Sport FRIDAY 14 MAY 2021 14 Brady-Prescott to kick off NFL season and a return to London AP – LONDON Other highlights from opening play-off teams facing off in their first Carson Wentz and the Indianapolis Christmas. Baker Mayfield and the weekend include Matthew Stafford game.gg The Pittsburgh Steelers, who lost Colts host Russell Wilson and the Browns go to Green Bay and the Colts The NFL is returning to London in playing his first game for thehe Los toto Cleveland in the wild-card SeattleSeattle Seahawks.Seah In Philadelphia, visit Kyler Murray and the Arizona October and Tom Brady (pictured) Angeles Rams on Sunday night againstagainst round,round, visitvisit the Buffalo WentzWentz was 00-4 against Wilson. Cardinals. begins his pursuit of an eighth Super the Chicago Bears with SoFi Stadiumadium Bills,Bills, whowho reachedreached TheThe Las Vegas Raiders host the The Bills visit the Chiefs in a rematch Bowl title against Dak Prescott and welcoming fans for the first time.me. thethe AFCAFC titletitle BaltimoreBaltimore Ravens in the first of the AFC championship game on the Dallas Cowboys when Tampa Bay Most teams are expected too bebe at game. MondayMonday nightn game. The Green Bay Sunday night Oct. 10. A potential hosts the league’s annual kick-off full capacity following a season playedplayed PackersPackers oopen the season with or Rodgers-Mahomes showdown is set for game on Sept. 9. before limited crowds becauseuse ofof withoutwithout Aaron Rodgers at New Week 9 in Kansas City. The first game in London since the COVID-19. OrleansOrleans minusm the retired Drew Ten teams are scheduled for a coronavirus pandemic will be played “We are excited our fans getet to Brees.Brees. league-high five prime-time games: on Oct. 10 as the Atlanta Falcons face experience a couple of homeme JaguarsJagua fans have to wait until Ravens, Cowboys, Packers, Rams, the New York Jets. A week later, the prime-time games and our thethe secondseco game to see No. 1 Steelers, Seahawks, Chiefs, Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars meet the Miami players certainly feed off the overalloverall pickpic Trevor Lawrence in 49ers and Buccaneers. Dolphins. Both games will be played fans’ energy,” Titans coach person.person Jacksonville opens at The 17th game, which was added at the stadium of Premier League Mike Vrabel said. HoustonHo and hosts Denver in the new CBA last year, features soccer team Tottenham. The Falcons “We will be opening at ini Week 2. teams from opposing conferences that and the Jaguars will be the home teams. home for the first time since I Detroit, Dallas and finished in the same place within their The NFL’s first 17-game season became head coach and I am happyppy New Orleans host respective divisions at the end of the opens on the same field where the Buc- our fans will be there to kick offoff thethe games on Thanksgiving previous season. AFC teams have the caneers defeated the Chiefs to become season with us.” Day. The Lions face the extra home game this year. the first team to win a Super Bowl at Reigning AFC champion KansasKansas Bears in the first game. The regular season concludes on home. It’ll be Prescott’s first game since City hosts the Cleveland Brownsns in a The Cowboys play the Jan. 9, 2022, featuring all divisional sustaining a gruesome ankle injury last playoff rematch in Week 1. The CChiefshiefs Raiders in the second games for the 12th consecutive season. October. eliminated the Browns in the divisionalisional one. The Bills visit the Super Bowl 56 is on Feb. 13, 2022, in Brady returns to New England to round last season despite losing PatrickPatrick Saints in the prime-time Los Angeles. face Bill Belichick and the Patriots in Mahomes to a concussion. matchup. The Pro Bowl will be played a week a Sunday night game on Oct. 3. Two other match-ups featureeature Four teams play on earlier at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Australia Day’s long major skipper Paine backs Smith run under threat to regain the REUTERS – LONDON Day, without a win on the PGA Tour since his 2018 captaincy Former world number one triumph at Quail Hollow, has Jason Day (pictured) has not fallen to 62nd in the REUTERS – MELBOURNE missed a major champi- rankings. onship since the 2012 British The top 60 following the Australia skipper Tim Paine Open but he could sit out the PGA Championship and the has thrown his support behind next two due to the June 3-6 Memorial Tour- Steve Smith replacing him as impending arrival of his nament automatically captain of the test team when fourth child. qualify for the June 17-20 US the time comes for a lead- Australian Day, com- Open at Torrey Pines, a ership change. peting at this week’s AT&T course where Day has Paine succeeded Smith as Byron Nelson in Texas, said enjoyed plenty of success. captain in 2018 after the his wife is due to give birth But if Day, 33, is unable Brooklyn Nets guard batsman was banned from in early June. The PGA to get inside the top-60, he James Harden is international cricket for 12 Championship takes place has no plans to pull out of a guarded by San months and suspended from next week. sponsor commitment in leadership roles for two years Antonio Spurs guard “Could come in this week, order to take his chances in for his role in the Newlands Dejounte Murray in next week. In the next four sectional qualifying for the ball-tampering scandal. the second quarter weeks it can come,” said Day, US Open. Smith said in March he at Barclays Center whose lone career major “I just feel like if I do it would gladly take the cap- on Wednesday. victoryvictory camecame at the 2015 that way thatthat inin my mind taincy back if the chance PGA Championship. my mindsetmindset will say, came, and Paine said he “If“If I’m playingplaying Okay,Okay, it’s fine.fine. You deserved to be considered. golf,golf, whatever, it can just go qualifyqualify “I think so. Obviously I doesn’t matter. I justjust nextnext yearyear and I’ll don’t make that decision but want to mamakeke getget usedused to quali-quali- the time I played with Steve as Harden returns and suresure thatthat I see fyingfying instead ofof captain he was excellent,” thethe birthbirth of going,going, No, I’m not Paine said in comments pub- ourour fourthfourth going to qualify,”qualify,” lished by News Corp media on child.”child.” Day said. Thursday. leads Nets past Spurs “Certainly tactically he is as good as you get. AGENCIES – NEW YORK from a seven-game absence due points and 10 rebounds and “Then obviously South to right knee soreness to score 19 Kuzma had 19 points, 10 rebounds Africa events happened and James Harden collected 18 points, and Dwight Powell had 12 points and seven assists. The seventh- he’s not doing it anymore. But, 11 assists and seven rebounds in as Dallas ended the night tied for place Lakers are a game behind yeah, I would support him his return from a strained right fifth place in the West after Dallas and Portland and would getting that job again.” hamstring as the Brooklyn Nets winning for the fifth time in six need to finish in at least sixth place Paine has no plans to relin- posted a 128-116 victory over the games. Portland also improved to to avoid the West’s play-in round. quish the captaincy but sug- San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday 41-29 by beating Utah on Hawks 120, Wizards 116 gested he might be tempted to night in New York. Wednesday. John Collins drilled a go- European Tour - British Masters bow out of the game if Aus- Harden came off the bench for Eric Bledsoe and Jaxson Hayes ahead 3-pointer with 24.8 tralia dominate England in the the first time since April 22, 2012, scored 15 each, Nickeil Alexander- seconds left to complete Atlanta’s 2021/22 Ashes. when he was a member of the Walker and Kira Lewis Jr. added comeback against visiting Wash- Few players have better Oklahoma City Thunder. He 13 each, Willy Hernangomez had ington in a game that had playoff credentials to succeed Paine played under a minutes restriction 12 points and 10 rebounds, Naji implications for both teams. than 31-year-old Smith but after missing the previous 18 Marshall scored 12 and James The Hawks moved a half- while his leadership ban games, and he wound up logging Johnson had 11 for New Orleans. game ahead of Miami and New expired in March 2020 he has 25:44 of court time in his first Trail Blazers 105, Jazz 98 York in their battle for the No. 4 Austria’s Matthias been overlookedoverlooked gamegame since April 5. Damian Lillard scored 30 play-off spot in the Eastern Con- Schwab in action repeatedly for such LandryL Shamet led the Nets points, CJ McCollum added 26 and ference, which carries with it during the first round roles.roles. withwith 21 points on a night when Portland led the entire second half home-court advantage in the first KKyrieyrie Irving sat out after sus- in beating Utah in Salt Lake City. round. Meanwhile, the loss pre- of the European Tour tainingtainin a facial contusion in the Carmelo Anthony netted 18 vented the Wizards from - British Masters at team’steam Tuesday win at Chicago. points off the bench to help clinching a spot in the East play-in The Belfry in Sutton BrooklynBroo earned its third win a Portland earn its fifth straight win tournament, keeping Chicago Coldfield, Britain, on row.