At one point, the phins were 3-7 and have reeled off 5 straight. It appears they will finish at .500 How unlike the past decade, this season has been. Is a Panthers like ascension in Miami's future? I hope so. The rookies he drafted Have or will make contributions. Crowder and Daniel being the most notable. Manny Wright is showing signs of brilliance. Vickerson (DT) got injured but was going gangbusters up to that. Could they be the next Gardener & T Bowens. Roth has been the slowest to develop but I am certain will a force for years to come. Alabi (OT) has been inactive all year but I understand he could be the OLT that Miami has been looking for. Saban & Houck are really impressed with him
Lovie Smith gets my vote... The Bears were 1-3 and are going to win the divsion and end up getting a first round bye. I honestly thought that they were one of the 3 worse teams in football....
I have to say tom coughlin I think Lovie Smith or Dungy. Dungy i geuss first because of the whole almosyt going undefeated thing.
I agree with you BA. To do what he has done with what he had is remarkable. He was able to bring back one of the most vilified characters in S. Florida history (no, not the Vanilla One) in Ricky Williams and make it work. I can tell you right now, I still despise Kerry Collins for quitting on Carolina, & that was seven years ago, in 1998. He worked it out to bring Ricky back while the wound was still very deep with teammates & fans. He managed the "egos" of two very talented RB's, one who could win ROY, the other arguably one of the top three RB's in the league before he suddenly quit. He won using a QB that is, in my opinion, somewhere between a 2nd or 3rd stinger. The 'fins were 4-12 last year, and this year pushed the defending champion Pats until week 15 for the division. They could end up 9-7. You mentioned what Fox did with the Panthers. I think Saban did better. The Panthers drafted Peppers, so they had a favorite son of the Carolinas on the team, while Saban had the whole Ricky Williams fiasco from day one. If I had a vote, it would be Saban.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (blackadder)</div><div class='quotemain'>Records aside, No coach has done more w/ arguably less than Saban.</div> saban did inherit a decent defense that was ranked 8th in total defense for 2004...fox inherited a defense that was dead last or next to last...but saban had the dolphins legacy along with the ricky williams saga...i think saban was under more pressure and had more drama...i don't think it was a matter of doing more with less, but doing right with all the wrong, which is, in many ways, much more difficult
I'm still sold on Lovie Smith. C'mon, he had Orton at QB. At least Saban had a halfway decent Frerotte.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vikingfan)</div><div class='quotemain'>I'm still sold on Lovie Smith. C'mon, he had Orton at QB. At least Saban had a halfway decent Frerotte.</div> lovie had 6 games against the nfc north...saban had to play in the "halfway decent" afc east ...i'm still sold on saban
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (crazybacon)</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vikingfan)</div><div class='quotemain'>I'm still sold on Lovie Smith. C'mon, he had Orton at QB. At least Saban had a halfway decent Frerotte.</div> lovie had 6 games against the nfc north...saban had to play in the "halfway decent" afc east ...i'm still sold on saban</div> I disagree... The AFC East is just as bad if not worse than the NFC North.. At one time the NFC North Teams combine had better records than the AFC East.. It's very even competition.. Bears and Patriots match each other well and Vikiings and Fins do.. Then there is the Bills and Jets and the Packers and Lions.. There a mere image of each other..
Dolhpins had a harder schedule and pulled through in them. ok, both of them beat the Panthers. Dolhpins also beat Chargers and Denver. Saban put with all of the Ricky Williams BS. i think that Saban did more with the dolphins.
I don't know...Lovie took a defense ranked fairly low to the top ranked defense, and managed wins over some impressive teams with a QB who was a danger to lose the game on almost every snap. Saban has some very good veterans in place and a team already somewhat structured. I'm not saying that he didn't do a good job, but when he needed a lot of points, he at least had some proven talent (Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, Frerrotte, Chambers). Lovie Smith took a team that was 5-11 and turned it around in one season.
The Dolphins are also only 2 years off a 10-6 season where as the Bears haven't had a winning season since 2001.. What Lovie Did with Chicago I think is a miracle. Saban def gets an honorable mention in my opinion but Lovie takes home the hardware.
[quote name='vikingfan']Lovie Smith took a team that was 5-11 and turned it around in one season.[/quote] True, but he coached that 5-11 team. He had a year to teach the team his system and bring in players before they started winning. Saban is in his first year and is using players another regime brought in. He was able to get the team to learn his system & win in his 1st year. That, to me, is great coaching, and shows that he should get coach of the year. And Frerotte is not all that. I know Orton has a 59.9 rating, but Frerotte's is only at 70.3 and ranked 30th in the league. That is only 10.4 points difference and not that much of an improvement. [quote name='porky88'][quote name='crazybacon'][quote name='vikingfan']I'm still sold on Lovie Smith. C'mon, he had Orton at QB. At least Saban had a halfway decent Frerotte.[/quote] lovie had 6 games against the nfc north...saban had to play in the "halfway decent" afc east ...i'm still sold on saban[/quote] I disagree... The AFC East is just as bad if not worse than the NFC North.. At one time the NFC North Teams combine had better records than the AFC East.. It's very even competition.. Bears and Patriots match each other well and Vikiings and Fins do.. Then there is the Bills and Jets and the Packers and Lions.. There a mere image of each other..[/quote] As of this week, the Bears opponents in the North have a combined winning percentage of .356, and .440 for all opponents. The Dolphins opponents in the East are at .400, and all opponents are at .444. So basically, with a tougher schedule (admittedly not by much), in his first season, with a very mediocre QB, and drama surpassed by only Philly, Saban has at this point doubled last years win total, avioded a losing season, and could post a winning record with a win this week. Saban wins in my book.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vikingfan)</div><div class='quotemain'>At least Saban had a halfway decent Frerotte.</div> Gus' QB rating is 70.2. I'd hardly call that decent.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (blackadder)</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vikingfan)</div><div class='quotemain'>At least Saban had a halfway decent Frerotte.</div> Gus' QB rating is 70.2. I'd hardly call that decent.</div> 71.9 will earn you a pro bowl appearance...ask vick....
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TheBeef)</div><div class='quotemain'>71.9 will earn you a pro bowl appearance...ask vick....</div> Last I checked, Gus's last name was Frerrote not Vick! LOL.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (crazybacon)</div><div class='quotemain'>As of this week, the Bears opponents in the North have a combined winning percentage of .356, and .440 for all opponents. The Dolphins opponents in the East are at .400, and all opponents are at .444. So basically, with a tougher schedule (admittedly not by much), in his first season, with a very mediocre QB, and drama surpassed by only Philly, Saban has at this point doubled last years win total, avioded a losing season, and could post a winning record with a win this week. Saban wins in my book.</div> You make great points.. My opinion in the beginning of the season was a little different on the Dolphins than yours probably. I thought at worse Miami would go 6-10 but I had Chicago at 3-13 so the fact that the Bears are a team with a bye in the playoffs just amazes me..
