Lions clean house, fire offensive coordinator, line coaches

Hours before leaving for their longest road trip of the season, the Detroit Lions shook up their offensive coaching staff.

Detroit fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and line coaches Jeremiah Washburn and Terry Heffernan on Monday, a day after the team dropped another game in a listless performance against the Vikings. The Lions announced the moves shortly before they were supposed to depart for London, where they'll play next weekend against the Kansas City Chiefs.

"It's not a good day. It's a tough day," coach Jim Caldwell said. "I've been in this position myself three times, and it's happened to me, and it's certainly not fun."

Caldwell said the staff changes were his decision, and he had not spoken with ownership.

"I'm sure they're supportive," he said.

Quarterbacks coach Jim Bob Cooter is taking over as offensive coordinator, and tight ends coach Ron Prince will now coach the offensive line. Assistant special teams coach Devin Fitzsimmons will now work with tight ends.

Texans coach Bill O'Brien says he expects Arian Foster to miss the rest of the season but didn't elaborate on the injury to Foster's right leg.

All signs point to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's return to the Pittsburgh Steelers' lineup for an AFC North home game Sunday against unbeaten Cincinnati.

Nothing has been made official, but Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said the two-time Super Bowl winner, who missed four games because of a sprained knee and bruised leg, was ''close" to starting the team's 23-13 loss at Kansas City.

Jason Garrett won't discipline defensive end Greg Hardy over a physical confrontation with one of his assistants, and the Dallas coach brushes off suggestions he faces his biggest leadership challenge in five years at the helm.

"It was not a big deal from anybody inside our football team and inside this building," Garrett said of Hardy's shoving match with special teams coach Rich Bisaccia on the sideline after New York's decisive kickoff return for a touchdown.

• Browns starting quarterback Josh McCown said he's "sore but getting better" after he took a pounding in Sunday's loss in St. Louis. McCown left because of an injured right shoulder in the fourth quarter of the 24-6 defeat. The 36-year-old was sacked four times and took several other hard shots, including a blow to the chin that left him dazed.

He was replaced by Johnny Manziel, who would get the nod against the Cardinals if McCown can't play.

• Former NFL star and Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George will make his Broadway debut in the musical "Chicago," tackling the role of fast-talking lawyer Billy Flynn.

• Jets center Nick Mangold has a sore neck, but avoided a potentially serious injury when X-rays and other test results came back negative after leaving Sunday's game because of a neck injury.

• Jason Pierre-Paul flew to New Jersey to be examined by the Giants' team doctors, although it appears uncertain at the moment whether he might join the team for the remainder of the season.