JJ Lanier
Buzz Kill
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I’ve always viewed social media as a type of reality show, with the participants often leaving out anything negative, manipulating what you see to fit whatever narrative they’re trying to sell.
The only difference being that on social media it’s playing out in real time, not at a weekly designated time.
Most of the time I’ve spent on Twitter has been pretty disheartening, but there have been moments where it was borderline magical.
One instance was almost a year ago when people were updating videos and pictures of Josh Pastner sitting at the ACC tournament, as he received messages on his phone, concerning the NCAA’s notice of allegations that were levied against his Yellowjacket program.
It was one of those occasions where I couldn’t refresh my phone quickly enough to keep up with all the posts and comments.
Normally, I don’t take joy in other people’s misfortunes, but Pastner has made it fairly easy for me to root against him; reading about the Georgia Tech scandal and some of his comments towards it is a good place to start.
Even though this event took place almost a year ago, I bring it up because as Georgia Tech is currently looking at their third straight losing season, while dealing with NCAA sanctions due to things that transpired under Pastner’s watch, it’s about that time of year to question whether or not the Yellowjacket coach will be back next year.
On the surface, the answer looks to be cut and dry- “No”. There’s not really much of a reason to keep him on staff and in all honesty, I wasn’t even sure Pastner would make it to this season-outside of the infractions. I don’t think he’s great of a coach to begin with.
I have no idea which way the administration is leaning, but there’s a part of me that actually hopes they don’t let him go.
In far too many instances, when a coach or program is punished for breaking the rules, the guilty party doesn’t have to suffer through penalties. While the coaches and players that follow have to do all the heavy lifting, the guilty party stays out of the spotlight for a year or two before getting back into coaching at a smaller school and working their way back up.
If Georgia Tech were to keep Pastner on, it’s the perfect example of “you’ve made your bed, now you must lie in it.”
Instead of bringing in another coach to deal with the aftermath, and one who will probably lose his job because he’ll be dealing with a somewhat stacked deck to begin with, Pastner has to deal with it.
Personally, it would be nice to see someone have to actually face the scrutiny they brought upon themselves by their actions.
However, I’m realistic and I know this scenario isn’t likely to play out, mainly because it would entail Georgia Tech paying millions to a coach they wouldn’t want around, just to prove a point.
Still, I can’t help but feel, in a society where everything is filtered, how refreshing it would be to see an athletic program that knows it’s going to struggle for a few years, regardless of who’s running the show, bite the bullet and go all in the uncomfortableness of the situation.
It may not be realistic, but it would make the comments on social media an entertaining read.
Top Dawg
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Writing about sports, and really just writing in general, can be a fickle endeavor.
Originally, I sat down to write about what is sure to be Anthony Edwards’ single season in Athens, and whether or not it should be deemed a success or failure.
I thought it would be pretty simple since in most cases, when a highly recruited player spurns one of the more well-known programs for one with not as much caché behind it, the answer is usually fairly cut and dry.
Most of the time both the player and team underperform, leaving behind a season that is unforgettable to almost everyone involved. However, Edwards and Georgia is that rare case where the success of one has not translated into success for the other.
For all intents and purposes, Edwards has lived up to being the number one ranked player in his class. He’s basically a guarantee for SEC Freshman is the Year and there’s a good possibility he’ll receive that same recognition on the national level.
I’d be shocked if he isn’t a 1st team All-SEC player (possibly SEC Player of the Year) and is currently projected as a Top 3 pick in this year’s draft. When you look at what he’s accomplished this season, from his perspective, it’s really hard to look at his short-lived tenure in Athens as a bust.
Of course, the key phrase there is “from his perspective” because as good as he’s been- especially these last few weeks- Georgia’s season has been the exact opposite. If Edwards individual season has been “Parasite”, Georgia’s has been “CATS”.
No one with realistic expectations thought this was a Final Four team, but when you have arguably the second most talented player in your program’s history on campus, you at least hope to capitalize on their time there.
Normally, that includes some mixture of national exposure, either from upsets, an overachieving season, or at the very least an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
This way you’re not only proving to recruits that you can help propel them to the next level, but that people will actually know who they are when they get there.
Besides Edwards’ game against Michigan State back in November, where his highlights were all over the internet, has anyone outside of the SEC even watched him play?
Imagine the narrative surrounding the basketball team if instead of battling with Vanderbilt not to finish in last place, they were somewhere in the middle of the conference, battling for a tournament bid, with one or two upsets under the belt.
I also don’t think it’s too farfetched to say that Edwards would be getting some National Player of the Year whispers as well in this scenario, something that always plays well to future recruits.
Now, please don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Edwards is perfect and this season’s disappointment falls on Tom Crean and the rest of the roster- neither of those statements are true. That just happens to be a different column for another day.
Super NFC South
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL gets a lot of credit for its parity from year to year and there are multiple examples over the years proving that to be true.
When it comes to the Super Bowl, because of the Patriots stranglehold on the AFC, most of the parity has come from the NFC.
There has been a different team representing the conference in each of the past six seasons, many of which were not considered to be Super Bowl contenders to begin the season.
As we look towards next season, could one of the NFC South teams be that team to surprise everyone with a Super Bowl run?
The obvious answer would be the New Orleans Saints, which takes them out of this particular conversation since they wouldn’t be a surprise.
Out of the three remaining divisional teams, I don’t think there’s much doubt the Panthers are the longest of long shots next year.
They have a new coach with a new philosophy, they lost their best defensive player (Luke Kuechly) to retirement and decided not to bring back their most reliable offensive player (Greg Olsen).
And then there’s the question of whether Cam will ready, if he’ll be back in Charlotte at all. Trust me, Kenny Maybe had a better chance of making it to the second round of “Dancing With the Stars” than the Panthers do of making it to the Super Bowl.
Next up, to me at least, are the Falcons. I realize most people probably believe in the Falcons more than the Buccaneers, but I’m just not there.
Atlanta has been on the decline for the last three seasons; they haven’t been able to quite put things together on either side of the ball since their Super Bowl run, and frankly, I don’t trust Dan Quinn.
I stated earlier this season, the worst thing that could happen to Atlanta was to finish the season strong, giving management a reason to keep Quinn around, and I’m sticking to it.
On the flip side, the talent is there to make a run, especially on the offensive side of the ball, which is why I give them a better chance than Carolina. On paper they look like best team out of the three to give New Orleans a run for the division title, but I’m not quite sold on it happening.
So, yes, between the Panthers, Falcons, and Buccaneers, I would pick Tampa to be the surprise team next year. I don’t know if it’s the viral infection I’ve been battling combined with the Police Academy marathon I binged today (thanks Netflix), but for some reason I’m going with the Buccaneers.
Truth be told, I’m not really sure why I should even feel this way, except that after five years I’m still foolish enough to think James Winston can surely get his stuff together for at least one full season.
I mean, the 5,100 yard and 33 touchdowns is so appealing, as long as you completely ignore the 30 interceptions that went along with it. Surely Bruce Arians can do something with that, right?
Of course, these things were being said about the 49ers last year, and the Rams the year before that, and the Eagles before that, which is why every team begins each season with a renewed sense of hope.
Maybe we’ll be able to add an NFC South team to that list; except for the Panthers. Seriously, it’s going to be a long year.
The Georgia QB Room
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I’ve always viewed Georgia’s football program as one that recruits elite talent on both the defensive side of the ball and at running back, while intermittently signing those types of players at the quarterback position.
I’m not trying to debate whether my observation is accurate, as much as my opinion has changed since Kirby Smart arrived.
I certainly don’t claim to be a Georgia Bulldog historian, but I doubt the program has had a run on quarterbacks as impressive as Smart’s since he arrived in Athens- Eason, Fromm, Fields, Newman, and now Vandagriff.
It seems fairly obvious that he is bringing in the best possible players he can recruit, even if he’s “recruiting over” someone, and letting the best win out.
Personally, if I were a Bulldogs fan, I would love the approach he’s taking, but it doesn’t come without pitfalls; mainly, as in the case with Eason and Fields, transfers.
Transfers are something college coaches have always dealt with, especially in basketball, and those numbers have started to increase significantly every year in football.
Even with restrictions on when a football player can declare for the NFL, recruits still arrive on campus with the mindset of how they can best position themselves to take that next step. I don’t blame them at all, but waiting a year behind someone to get your chance just doesn’t happen anymore.
As frustrating as transfers can be, the issue down the road is at what point do the numbers of transfers your program has, particularly at a high-profile position like quarterback, start to prevent recruits from actually signing to begin with?
It’s not a problem that typically rears its head until a situation arises where there is a need to rely on depth. When you have a significant amount of high-level talent you were planning on using for that depth exit your program, it creates a larger gap between your first-string players and second string. This is typically where the trouble seeps in.
Take this past year for example, had Fromm went down with an injury was there really a viable backup, especially when you consider both Eason and Fields would’ve been on the roster, had they not transferred?
Georgia seems to have avoided an issue for this upcoming season, as long as Newman plays well. But, if he doesn’t and Carson Beck steps in and has the type of freshman season Fromm did, Georgia could be looking at a similar situation with Beck/Vandagriff that they had with Fromm/Fields.
I know a lot of this is hypothetical, but trust me, as a Duke basketball fan, who has seen a number of players transfer over the years, the lack of depth is where this way of recruiting catches up to you.
Again, I’m not saying I’d do anything different if I was Smart. In fact, I always find it funny that fanbases will bash other coaches for bringing in higher ranked recruits, as if they’re not supposed to sign the best talent they possibly can.
But, as Georgia continues to bring in not only 5-star recruits, but quarterbacks ranked number one in their class, fans will need to get used to seeing their quarterbacks in the transfer portal- they may not even get the recruits in the first place.
Of course, 99% of the other programs in college football would gladly switch places with you in an instant, so there are definitely bigger problems you could be having.
The Fromm Factor
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When I heard Jake Fromm was entering the NFL Draft I started to think about where he ranks among Georgia’s quarterbacks, which naturally led me to Phil Simms. Let me explain.
Years ago, I got into a debate with an uncle of mine about who the better quarterback was, Dan Marino or Phil Simms.
Like any reasonable fan that doesn’t root for the New York Giants, I was on the side of Marino. My uncle argued Simms was better because one, he had won a Super Bowl and that automatically placed him above any player who hadn’t- in which case please help me welcome Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson to the NFL Elite.
The other reason was because Marino yelled at his teammates and Simms didn’t. I guess that means Robert Horry was better than Michael Jordan because he was nicer? Doesn’t make sense to me, but whatever.
Anyways, it was a great reminder that people’s criteria for what makes a team or player great differs from person to person, and in some cases, doesn’t make a damn bit of sense.
If you were to poll the Georgia fanbase on where Fromm does rank among his fellow quarterbacks, I imagine the results would be all over the place.
If you put a lot of weight into statistics, then you probably have Fromm ranked towards the top. As Fromm takes his talents to the NFL, he will leave Georgia as one of the winningest quarterbacks in school history, 2nd overall in passing touchdowns, and 4th in passing yards. It’s worth noting, too, that all the quarterbacks he trails in those categories were four-year starters, as opposed to his three.
If you’re someone who puts team accomplishments ahead of individual stats, you’ve also got a good argument in favor of Fromm. Three SEC Championship games, one SEC title, and a National Championship appearance in a three span looks pretty good on a resumé and stacks up well with just about any other Georgia quarterback.
Plus, he never lost to Florida, something you must go all the way back to the days of Buck Belue and John Lastinger to find.
Where it gets tricky is for those fans who go by the eye test. Let’s pretend for a second that you are about to enter your senior year as a Georgia football player. You have no aspirations of playing in the NFL, so your answer to the question I’m about to ask won’t be swayed by who can assist you the most in your quest to make it to the league.
If you could choose one Georgia quarterback, in their prime, to lead your final college season, how many other quarterbacks would you choose before you landed on Fromm?
Off the bat I imagine Fran Tarkenton, Belue, and probably Matt Stafford would be the first three.
How about players like David Greene, Quincy Carter, Aaron Murray, Ray Goff, Lastinger; would you choose any of them to lead your squad, over Fromm?
There’s no right or wrong answer- unless you choose Joe Tereshinksi and are not somehow related to him, then you’re just wrong. (Sorry, Joe).
You could certainly dive deeper into this discussion, but personally, I think Fromm departs Athens as one of the more accomplished quarterbacks to have played at Georgia, even if he wasn’t necessarily one of the best; and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Then again, he does come across as an extremely likeable guy who didn’t yell at his teammates a lot, and we all know that’s what really matters.
Fields Or Fromm?
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Refer to it however you would like: Armchair Expert, Monday Morning Quarterback.
As fans, it’s easy to look back and judge a coach or an organization on personnel moves or play calls and claim we would’ve done something different.
For one, we’re not held accountable when it goes awry, so we can choose to gamble.
Also, most of these coaches are being paid millions of dollars to correctly make those difficult decisions, so I get the expectations. It doesn’t make those choices any easier though.
When you look back at this past year, I imagine most Georgia fans feel as though their season would’ve been more successful had Justin Fields been under center, rather than Jake Fromm, with most directing their displeasure towards Kirby Smart.
In almost all the major categories we use to gauge the success of a quarterback, Fields out performed Fromm, so it would make sense for fans to feel that way. Like with most things though, it’s not quite that simple.
For one, you have to consider the conference Fields plays in. Most SEC fans, and media for that matter, like to scream from the mountain tops about how difficult the SEC is, and how much more dominant it is over every other conference.
For the record, I’m not disagreeing, but if the criteria we’re going by is based on SEC superiority, then it makes sense that Fields numbers wouldn’t be the same had he stayed in Athens.
If you were to take away one touchdown and add 0.5 interceptions per conference game, something that is realistic if Fields were to have played in the SEC, his numbers aren’t far off from Fromm. And that’s with Fromm having under-achieved this year, compared to last season.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Fromm actually had the better season, just trying to put things into perspective.
The other thing to keep in mind is where the program was at this point last season. Even though Georgia lost to Texas, Fromm had led the Bulldogs to their second consecutive SEC Championship game appearance, while improving on his stats from the year before.
Fields had shown flashes of what he could do in limited playing time, but not enough to make it obvious he should be the starter.
One of the things I hear and read from Georgia fans is how they respect the fact Smart doesn’t promise playing time to any players, they have to earn it.
I don’t claim to know the inner workings of the Georgia program, but I imagine Fields was looking for a guarantee that Smart wouldn’t give.
If he had, and Fields produced similar numbers to what Fromm did during his sophomore campaign, how would the fan base feel?
Would they be ok with that kind of production or would they clamoring for Fromm, upset that Smart went with potential over the proven commodity? Based off his two seasons in Athens, and the expectation Fromm had going into his Junior year, he was the logical choice; at least enough to give him a shot to keep his job.
I know this is all hypothetical, but that’s kind of the point. As fans, we have the luxury of playing in this “what if” world, where we don’t have to commit to any particular decision because we’re not accountable for it.
Coaches, no matter how much money they’re paid, don’t have that option.
Tis’ The Season
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As we find ourselves in the midst of the holiday season, and with the NFL regular season winding down, I figured I’d put on my giving hat and pass out what I hope each NFC South team is able to treat themselves to this offseason.
And much like the holidays, each team may not be getting exactly what they want, but they need to remember it’s the thought that counts.
For the Carolina Panthers, I bring them a new offensive line. The Panthers history of drafting or signing offensive linemen in free agency is like our experiences in Target or Wal-Mart.
We visit either store with the mindset of buying just one thing, but ultimately leave with our hands full of crap we don’t need. In the case of the Panthers they either don’t buy the one thing they want, or they wind up buying the generic version that’s cheaply made because they spent half their budget on those other items.
It doesn’t matter if they have Cam Newton, Kyle Allen, or Ronnie “Sunshine” Bass from Remember the Titans under center, if they don’t improve their offensive line, they won’t be Super Bowl bound anytime soon.
It may not be the area they need the most improvement in, but there’s a new running back under the tree for the Atlanta Falcons.
Look, I get what they’ve tried to do with Devonta Freeman and he’s had some success, but he’s not the answer in the backfield.
Realistic expectations for Freeman are caught somewhere between Darren Sproles and Christian McCaffrey, which is great when you need a change of pace, but not when he’s your featured back.
Sure, the Falcons could use a new head coach and some help on the defensive side of the ball, but a running back will help take some pressure off Matt Ryan, while possibly helping him extend his career a bit.
I’m not gifting anything to the Saints team, as much as I am one player; Drew Brees. And for Brees I’m giving him the chalice, and never-ending life, from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”.
Tom Brady is receiving a lot of attention for his level of play at 42 years old, but Brees is only 2 years younger, has sustained more injuries, and I’d argue is playing at a higher level.
New Orleans proved they were still one of the NFL’s top teams with Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback, but there’s no substitute for what Brees means to that team.
More than likely, Brees only has a few more good years left, and I imagine Saints fans would do anything they could to keep him playing.
As for Tampa Bay, they’ll find a map in their stocking to help them figure out where the hell they’re going as an organization.
The Buccaneers have gone through head coaches this past decade like they’re a top tier, mid-major football program, only they’re firing them instead of losing them to better jobs.
It’s a toss-up as to whether or not their quarterback will throw for 400 yards or 4 interceptions in a game and there’s a distinct possibility both will happen.
The defense is inconsistent and basically, they are a team without an identity. The only downside is that most of the players in the NFL are too young to have ever had to use a map, so it may not quite have the desired result it was originally intended to have.
And like any good present, just in case they don’t like it, I’ll make sure to leave the receipt.
Coaching Carousel
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When I realized earlier this year the SEC had no turnover within their head coaching ranks after last season, I reacted like you do when you get a perfect pump at the gas stations- I was caught by surprise, immediately told anyone around me what had transpired, and knew that it would be a while before it happened again.
So, while it was a nice story that no head coach lost their job, you knew a few wouldn’t be so lucky this time around.
Of the three coaching changes that have taken place, one you could see coming before the season even started (Arkansas), one made sense even though it wasn’t a foregone conclusion (Missouri), and the other seemed to take place in part due to a poorly timed, even though well executed, end zone celebration (Ole Miss).
Regardless of why any of the changes were made, the only thing that matters is “will their respective replacements be an upgrade?” That’s where things get a little more interesting.
If the adage about not hiring the same type of coach you just fired was ever engraved on a plaque, I imagine you’d see it placed sporadically throughout the hallways of the Ole Miss athletic facility.
In the span of three years the Rebels football team will have been coached by Hugh Freeze, Matt Luke, and now Lane Kiffin, who is basically Hugh Freeze on a steady diet of Red Bull, Jägermeister, and Birthday Cake Oreos.
As far as what Ole Miss can expect to see on the field, it’s a good hire. I think Kiffin is an above average coach, who will recruit well for the program.
The problem is you have no idea what’s going to happen off the field. It’s like driving 120 in a 35mph zone- it’s a great thrill ride, if you make it to the end, but more than likely you’re going to run off the road, drive head first into a tree, and die in a spectacular explosion. Welcome to the Lane Kiffin era, Oxford, I hope you have good airbags.
I can’t blame Eliah Drinkwitz for leaving App. State to go to Missouri- you can’t pass up a 400% raise in salary- but I do question why the Tigers are paying him that much ($4 million) to come to Columbia.
Drinkwitz was in the precarious situation in Boone where he inherited a very talented team and was able to lead them to a very successful season.
Was he the reason for the success, or just in the right place at the right time? Like most things, the answer is a mixture of the two, but that’s still an awful lot of money to pay a coach with one year of head coaching experience, especially when it didn’t seem like there was much competition for his services, outside of Missouri.
As for Arkansas, I don’t know much about Sam Pittman, except he seems to be popular among his peers and was an impactful recruiter at Georgia.
Pittman was the backup plan to the backup plan on the Razorbacks list of coaches, but it doesn’t matter how or why he got the job, only what he does with it now that he has it.
There may still be another coaching casualty after the bowl games, but for right now this is the new crop of SEC head coaches.
It may be a while before the conference goes a year without having any turnover; my bet is at least two of these coaches will be contributors as to why.
Lucky Dawg
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The first scenario that has Georgia making it to the college playoffs is pretty straightforward- beat LSU in the SEC Championship game and you’re in. Nothing very complicated about it, except for, you know, the fact they have to beat LSU.
What’s more intriguing to me is whether or not there’s a scenario where Georgia could still make the playoffs, even if they lose to the Tigers; something I assume most Georgia fans have already begun contemplating.
To start with, let’s go ahead and assume Ohio State, Clemson, and LSU all win their respective title games and are in. That leaves the winner of the Big-12 matchup (Oklahoma or Baylor) and possibly the winner of the Pac-12 (Utah or Oregon) that the Bulldogs would have to contend with for the final spot.
I’m going to just skim right over Oklahoma and Oregon because if they Sooners win, they’re in. And if Oregon happens to win, I think they would end up behind either Big-12 winner and Georgia since they’ll have two losses and the Pac-12 is basically regarded as an inferior spin-off of a better conference.
Where it gets interesting is if both Baylor and Utah win. The argument for putting Georgia in ahead of either of those two teams begins and ends with one thing; name recognition.
As much as the NCAA wants us to believe the committee is choosing the four most deserving teams, they’re not. What they’re looking for are the four biggest named teams ($$$) that they can realistically justify putting in the playoffs. I mean, how else do you explain their love affair with Alabama and their FCS looking schedule?
The committee will play their part and acknowledge that Georgia will ultimately have one more loss than either Baylor or Utah, but then I imagine they’ll argue Georgia comes from a tougher conference (they do), had a better overall season (debatable, especially considering the South Carolina loss), and that the Dawgs pass everyone’s favorite metric, the eye test (probably true), as reasons as to why the Bulldogs made the cut ahead of the other two.
When the teams were announced for the college playoffs inaugural season in 2014, there was a large contingent of fans arguing Ohio State only made the playoffs, not on their merits, but because of their national recognition. It would be no different this year; Ohio State vs. Georgia is much more appealing on paper than OSU vs. Baylor/Utah. (By the way, I went ahead and put Ohio State as the overall #1 seed because if this scenario actually plays out, just watch the committee place Ohio State ahead of LSU. But, remember, this whole thing is purely objective and nothing is based on matchu…….hahaha, I can’t even finish typing it out.)
Look, I’m not promising this is what will happen, or even that it’s what should happen, I’m just so skeptical when it comes almost everything the NCAA touches, that I almost expect that’s the way things will turn out. After all, it’s a business, and Georgia is better business.
Of course, this all changes if UGA gets steamrolled by LSU, or best-case scenario for Bulldog fans, they happen to win Saturday.
That said, if the latter takes place, and Oklahoma winds up winning the Big-12, it may bring up an even more interesting question- what does the committee do with LSU?
Either way, don’t be shocked if a one-loss Baylor or Utah team is on the outside looking in. I know the NCAA won’t be.
Changes In The South
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When you look at the stability, or really instability in most cases, when it comes to head coaches and quarterbacks throughout the NFL, the NFC South in many ways is the exception.
Two of the divisions head coaches, Sean Payton and Ron Rivera, have been with their respective organizations for at least nine years.
Dan Quinn is currently in his fifth year with Falcons, whose predecessor, Mike Smith, was with the organization for seven years. In fact, the Buccaneers seem to be the only divisional team that has head coaches come and go as if they’re a seasonal employee at Target.
The quarterback position has been even more stable, with Jameis Winston being the shortest tenured of the bunch, at five years in the league.
Longevity is always great when you’re in the midst of it, but like all things, it eventually comes to an end; the NFC South may begin to see that stability start to falter at the end of this season.
The biggest changes will more than likely be seen within the Carolina Panthers organization. As it looks right now, the only person less likely to be the Panthers starting quarterback at the beginning of next season than Cam Newton is Colin Kaepernick.
As much of a lightning rod as Newton has been- some legitimate, some petty- it’s all but a certainty that the best quarterback in franchise history won’t be back for a tenth season.
Meanwhile, Rivera, who began his head coaching career the same year Newton entered the league, is trending towards sharing the same fate as his QB.
The 2-time Coach of the Year has dodged the pink slip in the past due to his team finishing the season strong, but I’m not sure that could even save his job this time around.
The end of an era in Carolina is starting to look less like a possibility and more like an inevitability.
There isn’t going to be a change at quarterback for the Falcons, at least not this year, but the same can’t be said for their head coach.
There is the slight possibility that Quinn could pull a “Rivera” and keep his job if Atlanta were to finish the season strong, but I doubt it.
As for Ryan, his job obviously isn’t in jeopardy, but he is starting to get up there in age and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a new head coach looking to begin grooming his replacement.
As for Tampa, I think Winston’s time there is over, but who knows. Would you really be all that surprised if they brought him back? And Bruce Arians isn’t going anywhere as of now, but he’s not the long-term solution, so the smart money is on that dynamic looking dramatically different within the next year or two.
Then there’s the Saints, the organization that has been the most stable in both areas. I imagine at some point Brees will contemplate retirement, if he hasn’t already, but he’s still got a few good years left, so don’t expect that coach/qb combo to change anytime soon.
The NFL specializes in turnover, so it really is a testament to the teams in the NFC South that they’ve gotten as much consistency out of the two most important positions on a football over the past decade.
Just don’t be surprised when those familiar faces start to change; sooner rather than later.
