DALLAS — Pitchers again dominated the big league phase of the Rule 5 draft Wednesday at the winter meetings, comprising 11 of the 15 unprotected players who were picked Wednesday. The 121-loss Chicago White Sox had the first pick and selected 24-year-old right-hander Shane Smith from the Milwaukee Brewers organization. Smith was an undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest when he was signed by Milwaukee in July 2021. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder has gone 13-7 with a 2.69 ERA and 203 strikeouts over 157 innings in 19 starts and 54 relief appearances over three minor league seasons. There were 14 teams who made picks in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft of players left off 40-man rosters after several minor league seasons. Only Atlanta made two selections, after making none since 2017. Atlanta chose right-hander Anderson Pilar from the Miami Marlins with the 11th pick, and then took infielder Christian Cairo from the Cleveland Guardians with the 15th and final pick in the MLB portion. The 26-year-old Pilar was original signed by Colorado as a minor league free agent in 2015 and has pitched in 213 minor league games that included 17 starts. He is 28-20 with a 2.86 ERA. Teams pay $100,000 to take a player in the major league portion. The players must stay on the big league roster all of next season or clear waivers and be offered back to their original organization for $50,000. Six of the 10 players selected during the Rule 5 draft last December — five of them right-handed pitchers — remained last season with organization that selected them. Two of the four position players taken Wednesday by other teams came from the Detroit Tigers organization: catcher Liam Hicks and third baseman Gage Workman. Miami drafted second after Colorado passed making a selection, and took Hicks. Workman was taken by the Chicago Cubs with the 10th pick. Baltimore lost two right-handed pitchers on back-to-back picks, Juan Nunez to San Diego with the 12th pick before Connor Thomas went to Milwaukee. DALLAS — Tom Hamilton, who has called Cleveland games on the radio for 35 seasons, won the Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting on Wednesday. Hamilton, 70, joined the team's broadcast in 1990, when he was with Herb Score in the booth and part of the coverage of their World Series appearances in 1995 and 1997. Hamilton became the voice of the franchise when Score retired after that second World Series. Hamilton will be honored during the Hall of Fame’s induction weekend from July 25-28 in Cooperstown, New York. He was selected the hall's Frick Award 16-member committee as the 49th winner. There were 10 finalists on this year's ballot, whose main contributions came as local and national voices and whose careers began after, or extended into, the Wild Card era. The other nine were Skip Caray, Rene Cardenas, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Ernie Johnson Sr., Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper, Dave Sims and John Sterling. DALLAS — The Texas Rangers acquired slugging corner infielder Jake Burger from the Miami Marlins on Wednesday in a trade for three minor league players. Burger hit .250 with 29 home runs and 76 RBIs in 137 games for the Marlins last season, with 150 strikeouts in 535 at-bats with 31 walks . He started 59 games at third base and made 50 starts at first. Five days of service time short of being eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, he will be eligible next winter and can become a free agent after the 2028 World Series . Miami got infielders Max Acosta and Echedry Vargas and left-handed pitcher Brayan Mendoza. The acquisition of Burger comes about a month after the Rangers hired former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker as a senior adviser for baseball operations. Luis Urueta, Miami's bench coach the past two seasons, also was added recently to manager Bruce Bochy's on-field coaching staff for 2025. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Preserving language through play: Pato Pato's Spanish immersion toys empower families of bilingual children 11-22-2024 11:42 PM CET | Leisure, Entertainment, Miscellaneous Press release from: Getnews / PR Agency: MediaGroupNYC Image: https://www.getnews.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/1732308192.jpg Pato Pato, an innovative company committed to preserving language and cultural heritage through play, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to introduce a unique line of Spanish immersion toys designed to teach kids how to read in Spanish with no expertise required. The screen-free educational toys in the Pequeno Lector Set provide families with a hands-on way to teach their children in Spanish, from foundational vocabulary to advanced literacy. With its Kickstarter launch, Pato Pato aims to raise funds for its first production run and bring its carefully crafted prototypes to communities across the US. Each toy in the Pequeno Lector Set, including the Funzana, the Giraprende, and the Silabox, serves as a tool for early Spanish literacy, making language learning fun for children and convenient for parents. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/6561aff80dbd629fae5b953662b0bc6e.jpg "With the Pequeno Lector Set, we wanted to create something truly meaningful-tools that families can use to preserve their cultural identity while helping their children grow up bilingual," said Lucia Garrett, Co-Founder of Pato Pato. "Our toys go beyond traditional learning methods, offering a tactile, hands-on, screen-free approach that makes learning fun and lasting. We're excited to share this journey with our backers." The Pequeno Lector Set includes: * Funzana: A phonics-based toy that focuses on letter sounds and letter recognition. * Giraprende: A spinning owl toy that introduces syllable formation and early literacy skills like rhyming, opposites, and inferences. * Silabox: A self-contained, word-making game for syllable blending and word formation. Why Back Pato Pato? * Keep children challenged: Each toy offers multiple levels of difficulty, keeping children challenged until they master each skill. * Keep children engaged: Endless expander packs make learning engaging and customizable. * Keep children learning: Crafted by native speakers, guiding children through language-accurate concepts at every stage. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/44f2a10987351faea29b8b59f871f59f.jpg Founded by a team of parents, educators, and designers, Pato Pato is on a mission to empower families with engaging tools that inspire a lifelong connection to their language and traditions. With high-quality, thoughtfully designed toys, Pato Pato is making it easier for families to pass down the gift of the Spanish language to the next generation-without prep or expertise. Pato Pato's Kickstarter campaign offers limited-time rewards for early supporters. Backers can unlock exclusive discounts, early-bird perks, and special bundles designed for families and educators looking to integrate Spanish literacy into everyday play and classroom settings. To learn more about Pato Pato's Kickstarter campaign and secure backer-exclusive rewards, visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1455091945/the-pequeno-lector-set [ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1455091945/the-pequeno-lector-set?ref=4wnqed ] Media Contact Company Name: Pato Pato City: New York State: New York Country: United States Website: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1455091945/the-pequeno-lector-set?ref=4wnqed This release was published on openPR.
A report from Alberta’s Auditor General flags loose network controls in three Government of Alberta departments as potential risks for unauthorized access to government data and Albertans’ personal information. In its audit of the province’s consolidated financial statements, the auditor general made recommendations to the Ministries of Technology and Innovation, Children and Family Services (CFS), and Seniors, Community and Social Services (SCSS) to improve network security procedures after finding the departments failed to promptly remove ex-employees access privileges. For both CFS and SCSS, the auditor found that terminated employees retained access to IT applications. Previous reports in 2014 and 2020 made the same recommendation to tighten controls for department information systems, and the auditor said it is repeating that direction because it continues to find “user access exceptions.” “Unauthorized individuals may access the department’s systems and be able to use or change critical personal, business, and financial information. This could result in privacy breaches for the department or create opportunities for identity theft. If information in the financial systems was manipulated, this could impair the integrity of the department’s financial reporting and results,” the auditor general’s report warns. Within Information and Technology, the auditor tested 25 sample accounts, and found 13 of these accounts weren’t removed from the network. Five of the 13 accounts “were used to log into the government’s network after the account holders’ employment ended with government.” Department management verified that the users “mainly accessed their own employment data.” An additional 48 ex-employees held on to logins for 11 departmental IT applications, resulting in one unauthorized access to an IT system. The audit also found the department didn’t complete effective reviews of user access rights for 12 of its IT applications, including three where no review was performed during the 2023-24 audit period. Jonathan Gauthier, press secretary to the Ministry of Technology and Innovation, said the department is working to implement the network security recommendations. “Alberta’s government takes security seriously and is committed to continuous improvement to ensure better user experience and provide common, secure, and streamlined access to government services,” Gauthier said. Many of the concerns outlined in the report have already been addressed, Gauthier said. Contractor accounts are set to be automatically terminated at the end of the contract period, and as of spring 2024, employee account removal has been aligned with payroll termination processes. “The existing Access Controls policy has been updated to increase the frequency of reviews of user account access; from annually to quarterly,” he said. “Technology and Innovation is also developing a tool to track compliance to the policy and provide regular reporting. This is expected to be rolled out in the upcoming months. Further improvements to the periodic review of users’ access rights are underway and will be implemented over the coming years.”
CLEVELAND — Here's hoping Mike Tomlin didn't spend too much time working on that NFL Coach of the Year speech. The feel-good vibes that have surrounded the Steelers' season — all of those correct buttons pushed and sticky situations navigated — backfired on Tomlin on Thursday night during what has become an all-too-common theme of his tenure. A humiliating loss to an inferior team, this time in the familiar setting of Cleveland's Huntington Bank Field and by a 24-19 score to the previously 2-8 Browns. Talk about spoiling a sterling start. "They made more plays over the course of 60 minutes," Tomlin said. "Obviously, we have to own our portions of it." It's a shame you can't put them on Craigslist or something. The Browns snapped the Steelers' five-game winning streak. Pittsburgh also dropped to 0-8 all time in road Thursday night games against teams in their division. Amazingly, Tomlin's Steelers have lost five of their past six games in Cleveland. What the Steelers must own from this one was substantial, too, starting with some poor decision-making by Tomlin, who actually entered the game as the betting favorite to win his first coach of the year award. A small sampling of things that will likely rub Steelers fans the wrong way: — Seemingly getting caught in between toward the end of the first half. Tomlin called a timeout after a second-down pass but then allowed around 40 seconds to run off the clock before Cleveland called timeout and kicked a field goal. Just call the timeout, get the ball back with some time, and give your team a chance. — It's not just all Tomlin and likely involves offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, but the fade route thrown to Cordarrelle Patterson once the Steelers took the lead in the fourth quarter made zero sense. George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, anyone? — Justin Fields randomly throwing deep to Pickens with the Steelers trying to salt away the game. — Not instructing his players to allow Browns running back Nick Chubb to score on a 7-yard run with 1:43 to go, a move that would've afforded the Steelers more than 50 seconds to answer. — Burning a timeout after a confusing sequence where Tomlin thought it was intentional grounding and deciding to hastily accept the penalty, another decision that can certainly be questioned. If you decline, it's an easier field goal. If you accept, you're obviously giving the Browns another shot. "We wanted to move them 5 yards back," Tomlin said. "They were potentially kicking into the wind, so we wanted to stop 'em and make the field goal a longer one." The decision, the same as many on this wintry night, turned out to be the wrong one, as Jameis Winston found wide receiver Jerry Jeudy 15 yards to convert on third-and-6, and Chubb scored the go-ahead touchdown with 0:57 left. "Missed opportunities," Cam Heyward said. "We have to eat it. They made more plays at the end. "I know everybody is pretty [upset] about the loss, but we have to learn from it and be better next time." It also wasn't simply about binary decisions such as these, but it's Tomlin's job to have the Steelers ready to play on the road — and against a lousy team — where the biggest conversation topic has been the potential firing of coach Kevin Stefanski and other goofy Cleveland talk. That didn't happen. It was a trap game, and the Steelers fell right into it, torpedoing their shot at the No. 1 seed in the AFC in the process. Think about it: They needed this one to keep pace with the Chiefs and Bills. Now, they're facing an uphill climb — and doing so with plenty of questions before traveling to Cincinnati in about 10 days. The pass protection was rough early on, as defensive end Myles Garrett did his part to wreck the game. As much as Steelers fans might hate the guy, he was incredible with three sacks, five total tackles and a forced fumble, a solid answer to the T.J. Watt kerfuffle this week. Cleveland finished with four sacks of Russell Wilson, who did complete 21 of 28 passes for 270 yards, a touchdown and a 116.7 rating. Still, it wasn't enough to correct some drive-sustaining issues that plagued the Steelers early. A missed Chris Boswell field goal on the first drive — albeit from a hard-to-say-much 58 yards — then turning it over on downs. It was the first of two of those for the Steelers, who lost yards both times. They have to figure out how to sustain drives better. "They made a few plays," Wilson said. "Myles made a few plays. I thought we moved the ball at different moments, but we have to stay consistent." As Wilson said, this was a game the Steelers should have won — and not only because they forced three turnovers and had the lead in the fourth quarter of a game against a woebegone opponent. Their 8-2 start should've opened the group's collective eyes to what's possible should the Steelers take care of business. That didn't happen. The Steelers started slow on offense, made too many mistakes, botched a bunch of decisions and left Cleveland in the middle of the night with another unsightly blemish suffered here. The reason starts at the top. "It's painful, but it's life in this business," Tomlin said. "We'll take a look at the tape and learn from it. We're in the midst of some thick AFC North action. No rest for the weary. We have a big one coming up." Can't get here soon enough, honestly. (c)2024 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Visit the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at www.post-gazette.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Milan's Via MonteNapoleone usurps New York's Fifth Avenue as world's most upscale shopping street
Trump taps forceful ally of hard-line immigration policies to head Customs and Border Protection2024 is going to be seen as a positive year for European dividend stocks, but only in absolute terms. The Morningstar Europe High Dividend Equity category index, the Morningstar DM Eur Div Yld >2.5% NR, is up 9.5% in euros for the year (through Dec. 16), but lags the regional index, the Morningstar Europe NR, which is up 10.4%. The European dividend index also lags well behind its U.S. counterpart, the Morningstar US High Div Yld NR, which is up a hefty 25.0%. European Dividend Companies Less Profitable Than US Counterparts... The explanation for this difference in performance is to be found in the weight of the technology sector in both indexes: in the American index, technology stocks account for 15% compared to just 1% in the European index. That said, looking at this yield comparison, one might think that it better to invest in high-dividend US companies than in European companies. But that is investing in the rearview mirror. It is important to look at valuations going forward. And in that direction, European stocks clearly compete with US stocks. ... But Pay Higher Dividends and are Less Expensive In terms of dividend yield, European companies also outperform US companies. The Morningstar High Dividend Yield Index has a dividend yield of 2.63% (as of the end of November) while the Morningstar DM Eur Div Yld >2.5% NR EUR Index has a dividend yield of 4.95%. In terms of valuation, European dividend companies are significantly more attractive than US dividend companies. The Morningstar US High Dividend Yield index trades at a Price/Fair Value of 0.98 (as of the end of November) versus 0.68 for the European index. Cheap European Stocks That Have Increased Dividends Among the large European companies that pay high dividends, there is a select group of stocks that have increased their dividends sharply in 2024 and are also undervalued. The stocks in this select group, shown in the accompanying table, have a dividend yield of more than 3%, have increased... Fernando Luque
NoneQatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha The GCC Sustainability Innovation Hub, an initiative of leading GCC telecommunications operators including Ooredoo, e&, Beyon, Du, STC, Zain, and Omantel, has announced the release of its first white paper in collaboration with GSMA. This foundational document titled ‘Green Shoots: A New Model for Renewables from the GCC’ outlines the collective strategy and challenges telecom operators face on their journey toward net-zero carbon emissions. It provides a comprehensive overview of the operational, technological, and regulatory challenges that telecom operators encounter in achieving decarbonisation. The white paper also delivers actionable strategies to drive sustainable energy adoption within the telecom industry, positioning the GCC as a leader in telecom sustainability and innovation. Fatima Sultan Al-Kuwari, Group Chief HR and Sustainability Officer, Ooredoo, said: “The release of this white paper marks a significant step forward for the GCC telecom sector and highlights the power of collaboration in tackling environmental challenges. “Through the GCC Sustainability Innovation Hub, we are uniting as an industry to pioneer sustainable solutions, share best practices, and create a greener future for our region. This is just the beginning, and we are committed to pushing forward with innovative projects that support our journey toward net zero and demonstrate the leadership role the GCC can play in global sustainability efforts.” The white paper highlights the urgent need to address high energy consumption in telecom operations, identifying that renewables currently account for just 20% of the sector’s energy. It also outlines the significant role telecom operators can play in enabling emissions reductions across industries such as oil & gas, agriculture, and transportation through IoT and 5G connectivity. By tackling energy costs - which represent up to 20% of operating expenses - and deploying energy-efficient technologies, the telecom industry stands to improve profitability while supporting broader regional decarbonisation goals. The GCC Sustainability Innovation Hub - established as a collaborative platform as part of the region’s post-COP28 commitment to sustainability - is the first initiative of its kind in the region’s telecom sector. The hub serves as a centralised platform for developing and testing sustainable solutions tailored for telecom operators, encouraging innovation and partnership across industries. By pooling resources and knowledge, the initiative aims to create an ecosystem that fosters collaboration and accelerates the adoption of renewable energy sources. The operators involved in the GCC Sustainability Innovation Hub plan to build on this momentum with further projects and partnerships. By advancing renewable energy adoption and exploring innovative technologies, the initiative seeks to set a benchmark for sustainability practices in the telecom industry and inspire solution providers worldwide to join this critical mission. The full white paper is now available for download on the GSMA website. Copy 23/12/2024 10
MILAN — Shoppers laden with bags from Fendi, Loewe, Prada and other designer labels clog the narrow sidewalks of Milan's swankiest shopping street, bringing joy to the purveyors of high-end luxury goods this, and every, holiday season. There's even more to celebrate this year: a commercial real estate company crowned Via MonteNapoleone as the world's most expensive retail destination, displacing New York's Fifth Avenue. The latest version of American firm Cushman & Wakefield's annual global index, which ranks shopping areas based on the rent prices they command, is a sign of Via MonteNapoleone's desirability as an address for luxury ready-to-wear, jewelry and even pastry brands. A man walks past a shop Dec. 12 in Monte Napoleone street in Milan, Italy. The average rent on the Milan street surged to $2,047 per square foot, compared with $2,000 per square foot on an 11-block stretch of upper Fifth Avenue. Via MonteNapoleone's small size — less than a quarter-mile long — and walking distance to services and top cultural sites are among the street's key advantages, according to Guglielmo Miani, president of the MonteNapoleone District association. "Not everything can fit, which is a benefit," since the limited space makes the street even more exclusive and dynamic, said Miani, whose group also represents businesses on the intersecting side streets that together with Via MonteNapoleone form an area known as Milan's Fashion Quadrilateral. Women look a shop Dec. 12 in Monte Napoleone street in Milan, Italy. The biggest brands on the street make 50 million euros to 100 million euros in annual sales, Miani said, which goes a long way to paying the rent. Tiffany & Co. is preparing to take up residence on Via Montenapoleone, and longtime tenant Fendi is expanding. The MonteNapoleone District says 11 million people visited the area this year through November, but there's no way to say how many were big spenders vs. window shoppers. The average shopper on Via MonteNapoleone spent 2,500 euros per purchase between August and November — the highest average receipt in the world, according to the tax-free shopping firm Global Blue. The street is a magnet for holiday shoppers who arrive in Maseratis, Porsches and even Ferraris, the sports car's limited trunk space notwithstanding. A mannequin is seen Dec. 12 in a shop in Monte Napoleone street in Milan, Italy. Lights twinkle overhead, boutique windows feature mannequins engaged in warm scenes of holiday fun, and passersby snap photos of expertly decorated cakes in pastry shop displays. A visitor from China, Chen Xinghan, waited for a taxi with a half-dozen shopping bags lined up next to him on the sidewalk. He said he paid half the price for a luxury Fendi coat that he purchased in Milan than he would have at home. "I got a lot," Chen acknowledged. "It's a fantastic place, a good place for shopping." A man waits for a taxi Dec. 12 in Monte Napoleon street in Milan, Italy. A few store windows down, Franca Da Rold, who was visiting Milan from Belluno, an Italian city in the Dolomites mountain range, marveled at a chunky, yardslong knit scarf priced at 980 euros. "I could knit that in one hour, using 12-gauge knitting needles as thick as my fingers, and thick wool. Maximum two hours," Da Rold said, but acknowledged the brand appeal. Buildings are decorated Dec. 12 in Monte Napoleone street in Milan, Italy. Despite upper Fifth Avenue getting bumped to the No. 2 spot on the Cushman & Wakefield list, the organization that serves as the Manhattan street's guardian and chief promoter had praise for MonteNapoleone's achievement. "Milan's investment in its public realm is paying off, which is a win for their shoppers, businesses and city as a whole," said Madelyn Wils, interim president of the Fifth Avenue Association. She also expressed confidence that with new investments and a record year for sales on Fifth Avenue, "we'll be back on top in no time." The holiday season feels a little less jolly considering the amount of waste generated by gift-giving. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the amount of household garbage in the U.S. increases by 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year's. After the decorations come down, all that waste heads to landfills, producing a significant contributor to climate change: methane gas. "Greening" the holidays is essential, and one simple tip is to think more about how sustainable the materials are in your decorations, decor, and, of course, gifts. Instead of plastics, you could opt for items that can be reused, are made of renewable materials or natural fibers that boast a smaller environmental impact in both production and durability. Due to consumers' desires for more eco-friendly goods, sustainable materials are among the biggest trends in home decor. Fortunately, there are plenty of affordable—and earth-conscious—home goods that make perfect holiday gifts. Made Trade rounded up a list of sustainable home decor trends in 2025 that offer dozens of creative options for holiday gift-giving. Each trend includes examples of great gifts for the home and advice for ensuring items are sustainably produced or can help create a more eco-friendly space. In the depths of winter's gray days, it's a real gift to see a little green, which is why indoor gardening gifts are a wonderful idea. Not only are they eco-friendly and promote sustainability—the more food you can grow yourself, the less you have to buy—they also foster an appreciation of nature and bring the natural world indoors to enjoy. Sprouting kits and microgreens require minimal amounts of space and sunlight, but a sunny, south-facing window will permit a small herb garden or leafy greens for salads. If you're not sure what kind of light your recipient has access to, go with gifting indoor grow lamps along with the plants, or pick a hardy, low-water houseplant—some can act as natural air purifiers too. When buying gifts for the home, consider what materials the items are made from and how far away they come from—not only are natural materials like rattan, jute, palm leaves, clay, organic cotton and linen, and ceramics more sustainable, but if they are being used by a local craftsperson, gifters are also saving on fossil fuels for the transportation. Plus, you're helping the local economy by supporting local craftspeople, so it's a win-win. Natural fiber pillows, sheets, blankets, and even doormats offer comfort and consideration of the environment. The most sustainable and eco-friendly gift is one you already have, so get creative about reusing materials already in or around your home (raid the recycling bin, find nice pieces of wood outside, wash out and reuse glass jars) to fashion them into new, thoughtful goods. Similarly, think vintage and secondhand—what items can you give a second life to by passing them along to someone who will find new meaning in them? Some of the most thoughtful gifts are small heirlooms—pieces of jewelry or a beloved ceramic dish—passed along to the next generation that will appreciate them. Green technology offers ways to reduce our carbon footprint in everyday life, and smart thermostats, solar lights, smart sprinklers, and smart plugs all make great gifts, saving people money and conserving our valuable resources. For those looking into home renovations or updating decor, try a new light fixture paired with smart blubs, or a new window treatment with smart shades. Even something as simple as a rain barrel can reduce energy use—and while the technology for that isn't very sophisticated, it certainly is, like composting, "smart." Integrated outdoor living is the ultimate gift, allowing us to bring the natural world into our homes. However, doing so sustainably takes a little more effort than simply leaving the doors to the deck open all the time. First, find eco-friendly and sustainable outdoor furniture, perhaps thrifting it or buying it used and fixing it up for a one-of-a-kind gift. If you can't go secondhand, choose furniture made of sustainable materials such as reclaimed wood, recycled plastic (great for outdoor rugs), or bamboo. For smaller gifts, consider solar lights, a water feature that recycles water, a rain barrel, or even a set of handmade wind chimes made from seashells. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Clarese Moller. This story originally appeared on Made Trade and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.Inuwa Yahaya Wins ‘Security Role Model Gov Of Year’ AwardSANTA CLARA, Calif. — At this point the past two seasons, the San Francisco 49ers were fighting for playoff positioning rather than their playoff lives. After snapping a three-game losing streak with a lopsided win last week against Chicago, the Niners head into a Thursday night division showdown against the Los Angeles Rams hoping to play with the same kind of desperation in a game they almost certainly need to win to get to the postseason. "I think just across the board as a team, everybody had just a bit more of sense of urgency and I think we executed and played together as a team, and we didn't let off," quarterback Brock Purdy said. "Really liked that. But, that was last week so now it's on to this week and how can we do that again?" After getting outscored by 53 points in losses at Green Bay and Buffalo, the 49ers (6-7) played their most complete game of the season to keep their playoff hopes alive. People are also reading... While some credited a feeling of desperation or speeches from players such as Purdy and Deommodore Lenoir for the turnaround, linebacker Fred Warner said it was more about execution than anything else. "We didn't go out there in Green Bay, we didn't go out there in Buffalo saying, 'Let's just hope that we win.' Trust me, I felt desperate as hell going into both those games," he said. "It just didn't work out. ... It didn't happen because last week we decided we wanted to. This was weeks in the making." Whatever the reason, the results were obvious to anyone watching, including the Rams (7-6), who had their own signature performance to boost their playoff chances. Los Angeles held off Buffalo 44-42 to remain one game behind Seattle in the NFC West race and a game ahead of the 49ers and Arizona in the tightly packed division. Coach Sean McVay knows his team will need a similar performance to beat San Francisco and earn a season sweep. "I saw they certainly had a very dominant performance," he said. "If there's anything that you do know, it's a week-to-week league. Humility is only a week away. They have excellent coaches, excellent personnel and really good schemes. No matter what's really happened in terms of the trajectory of the injuries, they're going to be ready to go." Puka power Puka Nacua is in dominant form with 33 catches for 458 yards and three TDs in the Rams' past four games, highlighted by a 162-yard performance last week against Buffalo in which he also scored his first rushing TD. Nacua was injured for these clubs' first meeting this season — but last year, he broke the NFL's single-game rookie receptions record with 15 in his first game against San Francisco, and he set the NFL rookie season records for catches and yards receiving during his visit to Santa Clara last January. "He's a tough football player," 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said. "Some guys are just competitive. He's got size, he doesn't go down easy. Some things you can't measure and he's just got it." Deebo's struggles The least productive four-game stretch of Deebo Samuel's career sent the frustrated wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers to social media. In a now-deleted post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Samuel said the reason he gained only 97 yards from scrimmage the past four games was not that he was struggling but that he wasn't getting the ball. His teammates and coaches believe he will get back to his All-Pro form soon. "I want to get Deebo the ball every play if I could," Purdy said. "I want to have him break all the records as best as possible. I want Deebo to do Deebo things." Defense declining The Rams defense got shredded twice in the past three weeks by Saquon Barkley's Eagles and Josh Allen's Bills, dropping the unit to 27th in total defense. LA's vaunted young pass rush led by rookie Jared Verse has no sacks in its past two games and just three in the past four games. Considering Purdy drove the Niners to 425 yards in the teams' first meeting this season without Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle or Samuel, the Rams' offense might need yet another prolific game to overcome its defense's weaknesses. Under pressure With Nick Bosa sidelined the past three games, the 49ers have had to generate pass rushes from different sources. They had a season-high seven sacks last week with Yetur Gross-Matos getting three and Leonard Floyd two. The 32-year-old Floyd has 5 1/2 sacks in his past four games. "Leonard's just an Energizer bunny," Shanahan said. "It's crazy with him being one of the older guys and stuff and how many different teams he's been to, but I've played against him enough and felt that." Bosa has a chance to return this week and is listed as questionable. AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Los Angeles contributed to this report Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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