32.) Raheem Morris - TB
The guy is just over his head. He was thrust into a situation he was neither prepared nor qualified for. Can't fault him, and he seems like a nice enough guy, but his tenure leading the Buccaneers (a team that was 9-3 last year before Monte Kiffin announced he was leaving for U of Tennessee) has been an unmitigated trainwreck. He fired the offensive coordinator right before the season. He "relieved" his defensive coordinator of said coordinating duties a couple weeks ago. He has started multiple QB's named "Josh" and one a single game. Say what you want about the coach he replaced, but if Gruden were still coaching the team, a team with three average RBs and some playmakers on defense, they would be better than 1-11.
31.) Perry Fewell - BUF
It's sad for Raheem Morris that he cannot even beat out an interim coach, but Fewell has this team playing hard, and playing competitively, which is more than what can be said for the Buccaneers. He has qualifications as a defensive coordinator for the last four years, so he obviously had some ability to coach defense. It's not like he has a talent-laden team to compete with either. He has kept Terrell Owens quiet, and made one big decision, replacing the epitome of suck in Edwards with a living, breathing brainy QB JP Fitzpatrick, and it has worked. However, he probably has little chance of keeping that job.
30.) Mike Singletary - SF
He was supposed to be in the Ditka mold. A fiery, get in your face leader, with the personality and bravado to inspire. However, unlike Ditka, he came into the job with zero years as even a coordinator, and no real qualification except for his name as a hall-of-fame Linebacker. In his tenure, he has switched around QB's like he was playing roullette with them, had a mercurial relationship with his most talented player, caved to a diva wide receiver, and to cap it off, dropped his pants to "inspire" his team. I'm pretty sure that whatever Bill Walsh did to inspire his team did not include anything near the removing of trou and was much more successful. Also, he and his team were much balyhooed coming into the year, but are now 2-6 in their last eight games. He had little reputation to live up to, succeeding Mike Nolan and Dennis Erickson, but hasn't even cleared those names (actually, he's been better than Erickson, but then again, so has Raheem Morris).
29.) Eric Mangini - CLE
God only knows what made him so hirable that the Lerner family seemingly courted him like some beautiful Russian bride last offseason. Just days after his firing from the Jets (a talented team that he underachieved with in his final two years) he was signed up again. He is from the Belichick tree (a tree who has seen all but one sapling poisoned with its evil fruit) and is much like Belichick... Cleveland edition, as in the one under whose tenure the team left town to Baltimore. He is a tyrant, brooding over the sidelines, fining players 1,003 dollars for not paying for a 2.99$ water bottle, and having airtight security around his operation that resembles that of communist Russia. It is a long way from his Man-genius days, and I have to say that he will probably never get those days back. His time in Cleveland could easily be up after one year, and I don't see any other owner stupid enough to give him a head job #3.
28.) Jim Zorn - WAS
Rounding out the bottom-5 is the man who is really just a figure head, as he was primarily there for his offensive acumen, and was stripped of his playcalling duties (duties that were later given quite comically to a man who was coerced out of his "calling bingo numbers at a local senior-center"). What is sadder is that the offense has been better of late. He is a terrible game manager, and has shoddy clock-management. It is also a mystery as to what he ever did to get the job, as his highest level of experience was being Seattle's QB coach. Not exactly a great job, one that inspires much confidence. What makes him stay at 28, in front of four others is that he is a supposed QB guru, and Jason Campbell has become a marginally good QB under his tutelage.
27.) Jim L. Mora - SEA
Apparently, he is "Jim L. Mora" and not "Jim Mora Jr." which I remember roughly 99.9999% of the populus calling him when he was Atlanta's leading man. He is supposedly a defensive-back guru. At least he had some coordinating experience before he got the first head job. Now, it strikes me weird that he was fired from a place where he was arguably its franchises second-most succesful coach, and now that he is nearly done completing his first year at the helm of the Seahawks, I know why. He's just a bad coach. He came to Seattle to help that defense, at it has regressed each year, reaching disastrous lows last year. Sure he inherited a team that was 4-12, but it really was a team that just had a freak injury year (one that saw roughly 123,434.67 o-lineman and wide receivers hurt last year), and was a 5-time playoff participant before that (a run that was only equaled by New England and Indianapolis). Mike Holmgren gave him a 3/4th full cupboard and he has royally screwed it up. Only his success in Atlanta, which is probably only due to having a good GM and having the NFC at a historic low in terms of quality, saving him from that bottom-5.
Apparently, he is "Jim L. Mora" and not "Jim Mora Jr." which I remember roughly 99.9999% of the populus calling him when he was Atlanta's leading man. He is supposedly a defensive-back guru. At least he had some coordinating experience before he got the first head job. Now, it strikes me weird that he was fired from a place where he was arguably its franchises second-most succesful coach, and now that he is nearly done completing his first year at the helm of the Seahawks, I know why. He's just a bad coach. He came to Seattle to help that defense, at it has regressed each year, reaching disastrous lows last year. Sure he inherited a team that was 4-12, but it really was a team that just had a freak injury year (one that saw roughly 123,434.67 o-lineman and wide receivers hurt last year), and was a 5-time playoff participant before that (a run that was only equaled by New England and Indianapolis). Mike Holmgren gave him a 3/4th full cupboard and he has royally screwed it up. Only his success in Atlanta, which is probably only due to having a good GM and having the NFC at a historic low in terms of quality, saving him from that bottom-5. 26.) Norv Turner - SD
How this man has been hired by three different teams as a head coach is beyond me. How he got another job, let alone the job of running a Ferrari of an NFL roster, after that disastrous two year run in Oakland makes it even more surprising. The man is a great offensive mind, and an even better offensive coordinator, but when of the great bad coaches in league history. Sure, he has had success in San Diego, but only the people behind him on the list would not have. He inherited a 14-2 team, a team universally lauded as the "most talented in football". Now, whether it is the most talented or not is debatable, but it is easily in the top-5 of well-run organizations in the NFL. He has done nothing, save for two wins over Indianapolis (damn, him) to show that he has in any way done a good job. His team still lays down to quality opponents, and is just awful in close games (again, except when playing Indy in the playoffs). His clock management borders on terrible and his propensity for calling bad challenges and timeouts is even worse, which is impossible to fathom. His teams always get off to slow starts, and this year is no different, except he has feasted on the KC's and Oakland's of the world.
25.) Tom Cable - OAK
I'll give him this: he actually wants to be the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, which is saying alot. I'll leave the domestic violence out of this. He at least gets this team motivated when they play good teams, but his inability to get the team motivated, or at all disciplined, against the bad teams is reprehensible. Of course Al Davis had alot of the say, but word is that he was also against the switch from JaMarcus to Gradkowski for a long, long time. The shame is that this is a .500 roster at every other position, and they realized that 9 weeks to late. He also has a very shoddy history as a playcaller, and has never held a coordinator position. He has the ability to rise, if he and Oakland continue the upward trend. However, I just can't put him any higher without opening myself up to Homerism.
24.) Todd Haley - KC
He was a good coordinator in Arizona. However, he is a stark lunatic. An absolute red-ass madman. He fought with T.O. in Dallas (which I guess is the pussy way that Greg Knapp handled T.O., which was basically Knapp calling TO "daddy" and bending over), fought with Boldin on the sidelines, with a vein that was throbbing so violently it looked like it was doing a choreographed dance. Now, he fights with Larry Johnson (understandable, since Johnson deserves a nice slap over the head), Matt Cassell and probably ever single one of those no-name Chiefs (Lance Long... Coach Haley wants to see you). His team has failed to even show up the last two weeks. What helps him not enter the "Mangini" zone is the fact that he has good experience and he is one of the Parcells guys. Any descendent of the Parcells tree (but not a sub-branch of the Belichick tree) is pigeon-holed for success (just look later down this list), so there is still hope.
23.) Jack Del Rio - JAX
It is admirable that this team is 7-5, but really they have been outscored by 48 points, so that is all smoke in mirrors. He, surprisingly, has had an 11-5 year and a 12-4 year, but really I cannot put him any higher. His clock-management is atrocious. His player relationships are atrocious. He famously disallowed David Garrard to do his weekly radio show (Go To Your Room, David!!) and even fought with Marcus Stroud over playing time (when Stroud was one of his two best players). He get bonus points for picking Garrard over Leftwich, but that's about it. His team has not really underachieved, but also never really taken off after that all-too promising 11-5 year. He is not a bad coach in many ways, but lacks that leadership and organizational ability to bring this team to the next level.
22.) Wade Phillips -DAL
It's funny that both him, and the next guy, are coaches who are continually panned and prodded over the medias as awful head-coaches, yet their w-l records are quite good. In fact, Phillips is a .588 winning% guy for his career. He has done a good job in Dallas (when you see that his team is violently overrated to a near Chargerian level, it is a good job), but his player and time management is awful. He runs that team like some day-spa manager, letting his star QB take trips in season to Cabo and Las Vegas. I'm all allowing players freedom, but don't let them go to Sin City, especially on a week that is not a bye week. His clock management and time management is definitely in the lower half of the league. Above this all, he is quite a defensive mind (the real key to making Shawne Merriman and Demarcus Ware millions upon millions - well, actually, for Merriman it was Phillips and Steriods), and a good coach when all is going well. However, coaches are viewed for what they do in crunch time, and he is a pretty 4-7 in December/Playoff games, which is not very good. He was absolutely outcoached to the n-th degree in his two playoff games (against the Giants, and that Week 17 game last year, which was essentially a winner take sixth seed playoff game).
21.) Brad Childress - MIN
He is also comfortably aboce .500 in his career (34-26), but again his abhorrent clock and game management mar all the relative success his team has had in the regular season. He will have another chance to prove his playoff mettle this January, likely with a team that is bye-worthy, and I will not be shocked to see him fail. He was a good offensive mind in Philadelphia, where he turned an offense that featured Duce Staley, James Trash and Todd Pinkston as skill players to a top-10 ranking year after year, but that has not translated in Minnesota until this year. Really, if he couldn't succeed with a team loaded with talent, he should be fired. I'll give him more credit than he is generally given, as he has kept the team competitive every year of his tenure, and now turned them into one of the better teams, but really his ability to call absolutely inane timeouts and challenge plays that are not remotely debatable is grating, and more importantly a key sign that he is vastly outmatched in critical situations.
20.) Gary Kubiak - HOU
Like Childress, his teams have no punch in close games and in crunch time. Unlike Childress, and what will make me put him ahead of Childress, is that he is not an avid challenger of undebatable plays and a serial timeout-waster. Kubiak is actually a good game-manager, and an astute and smart playcaller. It is not entirely his fault that he is gifted with a turnover-prone team. It is partly his fault that his team folds in close games. He reminds me alot of the early-Green Bay Holmgren tenure, a coach who is a cousin (in coaching-tree terms) or more precisely a cousin-once-removed of Kubiak's. Holmgren went 6-10 in his first season, then had three straight 9-7 seasons marred with many losses in close games. Now, Kubiak is probably looking at three straight 8-8 seasons, but they are too marred with incredible losses in close games, including two failed goal-line scores late in games. The next four years for Holmgren in Green Bay: 11-5, 13-3, 13-3, 11-5. I'm just saying that I agree with owner Bob McNair that Kubiak gives the Texans the best shot to win next year. Now, Matt Schuab might not, but Kubiak does.
19.) Steve Spagnuolo - STL
Here by reputation, and a slight man-love for said coach. He was great for the Giants. The G-Men still have not quite recovered defensively under Bill Sheridan. His players have been playing hard for him. The last regime left the cupboard barer than the deserts of Algeria, and he has that makeshift defense at least competing with teams, which is more than what can be said for the Linehan era. He will be a good coach, just maybe not in St. Louis. Actually, no need for negatism, he will be a good coach anywhere. His game management has been great, he just hasn't had many opportunities to show it. He is a defensive whiz (just cue up the tape of a certain Super Bowl XLII as proof). He will be a good one.
18.) Lovie Smith - CHI
His time may be running out. In fact, the Dungy tree is not all that impressive (except for Tomlin), but he had his times. From 2005-2006 there was no better defense in the NFL. Sadly, this is 2009. It all started when he was in charge of the decision to make Hester a wide-reciever. His game-management has come under fire. The thing that made him one of the hotter head-coach candidates all those years ago, his defensive prowess, has even been lacking. He is the one calling the Bears defense, and his defense is not instilling fear into any singular opponent. I will be really surprised to see him back next year, especially with Cutler loverboy Shanahan sitting out there available. He's not a bad coach, just not a particularily good one anymore. He has just run his course in Chicago.
17.) Jim Schwartz - DET
This is probably my most out-on-a-limb guy here, but I fully support his coaching, and furthermore my decision to place him as the top guy in the bottom half. And this is not only due to his being a reader of Football Outsiders, the leader in the statisticalization of Football. He did yoeman's work with that Tennessee defense for years and years, turning a ragtag bunch into a defensive power from 2006-2008. He has now turned a historically bad Lions defense (let alone a historically bad Lions team) into a competitive team with a future. Matt Stafford has already spoken out on his love for him, as has James Farrior, who knows a thing or two about playing with good coaches. He is a coach on the cutting edge, statistically, of football, a good defensive mind, and like the gray-goateed man two spots behind him, will show it all in the coming years.
16.) Josh McDaniels - DEN
Honestly, it pains me to put him here. He is finally showing that a disciple of Belichick can be neither a scumbag (Weis) nor a ludicrously overmatched head coach (Crennel) nor both (Mangini). At least BB has one good apple out there. He was the offensive architect of one of the best offenses in NFL history. Now, he was awful in coaching said offense when defenses finally learned how to play it, but he was still good. He was great in coaching up Cassel last year. He has been amazing in motivating this Denver team and now re-motivating this team again. For all the credit that Mike Nolan is deservedly getting for making that defense better, he should get as much credit for turning the Kyle Orton machine into a decent offense, one that will be playoff bound. Considering most people had him as a total bust when he shipped Cutler out of town (including me, who predicted the Broncos would go 2-14) are now shaking their heads. I have to give him credit. However, I can't give a first year a spot any higher (unless that first year happens to have never given a losing press-conference in his NFL coaching tenure).
15.) Mike Smith - ATL
Quality guy, quality coach, nothing special. He was integral in turning that team around last year, and was a deserving coach of the year winner, but it really was smoke and mirrors. He is great when his team is playing the Lions and Bucs of the world, but just hasn't shown that he can lead a team into a battle against a big gun and come out victorious. Now, he will probably learn how to do just that in the coming years, especially with having the benefit of saddling up next to Matt Ryan, but as of right now, he's the Juno of coaches: a good one, but one that is at the end of the day a step-below the leaders of the pack.
14.) Rex Ryan - NYJ
He cannot fail. This team that he inherited is a .500 bunch, and he is a .500 team. In fact, considering their QB turns it over more than anyone whose name doesn't rhyme with "Shmutler" I'm amazed he's got them at .500. He spoiled all of New York with that 3-0 start, and probably granted him immunity for three years with that defensive clinic he threw on New England. However, I point to their game against New Orleans to show his ability as a coach. Here are the yardage totals of the Saints home games: 515, 493, 437, 414, 480 and 343. If you couldn't guess, and I'm assuming you could since why else would I cite that statistic, the 343 was against the Jets. That was impressive. No one has contained the Saints that well, and no one came close in the Superdome. I thought he wouldn't be all that good, since the last two defensive coordinators of Baltimore weren't all that great (Mike Nolan and Marvin Lewis - more on Marvin later) at the onset as head coaches, and Nolan never became anything at all, but he has proved me wrong. Rex is an up-and-comer who will only improve as he learns to accept some role on the offensive side of the ball as well, something his lunatic father never did but he has already shown an openness to doing.
13.) Marvin Lewis - CIN
When you consider he coaches for a team who probably has the worst owner in the NFL (yes, worse than Al Davis in Oakland, because at least Davis was at one point not only a great owner, but arguably the best), his above .500 career record (55-52-1) at Cincy is quite a feat. He finally has a team that he built to play great defense, and they are the the best defense in the NFL. He has controlled the characters on his team, including Ochocinco, and apart from the year Carson Palmer got hurt, has always had at worst a mediocre team. Really, aside from last year, the worst the Bengals have been in his tenure is 7-9, which is stunning considering all the flak they have gotten over the years. Now, he is not a great one, and his time management and game management skill leave a bit to be desired, he earns my respect as the first man since Sam Wyche to do anything of note in Cincinnatti, and a guy who may very well lead a team to the Conference Title game this year.
12.) John Harbaugh - BAL
If I did this column when I originally planned, he probably winds up at least five spots higher. However, the last month or so has really made him lose alot of that luster. Sure, he was a great change for Baltimore and was an integral reason they came together around a rookie who was nothing special last year and made it one Ploamalu int-return from the Super Bowl. It is very easy to overlook the fact he inherited a very good team, one that was 13-3 just two years earlier and had one of the better personnel-men in the league running the operation. Now, he will probably climb the list in the years to come, and I think he is the best of the 2008 class of head coaches, but he's not as good right now as I thought a month ago. He also has an annoying habit of challenging calls that are not debatable. His game management has suddenly taken a downturn and it is unclear how much control of that veteran and boastful lockerroom he has. Overall, he is a good young coach, that, much like his QB, is going through a sophmore slump.
11.) Tony Sparano - MIA
I said Harbaugh is the best of the '08 class, and I do think that 5 years from now, he will be, but right now its Sparano. Except for his penchant to go for 2 at nonsensical moments, he is one of the better ones out there. He is a fiery leader, whose leaving Dallas for Miami has made Miami a 1-15 team to a slightly above average, and turned a 13-3 Dallas team, anchored by his o-line, into a above average one. The only thing that is keeping me from putting him in the top-10 is that I think he doesn't have that thing that makes him into a Super Bowl caliber coach. I think he can coach up a young team, he can coach a team to play smart, mistake-free football. However, much like Parcells' Jets and Cowboys tenure, he can't deliver when it truly counts and there is a peak that he can reach, and that peak is below "Super Bowl Champion". Now, he will consistently keep this Miami team playing above their head and competitive football, and after the Nick Saban/Dave Wannstedt debaccles that is all Fins fans can ask for, but whether he takes that Belichick-ian step is a mystery.
10.) John Fox - CAR
He is the poor man's Jeff Fisher. His bad years are mediocre, his great years are great. He inherited a 1-15 team, and within two years they were one Vinatieri field goal away from overtime in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Two years later, they were in the Conference Title Game. He has little personnel input, compared to alot of other high-profile coaches (Belichick being the best example), so he can't really get too much more out of a team that is talented, but not really Super Bowl talented. If we did this before the Divisional playoff last year, he's in the top-5. Even if they lose that game close, he's in the top-5, but that egg has to drop him. His loyalty to Jake Delhomme also hurts him, but really if he's fired at the end of the year (a real possibility, with Bill Cowher who seems to be having an affair with the Carolinas) he's probably hired by the end of the week. He's a coach who will get the most out of teams, keep them motivated. The players love him, the owner loves him. The fans probably less so, but really no coach is safe from fans in that sense. Solid coach, solid guy, solid tenure in Carolina.
9.) Mike McCarthy - GB
Really, last year was an anomaly. That was a 9-7 team that Kubiak-ed its way to 6-10 dropping close game after close game. Take that year out of it, and he is 29-15. Include that year and he is 35-25. Still impressive, considering they have done major roster overhaul (remember the Na'ill Diggs defensive era and the Javon Walker hook-up??) and the changing of the guard from one deified QB to a vilified one. He showed balls sticking to his guns in the Favre-Rodgers debate, and its hard to say it hasn't worked, as Favre probably would have died with that o-line. He was a mysterious hire, after two really unspectacular years as the offensive coordinator of San Francisco, but four years later, he has been a good one. He is the third straight successful Mike in Green Bay (surprisingly, they are all in the same coaching tree, less surprisingly its Walsh's (I'll do a Walsh memorial column, and its gonna include more gushing than any Manning column I will ever do)), and the one who had immediate success. He was one game away from the Super Bowl in his second year, and my early (and I mean early, like 425 days early) Super Bowl XLV NFC pick is Green Bay.
8.) Jim Caldwell - IND
It might be ridiculous putting a first-year coach this high, but when he's 12-0 why not. Here are the list of head coaches that have been 12-0 at any time in their careers: Shula, Ditka, Shanahan, Dungy, Belichick, Payton, Caldwell. Other than Payton and Ditka, they are all or will be in the hall of fame (and Payton might by the time he's done). Before the year, when I was touting this Colts team as the team-to-beat in the NFL, I mercilessly compared Caldwell to George Seifert. Like Caldwell replacing Dungy, Seifert replaced Bill Walsh. Like the 2009 Colts, Seifert's first 49ers team, despite just winning a Super Bowl, was supposed to be on the down-side of their run. Seifert went 14-2 in his first year, won the Super Bowl, never got the credit he deserved, as many thought it was a new coach winning with Walsh's team. 14-2 and the Super Bowl are easily attainable, but even if he doesn't win the Super Bowl, it is impossible to say that Caldwell's rookie year has been anything short of a raving success. He has kept Dungy's primary tenet: high character, but put his own stamp on the team. He is George Seifert, exactly 20 years later. By the way, here are the records of Seifert's 49er teams: 14-2*, 14-2, 10-6, 14-2, 10-6, 13-3* 11-5, 12-4 (* = Super Bowl Champions). That should make any Colts fan happy.
7.) Andy Reid - PHI
He may waste timeouts, he may give away seconds like they are charity. He may have the game management skills that equate him to the NFL's version of Bernie Madoff, but the results are undeniable. The guy should be a hall-of-famer. He is probably about to have his 8th 10 win season this decade. He is 105-66 in his career. He has made the playoffs seven times, and probably will an eighth this year. Obviously, we all know of Andy Reid's inability to win the big one: 1-4 in NFC Championship Games and 0-1 in the Super Bowl, but his resume stacks up favorably to Bill Cowher's pre-2005. The most underrated stat is that he has never lost in his teams opening playoff game. The success of Belichick taints every other coach, but a playoff record or 10-7 is really good. I bet Cowher took about .0006% of the criticism Andy gets. Philly fans have never seen a run of success quite close to this, and considering Reid has more say in personnell than most coaches, it's in a large part due to him.
6.) Mike Tomlin - PIT
Again, he would have been number three or four if this was done when I planned to, but the four game losing streak, including following a press conference in which you declare that your team will "unleash Hell in December" by losing to Oakland at home, and you will lose a few spots. Not many though, because the guy has success written all over him. Say what you will, but the Steelers can choose coaches. Considering the Rooney's have never fired a coach, I'm going to guess he will make it past this year and continue to overcome the bit of a speed bump he is having this year. The guy was hyped up in his time as the Vikings coordinator, and deservedly so (those Vikings were historically good at run-defense), but he had the sense to keep Dick LeBeau. The most important thing a coach can do is operate the team with the goal of putting them in the best position to win, and it took guts to go against your defensive instincts (Tomlin is a Dungy Tampa-2 guy) and leave the Steelers as a 3-4. He did it, and it won them a Super Bowl. He is a star. He is the coolest guy in the room, and that allows the players to instantly relate. I am sure to a man, all 53 of those Steelers would run through the walls of Heinz Field for that guy, and after Bill Cowher was the only coach in most of their proffesional lives, for Tomlin to win over that locker room that quickly is amazing. The guy has a bright future.
5.) Ken Whisenhunt - ARZ
I just cannot justify putting him lower. He is 24-16 as a coach (I am discounting the team after it just gave up last year after winning the division). He has never been below .500 as coach of the ARIZONA CARDINALS. This is a franchise that hadn't hosted a playoff game in 61 years until last year. This is a franchise with the guy who perrenially pops up on the "worst owner" lists. This is a franchise that has done nothing since its move to the desert. He made them a winner. He has turned that fracnchise around. Coming from the Steeler family (and quite peeved after the adopted Tomlin and excommunicated him), Whiz has brought Steeler football to Arizona. Now, the air-show of Warner is not Steeler football, but the mentality of a winner is. He barely lost the Super Bowl, and promptly fired the D-Coordinator, brought in a LeBeau guy, and it is hard to say that they move could have worked any better. Sure, he has a hall-of-fame gunslinger, but he had the smarts to name him the starter over Leinart, the perceived saviour, before 2008. Every move he has made is the right one. As of today, the Cardinals are quite possibly one of the five best run franchises in football, and that is saying something. Even after Warner retires, I have faith in Whisenhunt that he will keep this franchise playing good, solid football.
4.) Sean Payton - NO
He is every bit as instrumental as Brees in the resurrection of a franchise. He is the new Mike Martz, except without the added dose of Crazy that Martz had. He looks cool, coaches cool and just steamrolls teams. He has been great in game-planning, finding every single defensive weakness that the other teams had, and exploiting it over and over (Jonathan Wilhite will probably have nightmares after that Monday Night Game). He was top-10 entering this year, but he jumped up a level for two reasons. He finally embraced the run game, as he changed the blocking-scheme to a zone-blocking scheme. However, the bigger deal is he finally started to care about that defense. The 2008 Saints offense was probably 90% as good as the 2009 one, but this team is 12-0 beacuse he embraced defense, got the guy he wanted, Gregg Williams (a mad attacking blitzer mostly, the defensive counterpart to the attacking Payton) and this team tunred a new gear. His players love him, his owner and GM love him, and the state of Louisiana loves him. Payton never really gets the amount of credit he deserves for his part in the Saints part in rebuilding New Orleans, but I think he finally will this year.
He is every bit as instrumental as Brees in the resurrection of a franchise. He is the new Mike Martz, except without the added dose of Crazy that Martz had. He looks cool, coaches cool and just steamrolls teams. He has been great in game-planning, finding every single defensive weakness that the other teams had, and exploiting it over and over (Jonathan Wilhite will probably have nightmares after that Monday Night Game). He was top-10 entering this year, but he jumped up a level for two reasons. He finally embraced the run game, as he changed the blocking-scheme to a zone-blocking scheme. However, the bigger deal is he finally started to care about that defense. The 2008 Saints offense was probably 90% as good as the 2009 one, but this team is 12-0 beacuse he embraced defense, got the guy he wanted, Gregg Williams (a mad attacking blitzer mostly, the defensive counterpart to the attacking Payton) and this team tunred a new gear. His players love him, his owner and GM love him, and the state of Louisiana loves him. Payton never really gets the amount of credit he deserves for his part in the Saints part in rebuilding New Orleans, but I think he finally will this year.
3.) Jeff Fisher - TEN
Remember, he has little to no input in presonnel. He is given the players, good bad or average, and told to make them into winners, and he does. He hasn't always had the best of teams, but discounting the two year rebuid from 2004-2005, he has been as consistent as they come. Sure, he has had his faults in the playoffs, but he has always gotten the most out of his teams. Chris Mortensen once mused that if Fisher was fired at 9 AM, he would get a new job by 3 PM. He started out 0-6, and got that team motivated. Now, he cannot be beyond blame for an 0-6 start, but he is the one coach I trusted to get that team out of its mireful start. He is one of the pillars of the league, and considering he is only 51, he could coach for quite a while. It will be interesting to see when he steps down, as he has been coaching now for 15 years, but I'm telling you the guy is one of the best out there.
2.) Tom Coughlin - NYG
He has been great in New York, taking the team to the playoffs 4 straight times, balancing such
And then there's Bill. I hate him with every fiber of my body. He's arrogant, childish in defeat and cocky in victory, and he is probably the most loathsome coach in NFL history, yet I cannot deny his place as the best coach of his era (only Dungy comes close, but alas he had to retire). He is a defensive whiz (although for every great defensive game he has coached, you could cancel it with a big game where his defense has folded - ok, enough slights), but more than that, he was a brilliant personnell guy. He built those New England teams. Now, I'm not talking about the 2007 one, I'm talking about the 2001-2006 Pats, the pre-Moss, pre-sellout Pats. Without Belichick, they are the Eagles. He was a great game manager, never wasting timeouts, going for it when necessary, never fearing backlash. He was the best. He still is. The team may be floundering (considering nearly 90% of the media was handing them a 14-2 record, 45 TDs for Brady and a Super Bowl ring, I'd say that 7-5 is floundering), yet I don't want to play them in the playoffs for one reason: Belichick. He can still win any one game. He can still gameplan that defense through anything. He's still the best in the game. Just please, media, stop comparing him to Walsh. He's not Bill Walsh, or even Noll or Lombardi or Paul Brown. He is, though, the best head coach of the 2000's, and the best in 2009.
lunatics as Strahan, Burress and the ultimate Tiki Barber. He was smart enough to change his hard-nosed approach a little, and his team rewarded him with a Super Bowl. Before I get into his Giant tenure, he was the coach of the Jaguars at their inception. He had them in the conference title game in year 2 (of their history), and followed that up with a 11-5, 11-5, 14-2 run. Compare that to the Texans, who in year 8 have never had a winning season. Then, he goes to New York, and is in a 11-5, 8-8, 10-6, 12-4, 7-5 run, which is right up there with Parcells as the most successful in Giants history. He deserves major props for winning his first Super Bowl, handling the New York media perfectly, and leading the Giants into a period of success they haven't tasted since Phil Simms was walking through that door. However, he deserves more for that job in Jacksonville.
1.) Bill Belichick - NE
And then there's Bill. I hate him with every fiber of my body. He's arrogant, childish in defeat and cocky in victory, and he is probably the most loathsome coach in NFL history, yet I cannot deny his place as the best coach of his era (only Dungy comes close, but alas he had to retire). He is a defensive whiz (although for every great defensive game he has coached, you could cancel it with a big game where his defense has folded - ok, enough slights), but more than that, he was a brilliant personnell guy. He built those New England teams. Now, I'm not talking about the 2007 one, I'm talking about the 2001-2006 Pats, the pre-Moss, pre-sellout Pats. Without Belichick, they are the Eagles. He was a great game manager, never wasting timeouts, going for it when necessary, never fearing backlash. He was the best. He still is. The team may be floundering (considering nearly 90% of the media was handing them a 14-2 record, 45 TDs for Brady and a Super Bowl ring, I'd say that 7-5 is floundering), yet I don't want to play them in the playoffs for one reason: Belichick. He can still win any one game. He can still gameplan that defense through anything. He's still the best in the game. Just please, media, stop comparing him to Walsh. He's not Bill Walsh, or even Noll or Lombardi or Paul Brown. He is, though, the best head coach of the 2000's, and the best in 2009.
You probably don't remember this one. In fact, outside of Nashville, Tennessee, probably no one does. It's the most forgotten classic of the decade. Pittsburgh fans probably permenantly deleted it from memory due to its shady ending, and the unfortunate fact that Tommy Maddox was the QB. However, the game was exciting. After the Titans played perfect football and jumped out to a 14-0 lead, the Steelers closed it to 14-13 at the half. From then on in, they traded points constantly, and with the help of Steve McNair at all his powers and Hines Ward manning up (also, Drew Bennett said "Hello World") it was tied at 31 entering OT. Tennessee kicker Joe Nedney (remember that name??) made a 41 yarder, but Cowher called timeout. Then he missed it, but Pittsburgh was flagged for offsides. Then, he hit his third attempt, prompting the classic line from Dick Enberg "Nedney will go for best 2 out of 3." Cowher was incensed at his own lunacy, Pittsburgh was drunk with Maddox-itis, people still did not know who Drew Bennett was, and Steve McNair and the Titans (who started out 1-4) were going to the Title Game.
The strangest combination of teams for a game on this list, seeing as these two teams are currently 2-22. However, in their previous lifetime this was the ultimate battle of unstoppable force vs impenetrable brick/concrete/steel/pit of jaguars wall. The Bucs were in the midst of their second best defensive season, and the Rams were in the midst of exploding on everyone. The Rams were fresh off dropping 49 points on Minnesota in three quarters. The Rams were huge underdogs. That all ended on the first play when they intercepted Warner. What followed was one of the most devastating defensive struggles. Derrick Brooks nearly killed Isaac Bruce. Tampa-2 was never played better. The Rams, who boasted an underratedly great defense, punched back every time, including intercepting the Bucs three times. Then, with the Bucs clinging to a 6-5 lead (probably the weirdest possible final score ever), Warner floated one to Ricky Proehl, who had not caught any of Warners 46 TDs to that point, and the Rams had the lead. Shaun King nearly led a comeback when Bert Emmanuel's name became famous for his catch that was overturned (which was the correct call at that time!!!). The Rams continued their storybook, and Dungy still refers to that as his proudest performance of all time. The only reason it is not higher is that there was a certain level of offensive ineptitude on Tampa's part. I mean, Shaun King was their QB.
Everyone remembers this game, as it was the most blatantly wrong call ever, but it was alot more than that. The Giants led 38-14!!!! In the 3rd quarter. They were playing perfectly. Honestly, looking at the box score, that was one of the great offensive explosions of all time, with both QBs throwing 3+ and 300+ tds and yds, and Terrel Owens having a beast game. Comebacks are special, but also pretty common. What makes this one memorable was that it really was the last great day of the 49ers 20 year dynasty, and also the call at the end of the game helped. I don't remember much of the actual game, but any game that features this kind of insane offensive production had to be fun.
It was a defensive struggle if there ever was one, as the two teams combined for 413 yards (that's combined!!), but I love defensive struggles. But, what makes this game memorable (and actually overrated, as most people would have put this game higher) is two things. 1 - Wade Philips benching Doug Flutie and starting Rob Johnson and 2 - the Music City Miracle. Wade Philips decision was idiotic, but it puts alot of intrigue around the game, and how the decision led to the loss (mainly because Rob Johnson sucks in any capacity, and Doug Funnie, let alond Flutie, would have been better). The Miracle is what makes this game a classic. The Titans had a certaing air of destiny that year, as they were 8-0 in their new home. Home-Run Throwback (the play on the kickoff) was actually a designed play, which makes it all the more amazing. Of course the lateral-not lateral will go on forever, but that keeps the game relevant. In my opinion, it was a lateral, as Whycheck's arm was across the 25 I believe, and Dyson caught it on the 24, but every camera angle shown seems to disprove that fact. Either way, it will be memorable as the first of many screwy playoff performances by Wade and the Music City Miracle that propelled a team one yard away from OT in the Super Bowl (more on that later).
Another slightly underrated game, mainly due to the fact that neither of these teams even played in the Super Bowl, and it was overshadowed by the following weeks game, but it was a great game, with even better storylines. For all the ineptness of Wade Philips, Marty Schottenheimer is even worse in the playoffs (coincedently, Wade Philips was the Defensive Coordinator - I'm starting to understand why they won). The game pitted the best team in the NFL that year by many (for my money, the best regular season team was Baltimore, who was 13-3 and beat the Chargers earlier), a team that had the best offense (that was LT's 31 TD year), and winners of 10 straight against the most gritty Pats team in their run. The Patriots were 12-4, but under the radar, due to their awful receiving corp. They did have a great defense (#2 in points allowed), but were huge underdogs. What is stranger than the fact that the Pats won is the fact that they played badly. The Chargers could seemingly run at will, as both LT and Turner had great days and they held leads of 14-3 and 21-10. Then, the Pats did their usual magic, causing the Chargers to self-destruct. With about 6 minutes to go, and a 21-13 lead, the Chargers forced an errant throw on 4th down. Now, they should have knocked it down, but Marlon McCree picked it off and then fumbled. The Pats scored, tied the game, and kicked a FG to win it. However, it is also known as the day the world opened thier eyes to the fact that the Pats were not a bunch of choirboys after the postgame dance and classness controversy. It was definitely overshadowed by the Patriots game the following week, but it really was the last time we would see the Patriots mystique and the last great performance of their dynasty (the 2007-2009 Pats are not the dynasty Pats, a team-first defensive stalwart).
There were fools who automatically labeled this the best Super Bowl ever. Let's calm down, it was the fifth best this decade (It has been an excellent decade, Super Bowl wise). What puts it lower is not necessarily the game, which had its fair share of great moments, but the pregame hype. Actually, there was little. People were still in church praying as many thought the world was ending since the Cardinals were in the Super Bowl. We had a 9-7 team in teh big game, which is never fun, and a defensive team on the other side, which is always perceived as boring. The game was mediocre to slightly above average for three and a half quarters. James Harrison's insane INT-return was really the only highlight. But, starting with the safety on the Steelers, through the Fitzgerald gallop and the great two-minute drill, it was a classic for the last 5 minutes. Larry Fitzgerald and Santonio Holmes proved great performers, and even Ben Roethlisberger had his usual quota of just amazing sack escapes and beautiful plays. This is not the best Super Bowl of All Time, but an interesting game that became a classic with one team's defensive collapse, the brilliance of Larry Fitzgerald, and the amazing combination of Roethlisberger to Holmes.
What a game this was. The Storylines were abound. Of course you had the Colts. For much of that year, they were the team chasing history. Now, they were the team that was trying to win one for the coach, as Dungy and the team was still reeling after his sons' unfortunate and tragic suicide. The Steelers were the team trying to win one for the thumb and for the bus, as Bettis was planning to retire after the season. Also, trying to make good after a 15-1 season ended in smoke the year before. Also, Nick Harper got into a fight that ended in his wife spearing his knee with a knife. That was pretty irrelevant before the game, but ended up huge. Troubled by the Dungy situation, and showing rust after not playing a game in four weeks, the Colts staggered and were pummelled by the Big Ben show and found themselves down 14-0 and 21-3 after three quarters. Finally, Manning and his boys got to work. Manning, although under pressure that mirrored the air near the Marinas Trench, was great and resilient scoring 15 points in the matter of minutes (sure, sure, they were helped with an awful call on Polamalu's interception). Then, after two consecutive sacks (both were on plays that Manning had approxamately .0002 seconds to react), the Steelers took over one yard away from a game ending TD. Of course, you all know the rest. Bettis fumbles, Harper slowed by a knifing, gets tackled by Big Ben, Vanderjagt shanks a kick so badly that it made everyone wonder if he was on the Steelers payroll. The Bus and the Thumb were satisfied, and every Colts fan was left wondering if their team was cursed (not, however, if Manning was a choker as he was the only player on the Colts who really played well). It was a great game, one that spearheaded the Steelers to the Super Bowl, and one that became all the more memorable to me after the Colts accomplished the job one year later.
Other than Janet Jackson's breast, this game alternated from a dud to a dandy. It was a dud for the first 16 minutes, but then on cue both teams started throwing the ball all over the place. As for the fourth quarter, all you need to know was that it started 14-10, and ended 32-29. These were two notable defensive teams, but evidently John Fox and Belichick got the memo that America cares about defense about as much as it cares about its weight. Brady was great, Delhomme was better. It had Linebackers catching touchdowns, it had Muhsin Muhammad catching an 85 yd bomb which led to an awkward Jake Delhomme vs Rodney Harrison trash talk session. It had DeShaun Foster with an amazing run, and Brady and Branch. It had Ricky Proehl scoring a game-tying touchdown. It had it all. It was the most amazing fourth-quarter ever. Now, why is it not higher? Mainly becuase for the first 26 minutes, and the entire third quarter, it sucked, and they scored so easily it seemed like a farce. I like my defense, I like teams to earn their points. It was like watching a Madden game end 52-49. I like my Madden games realistic (Go "Fair Play Mode"!!). This was not. Great game, great fun. But the ease of scoring, coupled with the anticlimactic ending after Kasay shanked the kickoff, and it just didn't do it for me.
Another wholly underrated game, but memorable for four words: Fourth and Twenty Six. For most of the game, it was a shocker, with the visiting Packers jumping out to a 14-0 lead early. Then, little by little McNabb chipped away. McNabb was amazing, throwing for 248 yards and running for 107 (a QB record for a playoff game). The Packers were amazing on the ground themselves, as Ahman Green (fresh of a 1800 yd season) ran for nearly 7 ypc. The game was nothing ultra special for three and a half quarters, but its ending was amazing. First, there was the Packers punting on 4th and 1 with two minutes left up three. The Packers had run around 5.5 ypc up till that point, and were one yard away from winning. Then came 4th and 26. On the most improbably heave ever, Freddie Mitchell gained the requisite yards. Leading to a David Akers field goal that barely went in. Follow that up with a classic Favre pick in OT, and another squeaker by Akers, and you have yourselves a great game. Add in some wintry weather, Favre's destiny run after his father's death and the first playoff game ever at the Linc, and you have a classic.
Hate every mention of this game, but how could it not be on this list?? It springboarded a team to a dynasty, and brought everyone's attention to Rule 14.07(b). Throw in the last game ever at Foxboro, and the absolute Blizzard that made it the most visually appealing NFL game possibly ever, and you have yourselves one of the most memorable games ever. The game in a nutshell was the Raiders dominating much of play for 57 minutes, when up 13-10 they forced a fumble and effectively ended the game. It was overturned, as Walt Coleman (I still hate him to this day) used the "Tuck Rule", which stated that "if the quarterbacks arm comes forward in an attempt to tuck the ball back into his body it is still an incomplete pass", essentially making an obvious non-pass attempt into an incompletion. Of course, what is never noted was Brady had two hands on the ball when he fumbled, thus ending that precious little "tuck" motion, but what the hell? It's been nearly eight years. The real hero was Vinatieri who hit the most preposterous kick ever to tie that game, a 45 yarder into the wind in teh blizzard. It crossed over the crossbar by a micrometer, but it counted. That game started the Brady and Belichick legend. They would not lose a playoff game until January 2006, but they should have lost their first playoff game they ever played. Brady should have been known as the guy who fumbled away his first playoff game, but instead he became the guy who led a 10 point comeback in his first playoff game. Jon Gruden left after that to Tampa, and the Raider organization has really never fully recovered. It was the game that started a dynasty, the game that will probably make Adam Vinatieri a hall-of-famer, and it was the game that featured the greatest football conditions ever.
This game is also slightly overrated by most people, but it was a classic. It probably was not the game that Super Bowl XLIII was, but had the storylines, the hype and the ever-lasting meaning that the game seven years later did not. It was the ultimate David vs Goliath story, in that even David did not truly think they could win (Belichick was quoted as being absolutely stunned they pulled it off). It was the Rams at the hieght of their power, seemingly unstoppable, able to score at the drop of a hat. It was the Patriots, symbolizing America's heart and grit. It was glamour vs. guts in the first Super Bowl after 9/11. It was a celebration of America (so of course they invited Paul McCartney to sing pregame, and U2 to do a 9/11 themed halftime show), and the Patriots won. The Rams really dominated the game, except for three plays, two Warner INTs (one returned for a touchdown) and an Rickey Proehl fumble. The Patriots turned the three turnovers into 17 points. The Rams just piled up yards, but seemed to work for every inch. Finally, they exploded in a 10 minute strecth that saw them turn a romp (momentarily 24-3 before a penalty called back a New England TD) into a battle (17-17). Then of course, came the drive. With 1:21 left, and at the behest of John Madden, Brady dinked and dunked his way to set up a 48 yd field goal. Vinatieri did not miss (surprise), and a dynasty was born in true. The St. Louis Rams were never the same, as the loss seemed to kill Marshall Faulk's ability. Warner would leave, followed by Bruce and Holt. Books have been written about that game, and the defensive plan used by Belichick. But really, all that needs to be said is that in the backdrop of a stadium lit up like the American Flag, and with a halftime show featuring a wall displaying the names of the 9/11 victims, the Patriots won the Super Bowl.
There is cold, there is freezing, there is fucking Siberia, then there is Green Bay, Wisconsin on January 20, 2008. -3 degrees, -27 Wind Chill, and not a degree more for the entirety of the game. It would be Brett Favre last game in front of the Packer faithful, and it was almost if the Weather knew, as it delivered the Frozen-est of Tundras. The Giants were fresh off their upset of Dallas, and entered as huge underdogs again. The Game played out as a battle that every football game should emulate. There was hard hitting, there was defense. There was the 90-yd TD to Driver. The punishing runs of Jacobs. The great battle between Plaxice Burress and Al Harris. There was Eli Manning continuing his mistake-free postseason. There was a crazy play where Favre threw a Favrian pick, but the Giants player fumbled. There were two missed game-winning field goals by Lawrence Tynes, who was one Favre miracle from being killed upon return to New York. There was overtime (what game should not end in overtime), there was Favre treating Green Bay to one last Favre special, and Lawrence Tynes redeeming himself in a way that will make him never have to pay for a beer in NYC ever again. Now, we all thought that this game had little point, as the winner was going to be the lamb set to be slaughtered by New England, but it was still dramatic. It went on late into the night, and Tom Coughlin's faced was nearly pronounced dead. But, it was all worth it. It was the perfect way to end Favre's time in Green Bay, with a frigid night, and a fitting interception to end it.
I can write an entire essay on this game (don't worry I will), but there was no better non-Super Bowl played probably ever. It had everything. It had a classic Patriots start that led them to a 21-3 lead. It had the fleeting instant where every Colts fan thought "Fuck, really. This is happening again." Then, it had the comeback. They were dominated for 20 minutes, but int the insuing 20 minutes, the Colts would hold the ball for 18 of them, and score 18 points, rack up 232 yards (to the Patriots 7!!!!), and show the world that this was not 2003-04, and Peyton's Place was not Foxboro. Then it just turned into the duel between the best tw QBs. Brady made an incredible off-balance TD throw. Manning answered with pinpoint passing to Dallas Clark. The game also had two different fumbles recovered by the offense in the end zone, Reche Caldwell's deer eyes (special deer-eye picture at the bottom!!!), two huge returns, Manning injuring his thumb and joking to Sorgi to "get ready" (believe me though, no Colts fan thought it was funny). It had the epic Pats collapse with 3 minutes to go, and one first down all but guaranteeing a win. It had Bob Sanders nearly pick-six-ing Brady, and then the drive. Strike to Wayne, strike to Bryan Fletcher (of all people), Strike to Wayne followed by a near fumble. Then, in a fitting conclusion, the finesse Colts running it three straight times down the physical Pats throat for the killshot. It was the greatest game in the greatest rivalry of the decade. It featured the two best teams of the decade, the two best coaches of the decade and the two best QB's of the decade. It had every storyline, and it delivered. It's still hard to believe that the game actually happened, becuase of the sheer size of that comeback, and the team the Colts did it to, but it will live on forever. No Colts fan will ever forget January 21, 2007. Every Patriots fan would like to.
If a game could live on storylines and hype alone, this was it. You had the undefeated Patriots, the juggernaut of all juggernauts. The team with the perfect QB, the best coach, the most dangerous, most perfectly meshed receiving duo and of course the perfect record. You had the Giants, the underdog of all underdog. I said earlier that the perfect David vs Goliath win was Rams-Pats, and I believe it. Mainly because there were a fair share of people who just thought, for whatever reason, the Giants were going to win this game. Included in this group was most notably the Giants, who absolutely believed the Would win (while the 2001 Pats believed the Could). It was a boring game for much of it, but it was a beautiful game for those defensive football aficionados. To see a D-Line just terrorize what was thought of as the best O-Line in football was something to behold. The Giants scheme was brilliant on defense (Steve Spagnuolo, I will forever love you), and the Pats had no answers. Going into halftime, the usually morose Super Bowl crowd, was up in arms. Something special was about to happen. The fourth quarter was quite possibly the best quarter of football ever played. Start it with the Giants whistling down the field for a TD. Then, they traded punts, but of course there was a near missed TD by Burress thrown in there. The Pats got the ball, down 10-7, and finally looked like the record-setting offense. They just marched down the field, with an air of purpose that seemed most Patriot like. Brady to Moss capped what was supposed to be the first step into the ultimate coronation. No one, however, told David Tyree and Eli Manning. Manning to Tyree (with Manning escaping the pile as the first half to the play) automatically puts this game into the top-10. Here you had the consummate nameless NFL pro, a special-teams star, in David Tyree, battling for the football with an HGH-ed behemoth in Rodney Harrison. Tyree balanced the ball on his helmet, much like the crown the Giants would finally hold. The game itself, particularily the fourth quarter, merits a top-5 spot, but the conditions made it special. The Patriots were 35 seconds away from perfection. Boston was in the middle of the Greatest Sports run a city has ever had, and the Giants were now representing New York at a time when the city had the inferiority complex to Boston. It was a humorous role reversal, one that made the game and the outcome all more dramatic. David Tyree will never have to pay for a beer or a cab in NYC ever again. Joe Montana legacy as the greatest Super Bowl QB is now safe, and so is the legend of the '72 Dolphins. It was perfection going up against resiliency, and the battered, physical team from Jersey won. It was special, it was great, however it was not the greatest.
One yard short. One measly yard. Mike Jones meet Kevin Dyson. Steve McNair and Eddie George meet the Fat Lady. Kurt Warner, meet a movie producer, as you have completed the Greatest Storybook Season in sports history. It was entertaining throughout (unlike the other SB's on the list that only had great quarters). Try one day to watch this game again. It was perfection. The Rams were the Rams, flying up and down that field. Offense has really never been made to look easier, at least between the 20's. The physical, gritty Titans shored up in the red zone each time. That's how the Rams were made to get 9 points out of 5 trips inside the Red Zone. Finally, after giving up a touchdown, and having their defensive leader taken out on a stretcher, came Jeff Fisher's memorable "They're Celebrating, they're celebrating. Go win the game!" speech. Evidently it worked. It lit a fire in the right arm and the legs of McNair, in the heart of Eddie George and in that Titans defense. Down 16-0, the Titans completed the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. For all of the yards that Warner piled up (roughly 330 to that point), it was meant for nothing. McNair (who set a Super Bowl record for rushing yards) led a TD drive. Then, Eddie George memorably ran in for another, plowing through two different Rams. Then we were tied. 58 minutes were gone, and it was even at 16. The Rams were the Rams, launching missles all across that field. The Titans were the Titans, rock solid, whose heart and grit carried them back in. We were then set up for the Greatest 2 minutes in Super Bowl history. In one last Greatest Show on Turf play, Warner heaved, Bruce received and then weaved through numerous Titans for a 73 yard TD. All that work, all that spirit and determination the Titans showed was for naught, as in 17 seconds and one play, Warner, who was blasted on that play, and Bruce put them on top. However, that was act 1 of 3. The Titans took over at the 12, 88 yards away from overtime. They got 87. McNair ran around, threw lasers, and was set up with a 3rd and 5 from his own 22. Then came act 2, a scramble of a lifetime, getting out of a two-pronged takedown, and scrambling some more and then he threw to Dyson. We were set up. 1st and Goal from the 7, six second to go. One play. Dyson ran a slant, McNair hit him perfectly, Mike Jones made the greatest, most famous tackle in NFL history. Dyson was one yard short.