Around the NFL -- Week 17

[PhillyPhanInDC]

Much to the taterskin faithful's horror, so if the reason they're team has been competitive. Gregg Williams will be a HC somewhere this year. Enjoy it this year Skins fans, imagine your team without the D.....

More on Sherman here:
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5214578

[SunMo]

Gregg Williams seems like a guy who is a good assistant that just shouldn't be a head coach, just like Dick Labeau, Joe Bugle, Mike Sherman, Dick Jauron, etc...

[General_Failure]

So you're saying there's a lot of Dicks that really shouldn't be head coaches.

[SunMo]

basically....


Haslett was fired, btw.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

Gregg Williams seems like a guy who is a good assistant that just shouldn't be a head coach, just like meatcicle Labeau, Joe Bugle, Mike Sherman, meatcicle Jauron, etc...

Not disagreeing with you at all. But if he wants a shot, it's now. He may never come his way again, and he'd be a damn fool not to take the leap with the possiblity of eleven teams needing a HC. The Skins are going to have cap problems next year, and if he stays, it's doubtful he'd be able to come off looking as good as he does now. If for one, hope he goes, and it helps to take the Skins back to their losing ways.

[SunMo]

Gregg Williams seems like a guy who is a good assistant that just shouldn't be a head coach, just like meatcicle Labeau, Joe Bugle, Mike Sherman, meatcicle Jauron, etc...

Not disagreeing with you at all. But if he wants a shot, it's now. He may never come his way again, and he'd be a damn fool not to take the leap with the possiblity of eleven teams needing a HC. The Skins are going to have cap problems next year, and if he stays, it's doubtful he'd be able to come off looking as good as he does now. If for one, hope he goes, and it helps to take the Skins back to their losing ways.

he was the Bills' head coach before Mularky, remember?  either way, i don't care, but he was a head coach before.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

Yeah, I remember, but all the talking heads are saying teams are sweet on him, and will throw boats loads of cash at him. My pipedream is that Danny Snyder flips and forces Gibbs out and moves the younger, more fashionable Williams into the HC spot.. Burn baby......burn. If nothing else however, the taterskins coaching staff will get all shook up, and they will default back to maximum suckage.

[SunMo]

Chargers | Brees facing surgery; potential four month recovery
Mon, 2 Jan 2006 11:57:28 -0800

ESPN.com reports San Diego Chargers QB Drew Brees (shoulder), who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He is going to seek a second opinion Tuesday, Jan. 3, from Dr. James Andrews before having surgery. Brees said it will take at least four months to recover and rehabilitate from the surgery. Due to the injury, it could complicate what the Chargers do with their decision at quarterback entering 2006.

[QB Eagles]

But if he wants a shot, it's now.

I thought he had a shot from 2001 to 2003.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

But if he wants a shot, it's now.

I thought he had a shot from 2001 to 2003.

That's what I typed, but when I thought was "if he wants another shot, it's now."

Quite obvious really. 

[SunMo]

Raiders expected to fire head coach Turner

ALAMEDA, Calif. - The Oakland Raiders had such high expectations when they headed to New England to open the season in a nationally televised night game against the reigning Super Bowl champions.
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Randy Moss had arrived following seven seasons in Minnesota to be the biggest star of what was considered a high-powered offense also including Kerry Collins, Jerry Porter and LaMont Jordan.

Failure to get more out of talented wide receiver Randy Moss could be just one reason why the Raiders are expected to fire Norv Turner as head coach. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

Now, coach Norv Turner is expected to be fired as soon as Tuesday, and a big reason is he didn't find a way to get more out of Moss and the rest of his talented offensive players — a perplexing situation considering Turner is so highly regarded as an offensive coach.

He tried backup quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo in place of a struggling Collins against the Jets on Dec. 11, but that didn't work either. Oakland lost 26-10.

The Raiders scored only 51 points, with just six touchdowns, in their final five games and lost their last six overall and eight of nine. At 4-12, they finished with one fewer victory than in Turner's first season a year ago.

Perhaps the most glaring statistic is Oakland's failure to win a division game for the first time since owner Al Davis came aboard in 1963 to coach and eventually own the team. The Raiders went 1-11 against the AFC West during Turner's two seasons.

On Sunday, a day after ending the season with a 30-21 loss to the New York Giants, Turner said he had no regrets — and wouldn't discuss what he would have done differently if given a chance to go back and start again.

"I'm appreciative of this team, and I'll say for the most part - because it's never 100 percent - these guys have hung in there, they have tried to do what we asked them to do, and they've gotten themselves ready on a weekly basis,'' Turner said. "So, the loyalty part of it is a part of this game and, sure, you appreciate that.''

If Davis ousts Turner, the 76-year-old owner will begin searching for the franchise's third head coach in five years. Davis fired Bill Callahan after the 2003 season, less than a year removed from the Raiders' Super Bowl loss to Tampa Bay and former coach Jon Gruden.

Many of Turner's players say another coaching change is the last thing they want.

"I think it would be a waste,'' safety Jarrod Cooper said. "Why would you do that? The coach had nothing to do with dropped balls, missed tackles or nothing like that. Everyone just has to get on the same page. This is the best team I've been on. All we have to do is just get it right. We could bring in 10 new coaches, but 10 new coaches aren't going to do anything for nobody if all the players aren't on the same page.''

Moss didn't speak to the local media again since the Sept. 8 season-opening 30-20 loss to the Patriots, standing by his training camp vow to keep to himself and let his play speak for itself. He apparently bolted after Saturday's loss before Turner addressed the team.

Moss didn't have the kind of season he'd hoped for, and at times it seemed Collins wasn't even looking in his direction. Moss had his only multi-touchdown game in Saturday's loss to the Giants, making seven receptions for 116 yards, with TD catches of 15 and 44 yards. He finished his first Raiders season with 60 catches for 1,005 yards and eight touchdowns.

Most players insist they should take the blame for the mess that was this season.

Oakland's defense did make major strides, with defensive tackle Warren Sapp having a comeback season before it was cut short by a shoulder injury that required surgery. And end Derrick Burgess, Oakland's lone representative for next month's Pro Bowl, led the NFL with 16 sacks, establishing a franchise record in the process.

Linebacker Danny Clark, who stood before the Raiders in March and asked his teammates to look inside themselves to turn things around, is left wondering why things went wrong.

"It's a situation where you have to lick your wounds,'' Clark said. "You've got to have an optimistic attitude. That's something that I have. Being a captain of this team, I feel like we have to as a whole have some deep self-improvement. As far as looking ourselves in the mirror, what do we want to get done the following season? Right now we have a little bit of time to do that. It's really tough to watch the playoffs.''

Collins could be looking for a new job, too, though he hopes not. He will count $12.9 million against the salary cap next season, but is willing to restructure his deal to stay. He said the coaching situation "will have some effect'' on his decision.

"I want to be here, but I'm not going to play for peanuts either,'' he said.

The 33-year-old Collins started out well this season, but couldn't maintain any consistency. He completed 302 passes for 3,759 yards - his most since 2002 with the Giants - and 20 touchdowns, was sacked 39 times and threw 12 interceptions. He didn't have a turnover Saturday for the first time since a win over Dallas on Oct. 2.

"I wish I had a good explanation,'' he said. "It was different things every game that ultimately led us to not be able to execute and score the amount of points we wanted. I'll take responsibility. It was disappointing.''

[PhillyGirl]

Done deal...Turner gone

[PhillyPhanInDC]

Lions to interview Haslett, Singletary about vacancy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ESPN.com news services

A day after being fired by the Saints, former coach Jim Haslett has scheduled an interview with the Detroit Lions for later this week, ESPN's Ed Werder reports.
The Lions have also contacted Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary about their vacant coaching job.

Asked if he thought he was ready to be an NFL head coach, Singletary said, "Absolutely.''

Singletary, an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers, said Tuesday night the Lions have spoken to him, but an interview has not yet been scheduled.

He also has been mentioned as a potential candidate for the Green Bay Packers' vacant coaching job, but Singletary said the Packers have not contacted him.

Singletary was considered a strong leader in 12 seasons with the Chicago Bears, but lacks some of the coaching experience of other candidates.

This is Singletary's first season as the assistant head coach/linebackers under 49ers coach Mike Nolan. Before that, he spent two years as the Baltimore Ravens' inside linebackers coach. Nolan was defensive coordinator in Baltimore at the time.

Haslett was the 2000 NFL Coach of the Year in his first season after leading the Saints to the only playoff victory in team history. But he never made it back to the postseason, finishing 45-51 in six seasons for the second-most victories in team history behind Jim Mora's 93.

Haslett is expected to be a highly sought candidate in an exploding market. More respected leaguewide than within some quarters of his own organization, he likely will hear from multiple suitors as franchises begin the process of filling vacancies.

Steve Mariucci was dismissed Nov. 28 after 11 games and a 4-7 record. Dick Jauron went 1-4 as Detroit's interim head coach.

[QB Eagles]

The Singletary interview sounds like the mandatory tokenism. Can the Lions seriously believe that Haslett is the answer? It's pretty damn obvious the problems in that organization go above the level of Head Coach. That's why I expect Mariucci to land an HC job elsewhere.

[MadMarchHare]

I dunno about Singletary being a "token".  I've seen him mentioned as a significant candidate on several media sites.