SEAN M. HAFFEY / Union-Tribune
Is it the coach's fault that the Chargers could triple-team the Cardinals' Edgerrin James on this play? |
Consider Dennis Green gone.
While Green's severance has not been made a matter of record by the Arizona Cardinals, his solemn expression and his reluctance to discuss his situation suggested yesterday that Green has accepted that he will not be retained as the team's coach.
Green would remark only briefly on his situation after a 27-20 victory for the Chargers left Arizona with a 5-11 reading for its third season under him. “I'm a 57-year-old man,” said Green. “I'll keep my feelings to myself.”
Persons close to the Arizona club say Green already has begun to clean out his office. In his 10 years as coach of the Minnesota Vikings, Green escorted the Purple People to four division championships, but he has been unable to make matters work since the Cardinals awarded him a four-year contract before the 2004 season totaling $10 million.
The Cardinals' composite record in their three seasons under Green: 16-32.
In speculation concerning Green's possible successor, the name of USC coach Pete Carroll has come up, but Carroll, a former coach of the New England Patriots, has indicated he has no plans to return to the NFL. Ron Rivera, defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears, and former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel are other persons who have been linked to the Arizona coaching position.
Green would not address how shattering it was for the Cardinals to lose as they did to the Chicago Bears in Week 6, but the team seemingly was unable to gather itself after that game. Arizona led 20-0, but the Bears were able to rally for a 24-23 victory.
“Psychologically, it was pretty damaging,” said defensive end Chike Okeafor. “It was almost like you had to try to lose that game, and we did. We knew what we were getting into in playing them, and we stood up, toe to toe. They had some breaks in the fourth quarter that got them the win.”
Okeafor was involved yesterday in a play that had a Qualcomm Stadium crowd of 66,492 holding its breath. After Okeafor reached Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and thrust him to the earth late in the opening period, Rivers began limping. He later was found to have suffered a sprained right foot.
“You want me to show you on you?” Okeafor said to the reporter who had asked him how he grasped Rivers. With that, Okeafor demonstrated.
“I kind of had him around the shoulders,” the 265-pound defender said, grabbing the reporter around the shoulders (but not unkindly), “and I torqued him to the ground. I knew he took a good blow when he hit the ground.”
It was mentioned to Okeafor that he seemed to be aware of the techniques common to the Ultimate Fighting Championships.
“That's what it is out there, ultimate fighting,” Okeafor said of the play in the NFL, “but I'm never out there trying to hurt somebody. It's a boys game, you know what I'm saying? I'm a grown-up boy, man, I don't play like a man. You play like a man, you don't have any fun.”
Okeafor said he had lots of fun yesterday. The season, however, was not a joyous one for the Cardinals.
“The man would look at all those things and say, 'Oh, man, I haven't got anything to play for,' ” said Okeafor. “The little boy says, 'It's recess. Until you hear the whistle, let's go out there and play. It doesn't matter what's on the line.' ”
A number of the Cardinals, including Okeafor, said they like Green. “He's a good man,” said Okeafor, “but when things are out of your control, you ought to try not to worry about them and let it hamper your progress. You can only control what you can control.”
Jerry Magee: (619) 293-1830; jerry.magee@uniontrib.com
