Which job is better: Jacksonville or Los Angeles?

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At 5:53 p.m. ET Sunday night, a second head coaching vacancy opened up. The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that they"d parted ways with Gus Bradley after three-plus seasons, 14 wins and 48 losses. They join the Los Angeles Rams in the early hunt for a new head coach, opting for the strategy utilized by the Eagles last year. Philadelphia fired then-head coach Chip Kelly after Week 16 in order to conduct thorough exit interviews with players and get a jump start on the coaching carousel.

There are plenty of intriguing names out there as we listed in our latest head coaching candidates list. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport also brought to our attention that Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan could be a hot name in the coming weeks during GameDay Morning.

But of those available candidates, is there a job they"d covet more? Here"s a look at both openings as they stand now and some thoughts on which may be a more desirable vacancy for a potential head coach. To be clear, this piece does not reflect the opinion of any current or prospective head coach. These views are mine only.

Better offense: This could come down to preference. Clearly, Blake Bortles has the ability to hurl a bunch of touchdowns and has two very good wide receivers (Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns) to help him do it. However, his mechanical regression in Year 3 might be scary to some coaches who will have to find a strong support staff to prop him back up again. Perhaps a coach prefers the blank canvas feel of former No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff, who will end up having a minimum of seven NFL starts under his belt by the time a new head coach is installed. If the Jaguars have a slight advantage at wide receiver, the Rams have a clear advantage at running back with a wash when it comes down to offensive line.

Advantage: TIE. There will be coaches who feel Todd Gurley complements their personal style better, where others will covet the talented, home grown wideouts in Jacksonville.

Better defense:I think everyone will jump to the eventual answer immediately, but let"s think on this for a second. Aaron Donald is one of the three best defensive players in football. Having that single entity to disrupt a game plan will be very enticing and surrounding him with Robert Quinn and Michael Brockers -- both under team control for the foreseeable future -- has to be a big recruiting advantage. Dealing with the Trumaine Johnson situation quickly and ensuring that Los Angeles has at least one top-flight cornerback installed for the long-term could help. But ... I think there will be coaches out there who love Jacksonville"s defensive potential. Jalen Ramsey had a very, very good rookie season and is only getting better. Malik Jackson didn"t vanish as many suspected, either and was playing just as well as the Jurrell Casey"s and Linval Joseph"s of the world. Add that into a fresh start with talented but woefully under-used rookie Myles Jack and former No. 3 overall pick Dante Fowler and you might have something. It"s certainly not a deterrent.

Advantage: Los Angeles

Better chance to "win now": I don"t see a near future that does not include the Seahawks atop the NFC West, and if you would like to bet against Bruce Arians after a down year go right on ahead. L.A. will be slightly more attractive because of the personnel, but Jacksonville will be attractive because of their combination of personnel and the division they currently sit in. The AFC South has been miserable in 2016, with the Texans finally admitting to a massive mistake and benching Brock Osweiler. The Titans are certainly on the rise, and the Colts should not be counted out, but is there any doubt a good head coach can come in and make the Jaguars competitive right away?

Advantage: Jacksonville

Better "life situation": This is all-encompassing and, again, could come down to preference. Los Angeles is the bigger market and will come with far more pressure. You will have brand new facilities at your disposal eventually as well as a massive space station stadium coming in 2019 that you might or might not have to share. In Jacksonville, you"re going to a place that just wants to be in the mix. The team has also promised to renovate an already renovated EverBank Stadium and blend it in with the Jacksonville River District over the coming years, which could create a pretty unique atmosphere.

Some other points to consider: Jaguars owner Shad Khan is an advantage. His patience and understanding with Gus Bradley would be attractive to any head coach. This is not to say he will tolerate losing, but he seems more open minded and independent of the group thought that so often drives decisions. Florida also has no state income tax, and the Jaguars have shown a willingness to be open to "new" statistics and innovations (that, depending on the coach could theoretically also be a disadvantage).

Advantage:Jacksonville

While all NFL jobs are open for a reason (meaning that a coach is not walking into the chance to coach the Pittsburgh Steelers), both of these certainly have their strong points. The next head coaches of the Jaguars and Rams could be starting with much, much less.

Source: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000759710/article/which-job-is-better-jacksonville-or-los-angeles

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The NFL"s Experiment in Mexico City

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On Monday night, the Oakland Raiders and Houston Texans squared off at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The primetime match-up, which was announced back in February, marked the first time a regular-season NFL game had been played in Mexico since 2005. The return of the NFL to Mexico, according to the league, is owed to not only a recent surge in interest and the success the league has found in London, where 17 games have been played since 2007; extensive renovations to Azteca Stadium also seem to have helped. Ahead of the game, Mark Waller, who heads the NFLs international division, expressed optimism about turning Mexico City into a regular international destination for American pro football. "My goal would be similar to the U.K., where we"re able to go back at least once a year and create our piece of the Mexico City sporting calendar.

Long before the NFL began to suffer a staggering drop in ratings, the league had already set its sights on Americas southern neighbor. This strategy makes sense. According to Nielsen, NFL viewership among Hispanic audiences has jumped by 28 percent in the past five years and Mexico City, with 20 million people in its metropolitan area, is thought to have the seventh-largest football-fan base in North America.

Tickets for the game sold out in 15 minutes and ESPN, which aired the game, has declared it an unqualified success. But the spectacle was not without its troubles. Prior to the game, Eric Wynalda, formerly of the U.S. national soccer team, dubbed Azteca Stadium the worst place to ever play a sporting event, citing the venues high altitude and the citys fabled pollution. In the U.S., the national press seized on a story about an internal memo in which the Houston Texans organization urged its players not to leave the hotel, order room service, or eat on their own for fear of illness. Given President-elect Trumps harsh rhetoric toward Mexico during the campaign, sports observers also anticipated that The Star-Spangled Banner would be loudly booed by the 76,000 fans in attendance before kickoff. (This did not come to pass, for the most part.)

The fear of Bronx cheers during the anthem may have overstated, but there were other complications. The mostly pro-Raider crowd shouted homophobic slurs at the Texans. And during a close gamemarred by questionable officiatingTexan players, particularly quarterback Brock Osweiler, were repeatedly targeted with green lasers from a fan in the stands. "I never want to say one thing"s a difference maker, but certainly having a laser zoomed in your eyeball definitely affects how you play a game," said Osweiler after the 27-20 loss. Of course, these things occasionally happen at pro football games in the United States, but as showcasing the grandeur of the NFL goes, it wasnt encouraging.

These challenges notwithstanding, Mondays game did demonstrate that there is a market for the NFL to expand its reach abroad, where the sport has limited presence and popularity. This is good news for a league that suddenly seems to be struggling at home. Notably, of the four major professional sports leagues, pro football is the only one in which all of the teams are based in the United States. As Nate Silver noted in a FiveThirtyEight post in 2014, the top three cities that stand to gain the most new fans in North America are Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Toronto. Los Angeles now has a football team, the Rams, which moved back to the city from St. Louis before the start of this season. Season tickets for the Rams sold out in six hours. And while expansion to Mexico or Canada may not be in the works, there are fans to be gained through continued exhibitions there.

Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/11/nfl-mexico-city/508682/

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NFL: Here"s What We Learned in Week 1

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Brian Cushing, Keenan Allen Suffer Serious InjuriesPhoto Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen hurt his knee in the third quarter. Credit Peter Aiken/Getty Images

The Houston Texans had to temper some of the enthusiasm for the teams come-from-behind win over the Chicago Bears because of what appeared to be a significant knee injury to Brian Cushing, a linebacker who is among the teams leaders on defense. Cushing, who has dealt with several knee injuries in the past, went down in the first quarter and did not return.

Keenan Allen, a wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers, suffered a non-contact injury to his right knee early in the second quarter. The Sporting News is reporting that Allen tore his ACL, which would be a big blow to the Chargers, who had started the game well but ended up losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime. Allen, who is the teams best receiver when healthy, already had 6 catches for 63 yards at the time of his injury.

Raiders Gamble Pays OffPhoto Michael Crabtree celebrated his two-point conversion in the fourth quarter. Credit Bill Feig/Associated Press

Following a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, Coach Jack Del Rio of the Oakland Raiders decided he had no interest in going to overtime against the New Orleans Saints, and instead went for a 2-point conversion with just 47 seconds remaining. The upstart Raiders made Del Rio look like a genius, with Derek Carr finding Michael Crabtree for the conversion, and then the Oakland defense held on to secure a 35-34 victory in New Orleans.

I was thinking were here to win, lets win it right now, Del Rio said at a news conference following the game. Thats why we took some clock there at the end, so they wouldnt have as much, thats why we went for two after the score. Everything about our strategy at the end was to win.

The Raiders, trying to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2002 season, survived a 423-yard, 4-touchdown passing game by Drew Brees and a 98-yard touchdown by Brandin Cooks that was the longest reception in the N.F.L. since 2011.

Victor Cruz is back! Facing a crucial goal-line situation yards from the Dallas end zone, the Giants turned to a star who was injured and out of the lineup last season. Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, playing his first game in nearly two years, craftily zig-zagged around and between two Dallas defenders to get open for a 3-yard touchdown pass that gave the Giants a spirited 20-19 victory. Heres how they won.

Carson Wentz Makes Browns Pay: The Cleveland Browns felt strongly enough that Carson Wentz was not the answer for the team at quarterback that they traded away the No. 2 pick in this years draft rather that select him. After getting a good look at the 23-year-old quarterback in his role as the starter for the Philadelphia Eagles, they may be regretting that decision. Wentz hit the ground running in his N.F.L. career, throwing a touchdown on his first drive and eventually beating the Browns 29-10.

This is who he is, Eagles coach Doug Pederson said after the game. This is his DNA. He prepared like a veteran and he played that way. His maturity level was outstanding.

The Browns, who have seemed cursed at the quarterback position since Bernie Kosar was released in 1991, knew that keeping the No. 2 pick in the draft would guarantee them either Jared Goff (who ended up going No. 1 to the Los Angeles Rams) or Wentz, but according to Paul DePodesta, the teams chief strategy officer, neither player was enticing enough, so the team instead traded the pick to the Eagles for five draft picks.

Time will tell if Wentz is an elite quarterback, but in the first game of his career he completed 22 of 37 passes for 278 yards and threw two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Late field goal dooms Jets: The scheduling doyens at N.F.L. headquarters did not do the Jets any early-season favors. Five of their first six opponents this season advanced to the playoffs last season, a hazy maze of danger that began Sunday afternoon when the Cincinnati Bengals visited MetLife Stadium.

Sure enough, the first game of the season ended in disappointment for the Jets, whose defensive backfield had more seams than a three-piece business suit. The Bengals held on for a 23-22 win as Mike Nugent kicked a 45-yard field goal with 54 seconds left.

Heres our Jets game story.

Packers survive in Jacksonville: The Jaguars and their young quarterback, Blake Bortles, made it difficult, but Aaron Rodgers was too much for them, leading the Packers to a 27-23 victory. Rodgers threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score. He looked every bit like, well, a two-time league MVP. He extended plays with his feet, escaped sacks and had precision accuracy all over the field.

Bortles gave Rodgers a challenge, completing 24 of 39 passes for 320 yards and a touchdown, but he came up short on the Jaguars final drive.

Osweiler Solid in Texans Debut: Brock Osweiler threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns in his debut with Houston to lead the Texans and their revamped offense to a 23-14 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Osweiler, who signed to a $72 million contract from Denver in the offseason, was helped by an offense filled with playmakers.

He completed passes to eight different receivers, led by rookie first-round pick Will Fuller, who became the first player in franchise history to have 100 yards receiving in a debut with 107 and a touchdown. DeAndre Hopkins added 54 yards and a score and running back Lamar Miller had 106 yards rushing in his first game with the Texans. Associated Press

N.F.L. Week 1 Schedule and Scores

All times Eastern

Tampa Bay 31, Atlanta 24

Baltimore 13, Buffalo 7

Houston 23, Chicago 14

Green Bay 27, Jacksonville 23

Kansas City 33, San Diego 27, OT

Oakland 35, New Orleans 34

Cincinnati 23, Jets 22

Philadelphia 29, Cleveland 10

Minnesota 25, Tennessee 16

Seattle 12, Miami 10

N.Y. Giants 20, Dallas 19

Detroit 39, Indianapolis 35

New England 23, Arizona 21

Correction: September 12, 2016

An earlier version of a headline in this article misspelled the given name of the quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. He is Russell Wilson, not Russel.

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Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/11/sports/nfl-scores-schedule.html

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For Johnny Manziel, Rehab Is Only Shot At NFL Comeback: Crisis Expert

Top 5 Defensive Players in the NFL (2016)

The fate of Johnny Manziels spiraling football career and potentially his life rests on whether the former Cleveland Browns quarterback listens to the multiple individuals encouraging him to seek treatment for substance abuse issues, a crisis management expert told FOXBusiness.com.

Manziels tumultuous offseason reached its low point Thursday, when a New York Post report revealed he hosted parties that caused about $20,000 in damage to a Los Angeles condo last week. Photos of the damage appeared to show evidence of drug and alcohol use. The allegations surfaced just hours after Manziels agent, Drew Rosenhaus, gave him an ultimatum either enter rehab or find new representation.

A stay in a months-long, intensive rehab program is the only option if Manziel wants to continue his NFL career one day, according to crisis management expert Jack Deschauer, who advised athletes during the NFLs Spygate scandal and the manslaughter trial of former NBA star Jayson Williams.

The absolute only chance that Johnny Manziel has at a professional football career at this point would be to enter an inpatient rehabilitation program, a serious one, today, and stay there, whether its a 30-day or a 90-day, and then complete it, Deschauer, a senior vice president at Washington D.C.-based firm Levick, told FOXBusiness.com. And then honestly, remain stone cold sober for as long as his athletic career lasts. Otherwise hes going to be dead in six months.

More on Johnny Manziel

Supporters have grown increasingly concerned about Manziels erratic behavior in recent weeks. The 23-year-old Texas native looked pale and gaunt during a bizarre April 9 encounter with a TMZ film crew. Hours later, Manziel was purportedly a passenger in a car that crashed into a Hollywood light pole.

Manziel, who briefly entered rehab in February 2015, has been dogged by rumors of hard partying ever since his days at Texas A&M University. The Browns released him in March of this year, weeks after he was involved in a domestic incident with his then-girlfriend, Colleen Crowley. Manziels previous agent, Erik Burkhardt, dropped him as a client after the 2015 season, citing failed efforts by himself and Manziels family to get the quarterback into treatment.

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The fact that Rosenhaus, who claims to have never dropped a client in 27 years as one of the NFLs most high-profile agents, is willing to take that step with Manziel is proof of the situations severity.

Of all the late night phone calls that Drew Rosenhaus has had to deal with, for all the clients that hes had, none of them has ever gotten to this point, Deschauer said.

A stay at an inpatient facility is just the first step on Manziels path back to the NFL, Deschauer added. After completing treatment, Manziel has to show NFL teams that he is committed to sobriety and willing to work his way back onto the field.

That could mean a prolonged stint as a backup quarterback, or even a trip to the Canadian Football League or the Arena Football League.

In the past, NFL teams have shown a willingness to overlook off-field transgressions if theyre convinced a player can help them win. Michael Vick returned to the NFL in 2009 after spending nearly two years in federal prison on dogfighting charges.

As long as talent evaluators in the league think he still has the ability to play as well as he can when hes good, I think theres a door opening for him when he comes out of this, Deschauer said. [But] hes going to have to spend months, if not a year, proving to the world that he can stay sober before he even gets to prove that he can throw the football around.

But any further off-field incidents could permanently damage Manziels chances at an NFL career. Rosenhaus told Pro Football Talk on Friday that Manziel has yet to take steps toward getting help.

If rock bottom is worse than this, it might be something that he couldnt possibly come back from, NFL-wise, Deschauer said.

Source: http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2016/04/15/for-johnny-manziel-rehab-is-only-shot-at-nfl-comeback-crisis-expert.html

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Armour: Adaptability has Andrew Luck on fast path to NFL immortality

USA TODAY Sports' Tom Pelissero breaks down what's ahead for the Colts in their looming matchup with the Broncos.

Video Transcript

Automatically Generated Transcript (may not be 100% accurate)

00:03 The colts are headed back in the AFC divisional playoffs 00:06 after Andrew Luck off balance touchdown pass and got in mind 00:10 create. Highlighted a 26 to ten win. Over the Cincinnati Bengals 00:15 on Sunday. In Indianapolis. Now we're going to get to find 00:20 out what their lot and his team are ready to take 00:23 out one of the AFC's elite. On a really big stage. 00:27 The beauty of the colts win was locked didn't have to 00:30 do it all himself though certainly he held up his end 00:33 completing 31 of 44 passes. For 376. Yards with Trent Richardson 00:39 yelled boom Herron ends early and chipped in. Both ran effectively 00:43 hearings fumbles notwithstanding. And the colts defense clamped down in the 00:48 second half. I get to Cincinnati offense that plainly wasn't itself 00:52 we AJ green sidelined. The other three teams still line in 00:57 the AF CR the past three conference champions Denver. Baltimore and 01:03 New England all veteran teams with veteran quarterbacks who have won 01:07 Super Bowls. The colts on the other hand still relying a 01:10 lot of a sending young players. In key positions. Nobody more 01:15 important than Andrew Locke who east tour in five so hard 01:18 his career against Peyton Manning Joseph Flacco and Tom Brady. Including 01:23 Owen to in the playoffs. The next stop for the colts 01:27 is Denver where the Broncos won the season opener back on 01:31 September 7. Kick off sit for 4:40 eastern next Sunday.

Jan 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) waves to the crowd as he leaves the field after the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Lucas Oil Stadium.(Photo: Thomas J. Russo, USA TODAY Sports)

INDIANAPOLIS Sure, Andrew Luck has a great arm. Can beat defenses with his feet, too.

What makes Luck great and will put him in the same category as Indianapolis Colts predecessor Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers sooner rather than later is his adaptability.

Lock up his No. 1 receiver and he'll find someone else. Sideline the Colts starting running back, and he'll feed whoever is behind him. Ask him to play behind an offensive line that has seen more changes than a model at a fashion show, and he'll shrug it off.

So long as there's someone who can hike him the ball and someone he can get it to, the Colts' Luck is all good.

"Every win is a definite team effort. But you've got a guy under center who can make plays, can make something out of nothing, takes what the defense gives him and he just kind of manages the game the way you need him to," offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo said.

"We're very happy to have him back there."

Granted, the Cincinnati Bengals imploded in the second half of the Colts' 26-10 victory in the AFC wild-card Sunday.

But that had as much to do with Luck as their own ineptitude.

Even with starting running back Trent Richardson sidelined after an illness forced him to miss practice and the Colts starting their 11th combination at offensive line, Indianapolis was the better team Sunday. But as has been the case other times this season, the Colts struggled in the red zone.

Indianapolis reached the Cincinnati 17-yard line or beyond three times in the first half, only to settle for a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Clinging to a 13-10 lead early in the third, Luck was flushed out of the pocket.

Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap was nipping at Luck's ankle, causing him to pitch forward. But as he was falling, Luck spotted Donte Moncrief downfield and let it fly.

Never mind that Cincinnati safety George Iloka was blanketing Moncrief. Or that the rookie is not the first, second or even third option in the Colts offense.

Luck saw an opening and took it.

"That one magical play to Moncrief was Andrew at his finest," Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. "He was a maestro back there."

Moncrief made the 36-yard catch at the very edge of the upper corner of the end zone for his fourth TD of the season, the Colts had an insurmountable lead and Luck had one more clip for his growing highlight reel.

"That changed the whole game for us because all we did (from there) was pin our ears back and just go," Colts defensive end Ricky Jean Francois said. "Anytime we give this guy good field position on that field, we need to sit back and eat some popcorn.

"It won't be shocking because we know he'll do it, but it'll just be a nice show to see."

The victory was Luck's second in the playoffs, evening his postseason record at 2-2 after just three seasons. Most quarterbacks would happily take those kind of numbers at this early stage in their careers.

But Luck isn't most quarterbacks.

Until he takes the Colts to the Super Bowl, or at least the AFC Championship, Luck will always be in the shadow of You-Know-Who. And, wouldn't you know it, the Colts will have to beat Manning and the Denver Broncos next Sunday to reach their first AFC title game since Manning was writing the record books in Indianapolis.

"Having a guy that's big and strong like Andrew and can create moving forward, looking at next week, he's going to have to do the same thing," Pagano said. "He's going to have to create some plays. He's going to have to move around and get some first downs with his legs and those type of things."

He'll also have to adapt, because that's what the great NFL quarterbacks do. And as Sunday's game showed, Luck is well on his way to being one of them.

PHOTOS: Best of NFL wild-card weekend

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Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2015/01/04/andrew-luck-indianapolis-colts-adaptability/21268431/

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