By Scott Burks
After every NFL season, there are coaches
that will be fired. While Black Monday was one of busiest in NFL
history, it's time for me to give my two cents on why these guys should
have been fired, should not have been fired, and who should not be
feeling comfortable at the moment.
Who should have gone:
Eric Mangini
Romeo Crennel
Rod Marinelli
It’s easy to see why those guys were
fired. I mentioned in an earlier rant that Mangini was out-coached and
lacking in in-game management skills. Mangini shifted the offensive
focus from RB Thomas Jones (despite his 1,300 yard-plus season) to Brett
Favre. Crennel was just the wrong guy to coach those Browns. Given how
the Browns played this year, it was obvious that their 10-6 season last
year was a fluke. The Browns were underachievers, and it cost Crennel
dearly. As for Marinelli, I’d give him Coach of the Year for guiding
his Lions to an 0-16 dream season. All jokes aside, how could Lions
management bring back a coach who led his team to a winless season?
Marinelli had to go.
Who should have stayed:
Mike Shanahan
I was on record saying that Shanahan
should have gotten another chance. He was really a terrible GM, but a
good coach. Shanahan should have no trouble finding another job – if he
chooses. Besides, I think he will be a good fit in Dallas.
Who should not feel safe:
Jon Gruden
Marvin Lewis
Herman Edwards
All three coaches saw their teams regress
this season. How Gruden can survive an awful season-ending 4-game
losing streak after starting 9-3 is beyond me. Losing to the Raiders at
home when a playoff spot was on the line is inexcusable. The only
reason why Lewis may not be canned in Cincinnati is because he has an
inept owner in Mike Brown. Brown is simply too cheap to buy a coach out
of his contract, no matter how bad things are. Because Brown is an
idiot and is too cheap to hire a general manager, anyone who coaches the
Bengals is perennially on the hot seat. The situation in Kansas City
has Edwards in a dangerous spot. Once the longtime GM Carl Peterson was
let go, Edwards lost his biggest cheerleader in the front office. The
good news is the Chiefs have some good, young talent to work with
(particularly QB Tyler Thigpen). The bad news is a new general manager
may want his own head coach in Kansas City. Stay tuned.
