NFL notebook: Jaguars fire OC Hackett, bench Bortles

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone made two major moves on Monday hoping to improve the team's offense. First the Jaguars fired offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett one day after the team lost its seventh straight game. Later Monday, Marrone announced Cody Kessler will replace Blake Bortles as the Jaguars' starting quarterback in Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts. Bortles was 12 of 23 for 127 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in Sunday's 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills. In February, the Jaguars signed Bortles to a three-year, $54 million contract extension, and he has started all 11 games this season. He has completed 60.4 percent of his passes this season with 13 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. Kessler had played in just one game this season, completing 21 of 30 passes for 156 yards, one touchdown and one interception after replacing Bortles in the Oct. 21 loss to the Houston Texans. Hackett was in his third season as the Jaguars' offensive coordinator after replacing Greg Olson. He also served in the same capacity with head coach Doug Marrone in 2013-14. The Jaguars (3-8) rank 22nd in the NFL in total offense (346.5 yards per game) and just 28th in points (17.9). --Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton was placed on injured reserve with a thumb injury, the team announced. The team did not disclose the specifics of Dalton's injury, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Dalton suffered torn ligaments in the thumb on his throwing hand. Dalton is done for the season, and it is unclear at this point whether Dalton will require surgery. Jeff Driskel, who replaced Dalton against the Browns on Sunday, will make his first NFL start in Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos. Driskell was 17 of 29 for 155 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions against the Browns in the most extensive playing time of his career. In a related move, the Bengals claimed quarterback Tom Savage off waivers from the 49ers. --Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle was placed on injured reserve with a kidney injury, the team announced. Doyle suffered the injury during Sunday's win over the Miami Dolphins when he took a big hit in the fourth quarter. He was hospitalized as a result of the injury. Colts head coach Frank Reich said he received a text Sunday night that Doyle was having a procedure performed on his kidney. The Colts are 5-1 with Doyle in the lineup this season and 1-4 without him. In his six games this season, Doyle has recorded 26 receptions for 245 yards and two touchdowns. --Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon is considered week-to-week with a sprained MCL in his right knee, the team announced. Gordon was injured on a reverse early in the second half of Sunday's 45-10 victory over the Arizona Carddinals, with a leg whip by defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche taking him down for a 10-yard loss. Los Angeles (8-3) was leading 28-10 at the time. Gordon, 25, has a team-leading 802 rushing yards on 153 carries for a 5.2 per-carry average. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Gordon also has 44 catches for 453 receiving yards and 13 total touchdowns (nine rushing, four receiving) on the season. --One day after Sunday's 45-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, the Arizona Cardinals made two significant personnel changes. The team announced that it released right tackle Andre Smith and cornerback Bene Benwikere. Both players started eight games this season and both were starters in Sunday's loss, which was the Cardinals' third straight defeat. The Cardinals gave Smith a two-year contract in the offseason with $3.5 million in guarantees. He played in 13 games, including eight starts, for the Cincinnati Bengals last year. Also, Cardinals kicker Phil Dawson was placed on injured reserve with a hip injury, and Zane Gonzalez was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster to replace Dawson. The Cardinals also placed linebacker Josh Bynes was placed on injured reserve with a thumb injury. He has started all 11 games this season and has 75 total tackles, including two sacks. --Detroit Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones has missed the past two games with a knee injury, and the Lions have decided that Jones will not play again this season. Lions head coach Matt Patricia announced that Jones will be placed on injured reserve. Jones had 35 catches for 508 yards and five touchdowns in his nine games this season. Last year, Jones had 61 receptions for 1,101 yards and nine touchdowns while leading the NFL in yards per catch at 18.0. --Michigan defensive lineman Rashan Gary announced that he will forgo his senior season and enter the 2019 NFL Draft. Gary is listed as No. 9 on NFLDraftScout.com senior analyst Rob Rang's most recent mock and No. 6 on his Big Board. Gary would still have one more year of eligibility after this season. --Arizona State wide receiver N'Keal Harry announced that he will give up his senior season and enter the 2019 NFL Draft. Harry is listed as No. 10 on NFLDraftScout.com senior analyst Rob Rang's most recent mock. The 6-foot-4, 221-pound junior recorded 73 receptions for 1,088 yards and nine touchdowns this season. --San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman defended his team's decision to part ways with Reuben Foster after the linebacker was arrested on a domestic violence charge over the weekend. "It's what they had to do," the 30-year-old Sherman said, via NBC Bay Area. "I think the organization has handled the situation as best they could. Obviously been patient and deliberate and understanding of who Reuben is and what kind of heart he has. "But it's a really compromising situation for the team, repeatedly. So, you understand the decision the organization has to make, after repeated offenses." Foster was arrested on Saturday night on first-degree misdemeanor domestic violence at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay.