SmashMouth

When Black Monday arrived this week in the NFL, there was an expectation of familiar postseason sequels. The spate of team-breaking dramas was projected to break down like this: the coach and the general manager wouldn't make it work, media camps would've highlighted the team's divide further with a volley of sniping leaks and finally, ownership would've called a news conference to explain why someone had to be set adrift.


We've seen this plot before, and it doesn't always stimulate success. Look no further than the San Francisco 49ers, who went to the mattresses on Jim Harbaugh at the end of the 2014 season, retained general manager Trent Baalke and rewarded assistant coach Jim Tomsula with the head job and a $14 million deal. One year (and five wins) later, Tomsula is fired, the onetime franchise quarterback (Colin Kaepernick) is potentially on his way out the door and team owner Jed York is essentially standing in the middle of it all, admitting his own culpability.

You can bet the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts took note. And you can certainly bet that what happened in San Francisco made owners like the Saints' Tom Benson and Colts' Jim Irsay motivated to make their current situations work. As one league source put it just minutes before Payton's news conference to announce he'll remain with the team: "The Saints are doing the smart thing. They know it's hard to find really good coaches. When you've got one, you figure it out."

San Francisco didn't and paid a price. That has become food for thought for relationships elsewhere.

The Saints and Colts didn't travel the easy route. Sometimes it's harder to take a situation that's imperfect (see: Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis with the Saints) or downright uncomfortable (see: coach Chuck Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson with the Colts) and not blow it up.

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44Champs

I gotta tell you... this writer has a horrible writing style.

Euphoria

Yeah you have a coach like Payton you don't get rid of him or Harbough - I have no idea what they were thinking. Wait I do know. They hated his personality and dealing with him in the office and so they thought we could win with out him we know better... UHM NO Fool.

So HC is secure now just find the missing parts get a DC who knows what they are doing and aren't using their name as their resume.

NonieT

It takes teams years to find a good coach. When you find when you don't let him go or run him off like the 49ers did with Harbaugh. It might take them another 20 years to find a good coach.

nola_swammi

I am glad this didn't turn out like the Browns when they gave up on Bellicheat. They haven't had a coach that lasted more than 3 seasons since then

QBREES9

Who is in the coaching pool that you would want to replace coach Payton. Or who do you think is better then a Super Bowl winning coach. Their aren't many names that come to mind.

I'm very happy he's staying. We need some help on the O-Line. D, seems to be getting better. Raise a glass to 2016 NFL season.

CharityMike

This is what scared me the most about the rumors of our coach leaving. I couldn't help but think we would turn into the new Browns. Scary thought.

burningmetal

I don't think Chuck Pagano is a great coach, to be perfectly honest. Maybe I'm wrong. The Colts just don't really stand up to elite competition, and they have been winning in the worst division in football over Pagano's time.

And it seemed like Bruce Arians did more to establish that team while he took over in Luck's first season. I said it somewhere else that Pagano's identity is as a defensive coach, and he hasn't elevated that defense in any way that I can see. So what makes him great?

I always kind of felt like what he went through a couple years ago built a bond with ownership. And perhaps that did play into him being retained. It's admirable in a way, but regardless I rather doubt the 49ers situation had any influence. What the 49ers did was just stupid. It had nothing to do with football, and everything to do with egos. I don't see how any of this compares.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard that, the NFL would fine and suspend me.

K Major

And a franchise QB .

arsaint

Not to the point of the post, but this could not have happened to a "better" franchise.

I hope the 49ers rot in the cellar of the NFL for the next 1000 years...