Biggest Coaching Blunders - On or Off the Field

[Patriotic]

On the Field

So consumed by his hatred of Bob Kraft for not being able to buy the groceries, Bill Parcells decides to kick to Desmond Howard all game long.

Off the Field

Less than a week before the end of the regular season, Chuck Fairbanks resigns as Head Coach of the playoff bound Patriots. The ever bumbling Sullivan and sons refuse to accept the resignation. Not surprisingly, disaster follows. Nearly thirty years later, the episode still seems unbelievable.

Most Shocking

As he steps to the podium in his introductory press conference, new Patriot Head Coach Clive Rush is electrocuted by the microphone he's holding.
As Rush convulses in front of a stunned press, a quick thinking newspaper rerporter unplugs the microphone. Insert your own joke here.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

On the Field

So consumed by his hatred of Bob Kraft for not being able to buy the groceries, Bill Parcells decides to kick to Desmond Howard all game long.

.

IIRC wasn't it Clive Rush who instructed his kicker to try the onsides kick but neglected to tell the rest of the special teams members??? You can figure out what happened next......

 

[Bill's Girl]

Parcells negotiating with the Jets during the prep for SB 31

Mike Martz refusing to adjust to our game plan in SB 36

Nick Saban keeping Ricky Williams

The big dope coach from Minnesota scalping SB tickets

Eric Mangini taking the Jets job

Marv Levy not running the ball more in SB 25

 

[T-ShirtDynasty]

Herm Edwards - clock management. You fill in the specific game, I think I've seen Hermie Baby goof up the clock 3 or 4 times now.

 

[Pats726]

On the Field

So consumed by his hatred of Bob Kraft for not being able to buy the groceries, Bill Parcells decides to kick to Desmond Howard all game long.

Off the Field

Less than a week before the end of the regular season, Chuck Fairbanks resigns as Head Coach of the playoff bound Patriots. The ever bumbling Sullivan and sons refuse to accept the resignation. Not surprisingly, disaster follows. Nearly thirty years later, the episode still seems unbelievable.

Most Shocking

As he steps to the podium in his introductory press conference, new Patriot Head Coach Clive Rush is electrocuted by the microphone he's holding.
As Rush convulses in front of a stunned press, a quick thinking newspaper rerporter unplugs the microphone. Insert your own joke here.

I think it was the late Will McDonough who said he could have written a book about JUST the Clive Rush year ( or so) that there were so many stumbles and odd occurences..that would have been interesting.
Didn't Parcellls also make Troy Brown inactive for that game?? A SURE blunder at best..or maybe he didn't really wish to win????
Not sure Fairbanks looks at what he did as a blunder..he had the coaching job..so why did it matter???

 

[JoeSixPat]

Pete Carroll deserves his own sub-category here...

I'm sure if we gave it some thought we'd have a bunch, but one that comes to mind is when Marino faked a spike for a TD when he was HC of the NYJ... another when his Patriots players staged a mutiny in response to his appeal for a time out

Poor clock management was a tenant of Carroll's administrations as well, to the point where he was once quoted as saying "...if we only had another 5 minutes we would have won the game."

What a dumba$$ thing to say.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

The Bills benching of Flutie that resulted in the Music City Miracle comes to mind. The Bills have never recovered which may indicate there is such a thing as the football gods.

The Eagles signing of TO based on their QB's assurances he could handle the mercurial malcontent.

Jerry Jones signing of TO based on his logic that 20 years ago Bill Parcells thrived on handling mercurial malcontents.

The Cleveland Browns organization quitting on a rookie HC named Bill Belichick.

Brian Billick letting his Superbowl QB walk because who needs that when defense wins championships.

The Miami Dolphins trading the house to NO for a RB named Rickie Williams.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

*Johnny Unitas being cut by the Steelers in 1955...
*Anything with Rich Kotite......from clock management to personnel decisions..
*Ditka not letting Payton score in SB XX but letting the Fridge run it in.
(while not a blunder- not real classy)
*Barry Switzer going for it on his own 29 and a 4th and 1 with two minutes left in a tie game.. When the two minute warning
negating their getting stuffed for a loss, he tried again and they failed again
letting the Eagles go down and score the winning FG as time expired.

 

[DaBruinz]

The Miami Dolphins trading the house to NO for a RB named Rickie Williams.

New Orleans for trading the house to draft Rickey Williams to begin with. Mike Ditka's absolute WORST moment in football history.

 

[PonyExpress]

Off the field
The greatest off-field football blunder in my memory was Minnesota trading numerous picks to Dallas and Jimmy Johnson for Herschel Walker.

On the field (TIE)
The Sam Wyche mental breakdown
Sam Wyche against San Francisco in 1987. Leading by 6 with 7 seconds left and with possession of the ball at his own 25 yard line, Sam Wyche elects to run the ball on 4th down. The 49ers stuff the play and call time out with 3 seconds left. Joe Montana promptly hits Jerry Rice with the tying 25 yardtouchdown. Before the 49ers can kick the winning extra point, Sam Wyche loses his freaking mind and crosses the field to shake Bill Walsh's hand, not realizing that the game isn't over. Bill Walsh obliges him, shakes his hand, then goes back and the 49ers kick the winning extra point. The most sickening pathetic defeat I have ever seen. Wow.

The Joe Pisarcik fumble.
Pisarcik instead of taking a knee tries to hand the ball off to Csonka to run out the last play of the game for the Giants. Pisarcik muffs the ball, Herman Edwards picks it up and runs it in for the game winning Eagles TD.

 

[AllabouttheVinces]

Got to agree with the Pisarcik fumble. Isn't it great that Herm Edwards is nominated for dumbest moves as a head coach, and as a player he goes down in history for the dumbest move by the other team's coach?

Dumbest move I remember was when Green Bay intentionally allowed a TD so they could get the ball back - and that was in the Super Bowl!

 

[PonyExpress]

Off the field
The greatest off-field football blunder in my memory was Minnesota trading numerous picks to Dallas and Jimmy Johnson for Herschel Walker.

On the field (TIE)
The Sam Wyche mental breakdown
Sam Wyche against San Francisco in 1987. Leading by 6 with 7 seconds left and with possession of the ball at his own 25 yard line, Sam Wyche elects to run the ball on 4th down. The 49ers stuff the play and call time out with 3 seconds left. Joe Montana promptly hits Jerry Rice with the tying 25 yardtouchdown. Before the 49ers can kick the winning extra point, Sam Wyche loses his freaking mind and crosses the field to shake Bill Walsh's hand, not realizing that the game isn't over. Bill Walsh obliges him, shakes his hand, then goes back and the 49ers kick the winning extra point. The most sickening pathetic defeat I have ever seen. Wow.

The Joe Pisarcik fumble.
Pisarcik instead of taking a knee tries to hand the ball off to Csonka to run out the last play of the game for the Giants. Pisarcik muffs the ball, Herman Edwards picks it up and runs it in for the game winning Eagles TD.

I would like to point out that on the "Sam Wyche Mental Breakdown" the clock stopped automatically on change of possession, so the 49ers didn't need to call a TO. Also, I believe there were only 4 seconds left in the game when Wyche called the play, and the play got stuffed with only 1 second remaining.

 

[Murphys95]

another when his Patriots players staged a mutiny in response to his appeal for a time out

This has come up before. I have that 1998 MNF game versus Miami on video. Dan Dierdorf claims that Terry Glenn was looking at Carroll (who was calling for time out), but replay never shows it. Personally I've always thought it was typical Dierforf bashing the Pats (like he did during the MNF game vs Green Bay in '97 - Patriots playbook up in smoke remark).

Dierdorf also griped numerous times about the Pats not utilizing the clock properly in that final drive which won the game over the Dolphins.

As for Carroll, no he wasn't the best coach for the Pats, but the team heirarchy played a major role in his demise (players went over his head to Bobby Grier).

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Herm Edwards - clock management. You fill in the specific game, I think I've seen Hermie Baby goof up the clock 3 or 4 times now.

Although you have to admit the bizarre spectacle of the Eagles' "ball control offense" while down 10 in Super Bowl XXXIX has to rank pretty high up there, too. What on earth were they thinking?

 

[RayClay]

IIRC wasn't it Clive Rush who instructed his kicker to try the onsides kick but neglected to tell the rest of the special teams members??? You can figure out what happened next......

Don't forget the black power defense.

 

[Hoodie]

Can't believe no one has mentioned this one

Marty Morningwheg's decision in OT to give the ball to the Bears. The Bears scored, the Lions lost and Marty remarkably wasn't fired on the spot. That's one of my faves.

 

[mcsully]

Can't believe no one has mentioned this one

Marty Morningwheg's decision in OT to give the ball to the Bears. The Bears scored, the Lions lost and Marty remarkably wasn't fired on the spot. That's one of my faves.

DAMN YOU!!! I WAS REVIEWING EVERYONES POSTS THINKING, I HAVE THE BEST ONE!! YOU BEAT ME TO IT!!!!

That by far was the worst coaching decision on the field EVER EVER EVER made..

 

[Krugman]

I like the Herm Edwards clock management ....

The Jets hire a guy to specifically give him advice re the clock late in the game....which he apparently ignores.....priceless....,also,the play calling in their last playoff game when they had a lead was pathetic....

 

[Pats726]

Got to agree with the Pisarcik fumble. Isn't it great that Herm Edwards is nominated for dumbest moves as a head coach, and as a player he goes down in history for the dumbest move by the other team's coach?

Dumbest move I remember was when Green Bay intentionally allowed a TD so they could get the ball back - and that was in the Super Bowl!

I have to agree there...the Pisarcik fumble...I mean THAt was such a blunder!!! BUT Edward's move to have contact in offseason camp...and then having videos/photos of it on the site....What were they thinking???

 

[PatsWorldChamps]

forget the exact game... didnt the eagles try to run a running play, into the pile, when a knee would have ended the game... the "run" turned into a fumble returned for a game-losing TD... has to be the worst coaching blunder ever... surprised no one mentioned it. around late 80's maybe?

this is the play i meant...

Miracle at the Meadowlands
1978. Giants lead the Eagles 17-12 with 20 seconds left. Eagles have no timeouts left. All NY QB Joe Pisarcik has to do is fall on the ball, and ... game over. But Giants offensive coordinator Bob Gibson calls a handoff to Larry Csonka. Csonka can't believe it when he hears the call in the huddle, and says, "Don't give me the ball." The exchange between Pisarcik and Csonka is botched. Herman Edwards snags the loose ball and runs 26 yards for the winning TD.

kind of funny that edwards was the hero of the worst nfl coaching call ever, when he personally made 3 of the worst 10 blunders!