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Live stream the NFL for free from anywhere in the world.

TL;DR: Live stream the New Orleans Saints vs. the San Francisco 49ers for free. You can watch the NFL preseason games for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

It’s only preseason, which as football fans know, is really just an an exhibition. Even so, the 49ers are one of the top picks to win the Super Bowl but dropped their preseason opener to the Tennessee Titans. And the preseason games can be important for figuring out the roster — particularly for the 49ers, who have some injury problems.

The Saints, however, had a promising opening week in preseason with a narrow win over the Cardinals. The win came via a last ditch 37-yard field goal from rookie Charlie Smyth, while rookie quarter back Spencer Rattler — who led the winning drive — also impressed fans. Can the Saints do it again against the 49ers this weekend?

The good news is that you can watch the NFL preseason action without spending anything. If you want to watch the NFL preseason for free, no matter where you are around the world, we have all the information you need.

When is the Saints vs. the 49ers?

The New Orleans Saints vs. the San Francisco 49ers takes place at 8 p.m. ET on August 18. This fixture will be played at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

How to watch the Saints vs. the 49ers for free

To watch the NFL preseason games for free, sign up for free trials with either DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, or fubo. You can register for free trials with each of these streaming platforms, one trial at a time, which will give you time to watch the remaining weeks of the NFL preseason for free. But be sure to cancel these trials before you incur any subscription charges.

Alternatively, you can register at DAZN, which is showing the NFL preseason for free to viewers outside the US, Canada, and China.

Because all these streaming services are geo-blocked to specific countries, you’ll also need to sign up for a VPN to access them. A VPN is a handy tool that can mask your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in another country, allowing you to unblock free streaming services from around the globe and therefore access region-specific streaming platforms.

Access free live streams of the NFL by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with free coverage of the NFL preseason

Visit DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, fubo, or DAZN.

Watch the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world.

The best VPNs for streaming are not actually free to use, but the top VPN services do tend to offer deals such as free trial periods or money-back guarantees. All you need to do is sign up and take advantage of these deals to gain access to NFL preseason live streams — and all without committing any cash in the long run. It’s a short-term solution, but the trial period will allow you to watch the NFL preseason action before you have to recover any initial investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries

Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

Fast connection speeds

Up to eight simultaneous connections

30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is currently on sale for $99.95, which means an impressive saving of 49% for a limited time. The plan also includes an extra three months at no additional cost, plus a year of unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

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Live stream the NFL for free from anywhere in the world.

TL;DR: Live stream the Green Bay Packers vs. the Denver Broncos for free. You can watch the NFL preseason games for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

It might be “American” football but NFL action has never been more popular outside of North America, which is why fans around the globe want to know how to catch all the action — even this week’s preseason games.

Among the games being played this weekend is the Green Bay Packers vs. the Denver Broncos. The Packers are following a promising 2023 season, which saw them reach the divisional round in the playoffs. The Broncos, however, continued a disappointing streak of failing to reach the playoffs.

Both teams notched up wins in the first week of preseason, and have their sights on kicking off the proper 2024 season with some momentum.

If you want to watch the NFL preseason games for free, no matter where you are around the world, here’s all the information you need.

When is the Packers vs. the Broncos?

The Green Bay Packers vs. the Denver Broncos takes place at 8 p.m. ET on August 18. This fixture will be played at the Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.

How to watch the Packers vs. the Broncos for free

You can watch the NFL preseason games for free by signing up for free trials with DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, or fubo. Simply register for free trials with each of these subscription-based platforms, one trial at a time, which will cover the remaining weeks of the NFL preseason. Just remember to cancel these memberships before the trial ends and you incur subscription costs.

Alternatively, you can register at DAZN, which is showing the NFL preseason fixtures for free to viewers outside the U.S., Canada, and China.

All of these streaming services are geo-restricted to specific regions, which means you’ll need to first sign up for a VPN in order to access them. If you’ve never used a VPN before, it’s a handy tool that can obscure your real-world IP address (digital location) and then connect you to a secure server in other countries, allowing you to sidestep geo-restrictions and unblock streaming services from around the world.

Access free live streams of the NFL by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with free coverage of the NFL preseason

Visit DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, fubo, or DAZN.

Watch the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world.

The best VPNs for streaming are not free themselves, but VPN services usually offer sweetener deals that include free trial periods or money-back guarantees. Simply leverage these deals to gain access to NFL preseason live streams, and it won’t cost you a dime in the long run. This is obviously a quick fix solution, but you can watch all the NFL preseason action before you recovering any upfront investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries

Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

Fast connection speeds

Up to eight simultaneous connections

30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is currently on sale for $99.95 — an overall saving of 49% but for a limited time only. Within that plan you get a bonus three months at no additional cost, plus a year of unlimited cloud backup, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

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Watch Connecticut Sun vs. Atlanta Dream in the WNBA from anywhere in the world.

TL;DR: Watch Connecticut Sun vs. Atlanta Dream in the WNBA with WNBA League Pass. Avoid blackouts and watch the WNBA from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Connecticut Sun and Atlanta Dream are set to take to the court as the WNBA season continues.

Don’t miss out, to watch Connecticut Sun vs. Atlanta Dream in the WNBA from anywhere in the world, keep reading to find out all the information you need.

When is Connecticut Sun vs. Atlanta Dream?

Connecticut Sun vs. Atlanta Dream in the WNBA starts at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 18. This fixture takes place at the Gateway Center Arena at College Park, Georgia.

How to watch Connecticut Sun vs. Atlanta Dream

WNBA fans can live stream Connecticut Sun vs. Atlanta Dream plus the rest of the 2024 season from anywhere in the world with the WNBA League Pass.

However, it’s worth noting that the WNBA League Pass may not show locally televised games live in the participating teams’ local areas. However, not to worry, fans can beat these geo-restrictions by using a VPN. These tools work by hiding your real IP address (i.e. digital location) so you’ll be able to connect to secure servers in other locations, meaning you can bypass blackouts to watch every WNBA League Pass game live, barring games hosted by Amazon Prime Video.

You can access every WNBA League Pass game by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with no broadcast deals for the WNBA

Log in to WNBA League Pass

Stream every WNBA game live (barring games hosted by Amazon Prime Video)

What is the best VPN for the WNBA?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for hiding your real IP address and streaming more sport, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries

Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

Fast connection speeds free from throttling

Up to eight simultaneous connections

30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream Connecticut Sun vs. Atlanta Dream in the WNBA from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

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Here’s the answer for “Wordle” #1156 on August 18, as well as a few hints, tips, and clues to help you solve it yourself.

Oh hey there! If you’re here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we’re serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today’s answer.

If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for August 18’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.

What’s the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.

Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:

Tall and skinny.

Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…

Today’s Wordle starts with the letter L.

The Wordle answer today is…

Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today’s Wordle is…

LANKY.

Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.

Reporting by Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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Connections is a New York Times word game that’s all about finding the “common threads between words.” How to solve the puzzle.

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for August 18’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories

Want a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

Yellow: Alarm configuration

Green: “Here me out, bro”

Blue: Iconic candies

Purple: Misspelled Disney dwarfs

Here are today’s Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:

Yellow: Alarm Clock Buttons

Green: “Here’s A Thought”

Blue: Candy Pieces

Purple: Seven Dwarfs Minus Last Letter

Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today’s Connections #434 is…

What is the answer to Connections today

Alarm Clock Buttons: ALARM, HOUR, SNOOZE, TIME SET

“Here’s A Thought”: PERHAPS, SAY, SUPPOSE, WHAT IF

Candy Pieces: KISS, NERD, RUNT, WHOPPER

Seven Dwarfs Minus Last Letter: DO, DOPE, GRUMP, SLEEPY

Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday’s Connections.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.

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A review of EA Sports Madden NFL 25 for PlayStation 5

EA Sports Madden NFL 25 feels like a missed opportunity that could’ve been a timeless entry in sports gaming history, up there with NBA 2K11 and FIFA 13, had it been released in 2018. Instead, what we have is a slightly enhanced Madden 24, packed with layers of superfluous content that almost distracts from the game itself.

To be fair, I haven’t seriously played a Madden game since 2017, so my perspective on the annual updates might be limited. But after diving into Madden NFL 25 with an early access code from EA Sports, I was struck by how much it captures the essence of what I always wanted from a Madden game. The interface is clean, the soundtrack energizes, the franchise mode has enough depth to keep you engaged, and the gameplay strikes a balance between authenticity and smoothness.

For someone who’s been away from the series, it’s a breath of fresh air — a showcase of how far the series has come. But if you’ve been following along year after year, Madden 25 feels like more of the same with marginal improvements. Is it worth the $70 price tag? It’s hard to justify when you could instead hunt down a PS2 and NFL 2K5 for a fraction of the cost.

I played about 10+ hours of the game’s various modes and my takeaway is the same as it’s been with any Madden game I’ve ever played. Yeah, it’s good, but man it could’ve been even better.

Madden 25 gameplay

The gameplay in this year’s Madden is a more refined experience, a culmination of previous work by EA Orlando within the Frostbite Engine. When stacked against the recently released College Football 25, which emphasizes fast and flashy gameplay, Madden 25 adopts a more cerebral, methodical pace that captures the essence of the pro game. It genuinely feels like EA Orlando has perfected their use of the Frostbite engine’s animations.

Most of the changes in Madden 25 this year focus on refining and polishing the gameplay from Madden 24, with several key updates that enhance the overall experience.

First, you’ll notice new solo tackle animations, more dynamic 50/50 ball interactions, and revamped blocking mechanics. The pass protection menu now allows you to see exactly who’s being blocked on passing plays, and you even have the option to use the blocking technique of half-sliding your line, which provides for more nuanced protection schemes. Using the Hit Stick for tackles has become more about timing, with tight ends being notably tougher to bring down, and cornerbacks finding it nearly impossible to land a Hit Stick. However, the new “Boom Tech” feature, while a promising attempt at adding more natural-looking collision animations, has led to some glitchy interactions that could use some patching.

Stat graphics are shown more frequently throughout games, which adds to the immersion. The introduction of custom route stems is another welcome feature from CFB 25, allowing for more personalized and strategic route running.

Madden 25 delivers a lot of things in its gameplay, but “authenticity” may not be one of them. The commentary, in particular, feels hollow, lacking the soul and contextual richness that can elevate a sports game. What’s often missing from most sports titles, and Madden is no exception, is the casual, conversational tone that brings depth to the commentary. The kind of outside discourse and emotion that mirrors the intensity of an actual football game — which, let’s be honest, can be a bloodsport in its own right — is noticeably absent.

It’s a minor gripe, but the commentary doesn’t offer any unique or memorable calls during gameplay. Sure, they’ll remind you that CJ Stroud had a great rookie year, but where’s the excitement in hearing how remarkable it is to see Lions WR Jameson Williams catch three touchdowns and rack up 200+ yards years after recovering from an ACL tear and then a gambling suspension? That’s the kind of narrative that would make the commentary feel alive and connected to the game’s deeper stories.

In the end, the gameplay in this year’s Madden is fantastic, but it’s missing some of that intangible soul that could make it truly special.

Madden 25 Superstar mode

Immediately after booting Madden, I loaded up the game’s Superstar mode. One of the cool additions now that College Football 25 is on the scene is that I can take my player from that game’s “Road to Glory” mode and load him up in Madden.

Superstar mode is a bit lean on content, but compared to CFB 25, its initial moments are at least a bit more immersive. Where the college game asks you to pick a star rating and answer a few basic questions about your ideal playing environment, Madden takes a more hands-on approach. You’re put through the paces of the NFL Draft Combine, running the 40-yard dash, doing the bench press, broad jump, and even the shuttle cone drill. These mini-games can feel a bit like busywork, but they do add an immersive touch, making you feel like you’re actively shaping your player’s draft stock — performing well in the mini-games can increase certain attributes like agility or speed.

However, that sense of immersion quickly fades, and you’re left facing the familiar pitfalls of any “be the star” mode. After the draft, the experience devolves into a repetitive cycle of playing game after game, over and over, until you’ve either met all your objectives or grown tired of the grind and decided to walk away. The excitement of the early stages gives way to monotony, making it hard to stay invested for the long haul.

The mode’s pacing grinds to a halt as EA Sports has introduced random cutscenes that trigger challenges and temporary attribute boosts for the upcoming game. For instance, your coach might call you in to ask whether you want to focus on short or medium passing accuracy this week. You make your choice, and the game sets up the relevant challenges. While it’s a creative idea, it disrupts the flow between games, making the experience feel disjointed.

The issues don’t stop there. The AI in this mode is perplexing, to say the least. The game promises that your Draft Combine performance will influence which quarterback-needy team selects you, yet I still ended up with the Atlanta Falcons. In reality, the Falcons had recently splurged on former Vikings QB Kirk Cousins ($180 million over 4 years) and drafted another quarterback with their top 10 pick just weeks later.

To make matters worse, because Superstar mode uses up-to-date rosters, the Falcons now have three quarterbacks on their depth chart. Their solution? Trade Cousins to the Los Angeles Rams, who already have Super Bowl-winning QB Matthew Stafford as their starter. It’s a bizarre, almost laughable outcome that underscores the mode’s flaws and breaks any remaining immersion.

Madden 25 Franchise mode

In Madden 24, franchise mode introduced some genuine improvements that made the experience enjoyable throughout the year, Madden 25, however, has left me feeling a bit differently.

The draft presentation has undergone a complete overhaul in Madden 25. There’s now a big board that shows all the teams within a round and who they pick, with Roger Goodell announcing each selection. You even get to see the player you drafted walking up to the stage to hold your team’s jersey, or if they’re not at the draft, it shows them receiving the phone call at home. After your pick, the game provides details on the true draft rank and gives backstory and analysis on the pick.

Scouting, however, remains unchanged from last year, aside from a new look for the prospect board. You can still sort players by Physical Attribute grades, Combine numbers, and Pro Day results. But these changes, unfortunately, are a major letdown. The scouting and draft sequences are painfully slow, and trying to skip through them only causes glitches that make the process even more sluggish.

While Madden 25 brings some interesting visual updates to the draft process and retains the solid scouting mechanics from 24, these additions are ultimately undermined by slow, glitchy execution and frustrating morale management. For example, I was prompted to address a potential position battle for RB1 between 68 overall rookie Sione Vaki and 84 overall Jahmyr Gibbs. Obviously, that wasn’t going to happen when I said my entire team took a -10 morale hit —which seemed to drop some players’ overall ratings by 1 or 2 points for the entire season.

The potential penalties for making logical decisions in franchise mode and for saying the wrong thing during press interviews or when dealing with fussy players feel like a step back. I want an engaging and deep Franchise mode, and I’m sure a younger me would’ve loved this, but the me of today finds it all superfluous.

Is Madden 25 worth it?

Madden 25 is a mixed bag. On one hand, the gameplay feels better than ever, with smoother animations, more intuitive passing mechanics, and updated features like “Boom Tech” that add a layer of authenticity to tackles. The pacing feels more thoughtful compared to the flashier College Football 25, and for some players, that’s a welcome change. But while Madden nails the on-field action, it falters elsewhere.

Franchise mode, which saw genuine improvements last year, feels like a step back in Madden 25. The revamped draft presentation and scouting system, while visually interesting, are bogged down by sluggish execution and glitches. And the morale system can be downright frustrating, penalizing logical decisions with massive team-wide morale hits that can derail an entire season. Plus, the game’s reliance on playbook logic to dictate player performance still creates bizarre, unrealistic scenarios that ruin immersion in simulated seasons.

If you’re looking purely for improved gameplay mechanics, Madden 25 delivers. But if franchise mode or the overall experience is your priority, the game’s flaws may leave you disappointed. It’s a good game on the surface, but it lacks the soul and polish that could make it truly great. Depending on what you value in a football sim, it may or may not be worth the upgrade from Madden 24.

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Answers to each clue for the August 17, 2024 edition of NYT’s The Mini crossword puzzle.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times‘ revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player’s flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

Here are the clues and answers to NYT’s The Mini for Saturday, August 17, 2024:

Across

Stuff chewed by a cow

The answer is Cud.

Bakery offerings

The answer is Cakes.

Corporate makeover

The answer is Rebrand.

100%

The answer is All.

“___ De Jing” (philosophical text)

The answer is Dao.

Like restrictions you might mention to a waiter

The answer is Dietary.

Difficult shape for a mini golf hole

The answer is Anthill.

Ah, this takes me back!

The answer is Reverse.

Down

What the Disney Channel and Golf Channel appear on

The answer is Cable TV.

Kyiv’s land: Abbr.

The answer is UKR.

Awkward silence in a broadcast

The answer is Dead air.

Dion who performed atop the Eiffel Tower at the 2024 Olympics

The answer is Celine.

Responds in an aggressive and threatening tone

The answer is Snarls.

Weather-detecting technology

The answer is Radar.

Writer Arthur Conan ___

The answer is Doyle.

The “t” of btw

The answer is The.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.

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“Emily in Paris” is back, and it has big Carrie Bradshaw energy. Let’s dig into the fabulousness and flaws of TV’s boldest heroines.

I know it’s bad etiquette to watch-and-text, but when it comes to Emily in Paris, I simply must have my phone fully charged and open to the group chat at all times. Where else am I to express my utter exasperation with the show’s heroine, Emily Cooper (Lily Collins)? I need a safe space to discuss her bonkers Instagram captions! To react in horror to her nonsensical decision-making! To share my disbelief at her ability to pull together outfits that are certifiably unhinged!

Suffice to say, Emily stirs up feelings of frustration in me that I truly didn’t know I was capable of. In fact, the only other time I can recall being quite so riled up by a TV heroine was when I first came across Sex and the City‘s Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker).

Darren Star, the creator of both shows, is to blame for these two glamorous agents of chaos. Carrie and Emily may have their differences, but both are famously polarizing amongst viewers; there is even an entire website dedicated to Carrie Bradshaw being the worst. 

Now, it’s worth noting that unlikable female characters are a good thing — we all love a flawed protagonist. After all, how dull would it be if all of our female characters were perfect beacons of moral purity? But Carrie and Emily are truly on another level. Their flaws are often downright painful to see in action. Selfish and oblivious, they skip onwards through their glamorous lives, wreaking absolute havoc and leaving a whole lot of mess in their wake.

As the fourth season of Emily in Paris lands on Netflix and a new generation discovers the joys of Sex and the City, group chats everywhere are filled with more infuriating Emily and Carrie content than ever — and what a joy it is! There has never been a better time to do a very thorough investigation into the anatomy of the Darren Star heroine.

Emily and Carrie: terrible at relationships.

Both are at their most narcissistic when it comes to romance. Carrie harbors an obsessive love for Big (Chris Noth) throughout all six seasons of Sex and the City — and two movies! Her infatuation leads her to make some very bizarre decisions. Only a few months into their situationship, for instance, she stalks him and his mother to church, and then demands to know why he won’t commit to her. Later, when she is dating Aidan (John Corbett) and Big is married to Natasha (Bridget Moynahan), Carrie is all too eager to jump into an affair with her ex. She then spends years following Natasha around trying to get some kind of forgiveness in order to make herself feel better. In fact, decades later, Carrie is still hounding Natasha for closure in And Just Like That.

Then there’s Emily, who falls for hot chef Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) and proceeds to sleep with him even though he’s in a relationship with her friend, Camille (Camille Razat). Oh yeah, and she also sleeps with Camille’s 17-year-old brother. 

In the new season, Emily is just as messy in her relationships. Unable to choose between Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) and Gabriel, she simply keeps both on the line. At one party, she happily dances with Alfie and smiles as he tells her he’s all in — before she proceeds to fall back into Gabriel’s arms as soon as he appears on the scene.

The worst part of all of this is that Carrie and Emily act as though this is normal; they talk to their friends as though all of this cheating and uncertainty and poor communication is just another annoying part of dating. As the meme goes, is the accountability in the room with us?

Emily and Carrie: bad at friendships.

While Emily and Carrie are off making awful relationship decisions, they are also, more often than not, neglecting their friends in the process. In fact, the tendency towards narcissism in friendships is perhaps the main defining trait of a Darren Star heroine. To put it bluntly, these girlies have enough “main character energy” to fill all of NYC and Paris combined.

A typical SATC brunch goes something like this. Charlotte (Kristin Davis) raises an issue she is having. Samantha (Kim Cattrall) replies with a saucy, but helpful anecdote. Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) chimes in with a comment connecting Charlotte’s problem to the feminist plight. And Carrie leaps in to change the subject, bringing up some inconsequential thing Big said. Oh, and when her friends try to explain to her that she is in a toxic cycle with Big? Naturally, she doesn’t want to hear it.

Yet, she still expects her friends to offer to help her buy her apartment back from Aidan post-breakup. Remember the time Carrie shamelessly guilted Charlotte into handing over her engagement ring so she could afford the $30,000 down payment? .

Emily is also painfully self-obsessed in her friendships. Just take the latest season, where Emily tells her landlord that Gabriel, Camille, and Camille’s new girlfriend are all living together, thereby breaking the building’s rules, because she is sick of Camille living near her new boyfriend Gabriel. Very thoughtful move, Em! Emily’s selfishness even shines through in the small moments. Just take the moment she meets up with Camille’s friends to help track her down. Not only does she dash off from the meeting after receiving a text, she fails to pay for her iced tea. As Camille’s friends put it, “So rude.”

Carrie and Emily: inexplicably successful careerists.

Perhaps another reason that Carrie and Emily are so very infuriating is that they are somehow revered in their chosen fields, despite the fact that they both kind of suck at their jobs. 

Carrie is a writer in New York City who lives a very comfortable, Manolo Blahnik-filled life writing (checks notes) one column a week about her dating life. Of course, every now and then, she takes on some freelance work for little magazines like Vogue. (Every freelance writer knows the Carrie Bradshaw lore that she was paid $4 a word for this work, which she even successfully negotiated to $4.50.) Oh, and she has a minor breakdown when (gasp) her editor… edits her work. Her career goes from success to success when her column leads to a book deal. By And Just Like That, Carrie has transitioned to a career as the co-host of a podcast about sex and gender, even though it’s quite clear she doesn’t really know what podcasts actually are, and she feels too uncomfortable to actually, you know, talk about sex. 

Meanwhile, Emily is a social media marketer who, though she can’t post a good Instagram pic to save her life, finds herself working in Paris — despite speaking no French! Instead of actually learning some French and figuring out how to take a good picture for social media, she seems to spend most of her time at fancy lunches and stylish parties, before faking her way through pitch meetings where she very frequently makes up campaign ideas on the spot. 

Emily and Carrie: outrageous fashion icons.

Naturally, these two heroines’ chaotic interiors are reflected in their inexplicable sartorial choices. We are talking wildly mismatched patterns, blindingly bright color combinations, and shapes that simply make no logical sense on a human body. 

Carrie wears a belt on her bare waist! A crochet pageboy hat! A pirate bandana! It’s an explosion of experimental NYC fashion. Meanwhile, Emily wears a coat covered in shoes! Mismatched houndstooth! A jacket covered in the literal Paris skyline! Oh, and in the fourth season, she comes to a masked ball dressed as the literal Hamburglar! She may be taking Paris by storm, but understated French chic she is not. After all, she is the vulgar American transplant — and her clothes show it. Sex and the City’s costume designer, the legendary Patricia Field, was a consultant on the first two seasons of Emily in Paris, which suggests they were eager to bring some of the bold fashions of Carrie Bradshaw into Emily Cooper’s wardrobe. When Field left the show after the second season, many fans noted that Emily’s outfits seemed even more outrageous and over-the-top than ever. Evidently, for a Darren Star leading lady, maximalism-verging-on-hideous is the name of the game. 

Carrie Bradshaw and Emily Cooper are both kind of the worst. But, honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. There’s a unique joy that comes from gasping in shock horror as they flagrantly cheat, lie, and manipulate — and there’s a mischievous kind of fun that comes from living vicariously through their bad decisions, while knowing we could never, ever be quite so absurd as they are. They may be messy, but no one is more fun to watch — and gossip about in a group chat — than a Darren Star heroine

Emily in Paris Season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.

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Live stream the NFL for free from anywhere in the world.

TL;DR: Live stream the New York Giants vs. the Houston Texans for free. You can watch the NFL preseason games for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

It was a strong start to the preseason from both the Giants and Texans, with respective wins over the Lions and Steelers in Week 1. Both teams had standout performances, which means — while it’s only preseason competition — there are players to watch from both sides, who could do big things once the real season kicks off.

Tommy DeVito looked solid for the Giants and could be central to plays in this game against the Texans. Quarterback Daniel Jones also returns to action for the Giants following an ACL injury last season, which makes this game a test for Jones too.

The Texans meanwhile have quarterback C.J. Stroud and wide receiver Tank Dell, a sharp combo in their Week 1 games against the Steelers, while David Mills and Case Keenum look to prove their value as the Texans’ No. 2 quarterback.

If you want to watch the NFL preseason for free from anywhere around the world, here’s all the information you need.

When is the Giants vs. the Texans?

The New York Giants vs. the Houston Texans takes place at 1 p.m. ET on August 17. This fixture will be played at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

How to watch the Giants vs. the Texans for free

To watch the NFL preseason games for free, simply sign up for free trials with either DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, or fubo. You can register for free trials with each of these subscription-based platforms, one trial at a time, which will give you time to watch the remaining two weeks of the NFL preseason without spending anything. Just remember to cancel these trials before you incur any subscription costs.

Or you can register at DAZN, which is showing the NFL preseason for free to viewers outside the US, Canada, and China.

All of these streaming services are geo-restricted to specific countries, so you’ll also need to first sign up for a VPN in order to access them. A VPN is a handy tool that can mask your real IP address (digital location) and then connect you to a secure server in another country, which allows you to bypass restrictions and unblock free streaming services from around the world.

Access free live streams of the NFL by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with free coverage of the NFL preseason

Visit DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, fubo, or DAZN.

Watch the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world.

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but the top VPN providers offer incentive deals such as free trial periods or money-back guarantees. Leverage these deals to gain access to NFL preseason live streams without spending anything in the long run. This is a short-term solution, but you’ll be able to watch the NFL preseason fixtures before recovering any upfront investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries

Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

Fast connection speeds

Up to eight simultaneous connections

30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is currently on sale for $99.95 — an overall saving of 49%. The plan is available for a limited time and also includes an extra three months at no additional cost, plus a year of unlimited cloud backup, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

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Live stream the NFL for free from anywhere in the world.

TL;DR: Live stream the Detroit Lions vs. the Kansas City Chiefs for free. You can watch the NFL preseason games for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

This year’s Super Bowl winners, the Kansas City Chiefs, are back in action this week in the preseason, hosting the Detroit Lions.

The Chiefs are among the favorites to win the Super Bowl again this season, though the Lions scored the win in these teams’ last meeting. Both the Chiefs and the Lions lost their Week 1 games, so they’ll be looking to notch up a win in Week 2.

The Chiefs also have an injury to cover, after wide receiver Marquise Brown dislocated his shoulder in his Chiefs debut last week.

The good news is, you can watch the NFL preseason action without spending anything. If you want to watch the NFL for free from anywhere in the world, here’s all the information you need.

When is the Lions vs. the Chiefs?

The Detroit Lions vs. the Kansas City Chiefs takes place at 4 p.m. ET on August 17. This fixture will be played at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in in Kansas City, Missouri.

How to watch the Lions vs. the Chiefs for free

To watch the NFL preseason games for free, you’ll need to sign up for free trials at DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, or fubo. You can sign up for each trial to watch, week-by-week, which will give you enough time to watch each remaining weekend of the NFL preseason. Just remember to cancel your memberships to avoid incurring any charges once the free trials end.

Alternatively, you can register at DAZN, which is showing the NFL preseason for free to viewers outside the US, Canada, and China.

All of these streaming services are geo-blocked to specific regions, but you can still access these platforms with a VPN, no matter where you are in the world. VPNs are useful tools that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other countries, allowing you to unblock free streaming services from around the globe.

Access free live streams of the NFL by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with free coverage of the NFL preseason

Visit DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, fubo, or DAZN.

Watch the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world.

The best VPNs for streaming are not actually free to use, but leading VPN services usually offer free trial periods or money-back guarantees. You can take advantage of these deals to gain access to live streams of the NFL preseason without committing with your cash in the long run. This is obviously a short-term solution, but it does give you time to watch NFL preseason fixtures before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries

Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

Fast connection speeds

Up to eight simultaneous connections

30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes a bonus three months at no extra cost — that’s an impressive 49% off for a limited time only. This plan also includes a year of unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

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