With Patriots out, Super Bowl newbies get crack at rings

All four NFL coaches in next weekend's conference championship games have led teams to at least one Super Bowl. But Denver's Mike Shanahan, Carolina's John Fox, Seattle's Mike Holmgren and Pittsburgh's Bill Cowher don't have a lot of championship ring owners on their rosters.

Pittsburgh, for instance, has won four Super Bowls, yet not one Steeler starter has a ring. In fact, several key players - among them quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, safety Troy Polamalu and running back Willie Parker - were born after Jan. 20, 1980, when the Steelers last hoisted the Lombardi Trophy.

The only player in Carolina's starting lineup who has reached pro football's mountaintop is center Jeff Mitchell, who was a member of Baltimore's Super Bowl-winning team in 2000. Even Denver, which won consecutive titles in the 1997 and '98 seasons, has but a few holdovers from those teams, among them center Tom Nalen, tackle Matt Lepsis, defensive end Trevor Pryce and kicker Jason Elam. Safety John Lynch won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2002. So, now that New England has been eliminated, a lot of potential Super Bowl newbies can start making room in their jewelry boxes for some gaudy additions.

Heading into the conference championship games, the Broncos are the healthiest of the Super Bowl hopefuls. Shaun Alexander is recovering from a concussion he suffered early in Saturday's victory over Washington. Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger was hit from behind in the second half against the Colts and appeared to injure his arm; he didn't leave the game, but, for the most part, he handed off the rest of the way. And Carolina is coping with running back DeShaun Foster's broken ankle, and a shoulder injury to defensive end Julius Peppers.

Of the four remaining starting quarterbacks, only Carolina's Jake Delhomme has played in a Super Bowl. But the other three - Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck, Denver's Jake Plummer and Roethlisberger - all had better passer ratings this season. Should the favored teams win on Sunday, Super Bowl XL will have a familiar feel - a rematch between Shanahan and Holmgren, whose teams battled for the crown eight years ago when Holmgren was coaching Green Bay.

NFL Football Betting odds: BODOG Sportsbook

Conference Championships Matchup :

Denver Broncos -3

vs Pittsburgh Steelers +3

Carolina Panthers +4

vs Seattle Seahawks -4

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