Bills name Alabama’s Daboll as offensive coordinator

The Buffalo Bills hired Alabama assistant coach Brian Daboll as their offensive coordinator.

Coach Sean McDermott announced Daboll’s hiring Sunday, two days after firing Rick Dennison.

Daboll, 42, was most recently the offensive coordinator for national champion Alabama. It was the sixth time he was part of a national title-winning team’s coaching staff.

Before joining the Crimson Tide last season, Daboll was the tight ends coach for Super Bowl-champion New England. He has 17 seasons of NFL coaching experience, including stints as the offensive coordinator for Cleveland, (2009-’10), Miami (2011) and Kansas City (2012).

Daboll has previous ties to McDermott, serving as an assistant at William & Mary when McDermott was a senior safety in 1997. Daboll also has western New York roots, having graduated from St. Francis High School in Athol Springs, a few miles from the Bills’ facility.

Tennessee lineman tears ACL: Tennessee coach Mike Mularkey said right tackle Jack Conklin tore his left anterior cruciate ligament and likely will start training camp on the physically unable to perform list.

Mularkey said Conklin will have surgery to repair the ACL within the next two weeks.

Conklin, the eighth pick overall out of Michigan State in 2016, was hurt with 3:14 left in the first quarter of the 35-14 loss to New England on Saturday. Patriots lineman Malcolm Brown appeared to roll up on Conklin’s leg on a run play.

Mularkey said the timing of Conklin’s injury is unfortunate heading into the off-season. Conklin was an all-pro as a rookie for Tennessee.

Tight end Jonnu Smith hurt his right medial collateral ligament, but Mularkey said he won’t need surgery.

Philadelphia defense rises up: When quarterback Carson Wentz went down for the Philadelphia Eagles, the pressure fell on backup Nick Foles and everyone else to step up.

The defense rose to the challenge in the first playoff game against Atlanta.

They harassed Matt Ryan, contained Julio Jones and made a goal-line stand at the end in a 15-10 victory over the Falcons. “We know defense wins championships. It’s cliché but it’s true, especially where we are now at home,” Pro Bowl safety Malcolm Jenkins said.

The strong defensive effort helped the underdog Eagles (14-3) advance to the NFC Championship Game.