SPORTS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2014 Bengals, Cardinals can prove their worth

NEW YORK: If the Cincinnati Bengals and says. “We feel like nothing can hold us back.” issues. Then again, Drew Stanton has stepped sion. The Texans lead the AFC South and the , the NFL’s only remaining Certainly not the offensive line of the Patriots, in and won his two starts. Cowboys are tied atop the NFC East, both sur- unbeaten teams, are true championship con- who come off a 41-14 defeat at Kansas City. The Cardinals’ defense must remain stingy prising developments, although it is early. tenders, they can make a very loud statement The sacks tell the story: None against Dalton, - 45 points allowed thus far, none in the Perhaps the two most valuable players tomorrow. The Cardinals are at Denver and nine against Tom Brady. The lack of protec- fourth quarter - and that’s a prodigious chal- through one month will be on the field: the Bengals visit New England. The Bengals tion has made Brady appear skittish, getting lenge against Peyton Manning, who already Texans defensive end JJ Watt, and Cowboys have been abysmal in US televised night rid of the ball early, and given his mediocre has thrown for eight . He needs running back DeMarco Murray, the league’s games, including 3-12 on Sunday nights. group of receivers little time to get open. Only one more for 500, a number only Brett Favre leading rusher. They’ve been told about it as they head to three teams gained fewer yards than New has reached. “It’s a big road game against a Also tomorrow, it’s Kansas City at San Foxborough for the prime-time matchup with England through the first four weeks of the team that went to the Super Bowl this year, Francisco, Baltimore at Indianapolis, Chicago the struggling Patriots. “It’s a good chance for season. and is going to be a playoff team again,” at Carolina, St Louis at Philadelphia, the New us to go out there and put it on tape and Cardinals coach Bruce Arians says. “It’s a good York Jets at San Diego, Pittsburgh at show the whole nation this Cincinnati team is Are the problems correctable? barometer for us on the road. ... We didn’t Jacksonville, Atlanta at the New York Giants, real,” nose tackle Domata Peko says. The “I hope they’re correctable,” says Brady, play any slouches so far. (Denver) is a really Buffalo at Detroit, Tampa Bay at New Orleans, Bengals are the only AFC team without a loss, who needs 60 yards to reach 50,000 passing good ballclub with an outstanding defense and Cleveland at Tennessee. The Monday have allowed an NFL-low 33 points, and have for his career. “I don’t think we should feel sor- and kicking game, and a crowd. All the factors game has Seattle at Washington. The Week 4 outscored opponents by an average of nearly ry for ourselves. We’ve always found a way to that go into playing at Denver are a huge action began on Thursday with Green Bay’s 16. And they’re listed as a slight favorite in the kind of grind our way through tough times.” advantage (for them).” 42-10 rout of Minnesota. The game never was Patriots’ stadium. Arizona and Denver are rested and com- The Houston Texans go to Dallas for the close. Julius Peppers returned an “This team is playing with a lot of confi- ing off byes, but the Cardinals have quarter- Lone Star state title, but more importantly, 49 yards for a , and Aaron Rodgers dence,” Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton back concerns with Carson Palmer’s shoulder the winner solidifies its standing in its divi- threw for three scores. — AP

NFL injury list long and star-studded

NEW YORK: The NFL’s injury epidemic began even before any preseason games were played, with the likes of Sean Lee and Kiko Alonso going down. Since then, big-name players (RG3, Robert Mathis, Knowshon Moreno, , BJ Raji, DeAngelo Hall, Chris Long, Ike Taylor) have been sidelined, and entire units such as Atlanta and Philadelphia’s offensive lines and Carolina’s backfield have been ravaged. What gives? ACLs, Achilles tendons and shoulders, among other things. Consider what has happened to the Vikings, who lost quarterback Matt Cassel (broken foot), and right guard Brandon Fusco (torn pectoral muscle) for the season. Tight end Kyle Rudolph (sports hernia surgery) will miss about six weeks. That almost makes linebacker Chad Greenway’s hand and rib problems from which he will soon return seem tame. Almost. “I never envisioned that, but it’s a part of football,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said after all of those injuries occurred in one game. “Last year in Cincinnati we lost our best defensive tackle, our best corner, one of our best linebackers, a very good defensive end. Things happen in the NFL, so this is a sur- vival of the fittest game, it’s always a marathon.” Marathon or sprint, it’s difficult - sometimes impossible BALTIMORE: Adam Jones #10 of the Baltimore Orioles steals second base in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers - to stay on track with so many players getting hurt. during Game One of the American League Division Series on October 2, 2014. — AFP Although injured reserve numbers are not significantly dif- ferent at this point from recent seasons (39 in-season through four weeks last year, 41 this year), they remain Orioles maul Tigers alarming. Going back to the summer, a total of 262 players have gone on injured reserve, with only 21 of them desig- nated to return this season. Many of those players who went on IR before the season might not have made teams Royals edge Angels anyway. Judging only by IR numbers, according to STATS, linebacker far and away is the most vulnerable spot to injuries with 54 already in 2014. BALTIMORE: The Baltimore Orioles opened Royals manager Ned Yost, “but none was big- in the regular season-produced a run-batted- their American League playoff series against ger than that one, for sure.” Kansas City’s in single along with his early homer off That includes such critical members of their defenses as Detroit with a bang on Thursday, erupting for superb defense kept the game close as they Detroit starting pitcher Max Scherzer. JJ Lee in Dallas, Alonso in Buffalo, Sean Weatherspoon in eight runs in the eighth inning to beat the found hits hard to come by in the later Hardy delivered a solo homer and Alejandro Atlanta, Derrick Johnson in Kansas City, Jarvis Jones in Tigers 12-3. Nelson Cruz set the tone for the innings. De Aza and Jonathan Schoop both went 2- Pittsburgh, Nick Roach in Oakland, Danny Trevathan in American League East division winners Japanese outfielder Nori Aoki contributed for-4 at the plate with two RBI for the Orioles. Denver, and Zach Brown in Tennessee. Not all of them are Baltimore with a two-run home run in the first a couple of outstanding plays, including a Nick Markakis also had a brace of hits, sin- on IR, but their lengthy absences are damaging. Detroit inning. The victory gives the Orioles a 1-0 catch at the right-field wall that denied gling in a run, and Chris Tillman out-pitched saw LB Stephen Tulloch suffer the weirdest of all injuries, lead in the best-of-five division series. Things Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick a Scherzer in his post-season debut. Tillman tearing his ACL while doing a mocking celebration after a were closer across the country in Anaheim, potential extra base hit in the sixth. With two gave up back-to-back solo homers to Victor sack of Aaron Rodgers. California, where Mike Moustakas’ first home outs and a runner on third in the seventh, Martinez and JD Martinez in the second More troubling is when the likes of Hall and Johnson run in more than a month lifted the Kansas Anaheim’s CJ Cron struck a ball sharply to inning. But he allowed just two other hits are sidelined with Achilles tendon tears even though they City Royals to a 3-2 victory over the Angels in right field.Aoki wound his way around to it in while striking out six over five innings. are not involved in contact when they get hurt. “There are 11 innings in game one of the other AL divi- time to make a twisting, diving catch and end like 14 of these in the right now,” sion series. Moustakas greeted Angels relief the inning with the score still knotted at 2-2. Offensive explosion Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of Achilles injuries. “Three pitcher Fernando Salas with a leadoff homer “Aoki killed us tonight,” Angels outfielder Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera homered teams are in double digits with them (players on IR). So it’s in the 11th to deliver the Royals victory over Josh Hamilton said. Angels pitchers retired off Darren O’Day in the top of the eighth to out there and people are examining it to try to figure it the AL West division champion Angels. 16 successive hitters at one point, but they pull Detroit within 4-3. But Baltimore explod- out.” Running back and wide receiver have the next high- Moustakas got just enough of the pitch wasted a wealth of scoring chances. They left ed offensively in the bottom of the frame, est numbers on IR, 34 and 33. Injuries are unavoidable in from Salas, his blast barely clearing the right- eight on base and were 0-for-7 with runners taking advantage of the Tigers relief pitchers such a violent sport, and football on all levels has been field wall. Royals reliever Greg Holland then in scoring position. and sending 12 batters to the plate as they retired the side in order in the bottom of the Anaheim’s only runs came on solo homers turned it into a rout. “Up until that point in criticized for how head trauma and concussions were han- 11th to give the Royals a 1-0 series lead going from Chris Iannetta in the third inning and the game, it was a pretty good game and it dled for years. —AP into game two. David Freese in the fifth. In Baltimore, Cruz- just got away from us,” Tigers manager Brad “Moose hit 15 homers on the year,” said who led the major leagues with 40 home runs Ausmus said. —AFP