who has worked overtime in these playoffs and isnt expected to be available for | Forum

GLENDALE, Ariz. Jurrell Casey Jersey . -- 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-NFL Marcus Mariota Jersey . Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament. Jayon Brown Jersey . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. http://www.authenticfootballshoptitans.com/...thews-titans-jersey/ . Barcelona also left injured defenders Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba out of its squad for the trip to Glasgow. That means that Marc Bartra will probably start again in the centre of the defence alongside Gerard Pique. LOS ANGELES -- Back in spring training, Joe Maddon cornered Jake Arrieta for a frank conversation about his workload during the upcoming season.Maddon knew Arrieta would be upset any time he got lifted early, especially after tossing 229 innings for the Chicago Cubs on his way to winning the NL Cy Young Award in 2015.But understand its going to pay off in the latter part of the season, Maddon counseled his ace. Our intention is to play deeply into October and possibly November this year.Maddon knew Arrieta might just feel invincible after shouldering the burden of huge innings while compiling a 1.77 ERA. He didnt want the right-hander thinking he could pitch that much every year.Arrieta bought into Maddons plan, and its gotten him to the NL Championship Series with 197 1/3 innings and a 3.10 ERA.Im in a much better place, Arrieta said Monday before the Cubs worked out. Going through that last year has prepared myself as well as the rest of the guys mentally for a longer run this year, and weve been able to handle the moments mentally a lot better as well as physically.With the series tied 1-1, Arrieta starts for the Cubs against Los Angeles Rich Hill on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.Arrieta threw his first career no-hitter in the venerable ballpark on Aug. 30 last year in a game that began shortly after 5 p.m., the same starting time as Game 3. Shadows can creep between the mound and home plate at that hour, which Arrieta believes favors the pitchers.I really think it can be difficult to pick up spin, he said. From a pitching perspective, you want to be aggressive early because of the fact that it is a little more difficult to pick up some rotations and spin on pitches when the shadows kind of in between and then it starts to creep out to the mound.In his no-hitter last year, a 2-0 victory, Arrieta struck out 12 and allowed two baserunners -- one on an error and the other via walk.Its going to be a little different feel, but at the same time, for the most part, its just about the same lineup, he said. You try to tackle them accordingly. Use some knowledge that I have from the past to kind of help me tomorrow. http://www.authenticfootballshoptitans.com/...brown-titans-jersey/. But its just another game on a big stage.The mound is a place Arrieta feels comfortable. He complemented the Dodgers ground crew for creating a consistent surface that gives him confidence in his positioning and footing.When youve been in these situations before, it makes it a lot easier just to kind of take that deep breath, focus on your execution and go from there, he said.Hill follows Clayton Kershaw as the second straight left-hander to start for the Dodgers in the NLCS, and he draws inspiration from the three-time Cy Young Award winner.Hes got the stuff, right? You cant argue that, Hill said. But then theres another level of that competitiveness that comes out where if youre on the other side and youre down on one knee, hes going to put you away. Thats something that when I see that, you just never quit, you never give up, you continue to attack.Hill had a 2.12 ERA during the regular season allowed a combined five runs in seven innings starting Game 2 of the NL Division Series against Washington and returning on short rest in the decisive Game 5.Now, Hill returns on regular rest and manager Dave Roberts said the finger blisters that have bothered the left-hander this season are not an issue.With Richie, its an inning-by-inning thing, so well just keep our fingers crossed, Roberts said. Because all things being equal, the blister holds, I really, really like our chances.Hill hasnt thrown more than 93 pitches since being acquired from Oakland in August. The blisters have affected how often he starts and how long he pitches.The Dodgers will have to find a way to beat the Cubs without Kershaw, who has worked overtime in these playoffs and isnt expected to be available for the next three games in Los Angeles.Roberts confirmed rookie Julio Urias is set to start Game 4 on Wednesday, followed by Japanese rookie Kenta Maeda, who has allowed seven runs over seven innings in two postseason appearances. Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys From China Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Hockey Jerseys China Nike Baseball Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys China Cheap Football Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys Canada Wholesale Nike MLB Jerseys Canada Cheap NBA Jerseys Authentic Canada Stitched Soccer Jerseys Canada Cheap Jerseys Canada NFL ' ' '