12-27-10: Arizona Cardinals Bird Droppings

Time for some links after a good Sunday of games where there was no night game because of the blizzard in Philly. I watched some "24" to fill that time...

Arizona Cardinals fueled by return touchdowns
The Cardinals needed to make a statement. With more silver and blue in their sold-out stadium than they'd care to admit Saturday night, they knew they had to grab the momentum early against the Dallas Cowboys.

KTAR.com - Skelton, other rookies aid win over Dallas
Forget the completion rate- 11 for 25 for 183 yards- John Skelton is 2-1 as an NFL starting quarterback.

Video Gallery
The progress of Dan Williams

Phoenix Suns rally falls short against Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers always have been the ultimate pick-me-up when the Suns were down.

Jason LaBarbera, Phoenix Coyotes shut out Dallas Stars 1-0 on road
Jason LaBarbera guessed right on a penalty shot, and the Phoenix Coyotes ended their long road trip on a positive note.

Eagles-Vikings postponed until Tuesday night - ESPN
Are you ready for some Tuesday Night Football?

San Francisco 49ers fire coach Mike Singletary amid disappointing year
Mike Singletary was fired by the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night after two disappointing seasons, including a 5-10 showing this year for a franchise expected to win the NFC West.

Loss in St. Louis a fitting way for Singletary to go out | ProFootballTalk
Mike Singletary will get another game as 49ers coach. But his tenure as San Francisco’s leader essentially ended on Sunday in St. Louis, along with the 49ers’ playoff chances. The Rams won 25-17 in a mistake-laden game by both teams that nicely encapsulated Singletary’s failures in San Francisco.

Singletary out: Reflections and projections - NFC West Blog - ESPN
This was supposed to be the year when a little continuity would help push the San Francisco 49ers back into the playoffs. Not so much.

49ers statements from York, Singletary - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The San Francisco 49ers have released two statements after firing coach Mike Singletary.

San Francisco 49ers sack Mike Singletary as coach after elimination - ESPN
Mike Singletary made a name for himself as a coach with that bold "I want winners!" declaration more than two years ago. Ultimately, he didn't produce enough victories to save his job.

Updated 2011 NFL draft order: Top 11 - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers could be playing for something in Week 17, after all. Their game at Candlestick Park could determine which one of them holds one of the five highest choices in the 2011 NFL draft.

Vikings-Eagles postponed, Mike Singletary fired, more NFL Week 16 - Peter King - SI.com
The Fine 15, MVP watch, weekly awards and 10 Things I Think I Think

League not second-guessing New Jersey Super Bowl | ProFootballTalk
So with Sunday night’s game between the Vikings and Eagles delayed two days due to a blizzard, the NFL surely has to be thinking that maybe a mistake was made in awarding Super Bowl XLVIII to the New Meadowlands Stadium, right? If they are, they’re not admitting it.

A loaded wild-card field, plus more Snap Judgments - Don Banks - SI.com
Musings, observations and the occasional Week 16 insight as the NFL's 12-team playoff field continues to come into focus ...

Jay Cutler, Bears feast on Jets defense; more NFL Week 16 analysis - Andrew Perloff - SI.com
Quick-hitting insight from today's 1 p.m. games ...

Early signs point towards Mark Sanchez sitting next week | ProFootballTalk
As the clip at the bottom of this post shows, Rex Ryan and the Jets learned they were in the playoffs in unusual fashion. Now they can consider how best to take advantage of their good fortune. Ryan indicated he’d like to use next week’s game against the Bills as a quasi bye week, according to ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini.

49ers follow Singletary's gut into oblivion - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Coach Mike Singletary screamed at quarterback Troy Smith on the San Francisco 49ers' sideline Sunday. Smith screamed back. They were face to face, the drama palpable. They could have been taping for "The Jerry Springer Show," but instead they were giving 49ers president Jed York exactly what York said he wanted: MORE INTENSITY!

Quick look at the Rams in prime time - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The St. Louis Rams have gone from finishing 1-15 a year ago to fighting for a playoff berth in prime time on the final weekend of the 2010 regular season. Thanks to @michaelaurban for phrasing it that way. A few others have asked when the last time the St. Louis Rams played in prime time, as if it might have been a long time ago. It's been three seasons.

Flexed: NFC West ready for prime time - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The St. Louis Rams' game against the Seattle Seahawks has landed on NBC in the 8:20 p.m. ET time slot Sunday as part of the NFL's flex scheduling option.

Video: Ed Reed's jacket catches fire on the sideline - Shutdown Corner - NFL  - Yahoo! Sports
Ed Reed

Dominic Raiola makes obscene statement to Fins fan | ProFootballTalk
From time to time, Lions center Dominic Raiola has said things that create headlines. This time around, he’ll get a headline — and likely a stiff fine.

Kerry Collins concusses defensive teammate with errant pass | ProFootballTalk
Titans quarterback Kerry Collins made a little history on Sunday.

Tim Tebow could cost Gary Kubiak his job | ProFootballTalk
Texans owner Bob McNair confidently said he felt his team was on the right track two weeks ago. Since then, his team has turned into the NFL’s preeminent slumpbuster. The Titans won their first game in seven tries convincingly when they hosted the Texans. The Broncos ended their five-game skid with a 24-23 comeback win over Houston Sunday.

49ers vs. Rams - Recap - December 26, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
While Mike Singletary and Troy Smith squabbled on the sideline, rookie Sam Bradford stayed veteran calm.

Seahawks vs. Buccaneers - Recap - December 26, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
The surprising Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren't wilting under the pressure of the NFL playoff race.

Titans vs. Chiefs - Recap - December 26, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
His kids started "going crazy." His phone started ringing off the hook. Todd Haley knew good things must be happening in Cincinnati. They were. The Bengals upended the San Diego Chargers , making Haley's Kansas City Chiefs the worst-to-first champions of the AFC West on Sunday.

Ravens vs. Browns - Recap - December 26, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
Ed Reed was on fire, and not because of his two interceptions. Trying to cope on a biting, blustery day, Baltimore's star safety moved too close to a sideline heater and had his oversized jacket ignite.

Patriots vs. Bills - Recap - December 26, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
The New England Patriots have been nearly unbeatable since Tom Brady stopped throwing interceptions more than two months ago. Now they'll probably be even tougher to stop when the playoffs begin after securing the AFC's top seed - and home-field advantage through the first three rounds - with a 34-3 win Sunday over a familiar pushover, the Buffalo Bills .

Lions vs. Dolphins - Recap - December 26, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
The Detroit Lions swapped back slaps and handshakes. Players checked their cell phones for congratulatory text messages. Laughter came from the hallway, and the stereo blared a rapper's command, "Party y'all all night." The visiting locker room at the Miami Dolphins ' stadium has been in party mode most of the season.

Redskins vs. Jaguars - Recap - December 26, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
With the game on the line and playoff implications at stake, David Garrard threw an interception. It was a turning point in overtime and maybe in Garrard's up-and-down career.

Jets vs. Bears - Recap - December 26, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
Never mind the recent drama. Rex Ryan and the Jets are headed back to the playoffs, and they're not complaining even if they got in with a loss. Jay Cutler threw three touchdown passes, Matt Forte ran for 113 yards and the Chicago Bears beat New York 38-34 on Sunday, sending the Jets to their third loss in four games. Chris Harris intercepted Mark Sanchez on a pass intended for Santonio Holmes with about a minute left to end New York's comeback bid, but the Jets' season won't be ending next week.

Texans vs. Broncos - Recap - December 26, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
Tim Tebow won on several fronts Sunday. By rallying the Denver Broncos past the Houston Texans 24-23, the raw rookie from Florida secured not only his first victory as a pro but he won over the fans who have suffered through the franchise's worst slump in almost 40 years and were jeering the conservative play calling as the team trudged off the field at halftime.

Colts vs. Raiders - Recap - December 26, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
Peyton Manning put Indianapolis in the lead with his arm and sealed the game with his legs. No matter what happened against the Oakland Raiders , Manning knew he'd need one more big game to get the Colts back into the postseason.

Giants vs. Packers - Recap - December 26, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
Aaron Rodgers returned from a concussion to turn in his sharpest performance of the season, keeping the Green Bay Packers on a path toward the playoffs with 404 yards and four touchdowns. It all came at the expense of the New York Giants , whose season is spinning out of control after the Packers blew them out 45-17 at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

Chargers vs. Bengals - Recap - December 26, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
Carson Palmer 's near-perfect showing left San Diego out in the cold.

was on fire Sunday, both figuratively and literally.