Willkommen! » smart form and rates as one of David Pipes best chances

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Khalil Mack has given the Oakland Raiders a motto to live by this season: By any means.No matter what hurdles have presented themselves, the Raiders have proved adept at dealing with them.Three early starts in the first four weeks. A full week in Florida between road games. A home game at high altitude in Mexico City.Then came the latest example on Sunday against Carolina. The Raiders came into the game on a short week after beating Houston in Mexico City, while the Panthers had extra time off following a Thursday game.Quarterback Derek Carr then hurt the pinkie on his throwing hand on the second play of the second half, helping spur 25 straight points by the Panthers before Carr led a late comeback and Mack sealed the 35-32 win Sunday with a strip sack.By any means.Ive even borrowed it a couple of times. It rubs off, coach Jack Del Rio said Monday. You like it, right? It makes sense. Because whatever we have to do, by any means. Its awesome and its really been what weve been about.The Raiders (9-2) have lived by that motto to move to the top of the standings in the AFC. They lead Kansas City by one game in the division and are tied with New England for the best record in the conference.Not that it has come easy. Seven of the nine wins have come by seven points or fewer and Carr has led five fourth-quarter comebacks already this season. The latest came Sunday when he came back from the injury to tie the game midway through the fourth quarter with a TD pass to Clive Walford and a 2-point conversion to Seth Roberts and then won it with an 82-yard drive to set up Sebastian Janikowskis game-winning field goal.One of the things I really love about the NFL is the extreme highs and lows and we got a good dose of those yesterday, Del Rio said. Always best when you finish with a win.Its just the latest clutch performance from Carr, who has thrived under pressure this season. He has completed 80 of 118 passes (67.8 percent) for 1,109 yards (9.4 yards per attempt), 10 TDs, one interception and a 122.5 passer rating when tied or trailing in the fourth quarter or overtime.The latest comeback might have been most impressive because of the pain he dealt with after jamming his finger on a fumbled snap. He managed to come back in after missing one series with a glove on his right hand and taking all snaps from the shotgun and there seemed to be no long-term effects from the injury.Im doing good. Im doing good, Carr said Monday on his weekly appearance on 95.7 The Game radio station . Obviously its a little sore, but thats expected. But should be good. Just get some swelling down and well be all right.The Raiders are counting on that if they want to end a 13-year playoff drought and make a run come January. They already are having their best season since winning the AFC in 2002 and have realistic hopes of doing much more.First they will have to negotiate a tough closing stretch to the season starting with a home game against Buffalo on Sunday. Oakland then has three road division games in the final four weeks, including a Thursday night game against the second-place Chiefs on Dec. 8, as well as the home finale against Indianapolis on Christmas Eve.But those are on the back burner for now.Right now everything were doing is all about Buffalo, Del Rio said. Its all about Buffalo leading up to this weekend.Game notes Del Rio said he still expects DL Mario Edwards Jr. to return this season from a hip injury sustained in the exhibition opener on Aug. 12. ... Del Rio had no update on the status of CB DJ Hayden, who left Sundays game with a hamstring injury. ... CB David Amerson tested out his injured knee before the game but was not made active. We elected to give him a little more rest and hope to get him back this week, Del Rio said.--For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Scarpe Stan Smith Outlet . The deal is pending a physical, assistant general manager Bobby Evans said. Traded from Seattle to Baltimore on Aug. 30, Morse also can play first base and right field to give manager Bruce Bochy some flexibility in writing his lineup. Stan Smith Outlet Italia . Vettel, who has already clinched his fourth straight F1 title, enters the finale with a chance to equal Michael Schumachers 13 victories in a year and match the record of nine consecutive wins by Alberto Ascari in the 1952 and 1953 seasons. http://www.stansmithscontate.it/ . The Lightning are 2-0 so far on a four-game road trip, giving the club five straight wins as the guest and improving Tampas away record this season to 11-8-2. Stan Smith Scontate . LOUIS -- Cardinals cleanup hitter Allen Craig says hes recovered from a foot injury and ready to be put on St. Stan Smith Offerta . LOUIS -- Rookie Tavon Austin has missed another day of practice, lessening the odds hell be ready for the St.Sky Sports News HQs Alex Hammond provides a race-by-race guide to Thursday at the Cheltenham Festival. 1.30 JLT NOVICES CHASEBristol De Mai was beaten by Garde La Victoire on his chase debut but he has progressed since and won the Scilly Isles Novices Chase at Sandown last time out. The step up to this trip has been the making of him. The news that Killultagh Vic was missing the race promoted him to favouritism, but hes not for me. One horse that is very well fancied is the Willie Mullins trained Outlander, who is a better chaser than he was a hurdler. Hes 3/3 over fences and looks to be getting better all the time. Connections of Garde La Victoire have opted for the JLT Chase Garde La Victoire has had three untroubled starts over fences this season for Philip Hobbs and I am glad he missed the Arkle to wait for this. It looks like hell have no trouble staying two and a half miles and it will probably suit better. He has won over the trip and is a smart novice. Black Hercules was unfortunate to fall at the last at Navan in February, but heavy ground seems to suit best. I cant split Garde La Victoire and Outlander. Alex Hammond is joined by Ed Chamberlin to look ahead to an exciting week of racing at the Cheltenham festival 2.10 PERTEMPS NETWORK FINALThis is a race where you are looking for a likely plot! Irish trainer Charles Byrnes is shrewd and knows how to train a horse for the Festival. He has Leave At Dawn in this, who won at Cheltenham in November on his penultimate start and is owned by JP McManus. The money has come for him. Cup Final is trained by Nicky Henderson and is another for McManus. He is progressive and stays well. Warren Greatrex trains Missed Approach who qualified for this in November at Newbury and hasnt been seen since. That was his first run for almost a year and he is unexposed and open to improvement. Greatrex is keen on his chance and wasnt too fazed by a 20lb rise in the handicap. Alex fancies Missed Approach to go close in the Pertemps Final If In Doubt is trained by Hobbs for McManus. He was raised 6lbs for winning at Wincanton on Boxing Day and hasnt been seen since, as I guess they didnt want him to be raised further in the weights once he had managed to qualify for this. He was 9th in this two years ago and 5th in the RSA last season and is now rated 146. Box Office is another McManus-owned horse, this time with Jonjo ONeill. He is yet to win since coming over from France, where he won three from four, and was beaten by six lengths in the Fred Winter at last years Festival; he should be competitive off 135. He didnt enjoy bad ground at Haydock when pulling up latest and is dangerous to discount. Arpege DAlene comes here in good form after a win at Chepstow recently and is also rated 146. He has had a breathing op and, as he didnt appear to be hugely fancied last time, there could be more to come. For me, Ill be on both Leave At Dawn and Missed Approach.2.50 RYANAIR CHASEI think Vautour may have ended up in the race that suits him best. Rich Ricci had been keen to go for the Gold Cup with last years impressive JLT winner but he couldnt win the King George and I couldnt see him staying in the Gold Cup. I think hes a shoo-in here. As for the Gigginstown horses, Valseur Lido is at his best over further distance than this trip, but has a chance despite that. He was desperately unlucky to unseat in the Irish Gold Cup and fell in the King George prior to that. Lets not forget he was a dual Grade 1 winning novice chaser. Could this be the year for Al Ferof in the Ryanair? Road To Riches needs to bounce back from a defeat in tthe Irish Gold Cup behind Carlingford Lough (when Valseur Lido unseated at the last and was very unlucky).dddddddddddd He has shown his effectiveness at this trip, but Noel Meade made no secret of the fact he would have preferred to run in the Gold Cup, as he feels this trip might be too sharp for him. Al Ferof has had his limitations exposed at the very highest level but is going well for new trainer Dan Skelton and cant be ruled out, maybe this is his year. Josses Hill is another that falls short at the highest level, but he did have a confidence booster at Kempton last time out and has his backers. Smashing probably needs testing ground to show his best.3.30 RYANAIR WORLD HURDLEI was confident of a Cole Harden win in this last year and win he did….at 14/1! Id love to see him win again and dont think its unrealistic for him to repeat the performance. The ground should be spot on for him by Thursday, so that ticks that box. He has been trained purely with this race in mind and has had another breathing operation. Trainer Greatrex feels that hot favourite Thistlecrack has largely been bullying horses on bad ground this winter and said last week that he wont bully Cole Harden. Alex thinks Cole Harden can win the World Hurdle for the second year in a row Having said that, Thistlecrack has looked pretty formidable this season and his overall record is outstanding. He deserves to be hot favourite, but is short enough in the market. Saphir Du Rheu was runner-up in this last year, but hasnt fulfilled his potential over fences this season and reverted to hurdles when well beaten behind Thistlecrack in the Long Walk at Ascot. Im going to stick with Cole Harden again and hes an attractive price to boot.4.10 BROWN ADVISORY & MERRIEBELLE STABLE PLATEThis is a tough race to find the winner of, with big priced winners often the norm. Johns Spirit has dropped to an attractive mark for ONeill and is a regular at this track with 13 outings here resulting in three wins and a second. Stilletto is rated 142, which is up 10lbs since winning at Leicester, but I think he can still be competitive off his revised mark as his form stacks up and he is a progressive novice. Stilletto looks a likely contender for the 4.10 4.50 TRULL HOUSE STUD MARES NOVICES HURDLEI have mixed feelings about this race. The charity race, the St Patricks Derby, was always the final race on the Thursday, but that has been lost to make way for this race and with it hundreds of thousands of pounds in sponsorship raised for charity, and the thrill for ordinary folk like myself of riding at the Festival. Back to the matter in hand, though, and many people will have the Mullins-trained Limini as a banker here. She was useful on the Flat in France and is now 2/2 over hurdles for Mullins. There look to be some better priced alternatives to finish in the first three, particularly as the favourite doesnt appear to be the slickest of jumpers. Bloody Mary for Henderson comes here with a stretch of seven races unbeaten, just one of those for Henderson since coming over from France. The one I like is Smart Talk, shes the model of consistency and won a Grade 2 at Doncaster last time out for Brian Ellison. Shes got bags of scope, is progressing, and shouldnt be out of the frame. Bloody Mary is among the mares looking to upset the hot favourite in the 4.50 5.30 FULKE WALWYN KIM MUIR CHALLENGE CUP HANDICAP CHASEJockey bookings are worth taking note of here, with the leading Irish amateurs usually snapped up for the fancied runners. Cause Of Causes has been well supported for this for McManus, so hes no double figure price. He has winning Festival form, having landed the NH Chase last term. He hasnt won since, was eighth in the National, and is likely to have had this as his target for a while. He runs off a rating of 142 and is another leading contender for trainer Gordon Elliott. Doctor Harper got off the mark at the third attempt at Leicester last time out and is a progressive novice. He has smart form and rates as one of David Pipes best chances at the meeting. The yard won it last year with The Package. I think its between those two, with Cause Of Causes getting the nod. Alex will end the day on a high if Cause Of Causes can land the Kim Muir Also See: Champion glory for Annie Power Cheltenham latest Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '