west Page 29 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

The USMNT still have a Weston McKennie problem, but it might not matter much
One of the many complications of a winter World Cup, though far down the list, is the death of the pre-tournament friendly. Normally, teams get together for a couple weeks after the domestic season and then get two or three ramp-ups before the tourney starts to establish rapport, try some new format...

At least Matt Turner played well
It’s never a good sign when the biggest pro from the United States men’s national team’s Friday debacle full of cons — a 2-0 loss to Japan that doubles as the Yanks’ penultimate FIFA World Cup tune-up — was goalkeeper Matt Turner. The Arsenal summer signee was called into action frequently and made ...

Here’s the one area the dominant Buffalo Bills sorely need to improve
The Buffalo Bills have been the plow, while their first and their first two 2022 opponents — the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans — have been the snow. Both were pushed up and down the field with great ease as the preseason Super Bowl favorites have looked like that assessment was well deserved...

How good are these Buffalo Bills?
The Buffalo Bills are pretty damn good....

How long should Nathaniel Hackett’s leash be?
Through two weeks of the NFL season, there hasn’t been a bigger disappointment than the Denver Broncos. OK, maybe the Cincinnati Bengals, but the Broncos are a close second....

Jimmy G is back in the saddle for the San Francisco 49ers following Trey Lance’s season-ending injury
Jimmy Garroppolo is running the offense again in San Francisco after second-year quarterback Trey Lance suffered a horrific ankle injury Sunday, akin to Dak Prescott’s in 2020, during the Niners’ 27-7 win over the Seattle Seahawks. He was carted off the field toward the end of the first quarter with...

Someone think of a name for the Indianapolis Colts' curse in Jacksonville
Maybe the Indianapolis Colts didn’t choke in their final game of the 2021 season....

Jaylen Watson's pick-6 is on Brandon Staley, not Justin Herbert
Last night’s Chargers-Chiefs game was fantastic, a display of two of the best young talents in the game at quarterback. Ultimately, the Chiefs walked away with the 27-24 victory, proving that the road to an AFC West title still runs through Kansas City....

LA Chargers’ Austin Ekeler invites trolls into social media DMs
Chargers running back Austin Ekeler opened a big can of worms on Yahoo’s Fantasy Football Forecast with Matt Harmon. Ekeler commented on his stat line from Week 1 against the Raiders and admitted that he needs to play better, then went so far as to welcome “constructive criticism” from fantasy footb...

With Justin Herbert at the helm, can the Chargers change the hierarchy of power in the AFC West?
As someone who prefers Marvel comics to DC — you can like both but every nerd has a favorite child — I find DC’s attempt to replicate Marvel Studios’ somewhat coherent movie IP charming. Really, really bad and borderline unwatchable, but charming nonetheless. So when I see The Rock announce that “Th...

Las Vegas Raiders nor the Arizona Cardinals can afford an 0-2 start to the season
The term “must win” is one of the more overused phrases in the sports world. It’s hard to wrap your mind around a game in Week 2 of the NFL season being categorized as such, but with that said, the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders, who meet Sunday in Sin City, find themselves in a difficult s...

NFL's 1-0 frauds: Don't let them fool you
Week 1 gave us some surprises, late-game blunders, and heroics we’ve come to expect from the NFL each week. For some teams that captured a Week 1 victory, it was business as usual. But for others, there is still plenty of doubt whether Week 1 is the start of something magical or if they’re faking th...

Berhalter’s shortcomings on display with September roster omissions
Mark it down now. John Brooks, one of the two Americans in any severity of contention to claim one of the 26 United States men’s national team spots on the plane to Qatar, will be watching the games on a TV screen. Brandon Vazquez, the 23-year-old FC Cincinnati striker with 16 goals this season, won...

NBA report proves that Robert Sarver is a bad guy
It took almost a year, but the NBA has finally completed its investigation into Robert Sarver and the Phoenix Suns....

Well, it appears Denver does not want Javonte Williams to be 'the guy'
Last night, Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season wrapped up, giving us a sight we didn’t think we’d see all year: The Seattle Seahawks sitting atop the NFC West standings. Geno Smith and company gave Broncos country the business, taking down the heavy favorite by a final of 17-16. The Broncos had several c...

Geno Smith bucks Broncos, rides into winner's circle
Is Geno Smith back? Or did he finally arrive?...

NFL Week 1 Powerless Ranking: Sloppy play ruled the day
Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season is officially in the books and it’s time to look at the teams that stunk it up. Week 1 gave us plenty of sloppy football to process and some of the teams in this first ranking might surprise you. Then there are the others you probably predicted in the preseason....

Stephen A. Smith forgets the basics of football
Stephen A. Smith is great television. The way he casually cascades between idioms in an excited, commanding voice is magnificent. I get jealous of his inflection just watching him. That said, he’s also had a series of brain farts that can’t be overlooked. Whether it’s ranting about nonexistent ties ...

Defending champs look less than Super in season opener
The NFL has the longest offseason in American sports. Thursday’s season opener was 207 days after the Rams won Super Bowl LVI. The hype surrounding Los Angeles entering the 2022 season was palpable. According to Caesars, the Rams have the fifth-best odds to repeat as champions at +1100 with Buffalo....

The Buffalo Bills hype is there, but can they truly win it all?
People, are we really ready to do this? As a football-watching public, we’re going to stand and shout for all to hear that there is going to be a Super Bowl parade that sets a record for snowfall and broken tables....