It's time for another week of Tennessee ******* ans training camp, all building toward a joint practice and preseason game shared with the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
The ******* ans take the practice field on Aug. 17 at Vanderbilt Health Football Center in front of fans, kicking off Week 4 of camp and Week 2 of the preseason. Last week, the ******* ans traveled to California for a joint practice and a preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers. The ******* ans won the game but spiritually lost the practice.
With Seattle coming to town on Aug. 21, the ******* ans have a pair of practices beforehand to continue building toward and getting into shape for one of the toughest challenges possible this preseason. That means continued work to get quarterback Cam Ward into rhythm with his receivers downfield and to get the ******* ans' cornerbacks and safeties performing better at the point of attack. ******* ans coach Robert Saleh seems less concerned about the team's operations in the run game, both on offense and defense, two facets he praised repeatedly coming out of 49ers week.
The Tennessean is on hand for training camp practice on Aug. 17. You'll find live updates, ******* ysis and coverage from the practice below.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee ******* ans training camp live updates for Aug. 17, Cam Ward stats

#training #tennessee

Thirty-three days after the World Cup ended, the Premier League season begins on Aug. 21, filled with storylines as usual.
Can ***** nal repeat? Which big clubs will bounce back and which will struggle? How will all the new managers fare? Will a newly-promoted team stay up? Can anyone score more goals than Erling Haaland?
These questions will take nine drama-filled months to answer, though clues lie in last season's numbers. Each team's players have changed to some extent, but enough holdovers remain to use underlying stats as part of this season's projections.
For example, before last season Wolverhampton's underlying numbers had suggested relegation danger for several years, and Bournemouth's hinted at the ability to push for Champions League. Both omens came to fruition, as Wolves finally went down, and the Cherries took sixth.
The numbers aren't foolproof, of course. No stats indicated Tottenham would nearly get relegated, that Chelsea would barely finish in the top half, or that ***** nal would have perhaps the best set-piece season ever. That's the fun in sports of course. You never quite know what you're going to get, but that doesn't prevent us from taking our best shots.

#stats #course

The Miami Dolphins may have left their visit with the Washington Commanders officially carrying a loss from their preseason meeting and unofficially from their joint practice, but an early preseason meeting isn't all about the overall stats. The Dolphins, the youngest team in the NFL, including 13 drafted rookies this year, are trying to establish a new identity under first-year head coach Jeff Hafley. After years of focusing on speed, finesse, and mismatches, Miami is now trying to bring back physicality.
According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel's David Furones, they showed it against the Commanders. When providing a review of the team's weekend in Maryland and Virginia, Furones highlighted Miami's improved physical play:
Blocking and physicality
The Dolphins' first-team offensive line kept a clean pocket for Willis. That unit also got a push up front in the run game.
The two young guards, Kadyn Proctor and Jonah Savaiinaea, looked good in their first in-game action this season, so that's a plus. New reserve lineman Caedan Wallace had a nice day in his Dolphins debut after being picked up in a trade with the New England Patriots.
Physicality is one of the keys Hafley is trying to instill early on, and it's working.

#hafley #meeting

The Indiana Fever have gotten hot over their past few games, thanks in large part to Caitlin Clark. Following another impressive performance in the 95-91 OT win against the Atlanta Dream on Sunday, social media was brimming with praise for the Fever guard.
After starting 5-5 over their first ten games of the season, the Fever have managed to turn things around completely. Things finally clicked for the team, and they now hold a 23-12 record following Sunday's win over the Dream.
Clark's performance has caught the attention of fans and the media alike, with many crediting her leadership for the team's recent hot streak. Thanks to another strong night of production in which she recorded 26 points and 9 ******* ists, fans and ******* ysts raved about the three-time All-Star's dominance.
Retired NFL Pro Bowler Robert Griffin III highlighted how special Clark was, diving into her stats.
"Caitlin Clark 26 points, 9 ******* ists, 3 rebounds and a big time win over the Atlanta Dream. Caitlin Clark should be the front runner for WNBA MVP," he tweeted. "Nobody impacts the game more with scoring & ******* ists."

#following #things

In a recent post, The Athletic talked about who they believe is the most intriguing newcomer for all of the teams in the Power Four. Newcomer can mean any player that they picked up out of high school or the transfer portal, or any coach they nabbed on the carousel. While most Rutgers fans likely would have named new defensive coordinator Travis Johansen as the team's most intriguing addition, The Athletic chose another direction.
They chose to name former Tulsa EDGE J'Dan Burenett as the Scarlet Knights' most intriguing newcomer, pointing out his ability to make plays in the backfield as the reason for it.
"This is Burnett's third stop in as many seasons after he played at Louisiana Tech in 2024 and Tulsa in 2025. He earned second-team All-American Conference honors last year after recording 6.5 sacks and 9.5 TFLs," said Antonio Morales, writer of the post.
It has been some time since Rutgers has had a truly consistent pass rusher. There is a possibility that Burnett could be the answer to that; however, his stats at the lower level don't necessarily jump off the page. Rutgers did add several defensive line pieces in the portal overall, so there is a possibility that the overall improvement of the defensive line gives Burnett what he needs to be successful, but that seems to be a reach given what we know now.
It is a surprise that Johansen was not the name called here, given that he is taking over a defense that set records for poor performance last season. On top of that, he has a proven track record of building defenses at the lower level, so seeing what he can do to the Knights' defense in year one is definitely intriguing, to say the least. It is unreasonable to expect a complete turnaround in one season; however, a good leap forward from where they were is still on the table. How much they improve is one of the most intriguing things about the team next season, and Johansen is the architect behind that.

#rutgers #newcomer #Athletic

FAYETTEVILLE — Charlie Collins didn't want to admit defeat, but Arkansas football wide receiver Chris Marshall had an ear-to-ear grin when Collins got asked if the offense had the upper hand at the first meaningful checkpoint of fall camp.
The Razorbacks went inside their home stadium and ran more than 130 plays during the first scrimmage of the month on Sunday, Aug. 16. The format featured 1s vs. 1s and 2s vs. 2s, while quarterbacks KJ Jackson and AJ Hill split reps with the first-team offense.
The media was not permitted to watch, but an Arkansas spokesperson provided a recap of the festivities. Here's everything we know about the first scrimmage of the fall.
The Boise State transfer, who came out of the Dallas high school ranks as a five-star recruit, hauled in a 34-yard touchdown pass from Jackson and had a 96-yard catch off a throw from Hill. The latter set up a 2-yard rushing score from Braylen Russell.
"Statistically, (Marshall) stood out, and he stood out as one of those where the stats actually match it," head coach Ryan Silverfield said.

#yard #marshall #offense

Brennan Presley had one of the most productive games of any player in the Los Angeles Rams' 20-12 preseason win over the Kansas City Chiefs Saturday.
In what will be an uphill climb to make the roster, it was a strong first step for the former Oklahoma State Cowboy.
As a speedy but especially small wide receiver (standing just 5-foot-8, 174 pounds), Presley is going to get pigeonholed as a straight-line, gadget player, whether that's fair or unfair. If he's going to climb the depth chart and sneak onto the 53-man roster, he'll need to both show a multidimensional skill set on offense and make a positive impact on special teams.
Presley did a great job showing off both of those things against the Chiefs.
First, the offensive production. Stats aren't especially useful during preseason action, as the great Daniel Jeremiah explained this weekend. Still, when you see a player like Presley post a game-high four receptions for 58 yards, it's at least worth taking note of. That's especially true in his case because he showed he can win in multiple ways.

#presley #especially #first #preseason

We all know the family legacy Arch Manning has to live up to. His grandfather Archie and uncles Peyton and Eli were all star quarterbacks in college, and in the NFL for that matter. All three of his famous family members had big junior seasons in college football. But Arch has a chance to have the best junior campaign of them all.
Arch became the full-time starter at the beginning of his sophomore year. While he had his struggles in the first half of the season, the New Orleans native finished the season looking more like the blue chip QB Texas fans hoped he'd be.
The UT QB finished the year with 3,163 yards passing, 36 total touchdowns and seven interceptions. He led Texas to a 10-3 record. Baring injury, Arch should have even better stats his junior year. Especially with arguably the best wide receiving corp in the nation.
Arch Manning's numbers compare favorably with his family's junior seasons:
Archie Manning 1969: 1762 yards passing, 23 total TDs, 9 INTs

#manning

Entering the 2026 college football season, Penn State continues to be a bit of a mystery or a wild card. The Nittany Lions have a reworked roster and a new coaching staff after a disappointing 2025 season, but a favorable schedule and a good mix of players from the transfer portal and returning talent make Penn State one of the more interesting teams to forecast. Will they be a College Football Playoff contender or a bottom half of the top-25 caliber program (or worse)? That remains to be seen, but the new season will be starting up soon to give us all a better sense for this team.
College football **** yst Josh Pate has become one of the leading voices in college football commentary with his fresh take and outlook on the sport. This week Pate shared his initial college football ratings, based on a computer model using stats and trends he and his staff prefer to use. So where does Penn State fit in Pate's college football model for the 2026 season?
Penn State is ranked No. 21 in Josh Pate's preseason power ratings poll.
"Penn State will be ranked a little bit higher than they are power rated," Pate said, noting his computer ratings will have the Nittany Lions scored lower than the team will appear in the traditional rankings. Case in point, Penn State debuted at No. 17 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. The preseason AP Top 25 is scheduled to be released this week.
Teams appearing on Penn State's schedule that were ranked on Pate's rating system included No. 13 USC, No. 15 Michigan, and No. 25 Washington.

#pate

Ty Simpson stats, highlights today: How Rams rookie QB excelled in preseason debut vs. Chiefs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Ty Simpson has been no stranger to some offseason criticism, some of which started the second he heard his name called in the upper half of the draft's opening round back in April. On Saturday afternoon, some of that backlash was quelled when he guided the Los Angeles Rams to a 20-12 preseason win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Simpson was an integral factor that kept Los Angeles ahead of Kansas City, responsible for 190 out of the Rams' 321 yards on the offensive side of the ball.
The former Alabama Crimson Tide star also pitched in two touchdowns and looked incredibly comfortable in the pocket.
After an offseason filled with doubt from NFL fans, here's how the 2026 No. 13 overall pick did in LA's preseason opener.

#angeles #preferred

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart started the 2026 season in the most familiar way possible for Giants' fans: A trip to the blue tent to be evaluated for a concussion, followed immediately by a touchdown on an improvised pass play.
The headline of the day was the two-play sequence to end the first quarter and start the second. Dart took a massive hit from Jay Ward of the Minnesota Vikings on a second-and-10 when Dart failed to identify the blitzer and running back Tyrone Tracy failed to pick up the blitz.
Dart got up gingerly after the hit and was immediately called to the blue tent to be evaluated for a concussion while Giants fans held their breath. Dart returned after missing two plays, and found Malachi Fields for an improvised 15-yard touchdown pass.
Dart completed 3 of 4 passes (75%) for 26 yards (6.5 per attempt) and a touchdown. Dart was also sacked twice, once on each drive.
This was about what we've come to expect from Dart: Big hits, big plays, and play that seems more impressive than his stats. Dart left the game after his touchdown and will now go back to practice with a list of things to work on.

#immediately

While teenage sensation Rodrigo Mora continues to twist in the wind as Roma and Porto struggle to agree on the finer points of a €50 million transfer, the Giallorossi remain active on other fronts, particularly the wing-back position. In addition to bringing Champions League experience from his days with Atlético Madrid, newly signed right-back Nahuel Molina gives the club a dependable trio of wing-backs, joining Devyne Rensch and our top-rated U-23 player, Wesley França.
There's just one small problem: they're all nominally right wing-backs. Granted, Wesley's success on the left last season gives Gian Piero Gasperini more options at the position, but Roma still lacks a bona fide left wing-back. Earlier this summer, we discussed the possibility of signing Alessio Cacciamani, Torino's über-talented teenage winger, only to remember what a pain in the ***** it is dealing with Urban Cairo.
There have been intermittent whispers that Roma remains interested in Cacciamani, but over the past week, the club has become increasingly linked with Destiny Udogie. The 23-year-old Verona native officially joined Spurs in 2023 after a successful two-year stint with Udinese, where he scored eight goals and provided seven ***** ists in 68 league appearances.
While he hasn't quite matched those counting stats with Spurs, he's been a key piece of the puzzle at Tottenham, making 94 appearances across all competitions over the past three seasons. When silly season began, it seemed Roberto De Zerbi was keen to keep Udogie in North London, but the transfer pendulum has swung the other way.
According to multiple sources in Italy, including Nicolò Schira and Alfredo Pedullà, Spurs are reportedly warming to the idea of life without Udogie.

#wing #back #league

With Major League Baseball tracking statistics for just about every scenario and situation, Eric Karros has one they may have missed.
In his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kyle Tucker is having the worst season of his Major League career. Tucker and his wife also had their first baby in March, shortly before the season began. And while Tucker was at the plate Thursday night, Dodgers play-by-play voice Joe Davis, who has three kids of his own, noted it would be interesting to see a breakdown of stats for players with young children.
"It'd be fun to see guys with kids under five, their home/road splits vs players that don't have kids under five," Davis said.
The implication is that when players with young children are at home, their sleep will be interrupted much more than when they're on the road, possibly affecting their on-field performance. As a dad of three kids ages four and under myself, I can attest to the rarity of uninterrupted sleep. But Dodgers ****** yst Eric Karros wanted to take the stat a step further, wondering what it might mean if a player with young children had great stats at home.
"Then you could track it even more," Karros said. "Guys are having great years with young kids, and then four years down the road, they're divorced."

#kids #Dodgers #young

Welcome back, Braves Country!
It's nice to come back refreshed after a series win. And even better when it's against the division rivals, the New York Mets.
Now, the Atlanta Braves are looking for a repeat against the Arizona Diamondbacks with Chris Sale on the mound.
Sale's stats speak for themself. Holding a 2.20 ERA, it's no secret that Sale is the weapon that's holding the pitching rotation together. He's also 12-7 for the season and has shown consistency in his usual six-inning stint, tallying over eight strikeouts in his appearances since July 23.
The question is, which version of the Braves are set to show up against Arizona's Brandon Pfaadt?

#back #atlanta

There are a lot of exciting drafted rookies on this Raiders team. But that's just ten of the rookies. There are nearly twice as many undrafted guys looking to make a roster with a lot of openings on it.
Those hopefuls had their first game action on Thursday night and according to head coach Klint Kubiak, a few of them especially caught his eye.
"Cian [Slone] on defense has done some good stuff. At the wide receiver position we got a few guys that have showed up between Chase [Roberts] and our and our young man from Indiana [EJ Williams]," said Kubiak. "All got some good snaps yesterday."
Slone led the way among those three with 29 combined snaps on defense (21) and special teams (eight). Only four guys on the team got more special teams snaps. Roberts got 16 combined snaps on offense (14) and special teams (two) while Williams got 10 combined snaps on offense (seven) and special teams (three).
As for stats, Slone had a sack along with three combined tackles. EJ Williams' 41-yard catch had him lead the team in receiving yards. While Roberts saw two targets, pulling in one catch for 12 yards.

#combined

Recent seasons have brought notable highs and lows for Lazio, which become clearer when reviewing more than just scores or headlines. Fans and football betting enthusiasts often study long-term trends, such as league position consistency, scoring stats, and defensive markers, to understand where the club excels or faces challenges. This article summarizes those patterns and fluctuations, drawing out areas of strength and inconsistency.
Lazio's final league positions over recent seasons display a mix of promising campaigns and tough stretches. Reviewing points totals and table standing each year marks out when the team achieved stability or experienced setbacks. Seasons with a stable squad typically brought better finishes, while years with major management changes or player turnover saw drops in points and position.
A settled core often correlated with higher league placements, while instability in the roster or tactics could result in a slide down the table. These shifts indicate the importance of squad cohesion and leadership continuity for Lazio's consistency.
The gap between Lazio's best and worst finishes in recent years demonstrates how volatile their campaigns can be. In their stronger seasons, the team managed to secure European qualification spots, sometimes even challenging for Champions League positions with point totals exceeding 70. Conversely, mid-table finishes around 6th to 8th place reflected campaigns where early promise faded due to poor form in the second half of the season. ****** yzing the points-per-game average across different phases of each campaign reveals that Lazio often starts strongly but struggles to maintain momentum after the winter break, suggesting potential issues with squad depth or physical conditioning during the demanding latter stages of the season.
Lazio's effectiveness in attack varies between seasons. Their goals per game ratio reveals when the team was most capable of breaking down defences, while instances of multi-goal matches point to notable offensive spells. However, some campaigns featured high shot counts but low conversion rates, underlining occasional struggles to turn opportunities into goals.

#seasons #league #often

Aston Villa are prepared to part ways with young defender Triston Rowe before the transfer window closes, according to a report from Pete O'Rourke. Villa will sanction a permanent exit, but insist on a buy-back option being baked into any agreement. That's the bottom line.
Rowe, 19-years-old, spent the 2025/26 campaign on a season-long loan with French Ligue 2 outfit FC Annecy, where he clocked 2,262 minutes across 31 league appearances, contributing one goal and two ****** ists. Not bad for a teenager operating two divisions below the top flight of French football. Aston Villa saw enough in pre-season to take note as Emery handed him minutes, and Rowe didn't squander them. Championship sides and clubs from the continent are already coming up with genuine interest.
VILLARREAL, SPAIN – AUGUST 10: Triston Rowe of Aston Villa in action during the Trofeo de La Ceramica match between Villarreal CF and Aston Villa at Estadio de la Ceramica on August 10, 2025 in Villarreal, Spain. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
Here's the honest take. Selling Rowe this summer, even with a buy-back clause attached, is a decision Villa may look back on with regret.
At Annecy, he averaged 2.03 tackles per 90 minutes and was dribbled past just 0.56 times per game. Those aren't small numbers; they're quietly elite. His pre-season showing at left-back, despite right-back being his natural position, was tactically sound and composure-driven throughout 90 minutes. Emery clocked it. The stats backed it.

#villa #aston #back

Clay Holmes made his Cubs debut against the Royals on Saturday. It probably wasn't the box score line he was looking for, but seeing as it was his first start since taking a comebacker that broke his leg in mid-May, it was perfectly fine. He threw four innings, giving up four runs (all earned) on six hits while walking two and striking out one. Here's more about that outing directly from Holmes:
Even if there are a few starts where Holmes needs to shake the rust off like his first outing, the Cubs clearly see something in his ***** nal that should work well with their elite defense. Today let's dive into the numbers behind this trade that sent one of their top prospects back to the Mets in Jefferson Rojas.
Holmes is your classic sinker ball pitcher. He throws his sinker, which averages 94 miles per hour, about 50 percent of the time. You know what that means: ground ***** . You don't even really have to squint to see what the Cubs front office sees in this move: ground ***** with an elite defense are more likely to be outs. You can see all of Holmes' pitches along with their velocity in this screengrab from Baseball Savant:
This is a pitcher who tinkers a bit. There have been changes to his ***** nal over the last few years, but it's mainly in how much he throws a certain pitch. The biggest thing to look at in Holmes' pitches is that his role shifted considerably from 2024, when he was an elite reliever with the Yankees to 2025 when he became a credible starter with the Mets. You can see how Holmes' pitch mix has changed over time below:
Holmes can tinker all he wants if he winds up with ground ball rates like the ones he's had over the past few seasons for the Cubs. These numbers were truly eye-popping to me. I ran a FanGraphs leaderboard for every pitcher's ground ball rates since 2021 split by season for pitchers with at least 50 innings a season. Holmes has four of the top 15 seasons out of 1961 total seasons (yes, really). His worst ground ball rate (2025 with the Mets) is still in the top 10 percent, ranking 119th. There is elite in a single season and then there is elite over time. Holmes is elite over time, and I am dreaming on the double plays he's going to have turned behind him already. You can see key stats from his last six seasons below:

#METS

Training camp gives the opportunity to get the perspective of many different voices within an organization. FanDuel TV's Kay Adams has been traveling around the league, going to different teams, and Monday was her opportunity to sit down with several Denver Broncos players and coaches.
Adams interviewed coach Sean Payton, quarterback Bo Nix, cornerback Pat Surtain and pass-rusher Nik Bonitto about a wide range of topics.
We take a look at highlights from each interview Adams conducted below.
In her interview with coach Payton, Adams asked Payton to do her job for a minute. She asked Payton what is the question about the Broncos heading into 2026. Payton gave a very thoughtful answer. "They won 11 to 13 fourth-quarter games," Payton said. "Historically speaking, when you look those numbers and you find the 12 teams or the 10 teams that have done that, this is what they've done the next year. And so I think it's important for us to look closely at, 'all right, where is the room for growth still?' And there's a lot of things we didn't do well. The first thing is to not play in as many one-score games... We want quicker starts... You want to be uncommon. And so those are all the common stats that we're looking at. And I think we have an uncommon team."
Payton also spoke about attending the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony for Drew Brees, quarterback Bo Nix's health and mobility, Jaylen Waddle's superpower, new offensive coordinator Davis Webb and more. You can view Adams' full interview with Payton below.

#payton #interview

The Minnesota Vikings' most pressing question of 2026 training camp has a front-runner: Kyler Murray. On the latest episode of The Real Forno Show — a Vikings 1st & SKOL production on the Bleav Network — host Tyler Forness and producer Dave Stefano break down the quarterback competition between Murray and J.J. McCarthy, roster bubble battles, offensive line questions, and some rising stars worth watching before the preseason opener against the New York Giants.
The central argument from Forness is not about flashy stats — it's about processing. "The processing of both quarterbacks is going to be the differentiator in this quarterback competition," Forness said. While McCarthy has had flashes, Forness sees a fundamental inconsistency: "McCarthy is not doing enough to show that he has improved significantly from, quite frankly, a really poor overall 2025 season." ESPN's Dan Graziano reportedly confirmed Murray is the "clubhouse leader," and Forness agrees — but he frames the ceiling realistically: "If whoever starts is QB 16, this team could be a Super Bowl threat."
QB Competition: Murray leads, per ESPN's Dan Graziano. Forness argues McCarthy's processing remains at a sub-starter level despite some better moments in recent practices.
Kevin O'Connell's telling quote: "There have been some new layers to our offense… it might be a small detail, but it's important and it affects the visual outcome of the play." Forness believes this context explains many of Murray's surface-level miscues.
Tai Felton & Ivan Pace Jr.: Forness admits he was wrong on Felton: "He deserves a lot of credit for that." Pace's improved lateral coverage and multiple PBUs have also turned heads.

#Competition #graziano

Tight end is a difficult NFL position to predict. Players who make the leap to the pros have to juggle blocking and receiving duties in more complex schemes, against faster defenders, than they've ever faced before. Years of wear and tear can break an All-Pro candidate into an also-ran in a single play.
Thus, it's incredibly difficult to accurately rank each team's tight end units in the preseason. In 2019, I ranked the Raiders 32nd out of 32 teams... only for Darren Waller to suddenly and explosively reach his potential, kicking off a wave of angry/satisfied emails and social media mentions from Raiders fans that continues to this day (I apologized to Waller for the disrespect on Radio Row four years later. He seemed OK with it!).
This is all to say, these rankings are not only subjective, but immensely subject to change. Young prospects will rise up and claim their potential. Veterans will see a dropoff or stage impressive revivals. But going off the data we currently have, here's how the preseason 2026 tight end unit rankings look. Stats are from NFL Pro and Sumer Sports where applicable.
Gesicki turns 31 this season. He hasn't had a positive yards after catch over expected (YACOE) since 2020 and saw his numbers drop off after a successful Bengals debut in 2024. Sample is an unexciting but useful piece who gets where he needs to be even if he offers modest returns as a receiver.
All could be the guy who boosts this group into the top 20, but he's also the guy who's played only nine NFL games in two seasons. Until he proves he can fulfill his potential, Cincinnati is stuck here.

#tight #waller #difficult #preseason

This is Keegan Brown's first year in Lexington, as he looks to revamp the Kentucky Wildcats' scouting and roster-building process after a tough year last season for the Cats.
Despite no games being played yet, it seems like that mindset is already working, as the 2026-27 Cats roster seems to fit together better than last year, and Brown is a major factor in that. It also sounds like he is hoping to develop how the scouting department operates for Kentucky going forward.
In a response to a tweet by Kevin Sweeney of Sports Illustrated referencing the growth needed in scouting departments in college basketball, Brown implies that changes are coming.
Does this mean more staff or a different model to track stats? Not a lot of info in the tweet, but it's obvious that Brown is looking to take the Cats' scouting and roster building to the next level. Hopefully a successful season in Lexington can really help propel the Cats back to the top of the sport, especially with the new administration in Kentucky Athletics.

#brown #year #building

This game had an eventful first inning that saw the Mets plate five on Bryce Elder and the Braves, and then a valiant-but-doomed comeback attempt over the rest of the game. The main things that stood out to me: Bryce Elder with poor command is a nightmare, and the Braves really needed some homers in this one but couldn't find 'em. Will the Phillies gain a game on the Braves by the time I finish this recap? Who knows.
Boy, that first inning, though. The game started with an A.J. Ewing double off Elder. The ball rolled under the padding in right field, and Ronald Acuña Jr. threw up his hands to signal a ground rule double. Ewing stopped running midway between second and third. For some reason, the Mets challenged the call, and this resulted in something absurd like an eight-minute delay of game… only for the umpires to rule that while the ball was not "lodged," Ewing would nonetheless be "awarded" second base. Pace of play, am I right?
Anyway, would that that was the only excitement in the first, but alas. A single later scored Ewing, and then a key play happened on a 3-2 Elder pitch to Carson Benge. The pitch was clearly a strike, but Sean Murphy came up throwing and had the runner dead to rights… except that it was ruled a ball and Murphy didn't challenge, turning a 1-0 deficit and a half-inning break into a 1-0 deficit, runners on first and second, and one out. After a short liner single to load the bases, Elder got a punchout… and then hung a first-pitch slider to Brett Baty, who slammed it for a grand… slam. The Mets actually collected two more hits before Elder finished the frame, but the score remained 5-0.
Then, the Braves mounted a rally of their own against Christian Scott. Unfortunately, their rally didn't have a homer, so it wasn't as productive. Drake Baldwin led off with a double, Matt Olson later singled, and Ozzie Albies had a crazy 11-pitch plate appearance that ended with a 3-2 pitch barely clipping his uniform to load the bases. Mauricio Dubon then came through with a seeing-eye bouncer that plated two. Austin Riley ended the rally by watching two of three pitches in the zone (and fouling off the second). Oops.
The Mets continued tearing into Elder and the Braves' defense. Francisco Lindor, whose small-sample lifetime stats against Elder are murderous, led off the second with a double, and then scored on a two-out bloop. Another single and a walk loaded the bases, but the frame ended at 6-2. Sean Murphy collected a one-out double in the bottom of the inning, but was left stranded. Lindor then tagged Elder for a two-out solo homer in the third, and yeah, that's kind of how this one was developing for a while.

#Braves #pitch

The QB Competition is unavoidable. So far, the stats show Kyler Murray going 73-for-110 (66.3%) while pushing the ball more aggressively downfield, and J.J. McCarthy going 70-for-103 (67.9%) while playing more conservatively according to most reports.
There has been some major differences though. Over the last four practices, Kyler Murray has out-snapped J.J. McCarthy 63 to 33 with the first-team offense, effectively pulling away in what was publicly framed as an even battle. Overall, Murray has had 146 snaps to JJ's 136. Both have had up and down days in practice with obvious nuance involved if you want to try and explain those days. Was it in full pads? Was it 7 on 7? Was it full speed? Etc.
You will never be able to convince someone whose mind is already made up. Like mine. I do not know when a decision will be made nor do I know how KOC looks at these camp performances vs what beat writers and fans believe they are seeing.
Why are we here and where will it lead to?
Obviously, JJ being out all of year one led us to this moment. His injuries and play in year two forced the team into the decision to obtain Murray.
The narrative that KOC did not simplify (dumb down) his offense soon enough for JJ is hogwash and just a lame excuse. Heading into year two the team did not bring in any real competition for JJ (why should they?) and he was handed the job. He lit up the New England Patriots in camp joint practices and thus, the team trusted that his year of mental reps had paid off and he was ready to run the entire offense.

#year

The Daily Merengue is a place where you can feel free to discuss all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It's in the name! Shoutout to the mods who do a fantastic job, Ezek, Valyrian Steel, Felipejack, Juninho, NeRObutBlanco and yours truly, Kung_Fu_Zizou
Pre-Season was swallowed up by the Club World Cup last summer. This summer it has been disrupted by the World Cup. The desire to continuously invent football matches for eyeballs and revenue will always risk the quality of the game. The players who did not go to the World Cup or those who exited early will all have a decent pre-season. The players who went deep into the tournament not only have a shortened pre-season but will be back on international duty before long. The argument that the players are rich is one I will always find utterly unconvincing. What is noticeable is the decline in the quality of football and footballers in general. Managers desperately trying to reduce the game to automatisms in order to cover-up the dearth of unique individual quality in the game. Stats creating an Americanisation of the beautiful game. I do not know Maradona, Zidane and R9's stats. They're practically irrelevant to the beauty of the game. That aspect of the game is increasingly greyed out and becoming near impossible to access. I digress.. This is a mixed pre-season for Mourinho. He has had a chance to take a look at some of the youngsters and also the likes of Camavinga, Trent, Fede and Arda Guler. What he has not had the chance to do it have a look at a potential starting XI for the season with all his best players available. There are two friendlies remaining before La Liga kicks off for the 2026/27 season and Mourinho will still be intuiting his best XI for the season by then. The names are easy but the balance.. well, that's an entirely different matter altogether.
A true baller..Turkish Delight? The kid is awesome and has surpassed the expectations of many by merely still being at the club given every challenge he has faced every single season since his arrival. Arda Güler is a unique profile in the Real Madrid squad. He is a purely technical player while also having tactical awareness to make up for his physical short-comings.
Arda's story is one of perseverance. It is difficult enough to make it at Real Madrid without major obstacles but Arda has had to overcome injuries and lack of trust as well as rife competition in the squad. He has seemingly come out the other side, looking increasingly like the fabulous footballer we imagined upon his arrival in 2024. Mourinho will have to find a way to use Arda without upsetting the proverbial apple cart.
Thiago was seemingly in the window shop until apparently Jose Mourinho insisted that he remain at the club.

#club #Football

What Were Garrett Crochet's Stats in the Bullpen? Examining Red Sox's Aces' Bullpen Stats originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox are hopeful that at some point over the next month or so, Garrett Crochet can return to the mound.
It was interesting to see that Crochet struggled a bit before going down with his injury, but at least it gave the Red Sox some peace of mind. This is a guy who was arguably the best pitcher in Major League Baseball in 2025, so for him to go from a 2.59 ERA to a 6.30 ERA obviously showed that something was wrong.
The one thing that was a tad worrisome with Crochet is the fact that he became a starter after working out of the bullpen exclusively throughout a lot of his career. He was a starter in 2024 as well with the Chicago White Sox, but prior to that, he dealt with some injuries and had only thrown out of the bullpen.
In that span from 2020 to 2023, he appeared in 73.0 innings for the White Sox out of the bullpen, allowing just 22 earned runs and striking out 85 hitters. He did walk 40, which isn't great, but he posted a 2.71 ERA and 3.16 FIP.

#garrett #nesn #appeared

After a stellar 8-2 record in July, the Indiana Fever (19-12) have begun August with consecutive losses and are seeking to rebound today against the Chicago Sky (12-19) inside the United Center.
The Fever's back-to-back losses so far this month have come against the league-leading Minnesota Lynx (108-100) and the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces (86-84 OT).
As the Fever and Sky clash on the court today, follow along for live updates and highlights, including Caitlin Clark's latest points and stats:
According to the Fever's day-before injury report, Caitlin Clark (back) and Aliyah Boston (right lower leg) are both listed as probable, while Damiris Dantas (left knee) is not with the team after undergoing season-ending surgery on her left knee.
Watch Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky

#caitlin

WNBA rookies to win MVP: How Olivia Miles' Year 1 stats compare to Candace Parker's legendary first season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
There's a youth movement happening in the WNBA. Olivia Miles is arguably one of its biggest actors.
The Lynx guard has surged into MVP contention in recent months, using her eye-catching play-making skills and steady scoring to lead Minnesota to the best record in the league. Miles finds herself dancing with ghosts at this point in the year — not only is she the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year, but she finds herself in MVP contention.
In the WNBA's long and checkered history, only a few first-year talents have had their names thrust into MVP talks. A'ja Wilson averaged 20.7 points and 8.0 rebounds as a rookie. All she could muster was a measly seventh-place finish. Caitlin Clark set a gaggle of records in her first season. Still, she failed to land a first-place vote.
Miles' performances have her wading in territory not typically available for newcomers. Here's a look at who she could join in the WNBA record books if she picks up the famous honor.

#miles #year

WNBA rookies to win MVP: How Olivia Miles' Year 1 stats compare to Candace Parker's legendary first season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
There's a youth movement happening in the WNBA. Olivia Miles is arguably one of its biggest actors.
The Lynx guard has surged into MVP contention in recent months, using her eye-catching play-making skills and steady scoring to lead Minnesota to the best record in the league. Miles finds herself dancing with ghosts at this point in the year — not only is she the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year, but she finds herself in MVP contention.
In the WNBA's long and checkered history, only a few first-year talents have had their names thrust into MVP talks. A'ja Wilson averaged 20.7 points and 8.0 rebounds as a rookie. All she could muster was a measly seventh-place finish. Caitlin Clark set a gaggle of records in her first season. Still, she failed to land a first-place vote.
Miles' performances have her wading in territory not typically available for newcomers. Here's a look at who she could join in the WNBA record books if she picks up the famous honor.

#miles #year #WNBA #rookie

The Green Bay Packers have one of the NFL's best quarterbacks in Jordan Love. A lot of people just haven't noticed yet.
That's the case Fox Sports' Henry McKenna laid out in a feature on the Packers signal-caller, arguing Love is badly underrated despite counting stats that don't jump off the page.
The disconnect is the whole story. Love's touchdown totals and yardage have dropped, but by the numbers that measure how well a quarterback actually plays, he's never been better.
McKenna's advice is to throw the counting stats out the window, and the advanced metrics explain why.
In 2025, Love's EPA per dropback tied for second in the NFL at .19, even with reigning MVP Matthew Stafford, per Next Gen Stats. His completion percentage over expected ranked fourth. His big-time throw rate of 5.8% was fifth-highest in the league, per Pro Football Focus.

#love