Devin Lloyd is not a developmental player or a short-term patch. We know he is a proven difference-maker entering his prime. Coming off a second-team All-Pro season in 2025, Lloyd recorded 81 tackles, six tackles for loss, and five interceptions. Yes you read that correctly, he had five interceptions from the linebacker position.
He came in and brought a real sense of positivity, Cyrus Christie tells FourFourTwo, having been part of that Hull City squad. He made it clear that it would be a process, the main part was stabilising us and trying to pick up points. Defensive shape was his initial priority. This early impact saw the side lose just one of Rosenior's first nine league games. We felt far more secure at the back, Christie continues.
If you're the Dallas Cowboys, the first takeaway from the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl LX blueprint is how intentionally the roster fit across all the phases. The Seahawks didn't win because they were loaded at every spot, they won because their strengths were mutually reinforcing. The Seahawks boast a defense that dictate terms, a run game that stays on schedule, and a quarterback plan that prioritized ball security over hero ball.
I think we will be able to find the right solutions. We also saw that we won't come out on top if the game dissolves into an all-out attacking free-for-all. We need to stick to our plan, as we will only be able to record strong attacking moments if we maintain our shape and structure. On the other hand, we also need to defend well. Bayern are the favorites, but we feel comfortable with that and feel as though it will suit us.
The nickel now has become a premium position, a defensive-defining position. So having that length and strength is a big advantage, you know, to be able to reroute and disrupt releases of routes. Foot speed to be able to match routes when you're talking about being able to play true single-high coverage. And then your vision to be able to identify route concepts.
Winnipeg is coming off a big win, and they're a tough team at home. They're playing a lot better, and they're a big, heavy team. The top line is dangerous, for sure, and obviously, their goalie is elite. We have to do a good job against that top line, and we're going to have to out-compete that goalie tonight. He is good, so we need second and third opportunities around the net.
The Cowboys have one game left to play in the regular season, and no decisions have officially been made, but it sure feels like Matt Eberflus will be departing the staff after just one year as defensive coordinator. Not only has Jerry Jones publicly hinted at it, but his recent comments on Eberflus not playing Logan Wilson suggest a growing frustration.
"Very different game situationally," Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said Friday. "He diced us up here, unfortunately. Now, Garrett Wilson and Davante (Adams) had a little something to do with that. Up there, it didn't help that they were blasting that Kansas City-Denver score on the scoreboard, and it was about 28-3 before the end of the first quarter. I'm sure that didn't help the morale of our guys."
Transforming a team takes time, normally. Reducing the influence of previous coaches takes time, normally. Yet, for Massimiliano Allegri and AC Milan, that has not been the case. Perhaps the lack of solidity last season helped Allegri change things at Milan quickly. Maybe it was his reputation among the squad. It will probably never be known why or how the transition was so smooth. However, it needn't be.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) report this morning, Chivu is planning 'two pincers against the sprinters' tonight. The Romanian has drawn up a preventive control for Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic's counter-attacks. On the right side of the defence, Manuel Akanji will receive assistance from Carlos Augusto, while on the other side, Federico Dimarco will sacrifice himself to help Alessandro Bastoni in duels. This certainly isn't a guarantee of success, but it should stop too many 1v1s happening.
Pete Carroll is known for his defense. While he never called plays as the Seahawks head coach, Carroll was the mastermind behind the Legion of Boom defense, which brilliantly adapted Monte Kiffin's Tampa 2 scheme to the modern day league. Aided by generational talents like Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Bobby Wagner, and others, Carroll built a dominant team on the strength of his defense.
This is their second matchup against the Cavaliers this season and in their last game Toronto was able to pick up a 112-101 victory on Halloween. Cleveland was without Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Darius Garland during that game, which undoubtedly made winning the game easier for Toronto. In tonight's matchup Mitchell and Allen are slated to suit up, which will make securing the victory more of a challenge for Toronto.
Both sides come into this fixture riding positive waves of momentum and Arne Slot and Co. will be eager to build on their big win over Real Madrid. To do that, however, Liverpool will need to find a way to nullify the array of stars that make City such a formidable force. With that in mind, let's take a look at some City players that the Reds must account for if they want a positive result on Sunday.
He meandered through the first 24 minutes, taking just six shots and rarely looking to attack his matchup. Then, in the second half, his motor revved high in a 98-79 victory that improved the Warriors to 4-1. He was the driving force of a third-quarter run that saw the Warriors turn a three-point deficit into a 15-point advantage in 12 minutes.
"We just have to do a better job early on of settling in quickly and being aggressive, and having a play style no matter what the call is [that's] about finishing drives," he said of New England's offense. "Defensively, [it's] about being able to answer," he added. "These are plays that they worked on. These are game-plan plays, trick plays that they've been working on."
The 4-2 49ers are broken. Fred Warner is gone for the season. So is Nick Bosa. Brock Purdy is still sidelined. Ricky Pearsall is, too. That's just a few of the many, many names. The Niners' defense is reeling, and the offense is sputtering. Now, the 3-2 Atlanta Falcons-a team that's won two straight-come to town with the NFL's scrimmage yards leader in Bijan Robinson and a quarterback in Michael Penix who isn't afraid to let it rip.
The Lightning's top line of Brandon Hagel, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov is a formidable trio - they combined for seven points in Tampa Bay's first three games - and its second line with Jake Guentzel, Anthony Cirelli and Gage Goncalves is also strong. The Capitals will be without center Pierre-Luc Dubois; he is day-to-day, Carbery said, with a lower-body injury that caused him to miss the final minutes of Sunday's win at the New York Rangers.
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra may have no choice but to embrace a defensive-first mentality this season after the injury to Tyler Herro. It may not be what Heat fans were hoping for, especially after their offensive struggles last season, but this is what will give the Heat the best shot to keep their head above water in the Eastern Conference until their All-Star guard returns.
It's exactly what we wanted, Hunt said. Coming into it, we didn't know we needed that but I think, on reflection, it was fantastic for us. Australia really brought it, especially in that first half. We felt pressure we hadn't felt in the start of the tournament so far and it was really good for us to get that under our belt. Also to work out that rugby contest and come out with a scoreline like that is a testament to the girls.
Mbeumo impressed with his touch and dynamism in the attacking third, linking up well with Cunha and Bruno Fernandes in an interchanging front trio.
"We love him. Loved him at school, loved him in the pre-draft process, love him at Summer League. He's tough. He plays hard. He has a high level of accountability for himself and his teammates. We're excited to see what that looks like with our veteran guys. We think that our group of forwards/wings are going to push each other every day. That's how they'll all get better." - Anonymous Raptors scout via Keith Smith
