TEMPE, Ariz. Solomon Thomas Super Bowl Jersey . -- Tyrann Mathieu returned to practice for the Arizona Cardinals on Wednesday and said he was optimistic that he would be able to play when the team faces the Vikings in Minnesota.Coach Bruce Arians also confirmed after practice that wide receiver Jaron Brown has signed an extension that puts him under contract through next season.Brown is out for the season with a knee injury.We love him as a football player, Arians said. It looks like hell be fine health-wise, gives him another year. Hes earned it. Really happy for him and its good for us because hes a quality special teams player and a real quality receiver.The signing gives the team some protection should the Cardinals lose wide receiver Michael Floyd, who becomes a free agent at the end of this season.Jarons a guy you dont want to lose, quarterback Carson Palmer said. What he brings to the team, because he can play special teams, he plays every spot at receiver. Hes got speed, hes physical, he catches the ball. He catches 50-50 balls very well. Just a very, very well-rounded receiver.Browns signing was first reported by azcentralsports.Mathieu was limited in practice but said afterward that his shoulder felt fine. He was still wearing a brace on the knee that was surgically repaired late last season but was meeting with the doctor to discuss taking it off, which would greatly aid the mobility that is so crucial to the way he plays the game.Of courses Id rather play without it, he said, but I dont want to do anything that puts me in harms way, so Ill talk to him. Im sure well negotiate something.The defensive back was sidelined with a shoulder subluxation in Arizonas loss at Carolina on Oct. 30 and missed Sundays 23-20 win over San Francisco.He said removing the brace would clear another hurdle as he tries to get back to his aggressive Honey Badger performances of the past.The shoulder injury, he said, was just another challenge.Life frustrates sometimes, Mathieu said. Youve just got to deal with it. Cant get too high or too low. Its just another challenge for me. I embrace all those challenges.The way Mathieu talked, his participation in Sundays game was no sure thing.Ill see how I feel at the end of the week and if Im at 100 percent, or very close to it, Ill play Sunday, he said. If not, Ill hold back. ... Im optimistic I will play. I try to look on the bright side of everything.Mathieu was asked about the perception that hes handling this shoulder setback better than he did such problems earlier in his career.I dont know, he said. From the outside looking in maybe, but its frustrating on the inside, obviously. A lot of noise. You try to tune that out. Just another challenge for me. I embrace it.The Cardinals defense ranks second in the NFL, allowing 295.2 yards per game, but Mathieu said the team doesnt have the swagger it exhibited in last years 13-3 season.At times weve had swagger. We have had confidence, he said. Were just playing inconsistent right now. Weve just got to get that consistency back. Once we get that back, Im sure well be rolling.Theyd better get rolling soon. At 4-4-1, the Cardinals cant afford many more stumbles if they want to challenge for a playoff berth.After Sundays game against a Minnesota team hungry for a win after four straight losses, the Cardinals go to Atlanta to face the NFC South-leading Falcons.Game notes Larry Fitzgerald didnt practice due to knee and ankle injuries but Arians said he remains confident his star wide receiver will play Sunday. ... Palmer had another veterans day off. ... Outside linebacker Chandler Jones missed practice because of a family issue.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Joe Montana Super Bowl Jersey . Burke is expected to miss two to three months after breaking a finger in the teams third preseason game. Tinsley, a 10-year veteran, spent the last two seasons in Utah, where the point guard averaged 3. Kwon Alexander Super Bowl Jersey . DAmigo scored twice in regulation and added the shootout winner as the Toronto Marlies edged the San Antonio Rampage 5-4 in American Hockey League action. http://www.thesf49ersshoponline.com/Youth-Emmanuel-Sanders-49ers-Jersey/ . -- Stanford squashed Oregons national championship hopes again, schooling the Ducks in power football. When University of Washington womens basketball coach Mike Neighbors finds himself watching a lopsided high school or AAU game, he tries to think outside the box.He seeks out athletic directors or ticket takers to measure intangibles, off-the-court qualities that dont show up in player rankings or box scores.Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff takes his recruiting reconnaissance one step further.You talk to the people who sweep the floors and the people who clean the bathrooms and all that, McGuff said. You see how they treat them.In todays girls basketball world, where there is increasing competition to earn a scholarship, college coaches are paying attention to the small details, even if the score is 68-10. Recruits on top-flight teams signing this week navigated their recruitments through a handful of blowout games. That means their suitors found other ways to evaluate talent.Players say they often tell coaches which games on their schedule will be the most competitive. That way, recruits get the chance to show their stuff, and coaches can maximize their 112 evaluation days.Every time I talk to a college coach, they even tell me [to] pick [games] out for them because they know that we will usually beat teams by a large margin, said Aquira DeCosta, the No. 6 prospect in the espnW HoopGurlz Super 60 for the 2018 class. She plays for St. Marys (Stockton, California), which went 28-1 last year. Just four of their games were decided by 10 points or fewer.Even with a heads up, coaches can still find themselves at lopsided games. With the team on cruise control and the recruit on the bench, coaches shift their focus away from layups or defense.Theyll take notes on how a recruit acts around her teammates or how she responds in huddles.Neighbors looks at a handful of things.How do they respond to officials? Neighbors said. How do they respond to being in a blowout? Do they react the way we hope they would act?Before arriving on campus, coaches typically have seen a player in another venue, such as an AAU game or showcase. Neighbors acknowledged that it is certainly hard to evaluate on-court talent in a blowout. Coaches want to see how future players respond in tight games.Its hard when you see recruits and theyre not playing against any competition, McGuff said. You just want to see how they react in those environments.Coaches try to get a sense of a recruits character on the front end, before visiting a game. Blowout games, however, offer a rare look at personality that iisnt visible over the phone or by text message. Deebo Samuel Super Bowl Jersey. Louisville coach Jeff Walz enjoys seeing recruits on the bench. Walz can remember games that have lasted just 45 minutes with a running clock.If youre not playing because your team is up big, are you there cheering for your teammates? Walz said. Are you getting them water when a timeout comes?We like to look for all those intangibles. Its not just about how many points can you score. Its what type of person you are.DeCosta frequently hears from coaches who tell her to play up to potential even in an uneven game.They look for how your courage is, she said.Ayanna Clark, the No. 17 in the class of 2017 and a USC commit, said many of her games at Long Beach Poly are blowouts.Last year, the Jackrabbits went 27-5, winning their league games by a 55-point average margin. Clark generally advises college coaches to see her play during the playoffs instead.But no matter what, Clark finds other ways to get involved.Im always the person whos there to cheer on my team and pick them up, Clark said. I do it either way. It doesnt just have to be a one-way thing when its non-competitive.Clark said its common for college coaches to show up early, perhaps during the junior varsity game, to catch warmups.Walz and his staff try to pick the most competitive games, but he has also found value in evaluating a recruit at practice.I get just as much, if not more, from watching a potential student-athlete practice than I do playing a game, Walz said. I want to find the ones that love to practice.Coaches agree that the EYBL circuit and AAU ranks have created a must-win environment for many teams. Programs are motivated to reach nationals, which makes games more competitive. Blowout games can happen anywhere, though.Ive seen 68-10 AAU games, Walz said. You just have to go and watch and see when theyre up 50, are they still trying to compete and play the hardest? Or do they slack off.Recruits on top-flight programs generally know which games on their schedule will feature the best competition. If a player is not a junior, high school coaches relay vital information about the matchup so that college coaches arent surprised.I can tell them ahead what kind of game it is depending on which team it is, DeCosta said. When you do have those competitive, elite games, just play your best and let it all out there. ' ' '