#defense

#defense

"Yeah, we got Micah Parsons," Nixon said after Thursday's 27-18 win over the Washington Commanders at Lambeau Field. Parsons certainly did his part. He had six pressures of Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels on 32 pass rushes. On those plays, Daniels completed just 1 of 3 passes for 9 yards with two scrambles for 9 yards and was sacked once -- a shared sack between Parsons and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.

For all of those calling to replace him, it basically boils down to Lopez being guilty of the same sin every Marlins shortstop has been guilty of since 2011: not being peak Hanley Ramirez. And to be fair, Ramirez wasn't even that in 2011, leading in part to his being replaced at short by Jose Reyes for the 2012 campaign.

"For me, you're just trying to find dependable players. And that's where we're at," Roberts said. "These are all meaningful games on the margins. Everything matters. And there's a lot of things you can look at tonight on the run prevention side that we just weren't good at. As you start playing important games - and these are important games - they show themselves. They always find a way to show themselves."

The supporting cast - or lack thereof - surrounding Drake Maye during his rookie campaign with the Patriots was arguably the worst in the NFL. The Patriots had a matador-like offensive line that gave Maye no support, and New England's group of receivers instilled no fear in opposing defensive coordinators. That appears to be changing this year, with the cast of characters surrounding Maye already making him one of the league's biggest winners as teams concluded roster cutdowns this week.

CHICAGO - It was not the cleanest way to snap out of a funk, but perhaps it was a start for Anthony Volpe. The Yankees shortstop, who entered the night in a 1-for-37 skid, recorded a pair of hits and a sacrifice fly in Thursday's 10-4 win over the White Sox, though he also committed another error that led to all four runs against Will Warren.

Last season was another close call for the Detroit Red WIngs to make the playoffs. Another point here and there would have closed the deal for Detroit, but they sat on the outside looking in again. This season, there is hope they will break that barrier and once again compete for the Stanley Cup. Here is a look into what could become of the upcoming season and one bold take.

To be clear, it's a stretch to say that he's the Raptors' secret weapon, but there's two realistic possibilities exist. One, the Raptors' transition defence remains strong and aggressive defensive schemes allows - or even hides - some of Mamu's defensive weaknesses. Two, he'll be less of a liability on defence as he already has the physical tools - he moves well - but he'll need to make better reads.

"Working on some things mechanically, making adjustments," Pages said of his recent success through a translator. "We obviously know how long the season is, so trying to make those adjustments in season, going through some of those ruts, and trying to make those adjustments to get better and have better at-bats."

Nothing encapsulated the Veronica Burton experience more than the night she turned Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum's visit into a living nightmare, dominating Plum's game with her defensive prowess.

Iceland's geographical location in the North Atlantic makes it vulnerable to Soviet influence, while its strategic position in the GIUK gap is vital for NATO's defense operations.

Cincinnati Bengals starting safety Geno Stone is expected to miss the dress rehearsal against the Washington Commanders due to a soft tissue injury, according to coach Zac Taylor. Stone's injury makes him doubtful for the road preseason game on Aug. 18, having played only four snaps in the preseason opener against the Eagles. Despite his uncertainty for the immediate future, there are no long-term injury concerns for Stone as per coach Taylor.

Izak Simpson, with 29 career sacks over the last two seasons, is determined to make an impact in his final year before heading to Sacramento State.

Vrabel has established his defensive system by releasing players like Davon Godchaux and Ja'Whaun Bentley, who didn’t fit his defensive requirements.

Eric Quill emphasized the need to return to the basics for improving FC Dallas' defense, stating they must concentrate on not conceding unnecessary goals.

The recent Han Kuang military exercises simulated responses to a potential full-scale Chinese invasion, highlighting military strikes, blockades, and gray zone warfare operations, including cyberattacks.

"This is clearly the biggest defense-industry agreement that has ever been struck between Japan and Australia," Marles said, touting the deal.