Monday, January 3, 2011

Keep'em or Kick'em

The 2010 NFL season is over. And before the post season begins, as we do every year, we now wonder which head coaches are going to be given another chance and who will be shown the door. Here is my take on the hot seats in the league (and as I wrote this paragraph I discovered that the Browns have fired Eric Mangini, so that makes my life easier).

Miami Dolphins – Tony Sparano:
It’s quite weird talking about Sparano getting the axe only two years after a playoff run. Sparano turned this team around very quickly, after finishing 1-15 in 2007 in Cam Cameron’s only year as head coach, winning the AFC East at 11-5 in 2008. The Dolphins have finished 7-9 the last two seasons, and won only one home game this season, but Sparano deserves another shot. Chad Henne’s struggles prove that he is not the quarterback of the future for this team, and the only argument I believe is valid for firing Sparano is that if this team does draft a new quarterback, an early career coaching change may stunt his development.
Opinion: Give him more time. The defense has improved greatly and they’re not too far from competing for a playoff berth.

Cincinnati Bengals – Marvin Lewis:
This decision is a two way street for both Lewis, if he wants to return, and owner Mike Brown. Lewis is clearly frustrated with Brown’s frugality, having the smallest scouting department in the NFL (which causes the coaches themselves to do off season scouting) and having no GM. Brown is a cheap knock off of Al Davis. At least Davis has had success as a decision maker, albeit that it was almost a decade ago that the Raiders made the playoffs. Brown is as clueless, cheap, and stupid as an NFL owner could be, and for that reason alone, Lewis shouldn’t want to come back, especially with an opportunity at the University of Pittsburgh. The Bengals have had only two winning seasons in 16 years, both of which have been under Lewis. However, there are going to be a lot of players leaving this team as well, and it’s time for Cincinnati to have a fresh start across the board.
Opinion: Leave Marvin… get out while you can. Mike Brown doesn’t deserve a good coach. There are good fans in Cincinnati, but the Bengals can’t win with that owner.

Jacksonville Jaguars – Jack Del Rio:
Del Rio is not a bad coach, but he is not a great one either. Facing a banged up Colts’ team, the Jags just could not pull out a win when they needed it. The fact is that if the Jaguars want to not only make the playoffs but get over the hump and compete for Super Bowls, Del Rio is not the guy. The AFC South is an underachieving division, and Jacksonville cannot afford to be left behind if Tennessee and Houston step up in the next year or two.
Opinion: Fired. Even though quarterback David Garrard did well this year, it’s clear that a new guy is going to be taken within the next year or two. If the Jags want consistency, it’s time to make the coaching switch now so that the players are more comfortable heading into an almost certain rebuilding mode.

Houston Texans – Gary Kubiak:
I know that the Texans have tried to make it clear that Kubiak will be back next year, but I don’t agree with this decision. I know that he led the team to it’s only winning season in franchise history in 2009, but during his tenure the Texans haven’t made the playoffs. The past two years, this team has had the talent to make a post season appearance, and both years they have failed. The defense has been horrendous and even adding Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator won’t be enough.
Opinion: Let him go. It’s time to find a defensive coach who can make this team great. The talent is there.

Tennessee Titans – Jeff Fisher:
He is the longest tenured coach in the NFL, with 16 seasons under his belt. However, owner Bud Adams made it pretty clear with his Christmas cards who he favors in the Fisher-Vince Young feud. It’s hard for any coach to remain at the helm for this long without players starting to get sick of hearing the same thing over and over. Whether VY is the quarterback of this team next year or not, it’s time for the Titans to start fresh. Fisher will have teams lining up to give him another shot, and he also deserves a chance to find a new home.
Opinion: A mutual split. It’s just time for a change.

San Diego Chargers – Norv Turner:
I don’t understand how this guy keeps getting head coaching jobs. He was awful in Washington and Oakland, and now he failed to make the playoffs with a team that many consider to be the most talented in the NFL. How can you fail to reach the post season with a top five offense and defense, and keep your job? Remember, GM AJ Smith fired Marty Schottenheimer after a 14-2 season because the team didn’t make the Super Bowl. The only reason Smith isn’t firing Turner this time is because he is in the hot seat as well after the Vincent Jackson debacle. Owner Dean Spanos has said he isn’t making any changes, but it’s not a good football move.
Opinion: Fire him. If you ask me, the only reason the Chargers have made the playoffs with Turner at the helm is because of how talented this team is.

Oakland Raiders – Tom Cable:
All morning I have read that Cable will be fired. Rumor has it that the veterans think that Cable lacks the discipline to keep his young players in line. Then again, Al Davis is crazy so we know that it wouldn’t be hard for him to get rid of Cable. The team made a lot of improvements and for most of the season was in contention. However, Cable may not be the guy for the long run.
Opinion: Give him another year. Cable turned this team into a contender and he needs one more shot with San Diego on the way down.

New York Giants – Tom Coughlin:
This is how ridiculous the NFL has become when the coach who beat the 16-0 Patriots in the Super Bowl is in the hot seat three years later after finishing 10-6. The Giants didn’t make the post season not because of Coughlin, but because Eli Manning turned the ball over 30 times. If they fire him, it will come back to haunt them, trust me.
Opinion: Keep him.