Every year, a host of NFL players and teams head into seasons looking to prove themselves.
Some fall short, but others rise to the occasion spectacularly.
It is the latter Stats Perform has focused on for this week's edition of fantasy picks, with every selection except for that at tight end for Week 10 looking at players and areas of certain teams that have emphatically answered the bell.
These offensive players and our selection in the defense slot deserve to be taken seriously, and they deserve a place in your fantasy team if you have them rostered or they are somehow available on the waiver wire.
Quarterback – Justin Fields, Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions
After following up impressive games against the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys with a spectacular performance in defeat to the Miami Dolphins last week, it’s time to accept Fields is a starter-level quarterback in fantasy football.
Against Miami, Fields threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another score while adding 178 yards on the ground, that tally the most by a quarterback in a regular-season game since 1940.
The Lions may have only conceded nine points against the Green Bay Packers last week, but they still surrendered 389 net yards, with theirs a defense allowing a league-high 6.39 yards per play. Facing an opponent ill-equipped to stop him on the ground or through the air, Fields will reaffirm his legitimacy as a fantasy quarterback and one of the NFL’s most promising young signal-callers at Ford Field.
Running Back – Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars @ Kansas City Chiefs
Etienne, effectively playing his rookie year having seen his 2021 season lost to injury, is now the undisputed focal point of the Jacksonville run game following the Jaguars' decision to trade James Robinson to the New York Jets.
It is a role in which Etienne has thrived, racking up 100 yards in each of his last three games, across which he has scored four touchdowns.
This week, he faces a Chiefs run defense that has allowed a success rate of 41.5 per cent, the fourth-worst in the NFL.
Jacksonville may eventually be forced to move away from the run game if they fall behind against the Chiefs as most expect, but the numbers suggest Etienne will put up good enough numbers to be worthy of a fantasy start regardless.
Wide Receiver – Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins vs. Cleveland Browns
There was plenty of doubt surrounding a Dolphin offense helmed by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa going into the season. Those concerns have been emphatically allayed, however, with the Miami attack second in the NFL in yards per play through nine weeks of the season.
Waddle and Tyreek Hill have been the primary beneficiaries of the beautiful marriage between Tagovailoa and Dolphins head coach and offensive play-caller Mike McDaniel.
Hill has already surpassed 1,000 yards receiving, and Waddle is rapidly closing in on four figures. He heads into the Dolphins' meeting with the Browns on 812.
Cleveland's defense has been solid against the pass but has allowed 12 big play touchdowns, tied for the third-most in the NFL, with eight of those coming through the air. The Browns are therefore still a defense Waddle and Hill can exploit, with the former joining his three-time first-team All-Pro team-mate as one of the most dynamic deep threats in the NFL.
Tight End – Greg Dulcich, Denver Broncos @ Tennessee Titans
There has been little reason to take the Bronco offense seriously so far this season, but Dulcich's emergence in recent weeks has provided something for Denver to be optimistic about.
He has 12 receptions in his three games so far as a rookie, averaging 15.2 yards per reception and swiftly earning the trust of Russell Wilson
With 14 targets over the last two games, Dulcich already looks to be an established part of the passing attack, and that is likely to remain the case against a Titans defense in the bottom half of the league in success rate against the pass (41.7 per cent). Dulcich is an intriguing fantasy play this week at a position where it is famously difficult to find consistent contributors outside of the league’s elite.
Defense/Special Teams – Dallas Cowboys @ Green Bay Packers
The Cowboys' high dependence on turnovers last season made their defense a tough one to trust going into the campaign.
However, it has remained one of the best in the NFL and is fourth in the league by success rate (36.1 per cent). Only two defenses have forced more negative plays than Dallas (62), and this week the Cowboys get to face a Packers team in the midst of a five-game losing streak.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has grown increasingly careless with the ball as their woes have continued, and with the Packers dealing with injuries on the offensive line, this is a matchup that looks ripe for Micah Parsons and Co. to dominate and deliver substantial fantasy points.
The Brooklyn Nets have appointed Jacque Vaughn as head coach on a permanent basis.
Vaughn had been placed in charge on an interim basis following the sacking of Steve Nash last week.
The Nets are 4-7 for the season, and 2-2 since Nash was dismissed and replaced by Vaughn, who has been assistant at the franchise since 2016, briefly taking on an interim head coach role in for 10 games in 2020 after the dismissal of Kenny Atkinson.
General manager Sean Marks praised Vaughn’s capability of getting the best out of Brooklyn’s talented roster, saying: "Jacque's basketball acumen, competitiveness and intimate knowledge of our team and organisation make him the clear-cut best person to lead our group moving forward.
"He has a proven ability to get the best out of our players, hold them accountable and play a cohesive, team-first style of basketball."
It had been speculated that the Nets would turn to suspended Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka, who was assistant at the Nets in the 2020-21 season, but they have decided to promote from within.
Vaughn's first game as permanent head coach will be against the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
Tiger Woods has announced he will make his return to golf next month at the Hero World Challenge.
The tournament, which Woods hosts, will take place at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas from December 1-4.
Woods confirmed his involvement in a Twitter post on Wednesday.
The 15-time major winner has not played since he missed the cut at The Open at St Andrews in July.
Woods has only played nine competitive rounds of golf in 2022 – at the Masters, the US PGA Championship and The Open – following a car crash last year that left him with significant leg injuries.
He has previously stated the damage caused by the accident means he will no longer be able to play a full schedule on the PGA Tour.
Woods also confirmed in his post Kevin Kisner and Tommy Fleetwood had been added to the Hero World Challenge field.
I am excited to announce that I will be in the field for this year’s #HeroWorldChallenge. A big welcome to @K_Kisner and @TommyFleetwood1 for joining us as well. See you soon at Albany!
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) November 9, 2022He will partner world number one Rory McIlroy against Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth in the exhibition.
The world of golf is ever-changing, but the last year has arguably transformed the sport.
LIV Golf's brash and brazen entrance made a splash, and the Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway competition has taken some of the PGA Tour's best players.
Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith and many others may have departed, but from the rubble emerge a burgeoning crop of young golfers, brimming with talent and hungry to stamp their name on the game.
With the new PGA Tour season under way, here are five golfers to watch out for in 2023.
Tom Kim
South Korean KIm, who turned professional aged 15, has only 11 regular PGA Tour starts yet has managed to become the first player since Tiger Woods to win two tournaments before the age of 21.
His maiden triumph at the Wyndham Championship in August came after an opening hole quad bogey, but he finished with a spectacular final-round 61 to win by five strokes.
A star-making display at the Presidents Cup followed by victory at the Shriners Open last month has got Kim's new season off to a flyer.
His game is the antithesis to many modern stars; not rooted in destructive power off the tee but, rather, in accuracy and finesse befitting of a player well beyond his years.
Kim's strokes gained statistics from tee to green rank him fifth in the PGA Tour this season and if his opening six months are anything to go by, it could be quite the season for the world number 14.
Sepp Straka
The tall, big-hitting Straka is much the opposite of the aforementioned Kim but is looking to build on his impressive end to last season as well.
Having won his first PGA Tour event at the Honda Classic in February, Straka endured a poor second half of the season before coming to life in the closing stages.
Despite defeat via playoff to Will Zalatoris in the opening FedEx Cup playoff event, the world number 27 went on to finish seventh in the season-ending standings.
Consistency has often evaded the Georgia native but an early season second-place finish at the Sanderson Farms Championship last month suggests Straka may have brought his form from the FedEx Cup with him into the new season.
For the Austrian 29-year-old, a place in Luke Donald's European Ryder Cup team should not be out of the question.
Sahith Theegala
Theegala enjoyed a hugely successful debut season on the PGA Tour in 2021-22 and will be chasing his first victory this season.
The 24-year-old led the Tour in birdies made (433) and possesses a complete and competitive skillet, which allowed him to catch fire and challenge at the top of the leaderboard on numerous occasions.
An agonising double bogey on the 72nd hole at the Travelers Championship in June saw him finish second to Xander Schauffele by two strokes in a season that also featured a T3 at the Phoenix Open and a T5 at The Memorial.
His accuracy off the tee represents perhaps the only major flaw in world number 53's game but two top-10 finishes in his opening four events this season are evidence enough of the prolific scoring capabilities that Theegala possesses.
Cameron Davis
Unassuming Aussie Davis has the temperament, swing, look and feel of an elite golfer. Yet, despite a maiden victory two seasons ago at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, he has so far been unable to take that next step.
An impressive outing at the President Cup, however, has laid the foundations for what could be the true breakout year for the world number 66.
His best finish this season is a tie for 13th at the CJ Cup last month and a look at the underlying data suggests his all-around game is trending in the right direction.
Off the tee, his distance and strokes gained rank inside the top 45 while his putting has improved from 84th last year to 53rd on the Tour this season.
There are only a few events to back up these numbers, but it feels like all the right pieces are coming together for Davis and if that is the case, he is undoubtedly one to watch.
Jeff Saturday has never coached above the high school level, and the new Indianapolis Colts head coach is trusting assistant quarterback coach Parks Frazier to be his offensive playcaller.
First reported by NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Frazier, 30, has never performed the role of playcaller before at any level, rising through the ranks with the Colts after playing quarterback at Murray State University.
He graduated with a degree in computer science and is considered one of the leaders among the staff in the areas of technology in data.
It continues a meteoric rise for Frazier, who was former head coach Frank Reich's assistant in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, before being promoted to quality control coach in 2020, and promoted again to assistant quarterback coach in 2021. Reich was also the officiant at Frazier's wedding.
Head coach Saturday reportedly spent Monday interviewing members of the staff for the role of offensive playcaller, and after considering quarterback coach Scott Milanovich, opted to instead appoint Milanovich's assistant.
Another factor that was said to play into the decision was that Frazier has worked closely with young quarterback Sam Ehlinger since he was drafted last year, and with Ehlinger set to start the remainder of the season, their chemistry was viewed as a plus.
New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler hopes, and believes, ace pitcher Jacob deGrom will choose to re-sign with the team after opting to enter free agency.
DeGrom, 34, signed a five-year, $137.5million extension with the Mets back in 2019, which included an option to void the final two years of the deal to enter free agency early.
After starting 32 games in the year he signed that deal, deGrom has battled a string of serious injuries, only starting a combined 38 games across the past three seasons.
At his age, with his injury history, he is likely looking at his last massive payday, so it should be no red flag for the Mets that he decided to opt out and cash-in for what will likely be a higher salary with extra years on top.
Eppler told the media on Tuesday that he is optimistic about his club's chances of bringing back the former Rookie of the Year and back-to-back Cy Young Award winner in 2018 and 2019.
"We had another conversation, or a couple of conversations actually leading up to the decision date," he said. "We just kind of made a pact to stay in touch.
"I think there's a good deal of interest there on his part, so that was articulated a number of times through the season and reiterated in our most recent conversation."
The Mets struck the first big deal of the offseason when they agreed to a five-year, $102m extension for closer Edwin Diaz the day free agency opened, making him the highest-paid relief pitcher in history.
SNY's Andy Martino is reporting the two teams most aggressively looking to lure deGrom out of New York are the Atlanta Braves and the Texas Rangers, and he adds that if either of those teams decide to pay a top-of-the-market price on a deal spanning at least four years, the Mets would be hesitant to match it.
Phoenix Suns sharpshooter Cameron Johnson underwent successful surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee on Tuesday, and is expected to be sidelined for at least one month.
Johnson, 26, was the Suns' first-round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, and after being used primarily off the bench in his first three seasons, the three-point specialist broke into the starting lineup full-time this season.
He took Jae Crowder's starting role in doing so, leading to a relatively messy break-up between Crowder and the Suns, as he is now away from the team awaiting a trade and according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Johnson's injury situation is not impacting that decision.
Johnson started the season averaging a career-high 13 points per game, and he leads the Suns in three-point makes per game (2.8) while shooting a career-high 43.1 per cent from long range.
In the game before he suffered his injury, Johnson led the Suns with 29 points on 10-of-17 shooting in a 116-107 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
After not coming to an agreement for a contract extension in the offseason, Johnson will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, meaning the Suns will have the option to match any offer he receives from other interested teams.
The Las Vegas Raiders have released former first-round draft pick Johnathan Abram after failing to find a suitable trade for the safety before the deadline.
Abram, 26, was taken 27th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, but his professional career got off to a rough start when he tore his rotator cuff in his first regular season game, cutting his rookie season short after one half.
He played and started in 13 games in his second season, recording two interceptions and six pass breakups, before tallying a career-high 116 tackles as he started 14 games in his third season.
Eyebrows were raised about his future in Las Vegas after his fifth-year option was declined by the team, and the writing was on the wall when he lost his starting role in Week 8 to 31-year-old veteran Duron Harmon.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, of the 121 players who have logged at least 1000 coverage snaps since 2019, Abram has allowed the second-highest completion percentage as a nearest defender.
With his release, Abram is now the fourth of the Raiders' six first-round draft picks under former general manager Mike Mayock to not make it through their rookie contract.
The Los Angeles Angels have no plans to trade two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani this offseason, general manager Perry Minasian told reporters Monday.
Ohtani is entering his final season of team control before he becomes a free agent next offseason. The Angels agreed to pay Ohtani $30million in 2023 to avoid arbitration, but speculation has persisted that Los Angeles is at a crossroads with the Japanese-born star.
"Because he's obviously such a good player, we're not moving him. Ohtani is not getting moved," Minasian said at the GM meetings in Las Vegas. "He'll be here to start the season.
"I know there's been rumors and all types of things, but he will be part of the club. We love the player and I think the goal is for him to be here for a long time."
Minasian said that the Angels’ potential impending ownership change would not affect the club’s willingness to offer Ohtani a contract that is sure to be enormous.
"At the end of the day it's ownership's call," Minasian said about a potential deal with Ohtani. "But I make the recommendations and I think everybody's on the same page. Easy player not to move."
Ohtani, 28, was named one of the three finalists for the American League MVP Monday after winning the award in 2021. He hit .273 this season with 34 home runs and 95 RBI. As a pitcher, he finished with a 15-9 record and 2.33 ERA while making a career-high 28 starts.
The Angels have missed the playoffs every season since Ohtani joined the team in 2018 and have made just one postseason appearance since his co-star, Mike Trout, made his debut in 2011.
It must not be a great time to be a Los Angeles Lakers fan right now.
Granted, pre-season optimism hits followers of any NBA team, and the glass-half-full theory around the Lakers was that Darvin Ham would be able to get a tune out of a team of superstars that has flattered to deceive since 2020.
So far, that has not happened, and despite still being early in the campaign, things are already threatening to get away from them.
Monday's 139-116 defeat at the Utah Jazz took the Lakers to 2-8 from their first 10 outings, and they are about to face a Clippers side that is hitting form.
Having started their season with a 103-97 win against the Lakers before another victory in Sacramento, Tyronn Lue's team then lost four in a row as people started to question if they were going to go the same way as their neighbours.
However, back-to-back wins against the Houston Rockets followed by successes against the Spurs and the Cavaliers either side of a loss to the Jazz have the Clippers at 6-5 and in seventh place in the Western Conference.
The Lakers are just one place off bottom in the West, having lost their first five games before a brief hint of a turnaround with wins against the Nuggets and the Pelicans was extinguished by three more defeats.
LeBron James did not feature against the Jazz on Monday due to a sore foot, but reports suggest that was the result of playing the night before, so Ham may be able to call on his experience on Wednesday.
While the debates still rage about the use of Russell Westbrook, he scored 22 points in Utah with a team-leading five assists as well as three rebounds, while Anthony Davis' 29 points will likely need to be repeated if they are to have a chance against their local rivals.
Paul George will have something to say about that after his 26 points in the win against the Cavs, on a night in which the Clippers shared the wealth, with six different players reaching double figures for points.
PIVOTAL PERFORMERS
Los Angeles Clippers – Paul George
It was not only against Cleveland that George has thrived this season, boasting an average over his first 10 outings at 25.3 points per game, with Marcus Morris Sr claiming the next highest average with 15.0.
George only scored 15 against the Lakers last month, but he has pushed on to become the league's 14th highest scoring player per game so far in a team that has struggled for high scores.
Los Angeles Lakers – Anthony Davis
Should he play, it'll probably be James again, who in spite of questions about his age is still averaging 24.3 points per game; but with uncertainty about whether he will feature, as mentioned, Davis will need to perform well either way.
The 29-year-old is currently matching his points per game from last season (23.2), with his rebound numbers slightly up so far (10.3 from 9.9).
KEY BATTLES – Clippers must find points from somewhere
The Clippers may have recovered in recent games, but they are still struggling to score points, with their average of 103.8 the lowest in the NBA by more than three (the Wizards have the next lowest with 107.0).
With Kawhi Leonard still sidelined, the onus will fall on George, but others will need to step up and help him put numbers on the board.
The saving grace is that they come up against a Lakers team averaging 116.3 points conceded this season, with just six teams in the league allowing more against per game.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Recent contests have been dominated by the Clippers, with their opening-game victory last month their eighth in a row against the Lakers, who have not beaten their rivals since July 30, 2020 during their bubble season success.
Lorenzo Musetti enjoyed a winning start at the ATP Next Gen Finals in Milan after seeing off Tseng Chun-hsin in straight sets on Tuesday.
The highest seed at the tournament after Holger Rune's withdrawal, world number 23 Musetti eased to a 4-2 4-2 4-2 victory in just 70 minutes at the Allianz Cloud Arena.
The home favourite is making his second appearance at the event and arrives after an impressive year on the ATP Tour that yielded titles in Hamburg and Naples.
"It was really nice," Musetti said during his on-court interview. "I remember playing here from last year. The crowd here is really amazing. They gave me extra energy. I am pretty confident and happy with the win."
Elsewhere in Red Group, third seed Jack Draper was beaten 4-3 (7-5) 4-3 (7-5) 4-3 (7-5) by Dominic Stricker, who became the first player in Next Gen Finals history to win three successive tie-breaks.
Ranked 111th, the Swiss debutant hit 14 aces on the way to overcoming the world number 41.
Meanwhile, in Green Group, San Diego champion Brandon Nakashima prevailed in an epic five-set thriller against Matteo Arnaldi 2-4 4-3 (9-7) 4-3 (7-4) 3-4 (4-7) 4-2.
The fourth seed is aiming to go the extra couple of steps this year, having reached the semi-finals 12 months ago.
"Right from the beginning, it was a lot of critical points, the sets were going by fast, so I just tried to adapt as quick as possible," Nakashima said. "The tie-breaks, I was kind of lucky to squeeze them out, and today I think it was just all about finding a way out here.
"He's a super tough opponent, he was playing really well, and it was just some critical points in the end that helped me get over the line."
The day's other match saw Jiri Lehecka celebrate his 21st birthday by defeating Francesco Passaro 4-1 4-3 (9-7) 4-1 in just 67 minutes on his debut.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says Max Verstappen's "perfect" 2022 campaign is the most dominant he has seen during his time in Formula One.
Verstappen retained his world title with four races to spare by emerging victorious at last month's Japanese Grand Prix, and he has since posted wins in the United States and Mexico.
The Dutchman broke F1's single-season wins record – previously shared with Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel – at the Mexican Grand Prix, securing his 14th race victory of 2022.
The numbers therefore back up Horner's claims this has been a season like no other for Verstappen.
Asked whether his driver had produced the best campaign in recent memory, Horner said: "There's been years of domination with Mercedes, but I think, as an individual driver, probably yes.
"He's won the most grands prix in a year now, within 22 races. On top of that, he's won two sprint races, and he's not won all of them from pole position. He's had to fight and race for a lot of those victories.
"I think when we look back at the end of the year, it is an absolutely outstanding year that Max has driven. He hasn't put a wheel wrong.
"He's been perfect throughout the season. It's incredible, the level of consistency that he's been able to achieve."
Last year, Verstappen became the first Red Bull driver to win the world championship since Vettel clinched the last of his four successive titles in 2013, and Horner believes he does not get the recognition he deserves.
"They are two very different drivers, two phenomenally successful drivers," Horner said of Verstappen and Vettel.
"I think that what Sebastian has achieved in his career puts him among the greats and most successful drivers in the sport, but I think Max, what we're seeing today and this year, we're actually witnessing something very special.
"I actually think his achievements sometimes don't receive the plaudits that they should, because I think what we've witnessed this year is an absolutely outstanding performance from a driver that is very much at the top of his game."
Trinidad & Tobago’s Dylan Carter has been named the men’s overall series winner for the 2022 FINA Swimming World Cup.
The 26-year-old Carter won an impressive nine gold medals over the three stops in the event to finish with a final score of 172.6 points.
The three legs for this year’s World Cup were Berlin from October 21-23, Toronto from October 28-30 and Indianapolis from November 3-5. The Trinidadian won gold medals in the 50m backstroke, 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly at all three stops for nine golds in total.
In the backstroke, not only did Carter win three golds, he also lowered the Trinidadian national record three times, swimming 23.15 in Berlin, 22.94 in Toronto and 22.72 in Indianapolis.
He also broke the national record in the freestyle twice with times of 20.77 in Berlin and 20.72 in Indianapolis.
Eddie Jones believes England's loss to Argentina was partly down to being too focused on next year's Rugby World Cup as he accepted full responsibility for the defeat.
England were on the end of a surprise 30-29 reverse at a packed Twickenham on Sunday – only their second ever home defeat to Argentina.
The sides will meet again in their opening match of the 2023 World Cup next September, which Jones already had one eye on heading into last weekend's battle in London.
"When your team doesn't play to the potential you want, there is always something in the message that you're giving the team that's not quite clear," he said.
"We've been looking at a number of long-term strategies to get ourselves set for the World Cup. Maybe our focus wasn't tight enough on the Argentina game.
"Maybe we were over-thinking a bit, and that's entirely my fault."
England reached the final in 2019 and are among the favourites to lift the trophy next year, alongside New Zealand, Ireland, hosts France and reigning champions South Africa.
The Red Rose endured another disappointing Six Nations campaign earlier this year, but they recovered with a battling 2-1 series win in Australia prior to losing to Argentina.
With less than a year to go before the World Cup begins, Jones is hoping to further develop his squad in time for the tournament.
"There are a cluster of teams at the top of world rugby," he said. "We want to break that cluster. To do that we have to have a number of different ways to play the game.
"This next 11 months is to get enough equipment in our armoury to play any way.
"England rugby is traditionally about power rugby, winning the set-piece, smashing down the gain-line, but we have to learn from the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
"In the final, we came up against a side that had more power than us, and we were unable to beat them at that game."
England have made three changes to their 36-man squad for Saturday's showdown with Japan at Twickenham, which is followed by Tests against New Zealand and South Africa.
Lewis Hamilton is grateful to have been made an honorary citizen of Brazil and dedicated the achievement to boyhood idol Ayrton Senna.
The seven-time Formula One world champion received the honour during a ceremony at the Chamber of Deputies in Brasilia on Monday.
Hamilton delighted home spectators when holding a Brazilian flag from his Mercedes after claiming his third victory at Interlagos last year.
That is also the venue where the Briton won his first world title in 2008, and where he will return this weekend for the penultimate grand prix of 2022.
While Hamilton may still be seeking a first victory of a hugely disappointing campaign, the 37-year-old was all smiles as he received Brazil's legislative medal of merit.
"I'd like to say a big, big thank you to everyone here, for all those who've moved mountains to make this day possible," he said.
"It is honestly the greatest honour for me to be here receiving and accepting this citizenship. I really do feel like now I'm one of you, finally.
"The love that's grown since I arrived here in 2007, the experiences we've had and, particularly in 2021, it was one of the most special moments of my entire life.
"I can't wait for us to continue to strive ahead."
Hamilton's seven world titles is the joint-most in F1 history, level with Michael Schumacher and four more than the late, great Senna.
"I really want to dedicate today, this honour, to Ayrton Senna – to Ayrton's family, to his friends and to his fans," Hamilton added.
"For me, when I was five years old, I saw Ayrton race for the first time, and that was the moment I knew that I wanted to be a world champion, just like him.
"It was then that I knew and learnt about Brazil. It was then that I started to play FIFA as Brazil!
"But really, through his eyes, I was able to see how passionate Brazilians were, and how deep it goes, the love and passion you have for your country, and how beautiful it is.
"I'm so excited to spend some more time here."
Darvin Ham vowed "we're going to turn the corner" as "I didn't come here to lose" after the struggling Los Angeles Lakers suffered a heavy defeat against the Utah Jazz.
The Lakers' woeful start to the season took another turn for the worse when they were beaten 139-116 at Vivint Arena.
LeBron James was sidelined due to foot soreness as Los Angeles were consigned to a third straight defeat, slipping to 2-8.
Only the Houston Rockets (2-9) are keeping the Lakers off the bottom of the Western Conference, with Ham enduring a difficult start to his tenure as head coach after replacing the sacked Frank Vogel in June.
Ham is adamant the good times will return to Los Angeles.
He told reporters after the Lakers' latest heavy loss: "I would say this, man. And write it, quote it, however, this may be happening now at the outset of what we're trying to force to be a culture change in terms of getting us back to being highly competitive on a highly consistent basis, but it's not going to always be like this.
"We're going to turn the corner. I didn't come here to lose. They didn't bring me here to lose."
Ham believes his side can benefit from going through such a testing period.
"There is a process involved where we have to go through tough times. Like, I want to bottle this up. I want to embrace it.
"I want to have it and store it so when things are turned around and we get too comfortable and we start complaining about some problems that are not even necessarily problems – problems that winning teams go through – I want to be able to reflect on these times."
Roquan Smith saw "no weaknesses at all" as he reflected on an impressive Baltimore Ravens debut during Monday's crushing 27-13 win over the New Orleans Saints.
The Ravens defense was at its suffocating best, with Saints only mustering six points until their first touchdown came four minutes from time when the game was already beyond them.
Linebacker Smith, who was traded from the Chicago Bears last week, played a big part, making an impact early on with a tackle on Alvin Kamara to prevent a first down and force a punt.
That was one of five tackles Smith tallied over the game, though he was just one part of a defensive unit that was brutally sharp, with Justin Houston and Marlon Humphrey among the others to catch the eye.
For Smith, the game brought a realisation of just how strong the 6-3 Ravens are as AFC North leaders made it three wins on the bounce.
"It's amazing just being around so many playmakers, guys that make plays all over the field," he told NFL Network.
"I don't see no weaknesses at all. It sucks giving up that last play, that's why we've got to get better, but I'm excited about the direction we're going."
Despite the Ravens reaching an impressive points total, it was not a contest that saw the quarterbacks shine with their throwing.
The Ravens' tactic of shutting down Kamara and the Saints' rushing attack forced QB Andy Dalton to beat them from the pocket, and he largely failed in that regard, with his respectable stat-line of 19 of 29 passes for 210 yards and one touchdown arguably masking his struggles.
Similarly with the Ravens, Lamar Jackson only recorded 133 passing yards from 12 completions, but their ground attack was unstoppable and the quarterback contributed significantly to that.
With starting running backs J.K Dobbins and Gus Edwards missing through injury, Jackson looked to do a fair amount of the work himself, carrying the ball 11 times for 83 yards, and Smith felt the need to salute that effort afterwards.
"It's amazing, it's the reason that guy was the MVP before," he said.
"Man, he's special. I'm happy to be on his team, and I think it's going be a lot of great things coming forward for him and this team."
Steve Kerr hailed Steph Curry's "breath-taking" performance in the Golden State Warriors' win over the Sacramento Kings, which evoked memories of Game 4 of the NBA Finals for Draymond Green.
The Warriors were in need of some respite having lost five straight road games, making unwanted history as the first defending champions to start a season 0-6 on their travels in the process.
Curry delivered in some style at the Chase Center, putting up a season-high 47 points from 17-of-24 shooting including making 7-of-12 three-point attempts.
He also had eight assists and as many rebounds, with 17 of his points coming in the fourth quarter.
"Steph was just breath-taking," Warriors coach Kerr said.
"He's obviously one of the greatest players of all time and he plays so well on so many nights. But this even seemed like something special for him."
For team-mate Green, while the 116-113 victory was not of the same significance as Game 4 of last season's Finals against the Boston Celtics, Curry's performance was reminiscent of his heroics that night.
On that occasion, Curry had 43 points and 10 rebounds to level a series the Warriors would go on to win 4-2.
"It was very Game 4 of the NBA Finals to me. He just wasn't going to allow us to lose," Green said.
"Take that with a grain of salt because I'm not saying this game was as important. But you know when to get out of the way. It was one of those times where he was taking over."
The Warriors have endured defensive struggles and problems with an unproductive bench in the early stages of a season that sees them own a 4-7 record and sit 12th in the Western Conference.
Each of Curry, Green, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins were absent against the New Orleans Pelicans las time out, but played 38, 36, 38, and 40 minutes respectively against the Kings.
Kerr accepted such volume is not viable long term but said it was a case of needs must to get a W on the board.
"It was obviously necessary," Kerr said. "But it's not sustainable. So we know we can't do this for a long time."
For Curry, there is a realisation the Warriors will go through peaks and troughs this season.
"We have to understand that [the young players] are all going to get an opportunity to perform, and there are going to be some struggles – some real high highs, and some real low lows," he said.
"That's the story of this team. As vets, you understand every year is a little different and you are ready for that challenge. For these young guys to try and find themselves in this league and also a specific role, it's challenging."
Caroline Garcia spoke of her "giant happiness" after coming through a "big fight" to defeat Aryna Sabalenka and become the WTA Finals champion.
The 29-year-old became just the second Frenchwoman after Amelie Mauresmo in 2005 to win the season-ending tournament by coming through a bruising encounter 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Victory propels Garcia back to a joint-career high ranking of fourth, having been languishing down in the mid-70s as recently as June following a series of injuries.
"It's definitely a lot of giant happiness," Garcia said at her post-match press conference.
"A crazy final, a lot of intensity on every point. Just really proud of the work we did through all the year. It was a great match – really went for it. I'm really happy to win my biggest title.
"Just very happy about the mindset, to be really calm at every moment. All the negative emotion doesn't affect me, and that was really a big part of taking the few opportunities I had in the tie-breaker and the first game I broke her in the second."
With the win, Garcia pockets $1.57million in prize money and 1,375 ranking points.
Her triumph in Fort Worth is the culmination of sparkling form that has seen her win every final she has played in 2022, while she has won eight of her last nine over the past six years.
It also marks a fine return to the top table. Back in 2017, 11 straight victories to win WTA 1000 events in Wuhan and Beijing saw Garcia first enter the top 10 and earn a maiden trip to the WTA Finals where she lost to Venus Williams in the semi-finals.
"Sometimes you are emotional or things don't go your way," Garcia said.
"I mean, sometimes there is a big fight, so you have to find your way through it. Some points, where you cannot do anything. You just try to put in the return and to run as fast as you can to the other side.
"And that was one of the biggest points I improved. Today one of the most important things was to stay calm and jump on every opportunity."
Sabalenka had knocked out top seed Iga Swiatek to reach the showpiece match but hit two costly double faults in the first-set breaker – an area that she has struggled with throughout the year.
"I just dropped my level for a little bit. On the tie-break and the first game of the second set. That's it," a rueful Sabalenka reflected.
"I did my best, [but] she played unbelievable tennis."
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