Athen » utes to win 4-2 and reach the semis for the first time in 17

DETROIT -- Matthew Stafford was at his best when improvising -- and that alone may be a sign of improvement. Stafford threw two early touchdown passes to Calvin Johnson, and Detroit beat the New York Giants 35-14 on Monday night in Jim Caldwells first game as Lions coach. It was a bright start for the Lions and their quarterback after the team collapsed down the stretch in 2013 -- in part because of Staffords turnovers. "I dont work on my moves a lot during practice, but I know I have to be better with my feet this year so that we can keep plays alive," Stafford said. "On both of the touchdown passes to Calvin, the offensive line got me a lot of time, and he was able to uncover himself and find somewhere open." The Lions intercepted Eli Manning twice in their first Monday night opener since 1971. Stafford went 22 of 32 for 346 yards, and Johnson had seven catches for 164 yards. Manning was 18 of 33 for 163 yards and a touchdown for the Giants, who started 0-6 last season and never led in their 2014 opener. "No excuses. We played very poorly," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "We dont have a lot to be proud of here. Couldnt move the ball, couldnt stop them, turned the ball over, got into that business again. Got a punt blocked, so you name it. It was a nightmare performance." Stafford scrambled to his right and threw deep to Johnson on the games first drive, and defensive backs Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Stevie Brown appeared to collide. Nobody else on the Giants was anywhere near Detroits star receiver, who was able to jog into the end zone for a 67-yard touchdown. Later in the first, Stafford scrambled to his left, and then threw back to his right. Johnson made a diving catch in the back of the end zone for a 16-yard TD and a 14-0 lead. "When Matt breaks the pocket, I know I have to keep working, because he can put the ball anywhere on the field," Johnson said. "We worked out together a lot during the off-season, and we did a lot of footwork drills. You can see that it is paying off for him. Hes making moves." Staffords two touchdown passes came on what looked like broken plays, and so did his 5-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. He scrambled up the middle on that one and cut to his left to avoid a potential tackler. The Giants also missed the playoffs last season, thanks mostly to that terrible start. They were eager to begin on a better note against the Lions, but barely five minutes into the game, defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul went down with a neck injury. He was able to walk off the field, but he was taken in for X-rays. Pierre-Paul was back in the game in the second quarter. The Giants revamped their secondary in the off-season, but Stafford took advantage of a couple big breakdowns. In the third quarter, he found Golden Tate for a 44-yard gain on third-and-11, which led to a field goal. Detroits secondary, meanwhile, looked solid despite an injury that kept newly acquired safety James Ihedigbo out of the game. Glover Quins interception in the third helped set up Staffords touchdown run that made it 27-7. Johnson tied Herman Moores team record with his 107th straight game with a catch. He was banged up down the stretch last season, and Stafford struggled with turnovers as a playoff berth slipped away. Caldwells hiring was in many ways viewed as an attempt to help Stafford take another step forward. The former No. 1 overall draft pick completed his first six passes Monday. Stafford went 14 of 17 for 212 yards in the first half. Detroit led 14-7 at halftime, and Lions rookie Nate Freese made a 28-yard field goal early in the third, after an interception by DeAndre Levy gave the Lions the ball at the New York 18. Freese added a 27-yarder later that quarter. Rashad Jennings scored on a 1-yard run for New York in the fourth, but Detroits Joique Bell answered with a 3-yard scoring run and the Lions added a 2-point conversion. "I thought the signature drive of the game was in the fourth quarter. They had cut into the lead, and we knew we needed to grind down the clock," said Caldwell, who took over in the off-season after Jim Schwartz was fired. "Thats what we mean when we talk about embracing the grind." NOTES: Lions offensive tackle LaAdrian Waddle went down with a calf injury in the first half, and cornerback Bill Bentley hurt his knee. Giants linebacker Devon Kennard hurt his hamstring. ... There was a pregame ceremony honouring William Clay Ford, who owned the Lions until he died in March. His widow Martha -- who took over control of the franchise -- and their four children received a game ball after the win. Joe Montana Jersey . Cilic cruised to victory, beating the seventh-seeded Seppi 6-1, 6-3 in just 72 minutes. 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"Its embarrassing what were doing here," leading scorer Phil Kessel said Wednesday. The most recent failed season came with even more pain than the six that preceded it. There was no hint of an impending implosion when the Leafs came roaring out of the all-star break with back-to-back games against Pittsburgh -- a 5-4 shootout loss followed by a 1-0 win the next night.BATA, Equatorial Guinea - Host Equatorial Guinea made it to the semifinals and a referee only just made it out of the stadium in one piece as the African Cup of Nations descended into angry chaos on Saturday.Equatorial Guinea beat Tunisia 2-1 in extra time to make the last four of the continental championship for the first time, and after being helped in a big way by a hotly-disputed penalty call by the referee in the last minute of normal time.Mauritian referee Rajindraparsad Seechurn was chased by furious Tunisian players, who aimed punches and kicks at him, and only just made it to the safety of the tunnel at the end of the match with a riot police escort.Congo and Republic of Congo had earlier served up a roller-coaster second half in their quarterfinal, with Congo coming back from 2-0 down with four goals in the last 25 minutes to win 4-2 and reach the semis for the first time in 17 years.But the drama of that game was completely outdone by the evenings second quarter at Bata Stadium.With Equatorial Guinea trailing 1-0 and going out of its home tournament, Seechurn awarded it the hugely contentious penalty in the last minute of normal time, when Ivan Bolado appeared to dive to earn the game-changing spot-kick. Javier Balboa slotted in the penalty deep in stoppage time to send the game to extra time, and also curled in a brilliant winning free kick in the 102nd minute.But from the moment the penalty was awarded to deny Tunisia, there was a succession of ugly scenes.Players and coaching staff members clashed near the dugouts, the Tunisian team lost their heads and kicked, tripped and pushed their opponents on the field, and Seechurn had to run for cover at the end, chased by many of Tunisias furious players. The players were battered back by riot police as they also tried to get down the tunnel to the referee.All the while, 35,000 crazed Equatorial Guinea supporters roared and stamped their feet on the metal floors of the stadium to celebrate thheir teams historic progression to the last four.dddddddddddd.At the moment, Im the happiest man in the world, Equatorial Guinea coach Esteban Becker said.Tunisia coach Georges Leekens — who had angrily faced up to Esteban on the sidelines during some of the numerous melees — said his team was cheated.At the end, its no good for football, he said. Its very difficult to accept.Earlier Saturday at the same stadium, Congo also made it to the semis, but only after defensive lapses had let in Republic of Congos Dore Ferebory for the opener in the 55th minute, and again when Thievy Bifouma swept in a loose ball seven minutes later for a 2-0 lead.It seemed that was that, and Congo goalkeeper Robert Kidiaba yelled furiously at his defenders.Less than 20 minutes later Kidiaba was crying for joy and hugging one of the defenders after his team launched a thrilling comeback. Then, he was bouncing across the field with his renowned bum-shuffle celebration.Congos progress revived memories of a bygone era, when it was champion of Africa in 1968 and 1974 and one of the continents soccer powers. It has only made the semis once since 74.Dieumerci Mbokani began the fight back for the class of 2015 almost straight away, tapping in after being set up by Yannick Bolasie. Loteteka Bokila powered a shot into the roof of the net in the 75th for 2-2. And less than 20 minutes after Republic of Congo had gone 2-0 up, Congo was ahead 3-2 when substitute Joel Kimuaki glanced in a header from a free kick.Republic of Congo had collapsed.All of us coaches all over the world know its not over until its finished, Republic of Congo coach Claude Le Roy said. It was a terrible game.Mbokani made sure with a breakaway for his second in stoppage time, and Congo awaits the winner of Sundays Ivory Coast-Algeria quarterfinal.Equatorial Guinea will face the winner of the other quarterfinal between Ghana and Guinea.___Gerald Imray is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GeraldImrayAP Cheap Celtics Jerseys Wholesale Nets Jerseys Cheap Knicks Jerseys Cheap Stitched 76ers Jerseys Raptors Jerseys China Cheap Bulls Jerseys Wholesale Cavaliers Jerseys Pistons Jerseys China Pacers Jerseys China Cheap Bucks Jerseys Online Wholesale Hawks Jerseys Cheap Hornets Jerseys Wholesale Heat Jerseys Cheap Magic Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Wizards Jerseys Nuggets Jerseys China Timberwolves Jerseys China Cheap Thunder Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Blazers Jerseys Wholesale Jazz Jerseys Cheap Warriors Jerseys For Sale Cheap Clippers Jerseys Lakers Jerseys China Wholesale Suns Jerseys Cheap Kings Jerseys Authentic Cheap Mavericks Jerseys Rockets Jerseys China Cheap Grizzlies Jerseys Wholesale Pelicans Jerseys Spurs Jerseys China ' ' '