“He’s just willing to do whatever it …

“He’s just willing to do whatever it takes to win,” forward Justise Winslow said of Butler. “That’s the biggest thing. He’s super competitive. He’s good if not great at pretty much everything out there on the basketball court. He’s super easy to play with. He’s super unselfish. But just that winning nature, that competitive nature, it’s stronger than I thought.”

“Spo always says, ‘Playoff Jimmy, we’re …

“Spo always says, ‘Playoff Jimmy, we’re going to need him,’” Heat rookie guard Tyler Herro said. “There are two different Jimmys. There’s Jimmy and there’s playoff Jimmy. I think [in Boston] we saw playoff Jimmy. Shoot, the last three games, I think we’ve seen playoff Jimmy, for sure. He’s a great player. I just keep learning from him. He’s solid.”

Bill O’Brien says the Texans must improve their run game

The Houston Texans run game, led by Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson, has struggled as of late. Coach Bill O’Brien needs that to change.

An explosive Houston Texans run game has died down as of late.

While the Texans boast the NFL’s seventh-ranked running offense (129.8 yards per game), they haven’t found productivity since the Week 10 bye, averaging 91 yards per game in their last three outings.

In Week 13’s win over the New England Patriots, the Texans’ rushing offense hit a season low, tallying 52 yards on 23 carries, good for 2.3 yards per run. Duke Johnson, a receiving back, led the team in rushing with 39 yards on nine attempts. Houston’s lead-back Carlos Hyde had a day to forget, compiling 17 yards on 10 attempts.

Houston has tallied 122 rushing yards against the Baltimore Ravens, 99 yards against the Indianapolis Colts and 52 yards against the Patriots since their 216 rush yard performance in Week 9, a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Though the Texans are getting done over the air, they must spark a run-game going forward through December football.

“We need to improve in the running game,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said Wednesday. “We’re going to work hard on that this week and see if we can get it better. This is a very challenging team, the Broncos, to run the ball against, but we have to — coaches and player alike. We’ve got to coach it better and the players have to work hard to execute it better, but we’ve got to try to improve in the running game.”

Hyde leads the Texans in rushing with 853 yards and four touchdowns on 184 attempts. Johnson trails with 385 yards and a touchdown on 74 attempts. Neither tailback can match Watson’s production as a scoring menace, as he leads the team in rushing touchdowns with five.

The Ravens, Colts and Patriots were tough tasks for the Texans’ run game. On Sunday, they will face a leaky run defense in the Denver Broncos, who sit at 20th in the NFL in rush yards allowed per game (113.7).

Steelers RB James Conner won’t play Sunday vs. Cardinals

James Conner has been out with a shoulder injury and will remain sidelined in Week 14 He said he won’t play Sunday against the Cardinals Conner has only played one game since injuring his shoulder in Week 8, missing the last two games

James Conner has been out with a shoulder injury and will remain sidelined in Week 14 He said he won’t play Sunday against the Cardinals Conner has only played one game since injuring his shoulder in Week 8, missing the last two games

Steelers RB James Conner won’t play Sunday vs. Cardinals

James Conner has been out with a shoulder injury and will remain sidelined in Week 14 He said he won’t play Sunday against the Cardinals Conner has only played one game since injuring his shoulder in Week 8, missing the last two games

James Conner has been out with a shoulder injury and will remain sidelined in Week 14 He said he won’t play Sunday against the Cardinals Conner has only played one game since injuring his shoulder in Week 8, missing the last two games

San Francisco’s Raheem Mostert expects 49ers fans to pack ‘the Voodoo Dome’

The New Orleans Saints won’t enjoy a homefield advantage when the San Francisco 49ers visit the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, one player insists.

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The New Orleans Saints will not enjoy a strong homefield advantage when the San Francisco 49ers visit the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for Sunday’s game, some players think. Or at least that’s what 49ers running back Raheem Mostert believes. He doesn’t expect his experience in New Orleans to go much differently from what he’s seen in other venues around the NFL this year.

“I have not played a game in the Voodoo Dome,” Mostert joked during an appearance on 97.9 The Game in San Francisco, “and I have heard multiple stories about how crazy the fans are in there, and the atmosphere, and all that. How I see it is it’s going to be a neutral site because I know our fans are going to show up because every game we’ve gone to, so far, has really felt like a home game, especially for these away games.”

In his defense, Mostert and the 49ers haven’t packed out stadiums that boast the NFL’s most fervent fanbases: they’ve played road games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins, Arizona Cardinals, and Baltimore Ravens. Those aren’t franchises boasting years-long waiting lists for season tickets, and in some cases (like Cincinnati, Washington, and L.A.) are teams struggling to even lure out home fans due to various states of disappointment, instability, and indifference.

But Mostert doesn’t see much of a difference, though he is eager to see what all the fuss is about from his more-experienced teammates: “Even in Baltimore, we had a lot of fans cheering for us. We’re going to see how it goes this week when we play the Saints, but, like I said, it’s going to be a nice atmosphere, and I heard nothing but great, crazy things about it.”

Mostert is one part of the three-headed rushing attack coordinated by 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, and he’s turned 92 carries into 539 rushing yards this season; teammates Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman have each been effective with 542 and 454 yards on the ground, respectively.

They’ll be the toughest test yet for a Saints run defense that has snuffed out every opponent they’ve faced the last few years, including then-MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey not too long ago. New Orleans has established the longest streak of games without allowing a 100-yard rusher in the NFL (38, including the playoffs). We’re about to find out what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.

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Here’s one reason why Shaq Barrett wants to be in Tampa next year

See why Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaq Barrett would love to return to the Bucs next season.

Even the Tampa Bay Buccaneers couldn’t have anticipated the type of season linebacker Shaq Barrett has put together when they signed him to a one-year deal in the offseason.

The former Denver Bronco and Super Bowl 50 champion has been a revelation for the Bucs defense this season. He leads the league in sacks with 14.5, including a four-sack performance in Week 3 against the New York Giants.

Barrett just turned 27 in mid-November, so you can be sure that teams will be lining up this offseason to vie for his services. But, if you’re a Bucs fan and worried about Barrett taking his talents elsewhere, you might be happy to hear that he’d prefer to stay in Tampa Bay. And, his reason is a good one.

Take a look.

Seriously, who doesn’t hate moving? It’s a pain for everyone involved, and let’s be honest, living in Florida year-round isn’t exactly a negative, especially if you’re making bank (no state income tax!).

Of course, it’ll all come down to dollars and cents and whether or not the Bucs can meet his demands. But, given how much Barrett has flourished in his first season playing under Todd Bowles, it seems like a mutually beneficial relationship for both parties. Plus, having Barrett lining up alongside Devin White for years to come would make this young defense that much more imposing.

We’ll just have to wait and see…

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