BLACK MONDAY, MORE CHIEFS NOTES, INJURIES & MY FIESTA PICK
The day after the last regular season Sunday has always been known as "Black Monday" because the coaching carnage begins immediately. Washington's Jim Zorn was informed upon the team's arrival in D.C. his services would no longer be required by the Redskins. This was the worst kept secret in the NFL this season, everybody knew this was coming. Mike Shanahan is the leading candidate for the job leading Daniel Snyder's team. The Buffalo Bills wasted no time in purging the entire coaching staff this morning. Bill Cowher had secret meetings with Ralph Wilson last week, but it's still unknown which way the Bills will go & who really wants this job. Look for Jets' O-coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer to get an interview. Tom Cable threw QB JaMarcus Russell under the bus last week saying "if we had better QB play, we would have made the playoffs, no doubt." The last guy that publicly complained about Russell, the 1st overall pick in the 2007 draft, was Lane Kiffin & he got fired by owner Al Davis. Don't be surprised if it happens again. By the way Cable deserves to keep his job in my opinion & he's right about Russell, he's a coach killer. I can't agree they would have made the playoffs, but they would have been in the conversation. Something that will cause teams to proceed with caution in regard to firings & hirings is there is no collective bargaining agreement in place for 2011. If you fire a coach with 2 or more years left on his contract, hire a new coach & there's a work stoppage in '11, you're stuck paying 2 coaches & you have no revenue. Lovie Smith, Jack Del Rio, John Fox, Eric Mangini & even Tampa's Raheem Morris may benefit from this stumbling block for management.
Two college coaching notes, Kentucky's Rich Brooks retired today, no replacement at this time. The mess that is Texas Tech could get more so. Defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeil wants the job, the players want him, he's been there 10 years & yet there's a lot of talk about other candidates. One is Tommy Tuberville, former Clemson & Auburn coach, who has thrown his hat into the ring, asking for an interview. Jets running backs coach, Anthony Lynn, a Tech grad, is also being discussed as the replacement for Mike Leach.
Look for Denver's Robert Ayers to receive a hefty fine for his after-the-whistle full body slam on Chiefs' running back Jamaal Charles. It was truly a cheap shot & I think the commissioner will see it that way too. The hot rumor going around since yesterday is Romeo Crennel replacing Clancy Pendergast as Chiefs' defensive coordinator. This would be a coup in my opinion. Pendergast has to go, his crew gave up over 500 yards yet again yesterday. Crennel would've had this job last year in my opinion after he was fired as the Browns head coach. He needed hip replacement surgery that required a few months of therapy & rehab, Pioli/Haley couldn't wait, so they went with Pendergast. Jason Cafora of the NFL Network is reporting this morning that Scott Pioli is also interested in Charlie Weis, former Notre Dame coach & New England offensive coordinator. That one I can't see, Todd Haley would have to give up too much control & I don't think he's willing. Weis is a smart O.C. tho, so maybe it would be a big plus for Kansas City. ESPN's Adam Scheffter reported this morning on "Mike & Mike in the Morning" Jamaal Charles is the 1st runner to ever exceed 1,100 yards with less than 200 carries. He's been more effective than I ever thought he could be at this level. His fumbling at Texas always scared me & he continued fumbling in his first season & a half with the Chiefs. But after he took over full time for Larry Johnson, he lost only one fumble. The talking heads & football pundits are already comparing him to Tennessee's Chris Johnson, who totaled 2,006 yards for the season. Let's not get carried away. I do think he can be an effective weapon if he's given decent line play & another playmaker on offense. There's no reason to not believe he couldn't gain 1,100-1,400 yards next season if he remains healthy. He's tough too. The Chiefs will draft 5th in the 1st round & 4th in the second round plus the 20th pick in that round from the Tony Gonzalez trade with Atlanta. So we know now Kansas City will have 4 of the first 69 picks. They need 3 immediate starters out of these picks. I'll have more on what they need & some preliminary projections on who's available. Whoever the defensive coordinator is, they need to find a way to get Derrick Johnson on the field for most of the snaps, he's too athletic & makes plays like no inside linebacker on the roster. I don't want to see him leave, with nothing in return & see him excel like Bernard Pollard has in Houston. Pollard recovered a fumble for a touchdown yesterday & picked off a Tom Brady pass as well. He had a big season for the Texans, it should have been with us. Let's hope the same thing doesn't happen with D.J. Though the schedule won't be announced till spring, the opponents are set & honestly, the Chiefs got a much easier schedule than they had this season.
Home--Arizona, San Francisco, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Buffalo & 3 division opponents
Away--Seattle, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Houston, Cleveland & 3 division opponents.
That's 4 games against 2009 playoff teams, counting San Diego twice, not bad.
Some random NFL news & opinions;
The Texans finished with a winning record for the first time in their history, scoring 21 unanswered points against the Patriots for a 9-7 record. Matt Schaub led the league in passing yards with over 4,700. Tony Gonzalez finished the season with 999 lifetime receptions. Try as they might, the Falcons couldn't get one more reception for Tony G. in yesterday's win over Tampa Bay. A couple of great plays, an interception & a rare drop kept him from this milestone. Forty-Niner TE Vernon Davis led the league with 13 touchdown receptions, pretty strong for a tight end. Davis is the player coach Mike Singletary banished to the locker room last season. This guy has come a long way since that day. Brian Schottenheimer continues to find ways to utilize former Mizzou QB Brad Smith in the Jets Wildcat formation, he had 92 yards on just 4 carries last night in their 37-0 blowout of Cincinnati. He broke off a 57-yard run to the 1-yard line setting up the first Jet score. Later in the 1st half, he scored on a 32-yard run. I think you'll see the Bengals put 8 men in the box most of the time in Saturday's rematch with the Jets & make Mark Sanchez beat them. Joe Flacco was able to do it last season but he was further along in his development as a QB than Sanchez is now. Much further. If you didn't see this yesterday, Ravens running back Willis McGahee won my "Stiff Arm of the Year" award. He planted Raider DB Hiram Eugene during a 77-yard touchdown run. It was truly a thing of beauty. Think things can't change quickly in the NFL? All four of the first round bye teams from last season failed to make the playoffs this season. Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Carolina & the Giants won 49 games combined last season, but just 33 this season. It is shameful the way the New York Giants laid down the last two weeks, shameful. You have to give the Rams' Steven Jackson credit. He played on a horrible team, just 1 win, but he showed up every Sunday & he was the leagues 2nd leading rusher with 1,416 yards, that's a real pro. If you saw the end of Pittsburgh's game in Miami you saw Ben Roethlisberger sustain some sort of a shoulder injury, which he played thru despite his throwing arm hanging like a limp noodle. You saw Pat White get cracked by DB Ike Taylor next to the sideline, knocking White out for 3 minutes. He was kept in a MIami hospital overnight but has been released today. You also Tyler Thigpen's only appearance for the Dolphins this season. He looked a lot like he did for the Chiefs, threw a touchdown pass to get Miami within 3 points of Pittsburgh, then he threw 2 interceptions in the final 5 minutes of the game/season.
Some of the playoff teams sustained some notable injuries. Arizona's CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie sustained a leg injury & WR Anquan Boldin was spiked in the leg. Boldin will be able to play but Rogers-Cromartie is still up in the air. Also in that game, Green Bay corner Charles Woodson, suffered a bruised shoulder but will be able to play. Woodson is my defensive player of the year, tied for the league lead in interceptions. Cincy's Chad Ochocinco's knee buckled in warmups last night & he left the game early on. He was scheduled for an MRI at noon today. By far, the worst injury yesterday was to Patriot wide receiver & the league's reception leader, Wes Welker. He blew out both his MCL & ACL cutting in the open field. He wasn't touched, he just went down like he'd been shot, it was ugly, no mistaking what had happened. This is a major blow to the Pats playoff hopes, Welker is the best slot receiver in the league, catching over 100 passes each of the last 3 seasons.
In tonight's Fiesta Bowl I have an opinion, therefore I'm going to make a wager. For regular readers, you won't be surprised to hear I'm taking 7 1/2 points with Boise State. Kellen Moore was the nation's most efficient passer, throwing 39 touchdowns with just 3 interceptions. Just as important, the Broncos only surrendered 5 sacks all season. TCU's defense thrives on pressuring the QB & forcing turnovers. I think the whole game will be decided right here. Boise State led the country in scoring average at 44.2, TCU tied for 3rd with 40.7 per game. Both teams have great return men, TCU's Jeremy Kerley & Boise's Kyle Wilson. TCU's Gary Patterson is a defensive-minded coach. Boise State's Chris Peterson is the king of the gadget plays, just ask Oklahoma, loser of the 2007 Fiesta Bowl with Boise State. Both of Boise's WR's, Titus Young & Austin Pettis, are NFL caliber. TCU has lost their best cornerback, his name escapes me, I think it's Rafael Priest. Both teams execute their offenses with such precision & discipline, neither draws many penalty flags. In the end I think either team can win, so I'll take the points.
Two college coaching notes, Kentucky's Rich Brooks retired today, no replacement at this time. The mess that is Texas Tech could get more so. Defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeil wants the job, the players want him, he's been there 10 years & yet there's a lot of talk about other candidates. One is Tommy Tuberville, former Clemson & Auburn coach, who has thrown his hat into the ring, asking for an interview. Jets running backs coach, Anthony Lynn, a Tech grad, is also being discussed as the replacement for Mike Leach.
Look for Denver's Robert Ayers to receive a hefty fine for his after-the-whistle full body slam on Chiefs' running back Jamaal Charles. It was truly a cheap shot & I think the commissioner will see it that way too. The hot rumor going around since yesterday is Romeo Crennel replacing Clancy Pendergast as Chiefs' defensive coordinator. This would be a coup in my opinion. Pendergast has to go, his crew gave up over 500 yards yet again yesterday. Crennel would've had this job last year in my opinion after he was fired as the Browns head coach. He needed hip replacement surgery that required a few months of therapy & rehab, Pioli/Haley couldn't wait, so they went with Pendergast. Jason Cafora of the NFL Network is reporting this morning that Scott Pioli is also interested in Charlie Weis, former Notre Dame coach & New England offensive coordinator. That one I can't see, Todd Haley would have to give up too much control & I don't think he's willing. Weis is a smart O.C. tho, so maybe it would be a big plus for Kansas City. ESPN's Adam Scheffter reported this morning on "Mike & Mike in the Morning" Jamaal Charles is the 1st runner to ever exceed 1,100 yards with less than 200 carries. He's been more effective than I ever thought he could be at this level. His fumbling at Texas always scared me & he continued fumbling in his first season & a half with the Chiefs. But after he took over full time for Larry Johnson, he lost only one fumble. The talking heads & football pundits are already comparing him to Tennessee's Chris Johnson, who totaled 2,006 yards for the season. Let's not get carried away. I do think he can be an effective weapon if he's given decent line play & another playmaker on offense. There's no reason to not believe he couldn't gain 1,100-1,400 yards next season if he remains healthy. He's tough too. The Chiefs will draft 5th in the 1st round & 4th in the second round plus the 20th pick in that round from the Tony Gonzalez trade with Atlanta. So we know now Kansas City will have 4 of the first 69 picks. They need 3 immediate starters out of these picks. I'll have more on what they need & some preliminary projections on who's available. Whoever the defensive coordinator is, they need to find a way to get Derrick Johnson on the field for most of the snaps, he's too athletic & makes plays like no inside linebacker on the roster. I don't want to see him leave, with nothing in return & see him excel like Bernard Pollard has in Houston. Pollard recovered a fumble for a touchdown yesterday & picked off a Tom Brady pass as well. He had a big season for the Texans, it should have been with us. Let's hope the same thing doesn't happen with D.J. Though the schedule won't be announced till spring, the opponents are set & honestly, the Chiefs got a much easier schedule than they had this season.
Home--Arizona, San Francisco, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Buffalo & 3 division opponents
Away--Seattle, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Houston, Cleveland & 3 division opponents.
That's 4 games against 2009 playoff teams, counting San Diego twice, not bad.
Some random NFL news & opinions;
The Texans finished with a winning record for the first time in their history, scoring 21 unanswered points against the Patriots for a 9-7 record. Matt Schaub led the league in passing yards with over 4,700. Tony Gonzalez finished the season with 999 lifetime receptions. Try as they might, the Falcons couldn't get one more reception for Tony G. in yesterday's win over Tampa Bay. A couple of great plays, an interception & a rare drop kept him from this milestone. Forty-Niner TE Vernon Davis led the league with 13 touchdown receptions, pretty strong for a tight end. Davis is the player coach Mike Singletary banished to the locker room last season. This guy has come a long way since that day. Brian Schottenheimer continues to find ways to utilize former Mizzou QB Brad Smith in the Jets Wildcat formation, he had 92 yards on just 4 carries last night in their 37-0 blowout of Cincinnati. He broke off a 57-yard run to the 1-yard line setting up the first Jet score. Later in the 1st half, he scored on a 32-yard run. I think you'll see the Bengals put 8 men in the box most of the time in Saturday's rematch with the Jets & make Mark Sanchez beat them. Joe Flacco was able to do it last season but he was further along in his development as a QB than Sanchez is now. Much further. If you didn't see this yesterday, Ravens running back Willis McGahee won my "Stiff Arm of the Year" award. He planted Raider DB Hiram Eugene during a 77-yard touchdown run. It was truly a thing of beauty. Think things can't change quickly in the NFL? All four of the first round bye teams from last season failed to make the playoffs this season. Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Carolina & the Giants won 49 games combined last season, but just 33 this season. It is shameful the way the New York Giants laid down the last two weeks, shameful. You have to give the Rams' Steven Jackson credit. He played on a horrible team, just 1 win, but he showed up every Sunday & he was the leagues 2nd leading rusher with 1,416 yards, that's a real pro. If you saw the end of Pittsburgh's game in Miami you saw Ben Roethlisberger sustain some sort of a shoulder injury, which he played thru despite his throwing arm hanging like a limp noodle. You saw Pat White get cracked by DB Ike Taylor next to the sideline, knocking White out for 3 minutes. He was kept in a MIami hospital overnight but has been released today. You also Tyler Thigpen's only appearance for the Dolphins this season. He looked a lot like he did for the Chiefs, threw a touchdown pass to get Miami within 3 points of Pittsburgh, then he threw 2 interceptions in the final 5 minutes of the game/season.
Some of the playoff teams sustained some notable injuries. Arizona's CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie sustained a leg injury & WR Anquan Boldin was spiked in the leg. Boldin will be able to play but Rogers-Cromartie is still up in the air. Also in that game, Green Bay corner Charles Woodson, suffered a bruised shoulder but will be able to play. Woodson is my defensive player of the year, tied for the league lead in interceptions. Cincy's Chad Ochocinco's knee buckled in warmups last night & he left the game early on. He was scheduled for an MRI at noon today. By far, the worst injury yesterday was to Patriot wide receiver & the league's reception leader, Wes Welker. He blew out both his MCL & ACL cutting in the open field. He wasn't touched, he just went down like he'd been shot, it was ugly, no mistaking what had happened. This is a major blow to the Pats playoff hopes, Welker is the best slot receiver in the league, catching over 100 passes each of the last 3 seasons.
In tonight's Fiesta Bowl I have an opinion, therefore I'm going to make a wager. For regular readers, you won't be surprised to hear I'm taking 7 1/2 points with Boise State. Kellen Moore was the nation's most efficient passer, throwing 39 touchdowns with just 3 interceptions. Just as important, the Broncos only surrendered 5 sacks all season. TCU's defense thrives on pressuring the QB & forcing turnovers. I think the whole game will be decided right here. Boise State led the country in scoring average at 44.2, TCU tied for 3rd with 40.7 per game. Both teams have great return men, TCU's Jeremy Kerley & Boise's Kyle Wilson. TCU's Gary Patterson is a defensive-minded coach. Boise State's Chris Peterson is the king of the gadget plays, just ask Oklahoma, loser of the 2007 Fiesta Bowl with Boise State. Both of Boise's WR's, Titus Young & Austin Pettis, are NFL caliber. TCU has lost their best cornerback, his name escapes me, I think it's Rafael Priest. Both teams execute their offenses with such precision & discipline, neither draws many penalty flags. In the end I think either team can win, so I'll take the points.
Comments