Raiders part ways with GM McKenzie
The Raiders fired general manager Reggie McKenzie on Monday, less than two years after he was named the NFL’s executive of the year.
McKenzie was let go from the position he had held for almost seven seasons a day after the Raiders beat the Steelers 24-21 for their third win of the season.
The Raiders announced the move in a brief statement thanking McKenzie for his time in Oakland and wishing him well.
McKenzie’s status was in doubt ever since coach Jon Gruden was given a 10-year contract in January to take charge of the football operation for the Raiders. McKenzie’s influence had waned since then, with the Raiders cutting ties with several of the players he had acquired, most notably edge rusher Khalil Mack and receiver Amari Cooper.
“I’m not going to sit up here today and talk about any disconnect,” Gruden said. “We were connected. We were very good friends and very connected. I’ll leave it at that.”
McKenzie was the first major hire made by owner Mark Davis after he took over the team following the death of his father, Al, in 2011. McKenzie modernized the franchise, got the team out of salary cap purgatory, and built a roster that won 12 games under coach Jack Del Rio in 2016, earning him honors as the league’s top executive.
But the Raiders slumped to a 6-10 record last season, leading Davis to fire Del Rio.
Secret plan: Ravens coach John Harbaugh has a plan for handling the team’s quarterbacks. He’s just not saying where Joe Flacco will fit in after a full week of practice.
The team’s longtime starting quarterback, sidelined by a right hip injury for the last month, was medically cleared to play in the Ravens’ game Sunday against the Chiefs. But Harbaugh said Flacco, who practiced fully just once last week, “just didn’t have a chance to prepare enough” to play.
Harbaugh said Monday that “if Joe’s ready to go, he’ll be part of the game plan. He’s too good a player not to be.”
Could that mean taking the starting job back from rookie Lamar Jackson, who dropped to 3-1 as a starter after the overtime loss in Arrowhead Stadium?
The Ravens (7-6) host the Buccaneers (5-8) on Sunday in another game rife with playoff chase implications.
“I’ll just have to let you know if we want,” Harbaugh said. “It could entail anything right now. I know what we want to do. I have a plan. We have a plan. We talked about it. We have to talk to the guys about it, and whether we share that publicly, we’ll decide as the week goes on.”
Late Sunday: Eddie Goldman led a dominant effort by the defense, and the Bears shut down Jared Goff and Los Angeles' high-powered offense in a 15-6 victory over the NFC West champion Rams on Sunday night.
The Rams missed a chance to secure a firstround playoff bye and fell into a tie with New Orleans for home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
Goff threw a career-high four interceptions and was sacked three times, with Goldman getting to him for a tiebreaking safety early in the third quarter.
Extra points: Bills LB Matt Milano will miss the rest of the season after breaking his left leg during Sunday’s loss to the Jets . ... Redskins TE Jordan Reed may miss the rest of the season after straining a big toe during the team’s loss to the Giants . ... 49ers WR Pierre Garcon will end his season on injured reserve after appearing in just eight games.