OK, I'm ready to get flamed.


But honestly, this Fassel move was stupid. Again, we're letting the inmates run the assylum.


In my honest opinion, players were pissed with fassel because he wasn't taking their silly inputs into account.


IMHO, Mason probably wanted the playbook opened up WAY before Boller came in for McNair this week. And then felt betrayed that, once Steve went down, we opened it up.


Why wouldn't Fassel listen to Mason? or Jamal?


Because he knows what the deal is. Jamal isn't the Jamal of 2003. Get over it. And McNair's arm is dead. he's not the McNair of 2003 that beat us in the playoffs.


If we open it up with McNair, watch the INT show begin. Meltdown city.


McNair doesn't know the playbook well enough to start audibling or even just to make the throws. He throws to ghost recievers or behind or over his man a this point.


Fassel wasn't going to listen to the inmates about opening the offense up with a dead arm leading it, or about giving Jamal 30 carries a game when he's gaining 2 yards a carry.



Jamal had big gains last week because, gasp, fassel called lots of play action to set up the run. Seems like a good adjustment to me. But, because our defense couldnt' stop smith, we had to start explosively trying to score points.



This move of firing fassel wreaks.



Billick is letting the players decide who coaches, and who doesn't.


Actually I take that back, because really this just serves Billick's interests anyway. Fassel had become a threat to his power or lackthereof.


At this point, I see this team losing to a better New Orleans team and McNair throwing a few INTs and the offense continuing to be abysmal.


Billick has 2 choices in his playcalling: turtle up and run the ball 30 times to satisfy inmate #1 (Jamal Lewis)


OR Open it up and let McNair's dead arm probably stink it up to satisfy inmate #2 (D Mason)




Unfortunately, I think the meltdown is comign for this team. Unless somehow we blow out New Orleans and show ourselves to be as good as we hyped ourselves to be.



McNair hasn't shown anything besides 3 quarters of football (1st quarter, Bucs, 4th quarter, Chargers and Browns) Thats not what you spend 11 million on a veteran QB for.



I honestly think Fassel was at a moment of zen where he knew McNair's arm is done, and was calling the best game he could to mask the weaknesses. And now he gets the axe and gets scapegoated.



I'm interested in seeing how it goes from here, but I'm pretty pessimistic about it, unless Jamal and Steve suddenly get the cream and the clear.