PITTSBURGH -- The learning curve is starting to level off for Javon Hargrave, Artie Burns and Sean Davis. That hardly means its flat. Not by a long shot. Still, the game is beginning to slow down for the three Pittsburgh Steeler rookies, all of whom have made significant plays on a defense thats picked it up during the teams modest turnaround.I get so excited when were in the huddle, said Davis, a safety. I see us and theres not a drop off.Exactly what the Steelers (6-5) had in mind when they used each of their first three picks in the 2016 draft to give an underperforming unit a needed jolt of youth and talent, even if they didnt anticipate relying on them to become regulars quite so soon. Yet there was Burns, the 25th overall pick last spring, picking up his second career interception against the Browns on Nov. 20. There was Hargrave, a third-rounder from South Carolina State, falling on a fumble in the end zone for a score in the same game. There was Davis, a second-round safety, making a touchdown-saving tackle against Indianapolis that set up one of Pittsburghs two goal line stands in a 28-7 victory on Thanksgiving.Youve got to go with what you got, defensive coordinator Keith Butler said last week. Its not like youve got a lot of choices.Maybe, but all three have found their legs following a shaky start, particularly Davis, who was forced to split time at safety and nickelback early in the season. By Davis own admission, it was a bit much a bit too soon.You have to study watching the same film but its two different aspects, Davis said. Im not running away from it, but its hard. Im trying to learn everything, trying to learn two different positions. It got a little tough so they backed up. Im handling my job well. Maybe theyll be giving me a little bit more moving forward.It seems Davis is already there. He was the only Steeler to be on the field for every defensive snap against the Colts, a very tangible vote of confidence from Butler and head coach Mike Tomlin.They rewarded me and put me out there, Davis said. Im just going to continue to do what Im doing, keep my head down, stay humble and continue to work.Not that he has much choice in the matter, particularly for a club still trying to escape the rubble of a nightmarish four-game losing streak that threatened to derail a once promising season. Solid if hardly spectacular victories over the winless Browns and Andrew Luck-less Indianapolis stopped the slide. The Steelers werent exactly dominant but maybe thats a good thing. After spending most of the first five weeks winning with style, Pittsburgh opted for a more substantive approach in games they absolutely had to have.The defense picked up 11 sacks over the two games -- nearly doubling the Steelers season total -- and forced a pair of fourth quarter interceptions against the Colts, the kind of splash plays Tomlin so dearly covets. A far more difficult task awaits on Sunday when Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr. and the streaking New York Giants (8-3) visit Heinz Field. Its a measuring stick of sorts to see just how far the kids have come and if Pittsburghs recent return to normalcy is for real.Burns is trying to downplay the prospect of facing the explosive -- and occasionally overly emotive -- Beckham.I dont want to use it as a measurement because everybodys going to make plays here and there, Burns said. Im just going out there and competing and (if) you come out with a `W, thats what matters.Still, theres little doubt getting a shot at slowing down the New York star is one of the reasons the Steelers made Burns the first cornerback theyve taken in the opening round of the draft in nearly 20 years. Tomlin describes Burns as combative, particularly at the line of scrimmage where most plays are won and lost, though Burns has exceptional recovery speed and long arms to make up for the occasional mistake. Hes made believers out of his teammates, including wide receiver Antonio Brown, who spent a portion of the spring and summer providing Burns with some pretty good on-the-job training.Hargraves progress has been more subtle, though hes clearly taken a step forward with defensive end Cam Heyward now out for the season. The player teammates call J Wobble appears decidedly sturdy, picking up the first two sacks of his career over the last two weeks and making a season-high four tackles against the Colts.Its really making me want more, Hargrave said. Im even hungry for more.Game notes WR Darrius Heyward Bey (foot) is likely out against the Giants. ... RB DeAngelo Williams (knee), TE Xavier Grimble (quadriceps) and Shamarko Thomas (groin) could play.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Adidas Eqt Support Adv Primeknit . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. Nmd r2 Primeknit Collegiate Navy . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. http://www.adioutletukstore.com/ . Badenhop was 2-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 63 relief appearances for Milwaukee this season. He is 18-20 in his career with three saves and a 3. Ultra Boost Uk Sale .Y. - New Orleans forward Anthony Davis was chosen Friday to replace the injured Kobe Bryant in the NBA All-Star game that will be played in his home city. Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Beluga 2.0 For Sale . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. Lancashire 124 for 5 (Moores 39*, Clark 31*) beat Birmingham 94 for 8 (Mahmood 3-12, LIlley 2-21) by 30 runsScorecardPrecisely eleven months since they danced and sang on the Edgbaston outfield after winning last years NatWest T20 Blast, Lancashires cricketers went into their final group match with coach Ashley Giles voicing the hope they could upset the party of the Birmingham Bears, his former side, who needed a win to be certain of reaching the last eight.By the end of a fine and rather fascinating match, Giles could argue that he had achieved his modest objective with a 30-run victory, albeit that both eliminated teams were left dancing round their handbags in the kitchen while Agadoo played on a continuous loop.Lancashire had needed either a washout or a tie at Chester-le-Street if they were to qualify and the joy which inspired their victory song was surely tinged with the knowledge that they had squandered their short-form opportunities earlier in the season. For their part, having restricted Lancashire to 59 for 5 in the 14th over Birmingham allowed their hosts to amass 124 for 5 and the Bears then failed by a distance to chase down that score on a slow pitchBoth these teams could echo the impassioned regret of Billy Bigelow in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel: they had both let their golden chances pass them by.None of which should detract from the enjoyment eventually derived by most of the 10,263 spectators, Lancashire second-biggest T20 crowd, from this slow-burner of a short-form game in which the home batsmen had struggled painfully in the opening overs against an accurate Bears attack. Only four boundaries were struck in the opening 13.3 overs, all of them in the powerplay. Like a drunk trying to unlock his front door, each Lancashire batsman searched for the correct opening without ever quite finding it.Josh Poysden took a couple of wickets and was the pick of the Bears attack but he had finished his four-over spell when Tom Moores and Jordan Clark launched a late counter-attack, each batsman hitting two fours and a six in their 65-run stand for the sixth wicket. Having sat rather quietly, at least by T20 standards, the crowd responded warmly to this fine cricket and to the inventive excellence of 19-year-old Moores, who yet again looked like the sort of cricketer you want by your side in a scrap.By the mid-innings break it was clear that Lancashire had posted a defendable total..dddddddddddd. Who knows, perhaps the enraged supporter who had suggested earlier in the evening that the entire county club should be disbanded was now supporting it be reformed. All the same, no one knew then that Mooress unbeaten 39 would be the highest score of the match or that Clarks 31 not out would be the second best.That this was so can be explained partly by the failure of the Bears batsmen to adapt their strokeplay on this sluggish wicket, one perfectly at odds with the sort of wicket generally recommended for T20 cricket. But Lancashires victory was also a tribute to the work of their four spinners, none of whom went for many. Indeed, Croft conceded 12 runs from his four overs but he was only the leader of a slow bowling quartet, including Stephen Parry, Arron Lilley and Liam Livingstone, who sent down 16 overs of twisters yet conceded only 64 runs and took four wickets.Given these difficulties Birmingham probably needed Bell to play one of his classier innings but he was undone by a fine ball from Saqib Mahmood which he could only glove to Moores; the visitors could also have done without the run out of William Porterfield, who ran on a misfield but was sent back by Sam Hain and beaten by Parrys throw. Having made a modest 57 for two after ten overs, Birmingham lost wickets steadily thereafter, including that of Hain, caught behind off Livingstone for 28 and Matthew Wade bowled by Croft for 16. No other batsmen threatened to change the game.Excellent catches at short fine leg and deep midwicket by Tom Smith and Livingstone removed Laurie Evans and Rikki Clark in the 17th over, bowled by Lilley, but by then Birmingham needed a salvo of shots they had never really looked likely to fire. The very promising right-arm seamer Mahmood grabbed a couple more wickets and finished with 3 for 12.So there will be a party at Edgbaston next month but the hosts will not be present. Their lager will taste flat tonight while Lancashire can take the consolation of victory from what has been an annoying season. Immediate pleasure may be replaced by deeper professional irritations and suddenly it must seem more than eleven months since they paid homage to Bacchus at Edgbaston. They were happy in the haze of that hour but they must wait another season for a chance to repeat such frolics. 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