Kritik und Lob » STILL GROUNDEDTodd Gurley, last season

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Two teams almost certainly headed nowhere collide in the desert Sunday.The New Orleans Saints (5-8) and Arizona Cardinals (5-7-1) are in the homestretch of disappointing seasons.There are some far-fetched scenarios that have either team reaching the playoffs. The New York Times put the chances of New Orleans making the postseason at 1 percent, Arizona at 2 percent.So most everyone involved with this game is resigned that the season will end in three weeks.Just being real, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said.That doesnt mean the game is meaningless.Thats what were paid to do. Were paid to play games, Arizona center A.Q. Shipley said. We have to go out and perform to the highest level. Some of us are playing for futures. Some of us are playing for right now.The Saints have to win out to avoid a third consecutive losing season. But coach Sean Payton said this is a different team than those two 7-9 squads and hes encouraged by its progress.Im encouraged with young guys we had a chance to play through injury, he said. Weve overcome some, tough, hard-fought games. ... Its going to be important that this team finishes well though.One more loss and the Cardinals will have their first losing season in Arians four years as coach.New Orleans has lost three in a row in Arizona, most recently a 31-19 defeat in last years season opener. Drew Brees completed 30 of 48 passes for 355 yards, but had only one touchdown with one interception.We havent played real well when weve played there, so I think thats another challenge for us -- turning that streak around, Brees said. We need to go to a place like that, a hostile environment, and be able to play well on the road.Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer will try to survive behind a makeshift offensive line. Tackle D.J. Humphries is out with a concussion, so the lineup will include John Wetzel at left tackle, Taylor Boggs at right guard (in his first NFL start) and Earl Watford at right tackle.Here are some things to consider when New Orleans meets the Cardinals:JOHNSON MARCHES ON: Arizonas David Johnson can set an NFL record if he amasses 100 yards from scrimmage again Sunday. He would be the first player to top that mark in each of the first 14 games of a season. Right now he and Edgerrin James are tied at 13 in a row.Johnson has his eyes on an even more impressive stat. He needs 255 yards receiving to join Roger Craig and Marshall Faulk as the only players to have 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in a single season.NO FLOYD: Wide receiver Michael Floyd was released by Arizona on Wednesday, two days after police say he was found unconscious behind the wheel of a running vehicle at a Scottsdale intersection. Floyd was charged with driving under the influence and failure to obey a police officer.He signed with New England on Thursday.The abrupt departure of the teams 2012 first-round draft pick should mean even more action for the Cardinals diminutive wide receiver J.J. Nelson, who caught two TD passes in last Sundays loss at Miami.After Larry Fitzgerald and Nelson, a bunch of guys will fill in for Floyd, Arians said. One of them is John Brown, who has been slowed by fatigue related to a diagnosis of a sickle cell trait.OFFENSE VS DEFENSE: The Saints have the No. 1-ranked offense in the league at 418 yards per game. The Cardinals have the No. 1 defense, giving up 298 yards per game.So something has to give.I guess thats kind of exciting, isnt it? Brees said.New Orleans offense ranks first in passing, too, at 314 yards per game. The Cardinals are second in pass defense, giving up 202 yards per contest.OFFENSIVE WASTE: While the Saints are ranked No. 1 on offense, their inability to reach the end zone during the past two games helped their playoff hopes fade to black. New Orleans has scored just one touchdown in the past two games against Detroit and Tampa Bay. Five drives during that span have ended with field goals and six with interceptions.IMPROVING D: Five weeks into the season, the Saints allowed four opponents to score 34 or more points and ranked 31st in the NFL on defense. Since then, theyve held five opponents to 23 or fewer points and have climbed seven spots in the defensive rankings to 24th.Some of that has to do with players returning from injuries. And its evidence that chemistry across the defense and players understanding of coordinator Dennis Allens scheme have improved.---AP Sports Writer Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed to this report.---For more NFL coverage: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFLTaven Bryan Womens Jersey . - Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is not a fan of his teams use of the wildcat formation, saying "it makes you look like a high school offence. Taven Bryan Jersey . The judges scored it 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 for Jones (19-1). It was the champions closest call. Despite the loss, it was a remarkable show by the confident Swedish challenger, who had the best of the early rounds and then hung on in the fourth and fifth. http://www.officialjacksonvillejaguarspro.com/Josh-oliver-jaguars-jersey/ . Argentina winger Ezequiel Lavezzi and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi scored, with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic setting up both despite having a poor game by his high standards. Forward Eduardo gave Ajaccio the lead in the sixth minute after being set up by right winger Benjamin Andre, and the Corsican side looked comfortable in the first half, with the lively Johan Cavalli causing problems with his probing runs from midfield. Quincy Williams II Jersey .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park. Telvin Smith Jersey . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Alec Ogletree saw the football zipping his way and knew he needed to get his hands on it.The Los Angeles linebacker intercepted Bryce Petty with just under two minutes left, lifting the Rams to a 9-6 victory over the New York Jets in a snoozer Sunday.Petty made his first NFL start in place of an injured Ryan Fitzpatrick, but couldnt get much going against the Rams defense.After getting the ball with 2:55 remaining and down by three, Petty tried to lead the Jets (3-7) down the field. But on second-and-7 from the 42, Pettys pass to Quincy Enunwa was picked off by Ogletree, who took it out of the receivers hands and Enunwa then tried to wrestle it away from the linebacker to no avail.I had that area of zone and I was playing the receiver, Ogletree said. I saw him throw the ball. We kind of tied up and I was able to rip it out from him and make the play.Greg Zuerlein kicked three field goals, including a go-ahead 34-yarder with 6:52 left, helping the Rams (4-5) snap a four-game losing streak and avoid their first five-game skid since Weeks 9-13 last season.We had to fight and scrap all the way to the end, Ogletree said. Thats what it takes to win and I was right there to make the play. We really couldnt get on the plane without winning here.The game featured 15 punts -- eight by the Jets and seven by the Rams -- as neither offense were the models of efficiency or excitement. New York finished with 296 yards of total offense, while the Rams had 280.Petty, a fourth-round draft pick out of Baylor last year, went 19 of 32 for 163 yards with a touchdown and the loss-sealing interception.Im not going to let this define my career, Petty said. Im not going to let this define me.Fitzpatrick was listed as questionable with a sprained left knee , suffered last weekend at Miami. Coach Todd Bowles said throughout the week that Fitzpatrick would remain the starter for Sundays game -- as long as he was healthy enough to play.After the game, Bowles said Fitzpatrick wasnt completely healthy. The two split first-team snaps during practice all week.Fitzpatrick was active for the game and served as Pettys backup, while rookie Christian Hackenberg was inactive. Bowles would not commit to who his starter would be in the Jets next game against New England in two weeeks.dddddddddddd.While Rams fans have been clamoring for No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff to play, Case Keenum went a ho-hum 17 of 30 for 165 yards, but had no turnovers after throwing eight interceptions in his previous four games.No, Im not going into the quarterback situation, coach Jeff Fisher said. As I said, I dont believe its the quarterback play. Collectively, were just making mistakes here and there.Petty drove the Jets 99 yards on the teams second possession, finishing with his first NFL TD pass with a little razzle-dazzle on a toss to Brandon Marshall, who flipped it to Bilal Powell for a 4-yard score.Nick Folk was wide left on the extra point, his second miss of the season, leaving New York with a 6-3 lead early in the second quarter.Zuerlein tied it at 6 with 20 seconds left in the third quarter with a 38-yard field goal.I thought Case did a nice job, Fisher said. We didnt get the ball in the end zone, but he scrambled and picked up some key first downs and kept drives alive. Thats what you have to do against a defense like this.SO CLOSEPetty misfired on a long pass on third-and-14 from the Rams 32 that couldve been an easy touchdown in the closing minute of the first half, slightly overthrowing Robby Anderson, who was wide open but had to reach high as the ball tipped off his hand.GURLEY STILL GROUNDEDTodd Gurley, last seasons Offensive Rookie of Year, still has yet to run for 100 yards in a game this season after rushing for 125 or more five times last season. He finished with 64 yards on 21 carries. Gurleys longest run of the season, 21 yards in the fourth quarter, was wiped out by Greg Robinsons holding penalty.FIELD FLIPPERWith the Rams pinned at their 17 on fourth-and-1 early in the fourth quarter, Johnny Hekker blasted a 78-yard punt that had returner Jalin Marshall fielding as if he were catching a pass. After a 10-yard return by Marshall, the Jets had the ball at their 15 -- and went three-and-out. It was the fourth-longest punt in franchise history.UP NEXTRams: vs. Miami next Sunday.Jets: bye week. Next game vs. New England, Nov. 27.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '