In Over Their Heads

Two weeks from today, Chargers head coach Norv Turner and Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips will represent their respective conferences as head coaches in the 2010 Pro Bowl. It could be(and should be) their final day in that respective position.

Phillips and Turner were both unceremoniously dropped out of the playoffs today: Phillips in a 34-3 thrashing by the Minnesota Vikings, Turner in a 17-14 upset loss at home to the Jets. Turner's loss is considerably more shocking given the fact that a. they were at home and had won 11 straight, b. the Jets made the playoffs only after the Colts and Bengals laid down for them in the last two weeks of the season and c. the spread for tonight's game moved San Diego from 7-point favorites during the week to 8.5 point favorites by kickoff.

Truth be told, the fact that Turner's made it this far might be more surprising than anything. Turner was brought in a couple years ago, despite failing in Washington and Oakland previously as a head coach, when irreconcilable differences between former coach Marty Schottenheimer and GM A.J. Smith led to Schottenheimer getting canned after a 14-2 season and a loss to the Patriots in the playoffs. Turner's calling card was offense, particularly pounding the run and establishing the deep ball. This season, he went 1 for 2. Under Turner's tutelage, QB Phillip Rivers took yet another step forward into super stardom and establishing himself as an MVP candidate and one of the 3 or 4 best QBs in football. Conversely, the running game sucked out loud, mainly because of Turner's belief that 31-year old RB LaDainian Tomlinson still had some juice left in his legs. He was wrong. By the end of the season, there was more life left in Britney Murphy than in LT's once-legendary feet(perhaps he used it all up doing "The L.T. Glide"?)...and now LT(owed $4 million next season at age 32, following his first sub-1,000 yard season) will probably following Turner out of San Diego.

In fairness to Turner, he lost a three point game to a very good team after his historically accurate kicker Nate Kaeding shanked not one, not two but three kicks. Say what you want about Norv, but he can't kick the field goals, too! Unfortunately, it would be hard for Turner to still remain in charge of the Bolts considering the number of solid coaching candidates out there(including the guy roaming the same sideline as Turner: Defensive coordinator Ron Rivera). In a what have you done for me lately league, Turner has managed to not make the big game despite having LT for at least one of his prime years and having a budding air attack led by Rivers and his arsenal of Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates.

As for Phillips, his death knell was the fact that he took the job in the first place. Phillips signed on to replace Bill Parcells as coach knowing full well that he was merely a stop gap for young offensive coordinator Jason Garrett(whom owner Jerry Jones hired first and made it known that Garrett would eventually take over before even starting a head coaching search that ended with Phillips....mainly because nobody else would be dumb enough to take the job under those circumstances). Why Phillips wasn't canned last year after missing the playoffs despite having an offense loaded with stars like QB Tony Romo, WRs Terrell Owens and Roy Williams, TE Jason Witten and RB Marion Barber is beyond me, especially after they ended the regular season by getting stomped out by division rival Philadelphia and then watching the Eagles claim the final playoff spot. Now Phillips will spend the offseason wondering about his job security after another playoff dismantling as well as not only Garrett breathing down his neck, but former Steelers coach Bill Cowher on the outside looking in.

Again, let's be fair to Wade as well. HE wasn't the one who made that god-awful trade for stone-handed receiver Roy Williams(that would be Jones, who dealt a 1st, 3rd, and 6th to Detroit for Williams, who wasn't even that good with the Lions). By trading what eventually became the 20th overall pick in the 2009 Draft, here's who Dallas missed out on: Ole Miss left tackle and ROTY runner up Michael Oher and ROTY WR Percy Harvin. While in Round 3, the Cowboys missed a shot at Mike Wallace, a speedy wide receiver who was breakout star for the Steelers this year. Tell me, Cowboys fans, would you rather have Williams, who was a complete non-factor against Minnesota(much like he's been since coming to Dallas) or Percy Harvin? When Tony Romo was getting sacked 6 times by the Minnesota's aggressive D, did the question "What if we had taken Michael Oher?" ever come up at all? Again, not Wade's fault, and you have to give the man credit for improving the defense(which if Phillips forte), especially during the closing stretch of the regular season.

Still, for all the mistakes that weren't his fault, Phillips was still unimpressive, at best, as head coach. His decisions were clearly that of a guy trying too hard to impress the boss. Phillips was like the middle child in a rich family trying to show his daddy that he's every bit as good as his wildly successful older brother(Cowher) and his young prodigal sibling(Garrett). While Phillips' contract reportedly will be picked up for next season, that decision was made before the Minnesota game and wasn't exactly set in stone. With Cowher still looming for Jones to make the googly eyes at, you have to wonder why Jones would endure another season of Phillips roaming the sidelines, mouth wide open, looking dazed and confused, when he can use Phillips' failure to not only snag a future Hall of Fame coach in Cowher but to also trump rival Daniel Snyder's hiring of Mike Shanahan in Washington?

So if you're looking for a interesting reason to watch what will surely be a lackluster Pro Bowl, now you have one: one last nostalgic chance to watch two head coaches who were better off as coordinators going at each other in a meaningless exhibition game that will have a lot more meaning to the men calling the shots.......because it will probably be the last time they get to do so.