Tomlin Earns Sexy Honor

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t seem to care about earning style points on the field — a win is a win, no matter how ugly it may be. Read more

Poteat warns Giants against comments

Here are America’s favorite underdogs, preening for the cameras, appearing on late-night television, boldly calling out the opposition while aiming their slingshots directly at Goliath.

The New York Giants are basking in the fairy tale that accompanies every Cinderella story.

But eight-year veteran NFL cornerback and Delaware resident Hank Poteat said the Giants should be careful.

Every slight of Super Bowl opponent New England — overt or subtle — and every boast of supremacy is bound to catch the attention of Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

“Belichick is very thorough,” said Poteat, who lives in Glasgow and played for Belichick when the Patriots edged the Eagles in the Super Bowl, 24-21, in 2005.

“He gets everything throughout the league or the newspaper, where someone might have said this or that. Even if it had nothing to do with our game or our team, he’ll have info on a guy.

“That’s why you see guys pretty much not say a lot, because if you do say the wrong thing or say too much, you best believe it’s going to be brought up in a team meeting.”

Full Story: Poteat warns Giants against comments - [The News Journal]

Dockery: Our Goal Beat up Patriots WRS

When you’ve missed four of the last five games, you do anything you can to find a way to contribute. So nickel back Kevin Dockery has been watching film of the Patriots and he thinks he found a way to slow down one of the most potent offenses in NFL history: Read more

Lake Leaves for Detroit

PewterReport.com is reporting that Tampa Bay assistant defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake was hired by Detroit on Saturday to serve as the Lions’ defensive backs coach.

Lake, whose contract was set to expire at the end of the month, interviewed with Detroit on Thursday. He spent the 2006 season working alongside former Bucs linebackers coach Joe Barry, who was hired to be Rod Marinelli’s defensive coordinator in 2007. The Lions are hoping Lake can help Detroit’s defense, which ranked 32nd in the NFL in yards and points last season.
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Packers bank on repeat performance Sunday from Jenkins

The Green Bay Packers will start practicing today (Wednesday) for Sunday night’s NFC Championship Game against the New York Giants at Lambeau Field.Among other things, they’ll look for another solid performance from defensive end Cullen Jenkins. He was nagged by a series of injuries during the regular season.

But in last Saturday’s divisional playoff against Seattle, he had 1.5 sacks and three total tackles.

Defensive coordinator Bob Sanders said Jenkins played very well against both the run and the pass. He said Jenkins looked quick, and he generated a lot of pressure.

All in all, it was the performance the Packers were looking for, after Jenkins signed a four-year contract extension last spring worth $16 million.

Coach Lake Interviewing With Lions

PewterReport.com is reporting that Jimmy Lake, the assistant to Tampa Bay defensive backs coach Raheem Morris, is interviewing with the Detroit Lions today, presumably for the defensive backs position. Lake’s contract expires at the end of this month and he spent the 2006 season working alongside former Bucs linebackers coach Joe Barry, who was hired to be Rod Marinelli’s defensive coordinator in 2007. Barry’s defense is looking for help after ranking 32nd in the NFL in yards and points allowed last year.

“Raheem and I are the same age, but I’m always willing to take that next step in life,” said the 31-year old Lake. “If some opportunities come, they come. If not, I’m more than happy staying here with these guys and win another championship.”

Full Story: Assistant DBs Coach Lake Interviewing With Lions - [Pewter Report]

Tomlin’s Take on Topics

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin weighed in on a variety of topics during his season-ending press conference. The following are some of the topics that he addressed.

On quarterback Ben Roethlisberger:
He did a nice job of course. He is a pro-bowler. He set franchise marks in some areas. He’s a merging big time football player. He is very good. He is very professional. Aside from what happened inside the white lines in the stadiums, I like the direction he is going it terms of take the reigns in a leadership position. Is he a developing guy? Absolutely. He is still 25 years old. But I look forward to what lies ahead with him.

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Wyms Fills in the Blanks

It was mid-October, three years since his last appearance in an NFL game, and Howard Green was home in Louisiana about to return to classes at LSU to complete a degree in business management when the call came.The Seahawks had lost another defensive tackle to injury. This time it was veteran Chuck Darby, whose knee injury would place him on injured reserve where he would join fellow tackle Marcus Tubbs. The team needed another big body, and Green, at 6 feet 2, 320 pounds, fit the description.

“You never know how much you miss it until you’re out of it,” Green said. “It makes you realize what you missed the most — the locker room and Sundays on the field. Those things you can’t trade for anything else.”

Full Story: Unlikely trio fills in the blanks for Seahawks - [Seattle Post-Intelligencer]

Tomlin Finalist for Coach of Year

Mike Tomlin is a finalist for the 2007 Motorola NFL Coach of the Year Award. The others up for the award are New England’s Bill Belichick, Jacksonville’s Jack Del Rio, Washington’s Joe Gibbs and Green Bay’s Mike McCarthy, who is a Pittsburgh native.Fans can vote for one of the five on NFL.com until 6 p.m. Jan. 21. The winner will be announced during the week leading up to Super Bowl XLII.

In his first season as a head coach, Tomlin led the Steelers to a 10-6 record during the regular season and the AFC North title.

The Steelers lost to the Jaguars last Saturday, 31-29, in an AFC wild-card game.

Tomlin Ready for First Playoff Game

He took over a team that finished .500 a year after winning the Super Bowl and featuring star players set in their ways with a built-in comfort level from the only coach most of them had played for.
Mike Tomlin’s first season with the Steelers has been better than predicted when the team convened for training camp at St. Vincent College in July — a 10-6 record with an AFC wild-card game tonight against Jacksonville at Heinz Field.

“It’s different from Coach (Bill) Cowher. This is Coach Tomlin’s team,” said receiver Hines Ward, a Cowher favorite and the Steelers’ career leader in receiving yards, receptions and touchdown receptions.

Full Story: Tomlin ready to coach first playoff game - [Pittsburgh Tribune Review]

Related: Tomlin a scene Steeler in Pittsburgh - [Chicago Tribune]

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