The Times-Tribune from Scranton, Pennsylvania • B4

TIMESTRIBTIMESPAGES B04 I 010707 23:44 I SUPERPLAN CYAN MAGENTA BLACK SPORTS B4 THE TIMES-TRIBUNE, SCRANTON, PA MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2007 Petrino leaves Louisville for Atlanta Falcons' job League." "I am excited about the challenge that awaits me in Atlanta, and I'm equally excited about the potential that I see in this team. I look forward to getting to know the players," he said in the Falcons' statement. Petrino had a 41-9 record in four years at Louisville, leading the school to the Big East title and its first Bowl Championship Series victory in the Orange. He had just completed the first year of a 10-year, $25 million contract. ESPN.com said he agreed to a five-year, $24 million deal with the Falcons.

The Falcons moved quickly to replace Mora, who was fired just two seasons after leading Atlanta to the NFC championship game. The Falcons missed the playoffs the past two years, including a 7-9 mark this season. Petrino's previous NFL experience includes three years with the Jacksonville Jaguars, including two seasons as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator in 2001. He then moved back to the college ranks, taking over as Auburn's offensive coordinator in 2002 before heading to Louisville. BY PAUL NEWBERRY ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTA Louisville coach Bobby Petrino agreed Sunday to become the new coach of the Atlanta Falcons, moving to the NFL less than a week after Jim Mora's firing.

Petrino joins the Falcons after guiding Louisville to a 12-1 season, capped by a 24-13 victory over Wake Forest on Tuesday night in the Orange Bowl. The 45-year-old Petrino met with his Louisville players Sunday night to let them know he was leaving, said Kenny Klein, the school's sports information director. The Falcons planned a formal announcement today, but issued a statement announcing their new coach. "This is an exciting day for the Atlanta Falcons franchise," owner Arthur Blank said. "Bobby Petrino is an extremely talented football coach who has done some tremendously innovative things as both an offensive coordinator and head coach, and he brings to us a record of success at the collegiate and professional levels." Petrino said he was leaving for what "I truly feel is the best job in the National Football m--l TOM MIHALEK ASSOCIATED PRESS NFL STATISTICS New York Giants running back Tiki Barber heads downfield dur- against the Eagles on Sunday.

Barber, who is planning to retire, ing the second quarter of the NFC Wild Card playoff game ran for 137 yards in the game, but the Giants lost, 23-20. Barber's effort not enough Eagles 23 Giants 20 N.Y. Giants 7 3 0 10 Philadelphia 0 17 3 3 20 23 First Quarter NY Burress 17 pass from Manning (Feely kick), 11:44. Second Quarter Phi Westbrook 49 run (Akers kick), 14:11. Phi FGAkers 19,9:34.

NY FG Feely 20, 4:45. Phi Stallworth 28 pass from Garcia (Akers kick), 1:01. Third Quarter Phi FGAkers 48,2:37. Fourth Quarter NY FG Feely 24, 14:50. NY Burress 11 pass from Manning (Feely kick), 5:04.

Phi FG Akers 38, :00. A 69,094. NY Phi First downs 17 19 Total Net Yards 305 323 Rushes-yards 31-151 31-185 Passing 154 138 Punt Returns 4-28 4-25 Kickoff Returns 4-72 5-78 Interceptions Ret. 0-0 1-7 Comp-Att-Int 16-27-1 17-31-0 Sacked-Yards Lost 1-7 2-15 Punts Fumbles-Lost 2-0 1-0 Penalties-Yards 9-55 6-77 Time of Possession 29:36 30:24 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING New York, T.Barber 26-137, Jacobs 2-8, Manning 2-4, Lorenzen 1-2. Philadelphia, Westbrook 20-141, Buckhalter 6-17, Garcia 4-14, R.Brown 1-13.

PASSING New York, Manning 16-27-1-161, Lorenzen 0-0-0-0. Philadelphia, Garcia 17-31-0-153. RECEIVING New York, Burress 5-89, Shockey 3-25, Finn 3-14, T.Barber 2-15, Carter 2-14, Shiancoe 1-4. Philadelphia, R.Brown 7-73, Stallworth 3-41, Westbrook 2-12, L.Smith 1-8, Schobel 1-6, Baskett 1-5, Tapeh 1-5, Buckhalter 1-3. MISSED FIELD GOALS None.

broadcaster. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie caught up with Barber something his players had difficulty doing, particularly in the first half afterward. He embraced the Giants back and whispered into his ear. Then, as Barber quietly dressed at his locker, Giants general manager Ernie Accor-si, who's retiring as well, approached to say goodbye. All the while, his twin brother, Ronde, a Tampa Bay Bucs cor-nerback, stood across the room, wearing a subdued expression that matched his brother's.

"This was hard to watch," Ronde Barber said. "But I know that one day all of our careers will come to an end. Tiki has prepared very well for his life after football." But what saddened his brother who won a ring with the Bucs was that Tiki Barber's Giants running back goes for 137 yards in his final game. BY FRANK FITZPATRICK THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER PHILADELPHIA Nothing ever looked difficult for Tiki Barber. Until Sunday night.

The smooth-running, smooth-talking, smooth-headed New York Giants running back wasn't wearing his characteristic smile as he walked through the rain and into a dark tunnel at 7:56 p.m. Barber realized he'd never again be walking off a football field in uniform. Arguably the finest runner in the franchise's long history Barber had just run for 137 yards in his final NFL game, a 23-20 Eagles victory in an NFC playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field. COLLINS: Eagles wisely relying on Westbrook more 'CM i i a. Patriots 37 Jets 16 N.Y.

Jets 3 7 3 3 16 New England 7 10 6 14 37 First Quarter NE Dillon 11 run (Gostkowski kick), 11:53. NYJ FG Nugent 28, 2:36. Second Quarter NYJ Cotchery 77 pass from Pennington (Nugent kick), 14:45. NE FG Gostkowski 20, 10:57. NE Graham 1 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick), :11.

Third Quarter NYJ FG Nugent 21, 8:19. NE FG Gostkowski 40, 4:22. NE FG Gostkowski 28, :04. Fourth Quarter NYJ FG Nugent 37, 11:39. NE Faulk 7 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick), 5:16.

NE Samuel 36 interception return (Gostkowski kick), 4:54. A 68,756. NYJ NE First downs 18 26 Total Net Yards 347 358 Rushes-yards 16-70 38-158 Passing 277 200 Punt Returns 1-7 0-0 Kickoff Returns 6-136 5-126 Interceptions Ret. 0-0 1-36 Comp-Att-Int 2441-1 22-34-0 Sacked-Yards Lost 3-22 1-12 Punts Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-1 Penalties-Yards 4-47 7-59 Time of Possession 26:40 33:20 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING N.Y. Jets, Washington 11-50, Cotchery 2-19, Pennington 2-1, Houston l-O.

New England, Maroney 1809, Dillon 1053, Faulk 6-23, Brady 2-14, Evans lO, Testaverde l-(minus 1). PASSING N.Y. Jets, Pennington 23-40-1-300, Ramsey l-l-0-(minus 1). New England, Brady 22-34-0-212. RECEIVING N.Y Jets, Baker 508, Coles 5-45, Cotchery 4-100, Washington 4-25, McCareins 2-31, Askew 2-22, Smith 2-8.

New England, Gaffney 8-104, Caldwell 5-50, Watson 4-24, T.Brown 2-26, Faulk 1-7, Graham 1-1, Dillon lO. MISSED FIELD GOALS None. THE TIMES-TRIBUNE FILE that may have been his closest friend as a player. "When he retired, Huff sent him a funny letter saying he may have been the only person to retire from the NFL and live in Scranton," his son said. "That's because Huff (from West Virginia) came from a coal town, too." An all-scholastic center at Dunmore High School, Palazzi played in the Dream Game and later walked on at Penn State, where he became starting center and linebacker in his junior season.

In his senior year in 1942, he was elected co-captain and made the Associated Press All-East team. Contact the writer: mmyerstimesshamrock.com career came to an end without a Super Bowl championship. "I know that's why he played the game," Ronde said. "That's why we all play. I know he worked very hard to get one, but sometimes those things don't work out." He did his best to keep alive the Giants' long-shot hopes Sunday Barber carried the ball 26 times and caught two passes.

In the Giants' opening drive, in which they took a 7-0 lead, he was at his cut-back-running best, patiently cruising behind the line until he saw an opening. Then he would dart and twist through it like a fish dodging a hook. "He gave it everything he had out there today," cornerback Sam Madison said. "That's the way he plays every game and the way he practices and the way he conducts himself off the field. The New York Giants are going to miss Tiki Barber." Bowlers right tackle Jon Runyan and right guard Shawn Andrews.

They ran it to tie the game on the second play of the second quarter an electrifying 49-yard run up the right sideline. They ran it again for four first downs on the final drive. "When they needed a big play," Giants running back Tiki Barber said. "He gave it to them. They needed one drive, and he gave it to them.

In all aspects." Football is a very technical, complicated game when you break it down, job for job. But it's a very simple game in its purpose: Find something that works, and keep doing it. Brian Westbrook works. He has worked since the Eagles lost their franchise player. And he saved his best work for Sunday "Dehydrated.

Hurting. Basically, him and that offensive line carried us to victory," safety Brian Dawkins said. Two more victories, and the Eagles will get an unexpected chance to erase the memory of their previous two losses in the Super Bowl. Jeff Garcia will be the story if they get that chance. But Brian Westbrook will be the reason they do.

Contact the writer: dcollinstimesshamrock.com knocked down by Rosevelt Col-vin and picked up by Vince Wilfork, who rumbled 31 yards to the Jets 15 before being tackled by Cotchery. The play was ruled a backward pass and a fumble, and the ruling was upheld after a challenge by Mangini. "I think it was something that broke the game open for us," defensive tackle Richard Seymour said. Four plays later, Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 28-yard field goal to give New England a 23-13 lead. It was a fitting place for his valedictory performance.

Earlier this season, it was here, in the noisy home of the divisional-rival Eagles, where the notion of retirement settled permanently in his head. Barber had walked through that same tunnel that September day heading the other way As he entered the sunlight, he heard all the nasty words that Philadelphia fans always hurled at him and his team. Typically, they motivated him. But on this day they landed harmlessly, like an Eli Manning incompletion. "That," he said, "was a pretty clear sign that it was probably my time to do this." Still extremely productive, having accumulated 1,662 yards in his last regular season, Barber at 31 will run off, not into the sunset but into a lucrative career as a network television Lucky because when you look at it, games like this have been the norm for the Eagles since McNabb blew out his knee.

Try these numbers on for size: Since start of the Colts game in late November the Eagles' first without McNabb Westbrook has rushed 119 times for 642 yards. He also has caught 26 passes for 227 yards. That's a lot of tough, physical work for a guy who isn't the biggest player on the field. "We've been doing it the last few weeks, and we've been getting better and better," Westbrook said of the Eagles' revamped run game. "Coach Reid has confidence in it.

Our offensive line has confidence in it. Our team has confidence in it. "It's definitely an opportunity for me. We've always preached that if somebody goes down, we all have to come in, play a little bit harder, a little bit tougher, to make up for it. And it's really my turn." Once upon a time, the Eagles never would have counted on the run to eat up that many plays, that much yardage and all that time at the end of a game.

After all, this is Reid's team, and he has been brash in his stance over the years that he'd throw the ball every down if he could. The reason Garcia has been Houston Oilers on Dec. 31, 1978. The Jets made things interesting early, taking a 10-7 lead in the second quarter on a 77-yard touchdown catch and run by Jerricho Cotchery. But it was all New England from that point in the teams' second-ever meeting in the playoffs, the last also a victory by the Patriots in 1985.

"We just fight," Bruschi said. With the Patriots leading 23-16, Brady engineered the type of drive that has made him so deadly in big games. New England took over at its 37 and SC TIMES TRIB FROM PAGE Bl on the sidelines, are Brian Westbrook's team now. Funny thing about the playoffs, but a coach can't hide what he really thinks. When the game is on the line, so is the season.

And with the score tied, with just a few minutes left on the clock, it's easy to see who the coach feels his best player is. Tied at 20. Just three ticks under five minutes left. Eagles coach Andy Reid turned to his elusive and, incidentally hurting 5-foot-8 tailback. On the 10-play drive that sent the Giants packing and the Eagles to the Divisional Playoff against New Orleans, Westbrook carried the ball six times.

He carried twice on first downs, gaining 11 yards once, and 13 on the second. He carried on second-and-4 and sec-ond-and-3, and he picked up five yards each time. Garcia had a nice game. He kept the Giants off balance with his creativity and his short passing game. But Westbrook rushed 20 times for 141 yards and a touchdown.

On a night when he was suffering from a stomach virus that caused violent cramps at halftime, he was still the Eagles' big-play threat. "He battled through it," Reid said simply Dunmore resident Lou Palazzi was a co-captain in his senior season at Penn State in 1942. PALAZZI: Resident of Dunmore played at PSU PATRIOTS: Turnover sparks New England's win RUSTY KENNEDY ASSOCIATED PRESS Eagles quarterback Jeff Garcia threw for 153 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. so successful, and the reason the Eagles will play again Saturday, is that Reid recognized throwing as much with Garcia at this stage in his career wasn't going to get the Eagles anywhere. So, they became much more balanced.

And in the process, they seem to have found an identity with Westbrook. When the Eagles needed yardage Sunday, they ran the same outside zone run with Westbrook behind two Pro with a series of short passes and runs got to the Jets 7. Brady then found Kevin Faulk with a short pass and the running back zipped into the end zone with 5:16 left as the Patriots quarterback put up both hands and pointed skyward. Brady finished 22-of-34 for 212 yards and two touchdowns, while Jabbar Gaffney had eight catches for 104 yards. The Patriots also outrushed the Jets 148-70.

New England also took advantage of a big mistake by the Jets late in the third quarter. Chad Pennington's pass was REGIONAL 4 010807 FROM PAGE Bl said. "Reporters would call him from all over the country, at the business and at home. The league office told other officials not to say anything. But they knew my father's comments would be under control." That's because Art McNally the supervisor of officials, started his career with Palazzi, and knew his character.

Through the years, McNally was just one of the many interesting people that Lou Jr. met through his father. While Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown may have been the most colorful of those, it was former New York Giants and Washington Redskins linebacker Sam Huff FROM PAGE Bl teams' last meeting, when New York frustrated the quarterback with blitzes and won 17-14. This time, Brady was in control right from the start. "I think we had a great plan," Brady said.

"This is a pressure defense, and I think we were prepared much more for the pressure this time around." New England, which has won seven of eight since that loss to New York, improved to 9-1 at home in the playoffs, and hasn't lost in the postseason since a 31-14 defeat against the.