December 29, 2014 • 33 mins
Former NFL head coaches Brian Billick and Steve Mariucci discuss all the head coaching news on Black Monday and share their stories of what it's like to get fired in the NFL. Plus, they rank the best available jobs and preview Wild Card Weekend.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
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Coaches Show Podcast. Thy men together can't lose. This is
(01:11):
why you lift all that abdy about them. And now
we're going there's a glean man, there's a glean Thanks
for checking out the Coaches Show. I'm Brian Bellick, joined
as usual by Steve Mariuchi and Steve. We both love
what we're doing now, We love the network, we love
these podcasts. We both absolutely hate this day because Black Monday,
(01:35):
even though we're removed from it now, there's the number
of people that we know that we've worked with whose
lives are affected today. That's the thing that that I
always regret the most about Black Monday. We focused on
the head coaches. Head coach is gonna be fine. The
number of assistant coaches. There's twelve fifteen guys that are
out of work today and they don't have the three
and four and five years guaranteed going forward. This is
(01:57):
uh is I hate this day. Yeah, I'm with you, Brian,
And you know the guys we work with. You know,
we've got the players, they're the Pro Bowl players and
Hall of famers and they go well, Moich. You know,
players get cut all the time. Big difference because a
the players make more money than especially assistant coaches like
you mentioned, and and when a player gets cut, he
(02:19):
doesn't bring another fifteen or twenty families like you mentioned
down as well, where they have to get new schools
and move and new pediatricians and you know whatever that is.
It's it affects so many people when a coach gets
Let's go some of these staffs, Brian are twenty two
and twenties. I know, the size of staff unbelieved. Yeah, well,
(02:40):
but let's let's kind of work through it. Let's talk
a little bit about some of what we know of now.
For those that follow our podcast, we do this on
Monday afternoons. Typically this is a Monday morning on Black Friday.
So when you hear this late Black Monday, excuse me
you you those are listening to it, A lot may
have changed. But as what we know right now, let's
(03:03):
begin with the biggest head scratcher really and how it
even got there. Jim Harbaugh. It's announced that he is
obviously leading the forty niners. We haven't had it officially announced,
but a huge speculation and it's probably a done deal
that he's going to Michigan. Let's just let's begin with
we've talked about before, but how does on a winning
team and a winning organization, Let's talk about how this
(03:24):
goes wrong? How did. How did we get to this point? Yeah,
And there are some other examples of this, uh previous
in the league. And it's a matter, as you know, Brian,
of compatibility with ownership or front office or let's all
just get a long kind of thing. And you know,
we saw Jimmy Johnson, uh, you know, got changed for
(03:46):
Barry Switzer after winning Super Bowls. We saw Marty Schottenheimer
after fourteen and two, you know, and there's a lot
of examples, and and even you and I had some
pretty good runs at some places and we weren't there
after a while. And so owners have the prerogative to
change their mind because hey, this is not fun relationship
or it's not something I look forward to going you know,
(04:08):
going into the future. And so I think that's what
happened with Jim. We all know he's a good coach,
we all know his record and his his winning record,
but ownership in front office just felt that, hey, they
didn't want to do this anymore, and and Jim didn't
want to do it anymore either, and so there were
other suitors, you know, uh, you know, he may very
well end up at Michigan, but there were some other
(04:30):
interested NFL teams. But you know what, Brian like Nick Saban.
Nick Saban is a hard coach, and he's a good
football coach. He prefers college where he can control who
comes in. It's not taking turns in the draft. It's
I'm going to recruit whoever I want to recruit, practice
like I want to practice, and I want to run
(04:51):
any system I want. And I want to be the
voice in the face of this organization every day. And
I think Jim's got a little bit of that in him.
I think the Michigan fit might me a cup of tea. Yeah,
And let's talk about that a little bit because we
both coached college ball. I was never a head coach
in college. You were, of course, we were both assistants.
Goes back to my when we were at San Diego
State and you're cal State Fullerton. Those were the good
(05:12):
old days, right, Um. But let's talk about that because
I don't think people fully appreciate because at face value
that said, wait a minute, now, if you go back
to college, you actually answer to more people. In the NFL,
we answered the GM, We answered to the owner and
sometimes just the owner. Uh. And obviously you vicariously the
fans and whatever. But in college, boy, there's the presidents,
(05:33):
and there's the athletic directors, and there the head of
the boosters, and there's this. But the fact of the
matter is just what you said in the college game.
You run that total program, every aspect of it is
the way you want it. You have perfect example you
gave was Nick Saban Bob Petrino the same way got
into the NFL said this isn't my cup of tea.
I'm gonna go back to Arkansas, so and I and
(05:54):
people say, well, why would you go back? Besides the
eight million dollars they're gonna give them. You know, before
that was the reason you didn't see pro coaches go
back to college as much because the paid disparity was huge.
Now there is no paid disparity. He's making as much
more than any pro coach, and he will have total control,
which obviously a Jim Harbaugh covets, and so there is
(06:14):
a reason to go back to Michigan. He's a hard grinder.
But let's talk about that then. Jim Harball right now
appears to me you ask what went wrong? Some coaches
are that way. Bill parcels Um, you've heard uh any
number of different coaches. Lou Holtz is one that I
think recognized, Look, my the way I do business has
a shelf life. Bill Walsh believed that he believed you
(06:36):
could not be in one place more than ten years. Now,
that's a lifetime. But the Bill, the Bill Parcels, and
the and the and the coaches that grind that way,
they tend to move on quicker because they know, look,
I'm gonna I'm gonna probably burn myself out with my
associates here, and I need to take this thing on
the road after four or five years. Is that what
we think we're seeing with Jim Harbaugh. Yeah, absolutely is.
(06:59):
And the Bill Parcels analogy is a good one. Builds
a Hall of fame coach and he and he had
a knack for taking a product and making it better
quickly and then moving on. And you know, maybe that
style of hard grinder coach, UH, you know, can wear
thin on an organization and it's not suitable for long term,
but it's a good jolt of energy, UH to to
(07:22):
help fix UH an organization. You know, you mentioned Bill
Walsh when I was hired by the forty niners. You know,
I asked Carmen policy. I said, George Seaffert won two
Super Bowls. Why isn't George Seaffort still your coach? And
he said that. He says, you know what, every coach
has a shelf life. And I went and he said,
(07:44):
you know what, Steve, you have a shelf life too,
So you're not gonna be here forever. And you know,
and Bill was there ten years, and George was there
eight and I was there six, and you know, the
shelf life kept getting less and less. But but there's
some there's some truth to that. Seldom do you have
a uh, Bill Belichick where you stay and stay and stay.
Of course, being joined at a hip with a great
(08:05):
quarterback helps. But Marvin Lewis is one that's been, you know,
really hanging on for four playoffs in a row. But
that's the that's not the norm. That's the exception to
the rule. Um, you're not married, you're dating. When you're
the coach, you go in there, you do what you can,
You get along as best you can, and win as
many games as you can and see where it goes.
With Jim Harbaugh, I you know, is he long term
(08:27):
at Michigan? I don't know. That's his alma mater. They're
gonna love him. They got a hundred and ten thousand
seats to fill every game to go back there and
beat Urban Meyer. So you know, if if that's where
he ends up, we all wish them the best. But
that's not gonna be easy either, because they've been on
a slide lately. Yeah, and when you're in coaching, you
don't want to hear that ten year deal. You don't
(08:49):
want to hear that there's a cap there. But now,
having been through it like you and I have, and
you look back, Bill was probably right. I heard a
story the other day where when he was getting up there,
someone asked Dwight Eisenhower, who wants to live to a
hundred and he said, the guy who's okay? Well, who's
the guy who wants to coach for eleven twelve years?
The guy that's at nine years okay? Or because at
(09:09):
the time you think you can sustain it, And I
think I think there is something to that, and there's
very few that get that opportunity. Well, let's let's move
on to a different circumstances. Rex Ryan, along with John Isaac,
the general manager, has been let go, and let's talk
about what's next for Rex and what we think went
wrong there? Well, you know, we we both like Rex
(09:32):
a lot personally and as a coach, and he was
I don't want to call it lucky, but he was
lucky enough to start fast, which is sometimes not a
good thing because, yeah, I'm one of my Super Bowl
in the second year and literally had a panic attack
that night, thinking my god, where do I go from here?
Exactly the same thing. And so, you know, here's Rex
and then he had a young quarterback in Sanchez, and
(09:54):
everybody goes, oh, hey, we've we done that with a
young quarterback. Just think how many Super Bowls we're gonna win.
Win everybody grows up around here, and that wasn't the
case since those two a f C championship years. You know,
he didn't have a winning record in four years. A
lot of different reasons, personnel reasons, quarterback reasons, injury, you know,
the whole thing. But Rex, Rex, He's gonna either end
(10:18):
up in television or he's gonna end up. I wouldn't
be surprised if people want him as their next head
coach this week, because he's that good. Forget about being
a defensive coordinator. Yes, he can do that in his sleep.
But he is a heck of a head football coach,
and I know these young coordinators and young first time
guys give him a chance that's going to exist, and
(10:40):
it's well deserved with some of these kids, these these
young coaches. But Rex is he's a good one. And
if I'm an owner or GM at at one of
these places that has an opening, I'm definitely considering Rex Ryans.
And it goes to what you're talking about. We put
a year mark on ten, but the change that just
for chance age, and this is gonna self serving, I
(11:02):
don't mean for it. I've been around I may be
as screwed up as Hogan's goat, but I've been around
some pretty good defensive coaches. UH Tony Dungee, Monty Kiffin,
uh hired Marvin Lewis, brought Jack del Rio into the league,
Mike Nolan, Mike Smith, Rex Ryan, Mike Patton. So at
the very least, I think I know what a good
defensive coach looks like. Billy. There you go. But Atlanta
(11:25):
is a good example. Some people say Rex Ryan down Atlanta,
and I can understand that. But here's the hard thing
for me, as a coach, and you and I can
appreciate this because at that point it's just changed. Because
I will tell you this is someone who's been around
some pretty good defensive coaches. Mike Smith and Mike Nolan
are as good a defensive coaches and minds as has
ever been in this league. I can say that to
(11:47):
a fact and not that the you know, because Rex
is excellent as well. So okay, I'm gonna go out
and get a Rex Ryan. Is he better than Mike
Nolan and Mike Smith. No, but he's different and maybe
it creates a little energy. And now you match up
with a quarterback. We're already set on offense, so you
can see where management thinks, Okay, we'll create this energy
(12:07):
and now that's what's gonna go win force going forward. Yes,
sometimes sometimes a new voice and a new energy will
create a little spark in terms of like whoever takes
that Jets job, you know they've been under the cap,
all right. The next coach is gonna say, let's use
all this money. We need free agents. We need to
do this, this and this and this, get this fixed
(12:29):
on offense. We need to draft this, this and this,
and so there's kind of a new commitment from up
above in front office and ownership to change what's not
been right. And and so maybe a new person gets
those assurances where the former coach really was fighting a
losing battle. But you're right, you know you can have
in the demise over there in Atlanta. Was their defense.
(12:53):
We know Matt Ryan's offense and Julio Jones and all
those guys were terrific most of the time. We're just
just terrific. But the injuries and what they were lacking
on defense. You know, you who's going to be the
coach that fixes that. They need some help in personnel
over there on defense, and then uh, and then they'll
(13:13):
have some six and they'll get it and they have
the quarterback. Let me have to get it. Let me
ask if you you agree with this, because I've been
saying for a while. As we're seeing in the Jets,
they also fired the GM. In Chicago, they also fire
the GM. Uh dimitrof has survived so far in in Atlanta,
(13:34):
it's become a GMS league, has it not? Because to me,
what I see now is the GMS have control and
they're just looking for that next guru. Look, don't talk
about personnel. Don't worry about the cab. You don't even
have to talk media if you don't want to that
you just dropped those genius game plans. I'll find you
a good counterpart on offensive defensive coordinator. They're not looking
(13:54):
for that command presence as a head coach. They just
want that offensive or defensive gurup and I'll be in charges.
The GM. Well, we've seen that a little bit where
not only is that guy handling the personnel end of it,
but we see GM's hiring coaches too, and that worries
me a little bit because as a head coach, if
(14:16):
you don't have authority to hire and fire your own staff, um,
that's not a good situation. Only a youngster would take
a job like that, a first time head coach, because,
as you know, on our coaching staff, we want to
have guys that are were side by side with guys
we trust, that are loyal to us, that are all
(14:39):
on the same program, headed in the same direction. And
so you're yeah, you're seeing general managers have more and
more authority, higher and higher pay um, and that's why
they're being held account and they are fired now, which
because the first thing they have to do is hire
a coach that they get along with and win. And
(14:59):
now you're seeing that when it doesn't happen, that the
g ms are getting let go as well. Let's talk
about the Chicago situation, because both Phil Emory the general manager,
and Mark Trestman are gone after only two years. Now.
Emery was there longer, but Mark trust just two years.
I was telling some of the other day. In the
nine years I was the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens,
there were eighty six head coaching changes in the league
(15:22):
in that near decade in the field of thirty two.
That means an industry turned itself over almost three times
in the near decade that I was in Baltimore. Mark
Tressman obviously is gonna be linked to Jake Cutler. Was
it as simple as that he just didn't get out
of Jay Cutler what they thought they were going to
get out of it. Well, you know, football is such
(15:45):
a huge team sport and there's so many parts to
it um from from personnel to drafting, into training, into
injuries and all of that. Jake Cutler certainly is being
the quarterback has something to say about their success or failures.
And I know there was a discussion, a very serious
(16:06):
discussion about the quarterback situation last year, okay, and there
was there was nothing. They weren't all in complete agreement
on this. Remember when Josh McCown McNown had such a
good year with thirteen touchdowns and only one interception, and
he was he was about minimum wage over there, but
he was playing better than most quarterbacks really in the league.
(16:29):
And they had to decide if they were going to
spend all that money on Jay Cutler for well over
a hundred million dollars and guarantee a lot of it.
And I know there was there was some discord in
that building about doing that, and it was like, do
we do it? Don't we do it? Do we let
them go? Do we do we stay with Josh? Draft
a young guy. It's cheaper for salar recap purposes. We
(16:51):
can spread some of that money around on defense, which
is where we're lacking in talent. We don't have any
more lackers or butt gifts or anybody over there. You've
got to fix our defense. They weren't. They were unable
to fix the defense, And so a lot of it
had to do with that huge decision about spending that
kind of money. I mean, they you know, they're talking
(17:11):
about that here in San Francisco. They gave Kaepernick over
a hundred million dollars. Was that the right thing to do?
Only time will tell, um, But that's what the market
will bear with quarterbacks. And whether you're the head coach
or the GM, you are joined at the hip with
that decision. Yeah, let's let's talk a little bit about
(17:31):
I hate to bring up sore subjects. You and I
have both been fired in this league. Look think of
it as therapy. Now, it's cathartic. We'll get it out
here and we'll all feel better about it afterwards. Um,
let's talk a little bit. I'll begin with myself because
it is a gut wrenching experience. The hard part from me.
The one thing that lingers with me is the tuesday
(17:51):
before we played Pittsburgh, the last game the year before,
we were thirteen and three. We come in, we're five
and eleven. I lost my quarterback, I lost three fifths
in my line, Ray ray Lewis ed Reid. We were shambles.
And the Tuesday before our last game, I sat with
ozzyk Newsom and it was a phenomenal partner and Steve Bishotti,
excellent owner, and we talked about, Hey, where do we
(18:14):
go from here? And we had a plan. Says, Okay,
we're gonna go do this, We're gonna do that. I
was gonna go find an offensive coordinator and this is
how we're gonna regroup. Well, we're going we beat Pittsburgh.
So it's not even on my radar that there could
be a change. And I come in Monday morning and
I'm walking into Ozzie's off saying, look, I'm gonna go
I'm gonna start this. I'm gonna go get this and
(18:35):
that and and I'm gonna go get a new offensive
coordinator to replace myself because I was calling the place
at that time, and said, uh, Steve's changed his mind.
And the hardest part for me was because I don't know,
did you kind of know it was heading that way?
Did you kind of know your last game might have
been your last game? Because that was a hard thing
for me that after the fact, not realizing all I
(18:58):
could do is look back and go, God, that was
my maybe my last game ever of coaching. And really,
and I give Steve credit for we sat down a
short conversation. It was interesting that he said, you know what, Brian,
I respect and love you too much to go through
a litany of reasons why I'm making the change, so
I won't. Okay, and one about I mean, did you
know your last game was your last game? No? Well,
(19:20):
so I had two different last games. Okay, the one
in Detroit ended up it was just different. But the
one in San Francisco, Brian, was a little bit like
yours in that the year before we were twelve and
four playoffs and everything. And then my last year we
won the division. We beat the Giants in the playoff
(19:41):
game in the wild card. Remember we came back from
twenty four down and won that game. And then we
went to Tampa and lost to the Tampa the super
Bowl champs. So so you know, we you know, I
I knew there wasn't complete harmony, um, but we were
being six tessful um playoffs and winning and but no
(20:03):
super Bowls. And so when I was called into the
office on Monday, that's why they called they called Black Monday,
or now it's the aftermath or whatever we call it. Aftermath,
and so um I sat down with John York and
we were sitting in his office for jeez, I bet
we sat in there for two hours just talking about things. Well,
little did I know as we were sitting talking there
(20:26):
was a press conference being organized and media was coming.
My wife radio, she was in the building. Um they went,
some people went and got my kids out of school
at a couple of different schools and pulled them out
of school and brought him home. And I'm still sitting
in there with John talking about things and so so
(20:47):
he knew, but I didn't know for a while until
the very end. And then when I walked out of there,
I it was like, what just happened? Just happened. And
I had you know, Bill Walsh was there, and my
wife was and and Bill was consoling her, and I
had to meet with my staff, and you know, the drill.
It's not fun for anybody, and the and the staff
and the secretaries are shocked and because they don't know
(21:10):
what their future will hold either. And so that's just
the nature of the business. You know, there's nothing permanent,
and so we, uh, we enjoy it while we we
can do the best job we can and then on
you go, Yeah, it's it is gut wrenching, and no,
you we don't any everybody feels sorry for us because obviously,
as head coaches we do well, we have certain people.
(21:30):
A lot of people don't realize that head coaching contracts
are guaranteed, so you're gonna get paid. I mean, I
just signed a four year contract the year before, so
they were gonna pay me the next three years of
the contract. But assistant coaches, although their contracts are guaranteed
as well, they're more short term. And the turmoil that
you're putting these families in, but let alone the change
in direction of their careers, that that was the hard
(21:50):
thing for me as well. Well, let's talk about that
for the for the general public here too, Brian, because
the guaranteed contract is there's a little bit of a
misnomer in that there is usually I don't know what
your contract had behind it, an offset clause, which means
if the coaches got it one more year left of
a million dollars, let's say, and he takes another job
(22:12):
that pays him a million dollars or more, that that
former team is off the hook, okay. Or if if
he gets assistant job for half a million dollars, they
only they only are on hook for half a million dollars,
so that offset that's why they I think it's calculated. Hey,
we know we've got to pay this guy still another year,
two or three, but what are the chances that he's
(22:32):
going to land a job and we're going to be
off the hook for most of this? Yeah, I felt bad.
I screwed the Ravens because I didn't get that next job,
so they were on for the whole amount. You didn't
even look Oh no, oh, you know better net. Well,
let's talk about let's talk about the jobs that are available.
Let's I don't want to say we're going to rank them,
but let's kind of look at what are the most
(22:53):
attractive jobs. To me, Atlanta is the number one attractive
job because to me, if you want to if you
want to write what's the what's the best jobs? Who
is the quarterback? And of the jobs available, Matt Ryan's
I mean you're gonna come in you already set at quarterback.
That's a pretty good job to step into. Okay, So yeah,
this is a good debate because a they do have
a heck of a quarterback and Matt Ryan and be
(23:15):
the division is really one where you know, if you
can improve that defense, you can win that division, right, Um,
so you degree that Atlanta is maybe the best job
just from a coaching perspective, if you you and I
were Yeah, But you know what, Brian, the San Francisco
job is a heck of a job here too, But
I'm you're talking about a very talented team. However, the
(23:35):
question mark is this division is brutal, and the expectations
I think, I honestly think the Oakland job is and
this is gonna, this is gonna floor your here. I
actually think the Oakland job is the next best job
only because one, let's use the criteria, you have your quarterback,
and I think I think Derek Carr's legitimate thing, but
com better than the San Francisco job because the expectations
(23:57):
the guy before you went to three straight NFC championship games.
And you go in there in the first year and
you do anything but get into the playoffs. That clock
is ticking even now Oakland, if you can just show
up at the stadium on time, they're gonna they're gonna
make your governor. Right, So the aspectations are so low
in Oakland, I actually think that might be the better job.
(24:21):
And the and the other thing as you mentioned their quarterback.
I love their car. They you know, Reggie Mackenzie, some
of his draft choices are now starting to produce Khalil
mack and and so, and then you look at the
rest of them. I always look at the other guys
in the division because you can have a good football team,
but if there's an Aaron Rodgers or in your division
(24:43):
or Andrew Luck, you know they should win their division
and you're just at best hoping for a wild card spots.
Exactly yet, how long will Peyton Man? I bet Peyton
plays one more year? I mean, I'm dead guessing, but
that's it. And then and then Philip Rivers? All long
will Philip Rivers play? Over there? Um? You know, I
(25:03):
think Andy Reid will always do a good job because
the a f C West is a good, solid division.
But as those other teams get older and start changing,
this young Raider team, yes, can become a better team
and be a factor all of a sudden. God, we
saw it three times at home when they beat the
heck out of uh Kansas City on Thursday night football.
We were there, and that they played some They played
(25:26):
three really good home games at the end to win them.
So there's a little bit of excitement over there across
the Bay and the Bears and the Jets. These are
legendary franchises, so that part as a coach, it's very appealing.
But clearly those two teams, those two organizations, and there's
no nothing definitive at quarterback. That's probably the biggest challenge
(25:49):
in terms of if you were to choose one of them.
Let's say you had a choice of anyone you wanted,
that would be the biggest challenge, would it not? Those two? Yeah,
And the Bears have to figure out what where they
go at quarterback and then there and then so let's
say they have a young quarterback here soon, Well the
young quarterback's best friend is what a good defense? Well,
(26:10):
they don't have that either, And so and then you
got let's look at their division. You got Aaron Rodgers,
he's not going anywhere. Got Matthew Stafford and Megatron they're
not going anywhere. You've got Mike Zimmer's team over there
in Minnesota. That's that's gonna be up coming on Teddy Bridgewater, Yep, exactly. So.
And then and then with the Jets too, they gotta
figure out what they're gonna do at at quarterback? How
(26:31):
about Gino? How about Gina with a perfect passer rating
in the last game, you don't have to passer rating.
I can't think of more useless number in the world
than a passer rating. It's ridiculous anyway, but you're you're
right about that. And in a division that how long
is Tom Brady gonna go? And what's the you know,
Tannehill kind of looks like you might be a guy?
Uh they how long is Kyle Orton going to be
(26:52):
in Buffalo? So for the same reason that the Raider's job,
maybe the Jets job could be a good one. Well,
let's god, you know, God forbid here it's a it's
wild card weekend. God forbid, we get to actually talk football.
Let's quickly handicap the four games. Let me let me
get your picks. I'll start with the Cardinals and the Panthers.
The Panthers to me, you know, we don't give enough
credit to the fact you you mentioned this. I learned
(27:12):
this from you, mooch, that we don't give enough credit
to the fact that teams do get better during the season,
they do grow. The Panthers got better. They look like
that that playoff team at the end of last year.
They've grown back into that. Cam Newton's healthy, Uh, Jonathan
Stewart's healthy. The defense looks better. I think I think
the Panthers will beat the Cardinals at home. Well. Yeah,
and and I don't know if Drew Stanton's gonna play
(27:34):
to you, I don't think it matter. It helps a
little bit, But that Cardinal defense hasn't been playing as
well as we expected them to. Um, Bruce arians has
done a great job, There's there's no doubt. But I
think I think they're fizzling out a little bit. And
I'm like you, I'm gonna take the Panthers. They've won
four games in a row now for Ron and Luke
(27:54):
Keikley is the quarterback of that defense. I love him
the death. And then Cam, he looks like Cam all
of us. And so they're playing at home. You know,
that was that was a statement game over there that
they made against the Falcons. That was a physically physical
and took the Falcons. I thought that'd be more explosive. Yeah,
are more competitive anyway, And so I'm gonna take the
(28:15):
Panthers at home against the Cardinals. And uh, you know,
with that losing record, and you know, that's how it is,
and it doesn't happen very often. So I certainly not
a proponent of changing the way we have playoffs or
buys and all that. You know, they win the division,
God bless them. Now I'm the other way around. I
think I know you are, but it's okay. You can
(28:37):
be wrong, and I love you man. Uh Ravens and Steelers.
You know, obviously the Ravens have the pedigree to go in.
But right now, the Ravens got that secondary is really bad.
And you know, they beat um who is the quarterback
for Cleveland. I can't even remember his name. I mean, yeah,
Connor Shaw to get into the playoffs. Okay, well now
(28:57):
they're got they got that. The hard thing I have
in picking the Ravens first off, the Steelers there past that,
you know, where they could lose to Tampa and lose
to Cleveland. They seem to be more consistent now. I
think their defense is matured, and I don't know that
that secondary can hold up against Roethlisberger than either Brady
or Manning or or uh you know. I just I
(29:20):
have tough time seeing the Ravens, even though they got
the pedigree to do it going into Pittsburgh and beating Pittsburgh. Yeah,
these teams have split during the regular season, Holmes team
home team winning the games, and now we're at Pittsburgh. Uh.
I'm sure you saw the game last night. And you know,
I don't know what the status of Levy On Bell is. Boys,
he a good back and you know when he got hurt.
(29:41):
When he got hurt, he was playing out there like
a wide receiver. That's where he separates himself from DeMarco Murray.
DeMarco was having a fantastic year. Yes, but Levy On
Bell is such a versatile guy. They're gonna, boy, I
hope he's okay. Hyper extended his knee and they're gonna
need him. They're gonna need him to win this game.
But you know, I don't hear any talk about m
(30:01):
v P or Offensive Player of the Year. This Antonio
Brown kids from Central Michigan. You know, you know how
many catches did he end up with honor in thirty years?
I don't know what what it ended up with. But
and I know you're gonna say, well, Jerry Rice there
never won the m v P and all that stuff,
But this guy doesn't even returns punts for touchdowns and
everything else that most receivers don't do. Most good receivers
(30:25):
stay away from the return games. Yeah, that would be.
That would change the equation. Though, if if if Bell
doesn't play, let's quickly go through the Bengals and the Colts.
I don't know what to me. I mean, the last
time they played the Colts, the Bengals could do nothing.
That was a three game stand where they did nothing
against the Colts. They looked terrible against Cleveland. Clearly Cincinnati
is better than they were then. Um, and Indianapolis is
(30:49):
only so good. I don't know. I don't know that
I can buy into any Dalton go in Indianapolis. And
when I know and and and you know, my hats
off to Marvin Lewis, that's your guy, you know. And
and four playoffs in a row at sincin Natty, all right,
and that's pretty darn good. And we criticize Andy Dalton
for not being able to win the big one in
prime time and playoffs and all that sort of thing.
(31:11):
Oh I know is this kid's got his team in
the playoffs four years in a row. And I like
Jeremy Hill, I like their team, but they have to
travel to Lucas Oil and and it's just hard for
me to say that Andrew luck is gonna lose a
game in Lucas Oil and the playoffs right now, I'm
it's gonna be a competitive game. I really like the
(31:33):
Bengals edition with Jeremy Hill, but let's take let's take
the cold and as much as I think the Lions
could be a really dangerous team, Matthew staffords owin six
team against teams with winning records when he goes on
the road, boy made scher odds. You figure, yeah, maybe
they can go down and beat the Cowboys. But the
Cowboys that was a statement game for them as well.
They're gonna play their guys late into the game and
(31:54):
said we're gonna overwhelm a division rival. Um, I don't
know that Detroit can go on the road and eat
the Cowboys. Yeah, I'm starting to drink. The Cowboys took
seventeen weeks. Uh, you know what. And then it's Tony
Romo an m VP candidate, Yes he is. I just
think that they're on a roll right now and Detroit
(32:14):
is not going to be able to win in Dallas.
I what's within Dominican sue, what what is that? I
mean a little backhanded? It's gonna be hard to suspend
him or find him. I don't know in the way
it does. It wasn't as obvious, was it calculated? If
I'm a bettman, I say, yes, Well, you know you
gotta look then at track record too, and you know
so that he's had a few, he's had a few
(32:35):
of those issues, and so jeez o, pete, I was.
I don't nobody liked to see that quickly in ten
seconds or less. You know what, I'm just gonna just
I'm just gonna think a little bit out of the
NFL box here a little bit. And I want to
go with J J hard not to are you too?
We're agreeing on something. No, I agree with you. I'd
(32:56):
love to see it. But Aaron Rodgers, Uh, if I were,
if I were more dubious, I'd say he faked the
injury just to ensure the m v P. But he
has the calf injury comes in. It goes eleven and
thirteen and four. Aaron Rodgers, A hard one. I can't
believe you you failed on agreed may packers. Folks, we
appreciate you join us on the Coaches Show all year
long much and I love doing this and make sure
(33:16):
to catch us out next time we're on
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Coaches Show Podcast. Thy men together can't lose. This is
(01:11):
why you lift all that abdy about them. And now
we're going there's a glean man, there's a glean Thanks
for checking out the Coaches Show. I'm Brian Bellick, joined
as usual by Steve Mariuchi and Steve. We both love
what we're doing now, We love the network, we love
these podcasts. We both absolutely hate this day because Black Monday,
(01:35):
even though we're removed from it now, there's the number
of people that we know that we've worked with whose
lives are affected today. That's the thing that that I
always regret the most about Black Monday. We focused on
the head coaches. Head coach is gonna be fine. The
number of assistant coaches. There's twelve fifteen guys that are
out of work today and they don't have the three
and four and five years guaranteed going forward. This is
(01:57):
uh is I hate this day. Yeah, I'm with you, Brian,
And you know the guys we work with. You know,
we've got the players, they're the Pro Bowl players and
Hall of famers and they go well, Moich. You know,
players get cut all the time. Big difference because a
the players make more money than especially assistant coaches like
you mentioned, and and when a player gets cut, he
(02:19):
doesn't bring another fifteen or twenty families like you mentioned
down as well, where they have to get new schools
and move and new pediatricians and you know whatever that is.
It's it affects so many people when a coach gets
Let's go some of these staffs, Brian are twenty two
and twenties. I know, the size of staff unbelieved. Yeah, well,
(02:40):
but let's let's kind of work through it. Let's talk
a little bit about some of what we know of now.
For those that follow our podcast, we do this on
Monday afternoons. Typically this is a Monday morning on Black Friday.
So when you hear this late Black Monday, excuse me
you you those are listening to it, A lot may
have changed. But as what we know right now, let's
(03:03):
begin with the biggest head scratcher really and how it
even got there. Jim Harbaugh. It's announced that he is
obviously leading the forty niners. We haven't had it officially announced,
but a huge speculation and it's probably a done deal
that he's going to Michigan. Let's just let's begin with
we've talked about before, but how does on a winning
team and a winning organization, Let's talk about how this
(03:24):
goes wrong? How did. How did we get to this point? Yeah,
And there are some other examples of this, uh previous
in the league. And it's a matter, as you know, Brian,
of compatibility with ownership or front office or let's all
just get a long kind of thing. And you know,
we saw Jimmy Johnson, uh, you know, got changed for
(03:46):
Barry Switzer after winning Super Bowls. We saw Marty Schottenheimer
after fourteen and two, you know, and there's a lot
of examples, and and even you and I had some
pretty good runs at some places and we weren't there
after a while. And so owners have the prerogative to
change their mind because hey, this is not fun relationship
or it's not something I look forward to going you know,
(04:08):
going into the future. And so I think that's what
happened with Jim. We all know he's a good coach,
we all know his record and his his winning record,
but ownership in front office just felt that, hey, they
didn't want to do this anymore, and and Jim didn't
want to do it anymore either, and so there were
other suitors, you know, uh, you know, he may very
well end up at Michigan, but there were some other
(04:30):
interested NFL teams. But you know what, Brian like Nick Saban.
Nick Saban is a hard coach, and he's a good
football coach. He prefers college where he can control who
comes in. It's not taking turns in the draft. It's
I'm going to recruit whoever I want to recruit, practice
like I want to practice, and I want to run
(04:51):
any system I want. And I want to be the
voice in the face of this organization every day. And
I think Jim's got a little bit of that in him.
I think the Michigan fit might me a cup of tea. Yeah,
And let's talk about that a little bit because we
both coached college ball. I was never a head coach
in college. You were, of course, we were both assistants.
Goes back to my when we were at San Diego
State and you're cal State Fullerton. Those were the good
(05:12):
old days, right, Um. But let's talk about that because
I don't think people fully appreciate because at face value
that said, wait a minute, now, if you go back
to college, you actually answer to more people. In the NFL,
we answered the GM, We answered to the owner and
sometimes just the owner. Uh. And obviously you vicariously the
fans and whatever. But in college, boy, there's the presidents,
(05:33):
and there's the athletic directors, and there the head of
the boosters, and there's this. But the fact of the
matter is just what you said in the college game.
You run that total program, every aspect of it is
the way you want it. You have perfect example you
gave was Nick Saban Bob Petrino the same way got
into the NFL said this isn't my cup of tea.
I'm gonna go back to Arkansas, so and I and
(05:54):
people say, well, why would you go back? Besides the
eight million dollars they're gonna give them. You know, before
that was the reason you didn't see pro coaches go
back to college as much because the paid disparity was huge.
Now there is no paid disparity. He's making as much
more than any pro coach, and he will have total control,
which obviously a Jim Harbaugh covets, and so there is
(06:14):
a reason to go back to Michigan. He's a hard grinder.
But let's talk about that then. Jim Harball right now
appears to me you ask what went wrong? Some coaches
are that way. Bill parcels Um, you've heard uh any
number of different coaches. Lou Holtz is one that I
think recognized, Look, my the way I do business has
a shelf life. Bill Walsh believed that he believed you
(06:36):
could not be in one place more than ten years. Now,
that's a lifetime. But the Bill, the Bill Parcels, and
the and the and the coaches that grind that way,
they tend to move on quicker because they know, look,
I'm gonna I'm gonna probably burn myself out with my
associates here, and I need to take this thing on
the road after four or five years. Is that what
we think we're seeing with Jim Harbaugh. Yeah, absolutely is.
(06:59):
And the Bill Parcels analogy is a good one. Builds
a Hall of fame coach and he and he had
a knack for taking a product and making it better
quickly and then moving on. And you know, maybe that
style of hard grinder coach, UH, you know, can wear
thin on an organization and it's not suitable for long term,
but it's a good jolt of energy, UH to to
(07:22):
help fix UH an organization. You know, you mentioned Bill
Walsh when I was hired by the forty niners. You know,
I asked Carmen policy. I said, George Seaffert won two
Super Bowls. Why isn't George Seaffort still your coach? And
he said that. He says, you know what, every coach
has a shelf life. And I went and he said,
(07:44):
you know what, Steve, you have a shelf life too,
So you're not gonna be here forever. And you know,
and Bill was there ten years, and George was there
eight and I was there six, and you know, the
shelf life kept getting less and less. But but there's
some there's some truth to that. Seldom do you have
a uh, Bill Belichick where you stay and stay and stay.
Of course, being joined at a hip with a great
(08:05):
quarterback helps. But Marvin Lewis is one that's been, you know,
really hanging on for four playoffs in a row. But
that's the that's not the norm. That's the exception to
the rule. Um, you're not married, you're dating. When you're
the coach, you go in there, you do what you can,
You get along as best you can, and win as
many games as you can and see where it goes.
With Jim Harbaugh, I you know, is he long term
(08:27):
at Michigan? I don't know. That's his alma mater. They're
gonna love him. They got a hundred and ten thousand
seats to fill every game to go back there and
beat Urban Meyer. So you know, if if that's where
he ends up, we all wish them the best. But
that's not gonna be easy either, because they've been on
a slide lately. Yeah, and when you're in coaching, you
don't want to hear that ten year deal. You don't
(08:49):
want to hear that there's a cap there. But now,
having been through it like you and I have, and
you look back, Bill was probably right. I heard a
story the other day where when he was getting up there,
someone asked Dwight Eisenhower, who wants to live to a
hundred and he said, the guy who's okay? Well, who's
the guy who wants to coach for eleven twelve years?
The guy that's at nine years okay? Or because at
(09:09):
the time you think you can sustain it, And I
think I think there is something to that, and there's
very few that get that opportunity. Well, let's let's move
on to a different circumstances. Rex Ryan, along with John Isaac,
the general manager, has been let go, and let's talk
about what's next for Rex and what we think went
wrong there? Well, you know, we we both like Rex
(09:32):
a lot personally and as a coach, and he was
I don't want to call it lucky, but he was
lucky enough to start fast, which is sometimes not a
good thing because, yeah, I'm one of my Super Bowl
in the second year and literally had a panic attack
that night, thinking my god, where do I go from here?
Exactly the same thing. And so, you know, here's Rex
and then he had a young quarterback in Sanchez, and
(09:54):
everybody goes, oh, hey, we've we done that with a
young quarterback. Just think how many Super Bowls we're gonna win.
Win everybody grows up around here, and that wasn't the
case since those two a f C championship years. You know,
he didn't have a winning record in four years. A
lot of different reasons, personnel reasons, quarterback reasons, injury, you know,
the whole thing. But Rex, Rex, He's gonna either end
(10:18):
up in television or he's gonna end up. I wouldn't
be surprised if people want him as their next head
coach this week, because he's that good. Forget about being
a defensive coordinator. Yes, he can do that in his sleep.
But he is a heck of a head football coach,
and I know these young coordinators and young first time
guys give him a chance that's going to exist, and
(10:40):
it's well deserved with some of these kids, these these
young coaches. But Rex is he's a good one. And
if I'm an owner or GM at at one of
these places that has an opening, I'm definitely considering Rex Ryans.
And it goes to what you're talking about. We put
a year mark on ten, but the change that just
for chance age, and this is gonna self serving, I
(11:02):
don't mean for it. I've been around I may be
as screwed up as Hogan's goat, but I've been around
some pretty good defensive coaches. UH Tony Dungee, Monty Kiffin,
uh hired Marvin Lewis, brought Jack del Rio into the league,
Mike Nolan, Mike Smith, Rex Ryan, Mike Patton. So at
the very least, I think I know what a good
defensive coach looks like. Billy. There you go. But Atlanta
(11:25):
is a good example. Some people say Rex Ryan down Atlanta,
and I can understand that. But here's the hard thing
for me, as a coach, and you and I can
appreciate this because at that point it's just changed. Because
I will tell you this is someone who's been around
some pretty good defensive coaches. Mike Smith and Mike Nolan
are as good a defensive coaches and minds as has
ever been in this league. I can say that to
(11:47):
a fact and not that the you know, because Rex
is excellent as well. So okay, I'm gonna go out
and get a Rex Ryan. Is he better than Mike
Nolan and Mike Smith. No, but he's different and maybe
it creates a little energy. And now you match up
with a quarterback. We're already set on offense, so you
can see where management thinks, Okay, we'll create this energy
(12:07):
and now that's what's gonna go win force going forward. Yes,
sometimes sometimes a new voice and a new energy will
create a little spark in terms of like whoever takes
that Jets job, you know they've been under the cap,
all right. The next coach is gonna say, let's use
all this money. We need free agents. We need to
do this, this and this and this, get this fixed
(12:29):
on offense. We need to draft this, this and this,
and so there's kind of a new commitment from up
above in front office and ownership to change what's not
been right. And and so maybe a new person gets
those assurances where the former coach really was fighting a
losing battle. But you're right, you know you can have
in the demise over there in Atlanta. Was their defense.
(12:53):
We know Matt Ryan's offense and Julio Jones and all
those guys were terrific most of the time. We're just
just terrific. But the injuries and what they were lacking
on defense. You know, you who's going to be the
coach that fixes that. They need some help in personnel
over there on defense, and then uh, and then they'll
(13:13):
have some six and they'll get it and they have
the quarterback. Let me have to get it. Let me
ask if you you agree with this, because I've been
saying for a while. As we're seeing in the Jets,
they also fired the GM. In Chicago, they also fire
the GM. Uh dimitrof has survived so far in in Atlanta,
(13:34):
it's become a GMS league, has it not? Because to me,
what I see now is the GMS have control and
they're just looking for that next guru. Look, don't talk
about personnel. Don't worry about the cab. You don't even
have to talk media if you don't want to that
you just dropped those genius game plans. I'll find you
a good counterpart on offensive defensive coordinator. They're not looking
(13:54):
for that command presence as a head coach. They just
want that offensive or defensive gurup and I'll be in charges.
The GM. Well, we've seen that a little bit where
not only is that guy handling the personnel end of it,
but we see GM's hiring coaches too, and that worries
me a little bit because as a head coach, if
(14:16):
you don't have authority to hire and fire your own staff, um,
that's not a good situation. Only a youngster would take
a job like that, a first time head coach, because,
as you know, on our coaching staff, we want to
have guys that are were side by side with guys
we trust, that are loyal to us, that are all
(14:39):
on the same program, headed in the same direction. And
so you're yeah, you're seeing general managers have more and
more authority, higher and higher pay um, and that's why
they're being held account and they are fired now, which
because the first thing they have to do is hire
a coach that they get along with and win. And
(14:59):
now you're seeing that when it doesn't happen, that the
g ms are getting let go as well. Let's talk
about the Chicago situation, because both Phil Emory the general manager,
and Mark Trestman are gone after only two years. Now.
Emery was there longer, but Mark trust just two years.
I was telling some of the other day. In the
nine years I was the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens,
there were eighty six head coaching changes in the league
(15:22):
in that near decade in the field of thirty two.
That means an industry turned itself over almost three times
in the near decade that I was in Baltimore. Mark
Tressman obviously is gonna be linked to Jake Cutler. Was
it as simple as that he just didn't get out
of Jay Cutler what they thought they were going to
get out of it. Well, you know, football is such
(15:45):
a huge team sport and there's so many parts to
it um from from personnel to drafting, into training, into
injuries and all of that. Jake Cutler certainly is being
the quarterback has something to say about their success or failures.
And I know there was a discussion, a very serious
(16:06):
discussion about the quarterback situation last year, okay, and there
was there was nothing. They weren't all in complete agreement
on this. Remember when Josh McCown McNown had such a
good year with thirteen touchdowns and only one interception, and
he was he was about minimum wage over there, but
he was playing better than most quarterbacks really in the league.
(16:29):
And they had to decide if they were going to
spend all that money on Jay Cutler for well over
a hundred million dollars and guarantee a lot of it.
And I know there was there was some discord in
that building about doing that, and it was like, do
we do it? Don't we do it? Do we let
them go? Do we do we stay with Josh? Draft
a young guy. It's cheaper for salar recap purposes. We
(16:51):
can spread some of that money around on defense, which
is where we're lacking in talent. We don't have any
more lackers or butt gifts or anybody over there. You've
got to fix our defense. They weren't. They were unable
to fix the defense, And so a lot of it
had to do with that huge decision about spending that
kind of money. I mean, they you know, they're talking
(17:11):
about that here in San Francisco. They gave Kaepernick over
a hundred million dollars. Was that the right thing to do?
Only time will tell, um, But that's what the market
will bear with quarterbacks. And whether you're the head coach
or the GM, you are joined at the hip with
that decision. Yeah, let's let's talk a little bit about
(17:31):
I hate to bring up sore subjects. You and I
have both been fired in this league. Look think of
it as therapy. Now, it's cathartic. We'll get it out
here and we'll all feel better about it afterwards. Um,
let's talk a little bit. I'll begin with myself because
it is a gut wrenching experience. The hard part from me.
The one thing that lingers with me is the tuesday
(17:51):
before we played Pittsburgh, the last game the year before,
we were thirteen and three. We come in, we're five
and eleven. I lost my quarterback, I lost three fifths
in my line, Ray ray Lewis ed Reid. We were shambles.
And the Tuesday before our last game, I sat with
ozzyk Newsom and it was a phenomenal partner and Steve Bishotti,
excellent owner, and we talked about, Hey, where do we
(18:14):
go from here? And we had a plan. Says, Okay,
we're gonna go do this, We're gonna do that. I
was gonna go find an offensive coordinator and this is
how we're gonna regroup. Well, we're going we beat Pittsburgh.
So it's not even on my radar that there could
be a change. And I come in Monday morning and
I'm walking into Ozzie's off saying, look, I'm gonna go
I'm gonna start this. I'm gonna go get this and
(18:35):
that and and I'm gonna go get a new offensive
coordinator to replace myself because I was calling the place
at that time, and said, uh, Steve's changed his mind.
And the hardest part for me was because I don't know,
did you kind of know it was heading that way?
Did you kind of know your last game might have
been your last game? Because that was a hard thing
for me that after the fact, not realizing all I
(18:58):
could do is look back and go, God, that was
my maybe my last game ever of coaching. And really,
and I give Steve credit for we sat down a
short conversation. It was interesting that he said, you know what, Brian,
I respect and love you too much to go through
a litany of reasons why I'm making the change, so
I won't. Okay, and one about I mean, did you
know your last game was your last game? No? Well,
(19:20):
so I had two different last games. Okay, the one
in Detroit ended up it was just different. But the
one in San Francisco, Brian, was a little bit like
yours in that the year before we were twelve and
four playoffs and everything. And then my last year we
won the division. We beat the Giants in the playoff
(19:41):
game in the wild card. Remember we came back from
twenty four down and won that game. And then we
went to Tampa and lost to the Tampa the super
Bowl champs. So so you know, we you know, I
I knew there wasn't complete harmony, um, but we were
being six tessful um playoffs and winning and but no
(20:03):
super Bowls. And so when I was called into the
office on Monday, that's why they called they called Black Monday,
or now it's the aftermath or whatever we call it. Aftermath,
and so um I sat down with John York and
we were sitting in his office for jeez, I bet
we sat in there for two hours just talking about things. Well,
little did I know as we were sitting talking there
(20:26):
was a press conference being organized and media was coming.
My wife radio, she was in the building. Um they went,
some people went and got my kids out of school
at a couple of different schools and pulled them out
of school and brought him home. And I'm still sitting
in there with John talking about things and so so
(20:47):
he knew, but I didn't know for a while until
the very end. And then when I walked out of there,
I it was like, what just happened? Just happened. And
I had you know, Bill Walsh was there, and my
wife was and and Bill was consoling her, and I
had to meet with my staff, and you know, the drill.
It's not fun for anybody, and the and the staff
and the secretaries are shocked and because they don't know
(21:10):
what their future will hold either. And so that's just
the nature of the business. You know, there's nothing permanent,
and so we, uh, we enjoy it while we we
can do the best job we can and then on
you go, Yeah, it's it is gut wrenching, and no,
you we don't any everybody feels sorry for us because obviously,
as head coaches we do well, we have certain people.
(21:30):
A lot of people don't realize that head coaching contracts
are guaranteed, so you're gonna get paid. I mean, I
just signed a four year contract the year before, so
they were gonna pay me the next three years of
the contract. But assistant coaches, although their contracts are guaranteed
as well, they're more short term. And the turmoil that
you're putting these families in, but let alone the change
in direction of their careers, that that was the hard
(21:50):
thing for me as well. Well, let's talk about that
for the for the general public here too, Brian, because
the guaranteed contract is there's a little bit of a
misnomer in that there is usually I don't know what
your contract had behind it, an offset clause, which means
if the coaches got it one more year left of
a million dollars, let's say, and he takes another job
(22:12):
that pays him a million dollars or more, that that
former team is off the hook, okay. Or if if
he gets assistant job for half a million dollars, they
only they only are on hook for half a million dollars,
so that offset that's why they I think it's calculated. Hey,
we know we've got to pay this guy still another year,
two or three, but what are the chances that he's
(22:32):
going to land a job and we're going to be
off the hook for most of this? Yeah, I felt bad.
I screwed the Ravens because I didn't get that next job,
so they were on for the whole amount. You didn't
even look Oh no, oh, you know better net. Well,
let's talk about let's talk about the jobs that are available.
Let's I don't want to say we're going to rank them,
but let's kind of look at what are the most
(22:53):
attractive jobs. To me, Atlanta is the number one attractive
job because to me, if you want to if you
want to write what's the what's the best jobs? Who
is the quarterback? And of the jobs available, Matt Ryan's
I mean you're gonna come in you already set at quarterback.
That's a pretty good job to step into. Okay, So yeah,
this is a good debate because a they do have
a heck of a quarterback and Matt Ryan and be
(23:15):
the division is really one where you know, if you
can improve that defense, you can win that division, right, Um,
so you degree that Atlanta is maybe the best job
just from a coaching perspective, if you you and I
were Yeah, But you know what, Brian, the San Francisco
job is a heck of a job here too, But
I'm you're talking about a very talented team. However, the
(23:35):
question mark is this division is brutal, and the expectations
I think, I honestly think the Oakland job is and
this is gonna, this is gonna floor your here. I
actually think the Oakland job is the next best job
only because one, let's use the criteria, you have your quarterback,
and I think I think Derek Carr's legitimate thing, but
com better than the San Francisco job because the expectations
(23:57):
the guy before you went to three straight NFC championship games.
And you go in there in the first year and
you do anything but get into the playoffs. That clock
is ticking even now Oakland, if you can just show
up at the stadium on time, they're gonna they're gonna
make your governor. Right, So the aspectations are so low
in Oakland, I actually think that might be the better job.
(24:21):
And the and the other thing as you mentioned their quarterback.
I love their car. They you know, Reggie Mackenzie, some
of his draft choices are now starting to produce Khalil
mack and and so, and then you look at the
rest of them. I always look at the other guys
in the division because you can have a good football team,
but if there's an Aaron Rodgers or in your division
(24:43):
or Andrew Luck, you know they should win their division
and you're just at best hoping for a wild card spots.
Exactly yet, how long will Peyton Man? I bet Peyton
plays one more year? I mean, I'm dead guessing, but
that's it. And then and then Philip Rivers? All long
will Philip Rivers play? Over there? Um? You know, I
(25:03):
think Andy Reid will always do a good job because
the a f C West is a good, solid division.
But as those other teams get older and start changing,
this young Raider team, yes, can become a better team
and be a factor all of a sudden. God, we
saw it three times at home when they beat the
heck out of uh Kansas City on Thursday night football.
We were there, and that they played some They played
(25:26):
three really good home games at the end to win them.
So there's a little bit of excitement over there across
the Bay and the Bears and the Jets. These are
legendary franchises, so that part as a coach, it's very appealing.
But clearly those two teams, those two organizations, and there's
no nothing definitive at quarterback. That's probably the biggest challenge
(25:49):
in terms of if you were to choose one of them.
Let's say you had a choice of anyone you wanted,
that would be the biggest challenge, would it not? Those two? Yeah,
And the Bears have to figure out what where they
go at quarterback and then there and then so let's
say they have a young quarterback here soon, Well the
young quarterback's best friend is what a good defense? Well,
(26:10):
they don't have that either, And so and then you
got let's look at their division. You got Aaron Rodgers,
he's not going anywhere. Got Matthew Stafford and Megatron they're
not going anywhere. You've got Mike Zimmer's team over there
in Minnesota. That's that's gonna be up coming on Teddy Bridgewater, Yep, exactly. So.
And then and then with the Jets too, they gotta
figure out what they're gonna do at at quarterback? How
(26:31):
about Gino? How about Gina with a perfect passer rating
in the last game, you don't have to passer rating.
I can't think of more useless number in the world
than a passer rating. It's ridiculous anyway, but you're you're
right about that. And in a division that how long
is Tom Brady gonna go? And what's the you know,
Tannehill kind of looks like you might be a guy?
Uh they how long is Kyle Orton going to be
(26:52):
in Buffalo? So for the same reason that the Raider's job,
maybe the Jets job could be a good one. Well,
let's god, you know, God forbid here it's a it's
wild card weekend. God forbid, we get to actually talk football.
Let's quickly handicap the four games. Let me let me
get your picks. I'll start with the Cardinals and the Panthers.
The Panthers to me, you know, we don't give enough
credit to the fact you you mentioned this. I learned
(27:12):
this from you, mooch, that we don't give enough credit
to the fact that teams do get better during the season,
they do grow. The Panthers got better. They look like
that that playoff team at the end of last year.
They've grown back into that. Cam Newton's healthy, Uh, Jonathan
Stewart's healthy. The defense looks better. I think I think
the Panthers will beat the Cardinals at home. Well. Yeah,
and and I don't know if Drew Stanton's gonna play
(27:34):
to you, I don't think it matter. It helps a
little bit, But that Cardinal defense hasn't been playing as
well as we expected them to. Um, Bruce arians has
done a great job, There's there's no doubt. But I
think I think they're fizzling out a little bit. And
I'm like you, I'm gonna take the Panthers. They've won
four games in a row now for Ron and Luke
(27:54):
Keikley is the quarterback of that defense. I love him
the death. And then Cam, he looks like Cam all
of us. And so they're playing at home. You know,
that was that was a statement game over there that
they made against the Falcons. That was a physically physical
and took the Falcons. I thought that'd be more explosive. Yeah,
are more competitive anyway, And so I'm gonna take the
(28:15):
Panthers at home against the Cardinals. And uh, you know,
with that losing record, and you know, that's how it is,
and it doesn't happen very often. So I certainly not
a proponent of changing the way we have playoffs or
buys and all that. You know, they win the division,
God bless them. Now I'm the other way around. I
think I know you are, but it's okay. You can
(28:37):
be wrong, and I love you man. Uh Ravens and Steelers.
You know, obviously the Ravens have the pedigree to go in.
But right now, the Ravens got that secondary is really bad.
And you know, they beat um who is the quarterback
for Cleveland. I can't even remember his name. I mean, yeah,
Connor Shaw to get into the playoffs. Okay, well now
(28:57):
they're got they got that. The hard thing I have
in picking the Ravens first off, the Steelers there past that,
you know, where they could lose to Tampa and lose
to Cleveland. They seem to be more consistent now. I
think their defense is matured, and I don't know that
that secondary can hold up against Roethlisberger than either Brady
or Manning or or uh you know. I just I
(29:20):
have tough time seeing the Ravens, even though they got
the pedigree to do it going into Pittsburgh and beating Pittsburgh. Yeah,
these teams have split during the regular season, Holmes team
home team winning the games, and now we're at Pittsburgh. Uh.
I'm sure you saw the game last night. And you know,
I don't know what the status of Levy On Bell is. Boys,
he a good back and you know when he got hurt.
(29:41):
When he got hurt, he was playing out there like
a wide receiver. That's where he separates himself from DeMarco Murray.
DeMarco was having a fantastic year. Yes, but Levy On
Bell is such a versatile guy. They're gonna, boy, I
hope he's okay. Hyper extended his knee and they're gonna
need him. They're gonna need him to win this game.
But you know, I don't hear any talk about m
(30:01):
v P or Offensive Player of the Year. This Antonio
Brown kids from Central Michigan. You know, you know how
many catches did he end up with honor in thirty years?
I don't know what what it ended up with. But
and I know you're gonna say, well, Jerry Rice there
never won the m v P and all that stuff,
But this guy doesn't even returns punts for touchdowns and
everything else that most receivers don't do. Most good receivers
(30:25):
stay away from the return games. Yeah, that would be.
That would change the equation. Though, if if if Bell
doesn't play, let's quickly go through the Bengals and the Colts.
I don't know what to me. I mean, the last
time they played the Colts, the Bengals could do nothing.
That was a three game stand where they did nothing
against the Colts. They looked terrible against Cleveland. Clearly Cincinnati
is better than they were then. Um, and Indianapolis is
(30:49):
only so good. I don't know. I don't know that
I can buy into any Dalton go in Indianapolis. And
when I know and and and you know, my hats
off to Marvin Lewis, that's your guy, you know. And
and four playoffs in a row at sincin Natty, all right,
and that's pretty darn good. And we criticize Andy Dalton
for not being able to win the big one in
prime time and playoffs and all that sort of thing.
(31:11):
Oh I know is this kid's got his team in
the playoffs four years in a row. And I like
Jeremy Hill, I like their team, but they have to
travel to Lucas Oil and and it's just hard for
me to say that Andrew luck is gonna lose a
game in Lucas Oil and the playoffs right now, I'm
it's gonna be a competitive game. I really like the
(31:33):
Bengals edition with Jeremy Hill, but let's take let's take
the cold and as much as I think the Lions
could be a really dangerous team, Matthew staffords owin six
team against teams with winning records when he goes on
the road, boy made scher odds. You figure, yeah, maybe
they can go down and beat the Cowboys. But the
Cowboys that was a statement game for them as well.
They're gonna play their guys late into the game and
(31:54):
said we're gonna overwhelm a division rival. Um, I don't
know that Detroit can go on the road and eat
the Cowboys. Yeah, I'm starting to drink. The Cowboys took
seventeen weeks. Uh, you know what. And then it's Tony
Romo an m VP candidate, Yes he is. I just
think that they're on a roll right now and Detroit
(32:14):
is not going to be able to win in Dallas.
I what's within Dominican sue, what what is that? I
mean a little backhanded? It's gonna be hard to suspend
him or find him. I don't know in the way
it does. It wasn't as obvious, was it calculated? If
I'm a bettman, I say, yes, Well, you know you
gotta look then at track record too, and you know
so that he's had a few, he's had a few
(32:35):
of those issues, and so jeez o, pete, I was.
I don't nobody liked to see that quickly in ten
seconds or less. You know what, I'm just gonna just
I'm just gonna think a little bit out of the
NFL box here a little bit. And I want to
go with J J hard not to are you too?
We're agreeing on something. No, I agree with you. I'd
(32:56):
love to see it. But Aaron Rodgers, Uh, if I were,
if I were more dubious, I'd say he faked the
injury just to ensure the m v P. But he
has the calf injury comes in. It goes eleven and
thirteen and four. Aaron Rodgers, A hard one. I can't
believe you you failed on agreed may packers. Folks, we
appreciate you join us on the Coaches Show all year
long much and I love doing this and make sure
(33:16):
to catch us out next time we're on
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