Because I was guilty of wanting Beck to get inserted into the game before he was clearly ready to play. Coach Cameron was right all along. Heres a blurb from Peter King's MMQ in CNNSI.... "I'd like to see owners stop looking for the miracle cure when they pick a coach. I've got proof it doesn't work. Since 2000, by my count, NFL teams have hired seven big-money geniuses (average salary per year: $4.3 million) to take their teams to the promised land. The Magnificent Seven: Nick Saban (Miami), Steve Spurrier (Washington), Dick Vermeil (Kansas City), Dennis Green (Arizona), Bill Parcells (Dallas), Joe Gibbs (Washington) and Bobby Petrino (Atlanta). They have coached a combined 21 years with those teams. Playoff appearances in those 21 years: 4. (It's mathematically possible to be five this year, if the 6-7 Redskins run the table and get some help.) Playoff wins in those 21 years: 1. Championship Game appearances: 0. Super Bowl appearances: 0. Gibbs won the playoff game with Washington, 17-10 over Tampa Bay in January 2006. Parcells made the playoffs in two of his four Dallas seasons. Vermeil had the other playoff season, a one-and-done job in 2003 with the Chiefs. One playoff win by the geniuses in 21 years. " http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/12/09/week14/index.html The point is...canning Cam and bringing in one of the big three...statistically would not amount to a hill of beans. And according to the article, if you read more, the one thing they all have in common, is the lack of a franchise QB. Look at some of the coaches out there, that are getting ripped. Cam, Lovie Smith, heck even Andy Reid. None of them have been getting anything out of their QB position to really speak of. Does Cam have room to grow. Sure does. But, this arm chair coach is gonna learn to shut his mouth and get patient. Both Cam and Mueller have a good history of developing QB's. Im gonna sit back, quit second guessing, and trust that they have the right formula. I once heard that to make the best perfume, you have to ignore smelling each individual fragrance that goes into it, because individually, they might smell like dung, but combined, and given time, the true fragrance can be found. Lets give these guys the time they need to rebuild this team. If they think John Beck is our guy...then I say he is our guy. Give him time to develop. We will have our franchise QB in due time.
Interesting stats. I also agree with you. The problem is that the majority of Phins fans aren't patient. They would rather have a revolving door of HC candidates failing than to give one HC time to build his team. Instant gratification (which too many Phins fans expect) is not conducive (nor realistic) to building a dynasty. I know that I am in the minority of those who think that Cam and Randy need more time and I really don't care what others think about that. At least I know that by giving these guys more time to build their team and staff, they at least have a chance for future success. If I subscribed to the popular view (among Phins fans) of wanting a coach/GM/QB etc. canned after a game/half-season/ season, then I can guarantee that this franchise will forever fail. Lack of stability equals failure, plain and simple. There is no quick fix to this franchise. It's going to take time.......and time is not something that the majority of fans are willing to offer. I hope that Wayne has the good sense NOT to listen to the majority of fans.
Here is something i was always fond of: "If you sit by the river long enough, you will see the body of your enemy floating by." I am guilty too. I think most of us were. We predominantly said well "we know what Cleo is. Let's see Beck." Why is n't Cam playing Beck, why this that yadadada. Well we found out that maybe the guy who is actually around Beck everyday, knows something we don't. Watching the Beck thing play makes me look back. Most of us were severely perplexed by cameron's supposed reluctance to play Beck. Now we know why, he just isn't ready to process the information at the right speed. Does this mean he is bust, no not really. Looking pretty crappy through four games for a rookie QB is not unusual. What magnifies it more is the level of QB play we now need in order to manufacture some points. Lemon as bad as he is makes enough plays to get us by with the (lack) of talent around him. Beck is not at that level of experience or familiarity with the offense. AND, one of the criticism's of Beck through preseason and camp is that he holds the ball. A sure sign that he just doesn't see the whole field, not yet. Now, I'm not saying with and certainty that he will, but he should get better from here, on some level. We have to now realize that when Ronnie went down, our offense did too. Our defense is not so much about being old - as being slow, and old. Anyone notice that our LB's never really chase down the guy to the outside,.........ever. We need an injection of speed on 2 levels (secondary, and LB's) and a quick receiver, not a fast one. Ginn is fast, but not quick............Booker might be best suited there, but can he even make the transition, if he is even to make the transition. And a LG 'cause right now I'm thinking about handing in a photo of this guy who works out in the same gym as I do.........he has the size. We are now playing Lekekerkererererererererererererer at LG - dude was cut as a back up in SD. I'm not saying he's trash, but c'mon. We need some more help here, and L.J. Shelton has sent a memo to all fans - not only does he sucks in pass pro, but David Martin does too. When they are on the same side it makes me long for the days of impenetrable wall that was Randy McMichael - at least he made defenders run around him. Sorry to rant but, we almost have to let Cam stay, cause the mess it would create for the next guy might be insurmountable..........for maybe half a decade. This is a case of picking the lesser of evils. never easy, never pleasant.......but very real.
That's all fine and well, if Cam had done anything...ANYTHING this year to inspire any sort of confidence for the future. Like win a single fricking game. He's alienated his players against him, he's lost the franchise a ton of money, and he's made a proud organization the laughing stock of the NFL. Quite an accomplishment for a rookie head coach. There's a difference between giving someone some slack because its their first year and getting burned by a guy way over his head. I think we know and see the difference. By the way, when you put your rookie QB into the fray, he's going to make poor decisions and look awful. Its because he's a rookie. But he needed to be put in, because as you saw, Cleo is no better. So the reason he was put in became, let's see what Beck can do instead of Beck will win us games. Just like with Cameron, we need to see something that inspires confidence in the future with Beck. I believe there is something there based on his first two games of managing the ball and the game. His last two...well, not so much.
I look at it this way.... First... Cam botched Becks development time by staying with his flawed plan for TG even though TG was showing all the signs in TC, pre-season and the first four games of being the TG of 2006... not 2004/5... Cam kept Beck on the scout team through week 7... then gave the team time off over the bye week and then split Becks reps prior to the home Bills game... a game Cam later said Beck was the better prepared of the two (Lemon) to start and play. Second... Cams gameplans ... like they were for Lemon when Cam was desperatly trying to manufacture a W... were flawed and too conservative.... besides all the botched calls.... whomever was making them... And third... I find it almost impossible to build a case that could reference Cams success in any area.... or importantly... give support that things will be better next season...
I've never been much of a Peter King fan!! He's made a few statements in the past that he hasn't a clue about!! I'm not saying that there is a magic cure out there, but there's a little more to the problem then what Mr. King thinks!!
There's a term in leadership/business called a "Level 5 Leader." It basically means a leader who is mild, isn't a big name hire, who stays out of the spotlight. It isn't a charismatic leader or a noise maker (Saban, Parcells, et al). A level 5 is someone who builds a franchise for when they're gone more than when they're there. They use terms like "luck" to describe their success and praise OTHERS (something Spurrier has never done in his career. He's constantly blaming 18 year olds for his horrible game plans). A level 5 is a leader without ego. Now tell me of those names above, which one fits that definition?
I'm not a fan of replacing a coach after only 1 season, but certain things have come to light recently that have me leaning in that direction. Why? I'm not certain that Cameron has the right kind of mojo to be an outstanding coach in this league. I think he could be an "ok" coach as long as he's got stud talent on his roster, but he's very predictable in his approach. The Bills have basically the same or worse injury situation we have, have the same level of talent on their roster, and play basically the same teams we do, and yet they are 7-6. Why would that be? Coaching. Cameron has learned from Marty Shottenheimer, who we all know is not particularly innovative. Cameron appears to plan and call games in a similar fashion. Lot's of chips, but no salsa. Talks a good game, and says all the right things, but something is missing. Not the kind of coach who's going to figure out clever ways to win games. Just not going to happen from what I'm seeing. Very similar to Wannstedt frankly.
What you said about Cameron being a lot like Wannstedt was right on the mark!! As you so aptly stated, I don't believe in replacing a first year coach as well, just as long as you feel that coach has the potential to make things better. I didn't expect much from the Dolphins this year. I had them at 5-11, so it's not as if I'm totally surprised!! With that said, I did think they could possibly win "1" or "2" by this time, and as such, that's not the case. The real problem is the fact that there aren't any real candidates that can clean up this mess of a franchise!! So I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Yes, I'm not sure who could be a replacement if that was the direction. I actually like Cameron, and he has to be admired for his steadiness in this kind of situation, but I'm just not seeing that he has *it*. And I'd really hate to sit thru another 4-5 years of "Wanny II".
YOU HIT IT ON THE MONEY ....COACHES CAN'T MAKE THE PLAYS ON THE FIELD, BUT THEY CAN MAKE THE PLAYERS BETTER PREPARED FOR A GAME AND SMARTER IN DECISION MAKING IN THAT WHOLE ASPECT OF THE GAME. THE ONLY IMPROVEMENT THIS YEAR CAME FROM RONNIE BROWN TILL HE GOT HER EVERYTHING ELSE HAS REGRESSED .THE OFFENSIVE GENIUS LABEL CAM HAS BY SOME IS FALSE. HOW CAN HE BE A OFFENSIVE MASERMIND IF HE USES ANOTHER MAN' SYSTEM ?
