The Hoosiers handled Pittsburgh at Madison Square Garden with surprising ease Tuesday night, and after the program’s worst season in memory and with so many young players on a renewed roster, it’s time for a little newfound optimism in Big Red country:

IU fans have known NCAA championships, Final Four appearances, undefeated seasons, and Big Ten titles galore. No, I’m not going to say anything stupid. I’m not going to suggest that Indiana’s 74-64 win over Pitt at Madison Square Garden in any way compares to the accomplishments above. Still, in terms of sheer cathartic relief, it’s hard to recall many more satisfying, or maybe relieving is the right word, regular season wins.

For more on the Cavs and Grizzlies, check out SB Nation blogs Fear The Sword and Straight Outta Vancouver.

(Sports Network) - Mike Conley drove in for the go-ahead bucket with three seconds left in overtime and the Memphis Grizzlies overcame a season-high 43 points from LeBron James to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 111-109, for their third consecutive victory.

Zach Randolph had a season-best 32 points, pulled down 14 rebounds and had four of Memphis' 12 steals. O.J. Mayo contributed 28 points, while Rudy Gay scored 21 for the victors. Conley scored 12, while Marc Gasol chipped in 11 points and eight boards.

James also had 13 rebounds and six assists, but was just 6-of-19 from the field after halftime. Mo Williams had 20 points for the Cavaliers, who had a four-game winning streak broken.

Mayo's three-pointer gave Memphis a 109-107 edge with 19.1 seconds left in the extra session, but James countered with a pair of free throws with 14.9 to go. Memphis then used a pick-and-roll to get Conley free and he drove past Shaquille O'Neal for the go-ahead layup.

James hit the front of the rim on a long three-point try at the buzzer.

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Perhaps it would be less depressing if the Bulls had quit on their coach. At least then fans could hope for a post-coaching-change boost. Instead, the read at Blog a Bull is that the Bulls are just this bad. Ouch.

I didn’t see a team that quit on their coach, or played down to competition. This is who the current Bulls are, a team that’s as good as the New Jersey Nets, having to put up a 31-point fourth quarter to lose by 2. I truly thought all 4th quarter that the Nets ran out of gas and the Bulls would narrowly get this one. And I was not rooting for them to lose as some kind of statement to show how bad they are. The fact that it was this close at the end, and they were down double-digits for a majority of the 3rd quarter, showed how comparable these current rosters are, win or lose.

(though the final possession was indeed a head-scratcher, with the Bulls having 14 seconds and John Salmons launching a 3 with a hand in his face with 7 left. I’m fine with not holding until the last shot in that situation, but the ‘quick’ shot has to be a better option than that, and Rose has to at least touch the ball. Also, Vinny ran out of timeouts, and he subbed out Taj (one of the team’s best offensive re bounders) before Rose missed the final rebound, which I believe was on purpose? Anyway, credit Kiki Vandeweghe and his cool glasses for fouling Rose up three.)

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For more on the Bulls, check out Blog a Bull.

(Sports Network) - Devin Harris scored 17 points and his go-ahead bucket with 14.9 seconds left in regulation helped New Jersey pull out a 103-101 decision over the struggling Bulls.

Brook Lopez ended with 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Chris Douglas-Roberts tallied 20 for the Nets, who have won two of three since losing an NBA-record 18 straight to start the season.

Rafer Alston added 15 points, including the game-sealing free throws in the waning seconds for New Jersey, which had lost 18 straight on the road dating back to last season.

Derrick Rose paced Chicago with 27 points, 10 assists and seven boards, but it wasn't enough to stop the club from losing its eighth game in nine tries. Luol Deng also went for 27 points with nine boards, while Taj Gibson scored 20 in a losing effort.

The Nets built an 80-70 heading to the fourth but found themselves in a tie game thanks to Chicago's 12-2 quarter-opening run.

Harris broke an 88-all tie with a three at the 4:26 mark. It was still a three-point game before Rose scored five straight, with his three giving Chicago its first lead, 94-93, since the opening frame.

The visitors answered with a 6-0 run, capped by Courtney Lee's circus-shot in transition for a 99-94 lead with under two minutes to go.

Gibson and Deng hit four consecutive free throws for Chicago to pull within one. Harris' three-pointer as the shot clock was winding down was off the mark, and the Bulls regained possession with 27.3 seconds on the clock.

Rose and Harris exchanged similar runners in the lane with the latter giving the Nets a 101-100 lead with 14.9 ticks showing.

John Salmons' straightaway three was short, and Alston made it a three-point game with two free throws with 6.3 seconds remaining. Rather than give up a potential tying three, Harris fouled Rose.

Rose missed the first freebie and intentionally missed the second, and the Nets were able to knock the rebound away to preserve the win.

New Jersey held a slim 26-24 lead after the first, and it was all tied at 54 at halftime thanks to Deng's late three-pointer from the left corner.

Consecutive turnovers early in the third led to layups from Douglas-Roberts, highlighting the Nets' 10-0 run to start the frame.

The Bulls took three of four meetings from New Jersey last season...Lee ended with 12 points for the Nets, who made 24-of-28 from the foul line, compared to the Bulls' subpar 15-of-23 effort...Salmons scored 12 points for the Bulls.

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For more about the Flyers and the Islanders, check out Broad Street Hockey and Lighthouse Hockey, respectively.

(Sports Network) - A visit by the New York Islanders proved to be the remedy Philadelphia needed to put the brakes on a five-game losing streak.

Mike Richards netted a short-handed goal and scored on the power play, while Jeff Carter and Claude Giroux also tallied twice to help the Flyers take a 6-2 decision at Wachovia Center and give Peter Laviolette his first win as head coach.

Brian Boucher made 22 saves for Philadelphia, which has won 12 straight against its Atlantic Division rivals.

Although Philadelphia won for just the second time in its last 10 outings -- with both victorious coming against the Isles -- the club did lose the services of No. 1 goaltender Ray Emery for the foreseeable future. Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren announced Emery is expected to miss a minimum of six weeks following surgery to repair a torn muscle in his lower abdominal wall. The operation will be performed Wednesday.

Rookie John Tavares had a pair of power-play tallies for the Islanders, who fell to 1-3-0 on a five-game road trip that concludes Wednesday in Toronto. Martin Biron allowed six goals on 37 shots in defeat.

Islanders defenseman Brendan Witt played despite being hit by a truck Tuesday morning while crossing a street in downtown Philadelphia. No stranger to the rough stuff, the gritty Witt was out to pick up coffee when a truck made an illegal left turn and struck the veteran rearguard.

Richards opened the scoring on the power play, drifting to the side of the net and redirecting Kimmo Timonen's point shot at the 9:47 mark of the first period. He then fired a quick shot past Biron with 4:46 remaining in the opening frame and teammate Danny Briere in the penalty box for elbowing.

It was 3-0 at 4:21 of the second period when Carter scored with the man advantage. Carter cradled a Briere feed at the side of the enemy cage and ripped a shot that squeezed under the right arm of Biron as he tried to seal off the post.

After Carter made it 4-0 nearly three minutes later, Philadelphia was whistled for four consecutive penalties and the teenaged Tavares registered back-to- back power-play goals to cut the deficit in half.

This year's top overall pick put New York on the board at 10:52 of the middle stanza, then was on the doorstep to tuck in a rebound with 5:05 remaining in the period.

Giroux restored a three-goal edge for the home team, one-timing Richards' pass behind Biron with 2:31 to play in the second and Philadelphia on a power play. Giroux tipped in a Scott Hartnell feed at 2:35 of the third period for a 6-2 Flyers advantage.

Briere, Timonen and Hartnell each collected two assists...The six goals matched a season-high for the Flyers...Kyle Okposo had two helpers for New York...Tavares leads all first-year players with 13 goals and 24 points...Philadelphia had been outscored 19-5 over its five-game slide...The Islanders were the last Eastern Conference team not to have yielded a short- handed goal this season...The Flyers have won eight straight over New York at home...Philadelphia improved to 12-4-1 when scoring first...The Flyers host Ottawa on Thursday.

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For more on the Raptors and the Timberwolves, check out Raptors HQ and Canis Hoopus.

(Sports Network) - Chris Bosh poured in 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, as the Toronto Raptors continued their recent dominance over the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 94-88 victory at Air Canada Centre.

Jarrett Jack added 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Raptors, who have won 11 straight games versus Minnesota. Hedo Turkoglu had 16 points and eight rebounds. Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan each had 15 points for Toronto, which has won a season-high three consecutive games.

Kevin Love ended with 18 points and seven rebounds off the bench for the Timberwolves, who haven't beat the Raptors since a 108-97 decision on January 21, 2004. Jonny Flynn chipped in 17 points and eight assists. Ryan Gomes finished with 16 points for Minnesota, which dropped to 3-18 on the season.

Down 84-78 late in the fourth, the Timberwolves ripped off six straight points to tie the game. Love's jumper deadlocked things at 84 with 2:17 to play.

Toronto responded with a 10-2 spurt to claim the victory. Turkoglu got things started with a slam and ended the flurry with a pair of free throws to give the Raptors a 94-86 margin.

Flynn's layup as time expired accounted for the final margin.

Ahead 18-17 late in the first quarter, the Raptors used five consecutive points from Bargnani to take a 23-17 lead. Love's three-point play at the end of the period cut the gap to 23-20.

The Timberwolves ripped off six straight points midway through the second to go in front. Damien Wilkins made a pair of shots from the foul line to give Minnesota a 29-28 edge with about six minutes left.

Toronto responded with a 14-4 run to take a nine-point lead. Jack capped the spurt with a pair of foul shots to make it a 42-33 game with under two minutes to go. The score was 43-35 at the break.

Minnesota got within three early in the third, but the Raptors put together a 7-0 spurt midway through the stanza. Bosh's free throw and jumper made it a 59-48 game with 5 1/2 minutes left.

The Timberwolves got back into the game, thanks to an 11-1 run to end the frame. Ramon Sessions' long deuce cut the gap to 64-63 heading to the fourth.

The final period was a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final minutes.

The Raptors shot 32.1 percent from the field, while the Timberwolves made 37.1 percent of their shots...Toronto has won 13 of the last 17 meetings with Minnesota. The Raptors have also won the last six as the host in this series...The Timberwolves head back home Wednesday to take on the Hornets, while the Raptors travel to Milwaukee to play the Bucks on Wednesday.

Ray Rice did not enjoy his stay in Green Bay. Shocking!

"To be honest with you, it was just Lambeau Field," he said. "I didn't see anything special. They put us in the middle of nowhere and it's not a real exciting place.

"Everything about this place is terrible, to be honest with you."

To be fair to Green Bay, this was just after a loss to the Green Bay Packers; of course Rice isn't going to speak highly of the surrounding area. But as a snobby Chicagoan who's never once visited Green Bay (but has been to Madison, Whitewater, Milwaukee, Janesville, and more of Wisconsin than I'd care to name) it is my duty to tell you that of course Rice is absolutely correct. And also did you know people in Wisconsin call water fountains "bubblers?" It's true! Pssh. Wisconsin.

Many have been counting down the days until Tiger Woods' sponsor begin to second-guess their association with someone whose supposed extramarital exploits have now reached double digits. Today that countdown can end, sort of, as Gatorade announced they'd be removing subline Tiger Focus from stores, according to CNBC's Darren Rovell.

But don't worry. The announcement has absolutely nothing to do with "recent events." I wrote that sarcastically because it deserves sarcasm, until you read Rovell's last graph:

Critics might say that Gatorade is just reacting to the recent news, but industry trade Beverage Digest actually reported the discontinuation of the Gatorade Tiger Focus line on Nov. 25, two days before the accident occurred.

All right, Tiger. We'll give you this one. But when EA Sports announces John Daly PGA Tour 11, we'll know something's up.

Oh, and yes. Beverage Digest. That's awesome.

Fart in front of Joakim Noah, friend, and prepare to pay the piper. Or at least be awkwardly interrogated for no less than a minute:

There's a certain code among mature, intelligent adults. The code says that if someone farts, everyone does their best to quietly ignore it and go about their day. That means you, lady on the airplane, coughing and waving like someone just lit a cigar in her face. And you too, vaguely fratty young guy at the office. And you too, Joakim Noah. Ignore it. The code works, man.

Denizens of Sacramento! Lend me your ears and/or your livers! The Maloof Brothers have decided to bestow upon you a great gift, a gift that must be appreciated and enjoyed and, yes, imbibed. It is your duty.

It is ... dollar beer night at Arco Arena on Dec. 16.

Of course, the Maloofs aren't exactly post-fever-dream Scrooges in the making here. You can bet the discount has much more to do with ESPN coming to town the same night, as Ziller points out at Sactown Royalty. You know what they say: The only thing more embarrassing than having to resort to dollar beer night to fill your stadium is showcasing an empty stadium on national television.

Colts safety Melvin Bullitt has a fantastic name. Colts safety Melvin Bullitt is quietly good. These are two facts about Colts safety Melvin Bullitt you may or may not have known, both of them depending on whether or not you've ever even heard of Melvin Bullitt.

There is something else you should know about Melvin Bullitt, though, and it's far less obvious than "Hey, there's a guy named Melvin Bulllitt!" Bullitt is a big Madden 10 fan, and he recently passed out his gamertag in an Indianapolis Star interview. Uh oh.

OK Colts fans, this means that if you play Madden 10, your new job is to go online and find wildbull33, challenge him to a game of Madden 10, and kick his rear end. When you do, post a screen shot of the final score in the FanPosts or the FanShots.

There is no telling the level of embarrassment Bullitt just opened himself up to. Every time you think you're good at a video game on the Internet, you're not. There are always at least 300 12-year-olds in your time zone that will destroy your soul and before giggling "wiener" in their cheap headset. Trust me.

For more on the Sixers and the Nuggets, check out SB Nation blogs Liberty Ballers and Denver Stiffs, respectively.

(Sports Network) – Chauncey Billups went a perfect 11-of-11 from the free throw line in a 31-point night, and the Denver Nuggets spoiled Allen Iverson’s return in a Philadelphia uniform with a 93-83 win, handing the reeling 76ers their 10th straight loss.

Billups added eight rebounds and eight assists for the Nuggets, who at one time employed Iverson for parts of three seasons after he was traded from the Sixers in the 2006-07 campaign. Carmelo Anthony added 14 points for Denver, which has won four straight and eight of nine.

Iverson, who received a standing ovation as the starting lineups were announced, scored 11 points, had six assists and grabbed five rebounds in his return to his original team. The diminutive guard signed with the team last week after a brief retirement from the game following his release from the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Georgetown product spent 10-plus seasons with Philadelphia to begin his career, leading the team to the 2000-01 NBA Finals and winning the MVP award in the same year. He is the franchise’s all-time leading per-game scorer and was starting in lieu of Lou Williams’ jaw injury, which will sideline him for an extended period of time.

The Sixers, who came into the game with the second-lowest home attendance in the league at 11,965 people per game, sold out the arena with 20,664 people on Monday.

Andre Iguodala led the 76ers with 31 points, but the team fell to 5-16 on the season, second-worst in the East. Thaddeus Young added 21 points, while Elton Brand had 10 and 13 rebounds in defeat.

Denver trailed by two to start the fourth but scored the first 14 points of the quarter to surge in front.

Chris AndersEn’s dunk to begin the frame quickly tied the contest, and Billups and J.R. Smith each hit a three — with Smith’s shot giving the visitors a 77-65 lead with 8 1/2 minutes to play.

The Sixers didn’t cut their deficit to single-digits again until a Samuel Dalembert slam with 5 1/2 minutes left made it 82-73.

Billups later answered with a layup, and after Young’s layup, Billups drained a three-pointer to make it a 12-point game at 89-77 with just over three minutes left.

Philadelphia didn’t threaten down the stretch.

The Sixers won the opening tip and quickly passed the ball to Iverson, and the crowd rose to its feet in applause for the former franchise star. Iverson went in for the layup, but the ball caromed off the rim.

Iverson’s first points came on a putback jumper from four feet away with seven minutes left in the opening quarter, and he had four total points in the first period. Iguodala had 14 points to lead Philadelphia, as the 76ers closed the quarter on a 11-5 run to take a 26-20 advantage into the second.

The Sixers went up by 10, 32-22, early in the second quarter, but the Nuggets cut their deficit to 44-41 at halftime. Iverson had only two points in the stanza on a jump shot in the final minute.

Philadelphia went back in front by nine early in the third, 56-47, after a nifty pass from Iverson to Dalembert, who had an emphatic slam with 7 1/2 minutes remaining.

Denver answered with eight straight points to make it a one-point game on Billups’ three-pointer, but Iverson and Iguodala combined for the next six points — all free throws — to put Philadelphia back up by seven.

The 76ers carried a slight 65-63 lead heading into the fourth.

The Sixers are on their longest losing streak since dropping 12 in a row from November 25 – December 20, 2006 — not much after they originally traded Iverson…The Nuggets swept last season’s series, 2-0…Iguodala hit a shot from nearly the opposing baseline at the buzzer in the first quarter, but the period had ended, nullifying the basket…Iverson, who shot 4-of-11 from the field in over 37 minutes of court time, had played only one game in Philadelphia since being traded — with the Nuggets…Dalembert had eight points and a game-high 15 rebounds.

The London Olympics may be sponsored by McDonald's and Coca-Cola, but that doesn't mean the locals aren't going to get in on the fun; London 2012 is promising to maintain a high rate of British food in the Olympic village. Mmm. British food:

London 2012 said while 20% of food would be supplied by sponsors McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Cadbury a wide choice of food would be available. Chief executive Paul Deighton said the Games would create a "great legacy for the catering industry in this country".

London brass is worried that the junk-foody sponsors of the games -- McDonald's, Coke, and Cadbury -- will give the wrong impression to kids, which is not all that different from any athlete that's ever endorsed a soda or a fast food joint, but it's admirable all the same. What's not so admirable? That British food is filling in the gaps. Of the 200 Olympic athletes polled in an entirely make-believe poll I just invented in my head, over 185 said they'd prefer to recreate the movie "Super Size Me" before every competition before they'd gargle down another bland Sunday roast platter. And really, who can blame them? British food is terrible.

As if NASCAR needed a boost in profile. The most popular of all the motorsports -- at least where the U.S. audience is concerned -- just got it all the same, as the Associated Press is reporting that Danica Patrick will try her hand at NASCAR in 2010.

Before you get too excited, there are a couple of caveats. One, Patrick isn't becoming a full-time NASCAR driver; her commitment is just for a partial Nationwide Series schedule (the Nationwide Series is NASCAR's second tier). Second, Patrick just signed a three-year deal with Andretti Autosport, meaning it would be at least three years until she could switch to NASCAR full-time.

Still, though, if Patrick can draw a national audience and an unprecedented level of individual attention to the Indy 500, there's no doubt the Nationwide Series will feel a similar boost. Gentleman, start your ... OK, sorry, not gonna finish that. Just get excited. That'll do.

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For more on the Packers and Ravens, check out SB Nation blogs Acme Packing Company and Baltimore Beatdown.

(Sports Network) - A pair of playoff hopefuls from opposite conferences will cap off the Week 13 schedule at chilly Lambeau Field on Monday night, when the Green Bay Packers host the Baltimore Ravens in a game that will have playoff implications for both teams.

Neither the Packers nor the Ravens are likely to take home division crowns in 2009, though both clubs find themselves in the heart of the wild card race, and will either enhance or diminish that standing based on Monday night's result.

Green Bay, which effectively conceded the NFC North when it suffered a second loss to the division rival Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 1st, then looked to be on the ropes for the postseason following a loss to the hapless Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following week, has boosted its status with an encouraging three-game winning streak.

The Packers will come into Monday's contest on 10 days rest, following a 34-12 beat-down of the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was a sharp 28-of-39 passing for 348 yards and three touchdowns in the win, doing a healthy portion of his damage down the field to wide receiver Donald Driver (7 receptions, 142 yards, 1 TD), though it was the work of Charles Woodson and the Green Bay defense that truly stole the holiday show.

The Packers intercepted Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford four times, two of which went to Woodson, who sealed the game with a 38-yard INT return for a touchdown and also broke off a piece of NFL history.

Woodson became the first player in NFL history with two interceptions, an interception-return touchdown, one sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the same game, also helping Green Bay rise to the top of the NFL charts in total defense (281.5 yards per game), opponents' completion percentage (53.4), and turnover margin (+17). Woodson was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.

The Ravens also had a positive Week 12 result, helping to remove a major albatross from around their necks by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-17, in overtime.

Baltimore had lost three times to Pittsburgh last season, including a 23-14 loss in the AFC Championship, and was nearly sent to another defeat by pesky Steelers third-string quarterback Dennis Dixon.

Trailing 17-14 following a Dixon touchdown run, Baltimore managed overtime thanks to a 44-yard Ray Rice catch-and-run on 4th-and-5 with fewer than four minutes to play, setting up a Billy Cundiff field goal. Cundiff, who would miss a 56-yard kick at the end of regulation, would ultimately hand Baltimore a 20-17 win six plays after Dixon made his only real mistake, an interception that was returned into Steelers territory by Ravens rookie linebacker Paul Kruger in overtime.

For what it may have lacked in style points, the win was an important one for a Baltimore team that had lost five of its previous seven games, including four defeats by six points or fewer.

So, you know this whole "Bulls let Jarrett Jack tie his shoelace" thing? And how embarrassing it must be to be a Bulls fan when you watch that? Well, I am a Bulls fan. Saturday night, I attended what I will now and forever refer to as the Jarrett Jack Game. And if ever I needed to reinforce my belief that Vinny Del Negro isn't even a remotely competent NBA head coach -- I didn't -- Saturday night sure did the trick.

The question is whether the Bulls will actually fire Vinny. Blogabull ponders this question today and comes up with a tentative maybe, especially if the Bulls lose to the Nets Tuesday night. That would be Chicago's eighth loss in nine games, many of which were blowouts on par with Saturday night's Raptors disaster. Can the Bulls can Vinny then? Would they be able to find an interim coach worth his salt? I dunno. But anyone -- literally, anyone; your kid's high school coach has more experience than Vinny -- has to be better than Del Negro.

After Tim Tebow's national-championship-hopes-ending loss to Alabama on Saturday night, it's probably about time to start evaluating Tebow's life after college football. Those of you ready to shout "HE'LL SUCK IN THE PROS HARF" may go ahead and get that out of your system now. I'll wait.

Done? Good. Because someone is going to draft Tebow, and someone is going to try to figure out how to use his unique skill set. The Patriots or Dolphins seem like logical fits, but what about the Jaguars, Tebow's hometown team? Florida Governor Charlie Crist is already one step ahead of you:

“I’ve actually talked to the ownership about that. I think it’d be great,” Crist told reporters. Crist also said the team owners thought it was “not a bad idea.”

It isn't a bad idea. But if the choice is between drafting Tebow for a short-term attendance boost and drafting a superior player at a need position, the Jags are -- as any team would be -- much better off drafting the superior player. Then again, who knows? Maybe Tebow becomes a great pro. Then you get the PR boost, the circumsized children in a third-world country, and a Pro Bowl quarterback. For the flagging Jaguars, that sounds like a worthy risk.

Kurt Warner threw for three touchdowns and the Cardinals picked off Brett Favre twice in a 30-17 victory over the Vikings to deal Minnesota its second loss of the season.

Warner did not play last week against the Titans in a 20-17 defeat. He left a Week 11 win over the Rams late in the second quarter after taking a blow to the head. Matt Leinart started versus Tennessee, but Warner returned Sunday night and connected on 22-of-32 passes for 285 yards as the Cardinals (8-4) grabbed a three-game lead on the 49ers and Seahawks in the NFC West. Arizona plays at San Francisco next Monday night with a chance to clinch the division title.

Larry Fitzgerald caught eight passes for 143 yards with a touchdown, while Anquan Boldin added seven receptions for 98 yards and a pair of scores for Arizona, which won for the fourth time in five games.

Favre completed 30-of-45 passes for 275 yards with two TDs for the Vikings (10-2), who had a four-game win streak broken but still hold a healthy lead over Green Bay (7-4) in the NFC North.

The Vikings' first loss came October 25 at Pittsburgh in a 27-17 final. That was the only other time Minnesota failed to score at least 27 points.

Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson, who came into the week third in the NFL in rushing with 1,084 yards, was limited to just 19 on 13 carries. Percy Harvin had six catches for 79 yards and a score.

Ahead by just four points, Arizona widened its lead in the final two minutes of the opening half. An offside penalty negated a Warner interception, and the Arizona QB proceeded to complete five straight passes to finish the 77-yard march. That included a 34-yarder for a score to Fitzgerald, who got behind safety Madieu Williams to make the catch in the end zone with 1:14 remaining for a 21-10 margin.

Karlos Dansby intercepted Favre to thwart Minnesota's first possession of the third quarter. That led to a Neil Rackers 31-yard field goal.

Favre was then picked off by Michael Adams, leading to three more points from Rackers as he drilled a 30-yard kick with 3:19 remaining in the third.

Vikings middle linebacker E.J. Henderson was carted off the field with 6:17 left in the game after he and teammate Jamarca Sanford collided while trying to make a tackle on a run by Tim Hightower. Arizona ended up getting a Rackers 29-yard field goal on that possession.

A 31-yard TD pass from Favre to Harvin with 1:20 left capped the scoring.

The Vikings grabbed a 7-0 lead just over five minutes into the game, as they were given a short field thanks to a turnover. On Arizona's second play, Hightower fumbled the ball and Tyrell Johnson recovered for the Vikings at the Arizona 47. Favre then capped a 10-play march with a three-yard TD pass to Visanthe Shiancoe. It was originally ruled incomplete in the left corner of the end zone, but the Vikings challenged the call and it was reversed as replay showed Shiancoe barely had both feet in bounds.

A 64-yard punt return by Steve Breaston set Arizona up at the Minnesota two later in the quarter, and Warner connected with Boldin on the ensuing play for a score.

The Cardinals grabbed a 14-7 lead midway through the second with another quick drive. It covered two plays and 58 yards as Breaston ran 19 yards to the Minnesota 39 before Boldin made a nifty catch on the left side of the field and sprinted to the end zone.

Ryan Longwell booted a 25-yard field goal with 1:55 left in the half to draw the Vikings closer, but the Cardinals then took control just before the intermission.

The Vikings play at home against AFC North-leading Cincinnati next Sunday...This was Minnesota's first road game since Favre's return to Green Bay on November 1...Hightower had six carries for 50 yards, while teammate Beanie Wells was limited to 28 yards on 13 rushes...Favre was sacked three times.

Via Sports Network

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For more on the Jets and Bills, check out Gang Green Nation and Buffalo Rumblings, respectively.

(Sports Network) - Fans in Toronto may not get to see two eventual playoff teams square off when the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets take the field at the Rogers Center on Thursday night, but they should come prepared to see the type of competitive, three-hour slugfest that has become the norm for the AFC East rivals.

The Bills, in the second year of a five-season agreement to play a series of eight games in Canada, proved in last week's 31-14 upset of the Miami Dolphins that they haven't thrown in the towel on 2009.

In their second contest under interim head coach Perry Fewell - appointed as such when the team fired Dick Jauron after Week 10 - the Bills exploded for 24 fourth-quarter points despite fielding an offensive lineup comprised largely of backups.

Fewell's decision to go with Ryan Fitzpatrick over opening-day starter Trent Edwards at quarterback paid off, as Fitzpatrick completed 17-of-26 passes for 246 yards, one touchdown, and one interception despite working behind a young, makeshift offensive line that surrendered six sacks.

Terrell Owens had his second straight big game with Fewell as his boss, catching five passes for 96 yards including a game-sealing 51-yard touchdown pass from Fitzpatrick in the fourth quarter.

Despite the state of the line, starting running back Fred Jackson was also effective, carrying 15 times for 73 yards and two touchdowns while also logging five catches for 43 yards in the passing game. Fewell had opted to start Jackson over Marshawn Lynch, who carried just three times for six yards to continue an awful year for the former first-round pick.

And the defense - still coordinated by Fewell - logged four interceptions in the win, never giving up a run longer than 13 yards or pass longer than 20.

The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for Buffalo, and also ranked as the team's first home win since Sept. 20.

The Jets also had a happy Week 12 result, with their 17-6 victory over the Carolina Panthers keeping the team's somewhat dim playoff hopes on the burner.

The playmaking defense that the team had seemed to misplace since its 3-0 start was located again, as cornerback Darrelle Revis and recently-demoted safety Kerry Rhodes posted two picks each in the triumph, with Revis' first going the other way for a 67-yard touchdown that had Gang Green off and running.

The Panthers managed just 176 total yards and 11 first-downs all day.

On the other side of the ball, mistake-prone rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez did throw one pick, but was otherwise an efficient 13-of-17 for 154 yards, also rushing for 27 yards on a day in which he was not beset by the turnovers that had plagued him over the previous six weeks. Sanchez did suffer a knee injury in the contest that forced him to leave briefly, but he finished the game and is not expected to miss any additional time.

The Jets will look to Sanchez for a continued steadying hand in the latest installment of a series that has seen six head-to-head matchups settled by five points or less since 2004, including Buffalo's 16-13 overtime win at the Meadowlands on Oct. 18th.

The Bills were 16-3 losers to the Dolphins in Toronto in Week 14 of last season, the first meaningful game of the team's Canadian series.

Rock Chalk Talk has spent more time than most recounting the bevy of Mangino rumors and stories that have surfaced in the past few weeks, and the end conclusion — Mangino’s firing — is no surprise:

The rumors have been flying, gradually turning to players stepping into the light and letting their feelings known. Unfortunately despite some support the overall picture that was painted was not a pretty picture. It was pretty clear from the get go that this was going to end one way and one way only.

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ESPN's Joe Schad has the story: After Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins' investigation into Mark Mangino's treatment of players -- which included allegations and leaks to the press that Mangino used often racist and insensitive motivational methods -- the Kansas coach was fired today, according to Schad's source. The team will hold a meeting Thursday night to be informed of the decision.

Head to Rock Chalk Talk for more on Mangino's ouster as the story develops.

Fail Blog comes with the sporty goodness today, firing up this video of a soccer player missing his intended target -- the soccer ball -- and hitting ... well, you'll see.

From what I can tell, this is a game between the Australian A-League's Melbourne and Central Coast squads, though I can't tell if it's of recent vintage or not. Really, though, who cares? One man just kicked another square in the nuts. Context is irrelevant.

(HT: Dave Warner)