wolfy casino
SigRM offers breakthrough in single-cell epitranscriptomics analysis
Maybe 15 minutes before the Wild hosted and defeated the Nashville Predators on Saturday, general manager Bill Guerin took a few minutes to talk to the media about his first noteworthy acquisition of the season—the trade with Columbus, which will bring David Jiricek to the State of Hockey in the first few days of December. ADVERTISEMENT Maybe it’s just the pessimistic nature of a fanbase that hasn’t seen a men’s professional team play for a championship in more than three decades, but the grumbling had begun even before the collected media had reached the press box for Saturday’s game. “Seems like a lot to pay for a minor-leaguer,” was one of the comments overheard at the rink on Saturday. Indeed, to get Jiricek – the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft – and a lower-round pick, Guerin surrendered defenseman Daemon Hunt and four draft picks, including Minnesota’s 2025 first-rounder and a second round pick in 2027. He wasted no time in getting an up-close look at the new guy, calling Jiricek up to the NHL level on Sunday, and sending former Gophers forward Travis Boyd back down to Iowa. Guerin and Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell are old friends from their time working together with the Pittsburgh Penguins. But there was no discount offered from Waddell to his old pal in Minnesota. “It took awhile. Donny,” Guerin said with an exasperated grin. “He played with me. He’s one of my old mentors. He made me work for it. He’s the best.” ADVERTISEMENT Still, Guerin would not have pulled the trigger had he not believed in two things: 1) The Wild can turn all of Jiricek’s size (6-foot-4) and potential into another piece of their bright future on the blue line. 2) The price they paid was not as steep as it might look on the surface. To that second point, consider that Hunt was not really part of the Wild’s NHL-level defensive picture, even at a time like this when Jonas Brodin’s long-term viability is a serious question mark. And after getting two points with an overtime win over the Predators on Saturday, the Wild were tied for the most points in the NHL, meaning that at this pace, that 2025 first-round draft pick is going to come in the 25th spot or later. If the Wild go into a tailspin this season, the pick sent to Columbus is lottery protected, meaning the Blue Jackets will not get to pick in the top 10 at the Wild’s expense. ADVERTISEMENT To the first point, Jiricek is a player Guerin and his assistants have had their eye on for some time, even before he was named the top defenseman in the tournament while playing for Czechia in the 2023 World Juniors. “He’s not 30, he’s not a rental. He’s a 21-year-old defenseman that we can invest in. And we did. That’s how I look at it. It’s an investment,” Guerin said. In 2022, the Wild grabbed Liam Ohgren with the 19th overall pick, more than a dozen selections after Jiricek was picked by Columbus and was posing for pictures in a new red-white-and-blue sweater. ADVERTISEMENT “He was somebody that we really liked (during) his draft year. We knew we weren’t going to get him, but we liked him,” Guerin said. “And, you know, when this became available, I did my due diligence and asked our staff what they thought. They were all on board with it. So it’s good.” Perhaps in hopes of getting the fans on board, Guerin also stressed patience. Jiricek has not yet been a star in the NHL, despite his high draft stock. But the Wild are confident that their system of developing players — especially defensemen — is the change the new guy needs. “He’s a young player. He’s got a lot to learn. He’s going to continue to improve, just like all young players,” Guerin said, name-dropping two youthful every-night members of the Wild roster who still have ample room to grow. “Brock Faber’s got to get better. Matt Boldy’s still going to get better. All these guys are going to continue to improve because they’re so young. So just because they’re in the NHL doesn’t mean they’re not going to develop their game and get better. That’s our job as the coaches, management. That’s our job to help him get better.” If he has to spend some future draft capital to put those pieces in place, that is clearly a chance Guerin is willing to take. ADVERTISEMENT ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .Andrew Luck returns to Stanford as the GM of the football program
STANFORD, Calif. — Andrew Luck is returning to Stanford in hopes of turning around a struggling football program that he once helped become a national power. Athletic director Bernard Muir announced Saturday that Luck has been hired as the general manager of the Stanford football team, tasked with overseeing all aspects of the program that just finished a 3-9 season under coach Troy Taylor. “I am a product of this university, of Nerd Nation; I love this place,” Luck said. “I believe deeply in Stanford’s unique approach to athletics and academics and the opportunity to help drive our program back to the top. Coach Taylor has the team pointed in the right direction, and I cannot wait to work with him, the staff, and the best, brightest, and toughest football players in the world.” Luck has kept a low profile since his surprise retirement from the NFL at age 29 when he announced in August 2019 that he was leaving the Indianapolis Colts and pro football. Cardinal alum Andrew Luck, left, watches a Feb. 2 game between Stanford and Southern California on Feb. 2 in Stanford, Calif. In his new role, Luck will work with Taylor on recruiting and roster management, and with athletic department and university leadership on fundraising, alumni relations, sponsorships, student-athlete support and stadium experience. “Andrew’s credentials as a student-athlete speak for themselves, and in addition to his legacy of excellence, he also brings a deep understanding of the college football landscape and community, and an unparalleled passion for Stanford football,” Muir said. “I could not think of a person better qualified to guide our football program through a continuously evolving landscape, and I am thrilled that Andrew has agreed to join our team. This change represents a very different way of operating our program and competing in an evolving college football landscape.” Luck was one of the players who helped elevate Stanford into a West Coast powerhouse for several years. He helped end a seven-year bowl drought in his first season as starting quarterback in 2009 under coach Jim Harbaugh and led the Cardinal to back-to-back BCS bowl berths his final two seasons, when he was the Heisman Trophy runner-up both seasons. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck throws a pass during the first quarter of a Nov. 27, 2010 game against Oregon State in Stanford, Calif. That was part of a seven-year stretch in which Stanford posted the fourth-best record in the nation at 76-18 and qualified for five BCS bowl berths under Harbaugh and David Shaw. But the Cardinal have struggled for success in recent years and haven't won more than four games in a season since 2018. Stanford just finished its fourth straight 3-9 campaign in Taylor's second season since replacing Shaw. The Cardinal are the only power conference team to lose at least nine games in each of the past four seasons. Luck graduated from Stanford with a bachelor’s degree in architectural design and returned after retiring from the NFL to get his master’s degree in education in 2023. He was picked No. 1 overall by Indianapolis in the 2012 draft and made four Pro Bowls and was AP Comeback Player of the Year in 2018 in his brief but successful NFL career. Before the 2023 National Football League season started, it seemed inevitable that Bill Belichick would end his career as the winningest head coach in league history. He had won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and 298 regular-season games, plus 31 playoff games, across his career. Then the 2023 season happened. Belichick's Patriots finished 4-13, the franchise's worst record since 1992. At the end of the year, Belichick and New England owner Robert Kraft agreed to part ways. And now, during the 2024 season, Belichick is on the sideline. He's 26 wins from the #1 spot, a mark he'd reach in little more than two seasons if he maintained his .647 career winning percentage. Will he ascend the summit? It's hard to tell. Belichick would be 73 if he graced the sidelines next season—meaning he'd need to coach until at least 75 to break the all-time mark. Only one other NFL coach has ever helmed a team at age 73: Romeo Crennel in 2020 for the Houston Texans. With Belichick's pursuit of history stalled, it's worth glancing at the legends who have reached the pinnacle of coaching success. Who else stands among the 10 winningest coaches in NFL history? Stacker ranked the coaches with the most all-time regular-season wins using data from Pro Football Reference . These coaches have combined for 36 league championships, which represents 31.6% of all championships won throughout the history of pro football. To learn who made the list, keep reading. You may also like: Ranking the biggest NFL Draft busts of the last 30 years - Seasons coached: 23 - Years active: 1969-91 - Record: 193-148-1 - Winning percentage: .566 - Championships: 4 Chuck Noll's Pittsburgh Steelers were synonymous with success in the 1970s. Behind his defense, known as the Steel Curtain, and offensive stars, including Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, and Lynn Swann, Noll led the squad to four Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1979. Noll's Steelers remain the lone team to win four Super Bowls in six years, though Andy Reid and Kansas City could equal that mark if they win the Lombardi Trophy this season. Noll was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, two years after retiring. His legacy of coaching success has carried on in Pittsburgh—the club has had only two coaches (Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin) since Noll retired. - Seasons coached: 33 - Years active: 1921-53 - Record: 226-132-22 - Winning percentage: .631 - Championships: 6 An early stalwart of the NFL, Curly Lambeau spent 29 years helming the Green Bay Packers before wrapping up his coaching career with two-year stints with the Chicago Cardinals and Washington. His Packers won titles across three decades, including the league's first three-peat from 1929-31. Notably, he experienced only one losing season during his first 27 years with Green Bay, cementing his legacy of consistent success. Born in Green Bay, Lambeau co-founded the Packers and played halfback on the team from 1919-29. He was elected to the Hall of Fame as a coach and owner in 1963, two years before his death. You may also like: Countries with the most active NFL players - Seasons coached: 29 - Years active: 1960-88 - Record: 250-162-6 - Winning percentage: .607 - Championships: 2 The first head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Tom Landry held the position for his entire 29-year tenure as an NFL coach. The Cowboys were especially dominant in the 1970s when they made five Super Bowls and won the big game twice. Landry was known for coaching strong all-around squads and a unit that earned the nickname the "Doomsday Defense." Between 1966 and 1985, Landry and his Cowboys enjoyed 20 straight seasons with a winning record. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1990. - Seasons coached: 26 - Years active: 1999-present - Record: 267-145-1 - Winning percentage: .648 - Championships: 3 The only active coach in the top 10, Andy Reid has posted successful runs with both the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City. After reaching the Super Bowl once in 14 years with the Eagles, Reid ratcheted things up with K.C., winning three titles since 2019. As back-to-back defending champions, Reid and Co. are looking this season to become the first franchise to three-peat in the Super Bowl era and the third to do so in NFL history after the Packers of 1929-31 and '65-67. Time will tell if Reid and his offensive wizardry can lead Kansas City to that feat. - Seasons coached: 29 - Years active: 1991-95, 2000-23 - Record: 302-165 - Winning percentage: .647 - Championships: 6 The most successful head coach of the 21st century, Bill Belichick first coached the Cleveland Browns before taking over the New England Patriots in 2000. With the Pats, Belichick combined with quarterback Tom Brady to win six Super Bowls in 18 years. Belichick and New England split after last season when the Patriots went 4-13—the worst record of Belichick's career. His name has swirled around potential coaching openings , but nothing has come of it. Belichick has remained in the media spotlight with his regular slot on the "Monday Night Football" ManningCast. - Seasons coached: 33 - Years active: 1963-95 - Record: 328-156-6 - Winning percentage: .677 - Championships: 2 The winningest head coach in NFL history is Don Shula, who first coached the Baltimore Colts (losing Super Bowl III to Joe Namath and the New York Jets) for seven years before leading the Miami Dolphins for 26 seasons. With the Fins, Shula won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1972 and 1973, a run that included a 17-0 season—the only perfect campaign in NFL history. He also coached quarterback great Dan Marino in the 1980s and '90s, but the pair made it to a Super Bowl just once. Shula was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997. Story editing by Mike Taylor. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. You may also like: The 5 biggest upsets of the 2023-24 NFL regular season - Seasons coached: 23 - Years active: 1981-2003 - Record: 190-165-2 - Winning percentage: .535 - Championships: 0 Dan Reeves reached the Super Bowl four times—thrice with the Denver Broncos and once with the Atlanta Falcons—but never won the NFL's crown jewel. Still, he racked up nearly 200 wins across his 23-year career, including a stint in charge of the New York Giants, with whom he won Coach of the Year in 1993. In all his tenures, he quickly built contenders—the three clubs he coached were a combined 17-31 the year before Reeves joined and 28-20 in his first year. However, his career ended on a sour note as he was fired from a 3-10 Falcons team after Week 14 in 2003. - Seasons coached: 21 - Years active: 1984-98, 2001-06 - Record: 200-126-1 - Winning percentage: .613 - Championships: 0 As head coach of Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington, and San Diego, Marty Schottenheimer proved a successful leader during the regular season. Notably, he was named Coach of the Year after turning around his 4-12 Chargers team to a 12-4 record in 2004. His teams, however, struggled during the playoffs. Schottheimer went 5-13 in the postseason, and he never made it past the conference championship round. As such, the Pennsylvania-born skipper is the winningest NFL coach never to win a league championship. - Seasons coached: 25 - Years active: 1946-62, '68-75 - Record: 213-104-9 - Winning percentage: .672 - Championships: 7 The only coach on this list to pilot a college team, Paul Brown, reached the pro ranks after a three-year stint at Ohio State and two years with the Navy during World War II. He guided the Cleveland Browns—named after Brown, their first coach—to four straight titles in the fledgling All-America Football Conference. After the league folded, the ballclub moved to the NFL in 1950, and Cleveland continued its winning ways, with Brown leading the team to championships in '50, '54, and '55. He was fired in 1963 but returned in 1968 as the co-founder and coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. His other notable accomplishments include helping to invent the face mask and breaking pro football's color barrier . - Seasons coached: 40 - Years active: 1920-29, '33-42, '46-55, '58-67 - Record: 318-148-31 - Winning percentage: .682 - Championships: 6 George Halas was the founder and longtime owner of the Chicago Bears and coached the team across four separate stints. Nicknamed "Papa Bear," he built the ballclub into one of the NFL's premier franchises behind players such as Bronko Nagurski and Sid Luckman. Halas also played for the team, competing as a player-coach in the 1920s. The first coach to study opponents via game film, he was once a baseball player and even made 12 appearances as a member of the New York Yankees in 1919. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1963 as both a coach and owner. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Gowon Calls For Prayer Against Insecurity, Says Nigeria Can’t Experience Another Civil WarIsro PSLV-C60 Spadex launch today: Time, importance, when and where to watch
Is Enron back? If it’s a joke, some former employees aren’t laughingSwanson: Galaxy coaches share a rich legacy, but their focus is on the now
It struck me as I, like he, was doing a job in a room full of people who were grieving. They were there to mark an occasion, as we were there to provide a service. I’ll forever remember it as a moment I could understand what Salmond had spent his life doing. A job. His job. Playing his role in the grand scheme of Scotland’s history, trying to improve the country and lives of those who lived in it. No matter his politics, everyone in that room knew he had played his role well. The majority of the more than 500 people who sat in St Giles' Cathedral had met Salmond while he was playing his role and few understood the man who was a loved one, and a friend. READ MORE: RECAP: Alex Salmond's memorial service takes place in Edinburgh To hear his niece tell tales of him in his youth and jokes he told in his familial life was a rare and fascinating glimpse behind the public image. To see who attended and how they held themselves spoke volumes to the respect and care they felt for him and his family. To feel the emotion of the room ebb and flow as singers, poets, and politicians took to the podium illustrated just how vast, complex, and intricate Salmond’s legacy was. When the organist began to play, I and the rest of the press pool joined attendees to stand and sing. Beforehand, we were the first group who entered the cathedral, to get settled, briefed, and be there to witness everyone arriving. While we waited, several journalists reflected and shared their last interviews or phone calls with Salmond. As people arrived, some known to the public and others not, the cameras captured hugs and handshakes between friends, colleagues and political rivals. Others and I noted the sheer volume of tartan on show, and I then noticed several wearing white roses, including Fergus Ewing. The white rose of Scotland or the burnet rose is, next to the thistle, Scotland's most emblematic flower and may have been the source of the Jacobite white cockade. These elements paired with Dougie MacLean singing Caledonia, the Proclaimers singing Cap n Hand, Sheena Wellington signing A Man’s a Man for a’ That, all while Saltires hung on the pillars, you could truly not have had a more nationalist send off. I’m sure it would have given Salmond a chuckle that the likes of Gordon Brown and Lord George Foulkes had front row seats for it. Christina Hendry, Salmond’s niece was the first speech from the pulpit and albeit, with some neck craning around the pillars of the cathedral, I saw Hendry standing tall and speaking sure. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” someone later told me. I would be surprised if she doesn’t one day take a seat in Holyrood . Kenny MacAskill was up next, and he referenced Salmond’s last social media post – “Scotland is a country, not a county” – and he said: “Lambasting those demeaning our land and chastising those supinely allowing it to happen”. First Minister John Swinney, who the post was written about, was sat in the front row. He had already been called a “traitor”, and would later be booed outside by Yes activists. A cold reception to say the least. And one that did not fit with what Reverend Dr George J Whyte had urged in his opening prayer: “We will recall together, the vulnerable service given by those who choose to live in the public eye, setting out their ideas, making decisions on our behalf, seeking our vote. “May we be encouraged to appreciate that which is done for us in the governing of our nation.” When MacAskill finished, he was met with a rupture of applause. Later, those outside would congratulate him on how well spoken he had been. READ MORE: Dougie MacLean pays tribute to Alex Salmond with Caledonia performance When Duncan Hamilton took to the pulpit, he suggested the only thing Salmond would have changed in his pollical career was his resignation following the 2014 referendum. You could hear mumbles of agreement radiate throughout the crowd, as Hamilton added: “And I wonder how different Scotland would be today”. During the performance of Cap n Hand, one activist – “Annie fae Dundee”, she introduced herself as – took a Saltire out of her bag and waved it as she sang. She was quickly told to put it away. (Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire) When we left the cathedral, attendees were smiling through tears at the crowd which greeted them outside. Supporters flew Saltires while MacAskill, Hendry, Joanna Cherry, and Alba figures came over to hand their memorial programs to members of the public. As Swinney and his wife Elizabeth Quigley got into the car, he was booed. This was possibly the saddest part of the day. Witnessing the hurt people feel, the division that continues to fracture the movement, and the barrier to keeping Salmond’s dream alive.
The winner of BBC Strictly Come Dancing 2024 has been revealed - WEEKS out from the final. The BBC show's quarter final airs on Saturday (November 30), with Sarah Hadland, Tasha Ghouri, Montell Douglas and Chris McCausland among those still competing. Ahead of tonight's instalment, some viewers think they already know who will win the show, with comedian Chris and Dianne Buswell, the Australian pro dancer, the current favourites to go all the way and lift the Glitterball Trophy. One Strictly Come Dancing fan has typed on social media this week: "Chris will win because of his brilliant relationship and trust he has with Dianne, but also because he's improving every week raising awareness and he's enjoying himself. READ MORE Urgent 'stay at home' warning issued over nasty bug 'sweeping all age groups' "Win or lose it doesn't matter for them though." Another fan said: "Chris is my winner this year," as a third said: "I wonder if Chris will win this year?" And a fourth fan also chipped in and commented: "Chris will win the Glitterball." The latest live episode of the 2024 season of Strictly Come Dancing has a musicals theme and will air on Saturday 30 November in front of a live studio audience in London. The new episode will air on BBC One at 7:05pm and will run for seventy minutes. An official summary of the upcoming episode states: "The professionals open the show with a routine from Little Shop of Horrors, which can only mean one thing - it's musicals week. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman present as the contestants take to the floor with performances inspired by the world of musical theatre, eager to make it through to the semi-final." Once the last couple have performed, the voting lines will open giving viewers the chance to send their favourite couple through to the semi-finals. But for one couple, it will be the end of the road and they will be sent out of the ballroom for good.Sam Darnold, going through his progressions When we talk about "quarterback whisperer" offensive play-callers, we often frame it as the head coach setting up a “quarterback-proof” system. There is no question that Kevin O’Connell’s offense is exceptionally well-designed and this is one of the premiere quarterback ecosystems in the NFL. But the Darnold reclamation season goes well beyond any of that, and this Week 17 game was a premier example. Darnold’s 377 passing yards were a career-high and, per Next Gen Stats, he targeted an open receiver on a career-high 67.4% of his pass attempts. That stat alone might lead you to think Darnold was operating as the proverbial joystick extension of the play-caller but that’s not the play I watched on Sunday. Week 17’s game saw Darnold consistently work through progressions to the open man. This offense has open players — Justin Jefferon’s presence alone shifts coverages to the point where windows will be readily available — the quarterback just has to get to the point of the concept. You saw multiple plays on Sunday where Darnold cooly and calmly worked to that point of the play. We are talking about the famous “seeing ghosts” Darnold doing this. That’s a wild transformation and that’s the beauty in O’Connell’s resumé. Coaching is not out-scheming everyone else. It’s not simply about drawing up the most beautiful play on the whiteboard that any old quarterback can operate. It’s about teaching and developing. The version of Sam Darnold we’re seeing work through progressions and find answers deep into the concept is a player who has so clearly gone through that teaching. After such a successful player transformation with Darnold, with top-five quarterback stats on the sheet and the team record to top it all off, I have a hard time imagining this story of developmental reclamation ends with this quarterback simply walking out the door. Have happily taken the L on my Darnold skepticism heading into the season. Now at this point, I'm having a hard time believing they let someone who has been as productive as Sam, especially with this level of team success, just walk out the door no matter the previous plan. — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) That creates an interesting scenario for the Vikings in the offseason. Does a franchise tag sit well with Darnold, who could clearly cash in a monster deal elsewhere if he hits the open market and a locker room fully bought into him as the QB1? Where does that leave 2024 Round 1 selection, J.J. McCarthy? All of those are problems for this team to consider in March of 2025 and beyond. Right now, every week the Vikings game film demands us to take them seriously as a Super Bowl contender. I’m done ignoring it and it’s almost exclusively because of the teaching under Kevin O’Connell. What a pristine job of team-building. Jayden Daniels is everything for Washington Week 17 was just another chapter in what’s becoming an already lengthy story of how Jayden Daniels has changed the culture for the Washington Commanders franchise. Great quarterbacks can go to their second and third pitches when teams force them off their game. That’s what we saw Daniels do in Week 17. One of the best quarterback-to-wide receiver connections in the league this season has been on this Commanders team. Entering this week, per Next Gen Stats, Jayden Daniels’ 140.0 passer rating when throwing to Terry McLaurin was the highest among quarterback-receiver duos in a single season since Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski with the Patriots in 2012 (140.1) (among duos with at least 75 targets). The Falcons were determined not to permit McLaurin to be the one to beat them. They sent shadow corner A.J. Terrell to track McLaurin and he aligned across from the Commanders wideout on 32 of his 34 routes (94.1% shadow rate), per NGS, allowing just 1 reception for 5 yards on 6 targets. The majority of the reps on critical late down-and-distance situations were in press-man coverage. With that connection shut down for the night, Daniels picked other spots in an unbalanced Falcons defense. He found guys like Olamide Zaccheaus and Zach Ertz over the middle of the field to great success. He threw just two incompletions to those guys on the evening. When the passing lanes were closed, Daniels created lanes on his own via the ground game. The amount of scrambles in which he sliced through the most minuscule of creases were insurmountable for the Falcons defense. Daniels’ 81.3% rushing success rate was the highest in a game this season. He fits the bill we want to see from the best quarterbacks in the game: create on your own when it all breaks down. Kliff Kingsbury has done a great job as the play-caller for Washington, but this team doesn’t have a “system.” They have Jayden Daniels. He the system. Sometimes, "culture-changer" is overused in sports. Not in this case. Everything indicates Daniels is a special entity who instantly changed the fortunes of what’s been a lost-at-sea franchise for far too long. He deserves all the accolades and praise coming his way. Even better, this should be just the beginning. The most embarrassing loss of the 2024 season I’m sure there are plenty of contenders and perhaps I’m overreacting to the most recent piece of data but the Colts dropping this Week 17 game to the Giants is the worst loss of 2024. The Colts were still alive in the postseason race at the beginning of the day. A loss to the Drew Lock-led Giants ends that dream. The overall picture is bad enough but the specifics of this loss are worse. Yes, you started your backup quarterback but Indy got what should be viewed as a 90th-percentile outcome from Joe Flacco at this point in his career. He gave the ball to the Giants three times but that’s always part of the equation. He also moved the offense with some regularity. The bottom line, you scored 33 points even with a handful of mistakes. That’s enough to win a game ... just not when you give up 45 to the current iteration of the Giants. The Colts' defensive effort was downright humiliating. If Gus Bradley had heard of the name Malik Nabers before Sunday, his game plan didn’t show. Nabers made plays in single-man coverage multiple times on deep routes. When he got in space, the entire Colts defense seemingly operated in quicksand and took bad angles to bring him down. The fact that Nabers was seemingly left alone so often in this game makes it all the more ridiculous that Wan’Dale Robinson dunked on this defense on deep out-breaking patterns and Darius Slayton just walked into the end zone on a 32-yard score. Late and slow to the ball was the theme for the Colts defense in Week 17. Drew Lock has played like the worst starting quarterback in the NFL when he’s gotten time under center for this Giants team. Bradley’s defense ceded five touchdowns to the embattled backup. Not a soul would have believed that if you predicted it before kickoff. The Colts are officially eliminated from playoff contention on the back of this miserable performance and that feels justified. It’s been a long and confusing season for Indianapolis, filled with self-inflicted wounds along the way. It feels fitting that this is what sends them packing. This kind of result could cause major changes in an organization that’s felt stuck in the middle for far too long. Bills get production from outside receivers It feels pretty foolish to say that an offense that ranked No. 1 in EPA per play heading into Week 17 has a “missing piece,” but at times this year, the Bills offense hasn’t always gotten what they needed from their outside receivers. Their win over a Jets team that’s been tough on perimeter wideouts this year was a needed signal as they prepare for a postseason run. No one on Buffalo’s roster caught more than three passes. It was spread out, as usual. This team doesn’t have a No. 1 receiver and they don’t need any of the perimeter options to become that guy. What they require is for those options to come up with big plays in specific situations. Josh Allen’s two passing touchdowns went to Amari Cooper and Keon Coleman and both came in the exact fashion Buffalo needs them to step up. Coleman hasn’t been perfect as he’s struggled to consistently separate against man coverage and has made some classic rookie mistakes. However, he is so often on the same page with Josh Allen on the scramble drills. His touchdown reception, which came on a wild cross-body Allen toss, was a perfect example: Keon Coleman is probably gonna be better than Gabe Davis but he’s got the same skill that Davis brought to the table in that he has a good sense of how to uncover when Josh Allen gets into creation mode. Helps offset some of the overall separation issues. — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) As for Cooper, he has looked a step slower this season and has not been a full-time player with the Bills following his midseason trade. Sunday was no expectation as Cooper only ran a route on 37.9% of the dropbacks. He’s not going to be a frequently high-target player but that’s not what he’s here for. Cooper is meant to be impactful he’s targeted, particularly on go routes from the X-receiver position. That is exactly how he scored his touchdown. The Bills are locked into the second seed in the AFC and will likely rest starters in Week 18. The next time we see them will be in the postseason. When that game arrives, they’ll need some of this same impact from the outside receivers to make a run, even if they aren’t featured pieces. Rookie receivers from LSU LSU has given us some unbelievable wide receiver talent over the last decade, including some of the most dynamic rookie receivers in league history. LSU has produced an embarrassment of riches at the receiver position. — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) Malik Nabers does not make the above graphic, but he’s one of the rare rookie wide receivers who has recorded more than 100 catches. He also cleared 1,000 receiving yards during his Week 17 game and added two more touchdowns to his resume. Nabers has played with four different quarterbacks this season. He was correctly evaluated as an exceptional talent during the leadup to this year’s NFL Draft and he’s proven that throughout the course of the season. Brian Thomas Jr. is the more surprising revelation. Thomas was not viewed in the same tier as Nabers, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze as prospects but you can easily argue he’s been the best of the bunch as a rookie. Thomas has saved his best for the end of his first campaign. Since Week 14, Thomas has earned a whopping 34.1% target share over four games. That puts him in the neighborhood of Puka Nacua, A.J. Brown and Ja’Marr Chase. He has been responsible for 44.3% of the Jaguars' receiving yards, the third-most among pass-catchers in this span. We’ve watched Thomas develop from a big-play threat to a full-blown No. 1 wideout over the course of his rookie season. Thomas will get Trevor Lawrence back next season but will almost certainly be playing in a new offensive system. That’s a needed change in Jacksonville. As for Nabers, his future quarterback is to be determined, as is the fate of his current coaching staff. If a few variables swing their way amid offseason changes, I could see both Thomas and Nabers competing to be among the first five wide receivers drafted in fantasy next season. LSU’s dominance at the position continues to roll on. Packers' late surge in Week 17 The final score of this game says it was a 27-25 loss by the Green Bay Packers. You have to give them credit for fighting back to get this game close in the end. Yet, I find myself so much more concerned with the qualities of their offense that allowed them to fall into a 20-9 third-quarter hole, than I am comforted by any aspect that got them back within two points in the end. For the second time this month, we’ve seen a great defensive coordinator elect to pitch a bunch of man coverage at the Packers offense and live on the edge. Just like in the Lions Week 14 loss, it completely flummoxed the passing attack in the first half of the game. The Vikings defense were in man coverage (either Cover 1 or 2 Man) on every 3rd & 4th down dropback in the 1st half against the Packers, per . — Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) As for the full-game numbers, Next Gen Stats notes that the Vikings played man coverage on 47.1% of the total dropbacks. Minnesota played man coverage on a season-low 10.7% of dropbacks in Week 4 against the Packers — where it won the game but gave up a ton of production to the pass-catchers — and has overall been extremely zone-heavy. Flores has been on his A-game all season and this changeup caught Matt LaFleur by surprise. Matt LaFleur: They played a little more man than we were anticipating. — Wendell Ferreira (@wendellfp) This is becoming a problem. The Packers have a collection of “good” wide receivers but, to this point, the lack of a true coverage-dictating No. 1 has become a problem against great teams, . In the early portion of the season, I thought Jayden Reed was set to emerge as that player. However, the Packers have continued to spread the ball throughout the wide receiver room and Reed only ran a route on 67.6% of the dropbacks in Week 17. He’s left plays on the field with key drops, so perhaps that is part of the equation but he has also been limited to mostly a slot-only role who doesn’t play every snap. Despite the drops, Reed is their best man-beater and I can’t help but notice the time in which the Packers' passing game has felt the smoothest the last two seasons was when they ran so much of it through Reed in the back half of 2023. The opposite feels true for Green Bay right now in that the passing game is anything but smooth. They are extremely run-heavy, and that portion of the attack is sublime, but it feels extremely volatile when they drop back to pass. The passing game overall still looks good in efficiency metrics but is a boom-or-bust unit and, so far, against top defenses, it’s been far more bust when they needed a play. Michael Penix Jr. misfires You can pick out a handful of throws from this game that you’d put in the “brutal miss” category for Michael Penix Jr. He sailed passes that would have kept drives moving. Such inaccurate spurts were part of the concern in his prospect profile. That said, those misses won’t be what I come away from Week 17 remembering, as to why Atlanta lost the game. For starters, you can pick far more positive moments than negatives in Penix’s first road start of his career. This is the second straight game where we saw Penix access throws that just weren’t available in this offense for most of the second half of the season. Penix drove several deep out routes to Drake London in critical moments late in the game after struggling on deep shots in the first half. He showed the zip on the arm that makes him a tantalizing talent and helped further access London’s still-untapped ceiling when it mattered most. No matter how their season ends, I can’t wait to see how this connection develops in 2025. The most important throw of the night came on Penix’s touchdown. My post below was in jest, but these middle-of-the-field throws between zone coverage were serious issues for Kirk Cousins this year. Penix can drive the ball in these situations and that makes a huge difference in this attack. Cousins threw 83% of his interceptions this vs. this exact coverage look. Do not fact-check. — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) Beyond Penix’s throws, this loss likely falls at the feet of the coaching staff. From painfully poor timeout usage by Raheem Morris at the end of both halves to abandoning an effective run game early in the second half, there is plenty to question about the coaching job for Atlanta. Those mistakes were far more damning than any made by the inexperienced quarterback. Everyone needs more experience on this Falcons team. It’s a first-time head coach, play-caller and a rookie passer who is just now getting game reps. It will be disappointing if this team does let the NFC South title slip in the closing moments of the season, especially since they beat Tampa Bay twice. However, there can still be a bright future for this still-growing organization as long as everyone from the top down improves from Year 1 to Year 2. It goes well beyond just Michael Penix Jr. What Aaron Rodgers thinks about the 2025 Jets NFL Network’s Ian Rappaport dropped a fascinating report regarding the New York Jets as the games were about to kick off Sunday morning. Drama? The Jets? I know, shocking. You’ll find a good summary of the report below. Really massive Jets report from . + Garrett Wilson & Aaron Rodgers have beef. + Rodgers' December could make him stay. + Adams only wants to stay if Rodgers is there. + Rodgers and Adams likely need new contracts. + Teams have called on Wilson. — Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) The only thing that makes the constantly dysfunctional Jets remotely appealing to possible candidates for head coach and general manager — much less the reason Rodgers was attracted to the team a couple years ago — is the presence of high-end young talent. If one of those players in Garrett Wilson is now reconsidering his future with the team based on Rodgers’ status, there is no choice for the future decision-makers for the team. You choose Wilson over another second of the Rodgers era continuing beyond Week 18. At best, the 2025 version of Rodgers would be an expensive bridge quarterback to hold down the fort until a rookie is ready to take over. That’s a replaceable role. It’s probably just better to move on and find another veteran bridge when a new staff arrives. Week 17 was just another example of how far Rodgers has fallen. When he’s protected and every single receiver is precisely where he wants them to be within the timing of the play, he can still play like a starting quarterback. The problem is that the picture is almost that perfect. The Bills pressured Rodgers on 50% of the dropbacks in the second half of Week 17, per Next Gen Stats, and completely shut the door on the Jets. The offense scored zero points with Rodgers under center. I’m sure this story will be painted as another diva receiver who wants the ball more often. Wilson is one of the most targeted players in the league, so that’s unlikely the root cause. If Wilson has just grown tired of the Rodgers experience, he won’t be the only one on this team. A split between Rodgers and New York was likely before this report, and with this out there, it is now the only thing that makes sense. What the Bucs must do to keep Liam Coen Outside of an elite quarterback, a difference-making offensive play-caller is one of the biggest edges in the sport. The best in the business maximize talent and hide weaknesses on the roster in the same way Tier 1 passers do, and even elevate non-elite quarterbacks close to that statistical category. The 2024 season has shown that Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen is one of those guys. The Bucs offense has been incredibly well-designed, regardless of the available personnel. All of their main pass-catching threats have missed time throughout different sections of the season. The offense has managed to thrive irrespective of who is or is not available. Coen has done an excellent job morphing the attack to fit who is out there. He has fulfilled the job of maximizing inexperienced talent and down-roster players. Tampa Bay has also gotten the most out of young players this season. Rookie receiver Jalen McMillan scored twice against Carolina in Week 17 and some of the designer plays off motion to get him open have been sublime late in the season. Bucky Irving continued his dominant Year 1 by trouncing the Panthers. Up front, Graham Barton at center has been a revelation and is a big reason why the run game is leaps and bounds better this season compared to its 2023 counterpart. The Bucs offense was already good last year. Coen has made multiple tweaks that have taken a lifeless run game to near the top of the league and smoothed out some of the volatility in the passing attack. Tampa Bay already got lucky watching Dave Canales leave this gig in the offseason only to find their way into an upgrade this offseason. There is almost no chance they strike gold twice. No matter the cost, this team can’t afford Coen to wear different colors next season. Losing draft slot discourse There is no bigger wasted emotion from media and fans than the outright fury over late-season losses by a team that causes them to fall down the upcoming draft board. For one, the last time this was a national storyline, the 2022 Houston Texans won their final game of the season and dropped to the No. 2 overall selection. The Texans took C.J. Stroud at the second pick and he promptly outplayed the guy taken ahead of him en route to two straight playoff berths for the team. Where you take the quarterback doesn’t matter. you develop the guy once he gets into the building is what counts. Not to mention, it may be more pointless than ever, as the sentiment around the weakness of this next quarterback class is seemingly universal among draft analysts. Drafting a quarterback high is never a guarantee that he turns into a high-end starter. The odds may be worse than usual next season. Lastly, you will get the people on the actual field to get on board with intentionally losing games as long as their livelihood is on the line. Coaches likely to get fired at the end of miserable seasons don’t care about the following staff’s future draft picks. Players are even less likely to tank games when the tape is their reputation for future employers. Every new suggestion about how a team could pull off the intentional loss for picks is as farfetched as the last. and unless that owner provides said coaches with a legally binding contract that they will not get fired for the next few seasons (not real), said coaches should promptly tell them to go to hell. And even you convinced the coaches, which you wouldn't, you would not be able to... — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) Football is a human game played by human beings, not robots. It’s what makes the game so wonderful and it never changes. The sooner you accept things like tanking aren’t realistic, the less time you’ll waste arguing for things that will never happen.
Nephew only wants to play video games on vacationCouncil slams government over lack of funding and stopping rural cash grant
CENTURION, South Africa (AP): South Africa tailenders Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen hung in against relentless fast bowler Mohammad Abbas for a tense two-wicket win in the first Test yesterday to seal the Proteas’ place in next year’s World Test Championship (WTC) final. Jansen (16 not out) overshadowed Abbas’ brilliant figures of 6-54 with a square driven boundary against the fast bowler as South Africa reached 150-8 just after lunch on Day 4 and escaped with a close win in the opener of the two-match series. “Quite an emotional moment for me, good advert for test cricket,” said South Africa captain Temba Bavuma, who made 40. “We haven’t been ruthless but have found a way to ensure the result was on our side. Lot of joy and happiness on our side, a bit of a rollercoaster, glad that we were able to get the result.” Abbas, making a comeback after more than three years in the Test wilderness, had knocked back South Africa’s tricky chase of 148 runs in a marathon 13-over spell before lunch on Day 4 as the home team limped to 99-8, losing four wickets for three runs. However, Rabada changed gears in an unbroken 51-run stand with Jansen and made an unbeaten 31 off 26 balls with five fours to seal a memorable victory and denied Pakistan its first test win in South Africa in almost 18 years. South Africa had started this WTC cycle with a 1-1 drawn series against India before getting swept 2-0 in New Zealand. But since then the Proteas have beaten West Indies, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to stay on top of the table. “It (WTC final) is a big one, not just for myself but also the team and the coach,” Bavuma said. “The way we started our campaign, against India and then New Zealand with a not-so-strong team, and the way we have gone through with our performances, not many gave us a chance.” India, Australia and Sri Lanka are the other teams still in contention for next June’s WTC final against South Africa at Lord’s. Captain Temba Bavuma (40) and Aiden Markram (37) had thwarted Abbas for an hour after South Africa resumed at a wobbly 27-3, still needing 121 for victory. Bavuma’s controversial dismissal punctuated a South Africa collapse in the latter half of first session with Abbas grabbing three off his six balls in a sensational home team collapse. Bavuma, who made 40, surprisingly didn’t request a television review when replays suggested that Abbas’ ball had brushed the batter’s pocket and didn’t make contact with the inside edge of the bat but the South African skipper walked back to the dressing room. Abbas bowled an unchanged marathon spell of 13 overs, but had to wait as Markram and Bavuma saw off eight overs from the fast bowlers. Resuming at 27-3, Bavuma and Markram showed plenty of patience against Abbas’ probing line and length before the fast bowler finally got the breakthrough after the first drinks break. Abbas was rewarded for his brilliant seam bowling when he beat the outside edge of Markram’s bat and knocked back the off stump. Bavuma survived a couple of close chances when he successfully overturned an on-field lbw decision against him early in the day and Naseem Shah couldn’t hold onto a sharp catch at fine leg as he overstepped the boundary cushion while grabbing the ball over his head. South Africa had controlled the game at 96-4 before Bavuma’s dismissal saw Abbas finding the outside edges of David Bedingham (14) and Corbin Bosch’s (0) bat off successive deliveries and in between Kyle Verreynne dragged Naseem Shah’s delivery back onto his stumps. Abbas found the outside edge of Rabada’s bat in his first over after lunch that fell just short of wicketkeeper Rizwan before both tailenders took the team home. “Extremely proud of the efforts, but going forward we need to be ruthless,” Pakistan captain Shan Masood said. “We keep making the same mistakes but we have to get over the line, seize moments.” The second Test begins at Cape Town on Friday.
Anne Arundel County will maintain its required minimum 10-cent fee on paper bags distributed by retailers.
