The 37th annual Kennedy Center Honors ceremony aired on television last night, and the musicians recognized were Sting and Al Green. They were both treated to covers of their songs by a cadre of famous musicians, including Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, Usher, Jennifer Hudson, and Bruno Mars. The cast of Stings musical The Last Ship even came out during Mars Police medley. Springsteen covered I Hung My Head, a song from Stings 1996 album Mercury Fallen that has also been covered by Johnny Cash. Back when Springsteen was given the honor in 2009, Sting performed The Rising, so things have come full circle. Watch Springsteens and Mars performances below.
Three teams the 49ers, Falcons and Bears have asked to interview Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)
Can Adam Gase become the answer to the enigma that is Jay Cutler?
The Chicago Bears are curious enough to interview the Broncos offensive coordinator.
The Bears became the third team to formally consider Gase for their head coaching position, joining the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers.
Those three teams have one thing in common: Talented quarterbacks who have led their teams to at least one conference championship game but are coming off disappointing seasons. Cutler has been perhaps the NFLs most underachieving quarterback the past three years.
A first-round draft choice of the Broncos in 2006, Cutler earned a Pro-Bowl berth in 2008. But when the Broncos fired longtime coach Mike Shanahan after the 2008 season, Cutler demanded to be traded both in the days before and weeks after the team hired Josh McDaniels as their new coach and head of football operations.Dealt to Chicago in 2009, Cutler helped the Bears reach the NFC championship game in 2010 and he was playing well in 2011, winning five games in a row when he suffered a season-ending thumb injury. He has been erratic since, throwing 66 touchdown passes in the past three years, but also 44 interceptions.
Still, the Bears gave him a contract extension that paid him $22.5 million this season and hes virtually guaranteed to make about $15.5 million in 2015.
Cutler would pose a unique challenge for Gase, who worked closely the past three seasons with Peyton Manning, the Broncos meticulously prepared star quarterback. Gase was the Broncos quarterbacks coach in 2012 and offensive coordinator in 2013-14.
Manning averaged 43.7 touchdowns against just 12 interceptions in his past three seasons while leading the Broncos to records of 13-3, 13-3 and 12-4.
Ryan led the Falcons to the 2012 NFC championship game, in which they lost to Colin Kaepernicks 49ers. Ryan compiled a 56-22 record in his first five seasons as a starter but is 10-22 in his last two seasons.
Kaepernick was 21-8, including playoffs, in his first two seasons as the 49ers starter, but was 8-8 this season as he fell from the 10th-rated passer in 2013 to 20th this season.
Gase has been working with the Broncos offense this week in preparation for the teams second-round AFC playoff game next week Sunday, Jan. 11. However, thanks to having a first-round bye, the Broncos are off Thursday, Friday and Saturday before reconvening Sunday at Dove Valley.
Gase will conduct his interviews during the off days with contingents from the Bears, Falcons and 49ers meeting him here in the Denver area.
The Bears have hired former NFL general manager Ernie Accorsi to oversee their search for a new coach and GM. Broncos general manager John Elway has called Accorsi his front-office mentor.
The Falcons are using former Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns executive Joe Banner as a consultant for their coaching search. Banner was with the Browns last year when the team courted Gase to fill their head coaching vacancy. Gase withdrew from consideration and the job went to Mike Pettine.
The 49ers coaching search is headed by owner Jed York and general manager Trent Baalke. Gase worked for both in 2008 when he was the 49ers offensive assistant to offensive coordinator Mike Martz.
Gases work as an offensive coordinator includes an NFL record 606 points and 55 Manning touchdown passes in 2013, and a midseason shift to greater run balance in 2014 as the Broncos still finished second in scoring at 30.1 points per game.
The "Big Bang Theory" star spoke about equality in an interview with Redbook for the magazine"s February 2015 issue. When asked if she considers herself a feminist, she responded in the negative.
"Is it bad if I say no?" she asked. "It"s not really something I think about. Things are different now, and I know a lot of the work that paved the way for women happened before I was around ... I was never that feminist girl demanding equality, but maybe that"s because I"ve never really faced inequality."
She then went on to discuss the gender roles in her household with husband Ryan Sweeting, whom she married in a surprise ceremony on New Year"s Eve last year after a whirlwind romance.
"I cook for Ryan five nights a week: It makes me feel like a housewife; I love that. I know it sounds old-fashioned, but I like the idea of women taking care of their men. I"m so in control of my work that I like coming home and serving him. My mom was like that, so I think it kind of rubbed off."
Cuoco, 29, is currently one of the highest-paid actresses on television after inking a three-year contract with CBS for $1 million per episode for Seasons 8 through 10 of "The Big Bang Theory."
"All I think about is what it means for my family and knowing there is security for all of us," she told Redbook. Adding: "I remember always hoping I could help take care of [my parents] because they took such good care of me. Knowing I"ll be able to just brings tears to my eyes."
Read more from Cuoco"s interview in the February 2015 issue of Redbook, on newsstands Jan. 6.
DRAMATIC ENDING TO CHICAGO BEARS-GREEN BAY PACKERS GAME (1984) Packers Clinch NFC North With Win
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- A heating pad wrapped around his sore left calf, Aaron Rodgers could only watch helplessly on television monitors in the locker room as the Detroit Lions surged closer to his Green Bay Packers.
There was only one place that he wanted to be -- back on the turf with the rest of the Packers while they tried to secure a fourth straight NFC North title.
Green Bay"s franchise quarterback is limping into the playoffs with a smile. Rodgers threw two touchdown passes to Randall Cobb, Eddie Lacy gashed Detroit"s defense for 100 yards, and the Packers celebrated another division championship with a 30-20 victory Sunday.
Rodgers will appreciate a week off after the win, as the Packers (12-4) earned a bye. Detroit (11-5) starts the postseason at Dallas next Sunday. Green Bay will next play on the following Sunday.
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"It"s clearly an MVP performance -- another MVP performance -- by Aaron Rodgers," coach Mike McCarthy said. Rodgers won the award in 2011.
Rodgers was carted to the locker room after tossing his first score to Cobb late in the second quarter. He tweaked the calf during last week"s win at Tampa Bay.
This injury came in a different spot in the calf, Rodgers said. He came up limping again.
In the locker room while getting treatment, Rodgers said he was thinking about "if I could finagle myself to go back in the game."
He hobbled back on to the field in the third quarter with the game tied at 14.
"I just felt like if I got in there, it might give us a little jolt," Rodgers said.
The jolt soon followed. A seven-play, 60-yard drive ended with a 13-yard score to Cobb for a 21-14 lead. The Packers didn"t look back.
Rodgers plunged across the goal line from 1 yard with 8:45 left to help Green Bay regain a two-touchdown lead. "MVP! MVP" chanted adoring fans while light snow dusted Lambeau Field.
Rodgers finished 17 of 22 for 226 yards. He was out of the game for about a seven-minute stretch between the second and third quarters. In between, Calvin Johnson had touchdown catches of 4 and 20 yards on consecutive drives to help the Lions roar back from a 14-0 deficit.
Detroit hasn"t won a division title since 1993. It hasn"t won a road game against the Packers since 1991. For a few moments while Rodgers was out, it looked like both those streaks might end.
Instead the Packers were victorious again at Lambeau and finished the regular season 8-0 at home.
The Lions drew within 30-20 with 1:45 left after Matthew Stafford connected with Theo Riddick for a 6-yard touchdown. But Riddick"s 2-point conversion run failed, Tramon Williams recovered the ensuing onside kick and Green Bay ran out the clock.
Stafford finished 20 of 41 for 217 yards.
The Lions head home at least with the comfort that they had clinched a playoff berth regardless of Sunday"s outcome -- just the second playoff appearance since 2000.
"We"re 11-5, and it"s a new season," coach Jim Caldwell said. "None that stuff matters. We"ve got to look forward."
They could have accomplished so much more if not for some painful mistakes.
After blocking Mason Crosby"s 52-yard field goal attempt, the Lions lost the ball when Stafford fumbled on what looked like an aborted handoff to Joique Bell. The Packers cashed in with Rodgers" 1-yard sneak.
"It was just on our part, self-inflicted wounds, and we know that," cornerback Rashean Mathis said. "But kudos to them, they did make plays -- enough plays to win this ballgame."
Rodgers felt more pain after Detroit"s 305-pound defensive tackle, Ndamukong Suh, stumbled back and stepped on Rodgers" lower left leg while the quarterback was on the ground at the end of a play. There was no penalty, and Rodgers tried to shove Suh back as the defender walked away.
Suh had cleared out of the locker room by the time reporters were allowed in after the game. Caldwell said he didn"t think it was an intentional act.
Rodgers said referee Walt Anderson told him he thought Suh was blocked into the quarterback. McCarthy didn"t see the play, but heard enough from others to be unhappy with Suh.
"There"s no place for that," McCarthy said. "I don"t understand it, frankly."
Game notesRodgers finished the season with a 112.2 passer rating and is the only player in NFL history to register a 100-plus rating in six consecutive seasons. ... WR Jordy Nelson had six catches for 86 yards, and set a franchise record with 1,519 yards for the season. ... Bell finished with 60 yards on 13 carries. ... The Lions allowed a season-worst 152 yards on the ground.
First Take - New England Patriots Beat San Diego Chargers
It is little consolation for the Chargers.
But of course, they"ll take it.
After being eliminated from playoff contention Sunday with a 19-7 loss to the Chiefs, the team was slated for the No. 18 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. The final game of the NFL regular season changed that. The Chargers now have the No. 17 pick, the Chiefs dropping one spot to 18th overall.
An official announcement to that effect was made Monday. The league released the draft order for all 20 non-playoff teams.
For such squads, overall record determines draft order. Strength of schedule is the first tiebreaker used to separate ones with the same record; the Chargers and Chiefs both finished 9-7.
The Chiefs this year played the Steelers, whose Sunday night win over the Bengals boosted Kansas City"s opponent winning percentage to .512. That is the same as the Chargers" strength of schedule.
A divisional tiebreaker is next applied. Because Kansas City swept San Diego in the teams" two meetings, San Diego has the higher draft pick of the two.
ESPN First Take - Bengals vs Steelers - Which Team Will Win AFC North ? | First Take
The candidates to pick up the slack if LeVeon Bell goes missing from the Steelers lineup for their playoff game Saturday night at Heinz Field are various. Among them: Josh Harris, Dri Archer, Will Johnson.
Or, how about the Steelers defense?
That once-dominant area of football in Pittsburgh has reappeared even before its season of transition ended. They might need it to continue if the Steelers are to get past the Baltimore Ravens and deeper into the playoffs.
Just as the offense was and did for the most part carry the banner as its defense reorganized and took a step backward this season, a suddenly revived defense might be able to lend a hand in a time of need without their team MVP in Bell.
That defense helped deliver a second consecutive victory and AFC North Division championship Sunday night with its patchwork secondary providing all three turnovers in a 27-17 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals. This came one week after the defense rose up to defeat Kansas City, 20-12, and has not given up more than 21 points in the month of December, in which the Steelers won four in a row.
The defense played huge all day, Ben Roethlisberger said Sunday night. We didnt do enough offensively, we didnt make enough plays and our defense bailed us out. It was fun to watch our defense play at a very high level and get turnovers.
That defense has nine sacks in the past two games and four turnovers, including the two interceptions by cornerback Brice McCain and the fumble Sunday by A.J. Green caused by cornerback Antwon Blake. McCain saved a score with his first interception and set up a score with his second. Blakes forced fumble late in the game prevented the Bengals from tying it or possibly taking the lead.
Those two were nowhere in the secondary plans as the season began but injuries and poor performances by others moved them up the ladder. McCain replaced Cortez Allen at cornerback and Blake moved into the nickle defense with the combination of Allens demotion and the injury to Ike Taylor.
We knew we could play, but we had a lot of good players in this secondary, McCain said of their low position on the depth chart early in the season. We were just waiting for our time.
The Steelers list both as 5 feet 9; with starter Willie Gay at 5-10, they might have the smallest front three cornerbacks in the league.
Now thats some bang for your buck, coach Mike Tomlin shouted at McCain Sunday night in the locker room, either referencing his height, the minimum-wage one-year contract he signed with the Steelers as a free agent or both.
But Tomlin is correct. McCain helped save their 17-9 victory in Jacksonville with a late pick-6 when the Steelers were leading by one. He and Gay tied for the team lead with three interceptions, the first time any of their defensive backs had as many as three since Troy Polamalus seven in 2010.
Brice has little-man syndrome, claimed 6-5 defensive end Cam Heyward. Hes very hard on himself. Blakes got it, too. I give him a hard time. Those guys really stepped up.
Guilty, McCain responded to Heywards charge.
I do. Im very hard on myself because I know whats at stake. I work hard every day because I am a smaller corner. So I got to be perfect every time. If I aint perfect, I have to be 90 percent if not 100.
I practice every day on what people say I cant do. They say I cant jump, say I cant play big receivers, Im going to work on my jumping ability. I can really jump so I wouldnt really worry about that.
The secondary has almost completely turned over since the start of the season. Only free safety Mike Mitchell remains. Former starters Ike Taylor and Polamalu have missed the past two games with injuries and there is doubt whether they will return to start even if healthy. Will Allen started the past two games for Polamalu at strong safety and four of the past seven games.
The secondary has come alive under the current personnel.
Weve taken our lumps and theyve remained singularly focused and theyve stayed together, Tomlin said of the new secondary. We havent allowed the adversity to divide us and weve gotten stronger because of it. Theyre playing with better confidence and theyre making plays.
Its just the natural maturation process when you dont let outside forces interrupt it and you stay singularly focused on growth and development and the opportunities at hand. I give them credit for doing that. I think their play and our play has been on the upswing because of it.
No update on Bell
The Steelers provided no update on the condition of Bells right knee. Tomlin revealed Sunday night that it was hyperextended and that structurally it appears to be fine so well see if h**l be available to us here in our next game.
Ed Bouchette: ebouchette@post-gazette.com and Twitter @EdBouchette.
Reaction to Kyle Orton Replacing E.J. Manuel in Buffalo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP/CBS4) Former Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton told the Buffalo Bills on Monday that he plans to retire.
The surprise decision places further emphasis on the teams offseason need to address whats long been an unsettled position.
The Bills announced Ortons decision a day after the 10-year journeyman led Buffalo (9-7) to a season-ending 17-9 win at New England. He played for the Broncos from 2009 to 2011, when he was released and picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Its just a family decision, and Ive decided to get home and be a dad and call it a day, Orton said, in a statement released by the team.
The announcement was made shortly after the Bills held end-of-season meetings with their players. Despite enjoying its first winning season since a 9-7 finish in 2004, Buffalo missed the playoffs to extend the NFLs longest active postseason drought to 15 years.
The 32-year-old Orton declined to speak to reporters while making a brief appearance at his locker, where he picked up a few of his belongings.
In electing to retire, Orton is passing up the chance to make a $5.4 million base salary he was due next year.
His departure also leaves Buffalo with a veteran hole to fill at quarterback, which the team sought to address by signing Orton to a two-year contract a little more than a week before the start of the season.
Initially signed to help mentor EJ Manuel, Orton wound up replacing the second-year player after a 2-2 start.
Orton provided an initial spark in going 3-1 in his first four starts before he and the offense sputtered down the stretch. He finished 7-5 with 3,018 yards passing with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Minus Orton, the Bills are left with two quarterbacks on their roster, Manuel and Jeff Tuel, who spent the entire season on the practice squad.
Manuel has two years left on his contract. The 2013 first-round picks future as the teams long-term starter, however, remains in question after he was benched and lost the confidence of coach Doug Marrone.
Rather than considering playing Manuel against New England after the Bills were eliminated from playoff contention, Marrone stuck with Orton by saying the veteran gave Buffalo the best chance to win.
Receiver Robert Woods wasnt entirely caught off guard by Ortons retirement, noting the quarterback had hinted at the possibility in recent weeks.
Hed talk about it here and there, just joking around, `Its my last get-around, guys," Woods said. I gained a lot of knowledge from him. Im happy for him. Were thankful for him.
Running back Fred Jackson was surprised.
Huh, I didnt know anything about it. This is the first time Im hearing about it, Jackson said. Thats his choice. Obviously, he was a guy who did some things for us this year, stepped in and played a major role in what we were able to accomplish. We wish him well.
The Bills were already thought to focus on upgrading the position this offseason in free agency or through a trade. Their options, however, are somewhat limited when it comes to the draft.
Buffalo doesnt have a first-round pick after trading it to Cleveland in May to move up five spots for the right to select receiver Sammy Watkins fourth overall.
Quarterback shuffles are nothing new in Buffalo.
The Bills havent had a starter last beyond three years since Hall of Famer Jim Kelly retired following the 1996 season. Including Orton, the Bills have now had 11 quarterbacks start at least eight games over the past 18 seasons.
Orton was at best considered a stop-gap measure for Buffalo.
He was already contemplating retirement in mid-July when he was cut by the Dallas Cowboys after failing to attend the teams spring minicamps.
With a 42-40 record as a starter, Orton was Chicagos fourth-round pick in 2005.
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-By JOHN WAWROW,AP Sports Writer
(TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
