Welcome to Monday's Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.
MONDAY'S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:NBA: Atlanta at Orlando, 7 p.m. (NBATV)NBA: Phoenix at Portland, 10 p.m. (NBATV)NHL: Ottawa at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. (NHL Network)
AROUND THE WEB:
-- Mike Vrabel's Titans are preparing to face the Patriots in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Saturday and the coach admitted facing his former team will not be easy.
"You're basically walking into the viper's den," Vrabel said after the Titans' 35-14 win over the Texans on Sunday. "We're going to have to go on the road and beat a team that's won a lot of playoff games up there."
Mike Vrabel insisted he wasn't emotional, just looking toward what's ahead. Called Gillette Stadium "the viper's den." #Titans pic.twitter.com/AVvisWqf2Q
— Erik Bacharach (@ErikBacharach) December 30, 2019"It doesn't get any easier," he continued. "You're going to have to go on the road in a tough environment (against a) great defense. They're no strangers to winning playoff football games at home, so we'll have to go up there, we'll have to prepare, find out when we play, get a schedule, get guys healthy and start the preparation."
The Patriots have not lost a playoff game at Gillette since the Baltimore Ravens beat them in the 2013 AFC Championship Game.
-- The Browns have fired head coach Freddie Kitchens after a 6-10 finish in his first season at the helm, the team announced on Sunday.
"We thank Freddie for his hard work and commitment to this organization but did not see the success or opportunities for improvement to move forward with him as our head coach," team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam said in a statement. "Our focus is on hiring an exceptional leader for this football team and we will take a comprehensive approach to this process. We are excited about the core players we have to build around and develop and we look forward to bringing in a strong head coach that will put this group of players in the best position to succeed."
After the Browns' loss on Sunday and right before he was let go, Kitchens ignored any possibility of his firing.
"We've got meetings scheduled through next week, and I'm looking forward to going to work tomorrow," Kitchens said. "They have not given me any indication of anything else. Mr. Jimmy and Dee, I think they want me to do my job, and that's what I'm gonna do. Until they tell me not to, if they tell me not to."
Shortly after, they told him not to.
The Browns have now gone through six head coaches since 2012.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I feel good. I have no problems. So yeah, no problems."-- Tom Brady, on if his elbow was a problem in the Patriots' loss to the Dolphins on Sunday
