Millen Strikes Again

Super Bowl XLIV is now set, Colts vs. Saints. This is the fourth Super Bowl in Colts history and the first in Saints history. As I sat there watching the Saints celebrate their first ever Super Bowl birth, I couldn’t help but wonder if that could have been the Lions celebrating. How is that possible? Let’s take a look back a few years.

Back in 2006 the Lions were looking for yet another head coach to lead this franchise. At the same time the Saints were too. Millen decided to hire Rod Marinelli, a defensive line coach from Tampa Bay. The Saints went with Sean Payton, a highly touted offensive coordinator from Dallas. Well, history shows that the Saints got it right and Millen and the Lions got it way wrong again (i.e. 0-16).

Here’s a closer look at the mistake. The Saints hired Payton and it lead to wholesale changes in the organization. In 2006 alone they went out and acquired quality players. They signed Drew Brees, LB Scott Fujita, drafted Reggie Bush (2nd ovr), & Marques Colston (7th rd). These signings led to Coach Payton being named the 2006 coach of the year with a 10-6 season. But they didn’t stop there, they continued to build. In the next 2 years they drafted players like WR Robert Meachem, OT Jermon Bushrod, DT Sedrick Ellis, and CB Tracy Porter. They also signed and traded for TE Jeremy Shockey, LB Jonathan Vilma, and FS Darren Sharper. All these are players we could have used.

In that same time span of 2006-2008 Rod Marinelli did the exact opposite of what Coach Payton did. Marinelli went out and tried to sign every former and washed up Buccaneer he could find and the Lion’s roster got worse as the years went on. The only player worth noting under Marinelli is WR Calvin Johnson, who still has not met his potential. Marinelli led this team to the NFL’s first ever 0-16 season. Never had this franchise fallen so far down.

Looking back, you can see that Coach Payton was the wiser choice. It wasn’t just because of the record, but it’s because Payton had more respect around the league to get the players he got. Payton coached under Bill Parcells in Dallas and earned respect from everyone. Coach Marinelli, yes he coached under Tony Dungy, but he had never even been a coordinator in this league.

So as you’re watching this year’s Super Bowl on February 7th, think about how this could’ve been the Lions you’re watching and not the Saints.