Leach was 158-107 as a college football head coach, compiling a .596 winning percentage at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State.
Are Titans putting Cam Ward through a 'stupid' charade or necessary football tradition?
(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)
Based on the conversation in an "Inside Coverage" podcast episode, Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson and Frank Schwab have mixed views about how the Tennessee Titans are handling rookie quarterback Cam Ward.
Schwab is baffled by the Titans’ approach to splitting reps between Ward and Will Levis.
“Why? What’s the point in all this? ... We all know Cam Ward’s starting Week 1," Schwab said. "I find this stupid.”
Schwab suggests the Titans are playing games and should focus on getting their No. 1 overall draft pick ready to be the starter.
His main argument: It’s pointless and disingenuous for head coach Brian Callahan to be splitting first-team reps or framing the starting QB job as something Ward has to "earn," especially since everyone knows Ward is the starter from Day 1 unless he gets hurt or something very unexpected happens. These types of mind games are “stupid," so why are the Titans even bothering with this charade?
This is reminiscent of the Urban Meyer/Trevor Lawrence situation in Jacksonville, a QB competition that wasn't real.
Does anyone — inside or outside the Titans — really believe there’s a QB battle happening? The pretense in Nashville is unnecessary.
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There's value in making Cam Ward 'earn' the job to lead the Titans
Robinson disagrees and feels there’s real value in letting Ward “earn” the starting job, even if the competition isn’t entirely authentic. He compares it to his own (albeit high school) experience of being announced as a starter and how meaningful that was for his growth and confidence. It's beneficial for a young player to have a sense of accomplishment and momentum by going out and winning the job in camp, even if it’s a bit of theater. He argues that being “given” the starting job outright, simply because of draft status, takes away that motivational aspect. Some level of competition is a longstanding football tradition and a useful bit of preseason theater.
There's recent NFL history to back up the approach. Robinson references head coach Sean Payton running a similar “open competition” with Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham in Denver, which everyone knew wasn’t true, but he insists there’s still some intangible value to being publicly anointed as the starter at the end of a process, even if the process is a bit of a facade. The “theater” is part and parcel of football culture.
Even a staged competition can help a young QB’s mentality and buy-in, allowing Ward to feel like he’s achieved something, which has value for the player and locker room.
To hear more NFL discussions, tune into Inside Coverage on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.
Fantasy Football: Chris Olave looks like a risk-reward pick worth betting on this draft season
(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)
If you’ve wondered if Saints receiver Chris Olave should be on your draft radar this season, the latest Yahoo Fantasy Forecast episode with Matt Harmon and Footballguys Alfredo Brown offers some clarity — and a dose of optimism.
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First, let’s acknowledge the obvious: Olave, who already has two 1,000-yard receiving seasons on his resume, has never truly benefitted from consistent, high-end quarterback play since entering the league in 2022. Harmon and Brown both agree that his connection with Derek Carr left much to be desired — “they never really had the best chemistry in the world,” Harmon suggests. The lack of rhythm is a big part of why Olave hasn’t been a difference-maker in fantasy.
Yet, buried in uncertainty is a potential gold mine of upside. With new head coach Kellen Moore stepping in, there’s buzz around a more creative deployment of Olave — perhaps even increased usage out of the slot.
“What Moore has done for even a guy like DeVonta Smith ... both [he and Olave are] technicians, pro-level route runners in college, " Harmon points out. "They don’t need to play in the slot, but they can be weaponized in the slot.”
Brown goes a step further: “I think that he’s got that upside for high-target volume, high efficiency deep downfield and he’s just one of those guys. Tyler Shough [the likely new QB] is actually a pretty good deep-ball thrower ... that could actually be good for Olave.”
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Slot usage under Moore could mean more layup targets, and with a new offense and a QB unafraid to push downfield, those big Olave games may finally happen more often.
While there’s risk — particularly with QB uncertainty and Olave coming off of two scary concussions last season that limited him to eight games — better days could be ahead.
Olave’s blend of youth, technical polish and untapped ceiling are tantalizing. If Olave builds rapport with his quarterback and Moore makes him a focal point of the offense, a true breakout could be just around the corner — and that’s something worth keeping an eye on this summer ahead of fantasy drafts.
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Inside Coverage: Are the Steelers a playoff team with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback?
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It remains the biggest question in this NFL offseason: Will Aaron Rodgers play quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers this upcoming season?
That's yet to be answered, but let's dive a little deeper. In the latest episode of the Inside Coverage podcast, Frank Schwab, Charles Robinson and Jason Fitz debate this question: Are the Steelers a playoff team with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback?
Frank Schwab is clear — he does not think the Steelers are a playoff team even if they add Rodgers
"No, no. I think that they got kind of lucky to get in the playoffs last year," Schwab explains. "And this whole [Mike] Tomlin thing is very, very — it's impressive, but they're barely squeaking in. I think they're clearly the third-best team in the division. The AFC as a whole is pretty tough when you start looking at the AFC West. And I just — no, no, I don't think the Steelers are a playoff team regardless."
He does leave room for being proven wrong, saying, "Mike Tomlin has proved me wrong a few times in the past few years here."
Charles Robinson says the Steelers will have a surprisingly good year with Rodgers under center
"I'm going to go the opposite way, I think only because this is how the universe works. This is such a crap show — everything screams it's going to break, right? Because this is how the universe usually works, it's gonna be the opposite. I think it's gonna be Brett Favre, Minnesota."
Robinson predicts the Steelers will go 11-6, be "exciting and fun and a huge story all year long," with an unexpected late-career resurgence for Rodgers.
Jason Fitz doesn’t give a direct yes/no on playoffs, but he argues strongly that Rodgers is not worth all the drama
"If you're the Pittsburgh Steelers, you're allowing yourself to be hamstrung to sign a quarterback that I think, at best, if he comes out and has the best that he can be today, he's the third-best quarterback in his own division today. We are talking about this version of Aaron Rodgers like he's an MVP and this version of Aaron Rodgers isn't."
Fitz seems doubtful that Rodgers can elevate the Steelers into playoff contention, equating him to current-level Kirk Cousins or Mason Rudolph.
To hear more NFL discussions, tune into Inside Coverage on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.
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Is Tarik Skubal on his way toward surpassing Justin Verlander's legend in Detroit?
(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)
Detroit's Tarik Skubal is making a compelling case to stake his claim among modern Tigers legends —potentially even challenging Justin Verlander’s status in Detroit. In this episode of "Baseball Bar-B-Cast," Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman go in depth on Skubal’s masterpiece Sunday against Cleveland and what it means for his place in Tigers history.
Here’s how they frame the comparison:
On the mound
Skubal’s most recent complete-game shutout (13 strikeouts, 94 pitches, 102.6 mph on his final pitch) was described as “one of the best games we’ve ever seen pitched.” The combination of dominance, efficiency and drama left a huge impression — not just on the hosts, but on the home crowd as well, who gave Skubal a hero’s ovation.
Personality and connection to Detroit, and underdog status
Mintz makes the point that Skubal has a certain charisma and openness to being “about the Detroit of it,” performing for the fans in a way Verlander didn’t always express. Skubal’s emotional reaction — wiping away tears after the standing ovation — shows just how much this team and city means to him.
Skubal’s journey (a ninth-round draft pick in 2018 rather than a top draft prospect) adds a special “underdog” flavor to his legend that sets him apart, even from Verlander, who was a No. 2 overall pick and highly touted from Day 1.
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Shusterman and Mintz suggest there’s a unique energy around Skubal, a connection to the fans, an on-the-mound swagger, and the sense that Detroit can “dream on him” the way they did with Verlander in his prime.
“Skubal seems to love this and plays to the crowd … in a way that I don’t feel like Verlander ever was," Mintz said. "There’s just something about the way that Skubal goes about pitching that just connects there.”
Skubal's statistical dominance
Skubal had an outrageous strikeout-to-walk ratio (82 Ks, 3 BBs). While Verlander obviously has longevity and milestones (MVP, Cy Young, World Series, etc.), Skubal’s current run is the kind of sustained dominance that could build toward that kind of legendary status.
While Verlander’s legacy as a Tigers legend is carved in stone — thanks to years of elite pitching, a no-hitter and a Cy Young — Skubal is absolutely putting himself in the conversation. If he continues this trajectory, stays healthy, and leads the Tigers back to sustained relevance, there’s every chance we’ll be talking about the “Skubal era” in Detroit for years to come.
He’s not there yet — but he’s laying down the path, and fans (and the Baseball Bar-B-Cast crew) are here for it.
For more of the latest baseball news and debates, tune in to "Baseball-Bar-B-Cast" on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.
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