.
He has six All Pros around him on offense. He also has a great game plan, an elite opening script and the best offensive system in the NFL. That’s why people think he’s a system quarterback. He hasn’t proven he can succeed on his own.
That’s why Sunday’s practice was so important for him. He didn’t have Trent Williams, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel or Christian McCaffrey — none of them practiced. And Purdy still had to find a way to move the ball against one of the best defenses in the league.
What an opportunity.
“It’s good,” said Purdy. “Obviously, we have our star players not getting a whole lot of reps, so we have other guys stepping up. And for me it’s, ‘Alright, regardless of the mismatches and all that kind of stuff, I’m going to drop back, go through my reads, and I have to be efficient regardless of not having my guys out there.’ So stepping up, going through reads, hitting [WR] Chris Conley over the middle, checking the ball down, being smart. It makes me play quarterback really efficiently. Not saying when they are on the field I’m not, but when they’re on the field, I’m a little, my antenna is up in terms of, ‘Alright, if I do get this look, I’m more tentative to throwing to Aiyuk or Deebo. So a day like this was good for me to just go through reads, take completions and be efficient.”
Purdy finished the session completing 11 of 13 passes with zero interceptions.
ESPN’s extremely hot take on former Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields
NFL
Van Jefferson adopts work ‘regime’ of former Steelers WR amid trade rumors
The Steelers are still looking to establish who their No. 2 wide receiver opposite George Pickens will be. That player could come in the form of a trade acquisition as Pittsburgh as been subject to trade rumors all offseason, but until that happens, fifth-year wide receiver Van Jefferson thinks it can be him. “I just think that I bring confidence. I’m confident in my ability, confident in what I can do,” Jefferson said. “Whatever happens, I’m just going to work and that’s all I can do.”
Jefferson, 28, is coming off arguably his worst season since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2020. He registered just 20 catches for 209 yards and zero touchdowns with the Los Angeles Rams (five games) and Atlanta Falcons (12 games). However, he recently adopted the work regime of former seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Antonio Brown: Catching 300 balls after practice every day. ”
I just started. The equipment staff put me onto AB’s workout when he was here,” Jefferson added. “AB was a great so why not try to follow his regime?” Brown’s nine-year stint with the Steelers didn’t end how many would have likely imagined, but he was one of the hardest workers and best receivers in the NFL during that time. From 2010-18, Brown amassed 837 catches for 11,207 yards and 74 touchdowns. Jefferson knows catching 300 balls won’t make him produce like Brown alone, but he wants to set himself up to be the best player he can be. “When you put the work in, it doesn’t guarantee anything,” Jefferson stated.
“At the end of the day, you may as well put in work to at least give yourself the best shot of something happening.” Only time will tell if it will be enough for Pittsburgh to hand him the No. 2 role opposite Pickens and hold off from acquiring another playmaker, but Jefferson is focused on proving that every day. “I just gotta prove my consistency, just prove I can come out here and do this on a daily basis,” Jefferson finished. “At the end of the day, it’s just coming out here and competing, doing the best that I can.” All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Rangers announce bad news about three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer
College Football
Latest findings related to Michigan sign-stealing scandal may disprove lone wolf defense
Nearly a year after the Michigan sign-stealing scandal rocked the college football world, newly released findings may prove that higher-ups were much more involved than the program let on. According to an NCAA notice of allegations draft obtained by Dan Murphy and Pete Thamel of ESPN, Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore deleted a “thread of 52 text messages” with former staff member Connor Stalions, the alleged scheme’s ringleader. The report says Moore did this on the same day news of the scandal broke in October.
Moore ultimately handed over the text messages after “device imaging” recovered them. However, it’s unclear whether cooperation came after authorities uncovered the messages. Either way, it’s not the best look for Michigan or Moore, who was also involved in the COVID-19 recruiting violations found against the program in 2023. Stalions reportedly led the sign-stealing operation, which included recruiting people to record play calling signals from the stands during conference opponents’ games.
Also, evidence in the draft proves that Stalions, as alleged, was on the opposing sidelines in “disguise” for rival Michigan State’s 2023 opener. No evidence links Jim Harbaugh to the scheme or Stalions. However, the former Wolverines head coach, now with the Los Angeles Chargers, refused to let the NCAA review his cellphone records during the investigation, which, while within his rights, certainly raises alarms. Initially, Michigan’s defense against the allegations was that Stalions, a low-level staff member, mostly acted on his own accord.
However, after Harbaugh’s retreat to the NFL, the firing of former linebacker’s coach Chris Patridge and the latest revelations potentially implicating Moore, that argument is holding less and less water. Likewise, “investigators also allege that multiple team interns and at least one other full-time team employee knew about the scheme and participated in it.” The details provided are merely a draft and subject to change. That means it’s still uncertain how the allegations will impact Michigan or Moore, who is now in repeat-offender territory, facing a possible suspension or worse.
Aaron Judge on verge of smashing another home run record
College Football
Former Alabama player dies from injuries sustained in car accident
A former Alabama football player died this week as a result of injuries he sustained in a recent car accident. The family of former Alabama cornerback Terrance Howard told KPRC-TV that Howard died on Thursday. The 19-year-old was involved in a minor car accident on Interstate 85 near Salisbury, N.C. last month when his family says he got out of his car to check on those who were in the other vehicle.
When Howard got out of the car, he was struck by another vehicle. Howard’s family says the former Houston-area high school football star sustained massive brain trauma and other life-threatening injuries. He had been on life support until his death on Aug. 1. Howard was a walk-on at Alabama last year. He entered the transfer portal in April and had committed to North Carolina Central University. Another former Alabama defensive back, Minnesota Vikings rookie Khyree Jackson, was also involved in a car accident last month and lost his life.
San Antonio Spurs Make Head-Turning Move While Victor Wembanyama Is In Paris
NFL
Titans make another big addition to defense by signing former Pro Bowl safety
The Tennessee Titans defense is going to have quite a new look for the 2024 season, and that overhaul continued on Sunday with the addition of a former Pro Bowl safety. The Titans agreed to terms with free agent safety Quandre Diggs on a one-year contract that could be worth as much as $5M, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That move not only brings in another new face to the Titans defense, it also reunites him with his former Seattle Seahawks teammate
Adams who signed with the team earlier in the offseason. Diggs started all 17 games for the Seahawks in each of the past three seasons, intercepting 10 passes during that time. He also earned Pro Bowl invites during the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons. The Titans defense was mostly middle of the road in 2023, finishing 18th in yards against per game and 16th in points against. Definitely not the worst defense in the league, but also not quite good enough in a deep AFC that is loaded with some of the league’s top quarterbacks.
They are certainly making moves to try and change that. The addition of cornerback L’Jarius Sneed is the biggest move and gives the Titans a top-tier cornerback, but they are also completely overhauling their safety position with the additions of Diggs and Adams. The only potential drawback here is that Adams and Diggs were not exactly difference-makers for the Seahawks during the 2023 season. Diggs was not quite as impactful as he had been in previous years, while Adams was never able to stay on the field or play the way Seattle hoped when it acquired him in a blockbuster trade with the New York Jets. Perhaps a fresh start can help both of them.
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