In our everlasting mission to predict the future, a top-down look at how an offense might attack their opponent’s defense is, in my humble estimation, a good place to start. We find defenses every season that profile as a so-called run funnel, meaning opponents lean unusually hard on the rushing attack in neutral and positive game scripts. The same goes …

Free Press sports writer Tony Garcia breaks down Michigan football’s 2024 Big Ten opener and Week 4 matchup vs. No. 12 Southern Cal on Saturday in Ann Arbor: Fast facts Matchup: No. 17 Michigan (2-1, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. No. 12 USC (2-0, 0-0). Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. Saturday; Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor. TV/radio: CBS; WXYT-FM (97.1), WTKA-AM (1050). Line: Trojans by 5½. Michigan edge rusher …

Eagles narrow Cooper DeJean’s focus down to 1 position originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia When the Eagles drafted Cooper DeJean in the second round in April, they listed him as a defensive back — a nod to his versatility. But now they’ve narrowed his focus. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio on Thursday confirmed that the Eagles are concentrating all of …

Lee Corso gives the thumbs up after picking Ohio State to win while, from left, Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Archie Griffin, and Kirk Herbstreit sit on the set of ESPN’s College GameDay broadcast from the campus of Ohio State prior to the NCAA football game against the Michigan State Spartans in Columbus on Nov. 21, 2015. (Adam Cairns / The …

The Minnesota Vikings play the Houston Texans Sunday in a game broadcast on CBS and Paramount+ (Brad Rempel-Imagn Images) It’s a battle between North and South this weekend as the Houston Texans head up to U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis to play the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon. Both teams are undefeated so far this season as they head into …

SOUTH BEND — As Notre Dame football running back Jadarian Price took the field with 41 seconds left in a one-sided first half last Saturday at Purdue, Deland McCullough made a request. “Go in and bust one,” said the associate head coach for the Irish. Moments later, Price was rambling 70 yards for yet another Notre Dame touchdown to make …

The Jets offense was inconsistenet in the first two weeks of the regular season, but quarterback Aaron Rodgers made throws that showed he still has his the ability to throw the ball the way he did in the past. What was less clear was whether Rodgers still had the same kind of escapability in the pocket that he had before …

Emily Kaplan, ESPNSep 20, 2024, 08:00 AM ET CloseEmily Kaplan is ESPN’s national NHL reporter. WHEN SIDNEY CROSBY remembers Johnny Gaudreau, he thinks of the 2023 All-Star Game in Florida, sitting in gridlock traffic heading from their hotel in Fort Lauderdale. “It was myself, Johnny and [Kevin Hayes] in the back of the bus,” Crosby said. “Haysey was basically running …

LOS ANGELES — It may only be two games into the season, but so far, No. 12 Southern California looks like it changed almost every narrative from the preseason. How do they replace Caleb Williams? Miller Moss has looked like another solidified quarterback that could work his way into the Heisman conversation. The defense that couldn’t stop anyone last season? …

Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said after Thursday night’s game that he doesn’t know if he’s going to make Drake Maye his team’s starting quarterback, but Maye says he’s confident he can do the job. Maye got his first NFL action in garbage time of the Patriots’ 24-3 loss to the Jets, and he said he can play a full game …

Ralph Vacchiano NFL Reporter David Helman NFL Reporter The Dallas Cowboys looked so good on Opening Day, so tough in most phases, that it was easy to start feeling optimistic. The NFC looked pretty wide open. They looked ready to roll. Then their blowout loss in their home opener to the New Orleans Saints put a stop to that. It …

Sep 3, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Nick Chubb (27) runs for yards during the 2016 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Georgia Dome. Georgia won 33-24. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports The Georgia Bulldogs have offered a scholarship to four-star edge rusher Zavion Griffin-Haynes. The four-star recruit, who is a member …

Eagles-Saints player matchups to watch in Week 3 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia The Eagles (1-1) will travel to New Orleans to face the red-hot Saints (2-0) on Sunday afternoon. While the Eagles are coming off a disastrous collapse in a loss to the Falcons in Week 2, the Saints cruised to a 44-19 win over the Cowboys and …

Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas is ranked No. 8 among ProFootballFocus’ highest-graded true freshmen through the first three weeks of the 2024 season. The Pompano Beach, Florida, native was sandwiched between Texas linebacker Colin Simmons and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith with an overall grade of 79.9. Texas wide receiver Ryan Wingo took the top spot with a 90.6 mark, …

The Minnesota Vikings play the Houston Texans Sunday in a game broadcast on CBS and Paramount+ (Brad Rempel-Imagn Images) It’s a battle between North and South this weekend as the Houston Texans head up to U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis to play the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon. Both teams are undefeated so far this season as they head into …