NFL Capsules: Police: Cowboys LB Spencer arrested after scuffle

INDIANAPOLIS - Dallas Cowboys linebacker Anthony Spencer was arrested over the weekend after a disturbance outside a downtown Indianapolis nightclub.

Spencer was arrested on preliminary charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct about 3 a.m. Sunday outside the Have a Nice Day Cafe, city police Sgt. Matthew Mount said.

Spencer, 24, was later released without bond. A court appearance was scheduled for Jan. 15.

Police said Spencer and another man were thrown out of the bar when they refused to leave at closing time, then argued with officers and ignored orders to leave.

A bouncer at the nightclub told officers that Spencer had offered to pay for it to stay open past the 3 a.m. closing time set by law and after being told no tried to punch the bouncer, a police report said.

Spencer's agent, Roosevelt Barnes, did not immediately return a call Monday from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple said the team was aware of the arrest but would not comment further until it learned more about what happened.

Spencer, 6-foot-3 and 257 pounds, was the Cowboys' first round draft pick in 2007. He played at Purdue and is from Fort Wayne, Ind.

He had 34 tackles and two sacks for the Cowboys this season.

Eagles and Ravens not huge surprises

It's time for everyone shocked by three road underdogs winning NFL playoff games this weekend to take a step back and reflect.

Was any result other than Arizona's blowout win in Carolina really so shocking?

Yes, sixth-seeded teams beat top-seeded teams in both conferences, with Baltimore beating Tennessee on Saturday, then Philadelphia defeating the New York Giants on Sunday.

But the Ravens and Eagles were hardly true No. 6 seeds. Philly had won five of six going into its game at the Meadowlands, where it won five weeks ago. And Baltimore would have been a second seed if not for referee Walt Coleman's ability to discern that Santonio Holmes had two feet down and the ball an inch or so over the goal line on what turned out the touchdown catch that decided the AFC North.

That was the second of two close losses to the Steelers, the team the Ravens will face in Pittsburgh on Sunday.

So the only shock is that Arizona, a team that a lot of folks didn't think was worthy of being in the postseason, is a win away from the Super Bowl.

Give credit to coach Ken Whisenhunt for getting his team refocused after some awful late-season results, including a 47-7 loss in New England and a 48-20 Thanksgiving night defeat in Philadelphia against the team it will face Sunday.

Until that 33-13 win in Charlotte, the Cardinals had been the only NFC franchise not to make it to the conference title game since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. Yes, even Detroit got there after the 1991 season.

Their last title of any kind was in 1947 - as the Chicago Cardinals - when Charley Trippi, wearing basketball shoes on an icy Comiskey Park field, totaled 206 yards, 102 on two punt returns and the Cards beat Steve Van Buren and the Eagles 28-21. The Eagles returned the favor the next season, beating the Cardinals 7-0 in Philadelphia for the title.

"I've been an underdog forever," said Antonio Smith, a member of the Cardinals for his entire five-year career. "It's about time we finally proved to everybody what we have."

Smith started the turnover festival by Jake Delhomme by stripping the ball from the Carolina quarterback, then falling on it to set up Arizona's go-ahead touchdown. Delhomme followed with five interceptions, one of the most futile QB performances in playoff history - even Ryan Leaf never did that in a career in which he finished 4-21 as a starter.

The other two upsets?

Yes, the home teams were favored and, yes, both could have won.

Tennessee outgained Baltimore 391-211, but lost rookie RB Chris Johnson, the spark to its offense, with an ankle injury in the second half, and turned the ball over three times in what turned out to be a 13-10 loss. Then the Ravens got a break when a flag wasn't thrown after the play clock ran out before the 23-yard third-down pass from Joe Flacco to Todd Heap that set up Matt Stover's winning field goal.

The Giants, who lost four of their final five games, held Philly to 34 yards in the first 28½ minutes but led only 8-7. Blame that on some dubious offensive play calling and Eli Manning's continued inability to play well in the Meadowlands wind.

Then Donovan McNabb got himself into rhythm on a 68-yard drive after New York left too much time on the first-half clock, and Philly ended up winning 23-11.

Even the Giants weren't too surprised.

"Obviously, you would like to come into this time of year playing your best ball and obviously we didn't do that," defensive end Justin Tuck said Monday. "Philadelphia came in here and they played a great game, they beat us, and they earned the right to go on and play Arizona."

In fact, the Giants of last year are the perfect example of why there are no real upsets in the playoffs. They were 10-6 in the regular season and seeded fifth, then won three road games and upset unbeaten and presumably unbeatable New England in the Super Bowl.

As for Philadelphia, the Eagles have never won a Super Bowl, something the residents of southeastern Pennsylvania know all too well.

But they also have been one of the league's most consistent winners in the 10 seasons that McNabb has been their quarterback. This will be their fifth NFC title game in that span. They are 3-point favorites at Arizona, in part because of that 28-point Thanksgiving win, in part because their history is so much more distinguished than the Cardinals'.

But history tells you that Arizona can win. All you have to do is look at those Eagles-Cardinals games 60 years ago.

The home team won on both occasions.

-- Dave Goldberg

Eagles look to follow Phillies' championship

PHILADELPHIA - The city of champions?

New York? Fugetaboutit!

Boston? No wicked way!

Philadelphia? Yo!

Just 2 1/2 months after the Phillies ended Philadelphia's 25-year championship drought by winning the World Series, the Eagles are two victories away from capturing their first Super Bowl title.

"The city of Philadelphia is buzzing; this team is buzzing," Donovan McNabb said after leading the Eagles to a 23-11 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants on Sunday.

Fans in this sports-crazed town are downright delirious. They're walking around chanting "E-A-G-L-E-S" in bars, on sidewalks and anywhere they feel like exercising their vocal cords.

An estimated two million people packed downtown sidewalks to witness the Phillies' victory parade on Broad Street on Halloween. Who would've thought that might be a dress rehearsal?

"The Phillies got it started. The Eagles are next," said Joe Swanski, one of the many fans who made the trip to Giants Stadium. "Everything happens in threes, so the Flyers will win the Stanley Cup."

Actually, the Eagles would make it three if you count the Soul winning the Arena Football League championship last summer. Hardly anyone cared, however.

Considering the Flyers reached the Eastern Conference finals last year and currently lead the Atlantic Division, it could happen. The Eagles (11-6-1) have to do their part first. They meet the Arizona Cardinals (11-7) in the NFC championship game on Sunday.

No one expected the Eagles to be in this position when they were 5-5-1 in late November. People wanted coach Andy Reid fired and were ready to move on without McNabb, who was benched at halftime of a lopsided loss at Baltimore.

But the Eagles rallied around their quarterback, took the familiar us-against-the-world mentality and sneaked into the playoffs after getting help from other teams and dominating Dallas 44-6 in the regular-season finale.

Few people gave the Eagles much of a chance as a No. 6 seed. But they've embraced the underdog role.

"We've got another week of work," McNabb said. "Everyone believes in one another and given the opportunity, we feel like we can take full advantage of it."

The Eagles won two straight road games to reach the conference title game for the fifth time in eight years. They'll have to win another to return to the Super Bowl for the second time in four years.

A 48-20 rout over Arizona on Thanksgiving is one reason the Eagles are 3-point favorites on the road. But these Cardinals clearly aren't the same bunch that played so poorly in Philly six weeks ago.

"I didn't think we got their best shot when they were here," Reid said. "I didn't think that was their best game. They had been playing good football and they were coming off a tough game, it was Thanksgiving Day, they had to travel all the way back here. This will be a different football team that we will see out there."

Only two times has one city celebrated World Series and Super Bowl titles in the same season. In 1979, the Pirates and Steelers gave Pittsburgh multiple championships. And in 2004, the Red Sox ended Boston's curse and the Patriots beat Terrell Owens and the Eagles in the Super Bowl.

Now the most unlikely city has a chance to join the list. A town more famous for its rowdy fans, cheesesteaks and the Liberty Bell is becoming known for winners.

It used to be like that around here three decades ago. In 1980, all four major teams played for the championship. Only the Phillies won, beating Kansas City for the only World Series title in franchise history until this season.

The Flyers lost to the New York Islanders. The 76ers lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Eagles lost to Oakland.

"Our goal is to keep winning, get to the Super Bowl and win it," Eagles running back Brian Westbrook said. "We have to do everything we can to do that."

-- Rob Maaddi

This time, Steelers seek to keep home-field edge

PITTSBURGH - Tom Brady. Tom Brady. John Elway.

Detect a trend?

No NFL team has lost more conference championship games at home in less time than the Pittsburgh Steelers did during the 1994-2004 seasons - four of them in five tries, repeatedly costing them the opportunity to build an addition onto their already spacious Super Bowl trophy case.

The numerous January home-field losses defined former coach Bill Cowher's career for a decade, and left Steelers fans constantly wringing their Terrible Towels amid cries of "Why can't we win a big one here?"

There's something to remember from all those defeats, though: The other team's quarterback generally was pretty good.

And the opposing quarterback Sunday in the Steelers' seventh AFC championship game in 15 seasons won't be Brady or Elway, but Baltimore rookie Joe Flacco, who did little in two regular season games against them.

If any Steelers team of recent vintage appears equipped to cast aside the bad memories all of those January home-field losses, it may be this one - a team that, unlike those of the 1990s, has numerous players who have already won a Super Bowl in black and gold.

"To me this is the Super Bowl," Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said of the third Ravens-Steelers game in less than four months. "You don't want to have a bad taste in your mouth by losing and watching that team go to the Super Bowl."

When the Steelers finally won a fifth Super Bowl three years ago, they clearly thrived on playing every game away from home and dodging the constant questions of why they couldn't win big playoff games at home.

Now, because many of them already own Steelers Super Bowl rings, there are no expectations inside their locker room there will be a letdown to match that of, for example, the January 1995 loss to San Diego in which defensive back Tim McKyer was so disoriented after allowing the game-winning touchdown catch that he was carried off the field.

Then there were all those interceptions Kordell Stewart threw into the Broncos' arms in January 1998. The Patriots losing Brady to injury in January 2002 but still winning with Drew Bledsoe at quarterback in the second half. The Steelers squad with the best record in club history, the 15-1 team of 2004, losing to the Patriots again in a bitter-weather blowout.

Ancient history, these Steelers say. After all, they were the only home team to win during the divisional round last weekend, beating the Chargers 35-24 on Sunday.

How about that: the home-field advantage paying off for the Steelers in January.

"It's big," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. "The last time we were here (for the AFC title game) my rookie year, I didn't play so well, so I'll be looking for a little redemption. It's going to be a great battle."

If anyone can relate to what Flacco is going through this week as a rookie quarterback about to play for the AFC championship, it's Roethlisberger.

No rookie came close to accomplishing what Roethlisberger did by going 13-0 during his rookie season, then beating the Jets in the divisional round. But in the AFC championship game rematch against the Patriots, who had lost earlier in Pittsburgh, Roethlisberger looked like an ordinary Joe while going 14-of-24 for 226 yards and three interceptions.

Brady, as usual, was exceptional, throwing for 207 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions as the Patriots rolled to a 41-27 victory in a game they led 41-20 until the final minute. They went on to win their third Super Bowl, and their second after beating Pittsburgh to get there.

Flacco probably can't be just any old Joe if the Ravens are to win in Pittsburgh, where they have dropped seven of their last eight. Yet he was exactly that against the Steelers this season, going 27-of-59 for 307 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in two close losses.

For comparison's sake, Flacco is 257-of-428 for 2,971 yards, 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions as a rookie. Roethlisberger was 196-of-295 for 2,621 yards, 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2004.

Flacco couldn't get the Ravens into the end zone in last month's 13-9 loss to Pittsburgh in Baltimore, completing only 11 of 28 passes for 115 yards and two interceptions in perhaps his worst game all season.

"That's what games are going to be in December in the NFL," Flacco said.

Now he'll find out what these games are like in January. He hopes the experience isn't as deflating as it was to Roethlisberger four years ago.

If it is, the Steelers may discover again what it's like to win a conference championship game on their home field, something they've done only once in 29 years.

"I'm going to my fourth championship game," Ward said. "I'm 0-2 at home. So I want to win this one - I'm tired of losing at home."

A couple of million Pittsburghers probably feel the same way.

-- Alan Robinson

Bruised Ravens ready for another brawl vs Steelers

OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Think about all the collisions, bruises and trash talk that occurred during the Baltimore Ravens' rugged playoff game against the Tennessee Titans.

Now double it.

That's an indication of what to expect when the Ravens face their hated rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, in the AFC championship game on Sunday.

"It's two football teams that play a certain brand of football. It's physical football, it's fundamental, it's a very disciplined style of football," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday. "It's going to be a physical match, just like we had last week. That's the beauty of the NFL."

Baltimore's 13-10 win over the Titans last Saturday was hardly a work of art. Rarely a series went by without an injured player being helped off the field, and almost every tackle was punctuated by an extra shove or a verbal assault.

Expect more of the same, and then some, when two AFC North foes square off for the third time this season.

"If you want to go to the Super Bowl, who else would you rather it be but the Pittsburgh Steelers?" Ravens linebacker Bart Scott said. "It's an opportunity for one organization to build up the level of hatred for the other organization. Somebody is going to be happy, somebody is going to be hurt. What other team would you rather do it to?"

Let the rhetoric begin.

The Steelers won both of the previous games, 23-20 in overtime and 13-9. Revenge is part of Baltimore's motivation, but mostly it's about keeping alive an improbable playoff run in which the wild-card Ravens victimized the third-seeded Miami Dolphins and top-seeded Titans.

"What's on the line? It's just the Super Bowl," Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason said. "They're going to get our best and we're going to get their best. It's been that way both times we played them. They know what type of ballgame it might be."

The Ravens were battered and tired after defeating Tennessee. Cornerback Samari Rolle left with a groin injury and linebacker Terrell Suggs missed a portion of the second half with a strained right shoulder. Both received medical treatment Monday, and their status for Sunday's game was uncertain.

"Samari has a chance to get back there. We'll see what happens as the week goes on," Harbaugh said.

Suggs had an MRI on his shoulder Monday. He guaranteed Saturday that he would be available for the Steelers, but Harbaugh cautioned, "It's going to be close."

Even those who got out of the Tennessee game without injury were feeling the effects on Sunday.

"I was recovering from my game, so I was in and out of consciousness a lot during the day," Scott said, explaining why he didn't see much of Pittsburgh's 35-24 win over San Diego.

Most of the Ravens who watched the game were pulling for the Steelers.

"You have to appreciate the way they play. I love the way they play," Scott said. "You want to play the best, and I think they are the best right now. You want the opportunity to prove yourself against the best. You want to test yourself. We look forward to it. We didn't want to go to San Diego."

If Baltimore's game against Tennessee was a preliminary bout, then this is the main event between two heavyweights.

"You have two teams that try to impose their will on each other," Scott said. "When you have two teams that are evenly matched, both sides want to make you pay the price on the body. Nobody's running or ducking."

Safety Jim Leonhard played three years in Buffalo before joining the Ravens this season. It didn't take long for him to realize that Pittsburgh versus Baltimore is about as intense as it gets.

"It's a very physical rivalry. It's obvious that the teams don't like each other," he said. "Being here, it's the same thing. You know the people a little more and the history that's behind it. These games are what they're expected to be. There's a lot of talking, a lot of things going on. You know that you have to play 60 minutes that day or you're going to get it handed to you."

When the Ravens and Steelers played in September, 60 minutes wasn't enough to determine a winner. Baltimore-Pittsburgh III could be very similar.

"In games like this when the stakes are high, it's all about who's going to make that play to push your team over the top," Scott said. "We both have capable playmakers on both sides of the ball. It's going to be a tough one."

-- David Ginsburg

Starting tight end Spach out for playoffs

TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona Cardinals starting tight end Stephen Spach is out for the playoffs with a torn knee ligament.

Spach tore his right anterior cruciate ligament while blocking in the second half of Saturday night's 33-13 victory over Carolina.

He was signed as a free agent on Oct. 28 to shore up the injury-depleted position and became a starter against San Francisco on Nov. 10. His blocking helped the team's improved running game, and he had a game-clinching 23-yard catch on a third-and-16 situation late in Arizona's 30-24 wild-card victory over Atlanta.

Meanwhile, it was uncertain if Pro Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin, who sat out against the Panthers with a strained left hamstring, would play in Sunday's NFC championship game against Philadelphia.

Boldin tested the injury just before kickoff at Carolina and decided he wasn't ready to go. He said afterward that if the injury continued to improve, he liked his chances of playing in the NFC title game.

"We're a week further along in the process of that hamstring getting better, so hopefully he'll be able to do something this week," coach Ken Whisenhunt said, "but we'll see as the work progresses."

Spach had appeared in the first two games of the season for the New England Patriots before being released Sept. 15.

The injury left two tight ends on the Cardinals' roster: Leonard Pope and Ben Patrick. Pope has been bothered by a sore ankle and Patrick has had a lingering knee injury.

Spach "has done a good job for us in the running game, but it's not going to change our scheme," Whisenhunt said Monday. "I think we're very comfortable with Ben and Leonard in doing what we've been doing. They're healthier than they were at times this year when we've struggled so it shouldn't be a big issue."

Whisenhunt said the team would look to sign another tight end. A leading candidate would be 10-year NFL veteran Jerame Tuman, who was released by the Cardinals on Dec. 24.

-- Bob Baum

Burress: The missing link in Giants' playoff flop

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The New York Giants had all the pieces in place to repeat as Super Bowl champions except one: Plaxico Burress.

It's not a coincidence that the season-ending suspension of the talented but troubled receiver in December after he accidentally shot himself in the thigh can be tied directly to the Giants' late-season swoon.

New York lost four of its final five games, including a 23-11 decision to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC semifinal Sunday.

While Burress arguably might have to compete with quarterback Eli Manning and halfback Brandon Jacobs for the team's best offensive player, there's no doubt his absence changed the Giants' dynamic down the stretch.

Burress was the player who made opposing defenses adjust. Teams had to play a safety deep to protect against his deep-ball threat, and the Giants had no one to replace him.

Even Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said gameplanning for the Giants was easier without Burress to worry about.

"I've said this before guys, Plax has a presence out there, and has an uncommon skill set, and you just don't replace that," Giants general manager Jerry Reese said Monday, hours after the players met with the coaching staff and cleaned out their lockers.

"We made some adjustments, but we didn't play well enough last night," Reese said. "Obviously, Plax gives you a presence out there. We didn't get it done."

When Burress was on the team, the Giants went 11-1 and looked very capable of repeating. Without him, they were a very good team missing a key component.

The Giants simply didn't get it done in December and January. They beat Carolina in the next-to-last game of the regular season to win home-field advantage, but also lost twice to Philadelphia in that span, with the offense scoring only 16 points in eight quarters.

After Burress was suspended, Manning threw three touchdown passes in five games. He had 20 in the first 12.

The nucleus is still there for another good season next year, but Burress' future both on and off the field is uncertain.

He faces charges of criminal possession of a weapon relating to the shooting, which could result in a prison sentence of 3½ to 15 years if he's convicted. The 31-year-old who caught the winning pass in the Super Bowl is due back in court March 31.

Reese left the door open for Burress to return. He's still under contract to the Giants, but his future may very well be determined by the legal system.

"I want to see him be OK as a person more than anything else, and if we can see that and he is OK as a person and ready to turn over a new leaf in his life and take care of himself first, I think everything will take care of itself," Reese said.

The general manager said he has communicated with Burress and plans to talk with him again soon.

"I think he has thought about some of the bad decisions he has made and I think things will begin to change as far as making better decisions," said Reese, who said the Giants would protect themselves by looking into free agency and the draft in case they need a deep-threat receiver.

Jacobs, who had his second straight 1,000-yard rushing season, thinks Burress will return.

"He is not a criminal," Jacobs said. "He does not have a bad bone in his body. He made a bad decision and he should not suffer the rest of his career because of one decision. But that's the way life goes. You never know when you are going to get a second chance. I think he deserves a second chance."

For the rest of the Giants, this was a day to talk about what might have been.

Despite the absence of Burress, New York had its chances Sunday. The Giants were in the red zone three times and inside the Eagles 30 five times. The net result was three field goals.

"It is disappointing," Manning said. "You look at the film and you see some opportunities. We played pretty good for most of the game. Just at times when we got down in the red zone, we didn't execute our best and we didn't convert those third downs to give us opportunities to score touchdowns. So that is what it came down to."

So on Monday, the players met with coach Tom Coughlin, had physicals and stuffed their belongings into plastic garbage bags instead of preparing for a home game against the Arizona Cardinals.

"It is not a good day, it is not a happy day," Coughlin said. "It is a long day, it is a tough day."

Reese has a number of decisions to make in the offseason. Jacobs and Ward, who also rushed for 1,000 yards, receiver Amani Toomer and kicker John Carney are among 12 unrestricted free agents.

Reese said there will be some changes.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is still in the hunt for a head coaching job, so the team might need a new coordinator.

When asked if the Giants had considered naming Spagnuolo a coach-in-waiting in the event the 62-year-old Coughlin decides to retire, Reese said the team considers all possibilities.

The one thing they didn't anticipate was losing in conference semifinal after earning the top seed.

Now all they can see are four teams remaining: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Arizona - all teams the Giants beat in the regular season.

"It's a different feeling," tight end Kevin Boss said comparing the end of last season to this one. "I didn't know what to expect today. We didn't have exit meetings last year. We won the Super Bowl and rode off into the sunset. This year we have to do the painful stuff, like clean out the locker.

"It's tough. It's something we didn't expect."

-- Tom Canavan

Colts coach Tony Dungy retires

INDIANAPOLIS - Tony Dungy always considered football just a career path.

Not his life's mission.

On Monday, Dungy began the transition from head coach to full-time dad and devoted volunteer by announcing his retirement after seven years leading the Indianapolis Colts.

"We just felt this was the right time," Dungy said. "Don't shed any tears for me. I got to live a dream most people don't get to live."

The move triggered a succession plan Indianapolis put in place a year ago, making Jim Caldwell, the associate head coach, Dungy's replacement.

But the culmination of a 31-year NFL career, which started with Dungy winning a Super Bowl ring as a player in Pittsburgh and ended two years after he became the first black coach to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, brought out some rare emotional moments from the usually stoic Dungy.

"My wife Lauren told me to bring some Kleenex. I thought I would make it a little farther than the first sentence," Dungy said, his voice cracking.

He told owner Jim Irsay of his decision Sunday.

"And we spent about 2½ hours crying," Dungy said. "But I had a real peace about it."

The 53-year-old Dungy informed his staff of the decision Monday morning, then met with some players after the traditional one-week waiting period ended. Dungy and his wife, Lauren, spent the last five years discussing whether he should continue coaching.

Receivers coach Clyde Christensen, who served as Dungy's assistant the last 13 years, said he was 95 percent certain Dungy would return as recently as Friday. Others, like safety Melvin Bullitt, were still hopeful Monday afternoon that Dungy would change his mind.

Unlike the previous four years, when Dungy ultimately decided to continue coaching, he decided it was time to stay home and work in the community.

Perhaps for good.

"I think I've got a responsibility to be home a little bit more, be available to my family a little bit more and do some things to help make our country better," Dungy said. "I don't know what that is right now, but we'll see."

Dungy made a remarkable impact around the league. In an era when there were few black head coaches, Dungy helped open the door to rising stars and a growing number of minority candidates. Among those from his Tampa Bay staff who have had head coaching jobs are Herm Edwards, now with Kansas City, Chicago's Lovie Smith, Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin and former Detroit coach Rod Marinelli.

Dungy also set league records for most consecutive playoff seasons (10) and consecutive 12-win seasons (six), and leaves with the highest average of regular-season victories of any coach in league history (10.7).

And those around the league acknowledged Dungy's legacy will be the way he won.

"People often say that teams reflect their head coach, and that can be said of Tony Dungy's teams, which are consistent winners every single year," New England coach Bill Belichick said. "Tony has been such a fixture in this league that his absence will take some getting used to."

Dungy has always considered faith, family and football to be his priorities.

But he always wound up back on the sideline. Last year, he returned to help open the Colts' new stadium after Irsay agreed to let Dungy commute home on his private jet.

Although Dungy said the travel was not a burden and enjoyed this season, clearly, the time away from home was something that tugged at Dungy's heart.

Even Irsay sensed this would be Dungy's last go-around before their Sunday night meeting.

"I knew this day would come some time, it always does in life," Irsay said, tearing up. "It's been an incredible journey, and as an owner, I think, you dream of having the kind of relationship with a head coach that I've had with Tony."

The decision came a little more than a week after the Colts lost their first playoff game for the second straight season, and it ends a coaching career in which Dungy reached one NFC championship game and two AFC championship games.

In addition, Dungy finished his six-year tenure in Tampa and his seven-year stint in Indy as the career leader in victories for both franchises, finishing with an overall record of 148-79.

But the critics always questioned Dungy's postseason numbers. In Tampa, his adopted hometown, Dungy went 2-4 in the playoffs and failed to reach the Super Bowl. He was 7-6 in Indy, failing to advance past the first game four times.

"You always think you can win a few more," Dungy said. "But I won't look back and think that we could have won one more if I had put more time in."

While the city of Tampa reveres Dungy for turning a moribund franchise into a perennial playoff team, Indy's bond with Dungy was just as strong.

The city applauded Dungy's achievement when he finally won the Super Bowl and rallied around Dungy's family when he endured his greatest tragedy - his son's suicide in 2005.

"His biggest legacy will be all the people around the country who he's inspired to be better and to deal with some of life's tragedies in a manner that gives people a lot of strength," Edwards said. "What he went through with his son and how he handled it, was something that says a lot about Tony, his faith and what he stands for."

What's next for Dungy is unclear. He has been involved for years in prison ministries, with Family First and as part of All-Pro Dads.

"Where my heart is, is really with our young men right now," Dungy said. "We have so many guys that didn't grow up like me, didn't have their dad there and that's something I'm very, very interested in."

He also believes the Colts will continue to win under Caldwell, who takes over after spending the past eight seasons on Dungy's staff. Caldwell spent seven of those seasons, one in Tampa, as the quarterbacks coach before being elevated to associate head coach last January.

Caldwell's only other head coaching experience came at Wake Forest, where he went 26-63 from 1993-2000.

But it will take more than wins and losses to fill Dungy's shoes.

"Tony Dungy taught us all how to handle triumph and tragedy with dignity and grace," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. "Although we will miss him, Tony is a great man and his impact will be part of the NFL forever."

-- Michael Marot

Pats' offensive coordinator takes over in Denver

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - Josh McDaniels, the man behind the New England Patriots' scoring machine, inherits an offense in Denver that needs only an oil change.

The defense? That needs an overhaul.

The 32-year-old McDaniels signed a four-year deal with the Broncos to replace Mike Shanahan, the only NFL head coach to get fired by a team he led to consecutive Super Bowl wins.

Of course, that was in the 1990s. Shanahan won just a single playoff game in the decade since John Elway retired and team owner Pat Bowlen fired him Dec. 30 after the Broncos missed out on the playoffs for a third straight season. He had three years and $21 million left on his contract.

McDaniels guided an offense that had led New England to 18 straight victories before a stunning loss to the New York Giants in last season's Super Bowl. That team scored an NFL-record 75 touchdowns and 589 points.

Bowlen thought enough of McDaniels to bypass defensive sages Steve Spagnuolo of the Giants, Raheem Morris of the Buccaneers and Leslie Frazier of the Vikings even though Denver's defense allowed more points and had fewer takeaways than any other team in the NFL last season.

"What I was trying to do was pick the best guy," Bowlen said. "It didn't matter really that much whether it was an offensive or defensive guy, he's going to be the head coach. I think Josh has the ability to go out and find a very good defensive coordinator."

McDaniels helped the defensive staff in New England for three seasons before serving as quarterbacks coach in 2004. Bill Belichick promoted him to offensive coordinator in 2006, and his career took off.

"I'd like to personally thank Bill Belichick for providing me my foundation in this league and for mentoring me for eight years," McDaniels said at his introductory news conference Monday night.

Under his guidance, Tom Brady threw for a record 50 touchdowns in ‘07 and came within a whisker of the first 19-0 season in NFL history. McDaniels' star grew even brighter in ‘08 when Brady was lost with a knee injury in the opener and Matt Cassel, who hadn't started a game since high school, led the Patriots to an 11-5 record.

"Josh McDaniels is one of the finest people and brightest, most talented coaches I have ever worked with," Belichick said in a statement. "Since joining us eight years ago, Josh performed a variety of roles and excelled in every one of them."

McDaniels agreed to a four-year deal believed to be worth about $8 million to replace Shanahan, who was fired 48 hours after the Broncos became the first team in league history to blow a three-game divisional lead with three weeks left.

Shanahan was 146-91 in 14 years in Denver, leading the Broncos to Super Bowl titles following the 1997 and ‘98 seasons. The Broncos have gone 24-24 since losing to Pittsburgh in the 2005 AFC title game.

That was unacceptable to Bowlen, who reached out to a man half his age to resurrect a once-proud franchise.

McDaniels is a baby-faced 32-year-old whiz kid who is younger than some of his players.

McDaniels, who's been around football fields since he was a toddler hanging out at the high school in Canton, Ohio, where his father coached, said his young age shouldn't matter to anybody.

"My age has never been a factor. It's never going to be a factor," he said. "It's about performance. It's about what you're capable of getting the players to do."

McDaniels goes from one potent offense to another. With talented players like Jay Cutler, Eddie Royal, Brandon Marshall, Tony Scheffler, Ryan Harris and Ryan Clady, it's seemingly just a healthy running back away from greatness.

The Broncos finished second in the NFL in yards last season but middle of the pack in scoring, done in by Cutler's 18 interceptions, Marshall's 18 drops and an astonishing seven tailbacks on injured reserve.

The Broncos would like to see most of Shanahan's offensive assistants stick around, although McDaniels' hiring put a wrench in Cutler's hopes that position coach Jeremy Bates, another 32-year-old wunderkind who calls the plays, will stay.

Denver's dreadful defense now belongs to the engineer of the Patriots' powerful offense.

The Broncos, who yielded more points (448) and pried away fewer takeaways (13) than any team in the league last season, will be adjusting to their fourth defensive coordinator in four years. Nine times they allowed 30 points or more and Cutler and the offense just couldn't keep up.

"As much as I've coached offense the past four or five years here, I'm a football coach that's built to understand defense," McDaniels said. "That's where I learned my foundation. ... and I think that my goal as the head coach is not just to improve the defense. It's to improve the team."

One intriguing possibility to serve as McDaniels' defensive coordinator is Dom Capers, a veteran of two NFL head coaching jobs who assisted the Patriots' secondary last season. Another is former San Francisco head coach Mike Nolan.

McDaniels is the fourth member of Belichick's coaching staff to leave either for a head coaching job in the NFL or a prestigious college job. None of them has been very successful out on his own. Romeo Crennel left for Cleveland in 2005 and Eric Mangini joined the Jets a year later. Both were fired last month, with Mangini replacing Crennel in Cleveland. And Charlie Weis is on the hot seat at Notre Dame.

McDaniels said he's been shaped by Belichick, Weis and Nick Saban, who gave him his first job as a graduate assistant at Michigan State in 1999.

"I hope I've taken all the good things from them," McDaniels said.

The standoffish personalities of his three notable mentors didn't necessarily rub off on him, though.

"I think you'll certainly see me bring a little bit of a different vibe," McDaniels said. "I'm going to have a lot of energy. I can smile."

Bowlen said he changed his mind about hiring a general manager and indicated his top adviser, personnel chief Jim Goodman, would have an increased role instead.

"I have no plans to hire anybody else," Bowlen said.

-- Arnie Stapleton

Lions interview Titans' Schwartz for 2nd time

ALLEN PARK, Mich. - The Detroit Lions put Jim Schwartz behind a podium to answer questions from reporters as part of their second interview with the Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator.

If it was part of his evaluation, he seemed to pass it.

Schwartz cracked one joke when asked what he would do with the No. 1 pick in the draft and his potential boss got a kick out of his answer.

"It's probably time to find a replacement for Bobby Layne," Schwartz said, showing he knows at least a little about the history of perhaps the NFL's worst franchise.

Team president Tom Lewand doubled over, then composed himself enough to avoid bursting out with laughter.

What isn't a joke, though, is how bad Detroit has been and how much it has failed to draft or acquire a viable, long-term option at quarterback.

Since winning a title in 1957 with Layne under center, the Lions have the same number of playoff victories as Pro Bowl QBs: one.

The chance to lead the NFL's first 0-16 team seems to only motivate Schwartz to get the job and succeed at it.

"I don't shy away from a challenge," Schwartz said.

Schwartz said he expected to meet with team owner William Clay Ford as part of his visit. He declined to say if other teams have expressed an interest in hiring him.

Detroit interviewed Schwartz after the regular season and had to wait for Tennessee to be eliminated from the playoffs to speak to him again. The Titans lost to Baltimore on Saturday.

The Lions, who fired Rod Marinelli after his team made history, also have interest in numerous other candidates including Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera.

San Diego coach Norv Turner confirmed the Lions asked for permission to interview Rivera, who told teams he didn't want to pursue other opportunities until the Chargers' season ended and they were eliminated Sunday at Pittsburgh.

Messages seeking comment were left for Frazier, Spagnuolo's agent, Bob LaMonte, and Rivera's agent, Frank Bauer.

Schwartz just finished his 10th season with the Titans, his eighth as defensive coordinator.

Before being hired in Tennessee, he spent three years on the Baltimore Ravens' staff. He also was a college and pro scout for the Cleveland Browns and that experience might be valuable in Detroit.

The Lions have the No. 1 pick in April, along with first- and third-round picks from the Dallas Cowboys, and need to find players to spark a turnaround.

Schwartz said his background in scouting is an asset for him as a candidate in Detroit.

If the Lions hire Schwartz, he would also be counted on to come up with ways to improve a defense that ranked last in the league and gave up 517 points - threatening the NFL record for points allowed (533) in a season set by the 1981 Baltimore Colts.

"There's no better feeling than turning a situation around," he said.

The 42-year-old Schwartz played linebacker at Georgetown, where he earned a degree in economics.

He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Maryland in 1989, later had the same position at Minnesota and went on to become a secondary coach for North Carolina Central and linebackers coach at Colgate.

The Baltimore native became a candidate to be a head coach because of what he's done in Tennessee.

His resume and style led to interviews in previous years with Miami, Atlanta, Washington and San Francisco.

The Titans ranked in the top seven in yards allowed each of the past two seasons and finished second in points allowed per game at 14.6 in 2008. His 2003 defense ranked first in the NFL in rushing defense and led the league in third down defense at 27.7 - the lowest since the 1998 Oakland Raiders.

The avid chess player analyzes football-related statistics, looking for tendencies, then has the ability to relay what he has learned to players.

"You've got to have the right kind of guys who know how to translate it off the computer to the field and play," Titans defensive end Jevon Kearse has said. "He pretty much has what it takes if you ask me."

-- Larry Lage

Saints promote Carmichael to offensive coordinator

METAIRIE, La. - The New Orleans Saints promoted Pete Carmichael Jr. to offensive coordinator Monday and also hired former Northwestern assistant Bret Ingalls as the team's running backs coach.

Saints coach Sean Payton also promoted Aaron Kromer from running backs coach to offensive line coach and Joe Lombardi from offensive assistant to quarterbacks coach. Before joining the Saints, Kromer was an offensive line assistant with Tampa Bay.

"Pete's promotion is well-deserved and I can't say enough about his ability," Payton said. "Aaron did a great job with the running backs last year, particularly with the development of Pierre Thomas. ... Moving to the offensive line, where the majority of his NFL experience is, was a natural progression on our staff, and he'll also contribute to our game-planning with the running game."

Carmichael replaces Doug Marrone, who left late in the season to become head coach at Syracuse. Carmichael has spent the past three seasons tutoring quarterbacks and helping Payton develop the team's passing game.

Payton calls his own plays, meaning his offensive coordinator serves in an advisory role during games but still helps develop offensive game plans during the week.

Ingalls has been in coaching for 23 years, the last three as offensive line coach at Northwestern.

"Bret is well-respected for his knowledge and communication skills with players," Payton said. "He has a wealth of experience working with several position groups and as a coordinator and I am very excited with what he will bring to our coaching staff."

49ers interview Dennison for offensive coordinator

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Rick Dennison interviewed with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday to run their offense.

He's the fourth coach to interview for the job on Mike Singletary's staff that was vacated when Mike Martz was fired last month.

Dennison was an assistant to former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan for 14 years, also coaching the offensive line. He won't be retained on new Denver coach Josh McDaniels' staff, but his interview with San Francisco was set up before Shanahan was fired.

Former St. Louis coach Scott Linehan, Indianapolis receivers coach Clyde Christensen and Cleveland offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski already have interviewed with Singletary.