National Football League News and Rumors
Fox Gets Conservative: Did The Denver Coach's Risk-Averse Strategy Cost The Broncos A Playoff Victory?Brian Burke, deadspin.com NFL coaches will often refer to "playing the percentages." But if there's one thing I've learned by studying strategic decisions, it's that coaches don't have a firm grasp of those percentages. And when anyone is uncertain of the odds, he'll f… |
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The Falcons will surely defend the 49ers' rushing attack in the NFC title game better than the Packers did, but Andrew Perloff still feels Colin Kaepernick and Co. will head to the Super Bowl. |
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Judy Battista, nytimes.com A preview of the N.F.C. championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons. |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Throughout the 2012 regular season, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco wasn’t pushing for a new contract, but he wouldn’t have complained if the team wanted to do a deal. They didn’t. Now, if the Ravens decide that Flacco’s performance to date in the p… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Amid reports that the Cardinals hope to hire Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy to be Arizona’s latest head coach and to keep Ray Horton as the team’s defensive coordinator, that plan is news to Horton. A source with knowledge of the situation t… |
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ESPN.com news services, ESPN.com While New England was defeating Houston on Sunday to set up an AFC Championship Game rematch with Baltimore, Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo ripped the Patriots on Twitter, particularly criticizing their no-huddle offense. |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com It was believed that Peyton Manning would get the gang back together in Denver, with guys like Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, and Jeff Saturday joining Peyton as members of the Broncos. In the end, the Indy connection was limited to the likes of Jacob Tamm… |
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When Rob Gronkowski and Danny Woodhead were hurt in the first quarter, the Patriots turned to their reserves and ripped the Texans 41-28. It is the Patriot Way, says Don Banks. |
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Tom Brady found an edge, and the Texans never adjusted, says Chris Burke, who weighs in on the Patriots' 41-28 win that set up a rematch with the Ravens in the AFC title game. |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com Texans receiver DeVier Posey suffered a torn Achilles tendon injury in Sunday’s loss to the Patriots. Posey went down in pain and had to be carted off the field, and he confirmed the diagnosis after the game. “It felt like I got shot. I’ve never fel… |
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Maggie Hendricks, yahoo.com During the New England Patriots' divisional win over the Houston Texans, Owen Daniels was dropped for a one-yard loss. He dropped the ball, but the play was whistled dead before the fumble. It didn't matter to Brandon Spikes. He used the chance to plead… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Though Texans quarterback Matt Schaub had a solid game on Sunday against the Patriots, plenty of his yards and both of his touchdown passes came after Houston had fallen into a 25-point hole. Regardless, a season of high expectations ended with the Tex… |
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Maggie Hendricks, yahoo.com New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has been to the playoffs before. His teams have won Super Bowls. He isn't going to be impressed just because Shane Vereen got his third touchdown. Yeah, it's business as usual for Belichick. He just has to get b… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Last night’s game in San Francisco was a pretty good one, especially for the home team. But 92 folks who paid for tickets left prematurely, and involuntarily. According to the Associated Press, 92 fans were ejected during the 49ers’ 45-31 victory ov… |
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ESPN.com news services, ESPN.com Tom Brady became the winningest quarterback in postseason play, throwing for three touchdowns Sunday to beat Houston 41-28 and lift the New England Patriots into the AFC Championship Game. |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com We saw three great football games this weekend. And then we saw one great football team. After a tremendous Saturday in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, Sunday got started with another phenomenal game as the Falcons jumped out to a big lead, sq… |
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ESPN.com news services, ESPN.com New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will miss the remainder of the postseason after breaking his arm in Sunday's divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans, sources confirmed to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Well, the Texans showed a little fight. But, so far, not enough. A pair of touchdowns and a two-point conversion cut New England’s lead from 25 to 10. But a Texans onside kick with more than five minutes left was recovered by the Patriots. New Engla… |
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ESPN.com news services, ESPN.com New Jersey police want to ask Kenny Britt about an incident Saturday night involving the stabbing of one of the Tennessee Titans receiver's good friends, The Tennessean reported. |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Five weeks ago, the Patriots beat the Texans by 28 points. Today, it could end up being even worse. New England leads by 25 early in the fourth quarter, 38-13. The latest score came via a 33-yard touchdown pass from Pats quarterback Tom Brady to runni… |
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Doug Farrar, yahoo.com Icing the kicker -- calling time out right before the opposing kicker tried to boot a field goal -- can be effective on a situational basis. Per ESPN's Stats & Info, kickers who were iced from 2001 through 2011 hit 76 percent of their field goals, a… |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com The Falcons defense spent most of the fourth quarter getting torched by Russell Wilson and the rest of the Seahawks offense, but the Falcons scored last and that means members of their defense were free to crow after the game. Alex Marvez of FOXSports.c… |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com The Falcons got that elusive playoff win on Sunday, but it didn’t come easy and it didn’t come without a possible price in terms of health for the NFC Championship Game. Defensive end John Abraham left early in the game and did not return because, per… |
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Pats push lead back to 11Jan 13
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Yep, the Texans should have deployed an onside kick to start the third quarter. Instead, they kicked away. And Pro Bowler Matthew Slater returned it to the New England 31. And the Patriots then drove 69 yards in seven plays, with Stevan Ridley capping… |
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Titans Wide Receiver Kenny Britt Wanted For Questioning In Connection With His Brother's StabbingJan 13
Isaac Rauch, deadspin.com Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt dropped off his recently stabbed younger brother at a Jersey City hospital late on Saturday night, and has not spent his Sunday cooperating with the subsequent police investigation. The Jersey Journal reports: … |
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ESPN.com news services, ESPN.com Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden interviewed for the San Diego Chargers' vacant head coaching position Sunday. |
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PHILADELPHIA (AP) The Philadelphia Eagles have interviewed former Ravens coach and current Fox analyst Brian Billick for their coaching vacancy, a person familiar with the meeting told The Associated Press on Sunday. |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com After Shane Vereen’s second touchdown of the day, it appeared that the rout is on. It isn’t. Fueled by another long kickoff return from Danieal Manning, the Texans drove 47 yards in five plays to cut the gap from 17-3 to 17-13 at the half, thanks to a… |
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Frank Schwab, yahoo.com Brandon Lloyd had a big impact on a Patriots playoff game, but it won't exactly thrill Bill Belichick. After a pass to Lloyd was short-hopped to him and incomplete, he got up, took a few steps and in frustration flipped the ball at a game official, hitt… |
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Pats stretch lead to sevenJan 13
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Gradually, the Patriots are waking up. But their rematch with the Texans is a far cry from the blowout we saw five weeks ago. The Pats have added to their lead with a 37-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski. The points came on a drive that stalled … |
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Frank Schwab, yahoo.com Tony Gonzalez thought his career was over, and he couldn't believe how it was ending. A 27-7 lead was gone, and Seattle led 28-27 with 31 seconds left. As he waited for Atlanta's final drive, Gonzalez figured that a 16-year career was going to end and h… |
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Associated Press, ESPN.com Still numb from the rout in San Francisco that ended their trying season, the Green Bay Packers headed into an offseason sure to bring change -- some of it big. |
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Sean Newell, deadspin.com Atlanta 30, Seattle 28: Seattle's all-pro shit stirrer, Richard Sherman, somehow manages to win this interaction that began with Roddy White burning the Seahawks defense for a 47-yard touchdown—Ohhh you got a touchdown, gooood for youuuu—even though t… |
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The Falcons added plenty of drama to their 30-28 win over the Seahawks. Chris Burke examines Atlanta's escape job, Russell Wilson's brilliance, questionable strategies and more. |
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Maggie Hendricks, yahoo.com The Atlanta Falcons earned their first playoff win with Matt Ryan as quarterback, and they did it in heart attack-inducing manner. After pulling out to a 20-0 lead, the Falcons came close to dropping the home game to the Seattle Seahawks. Atlanta found … |
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Doug Farrar, yahoo.com Sometimes, as an athlete, you define yourself in a losing effort. And in the year of the rookie quarterback, it was the last one standing who may have just done that. Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks came into the 2012 NFL season as a too-short th… |
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Associated Press, ESPN.com Matt Bryant kicked a 49-yard field goal with 8 seconds left and the Atlanta Falcons bounced back after blowing a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, defeating Russell Wilson and the gutty Seattle Seahawks 30-28 in an NFC divisional playoff game Sunday. |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Five weeks ago, the Texans didn’t score a point against the Patriots until New England had put 28 on the board. This time, Houston struck first. A 94-yard kickoff return from Danieal Manning put the Texans at the Pats’ 12 yard line. Four plays lat… |
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The Falcons blew a 20-point lead, but not the game. Atlanta stormed down the field in the final seconds to kick a game-winning field goal and pull off the 30-28 win over Seattle. |
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Frank Schwab, yahoo.com There's a notion that "clutch" isn't a skill, because luck in close games evens out over a long period of time. And there's something to that. But there has to be some explanation for Atlanta's Matt Ryan and the Falcons being able to pull thes… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Yesterday’s AFC divisional-round playoff game ended up being much better than anyone had expected. Perhaps today’s will be, too. Per multiple reports and accounts, Texans defensive end J.J. Watt spit on the Patriots logo in the middle of the field a… |
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Isaac Rauch, deadspin.com Mayors of rival cities make cities make light-hearted bets on the outcome of sporting events all the time. Just yesterday the Packers-49ers game had chocolates, cheese curds, sparkling wine, "a free admission day to the Children's Museum" and … |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com The Falcons answered one Seattle touchdown drive with an impressive drive of their own, but they couldn’t do it a second time and we’ve got a close game in Atlanta. Russell Wilson flicked a short touchdown pass to Zach Miller with 9:13 left in the fou… |
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Jay Busbee, yahoo.com ATLANTA - Seattle was in the midst of an epic first-half collapse, with penalties and sacks and curious play calls combining for an absurd seven plays in the red zone with zero — literally — to show for it. Quarterback Russell Wilson had just taken a … |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Ever since the debacle that was the referee lockout, there has been a sense in league circles that executive V.P. of football operations Ray Anderson could be on his way out — whether by choice or otherwise. Coincidentally or otherwise, he could be on h… |
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Brian McIntyre, yahoo.com Combined, the Houston Texans and New England Patriots listed 20 players as "probable" on Friday's injury report. The Patriots removed 15 players from the injury report entirely, therefore, it's no surprise that there are no surprises on either… |
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Doug Farrar, yahoo.com The Seattle Seahawks went into the visitors' locker room at the Georgia Dome In Atlanta down 20-0, and nobody to blame but themselves. A defense that has been stout all season allowed 268 yards on 34 plays, and the Falcons converted four of their seven … |
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Sean Newell, deadspin.com Broncos fans should be used to this by now: a big time, Super Bowl-winning quarterback lost to an obviously lesser quarterback in an overtime classic in Denver. The comparisons have been as inescapable as they are stupid: More » |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com An ugly half ended in ugly fashion for the Seahawks. The Seahawks drove the ball inside the Falcons’ 10-yard line as time ran down in the second quarter, but a false start and a sack by Jonathan Babineaux pushed them back with no timeouts left to stop t… |
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Jay Busbee, yahoo.com You want a metaphor for the first half of Sunday's NFC divisional playoff game between Atlanta and Seattle, you could do worse than looking to the last play of the first quarter. Atlanta was up 10-0, starting fast but in danger of letting Seattle back i… |
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Calvin Watkins, ESPN.com The Dallas Cowboys' switch from a 3-4 standard defense to a 4-3 formation could mean a potential position change for outside linebacker Anthony Spencer. |
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Maggie Hendricks, yahoo.com Throughout the NFC divisional playoff game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Atlanta Falcons, Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman pulled out the best of his smack talk. After disrupting a sure touchdown early in the game, Sherman signaled that the Fal… |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com When the Falcons stumbled to a 24-2 loss against the Giants in the playoffs last season, they failed to convert a pair of fourth downs that helped swing the game to the Giants. This is a new year, though, and fourth down has worked out a lot better. The… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Just before Atlanta burned Richard Sherman for a 46-yard touchdown pass and a 20-0 lead, Thom Brenaman of FOX said that Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley indicated on Saturday that he’ll interview for two head-coaching jobs other than the Eagle… |
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Frank Schwab, yahoo.com It seems like the Atlanta Falcons weren't too pleased with the constant chatter about their recent playoff failures. Atlanta got off to a great start in the first quarter, highlighted by back-to-back catches by one future Hall of Fame tight end and one … |
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Jay Busbee, yahoo.com Man, life is tough for a kicker. You get all the blame (and death threats) for losses when you miss a game-winner; you fight for your job with every single soccer player/college kicker/donkey who wanders into camp; and since you're not a hulking physica… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Andy Reid could be bringing to the Chiefs a long-time offensive line coach who failed in his only stint as a coordinator. And the coach’s name isn’t Juan Castillo. According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN, former Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano … |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com A slow start for the Seahawks in their Wild Card game against the Redskins meant they had to come back from a 14-0 deficit to move onto Sunday’s date with the Falcons. They’re digging themselves another hole. They trail the Falcons 10-0 near the end o… |
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Tucker's practice kick in OT was against the rules |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com With FOX’s Jay Glazer declaring earlier today that the Jets “can’t give . . . away” their General Manager job, it’ll be interesting to see how the team reacts. Will they simply offer the job to someone with no further discussion? Or will they … |
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Doug Farrar, yahoo.com The process of voting for any sort of All-Star or All-Pro team is subjective at best, and that's generally what makes it so interesting. People bring different opinions and biases to the table, arguments ensue and discussion of the games we love is forw… |
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Sean Newell, deadspin.com Seattle at Atlanta 1:00 p.m. (FOX): Well, it's put up or shut up for the "Falcons stink in the playoffs" narrative. It really could not have shaken out any worse for them, though, as the white-hot Seattle Seahawks come into town. While Atlanta… |
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Isaac Rauch, deadspin.com If it wasn't already obvious that football players are bad at diagnosing their own injuries—and that football is an immensely brutal game—Dan LeBatard's story about Jason Taylor in today's Miami Herald drives the point home in graphic detail: More »… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Maybe the Jets eventually will just bring back Mike Tannenbaum. Something has to happen at some point, because Jets owner Woody Johnson is having a hard time finding a new General Manager. Per Jay Glazer of FOX, the team “can’t give the position awa… |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com The Chargers added another name to their list of coaching candidates on Saturday when former Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt interviewed for their head coaching job. Whisenhunt was fired at the end of the regular season after the Cardinals finished the y… |
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Falcons 10, Seahawks 0Jan 13
Can the top-seeded Falcons avoid their fifth straight playoff loss? They'll have to cool off Russell Wilson and the streaking visiting Seahawks. Follow the divisional round matchup here. |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, who arguably did a better coaching job with Tim Tebow in 2011 than with Peyton Manning in 2012, given that Peyton pretty much ran the show, is expected to receive his reward via a head-coaching job. So who will … |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com Tim Ryan, the former Bears defensive tackle and current FOX analyst who was the lone All-Pro voter not to select Lions receiver Calvin Johnson, says he cares more about wins and losses than catches and yards. Although neither Ryan nor FOX’s PR departmen… |
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ESPN.com news services, ESPN.com A humbled Peyton Manning, with reporters hammering away on deadline and videocameras shut off after the last postgame question had been answered, took his family into the Ravens' locker room on Saturday night and visited with Ray Lewis. |
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Roddy White: ‘If Russell Wilson is better than Matt Ryan, I don’t know nothing about football’Jan 13
Doug Farrar, yahoo.com There's no question that the marquee matchup in the divisional round game between the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks is the Falcons' outstanding receivers versus Seattle's big, physical cornerbacks. Roddy White and Julio Jones are a nightmare for … |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com There aren’t too many similarities that jump to mind between San Diego and Cleveland, but it’s looking like the Browns staff will be familiar to those who follow the Chargers. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Browns have their eyes on Chargers … |
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Isaac Rauch, deadspin.com The problem with football players is that they they're born not wanting to act in their own best interests, especially with regards to their long-term health. That's why they play football. In theory, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would be acting in hi… |
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Adam Schefter, ESPN.com The Jets will hold follow-up discussions with three general manager candidates: former Chicago Bears GM Jerry Angelo, Jets assistant GM Scott Cohen and Pittsburgh Steelers director of football and business administration Omar Khan, according to sources. |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com The Packers left San Francisco as 45-31 losers to the 49ers and members of the Colin Kaepernick admiration society. Watching Kaepernick light up the defense for 263 passing yards and 181 rushing yards, the most ever by an NFL quarterback, left the archi… |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com Ankle injuries caused Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart to miss seven games this season, which is the reason why he had his left ankle scoped on Friday. Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer reports that Stewart believes having the arthroscopic s… |
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Isaac Rauch, deadspin.com A tableau: Peyton Manning and Ray Lewis talking in a Mile High Stadium locker room, 90 minutes after the end of the pitched battle that was their AFC divisional playoff matchup, 85 minutes after Ray Lewis yelled Bible verse at Solomon Wilcots, and about… |
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Adam Schefter, ESPN.com NFL teams are looking closely at former USC and Toronto Argonauts standout defensive tackle Armond Armstead, according to sources. |
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Sunday morning one-linersJan 13
Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com Looking ahead to what the Bills offense might look like next season. Dan Le Batard of the Miami Herald writes about the toll a long NFL career took on former Dolphins DE Jason Taylor. Patriots T Sebastian Vollmer’s taken an unusual journey from Germany … |
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Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com Yesterday was not Joe Flacco’s first playoff win. But it might have been the first time the Ravens were clearly, obviously and without a doubt his team to lead. And even the guy who has always assumed that responsibility addressed that in the aftermath … |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Yes, Peyton Manning’s first season with the Broncos didn’t result in the team going any farther than it did a year ago. Still, Denver was good enough to nail down the No. 1 seed in the AFC — before becoming the latest No. 1 seed to be bounced in t… |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com Green Bay receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings both acknowledged in the locker room following Saturday’s loss to the 49ers that they might have played their last games with the Packers. The 37-year-old Driver caught just eight passes in 2012, and i… |
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Peter Tebow couldn’t help himself. As soon as Tim’s brother watched Peyton Manning throw the interception that handed Saturday’s divisional playoff game to the Ravens, his true feelings hit the Twitter world. “Am I the only one in Denver who’s h… |
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Jay Busbee, yahoo.com Sometimes, it's just about realizing when you've been beaten and wishing the best for your opponent. Peyton Manning and Ray Lewis shared a few words nearly two hours after their epic divisional playoff game, and Ravens media director Chad Steele capture… |
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Doug Farrar, yahoo.com Through his two seasons as the San Francisco 49ers' head coach, Jim Harbaugh has espoused a theory of offensive football that seems to go against the NFL grain. While many teams were heading in a pass-first direction, Harbaugh stuck to his guns, believi… |
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Frank Schwab, yahoo.com DENVER - The best thing that can be said about the officiating crew for Broncos-Ravens, headed by referee Bill Vinovich, was that they didn't seem to play favorites. There were really baffling calls against both sides. But the final pair of questionable… |
