OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Drawing on the knowledge he gained over 35 years as a football coach, Ravens defensive co-ordinator Dean Pees showed his creativity and expertise this season in putting together a unit that sustained its hard-hitting reputation despite several key injuries and the suspension of Haloti Ngata.The Ravens enter Saturdays playoff game at New England with six defensive backs on injured reserve. Baltimore has employed 12 different cornerbacks over the course of the season and also endured a month without Ngata after the five-time Pro Bowl tackle was disciplined by the league for using Adderall.And still, the Ravens upheld their tradition of defensive excellence.Only five teams allowed fewer points, no running back ran for 100 yards and Baltimore yielded no more than one touchdown in nine of its 16 regular-season games. Most importantly, the Ravens (11-6) played well enough to earn a trip to the post-season for the sixth time in seven years.Weve been through so many different players, and Dean has done a really tremendous job of tailoring the scheme toward what guys can do well, coach John Harbaugh said.We dont really look like the same defence every week in a lot of different ways. Its not like we revamp everything we do, but hes always going to give an opponent something different that theyre maybe not expecting to help guys play certain situations.Pees often stays up late at night drawing up Xs and Os in an effort to find the best way to utilize those at his disposal. Its not unlike his effort two years ago, when he worked through injuries to linebackers Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs to help Baltimore win the Super Bowl.Some years are just like that, Pees said. Weve got to stay here as long as weve got to stay here to get the job done.Baltimore started the season without injured cornerback Lardarius Webb and lost its other starting cornerback, Jimmy Smith, halfway into the season.More injuries to the secondary followed, leaving Pees no choice but to shuffle his coverage and use more blitzes to keep the pressure on the quarterback.Somehow, everything fell onto place.Dean has done an excellent job this year with rotating the safeties and the secondary, the next-man-up thing, Webb said. Hes done a great job of adjusting to the strength of his players. Thats one thing hes always been good at. Hes a nice, aggressive defensive co-ordinator. I love playing for him.Pees, 65, broke into coaching in 1979 as defensive co-ordinator of the University of Findlay (Ohio). He then served as an assistant for five different colleges, including Notre Dame and Michigan State, before taking over as head coach at Kent State in 1998.That job lasted for five years before he was hired as New Englands linebackers coach, a post Pees held for two years before becoming the Patriots defensive co-ordinator from 2006-09.Pees then came to Baltimore, working as linebackers coach for two years before replacing defensive co-ordinator Chuck Pagano, who got the top job in Indianapolis.Pees style can be described as teaching with a purpose.If you dont understand something or dont feel like you can get it down pat, all you have to do is just let him know, Ravens safety Will Hill said. Hes always up new challenges, and always has new schemes. He knows his players and what situations to put people in.Pees will have a heck of a challenge on Saturday against the Patriots (12-4). He doesnt expect his familiarity with New England coach Bill Belichick to factor into the game plan.At this point in time, I dont think I know him as well as everybody thinks I know him, Pees said. Ive been gone five years. Its been so far removed, its different.Although Pees is sure to have some new wrinkles in his defence, the Patriots have a good idea what to expect.Its a great team defence, New England quarterback Tom Brady said. Theyve always had a great defence. Theyre always one of the toughest defences we play all year.Pees is the sixth defensive co-ordinator in Ravens history. Four of the previous five went on to become NFL head coaches, but Pees isnt expecting to change jobs anytime soon.Its got to be something that you want to do; its not the prestige of wanting to be a head coach, he said. Ive never been fired, and I never left a job that I didnt like. Ive always just thought the other opportunity was better, or it was, Id like to try that.Id never say never, but I am so happy here. I love Baltimore, my family loves Baltimore, I love this defence and I love working for John Harbaugh.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL Aleksander Barkov Florida Panthers Jersey.com) - California Chrome had another workout Saturday morning at Los Alamitos as he keeps training for his 2015 campaign. Roberto Luongo Florida Panthers Jersey. That was two games too many for LeBron James. The reigning NBA MVP had 21 points, eight assists and 14 boards for his first double-digit rebounding game of the season, leading the Heat to a 103-82 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night. http://www.hockeypanthersofficialonline.com/jonathan-huberdeau-hockey-jersey/. -- Once the Anaheim Ducks wiped out a four-goal deficit, all the stress shifted to the visiting Winnipeg Jets. 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Lawson Crouse Jersey. -- Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Monday that left tackle Russell Okung is unlikely to play on Sunday against Jacksonville after suffering a toe injury against San Francisco.SOELDEN, Austria - World Cup champion Marcel Hirscher sent a clear message to his rivals for the mens overall title on the opening day of the season, winning a giant slalom with a massive 1.58-second margin on Sunday.On a sunny national holiday, the Austrians winning run was loudly cheered by his home crowd, which was stunned just two minutes earlier when Olympic and world GS champion Ted Ligety faltered before ending up in 10th, more than three seconds behind Hirscher.Its important for the Austrians to win here in Soelden, said Hirscher, the first home winner of the traditional season-opening race since Hermann Maier in 2005.I was very nervous and it was far from easy, I couldnt believe the margin, Hirscher said. All the pressure on my shoulders has fallen off now — for the next two hours.Hirscher held on to his first-run lead to finish in an aggregate 2 minutes, 28.09 seconds and beat Fritz Dopfer of Germany by 1.58. Alexis Pinturault of France was 2.06 behind in third, with Austrian veteran Benjamin Raich another 0.01 back in fourth.Ligety was second after the opening leg. He was still 0.40 faster over then leader Pinturault at the final split of his second run but the American came off the racing line approaching the final flat section of the course, which before the race he described as chunky in places but for the most part its a nice surface.I did some powder skiing, Ligety said. There is 40 gates you can do that on and there is five gates you absolutely cant do that on ... it cost me a good couple of seconds for sure.It was Ligetys worst result in Soelden. On his debut in 2005, he finished eighth and he had made the podium every year since, including wins in the past three years.Its more bad luck than anything else, Ligety said. Its no tactical issue, there is no technical issue. The skis are fine and ice has always been an advantage for me. I am not really worried about my skiing.Ligety and Hirscher were tied for the top spot in last seasons GS standings with the title being awarded to Ligety as the American had won more races.Hirscher said the disappointing run by his main rival hadnt changed his approach to the final run.I heard it but I didnt know where he made the mistake, Hirscher said. Before the second run I had already decided to go all-in. So my tactics had allready been planned.ddddddddddddHirschers victory gave Austria a perfect start to the new season after Anna Fenninger shared the win with American teenager Mikaela Shiffrin in Saturdays womens GS.Hirscher earned his 24th career win and 10th in GS, making him only the seventh male skier with 10 or more wins in the discipline.After new rules for size and shape of GS skis were enforced in 2012, Hirscher trailer Soelden winner Ligety by 3.12 seconds. The American continued to dominate the discipline, but Hirscher has been catching up.We did a lot of development on the skis, the Austrian said. We have been testing new bindings and new plates. Its starting to pay off.While Ligety failed to live up to his billing as a contender for the overall title, Pinturault earned his 23rd career podium.The Frenchman, who was third in the overall rankings last year, switched his ski supplier in the off-season.I am really happy, it was a big test, Pinturault said. The first time I skied on ice with my new equipment. Now I can be more confident and push harder and harder. I will fight (for the overall title). It could be a nice winter.Meanwhile, Dopfer had his fifth top-three finish but is yet to win a World Cup race.I always try to get to my limits, the German said. That went really well today. I cant say what I should do different to win a race.The race was attended by 15,000 spectators, though many missed out on the first run as the only mountain road up the glacier had to be temporarily closed after a fire truck crashed and blocked the way.In clear, sunny conditions the course featured bumpy spots that caused problems for many racers.Olympic super-G champion Kjetil Jansrud of Norway came 3.52 back in 15th, while 2011 overall champion Ivica Kostelic of Croatia struggled all the way down before finishing 5.78 seconds behind and missing out on the second run.Hannes Reichelt, competing in his first race since winning the downhill in Kitzbuehel in January, straddled a gate and failed to finish.Several top contenders, including Aksel Lund Svindal, Bode Miller and Felix Neureuther, sat out the race with injuries.Toronto native Phil Brown was the only Canadian to qualify for the second run. 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