East Rutherford, N.J. – The New York Giants took quite the beating in one half of play against the New York Jets Saturday night.
The Giants, down 10-3 at halftime, had several injuries coming out of the first half of the game, some of which could be of concern with the regular season opener approaching.
Defensive Tackle Timmy Horne
Horne was injured on the first play from scrimmage. The trainers immediately called for a cart for the defensive linemen, a longshot to make the roster anyway. Horne was diagnosed with an Achilles injury.
Center John Michael Schmitz
Schmitz, one of the few starters on offense to get a start in this game due to the ten practices he missed at the start of training camp because of a shoulder issue, had the back of his right leg rolled up on during a failed 4th-and-1 run on the Giants’ first offensive possession.
Schmitz limped off the field slowly and was declared out with an ankle injury, which is not a good sign for the Giants’ starting center with the regular-season opener two weeks away. He was replaced by Austin Schlottmann.
Offensive Tackle Evan Neal
Neal, playing in his first live game action since his season-ending ankle surgery, which landed him on the PUP list to start training camp, left the game midway through the second quarter with an ankle injury.
It’s unknown if it’s the same ankle he had surgically repaired last year, but Neal, who logged 19 snaps before his injury, was spotted on the Giants sideline walking around gingerly. He was replaced by Joshua Miles.
If Neal’s ankle issue is serious enough, he could be a candidate for the new IR rule in which teams can put up to two players on IR on cutdown day, provided they designate the players for return.
Outside Linebacker Ovie Oghoufo
Oghoufo, a longshot to make the roster, was declared out with a hamstring strain.
Cornerback Mario Goodrich II
Goodrich strained his hamstring in the second quarter while covering a punt. He was helped off the field, which is a clear sign that his hamstring injury is significantly significant.
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Packers’ Jordan Love discusses reality check he received thanks to Aaron Rodgers
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur recently explained how quarterback Jordan Love spending the bulk of his first three pro seasons serving as a backup for Aaron Rodgers helped Love become one of the more promising players at the position in the game today.
During the latest edition of The Athletic’s “Scoop City” podcast, Love shared how he received somewhat of a needed reality check during his rookie year thanks to working alongside Rodgers. “When I went into the draft, getting ready for the NFL, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m ready. I’m confident,'” Love said. “I get to Green Bay, and those first couple days, to see Aaron work, see the things he’s doing in practice, you’re like, all right, well, I’m not even close. I’m definitely not there.
It was an eye-opening experience for me, to see him work, see the confidence he has and the balls he throws and just the control he has of the offense.” Rodgers responded to the Packers making Love a 2020 first-round draft pick by earning regular-season Most Valuable Player Award honors across Love’s first two NFL campaigns. The future Hall of Famer later signed a massive extension with the Packers in March 2022 ahead of what became his final year with the organization.
Green Bay traded Rodgers to the New York Jets in April 2023, and Love then lost five of his first seven starts last season. Podcast co-host Chase Daniel noted how Love being an “identical clone” of Rodgers regarding footwork and throwing motion played a part in the 25-year-old turning things around and guiding the 2023 Packers to a playoff victory. “I would say that’s just a lot of me sitting there watching Aaron, watching him and his footwork and the way he’s able to be off-platform, be facing this way and complete passes going the other way. Just watching him and kind of just seeing it,” Love said about mimicking Rodgers.
“And now I get on the field, and my muscle memories are starting to do it.” The Packers locked Love down this summer via a four-year, $220M deal that was signed before new conversations about whether or not teams should immediately start rookie quarterbacks selected with high draft picks generated headlines. While there’s no one right or wrong way for clubs to handle such situations, Love is an example of how sitting behind a proven star can ultimately benefit a young signal-caller who admittedly isn’t fully ready to face live NFL defenses in meaningful games.
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Cowboys’ preseason finale confirms suspicion we’ve had for four months and other…
The Dallas Cowboys preseason came to an end with a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in a game where there were far more important things going on than the scoreboard.
Deuce Vaughn sent a message, the Cowboys essentially confirmed the starting offensive line, and Trey Lance made the best throws of his preseason yet had five picks, while roster bubble players fought for a spot on the initial 53-man roster. Let’s dive into our biggest takeaways from the game. Cooper Beebe gets the starting nod Before the Cowboys’ preseason finale even kicked off on Saturday, the coaching staff confirmed a suspicion fans and media members had ever since the NFL Draft: Rookie Cooper Beebe will start at center despite falling to the third round in April.
After being picked by Dallas, Beebe was immediately asked to focus on learning the ins and outs of the center position. He’s delivered big-time, to the point of securing the starting role over Brock Hoffman the moment the Cowboys sat him for the final game of August. It’s his job. Deuce Vaughn, you’re on the 53-man roster Oh, man. Deuce came into the game as one of the players with the most at stake and he capitalized on the opportunity by averaging 5.9 yards per attempt in nine rushes in the first half.
There’s just something special about his play-making ability. Vaughn not only should have a secured spot on the 53-man roster, he should be in the mix to compete for RB1/RB2 snaps. He’s good and provides something the rest of the members of the RB room don’t. Trey Lance went full Trey Lance Fittingly, it was an ambivalent game for Lance. He got off to a confident start early in the game and even made his best throw of the preseason hitting Tyron Billy-Johnson for a big game on the sidelines against Cover 2. He found Ryan Flournoy on a fade shot in the endzone that only his receiver could catch.
Late in the second quarter, he hit TE John Stephens Jr. over the seams with deadly accuracy. These three were some of his best passes all of training camp. But it wasn’t all perfect: Lance threw five interceptions, starting by misplacing a “simple” out route. It was an ugly one. So were the following two, where Lance simply missed defenders and forced the ball into traffic. His fourth pick was more of a 50-50 ball but it was a misplaced throw. The fifth one was just straight up inaccurate for what could’ve been the game-tying touchdown. He also threw some questionable checkdowns on multiple third and longs. As usual though, his athleticism and improvisation skills were on display. Andrew Booth Jr. beaten deep again Booth Jr. was burnt in a deep ball from Chargers QB Easton Stick, giving up a 30+ yard completion.
It was his second such play allowed going back to Week 2 and he’d be up to three if it wasn’t for a dropped ball from the Las Vegas Raiders. The Cowboys badly need cornerback help following DaRon Bland’s foot injury that’ll knock him out between six to eight weeks. But Booth Jr. has done little to prove he’s the guy to turn to. He could be cut next Tuesday. Are the Cowboys shopping Markquese Bell? In a game where the Cowboys mostly played guys on the roster bubble, a common theme continued: Markquese Bell is playing a lot this August.
For someone who played 61% of the defensive snaps in 2023 and has looked good and comfortable after transitioning back to safety all summer, it’s certainly noteworthy. Is he playing that much because the Cowboys are simply too deep at safety and they need someone to do it or is the team trying to shop him around the league? Bell could start on many NFL teams and Dallas could get strong compensation for him. Now granted, this is purely speculation on my end. It just feels odd that he’s playing this much.
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Frank Gore had great reaction to his son’s impressive preseason game
Frank Gore Jr. might be playing his way onto the Buffalo Bills’ roster, and his father is not hiding his pride. Gore Jr. was very impressive in the Bills’ preseason finale on Saturday, getting 18 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown. While those numbers came against the Carolina Panthers backups, Gore Jr. looked lively and certainly made a case for a roster spot, or at the very least, a practice squad role. In attendance for the game was longtime NFL running back Frank Gore Sr., and he was very much eager to take on the role of proud father. Gore Sr.
was also on the field after the game to greet his son — and he was wearing a Gore Jr. jersey, too. Gore Jr. played his college ball at Southern Miss and showed some flashes there, but he ultimately went undrafted. The Bills scooped him up, which prompted a great reaction from the elder Gore. It seems he may have known what he was talking about based on Gore Jr.’s encouraging preseason.
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Lakers Have ‘Sights Set’ on Perennial MVP Candidate
The Los Angeles Lakers are in an interesting spot right now. Despite making a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2023, they took a step back last season. Even though they had a 47-35 record, a four-game improvement from the 2022-23 season, they lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. They made some big moves, such as re-signing LeBron James to a two-year contract and hiring JJ Redick as their next head coach.
However, outside of that, the team did very little to get closer to championship contention. Their core is likely set in stone and will be until James leaves the team or retires. Because of this, the Lakers will eventually have to focus on their post-James plans. However, according to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, they have the exact player they want to build around–Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic. In a recent episode of The Mismatch, O’Connor reported that the Lakers are reportedly eyeing Doncic for after James departs from the team (YouTube link).
“I’ve reported on this podcast and on the Ringer how they have their sights set for Luka in the future. We’ll see if that works out. Dallas just made a Finals. Dallas is looking better than ever with their supporting cast. That may not work out. But the Lakers, by not trading their future picks, clearly they’re still thinking long-term at this point. They’re not going all in like you might expect many teams to do with LeBron James.” Lakers Have “Sights Set” on Perennial MVP Candidate The Los Angeles Lakers Offseason So Far The Lakers drafted Dalton Knecht and Bronny James in the 2024 NBA Draft.
On the flip side, they lost Spencer Dinwiddie to the Mavericks and Taurean Prince to the Milwaukee Bucks. Additionally, there were many rumors that never came to fruition for the Lakers. Arguably the biggest one was the possible addition of Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell. However, after he signed a contract extension with the team, this is out of the picture. The Lakers also reportedly had interest in Klay Thompson before he joined the Mavericks. There were a few other players the Lakers reportedly wanted but could not acquire.
This includes DeMar DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas, and Jerami Grant, who nearly got traded to the Lakers this offseason. With the 2024-25 season just a few months away, the Lakers still have time to make a big trade. However, as it stands, it seems increasingly unlikely. Could the Lakers Land Luka Doncic? Doncic currently has three years remaining on his five-year, $215 million contract. This includes a player option for the 2026-27 season. Doncic just led the Mavericks to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011.
Additionally, he is only getting better and is likely a lock to bring home the NBA MVP award at any point soon. The chance of Dallas trading Doncic to the Lakers is as close to 0% as possible. Additionally, Doncic will soon be eligible for a supermax contract worth roughly $346 million over five years. This is a contract he can only receive from the Dallas Mavericks. It is good for the Lakers to think about their future. However, the idea of adding Doncic is likely a pipedream the Lakers should move past.
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