×
Deadspin | Inter Miami rally late to beat RSL, complete Rocky Mountain sweep Apr 22, 2026; Sandy, Utah, USA; Inter Miami CF midfielder Lionel Messi (10) plays the ball against Real Salt Lake midfielder Noel Caliskan (92) during the first half at America First Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suarez scored a minute apart late in the second half, breaking a deadlock and handing Inter Miami a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday in Sandy, Utah. Dayne St. Clair made four saves in his first clean sheet of the season as Miami (5-1-3, 18 points) went 2-0-0 on a trip to Colorado and Utah, which were also the first two matches under interim manager Guillermo Hoyos. Rafael Cabral recorded five saves for Real Salt Lake (5-2-1, 16 points) in their first loss since the season opener, ending a six-match unbeaten run. The possession was nearly even throughout the night until Miami took over in the final 10 minutes. The visitors broke the seal in the 82nd minute off a corner kick. Rather than send in a cross, Telasco Segovia passed to the outside for De Paul, who was left unmarked and fired in a perfect shot to the far corner. Miami regained possession quickly after an offside call on RSL. Suarez, who subbed in during the 75th minute after not playing Saturday against the Rapids, was the beneficiary of a juggled pass by teammate German Berterame. Suarez buried a left-footed shot on the run. It was the second goal of the season for both De Paul and Suarez. Salt Lake thought it had scored within the first five minutes of the match for the third straight contest. Morgan Guilavogui’s fifth-minute goal, a rebound of his own initial attempt, was taken off the board as Sergi Solans was ruled offside by mere inches. Miami star Lionel Messi had one shot off a cross parried away by Cabral. Otherwise, quality looks were hard to come by in a scoreless first half. RSL had their chances in the second half before Miami heated up. Zavier Gozo badly missed the net after Diego Luna’s creative backheel pass to him in the box in the 64th minute. RSL’s DeAndre Yedlin expertly blocked out Facundo Mura’s push in the 76th. Salt Lake went on the counterattack and won a free kick near the penalty arc, but Luna’s free-kick shot went inches over the crossbar. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Inter #Miami #rally #late #beat #RSL #complete #Rocky #Mountain #sweep

Deadspin | Inter Miami rally late to beat RSL, complete Rocky Mountain sweep
Deadspin | Inter Miami rally late to beat RSL, complete Rocky Mountain sweep Apr 22, 2026; Sandy, Utah, USA; Inter Miami CF midfielder Lionel Messi (10) plays the ball against Real Salt Lake midfielder Noel Caliskan (92) during the first half at America First Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suarez scored a minute apart late in the second half, breaking a deadlock and handing Inter Miami a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday in Sandy, Utah. Dayne St. Clair made four saves in his first clean sheet of the season as Miami (5-1-3, 18 points) went 2-0-0 on a trip to Colorado and Utah, which were also the first two matches under interim manager Guillermo Hoyos. Rafael Cabral recorded five saves for Real Salt Lake (5-2-1, 16 points) in their first loss since the season opener, ending a six-match unbeaten run. The possession was nearly even throughout the night until Miami took over in the final 10 minutes. The visitors broke the seal in the 82nd minute off a corner kick. Rather than send in a cross, Telasco Segovia passed to the outside for De Paul, who was left unmarked and fired in a perfect shot to the far corner. Miami regained possession quickly after an offside call on RSL. Suarez, who subbed in during the 75th minute after not playing Saturday against the Rapids, was the beneficiary of a juggled pass by teammate German Berterame. Suarez buried a left-footed shot on the run. It was the second goal of the season for both De Paul and Suarez. Salt Lake thought it had scored within the first five minutes of the match for the third straight contest. Morgan Guilavogui’s fifth-minute goal, a rebound of his own initial attempt, was taken off the board as Sergi Solans was ruled offside by mere inches. Miami star Lionel Messi had one shot off a cross parried away by Cabral. Otherwise, quality looks were hard to come by in a scoreless first half. RSL had their chances in the second half before Miami heated up. Zavier Gozo badly missed the net after Diego Luna’s creative backheel pass to him in the box in the 64th minute. RSL’s DeAndre Yedlin expertly blocked out Facundo Mura’s push in the 76th. Salt Lake went on the counterattack and won a free kick near the penalty arc, but Luna’s free-kick shot went inches over the crossbar. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Inter #Miami #rally #late #beat #RSL #complete #Rocky #Mountain #sweepApr 22, 2026; Sandy, Utah, USA; Inter Miami CF midfielder Lionel Messi (10) plays the ball against Real Salt Lake midfielder Noel Caliskan (92) during the first half at America First Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suarez scored a minute apart late in the second half, breaking a deadlock and handing Inter Miami a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday in Sandy, Utah.

Dayne St. Clair made four saves in his first clean sheet of the season as Miami (5-1-3, 18 points) went 2-0-0 on a trip to Colorado and Utah, which were also the first two matches under interim manager Guillermo Hoyos.

Rafael Cabral recorded five saves for Real Salt Lake (5-2-1, 16 points) in their first loss since the season opener, ending a six-match unbeaten run.

The possession was nearly even throughout the night until Miami took over in the final 10 minutes. The visitors broke the seal in the 82nd minute off a corner kick.

Rather than send in a cross, Telasco Segovia passed to the outside for De Paul, who was left unmarked and fired in a perfect shot to the far corner.

Miami regained possession quickly after an offside call on RSL. Suarez, who subbed in during the 75th minute after not playing Saturday against the Rapids, was the beneficiary of a juggled pass by teammate German Berterame. Suarez buried a left-footed shot on the run.


It was the second goal of the season for both De Paul and Suarez.

Salt Lake thought it had scored within the first five minutes of the match for the third straight contest.

Morgan Guilavogui’s fifth-minute goal, a rebound of his own initial attempt, was taken off the board as Sergi Solans was ruled offside by mere inches.

Miami star Lionel Messi had one shot off a cross parried away by Cabral. Otherwise, quality looks were hard to come by in a scoreless first half.

RSL had their chances in the second half before Miami heated up. Zavier Gozo badly missed the net after Diego Luna’s creative backheel pass to him in the box in the 64th minute.

RSL’s DeAndre Yedlin expertly blocked out Facundo Mura’s push in the 76th. Salt Lake went on the counterattack and won a free kick near the penalty arc, but Luna’s free-kick shot went inches over the crossbar.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Inter #Miami #rally #late #beat #RSL #complete #Rocky #Mountain #sweep

Sports news

Apr 22, 2026; Sandy, Utah, USA; Inter Miami CF midfielder Lionel Messi (10) plays the ball against Real Salt Lake midfielder Noel Caliskan (92) during the first half at America First Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suarez scored a minute apart late in the second half, breaking a deadlock and handing Inter Miami a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday in Sandy, Utah.

Dayne St. Clair made four saves in his first clean sheet of the season as Miami (5-1-3, 18 points) went 2-0-0 on a trip to Colorado and Utah, which were also the first two matches under interim manager Guillermo Hoyos.

Rafael Cabral recorded five saves for Real Salt Lake (5-2-1, 16 points) in their first loss since the season opener, ending a six-match unbeaten run.

The possession was nearly even throughout the night until Miami took over in the final 10 minutes. The visitors broke the seal in the 82nd minute off a corner kick.

Rather than send in a cross, Telasco Segovia passed to the outside for De Paul, who was left unmarked and fired in a perfect shot to the far corner.

Miami regained possession quickly after an offside call on RSL. Suarez, who subbed in during the 75th minute after not playing Saturday against the Rapids, was the beneficiary of a juggled pass by teammate German Berterame. Suarez buried a left-footed shot on the run.

It was the second goal of the season for both De Paul and Suarez.

Salt Lake thought it had scored within the first five minutes of the match for the third straight contest.

Morgan Guilavogui’s fifth-minute goal, a rebound of his own initial attempt, was taken off the board as Sergi Solans was ruled offside by mere inches.

Miami star Lionel Messi had one shot off a cross parried away by Cabral. Otherwise, quality looks were hard to come by in a scoreless first half.

RSL had their chances in the second half before Miami heated up. Zavier Gozo badly missed the net after Diego Luna’s creative backheel pass to him in the box in the 64th minute.

RSL’s DeAndre Yedlin expertly blocked out Facundo Mura’s push in the 76th. Salt Lake went on the counterattack and won a free kick near the penalty arc, but Luna’s free-kick shot went inches over the crossbar.

–Field Level Media

Source link
#Deadspin #Inter #Miami #rally #late #beat #RSL #complete #Rocky #Mountain #sweep

Previous post

NBA Playoffs: Thunder roll past Suns, Pistons bounce back to level series with Magic <div id="content-body-70896517" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points to propel the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 120-107 victory over Phoenix and a 2-0 lead in their NBA playoff series, as Detroit topped Orlando to knot their series at 1-1 on Wednesday.</p><p>Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers as the defending champion Thunder took a commanding lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series with another comprehensive victory.</p><p>“Shai made the right play all night,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “His floor game was outstanding. He seemed to spray it all over the place, had a great tempo and got us really good shots.”</p><p>Chet Holmgren scored 11 of his 19 points in the third quarter, when he also produced three of his four blocked shots.</p><p>Jalen Williams also scored 19, but the forward — limited to just 33 games in the regular season — exited in the third quarter, the team saying he apparently aggravated a hamstring injury.</p><p>The Thunder, trying to become the first repeat NBA champions since Golden State in 2017 and 2018, didn’t miss a beat.</p><p>They pushed their lead to as many as 26 points early in the fourth quarter and repelled a Suns surge that saw Phoenix cut the deficit to 10 with less than four minutes remaining.</p><p>“All we can do is play next man up, and we built that muscle throughout the season pretty well,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of the latest injury to Williams. “I’m super confident in this team to be able to go and get the job done no matter who’s out there.”</p><p>Gilgeous-Alexander, a finalist for MVP again this season and the newly named Clutch Player of the Year for his performances late in close games, had an injury scare himself in the first quarter.</p><p>He came up wincing and holding his left hand after a hard fall under the basket but said after the game there was no lasting damage.</p><p>“I’m great,” he said. “Ready to go.”</p><p>Dillon Brooks scored 30 points and Devin Booker added 22 for the Suns, who will try to turn things around when they host games three and four.</p><p>In Detroit, the Pistons used dominant defense and a third-quarter scoring spree to beat the Orlando Magic 98-83.</p><p>Cade Cunningham scored 27 points and handed out 11 assists and Tobias Harris added 16 points and 11 rebounds for Eastern Conference top seeds Detroit, who were stunned in game one of the best-of-seven series.</p><p><b>Energy and effort</b></p><p>Clearly stung by that upset on their home floor, the Pistons set an early defensive tone with seven of their 11 blocks in the first quarter, but it was tied 46-46 at halftime.</p><p>The Pistons opened the third quarter on an 11-0 scoring run to finally gain some separation and by the time they polished off a 38-16 third period they were in total control.</p><p>“We knew that first half wasn’t to our standards of playing and we had to really figure out defensively how we were going to impact the game,” Harris said.</p><p>“I thought we came out with just the type of energy and the type of effort that we needed on the defensive end. And I thought offensively we were able to find the gaps in the defense that we needed to make the right plays.”</p><p>The Pistons, who had six players score in double figures, snapped an 11-game home losing streak in the playoffs that dated back to May 2008.</p><p>Jalen Suggs scored 19 points and Paolo Banchero added 18 for Orlando, but the Magic were held to their lowest points total all season.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 23, 2026</p></div> #NBA #Playoffs #Thunder #roll #Suns #Pistons #bounce #level #series #Magic

Next post

VIDEO | Langer compares Ekana pitch to WACA, says LSG hasn’t adjusted to it <div id="content-body-70896582" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Lucknow Super Giants head coach Justin Langer compared the Ekana pitch to the famed Perth track of yesteryears, admitting that the home team has been unable to adapt to the pace and bounce on offer on it.</p><p>The LSG has struggled on its home surface, losing all three matches here. It has gone down by six and seven wickets to Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans respectively, before suffering a 40-run defeat to Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday.</p><p>The LSG lost six of its eight matches here last season, including five in a row. Overall, it has managed just nine wins from 25 games at the venue.</p><p>“The pitch here is very different than in most of India. It’s a brilliant cricket pitch. You see pace and bounce, and we just haven’t quite adjusted to it,” Langer said at the post-match press conference.</p><p>“I thought we’d started off, we’d been bowling quite well in it. We bowled well in the first game, but we’re just not adjusting to the extra pace and bounce. We saw that we’ve been out to the short ball a number of times, our batters.</p><p>“We see a lot of the wickets in India where the ball doesn’t bounce very high. This is like playing at the WACA. There’s real pace and bounce.You’re seeing some really interesting cricket being played here,” he added.</p><p>Despite boasting a formidable batting line-up featuring skipper Rishabh Pant, Australia’s Mitchell Marsh, South Africa T20 captain Aiden Markram and the flamboyant Nicholas Pooran, LSG has struggled to put up competitive totals at home, managing 141, 164 for 8 and 119 in three games.</p><p>“Our batting’s just not quite clicking, and who would have thought at the start of the season our batting wouldn’t click with the calibre of players we’ve got? We could never have read that, so we’re working hard on it.” The former Australia coach, however, had words of praise for the bowling unit, predicting a bright future for young pacers Prince Yadav and Mohsin Khan.</p><p>“Last year our numbers were incredible and we were ruing the fact that a lot of our bowlers were injured or coming back from injury or not quite fit.</p><p>“This year our bowlers have been a real credit. I think Mohsin Khan, again outstanding. Prince Yadav, I think they’re both two players who will play for India. No question in my mind they’ll both play for India.” On whether the franchise had any say in pitch preparation, Langer dismissed the notion.</p><p>“No, no, no. Their groundsmen here: I’ve said for the last couple of years this is one of the best pitches in India.” “It’s a big ground. It’s a brilliant bat… it’s a great cricket wicket actually and we just need to adapt to it better.” Meanwhile, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who struck an unbeaten 43 and picked up a wicket to guide Rajasthan to victory, said the surface was far from an ideal T20 wicket.</p><p>“The wicket wasn’t very easy.There was grass, it was a red-soil wicket, so there was bounce as well. Their four fast bowlers were making it swing and seam alongside good pace.</p><p>“I wouldn’t say it was ideally a T20 wicket, you couldn’t just go and swing at it and get runs. Fast bowlers from both teams would have enjoyed that they could bounce and seam it,” Jadeja said.</p><p>However, the seasoned all-rounder appreciated the consistency of the pitch across both the innings.</p><p>“What I liked was that the wicket was equal for both. It’s not like how it is sometimes, when batters first get a slow, seaming wicket and then nothing happens in the second innings. Both teams lost two-three wickets in the Powerplay itself.</p><p>“It was a challenging T20 match, not the typical one with fireworks from both sides. It challenges you mentally, and skill-wise you have to be sharp,” he said.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 23, 2026</p></div> #VIDEO #Langer #compares #Ekana #pitch #WACA #LSG #hasnt #adjusted

Related Posts

Deadspin | Belgium hire coach Mark van Bommel to replace Rudi Garcia June 14, 2010; Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA; Netherlands midfielder Mark van Bommel (6) talks with midfielder Wesley Sneijder (10) during Group E play against Denmark in the 2010 World Cup at Soccer City Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Groothuis/Witters Sport via Imagn Images Mark van Bommel was named the new head coach of Belgium’s national team. van Bommel will take over on August 15 and lead the team through the 2028 European Championship, joined by assistant coaches Boudewijn Zenden, Maarten Martens and Reinier Robbemond, per a Belgium statement released Friday. The 49-year-old replaces Rudi Garcia, who departed the role this week at the end of his 18-month contract, having led Belgium to the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals, where they were knocked out by eventual winner Spain. The loss ended an unbeaten run of 18 matches stretching back to a 3-1 loss to Ukraine in March 2025. A former Bayern Munich and Barcelona midfielder, Van Bommel has been out of a head coaching spot since 2023-24, his second season at the helm of Belgian club Royal Antwerp. In his debut campaign, he led the club to its first league title in 66 years. van Bommel also had coaching stints at VfL Wolfsburg (2021) and PSV Eindhoven (2018-19). He also served in assistant coaching positions for Saudia Arabia (2015-17) and Australia (2018). “Belgium has outstanding players and enormous potential. Together with my coaching staff, we want to build a team that is disciplined, ambitious and brave enough to compete with the very best,” Van Bommel said. The Dutch native takes over a Belgium side currently ranked eighth in FIFA’s world rankings. He will be asked to end Belgium’s disappointing run of early exits at the next European Championships, where they have not progressed beyond the quarterfinals since the 1996 expansion. In the two most recent tournaments, the team has lost in the round of 16 and the quarterfinals. “Success is never guaranteed, but hard work, honesty and commitment are,” Van Bommell said.” We will give everything to help this team improve every day and make the Belgian people proud. I am looking forward to meeting the players, the staff and the supporters, and beginning this new chapter together.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Belgium #hire #coach #Mark #van #Bommel #replace #Rudi #GarciaJune 14, 2010; Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA; Netherlands midfielder Mark van Bommel (6) talks with midfielder Wesley Sneijder (10) during Group E play against Denmark in the 2010 World Cup at Soccer City Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Groothuis/Witters Sport via Imagn Images

Mark van Bommel was named the new head coach of Belgium’s national team.

van Bommel will take over on August 15 and lead the team through the 2028 European Championship, joined by assistant coaches Boudewijn Zenden, Maarten Martens and Reinier Robbemond, per a Belgium statement released Friday.

The 49-year-old replaces Rudi Garcia, who departed the role this week at the end of his 18-month contract, having led Belgium to the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals, where they were knocked out by eventual winner Spain. The loss ended an unbeaten run of 18 matches stretching back to a 3-1 loss to Ukraine in March 2025.

A former Bayern Munich and Barcelona midfielder, Van Bommel has been out of a head coaching spot since 2023-24, his second season at the helm of Belgian club Royal Antwerp. In his debut campaign, he led the club to its first league title in 66 years.


van Bommel also had coaching stints at VfL Wolfsburg (2021) and PSV Eindhoven (2018-19). He also served in assistant coaching positions for Saudia Arabia (2015-17) and Australia (2018).

“Belgium has outstanding players and enormous potential. Together with my coaching staff, we want to build a team that is disciplined, ambitious and brave enough to compete with the very best,” Van Bommel said.

The Dutch native takes over a Belgium side currently ranked eighth in FIFA’s world rankings. He will be asked to end Belgium’s disappointing run of early exits at the next European Championships, where they have not progressed beyond the quarterfinals since the 1996 expansion. In the two most recent tournaments, the team has lost in the round of 16 and the quarterfinals.

“Success is never guaranteed, but hard work, honesty and commitment are,” Van Bommell said.” We will give everything to help this team improve every day and make the Belgian people proud. I am looking forward to meeting the players, the staff and the supporters, and beginning this new chapter together.”

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Belgium #hire #coach #Mark #van #Bommel #replace #Rudi #Garcia">Deadspin | Belgium hire coach Mark van Bommel to replace Rudi Garcia June 14, 2010; Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA; Netherlands midfielder Mark van Bommel (6) talks with midfielder Wesley Sneijder (10) during Group E play against Denmark in the 2010 World Cup at Soccer City Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Groothuis/Witters Sport via Imagn Images Mark van Bommel was named the new head coach of Belgium’s national team. van Bommel will take over on August 15 and lead the team through the 2028 European Championship, joined by assistant coaches Boudewijn Zenden, Maarten Martens and Reinier Robbemond, per a Belgium statement released Friday. The 49-year-old replaces Rudi Garcia, who departed the role this week at the end of his 18-month contract, having led Belgium to the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals, where they were knocked out by eventual winner Spain. The loss ended an unbeaten run of 18 matches stretching back to a 3-1 loss to Ukraine in March 2025. A former Bayern Munich and Barcelona midfielder, Van Bommel has been out of a head coaching spot since 2023-24, his second season at the helm of Belgian club Royal Antwerp. In his debut campaign, he led the club to its first league title in 66 years. van Bommel also had coaching stints at VfL Wolfsburg (2021) and PSV Eindhoven (2018-19). He also served in assistant coaching positions for Saudia Arabia (2015-17) and Australia (2018). “Belgium has outstanding players and enormous potential. Together with my coaching staff, we want to build a team that is disciplined, ambitious and brave enough to compete with the very best,” Van Bommel said. The Dutch native takes over a Belgium side currently ranked eighth in FIFA’s world rankings. He will be asked to end Belgium’s disappointing run of early exits at the next European Championships, where they have not progressed beyond the quarterfinals since the 1996 expansion. In the two most recent tournaments, the team has lost in the round of 16 and the quarterfinals. “Success is never guaranteed, but hard work, honesty and commitment are,” Van Bommell said.” We will give everything to help this team improve every day and make the Belgian people proud. I am looking forward to meeting the players, the staff and the supporters, and beginning this new chapter together.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Belgium #hire #coach #Mark #van #Bommel #replace #Rudi #Garcia

The Carolina Panthers are trying to establish their legitimacy in 2026. NFC South winners by default last season with a paltry 8-9 record, it took layers of tiebreakers to settle the pecking order in the division between Carolina, Tampa, and Atlanta. Sure, the Panthers almost knocked off the Rams in the Wild Card round, but nobody remembers or cares about that now — its all about this season, and that made the start to the Panthers’ campaign critical to establish themselves as a team to watch.

If you needed a cherry on top then Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is also hurt, recovering from a foot injury he sustained while running which required stitches. He’s expected to return soon, but it’s just a little extra salt in the wound.

The trench issues are the real story here, and it’s a mess for Carolina. If there was one position on either side of the ball they couldn’t sustain injuries it was EDGE rusher and offensive tackle — now they’re in flux at both positions. The injury to Scourton is a massive bummer for Panthers fans, but it’s more or less a continuation of the pass rush issues they’ve faced for several years now. The absenses at offensive tackle is the real problem. Bryce Young has been without any form of continuity on the line since arriving in Carolina, and this promised to be the first year he’d have some semblance of reliability — that’s gone now, and will put even more pressure on the QB entering his fourth year.

Carolina has just under two weeks before they face the Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame game. It’s hardly something to get too worked up over, but there is a reality where the Panthers need to show some fight in that game, at least from the rotational players who are now getting called up, otherwise, we might be sounding the alarm bells about this team in August.

#Panthers #nightmare #opening #training #camp">The Panthers had a nightmare opening to training camp The Carolina Panthers are trying to establish their legitimacy in 2026. NFC South winners by default last season with a paltry 8-9 record, it took layers of tiebreakers to settle the pecking order in the division between Carolina, Tampa, and Atlanta. Sure, the Panthers almost knocked off the Rams in the Wild Card round, but nobody remembers or cares about that now — its all about this season, and that made the start to the Panthers’ campaign critical to establish themselves as a team to watch.They got attention for all the wrong reasons on Thursday. Second-year linebacker Nic Scourton went down early in the first practice on a non-contact injury, which was later revealed to be a torn ACL that will end his season before it began. Largely overlooked in the greater discussion of the NFL, Scourton had a huge rookie campaign for the Panthers that saw him finish with 47 tackles, 5.0 sacks, and 4 QB hits in only eight starts. Doing more than enough to earn playing time, Scourton was expected to take a massive step in his second year across from free agent Jaelan Phillips, whom Carolina spent big money on in free agency to bolster their pass rush.Now that dream is over, but that wasn’t the only bad news out of Charlotte this week. Veteran right tackle Taylor Moton was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung that will lead to him starting the season on the PUP list, with the tentative plan to have rookie Monroe Freeling take over the spot in his absence. This exacerbates issues along the offensive line, with the Panthers still waiting to see when left tackle Ikem Ekwonu can return to action as he recovers from a ruptured patellar tendon he suffered in the playoffs. It’s expected that Ekwonu will suit up “at some point this season” according to GM Dan Morgan, but there’s no real timeline on that possibility.If you needed a cherry on top then Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is also hurt, recovering from a foot injury he sustained while running which required stitches. He’s expected to return soon, but it’s just a little extra salt in the wound.The trench issues are the real story here, and it’s a mess for Carolina. If there was one position on either side of the ball they couldn’t sustain injuries it was EDGE rusher and offensive tackle — now they’re in flux at both positions. The injury to Scourton is a massive bummer for Panthers fans, but it’s more or less a continuation of the pass rush issues they’ve faced for several years now. The absenses at offensive tackle is the real problem. Bryce Young has been without any form of continuity on the line since arriving in Carolina, and this promised to be the first year he’d have some semblance of reliability — that’s gone now, and will put even more pressure on the QB entering his fourth year.Carolina has just under two weeks before they face the Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame game. It’s hardly something to get too worked up over, but there is a reality where the Panthers need to show some fight in that game, at least from the rotational players who are now getting called up, otherwise, we might be sounding the alarm bells about this team in August. #Panthers #nightmare #opening #training #camp

If you needed a cherry on top then Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is also hurt, recovering from a foot injury he sustained while running which required stitches. He’s expected to return soon, but it’s just a little extra salt in the wound.

The trench issues are the real story here, and it’s a mess for Carolina. If there was one position on either side of the ball they couldn’t sustain injuries it was EDGE rusher and offensive tackle — now they’re in flux at both positions. The injury to Scourton is a massive bummer for Panthers fans, but it’s more or less a continuation of the pass rush issues they’ve faced for several years now. The absenses at offensive tackle is the real problem. Bryce Young has been without any form of continuity on the line since arriving in Carolina, and this promised to be the first year he’d have some semblance of reliability — that’s gone now, and will put even more pressure on the QB entering his fourth year.

Carolina has just under two weeks before they face the Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame game. It’s hardly something to get too worked up over, but there is a reality where the Panthers need to show some fight in that game, at least from the rotational players who are now getting called up, otherwise, we might be sounding the alarm bells about this team in August.

#Panthers #nightmare #opening #training #camp">The Panthers had a nightmare opening to training camp

The Carolina Panthers are trying to establish their legitimacy in 2026. NFC South winners by default last season with a paltry 8-9 record, it took layers of tiebreakers to settle the pecking order in the division between Carolina, Tampa, and Atlanta. Sure, the Panthers almost knocked off the Rams in the Wild Card round, but nobody remembers or cares about that now — its all about this season, and that made the start to the Panthers’ campaign critical to establish themselves as a team to watch.

They got attention for all the wrong reasons on Thursday. Second-year linebacker Nic Scourton went down early in the first practice on a non-contact injury, which was later revealed to be a torn ACL that will end his season before it began. Largely overlooked in the greater discussion of the NFL, Scourton had a huge rookie campaign for the Panthers that saw him finish with 47 tackles, 5.0 sacks, and 4 QB hits in only eight starts. Doing more than enough to earn playing time, Scourton was expected to take a massive step in his second year across from free agent Jaelan Phillips, whom Carolina spent big money on in free agency to bolster their pass rush.

Now that dream is over, but that wasn’t the only bad news out of Charlotte this week. Veteran right tackle Taylor Moton was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung that will lead to him starting the season on the PUP list, with the tentative plan to have rookie Monroe Freeling take over the spot in his absence. This exacerbates issues along the offensive line, with the Panthers still waiting to see when left tackle Ikem Ekwonu can return to action as he recovers from a ruptured patellar tendon he suffered in the playoffs. It’s expected that Ekwonu will suit up “at some point this season” according to GM Dan Morgan, but there’s no real timeline on that possibility.

If you needed a cherry on top then Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is also hurt, recovering from a foot injury he sustained while running which required stitches. He’s expected to return soon, but it’s just a little extra salt in the wound.

The trench issues are the real story here, and it’s a mess for Carolina. If there was one position on either side of the ball they couldn’t sustain injuries it was EDGE rusher and offensive tackle — now they’re in flux at both positions. The injury to Scourton is a massive bummer for Panthers fans, but it’s more or less a continuation of the pass rush issues they’ve faced for several years now. The absenses at offensive tackle is the real problem. Bryce Young has been without any form of continuity on the line since arriving in Carolina, and this promised to be the first year he’d have some semblance of reliability — that’s gone now, and will put even more pressure on the QB entering his fourth year.

Carolina has just under two weeks before they face the Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame game. It’s hardly something to get too worked up over, but there is a reality where the Panthers need to show some fight in that game, at least from the rotational players who are now getting called up, otherwise, we might be sounding the alarm bells about this team in August.

#Panthers #nightmare #opening #training #camp

Post Comment