< Steve Spagnuolo
is the first to interview for the New York Giants’ head coaching job after finishing the season as the interim coach.
Interim coach Steve Spagnuolo interviews for Giants' top job
The New York Giants have started the interview process for their head coaching job by starting with the man who ran the team for the final month of a disastrous season. Interim coach Steve Spagnuolo was interviewed by new general manager Dave Gettleman, co-owner John Mara and assistant general manager Kevin Abrams Wednesday, three days after the Giants (3-13) ended the season with an 18-10 win over Washington. Co-owner Steve Tisch will meet with the candidates later in the process. Spagnuolo posted a 1-3 record after being promoted from defensive coordinator to replace the fired Ben McAdoo on Dec. 4. He has head coaching experience, having guided the St. Louis Rams from 2009-11. The likable Spagnuolo, who was promised an interview after being the interim coach, has had two tours as Giants defensive coordinator. He held the position in 2007-08 and helped the franchise win a Super Bowl. He returned in 2015 working the first year under Tom Coughlin and being retained by McAdoo. Spagnuolo also interviewed for the Giants head coaching job when Coughlin was fired. The team decided to go with McAdoo, their offensive coordinator. Spagnuolo also worked for Philadelphia, New Orleans and Baltimore. This will be a busy week for the Giants. There are plans to interview Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, Patriots coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia, Broncos assistant head coach/running backs coach Eric Studesville and Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. They have asked the Panthers for permission to talk with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, but that cannot happen until Carolina finishes with the playoffs. Minnesota, New England and Philadelphia have first-round byes this week, while Studesville can talk because Denver did not make the playoffs.
Bills' McCoy misses practice and listed day to day
Richie Incognito is so accustomed to people counting out the Bills this season, the veteran guard isn’t fazed by questions regarding injured running back LeSean McCoy’s uncertain status for Buffalo’s AFC wild-card playoff game at Jacksonville on Sunday. In a year Buffalo has overcome various obstacles — a snowstorm, roster purge and a four-way playoff tiebreaker — to snap a 17-season postseason drought, what’s one more hurdle, the 11-year veteran wondered. “This team thrives off adversity. It thrives off negative situations. It thrives off everyone picking against us. So we have everything going our way,” Incognito said Wednesday. “People are picking against us. We’re missing a couple of guys. So I like our chances.” McCoy’s status is up in the air after the Bills’ top offensive threat missed practice because of an injured right ankle. He was carted off the field after being hurt on the opening drive of Buffalo’s 22-16 win over Miami on Sunday. Coach Sean McDermott would only say medical tests were negative and listed McCoy as day to day. McDermott declined to speculate whether McCoy will be able to practice at all this week. McCoy was initially scheduled to address reporters following practice, but was not made available because team officials said he was still being treated by trainers during the period designated for interviews. McCoy’s value to the Bills is difficult to underestimate in a season the 29-yearold became the NFL’s 30th player to top 10,000 career yards rushing. The ninth-year player leads Buffalo with 1,138 yards rushing, 59 catches and eight touchdowns, including two receiving. Overall, his 1,586 yards from scrimmage account for 33 percent of the Bills’ total. In finishing 9-7, the Bills were 8-2 when topping 100 yards rushing. “Of course, Shady is a special playmaker. You miss him when he’s not out there,” quarterback Tyrod Taylor said, referring to McCoy, who’s nicknamed ‘Shady.’ “But at the same time, you can’t use it as an excuse. We have to go out there and make plays, myself, the receivers,” he added. “We’ll pick him up if he’s not out there.” Buffalo lacks depth at the position a week after backup Travaris Cadet broke his ankle. That leaves Mike Tolbert and Marcus Murphy as the only running backs on the roster, along with fullback Patrick DiMarco. Murphy was promoted off the practice squad last week and led Buffalo with 41 yards rushing, while adding two catches for 7 yards against Miami.
Gruden: There's ‘good chance' he'll return as Raiders coach
Jon Gruden says he had a good talk with Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis about returning to the organization for a second stint as coach and believes there is a “good chance” it will happen. Gruden gave an interview to ESPN Radio on Wednesday to discuss his pursuit of the Raiders job that opened when Jack Del Rio was fired after a disappointing six-win season. “It’s been a long couple of weeks,” Gruden said. “I know they’ve gone through their process of interviewing candidates and until they’re done I won’t know. I did have a good meeting with Mark. I’ve known him a long time and got a lot of respect for the Raiders football organization.” Gruden has been out of coaching the past nine years while serving as ESPN’s analyst for “Monday Night Football.” He is scheduled to work the network’s playoff game Saturday in Kansas City between the Chiefs and Tennessee Titans and could come back to the Raiders as soon as next week. “I think there’s a good chance,” he said. “I’m excited about where I’m at in terms of studying the game and preparing to come back and coach. I just don’t want to sit here and speculate.” Gruden apparently is already trying to put together a staff. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said he expected defensive coordinator Paul Guenther to interview with Oakland “at some point.” Gruden spent four seasons as coach in Oakland from 1998-2001. After leading the Raiders to 8-8 records his first two years, Gruden helped the team reach the AFC title game following the 2000 season and got Oakland back into the playoffs the following season. His tenure ended shortly after the “Tuck Rule” loss to the New England Patriots when he was traded the following month to Tampa Bay for two first-round draft picks, two second-rounders and $8 million. Gruden beat the Raiders in the Super Bowl in his first season with the Buccaneers but didn’t win another playoff game for Tampa Bay in his final six seasons. He has a 95-81 career record.
More of the same: Bengals stick with Marvin Lewis
The assistant head coach is gone, but head coach Marvin Lewis is coming back for a 16th try at a playoff victory. And so it goes in Cincinnati. In a what-have-you-done-lately league, the Bengals remain the outlier. Lewis met with the media on Wednesday, a day after getting a two-year extension through 2019, and talked in general terms about how his team needs to change. Better players. Better coaching. Better performance. All the things he’s said many times during the second-longest active coaching tenure in the NFL, behind only Bill Belichick. Unlike the New England coach, who has five Super Bowl titles, Lewis has yet to win a playoff game. But owner Mike Brown hates change and was willing to give Lewis yet another chance after yet another futile season. The 82-year-old owner didn’t attend the news conference — he rarely addresses the media — so it was left to Lewis to explain why he was still there. “You’re going to have to start from scratch regardless, so you might as well start from scratch with someone you understand, you know,” Lewis said. “Everybody can always look at what’s negative from it, but the only way we can go about it and do it positive is to get back to work and go about it.” One change: Lewis wanted more control over the coaching staff and evidently got it. Paul Alexander, the assistant head coach and offensive line coach for 23 seasons, was let go. Bill Lazor, who was elevated to offensive coordinator after an 0-2 start last season, will remain in the role and get a chance to redesign the NFL’s worst offense in the offseason. Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther will interview for the job with the Raiders, making it likely Lewis will have to find a replacement. Lewis has defied the odds and kept his job, and he’s not the only odds-beater in Ohio. The 0-16 Browns have retained head coach Hue Jackson for another season as well. The Browns and Bengals have played a total of 64 games the past two seasons and won 14 collectively, yet neither team is changing head coaches. Must be something in that icy Lake Erie and Ohio River water. In Cincinnati, fans were still trying to wrap their heads around Marvin Lewis 16.0, with a few upgrades to fix some of the many bugs in the program. Lewis said Brown wants to win a championship, and that’s why he decided to keep Lewis in charge despite his record so far. Lewis is 0-7 in the playoffs, an NFL record for coaching futility. His teams lost five straight opening-round games from 2011-15, another record. The Bengals haven’t won a playoff game since the 1990 season, the sixth-longest streak of futility in league history.
UCLA QB Rosen announces he's entering NFL draft
UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen is skipping his senior season to enter the NFL draft. Rosen made the expected announcement Wednesday with a post on Twitter. He is expected to be a high first-round pick in April. Rosen has been the Bruins’ starting quarterback for the past three seasons, playing in 30 total games after missing half of his sophomore year with injuries. He passed for 9,301 yards with 59 touchdown passes and 26 interceptions. He was close to fired UCLA coach Jim Mora, but discussed his decision with new Bruins coach Chip Kelly. In his statement, Rosen says that attending UCLA was “the best decision of my life.” He also promises his mother that he’ll return to Westwood to finish his degree.
USC QB Darnold enters draft, forgoes his final two seasons
Southern California quarterback Sam Darnold will skip his final two seasons of eligibility to enter the NFL draft. Darnold made the expected announcement in an Instagram video Wednesday. About 25 minutes earlier, UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen announced he will enter the draft. Both local products are expected to be high first-round selections in April. Darnold took over as the Trojans’ starting quarterback four games into last season as a redshirt freshman. He won the Rose Bowl in his first season with a record 453-yard, five-touchdown performance against Penn State, and he led the Trojans to their first Pac-12 championship since 2008 this season. Darnold passed for 7,229 yards with 57 touchdown passes and 22 interceptions in 27 games behind center for the Trojans.