The Patriots, Steelers and/or Giants have been in seven of the past nine Super Bowls, winning all but one; this fall, however, each is faced with serious defensive problems that have bubbled to the surface in the second half of the season; defensive breakdowns, particularly in the passing game, have been the undoing for these teams -- even if the statistics don't reflect it -- since they're all ranked among the top 11 defenses. 850 words, by Sam Farmer (Times). Moved. BOSWELL -- As if to prove that even a 6-15 collapse has a silver lining, executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato finally came out of the shadows, and into bright focus, as one of the primary culprits in the Washington Redskins' largely wasted decade. 975 words, by Thomas Boswell (Post). Moved. FBN-PICKS. Moved. College Football: FBC-COACHES -- Not long after SMU fired football coach Phil Bennett in October 2007, officials at the school had an ideal candidate in mind to replace him; in January 2008, they finally got their man: June Jones, who had just concluded a 12-1 season at Hawaii -- and for those 71 days, Bob Beaudine kept quiet; coaching searches do not usually take 71 days, and SMU Athletic Director Steve Orsini knew the next coach would cement his reputation -- and possibly his future at SMU; but Jones was the coach he was confident he could wait to hire -- and he was confident, in part, because of Beaudine, a search consultant. 1,000 words, by Zach Berman (Post). Moved. College Basketball: BKC-UCLA-ANALYSIS -- With five straight trips to the NCAA tournament -- including three Final Fours -- UCLA was due to reload, but there is the widespread belief that, for a traditional powerhouse, a bad year shouldn't be this bad; the Bruins are 3-6, and Fran Fraschilla, an ESPN commentator and former coach, calls it 'a perfect storm' of too many players leaving early for the NBA combined with a sophomore class -- the new heart of the roster -- that has yet to measure up. 1,000 words, by David Wharton (Times). Pro Basketball: BKN-LAKERS -- NEW YORK -- Pau Gasol, acquired by the Lakers nearly two years ago, and who was one of their key players in winning the 2009 NBA title, is close to signing a three-year extension. Developing, by Mike Bresnahan (Times). BKN-CLIPPERS-KNICKS -- NEW YORK -- Chris Kamon, playing the best basketball of his career, leads the Clippers into Madison Square Garden to battle the Knicks; Los Angeles, looking for its third consecutive win, is getting more than 19 points a game from Kamon, who is also averaging more than eight rebounds. Developing, by Lisa Dillman (Times). 