Galerie » too: 54-year-old Fred Couples,

TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona coach Bruce Arians cut quarterback Ryan Lindley at the end of the preseason. Now hes put the offence in Lindleys hands in the biggest game of the Cardinals season.The third-year quarterback, who made four unimpressive starts as a rookie, will be thrown into the teeth of the fierce Seattle defence Sunday night.Its a tough spot for someone who never took a snap as Arizonas No. 3 quarterback last year, then was released in favour of rookie Logan Thomas at the end of this preseason.When Carson Palmer went down with a season-ending knee injury, the Cardinals signed Lindley off the San Diego practice squad. And when Palmers replacement, Drew Stanton, sprained his right knee Thursday night in St. Louis, Arians turned to Lindley rather than Thomas to finish the game.He was calm as a cucumber out there, Arians said before Wednesdays practice.The stakes on Sunday night are high.Arizona (11-3) is the only NFC team to have clinched a spot in the playoffs. A victory over the Seahawks (10-4) would ensure the NFCs No. 1 seed, guaranteeing that the Cardinals would play at home throughout the playoffs, including the Super Bowl, since its being played in Arizona.A Seattle victory would give the reigning Super Bowl champs a tie for first in the NFC West, and they would have the tiebreaker by virtue of two wins over the Cardinals. Arizona probably would be relegated to a wild card berth and a road game in the first round.Largely because the Cardinals are down to a third-string, maybe fourth-string, quarterback, oddsmakers have made Seattle an eight-point favourite on the road.I think its all about money in Vegas, Lindley said. Theyre just dealing with facts. They arent worrying about the people and the intangibles.Arizona drafted Lindley in the sixth round out of San Diego State in 2012. With the Cardinals season circling the drain, then-coach Ken Whisenhunt made the rookie the starter with the team in the midst of losing 11 of its last 12 games.The results werent good. Lindley completed 52 per cent of his passes for 752 yards and zero touchdowns. He was intercepted seven times. His 181 passes attempted — including 10 last week — are the most in NFL history without a touchdown.But this is a far better team than the one two years ago, and Lindley insists hes a different quarterback.Its night and day, he said. The amount Ive learned and not only grown as a person in two years, but from these guys — B.A. (Arians), from Carson, from Drew. Im a totally different person and totally different player from that point.He said the biggest difference between now and then is knowing whats coming.Obviously the first time out there before, its new, and you dont know exactly whats going to happen, Lindley said. But now, through experience, through seeing how these guys Drew and Carson prepare, how Philip (Rivers) prepares out in San Diego, I just feel a lot more ready at this point.Lindley said its 50-50 as to whether his playing time in 2012 did more harm than good.The biggest thing is if you dont let it affect your confidence too much, he said, anythings a learning experience.He said he got through it with the support of his family and his faith.Its just trusting in whatever the plan will be, Lindley said. Just waiting for this opportunity. I feel extremely blessed and excited that its here.Arians dismisses the term game manager. He said the Cardinals wont scale back their style just because of the quarterback. He has, however, tailored a game plan to Lindleys skills.There are some things in the offence he likes to throw, Arians said. Each guys got two or three things that they like a little bit more than the others.Asked where Lindley concerns him, Arians responded, He really doesnt.Hes a meticulous preparation guy, the coach said. The dynamics between us — Ive bounced things off him. I trust him as far as his mental makeup to the game.To keep the Seahawks guessing, Arians has developed a package for Thomas and says he might use both quarterbacks.But its Lindley at centre stage, with the support of a coach whose former pupils include Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and Ben Roethlisberger.Its tough to find at this level, a guy that you want to pour it onto the field for, Lindley said, and B.A. gets his guys to play their best for him.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.orgm and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Caleb Sturgis Jersey . This week, topics cover the World Series champion Red Sox, John Farrell and what to look forward to this off-season. Virgil Green Jersey . 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AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Bubba Watson likes the way he looks in green. He wants to get that colour back in his wardrobe. Watson surged to the Masters lead with a spree of birdies on the back side Friday, positioning him for a weekend run at his second green jacket in three years. "Im trying to get the jacket back," Watson said. "I want that feeling again." The 2012 champion at Augusta National sparked the best run of the tournament so far when he stuck his tee shot at No. 12 within 3 feet of the cup. He tapped in for the first of five straight birdies that propelled him to a 4-under 68. Even after making his second bogey of the tournament by missing a short putt at the 18th, Watson walked off with his second straight round in the 60s, a 7-under 137 total and a three-stroke lead -- the biggest 36-hole advantage at Augusta since 2006. "Its not science here," Watson said. "Its try to hit the greens, and if youre hitting the greens that means youre obviously hitting your tee shots well. So thats all Im trying to do, just hit the greens." Look whos in the mix again, too: 54-year-old Fred Couples, who posted his second straight 71. This is the fifth straight year the 1992 winner has gone to the weekend in the top 10 -- he was leading two years ago -- but hes never been able to hang on. "I cant panic," said Couples, looking to become the oldest major champion in golf history. "Youre not going to pick up two or three shots here because you want to. Its not that kind of course. Youve got to hang in there, expect a tough shot here and there. Its going to be a tough day tomorrow." And dont count out defending champion Adam Scott, who got off to a rough start but rallied for 72. The Aussie was among those four shots back, still solidly in contention to become only the fourth back-to-back winner in Masters history. Watson opened Thursday with a 69 and went bogey-free through the first 26 holes, finally stumbling at the ninth. But that bogey was quickly forgotten when he put on a dazzling display of the golf that had the patrons roaring. He took advantage of both par 5s, sandwiched around a curling, 40-foot birdie putt at the 14th that prompted him to throw both arms in the air. Watson made it five in a row at the par-3 16th, pulling off another magnificent tee shot with the 9-iron, the ball rolling up about 4 feet short of the flag. He became only the fifth player in Masters history to run off nothing but birdies from the 12th to 16th holles.dddddddddddd A year ago, the left-hander finished in a tie for 50th last year as the defending Masters champion, his worst showing in five previous appearances. He likes being two years removed from his title a whole lot better. "I was in awe when I was the champion," Watson said. "I didnt know how to handle it the best way, so I didnt play my best golf." Watsons closest pursuer was Australias John Senden, who birdied 14 and 15 on his way to a 68 and 140 overall. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., shot an even-par second round, but his disappointing first round of 8 over will see him cut from the final weekend. The project cut is 4 over. Former Masters champion Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., will almost assuredly move on after a round of even par. He followed four birdies on the front nine with four bogeys on the back to sit at 1 over after two rounds. Scott bogeyed three of the first five holes but wound up at 141. He was joined by Denmarks Thomas Bjorn, who birdied four of the last five holes for a 68; Swedens Jonas Blixt, who managed 71 despite a double-bogey at the 11th; and 20-year-old Jordan Spieth, hardly looking like an Augusta rookie when he closed out 70 with a birdie at the tough finishing hole. Five shots back with Couples were Jimmy Walker, a three-time PGA Tour winner this season who shot 72, and Jim Furyk, whose 68 matched Watson, Senden and Bjorn for the best round of the day. First-round leader Bill Haas, teeing off on a warm, sunny afternoon with the wind picking up and the greens getting firmer, was still at 4 under approaching the turn. Then came a miserable stretch of holes starting at No. 9: bogey, bogey, double-bogey, bogey, bogey. He staggered to a 78 -- 10 shots higher than the day before, knocking him nine shots back. At least Haas gets to keep playing. Three-time winner Phil Mickelson missed the Augusta cut for the first time since 1997. Lefty had a triple-bogey at the 12th, where he knocked three straight shots in bunkers for his second triple of the tournament. Three birdies on the back side gave him a glimmer of hope, but 73 totalled up to 149 -- one shot too many. "Its tough to overcome those big numbers," said Mickelson, who had plenty of big-name company beyond the cut line. Sergio Garcia, Luke Donald, Ernie Els, Graeme McDowell, Dustin Johnson, Angel Cabrera and Charl Schwartzel were all headed home as well before the weekend. 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