Category: NHL

Baltimore’s second preseason game didn’t produce much offense on the scoreboard, but it gave us a better look at several young players who had smaller roles during the opener. Against Minnesota, Josh Cuevas showed why his athleticism and versatility make him an intriguing developmental tight end, offensive tackle Diego Pounds continued to strengthen his case for a roster spot with an impressive performance in the run game, and seventh-round guard Evan Beernsten finally received his first extended opportunity of the preseason.

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TE Josh Cuevas (Round 5, No. 173 overall)

36 snaps | 21 receiving | 13 run blocking | 2 pass blocking

Cuevas’ 36 snaps against Minnesota gave Baltimore an opportunity to use him in several different roles. That allowed the fifth-round pick to show the athleticism and versatility that made him an intriguing addition to the tight end room.

The most noticeable part of his performance was what he offered as a receiver. Cuevas flashed his straight-line speed on an underneath drag route, turning a short completion into a 23-yard gain once he got into space. That ability to create yards after the catch is an important part of his evaluation. Baltimore can manufacture opportunities for him underneath and allow his athleticism to take over once the ball is in his hands.

Cuevas also showed good awareness against zone coverage, understanding when to settle into open space rather than continuing to run himself into coverage. He also showed the ability to elevate and attack the football vertically, while making a difficult contested catch in traffic.

Josh Cuevas lead the Ravens receivers with 46 yards on 3 catches

Did a nice job finding soft spots in zone, flashed athletically climbing the ladder for a ball and moving in space. Also noticed his effort as a blocker. pic.twitter.com/V0pZgJS3AB

— Yuri (@Yuri_Ravens) August 26, 2026

His effort as a blocker was another encouraging part of the performance. Cuevas isn’t going to consistently overwhelm defenders with raw power, but the willingness is there. He competed through contact and continued working to stay attached to defenders.

That matters for a player whose athleticism naturally makes him more appealing as a receiving tight end. The more functional he becomes as a blocker, the less predictable Baltimore becomes when he is on the field.

Postgame takeaway: Cuevas’ Week 2 performance provided a good look at his receiving profile. He found openings against zone coverage, picked up yards after the catch, and competed at the catch point. The effort he showed as a blocker was equally important. Cuevas doesn’t need to become a dominant in-line blocker, but becoming reliable enough in that area would give Baltimore considerably more freedom in how it deploys him.

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OT Diego Pounds (undrafted free agent)

20 snaps | 10 pass blocking | 0 pressures allowed | 92.9 PFF run-blocking grade | 95.7 zone-blocking grade

Pounds’ pass protection stood out during Baltimore’s preseason opener, but against Minnesota, it was his work in the run game that became the most impressive part of his performance.

Pounds looked particularly natural working within Baltimore’s zone concepts. He showed the ability to run the train tracks, stay square while moving laterally and reach his landmarks without sacrificing control. His movement skills allowed him to get into position before contact, and once engaged, he showed enough power to displace defenders and create movement out of his gap.

Diego pounds performed well for a second week in a row

He allowed no pressure on 10 pass blocking snaps

Last week his pass blocking stood out, but to me this week his run blocking was seriously good. Looks like such a natural athlete in space and being able to work… pic.twitter.com/zOvwAMleHr

— Yuri (@Yuri_Ravens) August 26, 2026

The effort after initial contact continued to stand out as well. On one rep, Pounds stayed attached to his defender and drove him roughly 15 yards downfield. Plays like that don’t necessarily tell us much about his technical development, but they do show the temperament Baltimore wants from its offensive linemen. Pounds consistently looks to finish rather than simply completing his assignment and moving on.

The grading reflected how effective he was. Pounds received a 92.9 PFF run-blocking grade, including a 95.7 grade on zone runs. More importantly, the film supported why those numbers were so high. His movement skills and comfort blocking in space make him a natural fit for what Baltimore is asking its offensive line to do.

Postgame takeaway: Pounds continues to strengthen his case for a spot on Baltimore’s 53-man roster. Allowing zero pressures was another positive step in pass protection, but his comfort operating in space in the run game was the story of Week 2. Given the Ravens’ lack of established offensive tackle depth, Pounds is putting together the type of preseason that could make him difficult to leave off the roster.

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G Evan Beernsten (Round 7, No. 253 overall)

8 snaps | 77.6 offensive grade, third-highest on team

After not getting much of an opportunity during the preseason opener, Baltimore finally gave Beernsten his first real look against Minnesota. Eight snaps obviously isn’t enough to make any definitive conclusions, but there were still a few traits that immediately translated from his college tape.

The first was his hand quickness. Beernsten fired his hands immediately after the snap and consistently looked to initiate contact rather than waiting for defenders to attack him. His punch timing was solid, and he showed an understanding of how to establish his hands early in the rep.

That initial contact is important for Beernsten because he isn’t going to win consistently through overwhelming length or raw physical tools. His game has to be built around technique, timing and positioning.

Rookie Guard Evan Beernsten finally got his feet wet vs the Vikings

Impressed by his hand usage, one thing I noted on his report was his quick and active hands. Did a nice job timing his punches.

Only 8 snaps so not much to go off of, hope he gets more burn this week pic.twitter.com/1eDwcVieQQ

— Yuri (@Yuri_Ravens) August 26, 2026

We saw some of that against Minnesota. Beernsten was quick out of his stance, established contact early and generally looked comfortable during his limited workload. He ultimately finished with Baltimore’s third-highest offensive PFF grade, an encouraging result considering these were his first meaningful preseason snaps.

The difficult part of his evaluation is opportunity. Baltimore has already given several other young offensive linemen significantly larger workloads this preseason, leaving Beernsten with very little time to separate himself before roster decisions are made. Eight snaps can give the coaching staff something to build on, but it isn’t enough on its own to dramatically change the roster picture.

Postgame takeaway: Beernsten made the most of a very limited opportunity. His quick hands, punch timing and urgency off the snap were all encouraging, and finishing with Baltimore’s third-highest offensive PFF grade gave him a positive starting point. His biggest problem isn’t necessarily his performance—it’s the lack of remaining opportunities. Unless Beernsten produces an exceptional final preseason game, his path to the 53-man roster remains difficult. At this point, he may be playing more to establish himself as a developmental player Baltimore wants to keep around than to outright win a roster spot.

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Final Thoughts

Baltimore’s offense didn’t generate many points against Minnesota, but Week 2 still provided useful information about several rookies fighting to establish roles.

Cuevas’ performance was encouraging because we saw more of the athleticism that gives him developmental upside as a receiving tight end. His 23-yard catch showed what he can provide after the catch, while his work against zone coverage and effort as a blocker demonstrated that his game isn’t entirely dependent on athletic traits.

Pounds continues to be one of the more interesting offensive developments of the preseason. After his pass protection stood out in Week 1, he showed how naturally his movement skills translate to Baltimore’s zone-running concepts against Minnesota. The 92.9 run-blocking grade and 95.7 zone grade were impressive, but the more important takeaway was how comfortable he looked reaching landmarks, creating displacement and finishing blocks downfield.

Beernsten finally got his opportunity, even if it was only eight snaps. His quick hands and timing showed up immediately, and he performed well enough to earn one of Baltimore’s highest offensive grades. The challenge now is turning a promising eight-snap sample into something significant enough to alter a difficult roster outlook.

Grades and other advanced stats via Pro Football Focus.

Which undrafted rookie should make the Ravens' 53-man roster? | Baltimore Beatdown

The way San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky handles rookies is well-documented at this stage. Outside of Macklin Celebrini, rookies often have limited ice time to start their first season, are occasionally healthy scratched to avoid fatigue, and have their playing time ramp up as the season progresses and they're more familiar with life in the NHL. We've seen it with Will Smith, Michael Misa, and Sam Dickinson, but is it really necessary for Ivar Stenberg?

Stenberg is different from the aforementioned prospects in a very important way, he's already been playing professional hockey. Last season between the Swedish Hockey League's regular season, playoffs and international play, Stenberg played a total of 77 hockey games. Unlike in the collegiate and major junior ranks, he also played on a schedule that was fairly similar to the NHL in terms of timing. Travel across North America will undoubtedly have a toll compared to the travel in Sweden, but it shouldn't be a major issue.

Talent-wise, Stenberg has already played against men, many of whom have NHL experience. Not only did he succeed in that environment, he had one of the best seasons by an 18-year-old in SHL history. He put himself in the same boat as the Sedin twins, Markus Naslund, and Tomas Sandstrom, all of whom went on to have phenomenal careers. None of those players immediately made the jump to the NHL, but times have changed. Stenberg has all of the required skills to thrive immediately. 

While there will be some major differences for Stenberg as he adapts to life in the United States, such as the smaller North American rink, for example, it's nothing that can't be worked through with game experience. Fatigue shouldn't be an issue, nor will be adapting to the level of play at the NHL level.

All things considered, while the Sharks may use a development plan for Stenberg simply because it's the precedent that they've set in recent years, it seems truly unnecessary in this situation. If he struggles at the NHL level, it could be implemented later on, or he could even spend some time in the American Hockey League. Right out of the gate though, the Sharks should put their faith in Stenberg and see if he sinks or swims. While the tide will be strong, Stenberg seems like he could pull through.

It is Day 17 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff. We are looking back at the 100 most iconic games in Dallas Cowboys history. The countdown will leads us right up to the opening game of 2026. Our look back doesn’t depend on just one criteria for our rankings. We take into consideration things like how big the game was for the organization, how memorable the game was, games that had unusual events take place, games that are a part of NFL lore, Cowboys firsts, and games where the Cowboys just plain dominated. Variety is the spice of life and we have all different kind of Cowboys games to review. At the bottom, we’ll link each day of the countdown so you can go back and check out any you missed.

Here’s it is, Day 17 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, when we revisit the defensive masterpiece that sent Dallas to a second consecutive Super Bowl. After playing nearly three quarters without scoring, the Cowboys forced one mistake after another and transformed a tense NFC Championship Game into a complete dismantling of the Los Angeles Rams.

Sunday, January 7, 1979 — 5:00 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 28, Los Angeles Rams 0

The matchup was steeped in history and filled with hostility. Both teams had finished 12-4, but Los Angeles held the home-field advantage and had defeated Dallas 27-14 at the Coliseum earlier that season. The Rams were determined to overcome years of postseason frustration, while the defending champion Cowboys sought their fifth Super Bowl appearance. 

The opening half was a defensive struggle, with Dallas unable to find a consistent rhythm against the Rams’ talented front. Meanwhile, Los Angeles squandered its best chances when Frank Corral missed two field goals. As a result, the teams entered halftime tied 0-0, leaving the conference championship undecided.

The Doomsday Defense turned the tide of the game midway through the third quarter. Charlie Waters intercepted Pat Haden and returned the ball to the Los Angeles 10-yard line. Five plays later, Tony Dorsett scored on a five-yard run, giving Dallas the first points of the afternoon. 

After Jackie Wallace’s punt return gave them possession at the Dallas 23, the Rams immediately threatened to respond. Los Angeles reached fourth-and-short at the 14, but Randy White and Larry Bethea stopped Jim Jodat before he could score. This pivotal stand preserved the lead and denied the Rams their best scoring opportunity to that point. 

Waters struck again near the end of the third quarter, intercepting another Haden pass and returning it to the Rams’ 20-yard line. During the play, Haden injured his throwing hand on Randy White’s helmet and left with a broken thumb. Just 58 seconds into the fourth quarter, Roger Staubach found Scott Laidlaw for a four-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 14-0.

Vince Ferragamo, the backup quarterback, briefly gave Los Angeles hope by connecting with Willie Miller for 65 yards to the Dallas 10. However, Cullen Bryant mishandled the handoff on the following play, and Harvey Martin recovered the fumble at the 11. The Rams had moved within sight of the end zone, only to leave without points once again.

Dallas’s next drive sealed the game. Dorsett burst through for 53 yards on the first play, amassing 70 yards in the ensuing 89-yard possession. Staubach capitalized with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Billy Joe DuPree, securing a commanding 21-0 lead for the Cowboys. 

Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson supplied the final exclamation point. After spending the week openly questioning whether the Rams could handle the moment, Henderson intercepted Ferragamo and returned the ball 68 yards for a touchdown with 1:19 remaining. His score completed the shutout and turned his pregame talk into one of the defining stories of the game. 

This game belongs on the countdown because it demonstrated the ruthless postseason quality of Landry’s Cowboys. Dallas absorbed everything the Rams offered during a difficult first half, remained patient and then punished every mistake after halftime. What began as a close defensive contest ended as one of the most decisive conference-title victories in franchise history.

#Cowboys vs #Rams

1979
NFC Championship

Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 28, Los Angeles Rams 0#DallasCowboys                           #NFL
(📽️:@nfl) pic.twitter.com/n7AL2AG2q8

— Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) August 27, 2026

Interesting Facts About the Game

Dallas wore its royal-blue jerseys, making this the franchise’s last playoff victory in a blue uniform until its Wild Card win at Tampa Bay following the 2022 season. 

Countdown to kickoff 

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The Buffalo Sabres offseason has centered on winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram leaving town, and has not seen GM Jarmo Kekalainen do anything to replace them. Rumors of a deal for Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck percolated around the NHL Draft in late June, but Kekalainen and Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff could not find common ground on a deal.

A trade involving the Hart Trophy and multi-Vezina Trophy winner seemed to be in a state of limbo, but on Thursday afternoon, Hellebuyck began forcing the issue by releasing a statement through agent Ray Petkau that he has made a request to be dealt.  

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“Several months ago, I privately requested a trade. I have tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully while giving the organization time to explore its options.” Hellebuyck said. “With training camp approaching, I felt it was important to publicly confirm my request. My position has not changed, and I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family.”

The 33–year-old is entering the fourth year of an eight-year, $68 million deal ($8.5 million AAV), and has a full no-movement clause until next July. After that, he has a 10-team trade list. Chatter around the draft indicated that the Sabres were willing to send a package that included goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, forward Jack Quinn and the fourth overall pick, later used to select Daxon Rudolph. 

That deal seems less likely, since Luukkonen has gained some control over his destination with a limited no-trade list, and because other potential suitors may have entered the fray. 

The New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes could also be in the mix. The Devils are projecting a three-headed monster of Jake Allen, David Rittich, and Nico Daws is goal, potentially have the pieces that Cheveldayoff might be looking for in a Hellebuyck deal, but could be keeping those pieces in place for a potential Quinn Hughes deal in the Norris Trophy winner does not sign an extension in Minnesota. 

Another possibility is the Carolina Hurricanes, who lost veteran Frederik Andersen in free agency, and has a duo of Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov between the pipes. The Hurricanes have enough cap space to take on Hellebuyck’s $8.5 million salary, and have a young unsigned defenseman in RFA Alexander Nikishin.

Hellebuyck reportedly was willing to waive his NMC to be traded to Buffalo, but Cheveldayoff likely will be looking to include as many teams as possible in potential trade talks to drive the price for the veteran netminder up.  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

The Brown County District Attorney’s Office announced on Thursday that the county has officially charged Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs after he was initially arrested for a domestic abuse complaint back in May. Jacobs was let out of county jail after a short stint this spring, as the county continued to investigate the situation before officially charging Jacobs with a crime.

Per the DA, Jacobs is now charged with two misdemeanors: one count of battery and one count of criminal damage to property. During his May arrest, Jacobs had five charges on the books: battery — domestic abuse, criminal damage to property — domestic abuse, disorderly conduct — domestic abuse, strangulation and suffocation (one charge) and intimidation of a victim.

According to The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero, the NFL is “monitoring all developments in the matter,” but the league has not announced a ruling on whether or not Jacobs will or won’t be suspended at some point during the 2026 season.

The NFL doesn’t necessarily have to decide on the Jacobs situation right this second, as they tend to want to gather all possible information about a potential suspension before ruling one way or another.

Update:

This report says police have video from inside Jacobs' garage of the following:

"Jacobs grabbed her and threw her to the ground and she struck her head, suffering an injury. Jacobs then took her phone from her while she was on the ground. ANM laid on the ground for a while and… https://t.co/AawwG5ySUy

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) August 27, 2026

Update #2:

The following is the Packers’ club statement on Jacobs’ charges:

“We are aware of the charges brought against Josh Jacobs. We will continue to cooperate with the the NFL as we work through the process. We will have no further comment at this time.”

It is the end of the preseason for the Cincinnati Bengals, who will be on the road Friday night to take on the Philadelphia Eagles. We only have one more game to sit through before the regular season begins.

Expect to see plenty of roster bubble players trying to make their mark. Sometimes it’s important to just get some good plays on tape, even if you ultimately get cut.

So, while these players will be auditioning for their current teams, they are also auditioning for every other team in the NFL. The life of a roster-bubble player is very fickle. Even if they land on the 53-man roster after cuts, they could be cut anytime after that.

This is all before we even talk about practice squads for teams that need to be filled. So much movement will come after this game, and it might be the last time we see these guys on the field for anything other than special teams until next year.

Enjoy the subtle beauty of it, knowing the real thing is right around the corner

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Philadelphia Eagles

• Date/Time: August 28th at 8:00 pm ET
• Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
• TV Channel: The game will air nationally on CBS. In the Bengals’ home region, it will be carried by WKRC-TV (Ch. 12) in Cincinnati, WHIO-TV (Ch. 7) in Dayton, and WKYT-TV (Ch. 27) in Lexington. Broadcasters are Andrew Catalon (play-by-play), Ross Tucker (analyst), and AJ Ross (sideline reporter).
• Online Stream:Paramount+ and NFL+
• Radio Broadcast: The game will air on the Bengals Radio Network, led by Cincinnati flagship radio stations WLW-AM (700), WCKY-AM (1530), and WEBN-FM (102.7). Broadcasters are Dan Hoard (play-by-play), Dave Lapham (analyst), and Tony Pike (analyst).
• SB Nation Eagles’ site: Bleeding Green Nation
• Rosters: CIN | PHI
• Series Leader: The Eagles lead the preseason series, 6-5
• Weather: According to NFL Weather, the game will be in the mid-70s with cloudy skies and a chance of thunderstorms

The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.  

Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games. 

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13. Scott Ratzlaff – Goalie (Jacksonville - ECHL, Rochester - AHL)

Ratzlaff was the Sabres fifth-round pick at the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville. The young netminder was a tandem goalie in his second season with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, posting an impressive 25-8-1 record, 2.15 GAA, .918 save percentage and played for Canada in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in his draft year.

The Irma, Alberta native became the primary starter for a rebuilding Thunderbirds squad in 2023-24 and put up more pedestrian numbers (21-26-2, 3.33 GAA, .905 save percentage) and was the third goalie for Team Canada at the 2024 World Junior Championships in Sweden, but did not see action. 

In his final season in junior,  Ratzlaff finished 23-19-4, with a 3.16 GAA and .910 save%, and in March, the Sabres signed the 21-year-old to a three-year ELC. Last season, the youngster split time with Topias Leinonen as the back to Devon Levi, splitting time almost equally between ECHL Jacksonville and the AHL Amerks. 

With Levi dealt to Edmonton, the Sabres added veteran AHLer Matt Villalta in free agency, but it is expected that Leinonen and Ratzlaff will get the lion’s share of the starts in Rochester next season. 

Follow Michael on X, and Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

On Wednesday night’s episode of The Sick Podcast, Tony Marinaro and Brian Wilde discussed whether Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson would ever win the Norris Trophy. The Global reporter doesn’t believe Hutson will ever win the Norris for one main reason: it’s so hard for small guys to get respect.

While Wilde does have a point about it being hard for small guys to earn respect, especially after both Hutson and Cole Caufield were left off Team USA for the Olympics, when it comes to NHL Trophies, it’s hard for anyone to get respect.

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For instance, look at Nick Suzuki: he won the Frank J. Selke Trophy this past season as the league’s top defensive forward, but it took him years to seriously enter the conversation. At times, voters for the few NHL trophies get set in their ways and keep going back to the same players, even when new players are worth considering. The fact that Suzuki finally won that prize in a year when Aleksander Barkov didn’t play and in which he earned high praise from Team Canada coach Jon Cooper is hardly surprising. I’m not saying he shouldn’t have won it, not at all, but I'm wondering whether it would have happened if Barkov had been playing and Cooper hadn't spoken about him at the Olympics.

It wasn’t easy for Suzuki to force his way onto Canada’s lineup, just like it’s not easy for Hutson with Team USA, but there comes a time when a player’s body of work forces the GMs’ hands. Hutson has spent his whole career showing naysayers wrong. He’s probably fought against the “small player” tag from the moment he laced them up, and it lit a fire under him. It’s that same fire that makes him chase opponents relentlessly when he makes a mistake and turns the puck over.

Hutson’s turn will come; it won’t be right away, but it will come. Chances are, though, if you ask him about the possibility of winning the Norris Trophy, he’ll tell you that’s not the one he’s aiming for. The one trophy he and every Canadiens player want is the Stanley Cup, as it should be.

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