or cocaine following the 2-2 draw with Leverkusen in Germany in September.It is the fourth season in a row that CSKA has failed to qualify from the group sta

METAIRIE, La. -- The mere opportunity to drill a tackling dummy with the full force of his 6-foot-2, 305-pound frame represented an invigorating change of pace for New Orleans Saints first-round draft choice Sheldon Rankins.The defensive tackle hopes hell be menacing offensive linemen in games that count in just a couple more weeks.Rankins practiced on Wednesday for the first time since fracturing his fibula in his left leg during training camp. He emerged from practice eager to talk about how good he felt.I definitely was kind of anxious to go through that, Rankins said. Little things like tackling drills and hitting sleds and football movements was fun for me today, just to see how my body would react to it, how my leg would react to it. It was good.Drafted 12th overall out of Louisville in last springs NFL draft, Rankins was a projected starter. Coaches have raved about not only Rankins ability to stuff the run, but also to make quarterbacks uncomfortable on pass plays by destabilizing the front of the pocket.After getting hurt in August, he started the regular season on injured reserve, but coach Sean Payton said Rankins would be the one player this season that the team is permitted to designate for return in midseason. Under NFL rules for players with such a designation, they may start practicing in Week 7 but may not play until Week 9. This season, that means Rankins will return at the earliest when New Orleans travels to San Francisco on Nov. 6.Barring any setbacks, I think were on schedule for that timeframe, Rankins said.Rankins did not appear limited physically in the portion of practice open to reporters. In one drill, he accelerated to his left while keeping his hips low and then drove his shoulder through a large, soft, wheel-shaped tackling target that coaches were rolling across the field. Rankins leveled the target, crashing down upon it. He then sprang to his feet and trotted back to the players in his position group to prepare for the next drill.Still, Rankins said he sees the logic in NFL rules allowing him to practice a couple weeks before he is eligible to play, figuring hell need a couple weeks to get his timing, technique and conditioning as refined as it should be for live action.Timing is everything, Rankins said. And conditioning -- being able to run to the ball, play hard, things like that. I think those are the real things these few weeks are going to allow me to do and be a big help.New Orleans, which ranked second-to-last in the NFL defensively the past two seasons, made bolstering its defense a priority this offseason, and Rankins was a central piece of that.In his last two seasons at Louisville, Rankins registered 14 sacks and 26 + tackles for losses.He was showing so much potential on the interior rush. We were looking forward to having him, Saints defensive end Cam Jordan said. When you have a rookie who is not trying to find himself, thats something that you automatically find special. He came in being a good push in the interior. ... He could get off blocks, great with his hands, great with his feet. He just knew who he was.But Rankins absence has been one of several to regulars on the Saints defense, which continues to rank 31st, allowing with 419.4 yards allowed per game. New Orleans also is allowing a league-worst 33.6 points per game.Thanks to the elite production of quarterback Drew Brees and the Saints passing game, New Orleans has managed to win two straight after a 0-3 start, but Brees predicted Rankins return would be tremendous for the team.Rankins will not only add depth, obviously, but hes an explosive player, Brees said. We got to see three weeks of him with pads on and he was impressive.Game notesSaints top cornerback Delvin Breaux, who also has a broken fibula and has not played since Week 1, stretched with the team before practice but did not participate in drills. ... Other players missing practice on Tuesday included OT Andrus Peat (hamstring), LB Dannell Ellerbe (quadriceps), CB Sterling Moore (abdomen), DE Paul Kruger (back) and DT Nick Fairley (non-injury related).---AP NFL websites: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFLCheap Nike React Shoes Free Shipping . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Cheap Nike React Running Shoes . Its 1987 and a Brazilian playmaker, known as Mirandinha, is being paraded around St James Park to the passionate Newcastle fans. http://www.cheapnikereact.com/ . They reached the 100-point plateau for the fourth time in five games, bested the visiting Trail Blazers by 34 in the paint and scored 19 of the final 25 points in regulation. Discount Nike React Shoes . Reigning world champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland opened with a 12-2 rout of Winnipegs Jennifer Jones in a battle of teams bound for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Cheap Nike React Shoes Online . I cant pinpoint a date, but I do remember a player from my youth. Brian Downing was with the Chicago White Sox at a time when I listened to every game I possibly could on the radio. That particular season the late great Harry Caray was calling the White Sox games.MOSCOW -- Bayer Leverkusen is on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages after a 1-1 draw away to CSKA Moscow on Tuesday.Kevin Volland gave Leverkusen the lead in the 17th minute from close range after he was left unmarked at a free kick. Leverkusen gave away a needless penalty with Benjamin Henrichs clumsy challenge on Mario Fernandes, but Bibras Natchos 76th-minute spot-kick wasnt enough to keep the fourth-placed Russian teams hopes of qualifying alive.Leverkusen will be assured of qualifying if Monaco beats Tottenham later Tuesday.Leverkusen remained unbeaten, but had to settle for a fourth draw of the group stage after Volland hit the post in the 80th. CSKA could have stolen a win a minute later, but the tired midfielder Alan Dzagoev, playing for the firrst time since September due to injury, missed the target.ddddddddddddCSKA was playing with a diminished squad, with 18-year-old Fyodor Chalov making his European debut up front and just four outfield players as substitutes, none of them midfielders. Financial concerns kept the Russian teams squad small even before recent injuries and a suspension last week for midfielder Roman Eremenko, who tested positive for cocaine following the 2-2 draw with Leverkusen in Germany in September.It is the fourth season in a row that CSKA has failed to qualify from the group stage, and the Russian champion has not won any of its last nine games in Europes top competition. ' ' '