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“NFL Coaching Hires-Surprises Everywhere”

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There were 8-head coaching openings when the week started, we now just have 3-vacancies left. Reacting to what we have seen and heard.

CLEVELAND….The Browns job was the most lucrative, and the ownership there, the strangest. Rumblings everywhere about a power struggling involving GM-Jhn Dorsey, owner Jim Hallam, and analytics whiz Paul DePodesta. The end result, they bypass a proven winner in Mike McCarthy, the ex Packers head coach, to stay within house to promote coordinator Freddie Kitchens. No doubt a (5-3) end of season surge cast favorable light on Kitchens relationship with rookie QB-Baker Mayfield, whose numbers rockets up once Hue Jackson was ousted. There are four former Packers execs, who are part of the Cleveland front office. They all knew McCarthy, so something about past relationships had to weigh in on all this. The other stunner, Gregg Williams, the defense coordinator, who led the team to those 5-wins as interim coach, was fired after Kitchens was promoted. They do things in a strange way on Lake Erie, don’t they?.

GREEN BAY….Legendary QB-Aaron Rodgers will be asked to learn something new, maybe change his ways, with the decision to hire Matt Lafleur from the Tennessee Titans. The surprise final decision on Lombardi Way is not just the Lafleur hiring, considering that the Titans had an erratic offense for a couple of years under his guidance, but also that Josh McDaniels of the Patriots did not land the job. Maybe McDaniels failures in Denver, and what he did to the Colts, by backing out of the job last year, damaged his reputation. Maybe McDaniels is the coach in waiting once Bill Belichek steps down. Shall be fun to examine whether Rodgers will be able to change his ways and work with an untested head coach going forward. Can you teach an old dog-new tricks? Stay tuned.

TAMPA BAY….Right guy, right place, right situation. There is no doubt that this will be Bruce Arians team, and the highly volatile play of QB-Jameis Winston will be coming to an end. Winston is developing quite a reputation as a coach killer. Tons of passing yards, lots of turnovers, and a bucketful of losing seasons. The hiring of Arians, and the then followup signing of Todd Bowles as defensive coordinator, means a total personality change in the Buccaneers locker-room. Strong, firm, fiery leadership is coming with these coaching hires. The culture will change, and so will the won loss record. Next season will be the last season for Winston if he cannot harness all this raw talent into wins.

DENVER….Almost from the start you knew GM-John Elway was going to structure the coaching staff differently. They went defense with longtime coordinator Vic Fangio, and Gary Kubiak is coming out of the front office to return to the field as offensive coordinator and play caller. It will be almost as if they have two head coaches in Denver. Fangio has been on lots of short lists in recent years, coming close, but never getting hired. He will have an impact on the Von Miller led defense. Kubiak’s history of success should have some effect on QB-Case Keenum, though the Broncos needs some more skill around that quarterback. Good chemistry should evolve with this new mix of Denver leadership.

ARIZONA….This hire of Kliff Kingsbury better work out, or this franchise could be forever buried under Michael Bidwill’s ownership. Yes he was fired at Texas Tech after going (35-40), but his body of work in the ‘Air Raid’ offense, once designed by Mike Leach cannot be denied. He grew Baker Mayfield. He developed Patrick Mahomes. His whole career has been designed to get to the NFL, where throwing the football is so critical to survival. Year two of the Josh Rosen era has to be better, because this past rookie season was terrible. Kingsbury needs lots of talent upgrades on offense, to help the kid QB, running back David Johnson and the mixed bag of receivers there. Hiring this coach is item one. Getting better players this off season is likely now more important.

MIAMI…For such a passionate successful businessman as Steven Ross is as an owner, this is hard to believe, the failures of his Dolphins team. And now that a lot of the offensive gurus are off the coaching board, Ross may be left with having to choose a young unproven coach. Some think Kris Richard from Dallas, regarded but unproven. Eric Bienemy of the Chiefs, had a flurry of interviews, but his name has dropped out of the spotlight. Who knows where the Dolphins go next? And if that’s not enough, they have the other elephant in the room question, are you keeping QB-Ryan Tannehill and his 20M cap figure contract next year?

NEW YORK JETS….The last big name veteran coach out there wanted the job, and Mike McCarthy seemed to be a great fit to work with the bright young QB-Sam Darnold. It did not happen. Adam Gase, bounced out of Miami after two non playoff seasons, got the job instead, his credentials not sullied by failures with the Dolphins. Maybe the constant injury issues to Ryan Tannehill is the rationale for the Miami mess. But if McCarthy was so right, why hasn’t he been hired? Everybody is under fire there in New York, from the family ownership to the GM. Gase might not be a reach, but he’s not as proven as McCarthy’s 135-wins and playoff record.

CINCINNATI….. The question here isn’t who Mike Brown hires to take over this struggling team, but rather who wants to go work for Mike Brown and a poorly run franchise. I don’t know how you sell Vance Joseph to fans in the Queen City, after he went (11-21) and was axed in Denver after two non playoff years. Don’t know how you consider Hue Jackson, (3-36-1) in Cleveland. Brown’s ownership has seen the team go (0-7) in postseason over the last 12years. In fact the Bengals haven’t won a playoff game in 28-years, 1990 to be exact.. The Paul Brown era is forever in the rear-view mirror.Would Brown hand over the reigns to an old warrior that wants to coach again, Jeff Fisher, Mike Shanahan, Rex Ryan?. Doubtful, but strange things always happen in Cincinnati.

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“NFL in LA-Should Be Most Exciting Times”

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What a weekend ahead for NFL fans in Los Angeles.

In its long storied history, LA has not, in recent times, had two great teams at the same time, playing for the same spot, a Super Bowl berth, until now.

Yes there was great LA Rams history for decades upon decades. Modern day Rams football under Ray Malavasi or Chuck Knox or even George Allen back in the day.

Raiders football, in the Al Davis era, with some good seasons when they brought their games to the LA Coliseum.

But never in the same years, have we seen this. The Rams, led by bright-light coach Sean McVay with a (13-3) record, triggered by QB-Jared Goff.

The Chargers, led by future Hall of Fame QB-Philip Rivers, now (14-4), winning all these must-win games on the road.

Oh the history of the NFL in the city.

The Rams getting to the 1979-Super Bowl under Ray Malavasi, though not winning.

Some glory years under George Allen, (41-11-4) in the early 70s.

The Chuck Knox run (54-17). John Robinson went (26-11) there too.

The LA Raiders actually won a Super Bowl in 1983…and had a (43-14) run under Tom Flores before times changed and Al Davis lost his magic touch as the 1980s became the 90s.

But never once were they all great at the same time. Now it’s a different time.

Some think today’s Rams and Chargers teams are both are on a collision course to maybe play each other in the Super Bowl four weeks from now.

But that’s where the comparisons end.

Because off the field, these two teams are viewed very differently. It would be like comparing heaven to hell…the North Pole to the equator…..a saint and a devil.

Stan Kroenke, one of Pro Football’s richest owner, with a supposed net worth of 20B, leading the Rams. Owning a sports empire that includes an NBA-NHL-MLS and EPL teams. Owning stadiums here in the states and abroad. Running his own regional sports network. And the man building this palace of a stadium in Hollywood Park.

Kroenke compared to Chargers owner Dean Spanos, dirt poor by economic standards, worth just over 2B in net worth. The man despised in San Diego, and made to feel unwelcome in his new home in Los Angeles. The wanna-be owner, turned down by the NFL owners in a 30-1 vote in his bid to build a new stadium in Carson. The family that San Diego voters rejected on a downtown project he tried to push thru after stiffing the City and County leaders.

A fitting exclamation point might be pictures of a Rams home game, sold out to more than 70,000-fans, compared to a Chargers-Broncos-or Chargers-Cardinals home game, where the colors of the day were Broncos Orange, or Cardinal red, surrounded by empty blue Chargers seats.

And that’s not mentioning the sea of Silver & Black that took over 85% of the seats when the Raiders played the Chargers at the Stub Hub Center at midseason.

And then this, just 24-hours ago from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones about the success of the NFL return to the LA market.

“Proud of the Rams and Stan Kroenke”
“Great goodwill in LA because of the Rams-Stan-the Stadium”

Even the wheeler-dealer that is the bombastic brilliant Cowboys owner loves the Rams, and pays little regard to the other team in town, the Chargers. Not loved around the NFL, little love in Los Angeles, used to be beloved in San Diego.

Forget those in the owners box, some who have earned their glory, compared to others given the team. Just focus on the product on the field.

The dynamics of an explosive Rams team-loaded with offense and a high priced defense. The evolution of a Chargers team with a brilliant quarterback, excellent coaching with its coordinators, and an eclectic group of players put together by a quiet-resolved General Manager.

This Saturday and Sunday put aside all the historical venom directed at Kroenke (being sued in St. Louis)…and Spanos (being spit on in San Diego) and just enjoy Rivers-Goff and the gang.

It has never happened before…two Super Bowl teams from the same city. Never in LA…surely never in New York (Giants-Jets)….not in Bay Area (Raiders-49ers) nor in Chicago (Bears-Cardinals).

Fun to think about this weekend. Rams-Chargers-where it might lead to. You can always get back into hate-mode come next Monday.

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Alabama Football-Roll Tide-Becomes-Low Tide”

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I grew up on Long Island, right in the village of Northport, where we had a harbor right at the end of Main Street, going right into Long Island Sound..

Beautiful to look at. Fun to be around, even play in, but not at certain times during the day.

Not at low tide, where there always was a bit of an aroma, you did not want to be near.

Clemson destroyed Alabama last night in the National Championship game in Santa Clara. By the time they were done, you could sense it, you could almost smell it, low tide in Tuscaloosa.

Nick Saban, the coach of the elite of the elite programs in the country, looked nauseous last night from the middle of the first quarter on. His team played like sewage most of the night.

You would not expect a Saban-led team, his record (157-24) at Bama, to get knocked out like this.

Clemson’s firebrand coach Dabo Swinney entered the game with a (123-35) career record at the South Carolina school. He was excited all night, including screaming at his defensive coordinators midway thru the first quarter, ‘do your job’. They sure did once they got their sea legs.

When it was over, it was a Clemson blowout win, no one could see coming.

Clemson’s true freshman QB-Trevor Lawrence was dazzling, throwing to 8-different receiver, pushing his passing yardage to nearly 400-yards.

His freshman running back Travis Etienne scored three times in the first half when the game was in doubt.

This gem of a freshman wide receiver, Justyn Ross, caught 8-passes for 147-yards by halftime.

It was a shocker to see Alabama wilt, or maybe quit, as the game went on.

Heisman Trophy candidate QB-Tua Tagovailoa started hot, went cold, and fell apart. They benched him by the 4th quarter. He got hit. He was picked off. He fumbled. He got rattled.

Bama’s trio of running backs got shutdown. No big nites for Damien Harris, Najee Harris, nor Josh Jacobs.

When was the last time a team wearing Crimson Red was stopped on the goaline. Not once, but there were 3-different goal line stands by the Tigers.

4th down stops. A faked field goal, gone awry. Personal fouls. Dropped passes. Quarterback sacks. Blown coverages. False starts. Holding calls. A total lack of composure.

All that on Alabama’s resume last night.

When it was done, Swinney hugged each of his seniors in the wake of the (44-16) win, the second national title for Clemson, and then he used network TV to sell his recruiting pitch about wearing the colors, touching the rock, and continuing the tradition.

There has been great history at the South Carolina school. Football under Frank Howard back in the day was very good. Danny Ford led them to great times in the ACC. But this version of Dabo’s dudes is something special.

And for a nation that is tired of all things SEC football, or upset at the the dominance-arrogance of Alabama, the nation must be cheering, that Saban went down the way his team did.

As the confetti flew, there smiles on one sideline, tears on the other.

And Clemson became the first college team ever to go (15-0), and they did it at the hands of the modern times best program, Alabama.

If you like the color Orange, Clemson repped well. And Alabama has to go home with the odor of a terrible loss, for ‘Roll Tide’ sure smelled like ‘Low Tide’.

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“Chargers Win-Feeling The Loss Still”

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There’s no doubt about what you saw, and probably no doubt about what you feel.

The Chargers are headed to New England for the second round of the NFL playoffs, after pulling off an upset win in Baltimore, brandishing a type of defense Bolts fans have not seen in years.

The headlines could read lots of ways right now.

‘Gus Bradley out schemes John Harbaugh in Chargers win’
‘Melvin Ingram plays game of his life’
‘Panic stricken Ravens QB gives game to Chargers’
‘Winning ugly is better than losing’.
‘Bolts win 4th tough road game of the year’
‘Bolts win..Ravens coach loses game’

Pick one, pick them all, they all fit.

Gus Bradley, the defensive coordinator, came up with a never seen before defensive scheme, to confuse Ravens QB-Lamar Jackson. He held the ball, he got hit, he turned the ball over, he did nothing offensively till the score was (23-3).

The stat sheet may say the young QB from Louisville threw for (194Y) and added (54Y) rushing. But it will also show him fumbling 3-times, throwing a pick, and putting together an awful 3-quarters of football at the most important time of the year.

Bradley, who devised tremendous game plan packages, making Russell Wilson hold the ball in Seattle, and making Ben Roethlisberger into a check down quarterback in the win in Pittsburgh, moved his safeties into linebacker positions on tons of snaps.

Jackson’s pre snap reads had him looking at Derwin James, Adrian Phillips and Jahleel Addae lined up in linebacker spots. Sometimes they rushed, sometimes they dropped, sometimes they blitzed run gaps. In one stretch, the Ravens had run 20-plays for 38-yards. It was utter chaos for the kid QB.

When Bradley’s defense was done, Jackson was (2-8) for 11-yards and a 0.0 QB-rating at halftime. They went nearly 20-minutes without a first down in the second half, after getting just (69Y) offense in the first half. Who cares what happened in garbage time in the 4th quarter.

Ingram, who has never become the consistent pass rush force many hoped for, had a day of days in his career. He wound up with a fumble recovery, a forced fumble, 2-sacks, 2-QB hits and 2-tackles for losses.

When they were finished looking up at the scoreboard, the Chargers defense had 7-sacks…12-hits…13-pressures and 9-tackles for losses. It was the collective best game the no-name defensive front players, Square-Jones-Rochelle and the like, have ever had..

There’s not much sexy about field goals, but Michael Badgley had 5-of them, and for the first time in a long-long time, the Chargers special teams played a difference. Add in Desmond King’s 33Y-punt return and 72Y-kickoff return, and the Bolts had great field position.

So special was that group, that even a blocked field goal and a tipped punt didn’t bury the Chargers on this unique day.

As for the Ravens, talkshow radio in Baltimore and Washington will crackle over the stubbornness of John Harbaugh, for not sitting the overwhelmed rookie QB, and going to the iconic veteran Joe Flacco, who has sat for 8-weeks. Yes Jackson went (6-1) as a starter, but Flacco’s Super Bowl credentials would have allowed him to make throws down the field, not turn the ball over, and give Baltimore a chance, when they still had a chance.

Four times he was up off the bench in the 3rd-4th quarters with helmet on, but Harbaugh never turned to him to try and rally a besieged offense. He will be traded in the off season, but Harbaugh won’t be able to get away from the fact he ignored a successful track record QB to stay with the kid, running for his life.

Instant replay sure impacted the emotions of the game. The Ravens got a TD from Michael Crabtree in the fourth quarter. They had a 102-yard fumble recovery for a TD taken off the books on a judgmental call on a Melvin Gordon goal line fumble.

Replay denied both Derek Watt and Gordon on TD plays too. The Bolts survived dropped passes from Keenan Allen-Tyrell Williams. Baltimore could not survive 3-costly third down penalties that keep Philip Rivers drives going, nor a bad holding call that negated a Jackson 18-yard run that could have changed the chemistry of the game early in the second half.

In what has turned out to be an improbable season, the Chargers won in Baltimore, just two weeks after the Ravens dropped the hammer on them in LA. Add this medal to the other road victories in Seattle-Pittsburgh-Kansas City.

Anthony Lynn’s head coach leadership, and the creativeness of his coordinators, game-by-game, has led this team to (13-4) and punched a ticket to go back to New England. The Bolts by the way are (1-7) in Rivers-Tom Brady matchups.

There’s no doubt about what you saw on Sunday, the win against the Ravens, it was impressive.

There’s no doubt probably about what you feel, continued bitterness towards Dean Spanos, for stealing the team and moving to Los Angeles.

Tough to root for the quarterback and root against the owner, but that’s the emotional crossroads fans in San Diego are at in the intersection of these playoffs.

A big win, but still a bitter loss in the heart of the people in San Diego.

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