Giants Top 49ers 20-17 In OT to Reach Super Bowl

Giants Top 49ers 20-17 In OT to Reach Super Bowl: The New York Giants have their own Super Bowl formula: in overtime and on the road.

And with Lawrence Tynes’ foot.

Eli Manning directed one short, final drive and Tynes kicked a game-winning 31-yard field goal in overtime, sending the Giants to the Super Bowl with a 20-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game on Sunday.

In another tight one in this decades-old postseason rivalry, both defenses made key stops before New York capitalized on another costly mistake by San Francisco.

Manning and the Giants (12-7) will face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis as 3.5-point underdogs. The last time the teams met for the NFL title, 2008, the Giants ended the Patriots’ bid for a perfect season.

Tynes had a hand, er, foot in getting the Giants to that one, too, kicking the game-winning field goal in overtime at Green Bay.

Devin Thomas put the Giants in position by recovering his second fumble of the game after Jacquian Williams stripped the ball from fill-in return man Kyle Williams, who also fumbled earlier to set up a New York touchdown. Continue Reading…

Patriots Rout Broncos 45-10 in AFC Playoff Rout

Patriots Rout Broncos 45-10 in AFC Playoff Rout: Tebowmania had no chance against Tom Brady’s playoff pedigree.

All the heroics, all the big plays and quite a few records belonged to Brady and the New England Patriots on Saturday night in a 45-10 rout of overmatched Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. Brady threw six touchdown passes, five in the first half, putting the Patriots into the AFC championship game and silencing the nationwide frenzy surrounding Tebow.

The Patriots (14-3), winners of nine straight games, will host either Baltimore or Houston next Sunday for a spot in the Super Bowl. Saturday night’s romp snapped a three-game postseason losing streak, two of those at Gillette Stadium, and lifted the Patriots to the verge of their fifth Super Bowl appearance in 11 seasons. They’ve won three of those, two with Brady as the game’s MVP.

“We came in and started fast and it was a big win for us,” said Brady, who even got off a 48-yard punt on third down. Continue Reading…

Alex Smith 49ers Silence Their Doubters

Alex Smith 49ers Silence Their Doubters: Drew Brees piled up points, yards and accolades in a record-setting season for the New Orleans Saints. Much of the time, Alex Smith did just enough to get the San Francisco 49ers back in the playoffs for the first time in nine years while a dominant defence and kicking game did the rest.

Everybody is curious to see which of the contrasting styles works best in a classic playoff matchup.

Does that old notion that defence wins championships still hold up these days?

“We’re going to find out,” 49ers punter Andy Lee said.

Brees and the Saints (14-3) come to sold-out Candlestick Park on Saturday afternoon riding a nine-game winning streak after gaining 600 yards in each of their last two games, including a playoff-record 626 yards in last Saturday night’s 45-28 win over the Lions. Brees threw for 466 yards and completed 33 of 43 passes. Continue Reading…

Miss America 2012 Winner Crowned See Who Won The Competition

Miss America 2012 Winner Crowned See Who Won The Competition: Miss America 2012 was crowned during a live show from Las Vegas on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012.

The winner beat out 53 other contestants for the crown, a $50,000 scholarship and a yearlong run as Miss America, touring the country to speak to groups and raise money for the Miss America Organization’s official charity, the Children’s Miracle Network. Find out who won Miss America 2012.

Miss Wisconsin, Laura Kaeppeler was crowned Miss America 2012 by Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan, during the Miss America pageant on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012 in Las Vegas.

The 23-year-old attended Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin and did an operatic solo of the Italian song “Il Bacio” for the talent competition. Her platform was supporting and mentoring the children of incarcerated parents. Her father told the Associated Press that he served 18 months in federal prison for mail fraud. Continue Reading…

Vernon Davis Halftime Speech Catches On With Niners

Vernon Davis Halftime Speech Catches On With Niners: San Francisco 49ers’ playoff history is measured in timely increments of majestic lore. Thirty years ago this week at Candlestick Park, Joe Montana hit Dwight Clark’s outstretched arms with “The Catch.” Steve Young to Terrell Owens in 1998 sealed another stunning playoff victory.Saturday, it was another eye-popping playoff pitch-and-catch, Version 3.0: Alex Smith  to Vernon Davis for 14 yards with nine seconds remaining, a final shot that sent the high-octane New Orleans Saints reeling and the 49ers straight into the NFC championship round with a 36-32 victory. Continue Reading…

Ben Roethlisberger How Playing Big Ben Cost the Pittsburgh Steelers Big Time

Ben Roethlisberger How Playing Big Ben Cost the Pittsburgh Steelers Big Time:

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost the game against the Denver Broncos before they ever took the field on Sunday.

In truth, they lost the game against the Broncos when Ben Roethlisberger returned to the field against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 15.

Let me explain.

Against the 49ers, Roethlisberger left the field for part of the game due to what was called an ankle injury at the time. His return was questionable. After halftime, limping noticeably and much less mobile than he had been, Roethlisberger returned to the field and led the Steelers to a win over the Niners.

He hasn’t been the same quarterback since.

Only once that game had concluded was it brought to light that Roethlisberger had suffered a high ankle sprain during the game. Although it is easy to confuse this type of ankle sprain with the much more common lateral ankle sprain due to the similarities in their names, Read More…