NFLRT 1/12/2024

The questions and discussion…

1) After 14 seasons Pete Carroll is out as the Seattle Seahawks coach.
What is your opinion of this move by the Seahawks at this point in time?

And…

If Carroll never coaches again in the NFL does he deserve being selected into the Pro Football Hall Fame as a head coach? Why or why not?

Dan: I’m not the biggest fan of Seattle getting rid of Pete Carroll as head coach. The only part of this move that makes it better is the fact that he is expected to go up to an advisory role within the organization so he can still have his part in leading this roster and franchise. And I think the Seahawks are best poised to make a playoff run or complete a playoff run with Carroll as head coach. The only thing that I can think of on why they’re making this move is because they’re expecting to do somewhat of a rebuild or are looking for a different voice in the locker room to push them towards the Super Bowl contending team that they will have potential of getting to.

He definitely deserves to be selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory over the Broncos in a dominating fashion. He changed the entire culture in Seattle. He brought leadership to the entire team. He made a career for Russell Wilson. He had the Legion of Doom in Seattle with their dominating defense. He had great success in 14 seasons in Seattle. Give him a spot.

Joe: Personally I’m kind of surprised the Seattle ownership is moving on from Carroll as their head coach. I didn’t think he did that bad of a coaching job despite the team missing the playoffs this season. But I h guess that’s ownership’s prerogative to make that choice. Seems to me with this move there will be other changes coming for the Seahawks and that dismissing Carroll as their head coach is just the tip of the iceberg of those changes to come.

As far as Carroll being a Hall of Famer?

Yes, I think his record in Seattle… 14 seasons, 70–120–1 (.586) and two NFC championships and the only Super Bowl title in franchise history… speaks enough that he deserves eventual enshrinement in the Hall.

2) In your opinion has QB Zach Wilson already played his last game for the New York Jets? Why or why not?

Dan: I think Zach Wilson has not played his last game for the New York Jets and will keep his job as a back-up to Aaron Rodgers until Rodgers is ready to retire. And I believe that the reason they’re going to keep Zach Wilson is because they want him to grow behind Rodgers.

Wilson showed traits in multiple games this year that he has the potential to be a very good quarterback in this league. Jordan Love has played great this season after sitting behind Rodgers and learning first-hand from him how to play in the league, how to practice, prepare for a game, and in actual game action. Give Zach Wilson the same opportunity and go from there. It’s time to show some patience with him, get a true back-up in case Rodgers gets hurt again so they don’t forfeit their entire season like what happened this year, and give Zach Wilson the time to properly develop with great leadership in front of him. I think the rewards they’ll eventually see is going to be well worth it.

Joe: Yes, I think he has.

I just get this vibe that the team wants a player who has a bit more experience and in the ball and can step up and better serve the team if the unthinkable were to happen again and Rodgers were to miss games in the 2024/2025 season. Plus, I just think the coaching staff is ready to move on from Wilson as their QB for the future and I think they try to trade him for whatever they can get rather than just releasing him and I will not be surprised when the Jets select a QB in the later rounds of the next draft.

3) Now that the regular season is over…

Who is your pick for NFL Head Coach of the Year? Why?

Dan: While a lot of people are probably going to disagree with my vote, I think it’s a neck-and-neck competition with neither being a wrong answer. It comes down to between Kevin Stefanski and DeMeco Ryans.

Cleveland had to navigate injuries to their star running back, no good quarterback situation, and brought a quarterback off the couch to lead them to the playoffs. They really relied on their defense, but they’ve had non-stop injuries left and right to their entire roster, including their offensive line. It’s been very tough to navigate that, and to get them to 11 wins this season is super impressive.

It’s just too bad that the Texans decided to have a rookie quarterback and a new head coach lead them from one of the worst teams in the league last season, to AFC South divisional champs and turned around the entire team. The offense has been fantastic. CJ Stroud had a rookie record year, has single-handedly led them to victories this season, and did it with a not-so-great rushing attack and dealing with injuries of their own with Nico Collins missing time, Noah Brown being gone for multiple games and Tank Dell being lost for the season. Nico Collins has etched his name into the top of the NFL wide receivers’ list, but Noah Brown and Tank Dell weren’t expected to make as much of an impact as they did this season. Their defense played well. And it all came out of Ryans’ leadership. He deserves the credit for turning this team around completely and bringing them to the playoffs. If they win against the Browns on Saturday afternoon, I think that will cement his spot as Coach of the Year.

Joe: I’m going with the Houston Texans’ DeMeco Ryans.

Ryans stepped into a situation where the Texans were arguably the worst team ibn the NFL last season and had a rookie QB in CJ Stroud that many thought wouldn’t be either an instant success or maybe eve all that good in the pros. And good golly Miss Molly they went from being tied for having the least wins (3) in the league and last in the AFC South to winning the South and being host to the Browns in Wild Card Weekend.

Yeah, it helped that Stroud was spectacular this season and is the presumptive choice to win Offensive Rookie of the Year but it is also true that Ryans changed the culture of the team and got the players to buy into his way of doing things and transformed the Texans from maybe not a laughing stock but from one of the worst temas last season to being among one of the best teams this season and in the playoffs when many had the Texans written off to finish last in their division once again and not even sniffing the playoffs.

That to me deserves Ryans winning Coach of the Year.

4) In the Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys Wild Card game this weekend is the Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy coaching to keep his job as the Dallas head coach for the 2024 season? Why or why not?

Dan: Mike McCarthy is definitely coaching for his job in this matchup.

Cowboy fans are completely expecting to win this game against the Packers. The Packers don’t have a good defense as they’ve allowed teams and players to put up big points and huge yards who shouldn’t have. The Cowboys should be able to pass all over the Packers’ defense. They have an explosive offense. They have one of the best defenses in the league. They’re a team that can make their way to the Super Bowl. And are expected to get to, at least, the NFC Championship Game. And if they’re a one-and-done team yet again, Mike McCarthy is going to be shown the door.
So Dallas has to win. McCarthy has to lead them to a victory. He can’t let his foot off the gas at any point in the game.

His job is certainly on the line.

Joe: Yes, he is.

I do believe that if the Dallas Cowboys lose their Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers that Mike McCarthy will no longer be the head coach of the Cowboys next season.

5) Will QB Joe Flacco stop throwing INTs and take the Cleveland Browns deep into the playoffs and be a serious threat to take the Browns to the Super Bowl? And if he can’t stop throwing those INTs can the Browns overcome those mistakes and still threaten to be a Super Bowl contender? Why or why not?

Dan: While I think Flacco definitely has the potential to lead them to a deep run with his incredibly amazing play coming off the couch and leading the Browns to the playoffs. He had the most yards in the NFL for the month of December with over 1600 yards. Besides his 254 yards he put up against the Rams in his first game, the rest were all over 300 passing yards. Every game had multiple touchdowns, with three coming with three touchdowns. The interceptions haven’t been super costly for him or the Browns, and their defense has been one of the best in the league this season. They certainly can overcome the interceptions and take the big chunk yardage that they’ve been receiving from him to make a deep run in the playoffs.

While Houston didn’t have key offensive players in their last match-up, Joe Flacco did pass for 368 yards, three touchdowns and tossed two interceptions. And, before the Texans made a late comeback, were up 36-7. Amari Cooper had 265 receiving yards in a record-breaking day. Flacco can lead them deep.

I, personally, don’t think they beat the Texans, in Houston, on Saturday.

Joe: If Joe Flacco continues to throw multiple INTs in the playoffs I don’t believe even the Browns excellent defense will be able to compensate enough to pull the Browns’ fat out of the fire and go deep into this year’s playoffs.

In fact I am so confident that Flacco will keep throwing those INTs and that the Browns won’t overcome those mistakes that the Texans will emerge victorious in this weekend’s Wild Card game versus the Browns.