Reggie Bush's celebratory flip into the end zone may have inspired the Bears. Al Bello/Getty Images

• Reggie Bush's 88-yard touchdown catch and run was spectacular, but I can't help but wonder if he needlessly fired up the Bears by waving at the Chicago defenders at the 10-yard line, and then slowing down to orchestrate an over-the-top front flip into the end zone.

I mean, it was still 16-14, Chicago, at that point. Bush's big play didn't give the Saints the lead, but it sure might have helped the Bears in some strange way.

• Being America's Team apparently only gets you so far these days. As the Dallas Cowboys have discovered the past, oh, 12 years or so.

• I knew I should have started Patriots guard Logan Mankins on my Fantasy team this week. Wonder if that was the first touchdown Mankins has scored in his entire football career.

• Did I mention I went an SI.com-best 8-0 in the first two rounds of the playoffs? Good. Because 9-1 after the conference title games doesn't sound quite as impressive.

• Consider the Saints loss a missed opportunity for the still-rebuilding city of New Orleans. A Super Bowl trip would have further wed the organization to the identity of the city, and might have almost forced the NFL to do everything it its power to keep the franchise in Louisiana. Despite being this year's feel-good story, the Saints' long-term future in New Orleans is far from secure based on this season's success and playoff appearance.

By making the Super Bowl, the Saints would have made it very difficult for the league to do anything but continue to work on their long-term viability in New Orleans, a city that lost both population base and a slice of its already-thin corporate community in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. But in the absence of a Super Bowl season, it's easier to imagine the Saints potentially packing up for Los Angeles some day.

• So where do the Raiders go from here, now that 32-year-old USC assistant head coach Steve Sarkisian surprisingly pulled out of the Oakland coaching search, after contract negotiations were underway?

Some expect aging Raiders owner Al Davis to go even younger, and pursue Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, 30, for the job he can't seem to give away. But a veteran league insider I talked to on Saturday said Davis has to be embarrassed at losing yet another coaching candidate, and must turn his attention to proven commodities at this point.

"He's got to go out and get somebody credible, somebody with a little track record at this point," the source said. "But you never know about that team. It's run like a banana republic."

Jim Fassel, Dennis Green or Mike Martz would be the established names. But I still think Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan would be a solid pick. Ryan interviewed and reportedly acquitted himself well, but Davis is still seeking an offensive-minded coach to jack up the league's 32nd-ranked attack.

• Nobody should ever be confident predicting Bills Parcells' next move, but he doesn't look like a head coach who's preparing to walk away from the league to me. Parcells is planning on attending the Senior Bowl workouts in Mobile, Ala., this week, and has been showing up to work each day at Valley Ranch. Contractually he has until Feb. 1 to clue Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in on his 2007 intentions.

Feb. 1. Doesn't that fall during Super Bowl week? Ah, now I understand his timing. Parcells won't clear things up for us until he gets to steal a little bit of the spotlight from the two teams who actually make Super Bowl XLI.

• What's the trend that has developed with this year's NFL coaching hires? Previous head coaching experience at the NFL level is far from essential. Miami's Cam Cameron and Atlanta's Bobby Petrino have collegiate head coaching, but have never served as more than a coordinator in the NFL. Arizona's Ken Whisenhunt has never been a head coach at any level. That will also be the case no matter who Pittsburgh ends up hiring among its three finalists: Mike Tomlin, Russ Grimm or Ron Rivera. Oakland also appears to be seeking a young, on-the-way-up coaching talent.

In reality, the trend toward first-time head coaches began prior to this year. Of 2006's 10 coaching hires, only three were NFL coaching retreads: Kansas City's Herm Edwards, Buffalo's Dick Jauron and Oakland's Art Shell. In 2005, all three of the new hires were NFL head coaching rookies: Miami's Nick Saban, San Francisco's Mike Nolan and Cleveland's Romeo Crennel.

• With Parcells' situation still pending, there were five head coaching openings this year. But that's considerably fewer than what could have transpired, had a number of coaches not beaten considerable odds to stick around. The Giants' Tom Coughlin, San Diego's Marty Schottenheimer, and Cleveland's Crennel had their fate debated for several days before being asked back. Tampa Bay's Jon Gruden avoided having his job seriously jeopardized, and Joe Gibbs signaled he wanted to return in 2007. Baltimore's Brian Billick and Tennessee's Jeff Fisher -- who started the year on the hot seat -- secured their situations with successful seasons.

• Now that Jim Mora has surfaced in Seattle as the Seahawks new defensive backs coach, he'll be fine position to pursue that University of Washington head coaching job he rather infamously referenced in December.

And yes, this little saga would fall under the heading of being careful what you wish for.

• Is it just me, or is Prince starting to morph into a slightly younger version of Little Richard in those NFL Network commercials about Super Bowl XLI?

• It might be almost a year late, but the Texans apparently intend to acquire a guy named Bush this offseason. No, Reggie Bush hasn't re-declared for the NFL Draft. But Houston's Gary Kubiak will likely offer former Cardinals assistant head coach/linebackers coach Frank Bush a job as its assistant head coach/defense.

Don Banks covers pro football for SI.com.