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ST. Dwight Clark Womens Jersey . LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams will not renew the contract of linebackers coach Blake Williams, son of suspended defensive co-ordinator Gregg Williams. A team spokesman told the Associated Press Wednesday night that there was "nothing to report" on Gregg Williams, banished for his role in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, although the move could be interpreted as a signal of the franchises intentions to cut ties. Gregg Williams was an early addition to new coach Jeff Fishers staff last winter and Fisher did not replace him after the NFL handed down its suspension. The 28-year-old Blake Williams just completed his first season with the Rams after three years as a defensive assistant with the Saints. That was his third assistant coaching stint in the NFL on staffs where his father was defensive co-ordinator. Fisher said Monday that Gregg Williams had not been reinstated, and that Williams future would be addressed "over the next couple of weeks." "Right now we are focused on the playoffs," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. "We are not commenting on timetables for addressing these other matters." The Rams have three former defensive co-ordinators on the staff, including Fisher, to share responsibilities last season. Assistant head coach Dave McGinnis, who met with media each Thursday, played a major role in shaping the defence. St. Louis was 14th overall in team defence. Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis led the team in tackles for the fourth straight season and outside linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar was second. Frank Gore White Jersey . - It was textbook London Knights hockey and it was too much for the under-performing Edmonton Oil Kings. Colin Kaepernick Nike Jersey .L., won the gold medal in womens singles on Saturday at the Nebelhorn Trophy figure skating competition. http://www.sf49ersfootballstore.com/authentic-justin-smith-super-bowl-jersey/ . O.J. Mayo had 12 points as the revamped Mavericks pulled off a stunner in their opener, comfortably beating the star-studded Lakers without any help from injured Dirk Nowitzki. Kobe Bryant scored 22 points while playing on an injured right foot, but the Lakers opened a season of enormous expectations with a major dud of a performance. Justin Smith Pink Jersey . If you just examine the numbers this looks like a crazy decision, but numbers can be deceiving. After six games Cory Boyd leads the CFL in rushing by seven yards over Kory Sheets of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Frank Gore Limited Jersey . Tannehill returned to his old high school position of quarterback halfway through the 2010 season and caught the attention of NFL scouts despite starting just 19 games behind centre for Texas A&M.(Sports Network) - Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers have been waiting anxiously for the opportunity to showcase themselves in front of a national audience, a stage on which Eli Manning and the New York Giants have enjoyed a wealth of both experience and success in recent years. The two teams will also be aiming to build off extremely important wins in their last outing when they take the field at Charlottes Bank of America Stadium for a Thursday night showdown that will launch the Week 3 schedule of this 2012 NFL season. Carolina earned its long-awaited return to notoriety thanks largely to the talents and charisma of Newton, the leagues reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year who established a new season standard for first-year quarterbacks by amassing 4,051 passing yards and accounting for 35 touchdowns (21 passing, 14 rushing) during a dynamic debut for the top overall selection of the 2011 draft. Manning, himself a former No. 1 pick, and the Giants certainly carry considerable credentials as well. The incredibly clutch quarterback led New York to a Super Bowl victory for the second time in five seasons with last Februarys 21-17 ousting of the New England Patriots in Indianapolis, and capped a stellar 2011 campaign in which he threw for nearly 5,000 yards by garnering Most Valuable Player honors in the title bout. Those achievements have made the Giants a natural fit for Carolinas first prime-time home game since November of 2009. "This is the national spotlight," exclaimed Panthers head coach Ron Rivera. "You want to talk about bright lights and big stage? This is as big as it gets. Youre playing the defending champs, youre playing on Thursday night. You are the prime-time game. This is great for us." Manning comes into the contest off another noteworthy performance, with the veteran triggerman racking up a career-best 510 passing yards and three touchdowns to spark a 25-point fourth-quarter barrage that propelled the Giants to a wild 41-34 win over Tampa Bay Sunday at MetLife Stadium. New York rallied from a 27-13 deficit late in the third quarter, a hole Manning helped create by tossing three first-half interceptions, and generated a whopping 604 total yards on the same Buccaneers defense that clamped down on Carolinas usually potent rushing attack in a 16-10 decision over the Panthers in Week 1. The majority of Mannings damage came on connections to wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz, with the outstanding duo combining for 378 yards and two touchdowns on 21 catches to help the Giants bounce back from a 24-17 home defeat to rival Dallas in the season opener. "No one wants to start 0-2," said Manning afterward. "Its a big win, and especially after the first half and playing poorly and last week not playing well, to get back to that level of playing good football, and that second half was really good. "We can do some things better, obviously, but [getting] some big-time plays and stepping up when we needed it -- that was fun to have." Nicks, however, aggravated an injury to a surgically repaired foot he had fractured during offseason workouts and will not play on Thursday. The Giants will also be without main running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who suffered a neck stinger in the Tampa Bay game, as well as wide receiver Domenik Hixon (concussion) and right tackle David Diehl (sprained knee). Carolina also rebounded strongly in a critical early home test this past weekend, topping the wayward New Orleans Saints by a 35-27 count behind a big effort from Newton and a pair of crucial interceptions of Drew Brees by the defense. A Panthers running game that was surprisingly stagnant in managing a paltry 10 yards on 13 attempts against the Bucs was firing on all cylinders on Sunday. Carolina compiled 219 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, with Newton setting a franchise record for a quarterback with 71 yards on 13 totes. Carolina did allow 163 rushing yards to the Saints, but will be going up against a Giants group that will have journeyman Andre Brown taking Bradshaws place. Brown has played for five teams in four pro seasons, which includes a one-week stint on the Panthers roster in 2010. SERIES HISTORY Series tied, 3-3 Last Meeting: Giants 31, Panthers 18 (Sept. 12, 2010 at New York) Last Meeting at Site: Giants 27, Panthers 13 (Dec. 10, 2006) Giants HC Tom Coughlin vs. Panthers: 5-2 overall, 3-2 with New York Panthers HC Ron Rivera vs. Giants: 0-0 Coughlin vs. Rivera Head-to-Head: First Meeting Notes: Giants have taken three of the last four bouts between the clubs, with Carolinas lone win over that stretch a 41-9 shellacking of New York in Big Blues final game at Giants Stadium on Dec. 27, 2009. New York is 1-1 all-time on the road against Carolina, having dropped a 27-17 decision in Charlotte in 1996 in addition to its 2006 verdict. Panthers prevailed in their lone postseason meeting with the Giants, a 23-0 road triumph in a 2005 NFC First- Round Playoff. Coughlin went 2-0 against Carolina while the head coach of Jacksonville from 1995-2002. BY THE NUMBERS Offensive Team Rankings N.Y. Giants: 2nd overall (436.5 ypg), 24th rushing (88.0 ypg), 1st passing (348.5 ypg), tied 7th scoring (29.0 ppg) Carolina: 8th overall (382.0 ypg), tied 11th rushing (114.5 ypg), 7th passing (267.5 ypg), tied 19th scoring (22.5 ppg) Defensive Team Rankings N.Y. Giants: 19th overall (370.0 ypg), 16th rushing (111.0 ypg), 22nd passing (259.0 ypg), 25th scoring (29.0 ppg) Carolina: 20th overall (372.0 ypg), 28th rushing (146.5 ypg), 12th passing (225.5 ypg), tied 11th scoring (21.5 ppg) Turnover Margin N.Y. Giants: -1 (3 takeaways, 4 giveaways) Carolina: -1 (2 takeaways, 3 giveaways) Red Zone Touchdown Percentage (offense) N.Y. Giants: 37.5 percent (8 possessions, 3 TD, 5 FG) -- 26th overall Carolina: 66.7 percent (6 possessions, 4 TD, 1 FG) -- tied 6th overall Red Zone Touchdown Percentage (defense) N.Y. Giants: 75.0 percent (4 possessions, 3 TD, 1 FG) -- tied 27th overall Carolina: 57.1 percent (7 possessions, 4 TD, 3 FG) -- 19th overall WHEN THE GIANTS HAVE THE BALL No team has passed for more yardage through this seasons first two weeks than the Giants, and expect Manning (723 passing yards, 4 TD, 3 INT) to be attacking a Carolina secondary that has a few question marks quite often throughout the evening. He wont be competing with a full complement of receivers, however, with Charlotte native Nicks (14 receptions, 237 yards, 1 TD) ruled out just days after toasting Tampa Bays Aqib Talib for a career- high 199 yards on 10 grabs and No. 3 wideout Hixon also shelved. As a result, Manning will be more dependent on the shifty Cruz (17 receptions, 237 yards, 1 TD), who contributed personal bests with 11 caatches totaling 179 yards last week and hauled in an 80-yard scoring strike that helped key the Giants comeback, with tall target Ramses Barden and rookie second-round pick Reuben Randle now asked to play more prominent roles. Patrick Willis 49ers Jersey. Brown, who hails from North Carolina as well, also helped Sundays cause by grinding out 71 yards and his first pro touchdown on 13 carries in place of Bradshaw (94 rushing yards, 1 TD, 2 receptions), and he and slow-developing 2012 first-rounder David Wilson will try to provide the offense with some balance with New Yorks leading rusher to be held out. Diehls absence didnt affect the lines ability to protect a week ago, as Manning wasnt sacked at all during his record-setting day, but the Giants may need to fare better within the red zone to come out on top this week. The team marched inside the Tampa 20-yard line five times on Sunday, but settled for field goals by kicker Lawrence Tynes on four of those occasions. Though the Panthers gave up 323 net passing yards to the high-powered Saints in Week 2, the defense did a solid job of keeping splash plays to a minimum and was able to mount steady pressure on Brees from the front four of ends Charles Johnson (4 tackles) and Frank Alexander (2 tackles) and tackles Greg Hardy (11 tackles) and Dwan Edwards (10 tackles, 2.5 sacks). That resulted in a pair of big interceptions, with strong safety Charles Godfrey (17 tackles, 1 INT) returning his nine yards for a touchdown and middle linebacker Jon Beason (17 tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD) picking off Brees in the final minute to end New Orleans comeback hopes. Carolina needs to improve in the run-stopping and tackling department, however, after being gashed for 110 yards on only nine attempts by the Saints Pierre Thomas last week, with Beason and heralded rookie linebacker Luke Kuechly (9 tackles) the ones responsible for ensuring the Giants arent able to break containment in a similar fashion. The Panthers do possess a shutdown cornerback capable of neutralizing either Nicks or Cruz in veteran Chris Gamble (7 tackles, 2 PD), but raw rookie Josh Norman (12 tackles) and undersized nickel back Captain Munnerlyn (5 tackles, 2 PD) can be vulnerable targets if the pass rush isnt bringing the heat. WHEN THE PANTHERS HAVE THE BALL As the first two games have illustrated, the Panthers can be awfully tough to handle when theyre running the football with authority and far easier to defend when that aspect isnt clicking. It was working quite well against New Orleans, with Newton (556 passing yards, 2 TD, 2 INT) springing loose for a big gain on a designed run en route to a 71-yard output and the inside/outside tandem of Jonathan Stewart (51 rushing yards) and DeAngelo Williams (68 rushing yards, 1 TD) consistently churning out positive plays during the teams 219-yard ground effort. Since Newton has become the quarterback, Carolina is 6-2 when it rushes for 163 yards or more and 1-9 when failing to hit that mark. The effectiveness of the running game also enabled Newton to connect on several big passes to dangerous wideout Steve Smith (10 receptions, 210 yards) and emerging counterpart Brandon LaFell (9 receptions, 155 yards, 1 TD), with Smith recording a second straight 100-yard afternoon despite making only three catches and LaFell producing six grabs totaling 90 yards with a touchdown while creating matchup problems out of the slot with his 6-foot-2 frame. Offseason acquisition Louis Murphy (3 receptions) gives the offense another deep threat from the outside, with reliable tight end Greg Olsen (7 receptions) often Newtons safety valve underneath in addition to playing an important role as a run blocker. The Panthers enter Thursdays tilt with one injury concern, with starting right tackle Byron Bell questionable after rolling his ankle last week. His healthy presence would be welcome in order for Carolina to have its best chance of combating New Yorks vaunted pass rushers. The goals will be pretty straightforward for the Giants defense come Thursday: contain the run and eliminate the big plays. Save for a second-half meltdown attributed to fatigue in the Dallas game, the unit has been pretty sound in the first area, with New York holding impressive Tampa rookie Doug Martin to a modest 66 yards on 20 carries last week as tackles Rocky Bernard (8 tackles, 1 sack) and Linval Joseph (6 tackles, 1 sack) and game-changing end Jason Pierre-Paul (12 tackles, 1 sack) all continually won their battles along the line of scrimmage. Michael Boley (4 tackles, 2 INT) and Jacquian Williams (9 tackles), the Giants two fastest linebackers, figure to have a important and challenging assignment that could have a significant say in the outcome, with the pair likely in charge of preventing Newton from ripping off any momentum-shifting runs. Shoring up the secondary ranks as the chief objective for coordinator Perry Fewell, however, as the Giants have surrendered four touchdown passes of 29 yards or more over the first two games. A cornerback crop thinned out by injuries helps explain that high number, and the club is hopeful 2011 first-round pick Prince Amukamara can come back this week after missing the seasons initial two tests with a high ankle sprain. Getting ends Justin Tuck (7 tackles) and Osi Umenyiora (2 tackles) untracked would also benefit the pass defense, as the two accomplished sack artists have made a minimal impact in the early going. One New York player who has been strong in coverage is Boley, whos come up with an interception in each of the first two contests. OVERALL ANALYSIS These teams havent squared off since the opening game of the 2010 season, and that relative unfamiliarity on a short week could work to the Panthers benefit. Carolinas unique offense could present problems for a Giants team with a reduced amount of preparation time, and a slow start for the defending champs wont be easy to overcome in an atmosphere that will certainly be jazzed up to the max in a contest the Carolina fans have been looking forward to ever since the schedule was released. The big plays that New York was able to produce in last weeks comeback also wont likely be as prevalent against a Panthers secondary thats tighter on the back end that Tampa Bays troublesome unit, and the task now becomes even more difficult with Nicks not available. Though the Giants can never be counted out as long as Mannings under center and theres a good chance hell have his team in position to win at the end, this could be one where New York falls just short if its not able to take full advantage of its scoring opportunities. Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Panthers 28, Giants 26 ' ' '