Injuries are part of any NFL game, but as Sunday blended into Monday around the league, it was clear that some teams were hit especially hard.
The New Orleans Saints, already arguably the circuit’s most put-upon franchise, had to deal with the loss of leading rusher Deuce McAllister, out for the year after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Linebacker Ed Hartwell came to Atlanta this season in part to escape from the shadow of Ray Lewis. Hartwell, too, has been shelved, tearing his right Achilles tendon against the Patriots.
Two other rushers, Derrick Blaylock of the Jets (foot) and Najeh Davenport of the Packers (ankle), were lost as well on Grim Monday. But the biggest blow may have been suffered by the St. Louis Rams, who announced coach Mike Martz would be hospitalized with a recurrence of the bacterial infection that struck a couple of weeks ago.
According to team president John Shaw, Martz will be hospitalized from four to 12 days and will be away from the team indefinitely. Shaw did not expect Martz to miss the remainder of the season, saying the coach could be away “as little as two weeks, or it could be more than that.”
During Martz’s absence, assistant head coach Joe Vitt will run the team. The Rams’ linebacker coach, Vitt will leave the offensive play-calling to Steve Fairchild. A graduate of and former assistant coach at Colorado State, Fairchild is in his third season with the Rams after a stint with the Buffalo Bills.
“Steve’s excited about the challenge,” Vitt told reporters Monday in St. Louis. “I have nothing to do with this offense – it’s been highly productive long before I got here – it’s going to be fine.”
Although it has been more than 20 years since Dick Vermeil famously cited burnout as the reason for his departure from the Philadelphia Eagles, the stakes and pressure placed upon NFL coaches have likely grown exponentially. Broncos coach Mike Shanahan often speaks of the lows that accompany any defeat. After a brief session with the media following his team’s loss to the Patriots on Sunday, Falcons coach Jim Mora practically barricaded himself in a lounge adjacent to the locker room for almost an hour.
Certainly Mora, son of one of the NFL’s most passionate coaches, Jim Mora of the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts, knew what he was getting into. Similarly, others in the coaching fraternity take the attitude that job-related stress is as much a part of the game as blocking and tackling.
“We love what we do. No one put a gun to my head for me to get into this business,” Vitt said Monday.
A little more than a month ago, Seattle assistant coach Ray Rhodes suffered what was termed a mild stroke. A little more than two weeks later, he was back with the Seahawks.
Upon his return, Rhodes, a former defensive coordinator with Denver, acknowledged the episode was “a scare.” However, he also said things likely wouldn’t change very much.
“When you look at a coach’s life, you are looking at coming to work each day before 6 o’clock in the morning,” he said. “You are leaving sometime after 12. If you have to be at work before 6, you are up around 4-something. You are leaving sometime after 12. You add up the hours, you will get it. This is a coach’s life.”
GAME OF THE WEEK
Miami at Tampa Bay qualifies for a few reasons. The Buccaneers are trying to rebound from their first loss of the season, and rookie running backs and former college roommates Cadillac Williams of Tampa and the Dolphins’ Ronnie Brown try to outdo each other. But perhaps they’ll be overshadowed by the expected return of Ricky Williams.
A HELPING HAND
Romeo Crennel probably has done a great job with the 2-2 Browns, but he won’t get much credit until he beats a team from somewhere other than the woebegone NFC North. Cleveland’s wins have come against Chicago and Green Bay. However, the Saints are beginning to emerge on the patsy front. The Vikings’ and Packers’ sole victories this year have come against New Orleans.
TRENDING
The Falcons have allowed an opposing running back to gain at least 100 yards in three of five games. … After averaging 166 yards rushing in their first three games, the Bucs have totaled 153 in their past two. … Sunday against the Broncos, Clinton Portis became just the third player in 12 tries to rush for 100 yards against a team for which he had previously gained at least 1,500 yards in a season.
AN EVENTUAL LETDOWN
Losses on Sunday by Washington, Tampa Bay and Cincinnati left Indianapolis as the NFL’s final undefeated team. While impressive, being the last team standing doesn’t guarantee postseason success. Here’s a look at how such teams have fared over the past five seasons.
Year Team Start Finish Playoff result
2004 Philadelphia 7-0 13-3 Lost in Super Bowl
2003 Kansas City 9-0 13-3 Lost in division playoff
2002 San Diego 4-0 8-8 Did not make playoffs
2001 St. Louis 6-0 14-2 Lost in Super Bowl
2000 Minnesota 7-0 11-5 Lost in conf. championship
Staff writer Anthony Cotton can be reached at 303-820-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com.
