Was ist Paintball? » ldnt keep up. "They are doing the same thing

METAIRIE, La. -- Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro, who early this season lambasted New Orleans defense for canceling out Drew Brees brilliance, no longer sees it that way.Weve gotten better every game, Vaccaro asserted after practice Wednesday as the Saints prepared to meet the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday. The stats, obviously, on total defense might not say it, but if you look up certain things, theres an improvement.Indeed, recent numbers back Vaccaro up. After allowing opposing offenses to pile up nearly 420 yards per game through their first five games, New Orleans has yielded an average of 346.2 yards during the past five. The club still ranks 27th in total defense, but thats up from dead last after Week 1 and as bad as 31st through the seasons first several games.When Rams rookie quarterback Jared Goff, the NFLs top draft choice last spring, makes his first road start in the Superdome on Sunday, hell face a defense that has held opposing quarterbacks to 234 yards passing or less three times since Week 7. The Saints are coming off their best defensive performance yet, having held Carolina to 223 net yards and just 173 through the air.Our defense is playing really well, Saints right tackle Zach Strief said. Those guys have bailed us out so many times the last few weeks.After giving up 34 or more points in four of their first five games, the Saints have given up fewer than 24 points per game in the five weeks since -- even as their offense has given up both an interception and fumble return for touchdowns, and as their special teams unit had a kick blocked for a defensive 2-point conversion.New Orleans is also getting more turnovers lately, and has climbed into a tie for 10th in the NFL in takeaways with 15 -- six on interceptions and nine on fumble recoveries.They definitely have changed some things, Goff said when asked if hes noticed an evolution of New Orleans defense when he compares recent game video to clips from early in the season.One of those changes involves New Orleans base formation, now comprised of four linemen, two linebackers, three safeties and two cornerbacks. In three of the past four games, one of the two linebackers has been Dennell Ellerbe, who missed the first six games of the season with a quadriceps injury. Since his return, hes been one of the top playmakers on the team while handling wide-ranging responsibilities, from blitzing to covering tight ends.Hes just a great player. You see him in pass rush. You see him in coverage. He can cover tight ends. He can play the run, Vaccaro said. He literally can do it all. Hes the same Dannell who won the Super Bowl with Baltimore when he was healthy.Ellerbe already has been in on 16 tackles, including two sacks. He also has been credited with four quarterback hits and two passes defended.Meanwhile, the Saints interior line has gotten a boost from the return of rookie tackle Sheldon Rankins, the clubs top draft choice in April, who broke his fibula in training camp. Also back is cornerback Delvin Breaux, who has played two of the past three games since returning from his fractured fibula, which occurred in Week 1.I just feel like we had a few guys go down early that we needed, Ellerbe said. So now that were getting those guys back, were having our full defense back -- the defense that we were supposed to have.Game notes RB Mark Ingram, who left last Thursday nights game at Carolina after being knocked unconscious, was at practice today. He confirmed that he was diagnosed with a concussion, but said he expects to play Sunday. I felt good. I was running fast, I was making my cuts, Ingram said. Im feeling good and looking forward to playing. ... Also practicing Wednesday were left tackle Terron Armstead, who has missed the past two games with a nagging knee injury, and Breaux, who was scratched from the last game after playing the previous two. Breaux has said he expected to return this week, and was only held out last Thursday because the Saints didnt want to unduly stress his recently healed fibula with two games in a five-day span.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Hydro Flask 24 Oz Nz . Tracey comes to the Blue Bombers after spending over a decade with Queens University. Most recently he was the schools assistant football coach. Hydro Flask 40 Oz Sale . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. http://www.hydroflasknzsale.com/hydro-flask-40-oz-ombre.html . Artturi Lehkonen, Joni Nikko and Ville Leskinen had the other goals for Finland (1-0) while Juuse Saros stopped 28 shots. Tim Robin Johnsgard had the lone goal for Norway (0-2). Hydro Flask Clearance . -- Three close looks at the bucket, three misses. Hydro Flask 40 Oz Clearance . Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille scored 20 seconds apart a few minutes after Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a broken right leg, and the Bruins beat the Lightning 3-0 on Monday afternoon. SAN ANTONIO -- Tony Parker made good on his pledge before Game 4 of the NBA Finals: He was ready to go. He just didnt have it in him to finish. What began as a spectacular, told-you-so performance from the All-Star point guard ended with a scoreless second half and second-guessing about his strained right hamstring, which Parker said gradually sapped his strength as the San Antonio Spurs lost to the resurgent Miami Heat 109-93 on Thursday night. Parker, who repeatedly declared "Ill be ready to go" to questions about his health before Game 4, said afterward he "definitely got fatigued" in the second half. Thats when Parker took only four shots and made none. It was an abrupt reversal after a brilliant first half, when Parker looked like the NBAs best point guard -- just as he did at the start of the series. By the end, he settled for 15 points and nine assists in Game 4. "It was kind of weak. I didnt know what to expect," Parker said. "So the first three, four minutes I was kind of testing it, and the first half it felt OK. And the second half I think I got fatigued a little bit." Then he threw in a silver lining. "Overall Im just happy I didnt make it worse," he said. The series is tied 2-all heading into the final home game for San Antonio on Sunday night. Parker said hell be OK to play after packing the next two off days with treatment, but the Spurs might need him to be spectacular again to win a fifth championship. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said health wasnt Parkers problem. "Miami did a great job on him," Popovich said. "They doubled. They got it out of his hands and other people had to play." Parker shot 7 of 16 and reached the foul line just three times. It was a sudden disappearing act after scoring or assisting on 12 of San Antonios first 16 field goals. Despite the lingering problems from his hamstring, Parker didnt make it obvious. He played 31 minutes and well intto the fourth quarter before the Spurs emptied their bench as the Heat pulled away.dddddddddddd. Parker was hurt in the second half of Game 3, and an MRI taken Wednesday revealed a Grade 1 strain. Thats the mildest level, but Parker wouldnt commit to playing Thursday night until the morning shootaround. The way he started the game, it appeared all the concern about his hamstring was silly. He shot 58 per cent in the first half, and had already outscored his listless performances in Games 2 and 3. Miami stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade had rebounded, too, making this series a thrilling matchup of dueling superstars again. But while James and Wade kept bulldozing the Spurs in the second half, Parker couldnt keep up. "They are doing the same thing on me since the beginning," Parker said of the Heat. "Very aggressive on pick-and-rolls, stuff like that. I missed easy shots, and hopefully Ill get more healthy and better by Sunday." Parker didnt have his supporting cast in the backcourt to bail him out this time, either. Danny Green and Gary Neal, who lit up the Heat in a Game 3 blowout, combined for 23 points -- less than half their output the last time out. One big reason: Miami didnt let the Spurs have their way from 3-point range again. Whereas Neal and Green combined to make 13 of San Antonios Finals-record 16 shots from behind the arc in Game 3, the Spurs totalled only 16 tries from long range as an encore. That was half the number of 3s that San Antonio launched Tuesday night. Green said he expected the Heat to chase them more aggressively off the 3-point line this time. Spurs forward Tim Duncan also gave the Heat credit -- for doing as much to limit Parker as his injury. "Hes played with injuries all year long, minor injuries all year long, and I had no doubt that he would be there and be ready to play," Duncan said. "And he played well. As I said, give credit to Miami in the second half." ' ' '