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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Texans HC DeMeco Ryans sees offensive line 'coming into form'
Don't look now, but the Houston Texans might have their starting offensive line for the regular season. Following Saturday's practice at the Methodist Training Center, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said the starting line is coming into form with players separating themselves from the pack. What does this mean? In short, expect the starting five you've seen at practice over the past few days to be the starting five when Houston takes on Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 7. 'When we put the pads on, you see guys start to move ahead of other guys a little bit,' Ryans said. 'We'll still evaluate those guys and see how the games go, but I'm pleased with where we are now.' Since the Texans put on the pads, the Texans have featured three of the five same offensive linemen every practice: Cam Robinson at left tackle, Tytus Howard at right guard and Aireontae Ersery at right tackle. Jake Andrews and Jarrett Patterson have been rotating at center with the first team, while Jaylon Thomas and Laken Tomlinson have been seeing a majority of reps at left guard. Right now, Tomlinson is the favorite to start at left guard, so the only real battle seems to be at center. Andrews, who has experience working with new offensive line coach Cole Popovich in college, saw most of the first-team reps on Saturday. 'I think it helps when you have continuity and you're working besides the same guy for however many reps you're going through in practice,' Ryans said. 'It helps with communication, it helps speed up things.' Ersery, the Texans' second-round pick out of Minnesota, might be the biggest surprise heading into the team's road trip over to The Greenbrier. It's not because Houston didn't expect him to be a focal point of the offense, but rather many figured 2024 second-round pick Blake Fisher would be a surefire to start during training camp. Right now, the former Notre Dame product has been locked in at right tackle with the 2s most of camp. "The thing we're working on with Blake is pad level," Ryans said earlier this offseason. "Can he work with good pad level, work with good knee bend and be in a great position to protect?" Ersey, who spent his last three seasons with the Golden Gophers at left tackle, is learning a new position while trying to protect his quarterback against an All-Pro talent like Danielle Hunter. It's been challenging, but he feels like he's getting up to speed, moving from the left to the right. 'I am more natural on the left; I have played left for longer. But it is like riding a bike, once you get on it you just keep pedaling," Ersery said. "It is not that hard." The Texans will face off against the Minnesota Vikings at US Bank Stadium on Saturday. This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans HC DeMeco Ryans sees offensive line 'coming into form'
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
VIDEO: Mason Greenwood continues red-hot form with yet another pre-season goal for Marseille against Sevilla
Greenwood firing on all cylinders Scored the only goal for his team vs Sevilla Has six strikes to his name in pre-season fixtures Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 WHAT HAPPENED? Greenwood has hit the ground running this pre-season, building serious momentum ahead of the new Ligue 1 season. He announced his return in spectacular fashion with a blistering 11-minute hat-trick against Dutch lower-league side Excelsior Maassluis, a performance that immediately reignited the buzz around him. THE BIGGER PICTURE Greenwood kept the goals coming with another strike in a draw against Belgian club OC Charleroi, showcasing sharpness and clinical finishing that made him such a highly-rated talent during his early Manchester United days. The goal against Sevilla marked Greenwood's sixth of the summer, as he continues to stake his claim as one of Europe's most dangerous attacking threats ahead of the 2025–26 campaign. Marseille fans were back in the stands just weeks after celebrating the club's return to the UEFA Champions League, and Greenwood ensured the optimism continued to grow. WATCH THE CLIP DID YOU KNOW? In another key moment from the friendly clash, Marseille supporters were treated to the return of a familiar face, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The former Arsenal striker, who rejoined the club earlier this week after a stint in Saudi Arabia, was introduced in the 70th minute to a warm reception. Despite his time away from top-tier European football, the 35-year-old forward wasted no time reminding fans of his blistering speed and attacking instincts. Aubameyang looked sharp during his cameo, making several threatening runs and linking up well with his new teammates, suggesting he could still be a vital cog in the squad. 7 WHAT NEXT? While Greenwood continues to focus on his performances, speculation regarding his future refuses to go away. The England international has reportedly attracted the attention of several high-profile clubs across Europe, and even some suitors from the ambitious Saudi Pro League. Despite the external noise, Marseille remain firm in their stance; the club has no intention of offloading their star forward. With Greenwood wearing the No.10 shirt and emerging as a talismanic figure at the Vélodrome, the club's management is keen to keep him central to their plans for the coming season.
Associated Press
4 hours ago
- Associated Press
Ricky Pearsall's journey from gunshot wound to 49ers' key receiver
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Ricky Pearsall's rookie season for the San Francisco 49ers never really got off the ground. Nagging injuries kept him out of almost all of training camp and then he was shot in the chest during a robbery attempt by a 17-year-old in San Francisco about a week before the start of the season Pearsall survived the shooting and made it back on the field for the final 11 games, but wasn't able to truly show why he was picked in the first round by the Niners. 'I just felt like I was behind the eight ball,' Pearsall said. 'I like to say that I rolled out of bed and started running routes because I damn near did. You can't really rehab a gunshot wound. So I basically rolled out of bed and started running routes in Week 7. ... From that Week 7 and on, that was my training camp. Those practices in between, before the games, that was my training camp, for me.' Pearsall made an immediate impact after getting back on the field and had a 46-yard TD catch in a Week 9 win at Tampa Bay. He then caught only two passes over the next five games as he struggled to become a consistent part of the offense. Pearsall thought he was still getting open during that stretch yet just didn't get the ball that way, but it isn't so simple in San Francisco's complex offense based so heavily on timing. Sometimes he would make an extra move to get off press coverage at the line or take an extra step to open down the field, but it was too late for quarterback Brock Purdy. 'We had a couple of those moments and there were times where he took it a little deeper and then broke open.' Purdy said. 'He was like, 'dude I was open.' I said in the timing of the play, I needed it quicker. So, we had moments like that, and that's part of getting to the NFL. ... I think toward the end of the last season, you saw Ricky come out his shell, he was playing within our system and timing.' That was evident in the final two games when Pearsall had 14 catches for 210 yards and two TDs in a confidence-building finish to an otherwise difficult rookie season. Pearsall's late-season surge provided a rare bright spot at the end of a disappointing six-win season for the 49ers. His role is much more important in 2025 with Deebo Samuel having been traded to Washington in the offseason and Brandon Aiyuk expected to miss the start of the season recovering from knee surgery. San Francisco has few proven options at receiver with free agent acquisition Demarcus Robinson facing a possible suspension for a DUI arrest. Last year's leading wideout Jauan Jennings' status also is unknown as he is currently sidelined by a calf injury. Pearsall has carried over that performance to training camp where he has been San Francisco's best receiver since he returned from a hamstring injury. 'To be honest, I'm approaching it the same exact way,' Pearsall said. 'Whether those guys are in the room or not, that's just how I look at myself. I just got to be able to step in that role. That's just how I look at it. I look at myself as being able to be a guy that goes out there and makes plays. Whether they're there or not, that's how I look at myself.' The aftermath of the shooting is something that Pearsall is still dealing with 11 months later even if physically he is healthy once again. He has expressed an interest in talking to the 17-year-old charged in his shooting, but is focused first on getting himself right. 'Unfortunately, I revisit that every single night I go to bed,' he said. 'I kind of just carry that with me. Now it's not as much as avoiding it and whether or revisiting it or not revisiting it. It's more about how I deal with it and the light I put on it. It's more a positive light and things I can get out of that, to try to inspire other people. As far as my own personal stuff, I've been doing a better job dealing with it, myself.' ___ AP NFL:
