Ask Cris: First-half honors

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Ask Cris: First-half honors thumbnail

Hey, my name is The Web Guy, and I first published 'Ask Cris: First-half honors' on 5th November, 2007, within the NFL section.


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There are a lot of good choices here. There will be a lot of sentiment for guys whose teams are off to surprising starts: Tom Coughlin of the New York Giants, Rod Marinelli of the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers‘ Mike McCarthy, who has done a terrific job of getting Brett Favre to work on his fundamentals and improve his game, and the team’s performance. One candidate who is getting overshadowed is the Indianapolis Colts’ Tony Dungy.

It’s easy to ignore a guy who perennially starts the season winning his first seven games. However, you have to look at the challenge of getting your team to consistently play on a high level, despite the fact that they’re constantly losing talented players through free agency and are forced to rely on young replacements. It’s not easy, but Dungy makes it look that way.

While all of those candidates are extremely worthy, I have to give the nod to New England’s Bill Belichick. There’s been so much attention on all of the great playmakers the Pats acquired in the offseason. However, the key is finding guys who fit into the system. Not only has Belichick again displayed the ability to juggle personalities and get guys to perform their roles, but he has managed to keep them highly motivated.

There have been all kinds of distractions since the offseason, but he’s once against successfully implemented the “us against the world” attitude that is working to perfection. The Patriots have been an incredible story so far this year, but the best thing coming out of New England is the great coaching of Bill Belichick.

Speaking of New England, Moss is easily the pick here. The amazing thing to me is, Randy’s not just getting back to the level he once played; he’s rising above the high standards he’s already set for himself. You don’t see the mental lapses that occurred with the Vikings and Oakland Raiders. He’s playing every snap and finishing his routes. You expect a guy to give his all when he steps out on the field and it’s refreshing to see Moss doing that now.

The Cincinnati Bengals have been a major disappointment. When you look at all the star power, the fact that they have a quarterback in Carson Palmer who is regarded by many as the third-best at his position, it’s ridiculous for them to be in this position. Yes, they’ve been hit with injures, but I have long felt that all the character issues would eventually catch up with them. They do not have great leadership on the field. The selfishness and “me, me, me” stuff get you nowhere. Furthermore, coach Marvin Lewis is reminding us of the Baltimore Ravens‘ Brian Billick. He was brought in because of his expertise on one side of the ball, but has been unable to improve the defense.

Yes. I thought in Week 2 after they destroyed the San Diego Chargers on primetime that they had a great chance. Now, following the win against Indy, I’m convinced that they don’t have any glaring weaknesses. This “Spygate” controversy has given them tremendous incentive to put a major hurting on everyone they play, and they have a good mixture of veterans and young guys to remain focused and keep things under control.

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One Response to “Ask Cris: First-half honors”

  1. The Web Guy on November 10th, 2007 7:25 pm

    The Cincinnati Bengals have been a major disappointment. When you look at all the star power, the fact that they have a quarterback in Carson Palmer who is regarded by many as the third-best at his position, it’s ridiculous for them to be in this position. Yes, they’ve been hit with injures, but I have long felt that all the character issues would eventually catch up with them. They do not have great leadership on the field. The selfishness and “me, me, me” stuff get you nowhere. Furthermore, coach Marvin Lewis is reminding us of the Baltimore Ravens‘ Brian Billick. He was brought in because of his expertise on one side of the ball, but has been unable to improve the defense.

    Yes. I thought in Week 2 after they destroyed the San Diego Chargers on primetime that they had a great chance. Now, following the win against Indy, I’m convinced that they don’t have any glaring weaknesses. This “Spygate” controversy has given them tremendous incentive to put a major hurting on everyone they play, and they have a good mixture of veterans and young guys to remain focused and keep things under control.

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