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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Six months after general manager Jerry Reese revamped the New York Giants defense with the draft and free agency, coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is finally going to get a chance to play with his new toy.With Olivier Vernon, Damon `Snacks Harrison, Janoris Jenkins, Eli Apple, Kelvin Sheppard, Keenan Robinson, Darian Thompson and Leon Hall added to the roster, the Giants are no longer the NFLs worst defense.Just how good they are going to be remains to be seen, but the talent is there, and the Dallas Cowboys are going to be the first test on Sunday.I like the way the guys have come together, Spagnuolo said Thursday. I just think the feel; I dont know what you call it, the chemistry, the way they are jelling on the field...Its all there for Spagnuolo, something he did not have last season when the Giants (6-10) lost six games either late in the fourth quarter or in overtime.The players can see the potential, too.He is not only waiting to let this group go, Dallas has been something I have been hearing since the moment I got here, said Harrison, who also signed as a free agent.Its a pretty big game for the team. Its a rivalry and we want to win it. I think Spags is excited. The guy has energy every single time you see him. Hes probably in the hallway now just doing flips. Thats what you get in the meeting room when he is talking about Dallas.The defensive line is imposing with Vernon and Jason Pierre-Paul at the ends and Harrison and Johnathan Hankins at the tackles. It can pressure opposing quarterbacks and stop the run.The secondary also was improved. Jenkins also was signed as a free agent and fellow cornerback Eli Apple was drafted in the first round. Add in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Hall (another free agent) and the Giants are deep at cornerbacks.Safety Landon Collins is back after an outstanding rookie season and Thompson, the third-round pick, is fighting Nat Berhe for the other starting safety job.Free agents Sheppard and Robinson give New York depth at the linebacker spots, joining Devon Kennard, Jonathan Casillas and J.T. Thomas.Were light years ahead of where we were last year defensively, and I hope it shows this Sunday, Casillas said.Vernon, who signed an $85 million contract, gives the Giants one of the leagues top pass rushers. He had 7+ sacks and 36 quarterback hits with the Miami Dolphins last season and he looked impressive in the preseason.Harrison and Hankins are the run stuffers in the middle and JPP can create havoc, even with his fireworks-mangled right hand.Lets just wait until Sunday, Vernon said when asked how good the defense could be. I know if I were a fan I would just be anticipating Sunday.Dallas will be a test for the defense. It has one of the leagues top offensive lines, talented receivers in wide out Dez Bryant and tight end Jason Witten and promising running backs in rookie Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris. The question mark is rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, who is replacing the injured Tony Romo.Prescott was outstanding in the preseason, but he now must perform when it counts, against a defense which will try to confuse him.Spagnuolo said the Giants have been talking to their scouts and players about Prescott. Collins played for Alabama against Prescott and Mississippi State.However, the job is to defend against the Dallas offense.With this team that we are playing, its not all about bringing people, Spagnuolo said. If we dont stop them from running the football, first, well never get to that other stuff. I know people are talking about confuse the rookie quarterback.Well the confusion in a rookie quarterback is more when you can get him behind schedule. If they are ahead of schedule and all he has to do is hand it off and play action passes, there isnt anything we can do to confuse that.Game notes Dwayne Harris was treated for heat exhaustion after practice. ... Thompson, who returned to practice this week after hurting his shoulder in the second preseason game, believes he is ready to play in the opener. ... Casillas (ribs) and Thompson were limited at practice for the second straight day.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL Randy White Jersey . -- Brandon Jennings made the most of his first game with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. Connor McGovern Womens Jersey . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. http://www.cowboysrookieproshop.com/Cowboys-Roger-Staubach-Jersey/ . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Tony Dorsett Youth Jersey . -- If Henry Burris has his way, he will be the starting quarterback to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup next year. Michael Irvin Womens Jersey . I cant pinpoint a date, but I do remember a player from my youth. Brian Downing was with the Chicago White Sox at a time when I listened to every game I possibly could on the radio. That particular season the late great Harry Caray was calling the White Sox games. The New York Knicks angered the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.Imagine how the Suns will feel when they see the San Antonio Spurs, who have thumped them seven consecutive times, on Thursday night.The Suns scuffled with the visiting Knicks before edging them 113-111 in overtime.The narrow win was Phoenixs third in five overtime games this season. No team in Suns history previously played as many as five extra-time contests among its first 25 games.The matchup featured more than just 53 minutes of action. It also included a fracas between Suns rookie Marquese Chriss and Knicks second-year forward Kristaps Porzingis. Phoenix guard Eric Bledsoe and the Knicks guard Brandon Jennings also drew technical fouls in the altercation.Marquese Chriss has become our Draymond Green, Suns coach Earl Watson said after seeing the rookie slam Porzingis to the ground after the New York big man ran over Bledsoe. I think he gave you an example or a flash of what that can be, as far as getting a flagrant (foul), protecting his teammate. I have no problems with that. We need a presence on the court that brings fight to our team that is kind of contagious.There is no backing down when it is comes to the Spurs on the road this season. They are 13-1 away from home despite often resting veteran players.They gave LaMarcus Aldridge the night off Wednesday in a 108-101 home win over the Boston Celtics. Pau Gasol (35 minutes), Tony Parker (26) and Manu Ginobili (22) are all candidates to sit out the second half of tthe back-to-back in Phoenix.ddddddddddddRegardless of who played, the Spurs dominated the Suns in the past seven matchups. San Antonio ran up a 19-point average margin of victory in those games, which included a season-series sweep last year.David Lee started in place of Aldridge and contributed eight points and 10 rebounds to the win over the Celtics. He might find himself starting Thursday night in place of Gasol, who was inactive for the second night of a back-to-back two weeks ago in Dallas.The Spurs won that game 94-87, which began a run of four straight road contests in which they held the opposition to 96 points or fewer. For the season, San Antonio has allowed the third-fewest points per game in road games, 97.8.The Spurs gave up 101 in their home victory Wednesday, but coach Gregg Popovich was impressed nonetheless.This was a really good win for us, he said. We communicated well defensively. This was one of our better games on the defensive end of the court.The Suns know that defense all too well. They were held to 84, 79 and 89 points the first three times they saw the Spurs last season.If Phoenix is to turn that around, it probably will need more of what it got from Chriss when he wasnt throwing opponents around Tuesday night.The rookie pulled down a season-best 12 rebounds to go with 14 points, giving him his first professional double-double. ' ' '