Pirate Galaxy » UPXavier Rhodes had three passes defend

MINNEAPOLIS - The Carolina Panthers came out of their bye, still carrying a legitimate chance of repeating as NFC South champions despite persistent problems on offence and defence.Better put special teams on that list, too, thanks to the Minnesota Vikings.Adam Thielen and Everson Griffen each returned blocked punts for touchdowns, the first time in 24 years one team had two in the same NFL game, and the Vikings handed the Panthers their sixth straight loss with a 31-13 victory on Sunday.Its really disappointing. Its frustrating. Every adjective you can come up with, its that, Panthers tight end Greg Olsen said. Right now were not very good.The Panthers (3-8-1) entered the stadium just a half-game out of first place, but they again stumbled out of their annual in-season week off. They fell to 0-4 after the bye under coach Ron Rivera, and they havent won since Oct. 5 against Chicago.Just as damaging were wins by division co-leaders Atlanta and New Orleans on Sunday, bringing both teams to 5-7, but as Olsen tersely put it after the game, the playoff talk is essentially irrelevant with the way the contenders-in-name-only Panthers have been playing after going 12-4 last year.I told the guys weve got four games left to go. Were going to play all four games, expect to win all four games, and keep going from there, Rivera said.The Vikings (5-7) are well behind in the NFC North, but they had plenty to smile about on this frigid afternoon. Griffen had two of the four sacks of Cam Newton, and Teddy Bridgewater threw for scores to Kyle Rudolph and Greg Jennings without a turnover.The rookie led the Vikings on just their third opening-drive touchdown of the season and their first since his debut on Sept. 28 and guided an 11-play, 80-yard drive to push the lead to 28-6 with 16 seconds left before halftime.I think Im better at just making quicker decisions, said Bridgewater, who went 15 for 21 for 138 yards.Newton, on the other side, turned in another unremarkable performance. He was intercepted for the eighth straight game and finished 18 for 35 for 194 yards and one touchdown, plus 49 yards on nine rushes.I have to come in each and every day with a clear mind to try to get better, because I have yet to play a great game in my opinion, Newton said.Here are some key points to know about the game:BRRRR!This was the seventh-coldest game in Vikings history, with a kickoff temperature of 12 degrees and a wind chill well below zero. They are playing outside this year for the first time since 1981. This was only the second under-25-degrees game the Panthers had played since the franchise began in 1995. They played in the NFC championship game after the 1996 season at Green Bay with a kickoff temperature of 3 degrees.BLOCK PARTYGriffen picked up the ball after Jasper Brinkleys block in the second quarter and ran 43 yards for the touchdown, but he was more impressed by Thielens all-in-one play in the first quarter. He burst through the middle unblocked and was so deep in the backfield he had to be careful to avoid a penalty for running into punter Brad Nortman.I got so far in on him that I had to move my hands down. It probably wouldve hit me in the face, but I blocked it with my hands, Thielen said.His dive landed him on the ball, and he leaped to his feet to pick it up and race 30 yards into the end zone.Thats unbelievable. He blocked the kick, he picked up the kick and he scored, so he got like 10 points on one play, Griffen said, using a generous scoring formula. Thats awesome for him.The last time a team scored on two blocked punts in an NFL game was on Sept. 30, 1990, when Kansas City did it against Cleveland. This was also the first blocked punt return touchdown by the Vikings since Oct. 12, 1986, against San Francisco, the longest active NFL streak without one.BREAKING UPXavier Rhodes had three passes defended for the Vikings and helped limit Panthers star rookie Kelvin Benjamin to five receptions for 56 yards. Newton targeted Benjamin 12 times.TRAINING ROOMThe Panthers reported injuries to free safety Tre Boston (ankle) and running back DeAngelo Williams (hand), but Rivera said he didnt know the severity of either. Vikings defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd had a sack in the first quarter before aggravating a knee injury that kept him out the week before. Linebacker Anthony Barr also hurt his knee that has given him some discomfort this season. Coach Mike Zimmer said neither of them were serious.PATTERSON LIMITEDCordarrelle Patterson had his usual spot as kickoff returner for the Vikings, but he was barely used as a wide receiver. Zimmer said the absence from the offence was not disciplinary but rather because of knee trouble that kept Patterson out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday.Feel like Im 100 per cent. I feel like the coaches didnt feel I was 100 per cent, so they decided to hold me out. I respect them for that, Patterson said.___AP NFL websites: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL William Carrier Golden Knights Jersey . Patton was placed on the restricted list testing positive for a banned amphetamine. Patton took Adderall, a drug commonly used to combat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, late in the 2013 season and then was given a random drug test. Tomas Nosek Golden Knights Jersey . Nikolai Khabibulin was yanked in the second period, and the Ottawa Senators looked ready to put away a big road win. http://www.goldenknightssale.com/authent...knights-jersey/. Team officials did not indicate the extent of the injury Saturday, simply listing Rose with "left knee soreness." Rose has played two preseason games without any sign of problems. The first NBA game in South America now will be missing its biggest star. Brandon Pirri Golden Knights Jersey . -- At the beginning of training camp, Andrew Bogut set a goal to play all 82 regular-season games and regain his place among the NBAs best centres. Shea Theodore Jersey .com) - Hassan Whiteside scored 20 points with nine rebounds in the Miami Heats 83-75 win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday.BROSSARD, Que. - The days without a game were dragging on, so the Montreal Canadiens decided they needed an intrasquad game to get the competitive juices flowing. The Canadiens had a mock game day on Monday, complete with a morning skate at their practice facility. They were scheduled to play a simulated game in the evening against mostly call-ups from the AHLs Hamilton Bulldogs at the Bell Centre. The team has been off since completing a sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the NHL playoffs on April 22. They are not expected to begin the second round against the rival Boston Bruins until Thursday or Friday, which would make for a break of nine or 10 days between playoff games. The Canadiens hope the intrasquad gaame will help keep the rust off.dddddddddddd Rugged winger Brandon Prust said they would play at a good pace while being mindful of avoiding injuries. "Its a question of being smart," Prust said. "We want to skate hard and be hard on the puck and be physical. "Its a game-like situation, but no ones going to be running around trying to kill people. At the same time, youre blocking shots and guys are shooting the puck hard and youre battling for pucks. Its going to be good for us." The game was to be closed to the public and media. Coach Michel Therrien also gave his players a day off on Tuesday. The Canadiens were off the first two days after the sweep but resumed practising on Friday. ' ' '