LoKyBuckeye
I give up. This board is too hard to understand.
These players and coaches need to produce
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John Czarnecki / FOXSports.com
Posted: 14 hours ago
The competitive beauty of the NFL is that there are 31 losers entering this season and only one winner, the New England Patriots. Granted, the goal of reaching the Super Bowl is unrealistic in most NFL cities, but being a playoff team should be within every franchise's grasp.
This is where the Hot Seat comes into play.
So, how hot is it in Washington, D.C. for owner Daniel Snyder and Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs? Snyder's fourth experiment seems to be failing. Some wonder if the Redskins can even be a .500 club this season.
In Green Bay, Mike Sherman's job security got a boost this week with a two-year extension, something that hasn't happened to Jim Haslett and Mike Tice. Everyone assumes that if Dick Vermeil doesn't have a winning season in Kansas City, he'll retire to be with his grandchildren in eastern Pennsylvania.
How about some quarterbacks? Joey Harrington better play well because the Detroit Lions are too good not to win. Jake Plummer needs to deliver in Denver, considering his offense is designed by Mike Shanahan, one of the game's best minds. And the game's two best receivers, Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, have something to prove. Moss got dumped on the Raiders while Owens needs to show he's a team player and can duplicate his heroics of last season.
When I saw Ted Cottrell, Minnesota's defensive coordinator earlier this month, we talked about pressure in the NFL. "There's no pressure when you have a lot of good players like I do now," Cottrell said, smiling. "Pressure was last year when we didn't have enough talent in order to compete." And the Vikings won a playoff game.
Coaches on the hot seat
Mike Tice: With a new owner checking out many of his moves and decisions, Tice knows he needs to impress his new boss, Ziggy Wilf. Tice had a miserable off-season, paying a $100,000 fine for admitting to scalping Super Bowl tickets and also losing his creative offensive coordinator, Scott Linehan. But there's hope for Tice. He got rid of a locker-room negative in Randy Moss and truly believes that quarterback Daunte Culpepper will flourish now that he doesn't have to worry about making Moss his first look. On paper, Cottrell should have a top 10 defense, especially with two excellent cornerbacks. The trouble is, Wilf is a new owner and they generally like to go and hire their own employees, not inherit them.
Jim Haslett: Like Tice, Haslett never got the extension he expected after winning the final four games of last season. However, the Saints haven't reached the playoffs since Haslett's first year in New Orleans, four years ago. Haslett wants to take the ball out of his quarterback's hands and give it to Deuce McAllister as many times as possible. He wants to play Pittsburgh Steeler-like football, but the huge question is whether or not he has the linebackers who can play like Ham and Lambert.
Joe Gibbs: Honestly, Snyder would never fire him, but the Hall of Famer could resign if he doesn't find a way to get the Redskins out of the NFC East cellar. On paper, they look like a cast very capable of losing 10 or more games this season. Gibbs returned to coaching to help Snyder and restore the Redskins to greatness. He also wanted to get his son, Coy, into the coaching ranks. He didn't need the money; his NASCAR team is doing quite well if you've checked the standings lately.
Dom Capers: After losing 32 games in his first three seasons, the word is that Houston owner Robert McNair would like to have a winning season this year. It's been tough for Capers in a division with the Colts, Titans and Jaguars. But the Titans are slipping and the schedule isn't too tough compared to others. Are the expectations too high? Not really. The Texans were 7-9 last season and swept the Jags and Titans. Going 10-6 makes sense to the front office.
Norv Turner: This is only Turner's second season with the Raiders, but with Al Davis spending millions on Moss, running back Lamont Jordan (formerly of the Jets), quarterback Kerry Collins (Giants) and a new $20 million deal for holdover Joey Porter … well, you know Davis is going to demand some excitement and a lot more than five wins. The offensive line is rock solid, too. Turner believes his defense will be much improved, but the onus will be on him to produce a lot of points to keep the Raiders in the division race. It doesn't sound fair to fire him, but we're talking about the Raiders and Al Davis. And Al really wants to win, especially coming off his two worst seasons in his Raider tenure.
Players on the hot seat
Joey Harrington has all the weapons in Detroit to finally live up to his potential. (Bill Kostroun / Associated Press)
Joey Harrington: There is no mistaking the pressure on this fourth-year starter and former first-round pick. He owns a 14-30 record as a starting quarterback, but the Lions — with three very good receivers, led by Roy Williams, and the best running back, Kevin Jones, in the NFC North — have a better offense this year. One of Harrington's problems has been the conservative offensive design of coach Steve Mariucci. He didn't allow Harrington to go downtown last season, so there's a ton of pressure on new offensive coordinator Ted Tollner to open up the playbook. There was talk about Mooch having a quick hook with Harrington this season, but backup Jeff Garcia hasn't looked that hot this summer. They should have signed Brad Johnson (who is in Minnesota now) when they had a chance.
Jake Plummer: OK, it's tough replacing John Elway, but Jake is replacing Brian Griese, really, and he needs to step up and lead the Broncos to the playoffs or Mike Shanahan could go looking for a new quarterback for next season. Granted, the AFC West is a very competitive division, but none of the defenses are dominant and pass rushers are pretty rare. Jake always has a solid running game, so there are really no excuses if the Broncos don't have a winning record.
Randy Moss: He may be the game's best receiver, but the Vikings have made him sound like one of the most selfish players in NFL history. He was unloaded for a measly first-round pick and a linebacker and the Raiders were the only team interested. What does that tell you? Moss may be great, but he's also a headache. Can Moss prove everyone wrong and bring the Raiders to the playoffs? Can he be a positive force and run solid routes even when he's not the primary receiver? And when the Raiders lose, will he sulk or will he fire up the troops and be a positive leader? Everyone will be watching.
Kurt Warner: Can the 34-year-old veteran find the old MVP magic? Unlike his stint with the New York Giants, the Cardinals have the young offensive weapons to make Warner look good if he can stay upright and be accurate. Warner's starting record is 21 wins over .500 and with receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin and runners Marcel Shipp and J.J. Arrington, he has the weapons to deliver. There are high hopes in the desert and the best thing Warner has going for him is head coach Denny Green. He knows how to build a winner.
Carson Palmer: Head coach Marvin Lewis went for the USC Heisman winner and in his second season as the starter, Palmer needs to double his 18 touchdown passes of a year ago and reach 3,500 yards passing. Palmer has the supporting cast, considering running back Rudi Johnson and receiver Chad Johnson are fantasy-league favorites. If Palmer doesn't put the Bengals into playoff contention, the rumblings that he might be a bust No. 1 pick will start in Ohio.
Story Tools: Print Email XML
John Czarnecki / FOXSports.com
Posted: 14 hours ago
The competitive beauty of the NFL is that there are 31 losers entering this season and only one winner, the New England Patriots. Granted, the goal of reaching the Super Bowl is unrealistic in most NFL cities, but being a playoff team should be within every franchise's grasp.
This is where the Hot Seat comes into play.
So, how hot is it in Washington, D.C. for owner Daniel Snyder and Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs? Snyder's fourth experiment seems to be failing. Some wonder if the Redskins can even be a .500 club this season.
In Green Bay, Mike Sherman's job security got a boost this week with a two-year extension, something that hasn't happened to Jim Haslett and Mike Tice. Everyone assumes that if Dick Vermeil doesn't have a winning season in Kansas City, he'll retire to be with his grandchildren in eastern Pennsylvania.
How about some quarterbacks? Joey Harrington better play well because the Detroit Lions are too good not to win. Jake Plummer needs to deliver in Denver, considering his offense is designed by Mike Shanahan, one of the game's best minds. And the game's two best receivers, Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, have something to prove. Moss got dumped on the Raiders while Owens needs to show he's a team player and can duplicate his heroics of last season.
When I saw Ted Cottrell, Minnesota's defensive coordinator earlier this month, we talked about pressure in the NFL. "There's no pressure when you have a lot of good players like I do now," Cottrell said, smiling. "Pressure was last year when we didn't have enough talent in order to compete." And the Vikings won a playoff game.
Coaches on the hot seat
Mike Tice: With a new owner checking out many of his moves and decisions, Tice knows he needs to impress his new boss, Ziggy Wilf. Tice had a miserable off-season, paying a $100,000 fine for admitting to scalping Super Bowl tickets and also losing his creative offensive coordinator, Scott Linehan. But there's hope for Tice. He got rid of a locker-room negative in Randy Moss and truly believes that quarterback Daunte Culpepper will flourish now that he doesn't have to worry about making Moss his first look. On paper, Cottrell should have a top 10 defense, especially with two excellent cornerbacks. The trouble is, Wilf is a new owner and they generally like to go and hire their own employees, not inherit them.
Jim Haslett: Like Tice, Haslett never got the extension he expected after winning the final four games of last season. However, the Saints haven't reached the playoffs since Haslett's first year in New Orleans, four years ago. Haslett wants to take the ball out of his quarterback's hands and give it to Deuce McAllister as many times as possible. He wants to play Pittsburgh Steeler-like football, but the huge question is whether or not he has the linebackers who can play like Ham and Lambert.
Joe Gibbs: Honestly, Snyder would never fire him, but the Hall of Famer could resign if he doesn't find a way to get the Redskins out of the NFC East cellar. On paper, they look like a cast very capable of losing 10 or more games this season. Gibbs returned to coaching to help Snyder and restore the Redskins to greatness. He also wanted to get his son, Coy, into the coaching ranks. He didn't need the money; his NASCAR team is doing quite well if you've checked the standings lately.
Dom Capers: After losing 32 games in his first three seasons, the word is that Houston owner Robert McNair would like to have a winning season this year. It's been tough for Capers in a division with the Colts, Titans and Jaguars. But the Titans are slipping and the schedule isn't too tough compared to others. Are the expectations too high? Not really. The Texans were 7-9 last season and swept the Jags and Titans. Going 10-6 makes sense to the front office.
Norv Turner: This is only Turner's second season with the Raiders, but with Al Davis spending millions on Moss, running back Lamont Jordan (formerly of the Jets), quarterback Kerry Collins (Giants) and a new $20 million deal for holdover Joey Porter … well, you know Davis is going to demand some excitement and a lot more than five wins. The offensive line is rock solid, too. Turner believes his defense will be much improved, but the onus will be on him to produce a lot of points to keep the Raiders in the division race. It doesn't sound fair to fire him, but we're talking about the Raiders and Al Davis. And Al really wants to win, especially coming off his two worst seasons in his Raider tenure.
Players on the hot seat
Joey Harrington has all the weapons in Detroit to finally live up to his potential. (Bill Kostroun / Associated Press)
Joey Harrington: There is no mistaking the pressure on this fourth-year starter and former first-round pick. He owns a 14-30 record as a starting quarterback, but the Lions — with three very good receivers, led by Roy Williams, and the best running back, Kevin Jones, in the NFC North — have a better offense this year. One of Harrington's problems has been the conservative offensive design of coach Steve Mariucci. He didn't allow Harrington to go downtown last season, so there's a ton of pressure on new offensive coordinator Ted Tollner to open up the playbook. There was talk about Mooch having a quick hook with Harrington this season, but backup Jeff Garcia hasn't looked that hot this summer. They should have signed Brad Johnson (who is in Minnesota now) when they had a chance.
Jake Plummer: OK, it's tough replacing John Elway, but Jake is replacing Brian Griese, really, and he needs to step up and lead the Broncos to the playoffs or Mike Shanahan could go looking for a new quarterback for next season. Granted, the AFC West is a very competitive division, but none of the defenses are dominant and pass rushers are pretty rare. Jake always has a solid running game, so there are really no excuses if the Broncos don't have a winning record.
Randy Moss: He may be the game's best receiver, but the Vikings have made him sound like one of the most selfish players in NFL history. He was unloaded for a measly first-round pick and a linebacker and the Raiders were the only team interested. What does that tell you? Moss may be great, but he's also a headache. Can Moss prove everyone wrong and bring the Raiders to the playoffs? Can he be a positive force and run solid routes even when he's not the primary receiver? And when the Raiders lose, will he sulk or will he fire up the troops and be a positive leader? Everyone will be watching.
Kurt Warner: Can the 34-year-old veteran find the old MVP magic? Unlike his stint with the New York Giants, the Cardinals have the young offensive weapons to make Warner look good if he can stay upright and be accurate. Warner's starting record is 21 wins over .500 and with receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin and runners Marcel Shipp and J.J. Arrington, he has the weapons to deliver. There are high hopes in the desert and the best thing Warner has going for him is head coach Denny Green. He knows how to build a winner.
Carson Palmer: Head coach Marvin Lewis went for the USC Heisman winner and in his second season as the starter, Palmer needs to double his 18 touchdown passes of a year ago and reach 3,500 yards passing. Palmer has the supporting cast, considering running back Rudi Johnson and receiver Chad Johnson are fantasy-league favorites. If Palmer doesn't put the Bengals into playoff contention, the rumblings that he might be a bust No. 1 pick will start in Ohio.
