Aug 31, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Jeff Sims (7) hands the ball off to running back Rahmir Johnson (14) during the second quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Nebraska loses top two RBs for season; undecided on QB1

Nebraska will proceed without running backs Rahmir Johnson and Gabe Ervin after both were lost to season-ending injuries in Saturday’s win over Northern Illinois.

Head coach Matt Rhule also said Monday that cornerback Dwight Bootle II (shoulder) is out for the remainder of the 2023 season.

Without their top two rushers, the Cornhuskers are going back to 2022 leading rusher Anthony Grant, a sixth-year senior.

“It’s his show now. It’s time to go,” Rhule said Monday.

As for who will take the snaps for Nebraska when the Cornhuskers face Louisiana Tech this week, Rhule isn’t ready to say. On Monday, he indicated there would be no decision made on the starting quarterback job until gameday.

Jeff Sims missed the blowout win over Northern Illinois, when Heinrich Haarberg threw two touchdown passes and ran for another.

“We can win with both guys,” Rhule said.

Johnson dislocated his shoulder, with the injury requiring surgery. Ervin will need surgery for a dislocated hip.

Grant also led the Huskers in carries in 2022 with 218, while gaining 915 net yards, but this season the sixth-year running back opened third on the depth chart. Grant now will be backed-up by Emmett Johnson and Kwinten Ives.

After two games as the starting running back, Ervin led Nebraska with 196 yards and had one touchdown.

–Field Level Media

Sep 9, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Jeff Sims (7) fumbles a snap against the Colorado Buffaloes in the first quarter at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Nebraska QB Jeff Sims (ankle) remains uncertain for NIU game

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule did not commit to quarterback Jeff Sims starting for the 0-2 Cornhuskers against Northern Illinois on Saturday due to a lingering left ankle injury.

“I’m not sure what Jeff’s status will be for the game,” Rhule told reporters Thursday. “He’s progressing. … I know he feels like he’s getting better, he’s moving around so we’ll how it goes.”

Earlier in the week, Rhule declared Sims was the program’s starting quarterback despite Sims throwing four interceptions and losing two fumbles in two losses to open the 2023 season.

Sims, a Georgia Tech transfer, has completed 20 of 34 passes for 220 yards and one touchdown in the two games. He has been solid on the ground, rushing for 158 yards, including a 57-yard score against Colorado.

Nebraska’s backup options if Sims can’t take the field are Heinrich Haarberg and Chubba Purdy. Rhule said that Purdy, the younger brother of NFL quarterback Brock Purdy, has been bothered by a groin injury and isn’t 100 percent.

–Field Level Media

Oct 2, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Nebraska hiring Marcus Satterfield as OC

Matt Rhule and Marcus Satterfield reportedly will be together for another tour of duty, this time in Lincoln, Neb.

Nebraska is hiring Satterfield away from South Carolina to be Rhule’s offensive coordinator, ESPN reported Monday. Satterfield has worked for Rhule at all three of his stops as head coach — Temple, Baylor and the Carolina Panthers.

Satterfield, 46, spearheaded the Gamecocks’ offensive explosion the past two weeks. South Carolina scored 94 points in consecutive weeks against top 10 programs Tennessee and Clemson.

Satterfield’s two-year deal at South Carolina was set to expire on Dec. 31. The school made a push to keep Satterfield in Columbia, S.C., per the report.

Nebraska officially named Rhule its new head coach on Saturday morning. His contract will be for eight seasons, and the school plans to introduce Rhule in a news conference in Lincoln on Monday.

–Field Level Media

Oct 9, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule reacts in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Ex-Panthers coach Matt Rhule hopes for ‘another chance’

Former Panthers coach Matt Rhule welcomes another chance to coach and knows a few changes he would implement should he get another spin at the wheel.

Rhule was fired after starting 1-4 after two-plus seasons and an 11-27 record in Carolina.

“It didn’t end the way I wanted it to. But I’m proud I never lost the locker room,” Rhule said Tuesday in an NFL Network interview. “I’m proud those guys fought and stood up for me til the very end. I hope I get another chance to coach. I’d do some things better football-wise.”

Rhule said he didn’t have strong enough relationships with players in his first two years in the NFL.

The Panthers are 3-8 and would currently have the second pick in the 2023 draft if the season ended Tuesday. Carolina plays the Denver Broncos on Sunday, but has yet to identify a starting quarterback — an issue that helped deck Rhule’s run as Panthers’ coach.

Rhule said the Panthers should take a long look at current interim head coach Steve Wilks.

“Steve Wilks deserves a chance to be a head coach in the (NFL). He’s a leader of men,” Rhule said. “And if this league needs 1 thing, if football needs 1 thing, we need diversity in our coaching hires. We need diversity in coaching searches. I think Steve’s done a really nice job.”

The Panthers owe Rhule $40 million as part of the contract he signed to leave Baylor and take over in Carolina.

–Field Level Media

Oct 2, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive secondary coach Steve Wilks on the sidelines in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Steve Wilks: My call to fire DC, special teams coach

Carolina Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks said Tuesday that it was his decision to fire the team’s defensive coordinator and special teams coach in the wake of Matt Rhule’s termination on Monday.

Defensive coordinator Phil Snow and special teams coach Ed Foley were let go Monday, hours after the team parted ways with Rhule. Both assistant coaches are longtime Rhule disciples from his head coaching days at Temple and Baylor.

“Two great men, two great coaches,” Wilks said Tuesday. “It was my call, my decision. I just felt like I wanted a different approach moving forward, and that was all.”

Wilks installed Al Holcomb as the new DC, and he will call the defensive plays, Wilks said.

Wilks, 53, went 3-13 in one year as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2018. Prior to that, he spent six years as an assistant with the Panthers, and he was the Cleveland Browns’ defensive coordinator in 2019.

The Panthers fired Rhule, 47, on Monday after two-plus seasons and an 11-27 record. The Panthers are off to a 1-4 start this season after a 37-15 home loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

“I stand before you excited about this opportunity but also disappointed in how it came about,” Wilks began his first press briefing as interim coach. “Coach Rhule’s a great coach, a great man. … We didn’t do our job as coaches and players … to keep him around.”

The Panthers play at the Los Angeles Rams (2-3) this Sunday.

–Field Level Media

Oct 9, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury during the pregame warm-up against the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic

Nfl Eagles At Cardinals

Kliff Kingsbury favored to be next fired; where will Matt Rhule land?

The first shoe to drop in the 2022 NFL coaching turnstile came as no surprise, with the Carolina Panthers firing Matt Rhule on Monday.

Rhule was installed as the favorite to be the first coach fired by SportsBetting.ag over the summer and had remained near the top throughout the Panthers’ 1-4 start to the season.

Who will be the next to go?

The current favorite is the Arizona Cardinals’ Kliff Kingsbury, who opened at +150 at the sportsbook following the news of Rhule’s firing. Next is Denver’s Nathaniel Hackett (+200), who has come under intense scrutiny during the Broncos’ 2-3 start.

Both coaches are considered offensive gurus, but 2-3 Arizona is ranked 15th in total offense while the Broncos are 18th despite a blockbuster offseason trade for quarterback Russell Wilson.

Right below Denver is Washington with the 19th-ranked offense behind quarterback Carson Wentz, whom coach Ron Rivera pushed his chips to the center of the table with over the offseason. Not surprisingly, the third shortest odds belong to Rivera (+450), who is 1-4 in his third season at the helm with the Commanders already three games behind in the NFC East cellar.

Detroit’s Dan Campbell appeared to have an ascending team entering the season, but the Lions are coming off a shutout loss against a rookie quarterback in New England that dropped them to 1-4. Campbell’s odds of being the second coach fired this season have shortened to +900.

Next NFL Coach Fired Odds
Kliff Kingsbury, Cardinals: +150
Nathaniel Hackett, Broncos: +200
Ron Rivera, Commanders: +450
Dan Campbell, Lions: +900
Frank Reich, Colts: +1200
Kevin Stefanski, Browns: +1600
Matt Eberflus, Bears: +1600
Pete Carroll, Seahawks: +2000
Mike Tomlin, Steelers: +2200

As for Rhule, he may not be out of work for long despite leaving Carolina with an 11-27 record in two-plus seasons.

A highly respected program builder at the college level, his name has already surfaced in connection with several current and potential openings.

Matt Rhule Next Head Coach Job Odds
Nebraska: +150
Auburn: +300
Wisconsin: +500
Arizona State: +750
Colorado: +800
Stanford: +1000
Oklahoma: +1200
Texas A&M: +1600
Any NFL Team: +3300

Nebraska, Wisconsin, Arizona State and Colorado have already parted with their coaches this season, likely with an eye toward getting ahead of other teams in the race for candidates such as Rhule.

Carolina gave Rhule, 47, a seven-year, $62 million deal in 2020 while paying $6 million to buy him out of his Baylor contract. The Panthers still owe him more than $40 million, but reportedly would not be on the hook for the full amount should he land another coaching job.

Rhule has a 47-43 record in seven seasons in the college ranks with Temple and Baylor. Auburn (Bryan Harsin) and Stanford (David Shaw) are among the programs that could be interested in Rhule should they move on from their current coaches.

–Field Level Media

Sep 18, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett before the game against the Houston Texans at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Hot Seats: Broncos’ Nathaniel Hackett co-favorite to be first fired

Nathaniel Hackett’s honeymoon phase in Denver lasted all of one regular season game, when he came under intense scrutiny for a questionable decision at the end of the Broncos’ loss in Seattle.

The criticism has continued to build during the team’s 2-3 start in which the offense has struggled mightily under new franchise quarterback Russell Wilson while Hackett has come under fire for his game management and play-calling.

The crescendo reached a new high following Denver’s 12-9 overtime loss at home to Indianapolis on Thursday night.

Hackett was installed as the 1-2 favorite the next day by SportsBetting.ag to be the first NFL coach fired this season. The odds have since lengthened a bit, but only because there is another coach whose team has stumbled out of the gate with a new quarterback.

Hackett and Carolina’s Matt Rhule are now co-favorites at +100 at the sportsbook, well ahead of the other 14 coaches being offered in the prop market.

First NFL Coach Fired Odds
Nathaniel Hackett, Broncos: +100
Matt Rhule, Panthers: +100
Frank Reich, Colts: +1000
Kliff Kingsbury, Cardinals: +1400
Ron Rivera, Commanders: +1600
Dan Campbell, Lions: +2000
Josh McDaniels, Raiders: +2200
Dennis Allen, Saints: +2800
Lovie Smith, Texans: +4000
Mike Tomlin, Steelers: +4000
Kevin Stefanski, Browns: +5500
Mike Vrabel, Titans: +4000
Matt Eberflus, Bears: +5000
Mike McCarthy, Cowboys: +5000
Robert Saleh, Jets: +5500
Pete Carroll, Seahawks: +6600

Hackett had been 6-1 at SportsBetting.ag before Thursday’s loss, but the Broncos do have four extra days of rest before their Week 6 game at the Los Angeles Chargers on “Monday Night Football.”

“We’ve been working really hard,” Hackett said Friday. “We’ve had a unique schedule with different — whether it be short weeks, long weeks and things of that nature. For us, we have to take a breath a little bit to get re-energized.

“We’re going to work and we’re going to do what we have to do to be able to put the guys in the right position and find the right things to get these guys going. Put them in better positions to be open and better positions in the run game.

“We’re here for the long haul this season. There’s a lot left and a lot of room for improvement. That’s what we’re going to be focusing on.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 25, 2022; Glendale, Ariz., U.S.;  Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury instructs his players before playing against the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium.

Nfl Rams At Cardinals

NFL Hot Seats: Cardinals’ Kliff Kingsbury takes top spot

Arizona is only a game out of first place in the NFC West before the calendar even turns to October, but the Cardinals certainly haven’t passed the eye test through three games.

If not for a miraculous Week 2 comeback in Las Vegas, the Cardinals and not the Raiders would be the only 0-3 team remaining in the NFL. And it hasn’t saved Kliff Kingsbury from intense scrutiny as the Cardinals have now lost nine of their past 14 games since starting last season 7-0, including a lopsided 34-11 loss in last season’s wild-card round.

Remember when quarterback Kyle Murray was an NFL MVP candidate 11 months ago? Neither do most Cardinals fans, with Murray currently averaging 5.6 yards per attempt to go with an 82.6 passer rating while playing without suspended wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

Kingsbury has taken over as the 3-1 favorite at SportsBetting.ag to be the first NFL head coach to be fired or resign this season. He has passed Matt Rhule, whose Carolina Panthers beat the New Orleans Saints on Sunday for their first victory of the season.

Rhule opened at 4-1 at the sportsbook on Tuesday before moving to 3 1/2-1 by the afternoon.

They are followed by a pair of embattled first-year head coaches in Las Vegas’ Josh McDaniels (4 1/2-1) and Denver’s Nathaniel Hackett (5-1), whose Broncos have been anything but impressive in managing a 2-1 start.

They could all be a convincing win away from some breathing room. Dallas’ Mike McCarthy, who had the shortest odds just two weeks ago, is now 33-1 following a pair of wins led by backup quarterback Cooper Rush.

Kliff Kingsbury, 3-1
Matt Rhule, 4-1
Josh McDaniels, 4 1/2-1
Nathaniel Hackett, 5-1
Frank Reich, 7 1/2-1
Ron Rivera, 10-1
Pete Carroll, 16-1
Mike Vrabel, 20-1
Mike Tomlin, 22-1
Kevin Stefanski, 25-1
Arthur Smith, 33-1
Dan Campbell, 33-1
Dennis Allen, 33-1
Lovie Smith, 33-1
Mike McCarthy, 33-1
Robert Saleh, 33-1
Kyle Shanahan, 40-1
Matt Eberflus, 50-1
Zac Taylor, 50-1

–Field Level Media

Sep 18, 2022; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule looks on before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Hot Seats: Panthers’ Matt Rhule favored to be first fired – again

With the Carolina Panthers starting the 2022 season with a pair of losses, Matt Rhule has regained his favorite status as the first NFL coach likely to be fired.

Rhule topped the list over the offseason but was temporarily surpassed by Mike McCarthy after Dallas lost its season opener along with quarterback Dak Prescott to an injury.

The Cowboys rebounded with a Week 2 victory over the reigning AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals, and Prescott is on an accelerated path to returning. Meanwhile, the Panthers lost at the New York Giants last week and the offense is sputtering with new quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Rhule is now the +200 favorite at SportsBetting.ag to be the first head coach fired this season. His fate could be determined by how the Panthers’ upcoming three-game homestand goes against New Orleans, Arizona and San Francisco.

Indianapolis’ Frank Reich is feeling the heat of an 0-1-1 start after the Colts acquired veteran quarterback Matt Ryan. Reich opened the week at +350 but his odds had lengthened to +700 at the sportsbook by Thursday.

Reich was surpassed by Denver’s Nathaniel Hackett, who has the second-shortest odds at +500 despite being only two games into his tenure. The Broncos’ first-year coach opened the week as a +2000 longshot in the prop market but has come under intense scrutiny for poor clock management during an opening loss at Seattle and a come-from-behind win at home against Houston.

Arizona’s Kliff Kingsbury might have received a bit of a reprieve with the Cardinals storming from behind to win in Las Vegas after a home blowout loss to Kansas City in Week 1. Kingsbury’s odds of being the first coach fired are +800.

First NFL Coach Fired/Resign Odds:
Matt Rhule, +200
Nathaniel Hackett, 500
Frank Reich, +700
Kliff Kingsbury, +800
Mike Vrabel, +1000
Josh McDaniels, +1200
Kevin Stefanski, +1200
Ron Rivera, +1400
Mike McCarthy, +1600
Arthur Smith, +2000
Pete Carroll, +2000
Lovie Smith, +3300
Dennis Allen, +4000
Dan Campbell, +4000
Robert Saleh, +4000
Zac Taylor, +4000
Mike Tomlin, +4000
John Harbaugh, +5000
Kyle Shanahan, +5000
Matt Eberflus, +6600

–Field Level Media

Aug 17, 2022; Costa Mesa, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy reacts during joint practice against the Los Angeles Chargers at Jack Hammett Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Hot Seats: Dallas’ Mike McCarthy favored to be first fired

With analysts already putting a fork in the Dallas Cowboys after a devastating Week 1 loss, oddsmakers have also moved Mike McCarthy to the front of the line for the first NFL coach likely to be fired this season.

The honor had belonged to Carolina’s Matt Rhule over the summer and the Panthers suffered their own heartbreaking loss on Sunday. But the Panthers were at least competitive and lost on a 58-yard field goal nailed by Cleveland rookie kicker Cade York.

Later that night, the Cowboys failed to find the end zone in a 19-3 loss to Tampa Bay that saw quarterback Dak Prescott suffer a broken right thumb that will sideline him at least a month.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones admitted to being “very, very frustrated” at the end of last season but insisted McCarthy’s job was never in danger. However, he did acknowledge that a perceived lack of endorsement at the time for McCarthy was part of a strategy to keep defensive coordinator Dan Quinn from leaving for a head coaching job elsewhere.

That Quinn serves as a potential replacement with previous NFL head coaching experience for a team with Super Bowl ambitions certainly increases the heat under McCarthy’s seat.

SportsBetting.ag opened a market with odds on all 32 NFL head coaches and their chances of being the first one fired this season. McCarthy leads the way at 3-1, followed by Rhule (4-1) and Arizona’s Kliff Kingsbury (5-1), whose Cardinals opened the season with a blowout loss at home to Kansas City.

First Head Coach Fired
Mike McCarthy, 3-1
Matt Rhule, 4-1
Kliff Kingsbury, 5-1
Frank Reich, 9-1
Mike Vrabel, 9-1
Robert Saleh, 10-1
Arthur Smith, 14-1
Dan Campbell, 14-1
Pete Carroll, 16-1
Ron Rivera, 16-1
Kevin Stefanski, 25-1
Kyle Shanahan, 28-1
Lovie Smith, 33-1
Mike Tomlin, 33-1
John Harbaugh, 50-1
Nick Sirianni, 50-1
Josh McDaniels, 66-1
Matt LaFleur, 66-1
Todd Bowles, 66-1
Bill Belichick, 75-1
Doug Pederson, 75-1
Zac Taylor, 75-1
Dennis Allen, 80-1
Nathaniel Hackett, 80-1
Andy Reid, 100-1
Brandon Staley, 100-1
Brian Daboll, 100-1
Kevin O’Connell, 100-1
Matt Eberflus, 100-1
Mike McDaniel, 100-1
Sean McVay, 100-1
Sean McDermott, 150-1

All might not be lost for the Cowboys just yet in 2022.

Prescott was originally expected to miss six to eight weeks, but the NFL Network reported Tuesday that the timeline could be closer to four to six weeks depending on how quickly the bone heals following surgery.

Jones told 105.3 FM in Dallas that Prescott would not be placed on injured reserve.

Cooper Rush, who has started one game through his first four NFL seasons, will replace Prescott for the time being. The team also has Will Grier on the roster.

However, SportsBetting.ag is offering odds on veteran quarterbacks the Cowboys might sign. McCarthy said the Cowboys would be making roster moves Tuesday, noting he was carrying a list of all available quarterbacks in his pocket during the media session.

The list includes everyone from former Cowboys quarterback Garrett Gilbert to longshot odds on a quartet of retired superstars.

Which QB will Cowboys sign in 2022?
Garrett Gilbert, 4-1
Nick Foles, 9-2
Teddy Bridgewater, 5-1
Gardner Minshew, 6-1
Ryan Fitzpatrick, 6-1
Cam Newton, 9-1
Jimmy Garoppolo, 11-1
Ben DiNucci, 12-1
Mason Rudolph, 14-1
Mike Glennon, 16-1
A.J. McCarron, 20-1
Matt Barkley, 20-1
Colin Kaepernick, 40-1
Ben Roethlisberger, 50-1
Drew Brees, 50-1
Philip Rivers, 50-1
Andrew Luck, 66-1

The Cowboys play host to Cincinnati on Sunday with both teams trying to avoid an 0-2 start. Dallas is also trying to find the end zone for the first time this season — another market being offered by SportsBetting.ag.

When will the Cowboys score their first offensive TD? (Week 2 only)
First quarter +190
Second quarter +160
Third quarter +180
Fourth quarter +350
No offensive TD scored +500

–Field Level Media