Sports
Josh Allen, 2-0 Bills take aim at struggling Jaguars
Oct 8, 2023; London United Kingdom, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) carries the ball against Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Josh Allen (41) during the first half of an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The matchup of the two Josh Allens has a different ring to it this season.
In fact, this time there will officially be just one on the field when the Buffalo Bills battle the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday night in Orchard Park, N.Y.
The Bills’ quarterback still goes by the name, but the star Jacksonville defender who dominated the 2021 matchup now goes by Josh Hines-Allen. The change was made to honor the maternal side of his family.
Rest assured that Buffalo’s Allen won’t be confused by the change in identity when the Bills bid for a 3-0 start for the first time since 2020. He knows exactly who to look for on every snap.
“Anytime you get a D-end like that, they present problems,” Allen said Thursday of Hines-Allen, who had a career-high 17.5 sacks last season. “The motor that he has, he doesn’t let up. He finds ways to continue to get to the quarterback.
“He’s one of the premier edge rushes in the league and we have to be aware of him at all times.”
Jacksonville upset the Bills 9-6 in 2021 and Hines-Allen was a terror against the man whose name he once shared. He had an interception, recovered a fumble by Allen and notched a sack.
Hines-Allen is 2-0 in the head-to-head matchups with Allen, as the Jaguars also defeated the Bills last season, 25-20 in London.
This time, Jacksonville (0-2) is struggling entering the contest while Buffalo is riding high after a 31-10 road thumping of the Miami Dolphins.
Allen has thrown three touchdown passes in just 42 throws and the Bills rank third in the NFL in scoring offense at 32.5 points per game.
The offense is clicking despite the offseason trade of receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans. Two other key performers also departed and now play for the Jaguars — center Mitch Morse and wideout Gabe Davis.
“Two guys that I’ve spent a lot of time with over the last few years here,” Allen said. “Two guys that mean a lot to me, not just football-wise. I consider them real close friends. … Takes a lot to win in this league, and they were two huge contributors over the last several years.”
The Jaguars are looking to avoid their first 0-3 start since losing their first five games under Urban Meyer in 2021. They are also trying to ignite a sagging offense that is tied for 27th in scoring at 15 points per game.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence received a five-year, $275 million extension in the offseason, but his play has been largely lethargic this year. He is completing just 51 percent of his throws, and he went 14-of-30 passing with four sacks during last Sunday’s 18-13 home loss to the Cleveland Browns.
“We can’t hit the panic button, but we’ve got to have some real conversations,” Lawrence said. “We’ve got too good of a team to come out here and perform two weeks in a row like this. I mean, these games are precious and you don’t get them back, and we’re 0-2 to start the year and it’s not going to get any easier. We’d better fix it quick.”
Hines-Allen sees an opportunity for the Jaguars to begin a turnaround.
“We’re down 0-2 right now, everybody’s going to count us out,” Hines-Allen said. “Playing against a good team — 2-0 — we’re coming in there with our backs against the wall and coming out fighting. I’m excited about that — and not (playing) in the cold.”
Allen (left hand) was a full practice participant on Thursday. The only Bills to sit out were linebacker Terrel Bernard (pectoral) and cornerback Taron Johnson (forearm), two players who will miss the game.
Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (hamstring) didn’t practice Thursday. He was injured in pregame warmups prior to the Cleveland game.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Which NFL Teams Improved the Most in Free Agency? Four Stand Out
The official 2026 calendar just started and the NFL still has that new-league-year smell.
Depending on what your favorite team did since player negotiations began on Monday and free agency opened on Wednesday, there’s a great chance it will end up smelling like either fresh roses or rotten eggs 11 months from now after the confetti settles on Super Bowl LXI.
Last March, the Seattle Seahawks signed quarterback Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100 million contract and went on to win the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens mostly window shopped, missed the playoffs and ultimately said farewell to John Harbaugh, the most successful coach in franchise history
In March 2024, the Philadelphia Eagles locked up running back Saquon Barkley on a three-year, $37.75 million deal and then rode his historic 2,000-yard season to a Super Bowl championship. The Dallas Cowboys were the last team to sign anyone, kept their purse strings knotted and showed coach Mike McCarthy the door after a 7-10 season.
Who made the largest “Lombardi leaps” this week, keeping in mind that neither the 2025 Seahawks (10-7 during the previous season) nor 2024 Eagles (11-6 in 2023) needed massive makeovers? Who plugged the decisive pieces into their championship puzzles?
Four teams fit the mold. Two made playoff runs last season and two slipped from perennial AFC contenders to 6-11 records: the defending NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams and the NFC North champion Chicago Bears and the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs.
The Rams fell short of the Big Game when they allowed Darnold to throw for 346 yards and three touchdowns in the Seahawks’ 31-27 victory in the NFC Championship.
General manager Les Snead attacked the situation head-on this month, shelling out a combined $176 million to add ex-Chiefs cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson (who both own two Super Bowl rings) and also re-signing safety Kam Curl to a three-year, $36 million deal.
The Bears were 4-5 during the 2025 regular season when opponents averaged at least 6.0 yards per play (7-1 when foes were under that mark).
Seeking speed for Dennis Allen’s defense, Chicago GM Ryan Poles signed former Seahawks safety Coby Bryant and replaced Tremaine Edmunds with former Browns linebacker Devin Bush. The Bears also solidified the defensive line with tackles Neville Gallimore and Kentavius Street.
The Bengals surrendered a franchise-record 492 points last season and finished 31st in total defense, including three games with more than 500 yards allowed.
Offsetting the departure of 31-year-old pass rusher Trey Hendrickson to the Ravens, Cincinnati got better by making former Chief Bryan Cook (another two-time champ) the highest-paid safety in franchise history and making former Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe the franchise’s first $20 million per year free agent.
The Chiefs’ 10-year playoff streak ended last winter but the dynasty isn’t dead as long as Patrick Mahomes has two healthy legs to stand on. If he returns early enough from a torn ACL, you can’t count them out.
Sure, Kansas City lost a few key players, but GM Brett Veach signed reigning Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III, veteran safety Alohi Gilman, defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga — a solid backup for 31-year-old Chris Jones — and wideout Tyquan Thornton. Tight end Travis Kelce also committed to another season, with the encouragement of Taylor Swift.
As for the rest, don’t start burning jerseys if your team didn’t make the cut here. There will be plenty more signings and trades before next month’s draft. At the time of writing, A.J. Brown is still an Eagle, Kyler Murray is still on the market and Maxx Crosby is still not a Raven.
Sports
No. 19 North Carolina, Clemson battle again in ACC quarterfinals
Mar 3, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers guard Efrem Johnson (4) shoots against North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) during the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images No. 19-ranked North Carolina and Clemson just played an airtight game that went down to the wire last week in Chapel Hill, N.C.
The fourth-seeded Tar Heels (24-7) and fifth-seeded Tigers (23-9) won’t have to dig far to pull out that game film as they prepare for a rapid rematch Thursday night in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament quarterfinals in Charlotte.
North Carolina’s 67-63 win over Clemson on March 3 wound up as the tiebreaker that determined the fourth and final double-bye into the quarters, as both teams finished 12-6 in the league. Clemson had to play Wednesday night and outlasted No. 13 seed Wake Forest 71-62.
“It was a heck of a game the first time,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. “Give North Carolina credit: They found ways to make plays down the stretch, made some big threes against us. But it was a heck of a matchup. Our guys competed our tails off. They did, as well. It was a great college game. Hopefully, (Thursday) is the same.”
North Carolina lost superstar freshman Caleb Wilson for the season last week. Wilson, who hasn’t played since Feb. 10, broke his right thumb while dunking as he worked to recover from a fractured left hand.
That means Clemson is familiar with how the Tar Heels look without their best player — and knows what else their rivals can do.
Luka Bogavac had the best game of his first season of college basketball when he hit six 3-pointers and dropped 20 points on Clemson. He and veteran Seth Trimble (14.0 points per game) lead the backcourt, while 7-footer Henri Veesaar (16.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg) has 13 double-doubles and seven 20-point games.
North Carolina coach Hubert Davis hopes to guide his alma mater to more postseason success four years removed from the Final Four run on his first year on the job. He knows what he wants to see in tournament play.
“We want to live in the paint and live at the free-throw line. Those plays generate open threes,” Davis said after the regular season ended with a 76-61 loss to top-ranked Duke on Saturday. “The foundation of who we are hasn’t changed whether Caleb is in the lineup or not. That’s the way we play here at North Carolina, and we’ve got to dictate that next week in Charlotte.”
Clemson’s balanced attack against Wake Forest on Wednesday was a perfect illustration of the Tigers’ season-long identity. They don’t have anyone scoring more than RJ Godfrey’s average of 11.7 points per game, but eight active players entered the week averaging at least 5.7.
Brownell utilized a “hockey sub” during Wednesday’s game — making five subs at a time to keep players fresh. Godfrey tallied 11 against Wake, Chase Thompson scored nine points, and four other players reached eight apiece. The Tigers’ bench racked up 34 points and is top-30 nationally at 30.0 bench points per game.
“Personally, it’s just how can I affect the game, winning plays, use my IQ to my advantage,” said Thompson, a freshman forward. “It brings five fresh guys going against guys that have been in the game four or five minutes. That’s an advantage, as well.”
Brownell said Carter Welling, the Tigers’ second-leading scorer at 10.2 ppg, was being evaluated after suffering an unspecified injury in the first half.
“I find it unlikely that he would play (Thursday),” Brownell said.
Clemson allows opponents to shoot a mere 32.3% from 3-point range, but in its four-game losing streak from Feb. 11-21, opponents hit double-digit 3-pointers in every game at a combined 42.7% clip. Bogavac (51 made 3-pointers) and Derek Dixon (43) are the Tar Heels’ top perimeter threats.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mark DeRosa Needs To Take More Accountability for Team USA
Mar 18, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; USA manager Mark DeRosa (4) returns to the dugout after a pitching change during the fifth inning against Venezuela at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Team USA was dealt a massive upset loss to Italy in the World Baseball Classic, falling 8-6. The US battled back, with Gunner Henderson and Aaron Judge having at-bats in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game, but ultimately fell short in what will be one of the greatest upsets in WBC history.
The US was -1100 entering the matchup, and it seemed like a night to give a few guys some rest. Well, that would have been the case if Team USA hadn’t needed a win to move on to the quarterfinals. Manager Mark DeRosa completely mismanaged the team, benching multiple key starters to get Paul Goldschmidt and Ernie Clement some ABs.
Somehow, nobody had told DeRosa that the US could be eliminated with a loss, and now they have to wait for the results of Mexico and Italy to learn their fates. Mistakes happen; at this level, they shouldn’t, but they do. However, the biggest issue in this entire debacle is that DeRosa was never looking to take any accountability for this disaster.
DeRosa was on MLB Network’s ‘Hot Stove’ the morning before the Italy matchup, and he openly said he was resting guys because they had their ticket punched to the quarterfinals. That mistake alone should get you fired, but he didn’t say that by accident; he had no idea that they could be eliminated with a loss!
DeRosa had Clayton Kershaw warming up in the 8th inning, then mysteriously sat him back down to get Mason Miller into the game for the top of the 9th. Somebody must’ve told him that this game was still a must-win, and he wasn’t going to waste some innings with a mostly retired Kershaw.
In the post-game, he has to take way more accountability in that situation. He messed up; he didn’t just bungle his words. DeRosa needed to step on the stand after that game and, honestly, say he didn’t know the rules of the pool calculations, and that mistake was on him.
I’m not sure how anyone can take DeRosa seriously at this point. Anytime he’s criticizing a managerial decision on MLB TV, you’ll only be thinking about how he made one of the dumbest managerial moves you’ve ever seen in the sport. Also, if he was ever thinking of actually managing an MLB team, you can kiss that goodbye.
Honestly, it’s somewhat insane that the US Baseball Federation hasn’t fired him yet. This still shouldn’t all be on DeRosa. Even if you were playing with your C team, you shouldn’t be having any issues getting past Italy. Well, when you look at Italy’s roster, it’s essentially the USA’s C team, since it’s full of guys who aren’t even dual citizens.
Well, it’s a waiting game now to see if Team USA advances. If Italy wins, Team USA advances, or if Mexico wins and scores five or more runs, the Americans also still advance. No matter what happens, I don’t think we will be seeing DeRosa in the dugouts past this WBC.
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