CONFETTI BENCHED

[hongwei28]

Panthers coach Ron Rivera may have figured out the only way to avoid injuries to key players in training camp.

”Not practice Tyron Smith Jersey ,” Rivera said after Wednesday’s practice.

The Panthers are less than a week into training camp but have already lost two key players to potential season-ending injuries.

Right tackle Daryl Williams, a second-team All-Pro last season, dislocated his patella and tore his medial collateral ligament during blocking drills on Saturday. Two days later, cornerback Ross Cockrell broke two bones in his leg while trying to break up a pass in the end zone during 11-on-11 team drills.

The Panthers aren’t the only team hurting.

The Green Bay Packers have lost inside linebacker Jake Ryan and safety Kentrell Brice to severe leg injuries, while Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Jason Verrett also went down. Other teams have lost important players to injuries, too.

It’s nothing new, of course.

Injuries happen every year in training camp, a reminder of the fine line coaches must walk between preparing their team for the physicality of the regular season and avoiding injuries to key players that can derail a season.

”If you look at what happened (with our injuries) the truth of the matter is there is nothing you can do about it,” Rivera said. ”That was a freak injury for Ross where the receiver was falling to the ground and he happened to step into it and got rolled up. Daryl was kick-sliding and turned his ankle and came down on it.”

Rivera said injuries are the ”unfortunate nature of this game.”

Still, as a coach he is always looking for ways to prevent them, constantly telling players to ”be smart” on the field.

He did that prior to Wednesday morning’s practice on a slick field at Wofford College following overnight rain.

”I told the defensive backs and the linebackers Dan Bailey Cowboys Jersey , `Hey, let’s be smart about the receivers crossing because we don’t want to catch anybody in a bad spot,” Rivera said.

Some injuries can be prevented.

That’s why Rivera and his assistants were unhappy with rookie safety Rashaan Gaulden earlier this week he knocked wide receiver Jarius Wright to the ground in the back of the end zone with a vicious blow to the upper body – one that might have collected a fine from the league had it happened in a game situation. Wright remained on the ground for almost a minute before getting up.

He returned to practice a short while later.

Panthers wide receiver Devin Funchess immediately yelled at Gaulden after the play, saying ”that’s what we talked about – you have to know better.”

Coaches later called Gaulden aside to reprimand him.

”Hey, that’s going to be very suspect because it falls right into the ram, butt and spear idea of using the helmet,” Rivera said. ”So we’ve got to make sure these young people understand it.”

Overall, Panthers left Matt Kalil said that ”sometimes you just can’t control” injuries.

”You want to play aggressive out here and you want to go full speed and get a game-time simulation,” Kalil said. ”We want to be smart. I think what we can do as veterans, and as players, is we have a guy who is about to fall we want to keep him up and keep him off the ground. But it’s hard because there are a lot of guys flying around out here.”

Panthers cornerback James Bradberry said there is a contact on every play.

”It’s very tough because one of the key components of making a Super Bowl run is having everybody healthy. And when you have prominent guys go down Derwin James Jersey , it’s tough,” Bradberry said. ”You’ve just got to have that next-man-up mentality. And that’s what we have here.”

—

Boston’s offense showed why it is one of the best in baseball.

Rafael Devers, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Xander Bogaerts all homered and the Boston Red Sox routed the Seattle Mariners 9-3 on Sunday.

”Today we did an outstanding job finishing the game and we got the W,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. ”We are a good team. We know how to play the game and we turn the page really quick.”

Devers’ 11th homer of the season capped a five-run, two-out rally in the third against Seattle starter Mike Leake (7-4).

”They were making it tough today,” Leake said. ”They weren’t giving me any breaks today.”

Andrew Benintendi and Bogaerts began Boston’s rally with a pair of singles. J.D. Martinez drew a nine pitch walk to load the bases before Mitch Moreland drove in two with a single to centerfield, his first hit of the series, and Devers followed with a blast off the Hit It Here Cafe in right field to give Boston a 5-0 lead.

”Anytime you can put up a five spot in the inning, you are happy with it,” Moreland said. ”That was a good inning for us.”

The Red Sox pulled away in the seventh against right-handed reliever Chasen Bradford Josh Jackson Jersey , who gave up three runs and two homers while getting two outs.

Bradley Jr. sent Bradford’s first pitch over the centerfield wall for his fourth home run this season. Benintendi hit his third single of the game with one out before Bogaerts put Boston ahead 8-2 with a shot into the bullpen in left centerfield, his 12th of the season and fourth of the series.

Facing left-hander Roenis Elias in the eighth, Benintendi extended Boston’s lead to 9-2 with a sacrifice fly to center.

The Red Sox have hit three or more home runs 10 times this season, and are 36-7 when scoring five or more runs.

Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez picked up his sixth straight win in as many starts, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out nine. Rodriguez (9-1) has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his starts during his winning streak, and the Red Sox are 13-1 in Rodriguez’s starts this season.

”It was really good,” Rodriguez said of his start. ”All of my pitches were working. It was really great.”

The Mariners loaded the bases with no outs for the heart of their order against Rodriguez in the fifth, but managed just one run. Jean Segura cut Seattle’s deficit to 5-2 with a fielder’s choice, but Seattle’s rally was cut short following back-to-back fly outs from Mitch Haniger and Nelson Cruz.

”He had to work for it that fifth inning but he limited the damage,” Cora said. ”. He did a good job. Good fastball. He was more aggressive in the strike zone.”

Cruz hit his 17th home run of the season in the fourth, sending a 3-2 fastball from Martinez 442 feet in to the upper deck in left field to trim Seattle’s deficit to 5-1. Cruz has homered five times in his last nine games.

In the eighth Authentic Evander Kane Jersey , Ryon Healy doubled down the left field line, scoring Cruz to make it 9-3.

The Red Sox improved to 18-5 in series finales, and have won five straight day games on the road.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: RHP Nick Vincent (groin) is scheduled to make a rehab start with Triple-A Tacoma on Monday, then make a rehab appearance with Double-A Arkansas on Wednesday before joining the Mariners during their three game series in Boston beginning Friday.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: Chris Sale (6-4, 2.75 ERA) takes the mound as the Red Sox continue their road trip against the Twins on Tuesday. Sale has allowed just one run in each of his last two starts and has nine starts this season allowing one or fewer earned runs.

Mariners: Marco Gonzales (7-3, 3.42) goes for his sixth win in as many starts when the Mariners begin a 10-game road trip against the Yankees on Tuesday. Gonzalez has allowed just six earned runs in his last six starts combined.

.
_________________
hong wei wei