It looks as if there won't be any in-season coaching changes in the NFL this year.
For the many frustrated fans of the Washington Redskins, Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns -- three teams that seemed most likely to fire their head coaches by now -- that's probably bad news.
For long-time league observers, however, that's a refreshing sign of owners allowing themselves to be guided by intellect rather than impulse.
| ||||||
| Interim coaches struggle to succeed | ||||||
| Coach | Team | Years | W-L | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dick LeBeau | Bengals | 2000-02 | 12-33 | |||
| Dave McGinnis | Cardinals | 2000-03 | 17-40 | |||
| Mike Tice | Vikings | 2001-05 | 33-34 | |||
| Tom Cable | Raiders | 2008-09 | 6-14 | |||
| Mike Singletary | 49ers | 2008-09 | 8-8 | |||
In-season coaching changes rarely do anything more than offer temporary appeasement to a disgruntled fan base. Most fans and media who scream for a coach to get the axe are smart enough to realize that it's only after the season -- the usual time for coaching and/or front-office overhauls -- that such a move offers any hope for improvement.
"Every situation is different," Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy said. "But most of the time, it's not wise to make a midseason change. It's just more of a disruptive, quick-fix move that sounds clever but doesn't have much substance in most cases.
"Is the coach really not getting across to the players at all? Is the thing in disrepair? Is the thing falling apart? If that's the case, that's one thing. But if a team's not winning and you just say, 'Let's change,' what you're going to do is set the team back even further. You're going to bring in an interim coach and then, at the end of the year, you're going to bring in a new head guy, and it just shakes it up more than you can believe."
Although the Redskins (2-5) stripped Jim Zorn of his play-calling duties, they kept him as their coach through their Week 8 bye, and indications are he'll stay aboard through the rest of the year. The Bills (3-5) and Browns (1-7), who have byes this week, apparently also are standing pat with Dick Jauron and Eric Mangini, respectively, at least for the remainder of the season. The Browns did part ways with general manager George Kokinis on Monday, a move widely perceived as helping Mangini to preserve his job for the balance of 2009, if not longer.
The Oakland Raiders (2-6) also have a bye this week. Their coach, Tom Cable, appears to be safe as well, although he's expected to be the subject of an investigation by the Raiders and the NFL for recent allegations of past domestic violence made against him by a former wife and girlfriend.
In 2008, there were three in-season coaching changes: The Raiders replaced Lane Kiffin with then-offensive line coach Cable in Week 5; the St. Louis Rams replaced Scott Linehan with Jim Haslett in Week 5; and the San Francisco 49ers replaced Mike Nolan with assistant head coach/defense Mike Singletary in Week 8. After the season, Cable and Singletary went from interim to full-time head coaches. The Rams hired Steve Spagnuolo.
When you consider Levy's feelings on the matter, it's ironic that the biggest break of his career came after the ninth game of the 1986 season, when he was hired to replace Hank Bullough as coach of the Buffalo Bills. Bullough was 2-7; Levy would finish 2-5.
But with a club that had several key pieces already in place -- including future Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, future Hall of Fame defensive end Bruce Smith, star wide receiver Andre Reed, and a smart general manager named Bill Polian -- Levy knew he had a chance to be successful. And he was.
Nevertheless, he also knew he was working at a disadvantage by not being able to fully implement his program until the following offseason.
"It's education over a period of time to get everyone to understand your system, how we present it, how we make corrections as we go, how we adjust," Levy said. "Just to come in with the advertising slogan, 'new and improved,' that's a catchphrase that's good for laxatives, but I don't know if it's good for changing football coaches."
Observation points
» There was the unbeaten record. There was Drew Brees. But when the New Orleans Saints entered the fourth quarter of Monday night's game vs. the Atlanta Falcons holding a six-point lead, this was the reason you expected the Saints to hang on for the win: Through the first six games of the season, they had outscored their opponents, 74-12, in the fourth quarter. Just ponder that stat for a moment. It says everything about why the Saints are unquestionably the best team in the NFL. They are the consummate closers, and even with all of the unnecessary drama they managed to create in the closing moments Monday night, they ultimately found a way to win. And it shouldn't have been a surprise that the clinching play was an interception by Darren Sharper, who is making a pretty good case for Defensive Player of the Year.
» No one thinks of the Arizona Cardinals as having a balanced offense, but shouldn't they at least try to have some semblance of a running game? Consider that, in four games this season, they have had fewer than 20 rushing attempts, and only twice they've run more than 25 times (28 in a 31-17 victory vs. Jacksonville and 26 in a 27-3 triumph vs. Seattle). It seems like no coincidence that in two of their three losses, including Sunday's upset against the Panthers, they had a season-low 17 rushing attempts.
» Speaking of not running enough, I never thought that would be a problem for the Miami Dolphins, but for some reason they abandoned their power rushing game vs. the New York Jets. Their 23 rushing attempts were only one more than the season-low 22 they had in the season-opening loss at Atlanta. Thanks to Ted Ginn's two kickoff returns for touchdowns, the Dolphins still find themselves very much in the AFC East mix because all three of their wins have come in the division.
» Other random thoughts from Monday night's game: 1. Michael Turner's ability to power his way for extra yards underscored just how much the Saints miss defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, out with a knee injury he suffered in Week 7 vs. Miami; 2. The opportunism of the Saints' defense is absolutely mind-boggling. This unit has produced more touchdowns (six) than the Cleveland Browns' offense (five); 3. Drew Brees is a tremendous passer, but he's also blessed to have receivers who make exceptional athletic plays if the ball is thrown anywhere near them; 4. How good are the Saints' chances of going 16-0? Pretty good when you consider they have the NFL's easiest remaining schedule (their opponents have a combined winning percentage of .359). Their toughest challenge figures to come on Monday night, Nov. 30, when they face the New England Patriots at the Superdome; 5. For as physical and nasty a game as football is, you don't often see anything as brutal as the scrum following the Falcons' onside kick with 28 seconds left. Not surprisingly, Atlanta linebacker Coy Wire, as scrappy a player as you'll find in the NFL, recovered the ball. Wire also forced and recovered Mike Bell's fumble that set up the field goal that led to the onside kick.
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» The Philadelphia Eagles, because even without running back Brian Westbrook, who is recovering from a concussion, their offense was highly effective in their blowout victory against the New York Giants. They also had long touchdown runs by rookie running back LeSean McCoy and fullback Leonard Weaver. Granted, Westbrook has long been the catalyst of Philly's offense, but I'm beginning to think that big-play master DeSean Jackson is steadily moving in the direction of assuming that role.
» The Houston Texans, because they discovered that Steve Slaton might not be the only productive back they have after Ryan Moats rushed for 126 yards and three touchdowns to help them pound on the hapless Bills. The biggest reason coach Gary Kubiak hesitated to yank Slaton after his four fumbles in seven games was because he didn't think he could get enough production from another back. But after Slaton lost the ball against Buffalo, Kubiak finally had enough, and Moats gave him no cause for regret.
» The Tennessee Titans, because after replacing Kerry Collins with Vince Young at quarterback, they rolled to an easy victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars for their first win of the season. On a day when the Titans had a dominant running game from Chris Johnson and their defense was solid, Young didn't have to do much (15 of 18 for 125 yards, 10 runs for 32 yards). Give full credit for that move to Bud Adams, the Titans' 86-year-old owner. Adams gave reporters the following account of a meeting he had with Young after the game: "I told him he played like I thought he could play. I see him having a great future with us here."
They've got questions …
» The New York Giants, because with Eli Manning in one of the worst slumps of his career, they don't have much choice but to hope he snaps out of it soon. There were times vs. the Eagles when Manning looked as if he should have been benched, but where would the Giants go with David Carr under center? Not very far.
» The Texans, because there is no replacing one of the very best tight ends in the game, Owen Daniels, who suffered a season-ending knee injury vs. Buffalo. Joel Dreessen takes over as the starter, but he won't provide the highly effective pass-catching force that Daniels has been. Rookies James Casey and Anthony Hill are likely to be part of the three-tight-end formations favored by offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan (though Casey is expected to miss one game with a knee injury).
» The Green Bay Packers defense, because some players, such as defensive end Cullen Jenkins, are sounding off about being restricted by the 3-4 scheme of new coordinator Dom Capers. Although the Packers held their previous two opponents to a combined three points, they failed to generate any pressure on Vikings quarterback Brett Favre, who for the second time in four weeks comfortably carved up the secondary of his former team. Even if Jenkins' remarks were made out of frustration, they paint a disturbing picture of potential locker-room unrest, which isn't likely to improve as the Vikings look to be running away with the NFC North.
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» Baltimore at Cincinnati: The once-skidding Ravens have new life after a huge win vs. previously-unbeaten Denver. Baltimore has regained confidence on both sides of the ball, and now the Ravens need to make an even stronger statement by knocking off one of the top teams in the AFC North. The Bengals beat the Ravens last month -- in an emotional effort inspired by the death of the wife of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer a few days before the game -- and have proven they're a legitimate contender. However, a loss here would be damaging to their credibility and suddenly give the Ravens momentum they haven't had since opening the season 3-0.
» Houston at Indianapolis: Although the Colts have a commanding lead in the AFC South, the Texans have been relentless. At 5-3, they're off to their best start in franchise history. Matt Schaub and his receivers can match the explosiveness of the Colts' passing game. But Peyton Manning will likely have his team mentally prepared to handle the only opponent in the division with a chance to catch Indianapolis. With eight sacks, Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney could very well be the game's biggest difference-maker because Schaub, the Texans' greatest threat, has been dumped 14 times.
» Dallas at Philadelphia: Besides being a battle for sole possession of first place in the NFC East, this is going to be a great measuring-stick game for both teams, particularly with the Giants in a three-game skid. The Eagles' quick-striking offense might not give the defense much time to recover, but that isn't a problem as long as those three- and four-play drives continue to end with scores rather than turnovers or punts. The Cowboys have won three in a row, but Atlanta is the only team they faced in that stretch that can be viewed as a quality opponent.
» Pittsburgh at Denver: The Steelers made a strong statement with their Week 7 victory against Minnesota at Heinz Field. They would make an even stronger one by beating the Broncos at Invesco Field at Mile High. Pittsburgh's defense, which had been taking a backseat to Ben Roethlisberger and a prolific passing attack for much of the season, rose to the occasion vs. the Vikings. The Broncos were quick to abandon the run vs. the Ravens, raising questions about just how willing they'll be to pound the ball vs. the league's top-ranked run defense.
Top five teams
1. New Orleans: Being the best means being able to withstand a prime-time scare at home.
2. Indianapolis: For the third time this season, the Colts actually had to work for a victory. Once again, they proved they can handle the pressure.
3. Minnesota: Brett Favre's mission didn't end with that second victory vs. the Packers. Neither did the Vikings'.
4. Pittsburgh: After a week of rest, the Steelers are looking to become the next AFC North team to add a blemish to the Broncos' record.
5. New England: The refreshed Patriots have had plenty of time to prepare for the Dolphins' Wildcat, although it’s hard to say how much they’ll see of it considering the recent shift in Miami’s offensive approach.
Top five offensive players
1. Brett Favre, QB, Minnesota: He's in that familiar groove, which looks as if it will allow the Vikings to run away with the NFC North crown and be a serious Super Bowl threat.
2. Tony Romo, QB, Dallas: His play has had plenty to do with the Cowboys' three-game winning streak, but his biggest test to date comes at Philadelphia.
3. Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee: Vince Young received all of the pre-game attention, but Johnson's record rushing day (228 yards and two TDs) did the most to smooth out his teammate's return to the starting QB job while also taking a little heat off of coach Jeff Fisher.
4. Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis: His dynamic play-making was the key in allowing the Colts to overcome a sluggish performance and stay unbeaten.
5. Donovan McNabb, QB, Philadelphia: He rebounded nicely from back-to-back shaky performances by tearing up the top-ranked defense in the NFL.
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Top five defensive players
1. Julius Peppers, DE, Carolina: He continues a red-hot, four-game streak of difference-making plays. His interception return for a touchdown and fumble-causing sack of Kurt Warner were keys to the Panthers' stunning victory against Arizona.
2. Ray Lewis, LB, Baltimore: Thanks largely to his efforts, Broncos running backs Correll Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno were limited to a combined 55 rushing yards.
3. Jared Allen, DE, Minnesota: Another game vs. the Packers, another monster performance.
4. Will Smith, DE, New Orleans: He had two sacks and was generally a disruptive force to help the Saints get the better of Matt Ryan and the Falcons.
5. Jairus Byrd, S, Buffalo: With seven interceptions, including two vs. Houston (giving him three consecutive two-interception games), this kid has been a true bright spot in an otherwise train wreck of a season for the Bills.
Top five coaches
1. Sean Payton, New Orleans: He didn't allow his team to lose its edge after expending so much, physically and emotionally, in that incredible Week 7 rally to beat Miami. But next time, coach, you might want to think about having your quarterback kneel down with 1:42 left in a game you're leading by 11 points rather than hand off (and end up losing a fumble … that sets up a field goal … that leads to an on-side kick that your team doesn't recover … that puts more gray hairs on your head).
2. John Harbaugh, Baltimore: With his team facing the possibility of losing four in a row, he created enough urgency for the Ravens to play their best in burying the Broncos.
3. Andy Reid, Philadelphia: After a loss to Oakland and a mostly uninspiring performance vs. Washington, he got his team regrouped for a defining win to give his team a piece of first place in the NFC East.
4. Brad Childress, Minnesota: With emotions overflowing, he kept his team -- and especially his QB -- focused on the task at hand.
5. Gary Kubiak, Houston: To finally get the Texans to the playoffs, his team had to win a game they were supposed to win. And to beat the Bills, he had to make the gutsy decision to bench the fumble-prone Slaton and replace him with Moats, who ran for three touchdowns.
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