Fade Alert - Browns, Bucs, Chiefs
By Bruce Marshall
PARITY-"SHMARITY" IN THE NFL
We've often amplified upon the late Pete Rozelle's long-ago desire for "parity" in his beloved NFL. At the time in the early '60s, it was said that Rozelle had no desire for his league to become as imbalanced as Major League Baseball, where the Yankees were always dominant, or the NBA, when the Celtics were ruling the hoop universe. As commissioner of the league, Rozelle went to great lengths to ensure the "parity principle" by continuing the common draft and splitting television and merchandising revenues, which eventually helped pro football reach unimagined heights of popularity after the AFL-NFL merger.
Rozelle's successors, Paul Tagliabue and Roger Goodell, have mostly continued in that vein, adding modern salary structure mechanisms in recent collective bargaining agreements (more on that in upcoming issues) that further ensured that not only salary ceilings were implemented, but salary "floors" as well. All of those machinations have helped the NFL achieve the best "parity ranking" of any pro sports league; whereas teams rising from the depths of Major League Baseball, the NBA, and NHL in as little as one season are almost unheard of, it happens all of the time in the NFL. Indeed, only 19 of the 48 playoff entries from 2004-2007 made the postseason the following year. And the whole "parity" thing reached unimagined heights last season when numerous teams (think Falcons, Dolphins, Ravens, and Cards) emerged from the shadows after poor '07 campaigns to make the playoff lineup, while the Patriots, Cowboys, and Packers, all headliners in '07, missed the postseason altogether.
But as the 2009 campaign moves into October, the "parity" thing in the NFL might be taking a well-deserved break. Although it's still early in the season, an emerging chasm is developing between the "haves" and "have nots" of the league. We are suddenly beginning to wonder when the last time we might have seen such apparent class distinctions in the NFL.
Mostly, it reflects some real problem teams that appear to be in serious trouble this season. A repeat of last year, when numerous squads with first-year coaches (and a couple with rookie QBs) made dramatic turnarounds, appears unlikely. Of the new coaches in the league, only the Jets' Rex Ryan and the Broncos' Josh McDaniels have begun in encouraging fashion, although both inherited functional talent bases. That hardly seems the case in some other locales where wins (and pointspread covers) appear as if they might be hard to come by this season.
Following is a look at the teams that seem as if they might disappear into the abyss during the 2009 NFL campaign.
Cleveland Browns (0-3 straight up, 0-3 ATS)... We have to wonder if the Browns might be better off not using a quarterback at all, perhaps running a full-time version of the "Wildcat" formation, maybe with former college QB-turned-WR Joshua Cribbs manning the position. Whether it be Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson at the controls, the Brownies can't score touchdowns, which is something of a handicap in the gridiron game. After last Sunday's 34-3 loss at Baltimore, Cleveland has now gone without an offensive TD in a staggering 8 of its last 9 regular-season games dating to last November. And whereas some of last year's problems could be assigned to injuries that knocked both Quinn and Anderson out of action, they've both been available for this tepid start to the '09 season, when the only offensive TD came in the waning moments of a one-sided opening week loss to the Vikings. Sources indicate that new HC Eric Mangini's numerous mind games (such as keeping his starting opening-week QB a secret) are not resonating in the locker room. In his last job, Mangini eventually lost the Jets' clubhouse, too, but it took three seasons for his situation there to unravel. After three weeks, the same things seem to be happening at his new gig in Cleveland, where angry Browns fans are wistfully reliving last year's coaching search when for a while it seemed as if the likes of Bill Cowher or Iowa's impressive Krik Ferentz were in the frame for the position following Romeo Crennel's departure. Maybe the Lerners ought to ask team consultant Jim Brown if he has any interest in whipping the troops into shape.
Tampa Bay Bucs (0-3 SU, 0-3 ATS)...We devoted a lot of space to the current plight of the Bucs, whose losing streak since a year ago has now reached 7 in a row after last Sunday's ugly 24-0 home loss vs. the Giants. Among other problems, some NFL observers believe the entire Buc operation has not been a priority for the Glazer family since it purchased the Manchester United soccer team almost five years ago; indeed, since 2004, the Buc payroll has been the lowest in the NFL, and this season Tampa Bay is operating more than $30 million below the salary cap, more than twice as far underneath the cap as any other team. High profile free-agent acquisitions, once a regular offseason occurrence in Bucland, have been mostly absent the past few years. And the promotion of defensive assistant Raheem Morris to HC and of personnel director Mark Dominik to GM after Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen were dismissed, respectively, after last season, appear to many as cost-saving maneuvers, especially when far more qualified candidates are readily available. With a "non-cap" year looming in 2010, Buc fans are really worried that the Glazers will strip the payroll further next season. Last Sunday's loss vs. the Giants might have been the low ebb, with the team generating only 5 first downs and turning to little-used backup QB Josh Johnson after Byron Leftwich was completely ineffective.
Kansas City Chiefs (0-3 SU, 0-3 ATS)...Whereas the intensity displayed by Todd Haley was regarded as a plus for the Cardinals when serving as their offensive coordinator the past few years (and as a balance for more-reserved HC Ken Whisenhunt), early indications are that his demanding ways might not be translating to the head coaching grind. The Chiefs have executed poorly at critical times in their last two games, a head-scratching loss to the Raiders and blowout setback vs. the Eagles, with on-field and sideline organization and execution both lacking. It's still early days for the new regime, but already Haley and new GM Scott Pioli (already dubbed "Ego-li" by K.C. Star columnist Jason Whitlock) are coming under some fire at Arrowhead, with others suggesting Pioli's biggest plus during his days at New England was merely having Bill Belichick available to coach and help with the talent evaluation. No such support apparently exists in K.C.
Others near the abyss: St. Louis and Oakland
good reading