OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Carolina Panthers and Oakland Raiders have undergone a bit of a role reversal the past 10 months.The Panthers (4-6) have gone from a team that played in the Super Bowl behind MVP quarterback Cam Newton in February to one struggling to reach .500, much less the playoffs.Oakland (8-2) has moved in the opposite direction. After missing the postseason for a 13th straight year in 2015, the Raiders have ridden the play of MVP candidate quarterback Derek Carr to first place in the AFC West heading into Sundays game against Carolina.With four straight wins for the first time since 2002 and a tie for the best record in the AFC, Oakland has an opportunity to do far more than just end the playoff drought.Our focus is strictly on beating Carolina, Carr said. Its going to be a tough task because they are 10 months out from playing in the Super Bowl, or however long it was. This team coming in is such a good football team. Their record doesnt show how good they are.The Panthers just havent played that way this season. They followed up the Super Bowl loss to Denver by starting this season 1-5. They have rebounded to win three of the past four games, but have little margin for error if they want to get back to the playoffs.How they play on a two-game West Coast swing will be a big part of determining if that will happen. The Panthers will stay in the Bay Area after the game to prepare for next weeks trip to Seattle.They will even practice at the same field at San Jose State that they used in preparation for the Super Bowl.This is a very important stretch, safety Kurt Coleman said. Weve got to go in with the right mindset. Even though its going to be in California when were getting ready for Seattle, we have to treat it just the same. We cant enjoy the beaches. ... We have to approach it the right way.Here are some other things to watch:SHORT WEEK: While the Panthers come in with extra rest after playing a Thursday game last week, the Raiders have a quick turnaround after a Monday night game in Mexico City . Making it even more difficult, that game was played at an elevation of 7,380 feet, taking even more out of the players. Coach Jack Del Rio backed off his players on Wednesday, but the team believes its conditioning program will have the players ready Sunday.Really the only disadvantage in a short week is that extra day where you can get a little extra in or whatever, Carr said. But, you just make it up on the back end.MAN IN THE MIDDLE: All signs point to 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly missing this game with a concussion after a disturbing scene on Nov. 17. The middle linebacker was shown on TV replays weeping uncontrollably and staring blankly ahead as he left the field on a cart. Last year Kuechly missed three games with a concussion, so there is concern about how his second head injury will affect him long term. The Panthers are hoping A.J. Klein will be able to step in and start, but he, too, is coming off a concussion.A.J. is a guy that we have a lot of faith in, Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis said. He always comes in and plays extremely well and we dont expect it to be any different this weekend.CONTAINING CAM: The Raiders improving defense will have a unique challenge this week against Newton. He can pick a defense apart from the pocket and adds a power-running threat with his size and speed that make him hard to sack and capable of breaking off big plays.Great athlete, big arm, linebacker Bruce Irvin said. If you dont rush him right, hell take off and make you pay.RUNNING GAME STRUGGLES: The Panthers are looking for ways to establish the running game, so expect a full dose of Jonathan Stewart early. After rushing for at least 100 yards in every game last season, Carolinas ground game has stalled and the Panthers are averaging a mere 69.3 yards per game the last three weeks. The Raiders have struggled against the run, allowing 115.7 yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry this season.BY AIR OR BY GROUND: One game after rushing for 218 yards in a win over Denver , Raiders running backs were grounded against Houston as the team gained 30 yards on the ground. Thats not to say the backs didnt produce. Led by fullback Jamize Olawales 75-yard tying touchdown catch in the fourth quarter, Oaklands backs combined for 11 catches for 199 yards, with Jalen Richard adding a TD catch in the second quarter, and Latavius Murray setting up the winning score with a 39-yard reception.---AP Sports Writer Steve Reed contributed to this report---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Wholesale Diamondbacks Jerseys . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. Joshua Rojas Jersey . Marincin has played in two NHL games so far this season with two penalty minutes. The 21-year-old has three goals, four assists and a plus-5 rating in 24 games with the American Hockey Leagues Oklahoma City Barons this season. https://www.cheapdiamondbacksjerseys.us/1418l-kevin-cron-jersey-diamondbacks.html . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Diamondbacks Jerseys 2020 . After Mondays hard-fought loss, the wait seemed longer than usual. Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. Mike Koplove Jersey . Their 38th instalment is arguably their biggest fight card to date, including three-title fights and a main event which was selected by the fans. The promotion boasts 14-straight years of business and is operated by MFC president Mark Pavelich, who is often overlooked in this country for the foundation hes established for MMA in Canada. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Australias two gold medals on the opening night of swimming competition each had a slightly different gleam.Distance freestyler and Olympic rookie Mack Horton won the 400-meter freestyle Saturday and said he was propelled by self-belief. Later in the evening, the favored womens 400 freestyle relay, led by star sisters Cate and Bronte Campbell, defended the event title and set a world record of 3 minutes, 30.65 seconds.Cate Campbell said the repeat -- even though it came by a greater margin than four years ago -- was harder because of the expectations the quartet carried.But, she added, I think Mack was the real hero.It was more than a kind pat on the back from a more experienced teammate. Horton reeled in early leader James Guy of Great Britain and held off 2012 champion Sun Yang of China in the stretch, but it was his blunt talk about doping before and after the race that set him apart.I guess I wouldnt really feel right if I raced at this stage against someone who has tested positive and didnt bring it up, Horton said of Yang, who served a controversial three-month suspension in 2014 due to a positive test for the stimulant trimetazidine. News of the sanction surfaced months after Yang, a double gold medalist in the 400- and 1,500-meter events in London, served the ban.After Saturday afternoons preliminary heats, Horton said he ignored Yangs attempt to provoke him by splashing him in a training session earlier in the week. I dont have time or respect for drug cheats, Horton said.While straight-up personal tension certainly fueled Hortons remarks, they also tap into more general and long-standing suspicion of doping in Chinas swimming program.dddddddddddd. Most recently, the World Anti-Doping Agency and FINA, swimmings world governing body, said earlier this year that whistleblowers claims of positive test cover-ups first revealed in The Times of London were being investigated.Beyond that, the overall disarray in international anti-doping jurisprudence -- laid bare by the dysfunctional process that cleared the way for so many Russian athletes (including swimmers) to compete in Rio despite compelling evidence of pervasive state-sponsored doping -- has prompted an increasing number of athletes to question a system that is supposed to protect them.Often the most corrosive aspects of doping is the internal toll it can take on the psyche of the athlete in the next lane who wonders if his opponent has an insurmountable advantage. Horton said he doesnt lack for confidence, but part of his decision to go public was directed back at himself, saying aloud what he needed to execute in the water.That last 25, that last 15, I felt I had concrete blocks on my arms, basically, but then I kind of flashed back to my statement this morning, Horton said. I dont really have a choice to let him beat me. I kind of have to beat him now. So thats what I did.Horton said he thought about the message he wanted to convey, and if a reporter hadnt brought it up, I probably would have slipped it in there somewhere. He said he hopes other athletes speak their minds on the topic.It will add even more electricity to an already charged atmosphere if they do. ' ' '
