FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Tom Brady didnt have to throw much or especially well for the New England Patriots to get their sixth straight win.He figures to play a bigger role when they go for their seventh.One week after they relied on the running game — 37 carries for 201 yards and four touchdowns by Jonas Gray — in a 42-20 win over Indianapolis, the Patriots face the NFLs top-ranked run defence on Sunday when they meet the Detroit Lions.And Brady is determined to play better than he did in the first half against the Colts when he threw two interceptions with no touchdowns and completed just 10 of 19 passes for 84 yards.When youre there at halftime and I didnt play as well as Im capable, then Ive got to do a better job, Brady said Wednesday. It always starts with me, and thats where my focus is. Hopefully, I put together four quarters of good stuff this weekend, not just two.He rebounded in the second half, leading touchdown drives on the Patriots first four possessions — two scoring passes and two short runs by Gray.New England (8-2) ran more than it passed for just the third time this season — 45 running plays and 30 passes.Whether were balanced or not, well do whatevers going to get us a win, tight end Michael Hoomanawanui said.With the Lions (7-3) allowing a league-low 68.8 yards rushing per game, the Patriots best route to success should be through the air. That means their vastly improved offensive line might not do as much of what it prefers, block on running plays.Its just the mentality of linemen, left guard Dan Connolly said. We like the physical nature of football and you get that more in the run game.The Lions also have an outstanding pass defence, the fifth stingiest in the NFL, and have given up the fewest overall yards and points in the league.These guys do a great job on first down, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. They create more negative runs than any other team in the league. They get teams in a lot of second- and third-and-long situations. Those are usually not only very difficult, but thats also where they get some turnovers, too, strip-sacks and tipped balls and interceptions.The Patriots, though, have been getting offensive contributions from more players as the wins have piled up.Brady looked to Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski for most of his passes early in the season. Since then, Brandon LaFell and Tim Wright have been targeted more often, and Gronkowskis contribution has grown after a slow start coming off knee surgery.The more of those guys that can be involved, the better were going to be as an offence, Brady said. Who knows who its going to be on a particular week? You really have to see how the game plays out, and if things are working like they were last weekend, then youve got to stay with it.On the first possession at Indianapolis, Gray ran four times for 30 yards and a touchdown. On the second, he ran just once for 20 yards before Brady threw an interception on the next play.New England has routed the other three AFC division leaders, 43-17 over Cincinnati and 43-21 over Denver before the 22-point win over Indianapolis.Next up is the co-leader of the NFC North.Last week doesnt mean anything, so I dont really care about that, Belichick said. That has no impact on the game. What we have to do is figure out how to play against Detroit and its hard. Theyre good at everything.Defensively, at least.On offence, the Lions are 21st in yards gained and tied for 30th in rushing. Only six teams have fewer points.But the way their defence has dominated, they dont have to score a lot.Theyve got a lot of guys up front that make big plays, Connolly said. Theyre definitely disruptive.___AP NFL website:
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www.twitter.com/AP_NFL . Tensions rose in the first period when Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik hit Bruins forward Loui Eriksson with what appeared to be a clean hit. . -- Augusta James of Bath, Ont.
http://www.cheapsunsjerseysauthentic.co ... jersey.500 were once common achievements for the Dallas Mavericks. Now, both are season highs as Dallas slowly works its way back into playoff contention in the Western Conference. . Serbia captain Bogdan Obradovic said his team will include 9th-ranked Janko Tipsarevic and 27th-ranked Viktor Troicki as he decided to let the top-ranked Djokovic rest. .com) - The Minnesota Twins made it official on Wednesday, announcing the signing of outfielder Torii Hunter to a one-year contract.MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Memphis Grizzlies have signed guard Beno Udrih to a multiyear contract. The Grizzlies announced the deal Tuesday. Terms and length of the contract werent disclosed. Udrih, 31, averaged 4.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 15.7 minutes in 41 games with the New York Knicks and Grizzlies last season. He played 10 regular-season games for the Grizzlies, who claimed him off waivers on Feb. 27. IIn the Grizzlies Western Conference playoff first-round loss to Oklahoma City, Udrih averaged 7.dddddddddddd9 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 16.4 minutes. Udrih has career averages of 8.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 10 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, Knicks and Grizzlies. He played on San Antonios 2005 and 2007 NBA championship teams. ' ' '
