Turkey Day Wrap Up

Why isn't Marvin Lewis unemployed?

I like the dude, don't get me wrong. He's always struck me as a class act, as someone who knows his stuff. But during his tenure in Cinci, they've gone from potentially-super-good to mediocre to incarcerated to mediocre to injured to mediocre to potentially-super-good to terrible. The farthest he's ever gotten is the Wild Card round, and he's always exited it severely beaten.

So.

In a league where wins are the bottom line, and high expectations routinely kill coaches' careers, how is this guy still employed by the Bengals?

That's question 1, I have for you. And I imagine it will be moot no later than the end of February, 2011.

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Question 2: who's better? Jets or Pats?

Who the fuck cares, is the answer.

Seriously. One step at a time. Only one can win the AFC championship, and if either does, it's unlikely that the other will have stood directly in its way. My advice: take them both seriously, but don't worry too terribly much. They're the class of the AFC, but they're not invincible.

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Lesson in play calling:

Double coverage brackets are when you pull a safety out of Cover 2 and assign him to a WR who is already being trailed by a corner. This becomes a Cover 1, Double X, Y or Z. You don't call one of these coverages unless you see a QB drop into the shotgun with at least one, preferably two sidecars. If he's willing to limit his receiving options from 5 to 3, it's safe to only go with a cover 1 shell, and double trail a top threat receiver.

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Next up: Practice squads. What you don't know, and what you need to know to keep from being cut!