The revolving door to NFL head coaching positions has been spinning out of control since the end of last season with 11 head coaching changes occurring and several more being anticipated.Four teams started the NFL disposable coach act prior to the start of the season.

The Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins all handed headsets to rookie head coaches Mike Smith, John Harbaugh, Tony Sparano and Jim Zorn.

Other teams reminded us how impatient owners can be in a 16 game NFL season when the axe was swung and three other head coaches were sent packing early. The St. Louis Rams’ Scott Linehan and Oakland Raiders’ Lane Kiffin got canned after just Week 4 and San Fran 49ers’ head coach Mike Nolan was asked to hand in his headset after Week 7.

While those three teams were setting up interviews at the
close of the season, several others were sharpening their axe. Detroit, Denver, Cleveland and the New York Jets barely got back into the office on the Monday following the regular season when they were filling out pink slips.

The Rod Marinelli (Lions 0-16) and Romeo Crennel (Browns 4-12) firings came as no surprise but seeing Eric Mangini (Jets 9-7) and Mike Shanahan (Broncos 8-8) get their walking papers was less expected.

Mangini turned the Jets into an AFC East contender with a 9-7 record this season. Getting upset by the visiting Miami Dolphins and losing a chance of winning the division title at home the final game of the season put his head on the chopping block.

The math is simple and when you do it, it reminds you how the NFL head coaching occupation comes with very little job security. There were 11 head coaching changes out of 32 teams in 2008 with speculation of other coaches like Jim Zorn (Redskins) and interims Jim Haslett (Rams) and Tom Cable (Raiders) being replaced before the 2009 season.

The 49ers did sign interim head coach Mike Singletary to a four-year $10 million contract after his team went 5-4 over the nine games he sidelined after Nolan was fired.

Singletary joined in the fray right away and fired his offensive coordinator Mike Martz. It must be contagious.

Copyright © 2009 – Sports Climax

DETROIT – The Detroit Lions are in one of the most unique situations ever seen in the NFL at this point of a season. Only four games into the season, they are desperate to make some moves but their hands are tied.

Owner William Ford, with the coaxing of his son, Junior, made a long overdue move after week three when he fired wannabe NFL exec, Matt Millen. Millen has packed up and is gone but like week-old fish, his stench remains.

That stench comes in the form of Coach Rod Marinelli and the athletes Millen has compiled over his historic record run of failure and there lies the unfixable problem.

After the 34-7 slaughter by their rival Chicago Bears at Ford Field on Sunday, Lions fans were reminded that nothing has or will change until yet another total overhaul is done.

Marinelli needs to go, there is absolutely no doubt about that, but no one on the Lions coaching staff is qualified or capable of stepping in for the remainder of the season. Do you feel that rope getting tighter on your hands, Mr. Ford?

Mike Martz, who’s San Francisco 49ers took it to the Lions in week three of the season, had head coaching and Super Bowl experience with the St. Louis Rams and could have moved up. But he, like many of the past Millen-hires have been fired and have moved on to greener pastures. Whether another NFL team, the broadcast booth or even the moon, most anywhere offers greener pastures than this Lions organization.

Marinelli and the Lions are stuck in a stressful situation that may last until the New Year. This is the NFL and the playbooks are complicated. (if you doubt that, take a look at Sunday’s lowlight of Roy Williams slanting in and Kitna throwing to the sideline.) Bringing in an entire new coaching staff simply cannot be done. When coaches get fired midseason, a current coaching staff member steps in.

Joe Barry, defensive coordinator and benefiter of Detroit’s nepotism program, has managed and created the worst defense in the NFL over the past two seasons. He’s not doing his job so obviously he cannot step up into his father-in-law’s position. (see our NFL section for “Lions Nepotism Article”)

Besides Millen, Barry may be the biggest cause of this year’s implosion. If he had half of a conscience, he would refuse his paycheck and step down.

Offensive coordinator, Joe Colletto is in the same boat as Barry, looks lost and incompetent and his squad has contributed greatly to the Lions 0-4 record, so who can this organization turn to? Line coach, Joe Cullen, the coach who was busted for driving through a Wendy’s naked?

The remainder of this season is not going to be any sort of roller-coaster ride for Lions fans, it’s going to be a steady nose-dive; all downhill from here, coasters have a few quick jaunts uphill.

There’s a great chance the Lions and their fans are stuck with Marinelli, but there’s always hope for a No. 1 overall pick and the good news is, this time it will not be Millen making it.

In the meantime, Lions fans should try their best to survive Millen’s leftover stench and this horrible coaching staff. Then they can begin next season with a new coaching staff, dozens of new players, a new GM and chant, “Maybe this is the year.”

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax

After being fired by the Detroit Lions at the end of last season, offensive whiz-kid Mike Martz, now with the San Francisco 49ers, repaid the favor, took the Lions to school 31-13 and bitch-slapped GM Matt Millen right out of a job, sending the record-setting exec straight to the unemployment line just three weeks into the 2008 NFL season.  

Making the best of the opportunity, Martz showed Millen why he should not have been the scapegoat, the Scooter Libby for the Lions after their 1-7 season-ending nose-dive last year that put them out of the playoffs.

While setting personal records of futility, Millen has become an expert at firing coaches and pointing the finger in every direction but his own.

Martz must have been salivating at this opportunity to embarrass his former team the Lions who dropped their league-worst record to 0-3.

The game was a cakewalk for quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan, RB Frank Gore and the rest of the offense. The offensive line dominated Millen’s Lions and J.T. was not sacked in 23 pass attempts, something that is very rare in a Martz offense.

The biggest challenge for Martz was hiding the shit-eating grin on his face every time his Niners high-stepped into the Lions end zone.

Millen said in an earlier interview last week that his Lions are “Doing the right thing” and need to “Stay the course”.

The Lions did the right thing the day they gave Millen his long overdue pink slip and send the incompetent GM packing and we are doing the right thing by giving you, Mr. Millen, our hands-down Bitch-Slap-of-the-Week.

Copyright ©2008 Sports Climax

Detroit vs. Mike Martz – The Lions make a trip to the west coast to play the San Francisco 49ers and face offensive guru, Mike Martz, who was fired by the Lions last season. Seems like every week somebody has a career day against the Lions who again boast one of the worst defenses in the NFL.

Expect Martz to unleash a smorgasbord of big plays and unmercifully run up the score against Lions defensive coordinator, Joe Barry’s group. This week, JT O’Sullivan may suddenly look like a seasoned NFL quarterback. The biggest challenge for Martz will be removing the shit-eating grin on his face every time his offense scores another TD. Thing to watch for: Mike Martz hiding the smirk on his face with his clipboard throughout this blowout and struggling not to gloat during his post-game press conference.

Dallas at Green Bay – These two teams, who both started 10-1, were expected to meet in the NFC Championship game last year, until they ran into the overachieving Giants.

In the nationally televised SNF game, the Farve-less Packers have an opportunity to show the world they are for real and what better way to do that than to beat Tony Romo’s Cowboys. Should be an entertaining game featuring two young QB’s who love standing back and heaving bombs. Things to watch for: A record number of those stupid-ass looking cheese headgears in the sold-out crowd.

NFL Referees – After Ed Hochuli’s controversial game-stealing call against the San Deigo Chargers last week, eyes will be on the NFL’s whistle-blowers like never before. The media pounded that one into the dirt, exposure the league prefers to avoid. Expect more zebra huddles throughout the games this week on any plays even remotely questionable. Things to watch for: Head-scrathing, ass-pickin’, dumbfounded looks . . . the usual things that occur in zebra huddles.

Cincinnati at NY Giants – The champion NY Giants and their 2-0 record seem to be on cruise-control through the first few weeks of the season. It’s almost do-or-die time for the Bengals who cannot afford a 0-3 start. The Bengals have struggled offensively, scoring a mere 17 points over the first two games.

Buffalo’s punter, Brian Moorman has more TD passes than Carson Palmer, who has averaged two TD passes a game throughout his career and not yet connected for one this season. Things to watch for: A lot of high-fives and chest-banging from the NY Giants ‘D’ while they feast on Palmer and the Bengals struggling offense. Palmer trying to surpass punter Moorman on the stats sheet.

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax