The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are gearing up to host the Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium this Sunday. Unfortunately they’ll do so without a key member of their defense.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers placed second-year defensive back on injured reserve on Thursday due to a pectoral injury sustained in the team’s Week 16 loss in Dallas. It’s a development that costs the Buccaneers value depth at multiple positions in the secondary.”
Izien’s injured reserve stint will keep him sidelined for a minimum of four games. His potential return to action hinges on Tampa Bay’s postseason fortunes, with the conference championship round representing the earliest opportunity for his reactivation.
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The New York Jets opted to cut Aaron Rodgers and sign Justin Fields to replace him during the offseason. This kind of commitment to Fields should bolster his confidence, but it could also place a lot of pressure on his shoulders. To this point, Fields has looked solid in training camp, aside from a scary toe injury that was quickly resolved in July. Justin Fried of the Jet Press recently reported that Fields' training camp may have reached a new low over the weekend as the young signal caller struggled. "Justin Fields put together his best practice of the summer to this point on Friday, completing his first 12 passes en route to an excellent all-around performance. The same can't be said about his showing on Saturday, however," Fried wrote. "Fields finished the day an abysmal 2-of-10 in the air, including a drop from rookie tight end Mason Taylor. "Some of his incompletions were catchable balls, but the Jets' passing game struggles on Saturday can largely be blamed on No. 7. Fields did flash his running ability with a 25-yard rushing score on the first play of red-zone drills, but the Jets would like to see more consistency in the air from the starting quarterback. Saturday's scrimmage was far from his best showing of the summer." Fields is a runner first at the NFL level, but his arm is nothing to scoff at. For most of training camp, his arm talent has been better than advertised, but during Saturday's scrimmage, it just wasn't there. A 2 for 10 performance is unacceptable for a $40 million quarterback who was signed to take over the team. The running game should open up the passing game for the Jets, which is going to need to be the case if Fields is going to struggle like this. However, it's just one day of camp. It's nothing to be too concerned about. Just because Fields lost this specific practice doesn't mean he's heading in the wrong direction as a whole.
The Miami Marlins turned to good ol’ Neil Diamond to clown on the New York Yankees during their impressive weekend triumph. Miami pulled off an improbable three-game series sweep of the Yankees on Sunday with a 7-3 win at LoanDepot Park in Miami. It marked the sixth consecutive series victory for the Marlins as well as their first-ever three-game sweep of the Yankees in franchise history. As Sunday’s game was nearing the end, the Marlins decided to have some fun. With the Yankees down to their last three outs entering the top of the ninth inning, “Sweet Caroline” began loudly playing inside the ballpark. Here is a video: Of course, “Sweet Caroline” is an anthem of the Boston Red Sox, the hated rivals of the Yankees. The song plays in the eighth inning of every game at Fenway Park. Fittingly enough, the 62-51 Red Sox are officially now ahead of the Yankees in the AL East standings (thanks to the Yankees’ brutal weekend against the Marlins putting them at 60-52). The Yankees only had themselves to blame for their poor weekend showing, piling on several more embarrassing mental mistakes during the series. As for the Marlins though, they are quickly looking like one of the best stories of the second half. After sitting at a dismal 25-41 in mid-June, Miami is suddenly a .500 team again at 55-55 and it has clawed to within 5.5 games back of a wild-card spot in the NL.
It's feeling like 2012 all over again. SummerSlam 2025 ended with shock and nostalgia when Brock Lesnar returned unannounced and dropped John Cena with a thunderous F5, just as Cena was addressing the crowd during his retirement tour. The moment felt poetic, mirroring the night after WrestleMania 28 in 2012, when Lesnar returned to WWE for the first time in eight years and F5’d Cena, launching a brutal and unforgettable rivalry. This attack wasn’t just for show. With Cena’s farewell tour expected to end in December, the timing of Lesnar’s return feels intentional. WWE is known for delivering emotional, high-stakes finales for its legends and this could be the setup for one last epic clash between two of the most iconic figures in company history. Their rivalry has always delivered, from their battles in 2012–14 to the infamous “Suplex City” beatdown at SummerSlam 2014. Now, with both men nearing the end of their in-ring careers, fans may be getting a final chapter in this storied feud. Whether it culminates at the Royal Rumble or on the grandest stage of them all at WrestleMania 41, the anticipation is real. Lesnar has been off WWE TV for nearly a year, making this return even more impactful. For Cena, who has been embracing his final run with open arms, a showdown with Lesnar is a fitting, full-circle moment. It’s the kind of storytelling WWE thrives on — legacy vs. legacy, pride vs. redemption.
Whispers emerged ahead of the first weekend of August, suggesting that Anthony Richardson had taken a noteworthy lead over free-agency signing Daniel Jones in the competition for the Indianapolis Colts' Week 1 starting quarterback job. However, Colts reporter Stephen Holder of ESPN mentioned on Sunday that "there has not been substantive separation between the two players through two weeks of camp." As of early Monday morning, Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen hadn't revealed how he'll handle the quarterbacks for the club's preseason opener at the Baltimore Ravens this coming Thursday evening. "Tuesday's joint practice with Baltimore and the subsequent game could be pivotal," Holder added about the quarterback battle. "Steichen said one quarterback will get a bigger share of playing time in the first preseason game; the other will receive a larger share in Week 2 of the preseason." For an article posted on Monday, Holder wrote that "Richardson's status as the team's 2023 fourth overall pick might give him an edge, so Jones presumably needs to take the job from him" before Indianapolis' Week 1 game against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 7. "It's difficult to argue that that has happened thus far, with both passers showing the inconsistency that has plagued their careers," Holder continued. "But coach Shane Steichen said he's willing to take his time reaching a decision, so this one could linger until the end of the preseason." As of Monday morning, FanDuel Sportsbook had Richardson as a -350 betting favorite to start against the Dolphins over Jones (+255 odds). Such information would seem to confirm that Jones hasn't yet done enough during training camp for Steichen to give up on Richardson ahead of Labor Day. That said, Indianapolis plays against the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 16 before the Colts wrap the preseason up with a matchup at the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 23. It sounds like Jones could at least remain alive in the competition through the start of the Bengals game unless he essentially falls on his face during Indianapolis' first two exhibition contests. Even if Richardson gets the nod for the Miami game, it's worth noting that injuries have limited him to just 15 career regular-season starts (minus a two-game benching last fall). History shows that Steichen may need to turn to Jones sooner rather than later, regardless of how Richardson performs throughout August.
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