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Reports: Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs on crutches after practice
Dallas Cowboys star cornerback Trevon Diggs sustained an apparent knee injury during a 1-on-1 portion of practice on Thursday and was spotted on crutches after the session, multiple media outlets reported. Diggs was set to undergo an MRI, per The Dallas Morning News. "I'm not gonna speculate, way too early," Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said. "I saw him leaving the field. Prayers and hoping for the best, simple as that." Signed to a five-year, $97 million contract extension this summer, Diggs has recorded four tackles, an interception and a forced fumble in two games this season. Diggs, 25, led the NFL with 11 interceptions in 2021. The two-time Pro Bowl selection has 18 picks -- including two returned for touchdowns -- to go along with 173 tackles in 47 career games (46 starts) since being selected by Dallas in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. --Field Level Media
NFL Breaking News
21 Sep, 2023 at 03:50 PM 
Panthers planning for Andy Dalton to start at Seattle
Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton took the first-team reps Thursday for the second day in a row with rookie No. 1 pick Bryce Young hobbled by a sprained ankle. Dalton is expected to start in Young's place on Sunday at Seattle, the Panthers said Thursday afternoon. Young had his ankle checked out after the Monday night home loss to the New Orleans Saints and missed the Wednesday walkthrough before being held out of the team's first full practice of the week Thursday. "We have some general principles that we operated by, not absolutes, that we say, 'Hey, how many days of practices are needed for a younger player to play?'" head coach Frank Reich said. "If he's a younger player, maybe you want him to practice a little bit more." The Panthers said later Thursday that Young wasn't expected to play, opening the door for Dalton to start. Young, 22, is 0-2 to begin his career. The No. 1 overall pick has completed 59.2 percent of his passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns against two interceptions so far. The Panthers twice took out Young in short-yardage situations against the Saints, bringing in Dalton, a move Reich later said was done to "limit the exposure" of their franchise QB. Dalton said Thursday he's preparing as he always has -- to be ready to play when his number is called. "We'll see how it goes as the week goes on. With Bryce down right now, I'm getting the reps and preparing like I do every week," Dalton said. Carolina offensive coordinator Thomas Brown said Young was hurt early in the loss to New Orleans but played through it. NOw comes a matchup in the chaotic crowd-frenzied atmosphere at Seattle, with the Seahawks holding a 1-1 record. "It's a great environment," Dalton said of the Panthers playing in Seattle. "You talk about NFL environment and crowd noise, it's one of those places that first hits your brain." The Panthers also listed edge rusher Brian Burns (ankle), linebacker Justin Houston (calf), running back Miles Sanders (pec) and linebacker Chandler Wooten (knee) as limited for Wednesday's walkthrough. Jake Luton was signed to the practice squad to give Carolina multiple healthy quarterbacks in practice. --Field Level Media
NFL Breaking News 21 Sep, 2023 at 03:36 PM 
Travis Kelce says he invited Taylor Swift to a Chiefs game
Try as he might, Travis Kelce has been unable to deflect conversation surrounding a rumored relationship with pop star Taylor Swift. Some might say Kelce has been unable to "shake it off." The Kansas City Chiefs tight end decided to speak on the topic during his appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" Thursday on ESPN. "I told her that I've seen you rock a stage in Arrowhead, so you might have to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead. And see which one is a little more lit," Kelce said with a smile. "We'll see what happens in the near future." The (rumored) "Love Story" began in July when Kelce shared that he was upset that his opportunity to present Swift with a friendship bracelet -- along with his phone number -- went by the boards during her Kansas City stop of the "Eras Tour." The rumor mill began picking up steam throughout the summer about the potential power couple, albeit with unconfirmed reports. Eagles center Jason Kelce was asked about his brother's relationship situation Wednesday on 94.1 WIP in Philadelphia. "I don't really know what's happening in Travis' love life. I try to keep his business kind of his business and stay out of that world," Jason Kelce said. "But having said that, I think he's doing great and I think that it's all 100 percent true." Jason Kelce was quick to note that he was joking. Let's hope all goes well for Travis Kelce, considering Swift is known for her breakup songs. After all, it would be a shame if they "are never ever getting back together" -- if they ever are together in the first place. --Field Level Media--Field Level Media
NFL Breaking News 21 Sep, 2023 at 03:13 PM 
Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown returns to practice
Leading receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown practiced with the Detroit Lions on Thursday, but several key players missed a second consecutive day. St. Brown sat out Wednesday's practice and is dealing with turf toe. He leads the Lions with 12 receptions for 173 yards and one touchdown. The Lions are preparing for a Week 3 home game with the Atlanta Falcons with the status of left tackle Taylor Decker and running back David Montgomery in doubt. Montgomery has a team-high 37 carries for 141 yards and two touchdowns, but said his bruised quadriceps muscle would need a few weeks to heal. Decker (ankle) missed last week's game and right tackle Penei Sewell shifted to the left side, where he continues to practice this week. The Lions could also be without right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai (knee). He didn't play last week. --Field Level Media
NFL Breaking News 21 Sep, 2023 at 03:00 PM 
Bengals QB Joe Burrow (calf) remains day-to-day
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow remains day-to-day with a right calf injury, coach Zac Taylor said Thursday. Burrow's availability for 0-2 Cincinnati's Monday night date with the Los Angeles Rams (1-1) remains cloudy. "Soreness is an issue right now, so giving him some time is best," Taylor said. "That's all I'll say about today." Burrow, 26, was originally injured in a training camp session on July 27 and did not participate in practices or preseason games for five weeks. He returned in time to sign a five-year, $275 million contract and suit up for the regular-season opener. Burrow ranks 28th in the NFL in passing yards (310) and has just one completion longer than 20 yards, a 32-yarder to running back Joe Mixon. He is averaging 4.22 yards per pass attempt, down from 7.38 last season and a league-leading 8.87 in 2021. --Field Level Media
NFL Breaking News 21 Sep, 2023 at 02:49 PM 
Solheim Cup opener pits U.S. vets against Swedish rookies
United States captain Stacy Lewis has five rookies on her team this week, but she went with experience to kick off the 2023 Solheim Cup in Spain on Friday. The U.S. will hit the first tee shots of the event in Foursomes, and Lewis went with Solheim Cup veterans Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang as her first pairing. Thompson was an automatic qualifier despite slipping to 26th in the Rolex Rankings and missing seven of her past 11 cuts, but Lewis said she likes what she has seen out of the former major champion ahead of her sixth Solheim Cup. Khang, who won the Portland Classic earlier this month, is in her third Solheim Cup. "I wanted to get off to a good start. I wanted to get out four really good pairings and that's kind of been my focus this whole time," Lewis said. "Lexi has looked unbelievable this week and that was part of reason that she's in there. I think she's got the most experience on our team, and I wanted her to go out there and have that first tee shot. "I think she's earned it." European captain Suzann Pettersen took a distinctly different approach, as the Europeans will open with the Swedish duo of Linn Grant and Maja Start, two of the team's three rookies. "I think I've almost had 'em set first out for a year now, literally, since they both played in Europe," Pettersen said. "I just thought it would be so -- such a cool experience for them to lead off here in Spain. "They're two great friends. They've obviously played a lot together through the juniors, so know each other really well, and they had a big desire to play, so I'm just going to let them." Lewis will get three of her rookies involved in the first session, with Andrea Lee, Allisen Corpuz and Cheyenne Knight each paired with a Solheim Cup veteran. Europe's third rookie, Gemma Dryburgh, is not slated to play in the morning. FRIDAY FOURSOMES (All times local in Spain) 8:10 a.m.: Lexi Thompson/Megan Khang vs. Linn Grant/Maja Stark 8:22 a.m.: Danielle Kang/Andrea Lee vs. Celine Boutier/Georgia Hall 8:34 a.m.: Nelly Korda/Allisen Corpuz vs. Leona Maguire/Anna Nordqvist 8:46 a.m.: Ally Ewing/Cheyenne Knight vs. Charley Hull/Emily Kristine Pedersen While Lewis said each of her 12 players will see action Friday, Pettersen is taking a wait-and-see approach before committing to her Fourball pairings. "We don't quite know yet what the Friday afternoon looks like. We'll see how the morning goes and kind of we'll take it from there. We have a plan A, B, C and D," Pettersen said laughing. "But I mean, as a player, you would love to get out there and play, for sure." One of the surprises from the opening session was the absence of Lilia Vu from Lewis' pairings. The top-ranked player on either side at No. 2 in the Rolex Rankings, Vu has a pair of majors among her three wins this year. "I don't see anybody playing all five sessions. So they all needed some rest at some point and just wanted to give her the morning to just kind of regroup and get herself together," Lewis said. "She somewhat asked for it a little bit, somewhat didn't. It was kind of my idea. You're going to see her a lot, other than that first session. You don't win two majors and sit on the sideline for very long." COMPETITION SCHEDULE (All times local in Spain) Friday: Foursomes - 8:10-8:46 a.m. (Four matches, 12-minute tee-off intervals) Fourball - 1:40-2:25 p.m. (Four matches, 15-minute tee-off intervals) Saturday: Foursomes - 8:10-8:46 a.m. (Four matches, 12-minute tee-off intervals) Fourball - 1:40-2:25 p.m. (Four matches, 15-minute tee-off intervals Sunday: Singles - 11:10 a.m.-1:22 p.m. (12 matches, 12-minute tee-off intervals) --Field Level Media
Golf Breaking News 21 Sep, 2023 at 01:42 PM 
Bears GM Ryan Poles: 'No one is panicking'
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles presented a poised and unified picture of the franchise on Thursday less than 24 hours after a bizarre news cycle blended with rumors hinted at a complete unraveling of the 0-2 team. "To hit it straight on, we have adversity right now," Poles said of the state of the Bears, who visit the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. "To make it really, really clear, I know the outside noise -- but no one in our building is panicking, no one is flinching at any situations. Not our owner, not our president, not our head coach, not myself. None of our players. Everyone's focused on solving the issues that we have so that we can be a be a better team." Poles clarified those issues don't involve any FBI search or operative stings, as was reported Wednesday before defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned citing "health and family" concerns. "I don't have many details to add there. Halas Hall being raided is completely false. Don't know where that came from. We've worked with Kevin (Warren, team president) and George (McCaskey) and all our leadership to make sure we were handling it the right way, and everything concluded yesterday." Head coach Matt Eberflus, formerly defensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts, will call defensive plays. "Got a ton of faith in Flus. He's a leader. He's done a great job. And then as a defensive play-caller as well, got a ton of faith there," Poles said. There are obvious and undeniable concerns from Warren, Poles and Eberflus around the staggered start from quarterback Justin Fields and Chicago's offense. The Bears have four turnovers and four touchdowns in two games, losses to the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which they were outscored 65-37. Fields, asked Wednesday to explain his statement that he was thinking too much and needed to play free, said "it could be coaching." He apologized to coaches when some media reports claimed he said only "coaching," without what Fields felt was proper context. Fields then held a brief post-practice session with media at Halas Hall to further explain he wants the blame for "everything." Poles said at present, Fields is learning how to rely on the new level of talent around him -- No. 1 wide receiver DJ Moore, for example -- and letting go of his habit of making every play himself. "Now he gets talent around him and has to figure and balance when to do those cool things athletically, when to lean on others," Poles said. "And that is sometimes a gray place to live in, and that takes time." --Field Level Media
NFL Breaking News 21 Sep, 2023 at 01:20 PM 
Tigers hire Blackhawks' Jeff Greenberg as general manager
The Detroit Tigers named Jeff Greenberg as the franchise's 20th general manager on Thursday. Greenberg, 37, spent 11 seasons in the Chicago Cubs organization -- the last three as assistant general manager -- before working the last 16 months as an associate GM with the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks. The Tigers (71-81 entering Thursday), who are about to miss the playoffs for the ninth straight season, have been without a GM since firing Al Avila in August 2022. Greenberg will report to Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris, whose time with the Cubs (2012-19) overlapped with Greenberg. "I'm thrilled to add an executive of Jeff's quality to our baseball operations leadership team," Harris said. "Throughout this search, it was important for me to find someone who can fit seamlessly into the culture we're building here. "I also wanted to bring in someone with a fresh perspective and new ideas that could challenge us on a daily basis and make us all better as we strive towards our goal of bringing postseason baseball back to Detroit." In his most recent role with the Blackhawks, Greenberg worked across all functions of hockey operations, including scouting, development and coaching. "It's an extraordinary honor to take on this role with one of the most historic franchises in Major League Baseball," Greenberg said. "Throughout my conversations with Scott, (owner) Chris Ilitch and the rest of the team with the Tigers, it became clear that this organization is headed in a great direction with an incredible culture of development and innovation that I'm excited to be part of. "Another constant message in those conversations was that Tigers fans want to see winning baseball deep into October. I'm excited to get to work with our front office on offseason and longer-term plans to make that our reality." Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson offered the following statement: "We will miss Jeff's expertise and appreciate the contributions he made to the Blackhawks. We all wish him and his family the best in this incredible opportunity with the Detroit Tigers. Our Hockey Operations department is full of talented leaders and I have full confidence in that team to continue working towards our goals of sustained success. Off the ice, the processes and systems are in place to develop our team on the ice. I look forward to continuing that journey with our group." Before his time in Chicago, Greenberg was an intern with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2006, 2008), Arizona Diamondbacks (2010) and Major League Baseball (2009-11). --Field Level Media
MLB Breaking News 21 Sep, 2023 at 12:30 PM 
Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick: 'I'm not a dirty player'
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick found himself on the defensive three days after his tackle on Nick Chubb resulted in a season-ending knee injury for the Cleveland Browns running back. Chubb rushed up the middle for a gain of 5 yards with 14:14 left in the second quarter on Monday and was in the process of being tackled by Pittsburgh linebacker Cole Holcomb when Fitzpatrick dropped his shoulder and ran directly into Chubb's left knee. The hit by Fitzpatrick caused Chubb's leg to bend, and Chubb sat up and grabbed his knee and could be heard yelling in anguish through the field microphones. "Very unfortunate. It's a tough injury. Unfortunately, it's part of the game that we play," Fitzpatrick said Thursday. "You know, people are going to say I had ill will behind the tackle. That's not the case whatsoever. I'm a guy that's a competitor that's gonna go out there and play the game. I'm chippy. I'm edge, of course, but I'm not a dirty player. "I'm not gonna sit here and defend my character. I know the type of player I am; Chubb knows the type of player I am. I've played against him the past five years, two times a year and I love competing against him. He brings the best outta me, and I bring the best outta him. No chance that I would ever try and purposely injure somebody." Fitzpatrick said there is nothing he'd do differently in his approach to tackle the physical Chubb on the play that resulted in his knee injury. He also told Chubb that he wasn't intentionally trying to hurt him while the latter was on the ground in pain on Monday. Fitzpatrick was injured on the same play. He returned to the game before sustaining a chest injury in the third quarter while making a tackle on a 69-yard run by Chubb's replacement at running back, Jerome Ford. Fitzpatrick was taken to a local hospital for precautionary reasons. Although he did not participate in practice on Wednesday, he expects to play for Pittsburgh (1-1) in its road game against the Las Vegas Raiders (1-1) on Sunday night. Fitzpatrick, 26, has recorded 10 tackles and two pass deflections in two games (both starts) this season. A three-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection, Fitzpatrick has 458 tackles, 19 interceptions, 49 passed defensed, four forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and five touchdowns in 81 career games (76 starts) with the Miami Dolphins (2018-19) and Steelers. --Field Level Media
NFL Breaking News 21 Sep, 2023 at 11:48 AM 
Astros rally late, beat O’s in walk-off thriller
Mauricio Dubon delivered a walk-off RBI single Wednesday afternoon for the host Houston Astros, who maintained their tenuous hold on first place in the American League West by earning a come-from-behind 2-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles. The Astros (85-68) salvaged the finale of the three-game series shortly after the Texas Rangers, tied for second in the AL West, routed the Boston Red Sox 15-5 earlier in the day. Seattle beat Oakland to remain tied with the Rangers, a half-game behind Houston. The AL East-leading Orioles (95-57) had their four-game winning streak snapped. With Tampa Bay also losing Wednesday, Baltimore maintained its 2 1/2-game lead over the Rays in the division. Houston needed just six pitches to score the winning run off Danny Coulombe (5-2) in the bottom of the ninth. Yainer Diaz doubled on Coulombe's first pitch and moved to third when Chas McCormick grounded out to second. Dubon singled to right on the next pitch. Ryan Pressly (4-5) threw a perfect top of the ninth to earn the win for Houston. Orioles starter Kyle Bradish struck out nine and allowed just two hits over six scoreless innings. Reliever Jacob Webb tossed a perfect seventh before the Astros scored the tying run in the eighth. Shintaro Fujinami walked two of the three batters he faced and Jeremy Pena's double off Michael Baumann scored Dubon. Astros starter Cristian Javier allowed one run on three hits and two walks while striking out 11 over five innings. The strikeouts tied a season high for Javier, who also whiffed 11 against the Los Angeles Angels on May 10. The Orioles scored their lone run in the first, when Adley Rutschman doubled with one out and came home on Anthony Santander's single. Javier retired 14 of the last 17 batters he faced. Santander had two hits and a stolen base. Bradish issued two walks while throwing at least six scoreless innings for the fifth time this season. He lowered his ERA to 3.01, the third-lowest mark in the AL. --Field Level Media
MLB Breaking News 21 Sep, 2023 at 12:23 AM 
Indiana focuses on self-improvement against Akron
Indiana head coach Tom Allen expects more from his defense. The Hoosiers (1-2) had one takeaway in a 21-14 loss to Louisville last week, which is short of the ask from Allen. He wants three per game to help Indiana protect its young quarterback from being overburdened in tight games. "Still not enough takeaways. Got a goal of three every game," Allen said. "Needed another one; and three, it would be ideal to get what we need to get to be able to set up our offense in a better way." Quarterback Tayven Jackson does benefit from dynamic running back Jaylin Lucas, the team's leading rusher (141 yards, two TDs) and second on the team in receiving (15-138-1). Still, Allen noted teams are loading the box with eight defenders and forcing Jackson to make decisions and plays off-script. The only route to wins from this point forward is better blocking up front, he said. "To me, it's about executing and executing at a high level of confidence, and being able to play at the speed I want us to play at from the opening quarter on," Allen said. "That's going to be the emphasis, and like I said, we'll know more next weekend where we feel after the first few games." Akron (1-2) hasn't found much to like offensively this season, ranking 129th in total offense (262.7 per game) and 130th in rushing offense (42.3). Akron is coached by former Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead, with whom Indiana has familiarity, and vice versa. The Zips were in the game last week at Kentucky despite 77 total yards in the first half. Akron trailed only 14-3 in the third quarter before the Wildcats rattled off 21 consecutive points to close it out. "I thought it was a much better performance from the inside to the 20s," Moorhead said of his quarterbacks. Zips quarterbacks DJ Irons and Jeff Undercuffler Jr. have combined for 661 yards passing, three touchdowns and four interceptions. "(Indiana) is tough, physical, blue collar. They've got a scheme that makes you really have to prepare. It's going to be another really big challenge," Moorhead said. Indiana is 3-0 all-time in the series and meets Akron for the first time since a 35-20 victory in 2010 behind four touchdown passes from Ben Chappell. --Field Level Media
NCAA Football Breaking News 21 Sep, 2023 at 12:21 AM 
Inter Miami star Lionel Messi exits match vs. Toronto FC
Inter Miami star forward Lionel Messi exited the Wednesday match against visiting Toronto FC in the 37th minute due to what coach Gerardo Martino called muscle fatigue. Jordi Alba also left the match at Fort Lauderdale, Fla., two minutes before Messi while reaching for his hamstring, with Martino calling that muscle fatigue, as well. The injuries could be carryovers from earlier ailments, as both players sat out Miami's match against Atlanta United on Saturday with what the team termed at the time muscle fatigue. Martino added that neither player would play Sunday against Orlando City, as the club will evaluate them day by day. The injury-filled opening half also saw two Toronto FC players leave with injury -- Victor Vazquez in the 12th minute and Brandon Servania in the 26th. Miami won the match 4-0. Messi had three shots (one on target) prior to exiting and had a sight at goal in the 23rd minute. Facundo Farias sent a cross to Messi at the near post, and Messi's right-footed touch put the ball over the net. Playing in his 12th match as a member of Inter Miami, Messi has 11 goals and eight assists in all competitions (regular-season play, U.S. Open Cup, Leagues Cup). Miami is 8-0-4 when he has taken the pitch. The U.S. Open Cup final is scheduled for Sept. 27 in Fort Lauderdale. --Field Level Media
MLS Breaking News 20 Sep, 2023 at 11:18 PM 
Inter Miami lose Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, still blast Toronto FC
Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba departed with injuries during what might have been a costly 4-0 win for Inter Miami over Toronto FC on Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Robert Taylor recorded a brace and Facundo Farias and Benjamin Cremaschi also had goals as the Herons (9-15-4, 31 points) moved closer to the Eastern Conference playoff line. However, the bigger-picture focus was on the health of Miami's star players. Alba was substituted off in the 35th minute, and Messi left the field two minutes later. Neither player had sustained an obvious injury, but both were in discomfort with apparent lower-body ailments. Inter Miami coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino said the players came out with muscle fatigue -- something that kept both players out of the team's match against Atlanta United last Saturday. He added that neither player would play Sunday against Orlando City, as the club will evaluate them day by day. The club was trying to manage the two players' health and minutes through the Herons' busy schedule, which includes the U.S. Open Cup final on Sept. 27. Martino said he was unsure if they would play in that contest at Fort Lauderdale. Miami is 8-0-4 in all competitions with Messi in the lineup, including a 3-0-1 mark in regular-season matches. Toronto FC (4-15-10, 22 points) lost Victor Vazquez and Brandon Servania to injuries in the first 26 minutes. All the early stoppages led to nine minutes of extra time in the first half, and Farias struck three minutes into the extended period for his third goal of the season. Taylor entered the match as Messi's substitute, then dominated the second half for one of the best performances of his two MLS seasons. In the 54th minute, Taylor displayed excellent ball control in finding space to shoot from the edge of the box. A chip-pass from Farias set up Taylor's next goal in the 87th minute, with Taylor converting a shot from a tough angle. Sandwiched between his two goals, Taylor also earned an assist crossing to Cremaschi in the 73rd minute. It was the second tally of the season for the 18-year-old Cremaschi. Miami's Drake Callender made two saves for his fifth shutout of the season. Callender got some help from his goalposts, as Toronto FC's Lorenzo Insigne and Deandre Kerr each hit the iron. Toronto is the only MLS team with a winless road record (0-10-4) this season. --Field Level Media
MLS Breaking News 20 Sep, 2023 at 11:13 PM 
Dialed-in Dallas 'D' ready to 'hunt' Cardinals
Five teams in the Super Bowl era scored 70 or more total points while holding opponents to a combined output of 10 or fewer in the first two games of a season. One of them, the 2023 Dallas Cowboys, sashays into Arizona to challenge the Cardinals (1-1) on Sunday. First-year Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon contended with Dak Prescott and company in another capacity previously as defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles. This week, part of his challenge is convincing a shorthanded team to erase the recent memory of blowing a 21-point second-half lead to lose to the New York Giants, 31-28. For the sake of comparison, the Arizona result came a week after the Cowboys (2-0) whipped the Giants 40-0. "We've got our work cut out for us," Gannon said Wednesday. With Kyler Murray (knee) unavailable, the Cardinals started Joshua Dobbs at quarterback for the first two games. He completed 42 of 61 passes for 360 yards with one touchdown in the first two games. Facing injuries and a decided playmaker deficit, Dobbs said the Cardinals are locking in on finishing. A challenge for the offense, which has 44 points in two games, will be finding a way to move the ball while limiting the impact of Dallas pass rusher Micah Parsons and cornerback Trevon Diggs. The Cowboys are leading the NFL in multiple defensive categories, yielding 5.0 points per game, collecting 10 sacks and boasting a turnover margin of plus-7. Opponents are converting only 23.1 percent of third downs to first downs (6 of 26). "My sentiment to the offense has been, when we do execute, when we do what we're coached to do, we're a really difficult offense to stop," said Dobbs, who will start three consecutive games for the first time in his career. Gannon said the Cardinals are cognizant of not allowing Parsons to wreck the game. "He's one of the elite players in the world. Explosive, fast, powerful. He can rush, takes the run away." Parsons had 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble last week in a 30-10 win over the host New York Jets. Diggs picked off one pass and shares the NFL lead with 18 interceptions since 2020. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence said the Cowboys are focused on the Cardinals while also carrying the mentality that they can't be stopped if they do their jobs. "Come back to the lab each and every day and work on our fundamentals," Lawrence said. "I feel like, times like this, when you're 2-0 and you've got the hype around the team and things can get out of whack. People can let that self-confidence lead them into some things they don't need to be in." "(Doesn't) matter who's back there. We're gonna hunt. I feel like every week, we'll be facing a running quarterback. ... If you're not a running quarterback, you're gonna wanna make sure your legs work that week." Dallas hasn't had to flex offensively with Parsons, Lawrence and pals bruising opponents. The Cowboys have at least six points in all eight quarters this season. Quarterback Dak Prescott has been highly efficient with head coach Mike McCarthy calling plays. They ran 83 offensive plays against the Jets and 55 against the Giants. But Gannon said it's not about who to stop so much as how to stop the Cowboys because of their numerous skill-position threats. "They've got a lot of weapons, it's a well-coached scheme and they've been together for awhile now," Gannon said. Running back Tony Pollard is one player that McCarthy plans to ease up on this week. In the win over the Jets, he had 25 carries and seven receptions, the heaviest single-game toll of his career. Left guard Tyler Smith (hamstring), wide receiver Brandin Cooks (knee), safety Donovan Wilson (calf) and offensive tackle Chuma Edoga (elbow) practiced on Wednesday, but right guard Zack Martin (ankle) worked with trainers. --Field Level Media
NFL Breaking News 20 Sep, 2023 at 08:41 PM 
Reports: Rams trade RB Cam Akers to Vikings
The Los Angeles Rams traded running back Cam Akers to the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday in exchange for a swap of 2026 draft picks, multiple outlets reported. Akers lands on a Vikings team that is still coping with the offseason loss of Dalvin Cook. He joins an RB room composed of two-game starter Alexander Mattison along with Ty Chandler and Myles Gaskin. Mattison has rushed for 62 yards in two games. Akers, 24, requested a trade last season after being dissatisfied with his role with Los Angeles. He returned to the team after the Rams failed to find a suitable trade partner. Akers started in Week 1 for the Rams, rushing for 29 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in a win at Seattle. But he was a healthy inactive last week against the San Francisco 49ers. He has 360 carries for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns in 30 career games (15 starts) since being selected by Los Angeles in the second round of the 2020 draft out of Florida State. --Field Level Media
NFL Breaking News 20 Sep, 2023 at 06:50 PM