and a forced fumble in the playoffs,

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Colin Kaepernicks football spoke for him this time, not his national anthem protest, and it was a long time coming.A year after being benched for his poor play and three starts into what he hopes is a triumphant return for the 49ers, Kaepernick hung right with Drew Brees and even threw for more yards than his strong-armed Saints counterpart in San Franciscos 41-23 loss to New Orleans on Sunday.Confident and precise in spite of one interception and a lost fumble, Kaepernick resembled the old dual-threat playmaker he once was in leading this team to a runner-up Super Bowl finish following the 2012 season.I think today was a step in the right direction, Kaepernick said. We had a lot of opportunity where if a few plays had gone another way this game could have turned out differently.Kaepernick became the 15th player in franchise history to rush for 2,000 yards and went 24 of 39 for 398 yards passing -- second most yards of his career on the way to a 102.3 QB rating. He hit DuJuan Harris for a 47-yard touchdown then Vance McDonald on a pretty 65-yard TD pass .Kaepernick, who worked back from surgeries on his left shoulder, left knee and right thumb, had completed fewer than half his passes in his first two starts since being promoted over Blaine Gabbert.It was an up-and-down day, coach Chip Kelly said. There were a few throws in the pocket there that if he could have completed them we would have stayed on the field and kept some drives alive. But he also did some really good things fitting some balls in there and making plays.Determined to improve his consistency this week, Kaepernick had another impressive performance against the Saints, something he wont try to explain. Before this season even began with him as the backup, he sparked a debate with his decision to sit and later kneel for the anthem in support of minorities who are oppressed.He seemed to play really well today, Brees said. They moved the ball at times really well today and he ended up with a ton of passing yards. We figured coming off the bye week theyd be rested and re-energized and ready to roll, which they were.Still, San Francisco (1-7) lost its seventh straight game since shutting out the Rams to start the year and falling to New Orleans for the eighth time in the last 10 regular-season meetings.Nobody was satisfied, even with some clear progress made.We definitely got in more of a rhythm today, Kaepernick said. But we still left a lot out there, particularly in the red zone. We were down there three times and got no points.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Hydro Flask Standard Mouth Sverige . Aduriz headed home Markel Susaetas cross in the sixth minute to open the scoring at San Mames Stadium. He bettered that with a long-range blast that went in off the goal frame in the 18th, and converted a penalty in the 72nd after Diego Mainz was sent off for fouling Aduriz with only the goalkeeper to beat. Hydro Flask Rea . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. http://www.hydroflasksverige.se/ . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said. Hydro Flask 24 Oz Sverige . World champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia won the gold medal with 237.71 points, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch followed at 208.45 and Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia were third at 187. Hydro Flask Coffee Sverige . LOUIS -- Heading into the final stretch of the season, the issues for the Chicago Bears banged-up defence only seem to be getting worse. NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Saints and pass-rushing lineman Paul Kruger have agreed to contract terms, two days after the veteran was surprisingly released by the Cleveland Browns, according to a person familiar with the deal.The person spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the agreement has not been announced.Kruger has started 46 games for Cleveland in the past three seasons, during which hes had 18 sacks, including a career-high 11 in 2014.Last season, however, he was credited with 27 tackles, his fewest since 2011, and 2+ sacks, his fewest since 2010. When he was released earlier this week, Kruger said the Browns made absolutely the wrong decision.His signing with New Orleans was first reported by NFL.com.The seven-year pro began his career in Baltimore and played for the 2012 Ravens squad that won a Super Bowl. Kruger was credited with nine sacks, an interception and forced fumble during that regular season, and added 4+ sacks and a forced fumble in the playoffs, including two sacks in the Super Bowl.Kruger also played in the Superdome during his college career, winning a Sugar Bowl when his 2008 Utah team defeated Alabama.ddddddddddddBefore adding Kruger, the Saints had several young players vying to fill a pass-rushing role on the opposite side of the line from Pro Bowl end Cameron Jordan.Hauoli Kikaha, a second-round draft choice in 2015, was a leading candidate until he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during an offseason practice.Kasim Edebali, who was second on the Saints with five sacks last season, was among the front-runners. Obum Gwacham and Davis Tull also were rotating in at that spot.Edebali had two sacks in the Saints preseason opener against New England, but New Orleans has had trouble generating pressure from its defensive front in the past two preseason games, and that was among the issues coach Sean Payton cited as very concerning after last weeks exhibition loss to Pittsburgh.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '