NFL - Are you Ready For Some Football?! Super Bowl Hunting

[Donegeal]

Hey Snoop, I would have gone with Philly today (and Pittsburgh in the SB by default), how would you have gone?

[snoopy369]

Hmmm, not sure. Maybe pittsburgh, maybe philly. Both I thought were fairly likely to win.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Baltimore's Defensive Coordinator Rex Ryan is the new Head Coach of the New York Jets:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80e3860c&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

I like the hire. Ryan has done some really great things with the Ravens' D.

[Lord Avalon]

Well, that didn't take long.

[-Jrabbit]

Giants promote from within to replace Spagnuolo:

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Less than two days after Steve Spagnuolo left to become coach of the St. Louis Rams, Tom Coughlin promoted linebackers coach Bill Sheridan to replace him as the New York Giants' defensive coordinator.

[Ben Kenobi]

Go Cards!

Now that the Steelers proved that the Chargers are the number 2 AFC team, I could care less about the Superbowl.

[ZEE]

go cards!

Now that the steelers proved that the chargers are the number 2 afc team, i could care less about the superbowl.

lol

[Grandpa Troll]

Like Rats jumping ship, it continues.....

Ron Meeks has resigned after seven seasons as Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator.

The team announced the move Tuesday, eight days after coach Tony Dungy retired. Dungy hired Meeks in 2002.

The Colts led the NFL in scoring defense in 2007 but dropped to seventh last season and were eliminated from the AFC playoffs in the first round by San Diego.

The 54-year-old Meeks began his NFL coaching career with Dallas in 1991 as a defensive assistant. He later coached with Cincinnati, Atlanta, Washington and the Rams.

[snoopy369]

Go Cards!

Now that the Steelers proved that the Chargers are the number 2 AFC team, I could care less about the Superbowl.

Ben, your self delusions amuse me to no end. Someday you're going to see someone who actually can break through them and show you about this fantastic thing we call 'reality', and I want to be there to see it.

[Supr49er]

I'll be pulling for the Cardinals also.

(But what was up with Boldin yelling at the Offensive Coordinator?)

[-Jrabbit]

I could care less about the Superbowl.

Obviously not a football fan.

[Supr49er]

... I could care less about the Superbowl.

Obviously not a football fan.

No, he's a huge fan, otherwise he couldn't care less.

[Zopperoni]

Yay, I bought the tickets for this year's London game this morning and I'm going to see the Patriots thump the Bucs

[Grandpa Troll]

Panthers defensive boss bolts team

Defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac joined Carolina's mass exodus of assistant coaches Thursday, turning down a contract offer to remain on coach John Fox's dwindling staff.

Trgovac's surprising departure came the same day secondary coach Tim Lewis accepted a similar position with the Seattle Seahawks. Fox has lost five assistants since the Panthers' upset playoff loss to Arizona on Jan. 10.

Trgovac informed Fox and general manager Marty Hurney of his decision at Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Ala.

"We had offered Trgo a contract and he informed us (Wednesday) night that he was going to pursue other options," Hurney said.

Trgovac, who had just finished his seventh season with the team, could not be reached. His decision comes less than week after star defensive end and impending free agent Julius Peppers announced he didn't want to return to the team next season.

Peppers' position coach, Sal Sunseri, also left this week for Alabama after seven seasons with the Panthers.

The other departures were for clear promotions. Linebackers coach Ken Flajole left after six seasons in Carolina to become defensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams. Quarterbacks coach Mike McCoy, who had spent nine seasons with the Panthers, was hired as the Denver Broncos' offensive coordinator.

All the assistant coaches were working under contracts that expired after this season. The team is trying to secure new deals with the rest of the staff, including offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson.

The Panthers finalized one replacement Thursday, hiring former Cleveland Browns quarterbacks coach Rip Scherer to take McCoy's spot. Scherer will be reunited with Davidson, a former Browns assistant.

Trgovac joined Fox's staff in 2002 as defensive line coach and was promoted to defensive coordinator a year later, when Jack Del Rio left to coach the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Panthers struggled on defense late this season, giving up 30 or more points in six of their last seven games, including a 33-13 home playoff loss to the Cardinals that came on the heels of a 12-4 regular season.

Fox, a former defensive coordinator with the New York Giants, had given Trgovac strong public support and the two sides had discussed a two-year contract extension this week.

It's unclear how Fox will replace Trgovac, and whether that decision might make Peppers reconsider his decision to want out.

The Panthers could still place the franchise tag on Peppers, which would virtually guarantee he'd stay at Carolina in a one-year deal worth about $16.7 million. That would also allow the Panthers to trade him.

Peppers' agent, Carl Carey has said Peppers, who had a career-high 141/2 sacks this season and made his fourth Pro Bowl, was looking to play in a different defensive system so that he could "reach his full potential."

Carey did not return a phone message Thursday seeking comment.

[Grandpa Troll]

Bucs hire Bates to lead defense

New Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris made the first major addition to his staff on Thursday, hiring Jim Bates to replace him as the team's defensive coordinator.

Morris was promoted from defensive backs coach to defensive coordinator on Christmas Day, but wound up with his first head coaching job after Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen were fired last week.

The defensive coordinator's position opened initially when Monte Kiffin decided to leave the Bucs to join his son, Lane, at the University of Tennessee.

Bates, who has been in coaching 39 years, has been a defensive coordinator in the NFL for eight seasons with the Atlanta Falcons (1994), Miami Dolphins (2000-04), Green Bay Packers (2005) and most recently the Denver Broncos (2007).

Bates also was the Dolphins' interim head coach for the final seven games of 2004.

Under Bates, the Dolphins ranked sixth in the league in total defense in 2000, fifth in 2001, third in 2002, 10th in 2003 and eighth in 2004. The year he left (2005), Miami slipped to 18th.