Storm- News » . He was also being aggressive

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Panthers coach Ron Rivera hopes the return of two starting offensive linemen will give Cam Newton more time to make plays in the passing game. Carolina is mired in a three-game losing streak entering Monday nights game at Philadelphia and is 1-5-1 in its last seven games. You can watch the game starting at 8:30pm ET/ 5:30pm PT on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4 and TSN5. Newton has struggled during the last three weeks, held to 527 yards passing and one touchdown with three interceptions during that span. Many of his throws are sailing high or wide or his intended target. Part of the issue is Newton has been under siege in the pocket, sacked 10 times in the last three games. The return of left tackle Byron Bell and left guard Amini Silatolu — who both practiced full on Thursday and arent listed on the teams injury report — should help an offence that ranks 26th in the league. Starting right guard Trai Turner is also improving, but may still be another week away. A lot of it is not just about him, Panthers coach Ron Rivera said of Newtons recent struggles. We can put it all on the quarterback and say its all about the quarterback, but this is a team game. Rookie Kelvin Benjamin has dropped a pass in the end zone in each of the last two games for Carolina (3-5-1). And Newton has gotten little help from his running backs, which have been hobbled by injuries all year. Playing behind an offensive line last Thursday night that included four undrafted players hasnt helped either. Rivera said earlier in the week if the Panthers are going to reach the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, theyll need to stay healthy on the offensive line the rest of the way. In order for us to make a run. ... weve got to have some groups have some continuity, the (offensive line) being one of them, Rivera said. Its a group thats been up and down because of the injuries. Newton did some self-scouting during in five days off players had since last Thursday nights loss to New Orleans and said he needs to get better, too. I think were at that point right now that everybody understands whats at stake, Newton said Wednesday. Every week is a must-win for us. Mark Sanchez, who is filling in for the injured Nick Foles for the Eagles at quarterback, can relate to what Newton is going through. He struggled in New York and wound up getting cut by the Jets. Sanchez said Newton will be just fine if he continues to trust the coaches and his preparation and not let outside distractions get to him. Hes a heckuva player, a physical specimen with incredible talent, Sanchez said. Hes one of those guys that you play against and its like, Dang, man. The guy is a stud. So he has to understand that hes one of heckuva player and to never change no matter what. When things arent looking so good from the outside just put your head down and keep working and studying and trust his ability. Eagles coach Chip Kelly is pretty confident Newton will bounce back, too — he just hopes it isnt Monday night. He knows all about Newtons potential. Newton led Auburn to a 22-19 win over Kellys Oregon Ducks in the 2011 BCS national championship, throwing for 265 yards and two touchdowns and running for 64 yards on 22 carries. Kelly called 6-foot-5, 245-pound Newton the complete package at quarterback. I remember just watching him in pregame warmups and thinking, holy smokes this guy is a legitimate quarterback, Kelly said. He can throw it. Obviously he broke Peyton Mannings rookie (yards passing) record. He can make all the throws and then, unfortunately, if you defend all the throws he has the ability to pull it down and run. He can run around people, he can run through people. Hes built like an NBA power forward. Newtons future appeared on the rise entering this season after leading the Panthers to the NFC South championship. But after a 12-4 season, Newtons overall record as a starter has fallen to 27-28-1. Hes been hobbled by rib and ankle injuries and hes completing just 57 per cent of his passes this year with only eight touchdowns in eight starts and five interceptions. I just want to win, whether I play good, bad or indifferent, Newton said. . We are past due for a game that proves we are what we thought we were. ___ AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Clyde Drexler Jersey .J. Mayo made seven three-pointers and scored 25 points, Ersan Ilyasova added 20, and the Milwaukee Bucks placed seven players in double figures in a 130-110 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers, who lost their 11th straight game on Monday night. Hakeem Olajuwon Jersey . Seager had another triple, a home run and a double in a rare feat not seen in more than 40 years, leading Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners past the New York Yankees 10-2. "It was a weird play," Seager said of the triple in the fourth inning. http://www.therocketsofficial.com/Authen...Rockets-Jersey/. - Zac Leslie scored two goals and assisted on two more, and Justin Nichols made 34 saves as the Guelph Storm blanked the Kitchener Rangers 6-0 in Ontario Hockey League action on Sunday. Tracy McGrady Jersey . The Toronto Argonauts (11-7) look for an opportunity to repeat as CFL champions when they host the surging Hamilton Tiger-Cats (10-8) on Sunday. Houston Rockets Jerseys . Kevin Martin and Kevin Love paced the Timberwolves like they do so often. Martin had 27 points with some key baskets down the stretch, Love had his usual double-double, and the Timberwolves snapped a three-game losing streak with a 112-106 victory Saturday night over the suddenly slipping Dallas Mavericks.NEW YORK -- They were bloodied and eventually beaten, though not before delivering the type of effort Gregg Popovich always expects of his San Antonio Spurs. Even when his team is so banged-up that it had two guys in protective facemasks on the court at the same time -- and one of them broke his nose again, anyway. "I know we didnt look pretty," Popovich said. "Im more interested in results than how we look. So I thought they performed well." The short-handed Spurs hung in, but Alan Anderson scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 103-89 victory Thursday night. Despite playing without Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard, their top four scorers, the Spurs were still within five points early in the fourth quarter before the Nets pulled away for good. Deron Williams added 16 points and eight assists as Brooklyn ended a six-game losing streak to San Antonio with its first victory since March 29, 2010. The Spurs overcame all their challenges to pull out a 125-118 double-overtime victory at Washington on Wednesday, but didnt have enough to beat an improving Brooklyn team and fell to 2-1 on their nine-game rodeo trip. "Im disappointed we didnt win," Popovich said, shrugging off the injuries. "Im thinking we make a couple of 3s in the second half and we hang right in there, and thats the way youve got to look at it." Nando De Colo started for Parker, but had to rush off the court bleeding from the nose after he was whacked while trying to defend Andrei Kirilenko. He returned in the second half wearing a mask, as Matt Bonner already was. Bonner took another hit later and said he broke another bone in his nose. Cory Joseph scored 18 for the Spurs, Danny Green had 17 and Patty Mills 16. Paul Pierce had 12 points for the Nets, who have turned things around since the Spurs outclassed them 112-93 in San Antonio on New Years Eve, leaving Brooklyn at 10-21. They are 12-4 in 2014 and have won two straight since dropping three in a row, all against division leaders. "Weve got the pieces," Anderson said. "Were finally starting to turn the corner a lot more lately. I just want to win no matter how much Im pplaying.dddddddddddd" The Spurs trotted out Green, Marco Belinelli, Tiago Splitter, Joseph and De Colo to start, an unheralded lineup similar to the one Popovich used when he sent Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and Green home before another Thursday night nationally televised game at Miami early last season. That decision cost the Spurs a $250,000 fine from former Commissioner David Stern, but Popovich didnt have much of a choice who he played this time. Ginobili (left hamstring) and Leonard (broken bone in right hand) were already out, and Popovich noticed Parker labouring with a back injury during the first half Wednesday. Parker then sat the remainder of the game, and Duncan played a season-high 40 minutes, well more than Popovich prefers to use the 37-year-old forward and essentially mandating a night off Thursday. Making matters worse, Boris Diaw then was vomiting during the day at the team hotel because of food poisoning and couldnt play. "Really wishing that some of those guys were healthy right now," said Green, who played 35 minutes after logging 46 Wednesday. "Its always good to play a lot of minutes, but at the same time it would have been nice to have some of those guys healthy tonight." The guys that were left raced to a 20-8 lead and were ahead the whole first quarter, settling for a 24-17 advantage. The Nets took a 40-39 lead into halftime when Williams made a jumper with 38 seconds remaining. With the Nets leading by two late in the third, Anderson converted a three-point play, his first of seven straight Brooklyn points to end the quarter and give the Nets a 75-68 lead. He another three-point play with the Nets ahead by five in the fourth, and his 3-pointer made it 87-77 and the Nets were comfortably ahead from there. "I thought he was taking wide-open shots. He was also being aggressive, driving the ball knowing that they didnt have any shot blocking," Nets coach Jason Kidd said. Notes: The Nets Joe Johnson and the Belinelli were announced Thursday as competitors in the 3-point contest at All-Star Saturday night. ... Parker and Ginobili also missed the Nets previous victory in the series. 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