It all came crashing down in Detroit late yesterday as the Detroit Lions' coach Steve Mariucci was fired. The man who was supposed to save a franchise from repeated mediocrity ended up less than mediocre, with a career 15-28 record with the Lions.
Maybe the biggest problem for Mariucci was his nice-guy attitude. There have been repeated remarks from Lions players that there was fighting in the locker room, and Mariucci, one of the classier coaches in the NFL, was less than eager to jump into the fray.
In addition to firing his coach, Lions owner William Ford might be looking at General Manager Matt Millen and his questionable personnel decisions if he wishes to continue to shake things up. During his tenure in Detroit, the former broadcaster has made some questionable draft picks, to say the least, and has failed to solidify a competitive lineup.
Millen drafted three straight wide receivers in the first round - Charles Rogers, Roy Williams and Mike Williams - none of whom have lived up to expectations. With this over-emphasis on hotshots, the Lions have simply not paid enough attention to the defensive side of the football, and are now suffering for it.
The Lions' quarterback situation never fully resolved itself either, as Joey Harrington has struggled to mature into an NFL-worthy quarterback. He sports an abysmal 67.1 career QB rating with his best rating, a paltry 77.5, coming in 2004 during the only season in which he threw more touchdowns than interceptions.
Harrington's inaccuracy has cost the Lions too many games, and after starting the first five games this season and losing three of them (including a five-interception performance in a 38-6 loss to Chicago in Week 2) he was pulled from the starting spot. In the end, the weight of Detroit's struggles should not all have fallen on Mariucci, but the Lions needed a scapegoat.
Will the Lions fair better under a tougher coach? The jury is still out, but one thing is for sure: after investing as much time and money as they have in Harrington, somebody is going to have to find a way to make him into an NFL quarterback. Jeff Garcia has been adequate in the backup role, but he is not a long term solution to Detroit's offensive problems.
The Chicago Bears
Have we gone back in time to 1985? One look at the Chicago Bears' defense suggests that maybe we have. The Bears are sporting one of the best defensive units in football, and it has everybody talking.
Simply put, this defense is incredible. The Bears' offense has been sub-par this season under the leadership of first-year starter Kyle Orton. But as Chicago proved in its 13-10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, all the offense needs to do to win games is to avoid turnovers, and so far, Orton has fared well in this conservative system.
When watching this year's Bears, one cannot help but be reminded of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, whose defense was often been compared with that of the '85 Bears and was largely propelled by the surprising play of some little-known names. Such players have stepped up for Chicago this season. For example, right defensive end Alex Brown sacked Tampa Bay quarterback Chris Simms twice in the teams' matchup. One of those sacks initiated a key play that forced a fumble, giving Chicago the ball on the Buccaneers' one-yard line and setting up the Bears' only touchdown.
Along with former Miami Dolphins cast-off Adewale Ogunleye, Brown has been putting pressure on quarterbacks all year long and is making a name for himself in the league.
The Bears have a luxury afforded to few defenses in that they don't need to blitz in order to have a strong pass rush. In the past, it has been linebacker Brian Urlacher and more Brian Urlacher when it comes to the Bears defense. Not anymore. Now the defensive line is the story, allowing the linebackers and defensive backs to stay in coverage and take more chances.
The Bears' defense has dominated the competition, giving up a league-best 10.9 points per game. But with Chicago's anemic offensive production, the defense will have to remain strong through the rest of the season to give the team a shot at the playoffs.
Despite having a solid running back in Thomas Jones and good backups in Cedric Benson and Adrian Peterson, the Chicago offense does not have the ability to come from behind, making near perfection for the Bears' defense a necessity.
The Minnesota Vikings
A few weeks ago, the Minnesota Vikings franchise was on the verge of complete collapse both on and off the field. What a difference five weeks makes. After a four-game winning streak, the Vikings have emerged as a contender in the NFC playoff picture.
What caused the turnaround? Credit goes to coach Mike Tice. Minnesota could not have had a more perfect guy at the helm to juggle the controversy surrounding this team. He scared the heck out his players after the sex scandal, and has put together a November that has served to slightly redeem the franchise.
And then there is the resurgent Brad Johnson, who has won four straight games and is playing in a way similar to when he guided the Buccaneers to the Super Bowl three years ago. Free safety Darren Sharper has been all over the field making interceptions and has stepped up as a much-needed leader in the Vikings clubhouse as well.
