National Football League News and Rumors
Gronkowski will playMike Florio, profootballtalk.com It’s hardly Pulitzer-worthy, but we nevertheless need to report what we know. Per a league source, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will play Sunday (wait, there’s a game Sunday?) despite a high ankle sprain suffered against the Ravens in the AFC tit… |
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Mjd, yahoo.com The Puppy Bowl, the world's finest example of counter-programming, has become a Super Sunday staple. Puppy Bowl VIII debuts on Sunday at 3 p.m. on Animal Planet. What follows is a brief and 100% false scouting report of the top competitors in Sunday's c… |
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As we finally arrive at this country’s national football holiday, maybe the only real questions about it are these: Do the Giants still have Tom Brady’s number or not? And does Eli have theirs? |
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Doug Farrar, yahoo.com The "Dewey Defeats Truman" headline is the most famous example of premature jocularity in media history, but on Saturday, the New York Giants inadvertently came a little too close to that mistake for a while on their official homepage: Uh, yea… |
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By every right, by every conventional measure, the Giants were a dead team walking on Dec. 13, coming out of MetLife Stadium. There was no way imaginable they could be playing Sunday inside Lucas Oil Stadium for a Super Bowl title. Yet they are. |
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Doug Farrar, yahoo.com On the surface, Super Bowl XLVI looks like a close game, but eminently winnable (and probably won) by the New York Giants over the New England Patriots. In the Week 9 game between these two teams, the Giants beat the Patriots, 24-20, despite the absence… |
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Kristian Dyer, yahoo.com Among the Curtis Martin's many accomplishments during his 11-year NFL career, dating singer Toni Braxton remains among the greatest feats on the running back's resume. But on Saturday evening, Martin was honored for what he did playing on the field and … |
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ESPN.com news services, ESPN.com Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has won the 2011 Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. |
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ESPNBoston.com, ESPN.com The Patriots made their final transaction of the 2011 season on Saturday, releasing wide receiver Tiquan Underwood and promoting defensive lineman Alex Silvestro from the practice squad. |
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There are 15 Giants remaining who played in Super Bowl XLII who will play Sunday night in Super Bowl XLVII against New England at Lucas Oil Stadium. If the Giants beat the Patriots again, it will be their fourth Super Bowl title, elevating them among th… |
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Gregg Rosenthal, profootballtalk.com We essentially knew Aaron Rodgers would win the league’s MVP award on Saturday night because he was chosen the first team All-Pro quarterback over Drew Brees in a landslide. Rogers won the MVP award by nearly the same vote: 48-2. (It was 47.5 to 2.5 f… |
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Indianapolis hospitalityFeb 4
Gregg Rosenthal, profootballtalk.com Things will get hectic over the next 36 hours. While there are a few minutes to spare this Saturday evening, I wanted to say thanks to the city of Indianapolis for a great week. The city and Super Bowl planners went above and beyond putting on a great s… |
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Evan Silva, profootballtalk.com The Associated Press announced Saturday evening that Terrell Suggs of the Ravens is its 2011 winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award. Suggs held off Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, receiving 21 votes compared to Allen’s 14. Also receiving v… |
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Rob Gronkowski walked without a limp as the New England Patriots gathered for photographs on Saturday. |
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Evan Silva, profootballtalk.com The Associated Press announced Saturday evening that Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was its 2011 selection for Comeback Player of the Year. Stafford edged out Browns linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, who received 15 votes to Stafford’s 21. 49ers quarte… |
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Gregg Rosenthal, profootballtalk.com In a strong sign that Chad Ochocinco will be active for Sunday’s Super Bowl, the Patriots released wide receiver Tiquan Underwood on Saturday afternoon. The team activated defensive end Alex Silvestro from the team’s practice squad in place of Underwo… |
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Evan Silva, profootballtalk.com The Associated Press announced Saturday that Broncos linebacker Von Miller is the 50-member panel’s winner of the 2011 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Miller won pretty handily over 49ers linebacker/defensive end Aldon Smith. Miller got 39 vote… |
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Gregg Rosenthal, profootballtalk.com 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh scored another victory Saturday, and this one was decisive. The Associated Press named Harbaugh their Coach of the Year. He received 45 votes, Packers coach Mike McCarthy got three, and John Fox got two votes. We think the honor… |
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Evan Silva, profootballtalk.com ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Raiders have interest in Stanford defensive coordinator Jason Tarver regarding the same role in Oakland. Tarver is actually co-defensive coordinator at Stanford and also oversees the Cardinal’s inside linebackers.… |
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Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN.com On the eve of the Super Bowl, Giants.com reportedly accidentally posted an image proclaiming the Giants as Super Bowl champions. An NFL.com blog reported the website gaffe with a screen grab by Comcast SportsNet New England. |
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Gregg Rosenthal, profootballtalk.com The announcement for the Pro Football Hall of Fame is coming shortly. For now, we now five of the 15 finalists that won’t make the cut this year. Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, pass rusher Kevin Greene, 49ers owner Eddie Debartolo, receiver Tim Br… |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com The Patriots’ walk-through practice today was a lighthearted affair that demonstrated once again the way that coach Bill Belichick has been relaxed and enjoying himself throughout the week. Belichick told pool reporter Tom Curran that he thought it was … |
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Evan Silva, profootballtalk.com NFL.com’s Jeff Darlington caught up with Archie Manning in Indianapolis on Saturday, and Archie made it clear that his son, Peyton, wanted no part of the media circus that diverted attention and recognition from his brother Eli leading up to Sunday’s … |
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Scott Powers, ESPN.com A day after backing out of an agreement with NIU, a source said P.J. Fleck is heading to Tampa. |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw had a slightly unusual practice schedule this week, working Wednesday and Thursday before taking Friday off to rest his sore feet. But at Saturday’s walk-through, Giants coach Tom Coughlin said Bradshaw is good to go f… |
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Chiefs are in discussions with Brian Daboll to become their new offensive coordinator. |
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CARLTON J. CHIN and JAY P. GRANA, nytimes.com With an eye toward sports psychology concepts and quantitative analysis that attempts to identify factors that are as independent from one another as possible, five key statistical factors were identified that help predict Super Bowl winners. |
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Mike Tanier, nytimes.com Iconic guitars, Kerouac's original manuscript for "On the Road," and a signed Warhol soup can--all artifacts collected by Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay--are on display at the Indiana State Museum. |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com Roger Goodell had a lot to say at his annual pre-Super Bowl press conference on Friday, most of which we covered on Friday. One area that got overlooked was Goodell’s opinion about the decision to move kickoffs from the 30-yard line to the 35-yard line … |
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Evan Silva, profootballtalk.com Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s 2011 performance downturn seemed to begin immediately after the team signed him to a surprise in-season extension worth $59 million. Fitzpatrick’s team went 1-8 down the stretch, and he threw only 10 touchdown pa… |
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Mjd, yahoo.com 10. The NFL is ready to accept women again. Madonna is the first female invited to headline the Super Bowl halftime show since Janet Jackson did what she did back in 2004 (technically, last year's act, the Black Eyes Peas were 25% female, but I think we… |
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Gregg Rosenthal, profootballtalk.com The 2012 Pro Football Hall of Fame class is announced later this afternoon, and we’ll have the information up on the site live from the press conference here in Indianapolis. This is not a year with a lot of “slam dunk” picks, so it could be one of … |
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Ken Belson, nytimes.com Marc Gold, the co-owner of the horseradish firm that carries his family's name, says that horseradish will help the Giants prevail against the Patriots on Sunday. |
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Evan Silva, profootballtalk.com The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward is recovering from surgery to repair bone fragments in his ankle. It’s the latest bit of confirmation that Ward intends to play football in 2012. He may have passed on the proced… |
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LONDON (AP) -- Ticket sales for the NFL's annual game in London have been suspended while the St. Louis Rams try to solve an issue regarding the lease on their stadium. |
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Less than a year ago, Tom Brady, Logan Mankins, Osi Umenyiora and seven other players filed an antitrust suit against the NFL, a key moment in a convoluted and contentious labor dispute between the union and league that threatened t… |
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NEW YORK (AP) -- If you're expecting to be shocked by all the Super Bowl ads, don't hold your breath: There won't be many surprises. |
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Benjamin Hoffman, nytimes.com David Baas, the Giants' starting center, spent six seasons in San Francisco and had to switch coasts before ending up on a winning team. |
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Gregg Rosenthal, profootballtalk.com On any normal NBC SportsTalk episode, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers would be the headliner. On Friday’s show, he was one of many big names that joined Florio on the set. Rivers talked about the continuity in San Diego and being a finalist for the W… |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com It’s a slow day in Indianapolis for many of the assembled media, but the 44 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee are busily working on deciding which four to seven people will be enshrined in Canton, a decision that will be annou… |
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Toni Monkovic, nytimes.com Bill Parcells may be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Sunday. It's worth pausing to consider his accomplishments with the Giants. |
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Gregg Rosenthal, profootballtalk.com The weekend has arrived in Indianapolis, and the crowds have swelled to nearly unmanageable numbers. To put it in perspective, there is security with hundreds of fans just waiting to see who walks inside . . . the media hotel. The Giants are only two bl… |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com Robert Griffin III, the Heisman Trophy-winning Baylor star who’s widely regarded as the No. 2 quarterback in this year’s NFL draft, was in Indianapolis on Friday for some Super Bowl media appearances. And he said he’s hoping to be in Indianapolis fo… |
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Vera H, yahoo.com The pompoms are back. Sort of. Sideline spectators have another reason to tune into Super Bowl XLVI: After a drought last year with the cheerless Green Bay/Pittsburgh championship, cheerleaders will be returning to the sidelines. The burden, though, wil… |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and receiver Santonio Holmes may need some marriage counseling. Jets coach Rex Ryan told the New York Post that Holmes told him he’d like to get away for a weekend retreat with Sanchez to fix their chemistry. Ryan has been … |
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Doug Farrar, yahoo.com In the conclusion of Shutdown Corner's interview with Jerry Rice from the Media Center, we ask the man who has done more in the Super Bowl than anyone else to break down Sunday's big game. Who has the advantage at quarterback? Just how much would Rob Gr… |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com Bills DL Marcell Dareus thinks that Tom Brady is able to successfully lobby officials for flags during games. The Dolphins want Sun Life Stadium to feel more like the Orange Bowl. The Patriots focused on trying to replicate the speed of the Giants pass … |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com The talk about the Miami Dolphins as the landing spot for Peyton Manning is not going away. We’ve already heard that the Dolphins are interested in Manning if he becomes available, and now comes word from Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel, citing an unname… |
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ESPN.com news services, ESPN.com The Chiefs have hired former Dolphins assistant Brian Daboll as their offensive coordinator, a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Friday. |
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If he wins on Sunday, if Eli Manning pulls off another fourth-quarter comeback or merely beats the Patriots, his two Super Bowl titles will land him on a pedestal reserved only for New York’s greatest sports icons. |
