Year after year, when a team loses a big game the fans, and sometimes players, anoint a scapegoat, or more simply a goat, to carry the blame. Let’s take a look at the 2011 goats, and who might steal their crown in 2012.

NFL Network’s Albert Breer reported that the Giants’ charter to San Francisco was delayed two hours on Saturday due to mechanical issues.

A look at some of the most notable numbers from the Packers’ 21-14 win over the Bears in the NFC Championship game, including why B.J. Raji is now in select company.

Before Todd Collins even had time to get pulled in favor of Caleb Hanie, the court of public opinion had already convicted Jay Cutler of having no heart because he was on the sideline with a knee injury.

Any hope of Bears’ comeback against the Packers at Soldier Field now rests on the right arm of Todd Collins.

Bears safety Chris Harris vowed all week that he would play in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game despite a hip injury. That appears to be true since he’s active against the Packers after being limited in practice Friday.

I went out on my own on the “Playbook” picks this week and took the Bears over the Packers, for several reasons.

The NFL fined Saints DE Bobby McCray a total of $20,000 for two incidents involving unnecessary roughness, according to a league source.

Vikings CB Cedric Griffin had to be helped off the field following Pierre Thomas‘ opening kick return in overtime. Griffin limped off the field with the help of a couple teammates and was replaced by veteran Benny Sapp.

The inactives list for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game between the Vikings and Saints has been released, and there’s good news for both teams: Vikings WR/KR Percy Harvin and Saints TE Jeremy Shockey are active.

What a scene that has developed in New Orleans for today’s NFC Championship Game.

Kara Henderson just gave NFL Network viewers a look at the Vikings’ locker room in New Orleans, and rookie WR Percy Harvin‘s cubicle contained his jersey and gear.

Vikings rookie WR Percy Harvin missed two days of practice because of migraine headaches, but he was expected to fly to New Orleans for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported, citing sources.

Vikings DE Ray Edwards, who had three of his team’s six sacks in Sunday’s 34-3 divisional-playoff blowout of the Cowboys, should be good to start in the NFC Championship Game against the Saints.

One week after his Philadelphia Eagles again fell short in an NFC Championship Game, team owner Jeffrey Lurie is still bothered. In a Q&A with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Lurie said the Eagles “had dominated Arizona” and called the loss one of the two most painful out of the Eagles’ four NFC title-game defeats.