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CINCINNATI -- Andy Dalton went out on top last season, but it wasnt the place he wanted to finish.He led the AFC in passer rating when he broke the thumb on his passing hand on Dec. 13 while making a tackle during an interception return against Pittsburgh at Paul Brown Stadium. He missed the last three regular-season games and an 18-16 playoff loss to the Steelers at home again.While backup AJ McCarron played well as his fill-in, Dalton was frustrated at having to watch his breakout season come to an end while he stood on the sideline.The thumb is fully healed, the offense looked good in the preseason, and Dalton is ready to pick up where he left off when the Bengals play at the Jets on Sunday.I feel like Ive got a lot of confidence in my ability, in what this offense can do, and in the guys around me, Dalton said on Wednesday.So there definitely is a carry-over. I mean, it was the best season that Ive had, so for me its trying to improve on that.Dalton was in the discussion of league MVP candidates when he got hurt. He completed 66 percent of his passes -- a career high -- with 25 touchdowns and a career-low seven interceptions. His passer rating of 106.3 topped the AFC and was second in the NFL to Seattles Russell Wilson at 110.1.Cincinnati matched the franchise record with 12 wins last season, only to have another first-round playoff meltdown. Dalton watched from the sideline as McCarron led Cincinnati to a late lead, but Vontaze Burficts hit on Antonio Brown drew a penalty and gave the Steelers a chance for the winning field goal.That made it five straight years of first-round losses, an NFL record. Theyre trying to get their first postseason win in more than 25 years, with much of it riding on whether Dalton can play at an elite level again.Were definitely anxious to get out there and start the new chapter, defensive end Carlos Dunlap said. For all of us, its a new chapter because obviously that last chapter we had, yall know what happened. Now we want to go out there and start something new, a new story.There will be one new thing in the offense on Sunday: Ken Zampese was elevated from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator when Hue Jackson left to become Clevelands head coach. Jackson was known for pushing the envelope with his creativity -- unbalanced lines, tackles lined up as slot receivers to help block, Dalton employed as a receiver. Itll be the first glimpse of how much different Cincinnati looks with the change.Theres some new things that were doing, some things that weve changed, some things that weve tweaked, Dalton said.Game notes Linebacker P.J. Dawson was signed to the practice squad. He played in 11 games for the Bengals last season and was with them in the preseason before being waived. ... CB Darqueze Dennard, who missed most of the preseason with an ankle injury, was limited in practice on Wednesday. DT Pat Sims (Achilles) and TE Tyler Eifert (ankle) didnt participate. Everyone else participated fully.---Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Mark Recchi Jersey . Emery skated the length of the ice and fought an unwilling Holtby during the third period of the Flyers 7-0 loss Friday night in Philadelphia. He was given 29 penalty minutes, including a game misconduct. But Emery did not face even a disciplinary hearing with NHL senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan because rules 46. Jake Guentzel Penguins Jersey . LUCIE, Fla. http://www.penguinsauthenticofficial.com/paul-coffey-jersey/ . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost . Evgeni Malkin Penguins Jersey . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. Sidney Crosby Jersey .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. CLEVELAND -- J.R. Smith and Doc Rivers both had some explaining to do.In a sense, both player and coach lost their minds Tuesday night. Now both are hoping for better Thursday when the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Los Angeles Clippers.Both the Cavs and Clippers are coming off tough road losses. The Cavs were embarrassed at the Milwaukee Bucks, while the Clippers lost in double overtime at the Brooklyn Nets during a strange night in the NBA.The Clippers are staggering through this six-game trip, having lost three straight after winning 14 of their first 16 games.I think we are smelling ourselves a little bit. We havent done (a thing). Nothing, Clippers center DeAndre Jordan said. We were No. 1 in the West for a couple of weeks? That dont mean nothing. At all.I feel like we took that for granted. We thought we were a lot better than we really are. We got to continue to get better and have respect for the game.Rivers was irate with referee Ken Mauer near the end of the first overtime Tuesday and was ejected after Mauer hit him with a pair of technicals.Rivers became enraged with Mauer because he wasnt involved in the play and Rivers was talking to referee Lauren Holtkamp, but Mauer told a pool reporter he assessed Rivers with his first technical for crossing midcourt. Rivers earned his second technical for his reaction to the first one.Smith, meanwhile, wandered off the court for the Cavs on Tuesday night to hug Jason Terry on the Bucks bench. The man he was guarding, Tony Snell, was rewarded with an easy dunk while Cavs players looked on bewildered. Smith compounded his problems by wearing a ski mask after the game while addressing reporters and claimed he didnt know he was in the game when the gaffe occurred.The mental lapse -- and his handling of the situation after the game -- did not sit well with Cavs coach Tyronn Lue, who addressed the issue with Smith on Wednesday.It was (an) embarrassing moment, Lue said. We haad a discussion about it, he felt embarrassed about it, it was an embarrassing play.dddddddddddd We talked about it. Were moving on.Lue said he would not discipline Smith for the play or his reaction because it wasnt malicious. But he made clear he didnt appreciate the ski mask stunt.Theres no need for that, Lue said. Just address the media in the right way, move on.Smith said he tried to have fun with the mistake because he didnt want to be boring.I said it more in a joking manner because you can see what happened, Smith said Wednesday, sans ski mask. Obviously I wasnt paying attention. For me to just sit there and tell you I wasnt paying attention makes it plain and boring somewhat, especially when youre asking a question you already know the answer to. But at the same time, I still have to give that boring answer, for whatever reason.Both teams are expected to be back at full strength Thursday. Clippers forward Blake Griffin was out of the lineup Tuesday to rest, while Cavaliers forward Channing Frye missed the past week following the death of his father. Frye rejoined the Cavs in time for practice Wednesday and returns Thursday as the league leader in 3-point shooting (.485).The bigger problem Lue is battling right now is complacency, illustrated by Smiths gaffe.When you have a team thats a championship team and you went to two straight Finals, youve been doing the same thing for three years, it gets redundant, Lue said. But you still have to do the drills, continue to get better, you still have to go through offensive sets youve been working on, continuing to work on execution, and the guys know it, so they get bored with it sometimes. Rightfully so.Weve got to continue to work on those things, youve got to continue to get good at those things, and its going to help us down the road. ' ' '