Seattle, WA
Former Seattle Seahawks OC didn't last long with new team
The Chicago Bears fired former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron from their OC position on Tuesday, hoping to shake up a unit that ranks among the worst in the NFL.
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Offensive passing game coordinator Thomas Brown was promoted to offensive coordinator.
The moves come with the Bears (4-5) mired in a three-game losing streak and the offense in a free fall after an offseason overhaul highlighted by the arrival of Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall draft pick.
Waldron spent the previous three seasons as the OC for the Seahawks under head coach Pete Carroll. Waldron was not brought back after the Seahawks moved on from Carroll in January, and landed with the Bears shortly after.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus said Monday that changes were coming in the wake of a 19-3 loss to New England at Soldier Field, though he wasn’t ready yet to announce them. He said the decision on whether to retain his offensive coordinator would be “mine alone.”
“After evaluating our entire operation, I decided that it is in the best interest of our team to move in a different direction with the leadership of our offense. This decision was well-thought-out, one that was conducted deliberately and respectfully,” Eberflus said Tuesday in a statement. “I would like to thank Shane for his efforts and wish him the best moving forward.
“Thomas is a bright offensive mind who has experience calling plays with a collaborative mindset. I look forward to his leadership over our offensive coaching staff and his plan for our players,” Eberflus said.
Waldron lasted just nine games. He was hired in January to replace Luke Getsy, who was let go after two seasons. Getsy was subsequently hired as the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive coordinator and fired in November.
The Bears rank 30th in the NFL in total offense and 24th in scoring. Chicago has gone without a touchdown in back-to-back games for the first time since 2004. It’s been 23 consecutive possessions without a TD for the Bears since they scored in the final minute at Washington in Week 8, when they lost on a Hail Mary pass by Jayden Daniels. Williams was sacked a whopping nine times against New England, which came in tied with six other teams for the worst record in the NFL.
The offense has produced just two touchdowns in 34 drives in the three games since Chicago’s bye. The Bears won three in a row prior to their off week, and Williams and the offense looked like they were finding their rhythm, even if they were doing it against struggling teams.
Williams completed 74% of his passes for 687 yards and seven touchdowns with one interception during that run. In the past three games, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has completed just 48 of 95 passes without a TD.
Williams has often been under siege behind an offensive line that has played poorly and been hit hard by injuries. He has also hung onto the ball too long at times, rather than check down or throw it away to avoid a sack.
Waldron, meanwhile, seemed to abandon the run in some games. He was also urged by players to coach the team harder following a loss at Indianapolis in Week 3.
The Bears then went on their winning streak and headed into their bye with a 4-2 record. They’ve unraveled since then, and the schedule is about to get tougher. Six of the final eight games are against the NFC North, starting with Green Bay’s visit on Sunday.
The recent struggles have also turned up the heat on Eberflus, with fans chanting “Fire ‘Flus!” during the New England game. Chicago is 14-29 in his 2 1/2 seasons. It’s not what the Bears envisioned after going from 3-14 in 2022 to 7-10 last year.
General manager Ryan Poles gave the offense a big makeover in the offseason.
The Bears cleared the way to draft Williams by dealing Justin Fields to Pittsburgh. They made a blockbuster trade for a playmaking receiver for the second year in a row, acquiring six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers after sending the No. 1 pick in 2023 to Carolina for DJ Moore. Chicago got the Panthers’ 2024 first-rounder in that deal for Moore and used it to take Williams.
The Bears also added running back D’Andre Swift and veteran Gerald Everett to form what looked like a potent tight end tandem with Cole Kmet. But the offense hasn’t come together the way the Bears hoped.
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Seattle, WA
5 Things to Know for Auburn’s NIT Clash with Seattle
Looking to extend the country’s longest non-conference home win streak to 66, Auburn (18-16) hosts Seattle U (21-13) Sunday at 5:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2 and the Auburn Sports Network (106.7 FM), where Andy Burcham and Randall Dickey will describe the action for listeners.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW:
- Auburn’s win over South Alabama extended the Tigers’ nation-best non-conference home winning streak to 65 straight games. It’s a streak that dates back to the 2016-17 season.
- The Tigers made a season high 16 3-pointers against South Alabama and tied a school record with 44 3-point attempts.
- Kevin Overton made seven 3-pointers (all in the second half) against South Alabama and now has 80 triples this season. He is four 3-pointers away from cracking the top 10 for single-season 3-pointers at Auburn.
- With 636 points this season, Keyshawn Hall is ninth on Auburn’s single-season scoring list. Hall notched his 18th game of scoring 20 or more points against South Alabama with 21 points against the Jags.
- Led by Will Heimbrodt’s 86 blocks this season, Seattle U ranks 12th nationally in blocks per game (4.9) and is also top 25 in scoring defense (66.6 – 23rd) and turnovers forced (14.94 – 21st). Heimbrodt is the WCC Defensive Player of the Year.
There’s nothing mid-major about Seattle U’s defense.
Auburn’s second-round NIT opponent, the Redhawks, rank No. 23 in the country in scoring defense, allowing fewer than 67 points per game.
“One of the better defensive teams we’ll have gone against all year,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said. “Incredibly active, they really fly around and make what you do really difficult.”
After defeating South Alabama 78-67 on Tuesday in the opening round of the NIT, Auburn hosts Seattle U on Sunday. The Redhawks advanced to round two by defeating St. Thomas (MN) 67-52.
“Our guys are going to have to show up and be excited about playing because if we don’t, this is a team that is capable, defensively, of making you look bad,” Pearl said.
Seattle U ranks No. 12 nationally in forcing turnovers, causing nearly 15 per game while blocking almost five shots per game (No. 21) and holding teams to 41.5-percent shooting (No. 42).
“They play hard, and that makes your defense so much better when you give multiple efforts like that at all five positions,” Pearl said.
Against the Jaguars’ zone defense in round one, Auburn hit a season-high 16 3-pointers, with Kevin Overton swishing seven.
“He knows that every time he shoots the ball, we think it’s going in,” Pearl said. “We can’t change what we do a ton because what we do has been effective, offensively, but we also have to understand that this is a really good defensive team, and we have to be disciplined in a lot of things we’re doing.”
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Like Auburn, which earned high-profile victories this season over Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky, and St. John’s, Seattle U also has brag-worthy wins at Stanford and at home against Washington, Washington State, and Oregon State.
Representing the West Coast Conference, Seattle U would like nothing better than to end the season for a Southeastern Conference opponent on Auburn’s home court.
“I know this is going to be an important one for them,” Pearl said. “It’s an important one for us as well. Our guys, once we show them the film, they’re going to realize pretty quickly how real and how legit these guys are.”
“This game is an important one for both groups,” Pearl said. “We’re going to have to play well to beat them. It’s another great opportunity to compete against a really good team from a great conference.”
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Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer
Seattle, WA
Seattle Mariners re-assign 3 players to minor league camp
The Seattle Mariners re-assigned outfielder Brennan Davis, right-handed pitcher Dane Dunning and left-handed pitcher Jhonathan Díaz to minor league camp on Friday.
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Seattle’s spring training roster is now at 38 players, with 33 from the 40-man roster, four non-roster invitees and one player on the 60-day injured list.
Davis, 26, had been one of the Mariners’ surprise standouts during camp after arriving on a minor league contract. The former top prospect went 12 for 34 over 15 games while producing a .353/.450/.824 slash line with a 1.274 OPS, four homers, four doubles, six RBIs and five walks to 11 strikeouts.
Dunning, 31, was also in camp on a minor league deal. He allowed four runs on five hits and five walks while striking out four over 6 1/3 innings in three appearances. The right-hander also pitched for South Korea during the World Baseball Classic, surrendering two runs over three innings in three apperances.
Díaz, 29, was a non-roster invitee to spring training. He pitched three scoreless innings, struck out two and didn’t allow any hits or walks in two spring outings. The left-hander was on World Baseball Classic champion Venezuela’s roster but did not appear in a game. Díaz made one appearance for the M’s last season, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
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Seattle, WA
Cal, Randy team up in Seattle Mariners’ 6-run inning – Seattle Sports
Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena are officially Seattle Mariners teammates again, and if you need proof, just look at the box score.
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The two players who were at the center of a controversy last week during the World Baseball Classic both drove in runs as the Mariners put up a six-spot on the Athletics on Thursday night in Cactus League play.
Arozarena came off the bench with runners on second and third with one out in the top of the seventh inning, and he reached on an infield single that gave Seattle its first run of the game, cutting the A’s lead to 3-1.
And Arozarena, who hit his first homer of the spring on Wednesday, wasn’t done. He then stole second, which allowed him to score the second of two runs on a Ryan Bliss single that tied the game.
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A few batters later, after a Brock Rodden single and Luke Raley hit by pitch loaded the bases, it was Big Dumper’s turn, and he delivered with a bases-clearing double off the tall wall in center field at the Athletics’ spring home, Hohokam Stadium in Mesa.
That capped the inning and the scoring for Seattle in a 6-4 victory.
Perhaps it’s a sign that the handshake that never happened when Arozarena stepped to the plate for Mexico with Raleigh catching for the USA is behind the two Mariners All-Stars. As they say, winning cures everything.
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