Robert Quinn is back to harassing quarterbacks. This week, he’ll try to keep the Cardinals’ Carson Palmer from sitting in the pocket.
The St Louis Rams mustered just one sack, by rookie Aaron Donald, in the first five games. In the last three games, they’ve piled up 14 and Quinn has six of them along with three forced fumbles.
Quinn predicted this surge a few weeks back when he was sack-less.
“You’ve got to stay committed,” Quinn said in an interview with The Associated Press. “Of course, it gets frustrating when you’re not getting back there, but there’s nothing you can do except continue to work your craft.
“Finally, finally, things are breaking loose for us.”
The Rams expect to be awarded a sixth sack for Quinn, who stripped Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith for a short loss two weeks ago. Officials misjudged where the ball went out of bounds.
The Cardinals (7-1) have the NFL’s best record and they’ve taken good care of Palmer, allowing 13 sacks on the year. Palmer isn’t a threat to run, but gets the ball out fast.
“We don’t have to worry about him killing us with 50-yarders,” Quinn said. “But just because that’s not his forte doesn’t mean he can’t do it.
“You’ve just got to get him down.”
Palmer called the Rams’ defence “a dark horse in our division”.
“They do a ton,” Palmer said. “They can just rush the passer with four and wreak havoc, very well-disciplined. Every possible coverage you can think of, they show.”
Quinn set a franchise record with an NFC-leading 19 sacks last year and earned a four-year, $65.5 million (Dh240.5m) contract extension before Week 2. Before the defensive surge that carried St Louis (3-5) in victories over NFC West powers Seattle and San Francisco, he’d settled for almost-but-not-quite statistics like quarterback pressures and hits.
The Rams had a season-high eight sacks last week, with William Hayes getting his first two of the year. Even minus Chris Long, sidelined with an ankle injury in the opener and on injured reserve-designated for return, the pass rush was supposed to be a strength.
Two tackles, Kendall Langford and Donald, got big push early on the 49ers quarterback sneak at the 1 in the closing seconds that resulted in a lost fumble by Colin Kaepernick and a surprise happy ending for St Louis.
“Kendall knocked the centre back and I shot the gap,” Donald said. “He never got a clean snap. He got there a little faster than me.”
St Louis was third in the NFL with 53 sacks last season and Hayes, the stand-in for Long, is the only line mainstay that wasn’t a first-round pick or premium free agent. Once dead last in sacks, the push has the Rams climbing the charts in a tie for 22nd and dangerous once again.
“It’s fun,” Donald said. “Everybody’s making plays.”
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians never doubted defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ system would click in St Louis.
“I didn’t have to wait for them to wake up to know how good they are,” Arians said in a conference call with St Louis media. “You can see his footprint all over that thing now.”
Eight players were on the injury report Wednesday, down five from this time last week when the Rams toned things down and held a walkthrough instead of a practice to preserve bodies.
Seven players did not practice, five of them starters. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins (knee) was in that group but did some running early and could make it back after missing two games.
Others not participating were Hayes (fibula), linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar (toe), cornerbacks Marcus Roberson (ankle) and EJ Gaines (knee), safety Rodney McLeod (knee) and tight end Cory Harkey (knee). Safety Cody (concussion symptoms) was limited.
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Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
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Scores
Wales 74-24 Tonga
England 35-15 Japan
Italy 7-26 Australia
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Rafael Nadal's record at the MWTC
2009 Finalist
2010 Champion
Jan 2011 Champion
Dec 2011 Semi-finalist
Dec 2012 Did not play
Dec 2013 Semi-finalist
2015 Semi-finalist
Jan 2016 Champion
Dec 2016 Champion
2017 Did not play
Mubalada World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Match info
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Liverpool v Porto, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
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UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures:
Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
Results
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes (PA) Group 3 Dh175,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Aatebat Al Khalediah, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer).
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Dubai Avenue, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: My Catch, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile (TB) Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Changing visa rules
For decades the UAE has granted two and three year visas to foreign workers, tied to their current employer. Now that's changing.
Last year, the UAE cabinet also approved providing 10-year visas to foreigners with investments in the UAE of at least Dh10 million, if non-real estate assets account for at least 60 per cent of the total. Investors can bring their spouses and children into the country.
It also approved five-year residency to owners of UAE real estate worth at least 5 million dirhams.
The government also said that leading academics, medical doctors, scientists, engineers and star students would be eligible for similar long-term visas, without the need for financial investments in the country.
The first batch - 20 finalists for the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinction.- were awarded in January and more are expected to follow.
Europa League group stage draw
Group A: Villarreal, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Astana, Slavia Prague.
Group B: Dynamo Kiev, Young Boys, Partizan Belgrade, Skenderbeu.
Group C: Sporting Braga, Ludogorets, Hoffenheim, Istanbul Basaksehir.
Group D: AC Milan, Austria Vienna , Rijeka, AEK Athens.
Group E: Lyon, Everton, Atalanta, Apollon Limassol.
Group F: FC Copenhagen, Lokomotiv Moscow, Sheriff Tiraspol, FC Zlin.
Group G: Vitoria Plzen, Steaua Bucarest, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, FC Lugano.
Group H: Arsenal, BATE Borisov, Cologne, Red Star Belgrade.
Group I: Salzburg, Marseille, Vitoria Guimaraes, Konyaspor.
Group J: Athletic Bilbao, Hertha Berlin, Zorya Luhansk, Ostersund.
Group K: Lazio, Nice, Zulte Waregem, Vitesse Arnhem.
Group L: Zenit St Petersburg, Real Sociedad, Rosenborg, Vardar
