They're Paying These Guys ?

Tom Coughlin Blames Rookies Photo by Rich Kane-Staten Island Advance	Norv Turner's Losing His Players Photo By Jeff Chiu-AP

by Jimmy Russotto

11/13/07

 

Some of the recent games I’ve watched, be it football or basketball, make me wonder what some of these coaches are thinking, especially with the game on the line.  Sometimes it seems that, were there no coach at all, the outcome would have been better.

 

Anyone who watched the Chargers-Colts football game Sunday night would know what I’m talking about.  The Chargers had a big lead for most of the game, thanks to two long special-teams plays.  Norv Turner’s offense had been sputtering all night long, much as their defense had sputtered the previous Sunday against the Vikings and Adrian Peterson.  But their defense on this particular evening was close to flawless, intercepting none other than Peyton Manning 6 times.

 

So the Chargers found themselves still nursing a 2-point lead very late in the game.  But Manning led the Colts down to the 6-yard line for an apparent first down with about two minutes left in the game.  But since Norv had foolishly burned up his challenges earlier in the game, he could not challenge the spot of the ball.  Luckily for him and the Chargers, since the call was made within two minutes of the end of the game, the replay officials in the box challenged the call.  So it was fourth down and one, not a first down, and the Chargers eventually won, thus saving Norv’s hide for another week at least.  (Read on for Tony Dungy’s incredibly bad decisions to lose the game).  But then Norv compounded his questionable credibility with his players  by saying he thought the win was the “start of something big.”  What games had he been watching?

 

Okay, rewind to the 2:00 mark of the 4^th quarter again, 4^th and 1, the Colts could have kicked a field goal right there and won the game by one point.  Incredibly enough though, Dungy calls a play, a lineman moves before the snap, and the Colts are pushed back another five yards to the 11-yard line. Adam Vinatieri misses the 29-yard field goal by a hair.  Colts lose.  To Dungy’s credit, he at least apologized to his players for his incredible departure from sanity.  Unlike Norv, he didn’t try to sugarcoat another mediocre team result.

 

Giants coach tom Coughlin was guilty of finger-pointing again Sunday as he blamed his rookies for the loss to Dallas rather than accepting the loss as a team responsibility.  Tom still doesn’t get it.  Although he’s trying to change his dictatorial management style, in the heat of the moment he reverted to his mean-spirited form.  Once again, it’s not too hard to figure out why his team doesn’t always play like one.

 

As the 1-8 Jets had a bye this week, I won’t pick on Eric Mangini again.  Instead I’ll direct my wrath towards SF 49ers coach Mike Nolan.  Although Mike should get a pass because his father recently passed away, he was responsible for perpetrating on the American public the most boring and inept National Football League Monday night game ever played.  

 

Nolan’s 49ers couldn’t run or pass effectively against the Seattle Seahawks all night long. After an interception finally gave his team good field position, Frank Gore made a nice run and QB Alex Smith completed a pass down to the Seattle 2-yard line, making it 4^th and 1 from the 2.  On their best scoring opportunity, rather than put some points on the board by kicking the field goal, Nolan calls the single most predictable play in the book, a run up the middle by Gore for no gain, thus losing possession on downs.  It’s not the eschewing of the field goal that bothers me so much, more the play call.  Come ON, at least TRY to call something imaginative; it’s not as if Gore had been tearing the Seahawks apart!  The 49ers are awful and HAVE BEEN awful for a long time.  Come on, Mr. Nolan, I am hoping you turn things around soon.

 

The NJ Nets lost a game last night that even I could have easily coached to a victory.  Ahead by about 11 points with time running down, largely due to the inspired play of rookie Sean Williams, coach Frank takes Williams out, his replacement  Jason Collins pulls a rebound down and practically hands it to the opponent.  Then Jason Kidd starts fooling around, getting called for an offensive foul as he slowed down in front of the defender, forcing a collision.  Richard Jefferson spectacularly misses a dunk when a lay-up would have done very nicely.  Before you know it, the Nets find themselves down by one.  With 2 seconds and change left, the ball goes to Antoine Wright, a second-year player, who turns and shoots a clunker off the front rim.  Lawrence thought the game was too close to leave his brilliant rookie in the game yet left the last shot to a second-year guy.  Frank could also benefit by reining in some of his “stars”.

 

Speaking of reining-in players, I was all set to rip the Knicks Isaiah Thomas for playing guys who refuse to play defense.  Stephon Marbury was my first candidate.  As this is written, there is news that Isaiah did just that, informing Marbury that Mardy Collins would be taking over at point guard.  According to the news item, Stephon has taken a hike.  Good for you, Isaiah, stick to your guns.  We don’t need a selfish player like Marbury in our midst anymore.  Let’s see some defense.  Let’s see some players who won’t make foolish turnovers at the critical junctures of the games.  In addition, if Isaiah cannot command the respect of the rest of his players, let’s get someone in there who can.

 

It has been a very tough year for New York fans in all sports, and much of the reason lies in the coaching.  I’m still smarting over the Mets unbelievable collapse.  Willie Randolph is a good motivator but does have some serious flaws in his bench-coaching style.  The fine Yankees coach Joe Torre was allowed to walk.  We still have Coughlin.  Isaiah and Mangini are questionable.  Frank may need some mentoring.  It’s high time we fans start demanding more.