NFL Tweaks Rules on Instant Replay

Each game this round is a rematch, but don't expect similar results

(NEWSER) - All four match-ups for next weekend's NFL playoffs are been-there, done-that this season, but the outcomes aren't necessarily givens, USA Today reports:

• Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco's interceptions helped the Titans as much as Kerry Collin's 80-yard touchdown drive in defeating the Ravens, but Flacco's seen a lot of play since then.

Officials finally get same quality replays as fans at home

(NEWSER) - The NFL is switching to high-definition signals for all review booths, a move that will allow refs to watch plays on feeds with the same quality as the ones many fans see. The league's instant replay equipment hasn't been upgraded since 1999, and in that time, many viewers have upgraded to HDTV, allowing fans at home a superior view of questionable calls. More»

Brain injuries associated with other players' early deaths

(NEWSER) - Doctors will inspect Junior Seau's brain for any evidence of injury from his football days, following an agreement with his family. Several early deaths among football players have pointed to brain injury, the Los Angeles Times notes. "The family was considering this almost from the beginning, but they didn't want to make any emotional decisions," says the San Diego Chargers chaplain. Finally, "they came to a joint decision that absolutely this was the best thing." More»

Championship team hit by tragedy time and time again

(NEWSER) - Junior Seau’s death is just the latest tragedy in the sad history of the 1994 San Diego Chargers. That team—the only Chargers team to make it to the Super Bowl—has seen seven other deaths. CNN has the rundown:

• 1995: Linebacker David Griggs, 28, dies in a car crash.
• 1996: Running back Rodney Culver, 26, dies in a plane crash.
• 1998: Linebacker Doug Miller, 28, dies after being struck by lightning.

And so did the fourth-quarter television ratings

(NEWSER) - This might just be a weird coincidence, or Tim Tebow's dramatic defeat of the Steelers last night may have been a miracle in more ways than one. The polarizing Denver quarterback wound up throwing for 316 yards, which, if you toss in a colon in the right spot, mirrors the call number of a famous bible verse, John 3:16. That's a verse Tebow occasionally wrote on his face while playing at the University of Florida, Fox News reports. More»