FanHouse

Coach Killers, Week 8: Jets' Kickoff Unit

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-11-04T16:20:00 00:00

Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

The Jets entered Week 8 allowing 20.4 yards per return. The Dolphins entered Week 8 gaining a hair over 22 yards per return. It seemed we were set for an unremarkable day of kickoffs.

And then Ted Ginn, Jr. happened.

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Coach Killers, Week 7: Jake Delhomme

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-10-28T13:16:00 00:00

by Tom Mantzouranis

Filed under: Panthers, NFL Quarterbacks

Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

In light of their recent faux pas, it'd be easy to make JaMarcus Russell or Larry Johnson the Coach Killer of the week. After getting benched in a loss to the Jets, Russell explained that he wasn't Oakland's problem, proving that he's as aware of himself as he is of a blitz. Or how to line up for the first play of the game, despite practicing it all week.

Larry Johnson, well, we know that story by now. Johnson added insult to ineffectiveness in the wake of the Chiefs' 37-7 loss to the Chargers, making life harder on a first-year coach trying to retain any shred of credibility with a terrible roster.

But Russell is not an NFL-capable player, and Johnson is a headcase. They haven't fooled us into believing otherwise. Jake Delhomme, however, had us all believing he was an NFL quarterback. A gambler, sure, but one who came through more often than not. ... D'oh.

More Coverage: Carolina Sticking With Delhomme as Starter

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Moyes Agrees to Sell Coyotes to NHL

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-10-26T21:22:00 00:00

by Tom Mantzouranis

Filed under: Coyotes, NHL Economics

We are one step closer to some semblance of finality surrounding the Phoenix Coyotes, after owner Jerry Moyes (pictured right) agreed to sell the franchise to the NHL. The agreement was announced in U.S. Bankruptcy Court Monday, but still must be approved by Judge Redfield T. Baum. Attorneys say the deal is for $128 million.

With no money to cover the franchise's expenses, and the inability to sell to Jim Balsillie after the court nixed that idea, selling the franchise to the league was Moyes' only realistic answer. They'll take control of the day-to-day operations of the franchise while looking to find an independent owner. Of course, after the way this has played out, any prospective owners who would move the team out of Arizona need not apply.

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Darcy Tucker Removed on Stretcher After Hit From Tuomo Ruutu

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-10-23T22:49:00 00:00

by Tom Mantzouranis

Filed under: Avalanche, Hurricanes, NHL Injuries

Avalanche forward Darcy Tucker was immobilized and taken away on a stretcher after he was checked into the boards by Carolina forward Tuomo Ruutu.

The hit came just over five minutes into the second period in Friday night's game in Colorado. Tucker had turned away from Ruutu to play the puck, and Ruutu drove Tucker into the glass from behind. The game was tied 2-2 at the time.

Video of the hit after the jump.

UPDATE: Tuomo Ruutu Suspended for 3 Games

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Coach Killers, Week 6: The Lions

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-10-21T19:10:00 00:00

by Tom Mantzouranis

Filed under: Titans

Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

This has nothing to do with the 26-0 shutout the Packers laid on the Lions last Sunday.

Typically, this space is reserved for a player or players whose performance on a given week made his coach's week miserable or job status shaky. But we're going a little bit bigger picture this week.

In this instance, it was the Lions' brass playing the role of coach killer on a coach manning sidelines over 500 miles south.

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Coach Killers, W5: Browns Pass-Catchers

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-10-14T12:08:00 00:00

by Tom Mantzouranis

Filed under: Browns

Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

Derek Anderson is by no means Tom Brady. Matter of fact, as far as quarterbacking skills go, he's probably just a notch above Kyle Brady. And when you lead your unit in posting such a pitiful day -- six points, 193 yards, 3.3 yards per play, 22 net passing yards on a 2-for-17 performance -- you're at least partially to blame.

That being said, in the Browns' 6-3 win over the Bills, Anderson got by with no help from his friends. He sang out a tune, and his pass-catchers stood up and walked out on him.

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Coach Killer, Week 4: Kris Jenkins

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-10-06T15:20:00 00:00

by Tom Mantzouranis

Filed under: Jets

Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

Sometimes, picking one player for the week's Coach Killer is tough. When you've got Tony Romo's decision-making, JaMarcus Russell's ineptitude, Mark Clayton's stone hands and the entire St. Louis Rams' existence to choose from, you wish the bounty of bad could be spread across multiple weeks so you can hit them all. Alas, we can't.

There has been no shortage of criticism lobbed at those people thus far this week (including at FanHouse). It seemed easy to pick on them more. While there's been some heat in the general direction of this week's subject of Coach Killers, tucked away in the trenches you're obscured a bit more from the national media. Until now, that is.

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Biased Banter: Jets vs. Saints

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-10-02T10:00:00 00:00

by Tom Mantzouranis

Filed under: NFL, Backporch Features

Josh Alper is a Jets fan. Tom Mantzouranis is a Saints fan. With New York and New Orleans facing each other on Sunday they decided to mock each other over e-mail.

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More FanHouse NHL Predictions

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-10-01T12:00:00 00:00

by Tom MantzouranisWe're just like anybody else -- we can't help but pretend to be experts and forecast the future. We've gone down the more well-traveled road, predicting how the conferences will and championship will shape up, but we weren't done there. Here are some more predictions on the verge of the NHL season.

NHL FanHouse Season Preview:
Season Predictions | Other Predictions
Hot Seat Coaches | Coaches in Waiting
Ray Shero Discusses Life After the Stanley Cup
The John Tavares Handbook

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Coach Killer, Week 3: Olindo Mare

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-09-30T10:00:00 00:00

by Tom Mantzouranis

Filed under: Seahawks

Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

Football is very often a game in which the 21 men not carrying the ball all do significant work in determining what happens on the given play. Field goals and extra points are usually the exception. While, yes, there is the occasional bad snap or missed block that throws everything into oblivion, most of the time kicking is like clockwork -- the ball is safely pinned to the ground by the holder, and everybody becomes irrelevant except for one guy. The kicker.

I think it's pretty stupid, personally.

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T.O. Catchless for First Time Since '97

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-09-27T19:06:00 00:00

by Tom Mantzouranis

Filed under: Bills, Saints

It's the first question people ask whenever Terrell Owens joins a new team: when is he going to blow everything up with his me-me-me attitude?

Well, uh, getcha popcorn ready.

In the Saints' 27-7 win over the Bills Sunday, Owens was held catchless in a game for the first time since Jan. 4, 1997, a 35-14 playoff loss for Owens' 49ers against the Packers.

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Coyotes Hire Dave Tippett as Coach

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-09-24T19:10:00 00:00

by Tom Mantzouranis

Filed under: Coyotes, NHL Coaching

The Coyotes didn't waste much time announcing the long-term replacement for Wayne Gretzky, who stepped down as coach and director of hockey operations on Thursday. Seven hours after Gretzky made his announcement, the club held a press conference to introduce Dave Tippett as their new bench boss.

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Wayne Gretzky Resigns From Coyotes

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-09-24T12:02:00 00:00

by Tom Mantzouranis

Filed under: Coyotes

While the NHL and the fans in Phoenix (and perhaps Hamilton) are awaiting any sort of final resolution on the future of the Coyotes, a major piece of the puzzle leveled a major announcement on Thursday. Wayne Gretzky, the legendary player who took a prominent role in the franchise as head coach and minority owner, has stepped down as coach and director of hockey operations.

Gretz: Mixed Results for Players Who Coach
Botta: Next for Gretzky, a Return Home?

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Coach Killer, Week 2: Ted Ginn Jr.

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-09-22T15:05:00 00:00

by Tom Mantzouranis

Filed under: Dolphins

Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

After Monday night's 27-23 Colts win over the Dolphins, Chad Pennington had this to say: "It's not about statistics, it's about scoring points and winning football games." He was referring to the now-infamous advantage in time of possession the Dolphins wildcat'd together, and how the game proved to be the exception to the rule that typically links time of possession with victory.

He could have just as easily been talking about his "No. 1 receiver," Ted Ginn Jr.

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Coach Killer, Week 1: Patrick Mannelly

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-09-15T13:17:00 00:00

by Tom Mantzouranis

Filed under: Chicago Bears

Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

You're a long-snapper. You only have one job, and it's an important one. It's also a job borne out of repetition and mindlessness -- you crouch, you grab the ball, you fire it backwards. Over and over and over again. After so many reps, muscle memory kicks in and you don't have to think about it. You shouldn't think about it, either, because thinking instead of just feeling it through gets you in trouble.

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Suggested Acts for Super Bowl Halftime Show: A Public Service

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-09-15T09:00:00 00:00

by Tom Mantzouranis

Filed under: Backporch Features

Football is crafted perfectly for memorable moments. The sense of spectacle; the holidaic stature of Sundays; the speed and violence; the fact that each play is isolated, a mini-highlight unto itself -- it all comes together to form these powerful little pieces of time, these experiences, that stick with us forever.

This past weekend we got our first taste of that most delicious autumn fruit, and it was no exception: memorable moments abound. Yet the ones that stand out the most to me didn't happen on any field.

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NFL Refs Make MNF a Tangerine Dream

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-09-14T20:30:00 00:00

by Tom Mantzouranis

Filed under: Current Events, NFL

If you've turned on Monday Night Football's contest between the Patriots and Bills and wondered why Tom Brady is wearing red instead of that dark blue that brings out the sparkle in his eyes, it's because the NFL is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the eight original AFL teams.

To mark the occasion, they've designated certain "Legacy Games" in which the teams will wear their throwback jerseys and we'll all get a chance to talk about the good ol' days before Twitter ruined everything. (It also means you should expect to see the Jets wear those hideous Titans jerseys three times this year; coat your stomach with Pepto Bismol accordingly.) But they're not the only ones looking different.

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Saints Offense Picks Right Up

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-09-13T18:42:00 00:00

by Tom Mantzouranis

Filed under: Saints

Through 60 minutes, the 2009 Saints share a lot of similarities with the 2008 Saints. Though the defense looks better in a 45-27 win over the Lions, the special teams unit is still awful, and the offense? Well, it's still good. Maybe even better.

Drew Brees set an NFL record for opening-weekend touchdowns with six, but he's always been good. Where did the improvement come from? Though the team returned 10 of 11 starters from last year's unit, it was a tweak in philosophy and meaningful contributions from two players who didn't add much last year that made the difference. Say hello to Mike Bell and Jeremy Shockey.

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Donovan McNabb Leaves Game

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-09-13T16:19:00 00:00

by Tom Mantzouranis

Filed under: Eagles, NFL Injuries

After a short third-quarter touchdown run, Donovan McNabb left the Eagles' Week 1 game against the Panthers.

Up 31-10 on the Panthers' 3-yard line, McNabb broke right and crossed the plane, to be met in the end zone by two Panthers' defenders. McNabb immediately went down in obvious pain, seemingly in his back or ribs (UPDATE: Reports say that McNabb has a broken rib).

After being attended to on the field, he was able to head to the sideline on his own power, but Kevin Kolb took his place under center.

More Coverage: Philadelphia Routs Carolina

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New Orleans Saints 2009 Preview: Is This Finally the Year?

Tom Mantzouranis — 2009-09-07T14:00:00 00:00

by Tom Mantzouranis

Filed under: Saints, NFC South, FanHouse Previews, NFL Analysis

Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Though 2006 was arguably the best season in New Orleans Saints history, the campaign was only the beginning of this streak of NFL competitive relevance in the Crescent City. Despite steps backwards in 2007 and 2008, the team has quietly been adding front-end talent and admirable depth since that NFC Championship appearance against the Bears. Now, as Drew Brees put it, "...we're at this stage in our careers where this is kind of our prime. ... So this is our window of opportunity. This is our chance to walk together forever, to go down in history together." After over 40 years and just two playoff wins, is this the year the Saints finally break through?

More NFC South Previews: Falcons | Panthers | Buccaneers

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