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Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver conducted his weekly media session Thursday morning hoping he'll get the chance to do another one next week.
That, of course, would mean the Dolphins snuck into the playoffs, which will happen if they defeat the New York Jets on Sunday at the same time the Denver Broncos lose against the Kansas City Chiefs.
But it's also possible that the South Florida media met Weaver for the last time because he should become a popular head coach candidate once the Dolphins season is over, which will happen if either of the two aforementioned scenarios doesn't materialize.
But don't think for a second that Weaver has begun his preparations for a potentially big step in his coaching career. His sole focus is on helping the Dolphins go as far as they can, including a playoff date with the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on the weekend of Jan. 11-12.
"It's funny because I spoke to my agent last night and he's like, 'What are you doing to prepare for those ops?' " Weaver said Thursday. "I'm like absolutely nothing. Absolutely nothing. Yeah, I'm so focused right now. I'm just controlling what we control, beating the Jets and praying that we get the help we need in order to continue this run. Because I think if we can get in, if we're blessed with that opportunity, we can make some noise."
WEAVER A HIT AS DOLPHINS DC
With one game left in the 2024 regular season, we easily can make the determination that the hiring of Weaver to replace Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator was a massive hit for the Dolphins.
The team will go into the season finale against the Jets ranked third in the NFL in total defense and tied for eighth in points allowed — all this despite not having Bradley Chubb all season and having Jaelan Phillips for only a month.
The Dolphins also produced the team MVP in lineman Zach Sieler.
If the Dolphins indeed are to make some noise in the first few weeks of January, it's more than likely it will have to be the defense leading the way given Tua Tagovailoa's uncertain status because of his hip injury and injuries on the offensive line.
If the Dolphins don't make any kind of run, Weaver's focus then would shift to his personal opportunities and the Weaver watch will go into full effect.
And if it turns out he's one-and-done because he becomes a head coach elsewhere, Weaver can leave knowing he did a great job in his short stint in Miami.
More must-reads:
- Bengals star is growing frustrated with team's unresolved disputes
- Cowboys' George Pickens takes shot at Steelers at start of training camp
- The 'Single-season sack leaders by NFL team' quiz
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Chicago Bears: Ben Johnson ‘screamed’ at Caleb Williams before kicking him off field
There is no ramp-up period for the Chicago Bears at training camp this year. Head coach Ben Johnson brought the same intensity he harbored during OTAs at the Bears’ first practice of training camp Wednesday at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Illinois. Adam Hoge of CHGO Bears said that Johnson was upset with Williams and the offense multiple times on Wednesday. He got into the face of the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft during a seven-on-seven drill. “Accountability is what I’m talking about, though, because, look, it was like a three-strike thing, let’s call three strikes, and you’re out all right,” Hoge said on the CHGO podcast. “Because we saw Ben get in Caleb’s, you know what, during seven-on-sevens about something. I don’t know what it was about, but he wasn’t happy, and he was screaming at him, alright.” Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson tried to show patience Johnson tried to show patience with the second mistake, when there was a miscommunication with the wide receivers getting lined up. He let Williams and the receivers sort the issue out before the play. But Johnson didn’t stand idly on the third pre-snap mistake; another miscommunication between Williams and the receivers. Johnson pulled the entire first-team off the field in favor of the second-team led by veteran quarterback Case Keenum. Caleb Williams is picking up where he left off in OTAs Per multiple reports, the Bears’ offense had a poor day. Mark Carman called Williams’ performance on Wednesday the worst part of practice. “Today was just bad,” Carman said. “They had to pull the offense off the field. (Williams) wasn’t getting them lined up. It might not have been his fault every single time he’s his first pass was picked off (by linebacker Tremaine Edmunds). “He rolled right on long play, Cold Kmet’s wide open right in front of him. He ended up running out of bounds. It just wasn’t a good day for the quarterback.” Williams didn’t have a great spring. He struggled with every duty from calling the play in the huddle to getting the cadence right to throwing the ball into the middle of the field or further than 10 yards. As of Day 1 at camp, all of those things are still problems. But at least the $13 million per year head coach is mad.
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani ties franchise record with HR vs. Twins
MLB's midseason break was kind to Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter and starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani. On Wednesday, the three-time MVP tied a Dodgers franchise record with a home run in his fifth consecutive game, taking Minnesota Twins right-handed starting pitcher Chris Paddack 441 feet to centerfield on an 0-2 79 mph curveball in the bottom of the first inning. Ohtani entered the All-Star break with 32 home runs but had just two in his 12 previous games before beginning his current streak. He's appeared in 101 of L.A.'s 103 games, putting him on pace for 159 games this season. If Ohtani continues at his home run trajectory, he'll set a personal record for single-season home runs, breaking the record he established last season, his first with the Dodgers. Per ESPN Bet, Ohtani (-1800) is an overwhelming favorite to be named NL MVP for the second consecutive season. With every home run hit, his odds of receiving a fourth overall MVP award likely increase. Also helping Ohtani's case is his return to the mound after not pitching a season ago while rehabbing from 2023 surgery. The Dodgers have slowly eased him back, with Ohtani throwing 12 innings in six starts, allowing nine hits and two earned runs with 13 strikeouts. Per Baseball Savant, he ranks in the top six percent in average fastball velocity (97.8 mph), a promising sign as he continues his progression. While the Dodgers keep him on a pitch count, Ohtani didn't need much warming up at the plate following the in-season break to find his swing. Some might argue he's already in postseason form.
Historic loss to Rockies a big moment in Cardinals' trade deadline decisions
DENVER — Hoping to open up the post-All-Star Game schedule with a flourish, the St. Louis Cardinals put up a dud. A 6-0 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday afternoon at Coors Field finished off a 1-5 Cardinals road trip through Arizona and Colorado. A sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks in the desert had the Cardinals reeling, and losing two of three to the Rockies, now 26-76 on the season, carried some extra sting. Wednesday's loss also put the Cardinals on the wrong end of history as it marked the first time in 220 games that Colorado had recorded a shutout, snapping a modern-day MLB record. The last time Rockies pitchers had held opponents scoreless was an 8-0 road win over the San Diego Padres on May 15, 2024. St. Louis is now 52-51 ahead of two pivotal home series before the July 31 MLB trade deadline, a four-game series against the San Diego Padres and a three-game set against the Miami Marlins. Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters on Monday that, "Obviously, where we are in the standings definitely affects our decision-making moving forward in the trading deadline." Those standings now show the Cardinals 3.5 games out of the final NL wild-card spot as they leave Denver and head home. While it's certainly not out of the picture that the Cardinals could still make the postseason, the focus for the franchise at the trade deadline has likely changed. With the Cardinals designating starting pitcher Erick Fedde for assignment before Wednesday's game, St. Louis said goodbye to one of the pitchers who was whispered to be a potential trade chip over the last few weeks. Fedde's stock had plummeted, however, during that time, including after a horrific outing against Colorado on Tuesday where he gave up six earned runs and seven hits (including two homers) over 3.0 innings of work. St. Louis still has potential trade chips however, including third baseman Nolan Arenado. Mozeliak said earlier in the week he would discuss any potential trades with Arenado, who has a no-trade clause in his contract. Those chips could also include closer Ryan Helsley, who has 19 saves on the season and has been deployed just one time since the All-Star break. The struggles for St. Louis on the western swing have dropped the Cardinals to 5-12 in July. It's a bad time for St. Louis to go cold, but could bring a selling perspective into focus for Mozeliak. With the Cardinals needing to show the front office they could be a postseason contender, St. Louis was listless on Wednesday, with manager Oliver Marmol telling reporters after the loss, "Worst game we've played all year." If there was any wavering on which direction St. Louis should go at the trade deadline, Wednesday was likely the push needed to sell and look ahead to 2026 and beyond. All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Steelers' TJ Watt Admits Cryptic Social Media Post Was Intended To Do What It Did
Training camp has officially begun for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Following an offseason that featured a plethora of drama and ground shaking moves, the Steelers find themselves with one of the better defensive units in all of football entering the 2025 season. Pittsburgh signed superstar outside linebacker TJ Watt to a three-year extension most recently, as the veteran is now the highest paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Watt has remained as a focal point on the Steelers' defense throughout his entire career, as the veteran is widely regarded as one of the best defensive players in all of football. Rumors have circulated around the superstar all throughout the offseason, as many believed the Steelers were having an issue reaching common ground with Watt regarding his extension. Watt didn't help in clearing up rumors on the situation either, as the veteran posted a picture of him holding up a peace sign earlier in the offseason, sending Steeler Nation into an absolute frenzy. Watt took a moment to speak on his cryptic post from earlier in the offseason on Wednesday at training camp, as the All-Pro claims he knew exactly what he was doing. "Sometimes, it's just fun to have fun with the narratives out there," Watt stated. "Obviously, I'm very in tune with negotiations and how things are going, but it's fun to see what you guys are all writing out there, thinking things are one way even though they are a completely different way." Watt then went on to share the reasoning behind the post, as the generational linebacker claims it was strictly to have fun and to continue stirring the pot. "Especially when it's earlier in the offseason, kind of just throwing something out there and see what happens, it stirs things up a lot more." Watt's comments may be relieving for Steelers fans to hear, as there were multiple rumors and questions surrounding the linebacker's future in the weeks leading up to his extension. A seven-time Pro Bowler, Watt has been a crucial part of Pittsburgh's defense for a number of years and should face no problem thriving throughout 2025. Watt may be faced with a key role off the field as well, as the superstar will be an excellent mentor for younger members of the Steelers' defense like Derrick Harmon and Jack Sawyer. With an extension officially in place, many continue to wonder what took both sides so long to reach an agreement. Watt was rumored to be looking for the most guaranteed money he could possibly get, and the length of the contract appeared to also be an issue between both sides. The loss of a player of Watt's caliber would have been detrimental to the Steelers' defense, as the veteran is a generational talent who should continue to play at an elite level throughout the next four seasons in Pittsburgh. Steelers May Add Depth To Defense In The Near Future With the biggest moves of the offseason more than likely behind us, the Steelers are expected to turn their attention towards evaluating the depth on the roster throughout training camp. The team has been rumored to add depth at safety, as many feel like Pittsburgh is lacking a true starting option following the trade that sent veteran free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins. Superstar cornerback Jalen Ramsey may emerge as a legitimate option at free safety as well, as the veteran has been rumored to take snaps at the position throughout the course of training camp. Ramsey, a seven-time Pro Bowler, is an elite cornerback who is widely considered to be a top defensive talent in all of football. The Steelers currently have Juan Thornhill as their starting free safety entering 2025, but the team will more than likely add depth in the near future due to Thornhill's inconsistency and recent injury history. With Watt officially under contract for the next four seasons, the team is expected to turn their full attention towards preparing for the start of the regular season. General Manager Omar Khan and his staff are expected to have a better understanding as to where the depth at safety stands as training camp goes on, as well as their first look at Watt re-joining the team for the first time this offseason.
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