The Nickel Package

* Donnie Edwards, San Diego, LB -- Always steady; is the league’s fourth-leading tackler.

* Todd Heap, Baltimore, TE -- With Gates and Gonzalez in AFC, tight end is a real squeeze.

*--* 5 PRO BOWL SNUBS

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* Joey Galloway, Tampa Bay, WR -- He’s 34, but this season he played 10 years younger.

* Robert Mathis, Indianapolis, DE -- His big numbers: 11 1/2 sacks, eight forced fumbles.

* Alex Brown, Chicago, DE -- Should have made it ahead of Carolina’s Julius Peppers.

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*--* 5 STARS: REGGIE BUSH DERBY

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* * * * * Houston -- Texans want him badly, and they’ll draft him No. 1 if they lose in San Francisco today.

* * * * New Orleans -- Should Houston win, the Saints could one day bring Bush back to Los Angeles.

* * * New York Jets -- Bush would be Curtis Martin-plus for Jets, who’d need help to get him.

* * Green Bay -- If they had the top pick, Packers could reach for Matt Leinart instead of Bush.

* San Francisco -- With the way tiebreakers go, the 49ers’ chances are slimmer than Ken Dorsey.

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*--* 5 COACHES OF THE YEAR

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* Tony Dungy, Indianapolis -- His defense has finally come around and the Colts are a complete team.

* Bill Belichick, New England -- Overcame lots of obstacles and his Patriots look to be peaking.

* Lovie Smith, Chicago -- He lost his starting quarterback just before the season started, remember?

* Mike Shanahan, Denver -- Is this the season the Broncos return to form in the playoffs?

* Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati -- He did a masterful job of bringing along Carson Palmer slowly.

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*--* 5 LOCKS

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* Dallas over St. Louis -- Hapless Rams couldn’t even beat the 49ers last week.

* Indianapolis over Arizona -- Colts don’t want to head into the playoffs on a three-game slide.

* Pittsburgh over Detroit -- Lions are 0-9 against teams that have winning records.

* Tampa Bay over New Orleans -- After a too-long season, the Saints are spent.

* Washington over Philadelphia -- Playoffs are within reach and the Redskins can smell them.

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*--* 5 TELLING STATISTICS

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* The Cardinals still have not broken the 100-yard rushing mark this season. No team since 1970 has gone an entire season without rushing for 100 yards in a game.

* Although Carolina has won seven of its last nine road games within the division, the Panthers are 1-9 in Atlanta with seven consecutive losses there.

* The Bengals, who play at Kansas City, have allowed 29.8 points per game and 13 passing touchdowns in the last six contests.

* The Saints have only one rushing touchdown in their last 12 games against the Buccaneers.

* The Texans have been outscored, 140-45, in the fourth quarter this season, including 90-22 in the last eight games.

SOURCE: STATS LLC