ERST LESEN! » naldson in tricky conditions A final-hole birdie h

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Panthers coach Ron Rivera admits hes hoping for some bad weather on Thursday night.He figures maybe that might help slow down Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Well, that and a seemingly much-improved defense.Brees pounded the Panthers secondary on Oct. 16, throwing for 465 yards and four touchdowns as the Saints built a 21-0 lead and held on to win 41-38 on the Louisiana Superdome turf.In the three games since, Carolinas defense has clamped down, allowing only four combined offensive touchdowns while getting 15 sacks with four takeaways.Carolinas young secondary, which was racked by injuries in the previous meeting, has gotten healthy and is starting to mesh.Drew is a great quarterback and he was able to find those holes, find those mismatches, find the mistakes that were being made on our defense last time, Panthers safety Kurt Coleman said.But we have been able to correct those things over these last few weeks. I feel like our chemistry, the communication aspect that you need as a defense as a whole has been much better.Added Panthers defensive end Kony Ealy: What we had last year was a swagger, and were getting our swagger back.Saints coach Sean Payton said he can see on tape the Panthers are playing with renewed confidence.Theyre playing outstanding defense, Payton said. Their pressure on the quarterback has increased.Said Brees: They thrive on giving you a lot of different looks at times and they have a pressure package, and try to force turnovers.But stopping Brees wont be easy.He is completing nearly 70 percent of passes and has thrown 24 touchdown passes with only seven interceptions. His QB rating is second in the league behind Atlantas Matt Ryan.Some things to watch in Thursday nights game:DOUBTING THOMAS: Saints second-round draft choice Michael Thomas has emerged as the NFLs leading rookie receiver, but is coming off one of his worst games as a pro. He fumbled twice in the fourth quarter -- both resulting in Denver points -- and had a pass ripped from his grasp for an interception in the Saints 25-23 loss to Denver last Sunday. Thomas has been quiet since, disappearing from the locker room after the game and declining to speak with reporters on Tuesday. Emotionally hes great, Brees said. Hes chomping at the bit to get back out there and perform.KICKING THEMSELVES: Major breakdowns on kicks have figured prominently into two Saints losses, including last Sunday. The decisive play in the loss to the Broncos was a blocked extra-point kick that was returned for a defensive 2-point conversion with 1:28 to go. Earlier this season, the Saints had a field goal blocked and returned for a TD in New York against Giants, who pulled out a three-point victory in that game despite not scoring an offensive TD.ON THE MEND: The Panthers are anxious to get two-time All-Pro center Ryan Kalil back on the field after missing the past two games with a shoulder injury. Carolinas running game has struggled in Kalils absence.Panthers quarterback Cam Newton called Kalil his secret jewel, saying he does more for a quarterback than any offensive lineman in the league.Defensively, outside linebacker Shaq Thompson is expected to play after missing two games with a knee injury.NEWTON RUNNING: Newton only ran twice against the Saints on Oct. 16 in his first game back from a concussion. But the mobile QB is expected to see more designed runs this time around against the Saints. Newton carried a season-high 12 times for 54 yards and a touchdown in Carolinas 20-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Rivera isnt tipping his hand when it comes to Thursday nights strategy, saying its just about the game plan more than it is anything else.SAINTS DEFENSE: The Saints could have as many as four defensive regulars on the field for their rematch against Carolina who were unable to play in the previous meeting. Those include rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins -- a first-round pick last spring -- and veteran linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, who each had sacks last weekend.Also back is top cornerback Delvin Breaux and defensive end Paul Kruger. Getting those guys back into the mix always helps, Panthers tight end Greg Olsen said. .... Theyre talented, they play fast. Theyve been playing well as of late, thats for sure.---AP Sports Writer Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed to this report.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Wholesale Nike Shoes NZ . -- Adam Snyder returned to the San Francisco 49ers this season because the offensive lineman thought it was his best opportunity to win a championship. Cheap Shoes NZ Free Shipping . Burke is expected to miss two to three months after breaking a finger in the teams third preseason game. Tinsley, a 10-year veteran, spent the last two seasons in Utah, where the point guard averaged 3. http://www.clearanceshoesnz.com/ . Its an influence in football and a big part of the game. Shoes NZ Online .com) - Richie Incognito has reportedly been admitted to a psychiatric care unit in Arizona. Cheap Shoes NZ From China .7 million, one-year contract, a raise of $2.2 million. Wieters had asked for $8.75 million and the Orioles had offered $6.Rory McIlroy’s WGC-Dell Match Play title defence got off to a shaky start as the world No 3 snatched a narrow victory over Thorbjorn Olesen. Latest results WGC-Dell Match Play results McIlroy found himself two holes down with five holes to play in Austin but capitalised on a series of errors from the Dane over the closing stretch to claim a 1up win at the last.The win sees McIlroy join Kevin Na at the top of the group three table, on a day where Jason Day and Jordan Spieth also opened with victories. McIlroy, who defeated Gary Woodland to win last years title, fell behind when Olesen holed a 12-footer at the second and went two down after failing to save par from eight feet at the fourth. McIlroy got in to trouble at the eighth as he carded a bogey The Northern Irishman responded by birdieing the next from close range, before moving back all-square by saving par at the short seventh.A wayward approach in to the par-five next saw McIlroy drop a shot and hand Olesen the advantage back, with the Dane moving two clear when the Northern Irishman found the water and conceded the 13th.McIlroy clawed a hole back with a kick-in par at the 14th and got back level when Olesen three-putted the next from the fringe, before the pair both missed birdie opportunities at the par-5 16th. Olesen missed out on at least a halve with a final-hole bogey After the duo exchanged pars at the 17th, Olesen sliced his chip from the greenside rough and conceded the hole as McIlroy was left with a close-range two-putt for the win. Elsewhere, Day overcame a back injury to defeat Graeme McDowell 3&2, while Spieth raced three up inside the opening six holes on his way to a 3&2 win over Ryder Cup winner Jamie Donaldson.Thomas Pieters birdied two of his final three holes to snatch a halve against recent back-to-back PGA Tour winner Adam Scott, as fifth seed Rickie Fowler suffered a shock loss to compatriot Jason Dufner. Jason Dufner (left) got his week off to a winning start by beating Rickie Fowler A missed par-save from six feet by Shane Lowry at the penultimate hole gave Martin Kaymer a narrow 1up win, while Sergio Garcia edged a rollercoaster all-European contest by the same margin against Lee Westwood.Garcia lost four holes in a row before winning four of his own around the turn, before holding on to victory with a 12-foot par at the last. It was very, very funny, Garcia told Sky Sports. We halved just three holes in the whole 18. Lee said to me on 17, We are gelling well! It would have been better in a foourball.ddddddddddddIt was very up and down. I started very well and he hit a couple of poor shots, then he got on a great run and the last three or four holes he was making birdie or I was. Im very happy with the putt I made on 18 to get the win. Jordan Spieth was pleased with his 3&2 victory over Jamie Donaldson in tricky conditions A final-hole birdie helped Patton Kizzire snatch a share of the spoils with Bubba Watson, while Open Champion Zach Johnson and Ryder Cup hopeful Andy Sullivan kicked-off their tournament with convincing victories.Matt Kuchar posted the biggest win of the day by thrashing Anirban Lahiri 6&5, while Matt Fitzpatrick was unable to win a single hole during his 5&4 loss to Phil Mickelson. Rory McIlroy admits he was fortunate to beat Thorbjorn Olesen at the WGC - Dell Match Play I got off to a good start and any time I got in to trouble, my short game bailed me out, Kuchar told Sky Sports. Then every putt that was makeable I seemed to make today.Watch the WGC-Dell Match Play throughout the week live on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf. Day two coverage begins on Wednesday from 6pm. Also See: WGC latest leaderboard Day strains back in victory WATCH: Wiesberger chips in! Golf live on Sky Sports 4 ' ' '