Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
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Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Golf's dream pairing - Woods and Mickelson - is on the course in the final round at Pebble Beach. Jason Sobel has hole-by-hole reports.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
AP
NEW YORK - One NFL scout called linebacker Patrick Willis “a beast.” An NFL coach said Willis is “a rolling ball of butcher knives.”
And that was before Willis won The Associated Press 2007 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
Willis’ dominant performance could have been overlooked because his San Francisco 49ers went 5-11 in a mediocre division. Instead, his league-leading 174 tackles and presence all over the field made him a runaway winner and the ‘fifth straight linebacker to take the honor.
“It’s a great honor,” said Willis, who woke up Friday to “a bunch of text messages and 13 calls” on his cell phone telling him he won. “I can’t give enough credit to my teammates, especially for the front seven — the defensive line was unbelievable — and for my linebacker corps helping me find my way, and for my coaches believing in me.”
Willis earned 48 votes Friday from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. Only Carolina linebacker Jon Beason, with two, also received votes.
“It’s confirmation of what you’ve been doing as an individual,” Willis said. “From an individual perspective, it would be good for people that doubted, or didn’t know if you could be a No. 1 draft pick, or if you could come into the league and do well because of your size or where you might have played ball at ... and show them that if you put your mind to it, you’re capable of anything.”
Willis certainly looked capable of just about anything as he did just about everything in 2007. The 11th overall draft pick from Mississippi was a dynamic presence from the first practice with the 49ers, and by season’s end, opponents were scheming to avoid him.
It didn’t work very often, witness his total tackles and four sacks and his ability to disrupt the opposition. He made 11 tackles in the season opener and had at least 10 in 10 games. His high was 20 against Tampa Bay, when Willis also had two sacks.
“I never say it was after this (specific) game I knew I would have a good year,” Willis said. “Each week I continued to work and try to be productive. Each week was a working opportunity for me.
“I think that I was more comfortable as the season went on. I think I started understanding things a little better and seeing things better.”
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And, as Vikings coach Brad Childress noted, cutting through blockers like butcher knives.
“He’s a freak,” said Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who won the Offensive Rookie award earlier this week. “Working out with him, I saw the talent he has.
“One thing I realized while working out with Patrick is that he is very competitive. You don’t really see that too much in guys that are as gifted as him as far as his speed being 4.3 (seconds in the 40-yard dash) at 240 pounds. He’s strong as an ox. That’s one thing I picked up on which made me respect him that much more. I definitely like his fearless style of play.”
Willis is the third 49ers player to win the award, joining tackle Dana Stubblefield (1993) and cornerback Bruce Taylor (1970).
He also continued the run of linebackers earning the honor. The previous four were: DeMeco Ryans of Houston, Shawne Merriman of San Diego, Jonathan Vilma of the New York Jets, and Terrell Suggs of Baltimore.
Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
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Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
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Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
