Steve Spagnuolo

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Eli Manning threw two touchdown passes and linebacker Michael Boley scored on a 65-yard fumble return to lead the New York Giants to a 28-16 victory over the mistake-prone St. Louis Rams on Monday night. Manning hit Hakeem Nicks with a 3-yard TD pass and Domenik Hixon made a spectacular juggling grab on a 22-yard score as New York (1-1) gave Tom Coughlin a win over Steve Spagnuolo in their first matchup since the one-time Giants defensive coordinator left to take over as coach of the Rams (0-2)

The New Orleans Saints have fired defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo after one season - a record-setting year in the wrong way. New Orleans ranked last in the NFL in total defense and run defense, yielding the most yards (7,042) ever in a single season. The Saints went 7-9 this season and allowed 454 points; only Tennessee gave up more. Coach Sean Payton, who returned to work this week after a season-long suspension, announced Thursday that Spagnuolo, a former Eagles assistant and Rams head coach, was being released.

There might not be another player in the NFL who has a better grasp of the Eagles' defensive-coordinator situation and how it relates to Steve Spagnuolo than former Eagle and current Ram Quintin Mikell. Mikell, a safety, played under Spagnuolo when the coach was a defensive assistant with the Eagles in the mid-2000s. Mikell then signed with St. Louis last year largely because the Rams head coach recruited him. Mikell said that he recently spoke with Spagnuolo, not long after he was fired by the Rams, about the speculation that the coach would return to the Eagles and replace Juan Castillo as the Birds' defensive coordinator.

Donovan McNabb was asked whether Eagles defensive backs coach Brian Stewart, the former Cowboys defensive coordinator, had been of any help this week, as the Birds prepare to host his former team Sunday night. "No, not at all, not at all," the quarterback said, smiling extra wide, in case the questioner did not get that he was being facetious. "Who's Brian Stewart?" center Jamaal Jackson asked, in a similar vein. Ha, ha. Yuk-yuk. NFL teams play against former teammates and coaches all the time; usually, it doesn't have much to do with the outcome.

St. Louis Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo probably thought he could enjoy a leisurely spring training game and visit with St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa yesterday in Jupiter, Fla. Instead, Spagnuolo was answering questions about his team's reported interest in Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. "There's nothing to that," Spagnuolo told a reporter from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, echoing a chorus of denials from Rams brass on Wednesday. "We're not involved in that. "At this time of year there are going to be all kinds of things thrown out there.

With the rising star from the Super Bowl out of the running, the Washington Redskins spent yesterday planning their next move. Will their new coach be Jim Fassel? Ron Meeks? Steve Mariucci? One certainty is that the next Redskins coach will not be New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who withdrew his name from consideration, citing his desire to remain with the Super Bowl champions. The Giants rewarded Spagnuolo with a three-year, $6 million deal, making the defensive coordinator one of the highest-paid assistants in the league.

Jim Schwartz insisted he loves challenges. Well, he has one. The Detroit Lions, the NFL's first 0-16 team, agreed yesterday on a 4-year deal with Schwartz to make him their next coach. The former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator will be introduced today at Ford Field, where Detroit lost its home games last year by an average of 21.4 points to break another dubious league record. The 42-year-old Schwartz just finished his eighth season as the Titans' defensive coordinator and his 10th on their staff.

Andy Reid has shuffled his coaching staff to make up for the loss of secondary coach Leslie Frazier, who became defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals. Steve Spagnuolo, who worked primarily with the safeties, will remain the defensive-backs coach. Sean McDermott, 28, who had been a quality-control assistant, was promoted to assistant defensive-backs coach. McDermott, who grew up in Lansdale, attended La Salle High School. Bill Shuey, who has been Reid's personal assistant the last two years, will move to the offensive quality-control position.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Eli Manning wasn't searching for answers earlier this week when he said the New York Giants were looking for an identity after a season-opening loss. The 2008 Super Bowl MVP knows exactly who the Giants are when they have the ball. So do the St. Louis Rams, who will face them tonight at MetLife Stadium in the first coaching matchup of Tom Coughlin and former pupil Steve Spagnuolo. The Giants are a run-first offense. The passing game is set up by the rushing of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs and the blocking of a hard-nosed offensive line.

Former Atlanta coach Jim Mora will succeed Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, beginning with the 2009 season. After serving as the assistant head coach and defensive backs coach for one more season, Mora, 46, will begin a 4-year contract as the head coach. Holmgren said he pushed for the announcement now, so players who are poised to enter free agency next month can judge Seattle while knowing who its coach will be beyond next season. Noteworthy Steve Spagnuolo, the New York Giants defensive coordinator, spent most of day meeting with Washington owner Dan Snyder regarding the Redskins head coaching job left vacant after Joe Gibbs resigned on Jan. 8. Jacksonville hired Gregg Williams as its defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.