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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers pass rush has suddenly come alive -- and so too have the defending NFC champions.The Panthers have 12 sacks in their last two games leading to a pair of victories over the Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams to improve to 3-5 on the season.It remains to be seen whether the Panthers have changed the course of their season. Theyll find out soon enough. Carolina hosts Kansas City (6-2) on Sunday, the start of an eight-game stretch that includes six games against teams with a winning record and three division leaders.We definitely feel like we still control our own destiny, said linebacker Thomas Davis, who had 10 tackles, a sack, an interception and a forced fumble in Carolinas 13-10 win over the Rams . Its a really good feeling. You dont want to be at the mercy of anyone else. As long as we continue to string wins together and come away with the victory, thats all that matters.The Panthers have the leagues third-best run defense, allowing just 77.5 yards per game and a league-low 3.3 yards per carry. But their pass defense was a huge issue the first six weeks of the season, contributing to a 1-5 start.Carolina managed just 12 sacks in its first six games combined, but had eight against the Cardinals two weeks ago and four on Sunday.The Panthers 24 sacks are now third-most in the NFL.Carolinas defensive ends, which have struggled to get to the quarterback all season, accounted for three of those sacks on Sunday, two by pass rush specialist Mario Addison.Since the bye week, the Panthers have been rotating defensive ends more frequently trying to keep players fresh.The strategy seems to be working.We do a ton of rotation, coach Ron Rivera said. We liked what we did. We thought the guys up front gave us the perfect push and surge we needed.Rivera also said it helps that the Panthers have gotten a lead in both games, allowing their defense to establish the pass rush.Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly called it a group effort on defense, saying the defensive linemen are getting a better push and the teams secondary -- which includes three rookie cornerbacks -- are improving in coverage. Rookie cornerback James Bradberry was able to play after missing the last three games with a turf toe injury. And veteran nickel cornerback Leonard Johnson, who is 2-0 since being activated from injury list, has provided a boost on passing downs.Our guys up front have done an excellent job these last few weeks, and a lot of credit goes to those guys, Kuechly said after Sundays win. A lot of the credit goes to the coaches for putting us in positions to be successful. Everybody tackles. Its fun to see those (rookie cornerbacks) really growing.Rams quarterback Case Keenum said the Panthers were good, but he made some mistakes that didnt help his team.There were a couple of times where I didnt move well enough in the pocket and it wasnt even pressure, I didnt have the pocket presence and didnt have a clear view on a few third-downs to pull the trigger, Rams quarterback Case Keenum said after the game.While Carolinas defense has improved, big games remain on the schedule including one more trip through the NFC South.Carolina was victimized early in the season by Atlantas Matt Ryan and New Orleans Drew Brees, who threw for a combined 968 yards and eight touchdowns. The Panthers host the Saints a week from Thursday in a rematch.The Panthers believe these two wins can help change the course of the season after a 1-5 start.---AP NFL website: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFLAir Max 97 Plus Black . -- Jaye Marie Green shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to increase her lead to five strokes after the second round of the LPGA Tours qualifying tournament. Wholesale Air Max 270 Black . After the whistle, Thornton skated the length of the ice, pulled Orpik to the ice from behind and punched him in the face several times. http://www.wholesalenikeshoesclearance.com/cheap-max-90-shoes.html . The team said Saturday that Lopez was hurt during its 121-120 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. Air Max 1 Wholesale . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night. Cheap Nike Shoes Near Me .S. hockey team after paying his dues as an NHL general manager for more than three decades and giving up a lot of his free time to help USA Hockey.KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee has dismissed defensive tackle Danny OBrien from the program for an unspecified violation of team rules.The school announced his dismissal from the team Monday. The move comes two days after OBrien was carted off the field in a 45-38 overtime loss at Texas A&M.In the release announcing OBriens dismissal, school officials said the news is unrelated to the injury. The release also said that should he require any additional care, it will be provided by the University of Tennessee.I take full responsibility, OBrien tweeted Monday night. Im ggrateful for my teammates, coaches and Vol nation.dddddddddddd It has been (an) honor to help bring this program back.OBrien started each of Tennessees first six games and had 14 tackles, including three for loss. The fifth-year senior from Flint, Michigan, had made 18 career starts over the last three seasons.The ninth-ranked Volunteers (5-1, 2-1 SEC) host No. 1 Alabama (6-0, 3-0) on Saturday.---AP college website: collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '