Southampton feel they have received sufficient punishment over the ‘Spygate’ scandal as an independent regulatory commission prepares to hear charges against coach Tonda Eckert this week.

Saints were removed from last season’s Championship play-offs by an independent EFL panel after admitting to spying on three opponents’ training sessions. The penalty denied them a chance at promotion to the Premier League worth at least £200 million.

The same panel also handed them a four-point deduction for the current campaign, with further disciplinary measures looming after Eckert was charged with misconduct by the Football Association in July over the same incidents.

Eckert told the BBC the club has already faced a “big, big punishment”, while Southampton chief executive Phil Parsons said: “What we hope as a club is they (the FA panel) actually recognise where we are at the moment, and what we’ve already been through, because I think it has to be taken into account.

“I really feel like we’ve taken enough. We’ve been hurt. I think it’s one of the largest sanctions ever when it comes to football, or even sporting, history.

“We lose money not being in the Premier League, but (local) businesses lose money. We had to spend a huge amount on legal fees, and it really impacts the club even further. We don’t want to be seen as a victim of this. We need to get on. We’ve had our cards dealt.”

Eckert admitted staff were sent to monitor sessions at Oxford and Ipswich during the regular season, and Middlesbrough before their play-off semi-final in May, where a Southampton intern was confronted by Middlesbrough staff, exposing the scandal.

The German stated he was unaware that spying breached EFL rules.

The EFL panel found younger staff felt pressured to carry out the activity, describing it as “a contrived and determined plan from top down to gain a competitive advantage”.

In a BBC interview published on Monday, Eckert said: “It’s been a big, big punishment. Absolutely unheard of in the history of sports.

“And it’s tough for me to say that because it concerns me. I’m judging on myself, not an outside situation. But I’ve asked for forgiveness for what I’ve done. I’ve apologised publicly.

“I think the punishment has been very hard on the club for the last season.”

After record-setting scoring in Week 1, offenses came back down to Earth — or was it defenses getting back on track? — in Week 2. Inclement weather around the country certainly didn’t help, and neither did a bunch of injuries across the league. The Bears‘ offense fell victim to both: Caleb Williams hurt his hamstring late in a downpour in Chicago, and the Vikings picked up an important early-season win, 9-3.

Yes, that’s three points for the offense that scored 59 last week. Brian Flores, take a bow.

They say Week 1 lies, but what about Week 2? Over the past five seasons, 75% of the teams that start 2-0 make the playoffs, while only 16% of the teams that start 0-2 do. It’s no guarantee, but we’re learning a lot about these teams quickly. And there were few developments more impressive Sunday than the Saints going into Baltimore and upsetting the Ravens 24-17. It’s a win that’s far bigger than just the tally in the win column, too. Let’s get right into that — and much more — in our overreactions and reality checks.

Tyler Shough is the Saints’ long-awaited answer at quarterback

Overreaction or reality: Reality

If you watched the Saints’ first eight drives this season, you saw Tyler Shough at his very worst. He had three turnovers, and the Saints trailed the Lions 21-0.

If you have watched Shough since, it’s impossible to be anything but extremely impressed. He nearly led the Saints to a stunning comeback — they lost 31-30 — in Week 1, and he was absolutely terrific in the Saints’ Week 2 win Sunday: 27-for-34 passing for 252 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions, plus nine carries for 23 yards and the game-winning (and controversial) touchdown on a quarterback sneak. Shough’s 79.4% completion percentage was the second-best by any player against a Jesse Minter-coached defense.

Those are good numbers. Not anything super special, but very solid. Rather, it’s how Shough got those numbers that are a major indicator that he’s legit. For example, on third downs, Shough was 9-for-10 for 131 yards; seven of his nine completions went for first downs. He made several of those throws under duress and into tight windows. He also showed off some really impressive movement skills; though he did take three sacks, he escaped many others.

Shough was 12-for-14 for 119 yards for a touchdown across the Saints’ two fourth-quarter drives (not including the kneel to end the game).

He did all of that without his left tackle, Kelvin Banks Jr., who suffered an ankle injury. He did it on the road against a team that’s expected to make the playoffs. He did it getting no help from his run game (18 carries for 44 yards by the running backs). That’s a big-time win by a quarterback making a big-time statement. Shough, Chris Olave, Jordyn Tyson (once healthy), Travis Etienne Jr. and a talented offensive line is a good core. If they can get the running game on track, the Saints might really be cooking on offense.

Drake Maye’s turnovers against good defenses are going to doom the Patriots

Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

After an absolute meltdown against the Seahawks in Week 1, Drake Maye was better in Week 2 against another good defense (this one not quite as good) in the Steelers. Maye completed 14 of 22 passes for 208 yards — a stellar 9.5 per attempt — with no touchdowns and an interception. He took three sacks and ran four times for 17 yards.

They aren’t great numbers by any means, and the negative plays are still a worry. Other than an outstanding deep ball to Romeo Doubs on a busted coverage, Maye was pretty up-and-down …

… and the interception was a major down.

Maye is making too many mistakes, still. The negative plays are a worry. But there’s still a lot to like there, and once A.J. Brown returns, it should provide a big boost. Maye is still a young player with a lot of room to grow. He’ll continue to grow, and the Patriots‘ defense, which looks really good early, helps a lot, too.

Jalen Hurts has been the most clutch player in the NFL so far

Overreaction or reality: Reality

Say what you will about the Eagles‘ closer-than-expected win over the Titans, but it ended in a win, and it ended in a win because Jalen Hurts made it so. He led a nine-play, 65-yard drive over 1:47 with no timeouts and capped it with the game-winning toss to Darius Cooper — after his top option, DeVonta Smith, fell down.

Smith, who was also outstanding, helped set it up on another beaut from Hurts.

Yes, it’s been a bumpy start for Hurts. There’s a new offense, there’s no A.J. Brown, and, most concerningly, the offensive line is in rough shape. The Eagles put Landon Dickerson on IR this week, moved usual center Cam Jurgens to guard in his stead and insterted Drew Kendall at center. The run game is struggling, and Saquon Barkley missed significant time Sunday with a stinger. Hurts threw a pair of picks and took three sacks.

He also delivered in the clutch … again. In Week 1, he scrambled for 22 yards on a third-and-18 to set up a game-winning 43-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert, also on third down. There’s a long way to go before the Philly offense is running smooth, but its quarterback sure is clutch.

The Vikings are going to win the NFC North

Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

Dallas Turner looks like a breakout star, Brian Flores is arguably the best defensive coordinator in the game, and the Vikings are 2-0 with two wins in the NFC North despite their starting quarterback, Kyler Murray, having played just a few snaps.

They are now the favorites to win the NFC North at DraftKings (+130). I’m not quite ready to go that far yet.

First, the Bears went 0-for-3 in the red zone and 0-for-2 on goal-to-go situations. The Vikings didn’t get lucky — they made the plays, after all — but they did have plays that don’t usually happen: a blocked 23-yard field goal and a fumble at the 1-yard line. At the end of the game, Tyson Bagent couldn’t convert in the red zone, either.

It’s just too early for me to say, definitively, that the Vikings are going to win the division. I have real questions about the offense, mainly quarterback. This is by no means a shot at the Vikings. They’re just surviving by very thin margins — several penalties and a fourth-and-1 stop saved them in Week 1, and we already discussed the narrow escapes in Week 2 — and those margins usually don’t hold up over an entire season. It’s a great start, but it’s just the start, and the NFC North is very open.

Deshaun Watson earned another start

Overreaction or reality: Reality

For the first time in over two years, Deshaun Watson won a football game. It took an hours-long weather delay and, after that, one final defensive stand, but the Browns beat the Buccaneers 23-19.

Watson played well: 24-for-30 for 238 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and only two sacks. After an awful Week 1, he very much responded amid reports that the Browns could re-evaluate their quarterback options. He threw the ball accurately and mostly on time, and when there was pressure, he didn’t panic or force things; that had been one of his biggest weaknesses across his time with the Browns.

There’s no guaranteeing he’ll keep a strong hold on the starting job. The Browns fans do not like him at all, and he has spoken out about them, too. Week 3 is the Browns’ home opener, against the Panthers. If it goes poorly, Todd Monken could re-evaluate. But Monken supported Watson after Week 1 and again after Watson was much better in Week 2.

The Cowboys’ defense is fixed

Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

The Cowboys‘ defense was much improved in a 37-20 win over the Commanders on Sunday, but it’s easy to say that when it basically could not have been worse than it was in a Week 1 loss to the Giants.

Still, Dallas has a long, long, long way to go. The Commanders ran 32 times for 182 yards. That’s 5.7 yards per carry, the highest number of any team in Week 2 entering “Sunday Night Football.” Jayden Daniels was marching the Commanders up and down the field until a horribly unlucky injury seconds before halftime.

Even in the second half, Marcus Mariota had the Commanders moving well, and it very well could have been worse for Dallas’ defense. Officials appeared to get a Dyami Brown touchdown catch wrong, and Dallas also completely blew a trick play, though wide receiver Antonio Williams‘ pass to a wide-open Terry McLaurin was off-target.

Entering “Sunday Night Football,” Dallas was 24th (out of 28 teams) this week in defensive success rate, 23rd in yards per play allowed and 22nd in first down rate allowed. That’s especially not good considering Washington’s offense struggled mightily in Week 1 and was without its starting quarterback for half of Week 2.

Christian Parker will be much happier with his defense’s improved effort, which included a crucial turnover forced, but there are many issues to fix.

The Chargers, Commanders and Buccaneers are in big trouble

Overreaction or reality: Reality

We’ll be quick here. Not all 0-2 teams are created equal, but the stat I mentioned above is damning: 16% of 0-2 teams make the postseason.

The Chargers are an absolute mess. Justin Herbert and Mike McDaniel was always a “square peg, round hole” pairing stylistically, but there was a belief that Herbert’s talent plus McDaniel’s creativity would be able to overcome it. Instead, it looks awful. The Chargers had six fumbles. Six!!! Herbert had three of them (none lost) as well as two interceptions, and he took three sacks. The running game, where McDaniel specializes, averaged 4.0 yards per carry. Even the normally reliable Cameron Dicker missed a field goal.

There’s been a lot made about the schedule, but we can forget that. The Chargers have lost by double digits to the Cardinals and the Raiders.

The Commanders are set to be without Jayden Daniels for at least a bit after he dislocated his left elbow, an injury he suffered under 11 months ago, too. That’s obviously the most disappointing development during the 37-20 loss, but the defense regressing massively after a strong Week 1 showing hurts, too. Up next? Marcus Mariota faces the Seahawks’ fearsome defense.

The Buccaneers are 0-2 and just lost to Deshaun Watson. Watson threw for 238 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He hadn’t gone 230/2/0 since Sept. 24 … 2023!!! Baker Mayfield is trying to do entirely too much, leading to really bad turnovers. Todd Bowles is on the hot seat already.

On the appointment of Edwards, England head coach John Mitchell said: “Since his time with France ended, we have had a conversation about our game, and he expressed an interest in working in an international women’s set-up for the first time.

“He has a huge amount of respect for the Red Roses and what we stand for; he sees it as a privilege to join our environment.

“His coaching credentials are exceptional and his experience at the highest level of the game speaks for itself.

“Defensively, Sarah Hunter is relishing the opportunity to learn from him, alongside the rest of our coaching group, as we head into another exciting Test match against New Zealand.”

Last week, Edwards expressed his desire to return to coaching and be a part of next year’s men’s Six Nations.

“I’m def­in­itely open to offers now, until I sort out a full-time role,” he told the Daily Mail., external

“I’m a proud Englishman and everybody loves to represent their country, don’t they? I’m no different.”

Todd Monken initially brushed off former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s recent “Browns is the Browns” diss. He had a much different response, however, following the Browns’ Week 2 win over the Buccaneers, Monken’s first win as an NFL head coach. 

“Browns are gonna Browns. F–k that! The guys took that to heart,” Monken said. 

Cleveland certainly played inspired football on Sunday. The Browns’ defense had their way with former Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield, sacking him three times and holding him to 182 yards and an interception. Offensively, Cleveland received a vintage performance from Deshaun Watson, who had his best game as a Brown. Watson, a three-time Pro Bowler during his time with the Texans, went 24 of 30 for 238 yards with two touchdowns and no picks. He also finished the game as Cleveland’s leading rusher. 

Monken’s initial months as the Browns coach were tumultuous. He watched GM Andrew Berry trade away Myles Garrett and, in recent weeks, has had to defend his decision to start Watson over Shedeur Sanders. Monken then endured a forgettable head coaching debut as the Browns were walloped by the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. 

But on Sunday, Monken and the Browns finally had a reason to celebrate. For Monken, the celebration included a spirited response to Tomlin and an emphatic defense of a once-proud franchise.

Tomlin, to his credit, laughed off Monken’s response to his initial comments. 

“I’m glad that I can still motivate, although I’m not coaching anymore,” he said. 

The origin of Tomlin’s initial comments dates to January 2021, when then-Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster uttered, “The Browns is the Browns” ahead of Pittsburgh’s wild card playoff game against Cleveland. Smith-Schuster and his teammates then watched as the Browns came to Pittsburgh and left with a 48-37 win. 

Ironically, Tomlin’s former team looked like the modern day version of the Browns on Sunday against the Patriots. The Steelers scored just three points and were outscored by New England’s defense during an eventual 20-3 loss that evened their record at 1-1. 

Monken has his own unique history against Tomlin and the Steelers. From 2023-25, he faced Tomlin’s Steelers seven times as the Ravens‘ offensive coordinator. After being swept by Pittsburgh in 2023, Monken helped the Ravens defeat the Steelers twice late in the 2024 season that included a decisive win in the AFC wild card round. Monken’s tenure in Baltimore ended, however, a year later in Pittsburgh after the Ravens missed a field goal on the final play of the regular season. 

Monken will get his first chance to face the Steelers as the Browns coach in Week 4, when Cleveland hosts Pittsburgh on Thursday night. The Browns have won four straight home games against the Steelers that include two wins on primetime. 

Search for the Needle includes a Clan system where players can create their own groups and complete tasks for unique rewards. The Clan system functions like the Guild system seen in various Roblox RPGs, where players can perform certain actions to improve their group’s position on the leaderboard. Players can either create Clans of their own using Gems or join existing ones through invites or join requests.

Here’s how Clans work in Search for the Needle.

An overview of Clans in Search for the Needle

The Clan system can be accessed from the lobby using the button on the HUD. When first viewing this menu, you will be able to access the Clan, Quests, Chest, and Top Clans tabs. The final tab, the Chat tab, is only functional when you become a member or the owner of a Clan.

You can create a Clan of your own using 500 Gems. This entails entering the Clan name and using a Clan Tag of your choosing, after which you can press the “Create” button to finalize the process. Once you create a Clan, you can either allow any player to send a join request to your faction or set it to invite-only. The latter is useful if you only wish to have your friends in the group.

If you wish to become part of another player’s Clan instead, visit the Top Clans tab to find an open slot in an established Clan. Alternatively, if a Clan owner has sent you an invite, you can view it from the Clan tab as well.

Once you are a Clan member, you can start completing Quests to earn Tokens. Clan Chests are rewarded to members of a Clan at the end of a week for every 10 Tokens they earn. Below, you can find the rewards that you may obtain upon opening a Clan Chest:

• 50 to 75 Gems: 65% drop chance
• 100 to 225 Gems: 27.3% drop chance
• Clan Pitchfork: 1.5% drop chance
• Clan Dynamite: 1.5% drop chance
• Clan Vacuum: 1.5% drop chance
• Viking Hat: 2.7% drop chance
• Spartan Hat: 0.5% drop chance

You can also chat with your Clan members in the Chat tab, should you wish to communicate quickly with your Clan mates only.

Also read: Unique Roblox username ideas for new players

FAQs on Search for the Needle

What are Clans in Search for the Needle?

Clans are player-created factions that allow Robloxians to band together and complete quests, earning Tokens in the process.

What are Tokens used for in Search for the Needle?

Tokens are a tally count that keep track of the quests a Clan member completes, rewarding them with Clan Chests for every 10 Tokens they earn.

What is the rarest reward available in the Clan Chest?

The rarest reward in the Clan Chest is the Spartan Hat, which has a drop chance of 0.5%.