We maintain records in sports, which allows us to compare the highs and lows from one era to the next.
In light of this, Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon needs to secure at least one more victory in order to spare team president Michael Bidwill from yet another embarrassing offseason.
Two lawsuits named Bidwill and the Cardinals claim discriminatory hiring practices, unfair treatment of minority staff members, including former coach Steve Wilks, and other transgressions.
Terry McDonough, a former team official, claims that Bidwill oversaw a hostile workplace that was plagued with racial bullying. In the meantime, Wilks filed a class action lawsuit against the NFL, claiming that the league does not give black head coaches significant opportunities.
In his defense, Bidwill said Wilks’ allegations are false and referred to McDonough’s arbitration case as absurd. There is no resolution in any scenario.
Prior to the 2018 campaign, Wilks was employed. He was surrounded by people who had no reason to think they knew what they were doing.
Mike McCoy, his offensive coordinator, had just returned after a run of bad luck with the Chargers and Broncos. Prior to being employed in Arizona, McCoy was fired from Denver after just ten games. McCoy was fired as head coach of the Chargers after overseeing two seasons of double-digit defeats.
Al Holcomb, the defensive coordinator at Wilks, was attempting to convert the team’s 3-4 basic defense to a 4-3 scheme. Holcomb had never held that role before.
To exacerbate the situation, experienced Cardinals general manager Steve Keim was suspended at the start of training camp following a severe DUI arrest.
And if all of that wasn’t enough, Wilks had to deal with Josh Rosen, a rookie who couldn’t read NFL defenses, and Sam Bradford, a veteran quarterback who lacked arm strength.
Wilks winning three games was something of a miracle.
Meanwhile, Gannon has two coordinators, Nick Rallis and Drew Petzing, who substitute energy and creativity for experience.
Additionally, Monti Ossenfort, his general manager, has shown himself to be a thoughtful decision-maker with a keen eye for developing talent.
In addition, Gannon boasts one of the greatest quarterbacks in the game, Kyler Murray, who is 2-2 as a starter after overcoming a potentially fatal knee injury.
Considering that Wilks will have technically had a better season, a chorus of pundits, analysts, and supporters will be demanding Gannon’s resignation if he finishes the season without picking up another victory. Although the NFL has extended its schedule, he was 3-13. Gannon will end 3–14 if he loses.
With one or two more victories, Gannon could put an end to all of this, but it doesn’t seem likely.
The 49ers, Bears, and Eagles are all on the Cardinals’ schedule. Philadelphia and San Francisco are candidates for the Super Bowl. Despite their lackluster record of 4-8, Chicago will have the benefit of playing on Christmas Eve at Soldier Field. They defeated Seattle 6-6 at home to end the season.
Subjectivity will still be present when assessing Wilks vs. Gannon, though.
The Cardinals played well under Wilks, but they lacked a distinct identity. I covered the team that season, and I’ve always blamed a lack of talent, particularly offensively, for the team’s issues.
The Cardinals want to go deep with quick wide receivers Hollywood Brown and Rondale Moore and pound opponents with running back James Conner under Gannon.
Their defensive goal is to force the opposition’s quarterbacks into errors.
Considering that Bidwill has stated that he fired Wilks because he didn’t like the coach’s vision for the team going forward, this might be the breathing room Gannon needs to keep his job.
However, many observers will not fail to note that Gannon has far more to his advantage than Wilks, who appeared doomed from the beginning.
And that is a straightforward black-and-white comparison.
The Cardinals have come under fire recently for a number of things, including forcing players to pay for meals at the team restaurant, losing seasons, making strange coaching hires, and including a homework clause in Murray’s contract.
Gannon needs to win at least one more game to save himself from yet another embarrassing offseason.
