Mirror, Mirror On The Wall …
Many NFL teams mirror their coaches. Which is why the Dolphins, Steelers and Eagles won Sunday and the Lions lost.
In other words, teams coached by Jimmy Johnson, Bill Cowher, Ray Rhodes and Wayne Fontes are eminently predictable.
Miami’s 21-7 win over Buffalo was perhaps the perfect example of why Johnson remains football’s best coach, although Cowher and Rhodes are coming up quickly.
Playing without Dan Marino for the third straight game (two of them losses), the Dolphins acted as if they’d all be cut if they didn’t win. And why not? Johnson seems to cut a player a week after a loss.
“We had to overcome the thought that we couldn’t win without Marino,” Johnson said after his defense, with four rookies starting, sacked Jim Kelly seven times and intercepted him three times.
“Obviously, we’re going to welcome him back with open arms, but I think our guys took a giant step forward and became a better team.”
As for the other teams:
- Cowher’s Steelers, prime for a letdown against Cincinnati after a big Monday night win in Kansas City, sacked Jeff Blake 10 times in a 20-10 win over the Bengals, 4-1/2 by Chad Brown.
Cowher’s teams, like Johnson’s, almost welcome adversity - in this case the loss for the season of Greg Lloyd and Ray Seals on defense - by pulling from the shadows other great players like Brown and Levon Kirkland.
- Rhodes’ Eagles, with Ty Detmer making his first start at quarterback, simply wore down the Giants on defense and won 19-10 despite going without an offensive touchdown. That’s Rhodes’ forte: If one unit’s hurt, let the other one do it.
“The leaders on defense made a point of letting these guys know, ‘Hey, if we’re going to be a good football team, our defense will have to take over,”’ Rhodes said. The defense scored one touchdown and allowed just a field goal. “Our defense won the game for us.”
- Fontes’ Lions were again their schizophrenic selves, losing the first half, then winning the second in Oakland after they’d fallen behind 34-0. A week ago, they took a 28-0 lead at home over Atlanta, then held on to win 28-24.
“It was a game of two halves,” Fontes said in his sometimes Stengelese syntax. “They won the first half and the second half. At least we came back in the second half and showed some character.”
One more thing: In two weeks, the Dolphins play the Cowboys.
Marino, who was cleared to start practicing again, hopes to be back for that one. Even if he isn’t, it’s a good bet Johnson will find a way to will Miami to victory.
Around the league
Injured Keyshawn Johnson says he is ready to return to the New York Jets. The team is being more cautious. … The Dallas Cowboys, their offense rejuvenated by the return of Michael Irvin, got some help for their top-rated defense. Suspended defensive end Shante Carver returned to the team after serving his six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. … Baltimore Ravens defensive end Rob Burnett, considered the team’s top lineman, has been lost for the season. … The Kansas City Chiefs signed veteran cornerback Tony Stargell and activated rookie defensive lineman Kerry Hicks from the practice squad. To make roster room, they put wide receiver Victor Bailey and linebacker Tracy Rogers on injured reserve.
The long wait for Tony Dungy’s first victory as an NFL head coach at Tampa Bay is over. “It’s amazing how your outlook changes when you win vs. losing,” he said, reflecting on Sunday’s 24-13 upset of the Minnesota Vikings and one-time mentor Dennis Green.
The soft-spoken coach remained upbeat throughout an 0-5 start, but conceded he was beginning to wonder how long the players would retain confidence in his system if their hard work wasn’t rewarded with a victory.
A few months ago, Atlanta Falcons coach June Jones signed a two-year contract extension through 1998.
Now, with the Falcons off to their worst start in more than a decade, there are questions about whether he will make it to the end of this season.
Jones brushed off the issue of job security at his weekly news conference Monday, but he didn’t exactly sound like a coach who’s making a lot of long-term plans.