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The cat-and-mouse game of defensive scheming decided both playoff matches yesterday, but in different ways. In Denver, the Steelers stacked the box, daring Tim Tebow to throw. He did. But at the Meadowlands, on a pair of fourth down conversions, the Falcons telegraphed a pair of sneaks up the middle, daring the Giants to stack the box. When they did, Matt Ryan took it up the gut anyway. Mike Smith is a foolish mouse who tells the cat he's going to zig, then does. More »
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Day two of the best weekend ever kicks off from New Jersey with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman guiding us through all the things they're not so sure wouldn't, shouldn't, couldn't or didn't happen. More »
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The quarterback matchup today isn't just about who can throw for more touchdowns, it's also about who can make the most ridiculous face after giving one away to the other team. While the Manning face is certainly more renowned, Matt Ryan is certainly no slouch. In anticipation of today's head-to-head battle, we've compiled our favorite Manning and Ryan faces from the past season to help determine, once and for all, just who has the more absurd face. More »
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ESPN's been slowing scraping the bottom of the barrel since jettisoning Hank Williams, Jr., and this holiday-themed Betty White intro was less funny than weird. What, the usual New Orleans staples of zydeco and Cafe Du Monde weren't available? More »
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I get that Lions-Falcons was the closest thing to a matchup of two winning teams yesterday, and that both are likely to be vying for the same limited wild card slots, so we should have expected a competitive game, bordering on the chippy. But what we got—Matt Ryan getting his ankle rolled up, and two Lions linesman called out for gleefully bathing in a fountain of his blood—is really stretching the definition of "controversy." More »
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Because no one reads the newspaper, and SportsCenter's anchors are too perky for this early in the morning, Deadspin combs the best of the broadsheets and internets to bring you everything you need to know to start your day. More »
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Michael Silver: "By midway through the third quarter ... I was ready to take the Atlanta Falcons quarterback up to Gavin Newsom's box on the west side of the stadium and ask the San Francisco mayor to marry us." [Yahoo!] More »
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The screeching teenyboppers at the Wall Street Journal bring word that Matt Ryan is the most knee-meltingly dreamy quarterback in the NFL. It's true because science says so. And believe it or not, this actually sort of matters. More »
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Sure it made for good copy when Terence Moore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote back in April that "The Falcons just blew it" by drafting Matt Ryan. Did he think that wouldn't come back on him? More »
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Interesting story in the New York Times today about Falcons' quarterback Matt Ryan and how he's slowly winning over the large percentage of African-American Falcons' fans, many of whom were decidedly pro-Mike Vick. The timing is excellent too, given that Vick might be coming to a football stadium near you sooner than first suspected. But regardless of Ryan's success there are still an abundance of No. 7 jerseys in the crowd at the Georgia Dome, paying homage to the man who once inspired them with jaw-dropping plays, willfully ignoring the fact that he tortured and killed a few dogs. More »
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The shocking Mel Kiper-Todd McShay follicle swap [The Sports Hernia] More »
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We've been cautioned and chastened by many a pundit over the years that it takes years to properly assess the success of any given draft. That may be true, but with the Chiefs unloading Jared Allen to the Vikings for picks, it was important for them to make a splash. Everything seemed to go their way, with Glenn Dorsey, considered by many the top defensive prospect, dropping to them at 5. Later in the first, they were able to trade up to nab Branden Albert, who had been projected as a possible top 10 pick, at 15. Coupled with the second round choice of solid, albeit undersized, corner Brandon Flowers and it's hard not to be excited for once in Kansas City. And the Chiefs have nine more picks today. More »
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The Falcons wish to remain anonymous. After a year of dog torturing and climb-out-the bathroom-window coach quitting, the team would like to return to the quiet old days when David Archer was the quarterback and the average crowd rivaled the turnout on the Asia reunion tour. They hired someone named Mike Smith as head coach because no one named John Doe was qualified for the job. With Michael Vick, D'Angelo Hall, Alge Crumpler and Warrick Dunn all gone, the team had to decide who belonged on the cover of the media guide: Keith Brooking or Funky Winkerbean. More »
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