Quick Kicks

Patience no virtue

The Green Bay Packers fired coach Ray Rhodes and his entire staff after the team failed to make the NFL playoffs for the first time in seven years, according to reports Sunday night.

ESPN and WFRV-TV, the CBS affiliate in Green Bay, reported Rhodes’ firing.

Phones calls by The Associated Press to team president Bob Harlan and general manager Ron Wolf were not returned Sunday night.

Two players, Vonnie Holliday and Anthony Davis, said they were unaware of the report.

ESPN quoted sources as saying Rhodes, in his first season as coach of the Packers, was informed of the decision following the team’s 49-24 victory over Arizona on Sunday. A win by Dallas over the New York Giants later Sunday eliminated Green Bay (8-8) from postseason contention on a conference tiebreaker.

An official announcement is expected Monday, ESPN said.

Rhodes replaced Mike Holmgren when he left for Seattle. Rhodes was fired by Philadelphia after last season.

Try playing some defense

New Orleans understood why the Carolina Panthers were in it for the points Sunday, but some of the Saints were still angered by an embarrassing close to a disastrous season.

Carolina needed to win the game with a victory margin 18 points more than Green Bay’s over Arizona to have a shot at a playoff berth. The Panthers won 45-13, but fell 11 points short.

“Everybody was kind of disappointed because they were sitting there trying to rub it in our faces,” New Orleans punter Tommy Barnhardt said. “I think that was totally uncalled for, but they’ll get their day. Their time will come.”

Parcells could return

The will-he-or-won’t-he game will end very quickly for Bill Parcells. Perhaps as soon as today.

The New York Jets coach, who has hedged on returning next season, said after Sunday’s season-ending 19-9 victory over Seattle that he will make an almost immediate decision on his future.

“I’m going to think this over real quick,” Parcells said after the Jets won their fourth straight to rally from 1-6 and finish 8-8. “We’ve got imminent changes here in the organization and I have a responsibility to the organization, and I’ll adhere to that all the way and do my best to get things squared away very quickly.”

Jaguars lose Boselli

The Jacksonville Jaguars may have to prepare for the playoffs without their best player, Tony Boselli.

The four-time Pro Bowl left tackle departed Sunday’s victory over the Bengals in the third quarter with an injury to his right knee. There was no contact on the play, but Boselli clutched his knee and fell to the ground. The initial diagnosis was a sprain.

Terrell who?

Olandis Gary, an emergency replacement for MVP running back Terrell Davis, set Denver’s franchise record for rushing yards by a rookie in the Broncos’ finale against the San Diego Chargers.

Bobbie Humphrey ran for 1,151 yards as a rookie in 1989. Gary, inactive for the first four games of the season, finished with 1,156.

The last word …

“The hell with winning eight games out of 10. We should be 16-0.”

- Minnesota wide receiver Randy Moss, ho-humming the Vikings’ finish and wild-card berth.