RED HOT GRIDIRON 2023 Week 18

[spiderfan]

Hola Sports Coast to Coast, Spiderfan, your official NFL Analyst here back with another edition of Red Hot Gridiron this time discussing the least week of the NFL regular season and it's immediate aftermath. So without further ado, let us begin! 

Firings And (Likely Wrong) Guesses On Hirings

The reason this edition of Red Hot Gridiron is a little later than usual was because I wanted to wait a little bit into the week to see what coaching changes occurred. Not to say the jobs that recently became open are going to be the only jobs that come open (Ahem.. New England Patriots), but at least for this week it seems like that is the case. I will be sure to discuss that/those when/if it happens.

Washington Commanders fire Ron Rivera

This is something that should have happened after last season's debacle against the Browns in which Rivera didn't know that a must win game was a must win game but didn't because of the mess surrounding team ownership. With the ownership situation having been resolved, Rivera has been dead man walking pretty much all season. My guess is that he ends up as a studio analyst or color commentator. 

With the Commanders managing to end up with the #2 pick and potentially (even likely) ending up with DC native Caleb Williams at QB, my guess is that they'll end up with an offensive coach, whether that be a Texans OC Bobby Slovik or a Ravens OC Todd Monken. If I was Josh Harris, I would try to work a package deal and get USC HC Lincoln Riley or even Kliff Kingsbury (who is currently the QB coach of USC) to be the next HC. 

Atlanta Falcons fire Arthur Smith

Smith's firing is what happens when you hitch your wagon to a guy who will at best end up being a career backup/third stringer and at worst a borderline UFL QB. If Smith had gone with Heinicke and managed to get into the playoffs, or if he had pushed harder for a trade for Lamar Jackson, he wouldn't be unemployed hoping that Mike Vrabel gets another head coaching job so he can hopefully be his OC again. 

What the Falcons need is a new QB and they did well enough that that might not come in the draft. A veteran QB like Kirk Cousins seems like a good fit, and with that being the case, a veteran coach seems like a good fit. If Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh or Bill Belichick want to get themselves to a team that is in win now mode, the Falcons would be an excellent fit. For a lesser name veteran coach Browns DC Jim Schwartz is a name that I'm interested to see any traction for. It also fits with the "the last coach was (insert speciality) so the next coach will be (opposite speciality)" trend that tends to happen with coaching selections. 

Tennessee Titans fire Mike Vrabel 

Vrabel has always been overrated in my opinion. He was overrated head coaching candidate, who became an overrated coach. That isn't to say he is a bad coach and he has had success being a head coach. But unlike others in national sports media, the idea that Vrabel was fired doesn't rub me the wrong way. He has become the Patriots fans' choice to succeed Belichick (if indeed Belichick loses his job which he still hasn't yet as of this column being written) and with him being in the Patriots Hall of Fame, he should probably be the successor to Belichick. However, Jerod Mayo is the coach in waiting, so if he doesn't become the next coach of the Patriots, I'll be shocked. 

Already having a promising young QB puts the Titans in great position to get Lions OC Ben Johnson, but if they don't get him, Bobby Slovik or Todd Monken are natural fits as well. 

Other Thoughts:

-Mason Rudolph coming all the way out of third string exile to lead the Steelers to the playoffs was not my on 2023 OR 2024 bingo card.

-And the Colts not making the playoffs is why they made the decision earlier in the year to rest Anthony Richardson. Could he have had an aggressive rehab and managed to play at less than 100 percent? Probably. But if you aren't going to make the playoffs anyway, why risk it? That was the logic then and it turned out be the right logic.

-I said last year that the Texans shall rise again and wouldn't ya know it they did. Seeing the Texans be good again makes me feel good about the football world.

-Are the Jaguars going to end up paying Trevor Lawrence and making him one of the highest paid players in the league because that is what you do for even half decent young QBs? Yes. Should they? Not right now they shouldn't. He hasn't earned that type of contract.

-Kirk Cousins' future or possible lack thereof is going to be one of the more more interesting storylines in the offseason. Because of Passtronaut Mania, the Vikings did manage to not completely bottom out like they could have, meaning they don't have as high of a draft pick as they could have. Is the 11th pick high enough to get someone better than Cousins? Unless they want to go in a completely different direction offensively with someone like Jayden Daniels, I'd say no.

-Does it get any more fitting to see Matthew Stafford, the man who was supposed to be the one to finally break the Bobby Layne Curse, come back to Detroit and potentially lead to it's continuation? Or is there a more fitting opponent for the Lions to begin the end of the Bobby Layne Curse against? That is either proof that the NFL is scripted or proof that it isn't. I'll yet the readers decide what they think.

-Congrats Dennis Allen, because the Saints won you get to keep your job!

-Is it just me or is kind of amazing that the Jets have managed to have back to back years of going 7-10 despite them looking much worse than that? 

-It was ugly and arguably unimpressive, but that was a big win for the Buccaneers and especially Baker Mayfield. Regardless of what happens in their playoff game against the Eagles, because the Buccaneers got to the playoffs, I expect to see Mayfield get a contract extension. Good for him!

-Kudos to Zac Taylor for managing to get the Bengals to a winning record despite Burrow being injured for most of the year. 

-Jordan Love started out the season bad and has been good the second the half of the year. I'm curious to see what his playoff performance is.

-The last time the Cowboys played the Packers in JerryWorld in the playoffs, it didn't end well for the Cowboys. Both teams have new casts of characters so it will be interesting to see if the result changes.

-If the Raiders can't get Jim Harbaugh, I think they should stay the course with Antonio Pierce as head coach.

-Jarrett Stidham said recently that he hopes to the QB for the Broncos next year. Considering the horrendous salary cap situation the Broncos are going to be in for the foreseeable future because of Russell Wilson's contract? My guess is that Stidham's wish will be granted. 

-I know that the Eagles have been bad for the last month or so, but we have seen what this team is capable of, so it still feels premature to write them off.

-Was it just me or it was weird to see a game between Carson Wentz and Sam Darnold be played in 2024? 

-Congratulations to Jadeveon Clowney and Chris Jones for getting their sack bonuses!

-With the Seahawks not making the playoffs and Michael Penix having an awful National Championship game performance, maybe the dream of him becoming the Seahawks QB is not dead yet. It certainly is more alive than I thought it would be before last weekend. 

-Here is some betting advice that I will give based on recent experiences: Do. Not. Bet. On. The. Buffalo. Bills. Do not bet on games they are in. You will lose. 


And with all of that said that is all for this week's Red Hot Gridiron. As always I hope ya enjoyed and hope to see ya for the postseason. Remember, football is the greatest game in the world. Also, remember to check out our playoff schedule and results thread as the playoffs progress. This is spiderfan out.

[spiderfan]

ADDENDUM

Seattle Seahawks "promote" Pete Carrol to advisor in front office

I'm shocked by this move, there is no other way to put it. Of the things that were wrong with the Seahawks, I did not think Pete Carroll was one of them. The biggest problem for the Seahawks has been the QB position, which people stuck their heads in the sand about until it became clear that Geno wasn't the answer, something which I was willing to admit as a Seahawks fan before other people were. As far as I'm concerned Geno's poor play is the reason that Pete Carroll was pushed out... unless there was something else afoot. I have no sources to back up what I'm about to say, it is just a guess based on other things that have happened in my time writing this column. I think Pete Carroll being pushed out might have to do with a return of Russell Wilson. Remember, by the end of his tenure, Wilson was sick of Carroll and also remember when Tom Brady came back to the Buccaneers, then HC Bruce Arians was pushed to the front office to placate Brady. Now, do I think the Seahawks should placate Wilson at this point? No. But it doesn't mean that isn't what is going on. 

As far as replacements for Carroll, Cowboys DC (and one time Seahawks DC) Dan Quinn is a leading candidate according to reports, which in my opinion is a lateral move. Why push out Carroll and replace him with a former assistant? If you're going to go with a defensive coach, I think Browns DC Jim Schwartz is a better hire. He could also bring Joe Flacco with him, who would be a big short term upgrade at the QB position. The Seahawks have plenty of talent offensively, so an offensive minded coach like a Ravens OC Todd Monken or a Lions OC Ben Johnson or a Texans OC Bobby Slovik would all be great fits. 

[spiderfan]

ADDENDUM #2

New England Patriots mutually part ways with Bill Belichick

The end of an era is the only way to put Belichick's leaving of the Patriots. His tenure with the Patriots was highly successful, the most successful of the Super Bowl era. The asterisk now being that without Tom Brady, Belichick's record is not that successful. That wouldn't be as much of a problem if weren't for Bill Belichick the GM, who's roster management put Bill Belichick, the HC, in a situation where his job status was in doubt. And like his mentor Bill Parcells who also was pushed out by Robert Kraft, Belichick wanted to "shop for the groceries" and not just coach. Parcells, of course, managed to find a place that gave him that control in the New York Jets. Whether or not Belichick finds that is yet to be seen.

Conflicting reports have emerged about whether or not the Commanders would be interested, and the Titans supposedly aren't interested. The team that sounds like they have the most interest in Belichick is the Falcons, which makes sense considering that outside of the QB position, they have a well built team. They do have a general manager in place in Terry Fontenot, although like Broncos GM George Paton, it is within the realm of possibility that he keeps his title and for all practical purposes is demoted. The other team that makes sense (although as of writing this their interest is unclear) is the Chargers. The Chargers have plenty of names on their roster, and if Belichick brings Josh McDaniels out of exile, putting him with Justin Herbert isn't a bad idea from a team building standpoint. 

As for the Patriots, while Mike Vrabel is the people's choice for the job, ILB coach Jerod Mayo has been the coach in waiting for a while now. Considering Mayo is a former player for the Patriots and has assistant coach experience, I think he would do as good of a job, if not better Vrabel would. 

[Monika]

You mention the Falcons as a potential landing spot, but you said they don't have a quarterback. I don't know that they give up in Ridder that easily after just a couple of years. Also, I keep hearing Kirk Cousins-to-Falcons rumors out there. I don't know what's going to happen, but it seems to me like the Falcons are probably not really actively looking for a new QB at this time.

[spiderfan]

Jan 11, 2024 22:33:13 GMT -8 Monika said:

You mention the Falcons as a potential landing spot, but you said they don't have a quarterback. I don't know that they give up in Ridder that easily after just a couple of years. Also, I keep hearing Kirk Cousins-to-Falcons rumors out there. I don't know what's going to happen, but it seems to me like the Falcons are probably not really actively looking for a new QB at this time.

Ridder was tied to Smith. Now, that Smith is gone, Ridder is expendable, hence why Kirk Cousins is being rumored. It would also make sense, because Belichick is a veteran coach who would like a veteran QB.