NEU » -hander in the fourth with two runner

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Coming into the regular season, the biggest question on the New York Giants was their offensive line.While all five starters were returning from a year ago, the line did very little in the preseason. The running game accomplished nothing and Eli Manning did a lot of ducking in the few plays he was on the field.It was the weak link to the offense, that is, until the Giants opened the regular season with a 20-19 win over the Dallas Cowboys.Not only did Manning have time to throw for three touchdowns, the running game came out of nowhere and produced 113 yards on 24 carries, a 4.7 yard average.Rashad Jennings led the way with 75 yards on 18 carries, and backup Shane Vereen had 38 yards on six carries.Left guard Justin Pugh just smiled when asked where the running game came from. Throughout the preseason, he downplayed the running woes, saying things would work out once the offense started game planning and unit was on the field for more than a quarter.We werent running plays just to run plays, Pugh said. We found stuff that worked and guys made plays and ran hard. Obviously we had a chip on our shoulder and I still think we have a chip on our shoulder. We want to continue doing that the entire season. Doing it one game does not define you. You have to do it the entire season.The Giants are going to get a chance to show off the running game again this weekend, when they face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.New Orleans allowed Oakland to gain 167 yards rushing in a 35-34 Raiders win.Right guard John Jerry said the Saints have a different defense now than what the Giants faced last season in dropping a wild 52-49 decision.Dennis Allen has taken over as New Orleans defensive coordinator and he is using a lot more multiple fronts.We are definitely going to have to be on the same page with our communication, that is going to be big, Jerry said. We did a real good job with that last week.Jennings said playing for keeps was one of the biggest differences in getting the running game going.We also got an opportunity to get some consistency in the game, he said. We were able to come back to the sideline and make the proper calls, and communicate. The offensive line was also very heavy-handed. Hey, its a new season. Everything is in the past. Its a clean slate.The most impressive part of the running game came late in the fourth quarter when the Giants took over at their 23 with 3:57 left on the clock, leading by a point.Jennings carried the ball on seven straight plays and gained 40 yards. Dallas had to use all three of its timeouts on the drive. His last run was an 11-yarder to the Cowboys 37 and it came up a yard short of allowing New York to run out the clock.We needed that running game to control the pace of the game in the second half and to close it out, to put us in the position where we can win the football game and not give them enough time to do some things, receiver Victor Cruz said.The Cowboys got to the Giants 40-yard line on the final play of the game before the clock ran out.Center Weston Richburg said the line has practiced well in recent weeks and blocked out all the negative talk about it.I like the physicality we have, he said. But we have a ways to go and a lot to improve. We had too many negative yard runs. We had a couple of good ones, but there were a couple that were not where they need to be.Game notes DT Robert Thomas did not practice because of an undisclosed illness. He was the only player on the roster not on the field. ... Odell Beckham Jr. on whether the NFL will fine him for wearing shoes on Sunday to commemorate 9/11. Theyll probably fine me. They fine me for everything. They fine me for smiling.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Cheap Nuggets Jerseys . The home side created most of the chances but struggled to break down Braunschweigs resilient defence, resulting in the Bundesligas 1,000th scoreless draw. Denver Nuggets Pro Shop .Y. - Detroit goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has earned NHL first star of the week honours after winning in his first three appearances of the season. https://www.cheapnuggets.com/ . PAUL, Minn. Nuggets Jerseys 2019 . LOUIS -- St. Denver Nuggets Shirts . Its the second straight game Bell has scored in extra time for Kelowna, which beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 6-5 on Friday, and he now has four game-winning goals on the season. ATLANTA -- Melky Cabrera had three hits, including a two-run single, and four Toronto pitchers combined on a four-hitter to lead the Blue Jays past the Atlanta Braves, 3-0 on Wednesday night. Last-place Toronto went with a pitcher-by-committee approach to fill a hole in the rotation. Esmil Rogers lasted 3 1-3 innings in his first start since 2011, and two pitchers just up from the minors shut down the Braves. Juan Perez (1-0) went 2 2-3 innings, Neil Wagner got through the seventh and eighth, and Casey Janssen earned his 11th save with a 1-2-3 ninth. Meanwhile, Atlanta starter Kris Medlen (1-6) took a liner off the left leg in the second and didnt return the next inning because of a contusion to his upper calf. He is expected to make his next start. Cabrera led off the game with a single and wound up scoring Torontos first run on a fielders choice grounder by J.P. Arencibia. With one out in the second, Emilio Bonifacio lined one off the back of Medlens leg, reaching on the infield single. The Braves trainer came out, and Medlen walked gingerly around the mound before deciding to stay in the game. That mightve been a mistake. Munenori Kawasaki walked, Rogers bunted the runners over and Cabrera singled to left to drive in two more runs. Medlen finished the frame but didnt return, having allowed four hits, a walk and all three Toronto runs in the shortest start of his career. Rogers had pitched 22 games in relief for the Blue Jays this season. He gave them just what they wanted, surrendering three hits and two walks before manager John Gibboons lifted the right-hander in the fourth with two runners aboard.dddddddddddd Perez escaped the jam by retiring Juan Francisco on a popup, then striking out B.J. Upton, who has grown so frustrated during a season-long slump that he slung his bat into the dirt and slammed down his helmet with both hands, bouncing it high in the air. Upton had plenty of company. Younger brother Justin fanned three times and the Braves finished with 11 strikeouts on the night, the 24th time in 52 games theyve reached double figures in that category. Appropriately, Brian McCann whiffed to end the game. The 34-year-old Perez earned his second win in the big leagues, the first coming on July 8, 2011, with Philadelphia. He was called up from Triple-A Buffalo before the game as the Blue Jays made a flurry of moves to deal with their injury-plagued pitching. After Medlen departed, four Atlanta relievers shut down Toronto the rest of the way. But it didnt matter on an otherwise grim night for the home team, which made two errors and squandered a sure double play when Andrelton Simmons dropped a line drive, though he was able to throw out the hitter at first. Notes: Rogers most recent start came with the Colorado Rockies in 2011. ... The Blue Jays left 10 runners on base. ... B.J. Uptons average dropped to .146 -- one of three Atlanta regular hitting below .200. He is joined by Jason Heyward (.152) and Dan Uggla (.186). ... The Braves activated RHP Jordan Walden off the disabled list before the game and optioned RHP Cory Rasmus to Triple-A Gwinnett. ' ' '