Here Today...Gone Tomorrow?

With coaching shuffles this year in the NFL; which coaches are feeling the heat, which coaches will be wearing a new uniform, and which coaches will be unemployed?

This year NFL fans have seen several changes in coaching staffs across the NFL; coaches like Wade Phillips, Brad Childress, and most recently Mike Singletary, have all been given their walking papers, and many of us wonder Who's Next?

Marvin Lewis (Bengals), Lovie Smith (Bears), John Fox (Panthers), and Tom Coughlin (Giants) have all been put in situations where their jobs have seemed in trouble. Coughlin may have bought himself a few more years with his Super Bowl win; however, the What Have You Done For Me Lately mentality that we have, leads many of us to believe that Coach Coughlin may be on his way out.

John Fox may possibly lead the voting in coaches on their way out; Fox will be a free agent in 2011 and some speculate that he will takeover as coach in New York if the Giants decide to make a coaching change.

Eric Mangini (Browns) is a coach, who like Josh McDaniels (ex-Broncos coach), learned from Bill Belichick; unfortunately, they may have taken away with them the attitude that they can make drastic changes and still win, or that, as coaches, they do not have to show feelings towards their players, or that every team should already have the mentality of the New England Patriots.

Learning form Belichick should be an inspiring and very useful resource to have in your arsenal; sometimes though, underlings can walk away with the wrong message. When the wrong message is applied, things can go sour fast; Mangini and McDaniels may be two examples of how things can go wrong.

Jeff Fisher (Titans) is another coach that may be on his way out; Tennessee may have added Randy Moss to their roster but with his handling (past and present) of Vince Young, and the Titans' ownership (Bud Adams) wanting Young to stay, Coach Fisher may soon have a change of scenery.

The list only gets longer as you dig into the NFL; however, some coaches' jobs may be saved by the fact that there are not an ample amount of replacements waiting in the wings to take over these NFL coaching jobs; there may be coaches willing to take-over, but is the talent there?

Teams like Dallas and Minnesota will face an interesting dilemma next year; more so for Dallas, their interim coach Jason Garrett has done a fantastic job since taking over as head coach and we'll have to wait and see how the Dallas organization handles it.

In addition, with coaches like Bill Cowher and John Gruden being tossed into the conversation, regardless if any of the rumored-talk is true, some owners may be willing to dismiss the coaching staff they presently have in order to upgrade their system.

How 'Bout Them Vikings?

So how about them Vikings? Rookie quarterback Joe Webb, in his first NFL start, threw for 195 yards and ran for a touchdown, upsetting MVP Candidate Michael Vick, along with the NFC East Champions, The Philadelphia Eagles, 24-14.

The Vikings showed their true character, and with nothing to lose, they showed up on Tuesday, which was the first Tuesday NFL game played since 1946; in addition, this win may also have helped the chances of interim coach Leslie Frazier keeping his job permanently.

With an unfortunate season behind them, the Minnesota Vikings have endured multiple player injuries, the firing of their head coach Brad Childress, the collapse of their stadium, Brett Favre’s issues, as well as a run in with Randy Moss.

Favre, inactive for the Vikings because of a concussion, missed his second game in three weeks after setting an NFL-record 297 consecutive regular-season starts. Favre, sidelined, became Webb’s biggest fan and displayed his excitement when Webb scored a TD on his best Mike Vick impersonation.

The Vikings showed flashes of last year’s dominating defense, especially when they tied it at 7 in the final minute of the first half when Antoine Winfield sacked Vick, knocked the ball loose, and returned the ball 45 yards for a score.

Are Injuries Excuses?

Injured players and missing games because of injuries are part of the game of football. In the NFL it happens, and as the season continues, more opportunities occur for players to get injured.

The NFL, any football assosciation, is a team-oriented sport and requires all parts of the team to perform in order to win; however, in some situations, one part, or player, must step in and help carry the team in order to win.

Football is a team sport; however, during this time of the year, teams still blame losses on the absence of missing players. With all the other players willing to step up and play, I've grown tired of the excuses.

Drew Stanton, 3rd string QB for the Detroit Lions, won the Lions' first away game since 2007 (0-26 in away games since '07) this 3rd string QB also lead the team to back-to-back wins, which the Lions haven't done since 2007 as well.

Frank Reich, 2nd string QB for the Buffalo Bills (1985-1994), lead the Bills to the biggest comeback ever (NFL and NCAA included) Reich also secured an AFC Ttitle, leading the Bills to Super Bowl XXVII. 

Jeff Hostetler, NY Giants QB from 1984-1992, stepped in for an injured Phil Simms; won the final two regular season games (1989), swept through the playoffs and defeated the Bills in Super Bowl XXV; Hostetler, 20 of 32 for 222 yards during Super Bowl XXV, threw a touchdown and didn’t have an interception.

In addition, Trent Dilfer, back-up QB for the Baltimore Ravens (2000) took over for Tony Banks during Week 3 and took the Ravens to Super Bowl XXXV; Dilfer didn't step in for an injured QB, but he was the Ravens' 2nd string QB.

The point is, when teams/individuals in the NFL blame or point to the fact that they lost, or are losing, because of a missing player, we as fans should never accept that answer, as an answer.

Football is a team sport.

This Year's MVP

One of the hottest debates in the NFL; and the question is, Who will be this year’s NFL MVP? Who deserves it? 

With less than two weeks until the final decision is made, here's a look at two possible candidates.

There may be two front-runners for the title, Philadelphia's Mike Vick and New England's Tom Brady; with it already being understood that Michael Vick will win the Comeback Player of the Year Award...my opinion; how close is he to winning an MVP Award? 

The gap between the two may be closer than many understand; the first statistic that stands out is Brady's lack of interceptions on the season. Brady only has 4 INTs on the year and hasn't thrown a pick since October 17, also setting an NFL-record six straight games without a turnover. 

In addition, Brady leads the NFL with his passer rating of 109.9 and 31 TD's; Brady, with his accuracy, gives the Patriots the opportunity to score on every drive. 

The other front runner, Mike Vick, has produced 28 TDs in only 10 games on the season. Vick, only 5 interceptions on the season, with a passer rating of 103.6 (3rd in the NFL), will have a valid argument come voting time. 

Michael Vick, after leading a 21-point comeback during the final 8 minutes last Sunday against the Giants has shown courage under fire; but more importantly, his ability to make necessary changes to his play, in order to make himself a better NFL quarterback. Throw in his 613 rushing yards, and Vick's run at this year's MVP only becomes stronger. 

As the end of the year approaches and statistics, wins, heart, and courage are measured, we also need to remember the fact that Vick missed four games this year with a rib injury; only adding to his already highly productive numbers on the year. 

Both quarterbacks still have 2 more games in which they have the opportunity to prove their worthiness; more importantly, win their last two games and lead their respective teams into the playoffs with a heightened sense of confidence, which should be the most important thing for both players and their teams.

What's the Problem in Cincinnati?

With Ochocinco dominating Twitter feeds everywhere and becoming a star on VH1, maybe it's time for the distractions to come to a halt and for him to become a star wide receiver. 

T.O., Ochocinco, Cedric Benson, TE Jermaine Gresham, with the strong arm of Carson Palmer; not to mention the consistent play of Jordan Shipley, and the Bengals are 3-11?

With aggressive players like T.O. and Cedric Benson it seems there is something wrong with the Bengals sitting at 21st for Total Yards on the season; their high-profile receiving core is sitting at 13th in Receiving Yards in the league collectively, and their running game is a lowly 27th...I mean C'mon Son, that's what you're giving us?

The Bengals had a better record last year with so-called lesser players, which leads to other questions...Is it Marvin Lewis and the coaching staff? Is it time for an overhaul in Cincy; starting with the injured Robin, in their self-proclaimed Batman and Robin act? Will it come to the firing of Marvin Lewis or an overhaul of their veteran receiving core, or both; and how much are the Bengals willing to pay a 37-year old Owens, who will be a free agent after this season?

With an injured, unconvincingly focused, self-pitying Ochocinco, the first part of the equation could be simple. #85 has been a headache in the past; in addition, he, along with the Cincinnati Bengals, have never won a Super Bowl, which would definitely have been an instant headache-killer and distracted us from his distractions. If there were more W's in the win column this year, the Bengals could fly under the radar; however, since their offense is comprised of such talented players, we expect more out of these Cincinnati Bengals.

On the bright side, their draft class is turning out better than expected; with Jermaine Gresham already setting a Bengals' rookie record for catches by a tight end; and Jordan Shipley leading AFC rookies with 49 catches, one more then Gresham; Batman and Robin have and do receive a lot of help.

This is why many Bengals fans are left scratching their heads after games and asking themselves, Why? How can we lose to teams with a lesser caliber of athletes?

While it's easy to blame the coaching staff, a large amount of the blame has to fall on the veteran players on both offense and defense.

These veteran players had an opportunity to come together and make an honest run at a Super Bowl. Now, while their season comes to an end, they more likely will have to make an honest run at another job/team, and with Ochocinco's past/present dealings of the media and his team, he may have to go through what T.O. did last year during his off-season...an extended period of waiting.

So is He Better Than McNabb?

Yes I understand why Donovan McNabb has been benched; I understand that Mike Shanahan has decided to go a different route next year in terms of a quarterback; I understand that he wants to see what his options will be, and how well Rex Grossman can play for this team.
 
What I don't understand is how he came to this decision. Does he feel as though McNabb is passed his prime; does he feel that Rex Grossman gives him a better chance at winning in the future, or are there personal issues that we are oblivious to?

Shanahan is tough; he understands the game, and knows how to get the best production out of his players, and this is where the confusion begins. McNabb gives it his all; plus...he can still play! Grossman put up good numbers against the Cowboys; however, if McNabb had started, would they have won?

Shanahan is a proven winner and I'm sure he has thought everything through, but it does seem as if this choice will take some time to make sense to the fans; or for that matter, this choice may take years to show any progress for the Redskins.

The Redskins do not have dibs on the first pick in the draft; the Skins have other areas they could concentrate on and build upon during next year's draft, but now there will be a gaping whole to fill at the QB position. Rex Grossman is not the future of the Washington Redskins.

There are multiple options for McNabb next year; San Francisco, Arizona, Buffalo, possibly Miami, Minnesota, as well as Tennessee; if Vince Young's time there is indeed over. The Redskins and Titans may end up swapping QB's; however, as of now, McNabb will remain the backup to Rex Grossman.

Shanahan will have his hands full in the coming months before the draft and during the off season; he will have to make some difficult choices as to whom will be wearing Redskins jerseys next year, one easy decision should be that of Albert Haynesworth, but that is a completely different story.

The Redskins had issues before Shanahan came to town and his track record shows he knows how to handle issues pertaining to his team. The only question left now is "What will he do with this team"?

Rivalry Games

If this is Brett Favre's last Monday Night game, I think the conditions are perfect; cold, outside, and against the Bears. Regardless of their record, regardless of everything that has happened this year, this is football. 

Football is tradition, and these two teams have a great tradition of hard-hitting, great cold games; in addition, these two teams hate one another. There are various matchups in the NFL that, when played, the record of each team doesn't matter, and this is one of them. 

Patriots/Colts, Cowboys/Redskins, Steelers/Ravens, and the oldest of all, Packers/Bears; these rivalries bring to mind great players, hard-hitting, tradition, and since these teams understand one another so well the outcome of these rivalry games can never be predicted. All there is to do is pick your team and root them on; after all, isnt that what football is all about? 

For these games there is no such thing as an advanatge, there is no such thing as a guarantee; the only factor that matters is how well the two teams execute; regardless of the starting quarterback, regardless of how the other team's defense has played all year; you can bet on one thing... These teams come to play! 

The best rivalries are often between teams within the same division; and tonight, all eyes will be on the NFC North as these two rivals continue their tradition.

Top 10 NFL Rivalries

Patriots/Colts; not a long-standing rivalry, but when these two teams meet , the two best QBs in the league are on showcase, and one team's season will be defined. 
Cowboys/Redskins 
Raiders/Steelers 
Bears/Packers 
Steelers/Browns  
Packers/Cowboys 
Giants/Eagles 
Cowboys/Steelers  
Broncos/Browns 
49ers/Giants

Packers In Trouble?

At the beginning of this season, the New England Patriots were considered and expected to be a rebuilding team. First the Patriots lose Kevin Faulk to injury, then they release Randy Moss; season over right; pack it in and try again next year. 

Unfortunately for the rest of the NFL, The New England Patriots of old are back. The Patriots (11-2) have posted 126 total points against their last three opponents; the Patriots only allowed the opposing teams a total of 34 points...combined!

I'm not sure if this will play a factor in today's game; however, I am sure that the Green Bay Packers, without their quarterback Aaron Rodgers (concussion), fully understand that these New England Patriots can score, and score fast.. The Packers' defense has been good all year, only allowing their opponents an average of 14.5 points per game (1^st in the league). In addition, the Packers' defense may give them a chance by slowing down Brady; the Packers' defense only allows opposing offenses an average of 196.8 passing yards per game (3^rd in the league)

On the offensive side, without Aaron Rogers, the Packers may have to rely more on an offense that hasn't done well on the ground, the Packers have averaged a total of 98.8 yards per game, which is a lowly 24^th in the league. If the Packers plan to beat the Patriots, they will have to rely on their defense to slow down the Patriots offense, and capitalize on their scoring opportunities.

This game may only be a confidence builder for the Patriots' defense; without the likes of Aaron Rogers, the Packers will have to rely on sound defense and perfect play-calling/execution in order to even keep tonight's score close.

Which is more Important?

Any discussion of toughness in the NFL starts with Brett Favre, because Brett Favre starts every game; columnist, players, coaches, the media, as well as fans have spoken these words. In a league with free agencies, unknowns about the 2011 season, as well as the future of several coaches in the league, we could always count on Brett.

The physical beatings never kept him out, mental pressures of being an NFL quarterback seemed to not faze him, and off field issues seemed to never be on his mind during game time. Well that was Brett, and this is now. Every athlete must endure the aches and pains that come with their profession; some last longer than others do, while others never get off the starting block.

Brett Favre seemed to be indestructible; he was fearless, defiant, and knew how to get the job done. However, now that Favre is a 41-year-old Super Bowl Champ; three time MVP of the league, and let’s face it, one of the best QB’s to ever play the game, will he ever be able to return to the game?

I would have loved to see him win another Super Bowl last year, I would have enjoyed seeing him on the podium cracking jokes and just enjoying himself; I also would rather he not come back, and here's why. 

Michael Jordan, Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker, as well as other have came back and tried to compete in their sport again; MJ tried it in Washington, and Pernell tried just one more boxing match. Unfortunately, neither of them lived up to themselves. Yeah, they both had flashes of their younger selves, they still had the knowledge, if not more, and all three still have the competitive edge to make it in their respective sport: however, I would like to remember them the way they were.

Favre, Jordan, and Sweet Pea had nothing else to prove, Favre could have walked away last year and been done. Unfortunately, if he never plays again, my children will remember him only for what happened this year, they may never comprehend just how good these athletes were. Prima donnas and overly loud athletes that back up their words less than 100% of the time will lead our children astray. I feel as though the younger generation is cheated out of seeing athletes giving it their all, day in and day out.  

We live in an age where Twitter, Facebook, and other social medias defy who our favorite athletes are, we live in a time where it is considered OK to take a play off; unfortunately, we live in a time where rookies just coming into the game are the highest paid players on the block…does this seem right? 

So, as the NFL advances into the playoffs, we shall see which teams have those leaders that play every down and which players understand that the NFL is a game of inches. Athletes may surprise us, they may Stop Dancing With The Stars; they may stop having dating shows or selling themselves out to the highest bidding reality show, and remember, or finally discover, that the game they play should be and is the most important thing.

What Do You Mean By Consecutive?

When you hear the phrase, Consecutive Games, most announcers, stat guys, or your friends usually refer to the games started during the regular season.

Good stat to know; however, what about post season games and most important of all, Super Bowl Games. Yes there are kickers in the game that have had more starts than running backs, quarterbacks, or any other position you could name, but I mean really?...should we count these stats on any list. 

Kudos to being in the NFL as well as being the best kickers/punters in the world; we appreciate every extra point you offer our favorite teams, we appreciate the last minute kicks to win the games as well as the overtime victories kickers have pulled off. 

But I want to talk about quarterbacks, the hunted ones, they never see half of the hits they take in a game; they are vulnerable, and will always be the object of the opposing team’s defense, especially those big guys up front. 

I’ve compiled a list of some of the longest streaks of starting QBs in the NFL. Rain, sleet, or snow, these guys were ready to play come game time.

All-Time Consecutive Start Streaks

List Current as of 12/17/2010 : List sorted by regular season games

Rank	QB	Period	Teams During Streak	Straight Starts	Playoffs	Total
1	Brett Favre	9/27/1992 – 12/5/2010	Green Bay; Jets; Minnesota	297	24	321
2	Peyton Manning	9/6/1998 – present	Indianapolis	205	18	223
3	Ron Jaworski	9/18/1977 – 11/25/1984	Philadelphia	116	7	123
4	Tom Brady	9/30/2001 – 9/7/2008	New England	111	17	128
5	Joe Ferguson	9/18/1977 – 9/23/1984	Buffalo	107	3	110
6	Eli Manning	11/21/2004 – present	NY Giants	100	7	106
7	Dan Marino	10/25/1987 – 10/10/1993	Miami	95	4	99
8	Johnny Unitas	11/23/1958 – 11/7/1965	Baltimore	92	3	95
9	Roman Gabriel	11/28/1965 – 9/17/1972	LA Rams	89	2	91
10	Jim Everett	9/4/1988 – 10/23/1993	LA Rams	87	4	91
11	Richard Todd	9/9/1979 – 12/2/1984	NY Jets; New Orleans	86	4	90
12	Aaron Brooks	11/26/2000 – 12/12/2005	New Orleans	82	2	84
13	Trent Green	9/9/2001 – 9/10/2006	Kansas City	81	1	82
14	Drew Brees	9/11/2005 – 12/27/2009	San Diego; New Orleans	79	2	81
15	Philip Rivers	9/11/2006 – present	San Diego	77	7	84
16	Steve Grogan	11/23/1975 – 11/16/1980	New England	76	2	78
17T	Fran Tarkenton	12/11/1966 – 12/12/1971	Minnesota; NY Giants	71	0	71
17T	Joe Theismann	12/7/1980 – 11/18/1985	Washington	71	8	79
17T	Rich Gannon	9/12/1999 – 10/20/2003	Oakland	71	7	78
20T	Brian Sipe	9/3/1978 – 12/12/1982	Cleveland	70	1	71
20T	Trent Dilfer	9/3/1995 – 10/24/1999	Tampa Bay	70	2	72
20T	Drew Bledsoe	9/8/2002 – 10/23/2006	Buffalo; Dallas	70	0	70