When the Red Sox opted to buy at the trade deadline, they swung several trades they hoped would set the club up for a big second half. Those moves have not worked out.

Originally Published: September 8, 2024 at 6:00 a.m.

ATLANTA — Just a few hours out from their game with the Atlanta Falcons, and the Pittsburgh Steelers do not know who their quarterback will be for sure. While a lot of signs point to Justin Fields getting the start, the Steelers have not locked that in, as Russell Wilson continues to push for himself to play.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on Saturday night that Wilson has told the Steelers coaching staff and trainers that he can play, but Pittsburgh’s training staff remain at odds with playing Wilson. Wilson aggravated his calf injury from training camp on Thursday, and if he hurts it worse, the absence could go from short-term to lengthy very quickly.

Either way, Wilson did travel with the team. Meanwhile, Fields is preparing like the starter. The Steelers and Wilson have started conducting around-the-clock treatments on his calf to get him ready in case he can play. They even put him through a workout on Saturday to see where he is at in his game.

The ultimate decision for the Steelers will be revealed when Wilson takes the field for a pregame warmup in the morning. Inactives for the Steelers will be due at 11:30 a.m., or just 90 minutes before the game, so the Steelers can work Wilson out before the game to fully see where he is at.

However, minimizing risk for the Steelers in this situation seems a key part of the process. Head coach Mike Tomlin said on Thursday, when Wilson complained of the tightness, that there was no long-term worry but that the team needed to be overly cautious with the injury. Holding him out for a week with a more than-capable backup in Fields seems like the right move for the Steelers so Wilson does not miss extended time in case he aggravates the injury even more.

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West Hartford, Conn. — The University of Hartford men’s soccer team battled to a draw on Saturday evening against Eastern Connecticut State University with a 0-0 final. 

Rapid Recap

• The Warriors held possession for most of the contest getting the first chance in the 4th minute with a shot that was blocked. Senior Kellijah Morgan (Kingston, Jamaica) had the first shot for the Hawks, but it was not on target. In the 11th minute, sophomore Ryan Lunn (Southington, Conn.) stopped his first shot of the evening turning away Sean Cafferty. Lunn would make two more stops in the half as the teams continued to battle without shots for the final 20 minutes in the first half as it concluded. 
• In the 47th minute sophomore Austin Murawski (Rocky Hill, Conn.) had a good chance to put the Hawks on top, but it couldn’t find the target as we stayed scoreless. In the 50th minute graduate student Trey Sadler (Newington, Conn.) logged the only shot on target for Hartford in the game, but Nathan Yeich made the stop to keep the score at 0-0. In the 66th minute the Warriors had the best chance of the night as Eliot Melgar fired a shot that Lunn deflected off the post, but stayed out of the net. Sadler and Morgan each had final minute chances, but both escaped the net as the final whistle blew to end the contest at a 0-0 draw. 

Inside the Numbers:

• Lunn made five saves for the Hawks in the shutout draw for Hartford. 
• Sadler returned to the field for Hartford for the first time since October 21st of 2023 after sustaining an injury that ended his season. Trey ended the night with two shots in 20 minutes played. 
• The Warriors out shot the Hawks by a 15-10 margin and a 6-1 on target differential. 

Up Next:

The Hawks will host Albertus Magnus College on September 11th with a 7:00 p.m. start. 

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