News & Neuigkeiten » Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91.CLEVELAND -- A former

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Linval Joseph had solidified himself as one of the leagues best run stoppers, entering his seventh year in the NFL, but the Minnesota Vikings still saw room for their big man in the middle to play even better.The typical hunker-down mentality of the nose tackle, whose ideal role is to push back the point of attack, plug the holes in the line and occupy multiple blockers, doesnt automatically translate to aggressively pressuring the quarterback when hes dropped back in the pocket.He loves playing the run, but if he could ever develop that mentality of when its time to pass rush, coach Mike Zimmer said during training camp, I think he could go to the next level.Three games into this season, Joseph has taken that step. He already has three sacks, closing in on his career high of four and contributing to Minnesotas league-leading total of 25. Hes fourth on the team with 10 quarterback hurries.Just picking up where I left off, Joseph said, trying to downplay his pass-rush improvement, and everythings falling into the right place for me right now.Joseph will find himself facing some of his former teammates on Monday night when the Vikings (3-0) host the New York Giants (2-1), the team that drafted him out of East Carolina in the second round in 2010.Bygones are bygones, he said. Theyre another team. Theyre on schedule, and we need to win.When he signed a five-year contract in 2014 worth as much as $31.25 million with $12.5 million guaranteed, Joseph left behind plenty of admirers in New York.One of the hardest-working guys. Always in the weight room. Probably one of the strongest guys in the NFL, Giants left guard Justin Pugh said. Definitely got our work cut out for us.Joseph is listed on the light side at 6-foot-4 and 329 pounds. Theres hardly a player in the locker room who will recite the company line more consistently, whenever the subjects of personal accolades or long-term team success are raised by media.We really dont care about what people say about us, to be honest with you, Joseph said. We just want to go out there and do our best.Joseph needed time to adjust to Zimmers system in his first year with the Vikings in 2014. His first training camp was frighteningly interrupted by a calf injury caused by a stray bullet at a nightclub shooting a few hours after a preseason game. Last year, Joseph made significant strides, but he missed four games because of a painful turf toe injury.Now?Hes playing at the level that we thought he was capable of and has played at before, so nobody in here is surprised, linebacker Chad Greenway said. I think hes obviously a complete monster in the middle, and youve got to block him with multiple people, and thats so great for us linebackers.The Vikings arent even to the quarter mark of the schedule, of course, but the defense appears to be in full stride in Zimmers third season. The Vikings also lead the league with a plus-8 turnover margin.Three years working together, I think that helps. Just sticking to the repetition, day in and day out, working with each other, playing with each other, just being around each other, Joseph said. If we just keep playing at a high level and everybody stays healthy, the skys the limit.The 4-3 scheme, well-known for the double A-gap blitzes that Zimmer calls, or bluffs, for linebackers Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks, is predicated on a synchronized pass rush along the defensive line. If one player freelances, even if he believes he can complete a sack, the plan wont work. Individual sack totals, then, can be lower because the rush in Zimmers system comes from so many different places.I think were all having fun and enjoying playing with one another, safety Harrison Smith said. Thats not just the makeup of the defense, but of the team.---Online:AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL coverage on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFLShoes UK From China . -- Devin Hester is done returning kicks in Chicago. Shoes Online UK Review .Y. -- Paul Byron and Matt Stajan scored as the Calgary Flames started a five-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon. https://www.shoesukonline.com/ . Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots on Saturday in the Oklahoma City Barons 4-1 victory over the Abbotsford Heat. The Oilers signed Bryzgalov to a one-year $2 million contract last Friday after shedding payroll by dealing defenceman Ladislav Smid to the Flames. Wholesale Shoes UK Free Shipping . 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After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91.CLEVELAND -- A former NFL wide receiver who pleaded guilty to stealing money from two childrens charities is asking that his sentencing hearing be delayed again after prosecutors sought medical records related to a concussion examination.Attorneys for 68-year-old Reggie Rucker on Tuesday filed a motion in U.S. District Court saying that his July 14 sentencing should be postponed because prosecutors have demanded all medical records related to brain damage that Rucker suffered during his 12-year NFL career.ddddddddddddThe motion also says Ruckers attorneys want their experts to evaluate the governments medical records and expert reports on Rucker when theyre finally provided.Rucker pleaded guilty in February to stealing from two childrens charities to pay gambling debts and personal expenses. A plea agreement calls for him to serve about two years in prison. ' ' '