Aaron Boone Defends Yankees Against Blue Jays Criticism: "We’re Focused on What We Can Control"
In the midst of growing tension between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays, Yankees manager Aaron Boone has stepped forward to defend his team against the latest round of criticism from their AL East rivals. Following a series of jabs from the Blue Jays’ side, Boone maintained a calm and composed demeanor, emphasizing that the Yankees are focused solely on their own performance and goals.
“We’re not going to let outside noise dictate our mindset,” Boone said in his press conference. “We know what we’re capable of, and we’re focused on the job at hand—winning games and playing our best. The Blue Jays are a good team, but at the end of the day, we control what happens on the field, and that’s what we’re focused on.”
Boone’s comments come after recent remarks from the Blue Jays regarding the Yankees’ performance, which have sparked a heated back-and-forth between the two teams. However, Boone was quick to dismiss any distractions and reiterated that the Yankees are determined to stay locked in on their pursuit of success.
“It’s all part of the competition,” Boone continued. “But what matters is how we respond. We have a team full of guys who know what it takes to win, and we’re going to keep our eyes on the prize. Nothing changes for us—our focus is on ourselves, not what anyone else has to say.”
Despite the rivalry and the external chatter, Boone’s leadership has kept the team grounded. The Yankees, who are still in the hunt for a playoff spot, are focused on executing their game plan and maintaining the confidence that has served them well throughout the season.
“Our guys are doing the right things,” Boone said. “We’re staying true to who we are, and we’re not going to let anyone else’s opinions get in our way. This team has a lot of fight, and we’re ready to go out there and prove it.”
As the Yankees gear up for their next series, Boone’s unwavering confidence and focus on the team’s goals will likely resonate with his players, who are ready to put the criticism behind them and continue pushing toward a postseason berth.
Vance Joseph Gives Review of Broncos Rookie After Week 4 Debut
Albeit in a limited sample size, it seems Denver Broncos rookie defensive lineman Sai'vion Jones passed all his benchmarks in his debut on Monday night against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“He looked fine. Obviously, he didn’t play a lot of reps, but it was his first time getting on the field as a rookie, and it was good for him to play some," Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said Friday. "That should increase for him moving forward. He’s had great weeks of practice. That’s why we decided to put him up finally. He’s growing fast, so hopefully he gets better and better each week.”
The 101st overall pick of April's draft, Jones was a healthy scratch for the first three games before being activated in Week 4. He logged six defensive snaps as a rotational lineman and, although it went unrecorded on the stat sheet, was in on a nice pressure of Bengals quarterback Jake Browning.
They were small glimpses, but glimpses nonetheless of what made Jones a standout collegian at LSU and a high-round target of the Broncos.
“He kind of fits our mold of defensive line. The size—six-[feet] six-[inches], 280 [pounds]. We feel like he can continue to grow in that role," general manager George Paton said after drafting Jones. "He’ll play [defensive] end for us, but he has flexibility down the line of scrimmage. This guy is long. He’s strong [and] plays with really good leverage. Then he’s improving as a rusher. You could see that throughout the season, then you got to the Senior Bowl. We thought he had a really good week and played really well in the game. So he’s just going to keep getting better. [Defensive Line Coach] Jamar Cain has coached him, so again we had insight on him like we did some of the others. I think what sticks out with him is just how hard he plays. The motor—he goes 110 miles per hour every play, so he fits in with our group. He’ll have time to develop as well as he has good guys in front of him.”
Going forward, Jones should continue seeing a gradual uptick in playing time as part of his progression plan, firmly entrenched behind starting defensive ends John Franklin-Myers and Zach Allen, the latter of whom paces the NFL in quarterback hits among his positional group.
“I don’t think much has changed with Zach," Payton said Friday. "I mean, he’s just getting older as a player. He’s always been a great rusher. He’s gotten stronger over the years, but he’s always been a smart player. It’s opportunities. I think Zach playing with better outside rushers allows him to get more one-on-ones. When you’re the only rusher inside, you get all the slides of a double team. Now he’s playing with [OLB] Nik [Bonitto] and ‘Coop’ (OLB Jonathon Cooper) and ‘JFM’ (DL John Franklin-Myers). It’s fair across the board. All of our guys should improve with those kinds of numbers.”
