Even the staunchest supporters of Jim Zorn were stunned into silence by the Redskins' Monday night performance against the New York Giants.
It was ugly, and the Redskins were completely ripped apart by a Giant buzz saw. New York had its way with the Redskins on offense, defense, and special teams.
On a night when the team began its heavy scrutiny under the watchful eyes of Bruce Allen, it was clear the Redskins had nothing to play for. Bruce Allen's reaping sickle may swing for many in the organization because of it.
Jim Zorn's fate was also sealed after Monday night's debacle. Of course, he really didn't have a chance before, but his future is now set in stone.
Jim Zorn's competence as a head coach was demonstrated on the "swinging gate" fake field goal attempt near the end of the second half against the Giants. He called this play, a play that has no business being in a professional football playbook to begin with.
And so, Jim Zorn will be no longer be with the Redskins in 2010, along with many of the players on the current roster.
Jim Zorn is a nice guy, but he has no place as a head football coach. He should have never been in that position in the first place, but strange circumstances landed him in the ill-fitted role.
And just like the hiring of Bruce Allen corrected the long reign of mistakes made by Vinny Cerrato, the probable hiring of Mike Shanahan will correct those of Zorn.
The Redskins are rebuilding in 2010, and the game against New York demonstrated the need to do so. The next step in the rebuilding process is replacing their hapless head coach.
With the title of Team President, Mike Holmgren officially is a Cleveland Brown.
The ramifications of this front office change, without the slightest bit of overstatement, are huge. Owner Randy Lerner either finally found the right man to turn this franchise around and start winning championships or the fans will be demonstrating in the streets in a few years demanding he sell the team.
While the elusive Lerner didn’t speak publicly (he almost never does), the team did release a statement noting Holmgren will not be coaching the team next year. As I said yesterday , this is a good thing.
If Holmgren is kept focused on front office duties and not trying to do it all, this team finally has a chance to stop being a punch line in the NFL. Holmgren can assemble a roster, define the teams’ objectives and give the team an identity.
Then he can sit back and let the head coach do his job.
The first, and most obvious question, is the future of the man currently holding the title of head coach, Eric Mangini.
Mangini is an enigma and a cancer when it comes to public relations. On one hand, Mangini tries really hard to be likable in his interviews and approaches his press conferences in a very professional manner.
That being said, he’s the master of giving filibuster answers to pretty mundane questions and his attempts at being likable often come off as disingenuous.
When you look at Mangini off the podium, he also is a hard guy to figure out.
On one hand, Mangini certainly has changed the culture in the locker room, and this team now looks more ready to win than it ever did under Romeo Crennel. The penalties almost are non-existent and the personnel changes over the last few weeks have paid huge dividends.
On the other hand, Mangini is a bit of slimeball. He doesn’t hesitate to throw other people under the bus to cover for his own failures and he’s been very reluctant to admit his own mistakes while demanding perfection out of others.
So he’s a bit of hypocrite.
If there’s any reason, other than the losing, why a lot of the fan base soured on Mangini almost immediately, it’s that scuzzball factor to his personality. He went out of the way to hire his friend, George Kokinis, as the team’s general manager, and then, according to the lawsuit filed yesterday, apparently told him to sit down, shut up and let the adults do their work.
That Kokinis was marginalized is now not an arguable point, the question is, how culpable is Mangini in this whole scenario?
The answer to that question will determine Mangini’s fate. If Holmgren thinks Mangini will just pay lip service to Holmgren and try and subvert the process to hold onto as much power as he possibly can, then Mangini is history and I won’t shed a tear.
If Mangini truly believes he screwed the front office up by trying to do too much (and focusing waaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy too much on ex-Jets) then there will be harmony in the Berea, Ohio, complex and the team can get focused on the 2010 draft.
Mangini needs to truly believe his comments about wanting to bring in and work with anybody who can help his “process” move along. At the end of the day, twelve straight weeks of abject failure wasn’t progress, it was just failure.
But for arguments sake, since we’re here, who would Holmgren possibly bring in to replace Mangini?
Jon Gruden: Holmgren has a nice history with Gruden. Holmgren gave Gruden his first job in the NFL as a quality control coach with the San Francisco 49rs in 1990. Holmgren liked Gruden enough to hire him as a wide receivers coach for the Green Bay Packers.
Along with the positive work history, Gruden then went on to become the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002. The team never was as good again and Gruden now works as an announcer for Monday Night Football.
Despite the last few years, Gruden does have a Super Bowl trophy as a head coach, and he was born in Sandusky, Ohio, growing up a Cleveland Browns fan.
Gruden did sign a new contract with ESPN, but that’s called a “bargaining chip” in the business. I give the odds of Gruden being the next head coach at 3-1.
Bill Cowher: Cowher was the fan favorite to be named head coach for the 2009 season, but Cowher wasn’t ready to leave the comforts of the CBS Pregame show. While Cowher may return to coaching next year, he’s going to want more power than Holmgren probably is willing to cede at this point.
Cowher is a longshot, I give him no better than 100-1.
Mike Shanahan: Shanahan is another popular guy floating around the ether this year. However, he already has been contacted by several teams with the Washington Redskins the latest rumored love interest.
Anything can happen in the next few weeks, but Shanahan’s odds are no better than 50-1.
Marty Mornhinweg: For some reason, this guy’s name keeps coming up. He coached two bad seasons for the Detroit Lions. Admittedly, nothing good came out of Detroit while Matt Millen ran the franchise, but Mornhinweg decided to kick off after winning an overtime coin toss because he didn’t like the way the wind was blowing.
That is one of the worst decisions in the history of the league and you don’t deserve to ever be a head coach again after a decision like that. His odds should be no better than 1,000-1.
Seriously.
Steve Mariucci: Mariucci has coached both the 49rs and the Lions. Of course, the Millen corollary applies to his Detroit tenure, so let’s just look at his 49rs record. He had a 60-43 record in San Francisco and was fired after losing a power struggle with the general manager.
He’s spent the last few years as an analyst on the NFL Network and has shown no interest in returning to the coaching ranks. Once again, though, anything is possible. Mariucci and Brett Favre have a good relationship, and that might play well with Holmgren, who raised Favre to his Hall of Fame status.
With that in mind, Mariucci probably has about 15-1 odds of being the Browns next head coach.
While there may be other candidates out there, those names seem the most likely. Expect the Browns to play hard for Mangini the next two weeks. If there’s one thing this season has done, it has united this team under Mangini with a “never say die” mentality.
It’s that kind of mentality that wins Super Bowls and why I believe Mangini deserves to stay another year.
I’m going to look at the matchups each week and pick some fantasy starters that could be in for a tough week.
Here’s a look at players who could struggle this week.
Brett Favre, QB, Minnesota Vikings
Tony Romo is breathing a little easier now that he got the December monkey off his back. Meanwhile, Favre’s got a little heavier with the loss to the Panthers.
Despite the Saints’ loss, they are off in the distance for home field advantage. Meanwhile, the Eagles are charging hard. Brad Childress is starting to panic a bit, as Favre admits he was almost pulled last week.
All of this does not make me comfortable when choosing a starting QB for the fantasy football championship game.
For you numbers hounds (like myself), Favre is averaging 199.8 yards in his last 11 December games with 11 TDs to 17 INTS. When it’s been below 40 degrees, he averages 197.6 yards with five TDs and nine INTs. The game is at Chicago this week.
Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears
On the flip side for the Vikings, their run defense allowed their first 100-yard rusher since 2007 when Jonathan Stewart torched them on Sunday night football. Their defense responded in a big way after the Cardinals loss, shutting down Cincinnati.
The Bears offense is so dysfunctional. I see a long day for Forte, who had just 61 total yards when he faced the Vikings in Week 12.
Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Charles has looked like Chris Johnson Lite the past six weeks. This week he’ll face a stiffer test when he takes on the emotional Cincinnati Bengals, who did a nice job limiting LT last week. The Bengals rank third in the league with 85.2 rushing yards allowed per game and have allowed just eight rushing TDs.
Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis Colts
I was premature calling for the Colts to rest up some of their players. We’re a week closer to the season wrapping up, and the likelihood improves. Even if Wayne plays the whole game, he’ll have to face Darrelle Revis. Peyton Manning is more than comfortable going to Dallas Clark, Austin Collie, and Pierre Garcon if Wayne can’t get any separation.
Derrick Mason, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Mason had seven catches for 62 yards and a score the last time he faced Pittsburgh (Week 12). The Steelers managed to escape their slug-fest against Green Bay with a victory to keep their playoff hopes alive. This time they tangle in Pittsburgh. I’m expecting a knock 'em down, drag 'em out affair where the weather could play a key role.
Other guys I don’t love this week
QB: Jay Cutler, Kyle Orton, Joe Flacco
RB: LT, Marion Barber III, Maurice Morris, Knowshon Moreno, LeSean McCoy
Talk about sour grapes! Not long after defeating Diego Sanchez in what was one of the most one-sided fights of all time, BJ Penn's camp is back at it again, throwing accusations at Georges St. Pierre.
It was an interesting interview as they discussed Penn's plan to dominate the lightweight division, before eventually trying his hand as a welterweight sometime in 2010.
Then it got ugly as Valentino decided to throw a few jabs at GSP. He once again brought up the alleged use of steroids by St. Pierre.
He claimed that "certain people" that used to train alongside the UFC welterweight had told Penn's camp that GSP knows what he is doing and when to cycle on and off the performance enhancing drugs.
He went on to say that BJ has felt all along that the fight was unfair and that he wants this monkey off of his back.
So when the greasing allegations got you nowhere, it is time to resort to accusations of steroid use, even though there has never been any proof or anyone willing to corroborate your story?
BJ took a beating that nobody ever saw coming. BJ ran his mouth before the fight and he got his a** handed to him. Be a man and accept it already.
What's it been? Just about eleven months actually. Do the fans have to be subjected to this garbage any longer?
Penn is a great fighter, one of the best in the world, but he got beat by a bigger, stronger, more evolved fighter that night. It happens to the best of them.
He just seems to never get over things. From suing the UFC for stripping him of the welterweight title after refusing to defend the title and signing with K-1.
He took the greasing scandal way too far, vowing never to fight in the state of Nevada again after the Nevada State Athletic Commission refused to overturn the result of the fight.
He asked the NSAC to fine GSP's cornermen Greg Jackson, who is respected throughout the MMA community, and Phil Nurse $250,000. He also asked that they be suspended.
Thankfully the NSAC refused to suspend either man or suspend GSP's license.
He has taken this too far, why can't he enjoy the fruits of his labor, which are plentiful.
He has taken down two of the top lightweights in the world in succession, without even breaking a sweat.
It's time for Penn to let his fighting do his bidding, after all it's what got him where he is thus far.
This is a full-version article. For more on Lionel Messi and his FIFA World Player of the Year 2009 award, go here .
Inarguably, there is more to feel than to say when it comes to remembering the achievement of Lionel Messi last evening during the FIFA World Player Gala 2009; and precisely, this goes to Lionel Messi fans.
The Barcelona 22-year-old superstar Lionel Messi surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi Hernandez, Ricardo Kaka, and Andres Iniesta to clinch the FIFA World Player of the Year 2009 award in Zurich, on December 21.
Probably, one might think that this was well deserved, but undoubtedly, there will always be a number of football lovers who will argue over this issue, specifying that another player should have been given the honor.
In any case, Lionel Messi looks quite happy to have made such a huge accomplishment, and he didn't hesitate to express his joy to the media.
“I am just very happy. It is so lovely to get this recognition from colleagues and coaches. That is what makes it even more important to me. The fact that I am the first player from Argentina to win it (the FIFA World Player of the Year 2009), is also a great honor.”
Lionel Messi finished ahead of runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo with 1,073 votes, while the Real Madrid winger could only earn 352 votes. Xavi Hernandez, Ricardo Kaka, and Andres Iniesta then followed up with 196, 190, and 134 votes respectively.
