Taking temperatures

By Joanne Korth
Published September 7, 2007

On the hot seat

Tom Coughlin, Giants

Matchstick rating: 10

How it got hot: Coughlin and the Giants are a match made in lunacy. Coughlin has the soft edges of a saw blade. He values rules, discipline and clocks set five minutes fast. The Giants are a collection of egomaniacs whose senses of self-importance are way out of whack. Several times during the past three seasons, ownership had reason to question if Coughlin had lost control of the team. Last season, the Giants lost six of their final eight regular-season games then a wild-card game at Philadelphia. In January, the Giants extended Coughlin's contract once more, through 2008. He's not a lame duck but hardly secure.

How to be cool: Ownership wants Coughlin to succeed, but it won't be easy. After consecutive wild-card playoff losses, he needs to win at least one, maybe two, playoff games, a tall order coming out of the competitive NFC East. With running back Tiki Barber retired, Coughlin needs fourth-year quarterbackEli Manning to mature, on the field and in the locker room. Meanwhile, Coughlin has launched an image campaign in hopes of convincing folks he is not the icy drill sergeant he's reputed to be. Of course, what he really needs is for the Giants to shut up and play, but that's not likely.

Ted Ginn, Dolphins

Miami fans booed rookie coach Cam Cameron the day Ginn was taken No. 9 overall. It was a reach, to say the least. Not only was Ginn's ankle sprained at the time of the draft, but Cameron touted the Ohio State receiver as a heck of a return man. Really, who uses a first-round pick on a special teamer? It's not his fault, but Ginn has some skeptics to win over.

Phil Savage, Browns

How it got hot: Savage is as nice a guy as you'd ever hope to meet in the NFL and a top evaluator of talent. Unfortunately for him, he's trying to turn around a franchise that seems to operate under a black cloud. Hired in 2005, Savage gets high marks for first-round draft picks of receiver Braylon Edwards (2005), linebacker Kamerion Wimbley (2006) offensive tackle Joe Thomas (2007) and quarterback Brady Quinn (2007). But he also picked coach Romeo Crennel, who is 10-22 in two seasons. If Bill Cowher wants to return to the NFL as the Browns coach/GM, Savage and Crennel are doomed.

How to be cool: Savage voiced his support for Crennel during the offseason, so he needs him to succeed. Last season, Crennel's biggest problem was his reluctance to fire offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon, whose play-calling was suspect. Carthon quit midseason, and this year, the team hired former Chargers assistant Rod Chudzinski. Odds are, after working closely with tight end Antonio Gates, Chudzinski will know how to use Kellen Winslow on third down. After picking Thomas at No. 3 overall, Savage deftly traded back into the first round to nab free-falling Quinn. If he offers hope, it could save everyone.

Tony Romo, Cowboys

How it got hot: Romo replaced veteran Drew Bledsoe in midseason and became an instant celebrity. He won his first career start, 35-14 against the Panthers on a Sunday night, toppled the previously unbeaten Colts and threw five touchdowns during a Thanksgiving Day drubbing of the Bucs. But in the final month of the season, Romo's play faltered. His world crumbled in a wild-card game in Seattle, when he botched the hold on a chip-shot, go-ahead field goal. Coach Bill Parcells retired, and owner Jerry Jones refused to extend Romo's contract.

Making it cool:Romo is the unquestioned starter under first-year coach Wade Phillips. But the fifth-year pro is in the final year of his contract and must perform to secure the long-term, big-money deal he seeks. He has plenty going for him. Jones likes him. He has two of the game's top receivers, Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn, and tight end Jason Witten. And the Cowboys have a running game. Of course, they also have a rookie offensive coordinator in former quarterback Jason Garrett, so there are bound to be glitches. Romo is no longer the popular backup. Now the pressure is on him.

Lance Briggs, Bears

How it got hot: After helping the Bears reach the Super Bowl, Briggs spent the offseason feuding with the front office. The two-time Pro Bowl linebacker expected to headline the free agent market and sign a long-term contract. But the Bears put the franchise tag on him, guaranteeing him a one-year contract for $7.2-million. Briggs balked. He demanded to be released or traded. Faced with sitting out the season, Briggs signed the one-year tender in late July. On Aug. 27, Briggs wrecked his $350,000 Lamborghini at 3 a.m. on a Chicago expressway.

Making it cool: In an attempt to play nice, the Bears agreed not to use the franchise tag on Briggs again. So he will get the chance to hit the free agent market in 2008. Of course, in order to cash in the way he would have this past offseason, Briggs will need to maintain his Pro Bowl-caliber level of play. Also, at a time when owners and executives are ultra-sensitive to conduct issues that could lead to suspensions or bad publicity, Briggs must convince his next team it was entirely out of character for him to be out in the wee hours of the morning.

Tony Ugoh, Colts

How it got hot: Ugoh was just minding his business, studying the Colts playbook, when the second-round pick from Arkansas inherited one of the most pressure-packed jobs in the NFL: left tackle for the defending Super Bowl champion Colts. Ugoh is responsible for protecting the blind side of seven-time Pro Bowl quarterback Peyton Manning. The Colts drafted the 6-foot-5, 301-pounder believing Ugoh would have at least a year to grow behind three-time Pro Bowl pick Tarik Glenn. But Glenn's unexpected retirement just before training camp thrust Ugoh into the lineup - and the spotlight.

Making it cool: The Colts like Ugoh a lot. They traded their 2008 first-round pick to San Francisco to take him 42nd overall. But offensive line is one of the hardest places for a rookie to make an impact, and Ugoh will face the game's most accomplished pass rushers on the left side. Practicing every day against Dwight Freeney will help, but the only way to make the scrutiny go away is for Ugoh to not disappoint the critics. The first five teams on the schedule are New Orleans, Tennessee, Houston, Denver and Tampa Bay, all of which are struggling to pressure opposing quarterbacks.

LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers

Everyone's No. 1 fantasy-league pick, Tomlinson is coming off one of the best seasons by a running back in NFL history. Named MVP, he led the league in rushing (1,815 yards) and set an NFL record for touchdowns (31). The scary part? Tomlinson, 28, is entering the prime of his career, though it's hard to imagine him topping 2006. The only thing lacking from his impressive resume is playoff success.

Tony Dungy , Colts

After years of listening to how he couldn't win "The Big One," Dungy delivered. He became the first African-American coach to win the Super Bowl when his Colts beat the Bears in Miami. His memoir, Quiet Strength: The Principles, Priorities and Practices of a Winning Life, hit No. 1 on the New York Times' Best Seller list. And he is beloved by fans across the country who see him as an inspiration.

Scott Pioli, Patriots

This team always seems to make the right moves. Working with coach Bill Belichick, Pioli is credited with orchestrating a tremendous offseason, during which he acquired several talented free agents - linebacker Adalius Thomas, tight end Kyle Brady and receivers Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker - and traded a fourth-round pick for receiver Randy Moss. The Patriots are poised to win their fourth Super Bowl.

Drew Brees, Saints

For the first time in his career, Brees has no detractors. None. Who could question the NFL's passing leader? Coming off major shoulder surgery, Brees threw for 4,418 yards last season with a 64.3 completion percentage and 26 touchdowns. He took the rebuilding city of New Orleans into his heart and took the Saints to their first NFC Championship Game. In the NFL, only Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are better.

Calvin Johnson, Lions

The draft's only can't-miss prospect, the receiver's arrival has the lowly Lions thinking playoffs. The 6-foot-5 speedster, picked No. 2 overall, signed a six-year deal worth up to $64-million, including $27.5-million guaranteed. And his coordinator is pass-happy Mike Martz, who knows a thing or two about how to use receivers.

Simeon Rice, Denver Broncos

Rice turned down the best offer he was going to get when he refused to take a $2-million paycut, from $7.25-million to $4.75-million, and stay with the Bucs. Turns out, only the Broncos saw him as more than a third-down, pass-rush specialist. He has a one-year deal worth $3-million, plus another $1-million if he hits incentives. He has one season to earn his next big contract.

Mike Tomlin, Steelers

Pittsburgh hires a new coach once a generation. Tomlin was the surprise pick of the Rooney family despite his lack of experience. The freshest bud on the Tony Dungy coaching tree, Tomlin spent five seasons as a Bucs assistant and one as Vikings defensive coordinator before landing one of the league's top jobs. Now he succeeds Steel City icon Bill Cowher, the NFL's winningest coach over the past 15 seasons.

Rich McKay, Falcons

The first coach he hired, Jim Mora, is gone. And the Falcons were heading for a rough season even before Michael Vick's dogfighting scandal began. McKay has been in Atlanta for nearly four years, long enough to make his mark on the roster. His relationship with owner Arthur Blank is solid, but McKay now is charged with filling the gaping hole Vick left.

Vince Young, Titans

He is on the cover of the Madden '08 video game. Could it get any worse for Young? Not only must he overcome the injury jinx that befell Shaun Alexander, Donovan McNabb, Ray Lewis, Michael Vick, Marshall Faulk, Daunte Culpepper ... the list goes on, this preseason, Young skipped curfew to sleep in his own bed and fought with a teammate. The worst thing he can do is believe he has arrived as an NFL quarterback.

[Last modified September 5, 2007, 12:44:52]