ESPN identified DJ Moore as the Buffalo Bills' most significant offseason addition after Week 7, highlighting the wide receiver's expected impact on the team's passing game. Although Buffalo was on its bye, Moore's role remained central to the discussion of the club's offensive outlook.
Moore joined Buffalo after being acquired from the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2026 second-round draft pick. The veteran receiver has been sidelined while recovering from a shoulder injury, but his anticipated return could add another dimension to an offense that has continued to produce without him. The team's bye week also provided additional time for his recovery. The Bills entered its bye at 5-1 and ranked second, one spot higher than the previous week in ESPN's poll.
Jan 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2) reacts after making a first down against the Green Bay Packers during the first half of an NFC Wild Card Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
His value is tied to his ability to stretch the field and create opportunities beyond the catch. Moore's routes can force opposing defenses to cover more ground, opening ******* e underneath and making it more difficult to crowd the line of scrimmage. That added room could benefit the running game as well as the passing attack.
Through the first portion of the season, Moore averaged 2.47 yards per route run while recording an average depth of target of 15.9 yards. Those figures led the league, underscoring his ability to generate downfield production. His presence gives the offense a receiver capable of drawing coverage away from other targets and creating explosive-play opportunities.

#week #receiver #bills

Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Jordan Love threw three touchdown passes while the Green Bay Packers defense harassed opposing quarterback Bryce Young to beat the Carolina Panthers in primetime.
The Packers quarterback completed 30 of 41 passes for 288 yards in the 27-19 victory Thursday in Green Bay, Wis. Running back Josh Jacobs totaled 42 yards from scrimmage and two scores in the win.
"We talk about how tough these short weeks are," Love told reporters. "We've had two throughout the season so far. The way we came out and just executed today from the get-go was so much better than the last time we played a Thursday night game. That's what it's gotta be about."
The Packers, who overcame two deficits, out-gained their visitors 354-258 in total yards and held a 21-14 advantage in first downs. They scored 21 consecutive points from the start of the second quarter into the third quarter to take control of the Monday Night Football clash.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden reacts after catching a touchdown pass against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI

#panthers #passes

Former Texas A&M football players delivered several notable performances in Week 7 of the NFL season, including a breakout game from Cleveland Browns rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion and a career milestone for Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Cashius Howell.
Concepcion recorded career highs with eight receptions for 129 yards in Cleveland's 27-24 victory over the Tennessee **** ans. He also added 23 rushing yards on three carries, for 152 total yards from scrimmage. His performance earned him a nomination for the NFL's Rookie of the Week award.
The former Aggie became the first Browns rookie wide receiver since 2016 to surpass 100 receiving yards in a game. His 129 yards also ranked eighth in franchise history for a rookie in a single game. Over seven games, Concepcion has caught 30 passes for 315 yards, establishing himself as an emerging weapon in Cleveland's offense.
Howell also had a memorable afternoon in Cincinnati's 35-13 win over the Baltimore Ravens. The rookie defensive end recorded his first career NFL sack, bringing down quarterback Tyler Huntley for a four-yard loss on Baltimore's opening second-half drive.
The play helped force a punt as Cincinnati rallied from a 13-0 halftime deficit and scored 35 unanswered points to win. Howell, a second-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft, recorded 11.5 sacks in his final season at Texas A&M before moving to the professional level.

#howell #recorded #Browns

The Green Bay Packers took down the visiting Carolina Panthers on "Thursday Night Football" to open Week 8 in the NFL. The big stats to know: Jordan Love threw three touchdown passes and Josh Jacobs scored twice, while the Packers defense produced six sacks and held the Panthers to just 3.7 yards per play.
Five other stats to explain the Packers' 27-19 win over the Panthers:
The Packers pressured Bryce Young on 48.9 percent of his dropbacks on Thursday night, and he completed only seven passes for 41 yards and took six sacks while pressured, per Next Gen Stats. Brenton ******* Jr. (6), Dani Dennis-Sutton and Lukas Van Ness (5) led the way in the pressure department for the Packers, who consistently won at the line of scrimmage and forced Young into rushed decisions or improvised throws. Because of the pass protection issues, Young completed only two passes thrown more than 10 yards downfield and attempted only one pass more than 20 yards downfield.
While Bryce Young languished under pressure, Jordan Love consistently got the ball out of his hands quick and on time. Per Next Gen Stats, Love completed 23 of 25 passes thrown in under 2.5 seconds after the snap, completing negating any pass-rush. His 23 "quick" completions were the most in a game by a quarterback this season and by far the most in his career, beating the 19 he had during Week 7 in 2024. Two of his three touchdowns came on quick throws under 2.5 seconds. The Panthers tried to blitz Love, but he consistently found quick answers to beat potential pressure.
The Packers turned the ball over three times: Coleman Owen's fumble on the opening kickoff return, Christian Watson's fumble in the second quarter and Jordan Love's interception to start the fourth quarter. But the Panthers turned those three takeaways into all of three points. And the field goal came after Owen's fumble set up the Panthers inside the 30-yard line. Turnovers can be huge momentum-turning plays in games, but not if a defense stands tall. Jonathan Gannon's group made sure mistakes made didn't turn into a run of points for the Panthers.

#panthers #packers #young #jordan

Maryland men's basketball unofficially kicked off basketball season in Xfinity Center Sunday, taking on local foes West Virginia in its second of three preseason games.
The Terps started slowly, falling behind by as many as 19 points in the first half, before stringing together positive possessions after the break to complete the comeback with 10 minutes to go. From there, the teams went back and forth until an overtime period where the Terps kept the Mountaineers from making a field goal.
Now, a behind-closed-doors scrimmage is all that separates the Terps from their official season opener on Nov. 2 against Bucknell.
Here are three takeaways from Sunday's matinee.
Starting in his second consecutive preseason game, Boston University transfer Mike McNair Jr. took little time to make an impression on the home crowd.

#terps #behind #maryland #center

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker has made it a weekly tradition to surpass the already-high expectations of Chiefs Kingdom. If he didn't blow our minds enough by gashing the Denver Broncos for 173 yards on the ground in the season opener, he doubled down against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4 with 177 yards and a 76-yard run that turned the game in the second half.
Coming out of the bye week, there was reasonable speculation that rookie running back Emmett Johnson would spell Walker to keep the talented lead back fresh. Instead, Walker took the load again, gaining 139 yards from scrimmage on 21 touches.
None of his carries matched the long touchdown run that gave the Chiefs an early 9-0 lead over the Los Angeles Chargers.
On third-and-1, quarterback Patrick Mahomes came out of an under-center formation to hand off to Walker off counter action; right guard Trey Smith and second-year tight end Jake Briningstool made the key blocks to spring him in the first quarter.
"The 33-yarder was pretty open," Walker said in his post-game press conference. "(Tight end) Jake (Briningstool) came across and kicked out; there left was open."

#walker #back #week

Oklahoma State QB Drew Mestemaker sets school record in upset over Oregon originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
On his very first play in front of the home fans at Boone Pickens Stadium, Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker did something never before seen at the school.
Mestemaker faked a handoff, then took off for a 75-yard run on the Cowboys' first play from scrimmage in a 39-31 upset win over Oregon last Saturday. Oklahoma State sports information confirmed Monday that it was the longest run by a quarterback in school history.
Mestemaker setting the record is a bit of a shock at a school that has boasted prolific runners such as Zac Robinson, Spencer Sanders and J.W. Walsh. It's also surprising because Mestemaker is not known as a runner. In the entire previous season at North Texas, he ran for 89 yards on 57 carries.
That wasn't even his most exciting run of the day. He later scored on a 10-yard touchdown run in which he took off from the 3-yard line, hurdled a defender and was flipped upside down by another before he landed hard on his back in the end zone.

#mestemaker #yard #oregon #upset

The Cleveland Browns were unable to overcome the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week One of the 2026-27 NFL season, 34-10.
Cleveland's disastrous performance on Sunday afternoon fell on the hands of the offense, as the unit failed to consistently move the ball downfield. This unfortunately forced the defense into brutal field position for most of the contest, which led to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence's incredible four-touchdown performance.
During his opening remarks to the media following the loss, head coach Todd Monken told reporters that the Browns "didn't execute on the road" the way they expected to this past weekend.
"We didn't execute on the road the way we expected," Monken claimed. "Without really seeing the tape, the obvious issues came in operation, and a couple delay of games and false starts that we thought we cleaned up, but obviously we didn't."
One of the most pressing issues for the Browns' offense on Sunday was the simple line-of-scrimmage operations that Monken stressed for most of the offseason.

#jaguars #road

The NFL, perhaps more than any other professional sports league, is built by its little moments — the numerous individual tiles inside the mosaic of 60 minutes of Sunday football.
The little moment that might have stood out the brightest from the Arizona Cardinals' 26-14 upset win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday wasn't necessarily Jeremiyah Love's or Trey McBride's first touchdowns of the year.
It might not have even been the sight of new head coach Mike LaFleur, fighting off emotion on the sideline while calling for victory formation, as he became the first non-interim Cardinals coach to win his first game since Don Coryell did so in 1973.
It was a moment following a poor play in the fourth quarter. With under five minutes to play, a third-and-short pass play saw QB Jacoby Brissett run out of both time and room, forcing him out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage.
As Brissett walked off the field, LaFleur — animatedly — took responsibility, offering a "my bad" to his quarterback.

#sunday #cardinals #brissett

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

If you look at Deshaun Watson's final numbers from Cleveland's 34-10 loss to Jacksonville on Sunday, you might be able to talk yourself into some positives.
After all, Watson was 16-of-22 for 205 yards with a touchdown and an interception — good for 9.3 yards per attempt and a 97.7 passer rating.
But if you watched the game, you'd know 46 of those yards came on a garbage-time touchdown to Denzel Boston against the Jaguars' backups. You would've seen Watson fire an interception to end Cleveland's first drive, almost throw another to end the second, and then get strip-sacked on the third. You would understand that most — if not all — of Jacksonville's five sacks on Watson happened because he was dropping so far back that the offensive line couldn't form a cohesive pocket. You might've been baffled by how often he was trying to change a call at the line of scrimmage too late in the play clock.
Cleveland's first drive had gotten off to a solid start, with the team moving the ball before Watson's interception. After that, the unit was off the rails with no sense of rhythm.
But Watson said postgame that the pick didn't rattle him.

#interception

New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel doesn't have any regrets about his decision to rest the starters during the three-game preseason slate.
However, it was clear that the team showed rust in Wednesday's 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Vrabel opted to use the preseason to focus on the roster depth and preserve the health of the starters.
That's a decision that he continued to defend after the disappointing loss in the season opener.
"Playing the backups for the Eagles or the Colts for eight plays, I don't think was going to prepare us for what we saw last night," Vrabel told media members. "I thought we handled the environment; I thought we did. I know the execution wasn't good enough, but the line of scrimmage, penalties, the operation, those things gave us a chance. Some other things didn't give us a chance."
Mike Vrabel on if he regrets not playing any Patriots starters in the preseason.

"Playing the backups of the Eagles or Colts for eight plays I don't think was going to prepare us for what we saw last night." pic.twitter.com/L1efdmrmsk

#starters #colts #regrets

When you're overmatched as the Carolina Panthers may be on Sunday against the Chicago Bears—sometimes, you have to pick your battles. Stopping everything that head coach and play-caller Ben Johnson wants to do offensively simply isn't realistic given the schematic and talent mismatch on that side of the ball.
However, if the Panthers are going to defy the odds and their sorry Week 1 history to pull off a win, they have to find a way to make Chicago's offense one-dimensional. And the quickest way to do that is by shutting down the Bears' ground game, which is led by running back D'Andre Swift.
Last season, Swift led the Bears with 1,087 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Backup Kyle Monangai ranked second with 783 rushing yards to go with five scores on the ground. As a team, Chicago ranked third in the NFL with 144.5 rushing yards per game.
Containing that potent rushing attack will be easier said than done, but it's critical that the Panthers find a way to do so. While defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero will direct the symphony from the sideline, it'll be Pro Bowl inside linebacker Devin Lloyd—who was signed to a three-year, $42 million pact this offseason—who shoulders most of the responsibilities on the field.
Lloyd will likely be the first defender to meet Swift or Monangai once they break past the line of scrimmage, and how well he tackles will play a big role in deciding who wins those matchups.

#swift #rushing #monangai

The Oklahoma Sooners take on the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday in a big-time road matchup in Ann Arbor, Mich. Both teams are looking to remain undefeated two weeks into the season.
The Sooners won the game in Norman a year ago behind a big game from John Mateer. In a 24-13 win in primetime, Mateer threw for 270 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He also carried the ball 19 times for 74 yards and two touchdowns. The Sooners were up 14-0 at halftime before a 75-yard touchdown run from Justice Haynes on the first play from scrimmage of the second half cut the lead to 14-7.
Mateer and the Sooners made it 21-7 with 10 minutes to go in the third, and the defense stifled Bryce Underwood and the Wolverines to earn the 24-13 win. Oklahoma held Underwood to 9 of 24 for 142 yards passing and three carries for minus-1 yard rushing. Outside of the 75-yard run, Oklahoma held the Wolverines to just 2.29 yards per carry.
Oklahoma is expected to have a better offense than the one that beat the Wolverines in 2025. If the Sooners can get a similar defensive effort against a team that struggled to move the ball on the MAC's Western Michigan, it should be a good day for the boys in the crimson and cream.
More: 3 Keys to an Oklahoma Sooners win over the Michigan Wolverines

#Sooners #michigan #yards

Well STS readers, I come to you this week recovering from an extremely sobering experience last Saturday night. I predicted a fight even in a loss, and if it even qualified as a fight, it resembled Drago vs. Apollo in Rocky IV. Probably an adequate ******* ogy because Apollo USED to be great, but he was no match for the modernized superweapon Drago. Did the Soviets cheat to develop him? Absolutely, but at that point they were doing whatever it took to be superior no matter the morality of it. Clemson fans like me could be heard yelling "throw in the ******* towel!" by maybe the fourth possession of the game. It was that obvious that Clemson was completely and totally outmatched at the lines of scrimmage and the surrounding skill had zero chance because of it on either side of the ball.
How did it come to this? I posted this in a comment on the game review thread and will paste it here as it summarizes what I have painfully allowed myself to realize: "I hate it for Dabo and others who really want to do this the way it is supposed to be done, which is to develop men and grow boys to men and that takes time more often than not. That is what the transfer portal and NIL and lack of tampering control has created and as much as Dabo has tried to evolve I just don't see how he could ever get to what actually has to be done now if you want to be elite. I bet if you begin to track LSU, Ohio State, Texas, etc, going forward, you will see that maybe 50% of their rosters will start and finish with them and the other half will be brought in from elsewhere at some stage of their five-year playing window. Dabo swallows hard just to have the maybe 15% we are up to now that would check that box. I totally understand why, but either Dabo has to let go of that OR Clemson needs a huge break and actual sane rules return to CFB. Otherwise, we are back to 1995 where we might be able to beat ok teams and bad teams but are done beating anyone that is legit top 15 in stature."
I am a Clemson Tiger for life and lived through the lean years between Ford and Dabo. I'll still tune in and attend games when I can, but I know now that something has to give if Clemson is ever going to hope to compete at the highest level and it may get worse before it can get better. I'm still looking for pathways to wins, as many wins as this team can find a way to manage. I agree they are likely better than that product we saw in Baton Rouge, but that is not saying a lot either considering how FCS level the Tigers looked in that game.
I also want to add that I highly recommend gear from our sponsor Section 103. Their polos in particular have already become some of my favorites in the closet.
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#apollo

The Oregon Ducks' defense hasn't received much kudos this week after allowing the Boise State Broncos to score 27 points on them in Week 1, including multiple 70-plus yard scoring drives. While the standard wasn't met as a collective with blue-chippers lining every position, defensive tackle Bear Alexander's performance was a different story.
Facing an underrated Broncos rushing attack headed by Dylan Riley (1,125 yards, 10 touchdowns in 2025) and Sire Gaines (811 yards, eight touchdowns), the Ducks were going to be tested up front to begin the season. And, especially in the second half, there were moments where the Boise State run game was successful in churning out positive gains. But by game's end, they'd ran for just 93 yards on 26 carries, good for just 2.6 yards per pop.
Alexander answered the call, totaling eight tackles including a sack of quarterback Maddux Madsen. There were moments of the second-year Oregon starter simply discarding Boise State's center and guards before swallowing up Riley or Gaines near the line of scrimmage.
The performance of Alexander caught the eye of The Athletic NFL draft ***** yst Dane Brugler, who dove into the Week 1 tape and made a strong claim about the defensive tackle's draft stock.
"At 6-3 and 311 pounds with 34-inch arms and 10 1/8-inch hands, Alexander is a physical presence in the trenches who can shred blocks or hold his ground versus double teams," Brugler wrote. "A former top recruit, he had stops at Georgia and USC before transferring to Oregon, where he is realizing his potential. With his size and ability, Alexander started his senior season as a top-100 prospect and is competing to be in the top-50 conversation."

#boise #week #riley

It has been a rough start to the season for the New England Patriots. They dropped the Super Bowl rematch against the Seattle Seahawks 13-10 and lost their star wide receiver AJ Brown for at least the next four games in the process with a high ankle sprain.
Brown exited the game in the third quarter and did not return. New England scored all their points in the first half and were held without points after Brown exited. Their top receivers are now Romeo Doubs, Demario Douglas and Mack Hollins although quarterback Drake Maye could not seem to get on the same page as Doubs who did not have a single catch.
Douglas finished the opener with five catches but only 20 yards while Hollins was the Patriots' leading receiver with 51 total yards. Rookie tight end Eli Raridon scored New England's only touchdown of the game in the second quarter.
Not only are the Patriots without Brown for the next four weeks at least, but they are also currently without running back TreVeyon Henderson who missed the opener. It is unclear whether or not he will be available for New England's week two matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Perhaps in the only bright spot of the game for them, Rhamondre Stevenson had a good game in relief of Henderson with 95 scrimmage yards - 51 rushing yards and 44 receiving yards on five receptions. Nonetheless, adjusting the offense to Brown being out of the lineup is going to be difficult for the reigning AFC Champions who will face the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills without their top receiver.

#Patriots #receiver

The San Francisco 49ers' 27-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams looked dominant enough in the traditional box score. Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes, the team rushed for 174 yards, and the defense added a pair of takeaways.
But the advanced numbers tell an even more complete story of just how thoroughly the 49ers controlled the game. The underlying metrics suggest this wasn't just a good night on the scoreboard. It was a genuinely elite performance across nearly every phase of the game.
Here are five advanced stats that go beyond the box score to explain how San Francisco pulled it off.
Brock Purdy's 39-yard touchdown to Demarcus Robinson traveled 44 air yards relative to the line of scrimmage, according to Next Gen Stats. That's the longest completion by air yards of his career. Yes, just 44 air yards. It was a notable outlier in a game where Purdy's average intended air yards per attempt (4.4) was actually his lowest of any season on record, a sign San Francisco mixed shot plays into an otherwise efficient, high-percentage passing attack.
Brock Purdy's 39-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson traveled 44 yards relative to the line of scrimmage, Purdy's longest completion by air yards of his career.#SFvsLAR | #FTTB pic.twitter.com/qLcN8wCCLm

#advanced

The Los Angeles Rams stumbled in the worst way against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night, losing their season opener, 27-7. It was one of the worst losses in Sean McVay's tenure, making the long flight back to Southern California feel that much longer after a defeat like that.
Three players stood out in a positive way for the Rams, but many of their biggest stars were disappointments in Melbourne.
It's hard to find very many bright spots from this loss, but Corum was one of them. He rushed 10 times for 54 yards, with a long of 13 yards. At one point in the second quarter, he racked up 34 yards on four straight carries, looking quick and explosive through the line of scrimmage.
Some will make the case that he should be the Rams' No. 1 running back, and while we're not quite at that point yet, he did look like the bigger playmaker on the field Thursday.
From the very beginning of the game, Stafford didn't look comfortable. He was holding the ball a second longer than usual, whether it was because receivers weren't getting open or he wasn't trusting what he was seeing. He completed just 15 of 25 passes for 155 yards and no touchdowns with one bad interception when the Rams were in field goal range.

#thursday

MILFORD – With the dynamic duo of wideout Eli Rosenberg and quarterback Vincent Loscerbo, the Milford High football team certainly delivered their opening statements convincingly Thursday night.
The senior co-captain hauled in five receptions for 147 yards and three touchdowns and the junior signal caller completed eight of 12 passes for 211 yards and three scores as the Scarlet Hawks amassed a total of 476 yards in offense en route to a 49-7 grounding of Framingham in a non-league, season-opening matchup at Milford High's turf field.
"Honestly I didn't know what to expect heading into the season,'' said veteran Milford ******* istant coach Dana Olson. "We have a very young team, and we're relying on sophomores and juniors to help carry this team. With the new MIAA rules, we didn't have a lot of time to prepare, and we only had one scrimmage, so we weren't really sure of how things were going to turn out, but I'm happy with the way the guys performed. Sure we made some silly mistakes and committed some penalties, but we'll work on correcting them as the season moves forward."
As the estimated crowd of approximately 2,000 spectators looked on, the Scarlet Hawks struck on the first play of the contest
On the game's first play from scrimmage at their own 39-yard line, the Scarlet Hawks drew first blood and grabbed a 7-0 lead just :12 into the contest. On a backwards pass from Loscerbo to sophomore reserve quarterback Logan Snaddon, who fired a perfect strike downfield to Rosenberg, who raced into the end zone untouched for the 7-0 lead.

#team #season #rosenberg #loscerbo

EASTON -- The Oliver Ames High football team's defense is off to a flying start.
The Tigers allowed a one-play touchdown drive in the fourth quarter but otherwise clamped down on Archbishop Williams to post a 14-6 season-opening win on Thursday, Sept. 10.
"We got the defense together," said senior cornerback/running back Desahn Walker. "We kept on putting our foot on the (gas) pedal and got it done."
Walker got it done on both sides of the ball as he ripped off a 60-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to extend the Tigers' lead to 14-0 with 5:59 remaining.
That score gave OA the cushion it needed to withstand its one defensive wobble. On the ensuing play from scrimmage, Archbishop Williams quarterback Thomas Prifti went up top and hit Michael Boyle with a 66-yard TD bomb down the left sideline just 19 seconds after Walker's TD.

#williams

The Eagles' defense will probably be ahead of the offense to start the 2026 season, and that should prove positive for a unit that's completely meshed with their legendary defensive coordinator. Third down is where Vic Fangio's creativity and the Eagles' defensive versatility should become most apparent. Philadelphia can use Cooper DeJean and Michael Carter II together, move Jalen Carter across the defensive front, and rotate several edge rushers without sacrificing coverage on the backend. Fangio could remove traditional positions entirely when Philadelphia reaches obvious passing situations.
With Washington presenting a mobile quarterback and multiple receiving threats, here is what the Eagles' third-down defense could look like in Week 1.
A likely third-and-long package would feature Jalen Carter and Moro Ojomo inside, with Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt or Jonathan Greenard rushing from the edges. Jihaad Campbell could join the rush from several alignments. Zack Baun would remain as the primary linebacker because of his coverage ability and understanding of Fangio's scheme.
The secondary could include Riq Woolen and Quinyon Mitchell outside, Cooper DeJean and Michael Carter II inside, and Andrew Mukuba as the deepest safety. Marcus Epps or another pass rusher would claim the final position depending on the distance.
DeJean gives Fangio the ability to disguise the coverage. He can begin near the line of scrimmage before dropping to safety, blitz from the slot, or match a tight end. Carter can cover a traditional slot receiver and allow DeJean to move elsewhere.

#Eagles #defensive

Florida A&M football faces a tall task when it faces the Miami Hurricanes this Thursday, Sept. 10.
Kickoff is at 8 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on the ACC Network.
The Rattlers enter the Week 2 money game with a 1-1 record, losing to the defending Black College National Champions, South Carolina State, 31-13 in the Orange Blossom Classic last Sunday, Sept. 6, at Hard Rock Stadium. FAMU was dominated at the line of scrimmage and allowed 292 rushing yards.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes, the College Football Playoffs defending runners-up, are 1-0 after dominating Stanford 45-6 last Friday, Sept. 4. Sophomore wide receiver Malachi Toney had a program record-setting day with 234 receiving yards, adding 12 catches and three touchdowns.
FAMU is a member of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, and is 1-35 against Football Bowl Subdivision teams. The Rattlers' lone FBS win came against Miami in 1979, 16-13, at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee.

#stadium #hurricanes

The Philadelphia Eagles are less than ten days away from opening up the 2026 regular season, and it wouldn't be shocking to see the defense far ahead of a revamped offensive unit. Vic Fangio's defense is among the NFL's best, and his personnel will change with the situation, making a traditional 11-player depth chart less useful than identifying his primary packages.
Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo should anchor the defensive line, with Ty Robinson and Byron Young rotating heavily enough to receive meaningful snaps. Carter will remain the interior pass-rush centerpiece, while Davis' conditioning should allow him to handle another substantial workload.
Nolan Smith is projected to start on one edge. Jonathan Greenard was acquired to start opposite him, but his uncertain Week 1 availability could push Jalyx Hunt into the opening lineup. Epenesa and Ebiketie provide experienced rotational depth. Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell give the Eagles two linebackers capable of rushing, covering, and defending the run. Trotter should remain involved, particularly in packages that allow Campbell to move toward the line of scrimmage.
Riq Woolen and Quinyon Mitchell project as the outside cornerbacks, with Cooper DeJean operating from the slot. DeJean's versatility also allows Fangio to move him to safety and insert Carter into the nickel role. Mukuba and Epps are the projected starting safeties, but Philadelphia's actual secondary could contain six defensive backs on obvious passing downs.
The depth gives Fangio several options. The primary Week 1 question is whether Philadelphia can generate enough edge pressure if Greenard is unavailable.

#fangio

The season is just a few days away and we are ready to share our hottest takes yet. Matt Harmon, Justin Boone and Josh Norris provide their boldest fantasy takes for the 2026 season. Strap in folks, there's some takes that will leave you jaw dropping. Lastly, the guys deliver the case for the guys they believe will win fantasy MVP.
(4:00) Norris prediction #1 : Kenneth Walker III was always a 1st rounder
(10:30) Boone prediction #1 : Jahmyr Gibbs breaks the single-season scrimmage yards record
(17:00) Harmon prediction #1 : Emeka Egbuka leads the NFL in catches
(25:15) Norris prediction #2 : One of the 4th round WRs finishes as a Top 7 WR

#prediction #harmon #boone #justin

This is what all of you basketball maniacs have been waiting for this summer… our first extended peek at the team via a practice scrimmage video. Rest **** ured, Jason and Donald of the DBR Podcast are taking a deep dive into everything we learned from the video. Jason even tracked all the stats so you can know who led the team in scoring and **** ists.
But, this episode of your favorite Duke podcast begins with a discussion of the opening victory by the Blue Devil football dudes. The Nate Train was rolling all over Tulane and the D was also impressive. Have a listen as the guys try to figure out, "is Duke this good or was Tulane that bad?"
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#rest #donald #devil

One of the biggest changes you're going to notice about new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon's scheme is his Penny package, which is essentially a 3-4 defense on the line of scrimmage with one true off-ball linebacker, split safeties and another deeper safety in the middle of the field. Green Bay Packers fans are familiar with the 3-4 base defense, which was run by Dom Capers, Mike Pettine and Joe Barry in the past, along with the typical 4-2-4 Nickel defense that is played for the majority of snaps league-wide.
This Penny wrinkle, though, is a little different than what you're used to seeing from most NFL teams. That's why we wrote about what it means for the secondary in an article two weeks ago.
Today, though, I want to focus on the line of scrimmage, particularly with how Gannon is deploying "off-ball" linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.
Generally, when 3-4 defenses play Penny, they take their Will linebacker off the field to add a slot defender. The Packers, as a baseline, don't play a slot defender, but a third safety.
The other change-up Green Bay has is that they aren't taking their Will linebacker (Cooper) off the field, at least with the first-team defense. Because Cooper is one of the team's better defenders, Gannon has actually played Cooper on the edge, displacing the edge defender opposite Lukas Van Ness (generally Barryn Sorrell) this preseason.

#penny #green #generally

Penn State faced Marshall as a 23.5-point favorite in week one, crushing expectations with a 45-0 victory. They have now opened as Temple with the same line – as a 23.5-point favorite in week two over the Owls.
The Nittany Lions kicked off the Matt Campbell era with a satisfying shutout victory, with strong performances in all three phases of the game. Rocco Becht had a career-high four passing touchdowns before exiting the game early in the third quarter. Koby Howard had the breakout performance that Nittany Lion fans have been waiting for, catching six passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. The Penn State defense swarmed Marshall all game long, with Caleb Bacon among the top performers with four TFLs in a game where he seemed to nearly always find himself in the Herd backfield.
Temple also began the season on a winning note on Saturday, taking down Rhode Island 38-14. Former Penn State quarterback Jaxon Smolik was four-of-six passing for 57 yards and a touchdown for the Owls, while running back Keveun Mason had 192 yards from scrimmage and two scores.
Penn State will visit Temple for its first road game of the season on Saturday. Kickoff is set for noon with the game airing on ESPN2.

#temple #yards #marshall #nittany

Despite starting 32 minutes later than anticipated due to lightning in the area, Saturday saw Jaylen Raynor pass for two touchdowns and run for a pair as Iowa State (1-0, 0-0 Big 12) opened the Jimmy Rogers era with a 38-10 win over SEMO (1-1, 0-0 OVC).
Even though the first two plays from scrimmage by Aiden Flora gained 22 yards on the ground – a rush of 17 yards and a rush of five yards – a pair of incompletions brought out Jonah DuPont who punted 39 yards to the Redhawks' 14-yard line.
The ensuing SEMO drive was a three-and-out, but, notably for the Cyclones defense Isaac "Bobby" Terrell picked up the first of his three sacks on the day. Iowa State finished with six sacks to the Redhawks' one.
The Cyclones struck quickly on their second possession of the day, starting with a 45 yard reception by Dominic Overby. Three plays later, the first touchdown of ISU's 2026 season came from the feet of Raynor.
SEMO's second drive began on their own 25-yard line with a self-inflicted five-yard delay of game penalty. Though Khyair Spain and Braylen Ragland scratched out consecutive one-yard rushes, a deep third-down incompletion brought out Teagan Cobb. His 44-yard punt was ***** ed by Aiden Flora and recovered by Cooper Falconite at the Iowa State 31-yard line, gifting the Redhawks an immediate second chance in Cyclone territory.

#yards #raynor

Duke released some 5-on-5 video Friday, and almost immediately, one noticed Drew Scharnowski on crutches, with some sort of black sleeve covering most of his right leg.
Hopefully it's nothing serious.
As a result, freshman Maxime Meyer got more time than he probably would have.
What's immediately obvious, even without the powerful Scharnowski suiting up, is that this is a deep and talented roster. And while this is just a scrimmage, we saw a lot of promising things.
Let's start with talent. Obviously, this team is talented, but some of the freshmen are better than expected, and the returnees have grown their games.

#scharnowski #immediately #Friday #meyer