data-mm-id=”_pf500tsh5″>Despite the fact that the Patriots are 9-1, all anyone can talk about is how poorly the offense has performed so far this season (including this very website). It's fair criticism, though; New England is ranked 16th in total yards per game while averaging only 91 yards on the ground. All things considered, it's the least lethal offense that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have engineered since maybe 2015, where everyone important other than Rob Gronkowski got hurt. There are a variety of elements that have combined to create this odd alternate reality where a Brady-led team is relying almost entirely upon the defense to win games — a rotating cast of skill-position players, young guys playing key roles and struggling to pick up the offense, and Josh McDaniels using the regular season as a science experiment for play-calling all come to mind. But the heart of all their issues is a depleted offensive line. It flew under the radar (because linemen generally do), but last year's starting center, David Andrews, went down for the season with blood clots before Week 1. Replacement Ted Karras has done an admirable job, but the line struggled to work cohesively early on. This was only compounded when starting left tackle Isaiah Wynn was placed on IR after Week 2. Wynn was activated by the team this week, however, and his return may solve most of, if not all, the Patriots' offensive issues. Brady is the greatest quarterback ever, but his quality of play drops significantly when he doesn't have confidence in his offensive line. This doesn't exactly make him unique, but given his lack of mobility and the offense's reliance on timing to succeed, it becomes a big problem when Brady gets jumpy. Between Trent Brown and Nate Solder, Brady hasn't had to worry about his blind side for a number of years. That changed when Marshall Newhouse stepped in after Wynn's injury. Newhouse has done a fine job for a journeyman tackle, but he has been solely responsible for a handful of offensive possessions dying because he gets blown by on the edge. Even when that doesn't happen, Brady is clearly affected by the ghosts of past pass rushers and usually gets rid of the ball quicker than he needs to, resulting in suboptimal completions or just a throw-away. Wynn played like the first-round pick he was billed as for the first game and a half this year. If he can get anywhere close to that level as he steps back into the starting position, Brady will be able to go through his reads comfortably and shouldn't bail out before the full play develops– something that has been happening very often, and especially so against Philadelphia this past week. Wynn's return probably won't turn around the run game, another significant issue that will continue to hamper this offense. But at the end of the day, keeping Brady comfortable is the priority for New England — keep Brady clean and upright, and the rest will come. Wynn will not only be a welcome boon for the Patriots, he could reverse the Patriots' narrative of 2019.
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Female football supporters from Wales’ South Asian communities will watch the national team play for the first time on Friday through a new initiative designed to create a more diverse fan base.
The sold-out signs are set to go up for Wales’ Euro 2024 qualifier with Armenia at the Cardiff City Stadium with Rob Page’s side hoping to take another step towards next summer’s finals in Germany.
Among the 33,000-plus capacity crowd will be women benefiting from a partnership between Her Game Too Cymru, Amar Cymru – the group launched in 2020 to give the South Asian community a voice in the national team – and the Football Association of Wales.
We’re working with to take South Asian female fans to their first game!
Join us at Cardiff City Stadium…
With Europe s elite once again taking center stage this weekend, we look set for another stacked schedule from across the continent. On that note, for those of you looking to stick on a Saturday acca, we have found a handful of helpful tips that are worth keeping an eye out for.
Saturday February 11th
BST 14:00 Empoli vs Spezia
Although Empoli might have been disappointed by their 2-0 loss away at Roma last weekend, the Blues have still impressed many across Italy on either side of the World Cup break. With their sights now firmly set on clinching a shock top-half finish in 2023, Saturday s hosts should be smelling the chance to make an immediate return to winning ways here. Only sat outside the top-10 thanks to their goal difference, Paolo Zanetti s men have suffere…
Alvaro Morata will spend another season with Juventus after the Serie A giants extended his loan until June 30, 2022.
The striker has agreed to stay in Turin, where he spent 2020-21 on loan from Atletico Madrid.
Morata scored 20 goals in all competitions last season, his best tally for a single campaign in his career, while also providing 11 assists.
Juve said in a statement on Tuesday: It goes without saying, Morata is in the right place, at the right time. And, of course, for another year!
Morata spent two years at Juve from 2014 to 2016 before returning to Real Madrid for the 2016-17 season.
After a difficult spell at Chelsea, he moved to Atletico initially on loan in 2019 before signing a permanent deal a year later.
In total, Morata …
Jack Grealish is unlikely to be fit for England’s friendlies against Brazil and Belgium later this month, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said.
The City midfielder suffered a recurrence of a recent groin injury in the club’s FA Cup win at Luton on Tuesday.
Grealish was substituted after just 38 minutes of the 6-2 victory at Kenilworth Road, cutting short what had been his first appearance in four games.
He has been ruled out of Sunday’s derby against Manchester United in the Premier League and Guardiola said at a press conference on Friday he was unlikely to play again before the next international break.
Guardiola said: “I don’t think so. I haven’t spoken with (England manager) Gareth (Southgate) but I don’t think he will be ready…
Bruce Arena is satisfied with New England Revolution s start to the season, though warned the opening four games of a campaign cannot be used to judge how his team will go on to perform.
The Revolution won MLS Supporters Shield in 2021 yet struggled last season, finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference.
New England have started this season strongly, however, winning three of their opening four games, albeit their sole defeat came in a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of reigning MLS Cup champions Los Angeles FC.
A 1-0 win over Nashville SC saw New England return to winning ways last week, and though Arena was not entirely happy with the performance, he cannot complain over his team s start to 2023.
In the last 10 minutes we didn t do a good job defending the l…
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Knowing that they must pounce on a golden chance this weekend, Scotland will welcome Moldova to Hampden on Saturday night.
Scotland
Starting with the hosts, while Scotland might have managed to end their major tournament exile over the summer, the Tartan Army do have the feel of a side seeking a boost. Failing to make much of a mark at this year s delayed European Championships, Head Coach Steve Clarke saw his side only snatch a single point from their three summer contests. Signing off their run with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Croatia at Hampden, a 0-0 stalemate against British rivals England was the only impact they managed to make. Largely failing to build off of their eye-catching purple patch when ending 2020, Scotland once ag…
Tottenham’s record goal-scorer Harry Kane has landed in Germany to complete his move to Bayern Munich in a deal that could rise to £120million.
Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou confirmed on Friday afternoon that Kane’s transfer to the Bundesliga champions was “imminent” after a breakthrough in negotiations between the clubs was reached on Wednesday night.
It left the ball in Kane’s court and he decided on Thursday to leave his boyhood club for Bayern, who will pay an initial £100m, with add-ons potentially taking the deal up to an overall fee of £120m, the PA news agency understands.
Reports on Friday morning initially suggested Spurs had refused to give Kane permission to travel to Germany, but they were squashed by Tottenham and hours later he set of…
Hibernian are looking for what will be their sixth manager in less than five years after sacking Lee Johnson.
Hibs confirmed Johnson had departed less than 24 hours after a 3-2 home defeat by Livingston meant they had lost their opening three cinch Premiership matches.
Chief executive Ben Kensell said on the Hibernian website: “The club has taken the tough decision to relieve Lee Johnson of his duties following a disappointing start to the domestic campaign.
“We wish Lee and his coaching staff all the best for the future and thank them for their efforts.”
Hibs confirmed that coaches Jamie McAllister and Adam Owen had also left with immediate effect.
Hibernian FC can confirm that that Lee Johnson has departed the Club as First Team Manager.
For one of England s grandest rivalries, matches between Manchester United and Liverpool have been pretty drab recently.
When these two met last season at Old Trafford, it was a game notable for a remarkable number of injuries three players went off before half-time and almost no goalscoring chances.
The two league meetings hosted by United before that ended 2-1 and 1-1, neither of which were classic encounters, while the 3-1 win for Liverpool at Anfield last December ended a sequence of 0-1, 0-0 and 0-0 in league games at Anfield.
Sunday s game also threatens to be something of a damp squib given Liverpool s imperious habit of winning and United s wretched inability to create goalscoring chances.
With that in mind, it s perhaps worth looking back at six …
Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane agree England s loss to the Czech Republic was a wake-up call for the Three Lions.
England s perfect record in Euro 2020 qualifying ended in Prague on Friday despite Kane s early penalty putting Southgate s side ahead.
Defender Jakub Brabec equalised within five minutes then, in the closing stages at Eden Arena, substitute striker Zdenek Ondrasek hit the winner on his international debut.
England would have qualified for the finals had they won but are now joined on 12 points at the top of the group by the Czech Republic.
Qualification can still be sealed on Monday when England go to Bulgaria with Southgate demanding a response from the Three Lions after their first qualifying defeat for 10 years.
In terms of a w…