Broncos coach McDaniels fired after losing 17 of last 22 games
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - The Broncos fired coach Josh McDaniels on Thursday.
McDaniels' nearly two-year stint was marred by the Spygate II videotape scandal, a series of personnel blunders and the franchise's worst skid in four decades.
Running backs coach Eric Studesville will serve as interim coach for the final month, succeeding McDaniels, 34, whose hiring by team owner Pat Bowlen in January 2009 is now viewed by some as a mistake.
"My decision to relieve Josh McDaniels as head coach was not taken lightly. I will always be appreciative of his passion, enthusiasm and hard work, and I thank him for his efforts," Bowlen said in a statement after firing McDaniels with two years left on his contract.
McDaniels had nearly $7million left on his contract.
After winning his first six games his rookie season, McDaniels, a disciple of Patriots coach Bill Belichick's, lost 17 of his last 22 games with the Broncos in his first NFL head coaching job.
Meredith dies at 72
ALBUQUERQUE - Don Meredith, one of the most recognizable figures of the early Dallas Cowboys and an original member of ABC's "Monday Night Football" broadcast team, died Sunday. He was 72.
Meredith's wife, Susan, told The Associated Press on Monday her husband died in Santa Fe after suffering a brain hemorrhage and lapsing into a coma. She and her daughter were at Meredith's side when he died.
"He was the best there was," she said, describing him as kind, warm and funny. "We lost a good one."
Meredith played for the Cowboys from 1960 to 1968, becoming the starting quarterback in 1965. Two years after retiring from football, Meredith joined Keith Jackson and Howard Cosell in the broadcast booth as part of the "Monday Night Football" crew.
Meredith's trademark came when one team had the game locked up. Meredith would warble, "Turn out the lights, the party's over" - from a song by his pal Willie Nelson.
Extra points
• The NFL has fined Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain $40,000 for his helmet hit that left Steelers tight end Heath Miller with a concussion.
• Ravens nose tackle Haloti Ngata was fined $15,000 for hitting Ben Roethlisberger's helmet and breaking the Pittsburgh quarterback's nose. Ngata's left hand raked across the quarterback's face during Pittsburgh's first offensive series. Ngata was not penalized.
Roethlisberger played the entire game, which Pittsburgh won 13-10. He underwent surgery on the nose Monday.
• The Vikings are expecting Brett Favre to play this weekend.
Interim coach Leslie Frazier said Monday that Favre's sprained shoulder is "not something that can surgically be attended to" and that he would be surprised if Favre is not able to play against the Giants.
• Cowboys rookie receiver Dez Bryant has had surgery on his fractured right ankle and is done for the season.