Celebrated chef John Besh spoke with NFL.com on Friday and played a little word-association game involving the Patriots, Giants and some of the NFL’s biggest stars.

A brief conversation with Drew Brees unfolded Thursday as an NFL Network makeup artist dabbed “blot” powder on the Saints QB’s face.

I never figured I’d shake the hand of Curt Schilling. I really never figured I’d end up liking the guy, but it happened when the famed Red Sox hurler stopped by the “NFL.com Live” set, along with my cohorts, Dave Dameshek, Elliot Harrison and Jason Smith.

Saints QB Drew Brees and Eagles RB LeSean McCoy put together special seasons and were honored Wednesday for their efforts as the FedEx Air and Ground NFL Players of the Year.

A few observations after the AFC ran away with the 2012 Pro Bowl, 59-41:

With a handful of past Super Bowl winners in Hawaii, NFL.com’s Jeff Darlington caught up with a few quarterbacks to talk about their quest for the next one.

Players and coaches descended on the Marriott Ihilani Tuesday afternoon, all more than happy to have arrived safe and sound in paradise.

It’s a simple yet complex question: Would you take Tom Brady or Drew Brees at quarterback to win one game?

Even with the lure of double points, most owners shied away from starting players on bye weeks in the first run of the NFL Playoff Challenge. But there were some interesting names that found their way into lineups.

Saints coach Sean Payton says he has no intentions of taking his foot off the gas this week against the Panthers, providing a huge help to fantasy owners.

With the 2011 fantasy football season in the rear view mirror, Jason Smith looks at who could be the top fantasy pick in 2012. The answer isn’t as simple as you’d think.

Here’s a look at what’s going on in fantasy football right now.

Heading into their second matchup with the Saints this season, the Falcons will look to duplicate their last performance – minus one fourth-down failure.

Few things are as crucial as picking the right starting QB for your fantasy semifinal matchup. Jason Smith runs down the ten signal-callers best suited to help get your team to championship week.

Everyone knows the Lions will be without Ndamukong Suh against the Saints this weekend. That’s a huge blow to their defense. But the real story heading into Sunday’s contest will be the absence of wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who has been taken away by opposing defenses in the last three weeks.