Category Archives: News

Game Preview: Falcons vs. Eagles

  1. After a 3-TD debut, what does Saquon Barkley do in his second act?

The gang goes to be completely bonkers for Barkley after his sport in Brazil, and understandably so. He was nice and people 26 touches felt nearly proper. How does Moore deploy Barkley on this sport? Can he be extra concerned as a move catcher? Is he going to get 20-plus carries? Do the Falcons stack the field and dare the Eagles to win with the passing sport? That is such a chess match, and Barkley will probably be proper in the course of all of the strikes. The counter to that’s Atlanta’s strategy, which is more likely to have all eyes on No. 26.

  1. Vic Fangio’s protection appears to be like for the subsequent step

All in all, the Eagles’ protection did properly towards Inexperienced Bay, holding the Packers to 2 early subject targets and clinching the sport on the ultimate drive. Fangio additionally noticed some errors which resulted in huge performs for the Packers, and that’s the place the protection appears to be like to enhance on Monday. Enjoying towards Kirk Cousins, the Eagles may see a quick-passing sport, a number of involvement from operating again Bijan Robinson, and Cousins doing every part he can to steer clear of stress and turnovers.

  1. Maintaining a tally of the turnover ledger

It hardly ever occurs, nevertheless it did in Week 1 for the Eagles: They have been -2 within the turnover division and nonetheless gained the soccer sport. Head Coach Nick Sirianni termed that statistic “unsustainable” and has all the time preached ball safety. The message has not modified, as a result of it has been a constant day by day message because the day Sirianni arrived. So, let’s have a look at the way it performs out. Quarterback Jalen Hurts is in charge of the offense and he rebounded from his powerful begin final week. The Eagles took the soccer away as soon as from Inexperienced Bay and turned that into seven big factors. Atlanta had every kind of issues offensively final week and Cousins threw a pair of interceptions. That is, as all the time, an enormous statistic to observe.

Nick Foles shares Doug Pederson story during Philadelphia Eagles retirement press conference

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Nick Foles will all the time be part of Philadelphia Eagles historical past for profitable the franchise’s first Tremendous Bowl in 2018 towards the New England Patriots. 

The “Philly Particular” — the play the place Foles hauled in a receiving landing on a move from backup tight finish Trey Burton — is eternally etched into Eagles lore. 

Nevertheless, Foles believes that play would not occur if not for a second with Doug Pederson main as much as the 2012 NFL Draft. 

Throughout his retirement press convention on Monday evening earlier than the Eagles sport towards the Atlanta Falcons at Lincoln Monetary Area, Foles shared a narrative the place Pederson labored him out at his alma mater, Westlake Excessive College. 

“I am going to always remember strolling into the car parking zone and I see Doug sitting in his automotive and I knock on his window, like, ‘Hey, I am Nick Foles, you are right here to work me out,'” Foles stated. 

On the time of the exercise, Pederson was the quarterbacks coach for the Eagles below former head coach Andy Reid. Pederson had Foles throwing within the wind on a chilly, wet day in Austin, Texas, with just a little little bit of sleet, based on the now newly retired participant. 

At one level, Foles stated Pederson had him throw a “divide” route about 65 yards into the wind. Foles stated he did not know what the route was on the time, however it ended up changing into his favourite route when throwing the ball to former Birds speedster DeSean Jackson.

The primary time, Foles stated the throw received caught within the wind and fell 10 yards wanting Pederson. 

“I keep in mind considering like, ‘Oh, I am accomplished. It is over,'” Foles stated. 

However Pederson supplied him one other attempt to Foles made certain he did not miss. The throw landed proper into Pederson’s arms from about 65 yards. A few days later, Foles stated the group introduced him in for a exercise in Philly, which led to the Eagles drafting him within the third spherical of the 2012 NFL draft. 

“I’ve to consider that second proper there with Doug, enjoying for Doug with him as my quarterbacks coach, me coming again as a quarterback in 2017 and 18 culminated in me going over to him within the Tremendous Bowl on fourth-and-one on timeout and asking, ‘You need Philly Philly?'” Foles stated. “To me, that fruits of life, that fruits of occasions all the way in which again to Westlake Excessive College led Doug to a pause and stated, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ And after I look again at my profession, at that second, it simply exhibits you the relationships you make and the way you do it and as you go alongside the journey are so particular. And that is why that play to me is so particular. I do know it is particular to town, I do know it is particular to the Eagles. However that second with Doug, really superb.”

Together with Pederson, Foles thanked his household, teammates and different members of the Eagles group throughout his retirement press convention, together with proprietor Jeffrey Lurie and common supervisor Howie Roseman. 

Foles additionally thanked Reid and even former Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, who dealt him to the St. Louis Rams for Sam Bradford in 2015. 

“With out these moments in St. Louis with Chip buying and selling me away occurred, I would not of been in a position to do what we did in 17,” Foles stated. “I’d not of been in a position to step in with my coronary heart and play the sport I did with my teammates.”

Foles had two completely different stints with the Eagles from 2012-14 and 2017-18 in his 11 12 months NFL profession. He additionally frolicked with the Rams, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts. 

However for Foles, he was by no means in a position to recreate the magic he had enjoying in Philadelphia in different stops across the league. In Philly, it was simply completely different. 

“There was simply one thing about carrying midnight inexperienced,” Foles stated. “I all the time felt one thing completely different on this metropolis, on this stadium… I used to be simply meant to play right here, I am so grateful to been aside of those groups and be aside of the historical past right here. It is made me a greater individual enjoying right here. However as soon as once more, I would not be who I’m in the present day with out these different stops, so every cease had it is personal function and it is personal distinctive story. All through the remainder of my life, I am going to have the chance to mirror on all of them and I am grateful for all of them.”

Eagles honor Nick Foles, who led the team to its only Super Bowl win

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Let the document — or at the very least the social media movies from a whole bunch in attendance — present that Nick Foles’ final official cross in Philadelphia the night time he was feted by the franchise he led to its solely Tremendous Bowl win was of a canine masks right into a ravenous, roaring crowd.

Egged on by retired heart Jason Kelce — who else today in Philly however the omnipresent heart of a good time? — Foles and former Eagle Fletcher Cox had been launched on stage of their canine masks as thriller friends at a pregame get together.

The German shepherd masks had been launched throughout the 2017 season as a play on the underdog theme the Eagles thrived on alongside the way in which to a Tremendous Bowl victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

Maybe no participant match the long-shot mould that season fairly like Foles, a backup QB till he took over in Week 14 for injured starter Carson Wentz.

All Foles — who introduced his retirement final month — did from there was go from second string to Tremendous Bowl MVP.

Foles threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns in opposition to the Patriots however is greatest remembered for the “Philly Particular.” On fourth and purpose contained in the Patriots 5, Foles floated from behind heart to behind the precise sort out earlier than the snap, leaving working again Corey Clement alone within the backfield. Clement took the snap and Foles hesitated earlier than working undefended into the top zone. Clement pitched to tight finish Trey Burton, who flipped a brief cross to Foles for a 22-12 halftime lead.

“The primary thought once I was working again to the huddle was, don’t smile, don’t smile,” Foles stated. “Simply act severe. Defensive gamers are watching the quarterback run from the aspect. If I’m smiling, they’re gonna suppose one thing is up. I needed to put up an act. I needed to go up there like “kill, kill,” act severe prefer it was an actual audible.”

He earned Tremendous Bowl MVP honors after main the Eagles to a 41-33 win over the Patriots.

Want a reminder? The 2017 championship banner hangs inside Lincoln Monetary Subject. Foles and former coach Doug Pederson share a statue outdoors the stadium that features Foles’ quote, “Need Philly Philly?” Lining the wall into the Eagles’ locker room is a photograph of Foles hauling within the landing catch as a part of a collage of nice moments from that season.

“Trey threw an incredible ball,” Foles stated. “He doesn’t get sufficient credit score. That ball was good. The one one that may have messed it up was me, so thank goodness I didn’t mess it up.”

Foles served as an honorary captain forward of Monday night time’s residence opener in opposition to the Atlanta Falcons and led the group in a rendition of “Fly, Eagles, Fly.”

Foles choked up throughout his 45-minute speech, thanking his household and coaches. As he rattled off the names of offensive linemen that included Kelce and present Eagle Lane Johnson, he referred to as them the “true heroes” of the offense.

“Moving into that huddle was such a way of peace,” Foles stated. “These guys had been wonderful.”

The 35-year-old Foles was a third-round decide by the Eagles in 2012 and performed 5 years over two stints in Philadelphia.

Foles made the Professional Bowl in 2013 after throwing seven landing passes in a win at Oakland, main the league in passer ranking (119.2) and posting an NFL single-season document TD-to-interception ratio of 27-2. He was the primary quarterback to document 20-plus passing touchdowns in a season with not more than two picks.

Foles performed for 5 different groups, along with his final look Jan. 1, 2023, for Indianapolis. Foles threw for 14,227 yards with 82 touchdowns and 47 interceptions.

He saved his remaining shout-out for Eagles followers.

“Y’all are what makes this place so particular,” he stated. “One in every of my favourite moments is the NFC championship recreation when, we’re about to do our 7-on-7 warmups, and y’all had been so loud, dancing, we had been dancing. I needed to pause and simply watch and take it in and notice how blessed I used to be to play for an ideal metropolis, an ideal group.”

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Intel turns foundry business into subsidiary, weighs outside funding

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger holds a pattern of a wafer throughout his keynote speech on the Computex convention in Taipei on June 4, 2024.

I-hwa Cheng | AFP | Getty Photos

Intel shares jumped 8% in prolonged buying and selling Monday after the corporate mentioned it plans to show its foundry enterprise into an impartial unit with its personal board and the potential to lift outdoors capital.

As a part of CEO Pat Gelsinger’s effort to show across the struggling chipmaker, Intel mentioned in a memo to workers that it’ll additionally unload a part of its stake in Altera.

Gelsinger mentioned the restructuring would enable the foundry enterprise to “consider impartial sources of funding,” and comes days after Intel’s board met to evaluate the course and way forward for the corporate. The foundry enterprise, which Intel plans to make use of to fabricate chips for different clients, has been an enormous drag on its backside line, with the corporate spending roughly $25 billion on it in every of the final two years.

Past simply contemplating outdoors funding, Intel is weighing whether or not to spin off the foundry enterprise, presumably right into a separate publicly traded firm, in response to an individual with information of the matter who declined to be named as a way to focus on confidential data.

With a standalone “working board” and a cleaner company construction, the mechanics of a separation develop into far simpler than making an attempt to show a completely built-in unit right into a separate firm.

Previous to the postmarket pop, Intel had misplaced nearly 60% of its worth this yr. The corporate has given up market share in its core PC and information heart enterprise and watched Nvidia run away with the marketplace for chips that energy synthetic intelligence workloads. In August, Intel reported disappointing quarterly outcomes, sparking the sharpest sell-off in 50 years, and mentioned it will lay off greater than 15% of its workforce as a part of a $10 billion cost-reduction plan. Gelsinger mentioned the corporate is about midway via the layoffs.

Intel may even pause its fabrication efforts in Poland and Germany “by roughly two years based mostly on anticipated market demand,” Gelsinger mentioned, and pull again on its plans for its Malaysian manufacturing unit. U.S. manufacturing tasks will stay unaffected, the corporate mentioned.

Earlier on Monday, Intel was awarded as much as $3 billion from the Biden administration and the CHIPS and Science Act, an effort to carry chipmaking to the U.S. The funding is for the “Safe Enclave” program, which furthers a venture between Intel and the Division of Protection.

The U.S. authorities is bolstering its funding in semiconductor manufacturing due largely to the rising geopolitical threat round Taiwan, dwelling to the world’s largest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo not too long ago met with Gelsinger, who voiced his frustration over home chipmakers’ heavy reliance on Taiwan Semiconductor.

Increasing cope with Amazon

Along with the foundry announcement, Intel mentioned it entered right into a cope with Amazon Internet Providers to provide customized chips for AI, extending a long-running partnership between the 2 corporations. Amazon is an enormous buyer of Intel chips to energy its AWS servers, and can purchase a customized Xeon processor from Intel as nicely, Intel mentioned.

The transfer will doubtlessly give Intel a brand new foothold within the rising trade for AI server chips. Whereas Intel has a number of merchandise that can be utilized for AI, together with Gaudi 3, Nvidia has largely taken management of the market.

Amazon has been creating its personal AI chips, together with one referred to as Trainium, for over 5 years. Microsoft and Google have additionally invested closely in customized chips to run AI, aiming to supply cheaper processors than Nvidia’s general-purpose graphics processing items.

Intel mentioned that it will perform its most superior manufacturing, together with the AI chip for AWS, at its plant in Ohio that is at present underneath development.

“All eyes will stay on us,” Gelsinger mentioned. “We have to combat for each inch and execute higher than ever earlier than. As a result of that is the one option to quiet our critics and ship the outcomes we all know we’re able to reaching.”

WATCH: Intel awarded as much as $3 billion underneath CHIPS Act

Intel awarded up to $3 billion under CHIPS Act

Secret Service ‘aware’ of Elon Musk post about Harris and Biden

The US Secret Service says it’s “conscious” of a social media put up by Elon Musk during which he stated that “nobody is even attempting” to assassinate President Joe Biden or Vice-President Kamala Harris.

Mr Musk has since deleted the put up and stated it was supposed as a joke.

His put up on X, previously Twitter, got here simply hours after the suspected tried assassination of Donald Trump at his golf course in Florida on Sunday.

The tech billionaire is an in depth ally of Trump, who has vowed to enlist Mr Musk to run a “authorities effectivity fee” if he wins a second time period as US president.

Many X customers criticised Mr Musk’s feedback – which have been accompanied by a raised eyebrow emoji – with some alleging that the put up was a type of incitement towards the US president and vice-president.

In an announcement, the White Home condemned the put up, saying that “this rhetoric is irresponsible”.

“Violence ought to solely be condemned, by no means inspired or joked about,” the assertion stated, including that there must be “no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our nation”.

When contacted by the BBC, the US Secret Service stated solely that it’s “conscious” of the put up.

“As a matter of follow we don’t touch upon issues involving protecting intelligence,” the assertion added. “We will say, nonetheless, that the Secret Service investigates all threats associated to our protectees.”

After deleting the put up, Mr Musk tweeted that “one lesson I’ve realized is that simply because I say one thing to a gaggle and so they giggle does not imply it is going to be all that hilarious as a put up on X.”

“Seems that jokes are method much less humorous if individuals do not know the context and the supply is in plain textual content,” a subsequent put up learn.

The controversial tech mogul is taken into account an in depth ally of Trump and formally endorsed him within the aftermath of a separate assassination try towards the previous president that happened at a rally on 13 July in Butler, Pennsylvania.

In that try, the suspect fired a number of rounds, injuring Trump and killing an attendee on the rally.

Since then, Mr Musk has typically tweeted or re-posted messages important of each Biden and Harris and in help of Trump.

Magnitude-5.1 earthquake strikes near Midland, Texas, as thousands report shaking

A uncommon sturdy earthquake struck close to Midland, Texas, on Monday night, triggering greater than 1,000 studies of shaking, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The temblor, initially measured at magnitude 5.1, struck at 7:49 p.m. at a depth of about 5 miles under the floor, round 21 miles west-southwest of Ackerly, in accordance with the company.

No accidents had been initially reported.

The USGS obtained greater than 1,400 studies of shaking. Folks as distant as Fort Value — 282 miles east — and Austin — 322 miles southeast — reported feeling the earthquake.

The USGS mentioned in a abstract of the area’s modern geologic exercise that temblors east of the Rocky Mountains are usually felt for longer distances and do extra harm even when they’ve comparable magnitude scores.

“Earthquakes east of the Rockies which can be centered in populated areas and huge sufficient to trigger harm are, equally, more likely to trigger harm out to larger distances than earthquakes of the identical magnitude centered in western North America,” it mentioned.

Ackerly is about 60 miles north of Midland. The realm is thought for fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, a course of that injects water at excessive stress into the bottom to extract oil.

“There’s proof that some central and japanese North America earthquakes have been triggered or attributable to human actions which have altered the stress circumstances in earth’s crust sufficiently to induce faulting,” the USGS mentioned in its evaluation of the area.

No hyperlink between fracking and Monday’s earthquake has been established, nevertheless.

The USGS says that fracking will be linked to a small share of earthquakes and that extra are attributable to wastewater disposal.

Will The New COVID XEC Variant Cause A Fall 2024 Surge?

XEC might sound like some sort of rock band, cryptocurrency or male enhancement complement. However the XEC COVID-19 variant is one thing that you just in all probability don’t need to have anyplace close to you. It’s the most recent COVID variant to achieve consideration as a result of it’s been spreading world wide. And an enormous query after the so-called “Summer time of COVID” is whether or not the XEC variant goes to gasoline the subsequent COVID surge this Fall or early Winter.

This previous Summer time—sure, Summer time 2024 is now up to now—earned the “Summer time of COVID” moniker because it noticed what gave the impression to be the largest Summer time COVID surge since July 2022. That’s based mostly on wastewater knowledge from the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention as a result of today that’s all we actually must estimate the variety of instances which will have occurred. Since many individuals have mainly stopped getting examined for COVID and those that are testing themselves usually don’t report these outcomes to others, any depend of COVID-19 instances might be a considerable undercount of the particular quantity.

The Summer time surge was led by the so-called FLiRT variants, primarily KP.3.1.1, and KP.3. It additionally didn’t assist that almost all of individuals had been flirting with catching the virus by not likely taking any precautions towards the extreme acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). For instance, face masks use seems to have gone the way in which of thin denims, with a lot fewer individuals carrying them in public. That’s though research have clearly proven that N95 respirators can lower SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

The early Fall could also be at the moment seeing a fall in instances after the Summer time surge, which in all probability started in early June. However the emphasis right here is on the phrases “could also be.” That’s as a result of after 4 years of COVID the U.S. nonetheless doesn’t have a dependable COVID surveillance system in place that may extra precisely monitor how and the place the SARS-CoV-2 is shifting.

COVID definitely has not gone away. Vaccination and prior publicity have certainly decreased considerably the chance of extra extreme COVID-19 outcomes in comparison with the primary two years of the pandemic by constructing immune safety in most individuals. However the SARS-CoV-2 can nonetheless land some individuals within the hospital. There’s additionally the looming danger of creating lengthy COVID everytime you get contaminated with the SARS-CoV-2.

Plus, the SARS-CoV-2 retains mutating. And mutating and mutating and mutating. Because of this, new variants hold rising. Whereas many of those variants show to be inconsequential, each a number of months a brand new extra consequential one appears to rear its spiky head. The most recent is the aforementioned XEC variant. The XEC is mainly the love-child of the KS.1.1 and KP.3.3 COVID variants. It’s yet one more Omicron variant as a result of OMG we’ve been caught on completely different Omicron descendants since late November 2021.

The XEC was first detected in Berlin, Germany, in June. However what occurred in Berlin didn’t keep in Berlin. This ball of not enjoyable has already appeared in 27 completely different nations throughout Europe, North America and Asia. That has included popping up in 12 states in america up to now, in line with Scripps Analysis’s “Outbreak.data” net web page. And whereas it’s not the dominant variant of COVID but, it does seem to have a health benefit over different circulating variants.

Now, a health benefit doesn’t imply that this variant of the SARS-CoV-2 wears tights and may do extra glute bridges. It signifies that for some motive it may unfold sooner or extra readily than different variants. The reason being not clear but. Maybe these contaminated with this variant might shed extra of the virus. Perhaps the XEC variant can get into cells extra simply. Or it could possibly be that this variant is best at evading current immune safety from both vaccination or earlier an infection. Extra knowledge and research are wanted to find out which of the above will be the case. However the truth that the XEC variant appears to be spreading pretty quickly over different variants means that does certainly have some sort of health benefit.

Extra knowledge and research are additionally wanted to find out whether or not the XEC variant is kind of more likely to trigger extreme COVID signs and outcomes than present and former variants. Once more this will probably be troublesome to inform with out extra widespread testing and a extra complete surveillance system than what’s in place now.

The up to date Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines that at the moment are obtainable goal the KP.2 variant and the up to date Novavax one targets the JN.1. Because the XEC is just not worlds other than these focused strains that had been distinguished earlier this 12 months, the up to date vaccines ought to present not less than some safety towards the XEC variant. Precisely how a lot stays to be seen.

Whereas it’s not but clear whether or not the XEC versus another newer variant will cleared the path, there’s an excellent likelihood that yet one more COVID surge will start within the coming months. Over the previous a number of years, Winter surges have began in mid-to-late November. That’s not stunning as a result of November is when the climate turns considerably colder and drier and lots of extra actions transfer indoors. Plus, there’s all that Vacation journey that begins round Thanksgiving that may additional gasoline the unfold of viruses.

However don’t assume that COVID exercise received’t decide up once more earlier than November. And don’t count on any forewarning proper earlier than the subsequent surge, given, as soon as once more, the shortage of a extra dependable and complete surveillance system and the truth that political leaders could also be avoiding the “C” phrase earlier than the elections. So, chances are you’ll need to be XEC cautious your self and take precautions when you don’t need to get COVID and probably lengthy COVID.

Champions League returns with a new format. The best way to understand it? Don’t even try

UEFA Champions League ball throughout a coaching session on September 16, 2024 in Dortmund, Germany (Picture by Hendrik Deckers/Borussia Dortmund through Getty Photographs)

For many years, the UEFA Champions League group stage started yearly on the second or third Tuesday in September, and in 2024 … nicely, to a point, right here we go once more.

Soccer’s preeminent membership competitors returns this week to 12 international locations throughout Europe and billions of screens globally. Actual Madrid opens one more title protection. Liverpool visits AC Milan. Juventus and Aston Villa, again after absences brief and lengthy, headline Tuesday’s curtain-raisers (12:45 p.m. ET, Paramount+).

However this, the beginning of the 2024-25 “Champions League correct,” shouldn’t be a bunch stage — as a result of there aren’t any teams.

It is a “league part” that can possible confuse the hell out of viewers who attempt to realize it — so the most effective strategy, for now, might be to not even attempt.

The very best strategy is to look at the video games, and respect the soccer, and know that if Atalanta beats Arsenal on Thursday (3 p.m. ET, Paramount+), that issues.

If Girona upsets PSG on Wednesday in Paris, the upstart Spaniards will enhance their odds of reaching the knockout rounds.

The outcomes of Manchester Metropolis-Inter Milan (Wednesday, 3 p.m. ET), and Monaco-Barcelona (Thursday, 3 p.m. ET), and a dozen different video games needs to be significant.

However they’re going to imply lower than early Champions League video games used to imply. Particular implications will not grow to be clear till January. Organizers have launched a brand new format that may in the end make the competitors extra entertaining. For now, although, it’ll simply be tougher to decipher.

The Champions League, after all, was fantastically simplistic. Eight teams of 4; play every opponent twice; high two advance.

Then UEFA went searching for extra — extra video games, extra groups, extra showdowns between superclubs, more cash. It expanded the sphere (from 32 to 36), and settled on a so-called “Swiss format” mostly utilized in chess tournaments.

Now, there’s one massive group of 36. There are eight video games apiece as an alternative of six. And there aren’t any pods, no clusters or groupings, no head-to-head ingredient.

Arsenal, for instance, begins at Atalanta, then performs PSG, Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan, Sporting CP (Lisbon), Monaco, Dinamo Zagreb and Girona.

Atalanta begins with Arsenal, then performs Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic, Stuttgart, BSC Younger Boys, Actual Madrid, Sturm Graz and Barcelona.

Beforehand, Arsenal needed to be higher than two of its three group opponents. Now, it has to complete within the high 24 of 36 groups to achieve the knockout rounds; and the highest 8 to skip instantly into the Spherical of 16.

In different phrases, teams have been changed by a single league desk. And on the finish of the truncated season — the eight-game “league part” — a crew’s place within the desk determines its destiny:

  • 1st-Eighth: Qualify for the Spherical of 16

  • Ninth-Sixteenth: Play-in spherical vs. inferior crew (from the Seventeenth-Twenty fourth bucket under)

  • Seventeenth-Twenty fourth: Play-in spherical vs. superior crew (from the Ninth-Sixteenth bucket above)

  • Twenty fifth-Thirty sixth: Eradicated

Golf equipment will slide up and down the one desk as they win and lose video games. The desk might be a fixture on broadcasts and social media, serving to groups and their followers assess progress. If you would like to grasp the format, and observe your membership’s standing, and gauge knockout-round hopes, the desk is your greatest wager.

However, with the schedule unbalanced and the “league” so bloated, the desk may even be crowded and misleading. For a lot of the “season,” Twenty fifth place (elimination) and Eighth (bye) will possible be separated by lower than six factors — lower than two video games.

Worrying about particular rivals and placements, due to this fact, might be pointless. Specializing in the broader image might be futile. The one certainty — and the one lens by means of which to view these early rounds — is that three factors are higher than one, and one higher than zero.

If you would like to trace progress within the early rounds, give attention to thresholds.

We do not know who would be the crew to beat to crack the highest eight, however we are able to predict what number of factors might be required. Historical past and simulations counsel that the thresholds might be, roughly:

  • 1st-Eighth: 16+ factors

  • Ninth-Sixteenth: 12-16 factors

  • Seventeenth-Twenty fourth: 9-12 factors

  • Twenty fifth-Thirty sixth: 0-9 factors

In different phrases: Win six of your eight video games, and also you’re into the Spherical of 16; win 5 of eight, and you’ve got a good likelihood.

Win 4, and you may head to the play-in spherical; win three, and you may possible sneak in as nicely.

There isn’t a approach to guess whom you may sneak in forward of; so, for seven of eight rounds, there isn’t a sense in caring about situations or foes. There isn’t a must look forward at matchups. There may be solely a must win — and attempt to hit these targets (say, 17 factors, or 10).

If teams had been a six-lap, four-man race round a observe, that is primarily an eight-lap time trial; and the qualifying lower, the time to beat, is projectable however not fairly mounted, and fully out of anybody crew’s management.

The cynical view of this gluttonous format is that will probably be a roundabout path to a well-known vacation spot.

Does it actually matter if Bayern Munich drops a couple of video games, or Man Metropolis slips out of the highest eight?

They might absolutely run roughshod over Celtic or Brugge, or whichever overmatched opponent they draw within the play-in spherical.

The half-dozen true contenders, those with multiples more cash than everyone else, will certainly end within the high 24; and certain find yourself within the latter levels, irrespective of the place, precisely, they end on this “league part.” As a result of they virtually at all times do.

However the romantic view is that the Champions League is not all concerning the superclub that wins it. It is about deafening European nights at Celtic Park, and tough journeys to Prague or Zagreb. It is concerning the stage that Aston Villa and Stuttgart and Bologna and Girona and Brest now get to share with Liverpool, Bayern, Juventus, Barcelona and PSG. It is about tales like Shakhtar Donetsk, and erstwhile giants like Crvena zvezda (Crimson Star Belgrade). It is about Feyenoord and a dozen different golf equipment who now, not like earlier than, can realistically purpose for the knockout levels — and dream.

All of them start their campaigns this week, on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

On Matchday 2, in early October, the acquainted Tuesday-Wednesday rhythm resumes, with 9 video games every day — two at 12:45 p.m. ET, seven at 3 p.m. ET — and the Europa League and Convention League on Thursdays.

Paramount+ and CBS networks will broadcast all of it to the US in English. The Spanish-language broadcaster within the U.S. is Telemundo.

The betting favorites are the final two champions: Manchester Metropolis and Actual Madrid.

Falcons save best for last in Monday night rally at Eagles

PHILADELPHIA — Kirk Cousins exorcised his “Monday Night time Soccer” demons and obtained the Atlanta Falcons their essential first win of the season in a single drive.

Down six and with 1:39 remaining, Cousins took the Falcons 70 yards and located huge receiver Drake London for a 7-yard, go-ahead landing with 34 seconds left. Atlanta escaped Lincoln Monetary Discipline with a 22-21 victory in Week 2. Cousins moved to 4-10 on Monday nights and has gained 4 of his previous 5 MNF video games.

Cousins was 20-of-29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Falcons working again Bijan Robinson had 97 yards on 14 carries and 122 complete yards from scrimmage. The Eagles had gone forward with a 1-yard landing run by quarterback Jalen Hurts with 6:47 left.

Listed here are a very powerful issues to know from Monday night time for each groups:


For many of eight quarters, the Falcons appeared like they actually wanted to determine issues out on offense.

For the second straight week, the group sputtered on that facet of the ball, which was alleged to be a significant power with the addition of quarterback Kirk Cousins. However Cousins had but to return to kind after dropping most of his 2023 season to a torn proper Achilles. And, regardless of a potent dashing assault, Atlanta was not in a position to convert on third down or within the crimson zone.

Till the closing moments of the sport. Cousins took the group 70 yards and related with huge receiver Drake London for the go-ahead landing with simply 34 seconds left. It didn’t erase the uneven play of Atlanta’s offense over the primary two video games. But it surely was sufficient to place a notch within the win column, on the very least.

The Falcons actually wanted a victory in opposition to the Eagles. Over the subsequent few weeks, issues might get dicey, particularly with the best way the group had been taking part in. Atlanta hosts the dynastic Kansas Metropolis Chiefs subsequent week in prime time. After that? The Falcons welcome the archrival New Orleans Saints after which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Each groups, Atlanta’s NFC South foes, are presently undefeated.

Cousins and the Falcons must hope that last-minute drive will now be the rule, and never the exception. It is the NFL, and issues get late early round right here.

Promising pattern: Bijan Robinson was a focus of the group’s offense, which was a criticism of the Falcons’ playcalling in 2023. The second-year working again turned the primary Falcons working again to have 100 or extra yards from scrimmage in every of the group’s first two video games of a season since Michael Turner in 2011.

Eye-popping stat: Cousins has 51 move touchdowns in opposition to the blitz over the previous 5 seasons, which is tied for probably the most within the NFL throughout that interval with Josh Allen. Patrick Mahomes is third with 47. That is a glimpse at what the Falcons might have if Cousins returns to pre-injury kind.

Greatest gap within the recreation plan: The Falcons’ secondary supplied adequate protection, and the move rush had its moments, however Hurts was in a position to improvise and create massive performs together with his toes. Atlanta had no reply for him, and it resulted in Hurts changing two massive fourth downs, three essential third downs and scoring a landing together with his legs. — Marc Raimondi

Subsequent recreation: vs. Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)


Life with out receiver A.J. Brown could be a slog. The Eagles have been reminded of that in Monday night time’s slugfest in opposition to the Falcons as Brown sat out with a hamstring harm that’s anticipated to sideline him for a few video games.

Nonetheless, it appeared they’d carried out sufficient to muscle previous the Falcons — after which the wheels got here off. Atlanta mounted a lightning-quick six-play, 70-yard drive in 1:05 to stun the capability Lincoln Monetary Discipline crowd and drop the Eagles to 1-1.

The street will get harder from right here. They play on the red-hot New Orleans Saints after which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier than a Week 5 bye.

Adversity has hit this group early. Following a 1-6 collapse down the stretch final season, all eyes will likely be on whether or not the Eagles are in a position to decide up the items after a intestine punch of a loss.

Describe the sport in two phrases: Brutal loss. The win was within the Eagles’ arms earlier than Atlanta ripped it away with a six-play, 70-yard drive within the closing moments. A final-ditch effort by the Eagles’ offense led to a Hurts interception.

Pivotal play: Nursing a three-point lead with underneath two minutes remaining, the Eagles face a third-and-3 deep in Atlanta territory. Hurts had Saquon Barkley open within the flat, however Barkley dropped it, forcing Philadelphia to accept a discipline purpose. Moments later, the Falcons mounted their game-winning drive.

Troubling pattern: The Eagles’ edge rushers struggled to place warmth on the quarterback for a second straight week. A lot of the main target will likely be on Bryce Huff, the previous Jet who signed a three-year, $51 million deal in free company to assist offset the eventual departure of Haason Reddick. He has zero pressures via two video games.

Eye-popping stat: Kirk Cousins was pressured on simply 2 of 14 dropbacks (14%) within the first half, the bottom fee he has confronted in any half since Week 1 of 2023. — Tim McManus

Subsequent recreation: at New Orleans Saints (1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Apple Just Gave iPhone Users 33 Reasons To Update Now

Apple launched iOS 18 on Monday, together with 33 safety fixes and a bunch of latest iPhone options. Apple’s iOS 18 was issued similtaneously iOS 17.7, a security-only replace for iPhone customers who wish to wait to improve their gadgets.

Whereas iOS 17.7 incorporates 16 safety fixes, iOS 18 comes with over twice that quantity. A number of the flaws mounted in iOS 18 are severe, impacting WebKit, the engine that underpins the Safari browser and the Kernel on the coronary heart of the iPhone working system.

Among the many notable points mounted in iOS 18 are two vulnerabilities within the Kernel, tracked as CVE-2024-44165 and CVE-2024-44191 – which may permit an app to realize unauthorized entry to Bluetooth. A flaw within the Sandbox, CVE-2024-40863, may see an app leak delicate info. In the meantime, CVE-2024-40857 is a matter in WebKit the place processing maliciously crafted net content material may result in common cross web site scripting.

A second bug in Webkit, CVE-2024-44187, may see a malicious web site exfiltrate knowledge cross-origin, Apple stated on its assist web page.

A flaw in Core Bluetooth tracked as CVE-2024-44124 —additionally mounted in iOS 17.7 — may permit a malicious Bluetooth gadget to bypass pairing.

A number of the updates within the launch of iOS 18 are “pretty important” — equivalent to the flexibility to attach malicious Bluetooth gadgets, says Sean Wright. Nonetheless many of those don’t seem within the 17.7 launch, so Wright suggests these vulnerabilities are particular to the iOS 18 Beta. “My recommendation is that if you’re working the Beta model, you must replace as quickly as you may,” he says.

ForbesAttackers Are Concentrating on iPhone 16 Patrons — Right here’s How To Keep Protected

iOS 17.7 Or iOS 18?

Some individuals will determine to replace to iOS 17.7, to attend for any early points with iOS 18 to be ironed out. But it surely’s value noting that updating to iOS 18 will make your iPhone safer general.

Apple focuses extra intently on iPhone safety fixes in iOS 18, so the vary of patches will probably be broader, plus it has added a variety of latest safety features. Probably the most important is the passwords app, a giant enchancment on the iCloud Keychain together with the identical functionalities of a full service password supervisor equivalent to 1Password.

Apple’s iOS 18 incorporates some cool privateness options too, equivalent to the flexibility to cover delicate apps to allow them to solely be accessed utilizing Face ID when others are utilizing your gadget.

In case your iPhone can run iOS 17, it could actually run iOS 18 too. Nonetheless, among the extra superior AI options coming on the finish of the 12 months are solely obtainable for iPhone 15 and later.

For customers considering sticking with iOS 17 or shifting to iOS 18, it is going to be a private desire reasonably than a safety one, says Wright. “Many individuals will desire to remain on the older iOS 17 to permit the preliminary kinks in iOS 18 to be ironed out — and that’s a superbly affordable to place to take.”

So, you realize what to do. Go to your Settings > Basic > Software program Replace and replace to iOS 18 or iOS 17.7 now.