Commanders, Panthers and Falcons fire coaches on NFL’s Black Monday

The Washington Commanders wasted no time in starting anew.

After his team fell to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday and finished its season 4-13, Washington owner Josh Harris fired

Ron Rivera early Monday. Harris enlisted former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers and former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman as part of an advisory group to help him and his limited partners search for a new head of football operations and head coach.

Commanders GM Martin Mayhew and executive vice president of football/player personnel

Marty Hurney will stay on with the team through that search process.

Rivera’s departure ends his four-year run as coach and kicks off a wave of changes that will overhaul the team’s executive leadership.

“We’ve done it in a bunch of sports, and I’m highly confident we’re going to do it here,” Harris, who also owns the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, said in November.

The Commanders went 26-40-1 (.396 winning percentage) over Rivera’s four years, winning their division once and finishing last twice. They churned through eight starting quarterbacks, and only one player (defensive end Chase Young) whom the team drafted or signed during Rivera’s tenure earned a Pro Bowl nod or an all-pro selection.

Panthers fire GM: Carolina extended the housecleaning of its top football decision-makers, firing Scott Fitterer as general manager.

The move came after the Panthers lost Sunday to Tampa Bay to finish the season with an NFL-worst record of 2-15. They were shut out in each of their final two games, losing by a combined 35-0 to Jacksonville and the Buccaneers.

Owner David Tepper previously fired Frank Reich only 11 games into his coaching tenure with the team. So the Panthers will be searching for both a new general manager and a new head coach.

Chris Tabor finished the season as the interim head coach.

The Panthers won’t have the benefit of having the top choice in this year’s NFL draft. They traded that pick to the Chicago Bears as part of the deal that enabled them to move up in the first-round order to select quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 choice last year.

Falcons dismiss Smith: Atlanta again failed to turn at least a modest amount of promise into results, leading toe the firing of coach

Arthur Smith following the third losing season of his three-year tenure.

Owner Arthur Blank made the move hours after the Falcons lost in lopsided fashion Sunday in New Orleans to miss the playoffs and finish 7-10. It was the Falcons’ third straight 7-10 season under Smith, who was hired after a stint as the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans.

The season ended with Smith directing a profane tirade at Saints coach

Dennis Allen on the field following Sunday’s game. Smith was upset that the Saints had run for a touchdown out of the victory formation in their 48-17 win. Allen issued a public apology to Smith and the Falcons during his postgame news conference, saying Smith had the right to be upset.

Smith — the 41-year-old son of FedEx founder

Fred Smith — failed to get the Falcons back to the level they reached under his predecessor,

Dan Quinn. The Falcons made the Super Bowl under Quinn in 2016.

BELICHICK ALL-IN?

Amid uncertainty over his future as Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick said that he’s still “heavily invested” in the organization.

He told reporters that he’s “under contract” with the Patriots and plans to do what he always does.

“Every day I come in, work as hard as I can to help the team in whatever way I can. That’s what I’m going to continue to do. Today was kind of the wrap-up day with the players. We’ll have a meeting with them and then go from there. As far as any decisions or direction or anything like that for next year, it’s way too early for that.”

Belichick said he will meet with owner Robert Kraft but did not disclose when that would be.

For summaries, complete standings, scores go to the eEdition at MiamiHerald.com.

East

y-Buffalo x-Miami e-N.Y. Jets e-New England South

y-Houston e-Jacksonville e-Indianapolis e-Tennessee North

y*-Baltimore x-Cleveland x-Pittsburgh e-Cincinnati West

y-Kansas City e-Las Vegas e-Denver e-L.A. Chargers

East

y-Dallas x-Philadelphia e-N.Y. Giants e-Washington South

y-Tampa Bay e-New Orleans e-Atlanta e-Carolina North

y-Detroit x-Green Bay e-Minnesota e-Chicago West

y*-San Francisco x-L.A. Rams e-Seattle e-Arizona

11 6 0 .647 451 311 11 6 0 .647 496 391 710 0 .412 268 355 4 13 0 .235 236 366 W L T Pct PF PA

10 7 0 .588 377 353 9 8 0 .529 377 371 9 8 0 .529 396 415 611 0 .353 305 367 W L T Pct PF PA

13 4 0 .765 483 280 11 6 0 .647 396 362 10 7 0 .588 304 324 9 8 0 .529 366 384 W L T Pct PF PA

11 6 8 9 8 9 512

0 .647 371 294 0 .471 332 331 0 .471 357 413 0 .294 346 398

W L T

Pct PF PA

12 5 0 .706 509 315 11 6 0 .647 433 428 611 0 .353 266 407 413 0 .235 329 518 W L T Pct PF PA

9 8 0 .529 348 325 9 8 0 .529 402 327 710 0 .412 321 373 215 0 .118 236 416 W L T Pct PF PA

12 5 0 .706 461 395 9 8 0 .529 383 350 710 0 .412 344 362 710 0 .412 360 379 W L T Pct PF PA

12 5 10 7 9 8 413

0 .706 491 298 0 .588 404 377 0 .529 364 402 0 .235 330 455

x-clinched Wild Card spot; y-clinched division; *-clinched bye; e-eliminated from playoffs

WEEK 18 SATURDAY, JAN. 6

Pittsburgh 17, Baltimore 10 Houston 23, Indianapolis 19 SUNDAY, JAN. 7

Buffalo 21, Miami 14

Tampa Bay 9, Carolina 0 Cincinnati 31, Cleveland 14 Detroit 30, Minnesota 20

N.Y. Jets 17, New England 3

New Orleans 48, Atlanta 17 Tennessee 28, Jacksonville 20 Seattle 21, Arizona 20

Green Bay 17, Chicago 9

Kansas City 13, L.A. Chargers 12 Las Vegas 27, Denver 14

N.Y. Giants 27, Philadelphia 10 L.A. Rams 21, S.F. 20

Dallas 38, Washington 10

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE WILD-CARD PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY, JAN. 13

Miami at Kansas City, 8 (Peacock)

Cleveland at Houston, 4:30 (NBC/Peacock)

SUNDAY, JAN. 14

Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 1 (CBS)

Green Bay at Dallas, 4:30 (FOX)

L.A. Rams at Detroit, 8 (NBC/Peacock)

MONDAY, JAN. 15

Philadelphia at Tampa Bay, 8:15 (ESPN/ ABC)

DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY, JAN. 20SUNDAY, JAN 21

NFC lowest remaining seed at San Franciso, TBD

AFC lowest remaining seed at Baltimore, TBD

NFC two remaining seeds at higher seed, TBD

AFC two remaining seeds at higher seed, TBD

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

SUNDAY, JAN. 28

AFC

AFC Lowest remaining seed at AFC highest remaining seed, 3 (CBS)

NFC

NFC lowest remaining seed at NFC highest remaining seed, 6:30 (FOX)

SUPER BOWL

SUNDAY, FEB. 11

At Las Vegas

AFC Champ vs. NFC Champ, 6:30 (CBS)