NFL Notebook: Broncos pick Pats' offensive coordinator

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 3:00 AM |

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Associated Press

The NFL notebook ...

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Josh McDaniels, the man behind the New England Patriots' scoring machine, inherits an offense in Denver that needs only an oil change.

The defense? That needs an overhaul.

The 32-year-old McDaniels signed a four-year deal with the Broncos to replace Mike Shanahan, the only NFL head coach to get fired by a team he led to consecutive Super Bowl wins.

MARINELLI TO BEARS

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Rod Marinelli joined the Chicago Bears as a defensive line coach on Saturday, returning to his roots after becoming the NFL's first head coach to post an 0-16 season.

Marinelli went 10-38 in three years with the Detroit Lions and was fired after failing to win a game this season. But before that, he was Tampa Bay's defensive line coach for a decade. The Buccaneers' line racked up 328.5 sacks under Marinelli, the most in the league during that span.

Marinelli will also serve as the Bears' assistant head coach — a title he held his last four seasons in Tampa.

Marinelli's hiring in Chicago didn't come as a surprise. He and Bears coach Lovie Smith are friends who worked together with the Bucs. Chicago tried to hire him as defensive coordinator in 2004, but Tampa Bay blocked the Bears.

LIONS VACANCY

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz interviewed with the Detroit Lions for a second time Monday about the team's head coaching vacancy.

Detroit interviewed Schwartz after the regular season and had to wait for Tennessee to be eliminated from the playoffs to speak to him again. The Titans lost to Baltimore on Saturday.

CARDINALS

TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona Cardinals starting tight end Stephen Spach is out for the playoffs with a torn knee ligament. Spach tore his right anterior cruciate ligament while blocking in the second half of the Cardinals' 33-13 victory over Carolina.

49ERS

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Rick Dennison interviewed with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday to run their offense.

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