Lindley to Start Versus Panthers

The Cardinals finally gave up hope on Thursday that Drew Stanton could make it back from his knee injury in time for Saturday’s road playoff game against the Panthers.

“Drew is not going to be able to play,” conceded head coach Bruce Arians.

It is bad news for Arizona, but not as devastating as it would have seemed two weeks ago, when Lindley was coming off a horrific showing against the Seahawks that cost the Cardinals their season-long perch atop the NFC West. Lindley performed much better last week in San Francisco, throwing for over 300 yards and tossing the first two touchdown passes of his career (both to Michael Floyd).

Yes, Lindley threw three interceptions. And, yes, there where times when he missed open targets. But he is making strides quickly and has shown enough progress to give the Cardinals hope they can pull off a road win if they play up to their potential in the running game and on defense.

Let’s not forget that, aside from the quarterback position, the Cardinals are a much better team than the Panthers. Here’s a fun fact to prove that point: There are six teams with better records than the Panthers that didn’t even qualify for the playoffs. That’s enough teams to fill an entire conference’s playoff bracket!

The Panthers rank No. 19 in points per game (21.2), topping the 20-point plateau just three times over their final 10 games. On the flip side, Arizona allowed the fifth fewest points in the league (18.7 per game). If the Cardinals can hold the Panthers under 17 points, which certainly seems possible, Lindley is good enough to help the Cardinals steal a victory.

And if, per chance, the Cardinals win on Saturday, there is a good shot Stanton could return for a Divisional Round game that would likely be played in Seattle (unless the Lions upset the Cowboys and win their first playoff game since the 1991 season). That’s great news for the Cardinals, because while Lindley is up for the challenge of taming the Panthers, the next time he sees that Seahawks defense will be too soon.

Green Returns to Practice

When it comes to the postseason, Bengals conversations usually center on polarizing quarterback Andy Dalton, who has led his team to the playoffs in each of his four seasons but has yet to win a game once in the tournament. But A.J. Green deserves to be an equal part of that conversation, as his arrival along with Dalton in the 2011 draft was a big reason for Cincinnati’s turnaround. And like Dalton, Green has struggled in the playoffs, including a costly drop in last season’s wild-card game against the Chargers that prevented the Bengals from getting back into the contest.

This time, Green is struggling just to get active in time for the playoffs, as he is still going through the league’s protocol after suffering a concussion in last week’s loss in Pittsburgh. He returned to practice on Thursday in a limited capacity, but was restricted to the day’s non-contact activities.

Green is also dealing with a deep biceps bruise, but he was able to play through that injury last week without any issues. It is all part of a season that has taxed him physically, as he also missed time earlier in the year with a toe injury. One of those missed games was in Indianapolis, where the Bengals were shut out and humiliated, 27-0.

“You just have to know how to step up and learn from it,” said fellow receiver Mohamed Sanu. “Whenever you get an opportunity, you just have to make a play.”

When healthy, Green is the best receiver in the NFL. He is incredibly smooth and athletic, able to run every route and score from every part of the field. If the Bengals want to get this postseason monkey off their back and avoid a run of four consecutive one-and-dones in the tournament, they need Green on the field and at his best.

Chiefs GM Plans to Target WRs

As non-playoff teams hold their end-of-season press conferences this week, Chiefs GM John Dorsey took his turn at the microphone and made a most obvious concession: the Chiefs need help at wide receiver.

“I think the stats speak for themselves,” Dorsey said, referring to the fact that Kansas City became the first team in more than 60 years to go all season without a wide receiver catching a touchdown pass. “We’re going to have to do some work there.”

Dwayne Bowe almost allowed the Chiefs to avoid that dubious record in Week 17, but he fumbled a near-score at the 1-yard line (it was recovered by Travis Kelce in the end zone for a score). It was that kind of season for Bowe, who finished with just 60 catches for 754 yards. It marked his third consecutive season of 801 or fewer yards after posting back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons in 2010 and 2011.

Bowe is expected to be released this offseason, as his production does not come close to matching his price tag. If Bowe is let go, the Chiefs will not have a returning receiver with more than 20 career receptions.

Where will Kansas City turn for help? One interesting name on the free agent market is Michael Crabtree, the former No. 10 overall pick who fell out of favor in San Francisco. Crabtree struggled to beat one-on-one coverage consistently this season and ran some lazy routes, but the feeling is a change of scenery could do wonders for the immensely talented pass catcher.

Crabtree caught 157 passes between 2011 and 2012, which were Smith’s final two seasons in the Bay Area. Reuniting Crabtree with his former quarterback could make life easier for both of them.

The Chiefs have a history of picking up San Francisco’s out-of-favor receivers. Just before the 2013 season, the Chiefs traded for former 49ers first-round pick A.J. Jenkins, who has caught just 17 passes over the last two seasons in Kansas City. Crabtree, however, is significantly more talented than Jenkins. And really, at this point, the Chiefs couldn’t do any worse at the position.

If Dorsey decides to address the receiver position early in the draft, West Virginia WR Kevin White could be a target with the No. 18 overall pick.

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