The painful but seemingly inexorable march toward head coach unemployment took another significant step in the careers of Brian Schottenheimer and Shane Steichen on Sunday.
asserted
march → take → Sunday
Both coaches are headed to similar dismissals which are deserved and the only reason it hasn't happened already is because the owners of the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys are eccentric and perhaps arrogant enough to believe what is an obvious lost cause can still be redeemed.
asserted
is → head → Colts
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after Sunday's come-from-in-front overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals that Schottenheimer remains the Cowboys' coach and firing him is not a looming move.
asserted
firing → say → him
"We're not going to get into anything, that's not in my mind at this time," Jones told the usual gaggle of reporters he entertains after home games.
asserted
he → go → games
"The main thing that's in my mind is we tee it up for those kind of spots to win it.
asserted
we → tee → it
We really do want those situations.
asserted
We → want → situations
The Cowboys got the situations they wanted, leading 14-3 at halftime and 17-10 after three quarters against the Cards.
asserted
they → get → Cards
And they blew the game.
asserted
they → blow → game
The upstart Cardinals rallied behind Gardner Minshew throwing to Michael Wilson or handing it to Tyler Allgeier, who rushed for 147 yards against Dallas after gaining 64 yards the previous three games.
asserted
who → rally → yards
Jones saw his team lose at home for the third time in four games.
asserted
team → see → games
He saw his team fail to string together consecutive wins for the third time this season.
asserted
team → see → time
Indeed, winning streaks are foreign to the Cowboys under Schottenheimer, because they have won consecutive games only once in his tenure.
asserted
they → win → tenure
And out of all this, after losing to a roster that is less talented and slightly less experienced, Jones blamed practically everyone except Schottenheimer.
asserted
Jones → lose → Schottenheimer
"A lot of people let Brian down today," Jones said.
asserted
Jones → let → Brian
"And so for whatever criticism we want to have of Brian, we can all get in line.
asserted
we → want → line
To use a cliché, that was a total team effort out there for us.
asserted
that → use → us
And we have to be, for our fans, we have to be better than that when we got our hands on a win and then drop the ball.
asserted
we → have → ball
So, Jones is staying the course for now.
asserted
Jones → stay → course
But that doesn't answer the fundamental question why?
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that → answer → question
The Colts were similarly trying to find answers to their continued problems after Sunday's blowout 42-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
asserted
Colts → try → Jaguars
The Colts have lost four consecutive games, fired their general manager, traded multiple star players, are on the verge of also trading running back Jonathan Taylor, and Steichen was somehow searching for reasons he's got problems.
asserted
he → lose → problems
"I'm going to evaluate everything, every position going forward," Steichen said at one point when someone asked if Daniel Jones would remain his starting quarterback.
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Jones → go → point
Earth to Steichen: Where was this evaluation of Jones before you and deposed GM Chris Ballard agreed to give the quarterback a two-year extension in March?
asserted
you → depose → March
The coach who was all in on Jones in the offseason seemed suddenly willing to get out on Sunday.
asserted
who → seem → Sunday
And that seems to be the prevailing culture in Indy.
asserted
that → seem → Indy
Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon has quit on the season by firing the GM, and ordering the systematic trading of top talent to the highest draft choice bidder.
asserted
Gordon → quit → bidder
Steichen has been seemingly picked up on that and turned on Jones.
asserted
Steichen → pick → Jones
And some players are turning on the season as seen by them letting the Jaguars tear through weak tackle attempts to the tune of 183 rushing yards and three passing TDs by Trevor Lawrence.
asserted
Jaguars → turn → Lawrence
Because of all this, it would not really surprise if Irsay-Gordon soon turns her quitting on Steichen.
asserted
Gordon → surprise → Steichen
Should that guillotine not fall on Monday or this week, it would merely be a temporary stay and not a permanent sign of confidence.
But if the ax falls, the Colts can hand the interim head coach job to defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo or offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter – both of whom have interviewed for NFL head coach vacancies in the past.
asserted
both → fall → past
Either way, change has come to the Colts and it will not be long before it claims Shane Steichen.
uncertain
it → come → Steichen
The Aporia
