Dein erstes Forum » runs, but I could gone about it better

NEW ORLEANS -- The defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, who last year had the most suffocating defense in the NFL, have been vulnerable this season stopping the run.The New Orleans Saints, who usually live and die on the ageless right arm of Drew Brees, have found some offensive balance by running the ball effectively in back-to-back wins to climb back into playoff contention.While Sundays game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome pits Brees against the Broncos top-ranked pass defense, the outcome could rest on how well the Saints (4-4) can run the ball to keep Denvers defense working overtime. The Broncos (6-3) saw that play out last week as they were on the field for 80 snaps in a 30-20 road loss to the Oakland Raiders.Its concerning because weve been really good at (stopping the run), and then weve given up almost 400 yards lately, Denver coach Gary Kubiak said. Theres also been a lot of big short-yardage plays where we thought we were there to make the tackle, and we didnt tackle well.The Raiders shredded the Broncos last week for 218 yards on 43 carries. Denver has allowed eight rushes of 20 yards or more, third most in the NFL, and it is surrendering the fourth-most rushing yards overall (128.6 per game).The Saints come into Sundays game knowing they can throw the ball -- Brees leads the NFL with an average of 336.1 passing yards per game. New Orleans has also found a spark with its dormant running game.The Saints rushed for 248 yards on 42 carries in a 41-23 road victory over the San Francisco 49ers last week, the most rushing yards in a game in coach Sean Paytons 11 seasons. Tim Hightower and Mark Ingram each have had a 100-yard game in the last two weeks.Payton figures to keeping looking for balance, especially since the Broncos have one of the leagues top pass rushers in linebacker Von Miller.Hes elite, and you would say, clearly, the best pass rusher in our game right now, Payton said. He wins with speed, he wins with power, his get-off is outstanding. If you sit there with the same cadence, you know at the breath of hut hes going to be one step past your tackle. Hes a fantastic player.Kubiak was effusive in his praise of Brees, who has two 400-yard passing games this season along with another three games of at least 323 yards. Brees 21 touchdown passes rank second in the league to Atlantas Matt Ryan (23), and he has thrown just five interceptions.Brees also is the NFCs top third-down passer, completing 72.1 percent, with eight touchdowns against one interception. He ranks third behind Sam Bradford of Minnesota and Aaron Rodgers of Green Bay in fourth-quarter passing.Weve faced a lot of good quarterbacks, and this ones got to be on top of the list, Kubiak said. Hes exceptional. One of the finest players Ive ever seen from being a quarterback guy and watching that position.Drews the best passer in the league right now, Miller said. Hes leading the league in passing yards, and its not the first time hes done it. Over the years, hes been (Nos.) 1 or 2. Hes just a great quarterback. He goes through all his progressions. Hes got a high IQ.The Broncos allow a league-low 183.3 yards passing per game.Its a tremendous challenge, Brees said. Theyre defending Super Bowl champs for a reason. Its because theres really not a weak link in that defense. Their front four -- or really front five -- rushers, to their linebacker corps to their secondary, its top notch. All those guys are play-makers. They fly around, they get after you.Trevor Siemian, Denvers first-year starter at quarterback, has struggled with a left shoulder injury, completing just 59.8 percent of his passes with 10 TDs and five interceptions. He took several big hits against the Raiders.Siemian bounced back from a rocky 1-of-7 start to throw for 286 yards and two scores against the Raiders. The Broncos, however, have failed to pick up a first down on 25 of their last 51 possessions in their last four games, and theyve gone 2-2 in those games.Weve got to find some consistency, Kubiak said. I feel really good about what Trevors doing, but, like any other player, hes got to get better.For the Saints, starting left tackle Terron Armstead (knee) is questionable. Linebackers Stephone Anthony (hamstring) and Dannell Ellerbe (quadriceps) are out. Denver cornerback Aqib Talib (lower back) and defensivbe end Derek Wolfe (elbow) are out. Gerald Everett Rams Jersey . 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A person familiar with the hearing, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press on Saturday that Manfred testified the sport wasnt concerned whether Bosch distributed performance-enhancing drugs to minors because MLBs interest was his relationship with players under investigation.PITTSBURGH -- Manager Mike Matheny admitted the St. Louis Cardinals losing streak was starting to get to him. "Its something you go to sleep thinking about and you wake up thinking about it and wonder what that sick feeling in your stomach is when you get up," Matheny said. "You realize its because we havent been doing what were supposed to do, what were paid to do, and thats win ballgames." The Cardinals ended their season-worst seven-game skid Thursday night and did so in emphatic fashion, averting a five-game sweep by routing the Pirates 13-0 in a matchup between the NLs top two teams. St. Louis began the series with a 2 1/2-game lead in the NL Central, but left with the Pirates ahead by 1 1/2 games. The Cardinals avoided their first sweep in a set of at least five games since 1916, when the New York Giants took all six games. Pittsburgh had won the previous four games at PNC Park by a combined score of 36-10. "We had kept the cat in the bag for four games," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "Tonight, we let it out." Joe Kelly (2-3) pitched six scoreless innings and had two hits. Tony Cruz added three hits, including a two-run double during an eight-run seventh inning. Kelly allowed three hits while walking four and striking out four. Seth Maness, Michael Blazek and Edward Mujica pitched one inning each to complete the five-hitter. "It felt good," Kelly said. "The whole time going out there I was just trying to pitch as best as I could. I just wanted to compete my butt off and try as hard as I could to help us get that win." After the Cardinals failed to acquire a replacement for injured All-Star catcher Yadier Molina prior to Wednesdays non-waiver trading deadline, Cruz figures to get the majorityy of starts behind the plate.dddddddddddd. He had started just 11 games this season until Molina went on the disabled list Wednesday with a sprained right knee. Carlos Beltran, Allen Craig, Matt Holliday and David Freese also had two of St. Louis 17 hits. Craig came into the game in a 1-for-27 slump, and he had a two-run double in the seventh. Charlie Morton (3-3) struggled against the Cardinals again, giving up five runs and 10 hits in six innings. He is 2-8 in his career against St. Louis. "I made some bad pitches, some pitches that I could executed better and other that I wasnt smart about," Morton said. "Im not saying they wouldnt have scored any runs, but I could gone about it better." Morton threw a wild pitch that made it 1-0 in the second. St. Louis scored three times in the fourth as Jon Jay was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Cruz grounded into a double play and Pete Kozma had an RBI single. Beltran doubled in a run in the sixth before the Cardinals broke the game open an inning later. "Today was a good sign for our team," Craig said. "There was no panic. We brought a lot of energy. You hate to go into lulls like we did because weve played so well all season long but I think this game should get us going again." NOTES: CF Starling Marte had two of Pittsburghs five hits. He has a hit in all 12 career games against the Cardinals. ... Pittsburgh C Russell Martin sat out the game with a sore left knee. ... St. Louis opens a three-game series Friday night at Cincinnati with RHP Shelby Miller (10-7, 2.79) facing RHP Bronson Arroyo (9-8, 3.26). ... RHP Gerrit Cole (5-4, 3.56) will pitch for Pittsburgh on Friday night in the first game of a three-game series against Colorados Jhoulys Chacin (9-5, 3.54). ' ' '