Taking offense to coaching
Both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Jets are looking for new coaches after firing their offensive coordinators on Wednesday.
Todd Haley spent six seasons helping turn the Pittsburgh Steelers offense into one of the most dynamic in the NFL.
All the yards and all the touchdowns weren’t enough, however, for the fiery offensive coordinator to keep his job.
The Steelers chose not to renew Haley’s contract on Wednesday, three days after the AFC North champions were ushered out of the playoffs in a 45-42 divisional round loss to Jacksonville.
The 50-year-old Haley, whose father Dick spent two decades as Pittsburgh’s director of player personnel in the 1970s and 80s, was hired in 2012 and tasked with developing an offense around quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Jets fire offensive coordinator
The New York Jets are looking for someone to lead their offense — again.
The Jets announced Wednesday night that they fired offensive coordinator John Morton after just one season. His departure means the franchise will have its sixth offensive coordinator in eight years next season.
Morton replaced the retired Chan Gailey last year after two seasons in New Orleans as the Saints’ wide receivers coach. Quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates is a candidate to be promoted by head coach Todd Bowles. Bates served as Seattle’s offensive coordinator in 2010.
Brady skips news conference
The New England Patriots said quarterback Tom Brady did not attend a scheduled AFC championship news conference Wednesday because he was meeting with the team medical staff for a right hand injury.
According to New England’s first injury report of the week, Brady was a limited participant in the practice held earlier in the day.
It was the Patriots’ first practice in preparation for Sunday’s conference title game against Jacksonville. Defensive lineman Alan Branch and running backs Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead also were limited by knee injuries.
Brady appeared on the Patriots’ weekly injury report several times during the latter half of the regular season with both an Achilles tendon and left shoulder injury.
The 40-year-old has never missed a playoff start during his 18-year career.
Officiating crew named for Super Bowl
Referee Gene Steratore will lead the seven-person crew of on-field game officials working the Super Bowl at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
The other members of the officiating crew for the Feb. 4 game are Roy Ellison (umpire), Jerry Bergman (down judge), Byron Boston (line judge),
Tom Hill (field judge), Scott Edwards (side judge) and Perry Paganelli (back judge).
The crew has 127 years of NFL officiating experience and 101 combined playoff game assignments.