WATCH: Paulson Adebo forces and recovers his own fumble vs. Bears

WATCH: Paulson Adebo forces and recovers his own fumble vs. Bears

Have a day, Paulson Adebo. The New Orleans Saints cornerback continued his strong day against the Chicago Bears by forcing a fumble out of wide receiver DJ Moore with a well-timed punch — but he wasn’t done yet. Adebo fell on the loose ball for a recovery, his second takeaway of the game.

Plenty of defenders force fumbles. Many of them come away with recoveries, too. But it’s not too often you’ll see a player recover his own fumble. Adebo deserves a lot of credit for his hustle and situational awareness on a heads-up play. He’s quickly becoming a reliable playmaker in the Saints secondary.

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WATCH: Chiefs DB Trent McDuffie forces fumble vs. Lions

Trent McDuffie punched a ball out to give the #Chiefs a chance to take the lead late in the second quarter against the #Lions.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ defense allowed the Detroit Lions to get out to a seven-point lead early in Week 1 but managed to force a turnover midway through the second quarter to give Patrick Mahomes a chance to put his team ahead.

Second-year cornerback Trent McDuffie made the play to cause Lions receiver Marvin Jones Jr. to fumble. Kansas City took possession around the 10 yard line and took the field on offense with the intent to go up by a score before halftime.

Plays like this will be necessary for the Chiefs to win this game, and even without Chris Jones on the field, Kansas City’s defenders are playing with an edge. The addition of Jones later in the Chiefs’ 2023 campaign could help the team force more turnovers like this one, but for now, Kansas City will be happy to take what it can get.

Expect more feisty play from the Chiefs defense as this game continues, and watch for McDuffie to stay locked in all the way through the fourth quarter.

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Chiefs TE Blake Bell ‘ready to roll’ following injury-shortened 2022 season

#Chiefs tight end Blake Bell says he’s “ready to roll” following his injury shortened 2022 season. | from: @EdEastonJr

Memories of preseason openers may not sit well for Kansas City Chiefs tight end Blake Bell who suffered a severe hip flexor injury in last year’s game. The veteran went down in pain during the game against the Chicago Bears, forcing him to injured reserve after undergoing surgery.

Bell spoke with reporters on Tuesday following practice about his injury recovery and bouncing back this year.

“I’m feeling good, I really am,” Bell said. “You know just trying to get back this offseason and trying to stretch to keep my body loose a little bit. I’m feeling good. [It was] such a freak injury and the doctors did a great job last year getting me fixed up. The trainers did a great job, too, as well so I’m feeling great ready to roll.”

The injury cost Bell all but three regular season games in 2022 as he revealed his frustration and doubt during the recovery process.

“It was hard,” Bell explained. “But you know, that was my goal each and every day is trying to get better and try to stay focused because some of those days you come in, and you’re like, ‘man, what am I doing?’ I’m not playing, but that’s how those injuries work. Man, you just got to keep your head down and keep fighting and work to get back on the field.”

Bell still scored a touchdown in Week 17 against the Denver Broncos, one of his two catches on the season. The veteran isn’t typically seen as a receiving option but provides solid blocking and discipline needed at the position.

More on recovery: Mindfulness, meditation and more can help traveling golfers

Some golfers are known to incorporate mindfulness, meditation and religious practices into their routine.

It’s no secret that travel takes a toll on the body. If you add a week of walking, four days of tournament play, practice rounds, driving range time and workouts for weeks on end, the mind and body will have to work overtime to recover.

As our equipment editor David Dusek wrote earlier, players often use a series of strategies like additional exercise and hydration to combat these concerns.

For example, Jon Rahm forces himself to exercise after a long plane ride.

“If you have time and [access to] a gym or whatever it may be, get a little bit of exercise in,” Rahm said. “It doesn’t need to be crazy. It could be 30, 40 minutes of just some kind of stretching or whatever to get the blood
flowing a little bit more so your body can just naturally recover and get things moving.”

The physical demands of golf tournaments are extensive. This includes long days often jam-packed with physical activity. With the long weeks of back-to-back travel, some golfers simply can’t maintain a true routine of non-negotiables such as managing nutrition and lifting in the gym.

Golfers have to adapt to various time changes, societal norms, diets and cultures in different states and countries. For example, a United States-based golfer will likely often fly to Europe, which can present as much as a nine-hour time difference. Let’s say that particular country does not prioritize breakfast or it’s harder to get their hands on common U.S. essentials, their body only has a couple of days to adapt to these changes.

2023 Genesis Invitational
Jon Rahm plays his shot on the first hole fairway during the first round of The Genesis Invitational golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Professional golfers employ numerous strategies to recover physically and mentally while on the road.

They may engage in specific exercises or work with a trainer to ensure they maintain strength and flexibility. Adequate sleep, hydration and rest are all a huge priority to ensure physical and mental cognition.

Yes, they get to travel to some amazing destinations, but many spend the majority of their time in their room to recharge before and after their rounds.

And some golfers at various levels even have part-time jobs to pay for golf tournaments and expenses. It is a constant grind on and off the course for them.

To address mental and emotional recovery, some golfers are known to incorporate mindfulness, meditation and religious practices into their routine to manage stress and stay focused.

Golfers may also seek the support of sports psychologists or engage in activities that help them relax and unwind.

Additionally, collegiate golfers are managing just as much as the professional level, but their life includes college classes on the road.

Playing a round of golf is at least four hours of mental and physical strain plus the warm-up and post-round practice. Many collegiate tournaments have 36-hole days, equating to nine-plus hours of golf in a day. Having to complete essays, math and other tasks is nearly impossible on the day of a tournament.

Golf has many layers that go into the preparation and performance of the sport, but managing it properly can be the ticket to success for many.

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How do you recover from golf travel? Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and a PGA Tour therapist have tips

To win at Royal Liverpool, golfers need to have their bodies primed for competition, and that starts with recovery.

Driving from Los Angeles Country Club in California to TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, covers 3,055 miles and would, according to Google Maps, take you about 58 hours to complete by car.

Needless to say, after Rory McIlroy lost the U.S. Open by one shot to Wyndham Clark, emptied his locker and packed his bags on Sunday, he was not hitting the road and driving to the following week’s Travelers Championship. McIlroy stayed in Los Angeles that night, had a few glasses of red wine with dinner and headed to bed before flying east on Monday morning. However, the four-time major winner went home to Florida instead of Connecticut to see his family, get some rest and recover.

“I try to get into the time zone where I’m going as quickly as possible,” McIlroy said Wednesday evening at TPC River Highlands. “I didn’t do a good job of that on Monday night because I started watching TV, and all of a sudden it was midnight [in Florida] and it was 9 p.m. back there and I didn’t feel tired.”

Many of the game’s best players have descended upon Royal Liverpool Golf Club after flying across Asia, Africa, and Europe. They have come from Australia, South America and North America too, and must recover quickly to be at their best on Thursday and contend for the Claret Jug.

More: 2023 British Open scoreboard, video and more

Mickey Loomis says Saints expect Michael Thomas to return for training camp

Mickey Loomis says the New Orleans Saints expect wide receiver Michael Thomas to return for training camp after recovering from last year’s injury:

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New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis shared an update on wide receiver Michael Thomas during an appearance on Sirius XM NFL Radio on Tuesday, setting the first real timetable we’ve seen for the former All-Pro’s return from season-ending surgery last year.

“I think (Thomas) is coming along, and I think he would tell you that things are going well, and we’re excited and optimistic about where he’s going to be when we begin training camp,” Loomis told hosts Bill Polian and Solomon Wilcots.

Loomis acknowledged the frustrations with a series of lower-leg injuries for Thomas, saying that he “has missed the better part of the last two years, and we’re counting on him to get healthy and to get back to his form.”

These extended absences have worn fans’ patience thin, and Thomas missing more time during organized team activities and minicamp practices is not going to met with much positivity. But it’s part of the process in getting him back to full strength. If him not being available for May and June means that Thomas will be full-go by September and October, it will have been worth it.

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Mickey Loomis says everything’s going as planned while Michael Thomas recovers from injury

Mickey Loomis says everything’s going as planned while Michael Thomas recovers from injury, adds WR ‘absolutely’ can return to form:

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What’s the latest on Michael Thomas? The New Orleans Saints’ former superstar wide receiver has lost years of the prime of his career to injuries, gutting through a complicated ankle issue that slowed him down in 2020 and sidelined him for the entire 2021 season before a broken bone in his other foot cut his 2022 campaign short.

But the Saints are optimistic that Thomas can return to form. General manager Mickey Loomis said as much Monday morning at the Saints Hall of Fame golf tournament, “Absolutely he can be. Just need to get him healthy, and he’s worked so hard at that over the last two or three years. The results haven’t been as good as we have all hoped, but it’s not because of a lack of effort or desire by him, that’s for sure.”

So when will he be back on the field? The Saints are taking it easy with several players managing health issues this offseason, including rookie running back Kendre Miller (coming off a knee injury) and tight end Foster Moreau (recovering from cancer treatment), and they aren’t going to rush Thomas into action before he’s physically ready.

Loomis echoed comments that head coach Dennis Allen made last week in the wake of news that Thomas recently had some surgical “hardware” removed from his foot, saying that the Saints expect Thomas to be ready to go for training camp in July: “Yeah I think everything’s (going) according to plan so far, and I feel very positive about it.”

At least they have a better backup plan this year in case Thomas does miss more time. They signed a veteran contested-catch receiver who’s used to working with Derek Carr in Bryan Edwards. They drafted a highly-regarded rookie who played a similar role in A.T. Perry. Another first-year pro, undrafted free agent Shaquan Davis, also has impressive potential. Signing former Pittsburgh Steelers standout James Washington would add another layer of depth, but we’ll have to wait and see whether a deal materializes.

Hopefully Thomas will continue to progress as expected and return to full participation in training camp and beyond. But if there’s another hurdle or challenge ahead, the Saints won’t be caught unprepared.

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Michael Thomas deadlifts 530 pounds, says he’s been hit with random NFL drug screening

Michael Thomas deadlifted 530 pounds while recovering from toe surgery, later saying he was selected for random NFL banned-substance screening:

Michael Thomas hasn’t yet been cleared after November toe surgery (for what it’s worth, he has a deadline to pass a team physical coming up on April 21) but he’s hard at work training for the upcoming season. The New Orleans Saints wide receiver shared a video on social media of his work in the weight room, deadlifting an impressive 530 pounds with surprising ease.

But no one was more surprised than Thomas from what came next. He shared a message from an NFL representative asking to arrange a meeting for sample collection as part of the NFL’s performance enhancing substances testing policy. These are random tests, but the timing couldn’t be more suspect. Hopefully Thomas clears it and returns to work while preparing for a pivotal 2023 season.

Thomas has missed a lot of time recovering from ankle and toe injuries over the last three years, but he played a big part in recruiting free agent quarterback Derek Carr this offseason and hopes to reestablish himself as one of the league’s best receivers now that he has a proven passer to work with. We’ll see how it all shakes out over the summer.

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Saints schedule pre-draft visit with TCU running back Kendre Miller

The Saints are one of several teams to have scheduled visits with former TCU running back Kendre Miller in the weeks ahead of the 2023 draft:

The New Orleans Saints are one of several teams to have scheduled visits with former TCU running back Kendre Miller in the weeks ahead, per KPRC2 NFL insider Aaron Wilson, who adds that Miller is recovering well from a sprained MCL suffered in the college football playoffs on Dec. 31. The Doak Walker Award semifinalist is a potential third- or fourth-round pick if he continues to heal up and interviews well with teams ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

Miller was one of college football’s leading rushers last season with 1,399 yards on the ground (at 6.2 yards per carry), plus 16 touchdown runs. He doesn’t have much experience on passing downs, however, with just 37 career targets as a receiver and only 70 snaps in pass protection. The Saints like their running backs to help out in both phases, but it remains to be seen how much Miller will be able to show them in position drills while on the mend.

This visit is probably how they hope to find out how he can help their team. Miller weighs in at nearly the same size (5-foot-11 and 215 pounds) as Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram II, so he fits what the Saints are looking for from a physical standpoint. Maybe they’re looking to fill out the rest of his scouting report in this meeting at the team facility.

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Spring running essentials 2023: Everything you need to start running outdoors… again

Celebrate the start of spring with our list of best running gear. From compression shorts to running shoes, we’ve got you covered.

At long last, spring is here. The weather is getting warmer, the flowers are finally blooming, and it’s time for your outdoor running program to begin again.

No matter if you’re a successful sprinter, journeyman jogger, or have been dreading this moment for months, FTW has all the gear you need in order to make the most of the spring season.

Everybody knows the importance of good running shoes, but don’t forget about other important elements of a successful run including comfort, flexibility, and recovery.

Whether it’s your first time jogging or you’re in it for the literal long run, we’ve got you covered with running essentials your outdoor season.