1-14-12: Arizona Cardinals Bird Droppings - Playoffs Gameday

Time for some more playoff football. Here are the links to start off your morning right.

Word From the Birds Blog - Going on a little longer about Cards and overtime
We already know the Cardinals did the unprecedented this season by winning four overtime games. But it’s dominance in overtime was deeper than just the victories (and, given the probabilities of such things, unlikely to happen again for the Cards anytime soon. Or even later. Or maybe ever.) The Cards ended up with an NFL-record 18 points scored in overtime, breaking Pittsburgh’s record of 15 set in 1997.

Williams Ready To Resume Plan A
Running back's rehab on target for training camp

azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - Saturday morning musings
The Cardinals normally wouldn't care so much about which coach the Rams hired. But since defensive coordinator Ray Horton interviewed for that job, the Cardinals are happy to see the Rams hire Jeff Fisher. That means Horton is likely to stay in Arizona, unless he gets an interview for another head coaching job.

Numbers say Patrick Peterson was the best returner - ArizonaSports.com
Patrick Peterson had an incredible year as a punt returner. Tying an NFL record with four touchdowns, the Cardinals rookie averaged 15.9 yards per return, and his 699 total punt return yards were 156 more than the second-place total. So maybe it should come as no surprise that the Football Outsiders at ESPN.com (Insider) put Peterson on their All-Pro team.

Jeff Fisher in NFC West makes challenge for Cards - ArizonaSports.com
Former Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher made the decision on Friday to take the reins for the St. Louis Rams, turning down an offer made by the Miami Dolphins. Fisher did not coach this past season, as he was fired from the Titans in January 2011 after spending 16 seasons with the team. He has a coaching record of 142-120 and led the team to four division championships. Fisher also suffered a 23-16 loss to the Rams and Kurt Warner's MVP performance in the 1999 Super Bowl. Moving to the NFC West means the Arizona Cardinals will have a coach in their division that relies heavily on defense and carries a record of 2-2 against them since 1994.

Best of Wired - Funny Moments
Our cameras captured some humorous moments from the Cardinals 2011 season. Enjoy the lighter side of NFL Football taken from our weekly "Wired" segment.

Arizona Sports News:

Plummer headlines AZ Sports Hall of Fame class - ArizonaSports.com
The Arizona Sports Hall of Fame unveiled its four-member induction class on Friday morning, and it will include former ASU and Arizona Cardinal quarterback Jake Plummer.

Coyotes come up winless on 3-game road trip after loss
Derick Brassard's first multipoint game in more than three weeks helped Todd Richards get a winning home debut as interim coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Brassard had a goal and an assist -- and blocked a shot in the final seconds -- to lead the Blue Jackets to a 4-3 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Friday night.

Deron Williams, Nets run past shorthanded Suns
San Antonio, Chicago, New York, Boston and Dallas. Those are NBA cities that are going to be difficult for the Suns to win in if they can't defeat Cleveland and New Jersey at home. The Suns were trying to beat New Jersey without injured co-captains Steve Nash and Grant Hill, but it was still New Jersey, a 2-9 team that had entered a fourth quarter with a lead only once this season until Friday night, when the Nets won 110-103 at US Airways Center.

NFL News:

Super Bowl XLVI Matchup Rankings: Which Teams Would Make For Best Game? - SBNation.com
With four teams eliminated from the 2012 NFL Playoffs, we're down to 16 potential Super Bowl XLVI matchups. We attempt to rank all of them from worst to best using complete and total subjectivity.

Jeff Fisher To Coach Rams, Not Dolphins, According To Report - SBNation.com
The Jeff Fisher sweepstakes has reportedly come to an end. According to reports, the former Tennessee Titans head coach will team up with Sam Bradford and the St. Louis Rams for the 2012 season and the foreseeable future.

Sparano says he’s going "back to square one" with Sanchez | ProFootballTalk
New Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano seemed to confirm the reports that he plans to simplify the playbook for quarterback Mark Sanchez, saying Sanchez will benefit from taking a step back.

FCC considers ending the blackout rule | ProFootballTalk
Last month, Senator Sherrod Brown (D.-Ohio) called for the NFL to end its "failed" blackout policy, after said policy successfully had prevented six of seven Bengals home games from being televised in the Cincinnati area.

Report: Dolphins feel Fisher "used" them | ProFootballTalk
Now that Jeff Fisher has picked his next team, the loser can begin to chew on sour grapes.