CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry grew up competing against Cam Newton in the Atlanta area.On Sunday, Berry got the best of his better-known high school rival, intercepting the reigning league MVP and returning it 42 yards for a touchdown to help the Chiefs to a 20-17 come-from-behind win over Carolina Panthers.We always had battles back in the day from 7-on-7 camps to everything, Berry said. Its good to come out on top.The Chiefs defense has been coming out on top all season.They entered the game leading the league in takeaways with 20 and added two more on Sunday -- both of those coming at key moments in the fourth quarter while the offense was struggling.You need a little spark there and we got it, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.Berrys fourth career interception return for a touchdown gave the Chiefs the spark they needed, cutting the lead to 17-14, and Marcus Peters stripped Kelvin Benjamin to set up Cairo Santos winning 37-yard field goal as time expired.It sounds as if Peters must have been listening to defensive coordinator Bob Sutton in practice.Hes a manic on that, about stripping the ball, Reid said. If you look at it close, (Benjamin) kind of juggled it just a bit and Marcus felt it and went for the rip.Here are a couple more things to know about the Chiefs and Panthers:CHIEFS PENALTIES A CONCERNFor the second consecutive week, penalty flags provided some anxious moments for Reid. Last week, it was tight end Travis Kelce, ejected after two unsportsmanlike penalties against Jacksonville. Against Carolina, Reid waited out the officials after Peters punted the ball in celebration following his game-changing strip and fumble recovery.He does a lot of great things. Hes a gifted guy, Reid said. But hes not a punter. Im going to go block the next one.The penalty went for 5 yards for delay of game -- not 15, for unsportsmanlike conduct. Cairo Santos kicked the game-winning field goal three plays later, from 37 yards.Youre talking about two emotional guys, Reid said of Kelce and Peters. I love them, but theyre giving me gray hair. Im too old for this.NEWTON BACK ON THE RUNThe struggling NFC champion Panthers unleashed Newton on Sunday, giving him his most extensive action as a runner since his concussion on Oct. 2. Newton carried 12 times for 54 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown against a defense that hadnt allowed a rushing touchdown since Week 4.Newtons first carry went for 28 yards. Kansas City limited him to 26 more on 11 carries after that. Carolina finished with 99 yards rushing total.Coach kept calling my number, Newton said. We just have to find ways to run the football more, when we have to and when we want to.SMITHS NEW SLANT ON SLIDINGChiefs quarterback Alex Smith missed last weeks game against Jacksonville after a couple of hits two weeks earlier against Indianapolis. The team says Smith wasnt concussed, but he said coming into Sundays game against Carolina that he would either slide earlier -- or not at all.(Sliding) is still a tool, said Smith, who rushed four times for 13 yards against Carolina. In traffic, you want to remain a football player. Ive been playing a long time. Remain a football player, (keep) your eyes up. Its a better way to get out of those situations. Even if you get the 15-yarder (penalty), youre still defenseless to get teed-off on.PANTHERS PUNTERCarolina could be in the market for a short-term punter after Andy Lee injured his hamstring in the first quarter. The Panthers host New Orleans on Thursday, so they might need to make a move soon.Kicker Graham Gano punted four times Sunday for a 45.0-yard average. His longest went for 54 yards, although two sailed too long and went for touchbacks.Coach (Ron) Rivera is always talking about `next man up, so I just tried to step in, catch the ball and get it off, Gano said.HOT STREAKThe Chiefs five consecutive victories are part of a 17-2 record in their past 19 games. Thats the best record in the NFL during that stretch.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL Clayton Richard Jersey .Y. -- Knicks coach Mike Woodson said Wednesday that J. Jesse Barfield Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.bluejaysonline.com/blue-jays-roger-clemens-jersey/ . -- Ryan Getzlaf grabbed the three pucks wrapped in tape and held them up to his chest in the Anaheim Ducks dressing room for a celebration nine seasons in the making. Rowdy Tellez Jersey . LOUIS -- St. Paul Molitor Jersey . Barcelonas entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions retained their share of the league lead with Atletico Madrid two rounds ahead of their meeting in the capital. Real Madrid needed a late goal by substitute Jese Rodriguez to earn a 3-2 victory at Valencia to stay in third place and three points behind its title rivals. BOSTON -- The Minnesota Twins are heading home with a three-game winning streak. Doing it against the Boston Red Sox makes it more impressive. The Red Sox had the best record in the majors after they beat the Twins in the series opener. But after losing 5-3 in Thursday nights finale, they dropped out of first place in the AL East for the first time this season. "Its important that you kind of get that feeling about grinding things out (at) the end of a long road trip," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "These guys really stayed focused." Oswaldo Arcia hit a two-run homer and the Twins capitalized on a costly throwing error by Boston starter John Lackey to beat the Red Sox, who lost for the sixth time in seven games. Boston won the opening game of the series 6-5 in 11 innings on Monday night. Then Minnesota came back to finish the road trip at 5-5. "To lose that first one, we could have very easily won that one, too," Minnesota starter Kevin Correia said. "So to come back and win three is huge." The Twins were 4 1-2 games out of first place in the AL Central when they arrived in Boston. They left trailing by 2 1-2. The Red Sox started the series with a 1 1-2 game lead over New York and Baltimore. They ended it percentage points behind the Yankees and tied with the Orioles for second. "I dont think anybody is worried about the last seven games," Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. "It is the big leagues and everybody is good." Lackey was pitching very well until his wild throw to second base on a potential inning-ending double play gave the Twins another chance in the sixth and they responded with four unearned runs, including two on Arcias homer, to take a 5-2 lead. "I have to make that one play and we win the game," Lackey said. "One play ruined it all." Correia (4-2) pitched 5 1-3 innings, his second shortest outing in seven starts this season. Then Brian Duensing got out of a sixth-inning jam and Gardenhire kept him in for the seventh. He finished with 1 2-3 hitless innings. "I appreciate the confidence" Gardenhire showed, Duensing said. "These are the type of situations you want to be in as a reliever." Jared Burton struck out the side in the eighth and Glen Perkins struck out two more in the ninth and got his eighth save in eight chances. Lackey (1-3) pitched well until his error, then came back to pitch a perfect seventh before Koji Uehara took over in the eighth. Lackey allowed six hits and one walk and struck out eight. The Red Sox finished with 11 strikeouts, the 21st time in 35 games theyve had at least 10.dddddddddddd Boston threatened with one out in the eighth when Daniel Nava walked and Will Middlebrooks reached first when shortstop Eduardo Escobar bobbled his grounder. It was the Twins first error in 12 games. But Burton struck out Stephen Drew and Mike Carp. Trailing 2-1, the Twins went ahead to stay in the sixth. The inning began with a single by Joe Mauer. He took second on a one-out walk to Justin Morneau before Lackey flubbed a chance to get out of trouble. Trevor Plouffe grounded the ball back to the mound, but Lackey threw wildly past Pedroia into centre field. Mauer scored on the play, tying the game. "Youre looking for breaks in the game," Gardenhire said, "and that was a break for us." Ryan Doumits sacrifice fly gave Minnesota the lead before Arcia hit the next pitch into the right field seats for his third homer of the season. "The errant throw opened the door for them," Boston manager John Farrell said. "In the sixth inning (Lackey) was his own worst enemy. Other than that, I thought he pitched really well." The Red Sox had scored the first run of the game in the third on a double by Shane Victorino and an RBI single by Pedroia. They made it 2-0 in the fourth when Nava singled, took second on a groundout and scored on Drews single. The Twins scored a run in the fifth when Arcia tripled and scored on a double by Aaron Hicks. After falling behind 5-2, Boston scored in the sixth on a leadoff double by Mike Napoli and a run-scoring single by Nava. Middlebrooks then grounded into a forceout. Duensing replaced Correia and retired the next two batters. That was one of many wasted opportunities for Boston, which left exactly one runner on base in each of the first seven innings, two in the eighth and one in the ninth. NOTES: Twins SS Pedro Florimon was listed as day to day after leaving the game in the bottom of the seventh with a tight right hamstring. ... The Red Sox transferred closer Joel Hanrahan from the 15- to the 60-day disabled list. He is scheduled to see orthopedist James Andrews on Friday, an examination that could determine if he needs surgery after suffering a strained right forearm. ... Boston opens a three-game series at home with the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night with Jon Lester (4-0) pitching for the Red Sox against Ramon Ortiz (0-0). ... Minnesota starts a nine-game homestand Friday with Mike Pelfrey (3-3) pitching for the Twins against Jason Hammel (5-1) of the Orioles. ' ' '
