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Report: Browns met with Mike Holmgren

According to the Akron Beacon-Journal, the Browns held a meeting with former Seahawks and Packers coach Mike Holmgren on Monday. The meeting was to gauge Holmgren’s interest in becoming a football “czar” for the Browns next season.

It’s not known if Holmgren would accept a job immediately; he’s a thoughtful guy who probably would want to think things through. But team owner Randy Lerner is working hard to convince Holmgren the Browns would be right for him.

As for Mangini’s future, many rumors and reports have trickled out of Berea that the win over Pittsburgh guarantees that Mangini will be back in 2010.

What the win did was make the Browns 2-11, and Randy Lerner has to be aware of that reality.

Lerner, though, will not force his will on the new football leader. The team’s owner will have input into the coach, but he will not force a decision on someone he hires to run his football operations.

Holmgren would absolutely be a great fit for Cleveland. He would bring credibility to the job and a proven track record, which are two things that are incredibly valuable to an organization like the Browns.


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Giants D-coordinator Sheridan on the hot seat

Anyone that watched the circus that was the Eagles-Giants Sunday night football game last week knows that New York’s defense wasn’t all to blame for the team’s 45-38 loss. The Giants turned the ball over four times, allowed a 72-yard punt return for a touchdown, a fumble return for a touchdown and committed seven penalties.

That said, New York’s overall defensive game plan was pathetic, which is why they gave up 374 yards of total offense, 31 points (the punt and fumble returns shouldn’t be pinned up them) and countless big plays.

On Monday, head coach Tom Coughlin said that the Giants aren’t considering an immediate change at defensive coordinator. It’s too late in the season to make a change, so they’re stuck with Bill Sheridan at coordinator for the time being. That said, if the Giants continue to stumble and miss the playoffs, Sheridan would likely get the boot in the offseason.

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Did Moss give up during Panthers game?

There’s a disagreement going on between the Panthers and Patriots players about whether or not Randy Moss tanked it last Sunday in New England’s lackluster win over Carolina in Week 14. Moss finished with just one catch on the day, which he promptly fumbled.

Following the game, Panthers’ cornerback Chris Gamble said Moss shut it down (via the Boston Globe):

If you asked the Panthers what their game plan was, it’s simple. They helped whoever was covering Randy Moss early in the game with a safety. Then, once he was frustrated, they no longer needed to. Because by then, it was Game Over for No. 81.

“We knew he was going to shut it down,” Panthers cornerback Chris Gamble told me after the game. “That’s what we wanted to do him. That’s what we did. … He’d just give up a lot … Slow down, he’s not going deep, not trying to run a route. You can tell, his body language.”

Gamble continued … “I know everyone who plays against him, they can sense that. Once you get into him in the beginning of the game, he shuts it down a little bit.”

Following Gamble’s comments, Pats head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady defended Moss:

“I have a lot of respect for Randy,’’ Bill Belichick said. “I think he’s one of our best players. I think if you watch other teams defend him, they think the same way. Other than these two guys from Carolina after they lost another game, I guess they didn’t think that way. They haven’t won a lot of games.’’

“Everyone takes liberties to say whatever they want to say in a situation like [Sunday’s],’’ Brady said. “I’ve seen plays made on Chris Gamble over the course of the season, too. Guys, when they play Randy, want to show what they can do, and I guess they came off the game pretty confident. But Randy’s one of the best players in the history of the NFL.’’

I love the not-so-subtle shots at the Panthers in Belichick and Brady’s quotes.

Moss was clearly frustrated during the course of the game, but only he knows whether or not he gave up. The good thing for the Patriots is that this situation has bonded them together.


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Cardinals offer Holliday eight-year deal

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals have offered free agent outfielder Matt Holliday an eight-year contract worth roughly $16 million per year.

With the Cardinals increasingly impatient to reach a resolution, sources familiar with the talks believe it possible Holliday could reach a verdict before Christmas.

The New York Yankees may represent the most dangerous variable to the Cardinals. Previously insistent that they are not interested in entering bidding for Holliday, they could be enticed to enter at the eleventh hour.

The Yankees pose as another club’s biggest challenge when it comes to signing free agents – there’s a shock.

It’s hard to believe that Holliday would receive a better offer than the $16-million per-year deal the Cardinals just put on the table. But knowing Scott Boras (Holliday’s agent), he’ll be looking for one.


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Waiver Wire Watch: Week 15

It’s playoff time in the world of fantasy football, so let’s take a look at a few players that could potentially help owners in need over the next couple of weeks. Remember, to be eligible, a player has to be available in at least 50% of ESPN’s fantasy leagues. I’ll list the player’s percentage-owned in parenthesis.


* Alex Smith (36.8) has been very solid of late and in Week 15, he has a pretty good matchup against an Eagles defense that has struggled to stop the pass in recent weeks. Eli Manning threw for 391 yards and three TDs in Week 14.

* Vince Young (27.9) left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury, so keep an eye on his status this week. If he’s able to go, he has a nice matchup with a pretty suspect Miami secondary.

* Jason Campbell (23.6) doesn’t have the greatest matchup (NYG), but it isn’t bad and he has been as hot as a pistol over the last few weeks, averaging 273 yards and 2.3 TDs during that span.

* Brady Quinn (3.4) was quiet against the Steelers, but a Week 15 matchup with the Chiefs is pretty favorable and he has shown signs of growth over the past month.

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