MINNESOTA (2-0) at CAROLINA (1-1)Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, FoxOPENING LINE -- Panthers by 7RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Minnesota 2-0, Carolina 1-1SERIES RECORD -- Vikings lead series 7-5LAST MEETING -- Vikings beat Panthers 31-13, Nov. 30, 2014LAST WEEK -- Vikings beat Packers 17-14; Panthers beat 49ers 46-27AP PRO32 RANKING -- Vikings No. 5, Panthers No. 4VIKINGS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (28), RUSH (32), PASS (20).VIKINGS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (5), RUSH (6), PASS (10).PANTHERS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (3), RUSH (1), PASS (5).PANTHERS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (7), RUSH (T-7), PASS (7).STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES -Game being played in Charlotte, North Carolina, which was declared to be in state of emergency Wednesday by Gov. Pat McCrory due to police shooting protests. ... QB Sam Bradford threw for 286 yards, two TDs in first start with Vikings. . ... RB Adrian Peterson sidelined indefinitely after surgery for torn meniscus in knee. RBs Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata expected to see action in backfield. ... WR Stefon Diggs was NFC offensive player of week with nine receptions for 182 yards and TD last week vs. Packers. Diggs 285 yards receiving are second most through two games in Vikings history (Gene Washington, 324 in 1969). ... LT T.J. Clemmings gets start with Matt Kalil (hip) out for season... DE Everson Griffen had two sacks on Cam Newton in last meeting, and forced fumble and sack in Week 2 vs. Packers ... DE Danielle Hunter has 5 + sacks in last six games. ... CB Trae Waynes struggled with penalties in Week 2, but got first INT. ... S Andrew Sendejo led team with 11 tackles last week and has 10-plus tackles in two of last three games. ... Panthers have won 14 straight home games, including playoffs. Theyve averaged 42 points per game in last three home games, two of those being playoff outings. ... QB Cam Newton passed for 353 yards (and four TDs) in Week 2, most since rookie season in 2011. ... Newton has 20 TDs (17 passing, 3 rushing) in past five home games. .. RBs Fozzy Whittaker and Cameron Artis-Payne expected to split carries with regular starter Jonathan Stewart (hamstring) out. Panthers still No. 1 in league in rushing. ... Whittaker had 131 yards from scrimmage last week, but one fumble. ... WR Kelvin Benjamin has three TDs in two games since returning from torn ACL. He has three 100-yard receiving games in last four at home, dating back to 2015. ... WR Devin Funchess has four TDs receiving in last five home games. ... TE Greg Olsen had career-long 78-yard TD reception last week and has six TDs in past eight home games. ... DE Charles Johnson had forced fumble and sack in last meeting. ... Since entering league in 2012, MLB Luke Kuechly leads NFL in tackles (612). ... OLB Shaq Thompson had 9-yard TD return last week. ... Rookie. CB James Bradberry had first career interception last week vs. 49ers. ... Fantasy Tip: Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph had TD catch in last two games vs. Carolina.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL Cheap San Francisco Giants Jerseys . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. Cheap St. Louis Cardinals Jerseys . The Lightning are 2-0 so far on a four-game road trip, giving the club five straight wins as the guest and improving Tampas away record this season to 11-8-2. http://www.cheapmlbjerseysoutlet.com/?tag=cheap-chicago-cubs-jerseys . Clarke was injured while practicing on the Doha Golf Club range after the pro-am on Tuesday. The Northern Irishman arrived at the course on Wednesday hoping to start, but after hitting a few balls on the practice putting green Clarke advised officials he was not fit to play. Cheap Kansas City Royals Jerseys . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. Authentic MLB Gear Store . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from.ATLANTA -- Andrelton Simmons confidence was lagging after batting practice. Three hits and his first experience in the middle of a game-ending celebration did wonders for Simmons mood.t4 Simmons hit a game-ending double off Mark Melancon in the 10th inning, lifting the Atlanta Braves to a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night. Simmons said he was trying too hard when he left the bases loaded with a groundout to end the eighth, and he adjusted in the 10th inning. "I was trying too hard to end it the first time I had a chance," Simmons said. "The last at-bat I was just trying to make sure I made good contact. I made the adjustment to go the other way and fortunately I did it." Melancon (1-1) walked Dan Uggla to open the 10th. B.J. Upton struck out after fouling off an attempted sacrifice bunt. Melancon then hit pinch-hitter Reed Johnson with a pitch, bringing Simmons to the plate. Simmons sent a long fly ball to the gap in right-centre. Uggla jogged calmly around third base with the winning run before the Braves raced to celebrate with Simmons near second base. Jason Heyward hoisted the shortstop, who said he didnt know how to react. "It was weird," Simmons said. "Seeing everybody run and chase me down was kind of an awkward feeling. I didnt know what to do. "They are big guys," he added. "I made sure I protected myself." Simmons, who also reached with a walk, raised his batting average from .248 to .256. Upton hit his second homer in three days, Heyward had two hits and Uggla had two hits and two walks. Simmons said those are all good signs for the Braves lineup. "Its nice to see everybody contributing and its going to show how good this whole lineup can really be," he said, adding he used a patient approach after batting practice "didnt go like I wanted it to. "I just tried to battle and see the most pitches that I could. That helped a lot," Simmons added. Anthony Vavaro (3-0) pitched a perfect 10th. Four Braves relievers combined to allow one hit in four scoreless innings in the Braves fourth straight win. Gaby Sanchez and Pedro Alvarez hit homers for Pittsburgh. The Braves came close to ending it in the ninth. After Justin Uptons broken-bat single to left field, Freddie Freeman hit a deep fly that centre fielder Andrew McCutchen caught at the wall. Grilli walked Brian McCann before striking out Ramiro Pena. The Braves left the bases loaded in the eighth. Tony Watson walked Chris Johnson. Pena, runnning for Johnson, moved to second base when Watson walked Dan Uggla.dddddddddddd B.J. Upton popped out before Pena and Uggla advanced on Watsons wild pitch to pinch-hitter Evan Gattis. Watson then issued an intentional walk to Gattis, loading the bases before Simmons grounded out to end the inning. The Pirates wasted an opportunity against Craig Kimbrel in the ninth. McCutchen, who had a two-run double in the third inning, hit Kimbrels first pitch in the ninth for a single up the middle. With one out, Russell Martin walked. Kimbrel struck out Travis Snider on three pitches and ended the inning on Alvarezs fly to centre field. McCutchens two run double in the third gave the Pirates a 3-0 lead. Freeman cut the lead to 3-2 when he reached out and slapped a two-run, opposite-field double past Alvarez at third base in the third. Former Braves draft pick Jeff Locke left the game in the sixth inning with a 4-2 lead after giving up a two-out single to Uggla. B.J. Upton tied the game with a two-run homer to centre field off right-hander Ryan Reid. "Youre looking at what you feel is your best matchup at the time and it didnt work out," said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. Locke gave up six hits and three runs in 5 2-3 innings. He matched his season high with seven strikeouts. "I thought everything was working pretty good," Locke said. "I felt pretty good the whole time. There was never any at-bat where I really felt out of it or anything like that. I know I had a couple walks but there were times where I could afford to put that guy on." Minor allowed four hits and four runs, two earned, in six innings. Martin made his first career start in right field. Martin, the starting catcher in Mondays opening game of the series, has appeared in three games at third base this season but no games in the outfield. The Braves traded Locke to the Pirates on June 3, 2009, as part of a package that sent outfielder Nate McLouth to Atlanta. The Pirates also acquired right-hander Charlie Morton in the deal. NOTES: The Pirates are off Thursday before opening at series at the Chicago Cubs. Hurdle said he plans to use Francisco Liriano, A.J. Burnett and Locke as his starting pitchers in Chicago. ... Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said he plans to start Gattis on Wednesday to give McCann a rest in the day game following Tuesday nights game. ... The three-game series ends when Braves RHP Julio Teheran faces Pirates LHP Wandy Rodriguez. The game will end the Braves eight-game homestand. cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseys cheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '