Troy from Westminster, CO

Wes brought up Mike Shanahan yesterday not being in the HOF yet. IMO, there isn’t a more overrated HC in recent memory than Shanahan. He won two Super Bowls…congrats. However, in his remaining 18 years as a HC, his teams won a grand total of just ONE playoff game. He made the playoffs only eight of his 20 years, which is fewer than Belichick has Super Bowl appearances, and won at least one playoff game in just three of those 20 years. Great offensive mind, sure, but great HC? Not so much.

I think there’s more to Shanahan’s case when you look at all the current successful NFL head coaches who got their start under him. But he’s no slam dunk to get in, for the reasons you outlined. Still, it’s a case that should be on the table for discussion sooner than later, along with the other two-time Super Bowl champs Seifert and Coughlin. Then you’ve got 200-game winners Reeves and Schottenheimer lingering as well, with Knox (193 wins) right behind them. Not saying they’re all HOFers, but their cases are worth hearing, and it’s going to take a while. That’s why it was so devastating for Holmgren to get caught in this voting change last year and not get in when he was finally up. As Wes noted, he may not get another chance unless the process for coaches gets significantly altered.

On Wednesday, Anthony from Middleton said this about Vic, “I can’t imagine he’d agree with Bill Belichick not being a first-ballot Hall of Famer.” I beg to differ. What I remember was whenever there was a question about Belichick being the greatest coach ever, he always brought up his record before Tom Brady. And even said that Belichick was on the hot seat before Bledsoe got hurt. He gave more credit to Brady for the Pats’ success than Belichick. You know Vic, what are your thoughts Mike?

Every time Vic would pipe up about Brady/Belichick, I’d gently remind him Chuck Noll only won two playoff games in nine years after Bradshaw was done, and his entire coaching career took place before the advent of free agency. Brady/Belichick also went to three more Super Bowls and won two after Vic’s time in Green Bay.

Good morning, Mike. After the regular season ended, I asked you about the upcoming spin cycle of coaching changes. Your response was something like, “We ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” Did you foresee 10 head coaching vacancies? What about the domino effect plowing through the coordinator and position coach jobs? It seems deeper and broader than ever before and it’s not over yet.

Agreed, this has been a huge coaching cycle. I never envisioned double-digit teams looking for new head coaches in one offseason. I believe more than half the teams will have a new offensive coordinator in 2026 as well. Wild.

Dodging the clickbait articles at nfl.com, I found a couple of interesting articles in which the writer listed his unsung heroes for each team. Of particular interest was that the player selected for the Pack was Evan Williams, a selection I think most GB fans can appreciate. A bonus was seeing three former Packers on the list: Eric Stokes (Raiders), Rasul Douglas (Dolphins), and Eric Wilson (Vikings).

Not surprising those are all really good locker room guys, too.

Speaking of Vic-isms, one of my favorites was, “What are you saving him for? The prom?” I bring this up because I can just hear him say this when I start to think that if the NFL goes to an 18-game season, will teams rest players to try to keep them healthy as the season progresses? I don’t think it’ll be obvious (like in the NBA), but any slight injury would be enough of an excuse to rest that player a week. Is this a realistic possibility?

I don’t think the shift from 17 to 18 games would change that thought process much, but once there are 20 games and no preseason, then yeah.

Both championship games last weekend were entertaining, and both hinged on precious few plays. One of the key plays was a QB sack of Matthew Stafford on a pivotal third down. It was apparent to those of us watching on TV that Stafford was taken down by the facemask (and confirmed by slow-motion replay), yet there was no flag. Is that a situation where the “eye in the sky” can radio down to the refs on the field and instruct them to drop the flag? If not, why not?

Replay assist was available this past season to undo an erroneous facemask call, but was not available to flag a facemask that was not called on the field. Which just tells you how myopic the NFL remains when it comes to this stuff as it continues to slow-play the eventual conclusion that all safety rules should be reviewable. But I’ll be long retired before that moment the blue can finally leave my face.