Brady flying high, and far from finished

Brady flying high, and far from finished
Tom Brady is two wins from joining the exclusive four Super Bowl club. Amazingly, he's not even close to finished, Mark Kriegel says.

Rivers 'optimistic' he can play Sunday
San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers returned to the practice field Friday and remained "optimistic" his sprained right knee would heal enough for him to play in the AFC championship game against the New England Patriots. Chargers coach Norv Turner took a more cautious approach. He listed Rivers as doubtful and said it would be a gametime decision Sunday. "We want him to be able to move well enough to protect himself," Turner said. Rivers took about one-third of the snaps in practice.

Rams continue makeover, dismiss two assistants
The remaking of Scott Linehan's staff in St. Louis has continued, with the Rams dismissing two more assistant coaches.

Chargers' Rivers optimistic he'll return vs. Patriots
San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers returned to the practice field Friday and remained "optimistic" his sprained right knee would heal enough for him to play in the AFC championship game against the New England Patriots.

Vikings' Frazier to interview for open Falcons job
With two of their top three candidates eliminated, the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday expanded their search for a new head coach, as ESPN.com has learned that club officials met here with Minnesota Vikings' defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.

Frigid weather awaits NFC foes, naturally
Warm up (or cool down) the 'frozen tundra' imitations and puns. Alex Marvez is prepared for epic cold Sunday in Green Bay.

Ravens introduce new head coach Harbaugh
All the time he spent in the background as an assistant paid off for John Harbaugh, who welcomed the "opportunity of a career" Saturday after being introduced as the new head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. Harbaugh brings 24 years of coaching experience with him, even though he has never been in charge of an offense or a defense. That only intensified the excitement he derived from becoming the third head coach in the 12-year history of the franchise. "I'm a football coach.

Titans' FS Hope has surgery to repair neck injury
Tennessee Titans starting free safety Chris Hope, who missed five games in 2007 finished the season on injured reserve, has undergone neck surgery to address the spinal cord injury that knocked him out of action.

Rams owner Frontiere dies at 80
The St. Louis Rams say owner Georgia Frontiere has died at age 80 in Los Angeles after being hospitalized for several months with breast cancer.