Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on January 23, 2012, 12:32 PM EST
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The level of debate on ESPN2′s First Takeusually ranges somewhere between “screaming over the top of the man sitting across from you” to “flinging poo at one another.”
That’s why Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggsis going to gain a lot of new fans for calling out Skip Bayless on Monday.
After Bayless tried to provoke Suggs into going on a rant that the Patriots got some “home cooking” from the officials, Suggs wouldn’t bite in this clip from BlackSportsOnline.com.
“Stop that. I know what you’re doing,” Suggs said. “Once again, stop it. Be an analyst. Don’t be a douchebag. You know what I meant.”
Thank you, Terrell Suggs. You are an American hero.
I love what Cam Newton has done for the Panthers organization, but for him to be selected over Matthew Stafford is a joke. Stafford is one of only four quarterbacks in the history of the NFL to throw for over 5,000 yards in a single season. He did this despite playing through a horrendous stretch of game with a broken finger on his throwing hand. Even with that bad stretch, he still tossed 41 TDs to only 16 INTs, and he led the Lions to their best season in over a decade. Stafford should have easily beaten out Eli to begin with. -Tiger
Posted by Mike Florio on January 23, 2012, 10:14 AM EST
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With quarterback Eli Manning and the Giants heading to the Super Bowl, the NFC Pro Bowl roster needs a replacement.
The Panthers have one ready.
The team has announced that quarterback Cam Newton will head to Hawaii to replace Eli. And that’s good news both for Newton and for the Panthers.
Already, the Panthers will have their pick of free agents, given the presence of a franchise quarterback who had the best rookie season of any quarterback in league history. Having Newton in the locker room and on the practice field and on the playing field in Honolulu will serve only to attract more veteran players who want to win to Charlotte.
The challenge for the Panthers will be to pick the right ones when the time comes to head to the market, and to resist the temptation to pay too much. Which the Panthers failed to do when signing free agents in 2011.
Posted by Mike Florio on January 22, 2012, 11:11 PM EST
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Several Ravens fans have pointed out that, after Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff made like Gary Anderson late in the AFC title game, Pats defensive lineman Vince Wilfork removed his helmet in the field of play. And several Ravens fans wonder whether the maneuver should have resulted in a penalty that would have given the Ravens another shot at the failed field goal attempt.
The first name that first comes to mind in such situations? Dwayne Rudd.
Posted by Michael David Smith on January 22, 2012, 10:35 PM EST
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Four years later, the Giants and Patriots will meet in the Super Bowl again.
The Giants beat the Patriots at Super Bowl XLII four years ago, and they earned an opportunity to play the Patriots at Super Bowl XLVI by beating the 49ers in overtime of the NFC Championship Game on Sunday night, 20-17.
It was a Lawrence Tynes field goal that ended the game, but the special teams player who set up the Giants in field goal range will get even more attention than Tynes in the post-game discussions: The goat for the 49ers, punt returner Kyle Williams.
Williams muffed a punt in the fourth quarter to set up the Giants’ game-tying score and then fumbled a return in overtime to set up the Giants’ game-winning score. Williams was only returning punts for the 49ers because the regular return man,Ted Ginn, missed the game with an injury. That injury may have cost San Francisco a trip to the Super Bowl.
But this game was about more than just Williams. It was about Victor Cruz having a sensational game for the Giants. It was about Eli Manning, who was sacked six times, nonetheless persevering to complete 32 of 58 passes for 316 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. And it was about Tom Coughlin once again having his team ready to play its best football at the most important times.
For the 49ers, Vernon Davis caught touchdown passes of 73 and 28 yards. But there weren’t enough big plays on offense other than that, and the 49ers’ offense was dreadful on third downs.
Both offenses were dreadful for long stretches of the game, leading to a whopping 22 punts — 12 for the Giants and 10 for the 49ers.
But in the end, it was a fumbled punt by the 49ers that made the difference, and the Giants capitalized and are heading to the Super Bowl.
