Midweek Gameplan 12-14-11
The Buccaneers’ Latest
After the Bucs have now lost seven straight everyone is talking about how Raheem Morris is on the hot seat and will likely be fired. While I agree that the team has not been ready to play and I have been critical of the coaching staff this year, I think some of the blame should be shifted to GM Mark Dominik. He was a big part of the success last year and should take some of the heat for the failure this season.
Last year Dominik was able to put together a roster which survived key injuries and he found adequate fill ins for injuries and players who had been cut by other teams, but still had talent. This year, there is no real talk about undrafted free agents, or plucking people off of practice squads. His only substantial move this year was to pick up Albert Haynesworth, and even I could assess that move had to be made with out lact of interior defensive linemen due to injuries.
I am willing to give Morris and Dominik one more year, but they need to get a defensive coordinator and redeem themselves to prove that 2010 wasn’t just a lucky fluke season.
Injury Updates and Commentary
John McCargo and Jacob Cutrera were both placed in injured reserve this week due to a triceps and neck injury, respectively. It is always difficult at this time of year to speculate on these type of injuries, because teams will place people on injured reserve this late in the season for minor injuries. The thinking is that there is no need to keep a roster spot for them when they will be out a couple of weeks and the season is lost anyway.
NFL Matters
The Houston Texans clinched a playoff spot this past weekend and I will admit that I think this is a good story for the franchise. They have been close for a couple of years now, and they finally were able to put it together. I know that it took Peyton Manning’s neck injury for the Colts to go into free-fall, but they also deserve it. The Texans have been banged up all year, and they finally make the playoffs in a year in which Andre Johnson has missed more games than he has played, Mario Williams is out, Matt Schaub goes down, and even Arian Foster has missed some games.
They have overcome some major obstacles this year, and while I don’t think they will make much noise in the playoffs, I still think this is a great step for the franchise.
Fantasy Focus
So I have to give a rant about my fantasy team this year. I ended up missing the semifinals of my league this year despite having the third most points in the league and enduring season ending injuries to Jamaal Charles, Fred Jackson, Javid Best, and Kenny Britt. The problem is that I had the most points scored against me by a wide margin. Teams averaged 10 more points a game against me than the team who had the second most points scored on them. That’s the way it goes sometimes, but I get to write a column so those of you who make it to the end portion get to hear about my sorrows.
At the End of the Day
What a difference a press conference can make
So a highly touted forward jumps to the NBA after high school, and goes to a smaller market team. He leads them to more success than the franchise has had previously while archiving NBA MVP status. He does not win a championship, so he leaves the franchise to join two other perennial all-stars in a bigger market.
Yet, Kevin Garnett is not on TV interviews and radio talk shows constantly to defend his decision. I guess it’s because he didn’t rent out a youth club to announce it.
Until next week, it is always tough when doctors have to operate on something you only have one of.