Unity has announced its financial results for Q3 2024, reporting revenues of $447 million, a year-over-year decline of 18%. The company has raised its guidance for the fourth quarter, projecting revenue between $422 million and $427 million, with adjusted EBITDA expected between $79 million and $84 million.
For the full year, Unity has updated its revenue forecast to a range of $1.7 billion to $1.71 billion, up from previous estimates.
The company also introduced Jarrod Yahes as its new Chief Financial Officer.
Key Figures:
Total Revenue: $447 million (down 18% YoY)
Create Solutions Revenue: $132 million (up 5% YoY)
Grow Solutions Revenue: $298 million (down 5% YoY)
Net Loss: $125 million (consistent with Q3 last year, improved from $126 million in Q2)
The highlights
While strategic portfolio revenue declined 2% year over year to $429 million, and its total revenue declined 18% year over year to $447 million, Unity’s net loss decreased from $126 million to $125 million compared to last quarter.
The company attributes the quarter-over-quarter increase in its Create Solutions revenue to growth in subscription revenue, which is up 12%.
Its non-strategic portfolio fell 84% to $17 million due to its “portfolio reset.” This figure is also expected to continue declining in the fourth quarter.
“The entire gaming ecosystem works better when Unity delivers on its commitment to giving developers and publishers what they need to create and market great games,” said CEO and President Matt Bromberg.
“Although we are just at the beginning of our journey to transform the Company, we are motivated by our progress and the response of our customers and community. The opportunity is clear, the market wants us to succeed and we believe we have everything we need to achieve consistent and sustainable growth and profitability for years to come.
“As always, our deepest gratitude goes to our customers, partners, employees and investors for their unwavering support.”
The captain, who was also benched during the league win over St Mirren last month, came off in the 67th minute at Hampden and was then sidelined for Thursday’s game in Greece.
It is impossible to say whether or not the result would have been different if Tavernier had started, but what is clear is that both Sterling and Kasanwirjo can be satisfied with their defensive performances against a disappointing Olympiakos attack.
Clement hailed their “really solid” defense and praised his midfield for playing its part in the draw, which meant Rangers are now unbeaten in their last five away games in the Europa League, equaling their longest run in the competition history.
The clearest sign of where Clement places Tavernier in his pecking order will now come on Sunday when Hearts visit Ibrox, but the Belgian insisted he wanted to see leadership come from more than just one player.
“It’s never an easy decision, but I want more than one captain in the group,” the Rangers boss said of his call-up to Tavernier’s bench.
“If you [get to] At a certain age you can’t play 60 games at the same level. We knew it before the season and we talked about it.
“It’s about competition for places. It’s about a team winning together. That’s what Rangers are: one team, one family, chasing one goal.”
A few weeks before Vlatko Andonovski was introduced as the Kansas City Current’s new head coach and athletic director in October 2023, he was already on a business trip. Andonovski was in South Africa to attend the COSAFA Women’s Championship, an annual competition held by 14 national teams in the southern section of the continent. Malawi made history by winning its first championship, thanks in part to the tournament’s top scorer, Tenwa Chawinga, who scored nine goals in five games.
That’s the legend of Chawinga, whose Wikipedia page is full of astonishing statistics, such as 55 goals in 57 games in Sweden for Kvarnsvedens IK and 84 goals in 83 games for Wuhan Jianghan University FC in China. She was one of several women’s soccer players who had impressive careers, but they did so on the fringes, playing in leagues with limited visibility both in their home countries and abroad. However, that does not mean that players like Chawinga are resigned to staying there.
Chawinga signed for Current the following January and was one of several players from a wide variety of international clubs to reach the NWSL this season. Many have also found success with their big breaks: Chawinga scored 20 goals in the regular season, while league newcomer Barbra Banda is second on the list with 13. This reflects the NWSL’s own new bespoke strategies that navigates an increasingly competitive women’s football. landscape, as well as a hug from the league clubs.
“soccer is the most global sport out there right now, bar none,” Caitlin Carducci, director of soccer for the Kansas City Current, told CBS Sports. “[It’s a] “It is obvious that we should look everywhere possible to find the best players and that is how they say we are the best league in the world.”
NWSL spending spree
NWSL rosters have long relied on domestic talent, largely because international roster spots were few and far between. Teams were limited to just four international spots for several years, and while that increased to five ahead of the 2022 season, the league made a big call ahead of the 2024 campaign to expand the allocation to seven. They also introduced a new transfer fee policy with a threshold of $500,000 that could be used for both domestic and international signings. Introducing those measures was key to the league’s strategy to stay competitive.
“When we talk about things we, as a league, can do to give teams more opportunities to attract and retain top talent, expanding international roster spots and adjusting the parameters around team spending were key levers that we knew we could use to offer teams more flexibility to invest in high-quality players from around the world,” said NWSL sporting director Tatjana Haenni. “The allocation of more international roster spots has also preceded an increase in international scouting and global market awareness. That in turn has introduced different playing styles and identities into the league’s clubs.”
Not only were the league’s teams able to sign more international talent, but they also splashed out money doing so. Expansion team Bay FC set the women’s soccer winter transfer record when they signed forward Rachael Kundananji from Madrid CFF for a reported fee of $862,000, while the Pride currently sit in second place in the category for the acquisition. of Shanghai Gang Shengli after allegedly spending $740,000. .
“I think it’s made the league more globally competitive,” Pride athletic director Haley Carter said. “Being able to spend those resources to bring in athletes like that, and that’s the direction the transfer market is going and it’s not something the NWSL can control, so we don’t want to be in a position where we’re reactionary. I think get ahead [by] have that transfer mechanism.”
The NWSL’s new rules have coincided with several clubs significantly improving their scouting operations, spending money on signings and other measures to leave no stone unturned. The Pride, for example, has hired a director of scouting and analytics, as well as a talent identification scout, who join a group of other club staff to establish specific talent profiles and pipelines for each position . Spending money on travel plays a role, as does watching hours and hours of videos about potential recruits.
Finding those images is sometimes easier said than done, as the Chinese Women’s Super League serves as a hub for talented players who are hard to watch. Relying on connections is the key to getting those players drawn: Former Racing Louisville head coach Kim Bjorkegren, for example, had pre-existing knowledge of that league’s players after working for Beijing Jingtan. Andonovski knew Chawinga’s agent and used him as a starting point for negotiations. Meanwhile, The Pride called a friend while recruiting Banda, who made a name for herself after scoring two hat-tricks in three games at the 2020 Summer Olympics, as well as Grace Chanda.
“To be honest, exploring it is all about the international game and Lisa Cole, who is an American soccer coach, was the technical advisor for Zambia,” Carter said. “She was with them in the run-up to 2023. [Women’s] World Cup and, of course, we were watching those games… We [also] noticed [Chanda] in the run-up to the World Cup. Unfortunately, she couldn’t participate in the World Cup, but at the same time we see Barbra, we see Grace and then we talk to Lisa.”
“An easy sale”
The new and improved scouting operations in the NWSL reflect a broad increase in investment across the league. Teams may spend more on transfers and salaries than in previous years, while ownership groups are eager to invest their money in training facilities, stadiums, medical staff, private chefs and more to improve player experience and performance. Added to the level of competition, it makes it easier for clubs to present themselves to potential talent.
Naturally, each club has its own outlets, especially Current. They are one of the few NWSL teams with their own training facilities and are the first women’s sports team in the country with their own stadium.
“We’re never second fiddle to anyone,” Carducci said. “We never have to adjust our schedule because there’s another team there and everything is designed for a women’s professional soccer team and then when you can look at someone and say, ‘Look at this stadium that’s yours and no one else’s.’ You’re always the priority in this building’, and then have an office to go to every day in the training facility with two top-notch grass fields, everything one could want in modalities and an athletic training room and meeting room . living room and dressing room, not to mention a cafeteria and a full-time chef who learns about our players, knows what they want and makes the things they want. Everyone knows everyone’s tendencies. That’s an easy sell.
Carducci said that description helped convince Chawinga, who had never been to the United States before, to join the Current, while Carter said moving to the country was “a dream come true” for Chanda. Moving to the NWSL also comes with financial benefits: Carter said salaries are “better, overall, than any other league in the world” and can present players with other business opportunities. Banda, for example, was a speaker at the Women’s Sports Business Summit organized by Axios and Deep Blue, a sports and entertainment agency.
A renewed calendar
The NWSL’s global approach was also not reserved for signing new players this season. The clubs participated in the inaugural NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Women’s Summer Cup, which Corriente won, while Concacaf also launched the W Champions Cup this season. International friendlies were a big part of the teams’ winter and summer schedules, with trips to Colombia and matches against opponents from England, Spain and South Africa being on the schedule for a variety of NWSL teams.
“The NWSL has become much more sophisticated in terms of playing styles,” Carducci said. “There is, rightly or wrongly, a reputation of ‘it’s just a big, fast league physically,’ and that’s not the case. We have a lot of talent in the league, both coaches and players… See other teams and other leagues and then feeling uncomfortable and seeing players you don’t see every week and the adjustments you have to make, that also helps with the weekly chess match that happens in the NWSL.”
The batch of international friendlies and global talent also allows the NWSL to expand its presence abroad. The league now has broadcast deals with nine companies on six continents, and Carter says people in Zambia stay up into the early hours of the morning to watch Banda and Chanda play thanks to the NWSL’s Africa deal with ESPN.
It also provides an opportunity for staff at NWSL clubs to network with their counterparts elsewhere, which can be useful in building relationships that are useful in scouting players, as finding contact information for lesser-known clubs can be a challenge, Carducci admitted. Chatting with international clubs also comes without the baggage of competition week in and week out, according to Carter.
“Another positive is having the ability to work with clubs from other leagues, exchange best practices and it’s not like you have to worry about some kind of competitive advantage there because you’re not competing against each other in the championship in the same way,” Carter said. Topics of conversation range from “things like [organization] charts, job descriptions, player care policies and player issues, and team operations. “Plan your preseason, plan what you are going to do during any type of break.”
The global approach taken by the NWSL is in line with other recent political changes that reflect international soccer more than American sports. The league simplified free agency in its new collective bargaining agreement, which was ratified in August, and most notably abolished the college draft. There have also been signs that the league is considering a switch to the fall-to-spring schedule that is common in Europe, according to a report from The Equalizer in 2023.
An NWSL spokesperson told CBS Sports they have no comment at this time, although that hasn’t stopped Carter from speaking to clubs in England about their schedule. Although Carter said he has “no idea” if a schedule change is imminent, he is in the process of gathering as much information as he can.
“Another thing I’m working on with some clubs in England, for example the Women’s Super League clubs, is around a possible calendar change,” Carter said. “The FA Women’s Super League changed its calendar a few years ago and there are implications associated with that. And if the NWSL ever decides to change the calendar, I want to make sure we are prepared and know the things we should think about.”, contractual considerations and did they have to play a shortened season? How did you deal with some of those things?
The football Association has opened a safeguarding investigation into the boss of a Premier League club, a year after a BBC investigation.
The investigation concluded that, although three women reported the man to the police for alleged sexual crimes, he remained in his position at the club.
One of the women told the BBC that the FA had failed to protect women and girls by taking no action, even though she was under 16 at the time of the alleged incident.
Following reports from sports news publication The Athletic, the BBC has received confirmation that the FA has opened its own investigation following the police decision to take no further action.
A spokesperson for the national governing body said it does not comment on individual cases, but that it has “robust safeguarding measures” in place.
In an email from late October, seen by the BBC, the FA invited one of the complainants, who we call Kate, to a meeting to discuss her experiences as part of their safeguarding investigation. The FA added that it will not be able to share with her any details of its investigations, including the outcome achieved once completed.
Kate first contacted the FA in July 2023, where she told them that she had reported the man to the police over a historical rape which she claims occurred when she was 15 years old. However, he believes the FA has done nothing so far.
“The football authorities and [the] “The government appears to have turned a blind eye and a deaf ear and decided to say or do nothing to protect women from the threats it poses to girls and women,” she told the BBC in reaction to news of an investigation into the FA.
While Kate is pleased the investigation has been opened, she says she is seriously concerned about the lack of transparency about the action taken. “We need guarantees that all the women in the club are safe,” he adds.
The chief was also investigated in 2021 following an accusation that he sexually abused another 15-year-old girl in the 1990s. No further action was taken in that case because the legislation established that if a crime of “sexual relations” was committed “illegal acts” between 1956 and 2004, and the alleged victim was a girl between 13 and 15 years old, she had to file a complaint within a year.
The BBC spoke to a third woman, who says that in the late 1990s the boss locked her in a room while trying to force her into sexual activity. She says this happened during a job interview when she was in her early 20s.
The police have abandoned all three investigations.
In November last year, the BBC found that seven in 20 Premier League clubs had players or bosses investigated by police for sexual offenses since 2020.
The FA regulations only cover how to respond to allegations of this nature if they occur within a “football environment” or if the concerns relate to children or vulnerable adults.
Their policies allow the governing body to impose an interim suspension order that blocks the individual from any or all in-game activity while the investigation continues.
Such an order can be imposed where the FA receives information that causes it to “reasonably believe that a person poses or may pose a risk of harm”.
The new investigation will be led by the FA’s director of professional game protection.
A spokesperson for the national governing body said: “We investigate and assess all allegations and concerns about individuals who may pose a risk of harm to children and adults at risk in football and, where appropriate, may impose proportionate protective measures in accordance with the protection of the FA”. regulations.”
NEW ORLEANS — Following Jarrett Allen’s lead, the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrated the first 9-0 start in franchise history by pouring water over coach Kenny Atkinson’s head in the locker room.
There will be much more important games, with higher stakes, than the Cavs. Victory 131-122 in New Orleans on Wednesday night.
But Atkinson didn’t mind taking a moment to enjoy something no other Cavs team had done in the 55 years since Cleveland joined the NBA for the 1970-71 season.
“You have to do it,” said Atkinson, who also became the first NBA coach to win his first nine games with a new team. “This season is very long. It’s very difficult to win in this league. So, when you have moments like this, you have to celebrate a little.”
After shooting 54.2% in the Big Easy, including 48.6% (17 of 35) from 3-point range, the Cavs are shooting a career-best 52.6% from the field. the NBA in the season.
“We’re playing good basketball,” said All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, who scored 29 points Wednesday, while five other teammates scored 11 or more. “We’ve done it in a lot of different ways. We’ve had blowouts, close games, come-from-behind wins.
“It’s just the habits that really get me excited about what we’re doing. The most important thing is to be consistent. Let’s continually be this team.”
Cleveland next plays at home on Friday night against the Golden State Warriors, who set the NBA record for best start to a season by winning their first 24 games during the 2015-16 campaign.
Against the Pelicans, the Cavs got 50 points from the reserves, while four of five starters scored 14 or more. They are the second team to start 9-0 and score 110 or more points in every game in NBA history, joining the 1960-61 Warriors.
“Again, everyone contributes,” Atkinson said. “It’s what good teams do. We’re in a good place physically. We’re in a good place mentally.
“When you win nine in a row, it’s not one or two guys; it’s the entire squad.”
In his previous four seasons as Brooklyn’s head coach, Atkinson had just one winning record, going 42-40 in 2018-19.
He spent the last four seasons as an assistant: the first with the LA Clippers and the last three with Golden State.
Now, he’s off to a fairly auspicious start in his second stint as head coach, albeit with a team that won a playoff series a season ago and was expected to be in the Eastern Conference playoffs again this season.
“The vibes are great, the energy is great, he’s done a phenomenal job with us and we’ve embraced it too,” Mitchell said. “He’s given us his opinion, but he’s also allowed us to give our opinion to ourselves and I think that’s what’s special.”
Atkinson, meanwhile, seems pleased by the synergy he has felt not only among his players, but also between them and himself.
“What I think about is this team and the camaraderie they have, the chemistry we have and how connected they are,” said Atkinson, who replaced the fired JB Bickerstaff. “I’ve been lucky enough to be with a really good group, a group that’s had a lot of success in the past and I’m happy for them, and I think they’re happy for me in the locker room.
“There’s a bond between the head coach and the team. You have to celebrate those moments and it’s great.”
thanksgiving and NFL football, it’s as American as it gets. Football and Thanksgiving have gone hand in hand for about a century, as the Detroit Lions’ tradition of playing on this special Thursday began in 1934, while the Dallas Cowboys began their Thanksgiving tradition in 1966. according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
This year, we once again have a Turkey Day tripleheader, starting at 12:30 pm ET on Thursday, November 28 (with one game on CBS) and continuing all night with the final kickoff scheduled for 8:20 pm Eastern Time. Below, we’ll break down the three Thanksgiving matchups happening in 2024.
The Lions have a division rival again on Thanksgiving Day, as they host Caleb Williams and the Bears. There’s a new energy in Chicago, and it’s not just because of their new quarterback. The Bears also drafted former Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze, traded for former Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen, and signed Pro Bowl running back D’Andre Swift. It’s been a pretty solid situation for the number one overall pick in the draft.
As for the Lions, they are coming off winning their first NFC North title after losing 13 games just two years ago. Detroit lived up to preseason expectations last year and came very close to reaching Super Bowl LVIII. Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell were paid this offseason, while general manager Brad Holmes brought in even more talent to spark what the Lions hope will be a special 2024. The Lions are 37-45-2 all-time. on Thanksgiving Day, and in fact were upset by the rival Green Bay Packers last year when Jordan Love threw three touchdowns.
Last time these two teams played: Bears 28, Lions 13, Week 14 (2023) – Justin Fields and the Bears stunned the Lions in Chicago, as Goff fumbled three times as the Lions failed to score a single point in the second half.
Just like last year, “America’s Team” will host a division rival at 4:30 pm ET on Thanksgiving Day. However, instead of the Washington Commanders, this time it’s the New York Football Giants. The Cowboys didn’t have the sexiest offseason ever, but they did bolster the trenches with draft picks Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe, and they may have found a steal in Western Michigan pass rusher Marshawn Kneeland.
As for the Giants, they’re running it with Daniel Jones, who now has a fun target to throw at: No. 6 overall pick Malik Nabers. The offense may have lost Saquon Barkley, but the defense added an important piece in star pass rusher Brian Burns.
Last time these two teams played: Cowboys 49, Giants 17, Week 10 (2023) – The Cowboys outscored the Giants, 89-17, in their two meetings last year. Tommy DeVito made his first official NFL start in Week 10 and threw for 86 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, while Prescott threw for 404 yards, scored five total touchdowns and threw one interception. Brandin Cooks and CeeDee Lamb both surpassed 150 receiving yards.
Our Thanksgiving Cup will take place in Green Bay as the Packers host the Dolphins. This matchup features two quarterbacks hoping to get paid as soon as possible: Jordan Love and Tua Tagovailoa.
Love has high expectations heading into 2024, with a young, talented receiving corps led by Christian Watson and a backfield that added Josh Jacobs and MarShawn Lloyd. Green Bay used two of its first three draft picks to address the defensive end, adding linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and safety Javon Bullard in the second round. Both players are expected to play immediate roles for Jeff Hafley.
As for the Dolphins, Tagovailoa and company have a lot to prove. It’s fun to watch the Dolphins crush teams like the Denver Broncos, 70-20, but the fact of the matter is that Miami went 1-5 against playoff teams last year, and they were quickly ousted from the postseason for the eventual Super Bowl champion. Kansas City Chiefs in Super Wild Card weekend, 26-7. Mike McDaniel has one of the best wide receiver trios to work with in Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Odell Beckham Jr., and he added more speed at running back with Jaylen Wright. The Dolphins traded defensive coordinator Vic Fangio for Anthony Weaver, who will lead a revamped secondary that lost Xavien Howard but added Kendall Fuller and Jordan Poyer.
Last time these two teams played: Packers 26, Dolphins 20, Week 16 (Christmas Day 2022) – Miami blew a 20-13 halftime lead against Aaron Rodgers when Tagovailoa threw three interceptions on the Dolphins’ final three possessions. He entered concussion protocol the next day.
CINCINNATI — There were a couple of things on Joe Burrow’s mind in the hours before a surgery that had many unknowns.
One of them was whether all the passengers on the planes had parachutes. When Jake Browning, the Cincinnati Bengals’ backup quarterback behind Burrow, texted Burrow good luck before wrist surgery last November, Burrow responded with a question about evacuation methods for a emergency landing.
“That’s who he is,” Bengals receiver and longtime teammate Ja’Marr Chase said last December. “He just never thinks about ‘the moment’. He’s thinking about something else.”
But the other thought on his mind was more pressing. As someone who underwent surgery during his rookie year in 2020, when he tore ligaments in his right knee, Burrow knew one of the hardest parts wasn’t going under the knife but waiting to begin the recovery process. .
“You’re excited to get that process going,” Burrow told ESPN. “Because it doesn’t start until the surgery happens. Sometimes a month, sometimes six weeks after the surgery. Those weeks are always difficult because you know what’s coming and it hasn’t started yet.”
On Thursday, Burrow will suit up under almost identical circumstances as when he suffered the injury last season: a Thursday night road game against the Baltimore Ravens. That night last November, Burrow was tackled and tore a wrist ligament in his throwing hand. The specific injury was one that no NFL quarterback is known to have experienced. His return has been one that not everyone expected.
Burrow has not only recovered but is playing the best ball of his career. Through nine weeks, he ranks second in QBR with 76.3, behind the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson at 77.3.
Burrow has been at his best at a time when the Bengals have never needed him more. Cincinnati (4-5) is trying to get back to .500 and fighting to avoid missing the playoffs in consecutive seasons; The Bengals have made the postseason every time Burrow has finished a season healthy. And from the time he went down last season until now, he has rebuilt himself into a franchise quarterback.
Even that was never a sure thing.
“You can pitch all you want, but you’re not really sure how it’s going to work until you get out there,” Burrow told ESPN. “That happens with every injury when you recover from it. That’s part of it.”
THE BENGALS WHERE They trailed the Ravens 7-3 late in the second quarter on November 17 when Burrow threw a short pass to Joe Mixon, who ran in from 4 yards out for a score. As Mixon crossed the goal line, Burrow flexed his right wrist, which he landed on during the previous play.
That was Burrow’s last play of the season. He briefly went to the locker room before returning to the bench, tried to throw a couple of passes, squatted down and grimaced.
Burrow suffered a torn scapholunate ligament in his wrist. Eleven days after the injury, he went to Pennsylvania to have surgery by Dr. Thomas Graham, team sources confirmed to ESPN.
There was no plan on the estimated time of return. Unlike his previous injuries that were unprecedented for quarterbacks (an ACL and MCL injury that ended his year in 2020, a ruptured appendix in 2022, a right calf strain in early 2023 ), this was unique.
In the locker room, Burrow found solace in his teammates who had recovered from the same ligament injury.
A look at what Joe Burrow is dealing with with what the team now says is a right wrist injury: pic.twitter.com/nOW3qR0RhR
When Bengals linebacker Joe Bachie was at Michigan State, he broke his wrist in 2016 and then blew out his scapholunate ligament against Michigan in 2017. He said he doesn’t remember what happened in the game, other than getting numbness the fingers. He wore a cast on his wrist, played the rest of the season and then had surgery.
Bachie said he feels no pain in his wrist after the procedure. However, it has a limited range of motion compared to his other wrist, something Burrow hasn’t had to deal with.
“He and I do different jobs,” Bachie told ESPN. “I can’t bend it all the way. But I don’t feel any pain.”
Dr. Steve K. Lee, chief of the hand and upper extremity service at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, said approaches to repairing the scapholunate ligament vary among orthopedic surgeries. Once completed, Lee told ESPN, concerns about recovery include having the same speed and accuracy as before the procedure, the risk of re-injury and arthritis in a ligament Lee called the “key” ligament of the wrist.
“If that breaks down, the mechanics of the wrist go haywire, like an unbalanced washing machine,” Lee told ESPN.
Burrow went to work to get ready for next season. By the time the Bengals began their offseason program in April, Burrow was in uniform and throwing, staying on track for the next step in his recovery process.
THE PROCESS OF Throwing started again with small medicine balls; Burrow told ESPN in May. When the offseason program began, Burrow was less than five months removed from surgery.
And while Burrow was involved, his workload had to be managed. When Burrow didn’t pitch a day, Bengals coach Zac Taylor revealed it was a mandatory rest day to protect Burrow from doing too much.
Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher recently told ESPN that the coaching staff set up this year’s offense around a shot limit for Burrow, which ensured everything went as smoothly as possible.
“Maybe he does individual drills and then doesn’t throw the ball,” Pitcher said.
As the team concluded its mandatory minicamp, Burrow stood next to Chase, who participated on a limited basis due to a contract dispute, flexing his wrist as a spectator. To help improve his wrist’s dexterity, Burrow began watching YouTube videos to learn how to play the piano.
That was his idea. Finally, he learned a few songs. The string of notes that serve as the intro and main melody to Kanye West’s “Homecoming” became one of his favorites to play.
In his final press conference of the offseason, before the players left for summer break, Burrow acknowledged that the accumulation of injuries throughout his career made him reflect on his “football mortality.”
“They add up, and you keep thinking about how you can get better with them,” Burrow said June 11, “how you can come back as an improved player when maybe you’re not getting the reps you had because of your injuries.
“It’s always a challenge, it always is. But I’m built for it.”
IN SPITE OF EVERYONE Despite the injuries he has suffered in his five NFL seasons, Burrow has never missed Week 1. The first games have not always been pretty, such as in 2022, when he threw four interceptions in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers barely a few weeks after being hospitalized for an emergency. appendectomy.
In this season’s opener against the New England Patriots, Burrow had six pass attempts of 10 or more passing yards, according to ESPN Research. That 16-10 loss was one of the biggest upsets in recent years.
The following week, the Bengals faced Kansas City, a team Cincinnati played in the AFC Championship Game after the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The Bengals won the first meeting to go to the Super Bowl, where they lost to Los Angeles Rams, and lost the next year by a field goal with three seconds left.
It was only Week 2, but after what happened the week before, Burrow knew what was needed.
“[The Patriots game] “It ended up being a little tighter than I expected and it didn’t work out the way we wanted it to,” Burrow said. “After that, there was no other option but to go out and let everything fall apart.”
Burrow had 258 yards and two touchdowns in a game the Bengals lost on a field goal. Since then, Burrow has shown the form he had before the injury and has begun to reach new heights in his career.
So far, that hasn’t translated into consistent wins. But if there’s hope the Bengals can turn it around and make a run, it starts with the 2020 No. 1 overall pick, who threw five touchdown passes in a rout of the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
“I know we have one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL,” Bengals special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons said. “That’s always a good starting point.”
He doesn’t play the piano as much as he used to and he doesn’t flex his wrist as much either. After a stretch of his career that has been as good as any, Burrow no longer contemplates his football mortality.
“I don’t know what to tell you,” Burrow said, sitting down at his locker before looking up and flashing a wide smile. “We’re back.”
Chase Brown is coming off a career-high 120 rushing yards after playing 80% of the snaps last week. With Zack Moss (neck) placed on IR, Brown could see a significant amount of the workload again on Thursday Night Football for Bengals vs. Ravens to start the NFL Week 10 schedule. Ravens running back Derrick Henry might draw the most attention from daily Fantasy Football players in this matchup, but could Brown be the running back you don’t want to miss in TNF NFL DFS lineups? Brown has scored a touchdown in four of the last five games and doesn’t command the same high price tag as others for NFL DFS picks. Before setting NFL DFS lineups for Bengals vs. Ravens on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel.
Kaylor is an NFL and DFS expert for SportsLine, who opened the 2022 NFL season by winning DraftKings’ NFL Showdown Thursday Kickoff Millionaire contest. He bested over 355,000 entrants in the contest and also has multiple five-figure tournament wins on his DFS resume. Kaylor, who is paid heavily for the entire season in 2022, has covered the NFL and college football for nearly a decade as a member of the Pro Football Writers of America, and his experience as a former college and NFL player brings a unique perspective to the time to build. your fantasy lineups and lock your betting picks on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel.
Kaylor made epic NFL DFS picks for SportsLine members during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. In 2022, he was on hand for Travis Kelce’s four-touchdown, 460-yard performance against the Raiders on Monday Night Football. by Kirk Cousins on Thanksgiving Day and TJ Hockenson’s 13 receptions for 109 yards and two touchdowns in Week 15. In 2023, took advantage of Ja’Marr Chase’s huge performance in Week 5 (15 receptions, 192 yards, three TDs), DJ Moore’s eight receptions for 230 yards and three touchdowns in Week 14 and De’Von’s outstanding performance Anchane (233 in total). yards, four TDs) in Week 3.
This season, some of Kaylor’s top picks on Showdown DFS lists include Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (4-138-1, 33-1), Bills quarterback Josh Allen ( 263-4), and Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (509-4). ). Anyone who followed his choices is way up there.
Now, Kaylor has turned her attention to Ravens vs. Bengals on Thursday Night Football in Week 9 and secured your top daily fantasy football picks.
Top NFL DFS picks for Bengals vs. Ravens
One of Kaylor’s top NFL DFS picks for Thursday Night Football is Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. The reigning NFL MVP was the QB5 in Fantasy Football last season and is a favorite to win the league’s top individual honor again this year. Jackson is QB1 in fantasy football this season and is third in the league in passing yards (2,379) for the 6-3 Ravens.
One difference that remains for Jackson is his running ability. Although the 27-year-old is averaging 56.1 rushing yards per game, lower than his career average of 60.7 rushing yards, he has been incredibly consistent in producing 40-yard performances. Jackson has rushed for at least 40 yards in eight of nine games this season and that rushing total gives him a sure boost with one of the highest floors for TNF NFL DFS lineups.
Kaylor is also targeting Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. The fourth-year receiver has one of the highest floors in this matchup, as he has over 50 receiving yards in seven of nine games this season. Chase has 11 targets in each of the last two games as Joe Burrow’s preferred option on offense in each game.
Chase had 10 receptions for 193 yards and two touchdowns against Baltimore in Week 5. He has had some of his biggest performances throughout his career against the Ravens, including a 201-yard explosion. He has over 100 yards in three of his seven career games against the Ravens and the Bengals will need another big performance from him to pull off the upset over Baltimore. See who else Kaylor likes here.
How to Set Up Ravens vs. Ravens NFL DFS Lineups and Player Pool Bengals
Kaylor also points to another underrated player who could break out in big numbers in Bengals vs. Ravens. This choice could mean the difference between winning tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing.
The TV series based on Mass Effect, which was reported a couple of years ago, is now “officially in development.”
This is according to a new report from Variety, which says that Amazon MGM Studios will finally move forward with the project.
The show will be written and executive produced by Daniel Casey (who wrote the ninth Fast & Furious movie), and will also be produced by Karim Zreik (Jessica Jones) and Ari Arad (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse). ).
BioWare’s Michael Gamble, project director of the upcoming Mass Effect game, will also executive produce the series.
It was originally reported in November 2021 that Amazon was “close to a deal” to make a Mass Effect television series.
At the time, former BioWare head writer David Gaider, who was the head writer on all three Dragon Age games, said that the idea of a Mass Effect television series (or a Dragon Age one) made him “shudder a little.” bit”.
“To start, Mass Effect and Dragon Age have a custom protagonist, which means that said television show will have to choose whether said protagonist will be male or female,” he explained at the time. “Boom, from the beginning you just alienated a large group of built-in fans who had high hopes.”
This isn’t the first time Mass Effect has been linked to film adaptations. In 2010, Legendary Pictures announced that it had acquired the rights to produce a Mass Effect film in a co-production deal with Warner Bros.
However, in the end the film never materialized and its screenwriter abandoned the project in 2012.
It’s been a few years since reports emerged that Amazon was looking to adapt Mass Effect for television, but finally, as N7 Day arrives once again, the show has become official.
A Mass Effect TV show was first teased in 2021, when former BioWare head writer Mac Walters explained that several factors contributed to the company changing its initial vision of a film adaptation toward something for the smaller screen. Later that same year, reports emerged claiming that Amazon was “closer to a deal” for a Mass Effect television series, as part of its continued push into sci-fi and fantasy storytelling.
And now those reports have been confirmed. Variety says a Mass Effect TV series is now officially in development at Amazon, with Fast & Furious 9 (aka F9: The Fast Saga) writer Daniel Casey attached as writer and executive producer. Casey is no complete stranger to sci-fi, having previously written the 2018 film Kin and doing rewrites for 2016’s 10 Cloverfield Lane.
Also executive producing are Karim Zreik, EA’s Michael Gamble, and Ari Arad, who served as a producer on everything from the Uncharted movie and last year’s terrible Borderlands adaptation to the Spider-Verse series and Nintendo’s upcoming Zelda movie. .
Beyond that, details on Amazon’s Mass Effect adaptation are limited, but we do know that passionate gamer and former warlock Henry Cavill once had interest in the project. In February 2021, Cavill was photographed alongside a script apparently related to Mass Effect; Then, in December of that year, shortly after Amazon was said to be close to a deal, Cavill casually revealed that he’d “love to have a conversation” about it. However, now that Cavill has been confirmed to be involved in Amazon’s Warhammer adaptation, things may have changed.
One person probably No Enthused about a Mass Effect TV series is former Bioware head writer David Gaider, who previously said the idea of BioWare TV adaptations made him “shudder.”
“Mass Effect and Dragon Age had a custom protagonist to begin with,” he explained. “That is, said TV show will have to choose whether said protagonist will be male or female. Boom, right off the bat you just alienated a bunch of built-in fans who had high hopes… Secondly, those protagonists are designed to be a sort of blank slate, one that the player fills in with their decisions. That won’t work for a passive medium. Then suddenly the protagonist will have his own personality… and his own. history. “That will be weird.”
“Both the Mass Effect and Dragon Age plots were serviceable at best,” he continued. “Those plots had to take the player’s agency into account. They were a kind of shell upon which the player’s emotional engagement was delivered, usually through companions and choices themselves. Choice increased engagement. Interactivity was the key. star, not the plot.”
“Take all of that away, lose most of the companions, and you potentially end up with… a pretty run-of-the-mill fantasy or sci-fi show, one in which much of the built-in audience may have been turned into indignant malcontents.” and howlers even before its release.
Amazon, of course, has already faced similar problems with this year’s Fallout TV adaptation, and it ended up launching to great commercial success and acclaim. So time will tell if Gaider’s concerns prove justified.
