unmarked at the back post to tap in his first goal since Aug.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Much of the spotlight heading into the Patriots regular-season opener at Arizona has been focused on the big piece they will be missing on offense.Its anyones guess whether New England can duplicate its typical efficiency without Tom Brady. But having to lean on its defense against a Cardinals team that Bill Belichick says has as good a group of skill players that weve seen in a long time may not be the worst thing either.Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer is expected to have his full complement of weapons Sunday in receivers Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and John Brown. It will also be the first real look of what the Cardinals backfield tandem of Chris Johnson and second-year David Johnson can do together.Its a lot for any defense to deal with, and Belichick doesnt expect to truly know what kind of team he has until at least a month into the season. But he acknowledges his defense -- and particularly its veteran secondary -- might be the most cohesive group he has entering Week 1.(There are) a lot of things that we can do now that we wouldnt have been able to do at this time last year with that group of players because weve done them for a year, or we did them in different game plan situations last year, Belichick said.While several position groups were slowed by injuries at different times this offseason, the core secondary group of cornerbacks Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan, and safeties Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung, has remained healthy.The same is true at linebacker, where starters Jamie Collins and Donta Hightower will be counted on to slow down Arizonas run game.In the secondarys case, its only helped to build more chemistry among a foursome that was on the field to start 13 of the Patriots 18 games last season. It also accounted for seven of their 12 interceptions.It helps as long as we play well. It doesnt matter if were all back and were not playing well, McCourty said of the continuity. So I think for us personally its great. We have a great group. We like being around each other, spending time off the field bonding and learning how to play on the field together. Its just grows.The secondarys production also figures to grow with the editions of cornerbacks Cyrus Jones, a rookie second-round draft pick, and undrafted rookie Jonathan Jones.Former college rivals at Alabama and Auburn, the duo has fit in seamlessly thus far.Cyrus Jones said hes anxious to get a crack at the Cardinals multi-pronged attack.We just gotta be ready for whatever, he said. Everybody knows what type of playmakers they have, but you just gotta focus on your responsibilities and trust the man next to you that hes gonna do his job and let the chips fall where they may.McCourty said the unknown also helps drive veterans on defense.In this league you dont always know if its gonna stay that same way, so I always preach to the guys to take advantage of the opportunity, he said.Game notes TE Rob Gronkowski returned to the practice field after being absent on Sunday. ...WR Danny Amendola, who has been recovering from knee and ankle issues this preseason, said Tuesday that he feels he is ready to play despite sitting out all four of the Patriots preseason games. I feel strong. I feel fast. So Im ready to roll, he said. They have a plan, theyve always had a plan, and so have we. Im excited to be ready to go and looking forward to this weekend.---Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower Javier Aquino Jersey . LOUIS -- Roman Polak was celebrating even before Alexander Steen scored the winning goal in Saturdays 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Hugo Ayala Jersey . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1. http://www.soccermexicojerseysteamstore.com/jonathan-dos-santos-mexico-jersey/ . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. Jose de Jesus Corona Jersey . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. Hector Moreno Jersey . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said. ORLANDO, Fla. -- Kevin Molino scored twice and had an assist to help Orlando City rally for a 3-1 victory over the New England Revolution on Sunday night.Molino headed home a cross from Brek Shea to give Orlando City (5-5-11) a 2-1 lead in the 64th minute.Kei Kamara broke free on a breakaway and put away a feed from Kelyn Rowe to give New England (6-8-8) a 1-0 lead in the 19th.Cyle Larin tied it in the 46th minute, first-timing a pass from Molino to the far post. Larin, who scored an MLS rookie-record 17 goals last season, has 11 goals this season -- tied for third in MLS.Molino put away a feed from Ricardo Kaka in the 83rd. It was his third goal in the last two matches and ninth this season.Orlando ended a five-game winless streak.New England had its three-game unbeaten streak snapped.SPORTING KANSAS CITY 1, TIMBERS 0KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Jacob Peterson scored in the 50th minute in Sporting Kansas Citys victory over Portland.Peterson flicked a header, off a free kick by Benny Feilhaber, to the bottom-right corner.Alec Kann made a diving stop on Darlington Nagbe -- Portlands only shot on goal -- in the 10th.The Timbers (7-8-8) had chances in stoppage time. Jack McInerney blasted a right footer from the left side of the box off the crossbar in the first minute, and Fanendo Adis header, off a cross by Vytautas Andriuskevicius, from the right side of the 6-yard box missed wide right about three minutes later.Sporting (10-10-4) has won two in a row and five straight at home.Portland has lost two straight after an nine-match unbeaten streak.Kansas Citys Jimmy Medranda earned and fifth yellow card and will be suspended for Sportings next match, Aug. 7 at Portland.TORONTO FC 3, CREW 0TORONTO -- Tsubasa Endoh and Sebastian Giovinco score in the first half and Jozy Altidore added a late goal in Toronto FCs victory over Columbus.Endoh opened the scoring for Toronto (9-7-6) in the eighth minute when a shot from Giovinco deflected off his back, which provided a spin that threw off Columbus goalkeeper Steve Clark.Giovinco scored in the 24th minute. He passed to Canadian midfielder Jay Chapman, continued his run, got the ball back from Chapman and hit the ball with the outside of his right foot past Clarks outstretched right hand. Altidore, who came off the bench in the second half, had his 87th-minute shot deflected by Columbus defender Michael Parkhurst for his first goal of the season.The victory gives Toronto the Trillium Cup, an in-season competition between the two teams that acknowledges their geographical proximity, after TFC and Columbus (3-9-10) had drawn their previous two meetings this season.FC DALLAS 2, WHITECAPS 0FRISCO, Texas -- Kellyn Acosta and Maximiliano Urruti scored to help FC Dallas beat Vancouver.Acosta buried a right-footer in the bottom-right corner off a feed ffrom Michael Barrios in the 56th minute.dddddddddddd Three minutes later, Urruti slipped behind the defense and beat goalkeeper David Ousted from the corner of the 6-yard box for his sixth goal of the season.Dallas Chris Seitz made one save for his seventh shutout of the season, tied with Luis Robles of the New York Red Bulls for most in MLS. FC Dallas improved to 13-6-5, and Vancouver dropped to 8-9-6.REAL SALT LAKE 2, UNION 1CHESTER, Pa. -- Joao Plata and Javier Morales scored on well-placed shots early in the second half and Real Salt Lake beat Philadelphia.Plata tied if for RSL (9-6-7) in the 48th minute when he one-timed Demar Phillips lay-off and clipped the underside of the crossbar from behind the 18-yard box. Morales made it 2-1 six minutes later with just enough loft on his chip shot to get past the leaping and outstretched hand of goalkeeper Andre Blake.Roland Alberg opened the scoring for the Union (8-8-6) with a penalty kick in the 44th minute. C.J. Sapong drew the penalty against Aaron Maund, and Alberg drilled it past RSLs Nick Rimando.SOUNDERS 1, GALAXY 1, TIESEATTLE -- Cristian Roldan scored his second goal of the season in the 49th minute to give Seattle the lead, and a defensive miscue allowed Los Angeles Sebastian Lleget to tie it in the 78th minute.Seattle (6-12-3) was in position to get the victory in the debut of interim head coach Brian Schmetzer, taking over this week after the club and Sigi Schmid parted ways.Seattles defense broke down in the closing minutes, allowing a chipped pass by Steven Gerrard to find Lletget unmarked at the back post to tap in his first goal since Aug. 23, 2015.RED BULLS 2, FIRE 2, TIEBRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Bradley Wright-Phillips volleyed home Connor Lades cross in the 90th minute to give New York the tie with Chicago.The Red Bulls (9-9-5) took the early lead when Chicagos Matt Polster scored an own goal in the 16th minute, attempting to clear away Mike Grellas cross.David Accam tied it for the Fire (4-10-6) with a low shot from behind the penalty arc in the 35th minute. Polster made it 2-1 in first-half stoppage time, scoring his first career MLS goal.IMPACT 1, UNITED 1, TIEWASHINGTON -- Hernan Bernardello scored in the 86th minute to give Montreal the tie with D.C. United.Bernardello, who signed with Montreal (7-5-9) on July 24, came on for Kyle Bekker in the 71st. His goal, off a feed from Matteo Mancosu, was his first in MLS play. He played 28 combined matches for Montreal in 2013 and 2014.Patrick Mullins bounced a header, off the entry by Taylor Kemp, off the ground into the top-right corner in the 19th minute.The Impacts Didier Drogba received a red card in the 81st minute.United is 5-8-8. ' ' '