A.J. Green will officially miss another week with key offseason looming

A.J. Green won’t play against the Steelers.

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The Cincinnati Bengals again won’t have star wideout A.J. Green on the field in Week 12 when the Pittsburgh Steelers come to town.

After a swelling setback a few weeks ago, Green hasn’t done much besides rehab. He didn’t put in notable practice this week before skipping Friday, per The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Tyler Dragon.

Green — who has made it clear he doesn’t care about your fantasy football teams — still hasn’t played since suffering an injury on the first day of training camp. Each time it seems he’s almost ready the needle doesn’t move and it makes the decision not to place him on injured reserve seem stranger.

With each inactive day, one needle that does move is the idea Green and the Bengals could be heading for a split. He’s still without a contract and if he doesn’t suit up at all this season it might not bode well for the two sides coming to an agreement on an extension.

In the short term, the underdog Bengals won’t have their best offensive player on the field when Ryan Finley looks to upset the Steelers and avoid the worst start in team history.

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Bill Belichick delivers quip about ‘Ouija board’ when asked about injured players

“I’m not gonna sit here and try to Oujia board it.”

There are few things Bill Belichick likes discussing less than the statuses of his injured players. The New England Patriots coach consistently dodges questions about whether an injured player will or won’t play on Sunday.

But the Patriots had a pair of notable players with issues this week, which necessitated questions about those players. Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu (ankle) hasn’t practiced, while wideout Phillip Dorsett (concussion) didn’t practice on Wednesday and was limited on Thursday. Does Belichick have a sense of whether those top wideouts will play against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12?

“I have a sense, yeah,” Belichick grinned during his press conference on Friday morning at Gillette Stadium. “We’ll share it when the injury report comes out after practice. We’ll make sure you get a copy.”

When the reporter attempted to ask a follow-up, the coach continued.

“No point in guessing on them,” he said. “Might as well go out in practice and see what they can do and then make an accurate report. I’m not going to sit here and try to Oujia board it here this morning and tell you how a guy is going to feel before he’s gone out there and done anything. That would be irresponsible on my part.”

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Panthers injury updates: 3 players questionable vs. Saints

The Panthers have not ruled anybody out for Sunday’s game. Three players are listed as questionable.

Here’s a phrase we haven’t heard in a while. The Panthers have not ruled anybody out for Sunday’s game. Three players are listed as questionable.

Cornerback Ross Cockrell was limited earlier this week with his quad injury. However, he joined the team on the field today and it sounds like they’re expecting him to suit up against the Saints. The other two questionables are rookie offensive tackles Dennis Daley and Greg Little.

For what its worth, yesterday coach Ron Rivera told reporters he anticipates Little will get the start at left tackle.

There are some notable exceptions (chiefly Cam Newton and Kawann Short both being on injured reserve and out for the year) but aside from that this is the healthiest Carolina has been all season.

It’s good timing, too. They’ll need all the help they can get in New Orleans, where they will be nearly double-digit underdogs.

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Marcus Cannon not present for start of practice in Week 12

Another question mark at tackle?

New England Patriots tackle Marcus Cannon was not present for the media portion of practice on Friday during Week 12 in the team’s final practice in preparation for the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Cannon had not been listed on the injury report earlier this week.

Receivers Mohamed Sanu (ankle) and Phillip Dorsett (concussion) were present for practice. But it’s unclear at what level they were participating. Sanu, for example, was present at practice on Wednesday but didn’t participate. He also missed Thursday’s practice. Dorsett, meanwhile, was upgraded to limited on Thursday after missing practice on Wednesday.

Tackle Isaiah Wynn was present for practice. He has not been on the injury report this week, which bodes well for a potential return to the field on Sunday. He could take over for tackle Marshall Newhouse.

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Rookie WR Andy Isabella named Cardinals’ most underrated player by PFF

His play is something to pay attention to in the final five weeks of the season. 

Arizona Cardinals fans waited a long time to see rookie receiver Andy Isabella make plays. In the last few weeks, he has begun to make an impact on ballgames. That play has earned him recent recognition from Pro Football Focus.

He was named the team’s most underrated player.

During his final collegiate season at UMass in 2018, second-round rookie Andy Isabella was PFF’s highest-graded wide receiver in the entire FBS. So then, it’s safe to say we here at PFF were excited to watch Isabella team up with Kyler Murray and first-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona. Isabella, however, saw the field just 41 times on offense in his first eight weeks, but he has since seen far more time on the field, playing 58 snaps since Week 9. Since then, Isabella has flashed the playmaking similar to what we saw when he was in college. On his 10 targets, Isabella has earned a 70.8 receiving grade; he’s broken three tackles, generated three explosive plays and has caught 100% of his catchable targets while producing 2.86 yards per route run.

Given that his fellow Cardinal wide receivers are playing below expectations, and given his superb play when given the opportunity, Isabella’s stock is likely only going up from here.

Many feared Isabella was quickly becoming a bad draft pick. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury has insisted Isabella has been improving and that there is a plan for him. He just had not had the opportunity.

He has been impactful in limited touches. I guess that does make him underrated. However, this doesn’t mean he necessarily should have his role increased.

His play is something to pay attention to in the final five weeks of the season.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

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James Harden leads significant defensive turnaround for Rockets

Both film analysis and data suggest that James Harden is a key reason for the improvements on defense by the Houston Rockets this season.

After the first six games of the 2019-20 NBA season, Houston Rockets superstar James Harden was part of the team’s massive problem on the defensive end of the floor.

During their 3-3 start, the Rockets ranked second-to-last in the league in net defensive rating (116.2). On an individual level, Harden’s defensive rating of 115.1 was in the middle of the pack among Houston players registering at least 20 minutes per game.

In the nine games since, though? The Rockets (11-4) are 8-1, and their overall net defensive rating (101.0) is third-best in the NBA.

“Defensively, I think we’ve been pretty good,” Harden said Monday after the team’s eighth-straight victory. “That’s going to be the key for us.”

While all players have seen their defensive ratings surge based on the overall team improvement, Harden is at the top of the list when it comes to the proportional rate of his increase. His defensive rating of 96.7 over the last nine games trails only Clint Capela (96.3) among Rockets players who have averaged at least 20 minutes per game over that period.

Harden’s steals and blocks per game have risen from 0.8 and 0.3, respectively, over the first six games to 2.2 and 0.7 over the last nine. His defensive rebounds are up in the same period, from 3.3 per game to 5.9.

Defensive rebounding has been a big part of the team’s overall improvement on that end. In those first six games, the Rockets ranked No. 23 in the league in defensive rebounds (34.0). In the nine games since, Houston has surged to 38.1 rebounds per game, which ranks fourth in the league and has corresponded with their uptick in wins. Statistically, more than half of that increase could be attributed to Harden.

Considering Harden leads the league in scoring, it’s natural that his improvements on offense have been noticed most. After averaging 35.3 points on 37.1% shooting and 21.5% from three-point range during the team’s sluggish start, the former Most Valuable Player (MVP) has bumped those numbers to 40.4 points per game on 46.3% shooting and 42.6% from behind the three-point arc over his last nine games.

The 30-year-old has also won the last two Western Conference Player of the Week awards.

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But from a team perspective, it’s not the offense that has really changed. Over the first six games, Houston’s offensive rating of 111.3 ranked No. 5 overall. In the last nine games, their rating of 112.2 is No. 7 overall.

It’s the growth on defense that has corresponded with the dramatic improvement in team results, and Harden — even considering his extreme workload on offense — is leading the way.

Of this season’s top four NBA players (Harden, Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Damian Lillard) by FiveThirtyEight’s RAPTOR metric, Harden has provided the most defensive value.

It’s unclear what sparked the defensive turnaround from Harden in particular. Earlier this month, head coach Mike D’Antoni cited subpar conditioning as a reason for the team’s slow start, adding that his team was “not in great shape” at the time.

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It’s possible that Harden’s fitness is improving as the season moves along. He may also feel compelled as the team’s leader to lead by example, especially after an awful showing on Nov. 3 in Miami — when the Rockets fell behind 59-18 after just 16 game minutes. That setback dropped their record to 3-3. It could be a combination of those and other things.

Whatever the reason, though, the storyline for the Rockets (11-4) this season and their improvement isn’t just about the elite offense. That’s been there all along. Rather, it’s superior defense that is primarily responsible for changing the team’s results. And it’s Harden — even with his historic usage rate of nearly 40% on offense — who is leading the Rockets’ growth on the other end of the floor, as well.

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Eagles vs. Seahawks: NFL experts make Week 12 picks

Eagles vs. Seahawks: NFL experts make Week 12 picks

The Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks will meet on Sunday afternoon in a huge contest for both teams. The Eagles are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Patriots, while Seattle is fresh and looking to roll after the bye week.

Experts from around the league have weighed-in, and it looks like the field is picking the Seahawks on the road in Philly.

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ESPN — Seahawks

Tim McManus — Seahawks

NFL.com — Seahawks

CBS Sports — Seahawks

Pro Football Talk — Seahawks

Bleacher Report — Seahawks

The Athletic — Seahawks

The Inquirer — Seahawks

NJ.com — Seahawks

Alex Smith tells Dwayne Haskins to eliminate all outside noise going forward

It’s been some tough sledding for Haskins so far, but Smith assures him that all will be okay if he just focuses on things he can change.

“Don’t listen to what they’re saying. Focus on what you can control, and do the best you can.”

That’s basically what Washington Redskins veteran quarterback Alex Smith told rookie QB Dwayne Haskins, as he offered the time-tested advice to the young play-caller who has seen his NFL career get off to a slow start.

Through his first four chances at live-action, Haskins has two garbage-time touchdowns and five interceptions, with less than 500 yards passing. He’s also yet to see a win yet, which can be extremely frustrating for a young player who has excelled at every level of football in his career. It’s not surprising to hear that wear on a player.

“It’s hard as a rookie quarterback, being a first-round pick with the expectations,” Alex Smith said, via Redskins.com. “You’re inherently thrust into a leadership position. Nobody affects the game more than the quarterback. The entire team, the entire organization is trusting you not only to make great decisions but be accurate with the football, to be on time. These are split-second things.”

So far, Haskins has struggled to uphold his end of the trust-bargain, but a lot of the blame can be spread throughout the rest of the roster and the organization as a whole. So far in his rookie season, he’s seen his head coach get fired, his two top tight ends — which is arguably the most important position for a young QB — miss significant time, and his defense allow over 25 points per game. It would be difficult for even a veteran QB to overcome those obstacles, let alone a rookie who started just one season in college.

“This has always been my message to Dwayne: ‘I think you need to focus on what is really important, and that’s playing well,’” Smith said. “Preparing himself to go play, don’t worry about the rest of the noise. In fact, eliminate it. Try to eliminate as much of the outside noise as possible. Because all your teammates really care about is going out and executing.”

Week by week, we’ve seen Haskins show small improvements, and they finally manifested themselves into some points last Sunday. As time goes on, he’s shown that he can take some steps forward. He just needs to focus on what he can do to get better, and nothing else.

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