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

Bengals" A.J. Green injures arm in Monday"s win

The Bengals lost a major playmaker in Monday night’s 37-28 win.

Wide receiver A.J. Green injured his right arm during the tilt against the Broncos.

Green hurt his arm earlier in the contest, but returned for the Bengals. Cincinnati later downgraded the receiver to questionable, but he never returned.

It was a night to forget for the star wideout. Green was held without a catch and was only targeted four times.

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Bengals" A.J. Green injures arm in Monday"s win

Ex-GM: Team judged OTs in draft off performance vs. Joey Bosa

NFL Media analysts had been told that Ohio State sophomore Joey Bosa is the nation’s best "combo" defensive end. Now comes news from former Cleveland Browns general manager Phil Savage, the executive director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl, that one NFL team is judging offensive tackle prospects off their work against Bosa.

OSU’s Joey Bosa might be best DE in country. One NFL org told me they judged every OT in the 2014 #NFLDraft on his performance vs. Bosa.

Earlier this month, NFL Media analysts reported that the opinion of three NFL scouts who attended the Big Ten Championship Game was that Bosa does everything required of a defensive end equally well — plays the run and rushes the passer — and that there appear to be no concerns about his motor.

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Ex-GM: Team judged OTs in draft off performance vs. Joey Bosa

Watch Saturday's games on NFL Network and NFL Mobile

For the first time this season we’ll have a slate of Saturday games. Fortunately, both will be televised nationally on NFL Network. But if you’re not by your TV, you can still catch the games.

Verizon customers on The MORE Everything plan or with a Premium Subscription have access to both games via the NFL Mobile app.

The Philadelphia Eagles takes on the Washington Redskins at 4:30 p.m. ET and the San Diego Chargers faces the San Francisco 49ers at 8:25 p.m. ET in a game that carries playoff implications. 

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Watch Saturday"s games on NFL Network and NFL Mobile

Bowl viewer"s guide: Previewing Saturday"s slate of CFB action

College bowl season officially kicks off Saturday, and College Football 24/7 is providing a daily glimpse at the best players in each game and predictions from writers Gil Brandt, Bucky Brooks, Daniel Jeremiah, Bryan Fischer, Chase Goodbread and Mike Huguenin.

Site: New Orleans
Date: Dec. 20
Time/TV: 11 a.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4) vs. Nevada (7-5)
NFL teams attending: Buffalo Bills
Top players to watch: Nevada (QB Cody Fajardo, DE Brock Hekking, WR Hasaan Henderson, DE/LB Ian Seau); Louisiana-Lafayette (RB Alonzo Harris, WR Jamal Robinson).
Why NFL fans should tune in: Why not get your bowl season started out right with an intriguing matchup between an up-and-down Wolf Pack team taking on one of the most impressive Sun Belt teams over the years in ULL? Fajardo has put up comparable numbers to Colin Kaepernick during his time in Reno and is among the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. The team’s pistol offense gets a lot of the press, but it’s the defense you’ll really want to keep an eye out for with Ian Seau (Junior’s nephew) and wild man Brock Hekking, who might have the best hair in college football and is an equally fearsome pass rusher. As for the Ragin Cajuns, they feature a number of playmakers on the offensive side that could wind up being late Day Three selections.
Game predictions:
Brandt: UL-Lafayette, 24-21
Brooks: UL-Lafayette, 33-30
Jeremiah: Nevada, 28-24
Fischer: UL-Lafayette, 33-23
Goodbread: Nevada, 30-21
Huguenin: UL-Lafayette, 27-24

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Bowl viewer"s guide: Previewing Saturday"s slate of CFB action

2014 college football bowl game predictions

CFB 24/7 experts Gil Brandt, Bucky Brooks, Daniel Jeremiah, Bryan Fischer, Chase Goodbread and Mike Huguenin have provided their predictions for all 38 major college football bowl games.

Season records entering bowl season:
Brooks: 104-46
Huguenin: 104-46
Goodbread: 102-48
Jeremiah: 101-49
Fischer: 100-50
Brandt: 98-52

» For more, go to NFL.com/CFB 24/7

Follow College Football 24/7 on Twitter @NFL_CFB.

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2014 college football bowl game predictions

Johnny Manziel must show Browns potential for development

Fate owes the Cleveland Browns a few breaks.

Since rebooting in 1999, the franchise has been on a long slog of disappointment. The Browns could write a thesis on first-round mistakes in the draft (Tim Couch, Courtney Brown, William Green, Braylon Edwards, Brady Quinn, Brandon Weeden). They’ve been plagued by internal problems since returning, from staph infections in the locker room to bickering in the front office. They have gone from one coach to another, and from one quarterback to another. The only thing that has stayed the same are those classic uniforms (which are changing next year, thanks to Nike). They’ve made one playoff appearance since version 2.0 began, an exciting loss to the rival Steelers in the 2002 Wild Card Round.

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Johnny Manziel must show Browns potential for development

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

Cardinals, Colts, Lions among least convincing winning teams

Fifteen weeks into the 2014 NFL campaign, eight teams boast double-digit win totals:

» Arizona Cardinals (11-3)
» Denver Broncos (11-3)
» New England Patriots (11-3)
» Dallas Cowboys (10-4)
» Detroit Lions (10-4)
» Green Bay Packers (10-4)
» Indianapolis Colts (10-4)
» Seattle Seahawks (10-4)

But of course, not all double-digit winners are created equal. Which is the least-convincing team with 10-plus wins?

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Cardinals, Colts, Lions among least convincing winning teams

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

Like/dislike: How does one pick an MVP?

Everybody at NFL Media has to

He rode a swan in a pool once

ICYMI: he’ll begin this week!

I kind of enjoyed how the Packers supporters began the MVP chants through the last minutes of the Monday Night Football game. After all, Rodgers might be my private MVP right now, and he is not even on my fantasy football team. (You will want to take a look at the Monday Nightmare for more on that.)

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Like/dislike: How does one pick an MVP?

Seahawks, Cardinals among roughest teams to confront at home

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Fourteen weeks in the 2014 NFL effort, four teams remain perfect at home:

» New England Patriots (6-0) » Denver Broncos (7-0) » Arizona Cardinals (7-0) » Green Bay Packers (7-0)

Hey, whaddya know: Those just so happen to be the top two seeds for every conference in the upgraded playoff image. One team that’s not on this list: the tremendously unsatisfactory New Orleans Saints, who have inexplicably dropped four in a row in the Superdome, which had been a house of horrors for competitors prior to the season.

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Seahawks, Cardinals among roughest teams to confront at home

Fortune rallies from slow beginning to produce stunning triumph

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Here Is the backstory to among the significant minutes of Week 14, the Indianpolis Colts’ come-from-behind triumph on the way over the Cleveland Browns in a critical AFC confrontation. The Colts last minute triumph, along with the Minnesota Vikings’ overtime triumph on the New York Jets as well as the Arizona Cardinals’ crucial triumph over the Kansas City Chiefs are nominees for the GMC Never Say Never Minute of the week. Cast your vote for the GMC Never Say Never Minutes of Week 14.

Andrew Luck

If he’s not already there already, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is on the verge of being considered one of the NFL’s prime minister (dare we say "elite") passers. Yet, for 50-plus minutes of a Week 14 confrontation with the up and coming Browns, Luck seemed little just like a blooming star and much more like a back-up quarterback thrown to the fire. Luck redeemed himself in epic style, and created a second that helps express Luck’s greatest guarantee.

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Fortune rallies from slow beginning to produce stunning triumph

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

Jamaal Charles (ankle) questionable to return vs. Cards

The Chiefs must make do without their star running back for a bit. 

Jamaal Charles injured his ankle through the initial half of the Chiefs-Cardinals game and is questionable to return. He was replaced by Knile Davis.

Around The NFL will have more on this particular story shortly.

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Jamaal Charles (ankle) questionable to return vs. Cards

Andy Dalton leaves Bengals" loss to Steelers in fourth quarter

Andy Dalton left the Bengals’ 42-21 loss against the Steelers late in the fourth quarter. Jason Campbell stepped in for Cincinnati’s starting quarterback.

Earlier in the last frame, Dalton was shaken up after a hit and missed one play, however he finally returned. The signal caller stayed out, leaving the match using the final score line in Pittsburgh’s favor.

When he departed for good, Dalton was 21-of-29 passing for 302 yards and two touchdown passes.

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Andy Dalton leaves Bengals" loss to Steelers in fourth quarter

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

Inquire 5: who"s greatest NFL comparison for Missouri DE Shane Ray?

Alabama and Missouri will square off on Saturday in the SEC title match. Every college football supporter in the united states knows Crimson Tide star wide receiver Amari Cooper, but Missouri has some star power, also. Defensive end Shane Ray is among the most effective pass rushers in the nation.

I polled five NFL executives and asked them to get a Ray comparison from an earlier draft course. Here will be the results:

In a weekly show, draft analyzer Daniel Jeremiah surveys five NFL employees executives about college football’s top possibilities.

"he’s an remarkable get-away and he is bendy working the advantage.

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Inquire 5: who"s greatest NFL comparison for Missouri DE Shane Ray?