NFL: Seahawks, Steelers advance

Missed field goal gives Seahawks frigid Wild Card win

Reuters

Minnesota Vikings kicker Blair Walsh missed a 27-yard field goal attempt with 26 seconds to play to gift the Seattle Seahawks with a bone-chilling 10-9 NFC Wild Card win in the frigid Twin Cities on Sunday.

Walsh, who had hit on 22, 43 and 47 yard field goals, looked poised to send a chilled Minnesota crowd home happy until he pulled his game-winning attempt wide left leaving both teams and a packed TCF Bank stadium crowd stunned.

"Crazy things happen in the playoffs," said Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson. "It was an ugly game, we didn't play very well on offense and that's on me. I take the blame for that we've got to be better.

"But we won, we kept battling. That is the great thing about it, you have to keep battling in the playoffs, you have to keep battling every opportunity you've got.

"Defense was lights out, they made so many big plays that kept us in the game."

As the lowest remaining seed in the NFC at number six the Seahawks, bidding for a third straight appearance in the Super Bowl, will now head to Charlotte next weekend for a divisional showdown with the number one ranked Carolina Panthers.

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Brutish Bengals gift Steelers wild card victory

Reuters

The Pittsburgh Steelers secured a last-ditch 18-16 victory over bitter rivals the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, coming out on top of an ill-tempered AFC Wild Card game to extend the home team's long wait for a playoff win.

The contest seemed to be safely in Cincinnati's hands after they fought back from a 15-0 deficit with 16 fourth-quarter points and seized control of the ball with less than two minutes remaining on a Vontaze Burfict interception.

However, as the Bengals endeavored to run out the clock and secure a first playoff victory since 1991, running back Jeremy Hill fumbled after a hit by linebacker Ryan Shazier and the Steelers recovered deep in their own territory.

Inspired by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's return to the game after he was earlier withdrawn with a shoulder injury following a bone-jarring sack, Pittsburgh marched down the field.

In the dying seconds, the Steelers benefited from a pair of personal foul calls, a ferocious late hit to the head by Burfict on an incomplete pass to Antonio Brown and another 15-yard foul on cornerback Adam Jones in the ensuing melee.

That set up a game-winning, 35-yard field goal by Chris Boswell with 14 seconds left.

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Punishment expected after Bengals-Steelers ugly Wild Card

Larry Fine, Reuters

Their previous meeting resulted in nearly $140,000 in fines and more punishment is likely to come from the NFL following Saturday's outrageous Wild Card playoff between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals.

The National Football League has been striving to make the inherently violent game safer for players, but the contest instead showcased the reckless side of the sport.

Nine officials were stationed in a line across the entire Paul Brown Stadium field prior to the playoff game, won by Pittsburgh 18-16, to separate bitter AFC North rivals who had scuffled before the start of their encounter last month.

Peace reigned Saturday until the kickoff, when bad blood between the teams flowed with head-high hits, personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct calls that even involved coaches from both sides.

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Blame me says Vikings kicker after miss

Agence France-Presse

Minnesota Vikings kicker Blair Walsh offered no excuses on Sunday after missing an easy field goal that cost his side a win in their wild card duel with the Seattle Seahawks.

With only 26 seconds left, Walsh incredibly pulled a 27-yard chip shot wide of the uprights to allow Seattle to hang on to clinch a 10-9 victory.

While some focused on the fact that holder Jeff Locke left the ball's laces facing Walsh, the Vikings kicker claimed sole responsibility for the nightmare miss.

"I can tell you this: It's my fault. I don't care if you give me a watermelon (to kick), I should be able to put that through," Walsh said. "Jeff did his job, (long snapper) Kevin (McDermott) did his job. I'm the only one who didn't do my job there. That's on me."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

NFL suspends Vikings' Peterson over 'abusive discipline' of son

WASHINGTON - Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson was suspended by the National Football League without pay for at least the remainder of the 2014 season on Tuesday for committing an "incident of abusive discipline" on his 4-year-old son.

The action taken by Commissioner Roger Goodell against one of the NFL's marquee performers comes as America's most popular sports league struggles to contain a scandal sparked by domestic violence incidents involving several players.

The NFL players union quickly condemned Goodell's action as "inconsistent," "arbitrary" and evidence of a "credibility gap" for the league. It said it will appeal the suspension and demand that a neutral arbitrator oversee the matter.

An independent arbitrator heard the case of Ray Rice, who Goodell suspended from the league indefinitely after a video showed the former Baltimore Ravens star knocking his fiancée unconscious in an elevator.

Peterson, 29, pleaded no contest in Conroe, Texas this month to a misdemeanor assault charge and was ordered to pay a $4,000 fine and perform community service.

Images showing Peterson's son with cuts and bruises all over his body including his buttocks and genitals provoked outrage that tarnished the reputation of one of the most productive running backs of his generation and added to the league's public relations nightmare.

In a sharply worded letter to Peterson, Goodell said the Vikings star had "shown no meaningful remorse" for his conduct, noting that a Texas grand jury concluded Peterson had "overstepped the bounds of acceptable corporal punishment and engaged in physical abuse of your child."

"While an adult may have a number of options when confronted with abuse - to flee, to fight back or to seek help from law enforcement - none of those options is realistically available to a 4-year-old child," Goodell wrote.

Peterson will not be considered for reinstatement before April 15 for violating the NFL Personal Conduct Policy, the league said. He was arrested in September on a felony child abuse charge for disciplining his son by repeatedly striking him with a thin tree branch called a switch.

Goodell said Peterson must undergo intensive counseling and treatment before being considered for reinstatement. An NFL statement called Peterson's action an "incident of abusive discipline" and warned against any "repetition of this conduct."

Goodell wrote that "the injury inflicted on your son includes the emotional and psychological trauma to a young child who suffers criminal physical abuse at the hands of his father." Goodell added that "the repetitive use of a switch in this instance is the functional equivalent of a weapon, particularly in the hands of someone with the strength of an accomplished professional athlete."

The union said Peterson was told that after his legal case was resolved he would be allowed to play again. Goodell disputed that, saying Peterson was always subject to NFL discipline regardless of the outcome of his legal case.

Peterson played in the season's first game before being placed on Goodell's "exempt" list, keeping him off the field but allowing him to draw his $11.75 million salary.

(Reporting by Steve Ginsburg; Editing by Will Dunham)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

NFL to review Adrian Peterson case for 'potential discipline'

The National Football League said on Thursday it would review for "potential discipline" Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, following his plea agreement on child abuse charges.

While it studies the case under its Personal Conduct Policy, the NFL said Peterson would remain on its Exempt List, meaning he will not play but receive his full $11.75 million salary.

Peterson, 29, reached a plea deal on Tuesday to charges of abusing his 4-year-old son that would see the former NFL Most Valuable Player avoid jail time.

He was arrested in September for hitting his son with a switch, or thin three branch, as a form of discipline. The switch caused welts over parts of the child's body.

The six-time Pro Bowl running back has taken responsibility for his actions, saying he loves his son and was handing out the same type of discipline he received as a youth.

Peterson pleaded no contest in a Conroe, Texas, courtroom to a misdemeanor assault charge and must pay a $4,000 fine and perform community service.

"The NFL advised Adrian Peterson this afternoon that following his plea agreement to resolve his criminal case in Texas his matter will now be reviewed for potential discipline under the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy," the NFL said in a statement.

The NFL has been under fire for what was widely viewed as a soft stance on domestic abuse and recently strengthened its sanctions against such crimes.

Peterson can request a hearing prior to the NFL issuing any sanctions, according to the league statement.

The NFL said it requested that Peterson "submit relevant information regarding his case and meet with designated experts," who will make recommendations on possible discipline to Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Peterson's lawyer, Rusty Hardin, told Reuters through a spokeswoman on Thursday that he "welcomes the NFL taking a thorough, and hopefully expeditious, look at this matter."

In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, Hardin said Peterson, who has played in only one game this year, was ready to get back on the field and should not receive additional sanctions.

The Vikings absorbed heavy criticism for holding Peterson out for only one game until one of its sponsors, hotel chain Radisson, suspended its contract with the team.

Peterson was ultimately placed on the Exempt List, along with several other players implicated in domestic abuse or sexual assault. (Reporting by Steve Ginsburg in Washington; Editing by Peter Cooney)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com