Trevor Lawrence not pleased with Jaguars mental errors, mistakes in training camp
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Washington is hoping to take a step forward in the Huskies' second Big Ten season
SEATTLE (AP) — Getting some strong quarterback play out of Demond Williams Jr. would go a long way as Washington looks to improve upon the 6-7 record it posted in its first Big Ten season. Williams, who appeared in 13 games for the Huskies as a freshman and completed over 78% of his passes, drew praise from first-year offensive coordinator Jimmie Dougherty at the beginning of fall practice, not just for his passing abilities, but also his attention to detail. 'Demond only had one interception on over 100 attempts,' Dougherty told reporters in July. 'If we can keep that ratio going, we're going to do a lot of good things in the passing game.' During head coach Jedd Fisch's first year at the helm, Washington did a solid job airing it out even before Williams took over for the final two games of the season. The Huskies ranked 32nd among FBS teams in passing yards per game (261.7), but struggled to consistently establish a run game. Washington running backs combined for 128.8 yards per contest, good for 100th in the country, though Jonah Coleman was a steady contributor by rushing for 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns. With Williams and Coleman back in Seattle, as well as wide receiver Denzel Boston, who had 63 catches for 834 receiving yards in 2024, the Huskies have a trio of offensive weapons that can stack up with plenty of others in the conference. But, as Fisch noted, competition will be stiff in a conference that produced four College Football Playoff teams a year ago. 'We have a really, really good conference with really, really good coaches,' Fisch said. 'We have really good teams. We have a lot of big-name programs that have spent years and years building up rosters, coaching staffs, facilities, fan base, etc., to be able to prepare themselves to play in the Big Ten.' Shutdown secondary The Huskies will be hard-pressed to do much better in the secondary than they did in 2024, when they ranked second in the country with the fewest passing yards allowed per game. Washington returns cornerback Ephesians Prysock and has added fellow 6-foot-4 cornerback Tacario Davis to the mix. 'Obviously having 6-4 corners is something that not a lot of NFL teams can say,' first-year defensive coordinator Ryan Walters said. 'So, it allows you to be aggressive at the line of scrimmage. And, hopefully, those guys can make it hard for those guys on the outside.' Slotting in While Boston returning for a fourth season bodes well for the Huskies' passing game, questions persist about who will most frequently line up at slot receiver. Following Washington's final open practice of fall camp, Fisch sang the praises of freshman Braiden Vines-Bright, as well as Kevin Green Jr., who missed last year due to injury, and Penn State transfer Omari Evans. Left guard up for grabs From Fisch's perspective, it's an ongoing competition between John Mills and Paki Finau to see who will start at left guard for Washington in 2025. Finau, a redshirt freshman, and Mills, a freshman, don't bring much experience to the table, but both were highly regarded recruits. 'Those two guys continue to battle it out,' Fisch said. '...I would expect alternating in some regard. But, really good job by Mills stepping in as a true freshman, and Paki keeps getting better.' The schedule The Huskies open at home against Colorado State on Aug. 30 and visit rival Washington State on Sept. 20. Washington's first conference game comes at Husky Stadium against Ohio State on Sept. 27. The Huskies' longest road trip is Oct. 4 at Maryland. Washington also travels to Michigan on Oct. 18 and Wisconsin on Nov. 8. The Huskies conclude their season at home against rival Oregon on Nov. 29. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
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Myles Garrett avoids speeding ticket questions, focuses on Browns defense
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Myles Garrett was expected to become a more vocal leader for the Cleveland Browns after signing a four-year contract extension worth $204.8 million in March. However, Garrett was quiet in his first comments since picking up his eighth speeding ticket since being drafted by the Browns in 2017. 'I'd honestly rather talk about football and this team than anything I'm doing off field other than the back to school event that I did the other day,' Garrett said on Wednesday. Garrett was asked a couple of other times about being cited for driving a Ferrari 100 mph on a suburban Cleveland interstate on Aug. 9. It got contentious when the All-Pro defensive end was asked what kind of leadership it showed to be pulled over for speeding shortly after the Browns came back from a road game. 'I've answered it two different times. I'm going to need you to ask a different question so I can focus on this team and not, you know, this headline you're trying to get out of these questions you're asking,' Garrett said. In 2022, Garrett flipped his Porsche when he veered off a rural road near his home following practice. He suffered a sprained shoulder, strained biceps, cuts and bruises in the wreck and was cited for failure to control his vehicle and unsafe speed. He missed one game because of the accident. When it comes to on-field matters, Garrett said he has noticed he has more leeway and a platform to lead during this training camp. That has included conversations with the coaching staff about the flow of the day's practices and what is being accomplished. Garrett also noted the changes have been more self driven instead of coming from coaches or ownership. 'I've heard that from multiple accounts with some players and coaches about the bit of a style change I've had of this year and being a bit more minute with the attention I give and the details that I bring, making sure the guys are bringing that same detail to the game and everybody being on the same page,' he said. "It's going to go as far as I want it to go and we're only strong as the weakest link. I feel like I've got to continue to improve and find a way to elevate my teammates, not just myself.' Despite Cleveland going 3-14 last season, Garrett had 14 sacks and finished third in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting. He also became the first player since sacks became an official statistic in 1982 to have four straight seasons with at least 14. Garrett's main focus is trying to get the Browns defense back on track. Cleveland had the league's stingiest unit in 2023, allowing only 270.2 yards per game but was 19th last season at 342.1 ypg. 'I think there were lapses in focus and discipline when we needed to be sharper," he said. "Whether that was in here or on the field. I think that it kind of leaks out. How you are every day is how you are when you need to be that person. I think how we've tightened up the ship and we've sharpened everything, I think we'll continue to get better, and we'll show not only glimpses but that we were and are that 2023 team.' Garrett and the rest of the starters are expected to see a couple of series in Saturday's preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams. He didn't play in the first two games after taking part in the joint workouts against the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles. ___ AP NFL:
Yahoo
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Cam Ward: Scuffle with Jeffery Simmons was fun, what we needed
Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons wasn't interested in talking about his brief scuffle with quarterback Cam Ward at practice earlier this week, but Ward didn't seem to have any trouble talking about it on Wednesday. Ward threw a touchdown in practice and then shoved Simmons before breaking out his "Zombieland" celebration. Simmons responded by shoving Ward and members of the offensive line came to the quarterback's defense. Reporters on the Titans beat noted that the two players have done a lot of talking in practices this summer. Ward said Simmons told him that would be the case at Titans minicamp and that Simmons is "the first one that come at my head every day at practice." He added that he thought the scrap was a good thing overall. "Jeff is strong as shit," Ward said, via Turron Davenport of "It was fun, and I think it was what we needed. We love competing, just with me and Jeff, and I'm excited to have that man as my teammate." The Titans haven't been overflowing with energy on the field the last couple of years. This week's incident may be a sign that Ward has provided a refill to the tank and the Titans will be hoping it carries over to the regular season.
