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THIS WEEK: We have four Divisional Playoff games:
The Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens - Saturday, 1:30 p.m. PT on CBS
The Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints - Saturday, 5 p.m. PT on FOX
The Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears - Sunday, 10:00 a.m. PT on FOX
The New England Patriots at San Diego Chargers - Sunday, 1:30 p.m. PT on CBS
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BALTIMORE RAVENS
As Baltimore Sun staff writer Jamison Hensley framed it Sunday: "Baltimore's painful football past will clash with its passionate present when the second-seeded Ravens host the Indianapolis Colts in an NFL divisional playoff game Saturday. ..."
This marks the first time that the Colts will play a postseason game in Baltimore since they sneaked out of town just after midnight on March 29, 1984, when a fleet of Mayflower vans moved the team to Indianapolis and crushed the hearts of this city's football fans.
In their 11-year history, the Ravens have hosted two playoff games, beating the Denver Broncos in December 2000 and losing to the Tennessee Titans in January 2004.
But as Hensley suggested, neither of those games tugged at the heartstrings like a playoff reunion with the Colts.
In his eighth season as Ravens head coach, Brian Billick understands what Saturday's playoff game with the Colts represents.
"It's not like we needed anything more than a playoff game to get the fans cranked up," Billick said. "Based on what I'm hearing, it's going to be exciting."
Hensley went on to note the Ravens have played the Colts six times, including three games in Baltimore. Indianapolis won the last meeting, a 24-7 victory at M&T Bank Stadium in the 2005 season opener.
But seeing the white-dotted blue horseshoes on the helmets still stings for most of this city's football fan base.
The same can't be said inside the Ravens' locker room. Because of their age, Ravens players have a tough time relating to their fans' emotional ties to the Colts.
On the Ravens' 53-man roster, 33 players were 5 years old or younger when the Colts left Baltimore. Most acknowledged that they only can remember the Colts being in Indianapolis.
Beyond the teams' shared history, this playoff should be exciting on the matchups alone.
It will feature the NFL's top-ranked defense in the Ravens against the league's second-highest scoring offense in the Colts.
But as Associated Press sports writer David Ginsburg stressed this week, the Ravens won a franchise-record 13 games this season because their offense provided sufficient support to that league-best defense.
They hope to implement the same formula against the Colts.
After yielding at least 100 yards rushing in each of their 16 regular season games, the Colts stacked the line of scrimmage last weekend in an effort to stop Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson. The strategy worked perfectly: Johnson was limited to 32 yards on a season-low 13 carries, and the Colts advanced with a 23-8 victory.
Kansas City had few options after discovering Johnson would have no room to run. Forced to throw, Chiefs quarterback Trent Green went 14-of-24 for 107 yards with three turnovers.
According to Ginsburg, the Ravens expect the Colts to implement a similar ploy Saturday against Jamal Lewis, who ran for 1,132 yards and is the focal point of the Baltimore attack. Lewis averaged 22 carries over the Ravens' last four regular season games -- all of them wins.
Just because the Colts stopped Johnson, that doesn't mean the Ravens won't attempt to pound Lewis into the line a couple dozen times, if for no other reason than to keep Peyton Manning off the field.
But if Indianapolis stops Lewis, the Ravens won't panic.
That's because they've got quarterback Steve McNair, who has done an excellent job this season distributing the ball to his receivers without any hint of favoritism.
Todd Heap leads Baltimore with 73 catches, followed by Derrick Mason (68) and Mark Clayton (67). Rookie Demetrius Williams has chipped in with 22 receptions and fullback Ovie Mughelli has been a factor, too.
So if the Colts stack eight men at the line, the Ravens will be happy to put the ball in the air.
"It's good to be versatile, to be able to run the ball and throw the ball," Clayton said, "and when we throw the ball, we have options. We know that Mason can get open, Demetrius can get open, Todd Heap is open and myself. So, that's really good for us."
And tough for the Colts. Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy compared the Baltimore offense with that of the Chiefs, but gave the nod to Baltimore because of its wealth of wideouts.
"It's similar in a lot ways in that it's built on the running game, and utilizing their weaponry," Dungy said. "I think their wide receivers are probably a little more explosive, but it's similar in theory. ..."
Meanwhile, Ginsburg went on to note the Ravens are 9-1 since Billick fired offensive coordinator Jim Fassel and started calling the plays. Lewis has received plenty of work, but McNair has done much more than simply hand off the football.
"It's a lot of guys taking pressure off each other," Heap said. "Steve has done a good job of really going through his progressions and really not keying on one guy and not predetermining where he's going with the ball. He's done a good job of going through his reads and saying: 'OK, we'll take what the defense gives us. Let's hit the open guy."'
Said McNair: "That's a sign of a good offense and a good chemistry that we have. We can distribute the ball in so many different ways; they can't pinpoint where we're going to throw the ball."
Even Mughelli has gotten into the act. He entered the season with three career receptions and no carries in five career starts, but this year an integral part of the attack.
As the Sports Xchange noted on Monday, Mughelli has 21 catches for 182 yards and two touchdowns in the final nine games of the regular season after not making one reception in the first seven games.
"It's very gratifying," he said. "I don't want people to think I was arrogant or cocky because I'm not, but I knew I could help this team running and catching the ball."
Mughelli will provide the Colts one more thing to worry about.
"Last year, I was wide open and I wasn't ever an option," he said. "Now, they're using me to open things up for the running game and to pick up key first downs. It's such a big difference from before. ..."
In other notes of interest. ... Sun staffer Edward Lee reports that right guard Keydrick Vincent returned to practice Saturday for the first time in eight days since aggravating a strained groin, and left offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden made an appearance on the practice field for the first time since spraining his left big toe nearly three weeks ago.
Although Ogden worked out with trainer Bill Tessendorf while the rest of the team participated in drills during the portion of practice open to media yesterday, Billick sounded pleased that the team's 10-time Pro Bowl selection was back.
"Worked through it today," Billick said of Ogden. "We didn't want to put him in team drills, but Bill worked him pretty well. So we'll see how he progresses."
Ogden missed the final two regular-season games after suffering what he called "turf toe" in the Ravens' 27-17 win against the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 17. Adam Terry has played well in his place, but Ogden had said previously that he would be ready for the postseason. ...
In a semi-related note. ... McNair was sacked just 14 times, the second-fewest in his 12-year career. ...
As noted by the Xchange, Matt Stover finished the season as the league's most accurate kicker, converting 93.3 percent (28 of 30) of his field-goal attempts. That edged the Denver Broncos' Jason Elam's 93.1 percent rate (27 of 29).
Also according to the Xchange, the biggest concern for the Ravens entering the postseason is the return game. Baltimore lost punt returner-kick returner B.J. Sams to a broken ankle at the end of November.
The Ravens have used undrafted rookie Cory Ross as the return specialist but he lacks any explosion. Still, the Ravens say they are not considering using Clayton to run back punts.
Clayton hasn't returned a punt this season, but returned six punts for 30 yards in 2005 and he showed some ability in limited work as a returner in college. ...
And finally. ... According to Pro Football Weekly, Ravens observers can't quite figure why Mike Anderson isn't getting more work. Anderson had gains of 19 and 30 yards in two of his last eight carries of the regular season. Nonetheless, he does not appear to be a threat to take any of the workload away from Lewis.
Like a year ago when the Bears swarmed Jake Delhomme in the regular season, sacking the Carolina quarterback eight times with two interceptions in a 13-3 win.
But when the Panthers revisited Soldier Field nearly two months later for the playoffs, Delhomme passed for 319 yards and three touchdowns, and the Bears were sent home with a 29-21 loss after they couldn't contain Steve Smith.
Now it's the Seattle Seahawks coming to town for a rematch in Sunday's divisional playoff. They're not the same team Chicago pummeled 37-6 back on Oct. 1. The Bears have changed, too.
"Shaun Alexander is back and Jerramy Stevens is back, too, so it's going to be a whole different game," said Bears defensive back Ricky Manning Jr., who had two interceptions against Matt Hasselbeck in the first meeting three months ago. "They're definitely a better team now."
With 2005 MVP Alexander and tight end Stevens missing the first meeting with injuries, Hasselbeck's options were reduced. He was sacked five times and threw two interceptions.
But the Bears were playing with defensive tackle Tommie Harris and safety Mike Brown -- a pair of Pro Bowl players who have since been lost for the season with injuries. Harris sacked Hasselbeck twice.
During the first six games with both Harris and Brown playing, the Bears allowed an average of just under 10 points a game. With both Brown and Harris sidelined during the final month, Chicago gave up a little more than 26 points per game.
"They are a different football team, of course, having Alexander back. We're different, we've lost a couple of players, but it's playoff time right now and you never know what to expect," head coach Lovie Smith said.
Of course, as Gano pointed out, you can certainly say that about Rex Grossman, who was on a roll early on, a stretch that included a 17-of-31 passing performance for 232 yards with two TDs and no interceptions against Seattle.
Grossman has been all over the charts since, playing well in spots and very poorly in others. The Bears will no doubt try to run the ball -- Thomas Jones had 98 yards rushing in the earlier game against the Seahawks -- to take some pressure off Grossman.
Even though Seattle's secondary has been ravaged by injuries and leading receiver Darrell Jackson aggravated a turf toe injury in an opening win over Dallas, Smith sees the Seahawks sticking to what they know best.
"A team like the Seahawks has a system in place. They're not going to change their system. I've had a chance to play against a Mike Holmgren-type team since the days in Tampa," the coach said of his tenure as an assistant with the Bucs.
"Changes the formation, but they basically do the same things. We're the same way. We're not going to change our philosophy. They're not going to change their philosophy."
The Bears know they may not be the same team that routed Seattle earlier, but they also know that if they don't get past their opening playoff game, their 13-3 regular season will be a major disappointment.
The Bears will have had two weeks off since their last game, a lopsided 26-7 loss to Green Bay in what was a meaningless game for Chicago. Still, the loss stung.
"We lost our last game to our rival, we didn't play our best ball at the end of the football season, so it's not like we're an overconfident team right now," Smith said.
"We're an anxious football team to go out and play again and play better than we did last time. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... According to the Sports Xchange, there are questions about the team's rotation at running back heading into the postseason.
Over the final four weeks of the regular season, backup running back Cedric Benson had 59 carries, while Jones, the starter, had 49. Jones averaged 4.76 yards per carry in the final quarter of the season, while Benson averaged 4.73, and he had the only 100-yard game, getting 109 in the finale against the Packers.
"He's got his weight up, and he's close to 230. He's a load," Smith said of Benson. "Most of the time he's falling forward, getting positive yards. I think every time you see him carry the football, you see a confident running back, a guy that's getting more and more confidence every time he plays."
With Benson and Jones complementing each other, the Bears averaged 138 rushing yards over the last seven games of the regular season, 21 more than the NFL average and 31 more than they averaged in the first nine games this season. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner has been impressed by Benson's performance down the stretch.
"He's playing really well," Turner said. "He's running hard, running with confidence and playing really well, so we've gotten him more carries lately, and hopefully that'll continue."
So who's the Bears' No. 1 running back?
As the Xchange explained, the Bears started the season using Benson for a couple of possessions per game in relief of Jones, but their playing time evened out as the season progressed. In the Packers game, Benson played on three consecutive possessions, but Jones replaced him in passing situations, as the Bears consider Jones the better receiver.
Jones is fourth on the team with 36 receptions, but he's averaged just 4.3 yards per catch. Benson averaged 6.8 yards on eight catches.
Jones remains the starter, but he had a series of nagging injuries (ankle, ribs, groin) the past few weeks and has the wear and tear of 296 carries (for 1,210 yards) on his body. Benson is healthier and fresher, having carried just 157 times for 647 yards.
Each player averaged 4.1 yards per carry with six touchdowns and a long run of 30 yards.
Benson wasn't happy with his limited workload most of the season, but it could pay off in the postseason.
"There's no substitute for feeling good and being healthy going into the postseason," Benson said. "I don't know if that was the right choice or the best choice (during the season), but everything's working out good so far."
For the record, Smith seemed to indicate last week that Jones would get more carries, but he didn't say the Bears would go back to their early-season routine of giving Jones twice as many carries as Benson. As the Xchange pointed out, common sense says that once the game begins, the more productive player will get the most carries.
"Our trend as it's been all along is to play both running backs," Smith said. "The situations have allowed Cedric to play more lately. Of course, he's taken advantage of the reps he's gotten. But, as we go into the playoffs, Thomas Jones is our starter. He'll get the majority of the reps, and Cedric will be next in line. ..."
With Grossman coming off a disastrous performance, past performance says the Bears would be wise to give gives Jones and Benson all the carries they can handle. In the six games in which Grossman threw a total of 18 interceptions, the Bears ran the ball an average of 25 times a game. In the 10 games in which Grossman was picked off just twice, the Bears ran an average of 35.3 times.
"Anytime you can run the ball, that gives you an opportunity to wear a team out, especially during the second half of the game," Jones said. "It makes it a lot easier as far as the passing game because they may put a couple more guys in the box, and that may leave some more room for receivers to get open. A good running back definitely helps the passing game. ..."
For what it's worth. ... Grossman made the disturbing revelation that he was not prepared for the season finale against Green Bay. As The Sporting News noted, completing his first full season as a starter, he continued the frustrating trend of being really good (league-high seven games with a 100-plus pass rating) or downright benchable (five games with a passer rating of 36.8 or lower).
Grossman came out of the game with 0.0 rating, the lowest in NFL history, and turnovers remain a major problem.
"In this league, especially at this position, you have to bring it every single week no matter what," Grossman said later. "I felt like I was going to play about a half, and it was the last game, it was New Year's Eve, and there were so many other factors that brought my focus away from what is actually important.
"That's something that I am never going to do again. There's too much I'm responsible for to not give it 100 percent during the week and just (give it) the full attention. It's another lesson."
Seems like the kind of lesson that should have already been learned. ...
On the other hand. ... Pro Football Weekly suggested on Monday that even though Grossman's roller-coaster season is a concern, but the Bears continue to take solace in his resiliency.
The report went on to note the inconsistent signal caller has posted consecutive poor performances only once this season. Otherwise, in three other opportunities to rebound from disastrous outings, he has completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 698 yards, eight touchdowns and only one interception.
It'll be interesting to see if he follows that pattern this weekend. ...
According to Chicago Sun-Times staff reporter Roman Modrowski, Muhsin Muhammad wasn't thrilled with his footing while running on the resodded part of Soldier Field on Dec. 31, so he might not be too excited to learn the rest of the field has been resodded.
The area between the hash marks was resodded before the New Year's Eve game against Green Bay, and the rest of the field was resodded last week, according to Soldier Field general manager Tim LeFevour.
"We were concerned that the sod outside of the hash marks was torn up during the Dec. 31 game, so we resodded," LeFevour said. "Basically, it's a brand-new field."
The Bears and stadium management met after the Packers game and decided to resod. The project started last Tuesday and was finished Friday night.
"I had half-inch cleats in," Muhammad said. "Normally, I don't slide at all when you put something that long in, and I still was sliding a little bit.
"It was not the moisture that was on the grass; it was the stability of the surface. There was a lot of sand. It wasn't wet wet -- you know, muddy wet -- but it was just really soft. When you stuck your foot in the ground, it was not solid, it was not firm. It was a soft surface with a sandy bottom. It makes it tough."
LeFevour said the new sod "held up very well," and he expects the same result Sunday. ...
Also according to the Xchange, tight end Desmond Clark had seven catches for 125 yards in Game 14, but in the two games after and the six before, he had a total of 12 catches for only 110 yards. ... Receiver Rashied Davis has seven catches in the past eight games. ... Receiver Mark Bradley had five catches in the last six games, but he had a 75-yard TD in the regular-season finale. ...
According to Arlington Heights Daily Southtown staffer Gene Chamberlain, the Bears fielded a full squad for Monday's practice at a time when many playoff teams have long lists of injured players.
"We're getting a healthy group back," Smith said. "We'll put the best group we possibly could this time of the year on the field Sunday. So we like our chances."
Cornerback Charles Tillman (back spasms), fullback Jason McKie (sprained ankle) and safety Todd Johnson (sprained ankle) were all back at practice. Every Bear took part.
They'll have their starting cornerbacks on the field together for the first time since late in the Dec. 3 game against Minnesota, when starting cornerback Nathan Vasher pulled a hamstring.
McKie benefited greatly from the bye week. He hardly looked ready to play early last week, but thinks he'll be able to play against Seattle. ...
And finally. ... Defensive coordinator Ron Rivera is in the midst of a busy week, juggling head-coaching job interviews while preparing his group for next weekend's divisional-round playoff game.
Rivera interviewed for the Arizona Cardinals' opening on Wednesday. He and Turner also interviewed for the Dolphins' top job this week.
Indianapolis took full advantage of its home field on Saturday, but as Associated Press sports writer Michael Marot noted, this weekend, in the Colts' former hometown of Baltimore, they'll contend with the same issues from a different perspective. The Ravens now will have the home-field edge.
Dungy believes his team, one of the league's best road teams in recent years, is experienced enough to know what it will take to win.
"We've won in tough venues before, so I don't think we fear going on the road," the coach said Sunday, a day after advancing to the divisional round with a 23-8 victory over Kansas City. "We've just got to find a way to play better."
Sounds simple enough.
According to Marot, through Dungy's first four and a half seasons as coach, the Colts (13-4) proved masterful road warriors, going 28-8 and never losing more than three road games during a regular season. Some even argued Indy was better outside the RCA Dome than inside it.
Earlier this season, the Colts won at two of the NFL's toughest venues, Denver and New England, in back-to-back weeks and also won twice in four weeks at The Meadowlands, which is notoriously windy.
Recently, though, they've struggled.
Indianapolis enters this week's game trying to snap a four-game road losing streak that includes two losses on long field goals as time expired.
While the stumbles didn't prevent the Colts from winning their fourth straight AFC South title or becoming the second team in league history with four consecutive 12-win seasons, it did cost them a first-round bye.
Dungy believes it won't take much for Indy to revert to its old form.
"I think it is a fine line," Dungy said. "We have struggled lately, but what we've got to do is find a way to duplicate what we did yesterday -- and play better."
The perception around the league is that the Colts' style isn't conducive to playing outdoors in the cold, blustery weather typical of January. Past playoff performances have reinforced that image.
In nine seasons, two-time MVP Peyton Manning is 3-2 in home playoff games, 1-4 on the road -- with the lone victory coming on a mild, sunny day in Kansas City three years ago.
But as Marot reminded readers, going to Baltimore creates additional problems.
The Ravens (13-3) won the AFC North with an aggressive defense that thrives on mistakes and uses quick, hard-hitting players to shut down opposing offenses.
Add to that a crowd that will likely include many fans who are still bitter about the way the Colts departed Baltimore in March 1984, leaving the city without an NFL team for more than a decade.
The Colts have played in Baltimore twice since moving to Indy with mixed results. They lost 38-31 in 1998, Manning's rookie season, and won 24-7 in the 2005 season opener.
But this is the first time they've been back for a playoff game, and the high stakes are likely to evoke strong emotions.
"Playing Baltimore is tough enough," Manning said after Saturday's game. "Add to that the fact you have to go there, which I think is one of the tougher places to play. It will be a tremendous challenge."
Dungy spent Sunday urging his team to play with the same energy, focus and aggressiveness it did against the Chiefs. He also added one caveat: playing error-free.
"You have to like what they do on defense," Dungy said. "But every defense has strengths and weaknesses and we never feel we can go any place and not move the ball. They overwhelm you defensively and they're very tough to run on. We just have to be able to keep our composure. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... In an article published Sunday, AP sports columnist Nancy Armour suggested the Colts might be wise to tell Manning the regular season runs into January.
As Armour explained: "Because the minute he gets anywhere near the NFL playoffs, the quarterback who is quite possibly the best of his generation in the regular season looks more like a scrub. ..."
Against the Chiefs, Armour noted, Manning looked "indecisive and skittish," making bad decisions, overthrowing his receivers and "dancing around with happier feet than a penguin."
The only reason he got away with it was because the Chiefs were even worse. The Ravens aren't.
Armour conceded Manning is a great quarterback. He's a two-time NFL MVP who has led his team to a league-best 89 victories in the regular season during the last eight years.
His gaudy numbers put him in exclusive company with the likes of John Elway, Dan Marino, Brett Favre, Unitas and Joe Montana.
But while Marino is dogged for never having won the big one, the knock on Manning is worse: He can't even get there. As dominant as he is in the regular season, he looks downright ordinary in the playoffs.
Manning is now 4-6 in the postseason, with two of those wins coming courtesy of lesser Chiefs teams.
It should be noted that -- his three interceptions aside -- Manning completed an impressive 30-of-38 passes for 268 yards and one touchdown against the Chiefs as he spread the ball between eight different receivers.
Two of his interceptions were the results of communication breakdowns with receiver Marvin Harrison.
"Obviously those were poor throws," he admitted. "It was kind of rare, two kinds of miscommunications between Marvin and I, both of which were my fault. In nine years, I can't think of how many times that has happened. But he and I were just not on the same page and that is my fault."
According to Indianapolis Star News staffer Mike Chappell, Manning realizes he needs to pick up the pace. He certainly needs to avoid the kind of INTs he tossed last Saturday.
"Obviously you feel you have had some missed opportunities, but you can't sit around and feel sorry for yourself or be mad about it. You've got to go out and do something about it. ..."
As Terre Haute Tribune-Star correspondent Tom James reported, rookie running back Joseph Addai found out late last week that he was going to be starting against the Chiefs on Saturday.
Addai made his first NFL starting assignment a memorable one as he rushed for a game-high 122 yards in 25 carries and had a six-yard touchdown run to help pace the Colts to the win over Kansas City. He posted the sixth 100-yard rushing game in franchise playoff history.
The 122 yards in the third highest rushing total in franchise postseason history behind Zack Crockett's 147 yards against San Diego (Dec. 31, 1995) and Edgerrin James' 125 yards at Kansas City (Jan. 11, 2004).
"Before the game, I was pretty amped up. But when the game finally get started, I was able to settle down and was able to relax," he said Saturday, adding that a case of leg cramps late in the game won't keep him from playing this week against Baltimore in an AFC divisional playoff game. "I'm all right. I was cramping up a little bit, but other than that I'm all right."
Addai impressed Manning with his first official start, but then he's been impressed with the first-year runner all season long.
"It's the same thing that I have been saying all year. He has picked things up extremely fast. I think playing in the [Southeastern Conference] and play at [Louisiana State] prepared him for playing in the NFL. He has really adjusted quickly," he said.
"He has allowed us to run our offense the same as we have for the past nine years. He and Dominic [Rhodes] have both allowed us to run the same play and be as complex with our offense and our system as we have been. That is a real credit to both guys, especially for a rookie running back. ..."
"We felt this was the time to give him a start," Dungy said. "We got some big runs from Joseph early in (last week's) game, and Dominic came in and gave us some juice off the bench, and we'll probably do the same thing this week."
As Marot suggested Tuesday, Addai's emergence could create an interesting chess match for the Baltimore Ravens in this Saturday's divisional-round game.
If they stack the line of scrimmage, to shut down the run, Manning could take advantage by throwing in the middle of the field. If they back off and play umbrella coverage with seven or eight defenders, Manning won't hesitate to let Addai carry it.
Certainly not with Addai playing this well. ...
Also according to James, tight end Dallas Clark's nine receptions marked the third-highest amount of catches in a postseason game in franchise history. Raymond Berry had 12 catches against the New York Giants, in December of 1958 and Reggie Wayne had nine against Denver on Jan. 9, 2005.
Clark had missed four games late in the season when he suffered a sprained anterior cruciate ligament against Philadelphia on November 26. ...
According to Pro Football Weekly, for the Colts to be at peak efficiency in the playoffs, success in three-wide formations is imperative. And their best hope for success in that regard just revolves around fourth-year wideout Aaron Moorehead, a relative nonfactor in the offense until he caught three passes in Indy's Monday-night victory over Cincinnati in Week 15 and followed that up six days later with a great nine-yard TD catch off a deflected ball in the loss to Houston.
Team insiders tell PFW they like the mismatches the 6-3 Moorehead poses against smaller cornerbacks and have been hoping to get him on the field more often.
As the Sports Xchange noted this week, while Moorehead's stats are modest, he has come up with drive-continuing catches or touchdowns in his last three games.
With recent veteran pickup Ricky Proehl limited by a hamstring injury, Harrison and Moorehead are the best bets to be used outside in most three-wide sets in the playoffs -- with Wayne operating selflessly in the slot where his speed and quickness in the middle of the field and his run-after-the-catch ability would make him consistently dangerous.
Clark could also figure in three-WR looks. ...
Place-kicker Adam Vinatieri, with his three field goals Saturday, tied the franchise record for the most field goals made in a post-season game.
As SI.com insider Don Banks put it Sunday: "That's why the Colts went out and got Vinatieri -- for exactly this time of year. ..."
Vinatieri joins Cary Blanchard (at Pittsburgh, Jan. 14, 1996) and Mike Vanderjagt (vs. Tennessee, Jan. 16, 2000 and at Miami, Dec. 30, 2000). The 50-yard field goal that he made at the first half tied the franchise record for the longest field goal (set by Vanderjagt against Miami, Dec. 30, 2000).
Also worth noting. ... Vinatieri is now 15-of-15 in the RCA Dome this season, and 26-of-26 in his career under that particular roof. ...
And finally. ... Other than Addai's leg cramps, the Colts reported no injuries after the Wild-Card game. Still, Addai showed up listed as questionable with an unspecified chest injury Tuesday. Addai didn't practice, but the AP advised readers it appears the rookie play as usual.
Dungy reiterated that belief during his Wednesday press conference. It might be worth noting that Dungy suggested Addai wasn't injured so much as just sore. ...
Safety Bob Sanders, still recovering from a knee injury, practiced Tuesday and is also expected to play as usual.
Offensive guard Ryan Lilja (knee) and Proehl (hamstring) sat out as pre-game inactives. Their availability for the Ravens game won't be determined until later this week.
Remember, those looking for injury updates as the week progresses will find them in the News & Views section of the site. I will also be posting the officially daily injury report updates as they are released by the league office through Friday afternoon. ...
The Pats visit top-seeded San Diego on Sunday for a chance to play in the AFC Championship game.
"We're going to have to play a whole lot better than we played (Sunday)," said corner Asante Samuel, who returned a Chad Pennington interception for the clinching score. "We made a couple of errors, gave up a couple of big plays. We can't do that against a good team like the Chargers or we won't be playing again."
The Pats took care of business to guarantee a rematch with the team that ended their 21-game home winning streak on Oct. 2, 2005. Those Pats were playing without safety Rodney Harrison and left tackle Matt Light, among others. They lost ill-advised fullback Richard Seymour to a knee injury in a 41-17 loss.
"No fullback for me this time," Seymour said. "They can put me at wideout if they want to throw me the ball."
That shouldn't be necessary. Unlike their first two encounters with the Jets, the Patriots moved the ball consistently all afternoon yesterday, rushing for 158 yards and riding another top-shelf effort from quarterback Tom Brady (22-of-34, 212 yards, two TDs), who finally appears comfortable with new faces such as Jabar Gaffney.
But as Tomase went on to suggest, beating the "happy-to-be-here Jets" was one thing. Taking down the league's elite team (14-2) on its home field will be quite another, particularly considering the thrashing the Patriots absorbed last season.
Chief among their concerns will be stopping running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who is coming off the greatest individual season in NFL history after scoring a record 31 touchdowns and throwing two more for good measure.
Tomlinson has faced the Patriots three times in his career, averaging 142 yards and scoring five touchdowns. He obliterated them in 2002, rushing for 217 yards and two scores, showing everyone how weak the Pats were up the middle minus nose tackle Ted Washington. They have rectified that weakness with Vince Wilfork.
"He's a back that can do it all," said Pro Bowl-bound Seymour, who will try to slow Tomlinson from his defensive end position. "He can make all the runs, all the cuts. He's an inside runner and an outside runner. We'll definitely have to throw the house at him, but we'll be ready to go."
Chargers All-Pro linebacker Shawne Merriman threw fuel on the fire Sunday by saying during a halftime TV interview that he thought the Jets were going to beat the Patriots. That comment undoubtedly will draw some attention during the week, but for yesterday anyway, the Pats said all the right things.
"They have the best rusher in the league, they have the best record in the league, and they probably have the best team in the league," said former Chargers wideout Reche Caldwell.
Wilfork took it one step further.
"Hands down the best team in the NFL," he said. "They have weapons everywhere in all three phases of the game."
"We're going into a hostile environment," Seymour added. "It's going to be like [Michael] Jordan coming into the Garden. We'll be ready."
And they have some improving offensive weapons of their own -- despite being without two of their best players from last season.
According to Associated Press sports writer Howard Ulman, Gaffney and Caldwell made up for the absence of Deion Branch. And rookie Stephen Gostkowski's perfect day at making field goals put memories of clutch kicker Adam Vinatieri far in the background.
Gaffney led the Patriots with eight catches for 104 yards and Gostkowski was 3-for-3 on field goals as New England beat the New York Jets 37-16 on Sunday.
"We keep playing like that, we can make it a long ways," said Caldwell, who caught five passes Sunday and joined the Patriots this season after leaving San Diego as a free agent. "Jabar Gaffney made some key plays."
Branch was traded to Seattle after a contract holdout. And David Givens, the Patriots second-best receiver last year, signed as a free agent with Tennessee.
The receivers "were clicking. Jabar did a great job," Caldwell said. "I think we're just improving each week and it's showing on Sundays."
Gaffney had three receptions, all for first downs, on the game's opening drive that led to Corey Dillon's 11-yard scoring run.
"That was probably his best week of practice all year," Brady said of Gaffney, who joined the Patriots this season after being released by Houston. "He was the guy that was singled (on coverage) a lot out there. He really played well in his first playoff game ever."
"Tom's been harping all year that if we get open, he's going to get us the ball," tight end Daniel Graham, who had a 1-yard touchdown reception in the 37-16 win, told the Boston Globe. "Today was Jabar's day. He made some big catches. He's been making catches, big catches for us since he got here. I think the comfort level with him is finally there and it's peaking at the right time."
There is, of course, an alternate view on this situation. As SI.com insider Don Banks put it: "Brady is so good he can make Gaffney look like a productive, big-play receiver. That says it all."
Not surprisingly, Brady doesn't see it that way.
"[Gaffney has] worked extremely hard," the QB explained. "He fits in very well here because he's smart, he's tough, he loves playing football. He's very coachable. This isn't an easy offense for a receiver. So over the course of eight, nine [actually 13] weeks he's really picked things up. He's playing really well for us.
"Made some really nice catches. We were definitely trying to get him the ball."
Gaffney has also made it hard to keep him off the field.
"He's learned all of the positions," head coach Bill Belichick said. "He's played X. He's played Z. He's played in the slot and he's a smart kid, a good route runner. He's done a great job of picking up the system. He works as hard as anybody. He's given us some quality plays this year. I was just happy for him and all of the receivers, the tight ends.
"Offensively we had a lot of production across the board, a lot of different guys. That's what you always like to see, is that kind of balance and good team execution. ..."
That extends to Gostkowski as well. He kicked field goals of 20, 40 and 28 yards -- the last giving the Patriots a 23-13 lead with four seconds left in the third quarter.
As Ulman suggested, for one week, at least, he answered fans who questioned his ability to perform in big games the way Vinatieri did in kicking game-winners in two Super Bowls.
"We don't bring guys in here that can't handle the pressure," second-year Patriots cornerback Ellis Hobbs said. "The one thing you can say about all of us is we're always prepared. Steve has always been prepared. The pressure is there, but we know how to handle it. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... In an item published Monday, Globe beat writer Mike Reiss advised readers that rookie Laurence Maroney was on the field for 34 of 72 (47.2 percent) offensive snaps against the Jets.
Dillon was on the field for 19 of 72 (26.3 percent); third down back Kevin Faulk was also in on 19 of 72.
Reiss went on to advise readers it was interesting to note that Maroney had 16 second-half snaps, while Dillon had five and Faulk five. As Reiss suggested, "That the Patriots were comfortable turning to Maroney in such critical situations is a sign of how he is viewed by the coaching staff. ..."
According to the Sports Xchange, Brady improved his career playoff record to 11-1 (.917), and did not throw an interception in his 34 attempts, improving his NFL-record low playoff interception percentage to .012 (five interceptions in 401 attempts). Additionally, Brady improved his career marks to:
That ain't bad. ...
On the injury front. ... Pretty much business as usual this week -- although Harrison (knee) has been ruled out.
Watson (knee), receiver (ankle) and fullback Heath Evans (shin) are questionable. There seems to be little doubt that Watson will play although all three players were held out of full-team drills Wednesday.
Brady is listed as probable -- as usual -- with a sore right shoulder. Faulk, bothered by a sore knee in recent weeks, is not listed this time around. ...
Remember, those looking for injury updates as the week progresses will find them in the News & Views section of the site. I will also be posting the officially daily injury report updates as they are released by the league office through Friday afternoon. ...
In case you missed it, Belichick was so intent on hugging former protege Eric Mangini after Sunday's victory that he shoved aside a Globe cameraman to meet him.
After refusing to address the incident Sunday, the coach called the photographer at home to apologize.
"I do feel bad about that," Belichick said on Boston radio station WEEI. "I really didn't mean to hit him up high there. I was trying to just push him out of the way and get to Eric. It wasn't. ... it certainly wasn't called for, so I. ... I wish that hadn't happened."
Belichick's lukewarm handshakes with Jets head coach Mangini after two regular-season matchups had drawn much attention. There was much speculation what would happen between the two coaches after the wild-card matchup.
"I've got to tell you, I wasn't focused on that moment. It was nice, but I honestly wasn't thinking about that," Mangini said about the hug with Belichick. ...
And finally. ... Patriots executive Scott Pioli turned down a request to interview for the GM's job with the Giants.
"I am very honored to be granted the opportunity to discuss a potential position with the New York Giants," Pioli said in a statement issued by the Patriots on Monday. "After careful consideration, and for personal reasons, I am continuing in my current role with the New England Patriots."
The Giants started a search to replace retiring general manager Ernie Accorsi late in the season, and it's no surprise they focused on Pioli, the Patriots' vice president of player personnel.
The 41-year-old is a two-time winner of The Sporting News' George Young NFL Executive of the Year award. That he declined a chance to interview for what many observers viewed as a job he would be greatly interested in seems to indicate Pioli is more than satisfied with his role in New England.
In fact, this marks at least the second time Pioli has declined a chance to go out on his own; in February 2005, the Seahawks were granted permission to speak with him. Pioli never aggressively pursued the Seattle job, and in July 2005 he signed a contract extension with the Patriots for an undisclosed length of time.
"This is nine weeks later," head coach Sean Payton said Monday. "A lot takes place in the course of the year. I think the teams are different."
Martel went on to point out that Donovan McNabb was still at quarterback when the Eagles last arrived in New Orleans at 4-1 and lost on a late field goal. Donte' Stallworth, traded by the Saints to Philadelphia just before the regular season, did not play because of a hamstring injury.
Stallworth, who had 725 yards receiving and five TDs during the regular season, is expected to play Saturday night in the divisional playoff game. Rejuvenated veteran Jeff Garcia, who connected with Stallworth for a touchdown in a playoff victory over the Giants on Sunday, will be the throwing the passes.
And with the Eagles on a six-game winning streak, Payton was quick to downplay the results of Oct. 15, a 27-24 Saints win.
"What helps is you have 16 weeks of games on film, you've got the preseason, you've got the game you played against them the last time, you've got the playoff game, in our case, that they played against New York," Payton said. "That's what you spend time on."
After working out last Thursday and Friday, Martel reports the Saints dedicated Monday to meetings as well as strength and conditioning work before hitting the practice field Tuesday. Players remained out of sight Monday, with only Payton emerging to talk to reporters.
The Eagles were reeling in midseason and have had games with relatively high stakes every week since. They are now one of the hottest teams in the NFC.
"You want to be playing good football as you enter the postseason," Payton said. "You need to credit Philadelphia to be able to make an adjustment midstream, especially (losing) a player like a Donovan McNabb.
"Jeff's done a great job of executing the game plans that they've put together. He's gotten the ball to his playmakers, he's made good decisions and he hasn't turned it over. As a result, they've won a bunch of games now."
New Orleans will be well-rested, having played the starters little in the last regular-season game before getting additional rest during the bye week.
"I don't anticipate being rusty," Payton said. "We'll be ready to play. ..."
Well. ... Those who are healthy enough will be ready to play.
In what the New Orleans Times-Picayune characterized as "a setback" Wednesday morning, Joe Horn sat out significant portions of practice Tuesday, still bothered by the groin injury that caused him to miss the last four games of the regular season.
Payton said Horn, who had a pair of big touchdown catches in the victory over Philadelphia the first time around, is questionable for the rematch.
"I was disappointed he wasn't able to practice," Payton said. "I think he's doing everything he can to get ready."
Horn did participate in Monday's strength and conditioning work. And Payton said Horn has done "some things that are encouraging," since returning to practice last Friday. But. ...
"[Tuesday] there was some soreness that came back," Payton said. "There's still enough soreness that keeps him from going full speed."
Horn, who had 37 catches for 679 yards and four touchdowns during the regular season, smiled when reminded that his best game of the season came against the Eagles, when he had six catches for 110 yards and touchdowns of 14 and 48 yards.
"I'm trying to get on the football field, you know? That game was the past," Horn said.
Horn remained adamant that he's doing everything he can to play.
"You win or you go home, and I don't want to have to sit on the sideline and witness that," Horn said. "I want to play in that football game and give everything I have. I want to be able to play, to help this organization and this city win a football game."
Payton, however, has been determined not to let emotion be a factor in whether he includes Horn among the 46 who dress for the game.
"You've got to separate that. When you're looking at 46 on a roster and all of a sudden, that guy can't play and you were hoping he could, all of a sudden now you're down to 45," Payton said. "And so you had to put someone else inactive that may be able to help on special teams or might be able to help in another area."
Several of Horn's teammates, however, seemed convinced the veteran receiver is going to be ready to play.
"Just being around him, I know he's ready to get back," running back Reggie Bush said. "He's a playmaker. He's a fighter and I know once he gets on that field it's going to be all out. ..."
Also on the injury front. ... The Sports Xchange reports that reserve halfback Aaron Stecker may be ready for this week's game after being held out of the regular-season finale with a hamstring injury. Tight end Mark Campbell did not play in the final regular-season game to rest his injured left knee, but should be ready for the divisional playoff game.
Receiver Terrance Copper injured his left foot in a Dec. 24 against the New York Giants and his status for Saturday's game is unknown. ...
Remember, those looking for injury updates as the week progresses will find them in the News & Views section of the site. I will also be posting the officially daily injury report updates as they are released by the league office through Friday afternoon. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Also as noted by the Xchange, Drew Brees set single-season club records for passing yards (4,418), completion percentage (64.3) and passer rating (96.3) while becoming just the second quarterback in franchise history to be named to the Pro Bowl.
He was sacked just 18 times, but a lot of that had to do with his ability to make plays on the run.
Brees led the NFL in passing yards and completed 356 of 554 passes with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with an average gain of 8.0 yards per passing attempt. Six players caught at least 20 passes and four had at least 600 receiving yards. Rookies Bush and Marques Colston were outstanding with 158 catches, 1,782 yards and 10 TDs between them.
Because the passing attack was so effective, the Xchange argues they didn't run the ball as much as they did in the past. They finished the season with 1,761 yards and a 3.7 average with 19 TDs.
Deuce McAllister came back from an ACL injury to record his fourth 1,000-yard rushing season with 1,057 yards and a 4.3 average and 10 TDs despite sitting out the final game because the Saints had already wrapped up a bye in the playoffs. Bush added 545 yards and six scores. ...
Getting back to Horn. ... Pro Football Weekly suggests the Saints aren't too worried that Horn may have lost a step because of the groin injury; they would just happy to have his sure hands back in the lineup.
Times-Picayune staffer Mike Triplett lent further credence to that notion, conceding that he's no longer the centerpiece of the offense -- but arguing the veteran's presence makes the offense better.
For one, Horn is a reliable receiver, especially in clutch situations.
He has never played this deep into the playoffs before, and he will want to savor the opportunity. Almost as important Triplett suggests, the Saints' receiving corps falls into place a lot more when Horn is in the lineup.
Horn, Bush and Colston are the go-to possession receivers.
Devery Henderson is better as a situational-but-dangerous deep threat. Copper is also a capable backup. He and Henderson have made a nice impact this year, but they struggled with drops when they were vaulted into more pressure-packed situations. ...
Several Saints were named to USA Today's 15th annual "All-Joe team," which is made up of players and coaches who fill "football's truly thankless positions where the results don't show up in individual statistics."
Players selected were guard Jamar Nesbit, Campbell, Henderson, fullback Mike Karney and weak-side linebacker Scott Shanle. Payton was also selected to the team. ...
The Saints brought back kickoff specialist Billy Cundiff on Tuesday for the playoffs. Cundiff initially was signed before the Saints' victory at Atlanta on Nov. 26 and handled kickoffs through Week 16.
He was waived during the final week of the regular season as part of a move to bring in offensive or defensive reserves who spelled starters in New Orleans' regular season finale -- a game with no playoff implications as the Saints already had clinched the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
Veteran kicker John Carney has handled field goals throughout the season, but Cundiff gave the Saints better height and distance on kickoffs, something Payton believed was needed to win field position battles.
New Orleans also officially reactivated Hollis Thomas, a move that had been expected since he finished serving a four-game suspension on Jan. 1.
To make room for Cundiff and Thomas on the 53-player active roster, the Saints placed longtime special teams veteran Fred McAfee on injured reserve, ending McAfee's season. They also waived defensive end Trevor Johnson, whose only action was in the regular-season finale against Carolina. ...
And finally. ... Payton was the overwhelming choice for NFL Coach of the Year, mostly because of the way he rebuilt a Saints team that finished 3-13 last season and helped revitalize the city of New Orleans.
But Triplett contends it's Payton's skills as a game planner and play-caller that will make the biggest difference during the Saints' playoff run.
Triplett went on to suggest that in his first year on the job, Payton was reminiscent of Philadelphia coach Andy Reid or Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden. He installed a West Coast style offense with plenty of creative wrinkles that kept defenses off-balance.
The Saints were both versatile and deep on offense -- they used a half-dozen receivers, as well as tailbacks, tight ends and fullbacks, in key situations. Bush was used a number of different ways, both as a runner and a receiver.
Payton's game plans were particularly impressive in big games, the highlight coming against former boss Bill Parcells in Dallas. The Saints had the league's No. 1 ranked offense in the regular season, and Payton will have had two weeks to add some new wrinkles by the time this weekend rolls around.
With the divisional-round game against the New Orleans Saints coming up very quickly, this is a time for him to build the team's confidence and not dwell on the mistakes and inconsistencies that made the opening win tougher than it needed to be.
"I don't want to say that we dodged a bullet," Reid said Monday. "I think our guys played very hard, and we knew it was going to be one of those knock-down, drag-out fights. That's how it is when we play the Giants. They're all the same. The game comes right down to the end, and this one wasn't any different."
Which Ford suggested is fine -- and the Eagles did play hard on every snap -- but it overlooks the fact that just three weeks earlier, their game in the Meadowlands against the Giants wasn't that sort of affair. In fact, in the last half of the season, as they lost six of eight games, the Giants were not much of a team.
The Saints, on the other hand, are. ...
But as Delaware County Times columnist Jack McCaffrey argued Tuesday, the Eagles certainly aren't the same team the Saints beat on Oct. 15 in the Superdome.
That Eagles offense threw 32 passes and ran 19 times. And as it did, it lost. Indeed, the Eagles were a team at the time that was about to do a whole lot of losing. In fact, Philadelphia would lose five of their next six, lose all momentum from a nice 4-1 start and, ultimately, lose Donovan McNabb to injury.
At the time, Reid was still committed to a play chart, and to calling every offensive maneuver. Then, Jeff Garcia was little more than a scout-team quarterback. Then, Shawn Andrews was still a developing young player, not a Pro Bowl guard. Then, Brian Westbrook was still being used delicately in practice, to better save him for later.
Then, as McCaffrey stressed, the Eagles "were different. ... So, so different from the team that will re-enter the Superdome Saturday night with a chance to win a spot in the NFC final for the fifth time in six years.
"Different. ... And better. ..."
"Well, I think it will be on both sides," Reid was saying Monday. "They're a little different and we're a little different. They weren't quite sure what kind of football team they were at that time and I think they know what kind of team they are now. And we're a little bit different just with the quarterback situation. So, we'll see. We'll see how it all works out."
The last time, it worked out by New Orleans scoring the first 10 points, the last 10 points and a 27-24 victory when the Eagles' defense couldn't find its way off the field when it counted. But McCaffrey explained, if there is a theme to the Eagles' march to the NFL's Elite Eight, it is that when some other programs stagnated, they continued to grow.
And in recent weeks, the Eagles have grown close to unbeatable.
By now, the reasons for that development are well understood. Garcia has guided a newer, better, more pure version of the West Coast offense, completing what McNabb so often left unfinished. The offensive line -- then, still earning an identity -- continued to play together, starting every game.
Now, it bulldozes defenses, springing Westbrook and Correll Buckhalter free, and the Eagles are winning the way real football teams win.
Different. ... And better.
"We've been doing it these last few weeks and we've gotten better and better," Westbrook said. "Coach Reid has confidence in it. The offensive line has confidence in themselves and they have confidence in me. If they cover up their man, then we will get the job done.
"And they've been doing a great job these last few weeks."
So has Westbrook. ... As Associated Press sports writer Dan Gelston suggested after Sunday's win, "Knocked for being too small or too fragile, Westbrook was sturdy enough to dazzle the Giants and keep the Eagles' title hopes alive."
Gelston went on to suggest that Garcia wasn't the only Eagle to benefit from McNabb's absence.
The 5-foot-8 Westbrook backed up years of talk that he should be running the ball more often and thrived as the Eagles started running more with McNabb down, finishing with his first 1,000-yard season.
With 141 yards against the Giants, Westbrook now owns the third biggest running performance in Eagles playoff history -- again, all while fighting some kind of stomach ailment that Westbrook said hit him in the second quarter and kept on hitting.
As the Sports Xchange suggested, none of Westbrook's 141 yards were bigger than the 34 he gained on the clock-eating, five-minute drive that set up David Akers' game-winning field goal. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Also according to the Xchange, Garcia's most important statistic Sunday was zero.
As in zero interceptions.
He has thrown just two interceptions in seven starts since replacing McNabb. Otherwise, Garcia had an unremarkable game. He completed 17 of 31 passes for only 153 yards and one touchdown.
"Thankfully, we live another day and we can clean up what we didn't do today," Garcia said after the game. "And hopefully, get better next week." Said Reid: "He was off by a hair on a couple of throws, but he'll make those. That's going to happen."
Meanwhile, Trenton Times beat man Mark Eckel advised readers this week that since Garcia took over, the team has been getting excellent play from its entire group of receivers.
Stallworth has been consistent, when healthy, most of the season and provides the team's biggest big-play threat. No. 2 receiver Reggie Brown has played much better and is catching everything thrown his way with Garcia at quarterback.
Brown caught just six passes in a stretch of four games, of which the team lost three. He came back to catch 15 passes, including a 60-yarder and a 40-yarder, in the next four games -- all wins.
The backups -- Greg Lewis, Hank Baskett and Jason Avant -- have also played well down the stretch. ... In fact, Eckel notes that Baskett has emerged as a reliable target and is being used more and more as the team's No. 3 receiver, both in the slot and out wide.
At 6-4 and 220 pounds, Baskett has the ideal size for Reid's West Coast offense.
He also has shown better than advertised speed and big-play ability. Thought of as red-zone threat when the team acquired him in a trade with Minnesota before the season, Baskett has scored on two 80-yard touchdown passes this season. The team feels he has a good future in the offense. ...
As the Xchange framed it: "Everything Reid touches turns to gold these days. ..." This in the wake of a bold roster move.
As Eckel explained it, concerned over the confidence of Akers, who has hit on 78 percent of his field goals this season, had three misses inside 40 yards and the shortest miss of his career -- a 23-yarder -- Reid brought back his long-time holder Koy Detmer for the postseason.
Akers has often called Detmer "the best holder in the league" and the team hoped that having him back would get Akers back to his Pro Bowl form.
It wasn't just the holding of punter Dirk Johnson, who seemed to be fine, but with a new long snapper in Jon Dorenbos for the injured Mike Bartrum, the team wanted some familiarity for the kicker.
But in a bit of a gamble, A.J. Feeley, who would replace Garcia if he got hurt, was the No. 3 quarterback against the Giants. Detmer was the No. 2 QB leaving open a roster spot for another contributor.
Still, NFL rules stipulate that as the No. 3 -- or emergency QB -- had Feeley entered the game at any time before the third quarter, neither Garcia nor Detmer could have returned in any capacity.
It turned out to be a non-issue -- this time. ...
And finally. ... Reid confirmed Monday that cornerback Lito Sheppard will miss Saturday night's game with a dislocated elbow.
Rod Hood, the Eagles' veteran nickel corner, will replace Sheppard in the starting lineup Saturday. William James, who has missed six of the last seven games with injuries, will move into Hood's old nickel spot. The Eagles' fourth corner will be Joselio Hanson.
Reid didn't seem concerned about his secondary's ability to defend the pass Saturday.
"Hanson has played very well for us," he said. He doesn't get a lot of pats on the back, but he's always around the football. Rod, we've always considered him a guy who can go in and start for us and do a good job. He's done that.
"Will James, he hasn't had a chance to play much, but when he did, he's made some big plays."
The three-time world champions are headed to San Diego and will face the Chargers on Sunday in a AFC divisional playoff game.
"That's a good football team," head coach Marty Schottenheimer said. "The biggest thing they got going for them is they have been there a bunch of times and they know how it works. They know the way they have to go about it: the preparation and the execution."
There couldn't be a bigger contrast between the teams than at the quarterback position and at head coach.
The Patriots' Tom Brady, who threw two touchdown passes in Sunday's wild-card win over the New York Jets, has a 11-1 playoff record. He won three Super Bowls before his 28th birthday, was twice the game's MVP and has tossed only five interceptions in 12 postseason games.
In Philip Rivers, 24, the Chargers counter with a first-year starting quarterback making his playoff debut.
"You got Tom Brady, who knows how to win," linebacker Shawne Merriman said. "He may not always have the best talent on the team, but when you have a team that's been down that road so many times, they know how to react in those situations. That is what kind of sticks out."
Paris went on to point out the post-season marks of the two coaches is equally lopsided. Belichick was at the helm of those Super Bowl triumphs, en route to a 12-2 postseason record.
"He knows how to use every tool that he has on the team," Merriman said. "He is a great coach and he's one of those guys that uses that 3-4 (defensive) scheme effectively."
Schottenheimer is 5-12 in the playoffs, has lost five in a row, and has never advanced to the Super Bowl despite three AFC Championship Game appearances.
The Chargers are well aware of all this. ... "But we still intend to show up," Schottenheimer said Monday.
The clubs squared off last season, and the Chargers snapped the two-time defending world champions' 21-game home winning streak. In the 41-17 rout, LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 134 yards and two scores.
But as Paris noted, matching up with the Patriots in October and in January are two different animals.
"I think they raise their level of play," said Merriman, the NFL sack leader at 17. "They know how to win.
"When they see that light in the tunnel, they say, 'We have been down that tunnel before, so we know what it is at the end.' And that makes them go a little harder than what they did earlier on, and that is what they've been doing."
Right tackle Shane Olivea recognizes the difficulty of tangling with the NFL's No. 6-ranked defense.
"You know they are going to give you a ton of different looks," Olivea said. "They are going to be really disciplined. They are going to be a very physical, aggressive. They are a team where you have to match them."
The Chargers, who have won 10 consecutive games, were sacked only 28 times this season. But Olivea realizes the Patriots will deliver their best shot.
"They are going to hit you, they are going to shove you late, they are going to push you late," Olivea said. "They are one of those teams, from the snap, that you can't take their crap, so to speak. If they shove, you got to shove them back. They kind of thrive off that: hitting, shoving guys and doing things. They are a team that is going to play hard all the time."
Paris added that among the game's keys is the Chargers' stout running game, led by the NFL's MVP in Tomlinson, against the Patriots' rush defense. Tomlinson, the NFL's rushing king with 1,815 yards, will test the league's No. 5 run defense. It allowed just 94.2 rushing yards per game in the regular season.
According to the Sports Xchange, Tomlinson eyes that Pats' defense and it's obvious to him where the strength lies.
"To me it's the front seven," Tomlinson said. "The defensive linemen and the linebackers. That is the core of their defense."
Tomlinson, though, has fared well in three games against the Patriots, rushing for 425 yards and five touchdowns.
If the Chargers are successful on early running downs, it will take some pressure off Rivers. Production from Tomlinson will keep Rivers away from obvious passing situations, when the defensive-minded Belichick can unleash his confusing blitz packages.
Meanwhile, San Diego Union-Tribune staffer Jay Posner suggested on Tuesday that Rivers figured to be in the spotlight this week regardless of the Chargers' opponent. Not only is it the nature of his position, but it's also his first post-season start, and he had more than one sub-par game late in the season.
Rivers was not available for comment Monday, but tight end Antonio Gates said there's no reason for Chargers fans to be worried.
"He's overcome that adversity (inexperience) coming into the season," Gates said. "I'm expecting Philip to come out and have one of the best games of his career. ... Everybody in the locker room believes that, 'Hey, this is our guy. He's going to lead us to a Super Bowl championship.'"
All-Pro fullback Lorenzo Neal -- a team leader in his own right -- concurred.
"He's just a leader, plain and simple," Neal told Pro Football Weekly. "He just won't quit and continues to fight. The perfect example was Seattle (in Week 16). We're struggling during the game. There's less than two minutes, we're out of timeouts. Everyone is thinking the game is over. And what does he do?
"March us 60 yards down the field and then throws the winning touchdown to Vincent Jackson on a bomb. He brings the intangibles to stay in there and stay in there, and in spite of it all, he finds a way to win. And that's what it's about in this league."
In the rain in Seattle, Rivers had completed just 7-of-26 passes prior to that final drive, when he went 3-of-4 for 61 yards and the touchdown and also scrambled for a first down.
For the record, Rivers wasn't made available to the media on Monday. He likely was having his sprained right foot treated. Rivers was hurt in the season finale, when he threw two touchdown passes in a 27-20 win over Arizona.
Schottenheimer said Rivers' foot is fine.
In fact, Schottenheimer said the Chargers expect every player to be ready to practice and play this week with the possible exception of defensive lineman Jacques Cesaire, who suffered a sprained knee in the season finale against Arizona.
Schottenheimer said Cesaire would be listed as questionable.
Players were off Tuesday and are scheduled to begin practice on Wednesday in preparation for Sunday's game. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Also according to PFW, the high expectations Schottenheimer had for Jackson are beginning to be realized in his second year in the league, as Rivers and the coaching staff continue to gain confidence in the 6-5, 241-pounder.
PFW went on to stipulate that Jackson isn't yet as polished a route runner as teammates Keenan McCardell and Eric Parker, but he is incredibly athletic and presents a real matchup problem for opposing defenses with his size, speed and rare skills.
With McCardell and Parker slowed by calf and neck injuries, respectively, over the past month, Jackson has seized the opportunity for a larger role and come up with a number of big fourth-quarter plays down the stretch.
Jackson had five catches of 21 yards or longer and four covering at least 35 yards in the final four games of the regular season and is no longer looking like the project out of Northern Colorado the Chargers drafted in the second round back in 2005. ...
And finally. ... Reserve tight end Ryan Krause was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence during the weekend, the seventh run-in with the law by a team member this season.
Krause was arrested early Saturday and later released on bail.
Schottenheimer said he spoke with Krause on Monday.
"I explained to him that is not acceptable," Schottenheimer said.
Krause hasn't played this season due to injuries.
The nationally televised game was Holmgren's worst loss since he arrived in Seattle in 1999.
It sent the previously undefeated Seahawks careening into two losses in their next three games and eventually to an underwhelming, 9-7 regular season.
That's exactly why Holmgren, his coaches and all 53 of his players will be watching it all again on Wednesday.
"Oh, absolutely. I want to show them how bad we played," Holmgren said Monday, six days before the Seahawks go back to play the top-seeded Bears (13-3) in the NFC divisional playoffs.
That said, the Seahawks are -- for the most part -- in much better shape now than they were 14 weeks ago in Chicago.
Shaun Alexander is back and running. The loss to the Bears was the first of six consecutive games that the 2005 league MVP missed because of a broken foot. Backup Maurice Morris and others combined for just 77 yards rushing on 19 carries.
Tight end Jerramy Stevens, who missed the last game, will also be on hand this time -- and the talented but inconsistent youngster is on roll.
But Alexander's absence had the greater impact.
"We didn't really run the ball at all -- or even try," quarterback Matt Hasselbeck recalled of the first Bears' game. "We were in third-and-forever situations quite a bit."
Hasselbeck was forced to try and beat the league's second-ranked pass defense by himself. That didn't work.
Hasselbeck was 15-for-35, his lowest completion percentage for a full game all season. The Bears sacked him five times and intercepted him twice.
"They were offensive on defense. We definitely felt that," said Hasselbeck, who continued his skittish season in last Saturday's Wild-Card playoff win over Dallas with two more interceptions.
"They dictated to us how the game was going to be played, not the other way around," Hasselbeck said of the Bears. "So we've got a lot of film to look at and a lot of things to work on -- to even give ourselves a chance."
Without Alexander, the Seahawks tried to spread the Bears out with the same four-wide receiver formations they had used to shred the New York Giants in a 42-30 victory the previous week. Holmgren later acknowledged he became too infatuated with the four-wide out offense, which he began featuring soon after Seattle acquired Deion Branch from New England in September.
The coach has since scrapped it, except for select plays, now that Alexander has been back for eight games and is running as hard as he did before last February's Super Bowl.
Alexander could be a key factor this weekend -- especially given Hasselbeck's ongoing difficulties.
According to Bell, Hasselbeck's problem is not his right knee, which has been in a brace for the seven weeks since he returned from a sprain. Bell added: "Maybe it's not his left hand, compressed with a wrap inside a glove for the last month.
"Maybe it's his uninjured right arm. ..."
Hasselbeck has 17 interceptions in 13 games this season, including 10 in seven games since returning from the knee sprain. He had just nine interceptions in 16 games last season.
"We've been careless with the football all season. He has way more interceptions then he should, being as bright as he is and understanding our system now the way he understands it," Holmgren said.
"He's a good player, and he had a great season last year. But I think he has a chance to be great.
"I think by his own admission he would say he tries to do too much."
Hasselbeck acknowledges there have been certain plays he's tried to force what perhaps is not there -- usually when his team is trailing and needs a big play.
Holmgren points to the epidemic of injuries on the offensive line. That has an already busy Hasselbeck calling many blocking audibles instead of center Robbie Tobeck, who remains out after losing 25 pounds from an infection.
Branch and Nate Burleson, healthy but new to the intricate offense, still do not always run exactly the routes Holmgren or Hasselbeck expect.
Hasselbeck and his coaches say his knee is fine.
But what about the hand, which has either been badly bruised or has had a cracked bone in it for a month? Offensive coordinator Gil Haskell said last week that "It bothers the (heck) out of him."
Hasselbeck said Monday "it's the best that it's felt."
Asked if he feels pain during games, Hasselbeck flashed a wry smile and said, "I don't know.
"I feel pain after the game. ..."
In a related note. ... Leading receiver Darrell Jackson just might play against the Bears after all.
Although Holmgren worried about Jackson's turf toe ligament strain Monday morning during his weekly KIRO Radio show in Seattle, by Monday afternoon Jackson had convinced his coach he could play in the NFC divisional playoff game at Chicago.
"I've got to see how productive [he can be]," Holmgren cautioned.
Monday afternoon, Holmgren said Jackson "aggravated" a turf toe ligament strain on his left foot during Saturday's win against Dallas, an injury that had caused him to miss the previous three games.
When Jackson reported to team headquarters Monday, he told his coach he was much better than when he asked out of Saturday night's game early in the third quarter. Jackson ran 14 plays in the first quarter, but he had only five in second period and one in the third.
"Darrell Jackson probably will play," Holmgren said. "He aggravated his foot in our game and had to come out. But actually, he is feeling better now that he did on Monday last week.
"He'll probably get to practice a little bit at the end of the week. That's my hope.
"The uncertainty of whether guys can play though, in your planning -- particularly in your wide receivers when you have three- and four-[wide receiver] packages and everything -- you want to try to get the guys who are going to be running the plays in the game to practice them."
On his radio show, Holmgren responded to a question on whether Jackson re-injured his toe Saturday and if he can be expected to play against the Bears with: "We'll I'm afraid he did."
Jackson, who saw two passes come his way Saturday without a reception, led the NFL in touchdown catches before he was injured Dec. 10. He started against the Cowboys, despite missing all of last week's practices.
Holmgren also said receiver D.J. Hackett sprained an ankle injury Saturday night and is less likely than Jackson to play in Chicago. Hackett caught two passes for eight yards.
For the record, Jackson is expected to open the week listed as questionable on the Seahawks' injury report. Hackett will be doubtful.
Remember, those looking for injury updates as the week progresses will find them in the News & Views section of the site. I will also be posting the officially daily injury report updates as they are released by the league office through Friday afternoon. ...
In yet another related note. ... According to Seattle Post-Intelligencer beat writer Clare Farnsworth, the Seahawks have unveiled their stealth option in the passing game for the second consecutive offseason: Backup quarterback Seneca Wallace.
Wallace caught the first pass from Hasselbeck against the Cowboys -- a 6-yard pass.
Although not as dynamic as his 28-yarder against the Panthers in last year's NFC Championship game, how and when the Seahawks might use Wallace gives the Bears something to worry about.
And given the above-outlined injury situation, Wallace could see even more time.
If either Jackson or Hackett can't play or are limited this week, it would leave the team with Branch, Burleson and Bobby Engram -- and perhaps Wallace.
As Farnsworth summed up: "Wallace is the best athlete on the team, so he can be used on reverses -- as a runner or passer -- as well as being a situational receiver. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... According to Tacoma News Tribune staffer Mike Sando, Alexander limped off the field Saturday night after being struck hard in the shin at the end of a 20-yard run. He returned to the game and said he would be fine this week. …
"When the guy hit me, he kind of leg-whipped me a little bit," Alexander explained. "I wanted to jump up real quick and get to the sideline, so that we didn't stop the clock."
He left the game and Morris carried on the next play before Alexander returned and carried the next two plays before the Seahawks punted.
He said as soon as he reached the sideline he wanted to get back in. "I thought, 'Let's just finish this thing,'" Alexander said. ...
Meanwhile, as noted above, Stevens seems to be hitting his stride. The former first-round pick has 16 catches in his past four games after catching five in the previous four-game period. Against the Cowboys, Stevens tied his season high with five receptions and was Hasselbeck's favorite target. His 77 yards receiving marked his season high.
As Sando suggested, finding the tight end over the deep middle is one of the ways teams attack Chicago's style of defense. …
As Seattle Times staff reporter Jose' Miguel Romero noted this week, Holmgren tends to be more on the conservative side when it comes to fourth downs. But he went for first downs twice and a touchdown once against Dallas, all on fourth down.
The Seahawks converted the first downs on a touchdown drive in the third quarter, Alexander running for both. They missed on fourth-and-two in the fourth quarter in search of a game-tying touchdown, Hasselbeck trying for tight end Will Heller in the end zone.
"I just didn't do it haphazardly," Holmgren said of the first two. "I looked at the score, I sensed how the game was going and I thought we had a chance to get those, and we did. ..."
And finally. ... Taking into account the bad taste that has lingered in the Seahawks organization since the unceremonious departure of Pro Bowl guard Steve Hutchinson last offseason, sources have told Pro Football Weekly it's highly unlikely the team will allow place-kicker Josh Brown, the player considered least expendable among its free agents, to split the scene this season.
"I think it's imperative that they re-sign him," Seahawks special-teams coach Bob Casullo told PFW last week. "Considering his value to the team, it's a no-brainer."