Getting Favre and Manning on ground could decide NFC title
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- A sack is like a bases-loaded double play or a blocked shot in the final seconds of a tight game. It's dynamic or deflating, depending on which side of the line a player makes his living.
Whichever team gets the quarterback on the ground most often in Sunday's NFC championship game could be the one headed to the Super Bowl. And both the Giants and Packers excel at pressuring and punishing opposing passers, even if Brett Favre or Eli Manning gets his pass away.
"I think a sack is a glorified stat," Green Bay defensive end Aaron Kampman said. "Trust me, we all try to get them. I try to get them. You know, it's a great thing. But in the end, if I, or anyone, can force an incompletion, can force a hurried throw that leads to an incompletion, a ball hit afterwards, all those things factor into the game. So yeah, I feel very comfortable with how we're rushing."
Which should make Manning feel, well, very uncomfortable.
Then again, Manning has gotten strong protection late in the season and in the playoffs. One major reason for the Giants' astounding 9-1 road mark is that Manning has remained upright so often in away games.
"I don't know if that is going to happen, but just to be in situations where you can still run the ball possibly, you can still throw it," Manning cites as the key to offsetting the Packers' sack patrol. "You can get the ball out quickly and do some shorter throws if you have to get the ball in the receiver's hands to see if they can run for a first down."
Manning won't be doing much running or scrambling; he's a pretty stationary target. That means if the Packers (14-3) can slow Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw and New York's running attack, they can tee off on the fourth-year quarterback playing in the biggest game of his life.
"I have a lot of faith in our guys up front, in our pass rush, and they'll get there. They'll do what they have to do," linebacker Nick Barnett said. "They work hard every week to get there. And sometimes, we may not get the sacks in the game, but we have a lot of pressures, a lot of knockdowns, hurries, and that's just as good as sacks for us, incomplete passes."
Last week, on a snow-covered Lambeau Field turf, the Pack had little trouble styming Seattle's formidable pass rush. While playing conditions figure to be drier, but much colder, on Sunday, the footing isn't likely to be ideal for Osi Umenyiora, Michael Strahan and company.
Plus, Favre is a master at avoiding pressure and sacks, moving just enough to find passing lanes, and using a quick release to get the ball downfield. That's one reason Green Bay so often uses four and even five wide receivers; the coaches have tremendous faith in the offensive line's protection skills.
"They are very difficult to have a sack (against)," Giants sacks leader Umenyiora said of the Packers, who allowed only 19 sacks all season, 15 on Favre. "They have a good offensive line, but he doesn't take any sacks. He throws the ball very, very quick. So we are going to have to really try to get our hands up, get in his face a little bit and see if we can play the game that way."
The Giants (12-6) have played the game that way extremely well, and their 53 sacks topped the NFL this season, with Umenyiora pacing New York with 13 -- one more than Green Bay leader Kampman. They've scrapped a four-DE alignment on passing downs since linebacker Mattias Kiwanuka, a converted end, broke his leg on Nov. 18. But even with a more conventional scheme, the pressure remained staunch, and the sacks kept coming.
Considering New York's banged-up secondary, the Giants might need to be in Favre's face on every snap.
"We have confidence in all the guys that are on our team," defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said, "so when one guy goes down, we put another guy in. I guess I would be lying if I didn't say there was some concern and you think about some change, but if you're too far from what you are and what you do, I think you can get into trouble that way, too."
The idea, then, is stay true to your roots, which is exactly what Strahan expects both sides will do.
"This is going to be a game of will, a game of whoever wants it the most," he said. "That is what the playoffs are all about, so this is going to be a very interesting battle. Us, a team that has a strong will and plays well on the road, and that team that has a strong will and plays well at home."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Steelers' Tomlin: "I throw caution to the wind. I play to win."
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says if he had it to do all over again, he'd do it all over again.
Yes, he would again call for the two debatable 2-point conversion tries. The decision to run the ball on Pittsburgh's failed final drive, which led to Jacksonville's winning field goal and the Jaguars' 31-29 AFC playoff victory on Saturday.
Yes, that Ben Roethlisberger rollout on third-and-6 from the Pittsburgh 26 with 2:56 to play and the Steelers up 29-28 would be repeated -- even though a successful short pass play would have given them the opportunity to run out the clock.
Roethlisberger was stopped for only a 1-yard gain on a quarterback sweep to his left, a play that the Steelers rarely use but which still didn't fool Jaguars safety Sammy Knight. Roethlisberger threw for 337 yards and two scores and the Steelers ran for only 43 yards on 26 carries, yet they called three successive run plays on that final drive.
OK, Tomlin may be second-guessing that play-calling a little.
"Hindsight is 20-15 sometimes," Tomlin said at his end-of-season news conference Thursday. "If you had it to do over, yes, you would love to do that (throw the ball) because the result of the play was not the result we were looking for."
Tomlin's first season as an NFL head coach began well with records of 4-1 and 7-2 but ended with four losses in five games, including the Steelers' first early round home playoff loss in 15 years.
That's why Tomlin took a few extra days before talking to reporters for one last time this season. "It was an emotional game," he said. "It was a gut-wrenching defeat, but every January defeat I have experienced has been the same."
Tomlin twice gambled by going for the 2-point conversion, rather than kicking the extra point, after the Steelers scored in the fourth quarter to cut it to 28-23 and again when they went ahead 29-28.
The first time, Tomlin stayed with the 2-point conversion even after a holding call on center Sean Mahan pushed the Steelers back to the 12-yard line. On another debatable quarterback keeper, Roethlisberger was stopped at the 3.
"Yes, I'd do it again," Tomlin said. "I throw caution to the wind. I play to win."
Following their go-ahead touchdown 4 minutes later, the Steelers were trying to go up by three points so a field goal wouldn't beat them -- which, of course, is exactly what happened when Josh Scobee kicked a 25-yarder with 37 seconds to play.
"We go up by one, there is no need of going up by two," Tomlin said.
On other issues, Tomlin said he:
-- Plans to retain all of his assistant coaches, although it is common for a first-year coach to reassess his staff and make changes.
"Do we need to get better? Do we need to coach better in some areas, all areas? Absolutely," he said.
-- Was concerned -- and rightly so, as it proved -- about his special teams even before the start of training camp.
As he watched film after being hired nearly a year ago, Tomlin said he realized losing special teams players such as Sean Morey, Mike Logan and Chidi Iwuoma would be a major setback. Also, linebacker James Harrison became a starter and didn't play as much on special teams.
"I wasn't interested in throwing up a red flag and saying, `Hey, I am worried about special teams,' but obviously I was," Tomlin said. "A special teams unit is comprised of four or five core guys. ... It would be the equivalent of losing seven, eight, nine starters on an offensive or defensive unit."
Kick coverage must improve next season, he said, but there "are not enough dynamic playmakers that you can build a core unit around."
-- Thinks the Steelers currently are "a good team. That's what 10-6 teams are, what division champions are. We've got to be great."
-- Is convinced the offensive and defensive lines most need an infusion of younger players.
"The protection of our quarterback has to improve," Tomlin said, referring to the 47 sacks of Roethlisberger.
-- Hasn't written off losing All-Pro guard Alan Faneca, who can become a free agent, but "maybe the door is closing."
-- Isn't confident that the Steelers will be big players in free agency and believes most of their new players will arrive in the draft.
"When you have quality, you have to pay for that," he said.
-- Said his first season as a head coach didn't go "as well as I would have liked."
"One of the things that has bugged me since Saturday night are people with great intentions saying, `Great start' and `great year,"' he said. "I appreciate that, but I am not wired like that. Not that I am a negative guy, a melancholy guy. ... (But) there is something we are chasing here and we never will cease that chase."
-- Wouldn't disclose, for now, whether the Steelers will eventually switch from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3. He also wouldn't say if he favors yanking up Heinz Field's often-mushy grass and putting down artificial turf.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Bills S Whitner, WR Reed miss second straight practice
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Bills safety Donte Whitner missed his second straight practice on Thursday because of the flu, leaving his status uncertain to play in Buffalo's season finale at Philadelphia on Sunday.
Coach Dick Jauron said Whitner, who's head is congested, was feeling "a little better" on Thursday and hoped he can practice Friday. Whitner ranks third on the team with 102 tackles in 15 starts this season.
No. 2 receiver Josh Reed also missed his second straight day of practice because of a sore lower back that has bothered him for several weeks. Reed had limited playing time in a 38-21 loss to the New York Giants last weekend, finishing with one catch for 11 yards.
The Bills (7-8) are out of playoff contention.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
Niners still glad they traded No. 1 pick for OT Joe Staley
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- Joe Staley is No. 1 to the San Francisco 49ers -- or to be more precise, the big offensive tackle was well worth their No. 1.
The 49ers are in for months of grief next year for their decision last April to trade their first-round draft pick in 2008 to New England. That pick will be awfully high after San Francisco's (4-10) unexpected struggles this season, and the unbeaten Patriots will add an elite prospect to their already-loaded roster.
But there was a definite method to the 49ers' madness. Coach Mike Nolan moved that pick and a fourth-rounder to get the Patriots' 28th overall pick, which the Niners used on Staley, a fairly unsung lineman from Central Michigan.
Eight months later, is Nolan is still glad he did it?
"Without question," Nolan said. "What we'd do over is our record. ... Joe is a very good player. After watching the film of the other tackles in the draft, Joe is right up there."
The 49ers fell in love with Staley at last year's Senior Bowl, and he has met every expectation from his first days in minicamps. Staley unseated Kwame Harris as the 49ers' starting right tackle before the final preseason game, and he has steadily matured into perhaps San Francisco's most consistent lineman this season.
Staley's coaches expect him to be the club's starting left tackle soon -- probably next season, with oft-injured Jonas Jennings's future up in the air during his latest stint on injured reserve.
Though he doesn't have the pedigree of Cleveland's Joe Thomas, or any of the attention bestowed on the No. 3 overall pick, most observers think Staley already is among the elite linemen from last season's draft -- and many agree with Nolan's belief that Staley was well worth that high pick.
"I think it was a good move, too," Staley said Thursday, laughing about the scrutiny he'll face. "I feel like I've done real well comparatively to the other rookies. I felt like I did all I could do to prove the Niners made the right decision."
San Francisco's coaches could see Staley's raw athleticism and surprising grace when they had a week of up-close looks at him while coaching the Senior Bowl. Staley began his college career as a 225-pound tight end, but eventually matured into a dominant tackle.
The 49ers also could see Staley's receptiveness to coaching -- a key to turning him into an elite NFL lineman.
"I've put a lot of hard work into it," Staley said. "I don't think it's been easy. I've really had to focus on my technique, which is something I never had to do before. I got away with a lot of stuff while I was just playing on talent at Central, and getting here, I've really made a lot of strides in my technique."
He endured a typical rookie learning experience when the 49ers visited the New York Giants in October. Staley got starry-eyed about his matchup with Michael Strahan, one of his favorite players as a youngster -- and Strahan had 2 1/2 sacks before Staley got his mind back in the game.
"I let Michael get in my head," Staley acknowledged. "He's one of those guys that you always look up to. I've just got to play my game and can't worry about other people and what they're going to do. I've got to sound in my techniques and have confidence that if I do what I can do right, nobody is going to be able to beat me."
After Strahan taught him the paramount importance of aggression as a pass-blocker, Staley has been nearly unbeatable in the 49ers' eight games since. He's even speaking up in the locker room and striving for a leadership role on a line that's been criticized for San Francisco's poor running game.
But Staley is still a goofy 306-pound rookie. He and fellow lineman Damane Duckett have a running gag in which they hang pictures of themselves in each other's locker.
"I like the guys I play with," Staley said. "They're all good guys. I didn't like a couple of the guys I played with at Central. I actually couldn't stand them, but I had confidence they were going to get the job done. You don't have to like everybody you play with. You've just got to have confidence and trust that they're going to get the job done."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Saints sign K Gramatica, place Mare on injured reserve
METAIRIE, La. (AP) -- The New Orleans Saints signed kicker Martin Gramatica on Wednesday and placed Olindo Mare on injured reserve.
Mare, who kicks with his right foot, dislocated his right hip making a tackle late in the Saints' 34-14 triumph over Atlanta on Monday night. The injury was serious enough to keep Mare out for the rest of the season, head coach Sean Payton said.
We don't think right yet it's going to require surgery, but it will prevent him from kicking," Payton said.
Gramatica hasn't played since last season when he was with the Dallas Cowboys for five games. He also played in three game with Indianapolis earlier in 2006.
He made seven of nine field goal attempts last season, his longest from 48 yards.
Mare came to New Orleans from Miami in an offseason trade. The Saints were looking for a kicker who could put kickoffs through the end zone and hit field goals from long range.
However, Mare struggled with his accuracy and had a minor groin pull early in the season that took him off of kickoff duties for two games.
The Saints worked out Gramatica and several other kickers during Mare's initial injury in October but decided not to make a move, confident that Mare would get better.
Mare was in excellent form before getting hurt Monday night, hitting six of seven kickoffs into the end zone and making his only two field goal attempts. His last kickoff was the only one that fell short of the goal line, and it was that return that led to his injury.
Gramatica, who considers Mare one of his good friends, has been living in Tampa with his pregnant wife and 20-month-old son. He did not see the end of Monday night's game and was surprised when the Saints called him.
"I'm glad to get an opportunity but I really feel bad for Olindo," Gramatica said. "If somebody had to take his spot I'm glad it's me, but I was hoping that he never would have gotten hurt."
Gramatica has been in the NFL since 1999, spending his first six seasons with Tampa Bay.
He has hit 144 of 188 field goal tries in his career, his longest from 55 yards.
He missed all of the 2005 season after surgery to repair tears in his abdomen.
Gramatica said he continued working out on his own this season in the hope of getting another chance. He said he expected to take over kickoff duties for the Saints, but said he does not have the power that Mare has.
"He kicks them out of the end zone all the time," Gramatica said. "That's something I can't do, but I'll try my best."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved
Rams WR Hall out for season
ST. LOUIS (TICKER) -- The St. Louis Rams continue to be plagued by injuries.
Rams wide receiver/kick returner Dante Hall on Thursday was placed on injured reserve and is out for remainder of the season, according to a report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Hall, who suffered a high ankle sprain on October 7, aggravated the injury in a loss to Seattle on November 25.
He did not practice on Wednesday and becomes the 11th player to be placed on injured reserve this season for St. Louis (3-9), joining star left tackle Orlando Pace and cornerback Tye Hill, among others.
A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Hall has the second-most career return touchdowns in league history with 12 (six punts, six kickoffs).
Acquired in a 2007 pre-draft trade with Kansas City, Hall has averaged 25.1 yards on kickoff returns. He averaged 15.1 yards on punt returns, including a 85-yard touchdown return against Dallas on September 30.
Copyright 2007 PA SportsTicker. All Rights Reserved
Cris Carter and Darrell Green first-time eligibles who make Hall semifinals
CANTON, Ohio (AP) -- Wide receiver Cris Carter and cornerback Darrell Green were the only first-year eligible players among 26 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2008.
Carter starred for the Minnesota Vikings from 1990-2001 and also played for Miami and Philadelphia. Green spent his entire career with the Redskins, from 1983-2002.
The 26 advanced from a list of 124 preliminary nominees. Because of a tie for 25th, one more player than usual made the semifinals.
Twenty-two of the nominees have been in the semifinals before. Other than Carter and Green, the new semifinalists are linebacker Rickey Jackson and defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy.
The inductees will be decided the day before the Super Bowl on Feb. 2, 2008 . The induction ceremonies are in early August.
Other semifinalists:
Defensive ends Richard Dent, Fred Dean and Charles Haley; linebackers Randy Gradishar, Kevin Greene, Derrick Thomas, and Andre Tippett; cornerback Lester Hayes; center Dermontti Dawson; guards Russ Grimm, Bob Kuechenberg and Randall McDaniel; tackles Joe Jacoby and Gary Zimmerman; running back Terrell Davis; wide receivers Art Monk, Andre Reed and Steve Tasker; quarterback Ken Stabler; punter Ray Guy; former commissioner Paul Tagliabue; and administrator George Young.
The seniors committee nominees, who were announced in August, are Marshall Goldberg and Emmitt Thomas.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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