EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- While his sack total isnt what it used to be, there is little doubt that defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is back to being a force on the New York Giants defense.Disagree?Just think back to a couple of nights ago and the Giants 21-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night.Pierre-Paul had five tackles, batted down two passes and had two quarterback hurries. He was on the field for 57 of the Bengals 58 snaps.For the season, the 27-year-old has 38 tackles, 1+ sacks, three tackles for losses, a team-high 11 quarterback hurries and seven passes defended, one shy of his career high in 2010, his rookie season.There is also little talk these days about the right hand that Pierre-Paul mangled in a fireworks accident on July 4, 2015. He lost his right index finger and part of his thumb. His middle finger is mushroomed at the tip and his ring finger is swollen.He has overcome it though, having a full year to prepare for this season. He played the final eight games last season but never looked comfortable.I think that when you play the New York Giants defense, you have to game plan against me and just knowing that guys are game planning against me, it is just a wonderful feeling because if they dont, bad things are going to happen, Pierre-Paul said Thursday. Bad things are going to happen, regardless, but it just makes me feel good and I always had that confidence of just playing football no matter what.Even with my hand injury, I still had that mentality, he added. You could have taken the whole thing and I would have been out there with a nub just doing it. That is just the mentality that I have got, man. That is basically it.Not only is Pierre-Paul playing well, he is excited. The Giants (6-3) have won four in a row and are in position to challenge for their first trip to the playoffs since 2011.Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who got a chance to play safety on a last-second heave by the Bengals at the end of the first half, bluntly said the Giants have a defense capable to taking the Giants to the Super Bowl.Pierre-Paul didnt hesitate to agree.Lets slow down for a minute, he added. Like I said, our job this year is to just get in the playoffs, take it one game at a time and hopefully at the end of this run in the regular season we will be in the playoffs. That is the whole goal here.Fellow defensive end Olivier Vernon said he spoke with Pierre-Paul before signing with the Giants as a free agent and having `JPP tell him he had something to prove this season.Thats one hell of a teammate right there, Vernon said. Just as far as his preparation. He never complains about anything despite everything hes had to battle. He goes out there and makes plays. All you could do is respect that. He comes in the building and works hard. He works hard in practice each and every day.Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and linebacker Keenan Robinson both said that opponents have to account for Pierre-Paul, who been on the field for 634 of the 660 plays that the defense has been on the field. Thats 96 percent.I think that people feel him, Spagnuolo said of the Giants opponents. Thats a good thing for us. When you have to worry about one guy, you can do some other things. I think hes steadily gotten more comfortable. We all realize, as you get further and further into the season, it gets really important. We want it to continue to be important.Pierre-Paul said he is just playing football.You look on film and I am all over the field, man, Pierre-Paul said. That is something that you cant coach. You have to have a heart and nobody can give me that. I guarantee you that if you pop in the film, you will see me running to the ball more than any player. I feel that as long as I can do that, I am good.Game notes WR Victor Cruz practiced on a limited basis and said he plans on playing on Sunday. He missed Monday night with an ankle injury. ... RB Orleans Darkwa (lower leg), G Justin Pugh (knee) and G Brett Jones (calf) did not practice. WR-return man Dwayne Harris (toe) and OL Adam Gettis (calf) were limited like Cruz. ... OL Shane McDermott was re-signed to the practice squad. He was let go on Sept. 21. ... The practice squad contract of WR DaRon Brown was terminated.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL. Roberto Clemente Jersey .2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights. Cheap MLB Jerseys . Miller finished in two minutes, 6.09 seconds, one day before the first medal race on the Alpine schedule. 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SEATTLE -- By this point, they might as well consider Seattle and Carolina a divisional game.For the seventh time in five years, the Panthers and Seahawks will meet on Sunday night each with a different sense of urgency heading into the final month of the regular season.Seattle (7-3-1) reverted to its inconsistent form of earlier this season in a loss last week to Tampa Bay that now leaves the Seahawks, while still in complete control of the NFC West, with no room for error in trying to hold off others in the NFC for the No. 2 seed and a coveted first-round bye in the playoffs.The level of urgency is far greater for the defending NFC champion Panthers.After last weeks loss in Oakland , the Panthers (4-7) are three games behind in the NFC South race and 2+ games behind Washington for the final wild-card spot with five games to go.There is time for Carolina, but its running short to avoid joining the list of Super Bowl participants to miss the postseason the following year.Weve lost five games by three points or less. We had opportunities to win football games down the stretch and didnt do it, Carolina coach Ron Rivera said.Those are things that unfortunately we just didnt do. We did it last year and thats probably the hard pill to swallow.Theres also the Super Bowl hangover, something that Rivera acknowledged researching what Seattle coach Pete Carroll did following the back-to-back trips by the Seahawks to the championship game to try and figure out ways to avoid a swoon by his team.I think its got a little bit to do with it. The truth of the matter is if you win the first game, things can be different. Unfortunately we didnt, so we have to battle uphill, Rivera said.Unlike the Panthers, thus far at least, Seattle was able to overcome early troubles following both of its Super Bowl trips to find a way back to the postseason.I think you have to be prepared for it way before you ever get to it, Carroll said.If its the first time you ever talk about it, I think you might not be able to have grounded thoughts and approach to deal with it. Its an enormous impact, win or lose.Thanks to the underperformance by the rest of the division, Seattle is in fine shape to make a fifth straight playoff appearance under Carroll, with a three-game lead in the NFC West over Arizona.The loss last week to Tampa Bay seemed destined from the outset, with the Seahawks down four starters onn defense including safety Earl Thomas, and without starting center Justin Britt the anchor to whats been a shaky offensive line all season.ddddddddddddBut managing just five points -- and only a field goal by the offense -- was a startling reversal back to Seattles offensive problems early in the season when the Seahawks began the season with 12 points in a win over Miami and three points in a loss to Los Angeles.We were just a little bit off. Last week was last week. You can always get better, Seattle QB Russell Wilson said.Heres what else to watch as the past three NFC representatives in the Super Bowl meet:RUNNING DOWNHILL: Stopping the Panthers run game means more than just worrying about the running back.I think theyre the only team in the league that runs a quarterback power, Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagner said.While many of the Panthers offensive statistics are down from a year ago, they still remain one of the most diverse running attacks in the league with Jonathan Stewart, Mike Tolbert and Newton.And Seattle has seemed more susceptible to the run this season, giving up 100.8 yards per game on the ground and seeing teams stick with the run more than the past. Opponents are averaging 28.4 run attempts per game against Seattle. Last season, it was 22.6.LINES OF CHANGE: Both the offensive lines for Seattle and Carolina are in major flux.The Seahawks are hoping to get Britt back from an ankle injury that sidelined him last week. With Britt out, Seattle struggled with protection and the Bucs sacked Wilson six times. The Seahawks are also making a change at right tackle with Bradley Sowell stepping in to replace Garry Gilliam.Those are minor changes compared to what the Panthers are going through . Centers Ryan Khalil and Gino Gradkowski were placed on injured reserve this week.Tyler Larsen is expected to make his first start at center, but the changes also include Trai Turner expected to start at right tackle for the first time since high school and Chris Scott likely stepping in at guard.PROTECT HOME: The Seahawks are the only unbeaten team at home in the NFL this season. But its been four years -- 2012- since Seattle finished the season 8-0 at home.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '