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NEW ORLEANS -- Just because Drew Brees always speaks respectfully about even the Saints lowliest opponents doesnt mean hes being insincere when pumps up the Raiders.Oakland hasnt had a winning season since 2002, but Raiders coach Jack Del Rio has a team that appears to be sprinkled with up-and-coming stars who are trending up.They are extremely talented and they have a great quarterback, who I think we all look at and say this guy will be one of the best quarterbacks in the league, Brees said, referring to Oaklands Derek Carr. Defensively, they have some playmakers.Carr didnt quite put up Brees-like numbers last season -- 3,987 yards passing and 32 TDs -- but the talented 25-year-old seems headed in that direction as he enters his third NFL season.It helps to have targets such as second-year former Alabama star Amari Cooper, whose 72 catches for 1,070 led all rookies last season.Then theres Oakland pass rusher Khalil Mack, who had 15 sacks and 23 tackles for losses last season and will face a New Orleans offensive line that struggled throughout the preseason.Khalil Mack is one of the best, if not the best pass rusher in the league -- a guy that you have to a have a plan for and you have to know where he is, Brees said.Del Rio is going into his second season and thinks itll only help to have a staff that remained largely stable in the offseason.You have cohesiveness, you have a group that worked together for a year, Del Rio said. The time and the relationships are important. We work hard at the relationships and I think having that and having that with our staff and having this staff with the players, I think there is value in it.The Saints, meanwhile, are coming off consecutive 7-9 seasons and have a roster heavy on youth and relative inexperience, particularly in the secondary. But that doesnt mean New Orleans cant return to the ranks of NFC contenders, Brees said, particularly if the Saints are able to put up confidence-building victories early on.Id say weve got a great group, and a really tight group, too, Brees said. Now, you want that to translate to wins and success. I know its important for us to start fast. Theres a great sense of urgency there. In years that we have been really good here, we have started fast. That is definitely something that is being talked about.Here are some key story lines heading into the Raiders-Saints matchup:ROSTER SHUFFLE: The Saints will have several key players in Week 1 who werent with the club at all this preseason. Starting defensive end Paul Kruger agreed to join the Saints last week, shortly after his release from Cleveland, but didnt officially join the team until after the preseason finale. This week, New Orleans brought back right guard Jahri Evans and brought in rookie kicker Wil Lutz and veteran cornerback Sterling Moore.RUNNING HELP: Latavius Murray rushed for more than 1,000 yards and made the Pro Bowl as an alternate in his first full season as a starter in 2015. But Oakland wants to be a better running team after struggling for consistency a year ago. Powerful guard Kelechi Osemele was signed in free agency to bolster the line, and Oakland added a couple of rookie backs to ease Murrays load in DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard.NEW TARGETS: Veteran tight end Coby Fleener, lured away from Indianapolis as a free agent, and second-round pick Michael Thomas, a standout receiver from Ohio State who is Keyshawn Johnsons nephew, make their regular-season debuts in a passing game that led the NFL last season.DEFENDING DREW: The Raiders placed a premium on upgrading their secondary this offseason by signing big-ticket free-agent cornerback Sean Smith, safety Reggie Nelson, and using a first-round pick on safety Karl Joseph. That revamped unit will get an intriguing early test. Ever since his early days in San Diego, Brees has feasted on the Raiders, completing 67.5 percent of his passes with 19 TDs in 10 starts.Sometimes he knows the defense better than the defenses, safety Nate Allen said of Brees. We have to give him some different looks and hopefully capitalize on mistakes.REUNION TIME: The Raiders will run into an old friend Sunday when they face New Orleans defensive coordinator Dennis Allen for the first time since he was fired as head coach in Oakland in 2014. Allen and general manager Reggie McKenzie were brought in to rebuild the Raiders following the death of longtime owner Al Davis. Allen was fired four games into his third season with an 8-28 record, but a handful of players he helped bring in remain in key spots, most notably Carr and Mack.---AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow in Oakland contributed to this report.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org Mohamed Elneny Jersey . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars. 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That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected.MINNEAPOLIS -- The New York Yankees placed infielder Jayson Nix on the 15-day disabled list before their game Wednesday at Minnesota because of a strained right hamstring, and free agent infielder Luis Cruz was signed to fill in. Nix didnt play Tuesday against the Twins but said then he thought he would be able to play after a day to rest. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said, however, an MRI test revealed a more severe Grade 2 strain than initially believed, and the team decided to shut down Nix. "I think we were all surprised," Girardi said, praising Nixs toughness but stressing the need for precaution with his injury-ravaged team. With Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira already on the disabled list, the Yankees are missing a whole lot of experience and production. Nix has started 40 games at shortstop and 224 games at third base, almost 80 per cent of their games with the season-long absences of Jeter and Rodriguez.dddddddddddd Jeter has been recovering from surgery on his left ankle. Girardi said the team captain has been making progress in his rehabilitation and, he hopes, will soon return to the team. Another infielder, Eduardo Nunez, is on a rehab assignment with Class A Charleston for his strained left oblique. He is eligible to be activated this weekend, but Girardi declined to speculate on when Nunez would be back. The 29-year-old Cruz was let go by the Los Angeles Dodgers last week after hitting just .127 in 118 at-bats. Cruz has played shortstop, third base and second base during stints with Milwaukee and Pittsburgh since making his major league debut in 2008. Cruz was in the lineup Wednesday at shortstop, batting eighth. ' ' '