NFL - Are you Ready For Some Football?! - Wild Card Round!

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
It appears that Mangini is out in New York.

And in no surprise, Marinelli is soon to be gone in Detroit.

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) -- A person familiar with the decision says the Detroit Lions have fired coach Rod Marinelli.

The firing comes on the morning after the Lions became the first team in NFL history to finish with an 0-16 record.

The person, who said the move was made Monday morning, spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because an announcement had not been made.

The Lions completed their winless season with a loss to Green Bay on Sunday, pushing aside Tampa Bay's 1976 season of 0-14 as the league's worst.

Marinelli won only one of his last 24 games and was 10-38 in three years after former team president Matt Millen gave the former Buccaneers assistant his first head coaching job.

[Ben Kenobi]

You're a bit of a johnny-come-lately on the whole Flutie thing, Ben.

I was 5 in 1986. I had forgotten about Miami, so I take it back. I first saw Flutie when he was signed by the Lions and won a grey cup (his first) with us.

In the playoff game (early January '87), he did not distinguish himself, although he did complete a 50yd bomb to Willie Gault in the first half.

Bears lost to the Redskins 27-13 in that game after leading 13-7 at the half. (It was really a failure of the vaunted defense, sprinkled with offensive turnovers and special teams gaffes. A team loss, but Flutie was scapegoated by many.)

Which is one of the reasons the Bears don't have a QB even now. The man was in his rookie season, and didn't have the luxury of a full season before his first playoff game and you folks threw him under the bus? Stay classy Chicago.

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Hey, Slow, I wonder what you think of this:

http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/for_the_record/posts/36142?eref=fromSI

The Cowboys' Tony Romo is the worst big-game quarterback in recent memory. We were all too eager to ordain him the next great quarterback. Romo doesn't have it in him right now.

True, false? If true, then should the 'Boys start looking for a new QB?

Yes. Romo would be a great backup somewhere, or even a starter for a team like Detroit, with nowhere to go but up.

ACK!

[Ming]

Ben... I just checked out DS's odds for the playoffs.

So far, he has only posted odds for three of the games.
He has yet to post the spread for the Indy/SD game, probably waiting to see what the injury situation is.

Interestingly enough, all the Home teams so far are the dogs

We shall see what he posts, and what the injury situation is.

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Ming
Ben... I just checked out DS's odds for the playoffs.

So far, he has only posted odds for three of the games.
He has yet to post the spread for the Indy/SD game, probably waiting to see what the injury situation is.

Interestingly enough, all the Home teams so far are the dogs

We shall see what he posts, and what the injury situation is.

Everyone else has Indy a 1-1.5 point favorite.

ACK!

[SlowwHand]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Hey, Slow, I wonder what you think of this:

http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/for_the_record/posts/36142?eref=fromSI

The Cowboys' Tony Romo is the worst big-game quarterback in recent memory. We were all too eager to ordain him the next great quarterback. Romo doesn't have it in him right now.

True, false? If true, then should the 'Boys start looking for a new QB?

I would love to get a paycheck for writing my opinion.
Romo is young. He needs to step up. I wouldn't agree with this moron, though.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Romo is 28. That isn't that young as far as NFL QBs go.

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
With the picks from Dallas, Detrot could have an excellent draft.

But they're the Lions, so they won't.

[SlowwHand]

Romo has been starting for 3 years; actually 2 full years.
You certainly gave the illustrious Michael Vick more time.


It's not Romo solely that has me so disgusted. It, again, was a total breakdown. I put it on the coaches, more than a single player. There has been miscommunication and missed responsibilities across the whole team.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Romo has been starting for 3 years; actually 2 full years.
You certainly gave the illustrious Michael Vick more time.

Vick was also far younger. HELL, RIGHT NOW, Vick is 28. That's the SAME AGE as Romo! And Vick, love 'em or hate 'em definitely played well in the big game. After all, he's the first QB to win a playoff game in Lambeau Field and Panther's Fans still have nightmares of his "superman" like dive to win a needed game in his last full season.

It's not Romo solely that has me so disgusted. It, again, was a total breakdown. I put it on the coaches, more than a single player. There has been miscommunication and missed responsibilities across the whole team.

Though Romo doesn't ever seem to kind of take the team on his shoulders and say I'll do it, like, say, Peyton Manning did this season.

[SlowwHand]

I'll agree with the last part.

Thuis is what he said, in part. "Losing at a s porting event isn't the worse thing that's happened to me."
Do I even need to get started on my opinion of that statement? Surely not.
He has the talent. He needs to use his head more. He needs a coach who will blister his eardrums. Push him, if that's what it takes. I would hope he'd step up, as you pointed out.

Michael Vick is not a pro QB. He never was, and he'll never be called one again. Any chance he has is at another position. That's widely said around the league. My guess is DB, although WR is possible, I suppose.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Hey, Sloww, Vick was far more of a big game QB in his playing years than Romo has been so far. He may have had far less passing talent, but when it came to the big games, he stepped up and gave his team a chance to win. He didn't capitulate.

Hell, I didn't point out in my earlier post that Romo is actually older than Vick, by 3 months.

[-Jrabbit]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
Which is one of the reasons the Bears don't have a QB even now. The man was in his rookie season, and didn't have the luxury of a full season before his first playoff game and you folks threw him under the bus? Stay classy Chicago.

You're pretty fast with a quip, young pup. You should try backing it up with facts. Speaking of which, here they are:

At the time (1986), the Bears were considered a potential dynasty, and were heavily favored to repeat as Super Bowl champs. With McMahon at QB and Tomczak a capable young backup, they had TWO good young QBs. Acquiring Flutie was a desperation move due to the fact that BOTH QBs got injured during the (14-2) 1986 season. McMahon was nearly broken in two by a blatantly illegal hit by GB Packer Charles Martin. It was later learned that the Pack D had placed an (illegal) cash bounty on knocking McMahon out of the game.

The Bears did not "give up" on Flutie. If anything, they were the only NFL team that gave him a chance to start as a QB (he was, after all, an 11th round draft pick). He was traded as a favor, to give him an opportunity in New England rather than rotting on the bench as a third-stringer. It should also be noted that 1987 was the year of the player strike, with scabs playing instead of real NFL players. Doug Flutie was one of those scabs, abandoning union solidarity to promote his own career.

Doug Flutie went to Canada because 1) NO NFL TEAM wanted him, and 2) the players (and many fans) hated him because he crossed union picket lines. He played great up north, against inferior competition. When he returned to the NFL at age 36, he was past his prime.

By the time McMahon proved to be too hurt to continue his promising career (traded in '89), Flutie was long gone. The Bears had drafted Jim Harbaugh as McMahon's successor, both due to injury concerns and friction between the punky QB and Ditka.

The lack of continuity was at the top of the organization, which let go of a great GM (Jerry Vainisi), then cut the cord on Ditka's successful regime after one bad season in '92. This led to the tragic Wannstedt Era, which is when Harbaugh was sent packing, guilty of nothing more than being Ditka's guy.

It should be pointed out that both McMahon and Tomczak had relatively long and successful NFL careers.

As for the tragedy that has been the Bears QB situation -- that started after Ditka left and was caused by bad management (Michael McCaskey) and indecisive coaching (Wanny). It has sucked, but -- it is hoped -- has now been rectified with the semi-emergence of Kyle Orton. We shall see.

[Zopperoni]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Though Romo doesn't ever seem to kind of take the team on his shoulders and say I'll do it, like, say, Peyton Manning did this season.

Ah, yes, but Manning had his monkey on his back for a while as well in the big games.

I'm willing to consider this a wake up call for the Cowboys. Tony Romo will learn from this, Jason Garrett has to learn from this. This team can do much better.

[SlowwHand]

Until last year, most said Eli Manning sucked. Last year and this year happens and it all goes away.

How about this for a change of old attitude?

"They just handed us an old-fashioned butt whipping," Owens said. "I don't have all the answers, but I'd love to be part of the solution."