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New England Patriots wide receiver Tyquan Thornton is excited to switch things up, as he transitions from No. 51 on the back of his jersey to No. 11.
The No. 11 jersey was the playmaking slot receiver Julian Edelman’s old number from 2009-2020. Thornton gets to carry the numerical torch now, and he had a laugh with the media, following Thursday’s loss to the New York Giants.
He played well in his NFL debut with the new number, catching two passes for nine yards, including a touchdown in the first quarter. He made his contributions to a New England passing attack that recorded 256 yards through the air. With that in mind, he’s ultimately pleased with the number change.
“I feel a little bit better in eleven. I feel like it fits me more,” Thornton said at the post-game conference. “…Julian, he was a great receiver. I’m kind of proud to wear that number after him.”
Time will tell if he can fill Edelman’s shoes. Nevertheless, he put together a strong opening act to make his presence known in what is a crowded wide receiver room.
It will be intriguing to see if he can carry the positive momentum over to next Friday, when the Patriots take on the Carolina Panthers. | 2022-08-12T22:37:58Z | sports.yahoo.com | Patriots WR Tyquan Thornton has funny reaction to jersey change | https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-wr-tyquan-thornton-funny-221551527.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-wr-tyquan-thornton-funny-221551527.html?src=rss |
Next man up sometimes means someone not on the roster currently. And it’s important to keep a full camp roster. Friday the Raiders place CB Cre’Von LeBlanc on injured reserve and replaced him with free agent Nate Brooks.
Brooks was most recently with the Arizona Cardinals. He was released three days ago on August 9th, which means the Raiders scooped him up not long after he cleared waivers.
The fourth year cornerback has appeared in four games in his career, with two starts, both as a rookie in 2019 with the Dolphins. One of those starts came against the Patriots in which he had a pass breakup and three tackles — probably how he got on McDaniels’s radar.
The 25-year-old spent last season on the Titans’ practice squad after spending training camp with the Buccaneers. He also spent time with the Ravens.
The North Texas product entered the league as an undrafted free agent signing by the Cardinals.
Kevin Durant has plenty of leverage over the Brooklyn Nets. Will he use it? Will it help the Phoenix Suns in their pursuit of the all-star? | 2022-08-12T22:38:05Z | sports.yahoo.com | Raiders add free agent CB Nate Brooks, lose CB Cre’Von LeBlanc to injured reserve | https://sports.yahoo.com/raiders-add-free-agent-cb-213034689.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/raiders-add-free-agent-cb-213034689.html?src=rss |
What Trey Lance needs to show in Preseason Week 1 game 'NFL Total Access'
The 'NFL Total Access' crew explains what San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance needs to show in the team's preseason game against the Green Bay Packers to prepare for his first year as a starter in the 2022 NFL season. This game is streaming live on the Yahoo Sports mobile app, or on NFL Network | 2022-08-12T22:38:17Z | sports.yahoo.com | What Trey Lance needs to show in Preseason Week 1 game 'NFL Total Access' | https://sports.yahoo.com/trey-lance-needs-show-preseason-213643683.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/trey-lance-needs-show-preseason-213643683.html?src=rss |
The Oregon Ducks added another player to the 2023 class on Friday, getting a commitment from 3-star linebacker Jerry Mixon, out of San Francisco, Calif.
Mixon, who stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 220 pounds, is ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 57 linebacker and No. 717 overall player in the 2023 class. Mixon is the first linebacker to be added to the class, after adding both Devon Jackson and Harrison Taggart in 2022.
With Mixon, the Ducks now rank 15th in the national recruiting rankings, and second in the Pac-12 behind USC. With the start of the 2022 season on the horizon, we can expect a few more high school athletes to make their commitments before the season starts.
Jerry Mixon’s Recruiting Profile
Received Crystal Ball Prediction to Oregon on August 1, 2022 | 2022-08-12T23:49:45Z | sports.yahoo.com | 3-star Oregon target LB Jerry Mixon announces commitment | https://sports.yahoo.com/3-star-oregon-target-lb-213706391.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/3-star-oregon-target-lb-213706391.html?src=rss |
The state of Alabama is producing a historic amount of recruiting talent in the 2023 recruiting class and five-star defensive lineman James smith is the best player in the state.
Smith, who is from Montgomery, Alabama, included Auburn in his final six schools Friday. The Tigers will be battling Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, and Alabama State for him.
The 6-foot-4, 310-pound Smith took an official visit to Auburn on June 24, and has visited the campus multiple times. He is ranked as the No. 13 overall player and No. 2 defensive lineman in the 247Sports composite ranking.
Something to keep in mind with Smith is that he is a package deal with five-star edge rusher Qua Russaw, who announced his top six schools Friday as well. The two both play for Carver High School and plan to sign to the same school in December.
Landing these two would be massive for Auburn’s recruiting class which currently has six commits and is ranked last in the SEC. However, each of them is ranked as a four-star prospect. | 2022-08-12T23:49:51Z | sports.yahoo.com | Auburn makes final six for in-state 5-star DL | https://sports.yahoo.com/auburn-makes-final-six-state-210738620.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/auburn-makes-final-six-state-210738620.html?src=rss |
Iowa offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brian Ferentz met with the media to discuss the start of the Hawkeyes’ 2022 fall camp, the state of Iowa’s quarterback play and more during Iowa Media Days.
The start of camp
“This is the most exciting time of the year. We are back to work, and the kids have been working hard all summer. To get back out on the football field and do what we love doing. What we have seen so far is what we expected. Guys going to work, trying to improve, creating more value, and trying to add to the football team. At the end of the day, we are trying to be more effective and be more efficient as we move forward,” Ferentz said.
What he's seen from the quarterback competition so far
“So far, so good. Everything we can ask for. The guys are showing up ready to work every day, and that’s all we can ask for. It’s a simple position, but difficult to play. What we are asking from the quarterbacks is to show up and do their job as well as they can
“In the passing game, secure the snap and get the ball to where it should be. In the run game, secure the snap and get the ball to the ball carrier so he can have a good run. We are asking those guys; can you consistently do your job well? There are ups and downs, which is normal, but I see both guys focusing on the things we are asking them to improve on,” Ferentz said.
If there's been a change in Iowa's overall offensive approach
“Every year there is, but you must start from last season. No one was happy from last year’s performance and what we did last season. That’s not the expectation, and what we are trying to do. Every year you go back and look at what you were doing and dissect it. Figure out what’s good, what’s bad, what we need to improve, what we need to focus on, and what we need to move on. At the end of the day, we want to be effective and efficient. There is always plenty of room for improvement on both running and throwing the football.
“Our job is to process and score the football. Can we get better at it? Absolutely. I think it comes down to tightening up on the things we do well. At the end of the day, we just want to make things simpler so it can be processed faster on the field,” Ferentz said.
If the Hawkeyes know who their best players are yet
“We know who some of them are. The best part of what we do, is that there are new guys who emerge every year. We have seen some of those guys in the spring and nine practices in training camp. The goal is to have the ball in the hands of the best players. If we have five guys, and we want them to all have the ball in their hands compared to one, it is going to be harder to defend us. When you talk about guys who can make a play with the ball in their hands, if you have guys who are difficult to tackle, that is a good thing,” Ferentz said.
Naturally, there’s no finality today in terms of what the quarterback situation will look like for Iowa as the 2022 season starts. To expect as much would be foolish.
Still, one takeaway is that Brian Ferentz isn’t running from the criticism. For someone that has been the easy target of fans’ ire over the course of the offseason, Ferentz has been pretty pointed that he understands the Hawkeyes need to be vastly improved from their No. 99 scoring offense and their 121st total offense from last season.
In rows over LGBTQ+ books, a community in Michigan has raised more than $100,000 to fund its library, while Iowa librarians are fighting against banning such books. | 2022-08-12T23:49:58Z | sports.yahoo.com | Brian Ferentz updates Iowa’s quarterback competition, details the start of 2022 camp | https://sports.yahoo.com/brian-ferentz-updates-iowa-quarterback-220046749.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/brian-ferentz-updates-iowa-quarterback-220046749.html?src=rss |
Remember Luke Fickell? He used to work under a man named Mike Bohn at Cincinnati. For that reason, and because Cincinnati was having such a great 2021 college football season, Fickell was a natural choice to be hired by Bohn at USC.
Fickell eventually stayed at Cincinnati, but he was definitely a coach USC fans got to know about in 2021. It’s true that Matt Campbell of Iowa State became the big name on the board in the 48 hours before Lincoln Riley was hired, but in September and October, it was impossible to avoid discussing Fickell in connection with the USC job.
As we turn to the upcoming 2022 season, imagine a world in which Fickell faces USC — and Lincoln Riley, and Mike Bohn — in a New Year’s Six bowl game. Wouldn’t that be something?
Jerry Palm of CBS Sports is predicting this precise matchup in his preseason bowl picks.
Palm has USC playing Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl, which will be in Arlington, Texas, on Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, at 10 a.m. in Los Angeles.
Palm has Utah winning the Pac-12, beating USC in the Pac-12 Championship Game, and moving to the Rose Bowl against Michigan. | 2022-08-12T23:50:04Z | sports.yahoo.com | CBS Sports picks a very familiar face for USC in its bowl game | https://sports.yahoo.com/cbs-sports-picks-very-familiar-200340610.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/cbs-sports-picks-very-familiar-200340610.html?src=rss |
Billy Napier hasn’t taken the field as head coach of Florida’s football program, but CBS Sports is already projecting that the former Louisiana coach will have a successful season.
According to CBS’s Jerry Palm, the Gators are projected to play in the ReliaQuest Bowl on January 2 in Tampa, Florida, opposite of Big Ten West team Wisconsin.
Note that all traditional New Year’s Day bowl games will be played on January 2 this season because the holiday falls on a Sunday, when the NFL will be playing their Week 17 matchups.
Bowl games themselves are businesses that seek to fill their respective stadiums while also bringing in dollars for the local economies. It’s more likely that a bowl game will choose a big brand whose fan base is either close to the site of the game or has a history of traveling to the game in large numbers to maximize their profits.
Because of this, a bowl game set in Tampa with SEC and Big Ten tie-ins would be thrilled to have the Gators (Tampa being a hotbed of Florida fans and in driving distance for fans across the state) and the Badgers (a fan base that has a history of showing up in droves to postseason games in warm weather locations) play in their game.
For those who have never heard of the ReliaQuest Bowl (you are not alone), it’s the bowl game formerly known as the Outback Bowl. This high level bowl game is one of the better bowl games an SEC can play in outside of being in the College Football Playoff or playing in the Sugar Bowl.
With CBS projecting Alabama and Georgia to make the playoff, Texas A&M to play in the Sugar Bowl, and Tennessee to play in the Citrus Bowl (the top SEC bowl after the CFP and Sugar), it seems like CBS is pegging the Gators to finish 3rd in the SEC East (behind Georgia and Tennessee) and somewhere in the range of 7-9 regular season wins.
While those who want a free bloomin’ onion from Outback may not be on the Gators’ side in this potential bowl matchup, it should be considered a win for Napier if he can get the team to a January bowl game in his first season in charge. | 2022-08-12T23:50:10Z | sports.yahoo.com | CBS Sports projects this bowl destination for Florida football | https://sports.yahoo.com/cbs-sports-projects-bowl-destination-175256198.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/cbs-sports-projects-bowl-destination-175256198.html?src=rss |
FILE - Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras warms up before the Citrus Bowl NCAA college football game against Kentucky, Jan. 1, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. Iowas offense struggled with consistency last season. The work in the offseason has been about improving that behind Petras and a young line. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) Iowa's defense was a big reason the Hawkeyes won 10 games and the Big Ten West last season.
''I think it's just consistency, doing the little things right,'' wide receiver Arland Bruce IV said Friday at media day. ''I think I left a lot of stuff on the field last year, and I think a lot of other players think that way about themselves. It's about the details. It's just the little things.''
''I'd say we have to improve in pretty much every measurable area, because I thought we were subpar in every measurable area on offense last year,'' said quarterback Spencer Petras, who had his own struggles last season and is battling with Alex Padilla for the starting job in fall camp. ''We need to be better in third downs, red zone, first half, second half. All of the above, we have to be better.''
''No one was happy from last year's performance and what we did last season,'' said offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, the son of head coach Kirk Ferentz. ''That's not the expectation, and what we are trying to do. Every year you go back and look at what you were doing and dissect it. Figure out what's good, what's bad, what we need to improve, what we need to focus on, and what we need to move on. At the end of the day, we want to be effective and efficient. There is always plenty of room for improvement on both running and throwing the football.''
Iowa's offense will have new personnel in several areas. Running backs Gavin Williams and Leshon Williams will combine to replace Tyler Goodson, who rushed for 1,151 yards before entering the NFL draft early. Bruce and fellow sophomore Keagan Johnson will take the wide receiver spots vacated by Charlie Jones and Tyrone Tracy Jr., after both transferred to Purdue. Logan Jones moves from the defensive line to center to replace All-American Tyler Linderbaum, and Kirk Ferentz said putting together the rest of the offensive line is still ''a moving target.''
''If you go up there trying to hit a home run, you're probably going to strike out, and as a young guy, especially, you want nothing more than to go out there and throw five touchdowns a game and have every play be perfect,'' Petras said. ''As you mature and get more experienced, you learn that's not the way to play.''
''All he's got to do is play, just relax and play,'' Kirk Ferentz said. ''He may press at times and try a little too hard at times, and that's a good thing, but it can work against you, too. But from my vantage point just watching tape last year, I think the biggest thing is we have to help him a little bit more and support him.'' | 2022-08-12T23:50:17Z | sports.yahoo.com | Hawkeyes look for more consistency on offense | https://sports.yahoo.com/hawkeyes-look-more-consistency-offense-221714449.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/hawkeyes-look-more-consistency-offense-221714449.html?src=rss |
It’s the piece of football that there’s just no perfect defense for. Injuries happen and Iowa—like everyone else in college football—was hoping that they could avoid as many of them throughout the offseason and camp as possible.
Instead, after Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz recently announced the season-ending injuries to offensive guard Justin Britt and wide receiver Jackson Ritter, the Hawkeyes unfortunately now have another injury to report.
“On a negative note, I think I’ve already mentioned Justin Britt will not be able to play this year, Jackson Ritter, and one to add to the list, at least for the start of the season in our two deep. Diante Vines injured his wrist. He’ll be in a cast. You’ll see that, and that is going to impact the beginning part of the season for him.
“That’s unfortunate. He’s was really practicing well, and certainly would have been a guy who could help contribute to our football team. It’s not season-ending I don’t think, but, hopefully, we’ll get him back here somewhere midseason, whenever. We’ll just kind of take that day by day,” Ferentz told reporters at Iowa’s Media Day.
As it currently stands according to the depth chart that the Hawkeyes released just in front of Big Ten Media Days, Iowa’s wide receivers depth chart looks like this: the two that were listed as No. 1 receivers are Keagan Johnson and Nico Ragaini and the two that were listed as No. 2 receivers are Alec Wick and Arland Bruce IV.
Of course, Bruce started several games for the Hawkeyes last season and reeled in 25 grabs for 209 receiving yards with one touchdown reception and three more rushing scores.
Johnson led the way for Iowa receivers in 2021 with 18 receptions for 352 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown grabs, while Ragaini added 26 catches for 331 yards and one score.
While Iowa has been handed a pair of wide receiver injuries to both Ritter and now Vines, Ferentz seemed otherwise upbeat about what he’s seeing from those who are available.
“Receivers, injuries have been part of the deal there, predictably. Hopefully, we’re making progress, but seeing really good performances from Nico, our most veteran guy, and then Arland Bruce has done really a good job, too. Of note, Alec Wick has done a good job. Young guys who we didn’t know a lot about until last spring basically. He’s really done a good job, as well,” Ferentz said.
Still, it’s worth mentioning that Iowa also saw the departure of a pair of wide receivers through the transfer portal this offseason. Charlie Jones and Tyrone Tracy Jr. both transferred to Purdue.
Add to it that Johnson has been battling the injury bug this offseason and there’s at least cause for some angst among the Iowa fan base about what the wide receiver depth looks like headed into this season.
“Keagan is working back. He won’t do a lot tomorrow, but he’s working back. I think he’s close to being where he needs to be, and hopefully the same thing with Brody (Brecht). They’re really the two guys that have missed the most time now.
“If you look big picture, you’re including spring practice, too. So that’s—I don’t know if concerned is the right word, but that’s where my awareness is. They missed a lot of time. To get them back and playing effectively with the right tempo and getting the timing down on the offense, all those kinds of things, and you’ve heard me say it before, meetings are important, they have value and all that, but you learn how to play football by playing it. You’ve got to go out there on the field and play it,” Ferentz said.
Really, it’s probably more important for Brecht to see plenty of snaps throughout camp, but it wouldn’t hurt for quarterbacks Spencer Petras and Alex Padilla along with the Hawkeyes’ offensive coaching staff to get to see both of those targets back quickly.
“The sooner we can get them back, hopefully it’s next week, that’ll be encouraging. They’re both—in Keagan’s case, he’s played 12 games, 13 games, so he’s got experience there, but you still have to play the game and practice. Brody is a little different story because he hasn’t played. We really liked what we saw when he came back in the fall, but we’ve got to get him going.
“Hopefully, it’s sooner than later. I think it will be. But everybody else is doing a good job, and I think we’ve got some flexibility personnel-wise just with the tight ends. I think we’ve got a little flexibility there. We’ll figure that out, but so far, so good. I think our passing game, I think it’s on the right track right now,” Ferentz said.
Brian Ferentz updates Iowa's quarterback competition, details the start of 2022 camp
Everything We Know About "Selling the OC," the Spinoff of "Selling Sunset"
The "Selling Sunset" spinoff "Selling the OC" premieres on Netflix on August 24, 2022. Here's the full cast list, trailer, synopsis, and more. | 2022-08-12T23:50:23Z | sports.yahoo.com | Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver Diante Vines sidelined until at least midseason with wrist injury | https://sports.yahoo.com/iowa-hawkeyes-wide-receiver-diante-231513080.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/iowa-hawkeyes-wide-receiver-diante-231513080.html?src=rss |
Auburn is once again doing a great job of keeping local products home. The Tigers landed a commitment from three-star cornerback JC Hart.
He is from nearby Loachapoka, Alabama, and committed to Bryan Harsin and the rest of the Auburn Tigers Friday afternoon over Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, and UCF.
Hart is ranked as the No. 887 overall player and No. 85 cornerback in the 247Sports composite ranking. He is also ranked as the No. 33 player from Alabama.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Hart plays for Loachapoka High School where he also has a GPA over 4.0. The trait that sticks out most about Hart is his blazing speed, he ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at Auburn this June in a camp.
His father, Corey Hart, was also a star at Loachapoka and went on to play for Marshall University.
Hart is Auburn’s seventh commit of the 2023 recruiting class and their first cornerback. He is the second local product to commit to the Tigers, following four-star interior offensive lineman Bradyn Joiner, who plays for Auburn High. | 2022-08-12T23:50:29Z | sports.yahoo.com | Local cornerback JC Hart commits to Auburn | https://sports.yahoo.com/local-cornerback-jc-hart-commits-221309420.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/local-cornerback-jc-hart-commits-221309420.html?src=rss |
Will Clark reveals hilarious Rickey Henderson base-stealing story originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Will Clark had his number retired by the Giants on July 30, and it's no surprise that many are having the 58-year-old recount stories from his playing career.
During a Tuesday appearance on KNBR's Tolbert and Copes, Clark answered a question regarding his favorite player to have at first base. The Giants legend had a 15-year playing career, with many players coming over to chat at his position.
However, one player and story came to Clark's mind: Athletics Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson. The former outfielder was known for stealing bases, and Clark recalled an interaction as Henderson was about to steal second base.
"The funniest, hands down, was Rickey Henderson," Clark said. "... When he was at first base, he always talked in the third person, saying, 'Hey Thrill, Rickey here.' I go, 'I know Rick.'
"... He's got the whole sign put on. He's getting mad. 'Rickey wants to run.' I said, 'Well, Rick, go ahead on.' He goes, 'You got it. Rickey gone.' "
Clark continued with the story, telling Tolbert and Copes the approach Henderson had when it came time for him to take off and swipe second base, displaying the personality many expect from the A's legendary player.
"I look at the dugout there, (manager) Roger Craig. He's looking at me. I go, 'He's running right here, right?'" Clark said. "So we pitch out. Ricky slides in because he's the best there ever was.
"He slides in safe at second base. He jumps up, and he's pointing at me. 'I told you, Thrill. Ricky Gone. Ricky Gone.' "
RELATED: Shohei Ohtani achieves Babe Ruth milestone in Athletics' loss to Angels
Henderson was at the Oakland Coliseum this past Sunday, as several Oakland legends were in town to celebrate the A's Hall of Fame Class of 2022. The legendary A's outfielder shared a moment with NBC Sports California A's analyst Dave Stewart, showing off the personality that many love about Henderson. | 2022-08-13T00:07:34Z | sports.yahoo.com | Will Clark reveals hilarious Rickey Henderson base-stealing story | https://sports.yahoo.com/clark-reveals-hilarious-rickey-henderson-215413091.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/clark-reveals-hilarious-rickey-henderson-215413091.html?src=rss |
It’s the San Diego Padres vs Washington Nationals this Sunday, August 7 at 12:00 PM ET on Peacock. 18 MLB games will be featured on the streaming service this season. Live coverage begins at 11:30 a.m ET. See below for additional information on how to watch the game. RELATED: MLB schedule 2022: Every Sunday morning | 2022-08-13T00:07:40Z | sports.yahoo.com | Do Lakers have other trade options that haven’t been reported? | https://sports.yahoo.com/lakers-other-trade-options-haven-233500978.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/lakers-other-trade-options-haven-233500978.html?src=rss |
Sad to know Len Dawson is in hospice, as a close family friend confirms. Column attached is from last time spoke with him at length at his home in 2017 as he pondered impending end of broadcasting career and the good fortune he believed marked his life. https://t.co/3eo8b52I6w
During the Television Critics Association press conference on Thursday, Lifetime presented a panel for “Girl in Room 13,” an upcoming movie starring Anne Heche. The actor, who was was originally set to be on the panel, was in a car crash in Los Angeles on Aug. 5 and has been in the hospital since. At […] | 2022-08-13T00:07:46Z | sports.yahoo.com | Legendary Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson in hospice care | https://sports.yahoo.com/legendary-chiefs-quarterback-len-dawson-231343441.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/legendary-chiefs-quarterback-len-dawson-231343441.html?src=rss |
Atlanta Falcons rookie wide receiver Drake London suffered a knee injury in Friday night’s preseason opener, and will not return to the game, the team announced.
The No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, London is expected to have a featured role in the Falcons’ offense this year, bringing an impressive blend of size, length, athleticism and physicality to the passing game.
Hopefully, the Falcons holding him out of the rest of Friday night’s game is more precautionary than anything, and the top-10 pick doesn’t have a serious injury that would force him to miss any time in the regular season. | 2022-08-13T00:16:49Z | sports.yahoo.com | Falcons 1st-round pick Drake London leaves preseason debut with knee injury | https://sports.yahoo.com/falcons-1st-round-pick-drake-224237620.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/falcons-1st-round-pick-drake-224237620.html?src=rss |
The Arizona Cardinals will not have quarterback Kyler Murray on the field playing in their preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, but he will be involved. He will be involved with the playcalling.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury, speaking pregame with Paul Calvisi, the team’s play-by-play announcer for the game, told him there would be a guest playcaller during the game.
After that, 12 Sports reporter Cameron Cox reported from the sideline during pregame coverage that it was to be Murray who will have headsets on and call plays in the fourth quarter.
It isn’t the first time for Murray.
When Murray was given a day off of practice before testing positive for COVID-19, he called plays in practice.
It is a way to keep Murray mentally engaged. He won’t get bored on the sideline of a game in which he isn’t playing.
There isn’t always a lot to watch in the fourth quarter of a preseason game. Having a team’s starting quarterback call plays is something to keep the game on for.
Select few likely regular-season contributors for Cardinals expected to play vs. Bengals
The Cardinals don't have many expected starters playing. These players are expected to be contributors in 2022 but will play Friday night. | 2022-08-13T00:17:03Z | sports.yahoo.com | Kyler Murray to call plays in 4th quarter of preseason opener vs. Bengals | https://sports.yahoo.com/kyler-murray-call-plays-4th-232654597.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/kyler-murray-call-plays-4th-232654597.html?src=rss |
The first round of the quarterback battle with the Atlanta Falcons saw Desmond Ridder deliver a haymaker in the final minutes.
The third-round pick out of Cincinnati faced a fourth-and-9 with less than 100 seconds remaining and Atlanta trailing 23-20.
No one plays for a tie in the preseason, not Arthur Smith.
He watched as the rookie delivered a pass to Jared Bernhardt in the end zone for the score that gave Atlanta a 27-23 victory over the Lions at Ford Field.
Ridder, the 74th overall pick, went 10-of-22 for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns after replacing Marcus Mariota.
The Heisman winner from Oregon, who is on his third team, was 2-of-2 for 36 yards in a brief appearance. Mariota also had a 6-yard TD run.
However, what Falcons faithful are going to come away with from this game is they may have found a gem in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft in Ridder. It’s early but the former Cincinnati Bearcat showed promise. | 2022-08-13T01:56:34Z | sports.yahoo.com | Desmond Ridder throws game-winning TD for Falcons on late fourth-down play | https://sports.yahoo.com/desmond-ridder-throws-game-winning-014453381.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/desmond-ridder-throws-game-winning-014453381.html?src=rss |
Eagles putting 2 of greatest pass rushers in team Hall of Fame originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Eagles are putting in two of their greatest pass rushers in the Eagles Hall of Fame together.
When the Birds host the Packers on Nov. 27, Trent Cole and Hugh Douglas will both be honored and inducted.
Cole and Douglas rank second and sixth, respectively, on the franchise’s all-time sack list. Cole had 85.5 sacks in his career and Douglas had 54.5.
"Trent and Hugh were both high impact pass rushers and consummate teammates," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said, via the team’s official website. "When we traded for Hugh, we knew we were getting a player who would immediately make our football team better. He was a tremendous leader on a defense that helped guide us to many deep postseason runs. Upon Hugh's retirement, we were fortunate to acquire another talented edge rusher through the draft.
“Trent was a dynamic and durable player who provided us with an advantage on defense thanks to his endless motor, selfless style of play, and passion for the game. It will be an honor to officially enshrine them both in the Eagles Hall of Fame this season."
Here’s the Eagles’ all-time top 10 in sacks:
1. Reggie White: 124.0
2. Trent Cole: 85.5
3. Clyde Simmons: 76.0
4. Brandon Graham: 59.0
5. Fletcher Cox: 58.0
6. Hugh Douglas: 54.5
7. Greg Brown: 50.5
8. Andy Harmon: 39.5
9. Seth Joyner: 37.0
10. Williams Fuller: 35.5
Cole, 39, was a fifth-round pick out of Cincinnati back in 2005, making him one of the greatest Day 3 draft picks in franchise history. He played 10 seasons in Philly before finishing his career with a couple seasons in Indianapolis.
Cole made the Pro Bowl in 2007 and 2009; he had a career-high 12.5 sacks in each of those seasons. Aside from his 85.5 sacks in Philly, Cole also had 569 tackles, 19 forced fumbles and 124 tackles for loss.
Douglas, 50, joined the Eagles in a trade in 1998 after spending three seasons with the Jets as a first-round pick from Central State. Douglas played a total of six seasons with the Eagles with a dominating stretch from 2000-2002, when he made three Pro Bowl teams and was an All-Pro in 2000.
Douglas played for Jacksonville in 2003 before finishing his career with the Eagles in 2004. In his six seasons with the Eagles, Douglas had 54.5 sacks, 233 tackles, 6 forced fumbles and 59 tackles for loss. | 2022-08-13T01:56:40Z | sports.yahoo.com | Eagles inducting Trent Cole, Hugh Douglas into team’s Hall of Fame | https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-inducting-trent-cole-hugh-005529653.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-inducting-trent-cole-hugh-005529653.html?src=rss |
The budgies exhibit officially reopened at the Bergen County Zoo this week after being closed to protect the birds from avian flu.
(Reuters) -Coca-Cola HBC AG said on Thursday it took a one-time hit of 190 million euros ($195.4 million) in the first half from costs related to its Russian business after it stopped selling Coke and other Coca-Cola Co products in the country. HBC is one of Coca-Cola's many bottlers worldwide and holds local Coca-Cola franchises to bottle and sell drinks produced by the U.S. beverage giant. Coca-Cola holds a more than 20% stake in HBC. | 2022-08-13T02:30:36Z | sports.yahoo.com | Ariel Atkins with an And One vs. Indiana Fever | https://sports.yahoo.com/ariel-atkins-one-vs-indiana-010908756.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ariel-atkins-one-vs-indiana-010908756.html?src=rss |
Draymond reveals how often he argues with Steph and Klay originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
No one, not even the other two stars that make up the Warriors’ Big Three, is safe from the words of Draymond Green.
The dynamic trio of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Green have been playing in the Bay together for a decade, and arguments are bound to happen.
But as Green explained on his latest episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” those so-called arguments rarely occur, and Curry and Thompson are usually on the receiving end of them.
“Honestly, we haven’t had a ton of arguments because it’s just not kind of how the personalities match up,” Green said. “I usually do most of the yelling and most of the time they’ll usually ignore me to the point where if I’m yelling and then one of them yell back, I’m not gonna get into a screaming match with one of them. So at the point when I say something and they disagree and say something back, then they said something back and that’s just is what it is."
Can't say we're surprised.
But that's not to say Curry or Thompson won't occasionally fire back. The world has seen what an angry Curry and Thompson can do.
And that's what makes this trio, well, a true dynasty. They're honest, open and real with each other, and it's probably one of the reasons why they've won four NBA championships together.
RELATED: Loon's humble 'brag' proves why he's a Warriors fan favorite
“That’s just not how we roll," Green said. "So I usually do the majority of the talking most the time. It either leads to us having a conversation and discussing what I think and what they think and how we can figure it out. If it’s in a heated battle, a heat-of-the-moment situation and I'm like 'Klay stop shooting the ball' and he cuss and yell back, then we just keep it pushing and I run on and he run on. Or if I say something to Steph and he gets mad and snaps back every two blue moons then he says something back and I just run off and go about my day."
Curry and Thompson are probably OK with Green being the more outspoken one. The Splash Bros don't have to do much talking anyway to get their point across on the court. | 2022-08-13T03:09:43Z | sports.yahoo.com | Draymond Green describes his Steph Curry, Klay Thompson arguments | https://sports.yahoo.com/draymond-green-describes-steph-curry-221338070.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/draymond-green-describes-steph-curry-221338070.html?src=rss |
An impressive catch-and-run from second-year wide receiver Amari Rodgers pushed the Green Bay Packers into the lead of the preseason opener on Friday night at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
Rodgers caught a short pass from Danny Etling in the flat, made a man miss in the open field and then dove into the end zone to finish the 22-yard touchdown play.
The score and resulting extra point gave the Packers a 21-20 lead over the 49ers in the fourth quarter. The scoring drive traveled 67 yards in six plays and two minutes, 44 seconds.
The play represented Rodgers’ first catch of the night. He’s also returned two kickoffs for 69 yards, including a 50-yarder in the first half.
The scoring play showed off Rodgers’ run-after-catch ability.
Rodgers, who dropped weight from 218 pounds to 202 over the offseason, looks much more explosive with the ball in his hands to open his second preseason. The Packers are “very bullish” on Rodgers’ potential entering Year 2. | 2022-08-13T03:31:52Z | sports.yahoo.com | Amari Rodgers touchdown pushes Packers into lead vs. 49ers | https://sports.yahoo.com/amari-rodgers-touchdown-pushes-packers-031059168.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/amari-rodgers-touchdown-pushes-packers-031059168.html?src=rss |
The good news for Cleveland Browns fans is they defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 24-13, in their preseason opener on Friday.
The other side saw controversial quarterback Deshaun Watson make his debut. After missing all of last season due to being scandal-plagued through off-the-field indiscretions while a Houston Texan, Watson was rusty.
Deshaun Watson's first play on an NFL field in 19 months. pic.twitter.com/tPefjzBu1V
He completed 1-of-5 passes for 7 yards in limited duty. By contrast first-round bust Josh Rosen made his Browns debut, too, and went 6-of-7 for 56 yards.
Watson already is facing a lengthy suspension from the NFL after being accused of sexual misconduct by more than two dozen massage therapists.
The issue is now under the advisement of Peter C Harvey, a former New Jersey attorney general.
The league is pushing for a full-year suspension. Watson has been reported to be hoping for an eight-game ban and a $5 million fine.
Of course, there is also the fully guaranteed $230 million contract the Browns gave Watson after acquiring him via trade. The pact calls for Watson to receive “only” $1 million in salary in 2022.
Summer is coming to a close. But at Walt Disney World, the magic is already getting a little spooky. | 2022-08-13T03:32:05Z | sports.yahoo.com | Deshaun Watson unimpressive in short Cleveland Browns debut | https://sports.yahoo.com/deshaun-watson-unimpressive-short-cleveland-022042881.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/deshaun-watson-unimpressive-short-cleveland-022042881.html?src=rss |
The Philadelphia Eagles use the preseason home opener to announce the newest members of the team’s ring of honor, and Friday saw the addition of two famed pass rushers.
Owner Jeffrey Lurie announced that the team would induct Trent Cole and Hugh Douglas into their Hall of Fame on November 27 when the team hosts the Packers.
The announcement was made as part of Philadelphia’s Legend’s Homecoming.
“Trent and Hugh were both high impact pass rushers and consummate teammates,” said Jeffrey Lurie, Philadelphia Eagles Chairman and CEO. “When we traded for Hugh, we knew we were getting a player who would immediately make our football team better. He was a tremendous leader on a defense that helped guide us to many deep postseason runs. Upon Hugh’s retirement, we were fortunate to acquire another talented edge rusher through the draft. Trent was a dynamic and durable player who provided us with an advantage on defense thanks to his endless motor, selfless style of play, and passion for the game. It will be an honor to officially enshrine them both in the Eagles Hall of Fame this season.”
Cole (2005-2014) was drafted by the Eagles in the fifth round (146th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft and ranks second in team history with 85.5 career sacks.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Cole logged double-digit sacks in four separate seasons, ranking second in team history behind Reggie White (eight double-digit sack seasons). His 155 games played in an Eagles uniform is third all-time among defensive linemen and 14th among all players in franchise history.
Douglas (1998-2002, 2004) is a first-round draft pick (16th overall) of the New York Jets in 1995.
Philadelphia acquired Douglas in a trade during the 1998 offseason, earning three consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl (2000-02) and a first-team All-Pro nod (2000).
New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson injured his right knee in the first quarter of Friday night’s 24-21 preseason victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. After going back to pass with 4:29 left in the period, Wilson was flushed out of the pocket and scrambled to his right for 7 yards, but went down after the play. After being checked by trainers, Wilson limped to the sideline on his own power before heading to the locker room. | 2022-08-13T03:32:11Z | sports.yahoo.com | Eagles to induct Hugh Douglas, Trent Cole into team’s Hall of Fame | https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-induct-hugh-douglas-trent-014311473.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-induct-hugh-douglas-trent-014311473.html?src=rss |
The New York Jets got some bad news recently when right tackle Mekhi Becton suffered a knee injury, and is feared lost for the season.
Now, the organization and their fans are holding their breath yet again, as starting quarterback Zach Wilson will undergo an MRI after injuring his right knee in New York’s first preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Wilson suffered the injury on this scramble from early in the game:
Wilson limped to the locker room, and was replaced by Mike White.
After the game, head coach Robert Saleh indicated that Wilson would undergo an MRI, and offered some cryptic thoughts on the knee:
According to ESPN’s Dianna Russini, there are some early indications that Wilson may have suffered an injury to his PCL, which might cost him a few weeks, but not the entire season: | 2022-08-13T03:32:42Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jets QB Zach Wilson to undergo MRI after injuring knee | https://sports.yahoo.com/jets-qb-zach-wilson-undergo-031531922.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jets-qb-zach-wilson-undergo-031531922.html?src=rss |
A shaky and somewhat unlucky first half for Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love ended with a good-looking touchdown pass to former Wisconsin Badgers receiver Danny Davis.
On third down with under a minute to go, Love hit Davis on a back-shoulder throw and the rookie receiver scampered into the end zone for a 33-yard score.
Love finished the first half completing 13 of 24 passes for 176 yards and a passer rating of 66.0. He threw two touchdown passes, including a 34-yarder to Romeo Doubs, and three interceptions in the first half. Two of the interceptions were the result of drops.
Here’s the touchdown pass to Davis: | 2022-08-13T03:32:55Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jordan Love ends first half vs. 49ers with TD pass to former Badger Danny Davis | https://sports.yahoo.com/jordan-love-ends-first-half-020644844.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jordan-love-ends-first-half-020644844.html?src=rss |
On Friday night, former Badgers wide receiver Danny Davis III, who has reportedly had a strong showing in training camp, made his preseason debut for the Green Bay Packers.
Just before halftime, third-year quarterback Jordan Love connected with Davis, an undrafted free agent pickup for the Packers, on a back-shoulder throw, making a nice adjustment for a 33-yard touchdown pass down the right sideline.
With the Packers having a crowded WR room headed towards cutdowns, it’s unlikely that Davis will have a chance to make the initial 53-man roster. Still, he’s making a solid impression on the Packers coaching staff and will likely be a candidate to stay and develop on Green Bay’s practice squad in 2022.
You can watch the former Wisconsin standout’s touchdown against San Fransisco below, courtesy of the Green Bay Packers Twitter account:
Conroe loses both city administrator and chief financial officer | 2022-08-13T03:33:33Z | sports.yahoo.com | WATCH: Former Badgers WR Danny Davis III scores a preseason touchdown | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-former-badgers-wr-danny-023407550.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-former-badgers-wr-danny-023407550.html?src=rss |
Sophomore quarterback Ian Book did not have the most ideal start to his NFL career last season for the New Orleans Saints, but the preseason gives him another shot to prove that he belongs on the roster.
Book was a surprise fourth-round selection in the 2021 draft, pointing to the fact that the coaching staff and front office saw something special from his time at Notre Dame. The production was there, garnering an impressive 72-20 touchdown to interception ratio and near 9,000 passing yards. It was also known that he was a raw product, though, who likely would not see playing time anytime too early barring any disaster. Unfortunately for both Book and the Saints that disaster happened and Book was forced to play in the middle of his rookie season.
After a series of injuries that have been well documented to this point, Book had to step in and start for the Saints in Week 15 against the Miami Dolphins. It was a rough showing where he had a 60% completion percentage for 120 yards and two interceptions. The Saints lost that game 20-3. Book was not active for either of the last two games of the season.
Now, the Saints have added the veteran Andy Dalton to the roster who is the clear backup option to Jameis Winston. The team also has a legitimate emergency quarterback now, in Taysom Hill. There is no clear need for a third quarterback on the roster, so Ian Book needs to show out and prove he belongs to not become a practice squad stash player for the forseeable future. His opportunity will come when the Saints play the Houston Texans on Saturday night. | 2022-08-13T05:07:49Z | sports.yahoo.com | Ian Book needs to show the Saints he belongs in preseason vs. Texans | https://sports.yahoo.com/ian-book-needs-show-saints-043753306.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ian-book-needs-show-saints-043753306.html?src=rss |
Ravens rookie tight end Isaiah Likely caught four of four targets for 44 yards in Baltimore’s 23-10 preseason win over the Tennessee Titans.
The rookie fourth-round pick was a starter in last night’s debut, and after the game, he said that he felt “like a little kid on Christmas”. Likely was on the field for most of the first half with quarterback Tyler Huntley and the second team offense.
Likely was called for two holding penalties, but he also made some tough catches and made impressive moves after the run. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as he was showing his potential when at Coastal Carolina last year.
Let’s dive into his performance in Thursday night’s game and how he has the potential to help the Ravens offense in his rookie year!
Catching ability
Likely is a matchup nightmare for most defenders in a nickel package as he stands at 6-foot-4 and he’s a natural jump ball receiver.
On Thursday night, he exploded out of his three-point stance and then climbed up to make an impress catch over a defender.
With Likely’s catching ability paired with the competitive run-blocker Charlie Kolar, it looks like the Ravens have a solid rookie tight end room.
After the catch
One area of Likely’s skillset that we witnessed last night was his ability to move after the catch. In the clip below it was third down and eight, Likely was asked to block the edge, release and then break out to the flat.
When looking ahead, the Ravens may have locked in their tight-end room for the future. With Mark Andrews, who was ranked as one of the best at his position by PFF, per Ravens Wire; and also, Nick Boyle, who is one of the best blocking tight ends in the game, it’s looking like Likely will be their receiving tight end of the future.
Wide receiver James Proche II had this to say about Likely when asked how he’s preformed so far in camp.
Blocking seems to be his only weakness but if he continues to improve, it won’t be his downfall. As preseason continues on, Likely can make a few adjustments that will help with the holding penalties, giving him an opportunity to help his team as the Ravens are known to run two tight end and two running back personnel. According to Sharp Football Analysis, they ran 22 personnel the most in the NFL (14%).
Likely will be a great depth piece moving forward and we’ll continue to monitor his development, but there are high hopes that he was one of the top steals in last year’s NFL draft.
Bold predictions for Bucs in preseason opener vs. Dolphins
Check out these bold predictions for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Saturday night's preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins | 2022-08-13T05:08:01Z | sports.yahoo.com | Isaiah Likely impresses in NFL debut, and this shouldn’t have been a surprise | https://sports.yahoo.com/isaiah-likely-impresses-nfl-debut-041122934.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/isaiah-likely-impresses-nfl-debut-041122934.html?src=rss |
Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, after answering questions during his postgame press conference, spoke out in favor of one of his peers in the NFC West.
He had a message for everyone, including the NFL, in support of San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and an issue he is having with the NFL right now because of the ball caps he wears on the sideline.
“I’ve got to voice my support for Kyle Shanahan’s hat because I’ve seen that they are trying to make him change,” he said postgame. “I just want to say let my guy live.
“He’s been one of the most swaggy coaches his entire career on the sideline…Kyle, I’ve got you, buddy.”
Shanahan, known for wearing a flat-brimmed ball cap on the sideline “has a beef” with the NFL because the league won’t allow him to design his own cap and also won’t let him wear a cap from previous seasons.
This year, the league offers a camouflage-pattern cap for coaches and players.
He doesn’t like it, and Kingsbury is not a fan, either.
“It’s not doing it,” he said. “If you’re in a deer blind in New Braunfels, Texas, you can pull it off, but not on the sideline.”
It won’t change anything, but while Kingsbury and Shanahan might be rivals when it comes to the gridiron, they have each other’s support when it comes to looking good. | 2022-08-13T05:08:14Z | sports.yahoo.com | Kliff Kingsbury defends Kyle Shanahan with hat situation: ‘Let my man live’ | https://sports.yahoo.com/kliff-kingsbury-defends-kyle-shanahan-040656950.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/kliff-kingsbury-defends-kyle-shanahan-040656950.html?src=rss |
Packers vs. 49ers highlights Preseason Week 1
Watch all of the highlights from the preseason game between the visiting Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers in Preseason Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season. This game is streaming live on the Yahoo Sports mobile app, or on NFL.com | 2022-08-13T05:08:26Z | sports.yahoo.com | Packers vs. 49ers highlights Preseason Week 1 | https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-vs-49ers-highlights-preseason-041749810.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-vs-49ers-highlights-preseason-041749810.html?src=rss |
The Cleveland Browns didn’t make a selection in the 2022 NFL draft until halfway through the third round, but it looks like they made the most of it.
That pick, Mississippi State cornerback Martin Emerson Jr., wasted little time showing off his big-play ability in his NFL preseason debut Friday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Emerson wrestled a pass away from a Jags receiver, then proceeded to weave his way through would-be tacklers before racing all the way to the end zone for a score.
The Browns already had one of the NFL’s most promising corner groups, and Emerson just made it even more formidable. | 2022-08-13T05:08:51Z | sports.yahoo.com | WATCH: Browns CB Martin Emerson Jr.’s epic pick-6 in preseason debut | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-browns-cb-martin-emerson-034250019.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-browns-cb-martin-emerson-034250019.html?src=rss |
The 2022 NFL draft class didn’t have the kind of star power of the previous season, but it did offer some potential bargains for teams in the middle rounds.
One such pick was Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder, who landed with the Atlanta Falcons in the third round.
Ridder wasted little time proving himself at the next level, closing out his NFL preseason debut with a touchdown pass on fourth down in the final minutes to seal the victory for the Falcons.
Veteran Marcus Mariota is expected to be Atlanta’s starter heading into the regular season, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Ridder steals the job away at some point later in the year. | 2022-08-13T05:08:58Z | sports.yahoo.com | WATCH: Desmond Ridder throws game-winning TD on 4th down in preseason debut | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-desmond-ridder-throws-game-033219044.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-desmond-ridder-throws-game-033219044.html?src=rss |
"I felt like I was throwing a lot of strikes early with all my pitches, which was good," Gonsolin said. "They were swinging a lot so I kept my pitch count down and got some soft contact and guys made good plays."
Staumont, in his third year out of Azusa Pacific University and La Habra High, normally is one of Kansas City's most reliable bullpen arms. But he was greeted by singles from pinch-hitter Gavin Lux and Trayce Thompson. After walking Mookie Betts, Trea Turner put the Dodgers on the scoreboard with a two-run single and Freddie Freeman followed with an RBI double.
Two innings earlier Turner, Freeman and Will Smith came up with the bases loaded and couldn't deliver.
"It was nice to come through a couple innings later and get the job done," Turner said. "The first time in that situation stinks but you have to keep your head up because you know you’ll be back up there in the same situation the next inning or two or the next day."
Exit Staumont. Turner scored on a wild pitch by Luke Weaver and Freeman scored on Justin Turner's sacrifice fly. A three-run home run in the eighth by Thompson — his third hit — put the game away.
"He’s trying to rewrite the scouting report on himself," manager Dave Roberts said of Thompson. "There’s a real conviction and intent to barrel the baseball up and make solid contact.... He's always had the power but the swing and miss was there. He’s done a lot of things to clean that up."
"Just part of my process, it’s part of my game," he said.
Gonsolin's split-finger fastball dive-bombed through the strike zone, his slider was sharp and he commanded his fastball well through five innings. With one out in the seventh, however, Vinnie Pasquantino swatted a hard single to right field to end the no-hit bid.
Short hops: The Dodgers placed catcher Austin Barnes on the family emergency list, meaning he will be inactive for a minimum of three days and a maximum of seven. Tony Wolters was called up from triple A. Wolters, 30, has six years of major league experience and was the Colorado Rockies’ starting catcher in 2019. . . . The contusion on Max Muncy’s right hand that caused him to leave Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins has healed sufficiently. He served as designated hitter Friday and Roberts said Muncy is scheduled to play third base Saturday. . . . The Dodgers will tour the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum on Saturday morning, then will take part in a Salute to the Negro Leagues event at ahead of the game at Kauffman Stadium. Buck O'Neil's Hall of Fame plaque will be on public display during the game. O'Neil, a Kansas Citian most of his life, played in the Negro Leagues from 1937 to 1948 and became the first Black coach in the National or American leagues in 1962. The Dodgers plan to wear throwback Brooklyn jerseys and caps.
As Juan Soto began the walk to the visitors' clubhouse at Nationals Park on Friday for the first time as an opposing player, he passed photos hanging on either side of the tunnel showing past Washington players — a gallery that already includes an image of him, smiling in a blue jersey with a red No. 22. Then he ran into reliever Sean Doolittle, a teammate on Washington's 2019 World Series-winning squad, and they hugged and laughed before Soto ducked into the San Diego Padres' clubhouse. The Nationals traded their homegrown, 23-year-old star to the Padres on Aug. 2, a move that would have been shocking a year or even months earlier. | 2022-08-13T06:12:23Z | sports.yahoo.com | Tony Gonsolin flirts with perfection as Dodgers turn winning streak up to 11 | https://sports.yahoo.com/tony-gonsolin-flirts-perfection-dodgers-044921954.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/tony-gonsolin-flirts-perfection-dodgers-044921954.html?src=rss |
The Jacksonville Jaguars exited Friday’s game against the Cleveland Browns with their second consecutive preseason loss of 2022, but there was a lot to be optimistic about heading forward. While their backup players struggled mightily, their starters on offense and defense performed well.
In the first two drives of the game, the Jags accumulated field goals. The first offensive drive of the day by them lasted for 12 plays, and the unit was able to total 73 yards along the way. It started with a huge play as quarterback Trevor Lawrence was able to hit receiver Zay Jones up the sideline for a 32-yard reception. Then two plays later, Lawrence came away with another first-down by rushing for 11 yards after faking a handoff to Travis Etienne.
Speaking of Etienne, they got him heavily involved to finish the drive. His first touch of the night went for 12 yards. He then received two more carries for four yards a piece before the drive ended, and eventually, kicker Elliott Fry was able to put one in from 23 yards away. That brought the score to 3-0.
The defense didn’t want to be outdone, though. After forcing a Browns punt in the game’s initial drive, they shut down the Browns’ second offensive drive in three plays. Safety Rayshawn Jenkins was able to lay a big hit on running back D’Ernest Johnson, causing a fumble that was recovered by cornerback Shaquill Griffin.
The Jags recovered on Cleveland’s 23 as a result, but the offense had a three-and-out to follow the recovery. Kicker Ryan Santoso then came in for a 38-yard attempt that was good and put the score at 6-0.
During the Browns’ third drive, the Jags’ defense forced another punt after seven plays. The Jags’ first-team offense found themselves on Cleveland’s 37-yard line afterward and were able to put together a 12-play drive that ended with an Evan Engram receiving touchdown for nine yards.
In the drive that led to a touchdown, the Jags got notables like Etienne, Jones (through a 15-yard reception), and rookie running back Snoop Conner involved to set them up for success. Jags coach Doug Pederson was able to take advantage of their efforts with a beautiful play-action fake that led the defense to the right and left the left side of the field open for Engram to score.
After that point, the backups were put in the game and were unable to get much going. They, unfortunately, ended the night with three turnovers and were unable to score after the first team got them off to a 13-0 start.
The first turnover was an interception that was a pass from quarterback C.J. Beathard intended for receiver Jeff Cotton Jr. The third-year receiver had the ball in his grasp, but it was ripped out of his hands by defensive back Martin Emerson Jr. for a pick-six. That put the score at 14-13 in favor of Cleveland.
The second turnover was a fumble by tight end Luke Farrell in the third quarter. The second-year player hauled in a catch from quarterback Jake Luton that actually would’ve been a fourth-down conversion. However, safety D’Anthony Bell was able to knock the ball loose as Farrell didn’t secure it like he should’ve while attempting to get yards after the catch.
The last interception came in the fourth quarter as Luton and the backups were at Cleveland’s nine. After rolling out to his right, Luton tried to hit a receiver in the end zone, but was picked off by Browns cornerback Herb Miller.
The pick was indicative of Luton’s overall rough day as he ended the game 12-of-21 for 92 yards plus the pick. He finished the night with a rating of 48.1. That’s certainly not where a player wants to be heading into Tuesday’s roster cuts, but ultimately time will tell if the Jags look to keep developing him throughout camp.
As for Lawrence, he only completed 50% of his passes (6-of-12). However, he made several explosive plays for the team when he was making completions and looked to be in command of the offense. There were also a few passes that were dropped by his skill guys where arguments could be made that the balls were catchable.
In addition to Lawrence’s good performance, it was good to see some of the first and second-team skill weapons make plays for the young quarterback. Etienne looked explosive in his first game back, and Jones brought explosive playmaking ability to the mix through the air, leading the team in receptions with 47 yards.
Then lastly, fans got a glimpse of the things Pederson could cook up with Engram as well. That’s huge because the scheme is expected to get great production out of the tight end position, and the hope is that Engram will lead the way.
Overall, it was an encouraging day when looking at the performance of the players who fans will see the most in the regular season, but the group must continue to improve. The performance of the backups is something that will need to improve in the next two preseason games, too, or fans will have a reason to be concerned about the Jags’ depth in the near future. | 2022-08-13T06:42:49Z | sports.yahoo.com | Postgame analysis: Jags starters shine in 24-13 loss to Browns | https://sports.yahoo.com/postgame-analysis-jags-starters-shine-054451743.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/postgame-analysis-jags-starters-shine-054451743.html?src=rss |
Lance kept it simple in 49ers' preseason win over Packers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SANTA CLARA -- From gathering his 49ers teammates around him for a quick pregame talk to leading the team out of the tunnel and onto the field, things just looked different for quarterback Trey Lance on Friday.
And he thought so, too.
“I felt very different,” Lance said after the 49ers’ 28-21 preseason victory over the Green Bay Packers. “The game slowed down for sure.
"Obviously, it’s a preseason game, but some good, some bad. There’s a lot to learn from.”
Lance officially took over as the 49ers' starting quarterback this offseason, as the club holds onto Jimmy Garoppolo's contract while they attempt to get something in return for him in a trade.
He started only two games as a rookie and knew his role as the backup. Now, he is trying to use every experience to learn and grow before the start of the regular season on Sept. 11 against the Chicago Bears.
Lance said he was excited to spend some time Friday night and Saturday watching the game video and learning more about what he did well and where there is room to improve.
Lance completed four of five passes for 92 yards, including a 76-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Danny Gray against the Packers at Levi's Stadium.
The design of the big play was quite simple, he said.
“Throw it to the fast guy,” Lance said.
“For me, it was kind of a route-on-air play when Danny runs that fast.”
Gray, a third-round pick from SMU with 4.33 speed, has made some big plays on the practice field this summer. But those deep catches have come mostly from backup Nate Sudfeld throwing the ball down the field.
"Me and Trey, we get the work in after practice,” Gray said. “We throw the deep balls. I feel like everything is coming together.
“It’s paying off a lot. We’re going to be special together.”
Coach Kyle Shanahan said the priority for Friday night was to get some game experience for Lance while trying to minimize any risk of injury. Lance took off running on his first drop back, and he played it safe with a slide at the end of a 7-yard gain.
Lance and the offense have experienced an up-and-down training camp while going head-to-head with a 49ers defense that could be among the best in the league. Lance said he was excited for the opportunity to go up against another team.
“We’ve been looking forward to it for a long time,” Lance said. “Training camp try to take it one day at a time. Against our defense, there are good days and bad days, but they make us better and we showed it today.” | 2022-08-13T08:14:00Z | sports.yahoo.com | Trey Lance keeps it simple in 49ers' preseason win over Packers | https://sports.yahoo.com/trey-lance-keeps-simple-49ers-063610556.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/trey-lance-keeps-simple-49ers-063610556.html?src=rss |
Rays vs Orioles Betting Forecast for Aug 12
Yahoo Sports looks at the latest betting information as the Tampa Bay Rays host the Baltimore Orioles
Former New Zealand No. 8 Kieran Read paused for a moment this week when looking for a word to best describe the South African rugby supporters at Ellis Park. The All Blacks face another level of challenges against South Africa at Ellis Park in the Rugby Championship on Saturday while already shouldering the burden of possibly becoming statistically the worst-performing New Zealand side for 73 years. Deep in a slump, the world's best known and most successful rugby team could slip to a sixth loss in seven games, which would be its worst run since 1949 and almost certainly see the end of Ian Foster's time as head coach.
Actress Denise Richards opened up about why she divorced ex Charlie Sheen while she was six months pregnant with their daughter Lola. The couple married in 2002, divorced in 2006. | 2022-08-13T09:14:51Z | sports.yahoo.com | Judge hits homer No. 46, but Red Sox rally to beat Yanks 3-2 | https://sports.yahoo.com/judge-hits-homer-no-46-030312129.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/judge-hits-homer-no-46-030312129.html?src=rss |
Community activists in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan are calling on New York City to do more to make sure that they aren’t left out of climate adaptation plans. Such solutions developed in the neighborhood would echo across the African diaspora, the head of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce told a panel discussion kicking off Harlem…
Glenn Phillips struck a half century from 33 balls to propel New Zealand to a 90-run win over the West Indies in the second Twenty20 international on Friday, clinching the three-match series with a 2-0 lead. After reaching his fifth T20 half century, Phillips went on to 76 from 40 balls and led New Zealand to 215-5 as it batted after winning the toss, exceeding the 185-5 that was a winning total in the first match of the series. The West Indies managed only 125-9 in reply, lacking the partnerships that underpinned a New Zealand total which was the highest by a visiting team against the West Indies in a T20 in the Caribbean.
Kyle Tucker clobbered a grand slam while Jeremy Peña collected three hits in the Astros' close 7-5 win over the A's
Barron’s screened for companies whose short-term obligations exceed their cash and one-year earnings combined. | 2022-08-13T10:46:27Z | sports.yahoo.com | Yankees vs. Red Sox Highlights | https://sports.yahoo.com/yankees-vs-red-sox-highlights-035101434.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/yankees-vs-red-sox-highlights-035101434.html?src=rss |
Good morning, Bears fans! There’s a football game today!
The Bears are kicking off the preseason against the Chiefs today at Soldier Field, which will mark Matt Eberflus’ first NFL game as a head coach — even if it is preseason.
For Eberflus, he’s not getting caught up in the fact that it’ll be his first time coaching his team. Instead, he’s focused on the task at hand.
“The first thing to come to mind right there is that you don’t look at the past,” Eberflus said. “You’ve got to focus on the future and what’s ahead of you right now. The way we look at it is you have to have a telescope view as the head coach: where we’re going to get to. And then you have to have a microscopic view of what we’re doing day-to-day.
“I’m just focusing on having good game-day operation, working on the scheme, evaluating the personnel for the first game … That’s the way you function best; you’ve got to be in the moment. You’ve got to be right here, right now.”
Eberflus will get his first real test when it comes to managing in-game scenarios, and he’s feeling confident.
“That’s everything,” he said. “Those decisions that we make in the last two minutes of the half, last two minutes of the game, going for it on fourth down, all of those situations that are my call a lot of times are really a big job to have.”
Eberflus wanted to make sure he was prepared for different game situations, which is why he spent the offseason working with director of research and analysis Harrison Freid this offseason.
“We must have had 20 sessions talking about end of game, when to throw the challenge flag, when not to, all scenarios that deal with two-minute, end of half, end of game, all of those situations,” Eberflus said.
“And we’ve had the officials in here. We’ve used those guys as resources, as educators in terms of the rules. The two-minute application, how they spot the ball, where should we be to get the ball back into play the fastest as possible.
“I feel very prepared for that and I’m excited to go through it for the first time with our staff.”
The Bears kick off the preseason against the Chiefs, and there are a number of players we’ll be keeping an eye on.
There are a number of roster bubble players who are looking to make strong impressions in the preseason opener.
The Roquan Smith drama keeps getting weirder.
Someone is calling teams to gauge trade interest for Smith, which could present some problems.
Chicago’s roster has undergone some changes from the start of training camp to the preseason opener. Here’s a look at the Bears’ updated 90-man roster.
Rookie standout Romeo Doubs scores Packers’ first touchdown of preseason. READ MORE ON PACKERS WIRE.
Kirk Cousins ruled out for preseason opener after testing positive for COVID-19. READ MORE ON VIKINGS WIRE.
Lions lose back-and-forth preseason opener to Falcons. READ MORE ON LIONS WIRE. | 2022-08-13T12:04:24Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bear Necessities: Matt Eberflus ready for his first game as NFL head coach | https://sports.yahoo.com/bear-necessities-matt-eberflus-ready-111047649.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bear-necessities-matt-eberflus-ready-111047649.html?src=rss |
New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale is known as an aggressive play-caller who relies heavily on the blitz. It’s something we’ve seen throughout training camp and expect to see more of during the season.
During Thursday night’s preseason opener against the New England Patriots, Martindale scaled back his defense considerably. In fact, some of the players even called their exhibition approach “vanilla.”
“It was really vanilla, it was just really basic,” rookie linebacker Darrian Beavers said of the scheme after the game.
But Patriots head coach Bill Belichick saw it differently. In fact, he was quite peeved with Martindale for what he felt was excessive blitzing.
Specifically, Belichick said they weren’t able to practice their play-action due in large part to Martindale’s blitzing. But in reality, the Giants went rather soft on the Pats.
Meanwhile, Giants head coach Brian Daboll wasn’t nearly as frustrated with the Patriots for blitzing. Instead, he looked at it as a good opportunity for his players to learn.
“They played some man, played a little bit of zone, disguised some, blitzed some,” Daboll told reporters. “So, it was good work for us on offense and I’d say the same thing on defense.”
Belichick is a notorious complainer — even more so in recent years without a super team — but it’s still encouraging to see Martindale frustrating opposing coaches already. The Giants hope that continues throughout the season.
Second-year Rockets center Alperen Sengun has had a strong week in Turkey’s international friendlies versus Ukraine and Slovenia. Here’s a look back at his statistics and top plays.
Hypegolf Japan returned to Eagle Point Golf Club in Ibaraki on August 8, 2022, for the second...
STORY: Shares of Rivian Automotive jumped on Friday, a day after the electric-vehicle maker reported better-than-expected second quarter revenue.Still, the young company also forecast a wider operating loss for the year and said many of its current models will not qualify for new federal tax incentives, after the U.S Senate passed an energy and climate bill that provides billions in funding for EV production.But CEO R.J. Scaringe told analysts on a conference call after the release of quarterly earnings that Rivian could qualify for subsidies of up to $40,000 per vehicle for large electric commercial vans similar to the ones it is building for Amazon, which has a roughly 18% stake in the company.Scaringe also said Rivian's smaller, less expensive R2 line of consumer vehicles, due out in 2025, should also qualify for tax credits. Rivian built fewer than 7,000 vehicles in the first half of the year, but reaffirmed its full-year target of 25,000 vehicles. In the second quarter, Rivian delivered nearly 4,500 vehicles, up from about 1,200 in the previous three months. | 2022-08-13T12:05:08Z | sports.yahoo.com | Giants’ Wink Martindale already frustrating opposing coaches | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-wink-martindale-already-frustrating-105541904.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-wink-martindale-already-frustrating-105541904.html?src=rss |
Kelsey Conway, Cincinnati Enquirer
News:Arizona Cardinals receiver Jontre Kirklin celebrates TD vs. Bengals with 'Griddy'
It was a bit of a disappointing night for Carman. He was nailed for a holding call on second down that was declined and lost his share of one-on-one matchups. While it’s the first preseason game and there’s no reason to panic completely, Carman not dominating the Cardinals’ second-team defensive line is underwhelming. For an offensive lineman, it's better the less your name is mentioned. This wasn’t the case for Carman or Hakeem Adeniji, both players who started games for the Bengals in 2021 and didn’t play great in the preseason.
"I thought it was good, we all have a lot to learn from that first experience, but it was good to go out there for the first time this season and be able to put the pads on,” Carman said following his performance.
"We want those guys to get as many reps as possible," Taylor said of the battle at left guard. "They’re competing for their job and the best way to compete is in the game."
NewsBengals' Evan McPherson makes 58-yard field goal in preseason opener
“He jumped out at you," Taylor said of Hill's performance. "He made two real good plays, one down there in the low red (zone) and one on the field there on third down. Those are big time plays, so that’s what stands out and then you’ll evaluate the rest of it and see how he was. But that was exciting to see from Dax.”
As for how Hill felt his rookie debut went, overall he was pleased but admitted there's room for improvement. He said getting snaps against another opponent was invaluable to him as he continues to adapt to the speed of the NFL game.
"It felt good ... I felt comfortable out there," Hill said. "The first series, all the jitters went away, so it felt like football.”
With Joe Burrow still recovering from his appendectomy that took place the day before training camp starters, Allen immediately assumed the starting responsibilities. Allen was taken off the field and went back to the locker room in the first quarter and later the team announced he was being evaluated for a concussion. Following the game, Taylor said the initial reports are that Allen shouldn't be out for an extended period of time. This would allow the Bengals to not have to add another quarterback and keep their situation as is.
"Brandon feels pretty good right now," Taylor said. "We’ll just see where we he’s at and assess that and figure out where we need to go.”
Watch:Bengals QB Jake Browning has preseason highlight in Brandon Allen's absence
The Commanders don’t want people to talk about the recent past. The probably aren’t thrilled with the attention being paid to certain aspects of the present. Via Daniel Kaplan of TheAthletic.com, the secondary ticket platform GameTime has tickets to the team’s preseason opener against the Panthers going for as little as $1. Yes, for a [more] | 2022-08-13T12:17:39Z | sports.yahoo.com | What we learned from the Bengals' preseason opener against Arizona Cardinals | https://sports.yahoo.com/learned-bengals-preseason-opener-against-050032840.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/learned-bengals-preseason-opener-against-050032840.html?src=rss |
Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira and Freddie Ljungberg relive the most famous Premier League campaign of all time, when Arsenal won the 2003-04 title without suffering a single defeat.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti on Saturday said he was surprised that German midfielder Toni Kroos did not feature on the list of 30 finalists for the Ballon d'Or.
Former Chelsea and Arsenal winger Willian terminated his contract with Brazil's Corinthians on Friday and said he will return to England to play. Brazilian media linked the 34-year-old Willian with a move to Premier League club Fulham. Willian also said in an interview with TV Globo that he left Corinthians because of threats he and his family received via social media.
Working against the clock, Barcelona sold off even more of its club assets on Friday so it could meet the Spanish league’s financial rules and clear Robert Lewandowski and other summer signings to play in its season opener. The troubled Spanish club was only able to ensure that its star signing will be available against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday after it sold 24.5% of its Barça Studios production hub to Orpheus Media in a deal worth 100 million euros ($103 million). | 2022-08-13T13:48:51Z | sports.yahoo.com | Ballon d’Or 2022: Full list of nominees for men’s, women’s category | https://sports.yahoo.com/ballon-d-2022-full-list-223300133.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ballon-d-2022-full-list-223300133.html?src=rss |
Following Joohyung “Tom” Kim’s victory at last week’s Wyndham Championship, the 20-year-old moved into the FedExCup rankings after just his ninth start, causing a domino effect that moved Jason Dufner to No. 200 on the points list with 58 points. It also knocked Chris Naegel and Rick Lamb, who both finished with 55 points as non-members, out of the top 200 – the cutoff for players to qualify for the KFT finals. Enter: Bubba Watson.
Field of Dreams returns to fabled Iowa cornfield
The second Field of Dreams baseball game takes place today at an Iowa cornfield that was used as the setting for the cherished Kevin Costner film of the same name. This year's game features the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds. | 2022-08-13T13:49:16Z | sports.yahoo.com | Tour removes LIV pros from career money list; Bubba exit shifts No. 200 in points | https://sports.yahoo.com/pga-tour-adjusts-fedexcup-eligibility-174834259.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/pga-tour-adjusts-fedexcup-eligibility-174834259.html?src=rss |
The New England Patriots played their first game of the 2022 NFL preseason on Thursday against the New York Giants, losing 23-21 in front of an energetic Gillette Stadium home crowd eager to watch the first Patriots football game in over six months.
Although the game featured mostly backup and reserve players who are vying for spots on New England’s regular season 53-man roster, it was still an entertaining watch and provided some glimpses as to how the team will operate in the regular season with their full starting roster.
Here are 5 defensive takeaways from the game that caught my eye.
The defensive line looked awesome
Maybe it’s the fact that in the first half of the game the Patriots had many of their starting defensive linemen on the field. Maybe it’s the fact that the Giants’ offensive line could very well be made out of swiss cheese. Maybe it’s both. Whatever the case may be, New England’s defensive line looked dominant throughout the game.
Although they didn’t show up much on the stat sheet (one sack and four quarterback pressures), the defensive line seemed to be in the Giants’ backfield on almost every play.
I was particularly fascinated by the play of Henry Anderson. The 31-year-old NFL vet was consistently penetrating into the Giants’ backfield (including a few times just absolutely dominating former fourth overall pick Andrew Thomas). Anderson also played well into the third quarter, a sign that maybe he’s still returning to game form after recovering from the torn pectoral muscle he suffered in Week 4 last season that sidelined him for the rest of the year.
When the Patriots’ defensive line couldn’t get to the Giants’ quarterback, they still influenced the play on the field through pass deflections. If this performance is any indication of how New England’s defensive line will perform this season, opposing quarterbacks are going to be in for a nightmare.
The revamped linebacking corps seems exactly as advertised
The Patriots completed the shift in their linebacking philosophy this offseason, going away from the big, strong north-to-south bruisers of the past (Tedy Bruschi, Jerod Mayo, Dont’a Hightower) and toward a more athletic and agile east-to-west linebacking corps.
Newcomer Mack Wilson, acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Browns this offseason, seemed to fit this role perfectly. Wilson was not only great in coverage but also came in hot on a few blitz packages and showed off his combination of speed and strength.
When Wilson came out of the game around halftime, second-year player Cameron McGrone took over the play-calling duties on the defensive side. McGrone, who missed all of last season due to a torn ACL suffered in training camp, seemed a little rusty on his instincts. However, his speed and agility were fun to watch both when he was in coverage and as he dove for multiple almost-interceptions.
Young guns showed out in an otherwise bland secondary
If there was one major flaw in New England’s defense on Thursday, it was probably the one that many fans and media members alike have been worried about the entire offseason.
While the Patriots’ secondary wasn’t necessarily all that bad, they didn’t do much that really wowed on the field (other than maybe Terrance Mitchell’s Peanut Tillman-esque forced fumble). If there was one positive takeaway from the secondary’s on-the-field play, it was the young players playing well in coverage.
Shaun Wade, the second-year player who New England acquired from the Baltimore Ravens right before the beginning of last season, consistently seemed to be playing good coverage throughout the night, including a great play where he got his arm in between the Giants’ receiver’s hands to break up a pass.
Second-year safety Joshuah Bledsoe also played well, drawing praise from longtime Patriots veteran (and current incumbent at the position) Devin McCourty.
Later in the game, fourth-round pick Jack Jones got a share of playing time at his cornerback position and showcased great instinctual ability on the field. While Jones didn’t record an interception, he was able to diagnose and undercut multiple Giants’ receiver routes and wrapped up well on his tackles.
While these players performing well in actual gameplay bodes well for the future of New England’s secondary, it doesn’t suggest much about how it may look this season, which is one of the largest concerns regarding the team after the departure of cover corner J.C. Jackson in the offseason free agency period.
Myles Bryant for punt returner
Myles Bryant, wearing Jackson’s old No. 27, got reps at punt returner early in the game and did not disappoint. Bryant showed an agility and playmaking ability that the Patriots desperately needed after the departure of returner Gunner Olszewski in free agency. His teammates on the sideline seemed to realize it too, jumping and celebrating around him after his first return.
While Bryant was a solid depth piece at the cornerback position for New England last year, he seems to be vying with more young players for that position this season. Given the amount of youth that the Patriots have in their secondary (albeit inexperienced and largely untested youth), Bryant’s punt returning abilities may provide him with the leg up on his competition for a spot on the 53-man roster.
Head Coach Bill Belichick and the rest of New England’s coaching staff are likely going to experiment with a few other returners throughout the preseason to see who plays the position the best. For now, however, it seems as if Bryant is ahead in that race.
Joejuan Williams is done
The fourth-year cornerback out of Vanderbilt has long been one of the names that gets tossed out when fans discuss the Patriots’ infamously terrible 2019 draft class. Williams just hasn’t lived up to his second-round draft pedigree in his three full seasons thus far with the team, largely serving as a depth role and not performing all that well when he’s played significant game minutes.
Williams played a significant chunk of Thursday’s game, particularly in the second half, and got beat by Giants receivers on multiple occasions, with one being for a touchdown.
He played both in the slot and outside corner positions, indicating that New England’s coaching staff quite honestly just doesn’t know what position would be best to maximize his skill set.
Williams is in the last year of the four-year rookie contract he signed when he was drafted in 2019 and has a salary cap hit of just above $2.1 million with a dead cap hit (if released) of only around $700,000. Seeing how salary cap space has been tight for the Patriots all offseason, it seems as if now would be a great time to cut bait and save some money on a player whose potential seems to be all but gone at this point in his career. | 2022-08-13T14:14:50Z | sports.yahoo.com | 5 Defensive takeaways from Patriots’ preseason loss to Giants | https://sports.yahoo.com/5-defensive-takeaways-patriots-preseason-134641932.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/5-defensive-takeaways-patriots-preseason-134641932.html?src=rss |
While the Indianapolis Colts will be trotting out their starting offense for roughly an entire quarter in Saturday’s preseason opener, the Buffalo Bills are sitting starting quarterback Josh Allen.
Teams have different philosophies when it comes to preseason playing time and given that the Colts have a new quarterback running the offense, they need time to get the chemistry right before Week 1 of the regular season rolls around.
The Bills don’t feel that’s necessary for the first week of the preseason, though, as head coach Sean McDermott wants to limit the chances of injury to the star quarterback.
“We’ve got to do what’s our best for our team and we’ll do that the next couple of days,” McDermott said via Bills Wire.
Instead of seeing the electric Allen on Saturday afternoon, the Colts are likely to see a combination of Case Keenum and Matt Barkley for the majority of the contest.
The Colts are expected to play Ryan for roughly a quarter depending on the flow of the game. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they did sit some players like running back Jonathan Taylor.
We’ll see just how much the Colts starters actually play during the preseason opener, but don’t expect Allen to be suiting up at Highmark Stadium. | 2022-08-13T14:15:09Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bills’ Josh Allen won’t play vs. Colts in preseason opener | https://sports.yahoo.com/bills-josh-allen-won-t-133330186.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bills-josh-allen-won-t-133330186.html?src=rss |
The Indianapolis Colts haven’t given much information in the way of Shaquille Leonard’s status for the Week 1 regular-season opener against the Houston Texans.
The updates every week are more of the same and until Leonard gets back on the field to practice, it’s difficult to gauge what his timeline for return truly looks like.
Head coach Frank Reich told reporters Thursday that the team is hoping for the best but preparing for the worst in terms of Leonard’s situation.
“I’m hopeful and optimistic that he’s ready but you’re preparing as if he’s not going to be ready,” Reich said Thursday. “You prepare for the worst-case scenario.”
It still remains to be seen when Leonard will return to practice. He opened training camp on the PUP list after undergoing surgery on his back in June to correct a nerve issue that was causing pain in his calf and ankle.
Reich mentioned Leonard doing a lot of extra work to get on the field sooner, but it’s still a wait-and-see situation,
“He’s doing a lot of extra work and he’s getting his mind right ready to play. That’s exactly what needs to happen,” Reich said. “He’s got his mind ready to play. The players got to think he’s playing as soon as he can.”
In terms of how much practice Leonard needs before the Colts feel comfortable putting him in game action, Reich said it likely depends on how the final weeks of training camp go.
“I mean, every player is different. I think it’s going to depend on what it looks like those last couple of weeks before he gets on the field,” Reich said. “How much activity is he doing out here, what exactly is he doing, how much contact is there – some sled work, pad work, conditioning. The whole thing. So, we’ll kind of gauge it by that.”
It’s still a wait-and-see situation with The Maniac’s status and we likely won’t get much more information until he gets back on the field for practice. | 2022-08-13T14:15:15Z | sports.yahoo.com | Colts ‘hopeful and optimistic’ Shaquille Leonard is ready Week 1 | https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-hopeful-optimistic-shaquille-leonard-131949928.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-hopeful-optimistic-shaquille-leonard-131949928.html?src=rss |
The Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills are set to square off Saturday to begin the preseason with an afternoon matchup at Highmark Stadium.
While the preseason is more about getting ready for the season, part of that process is sifting through the position battles that have already been taking place throughout training camp.
These three preseason games are crucial for players vying for prominent roles and roster spots, and it all starts Saturday against the Bills.
Here are seven position battles to watch in the preseason opener:
This hasn’t been much of a battle thus far halfway through training camp. The leader of this competition has solely been veteran Matt Pryor, who has been taking every rep at left tackle since the spring.
However, this is the first time we’ll get to see rookie Bernhard Raimann on the field so it will be interesting to gauge how far behind he is in the battle now that he gets to see some live action.
For the majority of training camp, the No. 3 cornerback spot has belonged to Brandon Facyson. He has been battling with third-year cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, who also has had his share of moments making plays in training camp. This battle is far from over, and the preseason games should help determine the pecking order in the room.
There wasn’t a whole lot of clarity at this spot through the first two weeks of training camp, but Phillip Lindsay has emerged as the favorite for the third running back spot. However, his lack of special teams work should open the door for a fourth spot in the room, which has many suitors.
A pair of undrafted rookies in D’vonte Price and C.J. Verdell are among the competition for the final spot in the room along with second-year back Deon Jackson and former Baltimore Ravens starter Ty’Son Williams. It’s anyone’s guess who the final running back in the room will be.
As it currently stands, Blankenship is likely leading the battle for the kicker role, but Jake Verity is right on his tail. They’ve made the same amount of field goals throughout training camp so these games could certainly add some separation to the competition.
No. 5 wide receiver
The top-four spots in the wide receiver room are locked up, which leaves a number of players battling for the final one or two spots in the room. It isn’t yet clear how many wide receivers the Colts will keep, but it will be at least five.
Shifty slot receiver Keke Coutee has been the most productive player out of those vying for a spot in the room. Third-year wideout Dezmon Patmon also has flashed during some moments of camp but has proven to be inconsistent in that regard.
Other players fighting for a spot in the room include veterans Isaiah Ford and D.J. Montgomery along with undrafted rookies Michael Young Jr., Ethan Fernea and Samson Nacua.
It should be noted that Mike Strachan should be in the mix whenever he returns from the PUP list, but that doesn’t appear to be anytime soon.
We officially have a competition at tight end. While Mo Alie-Cox will start the season as the leader in the room, the roles behind him are up for grabs. Second-year tight end Kylen Granson is the favorite for the No. 2 role, but he’s had an inconsistent camp.
Meanwhile, draft picks Jelani Woods and Andrew Ogletree have been battling behind him as the latter moves up the depth chart. Ogletree has been a star during training camp thus far and has even seen work with the first-team offense.
The spots behind Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner are completely up for grabs. Two rookies in Curtis Brooks and Eric Johnson are in the middle of the competition while veterans Chris Williams and R.J. McIntosh also are battling for roles.
Williams has been dealing with a lower leg injury for the majority of camp while McIntosh has slowly made a name for himself over the second week of practices.
Finding the depth behind the starters is crucial, and these preseason games go a long way in determining those roles.
Mayor John Cooper said the tool would provide better transparency around how tax dollars are being spent. | 2022-08-13T14:15:21Z | sports.yahoo.com | Colts vs. Bills: 7 position battles to watch in preseason opener | https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-vs-bills-7-position-125612172.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-vs-bills-7-position-125612172.html?src=rss |
Dolphins vs. Buccaneers live stream: Time, TV Schedule and how to watch online
The Miami Dolphins are set to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in both teams’ preseason opener on Saturday evening at Raymond James Stadium.
Miami’s coming into this game after an offseason full of changes that included a coaching swap, an influx of new talent and penalties levied against the organization. There are high hopes in the fanbase, with many believing they finally have enough around quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to make it to the postseason.
For Tampa Bay, while they also have a new man leading things in Todd Bowles, he was at least on the staff before Bruce Arians retired, so there’s some familiarity there. Quarterback Tom Brady also retired and unretired this offseason, so they’re expected to be close to where they were last season.
With the Buccaneers announcing that Brady won’t play, and Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel unsure if Tagovailoa will take the field, the outcome of this one is a toss-up. However, the result isn’t as important as the process in the game. That’s what everyone will be watching for.
SiriusXM (Channel 381)
Moneyline: Dolphins -115 (bet $115 to win $110) Buccaneers -105 (bet $105 to win $100)
Against the spread (ATS): Dolphins -1.5 (-105) Buccaneers +1.5 (-115)
85 degrees and cloudy. | 2022-08-13T14:15:34Z | sports.yahoo.com | Dolphins vs. Buccaneers live stream: Time, TV Schedule and how to watch online | https://sports.yahoo.com/dolphins-vs-buccaneers-live-stream-140025283.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/dolphins-vs-buccaneers-live-stream-140025283.html?src=rss |
USC fans waited a long time to see former Trojan star Drake London make his NFL debut.
They got their wish on Friday as the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions faced off. London got started early, too, with a 24-yard catch in the first quarter from Marcus Mariota. It was his first catch in a live NFL game.
Unfortunately, that would end up being his only catch of the game. He left the game with a knee injury, and the Falcons reported that he would be out for the remainder of the contest in Detroit.
His first catch was terrific. He flashed his considerable skill set as Mariota hit him with a perfect pass.
But that would be all for his debut. On the bright side, it doesn’t appear to be a significant injury, and London came out of the medical tent and was walking on the sidelines shortly after.
Drake London is walking around the sideline so whatever the issue is it doesn't appear to be too serious.
Still, this isn’t what Falcon fans and the franchise were hoping for in London’s debut, although he wasn’t going to play many snaps anyway.
We will keep an eye on the severity of London’s injury, but as of now, it doesn’t appear to be anything serious. Falcon fans and USC fans can take a deep breath and hope London is ready to go for the next preseason game.
Yet, it can’t be ignored that London, after a 2021 season cut short by injury, suffered a slight injury nine minutes into his first preseason game in 2022. He looked outstanding on this catch, but fears about durability will persist as a result of this occurrence, even though the Falcons are being appropriately cautious.
More than 3.1 million viewers watched Fox Sports' broadcast of Major League Baseball's second “Field of Dreams” game, about half of the audience for the 2021 game. The Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-2 on Thursday night at a throwback ballpark in eastern Iowa, a short walk from the main field for the 1989 movie. Fox Sports said Friday it was the most-watched regular-season baseball game on any network this year.
Parking can be stressful under the best of circumstances, but it's made even worse when you're in a rush and can't find any spots—or if you've never been that adept at parallel parking. Once you've secured a spot, however, you should be able to breathe easy. And that can't happen if you know your car might be targeted by criminals. Police have issued a new warning about a rise in a specific kind of theft, where perpetrators are looking to snatch one thing in particular from your car—and it's not | 2022-08-13T14:15:40Z | sports.yahoo.com | Drake London injured 9 minutes into NFL debut with Falcons | https://sports.yahoo.com/drake-london-injured-9-minutes-121754164.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/drake-london-injured-9-minutes-121754164.html?src=rss |
New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard (Achilles) remains on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and edge rusher Azeez Ojulari on the non-football injury (NFI) list. But both are getting much closer to a return.
“I think they are getting closer,” head coach Brian Daboll told reporters. “In terms of a time frame, I can’t give it to you right now, but they are getting closer. They’re improving day to day and hopefully they’ll be out there as soon as they can.”
Ojulari’s injury was initially considered minor but he’s been sidelined since the start of camp. Shepard, meanwhile, is coming back after a very serious injury and wasn’t expected to return until the start of the season. Some even speculated that he might miss a few games early on.
Given the team’s chemistry issues between the quarterbacks and wide receivers, Shepard’s return would be more than welcomed. He’s arguably the team’s best and most consistent route runner, and a target Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor can rely on.
The Giants are also champing at the bit to get Ojulari back. Teaming him with rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux will provide even more juice to Wink Martindale’s already aggressive and swarming defense. | 2022-08-13T14:15:59Z | sports.yahoo.com | Giants’ Sterling Shepard, Azeez Ojulari ‘getting closer’ to return | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-sterling-shepard-azeez-ojulari-125523056.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-sterling-shepard-azeez-ojulari-125523056.html?src=rss |
The New York Jets are holding their breath over the health of their franchise quarterback, Zach Wilson. During Friday night’s preseason win over the Eagles, Wilson went down with a non-contact knee injury and was forced to leave the game in the first quarter.
Wilson cut awkwardly after scrambling, going down on the field before limping off and heading to the locker room.
Robert Saleh didn’t speculate on the severity of the injury when speaking to reporters after the game, saying the team is awaiting MRI results on Saturday. He did say that he was told the ACL is believed to be intact, which is good news. But the worry is Wilson injured his PCL.
So to summarize: Wilson's ACL appears to be intact, per Saleh. As @diannaESPN reported earlier, and a source confirms, the early indication is that it could be PCL (same as last year). So right now the #Jets are hopeful it's not season ending. The MRI is tomorrow.
Connor Hughes of SNY reported after the game that he has heard Wilson will miss 2-3 weeks in a best-case scenario and 4-6 weeks if it’s the worst-case. The Jets don’t believe it’s a season-ending injury, which is encouraging.
Still, with less than a month until Week 1, the Jets are in danger of being without Wilson to start the season. | 2022-08-13T14:16:12Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jets awaiting MRI on Zach Wilson’s knee, hopeful it’s not season-ending injury | https://sports.yahoo.com/jets-awaiting-mri-zach-wilson-123852900.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jets-awaiting-mri-zach-wilson-123852900.html?src=rss |
Several players stood out during the New England Patriots’ loss to the New York Giants on Thursday night. One player in particular caught the attention of Bill Belichick.
Myles Bryant returned a punt for 30 yards and another punt for 16 yards during the preseason opener. Last season, he played slot cornerback but has also seen time at free safety, strong safety and dime linebacker during his time with New England.
Thursday was yet another new role for him, as the 5-foot-9 Swiss Army knife out of Washington made an impact. the Patriots need a jolt on special-teams, following the departure of Gunner Olszewski. If that was an audition for a special teams job, Belichick appeared impressed by it during his virtual news conference on Friday.
“Gunner (Olszewski) returned punts for the last three years, so he took a lot of reps and a lot of snaps back there,” said Belichick, via NESN’s Zack Cox. “But Myles has been doing it during the spring, the summer. He’s shown a good ability to track and catch the ball. We know Myles has good quickness, and we know he’s a good decision-maker, which is a lot in that position. And he made a couple nice plays (Thursday) night.
Bryant has the ability to make things happen. So he could be a good fit as a special teams returner. One of the things that makes him an attractive candidate for this position is his speed. He showed it a bit on Thursday night, as his long returns allowed for the offense to start in good field position and gave the quarterbacks room to work.
It will be intriguing to see if this becomes a permanent role for Bryant, as New England looks for a dependable return man. Bryant could separate himself as a leading candidate over the next couple of weeks, especially if he continues his productive performances.
The suit comes one year after the newspaper highlighted Arthur's controversial views on the coronavirus vaccine
(Bloomberg) -- Almost immediately after federal authorities executed a search warrant at Donald Trump’s Florida home on Monday, former White House adviser Steve Bannon and other aides called for the former president to expedite an announcement for a third White House bid. But there are reasons for him to put off a declaration. Most Read from BloombergAuthor Salman Rushdie Stabbed on Lecture Stage in New YorkTrump Calls for Release of Warrant Documents Used in SearchExtreme Heat Uncovers Lost Vil | 2022-08-13T14:16:31Z | sports.yahoo.com | Patriots coach Bill Belichick raved about one special teamer in preseason opener | https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-coach-bill-belichick-raved-124741284.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-coach-bill-belichick-raved-124741284.html?src=rss |
The Eagles scored a touchdown on the drive after Williams’ hit gave them 15 free yards, which frustrated Saleh. The coach called it an “egregiously awful” play by the linebacker and spoke to Williams about it after the game.
“I talked to Quincy after the game,” he said, via the Jets’ site. “Egregiously awful from Quincy, and he knows that, he knows better. It’s one thing to make a mistake in a game, it’s another thing to make a mistake that leads to points, touchdowns. It’s a good drive, we’re off the field. Jalen’s a phenomenal quarterback, and to stop them, hold them to a field goal after giving up an explosive [play] is a pretty good showing for the first drive.
“Then to have that happen extends the drive. Anytime you extend the drive like that, it’s probably going to lead to bigger points. So Quincy knows, but at the same time, those are plays he has got to get out of his game for him to be the player we think he can be.”
Williams finished the game with three tackles and one sack in the Jets’ 24-21 win on the road. | 2022-08-13T14:16:37Z | sports.yahoo.com | Robert Saleh calls Quincy Williams’ late hit on Jalen Hurts ‘egregiously awful’ | https://sports.yahoo.com/robert-saleh-calls-quincy-williams-125522750.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/robert-saleh-calls-quincy-williams-125522750.html?src=rss |
Former New York Giants Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, Victor Cruz, says he has confidence in Giants’ fourth-year quarterback Daniel Jones as he enters the “most important year of his life.”
“I think he will be (the guy),” Cruz told TMZ Sports. “I think he has all the tools to do so and I think the Giants put a good enough team around him to see what they got.”
More from TMZ:
Jones hasn’t had the best training camp so far — he’s missed throws in practice, and in the team’s first preseason game on Thursday night, he completed just six of 10 passes for 69 yards.
Cruz, though, says the G-men just have to ride it out with Jones this year — and see what the 25-year-old has ultimately got to give them.
As ardent followers and documentarians of Big Blue, we all are aware that Jones is ‘singing for his supper’ this season. He must play well in order for the Giants to consider anointing him their franchise quarterback after this season.
If Jones falters again, he will be allowed to seek the next chapter of his career as an unrestricted free agent. The Giants could very well bid for his services there which could end up being a bargain but in all likelihood he’s pretty much done here should he log in another unimpressive campaign.
Cruz added that should that happen, Jones may not get another shot at being a starter in the NFL. | 2022-08-13T14:16:56Z | sports.yahoo.com | Victor Cruz: Giants’ Daniel Jones ‘has all the tools’ to be successful | https://sports.yahoo.com/victor-cruz-giants-daniel-jones-135553968.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/victor-cruz-giants-daniel-jones-135553968.html?src=rss |
Friday night’s game was bittersweet for the New York Jets. Sure, they came away with a win in the preseason opener over the Philadelphia Eagles, but they also may have lost their quarterback in the process.
Zach Wilson left the game with a non-contact knee injury in the first quarter, and the fear is he could miss at least a few weeks. His teammates would go on to lead the Jets to victory, capped off by Chris Streveler’s touchdown pass to Calvin Jackson with 16 seconds left in the game.
If you missed any of the action or just want to rewatch some of the top plays, check out 10 minutes of highlights in the video below. | 2022-08-13T14:17:02Z | sports.yahoo.com | Watch 10 minutes of highlights from Jets’ 24-21 win over Eagles | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-10-minutes-highlights-jets-132426778.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-10-minutes-highlights-jets-132426778.html?src=rss |
Quite a few former Wisconsin football players have played in their first NFL preseason action over the last few days. On Friday night, former Badgers’ wide receiver Kendric Pryor made an outstanding one-handed grab down the sideline in his first game for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Related: WATCH: Former Badgers WR Danny Davis III scores a preseason touchdown
Pryor was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Bengals in May and has impressed so far, despite being pretty far down the depth chart. The former Badger finished his first game against the Arizona Cardinals with four receptions for 89 receiving yards and a touchdown.
It is excellent to see Kendric Pryor doing so much with his opportunity at the next level, and hopefully, he can continue to turn heads to earn a spot on the final roster. | 2022-08-13T14:17:09Z | sports.yahoo.com | WATCH: Former Wisconsin WR Kendric Pryor’s one-handed grab in his first preseason game | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-former-wisconsin-wr-kendric-131921019.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-former-wisconsin-wr-kendric-131921019.html?src=rss |
The 2022 NFL preseason is finally here. And there is a full slate of games for Week 1 of the preseason, including the Washington Commanders hosting the Carolina Panthers at FedEx Field.
Before all 32 teams took the field for the first time, Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar offered his preseason power rankings. There were no surprises at the top, with the Bills, Rams and Packers making up the top three. Farrar’s power rankings were slightly different than some, with the Denver Broncos coming in at No. 4, thanks to new quarterback Russell Wilson.
The Washington Commanders also have a new quarterback in Carson Wentz. However, unlike Wilson, Wentz is viewed much differently around the NFL and will now play on his third team in three years.
Where did Farrar rank Washington in his preseason power rankings?
The Commanders came in at No. 23. Is that too high or too low? That, of course, depends on Wentz.
Washington faces plenty of ifs in 2022. If those “ifs” turn out positively, such as Wentz having a good season, the Commanders are a playoff team. If not, Washington will again pick in the top 10. | 2022-08-13T14:17:27Z | sports.yahoo.com | Where do the Commanders rank in Touchdown Wire’s preseason power rankings? | https://sports.yahoo.com/where-commanders-rank-touchdown-wire-121011324.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/where-commanders-rank-touchdown-wire-121011324.html?src=rss |
On a roster filled with newcomers at several key positions, including quarterback, a big saving grace for the 2022 Oregon Ducks is the experience on the offensive line.
Alex Forsyth returns at the pivot position in the middle, ready to once again compete for the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center.
The rest of the (projected) starting line includes redshirt junior Steven Jones, senior transfer T.J. Bass, redshirt senior Ryan Walk, and redshirt transfer senior Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu.
So while experience (and to some degree continuity) is a big benefit for this group of linemen, the unit also features a ton of positional flexibility which should help them in the short and long term.
“We have a good idea on what position best suits them,” new offensive line coach Adrian Klemm said. “But there’s always a positive outcome when you have position flexibility, when you have some mobility. It’s not something I like to do within a game, but it’s comforting, especially for the offense coordinator to know that guys are capable of doing certain things.”
Oregon is heading into the season with a new head coach and new coordinators on offense and defense, so versatility and flexibility are no doubt crucial elements for everyone on the roster as they try to put the pieces together to get the most successful results in year one.
However, Klemm is weary of trying to push these guys without giving them the proper opportunity to work on the nuances of each different spot along the offensive line in practice first.
Sam 'Taki' Taimani embraces new leadership role in Oregon after transferring from UW
“You never want to throw a guy in there during the game that hasn’t taken any reps at that position,” Klemm stated. “They kind of blame the kid and say, ‘Oh, he’s not doing a good job.’ If you haven’t given him an opportunity to kind of hone his craft, and to do that in practice, then you can’t expect them to have success in the game.”
With just a few weeks until the season opener against Georgia, Klemm will be working hard to have each of the guys ready to work at least at one spot up front. However, the more spots each guy can contribute the more dynamic this offensive unit will be this season.
Arizona State football transfer Joey Ramos is happy about finishing his college career at home after experiencing the midwestern chill at Iowa State. | 2022-08-13T14:32:14Z | sports.yahoo.com | Adrian Klemm describes ‘comfort’ that positional flexibility brings the offensive line | https://sports.yahoo.com/adrian-klemm-describes-comfort-positional-125748154.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/adrian-klemm-describes-comfort-positional-125748154.html?src=rss |
After losing three players from their defensive line to the NFL, the Oklahoma Sooners will turn over 75% of its front four from a year ago. With that much turnover, the Oklahoma Sooners will need to find new stars to rely on upfront.
One such player is returning defensive tackle Jalen Redmond. Redmond played just 309 snaps last season but was an important piece for the Sooners down the stretch. Redmond enters 2022 as a key piece to Brent Venables’ defense.
Steve Lassan of Athlon Sports expects Jalen Redmond to be one of the breakout players in college football in 2022.
Considering the track record of new Oklahoma coach Brent Venables in producing standouts along the defensive line, it’s safe to assume the Sooners will have a couple of all-conference candidates at the end of 2022. Redmond is our pick to shine, as he has accumulated 21.5 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks over 24 games since ’18. – Lassan, Athlon Sports
Redmond has the explosiveness and the first step to be a terror for the Oklahoma Sooners. His ability to create penetration will make life difficult on opposing offensive lines and quarterbacks in 2022. The talent’s always been there, but the good fortune of health hasn’t.
After sitting out the 2020 season due to COVID concerns, Redmond was limited to eight games in 2021. And in those eight games, he was still incredibly productive. He had eight tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Had he played the full 13-game season, that would translate to six sacks and 13 tackles for loss.
Redmond came through in the most important games of the season. Against Baylor, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, and Oregon, Redmond came up with eight total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. And, of course, there was the fumble return for a touchdown against Iowa State.
In 10 games as a redshirt freshman, Redmond led the Oklahoma Sooners with 6.5 sacks. He had more sacks as a redshirt freshman than Ronnie Perkins. Let that sink in.
With Perrion Winfrey off to the NFL, the onus is on Redmond to be the wrecking ball on the interior for the Oklahoma Sooners. In a Venables defense that has produced the most sacks and the most tackles for loss over the last decade, Redmond could fit right in.
After moving one-half game ahead of the slumping New York Yankees for the AL's best record with a win over the Texas Rangers, the Houston Astros were already looking ahead to their next challenge. | 2022-08-13T14:32:20Z | sports.yahoo.com | In a new defensive scheme, Jalen Redmond on track for breakout season | https://sports.yahoo.com/defensive-scheme-jalen-redmond-track-140035819.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/defensive-scheme-jalen-redmond-track-140035819.html?src=rss |
Anticipation for the start of the Brent Venables era on September 3 against UTEP is beginning to reach a fever pitch. When the Sooners run out of the tunnel to take on the Miners, Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium will be buzzing.
Currently, the Sooners are heavy favorites for Venables’ first game as the Oklahoma Sooners head coach. But that one doesn’t seem like it should be much of a litmus test for the 2022 Sooners. Nor will Kent State.
There’s little doubt the Oklahoma Sooners will start the season 2-0 with matchups against UTEP and Kent State to start the season. Week three, however, is a different story.
That road trip to Lincoln to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers will likely be the Sooners’ first test of the 2022 season and the Venables era.
The former Big 8 and Big 12 rival is expected to be an improved team after playing so many close games in 2022. David Kenyon of Bleacher Report looked at the earliest test for each contender and points to Nebraska as the first true test for the Sooners. And that Casey Thompson could be the difference.
And more importantly, the Huskers have Casey Thompson. The transfer from Texas is expected to start for Nebraska, and he brings some serious experience to Scott Frost’s offense. Thompson threw for 388 yards and five touchdowns against the Sooners in 2021. – Kenyon, Bleacher Report
Casey Thompson does provide an upgrade at quarterback for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. At the same time, he doesn’t have the same skill position players that he had at Texas in Bijan Robinson and Xavier Worthy.
The Nebraska crowd is going to be fired up to welcome the Oklahoma Sooners to Lincoln. It will provide a difficult road environment for Dillon Gabriel and the Sooners’ offense as they try to communicate their fast-paced offense. But this is where his experience pays off. He’s played on the road in big environments against teams like Pitt and Louisville. Perhaps not as hostile as the one they’ll face at Nebraska, that experience will serve him well.
How the Oklahoma Sooners respond to the environment in Lincoln will be a key factor in the outcome. If they can get their offense rolling and score early, or the defense can create some big plays, it could take the energy out of the stadium.
Alex Drueke spoke to his mother and a U.S. State Department case manager Thursday morning, according to a press release from his family. | 2022-08-13T14:32:39Z | sports.yahoo.com | Nebraska provides an early season test for the Oklahoma Sooners | https://sports.yahoo.com/nebraska-provides-early-season-test-120000897.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nebraska-provides-early-season-test-120000897.html?src=rss |
As we begin to move closer to the start of a new college football season in Happy Valley, the staff at Nittnay Lions Wire is spending some time sounding off on some big questions facing the Nittany Lions this fall. Today’s focus is the biggest game in the second month of the season.
After deciding which game on the Penn State football schedule is the most important game of September, the focus now shifts to the month of October. Will the month offer tricks or treats for the Nittany Lions? One glance at the 2022 schedule though will likely lead you to think this is the easiest month to pick out the biggest game of the month, but here is what our staff had to say about what’s coming Penn State’s way during October.
Let us know what you think by responding to us on Twitter or Facebook.
It’s pretty easy for one to pick Ohio State for Penn State’s biggest game in October, but they’re likely not winning that one. I’m going to have to say Michigan. Yes, Penn State played it close against the Buckeyes last season, but that loss to Michigan was ugly.
Sure, the score was just 21-17, but it was also full of questionable calls, even with a close score. Clifford completed about 53% of his passes, but he was also sacked seven times. Adam Rittenberg of ESPN has Michigan being the 10th best defense for the next three seasons. Despite losing some key players like David Ojabo, Aidan Hutchinson and Daxton Hill, they still have talent returning like DJ Turner, Mike Morris and Taylor Upshaw.
As mentioned, I don’t think Penn State beats Ohio State at home this season. They are also at The Big House, which makes it even tougher. If you really want to go out on a limb here, you could say Minnesota, seeing as that is the matchup that is between Ohio State and Michigan the Nittany Lions can’t go 0-3 with those matchups. Overall though, I’m going Michigan here.
There is no question that the game most fans will be looking forward to this season is the home game against Ohio State, and that is for good reason. The home game against the Buckeyes will be the first time Penn State fans have packed Beaver Stadium for a game with the Buckeyes since before the pandemic (the 2020 game was played in an empty Beaver Stadium), so it’s been a while since this game was played with the kind of atmosphere it deserves in Happy Valley. And even if the game is locked into a noon kickoff by FOX (ugh), the magnitude of the game cannot be overlooked.
Simply put, if Penn State is going to have any dreams of winning the Big Ten this season, it HAS to beat the Buckeyes. You cannot win the Big Ten unless you beat Ohio State, especially this season. But Penn State’s two games prior to Ohio State will ultimately dictate whether or not this game carries those kinds of Big Ten hopes or not.
The most important game on Penn State’s schedule in October is actually earlier in the month with the road trip to Michigan. The Wolverines are the defending Big Ten champions and Penn State came close to scoring a win against them last season in Happy Valley. To me, a win in Michigan Stadium is what will catapult Penn State into the Big Ten championship picture more than anything. This will especially be true if Penn State manages to get a win in the season opener at Purdue, my biggest game in September.
Of course, it would be perfectly fine and dandy if Penn State could manage to win both games against Michigan and Ohio State, a feat it has not accomplished in the same season since 2008.
Charges are pending against suspect. Chautauqua Institution to continue summer programming. Security measures to be reviewed. | 2022-08-13T14:32:46Z | sports.yahoo.com | Nittany Lions Wire Roundtable: Biggest game in October | https://sports.yahoo.com/nittany-lions-wire-roundtable-biggest-140001305.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nittany-lions-wire-roundtable-biggest-140001305.html?src=rss |
Penn State is officially down one more running back for the upcoming 2022 college football season. A look at the updated roster online shows Caziah Holmes is no longer listed on the roster, and multiple outlets have confirmed he is no longer a part of the program.
The reason for the sudden departure from the program is not known at this time, but it has been noted Holmes was with the team at fall camp practices as recently as this week.
The loss of Holmes from the roster is a slight blow to the depth at running back that head coach James Franklin has praised this offseason, but it may not impact what the running game ultimately looks like this upcoming season. Keyvone Lee returns as the leading rusher going into the 2022 season and Penn State has added a pair of high-quality back in the Class of 2022 with Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen.
We will have to monitor the updates in the transfer portal to see if Holmes is on the move for a new destination.
Holmes appeared in 11 games in 2020 and 2021, in which he carried the football 56 times for 254 yards and two touchdowns.
2022 Penn State football: Nittany Lions' running backs preview | 2022-08-13T14:32:58Z | sports.yahoo.com | Penn State roster update: RB Caziah Holmes not on official roster | https://sports.yahoo.com/penn-state-roster-rb-caziah-133443233.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/penn-state-roster-rb-caziah-133443233.html?src=rss |
The Kansas City Chiefs are set to face the Chicago Bears in preseason Week 1.
This is one of the more competitive 90-man offseason rosters that the Chiefs have fielded in recent years. There are plenty of players who are talented enough to make the 53-man roster, but they aren’t all yet locks to make the team. Several players who are on the roster bubble will need a strong performance in the preseason in order to make their case. That will all start against the Bears on Saturday, in a game where the starters are expected to play their least amount of snaps of the entire preseason.
Here’s a look at four players on the roster bubble who need a strong performance against the Bears in preseason Week 1:
Gordon is coming off what was a disappointing 2021 NFL season in Kansas City. He finished the year with just a handful of catches on over a dozen targets with 32 receiving yards and a score. The team ultimately opted to elevate Daurice Fountain to the 53-man roster over Gordon in the playoffs because Fountain provided more value on special teams.
The Chiefs have a crazy amount of competition at the wide receiver position right now and few spots on the 53-man roster. Gordon hasn’t been getting a ton of repetitions during practice and he knows that the preseason is going to be big for him to show his growth.
“That’s when it’s time to do what we get asked to do,” Gordon said, via KC Sports Network. “That’s what I came here to do. When the lights are on — I want to do it at practice first for sure — but you can’t always get it right in practice. You don’t always have the time, the reps, the opportunity. You’ve got to take the mental reps and what’s based on the opportunity I have and then just go show improvement. So, come the preseason games, that’s what I hope to do.”
A big preseason performance in Week 1 could go a long way toward proving that last season was an aberration and that he’s ready to successfully contribute to the team.
During the team’s final training camp practice ahead of preseason Week 1, Jones was relegated to snaps with the third-team offense during team drills. He was working behind rookie RB Isiah Pacheco and third-year RB Derrick Gore. Even working with the third team, Jones’ snaps were about as sparse as they had been all training camp. This isn’t the first time it happened that way either, with Jones being fifth in the pecking order earlier in training camp as well.
Basically, it feels like Jones hasn’t made much headway with the coaching staff during training camp. Eric Bieniemy suggested Jones is a good runner, but he doesn’t yet do everything they require of the running back position. Bieniemy said Jones has accepted the challenge of doing things out of his comfort zone, but he needs to keep working at it in practice and throughout the preseason.
Andy Reid commented on the practice repetitions, saying that some days Jones will get more work in practice and others he won’t. He also emphasized that the veteran running back will get a chance to play in the preseason. Will Jones’ preseason showcase be about him making his case for the roster or will it be about building value for a potential trade? That remains to be seen.
Stallworth was back at practice on Thursday after missing several practice sessions with a knee contusion, but he came back to some new competition. Free agent DT Danny Shelton is expected to join the team after the first preseason game, providing Kansas City with another run-stuffing defensive tackle to work alongside Derrick Nnadi.
So far, Stallworth has managed to have a very quiet training camp at a position where the Chiefs don’t exactly have a lot of depth. He was known as a pressure-producing defensive tackle last season with the Colts, having played just a small portion of the team’s snaps. A flashy performance in Week 1 could go a long way toward securing Stallworth a spot, at least through the team’s gradual roster cuts that begin next Tuesday.
CB Chris Lammons
We’ve already seen Kansas City say goodbye to one veteran cornerback in Deandre Baker this offseason. That should get a veteran player like Lammons, who has primarily been a special teamer, concerned about his job security.
There is a bit of a youth movement going on at the cornerback position in Kansas City this offseason. The Chiefs have given rookies Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson and Nazeeh Johnson every opportunity to earn their keep. They’re also taking long looks at players like Dicaprio Bootle, Lonnie Johnson and Brandin Dandridge.
There’s also the fact that Lammons has some unresolved legal issues stemming from participation in a Las Vegas assault involving Saints RB Alvin Kamara. He could ultimately be suspended, which could leave the team looking at other options. A big performance in the preseason, however, might force the Chiefs to look past that. | 2022-08-13T16:14:15Z | sports.yahoo.com | 4 Chiefs on the roster bubble who need a strong preseason Week 1 | https://sports.yahoo.com/4-chiefs-roster-bubble-strong-124512626.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/4-chiefs-roster-bubble-strong-124512626.html?src=rss |
The Indianapolis Colts kick off the preseason with a matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday afternoon at Highmark Stadium.
As the Colts prepare to get their starting units ready for Week 1 of the regular season, they will be doing so against a Bills team that isn’t expected to play starting quarterback Josh Allen.
That doesn’t mean much to the Colts, who have several players looking to come hot out of the gates during the preseason opener.
Here are nine Colts players to watch in the preseason opener against the Bills:
Of course, the new quarterback is a player to watch. Ryan is expected to play roughly a quarter of the game depending on the flow, which means we likely get to see two drives from the starting offense. How Ryan commands the huddle and line of scrimmage will be something to watch as will be the chemistry he has with his new receivers.
One of the biggest stars of training camp has truly made a name for himself. While there are players every year who have strong showings in training camp and during preseason games only to flame out during the regular season, we have to observe what’s happening at the moment. History says Ogletree may not be much of a factor during his rookie season, but that doesn’t mean he won’t step up in a tight end room that needs playmakers.
The Colts are giving Pryor every chance to earn the starting left tackle job and even though he has some competition, it has been his job to lose throughout the first two weeks of training camp. Saturday will be our first glimpse at Pryor working with the first-team offensive line.
The first-four spots on the wide receiver depth chart are locked in, and it appears Coutee has the leg up on the competition for the fifth spot in the room. He’s been a reliable target in camp and even saw some work with the first-team offense when Parris Campbell was out with a tight hamstring.
The other side of the left tackle coin is the third-round pick in Raimann. Working exclusively on the second-team offense, the rookie hasn’t gained any ground in the competition for the starting left tackle spot. However, this is where he can begin to close the gap in the battle, and this will be our first sight at him working in game action.
Entering the first preseason game, Banogu is the main backup to Yannick Ngakoue at the LEO position. That’s encouraging considering the start to his career under former defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. Banogu is a much better fit for Gus Bradley’s scheme, but he has to prove it on the field. Saturday afternoon is when he can start that endeavor.
Getting to work in the first training camp of his career, Odeyingbo hasn’t been lighting the world on fire. However, he’s been steadily improving each day and showing that he belongs in the main rotation along the defensive line. The second-year pass rush is a major X-factor for the defense and we’ll get a good look at him Saturday afternoon.
The battle for the fifth spot in the cornerback room could go to several players. Entering Saturday’s preseason opener, it appears Brown has the lead for that role. He has the speed and versatility to thrive in the slot, and he’s flashed plenty throughout training camp. Now, he needs to continue doing that when the lights come on.
The rookie safety has been battling with veteran Rodney McLeod on the first-team defense for the starting spot at strong safety. Though he’s not even 21 years old, Cross has been flashing premier upside to be a major factor in Gus Bradley’s defense. | 2022-08-13T16:14:34Z | sports.yahoo.com | 9 Colts to watch vs. Bills in preseason opener | https://sports.yahoo.com/9-colts-watch-vs-bills-135622943.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/9-colts-watch-vs-bills-135622943.html?src=rss |
Purdy's TD celebration results in evidence of surreal debut originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SANTA CLARA — Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy came out of the 49ers' 28-21 win with an injury that won’t show up on the team report.
Purdy finished the night completing three of his six pass attempts for 36 yards, one touchdown and the conversion, giving him a 108.3 passer rating. After being drafted by the club as “Mr. Irrelevant” -- the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft (No. 262 overall), Purdy quickly has proved he is relevant. | 2022-08-13T16:14:40Z | sports.yahoo.com | Brock Purdy-Brian Griese touchdown embrace results in surreal debut evidence | https://sports.yahoo.com/brock-purdy-brian-griese-touchdown-152845865.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/brock-purdy-brian-griese-touchdown-152845865.html?src=rss |
Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars got back on the field for the second time this preseason Friday night for an NFL preseason game against the Cleveland Browns TIAA Bank Stadium in Jacksonville.
After being put in one of the worst situations any rookie quarterback could last season and spending a portion of the season under one of the worst NFL coaches we’ve ever seen, Urban Meyer, Lawrence is in a completely different situation in year two. Now under a proven super bowl winning coach in Doug Pederson, there is a lot of expectation for Lawrence to make a significant leap in year two.
Though Lawrence got out the gates slowly, starting 2-8 through the first two series, the young quarterback had a nice recovery drive on his third. He finished the game putting up 6-12 passes for 95-yards and a 9-yard touchdown to tight end Evan Engram.
Seeing Lawrence come out and turn things around after a shaky start is something you look for in a young quarterback. We will have to see if Lawrence suits up for another preseason game this preseason. | 2022-08-13T16:15:12Z | sports.yahoo.com | Lawrence recovers after a slow start in his first action of the season | https://sports.yahoo.com/lawrence-recovers-slow-start-first-140010156.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/lawrence-recovers-slow-start-first-140010156.html?src=rss |
The Rams won’t play their starters, so don’t expect to see players such as Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald or Jalen Ramsey, but it’s a great opportunity to watch younger guys like Tutu Atwell, Decobie Durant and Daniel Hardy.
Here’s everything you need to know in order to catch Saturday’s preseason game, which is the final game of the night.
Los Angeles Rams vs. Los Angeles Chargers – Aug. 13, 10 p.m. ET
TV channel: KABC-7
Referee: Bill Vinovich | 2022-08-13T16:49:01Z | sports.yahoo.com | How to watch Rams at Chargers: Time, TV and streaming options for preseason Week 1 | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-rams-chargers-time-tv-130000203.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-rams-chargers-time-tv-130000203.html?src=rss |
With a new regime coming in, why not change things up?
LSU plans to do just that when it comes to coach Brian Kelly’s weekly radio show, as the school announced that Kelly will now go live from 7-8 p.m. CT on Thursday nights. The show previously aired on Wednesdays under former coach Ed Orgeron.
The location of the live show remains unchanged, as it will once again be hosted at TJ Ribs on South Acadian Thruway.
The Tigers also previewed a few new segments for his show, which will feature weekly interviews with a former player, as well as recaps of previous opponents and previews of the following week’s opponent.
The Brian Kelly Show will run for 13 weeks, including during the Tigers’ open week. However, the show will not air on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24). | 2022-08-13T17:41:17Z | sports.yahoo.com | Brian Kelly will move radio show to Thursdays, LSU announces | https://sports.yahoo.com/brian-kelly-move-radio-show-172440661.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/brian-kelly-move-radio-show-172440661.html?src=rss |
The notion of being disrespected can be overdone. Highly credentialed and successful teams can embellish the idea that “the world is against us” or “no one expects us to do well.” To be sure, there are some people who think USC will do well in 2022.
However, a lot of analysts and experts don’t think so. More precisely, Pac-12 media voters and coaches poll voters think USC won’t even make the Pac-12 Championship Game. Media members and coaches both think the Trojans will finish third in the Pac-12 Conference this year, behind Utah and Oregon.
If only one of the two — media and coaches — had USC third, the notion of being disrespected would be overplayed. Both, however, have expressed skepticism about what the Trojans can achieve. Therefore, the idea that USC is being disrespected holds a certain degree of legitimacy.
We talked about this and more with Mark Rogers at The Voice of College Football: | 2022-08-13T17:41:30Z | sports.yahoo.com | Disrespect can be phony and manufactured, but for USC, it’s real in 2022 | https://sports.yahoo.com/disrespect-phony-manufactured-usc-real-143402444.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/disrespect-phony-manufactured-usc-real-143402444.html?src=rss |
Class of 2023 USC commit Tackett Curtis of Many High School in Lousiana debuts in the Sports Illustrated 99 recruiting rankings at No. 87.
Tackett Curtis is a 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker who also plays running back, safety, kick returner, and edge rusher as well. He’s a four-star prospect who is currently ranked as the No. 92 player in the 247Sports composite.
Curtis committed to USC on July 18 and appears ready to have a huge senior season before playing in Los Angeles next year.
The Louisiana native has accumulated 195 tackles, 5 interceptions, 494 all-purpose yards, and 5 touchdowns over the past two seasons. Outside of football Curtis has a 4.0-grade point average and is ranked first in his high school class. He plans on majoring in computer science at USC.
Tackett Curtis is a dynamic, versatile athlete with a high football IQ and a set of attributes that every coach dreams of in a football player. Curtis will fill important positional needs for USC, but more than that, he presents a package of traits which should translate into locker-room leadership and a presence which will help teammates on and off the field. | 2022-08-13T17:42:14Z | sports.yahoo.com | USC 2023 commit Tackett Curtis makes the elite, is part of SI 99 rankings | https://sports.yahoo.com/usc-2023-commit-tackett-curtis-171038701.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/usc-2023-commit-tackett-curtis-171038701.html?src=rss |
Kansas City Chiefs TE Blake Bell got the scoring started for the team on Saturday, but it appears that his day is over due to injury.
On the first play of the second offensive series, a four-yard run by rookie RB Isiah Pacheco, Bell suffered an apparent lower-body injury. The training staff had to help him off of the field and tend to him on the sidelines. According to Kansas City Star reporter Herbie Teope, Bell was carted to the locker room in the back of the cart, which is never a good sign.
The team quickly ruled Bell’s return to the game as questionable with a hip injury.
Bell, 31, enters his third season in Kansas City. He was with the team during the Super Bowl run in 2019 and spent the 2021 season with the team. He’s a big part of the versatile offensive attack in Kansas City, whether it’s blocking in the run and passing game or catching passes from Patrick Mahomes. | 2022-08-13T18:07:03Z | sports.yahoo.com | Chiefs TE Blake Bell suffers hip injury, questionable to return vs. Bears | https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-te-blake-bell-suffers-174502168.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-te-blake-bell-suffers-174502168.html?src=rss |
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor won’t play against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday during the preseason opener.
Not that this is any shocking news, but the starters are all going to play roughly the first quarter with new quarterback Matt Ryan. However, Taylor is one of the players the Colts won’t want to risk injury during the first preseason game.
With Taylor not playing in the opener Saturday afternoon, the backfield is likely to be led by Nyheim Hines and Phillip Lindsay. After that, Ty’Son Williams, Deon Jackson and undrafted rookies D’vonte Price and C.J. Verdell will make up the reps in the second half. | 2022-08-13T18:07:10Z | sports.yahoo.com | Colts’ Jonathan Taylor not expected to play vs. Bills in preseason opener | https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-jonathan-taylor-not-expected-174359944.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-jonathan-taylor-not-expected-174359944.html?src=rss |
Kelce's heir apparent Jurgens shows why Eagles drafted him originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Watching Cam Jurgens obliterate defensive tackles, get out front on running plays and expertly make pre-snap reads and calls, it was easy to forget it was his first NFL game.
With Jason Kelce out after elbow surgery, Jurgens started the Eagles’ preseason opener against the Jets Friday night and played the entire first half with both the first and second offense. In all, he played 36 snaps at center and it was quite an auspicious debut for the rookie second-round pick from Nebraska.
“Cam’s come in and done a really good job,” Jalen Hurts said. “He has so much ability. So much ability. He can run, he’s very smart, and I know he’s early on in it being a rookie, but he’s shown so much.
“And for me, it’s just being a diligent process, making sure we’re all on the same page, whether it’s the snap count, how we’re ID’ing something, how we’re seeing the game. I’m excited for Cam.”
The Eagles expect the 34-year-old Kelce back for the regular-season opener against the Lions in Detroit on Sept. 11. But if he’s not?
Jurgens showed Friday he can handle it.
“I felt really good about it,” he said. “I was trying to make everything quick and go with it and see what the defense was doing. They were doing a little different stuff, and it’s fun to see that on the field and go back and (the coaches) are asking questions about it and you’re able to dissect it a little bit.”
You have to love Jurgens’ attitude. There’s nothing about him that says rookie.
Whether it’s his practice habits, his conditioning, his study habits, even his interviews, he carries himself like a savvy veteran, not a 22-year-old rookie.
Spend a few months with Kelce, Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, and you’re going to figure a lot of things out.
“All the veterans on the o-line, everybody’s great,” Jurgens said postgame. “They’re all kind of helping me and it’s been like that. It’s cool because I started this game, but nothing really changed with those veterans. They’re saying the same stuff, helping me. It’s been like that this whole camp. Couldn’t be in a better room.”
Watching Jurgens pulling, it’s impossible not to make the Kelce comparison. You just can’t do it. They’re so similar, with that rare combination of power, athleticism, quickness and intelligence.
You don’t want to get too carried away, because Kelce is a five-time Pro Bowler and likely Hall of Famer, and Jurgens has played exactly one half of football.
But you literally can’t watch Jurgens and not think Kelce.
Ask Jurgens about pulling and here’s what he says:
“They’ve been doing that with Kelce for years, and it’s a great system to be in,” he said. “That’s stuff I excel at.”
So even Jurgens is making the comparison ... kind of.
It was fun to watch Kelce, Johnson, Mailata, Isaac Seumalo and Landon Dickerson — who also didn’t play Friday — waiting for Jurgens on the sideline after each drive to quiz him on what he saw.
“I come to the sideline (and we) go through different protection calls that we had out there, they ask me what I’m seeing,” he said. “Just a little bit of everything.”
Jurgens fit right in on the TD drive with the first offense. Heck of a way to start an NFL career.
More: What was most encouraging about Hurts' performance
“It’s fun,” he said. “Haven’t played football in a while. Get into a game and you score on your first drive? Nothing better than that, especially my first game in the NFL.
“It’s pretty surreal. I was (thinking) last night of all the games — Little League, high school, college, up to this level. So it was a pretty cool feeling scoring on the first drive.”
Bengals issue epic hype video before preseason opener
This one is worth a watch. | 2022-08-13T18:07:35Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jason Kelce heir apparent Cam Jurgens shows why Eagles drafted him | https://sports.yahoo.com/jason-kelce-heir-apparent-cam-170300355.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jason-kelce-heir-apparent-cam-170300355.html?src=rss |
The Houston Texans have plenty of stats from the 2021 campaign that they have to look at if they want to improve in 2022.
Take for example their 3.4 yards per carry and 83.6 rushing yards per game. Those totals were both the lowest in the NFL. If Houston can’t run the ball, how is second-year quarterback Davis Mills going to get a chance?
According to Doug Farrar from the Touchdown Wire, the one stat that matters is 51.4.
In the interests of improving a secondary in need, the Texans selected LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. with the third overall pick in the 2022 draft. And if they get the guy who in 2019 allowed 34 catches on 92 targets for 608 yards, 200 yards after the catch, five touchdowns, six interceptions, 15 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 51.4? That version of Stingley looked like a top-five pick, and he did it as the first true freshman to start on LSU’s defense in 34 years.
But over the next two seasons, injuries affected Stingley’s play, and that showed up both on tape and in the metrics. In 2020, he allowed 13 catches on 29 targets for 158 yards, 49 yards after the catch, one touchdown, no interceptions, five pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 73.6. Last season, he allowed two receptions on four targets for 36 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, no pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 128.1.
Stingley is back from the Lisfranc foot injury that cost him most of the 2021 season, and the Texans are ramping him up in training camp. Hopefully, this is the Stingley we see in the NFL.
Don't try a fade route in the endzone on Derek Stingley.
You've been warned. pic.twitter.com/Xur2Ighv5x
The veterans have been impressed with Stingley throughout training camp.
“He’s very, very athletically gifted, but he’s also inquisitive,” receiver Chris Conley told reporters on Aug. 11. “He asks a lot of questions, and you can tell when he gets an answer and he picks something up, he’s on it. So he’s been playing extremely well.”
Texans fans will have to wait as Stingley won’t go against the New Orleans Saints in the preseason opener on Aug. 13. | 2022-08-13T18:07:54Z | sports.yahoo.com | The one stat that matters to the Texans in 2022 | https://sports.yahoo.com/one-stat-matters-texans-2022-165647122.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/one-stat-matters-texans-2022-165647122.html?src=rss |
Typically when NFL power rankings have been released throughout the offseason, the Houston Texans are among one of the worst teams in the league.
The excuses are always the same. Davis Mills is unproven and wasn’t highly touted in the 2021 NFL draft. Lovie Smith is on his NFL third team and was pedestrian at best at Illinois. The Texans are running an outdated scheme on defense. However it is served, the Texans are just a bottom-5 team in the NFL.
However, Doug Farrar from the Touchdown Wire may have actually got it right in his latest power rankings wherein Houston places No. 24 overall.
The Texans aren’t as horrendous as the Atlanta Falcons (No. 32). They are still better than the Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 30), who haven’t beaten Houston since 2017. They may also be a little closer to the best in the AFC South as the Indianapolis Colts (No. 17) and Tennessee Titans (No. 16) aren’t that far away.
After the Texans’ first preseason game, the results will actually be affected what’s on the field and not off-field perceptions, which means these may be the most realistic power rankings of the offseason.
Texans quarterback Kyle Allen tested positive for COVID-19 Mark Berman of Fox 26 reports. The positive test kept Allen out of Thursday’s practice, and it will keep him home for the team’s first preseason game Saturday against the Saints. Texans coach Lovie Smith announced earlier in the night that Allen was out for “personal reasons.” [more]
(Bloomberg) -- Almost immediately after federal authorities executed a search warrant at Donald Trump’s Florida home on Monday, former White House adviser Steve Bannon and other aides called for the former president to expedite an announcement for a third White House bid. But there are reasons for him to put off a declaration. Most Read from BloombergAuthor Salman Rushdie Stabbed on Lecture Stage in New YorkAnshu Jain, Deutsche Bank Chief in Trading Heyday, Dies at 59Extreme Heat Uncovers Lost V | 2022-08-13T18:08:38Z | sports.yahoo.com | Texans may have finally got a realistic spot in Touchdown Wire’s NFL power rankings | https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-may-finally-got-realistic-172209690.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-may-finally-got-realistic-172209690.html?src=rss |
The Tennessee Titans mad four roster moves ahead of their next practice on Saturday. The team announced the signings of tight end David Wells and cornerback Deante Burton, the latter of which was reported earlier in the day.
In addition to those moves, the Titans waived defensive back Terrell Bonds and wide receiver Brandon Lewis.
Here’s what we wrote about Burton earlier in the day:
Wells went undrafted out of San Diego State in 2018. He has spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals.
The 27-year-old has appeared in three games during his career, all of which came in 2021 with the Cardinals. Wells played 12 snaps on offense and one on special teams, but failed to record a stat.
The Titans saw injuries to cornerback Chris Jackson and tight end Tommy Hudson in the preseason opener to the Baltimore Ravens. It isn’t clear if either is serious, but it’s possible these moves are in response to that.
3 expected starters unimpressive in Cardinals’ preseason win
We needed to see more from Zaven Collins, Marco Wilson and Matt Prater. | 2022-08-13T18:08:44Z | sports.yahoo.com | Titans add TE David Wells, CB Deante Burton among 4 roster moves | https://sports.yahoo.com/titans-add-te-david-wells-171304003.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/titans-add-te-david-wells-171304003.html?src=rss |
One of the bigger headlines coming out of the Tennessee Titans’ preseason opener on Thursday night was the performance of the team’s respective backup quarterbacks, Logan Woodside and Malik Willis.
For Malik Willis, it was about as good of a performance as the Titans could have hoped for. Sure, there were mistakes, but the rookie flashed his impressive arm and athleticism throughout.
Willis completed 6-of-11 passes for 107 yards, while also adding five carries for 38 yards and a touchdown. Tennessee scored twice (touchdown and field goal) with Willis under center.
And then it was Woodside’s turn. The veteran quarterback failed to put points on the board despite completing 14-of-24 passes for 102 yards. To make matters worse, he tossed a pair of interceptions.
All in all, it was a major victory for Willis, who shined over his competition for the No. 2 quarterback job. However, as Vrabel rightly notes, there is still work to be done.
“These are great opportunities,” Vrabel said of Willis, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “There’s a fine line in standing in there and climbing the pocket and using some of those drills that they are working every single day, and being able to progress through, and then there’s times where we are going to want him to go and be an athlete.
“There’s some things we have to work on certainly with the timing and what he is seeing when those throws depend on it, and then there’s other times I thought he really made some nice plays down the field and kept his eyes down the field.”
One of Woodside’s two interceptions was on a target to wide receiver Terry Godwin. Vrabel spread the blame around on that one and didn’t put it all on Woodside.
“There’s a of lot people who have to be better on that particular play,” Vrabel said of Woodside’s interception. “It starts with the decision. If you go over there and don’t like it, then just try and check the ball down. But the receiver, we don’t want him to release inside and then we just make a decision and try and compete and do everything we can to not get that ball intercepted.”
Despite the struggles Woodside saw in his first preseason game of 2022, Vrabel believes he’ll turn it around.
“One of the strengths that Logan has had has been his command of the offense, and his decisions,” Vrabel said. “And I would anticipate that is going to improve from what it was [Thursday] night.”
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Woodside over the past few years, it’s to never count him out in a backup quarterback competition. However, he’s also never had the kind of competition Willis is providing right now.
After one preseason game, it’s clear the rookie is the superior player in more ways than one, and that could force Tennessee to abandon keeping Woodside as the buffer between Willis and the field in 2022.
Woodside will have his next opportunity to right the ship in a preseason Week 2 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Aug. 20.
The Star position is critical to the Vols defense, which Theo Jackson proved last season. That's why choosing his successor is such a high priority. | 2022-08-13T18:08:50Z | sports.yahoo.com | Titans’ Mike Vrabel evaluates QB performances from preseason Week 1 | https://sports.yahoo.com/titans-mike-vrabel-evaluates-qb-170024352.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/titans-mike-vrabel-evaluates-qb-170024352.html?src=rss |
Jim Knowles and the Ohio State defense got some good news recently. A pair of five-star recruits have put the Buckeyes on their shortlist of destinations. While there are no guarantees, most believe Qua Russaw and James Smith are a package deal and will land at the same school.
Both young men are from the state of Alabama and attend Carver High School which may mean a tough sell to get them to come north. As a matter of fact, Ohio State was the only school north of the Mason Dixon line to make the cut. Other schools to make the list were Alabama, Alabama State, Auburn, Florida, and Georgia.
Russaw is the No. 3 edge rusher in the nation and the No. 26 overall player according to 247Sports composite rankings. In his junior year at Carver, Russaw tallied 130 tackles and 16 sacks. He is a versatile player that could line up in multiple positions on the defensive side of the ball.
Smith is the No. 2 defensive tackle and the No. 13 overall player in the country according to 247Sports composite rankings. Smith spent his junior season at IMG Academy in Florida but decided to come home for his senior year. The last five-star defensive tackle to land in Columbus was Taron Vincent in 2018.
🚨BREAKING🚨 5-star recruits Qua Russaw and James Smith are down to 6 schools. The defensive duo is considering Alabama, Auburn, Alabama State, Florida, Ohio State, and Georgia⭐️@ChadSimmons_ with details (On3+): https://t.co/GfmJr1m3eg pic.twitter.com/1n2OpRMKpT
Neither Russaw nor Smith have been to campus as of yet. But that could all change with a visit this fall. And what better way to show recruits what you have to offer than a Saturday afternoon in the ‘Shoe?
Who knows how this plays out, but it goes without saying that getting this dynamic defensive duo would be a huge win for Knowles and the Bucks. | 2022-08-13T19:53:17Z | sports.yahoo.com | Ohio State makes the cut for possible packaged pair of five-star recruits | https://sports.yahoo.com/ohio-state-makes-cut-possible-180031444.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ohio-state-makes-cut-possible-180031444.html?src=rss |
Baker Mayfield got the starting nod for the Carolina Panthers in their first preseason game on Saturday. In return for that distinction, he checked an important box against the Washington Commanders — looking healthy, confident and (for the most part) sharp in his lone drive of the day.
That drive ultimately stalled out on a bungled snap exchange, leaving the Panthers to kick a field goal in what amounted to a modest debut for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. In that brief appearance, Mayfield was 4-of-7 passing for 45 yards, also including one drop that hit a wideout in the hands, though it would have been a tough catch.
Whatever the case, it was a much-needed positive start for quarterback in competition with Sam Darnold — two players who are both trying to get their careers back on track in the final seasons of their rookie contracts. For his part, Darnold was able to take advantage of a short field following a Washington turnover, throwing a nice 8-yard touchdown to wideout Rashard Higgins off his back foot while facing pressure. Darnold sat out the remainder of the game following his two drives.
For Mayfield, the solid start was arguably his first positive moment since a negative divorce with the Cleveland Browns this offseason. His trade to Carolina was triggered by the Browns dealing for embattled quarterback Deshaun Watson, leaving a vocal Mayfield twisting in the wind as he repeatedly and publicly requested to be dealt. The result was his eventual low-risk acquisition by Carolina, along with some much-needed simplicity for the quarterback.
That was on display in subtle ways Saturday. First and foremost, it was a brief glimpse showing the Panthers staff that Mayfield is a healthy version of himself on the field — something Cleveland didn’t really get to see in 2021. It was also the first snapshot of Mayfield translating that health into confidence, which didn’t appear to be a problem as he moved around to create a few plays while taking the aforementioned end zone shot into tight coverage.
While there's not much else to read into it, Saturday's debut was undeniably a step forward and removes the anxiety of his first live snap in a different uniform. Mayfield’s next goal will be to absorb Carolina’s offense while battling with Darnold, despite it appearing that it may already be Mayfield’s job to lose.
Carolina’s next preseason game will be at the New England Patriots on Aug. 19. Both Mayfield and Darnold are expected to see more play in that game, with the likelihood of a starter being named following that week.
Baker Mayfield started the Carolina Panthers' first preseason game on Saturday. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | 2022-08-13T19:54:18Z | sports.yahoo.com | Baker Mayfield starts for Carolina Panthers and passes his first important test | https://sports.yahoo.com/baker-mayfield-starts-for-carolina-panthers-and-passes-his-first-important-test-193513459.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/baker-mayfield-starts-for-carolina-panthers-and-passes-his-first-important-test-193513459.html?src=rss |
RB Derrick Gore is questionable to return with a neck injury.
The Kansas City Chiefs will be without one of their running backs for the fourth quarter of preseason Week 1 against the Chicago Bears.
The team has announced that RB Derrick Gore has suffered a neck injury and will be questionable to return to the game. Gore has struggled in this game so far with two carries for -2 yards. He’s also just 1-for-3 for six yards on the day on passes that have come his way. The injury occurred in the third quarter on a play when Gore was stuffed and fumbled the ball.
Frankly, outside of Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Isiah Pacheco, there hasn’t been much to get excited about in the running back room. Still, Gore is someone with some experience in the offense, who you don’t want to see injured during the course of the preseason. Tayon Fleet-Davis replaced Gore in the fourth quarter and seems to be who the team is rolling with for the time being. | 2022-08-13T19:54:56Z | sports.yahoo.com | Chiefs RB Derrick Gore questionable to return vs. Bears with neck injury | https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-rb-derrick-gore-questionable-193251073.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-rb-derrick-gore-questionable-193251073.html?src=rss |
Football leagues seem to come and go, except for the NFL. And that creates opportunities for players looking to continue the dream of their earning a living as a pro football player.
DeMarquis Gates is in Chicago Bears camp and the journey he took to get a chance to stick with the NFC North team in 2022 is mind-blowing.
Check this out via Gates’ Wikipedia page:
After going undrafted in the 2018 NFL draft, Gates was signed by the Cleveland Browns on May 22, 2018. He was waived on June 14.
Memphis Express
Gates joined the Memphis Express of the Alliance of American Football On March 28, 2019, Gates was named AAF Defensive Player of the Week. The AAF abruptly folded on April 2 after eight games. Gates led the AAF in tackles with 52 and forced fumbles with five.
On April 11, Gates was signed by Washington. He was waived on June 11.
Gates was selected by the Houston Roughnecks in Phase 3 Round 8 of the 2020 XFL Draft. Before the season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Gates had 32 tackles (second on the team) and 2.0 sacks (tied for the team lead) for the Roughnecks. He had a game-winning fumble recovery against the Dallas Renegades and forced a fumble late versus the Seattle Dragons. He had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations on April 10, 2020.
On March 25, Gates signed with the Minnesota Vikings. He was waived on August 13, 2020.
TSL Blues
Gates was selected by the Blues of The Spring League during its player selection draft on October 12, 2020.
He signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL on December 17, 2020.
Gates was selected with the second pick of the 29th round of the 2022 USFL Draft by the Birmingham Stallions. He was ruled inactive for the team’s game against the Tampa Bay Bandits on May 7, 2022. He was moved back to the active roster on May 14.
On August 6, 2022, Gates signed with the Chicago Bears.
Gates had four tackles against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday in the Bears’ first preseason game, including a tackle for loss.
The former Ole Miss player is getting his shot and it would be nice to see him find a home with an NFL team in the regular season | 2022-08-13T19:55:03Z | sports.yahoo.com | DeMarquis Gates of Bears has mind-boggling football resume | https://sports.yahoo.com/demarquis-gates-bears-mind-boggling-194311747.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/demarquis-gates-bears-mind-boggling-194311747.html?src=rss |
The Jacksonville Jaguars couldn’t come up with a win Friday against the Cleveland Browns after getting off to a fast 13-0 start against them. However, their starters were able to get things going right out of the gate by not only scoring on their first drive, but their second (thanks to some help from the defense) and third drives, too.
Among the players who had a notable day was quarterback Trevor Lawrence. While he only completed 50% of his passes, those completions were huge, and he ultimately ended his night with 95 passing yards and a touchdown pass. He also had an 11-yard rush on the night.
Lawrence especially had a good connection with receiver Zay Jones, who brought in two passes on the night for 47 yards. One of those passes was the Jags’ first offensive play of the game, where Lawrence hit Jones for a 32 yard pass up the sideline.
With him sitting out of the Jags’ first preseason game, fans were anticipating his debut under new coach Doug Pederson. And while it wasn’t perfect, he left fans with plenty to be excited about heading forward.
Here is every throw and pass the second-year player made Friday night against the Browns. | 2022-08-13T19:55:21Z | sports.yahoo.com | Here’s every pass, run from Trevor Lawrence vs. Browns | https://sports.yahoo.com/every-pass-run-trevor-lawrence-190345862.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/every-pass-run-trevor-lawrence-190345862.html?src=rss |
The grass conditions at Soldier Field are embarrassing
The grass at Soldier Field is a complete mess as the result of a recent Elton John concert. We knew the field was in poor shape well ahead of the game, but it wasn’t right up until kickoff that the grounds crew for the Bears decided to do anything about it.
For a multi-billion-dollar industry, you’d think that the NFL would have something to say to the Bears about the poor condition of their field. This has been a persistent issue for Chicago for years and years. It’s a huge safety concern for the players to have divots in the grass turf that they’re playing on. Thankfully, there have been a limited number of injuries in the game. The Chiefs have managed fine despite the poor conditions, but I can assure you they’re not thrilled about it.
21 personnel heroes
The Chiefs’ offensive starts got an 11-play touchdown drive before Andy Reid chose to sit them down. The preseason is known for the team running some exceptionally vanilla scheme, with some pretty basic play calls. Justin Reid said it best, you “line up and test the wills.”
For the starters, Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy opted to stay in 21 personnel for the entire opening drive. In doing so, they had one tight end, a running back, a fullback and two receivers on the field.
Here were the players who got touches in the opening drive:
FB Mike Burton
It’s a safe bet that the Chiefs will continue to spread the ball around during the preseason and the regular season. I’m not sure the usage of 21 personnel was anything more than a quirk of the preseason, but it’s good to see them getting some practice out of that look regardless.
George Karlaftis' motor flashes
All we’ve been hearing about throughout Kansas City Chiefs training camp is the relentless motor of rookie DE George Karlaftis. He’s always working and trying to find a way to affect the quarterback. Well, that motor flashed on his first NFL sack (of the preseason).
With an effort like that, working inside of the tackle and flushing the quarterback out of the pocket, many more sacks should be on the way for the rookie. He continued to flash throughout the first half, forcing two straight incomplete passes with his pressures at the end of the second quarter.
This match between the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati reds is one of the books. | 2022-08-13T19:55:47Z | sports.yahoo.com | Key takeaways from first half of Chiefs vs. Bears preseason opener | https://sports.yahoo.com/key-takeaways-first-half-chiefs-182858078.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/key-takeaways-first-half-chiefs-182858078.html?src=rss |
It took until the third quarter, but the Chicago Bears are finally on the board against the Kansas City Chiefs in their preseason opener thanks to rookie running back Trestan Ebner.
The Bears, quarterbacked by backup Trevor Siemian, found themselves with a short field following an interception by undrafted rookie Jack Sanborn. Siemian took advantage, firing a quick strike to Ebner out of the backfield, who darted into the endzone for the score.
Ebner was drafted in the sixth round out of Baylor in the 2022 NFL Draft and has seen plenty of touches on the day. He has six carries for 31 yards and one catch for 12 yards that went for the score. Ebner also had a chance to score the two-point conversion after Kansas City had too many men on the field during the extra point, but he was stuffed at the goal line.
The Bears currently trail the Chiefs 14-6 midway through the third quarter. | 2022-08-13T19:56:12Z | sports.yahoo.com | WATCH: Bears Rookie RB Trestan Ebner catches first TD of the day | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-bears-rookie-rb-trestan-185658226.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-bears-rookie-rb-trestan-185658226.html?src=rss |
As the Washington Commanders took the field for the first time in the 2022 preseason, much of the attention was on new quarterback Carson Wentz and wide receivers Jahan Dotson and Terry McLaurin.
What about rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr?
The third-round pick from Alabama entered the game on Washington’s third possession and immediately went to work. Robinson took his first carry for an impressive 11 yards up the middle. Then, on the next play, quarterback Carson Wentz dropped back and found Robinson for a nine-yard catch-and-run.
Finally, Robinson would cap off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to cut Carolina’s lead to 10-6.
Robinson’s performance couldn’t have come at a better time. On the previous possession, starting running back Antonio Gibson fumbled deep in Washington territory. The Panthers turned it into seven points.
Gibson did return to the game for the Commanders on their next offensive possession. | 2022-08-13T19:56:24Z | sports.yahoo.com | WATCH: Rookie running Brian Robinson Jr. scores the Commanders’ first touchdown | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-rookie-running-brian-robinson-181247547.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-rookie-running-brian-robinson-181247547.html?src=rss |
The Denver Broncos (0-0) will host the Dallas Cowboys (0-0) in Week 1 of the NFL’s 2022 preseason schedule on Saturday, Aug. 13. The game will be played at Empower Field at Mile High with a capacity of 76,125 fans.
Saturday’s game will begin at 7 p.m. MT and will be nationally televised on NFL Network. Locally, the game will be broadcast on KTVD Channel 20. Fans can stream NFLN’s broadcast of the game on on fuboTV (free trial).
Steve Levy (play-by-play), Chad Brown (color analyst), Ryan Harris (color analyst) and Rod Mackey (sideline reporter) will serve as the commentators for the Broncos-Cowboys game on KTVD/NFLN.
In addition to KTVD and NFLN, the following channels will also broadcast the game, according to 506sports.com:
After Saturday’s game, the Broncos will have to trim the roster from 90 players down to 85 players by Tuesday, Aug. 16.
Denver will then have a road preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 20, followed by a home preseason finale against the Minnesota Vikings on Aug. 27. The team must have a finalized 53-man roster set by Aug. 30.
Second-year quarterback Justin Fields began his second NFL preseason with three drive against the Chiefs on Saturday. He completed four of seven passes for 48 yards, and he added one rush for 10 yards. One completion went for 26 yards to receiver Darnell Mooney, a slightly-underthrown 50-50 ball that Mooney snatched. Another covered 19 yards, [more] | 2022-08-13T19:56:31Z | sports.yahoo.com | How to watch and stream the Broncos’ preseason game against the Cowboys | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-stream-broncos-preseason-game-190028104.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-stream-broncos-preseason-game-190028104.html?src=rss |
Will Anderson Jr., burst onto the scene as a true freshman for the Crimson Tide in 2020 when he accumulated 52 total tackles seven sacks and forced one fumble. While Tide fans were prepared for the emergence of “The Terminator,” he caught a lot of people by surprise when he became the best defensive player in college football in 2021 posting 31 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks.
Aside from being totally and utterly dominant on the field, one of the most remarkable things about Anderson though is the head he has on his shoulders. He is a leader by example, he loves to be coached, he believes in Coach Saban’s process, and he continues to strive for improvement every day on and off the field.
When Anderson was asked if he had reached his full potential yet he said, “I still haven’t reached my full potential yet. Last year was a great year, but I feel like there is always room for improvement.”
Anderson has the relentless pursuit of greatness in him and as a result, he’s never been one to shy away from his weaknesses as a player. Anderson shared with the crew, “The first thing I did when I walked into Saban’s office was say I know the good, just tell me what I need to work on, how to be a better player than I was last year.”
Coach Saban has always been very vocal and emphatic in his appreciation of Anderson. Anderson said for him personally a big moment was when Saban held him and Bryce Young after the national title press conference to praise their work ethic and the pillars they are in their community.
The Terminator 🦾 @will_anderson28
pic.twitter.com/A1AHhVm1nQ
Alabama basketball wraps up European tour with a 3-0 record
WATCH: Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman recaps first practice in full pads
Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman discusses the Razorbacks' first preseason practice in full pads on Aug. 11, 2022.
The locals know that Arkansas Football will have a great team this season, and hopes that the rest of the nation will see that soon. | 2022-08-13T20:28:05Z | sports.yahoo.com | Will Anderson Jr.: ‘ I haven’t reached my full potential yet’ | https://sports.yahoo.com/anderson-jr-haven-t-reached-183157151.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/anderson-jr-haven-t-reached-183157151.html?src=rss |
As the Tigers progress through fall camp and inch ever closer to the beginning of the 2022 season, there’s still one question that’s on everyone’s mind: Who is going to be this team’s starting quarterback?
LSU doesn’t have a shortage of talent at the position, as it returns a veteran in Myles Brennan while adding a player with three years of Power Five starting experience in Jayden Daniels.
You also can’t ignore Garrett Nussmeier, a redshirt freshman who saw some action last fall and had arguably the most impressive spring game of the trio.
Still, none of the three was able to separate themselves from the group during spring camp, and it seems that after a week of fall practices, coach Brian Kelly isn’t particularly close to naming a starter.
On3’s Jesse Simonton broke down the remaining SEC quarterback battles, and he included some of the intel he’s heard about the competition in Baton Rouge.
Buzz: Of the four open competitions in the SEC, the Tigers appear the farthest away from determining who will start their Week 1 opener against Florida State.
All three options are intriguing. All three quarterbacks are quite different, and all three quarterbacks are receiving first-team reps in camp.
Brian Kelly has never hesitated rotating quarterbacks, so that remains a real possibility the deeper we get into training camp without one guy emerging from the pack.
Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels was Kelly’s hand-picked option out of the portal, but the former Notre Dame coach also convinced Myles Brennan to not transfer and return to the program. Meanwhile, Garrett Nussmeier was the talk of spring practice. The redshirt sophomore recently tweaked his ankle in camp, and though the injury isn’t considered serious, any significant missed time only further opens the door for Daniels or Brennan to grab the job.
This one is too close to call for now, but as new Tigers offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock said recently, “There comes a line of demarcation where we’ve got to get ready to win game one and who gives us the best opportunity to do that. We’re not anywhere close to that yet but those decisions will be made by Coach Kelly when the cutoff happens and hopefully it’s an easy decision.”
Based on that, it seems that Tigers fans hoping the passing depth chart would be cemented well ahead of the season will be disappointed. However, it does sound like Denbrock and Kelly don’t have much interest in rotating quarterbacks to begin the season and plan to have a starter in place before the season opener against Florida State.
In the meantime, we’re left to question whether the lack of separation between the quarterbacks is a good or bad thing. | 2022-08-13T20:28:10Z | sports.yahoo.com | Latest buzz surrounding LSU’s neck-and-neck quarterback competition | https://sports.yahoo.com/latest-buzz-surrounding-lsu-neck-200053094.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/latest-buzz-surrounding-lsu-neck-200053094.html?src=rss |
Our four hours of conversation with Oklahoma insider Kegan Reneau on The Riley Files unearthed some central truths about the way the college football coaching business works.
One is that much as coaches have to constantly re-recruit players (to prevent them from entering the transfer portal), universities have to re-recruit coaches. This point came across very clearly in our conversations about Lincoln Riley and why he felt he needed to leave Oklahoma for USC.
“That final conversation Oklahoma and Lincoln Riley had, it probably was through his agent,” Reneau said. “Oklahoma was ready to say yes, they had put up all the money and all the resources to say yes, but I think it was too far down the road at that point. (OU wanted) to go in a different direction.
“People shouldn’t be put in (certain) situations, but it is just the power dynamic we have in college football, where a university and the leadership in a university has to recruit their own head coaches these days. It’s so interesting. It’s so compelling. It is funny to me that right when they (Oklahoma) hired Brent Venables, oh look! Now that war chest that the donors have had for all this time, now it’s being spent. Now we’re getting this commitment. Now they’re getting this buy-in, oil and gas being (priced) where it’s at. That certainly helps that situation in the state of Oklahoma. It’s a very compelling conversation to have.
“At some point, I feel confident in saying, yeah, Lincoln Riley was told no on something. I don’t know if it was resources. I don’t know if it was on pay. I don’t know if it was his staff pool. I don’t think it was those things. I think all of those things were signed off on. There’s other finer details of the workings with the University of Oklahoma that I think Lincoln Riley wanted to have answers for and he never got those answers.”
Postscript: Oklahoma wasn’t wrong to tell Lincoln Riley “no” on something (what precisely that thing was, we might never know). Riley wasn’t “right” to leave Oklahoma. What seems reasonable to conclude from Reneau’s analysis is that a “no” was conveyed at some point in a negotiation. On that point, there shouldn’t be any disagreement.
From Riley’s vantage point, OU probably did not re-recruit him well enough.
That also shouldn’t come across as a particularly controversial or debatable point.
Where Is Anthony Templet From 'I Just Killed My Dad' Now?
“I just killed my dad,” Anthony Templet told a 911 dispatcher the day he shot his father to death. While it seemed as though the facts of the slaying were made clear by this confession, Netflix’s “I Just Killed My Dad” makes it clear that the situation was much more complicated than that. The three-part docuseries dives into the June 2019 shooting of Burt Templet, 53. His 17-year-old son Anthony shot at him three times, striking him twice, inside their luxurious Baton Rouge home. Bert died a few | 2022-08-13T20:28:11Z | sports.yahoo.com | Lincoln Riley’s story underscores central realities about the modern coaching industry | https://sports.yahoo.com/lincoln-riley-story-underscores-central-191159006.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/lincoln-riley-story-underscores-central-191159006.html?src=rss |
August camp is now one week old at USC. The process of teaching and player development is unfolding for Lincoln Riley and his coaching staff.
Riley answered questions from the press after Friday’s practice session. He offered no eye-popping quotes or revelations (which is standard practice for him), but one theme came through at multiple points in his answers: USC has a lot more bodies on the practice field compared to spring.
Whether it was due to injuries or to players not yet being enrolled at the school, USC did not have a lot of active players for spring ball. Now, after summer enrollees have joined the program, and after players injured in the spring have had time to heal, the level of depth within the program is better. That doesn’t mean it is necessarily sufficient for the season ahead, but it is better than in the spring. Riley discussed the ability of his staff to rotate and shuffle players between different positions. There are now more bodies available, which enables the coaching staff to give more players a sense of how they can handle different positional assignments on the field.
Here is Riley’s short session with the press, via Inside Troy: | 2022-08-13T20:28:25Z | sports.yahoo.com | Lincoln Riley talks to the media after USC Friday practice | https://sports.yahoo.com/lincoln-riley-talks-media-usc-194439076.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/lincoln-riley-talks-media-usc-194439076.html?src=rss |
It’s a tradition that started when the NCAA allowed the number “0” to be worn in college football back in 2020. Former Ohio State defensive end Jonathon Cooper was the first to start this new tradition that honors former OSU player Bill Willis, a pioneer in breaking the color barrier in the NFL.
Willis wore No. 99, but the Buckeye program took the opportunity to recognize the importance of Willis with the new Block 0 jersey. Last year’s wearer of the jersey was offensive lineman Thayer Munford, though he could not wear it in games because of NCAA rules that only allow offensive linemen to wear numbers between 50-79.
And now, we have been made aware of which player will don the Block 0 jersey in 2022. It is none other than receiver Kamryn Babb, and it makes a lot of sense. The player that has the honor of wearing the Block 0 jersey is one that displays “toughness, accountability and the highest of character.”
Babb has shown that and more. The 6-foot, 210-pound fifth-year senior came to the program as a high 4-star prospect in the 2018 class. He had already sustained a torn ACL in high school and has run into the same injury-plagued bad luck during his time as a Buckeye. All told, the St. Louis native has had to rehab and recover from four ACL tears but is a returning captain that means much more to the team than what he has accomplished so far on the field in game action.
And yeah, as a receiver, Babb can wear the Block 0 jersey in a game.
While he continues to try and show that he’s a receiver that can make an impact as a dynamic playmaker on the field for this year, there’s is little doubt what Babb means to the program and what he has had to deal with working his way through some pretty unfortunate events.
It’s hard not to root for Babb to be a big part of this team in game action for 2022, and we’ll sure be a part of the camp that looks to see what his career still holds. | 2022-08-13T20:28:50Z | sports.yahoo.com | Ohio State football reveals player that will wear “Block 0” uniform | https://sports.yahoo.com/ohio-state-football-reveals-player-171340705.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ohio-state-football-reveals-player-171340705.html?src=rss |
Deshaun Watson made his first start for the Cleveland Browns in the team's 24-13 win over Jacksonville Friday night.
Watson had a slow start, completing one of five passes for eight yards in the first quarter.
But Watson's off-the-field concerns has our sports columnist Rob Oller concerned.
Watson is facing at least a six-game suspension this year after he reportedly saw at least 66 female massage therapists in a span of about 18 months, from 2019 into 2021, and at one point he faced 24 lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct.
Check out Oller's column here.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Afternoon update template | 2022-08-13T21:21:07Z | sports.yahoo.com | The Deshaun Watson situation has risen to a new level of ridiculous. Is he worth it? | https://sports.yahoo.com/ohio-sues-biden-over-covid-175832947.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ohio-sues-biden-over-covid-175832947.html?src=rss |
Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick Dax Hill was one of the most-hyped players on the team entering Week 1 of the preseason against the Arizona Cardinals.
Hill wasn’t just a first-round pick receiving the usual hype — he was also being asked to replace the franchise-tagged Jessie Bates in the starting defense.
Based on the reaction from coaches (and fans online), Hill did just fine in his pro debut.
It wasn’t all perfect for Hill but he had two clutch third-down pass breakups in the first half and a leaping near-intercetion that would have made endless highlight reels the day after the game if he had been able to secure the ball.
The Bengals couldn’t ask for much more from Hill, who played all over the place, including the slot, in his debut. He’ll do much of the same despite not being an official starter once Week 1 arrives.
Secretary Pete Buttigieg was in Phoenix Thursday touting a new bridge that will be built across the Rio Salado River with $25 million in federal funding. | 2022-08-13T21:41:29Z | sports.yahoo.com | Dax Hill impressed Bengals coaches during preseason debut | https://sports.yahoo.com/dax-hill-impressed-bengals-coaches-200911519.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/dax-hill-impressed-bengals-coaches-200911519.html?src=rss |
Shanahan explains plan for Bosa during 49ers preseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SANTA CLARA -- Defensive end Nick Bosa enters his fourth season with the 49ers, and the club seems to have settled on a summer routine that works best for him.
In order words, don't expect to ever see Bosa step on the field and play in a game that has no bearing on the regular-season standings.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said on Friday there is no plan whatsoever to have Bosa play in any preseason games. After all, he has proven he knows how to get ready for the regular season.
When asked if Bosa would play in any of the 49ers’ three preseason games this year, Shanahan answered, “He never has before and he has done all right, so I think that proves it.”
Bosa was one of 20 players the 49ers held out of the team's exhibition opener on Friday night against the Green Bay Packers.
Bosa did not play in any of the 49ers’ tuneup games in his rookie season of 2019 after sustaining an ankle injury early in training camp. In 2020, the preseason was eliminated around the NFL due to COVID-19.
Last year, the 49ers held out Bosa as he returned from a torn ACL that wiped out nearly his entire 2020 season.
RELATED: What we learned in 49ers' preseason win over Packers
Bosa returned from that injury to register a team-high 15.5 sacks in the regular season. He added four sacks in three postseason games.
“Nick has prepared, whether we're helping him prepare or he's prepared on his own,” Shanahan said. “If he came to me and that was something he really wanted to do and made sense of it, I'd have no problem. But that's not something that matters much to me.”
RICHMOND, Va. — NASCAR and 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace hosted a community block party at Richmond Raceway on Aug. 11, a first-time event designed to engage new fan audiences and bring local families to the racetrack ahead of a full weekend of NASCAR racing action. Bubba‘s Block Party was free to the public and […] | 2022-08-13T21:41:48Z | sports.yahoo.com | Kyle Shanahan explains Nick Bosa plan during 49ers preseason schedule | https://sports.yahoo.com/kyle-shanahan-explains-nick-bosa-184547937.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/kyle-shanahan-explains-nick-bosa-184547937.html?src=rss |
Lance pays it forward to Gray, Purdy with touchdown mementos originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SANTA CLARA -- 49ers quarterback Trey Lance knows what it is like to score an NFL touchdown for the first time, and he made sure his teammates were able to memorialize the unique experience.
Lance didn’t run to the end zone once Friday night to snag the football that was thrown for a touchdown -- he did it twice. The quarterback wanted make sure the mementos from the event went to his teammates.
On the 49ers' second offensive drive of their 28-21 preseason win over the Green Bay Packers, Lance threw a deep pass to rookie Danny Gray for a 76-yard score. The North Dakota State product quickly sprinted to the end zone to pay it forward, following in the footsteps of tight end George Kittle.
“I was just fired up for Danny,” Lance said. “I was trying to catch him and make sure that he didn’t punt the ball into the crowd or anything like that. I wanted to make sure he got that first touchdown ball. I know someone did it for me. George did it for me last year, so I know it’s a special one to have.”
Lance’s first touchdown in the team’s 2021 preseason opener happened almost the exact same way as his pass to Gray on Friday night. Early in the first quarter of the 49ers 19-16 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the quarterback threw an 80-yard bomb to receiver Trent Sherfield.
Knowing how important that ball would be to Lance, Kittle hustled down to the end zone and held onto it for safe keeping. The sophomore quarterback had a feeling that Gray would have no thoughts about holding onto the ball and he was correct.
“I wanted to throw it into the stands but I was just like, we’re going to be humble because there’s many more to come,” Gray said. “So I was just being humble and thanking God for the moment.”
In the fourth quarter, rookie Brock Purdy led the team on an 11-play, 69-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass to tight end Tanner Hudson. That was followed by a successful two-point conversion pass to KeeSean Johnson.
Unbeknownst to Purdy, Lance again hustled down to the end zone to grab the football for his teammate.
“Yes, I have it right here,” Purdy said after the game. “Trey was sitting next to me on the bench and told me, ‘I have your ball, by the way.’ Tanner threw it in the back of the end zone, he booked it. Trey went and got it. I am like ‘Dude you are the best’. He is humble, and I look up to that dude a lot.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said NFL quarterback, Tom Brady, will be taking time away from the team to deal with "personal things." | 2022-08-13T21:43:04Z | sports.yahoo.com | Trey Lance pays forward to Danny Gray, Brock Purdy with touchdown mementos | https://sports.yahoo.com/trey-lance-pays-forward-danny-195853462.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/trey-lance-pays-forward-danny-195853462.html?src=rss |
It’s been a good day for the Washington Commanders’ rookie class. In the first half of the preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers, third-round running back Brian Robinson Jr. scored his first NFL touchdown.
As expected, rookie quarterback Sam Howell took over Washington’s offense in the second half. While his first couple of drives were quiet, Howell took over on his third drive of the game, completing two big passes down the field.
Finally, as the Commanders made their way into the red zone, Howell dropped back, couldn’t find anyone, and took things into his own hands by putting a move on a Carolina defender and scoring from 17 yards out.
Howell’s drive seemed to energize Washington’s defense, which was all over Carolina rookie quarterback Matt Corral, forcing a punt. The Commanders went back on offense, with Howell marching them down the field. Howell finished off that drive with another scoring drive.
Washington went for two, taking its first lead of the day, 21-20, with a little over two minutes remaining in the game. | 2022-08-13T21:43:29Z | sports.yahoo.com | WATCH: Commanders rookie QB Sam Howell rushes for touchdown | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-commanders-rookie-qb-sam-195457964.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-commanders-rookie-qb-sam-195457964.html?src=rss |
Coach Brian Kelly’s hot streak in the state of Louisiana continued on Saturday, as the Tigers secured the commitment of four-star 2023 safety Kylin Jackson.
LSU was considered the favorite to land Jackson — the No. 167 player in the country and No. 10 safety — for a while now, but it’s never a done deal. Especially when you are competing with Texas A&M.
Jackson is a 6-foot-1, 195-pound safety from Zachary, Louisiana, where he plays for Zachary High School. The Broncos finished last season 15-0 with a win over Ponchatoula in the LHSAA Class 5A state championship game.
He is a safety that isn’t afraid to come from his position in the backfield and knock your block off. He does a great job in run support as well as in coverage.
Let’s bring it back to the crib!!! #COMMITTED #GeauxTigers pic.twitter.com/zHtUOzxOJA
— kylin jackson (@_kylin9) August 13, 2022
After Kelly got commitments from Shelton Sampson Jr. and Rickie Collins, Kelly was checking all of the boxes for recruiting the Boot.
The other big domino on that board? Jackson.
Prior to Jackson’s commitment, LSU’s 2023 recruiting class was ranked as the No. 6 class in the country according to On3. The Tigers could move into the top five with his commitment.
There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. In a perfect world, we'd like to... | 2022-08-13T22:57:06Z | sports.yahoo.com | BREAKING: Top-200 safety Kylin Jackson commits to LSU | https://sports.yahoo.com/breaking-top-200-safety-kylin-215807344.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/breaking-top-200-safety-kylin-215807344.html?src=rss |
The 2015 seventh-overall draft selection is overrun with talent. His size and ability to move are notable, but things have not panned out as expected since he entered the league. He dominated collegiate competition at West Virginia but injuries derailed what could have been a fast start with the Chicago Bears. White joined New Orleans last year but only caught 1 pass on 5 targets. That single catch did amass 38 yards and many hoped it would be an “ah-ha” moment for a receiver that has been so persistent against adversity. Unfortunately things didn’t come together as hoped in 2021.
However, he did show the Saints enough to bring him back on a future/reserve deal this season. While he has had flashes throughout training camp, he’s also had some lows with more than a few drops to his name. Now, he’ll get an opportunity to show what he can put together in full-speed action as he hopes to build on the highs he’s shown throughout practices. It’s a crowded room at wideout all of a sudden in New Orleans, but a solid set of preseason performances could carve him out a spot on the practice squad at the least.
In our 6 rookies to watch piece, Dylan Sanders highlighted undrafted free agent tight end Lucas Krull. The flip side of that coin is six-year veteran Vannett. His first season in New Orleans got off to a slow start in 2021 as he dealt with injury, But in the seven games he appeared in, he proved to be a consistent and effective blocker while bringing in 9 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown reception. While that doesn’t sound like a lot, he was third at his position in receiving yardage. Vannett was brought in to be a veteran leader at tight end, but now he has a lot more competition in the room. The aforementioned Krull is looking to carve out a role as a UDFA rookie, but coveted wide receiver Juwan Johnson has bulked up and is ready to show his progress as well. Not to mention Taysom Hill, who will focus more in 2022 as a pass-catcher working with the tight ends. With all of that compeition, a good performance would go a long way. But a poor performance against the Texans could be detrimental to the outlook of Vannett’s future in New Orleans.
Greenidge hasn’t seen a ton of playing time in New Orleans, but the staff has always been high on him. With new offensive line coach Doug Maronne in the building however, the familiarity factor may be jeopardized. That means Greenidge will have to prove he can stick around. The challenge is setting in on the former Villanova tackle, however. At tackle, the Saints have Ryan Ramczyk, their perennial All-Pro level lineman, they love James Hurst, invested highly in rookie Trevor Penning, and second-year tackle Landon Young is blossoming into a quality player. If Greenidge wants to land on the 53-man roster in September, it all has to start against Houston.
It’s been a long road for Evans before landing in New Orleans this offseason. He was drafted in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he showed a lot of his potential immediately. However, injuries set in for the Texas A&M product in 2019 and never let loose. Evans missed his 2020 year due to being on the physically unable to performance list as the season opened and did not play in 2021. After a two-year absence, the safety is back in the game and has shown some notable flashes throughout camp including multiple takeaways and pass break ups. Doing it all at full speed could propel him upward in an otherwise crowded safety room.
DL Shy Tuttle
Next to defensive tackle David Onyemata, the Saints have options for a potential starter on the defensive interior. Tuttle, a former UDFA from Tennessee, held that role last year. Can he hold on to it again with veteran Kentavius Street and rookie Jordan Jackson hot on his trails? In camp, Tuttle has bounced around with each unit, so preseason will provide a much better look into where they project his evaluation and for him to be able to battle for his role.
Okay, he’s a young veteran, but a veteran now nonetheless. Book is clearly very talented with his great accuracy, ball placement, and off-schedule ability. But there are questions about whether or not the Saints will hold on to two or three quarterbacks on this season’s active roster. In any case, active roster or practice squad, Book will have an important role on the team. But being an ultimate competitor, it’s obvious that Book would rather remain on the 53-man roster going into the season. Book once told me that his plan was to go into the 2022 season competing for the starting role, while that’s obviously a challenge with Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton ahead of him, that mentality is one that should be celebrated and if it means that he’s gone from trying to compete to start to competing for a roster spot, he’ll do it with all the same fervor.
Book is genuinely one of the player I’m most excited to see in Houston. You can see how he’s progressed as a passer in camp, but his abilities with the ball in his hands as a runner often get lost in the non-contact environment. After seeing only 24 snaps in 2021’s preseason, the former Notre Dame signal caller should see that more than that Saturday night alone. Book has a real opportunity ahead of him this preseason to establish who he is after the general disaster last year’s Monday Night Football matchup was against the Miami Dolphins which left him with unfair circumstances and therefore mostly unusable evaluations. | 2022-08-13T23:21:18Z | sports.yahoo.com | 6 veterans with a lot on the line in Saints preseason opener | https://sports.yahoo.com/6-veterans-lot-line-saints-215502548.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/6-veterans-lot-line-saints-215502548.html?src=rss |
If Soldier Field is torn up by late December, it's at least understandable. Bad weather and a season's worth of Chicago Bears home games can tear up the grass. But the first preseason game of the year shouldn't be a problem.
The Bears had an embarrassing issue Saturday for their game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The turf was chewed up, even though it was just the first home game this preseason.
Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times drew attention to the condition of the turf before the game started:
Players noticed, as did JC Tretter, the president of the NFLPA.
Soldier Field's turf has been an issue for years. There have been concerts there over the summer including Elton John on Aug. 5. That clearly didn't help the field.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields got acclimated to the poor field right away when he was a rookie last season.
"To be honest, last year I used our home field as an advantage because I knew how our grass was," Fields said, via Bleacher Report.
Bears kicker Cairo Santos said the field “was really sandy, which I expected," via NBC Sports. Santos said earlier this offseason that he finds public parks that don't have good grass and practices there, so he can prepare for the poor conditions at Soldier Field.
On Saturday, Santos again called out the unsafe conditions of the field.
“It’s reckless that we have...big-time players on both teams out there, and it’s too bad if the field becomes an issue where there’s an injury and that star is out for the season... It’s a reckless thing that they’re not taking care of it."
The Bears haven't fixed the problem despite years of poor conditions on the turf. And if the turf is already this bad in mid-August, how rough will it be by the end of the season?
Kansas City Chiefs' Corey Coleman carries the ball during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Chicago Bears Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Kyle Shanahan has gained the support from a fellow NFL coach over the league's strange hat rules that banned his famous "Shanahat". | 2022-08-13T23:21:31Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bears' shoddy turf for preseason opener draws criticism, even from Bears players | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-shoddy-turf-for-preseason-opener-draws-criticism-even-from-bears-players-222229879.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-shoddy-turf-for-preseason-opener-draws-criticism-even-from-bears-players-222229879.html?src=rss |
The Chicago Bears opened the preseason with a 19-14 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, where it was the rookies who stepped up in a big way.
It was a tale of two halves for both the Bears and Chiefs, where Chicago was shut-out in the first half and Kansas City held scoreless in the second half. The Bears starters saw limited action, where there’s still much to be improved upon on both offense and defense.
But Chicago did see some big performances from their reserves, who are making strong pushes to earn playing time and/or roster spots.
Here’s everything we know about the Bears’ preseason win against the Chiefs:
Second-half turnaround: Things looked rough for the Bears in the first half of Saturday’s win, where they were held scoreless in the first two quarters of play. But Chicago scored 19 unanswered points in the second half to come away with the win. But given the starters only played a few series and it was all reserves from the second quarter on, it’s hard to use that as any sort of measuring stick. Still, a comeback win against the Chiefs certainly is a nice way to open the preseason.
Rookies dominate: If you’re GM Ryan Poles, it’s impossible to leave this game not feeling encouraged by the performance of your rookie class. Poles’ draft class was impressive — whether it was safety Jaquan Brisker, offensive tackle Braxton Jones, defensive end Dominique Robinson, punter Trenton Gill or running back Trestan Ebner. And that was with cornerback Kyler Gordon and receiver Velus Jones Jr. sidelined with injuries. But it wasn’t just draft picks who showed out, it was undrafted rookies who shined. Especially linebacker Jack Sanborn, who had the standout performance on the day with a couple of takeaways and was dominant on defense and special teams.
Plenty of room to improve: The Bears starters played sparingly in the preseason opener, and it was clear that there’s still room for improvement on both offense and defense. The starting offense was held scoreless in their three drives of action, including a three-and-out on their first go around. Justin Fields did have some nice throws to Darnell Mooney and Tajae Sharpe, but it’s clear that the offense still has a ways to go. The defense had a number of injuries and was without their two biggest stars in Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn — and it showed. The defense gave up an 11-play, 72-yard touchdown drive to Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City’s starting offense, which wasn’t ideal.
The Bears had a rough outing in the first half — where they were held scoreless — but a couple of takeaways really helped drive their 19-point comeback over the Chiefs.
Linebacker Jack Sanborn’s two takeaways in the second half really put the nail in the coffin for the Chiefs, including an interception that led to a touchdown. But it was his fumble recovery that officially put the game away, as it led to a Chicago field goal to put them up 19-14.
The defense continued to dominate after that point, holding Kansas City scoreless in the second half.
***WR Tajae Sharpe: Sharpe has made his presence known during practice, and it certainly translated to live action. Sharpe caught 2 passes for 44 yards, including an impressive sideline grab from quarterback Justin Fields. Sharpe is someone who’s definitely emerging as a favorite to earn a roster spot in a wide-open receiving room.
**DL Trevon Coley: Coley just signed with the Bears last week, but he’s already making an impact. Coley had 2 sacks, 2 tackles-for-loss, 3 QB hits and a pass breakup. He’s another depth option who’s looking to push for a roster spot.
*LB Jack Sanborn: Sanborn was the standout of the afternoon following a dominant performance both on defense and special teams. The undrafted rookie accounted for two takeaways — an interception and fumble recovery — and had 7 tackles, including a tackle-for-loss, and a pass breakup.
It’s a quick turnaround for the Bears as they head to Seattle to face the Seahawks for their second preseason game on Thursday night at 7 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.
Image source: Getty Images Recently, my family and I went out of town for a long weekend. It was supposed to be a quick, inexpensive getaway. And all told, it was. Our credit card tab following that trip was considerably lower than that of our average trip. | 2022-08-13T23:21:37Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bears vs. Chiefs: Everything we know about Chicago’s preseason win | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-vs-chiefs-everything-know-215152987.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-vs-chiefs-everything-know-215152987.html?src=rss |
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers suffered a head injury during Saturday’s preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills and was ruled out for the remainder of the game in the third quarter.
Rodgers suffered the injury at the end of a play that included him intercepting Bills quarterback Case Keenum. He went into the blue tent and then the locker room during the second quarter.
By the time the second half started, Rodgers was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Isaiah Rodgers is out for the rest of this game. | 2022-08-13T23:22:09Z | sports.yahoo.com | Colts’ Isaiah Rodgers (head) ruled out vs. Bills | https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-isaiah-rodgers-head-ruled-220011130.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-isaiah-rodgers-head-ruled-220011130.html?src=rss |
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