FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Chris Streveler will always have a special place in New York Jets preseason lore.
The former Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback, who led New York to three fourth-quarter comeback victories this summer, was among the team’s cuts as it got down to the mandated 53-man roster Tuesday.
“Tough business,” Streveler wrote on Twitter. “So thankful for the opportunities this preseason. This is just another step in the journey. The work and the mindset don’t change!”
Among the Jets’ other notable cuts were: running backs Tevin Coleman and La’Mical Perine; wide receiver Calvin Jackson Jr.; tight end Trevon Wesco; defensive linemen Jonathan Marshall, Jabari Zuniga and Bradlee Anae; linebacker Hamsah Nasirildeen; cornerbacks Isaiah Dunn and Javelin Guidry; and safeties Will Parks and Jason Pinnock.
Pinnock (fifth round), Nasirildeen (sixth) and Marshall (sixth) were all late draft picks of GM Joe Douglas last year.
When the Jets signed the 27-year-old Streveler shortly before training camp, the move came with little fanfare. He was considered by many merely a “camp arm,” with starter Zach Wilson and backups Joe Flacco and Mike White ahead of him on the depth chart.
“That’s what it starts out as and then you just let a guy go and it’s up to him to seize the opportunity and make the best of his opportunity,” coach Robert Saleh said. “And it was really cool to see what he did.”
In the preseason opener at Philadelphia, Wilson went down with a knee injury and Flacco wasn’t in uniform for that game. So White stepped in — and was later replaced by Streveler, who threw two fourth-quarter TD passes in the win. That came after Streveler had taken no snaps in team drills in camp up to that point.
The former South Dakota star led another late-game comeback against Atlanta, and then threw two more touchdown passes to lead the Jets from behind to beat the Giants in the preseason finale. He finished 24 of 33 for 277 yards with five touchdowns and one interception in three games this summer.
It prompted Saleh to say Streveler “probably had one of the greatest preseasons in the history of football.”
It just wasn’t enough for Streveler to make the Jets’ initial 53-man roster, even with some fans rooting for him to make the team over White. But Saleh made it clear Streveler — who had three previous NFL stints, including appearing in seven regular-season games with Arizona — would be welcomed back on the practice squad if he clears waivers.
“Strev is awesome,” Saleh said. “I had a great conversation with him. Hoping we get him back. It’s overall body of work, too, and he definitely performed _ I don’t want to take that away from him. But when you look at Mike White from a year ago, OTAs, training camp, he had two rough (preseason) games, but had a really nice game against the Giants.
“Mike just has an overall body of work, really understands what we’re trying to get done.”
Meanwhile, Wilson remains sidelined after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair a meniscus tear. He also has a bone bruise, and the Jets won’t rush him back to the field.
“As soon as he feels he’s ready to go,” Saleh said. “There’s no timeline. We saw him on the bike, he’s walking around, he was out at practice today. He’s taking in all the information, he’s at walkthroughs, he’s in every meeting. So, as soon as he gets cleared by the doctors and he feels good, he’ll be out there.”
So there remains a very strong chance Flacco will be under center for the Jets in their regular-season opener at home against Baltimore on Sept. 11.
“If Zach’s not ready by Week 1, and we’ve got a lot to see over the next week,” Saleh said, “then, yeah, Joe will be the starter.”
NOTES: WR Denzel Mims remains on the roster despite requesting a trade last week. Saleh was asked if he thought Mims is being held “hostage” by the Jets for not granting his request to be dealt. “Is he frustrated? Is he frustrated with all of us? Sure, I’m sure he is,” Saleh said. “He wants to play and for that, I don’t think he’s a hostage. It’s a lot easier to kick somebody out the door if they want a trade if they’re jerks and that’s not Denzel. He’s a good young man and I love the way he approaches everything, even with this, the way he’s come about it, very professional, comes to meetings, practice, does all of it. So I guess I just don’t view him as a hostage.”
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
