Broncos bring in Cowboys' Garrett for interview

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - Rick Dennison served 14 seasons as Mike Shanahan's disciple, and now he wants to be his replacement.

The Denver Broncos offensive coordinator met with team owner Pat Bowlen on Tuesday after expressing interest in the position following Shanahan's firing last week.

The Broncos spoke with Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett later in the afternoon. Leslie Frazier, the defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings, will interview Wednesday.

The Broncos have already interviewed Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Shanahan was fired last week after the Broncos missed the playoffs for the third straight season, done in by a series of personnel gaffes and several bad drafts on defense.

Garrett was a hot commodity at this time a year ago, spurning offers from Atlanta and Baltimore to be head coach after Dallas agreed to make him the league's highest-paid assistant at $3 million.

Garrett's star lost some luster this season as Tony Romo struggled and the Cowboys' offense sputtered, finishing 13th in the league in total yards despite a wealth of expensive talent.

Dennison, a linebacker for the Broncos from 1982-90, has been on Denver's staff since 1995, serving as special teams coach and then offensive line guru, before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2006.

Morris' interview Monday lasted more than four hours as he met with different personnel and toured the building. The 32-year-old earned a promotion from secondary coach to defensive coordinator in Tampa Bay after longtime assistant Monte Kiffin left for the University of Tennessee, where his son, Lane, is now coaching.

Shanahan is expected to take a year off before returning to coaching. He has three years and more than $20 million left on his contract, and sitting out next season would cost Bowlen close to $7 million.

Bowlen doesn't plan on giving his next coach the same kind of power he afforded Shanahan, preferring to split the head coach and general manager's jobs. He said that he'll focus on finding a GM once he hires a coach.

Texans continue staff moves

HOUSTON - The Houston Texans will not renew the contracts of head trainer Kevin Bastin and strength and conditioning coach Dan Riley.

The moves come a week after the team released defensive coordinator Richard Smith, secondary coach Jon Hoke and defensive line coach Jethro Franklin.

The pair have been with the team since its inception in 2002. Bastin and Riley both worked for the Washington Redskins before coming to Houston.

Top-seeded Giants an enigma heading into playoffs

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants are entering the playoffs as somewhat of an enigma.

While they are the NFC's top-seeded team, they have not been playing like the conference's best team heading into Sunday's conference semifinal against the Philadelphia Eagles (10-6-1) at Giants Stadium.

New York (12-4) has lost three of its last four games, and the only game they won in December came in overtime against No. 2-seeded Carolina after the Panthers' John Kasey missed a field goal at the end of regulation.

The scenario is nothing like a year ago when the Giants gained a ton of momentum by pushing the then-undefeated New England Patriots to the limit in the regular-season finale. It was a performance that proved to the team that they could play with the best, and Eli Manning and Co. rode it to a title.

This year there are just question marks, starting with Philadelphia. The Eagles beat the Giants 20-14 in December in a game that was not as close as the final score.

The Giants' win over Philadelphia came in November, which seems ages ago.

The Eagles, meanwhile, seemingly have all the momentum, having won five of their last six games, capped by an impressive playoff-clinching win over Dallas in the regular-season finale and another over Minnesota in the wild-card game last weekend.

Giants center Shaun O'Hara said that the team doesn't feel like it has played poorly, and he conveniently downplays the comparisons with last season.

"Obviously we did a great job last year, but this is a whole new ball game," O'Hara said. "Momentum, fine, whatever it is, confidence, whatever that is, the bottom line is it is the team that wants it more, the team that plays harder on Sunday and makes the plays. That is really the challenge this week. It is going to be, can we do the things that we have done in big games in order to win?"

What the Giants need to do this time against Philadelphia is run the ball, prevent Brian Westbrook and Donovan McNabb from making big plays and to make their own big plays.

In the last game, Domenik Hixon, who has replaced the now suspended Plaxico Burress as the Giants' deep threat, dropped a deep pass from Manning after getting behind the Eagles' defense.

"Being the 2007 Super Bowl champions does not scare anybody, obviously," middle linebacker Antonio Pierce said. "For us, it is about going out there and getting our swagger back, getting that chip on our shoulder, listening to all these critics and opinion makers who have their say on what is going to happen or what did happen and go out there and play football."

Coach Tom Coughlin said that no one was happy losing three times in December. He noted, however, that the team spent the bye week correcting mistakes.

"The regular season is over, whatever the numbers might be," Coughlin said. "We have been cast into a situation where we had the bye. You heard me say that I thought the bye was good for our team. I don't know that I would necessarily say that every year. In this case, I thought it was. And so therefore we worked, we studied, and had an opportunity to have a weekend without a game and now we are back to work."

The Giants are 5-2 in postseason games following a bye since the 1970 merger. The only losses were the 1989 divisional playoff game to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime and to Baltimore in Super Bowl 35.

New York has been well tested this season. Of the eight teams left in the playoffs, the Giants have wins over five - Philadelphia, Carolina, Arizona, Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

Pierce said the Giants understand the meaning of games in January.

"We are playing a team that we just faced not more than a month ago, so there is no need to do any pep rally and get up there and do jumping jacks or anything else crazy," Pierce said. "We just need to go out there and practice, be focused mentally and physically to be prepared to get a win."

-- Tom Canavan

Beason quickly becomes Panthers' defensive leader

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Jon Beason is ahead of schedule. Again.

Whether it's reading a play, getting to the ball carrier, racking up records or winning awards, the Carolina Panthers linebacker does things before people expect them to happen.

Now, armed with his first Pro Bowl selection, Beason will play in his first playoff game Saturday when the Panthers (12-4) face Arizona (10-7) in the NFC divisional round. It's another milestone for the speedy, instinctive and quietly confident Beason, who in 32 games has established himself as one of the NFL's top linebackers.

"When you plan for it, it's easy when it does happen," Beason said Tuesday of his whirlwind two years. "You don't have to pinch yourself as much, even though I have quite a bit."

When the Panthers selected the 6-foot, 237-pound Miami product with the 25th pick in the 2007 draft, they envisioned him as Dan Morgan's eventual replacement at middle linebacker.

Beason started training camp as an outside linebacker and started there in the first four games. But when the oft-injured Morgan went down again with an Achilles' tendon injury, Beason took over in the middle.

Suddenly, he was the defensive signal caller. But that was about all he said on the field - even as he made a team-record 160 tackles.

"Going into Miami and obviously coming into the NFL, it's about earning respect as a young guy," Beason said. "You haven't done anything so you shouldn't say anything.

"That's really what it was last year. Just come in, doing your job, being a pro, being accountable and playing hard and the veterans are going to respect that. Once you have their respect, you are a leader."

After an offseason that saw defensive tackle Kris Jenkins traded to the New York Jets and defensive end Mike Rucker retire, it was time for Beason to become vocal in a new-look defense built to be speedy and strong, two of his traits.

"The No. 1 way to earn respect is with your play," safety Chris Harris said. "He shows up every week and gives it his all. Guys respect that, so it's not hard to listen to a guy who puts it on the line every time he steps on the field."

Beason finished one tackle shy of last year's record this season, good enough to be voted to the Pro Bowl. He was also honored as the NFC defensive player of the month for October.

One of his three interceptions came near the goal line and with Carolina clinging to a 24-23 lead early in the fourth quarter of the regular-season meeting with the Cardinals. The Panthers won 27-23.

"It's evident to me that he studies a lot of tape, because he knows what's going on and he reacts to it well," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "We voted for him for the Pro Bowl and I think he's very deserving of that."

Coaches and teammates harp on those football smarts, which have allowed for his quick ascent in the NFL.

"He understands the situational part of football," Panthers coach John Fox said. "He had to game manage the defense against a no-huddle (offense) like against Indy. All that for a rookie is pretty tough. I think he took all that experience and then parlayed it into a pretty good year this year where his peers voted him as a Pro Bowler, and again we're having success as a football team."

Although the defense hasn't been that successful of late. In the past two games, the Panthers have allowed 301 yards rushing to the Giants and 386 yards passing to the Saints.

Beason was held to a season-low two tackles against the Saints. Not overly big, teams have tried to neutralize him with more blockers with run-clogging defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu sidelined with an ankle injury.

The Panthers weren't required by the NFL to submit an injury report Tuesday, but they're hoping to get Kemoeatu and defensive tackle Damione Lewis (shoulder) back on Saturday night against the high-scoring Cardinals.

"Kemo is a big presence in there and a guy you have to respect," Beason said. "It makes it a lot easier for me to run and get off blocks."

Beason acknowledged the biggest games of his career to date came in the Peach Bowl in college and in high school state championships growing up in Miramar, Fla.

He was happy to play a Monday night home game against Tampa Bay last month to get a sense of the atmosphere, which will be even more frenzied Saturday in Carolina's first home playoff game in five years.

After going 7-9 last season, the Panthers' return to prominence took just one year. Their linebacker whose career resembles a no-huddle offense had plenty to do with that.

"To do the things he's done in only two years is big," Harris said. "It usually takes a lot of guys a few years to get acclimated, but he's a different type of person."

-- Mike Cranston

Steelers' defense best, but offense is No. 1 worry

PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Steelers are committing the most turnovers of any team left in the NFL playoffs, are getting sacked more often and scoring the fewest points.

As good as their No. 1-ranked defense is, the offense is an ongoing worry to coach Mike Tomlin as the Steelers prepare to play the San Diego Chargers in an AFC divisional playoff game Sunday.

Even if he won't say so.

Still, the Steelers know it might be worse: They could be playing the Colts and Peyton Manning rather than the Chargers and Philip Rivers, who got little going against them as Pittsburgh won 11-10 on Nov. 16. San Diego ended Indianapolis' nine-game winning streak with a 23-17 overtime decision Saturday, preventing the Colts from trying to repeat their 24-20 win in Pittsburgh the week before the Chargers lost there.

"There's no hocus-pocus or secret formula for getting the ball in the end zone," Tomlin said Tuesday, a day off for his players. "We've got to execute better. We've got to put our guys in a better position to capitalize on field position."

Tomlin's got-to list is lengthy, even though the Steelers won 12 games for only the fourth time in 29 years. Part of the problem is a major falloff in a traditionally strong running game that, with Willie Parker hurt part of the season, ranked only 23rd. Ben Roethlisberger's inconsistency also is a concern.

A year after throwing 32 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions, Roethlisberger has 17 TD passes and 15 interceptions. The earlier Chargers game illustrated Roethlisberger's up-and-down season; he was 31-of-41 for 308 yards and didn't turn over the ball, yet the offense totaled only three field goals by Jeff Reed.

The Steelers drove inside the 20-yard line three times, but settled for two field goals. One drive ended when Mewelde Moore was dropped for a 1-yard loss on a fourth-and-goal play from inside the 1, and the Steelers repeatedly hurt themselves with 13 penalties.

The result was a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher (Parker, 115 yards) and a 100-yard receiver (Hines Ward, 11 catches for 124 yards), yet zero touchdowns.

"We moved the ball, but we sputtered in the red zone," Roethlisberger said. "We can't afford to do that. We can't turn the ball over. The big thing is we can drive up and down the field, but we have to be able to put the ball in when we get down there."

There's an added concern in Roethlisberger's health. He may not know until the game begins how he will respond following his Dec. 28 concussion against Cleveland - he had ongoing headaches last week and didn't pass a post-concussion test until Monday.

His teammates apparently are being told to ramp down any speculation Roethlisberger won't be 100 percent. On Monday, none would touch the topic of Byron Leftwich possibly replacing Roethlisberger. And Tomlin is refusing to speculate on what he will do if his quarterback has problems.

Question: Given Roethlisberger's concussion history (three since 2006), will you be more cautious or keep an extra eye on him? Tomlin's answer: "No, I won't."

Question: Is there something you'll be watching with Ben? Tomlin answer: "No."

Tomlin did say this: "The Steelers can't beat the Steelers," repeating safety Tyrone Carter's cautionary observation from last week. The inference was the Steelers can't keep tripping themselves with penalties and missed chances like they did earlier against San Diego.

The Steelers appear to have nearly every advantage against an opponent that has won only twice in 15 trips to Pittsburgh, and was 4-8 barely a month ago, but the offense provides Tomlin with enough room for concern. So does the fact the Chargers played last weekend, while the Steelers will have been off for two weeks.

"You can trick yourself into believing that (winning the first game provides an advantage)," Tomlin said. "You can also trick yourself into believing that you don't because it's tough to beat a team twice, and so forth. I'm not worried about that stuff."

What about this stuff: The Steelers' offense managed eight touchdowns in seven games against playoff teams, twice failing to score a touchdown.

"I think that confidence is born out of rising up in the face of adversity," Tomlin said, a reference to the Steelers being able to win despite a tough schedule and many obstacles. "We've had a bunch."

-- Alan Robinson

Tennessee rookie eager to prove he's no fluke

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Chris Johnson had one of his worst games as a rookie against the Baltimore Ravens. Which changes very little in his approach.

The Pro Bowl running back insists the Tennessee Titans will have to run to beat the Ravens this time.

And Johnson can't wait to prove what he can do in the playoffs.

"This is going to show a lot of people how good I really am and that I'm just not a fluke, and I'm not something that happened in the regular season, and show that I'm a very good player," Johnson said Tuesday.

Playing better against the Ravens would help.

The Titans ran just 22 times for 47 yards in their 13-10 win in Baltimore on Oct. 5. Johnson got 44 yards on 18 carries - 27 on his first four carries before being smothered by the Ravens, who stopped him for no gain or in the backfield six times. LenDale White added three carries for a net of 4 yards.

It was one of only three games in which the Titans were held below 76 yards rushing this season, but didn't stop them from improving to 5-0 that day.

With Baltimore coming to town Saturday for an AFC divisional playoff game, Titans coach Jeff Fisher sees a simple fix to their run problems: getting a few more chances.

" Convert third downs so you get more opportunities, more plays. We ran 54 plays the first time we played them. We had some difficulty with the run, so as you all saw, with six minutes left to go, we picked it up and threw it and that was the difference in the ballgame for us," Fisher said.

Shutting down Tennessee's running game hasn't been easy this season.

The Titans ran for a franchise-record 332 yards against Kansas City and racked up 292 yards on Thanksgiving against Detroit. White and Johnson each ran for 100 yards or more apiece in those games and missed a third when White lost a yard on his final carry in a 28-9 win over Cleveland that clinched their AFC South title.

Johnson, the 24th pick overall out of East Carolina, doesn't lack confidence. He celebrated a 66-yard touchdown run in Kansas City by banging on drums in the end zone, then appealed the fine handed down by the NFL.

He finished with 1,228 yards as the NFL's eighth-best rusher despite sitting out the finale at Indianapolis as a precaution. That didn't stop him from saying last week he deserved The Associated Press' Offensive Rookie of the Year award instead of Matt Ryan of Atlanta as the only rookie Pro Bowler, and criticizing the voting process.

Only Earl Campbell has rushed for more touchdowns in a season (19 in 1979 when the then-Houston Oilers reached their second straight AFC championship game) than White, who had 15. Johnson just missed joining him with double-digits, scoring nine TDs himself.

"They're both really good," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "Each has a unique strength. Everybody wants to talk about how one guy runs outside and one guy runs inside, but when you watch the tape and you find they're both capable of really carrying the full load of their offense in kind of a similar way."

Stopping the run is only one of the areas the Ravens pride themselves in defensively. They haven't allowed a 100-yard rusher in two seasons, a streak now at 35 games going back to Larry Johnson of Kansas City on Dec. 10, 2006. Teams are averaging a mere 81.4 yards rushing against them.

The Titans could be without Pro Bowl center Kevin Mawae, the anchor of their offensive line and another key reason Tennessee averaged 137.4 yards rushing each game this season. Mawae has an injured right elbow, and Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis called the center one of the smartest linemen in the game.

"He keeps those guys in line, and that's probably one of the biggest reasons why they have that running game being so successful," Lewis said.

But the Titans showed Dec. 21 that they can run against stingy Pittsburgh, piling up 117 yards in a 31-14 rout.

White said the Titans' rushing offense is better now than in the first game with Baltimore. That was their fifth game of the season, and he said they now know where each person will be and how to work together at this point of the year. And trying to run through Haloti Ngata, Lewis and Scott?

"I'm 240 pounds for a reason," White said. "I welcome anything at any given time."

The Titans think they have a good plan to attack this Baltimore defense, and White said he'll do exactly what offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger asks him to do. In the end, White said running the ball at this stage is pretty simple.

"It's just up to us to go out there and want it more," he said.

-- Teresa M. Walker

Pro Bowl center says he won't play Saturday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Titans got Pro Bowl defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and end Kyle Vanden Bosch back on the practice field Tuesday. The availability of Pro Bowl center Kevin Mawae against Baltimore depends on who is talking.

During an interview on Sirius NFL Radio before practice Tuesday, Mawae was asked if he would play Saturday in the AFC divisional playoff game.

"No, I'm not going to play this week," Mawae said before trying to soften that answer. "It's still questionable. We're day to day, and hopefully things progress to where I'll be able to play next week. But again, we're day to day right now."

Mawae, who earned his seventh Pro Bowl spot in his 15th season, hurt his right elbow on Dec. 21 and missed the regular-season finale in Indianapolis. He has not practiced since. Second-year lineman Leroy Harris started at center in the 23-0 loss to the Colts and has practiced at that spot.

Told of Mawae's comment after a practice Mawae watched, Titans coach Jeff Fisher said he still is hoping the veteran can play.

"He's day to day, and (we're) evaluating him throughout the week," Fisher said.

Fisher promised an official injury report Wednesday.

Mawae was not available in the locker room after practice. Neither was Vanden Bosch. Haynesworth worked through about half the session.

"I'll be hopefully full practice tomorrow," said Haynesworth, with his sweat shirt soaked from his shoulders almost down to his stomach.

"I'm just happy I get to practice and knock some of the rust off in practice. By doing that, I feel I can almost be back to where I was before I got hurt."

Where's Reed? Looking to make an INT for Ravens

OWINGS MILLS, Md. - There's one thing every quarterback should know before attempting a pass against the Baltimore Ravens: Where's Ed Reed?

Reed led the NFL with nine interceptions during the regular season and added two more in Baltimore's 27-9 playoff win over Miami last Sunday. He returned the first pickoff 64 yards for his fourth touchdown of the season.

Four touchdowns? By a safety? That equals the number scored by former Ravens running back Jamal Lewis for the Cleveland Browns in 2008.

Reed played quarterback in high school and still has a knack for finding the end zone. He has 12 career touchdowns, and is the only player in NFL history to score on a punt return, a blocked punt, an interception and a fumble recovery.

"It's just natural at this point," Reed said Tuesday. "You want to score. We talk about it on defense, we do it in practice."

His first interception Sunday against Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington came on an over-the-shoulder catch that conjured memories of Willie Mays hauling in a deep fly ball in the 1954 World Series.

"Why would you throw the ball up like that when you know Ed Reed is in the middle of the field?" former NFL cornerback Deion Sanders said.

"Not too many safeties make that play," Pennington said.

Ed Reed does.

"The challenge dealing with Reed is simply to know where he is and to understand that," said Jeff Fisher, whose Tennessee Titans host the Ravens on Saturday in the second round of the playoffs. "You saw on Sunday. You may get the sense that they're all-out blitzing to one side and you've got a home run, and you throw it and he's over the top. When in doubt, don't put it up down the field late because Ed's probably going to make a play."

Titans quarterback Kerry Collins will be careful not to make the same mistake.

"Ed Reed is doing this year what he's been doing his whole career," Collins said. "He finds the ball, is extremely smart, knows your tendencies and plays to them. You've always got to know where he is."

Sometimes, even that's not good enough. Reed's second interception against Miami came when he anticipated the throw, stepped up and made the catch to kill a potential scoring drive.

"He's up 20-3, and he totally leaves his spot and shows up in a place you would never imagine him being in," Pennington said. "That's why he's so special."

This has been an incredible year for Reed in a manner that transcends his gaudy numbers. He missed the entire preseason with a nerve impingement around his neck and shoulder, yet managed to play in all 16 games.

It's scary to imagine how good he would be at 100 percent. Even when he's not making an interception, his presence makes a standout defense even better.

Ravens cornerbacks Samari Rolle and Fabian Washington don't have to play wide receivers nearly so tight because they know Reed will be behind them to pick up the slack.

"We all study and watch film together, and we're all on the same page," Rolle said. "When he sees something on film and then it comes in the game, he remembers and goes and makes the play."

The 30-year-old Reed finished third behind Pittsburgh's James Harrison and Dallas' DeMarcus Ware in balloting for AP Defensive Player of the Year. To his teammates, however, he's a landslide No. 1.

"We know who the NFL Defensive Player of the Year is. It's got to be Ed Reed," Washington said. "The dude is amazing. He can cover anything in the planet. If it's in the air, he's going to go get it. He can play the ball from sideline to sideline. If there's a better player out there, I need to see him."

Reed won the award in 2004, and may get another before he retires. And when he does quit football, he just might try making those over-the-shoulder catches on the baseball diamond.

"I'd like to give baseball a try," he said.

Like former NBA start Michael Jordan, who attempted to work his way up through the minor leagues?

"Hopefully not the minors, man. I'm a professional player right now," Reed said. "Not that I'd be better than Mike, but with a little practice I could be effective in the outfield, steal bases, pinch hit."

Reed still has some football to play before thinking about a career change. He's never won a Super Bowl, and that's far more important than personal accomplishments.

"You can't worry about the accolades and the trophies," he said. "If you like trophies, there's a trophy store down the street. You can buy one."

-- David Ginsburg

Chargers' Jackson say he's innocent of DUI

SAN DIEGO - San Diego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of drunken driving.

Jackson failed sobriety tests shortly after 2 a.m. on state Route 52 in San Diego, said California Highway Patrol Officer Ray Scheidnes. He said he didn't know Jackson's blood alcohol level.

An officer stopped Jackson after spotting the player braking abruptly, speeding and weaving in a 2008 GMC Sierra, said Highway Patrol Officer Brad Baehr. Jackson was on probation for a previous DUI arrest, he said.

The player was taken to the San Diego County jail and released.

Chargers general manager A.J. Smith said he was aware of Jackson's "off-the-field issue."

"Obviously we're disappointed," Smith said. "We take these issues very seriously. Moving forward, we will monitor the situation and have no further comment."

Jackson, in a brief statement released through the team, said he didn't think charges would be filed against him.

"In the event they are, I look forward to clearing my name and proving my innocence," he said.

The Highway Patrol will submit the arrest report within "the next couple days" to the San Diego city attorney's office for possible misdemeanor prosecution, Baehr said.

Jackson just had the first 1,000-yard season of his career, for a team-high 1,098 yards and seven touchdowns. He became the first Chargers wide receiver to have 1,000 yards receiving since Curtis Conway in 2001.

Jackson caught 59 passes, second on the team behind Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates, but didn't catch any in Saturday's 23-17 overtime playoff win over Indianapolis. San Diego visits Pittsburgh for a playoff game Sunday.

The Chargers have had their share of off-field problems.

In 2006, there were six run-ins with the law by Chargers players, including linebacker Steve Foley's shooting by an off-duty Coronado police officer who suspected him of drunken driving, and another player who was arrested for investigation of DUI.

Besides the arrests, linebacker Shawne Merriman was suspended for four games for testing positive for steroids, and linebacker Stephen Cooper was suspended for the first four games of this season by the NFL after testing positive for a banned stimulant.

Prosecutor: Harrison's gun used in April shooting

PHILADELPHIA - A gun owned by Indianapolis Colts star Marvin Harrison was used in an April shooting, but investigators still can't determine who pulled the trigger, the city's chief prosecutor said Tuesday.

Five of the six bullet casings found at the North Philadelphia shooting scene came from Harrison's weapon, but investigators have conflicting witness accounts of who fired it, Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham said.

No charges have been filed in the April 28 shooting and the investigation remains open.

"It's not enough to say that a gun fired a bullet," Abraham said. "I'm not prepared to say who fired the gun." She added that she thinks she knows who the gunman was, but doesn't have the evidence to prove it.

The victim has sued Harrison and law enforcement will be keeping tabs on that proceeding to see if any new evidence emerges that could help the criminal investigation, Abraham said.

Harrison's attorney, Jerome Brown, declined to comment Tuesday. The receiver's agent, Tom Condon, said he hadn't talked to his client about the matter in some time, but remained confident Harrison had done nothing wrong.

"Marvin asserted that he hadn't done anything and that he was not involved," Condon said. "I was confident that Marvin wasn't involved."

Colts president Bill Polian lauded Abraham's decision not to file charges at this time.

"We are pleased with this development and defer to her ability to weigh the actual evidence," he said in a statement. "It would not be appropriate for us to have further comment at this time."

The San Diego Chargers eliminated the Colts in the first round of the NFL playoffs on Saturday, but Abraham said that had nothing to do with the timing of Tuesday's news conference.

The shooting happened near a car wash owned by Harrison that is about a half mile from a bar he also owns. A child also was hit in the eyes by broken glass, but was treated and released from a hospital, investigators said.

The wide receiver was questioned by police soon after. Harrison said he was at the garage at the time of the shooting; that he knew the victim, Dwight Dixon; and that the two had been in a fist fight two weeks earlier after Dixon tried to enter his bar with a gun, Abraham said.

Harrison said his gun had been at his suburban home on the day of the shooting and that it had not been fired since it was bought a year or two earlier, Abraham added.

Dixon sued Harrison in September, claiming he sustained "serious and permanent injuries" to his arm and body and a "severe shock" to his nervous system.

Harrison, who played at Philadelphia's Roman Catholic High, has owned the bar, Playmakers, since July 2004, according to state records.

The 36-year-old receiver has played all of his 12 seasons with the Colts and is the franchise's record holder in every major receiving category. He is one of only four players in league history to top 1,000 receptions.

-- Patrick Walters

Chiefs boss Peterson bids farewell after 20 years

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - If Carl Peterson plans to go straight from Kansas City to the Miami Dolphins, he isn't tipping his hand.

Ending a 20-year run as president, general manager and chief executive of the Chiefs, Peterson delivered a 40-minute farewell speech on Tuesday to friends and staff. In brief remarks later with reporters, he said talk of his possibly going to work for the new ownership of the Dolphins was "pure speculation."

"I don't deal in speculation, never have and never will," Peterson said. "At this point, it's not even worth discussing because it hasn't been discussed."

The 64-year-old longtime pro football executive did say he has no plans to retire.

"I'm thinking about going away for a couple of weeks and relaxing," he said.

Peterson stepped aside last month as the Chiefs were nearing the end of a franchise-worst 2-14 season. Clark Hunt, the chairman of the board of the Chiefs, is interviewing candidates to replace him, and plans to hire a vice president in charge of the team's business operations.

Peterson was on the sidelines wearing a Dolphins lapel pin at a recent Miami game. He has a long-standing relationship with Stephen M. Ross, whose purchase of the Dolphins is expected to be concluded soon. Peterson ran the highly successful USFL team which Ross owned and finished with a record of 48-13-1 before the league disbanded.

"I just know I'm not going to retire," said Peterson, whose Chiefs teams were 176-143-1 and won four AFC West titles. "I'm going to take a couple of weeks off, I know that. I'm probably going some place warm and play some golf. I'm just going to sit back, frankly, and see what may come available.

"I'm in no rush to do anything," he added. "This business can wear on you. I need a little time away."

One of the many people Peterson acknowledged during his speech was Jeff Ireland, the Dolphins' general manager. Ireland, the nephew of a former Chiefs player, got his first job in the NFL as a Chiefs scout under Peterson.

"I'm so proud of him and what he's been able to do with his career here, and in Dallas, and now he's a general manager in the National Football League," Peterson said. "I think that's well deserved."

Peterson said he might take as much as a month off before getting back in the game.

"Maybe I can be a consultant. I don't know what that is, but maybe that's the next venture on the horizon," he said. "I'd like to think I have some knowledge and experience that I could share with people. That's certainly a possibility."

About 300 people gathered in the Chiefs' indoor practice facility to say goodbye to the man who ran the team with near-total control from December 1989 until December 2008. Afterward, everyone but the media was escorted upstairs for a party.

"Carl Peterson leaves a great legacy with a long list of accomplishments," Hunt said. "He returned the Chiefs to prominence in the 1990s. His teams won 176 games, including three 13-win seasons, nine playoff appearances and a trip to the AFC championship game.

"Perhaps my favorite stat is that his teams beat the Raiders 30 of the 41 times that we played," Hunt said. "He helped make Arrowhead one of the best stadiums for Chiefs fans and one of the worst stadiums for opposing teams."

Peterson said his biggest disappointment was failing to get to the Super Bowl and present to Lamar Hunt, the late founder of the Chiefs, the Lamar Hunt Trophy that goes to the AFC champion each year.

Twice when Marty Schottenheimer was coach and once under Dick Vermeil, the Chiefs were 13-3 and had home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. But each time, they lost their first playoff game.

-- Doug Tucker

Browns to interview Eagles GM

CLEVELAND - Their coaching search on hold and seemingly locked on Eric Mangini, the Cleveland Browns plan to interview Philadelphia Eagles general manager Tom Heckert for their GM opening.

The meeting between Browns owner Randy Lerner and Heckert, who has been with the Eagles since 2001, has not yet been scheduled. The Eagles are getting ready for Sunday's playoff game against the New York Giants, but it is not known if Lerner will sit down with Heckert before or after the game.

Heckert has been the Eagles' GM since 2006 after originally joining the team as the director of player personnel. In May, he received a contract extension through 2011. Last year, he interviewed for Atlanta's GM job, a position that went to Thomas Dimitroff.

With the Eagles, the 41-year-old Heckert works with coach Andy Reid in all player personnel matters while overseeing the scouting and personnel departments. Heckert spent 10 years with the Miami Dolphins before joining the Eagles.

In Heckert's first draft with Philadelphia, he selected Lito Sheppard, Michael Lewis, Brian Westbrook - three future Pro Bowlers.

Lerner has also interviewed Scott Pioli, New England's director of player personnel and T.J. McCreight, the Browns' director of player personnel, to replace Phil Savage. Lerner also intends to speak with George Kokinis, Baltimore's pro personnel director, but he has to wait until after the Ravens' playoff game with Tennessee.

Meanwhile, the Browns have not yet offered a contract to Mangini, fired after this season by the New York Jets. The 37-year-old Mangini is Lerner's top candidate and could be paired with Kokinis, a longtime friend whom he has known since breaking into the NFL with him in Cleveland in the early 1990s.

The Browns also have interviewed New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Cleveland defensive coordinator Mel Tucker for the coaching vacancy.

Spagnuolo and Heckert worked together previously in Philadelphia.

-- Tom Withers

Jets owner meets with Brian Schottenheimer

NEW YORK - New York Jets owner Woody Johnson formally met with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer on Tuesday about the team's coaching vacancy, a person familiar with the search told The Associated Press.

Johnson was out of the country last Friday when general manager Mike Tannenbaum began the first round of interviews with Schottenheimer and assistant head coach/offensive line coach Bill Callahan.

Callahan will sit down with Johnson on Wednesday, according to the person, who requested anonymity because the individual wasn't authorized to discuss the search to replace the fired Eric Mangini.

It was uncertain if Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski met with the Jets on Monday or Tuesday. The Jets declined comment Tuesday through a team spokesman, neither confirming nor denying that Jagodzinski was interviewing for the coaching vacancy.

ESPN.com reported Sunday night that the coach wouldn't be welcome to return to Boston College if he seeks work in the NFL. Athletic director Gene DiFilippo declined to say whether Jagodzinski, who has three years left on a five-year contract, would be fired if he interviews with the Jets.

Johnson and Tannenbaum will fly to Arizona on Thursday to interview Cardinals offensive line coach Russ Grimm. The former four-time Pro Bowl guard with Washington is in his second season with the Cardinals, who play at Carolina in the NFC divisional playoffs Saturday.

The Jets had no other interviews scheduled as of early Tuesday night.

New York met on Saturday with Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who has also interviewed for the vacancies in Cleveland and Detroit. The Jets have also received permission to speak with Baltimore defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, but haven't set a date for an interview. The Ravens play at Tennessee in the AFC divisional playoffs Saturday.

-- Dennis Waszak Jr.

Bears fire linebackers coach

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - The Chicago Bears fired linebackers coach Lloyd Lee on Tuesday, the latest move after the team finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year.

Lee, who joined the team in 2004, was in his first year as linebackers coach. He spent his first two seasons as a defensive quality control coach and assisted with the linebackers in 2006 and defensive backs last season.

Lee's dismissal comes after the team got rid of defensive backs coach Steven Wilks last week. And defensive line coach Brick Haley is expected to take a similar job at LSU.

The Bears expected to contend in the NFC and get back to the postseason for the first time since the 2006 Super Bowl season.

After stumbling to 7-9 last season, a once-elite defense struggled again, particularly against the pass. Chicago ranked 30th against the pass and 21st overall.

Vick wants to auction Ga. home after value drop

RICHMOND, Va. - After more than a year on the market and a $400,000 price reduction, Michael Vick's eight-bedroom home in the Atlanta area will go on the auction block if a bankruptcy judge agrees to the move.

The imprisoned former NFL star disclosed the auction plans late Monday in a new financial disclosure statement filed in his bankruptcy case in Newport News. His lawyers are preparing a motion seeking U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Frank Santoro's permission to sell the house in Duluth, Ga., to the highest bidder on or around Feb. 16.

Vick is serving a 23-month sentence at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., after pleading guilty to a federal dogfighting conspiracy. His lawyers are trying to get him transferred to a halfway house in Virginia, perhaps as early as Jan. 20 - six months before his projected release date.

"Upon his release, the Debtor will return to Virginia and will seek to rebuild his life and career," the disclosure statement says.

The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last July, claiming assets of $16 million and liabilities of $20.4 million. Santoro last month rejected Vick's disclosure statement, which major creditors had criticized as insufficiently detailed, and ordered the new one.

According to the revised statement, real estate agents have shown the Georgia house more than 30 times to potential buyers and have aggressively marketed the property in publications, direct mailings and on the Internet. The home originally was listed for $4.5 million but is now priced at $4.1 million.

Vick paid $3.7 million for the home in 2005, according to Gwinnett County property records, and the disclosure statement says he still owes about $2.8 million on the mortgage. Several creditors and the Internal Revenue Service also have filed liens against the property, which Vick proposes to sell "free and clear of all liens, claims and encumbrances."

Funari Realty, the company marketing the property, describes it in an Internet listing as a "stunning custom home with priceless lake views." It features a majestic, two-story foyer with a double curved staircase. Other amenities include an in-home theater, a workout room with sauna, an elevator, a full bar, two outdoor fireplaces and a four-car garage.

Vick will be looking for better results at auction than the owner of his former property in Surry County, Va., has achieved. A developer who bought the house and 15-acre spread that served as headquarters for Vick's "Bad Newz Kennels" dogfighting operation has twice failed to sell the property at auction.

Vick still owns three other homes in Virginia. Court papers show he is trying to sell homes in Williamsburg and Suffolk but wants to keep one in Hampton.

The new disclosure statement reiterates Vick's plan to resume his NFL career, which hinges on Commissioner Roger Goodell lifting his suspension. Goodell has not said what he will do, and it's unclear whether a team would offer a contract to Vick, who once was the league's highest-paid player.

Major creditors had complained that Vick's original disclosure provided no real assurance he would be able to rejoin the NFL and again command a hefty salary that would allow him to begin paying his debts. The revised statement and an amended reorganization plan call for Vick to provide a court official "detailed information" on his progress toward rejoining the league. He also would be required to provide the court copies of any player or endorsement contracts.

-- Larry O'Dell

Millen returns to TV, 0-16 season and all

The Monday morning chatter at Scott Truman's Michigan office was all about the face that invaded people's living rooms over the weekend.

Did you see Matt Millen on TV? Can you believe they put him on?

Truman and his fellow Detroit Lions fans are a bit biased, of course. It's natural that seeing their former team president on NBC's playoff coverage Saturday would rekindle their fury toward the architect of the NFL's first 0-16 season.

The question is whether other viewers around the country will be similarly prejudiced by Millen's recent history when he appears again on the network during its Super Bowl pregame show.

Millen is certainly more than qualified for a TV analyst job based on successful previous broadcast stints on CBS and Fox. But many football fans may have a hard time remembering that because of what's happened since: Millen built the team that bumbled through one of the worst eight-year stretches in NFL history.

Every time Millen opens his mouth, will viewers scoff, "Why should I listen to this guy?"

Former CBS Sports president Neal Pilson doesn't think so. Millen's talent as a broadcaster is all that matters, said Pilson, who now works as a media consultant.

"The fact is maybe he couldn't put a team together," Pilson said, "but he can still figure out what's going on on a football field."

NBC Sports chief Dick Ebersol was unavailable for comment, the network said. In a statement Monday announcing the Super Bowl gig, Ebersol acknowledged Millen's failures in his last job.

"Many of us have been blessed with second chances and fortunate to have new opportunities," Ebersol said. "But the decision to have Matt join us for the Super Bowl was simple given that he is one of the very best football broadcasters of his generation."

Said Pilson, "Putting the Lions debacle to one side, he's a very attractive football commentator."

It's not unusual for recently fired coaches to pop up as TV analysts soon thereafter, and most lack Millen's level of broadcast experience. Then again, most of them aren't associated with a failure of quite that magnitude.

Truman, a general sales manager for Mid-Michigan Radio Group in the Lansing area, weighs a sports-figure-turned-analyst's credibility when he watches TV. Take CBS's Bill Cowher, the Super Bowl-winning former Pittsburgh Steelers coach.

"He's been a real coach and had real success," Truman said, "and you'll listen to his opinion."

Pilson believes NBC helped itself by not glossing over Millen's failure in Detroit, having Dan Patrick interview him during Saturday's broadcast. "Would you have fired you?" Patrick asked.

"I would have, actually," Millen replied. "Probably not this year until after the season."

Patrick later asked: "How responsible were you for this season and the last eight years there?"

"Oh, completely responsible," Millen said. "When you're head of football operations, you throw it back on me."

If Millen's presence draws attention to NBC, that never hurts, Pilson said. He figures as long as Millen proves that his skills as a broadcaster remain sharp, networks should want to hire him for next season.

"The 0-16, it will never disappear," Pilson said. "But if Matt comes back next year, that will be yesterday's news."

-- Rachel Cohen

Ex-NFL player charged with rape released on bail

DEDHAM, Mass. - A former NFL lineman and high school football coach in Walpole has been released on bail as he awaits trial on charges he raped a 15-year-old girl.

Daniel Villa posted $7,500 bail Tuesday and was fitted for an electronic monitoring bracelet.

The conditions of Villa's bail include staying away from children under 16.

The judge declined to say where Villa will be staying. His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 28.

Villa played six seasons for the New England Patriots during a 12-year NFL career. He pleaded not guilty last week to charges including three counts of rape of a child over 14.

Prosecutors say Villa was once the girl's coach, and at one point sent her 500 text message in a single month.