Its possible Hoyers job would be easier with the other positions on offense more settled

TEMPE, Ariz. -- They were in many ways the darlings-on-the-rise in the NFL, these Arizona Cardinals.A high-scoring big-play offense led by a blunt 60-something coach with an unusual hat and a colorful vocabulary. Their 13-3 season in 2015 was chronicled in great detail by NFL Films for the All or Nothing series on Amazon.That was added attention that you dont normally have, coach Bruce Arians said, to have a season documented when it was as special as that one was I think added to the expectations. But we dont ever shy away from the expectations.They were a group of likable personalities and nearly all of them were back this season.Every player who gained a yard or scored a point for the No. 1 offense in the NFL last season returned. Players embraced the highest of expectations.Then the whole thing fell flat.The Cardinals enter the bye week, the halfway mark of their season at 3-4-1, facing an uphill climb to even make the playoffs.It is shocking, cornerback Patrick Peterson said, As a team, we have to find a way to get out of this hole.Arizona has gone from one of the favorites to one of the leagues biggest disappointments.Ive been through a hell of a lot worse, Arians said. This is just another challenge. I love it when were the underdog. Thats the easiest coaching in the world.The fans are grumbling and inside linebacker Kevin Minter said its up to the players to band together and turn things around.Regardless of the noise outside of the locker room its really about us, Minter said. Obviously we didnt do what we wanted to do. We feel like we underachieved as well.But at the same time theres a lot of ball left. Theres still a chance for us to get hot. I would say to the people who give up on us that we havent given up on ourselves. If youre a bandwagon fan, good riddance.The offense is ranked 10th in the NFL at 374.4 yards per game, 30 yards fewer than a season ago. The big plays have been few and far between. The Cardinals are 24th in the NFL at 6.4 yards per pass attempt.Carson Palmer set a franchise record with 35 touchdown passes last season. Halfway through this season, he has 10.Defenses are scheming to take away the long throws that were Arizonas trademark. Sometimes Palmer has underthrown receivers. Sometimes the receivers have been to blame.And the personality of the offense has changed around dynamic second-year running back David Johnson. Johnson has topped 100 yards per scrimmage in every game and leads the NFL in that category (1,112). He was the NFC offensive player of the month for November.But the offense has been slow to start. The team has scored in the first quarter only once in eight games. Two trips to the East have been ugly -- one-sided losses at Buffalo and Carolina.Yet, had Chandler Catanzaro not missed two game-ending field goals, one against New England in the opener and the other, most memorably, a 24-yarder in overtime against Seattle, Arizona would be 5-3.Statistically, the Cardinals defense has been outstanding. They lead the NFL in allowing 297 yards per game.But there have been costly breakdowns. Now the team will be without do-everything defensive back Tyrann Mathieu for up to five weeks with a shoulder injury.Left tackle Jared Veldheer, the anchor of the offensive line, is out for the season with a torn triceps, with little-used John Wetzel stepping in. The team already had lost right guard Evan Mathis for the season with an ankle injury.Palmer had his best passing game of the season in the 30-20 loss to Carolina, but was sacked eight times.And the schedule is rough. After a home game against San Francisco next Sunday, the Cardinals play at Minnesota and Atlanta.Five of Arizonas final seven are on the road, including a Dec. 24 game at Seattle in a rematch of teams that played to that bizarre 6-6 tie.At 4-2-1, the Seahawks arent running away with the NFC West. That offers the Cardinals a whiff of hope. There also is a pack of teams just ahead of them in the wild-card race.For us to kind of still be in it with the record we have is a blessing, Minter said. We can still be the top seed out of this division. So dont give up on us. Thats all I have to say.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Wholesale Nuggets Jerseys .Y. -- Jayna Hefford scored the winning goal Friday as Canada survived a scare with a 4-3 win over Sweden at the Four Nations womens hockey tournament. Denver Nuggets Store .Y. -- Leading 3-0 with only 11:25 left, the Colorado Avalanche committed a seemingly meaningless penalty to give the New York Islanders a power play. https://www.cheapnuggets.com/ .Y. -- Injured Buffalo Sabres forward Marcus Foligno did not practice with the team Monday and head coach Ron Rolston said its unlikely hell play in Wednesdays season opener in Detroit. Stitched Nuggets Jerseys . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Denver Nuggets Pro Shop .ca! Kerry, Two nights after the Scott-Eriksson incident in Buffalo, the Bruins returned home to play San Jose. In that game, Zdeno Chara put a check on Tommy Wingels that clearly targeted his head. LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears had their coach back on Thursday.Although the quarterback and running back remained an entirely different matter.A day after missing practice because of a stomach virus, coach John Fox returned to Halas Hall and said quarterback Jay Cutler is not up to playing in a game at this point.So Cutler sat out of practice Thursday because of a sprained right thumb.I think we just didnt want to aggravate it more, Fox said. Again, a thumb on a throwing hand of a quarterback is a delicate situation. So we just figured we wouldnt go out there and have any stress on it.Cutler, who missed Sunday nights 31-17 loss at Dallas, had practiced Wednesday on a limited basis for the first time since his injury occurred Sept. 19 in a 29-14 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.Fox said it wasnt a case where Cutlers thumb worsened after Wednesdays practice.No setbacks, just healing, Fox said.However, Cutler hadnt really done much throwing in Wednesdays practice as the winless Bears (0-3) prepared to host Detroit (1-2) Sunday.A clearer situation could present itself Friday, but backup Brian Hoyer continues to lead the offense while Cutler watches.Right now hes really not able, Fox said about Cutler. He can go out there and take snaps, but to be able to throw the ball into tight windows and the things youve got to do in this league to perform at a high level, if we feel good about that tomorrow (Friday) or we feel good about that Saturday, then (we) wouldnt hesitate to put him in.Right now its hard for me to say, until those days hit.Hoyer continues to operate under the uncertainty of whether hell start, but said its merely the life of an NFL backup.For me Im every day trying to prepare to play whatever his status is, Hoyer said. Until someone tells me different Im just preparing like Im going to play and thats if he was playing I would prepare the same way.Hoyer completed 30 of 49 for 317 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions against Dallas, but was just 8-for-12 for 71 yards at halftime. Thee Bears managed only four first-half first downs and trailed 24-3.ddddddddddddIts possible Hoyers job would be easier with the other positions on offense more settled, but running back remains an issue.Starter Jeremy Langford has been out since suffering an ankle injury in Sundays game and backup KaDeem Carey remains out of practice after missing Sundays game entirely with a pulled hamstring.As a result, rookie Jordan Howard has taken first-team snaps and is the likely starter. Howard has 67 rushing yards on 12 attempts this season, but the fifth-round draft pick from Indiana has to display improvement in the passing game as a blocker.Hes getting there, offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said. Hes getting closer.In the NFL, its a little bit different than college football with all the different fronts and with all the different personnel packages. Hes working really hard to get caught up to speed with that, but hes doing a nice job as a runner.The Bears rank 30th in the league in rushing and last in time of possession, so the running game has to show drastic improvement.Earlier this week, the Bears signed former Lions running back Joique Bell and hope to have him available after only a few practices for backup duty against his old team.Picking up the offense in such a short time will be a challenge.Asked if Bears coaches were picking his brain for information on the Lions, Bell said, Right now, I think theyre just trying to feed my brain.Game notes Guard Kyle Long (shoulder) went through a full practice after being limited Wednesday. Guard Josh Sitton (shoulder) practiced on a limited basis. ... Defensive end Mitch Unrein (knee) went through a full practice Thursday after being limited Wednesday. ... Safety Harold Jones-Quartey, who had suffered a concussion, was able to practice Thursday on a limited basis.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '