e on Huskar, he looks for kills and early objectives. Many core p

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The defense that was so dominant during Minnesotas 5-0 start has morphed into a rather ordinary unit.Opponents have since adjusted with quick passes and well-timed play calls to neutralize what has been a relentless rush, the turnovers havent come as often and the Vikings have been more susceptible to those confidence-sapping third-down conversions.Just as much of a factor in the recent rut, though, could be the seemingly illogical problem of players trying too hard to help stop the slide.When youre struggling and youve got a bunch of really good guys, guys that really care, guys tend to try to do a little too much, including myself, coach Mike Zimmer said.Instead of allowing guys to make plays, you try to make plays for them. We just need to settle down. We need to do what we do. Get back to being the Vikings defense again.Washingtons Kirk Cousins averaged around 2+ seconds to release the ball when he dropped back to pass last week, when the Vikings (5-4) lost their fourth straight game . Detroits Matthew Stafford and Chicagos Jay Cutler followed similar quick-throwing strategies in the games before that.Were going to have to adjust how we do some things with the pass rush, Zimmer said.The Vikings have only three sacks over the past four games. Not coincidentally, each of the past three opponents have converted exactly half of their third downs.If you look at the tape, theyre getting the ball out quick. Theyre running boots. Theyre running screens. Theyre doing all the things to slow us down in the rush, defensive end Everson Griffen said.We cant get frustrated. Weve just got to get out there and keep rushing. Sacks come in bunches. Do we want more sacks? Yeah, but Id rather have wins than sacks.Missed tackles have a problem, too, none more costly than in overtime against the Lions when cornerback Xavier Rhodes and safety Harrison Smith both whiffed during Golden Tates winning touchdown reception .The Arizona Cardinals (4-4-1) will bring plenty of challenges for the Vikings to U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, with running back David Johnson chief among them.Still, its worth remembering that the Vikings defense, despite the lag of late, remains a daunting matchup for opponents, too. The Cardinals were raving this week about Zimmer and his scheme.Hes one of the best defensive play-callers in the game, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. Hes just got a wealth of knowledge. He does a great job of trying to break down opponents and trying to neutralize the things that they do well, and you couple that with an unbelievable amount of talent.After missing nickel cornerback Captain Munnerlyn against the Redskins because of an ankle injury, the Vikings should be back to full strength in the secondary.It definitely was a tough, tough situation for me to watch the game, Munnerlyn said. I kind of got mad here and there, probably kicked some boxes or something, punched a box here and there.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Wholesale Air Max For Sale .Y. -- Canadas Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse have another World Cup gold medal after winning the two-women bobsled race on Saturday in Lake Placid, N. Wholesale Air Max Shoes . 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With 16 of the best teams in the world assembled into one bracket, its easy for outplays and strokes of genius to be highlighted.Among this years teams, theres no shortage of star players. From unmatched mechanical prowess to explosive playmaking, even to drafting genius, Seattle, Washington, is currently inhabited by some of the greatest talent in Dota 2. Here are the players you should be keeping an eye on as the tournament progresses.Amer Miracle- al-Barqawi, OG9000 MMR and climbing, Miracle- is the star player in a lineup composed of star players. His prowess in the mid lane is unmatched, and teams often dedicate a great deal of resources to keep him from spiraling out of control. At the recent Summit 5, Miracle- played 10 different heroes in the mid lane, averaging a 4.07 kill/death/assist ratio (KDA) across the board. Hes a threat on multiple heroes, from Juggernaut and Invoker to more obscure picks like Axe or Medusa. As a constant presence in every game -- despite a few stumbles -- Miracle- is still the mid laner to watch.Artour Arteezy Babaev, Team SecretDespite whatever roadblocks Secret may have experienced, the teams comeback at the recent StarSeries finals was spearheaded by Arteezy. With a history of leaving teams just as they reach their peaks -- look at EG before last years International, or this years Secret at the Shanghai Majors -- whispers went around that having Arteezy meant your team would win its next LAN.At StarSeries, Arteezy quelled those rumors with impressive performances across too many matches to count. Ursa, Faceless Void, Alchemist, Razer -- Babaev is a multi-faceted player, and routinely finds space and opportunity across the map. This International belongs to Arteezy, and hes going to be looking for the top prize thats eluded him for so long.Zhang Faith_bian Ruida, Wings GamingMany three-roles find themselves drawing the short straw, struggling to find farm and gold against aggressive lineups. Most offlaners fight tooth and nail just to get their Blink Dagger. But Faith_bian finds opportunities.As far as offlaners go, hes one of the best playmakers in the game. Hes able to do a lot with very little, and never tries to capitalize over cores. Looking at his stats, youll seee great KDAs but low kills; he makes plays happen with minimal resources, and has the pool to always toss a monkey wrench into best laid plans.dddddddddddd. Get used to his Beastmaster? Heres Dark Seer. Think hell run a normal lane? Now its offlane Legion Commander ending the game with higher gold per minute (GPM) than your core.Dmitry Ditya Ra Minenkov, Natus VincereNormally, when you talk NaVi, you look to Danil Dendi Ishutin. Yes, Dendi is a great player. But the breakout star for this new Natus Vincere lineup in recent weeks has been Ditya Ra, having made a name for himself in the one-role carry, especially on 6.88, a patch that seems made for Ditya Ra to shine.His Huskar on patch 6.88 has a stunning 10.20 KDA, and his Alchemist averaged 1019 GPM in the two games he played at StarSeries. His Ember play was phenomenal, salvaging a losing game with help from Dendis Magnus, and his pool is wide and effective. Ditya Ra can play core heroes to their fullest potential; on Alchemist, he farms and rushes for the items he needs while on Huskar, he looks for kills and early objectives. Many core players look to heroes that fit their mold, but Minenkov is one of the few that can mold to the hero.Wong ChuaN Hock Chuan, NewbeeIt might be easy to fill this list with cores, but its important to recognize the unsung heroes in the support roles, doubly so for four-roles like Chuan. Newbees roaming four have been in the game for some time, with one Aegis already hanging proudly on the wall. Chuan is well known for his loud manner during games and for his Enchantress play, which leads to many spectators spamming Enchuantress in the chat whenever he chooses to run it.Look at the stats, though, and its easy to see why Chuan is such a staple of Newbee. On 6.88, Chuan has averaged a 6.96 KDA leading up to TI6. An unbeaten team on the current patch, Chuan stands out with his exceptional play across supports like Lion, Vengeful Spirit, Dazzle and Rubick. In a match at the Manila Major, Chuan put up a 7/0/12 performance on his signature Enchantress against OG, a 19.0 KDA in a 31-minute game. Be wary, because Chuan can find chances to secure a kill almost anywhere on the map. ' ' '