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BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Myles Garrett didn't know he had joined a prestigious list of defensive stars last week until one of his biggest fans pointed it out to him. “My dad was hyped about it,” he said. For good reason. With three sacks last week in Cleveland's 24-19 win in prime time over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Garrett became the seventh player to reach double-digit sacks in seven straight seasons since the stat became official in 1982. The others: Lawrence Taylor (1984-90), Reggie White (1985-93), Bruce Smith (1992-98), John Randle (1992-99), DeMarcus Ware (2006-12) and Jared Allen (2007-13). All of them is in the Hall of Fame except for Allen. “Hall of Famer,” Garrett said in praising the retired Minnesota Vikings edge rusher, who is again on the doorstep of induction as a semifinalist for the fifth straight year. Garrett is on track to get his own bronze bust one day in Canton, but until then, he's humbled to be in such elite company. “Guys I looked up to when I started my journey into this game,” said Garrett, who tries to bolster his resume on Monday night when the Browns (3-8) visit the Denver Broncos (7-5). “It’s absolutely amazing to be amongst those guys, not just looking up at them but looking side to side and standing amongst them. "So I want to continue to find myself on those lists and hopefully stand alone at the end of the day.” He's on his way. The NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year is having another monster season but probably not getting the recognition he deserves as the Browns, upended by continuous quarterback issues, have fallen way short of expectations. Garrett used the national TV platform against the Steelers to remind any detractors of his greatness. He sacked Russell Wilson three times, forced a fumble and outplayed Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt, the player to whom he is most often compared. The Garrett vs. Watt debate went to another level in February. On the day Garrett received his DPOY award, second-place finisher Watt seemed to take a shot at the Browns star by posting “Nothing I'm not used to” on social media. Those comments stuck with Garrett, who following the win over Pittsburgh — and Watt being held without a sack — didn't hold back in declaring himself the league's best pass rusher. “I wanted to make it known that I’m the guy, I’m the No. 1 edge defender,” Garrett said. It was an unusual boast from Garrett, who was asked why he felt he needed to express himself. “Because part of my journey of being the best player that I can be is I think I can be the best player that there is currently,” he said. ”So I have to live up to those expectations I have for myself. That’s just on the road to be the player that I want to be.” Garrett's unrelenting drive is what sets him apart. Although he'll enter Monday's game with 98 1/2 sacks and can become just the fifth player to reach 100 in his first eight seasons, joining White, Ware, Allen and Watt, it's not enough. “I still took too long,” said Garrett, who can become the first to do it before turning 29. “It’d have been tough to catch Mr. White, but hopefully this next however many number will come quicker than the first 100. So we’ll go out there and we’ll do what I do and try to take it up a notch.” Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz marvels at Garrett's output despite double- and triple-team blocking. “He just continues to do stuff,” Schwartz said. “His production is so high, even though he’s a marked man, even though every game plan starts with, ‘Don’t let 95 wreck the game,’ and he still finds a way to wreck games.” Schwartz doesn't need to see any lists to know Garrett belongs among the best to ever rush a quarterback. “Yes, he does,” Schwartz said. "I think he’s just starting to hit his prime. I think he still has a lot left in front of him. The sky is the limit as far as he goes. And when it’s all said and done, maybe you’re comparing other people to him. That should probably be a goal for him.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflRepublicans have a shrinking mandate
He said: "I've had the most incredible opportunity to serve in a role that not only challenged me, but allowed me to grow, to learn and to make meaningful contributions alongside a talented and passionate team. "I am immensely grateful for the support, collaboration and friendships formed during these last four years. It's been a remarkable journey, and I look forward to carrying the skills and insights I've gained into my next appointments." The Lieutenant also highlighted how he had the honour of playing "a small part" in the April 2021 funeral of Prince Philip, the June 2022 Platinum Jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth and the monarch's funeral three months later, as well as the May 2023 coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla - and "all the weird and wonderful in between". He went on: "There were engagements when our whole Household was involved, every single person, and there were times when I was quite rightly standing alone, calling the shots and backing the shots I'd taken. "It's now time to swap the top hat and tails for 'daily working rig' once again, and it's the right thing to do." He is leaving his role as equerry to return to his post in the Royal Navy, where he has served for nearly 24 years, according to the Daily Mail. Equerries are officers from one of the three branches of the Armed Forces who are chosen to assist senior royals in their respective royal duties, from organising public engagements to arranging their official schedules. Around six equerries work in the Royal Household at any given time and are appointments generally lasting about three years. Minnie Driver has joined the growing number of Hollywood stars going fresh-faced. 'The Serpent Queen' actress, 54, showed off make-up free selfies online and opened up on Instagram about why she regularly goes "without a scrap" of cosmetics. She captioned the pictures: "Ok, I'm pretty vain, so posting pictures without a scrap of makeup and un-touched up, are rare. "The only reason I'm doing it now is because I've been ill, I have felt everyone of my years recently and I'm pretty astonished that my friend Keren can make me look like this: Christmas glow without the 5 mulled wines." Minnie's fans filled the comments section of her post with praise for her "normalising" the make-up free look. It comes days after Jamie Lee Curtis honoured Pamela Anderson for going make-up free on red carpets. The 'Halloween' actress, who turned 66 last week, shared a barefaced picture on her social media to pay tribute to the 57-year-old former Baywatch star's continuing fresh-faced look which she has been sporting on red carpets since last year. Jamie captioned her image: "Just out of the shower selfie. Honouring @pamelaanderson @lastshowgirl and her no make-up ownership of self. "Sober. Strong. Steady on." Jamie was referring to her new film 'The Last Showgirl' in which she stars alongside Pamela. The actress added about her look: "Just noticed that it looks like I have mascara on, which is clearly a remnant of my workday yesterday. Clearly, mommy didn't wash her face very well." Jamie was one of Pamela's cheerleaders when the former pin-up went viral for her fresh-faced look at Paris Fashion Week couture shows last year. Pamela told last year how her decision to go fresh-faced was sparked by the passing of her make-up artist Alexis Vogel, who died in 2019 of breast cancer. She also decided to go "against the grain" by defying a trend for heavy make-up, saying the move felt "freeing, fun and a little rebellious".
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PITTSBURGH — Give Colorado Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland credit for one thing: He wasted very little time identifying and attempting to correct his club’s biggest weakness. The Avs have completely overhauled the goaltending depth chart in 10 days. on Monday before had time to add a Colorado-themed facemask. Making one trade involving goaltenders before Christmas is hard to do in the NHL. He’s made two. In: Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood. Out: Georgiev and Justus Annunen. “We did not have both deals, like we were not going into it going, ‘We’ve got to make two deals,’” MacFarland said. “We felt we needed an upgrade a few weeks ago and started kicking tires.” The full details of the Monday transaction: Colorado sent Georgiev, forward Nikolai Kovalenko, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round selection to San Jose for Blackwood, forward Givani Smith and a 2027 fifth-round pick. The Avs also reportedly retained 14% of Georgiev’s salary. “I love it,” said former NHL goalie Cory Schneider, who played with Blackwood in New Jersey. “I think he has as much pure talent (and size) as anybody in the league, to be honest. He just needed to mature his game as he got older.” The Avs have dealt with the worst injury/availability crisis in the NHL this season. The combination of key players missing and the amount of time they’ve been out has been scale-breakingly bad for anyone who tries to show the impact of injuries with visual data. That is one huge reason for the club’s underperforming record, but the goaltending has clearly been the other. And on many nights, the poor goaltending has been the biggest problem — the other Avs have often performed admirably despite shorthanded lineups. “I think it shook us to the core with the rough start,” MacFarland said. “I’m not going to lie. We came out of the gate really slow. It’s not a secret — our goaltending has not been up to standard. ... It was inconsistent to start, and we felt we had to make a move so we did.” Wedgewood has been great in his three appearances, and the Avalanche is still last in the NHL in team save percentage. The Avs have not been able to outscore their problems in net, so MacFarland has continued to do major surgery on the depth chart. Blackwood has absolutely been a better goaltender than Georgiev this season. It’s not close. Georgiev has a better track record and has real playoff experience. Blackwood has never played in a Stanley Cup Playoff game. When the Devils made it in 2023, Akira Schmid and Vitek Vanecek split the postseason starts. “The challenge for (Blackwood) will be going to a good team,” Schneider said. “That sounds weird, but he’s played on the same bad Jersey teams and awful (San Jose) teams with no expectations/pressure. “Now he has to handle the pressure of taking MacKinnon/Makar/Rantanen to a Cup while they’re in their primes.” Wedgewood has never started an NHL playoff game, either. His postseason resume includes three relief appearances for Dallas. So the Avs are choosing Blackwood’s present-day form over Georgiev’s long-term resume. Given that both goaltenders are in the final years of their contracts and can be unrestricted free agents after this season, the potential short-term upgrade might be all that matters. The Avs are also still firmly in a Cup-or-bust season, even with all of the injuries. Captain Gabe Landeskog’s lingering uncertainty aside, there is a near future where the Avs are healthy and one of the best teams in the NHL. They certainly looked like one Sunday night when . If the short-term trust in Georgiev was shaken, and there were concerns about him “finding it” again, then this move makes sense on paper. Whether or not Blackwood can be the No. 1 guy for a deep playoff run, or if this tandem can combine to win 16 postseason games, is very much to be determined. The cost of this Georgiev-Blackwood swap is also significant. Kovalenko has shown flashes of being a real NHL player. He’s 25 years old and will be a restricted free agent after this season, but there was a future where he’d be a nice depth player for this team at a reasonable cost. Moving a second-round pick to make this happen is also a significant asset. The Avs are going to be in Cup-or-bust mode for as long as Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are two of the best players in the world. Current NHL players who can help them win another championship will continue to be prioritized over draft picks. But Colorado’s war chest of picks is getting pretty empty. The Avs only have a second-round pick (the Rangers’ selection) in the first three rounds of the 2025 NHL draft. They’ve already traded their second- and third-rounders in 2026, too. Adding Blackwood doesn’t solve the long-term outlook in goal for the Avs, and if he plays well enough to help them reach expectations it could very well price him out of their budget for next season and beyond. But that’s next season and beyond. This one can still be a championship-winning year, so the Avs moved swiftly and paid a hefty price to try and fix their greatest problem. “The good news is Blackwood is used to seeing a lot of chances,” Schneider said. “Now he needs to prove he can win at a high level, which he’s never done or had the chance to do.”
Biden pledges £472m for rail project to improve access to Africa’s mineralsLANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Allowing two kickoff return touchdowns and missing an extra point all in the final few minutes added up to the Washington Commanders losing a third consecutive game in excruciating fashion. The underlying reason for this slide continuing was a problem long before that. An offense led by that was among the NFL’s best for a long stretch of the season put up just nine points and 169 yards for the first three-plus quarters against Dallas before falling behind 20-9 and teeing off on the Cowboys’ conservative defense. “We just couldn’t really get it going,” said , whose lengthy touchdown with 21 seconds left masked that he had just three catches for 16 yards through three quarters. “We’ve got to find a way to start faster and sustain drives, and that’s everybody: the whole coaching staff and the offensive players just going out there and figuring out ways that we can stay on the field.” This is not a new problem for Washington, which had a season-low 242 yards in a and 264 yards four days later at Philadelphia. Since returning from a rib injury that last month, Daniels has completed just under 61% of his passes, after 75.6% over his first seven professional starts. Daniels and have insisted this isn’t about injury. The coaching staff blamed a lack of adequate practice time, but a full week of it before facing the Cowboys did not solve the problem. It is now fair to wonder if opponents have seen enough film of to figure it out. “I think teams and coordinators are going to see what other teams have success against us and try to figure out how they could incorporate that into their scheme,” Daniels said after going 12 of 22 for 80 yards passing through three quarters in the Dallas game. “We’ve been in third and longer a lot these past couple games, so that’s kind of where you get into the exotic pressures and stuff like that. We’ve just got to be better on first and second downs and stay ahead of the chains.” Daniels has a point there, and it predates this losing streak. The Commanders have converted just 36% of third-down opportunities (27 for 75) over their past seven games after 52% (31 for 60) in their first five. That challenge doesn’t get any easier with Tennessee coming to town Sunday. The Titans, despite being 3-8, have the second-best third-down defense in the league at 31.6%. What’s working The defense kept the Commanders in the game against Dallas, allowing just 10 points until the fourth quarter and 20 total before kickoff return touchdowns piled on to the other side of the scoreboard. Even Cooper Rush’s 22-yard touchdown pass to Luke Schoonmaker with five minutes left came after a turnover that gave the Cowboys the ball at the Washington 44. The defense spending more than 35 minutes on the field certainly contributed to fatigue as play wore on. What needs help The running game that contributed to a 7-2 start has taken a hit, in part because of The Commanders got 145 yards on the ground because Daniels had 74 on seven carries, but running backs combined for just 57. Daniels could not say how much the rushing attack stalling has contributed to the offense going stagnant. “You’ve got to be able to run the ball, keep the defense honest,” he said. “We got to execute the plays that are called in, and we didn’t do a good job of doing that.” Stock up Linebacker Frankie Luvu keeps making the case to be Adam Peters’ best free agent signing. He and fellow offseason addition tied for a team-high eight tackles, and Luvu also knocked down three passes against Dallas. Stock down Kicker Austin Seibert going wide left on the point-after attempt that would have tied the score with 21 seconds left was his third miss of the game. He also was short on a 51-yard field goal attempt and wide left on an earlier extra point. Seibert, signed a week into the season after Cade York struggled in the opener, and was 22 of 22 on extra points before injuring his right hip and missing the previous two games. He brushed off his health and the low snap from Tyler Ott while taking responsibility for not connecting. “I made the decision to play, and here we are,” Seibert said. “I just wasn’t striking it well. But it means a lot to me to be here with these guys, so I just want to put my best foot moving forward.” Injuries Robinson’s sprained ankle and fellow running back from a late kickoff return that led to him being hospitalized for further evaluation are two major immediate concerns. Quinn said Monday that Ekeler and starting right tackle Andrew Wylie are in concussion protocol. It’s unclear if Robinson will be available against Tennessee, which could mean Chris Rodriguez Jr. getting elevated from the practice squad to split carries with Jeremy McNichols. The Commanders still have not gotten cornerback Marshon Lattimore into a game since from New Orleans. from a hamstring injury, and the secondary could use him against Calvin Ridley, who’s coming off at Houston. Key number 17 — Handoffs to a running back against Dallas, a significant decrease from much of the season before this losing streak. Next steps Don’t overlook the Titans with the late bye week coming immediately afterward. The Commanders opened as more than a touchdown favorite, but after the results over the weekend, BetMGM Sportsbook had it as 5 1/2 points Monday. ___ AP NFL:
Matt Gaetz says he won’t return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney general
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