Chargers Release LaDanian Tomlinson
The San Diego Chargers announced that they have released veteran running back LaDainian Tomlinson.


The 5th overall pick of the 2001 NFL Draft out of TCU, Tomlinson has run for 12,490 yards and 138 touchdowns during his 9-year career, both club records. Tomlinson has eight of the Top 10 rushing seasons in Chargers’ history, and ranks 8th in NFL history in rushing yardage, second in rushing touchdowns, and third in total touchdowns scored (153).

One of the more complete backs the game has ever seen, Tomlinson’s 530 receptions ranked 3rd in Chargers’ history, behind only Pro Football Hall of Famers Charlie Joiner and Kellen Winslow.

Tomlinson was set to receive a $2 million dollar roster bonus on March 5, and a base salary of $3 million dollars for the 2010 season.

Jerry Lai/US PresswireSaints quarterback Drew Brees

WHEN THE SAINTS HAVE THE BALL

For 14 weeks, the Saints’ offense was a multi-dimensional monster. Undersized whiz Drew Brees orchestrated the show, with receivers Marques Colston, Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem attacking the seams. Jeremy Shockey resurfaced as a tight end threat. Pierre Thomas powered the running game, with former Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush lurking like unused dynamite.

Then the Dallas Cowboys’ pass rush showed up at the Superdome in Week 15, beat up the Saints, ended their undefeated streak and provided a blueprint for stopping Sean Payton’s team. The truth is this: Since then, the veneer has faded somewhat for this offense — the Minnesota front four tormented the Saints during the NFC Championship Game.

If the Colts can pressure Brees, they can prevent the fireworks. Much of this relies on the health of DE Dwight Freeney — which has been discussed ad nauseam — as he and Robert Mathis attack from the edges. But it also depends on the play of Saints offensive tackles Jermon Bushrod and Jonathan Stinchcomb. If they can handle the outside, the Saints won’t need to keep a tight end in for extra protection. Still, the Indy defense is extremely fast — especially in the red zone, when space is at a premium. And to beat this Colts team, you need to score touchdowns.

WHEN THE COLTS HAVE THE BALL

The quarterback is named Peyton. He’ll be the fellow gesticulating wildly before each play and draining the play clock down. The television announcers will probably talk about him a lot. Anyway, he’s the best in the game. Without a hearty running game — Joseph Addai and Donald Brown might not factor much into the outcome today — Manning drove this offense to 16 victories this year. In fact, the Colts won every game in which the starters played throughout. The offensive line protects Manning well and he has extraordinary pocket sense. So how will Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams attack him? He pledged to blitz earlier during the pregame hoopla. But with Manning, it’s usually boom or bust.

If the Saints blitz Manning, as the Jets did in the AFC Championship Game, they can get burned. If you settle into coverage and just rush four, as the Ravens often did in the divisional round, Manning can pick you apart and gobble chunks of yards. New Orleans’ lead cornerback, Jabari Greer, will probably track Reggie Wayne for most of the game. So expect Manning, as he did against the Jets, to look to wideouts Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The big stage used to be Bush’s place. Back at USC, he excelled when the camera lights burned. Sunday night, Saints fans hope he displays the form he had there — or in the NFC Divisional round against Arizona, when his 83-yard punt return TD closed the proceedings. The Colts can’t counter with a similar game-breaker. Indy’s Chad Simpson is serviceable, but nothing special. Interestingly enough, both teams switched their kickers during midseason. New Orleans dumped longtime vet John Carney for Garrett Hartley (who kicked New Orleans into the Super Bowl) and Indianapolis scooped up 42-year-old Matt Stover after Adam Vinatieri underwent midseason knee surgery.

ONE MORE THING

The Colts and Saints both played in Miami this season against the Dolphins. Both teams won, although it wasn’t easy. In Week 2, the Dolphins held the ball for more than 45 minutes against the Colts. But they kept accumulating field goals, and Manning’s 48-yard scoring strike to Garcon gave Indianapolis a 27-23 victory. In late October, New Orleans roared back from a 24-3 first-half deficit to win a 46-34 shootout. Brees threw a TD, ran for two more and the defense returned two picks for scores.

Andy McCullough may be reached at amccullough@starledger.com

Pete Carroll on Top Of Seattle Seahawks ListSeattle Seahawks coach Jim Mora has been fired, the first coach in team history to be let go after one season, and league sources say longtime USC coach Pete Carroll is being targeted as Mora’s replacement.

Mora attended a meeting Friday morning with management, at which time he was told by Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke that he did not win enough games to save his job. The Seahawks ended the season on a four-game losing streak to finish 5-11.Mora was shocked by his dismissal, believing that when he was called to Leiweke’s office that he would be in discussion about the team’s vacant general manager’s job, Seahawks sources said.

“This team, more importantly this community, means so much to me that it hurts not being able to see this through,” Mora said in a team-issued statement. “I am disappointed I did not get the chance to complete my contract. This is a tough business that sometimes demands immediate gratification.”

The Seahawks are floundering less than four years after they appeared in the Super Bowl. Seattle is 9-23 since its last playoff appearance in January 2008, after four consecutive NFC West titles, and now it’s without a coach, general manager and president.

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The Seattle Seahawks fired Jim Mora after just one season, leaving the former NFC West champs without a coach, general manager and president less than four years after they appeared in the Super Bowl.

Speculation on Mora’s replacement immediately centered on Southern California coach Pete Carroll. ESPN.com, citing unidentified league sources, reported Friday that an announcement of Carroll joining the Seahawks could come early next week.

“Pete’s name comes out at this time every year. In the past, he hasn’t commented on such reports,” USC spokesman Tim Tessalone said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “He was not expected in (Friday). … At this point, we have nothing to report.”

A Seahawks spokesman inside the team’s headquarters Friday afternoon refused to comment on Carroll. Carroll did not immediately return a phone call left for him by The AP.

And Seahawks chief executive officer Tod Leiweke did not return an e-mail from The AP asking about Carroll, who was 33-31 in 1994 with the New York Jets and ‘97-99 with the New England Patriots.

Leiweke fired Mora during a morning meeting at team headquarters, ending a four-week internal evaluation the CEO conducted of his floundering franchise.

Hours later, the team confirmed the firing in a news release. On Sunday, Mora finished his only Seattle season 5-11, after taking over his hometown team at the end of Mike Holmgren’s coaching contract.