29 Dec 2008

QUOTE:  "Every organization must be prepared to abandon everything it does to survive in the future." ~ Peter Drucker           

RANDOM GAME THOUGHTS AND QUESTIONS...

1.     I know there is much wrong with the Cowboys besides the coaching, but owner Jerry Jones better make sure he takes a hard look at the entire staff.  The Cowboys’ offense is bad now, and it’s not all Tony Romo’s fault. 

                                     

2.     That effort by the Cowboys was appalling, and Warren Sapp was right when he said on “Inside the NFL” that the Cowboys have no toughness. 

3.     Roy Williams did not work hard at Texas and did not work hard at Detroit, and he seems to fit in perfectly with the Cowboys.  The farther away they get from the Bill Parcells regime, the worse they become.  They have not hit rock bottom yet ...

4.     The Eagles had everything go well for them and now face a very beatable Minnesota team in round one.  They went from being out to being dangerous based on whom they have to face in the first round. 

5.     Not only did the Eagles get in the playoffs, they were able to rest their players the second half of the game because of their blowout of Dallas. 

6.     The Raiders saved their best for last. They not only beat the Bucs, they manhandled them.  Coming back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter was very impressive. 

7.     I would be shocked if the Raiders don’t put interim Coach Tom Cable in charge of the Hotel.  They hate change, and the last thing they want is to be turned down for the job.  Cable will work with the owner, which is critical. 

8.     At what point does the quarterback guru, Jon “Love you Bro” Gruden, get a legitimate quarterback on his team who is under 30 and whom he can develop?  He has been in Tampa seven years and has made no progress securing that position. 

9.     Jeff Garcia was tough to watch yesterday; he played as he did in Cleveland and Detroit.

10.  I feel bad for Cadillac Williams.  He was showing the burst and the talent he had before the injury to his right knee in September 2007.  This latest injury might be difficult to overcome. 

11.  They might blame Monte Kiffin for their failures in Tampa, but they also might want to look closer at their talent base -- especially their defensive line.  When the Bucs cannot win on defense, they cannot win, period.  Their offense needs a ton of work this off-season. 

12.  Regarding Detroit: 0-16 is something I thought could never happen.  In addition, I hear people say they can turn it around soon.  That’s a mess in Detroit, and it’s going to take some time to repair. 

13.  Rod Marinelli, the head coach of the Lions, will be fired today, but he has handled himself with class and dignity in a very tough situation.  The Lions need a program and they need a plan.  BADLY. 

14.  I hear changes are coming in Green Bay and they will start on the defensive side of the ball. 

15.  Houston will remold its defensive staff this off-season.  The Texans have to find a way to get more physical on defense. 

16.  What will the Saints do in the off-season?  They can move the ball on anyone and are never out of a game, but they need to fix their defense.  There will be tough decisions for Coach Sean Payton in the next few weeks. 

17.  Phil Savage did more to lose his job the last three weeks talking and not showing the leadership the Browns needed.  They really had no choice but to fire him.  The NFL is about the head coach and the quarterback, not the GM. 

18.  Do you think Tyler Thigpen is the answer for the Chiefs at QB?  He could not lead his team to victory against the Bengals.  The Chiefs might want to reconsider this before placing all their hopes in the Thigpen basket. 

19.  I have been writing about how bad Denver is on defense, and yesterday the Broncos proved me correct with their poor play.  They have players on defense who could not start for Alabama or USC. 

20.  The Broncos use former San Diego State coach Al Luginbill and his band of coaches as outside consultants for their pro personnel department.  They might want to reconsider the advice and counsel of this service.  That’s a very bad team, and their replacements are even worse. 

21.  San Diego seems to be playing its best right now in the offensive line.  The Chargers pushed Denver around very easily.  The Eagles scored 44 and the Chargers scored 52 in games in which the winner would be going to the playoffs.  Amazing, huh? 

22.  Has anyone seen Vernon Gholston of the Jets or Jarvis Moss of the Broncos?  Both are big-time busts.  Don’t you think the Jets, ranked 29th in pass defense, could have used a little pass rush from the sixth overall pick in the draft?  How about the Broncos, who ranked 25th in sacks? 

23.  That was the last time we’ll see Brett Favre play football.  Jeff Garcia, at 38, and Brett Favre, at 39, won one game down the stretch.  Old players fade in December. 

24.  It looks like the Jets are going to part ways with Coach Eric Mangini.  He has never been well-liked in the building by either players or fellow coaches, but without the support of the GM, he cannot survive. 

25.  Winning 11 games without Tom Brady and still falling short of the playoffs is hard to believe.  But this was Pats Coach Bill Belichick’s finest hour.