Published: Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009

Updated: Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009

Bucs demote defensive coordinator

Tampa Bay’s Raheem Morris is taking it upon himself to fix one of the NFL’s worst defenses.

The first-year coach added defensive playcalling to his duties Tuesday, demoting veteran defensive coordinator Jim Bates after a 38-7 loss to unbeaten NFC South rival New Orleans dropped the Bucs to 1-9.

“I feel like it’s my responsibility. I feel like I have to do it,” said Morris, who at 33 is the league’s youngest coach. “I feel like it’s what I’m supposed to do as a head coach.”

The Bucs are 26th in the NFL in total defense, allowing just over 378 yards per game. They’re last in rushing defense and have allowed 294 points, the second-highest total in the league.

It’s the second major change Morris and general manager Mark Dominik have made with the coaching staff since late August. Offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski was fired 10 days before the start of the season and replaced by quarterback coach Greg Olson.

“It’s my call. It’s my job to make sure we progress,” said Morris, who took over for Jon Gruden after Tampa Bay ended last season with a four-game losing streak that cost the team a playoff berth following a 9-3 start.

“We’ve got to go out, we’ve got to progress and try to get better these next six weeks. That’s my focus.”

It’s not clear what Bates’ duties will be the rest of the season. The 17-year NFL assistant was hired to install a system to replace the Tampa 2 scheme the Bucs ran for 13 seasons under former defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.

n Byron Leftwich’s season is over after the Bucs put the backup quarterback on injured reserve with a sore right elbow.

Tampa Bay also announced that it had signed quarterback Rudy Carpenter from the Dallas Cowboys practice squad.

BILLS — Buffalo considers two-time Super Bowl-winner Mike Shanahan a legitimate candidate to be their next head coach.

A person familiar with the Bills’ search told The Associated Press the team has contacted the former Denver Broncos’ coach. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Bills are not discussing the search.

Shanahan has been out of football since the Broncos fired him at the end of last season. A message left at his Denver office was not returned.

He went 146-91 in 14 seasons in Denver, including the playoffs. But the Broncos struggled in his final three seasons, going 24-24, including an 8-8 finish last year in which they missed the playoffs after losing their final three games.

CONCUSSIONS — Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a wide-ranging memo about concussions to NFL teams Tuesday, saying the co-chairmen of the league’s committee on brain injuries have resigned and that he is examining potential rule changes “to reduce head impacts.”

Goodell wrote that Dr. Ira Casson and Dr. David Viano, who have led the league committee on concussions since 2007, “have graciously offered to resign from those positions and to continue to assist the committee in its important work. We have accepted those resignations and are currently identifying their replacements.”