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When San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Frank Gore bounced the ball to the outside, I knew there was a problem. Yeah, my legs were moving. And I was playing hard as a safety for the Washington Redskins back in 2005. But I just couldnt get there. That burst I had counted on as a defensive back was missing.The reason? I had blown out my knee less than a year before. It just gave way while covering a kick on a Sunday night game against the Baltimore Ravens. Boom. See ya next season.It takes a long time to get back on the field after popping an ACL -- and an even longer time to feel like yourself as a player. I learned that the hard way against Gore, who took that run 72 yards to the house, the first of many in his long career.You see, my plan was to knock him out of bounds. Just survive the play after taking a poor angle from the jump. But when I couldnt quite get there, I dove for Gores legs and came up with nothing. Zip. Well, except for a face-first landing into the grass at FedEx Field.Man, Mondays film session was brutal. I barely recognized the guy lumbering after Gore in an attempt to save that touchdown. Everyone in the meeting room knew the gig was up. Heck, I was still in recovery mode. The explosion, the burst, the acceleration? Nah. It just wasnt there yet. But you try to play through it. You have no choice when your job is on the line.That was a lonely moment for me -- a reality check, too. And I was just a guy at that point, a special teams dude playing some safety, trying to grind out a couple more years in the league.For defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, the situation is obviously different as the Arizona Cardinals get ready to play the New York Jets on Monday Night Football. Mathieu is one of the best overall players in the league. And I mean that. The versatility? The ball skills? The natural coverage ability? Off the charts, all of it. I love this guys game.But Mathieu tore up his right knee in December. Trust me, hes a straight-up warrior for being back in the lineup this soon, but you cant just expect him to go back to playing like himself immediately.Until Arizonas Week 5 matchup against the 49ers, Mathieu wasnt playing his normal role in the slot. Instead he was aligning over the top as a safety. That allowed the Cardinals to ease him back onto the field and to also limit the change-of-direction movements -- and stress -- put on his knee as a slot defender.Lining up as a slot corner is one of the toughest jobs in sports when youre healthy. But when youre less than nine months removed from ACL surgery, as Mathieu was when the season started, its a whole different ballgame.Mathieu has been here before, having torn his left ACL in 2013. Plus, Mathieu got some serious run in the slot against San Fran in Week 5: 71 snaps. Thats a big workload on a short week for a guy still working his way back. His performance? Head coach Bruce Arians called it rusty, and Mathieu himself?had similar opinions. I get it. All players do. This thing takes time.The positive sign here? The Cardinals are putting Mathieu in his natural role again. Its a start, a progression of sorts, as Mathieu continues on this road back.And thats the key thing to understand with Mathieu. Not everyone can perform like Adrian Peterson did coming off an ACL in 2012, when he nearly broke the single-season rushing record.That type of performance is super rare, and the narratives surrounding ACL injuries arent that simple. You dont just flip a switch and immediately start lighting up guys on the field after getting cut on and pushing through the rehab cycle.Nah, it doesnt work like that. Even when youre back practicing or playing, the daily maintenance is a grind. Ice. Stretch. Ice some more. Push through the stiffness, the drop in flexibility. Deal with the residual pain that lingers after practice, after games.Its constant.But I would bet big on Mathieu to push through. Hell be back wrecking game plans and dictating matchups in no time.ESPN.com NFL analyst Matt Bowen played seven seasons as a defensive back in the NFL.Nuggets Jerseys 2019 . After taking two big hits this week -- losing at home and dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season -- Indiana struck back by playing its most complete game of the year. Custom Denver Nuggets Jerseys . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. https://www.cheapnuggets.com/ . After Gasquet beat fifth-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-5, 6-3, Tsonga followed up with a 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2 win against sixth-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin in an all-French match. P. J. Dozier Jersey . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. Evan Fournier Jersey . -- Linebacker Myles Jack ran for four touchdowns, defensive end Cassius Marsh caught a scoring pass, and No.Another injury to Blake Griffin and a spot at the end of the bench for players such as?Nerlens Noel and Nikola Mirotic are just some of the fantasy tidbits to be on top of when you set your fantasy lineups this week.Heres a list of the most fantasy-relevant news and notes for all 30 teams heading into the ninth week of the season:Atlanta Hawks: Kent Bazemore is moving back into the Hawks starting lineup, expected to replace Tim Hardaway Jr., after coming off the bench in his first three games back from a minor knee injury. Bazemore is a superior defender to Hardaway, and this move isnt unexpected, but there are two takeaways: 1) Bazemore has to shoot better than his current clip of 36.7 percent to become a legitimate fantasy asset this season. 2) Hardaways minutes (he has averaged 33 MPG the past three games) and fantasy value stand to decrease if he is in fact moved back to the bench.Boston Celtics: Much has been made of the hot start and smooth transition Al Horford has had in Boston this season, but one area of concern is his lack of rebounding. The 30-year-old big man averaged 9-10 rebounds per game in his first five full seasons in the league, but those days appear to be in the past. He was down to 7.2 RPG two years ago in Atlanta and 7.3 in his final season with the Hawks, and now he is down to 6.4 this season. That puts him behind starting shooting guard Avery Bradley (7.5) for the team lead.Brooklyn Nets: Jeremy Lin returned to the court on Monday and played in three of Brooklyns past four games, averaging 14.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and one steal in 20.7 minutes per game. That gives us an idea of the type of production we can expect out of Lin once hes back to full speed and his minutes increase to north of 30 per game. If he can stay healthy from here on out, Lin has a good chance to be a top-60 fantasy player, as hes one of the go-to guys on one of the leagues worst teams.Charlotte Hornets: Kemba Walker has scored in double figures in each of his 27 games this season and is averaging career highs in scoring (22.4 PPG), field goal percentage (46.4) and 3-point percentage (41.4). The former UConn star has struggled in December, though, scoring only 18.9 PPG in nine games.Chicago Bulls: Nikola Mirotic hasnt been very good this season, shooting just 38.1 percent in 22.1 minutes per game, and his career in Chicago has seemingly stalled. Mirotic was a healthy DNP-CD against Milwaukee on Thursday and was left on the bench for a second straight game Friday, after he missed the pregame walkthrough. If Mirotic remains on the bench going forward, second-year forward Bobby Portis will see more opportunity to play; Portis averaged 21 minutes while Mirotic was out of the lineup the past two games.Cleveland Cavaliers: Kevin Love (knee) has been ruled out for Tuesdays game against Milwaukee and is questionable to play in the rematch against the Bucks on Wednesday. Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson are among the players who will play more than usual while Love is out of the lineup, but LeBron James and Kyrie Irving also become more valuable as their usage rises without Love.Dallas Mavericks: J.J. Barea has been upgraded to questionable for Mondays game against Denver after missing just over a month due to a calf injury. Thats the good news for the 7-20 Mavericks. The bad news is both Dirk Nowitzki and Andrew Bogut remain out against the Nuggets, and neither is likely to return before Christmas.Denver Nuggets: Jusuf Nurkic was moved to the bench Thursday against Portland and managed only five minutes in a high-scoring win over the Trail Blazers. Two days later, he remained in a bench role and played just eight minutes, with the Nuggets again outscoring their opponents and beating the Knicks 127-114. Nurkic wasnt getting the minutes or playing that well prior to the demotion, and now that the team is winning with him at the end of the bench, he can be sent to the waiver wire in 10- and 12-team leagues.Detroit Pistons: Stan Van Gundy has openly stated his disappointment regarding the Pistons starting unit and its struggles so far this season, but any change to the starting five wont happen Monday against Chicago. Part of that could be due to the injury to Jon Leuer, a player rumored to be a candidate to slide into the starting lineup if and when a change is made. Leuer missed Saturdays loss to the Pacers due to a back injury and is questionable against the Bulls.Golden State Warriors: Zaza Pachulias recent four-game absence due to a wrist injury opened the door for JaVale McGee to take on a bigger role, and McGee responded with several impressive games in a row. Pachulia returned to the lineup Saturday, but this is a position battle to watch going forward, as McGee provides more of the rim protection that the Warriors are sorely lacking in the post-Andrew Bogut era.Houston Rockets: Clint Capela is experiencing a lot of pain in his left knee and is doubtful to play Tuesday against San Antonio. Nene Hilario and Montrezl Harrell are two options to fill in for Capela if hes unable to play against the Spurs, with Nene being the favorite to start.Indiana Pacers: Monta Ellis has already missed four games due to a groin injury, and he is expected to miss at least several more. In fact, according to Ellis recent quote in the Indianapolis Star, it sounds like he isnt planning on returning to game action until after Christmas. It feels good. Its getting better and better every day, Ellis told the Indianapolis Star. I havent been doing anything [in practice]. Maybe some time this week Ill start doing something, but Ive just been in the weight room getting stronger, and Ill probably start doing court stuff later this week. Glenn Robinson III has averaged 31.8 MPG as the fill-in starter in Ellis absence.Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin needs arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and is expected to miss three to six weeks, which means the Clippers will spend a chunk of the season without their star power forward for a second straight year. Doc Rivers has several ways he could shift the rotation to adjust for Griffins absence; Marreese Speights can be expected to log more minutes and possibly even start, but the Clippers could also insert Jamal Crawford or Austin Rivers into the starting five and go to a small lineup, leaving Speights in the bench role he thrives in.Los Angeles Lakers: A balky knee and inefficient shooting have made DAngelo Russell somewhat of a disappointment so far this season, but one area in which he is already a major factor is from beyond the arc. The second-year guard is making 2.4 3s per game while shooting 38.7 percent from long range, which is an encouraging part of his skill set as we look ahead.Memphis Grizzlies: Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal reports that the Grizzlies are listening to offers for ddefensive-minded veteran Tony Allen, who has stepped up nicely in recent weeks in the absence of Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons.dddddddddddd Allen is averaging 13.6 points, 6 rebounds and 2.2 steals in his past five games, playing just under 33 MPG in that span, but his fantasy value doesnt figure to improve if he is dealt to another team. In fact, theres a good chance it will decrease if he ends up being traded to a team that uses him only 20-25 minutes a game. In other news, Parsons is reportedly only days from returning to the court.Miami Heat: Hassan Whiteside is tied with Russell Westbrook and James Harden for the league lead in double-doubles with 21. Next on the list is Andre Drummond with 19. Whiteside leads the league in rebounds per game (14.8) and is fourth in blocks per game (2.32) behind Anthony Davis, Rudy Gobert and Myles Turner.Milwaukee Bucks: Malcolm Brogdon was selected No. 36 overall this past June, and so far, the 24-year-old point guard looks like one of the biggest steals of the 2016 NBA draft. He enters the week as one of the leagues best rookies, averaging 7.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 21.3 minutes per game.Minnesota Timberwolves: Ricky Rubio might never be the shooter or scorer that many of his point guard colleagues are, but one thing he continues to do well is distribute the basketball without turning it over. Rubio enters the week averaging 1.9 turnovers per game, and his 3.48 assists per turnover ranks seventh in the league.New Orleans Pelicans: The Pelicans are taking it slow with Tyreke Evans, and if hes on your fantasy team, youre going to have to continue to be patient. The veteran guard averaged just 13 minutes in his first two games of the season, and he has already been ruled out for Tuesdays game in Philadelphia to give him additional rest following his 15 minutes on the court Sunday against San Antonio. The Pelicans play the Thunder on Wednesday, and Evans is expected to suit up for that one.New York Knicks: Derrick Rose plans to return to the court Tuesday against Indiana after missing three of the past four games due to back spasms. Roses return will send Brandon Jennings back to the bench and reduce the need for Kristaps Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony to handle the scoring load.Oklahoma City Thunder: Heres a stat you didnt expect to see when the season started: Rookie power forward Domantas Sabonis ranks ninth in the league in 3-point percentage (43.5) and is averaging one made 3-pointer per game, despite attempting only 2.3 3s per game. Although Sabonis isnt a big fantasy option this season, he has the look of an intriguing option for years to come as a power forward who can score, rebound, pass and -- as we highlighted -- shoot from long range.Orlando Magic: Serge Ibaka is kind of a forgotten man in fantasy circles these days, as his rebounding and shot-blocking have fallen off considerably from his early days in Oklahoma City. But dont completely write off Ibaka, who enters the week with a 17.99 PER and is quietly having a pretty solid season. His 14.7 PPG is his highest in three years, as is his 48.4 field goal percentage. Ibaka is making a career-best 1.3 threes per game while still chipping in with 6.5 RPG and 1.8 BPG. Basically, hes Horford without the assists.Philadelphia 76ers: Nerlens Noel played only 10 minutes in his first game of the season two Sundays ago and has made it back to the court for one game since, playing eight minutes as a deep reserve in a loss to the Lakers on Friday. On Sunday, he received a DNP-Coachs Decision, and its looking increasingly likely that the 76ers are going to have to find a way to unload either Noel or Jahlil Okafor. Noel has very little fantasy value at the moment, but that could change in an instant if he is traded and starts on another team.Phoenix Suns: The Suns got a big lift Saturday with the return of TJ Warren, who had missed 13 games following a head injury. Warren played only 14 minutes in the loss to the Thunder, and the team is expected to bring him along slowly, taking the caution necessary with any head injury, but once hes back to full speed, Warren is capable of putting up Harrison Barnes-like numbers with fewer 3s and more steals.Portland Trail Blazers: Effort on the defensive side of the ball continues to be a big problem for the Trail Blazers, who rank last in the league in defensive efficiency, allowing 110.3 points per 100 possessions. The players on the team are starting to speak out about the problem, namely Damian Lillard, but until the team improves on that side of the court, they will continue to be a great team to start players against in season-long and daily fantasy leagues.Sacramento Kings: The days of Arron Afflalo being a decent puzzle piece on fantasy rosters are over. The 31-year-olds 7.3 PPG is his lowest since 2009-10 in Denver, and his 8.89 PER ranks among the lowest in the game. On top of that, he has played just 25 minutes in the Kings past four games and reportedly refused to enter the game against Houston on Wednesday.San Antonio Spurs: Patty Mills is in the discussion for Sixth Man of the Year this season and is also a good streaming option in fantasy leagues. His 11.3 PPG, 3.7 APG and 2 3PG make him a useful asset in season-long leagues any time the Spurs play four games or whenever Tony Parker is out of the lineup.Toronto Raptors: DeMarre Carroll isnt the same fantasy player he was a season ago, with his numbers down across the board. Compared to last season, he is playing 4.3 fewer minutes per game, taking 2.4 fewer shots, scoring 1.1 fewer points, grabbing 1.3 fewer rebounds and swiping 0.7 fewer steals. The 30-year-old veteran isnt more than a streaming option at this stage in his career.Utah Jazz: Alec Burks and George Hill are getting closer to returning to the court for the Jazz. Although neither played in Sundays game in Memphis, both traveled with the team and went through pregame warm-ups. Burks hasnt played yet this season, as he recovers from a surgically repaired ankle, and his return could still be a ways off. Hill has been limited to 11 games due to a toe injury that has kept him out of the past nine games. Once Hill returns, you can expect Dante Exums and Shelvin Macks minutes to take a hit.Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal scored 41 points against the Clippers on Sunday, one below the career high he set last month, and in nine December games, he is shooting 49.3 percent from the field, 46 percent from 3-point range and averaging 24.6 PPG. This is the player everyone has been waiting to see since he was selected No. 3overall in 2012, and itd be one of the better stories of the season if he can stay healthy and continue to play near this level. ' ' '