One coach you oughta know

One coach you oughta know
December 23
Denver Post columnist Jim Armstrong
"Your NFL coach of the year? I'd like to thank all the other candidates for stopping by, but it's gotta be Mike Smith. In case you're wondering, he coaches the Falcons. True story: Did a radio interview with ex-Bronco Domonique Foxworth in mid-November, 2 1/2 months after he had been traded to the Falcons. When I mentioned Smith, Foxworth didn't know who I was talking about. . . . The Falcons have a rookie quarterback and the league's 23rd-ranked defense, yet made the playoffs. As Michael Vick's pin-striped employees might say, we rest our case, your honor. . . . Then there's the MVP award. Put another log on the fire, Peyton, and make room on the mantel. If guts and resiliency count, and they should, No. 18's gotta get it. His knees are hurting, but his shoulders, if you know what I mean, have held up quite nicely. . . . The Broncos have forced 13 turnovers. I only mention it because the NFL record for fewest forced in a 16-game season is 12 by the 2006 Redskins. . . . Oh, and for the record, the Lions have 19 takeaways and the Chiefs have 29. . . . Ah, the Lions. Where do we begin, sports fans? They've lost 17 straight at Green Bay, so a winless season is all but assured. They've also allowed 486 points, making them a lock to become the fourth member of the Misfortune 500 Club. Not only that, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Lions' 96 losses since 2001 are the most ever for an eight- year span. . . . Now here's an idea, commissioner Goodell: Let the Lions use 12 players. They tried it to start the second half vs. the Saints, but the officials flagged them for too many waiver-wire candidates in the huddle. . . . The Broncos are a ghastly minus-15 in turnovers. Just to put that number in perspective, they were minus-2 in 1999, when they finished 6-10, the worst record of the Mike Shanahan era. . . . But then, I know a little about fumbling too. I'd like to thank my agent and the Academy for helping me go 0-for-5 against the point spread in my weekly DenverPost.com predictions. And to think, I was doing fine until then. Kind of like the Titanic before that giant ice cube showed up. . . . Penalty of the week: Wes Welker, 15 yards for doing a snow angel in New England. . . . What, you think the Broncos are the only ones riding a roller coaster? Even the good teams have been prone to wild ups and downs this season. The Panthers, for instance. The same Panthers who ran for 299 yards against Tampa Bay and two weeks later allowed 301 to the Giants. . . . Enough already with the e-mails wondering whether the Broncos can sign Albert Haynesworth on the free- agent market. Don't know if they would spend the money and don't believe for a minute the Titans would let him get away. They're 3-6 without him in the past three seasons. . . ."
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