NFL COACHES ON THE HOTSEAT - Part 2

(Thursday, December 8) - Part 2

In Part I of Coaches on the Hotseat, I gave my thoughts on the firing of former Lion HC Steve Mariucci and three coaches (Mularkey, Turner, and Capers) I believe are simply just playing out the string.

In Part II, I'll look at three coaches in trouble where the call might be a little bit more difficult to make. All three have won in the past. One has a Super Bowl ring, one is a Super Bowl runner-up, all three have taken their teams to the playoffs on a regular basis. All three may have worn out their weilcomes in their respective cities.

Mike Martz: St Louis Rams

This would be an easy call had Martz been able to coach the entire season as he would have undoubtedly done enough to hang himself at this point. Martz has been out since the Indianapolis game with Endocarditis, a serious bacterial infection of the lining of the heart.

Martz has made overtures that he wants to return this year although he has not been cleared medically to do so. Martz has never gotten along with Ram upper manangement and has alienated himself to all top decision makers. Martz also has little support from the players, especially the ones that count, most notably Isaac Bruce and Tory Holt.

Interim HC Joe Vitt has done some good things like trying to establish the running game behind 2003 top DC Stephen Jackson but has been hamstrung by key injuries to Marc Bulger and half the starting defense. The pressure has been so great that at one point Vitt came to blows with assistant Wilbert Montgomery.

Martz has a year left on his deal with absolutely no shot at an extension. To keep either him or or his staff would further exasperate an already bad situation with the tag - "Lame Duck".

Job Status: Don't answer the phone January 2nd.

Brian Billick: Baltimore Ravens

Billick in many ways is a victim of circumstance having had to hitch his wagon to the "development" of GM Ozzie Newsome's draft choice, Kyle Boller. An unequivoale bust, the former Cal Bear has been beset with injuries giving way to the equally inept Anothy Wright.

Still, this former Viking offensive Guru must be accountable. Billick pretty much sealed his fate with an inability to control or discipline his players. This was never more apparent than the Raven's league record 21 penalty, two ejection meltdown in their Oct 9 35-17 loss to Detroit.

Always player friendly, Billick chose not to call out his players in an effort to salvage an already lost season. His thanks has been a complete lack of respect as the 2005 Ravens circle the drain.

Billick's lost his team in his last desperate measures to save the season. In a recent team "Pep" talk, Billick comforted the masses by telling them if he were fired tomorrow that he'd walk with 20 million.

Last week, All-Pro running back Jamaal Lewis hired a publicist to decry his lack of touches in the league's 28th ranked offense. In the only game the Ravens have scored more than 20 points, they were down 34-0 early in the third.

Job Status: Soon to be found with buddy Jim Fassel on a bass lake near you.

Mike Sherman: Green Bay Packers

Sherman has done an awful job with team that has been in gradual decay for the last three years. Sherman has a certain amount of front office power and this is HIS team. The Packers year in and year out are almost laughable in free-agency decisions and evaluating talent in the draft.

Sadly, this decision might be dependent on the status of another spent bullet, Brett Favre. Injuries and lack of talent not withstanding, Favre (62%, 2995, 19-21) has been a non-factor if not detrimental to Packer offensive success this year. Favre's drop in play has been so obvious that even some of the staunchest Packer fans are calling for #1 DC and heir apparent Aaron Rodgers.

The Packers position was also weakened when they unwisely gave Sherman a new deal at the end of last year. Again much rides on the return of Favre. Brett is a stauch Sherman supporter and if Favre's return is dependent on the retaining Sherman of Sherman, the Packers are likely to avoid the public relations nightmare. If the HOFer retires gracefully as I think he will, the Packers will eat Sherman's contract an there will be a new regime on the Frozen Tundra.

Job Status: One foot on a banana peel, the other on a bar of soap.

In Part III we'll look at a couple of unique situations that might be more clear after this weekend, Joe Gibbs, Dick Vermiel, and Jim Haslett.

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

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