confidence to good use as he gets ever closer to a long-awaited comeback and he believes that he is in the perfect

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Defense wins championships, and right now the New York Giants are convincing many that they might be the NFLs best.Forget that they are ranked in the middle of the league. In the past two games, Steve Spagnuolos group has limited division leaders Dallas and Detroit to a total of 13 points, and Sundays 17-6 win over the Lions on Sunday came in a game where top cornerback Janoris Jenkins left early in the second quarter with a back injury.Add in another Odell Beckham Jr. one-hand touchdown catch to delight replay fanatics and the Giants have inched closer to their first playoff berth since 2011, and maybe more, with a win that snapped the NFC North-leading Lions five-game winning streak.This is really exciting, I dont even know the word to use, linebacker Jonathan Casillas said. Its starting to be a beautiful thing. Thirteen points the last two weeks, we like where were at now.The win was the eighth in nine games for the Giants (10-4) and it gave them their best record through 14 games since 2008, when they opened 11-3.The formula was the one the team has followed in Ben McAdoos first season: Just enough offense and a tough stingy, pass-rushing defense that has now come up with big back-to-back efforts against two division leaders in Dallas (11-2) and Detroit (9-5), giving up 13 total points.Eli Manning (20 of 28 for 201 yards) threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Shepard on a 75-yard opening drive and then iced the game with a 4-yard TD pass that Beckham caught with his left hand and then pranced into the end zone for a 11-point lead with 5:20 to play.Norm, veteran receiver Victor Cruz said of Beckhams one-hander, which still paled in comparison to the fully extended TD catch against Dallas in his rookie year. The norm. I wasnt even surprised.Beckham said catches like that just kind of happens for him.You practice it and practice it, he said. Thats why you practice right hand layups and left hand layups. Its just kind of, I dont know.Beckham, who had six catches for 64 yards, almost wasnt done. He reversed field about three times on a 63-yard punt return that brought the remaining fans to their seats less than a minute later. The electrifying return was nullified by an illegal block, but was simply a thrill to watch.The Lions, who had rallied in the fourth quarter to win eight of their nine games, never came close to a comeback in this one as the Giants made them play on a long field all day.Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford didnt show any major issues playing with an injured middle finger on his throwing hand. He finished 24 of 39 for 274 yards and an interception , finding Golden Tate eight times for 122 yards.Theyre a good team, Stafford said. Their secondary is probably the best weve played all year. Theyve got a really good defensive line. We knew it was going to be a challenge going into the day. We just didnt make enough plays.The biggest play for the Lions was a 67-yard throw from Stafford to Tate that gave the Lions first-and-10 at the Giants 11, trailing 7-3 in the second quarter. On first down, Zach Zenner fumbled at the end of a 7-yard run after being hit by Leon Hall and Olivier Vernon recovered in the end zone.Obviously, we lost the turnover battle, lost the rushing battle. Its tough to win on the road when you do that, Stafford said. Weve got to look in the mirror and correct what we did wrong today.Matt Prater accounted for the Lions points with field goals of 48 yards in the second quarter and 33 in the third. The second cut the deficit to 10-6 -- New York had gotten a 47-yard field goal from Robbie Gould late in the second quarter.However, the Lions never got closer as New York limited Detroit to 5 of 14 on third down and 324 yards.CANT STOP ODELL: Beckham had six catches for 64 yards. He has 85 catches for 1,173 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, and is the first player in NFL history to get at least 80 catches and 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons.WINGY: Less than a week after being named the NFC special teams player of the week, Brad Wing of the Giants had a punt partially blocked by Brandon Copeland for an 18-yard net. The Lions got the ball at their own 43, but failed to convert. Wing had two punts downed inside the 5 in the second half.OVERLOOKED BIG PLAYS: Rookie cornerback Eli Apple made one of the biggest plays for the Giants, recovering from 5 yards back to break up a deep pass to Tate in the end zone early in the second quarter.I didnt think I was going to get there, but the ball hung up a little and I got my fingertip on it, said Apple, who had seven tackles. Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie, who also had seven tackles, also made up yards to catch Tate on his 67-yard reception.INJURIES: Detroit starting CB Darius Slay left in the second quarter after aggravating a hamstring injury. Leading rusher Theo Riddick missed his second straight game with a wrist injury.For New York, Jenkins also left in the second quarter with a back injury and did not return. Backup QB Ryan Nassib was inactive because of a recurring elbow injury. LG Justin Pugh played for the first time since injuring a knee on Nov. 6UP NEXT:Lions: Visit Cowboys on Dec. 26Giants: Visit Eagles on Dec. 22.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Peyton Manning Youth Jersey . The scientists believe the small earthquake during a Marshawn Lynch touchdown was likely greater than Lynchs famous "beast quake" touchdown run three years ago, which also came against New Orleans during a playoff game. Terrell Davis Youth Jersey . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. http://www.thebroncosstoreonline.com/Youth-Gary-Zimmerman-Broncos-Jerseys/ . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. Courtland Sutton Jersey .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. Phillip Lindsay Womens Jersey . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday.Three months in Florida. It is not a bad way to start a New Year and Louis Persent is certainly not complaining about it. The 400m runner is approaching three years since he last competed but is confident that his injury woes are finally behind him. Warm-weather training has been prescribed to ensure that is the case meaning that, while the British public ready themselves for snow, Persent finds himself training in temperatures regularly in the high-teens and above. Training is not just a physical pursuit it is also a mental battle so it is important to be able to have a time or a place where you can completely relax Louis Persent It is not the first time the Sky Academy Sports Scholar has travelled abroad for training purposes but it is the first time he has gone alone and he has never been away for as long as he will be in Gainesville on this occasion. Not that he is too concerned about the situation. “It’s exciting; it’s a chance to get to know somewhere a bit new,” he told Sky Sports. “I think it is just about finding your routine and once you have a routine things go quickly – I can’t believe it’s already been three weeks.“It’s quite good here because it is a university town so there are lots of young people and lots of things to get involved with as well, so that definitely helps.“Obviously if I had gone on my own somewhere which was a bit isolated or there wasn’t that much going on then I think that would have been quite tough. But here there is a good balance of being at the track and the gym for most of the time during the day but also having free time to do other stuff.”Of course, the main reason for Persent’s trip to Gainesville is to train and ready himself for action when the 2015 outdoor season gets underway. However, the 24-year-old Cambridge graduate has a fair amount of free time on his hands in a foreign country and is keen to make the most of it.“To be honest I need to do more because the first 10 days I was ill in bed,” he explained. “Then I’ve been out to see a little bit of Gainesville and then there are a few university groups that I have gone along to see what’s happening. Persent is targeting a comeback in early spring “There are some days that I am so tired after training that all I want to do is watch TV and cook dinner but I do have time at weekends and stuff to go and explore.”So how exactly has Persent been filling his time away from the track?“Just simple stuff, TV, there are a few cinemas nearby so the group often does that. So far nothing super-exciting or anything like that,” he added.“I like to be able to just chill out a bit but I also like to explore a bit and there is quite a good independent music scene in Gainesville so at the weekends I have gone at had a look at some good small record stores and things going on like that which is quite cool.“Hopefully every week at the weekend I can go and do something that is a bit more to do with Gainesville rather than just sitting at home watching TV!“I think it is really important (to switch off from athletics) and it is something that is so not me iin a way.ddddddddddddI like to be busy doing things and not just recovering. But now I know how important it is so I’m slowly getting better at being able to switch off.It used to be that if I wasn’t training I needed to be doing something, doing work or making the most of my time. It is really important to switch off completely and give your body a rest but also your mind.Training is not just a physical pursuit it is also a bit of a mental battle when you have a hard session so it is important to be able to have a time or a place where you can completely relax.” Persent last raced competitively in 2012 One factor that has helped Persent to feel settled in his new temporary home is that his work on the track and in the gym is going so well.Persent’s training group includes 400m hurdles double world champion Kerron Clement and he is happy to be in a position to test himself and his speed alongside such high class athletes.“It’s the first time that I have ever trained in group of such high quality,” he said. “That’s quite different because I’m used to a lot of one-on-one attention from a coach and being on my own quite a lot when it comes to training. The last few years I’ve come more from the fitness end of things with an endurance background so it’s a chance for me to train with people who train really fast Louis Persent on his training group “It’s definitely nice when you do your weight sessions that there is a buzz, there are always people around when you’re warming up; it’s more of a social atmosphere.“Another one of the big pluses of coming to a place like this is that I have never been able to tap fully into my speed and this is a group of people who are really, really quick – they can run 100m close to sub-10 or 10 seconds dead which is a region of speed that I have never been able to get anywhere near.“(That is) partly because of injuries, I haven’t been able to do that kind of training. Now that my body is better it is a much safer environment to work towards that at this time of year. It is really helpful.”Now in his mid-20s, Persent also backs himself to know what is best for his body, something he sees as key for his development as an athlete in the coming years.“As you get older and you get more experience it becomes less of you just listening to your coach and becomes more of a partnership,” Persent said.“You understand a lot more of what you are doing, what works, how your body responds to certain things. I guess that now I’m more confident that I’m in a position to say, ‘I don’t think that is going to work, I think I need more of this’ or whatever it may be and that is important, to always be aware of what you are doing and why.”Now is the time that Persent has to put that confidence to good useolesale Baseball Jerseys[/url] ' ' '