The Cowboys returned to practice on Wednesday with a fresh new look at the weekly injury report. No real surprises, yet.
The Dallas Cowboys returned to practice on Wednesday in preparation for their Week 4 game as they return home to face the Cleveland Browns. With a new week of game planning comes a fresh new look at the Cowboys injury report headed into Sunday.
Starting left tackle Tyron Smith missed another practiced today but worked off to the side for the first time since September 17. Smith has missed the last two games due to a neck injury and has his eyes set to return during this upcoming home stand for the Cowboys.
Cowboys LT Tyron Smith is practicing for first time since Sept. 17 neck injury. After he missed two games, there is optimism he’ll return during three-game homestand, perhaps as early as Sunday vs. Browns. But his contact is still limited. Likely only individual drills today.
The Cowboys also look for relief in the secondary considering how much the team struggled against the Seahawks in Week 3. Cornerback Anthony Brown, who is dealing with a rib injury, was off to the side doing conditioning work. Fellow cornerback Chidobe Awuzie was also seen doing conditioning work as he deals with a hamstring injury. Both Anthony and Awuzie are on injured reserve. Wide receiver Ventell Bryant continues to put in work as well as he gets closer to making his season debut.
The side field was busy today as the Cowboys practiced. WR Ventell Bryant (knee), CB Anthony Brown (ribs) and CB Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring) did conditioning work. All are on injured reserve. DE Randy Gregory, who can begin practicing one week from today, also was there per usual.
Cowboys fans everywhere are also salivating waiting for the 2020 debut of defensive end Randy Gregory. Gregory continues to do work off to the side and is now eligible to begin joining team practices one week from today.
The only member of the team not participating in the individual drills portion of practice was defensive end Demarcus Lawrence. It’s been reported that Lawrence is dealing with a slight knee injury.
As for the Dallas Cowboys opponents this week, the Cleveland Browns have a little bit more of a detailed injury report to kick off this week’s practices. It’s important to note that corner back Denzel Ward, running back Kareem Hunt, linebacker Tae Davis, defensive end Adrian Clayborn and guard Joel Bitonio all did not practice today.
Check back in the coming days to monitor both team’s injury reports going forward towards Sunday’s 1 PM match up at AT&T Stadium.
Previewing Friday’s Campbell Fighting Camels at Wake Forest Demon Deacons sports betting odds and lines, with college football betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Campbell Fighting Camels (0-3) pay a visit to Truist Field in Winston-Salem, N.C., to take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (0-2) Friday at 7 p.m. ET. We analyze the Campbell-Wake Forest college football betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
Against the spread/ATS: Wake Forest -34.5 (-110) | Campbell +34.5 (-110)
Over/Under: Unlisted.
Campbell at Wake Forest: Three things to know
Wake Forest is coming off a Sept. 12 loss to top-ranked (Amway Coaches Poll Powered by USA Today Sports) Clemson, 37-13, a Sept. 19 loss to N.C. State (45-42), and a bye week. In the loss to the Wolfpack, the Demon Deacons battled back from a mid-third-quarter 35-21 deficit to take a four-point lead, 42-38, with 9:12 remaining in the game. A late NC State touchdown closed out the scoring and sent Wake Forest to its fifth loss in its last six games.
Campbell is an FCS program playing against an FBS school for a fourth-straight week. The Fighting Camels are a member of the Big South Conference which has opted to hold its main competition in the spring. Friday’s contest in Winston-Salem will end a truncated four-game fall slate for Campbell. The Camels have played, in order, Georgia Southern, Coastal Carolina, and Appalachian State. The markets have been giving Campbell around four TDs per game, and the Camels have come through with a 3-0 mark against the spread.
Sophomore QB Sam Hartman threw for 830 yards in four games last season. Hartman went 23-of-36 (63.9%) for 236 yards and a TD against NC State two weeks ago. Look for the young signal-caller to be a key facet in an area of relative dominance on Friday (Wake Forest’s passing game vs. Campbell’s pass defense).
Get some action on this game or any other matchup with a college football bet at BetMGM in NJ, IN, CO and WV. Bet now!
Campbell at Wake Forest: Odds, betting lines and picks
Expect Wake Forest to try to right the ship on its running game (2.2 YPC through two games), but the widest disparity in the matchup should be Hartman and the Deacon passing game against an overmatched foe. With the same head coach-offensive coordinator tandem in place, WFU has covered each of the last three times the Deacons were favored by 4 TDs or more.
Look for Campbell to be dinged up after punching above its weight for three straight weeks. In all three games, the Camels have logged garbage-time touchdowns; that colors the scores a bit better than what the game flow truly was. BACK THE DEMON DEACONS -34.5 (-110). New to sports betting? A $110 bet on Wake Forest -34.5 (-110) pays a $100 profit if Wake Forest beats Campbell by 35 or more points.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
Jamison Crowder and George Fant are expected to play Thursday night against the Broncos.
The Jets are getting some reinforcements back from injury for Thursday’s game against the Denver Broncos.
Jamison Crowder (hamstring) and George Fant (concussion) are expected to make their return Thursday night. Crowder was limited in practice all week, while Fant practiced fully on Wednesday. Crowder is listed as questionable for Thursday’s game.
Other players listed as questionable include Jordan Jenkins (shoulder), Chris Hogan (ribs/knee), John Franklin-Myers (knee) and Mekhi Becton (shoulder). All are expected to be available, though.
Jordan Willis (ankle) and Ashtyn Davis (concussion) are listed as doubtful, while Breshad Perriman (ankle) is out.
As for the Broncos, Drew Lock (shoulder) is out as expected, as is Jeremiah Attaochu (quadriceps). Phillip Lindsay (foot) and Davontae Harris (hamstring) are questionable.
According to ESPN, the College Football Playoff committee has squashed any idea of expansion in 2020. It is only a matter of time.
The idea of a College Football Playoff expansion has been a hot topic of discussion in the last several years. Under the current model, only four teams get a shot at the National Champion each year. There are two semifinal games with the winners meeting 10 days later to decide a champion. In the current climate with conferences playing a different number of games, some starting later than others it would be perfect situation to test the waters.
However, Heather Dinich of ESPN is reporting that the committee squashed the idea. At least this year. In her report, one Power Five commissioner pitched the idea of an eight-team playoff.
“They decided that doing that now would be such a significant change, and come with so many challenges, especially given the timing with the season already underway, that they concluded that the best outcome would be to make no changes in the format,” Hancock told ESPN. “They will continue to discuss the future, which is just good, responsible business practice, although I must say that dealing with COVID has become everyone’s focus now.”
While it is a valid point that it might be a bit late in the game this year for expansion, it should have already been on the docket for discussion. As it sits right now, most projections have Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Florida as the playoff teams for this season. The Pac-12 and Big Ten conferences aren’t starting their season until late October.
Due to the fact that there are little to no nonconference games, the ability to pick which teams will make it is a difficult one. Expansion would only help those teams who were just on the outside. Maybe a team like Central Florida who has run the table before but not received a fair shake due to the Power Five schools at the top.
As Stanford head coach David Shaw stated, it is going to happen at some point. So maybe there is hope for next season but for now it will move forward with just four teams in 2020.
In a Wednesday morning press conference with local media, Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst addressed the depth at the RB position after losing Jonathan Taylor to the NFL.
“Certainly, not trying to match what J.T. did, but we do have to get really good, consistent production out of that group,” Chryst told reporters on Wednesday.
So, who will be called on for that consistent production? Expect Doak Walker award watch list selection Nakia Watson to lead the way coming off of a freshman season where he played second fiddle to Taylor.
The rising sophomore averaged 4.5 yards per carry a year ago, while finding the end zone twice on the ground. In addition to Watson, senior Garrett Groshek returns to fill the third-down back role and play a major factor in the receiving game.
“Groshek has been tremendous this off-season,” said Chryst. “Despite it being a very different off-season, he’s taken the leadership role to heart and done it a lot of different ways.”
Who becomes that third guy for Wisconsin with Watson and Groshek handling the majority of the work? Chryst was singing the praises of rising sophomore Isaac Guerendo.
“Nakia [Watson]’s played a lot of football for us, and yet all these guys’ roles are yet to be defined. I appreciate Isaac Guerendo and how he’s started to feel comfortable at the position. Between those three you hope to be productive.”
It won’t be one player filling the massive shoes of one of the greatest backs in college football history, but the Badgers feel as though they can get it done by committee in 2020.
The Houston Texans held their first practice ahead of their Week 4 game with the Minnesota Vikings and DE Charles Omenihu did not participate.
The Houston Texans released their first practice report ahead of their Week 4 game with the Minnesota Vikings Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium.
Defensive end Charles Omenihu did not participate with a knee injury.
Inside linebacker Zach Cunningham (groin), fullback Cullen Gillaspia (concussion), defensive tackle P.J. Hall (groin), running back Duke Johnson (ankle), and inside linebacker Peter Kalambayi (hamstring) were limited participants in practice.
There were no injured players for Houston who had full participation.
For the Vikings, cornerbacks Kris Boyd (hamstring) and Mike Hughes (neck) did not participate. Cornerback Cameron Dantzler (rib) was a limited participant. Minnesota also had zero injured players who were full participants in practice.
This longstanding LPGA event has become a fall classic in 2020, an ideal run-up to next week’s major outside of Philadelphia.
Given the strict restrictions in place in New Jersey and canceled pro-am rounds (yes, rounds), there was reason to be concerned that this year’s ShopRite LPGA Classic might not happen.
To the delight of fans and players alike, the longstanding LPGA event at the Bay Course at Seaview Golf Club has become a fall classic in 2020, an ideal run-up to next week’s major at Aronimink Golf Club outside of Philadelphia.
But first, the skinny on this week.
This marks the 32nd playing of the ShopRite LPGA Classic on the Jersey Shore and the winner’s list reads like a who’s who in women’s golf.
The best of the best win here
Juli Inkster won the first showing back in 1986. Inkster ultimately won it twice, and Betsy King won it three times, as did Annika Sorenstam.
Cristie Kerr signs autographs for fans at the LPGA ShopRite Classic at Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club in Galloway Township, New Jersey.
Add in Nancy Lopez, Dottie Pepper, Se Ri Pak along with current players and major champions Stacy Lewis (2012, 2014), Brittany Lincicome (2011), Anna Nordqvist (2015, 2016), Cristie Kerr (2004) and Angela Stanford (2003) and all bets should point toward a marquee winner this week.
“It’s a thinking person’s golf course,” said Cristie Kerr. “You know, it’s a great short game and wedge playing golf course, so I think that’s why you see a lot of the great players that have won here have had very good careers. That’s where you make your money in golf, is chipping putting.”
Atlantic City can be seen in the background as Stacy Lewis walks along the 15th hole during the second round of the 2012 LPGA ShopRite Classic in Galloway Township, New Jersey.
New month, different course
The tournament has been held at Seaview since 1998 (in addition to the first two years of the event). Typically held in June, this year’s October dates will present a new challenge on an old-school track.
Stacy Lewis, who made a double-bogey every day in 2014 and still won by six, noted that the greens are actually better now than they are in the summer. It’s not playing as hard and fast as usual, which means length might be more of an advantage. The intricacies of the greens and the subtle breaks, however, remain the same.
“If you get on the wrong side of the hole putts can be really fast,” said Lewis. “This week especially it’s going to be dealing with spin and how much the ball is not releasing and controlling wedges.
“And the fescue is down, too, so who knows what that year is going to bring.”
Past champion Annie Park, who grew up 80 miles from the Seaview, described the wind on Wednesday as monstrous, telling Megan Khang it felt like they were back in Scotland.
“I love fall in New York and New Jersey,” said Park. “I love sweater weather.”
There’s an extra round
For the first time since 1990, and only the second time in event history, the ShopRite will be a 72-hole hole competition. Christa Johnson won 30 years ago at Greate Bay Country Club, finishing 5 under for the event.
The ShopRite typically hosts pro-ams on Wednesday and Thursday but due to COVID-19, both were canceled. Players have gotten used to not having fans at tournaments, but the lack of pro-ams and early-week bustle takes getting used to as well.
The mentality of needing to floor the gas pedal changes a bit too at a 72-hole event. Lincicome welcomes the change.
“If I’m going to win an LPGA event,” said Lincicome, “I always want it to be a four-day event against the top players in the world, hardest fields, just so when you win it’s kind of justified. You played four rounds against the best players.”
Players walk up the fairway on the sixth hole and past the skyline of Atlantic City during the second round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer on the Bay Course at the Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club in Galloway, New Jersey. Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images
One group, five wins
One of Thursday afternoon’s must-see groups goes off at 1:06 p.m. ET, just in time for Golf Channel’s three-hour broadcast (1-4 p.m. ET).
Past champions Stacy Lewis, Anna Nordqvist and Lexi Thompson, who have five titles at ShopRite between them, will try to feed off each other’s good vibes during the first two rounds.
“What’ll be interesting is that you’ll see three different ways probably of playing the golf course,” said Lewis. “You’ll have Lexi who will bomb it; Anna and I are probably going to hit it pretty straight and hit it good.
So it’ll be three different ways you can win, and be fun playing with people that are obviously comfortable on the golf course. Hopefully see a lot of the putts go in.”
Hinako Shibuno lines up a putt during the 2019 AIG Women’s British Open near Milton Keynes, England. Photo: Tim Ireland/Associated Press
Special invitations
Four players received sponsor invites into this week’s field: Natalie Gulbis, Hinako Shibuno, Brynn Walker and Megha Ganne.
Walker, a senior at North Carolina, has competed in ShopRite’s Monday qualifier six times dating back to her senior year at Radnor High School outside of Philadelphia, advancing twice.
Ganne, the reigning New Jersey Junior Girls champion, competed in the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open, the 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and the 2019 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National.
While Gulbis has been a staple at Seaview for two decades, Shibuno is new to American golf. The 2019 AIG Women’s British Open champion turned down LPGA membership last season but now hopes to play her way onto the tour. Shibuno had hoped to participate in LPGA Q-School this season, but it was canceled due to the pandemic. She plans to try next year if she doesn’t play her way onto the tour before that.
“When I played with So Yeon Ryu and Nasa Hataoka at Japan Women’s Open Championship last October, I realized that they were on totally different levels with me,” she said with the help of an interpreter. “That incident made me want to go to the U.S. and compete in more high-level tournaments.”
Raiders QB Marcus Mariota return to practice prompts release of QB DeShone Kizer
Today was the first day that Raiders’ quarterback Marcus Mariota was eligible to return to practice and return he did. He had been placed on injured reserve just prior to the start of the season, and with 2020 rules, the minimum time out is three weeks.
Mariota’s return opens a 21-day window for them to activate him to the roster, but his availability meant the team no longer had a need for quarterback DeShone Kizer on the practice squad, so he was subsequently released.
Over the first three weeks, the team has had two quarterbacks on the active roster. Derek Carr was backed up by Nathan Peterman.
Last season they had three quarterbacks on the active roster with Carr backed up by Mike Glennon and Kizer. It remains to be seen if they would go with three QBs again once Mariota is activated or if they would waive Peterman in that instance and stay with just two.
With the release of Kizer from the practice squad, the team brought back wide receiver De’Mornay Pierson-El onto the practice squad.
Pierson-El has spent portions of the past two offseasons with the team, so he has some familiarity with the offense. His return adds another body which is helpful due to the injuries to current starters Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards along with Rico Gafford.
ESPN has released its latest team football recruiting rankings for 2021 and Ohio State remains steady near the top.
ESPN has updated its team recruiting rankings and Ohio State remains just below Alabama for the top spot in the 2021 recruiting cycle.
For the longest time, the Buckeye program was head and shoulders in front of all the teams for the class as it hauled in a bushel of top prospects early on in the COVID-19 NCAA recruiting dead period. Since June though, Ohio State’s progress has slowed a bit while the Tide picked up some serious steam and eventually overtook OSU.
And that’s where the teams remain today with Oregon (3), Clemson (4), Tennessee (5), LSU (6), Florida (7), Miami (8), North Carolina (9), and USC (10) rounding out the top ten.
Ohio State does have more ESPN 300 commitments than any other program and may be able to overtake Alabama if rumors of another prospect committing in the very near future occur as many think.
NEXT … What ESPN says about Ohio State’s recruiting class
