N.F.L. ROUNDUP
Broncos Quickly Change Course and Dismiss McDaniels as Their Coach
Josh McDaniels is the third coach fired in the middle of the season, following Wade Phillips and Brad Childress out the door.
By JUDY BATTISTA
Published: December 6, 2010
Just a week ago, the Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen vowed that Josh McDaniels would return as his coach. But a few hours later, the Broncos curiously issued a statement in which Bowlen backtracked from the vote of confidence, saying he would review the situation at the end of the season.
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Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth last month. He was inactive for Sunday's game and is to meet with Coach Mike Shanahan.
But on Monday afternoon, with his team at 3-9, Bowlen reversed course entirely, shocking the N.F.L. by firing McDaniels with four games remaining.
The move was made so suddenly that hours after the team announced McDaniels’s dismissal on Twitter, it was still working on plans for who would take over — on Monday night, they settled on the running backs coach Eric Studesville, who spent the previous six seasons as the Bills’ running backs coach.
McDaniels is the third coach fired in the middle of the season, following Wade Phillips and Brad Childress out the door. The Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings are a combined 5-1 under their interim coaches, Jason Garrett and Leslie Frazier, and their success may have contributed to Bowlen’s decision to make a move now.
Still, the Broncos will be paying three head coaches this year: Mike Shanahan, who was fired after the 2008 season with time remaining on his contract; McDaniels; and Studesville.
“My decision to relieve Josh McDaniels as head coach was not taken lightly,” Bowlen said in a statement. “In the end, I was not satisfied with the results and the direction this team was headed. The decision to make a change was extremely difficult but one that needed to be made for this organization and our fans.
McDaniels is viewed as a bright offensive mind, but in the middle of just his second season as the coach, he was on thin ice and his tenure was marked by a number of gaffes. The Broncos are 5-17 since starting 6-0 last year. McDaniels, wielding personnel power that he might not have been prepared to handle, jettisoned quarterback Jay Cutler and receiver Brandon Marshall, among others, and he used a first-round draft pick on quarterback Tim Tebow, who has played sparingly and is viewed as a long-term project.
Finally, the tipping point came over Thanksgiving weekend when the Broncos and McDaniels were fined after the team’s video coordinator was caught improperly taping theSan Francisco 49ers walk-through before the teams played in London. Steve Scarnecchia was fired, but McDaniels was fined because he knew about the tape and did not report it immediately. Ten days later, McDaniels was gone. And the Broncos were starting over again.
GIANTS PREPARE FOR VIKINGS The Giants have a lot on the line Sunday against Minnesota. At 8-4, the Giants are tied with Philadelphia atop the N.F.C. East, with two division games remaining — including one against the Eagles. A 10-win season probably will not guarantee a playoff spot, so the Giants are in a must-win mode.
First, the Giants will have to sift through a week of speculation about whether Brett Favre, who sustained a sprained right shoulder against the Bills, will play. Leslie Frazier said Monday it would be up to Favre and the team’s medical staff — although it is hard to imagine his voluntarily sitting it out. Still, it means the Giants also have to prepare for the more-nimble Tarvaris Jackson.
“He’s a different animal with his athleticism and his ability to create plays with his feet and prolong plays with his feet,” Giants defensive tackle Barry Cofield said.
THE HAYNESWORTH QUESTION Even with the Washington Redskins (5-7) in wait-until-next-year mode, Albert Haynesworth remained a distraction. Haynesworth, a two-time All-Pro who needed 10 days to pass a preseason conditioning test, showed up late to practice Friday and was inactive for Sunday’s game against the Giants — though Coach Mike Shanahan did not say so until shortly before kickoff.
Haynesworth probably would not have made much difference in the 31-7 loss, but it may have further isolated him from his teammates. Haynesworth’s linemate Phillip Daniels told reporters, “When I come to the locker room on game day, I expect guys to be ready to go and play.” Daniels added: “That’s what I go out there and play for every day — my teammates. And I think that’s the part of the game that really skipped by him.” (AP)
AROUND THE LEAGUE Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant, the 24th overall pick in this year’s draft, had surgery on his fractured right ankle and is done for the season. ... Defensive end Cullen Jenkins, who is second on the Green Bay Packers with seven sacks, has a strained calf and will miss at least a couple of weeks. ... The Vikings are expected to sign the former Florida State running back Lorenzo Booker, who played this season for the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League and led the league with 5.4 yards a carry. (AP)
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