ESPN's B. Duane Cross thinks it's time to dump Dan Reeves.
No, Dan Reeves should not be fired right now as Atlanta's head coach. He is one win shy of 200 and dumping a man that close to such a milestone (only five other coaches in NFL history have won as many) would be on the Ice Station Zebra side of cold-blooded. But ...This strikes me as simply reactionary. Sure, Johnson won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys. But, heck, any one of 500 coaches could have done that--just ask Jerry Jones.Yes, Arthur Blank should begin making in-roads to get Johnson as the Falcons next head coach. Full-page ads in the newspaper are nice, but it they cannot stop the on-field bleeding. Saying all the right things when the TV cameras are on is expected, but again, fans don't want to hear the owner talk -- unless it's to announce a major change, like a new head coach.
Reeves has one year remaining on his contract, but it is one game that matters. Give him the opportunity slay his Moby Dick -- it's been six weeks, what's a few more? -- and then begin cementing the pieces in place for 2004 and beyond.
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JJ is tanned and rested, even wiser for his time away from the grind. Sure, the allure of the gulf runs deep, but Blank has deep pockets, the kind of deep pockets that fans expect him to reach into to solve problems. Salary-cap constraints and talent evaluation are one thing, but there is no limit to the spending for a proven winner. That Johnson has an eye for talent is a bonus. Teaming him with Falcons consultant Bobby Beathard would be a boon.
Of course, Johnson contends he's happy watching the waves roll in. Then again, so was Parcells -- and Quincy Carter is no Vick, to be sure. And while it is unlikely JJ could again snooker a team to trade its future for the likes of Ray Buchanan, Bob Whitfield or Tyrone Williams, the building blocks of a near-future contender are in place. All that is lacking is a head coach.
Well, maybe not. Johnson is a terrific football coach and talent evaluator. But Dan Reeves isn't exactly chopped liver. He took the Broncos to the Super Bowl a few times and the Falcons once. And it's not like Jimmy turned the Dolphins around--and they were a pretty good team to begin with.
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