4B Friday, December 14, 2018
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
SPORTS
NFL
A work in progress
ROSS D. FRANKLIN I Associated Press
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen (3) warms up prior to a game against the Detroit
Lions, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz.
Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen continues to
improve as he moves through his rookie season
BY BOB BAUM
Associated Press
TEMPE, Ariz. — Incon
sistency might be the best
way to describe the young
NFL career of Josh Rosen.
“I still think he’s improv
ing,” coach Steve Wilks. “It’s
hard to say in that game (a
17-3 loss to Detroit on Sun
day), but I still think he’s pro
gressing, moving forward.”
But as he often does when
discussing his rookie quar
terback, Wilks qualified his
praise.
“When you look at some
of the opportunities that he
had, we have to do a much
better job of really going
through our progression and
not trying to force a lot of
throws,” Wilks said. “Some
times there are check-downs
underneath that we need to
look at. We need to see the
rotation of the safeties as far
as cover two, single-high and
those things.”
Then, Wilks added, “I
think he’s doing a good job.”
Rosen’s passing statistics
are near the bottom of the
list of NFL starters. He’s
completed 55 percent of
his passes for 1,910 yards
with 10 touchdowns and 12
interceptions.
“I definitely need to throw
to our team a lot more in
all facets,” Rosen quipped
when asked about his accu
racy issues.
Backup Mike Glennon,
watching from the sidelines,
sees Rosen’s growth, though.
“Obviously some weeks
are better than others.
That’s just part of being a
rookie,” Glennon said, “but I
think some of the most valu
able things is the experience
he’s getting. Really, that’s
just irreplaceable. Overall,
no matter what the results
are, he is improving. That’s
just how valuable those reps
are.
“He’s done some good
things and some plays he’d
like to have back but I think
he’s seeing the field better
and he is growing as the sea
son progresses.”
Rosen, speaking to report
ers after practice Wednes
day, didn’t want to assess
his growth as a quarterback
through those last 10 games
as a starter.
“That’s kind of up to you
guys. I’m just trying to go
and win football games,”
he said. “I haven’t done as
much of that as I would’ve
liked to this year. We’ve got
three left, but the growth
and development, that’s all
in your guys’ columns.”
Arizona is 3-7 since Rosen
took over as starter four
weeks into the season and
3-10 overall, tied for worst in
the NFL.
Rosen’s efforts have been
hampered by the shifting
cast of characters around
him. Arizona has six offen
sive linemen on injured
reserve. The only player
remaining from the unit that
began the season is rookie
center Mason Cole, and he
only got the job because A.Q.
Shipley blew out a knee in
training camp.
Rosen will have three
rookies starting on the offen
sive line when the team
plays the Falcons in Atlanta
on Sunday.
“I don’t want to say it
hurts him,” Wilks said. “Is
there inconsistency there?
Yes, but Josh, as he and I
spoke the other day, he’s just
got to do a much better job
of keeping his eyes down the
field and not worry about the
rush because when he does
that, he’s pretty effective.”
Rosen also must deal with
a thin receiving corps that
has little experience beyond
Larry Fitzgerald. Rosen lost
his good friend and one of
his favorite targets, Chris
tian Kirk, to a season-ending
foot injury. Wide receiver
Chad Williams missed the
Detroit game with a ham
string injury and didn’t prac
tice Wednesday.
“We’re bringing in new
guys and just seeing who can
play,” Rosen said. “I think
at this point in the year it’s,
if anything, the intensity of
practice is picking up a little
bit because there’s compe
tition at every position all
over the field.”
He said all the changes
in personnel are “tough
because we haven’t been
winning games, but it’s foot
ball. It’s a physical sport.
Injuries and all this stuff
happen all the time. It’s just
that the degree happens to
be a little bit more here this
particular year.
“Throughout your foot
ball life, you’re always
faced with adversity in dif
ferent forms and fashions.
It just happens to be a little
bit more. I’ve got to buck up
and get ready just a little bit
more.”
Watson, Texans prepare
to face Jets on Saturday
BY DENNIS WASZAK JR.
Associated Press
With each victory, the
Houston Texans increas
ingly established themselves
as a team to beat in the AFC.
Their nine-game winning
streak set a franchise record
and also raised expectations
by the week. So,
perhaps their 24-21
loss to Indianapolis
last Sunday could,
in some way, allevi
ate some building
tension down the
stretch.
Right, Deshaun
Watson?
“You only put
pressure on your
self,” Said Watson, a gradu
ate of Gainesville High.
“For us, we don’t really put
pressure on ourselves. We
don’t really focus on that.
Of course, we didn’t want to
lose. We always want to win
and try to continue to stack
those, but it just kind of goes
that way sometimes. It’s the
National Football League.
“We just try to focus on
the next opponent,
the next game and
try to get back in the
win column.”
Watson and the
Texans (9-4) will
get their chance to
do that Saturday
when they take on
Sam Darnold and
the struggling New
York Jets (4-9).
Houston could clinch the
AFC South title with a win
and then a loss or tie by both
Indianapolis and Tennessee
on Sunday, or with a tie and
losses by both the Colts and
Titans. The Texans could
also seal a playoff berth
with a combination of other
scenarios involving several
other teams.
Either way, they know
they can set themselves
up nicely with a victory at
MetLife Stadium.
“With three games left
throughout the regular sea
son, I think you home in and
focus in,” cornerback Johna
than Joseph said, “especially
on one game at a time”
Meanwhile, the Jets are
just focused on the finish
line — and perhaps the
end of coach Todd Bowles’
tenure.
Watson
Falcons wide receiver Jones sent
home with flu-like symptoms
Associated Press
Falcons receiver Julio Jones has been sent
home with flu-like symptoms but is expected
to play Sunday against Arizona.
Coach Dan Quinn says the wide receiver
likely will return to practice on Friday.
Jones, a two-time All-Pro, leads the NFL
in yards receiving and is the only player in
league history with five straight 1,400-yard
seasons.
Atlanta (4-9) has been beset with injuries
across the roster with the offense losing run
ning back Devonta Freeman and both start
ing guards for most of the season.
Quinn said Thursday that starting nose
tackle Grady Jarrett is expected to play
against the Cardinals (3-10) despite groin and
shoulder injuries. Reserve tackle Terrell
McClain will not play because of a sore hip.
NHL
MATT SLOCUM I Associated Press
Philadelphia Flyers’ Anthony Stolarz in action during a game against the Columbus Blue
Jackets on Thursday, Dec. 6, in Philadelphia.
Flyers goalie Stolarz
finding his rhythm
SAM D0NNELL0N
Philadelphia Inquirer
EDMONTON, Alberta — Three weeks
ago, Anthony Stolarz was stranded on
the island of unwanted goalies. Or so it
seemed. The Flyers had Brian Elliott and
Michal Neuvirth and then Cal Pickard. The
Phantoms complemented Carter Hart with
Alex Lyon, who had converted his opportu
nity due to injury into a two-year contract
over the summer.
The Flyers’ 6-6 goaltender was a man
in limbo, his injury history pushing him to
the rear of organizational depth charts, his
lack of playing time impeding any chance
to find his rescue.
“Three weeks ago, there was no body of
work coming off last season and some of
the things he’s gone through,” Flyers coach
Dave Hakstol said in Calgary this week.
“But even back then, we talked about his
demeanor. He seems like he’s relishing
the opportunity. First and foremost, he’s
gone in and he’s battled for his teammates.
Usually when a goaltender does that, he
gets that in return from the guys in front
of him.”
For 58 minutes and 52 seconds in
Wednesday night’s gut-punching 6-5 loss
to the Calgary Flames, Stolarz battled for
his teammates, and his teammates battled
right back. Except for an early flurry that
netted nothing, the Flyers were handily
outplayed by the Western Conference’s
best team, their one-goal advantage enter
ing the third period a byproduct of goalten
der Mike Smith’s off-night more than their
own pressure.
The Flyers scored four times in six shots
that period to chase Smith, foreboding
their tragic late demise by managing only
one more shot after Dale Weise’s oh-what-
the-heck flip from the blueline at 7:43 of
the period found its way past the Flames
goaltender to give the Flyers a 4-2 lead.
Including that shot, they took six more
after Weise’s goal, including Sean Coutu
rier’s shorthanded breakaway goal that
could have and should have iced the game
if this was a team playing with any sem
blance of confidence. There are individu
als who bring it most nights, but as a body,
the Flyers are as dysfunctional as any team
in the NHL right now.
Stolarz is an exception. It sounds strange
to say that about a goaltender who just
allowed six goals, but if you stayed up to
watch Wednesday’s game, it makes per
fect sense. Down by a goal heading into the
final period, Calgary did what it has done
best all season, pouring 16 pucks on goal,
flooding the area around the net, drawing
four penalties on the Flyers, including an
inexplicably dumb rabbit punch by Wayne
Simmonds long after the whistle had blown
and bodies had been separated.
The Flyers battled all right, but it was
more like defending the Alamo. With two
goals and an assist, Calgary’s Sean Ben
nett was the game’s first star. But he might
have approached two hat tricks if Stolarz
had not continually thwarted some of his
juiciest chances.
“He stood on his head,” said Dale Weise,
who deemed the rest of the team’s effort as
“(expletive) awful.”
“We were in our zone for 12 straight
minutes there. Can’t blame him, he played
great. Not one of those goals are on him.”
NBA
Jordan defends Monk head smack
STEVE REED
Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hornets owner
Michael Jordan said it was a “tap of
endearment.”
After watching a bizarre ending to
Charlotte’s win against Detroit on
Wednesday, a bewildered Jordan
lightly smacked the back of sec
ond-year guard Malik Monk’s head
in closing seconds of the game.
Jordan told The Associated
Press Thursday via text message
through his spokeswoman Estee
Portnoy there was no malicious
intent when he playfully smacked
Monk on the back of his head.
“It was like a big brother and
little brother tap,” Jordan told the AP. “No
negative intent. Only love!”
Monk and teammate Bismack Biyombo
ran from the bench on to the court to
celebrate as Jeremy Lamb launched a
22-footer game-winning shot with 0.3 sec
onds left. Officials gathered at the scorer’s
table and assessed the Hornets a one-shot
technical foul for having six men on the
floor.
“Big, big, big brother,” Monk said with a
laugh Thursday. “But it was noth
ing. He was just playing.”
Monk went on to say, “it’s Mike,
and whatever he does is going to
make (news) because nowadays
it’s all social media and everybody
has their phone out there and I
wasn’t surprised.”
Hornets coach James Borrego
said he hadn’t seen the video of
Jordan tapping Monk, but smiled
and said “it went viral, huh?”
There are no disciplinary actions
expected from the league for Jordan’s
playful moment.
Jordan
INTRODUCING
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