Leading Off: Pictures of the Week

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jan 14, 2013

Leading Off: Pictures of the Week

Houston Texans linebacker Bradie James dives at the heels of New England Patriots running back Shane Vereen in the Patriots' 41-28 victory over the Texans. Vereen scored three touchdowns, running for one and catching two.

Riaan Van Niekerk leaves quite a wake as he rides his KTM during the fifth stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally. That stage took the South African and the rest of the riders from Arequipa, Peru, to Arica, Chile, as part of the Dakar Rally's race down the western coast of South America.

130114153257-colin-kaepernick-59bd-0-single-image-cut.jpg — Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Green Bay Packers free safety M.D. Jennings and outside linebacker Erik Walden tackle San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the second quarter of their playoff game. Kaepernick had a field day running the ball, setting a record for rushing yards by a quarterback in any game with 181 yards on the ground.

Oklahoma City center Kendrick Perkins reaches for a block on a layup by Kobe Bryant. Bryant's 28 points were not enough as the Thunder prevailed 116-101 in the Jan. 11 matchup of Western Conference foes.

With defenders closing in on all sides, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady heaves a pass in the Patriots-Texans playoff game. Brady threw for 344 yards and three touchdowns to lead New England back to the AFC Championship, which the Patriots won last season.

130114153343-torrey-smith-17479-mid-single-image-cut.jpg — Peter Read Miller/SI

The Baltimore Ravens' Torrey Smith makes a leaping catch over Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey in the AFC Divisional playoffs. Smith would take the catch into the end zone, one of two scores in the game for the 23-year-old wide receiver.

New Zealander Benjamin Comber soars across the sky during qualifications for the men's FIS Snowboard Slope Style World Cup at the US Grand Prix in Copper Mountain, Colo.

New Mexico center Alex Kirk contests a shot in the lane from UNLV forward Khem Birch in a Mountain West Conference game on Jan. 9. Kirk dominated the game with 23 points and nine rebounds to lead the Lobos to a 65-60 win.

Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny corrals the ball after tipping Edin Dzeko's penalty kick off the post in Arsenal's Barclays Premier League match with Manchester City. Szczesny's save, which came after Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny was sent off for a tackle on Dzeko, preserved a tie that didn't last long as Manchester City carried on to win 2-0.

130114153254-christian-watford-mid-single-image-cut.jpg — Andrew Hancock/SI

Indiana forward Christian Watford waits for a rebound in a Big Ten matchup with Minnesota. With five players in double figures, the Hoosiers held off the Golden Gophers 88-81 in a battle of Top 10 teams.

Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah watches the ball float over the head of New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony in the Bulls and Knicks' Jan. 11 game at Madison Square Garden. Despite 39 points from Anthony, Noah's Bulls came away with the victory, 108-101.

Kicker Matt Bryant and the Atlanta Falcons celebrate after a last-minute field goal sent them over the Seattle Seahawks and into the NFC Championship game. After blowing a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Falcons marched down the field to set up a late kick, giving the franchise its first postseason win since the 2004 season.

130114153312-michael-crabtree62f172-0-single-image-cut.jpg — Tony Avelar/AP

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree splits Brad Jones and Charles Woodson of the Green Bay Packers to reach the end zone for the first of his two touchdowns in the 49ers' 45-31 win over the Packers. San Francisco's win earned it a shot at the NFC Championship against the Atlanta Falcons.

130114153315-novak-djokovic6b47929a-0-single-image-cut.jpg — Andrew Brownbill/AP

Novak Djokovic stretches for a forehand in his Australian Open first round match against Paul-Henri Mathieu. Djokovic easily advanced, downing Mathieu 6-2, 6-4, 7-5.

Finnish Peetu Piiroinen flies above Copper Mountain, Colo., as he competes in the FIS Snowboard Slope Style World Cup finals at the U.S. Grand Prix on Jan. 11. Piiroinen's score of 78.2 took third at the competition as Chas Guldemond earned the victory with a score of 92.5.

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice fights off Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris in the Ravens-Broncos AFC Divisional playoff matchup in Denver. Rice's 131 yards rushing helped lead Baltimore to a 38-35 overtime upset of the top-seeded Broncos.

Minnesota forward Trevor Mbakwe secures a rebound with one hand in the Golden Gophers' matchup with the Hoosiers in Indiana. Mbakwe's 13 points and 10 rebounds weren't enough to spark Minnesota to an upset victory.

San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore gets swarmed by the Green Packers defense during the NFC Divisional playoff matchup in San Francisco. Gore gained 119 yards on the ground with a touchdown, part of the 49ers' 323 yards rushing.