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Jets head coach
Al Groh
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As the summer wound down and training camp heated up, uncertainty surrounded the start
of Dennis Green’s ninth season at the helm in Minnesota and Al Groh’s first with
the New York Jets. But a lot of that uncertainty had been laid to rest by the midway point
of the 2000 campaign. The Vikings, for one, are sitting pretty with a 7-1 record. The
never-say-die Jets are a stellar 6-2.
When Green and the Vikings chose to push untested second-year QB Daunte Culpepper into
the fray instead of keeping veterans Randall Cunningham or Jeff George on board, Green
took plenty of heat. Using a quarterback who didn’t even attempt a pass as a rookie
rather than resting on the proven capabilities of George or Cunningham was thought to be a
ludicrous decision. A team that already had to deal with a suspect secondary and the void
left by departed Pro Bowl OLs Jeff Christy and Randall McDaniel didn’t need a green
quarterback leading what could be one of the league’s most potent offenses.
Groh, on the other hand, sidestepped into his first NFL head-coaching gig in a bizarre
whirlwind of press conferences. Amid the resignation and reassignment of Bill Parcells and
the naming and subsequent resignation of Bill Belichick as head coach, there was Groh to
scrape up what was left. High-profile WR Keyshawn Johnson, the team’s identity, had
been traded to Tampa Bay for two first-round draft picks, and Groh, the former LB coach,
was immediately placed under the microscope with more questions being fired his way than
he had answers to.
But what would the NFL be without irony?
Culpepper showed plenty of athleticism and maturity through the first half of the
season. He has an impressive 15-9 TD-interception ratio and has added another four scores
on the ground. The Vikings were able to plug holes on the offensive line and have received
Pro Bowl-caliber play from OTs Korey Stringer and Todd Steussie. The once-maligned
secondary has held its own thanks in part to the leadership of SS Robert Griffith and the
addition of veteran CB Chris Dishman.
The Jets have managed to make plays when they’re needed most in winning several
games in the final seconds. New York’s defense has been stingy, and when QB Vinny
Testaverde is on and offensive coordinator Dan Henning is in a groove, the Jets have not
let many opportunities slip through their fingers.
In other happenings around the NFL, coaching changes already have been made in
Cincinnati and Arizona — one voluntarily and one not so.
Bengals RB Corey Dillon, who seemingly had as much interest with Cincinnati during the
offseason as a runway model has with an all-you-can-eat buffet, broke Walter Payton’s
NFL record for rushing yards in a game with a 278-yard performance in Week Eight.
The Jaguars have imploded with a host of injuries and inconsistent play, while the
Buccaneers have found themselves looking up at teams they expected to be beating down.
The Broncos’ Brian Griese and the 49ers’ Jeff Garcia have torched opposing
defenses on a weekly basis. QB Rich Gannon has found a home in Oakland, and the 7-1
Raiders couldn’t be happier. Meanwhile, many believe the skills of Cowboys QB Troy
Aikman have diminished almost to the point of no return. Kansas City has put its power
running game on the back burner and chosen to let the aerial attack loose under QB Elvis
Grbac. The Saints and Ricky Williams already have more wins than last season. The Giants
appear to be on the cusp of the playoffs. And with a broken finger expected to keep him
out several weeks, the Rams’ Kurt Warner may have to wait until next season to have a
chance at breaking Dan Marino’s passing records.
PFW’s midseason awards
Offensive MVP — RB Marshall Faulk, Rams. The definition of an
"all-purpose back" is on track to beat his NFL-record for total yards from
scrimmage set last year.
Defensive MVP — DE La’Roi Glover, Saints. Glover has a
whopping 13 sacks for one of the league’s top defenses. Runner-up: Bills LB Sam
Cowart.
Offensive Rookie of the Year — OLT Chris Samuels, Redskins.
Because of the nature of the position and the fact he’s remained consistent despite a
rash of OL injuries in Washington, Samuels gets the nod. Runner-up: Broncos RB Mike
Anderson, who has come out of nowhere to fill in admirably for Terrell Davis.
Defensive Rookie of the Year — LB Brian Urlacher, Bears. Urlacher
has been remarkably adept vs. both the run and the pass while calling defensive plays in
the huddle for the Bears. Runner-up: Eagles DT Corey Simon.
Most surprising team — New York Jets. Al Groh has calmed the
once-rough waters by pulling out wins against all odds.
Most disappointing team — Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Despite a very
impressive win over the previously unbeaten Vikings, the Bucs are an unlikely 4-4.
The most bark with no bite — WR Keyshawn Johnson, Buccaneers.
Unanimous choice here, as Wayne Chrebet and others have made a habit of outshining him in
his new digs. Just throw him a damn muzzle.
The "Raise your hand if you’d like to start" award
— San Diego Chargers. The Chargers take home the prize in this category with their
injuries and whirlwind approach to a QB rotation. Ryan Leaf won the job in the preseason
before losing it to Moses Moreno a few weeks in. Moreno got hurt, Leaf replaced him. Leaf
got hurt, Jim Harbaugh replaced him. Harbaugh put up big numbers, but once Moreno got
healthy, head coach Mike Riley decided to rotate the two vs. Buffalo and cost his team
dearly. Now the organization wants Leaf in order to see if he can play, but does anyone
else?
The "You’re not in college anymore, Toto" award —
WR Plaxico Burress, Steelers. The rookie thought the play was dead when he fell down after
a catch vs. Jacksonville, so he got up and spiked the ball in frustration. Problem was,
you have to be touched to be ruled down in the NFL, and the heady Jaguars collected the
ball and took it the other way.
Worst celebration — WR Terrell Owens, 49ers. Celebrating on the
opposition’s midfield logo (twice) is never going to help you make friends. What it will
do is lighten your wallet.
The "Which way to the endzone?" award — Baltimore
Ravens. The futility for Baltimore has reached five games. Since a 37-0 rout of Cincinnati
in Week Four, the Ravens have 14 field goals and no touchdowns.
Best first career catch — OT Jumbo Elliott, Jets. Elliott had
never caught a pass in 12-plus seasons in the league, and he had so much tape on his
hands, it’s not surprising the Dolphins let him slide uncovered to the back of the
endzone late in the Week Eight thriller. The look on his face as he watched the replay of
his juggling catch was like that of a kid on Christmas morning.
Also see: Midseason team reports
To see who was named to PFW's Midseason All-Pro team, purchase a copy of the Nov. 6
issue of Pro Football Weekly, on sale at newsstands and bookstores across the
country. Or you can subscribe
online to PFW's print edition, or subscribe by calling 1-800-FOOTBALL (366-8225) and
charging your subscription to a major credit card. |
