t the neurodegenerative disease has been linked to repetitive head trauma.Concussion lawsuits from athletes ha

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Spending a lot of money to sign free agents is never a guarantee that it will turn a losing team around. Sometimes, the new people just dont work out. Sometimes, the chemistry never develops.Two games into the NFL season, the New York Giants decision to sink more than $100 million into the NFLs worst defense is working out just fine.The Giants are off to their first 2-0 start since 2009, and the defense has played a major role, allowing a combined 32 points in wins over Dallas and New Orleans (0-2).Steve Spagnuolos unit was outstanding Sunday in limiting Drew Brees and the Saints high-scoring offense to 288 yards in a 16-13 decision that was decided when Victor Cruz hauled in a 34-yard pass to set up Josh Browns winning 23-yard field goal as time expired.I didnt really know what to expect to be honest, said cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who was signed as a free agent, along with defensive end Olivier Vernon and defensive tackle Damon Harrison. But as spring went on, I started working with guys like DRC (Dominique Rodger-Cromartie) and Eli Apple and the linebackers and we realized that we could have something special.The last time the Giants faced the Saints, Brees threw for 511 yards and tied a single-game NFL record with seven touchdown passes in a 52-49 win. His longest pass Sunday was 23 yards and New Orleans was limited to 3 of 13 on third down.Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul says the defense is a lot better than a year ago.It wasnt fifty-plus points, he said. Thats a good quarterback out there and everybody knows that. He was getting rid of the ball quickly and I was getting frustrated out there and those guys, too, were frustrated but we just had to keep our composure and got the job done.The Saints blamed themselves for a second straight close loss. Their defense forced three turnovers and did not allow a touchdown.Dont get me wrong, thats a good defense over there, but they didnt do anything special to stop us, Saints receiver Brandin Cooks said. We felt like we bit ourselves in the foot so many times, we stopped ourselves on the offensive side.Things we learned as the Giants improve to 2-0 under new coach Ben McAdoo with a win over the Saints:THE BIG THREE: There was talk throughout training camp that Eli Manning was going to have a big year if Odell Beckham Jr., rookie Sterling Shepard and Cruz could play together.The three came through against the Saints, combining for 20 catches for 294 yards. Beckham had eight catches for 86 and drew a pass interference on the final drive. Shepard had eight catches for 117 and caught a third-down pass for 6 yards to keep the final drive alive. Cruzs 34-yard catch came on a third-and-8 on the final drive.As long as we continue to understand what each others best roles are and what our best attributes are, and continue to do them, said Cruz, who had four catches for 91 yards, with his longest of 40 yards, ending in a lost fumble, I think the sky is the limit for us.NOT OUT OF IT:Despite their 0-2 start, the Saints are far from out of it. They have lost two games by a total of four points.We know what we can do, we know the type of performance we had on defense today kind of showed that, cornerback Sterling Moore said. We can go out there with anybody, no matter what talent level they have, no matter how young we are on defense. So were going to get frustrated, were going to go back to work and keep grinding.DONT GET TOO EXCITED:While the Giants are winning, they have outscored their two opponents by a total of four points. They need to improve to get back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2011 season.And that 2009 team, it won its first five games. It finished 8-8.INJURIES:Saints coach Sean Payton did not have an update on cornerback P.J. Williams after the game. The second-year player was taken off the field on a stretcher after hitting his head against tight end Larry Donnells knee and seconds later being hit in the back of the helmet by a helmet.New Orleans also had right tackle Zach Strief leave with a chest injury.Giants RT Marshall Newhouse left with a calf injury and S Mykkele Thompson had a knee injury.BROWN BACK:Brown kicked field goals of 48, 19 and 23 yards in his return after serving a one-game suspension for violating the NFLs personal conduct policy.Its good to be back, said Brown who spent the week at home with his daughter. Long week last week. It was hard to watch the game. It was great to be out there and be able to kick again.Brown refused to answer questions about his former wifes allegations that he subjected her to domestic violence more than 20 times. No charges were filed relating to his arrest in that May 2015 incident.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/AP-NFLFred VanVleet Jersey . Oyama had six birdies and two bogeys at Kintetsu Kashikojima in the event also sanctioned by the Japan LPGA Tour. "I have been having this neck ache thats been affecting my golf recently," Oyama said. Serge Ibaka Jersey . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. http://www.nbaraptorsonline.com/Authentic-Kyle-Lowry-Jersey/ . The Brazilian goalkeeper signed a loan deal with the Major League Soccer club on Friday as he looks to get playing time ahead of this summers World Cup in his home country. Fred VanVleet Raptors Jersey . On Saturday night, the normally free throw-challenged centre did just that. Howard scored 18 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including 13 of 19 free throws in a 2 1/2-minute stretch, and the Houston Rockets beat the Denver Nuggets 122-111. Pascal Siakam Raptors Jersey . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington.A group of former NFL players, including former Steelers Pro Bowl receiver Yancey Thigpen, have filed a lawsuit against Riddell Inc., saying that the equipment manufacturer did not warn them about long-term health risks that its helmets would not protect them from.The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago, argues that the players suffered personal and financial injuries because Riddell failed to warn them. The players are seeking more than $50,000 in damages and a jury trial.Thigpen, 46, played 10 years in the NFL from 1991 to 2000, including six with the Steelers. The other players who brought the lawsuit were?Gregory Boone, Larry Brinson, Michael Butler, Craig Curry, James Harrell, Willard Harrell, Robert Harris, Carlton Bailey Jones, Brad Quast, Thomas John Reaves, John Michael Reichenbach, Adam Schreiber and Eric Wright.The lawsuit was filed one week after Hall of Famer and former Heisman Trophy winner Paul Hornung also sued Riddell, arguing that the helmets did not protect him from brain injury.Hornung suffered multiple concussions as a running back for the Packers and has been diagnosed with dementia, the llawsuit says.ddddddddddddIt said that the neurodegenerative disease has been linked to repetitive head trauma.Concussion lawsuits from athletes have become more common in recent years amid growing awareness about the long-term consequences of repeated blows to the head, and Riddell is also fighting litigation elsewhere. Riddell began producing helmets out of plastic in 1939, touting them as safer alternatives to ones -- more common at the time -- fashioned from leather, according to Hornungs lawsuit.Riddell has successfully fought some litigation. A Los Angeles jury in 2014 found that Riddell wasnt liable for the severe brain injury of a high school football player who suffered a helmet-to-helmet hit during a game.Riddell, which provides helmets to every level of football -- from the pros to Pop Warner -- has said publicly previously that it has devoted enormous resources to developing equipment that can reduce the risk of a devastating head injury.Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. ' ' '