Blank comments on investigation of fake crowd noise in Atlanta

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Tuesday he has seen enough of the NFL’s investigation of fake crowd noise at Atlanta’s home games to acknowledge wrongdoing.

The NFL is trying to determine if the Falcons pumped artificial crowd noise into the Georgia Dome for home games the last two years. Apparently, the answer is yes.

Blank had a quick response when asked if there was a fine line for crowd noise not allowed by the league.

"It’s not really a fine line," Blank told The Associated Press. "I think what we’ve done in 2013 and 2014 was wrong. Anything that affects the competitive balance and fairness on the field, we’re opposed to, as a league, as a club and as an owner. It’s obviously embarrassing but beyond embarrassing it doesn’t represent our culture and what we’re about."

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Blank comments on investigation of fake crowd noise in Atlanta

Memphis" win over BYU in Miami Beach Bowl marred by brawl

The inaugural Miami Beach Bowl on Monday was memorable. What happened afterward was, too, just not in a good way.

A brawl broke out, complete with sucker punches and swinging helmets, after Memphis beat BYU, 55-48, in two overtimes.

ESPN cameras captured BYU starting safety Kai Nucua throwing a sucker punch at Memphis tight end Alan Cross, who wasn’t wearing a helmet. Nucua, a sophomore, already was bloodied as fights between players had broken out all over the field.

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Memphis" win over BYU in Miami Beach Bowl marred by brawl

Who can clinch a playoff spot in Week 17?

As the regular season wanes, each week brings with it a fresh opportunity for some teams to clinch playoff spots. Check out every possible scenario for each conference below, and predict the playoffs here:

CLINCHED: Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks

ELIMINATED: New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles

The Cowboys clinch home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with: a win plus a Cardinals loss or tie and a Lions-Packers tie.

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Who can clinch a playoff spot in Week 17?

Falcons" turnaround sends them to brink of playoffs

It was a wave that would have made Queen Elizabeth proud: There was Atlanta Falcons defensive end Osi Umenyiora, the football in his right hand and 50 yards of unfettered green in his field of vision, turning back toward the north end zone of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday and using his left hand to say goodbye to the New Orleans Saints, figuratively and literally.

A few hours after completing the 86-yard fumble return that closed out the Falcons‘ 30-14 victory — setting up a winner-take-all showdown with the Carolina Panthers at the Georgia Dome next Sunday for the NFC South title — Umenyiora put his team’s surprising revival in perspective, recalling a late-October collapse that would have made London Bridge seem historically sturdy by comparison.

Eight weeks earlier at Wembley Stadium, after blowing a 21-0 halftime lead and making a series of unconscionable late-game mistakes in a 22-21 defeat to the Detroit Lions, the Falcons flew home from London carrying a looming sense of doom. With a 2-6 record, a five-game losing streak and an embattled head coach in Mike Smith, Atlanta — just two seasons removed from a heartbreaking NFC championship game defeat — looked headed for oblivion.

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Falcons" turnaround sends them to brink of playoffs

Aaron Rodgers "baffled" by Kromer"s Jay Cutler comments

GREEN BAY, Wisc. — Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler are rivals on the field, but they are also friends who happen to be members of a relatively small fraternity. And as a franchise quarterback who credits a supportive and open environment for helping him thrive with the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers was appalled by what Cutler, his beleaguered Chicago Bears counterpart, had to endure last week.

Reacting to reports that Bears offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer admitted last Monday to his players that he’d been an anonymous source in a report by NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport in which Cutler’s game-management skills were criticized, Rodgers strongly denounced Kromer’s behavior, saying he was "baffled" by the situation.

"I would have a major problem if somebody said something like that," Rodgers said Tuesday during an interview at Lambeau Field. "I think anybody that plays the position, you can’t help but empathize with Jay for that situation. You talk all the time about being connected, being a unit, believing in each other. But if you have unnamed sources, people out there cutting you down, and then you find out it’s the person calling the plays — that would be really hard to deal with, to look at him the same way."

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Aaron Rodgers "baffled" by Kromer"s Jay Cutler comments

Arizona Cardinals can beat Seattle Seahawks with elite defense

The Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks are out to prove that stellar defense can win championships in today’s NFL. While the ‘Hawks are aiming for their second Lombardi Trophy in as many seasons, the Cards are poised to make a deep postseason run despite a spate of injuries at the quarterback position (and elsewhere).

Arizona can actually clinch the NFC West — and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs — with a win in front of the home crowd on Sunday night. Of course, the naysayers doubt the Cardinals can beat the Seahawks with third-string QB Ryan Lindley under center. Seattle did beat Arizona 19-3 last month in the madhouse that is CenturyLink Field. But with the game shifting to University of Phoenix Stadium, where the Cardinals are a perfect 7-0, I believe Bruce Arians‘ squad can win behind a monster defensive effort.

After watching the All-22 Coaches Film of the Week 12 battle, I’ve come up with a game plan. Here’s how Arizona needs to approach Seattle in order to pull off the victory:

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Arizona Cardinals can beat Seattle Seahawks with elite defense

Road win over Eagles puts Cowboys into NFC East driver"s seat

This is the backstory to one of the great moments of Week 15, the Dallas Cowboys‘ refusal to crumble on the road in a pivotal NFC East showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys‘ rebound after blowing a 21-point lead, as well as the Arizona Cardinals clinching a playoff spot with a win over the St. Louis Rams despite numerous key injuries and the Buffalo Bills‘ upset of the Green Bay Packers are nominees for the GMC Never Say Never Moment of the week. Cast your vote for the GMC Never Say Never Moments of Week 15.

Tony Romo

Just two weeks ago, the Cowboys suffered a humiliating 33-10 defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles in front of a turkey-stuffed national-television audience on Thanksgiving Day. Facing the daunting task of collecting an essential road win against the Eagles, the Cowboys stormed out to a 21-0 lead, allowed 24 unaswered points, managed to recapture momentum for a 38-27 win. That was huge, pushing the Cowboys from "In the hunt" status in the NFC playoff picture to in the driver’s seat for the NFC East title and a potential candidate to attain home-field advantage in the playoffs.

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Road win over Eagles puts Cowboys into NFC East driver"s seat

Lions ride Matt Prater"s leg to win vs. Vikings

DETROIT — It was the type of kick that always seems to go through the uprights against the Detroit Lions.

Nobody has ever made a field goal from 68 yards in an NFL game, but when Minnesota’s Blair Walsh lined up at that distance on the final play Sunday, there were some nervous folks at Ford Field.

"Stranger things have happened to us," Detroit offensive lineman Rob Sims said. "But maybe this is our time. Maybe things are changing."

Walsh’s kick came up short and wide to the left, and Detroit held on for a 16-14 victory over Minnesota.

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Lions ride Matt Prater"s leg to win vs. Vikings

Ravens outclass Dolphins in critical AFC matchup

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The Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins met Sunday in a matchup of wouldbe AFC rivals. Joe Philbin’s squad was totally coordinated in a 28-13 Ravens success.

1. Elvis Dumervil was the most effective player in the field Sunday, and Joe Flacco was a close second. Let us begin with all the Ravens’ defense. Despite losing two more cornerbacks to harm (Danny Gorrer and Anthony Levine), the Ravens just gave up three points in the last three quarters as a result of ferocious pass rush. Dumervil controlled Dallas Thomas for 3.5 sacks, quitting multiple drives. Terrell Suggs added 1.5 sacks. Ryan Tannehill regularly held the ball a long time, getting knocked down nine times.

2. Flacco has played near perfect soccer the previous couple of weeks. Torrey Smith was quite small due to harm (no catches) but Flacco kept converting third downs with throws on the move to Steve Smith, Marlon Brown, Kamar Aiken and a person named Phillip Supernaw. Flacco is playing in the manner of a top-10 quarterback.

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Ravens outclass Dolphins in critical AFC matchup

Ravens outclass Dolphins, dent Miami"s playoff hopes

The Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins met Sunday in a matchup of wouldbe AFC rivals. Joe Philbin’s squad was totally coordinated in a 28-13 Ravens success.

1. Elvis Dumervil was the most effective player in the field Sunday, and Joe Flacco was a close second. Let us begin with all the Ravens’ defense. Despite losing two more cornerbacks to harm (Danny Gorrer and Anthony Levine), the Ravens just gave up three points in the last three quarters due to a ferocious pass rush. Dumervil controlled Dallas Thomas for 3.5 sacks, quitting multiple drives. Terrell Suggs added 1.5 sacks. Ryan Tannehill regularly held the ball a long time, becoming knocked down nine times.

2. Flacco has played near perfect soccer the last couple of weeks. Torrey Smith was quite small due to harm (no catches) but Flacco kept converting third downs with throws on the move to Steve Smith, Marlon Brown, Kamar Aiken and a person named Phillip Supernaw. Flacco is playing in the manner of a top-10 quarterback.

3. Ryan Tannehill’s inability to throw deep is the Achilles’ heel of the Miami offense. They assembled a 10-0 lead in the first quarter with short throws and inspired runs by Lamar Miller, but the Ravens sat to the brief stuff next. Tannehill however takes a long time to procedure and discover secondary choices, too generally looking in the manner of a statue. The Dolphins do not even attempt to throw deep.

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Ravens outclass Dolphins, dent Miami"s playoff hopes

Kirk Ferentz sees Brandon Scherff as first-round draft pick

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Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz considers Hawkeyes offensive tackle Brandon Scherff compares favorably with a number of the top former Iowa linemen in the NFL, such as the Baltimore Ravens’ Marshal Yanda and former first-round picks Riley Reiff (Detroit Lions) and Bryan Bulaga (Green Bay Packers). And according to the Des Moines Register, Ferentz anticipates Scherff, a senior, to be a first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, at the same time.

"It Is not about the combine items, although Brandon’s got freakish strength and explosion," Ferentz said. & quot;But lots of men can not take that to the field. Brandon’s got the power to do this, also. He is a rare man."

Uncommon enough to earn Big Ten Rimington-Rate Offensive Lineman of the Year honours with a vote of the league’s coaches. In a league known for road-grading offensive linemen, Scherff beat out the likes of Wisconsin’s Rob Havenstein, Michigan State centre Jack Allen and Ohio State guard Pat Elflein for the award.

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Kirk Ferentz sees Brandon Scherff as first-round draft pick

NFL declares Week 15 flex scheduling, Week 16 Saturday slate

As the regular season nears its final month, playoff races continue to heat up across the NFL. As a result of adaptive scheduling, more supporters throughout the nation will have the ability to see these significant competitions.

The league on Sunday declared the finalization of both Week 15’s flex program and Week 16’s Saturday doubleheader. The Week 15 1 p.m. ET competition between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns and the 4:25 p.m. ET match between the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions will both be broadcast on FOX.

The reversal of network — a fresh element of the flex scheduling procedure called "cross-bending" — for the Cincinnati-Cleveland game brings an instate competition into a bigger audience as both teams fight for supremacy in a closely contested AFC North.

A classic NFC North matchup between recognizable foes takes the 4:25 p.m. time slot when the Vikings travel to Ford Field to take on the upstart Lions.

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NFL declares Week 15 flex scheduling, Week 16 Saturday slate

Ohio State"s J.T. Barrett carted off with harm vs. Michigan

Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett was carted off the field with an injury early in the fourth quarter of the Buckeyes’ 42-28 win over longtime opponent Michigan.

Barrett was injured on a second-and-1 run on the initial play of the fourth quarter. His lower left leg was put in a air form before he was taken off in a handcart. Columbus Dispatch reporter Tim May tweeted that sources told him Barrett has a right ankle dislocation and likely broken bone. Barrett additionally was promptly taken to the hospital after suffering the harm, per May.

Sportsmanship. pic.twitter.com/2q8sw7OlsN

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Ohio State"s J.T. Barrett carted off with harm vs. Michigan

Can not-miss Minutes: Top school football plays of Week 14

Saturdays during school football season consistently provide a bevy of "can not-miss Moments." College Football 24/7 is here to remember to have accessibility to all the plays buffs will be raving about.

Georgia’s Damian Swann returned a Justin Thomas fumble 99 yards for a touchdown vs. Georgia Tech.

Georgia’s Marshall Morgan gained 28 yards on this fake field goal.

Clemson’s Artavis Scott revealed some fine footwork close to the conclusion of the 70-yard scoring play.

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Can not-miss Minutes: Top school football plays of Week 14

Bobby Petrino involved in scuffle before UK-Louisville match

The first Kentucky-Louisville game of Bobby Petrino’s second go round as the Cardinals’ trainer featured a pregame scuffle involving Petrino.

UK assistant trainer Dan Berezowitz and UofL head coach Bobby Petrino scuffle at midfield before the #UKvsUofL match pic.twitter.com/JVEWLfYM51

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Bobby Petrino involved in scuffle before UK-Louisville match

Can"t-miss Moments: Top college football plays of Week 13

Saturday’s during college football season always deliver a bevy of "Can’t-miss Moments." College Football 24/7 is here to make sure you have access to all of the plays fans will be raving about.

Defensive end Randy Gregory blocked a Gophers field-goal attempt, which Nebraska’s Nate Gerry scooped up and returned 85 yards for a Huskers touchdown.

Northwestern senior Tony Jones fielded a line-drive punt, broke free of an attempted tackle and found open field on this 64-yard return for a touchdown.

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Can"t-miss Moments: Top college football plays of Week 13

Todd Gurley runs for 138, injured in return from suspension

Mark Richt didn’t exactly ease Todd Gurley back into the mix in the Georgia rushing rotation Saturday. And after a four-game suspension, the star junior looked like his dominant self until a left knee injury ended his night.

Gurley fed on a season-high 29 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown to help the Bulldogs to a 34-7 home drubbing of Auburn, keeping UGA in the hunt for an SEC East title, and as well marking the return of one of college football’s elite talents. But late in the game, Gurley took a carry up the middle and suffered an undisclosed injury to his left knee. He was carted off the field.

In his postgame press conference, Richt acknowledged Gurley hurt his knee, but wasn’t able to shed any light on the severity of the injury.

"Don’t know, I really don’t know," Richt told reporters. "I’m just as curious as everyone else. … He hurt his knee."

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Todd Gurley runs for 138, injured in return from suspension

Utah"s Devontae Booker draws comparison to Tiki Barber

The wait has been worth it for Utah junior tailback Devontae Booker, who has made quite an impression in his first season on the field with the Utes.

>> CFB 24/7 Top 25 Power Rankings

He is second in the Pac-12 in rushing at 117.22 yards per game, has eight rushing touchdowns and has had five 100-yard outings; he also has 20 receptions for 216 yards and two touchdowns. Booker, who graduated from high school in 2010, signed with Utah out of junior college as part of the 2013 recruiting class but had to sit out last season to get his academics in order.

His production has caught the eye of NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah.

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Utah"s Devontae Booker draws comparison to Tiki Barber

NFL's greatest competition? Bears-Packers continues among top picks

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The NFL is constructed on classic competitions, as is clear in the primetime lineup for Week 10. First, the Cleveland Browns rolled over the Cincinnati Bengals on "Thursday Night Football," by having an honest to goodness AFC North race adding some juice to the Battle of Ohio. Next comes the granddaddy of these all: Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on "Sunday Night Football."

As the Bears and Packers prepare for the 190th episode of among the more storied show in league history, we believed we had ask: Which NFL competition is the most effective right now?

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NFL"s greatest competition? Bears-Packers continues among top picks

TCU survives against West Virginia on last-second field goal

TCU’s College Football Playoff expects survived — just.

On a lackluster day for the two offenses, Jaden Oberkrom’s 37-yard field goal as time expired gave the Horned Frogs a 31-30 win over West Virginia.

Turnovers were the story of the day, and five of the seven in this one were perpetrated by the Mountaineers, who commanded the match before the closing few seconds behind a top notch defensive attempt that ended up falling just short.

The headliners in the competition, particularly for NFL scouts, was readily a one-name fight for Big 12 supremacy.

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TCU survives against West Virginia on last-second field goal