Kalil attempts to defend Newton
Brawl investigation includes RB McCoy
SAN FRANCISCO — The morning after one of the worst losses of his life, Carolina Panthers center Ryan Kalil hadn’t watched the replay from Super Bowl 50 the rest of the world is commenting on: the fourthquarter fumble that Panthers quarterback Cam Newton did not dive on.
But Kalil didn’t need to see the replay to know the play that sealed the Denver Broncos’ 24-10 win was not a character indictment of the Panthers’ franchise quarterback and league MVP.
“Cam’s not the quitting type. So this idea or this notion that he quit on us is garbage. I think it’s absolute garbage. That’s not who he is,” Kalil said Monday during a phone interview before the Panthers returned to Charlotte.
“We just didn’t play good enough. And as an offensive line group, didn’t give him enough confidence to do what he does best,” Kalil added. “And really we just didn’t get in a rhythm. That’s what killed us. Any time we had any kind of momentum, we killed ourselves in penalties and not taking care of the football.”
Several Broncos players said after the game that Newton wanted no part of getting in the scrum for the loose ball.
“If he would have touched that ball, I was gonna hit him right in his face, and I wasn’t the only one,” Broncos safety T.J. Ward, who recovered the fumble, told NFL.com. “We were hungry for that one. We saw that ball and it was like hyenas on an antelope.”
When asked about the play after the game, Newton put up his hands and said, “I don’t know.”
MORE NEWTON: Much was said about Cam Newton walking out of his news conference after about three minutes. Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk said he understood how Newton was feeling, from experience, but that Newton would regret his actions when he watches the footage on tape.
It appears in video on Twitter that Newton was upset hearing defensive back Chris Harris Jr. tell the media that Denver’s plan was to make him throw the ball and that the Broncos didn’t think Newton could beat them throwing it.
The NFL had players from both teams in the same room after the game to allow reporters to bounce from player to player for reactions. Newton appears to overhear the comment, shakes his head in disgust and leaves.
MANZIEL: Johnny Manziel’s ex-girlfriend says in an affidavit that he hit her so hard during a late-night confrontation that she lost hearing in one ear.
Colleen Crowley’s affidavit was obtained by KXAS-TV and published online Monday.
Crowley suffered a ruptured eardrum, which is expected to eventually heal, Crowley’s lawyer, Kathy Kinser, told the television station.
Crowley detailed Manziel’s alleged attack as part of proceedings to obtain a protective order against the troubled Cleveland Browns quarterback, who is under criminal investigation on allegations of domestic violence.
In the affidavit, first published by TV station KXAS, Crowley said she and Manziel had a confrontation in his hotel room around 1:45 a.m. Jan. 30. Crowley accused Manziel of throwing her onto his bed after the two discussed him “being with a girl who had caused us problems in the past.”
MCCOY: Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy is under investigation over a Philadelphia nightclub brawl early Sunday that left two offduty police officers injured, one with a broken nose and broken ribs and the other with a possible skull fracture.
The incident occurred early Sunday morning after an argument broke out between McCoy’s party and the officers over a bottle of champagne.
After one 40-year-old officer was knocked to the ground, he was punched, kicked and stomped multiple times on his body and head, police said Monday.
When the second officer, also 40, intervened with security guards, he was also injured, police said. All were ejected from the club.
One off icer had a broken nose, broken ribs and a sprained thumb and remained hospitalized, police said, while the second received stitches and had a possible skull fracture.
TV RATINGS: Denver’s victory over Carolina reached an average of 111.9 million viewers, a number down from the last two years.
Still, it represents the third most-watched television event in U.S. history. The Super Bowl had set viewership records for six of the past seven years.
BETTING: Super Bowl fans bet a record $132.5 million at Nevada sportsbooks on the 50th version of the game.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board said in its preliminary estimate on Monday that Nevada’s 194 sports books kept about 10.1 percent of the wagers, for a total win of $13.3 million.
EAGLES: Phi ladelphia released wide receiver Riley Cooper after six seasons. Cooper was perhaps best known for his troublesome training camp in 2013, when he left camp for three days to deal with fallout after a video surfaced of him using a racial slur at a black security guard at a Kenny Chesney concert.
LYNCH: Marshawn Lynch intends to retire from football. Doug Hendrickson, the agent for the Seattle Seahawks star running back, confirmed. He’s second all-time in Seattle history in rushing touchdowns and fourth in yards rushing.