The Jets had one of the best defenses in the league last season, allowing the third-fewest total yards per game (292.3), and All-Pro linebacker Quincy Williams was a big reason why.
The 27-year-old registered a career-high 139 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one interception and 10 passes defensed.
Coming off his breakout season, Williams is ready to take his game to another level.
“My biggest thing this year is ‘Leave no doubt,'” Williams said via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. “For me to leave no doubt that no one feels like I’m not the best linebacker, I have to get better every single day.”
That will be challenging for Williams as he must put together a 2024 campaign better than 49ers’ Fred Warner and Ravens’ Roquan Smith, among others.
However, he believes his speed separates him from the rest and can help him reach his lofty goals.
“My most important thing is, I’m the fastest linebacker in the league,” Williams added. “So when we talk to the offensive linemen, I’ll be like, ‘Listen, if you let this linebacker run past you and you never let me run past you, that’s a problem. I’m going to be mad.'”
While New York is returning with one of the best defenses in the league, much of the focus surrounding the team this offseason is quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who’s coming off a torn Achilles.
When healthy, Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, so Williams hopes to get the best of him sooner rather than later.
“The first day he came here last year, I got my hand on the ball and I was just too happy,” continued Williams. “I haven’t gotten a chance to pick him off yet. My first pick — whether it’s in practice or a scrimmage, this year or next year — he’s going to have to sign that ball. I don’t care. It’s a respect thing.”
If Rodgers can live up to expectations in his return and the defense — led by Williams — can pick up where it left off, the Jets will have a great chance of contending for a Super Bowl this year.
The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a disheartening defeat to the Buffalo Bills in their second preseason game of 2024, falling 9-3 in a contest that was both frustrating and revealing. The game featured new team quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, who both played the entirety of the match. Despite their efforts, the Steelers managed to score only three points, leaving them with an 0-2 preseason record. The most glaring issue during the game was the performance of the offensive line.
While Wilson’s play was far from impressive, it was evident that he was under constant pressure, struggling to find any rhythm. The offensive line’s inability to protect him was a significant factor, as Wilson was sacked three times over the course of his five drives. He completed 80% of his passes, but only managed to accumulate 47 passing yards and secure a single first down. Another area of concern was the performance of Broderick Jones. The young tackle faced a tough challenge against the Bills’ defensive line, raising considerable apprehension among fans.
After the game, Jones did not address the media as he was seen meeting with team doctors. Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo discussed Jones’ situation on The PM Team w/Poni Mueller, adding insights to the reports that Jones has been dealing with an elbow issue and has been wearing a brace. This development adds to the growing concerns about the offensive line’s effectiveness and the overall stability of the team as they prepare for their next preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions. “Just based on what I know guys, I think it’s just something that he has to deal with,” Fittipaldo said. ”
It’s something that he’s going to have to play through. It’s one of those things where it’s probably not going to get better anytime soon, but they have determined that it can’t get worse.” The revelation that Jones was playing through an elbow injury may offer some reassurance to Steelers fans. Although it’s far from ideal for an offensive tackle to contend with such an injury, it provides context for his underwhelming performance against the Bills.
Understanding this injury might help Steeler Nation grasp why Jones struggled on the field, offering a potential explanation for his difficulties during the game. “I don’t know exactly what the MRI says, but that’s the one thing that does concern me,” Fittipaldo said. “So right now it’s just something that he has to play through, but who knows what this is going to turn into down the road.” This situation becomes even more intriguing given recent developments leading up to the Steelers’ preseason game against the Bills.
Gerry Dulac reported that the Steelers planned to name rookie Troy Fautanu as the starter at right tackle, a significant shift from their usual approach. This decision deviates from their recent strategy with Jones, who they waited to name the starter until the middle of the 2023 season. Although Fautanu is also dealing with a knee injury, Dulac’s sources suggest he will still start in Week 1 at right tackle. Steelers’ Broderick Jones And Dan Moore Jr. Reportedly Engaged In A Battle For Left Tackle As a result, Jones is anticipated to start at left tackle.
However, given his current injury, there is a potential opening for Dan Moore Jr. to challenge Jones for the left tackle position. While it’s unlikely that the Steelers would prefer to bench their first-round pick from 2023, Jones’ ongoing struggles could present Moore with an opportunity to secure the starting spot. Despite some skepticism from fans, several pundits believe Moore has more value than commonly acknowledged.
The news about Jones’ injuries is concerning for the Steelers. He has disclosed that he is grappling with multiple injuries, and while team doctors have reportedly indicated that the injuries are not likely to worsen, Jones’ performance could still decline. If his play continues to deteriorate, it raises questions about the potential impact on the team and whether Moore might seize the opportunity to take over as the starting left tackle at some point during the 2024 season.
The NBA offseason is almost over. Teams around the league will begin preseason preparations in the coming weeks, with training camps starting shortly after.
As such, most rosters are now set, with very few teams having multiple open roster spots. Nevertheless, there’s always room for another talented player on the back end of a rotation, especially if that player is still young enough to have genuine upside. Fortunately for front offices around the NBA, there’s a string of untapped potential in the free agency market. He’s the best free agent at each position aged 25 or under. Point Guard: Kira Lewis Jr.
| 22 years old Lewis Jr. was the 13th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. With shades of John Wall, Lewis Jr. boasts elite speed and high-level passing skills and can be a blur in the open court. Unfortunately for the Alabama native, he’s yet to find a favorable situation in the NBA. He spent his first three seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans before bouncing around the league last season, splitting his time between the Pelicans, Toronto Raptors and Utah Jazz.
In 131 regular-season games, Lewis Jr. averaged 5.2 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He must improve his finishing to remain in the NBA (39.7% from the field). Nevertheless, his age and status as a former lottery pick should give him another chance in the league. Shooting Guard:
Talen Horton-Tucker | 24 years old It feels like Horton-Tucker has been in the NBA forever. The former Los Angeles Lakers prospect has played in 247 regular-season NBA games, averaging 9.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. The Lakers front office once viewed him as a possible future star but failed to build on an encouraging sophomore season. Nevertheless, at 24, Horton-Tucker is far from reaching his prime.
The most significant area of improvement for the former second-round pick is undoubtedly his perimeter scoring, where he’s averaging an anemic 29.3% for his career. Small Forward: Kevin Knox | 25 years old Knox has struggled to prove his value since entering the NBA as the ninth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. During his journeyman career, he’s spent time with the New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers. Still, there’s some promise there.
Knox has good size for his position and has flashed some potential as a versatile defender and slasher. However, he must improve his scoring ability to cement himself on a roster moving forward. Otherwise, his time in the NBA looks to be running out. Power Forward: Darius Bazley | 24 years old During his first three and a half years in the league, Bazley was an ever-present in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s rotation. He has since struggled to hold down a rotation spot for the Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz.
Bazley has a high upside as a slasher and interior defender. Nevertheless, modern-day forwards must be serviceable from the three-point line. Bazley’s a 30.9% career shooter from deep, likely hindering his ability to find a new opportunity around the league. He has enough talent for a rebuilding team to take a “buy low” chance on him in the coming months. Center: Moses Brown | 25 years old Brown is a quintessential rim runner. He is of excellent size, athleticism, explosiveness and length.
He is a solid rim protector and lob threat. Yet, his lack of defensive positioning and screening ability has left him on the fringes of every team he’s played for. Big men are notorious for developing slower than other players. Brown could serve as a bench big who could eat some spot starts when required, but his inability to stick with a team for more than one season at a time is concerning. He will face a challenging task in landing with another NBA team in the upcoming season.
The Los Angeles Lakers hired JJ Redick as their head coach earlier this summer.
They had previously released Darvin Ham after failing to build on the Lakers’ trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2023. Redick has been tasked with making the Purple and Gold competitive while also implementing a new player-development system. According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, some Lakers players already feel Redick’s impact as the team begins to ramp up ahead of training camp. Woike’s reporting is based on the different training regimes Redick has instilled for the players who are already back in Los Angeles and working with the team.
“Those workouts are the first in the formalized relationship between JJ Redick, his staff and the players, and the first impression might offer some hints as to how the new coach will operate,” Woike reported. “Workouts have featured more live basketball — one on one and three on three — than past summers when the focus was more on individual, noncompetitive work.” Redick is gearing up for his rookie season as a head coach. He has no experience on the sidelines at any professional level, yet he has found himself guiding one of the most prominent teams in the world.
Put bluntly, he’s stepped directly into a pressure cooker and will be forced to sink or swim. Nevertheless, the Lakers needed a fresh voice in the locker room. Redick will immediately have the respect of his players due to his history in the league. He will also bring modern ideas to the table and has amassed an experienced coaching staff to help him navigate the ups and downs of a season. It’s not clear what the front office expects from Redick in the upcoming season. If he prioritizes internal development and a more expansive style of play, though, he could be a big hit with the Lakers in the coming years.
The third and final week of the 2024 NFL preseason kicked off on Thursday night with the Chicago Bears defeating the Kansas City Chiefs, 34-21, and the Indianapolis Colts defeating the Cincinnati Bengals by a 27-14 margin. Here are some takeaways from Thursday’s games, including some big statement performances for players on the roster bubble and some growing concern for the Colts starting quarterback. Anthony Richardson is still a work in progress The Colts have a lot invested in Richardson after making him the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. But they never really got a chance to see him play last fall as injuries derailed his rookie season.
That lack of playing time as a rookie is a concern because he was already one of the more inexperienced quarterbacks in last year’s draft class. He simply hasn’t played much football as a starting quarterback at a high level and there are still some serious growing pains for him to work through. After completing just 2-of-4 passes against the Denver Broncos in his first preseason game of the year, he again struggled on Thursday, connecting on just 8-of-14 passes for only 86 yards. He did throw a touchdown, but he also threw a pick-six and fumbled in his five series. Richardson’s upside is still enormous and a couple of tough preseason outings should not be cause for too much concern when it comes to his long-term career. But it is pretty clear the Colts are going to need some patience, here.
Reddy Steward makes big statement for Bears A team’s last preseason game is usually the showcase stage for bubble players, especially those who were signed as undrafted free agents. If that was the case for the Chicago Bears on Thursday night, defensive back Reddy Steward made one of the boldest statements possible.
He intercepted two passes in Chicago’s exhibition victory, including an interception in the red zone to help keep the Chiefs off the scoreboard, followed by a pick-six that put points on the board for the Bears. That is a good way to make a football team. Eric Johnson shows the kind of effort coaches want Third-year defensive lineman Eric Johnson has not made a huge impact so far in his career with the Colts, but he made one of the biggest high-effort plays of the night on Thursday when he demonstrated a never-give-up mentality to chase Bengals quarterback Logan Woodside down from behind to force a fumble. Johnson traveled over 35 yards in distance to make that play. Any time defensive lineman and offensive lineman run the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine there is always a remark about how they will never have to actually run 40 yards in a game. That is typically true. But as Johnson showed here, sometimes a scenario arises in which a defensive tackle has to run down field to make a play.
Johnson showed he can do it. Carson Steele may have locked up a roster spot with the Chiefs Steele, an undrafted running back out of UCLA, is trying to secure a roster spot in the Chiefs backfield and he may have done that with a dominant effort in Thursday’s game. The former Bruins back rushed for 50 yards on only four carries, including this angry 31-yard touchdown run in which he refused to be tackled and ran through the Bears defense. That is one of the best runs of the preseason and quite a statement to be made to the Chiefs coaching staff that he is worthy of a spot on the roster of the defending Super Bowl champions.
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