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NEW ORLEANS -- This is what it has come to for the defending NFC champion Carolina Panthers.Either they beat the Saints in the Superdome on Sunday, or they fall into last place in the NFC South by themselves with 10 games to go.You dont expect to start this way, Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly said. Its a situation we are in now and its all about how youre going to respond from it.On its face, the matchup of the Saints (1-3) and Panthers (1-4) has the look of a game between two struggling teams who very well might be going nowhere this season.On the other hand, it could make for a desperate, high-stakes affair, given both teams are trying to salvage their season and believe it is still early enough to do so.Were not looking at them as a 1-4 team. Were looking at them as the returning NFC champions. We know that and just like when I was on a Super Bowl team, the next year, you get the best of every team, said Saints fullback John Kuhn, who played in the Super Bowl with Green Bay.This is two really good football teams going at each other. Throw the records out. Anybody watching this game is not going to be unsatisfied.Weve only played a quarter of the season, Kuhn added. Youve seen it in years past, especially with this division -- anything can happen. Weve got a lot of football left in front of us. So do they. It starts this week. We both understand whats going on.And its not as if either team has been on the wrong end of many lopsided scores. Both teams have each lost games by three points and one point. Those games came down to the final possession and a play here or there could have tipped the balance.The Panthers also played without star quarterback Cam Newton last Monday night against Tampa Bay and only lost on a last-second field goal.Newton, who had been held out because of a concussion, will play this week as the Panthers try to keep pace with the ever-prolific offense designed by Saints coach Sean Payton and executed by QB Drew Brees.We know the team were playing is a championship-level team that has lost some tough, close games, Payton said. Were going to have to be at our best.Here are some other story lines to watch as the Panthers invade the Superdome:NEWTONS NUMBERS: The Saints might be just what a struggling Newton needs. Newton, whose quarterback rating of 80.2 ranks 32nd in the league, often has played well against New Orleans, whose defense has been rated among the NFLs worst in three of the past four seasons and is again ranked 31st so far this season. Newton threw for 331 yards and five touchdowns last season at the Superdome and has 10 touchdowns and one interception in the past three games against New Orleans.HOPEFUL HISTORY: The Saints can look at their own franchise history for examples of why they still might emerge as playoff contenders -- if they can win this week. Under the current NFL playoff system, the Saints have twice made the playoffs after starting a season 1/3 -- once in 1990 and once in 2000.Were trying to be an ascending team -- a team that is trying to get better each and every week, Brees said. I feel like we have gotten better. We have learned and grown.WHERES THE RUSH?: Panthers starting defensive ends Kony Ealy and Charles Johnson have yet to register a sack this season through five games. Ealy said a major reason for that is opposing quarterbacks are getting the ball out quicker, giving the teams front four less time to get to the quarterback.Obviously quarterbacks are doing it for a reason, offensive coordinators are game-planning that way for a reason, Ealy said. They know what our front can do. It would be crazy for them to just be lax back there and know we are going to pressure with four or sometimes five guys. We see it as a sign of respect.GETTING DEFENSIVE: Although the Saints rank second-to-last in the NFL defensively, there have been signs of hope for the struggling unit. New Orleans ranks 13th in the NFL in red zone defense and tied for seventh in the league in limiting TDs on opposing offenses goal-to-go scenarios. Also, New Orleans much-maligned defense came up with a pair of fumble recoveries and an interception in the fourth quarter of their comeback win in their game at San Diego on Oct. 2. Now theyre rested after a bye last week.STEWARTS RETURN: The Panthers are hoping to get Jonathan Stewart back on the field after the teams starting running back missed the past three games with a hamstring injury. When healthy, Stewart is difficult to bring down and can be among the best running backs in the league. If Stewart cant go, the Panthers will turn to Cameron Artis-Payne, who ran for two TDs in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFLBilly Pierce Jersey . LOUIS -- The New Orleans Saints looked like a team playing out the string. Caleb Frare White Sox Jersey . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday. https://www.cheapwhitesox.com/844e-ross-detwiler-jersey-white-sox.html . 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. Luis Aparicio Jersey .C. -- Calgarys Kevin Koe did it the hard way again. Ryan Burr Jersey . PAUL, Minn.In recent years, no tennis player has been more physically fit than Andy Murray. Mental fitness, however -- particularly under duress -- has been an enduring issue.For the better part of six years, Novak Djokovic has been the best player in the world, the consummate model of commitment and mental toughness.And now, after Murrays decisive 6-3, 6-4 finals victory Sunday over Djokovic at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, they have traded places.With the year-end No. 1 ranking on the line in a single match, Murray absolutely commanded the court, dictating to Djokovic the way Djokovic dictated to him in winning 24 of 34 previous matches -- and 16 of the past 19.In two of those matches, back in January in the Australian Open final and, four months later, in the final at Roland Garros, Djokovic was indomitable. But here, the roles were reversed.I just played very poorly, made a lot of unforced errors from the backhand side, Djokovic said to the media afterward. On the other hand, credit to Andy for being mentally tough and playing the right shots, making me play extra shots in every rally. He definitely deserved to win.Murrays forehand was massive, and so were both his first and second serves, but it was his composure that was so unnerving to the man across the net. Two points from the match, at 30-all, Murray fearlessly bounded up to the net and forced a long lob.It was obviously a big match, a very important win for me, Murray said later. It was just a huge match to finish the year, to try and obviously finish No. 1. Obviously, this is a major event, as well, and one Ive not done well in in the past.So its been a great week.Djokovic, the four-time defending champion, meanwhile, was a mess -- off balance and tentative.Tellingly, he missed a bunny of an overhead in the sixth game of the first set and an even easier volley in the fourth game of the second. His cross-court backhand, the best and most natural shot in his entire palette, missed early and often.Djokovic came in with an enormous edge in terms of freshness. He dropped only five games in his Friday and Saturday matches; Murray went 3 hours, 38 minutes in his Saturday semifinal win over Milos Raonic, his second three-hour-plus match of the tournament.But fatigue was never a problem for Murray, whose bodyy language was exemplary.ddddddddddddI guess, even though he has had very long matches, especially the one yesterday, people were thinking maybe hes going to be slightly tired, Djokovic said. But he didnt seem so. More than anything, he felt comfortable in the rallies and exactly knew what to do.Murrays first big push to the top came four years ago. He won the gold medal at home in the London Olympics, and then, after losing his first four Grand Slam finals, he finally won one, the 2012 US Open, beating Djokovic in the final. The same scenario played out at Wimbledon the following year.Ivan Lendl, who coached Murray through that best-ever stretch, gets a lot of credit for giving him the gift of confidence. Lendl, a no-nonsense, eight-time Grand Slam singles champion, implored the cautious Murray to aim for the lines -- and not to despair when he missed. Going for it, Murray came to learn, was the same thing as believing in yourself.That surge might have eventually taken him to No. 1, but back surgery after the 2013 US Open and the departure of Lendl early the next year arrested that potential championship development.In June, Lendl agreed to return to Murrays coaching box, but he has hardly been a fixture in the athletes daily routine. Back in February, Murray and his wife, Kim, became parents. Pretty much ever since, outside of that French Open final and a five-set quarterfinal loss to?Kei Nishikori?at the US Open, things have gone swimmingly for Murray.At the age of 29, he finds himself ranked No. 1 for the first time ever. Murray finished the season on a run of 24 consecutive match wins. This, after establishing a career-best of 22 straight victories earlier this year.Thats a ton of momentum going into 2017.I would like to try and stay there, obviously, Murray said of the No. 1 ranking. Its taken a huge effort the last five, six months to get there. Im aware thats going to be extremely difficult because I had a great year this year. I only managed to do it by one match. To repeat that again next year is going to be extremely difficult.But now that Ive got there, I obviously would be motivated to try and stay in that position. ' ' '