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New York Times
32 minutes ago
- New York Times
Will Josh Allen play in preseason? Bills takeaways from joint practice with Bears
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Buffalo Bills knew what they were getting into as they arrived at Halas Hall on Friday. These types of practices usually provide chippiness, and one week prior, the Chicago Bears hosted the Miami Dolphins for a joint practice. Bills head coach Sean McDermott said he broached the topic with his team ahead of the session. Advertisement 'We talked about it a little bit. Really nothing specific other than we're coming out here with a purpose,' he said. 'It's for us to grow a little bit closer as a team and also for us to take another step as it relates to on the field as a team. It's a physical sport. It's going to be physical. From what I hear, it was rather physical against the Dolphins when they were out here. And so I would say that we should probably expect the same.' The expectation was the reality. Throughout the practice, there were several instances of after-whistle activity. Sometimes, a block was held a bit too long for someone's liking. Other times, there were borderline late hits, and then wars of words led to physical escalation. In the end, neither the Bills nor the Bears suffered any injuries from the post-whistle activity, as both teams now prepare for a doubleheader with their preseason matchup at Soldier Field on Sunday night. What stood out from the practice, and how does it relate to the Bills' roster decisions? Here are several pertinent notes from Friday. One of the biggest topics of conversation each preseason is how much the Bills intend to play star quarterback Josh Allen. McDermott has usually favored getting Allen work in a game, but the joint practice with the Bears presented an excellent opportunity for him to work with many of the receivers he'll throw to during the season, except Khalil Shakir, who is dealing with a high-ankle sprain. McDermott was asked before practice if he would like Allen to get game reps — whether Sunday against the Bears or next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 'I would love to, if you could put him in a bubble (and) guarantee me that he wasn't going to get hurt,' McDermott said. 'For every player, you'd love to be able to say, 'Hey, let's get out there and let's play three good games, and we'll ramp you up each game and so on and so forth.' It's just really hard to say that. Advertisement 'So in Josh's case, really using practice to see where he's at and how he feels. And I'm giving him some ownership as well, which I think is important. He knows by now what he needs in order to be ready. Then this other piece over here is his time with healthy receivers. I think that's probably kind of that next chapter of the book right now.' Given the controlled atmosphere of a joint practice, facing another team's defense with a quick whistle to end the play, there was a chance that if McDermott saw what he needed to see from Allen on Friday, Allen might stay on the sidelines for all three preseason games. The coach didn't entrust anyone other than himself to ensure Allen's safety, as he was firmly planted on the quarterback's field, with a whistle in hand, at all times. It wasn't an outstanding start for Allen in seven-on-sevens, as he threw an interception, but he looked much sharper in team drills. In 11-on-11 work, Allen completed 14 of 20 passes not negated by a penalty. He had two touchdown passes in a red zone drill, then threw a pretty ball deep down the field to the front corner of the end zone to Keon Coleman for a touchdown. In team drills, Allen connected with Joshua Palmer on three passes, Elijah Moore on three, Coleman on two, tight end Dalton Kincaid on two and Dawson Knox on two, while running backs Ray Davis and Ty Johnson had one each. The four receivers who lined up most with Allen throughout team drills were Coleman, Palmer, Moore and Tyrell Shavers. Allen's rapport with Palmer, Coleman, Moore and Kincaid might be the most meaningful in McDermott's decision. Allen completed all but three passes to that group during team drills, and one was a drop by Kincaid. McDermott will need to review the film and talk it over with the staff, but Friday's work might be enough to satisfy McDermott, along with practice next week, to keep Allen out of harm's way until Week 1. Advertisement With the cut deadline on Aug. 26, the time to make final impressions is now for many players trying to make the 53-man roster. Previously, we pointed out how the wide receiver room appears wide open past the first three spots. That includes Curtis Samuel, the team's oft-injured No. 4 wide receiver in 2024, who has not participated in a complete practice since the second day of training camp. We outlined why he might be on the roster bubble. He began the third practice July 25, hurt his hamstring and has not been a full participant since. He has yet to take a single rep in team drills in full pads. The good news for him, though, is Samuel returned to practice Friday for the first time since suffering the hamstring injury. He went through positional drills early in practice, but he did not take a single rep in seven-on-seven, 11-on-11 or special teams. Samuel was limited with an exclamation point. Even with his return, this could be a clear case of falling too far behind the rest of the group. McDermott had some pointed comments when asked about Samuel. 'You know he's been out really most of camp, so the urgency needs to be there for all these guys, and Curtis is no different,' McDermott said before practice. 'We need to see how he fits into our offense this year. Availability is important, as well as special teams. When you're not wide receiver No. 1, that's true of everyone.' A few things could put Samuel in trouble at the final cutdown. The first is uncertainty about how he fits in the Bills' offense this year, because, frankly, they have no idea right now. He ended the 2024 season strong, and there was some offseason optimism, but missing most of training camp for a second straight year due to injury has likely frustrated the Bills. Meanwhile, Moore, Shavers and others have been on a clear upward trajectory since Samuel's injury stint began. The second, is McDermott's availability comment. Samuel has had a difficult time being available. It's the same conversation the Bills probably had about linebacker Baylon Spector, who was waived with an injury settlement last week. The team needs players it can depend on to be available when it matters most. Even though Samuel played in 14 games last year, his injury definitely limited how much they could use him. Lastly, the special teams comment. That was perhaps McDermott's most pointed statement. When the Bills signed Samuel in the 2024 offseason, they saw him as someone who could be one of their top three receivers. By the end of the year, he was somewhere between fourth and fifth. Now with three clearly ahead of him in Coleman, Palmer and Shakir, and Moore looking like he's become really dependable, Samuel might be looking at fifth at best. He also does not play special teams, making McDermott's comments land even harder. Advertisement Shavers can play special teams, even if he's not asked to do a ton of it. He also plays all three receiver positions, whereas Samuel is best suited to one, with some occasional work in the slot. However, Moore is a better fit at slot receiver than Samuel. On top of it all, the Bills' cap situation changed after the James Cook contract. The deal opened up around $2.5 million of cap space this year, which allows them to make whatever roster decisions they would like, rather than having their hand forced by a situation such as Samuel's contract. Samuel's $6.9 million base salary is guaranteed, but because we're beyond June 1, any remaining dead cap would carry over to next season if he's released. Replacing Samuel's deal with Shavers would add just over $500,000 to the cap, which the Bills could pretty easily clear with a couple of other moves. Samuel looks like he's, at best, No. 5 on the depth chart and has a lot of work to do, with only a few practices remaining to prove he would be more of an asset to the final roster than others. That includes Shavers, whom the Bills raved about, and Laviska Shenault, who has touched every special teams unit under the sun over the last two weeks in a multitude of roles. There is a clear path to the Bills moving on from Samuel at final cuts. It all depends on how next week goes. Near the conclusion of training camp practices at St. John Fisher University, fifth-round rookie defensive back Jordan Hancock spent all his time at safety. The Bills had explained it as a matter of numbers, as starters Taylor Rapp and Cole Bishop had missed time due to injuries. That carried into the first preseason game, where neither starting safety played, opening the door for an impressive full-time debut at safety by Hancock. It feels incredibly notable that during the joint practice with the Bears, Hancock remained a full-time safety despite Rapp and Bishop appearing close to returning. Hancock lined up beside Damar Hamlin for most of practice with the second unit and even subbed in on the first-team defense when the Rapp and Bishop duo needed a few rest reps. The rookie Hancock seems to have clearly passed veteran Darrick Forrest, too. Hancock has been an ascending player at safety since it recently became his default position. The Bills said this week they hadn't decided on Hancock's position, but how they used him, with everyone they had available, sure seems like a loud statement. Although it wasn't an overwhelming day for backup quarterback competitor Mitchell Trubisky in his return to Halas Hall, he saw his lead for the backup QB job grow, as Mike White struggled against the Bears in team drills. Trubisky completed 10 of 14 passes and kept the offense moving. Advertisement On the other hand, White threw an interception on his first pass attempt and followed it up by taking a sack. The interception was a big mistake, as he didn't see the zone defender in front of his intended target and put it on a silver platter for the defensive back. White didn't complete his first pass in team drills until his third set of reps. He finished the day 4 of 7 with the interception and two sacks. It wasn't a perfect day for Trubisky, though, as he fumbled a snap in team drills. Trubisky appears to be the leader in the clubhouse, and another win on Sunday over White could go a long way toward locking up the job. Did not practice: WR Khalil Shakir (ankle), OT Tylan Grable (concussion), C Sedrick Van Pran-Granger (calf), CB Maxwell Hairston (knee), NCB Cam Lewis (calf). Left practice early: DB Te'Cory Couch (hamstring), RB Darrynton Evans (hamstring). (Photo of Josh Allen, right, and Joe Brady: Bryan Bennett / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Washington Post
32 minutes ago
- Washington Post
What do Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce talk about? Now we know.
During Taylor Swift's appearance on boyfriend Travis Kelce's 'New Heights' podcast this week, she described the first time she went to one of his football games. Surrounded by a group of his very tall friends, Swift said, she just strolled through the general admission entrance at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City — a very different path than the one she'd taken a few months prior when she headlined the venue in summer 2023 on her sold-out Eras Tour. She wore a hat and a mask and no one recognized her, because why would Taylor Swift randomly be at a Kansas City Chiefs-Chicago Bears game?
Forbes
32 minutes ago
- Forbes
Why La Liga May Come To Regret Playing Games In The United States
La Liga president Javier Tebas is getting closer than ever to his long-held wish of staging a regular season match on American soil after the Royal Spanish Football Federation approved his league's most recent proposal this week. There are still several hurdles to clear before the fixture between Villareal and FC Barcelon – currently scheduled for Dec. 21 at Villareal's Estadio Ceramica – is officially moved to Miami Gardens, Florida. And as the soccer world frets over whether the relocation will ultimately get the go-ahead, and whether it represents a net positive or negative for the sport around the world, there's one question that is curiously absent: What evidence does Tebas have that playing Stateside will do La Liga more good than harm? While there is imbalance in wealth, power and competitive history in nearly every elite European soccer league, the imbalance in La Liga is more severe than most. And when you look closely at the implications of taking matches to the U.S, it's pretty clear that doing so will only increase the leverage of La Liga's two elite clubs, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, at the league's expense. Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Everyone Else Real Madrid and Barcelona are No. 1 and No. 3 in Forbes' list of top 30 most-valuable soccer clubs for 2025. Only one other La Liga club makes the cut, Atletico Madrid at No. 13. Those three top 30 clubs are fewer than England's Premier League, Italy's Serie A and even the United States' own MLS. On the field, Real Madrid (36) and Barcelona (28) have won 64 of the 94 contested Spanish league championships, or 68% all time. And historically, one of La Liga's biggest impediments to keeping pace with the Premier League in particular has been a failure to combat that imbalance more aggressively. While the creation of the Premier League as a business entity in the early 1990s widened the gap between England's first and second tiers, the even distribution of TV revenue among clubs undeniably lifted the profile of all the clubs who have managed to play the majority of their seasons in the EPL since. Take Chelsea and Manchester City, for example. All but one of Chelsea's six league titles have come in the Premier League era, as have all but two of City's 10 league-winning campaigns. Off the field, they've become nearly as recognizable globally as more historic giants like Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal, and other teams in the EPL with less on-field success have also succeeded at growing considerable global followings. Meanwhile, La Liga remains captive to its two dominant clubs even as it tries to take baby steps toward a more equitable dynamic. Until a decade ago, every La Liga club negotiated its own TV agreement, leading to enormous revenue disparities. And even now that the league sells its rights collectively, it still funnels the most revenue to its biggest teams as a concession. Yet Tebas' desire to play games on American soil is exactly the kind of endeavor that makes two-club domination harder to escape. Giving Away Leverage La Liga isn't as popular on U.S. TV as the Premier League, Liga MX, the Champions League or even MLS. And the only way La Liga games are commercially viable at the box office in the U.S. is if Real Madrid or Barcelona are playing. There simply aren't significant fanbases of other La Liga teams in North America – even among Spanish speaking fans – like there are of lesser-accomplished English teams like Crystal Palace, Fulham, Aston Villa, Everton, Newcastle and so on. And if the idea of playing games on U.S. soil becomes a bigger part of La Liga's strategy, you can bet Barca and Real Madrid will demand far greater concessions than they currently receive. Already, media reports suggest it's Barcelona who will earn the majority of the revenue from a match in the U.S. that was a scheduled away fixture, estimated between $5.8 and $7 million. Then there's the likelihood La Liga's move becomes a watershed event, making it easier for other leagues to justify taking their games global. If the Premier League or Liga MX – the leagues with the most robust U.S. fan presence – follow such an example, they'll probably have more success than La Liga in the endeavor. The end result could be the gap between the EPL and La Liga actually widening. What the FIFA Club World Cup should've made clear is that American fans will no longer attend major soccer events simply out of curiosity. They have more choices than ever on TV, and what they want to see in person will mirror their viewing habits. In trying to stage games on American soil, La Liga is trying to run before it can walk. If it doesn't solve its competitive and financial balance problems first, the Land of Opportunity is likely to become its Land of Disappointment.
