NFL - Are you Ready For Some Football?! Super Bowl Hunting

[Grandpa Troll]

Lions hire Cunningham to coach D

New Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz made his first major staff hire Wednesday, bringing in veteran assistant Gunther Cunningham as defensive coordinator.

The two previously worked together as assistants on Jeff Fisher's staff in Tennessee. Schwartz was defensive coordinator under Fisher this past season, when the Titans posted an NFL-best 13-3 record with a defense that ranked second in points allowed.

Cunningham, a 40-year coaching veteran on the college and pro levels, was Kansas City's head coach from 1999-2000 and the Chiefs' defensive coordinator in 1995-98 and from 2004 through this past season.

He'll set about trying to fix one of the league's worst defenses, one of the big reasons Detroit didn't win a game last season.

Terms of his contract were not disclosed.

Cunningham also has served as an assistant with the Raiders, Chargers and Colts in the NFL and California, Stanford, Arkansas and Oregon in the college ranks.

[-Jrabbit]

Sounds like a great hire. What was this guy doing on the street?

[snoopy369]

He was the Chief's Defensive coordinator last year. Not exactly on the street; and not necessarily a reason not to be, given the Chiefs.

[Ben Kenobi]

Ben, your self delusions amuse me to no end. Someday you're going to see someone who actually can break through them and show you about this fantastic thing we call 'reality', and I want to be there to see it.

I wasn't the one who called them 'pre-season superbowl favourites'.

I actually gave up on them when they were 4-8. So I am actually more pessismistic then reality.

[Ben Kenobi]

Obviously not a football fan.

No, I'm more of a LT fanboy.

Would you rather I came out and said I thought this was going to be the most exciting superbowl ever!

I honestly don't care very much about the Superbowl. AFC championship is better.

[Zopperoni]

Another one bites the dust:

Chiefs fire head coach Edwards after three seasons

One month after ending a disappointing 2-14 season, the Kansas City Chiefs announced Friday that Herm Edwards has been fired as head coach.

"Since my arrival last week, Herm and I have had several conversations as part of my overall evaluation of the football operation," new Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli said in a statement released by the team. "After careful consideration, (Chiefs chairman) Clark (Hunt) and I felt that it was best to make a change."

Added Hunt: "This was not an easy decision. Herm is an outstanding football coach and a man of integrity. We appreciate his leadership over the past three seasons, and we wish him all the best in the future."

Edwards leaves Kansas City with a 15-32 regular-season record in three seasons, and he was 0-1 in playoff games.

Edwards arrived in Kansas City after a five-year stint as head coach of the New York Jets (2001-05). He compiled a 39-41 regular-season record with the Jets and was 2-3 in the playoffs. Including a 2-4 playoff mark, he owns an overall 56-77 record as an NFL head coach.

Edwards' firing means 11 NFL teams will have made head-coaching changes this season, a league record.

[snoopy369]

Not a particularly shocking move given the hiring of Pioli. I really blame the personnel manager (ie, the former GM) rather than Herm for the Chiefs' collapse, though Herm hasn't done a particularly fabulous job either.

[Ming]

Frankly... you win only two games in your third year, and you should be fired. It will be interesting to see who they go after.

[Supr49er]

My money would be on Mike Shanahan.

[snoopy369]

Mike certainly would love to stick it to the Broncos twice a year I'm sure

But Pioli may want a coach who is more ... malleable.

[-Jrabbit]

Shanahan confirmed as Pioli's target.

[snoopy369]

Hmm, maybe I underestimate Pioli. That would be nice, certainly.

[Dis]

ok guys, tell me who I should bet on the superbowl. It's the Steelers at -7, who should I take?

[snoopy369]

Bet the under, and the Cardinals, or the over and the steelers. You'll win one of the two, and perhaps both. (Cardinals will likely win in a shootout, and the Steelers will likely win in a low scoring game.) The Over/Under I think is the better bet anyway, if you want just one.

At 47, I think the Over is a good idea; the Cards will probably score over 20 points, and the Steelers have a great chance at doing so also.

If I wanted to not hedge, I'd bet the over and the cardinals, I think. That's more likely than the under and the steelers by a long haul.

[Dis]

I was thinking of taking the cards (not sure about the over). Do you think they have a legitimate shot at winning (or at least keeping it close)? People I've been talking are divided. One guy thinks the cards will outright win (he's doing a special bet on this which pays more- and it's not using spread- he's just betting the underdog to win outright- can't remember the name of the bet). And the manager I work with thinks the steelers will win. Personally I'm favoring the cards, but I'm biased as I want them to win.