Sports
Lionel Messi’s Grand Gesture For Family Of Vozinha, Cape Verde Star Who Gave Argentina Massive Scare At FIFA World Cup 2026
Cape Verde and their goalkeeper Vozinha had a memorable FIFA World Cup 2026 debut, despite going down 3-2 to Argentina in a valiantly contested match in Miami. Cape Verde remained unbeaten against 2010 champions and eventual winners Spain, as well as two-time former champions Uruguay in the group stage. Then, in the Round of 32, Cape Verde were level at 2-2 until the 111th minute before an own goal saw Argentina take a 3-2 lead. Vozinha made a total of 18 saves in the tournament; the only goalkeepers aged 40 or older to register more saves at a single World Cup are Peter Shilton (28 in 1990 for England) and Dino Zoff (27 in 1982 for Italy), according to OptaJoe.
Now, a report in Goal.com has claimed that Messi apparently instructed his representatives to secure free tickets for four of Vozinha’s family members so that they could attend the final from the stands. Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in the final.
Speaking after the match, Vozinha said Messi hugged him and offered words of encouragement that deeply moved the goalkeeper, according to La Tercera, as quoted by Goal.com.
Speaking after the match, Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha revealed a touching post-match moment with Messi that he says will stay with him forever. The goalkeeper recounted the exchange, saying, as quoted by La Tercera: “I went up to Messi after the game. He hugged me and said, ‘You are great. Your people should be proud of you.’ That was incredible for me. Hearing words like that from someone like Leo Messi means a lot to me.”
The Cape Verde goalkeeper further revealed that he requested Messi’s shirt as a keepsake from the meeting, adding that the Argentina captain agreed to the exchange after completing his post-match media duties.
He added that the moment did not end there, revealing that he had asked the Argentine captain for a keepsake from the encounter: “I thanked him and said, ‘Thank you, Leo. You are the best.’ Then I asked if we could swap shirts. Leo said he would give it to me in the tunnel after the interview.”
Coming to the match, Cape Verde, making their first appearance in the World Cup knockout stages, started brightly and tested Argentina early through Ryan Mendes before the South American giants gradually asserted control.
The breakthrough came in the 29th minute when Lionel Messi produced a moment of brilliance, controlling Lisandro Martinez’s diagonal pass before firing into the roof of the net. The strike marked his seventh goal of the tournament, taking him to the top of the Golden Boot standings.
Argentina looked comfortable before halftime, but Cape Verde returned with renewed intensity after the break. Their persistence paid off just before the hour mark when Mendes released Deroy Duarte, who finished confidently from a tight angle to score his country’s first-ever FIFA World Cup knockout-stage goal and level the contest.
Despite creating several chances, Argentina were repeatedly denied by veteran goalkeeper Vozinha, whose outstanding saves from Messi kept the scores level and forced the match into extra time.
Argentina restored their advantage almost immediately after extra time began as Lisandro Martinez converted from close range following a corner in the 92nd minute. Yet Cape Verde refused to back down, with Sidny Lopes Cabral producing a stunning curling effort in the 103rd minute from a tight angle to make it 2-2 once again.
The decisive moment came in the second half of extra time when Messi’s corner was met by Romero, whose powerful header took a slight deflection off Diney Borges before finding the back of the net in the 111th minute.
Cape Verde nearly forced penalties late on, but Emiliano Martinez produced a vital save to deny Lopes Cabral’s powerful free-kick and secure Argentina’s progress.
Featured Video Of The Day
“Winning World Cup Most Beautiful thing”: Golden Ball Winner Rodri
Topics mentioned in this article
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The lineup for this year’s WNBA All-Star 3-point contest has been a talking point in the sports world since it was announced. New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu was among the most notable players absent from the annual competition.
Ionescu addressed the speculation ahead of Wednesday’s Liberty-Sky matchup, pushing back against reports that she chose not to participate in this weekend’s WNBA 3-point contest in Chicago. “I can’t decline an offer I never got officially invited to. So was pretty surprised to see that. Never got invited,” the defending 3-point contest champion told reporters during her pregame media availability.
Caitlin Clark and Kayla McBride were also among the high-profile stars who reportedly declined invitations to the competition.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu competing in the Kia WNBA Skills Challenge and WNBA STARRY 3-Point Contest on July 18, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Mike Lawrence/NBAE via Getty Images)
“Whether it’s against Steph Curry or in the W, I always go out and try and beat my record, every single time I’ve gone out.” Ionescu has won the 3-point contest twice, highlighted by her record-setting 37-point performance in 2023.
“I just kind of wanted to set the record straight,” she continued. “Like that was just false, but I’m really excited for the participants in it, and obviously there’s going to be a new winner, so I’m excited to see who wins.”
Ionescu later referenced her previous 3-point showdown with Stephen Curry when asked a follow-up about the issue, “Maybe I’ll do it with Steph again at NBA All-Star and get a really nice official invite.”
New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu celebrates after winning the WNBA Starry 3-Point Contest on July 18, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. (A.J. Mast/NBAE via Getty Images)
The confirmed list of 3-point contest participants includes: Dallas’ Azzi Fudd, Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard, Golden State’s Janelle Salaün, Portland’s Bridget Carleton, Toronto’s Marina Mabrey and Seattle’s Natisha Hiedeman. Howard and Mabrey are the only players in that group with prior 3-point contest experience at All-Star weekend.
Earlier this week, Ionescu refuted a report that she had opted out of this year’s festivities, commenting “lies” under a since-deleted Bleacher Report Instagram post. McBride also weighed in via social media, saying her agent had texted her about the event in the 48 hours before her Instagram Story post, but that no formal invitation ever came.
“Posting things like I’m afraid of shooting smoke is weird and if you didn’t hear it from me prob shouldn’t believe it,” McBride wrote. “We should focus on the great shooters in it already!!! Because there’s some killas in there.”
New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu competes in the WNBA STARRY 3-Point Contest during the 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star weekend at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 18, 2025. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Despite dealing with an ankle injury early this season, Ionescu entered Wednesday night’s game averaging 13.8 points per game over 14 appearances.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Jul 22, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies infielder Kyle Karros (12) is caught in a run down against Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli (24) in the second inning at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Luis Garcia Jr. homered, Cade Cavalli tossed six strong innings, and the Washington Nationals beat the Colorado Rockies 8-0 in the rubber game of the series in Denver on Wednesday.
Cavalli (7-4), making his second start since serving a five-game suspension, scattered four hits, walked a pair and struck out eight in his six innings.
CJ Abrams had four hits and Jorbit Vivas, Nasim Nunez, Dylan Crews and Jose Tena finished with two each for Washington. The Nationals, who entered the afternoon leading the majors in runs, RBIs and home runs, have scored seven or more runs in four of their last five games.
Jake McCarthy doubled to extend his on-base streak to 17 games and Kyle Karros singled and walked twice for Colorado, which finished 2-4 on its homestand. The Rockies committed three errors that resulted in two unearned runs.
Colorado starter Gabriel Hughes (0-2), making his second career start at Coors Field and fourth overall major league appearance, was locked in a pitching duel with Cavalli. Hughes struck out five through four shutout innings before the Nationals got to him to start the fifth.
Vivas led off the inning with a triple off the wall in right and James Wood drove him home with a hit a sacrifice fly.
Washington broke it open in the seventh against reliever Jimmy Herget. Daylen Liles led off with a walk, went to second on a groundout and Vivas walked. Nunez singled to left to bring home Liles, and Vivas came home when the ball rolled under Mickey Moniak’s glove for an error.
One out later, Garcia blasted his 21st homer of the season into the Nationals’ bullpen to make it 5-0. Zach Agnos relieved Herget and gave up consecutive singles to Tena and Abrams. Crews followed with another single to drive in Tena, and two throwing errors on the play allowed Abrams to score.
Washington added to its lead in the eighth. Keiber Ruiz led off with a double, Vivas singled and Nunez followed with an RBI single.
–Field Level Media
The Burnaby, B.C., native appeared to run around the bases gingerly in the top half of the fourth inning before being removed from the game in the bottom half.
Dylan Beavers moved from centre field to right, and Colton Cowser entered the game to replace O’Neill and play centre.
O’Neill, 31, is having a second straight down season, slashing .205/.297/.360 with six home runs and 15 RBIs. He hit 31 home runs for the Red Sox in 2024.
The Red Sox tied their franchise record with a 15th straight win in Game 1 of a split doubleheader against the Orioles on Wednesday and have the chance to break it in Game 2.
When championship conditions turn baked-out and firm, the knee-jerk reaction among amateur players is to instantly strip bounce off every wedge in the bag. And YES, it did happen a bit last week at Royal Birkdale with players getting low bounce wedge grinds built up “just in case”.
The logic seems sound on paper: tighter lies demand a lower leading edge to prevent the sole from skidding into the middle of the golf ball. On Tour, however, the response from the trucks is far more personal. While firm fairways and tight turf do trigger an influx of low-bounce wedge options across the field, a player’s delivery geometry, swing path, and wrist release play a far larger role in grind selection than ground hardness alone.
A wedge grind never functions in isolation. Static bounce stamped on the sole only represents how the club rests on a flat surface; dynamic bounce is determined by how the player introduces the clubhead to the turf at impact. A steep attack angle with forward shaft lean converts a high-bounce wedge into a digging instrument, whereas a shallow delivery with shaft handle elevation can make even a mid-bounce sole prone to skipping if not fitted to the player’s specific lie angle requirements. Examining the wedge setups of Ryan Fox, Shane Lowry, and Nico Echavarria demonstrates how three distinctly different physical deliveries dictate three entirely different equipment solutions when playing on firm Tour conditions.
Theres a TON to learn here.
Ryan Fox: High bounce retention for steep turf engagement
Getty Images
View Product
Ryan Fox wedge specs:
- 50° MID Grind: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100, 63° Lie Angle, Standard Length
- 56° MID Grind: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400, 63.5° Lie Angle, Standard Length
- 60° MID Grind: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400, 63.5° Lie Angle, Standard Length
Ryan Fox represents a category of ball-striker that defies standard conventional wisdom on baked-out courses. Fox is a heavy-striking player who drives the clubhead down hard into the turf through impact. Rather than sweeping the ball clean, he compresses it with substantial forward shaft lean and a steep angle of attack, taking distinct divots regardless of how firm the sub-base happens to be.
For a player with Fox’s delivery profile, dropping to low-bounce grinds under hard conditions creates a catastrophic scenario. When a steep attack angle is paired with a sharp leading edge and minimal sole geometry, the clubhead drives directly into the soil without resistance, leading to heavy contact and inconsistent distance control. By staying in Mid-Bounce profiles across his entire 50°, 56°, and 60° wedge setup, Fox maintains necessary ground clearance. The sole bounce acts as a safety valve, allowing the clubhead to pass down through the ball, compress it against the tight turf, and exit cleanly on the target line without stalling in the ground.
Furthermore, Fox frequently uses his lob wedge to play low, flighted shots off his back foot. Moving the ball back in the stance increases dynamic shaft lean, which effectively subtracts bounce from the club head at impact. Because Fox manipulates his delivery to deloft and drive the ball flat, the static Mid-Bounce is required simply to keep the leading edge elevated enough to prevent digging. His shaft build also reflects this mechanical split: a stiffer Dynamic Gold X100 in the 50° to match his iron transition and tight distance dispersion, followed by Dynamic Gold S400 shafts in the 56° and 60° to provide slightly softer tip feel and controlled spin on partial greenside shots.
Shane Lowry: Upright angles, dynamic touch, and sole transition
Shane Lowry wedge specs:
- 50° MID Grind (bent to 51°): KBS Tour X, +.25″ Length, 2.5° Upright
- 56° MID Grind (bent to 57°): KBS Tour X, +.25″ Length, 2.5° Upright
- 60° LOW Grind (bent to 61°): KBS Tour X, +.25″ Length, 2.5° Upright
Shane Lowry possesses one of the most distinctive wedge setups on Tour, defined by upright lie angles and precise loft tweaks. Standing at a relatively standard height, Lowry’s lie angle configuration of 2.5 degrees upright across all three wedges is noticeably upright compared to tour averages. This spec stems from both a visual preference at address and a structural delivery mechanics issue where Lowry stands the shaft up during his backswing and delivers the clubhead with a toe-down, upright orientation.
Lowry’s lofts are each adjusted 1-degree weak (50° to 51°, 56° to 57°, and 60° to 61°). Bending a wedge weak increases static bounce by 1 degree while adding subtle offset and altering the leading-edge appearance. On his gap and sand wedges, this modification maintains controlled full-swing gapping and enhances spin rates out of rough and fairway lies alike.
All-new RTZ Wedges are made with Z-Alloy, a completely new steel formula that enables a zero-compromise design approach for incredible feel, better durability, and more consistency for our best performing tour Wedges yet. Plus, there’s an all-new ADAPT grind featuring full-face grooves, to give RTZ Wedges more versatility than ever before.
Z-Alloy
Z-Alloy is a brand-new steel with better feel. It’s softer, lighter, and remarkably durable. It gives RTZ Wedges superior feel, better forgiveness, and more consistency. On RTZ Tour Rack Wedges, Z-Alloy’s rust-resistant properties ensure longer-lasting, like-new performance.
HydraZip
HydraZip is a unique system of face blasts and laser-milled lines formulated to maximize spin performance under wet conditions. This technology is dynamically configured by loft groupings, which helps balance spin across lofts, while maximizing spin in adverse conditions.
ZipCore
This low-density core technology replaces heavier material in the heel and hosel area with a lightweight, low-density, vibration-dampening material. This proprietary core allows us to shift the Center of Gravity closer to where you strike the ball, while simultaneously adding MOI.
UltiZip
UltiZip’s sharper grooves cut through grass and debris at contact, while deeper grooves help make space for grass, sand, dirt, or water to clear the impact zone, giving RTZ Wedges stronger, more consistent spin from the fairway, rough, or bunker.
View Product
Earlier in the season, Lowry transitioned away from a Full Face lob wedge profile into a 60° Low Bounce grind (bent to 61°). Lowry is an elite short-game artist who relies heavily on wrist manipulation, face opening, and shallow turf skimming around the greens. Because Lowry naturally adds dynamic bounce through impact by releasing his hands and laying the face open, a wedge with wide sole geometry or high static bounce becomes a liability on hard surfaces. Excessive bounce causes the trailing edge to strike the hard ground first, causing the leading edge to skip upward into the middle of the ball. The Low Bounce grind allows the leading edge to stay close to the dirt when the face is opened, trusting his hands to supply the necessary bounce dynamically at strike.
It just adds to what will be an especially special Games for Marshall, who is joined in the bowls team by his niece Beth Riva.
“It’s a bit nerve-wracking really,” 59-year-old Marshall told BBC Scotland. “It’s not very often I get a bit emotional, but I certainly had a tear in my eye when I came out the lift this morning and all the athletes were there. It’s just a huge honour.”
Resplendent in full kilt on a sweltering day, and proprietorially clutching the flagstick like a child would a favourite toy, the East Lothian bowler was in his element when talking about the news on Wednesday.
Marshall conceded he would have to let it go for the evening before having it returned before the big show.
But he might have to battle with Adlington for first shot of it when that time comes. “And I’d win that fight,” joked the 39-year-old heavyweight.
Adlington, who won judo gold in 2014 and 2022 and is looking to end her career by completing the treble, revealed the two of them have known the news for a few weeks but had been sworn to secrecy.
“That’s been really hard,” she told BBC Sport Scotland. “I was told I could tell my nearest and dearest but for everyone else it will be a massive surprise.
“I’m just so excited. I was so nervous when I woke up this morning, and I think I’ll be even more nervous tomorrow. I might not even sleep tonight but if it’s even half as good as it was in 2014, it will be amazing.”
The Brasileirão leaders returned from the World Cup break with another win.
Palmeiras beat Coritiba this Wednesday (22) at Couto Pereira, thanks especially to their Paraguayans.
Recently naturalized, Maurício scored the match’s first two goals, both in the first half, making it 2-0 with less than 20 minutes played.
Advertisement
Ramón Sosa provided the assist for the opening goal and extended the lead in the second half.
Paulo Roberto scored Coritiba’s only goal of the match, which came right after Palmeiras’ third.
Coxa still pushed for an equalizer in the closing stages, but created little.
Carlos Miguel‘s main moment in the match came in first-half stoppage time, with a spectacular save from a header by Thiago Santos.
See the match goals below:
9′ – Maurício
19′ – Maurício
67′ – Sosa
68′ – Paulo Roberto
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Every once in a while, a big leaguer looks like a little leaguer on the diamond.
Unfortunately for the Philadelphia Phillies, star catcher J.T. Realmuto’s Little League-esque blunder ended the game.
In the bottom of the ninth inning of the Phillies’ 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies had runners on second and third with one out.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts tags Philadelphia Phillies’ Justin Crawford in a rundown with J.T. Realmuto heading back to second base during the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Justin Crawford, who pinch-ran for Alec Bohm, was on third base, while Realmuto was on second base. Right fielder Brandon Marsh was up against closer Tanner Scott.
Marsh hit a weak ground ball to third base, and Crawford started to go home but stopped after a few steps.
Interim Phillies manager Don Mattingly said postgame the contact play was on, which means Crawford was supposed to run home no matter what. However, Crawford said the contact play was on unless the ball was hit to third base.
So Crawford, now caught between third base and home plate, got in a rundown. Realmuto ran to third base but inexplicably turned around to go back to second base when he saw Crawford run back to third base.
Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Tommy Edman reacts after tagging out Philadelphia Phillies catcher JT Realmuto in the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa., on July 21, 2026. (Kyle Ross/Imagn Images)
Mookie Betts tagged Crawford out and then whirled and fired to second baseman Tommy Edman to nab Realmuto going back to second, completing a chaotic 5-2-6-4 double play to end the game.
Phillies announcer John Kruk was in disbelief after seeing Realmuto run back toward second base.
“Oh no, JT! Oh no,” Kruk said.
Realmuto said postgame it was a bad baserunning play.
“Just a bad baserunning play, really,” Realmuto told reporters postgame. “We were going on seeing it through there, and once (Crawford) gets in the rundown and I’m on third base, there’s no reason for me to go back to second. Just a lack of judgment. You can’t make two outs on that play. I’ve just got to stay in scoring position.”
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman reacts after getting Philadelphia Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto out at second base for the final out of a game Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
“Just a lapse in judgment. I thought Crawford could get out of the rundown for some reason. The chances of that are so small, you just can’t take that chance there of making two outs on one play.”
Realmuto said he should have played it through in his head before it happened and been more proactive in his preparation. Mattingly said he wasn’t sure what his star catcher was thinking.
“I don’t know what JT was thinking there, honestly, because he got to third,” Mattingly told reporters postgame.
“With contact on,” Mattingly said, “just hoping (Crawford) stays in (the rundown) long enough to get Marsh to second, and you end up in the same spot.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
J.T. Realmuto #10 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park on July 20, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pa. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers 10-7. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
“I’m not quite sure what he’s thinking. I don’t know if he thought that (Crawford) was going to get back or they were going to let him get back. It’s something we’ll talk about.”
SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST SPORTS NEWS
The baserunning blunder comes in the midst of a down season for Realmuto. The three-time All-Star catcher is hitting just .215 with seven home runs, which well below his career batting average of .268.
The Phillies (56-46) will look to bounce back from the tough loss and take the third game of the three-game set against the Dodgers (64-38) on Wednesday at 6:40 p.m. ET.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Sports
Wasim Jaffer says KL Rahul ‘is at par’ with Virat Kohli, reveals one quality that separates them | Cricket News
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has made a bold comparison between KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, saying the Indian wicketkeeper-batter possesses the same level of talent and technical ability as the batting great. However, Jaffer believes it is Kohli’s unmatched mentality and relentless consistency that have helped him scale unprecedented heights in international cricket.Rahul and Kohli have shared the Indian dressing room for over a decade, with the duo making their international careers around the same era. While Kohli has gone on to become one of the greatest batters of the modern era, Rahul has often been praised for his elegant strokeplay and versatility but has struggled to convert his immense potential into sustained dominance.Speaking on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan, Jaffer reflected on his time as part of the Punjab Kings coaching setup and recalled working closely with Rahul during the IPL.
‘KL Rahul is at par with Virat Kohli in talent’
Jaffer described Rahul as one of the most technically complete batters in world cricket and said the Karnataka star still has plenty to achieve.“KL is a top-class player who plays all three formats remarkably well. Technically sound, composed, and level-headed. Even though he is still actively playing, I believe he has somewhat underachieved given his skill set. He can get so many more runs for both India and his franchise,” Jaffer said. The former India opener then made a striking comparison with Kohli.“In terms of pure talent and quality, I genuinely believe he is at par with Virat Kohli, but it is Virat’s elite mentality that creates that ultimate separation between KL and Virat,” he added.
Virat Kohli vs KL Rahul: International career comparison
Although Jaffer rates Rahul’s talent alongside Kohli’s, the numbers underline the remarkable gap created by Kohli’s longevity and consistency as Kohli started his international career 6 years prior to KL Rahul.
| Stat | Virat Kohli | KL Rahul |
|---|---|---|
| International Matches | 562 | 238 |
| Runs | 28,359 | 9,830 |
| Batting Average | 52.71 | 40.45 |
| Centuries | 85 | 22 |
| Half-centuries | 148 | 62 |
| Highest Score | 254* | 199 |
VikingsTerritory is here to answer your questions, publishing them weekly in a single article. The timing is opportune, with training camp getting off the ground in approximately four days.
We have selected the primary questions from the email inbox, and our responses are provided below.
Vikings’ Summer Questions Stretch from Rookies to the Division Race
Question: If you had to guess one single rookie who will make the most impact for the Vikings in 2026, who would that be?
Answer: DT Domonique Orange.
The Vikings found Orange in Round 3 from Iowa State, and because nose tackles are often asked to “only stop the run,” they get up to NFL speed quicker than other rookies. We don’t believe Orange will be different.
The Vikings didn’t have an official general manager during the draft, leading us to assume that defensive coordinator Brian Flores had more input than usual during the process. It’s unlikely that he was forced to pick Orange.
And because Levi Drake Rodriguez — who is decent, not great — is the only NT standing in Orange’s way, VikingsTerritory thinks Orange will see the field as early as September.
Caleb Banks and Jake Golday will get snaps as rookies, but pencil us in for fans falling in love with Orange and his run-stopping ways.
Question: What do you expect from Demond Claiborne as a rookie?
Answer: Enough to wet your whistle for 2027.
Sadly, Claiborne probably won’t see gobs of touches in the Vikings’ offense; Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason are ahead of him on the depth chart, and the Vikings’ coaches value the dependability of those men.
But Claiborne has speed to die for (4.37), which Jones and Mason do not possess. We estimate around 75 touches for Claiborne and more if Jones rides the injury train, which usually happens. It’s unclear if Claiborne has the tackle-breaking gene to become an RB1 or elite RB vision, but we trust that new assistant head coach Frank Smith will guide him in the right direction.
When we get to the 2027 offseason, fans will wonder which running back the Vikings will find to pair with Claiborne as a one-two punch.
Question: Why did Minnesota settle on Blake Brandel at center?
Answer: He improved every game at center during Ryan Kelly’s absence in 2025.
Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said about Brandel last season, “The way Blake handled this game, I think we might be looking at a situation where this could be his best position of all five across the line. And getting Jurgens back into practice is just a plus for us. And we’ll see where all those guys are at throughout the week as we assess.”
“Going back to years past, Blake hasn’t played a lot of center, but they’re always working those guys because of these situations, the interior backups particularly, have to at least be swing guards. Having some center flex centers that are only centers, kind of limit you with your roster. Generally, they have to at least function at guard. So those guys get worked in throughout the offseason.”
The Vikings could’ve signed about five different veteran centers in free agency or drafted Logan Jones, Sam Hecht, Jake Slaughter, or Connor Lew in April.
But nope — they trust Brandel. Perhaps the guy deserves a fair shake.
Question: Are the Vikings capable of winning the NFC North?
Answer: Of course.
Minnesota can win the NFC North if they do one thing: protect the football.
In 2024, the Vikings ranked third-best via turnover differential. In 2025, they ranked third-worst in the same metric. Kevin O’Connell’s Vikings follow one strict script: when his team protects the football and wins the turnover battle, it wins 90% of games. When it loses the turnover battle, that win percentage drops to 27%.
The rest will take care of itself if Minnesota’s offense protects the ball while Flores’s defense does Flores defense things.
Sabrina Ionescu says she was never invited to WNBA 3-point contest
Startup Spotlight: MediaPact wants to reinvent digital ads for the AI era
Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey reveals a darker, less triumphant heroism
-
NewsBeat6 days agoLondon Mayor Sadiq Khan handed a peerage by Keir Starmer alongside 15 other Labour figures… just days before the PM leaves No10
-
Fashion5 days agoWeekend Open Thread – Corporette.com
-
Politics5 days agoThe House | The City of London can help the new chancellor deliver growth in every postcode
-
Crypto World6 days agoTwo July Windows Left: The CLARITY Act’s Senate Fight and What Failure Means
-
Crypto World5 days agoRipple Payments Joins MiCA With 14 Firms, Does It Mean Anything For XRP?
-
Business7 days agoNvidia Stock Slips After Big Tuesday Rally as Huang Confirms Vera Rubin Chip Is Now in Production Today
-
Politics4 days agoDemocrats look to World Cup watch parties to register thousands of voters
-
Crypto World5 days agoRipple wins EU-wide access as ESMA adds it to MiCA register
-
Crypto World2 days agoGrayscale Files For Worldcoin ETF, WLD Registers Sharp Rise
-
NewsBeat3 days agoUnregistered fitter used Gas Safe logo on business flyers
-
Tech2 days agoSail Virtually Aboard The “Itanic” With IA-64 Emulator
-
Crypto World6 days agoInjective Submits SEC Transfer-Agent Registration to Onchain Ownership Records
-
Business7 days agoPalantir Shares Rise After Expanded Nvidia Partnership and Fresh Analyst Upgrades Ahead of Earnings Day
-
Tech2 days agoTurtle Beach Command Series KB7 review: a nifty screen-equipped gaming keyboard
-
NewsBeat6 days agoRegistration is now open for March for Men with Kev 2026
-
Business22 hours agoNew Jersey voter registration controversy explained: How 6,600 noncitizens got on the rolls, and what happens next
-
Crypto World6 days agoClaude Fable 5 Slips to Second in AI Coding Leaderboard
-
News Videos6 days agoMoney | Class 12 Economics | CBSE Board Exam 2026-27
-
Business6 days agoBanco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. (BBVA) Discusses Global Macro Environment and Economic Outlook for Core Markets Transcript
-
Crypto World5 days agoKaspersky exposes OkoBot’s 20-module crypto wallet attack
You must be logged in to post a comment Login