SUNDAY NIGHT SPORTSBREAK
NFL
It will be the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 49 in Arizona. The Seahawks advanced by pulling off the greatest halftime comeback in conference championship history. The Patriots did it with an old-fashioned blowout.
Russell Wilson hit Jermaine Kearse for a 35-yard touchdown at 3:19 of overtime to complete the Seahawks’ 28-22 win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC title game. The Seahawks managed to shake off five turnovers and a 16-0 halftime deficit to reach the Super Bowl for the second straight year.
The Packers led 16-0 until punter and holder Jon Ryan threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Garry Gilliam on a fake field goal with 4:44 remaining in the third quarter. Ryan’s toss sparked a comeback that topped the 15-point deficit the Colts overcame in defeating the Patriots in the 2006 AFC championship game.
Seattle continued to trail with just over two minutes remaining in regulation before scoring two touchdowns in a 44 seconds span. Wilson scored on a 1-yard run with 2:09 left, and the Seahawks regained possession at midfield following an onside kick. Marshawn Lynch gave Seattle its first lead on a 24-yard touchdown run that was followed by Wilson’s heave to Luke Willson for the two-point conversion, making it 22-19 with 1:25 to play.
Aaron Rodgers engineered a game-tying drive that was capped by Mason Crosby’s fifth field goal of the day, a 48-yard kick that forced overtime. Rodgers and the Packers never touched the ball again as Wilson drove the Seahawks downfield for a TD on the first possession of overtime.
Green Bay’s secondary was the difference for the first 56 minutes. Free safety Ha Ha Clinton Dix had two interceptions, both coming in the first half. Safety Morgan Burnett recorded two sacks, one interception and a fumble recovery
Wilson shook off an otherwise nightmarish afternoon in which he was just 14 of 29 for 20 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions.
Lynch torched the Packers’ defence for 157 rushing yards, 120 of which came after halftime.
Green Bay had 307 yards against the tough Seattle defence but never reached the end zone after Reggie Cobb grabbed a 13-yard scoring pass from Rodgers on the final play of the first quarter. Rodgers was 19 of 34 for 178 yards, one TD and two interceptions.
The Patriots won the AFC championship as Tom Brady and LaGarrette Blount led their offence in a 45-7 romp over Indianapolis. Brady was 23 of 35 for 226 yards and three touchdowns in reaching the Super Bowl for the sixth time. He hit James Develin, Rob Gronkowski and Nate Solder for TDs before Blount provided the Patriots’ last two touchdowns. Blount ran for three scores while amassing 148 yards on 30 carries.
New England added to a 10-point lead by scoring touchdowns on its first four second-half possessions. Brady threw for TDs on the first two possessions before Blount rumbled into the end zone on the last two.
The Colts had just 209 yards of total offence and committed three turnovers in their first conference title game since Andrew Luck joined the team three years ago. Luck was just 12 of 33 for 126 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Pats played shutout ball after Zurlon Tipton’s one-yard scoring run late in the first half.
With his sixth Super Bowl berth, Brady surpassed John Elway for the most by a quarterback and tied defensive lineman Mike Lodish for most by any player. Belichick’s sixth visit tied him with Don Shula’s for most by a coach.
It was the second-most lopsided AFC championship victory ever, topped only by Buffalo’s 51-3 laugher against Oakland in 1991.
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Peyton Manning will have to skip the Pro Bowl because his right thigh injury hasn’t gotten much better in the week since the Denver Broncos were bounced from the playoffs. Manning was injured late in the first half of a game at San Diego on Dec. 14 and missed a handful of snaps before returning to play the entire second half. He didn’t miss any more time with the injury.
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Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, San Francisco wide receiver Anquan Boldin and Carolina linebacker Thomas Davis have been selected as finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.
The award, named after the late Hall of Fame running back, recognizes a player’s off-field community service as well as his playing excellence.
The winner will be announced during the NFL Honors awards special in Arizona on Jan. 31, the night before the Super Bowl.
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The NFL and CBS have extended their Thursday night football package for the 2015 season. The agreement carries an additional year at the NFL’s option. CBS will broadcast the first eight Thursday night games, which also will be simulcast on NFL Network. NFL Network also will exclusively show the final eight games. The games will include 14 on Thursday nights and two late-season games on Saturdays.
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NBA
The Toronto Raptors led the NBA’s Eastern Conference by 1 1/2 games over Atlanta following a victory on Dec. 28. Nine games and seven losses later, the Raptors are 6 1/2 games behind the Hawks.
The slump continued against New Orleans as Tyreke Evans hit a driving layup with less than two seconds left to give the Pelicans a 95-93 triumph over the Raptors. Toronto led by 12 with 6:30 left before the Pelicans scored nine straight points to get back in the game.
Evans finished with 26 points, and Alexis Ajinca had 22 to help the Pelicans win without injured starters Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday.
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NHL
The New York Rangers are within five points of the NHL’s Metropolitan Division-leading New York Islanders after beating the Penguins for the third time in four tries this season.
Rick Nash has a league-leading 28 goals after netting two more in the Rangers’ 5-2 triumph in Pittsburgh. Nash put New York ahead to stay just 26 seconds into the game.
Derek Stepan also scored twice and Derick Brassard added a goal and an assist to help the Blueshirts win their second straight since a two-game skid. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 32 shots in the Rangers’ 15th victory in their last 18 games.
The Pens remain three points off the Metropolitan Division lead after falling to 4-6-2 in their last 12 games.
Also on NHL ice:
– Henrik Zetterberg recorded his sixth career hat trick by scoring three times in the third period of Detroit’s 6-4 downing of Buffalo. The Red Wings carried a 3-0 deficit into the second period before scoring five straight goals in their fourth straight win.
– Bryan Little scored once in regulation and provided the lone shootout tally in Winnipeg’s fourth consecutive victory, 4-3 over Arizona. Dustin Byfuglien and Michael Frolik also scored for the Jets, who enjoyed a 3-1 lead until the Coyotes scored twice in the final 6:39 of regulation.
– Third-period goals by Cody Eakin, Erik Cole and Shawn Horcoff sent Dallas to a 6-3 victory over the Blackhawks in Chicago. Eakin scored twice and had an assist, while Jamie Benn set up three goals for the Stars.
(Associated Press)
