After 412 season, Shurmur is out as Giants’ head coach

The New York Giants fired head coach Pat Shurmur on Monday but elected to keep general manager Dave Gettleman despite the two combining for nine wins over the past two seasons.

Coowner John Mara said it was a gut instinct to fire Shurmur after the Giants (412) lost their season finale to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Mara added the decision to keep Gettleman was based on giving him the chance to finish a major overhaul of the roster and the scouting system and to increase use of analytics.

Gettleman has been criticized for some questionable trades (Odell Beckham Jr. and Leonard Williams) and his hitandmiss free agent signings, led by tackle Nate Solder, who has been inconsistent.

“He does know his batting average has to increase going forward,” Mara said of Gettleman.

Rivera’s future: Former Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera will be named the head coach in Washington, barring any unexpected developments, the Charlotte (N.C.) Observer reported.

Washington fired coach Jay Gruden after an 05 start. Interim coach Bill Callahan led Washington to a 38 record the rest of the way.

Rivera coached in Carolina for almost nine seasons before he was fired Dec. 3 with the team sporting a 57 record. He led Carolina to one Super Bowl appearance and had a 76631 record with the team.

“He gets the best out of players,” Washington cornerback Josh Norman said of Rivera, who was Norman’s coach in Carolina in 201215. “And not just players, but men. He builds men and guys and also builds character.”

Allen fired: Former Raiders executive Bruce Allen, who had been Washington’s team president since 2010, was fired.

Washington concluded a 313 season with a 4716 loss to Dallas on Sunday. The team was 62971 with Allen serving as owner Daniel Snyder’s righthand man, a stretch that featured two playoff appearances and zero playoff victories.

“These guys that are taking the blame and taking that on, it’s on all of us in this building,” injured quarterback Alex Smith said. “We’re all responsible for it.”

The Miami Dolphins fired offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea after the team finished 25th in the NFL in points per game (19.1) and 27th in total offense (310 yards per game).

Injury report: Brandon

Brooks, the Eagles’ Pro Bowl right guard, will miss the playoffs with a separated right shoulder, an injury he suffered on an extrapoint attempt in the second quarter of Sunday’s NFC Eastclinching 3417 win over the Giants.

Philadelphia faces Seattle in a firstround game Sunday.

Seattle will be without linebacker Mychal Kendricks for the playoffs after he tore the ACL in his right knee in the third quarter of the Seahawks’ loss to the 49ers on Sunday.

Howard arrested: Dolphins cornerback Xavier Howard was arrested on a domestic battery charge following an argument with his fiancee over the purchase of a purse, according to a police report.

Howard, who made the Pro Bowl in 2018 but missed much of this season with a knee injury, faces a possible suspension to start the 2020 season.

The police report from Davie, Fla., said the argument Sunday became physical when Howard grabbed his fiancee’s arm and pushed her against a mirrored glass in the hallway of their bedroom. He let her go, causing her to fall.

“We’re still gathering information,” Dolphins coach Brian Flores said. “We take situations like that very, very seriously. It’s unfortunate.”