End-of-season firings extend to a team president
They rode franchise-best 12-game winning streak and record-setting offense to first No. 1 seed in club history. Next question is whether Lamar Jackson’s upward trajectory will continue in playoffs, where he short-circuited last year.
Of past four instances when Niners have secured NFC’s top seed, they lost in NFC Championship Game three times ... but also won it all in 1994.
Recent playoff hexes already becoming a topic du jour. Surely Sean Payton will loop clips of the “Minneapolis Miracle” this week.
TE Travis Kelce was their only player to exceed 1,000 yards from scrimmage. However, Kansas City did have five others who topped 500 yards.
Free agent additions Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith wound up combining for 251⁄2 sacks. Nice investments who need to continue paying off.
Despite adding Jadeveon Clowney and Ziggy Ansah, Seattle’s 28 sacks were fewest in NFC. Not a good omen with Carson Wentz on deck.
One of league’s most perplexing teams poised to add new layer of mystery – assuming JJ Watt is, in fact, healthy enough for wild-card round.
Resting rushing champ Derrick Henry in Week 16 looks like one of season’s genius moves. Now Mike Vrabel and other ex-Pats get shot at ending champs’ reign in Foxborough.
If they’re to secure seventh Lombardi, they have to go through Titans, Chiefs and probably Ravens to reach Super Bowl. You taking that bet?
Not to worry, Kirk Cousins, your playoff opener is at 1:05 p.m. ET on Sunday ... not Monday night. Also, Dalvin Cook should resurface. As Josh Allen readies for playoff debut, he’ll surely face questions as to whether he can keep pace with counterparts like Deshaun Watson. Since 2017, they’re league-best 15-5 once December begins. Burning question now is whether Carson Wentz is Mr. January.
Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper aren’t only players who need new deals. DBs Byron Jones and Jeff Heath plus WR Randall Cobb also unsigned.
They only had to wait 17 weeks (in a game with no playoff implications) for QB Jared Goff to play up to that record $110 million guarantee.
Updating a previous item ... Atlanta should build 2020 offense around Olamide Zaccheaus and Ty Sambrailo. Glad it worked out, Coach Quinn.
Awfully quiet second half for Khalil Mack, who will cost Chicago one more first-round pick once 2020 draft arrives.
Despite owning league’s worst offense, they went 6-2 in second half. Yet as weakest of six 7-9 teams, Jets draft 11th, not 16th.
If you thought Ducks could swim, apparently that doesn’t hold when it rains in Baltimore. To think, Pittsburgh was 8-5 after Week 14. So how does Bruce Arians regard Jameis Winston? “If we can win with this one, we can definitely win with another one, too.” Welp. They’re 27-37 with nary a playoff berth since Peyton Manning rode into sunset. Can Vic Fangio and Drew Lock really change that trend? “Air Raid” offense ranked 24th in passing, no Arizona receiver averaging 55 yards per game. Only Redskins worse in time of possession.
As Las Vegas relocation begins in earnest, will they deal Derek Carr better hand of WRs?
Time for GM Chris Ballard and Frank Reich to take hard look at Jacoby Brissett as they mull strategy for salary cap war chest, 2020 draft. A year ago this was regarded as talent-laden roster primed for playoff stratosphere. Players haven’t changed much, but perception sure has.
In their first 94 seasons, Big Blue never had a rusher manage 1,000 yards in each of his first two years. Saquon Barkley changed that. Tough to see frustration and emotion of Philip Rivers, currently headed for free agency, as he and Bolts reach crossroads after campaign that was unmitigated disaster on many fronts.
Week 17 upset of Patriots capped Miami’s .500 second half. Now Fins head into hopeful offseason that includes three first-round picks. No rookie quarterback played better than Gardner Minshew in 2019. But will a guy lacking first-round pedigree of Kyler Murray, Daniel Jones and Dwayne Haskins get opportunity he deserves to continue ascension next year?
Given how Joe Mixon played down stretch, this offense might look pretty good with Joe Burrow and healthy A.J. Green in 2020 ... assuming Cincy forks up the green for Green.
Aside from rookie WR Terry McLaurin, how many other players really look capable of being foundational pillars for Washington’s future? Last time they drafted third, Joey Harrington came to town. Before that debacle, previous No. 3 pick brought Barry Sanders . ... which is long way of saying who knows where Detroit heads next? QB quandary remains mystery. But defense just fine, torched for 33.3 points per week in Carolina’s season-ending eight-game skid. Oof.
After a decade of futility, Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has fired team president Bruce Allen, his most trusted adviser.
Issuing a statement Dec. 30, Snyder said, “As this season concludes, Bruce Allen has been relieved of his duties as president of the Washington Redskins and is no longer with the organization.
“Like our passionate fan base, I recognize we have not lived up to the high standards set by great Redskins teams, coaches and players who have come before us. As we re-evaluate our team leadership, culture and process for winning football games, I am excited for the opportunities that lie ahead to renew our singular focus and purpose of bringing championship football back to Washington, D.C.”
After a 0-5 start to this season, the Redskins fired coach Jay Gruden, and Snyder evaluated Allen over the course of the next 12 weeks.
In 10 full seasons, Allen directed only three winning seasons and two playoff teams, losing more than 100 games.
Now Snyder, whose teams have reached the playoffs just five times since he bought the team in 1999, will host Ron Rivera about his head coaching position, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they had not been authorized by either party to speak about the meeting.
It’s believed that Eric Schaffer is the leading internal candidate to be elevated to general manager, although additional front office hires could be made.
Giants fire coach
The New York Giants have fired Pat Shurmur after two seasons, and for the third time in four years, they are searching for a new head coach.
Paul Mara, the Giants coowner and team president, also confirmed that general manager Dave Gettlman would remain for next season “hopefully for many years after that.”
Candidates to replace Shurmur include Baylor coach Matt Rhule; Jason Garrett, whose status with the Cowboys was unknown at press time; former Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy; New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who was considered a finalist the last time the Giants searched for a coach; Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Bill Daboll; and New Orleans Saints assistant head coach Dan Campbell.
Browns fire coach
The Cleveland Browns made the inevitable official, ending their one-year experiment with Freddie Kitchens, who in a 10week span last season made his rapid and improbable rise from running backs coach to interim offensive coordinator to head coach and then flopped with a 2019 campaign marked by poor performance and dysfunction.
Cleveland’s squad entered this season brimming with potential and excitement as fans and analysts alike believed this bunch had what it took to finally end the long-running tradition of ineptitude, embarrassment and discord.
But the Kitchens miscalculation ensured that this season resembled many of the Browns campaigns that preceded it.
The failed experiment now puts greater pressure on general manager John Dorsey. Although he might do an admirable job of acquiring player talent, he hasn’t proved himself capable of identifying the same when it comes to coaches.
And unless he is able to atone for his Kitchens misstep by hiring a winning coach, Dorsey will soon be out and the Browns’ cycle of futility will continue on loop once again.
The Browns have requested permission to interview McDaniels, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski and Daboll, a person familiar with the search confirmed to the (Akron, Ohio) Beacon Journal. They’re also expected to ask for an interview with McCarthy.