Liam Coen hysterically whiffed on his 'Duval!' chant during his Jaguars press conference
Trying to curry favor with Jaguars fans, Coen tried to do the famous 'Duval!' chant for all in attendance at his presser. Sadly, it did not go well.
RANKING THE 6 NEW NFL COACHING HIRES: Which team did the best?
Coen's 'Duval!' sounded like a Tickle Me Elmo doll running out of battery power or that sad horn that plays on The Price is Right when something goes wrong.
If he just puts a bit more energy into it, we think there is plenty of room for improvement. For now, Coen will have to put amending his 'Duval!' chant high on his list of head coaching priorities in Jacksonville.
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New York Times
11 minutes ago
- New York Times
‘Unguardable' with ‘freaky lateral quickness': Hunter Renfrow returns to where he broke out
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dabo Swinney referred to him as 'craftsman' when it comes to running routes. Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen used the word 'unguardable.' But before Hunter Renfrow was a Houdini on the route tree, he was a by-the-books rookie receiver who seldom strayed too far from the play's design. That approach helped Renfrow thrive at Clemson, where he went from a walk-on to the most prolific receiver in College Football Playoff history. Advertisement But then-Raiders coach Jon Gruden wanted more from Renfrow, whose breakthrough came via a 65-yard touchdown catch at Houston midway through his rookie year. With the Panthers headed to Houston for a joint practice and preseason game this week, Renfrow hopes he's on the verge of another pivot point — a spot on the Panthers' 53-man roster after spending all of 2024 out of the NFL dealing with a health issue. As he prepared to play in Houston for just the second time, Renfrow reflected on how his career began to take off after the 2019 game against the Texans. 'I think I was overthinking everything. Whenever the coaches write a play a certain way, Gruden would always say, 'Make the play come to life.' I wasn't doing that. I was kind of just doing what was in the playbook,' Renfrow said in a phone interview last week. 'And if it said run 10 yards and run in, that's what I was doing. That's what I'd always been coached to do. But in the NFL everybody can do that, and people are a lot more athletic than I am. So kinda had to put my own little spin on it. That was right when I started to do it a little unorthodox but it was somewhat working for me.' Hunter Renfrow breaks a tackle and runs 65 yards for his first career TD! @Raiders @renfrowhunter #OAKvsHOU 📺: CBS📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports appWatch free on mobile: — NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2019 According to Thielen, Renfrow's skill set is hard to describe and almost defies physics. While receivers are taught at a young age to keep their feet underneath them so they don't slip when making cuts, that somehow doesn't apply to the 5-10, 185-pound Renfrow. 'When he's changing direction, his strides are far away from his body,' Thielen said. 'So you've got to have some serious body control and center of gravity stability to do that.' Advertisement But after being drafted in the fifth round after the Tigers' second national championship in three years, Renfrow was playing tentatively as a rookie. Through the Raiders' first six games, Renfrow caught 14 passes for 115 yards. Then came Week 8 at Houston, where Renfrow took a third-down pass from Derek Carr, eluded safety Jahleel Addae and sprinted in for his first career touchdown. According to Next Gen Stats, the play had an expected 6 yards after the catch. Renfrow picked up 57 yards after the reception; the 65-yard pickup remains the longest of his career. 'That was my first touchdown. It's the only time I've ever played there, my rookie year. I was kind of struggling, so it was good to get things off the ground,' he said. 'Finally got a pass on third down. It was like a little, 5-yard in-breaking route and slipped a tackle and ran like 60 yards,' Renfrow added. 'It gave me some confidence and I think it gave the coaches some confidence in me as well. It was kind of a turning point for me.' Renfrow finished with four catches (on four targets) for 88 yards against the Texans, who won 27-24 when Deshaun Watson — Renfrow's college teammate — threw a game-winning touchdown after getting kicked in the face by a pass rusher. But the big play sparked Renfrow, who pulled down 35 passes for 490 yards and four touchdowns over the final seven games, eclipsing the 100-yard mark in the last two. Renfrow rode the strong finish to another 600-yard receiving season in 2020 before putting together a monster '21 — 103 receptions for 1,039 yards and nine touchdowns, capped by a Pro Bowl berth. Renfrow started feeling poorly right around the Pro Bowl, with physical activity often bringing on nausea. It would take a while for doctors to diagnose him with ulcerative colitis. By then he'd lost 35 pounds and seen his production dip dramatically after he'd signed a two-year, $32 million extension in 2022. Advertisement Renfrow spent last year working at his uncle's equipment relocation and storage business in South Carolina and wondering if his playing days were done. But after getting his condition under control through diet and medication, Renfrow had his agent reach out to the Raiders and Panthers in March for tryouts. And on the Panthers' first day in pads last month, there was Renfrow shaking defensive backs with quick-twitch moves while Swinney looked on from the sideline. But going from 0 to 60 after a year away from the game left Renfrow with a pulled hamstring, and trainers shut him down for two weeks. Had it been the regular season, Renfrow said he wouldn't have missed any games. 'I think they're just trying to be cautious,' he said. 'With taking last year off, trying to just be smart with the load being put on my body. Get re-calloused back up.' When healthy, Renfrow brings a different element to a deep receiving group — even if it's not the easiest thing to explain. 'I don't think there's really a way to describe it,' Thielen said with a laugh. 'You've just gotta see it.' Renfrow usually lines up in the slot, where he uses an array of cuts and fakes and jukes to change directions and separate from defensive backs. Renfrow isn't often asked to go deep, although offensive coordinator Brad Idzik said he has a way of making defenders think he's going long. 'He's got some freaky lateral quickness. And then when he opens up, he's like big strides — a powerful first four steps, which simulates, 'I'm going full-tilt vertical,'' Idzik said. 'He simulates that every single time and then he eats up whatever leverage you give him.' Bryce to Renfrow against Moehrig. — Joe Person (@josephperson) August 11, 2025 Thielen, who's beginning his 12th season, said the 29-year-old Renfrow has a unique way of getting open. 'He trusts it. And it's pretty much unguardable,' Thielen said. 'You see it in one-on-ones. You see it in team reps. Not a lot of times is the ball coming his way and (there's) not a lot of separation. That's a credit to him and his route craft, his ability to get open day in and day out. It's not easy to do in this league.' Advertisement Renfrow has return experience, but otherwise doesn't bring much to the Panthers' special teams, often a roster-spot separator at some positions. But it's those qualities that Thielen and Idzik talked about that give Renfrow a good shot to make the 53 in what would be a great comeback story. 'You can only control what you can control. What makes sense to me and what I've always thought from a receiver's standpoint and being a teammate standpoint, I judge myself off am I being a good teammate and am I helping the team win?' Renfrow said. 'If I can say yes to those two things, and I feel good about it and where things are headed, feel like we're getting better, then I take it day by day. And if I can't, then there's no point in playing.' After his health scare and subsequent year off, Renfrow is trying to be less nervous about football and appreciate the little things. That could mean returning this week to the Houston Topgolf facility where he and some friends hit balls before his big game six years ago. 'I think I'm a guy that's really anxious before games. I just want to do well. I want my teammates to count on me. But then sometimes you have paralysis by analysis,' he said. 'So coming back, I want to do more of that. I want to enjoy life. I mean, I really enjoy life. But like I want to get out there and if we're in a new city, get out and see a place and enjoy being in a new city. Appreciate the journey a little more than I probably did my first five years.' Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
New York Times
11 minutes ago
- New York Times
The Ravens' biggest weapon might be Derrick Henry's empty stomach
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — On any given morning, Derrick Henry is almost certainly hungry. The Baltimore Ravens' indefatigable running back habitually rises, often before dawn, with a pronounced yearning: for eggs, pancakes, French toast, hash browns, sausage and other staples of the most important meal of the day. Advertisement Yet, Henry, whose strict training regimen includes intermittent fasting, battles his cravings, even as he hits the weight room while most people are sleeping and begins pushing his 31-year-old body to the brink of exhaustion. Eventually — at noon, or possibly even as late as happy hour — he'll break down and take down a spinach and avocado salad. It keeps him fit, but it hardly hits the spot. 'I just love breakfast food,' he said in an interview with The Athletic before a recent training camp practice. 'That's my weak spot, for sure. I love it all. I mean, I (crave) breakfast any time of the day. It doesn't matter.' And yet, almost invariably, Henry resists. Call it the cost of doing business for a runner known for compelling overwhelmed opponents to make business decisions. As much as Henry hates feeling famished, devouring defenses is the overarching goal. You've heard of angry runs? Henry's hangry runs are on another level. Last season, his first with the Ravens after eight with the Titans, Henry disproved the tenet that running backs inevitably fall off after 30. Scarily, the future Hall of Famer seems to be getting better. He ran for 1,921 yards — a total he'd surpassed only while breaking the 2,000-yard barrier in 2020 — and averaged a career-best 5.9 yards per carry. He tied for the NFL lead with 16 touchdown carries and added punch to an already potent Baltimore offense. No player has run for 2,000 yards in a season more than once; Henry has come the closest. Henry's efforts would have gotten more attention were they not overshadowed by those of two players he adores: Teammate Lamar Jackson, who earned first-team All-Pro honors while narrowly missing out on his third MVP award; and Eagles running back Saquon Barkley who, in Henry's eyes, put together 'probably the best year a running back has ever had in the history of the league.' Advertisement It might stand to reason that Henry would be jealous of the 28-year-old Barkley, who ran for 2,005 yards in the regular season and went on a torrid postseason run that ended with a Super Bowl LIX triumph. However, that does not appear to be a thing. Henry said he was bummed when the Eagles decided to sit Barkley for their otherwise meaningless regular-season finale, depriving the runner of a chance to break Eric Dickerson's single-season record (2,105 yards during a 16-game season in 1984): 'I even wrote him: 'Are you gonna play?' He said no, and I was like, 'Awwww — man!' That was the thing; I think we all wanted to see it.' On Super Sunday, Henry openly cheered for his would-be rival. 'Heck yeah, I was rooting for him,' he said. 'I love to see people accomplish their dreams, 'cause it motivates me to do the same thing. I love to see running backs happy. I'm not the guy who's like, 'Oh man, why is he doing this (and not me)?' I love to see it. It fuels me.' Understandably, Henry has championship ambitions for a Ravens franchise that has consistently contended during John Harbaugh's 17-year tenure but has not won a Super Bowl since the 2012 season. Last January, Baltimore suffered a heartbreaking divisional-round playoff defeat to the Buffalo Bills after typically reliable tight end Mark Andrews dropped a two-point conversion pass from Jackson that would have tied the game with 1 minute, 33 seconds remaining. Harbaugh plans to keep knocking on the door — and rely on elite performers like the 6-foot-3, 252-pound Henry to help break it down. Having Henry on his side fulfilled a vision Harbaugh had long harbored. 'I guess I always wanted him,' Harbaugh said. 'He was like the dream guy. When I saw him in the building after he signed his contract (in March 2024), I thought, 'Pinch myself — this is really happening.' Then, all of a sudden, (outside reaction) was like, 'Derrick Henry's done,' or 'He can't fit that offense; he doesn't fit the Ravens.' All that craziness. It cracked me up.' Advertisement Harbaugh could access some poignant memories as evidence that Henry wasn't washed up. In October 2023, the Ravens faced the Titans in London and gave up a 63-yard run to Henry off a direct snap. On Tennessee's next drive, Henry ran 15 yards for a touchdown. With the trade deadline looming and rumors swirling, the veteran runner wondered whether he'd soon be wearing purple. 'I thought there might be a chance,' Henry said. There was: The Ravens were prepared to give up a conditional fourth-round pick, but the Titans, after initially expressing interest, elected to hold onto Henry. However, the following March, they let him enter free agency. Tennessee had fired coach Mike Vrabel after a 6-11 season and had Tyjae Spears, a 2023 third-round pick, on the roster as Henry's presumptive successor. Instead of attempting to re-sign Henry, the Titans signed former Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard to a three-year, $24-million free-agent deal. Henry wasn't bitter about the decision. 'Maybe they were looking for a momentum shift or trying to go into a rebuild,' he said. 'So you're starting to weed out the old weeds and bringing in some new ones. Wish we could stay young and everything would stay the same, but nothing does. I still love everybody over there. (But) after 30, they send you to the wolves.' When free agency began, Henry, for all his massive career accomplishments, was relegated to the back of the pack. Barkley, Pollard and Josh Jacobs all landed multiyear deals before he did, and the Ravens were the only team that emerged as a serious suitor, signing Henry for $16 million over two years. He outperformed that pact so outlandishly that Baltimore replaced it this past May with a two-year, $30-million extension (including $25 million guaranteed). Henry is precisely where he wants to be, having instantly assimilated into the Ravens' culture and forged a potent partnership with his dual-threat quarterback. He said the pairing was 'maybe even better' than he expected. Advertisement 'It was electric,' Henry said. 'He's the best player in the league, and it shows every single game day. He works hard, he's the leader of this team, and it was fun. It's just a great culture around here, and you see why they have the slogan, 'Play like a Raven.' It's just a brotherhood — hard work and physical play that's relentless and disciplined.' The Ravens thrived with Henry and Jackson as twin running threats, each of whom could capitalize when teams overplayed the other. In a Week 4 victory over the Bills, Henry took a handoff and rambled 87 yards for a touchdown, making a mockery of talk that he'd lost a step. During a first-round playoff victory over the rival Steelers, Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Todd Monken borrowed the same splash play Henry had burned Baltimore on in London — motioning Jackson to the outside, bringing him back across the formation and having Henry, after a direct snap, fake a jet sweep to the quarterback before taking off for a tone-setting, 34-yard run. KING THINGS Tune in on Prime! — Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 12, 2025 'People asked me, 'Why would you take him? He doesn't fit with Lamar; it's not going to be a fit in the gun and the pistol and all that?' ' Harbaugh recalled. 'And I'm just like, 'He can do anything. He's really, really good. Let's not overthink this.' 'Derrick runs every gap, and then there's the fact that you have to commit so many resources to stopping him coming downhill. And then Lamar can give it to him, or he can keep it, and then the ball can go to any gap, all the way out to the sideline from there. Which means you have to defend pretty much the whole width of the field, pretty much every time that we do any kind of a run play. And it's Derrick Henry, and if we get any kind of push inside, obviously it makes it that much better.' Henry knows his football history, citing numerous backs (Walter Payton, Tiki Barber, Curtis Martin and others) who were able to stay productive after 30. His training regimen, which he cranked up to a more intense level after an injury-plagued 2021 season, is designed to help him keep smashing the stigma, at least for a little while. Hill work with chains? That's King Henry conditioning 😏👑 Wired is available now : — Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 31, 2025 'I mean, it's football,' Henry said. 'I don't really worry about the age. As long as I put the work in, it'll speak for myself. I trust myself. I know myself. I know my body and I know how I prepare. So that's all I try to worry about.' As a result, his tummy often rumbles. On off days, 'when I'm doing recovery, working out, all that kind of stuff,' he might wait till 5 p.m. to eat. His in-season diet is highly specialized. Advertisement 'During the season, he likes to go anti-inflammatory, and for him, he feels like he does better without gluten,' explained Sarah Snyder, Baltimore's director of sports nutrition. 'So we do a lot of rice, a lot of chicken. He loves broccoli and spinach salads. And if we do pancakes, we do them gluten-free.' Said Henry: 'It's hard during camp because we wake up at 5:30 a.m. But I try to do my best. I'm not as disciplined as I should be.' Perhaps not, but judging from his play, he's hungrier than opposing defenders would like him to be. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
New York Times
11 minutes ago
- New York Times
Packers believe we've yet to see best version of Jordan Love: ‘He can be one of the elites'
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Jordan Love is closing the gap. At least, that's what the Green Bay Packers believe about their star quarterback. Love progressed significantly enough during each of his two seasons as the full-time starter to the point where a career-type of 2025 campaign could vault him into conversations about the league's best QBs. Love, 26, is already paid like an elite quarterback, and he seems poised to perform like one, too. Advertisement 'I'd hate to put a ceiling on him,' Packers coach Matt LaFleur told The Athletic recently, 'because I think he can be one of the elites in this league.' For that to happen, Love needs a couple of things to go his way. First, and most importantly, he needs to shake the injury bug that seems to be following him around. The Packers QB recently underwent surgery to repair a ligament in his left (non-throwing) thumb and will be out for at least a week. Last season, he sprained his MCL in the regular-season opener before straining his groin in Week 8. However, if Love can stay healthy, then he can get to work addressing the holes on his résumé that, right now, keep him from being included in any conversations about the NFL's elite QBs. Love, who recently landed at No. 13 on Mike Sando's QB Tiers, only has one playoff victory in three starts, so he's well behind Super Bowl champions Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts. Love doesn't even have a Pro Bowl nod yet, so his trophy case is barren compared to MVPs like Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. Jordan Love Packers Of course, franchise quarterbacks aren't born immortal. They've got to work for such recognition, and Love's canvas is loaded with promise. Remember, after the 2020 first-round pick spent the first three years of his career in Green Bay on the bench behind Aaron Rodgers, Love has only started 32 regular-season games since taking over, so his tangible game experience and production should follow comparable arcs as he draws closer to the prime of his career. 'What those guys do at such a high level is just consistency with everything,' Love said. 'I know I'm just as good as those guys and can be even better, so I think it comes down to going out there and making those plays on Sunday.' Love's relatively smooth offseason should help the cause. While he admitted to benefiting from his stint behind Rodgers, that time was also shared with the built-in distraction that Love would eventually replace one of the most celebrated players in franchise history, and the timing of that promotion felt perpetually fluid. Advertisement Then last season, Love missed the start of training camp while finalizing his four-year, $220 million extension, which is still tied for the second biggest deal in league history in terms of average annual value. Love ended 2023 on a torrid stretch to set up the groundbreaking pact, but the deal was attached to the projection of where Love was heading more than what he'd already proven. That type of deal comes with pressure. Then came the injuries in Week 1 and Week 8, both of which severely limited his mobility throughout the season, so he had to be judicious while trying to extend plays. For instance, if a defense showed a two-high safety look that would be conducive to a QB keeper to move the chains, Love ignored the variable more often than not because his legs didn't have the juice to reach the marker. LaFleur said Love has already run more in this training camp than all of last season, so he should be more dynamic soon. Love had to manage his practice workload to rehab the knee and groin injuries. As LaFleur noted, young players short on game experience need those practice reps, not just to refine their fundamentals but to get comfortable with that week's game plan. It's near impossible for a young player to perform at his highest level when injuries cast a seven-day cloud over the workweek. 'It's never going to be as nice as it would be to be 100 percent healthy, but that's the price of doing business in the NFL,' Love said. 'It was tough battling through that, then obviously the groin injury didn't make things any better. It was tough. It was frustrating. 'It limited some aspects of my game, but I feel for the most part I was still able to go out there and be a pocket passer and perform as best as I could. It affected some of the off-schedule plays and me running the ball a little bit.' Advertisement For his part, Love spent the offseason working with his longtime quarterback coach Steve Calhoun; they focused heavily on his footwork and balance in the pocket. Love has aimed to maintain his base during a variety of throws, and the goal is to keep his movement as consistent as possible amid the chaos around him, whether he's dancing around the pocket or darting away to extend a play. LaFleur already thought Love had high-end traits when it comes to manipulating protections and avoiding sacks, so the combination of added work and healthier legs should yield a boost. The hope is that improved footwork also will lead to a bump in his accuracy. He completed 63.1 percent of his passes last season, which dropped a point from 2023 and ranked 20th among 28 QBs who attempted at least 200 passes. Though the Packers were among the worst in the league in drops, Love suggested better throws would be easier for his receivers to catch. The interceptions are tangentially related to that, as well. He's thrown 11 during each of his two seasons as the starter — not an egregious amount in totality, but there's been some streakiness. Love threw 10 interceptions in 2023 over a seven-game stretch, and he threw all 11 during his first eight starts of 2024. He's been picked off five times in his two playoff defeats. 'At the end of the day, the No. 1 job of the quarterback is to protect the ball,' Love said. 'But at the same time, you've got to find that balance of taking those risks and maybe fitting them in tight windows, because that's the league. Not everybody is going to be wide open. 'The big thing is trying to protect the ball as much as possible, not putting the ball in harm's way but still having the confidence to make the risky throws.' In each of his two seasons as a starter, Love rebounded from so-so starts to play at an MVP-level down the stretch, with a particularly scorching span in 2023 (18-1 TD-INT ratio from Weeks 11-18) that surely motivated the Packers to lock in his new contract. LaFleur and the Packers have always been encouraged by Love's ability to get over a bad play or stretch. Advertisement 'He obviously has a lot of talent and a lot of the characteristics in terms of the mental makeup of what I think is so critical to guys being successful in this league,' LaFleur said. 'He never allows one moment to affect the next. He has an uncanny ability to stay so even-keeled.' Those are the traits of a franchise leader who is driven to take his game to a higher level. He ranked in the top seven of The Athletic's QB Stock Report in 2024 from Week 7 through the end of the season, holding steady at No. 6 from Week 13. So he's been knocking on the door of a top tier that's featured Mahomes, Allen, Jackson and Joe Burrow. Now, Love needs to find a way to break through. A healthy season will go a long way in helping him reach that goal, as will a strong supporting cast. If history has proven anything, it's that young quarterbacks need help from every corner of the organization to thrive with any level of consistency. These Packers, as currently constructed, are still relatively unproven on the playoff stage. However, their makeup is intriguing, and it has to start with Love, who has commanded more ownership of LaFleur's offense with each season. 'His ceiling, it's all dependent on team success,' LaFleur said. 'That's how all quarterbacks are judged. They're judged on Super Bowls and winning, and they're going to get too much credit when you do well and too much blame when you don't.' Love is comfortable with those expectations. At any turn around Lambeau Field, Love could find himself on Bart Starr Drive or Brett Favre Pass. If he plays long enough, he'll probably also stroll through some variation of a Rodgers Way. 'There are always expectations for the team, for the quarterback, just where we're at being a Packer,' Love said. 'There are expectations to go out there and win the NFC North, win a Super Bowl. Those are all things we're trying to do.' Beyond that? That all depends on what he does with his opportunity. Love has a chance to prove he belongs among the league's best. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
