After thoroughly dominating the Giants

But one thing the Falcons never seem to do anymore is lose two straight games. They extended the NFL's longest active streak since consecutive defeats to 49 games, going back to the 2009 season.

''Our focus was heightened from other weeks,'' coach Mike Smith said. ''We've got a lot of great leaders and mentors in that locker room. They took the message from the meetings and took it out on the field.''

After thoroughly dominating the Giants, the Falconshave surely sent a resounding message to the rest of the league: beware of this team in the playoffs.

''Last week everybody was talking smack about us,'' defensive end John Abraham said. ''We just continue what we're doing.''

Gulf Coast lawmakers recently and loudly protested press reports

A pre-election settlement could also expose Obama to criticism for selling out Gulf Coastpoliticians and environmental groups. Rumours have been flying.

Gulf Coast lawmakers recently and loudly protested press reports that BP and the Justice Department have discussed shifting settlement payments based on the Clean Water Act - with their promised billions of dollars to Gulf state coffers - instead to payments based on natural resource statutes, which would not only go to the U.S. Treasury but also be tax-deductible for BP.

"BP, who is responsible for this, would also get a tax deduction that could write off millions," Representative Jo Bonner, an Alabama Republican, told Reuters. "The audacity of giving BP a tax write-off!"

Though Robinson was removed for good at the start of the fourth quarter

It was another historic carry for Robinson, giving him his 40th career rushing touchdown, making him the eighth player in Football Subdivisionhistory with 40 rushing and 40 passing touchdowns.

Though Robinson was removed for good at the start of the fourth quarter, U-M's offensive reserves understood this was their chance to shine as well and tailback Thomas Rawls seized on it with a 63-yard touchdown run, pushing the margin to 45-0. 

Tucker said he thinks the controversy could spur a resolution

Former NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker said an erroneous call by the replacements that decided a game was bound to happen sooner or later.

"I think the biggest shame of it is that anybody with half a brain could see this coming," said Tucker, who played for Washington, Dallas, Buffalo and New England. "If you watched the preseason games, if you watched the first two weeks of regular season games, it was inevitable."

Tucker said he thinks the controversy could spur a resolution between the league and the regular officials.

"I do think they'll get something done in the next few days because of the pressure," Tucker said. "But it's so frustrating, because why did it have to come to this? This could have been done last week. Maybe the league was hoping this wouldn't happen, or it wouldn't be this bad if it did happen. But you could see it coming from a mile away. They could have avoided this train wreck and yet they chose not to."

Brees completed fewer than half his passes for the first time since Dec. 24

Drew Brees led the Saints' offense onto the field with a chance to complete an unlikely comeback in the final minutes, only to throw another errant pass.

Washington safety DeJonGomes snagged Brees' overthrown ball for receiver Lance Moore and returned it to the New Orleans 4, setting up the decisive touchdown in the Redskins' 40-32 victory over the Saints on Sunday.

Brees completed fewer than half his passes for the first time since Dec. 24, 2006, part of a sloppy, penalty-marred performance as New Orleans lost at home for the first time since 2010.

"It's hard to believe we even had a chance to tie it at the end," Brees said. "When you make that many mistakes, you don't deserve to win."

CC Sabathia's achy left elbow had turned the day inside out

For a long time, the door to manager Joe Girardi's office remained closed at Rogers Centre. Across the way, the Yankees were preparing to head out into a Saturday night after a win against the Blue Jays. In Girardi's office, other plans were being made.

CC Sabathia's achy left elbow had turned the day inside out. The discussion began well before Saturday's first pitch, "just trying to decide what we were going to do," Girardi said. "Should we just skip him a start? Should we DL him? What do we do in this instance?"

Girardi, general manager Brian Cashman and the Yankees' staff came to the conclusion that the disabled list was the best place for Sabathia, forcing the Yankees ace lefty to skip two starts. Officially, it's a "low level" of concern, mostly due to a stealth MRI conducted prior to his last start.

The athlete concluded the text with an apology that baffled McCray

Al McCray, an assistant coach at Fort Hays State, said when he woke up at his Kansas home Monday he found a message on his cellphone from the player, thanking him for everything he had done for Murdock and his family.

The athlete concluded the text with an apology that baffled McCray, who said he had known the 25-year-old since Murdock was in middle school.

"At the end, he goes: 'I apologize.' And I don't know what he's talking about. I woke up, and I'm thinking he's apologizing because he texted me so early. ... I wish he had called instead."