All Aboard the Coaching Carousel

Playoff scenarios dominated the final Sunday of the regular season, but Monday morning hangovers could be coming for coaches whose teams are staying home for the new year.

Tom Coughlin in Jacksonville, Dave Campo in Dallas, Marty Mornhinweg in Detroit and Dick LeBeau in Cincinnati all could be seeking new employment by as early as today.

ESPN.com reported Sunday that Coughlin would be fired and that former NFL coach Dennis Green, Louisiana State Coach Nick Saban and Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops were possible replacements, although Jaguar owner Wayne Weaver denied he had made any decision.

After a 20-13 loss to Indianapolis, Coughlin still had little clue of where he stands.

“He hasn’t given me any indication on what he’s thinking,” Coughlin said of Weaver.

Campo could be the first to go as owner Jerry Jones has done nothing to hide his two meetings in the last two weeks with Bill Parcells and a phone conversation he had with Green.

Jones said this has been his “most disappointing year” as an owner. Asked when a decision will be made on Campo’s future, he said: “Immediately,” meaning today or Tuesday.

Campo won’t resort to begging for another chance.

“I’m not going to comment on that,” Campo said. “That’s Jerry’s decision.”

It’s also the decision of Detroit owner William Clay Ford Sr. on whether Mornhinweg -- and for that matter General Manager Matt Millen -- will return after a 3-13 season.

Mornhinweg also declined to speculate.

LeBeau, on the other hand, could have been speaking for all four coaches recently.

“I’m going to coach the team like I’m going to be here forever,” he told the Columbus Dispatch last week. “And I suppose one of these days, forever won’t be an accurate statement.”

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Despite a 24-16 loss to Cleveland, Atlanta Falcon quarterback Michael Vick didn’t let that take away from a successful season with a playoff appearance still to come.

“If you read all the preseason articles being written, people was predicting us to be 5-11, 6-10, like there’s no way this team is going to make the playoffs,” Vick said. “There’s no way this young quarterback will be back there making plays. He won’t be able to do enough because he doesn’t have the experience.”

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Cincinnati Bengal quarterback Jon Kitna came up six snaps short of earning a $1.625 million contract bonus. To achieve the bonus, Kitna needed to have 61 snaps against Buffalo to appear in 80% of Cincinnati’s offensive plays this season.

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The Colts’ Dwight Freeney had two sacks in a 20-13 victory over the Jaguars, giving him 13. It’s the second-most by a rookie in NFL history. Jevon Kearse of the Tennessee Titans had 14 1/2 in 1999.... Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck’s 36 completions against San Diego is a team record, breaking the old mark of 33 by Dave Krieg against Atlanta in 1985.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

BESTS OF THE DAY

*--* PASSING Att Cmp Yds TD MATT HASSELBECK, Seahawks 53 36 449 2 JEFF BLAKE, Ravens 26 19 336 2 DREW BREES, Chargers 49 27 332 3 DAUNTE CULPEPPER, Vikings 29 21 312 2 MIKE McMAHON, Lions 44 19 293 3

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*--* RUSHING Att Yards Avg TD CLINTON PORTIS, Broncos 24 228 9.5 2 RICKY WILLIAMS, Dolphins 31 185 6.0 2 WILLIAM GREEN, Browns 27 178 6.6 2 DEUCE McALLISTER, Saints 28 117 4.2 0 AMOS ZEREOUE, Steelers 26 104 4.0 2

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*--* RECEIVING No Yards Avg TD ANTONIO BRYANT, Cowboys 7 170 24.3 1 TODD HEAP, Ravens 7 146 20.9 1 BILL SCHROEDER, Lions 6 132 22.0 1 STEPHEN ALEXANDER, Chargers 8 129 16.1 1 CHAD JOHNSON, Bengals 6 123 20.5 0

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*--* DEFENSE Breakdown LaVAR ARRINGTON, Redskins 2 fumble recoveries, one for touchdown LANCE SCHULTERS, Titans 6 tackles, 1 assisted tackle, 1 sack TERRY COUSIN, Panthers 2 interceptions, 5 tackles, 1 sack BRIAN KELLY, Buccaneers 2 interceptions, 3 tackles ZACH THOMAS, Dolphins 11 tackles, 5 assisted tackles

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