I honestly don’t understand how people can’t distinguish between the two. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...oting.html

Was just about to post the Bengals OL is trash when Burrow gets sacked. He remains down with some kind of leg injury. Not sure how severe.

Before trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones offered the star pass rusher to the New York Jets, he said Saturday in a radio interview.

Jones, a guest on ESPN New York radio, told host Gary Myers that he had called the Jets. Asked by Myers if the Cowboys were interested in star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, Jones confirmed that Williams was the Jets player he was looking to acquire, along with picks in his proposed trade.

The conversation apparently didn't last long. Jones said the Jets told him they "didn't have the resources to entertain conversations."

Jones wound up dealing Parsons to the Packers for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. Simultaneously, Parsons signed a four-year, $188 million contract extension.

The Cowboys owner reiterated his stance that he always wanted a "dominant" interior defensive lineman, which explains his interest in Williams.

"A prerequisite to the entire trade was that we had to have right now a really, frankly significant dominant inside defensive player," Jones said. "That was a prerequisite. You didn't get in the mentality of my trading if you didn't have that coming through the door."

Williams, a 2022 first-team All-Pro, is arguably the Jets' top defensive player. He is under contract through 2027.


ESPN

Health insurance costs in the United States are on track for their biggest jump in at least five years, according to multiple surveys, adding turbulence to an uncertain economy and boosting expenses for millions of Americans already beset by inflation.

In 2026, businesses will be hit with an increase of 9 percent or more, and they are expected to push some of the burden onto employees, according to the research.

For the 24 million enrollees of Affordable Care Act insurance plans, however, the news is far worse. The end of enhanced federal subsidies for that program means their costs are expected to rise by more than 75 percent next year, according to KFF, the nonpartisan health policy organization.

Insurers and employers point to two recent factors to explain the rising prices: the tariffs on pharmaceutical imports being considered by the Trump administration and the high cost of new obesity treatments, called GLP-1 drugs.

With inflation top of mind for many Americans, and broad discontent with health care, the spike in prices in both government-sponsored and private health insurance could make the cost of coverage an issue in the 2026 midterm elections. A Gallup poll in December reported that “Americans’ rating of the quality of U.S. healthcare has fallen to the lowest reading in 24 years, and views of healthcare coverage nationally remain broadly negative.”

Now, even among Republicans opposed to the government insurance program, the rapid rise in prices and the end of the Obamacare subsidies have created worry.

“Voters don’t want to see people losing their health insurance,” according to the pollsters of Fabrizio Ward, a Republican polling firm, which found overwhelming bipartisan support for extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies in a recent poll of 28 competitive congressional districts.

Three recent research reports blame the insurance price hikes generally on rising prices and the more liberal use of health care services. All three reports — by Aon, a global consultancy; Mercer, a benefits company; and the Business Group on Health, an industry group — cited the new obesity drugs as a driver of costs.

“We are seeing a continued surge in utilization” of the GLP-1 drugs, said Debbie Ashford, a chief actuary at Aon and an author of the report. 

She said use of the drugs rose 92 percent in 2023 and an additional 56 percent in 2024, and the growth has continued this year at a similar pace. These drugs can cost as much as $800 a month.

As employers seek to limit the bill for GLP-1s, 90 percent of them said they are paying for the drugs only after prior authorization reviews, and nearly half are requiring that patients be substantially overweight as determined by BMI, or body mass index, the Business Group survey said.

Additional cost drivers cited in the forecasts include mental health, chronic conditions and cancer.

The other new force behind the price hikes is the expectation of import tariffs, which would boost drug prices.

Pharmaceuticals are currently exempt from the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, but the Commerce Department is investigating the impact of drug imports on national security. The president has also said planned tariffs on medicines could be as much as 250 percent.

In a May letter to the Commerce Department, the American Hospital Association warned that the tariffs would significantly affect drug prices. The U.S. gets nearly 30 percent of its active pharmaceutical ingredients from China, the letter said. It also cited a survey indicating that many health care experts expect tariff-related expenses to increase hospital costs by at least 15 percent.

Some insurers, in legal filings with regulators, have said explicitly that the expected tariffs were raising insurance prices.

A document from United Healthcare of New York states that, to account for “uncertainty regarding tariffs and/or the onshoring of manufacturing and their impact on total medical costs, most notably on pharmaceuticals, a total price impact of 3.6% is built into the initially submitted rate filing.”

While the obesity drugs and tariffs are expected to raise health care costs generally, the most urgent political matter is the fate of the extra subsidies for the 24 million people with Affordable Care Act plans, who could see their premium payments double in January if the subsidies go away. About half of adults with such coverage are small-business owners or their employees, or are self-employed, according to KFF.

The extra subsidies were first provided during the coronavirus pandemic, intended to make HealthCare.gov coverage more affordable, and have been in place for the past five years. During that time, the number of enrollees in Obamacare plans has doubled to more than 24 million, helping to reduce the number of Americans without health insurance. The subsidies have come at a significant cost to taxpayers, however, and extending them an additional 10 years would cost $335 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

While some critics have predicted a “death spiral” for the marketplaces if such a trend occurred, others have said the original subsidies are enough to support the program.

“As long as those original subsidies remain in place, there will be no death spiral,” said Cynthia Cox, a researcher at KFF who focuses on the Affordable Care Act. “But some individuals will face hardship.”

Eleven House Republicans, many of them in vulnerable seats, have signed onto a bipartisan bill to extend the subsidies for another year — enough time to move the issue past the 2026 midterm elections.

Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Virginia), the bill’s lead sponsor, warned that if the tax credit ends, a Virginia family of four earning $64,000 could see their premiums jump by more than $2,500 a year. A 60-year-old couple earning $82,800 could face nearly $12,000 in higher annual premiums.

“This is the last thing Virginians need, and it’s unacceptable,” Kiggans said.

Congress could extend the subsidies in a bill to fund the government after Oct. 1. There has also been talk of extending them in a year-end measure, possibly adding them to budget negotiations, but insurers warn that may be too late: At that point most HealthCare.gov customers will have already selected plans.

House conservatives, who have long railed against the Affordable Care Act, are opposed to continuing the extra federal assistance. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris (R-Maryland) said that it’s time “to end COVID-era policies” and predicted that “so many Republicans” would vote against it.

But Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), known for his populist overtures during the debate over cutting Medicaid, said that “we have to do something” to prevent skyrocketing premiums.

“I think anytime somebody’s health care premiums go up by 200 percent when they’re already unaffordable, that’s a problem. We cannot allow that to happen,” he said.

Source: WAPO

Looked up Ryan Kelly's week one PFF grade for pass blocking in a kind of celebratory good riddance to bad pass blocking at the center position. He graded 78.8, which is very good. Ranked 6th among centers in the NFL. 

You'll never guess who ranked number one.

I don't know, I've got this weird feeling. Might be more of a game than most think. I predicted that this year if you punch Detroit in the mouth, they don't have much fight left after blowing the past 2 years opportunity to get to the Superbowl. The grind is real.

For me, excited as always but concerned that the Atlanta offense is going to score some passing TDs. Not sure JJ is there yet as far as being able to go toe-to-toe in a NFL shootout. Going to be a lot of emotion and excitement from the home crowd in this environment. KOC should lean into the run game to start the game off and work from there. Would be great if Harrison Smith could start, but I have no idea if he's ready yet. Hate that Darrisaw is sitting again, f-ck. Expect the Falcon D to load that side again, hope the offensive gameplan is prepared more for it early. Hopefully a fun ride, looking forward to it.

Have to stay up again past my bedtime tonight. 

Right guard Will Fries, the Vikings’ $88 million man in the middle, was a lowly rookie seventh-round pick for the Indianapolis Colts in 2021.

He hadn’t played a snap by Thanksgiving of his first year, yet Fries and his girlfriend (now wife) Isabella Therien were invited over for turkey dinner by Colts center Ryan Kelly, then working on his third consecutive Pro Bowl season.

“I didn’t know anybody my first year, and he invited me over,” Fries recalled. “He’s just a great dude, always looking out for people, taking care of people behind the scenes.

“You have to have guys believe in you maybe more than you believe in yourself,” Fries added, “and he was someone who helped instill confidence in me when I was younger.”

Before beginning the J.J. McCarthy era, one of the Vikings’ first moves this offseason was agreeing to terms with Kelly — a nine-year veteran — on a two-year, $18 million deal just hours into free agency.

Kelly, 32, is the “presence that you want,” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said, someone who can both pump up the 22-year-old McCarthy off the field and unmask opposing defenses with correct protection calls on the field.

Kelly has started 121 more NFL games than McCarthy, who is Kelly’s 13th different starting quarterback. McCarthy, coincidentally, was 13 years old when Kelly got drafted in the first round in 2016 to protect then-Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.

Kelly has since protected Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Gardner Minshew, Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco, among others. He’s well-versed in building rapport with new quarterbacks.

“It’s fluid with each guy,” Kelly said. “It’s not like Rivers and I were going to hang out and play golf every weekend. He has 10 kids. I was getting ready to get married. I feel like I’m a little bit of a chameleon, you have to blend and adapt to who you’re with.”

With McCarthy, Kelly has been a natural fit. The former Colts team captain gained a reputation as a bullish brainiac and confidence-builder in his many quarterbacks. McCarthy has already said Kelly is one of his “favorite” teammates.

“Just his knowledge about the game, but who he is as a man,” McCarthy said. “It’s really one of a kind. The depth of knowledge, how he attacks every single day, how he is as a dad, all the things I get to learn from him on and off the field — it’s a tremendous blessing.”

Kelly’s mind has always been one of his best traits.

The 2018 season, Kelly’s third in the NFL, sent his studies into overdrive. The Colts hired a new head coach, Frank Reich, and installed a new playbook.

That April, new offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo separated his linemen into three tables — left tackle/left guard, center, and right tackle/right guard — a setup that isolated Kelly for a pop quiz on the new system.

“I get like 95 percent,” Kelly said. “I missed some small term, and he chewed me out like I had never been chewed out before: ‘You think you get your own table for no reason?’ He’s like, ‘It’s your show. The right side and the left side, they’re all counting on you to do your job. You’re the nucleus that can bind.’ ”

Kelly started 12 games that year, Luck’s final NFL season before retiring because of health issues. Kelly said he’s still in a group text chat with Luck and other teammates from the 2016 team. He establishes lasting bonds. He called Brissett a “best friend.” He and Wentz, whom the Vikings signed last month, are offseason golfing buddies.

Luck, in a statement, said Kelly is “everything you love in a center.”

“He’s tough, smart, cerebral, and he’s athletic,” Luck added.

Kelly made three consecutive Pro Bowls with three different starting quarterbacks — Brissett, Rivers and Wentz — under Strausser from 2019 through 2021. (He was a Pro Bowl selection again, working with mostly Minshew in 2023.)

“He understood the importance of the quarterback,” Strausser said. “Early on, he could tell the QB wasn’t necessarily right on a protection call or something and he’d allow the guy to work his way through some stuff while Ryan, in a subtle way, would help.”

“He knew everybody else had to respect the quarterback,” Strausser added.

Kelly wanted to ensure his new Vikings teammates respected McCarthy before the 2024 first-round pick took his first NFL snap.

“I tell the young guys, ‘When the quarterback is talking, you look him in the eye,’ ” Kelly said. “He gets in the huddle, he’s got a long play call, right? He’s got a lot of checks, a play clock, a coach screaming in his ear. If you look around and you see everyone from rookies to a seventh-year vet, a 10th-year vet like ‘Let’s go, kid!’ That’s pretty cool.”

On the field, Kelly commands first. He sets the initial pass protection plan. He targets run plays based on identifying the middle linebacker in the defense. McCarthy has the power to correct calls if his broader vision tells him something different.

Kelly, and many Vikings coaches, have helped McCarthy learn NFL defenses. But Kelly has taken a special interest in McCarthy’s command in front of the team.

“The pointing at the line, the demeanor, how your voice travels to the team,” Kelly said. “Those things matter. … The weight of a franchise is on your back. Sam Darnold’s no longer here; it’s now your show. You haven’t proven anything in this league. You’ve got maybe the most veteran team around you that I’ve seen in the NFL.”

“That’s where I can help quarterbacks,” Kelly added. “You always have to find out where your value is as an NFL player, and that’s what I can do — I feel I can help these guys gain confidence and take something off their shoulders.”

McCarthy’s NFL debut came at Soldier Field, “one of the loudest stadiums I’ve played in a long time,” Kelly said. The rookie led three touchdown drives in the fourth quarter of the comeback victory. Kelly knew McCarthy commanded the offense well because of how little he could speak afterward.

“He had no voice after the game,” Kelly said.

McCarthy was asked if he felt he had anything to prove to his teammates before playing his first game.

“I feel like it was more proving it to myself,” McCarthy said, “because I feel like this team, their belief in me is something that I tremendously appreciate.”

Right tackle Brian O’Neill became a translator for the Vikings offensive line this summer. The team captain sat between his new teammates, Kelly and Fries, during meetings so he could help them learn the Vikings’ many playbook calls and adjustments for concepts that were called by different names in Indianapolis.

O’Neill, an eight-year veteran, has learned from Kelly, too. During film studies, Kelly asked in-depth questions of offensive line coach Chris Kuper that educated the entire room. He wanted to know, for instance, how a defensive back’s pre-snap movement could tip off an incoming blitz.

“He’ll say, Koop, ‘Let me see the wide angle,’ ” O’Neill said. “And he wants to see it because he wants to know if the safeties are rotating. If, on the motion, are they running with it or are they staying — three-level knowledge.”

Kuper said Kelly brings a “calming influence of a guy who’s seen and done it for a long time at a very high level” to an offense with two first-year starters in McCarthy and left guard Donovan Jackson.

“Ryan’s a high processor,” Kuper added, “and he can help bridge the gap on a couple things as you got a brand new quarterback in the offense.”

The end of Kelly’s nine-year run in Indianapolis, where he and his family became entrenched within the city and the Colts, was not how he would’ve drawn it up. But he said he feels he’s landed in the best possible situation.

He described the Vikings’ mix of many free agents, draftees, undrafted players and players from the previous regime as “the island of misfit toys.”

“I’ve been blessed that I came here,” Kelly said. “It’s kind of hard to figure out what makes a place special until you get in there. … I got here and I still can’t figure out what it is. I think Kevin [O’Connell] sets an incredible standard, but it’s the locker room."


STRIB

Something to get you fired up for the game

https://www.vikings.com/video/the-untold...-greatness

That is all.