A record number of viewers watched Drew Brees and the Saints win the Super Bowl. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

According to numbers released today, Sunday's Super Bowl was the most-watched program in U.S. television history, topping the M-A-S-H series finale in 1983.

Nielsen reported that 106.5M viewers watched the Super Bowl, beating the 105.97M who watched M-A-S-H.

Last year's Super Bowl set a record at the time with 98.7M viewers.

Because I did not watch that M-A-S-H finale, I looked up the ratings for another, more recently hyped TV event: The Seinfeld finale. As a point of reference, that was watched by 76.3M viewers.

By the way, this has nothing to do with anything, but I was snowed in Saturday and knocked out a few Seinfelds. Very underrated scene that had me laughing hysterically. Just classic.

If you're wondering if things will slow down here now that football season is over, think again.

Beginning (hopefully) Tuesday, we're going to start a Year in Review feature. I'll go player-by-player, detailing how each member of the Eagles' roster performed in 2009. And for most, we'll try to look ahead to next season.

In the mean-time, some key dates to circle on your calendar:

Feb. 24-March 2: The combine in Indy
March 5: The start of free agency and the potential uncapped year
April 22-24: The NFL draft

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1. The play you will remember when you think about this Super Bowl 20 years from now is the onside kick to start the second half. With the Saints trailing 10-6, Sean Payton decided to gamble, and of all people, it was Hank Baskett who could not handle the kick. New Orleans recovered and went 59 yards for the touchdown to take a 13-10 lead.

2. Two more things about that kick. What a scrum for the ball. I'm surprised everyone came out alive (I think). I demand that every player involved be interviewed about what actually went on at the bottom of the pile some time this offseason. I feel like there are some great stories there. And number two, what a performance by the Saints kicking unit. Garrett Hartley nailed three field-goal attempts -- all from 44 yards or greater. And the game-changing onside kick by Thomas Morstead.

3. Underrated key moment: The Colts going three-and-out at the end of the first half. The Saints had just come up short on a fourth down at the Indy 1 yard line. The smart money was on Peyton Manning and the Colts to go down the field and put more points on the board. Instead, they went three-and-out and had to punt. The Saints got the ball back and picked up a field goal before halftime.

4. Drew Brees never forced the ball deep. Smart, efficient throws and decisions throughout. Intermediate throw after intermediate throw. And it was the perfect method for what the Saints were trying to do. They kept Manning off the field at crucial times. They sustained drives. And they avoided turnovers. Overall, Brees was 32-for-39 and Super Bowl MVP.

5. By the way, the Saints threw on 68 percent of their offensive plays. So much for balance, huh? I know it was only one game, but you can win games, move the ball effectively and play efficient offense by leaning heavily on the passing game. You just have to have the right personnel and great execution.

6. At 9:23 p.m. in our live chat, I wrote: Is there any chance Manning DOESN'T lead them to the end zone here? At 9:30, Tracy Porter was taking a Manning interception to the house. Did not see that one coming. I thought we were headed for overtime.

7. I did not like the call by Jim Caldwell to attempt a 51-yard field goal with Matt Stover at the start of the fourth quarter. Stover was 0-for-3 on attempts from 50-plus the last three seasons. The last time he hit one from that range was 2006. New Orleans got the ball at its own 41 after the miss and drove 58 yards to take a 24-17 lead. By the way, great play by Lance Moore on the 2-point conversion.

8. At 6:44 p.m., with eight minutes left in the first quarter, chatters had officially taken jabs at Donovan McNabb, Andy Reid, Joe Banner and Jeffrey Lurie. And there were some funny comments throughout that I had to share.

A sampling:

When I mentioned in the fourth that the Colts needed to score, but also didn't want to give the Saints' offense the ball back with a chance to win it:

[Comment From Andy Reid: ] If they need help managing the clock, I am available.

After the Joseph Addai 4-yard touchdown run in the third:

[Comment From Andy Reid: ] I would've used the shovel pass there.

And after the Colts took a 17-13 lead:

[Comment From Joe Banner: ] With our roster, we'd be winning this game 31-3 right now and etching our names on the trophy.

9. Manning made some unbelievable throws, but his performance will be identified by the interception at the end. That's just how it goes. And if it were the Eagles, you can be sure that Donovan McNabb would be the one getting killed Monday morning.

10. The Saints' defense really competed. In the fourth quarter, with Indy up, 17-16, Manning had the offense rolling. The Colts faced a 4th-and-2 from the New Orleans 46, went for it and kept their drive alive after a completion to Reggie Wayne. It was the kind of play that could deflate a defense, but the Saints rebounded, forcing Indy into the long field-goal attempt.

11. I liked Payton's decision to go for it at the end of the first half. If they convert there, it's huge. If they don't get it, they still pin the Colts near their own end zone. But if they kick the field goal, the Colts would have had plenty of time to get better field position and score before halftime. I just didn't like the calls. Brees had completed six of seven passes on the drive. Gotta let him make a play there instead of running the ball twice in a row.

12. Clean game all around. Eight total penalties and just one turnover. I think these were the two best teams in the end, and I thought it was a well-played, entertaining game. Great pace throughout.

13. Outstanding blocks on the 16-yard screen to Pierre Thomas for the touchdown in the third quarter. Maybe now we won't hear announcers call the Eagles the best screen team in the NFL next season.

14. By my count, no Kim Kardashian shots the entire game. Her lack of camera time was one of the great mysteries of this postseason. Let's hope Real Sports or E-60 is already investigating this. On the other side, we saw Archie Manning once. Both prop bets went under, if you were wondering.

15. Hate to end with this one, but did I really see two straight commercials with guys in tighty-whities? Or was I imagining things? Either way, very disturbing couple of minutes there.

Poll: Who has the best chance of leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory? (1523 votes)

Multiple teams have already called the Eagles to inquire about all three of their quarterbacks, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Not huge news, but of note for a couple different reasons.

The first is, no matter what Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb say publicly, teams are still calling to see if he's available.

The second is the inclusion of Kevin Kolb in Schefter's Tweet.

Michael Vick is obviously the most likely of the three to get dealt, even though NFL Network's Michael Lombardi reported last week that the Eagles could still keep him. And the McNabb speculation began before the first-round loss to the Cowboys was even over.

But the only way I can see the Birds dealing Kolb is if they want to make a long-term commitment to McNabb. And even then, it's no guarantee.

Kolb is due a base salary of $550,000 in 2010 and then becomes a restricted free agent in 2011. There really is no reason to trade him this offseason unless the Eagles are blown away with an offer. If McNabb stays, Kolb can stay as a good backup/insurance policy. Then you can decide what to do after next season. And obviously if McNabb is gone, Kolb gets his shot as the starter

By the way, Chris Rock said on NFL Network's pre-game show that McNabb was his favorite player because he always "takes complete responsibility" win or lose.

We'll be live-chatting the Super Bowl tonight, starting around 6 p.m. If you're anti-Super Bowl parties like me, hate the hype and just want to watch the game, be sure to join.

Here are picks and some prop bets I like. Lines provided by sportsbook.com.

COLTS (-4.5) vs. Saints
UNDER (57)
Will a team make a FG in the first quarter? NO (+105)
Total number of different Saints to have a rushing attempt: UNDER 4.5 (-125)
Will the Saints score a first-half rushing touchdown? YES (+110)
Over/Under for Carrie Underwood to sing the Star Spangled Banner: UNDER 1:42 (+110)
Pierre Thomas ruhing yards: UNDER 58.5 (even)
Peyton Manning passing yards: UNDER 310.5

Join me for a live Super Bowl chat Sunday at 6:15 p.m.

Tra Thomas spent 11 seasons as the Eagles' starting left tackle. (File photo)

A year after the Eagles bid farewell to their longtime bookend tackles, one is making a run at political office, and the other will soon be looking for a job.

According to Vito Stellino of the Florida Times Union, the Jaguars will release Tra Thomas next week. Per the report, Thomas was given advance notice because he wants to continue his career, and the Jaguars wanted to give him time to find a new team.

Since I know this will dominate the comments, I'll address it right away: Is there room on the Eagles' roster for Thomas?

Let's start with his performance this past season. I can't say that I was a constant viewer of the Jaguars, but per the report, Thomas did not see the field in the final seven games. He is 35 years old.

Thomas was the Eagles' starting tackle for 11 seasons, starting all but 11 regular-season games during that span. He signed a three-year deal with Jacksonville in 2009.

As for the Birds, they moved on, trading for and extending Jason Peters, who had an up and down first year in Philadelphia.

When Peters was sidelined during the season, the team opted to slide Todd Herremans over to left tackle, rather than insert King Dunlap. The reasons were simple. They had more depth at guard than tackle, meaning they could afford to push Herremans over. And Dunlap would have been a liability had they needed to rely on him.

So could the Eagles use an upgrade with their depth at tackle? Sure. But who knows what kind of role Thomas is looking for, or if he has anything left.

A few other links:

* A woman filed a civil suit againt Michael Irvin, alleging he raped her in 2007. On Friday, Irvin reportedly countersued her for $100 million. He was fired by ESPN Radio in Dallas yesterday. Per the Dallas Morning News, Irvin was going to be fired anyway because of disappointing ratings. This news just sped up the process.

* Roger Goodell announced yesterday the Donte Stallworth will be reinstated. Tony Grossi of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland reports that the Browns will release Stallworth.

* And on a lighter note, Jimmy Johnson will appear in commercials for ExtenZe, the male enhancement product. Can't wait to see these. The comedy on those ads is already through the roof. I'm not sure I'm prepared to see where it goes with Johnson involved.

During what he called the "busiest week of the year" at sportsbook.com, our old friend Dave Staley was nice enough to answer some questions about the Super Bowl.

What are some of the more popular prop bets?

Coin toss - Yup. People love to bet on this prop every year. It is pretty much a Super Bowl tradition for die-hard Super Bowl bettors. Kind of amazing that people love to wager on something that is impossible to handicap. We actually give our members a great bargain on this prop as we offer -101 juice on both heads and tails. I always get a kick out of being in a bar for the coin toss and watching people yell “Tails never fails!” Interesting little fact I came across is that the NFC has won 12 straight Super Bowl coin tosses. If you believe that a trend like this is fate, ‘The Saints to win the Coin Toss’ prop at -105 might be worth a shot.

Will there be a safety? - Although we get more action on plenty of other props, this one always makes our lines guys sweat a little bit. The action is always very one-sided as people back the high payouts associated with the Yes (+800). Whereas most years it is a decent win for us, we got absolutely murdered last year on this prop as the Steelers had a holding penalty in the end zone, resulting in a safety.

Over/under jersey number of player to score the first TD - Our props guys have this number handicapped at 25.5. The under has more players capable of scoring the first TD of the game with Austin Collie, Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem and both QBs. However, Joseph Addai, Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne are the three favorites to get in the end zone first, and all would cover the over.

Drew Brees & Peyton Manning props - There are plenty of props available for each of the two quarterbacks, but the prop that is getting the most love is the over/under of passing yards. Manning’s magic number is 305.5 yards, while Brees’ number is 285.5 yards.

Cross sports props - Bettors always love these on Super Bowl Sunday, and the bigger the star from another sport, the greater the action. LeBron James props are getting lots of early action. Who will score more points? The Colts, or James against the Knicks on Saturday?

Player to score the first TD - People love this prop for two reasons. First off, they don’t have to wait the whole game to get paid. This prop will be a winner and graded sometime in the first quarter most likely. Secondly, these have generous payouts. You can get a guy like Bush at 12-1 or Colston at 10-1. Even the three favored players mentioned earlier (Clark, Wayne, Addai) are paying out at a lofty 7-1.

What are some of the more creative/unique prop bets that sportsbook.com is offering?

Over/under of time when the winning coach gets the Gatorade bath by his players: Over 45 seconds in fourth quarter (-150); under (+120).

How many times will CBS show Kim Kardashian during the game? Over under is 2.5.

Will Kardashian be wearing a Saints jersey? Yes (+160). No (-200).

Will Pete Townshend smash a guitar on stage during the halftime show? Yes (+160). No (-200).

Who will the MVP thank first? Coach (+900). No One (+500). Family (+400). God (-125). Teammates (+200).

What about the line and over/under? What are the numbers, and which way is the public siding?

We opened the Colts as 4.5-point favorites, but immediately moved the number to 5, and a few hours later adjusted it to 5.5. That’s where the number remained until Tuesday morning when our odds-makers moved it back to 5. Then Wednesday morning, it was adjusted (back to 4.5). Although most of the action since opening has been on the Colts, on Tuesday, more Saints money came in. It is no coincidence that the Saints money has picked up with all of the Dwight Freeney injury talk the last couple days. Currently, 67 percent of the bettors are on the Colts. This is down significantly, considering it was in the high 70s all last week and through the weekend. I’ll be very surprised if this number goes any lower, and I actually think it will creep back up.

We opened the total, albeit very briefly, at 55.5. We quickly moved it to 56, and then again to 56.5. Following their usual M.O., the betting public is hammering the over as only 24 percent of the cash is on the under. It isn’t surprising that the betting public is pounding the over, considering that these teams combined to average almost 58 points per game during the regular season.

Finally, on an Eagles note, we opened odds on whether or not Donovan McNabb would be on the Eagles roster for Week 1 next season: Yes pays out at 2-5. And no at 7-4. The odds say McNabb wll be back.

Donovan McNabb ranked 39th out of 60 in a recent analysis measuring "comeback ability." (Yong Kim/Staff file photo)

From Week 11 to Week 17, the Eagles three times came up with victories after being tied or trailing in the fourth quarter.

All three instances would qualify as "comebacks" by Nicholas Higgins of Football Outsiders.

Higgins takes an interesting look at the "comeback ability" of quarterbacks over the past decade. He defines a comeback as a situation "where the game is tied or the team is behind 1-8 points in the fourth quarter or overtime."

He also adjusts his rankings for several key factors: starting field position, time remaining, deficit and outcome. Only quarterbacks who have had at least 30 qualifying drives (playoffs included) from 1998-2009 were included.

So the obvious question is: Where did Donovan McNabb rank?

And the answer: 39th.

For the McNabb defenders, you can surely point out that the two guys sandwiching McNabb are (current or future) Hall of Famers Brett Favre, who ranks 38th, and Dan Marino, who ranks 40th.

But for the critics, who often point out that McNabb isn't clutch, well, there's plenty of support in this study for you.

Per Higgins' numbers, McNabb has had 129 opportunities to bring the Eagles back and has come through 38 times for a percentage of 29.5. His Adjusted Comeback Efficiency (ACE), which takes into account the factors I mentioned above is 0.94. The league average is exactly 1.00.

The analysis also took into account quarterback rating and how a QB performed overall, as compared to how he performed in these comeback situations. For example, McNabb's 86.5 overall QB rating from 1998-2009 ranks 15th. But he was 39th in terms of comeback efficiency, a drop-off of 24 spots.

The only two players who experienced a worse drop-off were Steve Beurlein (32 spots) and Jason Campbell (28 spots). Per the analysis, McNabb had the highest overall QB rating of the 30 worst players in terms of comeback efficiency.

Some other notes from the analysis:

* Guess who ranked first in terms of ACE? Eli Manning. He's had 66 opportunities and brought the Giants back 28 times, 42.4 percent. He had the second-biggest jump in terms of overall QB rating vs. ACE, leaping 31 spots. Jake Plummer had the biggest jump, up 37 spots.

* Of the top five ACE quarterbacks, three have Super Bowl rings: Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Peyton Manning. Philip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers are the other two.

* Tony Romo is ninth on the list. Tom Brady 14th. And Kurt Warner 27th. Higgins points out that Brady had a disastrous 2009, coming through on just one of 10 comeback opportunities.

* Higgins provides many more details and an explanation of what all the numbers mean. Definitely worth a read.

The Eagles have brought Dick Jauron on board to coach their secondary, a league source tells Jason La Canfora of NFL.com.

Brian Stewart coached the DBs last year but left after one season in Philadelphia to become the defensive coordinator at the University of Houston.

Jauron, 59, spent the last four seasons in Buffalo. He was fired as head coach of the Bills last year after the team began the season 3-6. Buffalo went 7-9 under Jauron in each of the previous three seasons.

He was the head coach of the Bears from 1999-2003 and served as interim head coach of the Lions in 2005. Jauron's overall record as a head coach is 60-82.

Jauron and Andy Reid worked together in Green Bay from 1992-94. He also served as the Jaguars' defensive coordinator from 1995-98 and the Lions' defensive coordinator in 2004-05.

Reid's staff has undergone a bit of a shake-up over the last two seasons.

Before last season, assistant DBs coach Otis Smith was let go, and Sean McDermott of course took over for Jim Johnson as defensive coordinator.

And last month, the team announced that Bobby April would replace Ted Daisher as special teams coach.

Titans DE Kyle Vanden Bosch volunteers building a playground last week. (AP Photo / Tom DiPace)

One of the only things Eagles fans can agree on this offseason is that the Birds could use some pass-rushing help opposite defensive end Trent Cole.

The Inquirer's Bob Brookover wrote about Julius Peppers yesterday, and in an online poll, 75 percent of you said that the Eagles should pursue the Panthers' defensive end.

With players most likely needing six years of service to qualify for unrestricted free agency, the group of available players would shrink significantly in an uncapped year.

But Scout.com's Adam Caplan wonders whether the Titans' Kyle Vanden Bosch could fit the Eagles' needs. Caplan caught up with Vanden Bosch last week at the Pro Bowl to gauge his interest on potentially playing in Philadelphia.

"Well, sure, yeah. They have a good team and a good defense. I'm familiar with them," he said.

Vanden Bosch had just three sacks last season and 4.5 in 2008 after a three-year stretch in which he piled up 31.

With eight years of service time, he would become an unrestricted free agent on March 5 if the Titans do not re-sign him, something Vanden Bosch did not sound optimistic of last week.

"There’s a better chance than not this is it," Vanden Bosch told The Tennessean. "The Titans have given me no indication that they would like to re-sign me, so mentally and physically I have been preparing like I am going to free agency. I have been working out hard and maybe it is a time for a fresh start somewhere else."

Eagles offensive tackle Jason Peters had an interesting take on Vanden Bosch after lining up against him in the Pro Bowl.

"He's 100 miles an hour every play, so it's almost like I played a whole game," Peters told Les Bowen of the Daily News. "Everybody else is 50 percent, he's going 100."