CrazedDogs

I guess we'll never know how it would have turned out, but at 5-4 after playing a very weak schedule, and losing to some very bad teams, I wasn't the least bit optimistic.

Its hardly a "claim"... Kurt Warner's main flaw as a QB was that he tended to hold the ball for a long ass time. Who doesn't know that? Football Jesus played with what, maybe six current or soon-to-be hall of famers on offense in his best seasons? Pppht... right player, right time. He had great touch on the ball, but the way he held the ball back there, which often bordered on that fine line between bravery and stupidity, there were a lot of teams that wouldn't have let him on the field. His style only worked with hall of famers to throw to and to protect his blind side. And given that the 2004 Giants were going nowhere - and man, if you watched them play that season, whatever the record was, you had to know that they were not at that point a playoff caliber team - I had absolutely no problem sitting Warner down and getting the kid some experience. Watching Warner get sacked and throw dump off passes was doing absolutely nothing for me.

he didn't just 'start' hanging on to the ball, that was his MO for his entire career. He was extremely lucky that he often played on teams with good offensive lines. The 2004 Giants were not that team, Warner was sacked 39 times in those 9 games... Eli only 13 times in 7 games.

2004? That was one of the weakest 5-3 teams I've ever seen. I didn't feel like they were pulling the plug at all, they were obviously going nowhere.

I agree. He's first ballot regardless, but this is the conversation that is getting muddied by his post season failures.

Fair points, maybe he just seemed worse because I saw so much more of him.

Thats just you. Marino was first ballot. So was Fouts. And neither of them have Peyton's post season results or regular season production.

seriously? His regular season stats alone put him in on the first ballot.

how sad is it that we're reduced to debating not only who the worst linebacker on the team is, but which one of them - if not all of them - is the worst linebacker(s) in the league. It ain't Herzlich though. He actually had enough speed this season that running backs were not routinely turning the corner on him. Not saying we should be glad if he's a starter, just saying that as far as roster filler goes we could do worse. I don't recall seeing much from Paysinger this year. And Williams... wow, I've seen enough of him. Worst pursuit angles I've ever seen, and after four years in the league that is unforgivable.

yeah, they should have seen that coming.

I thought we were arguing over Spags' actual potential/ability. I think we're all in agreement that Fewell sucked hard.

I thought Herzlich was much, much improved this season. He aspired to average, and he has achieved his goal! Williams regressed a lot this season. I don't think he's ever really going to get it.

I don't think Spags had 6 pro bowlers on his championship defense....

and the peasants rejoiced

I don't know about all that, but I'd definitely take him over every coordinator we've had since he left.

I think LeBeau has Monte Kiffen written all over him. No thanks to geriatric coordinators.

I don't know what to make of what happened in New Orleans as that was a unique moment in football history, and I don't hold Spags failure as a head coach against him as a coordinator. When he was here, he was a good coordinator. Nothing fantastic, but he's a known commodity - better him than anybody we've had since him.

well that fucking sucks.

oh look, Perry's "haha, we just gave up a touchdown" face.

"Raheem". With DC's recent history of shitty secondary play, that has just got to be a Rooney Rule interview.

I hear Rod Rust is available.

Thanks be to Jebus.

Nah, Bernard lost his starting job to Hill. They're both good players... Hill is really good.

I don't know man.... Given the front office/ownership he has to work with, simply making the playoffs is probably the very best that can be expected of a coach in Cincinnati. Lewis is probably a pretty darn good head coach.

It is a sad day here in Bengal-land, but Marvin is safe, unfortunately for us. Simply making the playoffs in Cincinnati is a monumental victory, and absent AJ Green there was no expectation of winning the game.