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Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Are Caleb Williams concerns real or overblown?
Yahoo Sports' Jason Fitz, senior NFL reporter Charles Robinson and senior NFL writer Frank Schwab discuss the reports of the second year quarterback being pulled from a training camp practice by new head coach Ben Johnson and whether the practice of counting interceptions or incompletions during training camp is a reliable measure of a signal caller's success at this point of the season. Hear the full conversation on 'Inside Coverage' - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen. View more Video Transcript Alyssa Barbieri Bears, to quote, this is her tweet. The first day was littered with pre-snap issues, including the offense lining up incorrectly consecutive times during 7 on 7, which prompted head coach Ben Johnson to yell, You're out, and pull them out of the drill. The second day featured issues with false starts and bad snaps, with the 3rd day featuring back to back interceptions by Caleb Williams and the defense bringing the pressure. I was freaking out. I don't know. See, Rob, Ben Johnson came out and said, hey, we're rebuilding this whole thing from scratch, right? Like everything he knew last year doesn't matter. We're rebuilding it. How patient should everybody be looking at Bears' camp when you see this, these, these, I mean, you're the one that's out on all these training camps. Like, should we be freaking out about quarterbacks playing like dog poop in the middle of training camp? Well, first off, like, I remember J.J. Watt being on the Houston Texans roster when people were counting Brock Osweiler interceptions in, in training camp. And Bill O'Brien was freaking out on reporters, like lighting up reporters about counting interceptions in practice. Like, just went off, right? About how stupid it was, you know, this is the time to make mistakes and, you know, uh, this is meaningless right now, and you're killing this kid, he's gonna, he's not gonna have an opportunity to succeed. You're already undercutting him. And then Brock Osweiler was what he was when the regular season rolled out, and J.J. Watt was on that roster. So I, I don't, it's not the first time people have counted, um, you know, things that are going on in, in training camp. That's been going on for a long time now. You know, I'd argue, look, the last 20 years, if not longer, we paid a lot of attention to how people are performing in training camp. That said, I do get it, like this whole idea of like counting completions versus incompletions, but one thing that I do think is translatable is can you run the offense? Can you run it with speed? Can you spit out a play in the huddle? Um, are you taking too long? Like, uh, you know, the coaches, what they prize right now before I think you even get into the completions or incompletions of the decisions you make. Can you break the huddle in time to get a playoff? Can you get guys in the right play, um, at the snap? You have to have the fundamental foundation down first, and if you don't, that's gonna be a problem. And I remember, look, Sean Payton, watching Sean Payton go through that, um, you know, with, with Russell Wilson, you know, you know, coming through Broncos camp and, you know, him being frustrated at times like Bo Nicks being a rookie and, and needing to get some of those staple things down early on in training camp. Can it be overcome? Yeah, absolutely. And I would remind people what was Jared Goff's record, his first 11 games under Ben Johnson in Detroit. He was 0-10 and 1. OK. Like it didn't get off to a great start with Jared Goff in Detroit, um, and then when it rounded the corner, it rounded the corner in a really big way. I would say that Johnson runs, you know, a, a complicated offense. There's a lot of stuff that goes into this. There are a lot of different looks. There's a lot of different variations. Um, you know, Kayleb Williams is probably gonna be swimming a little bit, and that's just what you're gonna have to deal with right now. Do I think it's, um, reason for people to absolutely panic and go, Caleb's a bust, you know, uh, the, the worst version of him that we saw in, in, in 2024 is really ultimately what he's going to be. I don't think we're there yet. You know, but, uh, if this is something that continues on, uh, late into training camp, I would say, do you feel like maybe it's gonna be a little bit more of a roller coaster at the beginning for the Bears than maybe we initially thought? Sure, I can get with that. But Frank, you and I have seen over the years, we've seen players with roller coaster beginnings, and it flattens out and it turns a corner, and I would even argue. And I would ask you this, don't you think that's what you're gonna get from Ben Johnson? You're gonna get Kayleb Williams, who's gonna get pressed by a guy who expects perfection on an offense and just came from a situation in Detroit where he had a high-level veteran who could run everything he wanted. He could be asked to run different looks and, you know, Jared Goff is deep into his career as a veteran and could handle everything thrown at him. This is now the transition where Ben Johnson's dealing with a second-year player, and it might not be the case. Close
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Offensive tweaks, Marvin Harrison Jr. growth makes 2025 Kyler Murray's last make-or-break season
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Entering Year 7, the descriptors for the next phase of the Kyler Murray experience have been exhausted. A referendum on his future. A make-or-break season. A turning point. A watershed moment. For three straight training camps under the current Arizona Cardinals regime, this language setting up a breakthrough or breakdown has gone on and on. Each version related to something that had supposedly changed in the Murray matrix. Maybe he was healthier than ever. Maybe his confidence was at an all-time high or some of the pieces around him had been improved. Perhaps he'd spent more time in the facility during the offseason, getting stronger or wiser or more sharp with his study and workout habits. Whatever the developments, the underlying theme was always consistently suggestive: The best Kyler Murray? It was the next Kyler Murray. But turning 28 next month and longing for the next level of his game, there seems to be a reality settling into place when it comes to Murray's development. It suggests the 2025 season is not so much about dreaming of the considerable ceiling that has never been consistently reached, but more about raising his floor to the point the franchise can methodically win games around him — rather than a continual press to win primarily through him. 'There's always going to be those highs,' Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort said of Murray. 'What we've got to do is hopefully eliminate those lows. … If he plays at the level where we can eliminate some of those lows, we can win with him. I don't think it's realistic to say that those exceptional games — we can't just constantly expect them. What we've tried to do is put a complete team around him, which I don't know that he's ever had that. If we can put a complete team around him, we can win and we can go to the playoffs.' [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] That 'complete team' concept shouldn't be interpreted as 'complete offense.' Largely because the Cardinals made the decision to lean into the discipline of their draft and pro personnel evaluations this past offseason and commit to additions that only fit with the culture and team design that Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon have been meticulously following in each of their offseasons. The result: Despite wanting to add more pieces around Murray, they stuck to their draft board and plucked six defensive players among their seven picks, with the lone selection on offense being guard Hayden Conner in the sixth round. Free agency produced much of the same, with four of Arizona's top five total value free agency deals yielding defensive signings — and the lone top-five offensive signing being backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Naturally, that led to some groaning in the fan base — which has had a front-row seat to: An offensive line that is still trying to find its way; a wide receiving corps that has a developing No. 1 in Marvin Harrison Jr. but still lacks a high-end No. 2; depth and high-end starters at running back and tight end. And in the middle of it all, a quarterback in Murray who is still struggling to find week-to-week consistency. The upside to how the plan has come together for the Cardinals is that they are fiscally one of the strongest teams in the league when it comes to salary cap health. There's virtually no dead money on Arizona's cap in 2025 and there should be surplus cap space to roll into the 2026 season, barring forthcoming contract extensions. Not to mention the reality that defensively, the Cardinals have invested in their front line in a manner that is strikingly similar to the Philadelphia Eagles — which is suggestive that Gannon is inching closer to operating the type of hyper physical scheme that helped him reach a Super Bowl as Eagles defensive coordinator in the 2022 season. This is good news for Cardinals fans. Gannon and Ossenfort said three years ago that Arizona would be built with a brand of meaningful patience that has — at times — been uncommon for the franchise and owner Michael Bidwill. There haven't been embarrassments or scandals inside the coaching staff or front office, and there aren't knee-jerk decisions from ownership that steered the team away from a blueprint that Gannon and Ossenfort believed in. But some brands of dedication have consequences, and for the Cardinals it means the team has followed a road that has put defensive additions on the front burner. That has left the offense returning the same cast of players from 2024, hoping to find its growth from within this offseason. 'I need to coach a little better and we need to have young guys that we brought in here because of their fit — we need them to take a little bit of a step up,' offensive coordinator Drew Petzing said. 'That's the big thing. Where is that going to come from? … Quarterback, tight end, running back, we feel phenomenal.' Of course, much of the headlines have come from Harrison reporting to camp at a rocked 220 pounds, giving him better strength to attack the football at the catch point. Harrison has also been working to become a better technician at the top of his routes, where many wideouts with adequate speed — but not elite speed — tend to create space. Beyond Harrison, Petzing is hoping that backup running back Trey Benson can carve out a bigger role for himself, particularly on third down when he can factor into the passing game in a way that differentiates his skills from starter James Conner. And on the tight end front, there will be an emphasis to expand some of the opportunities for Trey McBride in the red zone, potentially elevating his overall receiving profile to being a 1B option to Harrison's 1A role. Even if that kind of growth is achieved, there's no getting away from Murray being center mass when it comes to where the offense is going in 2025. To that end, the Cardinals are planning on implementing some scheme tweaks that involve slide protections with an emphasis on shoring up how the middle of the offensive line protects the quarterback — largely in hopes of eliminating the inside pressure that Murray has struggled with in the past. Arizona will also continue to lean into moving the pocket in different ways, allowing Murray to get outside of the tackle box at times to throw. When you sift these efforts, the granular goal becomes clear for Arizona this season. Some of it is to find out whether scheme and talent can help Murray find a much-needed improved level of consistency, and some of it is to determine if Year 7 in his development (or lack thereof) leaves the franchise brain trust considering change at the position. What's clear is the 2024 version of Murray can't be the ceiling. Last season saw Murray throw seven of his 21 touchdown passes in just two games of what was, looking back, undermanned competition — Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams and Week 18 against the San Francisco 49ers. Those two games, along with a Week 10 game against the New York Jets and a superb second half against the Miami Dolphins in Week 8, were his highlight moments. Beyond that, the vast remainder of his season was marked by a roller coaster-style of play that ended up undermining the Cardinals and coupling a 6-4 start with a 2-5 finish. All along the way, Murray's inconsistency was highlighted through turnovers and bad decisions. Other times, it was general inaccuracy or what appeared to be chemistry issues with Harrison and not being able to utilize McBride in the red zone more often. At times, some of it was exacerbated by injuries in the backfield. Often, the offensive line failed to hold up for a litany of reasons. But some or all of it manifested in Murray making miscues at costly moments and the Cardinals often failing to recover. 'It's just finding the balance of — [Kyler] can hit the driver, he can hit a 4-iron off the tee, he make birdie or pars with the driver, he can make pars with the 4-iron,' Gannon said. 'It's knowing when he has to pick the spot, because you can make a bogey or a double with the driver, too. It's such a corny analogy, but it's true. He has to have the wherewithal to know, this is the time to pull the driver, this is the time to pull the 4-iron. I think he will take a step there.' Finding the right club will be paramount this season, even with an offense that returns the same players from last season's edition. Whether it's through the aggregate of young players growing or Murray having some kind of breakthrough — or the defense carrying Arizona on its shoulders — the Murray Matrix has to change in 2025. And if it doesn't? What he is in Year 7 is simply what he is.
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Should players prioritize their national team or club team?
Yahoo Sports contributors Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros are joined by USMNT & MLS legend Landon Donovan who weighs in on players' decisions on when to take breaks with their respective national and club teams, specifically highlighting Christian Pulisic's decision to not play in the Gold Cup. Hear the full conversation on the 'The Cooligans' podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen. View more Video Transcript One of the narratives that involved you a little bit was, during the Gold Cup, uh, as we learned more about it and we started to see that, Christian Ballistic and Marissa Postino weren't necessarily seeing eye to eye about Christian Ballistics absence from the team during the Gold Cup, and a lot of times people used your, you know, uh, sabbatical and, time away from the national team as a reference point to that. It feels like those were a very different set of circumstances. Did that upset you at all? Did that piss you off?, No, it doesn't piss me off. And just to be clear, by the way, I like Christian. I'm giving my opinion based on all the years that I have played, right? And what I think. It is best for a national team player and one of the leaders or some of the leaders of the team. It doesn't mean it's right, it doesn't mean people have to like it. Um, to be very clear vis a vis Christian. I am never, ah, critiquing him taking a break, he's played a lot of soccer in the last few years. My critique is. Who he chose to take the break from, and the same with Jedi Robinson. They both at the end of their seasons with Fulham and AC Milan respectively, could have taken the last 2 or 3 weeks off when their team was not going up, not going down, had nothing to play for. Instead, they chose to keep playing. And then take 3 or 4 weeks off during the summer with their national team. So my, my beef was not with them taking a break. They all deserve a break. It's that they didn't prioritize their national team a year in front of a, a year ahead of a World Cup at home. And I would not have done that. I did not agree with that, and I'm going to say that now, if there is more context or something I am missing here or there's a mental health issue or some issue in the family or something going on, I will say I was wrong. I will say I take it back. But guess what, that never happened, right? So they just wanted to take a break and they prioritize their club teams over their national team. That's fine, that's their choice, that's their decision. I would not have done that. Close
