Channel surfing with nothing better to do on Saturday, we stumbled upon a couple of familiar faces when we stopped on ESPN – Dave Wannstedt and John Shoop.

It was the Meineke Car Care Bowl – or think of it as the Super Bowl for ex-Bears coaches and offensive coordinators.

Wannstedt’s Pittsburgh Panthers got 159 yards rushing and a touchdown from freshman running back Dion Lewis to rally and beat Shoop’s Tar Heels, 19-17, in the Charlotte, N.C., bowl.

After a rough start at Pittsburgh, Wannstedt wound up having a good season this year, his fifth year as head coach. Only a 45-44 loss to Cincinnati kept the Panthers from winning the Big East and a BCS bowl bid.

Their 10-3 record marked the school's first 10-win season since Dan Marino was the quarterback in 1981. The Panthers were even ranked in the top 10 late in the season.

Dave Wannstedt has recovered nicely from his time in Chicago, leading Pitt to a 10-win season.

The same couldn’t be said for Wannstedt’s time in Chicago. His six-year run was marked by a bad trade for Rick Mirer, a feeble attempt at a West Coast offense and a 40-56 record (8-24 in the last two seasons). Remember when he told us that “all the pieces are in place” for the Bears? We’re still waiting …

Shoop, as Bears fans will remember, was part of a conga line of bad offensive coordinators from the late 1990s up to the Ron Turner era: Matt Cavanaugh, Gary Crowton (easily the best of the bunch), Shoop, Terry Shea and then Turner’s run in 2005. The Bears had 21 different starting quarterbacks during that time.

Shoop  now, serves as offensive coordinator under Tar Heels coach Butch Davis. Shoop and Davis, three years into a rebuilding job at North Carolina, took the 8-5 Tar Heels to their second-straight bowl game for the first time in more than a decade.

So that’s how a couple ex-Bears coaches fared this weekend. Now for some of the former players:

Thomas Jones, running back, New York Jets:  When the Jets had undefeated Indianapolis by the throat in the fourth quarter, they knew how to do something that the Bears didn’t when they played the Colts in the Super Bowl – give the damn ball to Thomas Jones. Jones rushed for 105 yards and scored a critical fourth-quarter touchdown as the Jets ended the Colts’ run at history.

Jones has combined with rookie Shonn Greene (16 carries, 95 yards) to form the league’s top rushing offense this season. When Greene was dinged early in the fourth quarter, Jones took over with several big runs against a Colts defense that was a bizarre mix of starters and backups. The Jets, who ran for only nine yards in the first quarter, outrushed the Colts, 202-64, in the game.

Cedric Benson, running back, Cincinnati: Yes, even Jones’ old running mate had a big day. The two couldn’t stand each other in Chicago, but they’re both doing great things in other uniforms.

Benson’s back to full strength after a midseason hip injury. He carried the ball 29 times for 133 yards, including 30 yards on a key fourth-quarter drive in the Bengals’ 17-10 win over Kansas City. It was his sixth 100-yard game of the season, a Bengals record. Some of Benson’s highlights:

Kyle Orton, quarterback, Denver: He threw for 189 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Broncos back from a 27-10 third-quarter deficit. He guided the team to a field goal to tie it at 27 with 6:05 left, but he fell flat on a late drive deep in Broncos territory that left the opening for Philadelphia’s game-winning field goal by David Akers with four seconds left.

Mike Brown, safety, Kansas City: He had a busy day tackling his former teammate, Benson. Brown led the Chiefs in tackles with 13 (eight solo) in the loss to the Bengals.

Marty Booker, wide receiver, Atlanta: Four catches for 57 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown catch in the Falcons’ 31-3 win over Buffalo.

Ian Scott, defensive tackle, San Diego: He made some key plays in the Chargers’ Christmas night victory over the Titans. He rushed Vince Young a couple of times, forcing the Titans quarterback to make some bad decisions. He had two solo tackles, a sack and a pass defensed in the win.

Mark Colombo, offensive tackle, Dallas: The Cowboys’ right tackle has been out since Nov. 15 because of ankle-ligament surgery, but he got some good news this week. According to ESPN.com, he has been cleared for individual drills and hopes to return to the field for the playoffs.

Rod Hood, cornerback, Tennessee:  Hood was deactivated before Friday night’s game against Chargers. It was a costly move for the Titans, as starter Nick Harper injured his forearm in the game and Hood had three picks while filling in for Harper earlier in the season.

Justin Gage, wide receiver, Tennessee: A week after catching two touchdown passes, Gage didn’t have a reception in a Christmas night loss to San Diego.

Brandon McGowan, safety, New England: He battled injuries for four years in Chicago, but has remained healthy with the Patriots. He had two tackles in the Patriots' 35-7 win over Jacksonville.

Muhsin Muhammad, wide receiver, Carolina: Caught three passes for 56 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown, as the Panthers upset the Giants in the Meadowlands.

Chris Harris, safety, Carolina: Had four solo tackles and a pass defensed in the Panthers win.

Tank Johnson, defensive tackle, Cincinnati: Had three tackles (one solo) in the win over Kansas City.

Mark Bradley, wide receiver, Kansas City: Merry Christmas. Three days before the holiday, Bradley was released by ex-Bears WR coach Todd Haley in Kansas City. The move comes a week after Dwayne Bowe’s return from a four-game suspension. Ouch.

Rex Grossman, quarterback, Houston: Watched Matt Schaub throw for 286 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-20 win over the Dolphins.

Bernard Berrian, wide receiver, Minnesota: Expect to see a lot of Mr. Berrian on Monday night against the Bears. Just a hunch …

Want more on ex-Bears? The Chicago Tribune’s Dan Pompei wrote about how some former Bears have played, as well as some soon-to-be ex-Bears in his Sunday column.

-- MIKE REILLEY
Follow him on Twitter @bearsblogblitz