Kansas
Rookie Rashee Rice shines bright in Kansas City Chiefs' preseason victory
![Rookie Rashee Rice shines bright in Kansas City Chiefs' preseason victory Rookie Rashee Rice shines bright in Kansas City Chiefs' preseason victory](https://phantom-marca.unidadeditorial.es/a8782f9bf1682f52ee480e4bd48f30dd/resize/1200/f/jpg/assets/multimedia/imagenes/2023/08/20/16925462629282.jpg)
In a remarkable display of rookie prowess, theKansas City Chiefs strategically showcased their up-and-coming talents during a commanding 38-10 triumph over theArizona Cardinals in Saturday’s preseason clash.
One standout player who stole the spotlight was Rashee Rice, a dynamic wide receiver selected from SMU in the second round of the April draft. Rice’s exceptional performance highlighted his potential impact on the Chiefs’ future success.
Rice, making a name for himself, dominated the field well into the third quarter of the game. He seamlessly connected with passes from three different quarterbacks, culminating in an impressive tally of eight receptions for an impressive 96 yards. Head Coach Andy Reid, however, played down the intention of the extensive playtime, emphasizing that Rice’s natural talent was the driving force behind his substantial role.
“Contrary to belief, this wasn’t a deliberate strategy. Rashee just happened to be the go-to guy,” Reid explained during the post-game analysis. “His abilities as a football player have shone brightly throughout training camp. Beyond that, his versatility in returning punts adds a strategic edge to our gameplay.“
Notably, quarterback sensation Patrick Mahomes weighed in on Rice’s potential, drawing parallels between Rice and former Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins. Mahomes lauded Rice’s physical approach to the game, drawing comparisons to Watkins’ initial impact when he joined the team.
“Rashee displays a strong physical presence on the field,” Mahomes noted. “Much like Sammy during his early days here, Rashee boasts the ability to secure catches, maintain his physicality, retain his speed, and more. His ascent to becoming a key player for us is undeniable, and we’re fully committed to nurturing his growth. The same goes for our other promising young talents.“
Rashee Rice’s triumph: A glimpse into the rising star’s NFL future?
Rice’s journey to becoming a game-changer appeared to have an uncertain start, as he grappled with early-game jitters. On the second play of the match, Rice fumbled a short pass from Mahomes, reminiscent of the struggles witnessed in the previous week’s game against the New Orleans Saints, resulting in a 26-24 loss to open the preseason.
Mahomes, the revered figure in the league, downplayed the initial misstep, expressing his confidence in Rice’s potential. “Rashee possesses an innate understanding of the game,” Mahomes affirmed. “We’re constantly pushing him to elevate his performance, and it’s evident that his natural talent is undeniable. Despite the early hiccup, his capability to make challenging catches remains unshaken. He’s a vital asset to our offensive lineup.”
Although Mahomes offered unwavering support following the early-game challenge, it’s likely that Rice will receive constructive feedback from his head coach regarding the missed opportunity.
Reid, while applauding Rice’s recovery, advised, “Rashee’s resilience is commendable, and his ability to bounce back is inspiring. Let’s aim to avoid such hurdles at the outset next time. Overcoming them is essential, but our focus should be on eliminating the initial setbacks altogether.”
As the Chiefs’ rookie sensation continues to make his mark on the field, fans and analysts alike are eagerly anticipating the growth and impact that Rashee Rice will undoubtedly bring to the team’s offensive strategy.
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Kansas
Tulane Football’s Path to Victory Must Exploit Inexperienced Kansas State
![Tulane Football’s Path to Victory Must Exploit Inexperienced Kansas State Tulane Football’s Path to Victory Must Exploit Inexperienced Kansas State](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4096,h_2304,x_0,y_268/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/tulane_green_wave_on_si/01j6mvw0vcfqn9xhqdjr.jpg)
The stage is set for Tulane football’s highly anticipated Week 2 matchup against the Kansas State Wildcats as they seek to become contenders on a national stage.
Intriguingly, the Green Wave and the Wildcats have some parallels on offense. Kansas State kicks off the season Saturday against FCS opponent UT-Martin, much like Tulane opened against Southeastern Louisiana.
Sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson will make his first regular season start, much like redshirt freshman Darian Mensah led Tulane to their 52-0 victory Thursday night. Johnson did appear in eight games as a true freshman and started for the team in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, beating North Carolina State.
However, he did so behind an offensive line that looks nothing like the one that will take the field next Saturday at Yulman Stadium. The Wildcats must replace four of five starters, including third-round draft pick Cooper Beebe. Just as Tulane had to find Vincent Murphy to take over for Sincere Haynesworth.
Though the group of returners isn’t exactly inexperienced, they don’t have any time playing together in concert. The lone starter remaining is right guard Hadley Panzer, who likely is starting this season at left guard. Presumed starting left tackle Easton Kilty is making his first FBS start.
It helps that Kansas State’s offensive line coach, Conor Riley, was promoted to coordinator. He has pieces to work with that have credible game snaps. The challenge is whether they can come together as a unit.
While Avery Johnson has more experience than Darian Mensah, Mensah benefits from a much more stable offensive line. Tulane returned both starting guards and right tackle and brought in key transfers to fill the remaining holes. In their season debut, they gave Mensah time in the pocket, but the run blocking left much to be desired.
Tulane brought in transfers on the defensive line to bolster their pass rush. They got to the quarterback twice with two sacks last Thursday, but the Bandit role was a point of concern. Their three-man front is spaced to spread out their top playmakers, Adin Huntington at defensive end and Patrick Jenkins at tackle.
With Huntington to the field and Jenkins to the boundary, it forces defenses to either focus attention on one side of the line or just shut down the best two players. That awards a lot of one-on-one opportunities for the rusher at Bandit. The players who rotated in the first game didn’t make much of a case.
Terrell Allen didn’t make any standout plays, nor did Matthew Fobbs-White, though the latter showed some disruptive abilities off the line of scrimmage. Frankly, Shi’Keem Laister was the most productive in a packaged role. Laister had a hurry and forced Southeastern to throw quickly, leading to incompletions on the drive.
Tulane doesn’t need the Bandit to be the hero, but they need a player to step up and credibly command attention to open up lanes for Huntington, who only recorded one hurry in his debut for the team.
Importantly, the team likely didn’t show their cards on the ways they might get to the quarterback. It might come from the second level. Linebacker Sam Howard had more pressure snaps than Fobbs-White and Allen, and he recorded a hurry and beat his blocker on another.
Could Tulane rely on blitzing and utilizing defensive backs and linebackers as rushers? Not all season. But creativity and confusion might just be enough to rattle the Wildcats as both teams race to figure out what the other is made of with merely one game of film.
The secondary came together as Tulane’s season opener went on, and should be a point of strength, but the best coverage is a pass rush. Especially with an opponent that has similar turnover and areas to exploit. For the Green Wave to pull off a victory on Sept. 7, the key lies in the lane to the quarterback.
Kansas
Lawmakers plan brazen power grab, pushing aside Kansas voters and Gov. Laura Kelly • Kansas Reflector
![Lawmakers plan brazen power grab, pushing aside Kansas voters and Gov. Laura Kelly • Kansas Reflector Lawmakers plan brazen power grab, pushing aside Kansas voters and Gov. Laura Kelly • Kansas Reflector](https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/P6170288.jpg)
Let’s be clear about what Kansas Republican legislative leaders are doing with their planned overhaul of budgeting: They are launching a personal and political power grab against Gov. Laura Kelly.
They have never accepted or respected her mandate. Despite Kelly winning a second term and having two years left to go, they have continually attempted to usurp the executive branch’s authority. They have tried a constitutional amendment and prohibiting her ability to negotiate Medicaid contracts. Now they’re going after her yearly state budget proposal.
Usually, the Legislature begins its yearly budget process with a proposal from the governor. Her office submits it when lawmakers arrive for the annual session, in January. Now an interim committee wants to start the process earlier, as soon as October of the previous year.
In this new process, the governor’s budget would be a suggestion, not a starting point.
And never mind that it’s a direct attack on Kelly. House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, assured the audience that these changes had nothing to do with the governor.
“This process has nothing to do with the governor,” he said at the meeting earlier this month, according to Kansas Reflector reporter Tim Carpenter. “If you’re going to focus on the governor, probably not the wisest thing to do, because this process has happened over time with many, many different governors.”
He was contradicted by Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, who let the proverbial cat out of the figurative bag.
“You’ll have a Republican governor, for example, or somebody you trust, and you trust the administration to build the budgets, and then you kind of rubber stamp stuff,” Masterson said. “And, then, you switch, and you have (the) opposition party and then there’s all that same power.”
Oh. So it’s like that, then.
All of this might seem like so much partisan mud wrestling, except for the fact that the leaders have also decided to do an end run around Kansas voters.
Did you notice that the proposed new process could start as early as October? While details at the hearing were scarce, leaders appeared to suggest that they would start working on budget without knowing whether they would be elected. What happens if all the folks on the budget committee are voted out of office? Who takes the lead then?
Once again, we see Kansas legislative leaders trying to concentrate power. They don’t want the governor to even have the first say in the budgeting process, and they apparently don’t trust the rest of their colleagues. You know, all the people who drive to Topeka in January to actually make laws.
Sen. Carolyn McGinn, a Sedgwick Republican, raised concerns that these changes would also limit the ability of constituents to speak about budget priorities.
McGinn might have decided to retire, but she has a point. Leaders apparently don’t even trust their constituents when it comes to spending.
In there interest of fairness, I should note that the reform committee considered several worthwhile proposals. Rep. Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, discussed ending lawmakers’ de facto three-day work week. Yes, they usually take Mondays and Fridays off, at times slowing progress to a crawl. The panel also targeted budget earmarks for favored programs that don’t go through a regular committee process.
In the interest of perspective, however, I’m not falling over myself with gratitude. It’s obvious that legislators should work throughout the week, and it’s obvious they shouldn’t be larding up the budget with unvetted spending.
It’s like going through life without running over someone with your car. I mean, I’m glad that you didn’t, but surely you don’t deserve a plaque.
Lawmakers might still be able to make worthwhile changes to the budgeting process. They could start with increasing transparency, which Carpenter noted wasn’t discussed by members of either party. But until they stop jostling for partisan advantage and making themselves look foolish, don’t expect much.
Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
Kansas
Kansas City Royals Provide Injury Update on Key Reliever
![Kansas City Royals Provide Injury Update on Key Reliever Kansas City Royals Provide Injury Update on Key Reliever](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3830,h_2154,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/fastball/01j6jpmwpjh5yj8r8erv.jpg)
After learning that they would lose first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino for the rest of the regular season (and possibly the entire postseason), the Kansas City Royals also provided an injury update on reliever Lucas Erceg.
Per Joel Goldberg of the Royals broadcast team:
Lucas Erceg is day to day. Has swelling and soreness in the hand and said he hopes to be back very soon. He’s understandably upset about the play last night. Most upset about the injury to Vinnie Pasquantino. Says his teammates, including Vinnie, supported and consoled him.
Lucas Erceg is day to day. Has swelling and soreness in the hand and said he hopes to be back very soon. He’s understandably upset about the play last night. Most upset about the injury to Vinnie Pasquantino. Says his teammates, including Vinnie, supported and consoled him.
— Joel Goldberg (@goldbergkc) August 30, 2024
Erceg and Pasquantino were injured on the same play Thursday in the loss to the Houston Astros. Erceg was hit by a batted ball, then threw the ball to first base. The throw took Pasquantino into the runner, which is where he suffered his injury.
Lucas Erceg and Vinnie Pasquantino both left the game with apparent injuries after this game-tying play in Houston
(via @BallySportsKC)pic.twitter.com/Di1779zNoe
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 30, 2024
The 29-year-old Erceg was acquired in a trade deadline deal with the Oakland Athletics. He’s 2-5 this season with a 3.40 ERA. In 51 appearances, he’s struck out 57 batters.
The Royals enter play on Friday at 75-60 overall. They are 1.5 games back of the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central and they currently hold the second wild card spot in the American League.
Kansas City hasn’t made the playoffs since 2015, which is the last year they won the World Series.
The Royals and Astros will play each other again on Friday night. It will be a battle of aces as Seth Lugo (Kansas City) pitches against veteran lefty Framber Valdez for Houston.
Continue to follow our FanNation on SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.
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