Category: Baseball

Had Kayshon Boutte remained on the Patriots’ roster for Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, he would have been inactive.

Head coach Mike Vrabel revealed that detail Thursday night, speaking for the first time since Boutte was traded to the Houston Texans on Monday.

“That was one place where we do have some depth, and I think for all parties involved, that was probably the best thing,” Vrabel told reporters in Cleveland. “Without injuries, Kayshon probably would have been inactive. Unfortunately, it just, it’s kind of the way it was. It’s just with him not playing special teams.”

As Vrabel noted, New England’s wide receiver room is the deepest position on the roster, with A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism. All six are expected to be on the team’s 53-man roster.

The Patriots added both Brown and Doubs to the mix this offseason, pushing Boutte down the depth chart. Vrabel made sure to show appreciation for Boutte, as he often did throughout last season.

“I tried to thank Kayshon as many times I could. I texted him again today,” Vrabel said. “It’s just his maturity, his growth, his ability to put into words last year and share his own personal struggle, but also the growth that he made from that. That’s positively going to affect a lot of people. And I know that that wasn’t easy for him to do, and I tell him all the time about how much I respect him for being able to do that.”

The Patriots traded Boutte to the Texans for safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick. Reed will add depth at safety while also providing another option on special teams.

The San Francisco 49ers just finished up their final preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders and now will be scrambling to make final roster cuts to the 53-man roster. We say scrambling because the team needs to get on a plane to Melbourne, Australia, to play the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1. With that in mind, they need to figure out who is and isn’t going so they can make travel arrangements.

Over at FanDuel Sportsbook, the 49ers are currently sitting as 3.5-point underdogs in their game against the Rams. Since the game is in Australia, not in San Francisco or Los Angeles, it’s safe to say many of those odds were initially set based on the rosters.

While the 49ers are a bit more urgent, all NFL teams will be trimming their rosters from 90 to 53 in the coming days. The deadline to have a 53-man roster is Sunday, August 30 at 3:00 PM PST.

Those cut are either released outright or waived—depending on their time in the league. There are a few wrinkles in 2026 the 49ers can take advantage of. First is IR.

If a player is placed on IR, two players can be tagged as designated to return and can come back after missing at least four games. Teams must tag a player in this category, however. They can’t pick and choose players later in the season after putting them on IR months earlier. Any other players placed on IR (READ: Ricky Pearsall) are done for the year.

Then there’s the physically unable to perform or PUP list. If a player is on this list, it means they were placed on it before the season began. The moment they practice or play in even a preseason game, they are off the PUP list. Any players on PUP are subject to the same four-game minimum as one on IR. The difference is that PUP players didn’t practice or play in the preseason.

Players with at least four years of experience are released and become unrestricted free agents. They can go anywhere and sign with any team. No restrictions. Those under the four-year threshold are subject to waivers and the waiver wire. The following players have been, or are associated with, the 49ers’ 90-man roster this year and are subject to waivers:

QB Kurtis Rourke
QB Adrian Martinez
RB Kaelon Black
RB Jordan James
RB Sincere McCormick
WR De’Zhaun Stribling
WR Jacob Cowing
WR Jordan Watkins
WR Wesley Grimes
WR Will Pauling
TE Brayden Willis
TE Hayden Rucci
TE Khalil Dinkins
OG Dominick Puni
OG Connor Colby
OL Carver Willis
OL Drake Nugent
OL Enrique Cruz Jr.
OL Isaac Alarcon
DL Romello Height
DL Alfred Collins
DL Gracen Halton
DL CJ West
DL Sebastian Valdez
DL James Thompson Jr.
DL Bryson Eason
DL Evan Anderson
LB Jaden Dugger
LB Tatum Bethune
LB Nick Martin
LB Larry Worth III
CB Renardo Green
CB Upton Stout
CB Ephesians Prysock
CB Jakob Robinson
S Malik Mustapha
S Patrick McMorris
S Marques Sigle
S Jalen Stroman

On waivers, teams can claim players, but the order is determined by the draft order from earlier this year. The 49ers picked 27 (or at least their pick was 27, since they traded it to the Miami Dolphins), so they will be the 27th team to make a selection. So if there’s any player on waivers they want, then they have to wait for 26 other teams to decide they don’t want that specific player. Any team that makes a waiver claim must open a roster spot to keep the roster at 53 players. If the player is claimed, another player is waived/released in return.

Also, this isn’t like fantasy football; a team can’t place four waiver claims in order of importance and get only one before things switch to the next team. Any team can make multiple claims, and if they’re ahead of the 49ers, they can get all the players the 49ers may want—provided the team has opened roster spots for those players. That means the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets can be much more active on the waiver wire than the Seattle Seahawks, who go last due to winning the Super Bowl.

The current waiver order is as follows:

1. Las Vegas Raiders
2. New York Jets
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. Tennessee Titans
5. New York Giants
6. Cleveland Browns
7. Washington Commanders
8. New Orleans Saints
9. Kansas City Chiefs
10. Cincinnati Bengals
11. Miami Dolphins
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. Atlanta Falcons
14. Baltimore Ravens
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16. Indianapolis Colts
17. Detroit Lions
18. Minnesota Vikings
19. Carolina Panthers
20. Green Bay Packers
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Los Angeles Chargers
23. Philadelphia Eagles
24. Jacksonville Jaguars
25. Chicago Bears
26. Buffalo Bills
27. San Francisco 49ers
28. Houston Texans
29. Los Angeles Rams
30. Denver Broncos
31. New England Patriots
32. Seattle Seahawks

The 49ers have a lot of waiting to do if they want any hot players that couldn’t fit on any of the teams before them. That said, the teams before them need to do a lot of roster reshuffling. The one thing to take from all of this is that the 53-man roster you see on Monday isn’t going to be the same 53-man roster you see on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Or Monday a couple hours later.

Memphis Redbirds 3, Charlotte Knights 2 (10 innings)
Davis Martin looked terrific in his first rehab start, tossing five scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and one walk with five strikeouts. Here’s hoping it was a preview of what he can provide when he returns to Chicago.

The Knights (68-61) gave Martin a little support in the second when Andy Weber launched a two-run homer, but that was the beginning and end of Charlotte’s offensive production. The Knights managed only three more hits and failed to score again because apparently two runs were plenty — until they weren’t.

Tanner McDougal surrendered two tallies in the sixth to earn his second blown save, continuing a rough return to Charlotte during which he has allowed seven earned runs over 4 2/3 innings. The 2-2 tie held through nine before Jaden Woods took over in the 10th. Memphis bunted the ghost runner to third and brought him home with a single to take a 3-2 lead. Charlotte attempted the same strategy in the bottom half, but Edgar Quero could not get the bunt down and Ryan Galanie followed with a fielder’s choice that erased Mario Camilletti at third. A wild pitch moved Galanie into scoring position, but Michael Turner popped out to end the game — and the Knights’ brief tutorial on how not to manufacture an extra-inning run.

Postseason watch: There’s little to no chance at the playoffs for the Knights. They are in eighth place and eight games out of first.

MVP
Davis Martin: 5 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 K

Runners-Up
Andy Weber: 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, 2B
Caden Connor: 1-for-3, BB, 2 SB
Aidan Anderson: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB

Cold Cat
Tanner McDougal: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, BB, BS

Runners-Up
Jaden Woods: 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), BB, 4 K, L
Mario Camilletti: 0-for-4, K
Michael Turner: 0-for-5, 2 K

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Rocket City Trash Pandas 7, Birmingham Barons 4
The Trash Pandas tapped Connor McCullough for three runs in the first, but then he settled in to toss three scoreless frames. Birmingham (53-70) got on the board in the second when Jorge Corona smashed a solo shot to center, and the Barons pulled within one in the fourth when Ryan Burrowes singled and Corona drove him home with a three-bagger. The comeback was complete in the fifth. Caleb Bonemer worked a two-out walk, and Alec Briley followed with a two-run homer to right field, putting the Barons ahead, 4-3.

That lead survived until the ninth, when Rocket City dropped four runs on Jonathan Clark, handing him the unfortunate double whammy of his sixth blown save and the loss. Birmingham went down in order in the bottom half, ending the night with a 7-4 defeat and no last-minute heroics to soften the landing.

Postseason watch: The Barons are 27-27 in the second half and sit two games out of first place with 15 games remaining as they chase a chance to defend their back-to-back Southern League championships. There’s plenty of runway left, but setting the plane on fire in the ninth is generally discouraged.

MVP
Jorge Corona: 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, 3B, HR, 2 K

Runners-Up
Alec Briley: 1-for-4, R, 2 RBI, K, E
Jackson Kelley: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Pierce George: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 3 K, H

Cold Cat
Jonathan Clark: 1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 0 BB, K, BS, L

Runners-Up
Connor McCullough: 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, BB, 6 K
Dylan Campbell: 0-for-4, K
Anthony DePino: 0-for-4, 2 K

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Winston-Salem Dash 10, Bowling Green Hot Rods 7
The Hot Rods zoomed out to a two-run lead on a two-out blast off Dylan Carmouche in the first, but the Dash (68-54) answered with a crooked number in the third. Jackson Appel drew a leadoff walk, Derek Cerda singled and the pair pulled off a double steal before Ely Brown ripped a two-run double. A wild pitch brought Brown home two outs later, giving Winston-Salem a brief 3-2 edge. Brief was the operative word. Bowling Green reclaimed the lead with two runs in the fourth, only for the Dash to take it right back in the bottom half, with Kaleb Freeman’s RBI single helping put Winston-Salem ahead, 5-4.

The Dash finally stopped trading punches in the sixth, erupting for five runs to blow the game open. James Taussig and Cerda each doubled, and George Wolkow cleared the bases with a triple to stretch the advantage to 10-4.

As it turned out, Winston-Salem needed nearly every one of those insurance runs. Aric McAtee loaded the bases on three straight singles in the seventh before allowing a two-run knock, and Jarold Rosado surrendered another RBI single after taking over to make it 10-7. Thankfully, Rosado put out the fire, and Jake Curtis silenced the Hot Rods over the final two frames to secure the Dash victory — because apparently a relaxing finish would have been too much to ask.

Postseason watch: With the win, the Dash are tied with the Hot Rods for first place in the division. Bowling Green has already secured its playoff spot, and if the season ended today, Winston-Salem would claim the division’s other postseason berth. The Dash hold a 2 1/2-game lead over the third-place Greenville Drive with nine games remaining.

MVP
George Wolkow: 1-for-5, 3 RBI, 3B, 2 K

Runners-Up
Ely Brown: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, 2B, SB
Javier Mogollón: 2-for-5, R, RBI, PO, 2 K, CS
Derek Cerda: 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B, SB
Jake Curtis: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, S

Cold Cat
Aric McAtee: 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, K

Runners-Up
Dylan Carmouche: 5 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 K, W

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Hill City Howlers 7, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 6
Gabe Tanner dug the Cannon Ballers (65-58) an early hole, serving up five runs over the first two frames. Abraham Núñez opened the game with a single, but Kannapolis did not muster another hit until the seventh inning. By then, Hill City had also smacked a solo homer in the sixth to stretch the deficit to 6-0. The Ballers finally broke up the shutout in the seventh, scoring on a bases-loaded walk and a wild pitch before Steven Lancia launched a two-run homer in the eighth to pull Kannapolis within two.

Unwilling to go quietly, the Ballers completed the comeback in the ninth. Núñez delivered an RBI single, and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch forced home the tying run as Kannapolis stormed all the way back from six runs down. Unfortunately, the bullpen had other plans. Marco Barrios packed the sacks in the bottom half before surrendering a walk-off single. All that work climbing out of the crater, only to step on a rake at the finish line.

Postseason watch: Despite slotting in at second place, the Ballers are 7 1/2 games behind the Hickory Crawdads with only nine games remaining.

MVP
Steven Lancia: 1-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, HR, K

Runners-Up
Abraham Núñez: 2-for-4, RBI, BB
Clay Burdette: 1-for-4, R, RBI, 2 K
Jake Berkland: 1-for-3, R, RBI, BB

Cold Cat
Marco Barrios: no outs, 2 H, R, 2 BB, L

Runners-Up
Gabe Tanner: 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, BB, K
Alexander Albertus: 0-for-3, 2 K

The Yankees dropped their series with the Astros after a futile offensive performance on Thursday.

But it's the defense of their rookie shortstop that has raised eyebrows. 

George Lombard Jr.'s defense was touted as "major league ready" for awhile and he showed that when he was first called up to the big leagues. However, he made his seventh error of the season Thursday. Of those seven, he's made one error in at least six straight games. 

The defensive misplay occurred in the eighth with the Astros up 4-1. Yainer Diaz hit a roller to the left side that both Jose Caballero and Lombard charged at. The third baseman gave way to Lombard, who booted it. The ball was hit to Caballero, who tried to throw out the runner and end the inning, but it sailed. 

George Lombard Jr. has committed six errors in his last six games pic.twitter.com/GGklOW70gd

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) August 28, 2026

"I don’t know [what's going on], it’s something I’m trying to figure out," Lombard said after the loss. "It’s not acceptable, can’t happen at this level. If you make your pitchers get extra outs and makes it way harder on us. Teams will definitely capitalize. It’s something I have to clean up and I’ll be better tomorrow." 

Yankees manager Aaron Boone called the play a bit tricky since Lombard wasn't sure whether Caballero was going for it, and by the time it reached him, there was some indecisiveness, which played into what caused the error. 

Although the Yankees dropped the series to the Astros and have a huge four-game series with the Red Sox coming up, most of Boone's postgame was about Lombard's defense, asking what is going on with his rookie shortstop. The Yankees skipper didn't have any definitive answers, and said that he and other players have gone through similar defensive lulls. 

In Boone's mind, it's about "go make plays instead of guarding against a mistake."

"The good thing about George is that he’s so skilled and gifted out there. And foundationally, he’s really good," Boone said. "He will get through it, just gotta get a few going and start playing carefree. That’s why I hang my hat, foundationally speaking, he’ll get through this and put it in the rearview mirror."

When Lombard first got to the team, he accumulated plus-8 Defensive Runs Saved across his first 11 games. That has since dropped to plus-6 and his six-game error streak has put him in rare company. According to Katie Sharp, Lombard Jr. is the first Yankees shortstop to have such a streak since Roger Peckinpaugh in 1915.

Despite that, Boone and the rest of the team believe in Lombard and that this is just a part of the process.

"Errors happen, and unfortunately, they happen in groups for everyone," Gerrit Cole, who took the loss Thursday, said. "It’s important to remember he’s a young player and he’s working his tail off to get better."

"We all have the utmost confidence in George out there," Ben Rice said. "We know the ability he has out there. We trust him to stick with it and we know what he's capable of and it's fun to watch when he's in rhythm out there."

Lombard Jr. says he's gone through stretches like this in the past and understands there are ups and downs to the game. He'll talk to the coaching staff to see if there's anything he's doing or can do to try and figure out what's going on, but Lombard Jr. is confident this will pass.

"My mindset every single play is I want the ball to you. That doesn't change whether it’s going great or not," he said. "I’m still going to put 100 percent effort into making every play I can.

"Obviously it’s frustrating. It’s not something I want to happen. My main focus is turn the page and make the next play. It’s definitely not something I’m happy with at all... Tomorrow is another day and I have to be better." 

The Yankees and Lombard Jr. hope that error streak ends Friday as the Red Sox come into town for a crucial four-game series with major playoff implications. It's the 21-year-old's first taste of the rivalry, but he is ready.

"I'm excited for it. Obviously, have to treat it just like another series and see what we can do against them," Lombard Jr. said. "Going to look into them and see how we can find ways to win. It's going to be exciting." 

Aaron Boone likes to compartmentalize and, with all the hype that will probably accompany this weekend’s series in the Bronx between the Yankees and Red Sox, that’s probably the wise way to approach it, no matter how crucial the series may be. 

“It’s like, what do we got Friday?” the Yankees’ manager asked rhetorically. “We got Cam (Schlittler) going and, go out there and try and play our best. Don’t get obsessed with the results and the results of the weekend when you’ve got to take care of the first pitch of the first inning on Friday night. So that’s how I look at it.” 

Smart outlook, but try telling that to either fanbase. Doubtless, those folks are torqued up about the results. And they should be. The final series of the season between the teams – barring playoffs, of course – is a gut check that’s also loaded with October implications. Might even be a referendum on whether the Yanks can handle being force-fed lefty pitchers come the postseason, too.

At one point this year, it looked like this four-games-in-three-days clash would just be so much schedule-filler. The last time the Yanks and Sox met, in June, Boston came in 14 games below .500, a wreck that had long before fired manager Alex Cora.

But they wiped out the Yanks in four games at Fenway Park, a sweep that started a binge. Since then, the Red Sox are 41-14, including a 15-game winning streak that matched their franchise record, and have morphed into one of the most dangerous teams in the American League. 

“They got us at their place pretty good,” as Aaron Judge put it Thursday. He added: “They went on a great run and continue to play some great baseball, so it’ll be exciting here.” 

“The reality is, they pitch really well every day,” Boone said, “both from a starting standpoint and a bullpen standpoint. Some of the people they brought in, like (Willson) Contreras – he’s come in and been a beast and a staple in the middle of their order. You’ve seen guys like (Ceddanne) Rafaela go to another level. They’ve had some of their support parts kind of step up and play well, so they're one of the best teams in the game right now.”

So are the Yankees, who are 75-58 after losing the finale of a series to Houston Thursday. That 5-1 loss was a bad game for the Yankees; their offense fizzled again and kid shortstop George Lombard Jr. made an error for the sixth consecutive game, a considerable red flag. So most of the postgame questions were about empty swings or Lombard’s confidence. 

Still, the Yanks sit in second place in the AL East division, four games behind the Rays, and own the first AL wild card spot. Boston (73-60) is six out and holds the second AL wild card. 

The Red Sox lead the season series, 5-4, so splitting the series would give Boston a tie-breaker against the Yanks. Every little bit helps, especially considering that the AL is no juggernaut league this year.

Unless either team makes a big move in the division race – or fades to third in the wild-card scramble – Yanks-Red Sox looms as the most likely first-round playoff match. What fun. 

And hosting that series figures to be vital. Hosting helped the Yanks last October when they dropped the first game of the Wild Card Series to Boston at Yankee Stadium and then won the last two games in a friendly space. 

Not having home-field obviously hurt the Yanks one series later. Toronto was a hellscape for the Yankees last season. The Blue Jays won the season series and, thus, the division when both clubs finished 94-68, so they held home-field when the teams met in the AL Division Series. The Jays splattered the Yanks in each of the first two games in Toronto before the Yanks salvaged Game 3. Their season ended in Game 4. 

It’s all a tasty backdrop to Yankees-Red Sox this weekend, which features a day-night doubleheader Saturday. The Yanks are sending a Sox-killer to the mound Friday in Schlittler: He has a 0.68 ERA in four starts lifetime against his hometown team, including a playoff gem last year. 

Judge, unfortunately for the Yanks, won’t play, though he says he feels good as he continues to recover from a stress fracture in a rib. But Max Fried might return. He could face the Red Sox in one of the doubleheader games. “We’ll see,” Boone said. 

Even if Fried doesn’t pitch in this series, he’ll be back soon after. Judge, who says he feels good, is aiming for a return next month. When the Yanks are whole, they should be even more imposing. 

“People got on us about running it back, but we had a special, special thing last year,” Judge said. “I know it didn’t end the way we wanted it to. But to get us all healthy, see some good things from our young guys filling some holes for us, we’ll be right where we need to be. 

“I think our pitching staff has carried the load all year and it’ll continue to carry the load into the postseason. But once you get all our guys helping the offensive side, that’s going to be dangerous.” 

Still, potential October opponents will be watching this series for intel they can use against the Yanks. Boston is scheduled to start three left-handers in the four games – Patrick Sandoval, Jake Bennett and Ranger Suarez. Without the right-handed Judge, the Yanks are down a significant weapon against lefty pitching. 

The Yanks’ skew left-handed, so they might seem vulnerable against southpaws. While the Yanks are 28-17 this year in games started by left-handers this year, their numbers have backslid against them since Judge last played on May 31. 

They are 27th in average (.226) and 25th in OPS (.664) against lefties since then and they have the second-highest strikeout percentage against them. 

It’s a question the Yankees will have to manage this weekend and beyond. There will be questions about Lombard, too, as well as the offense, which had seemed revived, at least for the three games before Thursday night. 

“We’ve got to flip the script here,” Boone said. In one of the biggest series of the year, no less.

Boone and the Yanks will compartmentalize. The rest of us? We’ll obsess over the results and all their implications.

The Buffalo Bills’ preseason finale home win against the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t come easy, with late-game heroics orchestrated by quarterback Shane Buechele to claim a one-point victory. Scores matter little in preseason, at least beyond those players who help put the points on the board, that is.

For as much as anyone will say these are meaningless games, there’s never anything more at stake for plenty of NFL hopefuls who’ve put in a long spring and summer of work — and many of whom will continue doing so season after season for several years despite the same results. So let’s put to bed the notion that scores don’t really matter in the preseason.

Winning and losing doesn’t have an impact on the season (apart from the infamy that was the Detroit Lions completely winless season in 2008), but scoring sure can play a huge role in any player’s ability to stick with a team. So too, can big-time performances, the likes of which have spawned countless summer crushes.

But the dog days of summer are coming to an end, and there are a few notable players and situations to account for out of Thursday’s primetime defeat — the first loss in the new Highmark Stadium. Let’s take a less-than-conventional-at-times look at some of those moments.

So who or what stood out, both good and bad, in preseason Week 3? Read on below…

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Horns Up: QB Kyle Allen

It’s perhaps odd to include a player who didn’t perform in the preseason finale, especially considering that Shane Buechele played admirably over a full game on Thursday night. This has more to do with Allen not playing, and after head coach Joe Brady said the plan was for both he and Buechele to take snaps in the finale.

So why the horns up? Allen played really well in two preseason games, going 24-of-28 for 236 yards and one touchdown with a 113.7 QB rating. During the second quarter of play, when president of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane conducted an interview in the broadcast booth, he discussed Allen’s preseason body of work, claiming it to be among the finest he’d seen by a backup quarterback during his tenure with the Bills.

That sounds like a lot of reassuring language toward Kyle Allen’s job status. Unfortunately, that may prove a difficult pill to swallow when talking about Shane Buechele’s future roster spot.

Horns Down (unfairly): QB Shane Buechele

This feels wrong, I understand. Shane Buechele went out and did a heck of a lot behind a makeshift offensive line filled with the deepest depth possible at One Bills Drive. In a game with so much roster gymnastics, Buechele played the role of fourth-quarter comeback artist.

Why, then, give Buechele a horns down? It’s all about Brady’s decision to sit Kyle Allen. As mentioned above, that move and Beane’s comments on Allen seem to imply he did all possible to win the backup job. History has told us that players who take significant snaps in the final preseason game (and late in action) are often auditioning for other featured opportunities. It’s brutal, unfair, and perhaps unnecessary if NFL owners would simply approve an expanded roster count.

Buechele finished the night going 26-of-38 for 196 yards with one of the best two-point passes in preseason history. Whatever comes of Buechele moving forward, and he at least deserves a featured spot on Buffalo’s practice squad, he should point proudly to his work against these Steelers. He even withstood a nasty-looking potential injury to his left forearm on an early sack.

If there’s still a decision to be made about backup quarterback, it’s due to Buechele’s never-say-die effort and moxie late in action under the primetime lights.

Horns Up: WR Skyler Bell

No wide receiver saw more targets against the Steelers. In fact, the next closest person to Bell’s 10 targets was Gore with five targets. It’s clear that Brady (and perhaps Josh Allen the play caller) wanted to get Bell into rhythm and plenty of snaps heading into Week 1.

Bell responded well, catching seven passes for 49 yards, and adding one rush for 28 yards. It had been a fairly quiet and disappointing training camp for Bell despite any extra opportunity borne out of injuries to the wide receivers room. While taking the reality of the preseason situation into account, things may have changed to the delight of Bell against the Steelers.

Bell will have an uphill battle as a rookie fighting for snaps with the likes of DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Joshua Palmer. Rookie wide receivers often struggle to acclimate against NFL defenses, but this performance should go a long way toward benefiting Bell’s confidence early and often.

Horns Down: Anyone fighting with Skyler Bell for a roster spot

Apart from Bell who caught seven passes on 10 targets, the remainder of Buffalo’s wide receivers totaled six catches on 11 targets. It’s true that Max Tomczak (2) and Trent Sherfield (1) caught every target their way, but it’s eye-opening that Bell caught one more pass on one less total target than the rest of the team’s active wideouts Thursday night.

There aren’t a lot of spots open at wide receiver, perhaps just one if we consider Bell a lock (he should be a lock). That leaves a lot of questions for a bunch of players who haven’t stood out that often this summer. Who makes Buffalo’s roster as WR6 could come down almost exclusively to their contributions elsewhere. Does that make it more or less likely that someone such as Mecole Hardman Jr. or Sherfield have an inside track over a rookie like Ja’Mori Maclin and Tomczak? What about Dante Pettis’ odds after a fantastic two-point conversion to claim the winning points? We’ll find out soon enough.

Horns Up: RB Frank Gore Jr.

Bloodlines matter, and if the worst anyone can say about Gore is that he looks like a dependable back, you take that every time. But Gore put on a clinic early in action against Pittsburgh. He finished the night with 10 rushes for 27 yards and one touchdown, adding an impressive five receptions (5 targets) for 45 additional yards.

We don’t know yet what the plan is with third-down specialist Ty Johnson, but Gore has now proven capable as a receiver, similar in mold to Ray Davis. With the third quarter dying down, Gore tore off a long gain downfield, ending it by turning inside to welcome defenders instead of running toward safety and out of bounds. That goes a really long way in proving one’s worth to an NFL team. You can be certain everyone on that sideline and in the executive suite noticed that play.

Gore is the type of player who just gets better with more snaps.

Horns Down (unfairly): RB Ian Wheeler

Ian Wheeler should be viewed as having done nothing to dissuade the Bills from rostering him in some capacity. He may be in a no-win situation simply because of Gore’s recent play. Wheeler is a tough SOB with the ball in his hands, and there’s a ton to love about the way he runs on any down. I could find way to adding both Gore and Wheeler to the 53-man roster if there was cause to roster one less defensive tackle and no fullback.

Teams should want to hold onto the best football players, regardless of position. That doesn’t mean Wheeler (or Gore) should take priority over anyone as QB2, but there may be room to take on less conventional roster measures to keep Wheeler in town.

If we see Gore as a lock for the practice squad as RB4, then it’s very likely there’s little to no room for Wheeler there unless Ty Johnson’s injury keeps him out in Week 1 and beyond. By all accounts on Thursday, Johnson appeared well on his way to being fully mended.

Don’t be shocked if Wheeler and Gore are a part of the Bills’ plans this season.

Horns Up: K Tyler Bass

Tyler Bass has proven to be an enigmatic kicker the last 12 months, mostly due to his season-ending injury and failure to kick through most of this offseason. Bass has since acquitted himself well, though he hasn’t been flawless. You know what? Who is flawless? Right, no one.

It may be time to once again rally ‘round Bass to give his confidence a massive boost. Anyone who understands kicking specialists knows that mindset plays big into their bucket of successes and failures.

Horns Down: Most of the Bills’ Special Teams units

The good out of the remainder of special teams is that Tommy Doman Jr. looked the part punting Thursday night. He also played well as a kickoff specialist, a role he’d taken on in college.

Unfortunately and after providing a solid base as a reliable punter last season and seemingly running it back this summer, veteran punter Mitch Wishnowsky put together an awful performance in the preseason finale. In total, the Bills’ special teams unit contributed directly to 21 points. That’s almost always a losing formula in an NFL game.

Was Wishnowsky’s effort enough to cost him his job? Going 2 for 68 yards with a stale loaf of 19 erratic yards out of bounds is not a good look. Yet before anyone jumps off Wishnowsky’s bandwagon, remember that experience counts for a lot at punter, and that’s something Doman has zero of in meaningful NFL games. Every punter will shank a ball here and there. Still, if there was ever a time where incumbent Bills players should feel least secure, it’s now with a mostly new coaching staff.

What does that mean for Ray Davis as a punt returner? It didn’t go well for him against the Steelers, and his fumbled punt led to the Steelers’ first touchdown on the very next play.

Horns Up (with reservation): CB Davison Igbinosun

Davison Igbinosun brings an important element to Jim Leonhard’s defense as a man-cover specialist who isn’t afraid to get (sometimes a little too) close to his responsibility. He’s a rookie and time plus opportunity are necessary before he can fully blossom into the player One Bills Drive prioritized fairly early in the 2026 NFL Draft.

It won’t often look perfect with Igbinosun in year one, but he should see plenty of action in the right situations.

Horns Down: Maxwell Hairston

It’s pretty interesting that reporters made a point of asking Joe Brady about Maxwell Hairston’s status within the defense. Brady stated that Hairston is one of the team’s starting cornerbacks, and that his playing in the preseason finale had much to do with missing that opportunity in his rookie season.

I’m not convinced. Sure, Hairston may be the Bills’ starting CB2, but the role is probably only penciled in at best right now. Hairston is observably deficient as a man-cover corner, and he missed a key tackle in the open field early against Pittsburgh.

Hairston is an elite athlete with speed for days, but he may find himself in a platoon with Igbinosun in 2026 — not unlike the situation both Christian Benford and Kaiir Elam dealt with their rookie seasons. As a former first-round pick, you can be sure that Beane and the rest of the organization is pulling for Hairston. That said, he could end up being a poor fit at times for what Leonhard wants to feature in the defensive backfield.

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That’s just the tip of the iceberg in what proved to be an entertaining preseason finale.

I’d add an honorary horns down to the local broadcast work. Their failures early caused most of the local viewing audience to miss Pittsburgh’s first touchdown drive right after Davis’ fumbled punt. Then later they were caught in a ridiculously cheesy local add that erased a chance for a live look at a Bills re-punt following a penalty. During halftime, the broadcast again glitched out, freezing for a few minutes during a montage. If nothing else, it makes you appreciate the quality of work by major networks.

Who or what else stood out to you?

NHL teams are starting to sign players to professional tryout (PTO) agreements now that training camps are getting closer.

The Montreal Canadiens have not invited any players to PTOs yet, but it fair to wonder if that could change before the start of training camp.

One free agent who the Canadiens should consider taking a chance on with a PTO is former Edmonton Oilers forward Adam Henrique. 

While Henrique is not the same top-six forward he was during his prime, it would not hurt for the Canadiens to give him a look on a PTO. If he earned a contract for the season through it, he would give them another veteran forward for their depth.

Henrique could work well as a depth forward for the Canadiens if he earned a contract for the season, as he can play both down the middle and on the wing. With that, there would be no real harm in the Habs giving him a chance on a PTO. 

Henrique played in 65 games last season for the Oilers, where he posted three goals and 15 points. This was after he had 12 goals, 15 assists, and 27 points in 81 games for the Oilers in 2024-25. If he regained his 2024-25 form for Montreal, he could be a solid depth pickup for their roster if he earned a contract for the season.

Sept. 24

Today in sports history

Today is Sept. 24. On this date in:

1919: Boston Red Sox star Babe Ruth hit his 28th home run of the season, surpassing Ned Williamson’s major league record of 27 set in 1884.

1920: Ruth became the first player in major league history to reach 50 home runs in a season when he hit No. 50 for the New York Yankees.

1922: St. Louis Cardinals star Rogers Hornsby hit his 42nd home run, extending the National League single-season record he established earlier in the season.

1938: Don Budge defeated Gene Mako to win the U.S. National Championships and became the first player in tennis history to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam by winning the Australian Championships, French Championships, Wimbledon and U.S. Championships in the same season.

1940: Boston Red Sox slugger Jimmie Foxx hit his 500th career home run, becoming the second major-league player to reach the milestone after Babe Ruth.

1953: Rocky Marciano stopped Roland La Starza in the 11th round at New York’s Polo Grounds to retain the world heavyweight championship and remain unbeaten.

1957: The Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0 in their final game at Ebbets Field before moving to Los Angeles.

1963: The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the National League pennant, securing their second pennant in five seasons behind a dominant pitching staff led by Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.

1967: St. Louis Cardinals kicker Jim Bakken set an NFL record by making seven field goals in a 28-14 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

1969: The “Miracle” New York Mets clinched the first National League East championship behind pitcher Gary Gentry in a 6-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

1972: New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath passed for 496 yards and six touchdowns in a 44-34 victory over the Baltimore Colts.

1972: Oakland Raiders defensive back Jack Tatum returned a fumble 104 yards for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers, setting an NFL record for the longest fumble return.

1974: Detroit Tigers great Al Kaline recorded his 3,000th career hit with a double off Baltimore Orioles pitcher Dave McNally.

1979: Phillies star Pete Rose recorded his 200th hit of the season, the 10th time in his career he reached the 200-hit mark.

1983: Atlanta Braves outfielder Dale Murphy became only the sixth player in major league history to record 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season.

1985: Montreal Expos outfielder Andre Dawson hit three home runs in a 17-15 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

1988: Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson crossed the finish line in a world-record 9.79 seconds in the Seoul Olympic 100-meter final, but he was stripped of the gold medal and record three days later after testing positive for an anabolic steroid.

1994: Colorado quarterback Kordell Stewart completed a 64-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to Michael Westbrook on the final play for a 27-26 victory over Michigan in the “Miracle at Michigan.”

2000: Japan’s Naoko Takahashi won the Sydney Olympic women’s marathon in an Olympic-record 2 hours, 23 minutes, 14 seconds, becoming the first Japanese woman to win an Olympic track-and-field gold medal.

2000: Michael Schumacher won Formula One’s first United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, leading Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello to a 1-2 finish.

2006: San Diego Padres closer Trevor Hoffman earned his 479th career save in a 2-1 victory over Pittsburgh, passing Lee Smith for the major league record.

2011: Major League Baseball marked its 200,000th regular-season game when the Colorado Rockies defeated the Houston Astros 4-2.

2017: Xander Schauffele became the first rookie to win the Tour Championship since the event began in 1987.

2023: Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa won the Berlin Marathon in 2:11:53, lowering the women’s world record by more than two minutes.

2023: Europe retained the Solheim Cup after tying the United States 14-14, with Spain’s Carlota Ciganda defeating Nelly Korda to secure the decisive point on home soil.

2023: Max Verstappen won the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, securing Red Bull’s second consecutive and sixth overall Formula One Constructors’ Championship.

— USA TODAY Network

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Today in sports history, September 24