although the Jets were able to record a point in the overtime loss. Matt Duchene scored

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - The problems for the Minnesota Vikings with Christian Ponder at quarterback were obvious from the start.Their list of missing players on offence has grown long and increasingly conspicuous. Playing their primary rival on the road in the rain at night with only three days to rest and prepare was already an uphill climb.When Eddie Lacy began to trample through their defence early in the first quarter for the Green Bay Packers, well, thats when the Vikings really lost it.Theres nothing more disheartening as a coach for you to get manhandled up front, to be in the wrong gaps, to have people running the ball at you, coach Mike Zimmer said the day after the Vikings were pummeled 42-10 by the Packers at Lambeau Field.In 2000, Zimmers first season as a defensive co-ordinator, Dallas gave up the most yards rushing in the NFL. Only one team allowed more yards per carry.And I said, Never again, Zimmer recalled Friday. So I guess thats where that all stems from.His players have largely been tough to run against since. Over his next 13 years as a defensive co-ordinator (six more with Dallas, one with Atlanta and six with Cincinnati), Zimmers teams finished in the bottom half of the league in yards per game three times, and four times in yards per attempt. They were in the top 10 six times in yards per game and seven times in yards per attempt.The Vikings had a stout front seven, or at least an effective scheme, to stop the run long before Zimmer was hired. They were in the top half of the NFL in yards per game and yards per attempt every year since 2006, and last season ended a seven-year streak of finishing 11th or higher in the league in both categories.After factoring in what the Packers did against them Thursday, with 105 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries by Lacy, the Vikings fell to 17th in the NFL. They allow an average of 4.3 yards per rush and are 19th in the league with an average of 121.8 yards surrendered per game.There was a lot of freelancing, a lot of guys in the wrong place, said Zimmer, who delivered the majority of his answers Friday at his news conference in stern, clipped tones. He was clearly as upset with his team as hed been since taking the job.Zimmer said he looked hard at the game film trying to find a lack of effort on either side of the ball, but didnt see it. Defensive end Brian Robison, however, said he felt some people had checked out after the Packers built a 28-0 halftime lead.You could see it on the sidelines. Everybody was quiet, Robison said.The Vikings forced a three-and-out by the Packers on the games first possession, but they quickly got the ball back and turned Lacy loose -- for 18, 29 and 6 yards to set up a short touchdown pass by Aaron Rodgers. The Vikings settled in and played better in the middle of the game, but on Green Bays first drive of the third quarter Lacy had carries of 9, 10 and 11 yards, which took him into the end zone.Then came Lacys 10-yard touchdown run on the ensuing possession. That provided the ultimate insult on a humbling night for the Vikings. He barrelled into Robert Blanton at the goal line and without breaking stride popped the strong safetys helmet off.The Vikings fell to 1-8-1 against the Packers since the start of the 2010 season. Theyll have the benefit of being at home against Detroit, and then the most manageable stretch of the schedule follows: at Buffalo, at Tampa Bay, back home against Washington and the bye week.But they wont get far if they dont learn to play with more discipline on defence, and learn to trust the scheme theyre being taught rather than straying from responsibilities to chase highlights.You cant be out there trying to make plays because once you do that, you leave another guy out to dry, defensive end Everson Griffen said. So youve got to rely on your technique to make that play for you.___AP NFL websites: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Bill Russell Jersey . - Andre Drummond had his best night on the boards. Red Auerbach Jersey . Mission accomplished. Now the Royals will take the field on Saturday with a World Series lead for the first time in team history when they play Game 4 of the Fall Classic against the Giants at AT&T Park. http://www.shopceltics.com/Cheap-Gordon-Hayward-Celtics-Jersey/ . Giants manager Bruce Bochy told The Associated Press of the decision before NL West-leading San Francisco opened a 10-game homestand Monday night with the first of three games against second-place Arizona. Dennis Johnson Jersey .com) - Charlie Davies netted a pair of goals, including the series-winner on Saturday, as the New England Revolution battled the New York Red Bulls to a 2-2 draw in the second leg of the Eastern Conference Championship at Gillette Stadium and advanced to MLS Cup final via a thrilling 4-3 aggregate victory. Robert Parish Jersey . - The Baltimore Ravens have hired Steve Spagnuolo to be their secondary coach and assistant head coach.The Winnipeg Jets are desperate to end their longest losing streak under head coach Paul Maurice and they hope to take advantage of the ice-cold Vancouver Canucks in Wednesdays home game at MTS Centre. Catch the game live on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt and TSN Radio 1290 at 6:30pm ct/4:30pm pt. The Jets and Canucks both have 68 points on the season, leaving them six points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Neither club has done itself any favors in the postseason chase of late, as Winnipeg has lost four in a row while the Canucks have dropped five of six and 12 of their last 14 games. Vancouver has actually lost 21 of 27 games dating back to late December, and the clubs most recent setback did not inspire confidence the club is ready to break out of the lengthy slump. The Canucks led a visiting New York Islanders club 3-0 after two periods on Monday before giving up a whopping seven goals over the final 20 minutes of regulation to lose the tilt by a 7-4 count. Chris Higgins, Christopher Tanev, Ryan Kesler and Henrik Sedin all scored for the Canucks, while Eddie Lack gave up six goals on 27 shots in the collapse. "We should have had this game," said Sedin. "We played great hockey for 37 minutes but then we started making poor decisions. We should have been back in the race but now were down and looking up." Lack is expected to start in goal. His record is 1-1 against the Jets this season, with a 2.94 goals-against average and .900 save percentage. The Canucks will try to put their latest disappointment behind them when they kick off a four-game road trip tonight. Vancouver, however, has lost seven straight as the guest and is just 13-17-4 on the road this season.dddddddddddd. The clubs last victory away from Vancouver was on Jan. 21 in Edmonton. The Jets had lost four straight against the Canucks before posting a 4-3 home win on Jan. 31. That victory gave Winnipeg a 7-2-0 record since Maurice replaced Claude Noel as head coach, but the club is just 4-3-3 in the 10 games following that win. Winnipeg lost for the sixth time in eight outings Monday in Colorado, although the Jets were able to record a point in the overtime loss. Matt Duchene scored 2:33 into the extra session to lift the Avalanche to the 3-2 decision. Duchene lost control of the puck after twirling out of the corner. Winnipeg defenseman Tobias Enstrom tried to chip the puck away from the crease area, but it hit Duchene and the Avalanche forward scored on a backhand. "He got position at the net. The puck came right back to him and a guy like that, he will not miss those," Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien said of Duchene. Byfuglien scored both Winnipeg goals, with Bryan Little notching an assist on each score. Al Montoya took the loss despite stopping 31-of-34 shots. Ondrej Pavelec will start in goal this evening. He has a 1-3 record lifetime against Vancouver with a 3.04 goals-against average and .910 save percentage. Winnipeg, which hasnt made the playoffs since the franchise relocated from Atlanta prior to the 2011-12 season, hopes to boost its postseason chances during a home-heavy part of its schedule over the next week and a half. The Jets, who are 15-13-5 as the host this season, are beginning a three-game homestand on Wednesday and will play five of their next six games at MTS Centre. ' ' '