New Orleans with the #2 seed and first round bye, I will be shocked if Payton doesn't win COY. I will also be shocked if Mangini isn't second.
I'd say the award would have to go to Payton, the Saints have been an abyzmul (no pun intended) franchise for years. They are the #2 seed in the NFC and because of the hurricane lots of media types drool over this. Now as far as comeback player I'd entertain Chad winning the award but now I hear Madden and Michaels saying Jeff Garcia, are you freaking kidding me?
Pennington will only win comeback player of the year if people look at the Jets record, rather than his stats, which are pretty mediocre. I think he's a reasonable choice, but I think there are others as well (Winslow, for example, as much of an ass as he is).
People were predicting that the Saints would be as bad or worse. Except for those who thought that Reggie Bush could singlehandedly make them the best team in the NFL, and their opinions dont matter anyway. Heres the only differences between these two guys. Mangini is younger and spent way less time as an assistant than Payton, so that works in his favor. Mangini also provides better one liners, which always helps win the media over. The biggest thing in Manginis favor is that hes in the AFC, where you have to actually be a halfway decent football team to make the playoffs. But probably most important is the fact that the Saints had been miserable as a franchise for some time, while the Jets won a playoff game two years ago and went into last season as a sexy postseason pick. So while both teams were coming off bad years in 05, Payton seems to be pulling that franchise out of the gutter the way that Parcells pulled this one out back in the late 90s. Mangini wasnt faced with the task of turning around a complete losers mentality the way that Payton had to. And I for one dont consider Hurricane Katrina to be a factor here, but you know that it will be for the voters. Not only do I think that Payton will beat Mangini out for Coach of the Year, Im starting to think that Garcia is gonna give Pennington a run for his money for Comeback Player of the Year. Garcia is a household name from when he was going to the Pro Bowl every year for the 49ers, and the Eagles are a team with a pretty substantial national fanbase. Pennington has to be the frontrunner right now, but I wouldnt be shocked to see Garcia get the award. I think it could go either
Payton could be a shoe in, but I think that nobody, I mean NOBODY gave the Iggles a chance when McNabb went down.
I don't disagree, but I think the AFC/NFC factor will result in Mangini beating out Reid for 2nd in the voting. I think the New Orleans story has taken on a life of its own, and with the Saints ending up second in the conference, Payton could even win unanimously.
Wasn't Garcia back after having sustained a long battle of jock itch, or something? Yeah, he should be on the ballot. :up:
Coach of the year-Payton or Manging Who should get coach of the year, payton or mangini. Obviouslly I am extremely biased but Manging should get the nod, here is why. What do you guys think? Talent 1. While the Saints had a worse record last year,they came in to this season with superior talent. Brees has always been good, so has mccalister, and you knew Bush would be good. The only skill position player the Jets have that we knew would be good is Coles. Rookie Play 2. In terms of getting the best out of rookies, both coaches have been doing a great job. The saints are getting what they expected from Bush and more than anyone could have imagined from Colston. The Jets are getting what they expected from D'Brick, but far more than they could have hoped for Mangold,Smith, and Leon. Getting more out of veterans than ever before with these players 3. I don't know too much about this topic for the Saints, but for the Jets it is obvious. Players having career years that were basically invisible until this season are B. Thomas, Hobson, Cotchery, Rhodes, and D-rob. In game coaching 4. I am not sure about this for the Saints as I do not watch their games. For the Jets, if you were to look at a season under Herm there was a laundary list of mistakes that he made in the games. With Mangini, I can only think of 2 of them. A. Onside kick to open the 2nd half against the Bears B. Not going for it on 4th and 1 against the Bills in our home loss.
hopefully they find a way to just split the honors. If not give it to Mangini he had less to work with than Payton.
i think mangini has done a great job. to be fair tho, we've had a fairly easy schedule, and no injuries. my pick goes to payton, because he has the saints playing at an elite level. the jets have been a solid team for the past 6-7 years, and although the jets are a much maligned franchise, the saints sit in the same boat. what hes down for the city and the region, in my mind, transcends all. to have a bit of light, a bit of pride on sunday, that's a gift which needs to be recognized. he's got a talented team... but so do teams like KC this year... or SD last year, or the ravens for the past couple of years, all teams which were talented, but didn't make the playoffs. the saints are arguably the best team in the NFC, and palying at a pretty elite level, atleast offensively. I choose payton, even though i love what the mangenious is doing here in NY.
yea if the jets win this week, its gonna be a close call. mangini will have an edge based on the fact that the saints were believed to be an overall more talented team, but payton had to deal with a team coming not only coming off a 3 win season, but with the whole rebuilding of new orleans as a city thing and coming off a year where they didn't have a stadium. personally, i believe the whole saints as "americas team" only further motivated the players if it did anything, and not to disrespect what happened in new orleans, but it happened last year, and the saints were starting from new in their stadium this year. also, manginis edge is more football related. i'd be happy with a co-coach of the year type thing if they can do that. because of the jets, new york still has a football team that shows up to their games. also, does anyone think we'd be 9-6 with edwards?