Regeln » night, taking a 3-1 lead and nearing their first championsh

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Jim Caldwell could see the Detroit Lions latest win coming last week, well before they beat the New Orleans Saints.In practice, they were embracing productive paranoia, a concept Caldwell has read about in Jim Collins books and apparently passed along to his players.It was just one of those weeks where things were clicking along pretty well for us, Caldwell said Monday. The key is now weve got to do it again.The Lions beat New Orleans 28-13, their seventh win in an eight-game stretch that has dramatically changed the possibilities for this season.Detroit (8-4) has a two-game lead in the NFC North with four games to go, putting the traditionally floundering franchise in a favorable position to win a division title for the first time since 1993. Detroit has a potential tiebreaker over the second-place Minnesota Vikings and hosts the second-place Green Bay Packers in the last game of the regular season.Were not worrying about first place or second place, safety Glover Quin said. Were just focusing in on the next challenge. We came in all week and our focus was clearly on the New Orleans Saints.The Lions seem set up to at least maintain their cushion in the NFC North with a matchup against the last-place Chicago Bears (3-9) on Sunday at Ford Field. Chicago, though, did beat the Lions 17-14 to drop them to 1/3 back when Matthew Stafford was averaging one interception per game.Stafford isnt making many mistakes these days, throwing only one interception over eight games. He set a team record by connecting on 13 straight passes against the Saints.Detroits stingy defense has held four straight teams to 19 or fewer points, including keeping New Orleans more than 17 points below its scoring average. The Lions also became the first team to hold Drew Brees without a touchdown pass on his home turf in 60 games with the Saints. Special teams have been solid, too.Detroit hasnt had a run like this since 1995 when it closed the regular season 7-1 to make the playoffs for the third straight year and the fourth time in a five-year stretch. From 1996 to 2015, the Lions have earned a spot in the postseason just four times.Caldwells steady leadership has helped the Lions bounce back from adversity from within games and season. And now that times are good, he is certainly not going to get caught up in the excitement among a fan base desperate for a winning NFL team to root for in the Motor City. He noted hearing and seeing a lot of Lions fans in New Orleans at his weekly news conference, but insisted he doesnt run into them in or around Detroit simply because of the hours he keeps.When I come in in the morning, there are very few fans that are up, he said. When I go home late at night, there are very few people that are around and most often its only one gas station open in my area. I dont encounter very many people at that time.For the first time, Detroit didnt have to rally from a fourth-quarter deficit to win a game this season, leading the Saints from start to finish. The Lions ended up with their most lopsided road win in four years.Normally, were in different situations in the fourth quarter so we kind of went out there with the same mentality like, `Hey, weve got to stop them, said Quin, who picked off one of three passes against Brees.Caldwell cuts up the regular season into quarters, and acknowledged the final four games present a unique opportunity and challenge.During that time of the year, youve got to be playing your best football, he said.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Larry Lage at http://www.twitter.com/larrylage and follow his work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/larry-lageDaniel Ross Jersey .J. -- Josh Cribbs was in the Pro Bowl in February and out of a job six months later. Rico Gathers Jersey . The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Lions have not announced the hiring, which was first reported by ESPN. Lombardi, the grandson of former Green Bay Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, has been an offensive assistant on Sean Paytons New Orleans staff since 2007. http://www.cheapcowboysjerseyschina.com/bill-bates-jersey/ . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. Cowboys Jerseys From China . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Codey McElroy Jersey . -- Adam Snyder returned to the San Francisco 49ers this season because the offensive lineman thought it was his best opportunity to win a championship.CHICAGO -- One more win and baseball fans everywhere might finally believe in these Cleveland Indians.Thats all it will take for Corey Kluber & Co. to clinch this World Series.Kluber pitched six sparkling innings on short rest for his second victory this week and the Indians beat the Chicago Cubs 7-2 Saturday night, taking a 3-1 lead and nearing their first championship since 1948.Jason Kipnis hit a three-run homer in his hometown and Carlos Santana connected for the first of his three hits as manager Terry Franconas team won for the second straight day at Wrigley Field.Trevor Bauer gets the ball Sunday night when the visiting Indians try for the franchises third World Series title against Jon Lester and the faltering Cubs.I think we like the position were in, but the task isnt done yet, Kluber said. We still have one more game to win, and were going to show up tomorrow and play with the same sense of urgency weve played with until this point. We dont want to let them build up any momentum and let them get back in the series.Still, not bad for a team that seemed like an underdog all year long.The Indians topped the defending champion Royals and star-studded Tigers for the AL Central title, then came the postseason. No one thought they would beat Big Papi and Boston, outslug Toronto or ever end their drought before the charmed Cubs, who led the majors with 103 wins.Well, look who is on the brink of hoisting the hardware.Weve got one more to get and its probably going to be the hardest victory of the year, but this is a special night for me and this team to take the first two here, said Kipnis, who grew up a Cubs fan on the north side of Chicago.Kipnis had three hits and scored two runs as Cleveland moved to 10-2 in this postseason. Francisco Lindor contributed an RBI single, helping Francona improve to 11-1 in the World Series.The Indians now will try to bring another crown to Cleveland, adding to the one LeBron James and the Cavaliers earned earlier this year.We have a ways to go. Were not done, Francona said.Dexter Fowler doubled and scored in the first for the Cubs, and then homered against Andrew Miller in the eighth. Fowlers drive to left-center was the first homer for Chicago in the World Series since Phil Cavaretta connected in Game 1 in 1945 and the first run allowed by Miller during his dominant postseason.In between Fowlers two hits, the Cubs came up empty every time they had a chance to put any pressure on Cleveland.So we made mistakes. Absolutely, we made mistakes tonight, manager Joe Maddon said. That was part of it. But then again, we just have to do more offensively to give ourselves a chance.The Indians won for the second straight day aat Wrigley -- those two wins matched the Cubs entire total of World Series victories in more than a century of playing at their famed ballpark.dddddddddddd.Theyre obviously doing something right, taking advantage of our mistakes and my mistakes, Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant said.Pitching on three days rest for the second time, Kluber allowed five hits, struck out six and walked one. The steady, stoic right-hander, who struck out nine in a dominant performance in Game 1, improved to 4-1 with a 0.89 ERA in five playoff starts this year.Francona put Santana at first after starting him in left in Game 3, and Mike Napoli was out of the starting lineup for the time in the playoffs. And just like the rest of October, the decision worked out quite well for the Indians.Santana led off the second with a drive to right against John Lackey, tying it at 1. Santanas third homer of the playoffs silenced the crowd of 41,706, and the Indians seized the momentum from there.Two throwing errors on Bryant, including one on Klubers infield single, led to an unearned run that put Cleveland ahead to stay. Kipnis connected for his second playoff homer in the seventh, pointing to his friends and family in the stands after powering the Indians to a 7-1 lead.Were mortals. Were baseball players. Its what we live for, Kipnis said. At this kind of stage its what we all dream about.MORE ON KLUBERKlubers 0.89 ERA is the second-lowest for a single postseason for pitchers with at least 30 innings. Burt Hooton allowed three earned runs in 33 playoff innings for the 1981 Dodgers. Kluber is tied with Orel Hershiser (1995) for the Indians record for most strikeouts in a single postseason with 35.Just an unreal job by Kluber on three days rest, Lindor said.STEPPING UPCubs right fielder Jason Heyward made his first start of the World Series and responded with two hits. The 27-year-old Heyward, who signed a $184 million, eight-year contract with Chicago last winter, was just 2 for 31 in 12 playoff games coming into the night.UP NEXTIndians: Bauer lasted just 3 2/3 innings in Game 2, allowing two runs and six hits. The right-hander had a career-best 12 wins during the regular season, but is 0-1 with a 5.00 ERA in three playoff starts.Cubs: Lester dropped to 3-1 with a 1.35 ERA in four career World Series starts when he allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings in the opener Tuesday night. The left-hander was the co-MVP of the NL Championship Series, going 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts against the Dodgers.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenapCheap Jerseys [url=http://www.cs