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.
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.
FOXBORO, Mass. - Antowain Smith is going back to Houston on a roll.
New England’s running back had been inconsistent all season but rushed for 100 yards on 22 carries, outgaining Edgerrin James, in the Patriots’ 24-14 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Sunday’s AFC championship game.
“It was something that we needed today,” Smith said of a running attack that produced 112 yards.
Now he and the Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl in the city where he played college ball.
“He said he wanted to get 100 on his way back to Houston. That’s a goal for us every week,” Patriots tackle Matt Light said. “When that big dude gets rolling, good things happen.”
By controlling the ball, the Patriots could keep Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning on the sidelines.
Smith had gained more than 60 yards just once in the first 14 games of the season but has done that in all four games since then.
James, who rushed for 125 yards a week earlier in a 38-31 win over Kansas City, gained 78 yards on 19 carries against the Patriots as the game-long deficit forced the Colts to pass more.
“I’m never going to say we should have done this or we should have done that,” James said. “The bottom line is, I am here to do whatever they ask me to do.”
Review revisited
Referee Walt Coleman, from Tom Brady’s “tuck rule” game two years ago, was in charge again Sunday when another controversial call against the New England quarterback was reviewed.
This one also went his way.
Officials ruled that he had fumbled the ball away with the Patriots leading Indianapolis 21-14 with 1:20 left in Sunday’s win over the Colts.
But a video review showed Brady’s knee had hit the ground before he lost the ball, depriving the Colts of a chance to start a potential tying drive at about the New England 20.
Adam Vinatieri followed with a 33-yard field goal that finished the scoring.
On Jan. 19, 2002, New England trailed Oakland 13-10 with 1:43 left in the fourth quarter when Brady lost the ball after going back to pass. Raiders linebacker Greg Biekert pounced on it, and the officials ruled it a fumble because Brady appeared to be trying to bring the ball back in when he lost control.
After watching the replay, Coleman announced that it was an incomplete pass and the ball belonged to the Patriots. New England won that game, then beat Pittsburgh before defeating St. Louis in the Super Bowl.
Woody sidelined
An injury that ended guard Damien Woody’s season broke a streak of 13 games in which the Patriots started the same five interior offensive linemen. But they didn’t seem to miss last season’s Pro Bowl center as New England outgained Indianapolis on the ground, 112 yards to 98.
The line kept Brady from being sacked as Russ Hochstein started in Woody’s place.
Woody was placed on injured reserve Friday, meaning he would miss the rest of the season. He tore the medial collateral ligament in his right knee on the first play in New England’s 17-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Jan. 10 but played intermittently.
Punting problem
The Colts were about to attempt their first punt in their three playoff games on their third possession Sunday, but Hunter Smith kicked the ball the wrong way.
With the ball at the Indianapolis 35-yard line, Justin Snow’s long snap sailed throw the snowflakes and over Smith’s head. Smith ran after it, reached it at about the 5 and kicked it out of the end zone for a safety that gave the Patriots a 15-0 lead with 4:08 left in the half.
It was the first safety scored by the Patriots in the 22 playoff games in their history.
Smith finally got off a punt midway through the third quarter and it was a good one. It covered 55 yards on a fourth-and-9 from the Indianapolis 30-yard line.
Fast start
The Patriots scored on their first possession for the fifth consecutive game and haven’t trailed in their last seven games.
As usual, Brady was the key player as he completed six of eight passes for 51 yards on the drive, capped by a 7-yard scoring pass to David Givens. On the 13-play drive, Givens caught four passes for 26 yards.
Stokley plays
Colts wide receiver Brandon Stokley had three catches in a game the team wasn’t sure he would play in a few days ago.
On Tuesday, his infant son was hospitalized with an undisclosed illness, and on Friday, Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy said he didn’t know whether Stokley would play against the Patriots.
But Stokley did, finishing with 22 yards receiving.
“We had a good season. We just didn’t reach our final goal,” he said.
Stokley had three touchdown catches in the Colts’ two playoff victories. He missed practice Wednesday, returned for about half of the two-hour practice Thursday afternoon and worked out with his teammates Friday.
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.
 | Slideshow |
 | Super Bowl XLVI shots See the best moments before, during and after the Giants' win over the Patriots more photos |
Latest from ProFootballTalk |
 | Video: Football from NBC Sports |
 Getty Images |
| Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
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.
NBC Sports TV and livestream listings
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.