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THIS WEEK: We have two Conference Championship games:
The New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears - Sunday, 12:00 p.m. PT on FOX
The New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts - Sunday; 3:30 p.m PT on CBS

PLEASE NOTE: 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.
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CHICAGO BEARS
According to Associated Press sports writer Brett Martel Saints head coach Sean Payton, a former quarterback himself, was not about to discount the abilities of the erratic Rex Grossman.

Especially not after some of the throws he saw the embattled Chicago signal caller make in ousting Seattle from the playoffs.

"With the weight of a lot of people on his shoulders and playing in his first playoff game this year, I thought he was outstanding," Payton said Monday as the Saints prepared to play Chicago in next weekend's NFC title game. "It's a funny business because you're graded each week on your last performance."

Although the Bears (14-3) have the best record in the NFC, the Saints (11-6) seem to have a decisive advantage at quarterback.

Drew Brees threw for a personal-best and NFL-leading 4,418 yards during the regular season while directing the league's No. 1 offense. He also threw 26 touchdown passes, compared to 11 interceptions.

Grossman threw for 3,193 yards, 23 TDs and 20 interceptions during the regular season. He was harshly criticized as inconsistent and derided for admitting he had not prepared as thoroughly as he normally would for the Bears' regular-season finale. Grossman completed only two passes and threw three interceptions before being benched with a 0.0 quarterback rating in that game, a 26-7 loss to Green Bay.

In last Sunday's second-round playoff game, he threw his 21st interception and lost a fumble on a sack that led to a Seattle touchdown, but he otherwise played well enough to lead the Bears to their first NFC title game in 18 years.

He completed 21 of 38 passes for 282 yards, including a 68-yard TD pass to Bernard Berrian.

Martel went on to point out the Saints' secondary has been hurt by such big plays recently, such as Donte' Stallworth's 75-yard TD in Saturday night's playoff game. They also gave up a 55-yard touchdown pass to the Giants' Plaxico Burress three games ago.

Payton said he was particularly impressed by Grossman's 30-yard completion on a third-down play in overtime to set up the winning field goal.

"You're talking about a team that finished as the No. 1 seed in the NFC and, you know, that position (quarterback) always seems to carry a little bit more criticism or applause than sometimes necessary," Payton said. "Certainly in a big city, that's always a challenge, and he's shouldered that well. ... What's most important is those players have a belief in him. Everything else outside of that is unimportant, and he came up big."

Rashied Davis, who caught the long overtime pass from Grossman, agreed.

"Rex is a great player, very resilient," Davis said. "People tear him up, but I think people tend to overdo it when it comes to him."

Davis obviously wasn't alone in that belief.

As DailySouthtown.com staff writer Tim Cronin pointed out on Monday, through all the furor of the last few weeks, the two people whose opinions matter most have been on Grossman's side.

Lovie Smith, as the head coach, has been at the forefront. But Ron Turner, the offensive coordinator and author of the passing game that Grossman has to execute, hasn't wavered in his defense of his starter.

"Nobody's got more mental toughness than Rex Grossman," Turner told Cronin in the wake of Sunday's 27-24 overtime victory. "The stuff he's been through ... the last couple years with injuries, stuff he went through earlier in the year when he wasn't playing as well as he'd like and listening to all the stuff out there. And the same thing this past week, after the (Dec. 31) Green Bay game, all the abuse he took.

"I know the comments he made (about not being 100 percent prepared), I know exactly what he meant by them. He was prepared. Maybe not as focused as he wanted to be, but nobody else was, either. He wasn't the only guy who wasn't focused, but he worked his ass off that week to get prepared, to go into that game to play well.

"For all the stuff he's gone through, nationally and locally, for him to respond and play like he did, it's a tribute to his mental toughness."

Turner said he stuck to the basics when schooling Grossman -- who balanced a touchdown pass against an interception en route to 282 passing yards against the Seahawks -- over the last fortnight.

"I emphasized fundamentals," Turner said. "Go back to basics. Run our offense. That was it, really. Coming into the game, I told him three things: 'Be decisive, read it and trust it, and have fun. If you do those things, you're as good as anybody in this league.' "

To that end, Turner never considered playing conservatively against Seattle.

"We're not going to do that," Turner insisted. "We're going to run our offense. He made a lot of plays, and we asked him to make a lot of plays. We're going to give him chances to make plays.

"Obviously, everything starts with the running game, but we need to score to win, and to score, you've got to make plays down the field."

And that, as Cronin suggested, inexorably, puts the ball in Grossman's hands in every sense. His 76.9 passer rating was exactly that much higher than the 0.0 he posted against the Packers, but the rating he earned from Turner and his teammates was higher still, right from the start.

Muhsin Muhammad thought the 68-yard touchdown pass to Berrian early in the second quarter was critical for more than just the points.

"It did a lot for Rex's confidence to be able to come out, throw that ball, be right on the money," said Muhammad, who contributed three catches and 38 yards. "That's important for a quarterback early in the game. He's been a guy to step up in adverse situations, and he did it today."

According to Chicago Tribune beat reporter John Mullin, Grossman has learned as much this season as any other member of the Bears.

And while he has never lacked confidence, 2006 took that to a different level.

"You have to go through a lot of adversity in the course of a game and a season, and everything is so exaggerated, positive and negative," Grossman said. "It's so true that you have to stay on an even keel the whole time and never lose faith in yourself, your teammates, your abilities or the style of your offense, anything.

"Because what we do works. It works."

Yes it does. As long as Grossman is playing within himself and avoiding mistakes. ...

In a related note. ... As Arlington Heights Daily Herald sports writer Kent McDill noted, Davis finished with 4 catches for 84 yards, an average of 21 yards per play. That was equal to the 21 yards-per-catch average for Berrian, who had 105 yards on 5 catches, including the above-mention 68-yard scoring catch in the second quarter that came one play after Seattle tied the game at 7-7 early in the second quarter.

Grossman saw Berrian running down the middle of the field uncovered, hit him in stride, and Berrian ran the final 10 yards into the end zone for the score.

"That was a play Turner did a great job of setting up,'' Grossman said. "He had [Muhammad] crossing, and Bernard ran a great route. All I had to do was hold the safety."

"It was just a simple speed post pattern,'' Berrian said. "The safety jumps when [Muhammad] comes across, and Rex laid it out for me. It was a perfect pass."

Berrian and Davis had more catches Sunday than Muhammad, the team's leading receiver, who was limited to 3 catches for 38 yards (including a 21-yarder). As the second (Berrian) and third receivers (Davis), they present different challenges to the defense.

"They are a lot different,'' Turner said. "Bernard is more a down-the-field guy. He also has great toughness. You look at his body type and you might not think so.

"Rashied is more inside, a quick guy, more quick than he is fast,'' he said.

The triple-threat at wide receiver, which has at times this season seemed a work in progress, worked extremely well against the Seahawks.

"We got some big plays from Bernard, and it seems like in critical situations we go to [Davis] and he makes big plays,'' Smith said. ...

Other notes of interest. ... In an article published Monday, Chicago Sun-Times staffer Chris De Luca pointed out now that the Bears are sitting one victory shy of the Super Bowl, surely Cedric Benson -- the running back who created so much training-camp controversy with his pouting -- feels good about his role in the one-two punch he shares with Thomas Jones.

"No, no," Benson said Sunday. "I'm not going to stir the pot or create no drama two games away from being in the Super Bowl.

"I just have to swallow my pride and put aside all personal goals that I may have set and just focus on getting the team to the big show."

De Luca went on to remind readers that stirring the pot seems to be what Benson does best.

When he ditched the sideline early during a preseason game against the San Diego Chargers -- missing a post-game meeting -- two teammates ratted Benson out, prompting controversy. Benson wound up getting fined and sitting through a stern meeting with Smith.

"I just realized that I wasn't in control of the situation," Benson said. "I've got a boss, too, you know."

Benson has done little to hide his unhappiness over sharing the backfield with Jones, but the two have provided a solid combination to offset the shakiness of Grossman. During the regular season, Jones got nearly twice as many calls, rushing for 1,210 yards on 296 carries. Benson rushed for 647 yards on 157 carries. They each scored six touchdowns and averaged 4.1 yards per carry.

As it turns out, Benson's power running meshes well with Jones' finesse game, keeping defenses off balance. The two combined for more than 100 yards against the Seahawks, with Jones running for 66 and two touchdowns on 21 carries and Benson adding 45 on 12 carries.

Benson also caught three passes -- including two key receptions in the fourth-quarter drive that sent the game into overtime -- for 24 yards.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it, huh?" Benson said.

During that drive toward the tying field goal, the Bears had third-and-two on the Seattle 26. Benson muscled his way two yards for the first down. As he trotted toward the sideline, he got a big embrace from Jones.

"At that point, we needed a big play," Jones said. "I was just trying to give any kind of encouragement I could give to him or anybody else.

"I just wanted to win this game. We were in this position last year, and we lost. That was a terrible feeling. I didn't want to feel that way again."

According to De Luca, Benson admits he is having an easier time accepting his role, and Jones says their relationship has improved.

"When you are winning games and guys are contributing, that's all that matters," Jones said. "It doesn't really matter about individual stats."

And even Benson concedes this double-barreled attack works well for the Bears.

"It helps," he said. "It gives the defense a one-two punch. They can't really get a feel for what a guy is going to do or how he's going to hit the hole. They are constantly having to adjust.

"I guess, in a sense, it makes it easier for the backs, too, because they get some time off. ..."

As the Sports Xchange noted Monday, Robbie Gould has connected on 30 of 34 field-goal attempts this season, including his 2-for-2 performance against the Seahawks. He was good from 41 yards to tie the game and from 49 to win it in overtime Sunday.

While Grossman said he was too nervous to watch Gould's game-winner, the kicker said he can't afford to give in to emotions.

"I really don't get nervous," Gould said. "As a kicker, you can't get nervous. Once you start getting nervous, you end up missing kicks. You have to be confident in practice all week, and I had a great week of practice. These are conditions we're used to playing in."

According to Gould, it's just another day at the office.

"Games are won and lost on field goals," he said. "It's what I'm supposed to do. I'm supposed to go out there and do the best that I can. I have the confidence and the ability, and the guys around me are great.

"I know I have a chance to win the game, and you have to trust your line and do your mechanics like with any other kick. ..."

Rookie return specialist Devin Hester has dazzled all season, but as Sun-Times staffer Brad Biggs noted on Monday, the youngster is struggling as the season wears on and had three muffed attempts against Seattle to give him 11 on the season.

Biggs went on to explain the Bears are weighing the chance that the sensational speedster breaks a play all the way against the potential for disaster. Hester has exceptional speed, acceleration and open-field moves, but he has not been focusing on catching the ball.

The Bears are gambling he will break a play all the way and are confident in sticking with him, in part because only two of the mishandled returns have been lost.

Special teams coordinator Dave Toub said it's the nature of his job to live on the edge, and he's been working after every practice with Hester on securing the ball. He will get more work moving forward, but the Bears know he's a risky proposition. ...

On the injury front. ... According to Mullin, receiver Mark Bradley was walking around team headquarters with a protective plastic boot on his right foot after injuring his ankle Sunday.

"We don't know the extent [of the injury] right now," Smith said. Bradley was injured on his one catch, a 5-yarder in the second quarter.

The Sun-Times advised readers on Tuesday that Bradley is unlikely to play.

The Bears could use him.

"Mark is definitely another deep threat for us," Muhammad said. "A big-play guy. Big scoring opportunities. He's definitely an asset for us."

Bradley has taken a back seat to Muhammad, Berrian and Davis in the Bears' receiver rotation. He entered the game seventh on the team with 14 catches.

But here's the catch: Bradley averages a team-best 19.1 yards per reception. And he has the longest pass play of the season -- a 75-yard touchdown against Green Bay in the regular-season finale.

That ability would certainly be a plus against a Saints defense susceptible to the long ball. ...

Also according to the Sun-Times, fullback Jason McKie seemed to get around OK on Monday. He reinjured his sprained left ankle in the win but expects to be ready. Defensive end Adewale Ogunleye has a bruised quadriceps.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Rex Grossman, Brian Griese, Kyle Orton
RB: Thomas Jones, Cedric Benson, Adrian Peterson
FB: Jason McKie, Gabe Reid, J.D. Runnels
WR: Muhsin Muhammad, Bernard Berrian, Rashied Davis, Mark Bradley, Justin Gage
TE: Desmond Clark, John Gilmore, Gabe Reid
PK: Robbie Gould
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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
As long-time Indianapolis Star beat writer Mike Chappell framed it Monday: "Brace yourself, Indy, for the most important football event that's ever visited the Circle City.

"One step away from their first Super Bowl appearance in more than three decades, the Colts will attempt to take that monumental step against nemesis New England on Sunday evening in the RCA Dome. ..."

The third-seeded Colts (14-4) reached their third AFC title game since 1995 by stuffing the second-seeded Baltimore Ravens 15-6 Saturday. They then sat back and waited for their opposition to be determined.

In what some might view as an ironic twist, the Patriots advanced when rookie place-kicker Stephen Gostkowski made a 31-yard field goal with 1:10 remaining against San Diego. This after the Colts did in Baltimore on the strength of five field goals by former Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri, who was replaced in New England by Gostkowski.

"There will be a lot of (story) angles there, with them finally having to come here, with Vinatieri on our side, with all the history between the two teams," head coach Tony Dungy said before Sunday's game when asked to address the possibility of the Patriots visiting Indy.

Now that it's moved from possibility to reality, Chappell suggests there might be no more appropriate final hurdle to clear than the Patriots.

New England (14-4) has won three of the past five Super Bowls, and used the Colts as steppingstones twice, each time in Foxboro, Mass. The Patriots dismissed the Colts 24-14 in the AFC title game after the 2003 season, then dominated them 20-3 the following season in the divisional round.

The Colts have gained a measure of revenge in the past two regular seasons, again in Gillette Stadium. They snapped a six-game losing streak to the Patriots in 2005 with a 40-21 victory, then posted a 27-20 win on Nov. 5.

New England, Dungy said, "obviously is an organization and team we have a lot of respect for."

"Tom Brady is still doing all those things that cause you to win games," he said. "I don't think they're a team anyone wants to play."

The Colts, though, welcome the opportunity. The last time the franchise reached the Super Bowl was after the 1970 season, and it still called Baltimore home. The Colts defeated Dallas 16-13 to win Super Bowl V. ...

Meanwhile, of all the storylines, none is more intriguing than what seems like a sudden transformation in Indy.

As Associated Press sports writer Cliff Brunt noted Monday, all season, Dungy's Colts have been criticized for being just a finesse team. But Indianapolis clinched the win in Baltimore with a smash-mouth, 13-play, 47-yard drive that included 11 runs and took more than 7 minutes off the clock.

The drive ended with Vinatieri's 35-yard field goal with 23 seconds left.

"I was proud of the way we won," Dungy said. "We went in there and you had to win a dogfight. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't the type of game we normally play, but we were able to get it done."

Dungy said the effort was extra special because it happened in Baltimore against a Ravens team that prides itself on toughness.

"To be able to go on the road and win in a hostile environment, to be able to outperform a team that's built for that, that's really built for a running game and defending the run ... when we had to run against the No. 1 defense, we were able to do that. Whatever it takes."

Brunt went on to remind readers that lost among Vinatieri's five field goals was the fact that Colts running back Dominic Rhodes had 10 carries for 35 yards on the final drive. He finished with 14 carries for 56 yards.

Dungy said Rhodes' effort epitomized the Colts' performance.

"Dominic Rhodes, I thought, was outstanding in the second half, keeping things going," Dungy said. "He made a couple of big third-down runs and using up that time. That was really a big drive against a great defense."

Rookie Joseph Addai started the game at running back, but he sat out most of the second half after he aggravated a shoulder injury.

"Joseph wasn't 100 percent and Dom was running well," Dungy said. "I think Joseph could have played, but again, like last week, there was no need because Dom was getting the job done for us."

The roles were reversed for Addai and Rhodes for much of the season. Rhodes would start, but would see limited action after halftime. Addai would come off the bench and close.

Addai was the up-and-coming star during the regular season. He ran for 1,081 yards and seven touchdowns and quickly became a crowd favorite. Rhodes, who waited patiently for years as Edgerrin James' backup, ran for 641 yards and scored five touchdowns.

When the game at Baltimore was on the line, Dungy went with his five-year veteran. Dungy said Rhodes handled losing his starting slot well and showed professionalism by stepping in and performing well.

"It wasn't a demotion and he understood that," Dungy said. "We were just going to start the game with Joseph. Dom's ended up finishing the last two games. Dom knew he was still going to be involved. He knew he was still get a lot of carries and be in at critical times, so it really hasn't been that much different. They both still split the carries relatively evenly. ..."

Dungy didn't give a definitive update on Addai's status for the AFC Championship Game. He had missed most of last week's practices with the injury.

"I think he'll be pretty much the same way he's been," Dungy said. "Having another day of rest should help him. It's a little early to tell, but I think it's going to be fine."

Chappell advised readers the injury isn't expected to keep Addai from playing in what's clearly a huge game. ...

In another medical matter, Dungy said he was unable to shed any light on an apparent injury to Pro Bowl receiver Marvin Harrison.

"Marvin, I think, is going to be fine," he said. "He's been battling a few things, his wrist more than anything. But he didn't say too much on the plane."

There was no indication that Harrison's injury is serious.

In a related note. ... Dungy gave his players Sunday, Monday and Tuesday off. They will begin preparations for New England on Wednesday,

"Three days of preparation is what you need," Dungy said. "Sometimes you can overdo the preparation and I just think at this time of year, being fresh is better. ..."

Other notes of interest. ... According to the team's official web site, team president and general manager Bill Polian wasn't very happy about last weekend's low-scoring affair.

In fact, Polian sounded very much like a man sending a message to this week's officiating crew when he said: "The game was kind of a unique game, but I think it's just apropos of the kind of officiating that has been going on. When you have blitzing teams and you allow that downfield stuff, such as what happened to Reggie Wayne, you're going to limit offense. That's the net of it. ...

"Whether or not the league office says that was a foul or should have been a foul, I don't know, but (last week's referee) Bill Levy is a great official. I know he's nothing if not an honest guy and the explanation he gave I think is what the officials have been told. That worries me some.

"You went something like two-and-a-half games before a touchdown was scored? That's not good, when the best teams play that way. That's not good for the health of the game. I think that was certainly a contributing factor to a low-scoring game. ..."

Message sent. We'll find out Sunday afternoon if it's been received. ...

Vinatieri has continually insisted he's not motivated by the rivalry between Indianapolis and New England, or even the chance to show his former team it made a mistake. He's content with making more meaningful kicks than anyone in NFL history.

"You try not to let all the implications and all the extra hype get to you," Vinatieri said. "You try to go out there and focus in on what you're doing and hope for the best."

During the past decade, nobody's been better than Vinatieri when it matters most, and his resume is filled with testimonials backing up that image.

Vinatieri now has scored in 19 consecutive post-season games, tying George Blanda's NFL post-season record. His five-field goal day in Baltimore gave him the career record for most postseason field goals (34).

He's made two last-second kicks in Super Bowls for the Patriots, a 42-yarder to force overtime against Oakland in a blizzard, and a 35-yarder to eventually win that playoff game.

"When he walks out there, you always feel like he's not going to miss," Dungy said. ...

Dungy was quick to defend Peyton Manning, who as Chappell notes, has had two straight "un-Manning-like" games: one touchdown, five interceptions, a 58.3 rating.

"It's funny," Dungy said. "I guess we have to have some things to complain about. We win two postseason games and it's not now that Manning can't win the playoffs; it's that he's not putting up the mega-numbers that we're expecting.

"He's won two games and we're in the conference championship, so I think he's playing great. ..."

Still, Manning needs to pick up the pace a bit this weekend.

The Patriots ranked second to the Ravens in points allowed at 14.8. Inside linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who suffered a mild stroke Feb. 15, 2005, is in his 11th year with the Patriots yet led the team in tackles (124) for the first time.

The Patriots defensive starters are slightly different from their 27-20 loss to the Colts on Nov. 5. Starting outside linebacker Mike Vrabel has replaced injured Junior Seau at inside linebacker and Tully Banta-Cain is starting at outside linebacker.

James Sanders has replaced Rodney Harrison (knee) at strong safety.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Peyton Manning, Jim Sorgi
RB: Joseph Addai, Dominic Rhodes, DeDe Dorsey
HB: Ben Utecht, Bryan Fletcher
WR: Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Aaron Moorehead, Ricky Proehl, Terrence Wilkins
TE: Dallas Clark, Ben Utecht, Bryan Fletcher
PK: Adam Vinatieri
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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
As Associated Press sports writer Howard Ulman noted Monday, the Patriots advanced to the AFC championship game despite Tom Brady's three interceptions. One pickoff even helped them.

He can't count on being as fortunate Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. They already beat him 27-20 on Nov. 5 when two of his four interceptions led to 10 points.

So after his streak of five games without an opponent catching one of his passes ended in last Sunday's 24-21 AFC divisional playoff victory at San Diego, he needs to be more careful.

"There's no quarterback I'd rather have," head coach Bill Belichick said. "Nobody's going to play a perfect game."

The Patriots will be on the road for the second straight week. Brady certainly will be aware that the Colts' once shaky defense has improved dramatically in the playoffs. Brady was impressed while watching the Colts beat Baltimore 15-6 Saturday.

"It was the type of game with two very good defenses slugging it out," he said. "It just comes down to a few plays here or there, and the Colts got those plays."

One day later, it was the Patriots who got those plays in San Diego.

The Chargers intercepted passes in the second and third quarters but had to punt after each one. Their third interception was probably the biggest play of the game. Oddly, it was the Patriots who benefited.

San Diego was leading 21-13 with 6:25 left when Brady dropped back on fourth-and-5 at the Chargers 41-yard line. He fired the ball down the middle, where safety Marlon McCree was waiting.

"If it's incomplete, it's their ball anyway, so you're trying to squeeze it in there," Brady said.

McCree had three choices -- knock the ball down and the Chargers would take over on downs at their 41, intercept the ball and simply fall on it, or grab it and try to run it back.

He made the wrong choice.

After catching the ball, McCree ran with it and was almost immediately hit by receiver Troy Brown, who pried the ball loose. Another receiver, Reche Caldwell, recovered. Five plays later and a two-point conversion attempt later the score was tied.

"I saw it get picked, but I saw the safety running with it loose," Caldwell said. "Troy did a great job of stripping it, and I just saw it on the ground and got the ball. I think that was the key. That was the big play of the game."

Just like that, a play that could have helped clinch the game for the Chargers instead gave Brady a chance to turn a mediocre performance into a memorable one.

As Ulman reminded readers, the Patriots had totaled just 62 yards until their final possession of the first half.

"We were trying to throw quick and that wasn't working. We were trying to throw screens, and that wasn't working," Brady said. "We were doing everything we could to try to move the ball positive and forward. I could never get into a rhythm. I was like, 'Gosh, try something else.' It was just difficult."

On his final possession of the half, Brady led the Patriots 72 yards to a touchdown pass that cut San Diego's lead to 14-10.

"He's always in control no matter what the score is," Caldwell said. "Even when we're down, he's calm and collected."

Still, Brady couldn't come overcome the four interceptions he threw against the Colts or the one that led to a touchdown in a 17-14 loss to the New York Jets the following Sunday. But he threw just seven interceptions in his other 14 regular-season games.

The three interceptions against the Chargers could have cost the Patriots the game. And the Colts may not let him get away with that if he does it again.

"Not a bad day," Brady said, but "there were lost opportunities there. ..."

Getting back to the sudden turnaround the Colts' defense has enjoyed. ... It started two weeks ago, when Kansas City managed 126 total yards in a 23-8 wild-card loss and Larry Johnson carried only 13 times for 32 yards.

At Baltimore last Saturday, the Colts were more impressive.

While the Ravens produced 244 yards in offense, they rushed for only 83 and Indy beat the NFL's top-ranked defense at its own game in a 15-6 victory -- keeping the Ravens out of the end zone.

Indianapolis has allowed one touchdown in two games, outscored opponents 38-14, intercepted four passes and recovered three fumbles. The dramatic turnaround is as evident on the field as it is on the stat sheet.

Playoff opponents have averaged just 63 yards rushing and 7.0 points per game against a unit that had allowed 22.5 points during the regular season. Kansas City and Baltimore were a combined 3-of-22 on third-down conversions.

In case you missed it, the Colts surrendered 349 total yards to New England back in November but as noted above, they intercepted Brady four times in one of only four regular-season games that former Pro Bowl safety Bob Sanders played.

Sanders played in his second straight game last Saturday, the first time he has been in consecutive games since the first two weeks of the season -- before he needed arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

He hasn't played in three straight all year, and, clearly, his return has changed things.

Nonetheless, the Patriots bring plenty of offense to the table.

New England was fourth in the league in scoring margin at plus-148. Brady, whose 12-1 playoff record is the best in NFL history, threw for 3,529 yards and 24 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.

Brown is the leading receiver in Patriots history with 557 receptions for 6,366 yards. Caldwell's 61 catches led 11 Patriots with at least 10 receptions.

Corey Dillon rushed for 812 yards, and rookie Laurence Maroney added 745.

The Patriots tied the Bears with the best road record in the league this year at 7-1.

In other words: We have all the fixins for an intense battle Sunday afternoon. ...

Other notes of interest. ... As Boston Globe correspondent Emily Werchadlo noted Monday, Caldwell has 12 catches for 130 yards in the Patriots' two playoff wins. After Sunday's game, Caldwell pointed out key differences between his current team and former team, the Chargers.

"I think our preparation [is better]. We are very prepared. We execute," said Caldwell. "[Brady] did a great job today. You see the confidence he shows. He's always in control. In pressure situations he's at his best."

Caldwell credited his team's persistence for the win. "We find ways to win. We keep grinding it out," he said. "No matter what situation, no matter what the score. We play four quarters."

Caldwell was reluctant to deem a win over the Chargers as sweeter than any other, despite the boos from the fans.

"It meant a lot," he said of the win, "just to move on and continue on in the playoffs. [The win] was special, period, not just because it was San Diego. ..."

As the Sports Xchange noted Monday, Jabar Gaffney caught 10 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown, giving him two 100-yard games in two career playoff contests. Gaffney's 10 receptions are tied for the second highest total in Patriots playoff history, trailing only Deion Branch's 11 catches in Super Bowl XXXIX.

Four of Gaffney's 10 catches came on New England's 11-play, 72-yard drive in the final two minutes of the first half that ended in his 6-yard touchdown catch -- the first of his playoff career.

In two career playoff games, Gaffney has recorded 18 receptions for 207 yards and a touchdown. ...

In a related note. ... Boston Herald staffer John Tomase advised readers on Monday that Brady is an All-Pro for many reasons, but one of them is how much work he does off the field.

Brady is one of a handful of Patriots players who works out every Tuesday, the squad's traditional day off.

More importantly, with the Patriots fielding virtually an entire new receiving corps, Brady worked out individually with each one outside of practice, going so far as to run the routes for them to demonstrate exactly how he wanted them done.

According to Tomase, the result is a group that became a viable weapon by the end of the season and has allowed the Patriots to spread the field and run the no-huddle sets Brady thrives in. ...

According to Globe staffer Reid Laymance, Kevin Faulk can get lost in the background of a backfield that is headlined by Dillon and Maroney, but he often is there for the Patriots when they need a play. It was that way last week against the Jets in the first round of the playoffs when he carried on three consecutive plays for 24 yards in a drive that gave the Patriots the lead at halftime.

It was that way again Sunday in the first half against the Chargers.

San Diego appeared to finally have overcome several of its miscues and led, 14-3, with two minutes left. Starting at their 28, the Chargers were looking for Brady passes. Instead, it was Faulk up the middle for 7 to the 35, and again on the next play for another 7 to the 42 to jump start the drive.

In two plays and just over 20 seconds, the Patriots were near midfield.

They would score a touchdown with eight seconds left on Brady's six-yarder to Gaffney closing the deficit to 14-10.

"We talked about it on Friday," said Faulk, who also had another 5-yard run on the drive and finished as New England's leading rusher with 25 yards on six carries. "We knew there would come a time to make a drive in the last two minutes."

Faulk didn't know then he would be the key player in getting it started, but as has been his custom during his eight years with the Patriots, he was prepared. "It's all about the situation," he said. "You have to be ready."

And he was ready later in the game when it might have counted the most.

Faulk tied the game at 21-21 on a 2-point conversion run with 2:51 left in the game. Faulk's run came on a direct snap from center Dan Koppen, and was the second two-point conversion run of his playoff career. Faulk also converted a two-point try in Super Bowl XXXVIII, taking a direct snap and running into the end zone with 2:51 left in the game to give the Patriots a 29-22 lead.

"Kevin started left and he saw the hole open and cut back inside," Brady said. "It was a great run. That was huge. That was a huge play. Down eight with however man, five minutes left. Two points, we get the ball back at our own 15, drive it to their 10.

"They just didn't have enough time. ..."

For the record, the Patriots only ran for 51 yards on 21 carries. They tried running the ball early on but San Diego's defense bottled them up, so New England opted to go to the air instead.

Dillon and Maroney combined for just 23 yards on the day. ...

Also according to the Xchange, rookie kicker Stephen Gostkowski booted a 31-yard field goal with 1:10 remaining in the game to seal the victory for the Patriots. The game-winning field goal was the first of Gostkowski's career.

Gostkowski was three-for-three on the afternoon, marking his second straight playoff game in which he was perfect on three field goals. He is a perfect six-for-six in his playoff career.

"He's doing great," Brady said. "He's very poised for his age and he's got a very strong leg. He's just booting through. Cross your fingers, hope it lasts another week. ..."

According to Globe staffer Mike Reiss, the Patriots primarily used two positional groupings in San Diego, starting by emphasizing the two-TE package (14 of the first 22 snaps), before drastically altering course and going to the three-WR package.

The Patriots weren't having success moving the ball until going to the three-wide on their final first-half drive, and it appears that gave them confidence to stick with it in the second half.

Reiss went on to advise readers that tight end Daniel Graham (2 catches, 38 yards) has been playing more snaps when the team goes to its three-wide package, allowing him to showcase his abilities more as a pass-catcher. Of the team's 44 snaps with three-wides on the field, Graham was the tight end for 31 of them, with Ben Watson on the field for the other 13.

Earlier in the year, that was a role primarily held by Watson. ...

According to the NFL Network, safety Rodney Harrison will miss this weekend's game. He is officially listed as doubtful, however. Brown (flu) is listed as questionable.

Harrison sprained his right knee in the Patriots' last regular-season game and did not play in the first round of the post-season against the New York Jets or against the Chargers.

Harrison and Brown were both held out of full-team drills Wednesday. ...

In case you missed it last Sunday, Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson was very upset by the Patriots' post-game antics (stomping on the Chargers' mid-field logo and mocking Shawne Merriman's "Light's Out" celebratory dance). The star running back even went so far to call their behavior classless and suggest it all started at the top.

"(It's) just the fact that they showed no class at all, absolutely no class and maybe that comes from their head coach," Tomlinson said. "So, you know, there you have it."

Asked is thoughts on Tomlinson's post-game remarks, Belichick said on Wednesday: "I have a lot of respect for LaDainian Tomlinson and the San Diego Chargers. They're an outstanding football team. Right now, our focus is on the Indianapolis Colts."

Asked if he was surprised at Tomlinson's remarks, Belichick said: "Our focus is on the Colts. ..."

And finally. ... Tomlinson might not be especially impressed, but it's worth noting Belichick improved his career playoff record to 13-2 (.867), a mark that ranks second in NFL history, trailing only Vince Lombardi's 9-1 (.900) career playoff mark. Belichick's 13 career playoff wins rank fifth all-time, trailing only Tom Landry (20), Don Shula (19), Joe Gibbs (17) and Chuck Noll (16).

Belichick owns an 82-27 (.752) record since the beginning of the 2001 season, a mark that leads all NFL coaches over that span.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, Vinny Testaverde
RB: Corey Dillon, Laurence Maroney, Kevin Faulk
FB: Heath Evans
WR: Reche Caldwell, Jabar Gaffney, Troy Brown, Chad Jackson Kelvin Kight, Bam Childress
TE: Ben Watson, Daniel Graham, Dave Thomas
PK: Stephen Gostkowski
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NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
As Associated Press sports writer Brett Martel noted Tuesday, for all the inspiration the Saints say they've drawn from their fans during this storybook season, they haven't always played their best in front of them.

Hostile territory is where New Orleans established its identity as the new America's Team, one season after Hurricane Katrina forced the Saints to play a nomadic 2005 season entirely away from their home city.

They play one more road game at Chicago on Sunday -- this time with a chance to reach their first Super Bowl since the franchise's inception in 1967.

It might be worth noting that no team that plays its home games in a dome has ever won a conference championship game played outdoors. Dome teams are 0-8 in conference title games outdoors.

Atlanta and St. Louis are the only dome teams ever to make the Super Bowl, and both won indoors when they made it, Atlanta at Minnesota in 1999 and St. Louis at home over Tampa Bay in 2000 and Philadelphia in 2002.

It's also worth noting that New Orleans has never won a playoff game on the road, going 0-2, but Martel suggests that this time could be different.

While the Saints (11-6) were 5-4 in the rebuilt Louisiana Superdome this season, including last Saturday night's narrow playoff victory over Philadelphia, they are 6-2 on the road, having won several games by big margins.

Martel went on to remind readers that in a Sunday night game at Dallas in early December, fullback Mike Karney scored the first three touchdowns of his career, seldom used receiver Jamal Jones caught his first touchdown pass and Reggie Bush had one of his longest, most spectacular scoring plays of the season after hauling in a short swing pass.

The loudest cheers in Texas Stadium where those of New Orleans fans as the Saints routed the Cowboys 42-17.

Later came a Christmas Eve game in New York -- a game the Giants were desperate to win as they fought to stay in the playoff race. The Saints took that one 30-7.

In November, New Orleans won 31-14 at Tampa Bay, then 31-13 at Atlanta.

Why so much better away from the Superdome?

"That's a good question. You try to look at your itineraries and I tried to study a lot maybe what we were doing differently at home," head coach Sean Payton said Monday. "I don't know specifically if I could tell you why we finished 6-2 in the regular season on the road. We played some good teams on the road and played them well."

Martel further noted the Saints' other road victories came at Cleveland and Green Bay. Even their two road losses, 21-18 at Carolina and 38-31 at Pittsburgh, were games that the Saints had a shot to win in the final minutes.

All that said, the Saints are not accustomed to playing in cold weather, or on grass. They played on grass only five times all season, going 3-2.

Payton said he noticed some players losing their footing in Chicago, where some sod has recently been replaced, when the Bears hosted Seattle last weekend. Yet he said he wasn't sure whether he'd prefer to have the Saints practice on their outdoor grass fields or on their full-length, artificial indoor field.

"At this time of year there's no perfect grass field," Payton said. "You've just got to make sure you've got the right shoes on. ... You test them out, you go play and you don't let it be a reason" for struggling.

New Orleans has played nearly all warm-weather games this season. They played in Cleveland and Green Bay on sunny September days. The weather was unseasonably mild, 52 degrees, during that late December game in New York. Their coldest game was 39 degrees in Pittsburgh on Nov. 12.

Still, Payton showed little concern over forecasts of temperatures in the mid-20s in Chicago this weekend.

"You know going in that there's going to be different environments. You become adjusted and get used to the footing and the noise you have to deal with. You go over all the ways to stay warm," Payton said.

"The conditions are obviously important to get adjusted to in terms of how you play, so that you're not slipping or falling. Outside of that, I think you become acclimated quickly. ..."

Meanwhile, Payton was already talking Saturday night about "corrections" his team would need to make heading into this week's NFC championship game.

And according to New Orleans Times-Picayune staffer Jimmy Smith, on the first official day of his work week, Payton met with his staff and rehashed Saturday night's 27-24 victory over the Eagles then met with players to tell them what they'd need to work on before concentrating on the Chicago Bears.

"There were about two or three things," Payton said Monday, "and when you put the tape on, there's always a little bit more than any one of us would have seen at the game. When you watch it, it gets back to fundamentals and all the things we try to preach.

If you move on to the next game before looking at this one, you risk the chance that you have a mistake that re-occurs.

"It's really the little things and the details specifically. Myself included, trying to look at how we approached the game, things you would have done differently. I think you have to take that approach each week to try to move forward."

Payton's laundry list Monday included the Saints' early missed opportunities in the red zone that resulted in 33- and 23-yard John Carney field goals against the Eagles instead of touchdowns.

There also were at least four potential first-quarter interceptions, three which safety Josh Bullocks could not grasp, and a fourth that Mike McKenzie tried to intercept instead of batting down, and a pair of special-teams breakdowns, the first of which punter Steve Weatherford turned into a 15-yard first-down run, the last a kickoff coverage mix-up in the third quarter on a lateral that set up the Eagles with the ball at their 46-yard line.

"I thought those trips to the red zone early, when we settled for field goals, you always get a little concerned when that happens," Payton said. "And we had a chance to make a couple of interceptions on defense that could have changed the game around. And we were fortunate punting the ball at the end of the half that we didn't have one blocked."

Then, there were the big plays the Saints allowed defensively, including Donte' Stallworth's 75-yard touchdown catch and Brian Westbrook's 62-yard scoring run.

But, Payton stressed Monday, those were anomalies created by good players, not necessarily systemic failures on the part of his defense.

To rectify those errors, Payton said, means simply stressing the basics. ...

And perhaps sticking with the basics. ... Like running the ball.

As Martel noted Monday, the Saints have showcased several new offensive threats this season -- quarterback Drew Brees, rookies Bush and Marques Colston and deep-ball threat Devery Henderson.

Just don't forget veteran Deuce McAllister.

Though the running back's workload has lessened, his importance has not. He's the main reason the Saints will play at Chicago on Sunday in New Orleans' first-ever NFC Championship game.

This after the 6-1, 230-pound McAllister punished Philadelphia defenders with explosive, bruising runs through the line, sometimes leaving his pursuers flat-footed with graceful moves in the open field.

He wound up with a Saints playoff record 143 rushing yards against Philadelphia.

The signing of Brees and drafting of Bush left some doubt about how much McAllister would be called upon by Payton, who spreads the ball around in a multidimensional attack that is similar to a West Coast offense.

In addition, McAllister missed most of last season because of a knee injury that required reconstructive surgery and months of rehabilitation. He wasn't at full strength when training camp began last summer, sometimes missing the second half of two-a-day practices.

But by the end of the regular season, he was the Saints' leading rusher with 1,057 yards, surpassing 1,000 yards for the fourth time in his career. He also led New Orleans with 11 touchdowns.

Make that 13 touchdowns now, perhaps with more to come this Sunday against a Bears squad that allowed 127 rushing yards by Seattle.

"When we needed the big runs, he delivered," Brees said.

I'd look for more of the same this weekend. ...

Other notes of interest. ... According to Times-Picayune beat man Mike Triplett, Brees took his game to an MVP level this year because of the way he fits in the Saints' offense and with Payton, in particular.

Brees, who played in a one-back spread offense at Purdue, then in a power running offense with the San Diego Chargers, says the Saints' offense is a perfect mix between the two.

More importantly, Brees has more input in the offense than ever before. Starting when he signed in March, Brees collaborated with Payton on installing the playbook. According to Triplett, the same collaboration occurs each week leading up to the game to the point where Brees says he almost always knows what play Payton is calling next.

Triplett summed up by noting: "Brees is like a coach on the field. He sees the field well and makes quick decisions. He is as good at avoiding trouble as he is at exploiting defenses. ..."

He's also a good guy. ... In fact, Brees was chosen the Saints' 2006 Walter Payton Man of the Year, as voted by a panel of front office, local business and media members.

He will be a finalist for the prestigious league-wide award, which honors players who demonstrate outstanding balance in their lives between civic and professional responsibilities. The winner, announced on the day before the Super Bowl, receives a $25,000 donation to the charity of his choice. ...

On the injury front. ... Payton said on Monday the Saints came out of Saturday night's game pretty healthy -- then added the team is not required to release an injury report until Wednesday.

Joe Horn, still bothered by a injured groin, remains a question mark.

"We'll see where [Horn] is at that point," Payton said. "I think he's made progress, and I thought he made progress last week."

You'll want to watch the News & Views section of the site for updates as the week progresses, but at this point it doesn't seem realistic to expect much of the veteran wideout -- even if he's able to hit the field. Remember, he hasn't seen any game action since Dec. 4 and he wasn't able to finish that game. ...

According to the Times-Picayune, Mickey Loomis said he's kind of embarrassed by all of the individual accolades that are starting to come his way.

"It's a great honor to be recognized. But it's not a one-man deal," said the Saints' general manager, who will be recognized this week by Pro Football Weekly and the Pro Football Writers Association as the NFL's Executive of the Year.

Even before the Saints began their remarkable run to the NFC championship game, this was the most significant year in Loomis' professional life.

Although he has been on the job for more than four years, he was basically handed the keys to the Saints' football operation for the first time in January, when owner Tom Benson gave Loomis the power to dismiss former head coach Jim Haslett and hire his replacement.

Loomis went with Payton -- a decision that could have landed him the Executive of the Year honor in and of itself.

Then he helped lure Brees, among others, to New Orleans while reshaping a roster that now includes 28 players who weren't on the team a year ago.

Loomis' first draft in New Orleans, which included the infamous Johnathan Sullivan selection, was less-than noteworthy. Sullivan certainly didn't distinguish himself in three seasons with the Saints. However, the last three first-round picks (defensive end Will Smith, offensive tackle Jammal Brown and Bush) have been terrific. ...

And one last note here. ... According to FOXSports insider Jay Glazer, Payton pulled an interesting little motivational ploy last Friday night. As his players were leaving their meeting room the coach gave each guy an envelope but implored them not to open them until they each got to their respective rooms.

Once in seclusion the players opened the envelopes only to find their itinerary for this week's game in Chicago. How's that for making a pair of predictions?