In the most recent and bizarre quarterback controversy to date in the NFL, Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini FINALLY named a starting quarterback. On Wednesday of the week dedicated to preparation for the team’s first game against the Minnesota Vikings. But, he did not tell the media. Nor did he notify the team, deciding instead to let the team figure it out when the first team offense took the field at practice.
It is hard to play Monday morning quarterback to NFL coaches. Fans and media cannot possibly understand all of the factors weighing on a coach making a key decision, even if both pretend as though they do. However, it is fair to analyze what impact Mangini’s quarterback battle – and the circumstances surrounding the announcement of the decision – had on the actual game.
As Bleacher Fan stated in the intro, Mangini believed that he was misdirecting his team’s week one opponent by forcing them to prepare for two quarterbacks. Mangini believed that preparation would waste valuable time in the Vikings’ clubhouse and give his team an advantage. Did that decision have any impact on the game itself?
Uh… no. Looking back, it is rather laughable that Mangini believed it would impact the game at all. First, the two quarterbacks he was deciding between have very similar traits. Both Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson are traditional pocket passers. Both have strong arms (those questioning Brady Quinn’s arm strength clearly have not watched him play). Both make head scratching decisions from time to time (though Anderson has an edge on frequency). Both tap the ball as a timing mechanism when they are preparing to throw. What is the real difference? Potential (Quinn) versus known/frustrating commodity (Anderson). It is not as though Mangini was forcing the Vikings to prepare for either Mike Vick or Dan Marino.
The Mangini decision aside, Minnesota showed no signs of being ill prepared for the quarterback they were facing. Their game plan was to stuff the run (which they always do), and force the quarterback to beat them. They knew if they covered the receivers, both quarterbacks would hit the check down receivers in the tight end and the running backs. Of the nine different Browns that caught passes on Sunday, only three were receivers. Safe to say the Minnesota defense shut the receivers down.
More, leading up the game Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress said he was preparing for a scheme, not for a quarterback. The way the defense played indicates his team did a fine job, giving up only one touchdown on defense in the waning moments of the game.
Plus, Mangini’s decision to not publically announce his quarterback going into week one seems to have been a non-issue for the Patriots while possibly hindering his own team. Rather than concentrating on getting his team focused and prepared – and having all of the team’s leaders empowered and in place – Mangini distracted himself and his team by playing needless head games with the opponent. One of the great values of football I learned early on as a writer was that coaches, more than anything else in the game, loved when they were in an obvious running situations and their team STILL dominated the opposing team. The point is that it should not matter who is under center for the Browns. If the team executes properly it should not matter if they share their entire game plan.
All of the smoke and mirrors served only as a distraction for the Browns, not a disruption for the Vikings. All of the head games and gamesmanship exhibited by Mangini and the team – who Mangini convinced of his genius plan – did not in one way impact the game. Perhaps Mangini should spend more time preparing his team, and less time trying to fool the opposition before the teams even take the field.
Read the debate intro and Sports Geek’s argument that Mangini’s secrecy about naming the starting quarterback had no impact on the game.
Before Eric Mangini became head coach of the Cleveland Browns, and before he was head coach of the New York Jets, he was a member of New England head coach Bill Belichick’s staff. First, the two worked together in New York for the Jets. When Belichick was hired by the Patriots, he brought in Mangini. Obviously, Mangini’s coaching style and persona was somewhat influenced by Belichick, who is infamous for his secrecy on various football issues, such as the injury report. You can bet that Mangini learned every way to gain an advantage on an opponent from his former mentor, even if the two do not necessarily get along these days. Withholding the name of the player who was going to start at quarterback against the Vikings for an extended period of time was a coaching tactic that definitely had an impact on the game. Was it going to be Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn? That is what Cleveland Browns fans wanted to know, and for a little while, that is what the Minnesota Vikings wanted to know.
First off, we must ignore the fact that Minnesota won the game 34-20. Obviously, Minnesota is the better team. No one is disputing that and probably would not dispute it no matter who lined up under center.
However, Mangini did give us his young team a much better chance of winning by keeping the news of who would be starter quiet for an extended period of time. Minnesota has one of the top defenses in the league and the Browns needed every advantage they could get.
In the National Football League, game plans are usually given to the players the first part of the week. In this particular situation, there was probably two separate game plans given to the players: one if Brady Quinn is named starter and one if Derek Anderson is named starter. Through studying game film, Vikings coaches noticed tendencies by both quarterbacks and developed game plans to attack the weaknesses of each individual. Not so coincidentally, news leaked out that Quinn would be named the starter late Tuesday night. By this time, coaches had spent hours preparing for both. Would the Vikings-Browns game have been closer if they had spent the entire week on just Quinn?
Do not forget that Cleveland led the game 13-10 at the half. That leads me to believe that the move by Mangini had some impact. Perhaps Quinn did some things that the Vikings were not totally prepared for because of the lack of time spent solely focusing on Quinn. The Vikings were able to make some adjustments at halftime, and thus thoroughly dominated the Browns in the second half by only giving up a field goal and a late “garbage” time touchdown.
Like I said before, the Vikings are the better team. They are the defending NFC North champions and expected to repeat. That is all the more reason for Mangini to establish any type of advantage he could get. The move bought the Browns some time and helped them compete for a half. The advantage goes to Mangini!
Read Sports Geek and Loyal Homer’s argument on whether or not Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini’s decision to keep the starting quarterback a secret was a good one.
For weeks building up to (and through) the preseason, there was much speculation in Cleveland as to who the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns would be. Would it be the 2007 Pro Bowler Derek Anderson, or the highly touted 2007 draft pick Brady Quinn? Last season, it appeared that Quinn had officially claimed the spot when he replaced Anderson mid-season. However, subsequent injuries by both Quinn and Anderson during the 2008 season, along with the announcement that Eric Mangini would replace Romeo Crennel as head coach, threw everything back up in the air.
When Mangini came into the Browns organization, he immediately announced that there would be an open competition for the starting quarterback position. All through training camp, there was speculation around which quarterback actually had the edge. Neither seemed to take the steps necessary to claim the starting position outright, leaving the public with only guesses as to what was going on in the head of Mangini.
Then, in a move that had many people around the league scratching their heads, Mangini publicly stated that he would keep the starting quarterback a secret even after deciding who it would be. His reasoning – to keep the Vikings guessing.
The Minnesota Vikings were scheduled as the Browns’ week one opponents, and Mangini felt that he was gaining a competitive edge over Minnesota with the secret because it forced the Vikings to prepare for defending against two different quarterbacks, instead of just one.
Now that the first week of NFL competition is complete, with the Vikings beating the Browns by a score of 34-20, I am asking my esteemed colleagues at The Sports Debates to evaluate Mangini’s decision.
In hindsight, was it a wise decision by Eric Mangini to keep his choice as starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns a secret until the last possible moment?
Keep in mind that losing the game does not automatically mean that Mangini made a poor choice. If not for running back Adrian Peterson’s impressive performance on offense for the Vikings (180 rushing yards and three touchdowns), the Vikings could have lost on Sunday.
Loyal Homer will argue that this decision, although it did not help change the outcome of the game, was still a wise decision on the part of Eric Mangini because the Vikings had to split their defensive focus and could not prepare for simply one gameplan. Sports Geek will argue that the choice was a bad one.
So which is it? Were these the actions of a mad-man or a Man-genius?!
Terrelle Pryor struggled mightily against a tough and well coached Southern Cal defense that exposed many of his weaknesses. The fact that Terrelle Pryor – who was the subject of MUCH more hype coming out of high school than Florida quarterback Tim Tebow – is struggling so substantially after two Springs and 10+ starts is the biggest surprise from the weekend.
Pryor was the top recruit in the nation two years ago. He possessed physical tools and athleticism that few coaches and recruiting coordinators across the country had ever seen. Top programs like Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, and Oregon were hot on his trail. Sports Illustrated called Pryor’s announcement of what school he had chosen the most anticipated ever in the history of college football.
As a freshman starter in college Pryor was, well, decent. His athleticism was noted and admired by all. His reliance on running back Chris Wells to make the offense function was also obvious. After the conclusion of the 2009 season Ohio State fans were left to contemplate what they had in Pryor. Was he a great athlete with boatloads of untapped potential (see Vince Young)? Or, was he an overrated player that believed he had more ability that he actually did (see the game-losing fumble against Penn State during 2008 for an example)?
That is what Terrelle Pryor was.
Now, Pryor is not a good quarterback. Granted, he still has time to develop still, but his dismal display against Southern Cal on Saturday night must be extremely concerning for Buckeyes’ fans. Pryor made several substantial mistakes that showcase how little he has developed as a quarterback.
All good quarterbacks must be good passers, however, Pryor has not shown that. He has a strong arm, sure, but his decision making is questionable. Is Pryor finding the correct receiver to target? When he does find the right target, are his mechanics good enough to complete the pass every time? The latter question is likely the one Buckeye fans and coaches will be asking throughout the week. Pryor has inconsistent feet, rarely setting them before throwing the ball. The early interception Pryor threw on Saturday night – the play that set up Southern Cal’s first touchdown – came on a play where Pryor was rushed and moving. Even though his feet were not set, he still decided to throw – it was a bad decision. Pryor’s footwork is really quite terrible. He throws off his back foot too often, causing throws to hang up in the air too long and generally throwing off his accuracy. The bad mechanics are alarming, and issues that should have been drilled and addressed by two games into season number two.
Terrelle Pryor’s greatest asset is his athleticism. But, someone has to remind him. He is obviously reluctant to run, causing him to force some throws. What is concerning is that he is determined to show NFL scouts he has the ability to throw, that he is not just another running quarterback what will flame out in the pros (again, see Vince Young). Until Pryor admits to himself that he is a college quarterback leading a college team playing college football, he will not realize his potential. I do not like to speculate, but it appears as though winning and losing at Ohio State is not the most important part of his football life, and that is stunting his growth.
A quarterback must lead. Leading comes in many forms in college football, from chit chat in the huddle to acing questions during film study to running the two minute drill. The two minute drill is a staple of any offense and the ideal opportunity for a quarterback to take command of a game and earn his teammate’s trust. Pryor had two opportunities to run a short clock drill, one at the end of the first half, the other at the end of the game, and he was unable to execute both times. “Unable to execute” is quite generous, too. In reality, those two short clocks drills were a hot mess, with poor throws and terrible clock management. At the end of the game Pryor actually took off toward the sideline to try and salvage a few yards when there was good coverage downfield, but then cut back toward the middle of the field to get a couple of extra yards. Normally that is fine – even applauded. But, Ohio State needed to stop the clock in that situation first. Pryor seems to struggle with his game awareness.
In some ways, this is a difficult article to write… to be so critical of a 19-year-old kid who is playing with such tremendous expectations every week. But, this is the type of scrutiny that Pryor has welcomed – if the door is opened, it is fair to walk through it.
To the keen observer, it appears as though Pryor plays the game with the weight of the world on his shoulders. And, in fairness to Pryor, Ohio State has some issues on offense. The line cannot change the line of scrimmage in short yardage situations, receivers are having trouble getting separation, and running backs are not finding the few holes the offensive line opens. But, the issues that Ohio State has on offense create an opportunity for Pryor to show leadership and take command of the offense. Right now, it does not appear as though he has the capacity to do it.
The good news for Pryor is that if intelligence and discipline ever catch up to his athleticism, he may become one of the all time greats. Until then, Pryor is perpetually potential.
Read Sports Geek’s argument that the play of Terrelle Pryor was the biggest surprise of Week One and Bleacher Fan’s argument that the play of the Ravens defense was the biggest surprise.
It was an exciting first week in the NFL with tonight’s two games still to come. The end of Denver-Cincinnati game was surprising, and I thought the Packers-Bears game last night was very entertaining. Hope you enjoyed Week one, and I hope your fantasy team did well.
The biggest surprise was what Kanye West did to Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards last night… oh wait, we are talking football, not dramatic (or staged) music video awards. To me, the biggest surprise of this past weekend was the complete whipping the Carolina Panthers took as host of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Carolina came into this season as one of the favorites in the NFC. Despite ending last season last year on a sour note with a second round loss to Arizona at home in which quarterback Jake Delhomme had six turnovers, the Panthers still had high hopes for this season… and they probably still do. But, it was not the way they envisioned starting off.
On Sunday, Delhomme picked up right up where he left off last year, turning the ball five times before being pulled in the third quarter for Josh McNown (yikes)! You know you are struggling with a guy when someone with the last name McNown (Cade, Luke, Josh, etc) takes your place. Head coach John Fox has not yet announced who will start this week at quarterback, but you can bet Panthers fans are getting anxious… and Fox is smacking his gum a little faster.
The Panthers running game also struggled Sunday, with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combining for 72 yards on 25 carries. That can partially be attributed to the struggles of the passing game and the fact that they got behind early against the Eagles.
The Panthers do not get a breather this week, either, as they travel to NFC South rival Atlanta on Sunday. Lose Sunday, and they are already behind two games in the division. This does not even include the Saints, who looked really good on offense yesterday (okay, so it was against the Lions). With the Panthers upcoming schedule, they really cannot afford to dig too deep of a hole. This year, the NFC South matches up with the NFC East and AFC East. That gives them a trip to Dallas in two weeks and two cold December trips to look forward to. If you are a visiting team, you cannot be looking forward to December trips to Foxboro and the Meadowlands!
It is still early in the season, and it is WAY too early to push too many panic buttons. But, if I am a Panthers fan, I definitely woke up this morning not feeling too good about my team. It is one thing to lose a close game. At least there is some hope! It is quite another to get whipped on your home turf! And with Delhomme struggling the way he is, I am not sure this team can turn it around this season.
Here’s a question: How did the vaunted Baltimore Ravens defense allow Kansas City Chiefs backup quarterback Brodie Croyle to throw for two touchdowns, a 116.1 passer rating, and fail to force a single turnover?!
If you were to ask me before week one in the NFL which defense was going to have the best performance, I would have said the Baltimore Ravens. Last season, the Ravens ranked second in the NFL for total defense and had more interceptions than any other team. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs were ranked offensively among the bottom ten teams in the league for total offense (24th), points per game (26th), and turned the ball over 24 times (including 16 interceptions). Add to that the fact that the Chiefs were forced to start Croyle after it was decided that starting quarterback Matt Cassell would not play. All the signs were pointing towards a good ol’ fashioned beat down by the Ravens.
I could not have been more mistaken.
Despite winning the game, the Ravens should be very disappointed in their performance on Sunday, and VERY concerned that this might be an indication of how they will match up against an offense that is actually able to produce consistently.
Croyle, who has never won a game as a starting quarterback, should have been easy pickings for one of the most dominant defenses of the last decade in the NFL. He has a career passer rating of only 67.5, and has thrown only six touchdowns to eight interceptions since joining the Chiefs in 2006. Defending against a player with those credentials should have been like shooting fish in a barrel for defensive back Ed Reed, linebacker Ray Lewis and company. But, it was not.
The Chiefs went on to score 24 points against a Ravens defense that only allowed an average of 15.3 points per game all season in 2008, and only allowed 24 or more points four times during all of 2008 (which understandably came against high-powered offenses such as the Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, and the New York Giants). By allowing the Chiefs to score 24 points behind a second-string quarterback, the appearance is that this is not the same Ravens defense we are used to seeing.
Perhaps age has finally caught up with Baltimore. This is a defense where many of their superstars are now well into their 30’s (Ray Lewis – 34, Ed Reed – 31, Trevor Pryce – 34), and the AVERAGE age for the starting 11 is slightly above 28 years old.
Another factor that may have serious implications for the Ravens on defense is the loss of Rex Ryan as the defensive coordinator. Ryan joined Baltimore in 1999 as their defensive line coach, and was promoted to the defensive coordinator position in 2005. The son of legendary coach Buddy Ryan, Rex Ryan has established himself as one of the elite defensive-minded coaches in the league. That reputation helped save his job in 2008 after the firing of then head coach Brian Billick and all of Billick’s staff (except for Ryan, of course), and eventually led to his current assignment as the head coach of the New York Jets. Perhaps he was the secret ingredient that helped make the Ravens’ defense one of the best in the league.
In fairness, it is also possible that the game against Kansas City on Sunday was just a blip on the radar. It is entirely possible that the Ravens will come out of the gates next week in San Diego with guns blazing, and will shut down the potentially dangerous Chargers’ offense.
It can be difficult to gauge a team’s likelihood of success or failure off of only one game, especially when it is a game that the Ravens won (regardless of how pretty that win looked). Nevertheless, I expected a much better performance out of the Baltimore defense last Sunday. If this game serves as any indication that the Ravens (who have never been mistaken as an offensive powerhouse) are going to have to rely on quarterback Joe Flacco, a committee of three different running backs, and Derrick Mason as the top receiver to carry the load in the 2009 season, then Ravens fans had better buckle-up and prepare for a VERY bumpy ride!
Another week passes and now all of the football world is cranked up and running at full speed, with a full slate of college and pro football on the docket this weekend. While the weekend features many good games, one stands above the rest, as two teams – two programs – have a lot to prove when they take the field in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Saturday afternoon.
Both Michigan and Notre Dame have a lot of in common, and a lot to prove. Both programs are searching for redemption, hoping to restore their once glorious status as the country’s elite college football programs. They are first and second all time in winning percentage. They have a litany of rivals and a long history. Each head coach, the Wolverines’ Rich Rodriguez and the Fighting Irish’s Charlie Weis, are sharing what must be a roomy hot seat, too.
While the 35-3 drubbing of Western Michigan in week one of the college football season has probably has earned Rodriguez a shaky level of comfort for the time being, he knows Michigan has to turn itself around – and fast. The program is coming off a 3-9 disastrous 2008 season – the worst in the storied program’s history – and Rodriguez is shouldering the majority of the blame. Michigan is playing for their coach’s job security, the program’s ability to recruit, the program’s short and long term perception… oh, and an important win in the 2009 season. No pressure.
Notre Dame is faced with similar pressure for similar reasons. Sure, they whooped up on a surprisingly weak Nevada program in week one and their junior quarterback Jimmy Clausen seems to be living up to the some of the hype that accompanied his trip to South Bend three years ago, but Notre Dame, as a program, still has a tremendous amount to prove. Notre Dame has powerful boosters, which it has demonstrated on more than one occasion (just ask Tyrone Willingham and Bob Davie). Weis must appease them.
The winner has a lot to gain, for sure. But, the loser may have more to lose. Losing this game launches one of the two programs back into the discussion about mediocrity and opens the door for coaching scrutiny and renewed insecurity. A loss for Michigan at the Big House hamstrings recruiting again (and Michigan State will continue to take advantage of that reality). A loss for Notre Dame calls into question the program’s ability to rebuild under Weis if a 3-9 team from a year ago can win, even though it was on the road.
Neither program has the luxury of relying on their history any longer. Both must prove they are relevant, and this game gives them an opportunity to do that. A loss could easily spell the beginning of the end for one coach and trigger a transition, while a win for one could immediately launch them into the discussion for the national championship (whether the team is worthy or not).
Even more than Ohio State and Southern Cal, these two storied programs are playing for survival and relevance. The loser of the game in Columbus will not lose recruits, will not destroy their coach’s future, etc. They simply have made their march toward a possible BCS championship game appearance more challenging. For Michigan and Notre Dame, it is a battle for survival, gridiron style. Which team can survive and thrive under the pressure? We will know by the time the game kicks off in Columbus on Saturday night.
Recently, The Sports Debates discussed the topic of which 2009 college football game would be the most important of the season. My opinion then (and still today) was that the matchup in Columbus between the USC Trojans and The Ohio State Buckeyes would be the most important game for the entire year.
That game takes place this weekend, and is THE game that you simply CANNOT miss!
Sure, the NFL kicks off this weekend, but let’s be honest… the implications from the outcome of a game during week one of the NFL season are minimal. Every team still has 15 more games to prove they deserve to be in the playoffs.
That is not the case for Ohio State or USC. This game for the Buckeyes and the Trojans is essentially the same as a playoff game, with the entire season on the line for BOTH of these teams when they take the field on Saturday evening. The team that wins will be rocketed into BCS National Championship discussions (especially following Oklahoma’s loss to Brigham Young last weekend). For the team that loses, all National Championship hopes are lost, and the BEST they can hope for is a conference championship and a BCS appearance in the Rose Bowl.
The games during the first weekend helped to set the stage for a very interesting matchup. Southern Cal, behind true freshman quarterback Matt Barkley, completely dominated their opponents, the San Jose State Spartans, with a final score of 56-3. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, were involved in a nail-biter against the Midshipmen from Navy, which had the opportunity to tie the game in Columbus with less than three minutes to go. The Buckeyes did manage to escape the game against Navy with a ‘W,’ but it raised questions in many minds about how they would fare against a much more talented USC team.
When the rankings came out this week, they reflected those sentiments exactly, with USC moving up to the number three spot and Ohio State dropping to number eight, despite their win.
There is a lot at stake for both teams in this game, and both need this win badly.
The matchup at quarterback will also be very interesting to watch. It is not often that a sophomore is considered the veteran quarterback in a top-ten matchup, but such is the case for Terrelle Pryor and Ohio State. Having played as a true freshman last season, Pryor knows exactly the pressure that Barkley will be under in Columbus.
Will Pryor’s “experience” be enough to give him and his Buckeyes the edge they need, or will the talent of the USC star-in-the-making be too much for The Ohio State defense to handle? Will the Buckeyes be able to break their recent streak of losses against top-five teams, or will USC march into the Horseshoe and prove that they can win outside of the comfy confines of the Coliseum? Which team will carry the pride of their conference? Who is the contender, and who is the pretender?
I will definitely enjoy the kickoff to the NFL season, but I am most looking forward to the playoff atmosphere of the college season in Columbus on Saturday!
The NFL is finally here! It is arguably my favorite league. Fantasy football has taken my love of the NFL to new heights over the past several years. I think many of you can say that, too! Hopefully, the Steelers-Titans game last night got everyone in the mood for NFL action this weekend. What a physical game that was!
In looking at the NFL schedule, I see intriguing games like Miami at Atlanta, Philadelphia at Carolina, and Washington at New York. However, the most important game of the weekend takes place in Green Bay as the Packers welcome long time nemesis Chicago to Lambeau Field.
The Chicago Bears come into the 2009 season with renewed hope and excitement. Those uplifting feelings are due to the fact that quarterback Jay Cutler will be taking the snaps. The quarterback position has been a merry-go-round the last few seasons with Rex Grossman, Brian Griese, and Kyle Orton playing hot potato with the position. Now, the Bears – and Bears fans – hope they have found a franchise quarterback in Cutler. Bears fans are some of the most passionate in the league, and you can bet the bullseye is squarely on the chest of Mr. Cutler.
Green Bay also comes into the season with renewed hope and excitement. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers quietly had a solid season in his first year starting, replacing that Favre guy. He finished the year with over 4,000 passing yards and 28 touchdowns with a 93.8 passer rating. (In fact, he was my number one pick on my fantasy team, so I hope he has a big year!) The Packers have tried to fix their problems on defense, and if you put a lot of stock into what happens in the preseason, then you feel good about how the defense looks at this point. Renowned defensive coordinator Dom Capers was hired to turn things around, and with him comes his patented brand of the 3-4 defense.
This is the best game because of the ramifications within the division. I see the Vikings, Bears, and Packers battling it out all season for NFC North supremacy. And, this is an intense rivalry. If the Bears were able to steal a game at Lambeau, it would be huge in terms of getting back on track and making a push to get back to the playoffs. The Packers need to win to hold serve and get a quality win at home against a division rival. In this division, you are going to have to win your games at home in order to contend for the division title. It is a Sunday night game on national television, too, and it is huge for either team to send a message to the rest of the league in saying, “Hey, we may have been down last year, but this is a new year and we are back.”
This game sets the tone for the rest of the season. Now strap on those pads, buckle those chin straps, and let’s place some football!!!
As I sit down to write my verdict, the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers are doing battle in Pittsburgh as the NFL season officially kicks off. So, with all due respect to Major League Baseball, I am keeping this one short and sweet.
The victory for this debate goes to Sports Geek.
I will concede to Loyal Homer that Leo Mazzone had an outstanding tenure in Atlanta. When thinking about pitching in the 1990’s, no pitching staff was more dominant than Mazzone’s Atlanta Braves hurlers. The names that Loyal Homer mentioned who thrived while pitching under Mazzone – Greg Maddux, Denny Neagle, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz – were undoubtedly the best in the baseball. That dominance, however, only accounts for 15 of the last 30 years. Yes, Mazzone produced astonishing results while in Atlanta, but his tenure did not begin with them until 1990. By that time, Duncan had already produced two of his four Cy Young award winners. As Sports Geek points out, Duncan’s success has spanned a much broader period of time, including three straight seasons with the league’s lowest ERA from 1988 – 1990, and again 15 years later in 2005.
The second point that must be addressed is the fact that Duncan is STILL producing successful pitchers today. John Smoltz’s apparent revival in St. Louis is just one example of the pitching dominance in St. Louis this season. Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter are both legitimate contenders for the National League Cy Young award. Wainwright currently has the most wins in baseball with 18 (Carpenter is second with 16 wins), and Carpenter owns the league’s best ERA with 2.16 (Wainwright sits at fifth with an ERA of 2.59). As a team, the Cardinals have the third best ERA in the Majors, they lead the league in fewest walks allowed, and have given up the third fewest runs in baseball.
As highlighted by our friend “plstcoscr61,” Duncan has had success with multiple teams in both the American League AND the National League, whereas Mazzone had success only with Atlanta. As agreed upon by Loyal Homer, when Mazzone left Atlanta for Baltimore he did not come close to the level of success he had left behind with the Braves.
Duncan has been more consistent over a broader range of teams for a much longer period of time than has Mazzone. In the discussion of who the best pitching coach of the past 30 years has been, the award goes to Dave Duncan!
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