It would appear half of the Super Bowl-bound tandem of coordinators on the Browns’ coaching short list have spurned Cleveland.
After Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase told Browns owner Jimmy Haslam he had withdrawn his name from consideration, Cleveland still has Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn in its sights and also lined up a second interview with Buffalo — and former Jets — defensive coordinator and Mike Pettine on Tuesday night.
Quinn coordinated the NFL’s top-ranked defense this season.
Call ’em Gang Orange.
The Super Bowl will officially be a home game for the Broncos. And even if they can’t import the unseasonably-warm weather they had at Sports Authority Field for the AFC Championship Game win, they have autonomy over something very important to the superstitious: The jersey colors.
The Broncos will don the orange jerseys they’ve worn at home since the start of last season. They’re 16-3 including playoffs wearing them.
Denver is 0-3 in Super Bowls wearing orange, losing to the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII, the Redskins in Super Bowl XXII and the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIV. They could have chosen blue (they are 1-0, beating the Packers in Super Bowl XXXII) or white (1-1, losing to the Giants in Super Bowl XXI and beating the Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII).
This will be the first time the Seahawks wear white in the Super Bowl. They lost in blue to the Steelers in Super Bowl XL.
When keeping your post-game celebrations real goes wrong.
After outspoken Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman made his game-clinching play to book the Seahawks’ trip to the Super Bowl, a Bellingham, Wash., resident celebrated by firing his shotgun in the air. Police responded to neighbors’ complaints and found five shotgun shells in the yard of the 60-year-old man who admitted he was responsible.
The Bellingham Herald reported the man was slightly intoxicated, and was arrested for discharging a weapon within city limits. The weapon was impounded.
Olympic gold medal winner Gabby Douglas will cover the Super Bowl as a special correspondent for Inside Edition.
The 18-year-old Douglas won both all-around and team gold medals in gymnastics in the 2012 London Olympics. Inside Edition said Tuesday that Douglas will report on Super Bowl from Jan. 28 through the big game on Feb. 2.
For the record, Douglas is a New England fan, but her beloved Patriots lost in the AFC title game last Sunday. Douglas — who plans to defend her title at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil — will work with correspondent Megan Alexander on interviews and behind-the-scenes pieces.
BOLDFACE PREDICTION
Victor Cruz, Giants wide receiver: “Broncos 28-21. Eli won in Peyton’s house a couple of years ago. I think it’s time Peyton wins in Eli’s house.”
GET TO KNOW
Broncos DT Terrance Knighton: New York, meet Pot Roast. Or Terrance Knighton, as his government issued ID insists on calling him.
Denver’s strength is clearly its record-setting offense, led by Peyton Manning. But it’s the 6-foot-3, 335-pound Knighton that helped solidify the Broncos’ leaky defense. With defensive linemen Derek Wolfe and Kevin Vickerson and outside linebacker Von Miller injured, it was Knighton that collapsed the middle of the Patriots’ offensive line, stuffed their run and pressured Tom Brady in the AFC Championship.
Now, it’ll be the Hartford-born Knighton — let go by lowly Jacksonville after 2012 — who will go to the Super Bowl, tasked with slowing Marshawn Lynch and Seattle’s bruising ground game. Pot Roast vs. Beast Mode in the Meadowlands.
TWEET OF THE DAY
— Baseball legend Hank Aaron to Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman
SUPER FORECAST
Accuweather reports a 30% chance of snow; high 36; low 30
Considerable cloudiness with a chance for a couple of snow showers
Winds: 4 mph