It's almost certain now that Steelers coach Bill Cowher will tell the team that he is resigning Tuesday.

Cowher wants to spend more time with his family in North Carolina, but he also wants a deal that will pay him in the same area code as Mike Holmgren's $8 million deal. The Steelers won't pay that.

So if he walks away, who's the head coach?

There will be several candidates considered, but my gut is that it will be offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt. He has done a nice job with a Pittsburgh offense that is limited in terms of big-play players and he would make for a smooth transition. If he doesn't get the Steelers job, look for his name to become hot in Atlanta, where the Falcons are expected to dump Jim Mora. Whisenhunt could be the creative offensive mind that Mike Vick needs.

If the Steelers go for a defensive coach, former Saints coach Jim Haslett, now the Rams defensive coordinator, could be in the mix. Haslett was a defensive coordinator in Pittsburgh before taking the Saints job.

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Deny, deny, deny.

That's what Nick Saban has done constantly when talking about leaving the Dolphins for the Alabama job.

I don't buy it.

I think he's on his way to Tuscaloosa. I really do. Several sources who know Saban think so, too.

The money the Tide is said to be offering -- one source said it was a 10-year deal worth between $35-38 million -- is too good to pass up for Saban. Plus, his two years in the NFL have taught him that he likes the college game better.

With the chance that Wayne Huizenga might be selling the Dolphins, there is no loyalty to the team.

I will be shocked if Saban is coaching the Dolphins in 2007.

There's been a lot of talk lately about how the New York Giants need to fire Tom Coughlin. The fans chanted "Fire Coughlin" during Sunday's loss to the Saints.

I don't buy it.

Coughlin is a heck of a coach, and one bad run does not spoil what he did in New York last season when the Giants won the division.

Can Coughlin be abrasive? Yes. Can his style wear on his players? Yes. But he can coach football.

When he was in Jacksonville, players hated him. They wanted him out. But after he was gone, and many of those players landed in other cities with other teams, almost all of them, even guys who complained loudly about him in Jacksonville, said they would play for him again.

Why? He's all about winning.

The Giants would be making a major mistake if they fired Coughlin now. He at least deserves another season where he isn't playing without his star defensive end and his starting left tackle. If the Giants falter next season, then a firing might be justified.

One other thing: Coughlin will never say this, but I can tell you almost with a certainty that he didn't want to make the trade for Eli Manning. He values draft picks like he values his children, and that's at a premium.

He may have agreed to make the deal for Manning, but I can tell you it was something he reluctantly agreed to do.

That one is not on his head -- no matter how many people try to put it there.

What if?

What if a 7-9 team got into the playoffs in the NFC?

Would there be outcry? Would anybody care? Is that right?

It's possible. If it happens, it would be bad for the NFL. I'm all for parity, having so many teams still alive in the final week. But a team with a losing record would be an eye-sore for the league.

Let's hope it doesn't happen.

Quick hits

•  With so many people talking about the Colts defensive deficiencies, the deficiencies of the Cowboys defense have been overlooked. It shouldn't be. The Cowboys have been gashed the past three games, winning one of those against the Falcons. They get no pressure on the quarterback and the secondary is struggling. And the Eagles ran on them Monday night. That's trouble for the postseason if it doesn't improve.

•  I love the decision by the Bucs to bring back Chris Simms. I still believe he has the ability to play at a Pro Bowl level. Simms missed most of this season after lacerating a kidney, but let's not forget that he finished that game. That says something about his toughness. Getting him signed before he becomes an unrestricted free agent was the right move.

•  The Jaguars made a good move by re-signing left guard Vince Manuwai to a long-term contract extension. That means the entire line, which has played well, is under contract for next season. Manuwai has played well this season after tailing off in 2005. He has Pro Bowl ability. The change in line coaches from Paul Boudreau to Andy Heck has really been important in his growth.

When Mike Vick ran for 11 yards in the fourth quarter of the Atlanta Falcons' 38-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night, he set the all-time record for season rushing yards by a quarterback.

He passed Bobby Douglass' 968, a mark set in 1972. Vick now has 990 yards, 10 away from becoming the first 1,000-yard rusher as a quarterback.

When he broke the mark, two disturbing things happened. One was that the crowd cheered wildly. If that was my quarterback, I'd be booing. Who in the heck wants a 1,000-yard rusher at quarterback? The game is meant to be played in the pocket. When talking about playing quarterback, being linked to Bobby Douglass is not a good thing. Anybody who saw him play knows that.

The second disturbing thing was how coach Jim Mora ran out to offer congrats to Vick during the game. It was still close and the outcome in doubt, and here was Mora acting as if this was the only thing that mattered.

The only thing missing was owner Arthur Blank joining in. After all, he is always right next to his coach during games.

Quick hits

• A month ago, there were murmurs that Eagles coach Andy Reid could be in trouble. That was laughable then, and it's even more so now. Reid is a heck of a coach. And at 8-6, his team still has a chance to win the NFC East. Two victories will do it. That would be amazing, considering Donovan McNabb was lost a month ago for the season with a torn ACL. Let's face it, Andy Reid can coach.

• Weird stat of the week: Fullbacks scored five touchdowns in the past two weeks against the Cowboys. Mike Karney got three for the Saints and Justin Griffith two for the Falcons.

• I will never condone spitting on a player. It's disgusting. But Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall did anything and everything to bait Terrell Owens into doing something. The officials lost control of Hall early in that game and never backed him off. Owens was wrong for what he did. But Hall tried like heck to get him to do something. Owens should have just nailed him with a nasty block. He will likely be fined in the $20,000 range.

• Anybody still think David Garrard can be the Jaguars quarterback of the future? His awful display is another tell-all on what I've been saying for a long time. He's just a guy. As a backup, he's OK. As a starter, he's not. The Jaguars need to address their quarterback position.

• Word out of Arizona is that you can forget that Pete Carroll talk. The Cardinals are said to be unwilling to pay him a big-money deal and they don't want to give the coach total control, which Carroll would want. A more likely candidate could be Norm Chow, the Titans offensive coordinator. Word is Matt Leinart would love Chow to replace Denny Green.

Vince Young mania is out of control.

He's on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week, thanks to leading the Tennessee Titans to a fourth consecutive victory last Sunday against the Houston Texans.

Young is playing okay for a rookie quarterback, not quite what the national perception might make you think. Yes, I said just okay.

In time, he looks like he will be a good quarterback, but let's face it: The kid still isn't a quality passer.

In talking to coaches around the league this week, they all feel the same way about defending him.

Dare him to pass.

Young is completing 51.7 percent of his passes, has a passer rating of 65.7 and has 10 touchdowns against 11 interceptions.

Is that good?

He's run for 458 yards and a 6.6 average, and that is what separates him from other quarterbacks, but as I preach endlessly, the game is meant to be played in the pocket.

Young will learn to play in the pocket as he matures, but let's not overhype what he's doing now. He's still a young kid learning to the play the position, raw as raw can be.

He's been better throwing the ball lately, his completion percentage up over 60 in each of the last three games, but in the last two he has two touchdown passes and three interceptions.

Young has done some good things, but the hype is clearly greater than the on-field results.

Vince-mania is out of control.

Devin Hester is having a heck of a start to his rookie season, getting six returns for touchdowns.

But before we go and put him in Canton, one might want to look back at some of the recent return leaders and get an idea as to how quickly this ability goes.

Do the names Ronny Jenkins, Willie Ponder, Jerry Azumah, Charlie Rogers or Bethel Johnson ring a bell? They've all either led their conferences in kickoff returns or punt returns the past couple of years.

Not exactly household names, right?

In 2003, Kansas City's Dante Hall had four returns for touchdowns and had 17 returns of 40 yards or more. Since then, he's had three touchdowns and 13 returns of 40 yards or more.

The Dante Hall phenomenon faded fast, like it does for all return men.

So let's cool it a bit on the Devin Hester stardom talk. One thing about return men: If they don't eventually play another position well, they'll likely be out of the league sooner rather than later.

As an alumnus of Arizona State, I am thrilled with the hire of new football coach, Dennis Erickson.

In reading some of the messages fans have posted on boards, some ASU fans are not as thrilled with the hire.

They point out that Erickson's players have acted like "thugs" in the past, at previous stops like Miami and Oregon State.

So what?

He's a winner. The guy knows football. Sure, he's had some off-the-field issues, but Erickson is one of the bright offensive minds in football.

Let's face it, as alums do we really care if the players graduate and act like good soldiers on the field? I certainly don't. If ASU gives a kid a chance to get his education for free, and he blows it, so be it. That's on his head. It bothers me none.

Living in Florida, Gators Country, I just yearn for a program that can do what the Gators are doing this season, which is to play for a National Championship.

Erickson can do that.

I'm sick of seeing the Sun Devils play in meaningless bowl games in Hawaii. It would be a lot nicer to be playing for a national title 20 miles up the road?

That's what this hiring can do for the Sun Devils. Forget the thug talk. This man can coach.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor needs 89 yards rushing Sunday against the Colts to move past Earl Campbell into 21st place on the all-time list.

Think about that for a second. Campbell was a slam-dunk Hall of Fame inductee, while Taylor probably has no chance.

Their numbers are eerily similar across the board. Campbell played nine seasons, Taylor is in his ninth. Campbell rushed for 9,407 yards in his career, and Taylor enters Sunday's game with 9.319 yards.

Campbell finished with 74 touchdowns, 121 catches and a 4.3 rush average in 109 games. Taylor has 62 touchdowns, 260 catches and a 4.6 average in 115.

Yet for some reason, Taylor is never considered even close to being in the same class as a Campbell. Why?

We romanticized the players of the 1970s more than we do now. Campbell's legend, much like a lot of the players of that time, is bigger than the numbers.

Was he a great player? You bet. But so is Taylor.

One other thing is interesting to note about the comparison. We hear constantly from some of the Hall of Fame voters how the receiving numbers of today are skewed because it's a passing league now.

If that's the case, aren't the running numbers of the Campbell era skewed, too? Taylor is putting up numbers just as good as Campbell's in an era when the pass is much more than just a four-letter word.

It's time Fred Taylor got his due as one of the game's best backs. Of the top 22 rushers of all time, Taylor is the only one never to appear in a Pro Bowl.

He's fourth in the AFC in rushing this year, and a good game against Colts could be what finally gets this underappreciated back to Hawaii.

London in February? What a perk ...

The NFL is considering moving the Pro Bowl to London for a season.

Can you picture all the fake injuries before that one?

What the heck is the NFL doing? Players love going to Hawaii to play the meaningless all-star game. It's one of the few reasons they go play.

Not to rip London, but seeing Big Ben doesn’t compare to sunny weather and beaches. If the game is moved from Hawaii, you can bet the stars will beg out in a big way.

I can see hear it now.

"Uh, guys. My little toe is sore."

"Yeah, man. My pinky hurts."

This move would be a bad one.

Quick hits

• Saints defensive tackle Hollis Thomas was suspended for the final four games for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Thomas denies taking the substance in questions, instead saying he took prescribed asthma medication. The NFL denied his appeal process, and he will be gone for the final four games. If you look at Thomas' body, the last thing you'd think of is steroids. He's a chubby player who certainly isn't ready for a Muscle & Fitness spread.

• One of the dumbest things I've heard recently is that Nick Saban was in trouble in Miami. Did he really need that vote of confidence from owner Wayne Huizenga? Saban deserves more than a year and half to turn the Dolphins around. Let's at least give him a third season as he continues to massage the roster. The man's a good football coach. Be patient, Dolphins fans. The best thing that happened for you is that he turned down that big money from Alabama.

• Word came out this week that Raiders special teams coach Ted Daisher had a sideline outburst. Wonder what the snoop inside the building thought about that? Art Shell needs to worry more about what's going on with his staff and players, rather than if somebody is saying bad things about his regime.

Mike Shanahan made a mistake.

By switching from Jake Plummer to Jay Cutler in the middle of the season, he's essentially said the Broncos are playing for next season.

Cutler wasn't bad in the Broncos' 23-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks Sunday night, but he wasn't good, either. His off-balance interception that was returned for a touchdown was so rookie-like and it helped Seattle get back into a game in which they were doing nothing.

Making his first start, Cutler was shaky at best. His best play was a 71-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall that was really a short pass Marshall turned into a big play by breaking a lot of tackles.

Take that play away, and Cutler was 9-of-20 for 72 yards, one touchdown and one interception. That's not good enough.

That isn't to indict Cutler. He's probably going to be a good quarterback, but to make this change now does nothing for a veteran team making a playoff push. Jake Plummer may not be the best starting quarterback in the league, or even in the top 10 for that matter, but he sure gives the Broncos a better chance to win than Cutler does. Now Cutler faces the San Diego defense on the road. Good luck.

Shanahan blew it.

College football needs a playoff system

I live in Jacksonville, which is Florida Gators country.

There's been a lot of debate as to whether they should be playing in the BCS Championship Game against Ohio State. The answer is yes. But that's not the issue here. The issue is that it's painfully obvious that we need a playoff system in college football.

It's time for the college presidents to put aside their greed and get to putting one together as quickly as possible.

It's this time of the year that reminds us why the NFL is king and college football isn't even a blip on the radar by comparison.

The NFL champ is crowned by what he does on the field, not by some computer that isn't even alive enough to hold a football.

Quick hits

• Joe Gibbs said this week he will coach next season for the Redskins. Did he forget to do that this season? The Redskins have been awful. And a lot of the blame has to go to Gibbs. He's the one responsible for personnel decisions in addition to his coaching duties. Anyone ever wonder if the game has passed him by? Think about it. Didn't he come back for the money? In his prime, Gibbs was as good as any coach ever. Now I'm not so sure.

• The Bears got good news on the knee injury suffered Sunday by Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris. He will miss a week or so, but should be back for the playoffs. It was feared he might be lost for the season. Harris is the best lineman on the team, and he's one of the best in football.

• I'm not as shocked as most by the play of Browns backup quarterback Derek Anderson. Since I went to school in the Pac-10, I watch a lot of Pac-10 football. At Oregon State, Anderson looked like the prototype, a big, strong-armed passer. When he came out, he was a guy I thought could become a quality starter. The Ravens gave up on him last season, and Phil Savage, the Browns personnel man and a guy who came from Baltimore, quickly picked him up. Anderson looked every bit the part against the Chiefs.

• So Chad Johnson owes Sean Payton $1,600 for tickets. Is that a big deal? Wasn't that Saints-Bengals game just two weeks ago? That's not that long to be worried about the money. Come on, Sean. You knew your money would come back to you eventually. If not, you could have always called Rocko and Guido to pay Chad a visit. P.S.. Chad. Pay the damn man.

• I think Atlanta rookie running back Jerious Norwood is going to be a star. Once he stops looking for the home-run on every play, he'll be even better. He has that big-play speed that makes defenses fear every carry.