NEW ORLEANS -- If Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton wants to get healthy, the NFLs reigning offensive MVP could not find a better tonic than the New Orleans Saints defense.Newton, who sat out the Panthers ugly 17-14 home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night due to repercussions from the concussion he sustained in a Week 4 loss to Atlanta, returned to practice Wednesday in a limited role ahead of the Sunday road game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome (1 p.m. ET, FOX).Although Panthers coach Ron Rivera couldnt promise Newton would start Sunday against one of the leagues weakest defenses (allowing 422.8 yards and 32.5 points a game), Newton participated in team drills and looked frisky in working through the NFLs protocol for returning from a concussion.At 1-4 and buried in the NFC South cellar, the Panthers, far removed from the team that sailed through the last regular season at 15-1, sorely need a booster shot of classic Newton against the Saints (1-3). New Orleans is coming off a wild 35-34 victory over the San Diego Chargers two weeks ago and is fully rested after a bye week.(Newton) looked good and threw the ball pretty doggone well (in practice Wednesday), said Rivera, who also gave first-team reps to backup QB Derek Anderson. He was involved with the plays we had scripted for him. Well see.Although Newton has struggled this year in comparisons to his 2015 MVP season -- he has five interceptions to go with six touchdowns -- the Panthers realize they will need him if they are to claw back into the NFC South race against the Falcons (4-1). Last season, Newton threw 35 TD passes against 10 picks.Carolinas ground game has been so anemic this year that Newton, with 147 yards on 29 carries, is the Panthers second-leading rusher, accounting for 24 percent of the teams rushing yards. He also has taken plenty of hits -- 13 sacks in four starts.(Im) just really happy that hes better, center Ryan Kalil said. To have Cam not feeling like he was last week and seeing him more like himself was really good for all of us.Saints coach Sean Payton is well aware of what Newton can do when healthy. Newton torched the beleaguered Saints defense in a 41-38 victory in the 2015 regular-season finale, passing for 331 yards and five touchdowns.In our case, were preparing for him, Payton said. We feel hes going to play. I think thats the only way to approach it, and yet we understand the strengths and weaknesses of Derek.Payton said he realizes the Panthers are a wounded team but have plenty of pride after reaching the Super Bowl last year.I dont think our teams going to take any team lightly, Payton said. Were sitting here at 1-3. I think its a silly question. We know the team were playing is a championship-level team that has lost some tough, close games. Were going to have to be at our best.Saints quarterback Drew Brees is having a stellar season at age 37, averaging 317.3 yards a game on 65.9 percent completions with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. Brees played well in two close losses to Carolina last year, and he will not have to face cornerback Josh Norman, who signed in the offseason with the Washington Redskins.As I analyze them and from what Im looking at from a defensive perspective, I think theyre as good now as theyve been, Brees said. I know theyve had some tough losses, just like we have. We know exactly what theyre capable of, and we know the mindset they have coming in this week, needing a win just like we do.After Carolinas young corners -- rookies James Bradberry and Daryl Worley -- were embarrassed by allowing Atlantas Julio Jones 12 catches for 300 yards, Rivera said they bounced back in the close loss to Tampa Bay. But they will be right back in the fire against Brees.All you have to do is watch the tape (of Brees), and its scary, Rivera said. Drew Brees is a tremendous triggerman. He uses all his targets.Rivera believes his team will show some fight after the unexpected 1-4 start.Were a team that has been in touch situations before, Rivera said. The biggest thing we have to do is stay focused on what the task at hand is.Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechly added, You dont expect to start out this way, but its a situation we are in now, and its all about how youre going to respond from it. Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Straw Lid Sverige . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. Hydro Flask Standard Mouth Sverige . Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career. http://www.hydroflasksverige.se/ . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Sverige . Burke is expected to miss two to three months after breaking a finger in the teams third preseason game. Tinsley, a 10-year veteran, spent the last two seasons in Utah, where the point guard averaged 3. Hydro Flask 40 Oz Sverige . LOUIS -- Heading into the final stretch of the season, the issues for the Chicago Bears banged-up defence only seem to be getting worse. DENVER -- The lights went out at the Pepsi Center. And no, the power outage had nothing to do with Damian Lillards shooting.It only appeared that way since he was shooting lights out.Lillard scored 37 points, including the go-ahead floater with less than a second remaining in overtime, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Denver Nuggets 115-113 on Saturday night in a game that featured a 28-minute delay in the fourth quarter due to a power surge.Lillard blew past big man Kenneth Faried in the lane and floated in a shot with 0.3 seconds left. Lillard had tied the game on a runner in regulation with 2.1 seconds remaining.Denver led 90-85 with 9:18 remaining in the final quarter when a bank of lights went out near the ceiling. The teams shot jumpers until the game was restarted. Portland shot lights out in its return to the court -- the Nuggets not as much, especially down the stretch when they squandered a nine-point lead.That was one of the craziest games Ive been a part of, with the lights going out, us playing a great game, Lillard said of a contest that lasted 3 hours, 18 minutes. They played a great game, and us finding a way back in a short amount of time, forcing overtime, being down in overtime and us just finding a way. I think that speaks to our resiliency as a team.CJ McCollum had seven of his 23 points in overtime to provide a spark for Portland.We essentially told the team after the lights (went out), it was a nine-minute game, Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. We won that, and then we won the five-minute (overtime) game. To have a good season you have to find ways to win games like this.Nikola Jokic led six Denver players in double figures with 23 points and he had a career-high 17 rebounds in the home opener for Denver.Trailing 70-59 at 9:35 of the third quarter, the Nuggets went on a 17-0 run to take a lead that held up until Lillards layup off an inbounds pass from Mason Plumlee.Wilson Chandler had a chance to seal the game in the closing seconds of regulation but missed two free throws.If I make those free throws, game over, Chandler said.Really, though, it was a combination of facttors.dddddddddddd Like with 52.7 seconds remaining in regulation and Faried came up with a steal, only to turn it back over by throwing a bad pass. Lillard turned that mistake into a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 104-99 and give Portland a chance.Turnovers, missed free throws, poor execution, Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. Give them credit, they hung around and stole a game on the road, which is what good teams do. For us, going to keep our heads up. Weve got to learn from this.Denver honored Dikembe Mutombo at halftime by retiring the No. 55 jersey of the finger-wagging, shot-blocker extraordinaire. The team even brought out their Rainbow Skyline throwback uniforms for the occasion.TIP-INSBlazers: C Festus Ezeli (left knee) missed the game. ... The Blazers are 6-1 in their last seven games in Denver. ... Plumlee finished with 13 points. ... McCollum had 10 rebounds and a career-high three blocks.Nuggets: F Darrell Arthur (left knee) and G Gary Harris (groin) didnt play. The Nuggets were down a stalwart perimeter defender in Harris. ... G Emmanuel Mudiay had 21 points.NO TIMEOUTThere was no way Lillard was calling a timeout with the game on the line in OT since Denver had three big men on the court. Instead, he drove right past Faried.If we called a timeout they could have adjusted, put maybe a defensive team in and got more wings out there, Lillard explained.MORE MUTOMBOMutombo became the fifth player in team history to have his jersey raised to the rafters, joining Byron Beck (40), Alex English (2), Dan Issel (44) and David Thompson (33). Coach Doug Moe had No. 432 raised up to the roof, too, in commemoration of his franchise-record number of wins.In addition, the team presented Mutombo a $50,000 check for his foundation and a painting of him lying on the court, clutching the ball over his head, after the eighth-seeded Nuggets upset top-seeded Seattle during the 1993-94 postseason.UP NEXTBlazers: Host Golden State on Tuesday night.Nuggets: At Toronto on Monday night. ' ' '