I said in the pregame that Devery Henderson will be a key to the game when covered by Charles Tillman. His 40-yard leaping catch was a great sign for the Saints. Henderson is well-known for his inconsistent hands, so making a very difficult catch like that is quite a surprise.

Keeping Drew Brees clean is another key. Deuce McAllister didn't find the right oncoming blitzer, killing New Orleans' first drive. Since the Saints weren't going to attempt a long field goal with John Carney, it wasn't a devastating play.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What was up with American Idol reject Chris Daughtry having a tear in his eye at the end of the National Anthem?

Maybe he's a Bears fan and was imagining how many fumbles Devin Hester will have on a wintry day in Chicago.

Anyhow, it's time for a pick. I'm 7-2 against the spread in the playoffs, so the pressure is off.

Saints 30, Bears 17 - I'd pick this result whether I was a homer or not.

Patriots 28, Colts 24 - I'd probably pick the Colts if I wasn't biased. But all the comments this week from Dungy about the Patriots mystique and the Polian comments about the officials make you wonder. I think the Colts will be tight if it's close late.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Joe Horn and SS Omar Stoutmire are both out for the Saints. It's no major surprise for Horn, and perhaps he will have a shot to play in the Super Bowl if the Saints make it.

One key to this game is the ability of New Orleans' secondary receivers Terrance Copper and Devery Henderson to step up and make plays. They were very quiet against the Eagles. I look for Drew Brees to pick on Charles Tillman and Henderson's speed could cause problems.

Stoutmire is a minor surprise. Jay Bellamy will play strong safety for the Saints. The Saints are old and vulnerable deep. Look for Bernard Berrian and Rashied Davis to help them.

For the Bears, wideout Mark Bradley is out. Davis has impressed me in limited work and Chicago has enough receiver depth if everyone stays healthy.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 02:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Turning our attention away from the machinations in the Steelers coaching search, it's time to concentrate on Conference Championship Sunday.

I can't be the only one out there with a lot of nervous energy building at the 1 o'clock hour. As football fans, we have been programmed the last 20 weeks to be diving into Sunday football by now. I can only imagine what the Patriots and Colts will be doing all day.

This Sunday marks, for now, the apex in an incredible run for my fandom. My favorite team (the Patriots) has a chance to go down as one of the greatest of all time if they can nab their fourth Super Bowl in six years.

I've had a soft spot for the Saints since going to school down there and have thoroughly enjoyed their greatest season in team history. A Patriots-Saints Super Bowl matchup would almost be too much to take, although my loyalty would not be divided.

All of this only heightens the anticipation for a sweet Sunday. I watched EA NFL Matchup. I'm ready to go, with nothing to do until our liveblog of the Saints game kicks off.

I'm going to take a walk to kill some time the same way the rest of Football Nation probably is right now - by loading up on food.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 01:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm trying to think of another story in recent years that has had as many denials, changes, and retractions as the Pittsburgh coaching search.

On Saturday, I detailed the evolving story. Mike Tomlin had the job, Tomlin didn't have the job, Tomlin had the job once again. With SI.com and ESPN.com agreeing, it looked pretty safe.

Not so, says the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review! They say that Russ Grimm is the pick and has already agreed to contract terms. ESPN's Chris Mortensen can't confirm this story, but says Tomlin had not heard from the Steelers as of Saturday night. He is "sticking by" his Tomlin story. ESPN's John Clayton, on the other hand, says the Steelers haven't made any decisions.

The Steelers themselves finally released a statement Sunday. They say no one has been chosen and no contract has been worked out. It's worth noting that Pittsburgh's most trustworthy newspaper, the Post-Gazette, also hasn't said anything declarative either way. This feels like 2000 election.

Well Rotoworld and NBCSports.com has another scoop in this coaching search. The Steelers have been playing cat-and-mouse with the media the whole time. They have chosen Rotoworld's own Rocco DeMaro as their next head coach. Evan Silva will be the defensive coordinator. I will be leaving my current position at NBC/Rotoworld to be his VP of Fantasy Football operations. Thank you all.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

When I entered the movie theatre this afternoon to see Children of Men, Mike Tomlin was the next head coach of the Steelers. I wrote that it was an inspired choice.

By the time I got home, Tomlin and the Steelers had issued varying denials about SI.com's original report. They talked to the Associated Press, ESPN, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Now ESPN's Chris Mortensen and ESPNews is confirming that Tomlin is indeed the pick. Mortensen says an announcement is likely to come Sunday.

Perhaps the Steelers and Tomlin were working out the contract details. Perhaps we live in a world where something isn't official until ESPN reports it. Give SI.com credit for never backing down from the story. And give the Rooneys credit for not making the easy choice.

As for the movie: highly recommended.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 09:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Looks like SI.com jumped the gun on Mike Tomlin's hiring. The Steelers and Tomlin deny that the job has been offered. Tomlin told ESPN's Chris Mortensen, "I have no idea where it's coming from."

ESPN also reports that no job has been offered, no contract has been negotiated, and the Steelers won't decide until Monday. It's possible they could still interview Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera again if Chicago loses Sunday.

"We have heard all the rumors, and we have nothing to confirm at this point,'' Steelers spokesman Dave Lockett told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

SI.com seems to be sticking to their story, saying the Tomlin announcement will come in a day or two. If that happens, well, I already have my blog post reaction written.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 08:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sports Ilustrated reported Saturday that the Steelers have chosen former Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin, 34, as their next head coach. While many Pittsburgh fans will be shocked, it was the right move for the organization.

The Rooneys recognized that this Steelers team was a little too pleased with themselves after 15 years of Bill Cowher and a Super Bowl title. The players could use a change. Tomlin is a relative unknown to the fans and media, but he's highly thought of in the coaching community as a riser with dynamic leadership skills.

The Rooneys knew offensive line coach Russ Grimm better than anyone. So did Cowher and he didn't recommend Grimm for the job. It's the third straight time the Steelers have hired a coach under 40. The other two were Chuck Knoll and Cowher. I trust their judgement.

The transition to Tomlin could be rocky. The Steelers will likely lose their offensive coaching staff to Arizona. The defense is built to run the 3-4. Tomlin runs a Cover (Tampa) Two.

Some players, like Troy Polamalu, Casey Hampton, Aaron Smith, and James Farrior are probably versatile and talented enough to play on any defense. Their responsibilities may change, but Polamalu's talent won't vanish in a Cover Two defense. Think Bob Sanders, but healthy.

Other veterans may not be so lucky. I wouldn't be surprised to see Joey Porter in another uniform next season.

Change is never easy, and this selection may not be popular in Pittsburgh among the players and fans. But the unpopular choice is often the right one, and the Rooneys have proven to be owners with uncommon vision. They have earned the benefit of the doubt.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 02:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jeff Samardzija's decision to concentrate soley on baseball caught the NFL by surprise. In a weak crop of receivers, the former Golden Domer was a top-five prospect at his position and probably wouldn't have escaped the end of the first round.

It's still easy to see why he made the choice. Contracts in baseball are guaranteed and careers are longer. Spring Training is a whole lot more fun than training camp. The Cubs made the decision easier by handing Samardzija at least $10 million.

Samardzija wouldn't have done any better financially in the NFL. The Steelers drafted receiver Santonio Holmes with the 25th pick in the first round last season. He signed a five-year, $8.1 million contract, including a $5.42 million signing bonus.

Samardzija says there is no turning back, but what if he doesn't make it to the Big Show? I wouldn't be surprised if an NFL team used a late-round draft pick this April to control his rights. Personally, I'm just happy I don't have to spell Samardzija for the next ten years.

Looks like the Patriots got a break with the referee for this week's game. According to the Boston Herald, Bill Carollo has been assigned to Sunday afternoon's game. Carollo also officiated the 20-3 divisional round win for the Patriots in 2005 between the Pats and Colts.

Carollo called the fourth-least amount of penalties in the NFL this season. No one called fewer pass interferences. You can bet the Patriots know all these stats about Carollo and more. It looks like Bill Polian may be whining after Sunday night too.