The Cleveland Browns fired general manager Ray Farmer and head coach Mike Pettine on Sunday.
Farmer, who joined the organization in March of 2013 as the assistant general manager before being promoted in February of 2014, was fired before Sunday’s season-ending loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers that left the team with a 3-13 record.
Pettine, who was named the 15th full-time head coach of the Browns in January 2013, compiled a 10-22 record in two seasons. He was fired Sunday night after he said he was not told anything about his job status by owner Jimmy Haslam immediately after the game.
Haslam also reportedly announced the promotion of executive VP, general counsel Sashi Brown to executive VP of football operations at a Sunday night press conference.
—New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin was not ready to talk about Monday.
In the minutes after a pick-6 gave the Eagles a 35-30 win over the Giants on Sunday in what could be Coughlin’s final game as Giants coach, Coughlin said he would address what’s next when the time is right.
“You’ve got your questions prepared for what direction I’m going to go,” Coughlin said. “I’m not going to answer anything about that. The season just ended. There’ll be time for that.”
The Giants ended the season 6-10, the third consecutive losing season for a franchise that had gone 35 years since that last happened.
Giants president John Mara said before the season that winning was the expectation. He is scheduled to meet with Coughlin Monday morning.
—Mike Pettine’s status as head coach of the Cleveland Browns was a mystery to him at the end of a 28-12 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers that left his team with a 3-13 record.
Pettine said he was not told anything about his job status by owner Jimmy Haslam as reports swirled that the coach would be let go.
“I’m not into pleading,” Pettine said. “It’s something that’s what gets put out there, how we attack work every day, the players. That to me is the resume: how hard the guys play, the effort that goes in, how hard we practice, what we do in meeting time, walkthrough, out on the practice field, how that carries over to the game field. I feel like we’ve done a lot of good things, but I’m the first one to tell you — you’ve heard me say it a million times — this is a pass/fail league, and the results aren’t there.”
Pettine said the ESPN report Friday that he asked Haslam for a status update and didn’t get an answer was “not accurate.” Pettine said he didn’t speak to Haslam. Whether a Pettine intermediary had the conversation with the owner is not known.
—Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel reportedly was spotted in Las Vegas on Saturday night despite being sidelined for the team’s season finale against the Steelers due to a concussion
Manziel was seen at Las Vegas’ Planet Hollywood casino, employees and patrons who interacted with the quarterback told USA TODAY Sports.
USA TODAY reported that Manziel paid cash for a meal at a restaurant in the casino, according to Tina Samira, a waitress who served Manziel and his guests at Heart Bar at Planet Hollywood.
Manziel also sat down at a blackjack table and a casino employee examining his photo ID exclaimed, “We’ve got Johnny Manziel with us tonight,” John Hornacek, a 43-year-old casino patron who witnessed the exchange told USA TODAY.
Browns vice president of communications Peter John-Baptiste would not confirm for USA TODAY if Manziel was in Cleveland. He told Cleveland.com the report was untrue when USA TODAY first tweeted it. John-Baptiste added that Manziel was at the Browns facility on Saturday morning.
Because Manziel has been diagnosed with a concussion, he does not have to attend the game, Cleveland.com reported.
Sources told Cleveland.com that the Browns have been increasingly concerned about Manziel’s well-documented partying over the past few months. Manziel, 23, has been videotaped drinking, including on Christmas Eve. Manziel spent 73 days in inpatient addiction-rehab center in the offseason.
—Changes were expected for the San Francisco 49ers, who were 4-11 heading into Sunday’s season finale against the St. Louis Rams, and head coach Jim Tomsula reportedly will be the first casualty.
The 49ers plan to fire Tomsula after just one season as head coach, but will keep general manager Trent Baalke, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Sunday.
It has been a horrible season for the 49ers, who pushed Jim Harbaugh out after last season and replaced him with Tomsula, who had been the 49ers’ defensive line coach.
Harbaugh won at least 11 games in three of his four seasons as the 49ers coach and took them to the Super Bowl in the 2012 season.
—New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton is expected to meet with general manager Mickey Loomis on Monday regarding his future.
Other NFL teams believe that the Saints will grant permission for Payton to speak with them about head coaching vacancies this week, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Payton still has two years remaining on his contract. If Payton were to leave, the Saints would get compensation from the team that hires him.
FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer questioned on the air Sunday whether a team is willing to give up a second-rounder to acquire Payton.
The Colts are expected to pursue Payton after firing Chuck Pagano, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported Sunday.
Former Saints offensive coordinator Doug Marrone is expected to be a top target for the New Orleans job if it becomes open, Pro Football Talk reported.
—Relocation wheels are in motion in Oakland, San Diego and St. Louis ahead of Monday’s NFL deadline to file the application.
All three franchises began the filing process and enter the Jan. 12 meeting in Houston ready to pay the relocation fee to move to Los Angeles as soon as next season. The fee will be $550 million for any team approved to move by a vote of owners.
Twenty-four affirmative votes from fellow owners are required for each team to be permitted to relocate.
Rams owner Stan Kroenke plans to develop a stadium site in Inglewood and there are joint stadium plans in Carson for the Chargers and Raiders.
NFL Network reported Sunday that none of the three teams eager to move have the support of ownership required to move at this time.
—The New England Patriots expect to have wide receiver Julian Edelman back in time for the divisional round of the playoffs.
Edelman, who has not played since breaking a bone in his left foot on Nov. 15, is on track to return, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Edelman did not travel with the team for the regular-season finale. He was leading the Patriots with 61 receptions at the time of his injury.
— Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams was ruled out of Sunday’s game with an ankle injury.
Williams finished the day with eight yards rushing on five carries. He caught two passes for two yards.
Williams was tackled by Browns defensive lineman John Hughes, who rolled on the back of Williams’ leg. He was taken to the locker room for examination and ruled out of the game but returned to the sideline.
—Houston Texans left tackle Duane Brown was carted off the field after suffering a right knee injury with 3:03 remaining in the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Brown suffered the injury while pulling across the formation on a 5-yard gain by running back Alfred Blue. Brown initially staggering to his feet only to collapse to the turf. Texans medical personal attended to Brown immediately before a cart was summoned to remove Brown from the field. Brown had his right leg in an air cast.