson among the most humble human beings on the planet. He is proof you can be confident, be great, but not need to remind anyone of it.So I found it compelling at the end of our exchange when he declared this: More to come!Dare any of us doubt him? Morgan Schneiderlin Jersey . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost . Samuel Umtiti Jersey . The third-ranked Ivanovic, who won the event in 2008 and 10, served five aces and broke Wickmayer, also a former winner in 2009, five times. 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After two years in the Canadian Football League, cornerback Josh Johnson is back in the NFL.His challenge now is to prolong his stay.Johnson made Jacksonvilles 53-man roster Saturday, beating out former Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall for the fifth and final cornerback spot. Johnson spent the 2013 preseason with San Diego before getting waived and landing with the BC Lions.Now, he essentially has a four-week audition since the Jaguars probably will drop a cornerback when Aaron Colvin returns from suspension. Colvin is suspended the first four games for violating the leagues policy on performance-enhancing drugs.In the meantime, Johnson is on the team and about to collect the biggest paycheck of his life.Josh Johnson is a guy whose production has earned him to be on this team, general manager Dave Caldwell said. Hes around the ball. He makes plays on the ball when given the opportunity. Not only that but hes been a sure tackler. Hes been a good blitzer. He can play both nickel inside for us and outside. And on special teams, he is an emergency returner for us.Nick is more of just an outside corner for us, and Josh brings a little bit more versatility for us.Marshall was one of 16 players waived as the Jaguars trimmed their roster to the NFL-mandated limit. Also cut: linebacker Thurston Armbrister, defensive tackle Richard Ash, defensive tackle T.J. Barnes, cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun, tight end Braedon Bowman, offensive lineman Kadeem Edwards, safety Josh Evans, receiver Shaq Evans, offensive tackle Rashod Hill, defensive end Tyroone Holmes, receiver Rashad Lawrence, linebacker Sean Porter, guard Pearce Slater, linebacker Jordan Tripp and receiver Shane Wynn.dddddddddddd.Undrafted rookie safety Jarrod Wilson beat out Evans, a sixth-round pick in 2013 who started 37 games.Jacksonville released four veterans: receiver Arrelious Benn, guard Mackenzy Bernadeau, linebacker Ryan Davis and guard Jacques McClendon. The Jags also placed defensive tackle Michael Bennett (calf) on injured reserve and officially put Colvin on the suspended list.The Jaguars kept three quarterbacks, including rookie Brandon Allen. The former Arkansas starter and sixth-round draft pick will play behind Blake Bortles and Chad Henne this season and could supplant Henne as the primary backup in 2017.Since the Senior Bowl, he came in here in rookie minicamp and all through (organized team activities), and we kind of knew that he was going to be a guy that we were going to have to keep throughout the season, Caldwell said.Also of note, the Jaguars kept five running backs: Chris Ivory, T.J. Yeldon, Denard Robinson, Corey Grant and Joe Banyard. Banyard, who ran 11 times for 43 yards in the preseason finale at Atlanta, was the surprise of the group.Hes done a nice job on special teams, and he performed well in that last preseason game when he had a chance to run the ball, Caldwell said.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '