The Time is Now for Marinelli’s Termination…
October 20, 2008 on 2:30 pm | In Uncategorized |The Lions coaching staff has completely lost all of it’s perceived credibility, after Sunday’s awful road loss. In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, I think it is time for the Lions “Grim Reaper” to wield a swift and gruesome judgment upon one or all of these members of the current Lions coaching staff:
1) Jim Colletto
2) Joe Barry
3) Rod Marinelli
In the case of Colletto, after the difficult trade (for the organization, at least) of Roy Williams last week, it obviously wasn’t going to be easy to find the means to get Calvin Johnson all of the necessary touches, especially with “The Polish Pop Gun”, Dan Orlovsky, behind center, for his incredible playmaking ability to thoroughly shine. Three touches for Johnson, in 60 minutes of play, is impeachable, in my opinion.
The fact that Johnson went 96 yards with one of his touches, only augments the strength of my argument. Who do the Lions have on their current roster, save Kevin Smith, who has flashed any kind of offensive-playmaking ability, whatsoever, this season?
This reality alone, makes it imperative for Colletto to invent ways to put the ball into Johnson’s hands. Over the course of several weeks, Colletto has failed to do so. Do you think Mike Martz would have failed to capitalize on Johnson’s ability this season, despite his issues with Johnson last season?
Joe Barry has not been capable of getting the Lions to perform ably and consistently in any aspect of their defense. Their version of the cover-2 might as well be a “prevent” defense, since teams routinely complete 70-80% of their passes against it, while providing inexperienced QB’s with career-defining days, in their performance against it.
The Lions defense looks like a “Bizarro-world” version of the Tampa defense, who consistently pressure opposing QB’s with their front four, and can boast having a secondary that consistently makes plays and is unwielding in it’s ability to limit opponent’s passing attacks.
The Lions margin for error on both offense and defense are so limited, that Colletto and Barry are charged with difficult tasks each week. That being said, the team’s vacillation from week to week, exchanging one strategy for another, indicates an inability to imprint the essence of each of their offensive and defensive philosophies upon their players, therefore, leaving them without one.
The team’s slow starts in five out of their six games, with so little wiggle room for remaining competitive, is an indictment upon both Colletto and Barry, but more importantly, is a stark reflection of the failed tenure of Head Coach Rod Marinelli.
With the breaking news that the Lions received a 90 minute briefing from Brett Favre before playing the Packers this season, and the Lions still finding the means to clutch defeat from victory in their early season match-up, what indication is their left that the 10-28 Marinelli tenure will ever turn around?
Essentially, the Lions were provided outside assistance and still were not able to draw up the resources to defeat the Packers. Marinelli has been completely unable to alter the losing culture of the Lions, in fact, I think he has helped bolster it’s pungent toxicity with his numerous poor coaching choices.
Marinelli possesses a great deal of character. Unfortunately, that alone doesn’t win football games. As Lions provide ghoulish performance after ghoulish performance, the scariest reality of all, in my opinion, is that the powers that be in the Lions organization would consider retaining any of these three coaches for one more day, let alone, 10 more games!!!
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Pingback by The Buzz » Blog Archive » Detroit Lions Weblog » the Time is Now For Marinelli’S Termination… — October 20, 2008 #
It hit me pretty hard yesterday when I realized that the Lions had 10 more games to play this season. F—. They’ve all got to go. Marinelli is little more than a joke. Colletto is certainly no offensive mastermind (or even much of a minormind) and Barry . . . it’s better to leave that unsaid. The problem is that the Lions have no one to fill in for the rest of the season. They are stuck with the Three Stooges. Actually, I’d be happier if the real Three Stooges were running this team. My question is, if there is a blackout, should I go? Buy a $10 ticket outside the stadium or spend a day without Lions football? Would that cure my antisocial behavior?
Comment by Yukon Dan — October 20, 2008 #
I agree with you that all coaches should and will be gone before camp starts at least. Wht if they suddenly figure out the first quarter? There may be one or two wins in our future….
Comment by Mike — October 20, 2008 #
Mike–1 or 2 wins being the best we can hope for, is the actual problem. This team is not competitive, and it’s far from difficult to picture them going 0-16. Why not bring in Marty Schottenheimer, or some other proven coaching commodity, to get a head start on next season? Especially, before more coaching vacancies become available?
Hondo–the scalper should pay the scalpee $10 Bucks to take those damned tix off of their hands, something tells me in December that there will be some cold, lonely, distraught scalpers piling up their tickets in the road, on the way to Ford Field, and starting a bonfire with them, since those tickets are likely to be worth as much as the Big Three’s stocks currently are, hell, the tickets might be cheaper than toilet paper. Wipe Away, Lions fans!!!!!
Comment by Steve — October 21, 2008 #
I fear Marinelli is too good a student of the Ford family. That’s the only conclusion I can fathom anymore. Am I supposed to believe that he is baffled over their 0-6 start? Am I supposed to be baffled myself? No doubt that’s the message this coach wants everyone to embrace–especially the Fords. My fear is that this coach simply understands too well the person he needs to be, and the things he needs to say, in order to insure his tenure in Detroit despite any glaring lack of result. That is, after all, the enduring legacy the Fords have given this organization. By the way, I actually thought the Lions would win more games this year than the Wolverines. I’m beginning to think that will never happen. If it doesn’t, I will hold to the faith it is only because God Himself is just that big a Wolverine fan!
Comment by Rev. Drew — October 22, 2008 #
I hope the Lions do fire all coaches and lose all their games. At least we can try to build something for years to come with what we got from the Roy Williams trade. Hopefully the new “Millen” won’t screw us during the draft like the old one….. And I agree hire someone, I don’t care who, maybe Bill Cowher, to assess the players and clean house…..
Comment by Sam — October 22, 2008 #
Hey Sam–I am glad you mention Cowher. The “Jaw” would represent a symbolic organizational change, one in which I believe most Lions fans could rally behind.
Hopefully there is no new “Millen” added, otherwise Sundays may become a football-free zone in Michigan. 6,500 available tickets to this Sunday’s game should send a message to the Ford’s loud and clear, that the team’s poor performance, along with the awful economy, isn’t acceptable to cash-strapped Michiganders any longer!
Comment by Steve — October 22, 2008 #
Rev. Drew– it is scary. At least on the surface, Marinelli says and does all of the right things, and seems to enjoy the same captive audience with the Ford’s that Millen once did.
That being said, as the Lions continue to experience their weekly dismantlings, Marinelli knows that time is running out. The performance just doesn’t bear out. Had Marinelli been hired as a D-coordinator, or D-Line coach, he may be safe.
It would too difficult, even for the Ford’s, to justify his future retention unless something truly miraculous–maybe the “Polish Pop Gun” can make a Faustian deal ala “Damn Yankees”, yet?–like the Lions turning this season around were to occur. Remember, though, the Lions do have 6 of their remaining games at home. Stranger things have occurred…Nahhhh
Comment by Steve — October 22, 2008 #