What do Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, and Colin Kaepernick have in common? A simple answer; thanks to bad management, they are likely to fall into obscurity.

All three have more talent and unique abilities than three quarters of the other quarterbacks in the NFL. All three have experienced not only devastating changes in personnel in their short careers, they have also suffered through coaching changes who have different philosophies. When owners do not understand why their organizations do not succeed, it is obvious that they rush to judgement and the result is chaos. Football is a team game; it is not baseball or basketball when a few key players can lead a team to championships.

NFL teams which have won multiple Super Bowls maintained a consistency in both coaching and overall philosophy. The Washington Redskins have an owner who believes that he can control and win games through monetary transactions. He is wrong. Jim Irsay is unforgivable because he had a consistent quarterback/head coach combination which was extremely successful and now Luck is without talent and good coaching. The 49ers are in no way representative of the Joe Montana and Steve Young era; they are gambling and their markers have been called; Kaepernick is being blamed for the travesty of upper management.

Only eight coaches in the NFL have the talent and ability to lead their teams to a Super Bowl. That is only 25 percent. The others may reach the playoffs, but have absolutely no chance to play in Super Bowl 50. Griffin, Luck, and Kaepernick will be among those who will be watching the biggest sports contest in the world on television.

These eight men have all won Super Bowls as a head coach or offensive coordinator. They are Mike McCarthy, Bill Belichick, Sean Payton, Tom Coughlin, Mike Tomlin, Pete Carroll, John Harbaugh, and Bruce Arians. Next year a record number of teams will be looking for new head coaches, and what they should be looking for is upper management who understand how to succeed in the NFL.

Two organizations offer the perfect example of how long term success in the NFL is obtained. Bill Belichick has been the New England Patriots head coach since 2000. Mike Tomlin has been the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2007, and before him Bill Cowher led the team for 15 seasons. A third person may be mentioned; Tom Coughlin has been in command of the New York Giants since 2004, and has won two Super Bowls. Consistency wins in the NFL, and frequent changes in key players and coaches fail every time.

Five coaches will be fired immediately after the season ends, and possibly before. They include Jay Gruden of Washington, Chuck Pagano of Indianapolis, Jim Tomsula of the 49ers, Mike Pettine of the Cleveland Browns, (unless Johnny Manziel can save him), and Bill Obrien of the Houston Texans. Already removed is Ken Whisenhunt of the Tennessee Titans, who appear to have no leadership and no direction. I did not mention Rex Ryan of the Buffalo Bills; I felt it was obvious. Any owner who would have him as their head coach has no knowledge of professional football.

Griffin, Luck, and Kaepernick are all victims of owners and front office management who failed to retain coaches who could possibly nurture these three super-talented young men and devise systems which would consistently win. Instead they sought instant success, which does not exist in a team sport.

All three deserved better, and sadly the sports ‘experts’ and announcers who remain ‘politically correct’ will never defend their positions.

Op Ed

By James Turnage

Photo Courtesy of C_osett

Author’s Page http://www.amazon.com/By-James-turnage/e/B00LOCJ2Z2