Section B · Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, September 10, 1997
Parcells, Carroll top list of season's new coaches
By Dave Goldberg The Associated Press
While Bill Parcellis has done all that can be asked as Pete Carroll's replacement once removed with the Jets, Carroll has New England playing as well or better than at any point during Tuna's term.
That said, here's a look (in order
of achievement)
at the NFL's 10
new coaches
two games (plus
a seven-week
preseason) into
the tenures:
1. Pete Carroll.
New England.
The Pats are
probably the NFL's best team. That is due largely to talent. But it is also because the talented players, particularly Drew Bledsoe and Chris Slade, seem more relaxed than they were under Parcells. "I'm just doing what I do and we just progress each day," said Carroll, who faces Parcells head-on for the first time Sunday night.
Grade: A.
2. Bill Parcels, New York Jets. He's made the most of this team's talent, motivating players like Marvin Jones to reach their potential, and instilling confidence by placing more emphasis on exhibition games, which led to a 4-0 preseason record. One strength: he keeps a staff intact and his philosophy straight — six of his 13 assistants go back a decade with him, and a seventh, Maurice Carthon, played for him with the Giants.
Grade: A.
3. Dick Vermeil, St. Louis. Vermeil and his 60-something assistants have instilled discipline and toughness on a young team that was too soft last season. He even admits errors, like asking fumble-prone Tony Banks to do too much last week against San Francisco. Grade: A minus.
4. Jim Fassel, New York Giants.
Like Vermeil, he has a long-term project on his hands and the loss for half the season of Ike Hilliard,
the team's first legitimate receiving threat in decades, won't help.
But he seems to have made Dave Brown into a respectable quarterback and the front office has enough patience to stick with him.
Grade: B+plus
5. Bruce Coslet, Cincinnati.
Another guy who used to coach the Jets. He was 7-2 last season, but the new-guy glow has worn off. After last week's dismal loss to Bali-
more, he exploded.
Grade: B (counting last year)
Grade B (counting last year).
6. Bobby Ross, Detroit. He's brought discipline to the Lions,
but has he shut down Barry Sanders with his two-back alignment?
Sanders needs more space — 53 yards rushing and a 2.1 average in two games seem to indicate that.
Grade B-minus.
7. Dan Reeves, Atlanta. Reeve's strength is keeping games close, as he's done in his first two games with the Falcons. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the players and he may not have the patience to wait for them.
Grade: C-plus.
8. Mike Ditka, New Orleans.
Ditka got rid of half the team (Jim Everett made him pay on Sunday),
but his personality sells tickets.
Grade: C.
9. Joe Bugel, Oakland. What were the Raiders doing with single coverage on Andre Rison with 10 seconds left Monday night? Oh well, the assistants are all Davis.' Grade: C
10. Kevin Gilbride, San Diego. He's been testy, freezing out the media, and his team isn't very good, although the return of Junior Seau certainly helped on Sunday. Too early to tell, but right now ...
Oakland Raiders coach winless after bitter defeat in final seconds of game
By Rob Gloster The Associated Press
Raiders mourn loss to KC
Grade: C-minus.
ALAMEDA, Calif. — After a night of praying and a morning of sharing their pain, the Oakland Raiders tried to recover yesterday from yet another heartbreaking loss.
need to breaking loss - and to deal with their defeat in public.
The Raiders lost 28-27 to bitter rival Kansas City on Monday night when Elvis Grbac threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Andre Rison with three seconds remaining.
The loss left the Raiders winless under new coach Joe Bugel and struggling to deal with the disappointment of yet another close defeat.
Yesterday, players lifted weights, did running drills, and then talked among themselves about how to recover from the pain of the loss.
"It was 59 minutes and 57 seconds of happiness, and then you just felt like someone cut your heart out." Buzel said.
"It's a hard one to swallow," said Jeff George, who had two scoring passes to Rickey Dudley but also threw two late interceptions in his Raiders home debut. "I think everybody should be hurting right now."
Oakland lost its season opener in overtime at Tennessee. Monday night continued a string of close losses. All but one of the Raiders' nine defeats last season was by a touchdown or less.
"These are the dog days," said Tim Brown, who caught 11 passes for 155 yards against the Chiefs. "I think the team is somber right now, but I think everybody is eager to go out and prove that we're the best 0-2 team in the league."
Bugel began a news conference yesterday with a long anology to reporters.
The Raiders closed their locker room to the media after the loss, and Bugel refused to give the required post-game news conference. That could lead to a fine, and NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said that the league was looking into the situation and awaiting a response from the Raiders.
"I couldn't even talk. I was beside myself." Bugel said of his feelings after the game. "I went back to my office, and before I knew it probably half the night was gone. I was speechless. I don't know if I had talked to the press if I would have been able to make any sense. I just hurt. I just hurt badly. It was a very empty feeling last night."
George said the Raiders' locker room also had an empty feeling after Monday night's game, with few players able to speak.
"What can you say after a game like that?" George said. "The team gathered around, we held hands, and we said our prayers like we say after every game, and guys got ready and went home."
The Raiders again closed their locker room yesterday, but Bugel and four players met with reporters.
"There were a lot of players in there that were devastated and were in shock," George said. "It's good to talk about it. It relieves some of the pain."
George said it was healthy to get the feelings of loss out in public.
Hit knocks Giants' receiver out for six or seven games
Cheap shot, injury to player frustrates coach Milt Jackson
The Associated Press
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. There still is some disagreement as to whether the hit that caused Ike Hilliard's neck injury was a cheap shot.
That does not matter now.
The New York Giants receiver's injury is much worse than originally thought, and the Giants face
the prospect of playing the next six or seven games without Hilliard — the one receiver who could turn an ordinary pass into a touchdown any time he touched the ball.
"If you lose a starter, it's always a blow," receivers coach Milt Jackson said Monday after it was disclosed that Hilliard, the seventh pick overall in the NFL draft, would miss up to seven weeks with a sprained neck.
"He's a special player, so it kind of compounds it," Jackson said. "That's the way it is in the NFL. The 49ers lost Jerry Rice. One guy is down, somebody better step up. They all get paid."
Hilliard hurt aliga me n t between his sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae when
he was kneed by Jacksonville Jaguars safety Chris Hudson after making a sliding catch in the first quarter of a 40-13 loss on Sunday.
Giants quarterback Dave Brown wasn't so sure the hit was sportsmanlike.
"It was a cheap hit if you ask me, down there on the turf," Brown
said, noting Hilliard was lying on the ground when he was hit.
Hilliard staggered to his feet in seconds, but he had to be helped to the sidelines. X-rays and an MRI were done at Baptist Medical Hospital in Jacksonville, Fla., on Sunday. At the time, the injury was not believed to be serious.
The rookie from the University of Florida traveled home with the team after the game and spent Sunday night at the Hospital for Special Surgery at Cornell Medical Center in New York City.
Hilliard had more X-rays and another MRI Monday morning. Because muscle spasms prevented
some neck movement, Hilliard had a third MRI later Monday.
Giants spokesman Pat Hanlon said late Monday night that he did not know the results of the third MRI. Hilliard was released from the hospital late in the afternoon, Hanlon said.
The injury is a major blow for the Giants, who were hoping Hilliard would emerge as a decisive offensive force. He had his moments in the preseason, averaging almost 18 yards a reception.
"Ike is a guy who creates instant excitement when he has the ball," Brown said. "That's something we are going to miss."
Amani Toomer, Thomas Lewis and Kevin Alexander probably will replace Hilliard in different roles although none has his breakaway ability. Hilliard caught one pass for 19 yards in his debut last week. His reception Sunday set up a four-yard touchdown run by Tiki Barber.
Toomer caught one pass for 19 yards Sunday after replacing Hilliard. The second-year pro from Michigan also dropped a pass and missed a long sideline pass.
Hilliard will have to rest and wear a brace for the next several weeks, Giants trainer Ronnie Barnes said.
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