Archive September 29, 2025

A long and exciting fourth Sunday of the NFL season opened with a historic first game in Dublin and closed with an epic clash in Dallas.

Micah Parsons’ return to Dallas was overshadowed by the on-field mayhem as the Green Bay Packers and Cowboys went toe to toe in what ended as a rare tied scoreline.

The Kansas City Chiefs looked back to their best as they put the Baltimore Ravens in severe trouble so early in the campaign, while the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills remained the final two unbeaten sides.

Parsons made a quick return to Dallas after his blockbuster trade to Green Bay in a game that not only lived up to the pre-match hype but far exceeded it.

The Packers and Cowboys played out the second-highest scoring tied game in NFL history and the first ever to end 40-40.

Jordan Love and Dak Prescott threw three touchdown passes each and traded blows in an exhilarating second half, with six touchdowns on six straight possessions seeing the lead continuously change hands.

Brandon McManus kicked a Green Bay field goal as time expired to force overtime, and did the same again with the last play of the extra period to end a breathless game with honours even.

Ties are relatively rare in the NFL – it is the first Green Bay have had since 2018, while Dallas haven’t had a tied game since 1969.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ dominant 37-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens could be significant for both sides in very different ways.

The return of receiver Xavier Worthy helped Patrick Mahomes spring into life with four touchdown passes for the first time since October 2023 – 36 games ago.

And the Chiefs defence dominated a Baltimore attack that entered the game as top scorers this season.

Lamar Jackson was sacked three times, threw an interception and lost a fumble before leaving the game with a worrying hamstring injury.

So while the Chiefs look back on track at 2-2 after losing their opening two games, the Ravens drop to 1-3, have severe injury problems on defence and an injured two-time Most Valuable Player quarterback.

Only two sides remains unbeaten in the NFL this season with the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills both 4-0 – and favoured to meet in the Super Bowl in February.

The Eagles continue to find weird and wonderful ways of winning games – this time returning a blocked punt and using a fake tush push to unleash Saquon Barkley as they handed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers their first loss of the season.

Jalen Hurts threw two touchdown passes in the first half but didn’t complete a single throw in a bizarre second half, where the Super Bowl champions ended up with minues one yard of offence.

A Baker Mayfield interception and a Bucs fumble helped the Super Bowl champions lean on the defence in the second half – showing again why they’re so hard to beat.

Only Washington have beaten them in the last 21 games stretching back exactly a year.

The Buffalo Bills are a slightly more conventional unbeaten side but they had to work hard against the winless New Orleans Saints to pull away to a 31-19 victory.

Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart impressed in pre-season and shone again in his New York Giants debut as he helped them defeat the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Chargers when replacing Russell Wilson.

The Giants are the first 0-3 team to beat a 3-0 side in 17 years, while Dart is the first rookie quarterback to beat a 3-0 side or better on his debut for over two decades.

Dart threw for a touchdown and scored another himself, but celebrations in the Big Apple were muted as superstar receiver Malik Nabers was carted off with what looked to be a serious injury.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ defence is a menace this season, as they notched up another four turnovers in an impressive 26-21 win at the San Francisco 49ers.

The Jags also scored a touchdown on a punt return to more than make up for Trevor Lawrence and the offence still not firing – but it’s the dangerous and opportunistic defence that NFL offences will have to start planning for.

With at least three turnovers in every game so far, Jacksonville already have more than they mustered the whole of last season as they move to 3-1.

The blunder of the night came from Indianapolis Colts receiver Adonai Mitchell, who was racing into the end zone for a 76-yard touchdown but fumbled the ball right on the line.

Stretching his arm out with the ball in celebration, it popped loose just at the wrong time and cost the Colts seven points – and ultimately their first defeat of the season as the Los Angeles Rams scored two late touchdowns in a 27-20 victory.

Another statement win came from the Detroit Lions, who dismantled Cleveland’s stingy defence late on to run away with a 34-10 success and third win in a row.

Nuno Espirito Santo will take over as Graham Potter’s manager with West Ham remaining 19th in the Premier League.

Nuno has consistently demonstrated ability to raise the standard of a squad, exceeding expectations, while also serving as manager of Wolves and Nottingham Forest.

West Ham is more in line with the circumstances he faced when he took over Forest, despite his underwhelming stint at Tottenham.

Owners of international football are increasingly focusing on coaches with more possession-based attacking play.

Despite winning the Europa Conference League in 2023, David Moyes’ style at West Ham was perceived as having less potential than the expansive football that other teams practice, and supporters frequently questioned his pragmatic approach to play.

However, Manuel Pellegrini and his successors Julen Lopetegui and Harry Potter failed to create a successful side in a more ball-dominant manner.

In every career, Nuno has displayed principles more in line with Moyes, West Ham’s most effective manager in the past ten years.

When Nuno’s teams counterattack quickly, they typically have less possession of the ball. Last year, Forest had the third-lowest average possession rate in the league (31%).

His teams’ deep seating helps their opponents avoid having many chances and little room to run back.

Nuno’s five-at-the-back system earned him acclaim at Wolves. However, Forest started most games last year in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

When Forest was pushing up the pitch, Forest would defend in a 4-2-4 formation out of possession. However, they would choose to block space further and keep a low defensive line close to their own goal for a significant portion of the game.

In order to show his versatility, Nuno would switch to a back five and use Brazilian defender Morato from winning positions.

Impressively, Morato’s substitution from the bench did not cause Forest to drop even one point, even though this change made Forest more vulnerable in the later stages of the match.

Nuno’s style is known for its direct attacks, and Forest would pivotally advance them by directly hitting Chris Wood with it.

Before attacking midfielders, particularly Morgan Gibbs-White, picked up the knockdowns, his hold-up play gave the player the ideal backboard to aim for.

Without this, Forest would play quickly down the flanks, causing the wide areas to become overrun. They frequently left the middle of the pitch in order to avoid letting the ball pass through the midfielders.

The message was the same, play the ball quickly up the pitch, whether it was directly into the striker or down the flanks.

Nuno’s appointment seems well-thought out in light of this. West Ham’s weaknesses are minimized by his low-possession, counter-attacking style, which helps maximize the best from their players’ strengths.

West Ham have struggled to develop from the back when under pressure, and they haven’t made risky chances with ease when attempting to score on longer possessions.

The Hammers have made the most of their best players’ strengths, particularly Jarrod Bowen, for the past few seasons, making the most of their best players’ strengths when attacking in transition.

It would not surprise him to use his more popular 4-2-3-1 system if Nuno wants to prioritize defensive strength initially.

Nuno changes the roles of the players in his system based on their qualities despite choosing a general system.

Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga would be asked to play wide in Nuno’s case, using the wingers as an example.

Elliot Anderson and Nicolas Dominguez were the wingers against Fulham last season, but they were instead given the opportunity to switch to the infield.

Nuno will work with his strongest players to form a team that will enable them to perform their best work.

El Hadji Malick Diouf’s impressive playing as an attacking full-back this year will likely be used, with Nuno opting for defensive security elsewhere on the pitch.

In Nuno’s transition-heavy system, players like Niclas Fullkrug, Summerville, Soungoutou Magassa, Mateus Fernandes, Paqueta, and Max Kilman also make sense.

It’s also important to remember that in addition to rassuring the truth that he is a “park-the-bus-and-counter coach,” it’s important to acknowledge the smart tactical adjustments he made last year.

Five midfielders from Forest used in the FA Cup quarter-finals last year: Danilo, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Ryan Yates, and Dominguez.

Due to Nuno’s men’s decision to bench Elanga and Hudson-Odoi for natural midfielders, Brighton was denied access to the pitch’s central areas.

It is crucial to platform your players based on their strengths and weaknesses, and tactics also play a significant role in how players perform. The human element is frequently overlooked in tactical analysis.

Reports that Potter and other players had a sexual relationship suggest that the club had become toxic, while Nuno and former Wolves defender Conor Coady are still frequently referred to as fond of one another.

He added, “I think West Ham will love their manager because he has an unbelievable manager.”

I think it’s great how he handles himself, how he speaks, and how he interacts with the players to improve them.

“The voice change will really help,” he says. Nuno is a man who doesn’t get too high or very low.

West Ham “are a counter-attacking team” and will participate in the transition. You were always in control of everything, and you were always in control of what you were doing.

Before the next Irish Open in 2027, American captain Keegan Bradley claims the quirky envelope rule for the Ryder Cup “must change.”

The rules require that the captains of the United States and Europe list one golfer in an envelope that is only opened if the opposing player is injured and unable to play in the final round of singles.

It helped the US in 1991 and Europe in 1993, respectively, when Sam Torrance was forced to resign.

Europe’s Viktor Hovland was forced to miss the match due to a neck injury at Bethpage on Sunday, and both teams were given half a point for the encounter.

With 1122-4112 down going into the 12 singles, Bradley is upset about the rule because he and his team needed to get as many points as possible to win. Before a ball was struck, the score dropped to 12-5.

The US came incredibly close to capturing Europe, but they ultimately fell short, losing 15-13, thanks to a remarkable comeback on Sunday.

After the defeat, Bradley remarked, “It has to change.”

“I have a few ideas, but I won’t let you know at this time. Everyone in this room knows about it, especially in the sports world. Nothing vs. Viktor. However, the next Ryder Cup must change that rule.

Even if Hovland lost his match against English, the two-point winning margin in Europe would have permissibly prevented them from winning.

Luke Donald, Europe’s Luke Donald, declared, “The rule is the rule and it’s been in place for a long time.”

We have captains’ agreements for a reason, for circumstances that occur, and for a reason.

I want to turn it back to Viktor; I would have had total faith in him to deliver a message. He was unable to participate. He had to be devastated.

When European players were permitted to enter the biennial contest against the US in 1979, the envelope rule was implemented.

It has previously been used by the US, including Steve Pate, to “add Donald.” That was a close Ryder Cup victory for the US at Kiawah Island, too, 1412-131].

The exact timing and days that followed England’s victory in the Rugby World Cup were carefully choreographed.

There was no justification for them not being the tournament’s white-hot favorites because they entered as such.

The squad boarded a specially decorated team bus to a public celebration party at Battersea Power Station following a Sunday morning news conference at their Lensbury base, where orange juice was sipped hesitantly between answers.

The players will travel to various rugby clubs across the nation next weekend to collect some stardust for RugbyFest, a national “open house” designed to entice newcomers to the game to become regular players and volunteers.

A front-loaded fixture list of blockbuster games will serve as the start of the domestic Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) season in four weeks.

On TNT Sports, Gloucester-Hartpury, defending champions, square off against Saracens (featuring Zoe Harrison, Jess Breach, Marlie Packer, Rosie Galligan, Natasha Hunt, Maud Muir, Alex Matthews, Tatyana Heard, and others), live.

In the first weekly game of BBC Sport’s new expanded partnership with the league, Ellie Kildunne’s Harlequins take on Sadia Kabeya’s Loughborough Lightning.

Every top-flight game will be streamed live for the first time, with non-streaming matches also available to watch on YouTube.

In their Six Nations opener against Ireland at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium in April, England will play Ireland for the first time there.

“We’ve shown that we can sell the tickets,” Kildunne said.

Despite all the optimism, the “legacy” can be difficult to come by.

It was the omnipresent buzzword for London in 2012. To “inspire a generation,” the Olympics were held.

However, a decade later, the statistics revealed that all the money spent, the construction projects completed, and the sudden rise in handball enthusiasm that resulted in no discernible increase in sport participation.

They were rather resuscitated than encouraged to stay in.

It was the same story ten years after England’s men’s side won the only Rugby World Cup championship in 2003.

There were fewer grassroots rugby players, and England had stagnated and lost some of its elite players as a result.

Local clubs were unprepared for the sudden rush of Jonny Wilkinson aficionados who had sprung up after his drop-kick won the World Cup.

Lack of resources, resources, and resources to fulfill those young dreams.

This should be different. The legacy has already been preloaded by the Rugby Football Union.

In March 2022, the four-year investment and development program Impact 25 started.

By the end of the project, it will have distributed more than £14.5 million of government funding to the regions where it will be most effective for introducing rugby to girls and women.

It had trained 3, 385 female coaches and match officials and supported more than 850 clubs as of the most recent count. There has been a 35% increase in age-grade girl players in England since its beginning.

The grassroots game should theoretically be prepared to capitalize as that number rises.

There might be changes in the club game for those who are already at the top of their game.

Because head coach John Mitchell issued a warning despite his side’s grating World Cup victory.

He said, “I just adore to see 100 English girls playing in PWR.” I’d like to see more play, and I might even be able to select more.

The league is a great match because of the world-class players we play against, but we still need to remember to develop our English.

The PWR might be experiencing protectionist behavior.

Teams must choose a minimum number of England-qualified players, similar to the men’s Prem. For each 23-man matchday squad, it is set at 13.

That leaves room for expansion for other countries to develop their own players using the PWR’s world-leading playing standards.

Sophie de Goede of Saracens and Alex Tessier of Exeter made up the eight starting XV of Canada in the PWR. 17 members of their World Cup squad travel to England overall.

14 is the American equivalent of that number.

Even the Black Ferns, a favored home-grown team, are beginning to travel. Georgia Ponsonby and Alana Borland (nee Bremner) have been signed by the Ealing Trailfinders for the start of the season.

The ratio may be modified to ensure future Red Roses have the space they need to bloom, despite the fact that those names from abroad add some sparkle to the league – Ilona Maher’s three-month stint at Bristol Bears was immediate and startling.

There is a chance for those who are already at the top to more fully integrate themselves and their sport into mainstream culture. and earn money doing it.

According to a report from the sports marketing firm Two Circles, Kildunne, who is the team’s most recognizable face, could earn between £300,000 and £500,000 from her team winning the World Cup.

Fans of celebrity television and chat show sofas will have noticed a squad that has, frequently by necessity, grown a sizable social media presence.

A top-tier Red Roses contract has a contract worth about £50, 000, plus bonuses, such as £20, 000 for winning the final, for a top-tier Red Roses team. They won’t have the opportunity to add that while they are in the limelight, which is unfortunate.

A revamped WXV Global Series was unveiled to give women’s rugby’s top nations more freedom to create fixture lists and fierce rivalries that keep interest high while the World Cup is in progress.

However, nine days prior to the start of women’s rugby’s upward trend, it occurred on a sleek office campus in California, which was perhaps the most unexpected.

A line-out was depicted in Apple’s new promotional video to show off the capabilities of the most recent iPhone.