The Football Diner Big Top 5
Biggest Disasters of 2008
by Jody Jamieson
25/9/2008
 
"It would be funny if it wasn't true." I've said that many many times watching sport since I was a young nipper. I remember in the early 90's going to McDairmid Park in Perth to watch my beloved Aberdeen (back when they were still quite decent) get shellacked 5-0 by St. Johnstone. I remember watching the Ashes a couple of years ago optimistic that England could be competitive and could retain the little urn, only to see them get shellacked 5-0 by Australia. And as I decide on my format for this weeks list, Brett Myers has coughed up 5 runs in a disastrous first inning against the Florida Marlins at Marinoland in Miami. The more observant will notice this article has been started on the Friday before the Week 3 games. The Diner never sleeps!
 
Five is obviously the magic number in this weekly list, and this week on Top Fives we get a look at 5 of the biggest disasters of the NFL season thus far. You would laugh, but sometimes it's cruel to mock the afflicted.
 
5. The Cincinnati Bungles
 
I always get a kick out of Kevin Cadle calling them the Bungles, but this year has been beyond nonsense. We all knew that they couldn't play defense, but at least they could pass and score. Through two weeks of the NFL season they had forgotten how to move the ball and been beaten by a rookie making his first ever NFL start, and a veteran back-up. Palmer had thrown for just barely over 100 yards per game, and Ocho Cinco seemed more interested in changing his name and trying to race Michael Phelps than catching the football. With Chris Henry getting the chop after his umpteenth arrest only to be brought back, and numerous other arrests, it's been a trying time. Marvin Lewis has been so horribly under scrutiny for what has been going on you wondered if Cincy would ever win again with Lewis at the helm.
 
But while they didn't end up winning on Sunday, they at least showed signs that the cancer that seems to surround this football team may be in recession. Their offensive line got killed by the Giants defense, but when they managed to hold off Justin Tuck and co. Palmer looked poised and picked out his receivers. Antonio Chatman had a big game in the slot and while Chad Johnson is still making fantasy owners who drafted him early miserable (like me) with a lack of production, T.J. Houshmandzadeh showed up and had a nice game. Chris Perry ran the football well as the Bengals looked far more comfortable run blocking than pass protecting. Defensively they did a good job of stopping Brandon Jacobs, and for the first time in a long time they actually looked like a football team. Maybe things will start to get better for them.
 
4. The St Louis Lambs
 
Where did it all go wrong? The way I see it is that Scott Linehan has to get the bullet for the mess he has created. Sure, they've not had an easy start, with Philly away, the Giants in the Dome, and then a trip to Seattle, but they have been absolutely walloped in all three games and look every part the 4-12 team they were last year except for one thing. Where are the 4 wins going to come from?
 
Marc Bulger looks a shadow of his former self. Steven Jackson is getting very little help from a poor line. Torry Holt looks so disheartened to me. Defensively they are still a mess. Why they cut Issac Bruce but kept Drew Bennett is beyond me. St Louis are a team completely devoid of any direction right now. I don't like coaches being fired mid-season in the NFL, but I'd be willing to make an exception here.
 
3. Touchdown Kansas City!
 
I do feel sorry for the Hermanator. Having to rebuild a team almost from scratch is never an easy task, especially in the NFL where the gift of time is very rarely afforded. I can't see things ending well for Herman Edwards which is a real shame as he is one of the good guys that you really want to see succeed. The bigger picture in Kansas City is that this is a team without a quarterback, which is never a good recipe for regular visits to the win column, never mind the playoffs.
 
The Chiefs had a good Draft this year after trading Jared Allen away, and if Tim Tebow of Florida State declares for the 09 Draft, I think he'd be perfect for them. There's a lot of if's and but's about Tebow that I'm not going to get into here but I like him very much as a pro prospect and I think he'd suit Kansas City if they can sort out their offensive line. I like Branden Albert at guard who was acquired in the 2008 Draft and while things look bleak right now, if Edwards gets time I think he can build a good team for the future. The problem with that is 2008 will end up a write-off. If they get 4 wins this year I will be shocked.
 
2. Matt Millen tames the Lions
 
The Ford family must either be the most patient people in the world, or smarter than all of us. The evidence of Matt Millen's reign as General Manager of the Detriot Lions would point to patience being the key here as the Millen reign looks to be reeling of yet another losing season in Motown. If you guys remember the Bobby Layne article in the off-season you'll know his prediction looks safe for another year. Millen has also taken a lot of stick as the great American tradition of freedom of speech apparently doesn't apply in the independent state of Ford Field. Any protest, no matter if it's just one guy with a "Millen Out!" sign, will quickly be snuffed out by security. A quote I read on Monday from the Ford Family was just hilarious. William Ford Jr (son of Lions owner William Ford and Vice Chairman of the Lions) said that if he had the authority to do such, he'd fire Matt Millen. Granted it means very little as he doesn't have the power, but it makes you wonder.
 
After starting the season 6-2 last year, only to finish 7-9, it was imperative that the Lions got off to a good start. With Atlanta and San Francisco in the first 3 games then surely they would have fancied their chances. But they've been terrible. Calvin Johnson looks great at wide receiver. But other than that Draft pickups during the Millen tenure have tended to be horrendously bad. Charles Rogers anyone? You could really sit here and make a big list of all the Draft disasters the Lions have made but bandwidth might be an issue.
 
But in light of Ford Jr's comments, there may be change coming in ther future for the Lions. And it can't come soon enough.
 
1. The Lane Kiffin/Al Davis Standoff
 
It finally may come to an end this week. Al Davis has been saying he'd fire Kiffin if the Raiders lost in Buffalo on Sunday. Would be strange to think Kiffin would keep his job after the Raiders got absolutely humbled at home on national TV and after the Head Coach threw his defensive co-ordinator under the bus, but then gets the can two weeks later after beating the Chiefs (I know) and then losing to a last second field goal to a hot Buffalo team, but Al Davis works in mysterious ways.
 
The thing is after the embarrassment of being absolutely torn apart by Denver in Week 1, the Raiders have played some decent stuff. Beating the Chiefs is nothing to brag about as everyone should beat them this year, but they put in a gutsy performance on the road in Buffalo against a very good team and were unlucky to not win the game. The problem is the Raiders really should have beaten the Bills but the defense wore down and allowed Trent Edwards to lead them down the field twice late in the game against the awful Prevent defense that defensive co-ordinator Rob Ryan dialled up for a huge portion of the 4th quarter. I hate Prevent in the last 2 minutes of a game, but Ryan used it long before the 2 minute warning and it ultimately cost the Raiders the game.
 
The irony of the situation is that if the Head Coach gets the chop it will likely be Rob Ryan who gets promoted into the Head Coaching role. I think Kiffin needs to go more for the situation than his actual coaching, as all in all I don't think he's done too badly. But he wants to be fired and Al Davis wants to get rid of him so it needs to happen if only for the long term health of the team. Hopefully though if Kiffin goes, it isn't Ryan who gets the job otherwise there could be a few more painful seasons in Raider Nation in their short term future.
 
Random Thoughts
 
If Romeo Crennel doesn't install Brady Quinn as the starting quarterback in Cleveland this week then he is only delaying the inevitable. Derek Anderson tailed off towards the end of last season and has shown little this year to suggest that everything is going to be alright with him at the helm. It's hard to say how well Quinn might perform at the NFL level based on one Week 17 series against the 49ers last year, but I thought he was the best pro prospect last year among quarterbacks, and the extended time learning the playbook will do him the world of good. Those who remember his series last year will have seen poise and a strong, accurate arm. He led the Browns down the field and would have had his first NFL touchdown pass had Kellen Winslow not dropped one in the endzone. I hope he gets his chance, and I really hope it's this week. The Browns have nothing to lose now.
 
The honeymoon is over for Broadway Brett. Mondays rout was a damning indication that life as a Jet is going to be tough for Brett Favre. Sure, Favre had some decent monents in the game in San Diego, and is still a very very good NFL quarterback. The problem though is that moving to a new system is clearly having an effect. Antonio Cromartie should have picked him off after a breakdown in the playbook early, and then he was interecepted in the 2nd quarter after throwing a pass that no Jet was within 15 yards of. Farve and the Jets receivers need to get on the same page fast if they are going to make a run at the playoffs this year, and it just shows that coming into a new team during the preseason and trying to fathom the offense is a lot easier said than done, even for one of the greatest QB's of our generation.
 
And Finally...
 
When Vince Young comes back from injury, Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher has a nightmare decision on his hands. Sure, on paper it looks easy. Young was struggling big time before he got injured, and Kerry Collins has come in and solidified an offense many thought might be anemic this year, and lead the team to a 3-0 record. But if Young is really struggling with his self esteem then Fisher is really going to find it tough to leave Young on the sidelines.
 
From a fans standpoint Collins gives you the best chance to win right now, and with the AFC looking like it's going to be wide open this year and the South there to be won, then Collins has to keep the control. And if you're like me winning is more important than money and investment in sport so again, Collins has to get the nod. But this is a rare situation where I don't think the decision is as easy. In Arizona Kurt Warner is a quarterback who has still got the tools to take a team to the play-offs and if he stays healthy, I think the Cardinals will make it. You never know with Kerry Collins. Sure, he looks great now, but can he keep it together for a full season and then possibly into January? It's hard to say.
 
His team is 3-0, but who would want to be Jeff Fisher when that decision needs to be made? I hope he makes the right one, but I'll bet he's never had to make a tougher choice in football than this one.