Turner joins Panthers
The Carolina Panthers hired Norv Turner on Friday as their new offensive coordinator.
There will be a Turner family reunion in Charlotte.
The Carolina Panthers hired Norv Turner on Friday as their new offensive coordinator to replace Mike Shula, who was fired earlier in the week after seven seasons with the team.
Turner, 65, inherits an offense that includes a unique talent in quarterback Cam Newton, versatile running back Christian
McCaffrey, reliable tight end Greg Olsen and a solid offensive line. However, while the Panthers finished 12th in the league scoring in 2017, they were just 28th in passing.
He’s the latest member of the Turner family to join the Panthers.
His brother, Ron Turner, works as the team’s offensive consultant and nephew Cameron is the assistant quarterbacks coach. Turner is expected to bring son Scott Turner on as quarterbacks coach.
Ron Rivera worked as defensive coordinator for Turner when he was the head coach of the San Diego Chargers before Rivera joined the Panthers as head coach in 2011. They have remained close friends.
Steelers’ Brown sent home sick, questionable for Sunday
Antonio Brown was sent home from Steelers practice Friday, but it wasn’t because of the calf injury he’s been nursing for the past four weeks.
Brown was a full practice participant all week, but coach Mike Tomlin said Brown fell ill Friday. So Tomlin kept him away from the team two days prior to the Steelers’ divisional round playoff game Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
On their official injury report released late Friday afternoon, the Steelers listed Brown as questionable to play Sunday.
“I didn’t want him to get any of the guys who weren’t sick, sick,” Tomlin said. “We’ll bring him back in the building (Saturday) and continue with his game readiness. We don’t have a lot of reservations about him from a physical health standpoint. We do need to get him well from an illness standpoint.”
Brown hasn’t played since he left a Dec. 17 game against the New England Patriots in the second quarter because of a contusion in his lower left leg. He returned to practice Monday and remains in line to appear in his 10th playoff game Sunday at Heinz Field.
Bears hire Mark Helfrich as offensive coordinator
The Chicago Bears have hired former Oregon coach Mark Helfrich as their offensive coordinator.
The Bears also announced Friday that Chris Tabor will become special teams coordinator and Charles London will take over as running backs coach.
Helfrich led Oregon to a 37-16 record in four seasons as head coach. That included a run to the first College Football Playoff championship game at the end of the 2014 season with Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota at quarterback. He was fired after a 4-8 finish in 2016.
Before becoming the Ducks’ head coach, Helfrich was their quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator from 2009-12 under Chip Kelly.
Helfrich didn’t call plays as Oregon’s offensive coordinator and he won’t in Chicago. New coach Matt Nagy plans to do that.
Nagy takes over a team that missed the playoffs for the seventh straight season and hasn’t finished above .500 since Lovie Smith was fired after going 10-6 in 2012.
Bills fire offensive coordinator
The Buffalo Bills have fired offensive coordinator Rick Dennison.
The team announced the move on Friday after the Bills finished 29th in offense. Their running attack fell to sixth after leading the league the past two seasons.
Buffalo scored just three points in last weekend’s wild-card round loss to Jacksonville, the franchise’s first playoff game in 18 years.
Saints WR Coleman to miss playoff game vs. Vikings
Saints receiver Brandon Coleman has been declared out of Sunday’s divisional-round playoff game in Minnesota.
Coleman has not practiced this week because of a neck injury.
Coleman played in the wild-card round against Carolina, catching four passes for 44 yards last Sunday.
Coleman had 23 catches during the regular season for 364 yards and three touchdowns.