NFL news & notes

BUFFALO BILLS

Alabama OC Daboll returning to NFL

ORCHARD PARk, N.y.

The Buffalo Bills hired Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator Sunday.

Coach Sean McDermott announced Daboll’s hiring two days after firing Rick Dennison.

The 42-year-old Daboll was the offensive coordinator for national champion Alabama. It was the sixth time he was part of the coaching staff for a national championship team.

Prior to last season, Daboll was the tight end’s coach for the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. He has 17 seasons of coaching experience in the NFL, including stints as the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns (2009-10), Miami Dolphins (2011) and Kansas City Chiefs (2012).

Daboll will be the Bills’ fifth offensive coordinator in six seasons.

The Bills finished 29th in offense this past season and their running attack fell to sixth after leading the league the past two seasons. Dennison’s play-calling was questioned after Buffalo scored just three points against Jacksonville in the franchise’s first playoff game in 18 years.

Daboll coordinated an Alabama offense that ranked 15th in the nation in scoring at 37.1 points per game and 13th in rushing.

TENNESSEE TITANS

Right tackle Conklin suffers torn ACL

NASHVILLE, TENN.

Tennessee coach Mike Mularkey says right tackle Jack Conklin tore his left anterior cruciate ligament and likely will start training camp on the physically unable to perform list.

Mularkey said Sunday that Conklin will have surgery to repair the ACL within the next two weeks.

Conklin, the eighth pick overall out of Michigan State in 2016, was hurt with 3:14 left in the first quarter of the 35-14 loss to New England. Patriots lineman Malcolm Brown appeared to roll up on Conklin’s leg on a run play.

Mularkey says the timing of Conklin’s injury is unfortunate heading into the offseason. Conklin was an All-Pro as a rookie for Tennessee.

Tight end Jonnu Smith hurt his right medial collateral ligament, but Mularkey says he won’t need surgery.

Associated Press