aggressiveness - The Latremie Post

Huskers Four Gapping Holes Exposed in Lopsided Loss to Utah, Part 2

Nebraska was bullied and beaten soundly by Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. Along with losing in the trenches and having mediocre quarterback play, there were two other season-long weaknesses that were once again exposed by the Utes.

**Tackling**

In past seasons, it was special teams play that crippled the Huskers. This year, however, poor tackling was a major issue. Part of the problem stemmed from size—Nebraska was too small and too inexperienced up front. While the Blackshirts performed well in pass defense for most of the season, there were a significant number of yards after the catch, especially late in the year.

Basic football fundamentals, such as wrapping up and taking down ball carriers, were lacking. The combination of size issues and a lack of aggressiveness resulted in a team total of just 22 sacks, with team leader Javin Wright recording only three.

New defensive coordinator Aurich comes over from San Diego State, a defense that posted 32 sacks and picked off 15 passes. The Aztecs finished 14th in the nation in total defense. Aurich and head coach Rhule plan to put a strong emphasis on tackling across the board as soon as the teaching phase begins.

**Takeaways**

Nebraska finished the season with a plus-2 turnover margin. They had 13 takeaways in 12 games but gave the ball back 11 times, including once in the bowl game. After five games, they were a plus-6, but their momentum slowed following a minus-3 performance in a win at Maryland.

While a plus-2 turnover margin isn’t terrible, it’s far from impressive. To end the season, Nebraska failed to register a takeaway in the final four games. Their last takeaway was an interception against USC.

By comparison, San Diego State’s defense, led by now Husker DC Aurich, forced 18 takeaways. Pushing Nebraska’s takeaway total into the 20s would signal a marked improvement in defensive play across the board.

**Looking Ahead**

With a small but highly regarded recruiting class coming in, there are areas where the Transfer Portal doesn’t need to be heavily relied upon—such as running back, where promising youngsters Mekhi Nelson, Kwinton Ives, and Isaiah Mozee showed plenty of talent.

However, in the areas where games are most often won or lost—in the trenches and under center—Rhule and his staff have plenty of work to do, both during and after the Transfer Portal closes.
https://heavy.com/sports/college-football/nebraska-cornhuskers/nebraska-football-huskers-four-gapping-holes-exposed-in-lopsided-loss-to-utah-part-2/

Frederick: No, Anthony Edwards is not an MVP candidate. This week reminds us why

“MVP and a championship.” Those were Anthony Edwards’ stated goals entering the 2025-26 season. There was little reason to doubt his pursuit of either. The Timberwolves guard had made massive strides each season, dragging the franchise along with him in the process. Why couldn’t he ascend to the sport’s ultimate individual and team heights this year? This week, he showed us why. Being the best player in the world, or something very close to it, requires a robotic level of dominance. You walk onto the court, you take over the game. Rinse, repeat for the 70-plus times you take the floor in the regular season and beyond. There’s no room for duds like the one Edwards delivered in Minnesota’s home win Wednesday over Washington. The guard was aggressive in the first quarter, logging 12 points, two steals, a rebound and a blocked shot. But when the shots stopped falling, Edwards stopped making an impact in any way, shape or form. Minnesota fell off the tracks in the second half, allowing a 27-point lead to be trimmed to five by the one-win Wizards with fewer than five minutes to play. “Really (we just lost) our edge and our activity and our aggressiveness,” Wolves forward Julius Randle explained. “All that stuff, we kind of just left it in (the locker room) at halftime.” Edwards led the charge on Minnesota’s relative indifference. He played all 12 minutes in a third frame in which the Wolves were outscored 36-23. In that quarter, he scored two points on 1-for-7 shooting. On top of the misfires, he accrued a total of zero assists, rebounds, steals or blocks. It was more of the same in the closing quarter: two points, an assist and a turnover. Edwards was invisible on offense and a non-factor in every other phase of the game. If your shots aren’t falling Edwards has hit just 3 of his 30 3-point attempts over the past four games then do something else. Instead, Edwards, who declined to speak after Wednesday’s win, occasionally disengages entirely. He finished with 18 points on 30% shooting to go with two rebounds and two assists against Washington. MVP? MVP? Edwards’ highs are higher than most. The lows while infrequent are far too low. Hey, there are 82 games. You’re bound to be at less than your best at various points throughout the course of a regular season. But the game’s best, the ones who legitimately contend for the ultimate awards, make their presence felt every night. Shooting 30% or worse from the field on a night you also grab two or fewer rebounds and dish out two or fewer assists in 30-plus minutes of action has never been replicated even once by any of the following players: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard. And many, many more. That includes Randle, who has given Minnesota the consistent production it has desperately needed all season. Without it, the Timberwolves wouldn’t be 10-5 at this point in the campaign. Forget League MVP; Edwards isn’t carrying the bulk of his own team’s burden right now. Perhaps he’s not at 100% or something is going on that we don’t know about. But that’s true for a lot of players at various points of a season and career. Even as a one-off, Edwards’ game on Wednesday is simply not a performance those other names would accept from themselves. And this clunker came directly off the heels of another. Against Dallas on Monday, Edwards shot 35. 7% from the field while recording four rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes. The 24-year-old has now shot 36% or worse with four or fewer rebounds and three or fewer assists in 28-plus minutes in consecutive games. Here’s how many single games in which that’s happened throughout the careers of Doncic and Jokic: Zero. LeBron James has done it one time in 1, 563 career contests. It hasn’t happened to Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum since they were 22 years old, and Gilgeous-Alexander since he was 23. Those players represent a high bar, but that’s supposedly the air Edwards hopes to occupy. It’s not the stratosphere in which he currently resides. That realm is reserved for those who deliver consistent excellence on a game-to-game basis, no sleepwalks allowed. It’s something Minnesota’s All-NBA guard is still either unwilling or unable to achieve. Those are the guys who are able to bear heavy loads deep into the postseason and lift trophies in late May and June. They build up those muscles throughout the season to the point where elite production becomes second nature. Even the exhausted versions of themselves can deliver it, because it’s all they know. Edwards will bounce back at some point. It would shock no one if he scored 40 points on Friday in Phoenix. But if he can’t match his peers’ consistency, his current preseason goals feel unreachable.
https://www.pineandlakes.com/sports/pro/frederick-no-anthony-edwards-is-not-an-mvp-candidate-this-week-reminds-us-why

Bulls’ Coach Billy Donovan Makes Huge Coby White Announcement

The Chicago Bulls ended their losing streak in a thrilling win over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. That was coming off a double-overtime loss on the road against the Utah Jazz the night before. The loss to the Jazz saw Coby White make his season debut for Chicago. With Coby White making his season debut against the Jazz, it only made sense for him to sit out on Monday during the second night of a back-to-back. The former first-round pick was on a minutes restriction during Sunday’s game, and he exceeded his allotted time on the court in the 2-OT loss. The Bulls will play their final game of a short three-game road trip on Wednesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, and White will be active. The better news is that head coach Billy Donovan announced White’s restriction has been upped to 26-28 minutes, per K. C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network. Coby White Made His Presence Known in Season Debut White was not supposed to play 30 minutes in his season debut. However, the flow of the game called for him to exceed that a little bit. However, Donovan felt comfortable having him on the court, despite the fact that he missed the first 11 games with a calf injury. Still, White was able to score 27 points, grab 14 rebounds, and dish out eight assists. 14 of White’s 27 points came from the free throw line, which means the injury did not slow down his aggressiveness. The 25-year-old shot 5-for-14 from the field and 3-for-8 from three-point range. There was definitely some rust in terms of getting the right shot and knocking them down. It was also evident that White’s legs were getting tired as the game continued past the fourth quarter. Still, the stat line he produced should have been enough to help Chicago leave with the win. Heading into Wednesday, the Bulls are hoping White can have a similar game. If the game does not go into overtime, White should not play more than 28 minutes. It is a long season, and calf injuries are running rampant in the NBA right now. Chicago should be as cautious as they can be with White as he ramps back up to being a starter. Bulls Have a Chance to Win Five of Next Six Games Beating the Nuggets was a big confidence booster for the Bulls. They were on a five-game losing streak, and the season, although early, seemed to be slipping away from them. However, the win has proven Chicago still has it in the tank to string together some wins. Looking ahead at the schedule for the rest of November, the Bulls have a chance to string together plenty of wins. Of their six games remaining, five are against teams below . 500, including Wednesday night’s game in Portland. Additionally, the final four games of the month are against the Charlotte Hornets, New Orleans Pelicans, Indiana Pacers, and Washington Wizards. These four teams have a combined record of 6-49 on the season. If the Bulls can finish the month 4-2 or 5-1, it would put them in a great position headed into December.
https://heavy.com/sports/nba/chicago-bulls/bulls-billy-donovan-coby-white-announcement/

Latest Buzz Suggests Blue Jays Finally Boast Strong Free Agency Pitch

The Toronto Blue Jays have been no strangers to aggressive offseasons over the last few years. Toronto has consistently pursued top free agents, including Shohei Ohtani and even being mentioned in the Juan Soto sweepstakes, but ultimately missed out. Last year, the Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants were reported as the two most aggressive teams in the Corbin Burnes sweepstakes as well, though Burnes ended up signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

All in all, the Blue Jays have tried each offseason to bring big-name players to town but haven’t necessarily been able to get those deals done. However, after making it to Game 7 of the World Series, the perception of the team seems to have shifted.

Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson-Smith reported that there could be a more “receptive audience” for Toronto in free agency this year, citing an anonymous “prominent” agent.

“Armed with the cachet of an inspired World Series run that captivated both fans and the wider industry’s interest, the Toronto Blue Jays jumped into the off-season with what some agents called a motivated posture across various player markets,” Davidi and Nicholson-Smith wrote.

“One prominent agent believes the American League champions will find a more receptive audience for their pitches this winter, too, having shown the baseball world how success looks north of the border.

“Baseball tends to have ‘a pack mentality,’ said the agent, and between seeing players succeed with the Blue Jays, the enthusiasm from fans Canada-wide and positive reviews of the team’s facilities, ‘it should be easier for them to get players’ this off-season.”

A second agent described the Blue Jays as “hungry” and “acting like the big boys,” while both representatives said they are involved in discussions around top-end starting pitchers, back-end relievers, position players, and talent from Asia.

Of course, aggressiveness doesn’t always lead to deals, as the Blue Jays have seen in the past. But this new attitude is a positive sign for what could be a big offseason in Toronto.

The Blue Jays have demonstrated over the last few years that they are willing to offer large contracts. Maybe this year, they will finally ink one of those external stars to a deal.
https://www.newsweek.com/latest-buzz-suggests-blue-jays-finally-boast-strong-free-agency-pitch-11035513