Latest news with #RonRivera
Fox News
07-08-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Commanders Hitting Over Hinges On Jayden Daniels' Sophomore Success
This time last summer, Las Vegas bookmakers had plenty of questions about the Washington Commanders — and it made sense why. The team moved on from veteran head coach Ron Rivera, brought in a brand-new staff and drafted LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick. Their season win total was set at [O/U] 6.5 games. All the Commanders did was ride Daniels to a 12-5 record, a road playoff win over the top-seeded Detroit Lions and a berth in the NFC Championship Game against the eventual world champion Philadelphia Eagles. Washington was two bad quarters away from the Super Bowl. The question now is, can they run it back? It's a polarizing question in the betting markets, where the Commanders are totaled at [O/U] 9.5 wins with prices as low as 2/1 to win the NFC East and 9/1 to win the conference. They're also favored (-145) to make the playoffs. Washington will need Daniels to avoid the ol' Year 2 regression and it feels paramount that the team successfully navigates wideout Terry McLaurin's recent trade request. McLaurin has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in five straight seasons, and he caught a career-best 13 touchdowns last year. "There's urgency to sign Terry," a source near the Commanders told me. "He's their best playmaker and one of the best deep threats in the NFL. They're trying to build around Daniels the way Baltimore did with Lamar Jackson." We'll see if both sides can reach an agreement. Daniels is the unquestioned headliner after completing 69% of his passes for 3,500 yards and 25 touchdowns as a rookie. He rushed for almost 900 yards and added six more scores on the ground, too. People gush over his instincts and decision-making skills. "They do a lot of virtual reality drills with him behind closed doors at super speed," the source continued. "When they challenge him mentally, they get more out of him. They know he'll be ready to go physically. "It's tough to find anyone in that building who thinks last year was a fluke." Respect for Daniels is no different among bettors and bookmakers, either. Only Jackson, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes have shorter odds to win league MVP at sportsbooks across the United States. The hype is real. Jayden Daniels' 2025 NFL MVP odds DraftKings: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)BetMGM: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)Caesars: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)SuperBook: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)FanDuel: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Circa: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total) I'm hesitant to say the Commanders will match last year's surprise playoff run and expectations are understandably different when you're trying to sustain success. But offseason additions like Deebo Samuel, Laremy Tunsil, Von Miller and Javon Kinlaw provide optimism for double-digit victories. It'll also help if Washington converts close to 79% of its fourth-down conversions, a success rate that led the league a year ago. Assuming McLaurin returns to the fold, I like Washington's Over. PICK: Commanders (-110) Over 9.5 wins Sam Panayotovich is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and the BetMGM Network. He previously worked for WGN Radio, NBC Sports and VSiN. Follow him on Twitter @spshoot. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Surprising NFL Team Getting Its Own Documentary
Surprising NFL Team Getting Its Own Documentary originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Oftentimes, fans, especially the casual ones, forget teams that reach the Super Bowl only to lose within a few years. But sometimes, such teams also get a nostalgic shoutout. Advertisement It is now coming up on a decade since the Carolina Panthers reached Super Bowl 50 thanks to an explosive offense and a talented cast overall. The mercurial Cam Newton was their starting quarterback, and he turned in a career-best effort that resulted in him being named the NFL's regular-season MVP. To honor that team, the Charlotte Observer will be premiering a four-part series on it, as well as a documentary entitled "SUPER MEN: The inside story of the 2015 Carolina Panthers." The documentary will air on July 24 at at Independent Picture House in Charlotte, while the series will be available online starting this coming Monday. This may not be your usual banal series about the NFL. According to an Observer article, both the series and the documentary will be based upon dozens of interviews that were conducted with various players and stars from that Panthers team, as well as coach Ron Rivera. Advertisement That Panthers squad went 15-1 during the regular season and led the entire league in points scored. Newton threw for 3,837 yards and 35 touchdowns, while star tight end Greg Olsen caught 77 passes for 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns. Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen (88) celebrates with Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) after scoring a touchdown against the New York Giants during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. © Brad Penner-Imagn Images Its defense wasn't too shabby either. Middle linebacker Luke Kuechly and cornerback Josh Norman led the way, and it ranked sixth in points and total yards allowed while forcing more turnovers than any other NFL team. The Panthers tore through the early rounds of the playoffs and sank their teeth into the Arizona Cardinals with a 49-15 win in the NFC Championship Game. But in the big game, the Denver Broncos shut down their offense and held them to 10 points in a 14-point defeat as Newton played shaky football. Advertisement That was the final game legendary QB Peyton Manning ever played, and he became the rare great athlete to retire by winning a world championship. Related: Colorado Reacts to Travis Hunter's $46 Million Move on Monday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Reuters
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Cal AD Jim Knowlton announces retirement
June 16 - Cal athletic director Jim Knowlton announced his retirement on Monday after seven years at Berkeley. Knowlton will stay on through July 1. Deputy athletic directors Jay Larson and Jenny Simon-O'Neill have been appointed co-directors for Golden Bears athletics. Under Knowlton's leadership, Cal captured 10 national championships and appeared in four bowl games in football. "It has been an incredible honor to serve at the University of California, Berkeley, the No. 1 public university in the country," Knowlton said. "The expectation of holistic excellence helps to drive everyone associated with the university, and our department is no exception. The combination of a world-class education, athletic excellence, an inclusive community, an awe-inspiring location and, most importantly, truly special people, make Cal a magnificent place to serve." UC Berkeley chancellor Rich Lyons announced he will use the transition period to install a new leadership structure. Ron Rivera, former NFL head coach and All-American linebacker at Cal, was hired on March 20 as the school's first football general manager. Though Rivera reported to Lyons, Cal football coach Justin Wilcox reported to Knowlton. Prominent Cal donors have called for Rivera to be put in charge of the entire Golden Bears program. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Buccaneers' Coach Todd Bowles is 'More Ron Rivera than Mike Tomlin'
Buccaneers' Coach Todd Bowles is 'More Ron Rivera than Mike Tomlin' originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on an incredible run of five straight postseason appearances that include a record-tying four consecutive NFC South division wins. Advertisement A lot of the credit for that can be attributed head coach Todd Bowles. But is Bowles the coach who can get them over the top for the franchise's third Super Bowl title? NFL Trade Rumors' Logan Ulrich doesn't think so. "The Bucs are talented, deep and experienced on both sides of the ball, and made steps to address weaknesses at pass rusher and cornerback this offseason by bringing in OLB Haason Reddick and double-dipping on cornerbacks in the draft," Ulrich wrote. "All told, the Buccaneers are getting some hype as a potential breakout team in 2025 that can jump into the fray with the top teams in the conference. Advertisement "I'm not sure I can get on that bandwagon. Bowles has proven himself to be a competent coach, but I think he has more in common with former Panthers and Commanders HC Ron Rivera than he does with someone like Steelers HC Mike Tomlin. Rivera is a first-class person, but as a coach, his record of 102-103-2 does a pretty good job of encapsulating how he stacks up against his peers, even if he did make a Super Bowl appearance with Carolina." Bowles has his shortcomings, but it's mostly as the defensive coordinator. His clock management and use of timeouts has been called into question too. And his critics credit the poor division with his success. But with a revamped defense and an improved offense, 2025 could be the season for Bowles and the Bucs. Advertisement Related: Buccaneers' Draft Pick Among Rookies With Most To Prove Related: Buccaneers' Ryan Jensen Replacement Needs a Breakout 2025 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera to work in college football
Former NFL head coach Ron Rivera is looking to head back to college to work at his alma mater. Rivera said Wednesday that he was following the lead of Bill Belichick and will take a job in some capacity at California. 'Coach Belichick has made going back to school, cool,' he wrote. 'Stay tuned I am coming home.' Rivera and the school revealed no details about what role he would take at Cal. Coach Justin Wilcox is entering his ninth season in charge of the Golden Bears and has a 42-50 career record. 'Our alum, Ron Rivera is an icon in football for good reason,' UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons said. 'I'm thrilled to be in discussion with him about the details of joining the Cal team to support and advance our football program. We will release more information as soon as possible.' Cal's rival, Stanford, to be the general manager of the program. Rivera was an All-American linebacker at Cal in 1983 before heading to the NFL as a second-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears in 1984. Rivera was on a Super Bowl-winning team in his second season and had a nine-year playing career. Rivera began his coaching career in 1997 and was head coach for Carolina for nine seasons and Washington for four years. Rivera had a 102-103-2 record in the regular season, winning AP NFL Coach of the Year awards in 2013 and 2015 with the Panthers. Rivera made the playoffs five times with his best season coming in 2015 when Carolina went 15-1 in the regular season and lost the Super Bowl to Denver. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
