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Shanahan is fired after Denver’s fall

WIRE REPORTS
Published: December 31, 2008

Mike Shanahan became the latest and most stunning victim of the NFL coaching purge, fired yesterday by the Denver Broncos after a late-season collapse knocked the team out of the playoffs for the third consecutive year.

Shanahan joined Eric Mangini, Rod Marinelli and Romeo Crennel on the unemployment line after going 24-24 the past three seasons, including three consecutive losses in 2008 that turned a three-game division lead to an 8-8 record.

Despite that, and the 52-21 loss to the Chargers that ended Denver's season Sunday, this was a shocker: The ouster of a 14-year coaching veteran who brought two Super Bowl titles to a city yearning for a championship and was considered by many in this town to be "coach for life."

"After giving this careful consideration, I have concluded that a change in our football operations is in the best interests of the Denver Broncos," owner Pat Bowlen said.

Shanahan, 56, was 146-89, but the Broncos remained stuck at only one postseason victory since John Elway retired in 1999 after Denver's second championship.

This season was especially ugly. It included a historic collapse in which Denver became the first team since divisional play started in 1967 to blow a three-game lead with three games left.

The Broncos' defense gave up 448 points, third worst in the NFL, including 112 in the three-game collapse at the end. It was ranked 29th in yards allowed and tied for last in the NFL with a minus-17 turnover margin.

In years past, Shanahan had relieved defensive coordinators - Greg Robinson, Ray Rhodes, Larry Coyer and Jim Bates - in almost revolving-door fashion.

This year, as the defense floundered, it became obvious it wasn't just a coaching problem. It was an issue of talent on the field, and in Denver, Shanahan makes all the personnel decisions.

His top two draft picks in 2007, Jarvis Moss and Channing Crowder, were barely a factor this season.

In other head coaching developments:

The Cleveland Browns yesterday scheduled an interview with fired Jets coach Mangini, a source with knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press.

Mangini, dismissed Monday after the Jets collapsed down the stretch and missed the playoffs, will meet with Browns owner Randy Lerner in the New York area, the source said.

Lerner has also set up an interview for today with Scott Pioli, New England's vice president of player personnel, the source said.

The Jets will talk to Bill Cowher about their vacant coaching job, a source familiar with the search said.

While no formal discussions have been scheduled yet, the team plans to speak soon with the former Super Bowl-winning coach. Cowher has also expressed interest in the job.

The Jets also will meet with New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo on Saturday.

Bills coach Dick Jauron will return next season, team owner Ralph Wilson said. Though citing the dissatisfaction of the team's fans over a third consecutive 7-9 season, Wilson elected to retain Jauron and the entire coaching staff, believing the team is "better served by continuity in the coaching staff rather than a disruptive overhaul."

Ryan is honored

NEW YORK - Matt Ryan found a quick way to make Falcons fans forget Michael Vick, Bobby Petrino and all the ugliness of Atlanta football.

The quarterback led a sensational turnaround from laughingstock franchise to Super Bowl contender, for which Ryan was named The Associated Press offensive rookie of the year.

And he did it in a year loaded with outstanding offensive rookie performances.

"I'm certainly flattered," Ryan said. "There's a number of guys who had great rookie seasons this year, so to even be mentioned in that light is nice. It's certainly a great honor, and I think it speaks to what we did as a team this year."

What the Falcons did was go 11-5 and make the playoffs after a dismal 2007 when Vick was incarcerated for dogfighting and Petrino left after 13 games to coach Arkansas. Ryan was chosen third overall out of Boston College to be the cornerstone of Atlanta's rebuilding.

Few quarterbacks make so much out of their first NFL seasons. Since 1957, when the award was first given, only three quarterbacks have won it, all recently: Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, Tennessee's Vince Young in 2006, and Ryan.

Report says Favre tore biceps tendon

NEW YORK - Jets quarterback Brett Favre reportedly has a torn biceps tendon in his right arm, but it will not need major surgery to repair, ESPN said.

Favre, 39, routinely underthrew receivers and appeared to lose velocity on his throws late in the season as the Jets went 1-4 late in the season. ESPN reported that Favre would need arthroscopic surgery to repair the injury but could also play without having an operation.

49ers fire Martz

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Former St. Louis coach Mike Martz has been fired as San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator. Martz was let go by Mike Singletary, who was made the permanent coach of the team Sunday night after going 5-4 as the interim coach.

Elsewhere

Dissatisfied with the slow development of a defense featuring three first-round picks, Texans coach Gary Kubiak fired coordinator Richard Smith and two other defensive assistants. The dismissals of Smith, secondary coach Jon Hoke and defensive-line coach Jethro Franklin came after Houston finished 8-8 for the second consecutive year. Houston's offense finished the year ranked third in the NFL, but the defense was 22nd, allowing more than 336 yards per game.

Colts linebacker Gary Brackett will miss Saturday's playoff game at San Diego with a cracked bone in his lower right leg. It's the fifth consecutive game Brackett, the defensive captain, will miss. He hasn't played since Nov. 30 when he was hurt at Cleveland.

Veteran cornerback Sam Madison was placed on injured reserve by the New York Giants two days after breaking his right ankle in the regular-season finale against the Minnesota Vikings. The Super Bowl champions also waived recently signed linebacker Edmond Miles and signed linebacker Rich Scanlon and cornerback Rashad Barksdale.