This “Black Monday” in the NFL may be known more for those who weren’t fired than those who were. For instance, the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders, teams with a combined seven wins this season, will stay the course.
In New Jersey on Monday, Jan. 6, Giants Team President John Mara justified his decision to keep General Manager Joe Schoen and Head Coach Brian Daboll after what he termed a “pretty lousy season.” Daboll, in particular, was thought to be on his way out after the team finished with a 3-14 record.
“Listen I’m at practice all the time, I go to team meetings, I watch the players, how they react. I still think he’s the right guy to lead us. If I’m sitting here a year from now and you’re asking me these questions, I’ll take the heat,” Mara said.
However, there’s a fine line between success and failure. After giving his staff a second lease on life, Mara was asked how long they have to turn things around. “It better not take too long because I’ve just about run out of patience,” he said.
Head Coach Antonio Pierce’s job in Las Vegas seems safe after a four-win season. On Monday, he said he had not heard anything from the team’s ownership.
The Raiders were hit hard by injuries, leading to a 10-game losing streak during the season, but Pierce was proud of the progress they made in the final month.
“Win, lose or draw, those guys competed, there’s improvement there. Some young players really stepped up and that’s what I think this last month was for us. We won two games in a row and lost last night but I thought you saw some things where you could say, ‘man, they were working on it,’” he said.
As expected in Jacksonville, Team Owner Shad Khan fired Head Coach Doug Pederson Monday but did retain General Manager Trent Baalke. “This decision doesn’t erase the fact that Doug did a lot of good things here in Jacksonville,” Khan said. “I have a lot of respect for Doug and will always be grateful for his effort.”
In New England, the Patriots didn’t even wait until “Black Monday” before firing first-year coach Jerod Mayo. He was let go after the team beat the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Jan. 5, earning just their fourth win of the season. Owner Robert Kraft took the blame, saying he put Mayo in an “untenable position.”
“It was very hard because of the personal relationship I have with Jerod and the kind of human being that he is. I felt guilty I put him in that position, but we’re moving on.” Kraft said.
Former Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel, a Patriots Hall of Famer, is rumored to be a top candidate in New England.
The Jets, Saints and Bears are also still searching for their next coach. Reports indicate that the Bears have asked to interview Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy, whose contract expires Jan. 14.
