Monday Morning Headlines: Concussions, Ties, and Falling Falcons

Nov 11, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) drops back to throw a pass in the second quarter against the New York Giants at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE

Sunday, bloody Sunday. It was a crazy day in sports. If you missed any of it, here is what you need to know.

Cutler, Vick, and Alex Smith all left their respective games on Sunday early with concussions. The most disturbing hit that led to the concussion came in the Bears-Texans game. Cutler got hit after he released the ball, which isn’t necessarily the problem. It was the response after; The Texans player that laid the hit on him was asked if he thought it was his hit that gave Cutler the concussion and he responded, “No clue. But it was good that he was out, though. You always want to take the quarterback out of the game.” I think Dobbins has is confused by what “take the quarterback out of the game” means. This isn’t gladiators.

The 49ers and Rams tied yesterday, 24-24. That was the first tie game in the NFL since the Donovan McNabb training on the on the issue in 2008 when the Eagles tied the Bengals 13-13.

The Falcons have finally fallen from the sky. Their undefeated season came to an end on Sunday, by the hands of their long-time foes. The New Orleans Saints dashed Atlanta’s dream of a perfect season 31-24.

Andy Dalton broke a streak of his own on Sunday when the Bengals took on the Giants at home. The quarterback finally had a game where he did not throw an interception. He looked poised as he threw 4 touchdown passes in the Bengals win over G-Men 31-6.

In an unexpected move this weekend, the Lakers head coach search ended. After lengthy discussions with Phil Jackson and Mike D’Antoni, the LA Lakers picked a new head coach. The job that everyone thought was Jackson’s to turn down, took a turn Sunday night and it was announced that the Lakers new head coach is D’Antoni. Everyone is shocked, including Jackson, who was the front-runner since the firing of Mike Brown.

The NHRA crowned a new Top Fuel champion, Antron Brown. This is a historic moment, as Brown is the first African-American driver in history to win a major auto racing title.

On the subject of racing, Sunday’s race at Phoenix has NASCAR officials working overtime to decide punishments. After a wreck late in the race between Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer, a fight broke out in the garages and on pit row between the two crews and drivers. Bowyer claims Gordon waited on the track for him to wreck him during an already frustrating race, bringing tensions on pit row to the boiling point. His crew then proceeded to go after Gordon and his crew and it led to Bowyer running in to the garages to get in on the action too. NASCAR is deciding the punishments now and something should be known this week.

The Big East Conferences divisional alignment will announced this week pending presidential approval. The reconfigured conference will operate as a 12 team league in 2013 and 2014. The Big East will split into geographic divisions, with the conference being all over the map this year.