Latest news with #defensiveLine
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Davis: Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive line looking for another sack attack
Good job, D-line! Can you do it again? That's how things go in the CFL, where the Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive linemen just played their best, most dominating game of the season and are expected to repeat it Saturday when they visit the Montreal Alouettes. 'I think it was our best performance this year,' said defensive end Shane Ray, reflecting on the six (of eight) times Riders defensive linemen sacked Edmonton Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo in a 21-18 victory on Friday that improved Saskatchewan's league-best record to 6-1. 'You get two sacks across the board with me, Scoop (Malik Carney) and Micah (Johnson), that's big. To have eight sacks total, that's incredible! But we look at the film and we're like, 'Man, we left so many more sacks out there.' So for us it's about trying to capitalize and get the ones that we missed.' With starting quarterback Davis Alexander sidelined by injury, the 5-2 Alouettes will be led by veteran McLeod Bethel-Thompson. Not a tremendously mobile quarterback, Bethel-Thompson plays behind an offensive line that has allowed only 10 sacks and gets only 4.7 yards per carry from running back Sean Thomas Erlington. The Alouettes practised all week without game-breaking receivers Austin Mack and Tyson Philpot. Ray and Bethel-Thompson were teammates on the 2022 Grey Cup-winning Toronto Argonauts. 'I played with McLeod and I think he's going to stand in there when he feels pressure,' said Ray. 'He's the kind of quarterback that's going to stand in there, try to make throws. That's what we're looking at with him. 'You know, he's not very mobile. But he can make the throws and he can obviously make the deep ball down the field.' Despite the all-star credentials of starters Ray and linemates Johnson, Carney and Mike Rose, who joined the Roughriders in the off-season from the Calgary Stampeders, Saskatchewan's defensive linemen weren't having an outstanding season before manhandling the Elks. They have been rotating nine players through the line and expecting the front four to pressure opposing quarterbacks while eight teammates dropped into zone coverages. 'It's getting better and better,' said Ray, a former Super Bowl winner who also joined the Riders in the off-season. 'Early in the season we were trying to build our chemistry. 'It's difficult to build chemistry. I was out for a couple weeks in training camp and the pre-season. We needed those first few games to understand how we all rush because how we work together is crucial. Though we've been rushing very well, we just haven't hit home.' Maybe they just needed a little help. 'We were getting all (quarterback) pressures but no sacks,' said Ray. 'To continue to have pressure on guys, especially guys that can't really move in the pocket, putting a phone booth around them, having guys close around him so he can't extend his arm and make those throws, that changes the game. That's what we've got to do as a D-line every week.' Against Edmonton, the Roughriders relied heavily on a five-man pass rush and frequently added a defensive back or another linebacker in six-man blitzes. Linebackers A.J. Allen and C.J. Reavis also sacked Fajardo, whose offensive line struggled to protect him. The blitzes were particularly effective in shutting down Edmonton's rushing attack, which gained only 25 yards and repeatedly forced the Elks into passing situations. And the final two sacks came on the game's last two plays. After the Roughriders — who have struggled to hold late-game leads — had been outscored 14-0 in the fourth quarter to make it a three-point game, Edmonton had possession on its five-yard line and needed 60 quick yards to try a game-tying field goal. Johnson and Ray snuffed out those hopes. Credit those big plays to the nine-man rotation keeping everyone fresh. 'We've got a lot of guys that can play,' said Ray. 'We would be doing guys like Habba (Baldonado) and Caleb (Sanders) a disservice if we didn't get them an opportunity to get on the field and make plays. 'Rotating and having guys we can trust when me or Scoop comes out, or Micah or Rose, we have that. To be able to rotate and be fresh at the end of the game, that's part of our chemistry.' Related The Big Question: Why can't the Saskatchewan Roughriders close their CFL games? Davis: Saskatchewan Roughriders eke out CFL victory over easy Edmonton Elks The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Minnesota Vikings Add More Depth to OL
The last few seasons the Minnesota Vikings offensive and defensive lines have been talking points. No, not the good kind either. Kevin O'Connell has a strong roster that is ready to win now. That doesn't mean he shouldn't have contingency plans in place. Last season Minnesota needed to swing a trade for tackle Cam Robinson after Christian Darrisaw suffered a season-ending injury. This time around they have veteran Justin Skule in tow, but Matt Nelson joins him as another potential option. Matt Nelson signs with Minnesota Vikings Ideally the Minnesota Vikings wouldn't need any help at either of their tackle positions. Brian O'Neill and Christian Darrisaw are among the best bookends across the entire league. If depth is to be called upon though, they have at least continued to make that a focus. Related Headlines Minnesota Twins Trade Two Relievers at Last Minute Timberwolves Bring Back Fan Favorite Uniform; Tease Full Rebrand Chicago Cubs Stop at Twins Garage Sale for Willi Castro Matt Nelson joins the Vikings after playing his first four NFL seasons with the Detroit Lions. Undrafted out of Iowa, he has 43 professional games under his belt and has drawn 14 starts. He originally worked as a defensive tackle for Detroit, but shifted to right tackle in 2021 and started 11 of the 13 games he played that season. He was signed by the New York Giants in March of 2024 but was a roster cut in August and didn't play in the league last year. Related: Minnesota waived Alexander Williams to make room for the new tackle. Williams started his college career in 2018 with Ohio State, and finished it by playing six games for Middle Tennessee State last season. Related Headlines Minnesota Twins Trade Two Relievers at Last Minute Timberwolves Bring Back Fan Favorite Uniform; Tease Full Rebrand Chicago Cubs Stop at Twins Garage Sale for Willi Castro
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Giants' Defensive Line Praised in New Ranking
Giants' Defensive Line Praised in New Ranking originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Giants finished the 2024 season dead last in the NFC East with a 3-14 record. But that does not mean that the team was without its bright spots. Advertisement In a recent article by PFF's Zoltán Buday, he ranks every NFL team's defensive line going into the 2025 season. At the No. 3 spot on his ranking, he has the Giants, as they were able to exceed the expectations that many had for the team. "Arguably no team has done more in the NFL to strengthen its defensive line and pass rush over the past couple of seasons than the Giants," Buday wrote. "They drafted Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter with top-five picks in 2022 and 2025, respectively, and also traded for former first-rounder Brian Burns. The team's edge defender trio is complemented by perhaps the best nose tackle in the league, Dexter Lawrence." The team's offense might not have been as good as they would have wanted this past season, the defense was able to shine and show why they achieved this ranking. The Giants finished the season with the ninth-most sacks in the league with 45, and Lawrence was a big reason for that. He racked up nine sacks, but was also able to disrupt more plays than the stats show. Advertisement With the upgrades that the team has made on the offensive side of the ball, the defense will be looking to help lead the team back to the postseason for the first time since 2022. Related: Analyst Predicts Giants QB Battle Takes New Turn in Camp Related: NFL Insider Says Giants' Daboll Should Be 'Furious At Being Set Up To Fail' This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
4-star DL Preston Carey commits to Georgia football
Four-star defensive line recruit Preston Carey has committed to the Georgia Bulldogs over the Florida Gators, Auburn Tigers and Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Carey is Georgia's 26th commitment in the class of 2026. His decision is the latest in the Bulldogs' slew of recent commitments. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound defensive lineman plays high school football for IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He's high school teammates with fellow Georgia class of 2026 commit safety Zech Fort and several other elite recruits. Advertisement 247Sports ranks Carey as the No. 309 recruit in the country and the No. 36 defensive lineman. The IMG Academy standout is the No. 48 recruit in Florida. Defensive lineman Preston Carey (#99) during practice on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024 on IMG Academy Football Media Day in Bradenton, Florida. Carey is Georgia's sixth defensive line commitment in the class of 2026. The four-star joins Corey Howard, PJ Dean, Carter Luckie, James Johnson and Seven Cloud as defensive line commitments. Georgia's defensive line coach Tray Scott has done a fantastic job of recruiting elite talent to UGA. Carey has over 50 scholarship offers and prioritized a team having a plan for him and being able to develop him in his recruitment. Carey, who is from Long Island, New York, will look to be the next Georgia defensive lineman to be drafted. Advertisement Carey primarily plays defensive tackle in IMG Academy's 4-3 defensive scheme. He does a good job of shedding blockers and is a strong run defender. He has pass rushing upside and plays against a very high level of high school competition. This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: 4-star DL recruit Preston Carey makes surprising commitment decision
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ohio State football loses out on 4-star 2026 defensive end to Michigan
The Ohio State football program has seen a mixed bag of recruiting results lately. It got good news on the defensive line the past few days, but then bad news followed with the loss of a couple of targets on Sunday. One of those misses came in a battle with Michigan for four-star defensive end Carter Meadows. Out of Washington, D.C., Ohio State made a big push for Meadows and was thought to be in the thick of the race to get him, but Michigan was able to close the deal late, winning a crucial battle between the two old rivals. The 6-foot, six-inch, 225-pounder is ranked as the No. 72 overall player and ninth edge rusher in the 2026 class according to the 247Sports Composite rankings and was a priority for Ohio State. Now, it'll be back to tracking others still on the board to round out talent on the defensive line and edge. Advertisement Penn State and South Carolina were also in play for Meadows. Things will continue to be up and down as we go through the summer and into the season on our way to more or less finalizing the 2026 recruiting class in December during the Early Signing Period. All bets are off in today's day and age of NIL, the transfer portal, and now direct revenue-sharing coming down the line. Related News: Ohio State football 2026 recruiting commitment tracker Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X. This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State football loses 4-star 2026 defensive end to Michigan
