IRVING, Texas - Henry Melton cant compare this years Dallas defence to the NFL-worst unit that visited Chicago last season because he was still with the Bears.The Cowboys defensive tackle just knows that right now, his new group doesnt look like the surprising bunch that boosted Dallas during a 6-1 start.The New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles each scored on their first three possessions the past two games, although the Cowboys made enough stops against the Giants to rally for a 31-28 win. The defence kept Dallas in the Philadelphia game into the second half, but the offence couldnt overcome a quick two-touchdown deficit.Once we get going and flowing as a defensive unit, were tough to get past, said Melton, who leads the Cowboys with five sacks. But collectively ... obviously the whole game is, Ive got to play better and weve got to play better.Dallas (8-4) visits Chicago (5-7) on Thursday night, with the memory of last years dismal showing on the minds of the Cowboys who experienced that bitterly cold night.It wasnt the only bad game Dallas had defensively, which is why expectations couldnt have been much lower going into this season without the three best players in pass rusher DeMarcus Ware (released), tackle Jason Hatcher (free agent) and linebacker Sean Lee (knee injury).A strong start in 2014 was punctuated by a Week 6 win at Super Bowl champion Seattle, which had just nine first downs and 206 yards.The slide began two weeks later against Washington, when Colt McCoy essentially went from third-string quarterback to a starter making big plays in the fourth quarter and overtime of the Redskins 20-17 upset. The latest blow was a season-high 464 yards for the Eagles, including LeSean McCoys 159 yards rushing in a 33-10 Thanksgiving victory.Were still confident, defensive end Jeremy Mincey said. Sometimes its good to get ... a good old fashioned butt-kicking to get you going again. Its back to the drawing board.Mincey said he was still mad about letting the Eagles get outside early in the game on a play that he thought could have changed the momentum. McCoys two longest runs were to the outside, including a 38-yard score that put away the game in the third quarter.I can show you consecutive plays where we executed really well and the same guy did not do what he was supposed to do in the same situation and they really hurt us, coach Jason Garrett said. Whether its in the beginning of the game, the middle of the game or at the end of the game, you just have to do those things.Linebacker Rolando McClain was slowed against the Eagles by a right knee injury thats been bothering him for weeks, and cornerback Brandon Carr hasnt had a pass breakup since Seattle, seven games ago.Dallas sack totals have improved since the 6-1 start, but so have the completions percentages for opposing quarterbacks. And while the Cowboys are converting fewer third downs on offence, three of the past four opponents have a success rate of more than 50 per cent.Weve had some real good looks on third down and we didnt cash them, defensive co-ordinator Rod Marinelli said. But some of the third downs are too short right now. That starts with good run defence on first down. Tackling has to be sharp.Marinelli was Dallas defensive line coach in last years 45-28 loss to the Bears, who had 490 yards and 33 first downs a month after the Cowboys gave up an NFL-record 40 first downs at New Orleans.Chicago starter Jay Cutler had a sprained ankle, and backup Josh McCown set career highs with four touchdown passes and a passer rating of 141.9, the highest of the season against Dallas. The Cowboys didnt trash the video, though.I think it can be helpful, Garrett said. We always go through games like that. The systems are basically the same, and it applies. You want to go through it and see what they did.And the Cowboys are trying to get back to what they did defensively earlier this season.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler Pittsburgh Penguins Gear .Cameron sustained his third concussion in three seasons last week on a hit by Oakland safety Brandion Ross, who was fined $22,050 by the NFL for the helmet-to-helmet blow. Fake Penguins Jerseys .com) - Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns each scored 12 points in the top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats 70-55 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide. https://www.cheappenguinsjersey.com/.com) - Novak Djokovic easily took care of Andy Murray to reach the final at the $2. Cheap Penguins Jerseys . -- Theres something about playing on Orlandos floor lately that seems to bring out the best in the Dallas Mavericks. Penguins Jerseys 2020 . Best has been bothered by concussion problems and hasnt played since Oct. 16, when the Lions lost to San Francisco. After starting 5-0, Detroit has lost four of six, beginning with that game against the 49ers.MOSCOW -- Zenit St. Petersburg has been handed a two-game stadium ban for next season over an incident in which fans stormed the pitch, one of them attacking an opposition player. Dynamo Moscow defender Vladimir Granat was treated for a head injury after a fan punched him during the pitch invasion, which forced the Russian Premier League game to be abandoned. The Russian Football Unions disciplinary committee handed Dynamo a 3-0 win, in a game which they had been leading 4-2 before fans took to the field. Zenits first two home games of next season will be played behind closed doors and the area of the Petrovsky stadium where Zenits hardcore fans sit, will be closed for a further three matches. The club was also fined one million rubles ($28,800). The sanctions are similar to Zenits punishment in 2012 when a pyrotechnic device thrown by one of its fans exploded near Dynamo goalkeeper Anton Shunin, leaving him with an eye injury. On that occasion, a two-match stadium ban was also issued..dddddddddddd Zenits general director Maxim Mitrofanov said in a statement that Wednesdays ruling was "tough" and said the club was reforming its security. "The club, together with the police and the city, is now drawing up a range of measures, both of a legal and organizational nature, dedicated to never again allowing unlawful and illegal acts by fans at the stadium," he said. When the fan who struck Granat is tracked down, the club will try to force him to pay some of the clubs fine, Mitrofanov added. Mitrofanov was given a formal warning earlier Monday by St. Petersburg prosecutors, who said that the number of security staff at the game - 260 for a crowd of 19,000 - was criminally low. If improvements are not made soon, further legal action will likely be taken against the club. Zenit sits second in the league and will become Russian champion for the fourth time with a win over FC Kuban on Thursday if CSKA Moscow fails to beat Lokomotiv Moscow. ' ' '