The New England Patriots fired offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo after their loss in the AFC championship game Sunday, according to a report from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

DeGuglielmo was the Patriots offensive line coach the last two seasons. He replaced longtime offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia.

Playing behind a beat-up offensive line, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was sacked four times and hit 20 other times in New England’s 20-18 loss to Denver in the AFC championship game.

PANTHERS: Linebacker Thomas Davis had surgery Monday on his broken right forearm, but is expected to play in the Super Bowl.

“My understanding is if everything goes well it is something he can mostly certainly play with,” Panthers Coach Ron Rivera said Monday. “So we are excited about that possibility.”

Rivera did not know which forearm bone Davis broke.

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He said the 11-year NFL veteran may need to wear a brace on his arm similar to the one worn by New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Davis broke his arm in the second quarter of Carolina’s 49-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday in the NFC championship. Davis said after the game he fully expected to play in the Super Bowl in about two weeks.

BRONCOS: Peyton Manning earned back half of the $4 million pay cut he accepted last winter by leading the Denver Broncos back to the Super Bowl.

He can recoup the rest with a win over Carolina in two weeks.

Manning agreed to GM John Elway’s request that he reduce his 2015 salary to $15 million. But he did so with the caveat that he could earn back every penny by getting to and winning Super Bowl 50.

Each member of the Broncos earned $46,000 Sunday when they beat New England 20-18.

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PRO BOWL: Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor and center Eric Wood are heading to the Pro Bowl.

They take the places of Carolina quarterback Cam Newton and center Ryan Kalil, who won’t participate because the Panthers are Super Bowl-bound.

Atlanta Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant and fullback Patrick DiMarco will also replace Carolina players, fullback Mike Tolbert and cornerback Josh Norman.

Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith was also added to the roster, replacing Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas, who withdrew because of an injury.

TELEVISION: The AFC championship game drew its second-largest television audience on record.

The Broncos’ down-to-the-wire win over the Patriots in what could be the last meeting between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady averaged 53.3 million viewers Sunday on CBS. The network said Monday that trails only the 54.9 million for the 2011 Steelers-Jets matchup, which was played in a later time slot. CBS’ records go back to 1978.

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In the NFC matchup, the Panthers and Cardinals don’t have the history of the Broncos and Patriots, and the outcome was a rout, leading to the unusual occurrence of the early game getting more viewers than the late one. Carolina’s victory averaged 45.7 million viewers.

EAGLES: Philadelphia signed tight end Zach Ertz to a five-year contract extension through the 2021 season.

Ertz set career highs this season with 75 receptions and 853 yards receiving.

SEAHAWKS: Police have recommended felony charges of vehicular assault and hit-and-run against Seattle fullback Derrick Coleman for an October car crash after which he acknowledged smoking synthetic marijuana.

In the police report, Coleman told police he had smoked “Spice” around 5 p.m. on Oct. 14 and drove somewhere around 5:30 p.m.

The car crash took place just after 6 p.m., with Coleman’s truck traveling at 60 mph in a 35 mph zone and hitting a Honda Civic.


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