Termine » AINERS ROOMPhillies: Hernandez was back

METAIRIE, La. -- Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro, who early this season lambasted New Orleans defense for canceling out Drew Brees brilliance, no longer sees it that way.Weve gotten better every game, Vaccaro asserted after practice Wednesday as the Saints prepared to meet the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday. The stats, obviously, on total defense might not say it, but if you look up certain things, theres an improvement.Indeed, recent numbers back Vaccaro up. After allowing opposing offenses to pile up nearly 420 yards per game through their first five games, New Orleans has yielded an average of 346.2 yards during the past five. The club still ranks 27th in total defense, but thats up from dead last after Week 1 and as bad as 31st through the seasons first several games.When Rams rookie quarterback Jared Goff, the NFLs top draft choice last spring, makes his first road start in the Superdome on Sunday, hell face a defense that has held opposing quarterbacks to 234 yards passing or less three times since Week 7. The Saints are coming off their best defensive performance yet, having held Carolina to 223 net yards and just 173 through the air.Our defense is playing really well, Saints right tackle Zach Strief said. Those guys have bailed us out so many times the last few weeks.After giving up 34 or more points in four of their first five games, the Saints have given up fewer than 24 points per game in the five weeks since -- even as their offense has given up both an interception and fumble return for touchdowns, and as their special teams unit had a kick blocked for a defensive 2-point conversion.New Orleans is also getting more turnovers lately, and has climbed into a tie for 10th in the NFL in takeaways with 15 -- six on interceptions and nine on fumble recoveries.They definitely have changed some things, Goff said when asked if hes noticed an evolution of New Orleans defense when he compares recent game video to clips from early in the season.One of those changes involves New Orleans base formation, now comprised of four linemen, two linebackers, three safeties and two cornerbacks. In three of the past four games, one of the two linebackers has been Dennell Ellerbe, who missed the first six games of the season with a quadriceps injury. Since his return, hes been one of the top playmakers on the team while handling wide-ranging responsibilities, from blitzing to covering tight ends.Hes just a great player. You see him in pass rush. You see him in coverage. He can cover tight ends. He can play the run, Vaccaro said. He literally can do it all. Hes the same Dannell who won the Super Bowl with Baltimore when he was healthy.Ellerbe already has been in on 16 tackles, including two sacks. He also has been credited with four quarterback hits and two passes defended.Meanwhile, the Saints interior line has gotten a boost from the return of rookie tackle Sheldon Rankins, the clubs top draft choice in April, who broke his fibula in training camp. Also back is cornerback Delvin Breaux, who has played two of the past three games since returning from his fractured fibula, which occurred in Week 1.I just feel like we had a few guys go down early that we needed, Ellerbe said. So now that were getting those guys back, were having our full defense back -- the defense that we were supposed to have.Game notes RB Mark Ingram, who left last Thursday nights game at Carolina after being knocked unconscious, was at practice today. He confirmed that he was diagnosed with a concussion, but said he expects to play Sunday. I felt good. I was running fast, I was making my cuts, Ingram said. Im feeling good and looking forward to playing. ... Also practicing Wednesday were left tackle Terron Armstead, who has missed the past two games with a nagging knee injury, and Breaux, who was scratched from the last game after playing the previous two. Breaux has said he expected to return this week, and was only held out last Thursday because the Saints didnt want to unduly stress his recently healed fibula with two games in a five-day span.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Buy Cheap Hurricanes Jerseys . The Lightning are 2-0 so far on a four-game road trip, giving the club five straight wins as the guest and improving Tampas away record this season to 11-8-2. Lee Stempniak Jersey .Y. - New Orleans forward Anthony Davis was chosen Friday to replace the injured Kobe Bryant in the NBA All-Star game that will be played in his home city. http://www.hurricanesjerseyscheap.com/?tag=glen-wesley-jersey . Uniteds eighth defeat of a wretched campaign means Liverpool, which currently occupies the fourth and final Champions League place, could go nine points clear of its fierce rival by beating West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. 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They have hit home runs in 14 straight games.Jeremy Hazelbaker homered and Jhonny Peralta had three hits for St. Louis, which had won five in a row. The Cardinals are 1 1/2 games head of Miami for the second wild-card spot in the National League.St. Louis fell short of setting a major league record of 10 straight games with multiple home runs. The Cardinals tied the mark with a pair of homers Friday night.Hellickson (10-7) skipped his last start because of back tightness. The right-hander looked healthy and sharp, allowing two runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. He pumped his fist into his glove after striking out pinch-hitter Greg Garcia to finish the seventh.Franco put the Phillies ahead for good with a two-out single to left in the fifth that scored Hernandez from third.Jeanmar Gomez pitched a scoreless ninth for his 33rd save in 37 opportunities.The Phillies jumped on rookie Luke Weaver (0-1) with a pair of runs in the first.Hernandez led off by driving an 0-1 pitch into the seats in right fiield for his fourth homer of the season.dddddddddddd Cameron Rupp put Philadelphia in front 2-0 with a broken-bat RBI single to left.The Cardinals tied it in the third. Weaver singled to center for his first career hit and scored on Hazelbakers two-run homer to left.After the Phillies took the lead in the fifth, Altherr made it a 4-2 game by drilling an 0-1 pitch from Jonathan Broxton over the wall in left.Weaver, a 22-year-old making his second career start, went five innings and allowed three runs on nine hits with six strikeouts and no walks.The Phillies won for just the third time in their last 12 games against St. Louis.A young fan sitting about 20 rows behind the Cardinals dugout was struck by a foul ball off the bat of Freddy Galvis in the eighth inning. After being treated at the seat for several minutes, the fan was carried out to the concourse by an adult into the waiting arms of medical personnel.TRAINERS ROOMPhillies: Hernandez was back in the starting lineup after a two-game absence due to a sore right foot. He did pinch-hit in Friday nights game.UP NEXTThe teams conclude their three-game series Sunday when Cardinals RHP Mike Leake (8-9, 4.78) faces RHP Vince Velasquez (8-5, 4.14). China NFL Jerseys White Cheap NFL Autographed Jerseys Black China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Black China NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL Camo Jerseys ' ' '