final half of the season, will lead to more

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants are giving wide receiver Victor Cruzs bruised left heel a little extra medical attention. The teams leading receiver the past two seasons, Cruz walked to a podium Tuesday using crutches and with his foot in a boot. It raised some immediate concerns about the severity of his injury. "Why does everyone look so sad," Cruz quipped after looking at reporters. The reality is the Giants are just being cautious with the regular-season opener at Dallas less than three weeks away. Cruz did not practice on Tuesday, and it seems unlikely that he will be a target for Eli Manning in the annual bragging rights preseason game at the Jets on Saturday night. He might not even play in the preseason finale against New England on Aug. 29 if Tom Coughlin wants to be very careful. "Its all about just getting better at this point," said Cruz, who recently signed a $43 million contract extension. "I think I have a firm understanding of the offence, and me and Eli have an understanding of how he likes to hit me and things we do out there on the field. So Im not too concerned about it. Obviously Im a guy that loves to practice, loves to be out there. Just a short setback. And a time where - you never want to have one - but if theres a time to have one, its now. So its not bad." Cruz bruised the heel Sunday night trying to catch a long pass from Manning on the opening series. It was a jump ball type of play, and one of the defenders came down on his foot. It immediately went numb. The Giants have told him his status is day to day, but it looked more week to week with crutches and a boot. The 26-year-old hopes to shed the crutches soon. He is being treated with ice and medication to reduce the swelling. He added he doesnt think the injury will linger all season. "Once the swelling goes down, I think Ill be OK," said Cruz, who grew up in nearby Paterson and created a spot for himself with the Giants catching three touchdowns as a free agent receiver against the Jets in 2010. "I just want to be smart," Cruz added. Cruz didnt think his injury was serious when it happened because he did not hear anything pop. He even stayed on the field for one more play before going to the bench. An MRI showed some blood in the heel. There was no muscle tear and no broken bones, Cruz said, adding he expects to play in the opener. "I do see myself, envision myself out here on the practice field, getting ready for that Cowboys game, getting ready to go down to Texas to play those guys," he said. "Thats what I do envision." Cheap Custom Brewers Jersey . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said. Paul Molitor Jersey Large . Haas said he "felt a lot of pain" in his right shoulder when he slammed his racket to the ground in frustration after losing his serve at 3-3 in the first set. http://www.custombrewersjersey.com/ . -- Kyrie Irvings last-minute 3-pointer helped seal another victory for Cleveland -- and the Cavaliers longest winning streak since LeBron James left. Cheap Brewers Jerseys . Burris threw two TD passes, including a key 15-yard fourth-quarter strike to Bakari Grant that effectively countered a Toronto comeback bid and led Hamilton to a 33-19 victory. Custom Brewers T-shirts . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. NFL Nation reporters detail the biggest storylines -- and what they mean going forward -- for every team coming out of Week 10.AFC East | AFC North| AFC South | AFC West NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC WestAFC EASTBuffalo Bills (4-5)Buffalo returns to practice Monday after Rex Ryan gave his team its entire bye week off. At 4-5, the Bills have their back against the wall, and badly need to snap their three-game losing streak next Sunday in Cincinnati. Losing to the Bengals would drop Buffalo to 1-5 in the AFC, making it extremely difficult to win a wild-card tiebreaker at the end of the season. -- Mike RodakWeek 11: at Cincinnati, Sunday, 1 p.m. ETMiami Dolphins (5-4)The Dolphins and quarterback Ryan Tannehill are growing in confidence following their fourth straight win on Sunday against the Chargers. This is Miamis first four-game win streak since 2008, which coincidentally is the last time the team made the playoffs. The Dolphins play four of their next six games on the road, so its imperative they continue to play well away from Hard Rock Stadium. -- James WalkerWeek 11: at Los Angeles, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ETNew England Patriots (7-2)The Patriots offense didnt play its usual clean and efficient game in the loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, but the bigger issue -- and something that could hold the team back from its Super Bowl aspirations -- is a defense struggling to produce turnovers and create enough consistent resistance. Not enough pass rush. Not competitive enough coverage. While credit goes to the Seahawks and quarterback Russell Wilson for creating stress, the Patriots D isnt holding up its end of the bargain when it comes to playing complementary football. -- Mike ReissWeek 11: at San Francisco, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ETNew York Jets (3-7)The Jets have a bye week to assess their problems. But what they really need is a bye month. The No. 1 question: Will they proceed with Bryce Petty at quarterback, or go back to Ryan Fitzpatrick, if healthy? Coach Todd Bowles said he wants to evaluate Pettys performance on Sunday and Fitzpatricks sprained knee before making the decision. -- Rich CiminiWeek 11:?ByeAFC NORTHBaltimore Ravens (5-4)The good news is the Ravens get extra rest (10 days) before playing at Dallas on Sunday. The bad news is that might not be enough time for the interior of the offensive line to get fully healthy. Pro Bowl right guard Marshal Yanda has missed three out of the past four games with a shoulder injury, left guard Alex Lewis suffered an ankle injury that forced him out of the last game and center Jeremy Zuttah is also struggling with an ankle injury. The offensive line has been a painful position all season for the Ravens, who have started nine offensive linemen through nine games. -- Jamison HensleyWeek 11: at Dallas, Sunday, 1 p.m. ETCincinnati Bengals (3-4-1)The Bengals indicated they would make changes on defense after allowing more than 500 yards to the Redskins. Will they follow through, or will it be more of the same? The Bengals have a big opportunity in the AFC North with the Steelers floundering, so a win against the Giants on Monday night is vital to keep pace in the division. The biggest challenge for the Bengals this week: stopping Odell Beckham Jr. -- Katherine TerrellWeek 11: vs. Buffalo, Sunday, 1 p.m. ETCleveland Browns (0-10)Browns coach Hue Jackson is confident there will be no lingering negatives for Cody Kessler after he was benched Thursday night against Baltimore. Me and Cody had a great conversation [Friday], Jackson said. Cody is in a great place. Kessler will start Sundays game against the Steelers. -- Pat McManamonWeek 11: vs. Pittsburgh, Sunday, 1 p.m. ETPittsburgh Steelers (4-5)No other way to put it: The Steelers are devastated right now, and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said the team needs more discipline and accountability after costly mistakes, particularly on defense, resulted in a 35-30 loss to the Cowboys. LeVeon Bell said Pittsburgh has played one complete game all year -- one. Safety Mike Mitchell said the Steelers had their hearts ripped out. This is a team in full soul-search mode. The only two positives after a four-game losing streak: Big Ben is posting big numbers again and the Browns are on the Week 11 schedule. -- Jeremy FowlerWeek 11: at Cleveland, Sunday, 1 p.m. ETAFC SOUTHHouston Texans (6-3)Even against the now 2-7 Jaguars, the Texans offense struggled to get into a rhythm. Quarterback Brock Osweiler threw for just 99 yards, and at one point had nine consecutive incomplete passes. Osweiler targeted Pro Bowl receiver DeAndre Hopkins 13 times, but he had just five catches for 48 yards. Both Hopkins and head coach Bill OBrien said they are not concerned about his production because the Texans won and are now 6-3, but against better teams, that game plan might not be as successful. -- Sarah BarshopWeek 11: vs. Oakland in Mexico City, Monday, 8:30 p.m. ETIndianapolis Colts (4-5)The Colts return to practice Monday after coach Chuck Pagano gave his players most of last week off for the bye. Theyll also return to practice without having made up any ground on Houston in the AFC South because Jacksonville couldnt beat the Texans on Sunday. The Colts are two games behind the Texans, while also not holding the tiebreaker between the two teams. Indianapolis will play host to Tennessee, which beat Green Bay on Sunday, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 11. -- Mike WellsWeek 11: vs. Tennessee, Sunday, 1 p.m. ETJacksonville Jaguars (2-7)It has been 23 quarters since the Jaguars forced a turnover, dating back to the first quarter of a Week 4 victory over Indianapolis. Since that turnover -- an interception by Yannick Ngakoue -- the Jacksonville offense has turned the ball over 12 times. The Jaguars are last in the NFL in turnover ratio at minus-14, and have forced a league-low five turnovers. This team isnt talented or good enough to overcome that, and its 2-7 record proves it. -- Mike DiRoccoWeek 11: at Detroit, Sunday, 1 p.m. ETTennessee Titans (5-5Can the Titans carry some of what they did against the Packers to Indianapolis? Green Bay might not be great this year, but the Titans feel they dispatched a powerhouse with their 47-25 win over the Packers. They consistently fail to get past the Colts, who also topped the Packers in their most recent game. The Titans have scored 35 points or more in three consecutive games and have to find the formula to keep pouring it on against a team they are determined to stay ahead of in the AFC South. -- Paul KuharskyWeek 11: at Indianapolis, Sunday, 1 p.m. ETAFC WESTDenver Broncos (7-2)Saturday night Broncos coach Gary Kubiak demanded his team show plenty of fight in New Orleans. The Broncos have a bye week coming and Kubiak wanted to see his battered team give everything it had to get there -- and in a 25-23 win, a game won when the Broncos returned a blocked extra point for two points, the defending champs showed why theyre still going to be a tough out for opponents. Their defense showed it still has some teeth, the offense put enough drives together to keep the Broncos in position, and the team showed the make-a-play tenacity that marked its run last season. And now it gets a bye that will give cornerback Aqib Talib and defensive end Derek Wolfe a chance to get back in the lineup. The Broncos will return to play the Chiefs in Week 12 as healthy as theyve been all season. -- Jeff LegwoldWeek 11:?ByeKansas City Chiefs (7-2)The one constant in Kansas Citys five-game winning streak has been turnovers. The Chiefs forced at least two in each of the five, but none bigger than the two in the fourth quarter that carried them past the Panthers on Sunday. Safety Eric Berry, who returned an interception 42 yards in the fourth quarter for the Chiefs only touchdown, said he knew Kansas City would eventually take the ball away from Cam Newton and the Panthers. Cornerback Marcus Peters, who forced and recovered a fumble later to set up the game-winning field goal, said he had only one thing on his mind on the play -- and that was to take the ball away from wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin. -- Adam TeicherWeek 11: vs. Tampa Bay, Sunday, 1 p.m. ETOakland Raiders (7-2)The afterglow from last Sunday nights nationally televised coming-out party against the Broncos is dimming a bit thanks to this weekends bye, and the Raiders are again preparing for another nationally televised affair -- this time with an international flair. The first-place Raiders, who are 7-2 and not available to the media again until Wednesday, are the home team in Mexico City for Monday Night Football against the Texans. -- Paul GutierrezWeek 11: vs. Texans in Mexico City, Monday, 8:30 p.m. ETSan Diego Chargers (4-6)Philip Rivers threw four interceptions in the final 13 minutes of Sundays loss, including one returned for a touchdown by Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso for the winning score. At 4-6, the Chargers are still mathematically capable of making the playoffs -- but buried in the cellar of arguably the best division in football in the AFC West, the Chargers are likely looking forward to next season once again, and focused on developing young talent at the back end of the roster. San Diego heads into the bye this week, then hits the road to face the Texans in two weeks. -- Eric D. WilliamsWeek 11: ByeNFC EASTDallas Cowboys (8-1)In the end, the Cowboys do not have a decision to make regarding their quarterback situation. Dak Prescott will be the quarterback as the Cowboys go with the hot hand, according to Jerry Jones after Sundays win over the Steelers. Jones said it would be a decision Tony Romo would make as well. Prescott threw for 319 yards and two touchdowns while directing two fourth-quarter comebackss in the final minutes, including the winning drive that ended in an Ezekiel Elliott touchdown run with nine seconds to play.dddddddddddd -- Todd ArcherWeek 11: vs. Baltimore, Sunday, 1 p.m. ETNew York Giants (5-3)The Giants need a win on Monday night against the Bengals just to keep pace with the rest of the NFC East. After the Cowboys win in Pittsburgh, the Eagles win over the Falcons and the way the Redskins handled the Vikings on Sunday, its apparent the division is going to come down to the wire. The Giants cant afford to drop games, especially at home. -- Jordan RaananWeek 11: vs. Chicago, Sunday, 1 p.m. ETPhiladelphia Eagles (5-4)The Eagles rediscovered the ground game, and just in time. Ryan Mathews rushed for over 100 yards and scored twice to help the Eagles to a 24-15 win over the Falcons on Sunday. That puts them at 5-4 and in position to compete down a difficult homestretch, starting this week in Seattle. Strong on defense and special teams, the Eagles appear to be at their best when theyre playing an opportunistic, ball-control style on the offensive side. Following that formula will be key over the final seven games. -- Tim McManusWeek 11: at Seattle, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ETWashington Redskins (5-3-1)RB Rob Kelley has provided the Redskins a boost -- and theres no reason to think it wont continue. Kelley has rushed for 184 yards in two starts, and its not a fluke. He runs hard, he shows excellent vision and he constantly stays ahead of the chains. The Redskins will continue to start Kelley, and the good part for them is that the more playing time he sees, the better he becomes. Sunday, he learned to trust his blockers and not always look to cut back. It resulted in positive runs. Tight end Vernon Davis said of Kelley, Hes a stud. -- John KeimWeek 11: vs. Green Bay, Sunday, 8:25 p.m. ETNFC NORTHChicago Bears (2-7)Jay Cutler regressed in Tampa. Coming off a strong effort versus Minnesota in Week 8, Cutler completed 16 of 30 pass attempts for 182 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions (55.1 quarterback rating) in Chicagos blowout loss to the Bucs. Cutler also lost a fumble, and fumbled the ball for a safety. The embattled quarterback now has committed seven turnovers in 15 quarters of play in 2016. Most expect Cutler to leave the Bears after the season, but Chicago cant afford any more performances like that. Even though the Bears are 2-7, they are still trying to build momentum for next year -- but they went backward at Raymond James Stadium. -- Jeff DickersonWeek 11: at New York Giants, Sunday, 1 p.m. ETDetroit Lions (5-4)The Lions were off this weekend, and theyre hoping that gets them as close to healthy as theyve been since the season opened. Darius Slay (hamstring) should be back for next weeks game against Jacksonville. The Lions are also monitoring the progress of tight end Brandon Pettigrew (PUP, knee) and linebackers Jon Bostic (IR, foot) and DeAndre Levy (knee). If all four are able to return in the next few weeks, the Lions could be in good shape as they attempt to make a push at winning the NFC North for the first time since 1993 -- when the North had five teams and was named the NFC Central. -- Michael RothsteinWeek 11: vs. Jacksonville, Sunday, 1 p.m. ETGreen Bay Packers (4-5)When will the losing streak end, and what happens if it doesnt? The Packers had answers for neither after Sundays 47-25 loss to the Titans that ran that streak to three, prompting receiver Jordy Nelson to say it wont change just by flipping a switch. If you play the way you need to play, if it flips, it flips, he said. Somehow, the Packers are still just one game out of first place in the NFC North, but have two more road games -- at Washington and Philadelphia -- before they play again at home. -- Rob DemovskyWeek 11: at Washington, Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ETMinnesota Vikings (5-4)The Vikings asked Sam Bradford to throw the ball 40 times on Sunday, and their leading rusher (Matt Asiata) ran for 16 yards. They returned to a number of the negative plays coach Mike Zimmer had sought to eliminate, and after the 26-20 loss to the Redskins on Sunday, guard Alex Boone said, Its like teams know what were doing now. Still, Zimmer said the Vikings will try to win in whatever manner it takes: Im sure wed like to run the ball better, but if we have to throw it every down, then we throw it every down. -- Ben GoesslingWeek 11: vs. Arizona, Sunday, 1 p.m. ETNFC SOUTHAtlanta Falcons (6-4)The Falcons cant expect to be Super Bowl contenders if they continue to get dominated physically like they did in their 24-15 loss to the Eagles on Sunday. Defensively, they surrendered a season-high 208 yards rushing on 38 carries, including 109 rushing yards and two touchdowns to?Ryan Mathews?-- a handful of those runs were even up the middle. It was frustrating for us, no question about it, Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. At least they have the bye week to correct those errors and prepare for one of the leagues top rushers in Arizonas David Johnson. The Cardinals travel to Atlanta in Week 12. -- Vaughn McClureWeek 11:?ByeCarolina Panthers (3-6)Cam Newton brought back the dab to give the Panthers a spark, but even that wasnt enough. Newton has himself to blame. He took consecutive sacks in the third quarter at the end of a 20-play drive that took the Panthers out of field goal position, then had a fourth-quarter interception returned 42 yards for a touchdown in Sundays 20-17 loss to Kansas City. Now, he has only four days to get ready for a New Orleans team against which last month he had a sack that cost Carolina a field goal opportunity in a three-point loss. -- David NewtonWeek 11: vs. New Orleans, Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ETNew Orleans Saints (4-5)The Saints were pretty dazed in the locker room after their 25-23 loss to the Broncos, courtesy of a stunning blocked extra point that was returned for two points. The buzzword was disbelief. The loss itself wont break the Saints spirits since the offense and defense both played so well to survive four turnovers and come back from a 10-0 deficit. But they have to bounce back quickly with a huge game at Carolina just four days away on Thursday night. And New Orleans biggest problem is that it no longer has any margin for error with a 4-5 record. -- Mike TriplettWeek 11: at Carolina, Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ETTampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5)Jameis Winston threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns in the Bucs 36-10 win over the Bears on Sunday, while the defense sacked Jay Cutler four times and forced four turnovers in the first half. They got their first home win of the season, ending the NFLs longest home losing streak, which was six games going back to last year. The Bucs are now back in second place in the NFC South, tied with the Saints, whom they still have to face twice. They arent out of this thing yet. -- Jenna LaineWeek 11: at Kansas City, Sunday, 1 p.m. ETNFC WESTArizona Cardinals (4-4-1)There was good, bad and ugly in the Cardinals win over San Francisco on Sunday. But the biggest story will be how the offense responds next week against a talented Minnesota defense. Arizona returned to the passing game after the 49ers made it a priority to stop David Johnson, whom the Cardinals leaned heavily on during the first half of the season after defenses focused on taking away their vertical passing game. Sunday was a breakthrough for Arizona, to some degree, as it returned to the passing game with two 100-yard receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd. -- Josh WeinfussWeek 11: at Minnesota, Sunday, 1 p.m. ETLos Angeles Rams (4-5)Rams coach Jeff Fisher didnt leave much room for Jared Goff consideration on Sunday, saying after a much-needed 9-6 victory that Case Keenum was not the reason his team did not score a touchdown despite three red zone trips. The Rams have been held to two touchdowns over the past three weeks, but the start of the Goff era remains on hold. One major positive from Sunday: Todd Gurley finally got going in the second half, carrying the ball 11 times for 54 yards. He also had a 21-yard run that was negated by a hold. -- Alden GonzalezWeek 11: vs. Miami, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ETSan Francisco 49ers (1-8)Most members of the 49ers offered a quick reminder that there are no moral victories in the NFL after Sundays 23-20 loss to the Cardinals. Coach Chip Kelly even went so far as to say the league doesnt hand out participation trophies after the Niners near miss. But a moral victory in this game was as close as the Niners have come to a real one in the past eight weeks. They came up short, but they were better against the run, won the turnover battle and quarterback Colin Kaepernick offered more signs of progress. No, it wasnt a win -- but it was an effort that, should it continue over the final half of the season, will lead to more and the eventual end of their current eight-game losing streak. -- Nick WagonerWeek 11: at New England, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ETSeattle Seahawks (6-2-1)The Seahawks look like theyve discovered a new offensive weapon who could have a huge impact in the second half of the season: Running back C.J. Prosise. The rookie has battled through injuries, but he got the start against the Patriots and was the Seahawks leading rusher (15 carries for 55 yards) and leading receiver (six catches for 80 yards). In the fourth quarter, he came down with a tremendous 38-yard reception down the right sideline. The Seahawks are hoping to get back Thomas Rawls in the coming weeks, but for now, it looks like Prosise is going to play a big role on offense. -- Sheil KapadiaWeek 11: vs. Philadelphia, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET ' ' '