said.CLOSE CALLS: The Cardinals made it all the way to the NFC title game last year in part because of their ability to pull out wins in close games. Arizona

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The preseason expectations for the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers were at opposite ends of the spectrum.A year after making it to the NFC title game, the Cardinals believed they had the ingredients to take that next step and possibly win the Super Bowl. The Niners were more in a rebuild situation with first-year coach Chip Kelly and an unsettled quarterback situation.A quarter of the way through the season, the teams are surprisingly in the same spot: last place in the NFC West heading into Thursday nights meeting after opening the season 1-3.We feel like our backs are against the wall because when we came into the season, everyone was patting us on the back, Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson said. Now its like, `these guys are pretenders. Thats kind of the persona we had in years previously, that we had to prove something.Arizona will have to do it without starting quarterback Carson Palmer, who is out with a concussion. The Cardinals will turn to Drew Stanton, who went 5-3 as a starter in 2014 when Palmer was injured.San Francisco is sticking with Blaine Gabbert at quarterback despite having the least productive passing offense in the NFL through four games. Kelly has said backup Colin Kaepernick is not 100 percent after three offseason surgeries and Gabbert showed signs of progress in last weeks loss to Dallas.He started the game by leading two straight TD drives before the offense stalled and got just one field goal the rest of the game.I think the improvements going to happen every week, Gabbert said. The more reps you get in a game, the more and more Chip and I are on the same page. Hes calling a certain play, I know why hes calling that play. He sees something on the field. When we get on that same page were really going to take off.Here are some other things to watch when the Cardinals visit the Niners:STANTON THE SUB: Stanton will make his first start since 2014. Hes thrown just 40 passes the past two seasons. He completed 54.9 percent for 1,626 yards, six TDs, five INTs and a 76.3 rating during his half season as starter two years ago.We dont change anything we do, coach Bruce Arians said. Hes extremely knowledgeable in the offense and I feel very comfortable with him in there.REPLACING BOWMAN: The Niners lost their top defensive player and spiritual leader when linebacker NaVorro Bowman ruptured his Achilles tendon last Sunday against Dallas. Nick Bellore, mostly a special teams player in his 36 career games, is slated to make his first start on defense.Ive been the next guy up for a long time and now my time has come, so its time for me to prepare and perform like I know I can, Bellore said.CLOSE CALLS: The Cardinals made it all the way to the NFC title game last year in part because of their ability to pull out wins in close games. Arizona won five of six in the regular season in games decided by eight points or fewer, and also beat Green Bay in overtime in the playoffs. That hasnt been the case this season when a botched snap on a potential winning field goal led to a Week 1 loss against New England, and a big punt return and two late interceptions of Stanton led to last weeks 17-13 loss to the Rams.Close games are always won on one play here, one play there, Arians said. In the past weve made them and right now were not making them.WHERES TORREY: San Franciscos most accomplished receiver, Torrey Smith, was mostly invisible last week against Dallas. He wasnt targeted on a single pass until the fourth quarter and finished with one catch for 3 yards. Smith had a chance for a go-ahead TD when he got behind the defense on one play, only to have it turn into an interception on a bad throw by Gabbert. His only other target came when he caught the 3-yard pass on fourth-and-6 to end San Franciscos comeback attempt.Ive been getting open, he said. You can go look at the film. Ive been getting open.TOUGH TASK: The Niners have allowed Fozzy Whitaker, Christine Michael and Ezekiel Elliott all to run for more than 100 yards the past three weeks. Thats the first time since 2004 that San Francisco has allowed a 100-yard rusher in three straight games. The job doesnt get any easier this week against Arizonas David Johnson, who has 510 yards from scrimmage this season and is averaging 4.7 yards per carry.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---AP freelancer Jose Romero in Tempe, Arizona, contributed to this report Discount Hockey Jerseys . Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. Quick stopped 27 shots in his return from a 24-game injury absence, Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:55 to play, and the Kings snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. Wholesale Adidas Hockey Jerseys . -- Aldon Smith believes he is on the path to being sober for good. http://www.cheapnhljerseysusa.com/ . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic . PETERSBURG, Fla. Wholesale NHL Jerseys . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. ATLANTA -- The Washington Wizards will try to ensure the Atlanta Hawks Dwight Howard Era gets off to a rocky start when they meet in the season opener on Thursday.Howard was the biggest offseason acquisition for the Hawks, who hope to return to the Eastern Conference finals and beyond. Atlanta signed the 6-foot-11 center to a three-year, $70 million deal in the offseason after incumbent center Al Horford took less money to sign with the Boston Celtics.Atlanta went 48-34 last season, finished fourth in the Eastern Conference and was swept by Cleveland in the conference semifinals. Washington went 41-41 to finish 10th in the East and missed the playoffs.The Hawks are hopeful that the 30-year-old Howard, a native of Atlanta, can revive his career. He averaged 17.8 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks over his 12-year career, but slipped to 13.7 points for the Rockets last season.Playing at home, where people have great expectations for what is supposed to happen here, sometimes it can get a little nerve-racking, Howard said. For me, I just try not to think about it. I just try to approach it as though its any other game. But I know this city. They have their hopes real high on us and on me.Its a new start for Washington, too. The Wizards fired coach Randy Wittman and hired Scott Brooks, who spent six seasons at Oklahoma City and took the Thunder to the NBA finals in 2011-12.The Wizards are led by guard John Wall, who averaged 19.9 points and 10.2 assists last season, and Bradley Beal, who averaged 117.dddddddddddd4 points while dealing with hip and leg issues that limited him to 55 games. Beal showed he was fully recovered in the preseason, when he effectively distributed the ball and had very few turnovers.Us as players are coming in with a mindset of whatever we have to do, getting it done, Wall said. Its an all-new beginning for all of us, so we want to get off to a good start with a new coaching staff and new group of players we have on the team.Washington is also expected to start Otto Porter, Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat. The Wizards are hopeful that Morris can become the 3-point shooting threat the team has been missing.The Wizards also expect to see second-year player Kelly Oubre Jr. take big strides forward and be a key player off the bench. He should play more than he did a year ago, when he averaged 11 minutes.The Hawks had their starting five on the court at the same time in their final two preseason games. Atlanta will start Howard, forwards Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver and guards Dennis Schroder and Kent Bazemore.Schroder will be the starter at point guard after veteran Jeff Teague was traded to Indiana. Malcolm Delaney will be the backup at point.The Wizards play their first two games on the road, going to Memphis on Sunday, before playing at home on Wednesday against Toronto. The Hawks travel to Philadelphia for a game on Saturday afternoon. ' ' '