Aaron M Sprecher via AP
Aaron M Sprecher via AP

Patriots power past Texans, Packers shade Cowboys: NFL play-offs preview and predictions



In an interesting twist, all four of this weekend’s NFL play-off match-ups are rematches from games in the regular season. The winners advance to the conference finals. Kevin Jeffers provides his previews and offers his score predictions. All game start times are UAE.

Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons

(1.35am Sunday)

Seattle beat Atlanta at home in Week 6 in an ending shrouded in controversy, and the Falcons have not forgotten ahead of this game. Since then, Seattle have faltered on defence after losing Earl Thomas and Atlanta have emerged as a historically potent offence. This should be a close, high-scoring affair.

Prediction: Atlanta 37 Seattle 35

Houston Texans at New England Patriots

(5.15am Sunday)

The Patriots beat the Texans 27-0 in Week 3 and that was without Tom Brady. This clash could get even uglier for Houston as New England begin their run for a seventh Brady-led Super Bowl berth.

Prediction: New England 34 Houston 10

Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs

(5.20am, Monday; Editor’s note: Game moved to this time from an earlier listed time)

Pittsburgh destroyed Kansas City 43-14 in Week 4, which must feel like a lifetime ago for a Chiefs team that went on to win the AFC West. Kansas City coach Andy Reid is famously successful after his team has a week off — 16-2, including a 3-0 play-off record from his days at the helm of the Philadelphia Eagles. The extra week of preparation should prove necessary for this game against a Pittsburgh offence capable of putting up points in bunches. The Chiefs defence will be up to the task.

Prediction: Kansas City 24 Pittsburgh 23

Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys

(1.40am, Monday)

Dallas won at Green Bay 30-16 in Week 6, a result which opened many people’s eyes as to just how good the Cowboys actually were. Rookie Dak Prescott had a breakout day, throwing three touchdown passes while out-duelling Aaron Rodgers. But the play-offs are a different level of expectations for a rookie, even one as good as Prescott. Rodgers and the Packers have won seven straight ahead of Monday’s clash and are looking awfully similar to the 2010-11 team that won the Super Bowl. Green Bay will win on the road, ending a dream season for a young, promising Cowboys team.

Prediction: Green Bay 24, Dallas 20

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The specs

Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed

Power: 271 and 409 horsepower

Torque: 385 and 650Nm

Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000

Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989

Director: Goran Hugo Olsson

Rating: 5/5

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What is a Ponzi scheme?

A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.

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Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

  1. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate. 
  2. Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc. 
  3. Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway. 
  4. Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
  5. Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SIXTH SENSE

Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Rating: 5/5

BORDERLANDS

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis

Director: Eli Roth

Rating: 0/5

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How to come clean about financial infidelity
  • Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
  • Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help. 
  • Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
  • Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
  • Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported. 

Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE

There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.

It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.

What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.

When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.

It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.

This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.

It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.

TWISTERS

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos

Rating: 2.5/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas

Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa

Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong

Rating: 3/5


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Keep up with all the Middle East and North Africa athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics

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