FLORES SURPRISE AMONG FIRINGS
From the NFC North to the AFC East, the firings began almost immediately after the NFL’s first 17-game season concluded.
The Vikings fired coach Mike Zimmer and General Manager Rick Spielman on Monday following an 8-9 season. Division rival Chicago parted with coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace after going 6-11.
And in a relative surprise, Miami dismissed coach Brian
Flores, whose Dolphins went 9-8, including a sweep of archrival New England.
Indeed, the career coaching records for each total 130-112-1.
Yet, while in South Florida the Dolphins seemed to be overachievers with a modest roster, both the Vikings and Bears were major disappointments this season.
As were the New York Giants (4-13), and GM Dave Gettleman retired Monday, though he likely would have been fired otherwise.
One major problem for Minnesota and Chicago resides in neighboring Wisconsin: the Packers. While Green Bay is an NFL power and perennial championship contender, the Vikings and Bears have been more teasing than triumphant.
“We are determined to have sustained success and bring Vikings fans the Super Bowl championships they expect and deserve,” owners Zygi and Mark Wilf said in their statement after letting go of Zimmer and Spielman.
Zimmer was 7-8-1 against the Packers, which isn’t bad considering how Green Bay has performed in recent years. It was simply not close to good enough in that division.
The Bears under Nagy were 1-7 against the Pack in the longest running rivalry in pro football.
Minnesota’s talent pool seems deeper than Chicago’s, from a high-paid quarterback, Kirk Cousins, with some success to standout runners and receivers. The payroll has been high, but the results in 2021, and the lack of progress in the standings, doomed both Zimmer and Spielman.
Flores didn’t appear to be in danger of losing his job. One of three Black head coaches in the NFL, Flores brought Miami back from an awful first half of the schedule, turning around from 1-7 to 9-8 — including victories in the opener and finale against his former boss in New England.
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, who kept GM Chris Grier, hinted at communication issues.
“I’ve been looking at this over three years now and watching the organization grow,” Ross said. “I think an organization can only function if it’s collaborative and it works well together, and I don’t think we were really working well as an organization to win consistently at the NFL level.”
Lions fire OC Lynn
A day after Lions head coach Dan Campbell closed his first season with a 3-13-1 record, he was subdued and perhaps that was because he had just fired offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn.
“He came here, took a leap of faith with us under the impression that he would be calling the plays,” Campbell said. “It was not going to go that direction.”
The Lions were 0-8 with Lynn, who has a 33-32 record as a head coach, calling plays. With Campbell taking over those duties, they were 3-5-1.
Campbell said he isn’t sure yet whether he will call plays on offense again next season.
“It’s what I think is best for us and as a team, and I need time to think about that,” he said.
Panthers need a QB
Having survived Black Monday, embattled coach Matt Rhule turned his attention to a number of issues facing the Carolina Panthers moving forward.
Such as how to fix the quarterback situation, hiring the right offensive coordinator, and upgrading a porous offensive line.
The Panthers are 10-23 in two seasons under Rhule and the team’s offense has been among the worst in the league. Rhule struck out last season with Teddy Bridgewater, while Sam Darnold and the return of Cam Newton failed to get the team any success this year as Carolina lost its last seven games — prompting “Fire Rhule” chants at the team’s home finale on Dec. 26.
Rhule said the Panthers “will look at everything” when it comes to finding a quarterback who can take them to the next level.
“We recognize that we have to improve the overall quarterback play here,” Rhule said.
Jags on clock, again
The Jaguars’ 3-14 record this season earned them the top spot in April’s NFL Draft, the second consecutive year they will pick first.
The tentative order of the first round, not including teams in the playoffs, was announced by the NFL. The Chargers will select 17th.