Bentley leads Connecticut and ranks 16th in the league in

DETROIT -- The Detroit Lions will lean on Matthew Stafford a lot this season, maybe more than ever.The veteran quarterback looks and sounds ready for the challenge.Ive just been through a lot, acknowledged Stafford, entering his eighth season. Been through some really good times. Been through some bad times. Seen a lot of defenses.Detroit depended on Staffords right arm quite a bit in the past, too, but he always had a relatively large margin of error when he threw short, long or over to middle to Calvin Johnson.The spectacular receiver known as Megatron for his superhuman-like skills left the Lions and retired from the league during the offseason after years of making Staffords job easier.Staffords passes, of which there will be many, will have to be more accurate.He cant afford to throw too high or late and get away with it, as he could with the 6-foot-5 Johnson.Stafford probably will not be able to count on a running game to create shorter down-and-distance situations, or to get a tough yard or so on third or fourth down. Detroit ranked last in the league in rushing last season and may struggle to show signs of improvement in the important facet of the game.Stafford, the No. 1 overall pick in 2009, will have to sling it early and often in a pass-heavy offense that will frequently be in hurry-up mode. He has a solid trio of receivers, a talented tight end and one of the NFLs best pass-catching running backs.Jim Bob Cooter, entering his first full season as offensive coordinator, has relinquished quite a bit of control to Stafford. The Lions will likely use a no-huddle offense, and Stafford will have plenty of opportunities to call plays at the line.Its not about what plays I like the best. Its about what plays the players feel the best about, Cooter said. Ive learned early in my time that if the quarterback really likes a play, he tends to make it work and the same thing works at different positions.If a receiver really likes a route, that guy tends to get open on that route.Golden Tate, who made 189 receptions the previous two years in Detroit, will be Staffords top target.Marvin Jones was signed just after Johnsons retirement and Anquan Boldin was added just before training camp, giving Stafford a pair of veteran receivers he can count on.Tight end Eric Ebron, who missed the preseason with a lower right leg injury, has the potential to be a breakout player in his third NFL season.Theo Riddick, rarely tackled by the first defender with a shot at him, is coming off an 80-catch season in which he shared the league lead with Danny Woodhead for receptions by a running back.THE NEW BOSS: The Lions made big changes during their 1-7 start last season, firing general manager Martin Mayhew, team president Tom Lewand and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. Team owner Martha Firestone Ford was behind the bold moves. She hired Bob Quinn to run football operations as GM, hoping he can bring some of what he learned with the New England Patriots. He was New Englands director of pro scouting for four seasons after serving as assistant director of pro personnel for two years in a 16-year career with the franchise. Quinn has made some tangible changes, including adding a curtain between the locker room and training facilities at team headquarters to keep reporters from seeing who is going in and out of that area.CALDWELLS CHANCE: Quinn had the freedom to fire coach Jim Caldwell, but chose to give him a shot to lead the team for a third season after he helped them win six of the last eight games last year. If Caldwell cant improve upon last years record, getting to at least 8-8, it is difficult to imagine he will be back for a fourth year with the Lions.WEAK LINK: Detroit didnt run the ball well last season and failed to protect Stafford. The Lions made an investment to improve their offensive line, drafting Taylor Decker out of Ohio State with the 16th pick overall. Decker is expected to start at left tackle, shifting Riley Reiff to right tackle.D STANDOUTS: The Lions have potential stars in each position group on defense: Ezekiel Ansah at defensive end, cornerback Darius Slay and linebacker DeAndre Levy, who missed most of last year with a hip injury.EARLY AND LATE: Detroit plays three of its first four games on the road, starting with Week 1 at Indianapolis. The Lions will also play three of their last five on the road, including a prime-time matchup Dec. 26 at Dallas.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Larry Lage at www.twitter.com/larrylage and follow his work at www.bigstory.ap.org/content/larry-lage Buy Adidas Nmd r1 Online . After Martin Skrtel put the Reds in front from close range at Stamford Bridge after only four minutes, Hazard hit back in the 17th with a superb strike. 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The Atlanta Dream will try to keep pace with the surging New York Liberty when the Dream visit the Connecticut Sun on Sunday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.Atlanta (10-9) has won its last two games after losing six in a row. The Dream are second in the WNBAs Eastern Conference, 3 1/2 games behind the Liberty.Connecticut (5-13) has won its last two games after losing six of seven. The Sun are last in the Eastern Conference, eight games behind New York.Atlanta is coming off a 95-90 overtime victory over the Dallas Wings. Angel McCoughtry turned in one of the finest performances of her career. She scored seven points in overtime and posted the sixth triple-double in WNBA history, finishing with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.Tiffany Hayes also scored 27 points in the win over Dallas. Sancho Lyttle had 10 points and 14 rebounds. Elizabeth Williams had 10 points and six blocked shots.Connecticut is coming off its most impressive win of the season, a 93-89 overtime victory over the Minnesota Lynx. The Sun ended regulation wwith a 13-2 run and prevailed in overtime, overcoming a 40-point game by Minnesota star Maya Moore.dddddddddddd.Alex Bentley scored 24 points for Connecticut. Chiney Ogwumike had 21 points and seven rebounds.McCoughtry is fourth in the WNBA in scoring at 19.5 points per game. Hayes is 12th, averaging 16 points per contest. Bentley leads Connecticut and ranks 16th in the league in scoring, averaging 14.9 points per game.Connecticut announced on Friday that rookie Rachel Banham has undergone season-ending micro-fracture surgery on her right knee. Recovery is expected to take four to six months.While we are obviously disappointed to lose Rachel for the remainder of the season, we remain tremendously excited about her bright future with the Sun, head coach Curt Miller said. 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