• Steel Curtain Decends To Host AFC Title Game. All of that makes this report from NFL.com’s Adam Shaefter more intriguing. The league web site approved insider claims that there’s a legitimate chance that the Chargers could try to move Tomlinson this offseason to avoid the sizable cap hits his contract will bring. To wit, that’s worth nearly $9 million next season. That money would be more than enough to lock up both Sproles and quarterback Philip Rivers, which will almost certainly give the storyline more legs. [Sports by Brooks]

• What Is Domination? This is. The Steelers gutted the Chargers yesterday in the final playoff game of the weekend. The conference championship rounds are set, Philadelphia/Arizona and Baltimore/Pittsburgh. If defense wins championships, I think the deck is stacked for whomever wins the AFC to win the Super Bowl. Not to sleep on Philadelphia's defense, but it is no comparison to Baltimore or Pittsburgh's tenacious D. [Deuce Of Davenport]

• Playoff Chaos? Blame Realignment. Blame the realignment of 2002, which broke the league into eight four-team divisions. The realignment gave us situations like the one we've had here in 2008, when a 12-4 team (Indy) has to go on the road to face an 8-8 team (San Diego), while an 11-5 team (New England) that beat a 9-7 title-game contender (Arizona) by 40 points just a few weeks ago sits at home and watches it all unfold. [Cold Hard Football Facts]

• What Do You Do With A Ratbird Hat? OK, here's the situation I was in. I'll tell you what happened and what I did, and then I want to hear your comments about what you would do in the same situation. Titans vs Ratbirds, it's halftime with the score tied 7-7, and I go to the facilities. After taking care of business, I'm heading out the door behind some real stupid-looking goofus dressed in fugly purple and he drops something on the floor... [Total Titans]

• All Aboard The Purple Express, Redskins Fans. I know that you hate us, and there’s no way I can convince you to do otherwise. But if you think about it, the Baltimore Ravens are your best chance at peace with the remainder of the football season. [Stet Sports Blog]

• One Of These Probably Cost Us The Game... Choose Wisely Edition. Jeff Fisher on the blown delay of game call on the crucial 3rd down: "I've always maintained that there's a human element in the game as far as officiating is concerned. There are going to make mistakes; it is part of our game,'' Fisher said. "But this particular mistake was unacceptable. There is no excuse for it, it was a mistake, and it was a costly mistake." Peter King gives some inside scuttle-butt about the D.O.G. and what rules may change in reaction to what happened Saturday. [Music City Miracles]

• Pathetic, They Almost Looked As Bad As Denver. San Diego must have listened to everyone picking the Steelers because it looked like they bought into the whole bullcrap “Steelers mystique.” At least the defense made some decent plays, but they also gave up some critical yardage and first down conversions. I won’t mention the lousy officiating by Bill Leavy and crew. [San Diego Chargers]

• Big Ben Should Get Concussed Every Week. See David Brent there? That was me during the second half. And I'm not ashamed to admit it. [Heels Sox And Steelers]

• When To Say When . Ben Roethlisberger is not brave. Ben Roethlisberger is a moron. Any doctor who clears him to play is a moron. Any coach who sends him out to play is a moron. Any writer, TV pundit, former player, or fan who cheers him while he plays is a moron. Ben Roethlisberger's career as a professional football player should be over. Today. [OT]

• Keep Ray Ray Out Of The Limelight Club. About the only thing Steve McNair could do to ruin his legendary standing with most Titans fans is hold a pep-rally for the Ravens this weekend, and that's exactly what a Baltimore radio station is saying is going to happen Saturday at the Limelight club just a few blocks form LP Field. Keep in mind though that radio stations are known to fudge these kinds of things, and McNair's agent and manager deny that he would ever even consider such a thing. [Music City Miracles]

• Pittsburgh Has Some Fine Lookin' Women. A thought occurred to me last week when NBC chose to zoom in on the San Diego Charger Girls silicone-enhanced bustlines every time a SD player so much as downed a punt. I said to myself, “Damn, they got some fine lookin’ women out there in Cali.” Which momentarily made me sad because we have fine lookin’ women here in the ‘Burgh. However, with the absence of cheerleaders, the rest of the country is probably blissfully unaware of our Polish uber-vixens. [Nice Pick Cowher]

• Look At The Size Of That Boy's Head. Well, in a completely unsurprising development, Big Ben has made his bulbous head the main story heading into the playoffs. Between the broken toes (that weren't really broken according to Cowher), to the Thumb Gate to the latest news that his GINORMOUS head won't fit in the team-issued helmet ... well, let's just say I could do without the media coverage that will surely follow this story. [Heels Sox And Steelers]

• Remember The Last Time We Went To Tennessee For A Playoff Game?. The last time the Ravens visited Nashville for the playoffs, the situation was earily similar. The Titans were the #1 overall seed and the Ravens came in as a Wild Card. The Titans were favored and the Ravens put perhaps one of the original Baltimore Beatdowns on them 24-10, on their way to their Super Bowl Championship. The Ravens were also the first visiting team to ever defeat the Titans in what was their new home at the time. Therefore, being the visitor there this weekend does not faze me in the least. [Baltimore Beat Downs]