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.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
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.
PBT: Jeremy Lin wasn't his hot self on Saturday, but he still led the Knicks to victory.
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.
ReutersEven the best of the 1970s Steel Curtain defenses, which dominated the league longer than any in history that kept most of its starters intact, did not lead the NFL in so many major categories.
The 1976 Steelers had three consecutive shutouts and did not permit a single point in five of their final nine games, a stretch in which only one opponent (Houston, in a 32-16 Steelers win) scored in double figures. One Steelers opponent scored six points and two others scored three.
That 1976 defense gave up the fewest points, yards rushing and total yards in the NFL but was third in fewest yards passing.
This 2008 defense has permitted no more than the 282 yards the Super Bowl champion Giants gained during their 21-14 victory in Pittsburgh on Oct. 26. Only three teams have totaled even 260 yards. Five have been held to 221 or fewer by a defense permitting an average of 238 yards, easily the lowest in the league.
“Week in and week out, that’s always the major point, to allow no big plays,” cornerback William Gay said.
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“I think he’s been smart,” Clark said. “He calls a defense that allows someone to be over the top in some capacity.”
This defense needs to be playing at a high level given a schedule that brings Dallas (8-4) to Pittsburgh on Sunday, followed by road games against Baltimore (8-4) and Tennessee (11-1). The Steelers lead Baltimore by one game in the AFC North and are No. 2 overall in the AFC.
“Our greater challenges, of course, lie ahead,” Tomlin said.
Of course, the Cowboys, Ravens and Titans must be thinking the Steelers’ defense lies ahead, too.
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.
