Saban absolutely SUCKED as an NFL coach. He went from 7-9 to 6-10 in Miami before bailing on them to go back to college where he CAN recruit and have the best players in the country and still not win every year.
No, IMO, this team needs more discipline and more practice w the 1st team together running a game plan designed to attack the weaknesses of the opponent RATHER than their strengths.
Ben wanted the keys to the car and they gave it to him in the second half...he crashed. He hates Haley and will retire after this season UNLESS he is replaced. As I've said before, can Haley for Fichtner NOW. He likes Fichtner, and Fichtner has a very good resume in scoring points with his schemes. Ben would be more energized, maybe stay til the end of his contract too.
Tomlin isn't going anywhere BUT they need to have a "banger" in there backfield that they don't have w Bell. He dances because everyone is so enamored w his patience but sometimes you must run vertically in order to get the yards before the backfield catches up to the play. I would have loved to see Watson in there spelling Bell. Bell is and SHOULD be used to his strengths, which is as an all-purpose back (runs, pass protect w slip screens, designed play-action passes etc. They haven't been using him in this way.
On D, everyone should be on notice that we DON'T celebrate the OTHER teams first downs! We celebrate when we stop them on 3rd down...period! Mitchell is a clown. SHazier is playing out of control and Williams doesn't have the ability Timmons had to get off blocks. We keep waiting for Dupree to be half the OLB that Harrison is while he is wasting away on the bench. WHo gives a rats *** IF he doesn't play ST...like we are going to be a top 10 ST with a different OLB playing on ST? Ben is a bit of a DIva like most top NFL QBs and he will play better when he is allowed to play his way.
Cut the VEt day off w Ben on Wednesday's UNTIL he gets some reps with anyone NOT named AB. He has always been a guy to have a favorite WR but in the past he had Heath who was also his room-mate to go to as a back-up. I would room him w MacDonald until they get something going and make him practice w the other receivers more. Right now, AB is the only one he trusts BUT after watching him throw into triple coverage a few times I wonder if HALEY isn't the guy who can tell him what he needs to do to fix the problem. He has ZERO respect for him. He needs someone who he will actually listen to and Haley ain't it!