11-13-2019, 05:37 AM
NEW ORLEANS -- Drew Brees saw his face on giant Superdome video boards, then nodded and smiled as a jubilant crowd applauded the star quarterbacks latest milestone and the meaningful way in which he hit it. Brian McCann Jersey . Brees passed for 313 yards and four touchdowns and New Orleans beat Carolina 31-13 on Sunday night to regain sole possession of first place in the NFC South and snap the Panthers winning streak at eight games. In the process, Brees became the fifth quarterback to eclipse 50,000 career yards passing. "Love this offence. Love what Sean Paytons put together," Brees said. The Panthers defence had not allowed more than two touchdowns in a game this season until the Saints (10-3) scored three in the second quarter alone, when Brees completed 14 of 16 passes for 159 yards. The Saints also became the only team this season to score more than 24 points against Carolina (9-4), which entered the game No. 1 in scoring defence, allowing 13.1 points per game. Brees first two scoring strikes went to Marques Colston, who made nine catches for 125 yards. Jimmy Graham added two TD catches, his second making it 31-6 in the fourth quarter. "We just had great balance," Brees said. "Marques came up with some huge catches, as did Jimmy. The line did a great job ... and the defence did a great job of getting us the ball." New Orleans sacked Cam Newton five times and did not allow a touchdown until 5:15 remained. Junior Galette had three of New Orleans sacks and Cameron Jordan two. The Panthers had the ball for 11:30 of the first quarter, showing an early ability to move the ball in the face of an energized and loud Superdome crowd, but only got two field goals out of it after New Orleans came up with clutch third-down stops, including one on third-and-goal from the 6. "Im surprised and disappointed. Were a better team than we played today," Carolina coach Ron Rivera said. "They have the crowd behind them and theyre on turf, not natural grass, which is a little bit different. It helps them as far as their speed and their timing. The things that they do here, they do very well. Well see how things go when they come to Carolina." Last Monday night, New Orleans went to Seattle looking to lead the race for the top playoff seeding in the NFC, only to fall 34-7 and drop into a tie with Carolina atop their division. But the Saints looked like legitimate contenders again in their return home, where they are 7-0. They became the first team not to lose a turnover to the Panthers all season. Brees completed 30 of 42 passes in becoming the first quarterback to pass for at least 4,000 yards in eight straight season and pass for 30 TDs in six straight seasons. New Orleans now owns a one-game lead over the Panthers with three games to go, but travels to Carolina in two weeks. "Here we are, attempting to make another run at it," Brees said. "Obviously, some records and some other things, milestones along the way that you get to share, but Im just glad to be on the journey with this group of guys. Brees best drive began with 2:01 left in the first half and New Orleans at its own 24. He immediately found Lance Moore for 21 yards, Colston for 19 yards and Darren Sproles for 20, setting up Grahams 5-yard TD catch to make it 21-6. Newton was 22 of 34 passing for 160 yards, DeAngelo Williams returned from a quad contusion that sidelined him last week, gaining 52 yards on 13 carries. "It was a great measuring stick for who we are and where we have to go," Newton said. "The best thing about this is we have an opportunity to face this team again in two weeks. Those guys just were better than us today. Are they better than us? No." The Panthers struggled to move the ball on most drives after the first quarter, when Graham Gano hit field goals of 45 and 24 yards. Brees other TDs went for 8 yards to Graham and for 6 and 15 yards to Colston, who was hardly surprised by the QBs quick return to form. "Youve just got to see him throughout the week," Colston said. "The man works like Ive never seen. He deserves every bit of success that he gets." Notes: The other four QBs with 50,000 yards are: Brett Favre with 71,838, Peyton Manning with 64,009, Dan Marino with 61,361 and John Elway with 51,475. ... Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart left the game with a knee injury, the severity of which was not immediately disclosed. Glenn Hubbard Jersey . -- The Los Angeles Clippers chose not to speak publicly about owner Donald Sterling before they faced the Golden State Warriors for Game 4 of their first-round series Sunday. Atlanta Braves Gear .com) - James Harden put the Houston Rockets on his back and willed them to an overtime victory on Thursday. https://www.cheapbraves.com/2373o-sean-n...raves.html . It was a move of some time in the making. “He hasnt thrown well, clearly some guys are being used more than him right now and the only way to get out of this funk is to pitch,” said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. OTTAWA -- Hayley Wickenheiser doesnt put much stock in the flag-bearers curse. The womens hockey star, who will carry the Maple Leaf into the opening ceremonies of the Sochi Olympics, says the idea that she and her teammates could be under any more pressure is absurd. After all, they play a sport that many in Canada consider religion. So any sort of cosmic jinx pales in comparison to the weight of an entire countrys expectations for the womens team to win a fourth straight gold medal in Sochi. "I think theres just too much emphasis to put on that," Wickenheiser said Thursday via conference call from Austria. "The pressure that we feel is the pressure that always comes with playing hockey as a Canadian hockey player, whether youre male or female. "The country expects a gold medal. Whether I carry the flag or not, Im pretty sure our team doesnt feel any extra added incentive that theres more pressure to perform, because we already feel that already." Not all athletes see it that way. Diver Alexandre Despatie felt it would be a distraction and said hed decline any offer to carry the flag at the 2012 London Games. Kayaker Adam van Koeverden carried the flag at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and finished a disappointing eighth in the 1,000 metres -- although he did win a silver medal in the 500. Moguls skier Jean-Luc Brassard blamed his disappointing performance at the 1998 Nagano Olympics on being the flag-bearer a day earlier. Wickenheiser and her teammates hope the same thing doesnt happen to them. Hockey Canada says the women will march in the Feb. 7 opening ceremonies despite playing their first game the following night versus Switzerland. Brassard, the assistant chef de mission for the Sochi team, was on the panel that selected Wickenheiser along with chef de mission Steve Podborski, assistant chef France St. Louis and one athlete representative. Hockey Canada nominated her for the honour. "Throughout her successful career, this Canadian athlete has demonstrated true Canadian grit, patriotism and sporttsmanship," said Podborski, adding that Wickenheiser will lead the Canadian team with "the utmost pride and class. Hoyt Wilhelm Jersey. " Wickenheiser is embracing the opportunity to put her sport centre stage. "What I think it does is it shines a very positive light on the sport of womens hockey and just on our sport in general for the world to see," said the 35-year-old forward. "Thats a great responsibility and expectation that every nation in the world has to carry in and I think should really embrace." The Shaunavon, Sask., native, who is at a pre-Olympic camp in Austria and wasnt able to attend the formal announcement Thursday on Parliament Hill, will be making her fifth Winter Olympic appearance. But for the first time since 2006, she wont be Canadas captain. Caroline Ouellette has been handed that job, while Wickenheiser will be an alternate. But she remains Canadas biggest womens hockey star and a pioneer of the game. She and teammate Jayna Hefford will be the only players in the 2014 womens hockey tournament who have played in every Olympic Games since female hockey made its debut in 1998. Her stewardship extends beyond hockey as a spokesperson for Right To Play, Clean Air Champions, KidsSport, Spread The Net, Plan Canadas Because I Am A Girl and Classroom Champions. Wickenheiser read the athletes oath in the opening ceremonies at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and she is running for election to the International Olympic Committees athletes commission in Sochi. Veteran speedskater Clara Hughes carried the flag at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics while womens hockey player Danielle Goyette was the flag-bearer at the 2006 Games in Turin. "I remember we were joking, like Dont trip and fall when you come in," Wickenheiser said of her conversation with Goyette before the opening ceremonies eight years ago. "Thats sort of the same thing we were talking about today. Geez, Id better watch some YouTube videos and figure out how the athletes have done this before." --- ' ' '