CSN: Tom Brady personally has done enough to be 5-0 in Super Bowls and has never been surrounded by Hall of Fame teammates as the others in the “greatest ever” conversation were.
Video: The SportsTalk crew discusses NFL questions, including Tim Tebow's tenure, coaching hires, and more.
DeMarco's Mailbag: Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Albert Pujols' new team the Los Angeles Angels head the list.
PHT: Martin Brodeur helps red-hot Devils shut out Rangers, and he gets a little help along the way.
Winderman: 2-time winner says he's got a better game, but will he utilize it to win his first NBA title?
Arc: Everything should run through Harrison Barnes tonight against Duke, and there is no solid matchup for him one-on-one.
CFT: When asked about Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema's criticisms of Urban Meyer, Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee tells him to "get a life."
Scandal, injuries, swing changes. With most of it in his rearview mirror, Tiger getting back to the winner's cirlce is the next logical step.
FIFA is giving $250,000 in aid to the families of the victims of last week's soccer melee in Egypt.
Didier Cuche called it "magnificent." Bode Miller was highly critical. Aksel Lund Svindal said the course for the 2014 Sochi Olympics was "what downhill is all about."
The University of North Dakota's president says the school will resume using its Fighting Sioux nickname despite threats from the NCAA.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -In the eyes of most Kansas City fans, it took Tyler Thigpen only two games to go from being the worst quarterback in the NFL to being the most improved.
Like magic, he seems to have gone from symbolizing all that's wrong with the Chiefs to offering hope for a brighter future.
When the husky, excitable pride of Coastal Carolina threw three interceptions at Atlanta on Sept. 21, coach Herm Edwards was ridiculed for even giving him his first NFL start.
But after Thigpen shocked everyone last week by nearly leading the quarterback-cursed Chiefs to victory over the Jets, Edwards is pleading with fans not to expect too much.
"Let's don't anoint him now,'' Edwards cautioned.
The truth is, nobody knows which quarterback will show up Sunday when Thigpen makes career start No. 3 against Tampa Bay's fast and savvy defense. Will it be the seemingly helpless kid who flung the ball all over the field in a 38-14 loss in Atlanta?
Or might we see the cool and confident leader who threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns and did not get intercepted at the Meadowlands?
Edwards is sure curious. Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden is wondering, too.
"What fan isn't? What news crew isn't?'' said Thigpen. "They're definitely looking to see it happen two weeks in a row.''
While the young, rebuilding Chiefs (1-6) are desperate just to get their second win in more than a calendar year, the Bucs (5-3) are only one game behind Carolina in the NFC South. Gruden, who's molded a few quarterbacks in his day, tends to think Thigpen is getting better.
"Sometimes all a young guy needs is somebody to sustain confidence and sustain belief in him,'' Gruden said. "And a little success can go a long way. I think that's what (Thigpen) found in New York. Maybe the light went on.''
Helping to flip the switch was a bold strategy shift. The Chiefs adjusted their attack to suit Thigpen, going no-huddle much of the time and practically evolving into a college-type spread offense similar to what he ran his senior season at tiny Coastal Carolina.
It caught the ill-prepared Jets off-guard. Now forewarned, the Bucs are not likely to be so unsuspecting.
"Is Coastal Carolina in North or South Carolina?'' Tampa cornerback Ronde Barber asked with a chuckle.
Until the Bucs began watching film of Thigpen this week, Barber confessed, "We knew absolutely nothing about him. Didn't know who he was. But he looks real athletic and he can throw on the run.''
With his linebacker-like physique, the 6-foot-1, 225-pound Thigpen is a threat to run any time. That's one reason he was successful in the college spread. But the Chiefs have been telling him all week - ordering him, commanding him, begging him - to slide and protect himself.
After losing Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard for the year, the last thing they need is a season-ending injury to Thigpen. Standing behind him is Quinn Gray, a former Jacksonville backup who was signed off the street only two weeks ago.
"He's got to be careful, and slide,'' said Edwards. "That's the most important thing - slide.''
If he stays healthy and keeps up the improvement, Thigpen could be looking at what amounts to a 10-week tryout to be the foundation quarterback the injury-prone Croyle has proven he probably will never be.
It's an unbelievable opportunity for a kid who was drafted in the seventh round in 2007 and figured to spend this season toting a clipboard.
"He's got some confidence because he played fairly well in the Jets game. Now it's a matter of repeating it and not try to outdo what he did,'' said Edwards.
The Bucs have been giving up only 277.6 yards per game. Plus, running back Larry Johnson will be out a third straight week for disciplinary reasons. Yards rushing could be hard to come by against a unit that's given up fewer than 88 per game.
"He's impressive for a young guy that nobody knows about,'' said Barber. "I'm sure over the course of this week we'll get to know him real well.''
Johnson went before commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday knowing he might face suspension for violating the league's player conduct policy. His absence, added to a nagging injury to backup running back Jamaal Charles, will be no help to a quarterback making his third start.
"Let's don't put so much pressure on this poor guy,'' said Edwards. "He went from Atlanta where everybody was going, `Whoa, whoa.' Then all of a sudden this (Jets) game, after his second start when he plays good - he's still learning. He just has to keep playing, keep growing. And I think he will.''
Video: The SportsTalk crew discusses NFL questions, including Tim Tebow's tenure, coaching hires, and more.
Video: Sports Talk looks at the futures of Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, the 7 new head coaches, and Tim Tebow.
 | Slideshow |
 | Super Bowl XLVI shots See the best moments before, during and after the Giants' win over the Patriots more photos |
 | Video: Football from NBC Sports |
 Woman excited to see ‘Sanchez’ at Giants parade A confused reveler at the Giants Super Bowl parade tells NBC New York she's excited to see “Sanchez." The problem? Mark Sanchez is the quarterback for the New York Jets, not the Super Bowl-winning Giants. |
| Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
Winderman: 2-time winner says he's got a better game, but will he utilize it to win his first NBA title?
Vote: Will LeBron ever win NBA title?
A 12-year-old boy who was hit in the chest by a lacrosse ball last week has died in upstate New York.