He has more TD catches against the Niners (16) than any o

PITTSBURGH -- During his lengthy run as a coordinator, a time that began long before spread offenses and opponents trying to snap the ball moments after the officials spot it became the norm, Pat Narduzzi would set pretty ambitious standards for the defenses he coached.When I first got to Cincinnati and eventually Michigan State, our goal defensively was to limit the other team to 13 points per game, Narduzzi said. Today, that just isnt going to happen.If the second-year Pitt head coach and his team can find a way to limit the guys on the other sideline to double that amount, theyd be on to something.At the moment, theyre not. And thats the problem.The Panthers (2-2) find themselves scrambling a bit as Marshall (1-2) visits Heinz Field on Saturday. Pitt has dropped two straight following a cathartic victory over Penn State on Sept. 10. Both losses came in the final moments on the road against quality teams, including a 37-36 setback at North Carolina last week in which the Panthers let a 13-point fourth-quarter lead slip away and gave up the winning touchdown pass with 2 seconds to go.For a team that preached the importance of finishing during the offseason -- and starts the fourth quarter of every game jumping out and down as if paying tribute to early `90s hip-hop group House of Pain -- theres still work to be done.Still, Narduzzi insists his players havent lost any of their swag. Theyre fine.Maybe, but Pitts defense has lost its way at critical times. The Panthers are 127th in the country (out of 128 teams) in pass defense and are giving up 40.1 points per game against Power Five schools. Those numbers have to change and change quickly if Pitt wants to be considered a serious threat in the ACC Coastal Division.The Thundering Herd have their own issues on defense, giving up 65 and 59 points in consecutive weeks. Yet they can score too. Things to look for as another potential shootout looms.FAMILIAR FACE: Marshall coach Doc Holliday spent years facing the Panthers while working as an assistant coach at West Virginia. Holliday declined to get into specifics about his memories of participating in the Backyard Brawl rivalry between the Mountaineers and the Panthers.We did play them a lot, Holliday said. We won some. They won some.STAYING AGGRESSIVE: One of the reasons Pitts defense wore down late against the Tar Heels is because it spent a ton of time on the field after the offense went stagnant in the fourth quarter. The Panthers have been outscored 39-17 in the fourth quarter on the season. A little more balance on offense -- which has run for 998 yards and passed for 643 through four weeks -- would help.Were doing a great job running the football, Narduzzi said. We can do a little better job throwing the football, but not much better. Its a couple plays here and there.BACK AT WORK: Marshall QB Chase Litton will start after missing a loss to No. 3 Louisville last week with an undisclosed injury. Litton has passed for 10 touchdowns against three interceptions and is more of a pocket passer than replacement Garet Morrell. Litton will be joined in the backfield by Tony Pittman, who will get a start after rushing for 54 yards against the Cardinals.Whoever is on the field for Marshalls offense needs to help improve the teams third-down conversion rate. The Thundering Herd are turning just 23 percent of their third downs into first downs.Our goal is to be around 50 percent on third-down conversions, Holliday said. Normally, were there. Weve got to get better in a lot of areas, and third-down conversions are one of them, not only offensively, but defensively.CH-CH-CHANGES?: Narduzzi believes Pitts problems in the secondary come down to small details, not major mental mistakes. Still, he hinted at injecting some new blood to provide a spark.Theres always time to shake things up a little bit and well shake things up, Narduzzi said. Im still a firm believer that we have a lot of the right players on the field and its our job as coaches to get them to do it the right way. We can do a better job coaching.---AP Sports Writer John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia, contributed to this report.---AP college football site: www.collegefootball.ap.org Laurie Boschman Jets Jersey . 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. Patrik Laine Jersey . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs tonight at 8pm et/5pm pt on TSN2. 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Memories, sweet and sour.The last time the Seahawks and Patriots were on the same field, Malcolm Butler was making a Super Bowl-saving play for New England. His goal-line interception robbed Seattle of a rare second straight NFL crown and gave Tom Brady his record-tying fourth in the Super Bowl era.They meet in Foxborough with both in solid position to chase another championship, the Patriots (7-1) more so than the Seahawks (5-2-1).Butler certainly doesnt mind seeing highlights of his interception, something NBC cant avoid showing Sunday night.You know, it always does whenever I think back on it, Butler says of smiling at the remembrance. But thats not going to help us win this game. This is bigger than me. Its about this team. And that play will not help us Sunday night. So we got to be ready to play.Since Tom Brady returned from his four-game suspension, hes been as ready as at any time of his Hall of Fame-caliber career. He recalls the 2015 Super Bowl as being in a tough spot against a great, great football team and we pulled it out.It took every blade of grass on that field to keep them from scoring. In 2014, they were an incredible team.Seattle isnt incredible right now , but the Seahawks tend to build throughout the season. A win at New England will be a major step in that process.Everything that you go through gives you a chance to learn, so we certainly go back and watch all that stuff and how they looked at us and how we looked at them, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll says of that bitter Super Bowl loss. Just like we looked at all the rest of the games, we pay a lot of attention to whats going on now and some of the names and the faces are the same, but quite a few of them arent. We have to figure all that out.The action began Thursday night with Baltimores 28-7 victory over Cleveland that left the winless Browns at a historic low point in franchise history.Cleveland (0-10) has opened a season with 10 consecutive losses for the first time since joining the NFL in 1950. The Browns have lost 11 straight on the road since winning in Baltimore in October 2015.Joe Flacco threw three touchdown passes for Baltimore (5-4).Off this week are Detroit (5-4), Buffalo (4-5), Indianapolis (4-5) and Oakland (7-0).Kansas City (6-2) at Carolina (3-5)Sure, the Panthers have a much inferior record to the Chiefs. And KC has won 16 of its last 18 regular-season matches.Yet theres a feeling that the Panthers are beginning to get things in order with two straight wins. If they can avoid turnovers -- the Chiefs are an NFL-best plus-13 in turnover margin and lead the league in takeaways with 20 -- they could still get in the playoff mix.The seasons not over yet. Youre speaking as if this is a wash season, Cam Newton told reporters this week. Were right where we want to be. Were in a position to compete and challenge teams and they know that.Dallas (7-1) at Pittsburgh (4-4)The Cowboys seek an eighth straight victory, which would tie their 1977 team for the longest single-season winning streak in club history. That team won the Super Bowl. This one has gained at least 400 yards in a franchise-record six consecutive games.Players to watch are two of the games best targets. Dallas tight end Jason Witten needs five receptions to pass Andre Johnson for ninth on all-time list (1,062). Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown is 12 receptions from passing Heath Miller for second on the franchise list (592).Atlanta (6-3) at Philadelphia (4-4)A big assignment for the slumping Eagles, who have dropped three straight to Atlanta. Phillys secondary has been a sieve -- Eli Manning tore it up for four TDs last week -- and now it takes on Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and the NFLs second-ranked offense.Also ominous for the hosts is that the Falcons have found a pass rush. But the Eagles have scored 20-plus points in 10 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL.Minnesota (5-3) at Washington (4-3-1)Although they dont meet up that often, this is one of the NFLs best and tightest series, tied 12-12.Its also a matchup of Minnesotas strong defense, ranked third, and Washingtons No. 4 offense.The issues for the Vikings, losers of three in a row, are when they have the ball or when they are kicking it. The offense has stagnated with the line a jumbled mess and no rushing attack, and ranks at the bottom. Blair Walsh is having a mysteriously ppoor place-kicking season.ddddddddddddWashington surely will miss standout LT Trent Williams, who begins serving a four-game suspension under the NFLs substance abuse policy.Denver (6-3) at New Orleans (4-4)Another top defense -- Denver is fourth overall, No. 1 against the pass -- going up against a dangerous offense. Drew Brees, having another sensational season, leads the NFLs best passing attack.You look at it, and youre like, `another top offense, Broncos linebacker Shane Ray says. But its another opportunity to be great. Its another opportunity to go out and compete against someone that is looked at as the best. Its a challenge we want every week.New Orleans rekindled its running game a week ago against San Francisco, rushing for a season-high 248 yards. Mark Ingram rushed for 158 yards, including a career-long 75-yard TD.Cincinnati (3-4-1) at New York Giants (5-3), Monday nightTwo teams that can light up the Big Apple skyline with their passing games; forget the Giants rushing attack, which is nonexistent.Eli Manning threw for four TDs last Sunday and in Odell Beckham Jr. has one of the NFLs most dangerous targets. On the other side, Andy Dalton has a 100-plus rating and no interceptions in four of the last five games. And he has A.J. Green as his top receiver: Green leads the NFL with 59 receptions, ranks No. 2 with 896 yards receiving, and has 17 catches for 290 yards and a touchdown in the past two games.Green Bay (4-4) at Tennessee (4-5)It might seem shocking that the Titans have the higher-ranked offense than the Packers, and its not really close.The key here is whether DeMarco Murray, second in the NFL with 807 yards rushing and tied for second with nine total TDs, can get going against the leagues stingiest rush defense.This is the start of a three-game road trip that could make or break Green Bays season.Miami (4-4) at San Diego (4-5)The first stop on a California vacation, uh, business trip for the Dolphins, who will remain out west after this before taking on Oakland.Miami has won three in a row and has found a ground game thanks to Jay Ajayi, who has rushed for well over 500 yards combined in the last three games.San Diego has a strong running attack, too, with Melvin Gordon, also in his second NFL season, coming off a career-best 196-yard performance in a win over the Titans. He also scored his NFL-high 11th touchdown.Houston (5-3) at Jacksonville (2-6)The Texans swept the series the last two years, but they are 0-3 away from Houston and play four of their next five on the road. Their best weapon could be WR DeAndre Hopkins, who torched the Jaguars last season, catching 17 passes for 237 yards and two TDs in two games.Houstons road woes might not matter much at EverBank Field, where the Jags are 0-3.San Francisco (1-7) at Arizona (3-4-1)Heres how poorly Chip Kelly has fared in his debut season with the 49ers: Kellys college teams at Oregon lost seven games in four seasons; his 49ers have lost seven in a row. They rank last in defense, and Arizona star receiver Larry Fitzgerald makes a living against them. He has more TD catches against the Niners (16) than any other player in NFL history.The Cardinals won 33-21 at San Francisco in early October.Los Angeles (3-5) at New York Jets (3-6)Lots of QB angst here. For LA, fans want top overall pick Jared Goff on the field and veteran Case Keenum on the bench. Jets fans want Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is dealing with knee issues, put on the sideline for Bryce Petty.The Rams have dropped four in a row and cant get 2015 Offensive Rookie of the Year running back Todd Gurley on track. New York ranks fourth in rushing defense, but is vulnerable in the air.Chicago (2-6) at Tampa Bay (3-5)Jay Cutler returned to the Bears in Week 8 before they had their bye and actually had a positive effect in an upset of the Vikings. Chicago is getting strong contributions from rookie running back Jordan Howard (505 yards rushing) and tight end Zach Miller, who comes off a seven-reception, 88-yard performance against Vikings.Bucs QB Jameis Winston has been hot with eight TD passes and one interception in the past three games. But Tampa Bay lost two of those.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '