These are the picks for the 2004 season. Bold represents the team selected to win. Games in red represent the Upset of the Week. At the bottom, The weekly and overall records for the season appear at the bottom. These picks are based purely on winners and losers with no consideration from the spread. The spread is only used to determine upsets for the Upset of the Week.
I know the holidays are going on and stores are offering generous offers to customers, including two-for-one deals and one day only sales. But I wouldn't had thought two football head coaches would fall in one day.
Sticking with the pros, Cleveland head coach Butch Davis "resigned." Truth is, he was as good as gone at the end of the season. Davis decided just to get it over with immediately. The Browns organization has been looking around for a general manager for a little while already, a position held by Davis since he was hired as the coach. Usually when a new GM comes in, they want their people working for him. So it would had been a matter of time before the new GM or the front office gave Davis his walking papers.
Davis had his chance. He was on his fourth year running the team on and off the field and failed in both. None of his draft picks blossomed into great players and the product on the field was good enough for one playoff appearance, a disappointing appearance at that. They held a double-digit lead against the Pittsburgh Steelers and squandered it in a 36-33 loss in the AFC playoffs. What should had been a precursor of good things to follow, Davis and the Browns only got worse, 'till it all came to an end Tuesday.
This leaves the team in the hands of offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie. The good news is Robiskie has done this before with the Redskins. The bad news is he has less than a week to prepare the Browns to play the defending Super Bowl Champions New England Patriots. Borrowing from Kenny Rodgers with my own rendition, "You picked a fine time to leave the team, Butch Davis." The only thing good that comes out of this is at least the number of black head coaches in the NFL increases, though it is only temporary.
The same can't be said for the college ranks as Tyrone Willingham was fired by Notre Dame. With his departure, that leaves just two black head coaches in Division 1-A out of 117 schools. The Fighting Irish accepted an invitation to play in the Insight.com Bowl. If they do so, it would be without Willingham. The team will be coached by defensive coordinator Kent Baer.
The move by the powers-that-be in South Bend doesn't seem fair to Willingham. He was in the process of converting a team that ran an option offense into a pro-style that spread the field in the passing game. In order to make the conversion successful, he needs time to recruit the right players to make it work and then teach them. Willingham said it would take two to three years just for the quarterback to understand the offense fully. But Willingham won't get a chance to fully develop his plans.
Now the question is what's next. Both Willingham and Davis are expected to land on their feet, Willingham maybe as soon as a few weeks. Davis will sit out the year before his next decision.
As for the organizations, ND wants Urban Meyer, currently the head coach of undefeated Utah. He is first on Notre Dame's list. As for the Browns, they will first hire a general manager then worry about a coach only after GM a is in place. One person Cleveland could consider for GM is Tom Ridge since he resigned from his government job on Tuesday too. Why Ridge? Since NFL front offices work in secrecy, Ridge's background in homeland security would fit in perfectly.
Cincinnati at Baltimore - L
Hard to imagine that there was a 55-point difference between these two teams' point total from last Sunday. But that wasn't against each other. The difference between these two teams is a lot closer and the Ravens are the better team.
Minnesota at Chicago - L
Where did the Bears find Jeff George? Most people might had thought he was abducted by aliens since his last game. If that's the case, then give props to Chicago's scouting department. Do the same for Minnesota's scouts for finding Daunte Culpepper in the draft. They'll appreciate Culpepper more when he leads the Vikings over the Bears.
New England at Cleveland - W
Sometimes when a coach leaves a team, it inspires the players to play their best game of the season and pull off a huge upset. Sometimes. No way the Browns upset the Patriots.
Arizona at Detroit - W
The Shawn King experience is over and the time is now for Navarre. Rookie John Navarre is next to take snaps for the Cardinals. The question is if Navarre doesn't work out, what does head coach Dennis Green do next because Chicago already signed Jeff George. Joey Harrington has been the man for the Lions from the beginning and it pays off.
Tennessee at Indianapolis - W
I liked Indy's throwback helmet with the horseshoe logos on the back of the helmet instead of the side. It's symbolic when you think about it. It's like the imprint left when kicked by a horse. The only difference is the impression usually is left on opponents' posterior, much like the when the Colts kick the Titans' behinds.
Buffalo at Miami - W
The Dolphins might has lost their chance for the first pick overall with last week's win. It's not like losing is new to the 'Fins. A game loss to the Bills puts Miami back on their downward spiral.
Carolina at New Orleans - W
These two teams were on opposite ends of comebacks. The storyline repeats when they're lined up opposite each other. The Panthers make like a re-run and comeback for the second week in a row.
Houston at New York Jets - W
Will N.Y. QB Chad Pennington play or does he still need healing time? Considering the team has gone 2-1 without Pennington, it's possible the Jets could handle the Texans while leaving Chad hangin' in the infirmary.
San Francisco at St. Louis - W
Recipe for disaster. St. Louis just had the biggest offensive output without scoring 20 points in NFL history. San Fran gave up 24 points to the woeful Miami offense. You know what happens next. The Rams light up the scoreboard.
Atlanta at Tampa Bay - W
Falcons tight end Alge Crumpler is one touchdown away from tying the season record for TDs caught by a tight end. There's a good chance he breaks the record, but leaving T.B. with a win is another story. Crumpler keeps a game ball but goes away disappointed as the Buccaneers pull off the Upset of the Week.
Kansas City at Oakland - W
K.C. returner Dante Hall did return a kickoff for a touchdown, but should of had two if he didn't fumble the ball without contact. Hall and the Chiefs won't bobble this game away.
Denver at San Diego - W
Is S.D. for real or is their record padded against a soft schedule? This game might determine who wins the division and possibly silence nay sayers. A hush follows a Chargers win as they put some distance between them and their pursuers.
Green Bay at Philadelphia - L
Philly isn't celebrating the division title. They won it four years in a row previously. They have their sights set on winning the conference title. But they look past the next team on the schedule. The Packers blind the Eagles for a surprise win.
New York Giants at Washington - W
Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs had to set the record straight. No, he's not gonna quit on the 'Skins because of his diabetic condition. It's not an illness that will keep him from doing his job. Gibbs will be doing a lot better after the Redskins cut the Giants down to size.
Pittsburgh at Jacksonville - W
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is on the verge of setting the record for wins by a rookie QB if Pittsburgh extends their streak. With contributions from receiver Plaxico Burress and now healthy running back Duce Staley, the Steelers help Roethlisberger count to 10.
Dallas at Seattle - Monday Night - W
Well now we know that Drew Henson is not ready to be a starting quarterback in this league. Dallas head coach will stick with Vinny Testaverde, maybe for the rest of the season. Vin will prove his worth, leading the Cowboys past a disappointing Seahawks team.
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