Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Niners interview VP of player personnel Baalke for GM job
SAN FRANCISCO -- Niners vice president of player personnel Trent Baalke interviewed Saturday with president Jed York for the team's general manager vacancy.
Baalke said the two met for about two hours at 49ers headquarters in Santa Clara. Baalke, with six years in the franchise, is largely considered the front-runner for the job -- and he sure sounds confident about his chances. Baalke had an informal conversation with reporters on the field at Candlestick Park before the team's season finale Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
York insisted last week that he would conduct a national search for the position, but he appears ready to promote from within his own ranks. The 49ers have been without a GM since Scot McCloughan's abrupt departure last March in what York called a "mutual parting."
An announcement could come as soon as Monday, one day before Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh becomes available following the Cardinal's Orange Bowl game Monday night in Miami against Virginia Tech. Harbaugh is one of the coaches the 49ers will target to replace Mike Singletary, fired late last Sunday after San Francisco's 25-17 loss at St. Louis eliminated the team from playoff contention.
Baalke spent time before kickoff Sunday shaking hands with several fans in the stands.
The 49ers, coached by interim Jim Tomsula on Sunday after he was promoted from defensive line coach, has missed the playoffs for an eighth consecutive season.
York said the new GM will have sole choice on whom he hires as the new coach.
Baalke orchestrated the contract extensions of two key 49ers this season: four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis and star tight end Vernon Davis. Those are two significant moves since Baalke took over football operations after McCloughan left.
In May, Willis received a five-year, $50 million contract extension that takes him through the 2016 season and includes $29 million in guaranteed money. He earns $10 million per season. Davis was rewarded with a five-year deal paying him $37 million overall, with $34 million guaranteed.
Baalke also selected rookie starting offensive linemen Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati with the 11th and 17th overall picks, respectively, in the 2010 NFL Draft.
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
Raiders finish with 6-0 division record, but rival Chiefs advance to play Ravens
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- If this turns out to be Tom Cable's last year as Oakland's head coach, at least he'll know he made history.
After beating Kansas City 31-10 Sunday in their regular-season finale, the 2010 Raiders became the only team since the 1970 merger to go unbeaten in their division and still not make the playoffs. The short-handed Raiders (8-8) wrapped up a division record of 6-0, while the Chiefs (10-6) went 2-4 in the division and will host the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday at 1 p.m. EST as AFC West champions.
The Chiefs are the No. 4 seed, the Raiders are through for the year.
"We are disappointed because we are not going to the playoffs, but at the same time we stuck to the goal and stuck to the plan as we have done very week, and we got our eighth win," said Cable, whose job status with the Raiders has been the subject of speculation. "I'm very happy about that."
Michael Bush rushed for 137 yards and Jason Campbell threw a TD pass for the Raiders, who beat the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium for the fourth year in a row and ruined their perfect home record.
Running back Darren McFadden and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Richard Seymour were inactive because of injuries, but the Raiders dominated from start to finish, intercepting two of Matt Cassel's passes and getting seven sacks. The interceptions both led directly to Oakland's last two scores. Jacoby Ford scored on a 10-yard reverse after Michael Huff's interception, and Stanford Routt returned a pick 22 yards for the Raiders' final TD when Cassel was hurried while throwing from his end zone.
The Chiefs were still digesting their lopsided loss several hours later when Indianapolis beat Tennessee 23-20 and determined their seed and first-round opponent.
The Chiefs' worst home game of the season came on the heels of news that offensive coordinator Charlie Weis is returning to college coaching to become Florida's offensive coordinator. Weis, in one year with the Chiefs, has been given much credit for developing Cassel into a top-flight quarterback and turning Jamaal Charles into a Pro Bowl running back.
"Charlie Weis is moving on. He's going to go to the University of Florida as a coordinator," said Chiefs coach Todd Haley. "This is a bittersweet thing for me as the head coach. Charlie was obviously someone I was excited about having in here. That being said, Charlie is a family guy and he's got a family situation, where he can go to Florida and be with his son, who is going to get into coaching. This is a great situation for Charlie and I respect it 100 percent."
Weis was not made available to the media.
The Raiders posted their best record since 2002 amid talk that Cable may be out; the team went to 17-27 since he became head coach four games into the 2008 season. It was the first time since '02, when Oakland went to the Super Bowl, that it didn't lose at least 11 games.
The Raiders had 344 total yards to Kansas City's 201 and held the top-rated rushing offense to 115 yards on the ground.
Asked if he thinks he's coming back, Cable did answer directly.
"We're not losers anymore. We're 8 and 8," he said. "That's not what we wanted. We wanted to be a playoff team. We came here to get the sixth win, which means we went 6-0 in the division and most importantly, we are done with that losing. We are not losers anymore."
Charles, who trailed Houston's Arian Foster by 56 yards for the NFL rushing lead, had 87 yards on 14 carries, including a 47-yard burst that was KC's offensive highlight. He finished the regular season with 1,467 yards and came within a whisker of catching Jim Brown's NFL record of 6.40 yards per carry. He finished at 6.38.
"I wasn't even paying attention that I wasn't in the record books. I wasn't even worried about it," said Charles. "I was just going out there and just running the ball like I do every week. My goal is to go out and win. I'm disappointed we lost, but we've got to bounce back. We've got another week going. The Raiders don't."
The Chiefs' pass protection, good most of the season, began breaking down in the second quarter. Cassel was flagged for intentional grounding and then sacked for an 11-yard loss on the next play by Jarvis Moss.
Campbell got the Raiders going with a 9-yard completion to Zach Miller. On third-and-10 from the Oakland 46, Campbell dumped off to Bush and he turned it into a 16-yard gain. With 7 seconds left in the half, Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 39-yard field goal for a 10-3 lead.
Campbell, after sitting out a series when he apparently hurt his right knee, scrambled 21 yards during a 14-play, 91-yard drive. He hit Jacoby Ford for a 35-yard gain to the 6 and Chaz Schilens was wide open in the end zone for the touchdown pass that gave the Raiders a 7-3 lead.
The Chiefs managed a meager 72 yards in the first half to Oakland's 192, but Charles broke free for a 47-yard run to the 8. From the 5, Charles went in almost untouched for a 10-10 tie the Raiders erased on their next possession.
Aided by a 15-yard face mask penalty against Jovan Belcher, the Raiders moved 75 yards in nine plays. Bush went over the right side of the defense virtually untouched for a 27-yard touchdown, the first TD rushing the Chiefs allowed at home all season.
Notes: Kamerion Wimbley had three of Oakland's seven sacks. ... KC's Tamba Hali had 2.5 sacks, the ninth multisack game of his career. ... Former coach Marty Schottenheimer was inducted into the Chiefs' Hall of Fame at halftime. ... Huff has four career interceptions against Kansas City.
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
Steelers take AFC North crown, secure AFC's No. 2 seed in playoffs
CLEVELAND -- There are steps, some big, some small, teams must take before they can be Super Bowl champions.
The Pittsburgh Steelers know the uphill path well.
On Sunday, they quickened their pace.
Ben Roethlisberger threw two touchdown passes as the Steelers geared up for another possible title run by winning the AFC North and securing a first-round playoff bye with a 41-9 rout of Cleveland, in what may have been Eric Mangini's last game as Browns coach.
"We love to win the division," Roethlisberger said. "This is a hard division. We hope this is just the beginning."
Roethlisberger, who rested most of the second half, threw a 56-yard TD to Mike Wallace on his first pass as the Steelers (11-5) built a 31-3 halftime lead and rocked the Browns (5-11), who didn't put up much of a fight in their finale -- and maybe Mangini's.
The Steelers clinched the No. 2 seed in the AFC and guaranteed themselves at least one more game at Heinz Field.
"Mission accomplished," said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, sporting a black-and-white championship cap. "We're excited to win the division and proud of doing it, but it's only hardware you pick up along the way. Today was the first game where we felt like we played close to what we're capable of."
The Steelers look ready for a lengthy playoff run.
The Browns, on the other hand, are ready for more change.
Mangini fell to 10-22 in two seasons with Cleveland. On Monday, he's scheduled to meet with team president Mike Holmgren, who may fire him and appoint himself coach. When the game ended, a downcast Mangini was consoled by defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who will reportedly interview for Carolina's head coaching vacancy.
Mangini doesn't know what's ahead, but his demeanor was that of a beaten man.
"I thought we got beat in all three phases," Mangini said. "They had a better plan than we did and when that happens against a team like this, you have a day like today. It's difficult to feel any positives in the wake of what happened."
For Roethlisberger, this was more redemption.
He began the season serving a four-game suspension -- cut from six by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell -- for violating the league's personal conduct policy. There was no telling how the Steelers would do without him. But they went 3-1 without their leader, and in his first game, he threw three TD passes in a 28-10 win over Cleveland on Oct. 17.
Not only did Roethlisberger return as the same physical talent, he came back a more mature person.
Big Ben, now more at peace with himself, has hardly been better.
"We have been through a lot," he said. "Now, it's playoff time."
Roethlisberger went 15 of 22 for 280 yards. He has thrown 158 passes without an interception, the longest streak of his career and further evidence of improved judgment and composure not always present.
"Ben came through adversity," wide receiver Hines Ward said. "He stepped up, not that he hasn't in the past. But this season didn't start like other seasons."
With the Steelers leading 38-3, Tomlin sat Roethlisberger with 5:34 left in the third.
It was time to start planning for the playoffs. But before Tomlin could get all his starters out, rookie center Maurkice Pouncey suffered a neck stinger. Earlier, starting left cornerback Bryant McFadden injured his groin and did not return.
Otherwise, these Steelers appeared fit and focused.
They finished tied with Baltimore, but won their fifth division crown in nine years because of a tiebreaker. It wasn't assured until they avoided a slip-up and avenged last season's 13-6 loss in Cleveland, when a 1-11 Browns team sacked Roethlisberger eight times.
Mendenhall's two short TD bursts and Roethlisberger's scoring passes to Wallace -- following Troy Polamalu's interception -- and Heath Miller gave the Steelers a 28-3 lead. It swelled to 38-3 in the third on wide receiver Antwaan Randle El's 3-yard TD pass to Ward.
"We knew we had a lot riding on this game," Miller said. "Our whole season came down to this. All of our goals hinged on this. We knew we had to take care of business."
Cleveland's fourth straight loss was likely the final straw for Mangini, who kept his job last year when his team closed with a four-game winning streak. The Browns improved in several statistical areas, but went 2-6 following an upset of New England.
Holmgren will discuss the future with him early Monday. It doesn't look good for Mangini, who was fired by the New York Jets after 2008.
Mangini's fate seemed sealed before kickoff, but if Holmgren needed another reason, he's got it. The Browns were no competition for their next-door neighbors from Pennsylvania. Mangini dropped to 2-10 in division games, and after so many close losses, his Browns were blown out.
"Nobody feels good right now," Mangini said. "This is the first time this season when I didn't feel like we were in the game."
Under pressure on almost every pass, Browns rookie quarterback Colt McCoy was intercepted three times and sacked four more. He ended up 20 of 41 for 209 yards -- much of it in garbage time. He did throw a 20-yard TD pass to Brian Robiskie in the fourth.
McCoy wasn't expected to play this season, but was thrust into a starting role by injuries. He went just 2-6, but felt fortunate to gain experience.
"I don't know what the future holds for the coaching staff," McCoy said. "Guys in that locker room are committed to changing the way it's been around here, and I'm one of them."
Notes: It may have been K Phil Dawson's final game with Cleveland. The only player left from the 1999 expansion team is a free agent. "It was an emotional game," he said. "I'm just going home to Texas, do some fishing and we'll see what happens." ... Polamalu's seventh pick tied a career high for a season. ... Pittsburgh gave up only 62.8 yards rushing per game, shattering the team record set in 2001.
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
Report: Vikings coach Frazier will have interim tag removed
Leslie Frazier has agreed to become the Minnesota Vikings' full-time coach, the Star Tribune reported Sunday.
Frazier will have his interim tag removed this week, according to the newspaper.
Speaking after the Vikings' 20-13 loss to the Detroit Lions, Frazier said nothing has been solidified and that he will meet with Vikings ownership Sunday night or Monday.
The Star Tribune reported Friday that Frazier was seeking a three-year contract.
Frazier, the Vikings' former defensive coordinator, took over after Brad Childress was fired following a 3-7 start.
Frazier led the Vikings to a 3-3 record while navigating myriad of unpredictable schedule changes. The collapse of the Metrodome roof forced the team to host the New York Giants at Detroit's Ford Field in Week 14 and the Chicago Bears at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium a week later.
Last week's 24-14 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles came after the game had been postponed from Sunday to Tuesday because of a major snowstorm that hit the East Coast.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Garrett keeps Cowboys' coaching job; Sherman also interviewed
Jason Garrett had the interim tag removed and will be the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, a team source said Sunday.
The Cowboys interviewed receivers coach Ray Sherman to satisfy the NFL's "Rooney Rule," which requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones denied a move had been made, saying before Sunday's season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles that "nothing has changed from Monday regarding our coaching status at all."
But Jones may have tipped his hand after Sunday's 14-13 win against Philadelphia when he was asked if the new coach would have input into hiring the rest of the staff.
"That is certainly something that Jason needs to have input in," Jones said. "By the way, Jason had input in many of the staff members we have right now."
Jones denied having interviewed any candidates and Sherman also denied he had been interviewed, though Jones said he plans to interview Sherman.
"I'm really interested in following the spirit of the NFL rules and that's what this is all about," Jones said. "I just want to move on so that we can have the coaching decisions out of the way and move on and do what we need to do."
Garrett is surely the frontrunner. He went 5-3 since replacing Wade Phillips at midseason. Jones said he was very pleased with Garrett's performance over the second half of the season.
Jones says he won't require an interview with Garrett.
"I know him real well," he said.
He did predict "significant turnover" for a team that saw its Super Bowl hopes vanish after a 1-4 start. Jones refused to say the Cowboys would have turned the season around faster had he fired Phillips earlier in the season.
The Cowboys' three losses under Garrett have been by a total of seven points.
"We're not as good as I thought we were when we started," Jones said.
Garrett, a former NFL quarterback, joined the Cowboys in 2007 as offensive coordinator. He long was considered the coach-in-waiting in Dallas.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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