I like Mac. Virtually everyone likes Mac. He has a certain charisma...from his friendly aura...to his West Texas drawl...from his profound respect for the history of the NFL...to his passion for the game itself...from his evangelistic rhetoric...to his unmistakable joi de vivre.
I would love to see Mac succeed and continue on as the Cardinals' Head Football coach. Virtually everyone does. But this year Mac probably will have to change some of his spots in order to preserve his job, because Mac can no longer afford to be naive or ill-prepared. Bill Bidwill needs to fill the seats and if this season is another lemon, Bidwill will be out looking for another savior.
How is Mac naive? Mac believes that loyalty works both ways in the NFL. Last year, Mac should have learned conclusively that loyalties between the players and a coach, as strong and solid as they may seem on the outside, are as transient as tumbleweed. Mac has put a lot of stock and faith in certain players on his football team, but many of those players have not returned the favor. Mac's team quit on him last season. And it appeared by Mac's suddenly stoic "Beige-like" demeanor on the sidelines that Mac quit on the team in return. In my opinion, Mac lost his team because he lost his credibility with the players. Mac's credibilty was shattered by the contradictory way Mac remained loyal to certain veterans like Jake Plummer.
Week after week, loss after loss, there'd be the same ol' exasperated Mac in front of the microphones and all the media singing the same ol' sad song..."I really feel bad for the fans"..."losing like this makes me want to puke"..."we don't tolerate turnovers around here"..."you just can't turn the ball over in this league and expect to win"...There'd be Mac talking the talk...but by Monday nothing ever changed. Mac became a broken record...and the players had heard the same ol' sad song too many times. And the players were tired of hearing that certain things wouldn't be tolerated...and then seeing for themselves that certain things were being tolerated...when, ultimately, nothing was being done about them.
The epitome of the problem was manifested most conspicuously when Jake threw that unthinkable behind-the-back rugby flip in a 0-0 game against the division rival 49ers inside his own ten yard line. Jake should have been benched long ago...the team had quit long ago...but for Mac to roll Jake right back out there the next series after that debacle, was the ultimate form of coaching cowardice. Not an NFL coach worth his salt would have given Jake the nod to re-enter the game under those circumstances...certainly not from a coach who preaches, "we do not tolerate turnovers."
Then there's the matter of game preparation. How often have Mac's teams looked well prepared for a game? The players rarely look well prepared from an X's and O's standpoint. Virtually every first quarter this team has played under Mac's tutelage, the team has looked tentative and disoriented. The opponents come out throwing wrinkles at the Cardinals and always seem to be attacking the Cardinals where they are most vulnerable.
With Mac's teams, one gets the sense that his players don't even know where their opponents are vulnerable. Perfect example, running a series of sweeps in the first quarter against the 49ers, right into the strength of the 49ers defense: their perimeter speed. These minus yard sweeps led to yet another series of first quarter three and outs....and before one could bat an eye, an early double digit deficit...once again.
Mac is a defensive coach, yet why is his defense so poorly managed and devised? Not only do Mac's defenses play on their heels most of the afternoon...they are not fundamentally sound...not even close. Mac's defenses are easily tricked...and glaring vulnerablities that teams could see on the tape one week are still glaring the next week...such as the Cardinal DEs not keeping contain...and not even trying to keep contain.
Mac broke the mold one week this past season. By then the team had lost eight of its last nine games...but Mac had to come up with something new and exciting to bring into a late season, meaningless Sunday Night ESPN affair with the Rams. That night, Mac threw the kitchen sink at Marc Bulger. And the offense was far less predictable. The Cardinals looked like they were finally having fun playing football. It was a joy to watch. Defenders were flying to the ball and were showing instincts...and the offense was moving the ball in chunks and even scored the most electrifying and stunning TD of the season on an 80 yard screen pass to Marcel Shipp. Where had these Cardinal been all year? Where had these schemes been all year? The Cardinals were outplaying the Rams in practically all aspects of the football game...on NATIONAL TV NO LESS!...and the Cardinals were leading most of the second half...until...
Mac went into a brain freeze on the sideline. Sitting on all three of the team's timeouts, Mac allowed Mike Martz and the Rams to position themselves for a game winning field goal while incredibly letting the clock ran down to a mere twenty-four seconds. Had Mac saved any time at all, his warrior Cardinals could have come right back and kicked a game winning field goal of its own...but, alas, there were no 24 second miracles in store for the Cardinals.
Mac said after the game something to the effect that he thought the Cardinals had a better chance of winning the game with 24 seconds and three timeouts, than wasting the timouts earlier. This is further evidence of how a coach loses credibility with his players. Mac's players played their ever-livin' hearts out that night. And even Mac was finally looking like his old animated self on the sidelines that night. However, Mac let his players down because Mac didn't manage the game to give them the best chance to win...a game his players should have won...and in my opinion, would have won...which would have a done wonders for restoring team pride.
What spots does Mac need to change this year?
(1) Loyalty has to be to the players who are playing the best. Even if Marcel Shipp is outplaying Emmitt Smith, Mac has to start Shipp. The players all know who is playing the best. If Mac wants to restore his credibility with the players, he has to start the players who are most deserving.
(2) If a player is having an awful game, Mac has to turn to someone else. He has to show the team that he believes in his depth...and that no one football player gets special treatment when it comes to making game altering mistakes.
(3) Make smarter and quicker decisions on the sidelines, especially in terms of clock management. Perhaps Mac should pick the assistant he trusts the most ( I would recommend Jerry Sullivan) to consult with him during the games. Mac is an emotional guy...which is good...but emotions can get the better of a coach on the sidelines. At crunch time, Mac has to be able to check his emotions and make good, clear decisions.
(4) Start preparing the team better each week, so that the team can come out of the locker room confident and ready. The first quarter look of disarray has to be eliminated.
(5) Do a better job of putting together the roster. If Josh McCown isn't ready to be the primary backup at the start of the season, Mac's got to get a veteran backup for the meantime. Going into the season last year with McCown as the primary backup was an egregious mistake. Some people say, "Well, it didn't cost us, Jake didn't get hurt." Think again, because if Mac had another QB to turn to when Jake was stinking the joint out, maybe the team would have won a few more games...and Mac may have been able to maintain his players' respect.
We hear that guys like Wakefield, Tanner and Davis aren't working out with the team in the off-season program. These are three guys who would have a hard time making any NFL roster...and Rod Graves better be ready top make some moves June 1st because it's pure folly to think that the Cardinals have solved the pass rushing problems by merely adding a couple more rookies to an already less than average bunch. There should be MAJOR turnover on the defensive line this year. To me the only ones who are locks are KVB, Bryant, Bell, Johnson and Pace. Two new players are needed at the minimum, possible three, although Alton Moore or Kenny King might be a nice surprise.
(6) Condition the players harder and better. The injuries have to be minimized and there's no better way to prevent injuries than by getting the team into tip-top shape.
(7) The coaching staff as a whole has to do a much better job of integrating the young talent into the football team. Developing the talent and self-confidence of the younger players has not been a particular trademark of the current staff.
(8) Finally, make sure this year that the WORDS and the MUSIC match. No coach in the NFL has better words than Mac. If Mac can make sure this time around that his actions back up his words, his credibility with the players, the media and the fans will not only be restored, Mac's credibility will be relished.
I would love to see Mac succeed and continue on as the Cardinals' Head Football coach. Virtually everyone does. But this year Mac probably will have to change some of his spots in order to preserve his job, because Mac can no longer afford to be naive or ill-prepared. Bill Bidwill needs to fill the seats and if this season is another lemon, Bidwill will be out looking for another savior.
How is Mac naive? Mac believes that loyalty works both ways in the NFL. Last year, Mac should have learned conclusively that loyalties between the players and a coach, as strong and solid as they may seem on the outside, are as transient as tumbleweed. Mac has put a lot of stock and faith in certain players on his football team, but many of those players have not returned the favor. Mac's team quit on him last season. And it appeared by Mac's suddenly stoic "Beige-like" demeanor on the sidelines that Mac quit on the team in return. In my opinion, Mac lost his team because he lost his credibility with the players. Mac's credibilty was shattered by the contradictory way Mac remained loyal to certain veterans like Jake Plummer.
Week after week, loss after loss, there'd be the same ol' exasperated Mac in front of the microphones and all the media singing the same ol' sad song..."I really feel bad for the fans"..."losing like this makes me want to puke"..."we don't tolerate turnovers around here"..."you just can't turn the ball over in this league and expect to win"...There'd be Mac talking the talk...but by Monday nothing ever changed. Mac became a broken record...and the players had heard the same ol' sad song too many times. And the players were tired of hearing that certain things wouldn't be tolerated...and then seeing for themselves that certain things were being tolerated...when, ultimately, nothing was being done about them.
The epitome of the problem was manifested most conspicuously when Jake threw that unthinkable behind-the-back rugby flip in a 0-0 game against the division rival 49ers inside his own ten yard line. Jake should have been benched long ago...the team had quit long ago...but for Mac to roll Jake right back out there the next series after that debacle, was the ultimate form of coaching cowardice. Not an NFL coach worth his salt would have given Jake the nod to re-enter the game under those circumstances...certainly not from a coach who preaches, "we do not tolerate turnovers."
Then there's the matter of game preparation. How often have Mac's teams looked well prepared for a game? The players rarely look well prepared from an X's and O's standpoint. Virtually every first quarter this team has played under Mac's tutelage, the team has looked tentative and disoriented. The opponents come out throwing wrinkles at the Cardinals and always seem to be attacking the Cardinals where they are most vulnerable.
With Mac's teams, one gets the sense that his players don't even know where their opponents are vulnerable. Perfect example, running a series of sweeps in the first quarter against the 49ers, right into the strength of the 49ers defense: their perimeter speed. These minus yard sweeps led to yet another series of first quarter three and outs....and before one could bat an eye, an early double digit deficit...once again.
Mac is a defensive coach, yet why is his defense so poorly managed and devised? Not only do Mac's defenses play on their heels most of the afternoon...they are not fundamentally sound...not even close. Mac's defenses are easily tricked...and glaring vulnerablities that teams could see on the tape one week are still glaring the next week...such as the Cardinal DEs not keeping contain...and not even trying to keep contain.
Mac broke the mold one week this past season. By then the team had lost eight of its last nine games...but Mac had to come up with something new and exciting to bring into a late season, meaningless Sunday Night ESPN affair with the Rams. That night, Mac threw the kitchen sink at Marc Bulger. And the offense was far less predictable. The Cardinals looked like they were finally having fun playing football. It was a joy to watch. Defenders were flying to the ball and were showing instincts...and the offense was moving the ball in chunks and even scored the most electrifying and stunning TD of the season on an 80 yard screen pass to Marcel Shipp. Where had these Cardinal been all year? Where had these schemes been all year? The Cardinals were outplaying the Rams in practically all aspects of the football game...on NATIONAL TV NO LESS!...and the Cardinals were leading most of the second half...until...
Mac went into a brain freeze on the sideline. Sitting on all three of the team's timeouts, Mac allowed Mike Martz and the Rams to position themselves for a game winning field goal while incredibly letting the clock ran down to a mere twenty-four seconds. Had Mac saved any time at all, his warrior Cardinals could have come right back and kicked a game winning field goal of its own...but, alas, there were no 24 second miracles in store for the Cardinals.
Mac said after the game something to the effect that he thought the Cardinals had a better chance of winning the game with 24 seconds and three timeouts, than wasting the timouts earlier. This is further evidence of how a coach loses credibility with his players. Mac's players played their ever-livin' hearts out that night. And even Mac was finally looking like his old animated self on the sidelines that night. However, Mac let his players down because Mac didn't manage the game to give them the best chance to win...a game his players should have won...and in my opinion, would have won...which would have a done wonders for restoring team pride.
What spots does Mac need to change this year?
(1) Loyalty has to be to the players who are playing the best. Even if Marcel Shipp is outplaying Emmitt Smith, Mac has to start Shipp. The players all know who is playing the best. If Mac wants to restore his credibility with the players, he has to start the players who are most deserving.
(2) If a player is having an awful game, Mac has to turn to someone else. He has to show the team that he believes in his depth...and that no one football player gets special treatment when it comes to making game altering mistakes.
(3) Make smarter and quicker decisions on the sidelines, especially in terms of clock management. Perhaps Mac should pick the assistant he trusts the most ( I would recommend Jerry Sullivan) to consult with him during the games. Mac is an emotional guy...which is good...but emotions can get the better of a coach on the sidelines. At crunch time, Mac has to be able to check his emotions and make good, clear decisions.
(4) Start preparing the team better each week, so that the team can come out of the locker room confident and ready. The first quarter look of disarray has to be eliminated.
(5) Do a better job of putting together the roster. If Josh McCown isn't ready to be the primary backup at the start of the season, Mac's got to get a veteran backup for the meantime. Going into the season last year with McCown as the primary backup was an egregious mistake. Some people say, "Well, it didn't cost us, Jake didn't get hurt." Think again, because if Mac had another QB to turn to when Jake was stinking the joint out, maybe the team would have won a few more games...and Mac may have been able to maintain his players' respect.
We hear that guys like Wakefield, Tanner and Davis aren't working out with the team in the off-season program. These are three guys who would have a hard time making any NFL roster...and Rod Graves better be ready top make some moves June 1st because it's pure folly to think that the Cardinals have solved the pass rushing problems by merely adding a couple more rookies to an already less than average bunch. There should be MAJOR turnover on the defensive line this year. To me the only ones who are locks are KVB, Bryant, Bell, Johnson and Pace. Two new players are needed at the minimum, possible three, although Alton Moore or Kenny King might be a nice surprise.
(6) Condition the players harder and better. The injuries have to be minimized and there's no better way to prevent injuries than by getting the team into tip-top shape.
(7) The coaching staff as a whole has to do a much better job of integrating the young talent into the football team. Developing the talent and self-confidence of the younger players has not been a particular trademark of the current staff.
(8) Finally, make sure this year that the WORDS and the MUSIC match. No coach in the NFL has better words than Mac. If Mac can make sure this time around that his actions back up his words, his credibility with the players, the media and the fans will not only be restored, Mac's credibility will be relished.
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