Personal Thoughts:
Well, the Ravens had this week off while
pursuing a new head coach. Meanwhile, in other NFL action, 2 "evil" teams met
their demise on Saturday. The steelers tried stealing a game from the Jags, but
fell short, thanks to 2 failed two-point conversions, essentially costing them a
tie (boo hoo). Preceding that exquisite game was the deadskins being bounced by
the Seahawks. Not to be outdone by Baltimore's coaching maneuver, Joe Gibbs
resigned his position as head coach to send the skins in search of their new
leader. A recent internet poll on SI has the wershington job viewed as the most
desirable (62%) of the 4 head coach opening. Second is the Ravens (22%), then
the Dolphins (14%) and the Falcons (3%) after about 15000 tallies. Anyway, 2
evil teams down, 1 to go.
With respect to the head coaching position, there are a lot of names flying about, and here is my worthless perspective: Rex Ryan will be a head coach next season, but not with the Ravens (probably Atlanta). The Ravens are torn between wanting a young head coach that will be here for the next 15 years (accepting the fact that he may be a flop), and a kick ass, clean house guy that has to do it his way. Rex is too close to the situation to make the big decisions. I don't know why Cowher's name keeps popping up, because he has made it clear that he wants to stay in Carolina with his family. The college coaches have it too cushy because all the good players just waltz through their doors, with no salary cap or free agency. They just sit back and develop a dynasty with job security. The Ravens are interviewing everyone under the sun, and if you happen to send in a resume, you could probably make it on the slate. The problem is that most of the candidates are struggling to establish themselves and keep their current jobs. The experience just isn't there with a majority of the candidates to give anyone an edge from these ranks. The obvious choice will be the unpopular one: Schottenheimer. His style of coaching is excellent for winning the games you are supposed to win, but not to good for winning the games you aren't. He has a proven track record and will do what needs to get done. The Ravens aren't happy with the options, and expect them to drag out the process while they turn over every stone and look under every rock before finalizing the decision. One of the knocks on Marty is that he can't win the big one. Well, Baltimore has already taken on a QB with that same reputation, and given Baltimore the honor of being the only non-Canadian city to have claimed ownership of the Grey Cup. So maybe Baltimore could coax lightning to strike twice. However, in the end, prepare for Marty-ball, I see no other realistic choice.
What do you want to see in the Ravens report? What should be scrapped? Please let me know! Send an email to iggy at tealdragon.net. Thanks!
| 2008 | |
|---|---|
| Home (Overall, Home Record) | Away (Overall, Away Record) |
| Cincinnati Bengals (13-11, 8-4) | Cincinnati Bengals (13-11, 5-7) |
| Cleveland Browns (11-7, 6-3) | Cleveland Browns (11-7, 5-4) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers (10-15, 6-7) | Pittsburgh Steelers (10-15, 4-8) |
| Jacksonville Jaguars (6-9, 4-4) | Houston Texans (2-0, 1-0) |
| Tennessee Titans (9-8, 5-5) | Indianapolis Colts (2-6, 0-3) |
| Oakland Raiders (4-1, 3-0) | Miami Dolphins (2-5, 0-4) |
| Philadelphia Eagles (0-1-1, 0-0-1) | Dallas Cowboys (2-0, 0-0) |
| Washington Redskins (2-1, 0-0) | New York Giants (3-0, 1-0) |