At no point have the Minnesota Vikings been good at running the ball with Kevin O’Connell as the head coach. Someday, that needs to change if the team is going to arrive at meaningful success.

Coach O’Connell (and the team more broadly) has enough talent to successfully push his squad through the regular season. Think double-digit wins and a ticket into the playoffs. Once there, though, O’Connell hasn’t yet been able to break through. At least part of the reason why has been due to losing the line of scrimmage, in no small part due to being so one dimensional.

A Stubborn Minnesota Vikings Fact

Check out the Vikings’ ranking for total rushing yardage since 2022 when O’Connell took over:

• 2022: 1,661 Yards (t-27th)
• 2023: 1,533 Yards (29th)
• 2024: 1,855 Yards (t-19th)
• 2025: 1,841 Yards (23rd)

In those seasons, the Minnesota Vikings have leaned on Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison, and Aaron Jones as the top runners (alongside a smattering of Cam Akers, Ty Chandler, Jordan Mason, and some others). Good players but nobody who could be said to be elite even if Cook and Jones had been terrific talents earlier in their careers. A talent deficit at running back — if we can even call it that — can only explain so much.

Obviously, the modern NFL is a passing league. Employing a former NFL quarterback who came over from the Los Angeles Rams always meant pivoting toward the pass, especially since the Vikings were coming off a Mike Zimmer approach that many had deemed stale.

Oh, and then there’s that Justin Jefferson guy. Feeding the historic WR1 makes a pile of sense.

What’s nevertheless true is that all of that passing should make it easier to find running lanes. Gone are the days of eight-man boxes in an effort to hang with Adrian Peterson. Instead, teams are commonly found hanging out with a pair of deep safeties trying to keep a roof on things.

There’s a case to be made, then, that what’s needed out of the Vikings is some commitment to gaining ground on the ground. All of the ingredients are there. Minnesota boasts an athletic, versatile fullback to fit within a three-deep cluster of runners in Jones, Mason, and Demond Claiborne.

So, too, is the offensive line formidable. Now healthy, the front five — LT Christian Darrisaw, LG Donovan Jackson, C Blake Brandel, RG Will Fries, and RT Brian O’Neill — can be a ton to corral. Let those guys fire off the ball rather than needing to always be back on their heels in pass pro. The large lads like that sort of thing.

Moreover, the quarterback is going to benefit from a potent rushing attack.

Kyler Murray has battled injury in his career. So has QB2 J.J. McCarthy and QB3 Carson Wentz. Putting the ball in a runner’s hands means less high-speed collisions on the passers.

Even better, getting into situations like a 3rd & 3 means ensuring the defense can’t pin their ears back in the same way as when it’s 3rd & 9. Can running the ball create those uncertain moments for the defense?

The early moments in the Vikings at Giants game featured some really nice work when leaning on Jones and Mason. The Minnesota Vikings would be wise to continue leaning on that approach.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Arsenal have started the 2026/27 season in style after beating Manchester City 3-0 to win the Community Shield in Cardiff.

Riccardo Calafiori gave Arsenal the perfect start when he scored just 24 seconds into the game at the Principality Stadium.

Kai Havertz doubled the lead in the 28th minute before captain Martin Odegaard added a third two minutes after the restart.

The victory gave Arsenal their 18th Community Shield title and provided a strong boost ahead of the new Premier League season.

Arsenal came out strongly from the opening whistle and quickly put City under pressure. Ben White found Myles Lewis-Skelly, who created space before playing Calafiori through. The Italian calmly finished past new City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

City tried to respond, with Phil Foden forcing David Raya into an early save. However, Arsenal remained the more dangerous side and soon extended their lead.

Noni Madueke played the ball back to Odegaard, who sent a cross towards Christos Tzolis. The Greek winger headed it across the box for Havertz, who directed his header into the net.

City had chances before the break. Erling Haaland was denied by Raya, while White produced an important block to stop Jeremy Doku from scoring.

Arsenal almost added a third before half-time, but City survived after Odegaard’s effort went under Donnarumma before being cleared off the line.

The third goal finally arrived just two minutes into the second half.

Lewis-Skelly found Tzolis on the left, and the winger picked out Odegaard’s run. The Arsenal captain moved past Josko Gvardiol before rounding Donnarumma and rolling the ball into an empty net.

It was Odegaard’s first goal since December after an injury-hit 2025/26 season.

Bukayo Saka also came close to scoring after coming on, while Raya made another excellent save to deny Antoine Semenyo and preserve Arsenal’s clean sheet.

The win gives Arsenal confidence ahead of their Premier League title defence, which begins on Friday against newly promoted Coventry City.

They will then travel to Aston Villa on August 31 before facing Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on September 6.

Every year, like clockwork, there are rookies who break into the NFL and make an impact. These players get all the headlines, but we also see second-year players take a major jump in production and carve out a major role on their side of the ball. The Minnesota Vikings have a chance to have a large number of rookies and second-year guys step up, but the guys at PFF highlighted this wide receiver specifically.

When discussing second-year breakout candidates, Daire Carragher of PFF named Tai Felton as a breakout candidate. Felton has caught the eye of many for his camp performance so far, and has a chance to step up in 2026:

Felton’s 4.37-second 40-yard dash speed should add an explosive element to a Vikings passing attack that desperately needs it after producing just 28 explosive passing plays from Week 11 onward last season, the fewest of any team not named the Jets.

We all saw the incredible catch he had in camp last week, and if he can stack days and put together a string of strong performances in the preseason, he could push Jauan Jennings for snaps as the WR3 on the depth chart in 2026.

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This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings WR among the second-year players PFF has their eyes on

Ireland’s Conor Swail and Theo 160 finished in third place in the $185,000 CSIO4* RBC Grand Prix at Ottawa in Canada on Saturday.

With international riders from Ireland, Luxembourg, Israel, the US, and the home nation, Canada, competing, it was American Adrienne Sternlicht, riding, Faquitol-S, who won the class for the second year in-a-row.

Mckayla Langmeier of the US was first to return to the arena for the jump-off, but Isidore de Chalusse had two rails down in a time of 43.96 seconds, eventually placing them in fourth.

Conor Swail and Theo 160, a 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding, were next up, and though the combination were quick (42.03 seconds), they unfortunately had four faults at the final fence. The round would be good enough for third place on the podium, however.

The eventual winner, Sternlicht, was next to take on the course, and she and Faquitol-S went clear in 42.99 seconds.

Luxembourg’s Charlotte Bettendorf was the final rider remaining in the jump-off with her 10-year-old Selle Francais mare Good Girl DK. The combination were forced to settle for the runner-up spot, as their clear round in 43.25 seconds was slightly slower than Sternlicht’s.

Ireland’s Daniel Coyle, with Urville Z, had four faults in the first round, and that left them in tenth position overall.

1. Adrienne Sternlicht / United States / Faquitol-S / 0:0 / 42.99
2. Charlotte Bettendorf / Luxenberg / Good Girl DK / 0:0 / 43.25
3. Conor Swail / Ireland / Theo 160 / 0:4 / 42.03

10. Daniel Coyle / Ireland / Urville Z / 4

LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

Less than five months have passed since Manchester City comprehensively beat Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, a performance that laid out a gulf in quality between the two clubs, that promised to launch City to the title, that landed a damaging psychological blow to brittle Arsenal minds.

In the following days it was hard to imagine how Mikel Arteta’s team would recover from being so comprehensively outplayed. We know how that turned out. Here, on an August day in Cardiff, the two teams met again in a game that could not have been more different. Arsenal ripped City apart in a dominant 3-0 victory to win their third Community Shield under Arteta and 18th overall, behind only Manchester United’s 21.

Just as too much was read into that Carabao Cup final, we should resist the urge to hand Arsenal the Premier League trophy before a ball is kicked. This was a glorified friendly and captain Martin Odegaard lifted the trophy with all the faux enthusiasm it deserved.

But in their slick interchanges of passing, in their ability to keep City’s dangermen at bay, in the peerless performance of new signings Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis, in the sheer strength in depth available to Arteta, there were undeniable signs that this Arsenal team might be as strong, perhaps even stronger, than last season’s title winners.

It took Riccardo Calafiori only 24 seconds to score Arsenal’s first goal, finishing a clever pass by Myles Lewis-Skelly. It took Kai Havertz only four touches to add their second, heading home Tzolis’s headed pass. By the time Odegaard had added a brilliant third, taking Tzolis’s pass in his stride before tricking Gianluigi Donnarumma into diving too early to leave the goal half empty, City were utterly beaten.

In those moments the mind drifted back to another previous meeting: five days before Arteta was appointed Arsenal manager in December 2019, they were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City. Kevin De Bruyne was majestic at the centre of a City performance full of telepathic cohesion, and the size of Arteta’s task was laid bare in a humiliating first half. This was not only about competing with elite quality on the pitch and financial might in the transfer market. It was about toppling a City team built on longevity and consistency under Pep Guardiola, just as Liverpool were growing under Jurgen Klopp.

Nearly seven years later, new City manager Enzo Maresca might look upon Arteta in much the same light. Arteta is the longest serving manager in English football, a rare beacon of stability in a turbulent Premier League summer where most of the wealthy clubs – Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham as well as City – are embarking on new or nearly-new managerial journeys.

And despite the rehiring of Maresca, Guardiola’s former assistant, City’s restart feels particularly seismic. They are rebuilding a midfield that may yet lose a Ballon d’Or winner, should Rodri get his desired move to Barcelona. Perhaps just as important, they are attempting to establish a tactical identity after a final season of experimentation by Guardiola, who evolved his side into a more narrow, “vertical” team in his final months.

Does Maresca undo Guardiola’s evolution, or return City to something more akin to the side he worked with? The signs from pre-season are closer to the latter, with Maresca’s own imprint on the side, keeping his wingers high and wide to take on their full-backs in one-on-one battles.

Yet City found themselves blunted. Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo were ineffective whenever Arsenal dropped into a low block. Jack Grealish made his first City appearance for 15 months and found the same problems as his teammates.

At the other end, Arsenal punctured City’s defensive shape repeatedly. Maresca’s defence held a passive line on the edge of their own box and Arsenal could take their pick: a slide-rule pass by Lewis-Skelly, a deft dink by Odegaard, a deep cross by Noni Madueke.

And perhaps the most ominous sign for Arsenal’s Premier League rivals was the depth of choice available to Arteta. Declan Rice played only the second half, Eberechi Eze only the final 10 minutes. Mikel Merino went unused after a summer spent winning the World Cup with Spain, while Martin Zubimendi was a late substitute.

Calafiori was outstanding and yet late in the game, his understudy Piero Hincapie was surging down the left wing to fire in threatening crosses. In the middle, Bukayo Saka was getting on the end of the supply after coming off the bench for Madueke, a bench where England’s most exciting teenager, Max Dowman, stayed put.

None of which gives Arsenal a head start when the Premier League begins this week. It is a one game that matters little – Community Shield winners tend not to win the Premier League, according to recent history. But it served to underline the journey from defeat by City seven years ago, and again by City five months ago. Now Arsenal are the team landing the telling psychological blows.

The FA Community Shield has retained its place as one of the traditional curtain-raisers of the English football season, bringing together the winners of the Premier League and FA Cup for an annual showdown.

The 2026 edition will see Arsenal face Manchester City, with the two sides meeting at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Arsenal enter the fixture as Premier League champions, while Manchester City qualified as FA Cup winners.

Although the Community Shield does not carry the same weight as the Premier League or FA Cup, the fixture remains an important part of English football’s calendar. It offers clubs an opportunity to begin the new campaign with silverware while giving supporters an early glimpse of their team’s prospects for the season ahead.

A fixture with more than a century of history 

The Community Shield dates back to 1908, although its format has changed considerably over the years. It was not until 1930 that the fixture began regularly featuring the league champions against the FA Cup winners.

The competition took its modern shape in 1974, under then-FA secretary Ted Croker, and has since become an annual meeting between the previous season’s major domestic winners.

The fixture has also been played at several venues over the years. Wembley has traditionally been its home, but the match has occasionally moved elsewhere because of scheduling conflicts and major events at the national stadium.

Who has won the most Community Shields?

Manchester United remain the most successful club in Community Shield history, having won the trophy 21 times.

Most FA Community Shield titles 

Club Titles

Manchester United 21

Arsenal 17

Liverpool 16

Everton 9

Tottenham Hotspur 7

Manchester City 7

Chelsea 4

English Professionals XI 4

Wolverhampton Wanderers 4 

What is the biggest win in Community Shield history?

The biggest winning margin in the history of the competition came in 1913, when the English Professionals XI defeated the English Amateurs XI 7-2.

How many times have Arsenal won the Community Shield?

Arsenal have won the Community Shield 17 times, making them the second-most successful club in the competition’s history. The 2026 edition gives the Gunners another opportunity to add to that tally.

How many times have Manchester City won the Community Shield?

Manchester City have won the Community Shield seven times. They will be looking to add another title when they face Arsenal in Cardiff.

What does the Community Shield winner receive?

As we count down to the first college football game of the 2026 season, we continue our new series: The records of each top CFB program in the West against all the others in the region.

Some schools have met many times over the years, while others are beginning new rivalries in the wake of recent realignment.

For each opponent in the table below, we provide the total games played, wins, losses, ties, winning percentage, first year played, and most recent contest.

We continue with Utah State, which has played 711 games against regional foes, winning 303, losing 392, and recording 16 ties, for a winning percentage of .437.

The Aggies have recorded the most wins (41) against Wyoming and played the most games (114)  and lost the most games (80) against Utah.

Here is a breakdown of Utah State’s records vs. the region’s teams.

Islam Makhachev is without a doubt one of the most talented fighters to ever step foot inside the Octagon. His fight IQ is tremendous. His striking is underrated and should be respected more. His wrestling and grappling? All you have to do is know that his mentor is Khabib Nurmagomedov, and you have your answer.

Makhachev made fairly easy work of Ian Machado Garry in the main event of UFC 330 on August 15 in Philadelphia, retaining the UFC welterweight championship. Few people have ever given Makhachev any trouble in the Octagon – the only obvious answers would be Adriano Martins (Makhachev’s sole loss) and the first fight with Alexander Volkanovski. In the Octagon, Makhachev is a puzzle, and it seems it hasn’t gotten any easier to figure out as he’s evolved as a fighter.

And while the UFC 330 main event may not have been the most fun fight, or the most competitive fight, or even UFC CEO and President Dana White’s favorite fight, for that matter, it did play an important role when it comes to the ever-evolving legacy of Makhachev.

Firstly, as noted, he retained the UFC welterweight championship. It was Makhachev’s first defense of the title since claiming it with a win over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 this past November. That may not sound like much of a big deal, but it changes when you add the context of Makhachev’s previous run as UFC lightweight king.

Makhachev has now won and defended UFC championships in two different weight divisions. While there have been other athletes who have won UFC titles in two different weight classes, how many of them can say they’ve won a championship and defended it in both? Only two: One is Henry Cejudo, an Olympic gold medalist before becoming one of the sport’s two-belt champions. The other is Amanda Nunes – who is seen as one of the greatest athletes in MMA history, let alone one of the, if not the absolute, greatest women’s athletes in MMA history. Everyone else either was stripped of a championship, vacated a championship, or never successfully defended the gold in one of their weight classes.

UFC 330 was also a significant win because it wasn’t just about retaining the championship for Makhachev. The win also marks Makhachev’s 17th straight victory in the Octagon, giving Makhachev sole possession of the longest win streak in UFC history. Who was the person he was tied with? Anderson Silva – only one of the UFC’s most popular figures and the former longtime UFC middleweight champion.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Makhachev’s win has proven he is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC right now. It wasn’t that long ago when you could have argued two others alongside Makhachev, Ilia Topuria and Alex Pereira, for this claim. All three have won UFC titles in multiple weight classes, and all three have left an impact one way or another in the Octagon at this point in their careers.

But Topuria and Pereira’s losses two months ago at the UFC White House card helped further the argument in Makhachev’s favor. Pereira went for ultimate glory to try and become the only UFC fighter to win belts in three weight classes; instead, he left with losses in all three weight classes. Topuria looked to accomplish what Makhachev just did with two division title wins and defenses; instead, Justin Gaethje had one of the all-time UFC moments, even if it cost us Topuria vs. Makhachev in the long run.

That’s not to dismiss Topuria and Pereira’s accomplishments – it’s only to say that the door was left open for Makhachev at UFC 330, and Makhachev made the most of the opportunity in front of him.

And now, this is where Makhachev’s legacy takes its most significant turn. The question is no longer whether he belongs among the greatest fighters of this generation; that answer seems pretty obvious. Now it’s a matter of whether he deserves to be mentioned alongside the sport’s all-time standard-bearers. Does Makhachev deserve to be placed in the same conversation as the likes of the ones considered GOATs: Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre, Demetrious Johnson, Amanda Nunes, and, certainly not least, his own mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov?

There is debate for if this is realistic – after all, Makhachev turns 35 in October, and he’ll still need a strong run as champion at 170 to take on other records held by some of this bunch. But Makhachev does not need to be placed above any of them to enter this conversation; he’s got a resume that speaks for itself.

There will always be arguments over eras, opponents, and the things that define greatness and GOAT status. But Makhachev’s win this past Saturday night has made this clear: He IS the best currently. He’s one of the greatest in this current generation of fighters. And he’s on his way to building a case for himself to be considered an all-timer, if he isn’t one already.