Josh McDaniels...Not to fire!
In just his second year with the Denver Broncos, head coach Josh McDaniels has come under fire due to a 3-8 record that has all but eliminated the Broncos from playoff contention. The Broncos have won just 1 of their last 7 games after starting the season 2-2.
McDaniels has made some personnel changes, over the past few seasons, that have left most of us scratching our heads. However, two full seasons is not enough time to determine if a coach can get the job done. In the NFL, it typically takes a good three seasons to prove yourself as a head coach.
On the other hand, Bill Belichick experienced three losing seasons in his first three seasons in Cleveland from '91-'93 only to rebound in '94 by leading the Browns to an 11-5 record and a playoff appearance. Belichick's final year in Cleveland (1995) would finish with a 5-11 record. Who would have thought that a head coach with a 36-44 record and only one playoff appearance in 5 full seasons would eventually lead the New England Patriots to 3 Super Bowl titles in 4 appearances? Belichick has had 5 losing seasons in his coaching career, yet is considered to be the best coach in the NFL and one of the best of all-time.
McDaniels' career NFL coaching record is 11-16. Wanna take a guess at Bill Belichick's record through his first 27 games in the NFL? 11-16, my friends. So, before we start firing young coaches before they've even completed two full seasons, let's put everything into perspective. McDaniels is young, he is learning, and he's not coaching in Cleveland. See...there is a bright side to this story.
By the way, McDaniels began his NFL coaching career in New England in 2001 and would serve under Belichick until the end of the 2008 season. McDaniels was present for all three of the Patriots Super Bowl Championships and would become the Offensive Coordinator of the most prolific offense in the history of the NFL when the Patriots shattered scoring records in 2007.
I say give him another full season in Denver.
The Phenom
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
The FSP Report
Back in 1996, I embarked on a fantasy sports career that would include 6 championships and 18 top-3 finishes in just 25 fantasy seasons. While the majority of my fantasy sports experience lies in football, I have also achieved a high level of success in baseball and basketball. In fact, I am currently in 1st place in my fantasy basketball league and am coming off of a championship in baseball in 2010.
However, for our purposes today, I will be discussing fantasy football "sleepers". Prior to the 2010 fantasy football season, none of the soon-to-be-mentioned players were considered prime fantasy picks. The following 3 players have emerged as some of the top performers at their position and in the league based on their fantasy production throughout the 2010 season.
1. RB- Arian Foster/ HOU
Arian Foster earned the starting RB position for the Houston Texans late in the pre-season of the 2010 season. After a modest rookie season of 257 rushing yards in '09, Foster has amassed 1004 rushing yards and 378 receiving yards in just 10 games into the 2010 season. He has been the biggest fantasy surprise and sleeper of 2010 and there is no indication that his incredible production will stop. Foster is currently on pace to compile more than 2200 total yards from scrimmage and 21 total TD's. He is The Phenom's #1 Fantasy Sleeper of 2010. Foster is also the NFL's top producing fantasy player.
2. WR- Brandon Lloyd/ DEN
Nobody would, or could, have predicted the type of season that Broncos' WR Brandon Lloyd has put together in 2010. The Broncos' WR corps, while very deep, lacked a go-to WR as they approached the 2010 season. Lloyd forced himself into that position and has produced the the best numbers by any WR in the NFL. Lloyd has already eclipsed the 1000-yard mark after only 10 games and he has scored 7 TD's. Prior to the 2010 season, Lloyd had never amassed more than 48 receptions (he currently has 54 in '10) or 6 TD's (he had 6 in '05 with the 49ers). As the best deep threat WR in the game, Lloyd should continue his torrid pace, unless the Broncos make a QB change due to the fact that they are out of playoff contention.
3. RB- Peyton Hillis/ CLE
Peyton Hillis never really received a fair shot in Denver under Josh McDaniels after producing a solid rookie season in '08 with more than 500 yards from scrimmage and 6 TD's in just 12 games. After being released from the Broncos and moving to the Cleveland Browns, Hillis competed and won the starting RB spot for the Browns in 2010. After 10 games this season, Hillis has emerged as the 3rd-best producing RB in the NFL with more than 1100 total yds from scrimmage and 10 total TD's. He can run the ball between the tackles like a Michael Turner and can also catch the ball out of the backfield like a Maurice Jones-Drew. He is probably the closest thing to what LaDainian Tomlinson was producing in San Diego for many years. Once again, nobody could have predicted the success of Peyton Hillis prior to the 2010 season. Therefore, he is one of the top fantasy sleepers of the '10 season.
The Phenom
However, for our purposes today, I will be discussing fantasy football "sleepers". Prior to the 2010 fantasy football season, none of the soon-to-be-mentioned players were considered prime fantasy picks. The following 3 players have emerged as some of the top performers at their position and in the league based on their fantasy production throughout the 2010 season.
1. RB- Arian Foster/ HOU
Arian Foster earned the starting RB position for the Houston Texans late in the pre-season of the 2010 season. After a modest rookie season of 257 rushing yards in '09, Foster has amassed 1004 rushing yards and 378 receiving yards in just 10 games into the 2010 season. He has been the biggest fantasy surprise and sleeper of 2010 and there is no indication that his incredible production will stop. Foster is currently on pace to compile more than 2200 total yards from scrimmage and 21 total TD's. He is The Phenom's #1 Fantasy Sleeper of 2010. Foster is also the NFL's top producing fantasy player.
2. WR- Brandon Lloyd/ DEN
Nobody would, or could, have predicted the type of season that Broncos' WR Brandon Lloyd has put together in 2010. The Broncos' WR corps, while very deep, lacked a go-to WR as they approached the 2010 season. Lloyd forced himself into that position and has produced the the best numbers by any WR in the NFL. Lloyd has already eclipsed the 1000-yard mark after only 10 games and he has scored 7 TD's. Prior to the 2010 season, Lloyd had never amassed more than 48 receptions (he currently has 54 in '10) or 6 TD's (he had 6 in '05 with the 49ers). As the best deep threat WR in the game, Lloyd should continue his torrid pace, unless the Broncos make a QB change due to the fact that they are out of playoff contention.
3. RB- Peyton Hillis/ CLE
Peyton Hillis never really received a fair shot in Denver under Josh McDaniels after producing a solid rookie season in '08 with more than 500 yards from scrimmage and 6 TD's in just 12 games. After being released from the Broncos and moving to the Cleveland Browns, Hillis competed and won the starting RB spot for the Browns in 2010. After 10 games this season, Hillis has emerged as the 3rd-best producing RB in the NFL with more than 1100 total yds from scrimmage and 10 total TD's. He can run the ball between the tackles like a Michael Turner and can also catch the ball out of the backfield like a Maurice Jones-Drew. He is probably the closest thing to what LaDainian Tomlinson was producing in San Diego for many years. Once again, nobody could have predicted the success of Peyton Hillis prior to the 2010 season. Therefore, he is one of the top fantasy sleepers of the '10 season.
The Phenom
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