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Sept. 9, 2005 With a new NFL season officially underway, it’s time to take a look at the head coaches who may not be around next season. It’s important to know how these coaches got into their respective hot seats, and what it will take to get them out of them. Before getting to the meat of this piece, though, let me say that Jim Haslett of the New Orleans Saints, who I considered as sitting on the hottest seat of all coming into the season, has been removed from the list, for obvious reasons. Considering that the Saints are without a permanent home, they would be foolish to switch horses in midstream or even after this season. Haslett has come under fire for his underachieving teams, particularly in the last couple seasons, but he’s fierce enough that I believe the team can rally behind him. For all the damage it did, Hurricane Katrina helped Haslett get a reprieve. I hope that he takes full advantage of it and leads the Saints to great things this season. With all that out of the way, here are the coaches who may be feeling their chairs getting just a bit warm. My list is in alphabetical order. Dom Capers, Houston Texans: Expansion teams are not expected to set the world on fire the first few seasons. Houston hasn’t that bad a team, winning a franchise-high seven games last season after winning five in 2003 and four in their debut season of 2002. But the success Dom Capers had with the Carolina Panthers, especially their surprising run to the NFC Championship Game in 1996, may wind up being his undoing. The Texans play in the tough AFC South, which features the high-scoring Colts, the resurgent Titans, and the rough-and-ready Jaguars. For Capers to save his job, Houston’s offense, led by quarterback David Carr and running back Domanick Davis, must have a big season. The defense must also step up and shut down the higher-powered teams it will face this season. Key home games for the Texans include Pittsburgh (September 18), Indianapolis (October 23), St. Louis (November 27) and Jacksonville (December 24). Major away games include Buffalo (September 11), Cincinnati (October 2), Baltimore (December 4) and Tennessee (December 11). Joe Gibbs, Washington Redskins: One of football’s most revered coaches, Joe Gibbs isn’t just a Super Bowl champion (three titles in four trips to the big game), he’s also a Winston Cup champion, as the owner of both the #18 Interstate Batteries ride of Bobby Labonte and the #20 Home Depot ride of Tony Stewart. (Yes, Stan Grimes, NASCAR is a sport). He’s already done it all, and if the Redskins don’t improve on last year’s 6-10 record, look for mercurial owner Daniel Snyder to put someone else in his place. Washington’s biggest issue is at quarterback. Patrick Ramsey didn’t look particularly confident during the preseason, and with first-round draft pick Jason Campbell and aging veteran Mark Brunell waiting in the wings, it will be interesting to see if this team’s offense can keep up with its defense. Washington’s big games include a Monday-night tilt at Dallas (September 19), back-to-back interconference matchups at Denver (October 9) and Kansas City (October 16), and Philadelphia (January 1). Home matchups of note include Seattle (October 2), Philadelphia (November 6), San Diego (November 27) and the Giants (December 24). Mike Holmgren, Seattle Seahawks: In seven seasons at Green Bay, Mike Holmgren compiled an 84-42 record and led the Packers to back-to-back Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XXXI in 1997. Since coming over to the Seahawks as both head coach and executive vice-president of football operations, he’s only 50-49 and his teams have not advanced beyond the wild-card round in three playoff appearances. Two of those playoff losses, at Green Bay two years ago and at home against the Rams last season, were especially painful. High hopes are being muffled by high grumbling, and the Seahawks know that another disappointing season will likely result in changes on the sidelines. Big road games for Seattle involve the Jaguars (September 11), the Redskins (October 2), the Rams (October 9) and the Eagles (December 5). Home games of note include visits by the Falcons (September 18), the Cowboys (October 23), the Rams (November 13) and the Colts (December 24). Steve Mariucci, Detroit Lions: It seemed like a great idea at the time—bring native son Steve Mariucci back home to Michigan, get him some top-notch talent, and great things would happen. Well, it hasn’t worked out quite like that, and without a playoff berth this season, which would be their first since 1999, it won’t happen under Mariucci’s watch. The Lions are 11-21 since Mariucci took over. Joey Harrington, the Lions’ big draft pick back in 2002, has yet to show that he can manage games effectively. Even worse, veteran Jeff Garcia, Harrington’s backup, will be out at least six weeks with a broken leg, leaving no experienced backup in case something should happen to Harrington. Charles Rogers, their big-play wide receiver, played only one game last season before going down with a season-ending injury. Harrington and Rogers will have to be big this year, along with Detroit’s latest first-round pick, wide receiver Mike Williams. Detroit gets an early test out of the gate, as they host Green Bay in a late game on September 11. Other big home games include Baltimore (October 9), Carolina (October 16), and Minnesota (December 4), along with their annual Thanksgiving game, this time with Atlanta visiting. Big road contests include Minnesota (November 6), Dallas (November 20), Green Bay (December 11) and Pittsburgh (January 1). Mike Martz, St. Louis Rams: By nearly all measures, Mike Martz has had a successful tenure as the head man in St. Louis. He’s got a 54-33 record, has only missed the playoffs once in his first five seasons, and got the Rams to their second Super Bowl in a three-year span, only to lose to New England in Super Bowl XXXVI. So why is Mike Martz on the hot seat? Because the Rams, as good as they’ve been, keep falling short of expectations. It doesn’t help Martz’s case that he is the worst at time-out management in the NFL, and that has cost them in some games. Neither do the Rams’ special teams, which were among the worst in the league last year. Look for Marshall Faulk, the workhorse of the Rams the last several years, to play less as Stephen Jackson takes his place in the backfield. It wasn’t Martz’s idea, by the way. Faulk, who is one of the game’s smartest players, is setting up a succession plan and is very happy with the man who will start this season. Marc Bulger should have a solid campaign, especially if his aging deep threats, Issac Bruce and Tory Holt, stay healthy. But the special teams play will determine whether or not St. Louis will have a shot at going to Detroit for the Super Bowl, and if Mike Martz stays with them. The Rams have key home games against Tennessee (September 25), Seattle (October 9), Washington (December 4) and Philadelphia (December 18). On the road, the Rams face off against Seattle (October 9), Indianapolis (October 17), Minnesota (December 11), and Dallas (January 1). Bill Parcells, Dallas Cowboys: Only a handful of coaches have won more than two Super Bowls. Bill Parcells, who probably should already be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame beside his old (and new) nemesis, Joe Gibbs, is one of them. But the lure of coaching has him back in the game, and in 2003, it helped lead the Cowboys to a 10-6 record and a playoff berth. But last year, the Cowboys took a step backwards, finishing 6-10, in a virtual three-way tie with the Giants and the Redskins. Defense is supposed to carry Dallas this season. In fact, the team’s first three draft choices went toward defenders—ends Demarcus Ware and Marcus Spears in the first round, and linebacker Kevin Burnett in the second. The defense better step up, because the offense will struggle. The offensive line has to be made of concrete to protect an aging Drew Bledsoe, who moves at molasses speed. Heaven forbid anything happen to him, because their number-two man, Drew Henson, is not quite ready for primetime. Dallas has key games at home against Washington (September 19), Philadelphia (October 9), Kansas City (December 11) and St Louis (January 1), along with their Thanksgiving game against Denver (November 24). Stiff road tests come at Seattle (October 23), Philadelphia (November 14), Washington (December 18) and Carolina (December 24). Mike Shanahan, Denver Broncos: Back-to-back Super Bowl championships and 108 wins over ten seasons are impressive achievements. But the NFL has a what-have-you done-for-me-lately mentality, and with Shanahan, lately hasn’t been particularly overwhelming. Denver has missed the playoffs three of the last six seasons, and they have not advanced beyond the wild-card round when they have made the playoffs. That includes two embarrassing losses at Indianapolis in the last two seasons. To be fair, Denver has played good football in that time, with only one sub-.500 season in the last six. Though Randy Moss tends to get the bulk of the press for his bad-boy antics, Jake Plummer isn’t far behind. That, and his streaky play, would have to worry die-hard Broncos fans. And in a tough AFC West, Jake and his band of revelers won’t find any easy games on the slate. Two of Denver’s first three games are against divisional foes—San Diego (September 18) and Kansas City (September 26)—at home. They also get visits from New England (October 16) and Philadelphia (October 30). On the road, the Broncos face tough games at Jacksonville (October 2), Dallas (November 24), Kansas City (December 4) and San Diego (December 31). Dick Vermeil, Kansas City Chiefs: Six seasons ago, Dick Vermeil surprised the sports world by leading the Rams to one of the most memorable Super Bowl victories in history. This year, he will be looking to turn around a Chiefs team that went from division champs in 2003 to also-rans in 2004. The most interesting thing about last year’s team, though, is that despite a 7-9 record, they had a +48 point differential, joining the Panthers as the only teams below .500 to outscore their opposition. The problem is that, while they nearly equaled their scoring output from 2003, they allowed the opposition 103 more points in 2004. Defense will be a big key for Kansas City this season, and how well they play will determine if they can hold their own in the tough AFC West. Big home matchups for the Chiefs include the Jets (September 11), Philadelphia (October 2), New England (November 27) and Denver (December 4). On the road, the Chiefs have toughies against Oakland (September 18), Denver (September 26), Buffalo (November 13), and Dallas (December 11). ------------ About the author: Claxton Graham has written a number of articles for Useless Knowledge. He works as a business systems analyst. Email: scifiwriter8502@email.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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