Marvin Harrison Jr. talks to Omar Ruiz about bulking up his playing weight for 2025 'Back Together Weekend'
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Associated Press
a few seconds ago
- Associated Press
Raiders optimistic Chip Kelly will revive offense and end rotating door at OC
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The fact so many Raiders offensive players have talked up Chip Kelly as their new coordinator is not surprising. It's training camp, after all, and optimism abounds throughout NFL camps. But when someone from the other side of the ball notices what's going on with the new schemes and game plans, that's more of an attention-grabber. 'We really don't know ever what he's about to throw at us, so it keeps us on our toes,' defensive tackle Jonah Laulu said. 'Then when we attack them, they come back the next day with something new. It's a great formula for success.' Las Vegas is under its fifth offensive coordinator in four years due to a rotating door at head coach. The last time the Raiders had any semblance of stability at OC was when Greg Olson ran the offense from 2018-21. First-year Raiders coach Pete Carroll hired Olson to be the team's quarterbacks coach right after he made the splashy move to bring in Kelly. The 61-year-old Kelly last year was the offensive coordinator of Ohio State's national championship team. He came to national prominence as the innovative head coach at Oregon from 2009-12, leading the Ducks to a 46-7 record and title-game appearance in the 2010 season. Kelly then had a mixed bag of results in NFL stops at Philadelphia and San Francisco and back in college at UCLA before going back to being a play-caller and guiding the Buckeyes' offense. Now he's doing the same in Las Vegas. 'This is such a good group to coach,' Kelly said. 'They want to be coached. They're thirsty for knowledge. When you go into the meeting room, there's a little buzz and there's an excitement. It's not like, 'Oh, God, we're in camp. What we do here?' It's special when you get an opportunity to be on (an) NFL roster, and I think these guys are really taking advantage of it.' Offensive lineman Thayer Munford said Kelly is willing to make changes if something doesn't work, that he isn't stuck trying to force a system onto the players. 'We're not pointing fingers at each other,' Munford said. 'We're here to bring each other up and push each other forward. Not every team's like this, either. I've been on a couple teams that you point at them, and they get down in the dumps and the next day they go to crap. This coach is different.' Kelly has the demanding task of improving an offense that was fourth worst last season with 303.2 yards per game and last in rushing with a 79.8-yard average. The Raiders traded for veteran quarterback Geno Smith and drafted running back Ashton Jeanty sixth overall to put some much-needed life into the offense. 'I think Chip has done a great job with implementing his style of play,' Smith said. 'We want to be tough, we want to be physical, we want to attack the line of scrimmage. ... We got a lot of great weapons on offense, so he's putting the guys in positions to make plays.' Will Kelly get it done? There is valid reason to believe Las Vegas' offense will be better, but whether it can take a big enough step to actually compete for a playoff spot in an AFC West in which the Raiders' three rivals made the postseason last year is another matter. But no games have been played, so optimism prevails for the Raiders. 'I played (Ohio State) my last college game in the first round of playoffs, and they beat us bad,' said rookie wide receiver Dont'e Thornton, a fourth-round pick from Tennessee. 'So being able to play in this offense, I see why they did that.' Smith shines in mock game Smith threw touchdown passes on all four drives he quarterbacked in Saturday's mock game at Allegiant Stadium that the Raiders said drew about 18,000 fans. He completed TD passes of 8 and 11 yards to tight end Brock Bowers, 19 yards to Thornton and 50 to Phillip Dorsett in leading the Raiders' starting offense against their backup defense. Smith also ran for a two-point conversion. Maxx Crosby returned a strip sack of Aidan O'Connell 70 yards for a touchdown. Tom Brady, who owns a minority stake in the Raiders, watched from the sideline. He also attended Friday's practice at the team's Henderson, Nevada, facility. Raiders lose safety to 'significant' injury Safety Lonnie Johnson was carted off with an injury to his lower right leg. 'I don't know all the details, but it's significant,' Carroll said. Johnson has worked mostly with the second team this training camp, but was in the with starters in the mock game as part of a three-safety look. ___ AP NFL:
USA Today
a minute ago
- USA Today
Texans QB C.J. Stroud believes offensive line 'takes time' to build rapport
Nearly two weeks into training camp, the Houston Texans' offensive line has been basically an eye-sore. No, strike that. It's 100% been the souring feel around the roster after the defense finished a third straight practice where C.J. Stroud was feeling the pressure against a front seven that constantly tried to put the Pro Bowl quarterback on his rear end. Still, as the team leaves for The Greenbrier for a week, Stroud isn't worried. He understands that sometimes the bad has to be beaten out of players before the good can finally appear. 'It takes time,' Stroud said Saturday of the offensive personnel. 'It's not something that just happens overnight. I feel like we're getting better every day." The five-man front will look different from a season ago. That might be a blessing since Houston's expensive front line gave up 54 sacks, the second-most in the NFL last season, though it also will feature a new left tackle following the trade of Laremy Tunsil. Cam Robinson comes in at left tackle on a one-year deal and is expected to start. On the right side, second-round pick Tay Ersery has been the most consistent player as the opposing book end. Tytus Howard, who saw action at both right tackle and right guard, has shifted inside full-time while Laken Tomlinson is expected to start on the left side. All the changes have led to some confusion when it comes to protection calls, which has put Stroud under duress against the front seven. That's one way to look at the mishaps, but Stroud, trying to find a positive, mentioned that the unit could be going up against the league's best pass rush daily in practice, meaning they'll only improve against weaker competition. "That's the best defensive line in football right now, with just how they get off the ball, to edge guys Will [Anderson Jr.] and Danielle [Hunter] are crazy athletes," Stroud said. "They rush together, they rush as a unit. I think it's just making us nothing but better. I think you don't want to continue to just say the defense is good. You want to start seeing progress and seeing plays being made. I think we've seen that these last couple of days. So, it's helpful for me to start going through reads and be able to go through my full progression when the offensive line is picking everything up." The Texans' offensive line will look to respond in West Virginia at The Greenbrier before taking on the Minnesota Vikings at US Bank Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
CBS News
2 minutes ago
- CBS News
Cubs fall 4-3 against Orioles as Henderson's 3-run homer in the 8th helps tie series
Gunnar Henderson hit a three-run homer in a four-run eighth inning and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Saturday for their seventh victory in 10 games. Jordan Westburg had an RBI single off Caleb Thielbar (2-3) in the eighth to end the Orioles' scoreless streak at 18 innings. Henderson followed with his 13th homer. Grant Wolfram (2-0) struck out two in a scoreless seventh. In the ninth, after Carson Kelly and Seiya Suzuki walked, Keegan Akin struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong for his first save. Matthew Boyd threw seven strong innings for Chicago, and Nico Hoerner had three hits for the Cubs. They entered the day a game behind Milwaukee for the NL Central lead. Willi Castro tripled and scored twice in his first game as a Cub after being acquired Thursday from Minnesota. Thielbar allowed two runs and two hits in two-thirds of an inning for his third blown save. Boyd, an All-Star, struck out eight, allowed four hits and walked none. He bounced back after giving up five runs in five innings Monday at Milwaukee. The Cubs continued to pay tribute to Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, who died Monday after battling prostate cancer, by wearing his No. 23 on blue jerseys with no name on the back. Highlights from Sandberg's career played on the video board. Chicago also held the cancer fundraiser Cubs for a Cure with fans and players holding placards naming loved ones after the fourth inning. Henderson's homer in the eighth. Crow-Armstrong struck out four times. Chicago RHP Colin Rea (8-5, 4.25 ERA) was set to start Sunday opposite RHP Brandon Young (0-5, 6.63) int he series finale.
