NFL Notebook

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Associated Press

The NFL notebook …

NEW YORK — Peyton Manning had a lot of witnesses to his soggy super win, with the estimated 93.2 million viewers representing the second most-watched Super Bowl broadcast ever.

Only the 1996 Super Bowl between Dallas and Pittsburgh, which had 94.1 million viewers, had a bigger audience, according to Nielsen Media Research. Behind that 1996 game and the M-A-S-H series finale, Sunday’s game was the third most-watched program in television history.

It was the highest-rated Super Bowl game since St. Louis-Tennessee in 2000.

COWBOYS SEARCH

IRVING, Texas — Waiting two hours on a Chicago runway, Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera wondered if icy weather really was delaying his flight to a job interview in Dallas.

“There was a vicious rumor going around Chicago didn’t want me to leave so they weren’t going to let the plane go,” Rivera said, laughing.

Rivera finally arrived at Cowboys headquarters around 4 p.m. Tuesday. He spoke with reporters before meeting with team owner Jerry Jones to discuss the head coaching vacancy created when Bill Parcells retired more than two weeks ago.

REID’S SON

NORRISTOWN, Pa. — The 21-year-old son of Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid was charged Tuesday with drug and weapon offenses stemming from an incident in which he is accused of pointing a gun at another motorist.

Reid got into an argument with another motorist Jan. 30, pointing a handgun at the man and laughing before driving off, prosecutors said. The other driver managed to get the license plate number of Reid’s black SUV and police traced it back to Reid’s parents.

PRO BOWL

HONOLULU — Chicago linebacker Lance Briggs was dropped from the NFC’s Pro Bowl roster Tuesday because of a left foot injury and was replaced by Tampa Bay’s Derrick Brooks, who’ll make his 10th straight Pro Bowl appearance after winning the MVP award in last season’s game.

REDSKINS

ASHBURN, Va. — Washington Redskins right tackle Jon Jansen signed a five-year, $23 million contract extension Tuesday.