Bucs close to hiring Rutgers’ Schiano (AP)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in talks with Rutgers’ Greg Schiano to become the team’s next coach, a person familiar with the negotiations says. ESPN first reported that the Bucs and Schiano are close to an agreement. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition anonymity because a deal was not complete.
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Paterno dies after brief cancer fight (AP)
Other than family, football was everything to Joe Paterno. It was his lifeblood. It kept him pumped. Life could not be the same without it. “Right now, I’m not the coach. And I’ve got to get used to that,” Paterno said after the Penn State Board of Trustees fired him at the height of a child sex abuse scandal.
Brady misses practice with sore shoulder (AP)
Tom Brady missed the New England Patriots first practice for the AFC championship game with an injury to his left, non-throwing shoulder. The Patriots face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Before Wednesday’s practice, Brady smiled and appeared to be in a good mood while speaking with reporters. The injury first kept Brady out of practice on Dec.
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Philbin to coach for Packers vs. Giants (AP)
Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin will rejoin the Green Bay Packers for Sunday’s divisional playoff game against the New York Giants after spending the week away from the team to mourn the death of his son. A Packers spokesman says Philbin and the team decided Sunday morning that he would coach in the game.
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Jets hire Sparano to coordinate offense (AP)
The future of Mark Sanchez and the Jets’ offense is now in Tony Sparano’s hands. The Jets hired the former Miami Dolphins coach as their offensive coordinator Wednesday to replace Brian Schottenheimer and take over an offense that struggled mightily this season as New York failed to make the playoffs.
Record-setting Saints beat Lions 45-28 (AP)
Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints are pouring on the points, racking up the wins and rewriting the record books nearly every time they play. Things sure are rollin’ on the river. Brees led an unstoppable offense by throwing for 466 yards and three touchdowns, and New Orleans dominated the second half for a 45-28 NFC wild-card victory over the Detroit Lions on Saturday night.
Big Ben aggravated injury, plans to play (AP)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger says he aggravated his sprained left ankle in 13-9 win at Cleveland last weekend but expects to play in the wild card game at Denver on Sunday. Roethlisberger says he experienced a “setback” early in the third quarter but isn’t sure when it happened.
Bynum’s 29 and 13 in return spark Lakers (AP)
Andrew Bynum provided the Los Angeles Lakers with a powerful performance in his season debut, following a four-game suspension that carried over from the playoffs. It all would have been for naught, however, had it not been for some clutch shooting in the fourth quarter by Kobe Bryant and a couple of equally critical hustle plays by Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol in the final minutes.
Roethlisberger has ‘shot’ to face Browns (AP)
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin believes injured quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and center Maurkice Pouncey both have “a shot” to play in Sunday’s regular season finale at Cleveland. “It is our intention right now that if those guys are healthy enough to practice and prepare, then we will play them,” Tomlin said Tuesday.
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Tebow throws 4 INTs, Bills rout Broncos (AP)
Tim Tebow picked a terrible time to run out of fourth-quarter comebacks. Rather than inspiring the Denver Broncos to another dramatic rally, the quarterback sealed the most dreadful performance of his two-year career by throwing four interceptions — all in the second half and two returned for touchdowns 18 seconds apart — in a 40-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.