The trend is shifting away from one-man rule in the NFL.
Bill Parcells, who once insisted on “buying the groceries” for the New England Patriots if he was expected to cook the meal, will not be telling Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones how to spend his time or money.
Suggestions, maybe, but no shopping sprees.
“I’m an employee of the Dallas Cowboys; we have an owner in place,” Parcells pointed out Thursday, perhaps for his own benefit as much as for any other’s.
Seattle’s Mike Holmgren gave up his title as general manager and will stay as coach of the Seahawks after owner Paul Allen, one of the world’s richest men, noticed the football clock also consists of only 24 hours a day.
Jacksonville’s Tom Coughlin, the only decision-maker in the history of the Jaguars, is out. He used to dictate the color of paint on the property. The Jaguars got caught in the red on their salary cap and eventually on their record.
Strong coaches always will have strong voices within strong organizations. But titles and power struggles can weigh down good men.
The two playoff coaches with the most power and titles are Philadelphia’s Andy Reid and Green Bay’s Mike Sherman. Pittsburgh’s Bill Cowher, Cleveland’s Butch Davis, Tennessee’s Jeff Fisher and Atlanta’s Dan Reeves are surrounded by strong owner-management teams but have won skirmishes over personnel control.
The others all work for more conventional general managers and/or hands-on owners. There is a more definitive separation between personnel and coaching operations. Traditionally, personnel people must take a broader perspective, planning for the future in the salary-cap/free-agent era. Coaches by nature must think short term.
Detroit fallout: The Detroit Lions’ brain trust of President Matt Millen and coach Marty Mornhinweg made personnel chief Bill Tobin the scapegoat and fired him for “philosophical reasons.”
“I’m fortunate to be out of here and available,” Tobin said. “I’ve never been 5-27 in my life.”
Tobin had not been happy with Millen’s decisions, including the firing of brother Vince as Lions defensive coordinator after the 2001 season, his first with Mornhinweg.
Tobin, former personnel chief of the Bears and former president of the Indianapolis Colts, said he would contact Jacksonville owner Wayne Weaver to explore that team’s possible restructure.
Tobin’s track record in the draft is impressive. He hasn’t worked in Chicago since 1993, yet there are five of his Bears draft choices still active in the NFL: Trace Armstrong, Jerry Fontenot, Chris Gardocki, Curtis Conway and Todd Perry. In Indianapolis, he drafted Marshall Faulk and Marvin Harrison, among others.
There are 10 Lions starters from his two drafts in Detroit, where Tobin pushed for quarterback Joey Harrington and clashed with Mornhinweg over draft authority.
Turnabout: What have you done lately?
On Nov. 9, six eventual playoff teams had records of .500 or worse.
Tennessee stood at 4-4, Indianapolis 4-4, Oakland 4-4, Cleveland 4-5, the New York Jets 3-5 and the New York Giants 4-4.
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On Oct. 12, the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints were the teams to beat, a combined 16-4. None advanced. The Jets, Titans, Steelers and Falcons were written off, a combined 4-14.
For the sixth season in a row, at least five new clubs made the playoffs. This season’s newcomers are Atlanta, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Tennessee and the Giants.
“Everybody’s got a chance,” Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi said. “This is the way it’s going to be from now on. Fight for your life every year. Hope you keep your playmakers together.”
Kansas City wastes: The Chiefs joined the 1985 Chargers as the only teams to lead the league in scoring and miss the playoffs.
But the 1985 Chargers also turned the ball over 49 times. The Chiefs led the AFC with a plus-16 turnover differential and set an NFL record by losing only two fumbles all season.
The Chiefs had five Pro Bowl players, led by running back Priest Holmes, who gained 1,615 yards and scored 24 touchdowns. All five starters in the offensive line started every game.
The Chiefs broke eight team offensive records in 2002, including total points (467), yards (6,000), and touchdowns (57).
But none of that could overcome a defense that ranked 32nd in the NFL and set club records for most points (399), most yards (4,396), most completions (403) and most first downs (367) allowed.
That’s the kind of story that is music to the ears of every defensive coach and mind in the league, including the Bears’ Dick Jauron.
Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said he would retain defensive coordinator Greg Robinson, but then said he would think about it.
“The last emotional decision I made was the worst mistake I made in my life, to leave the Rams,” Vermeil acknowledged.
NFL Rose Bowl: Commissioner Paul Tagliabue visited Pasadena last week and attended his first Rose Bowl. City and stadium officials are promoting the stadium as a potential home for an NFL team.
“The main thing we accomplished was getting a good understanding of the status of their process and what are the kind of issues they’re looking at,” Tagliabue said. “Whether there’s a place for the NFL in all of that, that will be the subject of future meetings, I’m sure.”
John Moag, a sports investment banker who took up the Rose Bowl’s cause at the league’s behest, called Tagliabue’s visit “extremely positive and fruitful.” Moag helped the Cleveland Browns move to Baltimore.
“We’ve met a lot of fans here today,” Tagliabue said. “[They said] `Bring back the NFL. Bring us a team. We love college football and we love the NFL.'”
From the Giff to Tiki: Giants running back Tiki Barber survived three lost fumbles as the Giants beat Philadelphia in overtime in their regular-season finale Dec. 28.
On Dec. 28, 1958, Giants running back Frank Gifford fumbled three times, losing two, in the NFL title loss to the Baltimore Colts in the first overtime.
“It was because of my two fumbles that it’s called `The Greatest Game Ever Played,'” Gifford told New York reporters. “If I hadn’t fumbled, we would have won handily. . . . Tell Tiki I’m very happy and proud of him for the way he hung in there.”
Buchsbaum passes: The NFL draft won’t be the same without Pro Football Weekly’s Joel Buchsbaum, who died last Sunday. His reports were uncannily accurate and included not only top prospects but borderline players unearthed only by him and NFL scouts, who often carried Buchsbaum’s guides with them to make sure they weren’t missing anybody. Buchsbaum was a true football purist more interested in truth than publicity.