Report: Pats coordinators finalists in NY
The New York Giants whittled their list of head coach candidates yesterday from six to three with Patriots defensive coordinator
Matt Patricia and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in the final pool, according to a source for Newsday. Vikings offensive coordinator
Pat Shurmur is the third.
All three are part of coaching staffs that are participating in playoff games this weekend and have yet to meet with co-owner
Steve Tisch, who was out of the country during their initial interviews last week.
The three who no longer are considered candidates are Giants defensive coordinator and interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo, Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and former Broncos associate head coach Eric Studesville.
Panthers add Turner
The Carolina Panthers will hire Norv Turner as their offensive coordinator, according to a source.
The Panthers fired offensive coordinator Mike Shula and quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey on Tuesday, two days after a playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints.
The 65-year-old Turner will bring in his son Scott Turner as quarterbacks coach. He was an offensive analyst at the University of Michigan and previously worked for the Panthers as an offensive quality control coordinator from 2011-12.
Carolina was 11-5 this season and finished 19th in total offense under Shula, and struggled moving the ball through the air, finishing 28th in the league.
Raiders face probe
The NFL said it will investigate whether the Oakland Raiders violated the “Rooney Rule” when they hired Jon Gruden as coach.
The Fritz Pollard Alliance called for the investigation on Wednesday out of concern that Raiders owner Mark Davis came to an agreement with Gruden before the team interviewed any minority candidates as required by the NFL since 2003.
Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said Tuesday he interviewed two minority candidates before Gruden’s hiring. Those candidates were Oakland tight ends coach Bobby Johnson and Southern California offensive coordinator Tee Martin.
The Fritz Pollard Alliance promotes diversity and equality of job opportunity in the coaching, front office and scouting staffs of NFL teams.
Big Ben focuses in
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger insisted he’s focused simply on playing well on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars in their AFC divisional game.
And there is definitely no looking ahead to a potential shot at the Patriots in the AFC title game.
“I am not worried about what’s going on up there (with the Patriots),” Roethlisberger said. “All I can think about and worry about is this defense that we are playing.”
The Jaguars beat the Steelers, 30-9, earlier this season, intercepting Roethlisberger five times.
London calling
The Oakland Raiders will host the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 14 in the first NFL game at the new 60,000plus London stadium of English Premier League club Tottenham.
There will be three straight weeks of games in London. The others will take place at Wembley Stadium with Philadelphia playing Jacksonville Oct. 21, and Tennessee vs. the Los Angeles Chargers Oct. 28.