Wednesday, December 22, 1999
Final games to gauge Coslet
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
NFL pundits spent the weekend saying coach Bruce Coslet's job is safe for next season. But Tuesday, Bengals President Mike Brown indicated he is awaiting further developments before making plans for next year, even though he has extended the contract of some assistant coaches.
Brown wants to see how his club, which has won three straight games, fares at playoff-hungry Baltimore Sunday and league-leading Jacksonville next Sunday in the regular-season finale.
“They're good teams giving us their best shot,” Brown said. “The good news for us is it's a way to measure ourselves. We can continue to feel better about our situation. If we don't hold up, that will send us a message, too.”
Which is, it would be hard to bring back Coslet if the Bengals revert to early-season form and get blown out, like they did in last season's 35-0 loss to Tampa Bay in the last game.
“They have to fill some air time and that's the topic this time of year: who's staying and who's going,” said Brown of the pregame show chatter. “I'm not going to say anything more about it.”
Brown said he is more com fortable evaluating the season as a whole, which includes a 1-10 start, a six-game losing streak in which the Bengals were outscored by 96 points and the current winning streak built against teams with a combined 10-24 record.
Baltimore is 7-7 and has a shot at a wild card; Jacksonville has a one-game lead over Indianapolis for home-field advantage. But if the Jaguars can win in Tennessee Sunday against the only team to beat them, they can probably rest people against the Bengals be cause they hold a big lead over Indy in the tie-breaking procedures.
Brown and Coslet wouldn't discuss the contract extensions of some assistants. But some coaches who have more than a year remaining on their deals haven't been approached, indicating Brown has yet to make a decision on Coslet.
The Bengals traditionally try to protect assistants whose contracts end, so club insiders suggested the extensions don't mean those assistants will be here if a change is made with the head coach.
But there's no question momentum is on Coslet's side. Except for some of the big-name coaches who consistently win, Brown has never been convinced many of the league's coaches would fare better than Coslet.
Roberts, who has endured a trying year with two punters, four long snappers and three holders, said he wasn't told anything about Coslet'situation.
“It's none of my business and I can't speak for the other guys,” Roberts said. “But I'm happy to be extended. I have the responsibility of special teams, but when you go through so many changes like we did, it's hard to put the entire blame on the coach.”
There may be more scrutiny on defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau than on Coslet. Most of the defensive coaches haven't been approached about next season and Brown hasn't hid his disappointment at a unit on pace to give up the fourth-most points of all-time with 476.
Plus, Patriots head coach Pete Carroll, Coslet's good friend and defensive coordinator with the Jets, will probably be fired and would be available.
It's not known how Coslet, also close to LeBeau, would react if Brown insisted on a change on the defensive side.
“I think Mike has taken responsibility for what happened on that side of the ball,” said former Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason, ABC's Monday Night Football analyst who keeps close tabs on his team. “He didn't go out and sign a cornerback. What can the coach do?
“The bigger question that should be asked is now that Mike has gotten the new stadium he said he needs to compete for free agents, is he going to go out and get those one or two big free agents?”
Brown isn't talking about his offseason plans yet. Probably because much depends on these last two games, which doesn't surprise Esiason.
“The NFL is a very reactive world,” Esiason said. “Two games at the end of the year can change the whole scope of a team going into the end of the year.”
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