The following results were provided by high school coaches or their representatives. Send results each night to prepsportsenquirer.com. Please submit Team or Athlete of the Week nominations by Monday morning for the previous week's performances to mlaughmanenquirer.com.
Milford 156, Kings 163
Medalist: Cooper Young (M) and Tyce Barnett (M) both with a 38 at Grizzly.
Cincinnati Christian 203, Colerain 212
McNicholas 156, West Clermont 163

#team #week

Sep. 14—BEMIDJI — Oliver Peer is already winning 2026-27 CCHA honors.
The Bemidji State men's hockey team's top-line center was named the league's Preseason Player of the Year in the Coaches and Media Polls.
Bemidji State was picked to finish fifth in both polls. Michigan Tech was selected as the league's top team in both polls as well.
Peer, a native of Burlington, Ontario, had 20 goals and 16 ******* ists last year in his first season with the Beavers. He transferred from the University of New Brunswick (U Sports) ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Naturally, Peer was also selected to be on both of the All-CCHA Preseason Teams. Among coaches, Peer is joined by Michigan Tech forwards Max Koskipirrti and Isaac Gordon and Bowling Green's Ben Doran. Augustana's Hayden Hennen and Bowling Green's Breck McKinley round out the coaches' defender picks, while MTU goaltender Owen Bartoszkiewicz was selected as well.

#peer #polls

Broncos news: Drew Brees nearly unretired to play playoff game for Denver appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Hall of Famer Drew Brees came remarkably close to returning to the NFL last season after the Denver Broncos lost quarterback Bo Nix to a fractured ankle in their divisional-round overtime win over the Buffalo Bills, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday.
With the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots approaching, then-Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive ***** istant Pete Carmichael contacted Brees about potentially playing for Denver. Both coaches had previously worked with Brees during their time with the New Orleans Saints, giving the situation an immediate connection to the quarterback.
Brees, who was 47 at the time, did not reportedly immediately reject the proposal. Instead, he wanted to determine whether his body could handle an NFL comeback. He worked out with the possibility of playing in the AFC ***** le game, but discomfort in his wrist ultimately ended the idea.
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

#brees #Broncos #denver #worked

Bakersfield High football coach Cody Stone calls it the "relief syndrome." It's the feeling one has by passing a tough test on the field. Stone, as he's stated each week after a Drillers' victory, doesn't believe in that kind of thinking.
So it's no surprise that BHS' 46-14 victory over Clovis West last Friday continued that approach. But scoring 46 points against a top five team in the CIF Central Section makes it harder to downplay.
"I was happy, not just with our kids, but our entire coaching staff," he said. "I was pleased with the way the kids executed the game plan. Our coaches held the kids to a high standard.
"Clovis West is a very historic program. They have a great coach, great talent, but our kids came out and got on them pretty quick. What I think our coaches liked most was that our kids came out and never let up."
He and his staff also enjoyed seeing players support each other. More than once on a long touchdown run, teammates escorted each other and celebrated in the end zone.

#kids #high

If you thought Philip Rivers' return to become the Colts' starting quarterback last season was a shocking development, Purdue football great Drew Brees reportedly discussed an even more improbable return.
ESPN reported Brees and Denver Broncos coaches discussed Brees returning to play for the franchise in last year's AFC Championship Game. The Broncos lost quarterback Bo Nix to an ankle injory in their AFC Divisional Round victory over the Buffalo Bills.
Brees, 47, had not played a game since his retirement from the New Orleans Saints after the 2020 season. According to ESPN, he wanted to work out prior to making any commitments. After doing so, he said he encountered wrist pain and decided against pursuing a return.
ESPN's report said even Broncos coach Sean Payton -- Brees' coach with the Saints -- did not know of the discussions until the summer.
The Broncos instead went with their actual backup, Jarret Stidham, in a 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots.

#espn #saints #quarterback #discussed

Drew Brees went into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer, but he considered coming out of retirement with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. The former New Orleans Saints quarterback explored joining the Denver Broncos ahead of January's AFC Championship Game, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.
The conversations followed Bo Nix's fractured ankle in Denver's Jan. 17 playoff victory over the Buffalo Bills. Then-offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive **** istant Pete Carmichael, two of Brees' longtime coaches in New Orleans, contacted him about a potential return.
Brees had turned 47 just two days before Nix was injured. He wanted to test his body before committing to a comeback, but wrist discomfort during his workout ended the possibility, Schefter reported.
The initial talks happened without Sean Payton's involvement. Lombardi and Carmichael first wanted to see whether Brees was interested, and Payton didn't learn about their conversations until the offseason, according to Schefter.
Had Brees felt ready to return, Denver would've signed him and evaluated whether he or Jarrett Stidham would start, Schefter noted. One Broncos source explained to ESPN how the team viewed the possibility: "At a minimum, you sign (Brees), he's 1A or 1B. And Drew's point was: 'I know how to win a game like that.'"

#brees #orleans #Broncos

The Denver Broncos were in a desperate situation entering the 2026 AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots. With starting quarterback Bo Nix injured and missing the game, the team reportedly reached out to Hall of Famer Drew Brees to see if he was interested in what could have been one of the most surreal moments in the sport's history.
The Broncos had homefield advantage, but were dealt a cruel blow with Nix breaking his ankle late in their Divisional Round overtime win against the Buffalo Bills. Backup Jarrett Stidham started the game and in blizzard-like conditions, could only muster seven points as the Patriots won 10-7 to advance to the Super Bowl.
But what if it was one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time under center for the Broncos that day?
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Broncos did indeed reach out to Drew Brees to gauge his interest in an improbable comeback. Considering that Sean Payton coaches the Broncos and the pairing is one of the most successful in NFL history while winning a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints, it's easy to see why Denver made the call. Brees and Payton are the second-winningest QB/Coach combo in NFL history, only behind Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
Of course, there would have been one major obstacle to overcome. Drew Brees had just turned 47 and hadn't played a competitive NFL game since January 17, 2021 in a playoff loss to Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, Brees wouldn't have been alone in making an incredible return as Philip Rivers had come out of five years of retirement to play three games for the injury-plagued Indianapolis Colts. While Rivers went 0-3 as a starter, he completed 63% of his passes and threw 4 TDs to 3 INTS.

#super #payton

Sep. 14—GRAND FORKS — UND's coaching staff has gotten its first few looks at the 2026-27 hockey team.
Due to NCAA rule changes, coaches can be on the ice with the team earlier than in the past.
"We're working out some kinks and getting the rust off," UND second-year head coach Dane Jackson said. "The professionalism, preparedness, focus and mindset of our guys has been very good. They all seem to have a real passion to come to the rink and are excited to be working. We've been really happy with the work we've been getting done."
Players initially returned to Grand Forks in July. They skated on their own for about five weeks.
Now, the coaches are working to implement systems and to sharpen details.

#working #coaches #ncaa

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – WKBN Sports stopped by Brookfield High School to visit with senior Devin Reardon ahead of Friday night's Game of the Week against Liberty.
Watch the video above to hear from this WKBN Big 22 2026 contender!
This year marks the 21st season for our WKBN Big 22, one of the most prestigious high school football awards in the state.
At the end of the season, we honor 22 of the best high school players from the 57 local teams in our coverage area, as voted on by the head coaches and members of the local media.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.

#high #school #Media #head

Tricolor is ready for the showdown with Boca Juniors (ARG) in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana! This Monday (14), at SuperCT, the squad held its final training session ahead of the decisive clash with the Argentines, which will be played on Tuesday night (15), at 9:30 p.m., at MorumBIS, in the second leg of the quarterfinals.
This afternoon's activities included physical exercises with the fitness coaches indoors, as well as tactical adjustments led by Dorival Júnior and his **** istants on the pitch, in addition to technical drills.
There was also extra practice on set pieces.
After suffering a 1-0 defeat in the first leg in Buenos Aires, São Paulo need to win by a two-goal margin to advance to the next round. A one-goal victory would send the decision to a penalty shootout.
The winner will face Vasco da Gama or Independiente Santa Fe of Colombia in the semifinals of the continental competition. The teams meet this Tuesday (15), at 7 p.m., at São Januário.

#tuesday #goal #juniors #conmebol

Across our area, local children are hopping on bikes to develop a lifelong passion.
The goal of Independence Youth Cycling is to uplift members of their various teams.
When they set out on the trail with their peers, they're always in for a great ride.
"Our nonprofit supports teams that operate in different leagues and series across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 65 or more coaches that support our organization...Our teams would not be here if it wasn't for the amazing green ***** es and trail systems that we have in Philadelphia and Montgomery County," said President and Founder of Independence Youth Cycling, John Raisch.
"It's been an amazing ride and we just want to see it continue into the future and be a strong, impactful organization," he continued.

#ride #pennsylvania

The new era for Monomoy field hockey looks a lot like the previous one.
Monomoy (1-1) beat St. John Paul II (0-2), 6-0, on Monday under a new coaching staff.
It was the first Monomoy win for coaches Laura and Brynn Morris, who took over this season for Kyle Cappallo, who left this offseason.
On Monday's home opener win, Mia Zimmerman scored three goals. Sage Harrison scored one goal. Kate Huse had one goal and one ****** ist. Rebecca Brown scored her first varsity goal. Emery Cappallo had three ****** ists.
Goalie Maddy Swett had two saves for a shutout and is 40 saves away from 300.

#first

The Cincinnati Enquirer once again is offering a new weekly feature recognizing the accomplishments of cheerleaders, dance team members and their squads: The Spirit Award.
Much like the popular athlete of the week voting, school fans and friends voted on two weekly ballots (individual and team) for The Spirit Award. Only coaches can provide nominations each week, either for their squads or other teams.
Eligible are varsity girls and boys cheerleaders and dancers who exemplify the fruits of the spirit ‒ love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – while uplifting their squads, the student body and others. Team nominations focus on squads that come together to help each other, work hard, do things right that week, show outstanding virtues when dealing with or serving others, exceed expectations to prepare something special for the school or take part in any other honorable reason they might be acknowledged.
This week's Spirit Award winners are:
"She is an outstanding example of leadership, character, and service within our school community. Scarlett is our varsity cheer captain and sole senior cheerleader, and she has embraced that role with maturity, selflessness, and a genuine desire to make those around her better," wrote her coach, Alicia Wall, in an email to The Enquirer.

#team #weekly #nominations

The Spurs announced Monday that registration is open for its second annual Gregg Popovich Coach to Coaches Clinic.
Set for 12:30-2:30 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Frost Bank Center before the start of the team's annual Silver & Black Open Scrimmage, the free clinic is open to basketball coaches of all levels and will be headed by Spurs coach Mitch Johnson and members of his staff.
Registration runs through Oct. 2.
More than 800 coaches representing more than 200 schools, organizations and communities from across the San Antonio area participated in last year's inaugural clinic.
"Coach Popovich has always emphasized the importance of teaching, sharing knowledge and helping others grow," Johnson said. "Last year's clinic was a great opportunity to connect with coaches in our community, and we're looking forward to continuing that tradition this year. We're excited to welcome everyone back to Frost Bank Center."

#coach #popovich

Alex Golesh crossed off another milestone last week when Auburn defeated Southern Miss, 43-8, for the first home win of his tenure. This week, he could reach another when the Tigers host Florida for the Tigers' first SEC game of his era.
Golesh stood at the podium Monday to preview the matchup with the Gators and to close the book on Auburn's Week 2 win. One topic Golesh discussed Monday was his relationship with Florida head coach Jon Sumrall. Like Golesh, Sumrall took the leap to the SEC from the American Athletic Conference after leading Tulane to an AAC championship and the College Football Playoff.
The pair have a lot in common and have bonded over their time as coaches. However, Golesh says that his friendship with Sumrall is taking a brief pause this week.
"He said we were friends? Not this week, we're not," Golesh said Monday (via ABC 33/40). "I got a ton of respect for Jon (Sumrall). We were both ****** istants in this league at the same time, and he did a great job at Troy, a high-end job at Troy. Did a high-end job at Tulane. I got a ton of respect for how he works; I got a ton of respect for who he is. I think he does it the right way. He competes like crazy. I got a lot of respect for him. This week? Don't care."
What else did Golesh say ahead of Auburn's SEC opener against Florida? Here are five key quotes from Golesh's Monday press conference.

#golesh #Monday #Respect #tulane

As Florida State prepares to visit Alabama football Saturday to complete the back end of a home-and-home series, its football coach, Mike Norvell, is firmly planted on the hottest seat in the ACC. As it turns out, however, athletics director Michael Alford's seat was even hotter.
The school fired Alford Monday after just four years on the job − he got less time than the most high-profile football coaches and less than Norvell himself. Alford's predecessor, David Coburn, had a four-year run of his own. Prior to that, Stan Wilcox lasted just five years in the role. One departure was a resignation, another a retirement, and the third a firing, but collectively, they represent a lot of administrative upheaval.
MOVING ON: Florida State AD Michael Alford fired after four years
BACK FOR MORE: Does Alabama football want 'revenge' heading into Florida State week?
Alabama has been there. And it doesn't want to go back.

#four #years #michael

There were plenty of great performances from around the local gridiron as area football teams opened their seasons. Tommy Cassell picked a few of the best performances for readers to vote on to decide the Hometeam Football Player of the Week.
More: Check out the Hometeam Central Mass. high school football standings, leaders
These picks were selected from performances reported by area coaches to the Hometeam Scoreboard. Coaches or administrators are encouraged to report game results and highlights each night by calling the T&G sports desk at 508-793-9350 or emailing sportstelegram.com.
Abalo rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown and also made 13 tackles to lead the Burncoat defense in a 34-6 beatdown of Bourne.
This senior led the Warriors' defense with seven tackles and a pair of sacks, with one of his sacks resulting in a safety on defense during Narragansett's 29-6 victory over Monty Tech.

#Football #coaches #tackles #sacks

Ole Miss football AD accuses Lane Kiffin of 'manipulating' players, coaches appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
With Lane Kiffin's departure from the Ole Miss football program to the LSU Tigers still talked about to this day, despite being two games in with his new team, there is no doubt about the ripple effects left by the coach. As the showdown between the Ole Miss football team and LSU comes underway this Saturday, the Rebels' athletic director Keith Carter kept it real on Kiffin's time with the school and his rocky exit.
Speaking to On3 Sports' Chris Low, Carter reflected on Kiffin's six years with the Rebels, as there's no denying the success that the controversial coach brought, totaling a 55-19 record and amassing four double-digit win seasons.
While Carter said that Kiffin was "good for us" during that time and emphasized the mutual relationship they had, his "problem" was trying to "manipulate the players and the coaches on his way out and work behind the scenes to hurt us."
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

#miss #lane #clutchpoints #sports

Florida State football rumors: Is Jimbo Fisher an option to replace Mike Norvell if he's fired? appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Florida State Seminoles fired Michael Alford as athletic director on Monday. After the University made its final decision to switch things up for its future in sports, rumors began swirling around Mike Norvell's job security as the head coach of the football program. The rumors have already gotten to the point that there is now some buzz that Jimbo Fisher could reprise his role as the Seminoles' head coach if Norvell were to be let go.
While that may be the case, Florida State President Richard McCullough didn't provide much details about Norvell's position. When asked firing the athletic director means for the 44-year-old head coach's future with the program, McCullough claimed that FSU is simply focused on winning, according to Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.
"Nobody wants to win more than Mike Norvell," McCullough said. "College coaches are in the winning business. That's what we're working on."
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

#rumors #head #jimbo

Kentucky football's first loss of the season was a tale of two halves. In the first half, they controlled the ball, forced turnovers, and limited the Alabama Crimson Tide's offense. In the second half, Alabama controlled the game, and pulled away for a 45-17 win over the Wildcats.
It was a closer game than the score indicates, and there were some promising things to take away from it, but a loss is a loss, and Kentucky's brutal schedule means they have to beat some of these good teams to even get to .500.
Most of the rest of the SEC had a successful Saturday to some degree. The conference is showing its strength so far, and it was reflected in the coaches poll, where nine SEC teams were in the top 25.
So how does Kentucky fit in this week's SEC power rankings? Here's the breakdown.
Last week: 15

#kentucky #game #crimson

Happy Monday, everyone. Alabama is back in the top ten after taking care of Kentucky.
Like in the coaches poll, there were some major moves in this week's **** ociated Press college football poll.
Texas is the new No. 1 in the media poll released Sunday afternoon. The Longhorns took down the preseason top-ranked Buckeyes of Ohio State on Saturday night.
Alabama advanced to No. 10 after entering Saturday's trip to Kentucky at 12th. The Crimson Tide blew past the Wildcats with a 32-0 second half to win 45-17.
Nick Kelly has a few additional game notes for you.

#Monday #associated #sunday

AUSTIN, Texas — Hours before the out-of-nowhere comeback, before Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium pulsated with noise and shock, before the "SEC, SEC" chants spontaneously broke out over the din of elation and before thousands of forlorn Ohio State fans walked out into the night having that conversation about Ryan Day once again, a plume of burnt orange smoke seemed to linger over the field in the searing Texas heat.
It is a standard part of the pregame pyrotechnics here, but it was a particularly poignant image in the moments before a game like this one between two of college football's biggest brands and highest-ranked teams, with consequences that will take the rest of the season to figure out.
For 14 Saturdays of college football, we're all just waiting for the smoke to clear.
By the end of Texas 24, Ohio State 23, it was a beautiful picture but an incomplete one, made possible only by a regular season that feels increasingly under attack by the powers that be. Year by year, the coaches and administrators at the mega-programs become less interested in playing games like these because the stakes are so high. And yet, without those high stakes of a limited playoff structure where losing this kind of game can knock you out, what kind of sport are you left with?
"Hopefully it pays dividends for us in December," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said late Saturday night. "But we have a lot more meat on the bone we have to chew off here before we can start worrying about whether this win helps us get into a playoff or not."

#state #year #like

Opening statement
Give all the credit to Duke. They're able to get out of here with a W. Obviously, one of the things that we've really prided ourselves on over the last five years, going to year six, is more games are lost than won. Something that we try to get right from day one since we got here. And I'm not diminishing anything Duke did. I just think that we did enough things to cause us to fail. Obviously, turnover a little bit, but I think it was more the penalties and the mental errors that just caused us to self-implode a couple times on really all three phases. So that's all on me. I got to clean up the details, just simple things from the way we communicate, the way we execute in critical moments, some things that could have easily been avoided. And just a shame, I apologize.
Obviously to get a sell out here and to have a crowd the way we did, winning is addictive. For players, coaches, and fans, you get used to having success in those moments. And when it doesn't happen, you're upset, you're ***** , you're mad, you're angry. And I definitely fall into that category. My Saturday's always a lot better. I got two girls at home that love to have a fun time. And when you don't have success, it just sits with you for seven days. So the part that you got to learn is you'll learn more and more. The more you go through these moments, you just learn so much more in moments of adversity than you do in moments of success. So this is definitely an adverse moment that we got to take advantage of. I ask them to have big eyes and ears tomorrow. As coaches, we need to set the standard early on in the meetings to accept the things that we need to do better and hopefully put ourselves in a position to get back on track sooner than later.
So I don't know anything about injuries. I know TJ went out there at the end. We had a couple guys go out that came back, but he's the only one that I was told wasn't going to return to the game after he went out.
On miscommunication

#moments #here #success #learn

HBCU coach has $1 million hot take on money games appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Tennessee State head coach Reggie Barlow stood in solidarity with Edward Waters' president, Dr. A. Zachary Faison, after his comments about money games. Faison's comments came after Edward Waters played Jackson State, and he believes that the team did not get a fair shake in the deal he made years ago.
"Going forward, Edward Waters University will not schedule Division I opposition in football except on terms this institution sets and that materially and substantially advance our program goals," he said in the post. "I want you and our supporters to understand exactly why. The economics do not work. We were paid a $65,000 guarantee, which covered none of our costs. Travel and related expenses ran roughly $30,000 to $35,000, so we cleared about $30,000. That does not begin to justify what such a game asks of a team, a coaching staff, and a program."
Barlow, whose team recently played the University of Georgia in Week 1, expressed solidarity with Faison on Monday's OVC-Big South coaches call. He started by acknowledging that guarantee games between HBCUs (and FCS schools generally) and Power Conference opponents are common practice.
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

#games #team #clutchpoints #state

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Arizona State football team took to the road for the first time in 2026 and lost, 48-20, to Texas A&M in front of 107,523 fans on Saturday, Sept. 12. It was the largest crowd the Sun Devils have ever played before.
ASU stuck close and only trailed 24-20 heading into the fourth quarter, but unraveled in the final 15 minutes. The Sun Devils committed four turnovers, leading to 24 points for the nationally ranked Aggies (No. 9 Coaches Poll, No. 10 AP).
A turning point came with ASU trailing 31-20 with 8:38 left. The Sun Devils had a chance to cut the deficit to one score after the Aggies fumbled a punt snap, allowing ASU to take over at the Texas A&M 34. But on the first play, quarterback Cutter Boley was pressured, causing the ball to squirt out of his hand and into those of the Aggies' Marco Jones, who ran it back for a touchdown that made it 38-20.
It was over after that.
"We're going to be a ****** of a team. We know that," Boley said. "We know who we are. We know what we've got. Just another day in the office. Go back to work. All of our guys believe in each other. We trust each other, so we're going to go right back to work because we know what we've got."

#boley

No. 4 Notre Dame rolled over the Rice Owls, 52-0, in the season's home opener for the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame avoids the trap of falling to a heavy underdog early in the season, as it has in previous years. Instead, the coaches had the chance to get depth players game action, and the Irish should be well set up as the schedule gets harder going forward.
With a win like that, there are plenty of stars -- we have our top five stars below.
Notre Dame took the ball away four times as Rice struggled to hold on to the ball. Some fumbles were forced, some were not, but Notre Dame defenders hopped on four of them, including a Boubacar Traore scoop and score early.
Quarterback CJ Carr's favorite target took over the game early with two touchdowns. He had just four catches for 54 yards, but he was far more productive than the numbers indicate.

#four #irish #game #ball

The Dallas Cowboys are back! And, of course, it's another start to the season where the Cowboys roll into MetLife Stadium to take on the New York Giants. The Giants have many questions heading into the 2026 season with a whole new coaching staff after a season where they managed to win only four games. Let's break it down then get to some predictions.
Expect the Giants to make the running game the starting point of their new offense. John Harbaugh has brought in coaches with a history of building physical rushing attacks, while fullback Patrick Ricard and first-round offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa were added to help them play that way. Cam Skattebo gives them a powerful runner, but quarterback Jaxson Dart is just as important. Dart rushed for 487 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie, so Dallas cannot simply chase the running back and forget about the quarterback.
The biggest opportunity for New York comes when Dallas starts worrying too much about the run. The Cowboys allowed 4,735 passing yards and 31 passing touchdowns last season, and Dart finished the year by completing 22 of 32 passes for 230 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in a 34-17 win over Dallas.
If Malik Nabers is cleared to play following his ACL recovery, his matchup against the Dallas secondary becomes even more important, although his Week 1 availability remains uncertain. The Giants' route to victory is to keep Dallas guessing with the running game and Skattebo, use Dart as a runner, then attack downfield when the Cowboys bring extra defenders toward the line.
Dallas should make New York prove immediately that its run defense has improved. The Giants surrendered 2,470 rushing yards last season, while Javonte Williams ran for 1,201 yards and scored 11 rushing touchdowns for Dallas. Running the football also has another benefit this week because the Cowboys will be without All-Pro guard Tyler Smith following thumb surgery. T.J. Bass will replace him, so giving the offensive line manageable situations rather than asking it to pass protect on every play makes sense.

#cowboys

Paul Finebaum and SEC Nation made their way to Lexington as Alabama is set to play Kentucky at Kroger Field today at 3:30 p.m. ET.
The Wildcats are in Year 1 under Will Stein, who kicked off his head coaching debut with a 45-13 win over Youngstown State last week. Saturay, he's facing his first conference opponent.
Ahead of today's contest, Finebaum made a bold statement about the Stein comparing him to one of the greatest head coaches of all time.
"Seventy-five years ago, Bear Bryant coached at the University of Kentucky," Finebaum said on the set of SEC Nation. "I feel a vibe right now that the next Bear Bryant has showed up at Kentucky. They really feel like they've got their guy. Will 'Bear' Stein has arrived."
"What a statement," Tim Tebow said. "That's a left hook."

#stein #bear

Following the sudden retirement of veteran center Drew Dalman this offseason, the Chicago Bears wasted no time in making a trade for Garrett Bradbury from the New England Patriots, looking to stabilize the position this season.
Chicago also drafted rookie Logan Jones in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and while he was believed to bring competition to Bradbury, the veteran took control of the battle in preseason and will begin the year as the team's starting center.
Bradbury will be reunited with his college teammate in Joe Thuney as starters on the Bears offensive line, and offensive coordinator Press Taylor credited the veteran with earning the trust of his coaches and teammates.

#bradbury #Chicago #bears #garrett

Over time NFL teams tend to develop identities, and they often stay the same through different coaches, different quarterbacks and different front office regimes. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, their calling card has long been physical defense and getting to the quarterback paired with a potent run game.
That dynamic is at least half true going into the 2026 season. They ranked near the bottom of the NFL in rushing yards last year but remain an excellent pass-rushing team, finishing sixth with 48 last year.
Outside of the trenches, Pittsburgh's best skill player is former Seattle Seahawks star DK Metcalf, a rare athlete who the Atlanta Falcons are going to need to contain if they're going to upset the Steelers this week.
Last season Metcalf posted 59 catches, a team-high 860 receiving yards and six touchdowns - which was less than his usual production in Seattle, but it would be a mistake to write Metcalf off. The Seahawks' playoff loss to the 49ers a few years ago proves he can thrash even elite defenses, going off for 10 catches, 136 yards and two touchdowns.
For one thing, Metcalf is bigger, stronger and faster than any defensive back that Atlanta can put on the field. That means the Falcons have to be smarter about defending him.

#going