Report: Schottenheimer to become Rams' OC
Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer announced that he won't return for a seventh season. (Jan. 5, 2011) Credit: Joe Epstein
NFL.com reported Sunday night that a league source said Brian Schottenheimer will accept the offensive coordinator's position under new Rams coach Jeff Fisher. NFL Network's Michael Lombardi first reported the story.
Schottenheimer resigned Tuesday following six seasons as the Jets' offensive coordinator after being passed over for the Jaguars' head-coaching job. NFL.com reported he interviewed Friday for the offensive coordinator's job at Alabama.
NFL.com reported its source said the hiring will be official once the contract is completed.
NFL considers making some officials full-time
Commissioner Roger Goodell said the NFL will consider making about 10 officials full-time employees next season. As of now, all game officials are part-timers.
He was responding to a question about consistency in officiating while speaking to fans before yesterday's Texans-Ravens playoff game in Baltimore. He said the proposal would bring officials to the league offices in New York to help review game video and evaluate calls. They then would be spread out among the crews at games.
Goodell also said he hopes the league and the players' union will settle their differences on testing for human growth hormone before next season, but he wouldn't say he's confident that will happen.
He also called recent tweaks to concussion protocols "significant improvements.''
Whitner's hit legal
The helmet-to-helmet hit by 49ers safety Donte Whitner that sent Saints running back Pierre Thomas to the locker room early in Saturday's NFC playoff game was legal. Whitner was not penalized because the tackle was not against a defenseless player.
Helmet-to-helmet hits are banned against defenseless players in eight categories, and a runner is not one of those categories. Thomas was considered a runner because he'd made a catch, turned and made a "football move" before being hit.
Falcons hire Koetter
Completing an unusual swap of offensive coordinators, the Falcons hired Dirk Koetter from Jacksonville to replace Mike Mularkey only four days after the Jaguars introduced Mularkey as coach.
Atlanta hired Koetter even though the Jaguars ranked last in total offense and yards passing and averaged only 15.2 points a game. -- AP
